Non-meta classes and subclasses that are fun?

[Iron Reaper]

I’m on my 3rd run in act 3 (didn’t finish 2nd run) and I am finding myself already thinking about another run when I’m finished this one. I keep making builds that are really more powerful than i need, here i am on honor mode and just sailing through.. so i intend to limit my next run(s) to classes and subclasses that I never use and wanted to get some brainstorming going because there are probably a bunch of people here with some fun ideas for that

My main go-to’s are throwbarian, life cleric, evo wizard, and dual wield rogue. I’ve also tried sword bard and it was great, an OH monk that felt quite boring, and I started an oathbreaker that felt great in battle but i just don’t vibe with paladin at all even the dark variety.

I’m considering a druid thief, some other type of cleric (not tempest, too op), warlock or sorc but don’t know anything about those yet, maybe a ranger i guess, fighter maybe but I always end up multiclassing into it somehow anyway, maybe an eldritch knight though. Any ideas? What’s some interesting builds you guys have put together? I’m looking for interesting stuff, not op stuff

[Iron Reaper]

I should also mention that it’s really likely I’ll be doing a durge run next since I haven’t tried it yet

[Metallicus]

I just play what sounds fun. It’s a single player game and doesn’t require a ‘meta’.

[Recjawjind]

Sorc is offmeta but very fun.
Though the things you listed aren't exactly meta either.

[Iron Reaper]

Jesus, guys.

Let’s go over some basics now on the first page so we don’t get bogged down with silly bs. I am not stating that the builds i tried are meta, i am asking specifically for build ideas that are not the strongest op ♥♥♥♥ because I already find the game easy on hm with the ones I’ve been using.

[Recjawjind]

Originally posted by Meat Cannon:

Jesus, guys.

Let’s go over some basics now on the first page so we don’t get bogged down with silly bs. I am not stating that the builds i tried are meta, i am asking specifically for build ideas that are not the strongest op ♥♥♥♥ because I already find the game easy on hm with the ones I’ve been using.

Its important to know what you'd qualify as offmeta.
A few things id point at would be wild magic sorc, most flavors of full wizard (minus abjuration), all forms of druids, all forms of rangers

[Iron Reaper]

Originally posted by Recjawjind:

Originally posted by Meat Cannon:

Jesus, guys.

Let’s go over some basics now on the first page so we don’t get bogged down with silly bs. I am not stating that the builds i tried are meta, i am asking specifically for build ideas that are not the strongest op ♥♥♥♥ because I already find the game easy on hm with the ones I’ve been using.

Its important to know what you'd qualify as offmeta.
A few things id point at would be wild magic sorc, most flavors of full wizard (minus abjuration), all forms of druids, all forms of rangers

Fair enough. I’ve only done 2.5 playthroughs and don’t pay attention to all the talk about meta builds and op this or that, i just built some characters that seemed strong and it turns out they were very strong indeed. Idk anything about wild magic sorc, I’ll check it out

Druid/thief combination is the kind of thing I’m looking for.. it’s an outside the box solution to a thief character. He’s got sleight of hand and stealth, while also having wildshapes for sneaking around and a few that work well in combat too

[Kafik]

Do the game with no gear other than what you were wearing on the Nautiloid then.

[Tinkuwu]

STR and INT fighter with the caster subclass.

[Cruddy]

Wild Magic Sorc is pretty fun, Still Powerful too.


Eldritch Knight is also very effective if you make use of Tavern Brawler + The Subclasses Bound weapon throwing, just don't try to build for damage spells like most who misunderstand EK do.

[Iron Reaper]

Originally posted by Cruddy horse:

Wild Magic Sorc is pretty fun, Still Powerful too.


Eldritch Knight is also very effective if you make use of Tavern Brawler + The Subclasses Bound weapon throwing, just don't try to build for damage spells like most who misunderstand EK do.

That sounds really interesting since your thrown weapon could be anything you want

[KingOfFriedChicken]

As I don't keep up on full meta everything I'm having some fun here though, I got a paladin with 2 points wizard for that juicy divination reroll, and some luck dice, ALL THE REROLLS! Haha

And a theif/ swords bard, cuz I have all these poisons and potions I never use, but with an extra bonus action I can now, currently dual weilding rapiers.

Cleric/monk with tridents wasn't bad either, I themed it around lightning with storm cleric, and elemental monk.

I really like theme builds that I stick to in general
Like I did a pet ranger with points into druid, I summoned a bunch of spiders, had a pet spider, a familiar spider then shaped into a spider.... I WAS QUEEN SPIDER!!! Lol the webs between pet spider and shape change spider you can liter a field.

[Iron Reaper]

Originally posted by KingOfFriedChicken:

As I don't keep up on full meta everything I'm having some fun here though, I got a paladin with 2 points wizard for that juicy divination reroll, and some luck dice, ALL THE REROLLS! Haha

And a theif/ swords bard, cuz I have all these poisons and potions I never use, but with an extra bonus action I can now, currently dual weilding rapiers.

Cleric/monk with tridents wasn't bad either, I themed it around lightning with storm cleric, and elemental monk.

I really like theme builds that I stick to in general
Like I did a pet ranger with points into druid, I summoned a bunch of spiders, had a pet spider, a familiar spider then shaped into a spider.... I WAS QUEEN SPIDER!!! Lol the webs between pet spider and shape change spider you can liter a field.

Lmao ok you sold me on that one, I might have to ♥♥♥♥ around with it at some point

[Doom_Cookies]

Originally posted by Meat Cannon:

Originally posted by Cruddy horse:

Wild Magic Sorc is pretty fun, Still Powerful too.


Eldritch Knight is also very effective if you make use of Tavern Brawler + The Subclasses Bound weapon throwing, just don't try to build for damage spells like most who misunderstand EK do.

That sounds really interesting since your thrown weapon could be anything you want

Not anything. Even if weapons return to you, any weapon that doesn't have the Thrown property listed at the bottom of its tooltip will be treated as an Improvised Weapon, meaing you get no damage bonus from STR/DEX and its damage is either 1 (<10kg), 1d4 (>10kg, <20kg), or 2d4 (>=20kg) depending on the item's weight. Fairly certain secondary damage bonuses like a weapon with +1d4 Lightning Damage also won't apply, but I might be wrong on that.

Since the highest weight (equippable) melee weapon in the game is the Very Heavy Greataxe sitting at 9kg, your throw will always do exactly 1 damage even as an EK. It'll return to you, but it'll also be useless.

So, even an EK is restricted to Thrown weapons for a Throw build.

I really wanted to make an EK that throws Balduran's Giantslayer, but then read more about how non-Thrown weapons work. :(

[Doom_Cookies]

I've got a few fun build ideas I've been sitting on. Most of them come online very late, though, because I like making the most of my multiclassing.

One I've kind of come to look forward to is my Bardbaridan build. So, Barbarian can't cast spells while Raging. But Paladin's basic Divine Smite doesn't count as a spell and can be cast.

• Barbarian 3, for Berserker's Frenzied Strike
  
• Paladin 2, for Divine Smite
  
• Bard 7, for College of Sword's Flourishes, spell slots for Smite, Extra Attack, and various other bard tools

---

Similarly, my Barbarimonk, for Way of the Four Elements shenanigans. From what I've read, most of the Way of the Four Elements "spells" can be used while Raging. All of the ones that include a punch and aren't just some spell effect, apparently. Unfortunately, Raging doesn't add +2 damage to unarmed attacks.

• Barbarian 3, for Wildheart's Bear Heart (resistance to all except psychic while Raging)
  
• Monk 9, for Way of the Four Elements and general Monk stuff

---

And the last one I want to share atm is arguably the most interesting. The smites other than Divine Smite on Paladin are spells, so I believe that means they are affected by Metamagic: Twinned Spell. And since Branding Smite can be used with ranged attacks, I wanted to build around that. I just refer to it as my Branding Archer build.

• Paladin 5, for Branding Smite and Extra Attack, any subclass
  
• Sorcerer 4, for Metamagic: Twinned Spell and a Feat, any subclass
  
• Bard 3, for College of Sword's ranged Flourishes

Edit: Steam is breaking the links, so here they are in full so you can copypaste. They're in order.

• https://baldursgate3.gamefractal.com/?v=1&c1=NTav_O0_B0_A-8ef8af52_R4_X-i10%2B-e0010%2B-n0000000000000000000010000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_Cb3p2a7_Lbbbppaaaaaaa_U-80a292_I*NzA1eDEsNzA0eDEsNTk4eDE
  
  
• https://baldursgate3.gamefractal.com/?v=1&c1=NTav_O0_B0_A-fea8f804_R4_X-d10000%2B*MzZ4MSwweDcwLDF4MSwweDU%2B*Mzd4MSwweDksMXgxLDB4NjY_Cb3m9_Lbbbmmmmmmmmm_U-b281_I*MTYxeDEsNzAzeDE
  
  
• https://baldursgate3.gamefractal.com/?v=1&c1=NTav_O0_B0_A-afd8af12_R7_Sd_X-e1000%2B-b0101%2B-c0000010%2B-i01%2B*Mzl4MSwweDY3LDF4MSwweDg%2B*NDl4MSwweDY1LDF4MSwweDEw_Cp5s4a3_Lpppppssssaaa_U-a37192_I*NzAweDEsM3gxLDcwNXgxLDIxNngxLDM3M3gxLDM1NXgx

[kbiz]

Doesn't really matter unless you're trying to solo. The power is in party, not one class. Go with what you're itching to play.