Pretending to be a Paladin

[tglassy]

This is for DND 5e.

So, I'm a little weird. I love weird characters to role play. I also love multi classing. I can't help it.

One thing I've been thinking of lately is using a multi class to play a character who pretends to be another class. Right now, I'm thinking of a Fighter/Warlock who pretends to be a Paladin.

I haven't picked a race yet, and that's something I wanted help with, but I want his race to be one of the races most people are prejudice against. He'll be starting at level 8 in the campaign he'll be used in. He starts off as a fighter. At some point, he became disillusioned, because he is always prejudiced against, and always looked down upon. Like Drizzt Do'Urdan, he is always distrusted for his race. He wants nothing more than to be like the Paladins, who are so majestic and always seemed to be everything a hero was supposed to be. He trained as a fighter, but never could figure out how to make the leap into Paladin.

Enter the Patron. Whoever the Patron is (more help here, as to which patron to pick), he offers this fighter power. And most importantly, it offers him the ability to disguise himself...at will.

So, this build would heavily use the Mask of Many Faces, and later (if he gets there), Mask of Myriad Forms. I would actually not want anyone else in the group to know he's not actually a Paladin. He disguises himself as a handsome, blonde haired and blue eyed human, wearing heavy armor and carrying a Greatsword. In his mind, the perfect Paladin.

But he's not a paladin. He's a Fighter/Warlock. And he's not human. He's a whatever. Like Gonzo.

So my question is, what do you suggest for the build? I'm thinking Fighter 3/Warlock 5. He'd likely need Pact of the Blade, to get two attacks, because Paladin get two attacks. I'm thinking, in order to keep the illusion, to take a Feat to help simulate the "lay on hands", such as Magic Initiate, taking Cure Wounds as my one spell, which I could use at higher Warlock Spell Slots (Per DM approval). Or I could take the healer feat, and just use healing kits, but work it out with the DM that I use one of those when I use my "lay on hands" feature. It doesn't really work in game, cause they'd see me using a kit, but the DM could hand wave that? I could explain away having Action Surge by saying he has levels in Fighter, it's the Warlock that I don't want anyone to know about. That means spells would need to be more buff types.

So, Race, Patron, Invocations besides Many Faces and Thirsting Blade? He'd have one, maybe two more depending on the build.

 

[faria]

I like characters like this.

I would only take 1 level of Fighter though for the Heavy Armor and Fighting School. Warlock Pact of the Blade gets its own Extra Attack and I think delaying your main job's progression too much isn't a good idea. Maybe after you get Extra Attack you can go Fighter 2, but you said it yourself, Action Surge would raise an eyebrow or two. Fighter 3 isn't worth it IMO.

If you wanna consider other class concepts/ideas, a couple things come to mind:

The big dumb Half-Orc Barbarian with super low INT/WIS who thinks he's a wizard. He yells things like "Color Spray" as he dismembers his foes and blood sprays everywhere. "Enlarge/Reduce" as he decapitates an enemy. "Sleep" as he knocks someone unconscious. He genuinely thinks that that's what magic is... You can take this concept and make your paladin. A really, really dumb Half-Orc who thinks he's been blessed by his deity. He claims to be a paladin because he truly believes he is one. His version of Lay on Hands is choking an enemy to death. He is genuinely surprised when enemies don't obey his "Command" spell, which is just him yelling at enemies to do stuff...

There's also the brilliant but weak Goliath Warlock/Wizard who is forced to win his people's endless competitions with guile and magic. He fakes attacking with his weapon while his Sprite familiar is the one that does most of the work. 2 Wizard levels for Portent to guarantee a couple Sprite poisons/sleeps. Agonizing Blast when he has to take matters into his own hands. For your paladin, you can go with Pact of the Blade instead and fake your way to winning those competitions with some creative and subtle spellcasting. You don't really need Wizard for this, just go straight Warlock. Pick up Magic Initiate for Goodberry so you can use Lay on Hands by stuffing berries in people's mouths.

 

[Rynic]

Some ideas

Take the Actor feat. For background, Charlatan or Entertainer.

For the Fighter, i'd say Champion. You could have a holy emblem embossed on the shield.

As for the Warlock, you could try out the Undying Patron (Pact of Blade):

- They get some Paladin spells - Spare the dying, Auras.
- Also, undead have a hard time attacking UWs, making it look like they're blessed.
- Advantage against disease - similar to a Paladins immunity

 

[tglassy]

Undying sounds perfect, except that I'm not sure how the RP would work. He wants to be a paladin, so perhaps taking a pact with a powerful Death Knight? Or something similar, perhaps.

More RP focused would be Undying Light. Of course, they don't get their "Lay on Hands" ability until level 14 Warlock. Which, if I took 3 levels in Fighter, would mean level 17. Or if I did five levels in Fighter to get my ASI and my second attack, thus freeing up an invocation, I wouldn't get it until level 19, but then I'd miss out on my final invocation, so it winds up being the same. Of course, that's all level 20 stuff, and isn't usually good to plan for, as few will ever get there...

 

[Wednesday Boy]

What is your goal with this character's deception? Are you more interested in storytelling the character's attempt to strive for the ideals of a paladin and the ramifications of the character's deception, should the other characters discover the deception or seeing how well you can masquerade as a paladin to the other players?

I think you can be interested in both but if you prioritize the former, I recommend being open about the concept with the other players. In my experience big reveals often fall flat or never happen. I got much more mileage out of my character's story when the other players knew my character's backstory and what I wanted to explore with the character's story because they were able to play off of my character to help me achieve my goal. If you're really good at acting like a paladin or the other players are oblivious, you'll never get to play the character that you want.

If you're more interested in seeing how long you can trick the other players, I recommend ensuring your fellow players won't take umbrage to the deception. Even if it doesn't seem like an issue to you, when it's revealed some players could be put off by it and not trust your character or you for the duration of the campaign.

If your fellow players are up for that sort of play, make sure the GM is in on it too. I tried a similar concept in 3.5 with a warlock posing as a sorcerer. My GM knew the concept and wasn't against it but he didn't care about it either. This meant the GM didn't set up many, if any, situations where my deception skills were tested and he didn't bring in any of my backstory to shake things up. Rather than suspicious party members and interesting drama occurring, I would call my Eldritch Blast, Magic Missile, and no one questioned anything or cared. It ended up being a very lackluster experience.

 

[hejtmane]

You could go the new Assmair out of Volos guide they have healing hands

 

[gyor]

Bard can easily pretend to be a Paladin, just pick up find Steed, Bless and Smite Spells, go Valour Bard.

 

[CAFRedblade]

Fighter 4(eldritch knight), Warlock 4(blade pact)
This is probaly how i'd go, with additional levels only in Warlock.
He gained a little spell knowledge via the Eldritch Knight, but without a higher Int, grew frustrated that he could never truly expand his repetoire of magic himself, so turned towards another power to grant him strength. Falling to the dark side for easier power...?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

With lvl 4 twice you miss out on extra attack.