What is your favorite 3.0/3.5./PF Base Class

[lfarbstein]

Out of all the official base classes (Not 3rd Party) what is your favorite and why? Is it the flavor of the class? Maybe its how it plays or the options and choices that you can make in the class? I want to know all about what you all like and why.

For example. I LOVE the Binder from Tome of Magic. I love the the flaver of the class. Letting mysterious sprites into your body for power each with personalty and drawbacks. I also love how they play. You focus on spell like abilities and can mix and match you vestiges to get some pretty sick combos. It is most deff my favorite class. I love it to the point that if I am running a pathfinder game I will let people play a binder even though it is not part of that game. I wish there was something like it in 4th ed.

So how about you all. I cant wait the hear what you have to say. Thank you all very much in advanced.

[Zach J.]

I like druids a lot. They have a great combination of interesting fluff and powerful, yet versatile mechanics.

[Normalnavi]

Myself, I prefer to play either Knights from PHB 2 or Samurai from CW, for the flavor they bring to a story. Most knights I play usually were LN or LE people who started on the path of a paladin but fell when they realized that people were suffering due to good as well as evil, or that they have read the pact primeval and pledged to uphold it. The Samurai I played was designed to protect the party and has his oath of fealty to a person that the party has yet to meet.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Warblade. Frickin' love 'em, can barely stand to play a magic class and hate practically every 2+int skill ranks class, so that means my options are mundane swordsage, crusader, warblade, or barbarian. Can work with totemist and factotum, though, once built an incarnate, and might be able to play a melee cleric or druid.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I've always been partial to the wizard class, in all honesty. Having a wealth of options is mind blowing, even if my head can't hold all of them. Coupled with my love of rope trick (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/ropeTrick.htm), playing any sort of arcane caster brings to mind... "PHENONMIAL COSMIC POWER - ity bity living space." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfTfXLLJlzM) Runners up include Binder, much for the same reason as the OP's and Totemist: as a barbarian, but with spirit beasts!

[Othesemo]

I think I'd go for beguiler- the perfect combination of spellcaster, face, and skill monkey. So much fun to roleplay a TN one.

[Wyntonian]

... I'll be honest, I like monks. Remixes are better than the original, but I'm playing a regular PHB monk and I'm doing ok. Granted, we haven't had any combat yet, I'm the only experienced-ish player and I'm very optimized for grappling, but still.


Warblades are good (and by good I mean MADE OF WIN), I like to change the fluff on Warlocks around to make them cooler (Obidiah Wilson was a badass gunslinging halfling who called upon ancestral wind-spirits to make clouds of fog, cloaks of dust and other cool stuff. He was so good with a gun he didn't even need one) and the fluff on Truenamers makes my a happy Wyntonian. Holla at Kellus for letting me play one and be actually able to contribute!

Also, poetic bards can be fun. I've been meaning to play Walt Whitman with Dragonfire Inspiration for a while now.

[Dumbledore lives]

Bards, they do everything and they do it well, just outside of core and not at once. They can be the meleer, the buffer, the healer, and are always the party face. I'm especially partial to kobold bards.

[Wings of Peace]

<3 Warlock! Though, Binder is a very close (and sometimes tied) second.

[Novawurmson]

Pathfinder Monk. I love the "ascetic guy who punches people in the face" concept, and Archetypes just give more build options.

[Scarey Nerd]

Definitely Warlock, I love caster classes but I hate limits on my ability to cast.

[Hironomus]

I have a big soft spot for the basic three. Fighters, Wizards and Rogues.
Bards and beguilers are cool too.

OH! and hexblades.

[Anderlith]

I love the Duskblade, it's a gish in a can & it does it well

[SilverLeaf167]

Factotum. One of the SADdest classes out there, basic casting, Sneak Attack, all the skills and awesome flavor.

[Elemental]

I'd have to say the wizard.
Not because it's powerful, but because I identify with it quite well. I've always been a studious person, and that class epitomises that goal.
And while the power is tempting, I'd be a wizard that belongs to an academy with vows and such. Great power needs laws to keep it in line after all, and I don't mind following rules.
Anyway, wizardry has so much potential for art and science, the things I love.

[Yora]

Ranger. All my characters will have to get certain skills, and rangers have all of them in one neat package. A fighter/rogue with wilderness skills would do the job as well, but with ranger, I get everything I want.

[DemonRoach]

Factotum. Cause it rocks :smallbiggrin:

[Seharvepernfan]

I love scouts.

For years, I had been tinkering with a custom class that combines aspects of rogue, ranger, fighter/barbarian/monk. The only thing I ever came up with was "warbandit" (I was in 7th grade) - my friend asked me, "What's the point of this class?" Heh.

My reasons for liking it are many.

1. I think it's what I'd be if I were a D&D character. Stealthy, fast, movement based attacks, lots of skills and feats, wilderness capable, assumed-highest constant initiative bonus. Thematically cool - I love the words scout and skirmish, and their meanings. I wish I could fit "sniper" in there somewhere.
2. It's right where I like to be in the party, a skillmonkey/warrior who's tougher than the rogue, but not quite as badass as the ranger.
3. It has a cool skill list - you ever notice the speak language? (I just wish it had open lock).
4. It gets bonus feats, and more specifically, my favorite kind of bonus feats.
5. I love the class features, and it gets a lot of them.
6. Most likely to be camoflaged - hell, the elf chick (anybody know her name?) in the pic is wearing some.
7. 50ft. speed + blindsight + freedom of movement + perfect stride = mouth watering free-running.
8. It also combines nicely with my favorite school of wizard (transmuter) for my favorite prestige class (swiftblade).

Yup, I love me some scout.

edit: Hell, I'm gonna keep going.

They're total lpwners - no charisma skills, no familiars, no animal companions, which makes sense given their name. If I were to live in a D&D world, I'd want to be a scout (preferably a scout//transmuter/ruathar/swiftblade) - I'd get to see all kinds of natural wonders and the different cultures (couldn't infiltrate those cultures, just see'em). The ability to adroitly out-maneuver anyone but a monk or prepared caster (and sometimes even them) is just awesome. They're the most perceptive class - which has always been a thing with me. I get kind of a Man-with-No-Name feel from them.

With this class, I can be a sneaky, perceptive, clever, quick-witted, athletic, acrobatic, speedy, all-terrain, tough, whirling-twirling badass who moves through a fight like the wind in any terrain in any conditions. Anybody ever play fallout? You know that perk, "Slayer"? The Scout walks the Earth!

I like the high initiative and the ability to speak many languages without having to be a caster.

I like how their weapons are usually shortsword, handaxe, throwing axe, shortbow, or light crossbow. Those are probably what I'd use in a non-guns world. They also give the feel of a colonial soldier or, well, scout - which is great, because I'm american and I love the revolutionary war era. However, I also like rapiers, longswords, and longbows, which combined with my favorite race - elves - means I get the best of both worlds. I could play an elf or human scout and be perfectly happy.

My only regrets about the class are:
1. No open lock.
2. No easy way to get skirmish more than 1/round.
3. No class feature reason to have high wisdom - it's just beneficial for the skills and will save.

If I could add a few things to the scout, it'd be sudden strike at the same progression as skirmish AC bonus, the swordsages wis-AC bonus, some sort of precision-damage-at-long-range-sniper attack, and the ability to use TWF or Rapid Shot in conjunction with Spring Attack or Shot on the Run.

[dsmiles]

I'm torn between Psion and Rogue. If I'm playing any stye of caster, it's always a Psion. If I'm playing a non-caster, it's almost always a Rogue of some sort.

[Averis Vol]

Paladin. yea i said it, i've always been a fan of the holy warrior archetype, the defender of mankind blessed by a power beyond imagine who cleanses the land with burning conviction. stalwart, brave, the essence of knight in shining armor (not a fan of the knight class, they can eat it) a man who can slaughter a room of enemies and with the same hand that holds the blade give coin to the begger on the street, give his meal to someone less fortunate than himself and go to sleep with a smile on his face, even if its with an empty stomach.

maybe its because i sympathize with them, i myself am a morally upright protector of my loved ones (gotten into more fights for them than myself >.>)
and along with that i essentially exist to help people, its what brings me joy. (Though i occasionally have a bit of an anger problem)

[Skyrunner]

Paladin on horseback! Though you have to be reasonably high level to get there, once you're all set, you get high saves, Ride-by Attacks, strong hits, and the shiny image of a Paladin!

[Callyn]

Factotum. I like being a jack of all trades and Factotum is the easiest way to be good at that.

[Averis Vol]

Paladin on horseback! Though you have to be reasonably high level to get there, once you're all set, you get high saves, Ride-by Attacks, strong hits, and the shiny image of a Paladin!
aye, atleast on a mounted charger smite becomes worthwhile. i still prefer the fighter for base classes though i tried a swashbuckler with an elven courtblade once, it was....interesting.

[Rossebay]

Sorcerer. The idea of a small, good-looking, witty jerk with an immense "arcane battery" inside him that he just lets loose at times is awesome. Throwing out power that can melt castles, or float him away from danger... Having a small animal friend that he communicates with and channels power though?
:smallwink:
Dat Hawk.

I break action economy with my familiar all the time. I use it to initiate combat maneuvers, scout things out, flank... At times, to deliver a simple Dispelling Touch to the other edge of the battlefield.

If not Sorcerer, then most certainly Duskblade or Hexblade. While I've never actually USED these classes (try as I might, never get the chance), an armored arcane badass is beautiful.

[Inferno]

Bard and Wilder
Both often overlooked at first glance, but extremely useful if you know what you're doing.
And I'm a fan of playing classes that encourage a more chaotic outlook.

[FMArthur]

Straight out of the box, Swordsage wins my heart completely. The martial adepts in general have a really good place in the game, but Swordsage in particular seems so well-designed even among its peers. It covers far more character archetypes, conveys its martial arts mastery with faster maneuver progressions, doesn't have a wonky stance progression, and learns so many maneuvers from diverse, well-scaling disciplines that taking the class into high levels instead of dipping is more appealing. All it's got against it is a skills typo and some 'oversights' in its vague adaptation suggestions. Otherwise it's a paragon of quality class design. I'm not saying it's the most powerful of the three, but it certainly feels like it got a lot more love and care from the book's designers.

Out of the classes that get 'fixed' later on in a million different books, I absolutely love Ranger. Its versatility in very compatible ACFs and other options is just outright absurd. I'm pretty happy that a Mystic SotAO Wild Shape Trapfinding Spell Reflection Arcane Hunter Ranger is a thing that exists. For flavor I usually do keep Combat Style instead of Wild Shape, but I still take the alternate Combat Styles anyway.

[Rodimal]

Core: Ranger
Non-core: Duskblade
Pathfinder: Gunslinger

[Grendus]

Magus. It's a canned arcane gish, but unlike it's 3.5 counterpart the Duskblade it has a good spell list and class features.

[Ryulin18]

I would say the 3.5 Bard. For no apparent reason, every time I roll myself a bard I end up here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7zvffHu_wo)

But an Artificer has taken me be the heart strings lately...

[sol_kanar]

Core: Cleric! It was my first character class in AD&D, and I still appreciate them. I love the fact that you can have so many different flavors of cleric (from God of Law to God of Thievery)!

Non-core: Hexblade. The concept is so cool, that I mean to play one eventually, albeit with the "revision" that one of the original authors posted.

PF: Summoner. I am playing one, and I really enjoy summoning stuff :-)

[hymer]

Druid, for versatility and wonderful fluff. I love the idea of both the LN and the NG druid, the stern keeper of natural order and the kind bringer of life. That there's virtually no situation druids can't pitch in on just makes it better.

[dsmiles]

I would say the 3.5 Bard. For no apparent reason, every time I roll myself a bard I end up here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7zvffHu_wo)
Funny. Every time I try to run a bard I end up here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGS8re8cIVI). :smalleek:

[Wyntonian]

Funny. Every time I try to run a bard I end up here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGS8re8cIVI). :smalleek:

You son of a.... (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/witch)

[dsmiles]

You son of a.... (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/witch)
Hey, I have that mini! Nice to see what the PF color scheme is. :smallwink:

[hex0]

Spellthief, preferably Trickster Spellthief.

I love the flavor, I love absorb spell. I played a custom Blue Mage class and it is the closest thing in first party 3.5. It is also the best class to dip on a level you get a feat. :smallbiggrin:

Though I love Duskblade as well.

Obscure choice: Savant.

[samuraibsd]

Rogue, by far. In Pathfinder, I like picking up the magic talents and having some minor tricks to use in my thievery.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Rogue, by far. In Pathfinder, I like picking up the magic talents and having some minor tricks to use in my thievery.

In 3.5, factotums have a similar class feature, Arcane Dilettante. Factotums (I really wish they had stuck with journeymen, less hurting for the people that demand that class=profession) are what 3.5 rogues should've been.

Factotums can pull almost anything out of their class features. They just have to put ranks in UMD and carry a couple wands for some divine spells like Restoration, and they can be useful in literally every situation.

[Igneel]

Dragonfire Adepts (Dragon Magic), even though they got very little if any love outside of that book. Yes its like the Warlock but dragon flavored, but when you are a dragon fanatic that's all that matters. To make matters better its probably the only class printed by WotC that actually came closest to making a humanoid character closer to becoming a dragon, baring the Dragon Disciple PrC that 'gives' the Half-dragon template.

But what really sells me on the class is that despite its obvious Breath-Nuke Blasting capabilities it does have several other roles it can fill out such as battle field control or it can trespass on other roles such as the sneak, sage, etc. I absolutely love the class, and am totally sad that it didn't get as much love as the Warlock.

[Psyren]

I think Binder might be my favorite too. Supernatural abilities, especially supernatural psionics, are always a big draw for me.

My favorite class to go all-out with though would probably be Psionic Artificer.

[LordBlades]

Druid. I love the versatility you get between spellcasting, wildshape and animal companion. It's a bit too powerful for many games though :smallfrown:

[Calanon]

Cleric, and Until I find a way to optimize and truly capture a Cleric of Vecna as I believe it should be played It will always be my favorite class to play :smallsmile:

Sure, yeah, Mhm I like Other casters that can nuke the world into oblivion but I just like Clerics and enjoy Vecna as my deity and you can find his worshipers almost anywhere and you'll never expect. For example, that shop keeper? He's a worshiper. that Handmaiden working in the castle? She's a worshiper. Those little kids running around through the street? Worshipers as well... You'll never know where or when you will encounter a Vecnan :smallbiggrin:

Although I would like a Cleric that can blend into any situation like a Chameleon but I don't think the Chameleon class truly captures him... :smallfrown:

[chaotician375]

Psions. The idea of telling the world what to do, bending it to your will, I love it. Doesn't hurt that I can IC tell my Wizard friend to go cast spells somewhere else, I'm busy reshaping the world with my mind (In Armor) over here.

[Midnight_v]

Well at first it was "Barbarian" and I'd have said that hands down.

But the concept of the class thats specifically a self buffing warrior, isn't limited to that concept so while it still one of my favorites...

Psychic Warrior

Totally fits the bill, really makes me happy to play it...


Hexblade is the other one that I think is really awesome, "The Debuffer" archtype I found was really cool for the team.

So there were about 3 classes I was really a fan of despite the generally poor support throughout 3.x for non-full caster in general