In a high level campaign I ran, I took the design philosophy that the villains were supernatural (e.g, dragon or lich), the average npc was weak (level 3 or less), and the characters were once-in-a-1000-years heros (level 10-20).

Every now and then they would have an obstacle involving regular humanoids or the local government and they had the option of just steamrolling everything (even whole platoons). It provided a great contrast to the magic-boss death matches and let the characters really feel special.

It also drove home that they were the only ones who could save the day.

How interesting to be living in a time of transition. Watching people fight AI is like reading about teamsters diverting irrigation into roads so only horses and not cars could pass. Or like reading about pony express riders climbing telephone poles to sabotage them.

In the article, this one was just an accident even, or so it seems. Photoshop released a new, unspecified, AI-powered tool and the human artist used it. WotC at first defended the art as they believed it was human generated (and I believe they contracted a human) and retracted it.

It’ll get to the point where almost anyone can use it and it indistinguishable or even better than most human art. Right now we’re fighting, but eventually the public will either get tired or (like with cars) become the primary users of AI art and the fight will sputter out.

Okay, but real talk, this looks like the equivalent of having a cutsy cuddle session at the firing range.

Even if you like guns/spells, you don’t want to be kicking back, listening to your man read poetry while Samantha in the background is repeatedly screaming “IGNIS!” *BOOM* “IGNIS!” *BOOM* in her coked up magic voice.

Another aspect of the puzzle is that not every evil deserves death. A bum who does minor theft almost as a habit, a hateful bitter man who antagonizes everyone but obeys the law, a teenager, a greedy business person who employs half the town but makes everyone’s life a bit worse, and so on.

Good should have the self restraint to not go straight to murder.

That beast’s name? Saddam. 😎

This jpg rationing makes me sad for what we used to have. When I was young, the internet was young, and jpg was overflowing. But as we burned through the last of the cheaply minable jpg we had to turn to increasingly cost ineffective means, like jpg rigs to extract deposits from the ocean floor, and accordingly images everywhere became clearer and clearer.

It would all be fine if we could just make a cost effective way of recycling jpg or green jpg technology would be adopted worldwide. But that’s not something you or I can accomplish, we need whole governments embracing the switch to new jpg sources for it work.

The monk isn’t homebrew, they just used the 1d20 in order method of stat generation. They got 18(+2)/20/20/14/20/10 and a CL feat. Honestly, MADness is only thing holding a STRonk back.

Yo dawg, you got that vaporwave wizard template without the text. It’s real, yo.

*Currently seducing goblins

The rest are out chasing dragons, etc.

My favorite DMing style is what I like to call “train line DMing.” The train goes to all the stops but you can do whatever you want at them.

There is a plot, no crazier than any purchased campaign, but it’s structure consists of a chain of open-ended* scenarios. Its a contract: the players are willing to follow the general and well telegraphed line of plot hooks and in return they do whatever they want in the scenarios and I do my best to incorporate their interests and backstories.

And like all contracts it starts with explaining that and seeing who is interested. Example: “I want to run a short campaign where you explore X looking for Y. Be whoever you want, except one key part of your character is they want to find Y.” Then we do it if people want.

*Open-ended here means “no right/pre-planned answer” not “no ending to lead to the next part.” For example, city A has a cult to deal with and the leader has a letter pointing to city B. Whether they kill the leader, join the cult, plan an economic take down to render the cultists penniless and impotent, or something weirder, they get the letter.

Gotcha. In that case, I’d second Arcana cleric. Outside of that, you’re not going to get something that does what a wizard does nearly as well.

However, since I’m throwing stuff out here, Artificer might pique your interest as a wizard-lite with a compromise of flexibility and non-flex. On the one hand, prepared caster, wizard-like list, but only half the amount of spell levels and slots. On the other hand infusions, which can only be swapped on level up, but can be given to anyone.

At lvl 11, spell storing also lets you expand spells with a target of “self” to your allies, or can be used to double-up on concentration by getting a non-magical ally to do it for you. That opens doors for simply doing more with with low spell level buffs. It is also used INT mod times per day.

Battle smith and armorer are technically the “better” classes because they can do frontlining. But for widened support, Alchemist adds healing that the wizard typically can’t do and some random smaller buffs.

I’ll give an honest try.

Your build will rely heavily on magic items and a cooperative DM. That’s 1 uncommon at level 1, a rare at level 5, and a very rare at level 11.

Custom lineage 13/13/8/13/13/14(+2) Feat: Resilient Wisdom (the only feat you’ll get so it should be this)

Magic item: Cloak of Elvenkind (for hiding)

1. Sorcerer, Aberrant mind - Gets CON/CHA saves. Con is good for when people hand you scrolls to concentrate on and CHA is the only thing you’re good at. Has mind sliver (to support your allies’ actually useful spells) and dissonant wispers to chase things away. Can telepathically talk. Also take shield, silvery barbs, and chromatic orb. Stay away from the front, hide, and pray.

2. Rogue - expertise in stealth and perception. At least you can be a scout with your hiding and telepathy.

3. Cleric, order - heavy armor and you can let your stronger allies attack more with voice of authority. Also grab healing word.

4. Bard - more caster progression and some d8’s to help your friends. Tasha’s hideous laughter might do well long term.

5. Warlock, hexblade - in case you really need to hit something with a rapier, now you can use CHA

Magic item: Amulet of Health (suddenly you can be a frontline distraction!)

At this point things aren’t too bad. You can scout or shield/rapier with 20 AC, +1d6 sneak, upcast dissonant whispers/chromatic orb, and support your friends a little with silvery barbs/d8s/mind sliver. Sadly, out side of more slots and some hp you start getting nothing from here on out.

6. Wizard - full caster, get utility spells

7. Druid - full caster, utility

8. Artificer - half caster

9. Ranger - half caster

10. Paladin - half caster

11. Barbarian - d12 hp

Magic item: +3 amulet of of the devout (gives +3 to all spell DC’s and spell attacks)

12. Fighter - d10 hp

13. Monk - yey

Also the bard subclasses can add great utility. Lore bard for more spells of any list, glamour bard if you table relies a lot on positioning (and tmp hp is nice), creation bard for items, and eloquence for social.

If you’re a bard you should honestly make your character last because it’s less flexible once done (spell known), but can fit any niche in construction.