[DnD 3.5] Class to compliment the party

[theonesin]

We're starting at level 5, and we've got a ranged Rogue, a Monk, a Knight, a trip-based Fighter, and a Psion(or Wilder).

I'm having a really hard time thinking of something to play, and especially one that will compliment the party well. Lately I've played a Psion(focused on summoning, which I found I didn't like that well), a Binder(felt too versatile for the party at the time to the point he felt kind of useless), and a Warlock(who was good at blasting, but I kept bringing the same character back and got bored finally).

Any idea would be appreciated, thanks.

[Dylaer]

Cleric, I'd say. The psion won't have enough versatility to manifest everything the party may need, where clerics can prepare from their entire list.

[Optimator]

Perhaps a divine caster of sorts would compliment the party.

[theForce017]

Definitely try a cleric because this party will need a healer and not only that but if you get real bored, take some of the Corpsecrafter feats from Libris Mortis and start creating/controlling undead to help you out. :xykon:

[Dylaer]

Definitely try a cleric because this party will need a healer and not only that but if you get real bored, take some of the Corpsecrafter feats from Libris Mortis and start creating/controlling undead to help you out. :xykon:

Healing is only really a secondary focus for Clerics. Besides, a rogue with UMD can just use a Wand of (Endless) Vigor, or whatever, if there's no healer.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

It looks like the party could really use some divine casting, unless the Psion wants to go Egoist with the True Healer ACF (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070314a). You should probably have someone in the party who can remove negative conditions, though anyone capable of using a Wand of either Lesser Vigor or Cure Light Wounds can top people off between fights. Someone who can support/buff all those combat characters would be a big help. Consider the following:

Bard, possibly using Savage Bard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantSavageBard) and max out Survival and Kn: Nature so you won't overlap with the Rogue too much. Get Melodic Casting (CM), Song of the Heart (ECS), a Badge of Valor (MIC), and learn Inspirational Boost (SC) and your Inspire Courage will grant a +4 bonus. Go with a Silverbrow Human (DM) and get Dragonfire Inspiration (DM) and you'll instead grant +4d6 fire damage to everyone's weapon attacks, including ranged attacks. If you can use flaws maybe get Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a), though with a party that size it may slow things down a bit much. Point-Blank Shot and Precise Shot aren't bad choices, considering you'll get your Inspire Courage bonus to it.

Cleric, probably with the Time domain and either the spontaneous domain casting ACF (PH2) or the Domain Spontaneity feat (CD) and cast Haste every fight. The Winter domain would also be amazing, use the spontaneous domain casting ACF for that to cast Snowsight on everyone, and keep Obscuring Snow cast to put opponents at a severe disadvantage (all from Frostburn). You could go the DMM: Persist route to put Persistent Mass Lesser Vigor on the party for Fast Healing 1, so they can just sit around and heal to full between encounters. You could also DMM: Persist Ice Axe (SC), which would fit the Winter theme quite well.

[Techsmart]

+1 on divine caster. You already got your meat (knight and fighter and, dare I say it, monk), you don't want to tread too much in the rogue's area, and you got psionics, so the only two generic "roles" I can think of that wouldn't directly tread on anyone else would be divine caster or arcane caster. I personally prefer divine, especially since a cleric would allow you to also fill in some heal roles (I don't do psionics much, so I don't know how much healing you got going, but I doubt anyone else is going to be able to cast cure moderate wounds consistently without a wand, and even then, its on your spell list, so no umd necessary).

[Amnestic]

Bards. They compliment every party. Jack of All Trades and damn good at it too. :smallcool:

[Amphetryon]

If you like Psions, your party will like it if you play this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625c). You might suck it up and take a level of Bard for wand usage beforehand.

[Zaq]

Anyone who speaks Common can compliment the party. You might want Sense Motive in-class to see what they really feel good about and would like complimented, or Spot in-class to notice when they've done something new with their hair (which looks great, by the way!). Just tell them how good they look today, and how well they splattered that gelatinous cube, and how exceptionally well they cast that last spell.

(HINT: Using the right word (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complement?show=1&t=1306382672) might get you better results.)

[theForce017]

A Bard would make a good addition especially since your party is melee based. Use Inspire Courage with Dragonfire Inspiration and then go two levels of Seeker of the Song to get combine songs and use them both. Then use the feat Words of Creation and if done properly you can get your whole party doing +12d6 fire damage and +12 to hit and +12 damage on every attack they make. This is at level 20 of course but still :belkar:

[Amnestic]

A Bard would make a good addition especially since your party is melee based. Use Inspire Courage with Dragonfire Inspiration and then go two levels of Seeker of the Song to get combine songs and use them both. Then use the feat Words of Creation and if done properly you can get your whole party doing +12d6 fire damage and +12 to hit and +12 damage on every attack they make. This is at level 20 of course but still :belkar:

12d6 is possible at level 9.

+2 Levels, +1 Vest of Legends, +1 Badge of Valour, +1 Inspirational Boost, +1 Song of the Heart, *2 Words of Creation=12. Masterwork Instrument can get you +14.

[theForce017]

12d6 is possible at level 9.

+2 Levels, +1 Vest of Legends, +1 Badge of Valour, +1 Inspirational Boost, +1 Song of the Heart, *2 Words of Creation=12. Masterwork Instrument can get you +14.

Thanks, couldn't find my previous build for my Bard so I had to go off of memory but yes you can make a pretty ridiculous party buff character.

[veven]

Ima say divine caster as well but have you thought about the Archivist from heroes of horror? It's a little more book keeping than a cleric (since you have a prayer book which is exactly like a spell book) but I love the class. All knowledge skills and some knowledge based abilities that can buff the party. You also cast off of the cleric list but if you find other divine spells written somewhere you can add them into your book so you can end up being really versatile depending on the DM (ranger spells, druid spells, divine bard spells, domain spells. Talk to your DM about independent spell research if you wanna get creative). Knowledges are easy to optimize (especially with the 2nd level spell divine insight) and you can hit the DC 35 for +3d6 to all your allies weapon attacks pretty easily (although that particular ability doesn't come in until level 8). +3d6 on 4 mundane combatants adds up pretty quick (keep in mind this is only against certain creature types, although you can take feats to expand what creatures the ability affects) It ain't an optimized DFI bard but you also get full casting so YMMV.

I've played one from 4 to 11 and I absolutely love it. You can take the touch of healing feat for infinite healing (up to half the targets max) or just use the aforementioned Wand of Lesser Vigor (I do both to save money). You can dip sacred exorcist, which is really easy for an Archivist to get into, for turn undead if you wanna use it to fuel divine feats.

If you think you personally will be doing any combat, knowledge devotion is a great feat.

[Seerow]

12d6 is possible at level 9.

+2 Levels, +1 Vest of Legends, +1 Badge of Valour, +1 Inspirational Boost, +1 Song of the Heart, *2 Words of Creation=12. Masterwork Instrument can get you +14.

Wait, Masterwork Instruments give you a +2 bonus to Inspire Courage? I thought that only applied to perform checks. Can you provide a source? (if it exists it's probably something really simple and obvious I overlooked, but I want to be sure)

[olentu]

Wait, Masterwork Instruments give you a +2 bonus to Inspire Courage? I thought that only applied to perform checks. Can you provide a source? (if it exists it's probably something really simple and obvious I overlooked, but I want to be sure)

Certain masterwork instruments from complete adventurer allow you to modify your bardic music. One of them can increase the appropriate bonus from inspire courage for modification into damage by dragonfire inspiration by 1 and presumably this is doubled by words of creation. I think it is the mandolin.

However this is all based on memory so I may be wrong in my recollection but any way that is what I recall being the trick.

[RaggedAngel]

Wait, Masterwork Instruments give you a +2 bonus to Inspire Courage? I thought that only applied to perform checks. Can you provide a source? (if it exists it's probably something really simple and obvious I overlooked, but I want to be sure)

A masterwork mandolin gives +1 to your Inspire Courage attack roll, which is the number that Dragonfire Inspiration looks at when determining how many delicious d6's you get. Words of Creation doubles that, under some readings.

Other (less cheesy) readings of Words of Creation make it so that only the base Inspire Courage bonus you get as you level is doubled.

[veven]

Other (less cheesy) readings of Words of Creation make it so that only the base Inspire Courage bonus you get as you level is doubled.

That's how I would do it.

You can still pump out a pretty massive inspire courage.

[Coidzor]

Depending upon how the DM reads the Initiate of Milil feat from Champions of Valor or the feat Divine Inspiration from Dragon Mag 333, you could do both Cleric and Bard in one go.

Of course with Druid, Bard, Green Whisperer(Dragon311), and Fochlucan Lyrist(CompAdv), one is also well served, depending upon how one reads the bardic music class feature stacking clauses.

[Seerow]

All right, thanks for clearing that up. I was thinking you meant it was a benefit of core masterwork instruments which made me do a double take.

[only1doug]

We're starting at level 5, and we've got a ranged Rogue, a Monk, a Knight, a trip-based Fighter, and a Psion(or Wilder).

I'm having a really hard time thinking of something to play, and especially one that will compliment the party well. Lately I've played a Psion(focused on summoning, which I found I didn't like that well), a Binder(felt too versatile for the party at the time to the point he felt kind of useless), and a Warlock(who was good at blasting, but I kept bringing the same character back and got bored finally).

Any idea would be appreciated, thanks.

Some form of buffer / healer would be ideal,

as others have suggested: cleric or bard can be powerful choices.

If you want something lower Tiered you might consider Dragon Shaman.
Aura's can provide buffs (2 at once if you take double draconic aura feat at L12), breath weapon for area damage (and crowd control if you take the entangling exhilation feat).