D&D (2024) What are your best Playtest Level 3 Builds?

[Mistwell]

I am going to play a one-shot (or maybe a few shots) with a level three PC. The DM likely will let me play a playtest character.

What are some idea for a third level playtest PC? Any race. Optimized or non-optimized doesn't matter. Cool story or just bashes heads, either is fine. What are some cool idea you have clunking around?

 

[mellored]

I kinda want to do a shadow monk, just to see how well it works.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Is a Dance Bard able to be fun and functional in melee? Or is the unarmed fighting more like a ribbon ability?

While Capoeira also sounds fun, I am imagining an incredible double-jointed dubstep pop and lock master who delivers beatbox-laced beatdowns.

 

[Mistwell]

Is a Dance Bard able to be fun and functional in melee? Or is the unarmed fighting more like a ribbon ability?

While Capoeira also sounds fun, I am imagining an incredible double-jointed dubstep pop and lock master who delivers beatbox-laced beatdowns.

Interesting idea on Dance Bard. At 3rd level I am tad worried they don't have enough inspiration dice to be effective enough?

 

[Kurotowa]

Phew. I've got a little folder of character ideas I want to play, but 3rd level with no plans to level up really narrows things down. What's something that's got a clearly defined starting subclass feature that would be fun to play around with?

One idea I've been toying with is the GOO Warlock illusionist. The main draw here is that your enchantment and illusion Warlock spells all ignore V/S components. If you're clever, and your DM doesn't shut down illusion shenanigans out of hand, there's room to get funky with that. Take Mask of Many Faces and Misty Visions for at-will Disguise Self and Silent Image, grab Minor Illusion as well, and adopt the character quirk of "constantly fidgets with their arcane focus". You'll be able to throw illusions left and right with no one the wiser. And you can always fall back on Eldritch Blast spam if it comes to a direct fight.

If you want to playtest the new toys, you could do worse than a Berserker Barbarian. Try out Weapon Mastery, improved Rage, the brand new Primal Knowledge, and the completely redone Berserker subclass. Maybe roll them as a goliath from one of the new types, to really fill out the new material checklist. At the core, it's still a Barbarian's Barbarian. But that's probably fine for a one-shot, and it's nice to see the new toys in action.

 

[Horwath]

Interesting idea on Dance Bard. At 3rd level I am tad worried they don't have enough inspiration dice to be effective enough?

haha, try playing battlemaster. 2 rounds and you are out.

 

[Clint_L]

I suggest an elemental monk, to see how much the most maligned class/subclass of 5e has improved. Make them a Dragonborn to try that out, too. Or maybe a Dragonborn/Gnome mix.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I suggest an elemental monk, to see how much the most maligned class/subclass of 5e has improved. Make them a Dragonborn to try that out, too. Or maybe a Dragonborn/Gnome mix.

Honestly the elemental monk isn't all that - even if most of the power budget is in the base class. Level 3: 10' reach, push, and a cantrip; very DM dependent in effectiveness. Level 6: A fireball-sized chaff cleaner; situational. level 11: Flying and swimming. Nice and thematic. (Can't remember level 17).

That's a fun subclass but hardly the best. And is entirely different from the previous version; it almost feels like Sun Soul ++ rather than Elements++

 

[mellored]

Honestly the elemental monk isn't all that - even if most of the power budget is in the base class. Level 3: 10' reach, push, and a cantrip; very DM dependent in effectiveness. Level 6: A fireball-sized chaff cleaner; situational. level 11: Flying and swimming. Nice and thematic. (Can't remember level 17).

That's a fun subclass but hardly the best. And is entirely different from the previous version; it almost feels like Sun Soul ++ rather than Elements++

Pushing on a hit, with that much mobility and that many attacks, can really shape the battlefield. Keep in mind that Stunned creature auto-fail those saves. Add a druid with spiked growth or firewall and your doing plenty.

I agree the burst is just ok. There isn't going to be a lot of situations where you want to damage 3+ targets instead of killing 1. Though the 120' range is good, and swarms I guess.

Hard to argue with flying + 10' reach. You can easily pull off a fly by attack. Or use a bow, or your

Elemental resistance feel really weird when you get resist all a level later. But free damage when walking past someone is decent.


And yea. It seems much more like a sun soul rework than anything close to the previous version.

 

[Clint_L]

I was mostly putting it out there by way of contrast with the 2014 version, commonly regarded as the worst subclass in the game. Look at what Treantmonk did with a 2024 elemental monk, plus the grappler feat.

I'm currently play testing a mercy monk. Prior to the new rules, mercy was easily the best monk subclass. I'm not sure that's the case with the new version of monk. A lot of mercy's abilities were designed to compensate for the weak monk chassis, but aren't as necessary now. For example, being able to automatically apply the poisoned condition is less essential now that it is easy for all monks to dodge while still getting to attack. Meanwhile, elemental monks can fly!