5e Bioluminescence Sorcerer (Triton Divine Soul Sorcerer)

Earlier today, an acquaintance of mine linked me this picture. An image search showed her to be a character by the name of Dolphin from DC Comics who is connected to Aquaman. Judging by the image search she's been around for quite awhile. In any case, I figured I'd take the chance to create an aquatic themed character. I don't know much about the character, but it does seem that she is a mute who is capable of using bioluminescence for various purposes. It's an interesting enough concept and I can think of a good way to do it.

I hadn't had a particular character in mind to do, though I likely would have tweaked off of a deep one sort of character possibly. I do have a history of portraying the deep ones as a maligned culture. The thing is that the matter isn't really necessary here. D&D has a number of aquatic cultures, both good and evil, so for the noble aquatic types we already have a set race to use. Where as the stereotypical debased deep one type creatures also have their analogues in the game. (At least three, maybe four different creatures.

As to the bioluminescence, I know how to handle that. The character above doesn't seem particularly fighty, but I could look into a Sun Soul Monk just considering the powers displayed being natural abilities, sort of like a sorcerer but with abilities that are more associated with monks. Alternately, I could go with a Divine Soul Sorcerer, but again the character doesn't seem that heavily embossed with magical abilities. Though, that said, I could do a Celestial Warlock, but I've done a lot of Warlocks already. Light Cleric is another possible route, as is Arcane Trickster Rogue. Lack of armor might be an issue, though the image presented comes from a superhero setting, which is a genre where worn armor is rare. Looking at my list of characters so far, I have an equally small number of clerics, sorcerers, and rogues. So I think this will be a Divine Soul Sorcerer.


As to the mute thing, D&D is really bad at this sort of character type. It was originally conceived with a fully able-bodied and neurologically typical person as the default. So the sort of internal conflicts that come with a disability which are easily handled by other game systems create character concepts which are nigh unplayable in D&D. For example, I believe there's a list of about 17 spells which can be cast without using verbal components, so a truly mute character would be unable to do much in the way of casting, which would heavily hamper a lot of concepts. However, I'm going to assume that the muteness in this case does not hamper her spellcasting, that magical words have a power of their own and come from a source that isn't entirely her voice once formed in the mind. Though she would still be hampered by a silence spell as a result.

For race, there's sea elves, which I don't have much in the way of stats for. There's a sidebar in Sword Coast that has a little bit, but I don't think it's a fully fleshed out set. There's also water genasi. But I think in this case we'll have to go with a triton, that race of extraplanar insufferable do-gooders. Though what little I've seen of her character implies she's a bit more on the ball with thinking about other people's feelings than most tritons are, many of whom will get offended when a person has never even heard of their species before because these primes should just know all the good things the tritons do for them.

Anyway, we're not talking the standard triton, we're talking this character, so on we go. For background, I'm going to go with Folk Hero.

For this I am using my typical theoretical 30 pt array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10.

1st Level Triton Divine Soul Sorcerer

Str: 11

Dex: 13

Con: 12

Int: 12

Wis: 14

Cha: 16

HP: 8

AC: 11
Save DC: 13
Speed: 30 ft
Swim Speed: 30 ft

Proficiency Bonus: +2

Amphibious
Control Air and Water (Fog Cloud)
Emissary of the Sea
Guardians of the Depths

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows

Tools: Woodcrafter's Tools, Vehicles (Land)

Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Languages: Common, Primordial

Proficient Skills
Animal Handling (Folk Hero) +4
Insight (Sorcerer) +4
Persuasion (Sorcerer) +5
Survival (Folk Hero) +4

Background: Folk Hero

Spellcasting
Sorcerous Origin: Divine Soul
Divine Magic (Bless)
Favored by the Gods

Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Light, Dancing Light, Sacred Flame
1st Level Spells: Bless, Cure Wounds, Color Spray

Reasoning: I don't normally choose alignment for these characters, but I went with bless because it is very much more in tune with the idea of light-based powers than Cure Wounds. Though I still took Cure Wounds, because why not? Color Spray is also in there. As are an array of light-related cantrips.

2nd to 5th Level

2nd Level - Font of Magic, +5 HP (13)
1st Level Spell: Guiding Bolt

3rd Level - Metamagic: Subtle Spell, Distant Spell, Control Air and Water (Gust of Wind) +5 HP (18)
1st Level Spell: Healing Word

4th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2 Cha, +5 HP (23)
Cantrip: Word of Radiance
2nd Level Spell: Lesser Restoration

5th Level - Proficiency Bonus: +3, Control Air and Water (Water Wall), +5 HP (28)
3rd Level Spell: Revivify

Reasoning: I'm mostly picking things that have some relation to control of light and its accompanying associations. This includes healing so I've filled out some of the basic healing abilities here. I considered Haste, because it is just a very good 3rd level spell, but so is Revivify and Divine Souls are very much healers. I don't have anything in the way of feats in mind just yet, but that may change. Subtle Spell fulfills a lot of thematic use and Distant Spell is just extremely useful for a healer.

5th Level Statistics

5th Level Triton Divine Soul Sorcerer

Str: 11

Dex: 13

Con: 12

Int: 12

Wis: 14

Cha: 18

HP: 28
Sorcery Points: 5

AC: 11
Save DC: 15
Speed: 30 ft
Swim Speed: 30 ft

Proficiency Bonus: +3

Amphibious
Control Air and Water (Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Water Wall)
Emissary of the Sea
Guardians of the Depths

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows

Tools: Woodcrafter's Tools, Vehicles (Land)

Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Languages: Common, Primordial

Proficient Skills
Animal Handling (Folk Hero) +5
Insight (Sorcerer) +5
Persuasion (Sorcerer) +7
Survival (Folk Hero) +5

Background: Folk Hero

Spellcasting
Sorcerous Origin: Divine Soul
Divine Magic (Bless)
Favored by the Gods
Font of Magic
Metamagic: Distant Spell, Subtle Spell

Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Light, Dancing Light, Sacred Flame, Word of Radiance
1st Level Spells: Bless, Cure Wounds, Color Spray, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word
2nd Level Spells: Lesser Restoration
3rd Level Spells: Revivify

6th to 10th Level

6th Level - Empowered Healing, +5 HP (33)
3rd Level Spell: Counterspell

7th Level - +5 HP (38)
2nd Level Spell: Blindness/Deafness

8th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2 Cha, +5 HP (43)
4th Level Spell: Confusion

9th Level - Proficiency Bonus +4, +5 HP (48)
5th Level Spell: Greater Restoration

10th Level - Metamagic: Twinned Spell, +5 HP (53)
Cantrip: Shape Water
5th Level Spell: Wall of Light

Reasoning: There really wasn't much at 4th level that appealed to the idea of light control. Sickening Radiance felt more like radiance. Though I remembered that one of the image captures I saw involved her doing a bright flash of life to send people into seizures, so I added Confusion and Counterspell. Wall of Light is something I think she may have done once in one of the older issues. On the other hand, the translucent wall between her and everybody else could have been from some Atlantean technology, but either way it was that or Dawn.

10th Level Statistics

10th Level Triton Divine Soul Sorcerer

Str: 11

Dex: 13

Con: 12

Int: 12

Wis: 14

Cha: 20

HP: 53
Sorcery Points: 10

AC: 11
Save DC: 17
Speed: 30 ft
Swim Speed: 30 ft

Proficiency Bonus: +4

Amphibious
Control Air and Water (Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Water Wall)
Emissary of the Sea
Guardians of the Depths

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows

Tools: Woodcrafter's Tools, Vehicles (Land)

Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Languages: Common, Primordial

Proficient Skills
Animal Handling (Folk Hero) +6
Insight (Sorcerer) +6
Persuasion (Sorcerer) +9
Survival (Folk Hero) +6

Background: Folk Hero

Spellcasting
Sorcerous Origin: Divine Soul
Divine Magic (Bless)
Favored by the Gods
Font of Magic
Metamagic: Distant Spell, Subtle Spell, Twinned Spell

Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Light, Dancing Light, Sacred Flame, Shape Water, Word of Radiance
1st Level Spells: Bless, Cure Wounds, Color Spray, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word
2nd Level Spells: Blindness/Deafness, Lesser Restoration
3rd Level Spells: Counterspell, Revivify

4th Level Spells: Confusion
5th Level Spells: Greater Restoration, Wall of Light

11th to 15th Level

11th Level - +5 HP (58)
6th Level Spell: Sunbeam

12th Level - Ability Score Improvement: War Caster, +5 HP (63)
Replace Color Spray with Daylight

13th Level - Proficiency Bonus +5, +5 HP (68)
Replace Confusion with Dawn
7th Level Spell: Divine Word

14th Level - Otherworldly Wings (Aquatic), +5 HP (73)

15th Level - +5 HP (78)
Replace Blindness/Deafness with Heal
8th Level Spell: Sunburst

Reasoning: I replaced some of the edge case spells with more to theme spells. This includes Daylight for eliminating Darkness, something I've got to see would be really useful in the current campaign I've been playing, Darkness has been a problem. I considered Raise Dead, but figured as far as resurrection goes, she's more of a paramedic where her healing focus is on keeping people from going down. She also has some respectable attacks now with Sunburst, Sunbeam, and Dawn. Though her spell list is getting a bit top-heavy in ways.

15th Level Statistics

15th Level Triton Divine Soul Sorcerer

Str: 11

Dex: 13

Con: 12

Int: 12

Wis: 14

Cha: 20

HP: 78
Sorcery Points: 15

AC: 11
Save DC: 18
Speed: 30 ft
Swim Speed: 30 ft
Fly Speed: 30 ft

Proficiency Bonus: +5

Amphibious
Control Air and Water (Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Water Wall)
Emissary of the Sea
Guardians of the Depths

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows

Tools: Woodcrafter's Tools, Vehicles (Land)

Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Languages: Common, Primordial

Proficient Skills
Animal Handling (Folk Hero) +7
Insight (Sorcerer) +7
Persuasion (Sorcerer) +10
Survival (Folk Hero) +7

Background: Folk Hero

Feat: War Caster

Spellcasting
Sorcerous Origin: Divine Soul
Divine Magic (Bless)
Favored by the Gods
Font of Magic
Metamagic: Distant Spell, Subtle Spell, Twinned Spell
Otherworldly Wings

Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Light, Dancing Light, Sacred Flame, Shape Water, Word of Radiance
1st Level Spells: Bless, Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word
2nd Level Spells: Lesser Restoration
3rd Level Spells: Counterspell, Daylight, Revivify

5th Level Spells: Dawn, Greater Restoration, Wall of Light

6th Level Spells: Sunbeam
7th Level Spells: Divine Word, Heal
8th Level Spells: Sunburst

16th to 20th Level

16th Level - Ability Score Improvement +2 Wis, +5 HP (83)
Replace Sunbeam with Mass Healing Word

17th Level - Proficiency Bonus +6, Metamagic: Careful Spell, +5 HP (88)
Replace Sunburst with Mass Cure Wounds
9th Level Spell: Mass Heal

18th Level - Unearthly Recovery, +5 HP (93)

19th Level - Ability Score Improvement: +2Wis, +5 HP (98)

20th Level - Sorcerous Restoration, +5 HP (103)

Reasoning: Wasn't much left in the way of choice. I could have grabbed a few more Feats, but I decided to up to boost her Wisdom up quite a lot instead. I considered Time Stop and Wish for her 9th Level spell, but given her very much heal oriented build, I decided to go with that instead. Also, to be fair, Sunbeam, Sunburst, and Dawn are far more offense than her build would actually need, so I decided to work in Mass Healing Word and Mass Cure Wounds instead, leaving Dawn in place.

20th Level Statistics

15th Level Triton Divine Soul Sorcerer

Str: 11

Dex: 13

Con: 12

Int: 12

Wis: 14

Cha: 20

HP: 78
Sorcery Points: 15

AC: 11
Save DC: 18
Speed: 30 ft
Swim Speed: 30 ft
Fly Speed: 30 ft

Proficiency Bonus: +5

Amphibious
Control Air and Water (Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Water Wall)
Emissary of the Sea
Guardians of the Depths

Armor Proficiencies: None

Weapons: Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows

Tools: Woodcrafter's Tools, Vehicles (Land)

Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Languages: Common, Primordial

Proficient Skills
Animal Handling (Folk Hero) +7
Insight (Sorcerer) +7
Persuasion (Sorcerer) +10
Survival (Folk Hero) +7

Background: Folk Hero

Feat: War Caster

Spellcasting
Sorcerous Origin: Divine Soul
Divine Magic (Bless)
Favored by the Gods
Font of Magic
Metamagic: Distant Spell, Subtle Spell, Twinned Spell
Otherworldly Wings

Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Light, Dancing Light, Sacred Flame, Shape Water, Word of Radiance
1st Level Spells: Bless, Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word
2nd Level Spells: Lesser Restoration
3rd Level Spells: Counterspell, Daylight, Mass Healing Word, Revivify

5th Level Spells: Dawn, Greater Restoration, Mass Cure Wounds, Wall of Light

7th Level Spells: Divine Word, Heal
9th Level Spells: Mass Heal

Some 5e Builds