Charismatic Prestige Classes (3.5e)

[juicycaboose]

Hey guys! First post on the forums, but i've been reading a few old threads i've come across from googling problems.

Anyway, I've recently started a game with a few friends and we're focusing kinda heavily on the roleplaying, and for that purpose I chose to play a human swashbuckler with high charisma so that i can be the sweet-talking face of the party kind of character.

Anyway, what I was wondering is that are there any prestige classes based around talking and things like that?

[Icestorm245]

Dashing Swordsman. http://oots.wikia.com/wiki/Dashing_Swordsman

It's actually pretty cool if you yourself are witty. Maybe your DM will allow a Diplomacy vs. Will Save for the dashing strike class feature if you aren't. That's basically the only melee charisma focused class I can think of, and it's homebrew.

[NeoSeraphi]

If homebrew is allowed and you want to be a face, you also might enjoy the charlatan (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220245).

As for actual, official WotC published material? Hmmm....well, the Master of Masks PrC from Complete Scoundrel has a mask that gives you bonuses to Diplomacy and Gather Information checks (it's also quite a fun class to play, if you're not doing too much combat).

[Flickerdart]

There are a few PrCs that give you Charisma to stuff.

Tattooed Monks can take the Bellflower tattoo, which adds their Charisma modifier as an enhancement bonus to any of their ability scores for 1 round per Tattooed Monk level. If you do not have an item that grants such a bonus, this ability is pretty nice. You can use it 1/day/tattoo, and Tattooed Monks gain 5 tattoos all in all.

Taking a few levels in Blackguard will give you Charisma to saves, plus Charisma based smiting. Corrupt Avenger will also give you CHA to saves, as will Soldier of Light or Slayer of Domiel.

The Iaijutsu Master adds his Charisma modifier to damage and initiative, and Iaijutsu Focus in general is a Charisma-based skill.

Mystic Wanderer gives you CHA to AC, but requires spellcasting to enter.

Swiftblade adds CHA to initiative, but requires spellcasting.

[Manateee]

Scarlet Corsair (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20050805b) from Stormwrack sounds fitting. Its main schticks are demoralization and feint+Sneak Attack.

I'm not going to spell out the ways to make demoralization work efficiently because Caedrus already has. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3809.0) Instead, I'm just going to gesture toward his handbook.

The Feint element of the class is not its strongest point, but it can be used pretty well with the Surprising Riposte feat from Drow of the Underdark, which allows an enemy to be caught flatfooted for a full round of attacks with the swift action SC feint.

And the sneak attack element of the SC works especially nicely on fighters with the Sneak Attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighter) + Thug (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighterVariantThug) + Zhentarim (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) variants (or at least a dip to keep timely SC entry). This is nicely augmented with the usual sneak attack boosters like Craven or Staggering strike.

[Urpriest]

Do you want to focus on using your Charisma to fight better, or on being very good at convincing people to do what you want?

If the latter, Swashbuckler doesn't do very much for you, though there's an ACF called Seduction that might be fun, from the Dead Levels Articles (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20070227x). Exemplar (Complete Adventurer) is nice for focusing on a skill like Diplomacy. If you really want to be good at Diplomacy, google Diplomancer. There are lots of ingredients, mostly base classes rather than prestige.

[Mystify]

Its not a prestige class, but a 1-level dip into martial can serve a charismatic character very well. They get their minor aura, which allows you to add your charisma to things.

If you are being social, you can get an aura that adds your charisma to charisma checks and charisma based skills. This effects all your allies within 60 ft. It should be apparent how huge an advantage is for a social character.

If you are more concerned with combat prowess, you can take a damage based aura- off the top of my head, I know you can add charisma to damage on charges, and charisma to damage while flanking. Rouge's will love you for the latter, as will any tactically minded martial characters.

If you are a half-eld, half-orc, or half-ogre, there is outcast champion(races of destiny) for some charisma based fighting. you get a psuedo-smite ability against people who have dealt damage to your allies. You get charisma as a bonus to hit, and a d6 damage per class level, making it 5d6 at max. Its uses per day are also charisma based. This is pretty much better than smite, since it doesn't care about alignment, you get a ton more uses per day, and until very high levels, it will hit harder.

If you take a dip into cleric, or a stint into paladin(which also gets you divine grace, which is amazing for charisma based characters, but will take more level investment) you get turning attempts based on charisma. You can then take the divine power feat, and spend those turning attempts to get your charisma as a bonus to damage.

Now, you can maneuver to flanking, use the outcast champion ability to get charisma as a bonus to attacks, +5d6 damage, +2x charisma to damage. Meanwhile, you are also passively buffing your allies.

If you did the paladin dip, you could also smite to get an additional charisma to damage, which should skyrocket your accuracy so you can do a strong power attack in addition.


This combination still leaves plenty of room for other things in the build, using 2 dips into classes(5 if you go the paladin route), and a 5-level prestige class, meaning everything I mentioned can easily be in full effect by level 10.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Taking a few levels in Blackguard will give you Charisma to saves, plus Charisma based smiting. Corrupt Avenger will also give you CHA to saves, as will Soldier of Light or Slayer of Domiel.

You forgot Prestige Paladin. Or even just a few levels in paladin or paladin of freedom. There's also Witch-Slayer, I don't know what book that's in, and Witch Hunter, from Oriental Adventures (same as Iaijitsu Master and Iaijitsu Focus).

[Mystify]

Oh, I forgot the other benefits of cleric: domains.
The mind domain gives you a bonus on diplomacy(and maybe bluff?), useful for a party face.
The charm domain lets you boost your charisma by 4 for a minute, which combos really nicely with the other things I mentioned. Esp. in conjucntion with the marshal charisma aura, that +4 charisma is now a +4 diplomacy.

[NeoSeraphi]

The charm domain lets you boost your charisma by 4 for a minute, which combos really nicely with the other things I mentioned. Esp. in conjucntion with the marshal charisma aura, that +4 charisma is now a +2 diplomacy.

Fixed that for you. A +4 bonus to an ability score is only a +2 to the modifier.

[Urpriest]

Fixed that for you. A +4 bonus to an ability score is only a +2 to the modifier.

...which Marshal doubles.

[NeoSeraphi]

...which Marshal doubles.

Oh, does it? That's pretty useful then. Mystify's earlier post said "adds Charisma to Charisma checks and Charisma based skill checks", so I assumed it was just modifier to check, like most abilities. Sorry.

[Psyren]

Psibond Agent has some pretty cool Cha-based abilities. Supernatural dominate monster, anyone?

[Urpriest]

Oh, does it? That's pretty useful then. Mystify's earlier post said "adds Charisma to Charisma checks and Charisma based skill checks", so I assumed it was just modifier to check, like most abilities. Sorry.

It is a modifier to a check. It adds your Cha bonus to Cha-based skill checks. So if your Cha bonus increases by 2 (let's say from Eagle's Splendor), then your Cha-based checks get +4: 2 normally, and 2 from the marshal aura.

[Talionis]

Passion Domain grants immunity to Charisma damage. If you are going to be Charisma focused that is nice to have.

[Flickerdart]

If you're going Cleric, then Charm domain (+4 Cha 1 minute/day) will be handy.

[bassmasterginga]

Hey guys! First post on the forums, but i've been reading a few old threads i've come across from googling problems.

Anyway, I've recently started a game with a few friends and we're focusing kinda heavily on the roleplaying, and for that purpose I chose to play a human swashbuckler with high charisma so that i can be the sweet-talking face of the party kind of character.

Anyway, what I was wondering is that are there any prestige classes based around talking and things like that?

legendary tactician is basicly a mele bard outa dragonlance campiegne setting.

[GoatBoy]

Arcane Duelist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a) adds charisma to AC and has Bluff, Intimidate, and Perform as class skills. You'll need to find a way of casting 1st level spells, however. A generous DM might allow you to use the Arcane Stunt class feature from Complete Mage, though.

[juicycaboose]

Dashing Swordsman. http://oots.wikia.com/wiki/Dashing_Swordsman

It's actually pretty cool if you yourself are witty. Maybe your DM will allow a Diplomacy vs. Will Save for the dashing strike class feature if you aren't. That's basically the only melee charisma focused class I can think of, and it's homebrew.


If homebrew is allowed and you want to be a face, you also might enjoy the charlatan (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220245).


I'm really liking the look of both of these classes, I guess I'll ask my DM about it but I think he'll be ok with them.

Thanks a lot for your help!

[Lonely Tylenol]

If you're going Cleric, then Charm domain (+4 Cha 1 minute/day) will be handy.

Or the Lust domain (SpC 276), which grants a bonus to your Charisma equal to your Cleric level for 1 round as a free action 1/day.

[gkathellar]

A single level of Witch Hunter (from OA) will net you Cha to Saves. It requires the ability to cast Protection from Evil, but if you take the Cleric 1 dip that's no problem.

[Greenish]

Its not a prestige class, but a 1-level dip into Marshal can serve a charismatic character very well.Fixed that for you. Marshal is from Miniatures Handbook.


Cyran Avenger (Five Nations) has a nice cha-based smite called Avenging Strike.

Battle Dancer (Dragon Magazine Compendium) adds Cha to AC while unarmoured with just one-level dip.

[kulosle]

There is the evangelist if you only want to be the face.

I'm glad someone else mentioned bard, how ever so "matter of fact"ly, because they are my favorite, well everything. Specifically I think you would be most interested in the bard/paladin take the feat that combines them for smite and bardic music and lets you be a lawful bard. take smite to song to turn smite attempts into bardic music.

[The-Mage-King]

May I suggest a dip in binder, then Knight of the Sacred Seal? Quite fun, from what I hear.

[Mystify]

Or the Lust domain (SpC 276), which grants a bonus to your Charisma equal to your Cleric level for 1 round as a free action 1/day.
It can be quite potent, but 1 round per day is a very short time, its an enhancement bonus so it doesn't stack with your items, and its based on cleric level, which kinda limits its ability to multiclass. You can dip cleric for charm and get the +4 for a minute, which will stack with everything since its untyped. Lust would have to take at least 6 levels of cleric just to match the item you would get. If you are a full cleric, it could be useful for that one check you really want to drive home, and a gestalt cleric/sorcerer can use it to push a spell through, but its not really that useful for a multiclassed character.