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gdiddy
2009-09-24, 04:54 PM
A friend of mine with a really unfocused character needs help with a direction to take it. She is bad with crunch, but a fairly serious roleplayer.

Str 8 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 18 Wis 10 Cha 19

Human Sorceress 6 / Swashbuckler 3

Needs to pick a feat for 9th still.

Books allowed: Core, PH2, Completes, Exemplars of Evil, BovD

The character concept is a sorceress who for 6 levels was trying to court the infernal powers.

This character has a history of awesome uses of weak spells, most famously killing a 14th level baddy by putting an explosive rune near a ledge, and having another character read it through a spy glass when the baddy was near by.

She is definitely Chaotic, and loves the power and freedom that evil allow for. Her relationship with Hell culminated when in prayer at a desecrated site, she was transported body and soul into hell. She pledged her eternal service to Baator and Asmodeus. Her familiar (a raven) was replaced with a Devil-possessed skull. Promptly, after she got all this power, she proceeded to attack her own party and was beaten down quickly. The familiar fled and she was locked away in a convent. After being brainwashed for good, she was let out and began training martially. No one wanted to let her near anything magic after her tendency to kill everything was revealed. After recently undertaking an amazingly risky good-aligned mission, she now has earned her right to practice magic again.

Now, she is looking for a direction to take her character.

Is there a good +CL prestige class for someone with Swashbuckler levels? Or should she just try to finish out the Sorc class. Obviously, Swashbuckler is silly past this level with her stats. Ideally something with easy-to-track mechanics?

The J Pizzel
2009-09-24, 04:56 PM
Regrettably, I have nothing to offer but this: excellent story. If that was all role-played out during gaming sessions, than my hat is off to both the player and the DM.

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-09-24, 05:01 PM
Abjurant Champion time!

Eldariel
2009-09-24, 05:04 PM
Is there a good +CL prestige class for someone with Swashbuckler levels? Or should she just try to finish out the Sorc class. Obviously, Swashbuckler is silly past this level with her stats. Ideally something with easy-to-track mechanics?

I'd go with a standard Gish Prestige Class. The options I can come up with right off the bat:
- Spellsword/Abjurant Champion - doesn't lose any more casting, gives full BAB but only for 6 levels. You'd need to finish off with Sacred Exorcist or something.
- Eldritch Knight/Knight Phantom - both lose 1 level of casting, but then they're full BAB full casting rest of the way.
- Swiftblade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327) - she's lost too much casting to truly reach the pinnacle, but she does have the capability to cast Haste and this would milk every bit out of that, including a Time Stop redux which, let's face it, is the most important 9th level spell for a Gish (so she'd get something to replace the fact that she'll never see 9th level spells ever)

gdiddy
2009-09-24, 05:53 PM
Regrettably, I have nothing to offer but this: excellent story. If that was all role-played out during gaming sessions, than my hat is off to both the player and the DM.

Yeah, I was actually there for the hell session and the Explosive rune-gank session.

The two of them are both actors and authors. The powers of Hell showing her crucified forever as he whispered in her ear "Remember the price of failure" was frighteningly compelling.

Hmm...6 Sorceror/3 Swashbuckler/5 Abjurant Champion/6 Eldritch Knight would only net a spell caster loss of 1 CL...

And let her continue to be a general badass. Any other ideas?

Sinfire Titan
2009-09-24, 06:12 PM
Abjurant Champion time!

Maybe not. 12 Con, 14 Dex, and 18 Int (why?!). The 19 Cha is the only part that's redeeming this character IMO, but the loss of 9th level spells is way too much to deal with.

@OP: The higher Dex, lower Con was a very bad idea. Especially considering your 2nd highest Stat is Int. If this was PB'ed out, you should have put 2 more points into Con and spread out the 18 Int. If this was rolled, ask your DM is the Retraining Rules in PH2 are allowed (seeing as PH2 is allowed) and reassign a few points from Int into Con (I'd say go Dragonborn, but not an option).

Abjurant Champion is really the best you can do at this point. Follow it up with Eldritch Knight. Try to recover at least 2 levels of spell progression in some way (unfortunately, the only methods I know of are Kobold-related, and both involve sources outside of your allowed books).


For your 9th level feat, take Blessing of the Godless and reflavor it a little (or ask your DM to allow it for another alignment if you can't take it). That will make up for your low Con score and allow you to retain use to the party despite the loss of 9th level spells. If your spell selection is decent enough, you can make up for it (focus heavily on Transmutation, Abjuration, and Divination, with some Conjuration thrown in for good measure, and avoid Evocation and Enchantment almost entirely).


A good idea for a Spell List would be (disclaimer: I'm AFB, so SRD and memory only, please forgive mistakes):

1st: Protection from X (all 4 are one spell, thanks to WotC), Shield, True Strike, Enlarge Person, Feather Fall

2nd: Glitterdust, Web, Invisibility, Alter Self, Rope Trick (must-have)

3rd: Explosive Runes (you all ready have it), Displacement, Haste, Greater Magic Weapon

4th: Celerity, Dimension Door, Solid Fog, Shadow Conjuration (more useful than it sounds if you focus on utility)

5th: Lesser Planar Binding, Teleport, Overland Flight

6th: Disentegrate, Planar Binding, Greater Dispel Magic

7th: Reverse Gravity, Limited Wish

8th: One of the Polymorph spells from the PH2 or Completes series, as PaO makes you lose stats.

PinkysBrain
2009-09-24, 06:50 PM
With polymorph why even care about the physical stats?

Sinfire Titan
2009-09-24, 07:05 PM
With polymorph why even care about the physical stats?

It helps for Init. Considering no Nerveskitter, Dire Tortiose shenanigans, and possibly no Combat Reflexes (to allow Celerity during the surprise round), this character will need it at first. Also, Con helps when the effects wear off.

Forever Curious
2009-09-24, 07:08 PM
Arcane Duelist! (with DM approval: it's a web class from WotC). Enough said.

gdiddy
2009-09-24, 07:12 PM
Maybe not. 12 Con, 14 Dex, and 18 Int (why?!).


The character is a super genius, fast, and not that hardy. That's why she has a high Int, fair Dex, and average Con. She is quite perceptive, but also insane. She is persuasive and peerless in appearance. Hence her average wisdom and super human Cha. And, of course, she is a weakling.

The character started at first level and is primarily a roleplayer's fun house. Blessing of the Godless is out. Not enough skill points in religion by a long shot. Spellwise, she is decked out with most of those. Does anyone know where Celerity is from? I couldn't find it in the Spell Compendium.

These are all great ideas, in any case.

Sinfire Titan
2009-09-24, 07:23 PM
The character is a super genius, fast, and not that hardy. That's why she has a high Int, fair Dex, and average Con. She is quite perceptive, but also insane. She is persuasive and peerless in appearance. Hence her average wisdom and super human Cha. And, of course, she is a weakling.

The character started at first level and is primarily a roleplayer's fun house. Blessing of the Godless is out. Not enough skill points in religion by a long shot. Spellwise, she is decked out with most of those. Does anyone know where Celerity is from? I couldn't find it in the Spell Compendium.

These are all great ideas, in any case.

PH2 has Celerity. It may have been torn out of the book if your copy is previously owned or you are borrowing your DM's.

Balance-wise, it's fairly broken due to converting an Immediate action into a Standard action. It should be viewed as an emergency button unless you seriously feel like messing with the DM's encounters.

I forgot K: Religion isn't a class skill for Sorcerers. Actually, at level 9 you have 12 ranks as a cap. Retraining will net you the 6 ranks you need for BotGL, unless your alignment is the reason you can't take it. Swashbuckler has 4+Int skills, so some of those can go towards it.