So I have an idea for a party of 4+ characters who each specialize in a different Element (possibly good for Princes of the Apocalypse. Some of the ideas here are a stretch but I put them in regardless. What do you all think would be best for each element?
If you want you can go deeper than just answering the poll and post a full-fledged Elemental Character in the Comments (backstory required).
Air
Archetypes:
Cleric: Tempest Domain
Monk: Way of the Four Elements (specifically Air themed Elemental Disciplines)
Feel like including Genasi sort of takes away from this idea given that they already are of a given element. Would be like asking who represents an animal/mythical creature, you get to dragon and include dragonborne.
Yeah, genasi + genie patron Warlock for all of them, case closed. They'd even play well together because they're all short rest casters and they have different spell lists. Plus they can pick different invocations.
Yeah, genasi + genie patron Warlock for all of them, case closed. They'd even play well together because they're all short rest casters and they have different spell lists. Plus they can pick different invocations.
You could try to have a party of all warlocks, but then you'd get steamrolled because what you have is, in short, a bunch of pseudo-casters with no damage sponges or dedicated support units to back them up. Whether or not an effective party was your intention when you wrote that comment, I can't tell for sure, but my point still stands regardless. Here's my idea for a more balanced (not to mention more creative) elemental party:
Water - Sea Elf Cleric of the Life Domain, to accentuate the healing and life-giving nature of water. Might want to take a couple of feats or something making them more adept at combat as well, to cover the more fearsome aspects of water, and so the player has something to do other than click the undo button whenever their idiotic teammates experience the consequences of their actions for once.
Fire - Tiefling Sorcerer of the Draconic Bloodline, because tieflings synergize with the fiery aesthetic, not to mention the sorcerer's primary ability. Also, wizards are like, so last year, now it's all about chiseled sorcerer pecs, and regretting your life choices when you reach 17th level. But that's fine, because you're not going to reach 17th level. You're not.
Earth - Half-Orc Fighter of the Battle Master, to represent the stout and fearsomely-powerful nature of earth. You can also go Rune Knight if you really wanna snatch up all the casters, but you'd best not pick Champion if you value your sanity and sense of being. It's not worth it man, it's just not. Trust me on this one, I know from experience...
Air - Aarakocra Rogue of the Assassin, superficially because air is flighty yet nigh impossible to see coming, but mostly because rogues are super useful. This one's less structural and more supplementary than the rest, really it's there so the 4th player has something to do. If necessary, you can switch it out for another, more relevant build.
So I have an idea for a party of 4+ characters who each specialize in a different Element (possibly good for Princes of the Apocalypse. Some of the ideas here are a stretch but I put them in regardless. What do you all think would be best for each element?
If you want you can go deeper than just answering the poll and post a full-fledged Elemental Character in the Comments (backstory required).
Air
Archetypes:
Cleric: Tempest Domain
Monk: Way of the Four Elements (specifically Air themed Elemental Disciplines)
Sorcerer: Storm Sorcery
Warlock: The Genie (specifically Djinni)
Races: Aarakocra, Aasimar (specifically Protector), Air Genasi, Fairy, Kenku, Owlin, Variant Tiefling (specifically Winged)
Earth
Archetypes:
Cleric: Nature Domain
Druid: Circle of the Land (specifically Mountain)
Fighter: Rune Knight
Monk: Way of the Four Elements (specifically Earth themed Elemental Disciplines)
Paladin: Oath of the Ancients
Ranger: Gloomstalker
Warlock: The Genie (specifically Dao)
Races: Dwarf (all varieties), Gnome (all varieties), Earth Genasi, Firbolg, Goliath
Fire
Archetypes:
Barbarian: Storm Herald (specifically Desert)
Cleric: Forge Domain
Druid: Circle of Wildfire
Monk: Way of the Four Elements (specifically Fire themed Elemental Disciplines)
Ranger: Drakewarden (specifically Fire related Drake)
Sorcerer: Draconic Bloodline (specifically Fire related Ancestor [i.e. Brass, Gold, Red])
Warlock: The Genie (specifically Efreeti)
Races: Dragonborn(specifically Fire related Ancestor [i.e. Brass, Gold, Red]), Tiefling, Variant Tiefling (specifically Hellfire), Eladrin (specifically Summer), Fire Genasi, Kobold (specifically Fire themed)
Water
Archetypes:
Barbarian: Path of the Storm Herald (specifically Sea)
Monk: Way of the Four Elements (specifically Water themed Elemental Disciplines)
Paladin: Oath of the Open Sea
Sorcerer: Aberrant Mind
Warlock: The Fathomless, The Genie (specifically Marid)
Races: Sea Elf, Sea Half-Elf, Lizardfolk, Tortle, Triton, Water Genasi, Plasmoid, Simic Hybrid, Vedalkin, Locathah, Grung
Feel like including Genasi sort of takes away from this idea given that they already are of a given element. Would be like asking who represents an animal/mythical creature, you get to dragon and include dragonborne.
Yeah, genasi + genie patron Warlock for all of them, case closed. They'd even play well together because they're all short rest casters and they have different spell lists. Plus they can pick different invocations.
You could try to have a party of all warlocks, but then you'd get steamrolled because what you have is, in short, a bunch of pseudo-casters with no damage sponges or dedicated support units to back them up. Whether or not an effective party was your intention when you wrote that comment, I can't tell for sure, but my point still stands regardless. Here's my idea for a more balanced (not to mention more creative) elemental party:
Water - Sea Elf Cleric of the Life Domain, to accentuate the healing and life-giving nature of water. Might want to take a couple of feats or something making them more adept at combat as well, to cover the more fearsome aspects of water, and so the player has something to do other than click the undo button whenever their idiotic teammates experience the consequences of their actions for once.
Fire - Tiefling Sorcerer of the Draconic Bloodline, because tieflings synergize with the fiery aesthetic, not to mention the sorcerer's primary ability. Also, wizards are like, so last year, now it's all about chiseled sorcerer pecs, and regretting your life choices when you reach 17th level. But that's fine, because you're not going to reach 17th level. You're not.
Earth - Half-Orc Fighter of the Battle Master, to represent the stout and fearsomely-powerful nature of earth. You can also go Rune Knight if you really wanna snatch up all the casters, but you'd best not pick Champion if you value your sanity and sense of being. It's not worth it man, it's just not. Trust me on this one, I know from experience...
Air - Aarakocra Rogue of the Assassin, superficially because air is flighty yet nigh impossible to see coming, but mostly because rogues are super useful. This one's less structural and more supplementary than the rest, really it's there so the 4th player has something to do. If necessary, you can switch it out for another, more relevant build.