#tasha's mind whip and synaptic static

[justalittlebluetiefling]

Spells with int saves are my favorite spells

#tasha's mind whip and synaptic static #they're just so good #critical role #bell's hells #cr3e67 #cr spoilers #cr lb #also feeblemind

[raeynbowboi]

Creating a Thematic Bard

Through Bardic Magical Secrets, any Bard can pick up any 6-8 spells of their choosing depending on their subclass. I thought I’d go through some thematic options for a Bard to choose from to cater to different themes and archetypes the Bard aspires to do. For each, I will offer the 8 spells I would recommend if you were to play as a Lore Bard, and if you pick a different subclass, just elimate two of the options.

HEAVENLY CHOIR 6th Spiritual Weapon, Spirit Guardians 10th Flame Strike, Destructive Wave 14th Holy Weapon, Summon Celestial 18th Divine Word, Holy Aura

THAT INFERNAL BARD 6th Hellish Rebuke, Summon Lesser Demons 10th Summon Greater Demon, Planar Binding 14th Summon Fiend, Tasha’s Otherworldly Guise 18th Planar Ally, Shapechange

WOODLAND WOODWINDS 6th Spike Growth, Plant Growth 10th Grasping Vine, Wrath of Nature 14th Transport Via Plants, Wall of Thorns 18th Tree Stride, Guardian of Nature

NECRODANCER 6th Animate Dead, Summon Undead 10th Spirit of Death, Danse Macabre 14th Create Undead, Finger of Death 18th Negative Energy Flood, Antilife Shell

PYRODANCER 6th Scorching Ray, Fireball 10th Ashardalon’s Stride, Flame Strike 14th Immolation, Investiture of Flame 18th Fire Storm, Meteor Swarm

CRYODANCER 6th Ice Knife, Rime’s Binding Ice 10th Ice Storm, Cone of Cold 14th Investiture of Ice, Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere 18th Wall of Ice, Control Weather

WET T-SHIRT CONTEST 6th Tidal Wave, Wall of Water 10th Control Water, Maelstrom 14th Watery Sphere, Summon Elemental 18th Tsunami, Water Breathing

TAKE THE WORLD BY STORM 6th Thunder Step, Lightning Bolt 10th Control Winds, Storm Sphere 14th Chain Lightning, Investiture of Wind 18th Whirlwind, Storm of Vengeance

DOWN TO EARTH 6th Max’s Earthen Grasp, Erupting Earth 10th Stone Shape, Wall of Stone 14th Bones of the Earth, Move Earth 18th Investiture of Stone, Earthquake

A DANCE OF DRAGONS 6th Chromatic Orb, Dragon’s Breath 10th Elemental Bane, Summon Draconic Spirit 14th Fizban’s Platinum Shield, Draconic Transformation 18th Illusory Dragon, Shapechange

BARDS GONE FEYWILD VOL VII 6th Summon Fey, Spirit Guardians 10th Conjure Woodland Beings, Healing Spirit 14th Heal, Conjure Fey 18th Mass Heal, Wish

FIND ME SUMMON TO LOVE 6th Conjure Animals, Summon Undead 10th Summon Aberration, Summon Draconic Spirit 14th Summon Fiend, Summon Celestial 18th Summon Construct, Summon Elemental

ROCKY HORROR NIGHTMARE SHOW 6th Dissonant Whispers, Fear 10th Phantasmal Killer, Dream 14th Mental Prison, Feeblemind 18th Maddening Darkness, Weird

CLOAK AND DAGGER 6th  Counterspell, Pass Without Trace 10th Death Ward, Steel Wind Strike 14th Contingency, Simulacrum 18th Feeblemind, Foresight

NECROSIS 6th Inflict Wounds, Wither and Bloom 10th Blight, Enervation 14th Harm, Finger of Death 18th Abi’s Horrid Wilting, Destructive Wave

STEP THREE: PROPHET 6th Augury, Clairvoyance 10th Divination, Commune  14th True Seeing, Detect Thoughts 18th Astral Projection, Foresight

GLOWING REVIEWS 6th Blinding Smite, Spirit Guardians 10th Destructive Wave, Wall of Light 14th Sunbeam, Crown of Stars 18th Guiding Bolt, Sunburst

SIMPLY PSIONIC 6th Mind Spike, Tasha’s Mind Whip 10th Raulothim’s Psychic Lance, Telekinesis 14th Rary’s Telepathic Bond, Synaptic Static 18th Telepathy, Psychic Scream

SONG OF WAR 6th Hunter’s Mark, Spiritual Weapon  10th Staggering Smite, Steel Wind Strike (or) Swift Quiver 14th Holy Weapon, Blade Barrier 18th Conjure Volley, Blade of Disaster

SHIELD MASTER 6th Armor of Agathys, Shield 10th Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere, Wall of Force 14th Fizban’s Platinum Shield, Globe of Invulnerability 18th Forecage, Invulnerability

MAGIC MIKE 6th Magic Missile, Glyph of Warding 10th Arcane Eye, Bigby’s Hand 14th Arcane Gate, Symbol 18th Demiplane, True Polymorph

SPELLBREAKER 6th Absorb Elements, Counterspell 10th Circle of Power, Synaptic static 14th Fizban’s Platinum Shield, Forecage 18th Feeblemind, Antimagic Field

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED 6th Spiritual Weapon, Spirit Guardians 10th Guardian of Faith, Bigby’s Hand 14th Mordenkainen’s Sword, Blade Barrier 18th Max’s Earthen Grasp, Blade of Disaster

TWO-FACED 6th Alter Self, Water Breathing 10th Guardian of Nature, Stoneskin 14th Tasha’s Otherworldly Guise, Draconic Transformation 18th Animal Shapes, Shapechange MASTER OF ILLUSIONS 6th Blur, Pass Without Trace 10th Phantom Steed, Creation 14th Mental Prison, Nystul’s Magic Aura 18th Illusory Dragon, Weird

A DANCE WITH DEATH 6th Wither and Bloom, Vampiric Touch 10th Blight, Enervation 14th Contingency, Soul Cage 18th Clone, Invulnerability

MERCY MAIN 6th Aura of Vitality, Beacon of Hope 10th Aura of Purity, Aura of Life 14th Heal, Regenerate 18th Mass Heal, True Resurrection

PLAGUED BY GUILT 6th Hex, Bestow Curse 10th Vitriolic Sphere, Contagion 14th Eyebite, Harm 18th Feeblemind, Weird

BLUE EXORCIST 6th Counterspell, Remove Curse 10th Dispel Evil and Good, Banishing Smite 14th Forbiddance, Plane Shift 18th Forecage, Imprisonment

BARD EX MACHINA 6th Elemental Weapon, Tiny Servant 10th Fabricate, Creation 14th Animate Objects, Summon Construct 18th Mighty Fortress, Blade of Disaster

CONCLAVE OF THE HOUND DOG 6th Hunter’s Mark, Conjure Animals 10th Swift Quiver, Conjure Volley 14th Guardian of Nature, Dominate Beast 18th Animal Shapes, Insect Plague

OATH OF MERRIMENT 6th Blinding Smite, Crusader’s Mantle 10th Find Greater Steed, Destructive Wave 14th Staggering Smite, Banishing Smite 18th Circle of Power, Holy Weapon

 And of course, you can always mix and match. Going for a Fire Dragon theme? Mix the Pyrodancer and A Dance of Dragons spell lists. As an example:

LOVE AMONG THE DRAGONS 6th Dragon’s Breath, Fireball 10th Flame Strike, Summon Draconic Spirit 14th Investiture of Flame, Draconic Transformation 18th Illusory Dragon, Meteor Swarm

These are all the bard themes I could think of, but if you can think of some more that I missed, or have better suggestions for some of my choices, let me know your own thematic magical secrets builds. Obviously, these were made with the Lore Bard in mind, since it gets the most magical secrets, but I’m sure some synergize better with other bard types, such as Song of War with the College of Valor. I just used Lore as the default. How well do these magical secrets builds work for you?

#dungeons & dragons #Dungeons and Dragons #bard #bardic magical secrets #magical secrets #dnd bard #dnd 5e #fifth edition #5th edition #dnd #d&d #d&d 5e

[tigerkirby215]

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything subclass Tier List

(Artwork from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Posted by @robmichel_art on Twitter. Copyright Wizards of the Coast.)

I was going to make some comparison posts between the UAs and the full release of Tasha’s but other more qualified people are doing that, so instead in my continued effort to pretend that this account is for more than just me satisfy my character building obsession I decided to make a little tier list ranking the subclasses from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything from my least favorite to my favorite.

This list is going to be comparing the subclasses from Tasha’s to each-other, but is also going to be comparing the subclasses to the other available subclasses for the class they’re from. So even if I really like a subclass it’ll lose points if the class already had better options. I’m not going to talk about any of the reprinted classes from Eberron or Ravnica but I will talk about the reprinted Theros subclasses (Eloquence Bard / Glory Paladin) as for many people this will be their first time seeing them.

Also it goes without saying but this is just my opinion! So sorry if you really like the next class you’re about to see because it’s at the bottom of my tier list!

F TIER

Psi Warrior (Fighter)

Well something had to be the worst. Truthfully I really wasn’t interested in the Psi Warrior during UA but wow its full release leaves a lot to be desired.

First let’s get the obvious out of the way: “Worse Battlemaster LUL!” It is laughable how bad this subclass is when compared to Battlemaster. BM gets to give itself advantage, give allies advantage, move allies, fear enemies, grapple enemies, give enemies disadvantage... and by comparison Psi Warriors get to do a little more damage or reduce a bit of incoming damage.

The fact that this subclass requires Intelligence confuses me to no end. They changed both Rune Knight and Soul Knife to not require intelligence (even though Rogues are kinda expected to have good Intelligence to help with skill checks) but Psi Warrior still needs INT? It amazes me that Battlemaster, Rune Knight, and Echo Knight are all SAD (single ability dependent) yet Psi Warrior of all subclasses is the one they consider too strong if you can min-max.

The biggest problem with this class by far is the Psionic Energy Die. Having your main class resource only come back after a Long Rest is insulting. (It’s the problem that Samurai Fighter has had since it was printed and it’s really sad that Wizards of the Coast didn’t learn from that.) While Battlemaster gets bigger die that have more effects which come back on a short rest Psi Warrior can only recharge one die per short rest. Honestly this subclass would be so much better if you regained Psionic Energy Die when using Second Wind (as well as having a dedicated action for it) so at least then you could have more than one die per short rest.

The only good level in this subclass is level 7, entirely because you get to Fly when you Dash. I mean, sure the UA Dragon Monk can also do that but at least this is in the official rules. Everything else that this subclass gets is weak: Telekinetic Thrust lets you do what Battlemasters were doing at level 3,  Guarded Mind is just bad (Monk? Never heard of ‘em!), Bulwark of Force is mediocre at best (I know like 3 people who actually understand how cover works in 5e), and Telekinetic Master is a laughably weak capstone. Your capstone as a Fighter is a situational 5th level spell that takes away your ability to attack? Meanwhile actual spellcasters are casting 9th level spells, and other martials are doing upwards of 50 damage per turn.

At first I was largely indifferent to the Psi Warrior but after reading over all its abilities its laughable how bad it is. It at least surpasses Purple Dragon Knight in terms of mediocrity (ironic considering that the two of them are beside each-other on D&D Beyond) but it’s the only true stinker of Tasha’s, and it gets the honor of being the second weakest Fighter subclass and the weakest subclass in this book.

D TIER

Aberrant Mind (Sorcerer)

This is the best subclass to play if your only desire is to cast spells, and I mean that in the worst possible way. While every other Sorcerer has a defined class role Aberrant Mind feels like the most generic milk-toast subclass that you pick simply because you didn’t know what to play. While Clockwork Soul defends, Divine Soul heals, Draconic Bloodline blasts, Shadow Magic sneaks, Storm Sorcerer evades, and Wild Magic does memes Aberrant Mind’s only major strengths come online at level 14+.

Telepathy at level 1 is a joke when compared to the other Sorcerers. CS can negate advantage, DS gets Super Bless on top of access to the Cleric spell list, DB gets free Mage Armor, SM gets super Darkvision and the Half Orc racial trail, SS gets goddamn flight, and WM gets to kill the party at level 1 with a level 3 fireball. Meanwhile AM gets the Message cantrip with a longer range.

Psionic Sorcery is okay. Getting cheaper* (citation needed) spells that you can Subtle Spell for free is alright. The subclass spell list is good and seeing as you can sub out the spell to take better ones if needed you can really get some useful magic for your kit.

SPELLS TO LOOK AT AS AN ABBERANT MIND SORCERER

LEVEL 1

Dissonant Whispers is honestly a really good spell to have, but Arms of Hadar is a bit situational. If willing you can swap it out with: the utility Divination spells (Detect Magic / Identity - remember that Sorcerers can’t Ritual cast so it might be better for someone else to take these), Hex, Sleep, or Tasha’s Hideous Laughter.

LEVEL 2

Gift of Gab from Acquisitions Incorporated is either going to be a complete joke of a spell or the most useful spell in your arsenal. Hold Person is the most obvious choice from second level. Tasha’s Mind Whip is a great single-target damage spell with some added utility, and is almost objectively better than Mind Spike because it doesn’t require Concentration.

LEVEL 3

Both Hunger of Hadar and Sending are great spells, and there really aren’t a lot of Divination / Enchantment spells at third level. The only one I can really recommend is Tongues if you need the utility.

LEVEL 4

Evard’s Black Tentacles and Summon Aberration are both extremely strong spells, but if you want to replace them for some reason: Arcane Eye is essentially just a better familiar, Confusion is a great AoE disruption spell, and Locate Creature can be useful in a pinch.

LEVEL 5

Honestly the spell list really opens up at 5th level. Just about any choice is good, so look on D&D Beyond to see what to take. If you know me I’m going to recommend Synaptic Static.

Psychic Defenses, like with Psi Warrior, seems to have been taped onto the class because WoTC realized how weak it was so they just threw more situational garbage into its kit to compensate.

Revelation in Flesh is pretty much the only good ability you get. And granted there’s some insane utility with this ability. Not-quite-Blindsense, fly speed (best one), swim speed (worst one), and the folding ability that I’m sure will result in some interesting stories on Reddit. Warping Implosion is also a great escape-utility ability but like it’s your 18th level capstone of course it was going to be good.

If I was going to play in a level 20 one shot I’d perhaps roll up a level 20 Aberrant Mind. (Or more like a level 18 Aberrant Mind with 2 levels in Warlock because Sorcerer’s level 20 capstone sucks lol.) But unless I knew the campaign was going to at least level 15 I wouldn’t even bother.

Oath of the Watchers (Paladin)

It was boring in UA and it’s boring now. I feel bad that I have so little to say about Oath of the Watchers, especially after writing massive paragraphs about Psi Warrior and Aberrant Mind. But Oath of the Watchers feels like the worst parts of Arcana Cleric to me. Only difference is that while Arcana Cleric gets Wizard spells you get Moonbeam and help with Initiative. This subclass feels more campaign-specific than PHB Ranger and that’s really saying something.

Swarmkeeper (Ranger)

It’s certainly the most unique Ranger, both in terms of concept and in terms of abilities. It actually has a lot of utility with a good spell list and the Gathered Swarm feature providing a lot of great utility to a martial character. The thing is that in all honesty this subclass is kinda boring until level 15. And the other big problem is that the fantasy and roleplay that this subclass provides is so strange. When you think “Ranger” do you think master of the hunt, traveling through multiple dimensions and slaying powerful foes from the shadows with a tamed beast at their side? Or do you think “hurr durr bugzzz”?

This subclass feels like the one you pick when you've played literally every other subclass available, or when you get them from a random character generator. Ironically enough I do actually have a friend who made a Swarmkeeper for a one-shot I ran back when this subclass was in UA. But the fact that they made the character just to test UA shows just the type of characters that will be made with this subclass.

Way of Mercy (Monk)

You either love it or you’re completely indifferent, is what I have found the general opinion of Way of Mercy to be. Guess which camp I’m in. This subclass literally just feels like a Cleric with mobility whose healing comes back on a short rest. Time will see how OP “I can heal every turn and get my Cure Wounds back on a Short Rest” not-Cleric will be, but until then the subclass is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. For the people who wanted to play a healing Monk I’m happy for them.

Path of the Beast (Barbarian)

If I can sum up Path of the Beast in one word it’s “underwhelming.” Form of the Beast gives you three above-average weapons to choose from, Bestial Soul gives you some movement buffs, Infectious Fury lets you do some decent crowd control or damage spiking, and Call the Hunt lets you buff your party.

The thing is... you’re fighting against “resist all damage” (Totem Warrior), “protect your allies with your JoJo Stand” (Ancestral Guardian), “smite with the wrath of God” (Zealot), or “shoot lightning out of your goddamn chest.” (Storm Herald.) It’s not a bad subclass and honestly compared to some of the existing Barbarians (Beserker, Battlerager, and honestly Storm Herald is bad too) it’s pretty strong. But it’s just so, so boring.

I need to preface this by saying that Barbarian is probably my least favorite class in 5e and for what it’s worth I’m certainly more interested in playing Path of the Beast than say Battlerager, but I can’t help but feel that this subclass just lets you hit things better as the class that does nothing other than hit things. The only real positive I see to this subclass is the flavor, which absolutely carries it above the likes of Totem Warrior and Zealot. (Both of which I think are objectively stronger than Beast Barbarian.)

Clockwork Soul (Sorcerer)

It been mostly unchanged from playtest even though as I stated Clockwork Soul was one of the subclasses I was a little worried about. But even then the subclass just feels so boring to me. It seems like this subclass is entirely designed to be the “no fun allowed” character who just says “No U” to everything the DM does. Don’t get me wrong it’s certainly a strong defensive subclass but I feel like if you want to play a defensive spellcaster you’re more likely to play an Abjuration Wizard or a Cleric in general.

And the lore just doesn’t really click for me? I can understand how you’d have dragon blood magic, shadow soul magic, and celestial infusion magic. But how the heck do you get a Clockwork Soul? I know Mechanus is a thing in D&D but I feel like for the average normie this won’t make any sense.

Also RIP in piss Heat Metal from the subclass spell list. Here’s my suggestion for spells if you want to play a CSS:

LEVEL 1 - Absorb Elements, Armor of Agathys, Featherfall, Mage Armor, Shield

LEVEL 2 (Aid and Lesser Restoration are good but Aid chews through your spell slots) - Enhance Ability, Enlarge / Reduce

LEVEL 3 - Blink, Counterspell, Fly, Gaseous Form, Haste, Slow

LEVEL 4 (Tasha’s Summoning Spells are good but Freedom of Movement is highly situational) - Banishment, Polymorph

LEVEL 5 - Animate Objects, Passwall

C TIER

College of Creation (Bard)

It has a lot of interesting abilities. Performance of Creation in particular is arguably one of the strongest abilities for someone who knows the equipment page well in the PHB. The problem is just that unless you have a very specific build in mind I don’t really know why you’d play the College of Creation? It feels like a Conjuration Wizard... but it’s a Bard. Perhaps the biggest irony is how much stronger this subclass feels when compared to the Conjuration Wizard, but you really have to be in the mood to play a conjurer.

Oath of Glory (Paladin)

Having some experience playing this subclass in a one-shot (Theros yay!): it’s very hit-or-miss. The spell list is amazing, the Channel Divinities are mediocre at best, the aura is garbage (10 foot +10 movement aura LUL), Glorious Defense is insane, and Living Legend is a capstone ability so of course it’s going to be good.

I think the main reason you’ll pick this subclass is for their subclass spells. And don’t get me wrong: Guiding Bolt and Haste are crazy good. But considering that Paladins usually want to blow everything on Smites?

When I played this character it was a 9 level dip into Paladin with a 3 level dip into Warlock. I didn’t use a melee weapon and opted for Eldritch Blast spamming. And that’s essentially this subclass as a whole: it wants you to be a spellcaster, which is great if you multiclass into a spellcaster (Aura of Protection is always good) but it feels bad as an actual Paladin.

The new Fighting Style that lets you get some cantrips as a Paladin might make this subclass better, but you’re still stuck being a half caster. Can’t escape the feeling that an actual caster would be better.

Path of Wild Magic (Barbarian)

It’s fun, is all I can really say. The subclass is built almost entirely around the Wild Surge table you get at level 3 and all the effects are strong. (Thankfully none of them are OP like in UA.) Unstable Backlash means that with luck you should eventually get a good Wild Magic effect.

The use of a d3 for Bolstering Magic is still a crime. It should just be a d4, with the spell slot restoration thing being “reroll on a 4.” (Or better yet: “roll a d4 and take half the roll, rounded up.” I still think having an RNG chance to get back a Haste or Fireball is a bit too strong.)

B TIER

Fey Wanderer (Ranger)

All I can say is thank god this subclass got better. It went from a weird pseudo-Paladin to a subclass with its own identity and theme. The only ability that’s really weak currently is Dreadful Strikes since it encourages you to spread out your damage for no particular reason. Horizon Walker had a similar problem but you could still focus damage as Horizon Walker. And you were doing more than a d4 of extra damage.

But beyond that this subclass is great! The subclass spell list is very strong. Otherworldly Glamour gives you some utility as a party face. Beguiling Twist... is honestly a little hit-or-miss. But it’s made up for by Fey Reinforcements and Misty Wanderer. Having a non-concentration summoning spell along with near-unlimited Misty Step is so insanely powerful to keep out of harm and to keep your DPS up.

Fey Wanderer seems really good at a lot of the things a Ranger wants to do. It’s a good skill monkey (being good at Charisma which other Rangers usually aren’t), a good damage dealer, a strong defensive support, a great single-unit summoner, and incredibly slippery and mobile. I don’t know if it’s enough to make me play the class (Ranger’s flavor is still iffy for me overall) but it’s definitely on my list for subclasses to try someday!

Order of the Scribes (Wizard)

Order of the Scribes is the best default Wizard, which is its biggest strength and its largest weakness. Getting a free colored pen is fun and flavorful, being able to get all your spells back if you lose your spellbook is insanely useful, always having an Arcane Focus is great, being able to replace the damage type of your spells is MASSIVE, getting to cast a Ritual Spell with its normal casting time is situationally fantastic.

Getting what essentially amounts to a free familiar is amazing. Getting what essentially amounts to a free spell slot (to upcast a second level spell) is great, and is honestly worth multiclassinging into for a lot of classes. Being able to negate incoming damage as a Wizard (IE squishy d6 hit die baby) is huge, even if you lose a lot of spells in the process. (I assure you by level 14 you’re going to have some useless spells that you’re never going to cast.)

But the problem with Order of the Scribes is that it has to compete with Divination, Evocation, Chronurgy, and War Wizard. If you have any specific build you want to go for then the specific schooled subclasses are better. But if you “just want to cast spells or whatever” Order of the Scribes is a lot of fun.

I actually have a character who’d fit Order of the Scribes very well, it’s just that Chronurgy feels so much more fun even if it doesn’t fit him as well. And that’s literally the exact problem with Order of the Scribes summed up in one anecdote.

Peace Domain (Cleric)

You may be forgiven for thinking this subclass is just a Life Cleric that doesn’t wear Heavy Armor, but the Emboldening Bond and the upgrades it gets are incredibly useful. Protective Bond in particular is such a massive power boost to the tanks of your party, giving them mobility and letting them take damage for squishy allies.

Peace Domain is by far the best party buffing spellcaster. They make everyone else amazing, and while that may not be fun for everyone I’m a garbage Yuumi main so it’s right up my alley.

Circle of Wildfire (Druid)

“iT dOeSn’T hAvE fIrEbAlL aNyMoRe It’S bAd BeCaUsE nO fIrEbAlL” oh get over your Fireball fetish Reddit. Circle of Wildfire is carried pretty much entirely by its flavor. It’s such a unique take on a Druid it’s impossible not to find at least some build to make with this subclass.

That’s not to say that it’s a bad subclass! The summon feels weak but you get two of them per short rest. Having a powerful subclass feature tied to short rests is really nice as a spellcaster. All your other features are very useful and flavorful, though my one complaint is that Cauterizing Flames is hard to use in Theater of the Mind.

It’s just a very fun and unique subclass that offers a unique flavor to Druids that they don’t normally have. I’m sure a lot of players will be motivated to try a Druid just to take a crack at this class. Hopefully they realize that only you can prevent forest fires.

A TIER

Phantom (Rogue)

I’m actually surprised how much I like this class to be honest. I made a Phantom Rogue once as a joke for a one-shot and to my surprise the subclass is actually very powerful and fun! It surprisingly just feels like a better Rogue, but considering how strong Rogues are normally that’s all the better for Phantom Rogue. You can easily fill any skill proficiencies your party needs thanks to Whispers of the Dead, and Wails from the Grave really lets you increase your DPS.

Tokens of the Departed got a major boost from UA since it now lets you use Wails from the Grave more, but the flavor of being able to ask the souls of the dead for information is also great. Ghost Walk is just insanely useful in general, and Death’s Friend lets you do double Sneak Attack damage every turn! Imagine how much damage you’d do with a crit!

The flavor is the one thing that I think hurts this subclass, as it’s really hard to make essentially an undead Rogue without immediately being labeled as an edgelord. But if a party ever needs a Rogue to do all the things that a Rogue does this character is perfect!

I’m personally awaiting the day to bring back Bill, the Undead Kobold Detective.

Way of the Astral Self (Monk)

JoJo subclass. I like JoJo. This subclass was overpowered in UA but the final release manages to capture the same feeling without being broken. Let’s go over the features one by one:

Arms of the Astral Self gives you a JoJo stand rush against everyone close to you, letting you recreate the flavor of JooJ without breaking action economy too much. But being able to prioritize Wisdom is huge to keep your Stunning Strike DC high while still getting good attack damage. But it’s still not OP since Dexterity is tied to your AC. It’s perhaps a little strong for multiclass builds (you can use your spellcasting modifier to attack) but multiclassing into Monk has always been kinda iffy, and Shillelagh has existed since the PHB was released. It should also be said that having Reach weapons as a Monk is huge, since you don’t have to get the Mobile feat to do hit-and-run.

Visage of the Astral Self is a nice social feature for a subclass that doesn’t normally get social features. Body of the Astral Self gives you more defense and offense. And Awakened Astral Self just further increases your defense and offense.

Excluding weeb shit this subclass just has awesome flavor. I’m actually planning on playing this subclass soon. (I’m playing a Cleric / Monk multiclass and I’m only level 2 in Monk currently.) I’m surprised myself that my first Astral Self character isn’t a fucking JoJo OC, considering that I already have a grand total of about 5 JoJo OCs.

Twilight Domain (Cleric)

Twilight domain also surprised me with how interesting it is. I don’t really have much to say other than it has a good mix of defensive, offensive, and utility abilities. Your subclass spell list is very strong for the most part. Eyes of Night and Vigilant Blessing are both just generally useful. Twilight Sanctuary isn’t insane but it’s consistent and it’s nice. Steps of Night is very strong and has a nice aesthetic. And Twilight Shroud is a good boost to your Channel Divinity.

The honest truth is that Twilight Domain feels kinda weak by comparison to some of the other Clerics. It’s no Forge, Grave, Life, or even Order Domain is all I can say. The fact that all your features only work in the dark is iffy if you don’t have shadows to sulk in. But along with just generally having good abilities the flavor is really what carries this subclass.

Here’s a meme:

Armorer (Artificer)

Artificer is one of my favorite classes so it’s no surprise that a new Artificer subclass excites me. Armorer fills a niche that I think Artificer didn’t have, and surprisingly it’s not the “tank” archetype. Armorer is still a good tank but the Infiltrator armor also gives you an option to play the subclass at range.

What I like is that Armorer is a subclass that doesn’t have a summon and puts more focus on your infusions. Armor Modifications is such a great feature that really brings the customization to Artificer. It truly lets you make your character your own instead of focusing on concrete class features. It doesn’t surpass Warlock Invocations for customizability, but it’s still great to get two personal magic items of your choice.

Yeah this subclass is going to be used a lot for min-maxing. Giving Wizards easy access to Heavy Armor is a little scary. But really if a Wizard wants to take a 3 level dip just for armor and the Guidance cantrip let them. Let the squishy boys have some AC for once.

Circle of Stars (Druid)

Full disclosure: I’ve been wanting to make a Stars Druid after the Rise of the Mountain expansion came to Legends of Runeterra. My first Druid had Telepathy (I took the Telepathic feat as a joke since I had a floating ability score) and it helped me realize how crazy a Druid with telepathy was for espionage. After seeing The Trickster celestial card from LoR I felt the artwork hit all three of my qualifiers for a character: class I want to play, great theme, and furry.

(Artwork by Kudos Productions. Made for Riot Games.)

My personal interest in this subclass aside: it has such a wonderful aesthetic that’s perfect for any character who wants an astral connection. The features are also great: Guiding Bolt is a strong spell to have as is Guidance, and having reactionary Bardic Inspirations is nice for a spellcaster.

But of course the main feature of Starry Form lets you still play the game normally while also benefitting from your Wild Shapes. Stars Druid is probably the second best Wildshape Druid despite not actually Wildshaping. Free Bonus Action attacks is huge, extra healing is always helpful, help with concentration (and Flight later) is really swell, and resisting all damage while not-Wildshaped is very helpful and lets you play as a pseudo Frontliner.

Stars Druid just does so many nice things and I think it’s a great subclass that can fit into any team comp. Druids are already insanely useful (arguably one of the strongest classes in 5e) so to have one that can do so much is massive.

Soulknife (Rogue)

Much like Phantom Rogue this subclass feels just really good in general. You can boost your skill checks and also add not-Bardic Inspiration to your attack rolls to do more guaranteed damage. However this subclass is by far the best Rogue for infiltration. Yes: even better than Assassin. (Though I’d perhaps suggest learning how to use a Disguise Kit.) 1 mile telepathy, teleportation, and invisibility all seem to be built for infiltration. If you have a DM who likes infiltration, espionage, and other encounters that don’t involve combat then Soulknife is by far the best subclass on offer.

But of course you aren’t picking Soulknife just to sneak around! The Psychic Blades are easily the most useful feature not just for Rogues, but for many builds! Having an unlimited supply of thrown weapon suddenly makes a lot more builds viable. My dreams of a ranged Paladin or ranged Barbarian are somewhat crushed by RAW, but there are still some niches that can be filled with unlimited throwing weapons.

Fun fact: you can’t do extra Rage damage with thrown weapons, but you can use Reckless Attack on thrown Finesse weapons. What’s more interesting is that you can’t use Divine Smite on thrown weapons, but you can use Improved Divine Smite on thrown weapons. But of course you can always talk to your DM to see what their final ruling is.

Rune Knight (Fighter)

You can become Giant which makes my stupid furry ass horny for Volibear and Nasus.

I mean I’ve gotta be honest like 75% of the reason I’m hyped for Rune Knight is to become a giant. But the runes are also very strong, giving the subclass some Battlemaster-esque gimmicks that have a bit more magical flavor than the other martials. I also really like that the subclass gets boosts to their skills, allowing you to help out of combat as a Fighter.

There isn’t much I can specifically praise about Rune Knight because the whole subclass is fantastic. It’s a very good mix of defense, offense, and utility both in and out of combat.

The Fathomless (Warlock)

Sheeyutu Nagakabouros. Nagakabouros-shee-shok.

Having played a Fathomless Warlock in UA I can safely say: it’s a good subclass. Having a consistent source of Bonus Action damage is nice, and being able to use it defensively is also great. Extra spells known as a Warlock is nice (and Evard’s Black Tentacles is a great spell!) And a teleport with a mile distance is rather crazy.

So much of the subclass is built around the tentacle which is great because the tentacle is such a great Bonus Action damage source. I really wish I had more to say but the power of this subclass starts and ends at how great having what amounts to an extra Eldritch Blast as a Bonus Action every turn is.

S TIER

College of Eloquence (Bard)

Yup. One of the best subclasses in this book was also in Theros. It helps that my favorite D&D character of all time was a College of Eloquence Bard.

This subclass got so much better since UA. Reliable Talent for Charisma checks at level 3 is fucking nuts! And on top of that Unsettling Words is a great way to soften enemies up for devastating spells. Universal Speech at 6th level pretty much singlehandedly enables the “peaceful” route with a lot of enemies, allowing you to talk your way out of problems.

But this bard is the king of inspiration! Unfailing Inspiration fixes the biggest problem with the Bard class, and Infectious Inspiration multiplies your Bardic Inspiration to a ridiculous degree. This Bard is just so reliably fantastic at Bard things, all while still being a full spellcaster that can make it harder for enemies to deal with spellcasters. It doesn’t get anything special from its subclass but you only got 3 features from your subclass as a Bard anyways. Baseline Bards are amazing and the insurance on your features from this subclass makes it all the better.

The Genie (Warlock)

If the fact that I stick Warlock levels into literally every build didn’t prove it I really like Warlocks, and Genie Warlock is easily the best Warlock subclass. Period. I actually have a post in the works where I go in-depth as to why Genie Warlock is so good. But in short:

Being able to choose between four subclass spell lists is crazy good. Like ridiculously good. A single level in this subclass gives you a Bag of Holding, a (single person) Leomund’s Tiny Hut, and a damage boost to all your attacks every turn!

6th level gives you damage resistance which is always good, but I seriously can not stress how ridiculous non-concentration Flight is for a Warlock. Your spell selection and spell slots are already so limited, and this subclass lets you get all the utility of flight pretty much whenever you please. Just think about how strong Aaracokra are and then consider that this is basically the Aaracokra’s only racial trait.

Sanctuary Vessel lets you upgrade your Leomund’s Tiny Hut power to affect the whole party. By this point you can indeed Long Rest in the lamp, and I need to stress how less suspicious a lone lamp is to a giant bubble of magical force. You could easily hide the lamp somewhere and (if the party is traveling light) be practically undetectable.

Oh and Limited Wish? So you know how the best feature of the Bard is their Magical Secrets? What if you got to choose (practically) any spell of 6th level or lower whenever you please? The only “problem” with Limited Wish is that you have to know every spell that you can pick from, but whenever “too much choice” is a problem in a game of infinite choices you know it’s a good feature.

Genie Warlocks do everything that Warlocks want to do so well. More damage on all your attacks to maximize the value of cantrip spamming, mobility to keep safe without spending spell slots, more high level spells, and giving the party a safe place to rest and recharge. I played a full Genie Warlock and absolutely loved it. I highly recommend this subclass to anyone who wants to play a Warlock. It’s just so versatile and useful I’m sure anyone can find a way to enjoy playing it.

#Tasha's Cauldron of Everything #ranking #tier list #dnd #dnd 5e

[dunmeshi]

okay yeah i ended up typing everything up. so this is how you build an archivist in dnd

lets start out with the goals i had in mind:

lots of means to know

remote record/communication

dream manipulation

gradually less human

CEASELESS WATCHER TURN YOUR GAZE UPON THIS WRETCHED THING

so here’s how we do that

Race: Varient Human, take Investigator as your feat and choose survival  for your profeciency

Background: Cloistered Scholar, this works perfectly with the Magnus Institute as the organization he belongs to. You gain the Library Access feat and proficiency in history and arcana

Abilities Scores from highest to lowest: Charisma, Intelligence, Constitution, Dexterity, Wisdom, Strength

1: Bard 1! I’m starting him off as a bard because it’s not like he starts off as an avatar and I love mechs college band aus. Choose harmonica to play into that even more. Profeciencies are intimidation, insight, and perception. Learn Vicious Mockery, True Strike, Dissonant Whispers, Identify, Detect Magic, and Tasha’s Hideous Laughter

2: Bard 2. Pick history and investigation for expertise. Learn whatever, we’ll change here in a bit anyways.

3: Warlock 1! Time for things to start getting spooky. His patron is the Seeker. Learn Eldritch Blast, Mage Hand, Puppet, and Comprehend Languages

4: Bard 3. Head into College of Whispers. Learn Zone of Truth and Detect Thoughts

5: Warlock 2. Learn Infallible Relay. Choose Eyes of the Runekeeper and Devil’s Sight as your invocations

6: Bard 4. Improve Constitution (will be improved once) or Charisma (will be improved twice) Learn Minor Illusion and Enthrall

7: Warlock 3. Choose the Pact of the Tome for your Pact Boon. Choose Message, Thaumatergy, and Toll the Dead for the Tome’s cantrips. Learn Suggestion

8: Warlock 4. Improve whichever ability you didn’t at lvl 6. Learn On/Off and Mind Spike

9: Bard 5. Learn Glyph of Warding

10: Warlock 5. Choose Eldritch Mind as your invocation. Learn whatever!

11: Warlock 6. Learn Fear and Counterspell

12: Warlock  7. Choose Bewitching Whispers for your invocation. Learn Psionic Blast

13: Warlock 8. Improve Charisma/Intelligence. Learn Dispel Magic.

14: Warlock 9. Choose Aspect of the Moon as your invocation. Learn Dream

15: Warlock 10. Learn Friends

16: Warlock 11. Choose Psychic Crush for the 6th lvl Mystic Arcanum. Learn Scrying

17: Warlock 12. Improve whichever you didn’t at lvl 13. Choose Gaze of Two Minds as your invocation

18: Warlock 13. Choose Power Word Pain for the 7th lvl Mystic Arcanum. Learn Psionic Blast

19: Warlock 14. Learn Ego Whip

20: Warlock 15. Learn Synaptic Static. Choose Witch Sight as your invocation. Choose Feeblemind as your 8th lvl Mystic Arcanum

Pros: You can know so much. So much.

Cons: God help you if you face an enemy immune to psychic damage/charm/fear.

#the magnus archives #tma #jonathan sims #dnd #i somehow lost track of spells learnt so feel free to correct me on where i got it wrong? i know 19 is wrong but i legit can't figure out #where i missed it #again send an ask if you got a question #long post #(also i know i fucked up with where i put the warlock spell slots but its ok)

[fates-looking-glassarchive]

Nabi, the Albino Yaun-ti War Magic Wizard

C: 5 1: 4 2: 3 3: 3 4: 3 5: 3 6: 2 7: 2 8: 1 9: 1  Spells with * are spells that are prepared spells that Nabi does not require to expend a spell slot / materials once per long rest. 

Cantrips:

Lightning Lure

Message

Toll the Dead

Firebolt

Ray of Frost

Poison Spray

Level 1:

Detect Magic*

Identify

Magic Missile

Unseen Servant

Level 2:

Melf’s Acid Arrow

See Invisibility

Tasha’s Mind Whip*

Level 3:

Counterspell*

Magic Circle*

Fireball

Lightning Bolt

Sending

Level 4:

Gravity Sinkhole

Banishment

Summon Construct

Level 5:

Synaptic Static

Wall of Force

Teleportation Circle

Level 6:

Disintegrate 

Sunbeam

Level 7:

Force Cage

Prismatic Spray

Level 8:

Dark Star

Level 9: 

Invulnerability

Nabi is someone who tries to work through words first, but unlike the Starborn - Nabi’s responsible for the magic defenses and in times of conflict, the offensive. They are one of the major defenders of the Embassy besides the security teams and Apenimon, they carry a wide arsenal of spells to ensure that they can defend and harm anything that threatens all they’ve worked for.

#Roll the Dice ( OOC ) #npc; nabi #codex; nabi ( spell list )

[raeynbowboi]

How to Play as Gardevoir in DnD 5e

Today, we’re building one of the most popular Pokémon, Gardevoir. Since her introduction in Hoenn, Gardevoir has become a staple Pokémon, appearing in almost every generation since, making her something of a counterpart to the Abra line, which has also been in almost every generation since its introduction in Kanto. Initially, Gardevoir was a pure Psychic-type, but after Gen VI, Gardevoir became a Psychic/Fairy dual-type.

Before we can even build Gardevoir, we need to look at the moves it learns by level-up and by TM in order to find the DnD equivalent. We can then assign her build depending on what class or subclass best captures everything she’s capable of.

LEVEL UP MOVES

Confusion // Catapult, Confusion Double Team // Blur, Mirror Image Disarming Voice // Word of Radiance, Thunderwave Hypnosis // Sleep Draining Kiss // Vampiric Touch Teleport // Misty Step, Far Step, Teleportation Circle, Teleport Psybeam // Mind Spike, Tasha’s Mind Whip, Raulothim’s Psychic Lance Life Dew // Aura of Vitality Charm // Bane Calm Mind // Calm Emotions Psychic // Hold Person, Hold Monster, Telekinesis Heal Pulse // Heal, Mass Heal Dream Eater // Dream (Nightmare) Future Sight // Foresight Moonblast // Moonbeam, Sunbeam, Sun Burst Healing Wish // Prayer of Healing, Healing Word, Mass Healing Word Wish // Wish Aura Sphere // Chromatic Orb

MEGA EVOLUTION    Radiant Soul (Race Feature)    Tasha’s Otherworldly Guise

TM MOVES

Thunder Punch // Shocking Grasp Light Screen // Blade Ward, Wall of Light Reflect // Mage Armor, Fizban’s Platinum Shield Safeguard // Aura of Purity Protect // Shield, Globe of Vulnerability, Invulnerability Icy Wind // Frostbite, Rime’s Binding Ice Attract // Charm Person, Charm Monster, Geas Swift // Magic Missile, Crown of Stars Endure // Aura of Life Helping Hand // Aid, Enhance Ability, Skill Empowerment Imprison // Counterspell Rest // Catnap Round // Thunderclap Misty Terrain // Hallucinatory Terrain, Fog Cloud Trick Room // Slow Thunderbolt // Lightning Bolt Substitute // False Life Psyshock // Synaptic Static Shadow Ball // Circle of Death Hypervoice // Shatter Stored Power // Psychic Scream Dazzling Gleam // Guiding Bolt, Sunbeam, Sunburst Shock Wave // Witch Bolt Charge Beam // Chain Lightning Hyper Beam // Dragon’s Breath Psychic Terrain // Mental Prison Mystical Fire // Sacred Flame, Flame Strike Flash // Color Spray

FEATS

Eldritch Adept: Gardevoir gains 1 Warlock Eldritch Invocation

Armor of Shadows: Gives Gardevoir a higher AC, especially since Pokémon don’t wear clothes. Eldritch Mind: Keeps Gardevoir from dropping concentration as easily.

Fey-Touched: Gardevoir gains +1 INT, Misty Step, and one 1st level Divination or Enchantment spell.

Metamagic Adept: Gives Gardevoir 2 Sorcerery Points, and the Metamagic Options of Quickened Spell and Twinned Spell.

Telekinetic: +1 INT, Mage Hand, and Telekinetic Shove

Telepathic: +1 INT, Telepathic Conversation, Detect Thoughts

War Caster: Gives Gardevoir advantage against losing concentration, and allows her to cast a spell as an opportunity attack.

Whether you want to start as a Ralts and evolve into a Gardevoir or just start as a Gardevoir, this build will still work for you either way. We’ll start by making Gardevoir a Protector Aasimar. Gardevoir prides itself on protecting its trainer, even with its life, and Aasimar get to basically have a second form, which you could consider to be a Mega Evolution.

Pokémon don’t really have alignments because each one is an individual. However, Gardevoir is one of the few Pokémon with a well-established mentality, which due to its loyalty and role in the Mystery Dungeon games, we can assert that Gardevoir is a Lawful Good Pokémon.

Pokémon aren’t really known for having Skills, so go with whatever background you see fit for roleplaying purposes. Sage and Acolyte are good choices, but so is Gladiator due to Pokémon battles, Entertainer if its trainer is a Coordinator, Athlete if you want to play into Pokémon Unite, or the new Mage of High Society background could also work. Of the three robe types, I think Gardevoir makes the most sense as an Adept of the White Robes.

WIZARD SCHOOL OF THEURGY (MIND)

As much as I wanted to make Gardevoir a Cleric, she needed too many wizard spells that I couldn’t ignore that a Theurgy Wizard was the best way to make it work. The Cleric of the Mind Domain is a subclass from Eberron, and bolster’s the Cleric’s psychic abilities. Its 1st level ability allows it to change any Radiant damage spell into Psychic damage for free as a choice, and at 6th level, the Gestalt Anchor feature bolsters the defenses of not only Gardevoir, but her allies as well. It adds +2 to the INT, WIS, and CHA saving throws of Gardevoir and nearby allies, allowing Gardevoir to help protect her allies from harmful spell effects.

OTHER OPTIONS

SCHOOL OF THEURGY (PEACE)

Gardevoir’s whole thing is protecting people, and this allows Gardevoir to form a bond with another person, protect her allies, boost her allies, and reduce the damage her allies take. While she can certainly hold her own in combat, her combat focus is definitely on support, and this is a very good support subclass option. The only reason I went with Mind over Peace is that Mind caters to Psychic powers, but it is technically a homebrew created by Keith Baker who was a writer for Eberron. Peace, on the other hand, is an official subclass. So if your DM will allow Theurgy but isn’t so favorable toward Mind, Peace is an excellent back-up option.

BUILD INFO

Race: Protector Aasimar (+2 INT, +1 WIS) Background: Acolyte (Insight, Religion) Alignment: Lawful Good Class: School of Theurgy (Mind) Wizard (20)

STATS STR 8 DEX 18 CON 12 INT 20 WIS 16 CHA 8

SAVING THROWS STR -1 DEX +4 CON +1 INT +13 WIS +11 CHA +1

HP: 102 AC: 17 SAB: 11 SDC: 19 PP: 13

FEATS Eldritch Adept: Armor of Shadows

SPELLS

C Light, Mage Hand, Message, Mind Sliver, Sacred Flame, Word of Radiance 1 Bane, Bless, Catapult, Charm Person, Chromatic Orb, Command, Dissonant Whispers, False Life, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word, Magic Missile, Sanctuary, Shield, Sleep, Thunderwave 2 Blur, Detect Thoughts, Dragon’s Breath, Hold Person, Lesser Restoration, Levitate, Mind Spike, Mirror Image, Misty Step, Phantasmal Force, Prayer of Healing, Tasha’s Mind Whip, Suggestion, Warding Bond 3 Aura of Vitality, Beacon of Hope, Clairvoyance, Dispel Magic, Enemies Abound, Fears, Lightning Bolt, Mass Healing Word, Protection from Energy, Remove Curse, Revivify, Sending, Slow, Spirit Guardians, Vampiric Touch 4 Aura of Life, Aura of Purity, Charm Monster, Confusion, Hallucinatory Terrain, Phantasmal Killer, Raulothim’s Psychic Lance 5 Dominate Person, Far Step, Flame Strike, Greater Restoration, Hold Monster, Rary’s Telepathic Bond, Skill Empowerment, Synaptic Static, Telekinesis, Teleportation Circle, Wall of Force, Wall of Light 6 Circle of Death, Heal, Mental Prison, Sunbeam, Tasha’s Otherworldly Guise, Word of Recall 7 Crown of Stars, Divine Word, Regenerate, Teleport, Tether Essence 8 Dark Star, Dominate Monster, Sunburst, Telepathy 9 Foresight, Invulnerability, Psychic Scream, Wish

There’s far more spells here than a Wizard can learn through level-up, but Wizards can learn as many spells as they want if they have enough gold. You could treat her additional spells as TMs. But unlike Pokémon, she can know more than 4 spells total.

FEATURES

Arcane Recovery: Recover spell slots that add up to 10 that are below 6th level when you finish a short rest. Spell Mastery: Gardevoir can cast a 1st and 2nd level spell at their respective levels at will without using a spell slot. Signature Spell: Gardevoir can choose two 3rd level spells. She can cast these spells once for free without using a spell slot. She recovers this ability after finishing a long rest. Flash of Insight: Reroll an ability check after you roll but before you know if you pass or fail. Add half your wizard level to the second roll, rounded down. You can use this feature twice per long rest. Psychic Force: When you use a spell slot to cast a Radiant cantrip or spell that deals Radiant damage, you can choose to change the damage to Psychic damage. Channel Divinity: Psychic Feedback: You can use your Channel Divinity to impose disadvantage on an enemy when it makes a Wisdom saving throw. If the Wisdom saving throw is a result of a spell or effect caused by something other than a spell you cast, you can deal Psychic damage to the target equal to half your wizard level rounded down before they roll. Gestalt Anchor: You, and creatures within 10 feet gain +2 to all INT, WIS, and CHA saving throws. Bend Reality: When an ally within 30 feet of you fails a saving throw, change the number rolled to a 20. You can only use this feature once per short or long rest.

Gardevoir came out rather well. She does everything I wanted for her. She’s an amazing support pokemon with a good amount of radiant and psychic spells, and even the occasional damage cover spell. She can heal, she can deal damage, and she can protect her allies. I debated whether or not to give Gardevoir the Graviturgy and Chronology exclusive spells, but I opted to say yes. I don’t approve of spells be locked behind a specific subclass. They’re wizard spells, she’s a wizard. I would allow a player to use them at my table, so I include them. Plus, she’s known to create black holes in her Pokédex entries, and it’s literally her ultimate in Pokémon Unite to create a black hole. So, I allowed it. It’s not perfect, there’s a lot of dead UA involved, but if you can find a table that will allow it, I think it’ll be a lot of fun. Some might argue with her having a mere 8 in CHA but last time I checked, the only Pokémon that can talk is Meowth. Her combat stats are far more important.

#dnd #pokémon #gardevoir #ralts #kirlia #champion diantha #diantha #pokemon unite #dungeons & dragons #dungeons and dragons