Spellcaster Help

[CygnusWyrdstone]

Hey guys! Ive lurked on posts here for a while but decided I finally have a question of my own I could use some input on. I play in a league of sorts and to put things mildly, stuff is getting pretty rough. I had made a "gimmick" character that the players and DMs both love but with the recent turn in the overall campaign for the league he is no longer useful on adventures so I am retiring him. Additionally, one of the only wizards in town and THE only character with any arcana skills for research and study is considering retiring the character if he even survives the current encounter they are on. (Our league unlocks magic items and new content through downtime day mechanics and RP research etc so this is pretty important)

That said, Im trying to make a spellcaster with decent skills in knowledge-based skills, has utility for the party, but also is capable of vaporizing the occasional BBEG. I REALLY want to play a Sorlock but I also really like the idea of playing a Divination Wizard (especially since we have a guy with a Vorpal sword, tossing a portant roll of 20 his way in a boss fight would be EPIC)

Rules are:

• [PHB only + Tabaxi, Tortles, and Goliaths

• We start at Level 3 and get 1 level every 2 weeks until level 5 and then every 4 weeks after that.

• Feats are allowed ]

Open to all suggestions as maybe im overlooking a fun build idea but my big question is, would I be detrimenting myself to got 2 Warlock, 3 Sorc, 2 Wiz, then back to Sorc for the remainder of my levels?

My thoughts are I don't really see much in the feats that would entice me over rushing to 20 Cha (or INT if I go wiz) and there aren't many PHB 9th level spells that Id be upset over losing unless Im missing their attraction. They seem like incredibly situational spells, powerful AF but situational vs the utility i could gain with having 2 portent die? Help me out gamers, im more of a pathfinder/3.5 player so 5e throws me off sometimes on what I expect vs how it works

[Nhorianscum]

Diviner18/Tempest 2 does everything you want. Sorc is extremely focused and you seem to want a generalist.

[CygnusWyrdstone]

Diviner18/Tempest 2 does everything you want. Sorc is extremely focused and you seem to want a generalist.

Oh geez i didnt even think about that. Im assuming you mean tempest Cleric for the channel divinity to max the dmg of spells like Lightning Bolt and shocking grasp? Thats actually a pretty neat combo

[Bobthewizard]

If knowledge skills are important in your game, 1 level knowledge cleric gets you expertise in arcana and history to go with your armor and a shield. This works great for a dip from a wizard since you have the intelligence to go over the top with those skills. I'd stop there but level 2 gets you proficiency in any skill for 10 minutes.

So my vote is knowledge cleric 1/ diviner X.

[CygnusWyrdstone]

If knowledge skills are important in your game, 1 level knowledge cleric gets you expertise in arcana and history to go with your armor and a shield. This works great for a dip from a wizard since you have the intelligence to go over the top with those skills. I'd stop there but level 2 gets you proficiency in any skill for 10 minutes.

I did make a Knowledge Cleric 1/ Div Wiz X build doing that because I do really like the versatility it brings. But Im fishing for the chance to have a bit more combat power? My last character was almost 100% supportive so I want to be usefull to our game overall (about 50 players btw) but not get laughed at in combat lol. Still may be what I go with in the end but that above post has my mouth watering a little cuz I do LOVE lightning magic...

[CygnusWyrdstone]

Also slightly annoyed by our groups rule of PHB only cuz i found so many awesome lightning/thunder spells i could focus on in the SCAG and XGE...

[Aaron Underhand]

Have you considered a Bard?

valor bard straight gives you most of what you seek

However I played a vHuman Lore bard with a one level wizard dip. Take Moderately armored at 1st level and wizard one at second level... I had int 14 - it's enough)

The Wizard gives you rituals (inc familiar), cantrips and prepared spells including shield and feather fall. The third preparation varied between fog cloud, silent image and magic missile. The Bard side kept Healing word at first level, then went to town with second level spells (detect thoughts, enhance ability, invisibility, shatter initially, then at third hypnotic pattern, tiny hut then fireball and counterspell. At fourth polymorph and dimension door, then fifth gives animate objects, and more magical secrets... right up to wish at character level 19.

I always expected to take the second level in wizard for divination/portent... never did, think it would have been my 20th level as a capstone :-)

And you get mad skills, expertise, and bardic inspiration/cutting words to add to the mix...

[Bobthewizard]

I did make a Knowledge Cleric 1/ Div Wiz X build doing that because I do really like the versatility it brings. But Im fishing for the chance to have a bit more combat power? My last character was almost 100% supportive so I want to be usefull to our game overall (about 50 players btw) but not get laughed at in combat lol. Still may be what I go with in the end but that above post has my mouth watering a little cuz I do LOVE lightning magic...

The only divination spell I took on my diviner was arcane eye. Portent helps with save or suck spells which makes those spells great in combat. If your DM is ok with suggestion, it's amazing with portent. So are levitate, polymorph, and banishment. Levitate with portent is an auto win against melee enemies. Otherwise, still take web, fireball, hypnotic pattern, counterspell, polymorph, wall of force, mass suggestion and force cage. I never got laughed at in combat. I essentially ended most combats with my first spell. The melee characters just finished people off after I divided them up. At higher levels you need to watch out for legendary resistance but by then you can use mass suggestion to build an army out of their henchmen. If you can, take the alert feat so you can go first.

If you want to focus on lightning damage that's fine, but diviners a great in combat too.