Dec 27

Dec 27 Lower Level Combos

I wanted to follow up on our “Combos to make your DM crazy” post with another article on fun combos. The focus this time around will be on lower level combinations that are more utility and less about causing massive amounts of damage. Combining two incredibly powerful spells is exciting and easy when you get to the higher levels, with some combos even lauded as being able to one-shot the toughest of foes.

But combos shouldn’t always be about causing the most damage or breaking the game with your now impossible to beat stats. In this article, the focus is on combinations that can help your lower level character survive until they reach those levels where they can cast polymorph and disintegrate together in one round to crush whatever stands in the way. Also, I have broadened the scope to include not just spells, but feats and races. Why should the spellcasters get to have all the fun?

Death by Zombie Hoard: Animate Dead + Grappling

A 3rd level spell that allows you to create your own personal zombie horde, almost everyone knows and loves the Animate Dead spell (except Clerics, who are always trying to turn them). But instead of using your zombies to hit things, why not try something a little different and have them grapple your opponent?

Zombies do a pitiful 4 points of damage on average per attack. Sure, you can have your each member of your horde try to hit the opponent, but why not take a round and have them make grapple checks first? They even get a +1 to the grapple check based on their 13 strength. I know it’s not the best, but let’s never dismiss any bonuses, especially at lower levels.

What zombies have going for them is their 22 HP, which is pretty stellar for a creature that is already dead. Many a wizard will use their zombies as meat shields, having them form a protective wall or circle around them so they can cast fireball while the zombies take all the damage from the attacking foe. Those 22 HP also give the zombie an advantage in grappling as it will probably take more than one blow to kill the zombie, thereby ending the grappled effect.

You can even take the whole zombie horde idea to the next level and have multiple zombies grapple the same creature, just like in the movies. There is nothing in the description that states that a creature cannot be grappled by multiple creatures. Did you know that in 3.5e, the rules stated that you could be grappled by up to 4 creatures at once? Once your opponent is grappled by a couple of zombies, I’m willing to bet they will be frantic to escape. To escape a grapple the PHB states that:

A Grappled creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity(Acrobatics) check contested by your Strength (Athletics) check

Based on the wording, the grappled creature would need to make a successful check for each of the creatures grappling it. So when our opponent makes a successful check against the first zombie, they better hope they somehow have another 3 actions to roll checks for the other zombies that are grappling them.

Reduce and Mage Hand

An oldie but a goodie, this one has been around for a while. This combination of a cantrip and a 2nd level spell has helped many a small humanoid character achieve their dream of flying without having to know the 3rd level fly spell.

First, you need to be a gnome or a halfling. Cast Mage Hand first. Then, on the next turn, cast Reduce upon yourself. You can now use the mage hand to fly you up to 30 ft per round for up to a minute. It’s an effective and inexpensive way to get down the side of a mountain, fly up to the ledge with the treasure chest on it (don’t worry, it’s not a mimic) or get across the pit in the dungeon floor.

Death by a 1000 Pricks: Animate Object + Needles

Now I have needles listed above, but they can be any object you wish. I know a lot of people who prefer to use small objects such as daggers or the like for the additional damage and AC. I like tiny objects such as needles since they are easy to carry around in bulk and they have an AC of 18 and +8 to hit.

Make sure to have a variety of needles such as wooden, metal, silver and adamantium ones. The needles all do the same amount of damage regardless of what they are made of, but their natural properties will allow you to hit creatures with certain immunities.

What really makes this combo is that the needles get a 30 ft. flying speed and they each get their own initiative. Needles may not seem like great object to attack with, but each needle does an average of 5 points or damage per round. If half your needles hit, thats an additional 20 points of damage per round. They are susceptible to AOE spells, so keep those needles moving and don’t group them up too close to each other.

Of course, since you’ve now added 10 additional individual attacks to each round, maybe this combo belongs with the rest of the Combos to Make Your DM Crazy!

The Problem with Spellbooks: Wizard Spell Book + Glyph of Warding

Considering how important the spellbook is to a wizard, it seems like very few take the necessary precautions to make sure that nothing bad will happen to it. I know many a wizard who creates copies of their spellbook and have them in various nearby locations in case they ‘lose’ their spellbook, but why not just cover the original copy itself in every sort of protective magic known to mankind? There are lots of bad people out there looking to do bad things to you and your stuff. Here’s a combo if you’re one of the bad people looking to do bad things.

Glyph of Warding is another 3rd level spell, but one that is not used as much as Animate Dead. It’s great as a damaging alarm system for those times when you just have to take a long rest in the scary dungeon, or as a trap in that narrow 5 ft hallway. What’s proposed here is quite simple but very damaging to that annoying evil wizard. While the wizard is sleeping or otherwise indisposed, the arcane tricker rogue can sneak into the wizard’s chambers and cast Glyph of Warding on the book, setting the glyph as a fire-based explosive rune. Set the trigger for when the book is picked up. The next morning when the evil wizard grabs his most prized possession….BOOM! Not only does the wizard take 5d8 damage, but the book will be destroyed in the process via the fire.

On a side note, my biggest concern with this combo was that the spellbook would not be affected by the fire, but it turns out a spellbook is a normal book filled with spells unless otherwise noted. Jeremy Crawford responded to a tweet in 2016 regarding this very question, stating that:

A normal spellbook or spellcasting focuse is not a magic item. A magic one is possible, such as a magic staff. Jeremy Crawford via Twitter, April 2nd, 2016.

Invisibility Damage: Invisibility + Spirit Guardians

I loved Spirit Guardians when I played my War Cleric. The only downside to the spell was maintaining concentration while I will swinging away with my hammer in close proximity to the bad guys. With this combo, you may not be able to swing your hammer, but you can still do 3d8 damage and help out your friends lots of other ways.

This combo requires another spellcaster to cast invisibility on you since they are both concentration spells. Cast Spirit Guardians on yourself, then have your wizard buddy cast Invisibility on you (don’t do it the reverse, since Invisibility will end when you attack or cast a spell). This combo allows you to do damage as you move unseen throughout the battlefield, assisting your comrades. You can be the one carrying all the healing potions, using your action to pour one down the throat of your friendly barbarian tank. You can get yourself into position so that that your foe is being flanked without even knowing it. There any number of possibilities of things your can do to assist your party, all the while doing 3d8 damage!

I Want to Go First: Human Variant + Guidance + Class archetype

Some people are self aware enough to know that they are the type of person that has to go first in combat. Here’s a couple of small things you can do from the get-go to put yourself in the best position possible to go first at lower levels.

First, make dexterity your highest stat at character creation. Next, take the variant human race, add your bonus to Dexterity, and take the Alert feat. Let’s say your character as a dexterity of 16 now at first level. Right out of the gate, you have a +8 to your initiative score.

Next, make friends with your party’s Cleric/Druid/Artificer and convince them to cast Guidance on you right before every battle. It doesn’t cost them a spell slot and I'm sure you can convince them that it will be worth their while. An initiative check is nothing more than a glorified dexterity check to see who gets to go first. Roll well on that d4 and you now have +12 to your initiative. All this at first level!

Once you hit the 3rd level, you have a plethora of new options to increase your initiative depending on your class. If you're a Bard, you don’t even have to wait until the 3rd level, since at the 2nd level, Jack-Of-All-Trades gives you half your proficiency bonus on all initiative checks. The Revised Ranger’s Natural Explorer ability gives you advantage of initiative checks, on top of which you can take the Gloom Stalker archetype, whereupon you can add your Wisdom modifier. A Wizard can choose War Magic as their Arcane Tradition and get to add their Intelligence modifier. A Rogue can go Swashbuckler and get to add their Charisma modifier via the Rakish Audacity feature. We are well into double-digit bonuses and have just reached the 3rd level. Not too shabby!

So there’s my lower level combos for people to try. Got any lower level combos that are fun, interesting and maybe a little OP? Please share them with us in the comments below.