Special Effects Build

[Techcaliber]

Hey guys and girls. Recently my friend told me and my group he was going to run a one-shot and in it, we would be playing a theater troupe, so it wouldn’t be very combat oriented. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a charter build based around special effects, like the lighting in a play or just other effects to enhance the performance. Thanks for your time!

Edit: This is a 10th level build. Forgot to mention that.

[JNAProductions]

Hey guys and girls. Recently my friend told me and my group he was going to run a one-shot and in it, we would be playing a theater troupe, so it wouldn’t be very combat oriented. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a charter build based around special effects, like the lighting in a play or just other effects to enhance the performance. Thanks for your time!

Be a High Elf (Prestidigitation) Cleric (Thaumaturgy).

And... Done. :P

[Potato_Priest]

Be a High Elf (Prestidigitation) Cleric (Thaumaturgy).

And... Done. :P

Wouldn’t it be better to be a variant human wizard (minor illusion, prestidigitation, dancing lights, minor illusion, control flame, minor illusion, silent image, pyrotechnics, invisibility, minor illusion, levitation, minor illusion and minor illusion) with magic initiate: cleric (thaumaturgy, whatever else you feel like)?

[JNAProductions]

Wouldn’t it be better to be a variant human wizard (minor illusion, prestidigitation, thaumaturgy, dancing lights, minor illusion control flame, silent image, pyrotechnics, invisibility, levitation) with magic initiate: cleric (thaumaturgy, whatever else you feel like)?

Probably, but I'm AFB at the moment.

Point is, there are some flipping NIFTY cantrips for this purpose.

[RSP]

Bard 3 (probably Lore)/Warlock 2 (any). Expertise in Performance. Minor Illusion (sound effects), Presdigitation, Mage Hand, Message maybe (if someone forgets their lines). Take the Disguise Self and Silent Image at-will Invocations and you’ve pretty much covered everything you need to.

Coupling Minor Illusion and Silent Image allow for a lot of great “full” illusions, at will, for the stage.

[Talionis]

Tome Warlock get Thaumarttogy from Cleric with your book. Take Prestidigitation. Take the illusion Invocation and the illusion cantrip. Eventually you get Halucintory Terrain.

[Potato_Priest]

Bard 3 (probably Lore)/Warlock 2 (any). Expertise in Performance. Minor Illusion (sound effects), Presdigitation, Mage Hand, Message maybe (if someone forgets their lines). Take the Disguise Self and Silent Image at-will Invocations and you’ve pretty much covered everything you need to.

Coupling Minor Illusion and Silent Image allow for a lot of great “full” illusions, at will, for the stage.

The reason I recommended wizard rather than bard was the larger number of cantrips, which I’m sure we can both agree are excellent. The expertise in performance from bard may be a significant advantage, but it will depend on how this DM does skill checks, as the special effects guy isn’t actually a performer, and it’ll likely already be covered as I suspect in a group of thespians bards will be the go-to class.

[Lunali]

The reason I recommended wizard rather than bard was the larger number of cantrips, which I’m sure we can both agree are excellent. The expertise in performance from bard may be a significant advantage, but it will depend on how this DM does skill checks, as the special effects guy isn’t actually a performer, and it’ll likely already be covered as I suspect in a group of thespians bards will be the go-to class.

DM dependent, but personally I call for perform checks any time you're trying to entertain people, which the special effects guy would certainly be trying to do. Though depending on the situation, I may instead treat it as a help action.

[Derpldorf]

vHuman Arcane Cleric 1 with Magic Initiate: Druid. This gets you all of the sfx cantrips (Prestidigitation, Thaumaturgy, and Druidcraft) and a smattering of other useful spells and cantrips from all three lists. You then go into Illusionist Wizard to get another load of wizard cantrips and the archytypes amazing free boosted Minor Illusion.

[Man_Over_Game]

I'd just go with Tome Warlock.

You get any cantrips you want, you get Mask of Many Faces, Silent Image as a cantrip, and you get Short Rest spell slots - meaning you can afford to do your big and explosive stuff after an hour's break. Warlocks make some of the best utility specialists in the game for this very reason.

Play a Celestial Warlock, for the light spells, and now it's even a valid build.

[Bloodcloud]

Tome lock is where it is at.

With goo, you can even be the guy who whispers the line to the actor if they forgot them. You get a lot of cantrip, disguise self at will and silent image at-will, high cha...

[Asmotherion]

Wouldn’t it be better to be a variant human wizard (minor illusion, prestidigitation, dancing lights, minor illusion, control flame, minor illusion, silent image, pyrotechnics, invisibility, minor illusion, levitation, minor illusion and minor illusion) with magic initiate: cleric (thaumaturgy, whatever else you feel like)?

and don't forget: minor illusion! XD

[RSP]

The reason I recommended wizard rather than bard was the larger number of cantrips, which I’m sure we can both agree are excellent. The expertise in performance from bard may be a significant advantage, but it will depend on how this DM does skill checks, as the special effects guy isn’t actually a performer, and it’ll likely already be covered as I suspect in a group of thespians bards will be the go-to class.

DM dependent, but personally I call for perform checks any time you're trying to entertain people, which the special effects guy would certainly be trying to do. Though depending on the situation, I may instead treat it as a help action.

Lore Bard, in addition to Expertise, gets lots of skills (how much this matters is DM dependent, but in a non-combat game, I imagine skills become a lot more important), but also gets Bardic Inspiration, which helps other performers put on a great show.

These things, in my opinion, are more important than more cantrip options, as the character in question would have the necessary ones anyway (MI, Presdigitation, etc).

[Vogie]

For the backstage guy, I'd go with a Conjuration Wizard. They can create small set pieces starting at level 2, can move other actors around at 6, in addition to all the pretty lights and things that their spells can pull off.

[Techcaliber]

Hey guys, thanks for all of the responses! I didn't expect any to come in this fast, but thanks!

[teutoniclad]

Just straight wizard, get some funky cantrips then make everyone in awe of your companions juggling flaming glowing lightning roses