If you really want to grapple a stone giant I would stick with Rogue, Rogues are SAD so you can pump up Str and Dex and dump all the mental attributes. Take expertise in athletics and when you are level 9 you will have +13 or +14 to athletics and get the warlock to hex him for disadvantage on his check.
Having said that it is much ore optimal to just be able to get out of the grapple (e.g. mysty step) and render it inactive some other way, (command, fear, hypnotic pattern...)
I know this is very late but I was intrigued by this. I created a level 10 character that I recon could quite easily do this. You could also drop 2 levels and it still be feasible.
The build is: variant human - lucky feat, 1 level rogue to gain expertise in athletics, 5 levels fighter (battle master) for the grappling strike ability. This allows you to add superiority dice to grapple rolls when you have already hit the creature that turn. You also get extra attack. 4 levels sorcerer to get quickened spell and enlarge/ reduce. This allows you to as a bonus action enlarge yourself to be able to grapple in addition to the advantage gained. It is possible, without magic items if you use all available opportunities to increase strength to get a +13 to athletics. Add superiority dice, advantage and other spells given to you by sorcerer such as bane you should be able to easily out grapple a giant
Nah. If we're leaning this hard into just wanting athletics to grapple...
TCOE Custom Lineage: Skill Expert (Athletics) for S18, Athletics Expertise.
Rune Knight 6: +2 Strength, Fey Touched (Hex)
Fighting Style: Superior Technique: Menacing Strike
Runes: Fire, Stone
This has action economy issues, so try to initiate combat from far away, so Hex can be on the giant before go-turn (you may also be able to manipulate this to help ensure you pop your stone rune on the giant early). In an emergency, you can slap the giant with menacing strike + fire rune, which will attempt to work like Hex until you can get a second bonus action in on turn 2. On the big turn, you have +11 to Athletics, you have advantage, and the giant has disadvantage. Leveling up gets you access to a variety of runes that can help this build but cost precious bonus actions - storm is the big seller for being your native version of Hex, but the worst-in-show Frost Rune does help with this laser-focused goal.
Once you're a level 8 build, we can drop custom lineage for duergar without losing a feat, so now you can enlarge as an action, instead of the rune knight's bonus action, which is ideal - go turn is Hex + Enlarge + Action Surge + Grapple.
Anything past that takes us well past the point you should really be worried about tangling with a single stone giant, since they're CR 7, but past that point, much like how this build uses Hex rather than hoping there's a warlock in the party, you can pick up abilities that are better coming from a party member if possible: Peace Cleric for +1d4 to your Athletics or Lore Bard for -1d6 or -1d8 to the giant's Athletics (in fact, ideal support for you here is a Lore Bard as your Hex source).
To many people ignoring that you can only grapple a creature one size larger than you. Giants are at minimum 2 sizes larger.
You will need to increase your own size or reduce the giant's size. Any build not using either cannot work, RAW.
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I have to wonder why anyone wants to wrestle giants. Blasting them seems a much healthier option.
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and yes beat them on their own turf. with the wizard.
step one: strength based divination wizard
step two: cast enlarge reduce on self
step three: challenge giant to wrestling match.
step four: cast enlarge reduce on giant and force fail.
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This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic byVitaly S Alexius
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic byVitaly S Alexius
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If you really want to grapple a stone giant I would stick with Rogue, Rogues are SAD so you can pump up Str and Dex and dump all the mental attributes. Take expertise in athletics and when you are level 9 you will have +13 or +14 to athletics and get the warlock to hex him for disadvantage on his check.
Having said that it is much ore optimal to just be able to get out of the grapple (e.g. mysty step) and render it inactive some other way, (command, fear, hypnotic pattern...)
Nah. If we're leaning this hard into just wanting athletics to grapple...
This has action economy issues, so try to initiate combat from far away, so Hex can be on the giant before go-turn (you may also be able to manipulate this to help ensure you pop your stone rune on the giant early). In an emergency, you can slap the giant with menacing strike + fire rune, which will attempt to work like Hex until you can get a second bonus action in on turn 2. On the big turn, you have +11 to Athletics, you have advantage, and the giant has disadvantage. Leveling up gets you access to a variety of runes that can help this build but cost precious bonus actions - storm is the big seller for being your native version of Hex, but the worst-in-show Frost Rune does help with this laser-focused goal.
Once you're a level 8 build, we can drop custom lineage for duergar without losing a feat, so now you can enlarge as an action, instead of the rune knight's bonus action, which is ideal - go turn is Hex + Enlarge + Action Surge + Grapple.
Anything past that takes us well past the point you should really be worried about tangling with a single stone giant, since they're CR 7, but past that point, much like how this build uses Hex rather than hoping there's a warlock in the party, you can pick up abilities that are better coming from a party member if possible: Peace Cleric for +1d4 to your Athletics or Lore Bard for -1d6 or -1d8 to the giant's Athletics (in fact, ideal support for you here is a Lore Bard as your Hex source).
To many people ignoring that you can only grapple a creature one size larger than you. Giants are at minimum 2 sizes larger.
You will need to increase your own size or reduce the giant's size. Any build not using either cannot work, RAW.
-
I have to wonder why anyone wants to wrestle giants. Blasting them seems a much healthier option.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
right. soo
yes and yes
yes roll up a wizard
and yes beat them on their own turf. with the wizard.
step one: strength based divination wizard
step two: cast enlarge reduce on self
step three: challenge giant to wrestling match.
step four: cast enlarge reduce on giant and force fail.
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius
because you wrestled a giant. best brag ever.
edit| other than wrestling a terrasque
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius