D&D 5E Concepts you really want to play but not sure if you will be able to pull off.

[The Black Ranger]

I figured I would dedicate a thread to discuss possible concepts you really want to play but not sure if 5th edition rules will be able to accommodate them. I know you can always reflavour anything but I would like to stick as close to the rules as possible.

 

[The Black Ranger]

Harry Dresden concept.

I am a very very BIG Harry Dresden fan from the Dresden Files.

I really want to play a concept where I am a spellcaster who keeps a skull that contains an entity that teaches my character lore and different spells as he levels up. I'm trying to mirror the concept from Harry and I know he is called a Wizard, but he seems like he could be more of a Sorcerer than a Wizard, or even a Warlock.

I want him to have some quirky utility spells along with being a bit of a blaster.

I think in the Dresdenverse, Wizards are able to do many things while Sorcerers and Warlocks can only do a limited number of things but do them really really well. I guess you would call Harry an evoker since he has a knack at blowing things up and using fire. I was also thinking of maybe a Feypact Warlock seeing as his mother Margaret had heavy dealings with the Fey and Harry has a Fairy Godmother.

Not really sure how I could go about this.

 

[TwoSix]

I am a very very BIG Harry Dresden fan from the Dresden Files.

I really want to play a concept where I am a spellcaster who keeps a skull that contains an entity that teaches my character lore and different spells as he levels up. I'm trying to mirror the concept from Harry and I know he is called a Wizard, but he seems like he could be more of a Sorcerer than a Wizard, or even a Warlock.

I want him to have some quirky utility spells along with being a bit of a blaster.

I think in the Dresdenverse, Wizards are able to do many things while Sorcerers and Warlocks can only do a limited number of things but do them really really well. I guess you would call Harry an evoker since he has a knack at blowing things up and using fire. I was also thinking of maybe a Feypact Warlock seeing as his mother Margaret had heavy dealings with the Fey and Harry has a Fairy Godmother.

Not really sure how I could go about this.

I'm assuming you're more interested in modeling Harry's capabilities than in modeling Harry's narrative. To model the narrative, other systems work better, such as the Dresden Files RPG (shocking! )

First off, as you say, class names are meaningless, as we're transporting between milieus. We need to focus on what the character can DO. In the Dresdenverse, there's two types of magic, Thaumaturgy and Evocation. Thaumaturgy (like making potions, putting defensive enchantments on clothes, wards, and scrying spells) can easily be handled by Ritual Casting.

In terms of his combat magic, Evocation, you want to be able to model Fuego (some combination of Fire Bolt cantrip and Scorching Ray), Forzare (Eldritch Blast cantrip), Ventas Servitas (Gust of Wind), and some defensive shields (Mage Armor and Shield seem the most appropriate). Other spells that do fire, air, or force effects will keep up the feel, since Harry rarely does water or earth magic.

Since Harry uses the same spells over and over, Sorcerer and Warlock are a much better fit that any of the other casters. Plus, Charisma is definitely Harry's best stat, with Con second and Inteliigence tertiary at best.

(Digression: The fact that Harry pisses people off is a terrible argument that he has a low Charisma. He's trying to piss people off. Succeeding at getting people to feel what you want them to feel is a high Charisma. Add in the fact that he has multiple allies willing to risk their lives for him, and that his magic power is always described as being driven by his will and his high inborn potential, and Charisma becomes his obvious focus for a casting stat.)

So, I'd say Warlock or multiclass Warlock/Sorcerer. Make him a tomelock, and make Bob the tome, and I think you have a very Dresden-ish character.

 

[Beleriphon]

Fuego[/I] (some combination of Fire Bolt cantrip and Scorching Ray), Forzare (Eldritch Blast cantrip), Ventas Servitas (Gust of Wind), and some defensive shields (Mage Armor and Shield seem the most appropriate). Other spells that do fire, air, or force effects will keep up the feel, since Harry rarely does water or earth magic.

Since Harry uses the same spells over and over, Sorcerer and Warlock are a much better fit that any of the other casters. Plus, Charisma is definitely Harry's best stat, with Con second and Inteliigence tertiary at best.

In fact I think Harry is a good candidate for Elemental Adept for Fire. That way everything he does will set the building on fire.

 

[WitchyD]

A Cleric of a deity of magic who can cast some Wizard spells. I had a lot of fun in the playtest with my Cleric of Wee Jas (as the Arcanist archetype), but if That Unholy Book is to be believed, the Knowledge domain won't be much of anything like the Arcanist Cleric. I could multiclass Cleric/Wizard, but I'm doubtful that it would turn out very well.

 

[TwoSix]

A Cleric of a deity of magic who can cast some Wizard spells. I had a lot of fun in the playtest with my Cleric of Wee Jas (as the Arcanist archetype), but if That Unholy Book is to be believed, the Knowledge domain won't be much of anything like the Arcanist Cleric. I could multiclass Cleric/Wizard, but I'm doubtful that it would turn out very well.

Actually, it should work pretty well. Multiclass casters stack for determining spell slots. Wizards get new spells in their spell books based on their available spell slots. So, for example, you made a Cleric 6/Wizard 3, and took the Wizard levels at 3, 7, and 9, you'd have 2 2nd level spells, 2 3rd level spells, and 2 5th level spells in your spell book, plus 6 1st level spells. You'd have 3+Int modifier wizard spells prepared, and 6+Wis cleric spells prepared, with the same number of spell slots as a 9th level cleric or wizard.

The only downside is you want to boost both Int and Wis, of course. But it's certainly not unfeasible.

 

[Prism]

Actually, it should work pretty well. Multiclass casters stack for determining spell slots. Wizards get new spells in their spell books based on their available spell slots. So, for example, you made a Cleric 6/Wizard 3, and took the Wizard levels at 3, 7, and 9, you'd have 2 2nd level spells, 2 3rd level spells, and 2 5th level spells in your spell book, plus 6 1st level spells. You'd have 3+Int modifier wizard spells prepared, and 6+Wis cleric spells prepared, with the same number of spell slots as a 9th level cleric or wizard.

The only downside is you want to boost both Int and Wis, of course. But it's certainly not unfeasible.

Spells known doesn't stack quite like that though. Cleric 6/wizard 3 would only be able to cast 3rd level cleric and 2nd level wizard spells even though you had 5th level slots available for scalable spells

 

[TwoSix]

Spells known doesn't stack quite like that though. Cleric 6/wizard 3 would only be able to cast 3rd level cleric and 2nd level wizard spells even though you had 5th level slots available for scalable spells

Huh. Yea, I guess you're right. I knew that, too, I must be tired.

I still feel it's pretty feasible, though, especially if you want breadth over depth.

 

[WitchyD]

Actually, it should work pretty well. Multiclass casters stack for determining spell slots. Wizards get new spells in their spell books based on their available spell slots. So, for example, you made a Cleric 6/Wizard 3, and took the Wizard levels at 3, 7, and 9, you'd have 2 2nd level spells, 2 3rd level spells, and 2 5th level spells in your spell book, plus 6 1st level spells. You'd have 3+Int modifier wizard spells prepared, and 6+Wis cleric spells prepared, with the same number of spell slots as a 9th level cleric or wizard.

The only downside is you want to boost both Int and Wis, of course. But it's certainly not unfeasible.

Spells known doesn't stack quite like that though. Cleric 6/wizard 3 would only be able to cast 3rd level cleric and 2nd level wizard spells even though you had 5th level slots available for scalable spells

Huh. This actually sounds pretty good!

So, if I've got this correct, a Cleric 6/Wizard 3 would have 4 1st level slots, 3 slots each for 2nd, 3rd, and fourth level spells, and 1 5th level spell slot, knows 4 Cleric cantrips and 3 Wizard cantrips, and (assuming an ability score of 16 in WIS and INT) could prepare 9 first to third Cleric spells and 6 first and second level Wizard spells. This sounds like a very flexible spellcaster. Thanks for the info!

 

[Prism]

Huh. Yea, I guess you're right. I knew that, too, I must be tired.

I still feel it's pretty feasible, though, especially if you want breadth over depth.

Oh yes I agree. I think the multi-classing spell options work really well from what we have seen. Spell scaling and stacking slots make for some really interesting stuff. Cleric cure spells and wizard evocations in particular seem to scale well.