Unkillable Character

[kirbsys]

I'm starting an IRL campaign with a group of friends from school, and some of the people that hang out with us are the type that play because our friends do, they're not overly into the game, but they enjoy it nonetheless. As the person that's been playing the longest, and the person who usually DMs I get handed the job of making characters for them. One of them wanted me to make a character that would be a "high defense jack-of-all-trades" stressing that he wanted to be "insanely hard to kill" and that he didn't care about anything else. The party doesn't have a skill-monkey, so I figured I'd make him a really high AC rogue with ranged attacks to stay out of melee. So far he has an AC of 20, plus the dodge feat at first level as a halfling rogue with a chain shirt and buckler (10 + 4 armor + 1 buckler + 1 size + 4 dex). Anything else I can do to make this guy hard to kill? Any suggestions for what he should take as he levels up?

[sonofzeal]

At 1st level? Not all that many options, really. I'd recommend Swordsage over Rogue though, they get a nice AC boost at 2nd level and some good defensive maneuvers (plus better HP), and the rest still applies. Your skill list suffers a bit, but you still get enough skillpoints to play "jack of all trades", as long as you don't care about traps as much.

[Zaq]

Crusaders are the stereotypical hard-to-kill tank at first level, especially once you get Stone Power. Strong HD, full armor, unlimited healing, decent defensive abilities, and Steely Resolve? Yeah, that's a tank.

[gallagher]

I'm starting an IRL campaign with a group of friends from school, and some of the people that hang out with us are the type that play because our friends do, they're not overly into the game, but they enjoy it nonetheless. As the person that's been playing the longest, and the person who usually DMs I get handed the job of making characters for them. One of them wanted me to make a character that would be a "high defense jack-of-all-trades" stressing that he wanted to be "insanely hard to kill" and that he didn't care about anything else. The party doesn't have a skill-monkey, so I figured I'd make him a really high AC rogue with ranged attacks to stay out of melee. So far he has an AC of 20, plus the dodge feat at first level as a halfling rogue with a chain shirt and buckler (10 + 4 armor + 1 buckler + 1 size + 4 dex). Anything else I can do to make this guy hard to kill? Any suggestions for what he should take as he levels up?

either ring of blink or a combination of greater invisibility and fly. shoot then move

[taltamir]

he is going to need improved evasion, high touch AC, some good saves, and nice SR if he wants to lay claim to neigh unkillable status...
Even then, the cleric and wizard are the ones with the good "can't touch me" spells.
Have you considered some of the monster progression class of something really tough in savage species?

[kirbsys]

I think some of it stems from the fact that he attacked a patrol of imperial troopers that were meant to be tackled by the entire party all by himself last time we played, but he doesn't want to absorb damage or anything, he just wants to be as hard to kill as possible. I'll look into sword sage though.

EDIT: To put it clearly, he doesn't want to tank at all.

[taltamir]

I am confused. he wants to charge armies then or not? he does not want to tank? well that is really simple, enemies with any degree of intelligence notice he is not a thread, and they can't really hurt him, and just walk around him to attack the squishies

[sonofzeal]

Factotum might also be worth looking into. "Font of Inspiration" + "Cunning Defense" means he can add his Int bonus to AC most rounds of combat, but that only kicks in at 3rd level. Still, they're the ultimate "jack of all trades" (true fact: an earlier way of saying the same thing was "Johannes Factotum"; Shakespeare was once accused of being that, since he wrote in so many different venues).


But as Zaq said, Crusaders are the ultimate straight out of the box "oh god oh god why won't it die" class.

[Grumman]

If I was going for the ultimate "will not die" character, I'd be thinking of something along the lines of an Adamantine Body Warforged Crusader 14 / Binder 1 / Hellreaver 5.

[dyslexicfaser]

You want something that can survive forever and ever but can't deal damage worth anything?

Monk.

Good saves, evasion, pump up the stunning fist DC, arrows just piss him off, immune to disease and poison and other stuff, and he can run away like the wind.

[JaronK]

Warforged Binders, IIRC, basically can't die from hp damage since they just deactivate if they go below -10 hp and they can have fast healing. Eventually, they'll just get back up. You might want to confirm that though. If it works, some sort of Warforged Cleric/Binder/Anima Mage/Tenebrous Apostate would be one heck of a tank.

Or, for sheer cheese, there's always Haunt Shift abuse.

JaronK

[Smythen]

Cleric archer, with a lvl in pious templat to get metle is also pretty hard to kill.
Not a skill monkey though unles you go cloistered version.

But to me it sounds like he is the kind of guy that plays aggressive and therefore wants to be hard to kill. So ill second the crusader og any kind of melee cleric build for him.

[DJDizzy]

Cleric, contingency with true ressurection, problem solved.

[Temotei]

Factotum might also be worth looking into. "Font of Inspiration" + "Cunning Defense" means he can add his Int bonus to AC most rounds of combat, but that only kicks in at 3rd level. Still, they're the ultimate "jack of all trades" (true fact: an earlier way of saying the same thing was "Johannes Factotum"; Shakespeare was once accused of being that, since he wrote in so many different venues).


But as Zaq said, Crusaders are the ultimate straight out of the box "oh god oh god why won't it die" class.

Factotum for the win!

Also, warblade gets Intelligence to Reflex saves and d12 hit dice, plus some maneuvers that grant defenses like damage reduction 5/adamantine.

[Clone #57]

Conjurer Wizard with Immediate Magic alternate rules.
10ft teleport as an immediate action will get you out of almost any dangerous situation.

[Tokiko Mima]

For virtually-impossible-to-kill I always recommend Pixie Warlock. Greater Invisibility at will + 60' flight + an unlimited reuse ranged touch attack + Spell Resistance (15+CL) + DR 10/cold iron means it's tough to hit you with an uncontested attack of any kind before you've been pounded to death with Eldritch Blast. There are a few attack types to look out for, but they're much more rare. Mostly, and like all small races, you need to beware grappling until you can afford a freedom of movement item.

[PhoenixRivers]

Archivist with Trollshape, Persistant Favor of the Martyr, Energy Immunity (Fire), and Energy Immunity (Acid).

Immune to fire and acid, and everything else is nonlethal. Immunity to nonlethal damage, as well.

From there, Death Ward and Deafness, and you're pretty well there.

[Eldariel]

Archivist with Trollshape, Persistant Favor of the Martyr, Energy Immunity (Fire), and Energy Immunity (Acid).

Immune to fire and acid, and everything else is nonlethal. Immunity to nonlethal damage, as well.

From there, Death Ward and Deafness, and you're pretty well there.

Do that with Supernatural Spell and Initiate of Mystra so AMFs and Dispels aren't that big problems for you. And be a Cleric, of course. Miracle Favor or something. Ah yeah, Dweomerkeeper, right; just Limited Wish it.

[Lord Loss]

I'd go for a halfling rogue. Give him alternates like Size Matters Not (From RotW, i think). He could multiclass into Swordsage for the defense bonus. That could work. Or fail. Either way, it'd be fun!

[Gnaeus]

Gravetouched Ghoul Sorcerer/Monk with Ascetic Mage feat. Stupidly high charisma to AC, + natural armor, + Mage Armor and other defensive spells make you nearly unhitable. Undead type + good saves + evasion make you immune to most hostile magics.

[Optimystik]

A Warforged Egoist/Binder/Anima Psion would be very hard to kill, I think.

[sofawall]

For virtually-impossible-to-kill I always recommend Pixie Warlock. Greater Invisibility at will + 60' flight + an unlimited reuse ranged touch attack + Spell Resistance (15+CL) + DR 10/cold iron means it's tough to hit you with an uncontested attack of any kind before you've been pounded to death with Eldritch Blast. There are a few attack types to look out for, but they're much more rare. Mostly, and like all small races, you need to beware grappling until you can afford a freedom of movement item.

Escape Artist checks work too.

[Argo]

Play smart. Avoid melée. Seek tactically advantageous position. I've only ever been killed once, and I used to play with a DM who thought his job was to kill us as often as possible (all the other players died ten or so times).

Don't be afraid to run, hide, negotiate, trick, set traps. Survival comes first, the mission comes second. Also, play a Whisper Gnome rogue. They can't kill you if they can't find you.