our DM is going to let our party add an permanent NPC.
We get to pick race/class/etc.
Here is our current party make:
Chain the Tabaxi (custom tweeks) Fighter Battlemaster, Nathaniel the Human Barbarian Ancestral Guardian, Farris the Firbolg Cleric of the Good Mother, Beryn the Wood Elf Rogue/Cleric of the Forge.
we have no real charisma based character, or talker. Just fishing for ideas on what you all think we should ask for?
Don't make an NPC your face. You already have a very well rounded party, so I'm not sure you really need any help? Maybe a Wizard or Sorcerer specializing on AOE evocations?
I agree with a support character. Look at buff/debuff spells like Haste and Slow or battlefield control like Wall of Fire (or any of the other Wall spells).
I agree with a support character. Look at buff/debuff spells like Haste and Slow or battlefield control like Wall of Fire (or any of the other Wall spells).
Do something with the character to give it some personality. If you go wizard, it could be a deep gnome abjuration wizard who is paranoid about people finding her. As a result, she frequently casts Alarm as a ritual as she's ensuring that no one followers her and won't without tripping the alarm. If she gets the feat Svirfneblin Magic from SCAG, she also casts Nondetection to ensure that others aren't finding her through divination magic.
That's a concept that could be used, but may not fit your party. Find some kind of quirk to make the character memorable.
Perhaps a Kobold Draconic Sorcerer that has been separated from its tribe and has decided to make your party it's new tribe?
I would recommend against a Sorcerer. Their Cha will likely be higher than any party members’ and you don’t want an NPC to be the face of the party. Watching the DM talk to themselves is kinda boring.
I recommend a druid. Depending on how they are built, they could provide more front line with wild shapes or provide support/damage with its spells. Personally, I think a supportive spell caster would benefit your party more since you already have a fighter and barbarian. A wizard could also work, as they would provide a lot of utility to the party as well.
I would recommend against a Sorcerer. Their Cha will likely be higher than any party members’ and you don’t want an NPC to be the face of the party. Watching the DM talk to themselves is kinda boring.
Doesn't have to be the face, have one of those quirks be that the character is shy or unwilling to talk. This is part of the benefit of going Kobold, no innate bonus, but Pack Tactics negates some of that lower charisma score. They also prefer to not be seen. I'd probably stay away from giving the DM a lawful evil character, like Volo's suggests that many Kobold are, but could work if the DM plays the character in a cooperative way and the evil aspect would be reason to not allow the kobold to be the face. This might mean more buffs and attack spells than DC spells or a fair helping of Bane or Heightened Spell (3 SP... ouch) while gaining that ground.
Of course, high charisma doesn't guarantee being the face, since not every party's highest charisma is comfortable being the face. My 10 charisma half-orc barbarian is our party's face despite having a 16 charisma warlock and a 12 charisma rogue in the party. He'd prefer not to be the face, but he's got goals and will push the conversation forward if he feels that something needs to be said.
Lol. I usually play the party face. In a recent side campaign I made a rude Artificer with trust issues since he was an Urchin as a child. My friend, who often plays leaders or muscle (but never the face) made a Hexblade. My character rarely spoke and deferred to her character frequently. I made her do all the talking. 😂 She was so glad when we switched back to our regularly scheduled campaign where I play the Bard and she plays the Eldritch Knight.
Lol. I usually play the party face. In a recent side campaign I made a rude Artificer with trust issues since he was an Urchin as a child. My friend, who often plays leaders or muscle (but never the face) made a Hexblade. My character rarely spoke and deferred to her character frequently. I made her do all the talking. 😂 She was so glad when we switched back to our regularly scheduled campaign where I play the Bard and she plays the Eldritch Knight.
It's fun to do some stuff out of character for the player sometimes. I'm glad that this character ended up having a similar personality to my own since we have two new players and my wife who is only playing as a social activity and not particularly because she wants to (She does ask if I was proud of her when she does contribute to conversations and I think that she does enjoy some of the combat sequences but she'd rather be doing something else). It allows me to take the lead when I need to even if it isn't my preference.
I do need to start taking better notes, though. I have to ask for clarification too frequently on some things to make sure that I'm not remembering something from a my preparation of LMOP as a DM and applying it in game.
I recommend a sorcerer since you can cast offensive or defensive magic, and you have a high charisma to talk to people
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Long ago, in the lands of magic and mystery, adventurers battled through dungeons and fought dragons and a man set out on a quest with a seamstress, and a bag of holding containing 1536 stuffed dinosaur plushies was created. The land was ravaged with cute dinosaur plushie rain for a week and a day after the man inverted the bag of holding.
I recommend a sorcerer since you can cast offensive or defensive magic, and you have a high charisma to talk to people
It would be an NPC. Why would you want the NPC to be the talker of the party?
they need a talker on their team and an NPC talker is still valuable as a talker even if it is an NPC
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Long ago, in the lands of magic and mystery, adventurers battled through dungeons and fought dragons and a man set out on a quest with a seamstress, and a bag of holding containing 1536 stuffed dinosaur plushies was created. The land was ravaged with cute dinosaur plushie rain for a week and a day after the man inverted the bag of holding.
our DM is going to let our party add an permanent NPC.
We get to pick race/class/etc.
Here is our current party make:
Chain the Tabaxi (custom tweeks) Fighter Battlemaster,
Nathaniel the Human Barbarian Ancestral Guardian,
Farris the Firbolg Cleric of the Good Mother,
Beryn the Wood Elf Rogue/Cleric of the Forge.
we have no real charisma based character, or talker. Just fishing for ideas on what you all think we should ask for?
Thanks
~Mad
Don't make an NPC your face. You already have a very well rounded party, so I'm not sure you really need any help? Maybe a Wizard or Sorcerer specializing on AOE evocations?
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
You have a couple of players with healing spells, I assume both the clerics have these?
If so , perhaps a sorcerer to provide your group with some additional offensive support, with haste, invisibility etc in their bank.
Getting twinned spell ability helps too.
I'd go with wizard, sorcerer, artificer, or druid specializing in support. Personally I'd do a support/utility wizard.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
I agree with a support character. Look at buff/debuff spells like Haste and Slow or battlefield control like Wall of Fire (or any of the other Wall spells).
Do something with the character to give it some personality. If you go wizard, it could be a deep gnome abjuration wizard who is paranoid about people finding her. As a result, she frequently casts Alarm as a ritual as she's ensuring that no one followers her and won't without tripping the alarm. If she gets the feat Svirfneblin Magic from SCAG, she also casts Nondetection to ensure that others aren't finding her through divination magic.
That's a concept that could be used, but may not fit your party. Find some kind of quirk to make the character memorable.
Perhaps a Kobold Draconic Sorcerer that has been separated from its tribe and has decided to make your party it's new tribe?
I would recommend against a Sorcerer. Their Cha will likely be higher than any party members’ and you don’t want an NPC to be the face of the party. Watching the DM talk to themselves is kinda boring.
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I recommend a druid. Depending on how they are built, they could provide more front line with wild shapes or provide support/damage with its spells. Personally, I think a supportive spell caster would benefit your party more since you already have a fighter and barbarian. A wizard could also work, as they would provide a lot of utility to the party as well.
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Doesn't have to be the face, have one of those quirks be that the character is shy or unwilling to talk. This is part of the benefit of going Kobold, no innate bonus, but Pack Tactics negates some of that lower charisma score. They also prefer to not be seen. I'd probably stay away from giving the DM a lawful evil character, like Volo's suggests that many Kobold are, but could work if the DM plays the character in a cooperative way and the evil aspect would be reason to not allow the kobold to be the face. This might mean more buffs and attack spells than DC spells or a fair helping of Bane or Heightened Spell (3 SP... ouch) while gaining that ground.
Of course, high charisma doesn't guarantee being the face, since not every party's highest charisma is comfortable being the face. My 10 charisma half-orc barbarian is our party's face despite having a 16 charisma warlock and a 12 charisma rogue in the party. He'd prefer not to be the face, but he's got goals and will push the conversation forward if he feels that something needs to be said.
Or simply go with a non charisma class.
Lol. I usually play the party face. In a recent side campaign I made a rude Artificer with trust issues since he was an Urchin as a child. My friend, who often plays leaders or muscle (but never the face) made a Hexblade. My character rarely spoke and deferred to her character frequently. I made her do all the talking. 😂 She was so glad when we switched back to our regularly scheduled campaign where I play the Bard and she plays the Eldritch Knight.
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It's fun to do some stuff out of character for the player sometimes. I'm glad that this character ended up having a similar personality to my own since we have two new players and my wife who is only playing as a social activity and not particularly because she wants to (She does ask if I was proud of her when she does contribute to conversations and I think that she does enjoy some of the combat sequences but she'd rather be doing something else). It allows me to take the lead when I need to even if it isn't my preference.
I do need to start taking better notes, though. I have to ask for clarification too frequently on some things to make sure that I'm not remembering something from a my preparation of LMOP as a DM and applying it in game.
I would say a bard or artificer for the utility
I recommend a sorcerer since you can cast offensive or defensive magic, and you have a high charisma to talk to people
It would be an NPC. Why would you want the NPC to be the talker of the party?
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they need a talker on their team and an NPC talker is still valuable as a talker even if it is an NPC
Why would you want to watch the DM have a conversation with themselves. 🥱😔😞🤤😴🤤😴😪
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