I need help on a fun melee+necromancer within a lvl 3-7 spectrum.
I am once again throwing out new character build ideas on my path to prepping for a campaign, and got fixated on trying to make a more interesting melee+ necromancer build.
My issue with school of necromancy by itself is I feel it's too simple, and doesn't fulfil my personal fantasy that stems from years of playing a DK in WoW. Most of the wizard sub classes rather look like wizard with a dash of salt - which is a personal thought for sure, but I long for a decent melee combatant with an army of undead by my side at tier 1-2 (rather than tier 2-4)
SO - here's my proposals (Note: Golgari Background from Ravnica and UA are up for consideration as alternative builds, but not counting on DM accepting them).
GOAL: Melee attack + spells + undead companions, at a tiers 1-2 level range.
Build 1: World of Warlock (lvl 5/lvl6 if taking a fighter dip)
S:17/d8/con15/i8/w8/cha16
Goblin - Undead/Fiend or OG Hexblade
Alert
Invocations: pact of the blade, thirsting blade, pact of the chain, investment of the chain master, Undying servitude
Take Summon undead.
- Summon 1 skeleton familiar, 1 summon undead (putrid or ghostly, 1-4 skeletons (using magical cunning to get more in at one time)
-I'm sorry DM and other players. My initiative is "yes," and my turns are now. (Perhaps we'll try to get a pack/swarm-initiative going to save some headaches? lol)
Build 2: I, Frankenstein (lvl 5+ - using UA)
This is just Battle Smith Artificer w/an undead flavoring. Steel defender is a flesh golem kinda deal - but could be interesting multiclassing? Was looking at how you might multi class with oathbreaker/warlock/wizard/death domain for later levels - though I know that just weakens the artificer over all, especially since the steal defender wants those levels right? UA reanimator technically is the correct flavor, but it's not especially interesting as a melee combatant, and steel defender looks cooler.
Build 3: Temu Oathbreaker. (lvl 5+)
War cleric with animate undead. Now, this build just gets better if you can manage to roll your stats into a 16/16/15 and then bump it up to 18/16/16 (the other stats not mattering so much) - This would allow you to do like s18/con16/wis16, which is reasonable. Maybe multiclass with the warlock/oathbreaker for some other undead minions? Seems a little deep - and I know war cleric melee isn't particularly impressive. It'd probably want a 5/3 split if I was going to multiclass - but eh - if I'm going 8-9 levels for extra attack and undead minions, I might as well...
Vanilla builds:
Oathbreaker - sigh, just level 9 for animate dead? Level 3 to control a rando and walk it on a leash sounds like fun though. (lvl 3-5)
Necromancer - already talked about this one. (lvl5+)
Death domain - One attack, which I'd usually just want to do a spell no? (lvl5+)
Other thoughts?
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Would love to hear everyone's feedback on these builds or hear your ideas as well!
i think having a goblin with a knife that then raises an army is the best thing I have ever heard so i think you should go with that but those are just my thoughts
Hm... well what do you need your undead to be able to do to fulfill your fantasy? Tons and tons of stuff can be reflavoured as undead / necromancer-y.
Find Familiar - undead snake, or skeletal bat could be flavour options. Unseen Servant - could be reflavoured as a ghost-like creature. Spike Growth / Web / Entangle - could be reflavoured as undead hands reaching up and clawing at creatures that move through the area. Maximillian's Earthen Hand - could be reflavoured as a giant undead hand moving around grabbing enemies. Find Steed could be a skeletal horse.
if your willing to reflavour like that then you might want to look a Spore Druid.
Hm... tier 1 summoning is very limited, there are the pet classes: Beastmaster Ranger, Battlesmith Artificer, Creation Bard - this could get you a literal dancing skeleton. Or Pact of the Chain in Warlock. The first spell you can get that does proper summoning is Summon Beast via Druid.
Necromancer Gish you options are basically some kind of Cleric or Spore Druid.
Yeah, it's difficult early levels unfortunately for undead. I know oathbreaker can technically manage it if you go hunting for a skeleton and leash them around. I'm hoping the new necromancer gets updated with the investment of the chainmaster bonus action attack for your undead familiar, that would be great.
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I need help on a fun melee+necromancer within a lvl 3-7 spectrum.
I am once again throwing out new character build ideas on my path to prepping for a campaign, and got fixated on trying to make a more interesting melee+ necromancer build.
My issue with school of necromancy by itself is I feel it's too simple, and doesn't fulfil my personal fantasy that stems from years of playing a DK in WoW. Most of the wizard sub classes rather look like wizard with a dash of salt - which is a personal thought for sure, but I long for a decent melee combatant with an army of undead by my side at tier 1-2 (rather than tier 2-4)
SO - here's my proposals (Note: Golgari Background from Ravnica and UA are up for consideration as alternative builds, but not counting on DM accepting them).
GOAL: Melee attack + spells + undead companions, at a tiers 1-2 level range.
Build 1: World of Warlock (lvl 5/lvl6 if taking a fighter dip)
S:17/d8/con15/i8/w8/cha16
Goblin - Undead/Fiend or OG Hexblade
Alert
Invocations: pact of the blade, thirsting blade, pact of the chain, investment of the chain master, Undying servitude
Take Summon undead.
- Summon 1 skeleton familiar, 1 summon undead (putrid or ghostly, 1-4 skeletons (using magical cunning to get more in at one time)
-I'm sorry DM and other players. My initiative is "yes," and my turns are now. (Perhaps we'll try to get a pack/swarm-initiative going to save some headaches? lol)
Build 2: I, Frankenstein (lvl 5+ - using UA)
This is just Battle Smith Artificer w/an undead flavoring. Steel defender is a flesh golem kinda deal - but could be interesting multiclassing? Was looking at how you might multi class with oathbreaker/warlock/wizard/death domain for later levels - though I know that just weakens the artificer over all, especially since the steal defender wants those levels right? UA reanimator technically is the correct flavor, but it's not especially interesting as a melee combatant, and steel defender looks cooler.
Build 3: Temu Oathbreaker. (lvl 5+)
War cleric with animate undead. Now, this build just gets better if you can manage to roll your stats into a 16/16/15 and then bump it up to 18/16/16 (the other stats not mattering so much) - This would allow you to do like s18/con16/wis16, which is reasonable. Maybe multiclass with the warlock/oathbreaker for some other undead minions? Seems a little deep - and I know war cleric melee isn't particularly impressive. It'd probably want a 5/3 split if I was going to multiclass - but eh - if I'm going 8-9 levels for extra attack and undead minions, I might as well...
Vanilla builds:
Oathbreaker - sigh, just level 9 for animate dead? Level 3 to control a rando and walk it on a leash sounds like fun though. (lvl 3-5)
Necromancer - already talked about this one. (lvl5+)
Death domain - One attack, which I'd usually just want to do a spell no? (lvl5+)
Other thoughts?
---
Would love to hear everyone's feedback on these builds or hear your ideas as well!
i think having a goblin with a knife that then raises an army is the best thing I have ever heard so i think you should go with that but those are just my thoughts
Hm... well what do you need your undead to be able to do to fulfill your fantasy? Tons and tons of stuff can be reflavoured as undead / necromancer-y.
Find Familiar - undead snake, or skeletal bat could be flavour options.
Unseen Servant - could be reflavoured as a ghost-like creature.
Spike Growth / Web / Entangle - could be reflavoured as undead hands reaching up and clawing at creatures that move through the area.
Maximillian's Earthen Hand - could be reflavoured as a giant undead hand moving around grabbing enemies.
Find Steed could be a skeletal horse.
if your willing to reflavour like that then you might want to look a Spore Druid.
I love that haha. Feels like a classic litrpg story lol.
For these builds - I'm looking at being a necromancer gish - and the undead in particular need to be able to fight!
But I like those reflavor ideas.
Hm... tier 1 summoning is very limited, there are the pet classes: Beastmaster Ranger, Battlesmith Artificer, Creation Bard - this could get you a literal dancing skeleton. Or Pact of the Chain in Warlock. The first spell you can get that does proper summoning is Summon Beast via Druid.
Necromancer Gish you options are basically some kind of Cleric or Spore Druid.
Yeah, it's difficult early levels unfortunately for undead. I know oathbreaker can technically manage it if you go hunting for a skeleton and leash them around. I'm hoping the new necromancer gets updated with the investment of the chainmaster bonus action attack for your undead familiar, that would be great.