Piedmon_Sama
2009-05-15, 11:34 AM
One of my friends is going to be DMing his first campaign soon, with me and one other person as the players. He's starting us out at 1st level, but let us play abnormal characters. So my friend is going to be a custom class with the Vampire Template (but no leveling penalties since the DM says he'll just level us up "when it feels like you earned it.") I'd suggest he bring the class over here for review, but I'd prefer not to have to post here with their oversight in mind. >_>
To match what he feels is my friend's "advantage" (I know better, but w/e) the DM has said my PC can be Gestalt. The character I already had in mind was a Neanderthal (new race in Frostburn) Barbarian, frozen in ice from his own time and released thousands of years later.
Thus was born Young Male, or "Goodman Brom" as the locals who've met this elusive hunter call him. At age 12, YM is an adult Neanderthal, more agile and quick-witted than most of his vanished kind. A lean season has set in over the half-civilized country he lived in after thawing, and so he has moved into what he calls "ant hives"---the grand cities of the humans, to seek alternative forms of employment.
Statting YM out with 28 Pointbuy, 2 flaws, and a free DR 2 from his hide armor ("it's sabretooth hide, whatever," says our DM), these are the stats I came up with:
STR 8+6=14+4=16+2=17[+2 race] 19 | +4
DEX 8 +6 = 14 [-2 race] 12 | +2
CON 8 +4 = 12 [+2 race] 14 | +2
INT 8 + 4 = 12 [-2 race] 10 | +0
WIS 8 + 2 = 10 | + 0
CHA 8 + 4 = 12 | +1
28 - 10 = 18 - 6 = 12 - 4 = 8 - 2 = 6 - 4 = 2
Skill Points @ 1st level: 16
-4 Climb
-4 Craft (Spear-Whittling)
-4 Jump
-2 Survival
-2 Intimidate
Young Male, aka Goodman Brom; Neanderthal Barbarian 1; CR 1; Medium-Sized Humanoid; HD: 1d12+2 (14 HP); Init: +1; Spd: 15 ft. (3 squares); AC: 16 (10+1 dex, +4 hide, +1 buckler) FF 15, Touch 12; BaB/Grp: +1/+5; Attacks: MW Spear +5 melee (1d8+5 x2 pierce) or Javelin +6 ranged 30 ft (1d6+4 x2 pierce) or Sling +2 ranged 30 ft (1d4+4 x2 bludg.) or Club +4 melee (1d6+4 x2 bludg.); S/R: 5 ft/5 ft; SA: N/A; SQ: Neanderthal Traits, DR 2/-, Rage 1/day; Saves: Fort +4, Ref -2, Will +0; Abilities: Str 19, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 12
Skills & Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Brutal Throw
Climb +4, Craft [Spear-Whittling] +4, Jump +4, Survival +4*, Intimidate +3, Listen +2*, Spot +2*
*+2 natural bonus
Flaws: Slow (1/2 movement rate), Poor Reflexes (-3 Reflex Saves)
I chose Slow and Poor Reflexes because current theories suggest Neanderthal Man actually was slower than his long-legged Cro-Magnon cousin, and could only run as fast as we could trot. This was balanced out by his tougher bones and ability to rip your arms out from the socket(!!) Also note his +5 with the spear in melee is taking his buckler into account--if he drops it, he's +7 (+1 BaB, +4 Str, +1 MW, +1 Primitive Weapon bonus).
So now our DM says YM can be a gestalt character. He seems convinced that a 1st-level Vampire Demonizer is badass enough that I need all this to balance it out... well, I'm not going to strain myself to convince him otherwise. So the question is, do I take gestalt Barbarian/Fighter and further pimp out my spearing skills with Weapon Focus [Spear] and that whole tree (I have PHBII to further pimp out the focus)... or do I gestalt Rogue for more skills, a sneak attack and tumble to help out with melee (I also want YM to get some decent stealth skills.... with his slow movement rate he needs to be good at creeping up on stuff). Or maybe there are some other suggestions? TIA for all advice.
Just FYI in advance, I don't want him to start out with any magic classes (personal conceit... I'm trying to make him as close to a real Neanderthal man as possible, to begin with), and while I have the book I just don't have the time to learn the new rules from ToB (seriously, with school it's all I can do to run one campaign, intermittently play another and now this game too).
To match what he feels is my friend's "advantage" (I know better, but w/e) the DM has said my PC can be Gestalt. The character I already had in mind was a Neanderthal (new race in Frostburn) Barbarian, frozen in ice from his own time and released thousands of years later.
Thus was born Young Male, or "Goodman Brom" as the locals who've met this elusive hunter call him. At age 12, YM is an adult Neanderthal, more agile and quick-witted than most of his vanished kind. A lean season has set in over the half-civilized country he lived in after thawing, and so he has moved into what he calls "ant hives"---the grand cities of the humans, to seek alternative forms of employment.
Statting YM out with 28 Pointbuy, 2 flaws, and a free DR 2 from his hide armor ("it's sabretooth hide, whatever," says our DM), these are the stats I came up with:
STR 8+6=14+4=16+2=17[+2 race] 19 | +4
DEX 8 +6 = 14 [-2 race] 12 | +2
CON 8 +4 = 12 [+2 race] 14 | +2
INT 8 + 4 = 12 [-2 race] 10 | +0
WIS 8 + 2 = 10 | + 0
CHA 8 + 4 = 12 | +1
28 - 10 = 18 - 6 = 12 - 4 = 8 - 2 = 6 - 4 = 2
Skill Points @ 1st level: 16
-4 Climb
-4 Craft (Spear-Whittling)
-4 Jump
-2 Survival
-2 Intimidate
Young Male, aka Goodman Brom; Neanderthal Barbarian 1; CR 1; Medium-Sized Humanoid; HD: 1d12+2 (14 HP); Init: +1; Spd: 15 ft. (3 squares); AC: 16 (10+1 dex, +4 hide, +1 buckler) FF 15, Touch 12; BaB/Grp: +1/+5; Attacks: MW Spear +5 melee (1d8+5 x2 pierce) or Javelin +6 ranged 30 ft (1d6+4 x2 pierce) or Sling +2 ranged 30 ft (1d4+4 x2 bludg.) or Club +4 melee (1d6+4 x2 bludg.); S/R: 5 ft/5 ft; SA: N/A; SQ: Neanderthal Traits, DR 2/-, Rage 1/day; Saves: Fort +4, Ref -2, Will +0; Abilities: Str 19, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 12
Skills & Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Brutal Throw
Climb +4, Craft [Spear-Whittling] +4, Jump +4, Survival +4*, Intimidate +3, Listen +2*, Spot +2*
*+2 natural bonus
Flaws: Slow (1/2 movement rate), Poor Reflexes (-3 Reflex Saves)
I chose Slow and Poor Reflexes because current theories suggest Neanderthal Man actually was slower than his long-legged Cro-Magnon cousin, and could only run as fast as we could trot. This was balanced out by his tougher bones and ability to rip your arms out from the socket(!!) Also note his +5 with the spear in melee is taking his buckler into account--if he drops it, he's +7 (+1 BaB, +4 Str, +1 MW, +1 Primitive Weapon bonus).
So now our DM says YM can be a gestalt character. He seems convinced that a 1st-level Vampire Demonizer is badass enough that I need all this to balance it out... well, I'm not going to strain myself to convince him otherwise. So the question is, do I take gestalt Barbarian/Fighter and further pimp out my spearing skills with Weapon Focus [Spear] and that whole tree (I have PHBII to further pimp out the focus)... or do I gestalt Rogue for more skills, a sneak attack and tumble to help out with melee (I also want YM to get some decent stealth skills.... with his slow movement rate he needs to be good at creeping up on stuff). Or maybe there are some other suggestions? TIA for all advice.
Just FYI in advance, I don't want him to start out with any magic classes (personal conceit... I'm trying to make him as close to a real Neanderthal man as possible, to begin with), and while I have the book I just don't have the time to learn the new rules from ToB (seriously, with school it's all I can do to run one campaign, intermittently play another and now this game too).