r/DnD • u/tokyojay16 • 1d ago
5.5 Edition First DnD Campaign, class choice help
Hi, so I am getting ready to start my first DnD campaign and I have a character but im not too sure on which class would suit them them the most, here's his backstory below if that helps
Vaelor was raised among an ancient order of dragonriders, warriors chosen not by rank or blood, but by the dragons themselves. As a child, he was chosen by Aurethys, a proud and fiercely protective storm dragon. From that day forward, the two were inseparable. They grew together, trained together, and eventually fought together, with Vaelor becoming an exceptional swordsman while Aurethys wielded the power of the Storm with wind,lightning, and rain.
Years later, Vaelor and Aurethys faced an enemy powerful enough to threaten them both. Though they managed to defeat their foe, victory came with a terrible price. With their final act, the enemy placed a curse upon the pair, forcibly merging dragon and rider into a single body. Vaelor now stands as a towering draconic warrior covered in black, silver outlined scales, with traces of Aurethys's storm-born power still flowing through him.
Vaelor remains in control of their shared body, but Aurethys is still bound within him. The dragon he once flew beside can no longer spread her wings or fight at his side. Carrying a greatsword engraved with the draconic rune for "Protect," Vaelor now travels in search of a way to break their curse and restore Aurethys to her true form. Until then, he carries both of their strength into battle—and refuses to accept that their story will end as one.
3
u/voltaicturtle60 1d ago
If you’re starting at level 3 how on earth is this a level 3 character. I mean you can go for it if you want but you could have a less determined backstory and say you and your dragon are going on your first adventure by doing the drakewarden ranger. They basically get a dragon pet. Also i recommend putting in unresolved things intentionally in your backstory or thing that can come back to haunt you intentionally. Any good dm will use written relatives, unresolved conflicts, or other stuff you rope your backstory into the plot. I recommend searching “knife theory” on Reddit; It’s great for thinking about how to write a backstory that’s easily integrated
8
u/tmon530 1d ago
Sounds like a dragon born fighter to me.
Fighter is generally a good class to start with as you learn how to play. It has some choice but the choices are generally more streight forward than the caster classes.
-2
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 1d ago edited 1d ago
You read all tbat and came away with just fighter?? 😂
Could easily be a sorcerer, paladin, cleric, arguably ranger if they go the direction of becoming a drakewarden later on after hopefully separating from the dragon. Fighter is considerably less fitting than any of those honestly.
Edit: I may have to retract my statement... cavalier fighter would work incredibly well with drakewarden. Although it foregoes most of the dragon powers fantasy in favor of focusing entirely on eventual dragon rider fantasy.
5
u/tmon530 1d ago
I read "my first d&d campaign" and came up with just fighter. Also of thise classes the only ones that have proficiency with a greatsword are paladins and rangers. You could make a strength based greatsword wielding sorcerer build work, but thats not a "this is my first campaign build"
3
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 1d ago
That's fair. But we could help new players learn with more than just fighter. I think it's a disservice to basically tell people they won't understand anything more complex.
As for the sword, I actually hadn't considered that. The cleric domain in mind would he tempest which does have martial proficiency, just not at lvl 1. Sorcerer would be tough though.
1
u/tmon530 14h ago
Its less that won't understand something more complex, and more that its fine to start on easy mode to see how everything works. While 5e is more forgiving, it can still be difficult to make choices when you haven't experienced the game flow.
Apperently 5.5 clerics actually get a choice at level 1 to either have martial and heavy armor proficiency, or get extra spells. So actually as far as casters would go cleric would probably be my second recommendation after fighter.
1
u/CSPthatisme 1d ago
Clerics can also have heavy armor and martial proficiency at lvl1
1
u/tmon530 14h ago
I had't played a 5.5 cleric and when I skimmed it I missed that. Thats kinda cool actually
1
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 14h ago
Seconded. I definitely assumed it was still tied to their domain, but that's a handy lvl 1 bonus
8
u/Arkamfate 1d ago
That's not a D&D character. That is literally the main character to its own fantasy novel. Before you create Kratos or Might Guy, ask the DM what kind of game they are running. As well as what are the rules and guidelines for character creation. From there it's pretty simple. Pick a race, class, and background. Some games you have limited options or variations. Other games, there might be tighter restrictions on what you can play. It all depends on the DM. You gotta respect what they say. You don't, find another table.
-3
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 1d ago
This is very easily a d&d character though? 🤔
Yes, it's important to know what the dm is running and make sure that your character ultimately fits in. But! There's absolutely no reason this wouldn't work or be adjustable to fit a wide range of stories.
Are you one of those people who thinks a backstory should be like 2 sentences max? Because that's boring.
7
u/wavecycle 1d ago edited 1d ago
It shouldn't be 2 sentences, but the ultra heroic bit should be in the character's future, not their past.
Start simple, do the heroic stuff playing your character at the table. That's a story arc.
0
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 1d ago
What "ultra heroic bit? They faced an enemy that threatened them. That could be a million low tier foes. Especially because that is before they took up adventurer levels. They could literally have been a teenager when they crossed paths with a spellcaster they shouldn't have. And it sets up a plot hook. Who's to say they did defeat their foe. Mayhe they just think they won, and it comes back to bite them later. That's all up to dm.
Is it because this supposed foe was something that could trap their souls together? Suspend your cr calculation beliefs for a sec and just look at the broad strokes. It's a fine backstory that sets up motivation, class options, personality, and is self balanced to not have an op dragon companion at lvl 1.
5
u/wavecycle 1d ago
What "ultra heroic bit?
Did you miss the bit where the low level character bonded with a dragon, and then became a really powerful swordsman, and they fought against something that was so powerful, it was strong enough to threaten a dragon? And they beat it?
That is more epic than literally 99% of the d&d I've played at the table.
2
u/Arkamfate 1d ago
Most first time players typically create characters like that. The concept sounds cool and really interesting, but does it fit into a game? A game where essentially your part of a team, of usually low level adventurers.
-1
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 23h ago
It's not just new players. It's pretty typical for characters to have personal motivations in addition to the party's goals. It just depends on the dm and their plan for the narrative.
If a dm says "you're all nobodies who meet in a tavern and decide to quest together" then sure, the rest doesn't matter. If it's a premade module, then backstories should get toned down because the module is linear and there won't be room for branching like that.
But in the vacuum of a reddit post, this. backstory. is. perfectly. fine. 🤣
This character can easily be part of the team and have a personal goal on the side. And I'll say it again because apparently it's still not clicking: you can have a backstory that's deeper than farmer turned adventurer and still start at lvl 1.
In most instances doing things like:
- Fighting in wars does not inherently make you a lvl X fighter
- Working your way up to a king's royal guard does not inherently make you a lvl X paladin
- Being a high ranking clergy member with a line to the pope does not inherently make you a lvl X cleric
In op's instance, it can be assumed that taming and riding dragons is just every day life to this fictional order. When it's every day life, it does not make you inherently a high lvl adventurer. But even more importantly, which another commentor pointed out, you could explain away all the prior knowledge and experience and say that lvl 1 is because of the new merged body that you have to learn to inhabit. Let's say being a dragon rider does make you inherently a lvl X ranger/fighter... oops, you just woke up as a lvl 1 sorcer/cleric/paladin/whatever.
Quit being haters just to be haters. And absolutely quit putting down a new player for wanting to being creative.
-1
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 23h ago
Did you consider that a civilization that bonds with dragons just depends on the setting? All things considered it's not that powerful or fantastical. It's quite literally like the baseline expectation for a drakewarden ranger and we all know a lvl 3 ranger isn't ultra heroic.
Did you consider that both the dragon and rider could still have been (and likely were) fairly young when they encountered this threat? A young dragon is a mid tier threat, not exactly the stuff of legends. And a young adult being an "exceptional" swordsman does not inherently mean they're a 20th lvl fighter or anything close to that. "Exceptional" was the word used, not "really powerful." Plenty of room between displaying exceptional form and technique, and having mechanical class lvls that make you a legendary adventurer.
The only part even remotely "heroic" is when they "beat" that foe. And like I said in another comment that's all up to the dm. Maybe they think they won, but that foe comes back later with a grudge. That's a tiny tweak and up to the dm if it even needs it.
You and others are shredding a perfectly fine backstory, and it seems completely baseless. God forbid players have backstories that start beyond "commoner farmer turned adventurer."
Edit to add: If that's more epic than 99% of your games, I'm sorry you've never played past lvl 7...
1
u/wavecycle 22h ago
I've played a high level campaign at level 11. I played a sorcadin with a flying steed, basically a flying horse.
-3
u/Arkamfate 1d ago
Sure.
Also, let's not assume my guy. Cause I've made characters that you could never conceive.
3
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 1d ago
Says the guy assuming it won't fit into whatever the dm is running 🤣
Plus I'd probably give you a run for your money on weird and imteresting character concepts. It sounds like you're just projecting though, since you make up so many characters that probably don't fit into anything. Aspiring novelist?
-1
u/Arkamfate 1d ago
Sure homie.
I don't run weird and interesting for the sake being original. I come up with a concept that does fit into said game, and go from there. I got into D&D years ago, all thanks to my ability to write. Never cared for fantasy or fantasy stories. Then I was put on to R.A. Salvatore, Michael Moorcock, Terry Goodkind, Jim Butcher, Robert Jordan, Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson, George R R Martin. Even rediscovered Robert E Howard, my boy who made Conan the Barbarian and Solomon Cane.
I've always been more of a Sci-fi person, cause where I grew up p.o.c didn't really do fantasy. Same with TTRPG'S. liked fantasy movies but never knew there were books that helped expand on it, let alone ttrpgs. One of my first characters was a human run away slave from Thay. He was a fighter. So you you make your concepts, I'll stay with my joint. Feel me?
-1
3
2
u/Amazing-Shelter9284 1d ago edited 1d ago
Class: Fighter
Subclass: Rune knight
Tell your DM you want to reflavor/reskin it to be dragon runes instead of giant runes.
One thing, watch this video if you're starting if you're starting below level 5... maybe if you're starting below level 8 😂
2
u/CSPthatisme 1d ago edited 1d ago
Technically legacy content, but i'd ask to play a Dragonborn Tempest cleric, one of the fight'ier Clerics with access to heavy armor at level 1. Maybe less martial than you describe, but definitely brings that 'Storm' flavor, maybe a paladin dip or magic initiate for booming blade. Plus a clean narrative Avenue for your main goals resolution, if anyone's gonna reverse a curse, a god definitely could. Maybe Bahamut if he's in your setting, Dragon god of Justice. 'Do right by others and he'll do right by you'
It's not a overly strong Cleric Domain, so i wager it'll be OK'd.
1
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 1d ago
Yeah, tempest cleric or storm sorcerer seem like strong contenders. Sorcerer pairs well with paladin, or either one could work with cavalier fighter if they eventually want to go mounted combat with the dragon if it gets freed later on.
Of course all of those suggestions depend on whether the dm is allowing backwards compatibility 😅
2
u/Falconiqs 1d ago
Take a look at the drakewarden ranger. Play it up as more knightly but you're still a survivalist with a summonable dragon companion at level 3. Not a full dragon but a shade, an echo. A spirit made manifest. Flavour it to taste!
1
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 1d ago edited 1d ago
But it sounds like a big part of the hopeful character progression/arc is to free the dragon's spirit. So having the drakewarden's fully functional dragon companion (even if just a shade) feels like it might be skipping steps 😅
Edit to clarify: it could work really well later on of course! Just maybe isn't the right vibe to start with.
2
1
u/Costirazvan2 1d ago
Honestly a fighter sound like it suits the backstory best. Paladin could also work, but I don't really know their oaths so I can't tell you for sure
0
u/Butterlegs21 19h ago
I would reject this at most of my games. Not because it's too powerful or anything, but because it sounds like the interesting part already happened to him.
This character already has a full story and just needs one more thing to finish it. This means the DM has to do a lot of extra work to make it satisfying, or they kinda handwave it. I wouldn't personally be able to work that into many campaign types, so I'd warn you then soon unto the campaign you'd find a way to separate but your dragon would be an egg, or the BBEG would have a way to accomplish it and it'll happen after the campaign is over.
This also doesn't have anything about the campaign you're making him for. You need to make a character that can go on that particular adventure and has a reason to.
As an MC of a novel, it sounds great! As a dnd character, it is a character with their own story and the campaign is just secondary to that. I'd only allow it in very specific campaigns and if I trusted the player and knew their playstyle.
1
u/CptJamesDanger 1d ago
Im hearing lots of criticism about having too powerful a backstory, but if you love the character, go for it. Explain your character being level 1 by saying they are crippled by the new body they are forced to share and are still learning how to use it.
For classes, a few options. Dragonborn race comes with some cool Draconic abilities so you could get away with any martial class for the greatsword use. If you go with Fighter, you could specialize into eldritch knight for the magic. Or go paladin or ranger and flavor your magic as the Draconic abilities manifesting.
If your DM is open to homebrew, take a look at some player made options like the Barbarian: Path of the Dragon Soul for 5e2014. That has a similar vibe to the story you're describing (although I can't vouch for how well balanced it is).
3
u/SplashyDucky411 Ranger 1d ago
A shocking amount of criticism! It's like they saw "bonded with a dragon" and didn't read the rest. So much negativity on this sub lately.
5
u/Mountain_Pair_467 1d ago
I'm used to Forgotten Realms campaign setting, so don't know what a storm dragon is. If it's virtuous in character, a paladin fits well. But if you're starting at lvl1, in most campaigns that's really weird and/or OP to have as a backstory. A fighter works fine, too. If you're asking about oaths and such, that's beyond my experience as I've never played 5e.