Going to the abyss with new PC, any idea??

[Dr Pavo]

hi.. it`s going to be lvl 4, i got nothing in mind. so im open to your recomendations, i`m not to much into the tanks, and i´ve never played a real arcane or a divine caster before.
my last pc was a dread necromancer.. got eaten by two desplacer beasts.
Maybe a bard?... maybe a barbarian?
it will be an elf most likely.
thxs

[Bovine Colonel]

You're going to the Abyss at level 4? :smalleek:

[Greenish]

How about totemist or barbarian/totemist?

[Geigan]

How about totemist or barbarian/totemist?

Probably not a good idea for an elf, unless he's willing to compromise. I'd say if he has ToB he could go for a classic Warblade10/Eternal Blade10 build.

[RaggedAngel]

Hm. I have to ask if your DM has much experience; I mean, he's sending a new player with a level 4 character into a place that is, by all mean, harder to survive in then Hell.

Well, if I were you I would play a cleric. They're far less squishy than wizards, especially at lower levels, and with Spell Compendium they have a number of decent spells to help out when you're on another plane. Additionally, you'll be able to Plane Shift out in a few levels, if you need to. I also recommend clerics for newer players because they allow you to reselect your spells every day, which helps compensate for mistakes made when choosing spells.

If you want to be less tank-ish, go with a Druid. They're not as suited to extraplanar environments than a cleric, but they're usually considered one of the strongest classes in the game, and it should help you survive.

[Greenish]

Probably not a good idea for an elf, unless he's willing to compromise.Eh, use a variant that doesn't lose con (snow elf, for example) or a template, or just put more points into it.

Of course, not being an elf would be the preferable option, because elves, eww.

[true_shinken]

As a 4th level character in the Abyss, my advice is: RUN!
Duskblade 3/Fighter 1 to qualify for Jaunter ASAP and then get the hell out of dodge

[Geigan]

Eh, use a variant that doesn't lose con (snow elf, for example) or a template, or just put more points into it.

Of course, not being an elf would be the preferable option, because elves, eww.

That's why I said probably, and I agree on elves. ewwww

[HappyBlanket]

Roll two characters. Give the second one a build of your liking, and the first one a sword. Commit seppuku and get your 2nd character to the goddamn tavern. On the material plane.

[Eldan]

Find a box. Hide under it. Don't talk to anyone, and try to stay within Broken Reach or Azzagrat.

You may survive.

[subject42]

If I were you, I'd roll up a cleric and spend most of my WBL on a scroll of plane shift and a scroll of word of recall.



Failing that, go Druid. The animal companion should act as a handy 1/day speedbump for the legions of madness that will hound you across the infinite abyss. If you make it to 5th level, wild shape into something big, strong, and fast.

If your DM is sadistic enough to hurl you into the abyss at 4th level, survive long enough to prestige into Planar Shepherd.

[Malkav]

maybe a barbarian?

If you are thinking elf barbarian I would go wild or wood elf from MM. My suggestion to you would be a mongrelfolk barbarian(if you are set on that).

For your build go Barb 4/someonthing that doesn't require you to be alive 16.

Basically, you should tell your DM you want to have a go at DMing.

Another option is Cleric of Vecna, take whispered secrets from RoD. Then next level you can DMM Glibness. Lie to everyone to stay alive.

[Grommen]

For sure don't pick anything that tastes good to demons (elves, dwarves, humans, Tieflings...hrm damm!). Why are you in the Abyss at that level? The environments alone will kill you most likely.

If I had to pick, I would go Ranger. Hit points, skill points, the chance you might be able to cast protection from elements. Then run like you just stole the kings crown. Head for the nearest portal out of the abyss.

ON that note might try screaming Panzulu three times, and hoping your on the first layer. It will most likely not help you in long run, but he might find your situation amusing long enough for you to get a few extra levels, and perhaps find a way out of the Abyss.

Brave this player be.

[Eldan]

You could jump into the Styx and start over elsewhere with no class levels.

[Gnaeus]

It isn't necessarily that bad. There are demons that are CRed @ or below 4, and a lot more in the 5-7 CR range. Add some fiendish animals, and it is not undoable. Or if they started out in or near an evil city, and just had some urban encounters, that only happened to be in the Abyss. I mean, just because he is in abyss doesn't mean that he has to roll on an encounter table with Mariliths and Balors.

[Tvtyrant]

There is an Abyssal campaign that goes in at level 10 or so that works fine, lower levels probably work as long as your DM keeps the high level stuff at a minimum. One Marilith and your party is TPK.

[Rejakor]

I'm guessing that his GM isn't going to be sending him to 'the middle of the blood war'...although, if you enlisted, and kept your goddamn head down, that wouldn't actually be that bad.

Avoiding planar effects etc is likely going to be provided by a NPC or location, or the party will TPK on arrival.

So, all that said... play what you want? Archivist could be fun thematically, cleric has some useful planar spells, druids are easy and fun. Warblade goes well with elf cause Eternal Blade is a decent PrC and it's elf only.

Or you could play a wizard! Pew pew!

[Tvtyrant]

Totemist would work pretty well too, since it makes you pretty good at everything and can be switched out daily.

[Geigan]

Totemist would work pretty well too, since it makes you pretty good at everything and can be switched out daily.

That depends on the elf.

[Eldan]

Okay, so, hyperbole aside, honest advice.

What you play won't matter much: when you get in a fight with anything stronger than a Quasit at low levels, you probably won't make it long. Play what you want. Keep your head down, don't try to annoy the demons you will encounter. Grovel, if you must, bribe if you can. Try to appear useful.

As for your build: elf barbarians can work, first of all, your dex is better than your con. Maximize that. There are rage variants out there that give boni to dex. Either go dexterity only, with whirling frenzy or so, and get a finesse-able two-handed weapon. They exist. Or be a wood elf, get a strength bonus. In any case, two-handed weapons and power attack are your strength.

[Greenish]

That depends on the elf.Just put your points/high roll there. Totemist doesn't have to start at 20+ con score.

[Thurbane]

How about a Barbarian/Paladin of Freedom shooting for the Hellreaver PrC? Despite it's name, it's good at fighting all evil outsiders...

[Doc Roc]

Can I make a suggestion orthogonal to the other ones?

Your job, fundamentally, is to trust your GM. If he's really out to bork you, and it's not out of the question, you shall be borked. As such, as long as you are Tier 3 or higher, you should be fundamentally okay. If possible, give yourself some backstory-armor, maybe make an evil or neutral character.

As for the character itself... Outside of out and out game breaks, I can strongly suggest getting boomerang daze (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20050408b&page=6) if you plan to even consider tanking. It's actually possible to get it at ECL 4th, if you go with a Lesser Drow Warblade 3/Fighter 1. You need only deal 10 damage to daze a babau 50% of the time, and 20 for 95%. Using a Xen'drik boomerang, this will be basically trivial as with 20 strength, your damage range is 6-13, before any fun or interesting things happen. Your eventual target is bloodstorm blade, since it works with boomerangs, horribly enough.

If elf is negotiable, a talenta strongheart halfling (depressingly, seems legal) is a definite and viable approach.The same idea but.. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869126/Lets_Play_Catch)

We do have more books than ol' RT had when he made that build, so there might be some good stuff that got left out. Ideas?