Firbolg BarBearian

[Fishyninja]

So I'm tempted to build the following character for 2 reasons:

1) Allows me to experience Multiclassing.
2) Allows me to use 3 things in 5e I have not used before.

So we will be starting at level 6 and we may possibly be starting with an uncommon magic item.

So here are the stats:


Race:Firbolg
AC:14
Stats
STR:15 (+1 Racial)
DEX:12
CON:14 (+2 from ASI)
INT:9
WIS:12 (+2 Racial)
CHA:10
HP:82
Classes
Bear Totem Barbarian:4
Moon Druid2

Firbolg Traits
Firbolg Magic.
You can cast
detect magic and disguise self
with this trait, using Wisdom as your spellcasting
ability for them. Once you cast either spell, you can’t
use this spell until you have completed a
long rest. When you use this version of
disguise self
, you can seem up to 3 feet shorter than normal, allowing you
to more easily blend in with humans and elves.

Hidden Step.
As a bonus action, you can magically
turn invisible until the start of your next turn or until
you attack, make a damage roll, or force someone to
make a saving throw. Once you use this trait, you can’t
use this until you have finished a short or long rest.

Powerful Build.
You count as one size larger when
determining your carrying capacity and the weight you
can push, drag, or lift.

Speech of Beast and Leaf.
You have the ability to
communicate in a limited manner with beasts and
plants. They can understand the meaning of your words,
though you have no special ability to understand them in
return.


I was looking at building a bit of an all rounder style characer, I feel that he has HP, granted his AC could be better, he has rages and ritual spells from the totem barabarian, he also has ritual spells from druids, he has some cantrips and offensive spells and some helpful racial spells.

Now I am trying to decide whether the sword and board (for the extra AC as firbolgs do not wear armour) or stick with the greataxe and hand axes etc.

Now I understand that I can't cast spells while in wildshape however the Rage will still apply to the wild shape.

Now the Wildshapes I have picked, (DM dependant) are:


Brown Bear
Dire Wolf
Giant Spider
Mastiff



Also if the DM allows an uncommon Magic Item I am considering the following:


Gauntlets of Ogre strength.
Cloak of Protection
Periapt of Close Wounds
The reason I chose these were as these *may* be able to be worn by my character in wildshape.



So fellow paygrounders, PEACH and help a player who has never played either class please!

[Socratov]

I did (/am doing) something like this: I first tried out with a Firbolg Bearbarian 3/Moon Druid 7 build (was for a playtest of a new module so I could do this). I also got to use Insignia of claws (HotDQ reward so AL legal to ask for if you can ask for magic items).

The build worked like a charm: it had enough damage, not stellar, but enough to contribute, when it wasn't raging or being a bear it could cast very well (almost all utility casting and no concentration buffs like Longstrider and Freedom of Movement Enjoy your Polar bear that moves 50' a round and can't be grappeled or trapped) and it had a maul for every other option.

the only downside is you only get 1 bonusaction each turn so you need 2 turns to go rage+bearform.

but once you do it's amazeballs. I have taken over 150 damage without really tearing into my own hitpoints (as my shapes now last twice as long) and the rage damage works really well with multiple attacks from Bear Form. The fact that you get advantage on dex saves courtesy of danger sense works well enough, the fact that you get unarmored defence while in bear form is sublime. And when you exhaust your melee capability you will still have all of your spells left to sling (or vice versa if you like).

But what takes the cake is the ability to constantly make incessantly unbearable puns. Like, non-stop.

[Fishyninja]

I did (/am doing) something like this: I first tried out with a Firbolg Bearbarian 3/Moon Druid 7 build (was for a playtest of a new module so I could do this). I also got to use Insignia of claws (HotDQ reward so AL legal to ask for if you can ask for magic items).

The build worked like a charm: it had enough damage, not stellar, but enough to contribute, when it wasn't raging or being a bear it could cast very well (almost all utility casting and no concentration buffs like Longstrider and Freedom of Movement Enjoy your Polar bear that moves 50' a round and can't be grappeled or trapped) and it had a maul for every other option.

the only downside is you only get 1 bonusaction each turn so you need 2 turns to go rage+bearform.

but once you do it's amazeballs. I have taken over 150 damage without really tearing into my own hitpoints (as my shapes now last twice as long) and the rage damage works really well with multiple attacks from Bear Form. The fact that you get advantage on dex saves courtesy of danger sense works well enough, the fact that you get unarmored defence while in bear form is sublime. And when you exhaust your melee capability you will still have all of your spells left to sling (or vice versa if you like).

But what takes the cake is the ability to constantly make incessantly unbearable puns. Like, non-stop.
Indeed it seems like a you have to really understand the action economy and I mean it seems insane as a tnk character!

Also not played a firbolg and I like the look of them tempted to include gobblefunk (The BFG's word mix ups) into the RP.

What is the Insignia of Claws?

The reasoning for my magic items picks are thus:

The Guantlets give me a 19 Str from the get go, I mean I am 16 now so that is only an extra number up on the modifiers however it may make the character a little Less MAD. But I feel they may be outshone quickly.
The cloak as it is +1AC and +1 to all saving throws, and for a character that can't wear armour any extra armour is good.
The Periapt as it does the following: Stabilise instead of dying on your turn AND When I roll Hit die I can double the number, makes my hit die go further, now I winder fi that accounts when you level too.

[Mortis_Elrod]

you just inspired me to make a ridiculous firbolg Warrior of the Sun and Moon build.

something like...
Moon druid 2/Sunsoul Monk 6/Barbarian Storm(sea/dessert)/Zealot(necro/radiant) 4/ Cleric Light/Grave/Protection/Death/Tempest 8.

Obviously can't decide on what archetypes i want, but i was thinking that if you max wisdom, you take monk>barbarian unarmored ac, overriding the crappy wild-shape one, and have the min 13 str/dex. Just wild-shape and rage in a dire wolf. now you have 17 ac (wis 20), with pact tactics, monk chassis bonuses, rage damage plus aura damage, sun bolts if they try to get to far away but they wont cuz you can bonus action dash, when you finally calm down you can just be a simple cleric. cuz cleric is always cleric who happens to like trees and taichi.

[Fishyninja]

It's an interesting concept.

Now I was thinking about this based on the stats I have my character has a AC of 14 or 15 which isn't great but not awful.
Now the classic thing for barbs is to use a shield and grab that extra 2 AC. However, Firbolgs see the use of Armour as cowardly.......therefore would you count the Shield as Armour.
In my mind I'd say yes.

[Socratov]

Indeed it seems like a you have to really understand the action economy and I mean it seems insane as a tnk character!

Also not played a firbolg and I like the look of them tempted to include gobblefunk (The BFG's word mix ups) into the RP.

What is the Insignia of Claws?

The reasoning for my magic items picks are thus:

The Guantlets give me a 19 Str from the get go, I mean I am 16 now so that is only an extra number up on the modifiers however it may make the character a little Less MAD. But I feel they may be outshone quickly.
The cloak as it is +1AC and +1 to all saving throws, and for a character that can't wear armour any extra armour is good.
The Periapt as it does the following: Stabilise instead of dying on your turn AND When I roll Hit die I can double the number, makes my hit die go further, now I winder fi that accounts when you level too.


An Insignia of Claws does for your natural and unarmed attacks what a +1 weapon does for your attacks with that very weapon.

Oh, and be careful and talk to your DM what he thinks happens when wearing magic items. It'd even be so that you might not be able that cloak in animal form.

[Fishyninja]

Yeah that was my concern too.

The only other Uncommon magic Item I could think of (apart from a weapon) would be the periapt of wound closure, Double Hit die recovery is always nice.

Shame belts of Giant Strength are not uncommon :P

[Socratov]

Yeah that was my concern too.

The only other Uncommon magic Item I could think of (apart from a weapon) would be the periapt of wound closure, Double Hit die recovery is always nice.

Shame belts of Giant Strength are not uncommon :P

If you take the Outlander background you can always learn to play wind instruments and take the pipes of haunting. Taht opens up a whole new set of puns including that your foes have paid the piper :smallamused:

[Fishyninja]

Oooh, I had actually gone for Uthgardt Tribe Member.

But you know I like that idea, it fits into the RP of a forest protector well.

I NEED MORE IDEAS FOR UNCOMMON MAGIC ITEMS PEOPLE!

[Edit]: Does anyone have an up to date source that has all the 5E magic Items.

[Edit 2]: I have narrowed it down to the following:
Gauntlets of Giant Strength
Cloak of Protection
Cloak of Elvenkind
Pipes of Haunting
Periapt of Wound Closure
Ring of Water Walking
Ring of Jumping
Javelin of Lightning
Robe of Useful Items
Weapon of Warning

Thoughts?