D&D 5E Need to roll a new character, looking for suggestions.

Greetings fellow adventurers!

This past weekend myself and another player had characters exit the group for RP reasons. The other player already knows what he wants to run next, but I am at a loss.

The group:

Elven Monk
Warforged Fighter
Aasimar Cleric of Tyr
Dragonborn Paladin (Currently deceased, they are determined to fix that)

leaving characters:
Elven Druid of the Moon
Half Elf Warlock, Ancient One, Pact of the Blade.

GM has requested I roll a Ranged DPS character (actually he asked last time, but that Warlock wasn't great at it, he shined in melee, oops )

My new character will start a the same level as the character that just left, Level 8. I was feeling a bit underwhelming in most cases as the Monk and the Warforged can lay out a serious hurting on things in no time and keep it going. The player with the Cleric is still learning what he can do.

I've looked over Wizards, as the GM highly recommended them. I don't like that huge disadvantage that is the Spell Book. too easy to cripple a player. Yes, I think like a bastard GM because I was one.

Bows just don't feel like they could dish out the damage that those melee characters can do, and the other players already throw too much out per encounter and end up drained of resources, can't have a lot of recovers on Long Rest only abilities. Need to be able to keep moving, and steadily knock out solid damage, and at range at the request of the GM.

I'd like some suggestions on fun race/class combos that I can try out. Hit me with something I haven't thought of before.

Races available to me: pretty much anything that WoTC has published for 5E, even if it is just Unearthed Arcana web article. If I can provide it to the GM in an official capacity he is down with it.

I appreciate your help!

Warlocks area always great casters due to having the best cantrip in the game that just gets better with invocations. (Although they rely on short rests so if you don't get many this is a sub par option if not they are great)

I love love love wild magic sorcs although you want to talk to your DM first to see how often he will let you roll on the table.

If you want an archer you can go lore bard for and arcanish archer type that really can do amazing damage.

Your party does need some back line support/damage. Your party is way melee heavy and as a DM I would have exploited that.

I'm currently running a Wood Elf Fighter/Rogue archer, and he's one of the better damage dealers in the group(especially once he got his 2nd attack with Fighter 5). Sneak Attack isn't that difficult to set up, especially if there are a couple of melee combatants in your group to stand next to the bad guys. I went BattleMaster with the Fighter side, and those superiority dice recharge on a Short Rest. Or you could go straight archer Rogue, with more Sneak Attack dice.

If the Warlock you're referring to is that Blade Pact one you say is leaving the group, boosting his stats to make him better in melee will almost certainly cramp your attack spells, since you won't be able to put as much into Charisma. A straight-up casting Warlock will have an easier time blasting.

If you're looking more for an AoE blaster, have you considered Sorcerer?

Aarakocra Sun Soul Monk is a good fit for this. While the range of Radiant Sun Bolt is only 30', you'd be just 3 levels away from Searing Sunburst.

Another good build is the always-popular Sorclock, aka the Eldritch Spammer. Hex + Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast + Quickened Spell Metamagic is your bread and butter. I'd go VHuman with this one to nab Crossbow Expert, so you can spam EB if stuck in melee range. If AC is a concern, then dip Fighter as your starting class for armor & shield + Defense FS while keeping your Con save proficiency. Use your Warlock slots to fuel your Metamagic and use the Sorc slots for actual casting.

Sanguine Squirrel said:

GM has requested I roll a Ranged DPS character (actually he asked last time, but that Warlock wasn't great at it, he shined in melee, oops )

My new character will start a the same level as the character that just left, Level 8. I was feeling a bit underwhelming in most cases as the Monk and the Warforged can lay out a serious hurting on things in no time and keep it going. The player with the Cleric is still learning what he can do.

I've looked over Wizards, as the GM highly recommended them. I don't like that huge disadvantage that is the Spell Book. too easy to cripple a player. Yes, I think like a bastard GM because I was one.

Bows just don't feel like they could dish out the damage that those melee characters can do, and the other players already throw too much out per encounter and end up drained of resources, can't have a lot of recovers on Long Rest only abilities. Need to be able to keep moving, and steadily knock out solid damage, and at range at the request of the GM.

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Well, I have two recommendations for you.

Since you said the Spell Book is too much of a disadvantage, why not try the Wizard's rival, the Sorcerer? And since you're looking for something FUN, what about the Wild Sorcerer? They can deal good damage, are able to keep moving by using Sorcery Points AND you get to roll on the Wild Surge table.

On the other hand, you could go with a ranged Rogue Assassin, and constantly deal Sneak Attack damage and never need to rest, and maybe even get high Charisma as well.

Sanguine Squirrel said:

I've looked over Wizards, as the GM highly recommended them. I don't like that huge disadvantage that is the Spell Book. too easy to cripple a player. Yes, I think like a bastard GM because I was one.

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If a wizard loses his spell book, he simply keeps the spells he previously had prepared.

You lose some of your flexibility, and some rituals, but it's not crippling like previous editions.

Bows just don't feel like they could dish out the damage that those melee characters can do

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If your looking for ranged DPR, go fighter with archery style, crossbow expertise, battlemaster's precision strike, and and sharp shooter. You'll dish out a massive amount on any target, possibly more then the 2-handed fighter.

Ranger's also good, but they tend to be more AoE and control then single target.

Rogues do reasonable ranged damage as well. Though they need to apply their skills to supplement their damage.

pdegan2814 said:

I'm currently running a Wood Elf Fighter/Rogue archer, and he's one of the better damage dealers in the group(especially once he got his 2nd attack with Fighter 5). Sneak Attack isn't that difficult to set up, especially if there are a couple of melee combatants in your group to stand next to the bad guys. I went BattleMaster with the Fighter side, and those superiority dice recharge on a Short Rest. Or you could go straight archer Rogue, with more Sneak Attack dice.

If the Warlock you're referring to is that Blade Pact one you say is leaving the group, boosting his stats to make him better in melee will almost certainly cramp your attack spells, since you won't be able to put as much into Charisma. A straight-up casting Warlock will have an easier time blasting.

If you're looking more for an AoE blaster, have you considered Sorcerer?

Click to expand...

Yes the leaving Warlock was a Blade Pact one with a +2 Maul as his Pact weapon.. and he still had a 20 CHR (16 STR)

Sorcerer is a possibility. Not sure how much chaos I might cause throwing all that AoE in with all the melee characters in the group.

MDragonG said:

Warlocks area always great casters due to having the best cantrip in the game that just gets better with invocations. (Although they rely on short rests so if you don't get many this is a sub par option if not they are great)

I love love love wild magic sorcs although you want to talk to your DM first to see how often he will let you roll on the table.

If you want an archer you can go lore bard for and arcanish archer type that really can do amazing damage.

Your party does need some back line support/damage. Your party is way melee heavy and as a DM I would have exploited that.

Click to expand...

Yep I was casting Eldritch Blast with two bolts (two attack rolls) at 1d10+5 Damage each. I was going into melee with my +2 maul with two attacks at 2d6+8 damage each instead.

I agree they need the backline support.. I am nervous that I will not have the health/resources to last through a dungeon.

Last fight the GM tossed at us was a Spirit Naga.. right after fighting a Bone Naga and Yuan-ti Abomination. Rare to fight mobs of lower level groups, so not sure the old Fireball standby will work in this campaign.

I feel I should leave the Monk class to the current Monk.. though that is a tempting thought, and certainly Aarakocra as a race was tempting, the tendency to end up underground at major plot points might make that a difficult choice.

Since I just had a Warlock leave the group, not sure I should just roll another, even dipping into another class. Seeing as I am old school I had not considered the multiclassing option much, as historically it has been an issue with previous editions crippling you to do it. I have read a lot today on the subject and I see it is a much more viable option these days. You kids and your fancy acronyms had me looking things up. I learned what a VHuman was today.

Chaos reigns supreme with me, so that Wild Magic Sorc is a might bit tempting...

also, the ranged assassin was an option I just learned while researching.. so I'll add it to my list of ideas.

:Fist bump: