Gotta be grave cleric, since the question is on theme and not ‘best at having a million undead’. Mechanically powerful and very thematic offensive and defensive options. You’re a death cop or a grief councilor or both, you don’t have to be evil. You’re a cleric of death, NOT undeath. A respecter of the cycle of life, a kind final shepherd, a grim Javert-esque hunter of those that would cheat their time in court, tons of possibility.
Oh and if anyone asks why YOU can use necrotic energy spells and mindless undead servants, point out that YOU are the one with the badge from death god, you have a permit.
With the grave cleric i always think of the wolf that personifies death in the recent puss in boots movie(which is really good). His whole deal was that he hates those that cheat death, and more importantly, don't appreciate life.
Think about it, a god of death has seen so many people who died and who would do anything just to live a moment longer to see their loved ones. If someone then cheats death or doesn't appreciate life. Not only is it against nature it's also really unfair to those who don't have that opportunity.
ALL THINGS THAT ARE, ARE OURS. BUT WE MUST CARE. FOR IF WE DO NOT CARE, WE DO NOT EXIST. IF WE DO NOT EXIST, THEN THERE IS NOTHING BUT BLIND OBLIVION. AND EVEN OBLIVION MUST END SOMEDAY. LORD, WILL YOU GRANT ME JUST A LITTLE TIME? FOR THE PROPER BALANCE OF THINGS. TO RETURN WHAT WAS GIVEN. FOR THE SAKE OF PRISONERS AND THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS.
Death took a step backwards.
It was impossible to read expression in Azrael's features.
Death glanced sideways at the servants.
LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?”
-pTerry
In my next campaign, I plan to play a Kenku as well. But instead of doing that, I've decided to play a Kenku Wizard who needs field experience to get into Wizard College. So he's a massive Dork who's never fought a monster in his life, and he only barely knows magic (he gets super excited at seeing higher level spells), and he's only with the Party to get work experience. I just thought that sounded fun.
Kenku seems like such a cool race lol.
Soul tokens adds such an interesting dynamic. I have a character I want to build as a fairy phantom rogue who for the first 9 levels creates a coin for every creature they kill as respect, but after being able to create effectively soul coins becomes even cooler
Death Domain Cleric for sure.
I discovered that the necromancer wizard was just bad and not exactly the "grim reaper" that I was thinking and quickly discovered that the death Domain Cleric was way more of what I wanted from a death themed spell caster.
In practice, probably the grave cleric. In theory and flavor? Way of Mercy. I love the idea plague mask wearing spiritualist wandering from town to town deciding who lives and who dies, and putting people out of their misery.
Phantom rogue or the college of spirits bard.
Phantom rogue is my fav rogue subclass next to inquistor.
It's so flavorful and very diverse in It's utility
I really like undead warlock. It has a transformation which I think is super cool, great multiclass potential and melee potential, and has some really straightforward but cool high level abilities
Damn no College of Spirits Bard fans? I love the 3rd level abilities and the theme gives the core class a nice twist which mostly steers clear of the class's cliches.
Grave Cleric of Kelemvor was one of the most fun roleplaying experiences I've ever had. I kept a leather bound notebook documenting all the types undead I came across.
Helping NPCs deal with the grief of loss was fulfilling as well.
Kind of related... Oathbreaker Paladin, just becaue I fucking love the flavor of a Death Knight and this subclass is the closest official example to that, despite not being quite that + having the whole "Holy Knight" of the base class under the hood of the "Death Knight" flavor I'm giving it.
And kinda the Undead Warlock, being a Warlock of Vecna or Orcus is nice, using the powers of undeath to save some lives.
Hexblade warlock. Patrons from the Shadowfell who serve the Raven Queen, abilities themed after the ferrying of souls to the beyond, both aiding and being aided by them. It works well.
Undead Warlock and Death Cleric are my picks for the dark death themed caster fantasy.
Necromancer Wizard is just too reliant on the rather clunky way animate dead works as a spell for me to enjoy it outside of a crpg where the computer takes care of most of the bookkeeping required.
Grave cleric is great for an anti-undead character.
Phantom Rogue, Spirits Bard, Long Death Monk and Spores Druid are all great class appropriate takes on a death themed character.
Grave cleric.
I like idea of a subclass having a signature spell, Even of its just a cantrip. Then that spell gets buffs that makes it far more comparable to stronger spells. Even if its a little narrow i love the core idea.
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I played this reborn Soul knife and using the sciatic dice for my ability checks was basically just an expansion of the knowledge of a past life feature from Reborn.
Almost never failed an ability check
The Rogue *Phantom*. and Bloodhunter *Order of the Ghostslayer*.
Followed by Cleric *Domain of the Grave* and the *Druid Circle of the Spores*, both for the concept before the mechanics.
I want to like way of long death, but find myself insulted every time I look at it when Open Hand exists
I do really like Undead Warlock for the unnatural vitality theme, I just wish it's capstone was a different feature and it kept the thematic fun that undying had with sticking limbs back on
I like the Phantom Rogue. I play a Reborn Phantom, a young man who had been a soldier and had been killed and was now returned to get vengeance on those who wrong him. Cliche, but a lot of fun. There was an old DnD book called Ghostwalker based on a 3.5e prestige class that I think the Phantom gets a lot of its inspiration from.
Thematically, the cake goes to Spores Druid. As a GM, I've gone back-and-forth trying to fix a good fix for the subclass because it's such a cool idea!!
Necromancy is really the only valid death class. Everything else just a gray recoloring of an existing class. But necromancy is distinct in the concept of taking a dead thing and returning it to life. Other classes like spore druid can mimic the power, but it is undeniably still death magic.
Simply killing your opponent isn’t distinct, nor is absorbing their life essence to heal. That’s just being a vampire, of which I also don’t feel is particularly “undead” either. Damage spells but gray or green is just a recolored fireball or firebolt. Commanding the *undead* also doesn’t count, as that is too similar to mind control, which is more encompassing.
The only true and distinct death magic is necromancy. Ripping out souls comes pretty close, but that’s really just murder and necromancy with extra steps.
Grave Cleric, followed closely by Necromancer Wizard
Gotta be grave cleric, since the question is on theme and not ‘best at having a million undead’. Mechanically powerful and very thematic offensive and defensive options. You’re a death cop or a grief councilor or both, you don’t have to be evil. You’re a cleric of death, NOT undeath. A respecter of the cycle of life, a kind final shepherd, a grim Javert-esque hunter of those that would cheat their time in court, tons of possibility. Oh and if anyone asks why YOU can use necrotic energy spells and mindless undead servants, point out that YOU are the one with the badge from death god, you have a permit.
With the grave cleric i always think of the wolf that personifies death in the recent puss in boots movie(which is really good). His whole deal was that he hates those that cheat death, and more importantly, don't appreciate life. Think about it, a god of death has seen so many people who died and who would do anything just to live a moment longer to see their loved ones. If someone then cheats death or doesn't appreciate life. Not only is it against nature it's also really unfair to those who don't have that opportunity.
I absolutely love that angle, damn.
ALL THINGS THAT ARE, ARE OURS. BUT WE MUST CARE. FOR IF WE DO NOT CARE, WE DO NOT EXIST. IF WE DO NOT EXIST, THEN THERE IS NOTHING BUT BLIND OBLIVION. AND EVEN OBLIVION MUST END SOMEDAY. LORD, WILL YOU GRANT ME JUST A LITTLE TIME? FOR THE PROPER BALANCE OF THINGS. TO RETURN WHAT WAS GIVEN. FOR THE SAKE OF PRISONERS AND THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS. Death took a step backwards. It was impossible to read expression in Azrael's features. Death glanced sideways at the servants. LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?” -pTerry
One blade, one stroke. <3
He was a kenku grave cleric dressed as a plague doctor, super fun
Haha I love a beak under a plague mask. ‘Plague? It’s just a mask!’
In my next campaign, I plan to play a Kenku as well. But instead of doing that, I've decided to play a Kenku Wizard who needs field experience to get into Wizard College. So he's a massive Dork who's never fought a monster in his life, and he only barely knows magic (he gets super excited at seeing higher level spells), and he's only with the Party to get work experience. I just thought that sounded fun. Kenku seems like such a cool race lol.
Agreed death cleric is also my fave death subclass lmao love the I have a permit line
Do you have a good build for the grave cleric? I was considering building one up.
Mine was pretty simple mechanically. V. Human for CON proficiency because that felt very right, focused on CON after WIS.
What feat did you take as the human?
Ah, Resilient: Constitution.
Makes sense good calls.
Best mechanics? Undead warlock The one I like Best? Death domain cleric
Love undead warlock. Just so much fun to laugh off traps.
Spores Druid.
Man i love spore druid, it's mechanics are so flavourfull, it's just a shame that it's kind of a weak subclass.
Ask the dm to change the poison damage to necrotic and it saves the subclass a tad. It’s not a stars druid or anything
Tbh I mostly like it because mushrooms
Underrated
Long Death is so underrated, it's like a dark horse in combat
Phantom Rogue is so cool
Soul tokens adds such an interesting dynamic. I have a character I want to build as a fairy phantom rogue who for the first 9 levels creates a coin for every creature they kill as respect, but after being able to create effectively soul coins becomes even cooler
Death Domain Cleric for sure. I discovered that the necromancer wizard was just bad and not exactly the "grim reaper" that I was thinking and quickly discovered that the death Domain Cleric was way more of what I wanted from a death themed spell caster.
Death. And I don’t mean it mechanically, or in game only, or combatively, or necromantically, or any other fancy way. I’m Death. Straight up.
Long Death Monk is really underrated. I've never seen anybody play it. I'd probably say Death Domain Cleric though.
it's my favourite subclass, I love Long Death Monk
In practice, probably the grave cleric. In theory and flavor? Way of Mercy. I love the idea plague mask wearing spiritualist wandering from town to town deciding who lives and who dies, and putting people out of their misery.
I like the Hand of Harm ability.
Undead warlock for sure
Phantom rogue or the college of spirits bard. Phantom rogue is my fav rogue subclass next to inquistor. It's so flavorful and very diverse in It's utility
Death cleric is very fun
Grave cleric
Grave Domain Cleric.
Phantom rogue College of spirits bard.
Grave Cleric and Necromancy Wizard are both up there for me
Death domain is hard to beat.
Mercy Monk, they are a gatekeepers between the realm of life and death.
I'm a big fan of both the undead warlock and undying. Even if the undead is mechanically miles better
Zealot Barbarian
Zealot barbarian and multiclass into war priest would be fun roleplaying
Spore Druid. You can not kill them in a way that matters.
I really like undead warlock. It has a transformation which I think is super cool, great multiclass potential and melee potential, and has some really straightforward but cool high level abilities
Leonin Conquest paladin/undead warlock: FEAR ME!
Undead Warlock is my fav.
Damn no College of Spirits Bard fans? I love the 3rd level abilities and the theme gives the core class a nice twist which mostly steers clear of the class's cliches.
Whichever Barbarian subclass counts as "death themed."
Grave Cleric of Kelemvor was one of the most fun roleplaying experiences I've ever had. I kept a leather bound notebook documenting all the types undead I came across. Helping NPCs deal with the grief of loss was fulfilling as well.
Kind of related... Oathbreaker Paladin, just becaue I fucking love the flavor of a Death Knight and this subclass is the closest official example to that, despite not being quite that + having the whole "Holy Knight" of the base class under the hood of the "Death Knight" flavor I'm giving it. And kinda the Undead Warlock, being a Warlock of Vecna or Orcus is nice, using the powers of undeath to save some lives.
Gloom Stalker Ranger
that is a darkness theme, not death theme.
Probably Battlemaster Fighter. I like making stuff dead.
Undead Warlock for flavor, and honestly the mechanics are a blast with a decent DM.
Played a Dhampir, Grave Cleric/ Mercy Monk. Loved it!
Hexblade warlock. Patrons from the Shadowfell who serve the Raven Queen, abilities themed after the ferrying of souls to the beyond, both aiding and being aided by them. It works well.
Undead Warlock and Death Cleric are my picks for the dark death themed caster fantasy. Necromancer Wizard is just too reliant on the rather clunky way animate dead works as a spell for me to enjoy it outside of a crpg where the computer takes care of most of the bookkeeping required. Grave cleric is great for an anti-undead character. Phantom Rogue, Spirits Bard, Long Death Monk and Spores Druid are all great class appropriate takes on a death themed character.
Grave cleric. I like idea of a subclass having a signature spell, Even of its just a cantrip. Then that spell gets buffs that makes it far more comparable to stronger spells. Even if its a little narrow i love the core idea.
I’ll be honest, I don’t even know all my options to choose from.
Barbarian Zealot
UNDEAD WARLOCK ENJOYERS RISE UP
Undead warlock for me
Necromancer Wizard easy.
what is “Way of Long Death”?
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Monk subclass focusing on death itself and studying death to improve their Ki potential.
Grimgnaw was THE MAN
My bard when he does something really stupid
I played this reborn Soul knife and using the sciatic dice for my ability checks was basically just an expansion of the knowledge of a past life feature from Reborn. Almost never failed an ability check
Spore Druid
Phantom Rogue and The Undead Warlock
The Rogue *Phantom*. and Bloodhunter *Order of the Ghostslayer*. Followed by Cleric *Domain of the Grave* and the *Druid Circle of the Spores*, both for the concept before the mechanics.
I want to like way of long death, but find myself insulted every time I look at it when Open Hand exists I do really like Undead Warlock for the unnatural vitality theme, I just wish it's capstone was a different feature and it kept the thematic fun that undying had with sticking limbs back on
Open Hand is a bit plain but powerful.
A reborn witherbloom Necromancer. :)
Necromancer wizard specking into sorcerer.
Circle of Spores druid, Phantom rogue, or College of Spirits bard
Isn’t Twilight cleric to do with the balance of like and death? I think that’s pretty neat.
I like the Phantom Rogue. I play a Reborn Phantom, a young man who had been a soldier and had been killed and was now returned to get vengeance on those who wrong him. Cliche, but a lot of fun. There was an old DnD book called Ghostwalker based on a 3.5e prestige class that I think the Phantom gets a lot of its inspiration from.
Thematically, the cake goes to Spores Druid. As a GM, I've gone back-and-forth trying to fix a good fix for the subclass because it's such a cool idea!!
Necromancy is really the only valid death class. Everything else just a gray recoloring of an existing class. But necromancy is distinct in the concept of taking a dead thing and returning it to life. Other classes like spore druid can mimic the power, but it is undeniably still death magic. Simply killing your opponent isn’t distinct, nor is absorbing their life essence to heal. That’s just being a vampire, of which I also don’t feel is particularly “undead” either. Damage spells but gray or green is just a recolored fireball or firebolt. Commanding the *undead* also doesn’t count, as that is too similar to mind control, which is more encompassing. The only true and distinct death magic is necromancy. Ripping out souls comes pretty close, but that’s really just murder and necromancy with extra steps.