Scenario: Dane Yellowbeard is a Cloud Goliath that lives in a lighthouse.He is an old salty sea dog, semi-retired, who mostly wants to be left alone.He has a somewhat unique way of dealing with trespassers.
Some speculate he is an old pirate captain with a secret treasure. Others say he guards a mysterious ancient artifact. Others say he lost the love of his life once and now waits to hear her haunted singing on the waters every full moon. Whatever version of the tale they’ve heard, people are quick to find out that they are not welcome guests.
The fog rolls in daily, and sometimes it appears out of nowhere on a sunny day. Once inside the mist: alarming sounds, flashes of light, frightening faces in the mist, and as they try to escape…. the towering hulk appears, strikes, and then vanishes in the mist.
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The Build & Mechanics:
I have a few ideas to build the character, and I am curious how others would go about it.Assume the party is about Level 5, and this is a full character not a custom monster.Dane is also level 5 and might join the party for a quest.He could also be a personal playable character in another campaign.
Requirement 1: Be a multiclass GISH type character.
Requirement 2: Must have the magical means to do these effects.
Requirement 3: Plan on campaign ending around level 12. Don’t worry about Epic Boons and what not.
Requirement 4: Must be a cloud giant Goliath, because he’s sorta like Hagrid.
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How would you build out Dane?I am curious what others would do.I am leaning toward a fighter druid, but could also do a rogue-warlock, or even a ranger-cleric.Which subclasses, backgrounds and feats would support this concept?
Background: Guide - Magic Initiate, Wisdom Focus. For starting cantrips, take Shillelagh and Elementalism (will change this one later). For free spell, select "FOG". Without taking a single class yet, we are able to cast Fog and then sculpt the mist into shapes using Elementalism in order to terrify foes. Stats would go into Wisdom +2 and Dexterity +1.
Species: Goliath, Cloud Giant. For his build, having the ability to teleport a number of times per proficiency bonus is fantastic.
Stats: Probably point buy, take Wisdom up to 17, and then spread them out to Dex, Con and maybe STR, dumping INT and CHA. (Yes, we are playing an Eldritch Knight that uses intelligence for spellcasting. No, we do not care).
PC 1: Take Fighter 1. We really want consitution saving throws, and we also want a fighting style. We are going to take Blind Fighting, which will allow us to see foes in the Fog when no one else can. We are going to focus mostly on using a quarterstaff to fight, using Shillelagh to use the wisdom stat. This will also allow us to use our weapon to cast Druid spells without changing gear.
PC 2: Take Druid 1. Because we already have heavy armor and martial weapons from fighter, we are going to select Magician and get the extra cantrip. We will take Starry Wisp, Guidance, and Shape Water. There are a number of great level one Druid spells. We'll likely prepare Healing Word, Ice Knife, Faerie Fire, as well as any other spells we think we might need.
PC 3: Take Druid 2. Here we get access to Wild Shape up to CR 1/4 and Wild Companion. There are many beasts and familiars that could work in different situations. I think that Giant Wolf Spider for wall climbing, Badger for burrowing, Giant Frog for swimming and jumping, and Mastiff for cities. We will mostly use our Wild Shapes for Wrath of the Sea starting next level but its good to have a plan in place for this level since it could take weeks of real life time to advance to PC 4.
pc 4: Take Druid 3. Subclass: Circle of the Sea Druid. I know, I know, Aquaman. But hear me out. Wrath of the Sea is pretty much the best bonus action attack in the game once you have max wisdom. There are also some "always prepareds" I will get: (Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Ray of Frost, Shatter, Thunderwave). There are a few interesting 2nd level Druid spells. Since we can retrain every day there are no major choices to make. We are mostly going to play as a fighter character with a sprinkle of spellcasting. One fun combo: Giant Form + Enlarge/Reduce. Can you be too big? We can also fight with Flame Blade which will do more damage than Shillelagh for a few levels. But our key feature is Wrath of the Sea which on a bonus attack does cold damage equal to a number of d6's equal to your wisdom modifier (which we will max eventually). We also get a bonus Ice cantrip as part of the deal - winter is coming!
pc 5: Take Figher 2. We will go fighter the rest of the way with this build until Fighter 7. We get Action Surge and Tactical mind, and will use both in every round of combat moving forward. Our Shillelagh and other cantrips pings up to level 2 at this level.
pc 6: Take Fighter 3. Here we take our Fighting Subclass: Eldritch Knight. Since we tanked intelligence we are going to focus on taking spells and abilities that do not rely on it. We will cast War Bond upon our favorite quarterstaff and will keep a club in our inventory as well in case we want a free hand. At this level we will take Booming Blade (if available) as an EK cantrip and will take Elementalism as our second EK cantrip. (This will free up our Background feat cantrip to pick another druid cantrip. For theme reasons alone, I would take Thunderclap. If I am blinded and taking a beating in melee, this pretty much solves that problem.). I get 3 spell selections here from the wizard's spell list. Since I am a GISH character and already have second level spell slots, I am looking for things to round out my druid choices, that might upcast well. Shield is an obvious choice, and Absorb Elements is a second one (sure its on the druid list, but this frees up my druid preps). Find Familiar is another solid choice, since I want my Wild Shapes to go toward Wrath of the Sea rather than Wild Companion.
pc 7: Take Fighter 4. Long overdue, our ASI. We take Warcaster, and bump up Wisdom. There's nothing else to decide. We also get another Weapon Mastery. We don't really need it yet, but eventually I might want to use something other than a stick. We also get another spell selection. If available, I will take Silvery Barbs. If not available, I will take Unseen Helper to help me with shenanigans.
pc 8: Take Fighter 5. We finally get our second attack. Tactical Shift also gives us more options with combat movement.
pc 9: Take Fighter 6. We get another ASI here. We put both points into Wisdom, maxing out all of our attacks. Because of multiclassing, we have unlocked 2 3rd level spell slots here. Most of the damage spells aren't worth upcasting to 3rd level, but a 3rd level Healing Word can really turn the tide of a battle. Additionally, upcasting Fog with a 3rd level spell increases its radius from 20 feet to 60 feet . . . and this is our signature move. To math it: that's 14,400 square feet of fog to play in!
pc10: Take Fighter 7. This is a fun level. We get War Magic, which allows us to replace one of our weapon attacks with a cantrip. We also unlock 2nd level EK spells. We get 1 new prep, and can retrain 1 if we want. I will take Magic Weapon, and possibly retrain out of Absorb Elements (since I can get it from either Magic initiate or my druid spell list), and instead take Nystul's Magic Aura. (NMA can change the way I appear to magic, and make me completely immune to certain spells and other magical effects. For instance, you can use it to change your mask to that of an Elf and become immune to sleep magic and charms. You can make it permanent if you do it 30 days in a row. Ain't no business like show business!).
pc11: Take Druid 4. I changed my mind while typing this up. I really think Eldritch Knight peaks at Fighter 7. So here we take another Druid level. We still get an ASI here. In my humble opinion, with both Warcaster and Wisdom 20 locked in . . . Crusher. Bump up our Con, sure. But the really cool thing is that you can push a creature that is up to one size larger than you. As a Goliath with Giant Form, I could move huge creatures. But if I combine it with Enlarge/Reduce I can potentially move even Gargantuan creatures once per turn. I can do this even on a reaction. If I can slowly nudge the big bad off the edge of a cliff with just a stick . . . lmao. But this would also work with a Sling and magic stone . . . ya hear me in the back, little David?
pc12: Take Druid 5. Wild Resurgence is awesome here. I also get 3rd level Druid spells, which is nothing to sneeze at. And. . . a 4th level spell slot. There are alot of fun options for GISH players at Druid 5. Water Walk . . a ritual . . can make for some hilarious combat shenanigans in a harbor, where you need to sneak up onto a ship. But one of my favorite 3rd level spells here is Summon Fey. You basically get your own personal Tinkerbell with a bad attitude. Another great one during non-combat is Plant Growth. And let's not forget Conjure Animals. So many great druid spells help us in the final stage of a campaign.
A Level 12 Melee Combat Turn: Bonus Action: Wrath of the Sea 5d6 Cold (17.5) Attack 1: Magic Weapon +2 Shillelagh staff (d12) +5 wisdom (13.5) + Booming Blade 2d8 Thunder (9) (and 3d8 if they move later) (13.5) Attack 2: Magic Weapon +2 Shillelagh staff (d12) +5 wisdom (13.5) + Crusher 5ft move (setting up BB #2) Level 4 Conjure Animals: 4d10 slashing (multiple targets?) (18) Turn Max Total: 71.5 - 85 - - - - There are probably a few other options, but I think that this one is pretty solid. One alternative to this ratio would be to go Fighter 5 and Druid 7, take conjure minor elementals, and then boost the damage that way without booming blade. But I would be losing Conjure Animals which can impact multiple targets so the number of enemies would determine which approach is better.
Fighter/Wizard with Blind Fighting, Fog Cloud, and Pyrotechnics.
This might work.
How would you take the fighter and wizard levels? Which subclasses would you do? I want the character to be pretty strong in melee. For instance I see Pros/Cons of abjuration, and illusion schools.
What would the Level 5 build be? Then the 12? Lot’s of ways it could go.
Build #2 - The Hunter Ranger - War Cleric Approach The concept of this build is to use Fog + Blindfighting in combination with many different attacks and effects. Hunter Ranger gets Horde Breaker at Ra3 and extra attack at Ra5. War Cleric gets War Priest at CL3. In the fog we are going to stick to melee weapons. There are also a few other tricks here and there.
Background: Guide - Magic Initiate, Wisdom Focus. For starting cantrips, take Shillelagh and Starry Wisp. For free spell, select Healing Word. Stats would go into Wisdom +2 and Dexterity +1. We will switch Starry Wisp to Elementalism later.
Species: Goliath, Cloud Giant. For his build, having the ability to teleport a number of times per proficiency bonus is fantastic.
Stats: Probably point buy, take Wisdom up to 17, and then spread them out to Dex, Con and maybe STR, dumping INT and CHA.
PC1: Take Ranger. Take Perception, Insight and Athletics (yes we tanked strength, but this still comes up). For weapon specializations, take Quarterstaff and Club. Ranger gets access to some good level 1 spells. We don't get blindfighting until Ranger 2 so Fog is pointless at level 1. In my opinion, Entangle and Jump are two fantastic options for us. Entangle will let us control the battlefield, and jump let's us pounce. We can of course prepare different ones each day.
PC2: Take Ranger 2. Deft explorer gives us more languages (meh) and an expertise. I would put the expertise in Perception. For fighting style, we pick blind fighting of course. We get a 3rd prepared spell at this level and I would put it in Fog and keep Fog prepared the rest of the game.
PC3: Take Ranger 3. As tempted as I was to start the cleric levels, this build benefits so much from the ranger subclass it would be criminal to postpone it. Take Hunter, and switch back and forth between Horde breaker and Colossus slayer to your heart's content. But what I really love about the Hunter subclass is how it upgrades your Hunter's Mark with Hunter's Lore and learning about strengths and weaknesses. We get a 4th prepared spell here. I would probably take Detect Magic and cast it as a ritual everytime I enter a new location.
PC4: Take Ranger 4. Here is your ASI. Warcaster, so we don't lose our concentration. Bump wisdom. Here we get a 5th prepared spell. I would probably take Speak with Animals as a ritual spell and then just start talking to all of the little birdies. But Detect Poison and Disease is probably a better option if you are going into a spider cave.
PC5: Take Ranger 5. This is our big martial's favorite level. Shillelagh gets its first damage boost, and so does Starry Wisp. We get extra attack. We also get 2nd level Ranger spells. Barkskin and Magic Weapon do not require concentration, and neither does Aid. This is our final ranger level, so we will have the option to move spell preps around as needed.
PC6: Take Cleric 1. As tempting as it would be to go Ranger 6 and get Rover for the climbing and swim speed, starting our second class here is a better option. We are definitely going to take Protector for the Heavy Armor. Fog Cloud will conceal us whether or not we clank when we walk. We get 3 cantrips. In my opinion, the best options for this build are: Thaumaturgy (for extra special effects in the Fog), Toll the Dead, and Light. Since we are talking Toll the Dead, we should switch out Magic Initiate-Druid cantrip from Starry Wisp to Elementalism for more special effects. At this level, we get 4 prepared Cleric spells. For now, we have Healing Word with our Magic Initiate. So would prepare Bless as an option for non-fog encounters, Command for shenanigans, Sanctuary for emergencies, and Create or Destroy Water (which gives us some more control over our fog).
PC7: Take Cleric 2. We get Channel Divinity, which is probably underpowered at this level except for Turn Undead. We get another prepared spell. At this level we also get two 3rd level spell slots due to multiclassing. We should 100% use one of them for "Magic Weapon" on the ranger spell list, and save one for an upcast Healing Word in a critical moment.
PC8: Take Cleric 3. Here we get our subclass. We are going War Cleric, which gets us War Priest. We can now attack again with a bonus action using our quarterstaff or club. If we are using Horde Breaker and fighting two monsters, and Hunter's Mark, that is potentially 4 attacks per round - something fighters don't see until the end game, and each one gets a bonus from Hunter's Mark. There are other potential combos but that one might not even require a spell slot. Additionally, if we turned our Shillelagh into a +2 magical weapon that is even better. War Clerics get magic weapon as an auto-prepare so we can pick something else with a ranger prep. We get 2nd level Cleric spells in any case and I cannot even tell you how much I enjoy casting Blindness onto creatures who are already in the fog. It's just mean - LOL.
PC9: Take Cleric 4. For our 2nd ASI, just take Wisdom up to 20 if possible. We also get a 4th cleric cantrip here and I would take Guidance if you haven't already. The reason I did not take it earlier with this build is because I am probably not the main healer, and Guidance requires concentration. I already have Hunter's Mark going so Guidance might not come in that handy. But I would probably take it at this point anyway.
PC10: Take Cleric 5. Here we get 3rd level Cleric spells. Due to multi-classing we have two 4th level spell slots but no 4th level spells. Most people would say to take Spirit Guardians, and I definitely would and use it in many encounters. However, in combination with Fog Cloud I love the idea of having Animate Dead. Once you have four at your control, you can maintain control over them with just one 3rd level spell. This is quintissential "Monsters in the Fog." The undead do not require concentration, last 24 hours. If I upcast it, I can have six of the freaks bumbling around the fog. How terrifying would it be to go into the deadly Fog Cloud with your party, to get taken down one by one, and then eventually your party turns undead and you have to fight them?! - LOL good times. The little halfling rogue runs away back to town, finds shelter in the inn, and has to rebuild his adventuring party all over. Yeah, I'm mean.
PC11: Take Cleric 6. War God's blessing allows us to cast Spiritual Weapon without concentration. Holy smokes, now there's a giant floating Scythe in the Fog Cloud? This is nuts. We have 10 prepared cleric spells at this point, and things are getting fun. By the way, all the damage cantrips ping here. Shillelagh goes up, Toll the Dead goes up.
PC12: Take Cleric 7. Yes, I will take Blessed Strikes and its 1d8 bonus each round. 4th level Cleric spells are all concentration except for 5. We can prepare whatever we like as needed, but Guardian of the Faith is another summon that does not require concentration. At this point we have two 5th level spell slots. Fire Shield is great at 4th but doesn't upcast. Aura of Purity is solid gold when going up against a spellcaster. One of the most potentially creative spells is Stone Shape, which can basically change an entire encounter if abused enough. Your DMs will either love you or hate you.
Level 12 Damage Check: Okay, so I'm cheating here. But let's just assume we all dogpile the big bad on my turn, while using Hunter's Mark, and having loads of concentration free summons. This isn't even using Spirit Shroud or Spirit Guardians. Just your normal old Hunter's Mark. And I did not include Horde Break or Collosus Slayer in this calculation. (**I also did not include Blessed Strikes, which would add about 4-5 points to this). Dane the Ranger-Cleric: Attack 1: Shillelagh Quartaff with magic weapon: 1d12 + 5 (wis) + 2 Damage (Magic Weapon), plus 1d6 Hunter's Mark Attack 2: Shillelagh Quartaff with magic weapon: 1d12+ 5 (wis) + 2 Damage (Magic Weapon), plus 1d6 Hunter's Mark Bonus Attack: Shillelagh Quartaff with magic weapon: 1d12+ 5 (wis) + 2 Damage (Magic Weapon), plus 1d6 Hunter's Mark Dane Total Max: 3d12 + 6,+ 15 (wis) + 3d6 = 51 damage average (with free Hunter's Mark) Undead Zombies (x4): about 16 damage average Guardian of the Faith (x1): 10 or 20 damage (depending on save). Grand Total: 77 or 87 damage at Level 12, without using Spirit Guardians or Spirit Shroud. In my opinion, Spirit Shroud (a 3rd level spell) is barely better than Hunter's Mark (a 1st level spell rangers get for free). Spirit Guardians would add 3d8 damage if I ran up to the characters but I am probably not using it and the summons at the same time, though I suppose I could.
There are probably easy ways to get this higher, but I am intentionally not maxing it. This is an AVERAGE attack round with summons.
- - Anyway, this is Build #2. I enjoy that this one put actual MONSTERS into the fog. Just based on the final numbers, I think this build is superior to Build #1. Both builds were calculated without Fog in order to give some non-fog stats. With Fog Cloud the numbers go lower but the tactics and strategy go higher.
Fog Cloud is superior to stealth and invisibility and even magical darkness. Very few monsters have blindfighting. Very few humanoids have blindfighting. It is the ultimate debuff because it has no save. If an entire party has blindfighting, they can stomp almost every encounter with this one Level 1 spell. An enemy that cannot see you cannot attack you. No DM is going to custom make the entire monster catalogue to give them blindsight.
Stealth and Invisibility are both cancelled by the attack action. You can unload your entire arsenal and still have even more Fog Cloud. It lasts longer, always works, and is cheaper than Invisibility. You can even get it free twice a day with a double Magic Initiate build.
The real trick is finding summons to put into the fog, to manipulate the fog, and to make it even more effective. These builds explore the How, and more builds are on the way. But up until now I have not really articulates the Why.
Fog Cloud is the most powerful Level 1 spell in the game. Nothing else at that level can so dramatically change an encounter as Fog Cloud. And at higher levels it only becomes wider.
Build #3 - The Paladin-Warlock Build This build was more challenging to write than the first two. I originally started to work on a Rogue-Warlock build, but I could not figure out a way to get Blindfighting in the build without seriously delaying our ASI stat points (i.e. the Fighting Initiate feat). But then I remembered that like rangers, Paladins also get access to a fighting style at level 2. So naturally, I tried a Paladin-Warlock combo. This build went through several drafts, so I might edit this after posting if I find some errors. In particular the Warlock invocations went through several versions because I could not decide if I wanted to retrain Invocations later are to simply start with the final buildout. Ultimately, players can choose their own path and I might go a different course during a live game.
Paladins can get blindfighting at level 2, so they can see in Fog Cloud. Most people would never pick blindfighting as a paladin. However, if you specifically build for it, what would that look like? Paladin-Warlock is a popular multiclassing combo from 2014 that is still viable with the 2024 rules. Blindfighting: We are taking Paladin’s fighting style at Paladin 2. Fog Cloud: We are getting it from an Origin Feat at Warlock 2 for one of the invocations. My Roleplay: This version of Dane Yellowbeard is a Paladin of vengeance who has an oath/pact with an Archfey. Note: This character is starting at Level 5.
Background: Acolyte. Charisma +2, Wisdom +1. Take Healing Word, Toll the Dead, and Guidance. Level 5 Build: We are going to go Paladin 3, Warlock 2 with this Tier 1 build.
Starting Stats:
Point Buy - STR 14, Dex 10, Con 13 (+1), Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 15 (+2) I will increase STR later in the build when I am ready for plate armor. Starting Equipment: Dane fights with a Greatsword or two Scimitars depending on his mood. He wears cheap medium armor to start. He has his tool kits. He keeps the rest of the gold for buying trinkets he likes. PC 1: Paladin 1 - Dane gets 2 skills, Lay on of Hands, Spellcasting, and 2 Weapon Masteries. For skills he’ll pick Athletics and Persuasion to play into his strengths. For weapons, he’ll have a Greatsword and Scimitars for now. He can prepare 2 spells, and has many good options. For now he’ll prepare Cure Wounds and a Smite.
PC2: Paladin 2 - Here he gets his fighting style and Paladin’s Smite. He will pick blind fighting, and this will come in handy when he fights in the fog cloud later. He gets a 3rd spell prep here. Dane really likes to smite bad guys, and does a different one on each day of the week.
PC3: Paladin 3 - Here Dane takes the Vengeance subclass. Any of the classes could theoretically work for this build. You might even consider delaying Paladin 3 and simply going Warlock 1-9 before Paladin 3 and 4. However I think that most players would prefer to take a subclass at 3 in order to feel like they are keeping pace with the party. It is what it is.
PC4: Warlock 1 - Dane’s spellcasting gets a much needed boost here. Dane takes Pact of the Chain for an upgraded familiar. He has a few fun options, but to terrify folks in the Fog Cloud he picks Skeleton. Dane gets 2 Warlock cantrips. He’ll take Eldritch Blast and True Strike. He’ll get more later. For his two spells, he’ll take Armor of Agathys and Hex.
PC5: Warlock 2 - Dane gets Magical Cunning, which allows him to recharge his spell slots. He gets two more Invocations, and he’ll pick Lessons of the First Ones for the first one. With it he will pick Magic Initiate-Wizard, and take Fog Cloud for his free spell. For the other cantrips he will pick Minor Illusion and Elementalism to support his Fog Cloud antics for the rest of the game. For Dane’s second Invocation he will pick Pact of the Blade in order to have a pact weapon using the charisma stat. He also gets an additional Warlock spell here and in my opinion for this build Unseen Servant is a great option with our limited spell slots. It can even double as another ghostly presence in the fog, and costs nothing but an action. Imagine seeing a cloak and a floating sword approaching you! LOL
TIER 1 SUMMARY @ LEVEL 5
Paladin 3, Warlock 2. We have Eldritch Blast and Agonizing Blast. We have True Strike. We have two weapon specializations and medium armor. We have Pact of the Chain. We have many different smites, hex, etc. We have blind fighting and Fog Cloud. We have medium armor, armor of agathys. We have Unseen Servant. Non-Lethal Fog Cloud Strategy: We have a skeleton familiar, unseen servant as a distraction. We have minor illusion and elementalism. We have Thaumaturgy (potentially). These are mostly for frightening intruders. We also have our Cloud Jaunt teleports. Dane will probably choose to fight with a quarterstaff for the intro encounter and simply topple the players and then run away. His goal is to frighten them off, not to kill them. The Skeleton will walk around but not attack. Lethal Fog Cloud Strategy: The Skeleton will attack. Dane will equip two scimitars and use the nick property to double up the attack, possibly using True Strike on the non-pact weapon.
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PC6: Warlock 3 - This is a big level for us. Here we get our subclass. We take Archfey Warlock here. We get the following free spells: (3) - Calm Emotions, Faerie Fire, Misty Step, Phantasmal Force, Sleep, (5) Blink, Plant Growth, (7) Dominate Beast, Greater Invisibility, and (9) Dominate Person, Seeming. Steps of the Fey grants us bonus Misty Steps based on our Charisma Modifier, and we are already +3 here. We also get teleports from our species Cloud Jaunt bonus, and none of them uses a spell slot. We unlock level 2 spells here, as well. I am only picking things that upcast well. Spider Climb is a great spell that can turn a difficult combat encounter into a shooting gallery, and it upscales to include more targets- and it lasts an entire hour. - - - PC7: Warlock 4 - We get our first ASI here, and we’re going to take Warcaster and boost Charisma, without even thinking about it. Charisma is now 18. We get another Warlock cantrip here. I’ll take Chill Touch for reasons you’ll find out next level. PC8: Warlock 5 - We have arrived. Our Warlock spell slots hit 3rd level. We have two more invocation slots. Two new invocations are available that we want. First we retrain our Lessons of the First ones to level 5, copying it here, and change Level 2 to Pact of the Chain. Then we take Investment of the Chain Master here for our second 5th invocation. Not only do we get the Find Familiar spell, but we get access to 8 new forms: Imp, Pseudodragon, Quasit, Skeleton, Slaad Tadpole, Sphinx of Wonder, Sprite, or Venomous Snake. In addition to their normal features, they can get either a Fly or Swim speed, they get a quick attack, can deal necrotic or radiant damage, and get extra defenses. We can also deliver a touch cantrip through them (i.e. Chill Touch) with our action, using their reaction. 3rd Level Spells: Retrain Spider Climb for “Fly”. Take Summon Fey and Summon Undead. We can’t use Fog Cloud and Summon Fey or Summon Undead at the same time . . . unless somebody else casts it. Wink wink . . . Monsters in the Fog.
PC9: Warlock 6 - Here we get Misty Escape, our 6th level subclass feature. Our free Misty Steps can now either grant us invisibility or do damage. Yes please. We get another spell to prepare. Since they are all 3rd level anyway, might as well take Major Image. At level 4 it no longer requires concentration!
PC10: Warlock 7 - We get another invocation here. We’ll take One with the Shadows. We unlocked 4th level spells. We’ll take Greater Invisibility. I’ll also retrain Summon Undead for Summon Aberration. We’ll keep the Summon Fey for thematic reasons.
PC11: Warlock 8 - I get my 2nd ASI here. Take Charisma up to 20. I get another 4th level spell here. I take Banishment.
PC12: At this point its a tossup between Warlock 9 and Paladin 4. I think that Warlock 9 is a stronger choice. You get access to 5th level spells. For our "Monsters in the Fog" purposes, Planar Binding is an awesome tool but it requires some planning and coordination. You can use Magic Circle to trap a Celestial, Elemental, Fey or Fiend, and then use Planar Binding to bind it. Doing so extends the duration of the summoning spell to 24 hours. However, what is an even more creative option is the use of the "Seeming" spell to basically cast a mass "Disguise Self" on the party and to change their entire look for 8 hours. Given that warlocks regain spell slots at a short rest, they are the ideal class for using such a spell. There are far too many applications for this simple concept. You can even cast it on other people. Sure, there's also Hold Monster and Dominate Monster, but they compete with Fog Cloud for concentration. Seeming can literally turn the party into the appearance of monsters in the fog, and blend in with the summons. Imagine five fire elementals following behind an actual fire elemental . . . would that not terrify everyone?
Final Thoughts: I am not going to calculate all of the damage with all of the different smite options. The Paladin-Warlock combo is such a well established combo since 2014 rules that most experienced players already know how to build one out. This particular build merely points out that you can, in fact, do a Monsters in the Fog build with a Paladin-Warlock and still enjoy all the smite and eldritch nonsense typical of the classes.
Challenge: I think that experienced Paladin-Warlock players might have some better ideas for spell selection than I do here. I am looking at this purely through the lens of the "Fog Cloud" tactic. The spells that I would pick for Warlock would change entirely if I was not playing with Fog Cloud in mind.
One Obvious Problem: We are seriously delaying our ASIs. However, this is not as big of a deal for us because if we want we can cast Bless and potentially use Magic Weapon, as well as smites. We are starting off with +3 to Charisma rolls but it will be +4 at PC7 and +5 at PC11. We could of course just take all four Paladin Levels in a row and then finish off with warlock's 8 and have everything on time. But for purposes of this build, I think that delaying the ASI to level 7 is permissable because of easy buffs we can get with the build.
Fog Cloud cancels all opportunity attacks, gives disadvantage to enemies and advantage to blind sight characters. Spellcasters and range attackers cannot directly target anyone in Fog Cloud except if they have blind sight, or if they fire randomly at a noise.
There are basically four ways to get blindfighting before level 5. - Fighting Initiate Feat - Fighting 1 - Paladin 2 - Ranger 2
Fog Cloud is available for Wizards, Sorcerors, Druids, Rangers and possibly bards through magical secrets (though this would come very late and is a horrible use of secrets). Fog Cloud is also available through Magic Initiate feats (wizard, druid). It is also available to Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters at level 3, and for ranged Eldritch Knights might be an optimized choice.
Not every party member needs Fog Cloud but every party member would need blindfighting to use the exploit.
As Wysperra suggested, a Fighter 1-Wizard X build with pyrotechnics would be a natural choice. I did not build this out because I was hoping Wysperra would ellaborate. However:
I think the Illusionist Wizard would be a very natural subclass choice for this.
So I think the following five member party would be extremely “Monsters in the Fog” optimized at level 4:
Face - Paladin 2, Warlock 2 (Fog# 1, casts fog with warlock spell slots, provides Skeleton) Healer - Ranger 2, Cleric 2 (Fog #2, but casts Bless to boost party) Tank - Ranged Eldritch Knight 4 (Fog #3, but only as backup) Blaster - Fighter 1, Illusionist Wizard 3 (Fog #4, but only as backup; blasts) Skill Monkey - Fighter 1, Arcane Trickster 3 (Fog #5, but only with free spell from M.I. as a backup; uses level 1 spells for self buffs)
You could basically start any class with Fighter 1 and join this party with blindfighting. Fighter 1, Shadow Monk 3 would be interesting with guide. But probably not as good as Arcane Trickster….. it really depends on what you want to do.
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**Optimizing Fog Cloud and Blind fighting**
“Monsters in the Fog”
Scenario: Dane Yellowbeard is a Cloud Goliath that lives in a lighthouse. He is an old salty sea dog, semi-retired, who mostly wants to be left alone. He has a somewhat unique way of dealing with trespassers.
Some speculate he is an old pirate captain with a secret treasure. Others say he guards a mysterious ancient artifact. Others say he lost the love of his life once and now waits to hear her haunted singing on the waters every full moon. Whatever version of the tale they’ve heard, people are quick to find out that they are not welcome guests.
The fog rolls in daily, and sometimes it appears out of nowhere on a sunny day. Once inside the mist: alarming sounds, flashes of light, frightening faces in the mist, and as they try to escape…. the towering hulk appears, strikes, and then vanishes in the mist.
The Build & Mechanics:
I have a few ideas to build the character, and I am curious how others would go about it. Assume the party is about Level 5, and this is a full character not a custom monster. Dane is also level 5 and might join the party for a quest. He could also be a personal playable character in another campaign.
Requirement 1: Be a multiclass GISH type character.
Requirement 2: Must have the magical means to do these effects.
Requirement 3: Plan on campaign ending around level 12. Don’t worry about Epic Boons and what not.
Requirement 4: Must be a cloud giant Goliath, because he’s sorta like Hagrid.
How would you build out Dane? I am curious what others would do. I am leaning toward a fighter druid, but could also do a rogue-warlock, or even a ranger-cleric. Which subclasses, backgrounds and feats would support this concept?
Fighter/Wizard with Blind Fighting, Fog Cloud, and Pyrotechnics.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Build #1 - Eldritch Knight - Sea Druid Build
Fighter 1 - Druid 1-3 - Fighter 2-7 - Druid 4-5
Background: Guide - Magic Initiate, Wisdom Focus. For starting cantrips, take Shillelagh and Elementalism (will change this one later). For free spell, select "FOG". Without taking a single class yet, we are able to cast Fog and then sculpt the mist into shapes using Elementalism in order to terrify foes. Stats would go into Wisdom +2 and Dexterity +1.
Species: Goliath, Cloud Giant. For his build, having the ability to teleport a number of times per proficiency bonus is fantastic.
Stats: Probably point buy, take Wisdom up to 17, and then spread them out to Dex, Con and maybe STR, dumping INT and CHA. (Yes, we are playing an Eldritch Knight that uses intelligence for spellcasting. No, we do not care).
PC 1: Take Fighter 1. We really want consitution saving throws, and we also want a fighting style. We are going to take Blind Fighting, which will allow us to see foes in the Fog when no one else can. We are going to focus mostly on using a quarterstaff to fight, using Shillelagh to use the wisdom stat. This will also allow us to use our weapon to cast Druid spells without changing gear.
PC 2: Take Druid 1. Because we already have heavy armor and martial weapons from fighter, we are going to select Magician and get the extra cantrip. We will take Starry Wisp, Guidance, and Shape Water. There are a number of great level one Druid spells. We'll likely prepare Healing Word, Ice Knife, Faerie Fire, as well as any other spells we think we might need.
PC 3: Take Druid 2. Here we get access to Wild Shape up to CR 1/4 and Wild Companion. There are many beasts and familiars that could work in different situations. I think that Giant Wolf Spider for wall climbing, Badger for burrowing, Giant Frog for swimming and jumping, and Mastiff for cities. We will mostly use our Wild Shapes for Wrath of the Sea starting next level but its good to have a plan in place for this level since it could take weeks of real life time to advance to PC 4.
pc 4: Take Druid 3. Subclass: Circle of the Sea Druid. I know, I know, Aquaman. But hear me out. Wrath of the Sea is pretty much the best bonus action attack in the game once you have max wisdom. There are also some "always prepareds" I will get: (Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Ray of Frost, Shatter, Thunderwave). There are a few interesting 2nd level Druid spells. Since we can retrain every day there are no major choices to make. We are mostly going to play as a fighter character with a sprinkle of spellcasting. One fun combo: Giant Form + Enlarge/Reduce. Can you be too big? We can also fight with Flame Blade which will do more damage than Shillelagh for a few levels. But our key feature is Wrath of the Sea which on a bonus attack does cold damage equal to a number of d6's equal to your wisdom modifier (which we will max eventually). We also get a bonus Ice cantrip as part of the deal - winter is coming!
pc 5: Take Figher 2. We will go fighter the rest of the way with this build until Fighter 7. We get Action Surge and Tactical mind, and will use both in every round of combat moving forward. Our Shillelagh and other cantrips pings up to level 2 at this level.
pc 6: Take Fighter 3. Here we take our Fighting Subclass: Eldritch Knight. Since we tanked intelligence we are going to focus on taking spells and abilities that do not rely on it. We will cast War Bond upon our favorite quarterstaff and will keep a club in our inventory as well in case we want a free hand. At this level we will take Booming Blade (if available) as an EK cantrip and will take Elementalism as our second EK cantrip. (This will free up our Background feat cantrip to pick another druid cantrip. For theme reasons alone, I would take Thunderclap. If I am blinded and taking a beating in melee, this pretty much solves that problem.). I get 3 spell selections here from the wizard's spell list. Since I am a GISH character and already have second level spell slots, I am looking for things to round out my druid choices, that might upcast well. Shield is an obvious choice, and Absorb Elements is a second one (sure its on the druid list, but this frees up my druid preps). Find Familiar is another solid choice, since I want my Wild Shapes to go toward Wrath of the Sea rather than Wild Companion.
pc 7: Take Fighter 4. Long overdue, our ASI. We take Warcaster, and bump up Wisdom. There's nothing else to decide. We also get another Weapon Mastery. We don't really need it yet, but eventually I might want to use something other than a stick. We also get another spell selection. If available, I will take Silvery Barbs. If not available, I will take Unseen Helper to help me with shenanigans.
pc 8: Take Fighter 5. We finally get our second attack. Tactical Shift also gives us more options with combat movement.
pc 9: Take Fighter 6. We get another ASI here. We put both points into Wisdom, maxing out all of our attacks. Because of multiclassing, we have unlocked 2 3rd level spell slots here. Most of the damage spells aren't worth upcasting to 3rd level, but a 3rd level Healing Word can really turn the tide of a battle. Additionally, upcasting Fog with a 3rd level spell increases its radius from 20 feet to 60 feet . . . and this is our signature move. To math it: that's 14,400 square feet of fog to play in!
pc10: Take Fighter 7. This is a fun level. We get War Magic, which allows us to replace one of our weapon attacks with a cantrip. We also unlock 2nd level EK spells. We get 1 new prep, and can retrain 1 if we want. I will take Magic Weapon, and possibly retrain out of Absorb Elements (since I can get it from either Magic initiate or my druid spell list), and instead take Nystul's Magic Aura. (NMA can change the way I appear to magic, and make me completely immune to certain spells and other magical effects. For instance, you can use it to change your mask to that of an Elf and become immune to sleep magic and charms. You can make it permanent if you do it 30 days in a row. Ain't no business like show business!).
pc11: Take Druid 4. I changed my mind while typing this up. I really think Eldritch Knight peaks at Fighter 7. So here we take another Druid level. We still get an ASI here. In my humble opinion, with both Warcaster and Wisdom 20 locked in . . . Crusher. Bump up our Con, sure. But the really cool thing is that you can push a creature that is up to one size larger than you. As a Goliath with Giant Form, I could move huge creatures. But if I combine it with Enlarge/Reduce I can potentially move even Gargantuan creatures once per turn. I can do this even on a reaction. If I can slowly nudge the big bad off the edge of a cliff with just a stick . . . lmao. But this would also work with a Sling and magic stone . . . ya hear me in the back, little David?
pc12: Take Druid 5. Wild Resurgence is awesome here. I also get 3rd level Druid spells, which is nothing to sneeze at. And. . . a 4th level spell slot. There are alot of fun options for GISH players at Druid 5. Water Walk . . a ritual . . can make for some hilarious combat shenanigans in a harbor, where you need to sneak up onto a ship. But one of my favorite 3rd level spells here is Summon Fey. You basically get your own personal Tinkerbell with a bad attitude. Another great one during non-combat is Plant Growth. And let's not forget Conjure Animals. So many great druid spells help us in the final stage of a campaign.
A Level 12 Melee Combat Turn:
Bonus Action: Wrath of the Sea 5d6 Cold (17.5)
Attack 1: Magic Weapon +2 Shillelagh staff (d12) +5 wisdom (13.5) + Booming Blade 2d8 Thunder (9) (and 3d8 if they move later) (13.5)
Attack 2: Magic Weapon +2 Shillelagh staff (d12) +5 wisdom (13.5) + Crusher 5ft move (setting up BB #2)
Level 4 Conjure Animals: 4d10 slashing (multiple targets?) (18)
Turn Max Total: 71.5 - 85
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There are probably a few other options, but I think that this one is pretty solid. One alternative to this ratio would be to go Fighter 5 and Druid 7, take conjure minor elementals, and then boost the damage that way without booming blade. But I would be losing Conjure Animals which can impact multiple targets so the number of enemies would determine which approach is better.
This might work.
How would you take the fighter and wizard levels? Which subclasses would you do? I want the character to be pretty strong in melee. For instance I see Pros/Cons of abjuration, and illusion schools.
What would the Level 5 build be? Then the 12? Lot’s of ways it could go.
Build #2 - The Hunter Ranger - War Cleric Approach
The concept of this build is to use Fog + Blindfighting in combination with many different attacks and effects. Hunter Ranger gets Horde Breaker at Ra3 and extra attack at Ra5. War Cleric gets War Priest at CL3. In the fog we are going to stick to melee weapons. There are also a few other tricks here and there.
Background: Guide - Magic Initiate, Wisdom Focus. For starting cantrips, take Shillelagh and Starry Wisp. For free spell, select Healing Word. Stats would go into Wisdom +2 and Dexterity +1. We will switch Starry Wisp to Elementalism later.
Species: Goliath, Cloud Giant. For his build, having the ability to teleport a number of times per proficiency bonus is fantastic.
Stats: Probably point buy, take Wisdom up to 17, and then spread them out to Dex, Con and maybe STR, dumping INT and CHA.
PC1: Take Ranger. Take Perception, Insight and Athletics (yes we tanked strength, but this still comes up). For weapon specializations, take Quarterstaff and Club. Ranger gets access to some good level 1 spells. We don't get blindfighting until Ranger 2 so Fog is pointless at level 1. In my opinion, Entangle and Jump are two fantastic options for us. Entangle will let us control the battlefield, and jump let's us pounce. We can of course prepare different ones each day.
PC2: Take Ranger 2. Deft explorer gives us more languages (meh) and an expertise. I would put the expertise in Perception. For fighting style, we pick blind fighting of course. We get a 3rd prepared spell at this level and I would put it in Fog and keep Fog prepared the rest of the game.
PC3: Take Ranger 3. As tempted as I was to start the cleric levels, this build benefits so much from the ranger subclass it would be criminal to postpone it. Take Hunter, and switch back and forth between Horde breaker and Colossus slayer to your heart's content. But what I really love about the Hunter subclass is how it upgrades your Hunter's Mark with Hunter's Lore and learning about strengths and weaknesses. We get a 4th prepared spell here. I would probably take Detect Magic and cast it as a ritual everytime I enter a new location.
PC4: Take Ranger 4. Here is your ASI. Warcaster, so we don't lose our concentration. Bump wisdom. Here we get a 5th prepared spell. I would probably take Speak with Animals as a ritual spell and then just start talking to all of the little birdies. But Detect Poison and Disease is probably a better option if you are going into a spider cave.
PC5: Take Ranger 5. This is our big martial's favorite level. Shillelagh gets its first damage boost, and so does Starry Wisp. We get extra attack. We also get 2nd level Ranger spells. Barkskin and Magic Weapon do not require concentration, and neither does Aid. This is our final ranger level, so we will have the option to move spell preps around as needed.
PC6: Take Cleric 1. As tempting as it would be to go Ranger 6 and get Rover for the climbing and swim speed, starting our second class here is a better option. We are definitely going to take Protector for the Heavy Armor. Fog Cloud will conceal us whether or not we clank when we walk. We get 3 cantrips. In my opinion, the best options for this build are: Thaumaturgy (for extra special effects in the Fog), Toll the Dead, and Light. Since we are talking Toll the Dead, we should switch out Magic Initiate-Druid cantrip from Starry Wisp to Elementalism for more special effects. At this level, we get 4 prepared Cleric spells. For now, we have Healing Word with our Magic Initiate. So would prepare Bless as an option for non-fog encounters, Command for shenanigans, Sanctuary for emergencies, and Create or Destroy Water (which gives us some more control over our fog).
PC7: Take Cleric 2. We get Channel Divinity, which is probably underpowered at this level except for Turn Undead. We get another prepared spell. At this level we also get two 3rd level spell slots due to multiclassing. We should 100% use one of them for "Magic Weapon" on the ranger spell list, and save one for an upcast Healing Word in a critical moment.
PC8: Take Cleric 3. Here we get our subclass. We are going War Cleric, which gets us War Priest. We can now attack again with a bonus action using our quarterstaff or club. If we are using Horde Breaker and fighting two monsters, and Hunter's Mark, that is potentially 4 attacks per round - something fighters don't see until the end game, and each one gets a bonus from Hunter's Mark. There are other potential combos but that one might not even require a spell slot. Additionally, if we turned our Shillelagh into a +2 magical weapon that is even better. War Clerics get magic weapon as an auto-prepare so we can pick something else with a ranger prep. We get 2nd level Cleric spells in any case and I cannot even tell you how much I enjoy casting Blindness onto creatures who are already in the fog. It's just mean - LOL.
PC9: Take Cleric 4. For our 2nd ASI, just take Wisdom up to 20 if possible. We also get a 4th cleric cantrip here and I would take Guidance if you haven't already. The reason I did not take it earlier with this build is because I am probably not the main healer, and Guidance requires concentration. I already have Hunter's Mark going so Guidance might not come in that handy. But I would probably take it at this point anyway.
PC10: Take Cleric 5. Here we get 3rd level Cleric spells. Due to multi-classing we have two 4th level spell slots but no 4th level spells. Most people would say to take Spirit Guardians, and I definitely would and use it in many encounters. However, in combination with Fog Cloud I love the idea of having Animate Dead. Once you have four at your control, you can maintain control over them with just one 3rd level spell. This is quintissential "Monsters in the Fog." The undead do not require concentration, last 24 hours. If I upcast it, I can have six of the freaks bumbling around the fog. How terrifying would it be to go into the deadly Fog Cloud with your party, to get taken down one by one, and then eventually your party turns undead and you have to fight them?! - LOL good times. The little halfling rogue runs away back to town, finds shelter in the inn, and has to rebuild his adventuring party all over. Yeah, I'm mean.
PC11: Take Cleric 6. War God's blessing allows us to cast Spiritual Weapon without concentration. Holy smokes, now there's a giant floating Scythe in the Fog Cloud? This is nuts. We have 10 prepared cleric spells at this point, and things are getting fun. By the way, all the damage cantrips ping here. Shillelagh goes up, Toll the Dead goes up.
PC12: Take Cleric 7. Yes, I will take Blessed Strikes and its 1d8 bonus each round. 4th level Cleric spells are all concentration except for 5. We can prepare whatever we like as needed, but Guardian of the Faith is another summon that does not require concentration. At this point we have two 5th level spell slots. Fire Shield is great at 4th but doesn't upcast. Aura of Purity is solid gold when going up against a spellcaster. One of the most potentially creative spells is Stone Shape, which can basically change an entire encounter if abused enough. Your DMs will either love you or hate you.
Level 12 Damage Check:
Okay, so I'm cheating here. But let's just assume we all dogpile the big bad on my turn, while using Hunter's Mark, and having loads of concentration free summons. This isn't even using Spirit Shroud or Spirit Guardians. Just your normal old Hunter's Mark. And I did not include Horde Break or Collosus Slayer in this calculation. (**I also did not include Blessed Strikes, which would add about 4-5 points to this).
Dane the Ranger-Cleric:
Attack 1: Shillelagh Quartaff with magic weapon: 1d12 + 5 (wis) + 2 Damage (Magic Weapon), plus 1d6 Hunter's Mark
Attack 2: Shillelagh Quartaff with magic weapon: 1d12+ 5 (wis) + 2 Damage (Magic Weapon), plus 1d6 Hunter's Mark
Bonus Attack: Shillelagh Quartaff with magic weapon: 1d12+ 5 (wis) + 2 Damage (Magic Weapon), plus 1d6 Hunter's Mark
Dane Total Max: 3d12 + 6,+ 15 (wis) + 3d6 = 51 damage average (with free Hunter's Mark)
Undead Zombies (x4):
about 16 damage average
Guardian of the Faith (x1):
10 or 20 damage (depending on save).
Grand Total:
77 or 87 damage at Level 12, without using Spirit Guardians or Spirit Shroud. In my opinion, Spirit Shroud (a 3rd level spell) is barely better than Hunter's Mark (a 1st level spell rangers get for free). Spirit Guardians would add 3d8 damage if I ran up to the characters but I am probably not using it and the summons at the same time, though I suppose I could.
There are probably easy ways to get this higher, but I am intentionally not maxing it. This is an AVERAGE attack round with summons.
- -
Anyway, this is Build #2. I enjoy that this one put actual MONSTERS into the fog. Just based on the final numbers, I think this build is superior to Build #1. Both builds were calculated without Fog in order to give some non-fog stats. With Fog Cloud the numbers go lower but the tactics and strategy go higher.
Fog Cloud is superior to stealth and invisibility and even magical darkness. Very few monsters have blindfighting. Very few humanoids have blindfighting. It is the ultimate debuff because it has no save. If an entire party has blindfighting, they can stomp almost every encounter with this one Level 1 spell. An enemy that cannot see you cannot attack you. No DM is going to custom make the entire monster catalogue to give them blindsight.
Stealth and Invisibility are both cancelled by the attack action. You can unload your entire arsenal and still have even more Fog Cloud. It lasts longer, always works, and is cheaper than Invisibility. You can even get it free twice a day with a double Magic Initiate build.
The real trick is finding summons to put into the fog, to manipulate the fog, and to make it even more effective. These builds explore the How, and more builds are on the way. But up until now I have not really articulates the Why.
Fog Cloud is the most powerful Level 1 spell in the game. Nothing else at that level can so dramatically change an encounter as Fog Cloud. And at higher levels it only becomes wider.
Build #3 - The Paladin-Warlock Build
This build was more challenging to write than the first two. I originally started to work on a Rogue-Warlock build, but I could not figure out a way to get Blindfighting in the build without seriously delaying our ASI stat points (i.e. the Fighting Initiate feat). But then I remembered that like rangers, Paladins also get access to a fighting style at level 2. So naturally, I tried a Paladin-Warlock combo. This build went through several drafts, so I might edit this after posting if I find some errors. In particular the Warlock invocations went through several versions because I could not decide if I wanted to retrain Invocations later are to simply start with the final buildout. Ultimately, players can choose their own path and I might go a different course during a live game.
Paladins can get blindfighting at level 2, so they can see in Fog Cloud. Most people would never pick blindfighting as a paladin. However, if you specifically build for it, what would that look like? Paladin-Warlock is a popular multiclassing combo from 2014 that is still viable with the 2024 rules.
Blindfighting: We are taking Paladin’s fighting style at Paladin 2.
Fog Cloud: We are getting it from an Origin Feat at Warlock 2 for one of the invocations.
My Roleplay:
This version of Dane Yellowbeard is a Paladin of vengeance who has an oath/pact with an Archfey.
Note: This character is starting at Level 5.
Background: Acolyte. Charisma +2, Wisdom +1. Take Healing Word, Toll the Dead, and Guidance.
Level 5 Build:
We are going to go Paladin 3, Warlock 2 with this Tier 1 build.
Starting Stats:
Point Buy - STR 14, Dex 10, Con 13 (+1), Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 15 (+2)
I will increase STR later in the build when I am ready for plate armor.
Starting Equipment: Dane fights with a Greatsword or two Scimitars depending on his mood. He wears cheap medium armor to start. He has his tool kits. He keeps the rest of the gold for buying trinkets he likes.
PC 1: Paladin 1 - Dane gets 2 skills, Lay on of Hands, Spellcasting, and 2 Weapon Masteries. For skills he’ll pick Athletics and Persuasion to play into his strengths. For weapons, he’ll have a Greatsword and Scimitars for now. He can prepare 2 spells, and has many good options. For now he’ll prepare Cure Wounds and a Smite.
PC2: Paladin 2 - Here he gets his fighting style and Paladin’s Smite. He will pick blind fighting, and this will come in handy when he fights in the fog cloud later. He gets a 3rd spell prep here. Dane really likes to smite bad guys, and does a different one on each day of the week.
PC3: Paladin 3 - Here Dane takes the Vengeance subclass. Any of the classes could theoretically work for this build. You might even consider delaying Paladin 3 and simply going Warlock 1-9 before Paladin 3 and 4. However I think that most players would prefer to take a subclass at 3 in order to feel like they are keeping pace with the party. It is what it is.
PC4: Warlock 1 - Dane’s spellcasting gets a much needed boost here. Dane takes Pact of the Chain for an upgraded familiar. He has a few fun options, but to terrify folks in the Fog Cloud he picks Skeleton. Dane gets 2 Warlock cantrips. He’ll take Eldritch Blast and True Strike. He’ll get more later. For his two spells, he’ll take Armor of Agathys and Hex.
PC5: Warlock 2 - Dane gets Magical Cunning, which allows him to recharge his spell slots. He gets two more Invocations, and he’ll pick Lessons of the First Ones for the first one. With it he will pick Magic Initiate-Wizard, and take Fog Cloud for his free spell. For the other cantrips he will pick Minor Illusion and Elementalism to support his Fog Cloud antics for the rest of the game. For Dane’s second Invocation he will pick Pact of the Blade in order to have a pact weapon using the charisma stat. He also gets an additional Warlock spell here and in my opinion for this build Unseen Servant is a great option with our limited spell slots. It can even double as another ghostly presence in the fog, and costs nothing but an action. Imagine seeing a cloak and a floating sword approaching you! LOL
TIER 1 SUMMARY @ LEVEL 5
Paladin 3, Warlock 2. We have Eldritch Blast and Agonizing Blast. We have True Strike. We have two weapon specializations and medium armor. We have Pact of the Chain. We have many different smites, hex, etc. We have blind fighting and Fog Cloud. We have medium armor, armor of agathys. We have Unseen Servant.
Non-Lethal Fog Cloud Strategy:
We have a skeleton familiar, unseen servant as a distraction. We have minor illusion and elementalism. We have Thaumaturgy (potentially). These are mostly for frightening intruders. We also have our Cloud Jaunt teleports. Dane will probably choose to fight with a quarterstaff for the intro encounter and simply topple the players and then run away. His goal is to frighten them off, not to kill them. The Skeleton will walk around but not attack.
Lethal Fog Cloud Strategy:
The Skeleton will attack. Dane will equip two scimitars and use the nick property to double up the attack, possibly using True Strike on the non-pact weapon.
PC6: Warlock 3 - This is a big level for us. Here we get our subclass. We take Archfey Warlock here. We get the following free spells: (3) - Calm Emotions, Faerie Fire, Misty Step, Phantasmal Force, Sleep, (5) Blink, Plant Growth, (7) Dominate Beast, Greater Invisibility, and (9) Dominate Person, Seeming. Steps of the Fey grants us bonus Misty Steps based on our Charisma Modifier, and we are already +3 here. We also get teleports from our species Cloud Jaunt bonus, and none of them uses a spell slot. We unlock level 2 spells here, as well. I am only picking things that upcast well. Spider Climb is a great spell that can turn a difficult combat encounter into a shooting gallery, and it upscales to include more targets- and it lasts an entire hour.
- - -
PC7: Warlock 4 - We get our first ASI here, and we’re going to take Warcaster and boost Charisma, without even thinking about it. Charisma is now 18. We get another Warlock cantrip here. I’ll take Chill Touch for reasons you’ll find out next level.
PC8: Warlock 5 - We have arrived. Our Warlock spell slots hit 3rd level. We have two more invocation slots. Two new invocations are available that we want. First we retrain our Lessons of the First ones to level 5, copying it here, and change Level 2 to Pact of the Chain. Then we take Investment of the Chain Master here for our second 5th invocation. Not only do we get the Find Familiar spell, but we get access to 8 new forms: Imp, Pseudodragon, Quasit, Skeleton, Slaad Tadpole, Sphinx of Wonder, Sprite, or Venomous Snake. In addition to their normal features, they can get either a Fly or Swim speed, they get a quick attack, can deal necrotic or radiant damage, and get extra defenses. We can also deliver a touch cantrip through them (i.e. Chill Touch) with our action, using their reaction. 3rd Level Spells: Retrain Spider Climb for “Fly”. Take Summon Fey and Summon Undead. We can’t use Fog Cloud and Summon Fey or Summon Undead at the same time . . . unless somebody else casts it. Wink wink . . . Monsters in the Fog.
PC9: Warlock 6 - Here we get Misty Escape, our 6th level subclass feature. Our free Misty Steps can now either grant us invisibility or do damage. Yes please. We get another spell to prepare. Since they are all 3rd level anyway, might as well take Major Image. At level 4 it no longer requires concentration!
PC10: Warlock 7 - We get another invocation here. We’ll take One with the Shadows. We unlocked 4th level spells. We’ll take Greater Invisibility. I’ll also retrain Summon Undead for Summon Aberration. We’ll keep the Summon Fey for thematic reasons.
PC11: Warlock 8 - I get my 2nd ASI here. Take Charisma up to 20. I get another 4th level spell here. I take Banishment.
PC12: At this point its a tossup between Warlock 9 and Paladin 4. I think that Warlock 9 is a stronger choice. You get access to 5th level spells. For our "Monsters in the Fog" purposes, Planar Binding is an awesome tool but it requires some planning and coordination. You can use Magic Circle to trap a Celestial, Elemental, Fey or Fiend, and then use Planar Binding to bind it. Doing so extends the duration of the summoning spell to 24 hours. However, what is an even more creative option is the use of the "Seeming" spell to basically cast a mass "Disguise Self" on the party and to change their entire look for 8 hours. Given that warlocks regain spell slots at a short rest, they are the ideal class for using such a spell. There are far too many applications for this simple concept. You can even cast it on other people. Sure, there's also Hold Monster and Dominate Monster, but they compete with Fog Cloud for concentration. Seeming can literally turn the party into the appearance of monsters in the fog, and blend in with the summons. Imagine five fire elementals following behind an actual fire elemental . . . would that not terrify everyone?
Final Thoughts:
I am not going to calculate all of the damage with all of the different smite options. The Paladin-Warlock combo is such a well established combo since 2014 rules that most experienced players already know how to build one out. This particular build merely points out that you can, in fact, do a Monsters in the Fog build with a Paladin-Warlock and still enjoy all the smite and eldritch nonsense typical of the classes.
Challenge:
I think that experienced Paladin-Warlock players might have some better ideas for spell selection than I do here. I am looking at this purely through the lens of the "Fog Cloud" tactic. The spells that I would pick for Warlock would change entirely if I was not playing with Fog Cloud in mind.
One Obvious Problem:
We are seriously delaying our ASIs. However, this is not as big of a deal for us because if we want we can cast Bless and potentially use Magic Weapon, as well as smites. We are starting off with +3 to Charisma rolls but it will be +4 at PC7 and +5 at PC11. We could of course just take all four Paladin Levels in a row and then finish off with warlock's 8 and have everything on time. But for purposes of this build, I think that delaying the ASI to level 7 is permissable because of easy buffs we can get with the build.
PARTY BUILD TACTICS:
Fog Cloud cancels all opportunity attacks, gives disadvantage to enemies and advantage to blind sight characters. Spellcasters and range attackers cannot directly target anyone in Fog Cloud except if they have blind sight, or if they fire randomly at a noise.
There are basically four ways to get blindfighting before level 5.
- Fighting Initiate Feat
- Fighting 1
- Paladin 2
- Ranger 2
Fog Cloud is available for Wizards, Sorcerors, Druids, Rangers and possibly bards through magical secrets (though this would come very late and is a horrible use of secrets). Fog Cloud is also available through Magic Initiate feats (wizard, druid). It is also available to Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters at level 3, and for ranged Eldritch Knights might be an optimized choice.
Not every party member needs Fog Cloud but every party member would need blindfighting to use the exploit.
As Wysperra suggested, a Fighter 1-Wizard X build with pyrotechnics would be a natural choice. I did not build this out because I was hoping Wysperra would ellaborate. However:
I think the Illusionist Wizard would be a very natural subclass choice for this.
So I think the following five member party would be extremely “Monsters in the Fog” optimized at level 4:
Face - Paladin 2, Warlock 2 (Fog# 1, casts fog with warlock spell slots, provides Skeleton)
Healer - Ranger 2, Cleric 2 (Fog #2, but casts Bless to boost party)
Tank - Ranged Eldritch Knight 4 (Fog #3, but only as backup)
Blaster - Fighter 1, Illusionist Wizard 3 (Fog #4, but only as backup; blasts)
Skill Monkey - Fighter 1, Arcane Trickster 3 (Fog #5, but only with free spell from M.I. as a backup; uses level 1 spells for self buffs)
You could basically start any class with Fighter 1 and join this party with blindfighting. Fighter 1, Shadow Monk 3 would be interesting with guide. But probably not as good as Arcane Trickster….. it really depends on what you want to do.