Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Xanchairothoss May 17, 2015 10:13:08	If this catches on I may make it an ongoing thing and do every subclass. Anyone want to take a crack? Let’s see what you got: either tweak, or offer your own for the subclasses below. I'm still not sold on the Strength build for the Necromancer, Dex might be more optimal. Also, I'm considering doing a party build based on classes with abilities that buff, summon, charm, or animate/create minions, if any interest in that idea springs forth.     The build must be optimum for the subclass it’s intended to enhance (based on my discretion, multiple optimum builds for the same subclass may be included, or even replace previous builds) The build must have survivability and be able to contribute to its party throughout its career. The build must use the point buy system for Ability scores. You need to offer a description as to WHY your build works and what it does. Future Unearthed Arcana and supplements might result in periodic updating. Bonus Points if it’s AL appropriate, though this should not be a design focus.   Wizard Subclasses Part 1 of 4 Abjurer Deep Gnome Fighter 2, Abjurer 18 -Notes: Deep Gnome nets you a +2 Int and access to Svirfneblin Magic. The multiclassing 13 Int isn’t going to be an issue. Fighter gives you Martial Weapons, Heavy Armor, Shields, and full Hit Die for level 1, as well as Constitution proficiency. It’s generally better to get proficiency in saves where you have lower stats so you don’t overspecialize. Defense Fighting Style seems thematically appropriate, and you might as well get that second level of Fighter out of the way to net Action Surge early on at level two. Take Svirneblin Magic at 6th level to combo at will Nondetection with Arcane Ward, then Warcaster at 10th level to gish fully. Spell Mastery as your 20th level Capstone is juicy, and you’re beefy enough to get there.   Necromancer Bare with me, Hex does not affect Saves, I'm correcting this and will update when I do. Thanks to gignere and RulesJD for pointing this out. Half-Elf Oathbreaker (levels 1, 3, 5 & 6), Death Cleric (level 2), Great Old One Warlock (level 4), Necromancer (levels 7 to 20) -Notes: Half-Elf is by far the best choice for this build, its traits are great comparative the other choices that grant you an Intelligence bump. Let’s take a look: For multiclassing, you’re going to want a minimum Cha, Int, and Wis of 13. Half-Elf: Str 14 with a 1 point bump will cost you 5 pts. Dex 10 is 2 pts, and you’ll be wearing heavy armor. Con 10 hurts for 2 pts., however Grim Harvest and access to healing can balance this out a bit. Int 16 with a 1 point bump will cost you 9 pts. Wis 13 is another 5 pts. Cha 14 costs you the final 4 pts. (You can toss 1 pt. onto Dex or Con and gain nothing, or keep it on Cha and gain an extra +1 modifier. Which is better: +0 +2, or +0 +1) Human gives you these same stats without any bonus racial traits that compare. The Variant human Feat isn’t too necessary, given you’re already maxing Int with 2 ASI to spare. Our other optimal choice is the Gnome, whose racial traits can’t compete to enhance this build versus the Half-Elf. Gnome: Str, Wis, Cha 13 each for 15 pts. Dex and Con 10 for 3 pts (1pt. racial bonus to either) Int 17 for 9 pts. Or you could lower Int by 1 to boost Dex or Con by 2. No matter what, it doesn’t compare. The +2 Int bonus isn’t enough to make this a worthy investment. Be awesome, and go with a thematically appropriate Half-Drow to really maximize the dark-evil cliché (I would). Start out as a Paladin to net Wis and Cha saves, as it’s generally better to get proficiency in saves with lower stats so you don’t overspecialize. Take a level of Death Cleric next to grant you all 1st level Cleric spells, and Reaper with Chill Touch. Next, go Paladin again to scoop up that Divine Smite and Protection is good to guard your eventual wall of minions (You only get one reaction, so Protection doesn’t scale well. However, getting to a level where that matters is important too and a 20% reduction from damage against a creature with 5 attacks is still a 20% reduction), but for scaling benefits go with Dueling and a Great Maul or Greatsword, and try to get some Mithral Plate. After that is your level of Warlock to net you Hex and Arms of Hadar. Great Old One Patron nets you a situationally useful boost to Suggestion, if you take that spell. The other two Patrons aren’t going to do much for you with that single level of Warlock and a Charisma you aren’t gunning to increase. Your final two Paladin levels grant you an ASI and extra level to boost Control Undead: Control Undead grants you the ability to enslave one undead per day, use Hex on the target (gained via Warlock) to inflict disadvantage on its Wisdom save before targeting. Choose a Wight for this ability (CR 3) to gain an army of up to 12 Zombies. After that it’s all Wizard to level 20, with a Control Undead Mummy Lord slave for your Capstone. In total you get 9th level spell slots via 2 from Paladin and 1 from Cleric. You use your 9th level spell slot each day to cast Create Undead, granting you 3 additional Wights and a further 36 Zombies. Your 8th level spell slot is used to Animate Dead through Undead Thrall for 14 additional Zombies. Since you can only cast one spell each day in either of these slots, given you’re most likely going to choose one or other of these spells anyhow the loss of higher level spells doesn’t hurt as much as one would assume. It also frees up spellcasting for 7th level and under spells. For ASI go with Warcaster so weapons aren’t a problem, then punch up Int to 18, followed by Tough to make up for that low Con, then Int to 20. Undead Army: 4 Wights, 50 Zombies, and 1 Mummy Lord. Use Find Familiar to get yourself an Imp, and you’ve got yourself a pretty potent little platoon to Captain over.
#2 Thaenok May 17, 2015 11:11:23	Not to be a bummer but these look like hybrid builds to me. Wouldn't wizard builds be just that? I'm confused.
(Reply to #2) Xanchairothoss	Thaenok wrote:
#4 Thaenok May 17, 2015 11:24:04	Okay. I understand now. I was thinking pure wizard builds when I saw the thread title. Like only using the wizard class. My bad.
(Reply to #4) Xanchairothoss	Thaenok wrote:
#6 Thaenok May 17, 2015 11:36:55	Its cool. They are still wizards so it isn't misleading. I'd say stick to your guns and do what you were doing. I wasn't trying to derail you. I just really wanted to see a wizard build for ideas is all.
(Reply to #6) Xanchairothoss	Thaenok wrote:
#8 Thaenok May 17, 2015 12:05:47	I do okay with builds. I am one that has to plan my character out level by level so I'm used to that aspect of the game. I like looking at builds and getting a sense of the character by their skills and abilities. You can really get a story going in your head just by looking at stat setups and I do that a lot and was looking for a wizard since they are my favorite. Silly I know but that's just me. Lol!
(Reply to #8) Xanchairothoss	Thaenok wrote:
#10 gignere May 17, 2015 15:55:43	Hex doesn't give disadvantage to saves. So doesn't combo with Control Undead at all.
#11 RulesJD May 17, 2015 16:03:50	DIvination Wizard: Halfling, Lucky feat at level 4, 3 levels of Sorc for Heightened Metamagic. You will control so many rolls.
(Reply to #11) Xanchairothoss	RulesJD wrote:
#13 RulesJD May 17, 2015 19:03:09	Xanchairothoss wrote:
(Reply to #13) Xanchairothoss	RulesJD wrote: