u/Adventurous-Method88

Had a cool idea for a Bladesong Wizard that specializes in going really, really fast. Kinda like Laufen from Frieren. I’m just gonna plop my ideas here in case anyone is interested. I wont really be focusing on movement speed though. There are very few instances where excessive movement speed is ever necessary. A misty step covers a lot of those situations anyway. This character I’m thinking of will more so gravitate towards spells that can be easily be flavored as magic that enhances the reflexes or “speed” of themselves and/or party members. A lot of the spells I list are just going to be flavor ideas rather than a concrete checklist of spells to make a complete build.

Race: Honestly dunno, could go Tabaxi but like, it really doesnt matter too much. Vhuman is probably best but it’s not super important since I only have 1 feat in mind.

Class: Bladesinger Wizard. I had a pseudo martial in mind for this since the vibes just feel correct. Bladesong embodies haste. Enhancing the users speed, AC, and acrobatics. Not to mention you get extra attack and you can slip a cantrip into your attack action. Perfect subclass for this tbh.

Feat: Warcaster. This will work as a good all-purpose tool for when you cast haste. Your concentration will be solid and you’ll be able to cast haste as a reaction on your party members (Your buddies move out of your reach-> triggers opportunity spell on them-> cast haste). This is a great feat for this I think, especially because haste is so costly and punishing. EDIT: I’m dumb the reaction spell only works on enemies, get that ASI I suppose.

Cantrips

Booming Blade: Probably the #1 cantrip you’ll want. It deals thunder damage so you can easily describe it as a super fast attack and it works great with your melee options/extra attack.
Sword Burst/ Thunderclap: Mainly for the vibes, it hits multiple targets in melee range. Very speedy.
Blade Ward: Increases the speed of your evasion, causing weapons to merely graze you if they manage to hit at all. Also works with your extra attack feature.

1st Level
Gift of Alacrity: A solid initiative bonus. Rather than giving the target foresight, you could say it increases the targets reaction speed.
Shield/ Mage Armor/ (Absorb Elements ?): Similar flavor to blade Ward. These spells augment your reflexes for supernatural dodging.
Thunder wave/ Earth Tremor: Your swift bladesinging movements generate a sonic pulse around you.

2nd Level
Mirror Image: Better/cooler than blur. You move so fast, your enemies will be seeing double.
Kinetic Jaunt: A cool bonus action, increases your speed, and you can move through creatures. It’s perfect.
Misty step: It’s not a teleport you guys, I, I just moved so fast you couldn’t see it.
Invisibility: You’re faster than the eye.

3rd Level
Haste: It’s Haste, get that guaranteed reaction cast from your feat.
Ashardalons Stride: bonus to speed and leaves a trail of flames.
Thunder Step: Your table will just have to get used to the fact that you aren’t teleporting, you’re just really, really fast. This one deals thunder damage so it’s even better.
Slow: You become relatively quicker by the technicality that your enemies are now slower.

4th level
Dimension Door: Bro I didn’t teleport us anywhere, I carried you and then I ran really really fast trust me bro.

5th level
Steel Wind Strike: this spell is very anime, rapidly attack a bunch of foes with blinding speed. A teleport that your table actually won’t question when you explain that you’re simply just really really speedy.
Far Step: More speedy teleport shenanigans.

7th level
Whirlwind: Your Bladesong dance is now faster and fabulous enough to generate a TORNADO.
Etherialness: Your speed allows you to phase through solid objects like the flash I guess.

9th
Time Stop: Live out your speedster fantasies. Time isn’t really stopped, you’re just that fast.
Wish: Wish to be EVEN MORE QUICK

So I’m a bit lost on this character idea since I have a lot of cool options. The DM was open to the idea of letting me test a homebrew subclass we created for one of their games. The homebrew will be detailed here since it’s really just something we thought up for our home games. The premise is a ranger that has bonded with an ooze spirit that enhances the ranger physically, very much like the marvel character Venom. Any suggestions to making this build a cool one are appreciated. Here’s the jist:

Extra spells
3rd) Mage hand, Shield
5th) Mirror Image 
9th) Tidal Wave 
13th) Black Tentacles 
17th) arcane hand 

Lv3, Dormant Armory:
- Add 1d6 Acid damage to the first weapon attack that hits on your turn. (1d8 at lv11)
- While you aren’t wearing armor, your AC = 10+ Wis mod+ Dex mod

Lv 3, Amorphous Strategy:
- PB/ long rest,
- As a bonus action, you can use your dexterity modifier instead of strength for any weapon attack, damage roll, strength check, or strength saving throw that you would make for the next minute. 
- No more uses left? Expend a spell slot instead.

Lv 7, Shaped Strategy
- You can use Amorphous Strategy when you roll initiative instead of using a bonus action, so long as you aren’t surprised and still have uses of the feature.
- An additional arm sprouts from your torso in the form of a gelatinous tendril for the duration whenever you use amorphous strategy. You can have it shape a hand as needed. Attacks using this tendril to make an unarmed strike or to wield a melee weapon have an additional 5ft of reach. It otherwise functions as an ordinary arm would.

So these are the relevant levels. My dm also allows an additional feat whenever ASI is taken. I think it’s obvious here that Glaive/ heavy weapon + Shield is a good idea once I get access to an additional goo arm. I think I’m having trouble cuz there are so many viable options but it feels a bit overwhelming to narrow it down. Especially when it comes to fighting style…???

I feel as if GWM is nice, but my bonus action would constantly be overtaken by Zephyr Strike. If I go the polearm master/ sentinel route, I’ll have some great opportunity attack options but not much room defensively for shield spell or absorb elements.

I made a previous post about a dao warlock build I’m making and completely changed it since then to what I will now describe. Essentially I’ve decided to be an Eldrich blaster, using feats and invocations to push enemies through the spike growth spell.

Around level 5 I’ll have access to:

- Spike Growth, which I want to base the build around
- Repelling blast and Grasp of hadar to drag enemies great distances through the spikes with my blasts
- My DM allows a free feat along with asi (can’t grab 2 feats in the same asi, must be 1 asi+ 1 feat)

I was wondering if it would be worth it to take Quickened Spell from the Metamagic Adept feat. I would be able to set up spike growth as a bonus action and blast/ drag enemies as an action.
Since my Parton allows one blast per turn to deal bludgeoning damage I’m currently torn between Crusher or Metamagic. Any advice would be appreciated.

This dm doesn’t run dungeons all the time, usually it’s boss fights or a single larger-scale encounter per adventuring day. Sometimes we do dungeons but I imagine the generosity of rests my character recieves this will be an important factor in how effective Metamagic adept will actually be.

So I have a while to figure out this lv5 build till the campaign starts but I’m gonna layout what I have so far.

Race: So me and the DM homebrewed (on paper) a race based on the 90s tv cartoon “Gargoyles”. I’m a gargoyle obviously. The notable features include:
- +2 any ability score, +1 any other ability score (the usual)
- Darkvision 60ft. Size medium
- Climb speed = walk speed (30ft)
- Flight= walk speed. But only if I have light/no armor. Also I can only fly if I begin falling at an elevation of 10+ ft. Essentially I need a decent height to jump from.
- Poison resistance + advantage to poison related saving throws
- I can cast the “blade Ward” cantrip, PB times per long rest as a bonus action (like earth Genasi)
- +1 AC bonus (like Warforged)
- Whenever I begin a long rest, I become petrified and must stay petrified for 6 hours to complete the rest. I can’t revert to my normal form early either. I simply become dead weight for a while.

Other Notes:
- My Dm said that one of my Eldrich invocations can be used to allow my Warlock to make weapon attacks using charisma. (Unsure if it’s worth it but it’s an option I have)
- Stats are determined as normal, best to use point buy i suppose
- Level 5
- My dm also allows us to take a free feat anytime we are given ASI. Can’t take 2 feats tho. Must be ASI and 1 feat

My end hopes (if doable):
- Hopefully I can do this in a way that I won’t drop to 0 in every combat. The warlock AC/ MAD + a D8 hit die makes me kinda nervous to do melee

- Dao Genie patron, the spells and resistances feel thematic and pretty good

- Melee. Possibly a glaive, polearm master and sentinel feat look pretty good for this kinda thing

- invocations: Thirsting blade is a must I assume, but Eldrich smite looks pretty cool too.

- I am willing to use a bow (improved pact weapon), Eldrich blast, or even a different weapon if my defenses/ mobility won’t be able to reasonably keep up with incoming damage.

Thank you