How to Outsider?

[Bloodgruve]

I am rolling a backup character and I am looking for options that would give me Outsider status. My build is based on a Duskblade with Int>Str>Con stats that uses Alter Self. I am looking at Teifling as a race but would also like to explore any template options on a Human or other races.

Suggestions are appreciated,

Blood~

[Flickerdart]

LA is for chumps, so check out the Planar Handbook for some LA0 outsiders like Neraphim. The Otherworldly feat also turns some races into native Outsiders.

[Bloodgruve]

TY Flicker, the current character is level 12 and we can work with the LA buyoff. Basically, the DM will let me introduce a backup with a +1 LA without any drawbacks.

I've looked at Neraphim but I'm not real big on giant frogs ;)

Blood~

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You could go with a +0 LA version of Tiefling (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a), for which you can indefinitely delay spending a level (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a) on the +1 LA and other racial traits. If you're allowed to start with a level adjustment already bought off then it's probably not necessary, but it's still good to know about.

If you want to do some LA buyoff tricks, use the SP Half-Fiend (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031010a) with a LA +0 base race such as Human. Gain the first level of it at 1st, then gain your first three class levels, then buy that off. Gain the second level of Half-Fiend, then three more class levels, then buy it off. Repeat that pattern for the other two levels of Half-Fiend and your remaining six class levels, and by the time you have 12 total class levels you'll be able to completely buy off Half-Fiend's level adjustment. If you'll be starting at 12th level regardless of how much XP you spent on buying off LA, then you can start out with it completely bought off. If it would reduce your starting XP to buy off LA, then take Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) to help make up the XP loss, plus it gives you a powerful item that you can upgrade yourself.

You could even adapt that to a specific fiendish parent (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060630a) for more optimal bonuses. For example, a Half-Fiend with a Goristro (FC1) parent would get Str +8, Con +8, +5 natural armor, and a size increase which from medium to large would be an additional Str +8, Dex -2, Con +4, and +2 natural armor. If you need an adaptation for the SP Half-Fiend progression, I've taken the liberty of creating one right here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234089#4).

[Bloodgruve]

That half fiend progressions are great but I would probably have to wear my helmet when I introduced that with 3 levels of buyoff to my DM... Although I am running Item Familiar already in the build.

I like the Half-Goristro, maybe 1 level of that on a human bought off would do the trick.

Definitely like the LA 0s for future reference.

TYVM
Blood~

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Assuming you're starting at the minimum XP for 12th level, plus 10% for Item Familiar, you'll have 72,600 XP to work with.

Going Half-Fiend 1/ Class 3/ Half-Fiend 1/ Class 3/ Half-Fiend 1/ Class 3/ Half-Fiend 1/ Class 3+, you can buy off the first one at ECL 4 for 3,000 XP, the second at ECL 7 for 6,000 XP, the third at ECL 10 for 9,000 XP, and the fourth at ECL 13 for 12,000 XP.

Assuming you haven't bought off the fourth one yet, you'll probably start out Class 9/ Half-Fiend 1 with 54,600 XP, barely below ECL 11. If that first level adjustment was bought off for free, or if you'd be starting higher than the minimum for 12th level, you'll be ECL 11 starting out with a single point remaining to be bought off. That's starting out with the entire Half-Fiend template, so it doesn't really matter what the gradual progression looks like.

[Bloodgruve]

Assuming you're starting at the minimum XP for 12th level, plus 10% for Item Familiar, you'll have 72,600 XP to work with.

Going Half-Fiend 1/ Class 3/ Half-Fiend 1/ Class 3/ Half-Fiend 1/ Class 3/ Half-Fiend 1/ Class 3+, you can buy off the first one at ECL 4 for 3,000 XP, the second at ECL 7 for 6,000 XP, the third at ECL 10 for 9,000 XP, and the fourth at ECL 13 for 12,000 XP.

Assuming you haven't bought off the fourth one yet, you'll probably start out Class 9/ Half-Fiend 1 with 54,600 XP, barely below ECL 11. If that first level adjustment was bought off for free, or if you'd be starting higher than the minimum for 12th level, you'll be ECL 11 starting out with a single point remaining to be bought off. That's starting out with the entire Half-Fiend template, so it doesn't really matter what the gradual progression looks like.

Thank you for the breakdown, our DM doesn't work with a strict XP system so I'll see what he's willing to work with. I haven't done the XP investment with Item Familiar because of the risks associated with losing the item. Are there any implantable or safer items to Familiar, maybe implants or such?

TYVM
Blood~

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Thank you for the breakdown, our DM doesn't work with a strict XP system so I'll see what he's willing to work with. I haven't done the XP investment with Item Familiar because of the risks associated with losing the item. Are there any implantable or safer items to Familiar, maybe implants or such?

TYVM
Blood~

An Item Familiar is an intelligent item, and intelligent items are considered constructs per their section in the DMG. A Construct can't be disabled by dispelling or destroyed by disjunction, and they remain functional in antimagic and dead magic areas. If you make it a worn item and wear other clothing/items over it, opponents will have neither line of sight nor line of effect to it, so it will be impossible for them to target it directly. That means there won't be any risk of it being sundered, disarmed, slight of handed, or targeted by a spell or other ability that could damage it. You could make it a ring and always wear a glove over it, make it a necklace and always wear a shirt with a close collar, etc. Also note that it gets actions in combat, so it could activate its own abilities, so for example if it's a Ring of Invisibility it could activate itself to turn you invisible after you've acted every round, so you'll always be invisible when opponents are acting.

There's absolutely no drawback to investing XP in an Item Familiar. If it's lost or destroyed, you only lose that 10% bonus you gained from it, so you just get reset back to what you would have had if you hadn't invested anything at all. The biggest drawback IMO if it's lost is if you invest skill points, but the benefit of doing that is fairly extreme so it really depends on what you expect your DM to pull for whether it would be worth it.

[Bloodgruve]

Thank you again. Good suggestions.

Blood~