D&D 5E Help me Build this lvl 20 Character

[FrogReaver]

I forgot about the resistence to spell damage. It does make it a lot better. However I don't usually fight a lot of casters. Now about the replenishment, At lvl 18 you can just spam shield out of combat to replenish it (spell mastery), but until then you don't replenish much with it You replenish 6 points with counterspell and dispel magic (That I won't use that much, since I'm probably not fighting a lot of casters) and only 2 points with shield and absorb elements.

I was considering changing Evocation to Illusion tho, but I'm afraid that the GM's will just nerf it because "I just run through illusions" and truesight (at higher lvl). But Illusory Reality seems SO GOOD.

There’s nothing wrong with the illusion school.

 

[J Neto]

There’s nothing wrong with the illusion school.

Not the school, but the fact that in my experience, illusions tend to be nerfed, It's an illusion, I doesn't do any damage, It doesn't give the monsters any conditions (That changes with Illusory Reality), so why bother? Just ignore it, run through it or say your monster has blindsight, tremorsense or truesight.

 

[FrogReaver]

Not the school, but the fact that in my experience, illusions tend to be nerfed, It's an illusion, I doesn't do any damage, It doesn't give the monsters any conditions (That changes with Illusory Reality), so why bother? Just ignore it, run through it or say your monster has blindsight, tremorsense or truesight.

I’ve never seen that with illusions. They don’t always do what I desire but they always tend to have an effect. Sometimes they are more effective than I expect. Sometimes they are less.

That said I always use illusions in moderation. I save them for big moments and don’t spam them all the time. So maybe it’s something to do with that.

 

[ClaytonCross]

I agree that GMs often nerf illusion making it hard to play semi useless.

I honestly feel like Going cleric is conflict to "he is an Great old One trapped in a mortal vessel" it does matter if its in his head or not, being a cleric implies following a Deity out side your self.


I would consider Adjuration at level 2 based on your stated goals something like this:

Wizard skills: Arcana and Investigation Background (Cloistered Scholar): History and Religion to prove you are the he is an Great old One trapped in a mortal vessel and the recall his lost memories by searching that information... real or not.
Point buy STR: 9 | DEX: 13+1 Deep Gnome =14 | CON: 14 | INT: 14+2 Deep Gnome = 16 | WIZ: 14 | CHA: 8

Cantrips:
Toll the Dead (Necromancy ,60ft Wisdom Save great against non-druid/Monk/Cleric/Rangers/scouts AND as a save spell it does not have disadvantage vs enemies in melee)
Frostbite (Evocation, 60ft constitution save, because its a CON save it weaker against Fighters/Barbarians/Sorcerers which is a good contrast to Toll the dead)
Ray of Frost (Evocation,60ft "to hit" for when you want to target AC because for some reason your target has high , because the 10ft reduction in speed means you can kite melee enemies who might try to "geek the mage"

There is a temptation to take Fire Bolt for higher damage roll or Chill touch to stop all those horrible regen enemies however Toll the Dead is generally better damage and Frostbite/Ray of Frost are better consistent defense through offense. I am not saying don't get Chill touch later but hopefully you can pick it up at level 4 without having run into any regenerating enemies before that... maybe keep a torch to burn trolls despite your awesome 120ft dark vision. After that, future cantrips like mage hand and prestidigitation, and minor illusion (as a noise distraction, despite GM that is specifically listed and their is no verbal to this spell, so if your hidden it works) are good choices.

1st Level Spells:
Absorb Elements (Adjuration, Awesome defense)
Mage Armor (Adjuration, Awesome defense)
Shield (Adjuration, Awesome defense)
Protection from Evil and Good (Adjuration, can be a "have or die spell" but if your don't run across vampires, liches, or ghosts trying to possess you … when does that happen?)
Detect Magic (Divination, Ritual, essentially part of a wizards expected job)
Chromatic Orb (Evocation ,90ft range, Requires a diamond worth at least 50 gp which the spell does not consume, descent scaling damage and it lets you always have the right elemental damage for the job. Fighting a Red Dragon use ice, Fighting a White dragon use fire, need to melt a lock off us acid, enemy taking cover in water lighting)

Alternately, drop Chromatic Orb for Identify (wizard job) or Find Familiar (its not a real bird so it doesn't sleep and can keep watch over you and the party while you sleep and scout making better than the alarm spell.

This means you will have multiple spells to activate/recharge your Arcane Ward which you will like use if you would need it but not waste spells on if your not being attacked. With Mage Armor + Shield you have a 20 AC with temporary Hit points a 14 con means more HP and better concentration saves. Your likely going to want to avoid anything but cantrips for attack and keep spell slots for defense until you get second level spells at level 3 which is why I would consider dropping Chromatic Orb to remove the temptation. Its a good spell but if you want defense focus on defense. Toll the Dead will make you relevant in damage and Frostbite can let you save allies.

The Think it with this build you can just play after 2nd level with the exception of Counterspell, Dispel magic, and Banishment which you will want to pick up. Glyph of Warding, Magic Circle, and later Symbol are good out of combat spells to recharge the Arcane Ward, as well as being just good fun. You should have what you need to survive. You can multi-class if you want, but if you get elven armor you will have an AC17 + 5 shield for 22AC which is tank level in most campaigns and you have other defensive spells that they don't get. I don't see the need to multi-class for defense and that is in disregard to subclass. Keeping range is your best defense and slowing your progression in wizard with a multi-class will hurt your power levels for damage, ASI for increased INT which is better to hit and save DC. I wouldn't worry about feats until you have INT 20 because the higher hit and DC will mean taking enemies out of combat faster, then spell sniper is actually the best defense if you have room for range and Resilient CON without range because it scales and it a static bonus making it more reliable overall also aiding you against a number of other save effects.
ASI lvl 4: INT18 , ASI lvl 8: INT16 , ASI lvl 12: Spell sniper , ASI lvl 16: Resilient CON

That would be my best advice based on your goals. If you want to go Evocation School.. you can, but your best defense there is building the same to start and focusing on multi-target damage to knock down as many enemies as you can as fast as you can.

 

[J Neto]

I agree that GMs often nerf illusion making it hard to play semi useless.

I honestly feel like Going cleric is conflict to "he is an Great old One trapped in a mortal vessel" it does matter if its in his head or not, being a cleric implies following a Deity out side your self.


I would consider Adjuration at level 2 based on your stated goals something like this:

Wizard skills: Arcana and Investigation Background (Cloistered Scholar): History and Religion to prove you are the he is an Great old One trapped in a mortal vessel and the recall his lost memories by searching that information... real or not.
Point buy STR: 9 | DEX: 13+1 Deep Gnome =14 | CON: 14 | INT: 14+2 Deep Gnome = 16 | WIZ: 14 | CHA: 8

Cantrips:
Toll the Dead (Necromancy ,60ft Wisdom Save great against non-druid/Monk/Cleric/Rangers/scouts AND as a save spell it does not have disadvantage vs enemies in melee)
Frostbite (Evocation, 60ft constitution save, because its a CON save it weaker against Fighters/Barbarians/Sorcerers which is a good contrast to Toll the dead)
Ray of Frost (Evocation,60ft "to hit" for when you want to target AC because for some reason your target has high , because the 10ft reduction in speed means you can kite melee enemies who might try to "geek the mage"

There is a temptation to take Fire Bolt for higher damage roll or Chill touch to stop all those horrible regen enemies however Toll the Dead is generally better damage and Frostbite/Ray of Frost are better consistent defense through offense. I am not saying don't get Chill touch later but hopefully you can pick it up at level 4 without having run into any regenerating enemies before that... maybe keep a torch to burn trolls despite your awesome 120ft dark vision. After that, future cantrips like mage hand and prestidigitation, and minor illusion (as a noise distraction, despite GM that is specifically listed and their is no verbal to this spell, so if your hidden it works) are good choices.

1st Level Spells:
Absorb Elements (Adjuration, Awesome defense)
Mage Armor (Adjuration, Awesome defense)
Shield (Adjuration, Awesome defense)
Protection from Evil and Good (Adjuration, can be a "have or die spell" but if your don't run across vampires, liches, or ghosts trying to possess you … when does that happen?)
Detect Magic (Divination, Ritual, essentially part of a wizards expected job)
Chromatic Orb (Evocation ,90ft range, Requires a diamond worth at least 50 gp which the spell does not consume, descent scaling damage and it lets you always have the right elemental damage for the job. Fighting a Red Dragon use ice, Fighting a White dragon use fire, need to melt a lock off us acid, enemy taking cover in water lighting)

Alternately, drop Chromatic Orb for Identify (wizard job) or Find Familiar (its not a real bird so it doesn't sleep and can keep watch over you and the party while you sleep and scout making better than the alarm spell.

This means you will have multiple spells to activate/recharge your Arcane Ward which you will like use if you would need it but not waste spells on if your not being attacked. With Mage Armor + Shield you have a 20 AC with temporary Hit points a 14 con means more HP and better concentration saves. Your likely going to want to avoid anything but cantrips for attack and keep spell slots for defense until you get second level spells at level 3 which is why I would consider dropping Chromatic Orb to remove the temptation. Its a good spell but if you want defense focus on defense. Toll the Dead will make you relevant in damage and Frostbite can let you save allies.

The Think it with this build you can just play after 2nd level with the exception of Counterspell, Dispel magic, and Banishment which you will want to pick up. Glyph of Warding, Magic Circle, and later Symbol are good out of combat spells to recharge the Arcane Ward, as well as being just good fun. You should have what you need to survive. You can multi-class if you want, but if you get elven armor you will have an AC17 + 5 shield for 22AC which is tank level in most campaigns and you have other defensive spells that they don't get. I don't see the need to multi-class for defense and that is in disregard to subclass. Keeping range is your best defense and slowing your progression in wizard with a multi-class will hurt your power levels for damage, ASI for increased INT which is better to hit and save DC. I wouldn't worry about feats until you have INT 20 because the higher hit and DC will mean taking enemies out of combat faster, then spell sniper is actually the best defense if you have room for range and Resilient CON without range because it scales and it a static bonus making it more reliable overall also aiding you against a number of other save effects.
ASI lvl 4: INT18 , ASI lvl 8: INT16 , ASI lvl 12: Spell sniper , ASI lvl 16: Resilient CON

That would be my best advice based on your goals. If you want to go Evocation School.. you can, but your best defense there is building the same to start and focusing on multi-target damage to knock down as many enemies as you can as fast as you can.

Thank's for the tips. I'm certainly going to use some, like the Ability Scores for example. About the cleric stuff tho, I was going to play the "alternative" cleric. You see, he would draw power from his conviction that he is, in fact, a powerful being, trapped in this mortal vessel, and also from the shards of these dark, ancient powers. This is an option In both the XGTE and the DMG.

XGTE
"In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a cosmic force, such as life or death, or a philosophy or concept, such as love, peace, or one of the nine alignments. Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master's Guide explores options like these, in the section "Gods of Your World."

DMG
"Not all divine powers need to be derived from deities. In some campaigns, believers hold enough conviction in their ideas about the universe that they gain magical power from that conviction."

And about the Domain, "Forge Domain" would get a new fluff. Instead of the forging of Iron, steel and other metals, it would be the forging of the Weave itself. Knowledge would work a little better, but mechanicaly I don't think that 2 new skills with expertise would be better than +2AC.

 

[FrogReaver]

Thank's for the tips. I'm certainly going to use some, like the Ability Scores for example. About the cleric stuff tho, I was going to play the "alternative" cleric. You see, he would draw power from his conviction that he is, in fact, a powerful being, trapped in this mortal vessel, and also from the shards of these dark, ancient powers. This is an option In both the XGTE and the DMG.

XGTE
"In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a cosmic force, such as life or death, or a philosophy or concept, such as love, peace, or one of the nine alignments. Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master's Guide explores options like these, in the section "Gods of Your World."

DMG
"Not all divine powers need to be derived from deities. In some campaigns, believers hold enough conviction in their ideas about the universe that they gain magical power from that conviction."

And about the Domain, "Forge Domain" would get a new fluff. Instead of the forging of Iron, steel and other metals, it would be the forging of the Weave itself. Knowledge would work a little better, but mechanicaly I don't think that 2 new skills with expertise would be better than +2AC.

All of those options are campaign dependent. You should make sure your DM is okay with making clerics no be deity focused in your campaign.

 

[jgsugden]

Start at level 1 with your gnome evoker - and see what happens. There will be a lot of things released in the coming year - and a lot of story that unfolds in your campaign - so worry about the future when you get there.

Incidentally, I've been thoroughly enjoying a deep gnome enchanter for a couple years in a slow moving campaign. He is a pleasure to play - and I've never considered multiclassing him once. He is just 12th level and has never been a disappointment.

 

[J Neto]

All of those options are campaign dependent. You should make sure your DM is okay with making clerics no be deity focused in your campaign.

As I said, It's not a normal campaign and I will have a lot of different DM's. But in the server I play, refluffs are encouraged.

Start at level 1 with your gnome evoker - and see what happens. There will be a lot of things released in the coming year - and a lot of story that unfolds in your campaign - so worry about the future when you get there.

Incidentally, I've been thoroughly enjoying a deep gnome enchanter for a couple years in a slow moving campaign. He is a pleasure to play - and I've never considered multiclassing him once. He is just 12th level and has never been a disappointment.

The thing is I'm not starting as a Wizard.

 

[jgsugden]

...The thing is I'm not starting as a Wizard.

... but you do not know what class you want the character tohave to start (cleric, fighter?)

Go play with yourself. By this, I of course mean you should go roleplay the character's start by yourself. Go tell a good story about how the PC developed his quirks, ideals, blonds, flaws and traits. See where it takes him... and then build the first level PC off of that foundation. It should spell itself out.

 

[ClaytonCross]

The thing is I'm not starting as a Wizard.

If you 100% sure you want to multi-class Fighter is a easy fit but I see what you mean about cleric. though also action surge does not have the 1 spell lvl 1+ and a cantrip in a turn restriction UNLESS you also try to cast a spell as bonus action like misty step that would invoke the rule.

Example:
Chromatic Orb (standard action), Chromatic Orb (action surge), Shield (reaction) is ok!
Toll the Dead (standard action), Frostbite (action surge), Misty step (bonus action) is ok!
Toll the Dead (standard action), Shield (reaction), Misty step (bonus action) is ok!
Chromatic Orb (standard action), Shield (reaction), Misty step (bonus action) is NOT ok, since it would require you to cast a second 1 Action spell before the start of your next turn while casting a bonus action spell invoking the cantrip rule.

It also gives you a CON save proficiency. Which is better for you as a Wizard. I would avoid "healing" and stick with damage prevention like using the School of Adjuration Arcane Ward level 6 adjustment and banishment to take a powerful enemy out of the fight while you eliminate other opponents. I say this because your primary job as a wizard it to manipulate the battle and other characters geared to healing like full clerics need their role as well. You will start annoying other players if you muti-class just to get cure wounds and are likely to be called out a munchkin. If however, you take fighter and your just stealing armor proficiency and CON save proficiency your not going to step on any other warriors toes since you should still be avoiding melee combat.

Then drop Mage Armor for Identify instead of Chromatic Orb. (Find familiar, is good but it can often annoy scouts in the party since they might duplicate jobs to some degree.) You can easily play the same class as another party member but overlapping their "party job" is more likely to cause conflict.