The Anti-Mage - D&D: Optimized #29
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 июл 2024
- Our goal this week: to create a character who is an expert at shutting down enemy spell casters; they can stick to their opponent like glue, shrug off just about any spell that is thrown their way, and lock the Mage down until they take them out.
/ dndoptimized
/ dnddeepdive
/ colbypoulson
Character Concept:(0:00)
Level 1:(12:23)
Levels 2-6:(19:17)
Levels 7-9:(34:08)
Levels 10-13:(38:57)
Levels 14-17:(48:14)
Final Thoughts:(56:36)
Master Tank Comparison: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Thanks to LudicSavant for the amazing DPR calculator! forums.giantitp.com/showthrea...)
Music Credits:
Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Angevin 120 loop by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Fiddles McGinty by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Lord of the Land by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Master of the Feast by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
![Sean Rii, Karyon, Sharzkii - Taungule [My Love] (Official Music Video)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eJoMuypbSzQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I am literally watching this video while my infant son is sleeping in my arms. He jumped when you yelled "No!" About the race. And I promptly lost my shit when you apologized for waking the baby.
Awesome
Ha ha! That is awesome :). And also, sorry >.>
Ty for the heads up!
@@DnDDeepDive it's alright! It was totally worth the laugh.
Lol I was reading this comment right as he said NO
Rogue: Thief subclass (steal spell component pouch) as a bonus action. Damage done (not HP damage).
This is why I like the Mobility feat on Thief characters. Dash action upto 80ft -> Fast hands (slight of hand) as a bonus action -> poke with pointy bit of metal on following rounds. Mage Slayer is great, but Mobility is more useful in general.
Honestly an "anti mage" seems like a good subclass design for an artificer, use "tech" to combat magic have artificers get things like absorb elements, misty step, counter spell, and some subclass features that would be great against magical effects but could also have some use against mundane stuff like maybe a bonus action attack that deals a little extra damage but also nullifies sound around an area like a concussion grenade that deals a d8 of thunder damage or something.
I made a mandalorian themed artificer battlesmith themed that way, sorta to mirror the mandalorian vs jedi thing
better idea: barbarian who hits fireballs like baseballs (basically monk's deflect missiles, but against magic 'ballistics'; bullets, balls, and bolts, except lightning bolt, but LB would charge your weapon almost like having absorb elements)
What War Mage should have been
I wish there was a better spellthief subclass for rogue I think it would make a great anti-mage
The capstone for artificers is also amazing to combat spell saves, it gives you a +1 to all saving throws for every attuned item, up to 6
You are criminal under subbed, my man. Keep up the great content.
Thank you! :)
Agreed. I suggest this to a couple of my dnd friends now and then. Wholesome powerbuilding is a niche I didn't expect to find myself in, but I'm most definitely happy that I'm here now :)
The only downside to this channel: being unable to play all of the cool characters Colby creates.
Ha ha! I feel like a Dad with 20 children who only gets to spend time with 2 of them :P.
It's possible if you find a one-shot server
@@joaquinrodera3472 Agreed with this. I don't play long campaigns anymore and I find it more rewarding as i can try new character concepts more. So it's usually short campaigns or one-shots. And our DM never starts campaigns anymore at tier 1. We usually play tier 2-tier 3 if its a short campaign with milestone levelling (no xp hunting). That way we get to enjoy our character concepts for the bulk of the adventure (without trudging through the lower levels). Starting out at tier 2 also helps flesh out backstories, how the party members met and helps us enjoy multiclassing (which most of us do).
Time will tell
Solution: be more aggressive with your characters, so they die, and you can build a new stronger one.
"Endless Fireball Machine" also known as Pit Fiend
If the Pit Fiend is fireballing instead of attacking someone for 120 damage the DM is using it wrong.
@@5h4d0wBG There are circumstances where Fireball is better than attacking, but generally you are right. But that was not the point of my comment. I just remembered that there actually is a creature that can cast fireball at will and thus could be the endless fireball machine. (Although it has a different DC than the ones used in the video.)
@@dragondrummer3257 another option is just a mage who took fireball as a signature spell
@@captainkiwi77 With signature spell you can only cast the spell once per short rest without spending a spell slot (and you always have the spell prepared). You cannot cast it infinitely!
"If the DM is having the pit fiend cast fireball they're using it wrong" hmm, interesting, because I think what a pit fiend would realistically do, is send a swarm of weaker devils In first to bog down the Party in melee for a few rounds, while they fly overhead, and shoot fireballs at the party to soften them up, especially since devils are fire immune so it can blast you without hurting its allies. THEN after you've killed its minions and lost some hit points it'll fly in to finish you off, in true hell general fashion
A good way to get the use of counterspell could be through magic items like the Ring of Spell Storing
Came to RUclips for some art tutorials, then i see that charming mischievous grin of yours and the tittle: the anti mage
And now Im like welp this is what im doing now.
Ha ha - horray!
Level 1 see above [rogue 1 (race)]
Level 2 see above [monk 1]
Level 3 @21:41 [monk 2]
Level 4 @24:29 [monk 3 (sub-class)]
Level 5 @27:41 [monk 4 (ASI)
Level 6 @28:51 [monk 5]
Level 7 see above [monk 6]
Level 8 @35:47 [monk 7]
Level 9 @37:28 [monk 8 (ASI)]
Level 10 see above [rogue 2]
Level 11 @39:46 [rogue 3 (sub-class)]
Level 12 @45:24 [rogue 4 (ASI)]
Level 13 @46:09 [rogue 5]
Level 14 see above [rogue 6]
Level 15 @48:32 [rogue 7]
Level 16 @51:46 [rogue 8 (ASI)]
Level 17 @52:22 [monk 9]
The whole time you were setting it all up in the preamble I was saying, "Oh... he's going yuan-ti, right? It's yuan-ti. It's got to be yuan-ti. Colby! Just say it! Say Yuan-ti!" And you did. lol
Like I said, "ever one to try and please his audience!" ;)
@@DnDDeepDive Ha! I also am one who loves a feat at character creation and did a lot of variant humans early on. My group recently did what you brought up on the last "Sliding" and everyone gets a starting feat and it's opened up so many races. :) YOu do this a lot but when you mention the race you might pick besides v human and custom lineage, that's really helpful to those of us blessed with starting feats no matter what. Thanks man!
@@dungeondojo Yes have tried to do that every episode lately and will try to continue :).
In terms of strictly optimizing as an anti-mage, I'd honestly go for the satyr over the yuan-ti. Counting as a Fey rather than a humanoid (Although it can be bad if Protection from Evil & Good/Magic Circle/Hallow is in play) makes you immune to Charm Person, Dominate Person, Hold Person, etc which is a nice bump to your resilience against spellcasters, particularly at lower levels where enemy spellcasters lack slots of a high enough level for Charm Monster, Dominate Monster, and Hold Monster spells to use on you.
Admittedly the poison immunity and innate spellcasting are good features, but I feel they're less applicable than being immune to humanoid targeting spells for an anti-mage.
Hm... great points! I didn't think about the fact that you're not a humanoid...
Personally I’d rather be a cute goat person than a snake person
This with the Ancient's Paladin mentioned at the end would be awesome. Drop in 5+ levels of Hexblade for Counterspell and maybe the Devil's Sight/Darkness combo. I'd probably go to level 8 Paladin out the gate, starting with 16s in both STR and CHA, grabbing Shield Master at level 4 and CHA at 8. Then I'd make the swap to Hexblade from there. It's a long slog toward your Warlock powers, but picking up the Paladin defenses first seems like the smarter move to me.
Also MOTM updates the Yuan-ti so that they're only resistant, rather then immune to poison, so you'd have to convince your DM to let you go off the older version
I think Oath of the Ancients Paladin 7 or 8 -> Hexblade works even better than pure Pal here since you get Counterspell on Short Rest and you can max your Cha for them Saving Throws easier.
Sorry for the Necro, but yeah was really expecting a discount evasion (shield master) pally as the go-to. Possibly a conquest pally to lock down movement with fear or hold person for blocking spellcasting and auto crits.
As others have said, a bladesinger makes for an amazing mage slayer with many spell slots unused for counterspelling.
My group did a Dresden Files setting game, and I made a Bladesinger.
The character was a Warden of the White council of Wizards, and it was his job to hunt down evil mages.
An interesting thing about the setting is that it’s illegal to kill with magic, but this character does exactly what you suggest here.
It also helps that we homebrewed the Wardens’ Silver Sword into the game, which has charges for counterspell, dispel magic, absorb elements, and has spell absorption.
Still watching, but, imo the bladesinger could be something of a mage killer - it doesnt need to use its spell slot to damage the other spellcaster and reserve it to counterspell everything all day long while causing a good amount of dpr with your melee attacks.
Strong AC, great damage, counter spell, misty step to close the distance.
@@shajirislamuddin-caycho6659 with 40ft movement, misty step (possibly Spell slot free from tasha's fey feat), elven accuracy, counterspell - most wizards wouldnt be standing after 3 rounds...
Yeah, I agree.
My group did a Dresden Files setting game, and I made a Bladesinger.
The character was a Warden of the White council of Wizards, and it was his job to hunt down evil mages.
An interesting thing about the setting is that it’s illegal to kill with magic, but this character does exactly what you suggest here.
It also helps that we homebrewed the Wardens’ Silver Sword into the game, which has charges for counterspell, dispel magic, absorb elements, and has spell absorption.
@@-Lindol- an awesome mage killing machine - btw, nice setting! I love campaings where magic is kinda against the law!
Yea Colby! just make every build a Bladesinger lol
I actually really like the checklist approach; that seems more interesting for me than a raw numbers comparison on one matrix. Would love to see more checklists going forward.
Ok, be sure to check out the Wind Runner then! :P
Love your channel and all the optimization you do. Thanks for the content
I love watching a video years later. Hearing the creator talking about looking forward to 5k subs and you see they now have 155K is such warm fuzzies.
Just clicked on the video, but i'm going to make a guess
this is a sustained DPR build because the best way to shut down a mage is to kill them
You perfectly illustrate the problem I had when trying to create the character as I outline in the "Character Concept" :) - how to make this unique?
dont forget! it is a Custom lineage and uses PAM+GWM
and there is a high chance that EAcc and hexblade are also involved
@@geniumme2502 Hm... wrong on all counts :P
@@DnDDeepDive Indeed ;D
I love your videos, I just realized I wasn't subscribed and immediately fixed it. Currently my favorite content on youtube, thank you for all your effort.
Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying!
Have to say, I admire your commitment to Monks. I have that love for Rangers - a melee ranger is high on my list of what I would love to see you build.
Thanks ;) - On the list!
Small Suggestion: Could you add the Class you are taking levels of in the timeline of the video not just he level range? would help a lot in getting a quick idea of the builds and going back to certain parts of it!
@@flash1face1 it helps to get an overview and to understand the core strategy / interaction.
There are many reasons why that is useful:
- In many cases there is one interaction that is central to the character. this interaction may or may not be allowed at your table.
- You may or may not like that interaction and can already think about whether or not u want to play that character.
- you already have a reference point to similar builds
- you probably have a much better understanding of the choices if you know where a build is going.
- he would no longer have to say in the video: "dont worry it will make sense later" because it would make sense right away.
- It is the more logical structure than level by level. a character isnt optimized by going through it level by level but starting at a core strategy and optimizing around it.
- it makes adaptations to your specific table and rules much much easier.
sufficient reasons?
I think that the write ups he does are reserved for his patrons on patreon
Keep up the great work. Love that I found your channel early on!
Thanks!
Couldn’t stop at one. I’m going back to re watch all of your videos
The pinnacle two spells for Anti-Mage: Counterspell and Circle of Power.
If you can get those two, all else is absolute gravy.
So a watchers paladin then
@@tylergoerlich9494 Absolutely. A caster's nightmare, right there.
@@tylergoerlich9494Bard might be better for quicker Circle of power
If your DM wants to stick to the PHB for races and yuan-ti pure blood isn’t an option, choose a gnome. They get advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws (which is insane) and those usually only come from spells and magical effects
Had a similar idea for a mage hunter, before I knew yuanti was an option, I went shadow monk tabaxi, the feline swiftness is great on a monk for closing the distance on those backline casters.
First of all, thanks for the video, i can't believe i didn't discover you sooner (subbed), i'm known as the "munchkin" of the group, so these kind of specialized and min/maxy builds are right up my alley!
here my comments for future reference/consideration:
satyr is considered "Fey" so a lot of spells that work only on humanoid wouldn't work on them, that's to consider as well, for example, an enemy spell caster the higher variant of the "person" spells (charm person, hold person, and dominate person) which is a considerable higher spell slot to use, although i would take yuan-ti for that poison dmg immunity
the sneak attack also worth mentioning that you can't have disadvantage, it also works on other characters/npcs/monsters turns (reaction attacks on other turns)
lvl 1 enchantment spell that incapacitates the enemy: Tasha's Hideous Laughter, although the effects ends when the target takes dmg, but you broke their concentration, and you also made them prone and incapacitated
Also, only using DEX save dmg spells is a bit disingenuous, as there are a lot of spells that target other saves that could potentially destroy this build :/
This channel is ridiculous. This is awesome... Looking forward to watching this channel grow. How do I give this guy my money? This is definitely one of my new favorites.
Ha ha thanks! You know, I haven't even really looked into Patreon or RUclips membership things or whatever. Maybe I should... if it could help me quit my day job and just focus full time here... hmmmm ;)
Pg 183 of the PHB defines Dim Light as being synonymous with shadows. "Dim light, also called shadows, creates a lightly obscured area."
So even on the brightest of days, you should find plenty of shadowed areas that you can dart into and out of. And as long as the target themselves is casting a long enough shadow (ie: into an adjacent square), you could immerge from their own shadow to strike them.
Thank you so much for the amazing content. Your channel is phenomenal. 😃
Thanks! Glad you're enjoying :)
I like the idea of the mageslayer and how it can be done on many different ways in 5e since there aren’t super specific mechanics that pull directly in that direction.
My mageslayer standby is a paladin multiclass with sorcerer. 6-7 paladin depending on the paladin subclass, the rest sorcerer. Extra attack with smites seems like a wonderful way to make use of slots in a way that can’t be counterspelled. Divine soul gives the ability to quicken a silence spell leaving the action available to grapple in place, can really shutdown most casters.
Tashas mind whip is now a powerful option to potentially inhibit multiple casters over a larger area too if quickened.
I really enjoyed that one, as usual. I've been trying to come up with a decent Rogue / Monk multi-class but hadn't thought of something with such a specific concept. I'm enjoying these concept first builds, they remind me of the Rogue Specialists in 2nd and 3rd edition, after the Thieves Handbook came out, designed as NPCs really. Someone you hire for a specific task. 5e could use more of the follower mechanics, I know we got sidekicks in Tasha's but I haven't read that yet, maybe that fixes it. Nonetheless, great vid Colby, great build. Thank you.
The Shield spell would also be a nice inclusion. Not only helps against spell attacks a little but it also shuts down any attempts at magic missile, one of the only instances in which a spell allows you to take no damage from another specified spell.
Wheee! I'm mixing it up. Hi Colby, I'm looking forward to this one.
I think whispers bard instead of arcane trickster could be interesting for still getting expertise, still getting great sneak attack style damage, and gaining access to a lot more utility/debuff as well as counterspell
The intro fits me exactly! It feels good to be home!
Welcome home!
I really like all the bits in this build, I had curse of Strahd on the brain lately, this would be a cool as an assassin sent to destroy the evils there or be from the valley as an member of an order to destroy their enemies and take over themselves.
Bladesinger is a great way to get Counterspell, and with Tasha's changes they have some great Monk synergy (aside from a bit of MADness that can be managed by spell choice.) With their Extra Attack feature at lvl6, you can cast Booming Blade, make a rapier attack (proficiency courtesy of Bladesong, monk weapon courtesy of Tasha's) and then also make a bonus action martial arts attack (or another rapier attack with Ki-fueled Attack if you used Stunning Strike during the attack action.) Also prevents doubling up on Evasion (though you may still want 2-3 levels of Rogue for all the roguishness.)
Loving it! Another gem.
Thanks for making a home for all these nerds Colby!
Haven’t watched yet but very hyped. Down with the Mages!!!
Just found your channel. Your content is solid and well thought out. I hope your channel is able to grow
Also your presentation on-screen presence has been getting stronger as well.
Thanks!
@@radicalcentrist5219 ha thanks - I do watch those early vids and feel slightly cringe at my rigidity. I was a little nervous :).
The problem with Darkness and Shadow Step is Darkvision can’t see into the Darkness spell so you can’t cast Darkness and then Shadow Step into or out of it.
As someone who played Shadow Monk for a long time, I can confirm that this was the worst oversight in its design. Especially playing alongside a Shadow Sorcerer who specifically has a clause sidestepping this issue (They can see in the Darkness they cast.)
That's why I multiclass it with the Gloomstalker Ranger. In addition to superior Darkvision, you also have access to the Blind Fighting style. It's only 10 feet but it will still help with adding mobility to your advantage.
This build concept completely turned the vigilante character concept I had spinning wheels in the back of my brain into the character I am definitely playing the next chance I get.
P'o the White
Using the Rakdos Cultist background from Ravnica reskinned and rededicated to whatever abyssal Ophidian nightmare holds the contract on his soul that he signed away in order to undermine and destroy powerful practitioners of the arcane arts.
Haven’t watched it yet, I’m just excited
Only problem I can see is your shadow step requires you to be able to see where you are going to, but the darkness spell you can cast blocks darkvision so you would need devils sight or something like that to shadow step next to a mage you put in darkness.
Unless I missed something, I was doing stuff around the house while listening, lol
Great build, by the way. My next character is probably going to be a monk so it’s good to get ideas.
Thanks! You know, I thought about that, but I think you could still get there: we're told we can teleport to "an unoccupied space you can see..." I don't know that the magical darkness necessarily prevents you from seeing the space, if that makes sense. No, I couldn't see inside it once I got there, but I can still see the place I want to go - it's that big blob of darkness right there... I'm sure some DMs would say no, but I think you've got an argument at the very least... hopefully with Prestidigitation you won't need to depend on that little trick too often either way. Try to avoid fighting outside in the middle of the day if at all possible! :P
I haven't watched all of your episodes yet, but this build is my favorite so far. If I were to play it I'd go with Satyr, pushing wisdom before dex, and maybe choose a different rogue archetype (something more int or cha themed)... definitely not as dominating as your anti-mage build, but more up my ally for what I'd be interested in playing. Great job, keep it up.
Thanks - glad you enjoyed! Yeah, upon reflection, the Satyr definitely has some strong advantages being fey, and thus making them immune to all the "person" spells (charm, hold, etc.)
Great video, surprised not to see the paladin build for this off the bat, with maybe a few levels of Bard. Happy to see a very unique take that would differ from what I've played and a nice mention for the more typical build at the end
Did you see the alternative in the "Final Thoughts?" Pally is definitely a good option, no doubt.
The parts where you go on a little tangent on how cool Monks are are very relatable. The class lets you get away with the dumbest shenanigans ever devised and that's what I love about them. Crawling in the rafters of a tavern while invisible (powder) and tossing bottles into corners to sneak away after we caused some ruckus, jumping on enemies from great heights to do Assassin's Creed -style aerial attacks, that one time when I'd been captured and I taunted my jailor into shooting me, or any of the million times I jumped off of rooftops for no other reason than because I could. Monks are just the coolest and no amount of reddit posts saying they're underpowered can change that.
#preach
Hi Colby. It's great the you're doing the community polls! keep it up. :)
Now as for the build, IMO you're making it too complicated. You don't need to tick off all those boxes. I do appreciate though that you wanted to veer away from just going the dmg route and eliminating the mage outright (so easy to do this at range with a high initiative archer/blaster).
if i were to take a crack at this and not focus on dmg, the only things needed really are:
1. high initiative
2. a control spell that renders the mage incapable of casting spells (silence, hold, etc)
3. a way to cirvumvent the possibility of counterspell (subtle spell metamagic or aberrant mind sorc)
4. a way to ensure the control measure sticks like grappling the mage inside the silence area or save penalties to hold (like via eloquence bard)
5. action surge from fighter of course to swing action economy your way
bonus: teleportation/flight options so you can get to enemy mages hiding behind environment stuff or other allies
6. counterspell of course to counter contingency effects.
There's no need to really focus on saves, tankiness or even dmg to break concentration. The best mage-killer is actually another mage with higher initiative.
I like this build and may actually play it one day
I recently made a character who was a Satyr Oath of the Ancients Dexadin. They have advantage on saving throws against spells, resistance to spell damage, Resilient Con to benefit their own concentration, and High Charisma which benefits all of their saving throws. They're a very effective magic damage sponge, but I couldn't really find room for the Mage Slayer feat with how MAD they already were.
Currently playing the same build except I took reslient Dex instead. It gives me an insane dex save of +11 at level 6 although I rolled really good stats
I really like this build. I'm wondering about the pros/cons of finishing this of with Lv. 18 (AT9), Lv. 19-20 (Twilight Cleric 2)?
I would love to see a full video on the oath of the ancients build you mentioned!
Thanks for the content.
I loved the reference to dota, the flavor for storybuilding is not even forced for this character.
So happy you chose Yuan-ti. I actually saw this video while looking for more Yuan-ti lore. They have whole sections of their society that hunt down mages that get a little too liberal with digging into foreign affairs and colonizing/adventuring. Perfect!
Love the creativity in this Colby!
Honestly I'm trying to avoid custom lineage entirely in my characters bc I feel like if you have a good multiclass concept it can be a trap with the +2/feat vs a +2/+1 or +2/+2 set race.
Another concept for a mageslayer I've seen is a combination Oath of Ancients or Watcher's Paladin with a Horizon Walker. The Mage-slaying capability of a dex-based half caster w/ access to counterspell, studded leather armor, and the ability to turn all damage into force/radiant damage (both of which cannot be absorbed) has proved deadly in a Horror 1-shot I ran.
Thanks! And I like this combo!
I would have guessed Oath of the Ancients Paladin to be the first choice, but I totally understand your sentiments! Another fun concept. :D
I'm waiting for that Kaladin Paladin build. ;)
Cool, was wanting to see a build like this, fun setup with the monk/rogue. Well done!
As you highlighted in your epilogue, my first thought was Pally, though I waffle between Vengeance and Redemption instead of Ancients. On thinking on it more, I got stuck in my head how to get Antimagic Field as a capstone. And to thematically fit a Yuan-Ti, I thought go with 5 levels of Vengeance Pally for the attack and mobility items, then run Trickery domain cleric 15 levels. Sadly you miss the Pally lv 6 bonus to saves, but you get lots of cleric to make up for it and if you throw the poisoner feat in there and the poison damage from Trickery, you just get some snake lovin’ fun. A variant on it if not running for Antimagic Field is grab Redemption to at least 9th for Counterspell, then switch to Trickery cleric for some extra channel divinity and cleric spell flexibility. Only main drawback for Pally/cleric multi is the stats, end up with up to four needed (Str, con, wis, Cha). Slight mitigation can be done by shorting Cha if you don’t lean on any Pally powers that have a enemy save.
Lol posted a comment while I was watching and you described mostly my build idea at the end of the video. Missing sentinel, mage Slayer, blindsight fighting style, and fog cloud/darkness/silence from sorcerer multiclass. (Probably divine soul sorcerer for roleplay reasons). Warcaster might also be a good option after multiclassing into sorcerer.
I'm 12 minutes in and wooo dota! Just wanted to say that the concept reminded me of something else. In the tabletop wargame Warmachine there is an entire faction called the Retribution of Scyrah that is composed of fanatical Elves devoted to saving their race by wiping out human magic users. There are a lot of variations on the mage hunter idea inside their army and they have a fantastic aesthetic. I also remember that setting (Iron Kingdoms) having an rpg using d&d 3.5 including rules for mage hunters.
I built a character with this concept that was a Satyr sword bard/swashbuckler 7. Takes a while to come online and you need to use magical secrets for counterspell, It gets you in close to take advantage of mage slayer, and lets you use Jack of All Trades for the counterspell buff. It also gets you silence, and other spells that could help either increase damage or interfere with a mage (blindness for instance so they can't target some spells). The rogue gets you evasion, and swashbuckler lets you be off on your own to get the sneak attack damage once you close in. plus there is charisma synergy between the two. Satyr's have the magic resistance and increased movement speed to close distance, and it doesn't matter as much if your party can keep up due to swashbuckler. In addition satyr's are fey and are immune to some common disabling spells that enemies are likely to have. I couldn't decide if i wanted to take sword bard all the way up to 13 or if i maybe wanted another dip, like maybe paladin or warlock.
I'm not sure quite how to quantify this build. Perhaps damage mitigated per round. Since it focuses on stopping spells from being cast and it saves that damage from party members as well. Maybe some combination of that with damage per round as a secondary measure to quantify how much damage you can do while shutting them down. There would be a balance required because some characters could shut down enemy mages but not deal damage at the same time to take them down while they are shut down.
I assumed gnome Oath of Ancients paladin with bard for counterspell / dispel magic and shield master feat. Cool to see your version!
Love the build, I've actually built out a Yuan-Ti Oath of the Ancients Paladin & Lore Bard for this specific purpose. With the additional magic secrets my intent was to take counterspell since bards get to add their Jack of All Trades bonus to it.
Thanks! ooo... I like that!
9 months later this is still my favorite d4 build and I consider yuan ti for almost everything
I've tried changing the rogue class in this build for a monster slayer ranger. It has a lot of synergy, more defenses and almost the same offensive potential.
I made an antimage character, I used to love casting Darkness on a dagger, and throwing it at the enemy's foot. If it hits, i have a 1d4 headstart. (Multiclassed with warlock and had devils sight. this was before the eldritch adept feat.)
Hey Colby. This would be an amazing Yuan Ti monster to prepare as a simplified stat block for DMs to run against PCs.
For your next mage slayer, I would really like to see a damage report considering the slayer's efficacy against spells forcing a WIS save and a CON save. Fireball is a great example but DEX is just one of the three most common save types.
I always write these before I watch.. so lets see how close we are.
Pure blood, (adv vs spells) Lv 5 War Wizard (+4 saves, counter spell, Hold person, ) Lv 13 Rogue Trickster Lv 2 Fighter (Cast 2 spells as needed) Trickster gives disadvantage on spell saves and a advantage to hit
While I think this would be viable, you were about half right! :)
Magic missile is super strong for breaking concentration until high levels especially when upcast due to the multiple con saves might be worth consideration for future builds like this
you should do a build with unarmed attacks based on strength.
I was thinking about this earlier and decided it would be best to go crusher feat custom lineage/variant human and go barbarian/rune knight fighter with the unarmed fighting style
Did you come across any options to add more elemental damage resistances or immunities at lower levels before you took absorb elements?
A Neverending fireball machine you say? You sir have given me an idea for a dungeon deathtrap.
/hide
I loved the custom lineage bit
Little late to this game but you just gave me a great idea for a Nightcrawler build; presuming your DM is unreasonable (no minor illusion/prestidigitation cheese) or you just happen to be outside at high noon, you can still pull off the build with a 2 dip in Twilight Cleric; for 1 minute you're in dim light. Personally I would dip 2 Fighter as well to get the Action Surge, but that's just because I like the idea, on Round 1, of Move 30ft, Action Surge - Darkness (on arrow), Attack (60 foot opponent), Bonus - Shadow Step 60ft, retrieve arrow and fire it at caster w/in 60 feet... presuming your caster is at the back and less than 150 feet away (most DMs I know don't build battle maps that big). Many spells have "that you can see" targets, so mage May be locked down until they ditch the arrow sticking out of them, ;p
@d4: D&D Deep Dive Any idea what race should be picked with this build in bg3 ?
Added a comment to the bladesinger Video, but wanted to comment here for visibility.
"Have you thought about blending the Bladesinger and the Armorer Artificer? 3 levels of Armorer gets you two melee weapons that use Int to hit and damage, and while the class gives you proficiency with heavy armor, you can make even light armor your arcane armor.
This would let you start bladedancing at level 5 with a weapon that 1) costs more than one gold piece and 2) uses your Int to hit and damage, as well as applying disadvantage to the opponent against everyone but you. by level 9 you can now be swinging 2 times splicing in the booming blade cantrip for 1d8+6+1d8/1d8+6 (because we can infuse our gauntlet to be +1), while also maintaining our concentration spells, with the artificer Con proficiency, which saved us a Feat slot. Oh, and when we get to level 17 we add 2x our int to our damage rolls.
You can start 18 Int this way, and just ride out the early levels in infused medium or heavy armor until you get Bladedancing at 5. Dex need not be as extremely high because we are using it for fewer things.
Only downside to the build is losing 9th level spells, though at 18th you get 9thlvl spell slots thanks to multiclassing rules, which still lets Animate objects shred things."
Love it!
I can see this build used for the main henchmen for the end boss.
Had you considered a shadow monk death cleric combination?
I am in process of running one on my wednesday game, and the channel divinity gives you powerful burst, and shadowstep seems to synergize well w upcasting inflict wounds.
Could do something very similar in terms of yuan ti race and stats, im thinking of going shadow monk till 7-8 and death cleric 12-13 for a very tough anti mage.
I like it - strong burst!
Just wondering if monk of the astral self wouldn't be a more survivable mage killer? they get deflect energy ar 11th level so only sacrificing 2 levels of rogue.
I know nature cleric is considered a weak cleric subclass, but did you consider trying to work in the dampen elements feature to help protect your allies? It is a bit of an investment, but you would get the addad bonus of dispel magic, and you already have the prerequisite wisdom score.
Here's an idea for an anti mage: hexblade with mage slayer
Another idea: assassin gloomstalker no extra feat needed
Another idea: tabaxi charger build just get mage slayer again and arcane initiate for zephyr strike
Another idea: open hand with mage slayer
Tldr any build that's fast and/or disruptive and/or has mobility and/or has burst.
Taking one of the above examples: ass stalker drow just ambush the caster at night so you have 150dv you can get sharpshooter for the -5+10 you'll be rolling with advantage and crit if you hit anyway, first round you do 3 attacks with the first doing extra d8+SA and since it's dark due to you picking the ambush you're also invisible for DV plus nothing can see 150 away in DV and you just lay into the target.
You can also take elven accuracy for 3d20 rolls for extra reliability.
Addendum: the best anti mage is the one that doesn't let the caster cast any spells.
On that note: hexblade bladelock with relentless hex, counterspell, darkness+devils sight, improved pact weapon so they can do ranged attacks as well. Getting the mage slayer feat is just a bonus so you can really be a dick to the casters if your burst isn't enough.
Hbc, mirror image or another defensive spell, move up ready to counterspell, next turn move up, bamf and lay into the target and ready to cancel casting with your reactions. Also taking sentinel will lock the caster in place.
Really the only thing making you an "anti mage" is the feat, everything else is just normal.
i agree the best anti-mages are alpha strikers but this philosophy isn't really about anti-maging as it's more about how to build pcs for combat effectively, regardless if it's a mage target or something else.
btw for gloomstalker, you don't need to attack at night. you just need to be in darkness. meaning as long as you're in shadow. daytime in a dark room on the 2nd floor of an inn works. in the alleyway covered by the shadow of a building works. any dark area inside a dungeon, cavern, mountain, castle, etc works.
if i were to build an anti-mage i'd follow this checklist:
1. have a high chance to go 1st
2. have something that prevents opponent from casting spells (like silence + grapple, an incapacitating spell, killing them). action surge helps alot here too.
3. have counterspell
To bad that you can´t see through the darkness spell with darkvision.
You would need devilsight or truesight, or maybe detect magic with blind fighting style
I'm working on a bounty hunter build right now that focus is mainly on Shadow Monk and Gloomstalker. I'm going to incorporate 2 (maybe up to 6) levels of Twilight Cleric. I'm curious if u built a character utilizing the Shadow Monks teleport ability now, would u incorporate Twilight Cleric into your build?
Definitely worth considering!
I know a LOT of DM's do NOT allow the particular race that you went with for this build because they are SOOO vastly superior to other races... and that was before Tasha's release.
I may attempt an anti-caster build and see what I can come up with and send it your way.
Love your content so far... well done!
I just made an anti-wizard wizard last week. Decided to go blade singer human variant with mobile feat,
53:30 that Dash sound was so accurate hahaha
Nice build, good job! But I think you missed a key thing which is to compare to the tank build. You can compare ac vs ac but you can write in the level you have 5 ac less but you have the magic resistance (example). Love you Videos, your the best...
If I were DM, I would (sadly) disallow Minor Illusion for the shadow step. Illusion, by its very name, would only give the appearance of dim light, not actual dim light.
And as you briefly mentioned, a Shadow Sorcerer could make a very good back-line anti-mage. Darkness is already there without burning a known spell, Distant metamagic to offset the added distance from staying on the back line, and Hound of Ill Omen is flat out amazing against opposing spellcasters. Go with Yuan-Ti like you mentioned, but if the DM doesn't allow it, a humble gnome would do well with its Gnome Cunning - advantage to Int, Wis, Cha, and Con (from class) saves.
One word. Epic
I play a tabaxi swashbuckler who fills this role very well. I do use boots of speed so the focus is really to get close easily.
Your character benefits wildly from Shadow Blade (which is an illusion spell) since you can make it take the form of a monk weapon that has the finesse properties. Hello Martial Arts + Sneak A-slap
What would you think for inquisitor type anti-mage to go with classic Arcana Cleric with b blade and shillelagh+thorn whip+absorb elements from magic initiate druid, fey touched feat from Tasha for mobility and sticking. Would need mage slayer and warcaster too probably to check all your boxes, and it's probably too much feats to get in the end. But well, i got good rolls and free 1st lvl feat from our DM, so I'll try to make it work. I wanted to go full cleric build to get that crazy 17 lvl capstone, but after watching your build I'm thinking about multiclassing into monk around lvl 8 or smth, when i get feat and potent casting.
Sounds fun! Monk might be a little awkward due to not wanting to wear armor, so I guess as long as you had a high Dex as well, you could make it work!
I played a character similar to this. I intended to go 3 in rogue for assassin. With expertise in stealth, pass without trace, and the elven boots magical item I has +20 to stealth with advantage. Pretty easy to always sneak up on the mage and crit them hard in the first round of combat and cripple them.
Other than that I was planning on going full monk because of how fun they are.
I really enjoyed your version though.
I surrely might be missing something but how do you get a +2 dex and +1 wis with a pureblood? Aren't they supposed to have ability score increases in cha and int?
Im confused about this too. Can someone explain?
Variant Human with Fey Touched (Misty Step, Hex) Path of the Ancients Paladin as your Mage Slayer.
Hex gives Disadvantage on ability checks, not saving throws. There are no Constitution ability checks of which I am aware.
How about a Grung poison build?
Inspired by your videos, I've decided to make a build that mimics the Pokémon Toxicroak:
17 Fighter (Rune Knight for runes as pseudo-Pokémon moves and giant's might Dynamax for GWM/PAM feat synergy)
3 Barbarian (Beast for extra Unarmed attack)
If there's any way to improve on this, I'd love to see a poison/acid/necrotic build!
Oath of Ancients Paladin is pretty good at tanking spell damage thanks to the aura at 7. Thus people close to the ancients Paladin get bonus to saves and resistance to the damage.
Also darkness is a great way to shut down casters as well. Lots of spells require sight to target. Slap on the eldritch invocation on a pure shadow monk and you’re able to handle casters relatively well.
My favorite build that kind of falls in line with this was Bear barb/5 with Scout Rogue 15. Bear allows resistance to almost all damage types. Rogue allows you to uncanny dodge for particularly nasty hits. Evasion and danger sense works well together. Also reckless attacks works with sneak if using a finesse weapon. Thus focus is maxing strength and Con and then have a decent Dex. Also lots of utility with expertise in athletics. You can knock enemies prone or away from you and you can grapple. All of these are useful options.
I like it! Yes, I mentioned O of A. Pally in the Final Thoughts section :). Good point about darkness!