Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 FaustianHero Jan 11, 2015 8:20:45	Hello all,   I've briefly played 5e before.  Now we're going to be playing at lvl4, starting with 18, 18, 16, 16, 14, 8.    I'm not necessarily looking for the strongest build possible, but I am interested in builds that become viable with these kinds of stats.  This may be a unique opportunity to pull them off.   So perhaps things like Eldritch Knight/Bladelock/Arcane Trickster/Monk (with Grapple potential)?  I don't have a good eye for multiclassing yet, and I don't like wearing armor greater than light just for stylistic reasons.
#2 Ath-kethin Jan 11, 2015 16:47:47	Those stats are considerably more potent than the game assumes. You can play any character you want with that array and be more powerful than anything created using the setup in the PHB.
#3 FaustianHero Jan 11, 2015 17:32:23	Thanks, that's why I'm asking what potential MAD builds become possible, that I would not have an opportunity to play (or at least, would not expect to perform well) with more normal stats.
#4 AaronOfBarbaria Jan 11, 2015 18:04:37	There aren't any builds that don't perform well in 5th edition with normal stats, so your high stats just means that whatever you do you are doing better than good enough.
#5 Macv12 Jan 11, 2015 19:28:17	I might go melee wizard for novelty. Maybe a Robert Downey Jr Sherlock Holmes type, with wizard spells for help with investigation/apprehension, rogue for expertise with whatever skills, DEX for attacks, STR to make grappling also work (expertise in Athletics if you really want it to be good), WIS to get your Perception and Insight (and passives) quite high, or CHA for disguises and smooth-talking.   Barbarians also love MADness, they want STR for their attacks and DEX and CON for defenses. With that array, you can even take CHA to make the berserker intimidation effect worth it, or INT to be something other than the generic "barbarian SMASH!" character. Rangers like being MAD too.
#6 Coredump00 Jan 11, 2015 20:31:26	In another thread, they were talking how a Blade-lock is very MAD
#7 Lysandre01 Jan 11, 2015 23:48:34	You can't possibly suck with those stats...   Monk with grappling option and open hand techniques... 3 lvl Bard for cuting words ?   Exept that you don' want to play a strengh based character do you have any other idea ? Want some magic ? Want to be a mix between being a fighter and a spellcaster ? Being a skill monkey and a fighter ?     You know what... with such stats you should play an evil character, someone that is so gifted that he became arrogant. Maybe a Talos Paladin ? I can imagine it with an evil Paladin mixing a Bear Totem Barbarian and a oath of vengeance Paladin... Starting at lvl 4 you'd be 3 Barbarian / 1 Paladin.   LvL 4 with these stats: 18str,16dex,18cons,8int,14wis,16char Taking the dueling fighting style... fighting with any one handed weapon that has a d8 and a shield you'd be 19AC, with an attack roll modifier of +6 and damages doing 1d8+4+2(+2in rage mode) Oh... and you'd have no armor !
#8 etcetera Jan 12, 2015 5:11:30	One thing crazy stats would buy you is that you'd actually be able to grab feats at reasonable levels as a non-fighter/rogue.  Pretty much every melee/caster hybrid needs dual 20s and warcaster, and in a point buy that means 2nd feat can happen at...19th, assuming variant human.  Never otherwise.
#9 Sorxores Jan 12, 2015 5:18:06	some single class like paladin, eldrtich knight, bladelock are harder to do with regular array since they have 3 main stats (strenght/constitution for melee combat survivibility) and Intellect/Charisma for spell.   Any multiclass combo that require you to have 3 or 4 main stats will be more powerfull with your stats then with regular array.   Some of the interesting combo: 1 level of cleric dip /sorcerer. (Charisma, Constitution, Wisdom, Dex) The cleric spell are base on Wisdom, and your domain ability (like flare from the light cleric or the electric attack reaction of the tempest cleric) can be used a number of time equal to your wisdom modifier, and sorcerer require a high Charisma for his spell, and decent Dex and constitution for survival, so using your 4th high score (16) in wisdom will make you able to use your cleric feature more often and power up your cure wound spell without forcing you to take life.   Eldritch knight/sorcerer spellsword combo: you can have your high strenght and constitution to fight in melee, use action surge to cast 2 fireball (or any other high level spell) in the same round, have strong sorcerer and wizard spell, beneficy from metamagic and from dragon resilience.
#10 Yunru Jan 12, 2015 5:21:44	You'll be one of the best Oathbreakers in early levels: They get +Cha to attacks at level 7, but between Str/Dex, Con and Cha most wouldn't have very high Cha. You could have maxed Str/Dex and Cha by level 4. Then you've good enough stats you could MC  normally mad things like Wizard.
#11 FaustianHero Jan 12, 2015 20:27:19	The rest of the team: Paladin, Bard, (Barb or Warlock or maybe something else), (Monk or Druid or something else), (Me)   Lsyandre: Sounds very cool, I'll take that into consideration if there is space in the front. Etcetera: Right, it's a great opportunity to take feats since stats start out so high. Sorxores: TWO fireballs?  That does sound intriguing. Yunru: I'll pass on this suggestion to our Paladin player, thanks.   Is there any synergy for a rogue/ranger multiclass?
#12 FaustianHero Jan 13, 2015 0:39:56	Hm, or Rogue/Warlock?
#13 FaustianHero Jan 13, 2015 18:37:57	Well, the Monk has reconsidered and is going Tomelock, and the Barb is strongly considering Bladelock.   So, two unarmored classes are open.   I'm considering Monk (with either Warlock or Rogue multiclassing). Or as Lysandre mentioned, Barb/Paladin.   Shadow Monks casting Silence seems cool, but do monsters actually care often enough?
#14 Yunru Jan 14, 2015 3:00:32	Monk suffers from MCing. MADness is not such an issue in your case but ki is still based on Monk level. Barb/Paladin would be awesome. Especially Unarmored Defense if you put high stats in Dex and Con.
#15 1eejit Jan 14, 2015 3:10:44	Barbarian/Paladin. Who needs plate when you are RIGHTEOUS?!   Reckless Attack works very nicely with Paladin smites, almost doubling your chance to crit. With a shield and those stats you'll still have great AC so it doesn't hurt you too much. Even Raging only hurts somewhat as it doesn't prevent smiting or Channel Divinity (though it will be situational).
#16 awaken_D_M_golem Jan 14, 2015 13:51:21	You could risk an 8 in either Wisdom or Dexterity, provided you have that Save Proficiency.   Multiclass like crazy, then around the Str / Int / Cha classes.
#17 ChrisCarlson Jan 14, 2015 14:28:59	My own uber high stat rolls (17, 17, 16, 15, 14, 9) went towards making a Half-elf Assassin/Shadow Monk/Archfey Bladelock.   I'm currently only Rogue 1/Monk 3/Warlock 2. But I'm already having a blast so far.
#18 Baphogoat Jan 15, 2015 10:35:46	I started with a similiar stat set (18, 17, 17, 15, 13, 12)  Ended up going Half-elf Fiend Bladelock and I am enjoying the character quite a bit.   My stats after racial bonues:   Str 18 Dex 18 Con 15 Int 13 Wis 12 Cha 20   We are only first level, but I have managed to get the party a surprised round in no less than 2 encounters with creative uses of Deception and the Friends cantrip.  And so far (after about 5 encounters) I have yet to take any real damage because I can easily blast a kobold and gain a nice 6 THP with Blessing of the Dark One.  Second level I will take Agaonizing blast and Fiendish Vigor invocations to up my at-will damage potential and my standing power (free 8 THP to start every encounter and refreshing them with a kill or just by casting False Life at will).  Eventually will wield a two-handed sword and be a very effective ranged DPR or melee once the fight closes in.  I am not sure I could do this character without having stats greater than what you can do with point buy, so I am glad this is the way I went since I could meet ALL the requirements for such a MAD character concept. at 4th level I will take Reslient (CON), get a +1 to my con to raise it to 16 and prof in con saves for my concentration (Hex will be pretty vital to the build I am thinking).  And eventually will probably take MC levels in fighter for Great Weapon Fighter style (rerolling 1s and 2s on 3d6 weapon damage seems pretty cool - remember I am counting an extra d6 from hex), or possibly Oath of Vengeance Paladin (for fighting style, smites and +5 bonus to saving throws at 6th!), and the Oath of Vengeance fits perfectly with the concept.   Sounds likw you might already have a Bladelock possibly though, so you may not want another - though the warlock has so much versatility that any two warlocks will likely be much different from each other, except for the spamming of Eldritch Blast.  Wizard X (Abjuration)/Warlock 2 or 3 sounds like a cool character concept to me as well.  You can recharge your Ward you get as an Abjurer with Armor of Shadows (mage armor at will), and give yourself a good at-will cantrip with eldritch blast.
#19 FaustianHero Jan 16, 2015 18:36:30	We've actually already got two Warlocks, Tome and Blade (Blade definitely seems like a great choice with high stats), so I'm steering clear.  We've also got a Paladin, but it could be cool to learn from him and become Palabros.   My biggest decision right now is Shield Master or Polearm Master. (Shield Master's second bulletpoint seems kind of useless, you get your shield bonus to the Dex save if it's an AoE that only hits you?)   Both seem like fun, either getting some defenses and trying to shove prone creatures within my weight class, or more attacks more damage.   I'd also probably want to rush Barb 5 first to get Extra Attack, before branching out into Paladin.  Don't think we'll be doing evil, so I'm going to need a different oath.   I'm also deciding on race.  I'm leaning towards elves, gnomes, halflings (though the latter two would have to be shield masters, or use quarterstaves).  Warforged are also on the table, so I could potentially have AC of 12+Dex+Con+Shield and really turtle it up.  I do expect the DM to scale up difficulty, we usually play high powered chars with high powered foes.
(Reply to #19) Macv12	FaustianHero wrote:
#21 FaustianHero Jan 16, 2015 22:17:46	Regarding Warforged: I did check with the DM, he said it would work that way.   Edit:  Eladrin and Aasimar are also in.  Eladrin could also be a cool option, Misty Step on a short rest recharge.  But not if I'm raging :|
(Reply to #19) 1eejit	FaustianHero wrote:
#23 Yunru Jan 17, 2015 1:26:33	Oathbreaker's cool because of charging into battle at the head of an undead army. That said A Vengeance Paladin/Berserker works, both conceptually and mechanically.
#24 1eejit Jan 17, 2015 4:04:14	Same for Ancients /Totems.
#25 FaustianHero Jan 17, 2015 8:21:08	I'm a big fan of Wolf Totem, it seems very potent.  Unless the party has someone else generating Advantage for the team (or they all do it for themselves), I'm going with that. I think Devotion gets a to-hit bonus, rather than damage?  And Vengeance gets Advantage, which has some overlap with Reckless.
#26 Yunru Jan 17, 2015 9:01:44	Devotion gets +Cha to weapon attacks as their CD. Paired with a good support spell list, it's not a bad choice. Or if you want passive support, Ancient gets a support aura for a more common occurance, but not as supportive a spell list.
#27 1eejit Jan 17, 2015 10:31:03	Ancient aura works almost like having the Bear Totem (force spell resistance included) , so you effectively get both benefits if going Wolf.
#28 FaustianHero Feb 15, 2015 15:53:04	Status report: Died horribly in the first fight against four CR 4 gnolls.  The advantage for flanking optional rule was used, and in the end everyone got dropped except for the ranged warlock, who got the last hit in.  I failed 3 consecutive death saves and died, the others got stabilized.   The DM is giving me an option to get revived, but I'm thinking I should go back to a ranged combatant.