Champion advice

[Zene]

[h=2]

Advice requested - playing a Champion[/h]

Hi all. I'm hoping to hear from some folks that have played straight-classed champions through level 10+.

Quick background: I'm thinking about my next character being a champion. Half-orc, polearm build, feat-heavy (GWM, Sentinel, PAM being the first three; later ones possibly being Mounted Combatant, Magic Initiate for Hex, Lucky, Resilient). As you can tell, I'm mainly optimizing her for combat, although I've got a good enough character concept that she'll be fun to roleplay and interact too, so I'm not too concerned about that side of it.

Combat playstyle will be mainly to seek out opportunities for advantage -- either set up by allies, or through (eventually) the Mounted Combatant feat, or (in some cases) using my first attack to shove prone. And then crit-fishing once I have advantage.

What I am worried about, though, is the champion's reputation for boringness. I've never played one -- haven't even played any straight-classed fighters. Will I get bored doing roughly the same thing every combat, just picking up a few new tricks or bonuses as I level? My instinct is that I won't find it boring; I play AL, in extremely varied group makeups, with different DMs, which provides a lot of variety outside of my character; plus I think I'll find the mechanics of PAM, Sentinel, mounted combat (when possible), and crit-fishing fun.

• But I'd love to hear from folks that have played champions -- did it get old after a while? Were their combat options too limiting as you leveled?
• Also, I'm curious if there's anything I should be thinking about as I'm planning the character. Things like: Is straight Fighter viable even into high levels, or should I really be thinking about multiclassing at some point? Is my feat order and selection on point, or are there other ones I should be considering?

 

[CydKnight]

My personal opinion is that what you have proposed would be quite interesting to play. Whether that turns out boring for you in the end, sooner or later, really only depends on your own personal tastes. If it sounds fun and interesting to you, you should play it.

I am sure there are multiple multiclass options that would pair nicely with your build but it's not something that I do. I prefer playing straight single class characters. You have to understand their limitations and weaknesses and either enhance them in a way a class or feat will allow you to do so or play that character in a way that masks those limitations as much as possible.

You could consider the Great Weapon Master feat in addition to Polearm Master. They seem to pair together nicely.

 

[Iain_Coleman]

I can't answer your question directly, but I have played a Bladelock with Polearm Master and Sentinel, and that is a very fun combination with lots of possibilities. If you have those two, I don't think you need to worry about the Champion being dull in combat.

 

[mellored]

I wouldn't take both hex and polearm master. You only have 1 bonus action.
And don't forget +2 Str.

 

[Zene]

I wouldn't take both hex and polearm master. You only have 1 bonus action.
And don't forget +2 Str.

The hex would only be first round's bonus action, and at one per day would probably only be on boss fights. I believe once you're at 3+ attacks per round (so after level 11) it comes out ahead of attacking without it by like the second round of combat; but I probably need to rerun the numbers on that figuring in the half-orc's bonus damage die and the champion's crit range. But yeah regardless, it'd be a very low priority on the feat list. Might even make more sense to try to get a ring of spell storing instead if I really want to have the hex.

~~Edit: Started running the numbers on hex, and realized that it's adding 3.5 average damage per hit, 7 average damage per crit. Which isn't nothing, but it is only about 15-17% extra damage in this build... and could only be done once a day, requires sacrificing a bit of damage the first round, introduces resource management, and means giving up some other feat/ASI. So IMO you're right, it's not really worth it.~~

Regarding the strength ASIs: I have access to a belt of hill giant strength that I intend to trade to her as soon as she gets a rare magic item; opening up more feat slots. (I probably should have mentioned that in the original post)

 

[Vulf]

Polearm Master Gives opportunity attacks when enemies enter your reach.

You can use combat maneuvers on opportunity attacks to trip or push an enemy.

Why wouldn't you want to do this?

 

[mellored]

~~Edit: Started running the numbers on hex, and realized that it's adding 3.5 average damage per hit, 7 average damage per crit. Which isn't nothing, but it is only about 15-17% extra damage in this build... and could only be done once a day, requires sacrificing a bit of damage the first round, introduces resource management, and means giving up some other feat/ASI. So IMO you're right, it's not really worth it.~~

Not to mention things die (requiring another bonus action), and you can lose concentrtion.

 

[cooperjer]

I'm not sure mounted combatant would work well. You would have to consider if your local AL DMs would allow the mount to work in the dungeons and how the mount would be traveling with you if you teleport. I'm thinking of Princes of the Apocalypse having 15-ft ceilings. Tales of the Yawning Portal seems to have a lot of dungeon crawls. You may run into a lot f 15-ft ceilings. Storm Kings Thunder and Out of the Abyss seem to teleport characters to a lot of places. Your mount may not be able to be teleported as well.

 

[Zene]

I'm not sure mounted combatant would work well. You would have to consider if your local AL DMs would allow the mount to work in the dungeons and how the mount would be traveling with you if you teleport. I'm thinking of Princes of the Apocalypse having 15-ft ceilings. Tales of the Yawning Portal seems to have a lot of dungeon crawls. You may run into a lot f 15-ft ceilings. Storm Kings Thunder and Out of the Abyss seem to teleport characters to a lot of places. Your mount may not be able to be teleported as well.

Good call. Yeah unless I can get a summonable mount (figurine of wonderous power, or ring of spell storing with find steed) I may hold off on mounted combatant. And just try to find other ways to gain advantage where possible.