Rolled stats, RAW, help me with my dwarf warrior character.

[NumberKruncher]

I'm getting into a campaign at level 6. I'm playing a mountain or a hill dwarf. I want to play a warrior. There are a lot of undead enemies.

Here are the rolled stats: 18/17/15/13/12/12

I have been told I will be given a +1 weapon (but I might be able to persuade the DM to let me get a different item)

As I said, I want to play a warrior of some type. I was thinking either a barbarian (bear totem or battlerager?), or maybe a fighter 1/warlock (pact of the blade) X.

I don't like duplicating other party members too much, and here's what the rest of characters look like:

Gnome eldritch knight
Drow monk
Human light cleric
Human paladin
Half elf sorcerer
Half elf arcane trickster

Both of my ideas touch on classes that aren't already in the party, which I like.

Thank you, in advance, for any and all feedback.

[Amechra]

If you can get it allowed, why not go for a Barbarian with the Path of the Ancestral Guardian? Just focus on Con and be right hard - you'll be drawing attacks meant for the other party members, which is always appreciated.

Are you playing with feats? If so, Fell Handed (dropping the +1 attack, since that's obvious power-creep) is very Dwarf. I'm pretty sure you get to add your bonus damage from Rage to your miss damage from Fell Handed, which is pretty solid.

[NumberKruncher]

I'll try, Amechra, but I'm pretty sure UA won't be allowed.

[TenaciousJ]

With those stats, I'd go paladin and just pick a different oath than the human is using or Battle Master fighter.  In a group with a rogue, the Battle Master's Commander's Strike maneuver is a lot of damage and it creates a lot of fun tactical opportunities.

If you must be a different class AND must be a front-line warrior, consider barbarian or Valor bard.  Totem Warrior is much better than Battle Rager, but Battle Rager is not awful.  Valor bard won't fully come online as a front-liner until you get Magical Secrets at level 10, but it's surprisingly tanky if you can take Shield as one of your Magical Secrets, and Searing Smite/Branding Smite can help you convert spell slots into damage before Battle Magic at 14.  Until those levels, it's still better than Pact of the Blade warlock.  Debuff your enemies so you have advantage when attacking them and they have disadvantage to attack (or just can't attack), and Combat Inspiration is an underrated feature in martial-heavy party.

Those ability scores are too good to waste on being a druid, and Pact of the Blade is such an uphill battle to be optimal in melee that it's not worth the effort.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Barb 6 / 'Lock 2 gets lots of Radar going, and duplicates next to nothing.
Chain or Tome are better with this than Blade.

[NumberKruncher]

How is a single classed barbarian (bear totem)? Is it better if I multiclass a few levels of something else in there (champion or battle master), or is straight barbarian best?

[Nifft]

With those stats, a Bear-barian would be quite viable.

You could aim for 20/20/20 in Str/Dex/Con, and have a fantastic naked AC.

[TenaciousJ]

Rule of thumb: If you play a martial that gets Extra Attack and you don't already have Extra Attack, you stay in that class until you have Extra Attack.  Barbarian is at least worth staying in for Feral Instinct if it's also your source of Extra Attack.  If you only wanted 3 levels of barbarian to tack onto some other martial, you should level that martial class to its Extra Attack first.

Defensively, it's best to stay in barbarian so you get to a point when you have a rage available for every combat.  Nothing really competes with level 3 bear totem defensively, but you need the rage uses to fuel it.  You can get by offensively with Great Weapon Master coupled with Reckless Attack for quite awhile.  That combo is easier to justify using all the time when you have enough rages for nearly every combat in a day to mitigate the hits that will land against you.  Barbarian isn't flashy, but mathematically the bonus damage from rage actually scales decently as long as you aren't comparing to bursty stuff like Divine Smite or an Action Surge maneuver dump.

[NumberKruncher]

With those stats, a Bear-barian would be quite viable.

You could aim for 20/20/20 in Str/Dex/Con, and have a fantastic naked AC.

I'm really thinking about it. I'm 99% sure this is my goal. I'm just weighing the extra HP of the hill vs. the higher STR of the mountain. I'm thinking the higher STR is going to win.

Rule of thumb: If you play a martial that gets Extra Attack and you don't already have Extra Attack, you stay in that class until you have Extra Attack.  Barbarian is at least worth staying in for Feral Instinct if it's also your source of Extra Attack.  If you only wanted 3 levels of barbarian to tack onto some other martial, you should level that martial class to its Extra Attack first.

Defensively, it's best to stay in barbarian so you get to a point when you have a rage available for every combat.  Nothing really competes with level 3 bear totem defensively, but you need the rage uses to fuel it.  You can get by offensively with Great Weapon Master coupled with Reckless Attack for quite awhile.  That combo is easier to justify using all the time when you have enough rages for nearly every combat in a day to mitigate the hits that will land against you.  Barbarian isn't flashy, but mathematically the bonus damage from rage actually scales decently as long as you aren't comparing to bursty stuff like Divine Smite or an Action Surge maneuver dump.

Thank you. Now I'm 99.9% certain I'm going mountain dwarf bear barbarian. Is the great weapon master feat greater than improving my physical stats at level 4?

I was thinking of starting 20/15/19/12/13/12 (13 WIS in case I want to get resilient feat at a higher level). I guess my dilemma is do I take the +2 AC at level 4 (plus the extra initiative and HPs), or do I go with the great weapon master feat?

[TenaciousJ]

If you'll already have 20 Strength, go Great Weapon Master.

[NumberKruncher]

If you'll already have 20 Strength, go Great Weapon Master.

The DM also told me I'd start with a +1 maul.

I look at it this way:

1) I take GWM, I have a 16 AC and can recklessly attack, at advantage, with +4 to hit, doing 1d12 +16 damage, twice. If either hit drops an enemy, I get a bonus action attack.

2) I take the stat boost. I have an 18 AC and can get +9 to hit, doing 1d12+6 damage.

I think option 1 is better. I can boost the stats at level 8.

[Nifft]

I'm really thinking about it. I'm 99% sure this is my goal. I'm just weighing the extra HP of the hill vs. the higher STR of the mountain. I'm thinking the higher STR is going to win.

Both are awesome.

Mountain: +1 Wis means you can put an odd score on your Wisdom and have good Wis saves; more HP means your Bear resistance feature is even better than usual. Each of your HP counts more than it usually would.

Hill: Str is great, though, and having 20 Str at level 1 is fantastic. But you plan to fight naked, so the armor is a waste.


IMHO a Hill Dwarf could be fun on a Blade Warlock 20 (with Medium armor and 15 Dex) -- take a two-handed weapon, use your armor + the Fiend patron for durability, and look at Armor of Agathys at higher levels.