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Kaelen - Fey-Touched Wanderer

Kaelen - Fey-Touched Wanderer

Backstory

Kaelen was born into a small Kalashtar community nestled in a dense forest bordering the Feywild. From a young age, he was taught to revere nature and respect the delicate balance between life and death. His people's connection to the dream realm of Dal Quor gave him an innate understanding of the ethereal and otherworldly.

As a child, Kaelen often wandered the woods alone, feeling more at home among the trees than with his own kind. It was during one of these solitary excursions that his life changed forever. He stumbled upon a clearing bathed in an unnatural, shimmering light. In the center stood a beautiful, yet decaying tree. Its branches were adorned with vibrant, otherworldly flowers, while its trunk was riddled with luminescent fungi.

Drawn by curiosity, Kaelen reached out to touch the tree. The moment his fingers grazed its bark, he felt a surge of energy course through him. The world around him shifted, colors became more vivid, and he could hear whispers on the wind. Unknown to him at the time, this seemingly innocuous act had opened a connection to the Feywild, marking him as a Fey Wanderer.

In the years that followed, Kaelen honed his newfound abilities, learning to blend the magic of the Feywild with his innate psychic talents. He became a protector of the forests, a bridge between the material world and the realm of the Fey. His community both revered and feared him, seeing him as blessed but also touched by forces beyond their understanding.

However, as Kaelen delved deeper into the mysteries of nature, he began to perceive a darker undercurrent. The cycle of life and death, growth and decay, fascinated him. He started to notice the beauty in rot, the potential in decomposition. This interest led him to seek out hidden groves where rare fungi grew, studying their properties and the role they played in the ecosystem.

His obsession with this aspect of nature grew, causing concern among his people. Some whispered that his touch with the Fey had corrupted him, while others believed he was simply exploring a necessary, if unsettling, part of the natural order.

Feeling increasingly alienated from his community and driven by an insatiable curiosity about the balance between life and death, Kaelen decided to leave his homeland. He set out to explore the wider world, seeking to understand the intricate dance between growth and decay, between the vibrant magic of the Feywild and the somber reality of mortality.

Now, Kaelen wanders the lands, a guardian of nature's secrets and a student of its darkest mysteries. His path walks a fine line between light and shadow, between the whimsical magic of the Fey and the sobering truths of life's inevitable end. He knows that one day, he must reconcile these seemingly opposing forces within himself, but for now, he embraces both aspects of his nature, ever curious about where this dual path might lead.

Character Build: The Melee Fey Wanderer

Concept

This build focuses on a melee-oriented Fey Wanderer Ranger who later multiclasses into Druid. The character excels in both combat and social situations, with a unique blend of martial prowess, nature magic, and fey-inspired abilities.

Race: Kalashtar

Ability Scores (Point Buy)

  • Wisdom: 15 (+2 racial) = 17
  • Constitution: 15 (+1 racial) = 16
  • Dexterity: 14
  • Allocate remaining points as desired

Progression

Levels 1-11: Ranger (Fey Wanderer)

Level 1
  • Class: Ranger
  • Features: Deft Explorer (Canny), Favored Foe
  • Equipment: Quarterstaff, Shield, Scale Mail, Short Sword or Rapier
Level 2
  • Fighting Style: Druidic Warrior (Shillelagh, Guidance)
  • Spells: Hunter's Mark, Entangle, Cure Wounds, Goodberry
Level 3
  • Subclass: Fey Wanderer
  • Features: Fey Wanderer Magic, Otherworldly Glamour, Dreadful Strikes
  • Primal Awareness (Speak with Animals)
Level 4
  • ASI/Feat: Polearm Master
Level 5
  • Extra Attack
  • 2nd Level Spells: Summon Beast
Level 6
  • Deft Explorer: Roving
  • Favored Foe improvement
Level 7
  • Beguiling Twist
Level 8
  • ASI/Feat: Fey Touched (Wisdom +1)
Level 9
  • 3rd Level Spells: Revivify, Summon Fey, Dispel Magic, Conjure Animals
Level 10
  • Deft Explorer: Tireless
  • Nature's Veil
Level 11
  • Dreadful Strikes improvement
  • Fey Reinforcements

Level 12 (Druid 1)

  • Druidic
  • Spells: Shillelagh, Healing Word

Level 13 (Ranger 12)

  • ASI: +2 Wisdom (20)
  • 4th Level Spell Slots
  • Fighting Style Change: Dueling

Levels 14-17: Druid (Circle of Spores)

Level 14 (Druid 2)
  • Wild Shape
  • Circle of Spores: Halo of Spores, Symbiotic Entity
Level 15 (Druid 3)
  • 2nd Level Druid Spells
Level 16 (Druid 4)
  • ASI/Feat: Resilient (Constitution)
Level 17 (Druid 5)
  • 3rd Level Druid Spells
  • 6th Level Spell Slot

Key Combat Strategy

  1. Pre-combat: Cast Summon Beast or Summon Fey if possible
  2. Round 1: Cast another summon spell if needed, use Kalashtar's Mind Link or Roar ability
  3. Round 2 onwards:
    • Bonus Action: Shillelagh (first turn), then Polearm Master attack
    • Action: Attack with quarterstaff (2 attacks)
    • Summons: Direct your summoned creatures to attack

Damage Progression

  • Level 6: 25-31 DPR (AC 15-10)
  • Level 9: 27-38 DPR (AC 16-10)
  • Level 13: 57-76 DPR (AC 17-10)
  • Level 18: 91-121 DPR (AC 18-10) [Optimal scenario]

Note: DPR calculations assume all resources are used optimally, which may not always be possible in actual gameplay.

This build combines strong melee capabilities with versatile spellcasting and unique Fey Wanderer abilities, making for an effective and flavorful character in both combat and roleplay situations.

Blake Hoerres

Blake Hoerres