D&D 5E Debuffer Build
mellored
Legend
Wild Sorcerer, Lore Bard, Divination Wizard, and maybe Monk.
Sorcerer can heighten hold person, or twin spells like blind, suggestion, and banish. Wild comes with bend luck, which can help make them stick, or just screw up an attack. Just be careful not to overuse it as you'll burn out.
Lore bard, along with the control spells, has cutting words. They can hand out penalites to rolls. They can also pick up the Command spell from the cleric, which doesn't have concentration, so you can hypnotic pattern some, while commanding others.
Wizard can cast more total spells, but Divination only works 2/day, and only if you roll right.
Monk has 1 feature at level 5, but it's a great one. Stun. Lots of stuns.
Sorcerer can heighten hold person, or twin spells like blind, suggestion, and banish. Wild comes with bend luck, which can help make them stick, or just screw up an attack. Just be careful not to overuse it as you'll burn out.
Lore bard, along with the control spells, has cutting words. They can hand out penalites to rolls. They can also pick up the Command spell from the cleric, which doesn't have concentration, so you can hypnotic pattern some, while commanding others.
Wizard can cast more total spells, but Divination only works 2/day, and only if you roll right.
Monk has 1 feature at level 5, but it's a great one. Stun. Lots of stuns.
FrogReaver
As long as i get to be the frog
Druids are really good at debuff and control till level 5ish when they shift more towards conjurations.
Wizard is your best bet. Tasha's hideous laughter and sleep, hold person, hypnotic pattern, dispel magic, polymorph, hold monster etc
Bards get pretty much those same spells but don't get a spell recovery mechanic.
Monks are a one debuff trick pony but that one trick is mighty fantastic. By level 11 you can use stunning strike most of the day and it's pretty fantastic.
Wizard is your best bet. Tasha's hideous laughter and sleep, hold person, hypnotic pattern, dispel magic, polymorph, hold monster etc
Bards get pretty much those same spells but don't get a spell recovery mechanic.
Monks are a one debuff trick pony but that one trick is mighty fantastic. By level 11 you can use stunning strike most of the day and it's pretty fantastic.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
The big problem with debuffing is that with a few notable exceptions like Blindness/Deafness, debuffing takes your concentration slot. So you can't be a dedicated debuffer where that's all you do, because many rounds if you want to throw something new, you need to drop what you currently have going. So in 5e it's a lot better to be a primary debuffer who also uses their actions for a secondary purpose - attack spells, healing, weapon usage, etc.
Among the debuffers, I'm really partial to the lore bard because you're a full caster with a good list and magical secrets to raid everyone else's spell list PLUS you have cutting words as a Reaction based debuff that doesn't take your concentration. Lore bards have plenty of skills (6 at 3rd level in addition to background) so they are useful in social and other non-combat activities.
Oh man, I talked myself into it, now I want to play a lore bard.
Among the debuffers, I'm really partial to the lore bard because you're a full caster with a good list and magical secrets to raid everyone else's spell list PLUS you have cutting words as a Reaction based debuff that doesn't take your concentration. Lore bards have plenty of skills (6 at 3rd level in addition to background) so they are useful in social and other non-combat activities.
Oh man, I talked myself into it, now I want to play a lore bard.
mellored
Legend
There is also command.
Which the lore bards can steal.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Agreed that Command is a good one and there are a few more more. I mentioned there were "a few notable exceptions", B/D is just the first that leaped to mind.
Not a Hobbit
Explorer
With Lore Bard, you can use your concentration spell to debuff, then Viciously Mock someone on your other turns for added debuffing goodness. Then with your bonus action you can Healing Word a party member. And then with your reaction you can use Cutting Word.
