Summary
Dungeon of the Mad Mage is an iconicDungeons & Dragonsmodule that features a mega-dungeon of epic proportions, known as the Undermountain. This dungeon is the largest, deepest, and darkest dungeon in the Forgotten Realms setting, and is an adventure that’s meant to be tacked onto Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. If played to completion, this adventure will take characters from fifth to 20th level by its conclusion.
This means you’ll want to be extremely careful about your build and to make sure that you’re creating a highly optimized character. Here are the best character builds for Dungeon of the Mad Mage.
Background
Archaeologist
Wizards always make for great additions to any party looking to tackle the Undermountain. However, because there’s a lot of opportunity for close-quarters combat in this module, we recommend selecting the bladesinger subclass so that you can gain access to extra attacks and other martial abilities that can help with combat. Bladesingers are technically Unearthed Arcana, though, so ensure it’s okay with your DM.
Then, select elf as your species to gain access to some additional innate spellcasting. This will save you some spells later on in your run. Additionally, select the archaeologist background to give you bonuses for deciphering lore throughout the dungeon. The archaeologist background isn’t compatible with the current 2024 rules and is technically legacy content, so just work with your DM to balance this background.
Soldier
Every party going through the Dungeon of the Mad Mage is going to need a heavy tank. That’s why, when it comes to selecting builds for this module, it’s always a good idea to choose a barbarian. Select goliath for your species, as this synergizes well with barbarians in general. Then, select soldier as your background forability score improvementsto Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.
Lastly, while there is some flexibility here in terms of subclass selection, the path of wild magic subclass for barbarians works great for this module for a few reasons. One, it ensures that you have some magical ability, even as a martial class. And two, at the sixth level, your magic can help bolster other members of your party. This means you’re able to help buff your party just as much as you can defend them in combat.
Sailor
When traversing the Dungeon of the Mad Mage, you’re also going to need at least one really strong healer. If support is typically your game, use this build for this module. Select halfling to give yourself access to abilities like Halfling Luck, which allows you to reroll ones, and the Naturally Stealthy feature, which is great for dungeon crawls in general.
From there, we recommend the twilight domain cleric, as this subclass gives you darkvision out to 300 feet (extremely helpful for this module), and a suite of powerful healing abilities that are great in heavy combat scenarios. Select the sailor to grant ability score improvements to your Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom (Wisdom should be your primary focus). Just be warned that spells like Leomund’s Tiny Hut (granted by this subclass) might not work in the dungeon.
Merchant
The Dungeon of the Mad Mage features a wide variety of different locales, but many of them are dark and difficult to navigate. That’s why it can be helpful to have a character that can shed light on an otherwise dim situation. Aasimar can prove helpful in this regard thanks to their Inner Radiance transformation option and their knowledge of the Light cantrip.
In addition, select the oath of devotion paladin subclass to gain access to two special abilities that focus on light. One, your Sacred Weapon channel divinity allows you to imbue your weapon with light that spreads in a 20-foot radius. Two, your Holy Nimbus capstone ability, which allows you to emit sunlight for one minute, punishing enemies within this radius with radiant damage.
Guide
Having flex support classes in your party can prove immensely helpfulin a dungeon crawl, especially one as extensive as Dungeon of the Mad Mage. That’s why the way of mercy monk is a great option for this module. This subclass features all the normal perks of being a monk (great martial combat prowess, Dexterity, etc.) while also allowing you to help heal and bolster your allies.
For this build, you’ll want to select chthonic tiefling for your species to grant you some spellcasting and darkvision. Additionally, select the guide background so you can bolster your Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom, three very important skills for a monk. Plus, this background grants additional spellcasting in the form of the Magic Initiate feat and proficiency with Stealth and Survival, which can prove immensely helpful in the varied biomes of the Undermountain.
At first glance, you might not think that a druid fits in well for a dungeon crawl of this scale. However, within the Undermountain, there are a handful of nature-based biomes that can be easier to traverse if you have a druid in your party. Not that druids are particularly squishy, but we recommend tabaxi for this build to allow for increased mobility while out of Wildshape. The guide background can also be used to increase your Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom, which can prove useful for druids.
Finally, select the circle of dreams subclass originally from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. This subclass is great for protecting your party in several ways and navigating tricky dungeon areas thanks to two features. One, the Hearth of Moonlight and Shadow feature grants bonuses to a party taking short or long rests. And two, the Hidden Paths feature allows druids of this subclass to teleport, meaning you’ll be harder to pin down.
Entertainer
Rogues are always going to be incredibly helpful in a dungeon. For this build, select owlin and entertainer for your species and background, respectively, to grant your character additional mobility options and bonuses to key rogue stats like Dexterity.
Then, select the inquisitive rogue subclass. While the module is heavily exploration and combat-based, there aresome roleplay encountersthat you can find in this dungeon, which are a lot easier with an inquisitive rogue in tow. Plus, these rogues are very adept at Perception, finding traps and pitfalls for the party to avoid.
Wayfarer
Finding your way through the Dungeon of the Mad Mage can prove taxing. That’s why it’s immensely helpful to have an expert tracker like a ranger in your party. This build will grant you improved darkvision out to 150 feet, thanks to the way the dwarf and gloom stalker ranger’s abilities synergize with one another.
Additionally, this subclass grants bonuses to initiative and proficiency in Wisdom saving throws if you don’t already have this. Alternatively, you’re able to buff either your Intelligence or Charisma saving throws as well. This means you’re far less likely to be taken out of combat thanks to a nasty spell and save gone wrong.
Sorcerers, like other arcane casters, can be a great addition to any dungeon crawl. For Dungeon of the Mad Mage, you’ll want to choose an aberrant mind sorcerer, as this subclass allows you to not only do great amounts of magical damage, but also buff yourself in combat with special psionic abilities. Having a flexible build that can play offense and defense is key.
While there’s some flexibility here in terms of species, dragonborn is always a good option. This is because dragonborns get an additional breath weapon and damage resistance based on their color, which can help make your squishy sorcerer less killable.
Sage
Lastly,the cartographer artificeris a great subclass to bring into the Dungeon of the Mad Mage thanks to their high damage output and ability to aid their party in unexpected ways, thanks to their magical maps. Plus, with this subclass, you can cast spells like Find the Path, meaning it might be easier to find your way through the dungeon.
Gnomes work very well with artificers thanks to their innate spellcasting an advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. Plus, depending on the types of infusions artificers make, this class can take on a variety of different roles within a party to help round out the gang effectively.
