D&D 5E [5e] Dirk Gently Build - Help!

[Fenris-77]

I have no idea why I all of a sudden have a bee in my bonnet about building a Dirk Gently character for 5e, but I do. I have some ideas that I think will work but I'm having trouble picking from the various options as far as classes and potential MCs go. So I'm soliciting for ideas, no idea to wacky.

Step one, I wanted a lot of luck built into the character. So, he's going to be a Lightfoot Halfling, and I'm going to give him the lucky feat at 4th. I think this nicely starts to index the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. Optimal? Not so much, but I'm ok with that.

Step two, Dirk is a bit of a scalliwag, so Charlatan BG and some levels in rogue. How many IDK. Probably starting in rogue for the skills, but again, not 100%. Maybe three levels for one of Inquisitive or Mastermind maybe.

Step three, back to luck for a moment, and this is where I'm really torn. Spellcasting. One the one hand, going Diviner for portent fits the build and character quite well, but is unfortunately MAD as heck. Great spell selection and utility though. One the other hand, Sorcerer works CHA, which is better fit for limited stat builds and social skills use, and Wildmage is still pretty topical. Sadly, the Sorcerer spell selection isn't ideal, nor does spamming the surge table interest me at all. On a third, and entirely unexpected hand, very late last night I thought why not do both, MAD be damned. In the clear light of day I'm not so sure about that last idea, nor where that third hand came from.

I also had some creative roleplaying ideas about how to use Bardic inspiration next all that luck. The idea of combining Halfling lucky, with feat lucky, with Portent, and Bardic inspiration also has some pretty significant appeal. That's a lot of dice mods. Alas for my decision fatigue, I just can't decide.

Anyone have any other bright ideas?

 

[Esker]

It's been a long time since I've read those books, so my memory of the character is a little hazy, but I feel like portent is essential.

I might go Inquisitive 4 / Diviner 2 / Lore Bard X. I don't know that sorcerer is necessary; I think you can get the flavor you want from bard.

The stats are rough, but you can start with a 16 CHA, 14 INT, 14 DEX, 12 CON, 10 WIS, 8 STR, and just be squishy as hell. If it's a campaign where that matters, grab Shield and flavor it as a psychic premonition of where the strike is going to be.

Start with expertise in insight and investigation, and later get expertise in persuasion and... sleight of hand, maybe? Or perception, since you won't have much wisdom.

Cantrips:

Message
Friends
Prestidigitation
Vicious Mockery
Light
Mending

Wizard Spells:

Alarm
Comprehend Languages
Detect Magic
False Life
Find Familiar
Identify
Shield
Sleep

Bard Spells:

Bane
Charm Person
Disguise Self
Dissonant Whispers

Detect Thoughts
Locate Object
See Invisibility

Clairvoyance
Tongues

Take Bountiful Luck at 10th...

 

[Fenris-77]

[MENTION=6966824]Esker[/MENTION] - I don't have a problem with squishy. Although if squishy, Mage Armour might also be practical, perhaps in addition to shield. You can explain a lot away as random chance mucking about with enemy attacks, bending over at just the right moment, etc etc.

I like the MC mix there a lot. My main sticking point was how much I liked portent for the build. I just couldn't let go of it. The fourth expertise would probably be deception, it's a tight fit with the character. Or Perception. One of the two.

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Esker]

@Esker - I don't have a problem with squishy. Although if squishy, Mage Armour might also be practical, perhaps in addition to shield. You can explain a lot away as random chance mucking about with enemy attacks, bending over at just the right moment, etc etc.

You could even rename it "Plot Armor". What could be more Douglas Adams than playing a character that knows they're fictional?

 

[Esker]

You know, I could also see just going straight up diviner, to be honest, or just start with one level of rogue then switch.

 

[Fenris-77]

You know, I could also see just going straight up diviner, to be honest, or just start with one level of rogue then switch.

Rogue 1/Diviner X had occurred to me. As had Lore Bard 3/Diviner X. In both cases because of all the nifty diviner abilities that are all pretty on point build-wise. I might prefer LB3 in that case because I still get cutting words to play with and it maintains the overall level progression for spells, plus it's even better than rogue on the skill monkey side of things. That said, it's perhaps campaign dependent. In a campaign I thought was going to be shorter and lower level R1/Wx might make more sense, but in a longer campaign I wouldn't mind waiting for the bigger MC to come online.

 

[Blue]

Step three, back to luck for a moment, and this is where I'm really torn. Spellcasting. One the one hand, going Diviner for portent fits the build and character quite well, but is unfortunately MAD as heck.

Spellcasting ability score only matters if you care about DCs and/or spell attacks. A few levels of wizard where you focus on utility and buffs with the 13 INT needed to multiclass into it is not that bad in terms of MAD.

Really, Portent was my first thought for Dirk Gently. Though I'd play it not something the character knows about and actively uses, but just to represent how the universe makes unlikely coincidences happen. Like when he thought he was scamming being a psychic with the test questions, and then they just all ended up being correct.

 

[Fenris-77]

My plan is to play all the luck mechanics like stuff he doesn't do on purpose. I'll admit, I'm excited, haven't been this excited about playing a D&D character is a long time. (Jaded? Me?! Maybe, sue me). You are right though, you could just grab portent and then just go rogue. My feeling for the actual character is that spells seem more like his bag than stabbing people between the fourth and fifth ribs though. That might just be my reading of the character. Keeping it in character would probably mean playing control and buffs (and some sub-optimal divination) over direct damage, but that's my preferred Wizard build anyway.

Halflng luck, lucky feat, Portent and Bardic inspiration all together is a lot of chances to role play the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. Now I just need to acquire a leather trench coat of protection and I'm set.

Let me ask the group a related question. This is pretty obviously not a super optimized build. That said, where are you guys at about, for example, taking more useful wizard spells over some of the goofy stuff that might fit the build better. I'll happily admit that I'm an optimizer from way back, and I struggle to go too far in the direction of narrative over making a, you know, actually useful rather than just amusing character.