I am playing a Battle Master Fighter and I just leveled up to 6. I went with Custom Background and Custom Lineage and have the following feats from Level 1: Magic Initiate Wizard with Blade Ward, Booming Blade, and Silvery Barbs, along with Gift of the Chromatic Dragon as my other Feat.
I've been playing one handed weapon with shield, using the following weapons and masteries: Longsword (SAP), Battleaxe (TOPPLE), Warhammer (PUSH)... I have a 4th Mastery that I have not used and can change, since I just leveled up. My Fighting Style is currently Dueling.
Battle Master maneuvers chosen at 3: Trip Attack, Feinting Attack, and Riposte.
At Level 4, I chose Sentinel. The Dragonborn Paladin in our party also chose Sentinel and we tag team the strongest enemies to get more use out of the Feat. If the enemy hits one of us, we get to attack. The Aura of Protection he's getting at 6 should also help us.
After Level 6, I am going to Multiclass into Cleric, choosing War Domain with War Priest at Level 3 of Cleric, to gain bonus attacks. The DM is not going to allow us to level up past 10, so I won't be able to level up to 11 for another attack. Our party also does not have a Cleric. Our Bard and Paladin do most of the healing. I believe things like Turn the Undead, Healing Word, Spiritual Weapon, Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil and Good, and some other spells would help my character and the party. Right now, Second Wind is the only thing I can do with my bonus action, unless I use Feinting Attack.
Here are the Feats I am considering at Level 6, along with my reasoning and rationale:
Fey Touched with Hunter's Mark and Misty Step (+1 to WIS to make it 16), plus I can stack Hunter's Mark Damage on top of Gift of the Chromatic Dragon Damage. HM requires a Bonus Action and Concentration. This raising my WIS to +3 will allow me to have 3 Bonus Action attacks per Short Rest instead of 2, once I become a War Priest. One of the downsides to choosing this Feat is that I wouldn't be able to get my STR to 20 at level 10, unless I chose ASI instead of my third and final Feat before Level 10 (6 Fighter and 4 Cleric).
Charger (+1 to STR to make it 19), plus I can do an additional 1d8 damage once per turn, as long as I move at least 10' in a straight line. This would pair well with Second Wind and Tactical Shift, I can heal myself and move back without inviting an opportunity attack and then use my Charge Attack for additional 1d8 damage and I can also pair this with my weapon masteries and Trip Attack for even more damage, etc. I also think this would work well with the Push Weapon Mastery and Booming Blade. I'd lose extra attack pairing this with Booming Blade but I could Charge Attack for additional 1d8 damage, gain 1d8 Thunder damage from Booming Blade, push them back 10' with my Warhammer, and then if they voluntarily move, the enemy would sustain another 2d8 of Thunder damage. I might also be able to add 1d8 damage from Trip Attack to this, but not sure. I'd push them back 10' and they'd be knocked prone. They'd have to get up and then voluntarily move for the additional 2d8 in Thunder damage.
Great Weapon Master (+1 to STR to make it 19). I won't get any extra damage from this unless I somehow obtain a two handed weapon with the heavy property like a Greatsword, Great Axe, etc. and would have to choose the appropriate weapon mastery. The Hew portion of the Feat would benefit me, as I can stick with my one handed weapons with shield and be able to use a bonus action for an extra attack, whenever I score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points. I love the idea of Hew, but I'm not sure I will ever be in a position to take advantage of the first part of this Feat, so I am not sure it is worth it for this character. If I could start over, I probably would have designed my character around it.
Since I am going to multiclass into Cleric, the Feat that I would have chosen at 8, will be chosen at level 10 (6 Fighter and 4 Cleric). One concern I do have is getting bogged down with too many bonus action options. I would have to be very strategic in how I use my bonus actions and the order in which I use them. I am leaning towards Heavy Armor Master as my last Feat, but Warcaster is also an option, so I can have advantage on my saves for the Concentration spells that I use. Shield Master is another option, I'd be able to use Battleaxe with TOPPLE, Trip Attack, and Shield Master to knock enemies prone, which gives advantage to melee attacks, but I worry that choosing Shield Master might be overkill in knocking enemies prone.
I am leaning towards Charger or Fey Touched with Hunter's Mark and Misty Step, etc. based on the above rationale. Charger is probably my first choice based on the above rationale, because I worry with Hunter's Mark I will eventually have too many spells which require concentration and I realize I can only use one of those at a time. I've got to figure out how to not get bogged down with my bonus actions and concentration spells as it is.
If you are ending the campaign at level 10, I would go with either an ASI to get your Strength to 20, or take a feat that bumps your Wisdom up to an even 16(+3).
Fey Touched for Hunter's Mark is an option, but Hunter's Mark will monopolize your bonus action, so you will get a lot less use from your War Priest ability, which is probably the better use.
War Caster would help lock in your concentration checks (most likely on Bless from your Cleric levels), which coupled with Constitution saving throw proficiency from Fighter will make it so that you almost never lose concentration.
As an alternative, Inspiring Leader would bump your Wisdom while providing a nice party buff in the form of Temporary Hit Points.
And of course, Resilient - Wisdom is always an option to help nail those important saving throws against spellcasters.
My personal choice would probably be War Caster if you plan on consistently concentrating on something like Bless or Shield of Faith, and Inspiring Leader if not (assuming nobody else in the party has it). Distant third choice would be to just take the boring +2 Strength ASI.
If you are ending the campaign at level 10, I would go with either an ASI to get your Strength to 20, or take a feat that bumps your Wisdom up to an even 16(+3).
Fey Touched for Hunter's Mark is an option, but Hunter's Mark will monopolize your bonus action, so you will get a lot less use from your War Priest ability, which is probably the better use.
War Caster would help lock in your concentration checks (most likely on Bless from your Cleric levels), which coupled with Constitution saving throw proficiency from Fighter will make it so that you almost never lose concentration.
As an alternative, Inspiring Leader would bump your Wisdom while providing a nice party buff in the form of Temporary Hit Points.
And of course, Resilient - Wisdom is always an option to help nail those important saving throws against spellcasters.
My personal choice would probably be War Caster if you plan on consistently concentrating on something like Bless or Shield of Faith, and Inspiring Leader if not (assuming nobody else in the party has it). Distant third choice would be to just take the boring +2 Strength ASI.
Our Bard has Inspiring Leader. Don't I only have to use a Bonus Action once to cast Hunter's Mark, until it's time to move it to another creature?
This is how I envision pulling this off: At the start of a battle, my first bonus action would be to use Gift of Chromatic Dragon and then make two attacks with that additional 1d4 damage. On my next attack, I could use that Bonus Action for Hunter's Mark. These two damages (1d4 & 1d6) should stack. On my third attack, assuming I am maintaining concentration on HM, I can make two attacks with Gift of Chromatic Dragon and Hunter's Mark damage and then use my Bonus Action from War Priest to make a third attack with those stacked damages. I could repeat this as long as I maintain concentration and as long as I have a Bonus Action for a third attack. If I lose Concentration on HM, then I could use a Bonus Action and Spell Slot to cast Spiritual Weapon, assuming the battle is still going.
I only started playing in September and I've been learning along the way. Historically with gaming, I am an optimizer and I'm trying to optimize my character for battle, with a little support mixed in. I greatly appreciate guidance from more experienced players.
The more I tinker around with my character, with so many Concentration spells that will become available after I multiclass, the more I see that I don't think I will get a lot of use out of Hunter's Mark once I multiclass. I don't think I am going to go with Fey Touched and I could potentially take War Caster at 10 (Fighter 6 & Cleric 4) if I believe it's needed. I am guessing we will hit 10 just before the final showdown with Strahd.
I'll have Concentration spell options like Ancestral Communion, Bless, Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil & Good, and Spiritual Weapon available.
I am playing a Battle Master Fighter and I just leveled up to 6. I went with Custom Background and Custom Lineage and have the following feats from Level 1: Magic Initiate Wizard with Blade Ward, Booming Blade, and Silvery Barbs, along with Gift of the Chromatic Dragon as my other Feat.
Stats are: STR: 18, DEX: 10, CON: 16, INT: 8, WIS: 15, and CHA: 8.
AC is 18 with Chainmail and a Shield.
I've been playing one handed weapon with shield, using the following weapons and masteries: Longsword (SAP), Battleaxe (TOPPLE), Warhammer (PUSH)... I have a 4th Mastery that I have not used and can change, since I just leveled up. My Fighting Style is currently Dueling.
Battle Master maneuvers chosen at 3: Trip Attack, Feinting Attack, and Riposte.
At Level 4, I chose Sentinel. The Dragonborn Paladin in our party also chose Sentinel and we tag team the strongest enemies to get more use out of the Feat. If the enemy hits one of us, we get to attack. The Aura of Protection he's getting at 6 should also help us.
After Level 6, I am going to Multiclass into Cleric, choosing War Domain with War Priest at Level 3 of Cleric, to gain bonus attacks. The DM is not going to allow us to level up past 10, so I won't be able to level up to 11 for another attack. Our party also does not have a Cleric. Our Bard and Paladin do most of the healing. I believe things like Turn the Undead, Healing Word, Spiritual Weapon, Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil and Good, and some other spells would help my character and the party. Right now, Second Wind is the only thing I can do with my bonus action, unless I use Feinting Attack.
Here are the Feats I am considering at Level 6, along with my reasoning and rationale:
Fey Touched with Hunter's Mark and Misty Step (+1 to WIS to make it 16), plus I can stack Hunter's Mark Damage on top of Gift of the Chromatic Dragon Damage. HM requires a Bonus Action and Concentration. This raising my WIS to +3 will allow me to have 3 Bonus Action attacks per Short Rest instead of 2, once I become a War Priest. One of the downsides to choosing this Feat is that I wouldn't be able to get my STR to 20 at level 10, unless I chose ASI instead of my third and final Feat before Level 10 (6 Fighter and 4 Cleric).
Charger (+1 to STR to make it 19), plus I can do an additional 1d8 damage once per turn, as long as I move at least 10' in a straight line. This would pair well with Second Wind and Tactical Shift, I can heal myself and move back without inviting an opportunity attack and then use my Charge Attack for additional 1d8 damage and I can also pair this with my weapon masteries and Trip Attack for even more damage, etc. I also think this would work well with the Push Weapon Mastery and Booming Blade. I'd lose extra attack pairing this with Booming Blade but I could Charge Attack for additional 1d8 damage, gain 1d8 Thunder damage from Booming Blade, push them back 10' with my Warhammer, and then if they voluntarily move, the enemy would sustain another 2d8 of Thunder damage. I might also be able to add 1d8 damage from Trip Attack to this, but not sure. I'd push them back 10' and they'd be knocked prone. They'd have to get up and then voluntarily move for the additional 2d8 in Thunder damage.
Great Weapon Master (+1 to STR to make it 19). I won't get any extra damage from this unless I somehow obtain a two handed weapon with the heavy property like a Greatsword, Great Axe, etc. and would have to choose the appropriate weapon mastery. The Hew portion of the Feat would benefit me, as I can stick with my one handed weapons with shield and be able to use a bonus action for an extra attack, whenever I score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points. I love the idea of Hew, but I'm not sure I will ever be in a position to take advantage of the first part of this Feat, so I am not sure it is worth it for this character. If I could start over, I probably would have designed my character around it.
Since I am going to multiclass into Cleric, the Feat that I would have chosen at 8, will be chosen at level 10 (6 Fighter and 4 Cleric). One concern I do have is getting bogged down with too many bonus action options. I would have to be very strategic in how I use my bonus actions and the order in which I use them. I am leaning towards Heavy Armor Master as my last Feat, but Warcaster is also an option, so I can have advantage on my saves for the Concentration spells that I use. Shield Master is another option, I'd be able to use Battleaxe with TOPPLE, Trip Attack, and Shield Master to knock enemies prone, which gives advantage to melee attacks, but I worry that choosing Shield Master might be overkill in knocking enemies prone.
I am leaning towards Charger or Fey Touched with Hunter's Mark and Misty Step, etc. based on the above rationale. Charger is probably my first choice based on the above rationale, because I worry with Hunter's Mark I will eventually have too many spells which require concentration and I realize I can only use one of those at a time. I've got to figure out how to not get bogged down with my bonus actions and concentration spells as it is.
Feedback and help would be greatly appreciated.
TIA
If you are ending the campaign at level 10, I would go with either an ASI to get your Strength to 20, or take a feat that bumps your Wisdom up to an even 16(+3).
Fey Touched for Hunter's Mark is an option, but Hunter's Mark will monopolize your bonus action, so you will get a lot less use from your War Priest ability, which is probably the better use.
War Caster would help lock in your concentration checks (most likely on Bless from your Cleric levels), which coupled with Constitution saving throw proficiency from Fighter will make it so that you almost never lose concentration.
As an alternative, Inspiring Leader would bump your Wisdom while providing a nice party buff in the form of Temporary Hit Points.
And of course, Resilient - Wisdom is always an option to help nail those important saving throws against spellcasters.
My personal choice would probably be War Caster if you plan on consistently concentrating on something like Bless or Shield of Faith, and Inspiring Leader if not (assuming nobody else in the party has it). Distant third choice would be to just take the boring +2 Strength ASI.
Our Bard has Inspiring Leader. Don't I only have to use a Bonus Action once to cast Hunter's Mark, until it's time to move it to another creature?
This is how I envision pulling this off: At the start of a battle, my first bonus action would be to use Gift of Chromatic Dragon and then make two attacks with that additional 1d4 damage. On my next attack, I could use that Bonus Action for Hunter's Mark. These two damages (1d4 & 1d6) should stack. On my third attack, assuming I am maintaining concentration on HM, I can make two attacks with Gift of Chromatic Dragon and Hunter's Mark damage and then use my Bonus Action from War Priest to make a third attack with those stacked damages. I could repeat this as long as I maintain concentration and as long as I have a Bonus Action for a third attack. If I lose Concentration on HM, then I could use a Bonus Action and Spell Slot to cast Spiritual Weapon, assuming the battle is still going.
I only started playing in September and I've been learning along the way. Historically with gaming, I am an optimizer and I'm trying to optimize my character for battle, with a little support mixed in. I greatly appreciate guidance from more experienced players.
The more I tinker around with my character, with so many Concentration spells that will become available after I multiclass, the more I see that I don't think I will get a lot of use out of Hunter's Mark once I multiclass. I don't think I am going to go with Fey Touched and I could potentially take War Caster at 10 (Fighter 6 & Cleric 4) if I believe it's needed. I am guessing we will hit 10 just before the final showdown with Strahd.
I'll have Concentration spell options like Ancestral Communion, Bless, Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil & Good, and Spiritual Weapon available.