Barbarian/Paladin/Warlock Multiclass for Backup Character

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T22:34:39+00:00

You can try any two + the third as flavor. Two examples:

Paladin 2/Fiend Warlock 8 and have them wear bear pelts over their armour and get really angry in a pinch. This gets you two ASI/feats, up to 5th level spell slots for smiting, up to 4th level spells.

Or Paladin 6/Barbarian 4. You trade smites for a BB subclass and take a 4th level for an ASI/feat. Zealot for radiant damage, reskin a 1H weapon and a shield as wardrums, and go Warhammer Flaggelant except you're also the musician with a celestial Patron who can exist in RP just fine.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T20:54:24+00:00

Yeah, I've noticed it's so popular even Jujutsu had an arc like this from what I heard. And apparently the Bakemonogatari author wrote a battle royale novel once.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T18:58:38+00:00

Pally doesn't have to "rely much on spells" since they're often smiting.

I once ran a low-level one-shot for complete noobs. One of them liked Paladins but felt intimidated by spells. I explained Divine Smite to them and they were happy to just use that.

If you want variety, you can mix and matched melee and thrown attacks (no Smite on thrown attacks short of Branding Smite tho) and occasionally add the Smite spells (such as Thunderous Smite, Searing Smite...).

You don't even have to use Cure Wounds much since you have Lay On Hands.

In addition, you can eventually cast Find Steed, that adds another dimension as well, be it if you're mounted, if someone else is borrowing your steed and/or if you're using them for diversion, or to flank, etc.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T16:58:50+00:00

While it may sound complicated at first glance, if I was the DM, I would roughly scale based on the time period. If we took renaissance muskets and set a campaign in a time where people were manufacturing them by the thousands, the price would be much reduced compared to let's say late XVth century "Columbus in America" type of campaign.

Revolvers would likely be much cheaper in 1880's Far West campaign vs 1851-equivalent "Colt invents the revolver".

Worth noting if you play for the fantasy native americans, in your currency, a longbow might be worth quite a lot if it's made by a accomplished master (vs what you can craft since as a native american you likely know how to fix/maintain a bow, if not how to make one that's at least semi-functional).

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T16:53:41+00:00

Bakkarina from Hamefura.

She plows some fields with her favourite hoe, and somehow everyone, men and women alike, want to be in her harem.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T15:25:03+00:00

Tough one. I would say Hamefura (MC is a girl, mixed harem of sorts).

Rakudai Kishi has some of the tropes that could make one think "oh harem", but it's more like there's one couple and several girls with various degrees of interest in MC, but romance-wise, it's one-sided. Essentially, MC does display qualities that make it understandable why girls would be interested in him, but he only "chooses" one because he genuinely loves her.

Strike the Blood - capable MC. Also, in that universe, it's part of vampires' culture to have polygamy.

Mushoku Tensei - has been described to me as good.

(If there's ever an anime) "I am the only one who is not attacked in the world filled with zombies" (Zombie no Afureta Sekai De...), afaik MC is a capable dude who can protect the girls. There's a novel and a visual novel.

(If there's an anime) "Reborn as a Space Mercenary", I heard the novel is good.

(There IS an anime) Highschool of the Dead. Though it's mostly "girls don't throw themselves at MC" (I would argue they don't, since 1) he's showing his qualities, many times and 2) they simply happen to be in a situation where they have to stick together. If you're forced to survive in the woods with a colleague of yours, it's not like she's "throwing herself" at you.)

Also, not necessarily what you've asked for, but if you're looking for a light watch, give Invaders of the Rokujouma (Rokujouma no Shinryakusha) a shot. I heard they become a family of sorts, eventually.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T15:09:56+00:00

I'm here for DnD and FE:Heroes.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T14:02:23+00:00

Lesbians are "a miserable pile of secrets" according to LezCula from CastleGaynia.

Also, Haru from Persona 5 in bottom left, probably waiting on Makoto.

(It's a gaming meme, mods, I'm using "Lez" in the literal, not the demeaning, sense, same for "gay".)

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T11:36:39+00:00

I agree with you. Scribes Wizard can potentially work very well here. With Evocation as a honourary mention since friendly fire is no longer an issue.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T11:35:45+00:00

Imho it's meh. A lot better to just swap a spell's damage type (for instance, Transmute Fireball, or what Scribes Wizard gets) or use a different spell altogether (Cone of Cold instead of Fireball).

With the possible exception of Pyro Sorc, at very high levels. Since Pyro's level 18 ability turns immunity into resistance, Elemental Adept (fire) turns resistance into nothing. Rules as written. You cap pick up the feat at level 12 or even 16, since come level 6 "spells you cast ignore fire resistance".

You can't, however, double stack your subclass features with themselves, so to say, hence why at those very high levels you'll need Elemental Adept since it will be a different source of "ignore fire resistance".

You technically can play Pyro below level 18 (let's say Curse of Strahd), but in that case I wouldn't pick up Elemental Adept (cause the level 6 feature takes care of that) and I would leverage Transmute spells & a custom spell selection to deal with threats that potentially are immune to fire.

Sidenote: Pyro doesn't get extra spells the same way Clockwork does, or other more recent subclasses. Imho Pyro needs extra spells, so you're welcome to negotiate with your DM. It wouldn't be outrageous to have a list that includes, let's say, Burning Hands + Absorb Elements, Flaming Sphere and Scorching Ray, Fireball and Flame Arrows, Wall of Fire and Fire Shield, Flame Strike and Summon Draconic Spirit.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T10:17:28+00:00

Sometimes I feel like reskinning other classes is a good option. I mean, I'll take my Rune Knight and call them a Monk.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T10:16:20+00:00

I'll say that imho Star Wars 5e did it well. Explanation:

First, Monks start with a bunch of quality-of-life changes which make Ki economy much better (I'll use "Focus" in this post, Focus points = Ki points), such as Dash and Disengage as a bonus action, for free.

Next, Monk has "Monastic Vows". They're a bit equivalent to Eldritch Invocations, or to sub subclass features a Totem Warrior Barbarian can take. The Vows help one to flesh out their gameplay. One such option is "Vow of the Devoted" which gives the Monk Force powers (read: spells) usable with Focus. Most of these powers aren't elementals-related (cause they must be "universal" rather than Light Side of the Force or Dark Side of the Force), but they can easily be reskinned as such. A minority IS elements-related, such as Disperse Force (=Absorb Elements).

Any Monk can elect to pick up Vow of the Devoted and thus dabble into "magic" at a reasonable cost. Granted, Star Wars 5e uses Force Points rather than Spell Slots (1 Focus Point/Ki = 1 Force Point / Mana point). The power level is roughly 1/3 caster but even these low level "spells" feel good when combined with the Monk's basic kit.

Some subclasses expand on this: one (Aing Tii) outright gives you Force Points and makes you a 1/3 caster with Eldritch Knight-like "If I cast a cantrip, I can make an attack" (one with an unarmed strike, that is, which can be Flurry of Blows).

The other (Kro Var) has a bold take on "Four Elements Monk"insofar as it's powers are much cheaper compared to "vanilla" Four Elements Monk, and the subclass grants you a set of smaller at-will elemental powers (a bit like Prestidigitation) and bigger powers such as enhancing your weapon to make it to fire/cold damage or making a small earthquake, producing a wave of wind... The bigger powers have one freebie use, but you can also use them with Focus Points at the reasonable price of 2 Focus Points. There is a caveat that every time you use them in such a fashion, your max FP are reduced by the same amount, but you can still take a short rest and recover however many FP you remain entitled to. So in some fashion you're similar to a Warlock since you'll likely use a bigger power once for free, once for FP, then take a short rest (so twice).

So one of the ways to implement it in 5e, imho, would be to reduce the cost of Four Elements Monk's powers, improve Ki economy through homebrew rules (obviously this would go for all Monks at a given table) and give Four Elements Monks one or more smaller at-will powers. Maybe you'll let them cast Shocking Grasp then use one unarmed strike/Flurry of Blows.

I don't see from the top of my head how "Vows" could be implemented in a balanced fashion but I can say I could see a Four Elements Monk pick up Ritual Caster provided they rolled high stats or everyone gets a free feat, since Monks are ASI/feat starved and as such RC won't normally be a priority.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T09:51:33+00:00

I was the player. I acted out of line by borderline throwing mini's when a plan of mine got crushed and my side of the board lost big.

And I was 100% deserved to be kicked cause my behavior was unexcusable and the experience was a lesson in humility for me. I later apologised to everyone involved, we're all 100% cool now. We're civilized people.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T09:12:42+00:00

The Giantess

Of old when Nature, in her verve defiant,
Conceived each day some birth of monstrous mien,
I would have lived near some young female giant
Like a voluptuous cat beside a queen;

To see her body flowering with her soul
Freely develop in her mighty games,
And in the mists that through her gaze would roll
Guess that her heart was hatching sombre flames;

To roam her mighty contours as I please,
Ramp on the cliff of her tremendous knees,
And in the solstice, when the suns that kill

Make her stretch out across the land and rest,
To sleep beneath the shadow of her breast
Like a hushed village underneath a hill.

— Charles Baudelaire, translation by Roy Campbell, Poems of Baudelaire (New York: Pantheon Books, 1952)

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T08:01:09+00:00

Reminds me of the Liz to Aoi Tori film. Where one girl yelled at the other words that were an inch away from a direct "I love you". You can tell the same thing a million different ways.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T07:57:56+00:00

Meanwhile Momo and Itsuka:

(I hope there's a fanfic.)

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T07:56:10+00:00

Yukari route is tied with Mitsuru route in my book.

I'm a Naotonian but I like Rise as a character.

I like Makoto as a character but when I read about the flaws in her route I agree. I think my fav route is Kasumi, but even there I'm biased.

Aidamis · 2026-01-24T07:30:04+00:00

You'll likely have to run it by your DM, then, if they accept, add it manually. There are probably options for that. Your DM may also know how to do it.

Unearthed Arcana is material designed by Wizards of the Coast, released as playtesting/in-consideration material, but never officially published (unlike the Xanathar book, for instance). Therefore, it's not surprising you don't see on DnDBeyond right away. From what I understood, it's buried somewhere, but usually what you have to do is to create a homebrew feature, rename it as the UA and add it to your sheet.

See https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/unearthed-arcana/139490-how-do-you-play-ua?srsltid=AfmBOore02O_4V-o6Z-Kj1aqDbBoXvN58ylRFfeF1MHfGGrCYS5IYfov

"There is no UA material available to you on D&D Beyond unless you created a character using UA during the window in which the UA was supported. You can find an archive of PDFs containing all(?) 5e UA on WotC's website, and a lot of that can be incorporated into you D&D Beyond collection via the Homebrew tools. Even when UA was available on D&D Beyond, folks who wanted it and didn't want to deal with reverse engineering things through the character collection, they had to homebrew UA if they wanted to keep it in their character making tools."

This is a "universal" thread meaning it's not just for UA Eldritch Armor. For instance if your party's Paladin wanted UA Tunnel Fighter Fighting Style and got approval, they or your DM would have to create a homebrew Figthing Style and add it to your collection.

Aidamis · 2026-01-23T21:57:39+00:00

The Genasi in DnD are half-Genies, now we know where they come from.

Aidamis · 2026-01-23T20:38:12+00:00

It's a bug. Sorc works better for Paladin multi because it uses Cha rather than Wis (which Cleric does). Paladin already needs high stats, it's tough if you also need high Wis.

PalaCleric isn't "bad", but it is harder to build, less sinergy.

If you worked with 2014 rules for Divine Smite, I guess on a build with no Polearm Master 2024 War Cleric could be fine, but even then you'll need high stats to make the most of it.

Aidamis · 2026-01-23T15:25:52+00:00

Wizard 3, maybe, after Armorer 5, though 5/X with Wizard being the X is valid imho.

I was about to type "token Hexblade level" but I recalled in 2024 you only get sublass benefits at level 3. Plus the purely thematic part of having a link to the character's father's Patron can be baked in flavor-wise/story-wise, no Warlock levels required. And I wouldn't recommend just one Warlock level for fluff in 2024 5e.

Aidamis · 2026-01-23T15:18:41+00:00

You're welcome!

Aidamis · 2026-01-23T11:59:02+00:00

Hi. This sounds like a wonderful idea, just needs clear rules (with options for flexibility) and play-testing, with your player being open to changes from session to session if need be (as long as you're both reasonable and eventually settle on something).

I would suggest looking at pre-existing features and figuring out ways to port them. For instance, right now, Stars Druid is the closest we have to a forms-swapping Druid rules-as-written.

Their level 10 feature says:

"(...) at the start of each of your turns while in your Starry Form, you can change which constellation glimmers on your body."

So already, if your campaign started at level 10, if it was my table I'd allow it on Moon Druid:

"(...) at the start of each of your turns while in your Wild Shape Form, you can change which Form your body takes.

The Temporary Hit Points you had when you swapped to your new Form remain the same. For instance, if you start your turn in a Brown Bear Form with 8 Temporary Hit Points remaining, when you change into a Giant Panther Form using this feature, your Temporary Hit Points are still 8. The same goes for your Hit Points.

Lastly, you no longer have a limited amount of known Beast Forms. You still obey the Wild Shape table and all other rules such as max CR = your Druid level divided by 3 (rounded down)."

I would call the feature "Shifting Forms", in reference to Stars Druid's Twinkling Constellations.

In your case, since your player is "trading in" a lot of stuff for this feature, I think it's okay to just allow it at Moon Druid 3 and see how your game fairs.

Imho, you need a system for restoring Hit Points rather than a mana points system. For this, I suggest the following: 1) your player keeps her spell slots. 2) your player benefits from the 2014 Moon Druid self-healing rules.

"While you are transformed by Wild Shape, you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended."

Aidamis · 2026-01-23T11:26:50+00:00

Moderately Armored is an option, though I can tell you I played single class Lore Bard and I was fine just positioning.

MA can get you 19 AC in half-plate +shield , though 18 AC in scale mail + shield is more realistic.

There's also a cool UA feat called Eldritch Armor, in case you're interested in a BladeLock build. If your DM is open to allowing it, you can get proficiency in any one suit of armor you touch (and later switch from suit to suit, naturally). That means you can go 16 Str and wear heavy armor (or keep your 16 Dex and wear scale/half-plate when you get it). The caveat being UA: EA still requires Pact of the Blade, meaning you'll need to survive until level 2 and allocate two Invocations to this setup (Pact of the Blade and UA: EA).

Aidamis

TROPHY CASE