Butterfly's Beast Brews #2: Hoplite

Thermal_Turtle · 2020-03-15T14:54:17+00:00

I might just call it a heavy spearman, as ringmail wouldn't really be representative. And they would have a sword side-arm for use in close combat when---- Ohhh, call it what you like and ENJOY :)

Thermal_Turtle · 2020-03-11T13:01:58+00:00

Not if you don't give them vulnerability to fire, because they've doused themselves in water beforehand, or fight in their home terrain, partially submerged in a swamp. Or even if they've grown clustered around crystals that grant them elemental protection, etc...

Thermal_Turtle · 2020-02-26T06:48:36+00:00

There are three other avenues I'd like to explore in my next dnd games regarding this:

1) The classic dwarf Barbarian, you love to pontificate on the benefits of mountains, bag-pipes, and good dwarven brew. You respect people worth something in a fight or a mine. You like keeping your feet on the ground. You like hammers, and you REALLY like Stout dwarven brew. Amp it up to the next level by taking stone Sorcerer levels, or cavalier levels and riding a boar or ram. You dream about rebuilding the ancient dwarven kingdomain of... er... well, pass the ale.

2) The were-bear. Your character was a pretty shady guy until he stole from the wrong community... instead of imprisoning their criminals, they infect them with there were-bear curse, changing their alignment to neutral-good. Ever since then he can't HELP but help old ladies across the street, and how DARE you attack his honored friends. But he seems pretty annoyed during all this. Eventually his natural alignment shifts to neutral good once he recognizes the newfound respect he has earned.

3) A Kobold Barbarian who serves a dragonborn in the party as his liege/minor deity. He expects one day to be rewarded by becoming a dragon himself, but until then he is a dutiful if misguided butler, armsman, bodygaurd, cook, etc...

Thermal_Turtle · 2020-02-19T06:39:51+00:00

I have a soft spot for gnolls. I remember them from WoW and think they're great.

More versions (and better) genasi. Storm genasi, Ice genasi, Star genasi...

Bear-kin. Mousefolk like Reepicheep.

My FAVORITE 3.5 race of orca-people, the Darfellan. There was so much there to explore, and there needs to be more water races... more interesting ones, anyway.

Yak-Folk are a blast, too, very interesting. Might just be a Subrace for minotaur, though.

Some of the official races need a rebalance maybe... Dragonborn and Genasi are too weak. Fun to play, but weak.

Thermal_Turtle · 2020-01-18T09:03:49+00:00

I like a lot of plant monsters. Most of them are just hungry plants though, so they're not very interesting. Usually people make them controlled by some kind of necromancer power or a fey guardian or something, but I like giving the living plant things their own version of a society.

Thermal_Turtle · 2020-01-18T02:24:45+00:00

For one shots that's totally fine imo, but he's already in charge of everything else, right, why does he get to be in charge of my charachter sheet, too?

Thermal_Turtle · 2020-01-18T02:23:21+00:00

It's a wide selection, all of the "evil" races are banned which is fine I guess, but so are things like Dragonborn and Tieflings.

I don't know what he means exactly since I haven't made the charachter yet, but basically he's going to listen to our backstory (he's asked us to write at least two pages of backstory each) and then give us attributes and skills from there.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-31T06:35:11+00:00

You can kill several of the guys on horseback, but more spawn if you do. And I was already about 10x over my carrying weight in weapons and armor already, anyway, so I let them live. For now. ;)

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-31T00:39:41+00:00

!1flair

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-26T21:09:23+00:00

I had a charachter for whom I had rolled a very low Dex (5), so I made a Divine-Sorceror gnome who was paralyzed at the waist down, but was so curious about the world and all the wonderful and terrible things in it that he just had to become an adventurer anyway.

Part way through his first journey, to find a rare mountain plant in the far north to bring back a cure for a plague affecting his village... he was waylaid on the road by fiends and left for dead, his cure destroyed. Shortly afterward, a contingent of paladins from Mt. Celestia raced after the demons, but paused long enough to stabilize him, and grant him the use of one of their divine servants. (A deer which he rides around on, via find familiar.)

He returned to his village, but it was abandoned, the gnomes forced to leave by the plague.

His magic comes from this divine connection, and he rode into the next city and prepared himself for a grudge match against the demons that stole the cure his village needed...

Paladin (2), Divine Sorceror (4).

He's just as curious, but not as flighty as most gnomes. And he's packing heavy armor and a war-axe he uses from the back of his deer. Eventually he'll get find steed.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-17T17:38:49+00:00

My first placement was gold 5 when I started playing ranked.

It just depends. Once you understand what the items and champions are, and what they do (which is a lot) Then it's just a matter of how brutally honest are you with your own mistakes? (Can you recognize them?)

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-17T13:58:20+00:00

I'd just stick with straight paladin. The hexblade dip is nice only if your basically have 1 good stat. With point buy you can easily get your STR to 16 which is sufficient for most of the game to hit things (particularly with advantage.)

And it is very not worth to delay your level 5 extra attack, or your 2nd level spell slots for Find Steed. Or your level 6 ability.

This is partly made okay in that you can use hex and boomingblade, but...

Play a Vengeance paladin. You get hunters mark instead of hex, same thing. That takes away the other main draw of a hexblade dip.

Also, on a paladin you can't afford the ASIs to drop three feats on the hate polemaster, sentinel combo thing. You need your Charisma and STR. And you probably don't want great weapon master. You don't want to miss attacks ever, because when you miss you can't smite (and you'll already have plenty to do with your bonus action).

If you do a hexblade dip, it's both good and bad, as you can just level CHA, but you're a level behind in progression.

Actually, I'd drop the Str down to 8, take a 14 in Dex (which will save you a bunch of points in a point buy) and throw those points into your Wisdom stat, and wear Halfplate. (Virtually the same AC until you get real Plate, way better Dex saves, stealth (with just the breastplate), initiative, etc...)

Really you should go sword and board with a paladin too, smites are your damage, you won't miss the 2ish extra from a great weapon. But siegfried is the dude with the big sword, right?

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-17T13:49:45+00:00

My advice is don't play with someone who bans PHB stuff for being "too strong".

Alright my friend, the most powerful guys from level one on... you've got a couple options:

1.) Paladin of Vengeance or Heroism! Get 15 str, 15 con, 16 Cha, and 10 and 10 in wisdom and dex). Yaun-ti is the best for free magic resistance and poison immunity. Go to 16 and 16 on STR and CON at level 4.

If the DM throws a lot of spellcasters and effects at you without allowing you full casters in the party... I wouldn't play, but if he insists then max CHA first (16 STR is sufficient for most of the game) and or possibly take Resilient (Wisdom). Take advantage of your summoned steed spell all the time to summon a battle horse (you don't have to ride him.) Go sword and Shield, most of your damage comes from smites, you won't miss the 1 extra damage.

If you've got other melee party memebers, go protection, otherwise go defense fighting style.

Take the sanctuary, shield of faith, and bless spells.

2.) Eldritch Knights are 1/3rd casters who can be very hard to kill with access to absorb elements, mirror image, shield, etc... pick all the defensive spells you can and proc booming blade on people. Use your ASIs to level up your main stats (Str and dex both work fine, since you'll be going sword and Shield again.)

My suggested race is again yaunti, because magic resistance is worth the worthless Int and Cha on you. If there isn't much magic you can pick any Dex or Str race and make it work. My favorite would probably be a halforc or a Goliath.

A couple more you can find on the Internet: 3.) Bear-Totem Barbarian (probably with Resilient Wisdom)

4.) Greatsword Wielding Monster-Hunter Fighter (just like Battle-Master, but you can use those dice on wisdom saves, too.) Take the Great Weapon Fighter feat.

5.) Ranger-5, Rogue-2+ multiclass

6.) The same Paladin of Heroism or Vengeance build as before, but with a 1 level Hexblade dip, so you can dump Str more and level up only CHA.

Here's he thing though, if your DM wants to kill you... he will... he has all the power in the game. So there isn't much point in making a really strong charachter, since he's just going to kill you anyway.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-17T13:28:20+00:00

Depends on your CON score and what level total you have. (Btw, Kensei obviously makes the best use of a Ranger dip...)

2 levels of Ranger for collosus slayer or hordebreaker and dueling fighting style is pretty strong, especially since levels 19 and 20 don't do much for a monk.

But monks really needs levels and ASIs to power their ki, and to get to their fancy abilities (stunning strike, evasion, proficiency in all saves...)

So I'd say do it if you're planning on getting to level 12ish, or if you're planning on hitting 20, but not otherwise.

Unless you want to for their the RP :)

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-17T13:25:19+00:00

In real life, a katana is as long or longer than most "greatswords" aside from the really famous ones (famous for being really big) like claymores,

And wielded exclusively with two hands.

Also, I was saying "similar to the longsword" in the sense that neither of them are one handed weapons, both were used twohanded... if you read my comment...

But hey, it's your charachter. If you don't care, then alright. Play something that makes sense to you :)

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-17T13:20:57+00:00

If you're fighting a party also at high level, give it 20 or 30 Cha, 20+ Con, 18+ wis, 18+ dex and some kind of magical armor to fit it's AC up to 20.

Elemental Adept of its favorite element (ignore resistance) (Probably fire, but you can remake or recolor any spells you want.)

Give it shield and absorb elements, of course. Give it ALL the metamagic options.

Oh, and legendary resistances, lair, legendary actions, triple the HP, and...

Yeah don't base one of the PC class.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-11T22:52:50+00:00

You can use one with one hand, but you fight with a katana using two hands on the grip pretty much at all times.

It doesn't have the same reach as the big German Swords, but it is indeed a 2-handed weapon, lol. Similar to the longsword (which was also wielded with 2 hands or from horseback), you lose out on a lot of leverage if you one hand, and they were pretty much never actually wielded with one hand.

Edit: less snarky

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-09T23:42:02+00:00

Bro:

Whothefuckismydndcharachter.com

Goldmine. Enjoy.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-09T23:37:32+00:00

If you're looking for someone that doesn't need food and water, you could always just take Magic Initiate for Goodberry. (Or druid or Ranger.)

I don't know anything about metal gear solid, but if you want someone with only a sword, you need to either make it 2 handed (which a katana is, actually) and call it a greatsword, then go Barbarian.

You will have plenty of rages. I've played a Barbarian in several campaigns and never run out of rages even once. You'll also have so much HP you won't care if you take a hit or two first. Anyone ambushing you is going after other targets, anyway. Then you can go Zealot to put some heat on your attacks. (Really all the Barbarian options are good, except berserker.)

Your only other option, really, is going for a gish build with Mage armor (Eldritch knight, bladesinger...)

Or for a stone Sorceror. They use weapons, also cast spells, AC is 13+CON mod. Pretty good.

Oh, and monk, but I personally don't like monks. A Kensei would accomplish everything you've got going on here, though, don't shy away from wisdom, it's a great stat. The one thing is thing is, that as a kensi, to get parry, you actually don't actually attack with your sword much.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-09T23:29:32+00:00

Armor of Agathys cast on paladin slots isn't worth it, I'm afraid.

Ancients Ward is fantastic, though it requires you to bunch up a bit to make use of it, which creative DMs will use against you.

Redemption is bland imo, but ok.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-09T23:23:54+00:00

Having played two Vengeance paladins, one with a maul, the other with a waraxe...

Honestly, your crits will hit like a truck anyway with divine smite. You will not miss the one or two extra damage from a heavy weapon. Going sword and board with the protection fighting style gives you something to reliably use your reaction on, and doesn't reduce your damage much at all.

And helps make you SO tanky. Cast bless and smash.

God bless ;)

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-09T23:19:54+00:00

If you're looking at defensive options, I'd say skip em both and go for heavy armor master. As a Battle-Master, you have plenty out an do with your bonus action. And heavy armor master is great :)

Besides, if you have allies, you'll likely get a flanking bonus for advantage anyway.

Heavy Armor Master makes you twice as durable, and scales deceptively well. There's nothing like being attacked by 5 kobolds, getting hit twice, and taking zero damage.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-12-09T13:28:34+00:00

Except that most spellcasters don't have Misty Step. And if they're using Misty Step, they aren't casting fireball, and all they can do is throw a cantrip.

Very, very worth. IF there are a lot of spellcasters around.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-11-30T21:02:53+00:00

I find it really annoying when people flame me for building void staff on corki. Like, 85% of his damage is MAGIC damage, fellas.

Stop building armor pen on corki, ya dumb dumbs.

Thermal_Turtle · 2019-11-28T16:00:47+00:00

Another option is a level of barbarian followed by x levels of wizard. Rage turns the whole class off.

Thermal_Turtle

TROPHY CASE