Errata! 1: Even though Shifter was slightly altered with MoM, you do still have to pick an option at character creation and stick with it throughout - no switching it up :). 2: Mass Suggestion doesn't require concentration :).
Hey Colby or is it Kolby? I’ve been obsessed with the idea of a sneaky little guy since I was young but I don’t want that basic swashbuckling in and out type thing, I played a sneaky ranger for a little which was fun but I want more of a caster, so my idea was a goblin caster of some sort but don’t know which class and subclass of caster, I want to focus on mental attacks, attack rolls where I do T have to see them and bonus action hide or hide in illusions but the illusion wizard is super underwhelming until late game so I was hoping for maybe a tip? I’m aware your a busy adult but I just wanted a couple minutes of your time if possible
Just wanted to tell you.. my sis and I have been trying for over a week now to try and come up with a granny concept character who would be able to take care of the party by buffing/debuffing and taking enemy actions. Really glad you made this, but its almost scary how SPECIFIC this video was tailored for us ^^ so thank you!!
@@saeedrazavi4428 Yep... Once our Cleric starts up Spriit Guardians my DM pretty much hit's him with everything he can until he breaks his concentration or downs him.
15:15 The saying "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" means that you shouldn't criticize a gift, even if you don't like it very much. A gift horse, in other words, is a gift. The term gift horse is pretty easy to remember if you imagine the horse as a present. The idiom itself probably stems from the practice of determining a horse's age from looking at its teeth. It would be rude to receive a horse for your birthday and immediately examine its mouth in front of the person who gave it to you, as if you were trying to figure out the value of your gift.
Yep. It's just crass, in the same way that a present-day gift recipient immediately looking for a price tag would be. (btw, the expression is first recorded in Latin, by St. Jerome: equi donati dentes non inspiciuntur)
@@DnDDeepDive Particularly, looking a horse in the mouth, or rather, looking at the the teeth specifically, was a quick way to tell how healthy a horse was back in the day (and possibly still today, I'm no equestrian). When purchasing a horse, the buyer would often look at the horse's teeth as a quick way of assessing the value of the horse, akin to checking under the hood of a car or its accident history before buying it.
Suggestion: make an optimised build that is purely one class and compare it to builds that might fit the same role. Multiclassing does have downsides, such as not unlocking higher spell levels etc. It would be really interesting to see how, for example, the other tank builds compare to a kalashtar bear totem barbarian (resistance to all damage while raging) or an Ancients Paladin.
Warforged Bard: Bardbot Immune to all damage or status effects but cannot deal any damage or provide any help to the party besides providing background music. Travels via levitation but is so heavy that it can only support its own weight. *Will always play "Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice (Instrumental)" when inside a Weapon Shop.
A fully defensively optimized bear barb (which sadly kills around 30% of why play barbarian at all) with no magic item assumptions beyond ability to not have the weapon and shield be eaten by a slime or oversized puppy-roach has a total average 5.8~so lets say 6 RTD at the end against equivalent threats that are entirely focused on them or using Colbys final build values with Red Dragon and Meteor swarm case (depending on if in region and in lair) between a 21~30 and 9~12 ish RTD (variance is in big part due to their at 0 survive), if there is no other factors like rage drop, required movement, AoO, environmental changes, etc. And part of why he probably doesnt do pure builds is because they are effectively solved, even artificer. CoDzillas are still the same due to free weekly wish and megametamagic hp refresh shapes, extra item attune and saves on Artificer is delicious, Rogue and Pally 20 power being extremely variable due to subclass interactions, Fighter is technically worth despite Extra attack (3) really belonging at 17 not 20 and 20 should replace surge and indomitable with legendary action and legendary resists, Wizards, Sorcerers and Monks are complete at 18 so you really cant optimize them without MC, similarly for Warlock and Bard at 17 with their (and sorcerers) capstones being insulting in how weak they are compared to any multiclass, Ranger really cuts off at 15 with 2+ levels of druid or cleric typically being worth more than Feral Senses, Greater Resto and a up to interpretation case of if Conjure Volley with poisons and buffs on the attack replicated in AOE is even legal (and even then, the overall aoe is done significantly better by other casters far earlier and the theme and poison/ammo buff trickery is done in about the same way by you yourself from 3rd level spells on with Conjure Barrage).
Back in the day when someone would gift you a horse it was considered rude to inspect that horse in front of them. Like counting cash that somebody owed you in front of them.
To expand on what Patrick correctly said, the reason you check the mouth is looking at the teeth tells you how old the horse is and can help knowing it's general health.
This is the part of the week I look forward to the most, seeing a new character build and hearing Colby saying “Welcome Home” :). Also as for the magical secrets at Bard 10, I’d pick Haste but also pick Counterspell for helping defend allies from enemy spells. At Bard 14 I would use that next round of Magical Secrets to get Fizban’s Platinum Shield to finally be able to tank those endless fireballs or the Meteor Swarm
I think you’re better off with 3 more levels of bard instead of going cavalier. You would get the swords bard capstone, more magical secrets (Fizban’s Platinum Shield, Globe of Invulnerability), Mind Blank, one more ASI and eventually 9th level spells: Foresight, True Polymorph… With True Polymorph and Planar Binding, you can get a pet Hollyphant that has a aura blocking spells of 6th level or lower
For the first lock level, I can't but suggest wrathful smite If it lands and the opponent fails the save, it's very hard for the enemy to breal out of the frightened cause the action it takes to break out of it is a wisdom *check* so no proficiency bonuses to it AND they do it at disadvantage due to being frightened And when frightened, the enemy simply can't approach your allies if you're standing between them and the enemy Yes it requires concentration, but vs one enemy this is a massive shutdown spell at first level that eats away at legendary resistances Big suggestion
You don't want to look a gifted horse in the mouth because when selecting a horse in the past you would check it's teeth before buying. If it was gifted, it was good practice to not do it, meaning don't be picky with what you've been given for free.
I really love these tank builds. Tanking and supporting is always my preferred playstyle. I would love to see more support builds with a focus on buffing, protecting, and healing.
“Gift horse in the mouth” is because horses always have their teeth inspected to see dental health. As grazers, the state of their teeth directly correlates to basically how healthy/how long they’ll live. When it’s a gift horse, given to you, it’s still a free horse (in the days they were transportation/used for labor) Basically “beggers can’t be choosers” or that you can’t complain about something free.
Currently playing a Cav 3/Swords Bard 15 in a high level mini-campaign, ate the MADness and went with non-maxed stats (will say expertise in athletics with 18 STR is pretty fun when roleplaying a slim high-elf bard), and love it! altough as any full-ish caster, you end up using more spells than attack actions at higher levels, but having that soft-taunt and incredible ac has never been irrelevant in an encounter so far!
The Cav taunt is just so unreliable though. The “within 5 feet of you” clause means anything that can teleport will just get away and attack something else. Or even just WALK away and attack something else. I don’t think BB is enough to discourage enemies to stay put man. Would really encourage you to not rely on this mechanic in the future. I think it’s a trap
I've actually done this! Well.. not *this*, just.. taunting as a bard. I was playing a Halfling bard that specialized in illusions (as bards are want to do), and very often I would simply use vicious mockery so effectively that I would become the favorite pincushion/punching bag. It got to be enough of a thing that our cleric started buying extra potions and scrolls just to heal me or revive me when I would inevitably get knocked out; I had yet to master the art of multiclassing or building working concepts, so I was just a very squishy Halfling that got hurt a lot... it was some of the most fun I've had playing D&D
For the Magical Secret, I would go for Counterspell. I mean, Fireballs are hurting you so much, it would be nice to not allow it to be cast in the first place.
Also! Your Charisma check for Counterspell is boosted by Jack of All Trades! That makes bards, naturally one of the best Counterspellers in the game. And if you're looking at gameplay before level 10, it's arguably the best. Ajuration Wizards get the best boost to it at level 10 with their full proficiency bonus, Sorcerers can spend 1 point reroll a check at level 5, and Bards get half of their proficiency bonus to the check.
This is good suggestion but you might need to weigh it's worth against the new spell caster stat blocks that just use magic as an action and don't need to "cast" spells for most of their more powerful effects.
@@smorrison137 even if some foes don't "cast" spells anymore, a lot of foes still do it. Having Counterspell is still a very viable defense against the major "flaw" of this build, and it is particularly strong in a Bard class that has access to Jack of All Trades. I'm not saying there aren't other good spells, but probably still a very solid pick.
@@ProfBrunoClemente I agree 100% it's a great pick for magical secrets especially given Jack of all Trades, the only better counter speller might be the Abjuration Wizard. While very meta I would value Counter Spell more when running older content that doesn't make use of the new stat blocks and less with newer content that does. In the same way I'd be less likely to take Counter Spell in a party where several other characters already had access to the spell.
@@smorrison137 I agree. The only problem with Wizard is that it changes the build of the video, but it is also a great option (And Absorb Elements is on the Wizard's spell list, which also helps). But I'd also check with the party. Magical Secrets is such a great, versatile feature!
Excellent video! Do you think you could do a martial bard/sorcerer build? I saw one played in the EXU: Calamity special and I think it would be a fun character to build.
Between Bloodhunter's abillity to change immunity to resistance, the Poisoner feat's ability to ignore resistance, and Grave Domain Cleric's ability to give a creature a vulnerability which can coexist with said ignored resistance (Basically: 0^0 * .5^0 * 2^1). Poison is up there as one of the easiest damage types to make sure every enemy will be affected by equally in D&D. Just throwing this out there for anyone who likes poison but hates how weak the damage type is seen to be.
I really love Bard builds that aren't a cliche. This Shifter Warlock/Cavalier/Bard has a great roleplay flavour to it, being also a Bard build and a very effective tank. I can only hope one day you'll make a College of Spirits Bard. I know it's a stretch, I'm probably the only guy in the world that likes it mechanically, but one can only hope!
I came back to this video cuz I wanted to have an idea for a character I might play soon. One thing I noticed is for magical secrets you could take absorb elements and circle of power. For those that don’t know, absorb elements is a 1st level spell and is a reaction to cast and grants resistance to the damage type that triggers the reaction (has to be elemental damage), and circle of power is a 5th level spell that is an action to cast and grants advantage on saving throws against spells for allies wishing 30ft but requires concentration. Obviously these would do nothing for, the attacks against your AC, but would do wanders to improve the numbers against the meteor swarm. The spells recommended in the video are definitely better to take if you were to actually play this character at a table, but the spells above would be much better to take for the sake of the spreadsheet!
What do you think the viability of an enchanter wizard + divine soul sorc would land. I’m imagining a world where you bane, triple hold person with meta magic / split enchantment then do whatever you want to the group of paralyzed foes
You can tell the age of a horse by looking at its teeth, so “looking a gift horse in the mouth” is receiving a free animal but then being picky about how old it is. And so the phrase “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” means that if someone gives you a gift don’t try to overanalyze it and figure out exactly what it’s worth, just accept it and be gracious.
how many PBTPD abilities could you put on a character? is it possible to make a character that is essentially a caster, without having a single normal spell slot? maybe warlock spell slots.
Would it be a viable option to somehow go for the lore bard instead of going the swords bard route? By say picking spells from the magical secrets(I.e. spirit guardians, absorb elements etc.)?
I thought it would work too. You wouldn't be as worried about saves sticking with Cutting Words. Getting Absorb Elements earlier would help against Fireball. You could dip back to fighter for 2 levels to get extra attack if it mattered that much.
Magical secrets would also open the option to grab absorb elements to help against the fireball test, don't even need to upcast to get the full resistance, and what else are you using your 1st level slots at that level?
Horses had their birthday tattooed on the inside of their bottom lip. If someone gifted you a horse it was rude of you to look in its mouth to see how old it is. Just be happy you have a horse even if it's old.
I’m wondering what you’re doing for the upcoming 50k subscriber celebration 🤔 As always fantastic video and I really love you bringing your ideas on flavor back into the builds. Bring on the long videos!! Seriously though. Brennen lee mulligan for 50k? Eh? Eh?
Have you done a DnD build for a character that's purely focused on being the face of the party from a roll playing perspective? Something sorcerer with subtle and or heightened spell etc mixed with warlock or bard or something? would be good to see what you can come up with... Plus would be a change from focusing purely on damage and combat.
Grabbing Circle of Power from the Paladin spell list with Magical Secrets would help the fireball/meteor swarm survival test substantially. Aura of Vitality could help survivability across the board, though it competes with Slow for concentration.
One of my favorite things about this channel is your focus on flavor. Optimizing is fun, and I do it all the time. Its always fun to look to be the best you can be, and feel useful. But, without any flavor… it feels like a blank canvas. I love it when you choose options that *thematically* fit the character archetype/background/backstory. Many other channels are also good for optimization, but the reason I come here is for the flavor. Most of your characters are brought to life, and have reason to existing. Love it man. Can’t wait for the next videos to come.
My man... This brought back some memories. The closest thing to "family adventure night" was Everquest - it was me and my wife, my sister and her husband, my other sister, and my mom... Our group was a Mage, Enchater, Cleric, Druid, Shaman, and for tanking... Me, the Bard - "Hey, he wears plate, he can take a hit..." Yes, we had plenty of healing with a cleric druid and shaman, and we made it work for about 45 level before we needed to recruit a consistent meat shield... Except for the fact that I was a simple Half Elf - this is still a PERFECT representation of Deveraux Conteur. Thank you sir, what a great build.
This is great! This is similar to a character I created recently. Hexblade 1/ Eloquence Bard X where we RPd that my character became more powerful the more people he taunted, lied to, or deceived. I like the fighter dip if tanking is #1 priority but the extra Bard spells were too tough to pass up. Even eldritch invocations (mask of many faces? Agonizing blast?) might be more enticing for me. But that’s not tanking. Also I like Custom origin and shadow touched for shenanigans and to have 18 CHR at level 1. I was outhitting and terrifying everyone early on. I even disguised self to steal an enemy’s identity while they looked on in horror lol.
I’m not sure if anybody else answered this because it has been a year, but we “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” because it’s rude. When buying a horse, you would check its teeth and mouth for signs of disease, kind of like kicking a car tire (more like asking for a Carfax these days). if someone gave you a horse and the first thing you did was look at the mouth to see if it was healthy it would be really rude.
I'd probably choose Steel Wind Strike as a Magical Secrets. Even though the character isnt necessarily built to do damage, Steel Wind Srike give the opportunity for you to act as a tank and also take out several lower HP enemies at once in a pinch.
Looking a gift horse in the mouth: You can determine a horses age by its teeth, so with it you would look how old the horse is. Its an ancient form of looking up your present's value on the internets :P
Pro Tip: although Mass Suggestion is likely put to better use, this is your "active taunt" you are looking to employ; and if your DM penalizes the enemy for a suggestion it is already inclined to do, or if you know the encounter needs to be resolved by elimination of all targets, it might be your best use of the spell... get them all to attack you.
Or get Spiritual Guardians to have something to concentrate on against monsters who have legendary resistances... Half their speed and deal damage. Yes please! Another spell could be bestow curse. I play in a westmarches game where I play a cleric and a friend a wizard. We usually team up with bestow curse and silvery barbs to burn through legendary resistances if there's one big monster...
I’m using a variation on your Whip Build in a campaign (level 9) with divine soul sorc instead of hard levels, and I love how the tankiness/versatility is so satisfying. Even if there’s better tanks/damage builds, it’s let me add in front lining, and I think builds with some tankiness built in let you better fit into whatever team you actually play the character with. Thanks for the great comment as always!
The best "Taunt" at my table is a Cleric concentrating on Spirit Guardians. My DM pretty much does his best to solely attack our cleric until he breaks his concentration.
Most “detective/Sherlock Holmes” builds I’ve seen have great out of combat options, being great at crime solving but sorely lack viable combat options to keep up with other party members. I was wondering if you could whip up something to fix this issue?! 🤔🧐
I've done something similar with a rogue 1/knowledge cleric 1/ bladesinger x. Lots of skills and expertises, plus you know, bladesinger wizardry. You can top It up with skill expert and/or skilled for more skill versatility.
Part of me is wondering now how fair of a trade it would be to allow Hexblade's Curse to forgo the extra damage and bonus crit chance (or maybe even replacing the entire effect) with a soft taunt feature for this build, for some more synergistic flavoring. Just another thought for homebrewing things with your DM
Hi Colby, thx for another great vid. So you included Slow spell on this build but i dont remember if used on say the Abjurer build? Do you plan to do a vid about any changes for past builds.. and general comparison of all the builds? Cya
Compelled Duel is another Soft taunt that I think people often overlook. It's concentration and gives a saving throw, but it allows casters to get a decent soft taunt in the meanwhile. You can pick it up with Fey Touched. Might be especially good with Sorcerer for twinned spell.
Looks great! Might make some changes for my specific playstyle, but I've wanted to play another bard. The tank/protector playstyle is something I've wanted to try for a long time, so I'll go work with my dm to see if i can play it
report level 6: we suck at fireball report at level 12: we suck at fireball magical secret: which spell should I take... not counsterspell... on probably one of the best counterspell class in the game Then again, why are you using "soft taunt" when you have access to SUGGESTION at level 3 bard... I know the suggestion is DM dependent, so it can be weird at some table with horrible DM stock with the DM VS player mentality. But the suggestion of "it would be a good idea to attack me" should sound reasonable for 99.99% of reasonable DM in most scenario Mass suggestion do NOT require concentration, making it God like to force EVERYONE to target you
Just some side notes with Flourish. A) You get the extra 10' move EVERY TIME you take the attack action. +10 normal attack action, +10 taking attack action on action surge, +10 taking attack action from haste. B) When you land a critical and use Defensive Flourish you get the same number you rolled for damage so yes double dice to your AC.
Colby: Could a Changeling Druid use Wild Shape and then use Shapechanger to look like a specific animal? If so, you could impersonate both people and animals. If you added three levels of Hexblade Warlock, going Pact of the Blade, then you can create weapons out of nothing. This character would be amazing at infiltration? 🤔 I might even be tempted to add the Friends Cantrip and the Mask of Many Faces Eldritch Invocation. I wonder if this build would make a good villain?
I am actually playing a lvl 10 Valor Bard(human variant) oriented in mounted combat. I picked Mounted Combat , Heavily Armored and Inspiring Leader for my feats. My two magical secrets are Find Greater Steed and Destructing Waves . For my main weapon i use a Lance for the 10ft reach and keep my shield on . Add the Aid Spell , Mirror Image , Slow and Greater Invisibility then you are good to tank for a while on the back of a dire wolf .
Am I wrong that Variant Human, Warlock 1, Crown Paladin 6, Lore Bard the rest is the better overall answer here? Paladin give most of the same stuff fighter gets, but much better saving throws (hard to tank if you're incapacitated or otherwise taken out by spells. Damage isn't the only important thing to resist as a tank), overall party utility, solid damage option, gets extra attack much earlier / less painflul early levelling. Lore bard has cutting words which at the very least is gonna be super annoying to enemies, and of course gets extra magical secrets which just... unlimited options. Yes, gets bard going later and somewhat harder to say its a 'bard tank'... but still. *nope I'm wrong Paladin requires 13 STR. Dammit. Its a cool build anyway, I just hate in game waiting past level 6 for extra attack, for any character I'm playing that wants to get access to it.
I feel like someone is reading my mind, because this week I've been working on a Barbarian Bard (Satyr from Theros) who's a big tank! X3 Im going to have fun watching this video, edit later how this video helped!
I'm a bit late but I love this build. I've wanted to adapt Sigvald the Magnificent as a DnD character for ages and I just found out how. I may replace Cavalier with Battlemaster with Goading Attack for soft taunt and other useful maneuvers. Anyway thank you Colby 🙏🏻
I assume Dhampir would work great as well for this build. You wouldn't get temporary hit points, but you can just stack up CON and dump dexterity at 14. And it doesn't require a dip into hexblade. Just pick the dragonmark feat for +1 to CON, absorb elements and situational booming blade and it's enough
Great concept and an interesting build, esp if you're starting a campain at a higher level. I personally have an issue regarding your lack of possibility getting to bard 17 level (and 9'th level spells) for end level games. You took 1 warlock and 3 fighter levels so that only leaves 16 levels of bard untill you're a level 20 char. Depending if the soft taunt is needed or not, I might go for an extra 2 levels in warlock rather than the 3 fighter levels. You don't get the defensive fighting style, action surge or the soft taunt, but you get access to invocations and a Pact Boon feature. Of these invocations, you could take Fiendish Vigor allowing you to cast lvl 1 false life on yourself without spending a spell slot, and Devil's sight. Devil's sight paired with Darkness as your bard free spell, and you can now see where everybody else can't. And the enemy can't cast spells (fireball) at what they can't see, plus all attacks against you is at a disadvantage (unless blindsight, so damn you dragon). For replacement of the soft taunt, you could consider the Sentinel feat, where you can stop an enemy moving away from you if you can hit it as a reaction. This would at least protect your ranged members from 1 large enemy. My build suggestion would therefore be: 3 levels in warlock, Hexblade, 17 levels in bard. Sentinel feat, Warcaster, and bumping charisma to max (tough or resilient if you're a variant human). Perhaps slightly less tanky, but still very durable and it allows you to get to that bard lvl 17 for your 9'th level spell, letting you get the wish spell.
Rolled a hexblade/sword bard. My AC was high 20s most rounds. If I did get hit I'd cast shield to go over 30. Didn't need to taunt as my party members a paladin/ sorcerer and bladesinger wizard had greater invisibility up most fights 🗡🗡😱
I've heard this before, that a focus (such as a Bard's sword) lets you bypass material and somatic, but I thought it was just material components? Why does the Swords Bard not have to perform somatic components with a focus? Am I missing something here? I'd love to know, since my Paladin will be a PalaBard soon...
🙋♂️ I did see that Hobbit when I was young, but can’t remember enough of it to attest to quality. 🤷 Enjoyed the video. Thank you for welcoming us home.
two comments 1. THANK YOU you finally addressed the white elephant in the room, I cannot count how many builds you glossed over shield + the need for warcaster 2. please make a build around the sanctuary spell. I call it bubble, instead of taunt a well timed sanctuary (twinned) might be a good way to protect your allies
Here’s an idea for a riff on this build. A bear totem barbarian with ritual casting and comprehend languages. You’re A tank who is incredibly good at insulting people and you can comprehend all languages lol. I guess maybe RAW comprehend Language doesn’t say it lets you speak the language but the character seems like enough fun to spin it that way lol. Play it as a drunk and your a “Bar Totem” Barbarian 🤣. You know just enough to piss anything off.
Could you make a paladin bard/sorcerer build at some point? I'd LOVE for another holy warrior, this time minmaxed for smites galore. Maybe even a hybrid control build that keeps enemies in your reach with a conquest paladin with their 7th level aura.
I feel like this would be a more efficient video if you just went with Custom Lineage or Variant Human right off the bat so you can grab War Caster. Shifter really isn't giving you all that much, especially considering 1d6 temp HP isn't significant at later levels and can't stack. It's not a bad race, certainly, but I really don't think your house rule for dropping your weapon will fly at most tables (due in no small part to the fact that it would look ridiculous) and not having Shield online until level eight is a serious hit to this build's effectiveness. Maybe lead with the less powerful, but guaranteed legal option and offer Shifter as a more interesting, but debatably legal alternative to ask one's DM about.
Magical Secrets: why not pick up absorb elements? Haste is fine but absorb is more reliable and shores up that weakness vs FB and other AoE spells Other option: Steel Wind Strike for some mobility + dmg
I have been playing D&D 3.5 for 6 months and now I am starting my own campaign as the DM and it's an amazing chance to exercise my world building skills and character writing. Also, please refer to what books were used in the build cause 5e players that I talked to don't know which books I need to check to see a specific race or class archetype.
Been loving your content! Started following not too long ago and I'm making my way through you vast cataloge! Although not apart of the official content, have you thought of any concepts involving CR's Blood Hunter? Would love to hear if any! Absolutely love your intros!!
💀 & Crossbones Not circle of power for magical secrets? Make yourself super tanky and allies within 30ft? At that point you already got AC out the wazoo circle of power shores up the saving throws.
Hey, just now getting time to watch the vid of this past week. As far as play style goes i came from video games where I always played support for my friends. My current pc is a bard whos focus is support healing, buff and debuff and having lots of fun. Grsat video always love ur tanks and support characters. Tho did I miss did u suggest picking up counter spell with your magical secrets... to deal with those pesky fireballs of course
Hexblade dip memes aside, do you think the value it offers for optimizing builds is kind of what makes it bad design? I feel like a lot of times it feels like it WANTS me to go another class after that one single level while Pact of the Blade really mostly gets used by Hexblades... I personally have swapped the two features for my players, so you can enjoy the CHA for weapons on any patron but have to invest at least 3 levels
Make a build dedicated to the order of scribes wizard (you can change a damage type of a spell to another damage type of a spell you know, if the first spell matches a leveled spell of the second spell; upcasting sets it to that level, a 4th level fireball can get radiant if you have sickening radiance) this works well with fireball / lightning bolt and a) blight b) sickening radiance c) vitriolic sphere d) bigby's hand e) synaptic static; meteor swarm and psychic scream... prismatic wall and ravenous void the possibilities are nearly endless
I got to live my tank dreams last week. Warding Bond and 7th-level Spiritual Guardians up. 29 AC with option to raise it to 31 or 34 as needed. Silvery barbs in the back pocket to stop those darn critical hits. Dishing out hundreds of radiant damage every round while the entire enemy team wails on me to little avail. I dropped towards the end, but not before taking 151 damage and drawing the lion's share of the fire giants' attention. I would have stayed up the entire time without a string of three critical hits across different fire giants in succession. I also blundered and wasted my reaction on an opportunity attacks instead of barbs or shield or arcane deflection.
In the old days you would inspect a horse's teeth to ascertain it's health before buying it. However it might be considered rude to check the health of an animal someone gave you as a gift. (At least right away.) Saying explained! (love your videos.)
Hey! Would you be able to do an aberrant mind sorcerer build? I think they'd make an excellent stealth mage, but not sure how well the concept would work 1-20, would love to find out though! Keep up the great content :)
I dont think "Tank" builds in DnD make any sense and are complete memes. This is a very defensive character but has very little thread overall. The Player gonna feel bad for every other party member will massivly outshine them. Its just way more effective to build a character that does very good DPS while also investing as much as possible into defense. Then maybe slap the enemy with a concentration debuff and kill them while also beeing able to somewhat take a hit as well. Also lets be honest most character in 5e when taking some defensive options as well as having 14 con is going to be quite tanky anyways.
Aside from the soft taunts martials/gishes have (armorer, cavalier, ancestral barb, compelled duel, swashbuckler, goading attack, etc) the best taunt in the game for a build that's primarily a full caster is to be "one of the squishy casters." this is by default what enemies go after when there's no tank. so if you look like one of those, enemies will go after you. So avoiding full plate, having a concentration spell enemies want to break and having low hp will make you fundamentally attractive to enemies. this is why your abjurer can work without the armorer (it's still made better with the armorer though dont get me wrong as having more ways to taunt is useful), clockwork souls make good tanks, etc
Great build! My approach instead of the fighter levels would've been to maybe pick-up compelled duel using the fey touched feat for when we really need that hard taunt on a creature (I e. We can't get the positioning right or the creature is an intelligent combatant). If we start with a 17 charisma it's a good way to round out the odd score.
horses generally have really bad looking teeth, and since those might be repulsive, well, you don't wanna be looking for flaws in your gift, won't you? :D
I understand the idea behind switching to Meteor Swarm at the end, but every time you get to that point the idea of a DM throwing out Meteor Swarms every round of combat immediately tilts me. I would NOT be happy. LOL
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth... In olden days before u purchased a horse you checked inside its mouth(for what exactly I have no clue but something to do with the teeth or gums) and if you didn't like what you see you don't buy the horse.... So if someone gives you a horse(gifted), it's an insult to the gifter if you check the mouth... Be happy u just got a free horse
![[UNCUT] “บอสณวัฒน์” ลากไส้!! ใครหนุนหลัง "แม่ตั๊ก ป๋าเบียร์" I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 30 ก.ย. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QlD7mU2KKRk/mqdefault.jpg)
Errata!
1: Even though Shifter was slightly altered with MoM, you do still have to pick an option at character creation and stick with it throughout - no switching it up :).
2: Mass Suggestion doesn't require concentration :).
Got to that point in the video and immediately opened dndbeyond because I assumed I had missed that change in MotM. You got my hopes up for a bit...
@@ClintonJohnson1 same, I was about to ask my dm, “hey can I shift my shifter to the MoM one?” Lol
Hey Colby or is it Kolby? I’ve been obsessed with the idea of a sneaky little guy since I was young but I don’t want that basic swashbuckling in and out type thing, I played a sneaky ranger for a little which was fun but I want more of a caster, so my idea was a goblin caster of some sort but don’t know which class and subclass of caster, I want to focus on mental attacks, attack rolls where I do T have to see them and bonus action hide or hide in illusions but the illusion wizard is super underwhelming until late game so I was hoping for maybe a tip? I’m aware your a busy adult but I just wanted a couple minutes of your time if possible
Just wanted to tell you.. my sis and I have been trying for over a week now to try and come up with a granny concept character who would be able to take care of the party by buffing/debuffing and taking enemy actions. Really glad you made this, but its almost scary how SPECIFIC this video was tailored for us ^^ so thank you!!
@@Bootsofwings have you tried arcane trickster?
The sincerity behind the "Welcome Home" is tangible. I love it.
You belong here 😊
Ikr. His wife and kids must be so happy when they get back every day!
It's my favorite part.
I want him to read me bedtime stories of his dnd adventures
I think the buggest soft taunt is applying a massive debuff with a concentration spell and inviting your DM to metagame.
Concentration is the best taunt in the game
@@saeedrazavi4428 Yep... Once our Cleric starts up Spriit Guardians my DM pretty much hit's him with everything he can until he breaks his concentration or downs him.
Cleric: I cast Spirit Guardians
Druid: I cast Conjure Animals
Ranger: I cast Spike Growth
V. Paladin: I cast Haste
DM: stop taunting me!
15:15 The saying "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" means that you shouldn't criticize a gift, even if you don't like it very much. A gift horse, in other words, is a gift.
The term gift horse is pretty easy to remember if you imagine the horse as a present. The idiom itself probably stems from the practice of determining a horse's age from looking at its teeth. It would be rude to receive a horse for your birthday and immediately examine its mouth in front of the person who gave it to you, as if you were trying to figure out the value of your gift.
can confirm ^
This is my exact understanding of the idiom and its etymology. Well explained.
Yep. It's just crass, in the same way that a present-day gift recipient immediately looking for a price tag would be. (btw, the expression is first recorded in Latin, by St. Jerome: equi donati dentes non inspiciuntur)
@@voodoophil 😂😂😂
@@DnDDeepDive Particularly, looking a horse in the mouth, or rather, looking at the the teeth specifically, was a quick way to tell how healthy a horse was back in the day (and possibly still today, I'm no equestrian). When purchasing a horse, the buyer would often look at the horse's teeth as a quick way of assessing the value of the horse, akin to checking under the hood of a car or its accident history before buying it.
Level 1:(see above) [warlock 1, race, patron & needed spells]
Level 2:(see above) [fighter 1 & fighting-style]
Level 3:(@20:32) [fighter 2]
Level 4:(@20:49) [fighter 3 & sub-class]
Level 5:(@23:45) [bard 1]
Level 6:(@26:44) [bard 2]
Level 7:(see above) [bard 3 & sub-class]
Level 8:(@36:19) [bard 4 & ASI]
Level 9:(@37:18) [bard 5]
Level 10:(see above) [bard 6]
Level 11:(@42:25) [bard 7]
Level 12:(@42:43) [bard 8 & ASI]
Level 13:(@44:09) [bard 9]
Level 14:(see above) [bard 10]
Level 15:(@49:05) [bard 11]
Level 16:(@49:43) [bard 12 & ASI]
Level 17:(@50:09) [bard 13]
Suggestion: make an optimised build that is purely one class and compare it to builds that might fit the same role. Multiclassing does have downsides, such as not unlocking higher spell levels etc. It would be really interesting to see how, for example, the other tank builds compare to a kalashtar bear totem barbarian (resistance to all damage while raging) or an Ancients Paladin.
I, for one, would love to see a straight Zealot Barbarian or an Armorer Artificer.
Warforged Bard: Bardbot
Immune to all damage or status effects but cannot deal any damage or provide any help to the party besides providing background music. Travels via levitation but is so heavy that it can only support its own weight.
*Will always play "Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice (Instrumental)" when inside a Weapon Shop.
A fully defensively optimized bear barb (which sadly kills around 30% of why play barbarian at all) with no magic item assumptions beyond ability to not have the weapon and shield be eaten by a slime or oversized puppy-roach has a total average 5.8~so lets say 6 RTD at the end against equivalent threats that are entirely focused on them or using Colbys final build values with Red Dragon and Meteor swarm case (depending on if in region and in lair) between a 21~30 and 9~12 ish RTD (variance is in big part due to their at 0 survive), if there is no other factors like rage drop, required movement, AoO, environmental changes, etc.
And part of why he probably doesnt do pure builds is because they are effectively solved, even artificer.
CoDzillas are still the same due to free weekly wish and megametamagic hp refresh shapes, extra item attune and saves on Artificer is delicious, Rogue and Pally 20 power being extremely variable due to subclass interactions, Fighter is technically worth despite Extra attack (3) really belonging at 17 not 20 and 20 should replace surge and indomitable with legendary action and legendary resists, Wizards, Sorcerers and Monks are complete at 18 so you really cant optimize them without MC, similarly for Warlock and Bard at 17 with their (and sorcerers) capstones being insulting in how weak they are compared to any multiclass, Ranger really cuts off at 15 with 2+ levels of druid or cleric typically being worth more than Feral Senses, Greater Resto and a up to interpretation case of if Conjure Volley with poisons and buffs on the attack replicated in AOE is even legal (and even then, the overall aoe is done significantly better by other casters far earlier and the theme and poison/ammo buff trickery is done in about the same way by you yourself from 3rd level spells on with Conjure Barrage).
@@MK_ULTRA420 Boom-Bot
@@ANDELE3025 fairly certain that was episode 1 or 2.
Back in the day when someone would gift you a horse it was considered rude to inspect that horse in front of them. Like counting cash that somebody owed you in front of them.
Didn't really work out for the Trojans being polite, though
@@majordakka5743 lmao!!
To expand on what Patrick correctly said, the reason you check the mouth is looking at the teeth tells you how old the horse is and can help knowing it's general health.
@@majordakka5743 Lol, so good.
Funny you say this, here in the Netherlands we actually have a saying that goes 'don't look a gifted horse in the mouth'
This is the part of the week I look forward to the most, seeing a new character build and hearing Colby saying “Welcome Home” :). Also as for the magical secrets at Bard 10, I’d pick Haste but also pick Counterspell for helping defend allies from enemy spells. At Bard 14 I would use that next round of Magical Secrets to get Fizban’s Platinum Shield to finally be able to tank those endless fireballs or the Meteor Swarm
I think you’re better off with 3 more levels of bard instead of going cavalier. You would get the swords bard capstone, more magical secrets (Fizban’s Platinum Shield, Globe of Invulnerability), Mind Blank, one more ASI and eventually 9th level spells: Foresight, True Polymorph…
With True Polymorph and Planar Binding, you can get a pet Hollyphant that has a aura blocking spells of 6th level or lower
For the first lock level, I can't but suggest wrathful smite
If it lands and the opponent fails the save, it's very hard for the enemy to breal out of the frightened cause the action it takes to break out of it is a wisdom *check* so no proficiency bonuses to it AND they do it at disadvantage due to being frightened
And when frightened, the enemy simply can't approach your allies if you're standing between them and the enemy
Yes it requires concentration, but vs one enemy this is a massive shutdown spell at first level that eats away at legendary resistances
Big suggestion
You don't want to look a gifted horse in the mouth because when selecting a horse in the past you would check it's teeth before buying. If it was gifted, it was good practice to not do it, meaning don't be picky with what you've been given for free.
I really love these tank builds. Tanking and supporting is always my preferred playstyle. I would love to see more support builds with a focus on buffing, protecting, and healing.
“Gift horse in the mouth” is because horses always have their teeth inspected to see dental health. As grazers, the state of their teeth directly correlates to basically how healthy/how long they’ll live. When it’s a gift horse, given to you, it’s still a free horse (in the days they were transportation/used for labor)
Basically “beggers can’t be choosers” or that you can’t complain about something free.
My favorite part of the week
Right there with you!
Currently playing a Cav 3/Swords Bard 15 in a high level mini-campaign, ate the MADness and went with non-maxed stats (will say expertise in athletics with 18 STR is pretty fun when roleplaying a slim high-elf bard), and love it! altough as any full-ish caster, you end up using more spells than attack actions at higher levels, but having that soft-taunt and incredible ac has never been irrelevant in an encounter so far!
The Cav taunt is just so unreliable though.
The “within 5 feet of you” clause means anything that can teleport will just get away and attack something else. Or even just WALK away and attack something else. I don’t think BB is enough to discourage enemies to stay put man.
Would really encourage you to not rely on this mechanic in the future. I think it’s a trap
Why not Absorb Elements, Counterspell, and Fire Shield as Bardic Secrets, for help against fireball and meteor swarm?
I've actually done this! Well.. not *this*, just.. taunting as a bard. I was playing a Halfling bard that specialized in illusions (as bards are want to do), and very often I would simply use vicious mockery so effectively that I would become the favorite pincushion/punching bag. It got to be enough of a thing that our cleric started buying extra potions and scrolls just to heal me or revive me when I would inevitably get knocked out; I had yet to master the art of multiclassing or building working concepts, so I was just a very squishy Halfling that got hurt a lot... it was some of the most fun I've had playing D&D
For the Magical Secret, I would go for Counterspell. I mean, Fireballs are hurting you so much, it would be nice to not allow it to be cast in the first place.
Also! Your Charisma check for Counterspell is boosted by Jack of All Trades! That makes bards, naturally one of the best Counterspellers in the game.
And if you're looking at gameplay before level 10, it's arguably the best.
Ajuration Wizards get the best boost to it at level 10 with their full proficiency bonus, Sorcerers can spend 1 point reroll a check at level 5, and Bards get half of their proficiency bonus to the check.
This is good suggestion but you might need to weigh it's worth against the new spell caster stat blocks that just use magic as an action and don't need to "cast" spells for most of their more powerful effects.
@@smorrison137 even if some foes don't "cast" spells anymore, a lot of foes still do it. Having Counterspell is still a very viable defense against the major "flaw" of this build, and it is particularly strong in a Bard class that has access to Jack of All Trades.
I'm not saying there aren't other good spells, but probably still a very solid pick.
@@ProfBrunoClemente I agree 100% it's a great pick for magical secrets especially given Jack of all Trades, the only better counter speller might be the Abjuration Wizard.
While very meta I would value Counter Spell more when running older content that doesn't make use of the new stat blocks and less with newer content that does. In the same way I'd be less likely to take Counter Spell in a party where several other characters already had access to the spell.
@@smorrison137 I agree. The only problem with Wizard is that it changes the build of the video, but it is also a great option (And Absorb Elements is on the Wizard's spell list, which also helps).
But I'd also check with the party. Magical Secrets is such a great, versatile feature!
Excellent video!
Do you think you could do a martial bard/sorcerer build? I saw one played in the EXU: Calamity special and I think it would be a fun character to build.
Between Bloodhunter's abillity to change immunity to resistance, the Poisoner feat's ability to ignore resistance, and Grave Domain Cleric's ability to give a creature a vulnerability which can coexist with said ignored resistance (Basically: 0^0 * .5^0 * 2^1). Poison is up there as one of the easiest damage types to make sure every enemy will be affected by equally in D&D. Just throwing this out there for anyone who likes poison but hates how weak the damage type is seen to be.
I really love Bard builds that aren't a cliche. This Shifter Warlock/Cavalier/Bard has a great roleplay flavour to it, being also a Bard build and a very effective tank.
I can only hope one day you'll make a College of Spirits Bard. I know it's a stretch, I'm probably the only guy in the world that likes it mechanically, but one can only hope!
I came back to this video cuz I wanted to have an idea for a character I might play soon.
One thing I noticed is for magical secrets you could take absorb elements and circle of power. For those that don’t know, absorb elements is a 1st level spell and is a reaction to cast and grants resistance to the damage type that triggers the reaction (has to be elemental damage), and circle of power is a 5th level spell that is an action to cast and grants advantage on saving throws against spells for allies wishing 30ft but requires concentration. Obviously these would do nothing for, the attacks against your AC, but would do wanders to improve the numbers against the meteor swarm.
The spells recommended in the video are definitely better to take if you were to actually play this character at a table, but the spells above would be much better to take for the sake of the spreadsheet!
What do you think the viability of an enchanter wizard + divine soul sorc would land. I’m imagining a world where you bane, triple hold person with meta magic / split enchantment then do whatever you want to the group of paralyzed foes
Raises hand! ☠️ That was a real deep cut, singing a track from the original hobbit soundtrack. I love it!
Yes! Man I have no idea how many times I've watched it over the years, so much fun!
You can tell the age of a horse by looking at its teeth, so “looking a gift horse in the mouth” is receiving a free animal but then being picky about how old it is. And so the phrase “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” means that if someone gives you a gift don’t try to overanalyze it and figure out exactly what it’s worth, just accept it and be gracious.
how many PBTPD abilities could you put on a character? is it possible to make a character that is essentially a caster, without having a single normal spell slot? maybe warlock spell slots.
Would it be a viable option to somehow go for the lore bard instead of going the swords bard route? By say picking spells from the magical secrets(I.e. spirit guardians, absorb elements etc.)?
I thought it would work too. You wouldn't be as worried about saves sticking with Cutting Words. Getting Absorb Elements earlier would help against Fireball. You could dip back to fighter for 2 levels to get extra attack if it mattered that much.
Eloquence would be a good option as well wince Unfailing Inspiration would help allies while Unsettling Words gets the saves to stick.
Currently running a v. human hexblade 5 and sword bard 12 lots of fun and leans into illusions and misdirection
Magical secrets would also open the option to grab absorb elements to help against the fireball test, don't even need to upcast to get the full resistance, and what else are you using your 1st level slots at that level?
Horses had their birthday tattooed on the inside of their bottom lip. If someone gifted you a horse it was rude of you to look in its mouth to see how old it is. Just be happy you have a horse even if it's old.
Unless I'm mistaken, you choose what kind of shifting at race creation (even in MoM)
You are correct. He must have misunderstood why they changed the shifter from subraces to racial options.
So it behaves like the colors of dragonborn within a type basically?
Indeed - will pin an errata on this :).
I’m wondering what you’re doing for the upcoming 50k subscriber celebration 🤔
As always fantastic video and I really love you bringing your ideas on flavor back into the builds. Bring on the long videos!!
Seriously though. Brennen lee mulligan for 50k? Eh? Eh?
Have you done a DnD build for a character that's purely focused on being the face of the party from a roll playing perspective?
Something sorcerer with subtle and or heightened spell etc mixed with warlock or bard or something? would be good to see what you can come up with... Plus would be a change from focusing purely on damage and combat.
This is probably as close as I've come... th-cam.com/video/9AnwvG3Wff4/w-d-xo.html
Grabbing Circle of Power from the Paladin spell list with Magical Secrets would help the fireball/meteor swarm survival test substantially. Aura of Vitality could help survivability across the board, though it competes with Slow for concentration.
Use Aura of Vitality outside of combat and you can top out your party pretty easy.
60+ upvotes 10 minutes after posting an hour long video? The people love you my man!
🥰
One of my favorite things about this channel is your focus on flavor. Optimizing is fun, and I do it all the time. Its always fun to look to be the best you can be, and feel useful. But, without any flavor… it feels like a blank canvas. I love it when you choose options that *thematically* fit the character archetype/background/backstory. Many other channels are also good for optimization, but the reason I come here is for the flavor. Most of your characters are brought to life, and have reason to existing. Love it man. Can’t wait for the next videos to come.
My man... This brought back some memories.
The closest thing to "family adventure night" was Everquest - it was me and my wife, my sister and her husband, my other sister, and my mom... Our group was a Mage, Enchater, Cleric, Druid, Shaman, and for tanking... Me, the Bard - "Hey, he wears plate, he can take a hit..." Yes, we had plenty of healing with a cleric druid and shaman, and we made it work for about 45 level before we needed to recruit a consistent meat shield...
Except for the fact that I was a simple Half Elf - this is still a PERFECT representation of Deveraux Conteur. Thank you sir, what a great build.
For pbxpd, how about just "PBX"?
Great job and build as always. Curious what taking absorb elements as magical secrets would do for spell survivability. Worth it or not?
potentially... depending on how much elemental damage you find yourself running into :).
This is great!
This is similar to a character I created recently. Hexblade 1/ Eloquence Bard X where we RPd that my character became more powerful the more people he taunted, lied to, or deceived. I like the fighter dip if tanking is #1 priority but the extra Bard spells were too tough to pass up. Even eldritch invocations (mask of many faces? Agonizing blast?) might be more enticing for me. But that’s not tanking.
Also I like Custom origin and shadow touched for shenanigans and to have 18 CHR at level 1. I was outhitting and terrifying everyone early on. I even disguised self to steal an enemy’s identity while they looked on in horror lol.
#D4 #wajackoyahband why do we need to recycle leaders when there are other Kenyans who can lead Kenya
Hi! im really enjoying your content. This channel really feels like home.
is there an episode where you use an aberrant mind sorcerer? :)
Thanks! Not yet but it’s on the to do list :)
I’m not sure if anybody else answered this because it has been a year, but we “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” because it’s rude. When buying a horse, you would check its teeth and mouth for signs of disease, kind of like kicking a car tire (more like asking for a Carfax these days). if someone gave you a horse and the first thing you did was look at the mouth to see if it was healthy it would be really rude.
I'd probably choose Steel Wind Strike as a Magical Secrets. Even though the character isnt necessarily built to do damage, Steel Wind Srike give the opportunity for you to act as a tank and also take out several lower HP enemies at once in a pinch.
Looks like it's that great time of the week again! congrats on 50k subs by the way because you are right about there already.
Thanks!
Yes! 50k so deserved and so close.
Looking a gift horse in the mouth: You can determine a horses age by its teeth, so with it you would look how old the horse is. Its an ancient form of looking up your present's value on the internets :P
Pro Tip: although Mass Suggestion is likely put to better use, this is your "active taunt" you are looking to employ; and if your DM penalizes the enemy for a suggestion it is already inclined to do, or if you know the encounter needs to be resolved by elimination of all targets, it might be your best use of the spell... get them all to attack you.
my first dnd character was a goliath bard tank what a coinkidink
Magical Secrets: my suggestion would be:
- absorb element (think of the fireballs)
- silvery barbs (to make sure slow sticks)
Or get Spiritual Guardians to have something to concentrate on against monsters who have legendary resistances... Half their speed and deal damage. Yes please!
Another spell could be bestow curse. I play in a westmarches game where I play a cleric and a friend a wizard. We usually team up with bestow curse and silvery barbs to burn through legendary resistances if there's one big monster...
Wonder if Aabria took some tips from the wizard tank video for Critical Role's ExU Calamity miniseries. As always love these tank builds!
I’m using a variation on your Whip Build in a campaign (level 9) with divine soul sorc instead of hard levels, and I love how the tankiness/versatility is so satisfying.
Even if there’s better tanks/damage builds, it’s let me add in front lining, and I think builds with some tankiness built in let you better fit into whatever team you actually play the character with.
Thanks for the great comment as always!
The best "Taunt" at my table is a Cleric concentrating on Spirit Guardians. My DM pretty much does his best to solely attack our cleric until he breaks his concentration.
Most “detective/Sherlock Holmes” builds I’ve seen have great out of combat options, being great at crime solving but sorely lack viable combat options to keep up with other party members. I was wondering if you could whip up something to fix this issue?! 🤔🧐
I've done something similar with a rogue 1/knowledge cleric 1/ bladesinger x. Lots of skills and expertises, plus you know, bladesinger wizardry. You can top It up with skill expert and/or skilled for more skill versatility.
I watched that version of The Hobbit on television when I was a kid. Much better than Peter Jackson's version.
100%!
Part of me is wondering now how fair of a trade it would be to allow Hexblade's Curse to forgo the extra damage and bonus crit chance (or maybe even replacing the entire effect) with a soft taunt feature for this build, for some more synergistic flavoring. Just another thought for homebrewing things with your DM
15:25 The proverb refers that when you received a horse as the gift, don't check his age by looking his theeth.
Hi Colby, thx for another great vid. So you included Slow spell on this build but i dont remember if used on say the Abjurer build? Do you plan to do a vid about any changes for past builds.. and general comparison of all the builds? Cya
Compelled Duel is another Soft taunt that I think people often overlook. It's concentration and gives a saving throw, but it allows casters to get a decent soft taunt in the meanwhile.
You can pick it up with Fey Touched.
Might be especially good with Sorcerer for twinned spell.
Looks great! Might make some changes for my specific playstyle, but I've wanted to play another bard. The tank/protector playstyle is something I've wanted to try for a long time, so I'll go work with my dm to see if i can play it
There are a TON of fun 'Insults and Taunts' over at Drivethru -- I like the 'Shakespear' ones heheh Also dscryb is just awesome!!! Use it a lot!
report level 6: we suck at fireball
report at level 12: we suck at fireball
magical secret: which spell should I take... not counsterspell... on probably one of the best counterspell class in the game
Then again, why are you using "soft taunt" when you have access to SUGGESTION at level 3 bard... I know the suggestion is DM dependent, so it can be weird at some table with horrible DM stock with the DM VS player mentality. But the suggestion of "it would be a good idea to attack me" should sound reasonable for 99.99% of reasonable DM in most scenario
Mass suggestion do NOT require concentration, making it God like to force EVERYONE to target you
Just some side notes with Flourish.
A) You get the extra 10' move EVERY TIME you take the attack action. +10 normal attack action, +10 taking attack action on action surge, +10 taking attack action from haste.
B) When you land a critical and use Defensive Flourish you get the same number you rolled for damage so yes double dice to your AC.
Suggestion is a taunt! You suggest they only attack you on their next turn. Or command to force them to approach you
Colby: Could a Changeling Druid use Wild Shape and then use Shapechanger to look like a specific animal?
If so, you could impersonate both people and animals.
If you added three levels of Hexblade Warlock, going Pact of the Blade, then you can create weapons out of nothing.
This character would be amazing at infiltration? 🤔
I might even be tempted to add the Friends Cantrip and the Mask of Many Faces Eldritch Invocation.
I wonder if this build would make a good villain?
I am actually playing a lvl 10 Valor Bard(human variant) oriented in mounted combat. I picked Mounted Combat , Heavily Armored and Inspiring Leader for my feats. My two magical secrets are Find Greater Steed and Destructing Waves . For my main weapon i use a Lance for the 10ft reach and keep my shield on . Add the Aid Spell , Mirror Image , Slow and Greater Invisibility then you are good to tank for a while on the back of a dire wolf .
Am I wrong that Variant Human, Warlock 1, Crown Paladin 6, Lore Bard the rest is the better overall answer here?
Paladin give most of the same stuff fighter gets, but much better saving throws (hard to tank if you're incapacitated or otherwise taken out by spells. Damage isn't the only important thing to resist as a tank), overall party utility, solid damage option, gets extra attack much earlier / less painflul early levelling.
Lore bard has cutting words which at the very least is gonna be super annoying to enemies, and of course gets extra magical secrets which just... unlimited options.
Yes, gets bard going later and somewhat harder to say its a 'bard tank'... but still.
*nope I'm wrong Paladin requires 13 STR. Dammit.
Its a cool build anyway, I just hate in game waiting past level 6 for extra attack, for any character I'm playing that wants to get access to it.
I feel like someone is reading my mind, because this week I've been working on a Barbarian Bard (Satyr from Theros) who's a big tank! X3
Im going to have fun watching this video, edit later how this video helped!
I'm a bit late but I love this build. I've wanted to adapt Sigvald the Magnificent as a DnD character for ages and I just found out how. I may replace Cavalier with Battlemaster with Goading Attack for soft taunt and other useful maneuvers. Anyway thank you Colby 🙏🏻
I assume Dhampir would work great as well for this build. You wouldn't get temporary hit points, but you can just stack up CON and dump dexterity at 14. And it doesn't require a dip into hexblade. Just pick the dragonmark feat for +1 to CON, absorb elements and situational booming blade and it's enough
Great concept and an interesting build, esp if you're starting a campain at a higher level. I personally have an issue regarding your lack of possibility getting to bard 17 level (and 9'th level spells) for end level games. You took 1 warlock and 3 fighter levels so that only leaves 16 levels of bard untill you're a level 20 char.
Depending if the soft taunt is needed or not, I might go for an extra 2 levels in warlock rather than the 3 fighter levels. You don't get the defensive fighting style, action surge or the soft taunt, but you get access to invocations and a Pact Boon feature. Of these invocations, you could take Fiendish Vigor allowing you to cast lvl 1 false life on yourself without spending a spell slot, and Devil's sight. Devil's sight paired with Darkness as your bard free spell, and you can now see where everybody else can't. And the enemy can't cast spells (fireball) at what they can't see, plus all attacks against you is at a disadvantage (unless blindsight, so damn you dragon).
For replacement of the soft taunt, you could consider the Sentinel feat, where you can stop an enemy moving away from you if you can hit it as a reaction. This would at least protect your ranged members from 1 large enemy.
My build suggestion would therefore be: 3 levels in warlock, Hexblade, 17 levels in bard. Sentinel feat, Warcaster, and bumping charisma to max (tough or resilient if you're a variant human). Perhaps slightly less tanky, but still very durable and it allows you to get to that bard lvl 17 for your 9'th level spell, letting you get the wish spell.
Rolled a hexblade/sword bard. My AC was high 20s most rounds. If I did get hit I'd cast shield to go over 30. Didn't need to taunt as my party members a paladin/ sorcerer and bladesinger wizard had greater invisibility up most fights 🗡🗡😱
I've heard this before, that a focus (such as a Bard's sword) lets you bypass material and somatic, but I thought it was just material components? Why does the Swords Bard not have to perform somatic components with a focus? Am I missing something here? I'd love to know, since my Paladin will be a PalaBard soon...
🙋♂️ I did see that Hobbit when I was young, but can’t remember enough of it to attest to quality. 🤷
Enjoyed the video. Thank you for welcoming us home.
two comments
1. THANK YOU you finally addressed the white elephant in the room, I cannot count how many builds you glossed over shield + the need for warcaster
2. please make a build around the sanctuary spell. I call it bubble, instead of taunt a well timed sanctuary (twinned) might be a good way to protect your allies
Here’s an idea for a riff on this build. A bear totem barbarian with ritual casting and comprehend languages. You’re A tank who is incredibly good at insulting people and you can comprehend all languages lol. I guess maybe RAW comprehend Language doesn’t say it lets you speak the language but the character seems like enough fun to spin it that way lol.
Play it as a drunk and your a “Bar Totem” Barbarian 🤣. You know just enough to piss anything off.
Could you make a paladin bard/sorcerer build at some point? I'd LOVE for another holy warrior, this time minmaxed for smites galore.
Maybe even a hybrid control build that keeps enemies in your reach with a conquest paladin with their 7th level aura.
I feel like this would be a more efficient video if you just went with Custom Lineage or Variant Human right off the bat so you can grab War Caster. Shifter really isn't giving you all that much, especially considering 1d6 temp HP isn't significant at later levels and can't stack. It's not a bad race, certainly, but I really don't think your house rule for dropping your weapon will fly at most tables (due in no small part to the fact that it would look ridiculous) and not having Shield online until level eight is a serious hit to this build's effectiveness. Maybe lead with the less powerful, but guaranteed legal option and offer Shifter as a more interesting, but debatably legal alternative to ask one's DM about.
I like Randal's artwork, but W-O-W is it EXPENSIVE! No way I'm ever going to be able to afford to have him draw a portrait for me.
😱
Magical Secrets: why not pick up absorb elements?
Haste is fine but absorb is more reliable and shores up that weakness vs FB and other AoE spells
Other option: Steel Wind Strike for some mobility + dmg
*Sees title*
Dang it man, I have ENOUGH backup characters. T_T my folders can't handle anymore!
I have been playing D&D 3.5 for 6 months and now I am starting my own campaign as the DM and it's an amazing chance to exercise my world building skills and character writing.
Also, please refer to what books were used in the build cause 5e players that I talked to don't know which books I need to check to see a specific race or class archetype.
Been loving your content! Started following not too long ago and I'm making my way through you vast cataloge!
Although not apart of the official content, have you thought of any concepts involving CR's Blood Hunter? Would love to hear if any!
Absolutely love your intros!!
You don't look the thoot of a gifted horse...
"A caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes"
Bad English translation of a Spanish saying..
💀 & Crossbones
Not circle of power for magical secrets? Make yourself super tanky and allies within 30ft?
At that point you already got AC out the wazoo circle of power shores up the saving throws.
Hey, just now getting time to watch the vid of this past week. As far as play style goes i came from video games where I always played support for my friends. My current pc is a bard whos focus is support healing, buff and debuff and having lots of fun. Grsat video always love ur tanks and support characters. Tho did I miss did u suggest picking up counter spell with your magical secrets... to deal with those pesky fireballs of course
Hexblade dip memes aside, do you think the value it offers for optimizing builds is kind of what makes it bad design? I feel like a lot of times it feels like it WANTS me to go another class after that one single level while Pact of the Blade really mostly gets used by Hexblades... I personally have swapped the two features for my players, so you can enjoy the CHA for weapons on any patron but have to invest at least 3 levels
Make a build dedicated to the order of scribes wizard (you can change a damage type of a spell to another damage type of a spell you know, if the first spell matches a leveled spell of the second spell; upcasting sets it to that level, a 4th level fireball can get radiant if you have sickening radiance)
this works well with fireball / lightning bolt and a) blight b) sickening radiance c) vitriolic sphere d) bigby's hand e) synaptic static; meteor swarm and psychic scream... prismatic wall and ravenous void
the possibilities are nearly endless
I got to live my tank dreams last week. Warding Bond and 7th-level Spiritual Guardians up. 29 AC with option to raise it to 31 or 34 as needed. Silvery barbs in the back pocket to stop those darn critical hits. Dishing out hundreds of radiant damage every round while the entire enemy team wails on me to little avail. I dropped towards the end, but not before taking 151 damage and drawing the lion's share of the fire giants' attention. I would have stayed up the entire time without a string of three critical hits across different fire giants in succession. I also blundered and wasted my reaction on an opportunity attacks instead of barbs or shield or arcane deflection.
In the old days you would inspect a horse's teeth to ascertain it's health before buying it. However it might be considered rude to check the health of an animal someone gave you as a gift. (At least right away.) Saying explained! (love your videos.)
Hey! Would you be able to do an aberrant mind sorcerer build? I think they'd make an excellent stealth mage, but not sure how well the concept would work 1-20, would love to find out though! Keep up the great content :)
I dont think "Tank" builds in DnD make any sense and are complete memes. This is a very defensive character but has very little thread overall. The Player gonna feel bad for every other party member will massivly outshine them.
Its just way more effective to build a character that does very good DPS while also investing as much as possible into defense. Then maybe slap the enemy with a concentration debuff and kill them while also beeing able to somewhat take a hit as well.
Also lets be honest most character in 5e when taking some defensive options as well as having 14 con is going to be quite tanky anyways.
Aside from the soft taunts martials/gishes have (armorer, cavalier, ancestral barb, compelled duel, swashbuckler, goading attack, etc) the best taunt in the game for a build that's primarily a full caster is to be "one of the squishy casters." this is by default what enemies go after when there's no tank. so if you look like one of those, enemies will go after you. So avoiding full plate, having a concentration spell enemies want to break and having low hp will make you fundamentally attractive to enemies. this is why your abjurer can work without the armorer (it's still made better with the armorer though dont get me wrong as having more ways to taunt is useful), clockwork souls make good tanks, etc
So surprised this build didn't include some way to increase languages known.
Taking counterspell with magical secrets would’ve helped with the fireballs.
What about taking Counterspell with your Magical Secret at Bard 10? Would help with the fireball potentially.
Great build! My approach instead of the fighter levels would've been to maybe pick-up compelled duel using the fey touched feat for when we really need that hard taunt on a creature (I e. We can't get the positioning right or the creature is an intelligent combatant). If we start with a 17 charisma it's a good way to round out the odd score.
horses generally have really bad looking teeth, and since those might be repulsive, well, you don't wanna be looking for flaws in your gift, won't you? :D
I understand the idea behind switching to Meteor Swarm at the end, but every time you get to that point the idea of a DM throwing out Meteor Swarms every round of combat immediately tilts me. I would NOT be happy. LOL
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth... In olden days before u purchased a horse you checked inside its mouth(for what exactly I have no clue but something to do with the teeth or gums) and if you didn't like what you see you don't buy the horse.... So if someone gives you a horse(gifted), it's an insult to the gifter if you check the mouth...
Be happy u just got a free horse