D&D 5E what would you play?

[was]

I enjoy playing characters the skill monkey with a wide range of abilities. I usually favor Dex and Acrobatics over Str and Athletics - possibly because of some deep-steated personal bias against jocks. I also find it difficult to play unintelligent/uneducated characters, so all of mine tend to have a decent Intelligence and as many knowledge skills as I can squeeze in. I also tend to play rogues (or characters with rogue levels), so I've always got Stealth trained, although not always Sleight of Hand, as I prefer not to play actual thieves. I usually don't go for the party face role, so I tend not to invest heavily in social skills. I think I'd like to try that out this time, though.

That all might be why I find the "big dumb tank" concept unappealing.

...I also enjoy playing stealthy characters, mainly rangers and rogues. But from time to time, depending upon the party's needs, I have played tanks. None of them have ever been "big dumb tanks". Most of the time, they are experts in combat strategy. They tactically manage the battlefield with the goal of protecting their comrades and ensuring that they have the opportunity to use their offensive capabilities to best effect.

...IME, playing a tank is not about merely being a two-legged shield. It's about playing tactically and being dedicated to the party. Next to a well-played cleric, a good tank is probably the most selfless character in the party. The one who sticks by other members when they're in trouble. The one who doesn't cut and run when things start going bad. The one who covers the retreat of his comrades-in-arms. IMO, selfless actions do not necessarily equate with stupidity.

...If you don't like the concept of a "big dumb tank", try playing a tank that that isn't one. Don't let your real world experiences/biases limit your own imagination. Tanks are like any other class, they are only limited by the creativity of the person playing them.

 

[Bayonet]

I enjoy playing characters the skill monkey with a wide range of abilities. I usually favor Dex and Acrobatics over Str and Athletics - possibly because of some deep-steated personal bias against jocks. I also find it difficult to play unintelligent/uneducated characters, so all of mine tend to have a decent Intelligence and as many knowledge skills as I can squeeze in. I also tend to play rogues (or characters with rogue levels), so I've always got Stealth trained, although not always Sleight of Hand, as I prefer not to play actual thieves. I usually don't go for the party face role, so I tend not to invest heavily in social skills. I think I'd like to try that out this time, though.

That all might be why I find the "big dumb tank" concept unappealing.

Aren't Dextrous and Acrobatic people essentially Jocks?

Tanky builds don't have to be dumb. Hell, Socrates, Plato, and Isaac Newton were championship wrestlers.

 

[pukunui]

If you don't like the concept of a "big dumb tank", try playing a tank that that isn't one. Don't let your real world experiences/biases limit your own imagination. Tanks are like any other class, they are only limited by the creativity of the person playing them.

That's why I'm looking at making a multiclass paladin who has more trained skills than normal and such.

Aren't Dextrous and Acrobatic people essentially Jocks?

I was talking more about your typical linebacker or whatever.

 

[sithramir]

I'd you don't start as bard you only gain one skill when taking your first multiclass level of bard. Keep that in mind I'd you did multiclass.

Being sneaky can be done with any class now using background to gain the skills.

As people have said you can get 3 bonus skills with a feat so you can really choose anything but a fighter with bonus feats could be a skill monkey, have Dex fighting style, be sneaky but have a different flavor from rogue.

Paladins are cool but multiclassing rarely helps them. The bonus spells are very nice from class levels, your casting is lessened If you MC unless you take a lot of pure caster levels, and you delay stat boost or feats which are sometimes more powerful than several levels depending what you take.

 

[pukunui]

I'd you don't start as bard you only gain one skill when taking your first multiclass level of bard. Keep that in mind I'd you did multiclass.

You gain one skill from multiclassing, but then you gain three more from the College of Lore subclass, for a total of four.

Paladins are cool but multiclassing rarely helps them. The bonus spells are very nice from class levels, your casting is lessened If you MC unless you take a lot of pure caster levels, and you delay stat boost or feats which are sometimes more powerful than several levels depending what you take.

I'm aware of all that. Thanks.

 

[sithramir]

Cool. Must have missed your stating college of lore earlier.

I'd love a Paladin/Bard so it's pretty cool to take 6 Paladin and go the rest bard if you're starting at level 14 already. It's actually my plan with one of my paladin characters if we ever make beyond lower levels.

My other paladin thoughts were warlock and using hellish rebuke if someone hits you. It's a pretty cool spell and eldritch blast for range works great in paladin mode. Able to hit things from afar with a sword in your hand still being the "tank" without having to pull out a crossbow or needing dex or using a real spell. If you take more levels of warlock and get the cha damage bonus from warlock you basically have a great ranged attack but still all the other cool perks.

Personally I like bards as that's my favorite class to play though. At 14th level you would still have 5th level slots for smiting which is sick! (At Pal 6/Bard 8)

The problem with paladin multi-classing is if you want the magic resistance you need to go to level 7 instead of 6 because it's a pretty big boost. Then you think "well i should get level 8 because of the extra feat or stat boost which is also huge". So basically you have to debate how defensive you want to be with paladin levels. My paladin went oath of vengence and level 9 gives you haste which is a pretty huge boost since it's AC, extra attack, speed, etc. Feats are so huge 8 starts to look good.

Paladins really are a solid class because each level up to 9 is giving you something quite powerful but if you don't multi-class early and focus on it you won't get higher level spells/spell slots. If you wanted magic resistance which is HUGE though you might want to just do Paladin 8? Since my paladin is ancients i'm stopping at 6 because i don't have that huge level 7 power boost.

 

[pukunui]

Honestly, it depends on whether or not I can get decent armor (like +1 studded leather or mithril plate). Still waiting to hear back from my DM on that front.

If I can't get decent armor, I'll most likely MC into warlock for Armor of Shadows. I'd take the GOO pact just for fun, though, as I had this idea of the character hearing voices in her head that tell her to do random things.

In terms of paladin levels, I'm looking at 12 in total, probably starting with 8 or so. If I do end up MCing into bard, I only want 5 levels to get the boost to Bardic Inspiration.

I might end up just going paladin 12 / fighter 8, which would give me 6 ASI/feat slots in total, one of which I could spend on the Skilled feat.