Low Level Builds - Are you a Jedi or Sith

Will you follow the light or succumb to the dark side? I’ve looked at several Jedi builds for the 5th edition, and while this follows a similar path to some, I decided to put a twist on it. Not everyone wants to be a Jedi. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any Sith Lords.

Path of the Force

Race: Half-Elf
Class: Fighter/Paladin
Stats: Str. 14, Dex. 13, Con. 14, Int. 12, Wis. 12, Cha. 14 (Point Buy)
Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Religion
Background: Acolyte
Equipment: Chain mail, longsword, shortsword, light crossbow (20 bolts), explorer’s backpack

1st level: Let's review the basics. Half-elf provides us with the broadest spectrum of stat bonuses, starting with +2 to Charisma, and then we take an additional +1 to both Constitution and Strength. Our overall stats are relatively balanced, which flies in the face of many builds you'll see these days. We'll need this spread for our eventual build, so if it seems strange, don't worry, it will make sense in a little bit. There's a decent spread of proficiencies, with Athletics, Acrobatics, and Perception being the most important. Our equipment includes chainmail, two rapiers, and an explorer's pack. Go with shortswords if you don't have enough gold for two rapiers. Chainmail provides an AC 16. I was a bit torn about this armor issue since most Jedi wear little more than a tunic, but we don't want them to die in the first encounter, do we? 

Being a half-elf provides us with 60 feet of darkvision and advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep via the Fey Ancestry trait. As a fighter, we get the Second Wind ability, allowing us to stay in the fight longer than others. We have a decision to make regarding our Fighting Style. I went with Two-Weapon Fighting as I always thought fighting with two lightsabers looked more incredible than the Jedi that just fought with one. Defense, Dueling, and Great Weapon Fighting are all viable options, so choose what fits best for your style of play.

As it is most of the time, the Acolyte background was a color pick. We can debate all day long whether the depiction of the Force is done in a way to portray it as a religion. There is a spirituality factor between the Force and Jedi, which is the closest background were are going to get.

2nd level: We break from the norm and take our first level in paladin. This is the component that will allow us to decide whether to follow the light or the dark. It might take us a beat or two to get to that point, but it's not like you wake up one day and decide to be evil.

The paladin's two abilities at 1st level are Divine Sense and Lay on Hands. Divine sense fits the flavor of what we are creating. You can detect good and evil using an action, which isn't a bad thing. Spending an action to use it shouldn't cost you an action during combat, as it's something you'll most likely use before the fighting begins. Knowing the location of any celestial, fiend, undead within 60 ft. is neat but limited as if they are behind full cover, you can't sense them. At that range, you can probably see them anyways. I've gone over this ability before, but now instead of being boring, you get to look cool as shit when you say, "I feel a disturbance in the Force." Or maybe that's just me. Lay on Hands is 5 free hit points. If I've said it before, I'll say it a million times; free hit points are your friend.

3rd Level: We jump back to fighter, taking our second level in this class. Not much to see here, other than more Hit Points to keep you alive and the Action Surge ability. An additional action in your turn (once per short rest) is beneficial or, at the very least, will allow you to deal the killing blow if you just must describe the monster's bloody end.

4th Level: We can finally use the Force as we choose the Psi Warrior as our Martial Archetype. I honestly believe that is archetype is based on the Jedi, possibly even as a way to promote the return of psionic powers. I understand why psionics was banished since the 1st edition psionics was a clusterfuck of epic portions. I am glad to see they have made a comeback in a limited fashion, and I think they have a place in the game. Hell, if we can have a gun, why not brain-melting abilities.

In the same vein as the Monk's Ki, you receive a limited number of psionic energy dice. You'll only start off with four of them and gain more as you level up, equal to twice your proficiency bonus. You regain all of them on a long rest, but you can use a bonus action to recover one expended Psionic Energy die, so that's nice. You can do this little trick once per short or long rest.

So what are these Jedi powers now available to you? These can all be found in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (2020).

Protective Field. When you or another creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to expend one Psionic Energy die, roll the die, and reduce the damage taken by the number rolled plus your Intelligence modifier (minimum reduction of 1), as you create a momentary shield of telekinetic force.

Not exactly as cool as blocking a blaster shot with your lightsaber, err I mean, blocking an arrow with your sword, but it will do. I originally thought of going monk instead of fighter because they don’t need armor and deflecting missiles is closer to the whole blaster shot lightsaber thing. In the end, psi-warrior won out, especially since the powers you acquire at the 7th level are totally Jedi powers.

Psionic Strike. You can propel your weapons with psionic force. Once on each of your turns, immediately after you hit a target within 30 feet of you with an attack and deal damage to it with a weapon, you can expend one Psionic Energy die, rolling it and dealing force damage to the target equal to the number rolled plus your Intelligence modifier.

Hurling swords at the bad guy are just like twirling lightsabers propelled by the force.

Telekinetic Movement. You can move an object or a creature with your mind. As an action, you target one loose object that is Large or smaller or one willing creature, other than yourself. If you can see the target and it is within 30 feet of you, you can move it up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Alternatively, if it is a Tiny object, you can move it to or from your hand. Either way, you can move the target horizontally, vertically, or both. Once you take this action, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend a Psionic Energy die to take it again.

Moving stuff is neat. You can send a potion of healing to a bloodied friend or set off a trap from a safe distance. Use your imagination, and there's a whole lot you can do here. Pushing a colleague behind a boulder to provide coverage can be the difference between life and death for many wizards. On the flip side, you can also move the rogue to the front line if they've decided to abscond with your gold. 

All of the powers listed should also explain why we put a couple of points into Intelligence. Are those two points worth the +1 damage? Maybe, maybe not, but Intelligence is so chronically the dump stat outside of wizards and artificers that it felt good to throw two points into it.

Level 5: In the following two levels, we will be leveling up the paladin side of our character and now have access to our Fighting Style and Divine Smite features. It's time to take the Defense style since we already have our offensive-minded style from before. Feel free to take whatever Fighting Style your heart desires, as any can be used at this point as long as you take into account what side of the force you are going to land on next level. 

Divine Smite is always my favorite. It may cost a spell slot, but paladin spell slots are for smiting as far as I'm concerned. I say this with every paladin build I create. My favorite thing about Divine Smite is it doesn't require an action. Free action to deliver more damage is genuinely unbelievable.

You do need to pick spells, so cure wounds is a no-brainer. People are always getting stabbed, sliced, or blown up by a fireball. I took wrathful smite for my second spell because it deals psychic damage. Thunderous smite deals more damage, but brain-piercing damage fits the flavor of the character better. 

6th level: It's decision time. Will you follow the light or walk into the darkness. We will take our 3rd level in paladin and decide on one of two oaths, becoming a Jedi Master or a Sith Lord.

Option 1 - Jedi Master, Oath of Devotion

This Oath adheres to the ideals of justice, virtue, and order. Yep, sure sounds like what the Jedi are, or at least started off as…but we aren't going to go down that rabbit hole. Let's just say that if the world was black and white, you're supposed to be the good guy. 

You get your Oath spells, and the two you get immediately are protection from good and evil and sanctuary. Since this is a low-level build, we won't bother going beyond this.

Your two Channel Divinity options are Sacred Weapon and Turn the Unholy. Use your imagination and envision Sacred Weapon turning your rapier into a lightsaber, if just for a moment. Use an action, and your weapon becomes magical and shines a bright light in a 20-foot radius. A glowing sword is nice, but adding your Charisma modifier to your attack rolls is better. You have to be holding the weapon to maintain the effect, so no using your Psychic Strike, or you lose your new shiny magical weapon, even if only for 1 minute.

Turn the Unholy isn't going to scare away a Sith Lord, but censuring fiends and undead isn't anything to shake a stick at. Fiend and undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw or are turned. It's similar to being frightened as a turned creature has to run away from you as fast and as far as possible, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. That means it can only use the Dash action or escape from any effect, not allowing it to move. Breaking a grapple, digging yourself out of a hole, or chewing your own leg off are all on the table. Barring any of those options, with will only use the Dodge action, bobbing and weaving until it can run away. It also can't take reactions.

Option 2 - Sith Lord, Oathbreaker

Those Jedi that falls victim to the Dark Side become a Sith, and those paladins that break the tenets of their Oath are known as Oathbreakers. At least once a campaign, the party will ask, "Are we the bad guys?" Yes, yes, you are.

Your oath spells are hellish rebuke and inflict wounds. A Sith is not the nicest person, so it's not surprising that their spells cause damage. 

Your two Channel Divinity options are Control Undead and Dreadful Aspect. Remember how the good guys make the undead bad guys run away? Well, the Oathbreaker gets to use them as their minions. You can target only one undead creature, and if they fail their Wisdom saving throw, the undead creature is under your control for 1 day. If the undead creature has a CR equal to or greater than your level, it is immune to this effect, so no controlling a lich, but a demi-lich is in the cards if you live to 18th level.

Dreadful Aspect essentially has our Oathbreaker scaring the crap out of everyone around him. Channeling their darkest emotions, or one might say the dark side of the force, the Oathbreaker radiates a frightening aura. If you are within 30 feet of them when they use this ability and fail your save, you're frightened for 1 minute. When you get 30 feet away from them, you can attempt another Wisdom saving throw to end the effect, so let's hope your dice are rolling well.

So there we have it, the Jedi, or if you're feeling evil, the Sith build for the 5th edition. As always, please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.

Art Credit - michelefrigo