Help me with a new character [edition 3.0]

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Essentially, as it is, my last character (LN Shadowadept) didn't live to see the third session (vendictive mages tend to respond poorly [ie: recklessly] to someone kebabbing their familiar) and I have to roll up a new character as the old one fell down a 180ft deep spiked pit trap. (Talk about overkill )

Now, our group already has the following characters:
- Goliath Cleric (Lawful Good, I think he'll do decently at tanking, he wields a greatsword onehanded )
- Gnome Druid (with grappling snake companion)
- Halfling "master trapfinder" (I think he's a rogue/mage or rogue)

I'd like some ideas for a character with the following points of attention:
1) Survivability (for example; to survive being breathweaponed at point blank range.)
2) Reasonable array of skills (preferrably spreading across various fields)
3) Filling a role as of yet unfilled within the party. (We currently have a cleric, grappler, trapfinder and druid.)
4) Being able to kick some ass

Stats I rolled are: 9, 10, 15, 15, 16, 17 (I know, I must've been lucky after my character was so unlucky )

Starting level is lvl 7.

Main restrictions are "No Evil" and "Races that don't make Darwin cry". (Personally I want to stick to the core races) 3.5 prestigeclasses and feats have been known to get allowed, so don't hesitate to use those in the ideas you have.

Sofar the only things I'm thinking of are a rather coldhearted assassin (human rogue/assassin) and a lionthemed dwarven paladin (paladin/fighter/singhrager). I'm not really enthusiastic about the first since it won't be that much fun to roleplay, as opposed to the second. Still, I'd like to expand the ideas to work from a bit, since these stats would work with almost any combination.

So, shoot some ideas my direction. What kind of character would you make with the information I've given you?

 

You've got a decent assortment of divine magic, tanks, and rogues, but what about arcane magic? The most devastating magics in the game are found in the schools of wizardry, and while Druid and Cleric spells do pack a punch, in terms of sheer versatility and thaumaturgical might arcane spells usually come out on top. Sorcerers are exceptionally versatile, you can use the +1 attribute boost gained at level 4 to pump your CHA to 18, get 16 CON, 15 INT and DEX, 10 WIS, and 9 STR, since you don't need a tank. While your HP may not be exceptionally high, energy resistance spells will allow you to survive all but the most brutal of breath weapons, and spells such as Stoneskin will prevent you from dying due to a blade in the gut. If you want skills, I'd go with a human, as that extra skill point per level, plus the two you get from intelligence, grants you five skill points per level - quite impressive for an arcane caster. Your company doesn't have an arcane caster, so you will fit right in, and evocation spells will allow you to decimate large groups of enemies rapidly, an ability that most 7th level clerics and druids have not really obtained, since spells such as Destruction and Creeping Doom are still far away, while Fireball is a mere third level spell. As a sorcerer, you'll have more arcane ammunition than the Wizard, and your impressive CHA score will grant you even greater numbers of bonus spells. With Endurance, Cat's Grace, Bull's Strength, and Eagle's Splender active, your character will have decent STR, an above-average AC, massive Hp (for a mage), and phenomenal CHA, increasing the save DC for your spells to 16 + Spell Level.

Of course, if you're leaning towards a stealthy type, you could always play an illusionist, switching the scores for CHA and INT...the Unearthed Arcana Specialist varients for illusionists are awesome. Though you won't have a sneak attack, you'll be able to cast Improved Invisibility twice a day (18 INT) and sneak up behind foes to loose DC 20 Phantasmal Killers. Not bad for a 7th level character.

 

If this is Eldrich Evil's game you are talking about, you should get someone who can take a ****load amount of hits, such as a warrior-type or a sorcerer or wizard that focus on defensive magic.

Don't know why, but it just strike me as sane.

 

Whatever you do, don't forget that potion of waterbreathing! Or take a Water Genasi or Sea-elf

I heared you talking about the dwarven lion-themed paladin for a while. You realy seem eager to play that and from what I heared, he is quite interesting.

Something arcane might not hurt either. There are lots of PrC's for that, if you like. From Arcane Devotee to Runesmith.

What is the campaign about? Trying not to get killed by 3 dragons and avoiding traps, I guess?

Edit:
Btw, how you feel about Sorcerer/Monk of the Old Order or a Wizard/Monk of the Shining Hand? If you feel good about it, take the Practised Spellcaster feat.

[ April 15, 2005, 12:15: Message edited by: Master of Nuhn ]

 

Caleb*: Heh, no this isn't for EE's game. Amalith (Tiefling ranger) is still going strong, and even survived going evil in a completely good aligned group Just play into friendships, throw in a little victimcard now and then. Great!

Something arcane would indeed be of good use to the group, though I must admit wizards aren't really my cup of tea. (I tend to play risky we saw how well that went last session ) I'm going to look at a sorcerer though, and look at the possibilities of playing with metamagic feats. My main concern with the sorcerer is his low number of spells known, since I like having a rather varied number of spells.

 

If you want both flexibility and a large number of spells known, you could ask your DM to switch to the Spell Points system in Unearthed Arcana. However, remember that while sorcerers cannot cast as many different spells as wizards can, they can cast more iterations of spells on their spell lists. Take versatile spells, such as Shadow Conjuration, and a boatload of defensive/buffing spells, and you'll be ready for just about any encounter. A monk/sorcerer would be quite devastating as well, though at low-mid levels your power level isin't going to be too impressive. Should you become a monk/sorcerer, take tons of buffing spells and spells delivered easily with touch attacks, and you should be fine. Your stats should look something like this: (Human) 16 into DEX, 17 into CHA, 15+1 (From level 4) into WIS, 15 into CON, and 10 INT and 9 STR. Make sure to pick up Bull's Strength and take Weapon Finesse. Alternatively, if you do consider the wizardly option, play a Sun Elf, as they recieve a +2 bonus to INT. You can start off with a staggering 20 INT (17+2+1 from level 4) and assign your 16 to CON so you'll end up with 14 CON (enough to ensure your survival in most encounters). With 15 DEX, you'll be able to augment your AC and still have your pick of 15 WIS or 15 CHA. If you're fine with level adjustments, you could create a Drow Wizard that would be even more devastating.

 

What about a Ranger? He has many skills, and can kick some a** too... I like to play ranger, 'cause he is a strong fighter, and has some nice spells too... It would also be a good Role-Playing moment, since you could have some connection to the druid in your party? You could make a ranger with the same faith as the druid, or a ranger who belong to the opposite faith, to make some ethical conflicts in the party (In my games characters with differents faiths is a fantastic idea, since they try to convert each other, and then roleplay their characters better)...

The Pal is a great idea too.. It doesn't seem like you have many warriors in your party, so i think a wizard would be a bad idea...

 

Regarding sorcerer vs wizard. A wizard can actually use teh scribe scroll feat to make scrolls of as many spells as he want to, and thus actually cast more spells than a sorcerer. Mostly used for making scrolls of all those "situational" spells you dont want to spend your memorisation slots on. like Jump, rope trick, and such. Just scribe them all to scrolls, that way you are far more versatile than a Sorcerer. Wizards/sorcerers usually dont need that much money for eother equipemnt either.

My idea ? go for the Dwarf Pally, if you are entusiastic about him, then you play him better.

 

Arcane-wise, I'm looking at the following two builds

Wizard5/Mage of the Arcane Order2
Sorcerer5/Mage of the Arcane Order2

Now the difference, is that the sorcerer has to use a feat for "Arcane Preparation" to qualify for the PRC and gets one metamagic feat less than the wizard. So essentially, he loses 2 feats on the wizard. Feats I would've used on "Spellcasting Prodigy" and "Greater Spellfocus". So essentially, what I'm doing is paying 2 feats, not raising my specialist school's DC by 3 and not gaining an extra 1st and 5th level spellslot for the following abilities:
- Adding metamagic onto spells on the fly (instead of preparing them) which is especially handy with Still or Silent spell.
- Not having to leave slots open for spellpool, which makes this ability even more versatile.

I think the wizard is the better option in this case... I suppose I can use the metamagic feats on the spells drawn from the spellpool. (Like, I leave a lvl 4 slot open, so I can call and cast fireball adapted by silent spell)

As for roleplayingwise, I've been inspired by a certain 'NPC' from Deep Space Nine. One of the genetically enhanced lunatics from Dr.Bashir's group. The guy that acts very agitated, is quite nervous and jumps to conclusions faster than a jump spell could take him. With this concept, the wizard's high int, low cha build would suit more as well, instead of the scorerer's medium int, high cha build. (I'd go for Wild Mage PRC with him, if the one from Complete Arcane didn't suck so much. I want my random dangerous surges damnit ) This concept, I feel about much like with the dwarven paladin. Both could be very much fun to play.

As it is, the wizardbuild looks like this. (see below) I decided to go for enchantment since I like that school, though I'm still looking at other options. I'd like to stray from the "I'm a lunatic that enjoys blasting **** up" stereotype though.

Chaotic Good Human Wizard5/Mage of the Arcane Order2.

STR 10 +0
DEX 15 +2
CON 16 +3
INT 18 +4
WIS 15 +2
CHA 09 -1

Fort 4
Reflex 5
Will 9

Feats: Spellcasting Prodigy (Arcane), Still Spell, Spell Focus (Enchantment), Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment).
Free: Scribe Scroll, Cooperative Spell, Silent Spell
Skills: Alchemy, Concentration, Knowledge Arcana, Nature and The Planes, Scry, Spellcraft. (all max ranks)
Familiar: Weasel
Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome.

Spells:
0 All
1 Featherfall, Spiderclimb, Charm Person, Shield, Mount, Identify, Magic Missile, Mage Armor
2 Protection from Arrows, Invisibility, Alter Self, Fox's Cunning
3 Dispel Magic, Hold Person, Protection from Elements, Lightning Bolt
4 Charm Monster, Stoneskin

[ April 19, 2005, 13:46: Message edited by: Faragon ]