D&D 5E Melee Sorcerer Build

[Christew]

Acknowledging that this is sub-optimal on the face of things, I am currently playing a Hill Dwarf Tempest Cleric 1/ Frost Giant Soul Sorcerer 4 who is melee focused. I am looking for some feedback on the build with a particular eye on higher level spells that don't require high charisma.

Stats
STR 15 DEX 8 CON 17 INT 8 WIS 13 CHA 13
HP 48
(12 Start Cleric, +9x4 Sorcerer)

Hill Dwarf nets a boost to CON and WIS (for survivability and multiclassing) and bonus HP (more survivability). Starting Tempest Cleric nets heavy Armor/shields, Martial weapons, and healing spells. Frost Giant Soul Sorcerer nets bonus HP and bonus spells. First ASI for Mobile fear nets enhanced speed and free disengage after attack.

Cleric vs Paladin
Starting Paladin would net us much the same benefits with a higher hit die and an eye toward smites at Paladin 2, but this comes at the cost of full spell progression. Cleric 1/Sorcerer 4 has level three spell slots (though no level three spells), which are needed to upcast on this build.

Important Spells
Cleric
Thauamaturgy, Healing Word
Sorcerer
Cantrips Booming Blade, Green Flame Blade
Level 1 Absorb Elements, Armor of Agathys, Shield
Level 2 Misty Step, Shadow Blade

Strategy
With full plate and a shield we can wade into combat with a 20 base AC (reaction Absorb Elements or Shield for enhanced defense). Twin Booming Blade allows two attacks for only one Sorcery Point. Opening rounds cast Armor of Agathys and Shadow Blade. Healing Word if anyone drops. Misty Step if you get in trouble. Thauamaturgy can be used to dim lights for advantage Shadow Blade attacks.

Nova (Edited thanks to Salthorae)
Round 1: Cast lvl3 Shadow Blade, engage two enemies, Twin Booming Blade, disengage.
Round 2: Engage two enemies, cast lvl3 Armor of Agathys, Quicken Booming Blade, disengage.
Round 3-4: Repeat
This gives us 7 Booming Shadow Blade attacks (4d8+2) with Booming riders (2d8) and Armor of Agathys damage (15) at the expense of both 3rd level slots and all 4 Sorcery Points.

Future Spells
Fireball, Blink, Fly, Haste, Greater Invisibility, Thunder Step, Dimension Door (suggestions very welcome - 13 CHA disincentivises most 6+ spells)

Future ASIs
+1 Con +1 Str or Cha
Warcaster (though having the two kits of arcane focus and shield and Shadow blade and shield get around most combat casting issues - Shadow Blade can be dropped or thrown and resummoned with a Bonus Action).

 

[Salthorae]

Certainly an interesting approach!

I'm doing a Storm Giant Soul Sorcerer with Magic Initiate (Druid) for shillelagh in a game I'm in and it's quite fun.

Points and Questions

1. You can't cast Armor of Agathys and Shadow Blade in the same round. If you cast any Bonus Action spell in a round, you are limited to just a cantrip with your standard action. That's not a Quicken Spell thing, it's a spell casting thing.

   Bonus Action: A spell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn. You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.

2. I was going to question the "disengage", but I see now. You're not really Disengaging, you're moving without provoking an Opportunity Attack from either opponent because of Mobile, neat addition.
   
   Thematically it makes me laugh picturing an armored dwarf wielding a blade of shadow darting around the battlefield, but it works mechanically
3. I use/love Enlarge person in my build. It has come in very handy in and out of combat so far. It might be something to think about for your spells known.
4. While nice, you don't HAVE to know spells of 6th level and higher (though you should definitely get wish if you ever get there regardless of your Charisma). You could just know more utility spells of 1st-5th. Not ideal usage, but a possibility if you're really stumped for options at the higher levels.

There's probably more, that's my first impression/thoughts. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Christew]

1) Great catch, not sure what I was thinking. OP edited to reflect, costs you one attack.

2) Spot on, makes for fun Booming Blade interactions.

3) Solid pick. Anyone know if this stacks with the Giant Soul ability?

4) Fair point. Upcast spells like AoA, Heals, and SB will account for a lot of higher slots, just wondering if there are any must have no attack no save options (a la Wish).

 

[Blue]

Hmmm. This blows a lot of your high level slots for just a single combat per day. I would think we need to figure out what to do with you the rest of them. How many encounters per day does your DM routinely throw at you?

Thaumaturgy can dim flames as an action - it can't help create dim light in daylight or anywhere lit by somethign besides flames. Even with flames it's an action. If there are no limits on the attacks, two attacks without advantage is mathematically always better than one attack with advantage. (Possibility of two hits, possibility of a crit and a hit.) So unless you can do it before combat that's likely not a worthwhile use of an action.

Shadow Blade is a great spell for specific usage, but with worries about using up so many slots you may want to hold onto it for times it's already dim light. Tempest grants martial weapons and you're using STR, so while 2d8 is 4.5 average more on a hit then a longsword, it's not a large difference when compared to other things a 3rd level slot can do.

(We had a discussion about a a multiclasses character with shadowblade a while back that you might find useful here: 5E - DPR Monk/Sorcerer build: The Shadow Kensei .)

Mobile makes attack two foes in melee easy. However, the booming blade rider assumes they are going to move. So you need to be attacking people who aren't already adjacent to an ally, whom an ally won't close with before their turn, who want to move - a caster or ranged attacked may be just fine with no one adjacent and not moving.

Also in going for that, you are also explicitly losing out on focus fire. Remember, HP damage means absolutely nothing until they run out of them. If you fight two 50 HP foes and do 98 HPs evenly divided, you have not caused them to lose a single action, which focus fire where you only did 75 but one of those foes has already dropped and has lost actions, you've done better.

You need to hit to do damage and to engage your booming blade riders, so I'd strongly recommend future ASIs go to your attack ability score. It looks like it's STR, and it's odd, so a half-feat will help the first time as well. With discussion about how booming blade is less likely to hit, if you wanted to switch out Mobile for Heavy Armor Master, you get several fun bonuses. It boost your STR to 16 for +1 to hit and damage. It help protect you. But most importantly it makes the temp HPs from Armor of Agathys last longer so that more foes take the retributive damage.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I am not sure if its a great idea to start as cleric.
Per RAW you also get heavy armor proficiency if you later take cleric. You need con save proficiency. The dwarven armor will make sure you won´t miss heavy armor too much at first level.

If you ask me I´d just go mountain dwarf shadow sorcerer.
This will give you better Strength and better con at level 5, you will also be able to see in the darkness you cast.

So:
Str 17
Con 16
Dex 10
Int 8
Wis 12
Cha 13

at level 4 I either take Heavy Armor mastery, or if I really want to multiclass to cleric increase Str to 18 and wis to 13.
If you insist on Armor of agathis, you can either take 1 level of warlock (fiend gives you some nice temp hp, hexblade increases you melee capabilities quite a lot) or later take magic initiate.

Of course, youcan do whatever you like, but If you want to melee, go more into offensive then defensive mode.

 

[Salthorae]

3) Solid pick. Anyone know if this stacks with the Giant Soul ability?

I sure hope they do as that was part of my character vision! One is a spell while one isn’t so they don’t conflict under the “Combining Magical Effects” section I don’t thin, and Enlarge doesn’t say anything about not working if you’re already under other similar effects like other editions.

#4 I’ll have to think about it.

One other question. E you doing Tempest for RP/concept reasons? Can you change it?

I almost think Forge Cleric might suit your concept a little better.

You don’t get martial weapons, but you’re not really planning on using them anyway it looks like. You still get Heavy armor though.

You get Searing smite as a prepared spell. Bonus action Con 1 min but discharged on your next hit. d6 Fire and they catch on fire requiring a save each round from them.

Might be something to use lower level slots on after or before you burn higher ones.

You could cast searing smite the same turn as a twinned Booming Blade too. Just another option/Combo.

Also you get to enchant one weapon, or more probably armor in your case to be +1 at 1st level. Great for a little bit more defense.

For a super long term build plan you could look at Cleric 6/Sorcerer 14.

1 you don’t have to worry about which sorcerer spells to know at the top end since your known level will top out at 7th.

2. 5th level Forge domain gets you Elemental weapon as another option for non-Nova fights. Also Spirit Guardians!

3. 6th gets you ever handy fire resistance and another +1 while wearing Heavy armor, so you could be up to 22 AC with plate, shield, and Forge domain stuff.

Just some thoughts

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Armor of Agathys lasts for a full hour, so unless the fight is completely unexpected you should often have the opportunity to cast it in advance, freeing up 1 action in combat.