I really like the idea of a storm sorcerer kenku. For a species obsessed with being able to fly again, I like the idea of one believing themselves blessed by a deity similar to the Thunderbird from native american mythology. A member of a small clan, who worships said deity, his sorcerous abilities are actually nothing to do with it. As he discovers his powers, the tempestuous magic ability triggers and he briefly flies. This goes straight to his head and he is convinced that he is the chosen of the Thunderbird. But as his prayers and meditations go unanswered, his tribe start to doubt him. He begins to blame them in return, the tension eventually boils over and he leaves the clan that he believes is holding him back/ not worthy of the Thunderbird's attention. Believing he is being tested to prove his worth, he attempts to perform great deeds and become ever more powerful. I know he sounds more like a tempest cleric but I want the distinction that there is NOTHING divine about his abilities, he just thinks there is.
The main problem is the Kenku's inability to create or do anything new, so I can't see how he'd actually learn new spells each level without seeing them done first. Perhaps he could sort of overcharge a spell, and it evolves into a new one?
What are people's thoughts? I know Kenkus are a bit of a controversial race but I think it could be fun.
I like your backstory, but being a sorcerer you calling on a bloodline that is different from your own maybe that is where he/she/it gets their limited creativity from. They did make a new path for themselves by leaving the clan.
Or maybe they just do stuff they think the Thunderbird could do, a Thunderbird can move really fast so they can cast Haste.
The way I would flavor the "learning new spells part" is that your spells would be spells that reflect what you would normally be able to do but better or spells that you see other creatures cast. For instance, I had a character who did not know she was a Sorcerer. She started as a Cleric, so she knew some magic, but never went to school of any kind and never studied magic under anyone. The Sorcerer spells I picked out were:
Shield - this just reflects an amplific of her dodging ability or a strong desire to not get hit, which she already knows can hurt a lot
Catapult - this is just throwing something really hard
Sleep - a lot of folktales include stories of people charming snakes or people into a state of sleep
Expeditious Retreat - this is just running faster than normal
yeah you can flavor it like that, only catapult can target objects up to 30 ft away you dont need to touch an object for it to be targeted, so you are really handicaping yourself by that reflavoring
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
well sorcerer spells are not always things that the sorcerer chooses for themselves, more like magical gifts, they might just wake up one day and suddenly knows a new spell, or maybe you should just not dwell on why he learns new things, maybe he just does
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
My group is now planning a crazy 20th level one shot in a couple of weeks. Our current campaign stems from a war that ended thousands of years ago so we're going to play out that final battle. So I'm thinking of using this character for that, going for 18 levels in sorcerer(to get the 60 flying speed) at which point the Thunderbird finally takes notice of him, so the last 2 levels would be tempest cleric (for the max damage channel divinity). I'm thinking this would be slightly scarier than the 20th level sorcerer ability, though I'd lose one ASI. Is it worth it?
From there I'd go with elemental adept (lightning, possibly twice for thunder as well) and spell sniper feats. The metamagic options I'd go for would be quickened, careful, heightened and distant. I love the idea of him being flying around hurling lightning bolts at enemies halfway across the map.
I don't know how many magic items we'll be permitted but I'm not sure which ones would compliment this build. Any ideas?
The rest of the party is looking like a battle mage, a Moon druid and an assassin. They've not settled on races yet. I know a kenku doesn't make the MOST effective sorcerer but I like the theme. He'll, have every lightning and thunder spell he can, plus some good control ones like reverse gravity.
well since you wanna go for an cleric/storm sorcerer, i personally think that an tempest cleric 6/ storm sorcerer 14 is way better since you get to push people just everywhere, get that final storm sorcerer abillity at level 14 which stacks with the 6th level puch feature so you puch people 30 ft on a failed save and 10 ft on an sucessful save, as well as an extra use of channel divinity: destructive wrath, but i see that considering the story of your character as an kenku worshipping thunderbird 18 storm sorcerer 2 tempest cleric makes more sense.
Another fun thing you can do is pick up the wish spell, but then use the wish spell to replicate the find greater steed, your patron not only having granted you your own fast flying speed but an extremely powerful and fast mount as well (pegasi will work the best), note that using wish to replicate spells has no drawbacks. If you really dont fancy using wish (despite your abillity to reflavour it as divine intervention like why not) time stop can work great for your 9th level spell, you can go for both but
since many lightning and thunder spells are in some fashion AoE spells with no attack rolls (thunderwave, shatter, lightning bolt, call lightning to name a few), spell sniper might prove to be an mistake, but again it might fit your character better, especially since you are already going for distant spell. Keep in mind not to go for to many feats, since you are multiclassing the last two levels you will miss your last abillity score increase and that extra bit of charisma might prove to be necessary,
well as to determine if it is worth it to dip into cleric in the first place, well to start with wrath of the storm is arguably weaker than the reaction at 14th level (since it has more limited uses and will probably have an lower DC while doing the exact same damage, however it does have the distinct advantage of being ever so slightly easier to trigger), and you can only use the destructive wave move once during the fight, but at the same time it means free weapon proficiency and armor proficiency, so just make shure you find a piece of enchanted plate mail that fits you, an shield with the image of thunderbird on it and an arcane focus and you are good to go, AC 20 might be pretty worth it and will not at all limit your abillity to fly (i think, it limits movement speed but not flying speed), so overall i think it might work, the 20th level sorcerer abillity is not strong, just make shure you use the second level features granted carefully
also, if you already have an pegasus, i know you wanna be a sniper but there is nothing stopping you from picking up the booming blade cantrip, an piece of armor and an lance, hopping aboard your pegasi and putting on ride of the Valkyrie in the background as you fly across the sky on your glorious steed, thuderously attacking your enemies with your 8 in str, nobody will see it comming!
to maximize benefit from 18th level sorcerer: cast wish to replicate the find greater steed spell, creating an pegasus somewhere before the big fight, preferably one long rest before the big fight (it is an gift from thunderbird, or it might be, if you use an pegasus mount you will be three times as fast as if you used your innate sorcerer speed)
to maximize benefit of 2 levels of cleric: prepare mostly utillity and buff spells, since you have a druid there is no need for further healing. Use the max damage thing only when you feel it will give the biggest advantage, you only get one shot, make shure you have armor to capitalize on your free armor proficiency (as well as your flying speed, heavy armor lowers walking speed, not flying speed by magic)
i'd say you should go over all your combat spells and then make an desicion on what feats to take. Take notice of all spells that deal thunder damage, all that deal lightning damage, all that require saving throws and all that require attack rolls. Witch ones of those will you want to use? Once you have done so, you should consider what spells to pick, i think that it might be a bad idea to go double elemental adept if you do not use many thunder damage spells, if you use mostly lightning spells i will say only take elemental adept (lightning), and as for spell sniper remember that the feat only applies to spells that requires attack rolls, make shure that you actiually have spells that uses your signature tamage type that are attack rolls, spell sniper will be no good on the lightning bolt spell!
And make absolute shure you have an charisma score of 20, it might get painful if you dont
Having reread, I'm think you're right about the feats, I'm thinking of going with just the elemental adept lightning feat, but maybe add resilience (DEX) as imagine there'll be more than a few dex saves.
I've not really seen many magical items, are there any that stand out as useful? Enchanted plate mail or a wand or something?
As for the Pegasus idea, I might ask to re-flavour it as something more bird-like if it's a blessing from his god.
I've not looked at many cleric spells. I want to try and keep it thematic but my eye keeps going to the necromancy spells like raise dead, so the idea of zapping bodies back to life (Frankenstein style) is starting to take shape.
technically according to the rules you are not allowed to prepare cleric spells higher than 1st level, despite having higher level spell slots, the rules say as follows:
You determine what spells you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a ranger 4/wizard 3, for example, you know three 1st-level ranger spells based on your levels in the ranger class. As 3rd-level wizard, you know three wizard cantrips, and your spellbook contains ten wizard spells, two of which (the two you gained when you reached 3rd level as a wizard) can be 2nd-level spells. If your Intelligence is 16, you can prepare six wizard spells from your spellbook.
of course, the DM is the final judge on all rules, if he allows you to prepare cleric spells of higher level than normal then so be it, but if you are going strictly by the rules you are not allowed to prepare cleric spells higher than 1st level. If you want my advice on cleric spells, just keep in mind to avoid spells that require saving throws and focus on the ones that fit your character but also the ones that you simply think are cool. Also remember that you allways have all your domain spells prepared, and that domain spells do not count against the number of cleric spells you can prepare. Also remember that animate dead and create undead are both cleric spells, letting you create undead minions, however doing so takes an minute or ten combat rounds, you you might be better of avoiding them. Planar ally might be an nice spell, thunderbird sends down an celestial fiend or elemental to aid you, but the creature summoned will not aid you for free
as for magic items well if you wanna go for that Frankenstein aesthetic and you are willing to spend 60 days and 50 000 gp on an unholy abombination that cant even fly, you might want to get yourself an Manual of Flesh Golems since flesh golems have an trait that allows for them to regain hit points whenever they take lightning damage, as long as you make shure to hit it with your lightning bolts you should be good.
also this staff might fit the astetic of your character, and the candle of invocation lets all clerics and druids who are within an 30 ft radious cast 1st level spells they have prepared for free, that might be an major boon for both you and your druid friend, but you need to both have the exact same alignment for that to work.
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
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I really like the idea of a storm sorcerer kenku. For a species obsessed with being able to fly again, I like the idea of one believing themselves blessed by a deity similar to the Thunderbird from native american mythology. A member of a small clan, who worships said deity, his sorcerous abilities are actually nothing to do with it. As he discovers his powers, the tempestuous magic ability triggers and he briefly flies. This goes straight to his head and he is convinced that he is the chosen of the Thunderbird. But as his prayers and meditations go unanswered, his tribe start to doubt him. He begins to blame them in return, the tension eventually boils over and he leaves the clan that he believes is holding him back/ not worthy of the Thunderbird's attention. Believing he is being tested to prove his worth, he attempts to perform great deeds and become ever more powerful. I know he sounds more like a tempest cleric but I want the distinction that there is NOTHING divine about his abilities, he just thinks there is.
The main problem is the Kenku's inability to create or do anything new, so I can't see how he'd actually learn new spells each level without seeing them done first. Perhaps he could sort of overcharge a spell, and it evolves into a new one?
What are people's thoughts? I know Kenkus are a bit of a controversial race but I think it could be fun.
I like your backstory, but being a sorcerer you calling on a bloodline that is different from your own maybe that is where he/she/it gets their limited creativity from. They did make a new path for themselves by leaving the clan.
Or maybe they just do stuff they think the Thunderbird could do, a Thunderbird can move really fast so they can cast Haste.
The way I would flavor the "learning new spells part" is that your spells would be spells that reflect what you would normally be able to do but better or spells that you see other creatures cast. For instance, I had a character who did not know she was a Sorcerer. She started as a Cleric, so she knew some magic, but never went to school of any kind and never studied magic under anyone. The Sorcerer spells I picked out were:
Shield - this just reflects an amplific of her dodging ability or a strong desire to not get hit, which she already knows can hurt a lot
Catapult - this is just throwing something really hard
Sleep - a lot of folktales include stories of people charming snakes or people into a state of sleep
Expeditious Retreat - this is just running faster than normal
You get the idea.
yeah you can flavor it like that, only catapult can target objects up to 30 ft away you dont need to touch an object for it to be targeted, so you are really handicaping yourself by that reflavoring
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
well sorcerer spells are not always things that the sorcerer chooses for themselves, more like magical gifts, they might just wake up one day and suddenly knows a new spell, or maybe you should just not dwell on why he learns new things, maybe he just does
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
My group is now planning a crazy 20th level one shot in a couple of weeks. Our current campaign stems from a war that ended thousands of years ago so we're going to play out that final battle. So I'm thinking of using this character for that, going for 18 levels in sorcerer(to get the 60 flying speed) at which point the Thunderbird finally takes notice of him, so the last 2 levels would be tempest cleric (for the max damage channel divinity). I'm thinking this would be slightly scarier than the 20th level sorcerer ability, though I'd lose one ASI. Is it worth it?
From there I'd go with elemental adept (lightning, possibly twice for thunder as well) and spell sniper feats. The metamagic options I'd go for would be quickened, careful, heightened and distant. I love the idea of him being flying around hurling lightning bolts at enemies halfway across the map.
I don't know how many magic items we'll be permitted but I'm not sure which ones would compliment this build. Any ideas?
The rest of the party is looking like a battle mage, a Moon druid and an assassin. They've not settled on races yet. I know a kenku doesn't make the MOST effective sorcerer but I like the theme. He'll, have every lightning and thunder spell he can, plus some good control ones like reverse gravity.
Any ideas to make this guy as nasty as he can be?
well since you wanna go for an cleric/storm sorcerer, i personally think that an tempest cleric 6/ storm sorcerer 14 is way better since you get to push people just everywhere, get that final storm sorcerer abillity at level 14 which stacks with the 6th level puch feature so you puch people 30 ft on a failed save and 10 ft on an sucessful save, as well as an extra use of channel divinity: destructive wrath, but i see that considering the story of your character as an kenku worshipping thunderbird 18 storm sorcerer 2 tempest cleric makes more sense.
Another fun thing you can do is pick up the wish spell, but then use the wish spell to replicate the find greater steed, your patron not only having granted you your own fast flying speed but an extremely powerful and fast mount as well (pegasi will work the best), note that using wish to replicate spells has no drawbacks. If you really dont fancy using wish (despite your abillity to reflavour it as divine intervention like why not) time stop can work great for your 9th level spell, you can go for both but
since many lightning and thunder spells are in some fashion AoE spells with no attack rolls (thunderwave, shatter, lightning bolt, call lightning to name a few), spell sniper might prove to be an mistake, but again it might fit your character better, especially since you are already going for distant spell. Keep in mind not to go for to many feats, since you are multiclassing the last two levels you will miss your last abillity score increase and that extra bit of charisma might prove to be necessary,
well as to determine if it is worth it to dip into cleric in the first place, well to start with wrath of the storm is arguably weaker than the reaction at 14th level (since it has more limited uses and will probably have an lower DC while doing the exact same damage, however it does have the distinct advantage of being ever so slightly easier to trigger), and you can only use the destructive wave move once during the fight, but at the same time it means free weapon proficiency and armor proficiency, so just make shure you find a piece of enchanted plate mail that fits you, an shield with the image of thunderbird on it and an arcane focus and you are good to go, AC 20 might be pretty worth it and will not at all limit your abillity to fly (i think, it limits movement speed but not flying speed), so overall i think it might work, the 20th level sorcerer abillity is not strong, just make shure you use the second level features granted carefully
also, if you already have an pegasus, i know you wanna be a sniper but there is nothing stopping you from picking up the booming blade cantrip, an piece of armor and an lance, hopping aboard your pegasi and putting on ride of the Valkyrie in the background as you fly across the sky on your glorious steed, thuderously attacking your enemies with your 8 in str, nobody will see it comming!
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
to maximize benefit from 18th level sorcerer: cast wish to replicate the find greater steed spell, creating an pegasus somewhere before the big fight, preferably one long rest before the big fight (it is an gift from thunderbird, or it might be, if you use an pegasus mount you will be three times as fast as if you used your innate sorcerer speed)
to maximize benefit of 2 levels of cleric: prepare mostly utillity and buff spells, since you have a druid there is no need for further healing. Use the max damage thing only when you feel it will give the biggest advantage, you only get one shot, make shure you have armor to capitalize on your free armor proficiency (as well as your flying speed, heavy armor lowers walking speed, not flying speed by magic)
i'd say you should go over all your combat spells and then make an desicion on what feats to take. Take notice of all spells that deal thunder damage, all that deal lightning damage, all that require saving throws and all that require attack rolls. Witch ones of those will you want to use? Once you have done so, you should consider what spells to pick, i think that it might be a bad idea to go double elemental adept if you do not use many thunder damage spells, if you use mostly lightning spells i will say only take elemental adept (lightning), and as for spell sniper remember that the feat only applies to spells that requires attack rolls, make shure that you actiually have spells that uses your signature tamage type that are attack rolls, spell sniper will be no good on the lightning bolt spell!
And make absolute shure you have an charisma score of 20, it might get painful if you dont
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
That's a lot of great input!
Having reread, I'm think you're right about the feats, I'm thinking of going with just the elemental adept lightning feat, but maybe add resilience (DEX) as imagine there'll be more than a few dex saves.
I've not really seen many magical items, are there any that stand out as useful? Enchanted plate mail or a wand or something?
As for the Pegasus idea, I might ask to re-flavour it as something more bird-like if it's a blessing from his god.
I've not looked at many cleric spells. I want to try and keep it thematic but my eye keeps going to the necromancy spells like raise dead, so the idea of zapping bodies back to life (Frankenstein style) is starting to take shape.
technically according to the rules you are not allowed to prepare cleric spells higher than 1st level, despite having higher level spell slots, the rules say as follows:
of course, the DM is the final judge on all rules, if he allows you to prepare cleric spells of higher level than normal then so be it, but if you are going strictly by the rules you are not allowed to prepare cleric spells higher than 1st level. If you want my advice on cleric spells, just keep in mind to avoid spells that require saving throws and focus on the ones that fit your character but also the ones that you simply think are cool. Also remember that you allways have all your domain spells prepared, and that domain spells do not count against the number of cleric spells you can prepare. Also remember that animate dead and create undead are both cleric spells, letting you create undead minions, however doing so takes an minute or ten combat rounds, you you might be better of avoiding them. Planar ally might be an nice spell, thunderbird sends down an celestial fiend or elemental to aid you, but the creature summoned will not aid you for free
as for magic items well if you wanna go for that Frankenstein aesthetic and you are willing to spend 60 days and 50 000 gp on an unholy abombination that cant even fly, you might want to get yourself an Manual of Flesh Golems since flesh golems have an trait that allows for them to regain hit points whenever they take lightning damage, as long as you make shure to hit it with your lightning bolts you should be good.
also this staff might fit the astetic of your character, and the candle of invocation lets all clerics and druids who are within an 30 ft radious cast 1st level spells they have prepared for free, that might be an major boon for both you and your druid friend, but you need to both have the exact same alignment for that to work.
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes