I had an idea for basically a fighter character to be carrying a caster on his back. The caster is a robot that is a backpack and serves as an exoskeleton for the fighter to move his arms and legs, in which case would cast through the fighter. My two big questions are Initiative and AC. My best answer for initiative is they'd have to have separate ones, otherwise he couldn't punch and cast at the same time (or am I overthinking it?). Secondly, how would AC work? I looked up mounted rules, and I think those should work ok. Any thoughts?
EDIT: I also wanted to get opinions on whether or not it'd be easier to use one or the other character as a Sidekick, and then how best to implement that on DDB?
This would be something to check with your DM and your group. Different Initiatives makes sense and I'm not sure what you mean regarding the mounted rules and how they affect AC as there is no specific AC change from mounting besides cladding I am aware of.
I think crucially as a DM I'd be curious what your intention for the character is, it sounds like you're basically wanting to have your cake and eat it by being both a martial and a full caster but depending on DM etc that may not be a problem, especially if the caster is weaker as per a sidekick character as you suggest. In regards to a group, I would expect the rest of the party to expect their own free sidekicks as well to stop you from just becoming the main character.
Per RAW, two creatures can not willingly end their turns in the same space, so once combat started, you’d really have a problem. As sinnerman said, ask your DM. This is going to be completely homebrew if it is allowed.
If they are two characters, then they will be on separate initiative.
If they are a single character, then they would have one initiative.
Your comment about "My best answer for initiative is they'd have to have separate ones, otherwise he couldn't punch and cast at the same time" seems to imply that one is the PC and the other is controlled by the first. The controller would need to use their action to control the thing, they wouldn't be able to do it for free.
My best answer for initiative is they'd have to have separate ones, otherwise he couldn't punch and cast at the same time
He/they/whatever shouldn't be able to "punch and cast" at the same time. You seem to be trying to circumvent the action economy here
If they are actually conjoined in some fashion that can't be easily ignored when it's inconvenient, as a DM I would say make one character, multiclass fighter/(whatever spellcaster), and then just roleplay the two separate identities. Another option might be Hexblade warlock (the most fighter-y warlock option), where the caster on their back effectively functions as their patron and grants their "mount" arcane abilities
If you really want them to be separate characters, though, then make separate characters
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
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I had an idea for basically a fighter character to be carrying a caster on his back. The caster is a robot that is a backpack and serves as an exoskeleton for the fighter to move his arms and legs, in which case would cast through the fighter. My two big questions are Initiative and AC. My best answer for initiative is they'd have to have separate ones, otherwise he couldn't punch and cast at the same time (or am I overthinking it?). Secondly, how would AC work? I looked up mounted rules, and I think those should work ok. Any thoughts?
EDIT: I also wanted to get opinions on whether or not it'd be easier to use one or the other character as a Sidekick, and then how best to implement that on DDB?
This would be something to check with your DM and your group. Different Initiatives makes sense and I'm not sure what you mean regarding the mounted rules and how they affect AC as there is no specific AC change from mounting besides cladding I am aware of.
I think crucially as a DM I'd be curious what your intention for the character is, it sounds like you're basically wanting to have your cake and eat it by being both a martial and a full caster but depending on DM etc that may not be a problem, especially if the caster is weaker as per a sidekick character as you suggest. In regards to a group, I would expect the rest of the party to expect their own free sidekicks as well to stop you from just becoming the main character.
Per RAW, two creatures can not willingly end their turns in the same space, so once combat started, you’d really have a problem.
As sinnerman said, ask your DM. This is going to be completely homebrew if it is allowed.
If they are two characters, then they will be on separate initiative.
If they are a single character, then they would have one initiative.
Your comment about "My best answer for initiative is they'd have to have separate ones, otherwise he couldn't punch and cast at the same time" seems to imply that one is the PC and the other is controlled by the first. The controller would need to use their action to control the thing, they wouldn't be able to do it for free.
He/they/whatever shouldn't be able to "punch and cast" at the same time. You seem to be trying to circumvent the action economy here
If they are actually conjoined in some fashion that can't be easily ignored when it's inconvenient, as a DM I would say make one character, multiclass fighter/(whatever spellcaster), and then just roleplay the two separate identities. Another option might be Hexblade warlock (the most fighter-y warlock option), where the caster on their back effectively functions as their patron and grants their "mount" arcane abilities
If you really want them to be separate characters, though, then make separate characters
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)