New character ideas?

[sambouchah]

I am soon to join a campaign that will start at level ten. I have about a million ideas but the role I planned on has been filled. It was heavy spellcasting. So I was thinking of doing tank. I was going to do forsaker but everyone in the group has spells and(with the help of UA flaws) a 9th level forsaker doesn't seem the best fit for what I've been told by the DM. It'll be planar travel and hunting angels.

Any ideas? Everything is welcome by the DM so any LA, class, feat, spells, etc are accepted.

[Story]

Do you read AGC? You could try A Rugaru type build (http://agc.deskslave.org/files/EvilCharacters_Dan_Jill.doc). If you want to focus on tanking, you could throw in some Crusader or Knight to force people to attack you, and Troll Blooded for extra durability. And of course, add in the Lion Spirit Totem.

[Gavinfoxx]

Do not, under any circumstances, be a Forsaker.

What Tier do you think you want? What optimization level? What actions do you think you would have the most fun, as your character does? IE, what do you see the character doing? How do they interact with, or enforce their will upon the world?

[sambouchah]

Do not, under any circumstances, be a Forsaker.

What Tier do you think you want? What optimization level? What actions do you think you would have the most fun, as your character does? IE, what do you see the character doing? How do they interact with, or enforce their will upon the world?

Kalashtar Shaper/Ectopic adept? I dunno about the tier system, and any level of optimization.

[Gavinfoxx]

Kalashtar Shaper/Ectopic adept? I dunno about the tier system, and any level of optimization.

That's not a bad choice!

There are a few handbooks useful for new folk to get a handle on metagame theory and such:

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=4189.0
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=658
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5256
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2710
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=5777

And several more... in fact, just read a smattering of the handbooks here:

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=399.0

To get an idea of what is possible and what isn't.

[sambouchah]

That's not a bad choice!

There are a few handbooks useful for new folk to get a handle on metagame theory and such:

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=4189.0
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=658
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5256
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2710
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=5777

And several more... in fact, just read a smattering of the handbooks here:

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=399.0

To get an idea of what is possible and what isn't.

Thanks much! Why the hate on forsakers other than the no magic? Which of course is a massive enough reason but just curios

[Namfuak]

Thanks much! Why the hate on forsakers other than the no magic? Which of course is a massive enough reason but just curios

In general, anything that restricts the use of magic items on a character is undesirable, because the designers will never design class features that adequately cover the bonuses you would normally receive from having magic items as well as offset the cost of taking levels in the class in the first place (or in the more common case of Vow of Poverty, the cost of a feat).

Crusader (Tome of Battle) is the "tankiest" class in 3.5, because they are actually effective at it. Keep in mind that most enemies have no particular reason to attack you - there is no "threat," classes do not get "taunts" (a few do, but not most), and in general any intelligent enemy will try to get to the spellcasters first if it is convenient. The reason Crusaders are so good at tanking is because they have a lot of tools to make it inconvenient. They have a lot of maneuvers and stances that support getting more attacks of opportunity, tripping opponents, and keeping themselves alive. Keep in mind what you would be trying to do is get yourself a lot of reach and keep anyone within it unable to move (tripping being the most obvious option for this, but not the only one). A melee enemy who cannot move is a melee enemy who is not attacking the casters.

[Gavinfoxx]

Thanks much! Why the hate on forsakers other than the no magic? Which of course is a massive enough reason but just curios

From that beginner's question thread:

"9. Magic items are as much a part of your character's abilities as their class features. Moreso, in fact, since apart from exotic races and the occasional obscure feat, they're the only way non-casters can gain vital abilities like flight and immunity to those instant-death effects (summary here). The game isn't balanced around characters who have only half their abilities, so if you want to run a "low magic" campaign then make sure you use only non-caster NPCs as enemies (no monsters) so that everyone is penalised equally. Because without a magic sword, a level 100 fighter will lose to a level 2 allip every time."


Essentially... having magic items are a bigger deal than you think. No, bigger. Keep going. No no, bigger than that. BIGGER DEAL. You still aren't getting close to big enough! ARGH, just play the game, I don't think I can actually TELL YOU how big a deal having effective magic items is...