I'm about to start "The Wild Beyond The Witchlight" module as a player, and I'm looking for some tips on how to best approach it.
I only know a few things about this module: related to fairies, certainly in an extraplanar environment, very focused on roleplay and relationships with NPCs, and with a possibility to finish it without combat.
I chose to play as a Human Variant Paladin, with a Noble background and the feat "Fey Touched". Sire Eradan Hawkwinter is one of the younger sons of the Hawkwinter family, one of the noble houses of Waterdeep. He has no interest in politics and followed the family tradition of worshipping Helm and joined the Order of the Gauntlet to serve him.
Regarding "Fey Touched", I took it because it is an excellent feat, but also to create a link between Eradan and the fairies. It may be a bit Arthurian, but I imagined a chance meeting with a love at first sight between Eradan and a Nymph for example. But I would like this link to involve Eradan in the plot of the module...
About the build, I know I'm a bit weak in Constitution, but I think it's not that bad. For the Oath to come, obviously the Oath Of The Ancient seems adapted, but Fey Touched already gives me Misty Step, and that reduces a little the interest of this Oath... Otherwise I had read that the Oath Of The Crown is effective in this module, but as a Paladin of Helm, I would have liked to take the Oath Of The Watchers... If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
And finally for the progression, for the moment I'm teaming up with a Kenku Monk, a Genasi Ranger, a Dragonborn Sorcerer and a Human Warlock. I'm not sure if I should aim for a progression based only on Paladin levels, otherwise I was thinking maybe some Fighter levels or some Bard levels... What do you think?
Thanks for your feedback, of course, no spoilers please.
That sounds good. And great character name by the way (that's the hardest part for me).
For your Paladin levels, I'd either take two or four levels before switching to Bard. Two levels gives you the Bard features significantly earlier (such as the utility spells, Jack of All Trades, etc), but 4 levels gets your ASI sooner, and lets you get another one at L8 at the end of the game.
If you go with 4 Paladin levels, I'd consider the Oath of Devotion. Protection from Evil and Good is really good, especially in the Feywild, and your Sacred Weapon Channel Divinity lets you add your Charisma Modifier to attack rolls.
For your Bard levels, I'd recommend the College of Eloquence, because it very early on lets you get Expertise in Persuasion, as well as counting all die rolls of less than 10 on Persuasion & Deception checks as if you'd rolled a 10. So if you go 2 levels of Paladin, and 3 levels of Eloquence Bard, your minimum possible Persuasion check is a 19, at level 5. That's nothing to sneeze at, especially in a campaign that's built around every encounter having a non-combat option.
For an unsolicited sharing of the character I have in mind for the Wild Beyond the Witchlight if I ever get to be a player in it: I'd take an Eladrin (MMotM), Feylost background, Rogue (1), Eloquence Bard (7), with the first level being in Rogue to maximize my proficiencies, netting an additional two expertises, and proficiency in lockpicking. At L5, the character's minimum Persuasion and Deception skill checks are both 20. I think your character and mine would have an interesting dynamic if they were in the same party.
Thanks for your advices! Yeah, I was aiming Persuasion expertise too, but if I can get it with some Bard levels, I was also considering taking the Skill Expert feat at level 4... And I dunno what is best. Bard levels would also bring me some precious spell slots that I could use to smite, tho...
I didn't aimed the Oath of Devotion, and didn't thought about Protection against Good and Evil would be useful in this module. I'll think about it.
If I take some Bard levels, of course I thought about College of Eloquence, but also College of Swords and College of Lore as well, as we have no "Intelligence monkey" in the party...
While it sounds like you are aiming to avoid combat when possible sometimes it’s simply not possible because of the dice. When that happens the second attack of the Paladin (5+) may prove useful. Right now going only 2-4 levels not Paladin your party only has the 1 PC that gets a 2 nd attack before the end. Even if you go Paladin 2 sword bard 6 you’re not getting that second attack until level 8. But that means no oath as a Paladin. You need to decide which is more important to you - the level 3+ paladin abilities or the level 5, 6 bard abilities. That will really determine whether you go all Paladin or multiclass into bard and when. The one solid thing about a P2/B6 multiclass is spells. You would get 2 L3 bard spells and a single L4 spell slot for upcasting or smiting.
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Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
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Hello everyone
I'm about to start "The Wild Beyond The Witchlight" module as a player, and I'm looking for some tips on how to best approach it.
I only know a few things about this module: related to fairies, certainly in an extraplanar environment, very focused on roleplay and relationships with NPCs, and with a possibility to finish it without combat.
I chose to play as a Human Variant Paladin, with a Noble background and the feat "Fey Touched". Sire Eradan Hawkwinter is one of the younger sons of the Hawkwinter family, one of the noble houses of Waterdeep. He has no interest in politics and followed the family tradition of worshipping Helm and joined the Order of the Gauntlet to serve him.
Regarding "Fey Touched", I took it because it is an excellent feat, but also to create a link between Eradan and the fairies. It may be a bit Arthurian, but I imagined a chance meeting with a love at first sight between Eradan and a Nymph for example. But I would like this link to involve Eradan in the plot of the module...
About the build, I know I'm a bit weak in Constitution, but I think it's not that bad. For the Oath to come, obviously the Oath Of The Ancient seems adapted, but Fey Touched already gives me Misty Step, and that reduces a little the interest of this Oath... Otherwise I had read that the Oath Of The Crown is effective in this module, but as a Paladin of Helm, I would have liked to take the Oath Of The Watchers... If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
And finally for the progression, for the moment I'm teaming up with a Kenku Monk, a Genasi Ranger, a Dragonborn Sorcerer and a Human Warlock. I'm not sure if I should aim for a progression based only on Paladin levels, otherwise I was thinking maybe some Fighter levels or some Bard levels... What do you think?
Thanks for your feedback, of course, no spoilers please.
That sounds good. And great character name by the way (that's the hardest part for me).
For your Paladin levels, I'd either take two or four levels before switching to Bard. Two levels gives you the Bard features significantly earlier (such as the utility spells, Jack of All Trades, etc), but 4 levels gets your ASI sooner, and lets you get another one at L8 at the end of the game.
If you go with 4 Paladin levels, I'd consider the Oath of Devotion. Protection from Evil and Good is really good, especially in the Feywild, and your Sacred Weapon Channel Divinity lets you add your Charisma Modifier to attack rolls.
For your Bard levels, I'd recommend the College of Eloquence, because it very early on lets you get Expertise in Persuasion, as well as counting all die rolls of less than 10 on Persuasion & Deception checks as if you'd rolled a 10. So if you go 2 levels of Paladin, and 3 levels of Eloquence Bard, your minimum possible Persuasion check is a 19, at level 5. That's nothing to sneeze at, especially in a campaign that's built around every encounter having a non-combat option.
For an unsolicited sharing of the character I have in mind for the Wild Beyond the Witchlight if I ever get to be a player in it: I'd take an Eladrin (MMotM), Feylost background, Rogue (1), Eloquence Bard (7), with the first level being in Rogue to maximize my proficiencies, netting an additional two expertises, and proficiency in lockpicking. At L5, the character's minimum Persuasion and Deception skill checks are both 20. I think your character and mine would have an interesting dynamic if they were in the same party.
Thanks for your advices! Yeah, I was aiming Persuasion expertise too, but if I can get it with some Bard levels, I was also considering taking the Skill Expert feat at level 4... And I dunno what is best. Bard levels would also bring me some precious spell slots that I could use to smite, tho...
I didn't aimed the Oath of Devotion, and didn't thought about Protection against Good and Evil would be useful in this module. I'll think about it.
If I take some Bard levels, of course I thought about College of Eloquence, but also College of Swords and College of Lore as well, as we have no "Intelligence monkey" in the party...
While it sounds like you are aiming to avoid combat when possible sometimes it’s simply not possible because of the dice. When that happens the second attack of the Paladin (5+) may prove useful. Right now going only 2-4 levels not Paladin your party only has the 1 PC that gets a 2 nd attack before the end. Even if you go Paladin 2 sword bard 6 you’re not getting that second attack until level 8. But that means no oath as a Paladin. You need to decide which is more important to you - the level 3+ paladin abilities or the level 5, 6 bard abilities. That will really determine whether you go all Paladin or multiclass into bard and when. The one solid thing about a P2/B6 multiclass is spells. You would get 2 L3 bard spells and a single L4 spell slot for upcasting or smiting.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.