D&D 5E (2024) Leveling up my viscous Halfling Dance Bard multiclass, what class to level next?

[ECMO3]

I am playing a Halfling in a Darksun campaign. There is some class and subclass restrictions to stay in line with the setting (no Eldritch Knights, Sorcerers or Paladins ) and some species homebrew (no halfling lucky, but I get Savage Attacks from the 2014 Half Orc and fury of the Small from Volos Goblin). She also can not read or write as that is restricted to Wizards, Rogues and Tome Locks.

Right now she is a Dance Bard 5/Ranger 2/Champion Fighter 3. S7 D16 C12 I8 W13 CH18. I am debating Fighter 4 for a feat (which one?? mage slayer, warcaster, Charisma ASI ?) or Ranger 3 for a 4th level spell slot and a subclass -Hunter, Beast Master and Swarmkeeper are allowed but none of those seem particularly thematic for the character. Another Bard level is not very appealing either.

I could also grab a level of Rogue (expertise, literacy), Warlock (Pact of Tome, Pact Slot), Monk (could use unarmed strike on every bonus action) or Druid. Multiclassing into Cleric has some houserules that make it dangerous so it is not an option.

She is mostly a controller/support character, with the Musician feat, the Inspiring Leader Feat, Bard magic and interception fighting style. She is ok but not great in melee having Truestrike with either a Carackal-Push or +1 Mace-Sap, unarmed strikes as a bonus action doing 1D8+3 when she gives out inspiration and Fury of the Small for +10 damage once a short rest and a couple free uses of Hunter's Mark. Nothing to write home about though.

The rest of the party is single classed - A Totem Barbaran, Life Cleric and a Psion using the Mystic UA from WOTC (which is OP by the way). This campaign is probably going to top out about 12th level.

 

[mellored]

viscous Halfling​

 

[kigmatzomat]

So what level of slime-druid are you?

 

[James Gasik]

Sounds slippery.

 

[mellored]

On a more practical note.

Why not dance bard 6?
Inspiration movement is a reaction punch for you and extra movement. If your Cleric has Spirit Guardians up that out of turn movement gets ridiculous.
That's on top of the +4 party wide initiative bonus. That's the alert feat for everyone.

Then maybe 1 level of monk increases your grapple DC. So you can reaction grab an enemy and move them into a zone. Though maybe not since your small.

 

[mellored]

Inspiration movement is a reaction punch for you and extra movement. If your Cleric has Spirit Guardians up that out of turn movement gets ridiculous.

Also worth noting that allies can fail their grapple check. So you can move 2 people as a reaction.

Not sure that will come up often, but maybe pulling the barbarian back before dropping a Hypnotic Pattern over the area.

 

[ECMO3]

On a more practical note.

Why not dance bard 6?
Inspiration movement is a reaction punch for you and extra movement. If your Cleric has Spirit Guardians up that out of turn movement gets ridiculous.
That's on top of the +4 party wide initiative bonus. That's the alert feat for everyone.

Then maybe 1 level of monk increases your grapple DC. So you can reaction grab an enemy and move them into a zone. Though maybe not since your small.

Something to think about, although my speed is only 25, so moving half of that is only 12 .... or 6 while grappling an ally. It is an off turn attack though, which is always nice.

I do use the Inspiration-unarmed strike to grapple allies a lot as it is as a Bonus action on my turn and then reposition them while giving someone else Inspiration.

I am not too interested in the Initiative boost, mostly because I need to burn an inspiration to use it and that means losing an unarmed strike. As it is now my pool of inspiration is basically 4 unarmed strikes per short rest ..... while helping someone on a d20 test sometime in the future. When you tack on the occasional Hunters Mark and one use of Fury of the small per short rest to boost that unarmed strike damage, it is not to shabby.