Dungeons and Dragons is one of the most popular tabletop role-playing games with millions of players worldwide. Many factors of the game such as its rich storytelling, imaginative setting, and epic adventures are a big part of the fame. But above all else the mechanics and free-form nature stand out to players. Today we will be looking at the resilient mechanic in Dungeons and Dragon’s fifth edition more commonly known as 5e.
For those unfamiliar Dungeons and Dragons has been in production since 1974 and has had many revamps over the years. These revamp and updates come in the form of editions. Each edition is different in specific ways from its predecessors, so much so that they may play very differently. Especially when there are new mechanics such as the resilient in 5e. Now that we have that clear let’s look at everything this mechanic has to offer for game masters and players alike.
What is Resilient 5e?
As one of the new mechanics in Dungeons and Dragons in 5e players will have to learn to utilize this ubiquitous feat. Its utilization stems from build crafting, as it is the primary feature that allows you to gain proficiency. This is amazing since it can improve certain saving throws, thus patching up your builds and any weaknesses they may have. Aside from this the feat also allows you to increase your character’s ability score. This transaction works by exchanging one resilient to get half of a feat. Do be mindful when thinking up builds with resilient in 5e since its wrong application can prove quite useless.
This is because if the saving throw proficiency you get is not quite necessary or isn’t used all that much the feat loses out on its value. Extreme situations can make it almost useless and just wasted resources in your build.
To learn best how to use resilient in 5e it is important to know how exactly resilient works on a technical level. In Dungeons and Dragons 5e resilient works by grating a character proficiency in a chosen saving throw. This means that it increases the ability score of that saving throw by 1. So when a character makes that saving throw in a situation where they would utilize the ability score, they add their proficiency bonus onto it. This is amazing when applied to Constitution saving throws and many other situations in the game.
Is Resilient any Good?
Resilient may seem like a lackluster investment if you are just starting out with Dungeons and Dragons and 5e. But once you get a grasp of the mechanics and priority in the game you realize that it is a high-tier feat. Casters that rely on concentration are probably the class that benefits the most from resilience. This is because gaining an ASI in CON and free proficiency in it is crucial to optimize the gameplay. Casters typically battle with only spells especially if you control a War Caster.
If you try one with resilience compared to without you will quickly see the differences. The most noticeable change is that you diversify your attributes better and overall be in a better spot. Which makes taking unknown encounters easier since you are more versatile. Furthermore, you can get all of these buffs and benefits with the incredibly useful bonus to a common saving throw.
Common Saving Throws in 5e
It is important to be familiar with the best common saving throws in 5e when utilizing resilience. This is because you know which saving throws you have access to in your builds. Generally, constitution and wisdom are considered to be the most important saving throws in the game. A big reason behind this is that these two are the most commonly used throws to resist many negative effects. They cover the most common and annoying effects such as poison, disease, many spells, and other debilitating abilities. So when crafting up a build be mindful to choose either resilient for constitution or wisdom in 5e. Especially if you will play the role that wishes to improve their resistance to these effects.
While choosing these two can be a good way to start out with resilience once you are more versed in the game you can switch it up. Depending on the campaign and if you know the types of enemies and challenges you can adapt. For example, if you know that your character will encounter many traps and dragons, resilient dexterity could be a great choice. Just like if you will frequently encounter mind-affecting spells, resilient charisma should be your go-to. All of this of course depends on your knowledge of the trials and tribulations ahead of you.
Ultimately, resilient is an amazing mechanic in 5e that once mastered can skyrocket your chances of success.
How Classes Utilize Resilient in 5e
Just by taking a look at all the classes in 5e, we can determine which can benefit from resilient the most. We will segment this section into three parts, separating them based on effectiveness per character class. This will range from not being a large contribution to classes that greatly benefit from this option.
Classes that don’t utilize Resilient in e5 all that much
Wizard: Wizards might consider using resilient to gain proficiency in CON and thus save throws. But ultimately this is not the most optimized route as you can get more value out of War Caster.
Sorcerer: Similarly to the Wizards they don’t need resilience to pick up proficiency in CON. This is because they already have a high proficiency in it. And again just like Wizards, you can easily choose the War Caster feat for similar if not greater results.
Artificer: Since Artificer’s already have proficiency in CON and INT, so the best options would be DEX and WIS. Furthermore, if your character is wearing medium armor, DEX is probably your best option because you can get a bonus toward AC. Take note that if you are a Armorer artificer you should lean more towards WIS.
Classes that are Neutral or Benefit Little from Resilient in 5e
Barbarian: Resilient for barbarians can be a good selection if you have an odd DEX score. To best utilize this oy should +1 DEX to the uneven score which could net you an AC increase. Generally, you will just gain an increased survivability and a bonus to DEX. Compared to other builds it sits in the middle as an okay and easy one for craft.
Bard: Bards are very proficient with CON saving throws, including concentration checks. For them, +1 CON isn’t anything too much but nonetheless a welcomed buff. This is best for melee-focused bards because their abilities pair up well with CON. With that said just like many other classes you would get more value out of War Caster simply because of the many spells they cast as opportunity attacks.
Cleric: For Clerics CON saves are a big and impactful part of the gameplay. Resilience helps clerics keep up their concentration at all stages of the game. Since this is a melle class quite often you don’t need War Caster. This is because you can simply wear their spellcasting focus on the shield and utilize resilient CON to get more value out of your build.
Druid: Druids have access to many powerful concentration spells while having a relatively weak AC. Because of this, they are prime candidates for failing Concentration checks. However, if you are playing a Circle of the Moon druid, it’s probably best to take War Caster over this feat. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with Resilient CON since the bonus will be more than worth it.
Fighter: Fighter is an okay option for becoming proficient in DEX saves with resilient in 5e. This is much better when paired with medium armor on a DEX-based fighter. Just make sure to utilize the pup up to your AC.
Monk: Although Monks don’t concentrate much on spells, they could benefit from picking up resilient CON. By doing this your character will get much higher hit points as well as a bonus to resist effects. This is amazing since as a monk you will often get targeted with poison, disease, and necromancy.
Rogue: Just like Monks Roughes don’t concentrate much on spells but still benefit greatly from resilient CON. Rouges that do this can increase their hit points and resist negative effects that can affect them. This is amazing since they are usually much squishier than other classes.
Warlock: The last pick in our middle tier of resilient users is Warlock. They are very proficient with CON saving throws and a simple +1 CON is a very welcomed upgrade. While you can still get more value out of War Caster for generic builds the Hexblade build stands out for resilient. This is because the build and attributes gained from resilient match perfectly making a very good and easy build to craft.
Classes that Greatly Benefit from Resilient in 5e
Paladin: Paladin is an excellent option for any build that utilizes concentration spells like haste. The drawback of these builds usually is the low proficiency in CON saving throws. Resilient perfectly plugs this hole in the build and lets paladins keep their concentration spells up and running. Furthermore, as you don’t need War Caster resilient becomes the single best build for paladins in Dungeons and Dragons 5e.
Ranger: Ranger is the second role that takes everything resilient has to offer into their best build. Whenever you are going to be in combat just make sure to have your hinter’s mark active at all times. Through this, the advantage of CON checks will help your concentration checks immensely. This small edition to a build singlehandedly makes the class so much more powerful, so make sure to implement it.
Conclusion
Resilient in Dungeons and Dragons 5e is very versatile and potent even though it may not seem like it at first. It is useful for just about any build and a great tool for beginners since it fits in with every class. There is a caveat that some classes can make more out of resilient but overall the field is quite balanced. Only three classes in the game don’t go even with resilient compared to other builds. While two utilize it as their most powerful and essential building blocks. What makes resilient even better is the fact that you can take advantage of any knowledge about your future campaigns. All this makes it an amazing tool you need to learn how to utilize in all of your classes.
