DrakojaPax's Profile

Considering which species might fit a Rune Knight best:

1. Dragonborn:  Main attractions are A) of course flight, which last 10 min so you can activate prior to combat, and B) ranged breath weapon, based on CON that only replaces 1 attack. Darkvision & a resistance are also nice, but lack of skill kind of hurts, since this subclass has some funky skill boosts.

2. Wood Elf: Mainly for the extra movement: 35 (45 with Longstrider). Pass Without a Trace is also a helpful team buff, not competing with any other concentration spell. Perception proficiency and minor protection from Charmed. Darkvision cool.

3. Human: Two Origin Feats when there are more Origin Feats than ever - lots of possibilities. Would love Alert and maybe Lucky to give Advantage since I lack an easy source, unless I take a Topple weapon. Heroic Inspiration is a cool X-factor to help make saves. And a skill is good here.

Thoughts? Other suggestions?

Cool thanks!

Huh. So can one pick it with Magic Initiate or Fey Touched?

Quote from MWerner >>

Thanks this helps a lot because I am usually at a loss when it comes to feats and what not… and the campaign I am in is descent into Avernus….so would there be other feat options that would fit into the elements of that campaign (fighting a lot a of devils and such)

Cool. Not familiar with Avernus and am not sure about any feats especially useful versus Devils, sorry. Maybe other more experienced folks could chime in.

In general, I'd say focusing on feats that advance your primary stat (STR) are most important, since that is your main action stat. And there are plenty of good STR feats that work with your build, like the ones mentioned: Sentinel, Shield Master, Heavy Armor Master, Mage Slayer, etc. On a Fighter, my goal would likely be to max out my STR and have Mage Slayer by level 8 or 12 at the latest. A fun/safe way to go would be:  4: Sentinel(STR 17), 6: Mage Slayer(STR 18), 8: STR+2 (20).

Why Mage Slayer? It's an automatic success for any mental save, which is a weaker point for martials and can derail your agency in combat. And it gives you a +1 to STR. You probably don't need it too much before level 8, but I might not want to wait til level 12 to get it and to max out my STR.

You could use 12 to grab other stuff or raise stats like CON. For example, if you used the above feat/ASI ideas, at 12 you could take Heavy Weapon Master and give the +1 to CON and then use level 16 for another CON feat, Like Speedy, which allows you to be much more mobile on the battlefield.

I would talk with your DM to maybe get a little guidance and sketch out some build ideas.

Is the Gift of Alacrity spell still a useable Wizard spell in 5.5 / 2024? I don't see it on the lists. Thx.

Dueling on a Fighter is a good fit because you will be making lots of attacks: 2 normally (4 w/ Action Surge), so it applies more. Then at level 11, that's 3 (6 w/ Action Surge). 

You should be tanky enough with a shield and heavy armor. And over time you can improve both of these, instead of just armor. Plus your Fighting Spirit gives you temp HP at-will, and you have Second Wind when you need it. 

Feats/ASIs: Getting your STR up should be a primary goal, but with the Fighter's extra feat, you have some flexibility to go straight +2 STR or two STR feats. Sentinel is a great choice for your build, and assuming you took that at 4, you only have to wait two levels to round it out with another good STR feat. Mage Slayer is an obvious defensive choice that shores up a weakness for martials. Shield Master could be useful to generate Prone or Push, if you think that'd be helpful for you & your team, though since you've got some at-will Advantage, Prone is a bit less needed. Heavy Armor Master gives you damage resistance to common damage types, always good. (You could also take that later and use it to raise CON instead).

With three feat/ASIs at lvls 4/6/8, the choice to me seems to be: two feats and raise STR to 20? or three feats. Could go either way. 

Not sure I'd take Slasher (especially since it commits you to a damage type). I'd explore some of the different weapon masteries and pick the ones you like. 

I also second not multiclassing. The new Fighter is quite strong. The level 9 Indomitable feature is like a legendary resistance for you. And getting WIS save proficiency at lvl 7 as a Samurai is pretty cool.

You can fly? Sweet. You've addressed one of the main weaknesses of martials at higher levels: being able to reach your target if they're flying/elevated. That's a very solid build as is. The Fighter levels or whatever else you do will be gravy, IMHO.

Also you do have something for your Bonus Action already: Second Wind to recover some HP (2 uses). That scales with your Fighter level. When you get Action Surge next level, I think you'll really be feeling that: 4 attacks instead of 2 (more crit chances & more application of your Rage bonus). And that comes back on a Short Rest, as does 1 use of your Second Wind. Not bad. Then after that you get the Champion subclass for crits on 19, plus that movement bonus: "immediately after you score a Critical Hit, you can move up to half your Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks." Then a feat at Fighter 4: if Polearm Master switch weapon to Spear. Between that and Sentinel, you should be hitting enemies with your Reaction more often than not.

Then nothing at Fighter 5 (since you already have Extra Attack), but another feat at 6: either round out that DEX with a DEX feat or pick whatever addresses a weakness or sounds fun. Then at Fighter 7, Champion gets to add a 2nd Fighting Style! Not sure what you picked for your first one, but the standouts for your build to me would be either Defense or Dueling, since they both add solid benefit and work with your playstyle. If you get to Fighter 8, another feat.. Enjoy.

Totally. I think you’ve got a fun & strong build that is very helpful for your team. Ancestral Guardians is one of the most impactful Barb subclasses the way it protects your party.

Champion pairs well with the Barb’s reckless attack. Just remember to look for those 19s to crit! Polearm Master works great here because now you’re attacking 3 times on your turn, so that’s 3 times you’re rolling 2 d20s with your expanded crit range! Champion also has a cool little mobility boost when you crit. 

The +1 to DEX would help if you then took another DEX feat at Fighter 6, like Resilient DEX or Fairy Trickster. Extra DEX is never bad, even if you don’t get more AC due to Medium Armor. More DEX helps with Initiative, saves, two very key things. But you could also pick something else at Fighter 6 and not worry about the stat. Polearm Master is a strong & fun choice regardless.

Quote from Actionsparda >>

Battleaxe currently, but I’m looking for an upgrade and am open to trying something else… as long as it goes with my +1 shield.

As for when I rage… I didn’t realize i could do that now before combat. Now I’m trying to think back as far as when I could have raged sooner. Then again, i really have nothing else to do with my bonus action currently.

Cool, yeah 10-min rages is a new perk of the 5.5/2024 Barbarian. It may not always be doable or wise to Rage if it's not clear combat is imminent, but if you're doing a dungeon crawl or can tell combat is likely coming up, it frees up your bonus action for the first round. So you can look for feats and/or class/subclass features that make good use of your BA.

Good suggestions from Sequilonis. Polearm Master is a classic way to weaponize your BA would give you a 2nd way to weaponize your Reaction. Plus the extra reach is always nice, and it could give a +1 to DEX, so you don't miss out on a stat bump. Pairing that with the Battlemaster would likely be pretty effective, mainly because you could mostly choose Maneuvers that don't use your BA, though it wouldn't be bad if you chose some that would give you another strong option. For help analyzing Battlemaster Maneuvers, you could search youtube for some breakdown videos. Lots of good options.

Another solid way to use your BA would be to take the Rune Knight subclass. It can also appear complex, but mainly you get 3 different features right at level 3: two Rune choices and Giant's Might. Giant's Might uses your BA to activate and lasts one minute. It gives a solid damage bump, and its size increase for you would make it a bit easier to trigger Sentinel, since you'd take up 4 squares instead of 1. Of the two Runes, I'd say for sure Fire Rune again for extra damage and cool lockdown option and one of the other 3 (Cloud or Stone, though both make use of your Reaction).

I think those 2 subclasses offer the most. I'd say Polearm Master's probably best with Battlemaster, though Battlemaster would be fine without it too. If you took Polearmaster (and got a +1 bump to DEX), you could think about another DEX feat to round out your DEX. If you went Rune Knight, I'd focus on other feats since your BA will already be pretty full. In fact, raising your CON would be helpful since your save DCs are based off your CON. Both subclasses are fun options.

Also what is your species?

Of course! Curious: 

What weapon are you using?

And do you tend to start you rage the first turn of combat? Or do you have your rage on before combat (now that it lasts 10 min)?

Interesting. So far that seems like an effective protector btw your guardians & Sentinel. From here it kinda depends on what you want to be able to do? What challenges are you facing? And what is more important to you, etc? (My suggestions are assuming 2024 base class).

Barbarian: You kind of have the meat of both the Barbarian class and the AG sublcass. I haven't played the 2024 Barb that far yet, but on paper I am not super impressed by what it has past level 8. Most of it is fairly simple: boost to Rage bonus at 9, one more Rage at 10 plus for you Augury/Clairvoyance (how good is this?), then Relentless Rage, etc. So are you being dropped to 0 a lot? Do you want to use Brutal Strike's control features enough to sacrifice Advantage on your attacks? Do you need more than 3 rages? Higher level Brutal Strike features are certainly more attractive (13 & 17), and your AG's damage feature at 14 is cool. I guess you'd sustain d12 hit dice as well.

Fighter: The new Fighter seems pretty strong and offers a lot at its early levels. I think Barb/Fighter multiclasses are very common. You're one Fighter level away from Action Surge, which is massive. Tactical Mind gives a simple way to make that important skill check you need to land. Then getting a Fighter subclass next seems to offer so much: Champion is simple but capitalizes on your Advantage attacks for more crits; Battlemaster gives all kinds of beloved tactical options (arguably better than Barb's Brutal Strike); Rune Knight grants some cool damage & protection abilities, etc. The Fighter gets you a feat/ASI in just 3 levels instead of 4 Barb levels (since you're at Fighter 1), and then you'd get another feat 2 levels after that at Fighter 6. Fighter 9's Indomitable would be huge in helping you make critical saves, if you get to level 18.

Feats: I think it's flavor to taste since you've maxed your STR and have Mage Slayer. Assuming your using a Heavy weapon, Great Weapon Master may still worth taking even though your STR is maxed out? The bonus dmg at this point would be +4 per hit, plus the Hew for when you crit or drop an enemy, which should be often. Resilient WIS if you're getting targeted with more tough WIS saves than your Mage Slayer can handle. But with your even stats, I'd also look at several origin feats: Alert for Initiative; Tough for HP; Lucky for Adv on saves; Musician to grant your party Inspiration; and some newer ones: Portal Jumper gain a damage Resistance plus a cool light teleport ability; Zhentarim Ruffian gives a dmg bonus to Opportunity Attacks but is probably only worth it if you have Inspiration access to use the other initiative bonus. And of course, raising your CON or even DEX would be useful. 

I think the clearest value would be getting at least 3 more levels in Fighter to get: Action Surge, a Fighter subclass, and an ASI/feat. And I'd probably do that first. And then evaluate if you want Fighter levels 5-11 or Ancestral Guardian Barb levels 9-15. Just my take.

Quote from Pantagruel666 >>

As far as I can tell, a flying carpet functions like a platform that you can stand or sit on, and if you get pushed off you have the same consequences as being pushed off of any other platform (generally falling to the ground). 5e has no rules for catching the edge of a platform to avoid falling, though the DM may wish to create house rules, or allow a PC to do something like tie themselves to the carpet.

Sure if one got pushed, the normal push rules would apply. I'm thinking here more generally of losing balance from getting hit. I suppose on a regular tile you wouldn't collapse from a hit, but the carpet is flying and you have limited space to maintain balance. Maybe nothing is needed, dunno.

The Carpet of Flying - How is it handled at your table when you get hit while on the carpet?  

Seems like you should have to make some kind of save to avoid getting knocked off, no? It's not attached to you like Winged Boots or something. But the item description says nothing. But if so, does it matter how much the damage is? And what would the DC be? Could be treated like a Concentration save?

Is there perhaps a step you could take to mitigate that by preparing? Gain Advantage on the save by halving the speed to represent like digging in or something?

Great suggestions, thanks everyone. More specifics & questions on spells mainly:

Thinking of playing Spirits Bard, which looks pretty cool. They get Spirit Guardians at level 6, so for spell selection, that makes anything requiring concentration a bit less attractive I guess? But I am interested to try out many of a Bard's control options. I suppose even if I took a concentration spell earlier I could replace it at a later level?

On switching out spells at level-ups, I assume that is limited to one spell switch at a level-up, yes? "Whenever you gain a Bard level, you can replace one spell on your list with another Bard spell for which you have spell slots." 

The level 6 Spirit feature adding 1d6 to healing or damage from a Bard spell obviously incentivizes healing & damage spells.

 Dunno role in the party yet - just the drawing board at the moment.

As a player, I can say I mostly love multiple phases in a boss fight. I enjoy the surprise and forcing to adjust mid-combat, and it elevates the boss thematically as a truly powerful enemy. 

It has to be done right of course. The extra challenge of phase 2 should be baked into the overall challenge and ideally leave the DM wiggle room on how much to extend. The point is to provide a worthy challenge to the party that they can sink their teeth into, not to arbitrarily "gotcha" your players with a massive power spike. The DM has seen your party chew threw minions and mini-bosses using your tricks and teamwork, so the multiple phases really extend the tension for the players and should prompt them to have to be more creative and try new tactics. That can of course happen in any well-made boss fight - it's not something that should happen all the time - but keeping things from being too linear is fun for everyone I'd say.