Master Linguist (5e Optimized Character Build)
Ever wanted to learn (nearly) every language possible without being a Level 13 Monk or using the spell comprehend languages? Well, now you can!
Start by choosing a Half-Elf as your race, giving you three languages, then choose Acolyte, Cloistered Scholar or Sage as your background, giving you two languages.
For feats, choose Linguist and Prodigy, which will give you 4 more languages (3 from Linguist and 1 from Prodigy). Also choose Observant, so you'll be able to interpret the speech of any creature.
As for classes, pour 14 levels into Ranger. Favored Enemy gives you a language depending on the creature you choose, meaning you'll get 3 more languages by level 14. If your DM allows, take Deft Explorer instead of Natural Explorer and choose the Uncanny option, which will grant you two additional languages. Now add one level into Druid so you'll learn Druidic and one level to Cleric, choosing the Knowledge Domain which will give you two more languages. Finally put 3 levels into Rogue, choosing the Mastermind archetype which will grant you 3 additional languages.
With this, you'll learn almost every language (20 out of 22, according to this list by level 19. However, despite this, you can still communicate with pretty much everything depending on what languages you choose. I recommend choosing Primordial since (if memory serves correct) Terran, Auran, Aquan and Ignan are dialects of Primordial, meaning you're essentially learning 4 languages at once.
Alternative Master Linguist Build[edit]
There's enough flavor here that, if your DM is willing to work with you, you can justify in-character all of the crazy multiclassing.
At Level 1, start as a Half-Elf Draconic Bloodine Sorcerer with the Cloistered Scholar background. Choose the standard array and put the flexible increases in Dex and Wis for Str 8/Dex 16/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 14. Choose a mix of Face, Librarian, and generally useful skills: Insight and Persuasion from the class, History and Nature from the background, and Perception and Investigation/Stealth as the extra Half-Elf skills. You know six languages: Common, Elvish, Draconic, and three of your choice (let's say Dwarvish, Gnomish, and Halfling to reflect your scholarly life and potential party companions). In combat with 16 AC and a light crossbow, you're essentially a Ranger, but take Booming Blade as one of your cantrips in preparation for getting into melee. Selecting Comprehend Languages as one of your two spells known might seem like it defeats the purpose of the build, but it oozes with roleplay potential as you'd be using the castings to help you learn the languages permanently.
Around the time you level up, you should have some kind of dream/vision in which you are given a divine task involving collecting all the languages of the planes. Work with your DM to figure out the specifics. Take a level in Cleric and choose the Knowledge Domain for double proficiency in Arcana and Religion and two more languages: Celestial (a gift from your deity) and Goblin (your first divinely-inspired success in reverse-engineering the languages of others you've encountered). Take Thaumaturgy as one of your cantrips so that you can bellow in Draconic at three times your normal volume.
The rest of Tier 1 should be spent in places where you have a chance to encounter beasts and fey. Take a level of Fighter (choose Dueling Fighting Style), then two levels of Druid and choose Circle of Shepherds to get Druidic, Sylvan, and the ability to communicate with beasts. Assuming a typical encounter schedule, you now should have enough resources to summon a spirit totem and cast Bless on a four-member party in the first round of one encounter per short rest. In less-challenging encounters, rapier + Dueling + Booming Blade will keep your damage relevant, and 18 AC with shield matches anyone who hasn't bought better armor yet.
In Tier 2, work with your DM and your party to generate and act on two plot hooks. One should involve giants (or at least someone who knows their runes) and the other should require your party to go into the Underdark at some point. During the giant arc, take 3 levels of Fighter and choose the Rune Knight subclass at Fighter 3, giving you Giant, two runes (take Fire and either Cloud or Stone), smith's tools proficiency, and an ASI. Don't take Linguist yet - save that for your crowning achievement. Instead, choose +2 Dex to slightly boost your AC, chance to hit, and damage. During the Underdark arc, take 3 levels of Rogue, choosing the Mastermind archetype and learning Undercommon and Deep Speech as your languages. For the extra skill you get at Rogue 1, Deception is useful and probably matches the flavor of the characters you've been around.
When you hit Tier 3, you are a Fighter 4/Rogue 3/Druid 2/Cleric 1/Sorcerer 1 with proficiency in nine skills (doubled for Arcana, Religion, and two other skills of your choice). You have double proficiency with smith's tools, thieves' tools, disguise kits, forgery kits, and one gaming set. You can communicate in twelve languages (Common, Elvish, Draconic, Dwarvish, Gnomish, Halfling, Celestial, Goblin, Sylvan, Giant, Undercommon, and Deep Speech) plus Druidic and Thieves' Cant, and you can speak with animals without using spells. In difficult encounters, after you take your first turn to cast Bless and summon the hawk totem, you can give up to two different allies advantage on their next attack (once using Help as a bonus action, once using the reaction ability granted by the totem, and both stack with Bless if it's still up, which it should be because you're using the Dodge action with 19 AC and a Con save of +6 if you do take damage). In less-challenging encounters, you flit in and out of melee using Booming Blade + Disengage. In your back pocket you have a potential nova round of 6d8 + 12 + 5d6 (using Action Surge with doubled Booming Blade, Giant's Might, Fire Rune shackles, and Sneak Attack), disregarding critical damage and potential subsequent damage from Booming Blade/shackles, that essentially recharges on a short rest.
For Level 12 and 13, grab Fighter 5 for Extra Attack and then either Rogue 4 or Fighter 6 for the ASI (+2 Dex again). Once you hit Level 13, it's time to start heading to other planes.
At Level 14, after you've visited a few places, take a level in Ranger and choose whichever of Stealth or Investigation you don't have yet as your extra skill. You'll get one extra language if you use Favored Enemy, two if you use Deft Explorer, and three if you use both. Talk with your DM and see what you can get. Choose languages appropriate to the plane(s) you've visited: Abyssal, Infernal, and/or Primordial.
At Level 15, take whichever of Rogue 4/Fighter 6 you still need and finally take the Linguist feat, giving you divinely-inspired insight into Orc and whichever other languages you couldn't get the previous level. You now know all 16 common/exotic languages, Druidic, Thieves' Cant, beast speech, and up to 2 additional languages/dialects/whatever your DM decides you should know. You are a Fighter 6/Rogue 4/Druid 2/Ranger 1/Cleric 1/Sorcerer 1 who switches between Tank, Buffer, and Striker roles depending on the encounter needs and can excel outside of combat as a Scout, Face, and/or Librarian.
If you are going past Level 15 and for some reason you need to learn one more language, take two more levels in either Fighter or Druid, then grab the Prodigy feat at Level 17. This gets you 19-21 languages known (including Druidic and Thieves' Cant, but not beast speech), a potential nova of 8d8 + 14 + 5d6 (67.5 average) without factoring in any potential critical damage or subsequent Booming Blade/shackles damage, and either more rune options or more spell slots. If you're going all the way to Level 20, take whichever of the Fighter/Druid levels you didn't take before and choose Observant at Level 19 for lip-reading (and bumping your Int up to 12), then at Level 20 take Cleric 2 for temporary proficiency in any of the other eight skills or double proficiency with any other tool (thanks to the Fire Rune) as a capstone.
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