The Stealth Bomber: D&D Build

[@DnDDeepDive]

Use my code D4 to get $5 off your delicious, high protein Magic Spoon cereal by clicking this link: sponsr.is/magicspoon_d4_0124

[@ThatGSguy]

Great ad read in the video, please enunciate 4 to 5 grams of net carbs. I thought you said "45 grams of net carbs, which is so low for cereal"

[@relaxedfantasyreview]

Don't forget! Bugbears automatically get Stealth proficiency 🤓

[@christopherzapata4970]

So does Owlin, but you trade the bugbear's reach for flight. EDIT: I forgot about bugbear surprise attack

[@daveyfunk]

I don't even play DnD but there's something calming about his voice and interesting in the creativity of the builds. Keep thinking there may be new ideas to bring into BG3 that creep in

[@vxprado]

Same here

[@Slobrojoe]

You should definitely start playing, you probably know at least half of the basic rules from Colby already

[@Treebohr]

In contrast, I play D&D, but I typically DM so I watch these videos mostly just for fun.

[@Camthalion666]

​@@TreebohrOr get inspiration to make truly terrifying villains ;D

[@KnicKnac]

I mean this build could be a deadly encounter altogether

[@bobbymccoyo338]

For the fighting style at level 1, superior technique with the ambush maneuverer could be a good option to help with initiative rolls maybe?

[@Trauma284]

And swashbuckler instead of assassin to get CHA added to your initiative rolls

[@MrSpectralfire]

@@Trauma284if you go swashbuckler you can’t get the instant crit.

[@Trauma284]

@@MrSpectralfire the instant crit is circumstantial. It's not reliable. The bugbear surprise attack is more reliable than a surprise status. So having a higher initiative will reliably get you those 2d6 and if you are stuck in melee range you can always get that 1v1 sneak attack with a booming blade in a pinch. Just keep a shortsword or rapier on hand. 1d6+2d6 sneak+1d8 thunder(at lvl 5 scaling on higher levels)+modifier(+1d6 hex if it's already active) plus swasbuckler now gives you a free disengage from fancy footwork for taking that swing so you can get your squishy self out of danger and still bonus action dash to get further away.

[@Trauma284]

It's not gonna compare to a scorching ray. But in melee you'll have dis advantage and have to use you BA to disengage instead of a free one.

[@robbrown5158]

There was another channel that has a similar build that used the maneuver and alert feat to almost guarantee going before the enemies. It's really disappointing when you can't do the nova round because of a bad initiative

[@wallapi1188]

I recently played a lvl 6 one shot where I played your War Priest where we got ambushed by a hill giant while taking a long rest. The look on everyone's face when the seemingly harmless cleric grabbed the fighter's greatsword and took out the giant in one round was priceless. I already have the character locked in for the next campaign I play in.

[@shirotatsune3551]

If you want to get a higher chance of going first you could also get the uncommon warning weapon. You can’t be surprised and advantage on initiative rolls.

[@ColinKillick]

Yup! Sentinel Shield also gives advantage on initiative, as well as on perception checks--I think it's my favorite uncommon item in the game

[@johnymousAnonymous]

@@ColinKillickit’s what I gave the fighter in my campaign, they built themselves as a tank joining a campaign 3 sessions in specifically because I had 5 players all pick casters and they were having the classic problem of always rolling near the bottom of initiative

[@Blackwoodcwc]

The obvious trigger for Contingency is: When I apply my hexblade's curse to a target, invoke the 5th level spirit shroud. Alternatively, the trigger could be yelling "Surprise!"

[@scdijkens]

I know this comment is a bit old at this point, but to correct you: Sadly, contingency RAW only works on spells that cost an "action" therefore it can't be used on spells like Spirit Shroud. It sucks as a lot of the good 'prep' buffs for gishes are usually bonus actions.

[@elewyth]

You mentioned that Scorching Ray has 120ft range and Spirit Shroud only has 10ft "range". I think it's also very important to mention that Hexblade's Curse also only has 30ft range to apply (you can run away after applying it). So if you aren't confident you can get within 30ft of your target and still surprise them, probably better to skip the Warlock level.

[@Fr4nZeR]

This.

[@osmunlo6]

But even so I think the warlock dip isn't completely useless if hbc isn't used. You'd still have eldritch blast as an emergency surprise cantrip (low pluses but advantage and crit on multiple attacks), and can pick hex and use it with your warlock slots or use hbc on rounds after the burst

[@kevinacecox]

My thought here is you are going to need invisibility going in most non dark situations, in order to get within 60', then move in 30' and nova. And that goes to hell if anyone can see invis or smell or otherwise sense you.

[@kevinacecox]

@@osmunlo6 remember the EB only uses you CHR mod to attack with.

[@sammayes948]

Could you imagine switching the damage type to slashing or piercing as the only requirement for sneak attack? A arcane assassin can dream …

[@Connoclear]

Love it that even after so many years this game can still SURPRISE. Thanks Colby. P.S. Just noticed the pun

[@HighTechWizard]

My favorite part of this is that overkill damage isn't terribly wasted breaking up rays across multiple enemies. In best case scenarios.

[@kevinacecox]

That is a very good point. Bonus points for not wasting dps.

[@hadeszero4526]

Colby has been so creative since Mom came out 😂.

[@gerbie42]

Colby, you're awesome! I love the concept and creativity on this one, there's a couple of things you mentioned I hadn't yet thought of or missed eventhough I rummage through the books all the time. Thanks for the inspiration! Two things immediately came to mind: - This build in general makes me want to make a Warlock variant where you're a Fighter/Rogue/Lock based around Eldritch Blasts and Rogue/Lock just fits so well thematically in my opinion, you could even make it more of a multiclass monster and throw in sorcerer for quickened spell, Action: Eldritch Blast, BA: Quickened Eldritch Blast, Action Surge: Eldritch Blast... that's a lot of pew pew. And the best thing is that all of them add your charisma modifier and can potentially knock your targets back. - Using scribe to deal bludgeoning damage with a spell.. whenever I hear bludgeoning I think Crusher feat, Crusher also reads "An attack", so essentially you can give scorching ray the Repelling Blast effect this way.

[@jacksharks6433]

[23:00] You can cast Hex before combat, kill the target and then select the new target as a bonus action in round 1. When I play Warlock with Hex, I always ask if I can use this and usually DMs are fine with it. The spell lasts an hour if cast at first level so you do not need to do it right before combat. There is no limit on how long the current target can be dead before you choose a new target.

[@danielecassina3937]

What a great build! You might consider to take Lucky instead of Alert. Additionally, if you've reached a high level in this build and have the chance to encounter the enemy before the actual battle (quite rare, but we're here to explore every possibility, right?), for instance, if you want to kill a noble the day after an encounter, you can use the bag of rats trick. Cast a fifth-level hex on a rat, sneakily release the rat during the noble's encounter, pretend to be frightened by the rat's companion, and kill the rat. Then, with a bonus action, transfer the hex to the noble without them noticing, choosing Dexterity as the ability check for disadvantage. Bid farewell to the noble, go to bed, and recover the fifth-level slot. The next day, stealthily approach the noble, following Colby's description, without casting Spirit Shroud but maintaining concentration on the hex from the previous day (a fifth-level hex lasts up to 24 hours). Even though you have an additional 1d6 for an attack instead of Spirit Shroud's 1d8, initiative is a Dexterity ability check, so the noble has disadvantage. Moreover, with Lucky, you can reroll your stealth check (although you already have advantage as a bugbear), your initiative, and the rolls to hit with Scorching Ray if you happen to miss.

[@kel_tobano8380]

I wanna just say that you’re the highlight of my Tuesdays! Thanks for the hard work man!

[@peternolder8145]

Ive played a Sorcerer Assassin (So11, Ro4) who was lethal due to the metamagic options (Subtle spell, Empowered, Quickened with Mind Sliver). The high charisma help with getting out of delicate situations too. Great in a city game or with high population games.

[@chrisg8989]

Very interesting! My only gripe with any build around the "Assasinate" ability is that, like the wild Magic sorcerer, you are totally dependent on your DM, allowing you to use your class ability. But it's still an awesome and fun build, Colby!

[@DnDDeepDive]

Indeed - I think it still works really well if you *don't* have surprise, as long as you can attack at least one enemy before their first turn, but yeah, surprise makes it broken.

[@aidandunne5978]

​​@@DnDDeepDiveIf I'm not mistaken, with manifest mind, the spell you cast through it are treated as you being in the space that your mind is in. So you could cast spirit shroud outside of a dungeon, have your mind run in, and blow up an enemy. This also makes surprise MUCH easier to get. So once you hit level 12, I daresay you could RELIABLY have both spirit shroud and surprise

[@chrisg8989]

@aidandunne5978 RAW surprise is 100% DM dependent. So "Reliable" is a bit of a stretch. Just gotta butter up your DM when presenting this Character concept at session 0. 😅

[@aidandunne5978]

@@chrisg8989 Well yeah, assuming DM buy in though, it's a way to mostly guarantee spirit shroud

[@fabiovarra3698]

​​@@chrisg8989Remeber that Assassin Rouge get advantage on every attacks against an enemy that hasn't go in combat yet, independent if it's surprised or less.

[@pharynx007]

that is an incredible build, and since i've heard of it, scribes wizard has always been one of my personal favorite subclasses for wizard. i can think of so many fun character concepts based around it

[@steel5315]

I was watching DnD KZbin for like a year before I got my books without knowing what a Scribe Wizard was. Its really undervalued and I appreciate this video bc its such a cool subclass!

[@thaisteezy]

18:37 Chairs. A ball of chairs. WWE style matte grey folding chairs. Hundreds of them. Edit: 20:52 Sharp chairs. De-rendered corners.

[@The214thRabidFangirl]

Haven't gotten far into the video but I just have to say that it's always fun when you get a magic spoon sponsorship because of how sincerely enthused you are about them. 😊

[@papawheely3627]

The one I came up with was Bugbear Tempest Cleric 2 (of course)/Scribe Wizard X/Assassin 3. Guaranteed 168 on each hit with Steel Wind Strike, makes 840 assuming you have enough opponents to target with it. Second best option is Scorching Ray for 10 hits (thanks to Transmuted Spell bypassing the limits on Scribe Wizard) at 48 each giving 480 total damage that you can spread in 48-point increments as you please.

[@mikecarson7769]

Thank you for sharing this fun and creative character build! Awesome!!! I would add only to check with your DM to make sure that your Scribes Wizard will be able to find spell scrolls and books, gold, and materials for inscribing new spells to maximum effect

[@leeway3739]

I would love to see a build featured around the graviturgy wizard. It gets a lot of flack but I think I has a lot of potential and you are the best person to bring out the best in this subclass. ❤

[@PSY_JD]

Treantmonk made a graviturgy Wizard Build just not a completely damage focused one.

[@chrisragner3882]

I played an assassin/magic user dual class in first edition AD&D. My favorite character from 1981 to early 2000’s. Have always longed to create one in newer editions. Thank you.

[@jakeeastfoot]

Love it as always Colby! Just wanted to add one potential spell since I don't see it mentioned anywhere. If your table allows Acquisitions Incorporated, you can prepare Jim's Magic Missile. It seems like it would have great synergy with the assassin, not only reducing the chance of a nat 1 but autocritting with surprise as well. If all went according to plan, you could be doing 15d4 + 12d6 FORCE DMG for a level 1 spell slot. Best part is, upcasting adds additional missiles :)

[@4midble]

I have COVID this week but listening to this after the positive test dulls the pain for me. Thanks for the builds!

[@christopherravlin6051]

Watched your channel for the first time and I enjoyed it. You left off at level seventeed, so I took some time and thought about what I would do with the last 3 levels to reach 20. After some thinking, I decided to take 3 levels in Ftr. Better Hp's in the last lap. Martial Archetyple (I choose Eldritch for obvious reasons) +1 ability or a feat (still mulling that over) and an extra attack. Haven't finished crushing the math, and when I do...I'll posr the results. Keep doing a great job. I am working on a 20 level build for a one-shot and I'm building an Aasaimir (Protector sub-class) Paladin (Oath of Conquest), Divine Soul Sorcerer and Celestial Warlock. Version one is 7 Pal, 8 Sorc, 5 War..staying with the whole radiant theme, I'm a pretty good mid-level Cleric (Light Domain) by default. Still tweaking though. Any Imput is welcomed.

[@oshermdaddy2058]

Honestly one of the best things for doing this build at my groups table is that we use bg3 multiclassing rules. So the charisma isn't needed. I might play this if the shadow blade blade singer I'm playing dies (thank u for that build Colby)

[@harkthesound32]

I feel like I'm missing something. Why do wizard? Why not sorcerer instead? 1) It's more SAD with the Warlock dip 2) You get Con save proficiency and could start sorc rather than fighter to get the build more functional earlier and dip fighter later 3) Metamagic could change the fire damage type when you need to very easily 4) Draconic Sorcerer could give a bit of extra damage to our fire blasts, a good dex based AC, and a bit more health than a wizard

[@Sharkpride808]

With this one could even dump INT and raise WIS to take a dip into Tempest Cleric to max damage with transmute spell

[@alexpratt8533]

I said the same thing. I guess he wanted more damage type options, but idk

[@psheehy]

Spirit Shroud is not on the Sorcerer list. You could go Sorcerer after Wizard 5; this choice allows you to upcast both Scorching Ray and Spirit Shroud with the multiclass slots. I would probably go War Magic instead of Scribes Wizard if you do though.

[@alexpratt8533]

@@psheehytrue, but a Divine Soul Sorcerer gets access to the Cleric spell list, so they would get access to spirit shroud. I know the original comment said Draconic and that wouldn’t work but Divine Soul works fine.

[@liruliru9544]

Great build! But i would go with sorcerer instead of wizard personally, for a more SAD build and quickened spell eldritch blast + agonizing blast (with 2lv in warlock), at higher lvs thats 4 blasts that do 2d10+2d8(spirit shroud)+4d6(bugbear)+5(cha) each (with assassinate). You could also go for subtle spell to have guaranteed surprises, and later grab metamagic adept to use trasmuted spell (for thunderous rays) and distant spell (for either 240f rays or up to 600f blasts if you pick eldritch spear at warlock2, thats a 600f assassinate with no spellslots). Also also you can still have spirit shroud if you go divine soul for those wondering

[@gaidencastro9706]

If you went Sorcerer instead of wizard and replaced your Hexblade dip with Genie Warlock, you wouldn't need to spend your bonus action to get the bonus damage, and you can use that bonus action to cast Scorching Ray as a bonus action. You'd deal even more damage per turn.

[@greendragon4444]

My version of "stealth bomber" that I used in a post apocalyptic setting, was mostly rogue(1+4-12) with a 2-lvl dip in conjuration wizard. I used minor conjuration to make dynamite since it is not considered magical. Many much boom. XD Though probably less optimal, I went with arcane trickster so I could build onto the spells I got with wizard. The invisible mage hand, misty step and invisibility all came in really handy. :)

[@KommandoCraftLP]

Things to consider: -on passive perception range: Twilight Clerics grant darkvision for 300ft for what I assume is to simulate vision at day, I'd assume the passive perception would work at least that long (but keep in mind dim lit areas grant disadvantage so -5 on the passive -Spells: -beg one of your friends to use pass without trace, you want to surprise and that is your party's best tool, the casting friend would more than likely also enjoy it greatly to enable so much damage for the entire team -take speak with dead (if allowed) to strike first and ask questions later, literally! -addendum: maybe you can convince your dm that the manifested mind can be stealthed by your arcana or int based stealth roll? I think I'd like the latter a lot and would definitely allow that in my campaign. It might not get disadvantage from dim light in darkness (but a bit counter intuitively in other dim light) and couldn't stealth in a straight line of sight even when in darkness, but could still interact with pass without trace.

[@milesweckerle]

32:49 Jeremy Crawford tweeted out on Jan 6, 2015: "Typically, a target doesn't know it's under the effect of a spell like hex until it experiences the spell's effects." Since Hex has a range of 90 feet, it is an option to consider if it is a fairly large battle map and you have the jump on your enemies. Sneak 90 feet away (Shouldn't be too difficult), Hex without starting combat because no one noticed, claim you want to cast scorching ray thereby beginning combat and putting the enemies in surprise, and pray to Bahamut that the enemy you hexed goes after you, thereby getting your multiple attacks off with hex and assassinate.

[@milesweckerle]

The only thing to consider is that if you wanted to get Hexblade's curse off as well, you would need to be within 30 ft instead of 90, making it considerably more tricky to get the advantage you would like.

[@orshefer1467]

I haven't played IRL DnD in ages, and I was DM'ing mostly, but I still watch from time to time and this channel is an easy sub. I did sorc / assassin in BG3, and you've added me a couple ideas for sure.

[@dmytroeidelshtein6284]

back in D&d 3.5e era there was a prestige class "magelord" (Lost Empires of Faerun I guess). Everything about ruthless arcane casters-duelists with some roguish dirty tricks in their bag (or book?) - very similar vibes of it. Thanks!

[@thundyrcat]

I still have quite a few older ones to watch...but this!!!! This is my favorite video yet! Just told my son I want him to do a one-shot for level 17 so I can play this at it's full potential! Flippin' Awesome! Oh my gosh! I just can't with this!

[@oof_Dad]

Also fun to think about Bugbear with Aberrant Mind Sorcerer - dip 2 levels Warlock (hex/agonize) and dip 2 fighter. Now first round, you can Scorching Ray, quicken Eldritch Blast, Action Surge, Scorching Ray adding more blasts for 2D6. Can also get Dissonant Whispers and Warcaster to use reactions with E.B. or other spells for sustained damage. Kind of combined this one and the Whisper build. Thanks for the amazing build- gears are turning on variations! @DnDDeepDive

[@RogueCulture]

Jim' Magic Missile does an extra ray so ends up dealing more damage (esp with Bugbear) despite dealing slightly less damge per ray. It is also Force damage so you are not locked into Scribes Wizard. In fact, at Evoker 14 you could Overchannel and a single 5th level JMM would deal 7 * Hit Chance * 20. Add on Hexblade's Curse and Action Surge to that! If you aren't planning on Surprise shenanigans and can access specific magic items, Dust of Disappearance or Potion of Invisibility will give you advantage; so will Starshot Crossbow 3 times per day but you have bonus action conflict with HBC. Ring or Cloak of Invisibility are legendary items but would give you advantage wuithout 3 (!) levels in Rogue. Pre-casting Invisibility would give you advantage on the first of the action surged JMMs.

[@joshuaclendenon]

Colby, you're a mad man. I love it. Came for the build, stayed for the fight against the camera.

[@alexanderattema4301]

Incredible build! If the DM allows it- Gift of Alacrity would be a great spell to boost initiative.

[@hericn]

Oh, how I love wizard's builds. It's like "you have this incredibly powerful burst option for when the planets align, but when they don't, you have a dozen other options that are fun, diverse and pretty powerful too" Thank for one more amazing episode. I think this one went directly to my top 3 "to play next" list

[@biodude15]

For the algorithm: Hex does not have any noticeable effects, however it does have Verbal, Somatic, and Material components. It does not state what gesture you perform (see Message) nor what you say (see Message and Command) so it could be very well argued that you would be noticed for the casting of the spell. It is certainly how I run my spellcasters. You could ignore this with subtle spell. Additionally I would allow someone to cast hex, which would initiate combat, and then on your turn you would have all your actions, so you could then scorching ray. Even if you follow BG3's standard of removing the action resource used to initiate combat, (which I would also borrow BG3's Assassin's Alacrity) I would run it as a new turn which would mean you could still cast using your action

[@azaphakaylock2789]

I think spirit shroud is more of a "planned execution" spell than normal combat spell for this build, as a wizard assassin using this build its probably best used when you already know your targets location, have a root planned and spells ready to get into position. Cast spirit shroud just before you use invisibility, portals or even disguise self to get the drop on someone you know will be at the location at the right time, again this leans into the assassin theme by having spells and tools that get more value the more you know and can plan around a kill attempt before hand. I'd argue that divination spells are also a must as this character, you are only able to be at your best if you came into a fight with a good plan to start with so knowing more is having more power to you :)

[@AlexOfTheHill]

Hey, nice build again! I would like to mention here that for those who have Acquisitions Inc. content available, you should pick Jim's Magic Missile instead of Scorching ray. It is flat out superior in pretty much every way for this build (more damage overall with auto-crits and that extra attack compared to Scorching Ray), and since it is force damage, there is no need for damage type swapping. This way, you could take Chronurgy wizard subclass for that extra initiative instead.

[@solarissv777]

Also, chronurgy provides gift of alacrity

[@lucapignalosa6562]

Came here to Say exactly this

[@vinspad3]

Love the sfx in this one, and the Mob abides!

[@DANTVSVERGIL]

Using spells for assassinations has always been fun, I had a Psionic assassin, College of Whispers/Soul Knife. Raulothim’s Psychic Lance was the best spell for the job, you can stay hiding around a corner as long as you knew the targets name. Now with the inclusion of the Adept of the Black Robes feat it makes it an even better spell.

[@joshuatran6526]

One other option if you want to take a subclass other than Scribes is Jim’s magic missile, which hits for one more slightly smaller missile compared to scorching ray, but applies the flat modifiers agaain. If you have advantage, you should never run into a situation where you roll a 1. Since force damage is reliable, you don’t need to spec into damage type conversion. It’s not allowed at all tables, but the stringshaeven feats let you get Jim’s as a charisma spell, further consolidating stats into just the charisma and dexterity classes.

[@joshuahampton6141]

So, I remember playing Pathfinder 1 that the topic of whether or not Sneak Attack damage applied to EACH ray in a scorching ray spell or just once was a subject of major contention, particularly AFTER Paizo came out and said it only applied once (largely because, in Pathfinder, the Scorching Ray/Sneak Attack build wasn't even close to the top of the damage charts). I fought heavily on the side of each ray receiving sneak attack, because it was a bit gimmicky and really just took a concept and made it decent instead of middling. That said, it makes me SO happy to hear that the Scorching Ray "Sneak Attacker" actually functions in 5e. My love for the magical-shotgun rogue is near and dear.

[@phazecat]

I had to pause making my breakfast and cackle with laughter when I realized where your build was headed. Monstrously clever, Colby. Well done.

[@the03hall]

Love the build kolby I was tweaking around with this concept. If anyone was doing a 20th level one shot and knew the enimes were not going to be fire immune you could instead of scribes go evocation for the 14th level feature overchannel. With this i havent run the numbers yet but now taking the "maxium damage on the spell" you can make these crits even sillier im assuming 800+ damage in the nova at the cost of 5d12 to yourself

[@PSY_JD]

I like the Scribes Wizard a lot but I feel like going Sorcerer would be a better play in the long run, you can focus on your Charisma for all the attacking and even take a second level of Warlock eventually for Agonizing Blast for great damage on subsequent rounds. Also Sorcerers get Subtle spell which would just be amazing for casting Spirit Shroud undetected. Also Coffeelocking can give you that damage multiple times a day if your DM allows it, since all your resources would be restored on a short rest. One thing I almost forgot is that going SAD on Charisma would allow you to take Fey Touched for Gift of Alacrity to have better Initiative. All in all this is a great Nova damage build and a fun character idea I will surely try out in a one shot.

[@allcrazystuffcrazystuff3979]

i had a similar idea a couple months ago but with a evoker instead, though i was thinking about level 20,i was using multiple over channels to max out the damage of either a pair of scorching rays or steel wind strikes and an fifth level spirit shroud, it saves some higher level slots since over channel uses fifth level slots for even better damage, great video as always and it makes me happy that we had a similar idea

[@larsespeland6068]

You know what this build does that a lot of other builds can't do. get's past legendary resistances. No bbeg is burning all of them to negate each separate instance of damage. The shepherd druid does this as well, but damn. This is hard core. Well done with your video.

[@toddholiman26]

I noticed an interesting option here - If you have Tasha's Mind Whip in your repertoire, you can nova as follows: Win Initiative, Scorching Ray on up to 7 targets for 4D6 Psychic each, if you achieved surprise, auto critting makes that 8D6 each effectively, then Mind Whip up to 4 survivors for 5D6 each, and muddle them on failed saves. Not quite the raw damage of double SR, but very handy CC added in!

[@jamunication]

Could you imagine sneaking two levels of tempest cleric on this build and casting ‘Shocking’ Ray with your channel divinity for Maxing out your (many) damage dice rolls on the auto crits you are landing? Love your videos Colby, you always inspire me!

[@DnDDeepDive]

Thanks! I went that route with the flamethrower, but, unfortunately the max damage would only apply to one ray, rules as written :(. Your DM might allow it though!

[@The_Dreaded_BAYLE]

Now this is the video I go back to, before I came back to watch assassin creed. This is so much better with the variety of things you can do and no prep.

[@datDrowningFish]

32:58 I’ve talked about this with previous dms, and in general the idea it that Hex is not felt or seen. However, it does have verbal and somatic components, which might be seen or heard, and I’ve successfully used Sleight of Hand to hide Hex. That is a whole other can of rules worms. As always, ask your dm beforehand.

[@SortKaffe]

RAW you need to pick up Subtle Spell. The Meta Magic's value would diminish if DMs allowed any spellcaster to cast unnoticed.

[@datDrowningFish]

@@SortKaffe I understand that but there was no sorcerer in the party who would have been upset by it at the time, and it was always case-by-case. And Subtle Spell guarantees the spell will be hidden, compared to the chance with a skill check. As a dm now, I try to be clear just how visible spellcasting is to my players.

[@scdijkens]

My favorite Wizard - Assassin has to be the melee bladesinger version of this that uses Steel Wind Strike, SO, SO THEMATIC!! A Bladesinger sneaking in with surprise, rolling 6d10 for 5 different enemies, 12d10 per enemy as it would all be critical, better even WITH elven accuracy advantage. Now add critical Spirit shroud damage to that for probably something like a 3d8 x 2 = 6d8 for each enemy as well... With elven accuracy, you'll likely be rolling hits for all, for a total of critical 12d10 x 5 = 60d10 damage spread over 5 enemies. Sadly there is the bonus action leveled spell and action leveled spell interaction causing a bit of trouble getting spirit shroud up with this... Though if you manage to get spirit shroud up before combat... you could possibly assume another 3d8 spirit shroud also for: 6d8 x 5 = 30d8 extra damage... but I'd say that's super rare, since you know... surprise is already quite rare. In reality round 1 you're probably just going to turn on Bladesong with your bonus action instead. THEN add action surge to that at higher levels to do essentially double all of that once more. Giving an average damage "IF" everything hits of 660 damage! 132 per enemy. Or in the rare case of having spirit shroud on, 930 damage total and 186 per enemy. Of course, in reality you wouldn't hit everything, every time, but I don't number crunch that deep myself. A capped INT and Elven accuracy advantage should get you fairly close to there though, I would hope. I tried finding use for Contingency in this, but all I could think of is to perhaps do something with turning on Greater Invisibility when you Bladesing or when you say a certain word, to possibly give more consistent advantage over relying on being first in initiative and the Assassinate feature for advantage. Though that would for sure then eliminate the possibility of getting Spirit shroud on the surprise attacks, yet that chance was already slim. Now TO BE FAIR... this would be another one of these character builds that is both "Oh look how much damage it can do on high level" builds as well as a build that "relies on surprise"... So it has caveats. I imagined, in my opinion, the most efficient path, that would still make you a force to be reckoned with below the levels that the combo comes online, to be something like this: Fighter 1 > Wizard 6 > Fighter 2 > Wizard 10 > Rogue 4 > Wizard 14 Level 5: Elven Acc. (Dex 18) Level 7: Extra Attack Level 8: Action Surge Level 10: Dex (20) Level 11: Steel Wind Strike Level 12: 2nd 5th level spellslot (At this point you can already double Steelwind Strike, just not with Assassinate) Level 15: Assassinate (Full combo... level 15... sadge.) Level 16: Int (18) Level 18: Int (20) Level 20: Song of Victory

[@scdijkens]

Actually... crap. I just realized that Elven Accuracy on Dex wouldn't give you Elven Accuracy on Steel Wind Strike as that is INT based... so either you have to choose INT Elven Accuracy (meaning melee gishing as a bladesinger is going to be less effective, or you give up on having Elven Accuracy on Steel Wind Strike...) Now of course, going Battle Smith instead of the last 4 Wizard levels could remedy that... but that would delay everything, make you weaker overall, and make the full thing come online at earliest 16, 17 if you want fighter level 1 for con saves, 18 to also have action surge, yet more likely 19 or 20 if you don't want to give up ASI progression. Crap! Back to the drawing board! Now I am thinking it's probably best to not go dex, melee and bladesinger to make just make this work with INT based elven accuracy spells as your go-to damage up to the point of getting the combo...

[@scdijkens]

I thought up the build if you went Artificer. And actually Armorer, instead of battle smith, can still give you INT-based weapons that are pretty neat, as they are still allowing you to Bladesing with Thunder Gauntlets, which have some nice defensive benefits for your allies, plus I would argue you would still have your hands free to cast spells too. Which my beforementioned build did not allow for and therefore that build didn't go for Two Weapon Fighting, foregoing a BA attack since I didn't feel like paying the Warcaster tax... I imagine the Thunder Gauntlets to be flavored like magical hidden lightning blades, akin to the Assassin's Creed's Hidden Blades. Which is pretty awesome for a character like this. That said, as you will see, this build, although awesome at level 20... is a slow progression build: Artificer 1 > Artificer 4 > Wizard 9 > Rogue 3 > Fighter 3 > Rogue 4 Level 2: Infusions +1 weapon, +1 focus (Nice) Level 3: Thunder Gauntlets, 1d8 INT-based weapon(s) Level 4: Dualwielder Feat (BA: Thunder Gauntlet) Level 8: Elven Accuracy (INT 18) Level 10: Extra Attack Level 12: INT + INT (INT 20) / 2nd 5th level spellslot (Nice, thanks Artificer spell slots, this shaves off having to go Wizard 10) Level 13: Steel Wind Strike Rogue 3 > Fighter 2 > Artificer 4 > Rogue 4 > Fighter 3 Level 2: Infusions +1 weapon, +1 focus Level 3: Thunder Gauntlets, 1d8 INT-based Level 7: Dualwielder Level 9: Extra Attack Level 11: Elven Accuracy (INT 18) Level 12: Steel Wind Strike Level 15: Assassinate Level 16: Fighting style: Two weapon fighting Level 17: Action Surge

[@bonderoff]

33:08 re: Hexblade’s Curse - I might rule that it depends on the creature’s WIS. A creature that’s never been to the doctor probably gets weird pains all the time and chalks it up to that 😂 but a creature with high wisdom, like a monk, would know immediately there’s been a disturbance with the force

[@b91318]

Creature can do a wis save vs your spell save dc to see if they notice perhaps, or ask for a spellcasting stat Stealth check perhaps could be a fun way to rule it

[@alkemi9946]

Never forget Dimension door, rules as written, deals force damage to yourself when you clip into the walls and therefore is valid for scribes wizard damage swapping, perfect for an upcasted fireball, or five forcing rays :)

[@Robiinnl]

love the build defence fighting style level 2 : etc etc etc

[@alexpratt8533]

@DnDDeepDive Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that you get two 4th level spell slots right away at wizard 7. I think it's 5th level slots that you only get one of at 9th level. That would raise the damage of your level 13 damage report significantly. Also, while I agree that Scribes is probably the better choice if you intend to stay the course, Sorcerer's transmuted spell doesn't care if you have other spells of that level, so if you multiclassed with another full caster--for example, the Tempest Cleric for Destructive Wrath--you could still upcast to the highest level possible and transmute the spell to another of the given damage types. The restriction to elemental damage types hurts, but Thunder damage is still a very rare immunity or resistance. The tempest cleric dip definitely still contributes to the ability score problem, but if we're not using intelligence for spellcasting then Hexblade hurts much less. Lastly, subtle spell would make a big difference when trying to cast a spell before combat to boost your damage, which gives another point to Sorcerer for this build. Love the content, just feeding the algorithm for you and sharing my two cents.

[@benry007]

I think when you copy the spells damage I would flavour it as combining the spells. So a scorching ray using slashing from cloud of daggers would be that cloud of daggers coming right at you. Knives flying through the air.

[@andrewhalmo656]

If you can believe it, you could get “A LOT” more damage on this build by changing one thing!!! Take Jim’s Magic Arrow instead of Scorching Ray. I didn’t really know about this spell because it is from the Acquisitions Inc. Book and don’t have it on my DnD Beyond account. I kept seeing it as an option for the wizard spell list and was curious so I looked it up. I bet you don’t have it as well or else you would have used it instead. You start with 3 darts and each one does 2d4 force damage, which is much better than fire damage. The cool thing about this spell is that when you get a Crit, each one turns into a 5d4 instead of a 4d4! With the one big caveat, that if you roll a Nat One all of them come back at YOU! But they luckily only do 1 point of damage each not the whole amount. It’s a good thing that you have advantage😂 That’s an average of 12.5 damage per dart which is pretty comparable with the 14 you get with Scorching Ray. But the big reason is that it is a 1st level spell not a 2nd level spell. So you get a whole extra projectile for each level you upcast!!! Thats two extra attacks for us with Action Surge. Also you could get your build online by your level 6 damage report😊 The other thing I would change is to take War Mage instead, since we have Force Damage now.

[@fledgling9097]

13:22 Fighting style, I think it should be superior technique to get the ambush maneuver so you can add 1d6 to your initiative rolls. Only note I have.

[@triplezeroxz5875]

The title and thumbnail caption remind me of the Ordinator mod perks from skyrim. There's a perk that allows you to cast silently and I think one that buffs your spells while in stealth.

[@kaspervang3940]

Stealth bomber build hits on average with 792 dmg from 240 feets away Hi Colby You will get more nova damage if you go sorcerer instead of wizard, especially if you go divine and get bestow curse. Then you quickend and eldrich blast. Since you don't have to stats divide so much i will take the matamagic feat so you have four metamagic. race Bugbear (Surprise Attack) Levels 2x fgt, 3xrouge(ass), 1xhex, 11x sor(divine) figthing style (Superior Technique, Ambush +1d6 to initiative and stealth Assassinate Metamagic Transmute, Quickend, Extend, Distend. Bonus action (scorching ray lvl 6 quickend) (7x(2x(crit) (2d6 (ray),2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 2d8 (spi))+6) = 56d6+42d8+42 Action. Eldrich blast. (4x(2x(1d10(eld), 2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 2d8 (spi))+6 = 8d10+16d6+24d8+24 Action surge. (scorching ray 5 lvl) 6×(2x (2d6 (ray),2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 2d8 (spi)) +6 = 48d6+36d8+36 sum 120d6+102d8+8d10+102 = 420+459+44+102=1025 average dmg Scenario: You studie your foe, you manage to bestow curse as an upcast 5th lvl spell (extended), you take a long rest. your victim is unaware that he is cursed so he is extra vulnerable to damage dealt by you (1d8 nec) per hit. next morning you have sneak in on him and do all as Stealth bomber build which is if all hit 1025 average dmg Hex instead of Spirit Shroud. Bonus action (scorching ray quickend) (7x(2x(crit) (2d6 (ray),2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 1d6 (hex))+6)= 70d6+14d8+42 Action. Eldrich Blast (4x(2x(1d10(eld), 2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 1d6 (hex))+6 = 8d10+40d6+8d8+24 Action surge.(scorching ray) 6×(2x (2d6 (ray),2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 1d6 (hex)) +6 = 60d6+12d8+36 sum 170d6+34d8+8d10+102 = 595+153+44+102 = 894 average dmg Scenario: You studie your foe, you manage to bestow curse as an upcast 5th lvl spell (extended), you take a long rest. your victim is unaware that he is cursed so he is extra vulnerable to damage dealt by you (1d8 nec) per hit. next morning you sneaked within 180 feet and cast hex 3 lvl (distend) (disadvange on dex ability aka initiative) on him then wait, maybe take a short rest get into position until the victim doesn’t suspect anything, when the time is right and the target is in position within 30 feet you hexblade cursed him, wait 6 sec then attack. The target feels weakened, but unaware of what is going to hit him since you are doing all of this in stealth mode. You 1d6 to initiative your target has disadvantage) and if you hit with all you give 894 on average at 29 feet away.. A little nugget, If you don’t think you can hexblade curse or Spirit Shroud before an encounter in your game. consider not to go for hexblade cursed, but you need hex and Eldrich blast, you can choose another pact. If you choose an extra feat instead of ability increase go for Spell Sniper. Now you can bestow cursed at 60 feet, hex at a distance of 360 feet, you can be up to 240 feets away from the target, and first act up to 7 hours later from when you cast the hex and bestow curses, before you supernova. plenty of time to noticed when the victim is unaware. Bonus action (scorching ray quickend, sad you can’t use distant spell also) (7x(2x(crit) (2d6 (ray),2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 1d6 (hex)) = 70d6+14d8 Action. Eldrich Blas (4x(2x(crit)(1d10(eld), 2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 1d6 (hex) = 8d10+40d6+8d8 Action surge (scorching ray). 6×(2x(crit)(2d6 (ray),2d6(bug), 1d8 (cursed) , 1d6 (hex)) = 60d6+12d8 sum 170d6+34d8+8d10= 595+153+44+102= 792 average dmg If all hit is it 792 average dmg 240 feet away, (if your DM allow distant and quickend spell on same spell, you can do this at 480 ft away) yes you need to act before your victim in the first run, but I think you will, at 240 feets away and you have initiative +1d6 and the victim has disadvantage. You have advantage to hit on the surprised victim. Have fun Kasper

[@averywhitaker3513]

You cant cast any spell on the same turn that you use a bonus action to cast a spell, with the sole exception being a cantrip with a casting time of one action. So eldritch blast x2 because action surge plus scorching ray as a BA works, but scorching ray BA plus eldritch blast plus scorching ray action surge doesn't.

[@kaspervang3940]

​@averywhitaker3513 I don't understand, it is exactly what coby is doing. See the video 24.43 minutes.

[@averywhitaker3513]

@@kaspervang3940 he's doing scorching ray as an action, using action surge for another scorching ray, and then using his bonus action for a class feature. That is different, because it doesn't interact with the rules for casting a spell as a bonus action on page 202 of the players handbook. "A spell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn. You can’t cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action."

[@kaspervang3940]

@averywhitaker3513 I'm sorry I really don't understand I'm doing wrong. A quickend ray and a cantrip eldrich blast and then action surge, another ray.

[@averywhitaker3513]

@@kaspervang3940 you can't cast a leveled spell on the same turn you use a bonus action to cast a spell of any kind. You're trying to cast a leveled spell (scorching ray) with an action, and scorching ray with a bonus action. This is strictly prohibited in the fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook on page 202, under the section heading "Casting Time" and subsection heading "Bonus Action"

[@StuhCuh]

Hey d4! A similar bugbear build could do: 18(4d6+4d6+8d8) + 8(2d10+4d6+8d8) = 1640 damage round 1! 9th level Spirit Shroud before a combat, which is pretty easy if you expect it. Then 8th level Scorching Ray and Quickened Eldritch Blast (Quicken and EB from feats). And your Simulacrum does the same! Just divide by 2 if you don't want to include the Simulacrum!

[@gurugru5958]

This is so creative! Id probably just do a level of Genie (Efreeti) warlock, 3 levels rogue, then rest warlock. Dipping, ducking, sneak attacking with eldritch balst and scorching rays. Wouldn't be more powerful or anything, just more streamlined. But it sounds like a really fun concept!

[@andrewkennedy5946]

A couple of things with Hexblade. You don't "cast" Hexblade's Curse. It just happens. No components (not a spell) no save. Totally do-able pre-combat. And with Hex: yes it is a spell, but this part is not: > If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to curse a new creature. It can be part of your Breakfast Prep to cast a long duration Hex on a cockroach and then immediately kill it. So for your concentration and a 3rd level slot, you get a Hex you can apply as a BA without the restrictions of spell-casting. Potentially pre-combat as well (no save) definitely Rnd 1.

[@DieinnereStimme]

I'd say you cannot cast Hex "at round zero" and then start the fight with an enemy already hexed... But you might be able to still concentrate on a Hex spell, you casted earlier on another creature, wich died. Then you could "reappliy Hex to a new target" at round one and still cast Scorching Ray, as "reapplying Hex as a bonus action" is not "casting a spell". But this would use your bonus action, thus not allowing you to also use Hexblade's Curse on the same turn. But if you do automatic critical hits, Hex is always stronger than Hexblade's Cuse ;) So maybe cast Hex on your familiar outside of combat, kill your familiar, recast your familiar and your'e good to go Hex on rounde one.

[@desertrose0027]

Favorite Dave Matthew's Band song: Crash. That album (and Under the Table and Dreaming) were in my CD changer all through high school. Crash, in particular, gives me a lot of memories of driving around with friends in my sophomore year. I said it before and I'll say it again, you have good taste in music. Regarding the build, I never would have thought to put together something like this. It sounds impressive.

[@DamnedIcon]

Lol Colby, a sphere of bludgeoning damage is... a bomb 😂

[@cornycornsnake]

Actually, for the level six damage report (and very possibly others, I haven’t gotten to them yet) there is a condition: having a high enough initiative in the initiative order that there is an enemy who hasn’t gone yet when you take your first turn.

[@TheCultOfCorn]

I’m glad you explained the squishy bowl bc I immediately went what’s going on with that bowl

[@villesavolainen5793]

If I remember correctly, this is how surprise works in BG3: If the whole party hides (and is not spotted), once somebody attacks or does something harmful to the enemy, this initiates the combat. The triggering action takes place first, even though initiative is rolled immediately and that character's turn can be later. But the character would then only have Bonus Action and movement on the first round, since they already used their action.

[@brianpinch]

A Dave outro? Heck yeah! "All Along the Watchtower" if covers are aloud, otherwise it's "Bartender". Oh, and love the build. Hopefully get to use it in at least a one-shot!

[@danmetz8676]

This is absolutely heinous. It just keeps getting more wild every time I think I have a handle on it. I love it.

[@MartinAndersson-y7i]

Did a variation of this but using lock(9)/sorc(3) instead of the wiz(11)/lock(1), basically same setup but 1: subtle shroud (3d8) 2: quicken ray (6 beams) 3: EB (4 beams) 4: surge EB (4 beams) gets 672 damage out vs AC10 at lvl17 (so basically similar but if you prefer the flavor of being quiet subtle spell plays right into that plus if you go wild magic you get some tricks to improve initiative when you really need it) its one attack and then you're out kinda thing though but I mean thats whats nova is all about right?

[@umbraignis0]

So I know you mentioned it for scribe damage type stuff, but steelwind strike also makes attacks so could benefit from assasinate and bugbear and things so double casting steelwind strike would possibly be 10 attacks all doing 6d10 plus all you other benefits which is some crazy aoe dmg also fits the theme of the character so much, the mage that just appears out of the shadows(possibly invisibility into combat) and just teleporting around the battlefield leaving corpse everywhere as they appear while all the bodies are falling around them.

[@adamruddle6558]

Thanks for the excellent surprise mechanic explanation!

[@stevethompson3964]

Thank you! You really got me thinking about this build.

[@MrThedowd]

Just love when that chill intro music starts. Then I just know I'm in for at treat!

[@ryanscanlon2151]

Honorable mention although I think it might actually be higher for, Jim's Magic Missle from the AC Inc book. which starts with 3 2d4 attacks at lvl 1 and one more for every level after with the risk of all the bolts blowing up on your face if you roll a 1

[@solarissv777]

And if you have an advantage from "assassinate" getting a 1 is extremely unlikely

[@ryanscanlon2151]

@@solarissv777 1/400 chance lol so with the number of attacks this character will make in a lifetime it might come up a couple times so maybe grab lucky to fix that

[@TheDuckMaster12]

Very worth noting that, unlike the other leaders, this is more than capable of spreading out that damage to multiple targets with almost no drawbacks

[@GryphonDes]

This one was deliciously fun! Made me giddy more than once, and elicited some delighted chuckles!

[@seerozymandias7616]

I played a full Scribes Wizard as a second character in a recently ended campaign. The generous wording of the damage changing ability gives so much flexibility. Being Curse of Stradh, my favourite was taking spirit shroud to unlock radiant fireball.

[@kich8672]

Your understanding of the stealth rules and how combat works is correct. _Any_ offensive action at all rolls initiative RAW. A nice DM might be cool with it, but casting a spell on a target intending to kill them is clearly leading to combat, you roll initiative.

[@stevenst.3016]

Hey Colby .... Just so you are made aware.. When you go to D4 the channel, and choose D&D Optimized builds, some of them are out of numeric order (43,47 for example). And some are missing (152-154 specifically). Also, it would be cool to rearrange the list so the newer ones are on top. Don't get me wrong, I go back and rewatch the older ones sometimes, but I'm usually looking for the newer ones.

[@chadgoodyear7905]

I played this build at Level 10 on Friday. It occurred to me I could just go on StartPlaying and find a high level one-shot and try it out. Lots of fun. Never got off a true nova round for a few reasons. The nature of one-shots - this one didn't work well for the build, we found ourselves waking up in an arena surrounded by a Drow audience - "soooooo, about Surprise...never mind". However I was still by far the most effective damage dealer for that combat. By a second combat in the game I was totally burnt out of scorching rays but could fall back on Eldrich Blasts. It's like a guilt free Nova build because if your DM does not want you kill a monster in one round they just send minions in for round one and the big monster arrives in round 2. But that's kind of nice as you know your know going to mess up a dramatic moment with a very swift murder. I think the way this build would be the most fun to play is if you get the chance to actually go off on your own and assassinate NPC's or really scout out in front my a round at your table. I like the idea of changing your damage type to psionic and just killing things silently with no special effects as well. All in all it did feel a bit underpowered compared to everyone who had not multi classed like crazy. Level 11 would have been better than 10 for those 3lvl spells.

[@chadgoodyear7905]

And a bugbear with a whip for a 15ft range is interesting

[@porakiyadraekojin3390]

Me planning on a thief rogue/ fiend warlock build: this be interesting. Admittedly, it's gonna be on the M.A.D. side. But the Thirsting Blade invocation for Pact of the Blade boon is pretty good. Also, assuming point by where I can get 16 Dex, 16 Cha, and 14 Con, I can get at least 2 ASIs to get 18 in Dex and Cha. And for a S.A.D. build, I'm planning 3 lvls Battlesmith Artificer and the rest Eldritch Knight. Granted, I will need at least 13 Str to be able to multiclass, and I'll need to start out with Fighter to get Heavy Armor Proficiency. But Battlesmith Artificer can use their Int instead of Str or Dex for weapon attack/hit rolls. Also planning on taking spell sniper and eldritch adept to get eldritch blast and agonizing blast (and agonizing blast will scale with Int).

[@BIGGGO4]

I was really expecting a tempest cleric do at the end to max one of the scorching ray rolls (that you have changed to lightning damage).

[@_Crunchy]

As far as I know most DMs do group initiative, lumping all enemies of the same type into one roll. Technically the standard rule is that everything rolls its own initiative, just no one does it that way since its harder to track. On a VTT though it's not that much extra effort and it has a lot of general benefits, most obviously it avoids all the monsters going first or last leading to one side taking more damage than the balance would suggest. It also improves tactical play as PCs can use the initiative order to decide the best target to focus to deny turns (CC the thing going next, stuff like that). For anyone using an assassin build though, you should try to convince your GM to try out individual initiative, because it near guarantees that something is going after you and lets you use the bonuses of the features.

[@robduxk2555]

If you went artificer with an infused weapon you cast spells with material components using your weapon spell casting focus and if it is a finesse/ranged weapon weapon it therefore qualifies for sneak attack. This could help make the most of your rogue levels

[@robduxk2555]

Firebolt, shocking grasp, ray of frost and thorn whip are artificer spells allowing you to make an attack and with material components

[@brendanacre9114]

Okay, now you got me thinking - this concept works in bg3 too. And in bg3 the Assassin gets their actions and bonus action back immediately in initiative, meaning they can start combat with a surprise attack and immediately go again....

[@Banepower2]

This video came out just as I was making a Wizard/Rogue for my next campaign. Perfect timing

[@Crowsbane4]

If you go sorcerer, you can quicken spell Scorching Ray and hit with Shadow Blade if you cast it before combat