D&D 5E Character team ideas

[mundinironhand]

Hi folks,

I am looking for a few ideas for 2 character teams that will engage in arena style combat vs. monsters, NPCS, and maybe even other PC teams. I understand some combos are better against certain types, what I'm looking for is neat ideas, fun to play combos, or ones that might be very strong.


Sources = PHB, DMG, SCAG, & EEPG. Not sure if unearthed arcana would be allowed.

Team: 2 PCs that are run by the same player and work together to master the arena.
1st PC: level 4, 27 point buy.
2nd PC: level 1, 27 point buy.

Opponent: Its random, could be other PC teams, could be monsters, could be NPCs.
Location: Enclosed arena, with usually limited 30' ceilings, sight line usually no longer than 200' max. Sometimes very open, sometimes enclosed dungeon or caves. Most common is some kind of dungeon or cave style arena with narrow corridors and open rooms. usually at least 1 sniper type location. Also traps are common, as is hidden treasure.

The goal: Survival, kills, finding treasure, defeating traps. All of these are worth bonuses to the
players.

Example: 4th level elf bladesinger & a 1st level life cleric.
my idea: can hold their own if caught in close, using SCAG cantrips for extra oomph in melee. otherwise, MM or scorching ray from ranged. Human Life cleric, using spells to support the bladesinger with bless and heals. Has decent defense to hopefully cause some missed attacks.

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

4th level Berserker Barbarian & 1st level war cleric
At level 4 nobody has a extra attack and nobody has 3rd level spells. This means damage potential from the enemy is low.
The barbarian with his rage will be able to soak up plenty of damage and with frenzy rage will be able to attack twice, which is something of a rarity at this level.
Clerics at level 1 are quite front loaded with abilities. The war cleric will also be able to attack twice and provide some support with spellcasting, mostly either healing or guiding bolts.

The biggest downside to this composition is range. Both should be able to attack with bows, but it is not their forte. They also don't have a real way to deal with large numbers of weak enemies quickly. Things could get hairy if they face off against entirely skeletons or goblins.

 

[mellored]

What kind of rests do you get? and how long are these arena's? Some classes (paladin) can burst better than others.

But I'd go for
human battlemaster 3/rogue 1 with heavy armor expertise, shield, and rapier (attack with Str). Use precision strike for to land 1d8+3+2d6 attacks, and athletics expertise for climbing things.
wood elf rogue 1 with a longbow. Stealth and perception expertise. Hangs out in the back.

Covers lots of skills, with good damage, and 1 good tank. Though it lacks any spells.

Half-orcs also seem pretty good in this situation. Since they can turn 2 hits into 3 hits, or 50% more survivable.
As are moon druids.

 

[mundinironhand]

Great quesiton about rests. so there are no rests once combat starts. its a burn em if you got em scenario, which may play better to some classes and worse for others.

I think a cleric is certianly a strong choice for the level 1 sidekick, they heal, buff, ranged spells, and melee attack and armor.

 

[mundinironhand]

the neat aprt will be players don't know the layout previously, so they could end up playing melee in a wide open arena or a ranged attacker in enclosed spaces. i'm going to be making a bunhc of "pre-gen" teams for my people to try at the end of the month.

 

[KahlessNestor]

Moon druid and a cleric. Highly versatile.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

[mellored]

Level 1 clerics only have 2 spells, and bless only lasts 1 minutes. Is 1 minute enough?

A human bard with inspirational leader might do better. Less armor, but 3 inspiration dice and THP. Heroism is superior to bless at low levels (it just doesn't scale), particularly if you combo it with heavy armor expertise or barbarian's rage to extend it.


hmm... darkness last 10 minutes. That may be long enough. maybe human war cleric 1/warlock 3 with heavy armor expertise and booming blade. Constant advantage and disadvantage from enemies, and you can hit and run and have a decent ranged attack.
With a wood elf rogue for perception and traps.

 

[Leatherhead]

Human Devotion Paladin 4, Protection style. Feats Shield Master, Mounted Combat.
Lighfoot Halfing Rogue 1. Make sure it has a bow, and a shortsword.

Have them both riding around on a warhorse. Gimmicky. But you can totally pull of the Don Quixote and Sancho Panza angle.

 

[mundinironhand]

1 minute buffs would probably run out, really depends on how much epople try to sneak, take it slow or rush in. I would say an average match runs between 1-5 minutes of in game. That being said, if you wait and time it right, a 1 minute buff can have greay effect, depending on style of play.

I like the idea of a using darkness in this type of scenario.

I had not considered mounts, outside of animal companies for like a ranger. Hmmm, interesting idea, could pose challenges in some places.

thanks for the continued ideas!