D&D 5E (2014) The Strongest Poisoner. New Tasha's Gish

[Charlaquin]

It only takes one application of disadvantage to cancel out both dice.

Did anyone say otherwise?

 

[Flamestrike]

Thanks for the correction. My bad.
Make it an arcane trickster with a familiar.

Or make it an eldritch knight.
Or very easily, make it a hexblade warlock. If they win initiative, they can even apply hex blade curse and have 19-20 crit range.

Artificer works really good.

WarForged Battlesmith Artificer 5. Feat (Eldritch Adept Devils Sight).
Str: 10, Con 16, Dex 14, Int 16, Cha 8, Wis 10
Infused items: Integrated Half plate +1, Radiant greatsword +1
AC: 19
HP: 43
Init: +2
Move: 20
Skills: Perception +3, Insight +3, Athletics +3, Arcana +6, Investigation +6
Saves: Con +6, Int +6
Spells known: Heroism, shield, warding bond, branding smite, heat metal, shield of faith, absorb elements, cure wounds, detect magic, firebolt, mending

(NB: Has used a 2nd level spell slot to cast Warding Bond on his Steel Guardian)

Atk: Radiant Greatsword +7 to hit, (2d6+4) 2 attacks, or Longbow +6 (1d8+3) 2 attacks

Steel Guardian, HP 30 (resistant to all damage, immune to poison, normal construct stuff), AC 16, rend, deflect attack, move 40'

1. Can see in darkness (even magical darkness)
2. AC 19 (21 with shield of faith, 26 with shield, and the Steel Guardian can impose disadvantage to the attack with its reaction)
3. Immune to sleep, resistant to poison, immune to disease

On his turn he spends his bonus action to cast shield of faith, and advances. He then attacks twice with his greatsword, or if he cant close the distance, he instead uses a ranged attack with his bow or cantrip. He then directs his Steel Guardian to advance, where it takes the Dodge action (he cant direct it to attack). His turn then ends.

If attacked with an attack roll his Steel Guardian uses its reaction to impose disadvantage to that roll, and he uses either Shield or Absorb elements or his Radiant weapon to blind his opponent as appropriate vs the attack.

He again closes and this time attacks twice with his radiant greatsword, directing his Steel Guardian to attack the enemy Sorcerer with its rend attack (+7 to hit, 1d8+5 force damage) as a bonus action.

He repeats this till the target is dead.

If pressed into range, he uses his longbow or cantrips, and his bonus action to direct the guardian to either Dash to close the distance to his target, or if that;s not possible, to Help his next attack roll with his Bow/ cantrip, or to simply dodge if it cant do anything else of note.

 

[LordEntrails]

See, this is why 5E works for me. Every optimized build is so niche it can be countered by something or is so situational that I can as a DM negate it when desired.

 

[Flamestrike]

Note: The Sorcerer is seen so he doesn't get advantage (or Trivantage) from his darkness, and he's attempting to hit AC 26 (with shield) likely at disadvantage due to the Steel Guardian.

Sleep simply doesnt work on either the Guardian or the Artificer.

The Guardian is immune to Poison, and the Artificer is resistant (with advantage on any saves and Con save of +6)

Presuming he is close enough he can make 2 Greatsword attacks at +7 (2d6+4 damage) each with his Action and use his Bonus action to either have the Guardian Help his next attack, or for it to make a Rend attack of its own.

If attacked with a Fireball or similar, he has absorb elements (and his Guardian is already resistant to all damage). If hit with a Hold Person, his guardian can use its reaction to negate the advantage from being paralysed with its deflect attack ability while he (hopefully) recovers.

 

[Flamestrike]

The Sorcerer could use an invisibility + quickened and unerring Booming Blade combo.

Even then at +7 vs AC 26 with 6d20 rolls (he needs a 19 or a 20), he's not very likely to hit, and will run out of spells pretty darn fast (and all his SP on 1 turn).

Even if he does hit, he's unlikely to bother the Artificer that much. If the Sorcerer is cheesing it with poison, the Artificer surely does will as well, seeing as he's proficient in a Poisoners kit and Alchemy kit, gaining expertise with both next level.

Even then the Sorcerer will need to start converting slots to SP with his bonus action, meaning this tactic can only be used every other round, and only 3 or so times before he's totally out of slots and SP.

True Strike also works, but he'll need to quicken it, and also unerring strike his booming blade os thats 4 SP per turn (same action economy problems when he runs out of SP at the end of turn 1) and he can be seen by the Guardian, so it can easily cancel the advantage (and thus trivantage) with its reaction.

 

[Iry]

I'm just imagining this character stabbing people in the mouth to trigger all those Ingested poisons.
Otherwise, those gold prices get pretty nuts. I would much rather build a trading empire or impressive fortress.

 

[Hohige]

Artificer works really good.

WarForged Battlesmith Artificer 5. Feat (Eldritch Adept Devils Sight).
Str: 10, Con 16, Dex 14, Int 16, Cha 8, Wis 10
Infused items: Integrated Half plate +1, Radiant greatsword +1
AC: 19
HP: 43
Init: +2
Move: 20
Skills: Perception +3, Insight +3, Athletics +3, Arcana +6, Investigation +6
Saves: Con +6, Int +6
Spells known: Heroism, shield, warding bond, branding smite, heat metal, shield of faith, absorb elements, cure wounds, detect magic, firebolt, mending

(NB: Has used a 2nd level spell slot to cast Warding Bond on his Steel Guardian)

Atk: Radiant Greatsword +7 to hit, (2d6+4) 2 attacks, or Longbow +6 (1d8+3) 2 attacks

Steel Guardian, HP 30 (resistant to all damage, immune to poison, normal construct stuff), AC 16, rend, deflect attack, move 40'

1. Can see in darkness (even magical darkness)
2. AC 19 (21 with shield of faith, 26 with shield, and the Steel Guardian can impose disadvantage to the attack with its reaction)
3. Immune to sleep, resistant to poison, immune to disease

On his turn he spends his bonus action to cast shield of faith, and advances. He then attacks twice with his greatsword, or if he cant close the distance, he instead uses a ranged attack with his bow or cantrip. He then directs his Steel Guardian to advance, where it takes the Dodge action (he cant direct it to attack). His turn then ends.

If attacked with an attack roll his Steel Guardian uses its reaction to impose disadvantage to that roll, and he uses either Shield or Absorb elements or his Radiant weapon to blind his opponent as appropriate vs the attack.

He again closes and this time attacks twice with his radiant greatsword, directing his Steel Guardian to attack the enemy Sorcerer with its rend attack (+7 to hit, 1d8+5 force damage) as a bonus action.

He repeats this till the target is dead.

If pressed into range, he uses his longbow or cantrips, and his bonus action to direct the guardian to either Dash to close the distance to his target, or if that;s not possible, to Help his next attack roll with his Bow/ cantrip, or to simply dodge if it cant do anything else of note.

Good catch!

Very good to defend against Poison (Not immune) and Sleep. But that's it.
Low damage, with low accuracy and Steel Defender's Deflect Attack is only 5ft, being completely useless, just move around a bit, it won't cancel the 6d20.
Shadow Sorcerer's The Hound of Ill Omem is stronger summon that apply disadvantage against the sorcerer spells and still attack really good.
So, what would be the defense against a Fear / Hypnotic Patter with Disadvantage?
The class depends on their magic weapon not to be completely useless, but fear / Hypnotic Pattern with disadvantage simply disarms the artificer easily.


Honestly, there are things more powerful than that.

 

[Flamestrike]

Good catch!

Very good to defend against Poison (Not immune) and Sleep. But that's it.
Low damage, with low accuracy and Steel Defender's Deflect Attack is only 5ft, being completely useless, just move around a bit.

Low damage? Its 2 attacks of 2d6+4 and a bonus action attack of 1d8+5 from the Guardian.

4d6+1d8+13 each round.

And the only way you avoid the Steel Guardian is by not being in its reach. It only has to be within 5 feet of you to impose disadvantage.

You could wander off but you'll be provoking an AoO if you do.

How are you getting advantage?

 

[Hohige]

Low damage? Its 2 attacks of 2d6+4 and a bonus action attack of 1d8+5 from the Guardian.

4d6+1d8+13 each round.

And the only way you avoid the Steel Guardian is by not being in its reach. It only has to be within 5 feet of you to impose disadvantage.

You could wander off but you'll be provoking an AoO if you do.

How are you getting advantage?

Didn't you explain how you would survive a Fear / Hypnotic Pattern with disadvantage? Its modifier is saving throw is +0.

Back to the Drawning Board again ^^

 

[Flamestrike]

Didn't you explain how you would survive a Fear / Hypnotic Pattern with disadvantage? Its modifier is saving throw is +0.

Back to the Drawning Board again ^^

Ill let you win initiative.

On turn 1 you summon your hound as a bonus action and cast hypnotic pattern.

I fail the save (with disadvantage from the hound). Im charmed and incapacitated.

My guardian is immune to charmed condition so its immune to Hypnotic pattern.

Its now my turn and I'm incapacitated. I can't move or do anything else.

My Steel Guardian moves 40 next to you and takes the Dodge action. I can't command it to attack you as that takes my bonus action.

Its now your turn. What do you do?

Also please list your spells. Ill presume you've got any spells with a 1 hour or greater duration already cast (mage armor etc) prior to the battle unless you say otherwise.

You know 6 plus darkness and only 2 can be 3rd level. Ill presume shield, mage armor, fear, hypnotic pattern, darkness, sleep and 1 more of level 1 or 2 plus cantrips.

Mage armor and hypnotic pattern have been cast and youvd used 3 SP on the hound.