#she's a zariel tiefling in the game it's all about thaumaturgy

[psychspark]

User @bareee made this Tav template and I thought it'd be fun to fill out! This one is for Nil, my most babygirl ever. I might make one for the other characters I've finished the game with but they're both durges so we'll see how I go haha

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #290: Tomoe Gozen (Saber)

Greetings, gamers! Today on Fate and Phantasms we’re building Lord Yoshinaka’s gamer girlfriend Tomoe Gozen in D&D 5e. Hey, if Lasengle thinks letting her name slip is fine and dandy I’m not one to argue.

Tomoe’s a Soulknife Rogue to build her own VR sabers, as well as a Samurai Fighter so she can play all night long. Yep, this intro’s not super complicated, mostly because I have no idea what “VR Shinkageryu” is either.

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

Next up: Summer 5 speedrun no internal organs glitchless 235:6:4

Race and Background

Tomoe’s still a Tiefling like last time, but we’re making her with a Zariel bloodline instead of the original flavor. This gives you +2 Dexterity and +1 Constitution as well as Darkvision, Hellish Resistance against fire damage, and a Legacy of Avernus. You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip innately, and you get more spells you can cast once per day each as you level up- Searing Smite at level 3 and Branding Smite at level 5. While a soulknife is a fun light show, it’s not quite as fiery as we’d like for your NP. That’s where the smites come in.

You’re also still a Noble, but since we’re getting history later you’ll pick up proficiency in Persuasion and Survival instead. I don’t know how someone with a VR headset glued to their eyes is supposed to survive in the wild, but you have a skill all about it, so I assume you’re good at it.

Ability Scores

Your highest score is going to be Constitution. Staying up late is a constitution save, and once again you have a whole skill dedicated to it. After that is Dexterity. Laser swords use dexterity. Bikinis use dexterity. Dexterity is good. Almost as good? Your Charisma. Some would call playing a video game a performance, and at the very least you’re probably good at beat saber. We’re also gonna make your Strength above average, part oni and all that, so your Intelligence and Wisdom are less good. Turns out it’s hard to see what’s happening when you have a VR headset strapped to your head 24/7.

Class Levels

1. Rogue 1: We’re starting off as a rogue for the extra skills and also to get your VR experience going as soon as possible. I know we’re out in the mountains so you’re already getting shakes from game withdrawal, so we’ll make these levels quick.

At first level you have proficiency in Dexterity and Intelligence saves plus four skills like Acrobatics for flashier swordplay, Athletics for oni strength, Perception for twitch reflexes, and Performance for higher scores. You also get double proficiency or “Expertise” in two skills like Survival and Athletics. Oni be strong.

If you’re using a finesse or ranged weapon and you have advantage or a buddy near the target, you can use a Sneak Attack to deal extra damage. Right now it’s 1d6, it’ll get bigger as we go.

You also know Thieves’ Cant, which I guess in this case is just gamer lingo.

2. Rogue 2: A second level rogue can make a Cunning Action as a bonus action each turn, disengaging, dodging, dashing, or hiding with the speed of a child whose mother just came into their room in the middle of a sick gaming sesh on their DS.

3. Rogue 3: At the third level of rogue we finally take a step into the magical world of VR by becoming a Soulknife. This gives you Psionic Power, a.k.a. twice your proficiency bonus in Psionic Energy Dice, which right now are d6s. You regain them all on a long rest, or you can get one back per short rest as a bonus action. Right now, your dice have two uses. You can use them for a Psi-Bolstered Knack, a.k.a. adding them to a failed check you’re proficient in and possibly turning it into a success. You only use the die up if you succeed, so there’s no shame in trying your hardest every match! You can also use Psychic Whispers for some teamchat, rolling the die and setting up a groupchat (telepathically) with up to Proficiency number creatures for that many hours, as long as you are within one mile of whoever you’re talking to. The first shot is free, each use afterwards eats up a die though.

But none of that sounds like VR Shinkageryu, does it? No, it doesn’t. Thankfully we also have Psychic Blades to stand in for your VR sabers. Whenever you take the attack action, you create a laser blade to make that attack with. It’s finesse and can be thrown, and it deals psychic damage instead of piercing or slashing. On top of that, it leaves no trace of the damage it deals, as all the damage happens in VR. Obviously. Included in that damage might be your sneak attack, which is bumped up to 2d6 this level.

Also, you can make an extra attack as a bonus action using a smaller blade.

You could also use that bonus action to take Steady Aim, giving you advantage on your next attack at the cost of not being able to move that turn.

4. Fighter 1: Now that you have the swords, it’s time we got good with them. Pick up the Two Weapon fighting style so you can add your ability modifier to offhand weapon damage, and you also get a Second Wind to heal yourself as a bonus action. Every gamer keeps refreshments on hand for hardcore gaming seshes. It’s not pretty, but that’s just the reality of the life you signed up for.

5. Fighter 2: Second level fighters can make an Action Surge once per short rest for an extra action in a single turn. This doesn’t give you an extra bonus action though, so you can still only make three attacks in a turn.

6. Fighter 3: At third level you become a Samurai, which is thankfully a lot less front-loaded than Soulknife was. You become proficient in History, and you also gain a Fighting Spirit up to three times per day. Spend a bonus action, get temporary HP and advantage on all attacks for the turn. Simple stuff.

7. Fighter 4: Now that we’ve put it off for as long as possible, we can finally grab an Ability Score Improvement for higher dexterity. That’s a higher AC and stronger swords, baybee.

8. Fighter 5: Fifth level fighters get an Extra Attack each action- that’s two per action, up to three per turn with a bonus action attack, four with your action surge, or a maximum of five with an action surge and a bonus action.

9. Rogue 4: Use this ASI to bump up your Constitution for more HP. That’s a +9 bonus this level- remember, HP changes are cumulative.

10. Rogue 5: Fifth level rogues can make an Uncanny Dodge as a bonus action, halving one instance of damage coming your way. Psychic blades have plenty of perks, but you can’t make reaction attacks with them, so at least now you have something to use that reaction on each turn. Thankfully your 3d6 sneak attack should make up for not having opportunity attacks.

11. Rogue 6: Sixth level rogues get another set of Expertise, so your Performance and History checks should be even better than before. You’ve seen it all before, both in terms of games and historical events.

12. Rogue 7: Seventh level rogues gain Evasion, supercharging your dexterity saves. On a failure, you take half damage. On a success, you take none at all. This only works on saves to halve damage- if passing the save already negates all damage, you’ll still take all the damage on a failure. Speaking of damage: 4d6 sneak attack, once per turn. It’s nice.

13. Rogue 8: Use this ASI to max out your Dexterity for the hardest bathing suit around and to make sure your VR sabers burn as brightly as possible.

14. Rogue 9: Ninth level soulknives have Soul Blades, which isn’t a confusing name at all. This gives you two more uses for Psi Dice. You can add a roll of the dice to a missed attack roll to make Homing Strikes, only spending the die of the attack now hits. Alternatively, throw that sword (and that die) around for some Psychic Teleportation, moving up to 10’ x the die roll.

Your psychic blades also become a bit stronger thanks to your 5d6 Sneak Attack damage.

15. Fighter 6: Sixth level fighters get another ASI, and since our dex is already maxed out, might as well grab a feat like the Flames of Phlegethos. This mostly just makes your searing smite a little more searing- whenever you roll fire damage from a spell, you can reroll 1s and take the new roll. Also, whenever you cast a fire-dealing spell you become a little bit of a sun yourself for the round, shedding light and dealing fire damage back to any creature that hits you with a melee attack. It also bumps up your Charisma, which is nice since…

16. Fighter 7: Seventh level samurai are Elegant Courtiers, so you add your wisdom modifier to your persuasion checks. This isn’t a “can” ability, and it also doesn’t have a minimum, so… yeah, you’re worse at persuasion now. At least you also get proficiency in Wisdom saves.

17. Fighter 8: For more save proficiency, grab the Resilient feat with your last ASI for +1 constitution and proficiency in those saves! Staying up late will eventually be a constitution save, so now it’s a bit easier for you. Shame we’re leaving off on an odd number, but oh well.

18. Fighter 9: If that’s not enough, your Indomitable spirit lets you re-roll a failed save once a long rest. Save this for saves you’re good at, like… most of them, actually.

19. Fighter 10: Tenth level fighters get a… Tireless Spirit. Yes, we really picked up this entire subclass just for this joke. This also legitimately helps you stay up late, since rolling initiative with 0 Fighting Spirits lets you gain one back.

20. Fighter 11: Your final level is pretty simple, but effective- another Extra Attack lets you make up to seven attacks in a turn, if you’re using two actions and your bonus action to attack. That’s three per action, if you’re averse to division.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

With a maxed-out attack modifier, an absurd number of attacks per turn, and the ability to just give yourself advantage at will, you’ve got some consistent damage on the table. I can’t even dock points for range since you can throw these things around and teleport. It also helps that they’re the extra hard to defend against Psychic damage type so that very few builds can block your attacks. Just… ignore the Abby build we just made.

While all summer servants are used to traveling light, you take it to the next level since you need no equipment to work at your absolute best. Okay, to be fair you work better in actual armor, but it’s not mandatory.

You’re not only good on offense either! Your saving throws are also fantastic, with four proficiencies, including all of the big three- Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom. Those three make up a large bulk of the saves you’ll make throughout a typical game of D&D, so they’ll definitely help you shrug off some of the nastier effects your party deals with. Plus, you have fighter-tier HP with a rogue’s uncanny dodge, so you can stay up for a while.

Cons:

Psychic laser swords are cool, but soulknives have some drawbacks. First off, if you’re fighting a creature like Abby, your reliance on psychic damage will hose you completely, unless you have a spare dagger on hand. Also, you can’t use attacks of opportunity with a soulknife, since that’s not an attack action. This seriously cuts into your damage output, since you could sneak in another sneak attack on someone else’s turn. That’s especially bad since…

The only serious damage you’re doing is with sneak attacks. With small damage dice on your soulknives and the limited number of smites you get per day, you’ll only be doing appreciable damage on late-game enemies once per turn no matter how many attacks you land.

Speaking of smites, you have a ton to do on your bonus action, don’t you? Smites, healing, cunning actions, an extra attack… Having options is never a bad thing, but it does mean this is a more complicated character to bring to the table.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #217

Today on Fate and Phantasms we're bringing the party back with the help of Ibaraki Douji (Lancer)! In her new swimsuit Ibaraki brings all the heat of her previous form with the added benefit of launching her enemies into the sky for a spectacular fireworks display. There's really only two spells in the game that push enemies upwards, so that makes this build a little more complicated than her original form. She's still a Storm Herald Barbarian to throw fireworks around, but she's also a Storm Sorcerer for even bigger bangs (and to grab one of the two spells I just talked about). Finally, she's also a Scout Rogue so she can slip out the back before she gets caught. Check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next up: I guess you could say I'm a... big fan of her work.

Race and Background

Ibaraki's still a Tiefling, but we don't need a mage hand so we can get up close and personal as a Zariel Tiefling instead. She gets +2 Strength and +1 Charisma, Darkvision to help stake out those evening beach parties, Hellish Resistance against fire damage so you don't get sunburned, and a Legacy of Avernus, which means right now you can cast Thaumaturgy, and while it doesn't use any saves or attacks I'm going to bring up right now that your legacy spells use Charisma for all of those things. Slam open a door on the other side of the room, then use that distraction to run off with all the weenies. A perfect crime.

Speaking of crime, you're still a Criminal. Most of your crimes are more pranks and stealing food than killing and looting, but Deception and Stealth proficiencies are still pretty good to have regardless.

Ability Scores

Oni are strong. Make your Strength big. Easy stuff. After that is Constitution, you spend the entirety of an endless summer surviving off cotton candy and hot dogs. I know servants don't need to eat at all but that still probably should've killed you. Third is Charisma, yours has to be pretty good if you were popular enough to get a swimsuit. I hear Okita's been trying for years now. Your Dexterity should also be okay at least, swimsuits aren't exactly platemail, and you're good at wriggling out of sticky situations. This means your Wisdom and Intelligence aren't the best; you can take the oni out of the berserker, but you can't take the berserker out of the oni.

Class Levels

Barbarian 1: Speaking being a berserker, starting off as a barbarian lets you fly into a Rage as a bonus action. You can't cast or concentrate on spells, but you deal extra damage with strength-based attacks, have advantage on strength checks and saves, and you resist physical damage types. (That's bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing.) Being a barbarian also makes wearing a swimsuit into battle a better idea thanks to your Unarmored Defense, giving you an AC of 10 plus your constitution modifier plus your dexterity modifier. One last thing you get are your proficiencies. You're good with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Athletics and Perception.

Barbarian 2: At second level you can let loose a little with Reckless Attacks. You get advantage on all your attacks for the turn, and enemies get advantage on you for the round. Everybody wins! You also hone your Danger Sense giving you advantage on dexterity saves as long as you see the effect coming. As you know, fireballs aren't subtle.

Barbarian 3: Speaking of fire and not being subtle, let's do that. As a Storm Herald barbarian you get a Storm Aura. Technically there's three options you can swap out as you level, but we're only here for the Desert aura. That one lets you strap on a bunch of fireworks and set them off as a bonus action while raging, including the one you use to rage. You deal fire damage to everyone within 10' of you. No save, all damage. That. That's it, storm auras aren't complicated. Oh right, your Legacy of Avernus kicks back in, and you can cast Searing Smite at 2nd level once per long rest. Strapping a firecracker to your spear is an unorthodox way to deliver burns, but an effective one. Not that effective though, because for some reason the lingering effect is still based on concentration which is weird.

Barbarian 4: Congrats on reaching your first Ability Score Improvement. Your first boost goes to your Charisma for better smites now and stronger spells later.

Barbarian 5: We wanted to get to fifth level as fast as possible so you get your Extra Attack early. That lets you attack twice in a single action. You also get Fast Movement so you can move 40' per round to keep ahead of any party poopers. Finally, your Legacy of Avernus kicks in one last time so you can cast Branding Smite once per long rest. It's radiant damage rather than fire, but it turns out getting a fountain jammed into you makes it harder to hide, and they can't turn invisible until the spell ends. Well, I guess that's enough spells, right? Not like we're getting any more.

Sorcerer 1: Oh goddammit. Bouncing over to Storm sorcerer makes you a Wind Speaker, so you can speak primordial and its elemental dialects. There's no reason this can't be japanese, I guess. More on brand is Tempestuous Magic. If you're going to spend your action casting a leveled spell, you can spend a bonus action to move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. This is kind of a nonbo with the smites since they don't include an attack when you cast them, but you do get a bunch of Spells anyway this level, so it'll work itself out. For cantrips, grab Booming Blade for another bunch of firecrackers for your spear, Thunderclap to chuck those babies into the crowd, and Create Bonfire to light up an area. You also get Shape Water for extra fun at the beach. For first level spells, Thunderwave is yet another explosive to set off, and Catapult just lets you use your oni strength to chuck things at your opponents. (Also, from this point on I'm not going to bring up why we're grabbing thunder damage spells. It's all fireworks.)

Sorcerer 2: Second level sorcerers are a Font of Magic, so you can turn sorcery points into spell slots or spell slots into sorcery points. You start off at your maximum number of points equal to your sorcerer level, and they refresh every long rest. Also pick up Burning Hands for more fire damage.

Sorcerer 3: At third level sorcerers can use their sorcery points to create Metamagic for extra effects on their spells. Heightened spells force disadvantage on one creature for their first save against said spell for 3 points. Or you can Quicken spells, spending 2 points to turn a casting time of one action into a bonus action. With the caveat that you can't cast two leveled spells this way in a single turn. You also get second level spells like Pyrotechnics. It requires a fire within 60' of you, but I don't think that'll be an issue. This spell comes with three different options. You can extinguish the fire if you're boring. If you want to make a big entrance you can turn the flames into fireworks, forcing a constitution save on everyone within 10' of the fire and blinding them if they fail. If you need to make an escape you can instead make a big cloud of smoke pop out in a 20' radius around the fire, heavily obscuring the area for up to a minute.

Sorcerer 4: It's a bit annoying that our strength is odd, but we can fix that later by making more numbers odd now! As a tiefling you have access to the feat Infernal Constitution, so use this ASI to grab that for an extra point in Constitution. You also get resistance to cold and poison damage, as well as advantage on saves against being poisoned. You clearly don't have an issue with water, and your diet would kill a lesser person. For spells, grab Gust so you can clear out that smoke if you really need it and/or start pushing around enemies. Also, grab Shatter for reasons that should be self-evident.

Sorcerer 5: Fifth level sorcerers get Magical Guidance, so if you fail a check involving, say, calligraphy tools, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll the check. You might not be here to doodle, but you can help if they really need it. Oh yeah you also get Fireball for the biggest explosion.

Barbarian 6: I'm sick of d6s for hit dice, so let's go back into barbarian for a bit. At sixth level you unlock your Storm Soul, giving you resistance to fire damage (Finally, am I right?), and you can ignore extreme heat and set objects on fire with a touch. These are all permanent buffs, not things that rely on your rage.

Barbarian 7: Your Feral Instincts give you advantage on initiative rolls, and you can ignore surprise by raging immediately. You also get an Instinctive Pounce, letting you move up to half your movement speed when you use your bonus action to rage.

Barbarian 8: Finally at another ASI, use this one to round up your Strength and Constitution for more damage, more health, and more AC. You really like strength and constitution. (Also, HP increases retroactively, so you get 13 extra hit points this level, not one.)

Sorcerer 6: Now that we're good at beating people up, let's go back to sorcerer for that giant hand. At sixth level you become the Heart of the Storm, giving you resistance to lightning and thunder damage. When you cast a leveled spell that deals those types of damage, you explode, dealing half your sorcerer level in lightning or thunder damage. Obviously thunder damage is more in character here. Plus, this explosion only hits creatures you want it to, unlike every other explosion you're throwing around. You're also a Storm Guide, so you can spend an action to stop the rain from falling around you, or use your bonus action to change the direction the wind is blowing. Ibaraki probably can't do this in canon, but you wouldn't show up if it wasn't beach weather anyway, so this is just keeping the DM from breaking continuity. Finally, you can cast Thunder Step, dropping a firework where you're standing and reappearing somewhere else.

Sorcerer 7: Seventh level sorcerers can cast fourth level spells, be we don't want those, so grab Water Breathing instead. You're a water oni, you should be able to swim.

Sorcerer 8: Use this last ASI to bump up your Dexterity for a better AC. Also, pick up Enhance Ability so you can improve one of your checks. I don't know what ability calligraphy uses, but you'll be good at it now.

Sorcerer 9: Ninth level sorcerers finally get fifth level spells, so grab Bigby's Hand and use Bigby's Hand to grab whoever you want. It makes a giant hand that can do all sorts of things, using your bonus action to control it. You can punch people, shove them, grapple them, or use it to block incoming attacks. Grab somebody, lift them 60' into the air, cast fireball. Boom, NP achieved.

Rogue 1: Okay, you've had your fun, but now we need to get out of dodge before somebody puts a stop to it. Bouncing over to rogue gives you proficiency in Acrobatics to slip out of grapples, as well as Expertise in Stealth and Acrobatics for a doubled proficiency bonus. You also get a Sneak Attack, but spears aren't finesse weapons so I'm not worrying about it too much.

Rogue 2: Second level rogues can make Cunning Actions on their bonus actions, letting you dash, disengage, or hide. You're already pretty speedy, but this just makes it worse. For other people, I mean.

Rogue 3: Our capstone level turns you into a Scout, which makes you the hardest thing to pin down we've ever made. You're a Skirmisher, which means you can bolt as soon as someone ends their turn next to you- just react and you can move half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. You're also a Survivalist, giving you doubled proficiency with Nature and Survival skills. You're also proficient with those skills, just making that clear. You've finally unlocked the most powerful ability of all- you can cook for yourself!

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Your ability to get into and out of combat is unparalleled. With pounces and cunning actions to throw you into the fray, plus skirmishing and tempestuous magic to pull you out, you're an absolute nightmare for anyone trying to pin you down.

If you throw yourself into the thick of things you also come packing ways to deal damage to everything around you, with explosive spells, explosions from casting spells, and your rage explosions, you can tack on unavoidable damage to anyone dumb enough to get too close.

It's almost as easy for you to move your enemies as it is for you to move yourself. Use those explosives to shove people off cliffs, or launch them into the air. Either way, let fall damage do all the hard work for you.

Cons:

With all that mobility and explosives, getting close to you can be a problem for your allies as much as it is for your enemies. This can be a real problem if your cleric only prepared touch spells.

You focus on two types of damage, and one of those is fire. Fire is the most resisted damage type in the game, possibly bar poison. Just, be ready for disappointment when you go up against a dragon.

A lot of your abilities don't play nice with each other. Your flight and cunning actions both use up your bonus action, which you need for smites and rages. Speaking of, rages and spells don't play nice together either, so while you can do either, you can't really do both.

But that aside, you're a super fast powerhouse that resists fire, cold, lightning, thunder, piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage, so get in there, blow up, and act like you don't know nobody like you were born to. Just try to avoid getting surrounded. Your AC isn't that good, and we didn't get guts this time around.