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NM020110
2012-05-11, 08:41 PM
Relatively shortly, I will be joining a tabletop group for 3.5. Due to one of the players having last played in second edition, we will be starting at level one.

Since the first level tends to be rather lethal, I intend to optimize my character to a significant degree.

Thus far, our party is the following:

Warblade, race unknown; going for a critical hit fishing build.
Cleric?, race unknown, build unknown. It's the new-ish player's character.
Rogue, race unknown, build unknown. It's a DMPC to cover this base.
Unknown, race unknown, build unknown. I don't know anything about this one.
Wizard or Archivist, Tiefling (lesser) or possibly grey elf, generally a versatile spellcaster. This one is my character.

As I said, my intent is to go for a fairly powerful caster. Before getting there, though, I'll need to survive the first few levels.

Currently, my plan is to use a large number of bonus feats to establish a strong defense. Three flaws, the wizard bonus feat, and two feats from a pact insidious are the extent of my bonus feats.

Thus far, the feats that I'm looking to select are as follows:
Flaw: Murky Eyed: Devil's favor
Flaw: Inattentive: Devil's tongue
Flaw: Noncombatant: ?????
Pact: Brand of the Nine Hells (Asmodeus)
Pact: Mark of Nessus

This would give me a standard action daze twice per day (or four times if the brand and mark count as devil-touched feats...), a +2 bonus to saves checks or attacks for the same, a swift action command thrice per day, and will make a will save required in order to attack me.

Beyond that, though, I'm at a bit of a loss for what to do with the feats. Collegiate wizard and Precocious apprentice seem like good things to get, and academic priest will be quite useful if I decide on the archivist. Beyond that, though, I am uncertain what to get for feats.

If anyone could offer advice for ways to make this character better able to survive the first level with four hitpoints and maybe an eleven in AC, it would be greatly appreciated.

Marthinwurer
2012-05-11, 09:01 PM
Just some advice: do not overshadow the other players, and only use your trump cards to save your or the others's characters from certain death. Check with your DM in advance about these things.
Now that the disclaimer is done: The only reason that toughness was put in the game was so that wizards didn't die at level one. There is also Mage armor and shield, and those two spells can make you much harder to kill. Other things, such as staying behind the meat shields can help too.

NM020110
2012-05-11, 09:25 PM
I'm not sure if feat retraining will be allowed, so I'm a little hesitant to burn a feat on toughness...

I'll likely be going for a relatively subtle character, so overshadowing shouldn't be too great an issue. I'm just hoping that the unknown player isn't a paladin...

Does the +4 bonus to AC really make that much of a difference to the chances of being hit? I know that it's 20%, and that mage's armor and shield stack, but that seems to be a tad wasteful of spell slots, especially when I'm looking at 2-4 first level spell slots total. Is it really worth it compared to, say, sleep or grease, or perhaps obscuring mist?

Good advice on staying behind the characters that are a bit better able to take hits.

Thank you for your suggestions.

JeminiZero
2012-05-11, 10:53 PM
The most survivable 1st level wizard is easily the Conjurer with Abrupt Jaunt, coupled with Cloudy conjuration. But that is also seen as fairly broken, so check with your DM.

Amphetryon
2012-05-12, 06:04 AM
How are you getting 3 Flaws? The rules indicate that, if Flaws are in play, a character may select up to two (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm).

Benly
2012-05-12, 06:44 AM
Just checking, but are the other players okay with having a PC at the table who sold his soul to devils? A lot of players tend to go to the table wanting to play the heroes.