#psi warrior/wizard is also good

[aceofwonders]

also wanna play a psi warrior SO BADLY

[thehomelybrewster]

How to Play a Force User in 5e?

One aspect of character building for 5e I enjoy is trying to replicate character archetypes that aren't obviously represented by a single (sub-)class into 5e. And Tulok the Barbrarian hasn't helped matters (check out his channel, it's fun).

Anyway, one of my favorite things is Star Wars and naturally I love Force users, and 5e offers a handful of combinations that work really well for it.

So here are some! Note that with most of them the Telekinetic feat is recommended, and the Telepathic feat also often works well.

Intelligence: Psi Warrior Fighter + Wizard

This one is basically ready-made. You get psionic abilities and you unlock really fun stuff as you level. However, since the Psi Warrior uses Intelligence for their features, that means you'll have an easy time multiclassing into wizard!

Both War Magic and Bladesinging are excellent additions. The former is more generic and synergizes well even with medium or heavy armor, while the latter is generally more powerful, but is often restricted lore-wise and pigeonholes you into wearing light armor only. It also works "best" with Psi Warrior if you take less than six levels in wizard, because at that point Bladesinging gives you Extra Attack and that obviously doesn't work with a fighter's Extra Attack (though you'd still gain the ability to use cantrips within your Attack action).

In general this build is bulky and uses magic for versatility, making an excellent frontline warrior. Also if your GM ain't no fan of the psionic subclasses, then Eldritch Knight is also fine.

Intelligence: Bladesinging Wizard + Samurai Fighter

Yes, another fighter + wizard combo, but one with a different flair. This would really lean into Bladesinging and use Samurai Fighter for its excellent Fighting Spirit feature at 3rd level (and Action Surge at 2nd). With Fighting Spirit you can give yourself advantage on attack rolls and gain temporary hit points, very appropriate in the "letting the Force guide you" sense. After that this build would focus itself entirely on wizard levels. Still, the 7th level Samurai feature Elegant Courtier is excellent, and if you only want to take four or five levels in wizard, or don't a redudant Extra Attack, snatch that up, too.

The levels in Samurai enhace the face archetype that a Jedi as intergalatic peacekeepers embody excellently.

This build is likely squishier than the prior one, but still not that squishy. It really depends on the level mix. Also note that Elegant Courtier works based on Wisdom, so that segues into...

Wisdom: Fey Wanderer Ranger + Samurai Fighter

The Fey Wanderer is the best ranger subclass to get the feel of a Force user for sure. Since it heavily focuses on charming foes and resisting charms yourself, it sells the stalwart moral stance of a Jedi and the classic Jedi mind trick quite well. Otherworldly Glamour makes you an excellent party face, and Wisdom feels the most intuitive among the three mental ability scores for a Jedi to prioritize.

For Samurai, just see the section I wrote for the prior entry, it's just really, really good, and those first three fighter levels are just a wonderful addition to any build that can afford them.

This build is also the best way to emulate a Jedi who is very connected to nature, like Kanan Jarrus or Ezra Bridger, since druid has too specific a fantasy to work with that.

Wisdom: Peace/War Cleric + Fey Wanderer Ranger/Samurai Fighter

The cleric also provides an excellent foundation for a Jedi character, and the War Domain and the Peace Domain especially. Both really fit the ideals of Jedi, the former obviously more of a Clone Wars-era Jedi general (or a Sith), while the latter fits the High Republic-era or the old Expanded Universe restored Order really well. Special shoutouts to War's Channel Divinity: Guided Strike and Peace's Implement of Peace features, those really feel appropriate.

Cleric spells work really nicely as Force abilities, and thus work as a great foundation. Now you can easily add either the Fey Wanderer or the Samurai on top of that to either go deeper into the role of a skilled negotiator or a mighty warrior, all while having a fairly easy time with multiclassing.

Charisma: Aberrant Mind/Divine Soul Socerer + Paladin

The sorcerer represents nicely the inherent nature of Force-sensitivity and both the Aberrant Mind and the Divine Soul fulfill the aspects of mental prowess and a special destiny respectively.

The paladin levels meanwhile enhance your melee capabilities, as well as your spellcasting and healing. Virtually any oath works here. Ancients provides a bit of Kanan Jarrus/Ezra Bridger/Bendu vibes, Conquest and Oathbreaker are very Sith, and the others all work for Jedi in general.

Ingnite your lightsaber with your smites, and you'll have a good time. Plus, as a Charisma-based build, you'll make an excellent face, of course.

Charisma: Great Old One Warlock + Paladin (or maybe Bard?)

We've reached the final one! The obligatory warlock-paladin multiclass. A wonderful combination. Now I'm deliberately excluding the Hexblade due to flavor, but the Great Old One is a wonderful patron for a wannabe Jedi to have. For you that patron are, basically, Medichlorians. You are more attune to them than other people (or so you think?), and thus you gain special psychic powers associated with them.

For the paladin aspect, s. the prior build. All of that also applies here.

Addendum: Even bard might be a nice option to add to the Great Old One. Bardic Inspiration can easily be interpreted as using the Force to subtly move or stabilize your allies during an Athletics or Acrobatics check, or as a minor Jedi mind trick in social situations. College of Valor and College of Swords are very good choices for this multiclass build to enhance your melee capabilities.

Addendum: On Monks

I did consider whether monk would work, maybe with the Fey Wanderer Ranger it'd be okay, and then I'd probably go with Way of Mercy but monk is too weird of a class to work well... But the 2024 rules revision monk might be just the trick for that! We'll see what that looks like. In terms of how short rest-reliant monks are, a warlock-monk build would make sense, but since the Playtest 5 warlock was thoroughly rejected, Wisdom-based warlocks will never happen in this game (until we get a proper 6th edition?)...

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #213

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're making the big bad of Lostbelt 2...'s fleshy meat vehicle, Sigurd! This dragon slayer is a Psi Warrior Fighter to launch his blades around as well as a Bladesinger Wizard to mix his runes in with his swordplay. He's also a Knowledge Domain Cleric for all that wisdom he's got. Is it a little complicated? Yes. But is it any good? Let's find out.

Check out Sigurd's build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: Buy one, get two free

Race and Background

Sigurd is Human (mostly), and we need ability scores more than feats, so we're just getting +1 to Everything.

Siegfried and Sigurd may or may not be the same person, so we're giving him the same background. As a Folk Hero, he gets Animal Handling and Survival proficiencies. Humble beginnings.

Ability Scores

Your highest score should be Intelligence. You have infinite wisdom in your glasses, that makes you a smrt boy. After that is Strength. You throw swords around and you literally carve your magic into people. Third is Wisdom. Again, infinite wisdom. That's worth at least a 13. Your Dexterity also has to be above average. Your diving suit does have some armory bits, but your vital organs aren't in your wrists so I'm not counting it. We're not dumping Constitution because you're not dumb. That means we're dumping Charisma. You're a pretty cold guy, and that's not just because of the weather.

Class Levels

Fighter 1: Starting as a fighter gets you proficiency with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Athletics and Insight. We'll get the brainier proficiencies later. You also get more health to start than your other classes, and the Thrown Weapons Fighting Style. This lets you draw weapons as you throw them, and you deal an extra 2 damage with each hit. Thrown weapons are ranged attacks, but they can still use your strength, so keep that in mind. You also get a Second Wind once per short rest, letting you heal yourself as a bonus action.

Fighter 2: Second level fighters can use an Action Surge once per short rest for an extra action in your turn. Hit a little harder, or use this to swordfight and calculate differential algebra at the same time.

Fighter 3: At third level Psi Warriors awaken their Psionic Power, giving you 2x your proficiency bonus in psionic energy dice. Some of your powers roll psionic dice, some expend them, but as long as you have at least one die you can probably use your powers. You regain all your dice on a long rest, but you get get one back per short rest with a bonus action. They also get bigger as you level up. Currently you can create a protective field to reduce incoming damage for a nearby creature as a reaction, a psionic strike to launch a weapon at a creature you've hit this turn, dealing extra damage to them (not like a smite, so no crit fishing), or use telekinetic movement to move a willing creature/object that is larger or smaller up to 30' as an action. If it's tiny you can bring it straight into your hand. You can do that last one once per short rest for free- doing it again spends your dice. My god, that looks like the amount of text you'd see in a caster level.

Fighter 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to round out your Strength and Dexterity for stronger swords and a tougher AC. Maybe. Playing to character would be light armor at most, but I highly recommend heavy armor up to level 5, if only for living's sake.

Wizard 1: Bouncing over to wizard gets you Spells that you cast and prepare using your Intelligence. You also gain an Arcane Recovery, so once per long rest you can get a little magic back on a short rest as a treat. Speaking of spells, you can stuff a ton of them in your book. Grab Frostbite, Fire Bolt, and Shocking Grasp for your runes, Catapult and Magic Missile to throw weapons around without having to pick them up later, and Detect Magic, Identify, and Comprehend Languages for a bit of that infinite wisdom. Finally, you pick up one of the most important spells in this build: Mage Armor. It makes your AC 13 plus your dexterity modifier. Now you can dress in a turtleneck all you want without risking your own neck in the process.

Wizard 2: At second level of wizardry, you become a Bladesinger, giving you proficiency in Performance as well as access to the Bladesong proficiency times per long rest. You can activate it as a bonus action and it lasts a minute. During this time, as long as you are wearing light/no armor and don't use two handed attacks, you get: your intelligence modifier added to your AC and concentration saves, advantage on acrobatics checks, and an extra 10' of speed. Once again this is a big level for you, since three minutes of combat is often the most you'll have in a single day, that means you'll usually have an AC of 17, extra speed, and your buff spells (which are coming soon) are very good at staying up. Speaking of spells though, grab Ice Knife and Burning Hands for some more powerful runes.

Wizard 3: Third level wizards get second level spells, and Magic Weapon makes your sword even deadlier with a +1 to attacking and damage, plus it also cuts through nonmagical damage resistances. You also learn Cloud of Daggers so you can stop throwing the real ones around as much.

Wizard 4: Use this next ASI to bump up your Intelligence for stronger spells, better songs, and better psionic powers. You can also use Sword Burst to fling your bigger weapons around, Enhance Ability to look up relevant tips and tricks for any situation, giving a creature advantage on one kind of ability checks, and steal a bit of Icingdeath's Frost from a UA/Skadi to deal cold damage and freeze creatures in a cone. This isn't quite hold person, but it does waste a bunch of actions.

Cleric 1: We're smart, but we're not really wise yet. Let's fix that. As a first level Knowledge cleric, you get Blessings of Knowledge. This gives you doubled proficiency in Arcana and History. Boom, infinite wisdom, done and dusted. You also get another set of Spells that you cast and prepare with your Wisdom, but since they're prepared we don't have to go into too much detail. You get cantrips like Guidance for more wisdom, Mending to fix those glasses when you trip with your bad dexterity, and Toll the Dead for a bit more violence. You also get free first level spells like Identify and Command.

Cleric 2: Second level clerics can Channel Divinity once per short rest. Turn Undead is the standard, but you also gain Knowledge of the Ages. As an action, you gain proficiency with any skill or tool for 10 minutes. Kinda niche, but at least you'll never be stranded on a boat. Alternatively, you can Harness Divine Power. Once per long rest you can burn a Channel Divinity use to regain a spell slot whose level is equal to or less than half your proficiency bonus. We only ever get third level spells anyway, so it's fine.

Fighter 5: At eleventh level, fighters get an extra attack. You're still at fifth level, but you get an Extra Attack too, why not. Now you can finally attack twice per action. Also, your energy dice are d8s instead of d6s.

Fighter 6: Another ASI! Use this one to bump up your Strength for stronger attacks.

Fighter 7: Seventh level psi warriors become Telekinetic Adepts. You get two more psi energy dice uses in Psi-Powered Leaps and Telekinetic Thrusts. The former gives you a flying speed as a bonus action once per short rest for free, or by spending a die. It only lasts the turn, so it's more like jumping. If jumping could turn corners. Perfect for anime hops. The latter means your psionic strikes force a strength save (DC 8 + proficiency + intelligence save), and if the creature fails you can push them 10' in any direction or knock them prone. Attacking a prone creature gives you advantage, so it's basically a one-round hold person as far as the frontline's concerned.

Wizard 5: Remember that thing about 3rd level spells? Let's get those. Bestow Curse is really quite flexible, and as long as your DM signs off on it and the target fails a wisdom save you can pretty much screw them over however you want for up to a minute. Some suggestions include disadvantage on one kind of checks and saves, disadvantage on attack rolls against you, wasting turns if it fails a wisdom save, and taking extra damage from attacks. If you like your spells straightforward, Melf's Minute Meteors gives you a bunch of tiny fiery knives that explode on impact, and you can throw one or two per turn.

Wizard 6: Normally we wouldn't got this far into a multiclass for an Extra Attack since they don't stack, but the bladesinger's is special. You can replace one attack with a cantrip as part of your attack action. You're literally carving spells into enemies, so it only makes sense. You also learn Spirit Shroud for more cursed demon energy, and Fireball to chuck your sword and unleash the power of the sun.

Fighter 8: Use this ASI to max out your Intelligence to be the smartest boy possible for the best AC, best telekinesis, and best spells.

Fighter 9: Ninth level fighters are Indomitable, letting you re-roll a failed save once per long rest. We haven't really focused on any of the defensive ability scores this build, so you'll be needing this one a lot.

Fighter 10: Tenth level psi warriors have a Guarded Mind, giving you resistance to psychic damage. Also, if you're charmed or frightened you can spend a psi die to end every effect doing those to you.

Fighter 11: Eleventh level fighters get another Extra Attack, and to be honest I have no idea how this pairs up with bladesinger now. The hope is you get three attacks, one of which can be a cantrip, but it could also be a tradeoff? IDK. The good news is your psi dice definitely grow to d10s.

Your last level is another ASI, so round out your Constitution and Charisma for more health and to warm up to the party at long last.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

You come packing a lot of ways to mix things up in combat. Casting cantrips without wasting an entire action is huge, especially since you've got some utility cantrips that you can pull out without breaking the flow of combat.

You also have a great AC, so even with a low constitution score you're unlikely to have your concentration broken any time soon. 20 AC is pretty good for someone who isn't a monk, and it can be even more if you pick up shield of faith from being a cleric.

You've got a lot of smarts, so you'll be just as useful outside of combat as you are in it. With proficiency in pretty much anything when you need it and telekinesis, you'll have plenty of ways to solve puzzles.

Cons:

We spent so much focusing on intelligence and strength we neglected constitution, which means your health is waaay lower than we'd like on a melee fighter. But you're not totally melee, so...

Yeah no, you are. Thrown Weapons kind of suck. Being a psi warrior makes it a little better since you more than double the damage of your daggers, but still. Just hit them normally.

Mixing spellcasters with a martial class that also has stuff to keep track of just makes this entire build really complicated, especially when the casters have different casting abilities.

Good thing you're smart then. Find the optimal solution to every problem, then blast your way through with swords and magic. Just try not to get hit, I hear things go downhill fast when you're out of the picture.

[bardicbird]

dream campaign 3 class choices (i will be so happy with anything but):

- taliesin: oh my god i think he’d have so much fun with a sorcerer. please let him be a funky sorcerer. maybe divine soul or wild magic 👀👀

- marisha: WARLOCK. please it’s all i ask for . i think her and matt would make an amazing storyline for her and her patron. i need warlock marisha energy. i think the most fun subclasses for her would be the great old one, and the undying . i need cha focused marisha it would be so good.

- ashley: bard. maybe just because it’s different, maybe because i want to see ashley play a charismatic fucker. i think it’d be really cool to do something a little outside of stereotypical bard realms: like college of eloquence or something :]

- laura: fighter or barbarian !!! i want her to beat shit up close range i think she deserves the power. psi warrior perhaps?

- liam: i think it would be fun to do something a bit out of his usual style like maybe a cleric ?? 👀👀. if he wanted to stick to more familiar territories i think an artificer would also be fun !!

- sam: i think wizard sam would be fun !!!! also 👀 maybe monk ?

- travis: oh my god please a high wisdom character would be so *mwah* . i loved his character in deadwood so maybe something akin to a cleric ? a druid perhaps?? CIRCLE OF DREAMS ??? WILDFIRE ?? 👀👀👀👀👀

[tigerkirby215]

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything subclass Tier List

(Artwork from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Posted by @robmichel_art on Twitter. Copyright Wizards of the Coast.)

I was going to make some comparison posts between the UAs and the full release of Tasha’s but other more qualified people are doing that, so instead in my continued effort to pretend that this account is for more than just me satisfy my character building obsession I decided to make a little tier list ranking the subclasses from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything from my least favorite to my favorite.

This list is going to be comparing the subclasses from Tasha’s to each-other, but is also going to be comparing the subclasses to the other available subclasses for the class they’re from. So even if I really like a subclass it’ll lose points if the class already had better options. I’m not going to talk about any of the reprinted classes from Eberron or Ravnica but I will talk about the reprinted Theros subclasses (Eloquence Bard / Glory Paladin) as for many people this will be their first time seeing them.

Also it goes without saying but this is just my opinion! So sorry if you really like the next class you’re about to see because it’s at the bottom of my tier list!

F TIER

Psi Warrior (Fighter)

Well something had to be the worst. Truthfully I really wasn’t interested in the Psi Warrior during UA but wow its full release leaves a lot to be desired.

First let’s get the obvious out of the way: “Worse Battlemaster LUL!” It is laughable how bad this subclass is when compared to Battlemaster. BM gets to give itself advantage, give allies advantage, move allies, fear enemies, grapple enemies, give enemies disadvantage... and by comparison Psi Warriors get to do a little more damage or reduce a bit of incoming damage.

The fact that this subclass requires Intelligence confuses me to no end. They changed both Rune Knight and Soul Knife to not require intelligence (even though Rogues are kinda expected to have good Intelligence to help with skill checks) but Psi Warrior still needs INT? It amazes me that Battlemaster, Rune Knight, and Echo Knight are all SAD (single ability dependent) yet Psi Warrior of all subclasses is the one they consider too strong if you can min-max.

The biggest problem with this class by far is the Psionic Energy Die. Having your main class resource only come back after a Long Rest is insulting. (It’s the problem that Samurai Fighter has had since it was printed and it’s really sad that Wizards of the Coast didn’t learn from that.) While Battlemaster gets bigger die that have more effects which come back on a short rest Psi Warrior can only recharge one die per short rest. Honestly this subclass would be so much better if you regained Psionic Energy Die when using Second Wind (as well as having a dedicated action for it) so at least then you could have more than one die per short rest.

The only good level in this subclass is level 7, entirely because you get to Fly when you Dash. I mean, sure the UA Dragon Monk can also do that but at least this is in the official rules. Everything else that this subclass gets is weak: Telekinetic Thrust lets you do what Battlemasters were doing at level 3,  Guarded Mind is just bad (Monk? Never heard of ‘em!), Bulwark of Force is mediocre at best (I know like 3 people who actually understand how cover works in 5e), and Telekinetic Master is a laughably weak capstone. Your capstone as a Fighter is a situational 5th level spell that takes away your ability to attack? Meanwhile actual spellcasters are casting 9th level spells, and other martials are doing upwards of 50 damage per turn.

At first I was largely indifferent to the Psi Warrior but after reading over all its abilities its laughable how bad it is. It at least surpasses Purple Dragon Knight in terms of mediocrity (ironic considering that the two of them are beside each-other on D&D Beyond) but it’s the only true stinker of Tasha’s, and it gets the honor of being the second weakest Fighter subclass and the weakest subclass in this book.

D TIER

Aberrant Mind (Sorcerer)

This is the best subclass to play if your only desire is to cast spells, and I mean that in the worst possible way. While every other Sorcerer has a defined class role Aberrant Mind feels like the most generic milk-toast subclass that you pick simply because you didn’t know what to play. While Clockwork Soul defends, Divine Soul heals, Draconic Bloodline blasts, Shadow Magic sneaks, Storm Sorcerer evades, and Wild Magic does memes Aberrant Mind’s only major strengths come online at level 14+.

Telepathy at level 1 is a joke when compared to the other Sorcerers. CS can negate advantage, DS gets Super Bless on top of access to the Cleric spell list, DB gets free Mage Armor, SM gets super Darkvision and the Half Orc racial trail, SS gets goddamn flight, and WM gets to kill the party at level 1 with a level 3 fireball. Meanwhile AM gets the Message cantrip with a longer range.

Psionic Sorcery is okay. Getting cheaper* (citation needed) spells that you can Subtle Spell for free is alright. The subclass spell list is good and seeing as you can sub out the spell to take better ones if needed you can really get some useful magic for your kit.

SPELLS TO LOOK AT AS AN ABBERANT MIND SORCERER

LEVEL 1

Dissonant Whispers is honestly a really good spell to have, but Arms of Hadar is a bit situational. If willing you can swap it out with: the utility Divination spells (Detect Magic / Identity - remember that Sorcerers can’t Ritual cast so it might be better for someone else to take these), Hex, Sleep, or Tasha’s Hideous Laughter.

LEVEL 2

Gift of Gab from Acquisitions Incorporated is either going to be a complete joke of a spell or the most useful spell in your arsenal. Hold Person is the most obvious choice from second level. Tasha’s Mind Whip is a great single-target damage spell with some added utility, and is almost objectively better than Mind Spike because it doesn’t require Concentration.

LEVEL 3

Both Hunger of Hadar and Sending are great spells, and there really aren’t a lot of Divination / Enchantment spells at third level. The only one I can really recommend is Tongues if you need the utility.

LEVEL 4

Evard’s Black Tentacles and Summon Aberration are both extremely strong spells, but if you want to replace them for some reason: Arcane Eye is essentially just a better familiar, Confusion is a great AoE disruption spell, and Locate Creature can be useful in a pinch.

LEVEL 5

Honestly the spell list really opens up at 5th level. Just about any choice is good, so look on D&D Beyond to see what to take. If you know me I’m going to recommend Synaptic Static.

Psychic Defenses, like with Psi Warrior, seems to have been taped onto the class because WoTC realized how weak it was so they just threw more situational garbage into its kit to compensate.

Revelation in Flesh is pretty much the only good ability you get. And granted there’s some insane utility with this ability. Not-quite-Blindsense, fly speed (best one), swim speed (worst one), and the folding ability that I’m sure will result in some interesting stories on Reddit. Warping Implosion is also a great escape-utility ability but like it’s your 18th level capstone of course it was going to be good.

If I was going to play in a level 20 one shot I’d perhaps roll up a level 20 Aberrant Mind. (Or more like a level 18 Aberrant Mind with 2 levels in Warlock because Sorcerer’s level 20 capstone sucks lol.) But unless I knew the campaign was going to at least level 15 I wouldn’t even bother.

Oath of the Watchers (Paladin)

It was boring in UA and it’s boring now. I feel bad that I have so little to say about Oath of the Watchers, especially after writing massive paragraphs about Psi Warrior and Aberrant Mind. But Oath of the Watchers feels like the worst parts of Arcana Cleric to me. Only difference is that while Arcana Cleric gets Wizard spells you get Moonbeam and help with Initiative. This subclass feels more campaign-specific than PHB Ranger and that’s really saying something.

Swarmkeeper (Ranger)

It’s certainly the most unique Ranger, both in terms of concept and in terms of abilities. It actually has a lot of utility with a good spell list and the Gathered Swarm feature providing a lot of great utility to a martial character. The thing is that in all honesty this subclass is kinda boring until level 15. And the other big problem is that the fantasy and roleplay that this subclass provides is so strange. When you think “Ranger” do you think master of the hunt, traveling through multiple dimensions and slaying powerful foes from the shadows with a tamed beast at their side? Or do you think “hurr durr bugzzz”?

This subclass feels like the one you pick when you've played literally every other subclass available, or when you get them from a random character generator. Ironically enough I do actually have a friend who made a Swarmkeeper for a one-shot I ran back when this subclass was in UA. But the fact that they made the character just to test UA shows just the type of characters that will be made with this subclass.

Way of Mercy (Monk)

You either love it or you’re completely indifferent, is what I have found the general opinion of Way of Mercy to be. Guess which camp I’m in. This subclass literally just feels like a Cleric with mobility whose healing comes back on a short rest. Time will see how OP “I can heal every turn and get my Cure Wounds back on a Short Rest” not-Cleric will be, but until then the subclass is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. For the people who wanted to play a healing Monk I’m happy for them.

Path of the Beast (Barbarian)

If I can sum up Path of the Beast in one word it’s “underwhelming.” Form of the Beast gives you three above-average weapons to choose from, Bestial Soul gives you some movement buffs, Infectious Fury lets you do some decent crowd control or damage spiking, and Call the Hunt lets you buff your party.

The thing is... you’re fighting against “resist all damage” (Totem Warrior), “protect your allies with your JoJo Stand” (Ancestral Guardian), “smite with the wrath of God” (Zealot), or “shoot lightning out of your goddamn chest.” (Storm Herald.) It’s not a bad subclass and honestly compared to some of the existing Barbarians (Beserker, Battlerager, and honestly Storm Herald is bad too) it’s pretty strong. But it’s just so, so boring.

I need to preface this by saying that Barbarian is probably my least favorite class in 5e and for what it’s worth I’m certainly more interested in playing Path of the Beast than say Battlerager, but I can’t help but feel that this subclass just lets you hit things better as the class that does nothing other than hit things. The only real positive I see to this subclass is the flavor, which absolutely carries it above the likes of Totem Warrior and Zealot. (Both of which I think are objectively stronger than Beast Barbarian.)

Clockwork Soul (Sorcerer)

It been mostly unchanged from playtest even though as I stated Clockwork Soul was one of the subclasses I was a little worried about. But even then the subclass just feels so boring to me. It seems like this subclass is entirely designed to be the “no fun allowed” character who just says “No U” to everything the DM does. Don’t get me wrong it’s certainly a strong defensive subclass but I feel like if you want to play a defensive spellcaster you’re more likely to play an Abjuration Wizard or a Cleric in general.

And the lore just doesn’t really click for me? I can understand how you’d have dragon blood magic, shadow soul magic, and celestial infusion magic. But how the heck do you get a Clockwork Soul? I know Mechanus is a thing in D&D but I feel like for the average normie this won’t make any sense.

Also RIP in piss Heat Metal from the subclass spell list. Here’s my suggestion for spells if you want to play a CSS:

LEVEL 1 - Absorb Elements, Armor of Agathys, Featherfall, Mage Armor, Shield

LEVEL 2 (Aid and Lesser Restoration are good but Aid chews through your spell slots) - Enhance Ability, Enlarge / Reduce

LEVEL 3 - Blink, Counterspell, Fly, Gaseous Form, Haste, Slow

LEVEL 4 (Tasha’s Summoning Spells are good but Freedom of Movement is highly situational) - Banishment, Polymorph

LEVEL 5 - Animate Objects, Passwall

C TIER

College of Creation (Bard)

It has a lot of interesting abilities. Performance of Creation in particular is arguably one of the strongest abilities for someone who knows the equipment page well in the PHB. The problem is just that unless you have a very specific build in mind I don’t really know why you’d play the College of Creation? It feels like a Conjuration Wizard... but it’s a Bard. Perhaps the biggest irony is how much stronger this subclass feels when compared to the Conjuration Wizard, but you really have to be in the mood to play a conjurer.

Oath of Glory (Paladin)

Having some experience playing this subclass in a one-shot (Theros yay!): it’s very hit-or-miss. The spell list is amazing, the Channel Divinities are mediocre at best, the aura is garbage (10 foot +10 movement aura LUL), Glorious Defense is insane, and Living Legend is a capstone ability so of course it’s going to be good.

I think the main reason you’ll pick this subclass is for their subclass spells. And don’t get me wrong: Guiding Bolt and Haste are crazy good. But considering that Paladins usually want to blow everything on Smites?

When I played this character it was a 9 level dip into Paladin with a 3 level dip into Warlock. I didn’t use a melee weapon and opted for Eldritch Blast spamming. And that’s essentially this subclass as a whole: it wants you to be a spellcaster, which is great if you multiclass into a spellcaster (Aura of Protection is always good) but it feels bad as an actual Paladin.

The new Fighting Style that lets you get some cantrips as a Paladin might make this subclass better, but you’re still stuck being a half caster. Can’t escape the feeling that an actual caster would be better.

Path of Wild Magic (Barbarian)

It’s fun, is all I can really say. The subclass is built almost entirely around the Wild Surge table you get at level 3 and all the effects are strong. (Thankfully none of them are OP like in UA.) Unstable Backlash means that with luck you should eventually get a good Wild Magic effect.

The use of a d3 for Bolstering Magic is still a crime. It should just be a d4, with the spell slot restoration thing being “reroll on a 4.” (Or better yet: “roll a d4 and take half the roll, rounded up.” I still think having an RNG chance to get back a Haste or Fireball is a bit too strong.)

B TIER

Fey Wanderer (Ranger)

All I can say is thank god this subclass got better. It went from a weird pseudo-Paladin to a subclass with its own identity and theme. The only ability that’s really weak currently is Dreadful Strikes since it encourages you to spread out your damage for no particular reason. Horizon Walker had a similar problem but you could still focus damage as Horizon Walker. And you were doing more than a d4 of extra damage.

But beyond that this subclass is great! The subclass spell list is very strong. Otherworldly Glamour gives you some utility as a party face. Beguiling Twist... is honestly a little hit-or-miss. But it’s made up for by Fey Reinforcements and Misty Wanderer. Having a non-concentration summoning spell along with near-unlimited Misty Step is so insanely powerful to keep out of harm and to keep your DPS up.

Fey Wanderer seems really good at a lot of the things a Ranger wants to do. It’s a good skill monkey (being good at Charisma which other Rangers usually aren’t), a good damage dealer, a strong defensive support, a great single-unit summoner, and incredibly slippery and mobile. I don’t know if it’s enough to make me play the class (Ranger’s flavor is still iffy for me overall) but it’s definitely on my list for subclasses to try someday!

Order of the Scribes (Wizard)

Order of the Scribes is the best default Wizard, which is its biggest strength and its largest weakness. Getting a free colored pen is fun and flavorful, being able to get all your spells back if you lose your spellbook is insanely useful, always having an Arcane Focus is great, being able to replace the damage type of your spells is MASSIVE, getting to cast a Ritual Spell with its normal casting time is situationally fantastic.

Getting what essentially amounts to a free familiar is amazing. Getting what essentially amounts to a free spell slot (to upcast a second level spell) is great, and is honestly worth multiclassinging into for a lot of classes. Being able to negate incoming damage as a Wizard (IE squishy d6 hit die baby) is huge, even if you lose a lot of spells in the process. (I assure you by level 14 you’re going to have some useless spells that you’re never going to cast.)

But the problem with Order of the Scribes is that it has to compete with Divination, Evocation, Chronurgy, and War Wizard. If you have any specific build you want to go for then the specific schooled subclasses are better. But if you “just want to cast spells or whatever” Order of the Scribes is a lot of fun.

I actually have a character who’d fit Order of the Scribes very well, it’s just that Chronurgy feels so much more fun even if it doesn’t fit him as well. And that’s literally the exact problem with Order of the Scribes summed up in one anecdote.

Peace Domain (Cleric)

You may be forgiven for thinking this subclass is just a Life Cleric that doesn’t wear Heavy Armor, but the Emboldening Bond and the upgrades it gets are incredibly useful. Protective Bond in particular is such a massive power boost to the tanks of your party, giving them mobility and letting them take damage for squishy allies.

Peace Domain is by far the best party buffing spellcaster. They make everyone else amazing, and while that may not be fun for everyone I’m a garbage Yuumi main so it’s right up my alley.

Circle of Wildfire (Druid)

“iT dOeSn’T hAvE fIrEbAlL aNyMoRe It’S bAd BeCaUsE nO fIrEbAlL” oh get over your Fireball fetish Reddit. Circle of Wildfire is carried pretty much entirely by its flavor. It’s such a unique take on a Druid it’s impossible not to find at least some build to make with this subclass.

That’s not to say that it’s a bad subclass! The summon feels weak but you get two of them per short rest. Having a powerful subclass feature tied to short rests is really nice as a spellcaster. All your other features are very useful and flavorful, though my one complaint is that Cauterizing Flames is hard to use in Theater of the Mind.

It’s just a very fun and unique subclass that offers a unique flavor to Druids that they don’t normally have. I’m sure a lot of players will be motivated to try a Druid just to take a crack at this class. Hopefully they realize that only you can prevent forest fires.

A TIER

Phantom (Rogue)

I’m actually surprised how much I like this class to be honest. I made a Phantom Rogue once as a joke for a one-shot and to my surprise the subclass is actually very powerful and fun! It surprisingly just feels like a better Rogue, but considering how strong Rogues are normally that’s all the better for Phantom Rogue. You can easily fill any skill proficiencies your party needs thanks to Whispers of the Dead, and Wails from the Grave really lets you increase your DPS.

Tokens of the Departed got a major boost from UA since it now lets you use Wails from the Grave more, but the flavor of being able to ask the souls of the dead for information is also great. Ghost Walk is just insanely useful in general, and Death’s Friend lets you do double Sneak Attack damage every turn! Imagine how much damage you’d do with a crit!

The flavor is the one thing that I think hurts this subclass, as it’s really hard to make essentially an undead Rogue without immediately being labeled as an edgelord. But if a party ever needs a Rogue to do all the things that a Rogue does this character is perfect!

I’m personally awaiting the day to bring back Bill, the Undead Kobold Detective.

Way of the Astral Self (Monk)

JoJo subclass. I like JoJo. This subclass was overpowered in UA but the final release manages to capture the same feeling without being broken. Let’s go over the features one by one:

Arms of the Astral Self gives you a JoJo stand rush against everyone close to you, letting you recreate the flavor of JooJ without breaking action economy too much. But being able to prioritize Wisdom is huge to keep your Stunning Strike DC high while still getting good attack damage. But it’s still not OP since Dexterity is tied to your AC. It’s perhaps a little strong for multiclass builds (you can use your spellcasting modifier to attack) but multiclassing into Monk has always been kinda iffy, and Shillelagh has existed since the PHB was released. It should also be said that having Reach weapons as a Monk is huge, since you don’t have to get the Mobile feat to do hit-and-run.

Visage of the Astral Self is a nice social feature for a subclass that doesn’t normally get social features. Body of the Astral Self gives you more defense and offense. And Awakened Astral Self just further increases your defense and offense.

Excluding weeb shit this subclass just has awesome flavor. I’m actually planning on playing this subclass soon. (I’m playing a Cleric / Monk multiclass and I’m only level 2 in Monk currently.) I’m surprised myself that my first Astral Self character isn’t a fucking JoJo OC, considering that I already have a grand total of about 5 JoJo OCs.

Twilight Domain (Cleric)

Twilight domain also surprised me with how interesting it is. I don’t really have much to say other than it has a good mix of defensive, offensive, and utility abilities. Your subclass spell list is very strong for the most part. Eyes of Night and Vigilant Blessing are both just generally useful. Twilight Sanctuary isn’t insane but it’s consistent and it’s nice. Steps of Night is very strong and has a nice aesthetic. And Twilight Shroud is a good boost to your Channel Divinity.

The honest truth is that Twilight Domain feels kinda weak by comparison to some of the other Clerics. It’s no Forge, Grave, Life, or even Order Domain is all I can say. The fact that all your features only work in the dark is iffy if you don’t have shadows to sulk in. But along with just generally having good abilities the flavor is really what carries this subclass.

Here’s a meme:

Armorer (Artificer)

Artificer is one of my favorite classes so it’s no surprise that a new Artificer subclass excites me. Armorer fills a niche that I think Artificer didn’t have, and surprisingly it’s not the “tank” archetype. Armorer is still a good tank but the Infiltrator armor also gives you an option to play the subclass at range.

What I like is that Armorer is a subclass that doesn’t have a summon and puts more focus on your infusions. Armor Modifications is such a great feature that really brings the customization to Artificer. It truly lets you make your character your own instead of focusing on concrete class features. It doesn’t surpass Warlock Invocations for customizability, but it’s still great to get two personal magic items of your choice.

Yeah this subclass is going to be used a lot for min-maxing. Giving Wizards easy access to Heavy Armor is a little scary. But really if a Wizard wants to take a 3 level dip just for armor and the Guidance cantrip let them. Let the squishy boys have some AC for once.

Circle of Stars (Druid)

Full disclosure: I’ve been wanting to make a Stars Druid after the Rise of the Mountain expansion came to Legends of Runeterra. My first Druid had Telepathy (I took the Telepathic feat as a joke since I had a floating ability score) and it helped me realize how crazy a Druid with telepathy was for espionage. After seeing The Trickster celestial card from LoR I felt the artwork hit all three of my qualifiers for a character: class I want to play, great theme, and furry.

(Artwork by Kudos Productions. Made for Riot Games.)

My personal interest in this subclass aside: it has such a wonderful aesthetic that’s perfect for any character who wants an astral connection. The features are also great: Guiding Bolt is a strong spell to have as is Guidance, and having reactionary Bardic Inspirations is nice for a spellcaster.

But of course the main feature of Starry Form lets you still play the game normally while also benefitting from your Wild Shapes. Stars Druid is probably the second best Wildshape Druid despite not actually Wildshaping. Free Bonus Action attacks is huge, extra healing is always helpful, help with concentration (and Flight later) is really swell, and resisting all damage while not-Wildshaped is very helpful and lets you play as a pseudo Frontliner.

Stars Druid just does so many nice things and I think it’s a great subclass that can fit into any team comp. Druids are already insanely useful (arguably one of the strongest classes in 5e) so to have one that can do so much is massive.

Soulknife (Rogue)

Much like Phantom Rogue this subclass feels just really good in general. You can boost your skill checks and also add not-Bardic Inspiration to your attack rolls to do more guaranteed damage. However this subclass is by far the best Rogue for infiltration. Yes: even better than Assassin. (Though I’d perhaps suggest learning how to use a Disguise Kit.) 1 mile telepathy, teleportation, and invisibility all seem to be built for infiltration. If you have a DM who likes infiltration, espionage, and other encounters that don’t involve combat then Soulknife is by far the best subclass on offer.

But of course you aren’t picking Soulknife just to sneak around! The Psychic Blades are easily the most useful feature not just for Rogues, but for many builds! Having an unlimited supply of thrown weapon suddenly makes a lot more builds viable. My dreams of a ranged Paladin or ranged Barbarian are somewhat crushed by RAW, but there are still some niches that can be filled with unlimited throwing weapons.

Fun fact: you can’t do extra Rage damage with thrown weapons, but you can use Reckless Attack on thrown Finesse weapons. What’s more interesting is that you can’t use Divine Smite on thrown weapons, but you can use Improved Divine Smite on thrown weapons. But of course you can always talk to your DM to see what their final ruling is.

Rune Knight (Fighter)

You can become Giant which makes my stupid furry ass horny for Volibear and Nasus.

I mean I’ve gotta be honest like 75% of the reason I’m hyped for Rune Knight is to become a giant. But the runes are also very strong, giving the subclass some Battlemaster-esque gimmicks that have a bit more magical flavor than the other martials. I also really like that the subclass gets boosts to their skills, allowing you to help out of combat as a Fighter.

There isn’t much I can specifically praise about Rune Knight because the whole subclass is fantastic. It’s a very good mix of defense, offense, and utility both in and out of combat.

The Fathomless (Warlock)

Sheeyutu Nagakabouros. Nagakabouros-shee-shok.

Having played a Fathomless Warlock in UA I can safely say: it’s a good subclass. Having a consistent source of Bonus Action damage is nice, and being able to use it defensively is also great. Extra spells known as a Warlock is nice (and Evard’s Black Tentacles is a great spell!) And a teleport with a mile distance is rather crazy.

So much of the subclass is built around the tentacle which is great because the tentacle is such a great Bonus Action damage source. I really wish I had more to say but the power of this subclass starts and ends at how great having what amounts to an extra Eldritch Blast as a Bonus Action every turn is.

S TIER

College of Eloquence (Bard)

Yup. One of the best subclasses in this book was also in Theros. It helps that my favorite D&D character of all time was a College of Eloquence Bard.

This subclass got so much better since UA. Reliable Talent for Charisma checks at level 3 is fucking nuts! And on top of that Unsettling Words is a great way to soften enemies up for devastating spells. Universal Speech at 6th level pretty much singlehandedly enables the “peaceful” route with a lot of enemies, allowing you to talk your way out of problems.

But this bard is the king of inspiration! Unfailing Inspiration fixes the biggest problem with the Bard class, and Infectious Inspiration multiplies your Bardic Inspiration to a ridiculous degree. This Bard is just so reliably fantastic at Bard things, all while still being a full spellcaster that can make it harder for enemies to deal with spellcasters. It doesn’t get anything special from its subclass but you only got 3 features from your subclass as a Bard anyways. Baseline Bards are amazing and the insurance on your features from this subclass makes it all the better.

The Genie (Warlock)

If the fact that I stick Warlock levels into literally every build didn’t prove it I really like Warlocks, and Genie Warlock is easily the best Warlock subclass. Period. I actually have a post in the works where I go in-depth as to why Genie Warlock is so good. But in short:

Being able to choose between four subclass spell lists is crazy good. Like ridiculously good. A single level in this subclass gives you a Bag of Holding, a (single person) Leomund’s Tiny Hut, and a damage boost to all your attacks every turn!

6th level gives you damage resistance which is always good, but I seriously can not stress how ridiculous non-concentration Flight is for a Warlock. Your spell selection and spell slots are already so limited, and this subclass lets you get all the utility of flight pretty much whenever you please. Just think about how strong Aaracokra are and then consider that this is basically the Aaracokra’s only racial trait.

Sanctuary Vessel lets you upgrade your Leomund’s Tiny Hut power to affect the whole party. By this point you can indeed Long Rest in the lamp, and I need to stress how less suspicious a lone lamp is to a giant bubble of magical force. You could easily hide the lamp somewhere and (if the party is traveling light) be practically undetectable.

Oh and Limited Wish? So you know how the best feature of the Bard is their Magical Secrets? What if you got to choose (practically) any spell of 6th level or lower whenever you please? The only “problem” with Limited Wish is that you have to know every spell that you can pick from, but whenever “too much choice” is a problem in a game of infinite choices you know it’s a good feature.

Genie Warlocks do everything that Warlocks want to do so well. More damage on all your attacks to maximize the value of cantrip spamming, mobility to keep safe without spending spell slots, more high level spells, and giving the party a safe place to rest and recharge. I played a full Genie Warlock and absolutely loved it. I highly recommend this subclass to anyone who wants to play a Warlock. It’s just so versatile and useful I’m sure anyone can find a way to enjoy playing it.

[hawkesvarric]

ok ok before I have to go clean my apartment and get ready for work tomorrow ;n; here’s my faves from the new Tasha’s subclasses!!! bc I am very excited for them!!! manifesting for 2021 that I get to be a player in a regular game and try them out myself~

Artificer - Battle Smith!! they’re all fun though, I love the homunculus servant + replicating magical items.

Barbarian - Path of the Beast is just everything to me. adds a lot of flavor to rages beyond just “rawr I’m angery.” I’m obsessed with Wild Magic in all its forms, but I do wish the subclass actually allowed you to cast. even fighter gets a casting subclass, you know? :/

Bard - eh. you can’t even make magic items with Creation and Eloquence is just okay? not really my type of thing. 

Cleric - Order domain is really fun, you’re sort of paladin-y but combine that with cleric abilities? Sexy. I love Twilight in aesthetic/vibes, but the subclass itself is a bit lacking. 

Druid - Circle of Stars!!! not just bc it’s STARS lol I really love the starry form ability and how it gets even more powerful later on. it doesn’t beat out Shepherd as my favorite circle, but damn does it come close. Spores is also very good and Wildfire is too though I feel like only focusing on one element is a bit meh.

Fighter - PSI WARRIOR I AM OBSESSED!!!! I am rolling up one as we speak. RIP to those who think fighter is a boring class, but I’m different. <3 I like Rune Knight a lot, but the giant thing I wish was more optional? I get why they added it, but maybe you’re running a game where runes aren’t made by the giants and then it’d be weird to have those abilities, you know?

Monk - Way of Mercy. there is literally nothing about it I do not like. it is everything I have ever wanted out of the monk class which was already my favorite class to begin with, so like???? I’m in love. Astral Self is interesting too, not normally my sort of thing, but I think they made it functionally better and it has a lot of neat abilities.

Paladin - FINALLY some good fucking food! Paladin’s my least favorite class, so WOTC had their work cut out for them making me care, and boy did they deliver. while Watcher is a bit campaign dependent (if you’re not running a game w extraplanar threats then like RIP), but GOD those vibes. and Oath of Glory is just so goddamn sexy even though I wished they kept calling it Oath of Heroism like in the UA. whatever, I love both a lot. 

Ranger - nothing beats out Gloom Stalker IMO, they really peaked w that one. Swarmkeeper’s interesting in theory, but it’s kinda weak. I do like the fix they introduced for Beast Master though, that’s nice.

Rogue - Phantom is just so sexy. I’ve already rolled one, my girl Iridessa whom I am obsessed with, and look at those damn abilities. ty WOTC for the excellent meal. Soulknife is also so fucking sexy. I love them both.

Sorcerer - them new metamagic options though 👀 Clockwork Soul’s so interesting omg, but I gotta give it to Aberrant Mind. just an absolutely batshit powerful but weird af sorcerer is everything to me.

Warlock - I think both patrons are just a bit lacking, but I have to go w Genie bc A it really coincidentally fits in w my campaign I’m running for my friends hehe but more importantly B I am obsessed w limited wish!!!!! that is so GOOD!!!!

Wizard - Order of Scribes is SO good, wow! it’s everything I’ve ever wanted from wizard!!! Bladesinging is interesting, but if I wanted to go more combat heavy, I wouldn’t go wizard lol so to me I’m not super into it. I’d much rather have a sentient spellbook.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #155

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're going back to the Servant Universe to preserve the Saber Empire, thanks to Mysterious Heroine X Alter! This mysterious heroine is a Psi Warrior Fighter for her legally-not-a-lightsaber skills and some legally-not-the-force, and a Bladesinger Wizard for more saber skills and legally-not-the-force lightning.

Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: Once again, we came so close to making a build at an appropriate time. Oh well, he’s not one for the spotlight anyway.

Race and Background

You might come from another dimension, but you're still Human (er, servant), giving you +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, Acrobatics proficiency to help with the impractical swordfighting style you specialize in, and the Mage Slayer feat to ruin the original MHX's day. If a creature within 5 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to attack them. Your damage also causes concentration checks at a disadvantage, and you get advantage on saves against spells cast within 5 feet of you. MHX is pretty far from a mage, but this will interrupt her saber-tracking efforts.

That being said, you're still about as Far a Traveler as you can get, giving you proficiency with Insight and Perception.

Ability Scores

You are renowned for your ability to knock back sweets, and it's really hard to poison someone who literally has a reactor for a stomach, so we're gonna make your Constitution number one here. After that is going to be Intelligence, you did come from a science fiction world after all, I'm sure you know more than the average bear. Following that up is Dexterity, your armor is at most light, and no matter what form your sword takes it's still a light saber. Your Charisma isn't too bad, you've gotta be able to talk people into buying you mochi after all. Staying under that kotatsu all the time means your Strength isn't great, but we're dumping Wisdom. You want more saber faces in the world, if anything an 8's too much.

Class Levels

1. Fighter 1: First level fighters get proficiency in every weapon, and considering your sword can turn into a chainsaw I'd say that'll come in handy. You also get proficiency with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as two fighter skills. Intimidation matches your dark knight schtick, and Survival will help you cook up some sweets when you're left on your own.

You also get a Fighting Style. Your light saber comes in a variety of packages, but most of them are one handed. That means Dueling will be the most useful for you, giving you +2 on damage rolls while using only one one-handed weapon.

You also get the bonus action Second Wind, letting you stuff yourself with sweets to heal a bit once per short rest.

2. Fighter 2: Second level fighters get an Action Surge, letting you add an action to your turn once per short rest. You spent so much time lazing around, you were just... saving up for when it counted. Yeah.

3. Fighter 3: If you want to be a sith knockoff, you can't go wrong with being a Psi Warrior. When you take the subclass you gain Psionic Powers, powered by psionic dice. They're d6s (that grow when you level up) equal to twice your proficiency bonus that recharge on short rests. Currently, you can use them in three ways.

Your Protective Field lets you spend a reaction and a die to reduce the incoming damage a creature near you is taking by the die roll plus your intelligence modifier.

A Psionic Strike adds the roll + int mod in force damage to a weapon attack to light up your saber once per turn.

You can also use Telekinetic Movement to move a large or smaller object/willing creature up to 30 feet. You can do this once per short rest for free, or by using up a psionic die.

4. Fighter 4: Use this ASI to bring up your Dexterity so your sword skills aren't as bad. You're a saber after all, you've gotta be on your A game! You are a saber, right?

5. Fighter 5: Fifth level fighters get an Extra Attack. It isn't exactly rocket science, but it is very useful.

6. Wizard 1: Moving over to wizard now nets you an Arcane Recovery, helping you recover a couple spell slots on a short rest once per long rest.

Speaking of, you also learn Spells. So many spells. They use your Intelligence for casting and preparation. You get stuff like Shocking Grasp for a cheap force lightning, Mage Hand for some telekinesis that doesn't use resources, your standard gish setup, Mage Armor to make your hoodie worth something, and Absorb Elements to put that magic reactor in your chest to good use.

And that's only some of the spells you could use! Check the character sheet for more.

7. Wizard 2: If you want to blur the line between nerd and sith lord like we do, Bladesinger is a pretty good choice. You get Training in War and Song, which gives you a bunch of proficiencies you already have from fighter as well as Performance. Foreshadowing!

You can also perform a Bladesong proficiency times per long rest if you aren't using heavy armor or two-handed weapons. The song lasts a minute and uses a bonus action to start. While active, you add your Intelligence modifier to your AC and concentration saves, your walking speed goes up by 10, you have advantage on acrobatics checks.

You can also Cause Fear as part of your membership with the Dark R.O.U.N.D.S., and you also get some sci-fi gadgets to Detect Magic.

8. Wizard 3: Third level wizards get second level spells, with Magic Weapon making your light saber a bit fancier and Dragon's Breath for a more dramatic (and consistent!) use of your lightning powers.

9. Fighter 6: Bouncing back to fighter for a bit nets you another ASI to bump up your Intelligence for stronger spells and telekinesis. Again, not flashy but very useful.

10. Fighter 7: Seventh level psi knights gain two new ways to use their psionic dice thanks to being Telekinetic Adepts.

You can use a Psi-Powered Leap once per short rest or by using a psionic die to gain a flying speed equal to 2x your walking speed for the turn for big anime jumps. Dramatically launching yourself at your foes for air combat framed by the moonlight has never been easier.

Alternatively, your Telekinetic Thrust empowers your Psionic Strike, forcing a strength save (dc 8+proficiency+intelligence mod). If they fail the save, you can either knock the target prone or push them 10 feet in any horizontal direction.

11. Wizard 4: Back in wizard for a bit. This level gives you another ASI, so grab the Telekinetic feat, which increases your Intelligence by 1, lets you cast Mage Hand without making it obvious and with an increased range, and you can make telekinetic shoves as a bonus action, pushing a creature 5 feet away or towards you if they fail a strength save.

You also learn the cantrip Green-Flame Blade which makes your saber give off a bit more light and the spells Enhance Ability to activate your true power that's been sealed away for millennia. You also also get Levitate to force choke some people. They don't take damage from the spell, but it opens them up for you walloping them, so same difference.

12. Wizard 5: Fifth level wizards get third level spells, Haste lets you run anime fast for up to a minute- you also get advantage on dex saves and +2 to your AC, but after the spell ends you have to take a nap. You also get the big guns- Lightning Bolt. 100 feet of range, dealing 8d6 lightning damage to creatures that fail a dexterity save. An elegant lightning spell from a more civilized age.

13. Wizard 6: Sixth level bladesingers get something very special: an Extra Attack! It still doesn't stack with your fighter one, but now you can use a cantrip in place of one of your attacks! Roast them with lightning then hit 'em with a sword!

You can also use Fear to be an intimidating presence to multiple people at once, and Catnap to pull out the kotatsu.

14. Fighter 8: Use this ASI to bump up your Dexterity once more for even better weapon attacks and AC.

15. Fighter 9: Ninth level fighters get Indomitable, letting you re-roll a failed save once per long rest. Don't even bother with the wisdom saves, it's not going to happen.

16. Fighter 10: Tenth level Psi Knights have a Guarded Mind, letting you resist psychic damage and burn psi dice to end effects that are charming or frightening you at the start of a turn. See? Told you you didn't have to worry about wisdom saves!

17. Fighter 11: Congratulations on yet another Extra Attack! To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how that stacks with your bladesinger attacks, but that's a headache for your DM to figure out!

18. Fighter 12: Another ASI, bump up your Int again for more AC, Spells, and telekinesis.

19. Fighter 13: Thirteenth level fighters get a second use of Indomitable per long rest, and it's totally not because WotC was running out of ideas, no sir!

20. Fighter 14: Your capstone level is another ASI, which we'll use to get your bond CE thanks to Servo Crafting! You use Find Familiar as a ritual to create a little robot buddy who acts mostly like a normal familiar. Aside from that, you can see and speak through the servo as long as it's on the same plane, and you can ignore one of your own attacks to let the little buddy attack instead. Honestly this probably would have been more useful way earlier, but it's a bond CE, what did you expect?

Pros:

Your various forms of telekinesis give you a great deal of battlefield control, helping you manipulate the positions of enemies and allies to your advantage.

You also have great saves with two of the big three: dexterity and Constitution. Add on the fact that you can shut down the biggest problems caused by failed wisdom saves practically at will, and you're a big threat for magic users.

While your physically aren't great at burst damage like assassins or paladins, you make up for that with gobs of consistency and longevity in melee combat. You've got almost 200 HP, and an AC of 13 + your dexterity mod (4) and your intelligence mod (4). 21 AC in a hoodie is not bad at all!

Cons:

While you can shut off the worst of it, your Wisdom saves are atrocious, and will still cause you problems against illusions.

While it doesn't come into effect until very late into the build, the weirdness surrounding how your extra attacks mesh will have to be addressed eventually

Servo Crafting really doesn't do anything for your build. Not only is it not useful, if you were willing to get rid of it you could invest more into wizard levels and get Bigby's Hand for a real force choke.