Feedback about an Idea I had (3.5)

[slexlollar89]

Hello fellow playgrounders.

Firstly-
I was recently playing a 3.5 campaign, and the DM strongly alluded to the idea that the next part of his adventure would be more deadly than the rest (which is quite perilous itself). To that end, I made a backup character.

Julianos McMammom: 97 year old human factotum3/archivist5. He uses a lucerne hamer, breastplate, heavy steel shield, and a heavy crossbow with a gnome sight. Basically he buffs himself and has obscene skills. I didn't take the able learner feat because we houserule that class skills remein class skills for your favored/first class. Very low wealth, hence the fact that I have no magic arms or armor. Also, in lieu of of a free magic weapon that everyone gets, I was allowed to have spellcasting advancement for the three factotum levels I have, so I actually cast at 8th level.

Does anyone think this is a neat idea besides me? The other players don't have a clue who the seemingly senile old man i that started folowing them, but the fact that he made a DC 25 jump check with a -2 str mod makes their jaws drop. Basically, we all ave to find this artifact set for whatever reason (or god, state, peronal gain, or weaseling out of the death penalty) but Julieanos works for a secret society of socialelites (similar to the Illuminati or something, but not evil). He just pretends to be crazy or rediculous. Its actually funny that my highest skill is forgery! Basically he is come out of retirement and does nothing but talk about "back in my day!" and "in 1st ed. we didn't have WBL or fancy shmancy rogues!"

Does anyone have any ideas on hat I can do with this guy? are there many good metamagic feats besides extend or reach spell?

Any good spell or feat suggestions?

sorry for the long length, but finally, does anyone have any general/specific advice for playing this guy?

[Starsinger]

How are you swinging a Lucerne hammer with a -2 strength mod?

[Telonius]

Throw in a level or two of Barbarian, and you've made Cohen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohen_the_Barbarian)! :smallbiggrin:

[slexlollar89]

Well we generally discount weight... we just estimate it. Also we don't count worn armor, like my breastplate and MW shield. The hammer was a personal chioce of mine. I voluntarily reduced the item's size so I could one-hand it (I barely talked my DM into this). Divine Power also helps :smallsmile:

The Cohan idea is funny, but this guy is very civilized (and quite the ladies man with his 24 cha :smallwink:)

Oh yeah, due to this epic curse/plague thing, to fit him into the story even more than he is, he has a disease that has seriously shortened his already finite lifespan; he has about a year to live at most and he is aware of it, so I always roleplay it up (he often wades into combat and makes rediculous bluffs regardless of the consequences), but he is still a very intelligently played guy, despite his ballsy-ness.

[Asheram]

1. Get a twig or something similar
2. Whenever ambushed, make a funny step, break the twig, scream "Aaaargh! My hip!" and fall screaming to the ground.
3. Once the ambushers have decided you're not a threat, sneak up behind them and bash their skulls in.

[slexlollar89]

Ah that's brilliant! The one time I used my apparent senility was when we were captured by an orc tribe, and I pretended to not kno anything, so they put me with the children! I managed to sneak away and use my inspiration to boost a disgiuse check, then I pretended to be their totem! Ha they ran lke crazy to find offerrings when I demanded fruit pies.

[RTGoodman]

Wait... you've actually got ranks in Forgery? :smalleek: That's, like, the first time I've ever heard of that! :smallwink:

Seriously, though, if that's true, use it to your advantage. Take a good look at what kind of roll people have to use to oppose your rolls. Yeah. NO ONE is gonna be figuring out your forged stuff for a good long while.


In other news, you should see how your DM feels about you learning spells from non-Cleric divine sources. If he's okay with it, you can get some excellent spells at very low levels (like holy sword (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holySword.htm) at 7th level). Even if you don't break it (and I suggest you DON'T go really cheesy with it), you can get a few good spells from, say, the Druid or Ranger lists, which should help survivability a LOT.

[Prometheus]

I suggest picking up some Silent/Still metamagic feats so that you can cast spells without people knowing that you cast them. Especially good for illusions, enchantments, hexes, and buffs but there are a lot of things you can do. That way, you can continue to mess with people for a while.

[Demons_eye]

Start trying to get them to think your forgeting things then shoot one of them in the foot and say you didnt know it was loaded. Also get a debt piled up fast if your going to die soon. Forge bank note and stuff.

[slexlollar89]

Well one thing I planned to do was "forge" an economic power. Basically I would buy and sell goods as a "company" and use another organization to move/sell them in actuality. My company would only eist on paper (tax records, employee files etc.) and would not be real. Eventually, when I had collected enough money I would buy a real biulding and maybe start an actual business. My forgery is jacked.

I have barckskin, icelance, and splinterbolt, prestidigitation, and the 0lvl druid spells, but not much else. I don't actually have any inflict spells...

[Kris Strife]

Fall asleep and snore during speeches and monologues (including your own), complain about how things were better in your day, call everyone 'whippersnapper', complain about your feet, knees, back, lumbago and teeth, yell 'You kids get off of my lawn!' as a battle cry, etc.

[Demons_eye]

Complain that the BBEG isnt what yours was when you were younger