So for my latest campaign, I'm playing a halfling battle master. While I and the rest of my party absolutely love him, one of the current running jokes in our party is that he is a bit fragile (not because of any issues from how he is set up, but that enemies have been rolling really well lately, i.e. he got yeeted by a troll). While I would be devastated to see him go, I want to go ahead and think up a backup character just in case.
The issue I'm running into is mainly what class to go next. We have an arcane trickster rouge, a monk who is about to multiclass with warlock, and a cleric. I have a couple ideas for a college of swords bard, a storm sorcerer, and a conquest paladin, but I am both indecisive and am not sure which, if any, of these would be best for the party.
Since you are the current “tank” character, if your character was to die your party would be missing that. So the paladin might be a good option. You would have a solid AC and a d10 hit dice. In addition to being able to deal some good single target damage, as well as being able to heal if the cleric is not the healing type or if they go down.
I’d check with the dm first regarding conquest paladin, as many tenets of a conquest paladin, are not always “party friendly”. And do involve over killing spellslots and such so not optimal for saving spell slots or heals etc.
but if your DM doesn’t really do any of the role play, or Paladins held to tenets or they lose their oaths, etc. then yeah.
To the other guys point. A college of swords bard is also a decent tank.
I second the Paladin idea. Your party's fairly squishy, so having a nice meat wall for them to hide behind would probably be appreciated. It could be fun to go full opposite after playing a halfling and just play as a Goliath or like... a Loxodon or something.
Ah shoot, did I type conquest? I meant vengeance, although I am also considering other oaths now (not conquest, though). Not sure how I got those mixed up. Anyways, I'm now kinda leaning towards a half orc or Goliath paladin. If so, which Oath would be more helpful for the party of squish?
Also a Loxodon would be interesting, but DM isn't big on Ravnica races.
Ah shoot, did I type conquest? I meant vengeance, although I am also considering other oaths now (not conquest, though). Not sure how I got those mixed up. Anyways, I'm now kinda leaning towards a half orc or Goliath paladin. If so, which Oath would be more helpful for the party of squish?
Also a Loxodon would be interesting, but DM isn't big on Ravnica races.
Oath of Ancients is a powerful tank build. If you go Half-Orc, Oath of Heroism would be good to look at too. Especially for crit fishing.
Half-Orc also gets a nice buff to constition for additional HP and has Relentless Endurance to usually allow you to take 1 more hit before you go down. Pretty much any race with a bonus to Con and either strength or Charisma will make a good tanking Paladin. The Hill Dwarf makes a decent one because of the bonus health even though the other bonus stat is wisdom instead of strength or charisma.
I will second the Oath of the Ancients version for tanking since they get Aura of Protection for bonuses to saves at 6th and Aura of Warding granting resistance to damage from Spells at 7th. Coupled with the high AC of heavy armor and shield (along with the potential of Defensive Fighting Style) to help ward off physical attacks, the d10 health die to give a nice buffer for when you do take damage, and your ability to heal through spells and Lay on Hands, the skill set of a second tier Ancients Paladin to soak damage comes close to a raging totem barbarian (which would be an interesting multiclass option for an Ancients Paladin to really soak damage, as long as you remember rage and heavy armor don't mix but it'd be very MAD, forcing Intelligence and Wisdom to be dump stats to be effective).
it all depends on how you play i think. i created a Tortle paladin fighting with a sword and shield, so automatic 19 AC, but due to the Tortle not benefiting from armour my AC cant increase until i get a +# shield or another magic item like a ring of protection. i also created it using the "roll 4d6 and take away the lowest" stat route and managed to roll really lucky with my high stats (and not so lucky with my low stats, a 5 in intelligence), so started with an 18 increased to 20 due to racial trait for my strength and a 16 in my charisma.
due to this and some good rolls with my introduction to the group, (i joined a group that had already been playing for a little bit, so were lvl 2 & 3 to my lvl 1) i was one shot killing some monsters.
Nothing wrong with Pally; but I would go with Ancestral Barbarian. More effective health, the ability to shield others, and the last target you hit has disadvantage in attacking other targets that aren't you (like your monk and rogue).
Paired with one for 20 levels with I playing a monk. I never had to use Ki to disengage or dodge ever.
So for my latest campaign, I'm playing a halfling battle master. While I and the rest of my party absolutely love him, one of the current running jokes in our party is that he is a bit fragile (not because of any issues from how he is set up, but that enemies have been rolling really well lately, i.e. he got yeeted by a troll). While I would be devastated to see him go, I want to go ahead and think up a backup character just in case.
The issue I'm running into is mainly what class to go next. We have an arcane trickster rouge, a monk who is about to multiclass with warlock, and a cleric. I have a couple ideas for a college of swords bard, a storm sorcerer, and a conquest paladin, but I am both indecisive and am not sure which, if any, of these would be best for the party.
Any help would be nice and thanks in advance!
Since you are the current “tank” character, if your character was to die your party would be missing that. So the paladin might be a good option. You would have a solid AC and a d10 hit dice. In addition to being able to deal some good single target damage, as well as being able to heal if the cleric is not the healing type or if they go down.
I’d check with the dm first regarding conquest paladin, as many tenets of a conquest paladin, are not always “party friendly”. And do involve over killing spellslots and such so not optimal for saving spell slots or heals etc.
but if your DM doesn’t really do any of the role play, or Paladins held to tenets or they lose their oaths, etc. then yeah.
To the other guys point. A college of swords bard is also a decent tank.
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I second the Paladin idea. Your party's fairly squishy, so having a nice meat wall for them to hide behind would probably be appreciated. It could be fun to go full opposite after playing a halfling and just play as a Goliath or like... a Loxodon or something.
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Ah shoot, did I type conquest? I meant vengeance, although I am also considering other oaths now (not conquest, though). Not sure how I got those mixed up. Anyways, I'm now kinda leaning towards a half orc or Goliath paladin. If so, which Oath would be more helpful for the party of squish?
Also a Loxodon would be interesting, but DM isn't big on Ravnica races.
If they’re really that squish. Crown
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Oath of Ancients is a powerful tank build. If you go Half-Orc, Oath of Heroism would be good to look at too. Especially for crit fishing.
Half-Orc also gets a nice buff to constition for additional HP and has Relentless Endurance to usually allow you to take 1 more hit before you go down. Pretty much any race with a bonus to Con and either strength or Charisma will make a good tanking Paladin. The Hill Dwarf makes a decent one because of the bonus health even though the other bonus stat is wisdom instead of strength or charisma.
I will second the Oath of the Ancients version for tanking since they get Aura of Protection for bonuses to saves at 6th and Aura of Warding granting resistance to damage from Spells at 7th. Coupled with the high AC of heavy armor and shield (along with the potential of Defensive Fighting Style) to help ward off physical attacks, the d10 health die to give a nice buffer for when you do take damage, and your ability to heal through spells and Lay on Hands, the skill set of a second tier Ancients Paladin to soak damage comes close to a raging totem barbarian (which would be an interesting multiclass option for an Ancients Paladin to really soak damage, as long as you remember rage and heavy armor don't mix but it'd be very MAD, forcing Intelligence and Wisdom to be dump stats to be effective).
it all depends on how you play i think. i created a Tortle paladin fighting with a sword and shield, so automatic 19 AC, but due to the Tortle not benefiting from armour my AC cant increase until i get a +# shield or another magic item like a ring of protection. i also created it using the "roll 4d6 and take away the lowest" stat route and managed to roll really lucky with my high stats (and not so lucky with my low stats, a 5 in intelligence), so started with an 18 increased to 20 due to racial trait for my strength and a 16 in my charisma.
due to this and some good rolls with my introduction to the group, (i joined a group that had already been playing for a little bit, so were lvl 2 & 3 to my lvl 1) i was one shot killing some monsters.
Nothing wrong with Pally; but I would go with Ancestral Barbarian. More effective health, the ability to shield others, and the last target you hit has disadvantage in attacking other targets that aren't you (like your monk and rogue).
Paired with one for 20 levels with I playing a monk. I never had to use Ki to disengage or dodge ever.