I personally think Warlock 11 is the better choice right now, the 3rd spell slot and Mystic Arcanum would do much more to increase Fjord's power and versatility than anything a ABI/feat could do. Especially considering their current circumstances. The only reason to go Paladin 4 now instead of later is Thirsting Blade, will Matt let him swap at Paladin 5.
re: Fjord’s level 14 options and my personal suggestions, I assume. Maybe just in general, but linking to my post about my thoughts on Warlock 11 / Paladin 4 regardless
While I agree that Warlock 11 is a strong option that would be fantastic to take at this juncture, and I know we’re talking personal opinions here, I so strongly vehemently disagree that Paladin 4 isn’t an equally strong option, is useful now “only” insofar as sorting out the eventual Thirsting Blade / Extra Attack problem, and doesn’t just as offer Fjord mechanical versatility or added benefit. Warlock 11 and Paladin 4 both offer Fjord these things. They just do so in very different ways. They’re equally strong paths to take.
Frankly, I think it’s underestimating the value and power of an ability score increase or a feat to cast both as not offering as much value to Travis as a player at this time and position Paladin 4 as a having no strong benefit beyond straightening out what will eventually be an Invocation problem.
After all, Warlock 11 cannot improve his AC, or as effectively improve his strength as a face, or make provoking opportunity attacks less risky, or increase his movement speed, or allow him to grant temporary hit points to the party, or more easily break enemy caster concentration. I find these all mechanically and strategically strong choices to make, both for the short-term campaign and in the longer run. Paladin 4 can absolutely grant him these things in this moment, and it is by far and away not a weaker option at this juncture.
The movement options, combat abilities, skill proficiencies Fjord could gain through a feat are all valuable ones, and a feat or an ability score increase improves his general versatility or push further into a niche in a certain and specific ways Warlock 11 never can, just as Warlock 11 can offer options in ways Paladin 4 never can. Travis has a fascinating decision on his hands BECAUSE this Warlock 11 / Paladin 4 split offers a wealth of options in both directions.
On top of that, taking Paladin 4 purely to work toward higher Paladin levels is a very strong rationale in itself. Having Paladin 5 (Extra Attack, 2nd level spells) and Paladin 6 (Aura of Protection) sooner is a strategically sound decision. For that alone, I think that gives Paladin 4 great weight.
Also, while one always considers the short-term in leveling decisions, I don’t think there’s anything “especially” about the weight of their current circumstances in Eiselcross and the Takers. I believed that the group could succeed against Lucien before level 14, and I remain staunch in that belief. Before anyone remarks “but Fjord needed three spell slots to get through that encounter with the Takers, so it proves the point”, I don’t personally believe one mistakenly missed spell slot in a recent definitively proves quite anything about how necessary or inherently better the third spell slot and Arcanum are as choices to Fjord’s build at this moment in time. Multiclass leveling is a very complicated beast, and one that absolutely requires one consider beyond the short-term benefits and consider the mid- and long-term math involved.
Additionally, the questions I have with the argument that Warlock 11 is clearly better in terms of increasing Fjord’s mechanical power and versatility are these:
What do we mean by “power” in this context? Combat effectiveness? General effectiveness? Is it derived from his versatility?
What do we mean by “versatility” in this context? Combat versatility? General versatility?
In what specific manner would Warlock 11 increase these things?
Does Fjord NEED to become MORE versatile, powerful, or effective—especially in a party this large and covering this many bases?
These are what I think is the central question to how I personally think of this mechanical moment, and it’s how I personally think of character builds and mechanical choices in general.
Generally, Fjord is already an incredibly versatile character in combat. He is, in my opinion, the single most mechanically well-rounded member of the party in combat. He is a nuisance at all ranges, can produce both high burst damage and steady poke damage, has incredible mobility, has a high health pool, and rarely finds himself in a situation where he cannot be of some use. When one remarks that Fjord would become more versatile, what does that mean in light of all that? And how does Warlock 11 specifically work toward his general versatility in a manner that Paladin 4 cannot?
As for Paladin 4, never underestimate how important an ability score increase can be. An increase of his Dexterity by even one point will increase his modifier to +1, which would improve his AC (historically terrible), his Dexterity save (currently +1 through Cloak of Protection), his Initiative bonus (currently 0), and his Stealth bonus (currently 0). It’s only by one point, but that one point makes a lot of difference very often, especially when these specific stats are extremely commonly brought up and Fjord’s Dexterity is truly awful. This alone truly makes Paladin 4 a strong option. I truly cannot stress how important Dexterity is as a stat, and Fjord’s poor Dexterity is one of his overall weaknesses. Yes, I absolutely think delaying Warlock 11 is worth it just for an increase in his Dexterity. That’s just how important I think Dexterity is.
I also disagree that a feat could not offer him versatility benefits or other options in a way that Warlock 11’s Mystic Arcanum, additional spell, or the third spell slot can. I included in my post about Fjord’s level 14 options my personal suggestions for feats. The idea that Warlock 11 would “much more” increase his versatility and effectiveness than a feat could is one I disagree with. It’s a matter of considering the value of what options are available to him.
A proficiency in Persuasion via Prodigy or Skill Expert (a Tasha’s feat) would be huge, given that Fjord makes so many Persuasion checks as the party’s face, and expertise in Intimidation or Deception would be a massive boon for the same reason. Taking Skilled would allow him to pick up proficiency in Persuasion and also bolster weaknesses in other skills he commonly rolls, such as Stealth, Insight, or even Acrobatics. Rounding off his skill bonuses is an underwhelming option on paper, but it’s in practice valuable. It’s a strong option that increases Fjord’s ability to do certain things effectively, especially in out of combat situations.
Inspiring Leader has been pitched repeatedly by myself and many others. It is a valuable pick for being a consistent and easy source of temporary hit points for multiple members of the party without anyone expending spell slots—19 points is a lot—and it serves Fjord’s narrative character as someone coming into his own and becoming comfortable with leadership.
Mage Slayer makes great use of Fjord being often in melee range. As we saw with Cree in 2.123 and historically throughout the campaign, breaking enemy concentration is an important tactical priority, and the feat’s language does not restrict the disadvantage on damage only caused my Fjord’s melee attacks. It also would be useful in a campaign filled to the gills with hostile casters.
I made a niche pitch for Martial Adept given that it works well with how Fjord uses a weapon as a primary form of attack, and Fjord having access to maneuvers from the Battle Master subclass would greatly increase his options in combat. I can spend all day weighing half the maneuvers list and what boons each offers Fjord, but just to talk about a handful: Maneuvering Strike allows a member of the party to move as a reaction on Fjord’s turn without provoking opportunity attacks from the creature Fjord strikes with the Star Razor, which would’ve been useful in any number of fights, including in the Takers fight in 2.123. Evasive Footwork, which bolsters his AC during one movement, would make provoking opportunity attacks less risky; opportunity attacks are historically very dangerous for Fjord. Riposte leans into Fjord as mechanically built to punish melee attackers for choosing him as a target.
Slasher, from Tasha’s, also works well with Fjord as a melee combatant and allows him to further control the spatial dynamics of the battlefield by allowing him once per turn to take 10 feet off the speed of a target he damages with slashing damage, i..e the Star Razor, until his next turn. Automatically imposing disadvantage on a creature’s attack rolls when he crits with the Star Razor is valuable, and he also can gain +1 to Dexterity, valuable for the prior outlined reasons.
I joke that Mobile is a joke pick, but Fjord having a movement speed of 40 and the ability to not provoke opportunity attacks from a creature he made an attack against is genuinely valuable and further increases Fjord’s intense mobility. Mobility is king, especially in a playstyle as positioning aware and movement efficient as Travis’ is. Again, opportunity attacks is a historical issue for Fjord.
This isn’t even all the feats I think could be valuable to Fjord at this time. This is just a handful of ones that I think illustrate very well how a feat can be valuable to Fjord’s mechanical build in this current moment. I could go all day. Fjord is a mechanical wonder to me personally because he is so intensely versatile that almost any feat Travis can opt to take is a massive boon to Fjord and the party. He is just so mechanically well built, and Travis’ mechanical choices so far have been, in my opinion, brilliant.
Again, I do agree that Warlock 11 offers very strong choices, and it is a valuable level to take as Fjord’s 14th. I think any choice Travis makes here automatically massively benefits Fjord’s mechanical build. It’s just the nature of where Fjord is and the carefully cultivated versatility Fjord has. My issue is the couching that Paladin 4 does not offer similarly valuable versatility and effectiveness. The things he can potentially gain from Paladin 4 all just as much increase Fjord’s ability to function, and these ways feel to me just as significant or valuable as a third spell slot, a Mystic Arcanum, and an 11th spell. And, I think it’s a disservice to the value of ability score increases and feats to cast them as not offering anything to Travis as a player in this moment.
They’re equally strong paths to take.
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