I've returned to the game recently and am building a charactet for our upcoming long term campaign.
I have an image of a strong but nimble enough character that is capable og goi g into melee and get fysical, but also able to stand back and "pewpew" from range.
The flavor i have in mind is lightning/shocking. So my initial idea was the tempest cleric. But i'm unsure if that would work with the fysical part. I keep thinking maybe i should go barbarian or fighter but then i'm stuck with the special effects part... i hope you guys can give me some tips!
I would recommend looking into "Path of the Storm Herald" for barbarian, I think some of the features may suit the type of character you're going for. The subclass can be found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
Storm herald barbarian can get a ranged lightning attack, but the range is incredibly short (only 10 feet). On the plus side, though, the only limit is that it can be triggered as a bonus action each turn while raging, as opposed to going for Cleric where you'll be limited by spell slots.
Clerics, though, actually work quite well as melee combatants. Remember that Tempest Clerics get access to martial weapons and heavy armor, so they're ready to take to the front lines.
Although Barbarians usually don't work well multiclassing with spellcasters, since they can't cast or concentrate on spells while raging, the theme you're working for might work well multiclassing Storm Barbarian/Tempest cleric. You would still be able to use your class features while raging, and if you focus the spells you learn more on spells that have out-of-combat utility you could take advantage of a few more lightning/thunder abilites. A level 3 Storm Barbarian, level 2 Tempest Cleric has a lightning range attack, a lightning counterattack, and they can focus their channel divinity to deal maximum damage with any lightning spells or abilities. The main downside is that you don't really get any good ranged lightning spells in this build... although Guiding Bolt does have "bolt" in the name... maybe your DM will let you homebrew it to deal Lightning Damage instead, and you could use that to attack from range until you can get close enough to go into melee.
Something to look at is some of the new UA for alternate fighting styles like the unarmed fighting style. That in conjunction with eldritch knight could do shocking grasp in melee while grappling. Also just as a bit you could take a feat with magic initiate and pick up shocking grasp and like witchbolt to get just a little bit of zappy flavor.
Unarmed Fighting Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. If you strike with two free hands, the d6 becomes a d8. When you successfully start a grapple, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to the grappled creature. Until the grapple ends, you can also deal this damage to the creature whenever you hit it with a melee attack.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Storm herald barbarian can get a ranged lightning attack, but the range is incredibly short (only 10 feet). On the plus side, though, the only limit is that it can be triggered as a bonus action each turn while raging, as opposed to going for Cleric where you'll be limited by spell slots.
How about a storm herald who takes Magic Initiate feat to pick up two lightning-based cantrips and then whatever level 1 spell fits thematically?
Storm herald barbarian can get a ranged lightning attack, but the range is incredibly short (only 10 feet). On the plus side, though, the only limit is that it can be triggered as a bonus action each turn while raging, as opposed to going for Cleric where you'll be limited by spell slots.
Clerics, though, actually work quite well as melee combatants. Remember that Tempest Clerics get access to martial weapons and heavy armor, so they're ready to take to the front lines.
Although Barbarians usually don't work well multiclassing with spellcasters, since they can't cast or concentrate on spells while raging, the theme you're working for might work well multiclassing Storm Barbarian/Tempest cleric. You would still be able to use your class features while raging, and if you focus the spells you learn more on spells that have out-of-combat utility you could take advantage of a few more lightning/thunder abilites. A level 3 Storm Barbarian, level 2 Tempest Cleric has a lightning range attack, a lightning counterattack, and they can focus their channel divinity to deal maximum damage with any lightning spells or abilities. The main downside is that you don't really get any good ranged lightning spells in this build... although Guiding Bolt does have "bolt" in the name... maybe your DM will let you homebrew it to deal Lightning Damage instead, and you could use that to attack from range until you can get close enough to go into melee.
Just remember the multiclass ability prerequisites. If the rolled stats are in order of strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma, you won't be able to multiclass in or out of any class with a prerequisite in the last three stats. Also, any spells using those stats (including magic initiate) would have low to hit bonuses and spell save DCs. You'd want to consider that when making those choices. If you can move your stats around because you listed them in descending order, you can mix and match. Just remember that rage doesn't work in heavy armor. If you put str 17, dex 10, con 15, int 8 (fysical), wisdom 16, cha 10, you could start cleric, buff dex +2 twice to max AC with medium armor (or just deal with no dex bonus). Then continue otherwise. Of course this doesn't consider racial bonuses. Having 19 strength and 16 con and 16 wis affords you some flexibility to accomplish this. Everything else is season to taste.
I made a Tortle way of the open hand monk with a level of tempest cleric. Tortles get a base AC of 17 and so you can have a STR based monk. With you're stats you could start with STR 18 DEX 10 CON 15 INT 10 WIS 18 CHA 8
You will have great speed, high strength, be able to use open hand techniques, and one level tempest cleric gives you the wrath of storms ability. I would go 5 levels way of open hand monk then one level tempest cleric and one level rogue. Finish the build by going monk rest of the way. This will give you expertise in two skills and one of them can be athletics which is used to shove and grapple.
EDIT: Instead of open hand which has a kung fu feel you could go way of the sun soul and fire ki blasts or punch hard.
There was an AD&D spell called "Shocking Grasp" that delivered something like 1d8 shock damage in addition to any other weapons damage. If your character were wearing bracers that had a number of charges of shocking grasp, he could deliver the extra damage when he grappled. I guess a ring of shocking grasp might also do the trick. Back in the day, when playing a magic user, I would cast Shocking Grasp on my dagger so the first successful strike with the dagger would deliver 1d4 + 1d8 damage (2-12 w/ a mean of 7).
There was an AD&D spell called "Shocking Grasp" that delivered something like 1d8 shock damage in addition to any other weapons damage. If your character were wearing bracers that had a number of charges of shocking grasp, he could deliver the extra damage when he grappled. I guess a ring of shocking grasp might also do the trick. Back in the day, when playing a magic user, I would cast Shocking Grasp on my dagger so the first successful strike with the dagger would deliver 1d4 + 1d8 damage (2-12 w/ a mean of 7).
Shocking Grasp exists in 5e but it doesn't combine with weapon strikes. It's attack bonus would key off the spellcasting ability which would mean that you'd want to have a higher spellcasting stat. If you got fighter, you could go Eldritch Knight at third level. Either class could multiclass one level into Wizard, Sorcerer, or Artificer to get it. Also, Arcana Domain Cleric can get it and have it key off of Wisdom. As an added bonus, it would count against the two bonus cantrips offered by that domain instead of the normal cleric cantrips and the other could be Booming Blade that does work similarly to the spell mentioned in the quote above.
A high elf could select it. Magic Initiate (Wizard, Sorcerer, or Artificer) could also get it, meaning that a human variant could also get it first level and any other race could have it by 4th level. If you don't want a high intelligence or charisma score to ensure that you're going to be able to hit with it, you could get something like a Headband of Intellect to bump your intelligence. Since it's only an uncommon item, it might be available fairly early in your campaign. Alternatively, you could hope for something like a Staff of Power if you have multiclassed into Wizard of Sorcerer. That is much more rare, but does combo with Polearm Master. You'll want to talk to your DM about the availability of such items.
I feel like stregnth based Eldritch Knight with Shocking Grasp and the grappler feat could work. A little more outside the box could be going Paladin and either multiclassing or taking Magic Initiate in Sorceror to get Shocking Grasp. I don't know how well Barbarian would work since they specialize more in melee stuff, so you could't snipe as well, and they can't cast spells during Rage.
I feel like stregnth based Eldritch Knight with Shocking Grasp and the grappler feat could work. A little more outside the box could be going Paladin and either multiclassing or taking Magic Initiate in Sorceror to get Shocking Grasp. I don't know how well Barbarian would work since they specialize more in melee stuff, so you could't snipe as well, and they can't cast spells during Rage.
Keeping in mind that intelligence would still be the Shocking Grasp ability for the EK and charisma for paladin/sorcerer. That is less of a concern if your target is wearing metal armor for Shocking Grasp.
As for the entire barbs can't cast while raging, that's only a problem if you want to cast while raging (direct quote from Captain Obvious). If you decide to split your time instead (pinging creatures at range, mixing it up pre-rage (including a few Shocking Grasps), casting a non-concentration buff or debuff, and then raging and going full melee, then your good. The only difference between that and forgoing casting to extra attack or saving spell slots for Divine Smite is the ten round (1 minute duration) commitment to maximize the effect of rage. Even that isn't set in stone, since you could end your rage early to ping a fleeting creature with a full action spell.
Barbarian might be a little more MAD, but only as far as getting DeX to 14 to max out medium armor AC. If you dump your two non casting mental stats (and depending on your racial bonuses) you would only need to add a half ASI to get that. For instance, if you point buy 14, 13, 13, 9, 8, 15 and choose Dragonborn, Your Barb/Sorcerer starts with 16, 13, 13, 9, 8, 16. At level 4, you split your ASI between Dex and Con, then 8 and 12 to either max str or split strength and charisma (or change it around to fit your priorities.)
The Paladin can dump dex instead in favor of a 16 12 14 8 8 16 (or swap dex and Wis if you're more worried about those saves) and focus on Str and feats, unless they want significant casting stats. They either have to burn a feat on magic initiate (the one that they saved by not needing to bump dex to 14?) or lose a level of progression to multiclass Sorcerer.
The EK jumps the MAD hurdle best with their extra ASIs. However, the dex build is limited if your wanting to grapple and Str/Int races are limited (Githyanki?)
If you're going to warn off of barbarian for the build, that would be the reason that I would suggest. It still comes to rage (no raging in heavy armor) limiting your casting effectiveness. The fact that you have to work around the MAD factor is a bigger concern for me than having to reconsider my spell casting options, particularly since those options are already a concern with EK and Paladin because of the MAD factor and trying to juggle feats with ASIs.
Now, Artificer might be something to look at with the barb build since you would have infusions to help out.
I would recommend a Tempest Cleric with a quick dip in Sorcerer or Wizard or even just the Magic Initiate Feat and take both Booming Blade and Shocking Grasp. You'll have a lot of fun with the Tempest Cleric's level 6 ability and Shocking Grasp. Clerics do just fine in melee range. Especially if you take 1 level in Sorcerer or Wizard and get the Shield spell. Aid can give you a decent boost to your health pool, too. And of course, Tempest Clerics do get proficiency in Heavy Armor and Martial Weapons.
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Hi guys
I've returned to the game recently and am building a charactet for our upcoming long term campaign.
I have an image of a strong but nimble enough character that is capable og goi g into melee and get fysical, but also able to stand back and "pewpew" from range.
The flavor i have in mind is lightning/shocking. So my initial idea was the tempest cleric. But i'm unsure if that would work with the fysical part. I keep thinking maybe i should go barbarian or fighter but then i'm stuck with the special effects part... i hope you guys can give me some tips!
For all tips i woukd like to add:
Race will prob be goliath (flavor over minmax)
Rolled stats are 17/16/15/10/10/8
Thanks!
Ps: all typos are intended!
I would recommend looking into "Path of the Storm Herald" for barbarian, I think some of the features may suit the type of character you're going for. The subclass can be found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
Storm herald barbarian can get a ranged lightning attack, but the range is incredibly short (only 10 feet). On the plus side, though, the only limit is that it can be triggered as a bonus action each turn while raging, as opposed to going for Cleric where you'll be limited by spell slots.
Clerics, though, actually work quite well as melee combatants. Remember that Tempest Clerics get access to martial weapons and heavy armor, so they're ready to take to the front lines.
Although Barbarians usually don't work well multiclassing with spellcasters, since they can't cast or concentrate on spells while raging, the theme you're working for might work well multiclassing Storm Barbarian/Tempest cleric. You would still be able to use your class features while raging, and if you focus the spells you learn more on spells that have out-of-combat utility you could take advantage of a few more lightning/thunder abilites. A level 3 Storm Barbarian, level 2 Tempest Cleric has a lightning range attack, a lightning counterattack, and they can focus their channel divinity to deal maximum damage with any lightning spells or abilities. The main downside is that you don't really get any good ranged lightning spells in this build... although Guiding Bolt does have "bolt" in the name... maybe your DM will let you homebrew it to deal Lightning Damage instead, and you could use that to attack from range until you can get close enough to go into melee.
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Something to look at is some of the new UA for alternate fighting styles like the unarmed fighting style. That in conjunction with eldritch knight could do shocking grasp in melee while grappling. Also just as a bit you could take a feat with magic initiate and pick up shocking grasp and like witchbolt to get just a little bit of zappy flavor.
https://ddb.ac/characters/19888120/WBRofR
Quick example
And the proposed unarmed fighting style
Unarmed Fighting Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. If you strike with two free hands, the d6 becomes a d8. When you successfully start a grapple, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to the grappled creature. Until the grapple ends, you can also deal this damage to the creature whenever you hit it with a melee attack.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Thanks foe the advice! I like the homebrew there, feels like the flavor i'm looking for. Now i have to talk to the dm 😁
How about a storm herald who takes Magic Initiate feat to pick up two lightning-based cantrips and then whatever level 1 spell fits thematically?
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Just remember the multiclass ability prerequisites. If the rolled stats are in order of strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma, you won't be able to multiclass in or out of any class with a prerequisite in the last three stats. Also, any spells using those stats (including magic initiate) would have low to hit bonuses and spell save DCs. You'd want to consider that when making those choices. If you can move your stats around because you listed them in descending order, you can mix and match. Just remember that rage doesn't work in heavy armor. If you put str 17, dex 10, con 15, int 8 (fysical), wisdom 16, cha 10, you could start cleric, buff dex +2 twice to max AC with medium armor (or just deal with no dex bonus). Then continue otherwise. Of course this doesn't consider racial bonuses. Having 19 strength and 16 con and 16 wis affords you some flexibility to accomplish this. Everything else is season to taste.
I made a Tortle way of the open hand monk with a level of tempest cleric. Tortles get a base AC of 17 and so you can have a STR based monk. With you're stats you could start with
STR 18
DEX 10
CON 15
INT 10
WIS 18
CHA 8
You will have great speed, high strength, be able to use open hand techniques, and one level tempest cleric gives you the wrath of storms ability. I would go 5 levels way of open hand monk then one level tempest cleric and one level rogue. Finish the build by going monk rest of the way. This will give you expertise in two skills and one of them can be athletics which is used to shove and grapple.
EDIT: Instead of open hand which has a kung fu feel you could go way of the sun soul and fire ki blasts or punch hard.
Your secret is safe with my indifference - Percy
There was an AD&D spell called "Shocking Grasp" that delivered something like 1d8 shock damage in addition to any other weapons damage. If your character were wearing bracers that had a number of charges of shocking grasp, he could deliver the extra damage when he grappled. I guess a ring of shocking grasp might also do the trick. Back in the day, when playing a magic user, I would cast Shocking Grasp on my dagger so the first successful strike with the dagger would deliver 1d4 + 1d8 damage (2-12 w/ a mean of 7).
Shocking Grasp exists in 5e but it doesn't combine with weapon strikes. It's attack bonus would key off the spellcasting ability which would mean that you'd want to have a higher spellcasting stat. If you got fighter, you could go Eldritch Knight at third level. Either class could multiclass one level into Wizard, Sorcerer, or Artificer to get it. Also, Arcana Domain Cleric can get it and have it key off of Wisdom. As an added bonus, it would count against the two bonus cantrips offered by that domain instead of the normal cleric cantrips and the other could be Booming Blade that does work similarly to the spell mentioned in the quote above.
A high elf could select it. Magic Initiate (Wizard, Sorcerer, or Artificer) could also get it, meaning that a human variant could also get it first level and any other race could have it by 4th level. If you don't want a high intelligence or charisma score to ensure that you're going to be able to hit with it, you could get something like a Headband of Intellect to bump your intelligence. Since it's only an uncommon item, it might be available fairly early in your campaign. Alternatively, you could hope for something like a Staff of Power if you have multiclassed into Wizard of Sorcerer. That is much more rare, but does combo with Polearm Master. You'll want to talk to your DM about the availability of such items.
I feel like stregnth based Eldritch Knight with Shocking Grasp and the grappler feat could work. A little more outside the box could be going Paladin and either multiclassing or taking Magic Initiate in Sorceror to get Shocking Grasp. I don't know how well Barbarian would work since they specialize more in melee stuff, so you could't snipe as well, and they can't cast spells during Rage.
Hombrew: Way of Wresting, Circle of Sacrifice
Keeping in mind that intelligence would still be the Shocking Grasp ability for the EK and charisma for paladin/sorcerer. That is less of a concern if your target is wearing metal armor for Shocking Grasp.
As for the entire barbs can't cast while raging, that's only a problem if you want to cast while raging (direct quote from Captain Obvious). If you decide to split your time instead (pinging creatures at range, mixing it up pre-rage (including a few Shocking Grasps), casting a non-concentration buff or debuff, and then raging and going full melee, then your good. The only difference between that and forgoing casting to extra attack or saving spell slots for Divine Smite is the ten round (1 minute duration) commitment to maximize the effect of rage. Even that isn't set in stone, since you could end your rage early to ping a fleeting creature with a full action spell.
Barbarian might be a little more MAD, but only as far as getting DeX to 14 to max out medium armor AC. If you dump your two non casting mental stats (and depending on your racial bonuses) you would only need to add a half ASI to get that. For instance, if you point buy 14, 13, 13, 9, 8, 15 and choose Dragonborn, Your Barb/Sorcerer starts with 16, 13, 13, 9, 8, 16. At level 4, you split your ASI between Dex and Con, then 8 and 12 to either max str or split strength and charisma (or change it around to fit your priorities.)
The Paladin can dump dex instead in favor of a 16 12 14 8 8 16 (or swap dex and Wis if you're more worried about those saves) and focus on Str and feats, unless they want significant casting stats. They either have to burn a feat on magic initiate (the one that they saved by not needing to bump dex to 14?) or lose a level of progression to multiclass Sorcerer.
The EK jumps the MAD hurdle best with their extra ASIs. However, the dex build is limited if your wanting to grapple and Str/Int races are limited (Githyanki?)
If you're going to warn off of barbarian for the build, that would be the reason that I would suggest. It still comes to rage (no raging in heavy armor) limiting your casting effectiveness. The fact that you have to work around the MAD factor is a bigger concern for me than having to reconsider my spell casting options, particularly since those options are already a concern with EK and Paladin because of the MAD factor and trying to juggle feats with ASIs.
Now, Artificer might be something to look at with the barb build since you would have infusions to help out.
I would recommend a Tempest Cleric with a quick dip in Sorcerer or Wizard or even just the Magic Initiate Feat and take both Booming Blade and Shocking Grasp. You'll have a lot of fun with the Tempest Cleric's level 6 ability and Shocking Grasp. Clerics do just fine in melee range. Especially if you take 1 level in Sorcerer or Wizard and get the Shield spell. Aid can give you a decent boost to your health pool, too. And of course, Tempest Clerics do get proficiency in Heavy Armor and Martial Weapons.