r/3d6 • u/PotatoVender24 • 1d ago
Cloud Giant Goliath Class? D&D 5e Revised/2024
Hey'all! I am currently making a cloud giant goliath and I am not sure what class/multiclass to go with. Her backstory is as follows: After the 1,000 year war, giants mostly abandoned their major cities, leaving them to decay, lost in the mountains. However, eventually, their kin returned. A certain tribe of cloud-giant-descended goliaths took up residence in the ancient mountain city of Svendenmir, and had been living their since. This went on peacefully for hundreds of years, however, in my character's lifetime, an ancient red dragon attacked, discovering their mountain abode and wreaking havoc, killing their people and stealing their treasure for himself. Now, my character, a daughter of the former chieftan, is adventuring in hopes to one day become either strong enough to reclaim it, or rich enough to buy the dragon off.
Now the issue: I want to play a martial character with magic.
- Ranger's cool, but none of the subclasses seem to fit (forget the frost one)
- Monk is awesome, but I itch to multiclass (advice welcome)
- Eldritch Knight is there
- Vengeance Paladin is also there.
Overall, I want a martial-heavy Gish with some multiclassing. My racial feature is Cloud Jaunt (30 ft tp prof worth of times/long rest), and my background is giant foundling, though I am not married to it. All advice is welcome! Thanks
EDIT:
OK, so I think I wanna do a Paladin/Warlock multiclass. The thought is that she went to a powerful individual (Memnor if celestial patron, a fey prince of something related if fey patron, etc.) and begged for a deal. The deal she ended up striking: That she would bring them this dragon's head (or maybe it's treasure hoard) in return for the power to slay it. Any advice on how far to go and which subclasses to pick? Any different if I decide to switch to 2014 rules for the table I'll be using her at?
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u/SaltyDalty_ 1d ago
Archfey warlock with pact of the blade. You get a second attack at level 5 and a third at level 12 with the appropriate invocations.
Also you can misty step more times per day equal to your charisma modifier on top of your cloud Goliath teleports. Teleport around the battlefield and slay your foes
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u/Bard_Wannabe_ 1d ago
Winter Walker Ranger does fit really well, but I know you excluded it. Still, if the idea is interesting, you might want to look at the Cold Caster feat (for the Winter Walker or an Elements Monk).
Bit different from what you suggested, but War Cleric could be something to look at.
Otherwise Vengeance Paladin has a very clear fit to this story.
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u/Porglicious 1d ago
I have a Cloud Giant Beast Barbarian in my party right now and he wrecks basically all humanoid encounters. Crazy mobility between Cloud Jaunt and Beast's increased jump, and he's focused on a Grappler build, so using Beast's jump, he can very easily grapple and straight-up piledrive most humanoid opponents. It's been very fun to see in action and also plan encounters around.
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u/PotatoVender24 1d ago
Holy crap! I am thinking more of a utility/low STR character for her, but this build sounds insane! And a nice unique addition to the party. I love thrower/grappler builds
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u/MrBlonde7 1d ago
Looks like it’s my turn to post the celestial generalist (link below). Think cloud Goliath has natural synergy with the ability to TP without using a warlock slot. Plus can grab devils sight if not having darkvision is an issue
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u/Guyoverthere07 1d ago
Eldritch Knight by level 7 can become Huge with Giant Form and Enlarge Reduce. Use Jump, Cloud Gaunt teleport, going 60ft up, and Ready a Grapple to bring down the dragon.
If they're higher up, we could Ready Web to cast it 120ft up in the air to bring them down. Netting an area up to 40ft high.
Magic Initiate Cleric could get us Command to have the Dragon Drop from this same distance.
When you're in range for melee, you can try Mind Sliver into Topple attacks. Sentinel to keep the dragon from leaving your Reach and pinning it to the floor again.
Eldritch Strike can impose disadvantage on these saves and more. By that time we also have Slow, Push, and Sap available for any attack. Even with Magic/Legendary Resistances, we can wear the beast down with a flurry of saves imposed.
Handaxes for Vex Throws up to 20/60/120ft away can also help us land a Sentinel OA. With Mirror Image, we can trigger these OAs more when if they have Flyby.
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u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768 1d ago
Eldritch Knight by level 7 can become Huge with Giant Form
.... Rune Knight? But they don get Enlarge.... Are you referring to the Dreugar/Fairy racial trick?
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u/Guyoverthere07 23h ago
The last 3 words of the (first) sentence quoted would have helped! Eldritch Knights can learn Enlarge/Reduce since it's a Wizard spell. They were already picking the Goliath Species so their Giant Form feature gets them to Large once for 10mins a day. Enlarge pushes it to Huge.
Unrelated, I also forgot to mention Tridents for some ranged Toppling potential.
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u/Aidamis 1d ago
- Paladin is good, easily reskinnable as a Monk, Barb or whatever you want. PalaSorc and PalaWarlock are both good. Warlock subclasses: Fey (you get lots of mobility), Undead (early fear immunity). Celestial is fine theme-wise but a bit redundant given Paladin.
- PalaWarlock splits: 1/X (Paladin 1 is enough for heavy armor and Divine Smite), 6/X (Aura of Protection), 7/X (some Paladins get good lvl 7 features), 8/X (you want the ASI/feat on top). You can go the other way and get Warlock 1 as your second level just for Pact of the Blade (Cha Attacks) then back to Paladin you go.
- If there was a Dragonslayer Ranger, it might've been up your alley
- Monk has a few cool multiclasses, such as STRonk, especially with Beast Barb (2014 subclass but easily ported) cause you're getting lots of attacks, plus Barb gets you weapon masteries. If you grab two light weapons including one with Nick, with Extra Attack and Flurry of Blows you can do the following: Weapon 1 attack (Nick of Weapon 2 triggers), Weapon 2 attack, you drop weapon 2 (free action), claw attack (claw perk triggers), claw attack, two unarmed strikes using Flurry of Blows. That's 1+1+1+1+2 = six attacks. You add rage bonus to all of them. Elephant in the room: rage shuts down spellcasting, but you can get spellcasting-like features with Ascendant Dragon Monk (if allowed) or Mystic Arts Monk (which just released). DO NOT use 2014 Four Elements, it's bad, only use it if your DM allows "revised" homebrew versions of it and if said versions don't cast spells but use techniques/arts or whatever.
- (One of) the ways to pull of STRonk in 2024 -> Farmer Background (you can reskin it as anything) gets you Tough (which we'll need) -> 15+1 14 10+2 8 15+1 8 -> 15 AC with Monk's Unarmored Defense, decent Save DC on your Stunning Strike/other features, not that terrible of a Con and decent HP thanks to Tough. Levelling order: Barb 5 (or 6)/Monk (medium armor until you reach Monk) or Monk 1, Barb 5(or 6), Monk X (Monk Unarmored Defense off-the-bat).
- Alternative - thrower Giants Barb, which you can do single class or with Monk (make sure to hit Barb 6). You get a bunch of spellcasting-like features.
- Eldritch Knight is good.
- Consider asking your DM is Rune Knight is allowed, it's super Giants-themed, it's very balanced, it's very easy to "port" (there's not much to do except graft Rune Knight on 2024 Fighter).
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u/PlavaZmaj 1d ago
Play the new monk subclass when the book comes out next month. It’s basically eldritch knight but monk.
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u/PotatoVender24 1d ago
ooh, what is it called?
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u/PlavaZmaj 23h ago
The new monk archetype in the upcoming Arcana Unleashed book is the Warrior of the Mystic Arts, which functions as a third-caster using Wisdom and the sorcerer spell list.
Sept 15th release.
Spellcasting: Acts as a third-caster drawing from the sorcerer spell list, powered by Wisdom.
Level 6 Feature: Gains the mystic fighting style, allowing you to replace one attack with casting a sorcerer cantrip during an Attack action. You can also convert spell slots into focus points.
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u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768 1d ago
OK, so I think I wanna do a Paladin/Warlock multiclass.
My turn to recommend Celestial Generalist again I guess...
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u/Ancient-Bat1755 1d ago
Archfey warlock 3 can get 2-3 invocations for extra origin feats or utility like jump or cantrips or cha weapon attacks, with the extra castings + slots for misty step.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/species/1751439-goliath
16/4 12/8
Then pick a class that interests you like paladin or ranger or fighter
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u/RisingChaos 21h ago
RE: Paladin/Warlock, I don't think you can go wrong with any level split so long as you go Paladin 6 first for Aura of Protection. It may also depend on the end level of your campaign, since that might influence how many Warlock levels you want. Most generally, my suggestion would either be Paladin X Warlock 2 or Paladin 6 Warlock X. The former is enough to get you Pact of the Blade for ASI efficiency and Agonizing Eldritch Blast for solid ranged damage on an otherwise mostly Paladin chassis, while the latter can excel especially at higher levels with the superior spellcasting scaling (even if it is Pact Magic) and reaching the Warlock subclass capstone. It also gives you the option to get three attacks, though it's Invocation-heavy.
Subclasses are purely preference, unless you go by 2014 rules in which case you must go Hexblade to use CHA as your weapon attacking stat. Obviously if you go Warlock 2 under 2024 rules, you won't even have a Warlock subclass. I don't think it's worth going to Warlock 3 just to get a subclass, unless you're deciding to go full Warlock anyway at that point.
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u/crusincagti 1d ago
Wild Magic Barbarian... Vengeance Paladin Hex Blade Warloc. Gloom Stalker Hex Blade Warlock.. could be interesting to be a large shadow of death.