Level 5 Changeling party face

[ILM]

I've decided my character in an upcoming PbP campaign will be the party face, a role I've never played before. As a result, I have no idea how to build one. Changeling is set in stone, but the rest is open, including two flaws. Sources are all WotC-published 3.5, UE, and Dragon Compendium. Should I go Rogue? Beguiler? Factotum even though I dislike the mechanics of the class? Bard (HAHA - but seriously)? What feats are awesome? How do I pimp out my social skills (Bluff/Diplomacy/Intimidate of course, but also Gather Info and Sense Motive) with my piddly 9k in starting gold? What PrCs can I aim for in the future?

[Drglenn]

Nothing wrong with Bard for a party face/buffer. Bardic music and magic gives you a lot of abilities to buff your allies and a lot of charisma-related skills, spells etc.

Also you may want to look into LA buyoff, especially if you're going to play a spellcaster EDIT: Bluh, I was thinking of Doppleganger for some reason

[ILM]

Also you may want to look into LA buyoff, especially if you're going to play a spellcaster
But Changeling is LA 0, what would I buy off?

[GodGoblin]

Yeah Changling is +0, what you do want though is the Changling Rogue sub levels. You want at least level 1 as its gives you 10 skill points+int at first level (Oh yeah then x4 :smallcool:) it also gives bonuses to party face skills. You cant affored not to take it!

[Greenish]

Bard (HAHA - but seriously)?What, did you miss the memo where bard is one of the strongest non-full casters in the game, or did you just feel like feeding the ridiculous and mistaken belief that they're somehow weak? :smallamused:

Anyway, changeling sub levels for rogue are excellent for face-style skills.

[Amnestic]

Bard (HAHA - but seriously)?

Yes, seriously. Bards are incredibly useful in any party. I really don't know why people think otherwise. Bards are decidedly Tier 3. Higher than Rogue, same level as Beguiler and Factotum.

[ILM]

What, did you miss the memo where bard is one of the strongest non-full casters in the game, or did you just feel like feeding the ridiculous and mistaken belief that they're somehow weak? :smallamused:

Bard (HAHA - but seriously)
- "HAHA": because people usually think Bards are lame.
- "but seriously": because they're pretty much the archetypal party face, which happens to be what I'm after.
Note how the question mark was outside the parenthesis.

So in short I got the memo, thanks, and I could've been clearer, fine. Can we move on?

[Greenish]

- "HAHA": because people usually think Bards are lame.Not once they spend any time in these boards they won't.

Many classes can be faces, so how to build one depends on what else you want to do. Bards do support, secondary magic or the usual facesmashing pretty well, rogues have Sneak Attack, beguilers are primary control secondary buffer casters, factotums do what they wish (at least for a short time), telepaths are full manifesters…

[mootoall]

Bard Bard Bard, I get +30 to bluff! Bard Bard Bard, a PrC gives me full casting. Bard Bard Bard, even with that I get full bardic music with an item and ten levels of Virtuoso, Bard Bard Bard, I failed to have any rhythm or rhyme scheme in this song (but still gave you +5 to hit, +5 bonus HD and 5d6 extra damage without any Inspire Courage/Greatness optimization!)

[RaginChangeling]

You may want to go with a Rogue and prestige into Cabinet Trickster (from Races of Eberron). Its capstone give you the ability to actually change shape and you get some abilities that are geared towards mind reading and obscuring divinations cast on you. Works wonderfully for any campaign that requires you to infiltrate any kind of insular community or convince people you are/are not a threat and fits with Changeling fluff marvelously.

Or you could take the Wizard Substitution levels and get dual-specializations in Illusion and Transmutation. Who cares about skills when you can cast spells and have an awesome familiar that can also change shape? :smallcool:

[Greenish]

Or you could take the Wizard Substitution levels and get dual-specializations in Illusion and Transmutation. Who cares about skills when you can cast spells and have an awesome familiar that can also change shape? :smallcool:Or rogue/wizard/unseen seer and enjoy both sub levels, skills and spells.

[NineThePuma]

Changling Sub level for Rogue 1 is amazing.