I'm debating the idea of a "Mission Control" character for a race, and I am currently considering the Kalashtar option. However, I am hesitant to choose the Great Old One Warlock subclass, as it may overlap with the telepathy/mind-reading abilities of the race. To enhance my roleplay experience, I believe it is necessary to focus on leveling up my WIS and/or INT stats to improve my proficiency in History, Insight, Investigation, and Perception. For character examples, I would say Oracle from Batman, Futaba from Persona 5, Ingrid Hunnigan from Resident Evil, etc.
I have looked into different classes and have narrowed it down to the GOO Warlock and Knowledge Cleric. Although I prefer a non-magical character (if anything without a familiar), I am open to creating magical characters and experimenting with different classes. I am considering the Observant feat to provide buffs and enhance my character's hyperawareness (Perception, Investigation) with perks to see through walls and other related skills. Overall, my character will be a support-based one that focuses on enhancing my allies' abilities.
A friend of mine is playing something like this, they built their character as 1-Order Cleric + 5(sofar) Divination Wizard. Though if you want something non-magical you should go for Artificer.
I'd suggest looking at the Mastermind rogue in Xanathars. No magic, but plenty of ability to help your allies and debuff enemies, most of which can be done from afar. The rogue features make you really slippery, and you can always multiclass into a magic class like cleric if you feel it's needed.
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Just what are you envisioning as a “mission control”? I ask because When I hear that I think of NASA and the guys back on the ground not the flyboys on the mission. Are you talking about a buff/debuff specialist or what?
Really the same problem with recon - what are you actually envisioning? When I hear that I start to think of special forces (rangers) or recon pilots ( mages with things like clairvoyance). As none of these seem to be what your looking for could give a bit more detail please.
I would first ask what you think a mission control character is?
To me it would be a background NPC that sends groups out on missions and coordinates intelligence.
To that end any class and species is suitable. The mission control character gets to the status by real experience. Key stats would be Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
I would choose a game system that would allow my character's primary resources to be affected just the same regardless of whether I was exploring the caves with the group or sitting behind the computer. For example, I believe in Masks you could sustain "damage" to your "HP" by simply watching something bad happen to your friends on the screen. That's not a grid-tactics game. Because naturally if you're playing a grid-tactics game like D&D and your character isn't even on the grid at any given time, things aren't gonna work properly.
Anyway, in D&D the only way to observe things elsewhere is with magic. Filter spells by Divination, pick a class that can cast all the ones you want. I suggest Trickery Cleric. Cleric's a support class, which fits the concept I think. Trickery gives you early access to a weird illusory double that I think would give you some of what you're looking for, the ability to help out on the primary activity happening, while being disjointed from the actual location. You'd be missing the long-distance spy spells Arcane Eye and Find Familiar, but you'd still have Clairvoyance and frankly those spells are annoying anyway.
I know you said "without magic," but I would have to agree with Choir and others that it's very difficult in D&D to play an effective recon person without some sort of magic. Artificers, Wizards, Arcane Tricksters, Clerics, etc. all use some kind of magic.
Personally, I don't think you should pass on Pact of the Chain for Warlock. Getting a flying familiar with hands and infinite Invisbility (self only) spells is massively influential for exploration and dealing with death traps.
I'm debating the idea of a "Mission Control" character for a race, and I am currently considering the Kalashtar option. However, I am hesitant to choose the Great Old One Warlock subclass, as it may overlap with the telepathy/mind-reading abilities of the race. To enhance my roleplay experience, I believe it is necessary to focus on leveling up my WIS and/or INT stats to improve my proficiency in History, Insight, Investigation, and Perception. For character examples, I would say Oracle from Batman, Futaba from Persona 5, Ingrid Hunnigan from Resident Evil, etc.
I have looked into different classes and have narrowed it down to the GOO Warlock and Knowledge Cleric. Although I prefer a non-magical character (if anything without a familiar), I am open to creating magical characters and experimenting with different classes. I am considering the Observant feat to provide buffs and enhance my character's hyperawareness (Perception, Investigation) with perks to see through walls and other related skills. Overall, my character will be a support-based one that focuses on enhancing my allies' abilities.
A friend of mine is playing something like this, they built their character as 1-Order Cleric + 5(sofar) Divination Wizard. Though if you want something non-magical you should go for Artificer.
I'd suggest looking at the Mastermind rogue in Xanathars. No magic, but plenty of ability to help your allies and debuff enemies, most of which can be done from afar. The rogue features make you really slippery, and you can always multiclass into a magic class like cleric if you feel it's needed.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
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Just what are you envisioning as a “mission control”? I ask because When I hear that I think of NASA and the guys back on the ground not the flyboys on the mission. Are you talking about a buff/debuff specialist or what?
Really the same problem with recon - what are you actually envisioning? When I hear that I start to think of special forces (rangers) or recon pilots ( mages with things like clairvoyance). As none of these seem to be what your looking for could give a bit more detail please.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
I would first ask what you think a mission control character is?
To me it would be a background NPC that sends groups out on missions and coordinates intelligence.
To that end any class and species is suitable. The mission control character gets to the status by real experience. Key stats would be Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
I would choose a game system that would allow my character's primary resources to be affected just the same regardless of whether I was exploring the caves with the group or sitting behind the computer. For example, I believe in Masks you could sustain "damage" to your "HP" by simply watching something bad happen to your friends on the screen. That's not a grid-tactics game. Because naturally if you're playing a grid-tactics game like D&D and your character isn't even on the grid at any given time, things aren't gonna work properly.
Anyway, in D&D the only way to observe things elsewhere is with magic. Filter spells by Divination, pick a class that can cast all the ones you want. I suggest Trickery Cleric. Cleric's a support class, which fits the concept I think. Trickery gives you early access to a weird illusory double that I think would give you some of what you're looking for, the ability to help out on the primary activity happening, while being disjointed from the actual location. You'd be missing the long-distance spy spells Arcane Eye and Find Familiar, but you'd still have Clairvoyance and frankly those spells are annoying anyway.
I know you said "without magic," but I would have to agree with Choir and others that it's very difficult in D&D to play an effective recon person without some sort of magic. Artificers, Wizards, Arcane Tricksters, Clerics, etc. all use some kind of magic.
Personally, I don't think you should pass on Pact of the Chain for Warlock. Getting a flying familiar with hands and infinite Invisbility (self only) spells is massively influential for exploration and dealing with death traps.
Mastermind or inquisitive rogue for non magic. Quasi magic: Shadow Monk. Magic: Divination wizard, knowledge cleric, trickery cleric, eloquence bard, whispers bard, arcane trickster.
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There was a DnDBeyond article a while back about builds for heists. There might be some inspiration in that.