5e - "Luck Mage/Fortune Teller" - Wizard/Bard Multi-class, A creative PC character

I really like the way reddit user mothprophet has set up their class ideas, so I am going to do a general layout like his.

The "Luck Mage/Fortune Teller" is not a spec for those interested in min/maxing damage. It's more of a fun utility spec that can really shift the tide of battle. So far, I've been having a lot of fun with this build, despite its lack of punch. It's niche, but fills in nicely to a group, because it can really serve as an enabler for other players. It also makes for some strong RP, and can serve as a powerful face to the party.

This build comes online as early as level 6, using Wizard 2/Bard 4 (with a less powerful version at Wizard 2/Bard 1), and from there its really up to the player on how far up each they decided to go. There is plenty of overlap between spells, but the idea of this build isn't necessarily built around raw damage or utility, as much as it is influence rolls.

The idea is to run Divination Wizard for Portent and College of Lore for Bardic Inspiration/Cutting Words, alongside Variant Human to max out on as many abilities you can that help change the outcomes of dice rolls. A bit meta, but work in a backstory with selling your soul to Lady Tymora, and you've got a nice little interesting hero.

Our race is Variant Human to allow for the use of a feat at lvl 1. Using Point-Buy, stats should end up looking similar to this.

• (8) STR = -1 STR Mod
• (13) DEX = +1 DEX Mod
• (12) CON = +1 CON Mod
• (15+1) INT = +3 INT Mod
• (8) WIS = -1 WIS Mod
• (15+1) CHA = +3 CHA Mod

Variant Human Feat At level 1 we will take either the feat Lucky or the feat Magic-Initiate with a focus on Cleric.

Lucky

• Allows you the ability of 3 re-rolls per long rest on attack rolls made against you, attack rolls you make, saving throws you make, or ability score checks. This directly falls in line with our notion of a Luck Mage, as for some reason our hero just seems to always narrowly avoid what would otherwise be a bad situation.

Magic-Initiate - Cleric

*Despite using Wisdom for a casting modifer, we aren't actually taking anything that can be resisted, instead focusing on thematics and utility.

*We take the following Cantrips:

• Guidance to increase the luck of others, via touch (can be cast through Familiar)
• Thamauturgy to add to our social flare alongside cantrips such as minor illusion or prestidigitation
• For our spell, we take Level 1 Bless - usable once per Long Rest, but again, allows for our Hero to be a bit of a lucky object when he's around the others, his luck rubbing off on their attack/saving throws

Do note that whatever feat you take, you'll be taking the other feat once you get to Bard 4

Skill Variant Humans also get one skill. You can grab any skill, but I usually grab Insight for this build.

 

For your background, you can either use the "Entertainer" background, or create your own background via the PHB.

Entertainer gives us:

• Acrobatics and Performance
• Proficiency with Disguise Kit and One Musical Instrument
• An Actual Musical Instrument (In case you went Wizard for your first 2 levels for some reason).
• By Popular Demand - For those interested in roleplaying, since your character is a Luck Mage, with a bit of divining, you can flavor your entertainment to be anything from your standard sing and song, to using prestidigitation/thaumaturgy and your high insight/perception to "speak with the dead" like a medium, or read palms/tarot cards and predict the future

Custom Background gives us:

• 2 Skills - any two, so this is useful for filling up gaps between Bard and Wizard -- I usually go with Deception and Sleight of Hand off of a fortune teller/medium style theme
• 2 Tools or Languages - I recommend gaming sets: Dice, and Cards - my character tends to be a gambler and with proficiency and the amount of augmenting we can do on rolls, you can ensure you'll win an important hand (with Portent).
• Background Feature - I usually take By Popular Demand regardless, but you can grab any that you feel better fits your idea of a "Luck Mage"

 

Taking Wizard for 1st Level results in getting the following:

Two Skills from the following: Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Religion. (Bold are my picks)

Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws

1d6 Hit Dice, but you shouldn't be on the front-line, so its fine

No Armor, but you can take mage armor, and again you aren't on the front line (You'll also have portent, cutting words, and lucky)

A quarterstaff or dagger, Arcane Focus (I normally go dagger weapon, staff focus), and a Spellbook.

Three Cantrips:

• Prestidigitation - great for social
• Minor Illusion - great for social or creative combat use
• Fire Bolt - a source of ranged damage, not the best, but I like it

6 Level 1 Spells - For these I try to take a mix of utility and rituals, as rituals don't expend a spell slots. I took the following:

• Find Familiar - The only really mandatory spell, give allies advantage with the HELP action, once again playing into the idea that you're some sort of lucky charm - can also be used to give guidance via touch. The use of OWL is recommended due to Flyby not granting opportunity attacks.

• Mage Armor

• Shield

• Comprehend Languages

• Alarm

• Magic Missile - I bold this because it does not rely on a save, and can be used at higher multi-class spell slots when you do not have appropriate level spells (Casting at a lvl 3 slot, when you only have lvl 2 spells prepared).

Please note if you took level 1 feat Magic-Initiate Cleric, you will also have:

• Thaumaturgy
• Guidance
• Bless - once per long rest

 

Wizard Level 2

Level 2 for your wizard goes right into the Arcane Tradition of Divination. This grants you the ability of Portent which is another staple to our "Luck Mage/Fortune Teller" build.

Portent allows you to roll 2d20 after completing a Long Rest. You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see with one of these foretelling rolls. You must choose to do so before the roll, and you can replace a roll in this way only once per turn.

Each foretelling roll can be used only once. When you finish a long rest, you lose any unused foretelling rolls.

This is exceptionally strong for our character's chosen purpose of being a "Luck Mage/Fortune Teller" as you can decide the pass or fail of dire situations. The uses of Portent are many, some examples being:

• Use High Portent Roll to secure Ally attacks hit when they absolutely need to
• Use High Portent Roll to ensure yourself or an ally passes a saving throw that is incredibly important
• Use Low Portent Roll to make a monster miss saving on a powerful charm spell
• Use Low Portent Roll to make a monster miss on its attacks
• Creative Use Enter a casino, and bet all your money on a double or nothing, and use portent to guarantee the outcome of your gambling endeavor
• Creative Use Really need to deceive/persuade/intimidate that NPC that is giving you a tough time? Portent your way to success by either lowering his roll, or boosting yours!

The best part about portent, is that it can always be flavored that your "Luck Mage/Fortune Teller" can actually see the future at times! This really helps to confuse people about just how exactly strong this character is.

 

Bard Levels

Multi-classing into Bard gets us a few nifty things. At Level 1 we intially get the following just for multi-class:

Light Armor - your AC is still garbage, but hey, at least you can wear stuff now - you still shouldn't be on the front lines though, so not a big concern

One Skill of Your Choice - This is strong, another skill really helping you settle into the role of being lucky. I usually end up taking Performance. By the time I get to this, my character's skills already look like:

• Arcana - Wizard
• Investigation -Wizard
• Insight - Human Variant
• Deception - Custom BG
• Sleight of Hand - Custom BG
• Performance - Bard Multi-class

One musical Instrument of Your Choice - Tambourine! No, but seriously, go with whatever you want here --- its mostly flavor.

Level 1

Bard's first level gives you a very strong ability in the form of bardic inspiration. With your CHA modifer at a +3, you get 3 bardic inspiration (1d6) that you can use to inspire others. These can be used on attack rolls, saving throws, or ability checks. And once again, these can be flavored either as your mage simply having its luck rub off on them, or perhaps your foresaw that your ally would succeed at something (play up the mysticism - "I sense...a moment of danger! And in that moment, you will prove to make the right decision!" )

You also gain access to:

Two Cantrips from the bard spell list - use these to fill any gaps you're already missing from Wizard/Cleric, I chose...

• Vicious Mockery - Imposing disadvantage on the next attack is pretty solid, especially when you flavor it up as "I foresee you'll trip on your next attack!"
• Light - Because why not? Mending, Message, Friends, Dancing Lights are all good, do what you want here.

Four 1st-Level Spells - Keep in mind that these spells use CHA for your casting stat, but your INT and CHA use the same modifiers here. The spells I took were...

• Bane - This just fits alongside your 1 time use bless, and again, you're lucky, your luck rubs off on your allies - the -1d4 to enemy attacks/saving throws just continues to fill that flavor
• Silent Image - Bigger Minor Illusion, and can play into the deceptive fortune-teller/medium aspect of your character!
• Hideous Laughter - Putting on so many shows with By Popular Demand has given your character a knack for a bit of comedy in his routine. He is a crowd favorite after all.
• Speak with Animals - Because why not? I like the flavor of this...especially during investigation aspects of campaigns. Who knows what the Horse of your enemy knows about the evil plans?!

Level 2

Jack of All Trades is just icing on the cake, as it adds your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus. So now, you can be good on things you didn't even account for? It's that luckiness, after all.

Song of Rest is a neat little addon, because it can use soothing music or Oration to help revitalize your wounded allies. Perhaps you are having a future vision, in which you see the party becoming victorious in their quest, your eyes glazed over from Thaumaturgy, voice altered into a loud soothing monotone as your words revitalize your allies!

Level 3

College of Lore adds the final ability to your roster of "Luck Mage" altering effects, with Cutting Words. In addition, you also gain proficiency with three skills of your choice - go nuts!

Cutting Words allows you to now be able to expend one use your reaction, and expend one of your bardic inspirations to subtract the number rolled from any Attack Roll, ability check, or damage roll of a creature that you can see within 60 feet. What's that? You had a vision of that creature stumbling on its next attack? You foresaw the attack and call out to your ally just in time to have them block it? Flavor this however you want, but its perfect for our "Luck Mage/Fortune Teller" motif.

Also at level 3, you get Expertise which allows you to choose two of your current skill proficiences and double the bonus for their checks. Become even more of a skill monkey, and the ultimate party face.

Level 4

Here is where you take your second feat - Lucky or Magic-Initiate - Cleric.

 

Gameplay

There is a lot of information above, so I'll do some bullet points on just how this class is meant to be played..

• 1. Use any of the following: Bardic Inspiration, Portent, Cutting Words, Lucky, Guidance, Bane, or Bless to influence the rolls made during your game and come out on top in combat and social situations.
• 2. Have your familiar use touch spells like Guidance to bring your luckiness to others, have it use help action on your attacks. It's an Owl with Flyby so it can bounce around pretty easily and out of harms way.
• 3. In combat, when you need to dish out damage, don't be afraid to utilize Magic Missile at higher spell slots. It cannot miss, so you only run the risk of it being counterspelled (or an enemy rocking Shield as a reaction). This is solid damage for an otherwise, utility based character.
• 4. Stock up on utility spells, and work as a controller during combat. Use your utility during non-combat to help win social situations.
• 5. Really play up the mysticism and use By Popular Demand to grant your friends free room and meals at local taverns. Creative types have a chance to really flourish and embellish the RP here with your "fortune telling".
• 6. Be the party face! Everyone likes you, because you're a skill monkey. Your luck gives you an edge on most things, so don't be afraid to go for broke!

 

This guide is not meant as an end-all-be-all for how to play this type of character. I am certain some of you will note that taking Bard first can grant more skills earlier on, with higher armor class and access to more weapons. This is just how I initially came across the idea of "Luck Mage/Fortune Teller". I hope you enjoy, and go out to make your own "Luck Mage" to bring good fortune to adventuring parties and more!

  EDIT:

I made some edits here based on some of the comments for interesting ideas.

• Take 1 level of Cleric rather than magic-initiate Cleric - This allows you to run a race other than variant Human, but Lucky doesn't come online until player lvl 6. Still, opens up a variety of other ideas to toss in.

• Take Magic Initiate - Druid, OR take 1 level of Druid - This gives you access to: Druidcraft, Guidance, and a spell of your choice to flavor. Since guidance was what we were really after from Cleric, Druidcraft is a nice addition (as pointed out by TimReineke) because now you can foresee the weather! Even the world around you gets luckier.

• Don't take Magic Initiate at all, and use Magical Secrets from College of Lore to grab Bless/Guidance

• Run a Halfling who has their own Lucky racial feat, on top of Lucky. This saves you from having to expend Lucky when you roll your own nat 1s.