Embrace Your Shell’s Strength! Explore the best class choices for Tortles, famed for their natural armor and aquatic prowess.
These classes enhance a Tortle’s traits, providing varied playstyles from resilient warriors to wise sages. Embark on adventurous journeys with these top selections!
Contents
Best Classes for Tortles
5. Rogue
Primary Ability Score – Dexterity
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Intelligence (For Arcane Tricksters)
Armor Proficiencies – Light
Weapons Proficiencies – Simple, Shortswords, Rapiers, Longswords, Hand Crossbows
Why the Rogue?
Tortle Rogues should put +2 in Dexterity and +1 in Constitution.
The Tortle maxes out the highest possible AC Light armor can give you at your 1st level, at 17 AC.
That means you don’t need to invest in high Dexterity, especially if you plan on adding Feats to your build, which lessens the effectiveness of your Dexterity score.
Nature’s Intuition gives you access to an additional skill, which is excellent as a Rogue as you play Pokémon but with skills.
Recommended Rogue Archetypes
- Arcane Trickster
- Soulknife
- Swashbuckler
4. Barbarian
Primary Ability Score – Strength
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Dexterity to a lesser extent
Armor Proficiencies – Light, Medium, Shields
Weapons Proficiencies – Simple, Martial
Why the Barbarian?
Tortle Barbarians should add +2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution (Extra HP) or Charisma (Intimidation).
Having your AC set at 17 from the start is great for a Barbarian. If you plan on wielding a Shield (which is plausible, though not the best), your AC can easily be 19 at level 1.
Note: You can always use a shield at lower levels to easily reach higher levels without much difficulty. At that point, your +2 AC from a Shield can be cast aside for damage.
The Tortle also allows the Barbarian to invest in Feats much earlier, opening up another ability score since Dexterity is useless at this point.
Recommended Barbarian Primal Paths
- Ancestral Guardian
- Beast
- Totem Warrior
3. Bard
Primary Ability Score – Charisma
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Dexterity
Spellcasting Ability – Charisma
Armor Proficiencies – Light
Weapons Proficiencies – Simple, Shortswords, Rapiers, Longswords, Hand Crossbow
Why the Bard?
Tortle Bards should put +2 in Charisma and +1 in Constitution.
The Torlte works for both martial and spellcasting Bards.
Since a martial Bard’s biggest weakness is their durability, Natural Armor helps take care of that.
Not to mention, spellcasting Bards are also quite squishy, granting you high durability without the need for spells or Feats.
The skill from Nature’s Intuition gives your Bard one extra skill to add to the collection.
Recommended Bard Colleges
- Eloquence
- Lore
- Swords
- Valor
2. Ranger
Primary Ability Score – Dexterity
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Wisdom
Spellcasting Ability – Wisdom
Armor Proficiencies – Light, Medium, Shields
Weapons Proficiencies – Simple, Martial
Why the Ranger?
Tortle Rangers should put +2 in Strength and +1 in Constitution or Wisdom (If you want to fit spellcasting into your build).
Tortles make great Strength-based Rangers because you don’t need to worry about Dexterity anymore.
That said, it also gives you access to Claws, and the skill from Nature’s Intuition brings you closer to the role of Rogue in your party.
Recommended Ranger Archetypes
- Fey Wanderer
- Gloom Stalker
1. Druid
Primary Ability Score – Wisdom
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Dexterity
Spellcasting Ability – Wisdom
Armor Proficiencies – Light, Medium, Shields (Druids won’t use shields or wear armor made from metal)
Weapons Proficiencies – Spears, Slings, Sickles, Scimitars, Quarterstaffs, Maces, Javelins, Darts, Daggers, Clubs
Why the Druid?
Tortle Druids are incredibly versatile and can be built in many ways, one option being +1 in Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom.
Druids are held back by their low durability, and the Tortle solves this problem instantly (you don’t even need armor).
If you want to increase your durability even further, you can just add a wooden Shield and get to 19 AC. This, alone, makes the Tortle and Druid an excellent pair.
Recommended Druid Circle
- Spores
- Stars
- Moon
- Shepherd
Honorable Mention
Artificer – If you like stacking AC and becoming unstoppable, you should look at a Tortle Artificer.
Final Thoughts
Whether you opt for the sturdy defenses of a Paladin, the mystical powers of a Druid, or the primal rage of a Barbarian, each class offers unique benefits that can enhance your Tortle’s role in the party.