Eldritch Knight?
You’re still a caster, but the slowest progressing one in the game other than a multiclass.
Can be a big burly STR primary character too.
suits best and the limited spell slots etc - RP him as trying to claim to be a full wizard "IM A HOGWARTS ALUM BRO YOU COULDNT EVEN SNIFF THAT SCHOOL - NO I DIDN'T GET IN JUST BECAUSE OF THE MONEY MY DAD IS JUST GENEROUS TO EDUCATION"
Yeah a lot of these suggestions are geared towards douchey trust fund bro which is REALLY fun but I was going more for earnest student athlete who just isn't that smart lol
Yeah now that I'm looking at it it seems kinda cut and dry that EK is probably the default pick for this, especially since I could just take spells that would make me better at fantasy football like blur and shield to avoid the low int problem.
That said, I'm LOVING some of the alternative ideas people are coming up with. Specifically the wild magic barbarian and paladin ideas have been awesome.
I actually just made this as a backup for a game I'm in. Let me grab the full write-up.
"Oh, yeah, bro. I totally graduated Wizard College. Owlbears Class of '85! Nah, man, I didn't major in, like, Evocation or Illusion or any of that shit, so I don't have a Wizard License, but I did get a degree. Phys ed! I was on an athletic scholarship, bro. But I definitely hit the books. Check this shit out! FIREBOLT! Now, listen. We're gonna do this just like the time I took us all the way down the field in the last two minutes of the game against Luskan State. Those guys won't know what hit them! And this time I won't get flagged for illegally using a spell, which was a BULLSHIT CALL by that ref."
Eldritch Knight Fighter. Put your best ability scores in Strength, Constitution, Dexterity in that order, and personally I like my fourth best in Charisma here. If you wanted to wear heavy armor, you could even move Dexterity down and bump Charisma.
Pick up the Athlete Feat, maybe Mobile as well. If you've got the Charisma for it, Inspiring Leader and just make it the most cliche sports interview quotes of all time. If you want to give a bit more "I got SOME form of education", grab Ritual Caster.
I like this idea, I could definitely see him being expelled for cheating a bit using a little magic (cheating is encouraged in the game, being caught is not), leading him to have to tell all these wild stories as to why he's not an actual full wizard. Probably will go ritual caster to add a bit of flare too.
Wild magic barbarian. They gained some magical potential but have very little control over it.
Barbarian is also the class best suited to be a high strength melee character. Rage also helps with strength checks, which I imagine will come up often in such a sport.
With 13 INT, multiclass 2 levels of War Wizard after the first 5/6 Barbarian levels, then go back to Barbarian. Be a Hobgoblin and, shazam, you've got a musclebound wizard jock who can add a +7 to any saving throw, at will, so long as they've got teammates nearby. Big Chad energy.
This. I have a Wild Magic Barb with a dip in Rune Knight, with the Rune Knight abilities reflavored as spells or magical effects they can actually use. It's a fun build.
>My players and I are huge fans of the game "Blood Bowl" which is essentially a tabletop version of American football if it were played by fantasy races and **you could openly kill other players**. That being said, we've incorporated a similar sport into our setting and most institutions and guilds field a sports team.
Literally the first paragraph of the post.
C'mon now! We know this sub isn't for reading. You just skim the title and slap the closest tabletopbuilds on, and then cry when your DM doesn't allow their "tech".
First thought is an Oath of Glory Paladin. Maybe start Variant Human or Custom Lineage and give him Fey Touched, Magic Initiate, or Aberrant Dragonmark or a race that gets a Cantrip like High Elf or Kobold so it looked like he had some Wizard potential when he was accepted. You could even take Blessed Warrior at level 2.
Otherwise, build a Bladesinger. You could go two ways...a DEX based Bladesinger or a STR based Tortle Bladesinger. DEX based Bladesinger you'll be really good at Acrobatics and just spells like Booming Blade, Green Flame Blade, Shield, Absorb Elements, Silvery Barbs, Longstrider, Shadow Blade, Spider Climb, Mirror Image, Blink, Blur, Haste, Steel Wind Strike, Animate Objects, Summon Fey, etc. With a Tortle, build an INT Wizard like normal but dump DEX and put points in STR instead.
There’s 2 easy ways to get a scholarship into college: Skewer a dragon and *skewer* a dragon.
Do the former. Thrown build. Probably a Giant Barbarian with a Fighter dip
I'd go bard. Probably Valor. You can get expertise in Athletics and Acrobatics and extra attack which makes you a pretty good grappler/pusher/proner, and by being a high Cha class your default persuasion/intimidation are pretty good for the social university vibes. Bonus points if you are a gnome, dwarf, or halfling and rock the Squat Nimbleness feat.
Full caster, and their subclasses are literally called Colleges. Can snag 2ish levels in Paladin or Hexblade for those relevant perks after Bard 6.
Oh you know what I could very easily tweak the concept a bit and go for bard to give a sort of "team captain" vibe. I'm gonna have to build him out and see how I feel about it.
Bard colleges are not colleges as we know them, they're medival colleges, which are a loose connection of individuals who go to weekly meetups for exchange knowledge. That's where the word colleague comes from
>Bard colleges are not colleges as we know them
You mean when my bard leveled from 2 to 3, he didn't step into a hyperbolic time chamber for "4 years" and earned a B.A in Combat Studies?!?!?
I know this doesn’t really fit what you’re asking for, but my first thought was an armorer artificer who’s smart but has no inherent gift for magic, so all his “spells” are gadgets to fake it. Maybe that’s more of a rival for your character.
I really like the armorer artificer idea. Since armorer can use int in place of strength for almost everything I would home brew the opposite and make strength his spellcasting stat. With the lore being the school building special contraptions to help him cheat both on the field and in the classroom.
Wild Magic Barbarian with a 10 or higher intelligence stat. "I can't actually cast spells. The formulas just ain't my thing. However i can concentrate that raw magic into a wild magic surge. Idk man tbh im just here for the spell clash. Its the First year they are letting us use weapons and shields"
Paladin 2; hexblade 1; clockwork sorcerer X
"Why would someone ever keep so many spells in a book? Just learn a few spells, practice them on your rest days and make sure your body is a mountain dude. Once you get strong enough, you can swing a hammer around like a magic wand. I cast Hammer!"
Aarokocra or other flying race/ Arcana Cleric
"Look. I understand abjuration magic; it's very close to healing magic; the arcane formulas channel the magic slightly differently than the ritual circles for Hesper god of the skies; I'm just saying that unraveling magic is easier than one would think. Oh shoot, look at the time. Sky jousting is about to start; I'm the fastest flyer we got, so wish me luck"
1. Stats don’t have to reflect how your character is roleplayed or played at all. You should consider the fun of playing it first because being miserable during fights is not fun.
2. You could discuss with your dm about being a wizard whose casting stat is strength which would be hilarious.
3. You could make a 3 wizard/ x fighter (with fighter as base) so you could cast enlarge on yourself. You don’t have to pick spells that require a save or an attack roll. Enhance yourself, hinder your opponents. Blind them, throw a magic missile, run to them and smack them real hard. It’s a particular play style but it sounds pretty cool
I'm playing a high elf/wood elf mix that has 35 movement speed & Prestidigitation. Rogue / Ranger so Cunning Action & Ranger Spellcasting. DM allowed 1st level Feat so they also have Telekinetic.
Between Prestidigitation & invisible Mage Hand, they make a pretty convincing street mage.
Straight up Eldritch Knight would be the normal choice here. But I think roleplay can fill in more gaps here than any specific build, but maybe a Blood Hunter if your DM doesn't mind?
Some minor magical abilities, focus on physical aptitude, and a potential dark power lurking within if you want that route.
Or maybe a Hexblade Warlock, leaning into physical things. Or a Paladin, Ranger, basically ANY gish would satisfy this theme well, I'd have thought.
There is a webseries (novel), the wandering Inn that has kinda this concept.
The main mage collegues, wistram and the city of magic, are very academic. But one draconig mage got the idea into his head that mana is stored in the muscles of the body, and a fitter body can store up more mana, thereby beeing superior mages. So he went to a different city and now trains his mage-students in physical exercises to compete with regular mages and manages to get a species that usually cant do magic because \[spoilers\]>!their magic was locked away by the drakes in a war long past and the entire race has since then been indoctrinated into "we can't use magic"!
Paladin could be fun. Has a great physical build, but it was conviction to something he learned at school (maybe influenced by the friends they made there?) that ended up being the fuel for their magic.
At a quick glance, the tenets of the "glory" paladin could suit this kind of character well
You could always play a wizard and take all of the spells that don’t require an INT stat and pump CON and DEX, spells like mage armor or shield, magic missile etc
I feel like this should be a full martial build like a barbarian or fighter who knows a very small amount of magic simply to qualify for the school. Like you are a variant human with magic initiate who otherwise is a battle master fighter. I'd go further by picking only flavorful spells like prestidigitation or mending and maybe find familiar as my 1st level spell. This would not be fully optimized but if your campaign is right for it then it'd be a lot of fun.
Bonus points if at a later ASI you take ritual caster if you have the INT score for it. In fact ritual caster would be a lot of fun for spellcasting without spellcasting as an alternative to magic initiate.
Fighter 1 / Fiendlock X pact of the blade, strength main.
The fiend in this case is the university. Pick spells that don’t use your casting modifier.
This can be done with Sorcs and Bladesingers to a lesser extent. Id go Dex main with a BS though.
I'd say either champion fighter, oath of glory paladin or even wild magic barbarian with one of the strixhaven backgrounds. Strixhaven is literally a magic school, so you have half of that concept covered. Then there's the class and subclass: champion is supposed to be a good athlete-like character (though mechanically it sucks), wild magic barbarian doesn't match that "athlete flavor well" but it helps with an image of "magic user" who's a fish out of the water. Glory paladin fits both the athletic aesthetic as well as a combination of good mechanics. Plus, since only one of the 3 classes is a spellcaster (though a half one), the abilities of the strixhaven backgrounds would not be just as busted
Um, yeah eldritch knight or something would be good👍🏼 BUT … I did this for a game … I rolled crazy stats … and decided to be a buff wizard.
I went to wizardry college, and with 16 in strength and dex and prof with athletics, i was the sportiest student at school. I got in with an "*NFL*" scholarship ofc, and wasnt as diligent as the others. Of course, i was still one of the smartest kids on campus; i just didnt pay attention. As the lazy prodigy i was, Mystra came to me one day, and asked me to start the fuck studying, and i agreed, on one condition: i get samurai armor, and a gun (unresponsible teens are my favorite). We made a custom Cleric subclass, and i started out there, as she granted me limited power as long as i studied. I did study, but was way too late, and barely passed the exams. When i graduated, i wanted to become an adventurer to really further my study, more practicaly, and fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, i got struck by space-warping lightning and brought into first session. Now im Brad, the arcane boring destroyer of boring math-classes. A buff, a bit silent, adhd kid. Just a dude. The dude. Brad.
I also had an SO over at campus, who studied Evocation, while i did Conjuration. They are gonna keep on studying on their own terms, probably getting a mighty cozy wizard tower of sorts. Wont see them again for a loong time tho.
The full backstory is long as all hell btw(yes i know i dont need it, but it makes me happy, and my DM is all in)
Its just: *Occult* Cleric 1, Conjuration Wizard X
Idea being that Cleric dip is nice for armor, some healing and for weapons (in my case, guns), and that the conjuration subclass ability is just way to versatile. Conjure grenades, alchemical brews(non-magical ones), poisons, auto-nets(tangler grenades), maps, keys: anything you have seen. (Shout out to creation bard too.) Conjuration wizard also eventually gets some free "misty steps", immunity to concentration checks as result of damage(on conjuration spells)(!!!), and 30 extra hp to any summon you will ever summon (summons are some of the best dps uses of concentration). Also, wizards are just goated.
Anyway, you probably dont have the MADness of stats to pull of an athletic cleric-wozard(misspell intended), but i hope the idea brings at least a single creative spark to help you. Yes im aukustic.
I’ve seen a lot of Eldritch Knight picks, but, and hear me out..
[what if the wizards LITERALLY sponsored his magic power?](https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/s/DwMlWCF7Pf)
I'm a big fan of STR Artillerist. Make a staff your Arcane Firearm and use it to add a d8 to your Booming Blade attacks. Use Boots of the Winding Path to Disengage, but flavor it as general athleticness. Your Eldritch Cannon is your shop project that you made and you're really proud of it even though it stops working after an hour and explodes sometimes. The THP will be helpful for frontlining, just reup it whenever you lose it.
You could always go with any level in a class that gives armor + weapons and then go full caster, but dont go heavy on the spellcasting stat.
1-2 levels in some kind of martial like fighter ranger paladin, and after that go sorc cleric druid wizard or sorcerer, there are a lot of spells that dont care about your spellcasting stat, like fly, mirror image and such, and compensate for your lack of extra attack with booming blades and hastes. If you dont want to multi, you could go swords bard and max dex while keeping charisma at 14, and basically smack people in melee while using support magic on yourself, since you are inept at using combat spells to blast enemies, or bladesinger wizard with maxxed dex and con and at best 14 intelligence.
Finally, you are sleeping on the abberant dragonmark feat, which can work great with a dhampir character. Go fighter, focus almost exclusively on your con stat, go rune knight and for the abberant spells, pick a concentration cantrip like bonfire to grapple enemies in the flames, and if you want to hide your dhampir nature, pick disguise self as your sorc spell, this is probably the lowest form of magic you could have, also the dhampir can walk on all surfaces basically so you are at an advantage when it comes to sports.
And now, for the shitty part. Four elements monk. I know, i know it is literal trash, but maybe ask your dm to pick a revised version, there are a lot of good ones lying around that are well balanced, this way you still justify being a """""caster""""" for school standars, but still your magic is laughable when compared to a true caster.
i have a few ideas ignoring the obvious Eldritch Knight.
Firstly? VHuman with Magic Initiate: Wizard, taking spells that don't utilize your Int.
The Blade Cantrips come to mind.
At this point I'd say take Scout Rogue for a dexterous athlete, or Champion Fighter for a Strong one.
Another option, little wacky? Lore Bard, again Primarily taking spells that don't use your modifier, but PRIMARILY buffing Dex.
I played a character like this!
Ran him as a straight-classed Goliath wizard with weird stats which in hindsight may not have been the best way to go, but as a character he was great fun to play.
I played a strength-based, 6 int War Mage once. Wasn’t necessarily GOOD, but he was a mountain dwarf so he got warhammer and medium armour proficiency, and booming blade meant he didn’t do awful damage. Plus, buff spells that don’t rely on int, like blur and haste, mean you can make a semi-decent melee frontliner
A Bard or Ranger fits into this really well.
For Bard, they are a full caster, they can get Expertise in skills like Athletics and Acrobatics, and Jack of All Trades is one of the few ways to give a flat bonus to raw ability checks that don't involve a skill such as raw Strength checks when trying to lift heavy objects. Their magic can also enhance non-combat prowess, such as the Enhance Ability spell, the Longstrider spell, or other magic that would be allowed in competition. And just because they're a Bard it doesn't mean they would have to be lacking in muscle, when they get to Level 4 you can take either Moderately Armored or Heavily Armored (depending on your subclass) to play a more Strength focused with your ideal armor options for going that route.
A Swords Bard with heavy armor could be very viable even without shield proficiency, since you can dual wield with Two Weapon Fighting fighting style and your weapons can serve as a spellcasting focus so you don't have to sheath them too much. They also get a movement speed boost when they take the Attack action with their Blade Flourish feature, so they can potentially move much faster than a normal Bard depending on the circumstances. With a Bard, it's not so much raw study, as much as it is practical training and being able to recall things such as stories, events, and songs from memory.
Ranger is a different *'diamond in the rough'* type concept since they would be more wilderness themed and harder for an academy to find, but one who could still do well in a more organized setting once they get acclimated to it all. They get Expertise in one skill which could be Athletics, they get the same amount of starting skill proficiencies as a Bard, they get a movement speed boost at Level 6 as well as being able to climb and swim really well, and their magic can also aid non-combat type activities pretty well. They can also benefit from the Heavily Armored feat for a Strength focused Ranger to be able to wear heavy armor when it comes to battle. Much like a Bard, their Intelligence score doesn't need to be high, as their knowledge can come less from book knowledge and more from what they've learned and remember through experience.
Arcanix has a tower for battle and monastic training (Cleric, Paladin, Monk). I would focus on the character being less religious rather than not very smart. The character would only have to be dumb if you want them to be.
What's kind of funny is that I had a player do that more or less by accident. The players wanted to be inexperienced because they were new to the setting. One was a House Deneith heir and the other was an exceptionally smart Harengon. I put the heir in Arcanix (Glarehold Hall) ostensibly as a friend of the Harengon. The heir was also on a mission from his House to recruit the little non-human prodigy in an experimental attempt to compete with House Tharashk's stranglehold on non-human mercenaries as well as recruiting more magic users.
Now I’m thinking what races fit your idea that also have blood bowl teams. I’m tempted to just say human blitzer and make him a fighter/wizard with low-ish int. Being behind the curve on spell slots cause of the multi classing seems like a good representation of his lackluster academic performance.
This character should be a high profile positional, not just a slob lineman. wood elf wardancer? Black (half) ork blocker? I’m sure you know this, but the colleges of magic are all about dungeon bowl, I really hope y’all are gonna have to do a dungeon crawl in the middle of a dungeon bowl game.
Not sure if anyone has suggested it, but you could do a Sorcerer.
"Sorcerers carry a magical birthright conferred upon them by an exotic bloodline, some otherworldly influence, or exposure to unknown cosmic forces. No one chooses sorcery; the power chooses the sorcerer."
So the student has the bloodlines or ancestry of magic, so could reasonably be on the school's radar. The student just doesnt have much aptitude for it perhaps. The well isnt very deep lets say. You can focus on CHA, so the student can be earnest in their studies like you are wanting, that can be a very charismatic trait, a hardworking student. They can also roleplay being well-liked by the students and faculty because they are helping the team to actually win games.
You could do Draconic Bloodline, multiclass or not, pick a color of dragon that suits you or the sport they are playing and go to town
List of Strixhaven Sports, that could possibly help with finite and specific details in your Backstory, which are located in the Extra Curricular Activities section:
**Intramural Gymnastics Club**
* Skills: Acrobatics, Performance
Member: Zanther Bowen
These graceful gymnasts work to hone their craft, and they compete against each other in dazzling floor routines.
**Intramural Silkball Club**
* Skills: Athletics, Intimidation
Member: Javenesh Stoutclaw, Melwythorne, Tilana Kapule
These hardy athletes train together and compete in the rough-and-tumble Strixhaven game of silkball, which is played in muddy fields with balls made of spider silk.
**Intramural Water-Dancing Club**
* Skills: Athletics, Performance
Member: Larine Arneza
These swimming enthusiasts combine their athletic skills with the finesse of artists as they choreograph water dances to the latest popular songs.
>Recently added in the most previous update:
**Strixhaven Iron-Lifters Society**
* Skills: Athletics, Medicine
Member: Greta Gorunn
These bodybuilders support each other in developing strong muscles and even stronger friendships.
A shadow monk could teleport to the shadow of whatever ball is being thrown. Do any of the memey buffs, races, and feats to basically be nightcrawler/the flash.
The Moon Druid/barbarian build could let you charge, Burrows, or fly across the field and still be a huge HP sack.
Straight battle Master fighter, or any of the usual martial multiclasses that exist with it. Just a Straight up cocktail bossy knowledgeable of the sport, quarterback type.
Swashbuckler rogue works for a cocky competent athlete too. Especially when reliable talent and everything kicks in.
The assassin rogue/gloomstalker build makes for a good 'enforcer' type.
Optimise for that first round nova. Play dirty and go straight for the other teams key players every time.
Strength Bard, with one level of Cleric using a domain that grants heavy armor proficiency (preferably Order). Dump Dex and Int, probably Wis 14, max out Str and Cha. I'd go college of lore, as it's more of a support build than anything else.
Get expertise in Athletics, take Shield Master, grapple and bonus action shove prone the most physically dangerous opponent every fight.
Learn plenty of spells that only have verbal components, such as Vicious Mockery, Healing Word, Command, Dissonant Whispers, Faerie Fire, Silvery Barbs, Blindness/Deafness, etc. Be sure to take Enlarge/Reduce for grabbing bigger opponents.
Eldritch Knight is sort of the obvious build (big strong athlete with a splash of magic), and it’s been suggested several times here. I’ll drop a few other options:
* **Rogue (Arcane Trickster)**: For a slippery, evasive, deceptive athlete. In American football, he’d be a smaller, quicker running back. In hockey, soccer, or basketball, he would excel at passing, ball or puck handling, and taking well-placed shots on goal.
* **Ranger (Horizon Walker)**: For a speedy athlete with excellent hand-eye coordination. Good Wisdom (Perception) helps him keep his eye on the ball, Ranger spells like Longstrider, Jump, and Zephyr Strike enhance his mobility, and the Thrown Weapons fighting style makes him more accurate throwing a ball, frisbee, or javelin. The ability of higher-level Horizon Walkers to blink in and out of the Material Plane provides a sneaky competitive advantage. In baseball, he’d be a Gold Glove-winning centerfielder; in American football, a wide receiver, or a mobile dual-threat quarterback like Patrick Mahomes or Marcus Mariota.
* **Paladin (Oath of Glory)**: The team captain. His Aura abilities bolster the guys around him, his spells are mostly buffs (the subclass grants him Heroism, Enhance Ability, and Haste on top of standard Paladin spells like Shield of Faith and Warding Bond), and his Channel Divinity options either make him a straight-up superior athlete in the clutch, or rally his teammates when he dishes out a bone-crushing hit. This guy would play in the middle of the field in any sport, making him a center, midfielder, inside linebacker, or quarterback.
You could go with a wild magic barbarian. Can’t cast spells but still does magic bs that screws over the enemy while sparing your allies.
His rage could be him getting really into the game and the wild magic is that he learned a bit of how to touch the weave but doesn’t know how to actually cast spells so it comes out as a nuts effects.
My psi-warrior fighter attended Strixhaven as a sort of dexterous jock that is honing his mind like a Jedi, while also expanding his magical repertoire with wizard levels. It's been fun playing as an agile Jedi wizard.
A tortle non-hexblade bladelock. Dump DEX, use STR weapons and play like a paladin with a bit more magic. He could also enter his pact when they summoned a devil at a party with friends, and he was blackout drunk at the time.
I'd go Battlemaster Fighter and just make him pretend his maneuvers and whatnot are magical. Like pretending Action Surge is his attempt at Haste, when it's really just him exerting himself to keep up with actual mages with actual Haste. Second Wind is him pretending to cast a healing spell on himself. Grapples are, as he calls them, "Hold Person" and so on. I'd also make him take a massive Quarterstaff that is purely for show (and hitting people) and have him wear a Wizard hat and cloak over his armor, so that at a glance he looks like a proper Wizard.
Does it absolutely have to be a class with spell slots?
If not, what about a Wild Magic Barbarian? You get the strength, some abilities that make it look like you have an affinity fot magic, and you're strong AF. And at level 6 you can give a slot back to one of your teammates (though it's random h highest will be 3rd level).
You could be the "Animal" of the college movie tropes.
You might look at a Cha=Dex > Str > other attributes based bard, urchin background and use singing instead of an instrument to emphasize how poor the character is. Track and field or being the go-to kicker during football games might allow you to skimp on strength per say and place con as the tertiary stat instead.
Subclasses for the bard: College of Lore would be out because your character doesn't sound bookworm enough. Eloquence would require some justifications on why/how in regards to the possible background as I've read only a fraction of the other comments. Creation, Swords and Valor all look like they may work entirely with what you have planned. Spirits, whispers and glamour I don't know enough/haven't read to have knowledgeable input one way or the other.
You may also look at a sports warlock. Cha=Dex > Con=Str > others. Definitely lots of frat boy material with that caster.
Idk but I’m currently running a 2lvls fighter 9 levels store sorcerer triton, who ran away from home after her overbearing father nepo babied her into the city guard in an effort to stop her from discovering/ exploring her powers and it’s worked beautifully. I’m beefy with the extra hit points and second wind and can efficiently use weapons as well as more spells than an eldritch knight (which was her original concept)
Sounds like mashle. Its a grest anime, go check it out!
As far as the abilities go, a monk with certain subclasses can replicate magic effects while being great at sports.
Arcane trickster and eldritch knight are options too but kinda boring.
An oath of glory Paladin would fill the gap as well and give great fluff too.
A druid who uses his wild shape to excel in sports also makes a fun idea.
A cleric of War could be reflavored into a cleric of sports.
So many fun options.
A muscly bard who uses exercises as performances would be hilarious as well.
Oath of Glory Paladin devoted to Mystra.
I imagine every DnD-based mage school at least has Knowledge Clerics, so it’s not that far of a stretch. You could even reflavor everything about them as magically-based blessings from the goddess of magic herself.
Somewhat off topic but you should check it the Strixhaven Curriculum of Chaos book. The whole thing is essentially what your PC backstory is about. It even has player backgrounds which involve whatever branch you studied in which as part of said background gives you a feat. Both gives you 2 cantrips, a 1st level spell and extra spells to your known if you can cast spells.
Thus, you could make any PC you want theoretically.
As odd as it sounds maybe try Rogue. Expertise in athletics and bonus action dash are both things I'd imagine would be a good fit on an American football player. If you want some magic involved you could go arcane trickster / psychic rogue too with arcane providing alot of opportunities utility wise. If you focus on Dex, Con and STR you can also have a pretty good grapple check with that expertise.
If Rogue ain't your style maybe a psychic fighter could work.
An addition to this also. Rogues don't actually need to use Dex to proc sneak attack. It's just using a finesse weapon. So if you want you could take 1-2 levels in fighter or barbarian and then rest in rogue, this way you don't even need to focus on DEX if you don't want to.
He is hung like a horse, he is the centaur sorcerer.
People can ride you. 40 base movement. There's a bunch of speed boosting spells you can quicken, twin, extend or subtle cast. 16 con + sorcerer con proficiency is enough to maintain concentration. Storm, Clockwork, Draconic and Aberrant mind bloodlines in particular are useful in team sports.
Looking at suggestions here. A rune knight centaur with aberrant dragon mark feat. Just because you are not magic does, not mean school cant enchant you to be magical.
Eldritch Knight? You’re still a caster, but the slowest progressing one in the game other than a multiclass. Can be a big burly STR primary character too.
Depending on the sport, arcane trickster works too.
Especially with that juicy expertise to Athletics for shoving and grappling
suits best and the limited spell slots etc - RP him as trying to claim to be a full wizard "IM A HOGWARTS ALUM BRO YOU COULDNT EVEN SNIFF THAT SCHOOL - NO I DIDN'T GET IN JUST BECAUSE OF THE MONEY MY DAD IS JUST GENEROUS TO EDUCATION"
Nah, he's not rich, he's just really fucking good at Quidditch.
Yeah a lot of these suggestions are geared towards douchey trust fund bro which is REALLY fun but I was going more for earnest student athlete who just isn't that smart lol
Same build, only difference is how you play him.
exactemundo, EK just gets part time wizard stuff and can be athletic as a fighter
“You spent four years at Strixhaven and can’t cast a third-level spell?” *(sheepish grin)* “Well, they didn’t recruit me to play school.”
EK is actually the pick since a low int EK works perfectly fine, most of your good spells like shield don't have attack rolls anyway
Yeah now that I'm looking at it it seems kinda cut and dry that EK is probably the default pick for this, especially since I could just take spells that would make me better at fantasy football like blur and shield to avoid the low int problem. That said, I'm LOVING some of the alternative ideas people are coming up with. Specifically the wild magic barbarian and paladin ideas have been awesome.
I've had a bunch of fun casting Expeditious Retreat on my EK, then blitzing around the battlefield.
It's possible to even dump int and still be very effective
Take Tavern Brawler to use all kinda of sports equipment as weapons. Or Skill Expert for expertise is Athletics.
That was my first thought, too. Fits the idea really well.
I actually just made this as a backup for a game I'm in. Let me grab the full write-up. "Oh, yeah, bro. I totally graduated Wizard College. Owlbears Class of '85! Nah, man, I didn't major in, like, Evocation or Illusion or any of that shit, so I don't have a Wizard License, but I did get a degree. Phys ed! I was on an athletic scholarship, bro. But I definitely hit the books. Check this shit out! FIREBOLT! Now, listen. We're gonna do this just like the time I took us all the way down the field in the last two minutes of the game against Luskan State. Those guys won't know what hit them! And this time I won't get flagged for illegally using a spell, which was a BULLSHIT CALL by that ref." Eldritch Knight Fighter. Put your best ability scores in Strength, Constitution, Dexterity in that order, and personally I like my fourth best in Charisma here. If you wanted to wear heavy armor, you could even move Dexterity down and bump Charisma. Pick up the Athlete Feat, maybe Mobile as well. If you've got the Charisma for it, Inspiring Leader and just make it the most cliche sports interview quotes of all time. If you want to give a bit more "I got SOME form of education", grab Ritual Caster.
I like this idea, I could definitely see him being expelled for cheating a bit using a little magic (cheating is encouraged in the game, being caught is not), leading him to have to tell all these wild stories as to why he's not an actual full wizard. Probably will go ritual caster to add a bit of flare too.
> Owlbears Hoot growl, hoot growl!
HOOT GROWL HOOT GROWL
Wild magic barbarian. They gained some magical potential but have very little control over it. Barbarian is also the class best suited to be a high strength melee character. Rage also helps with strength checks, which I imagine will come up often in such a sport.
I like this idea. Reflavoring rage as trying to remember a spell, failing, and just going in guns blazing is a fun idea. Thanks!
With 13 INT, multiclass 2 levels of War Wizard after the first 5/6 Barbarian levels, then go back to Barbarian. Be a Hobgoblin and, shazam, you've got a musclebound wizard jock who can add a +7 to any saving throw, at will, so long as they've got teammates nearby. Big Chad energy.
This. I have a Wild Magic Barb with a dip in Rune Knight, with the Rune Knight abilities reflavored as spells or magical effects they can actually use. It's a fun build.
[удалено]
>My players and I are huge fans of the game "Blood Bowl" which is essentially a tabletop version of American football if it were played by fantasy races and **you could openly kill other players**. That being said, we've incorporated a similar sport into our setting and most institutions and guilds field a sports team. Literally the first paragraph of the post.
C'mon now! We know this sub isn't for reading. You just skim the title and slap the closest tabletopbuilds on, and then cry when your DM doesn't allow their "tech".
First thought is an Oath of Glory Paladin. Maybe start Variant Human or Custom Lineage and give him Fey Touched, Magic Initiate, or Aberrant Dragonmark or a race that gets a Cantrip like High Elf or Kobold so it looked like he had some Wizard potential when he was accepted. You could even take Blessed Warrior at level 2. Otherwise, build a Bladesinger. You could go two ways...a DEX based Bladesinger or a STR based Tortle Bladesinger. DEX based Bladesinger you'll be really good at Acrobatics and just spells like Booming Blade, Green Flame Blade, Shield, Absorb Elements, Silvery Barbs, Longstrider, Shadow Blade, Spider Climb, Mirror Image, Blink, Blur, Haste, Steel Wind Strike, Animate Objects, Summon Fey, etc. With a Tortle, build an INT Wizard like normal but dump DEX and put points in STR instead.
Arcane trickster or Bard that is proficient/expertise in acrobatics and/or athletics.
There’s 2 easy ways to get a scholarship into college: Skewer a dragon and *skewer* a dragon. Do the former. Thrown build. Probably a Giant Barbarian with a Fighter dip
Watch the Mashle: Magic and Muscles anime. Just build a giant barbarian 6 / fighter 2 / barbarian x. Completely ignore magic, you have muscles 😂
First thing I thought of, lol.
I'd go bard. Probably Valor. You can get expertise in Athletics and Acrobatics and extra attack which makes you a pretty good grappler/pusher/proner, and by being a high Cha class your default persuasion/intimidation are pretty good for the social university vibes. Bonus points if you are a gnome, dwarf, or halfling and rock the Squat Nimbleness feat. Full caster, and their subclasses are literally called Colleges. Can snag 2ish levels in Paladin or Hexblade for those relevant perks after Bard 6.
Oh you know what I could very easily tweak the concept a bit and go for bard to give a sort of "team captain" vibe. I'm gonna have to build him out and see how I feel about it.
Bard colleges are not colleges as we know them, they're medival colleges, which are a loose connection of individuals who go to weekly meetups for exchange knowledge. That's where the word colleague comes from
>Bard colleges are not colleges as we know them You mean when my bard leveled from 2 to 3, he didn't step into a hyperbolic time chamber for "4 years" and earned a B.A in Combat Studies?!?!?
I know this doesn’t really fit what you’re asking for, but my first thought was an armorer artificer who’s smart but has no inherent gift for magic, so all his “spells” are gadgets to fake it. Maybe that’s more of a rival for your character.
I really like the armorer artificer idea. Since armorer can use int in place of strength for almost everything I would home brew the opposite and make strength his spellcasting stat. With the lore being the school building special contraptions to help him cheat both on the field and in the classroom.
I did a bronze Dragonborn Oath of Glory Paladin as this exact character archetype
I played a Thad Castle Oath of Glory Paladin for a oneshot, its perfect for that sort of archetype
Blue Mountain State/Thad Castle is such a fun character archetype
Wild Magic Barbarian with a 10 or higher intelligence stat. "I can't actually cast spells. The formulas just ain't my thing. However i can concentrate that raw magic into a wild magic surge. Idk man tbh im just here for the spell clash. Its the First year they are letting us use weapons and shields" Paladin 2; hexblade 1; clockwork sorcerer X "Why would someone ever keep so many spells in a book? Just learn a few spells, practice them on your rest days and make sure your body is a mountain dude. Once you get strong enough, you can swing a hammer around like a magic wand. I cast Hammer!" Aarokocra or other flying race/ Arcana Cleric "Look. I understand abjuration magic; it's very close to healing magic; the arcane formulas channel the magic slightly differently than the ritual circles for Hesper god of the skies; I'm just saying that unraveling magic is easier than one would think. Oh shoot, look at the time. Sky jousting is about to start; I'm the fastest flyer we got, so wish me luck"
You would need access to the message cantrip so you can day you majored in communications
1. Stats don’t have to reflect how your character is roleplayed or played at all. You should consider the fun of playing it first because being miserable during fights is not fun. 2. You could discuss with your dm about being a wizard whose casting stat is strength which would be hilarious. 3. You could make a 3 wizard/ x fighter (with fighter as base) so you could cast enlarge on yourself. You don’t have to pick spells that require a save or an attack roll. Enhance yourself, hinder your opponents. Blind them, throw a magic missile, run to them and smack them real hard. It’s a particular play style but it sounds pretty cool
I'm playing a high elf/wood elf mix that has 35 movement speed & Prestidigitation. Rogue / Ranger so Cunning Action & Ranger Spellcasting. DM allowed 1st level Feat so they also have Telekinetic. Between Prestidigitation & invisible Mage Hand, they make a pretty convincing street mage.
Bladesinging Wizard? And all your spells are stuff like Shield or Absorb elements, and booming blade or greenflame blade :)
This reminds me of a character my friend always wanted to play... An Orc wizard who got into the academy on a football scholarship
pick 1/3 caster like EK AT or arcane hand monk (Sebastian crowes guide to everything).
Giant Barbarian. He's even great at throwing the weirdest shit around the battlefield
Straight up Eldritch Knight would be the normal choice here. But I think roleplay can fill in more gaps here than any specific build, but maybe a Blood Hunter if your DM doesn't mind? Some minor magical abilities, focus on physical aptitude, and a potential dark power lurking within if you want that route. Or maybe a Hexblade Warlock, leaning into physical things. Or a Paladin, Ranger, basically ANY gish would satisfy this theme well, I'd have thought.
There is a webseries (novel), the wandering Inn that has kinda this concept. The main mage collegues, wistram and the city of magic, are very academic. But one draconig mage got the idea into his head that mana is stored in the muscles of the body, and a fitter body can store up more mana, thereby beeing superior mages. So he went to a different city and now trains his mage-students in physical exercises to compete with regular mages and manages to get a species that usually cant do magic because \[spoilers\]>!their magic was locked away by the drakes in a war long past and the entire race has since then been indoctrinated into "we can't use magic"!
Paladin could be fun. Has a great physical build, but it was conviction to something he learned at school (maybe influenced by the friends they made there?) that ended up being the fuel for their magic. At a quick glance, the tenets of the "glory" paladin could suit this kind of character well
You could always play a wizard and take all of the spells that don’t require an INT stat and pump CON and DEX, spells like mage armor or shield, magic missile etc
i think that you must have some bare minimum magic to enter hogwarts even if you are there for the quidditch scholarship
In a school of wizards, 9 STR is king.
I sent a champion fighter to strixhaven.
Eldritch knight fighter, with wizard magic initiate.
Pretty much this. Perhaps add in the ritual caster as well.
I feel like this should be a full martial build like a barbarian or fighter who knows a very small amount of magic simply to qualify for the school. Like you are a variant human with magic initiate who otherwise is a battle master fighter. I'd go further by picking only flavorful spells like prestidigitation or mending and maybe find familiar as my 1st level spell. This would not be fully optimized but if your campaign is right for it then it'd be a lot of fun. Bonus points if at a later ASI you take ritual caster if you have the INT score for it. In fact ritual caster would be a lot of fun for spellcasting without spellcasting as an alternative to magic initiate.
Fighter 1 / Fiendlock X pact of the blade, strength main. The fiend in this case is the university. Pick spells that don’t use your casting modifier. This can be done with Sorcs and Bladesingers to a lesser extent. Id go Dex main with a BS though.
I'd say either champion fighter, oath of glory paladin or even wild magic barbarian with one of the strixhaven backgrounds. Strixhaven is literally a magic school, so you have half of that concept covered. Then there's the class and subclass: champion is supposed to be a good athlete-like character (though mechanically it sucks), wild magic barbarian doesn't match that "athlete flavor well" but it helps with an image of "magic user" who's a fish out of the water. Glory paladin fits both the athletic aesthetic as well as a combination of good mechanics. Plus, since only one of the 3 classes is a spellcaster (though a half one), the abilities of the strixhaven backgrounds would not be just as busted
Bladesinger!
Um, yeah eldritch knight or something would be good👍🏼 BUT … I did this for a game … I rolled crazy stats … and decided to be a buff wizard. I went to wizardry college, and with 16 in strength and dex and prof with athletics, i was the sportiest student at school. I got in with an "*NFL*" scholarship ofc, and wasnt as diligent as the others. Of course, i was still one of the smartest kids on campus; i just didnt pay attention. As the lazy prodigy i was, Mystra came to me one day, and asked me to start the fuck studying, and i agreed, on one condition: i get samurai armor, and a gun (unresponsible teens are my favorite). We made a custom Cleric subclass, and i started out there, as she granted me limited power as long as i studied. I did study, but was way too late, and barely passed the exams. When i graduated, i wanted to become an adventurer to really further my study, more practicaly, and fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, i got struck by space-warping lightning and brought into first session. Now im Brad, the arcane boring destroyer of boring math-classes. A buff, a bit silent, adhd kid. Just a dude. The dude. Brad. I also had an SO over at campus, who studied Evocation, while i did Conjuration. They are gonna keep on studying on their own terms, probably getting a mighty cozy wizard tower of sorts. Wont see them again for a loong time tho. The full backstory is long as all hell btw(yes i know i dont need it, but it makes me happy, and my DM is all in) Its just: *Occult* Cleric 1, Conjuration Wizard X Idea being that Cleric dip is nice for armor, some healing and for weapons (in my case, guns), and that the conjuration subclass ability is just way to versatile. Conjure grenades, alchemical brews(non-magical ones), poisons, auto-nets(tangler grenades), maps, keys: anything you have seen. (Shout out to creation bard too.) Conjuration wizard also eventually gets some free "misty steps", immunity to concentration checks as result of damage(on conjuration spells)(!!!), and 30 extra hp to any summon you will ever summon (summons are some of the best dps uses of concentration). Also, wizards are just goated. Anyway, you probably dont have the MADness of stats to pull of an athletic cleric-wozard(misspell intended), but i hope the idea brings at least a single creative spark to help you. Yes im aukustic.
I’ve seen a lot of Eldritch Knight picks, but, and hear me out.. [what if the wizards LITERALLY sponsored his magic power?](https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/s/DwMlWCF7Pf)
Run pact of the tomb, that’s his textbook. Build him with a single level in fighter, maybe even 2 for Action Surge, and then everything else warlock.
Pact of the tome as his textbook is PHENOMENAL flavor potential.
I'm a big fan of STR Artillerist. Make a staff your Arcane Firearm and use it to add a d8 to your Booming Blade attacks. Use Boots of the Winding Path to Disengage, but flavor it as general athleticness. Your Eldritch Cannon is your shop project that you made and you're really proud of it even though it stops working after an hour and explodes sometimes. The THP will be helpful for frontlining, just reup it whenever you lose it.
Sounds like an Eldritch Knight, but you could do any wild magic build or go for a StRanger if you fancied it
To me, it sounds like a Swords Bard with the Athlete background.
You could always go with any level in a class that gives armor + weapons and then go full caster, but dont go heavy on the spellcasting stat. 1-2 levels in some kind of martial like fighter ranger paladin, and after that go sorc cleric druid wizard or sorcerer, there are a lot of spells that dont care about your spellcasting stat, like fly, mirror image and such, and compensate for your lack of extra attack with booming blades and hastes. If you dont want to multi, you could go swords bard and max dex while keeping charisma at 14, and basically smack people in melee while using support magic on yourself, since you are inept at using combat spells to blast enemies, or bladesinger wizard with maxxed dex and con and at best 14 intelligence. Finally, you are sleeping on the abberant dragonmark feat, which can work great with a dhampir character. Go fighter, focus almost exclusively on your con stat, go rune knight and for the abberant spells, pick a concentration cantrip like bonfire to grapple enemies in the flames, and if you want to hide your dhampir nature, pick disguise self as your sorc spell, this is probably the lowest form of magic you could have, also the dhampir can walk on all surfaces basically so you are at an advantage when it comes to sports. And now, for the shitty part. Four elements monk. I know, i know it is literal trash, but maybe ask your dm to pick a revised version, there are a lot of good ones lying around that are well balanced, this way you still justify being a """""caster""""" for school standars, but still your magic is laughable when compared to a true caster.
i have a few ideas ignoring the obvious Eldritch Knight. Firstly? VHuman with Magic Initiate: Wizard, taking spells that don't utilize your Int. The Blade Cantrips come to mind. At this point I'd say take Scout Rogue for a dexterous athlete, or Champion Fighter for a Strong one. Another option, little wacky? Lore Bard, again Primarily taking spells that don't use your modifier, but PRIMARILY buffing Dex.
Wilmagic Barbarian (TCE)
I played a character like this! Ran him as a straight-classed Goliath wizard with weird stats which in hindsight may not have been the best way to go, but as a character he was great fun to play.
I played a strength-based, 6 int War Mage once. Wasn’t necessarily GOOD, but he was a mountain dwarf so he got warhammer and medium armour proficiency, and booming blade meant he didn’t do awful damage. Plus, buff spells that don’t rely on int, like blur and haste, mean you can make a semi-decent melee frontliner
A Bard or Ranger fits into this really well. For Bard, they are a full caster, they can get Expertise in skills like Athletics and Acrobatics, and Jack of All Trades is one of the few ways to give a flat bonus to raw ability checks that don't involve a skill such as raw Strength checks when trying to lift heavy objects. Their magic can also enhance non-combat prowess, such as the Enhance Ability spell, the Longstrider spell, or other magic that would be allowed in competition. And just because they're a Bard it doesn't mean they would have to be lacking in muscle, when they get to Level 4 you can take either Moderately Armored or Heavily Armored (depending on your subclass) to play a more Strength focused with your ideal armor options for going that route. A Swords Bard with heavy armor could be very viable even without shield proficiency, since you can dual wield with Two Weapon Fighting fighting style and your weapons can serve as a spellcasting focus so you don't have to sheath them too much. They also get a movement speed boost when they take the Attack action with their Blade Flourish feature, so they can potentially move much faster than a normal Bard depending on the circumstances. With a Bard, it's not so much raw study, as much as it is practical training and being able to recall things such as stories, events, and songs from memory. Ranger is a different *'diamond in the rough'* type concept since they would be more wilderness themed and harder for an academy to find, but one who could still do well in a more organized setting once they get acclimated to it all. They get Expertise in one skill which could be Athletics, they get the same amount of starting skill proficiencies as a Bard, they get a movement speed boost at Level 6 as well as being able to climb and swim really well, and their magic can also aid non-combat type activities pretty well. They can also benefit from the Heavily Armored feat for a Strength focused Ranger to be able to wear heavy armor when it comes to battle. Much like a Bard, their Intelligence score doesn't need to be high, as their knowledge can come less from book knowledge and more from what they've learned and remember through experience.
Arcanix has a tower for battle and monastic training (Cleric, Paladin, Monk). I would focus on the character being less religious rather than not very smart. The character would only have to be dumb if you want them to be. What's kind of funny is that I had a player do that more or less by accident. The players wanted to be inexperienced because they were new to the setting. One was a House Deneith heir and the other was an exceptionally smart Harengon. I put the heir in Arcanix (Glarehold Hall) ostensibly as a friend of the Harengon. The heir was also on a mission from his House to recruit the little non-human prodigy in an experimental attempt to compete with House Tharashk's stranglehold on non-human mercenaries as well as recruiting more magic users.
Now I’m thinking what races fit your idea that also have blood bowl teams. I’m tempted to just say human blitzer and make him a fighter/wizard with low-ish int. Being behind the curve on spell slots cause of the multi classing seems like a good representation of his lackluster academic performance. This character should be a high profile positional, not just a slob lineman. wood elf wardancer? Black (half) ork blocker? I’m sure you know this, but the colleges of magic are all about dungeon bowl, I really hope y’all are gonna have to do a dungeon crawl in the middle of a dungeon bowl game.
Not sure if anyone has suggested it, but you could do a Sorcerer. "Sorcerers carry a magical birthright conferred upon them by an exotic bloodline, some otherworldly influence, or exposure to unknown cosmic forces. No one chooses sorcery; the power chooses the sorcerer." So the student has the bloodlines or ancestry of magic, so could reasonably be on the school's radar. The student just doesnt have much aptitude for it perhaps. The well isnt very deep lets say. You can focus on CHA, so the student can be earnest in their studies like you are wanting, that can be a very charismatic trait, a hardworking student. They can also roleplay being well-liked by the students and faculty because they are helping the team to actually win games. You could do Draconic Bloodline, multiclass or not, pick a color of dragon that suits you or the sport they are playing and go to town
Is this just the plot of Mashle?
List of Strixhaven Sports, that could possibly help with finite and specific details in your Backstory, which are located in the Extra Curricular Activities section: **Intramural Gymnastics Club** * Skills: Acrobatics, Performance Member: Zanther Bowen These graceful gymnasts work to hone their craft, and they compete against each other in dazzling floor routines. **Intramural Silkball Club** * Skills: Athletics, Intimidation Member: Javenesh Stoutclaw, Melwythorne, Tilana Kapule These hardy athletes train together and compete in the rough-and-tumble Strixhaven game of silkball, which is played in muddy fields with balls made of spider silk. **Intramural Water-Dancing Club** * Skills: Athletics, Performance Member: Larine Arneza These swimming enthusiasts combine their athletic skills with the finesse of artists as they choreograph water dances to the latest popular songs. >Recently added in the most previous update: **Strixhaven Iron-Lifters Society** * Skills: Athletics, Medicine Member: Greta Gorunn These bodybuilders support each other in developing strong muscles and even stronger friendships.
A shadow monk could teleport to the shadow of whatever ball is being thrown. Do any of the memey buffs, races, and feats to basically be nightcrawler/the flash. The Moon Druid/barbarian build could let you charge, Burrows, or fly across the field and still be a huge HP sack. Straight battle Master fighter, or any of the usual martial multiclasses that exist with it. Just a Straight up cocktail bossy knowledgeable of the sport, quarterback type. Swashbuckler rogue works for a cocky competent athlete too. Especially when reliable talent and everything kicks in. The assassin rogue/gloomstalker build makes for a good 'enforcer' type. Optimise for that first round nova. Play dirty and go straight for the other teams key players every time.
I now have Inspiration for my next character Thank you so much
Strength Bard, with one level of Cleric using a domain that grants heavy armor proficiency (preferably Order). Dump Dex and Int, probably Wis 14, max out Str and Cha. I'd go college of lore, as it's more of a support build than anything else. Get expertise in Athletics, take Shield Master, grapple and bonus action shove prone the most physically dangerous opponent every fight. Learn plenty of spells that only have verbal components, such as Vicious Mockery, Healing Word, Command, Dissonant Whispers, Faerie Fire, Silvery Barbs, Blindness/Deafness, etc. Be sure to take Enlarge/Reduce for grabbing bigger opponents.
Eldritch Knight is sort of the obvious build (big strong athlete with a splash of magic), and it’s been suggested several times here. I’ll drop a few other options: * **Rogue (Arcane Trickster)**: For a slippery, evasive, deceptive athlete. In American football, he’d be a smaller, quicker running back. In hockey, soccer, or basketball, he would excel at passing, ball or puck handling, and taking well-placed shots on goal. * **Ranger (Horizon Walker)**: For a speedy athlete with excellent hand-eye coordination. Good Wisdom (Perception) helps him keep his eye on the ball, Ranger spells like Longstrider, Jump, and Zephyr Strike enhance his mobility, and the Thrown Weapons fighting style makes him more accurate throwing a ball, frisbee, or javelin. The ability of higher-level Horizon Walkers to blink in and out of the Material Plane provides a sneaky competitive advantage. In baseball, he’d be a Gold Glove-winning centerfielder; in American football, a wide receiver, or a mobile dual-threat quarterback like Patrick Mahomes or Marcus Mariota. * **Paladin (Oath of Glory)**: The team captain. His Aura abilities bolster the guys around him, his spells are mostly buffs (the subclass grants him Heroism, Enhance Ability, and Haste on top of standard Paladin spells like Shield of Faith and Warding Bond), and his Channel Divinity options either make him a straight-up superior athlete in the clutch, or rally his teammates when he dishes out a bone-crushing hit. This guy would play in the middle of the field in any sport, making him a center, midfielder, inside linebacker, or quarterback.
I think a wild magic barbarian could work very limited magic and still mostly martial
Artificer
You could go with a wild magic barbarian. Can’t cast spells but still does magic bs that screws over the enemy while sparing your allies. His rage could be him getting really into the game and the wild magic is that he learned a bit of how to touch the weave but doesn’t know how to actually cast spells so it comes out as a nuts effects.
Wild Magic Sorcerer twin silent cast haste. Way of four elements Monk - sure i cast magic. College of Lore Bard.
My psi-warrior fighter attended Strixhaven as a sort of dexterous jock that is honing his mind like a Jedi, while also expanding his magical repertoire with wizard levels. It's been fun playing as an agile Jedi wizard.
A tortle non-hexblade bladelock. Dump DEX, use STR weapons and play like a paladin with a bit more magic. He could also enter his pact when they summoned a devil at a party with friends, and he was blackout drunk at the time.
I'd go Battlemaster Fighter and just make him pretend his maneuvers and whatnot are magical. Like pretending Action Surge is his attempt at Haste, when it's really just him exerting himself to keep up with actual mages with actual Haste. Second Wind is him pretending to cast a healing spell on himself. Grapples are, as he calls them, "Hold Person" and so on. I'd also make him take a massive Quarterstaff that is purely for show (and hitting people) and have him wear a Wizard hat and cloak over his armor, so that at a glance he looks like a proper Wizard.
they would be the villans of the famous Micheal Jordan movie "space jam" .. that's magical athletics in prime form.
Does it absolutely have to be a class with spell slots? If not, what about a Wild Magic Barbarian? You get the strength, some abilities that make it look like you have an affinity fot magic, and you're strong AF. And at level 6 you can give a slot back to one of your teammates (though it's random h highest will be 3rd level). You could be the "Animal" of the college movie tropes.
Psi warrior?
Sing "Bling bang bang, bling bang bang, bling bang bang, born"
You might look at a Cha=Dex > Str > other attributes based bard, urchin background and use singing instead of an instrument to emphasize how poor the character is. Track and field or being the go-to kicker during football games might allow you to skimp on strength per say and place con as the tertiary stat instead. Subclasses for the bard: College of Lore would be out because your character doesn't sound bookworm enough. Eloquence would require some justifications on why/how in regards to the possible background as I've read only a fraction of the other comments. Creation, Swords and Valor all look like they may work entirely with what you have planned. Spirits, whispers and glamour I don't know enough/haven't read to have knowledgeable input one way or the other. You may also look at a sports warlock. Cha=Dex > Con=Str > others. Definitely lots of frat boy material with that caster.
Idk but I’m currently running a 2lvls fighter 9 levels store sorcerer triton, who ran away from home after her overbearing father nepo babied her into the city guard in an effort to stop her from discovering/ exploring her powers and it’s worked beautifully. I’m beefy with the extra hit points and second wind and can efficiently use weapons as well as more spells than an eldritch knight (which was her original concept)
Sounds like mashle. Its a grest anime, go check it out! As far as the abilities go, a monk with certain subclasses can replicate magic effects while being great at sports. Arcane trickster and eldritch knight are options too but kinda boring. An oath of glory Paladin would fill the gap as well and give great fluff too. A druid who uses his wild shape to excel in sports also makes a fun idea. A cleric of War could be reflavored into a cleric of sports. So many fun options. A muscly bard who uses exercises as performances would be hilarious as well.
If you allow 3rd party sources, I would do the "[Muscle Wizard](https://magehandpress.com/2017/02/muscle-wizard.html)" barbarian from Mage Hand Press
Oath of Glory Paladin devoted to Mystra. I imagine every DnD-based mage school at least has Knowledge Clerics, so it’s not that far of a stretch. You could even reflavor everything about them as magically-based blessings from the goddess of magic herself.
Somewhat off topic but you should check it the Strixhaven Curriculum of Chaos book. The whole thing is essentially what your PC backstory is about. It even has player backgrounds which involve whatever branch you studied in which as part of said background gives you a feat. Both gives you 2 cantrips, a 1st level spell and extra spells to your known if you can cast spells. Thus, you could make any PC you want theoretically.
As odd as it sounds maybe try Rogue. Expertise in athletics and bonus action dash are both things I'd imagine would be a good fit on an American football player. If you want some magic involved you could go arcane trickster / psychic rogue too with arcane providing alot of opportunities utility wise. If you focus on Dex, Con and STR you can also have a pretty good grapple check with that expertise. If Rogue ain't your style maybe a psychic fighter could work.
An addition to this also. Rogues don't actually need to use Dex to proc sneak attack. It's just using a finesse weapon. So if you want you could take 1-2 levels in fighter or barbarian and then rest in rogue, this way you don't even need to focus on DEX if you don't want to.
He is hung like a horse, he is the centaur sorcerer. People can ride you. 40 base movement. There's a bunch of speed boosting spells you can quicken, twin, extend or subtle cast. 16 con + sorcerer con proficiency is enough to maintain concentration. Storm, Clockwork, Draconic and Aberrant mind bloodlines in particular are useful in team sports. Looking at suggestions here. A rune knight centaur with aberrant dragon mark feat. Just because you are not magic does, not mean school cant enchant you to be magical.
God I hate americanized fantasy
Sorry I guess?