Character ideas

[Nightgaun7]

I like fiddling with characters, and I'm looking for some backup character ideas for a campaign I'm in. I've come up with a few but none of them are really clicking for me, so I decided to see if anyone else had some good ideas.

Here's the details:
Nordic/Frostburn themed game, with the Asgardian Pantheon from "Deities and Demigods"

fractional BAB, Tier roll/point buy (You get more rolls/points the lower tier a class you play)

No Psionics, no Homebrew, no Dragon magazine content, although this is subject to GM review.
Tier 1 & 2 get 1/2 standard WBL.
Otherwise full standard WBL.

The Party right now: I'm playing Byrtnoth Stonearm, the lockdown/charger guy
{table]Character|Race/Class
Bartok the White (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=542124)|Neanderthal Ranger 5/Primeval 3; melee brute
Eryk Baegir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=541762)|Half Giant Bar 2/Rogue 2/Ranger 1/Disc. of Thrym 4; melee/low level casting
Leoril Gellantara (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=541568)|Human Dread Necro/Crusader, going into JPM. Main caster.
Stigr Hrafnleif (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=541651)|Human Factotum
Byrtnoth Stonearm (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=449074)|Goliath barbarian/crusader; lockdown/White Raven/charger
Uago Frosthide (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=262795)|Goliath Frostrager[/table]

As you can see, we've got a lot of melee firepower here - while I don't mind casting, any character ideas should be able to keep up with the others in melee.

Fire away!

[Viachi]

You could be a warmage from Complete Arcane, pretty solid for ranged attacks, but you can also be melee proficient and probably do some other magical things.

[Fable Wright]

I'm envisioning a retired Berserker, who used to run in, half-naked and in a blood-filled rage like all of the other Berserkers in his unit. He was among their best, and fought time and again with nary a lasting wound on him. Until one day, when he was raiding a village with the rest of his crew, he was at last injured: an errant spear blow took out his eye. He was lucky, in that it did not kill him, despite it being a clear thrust head on that slipped h's defenses, that could have skewered his brain. What's more amazing is the scar that began to form around the eye. It was warped twisted, and seemingly pulsing with purple and blue veins, and the warrior swore that it granted him visions of the future and present. The other warriors chalked it up to trauma at the events that transpired, until each of his predictions came through. He was hailed as Odin, or one blessed by the One-eye, and as his visions grew in strength and intensity, so too did the scar over his eye, until it marred half his face. He was the wiseman and now leader of his team, until he left suddenly one day, claiming that he had seen a vision from Odin, but never telling anyone what it was. Some say that when he left for all those months, he left to try to repeat Odin's great feat that granted his knowledge of runes, hanging himself on the Yggdrasil until the knowledge came to him. Other say he took to the Giant kingdoms, and learnedly his craft from them. No one knows the truth, but when he returned, he knew some potent magic, stored in runes he would carve into his own flesh. For a short time, he began to raid with the others then, but that quickly ended, and he decided to wait in his village to teach the new generation the ways of the world, and the women of magic, until the time came when he was given a cause great enough for him to seek Valhalla in. If one were to convince him of their cause, he would be a potent ally indeed...

Mechanically, the character is a Barbarian 7/Runescarred Berserker 3-5, possibly Middle Aged, with the Dragonmark of Finding Least, Lesser, and Greater, with the Dragonmark Adept feat, possibly with the use of flaws (murky-eyed for being one eyed, shaky for his old age as possibilities) netting Locate Creature, Share Husk, Identify, and Find the Path as SLAs. These give him tremendous info-gathering abilities, allowing him to make accurate predictions of the future, in addition to the wards granted by Runescarree Berserker, making him none too shabby an envoy of Odin. Especially considering Share Husk 2/day can be used to see through the eyes of two different Ravens (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huginn_and_Muninn) to scout midgard every day...

EDIT: Whoops, made this thinking you were the DM looking for supporting cast ideas for some reason. It might not work too well as a PC...

[Nightgaun7]

EDIT: Whoops, made this thinking you were the DM looking for supporting cast ideas for some reason. It might not work too well as a PC...

No worries. My current guy already worships Odin. And I was considering a runsecarred berserker, but given that 4 out of 6 party members have Rage, I thought maybe I'd try something else.

It's hard though, I love barbarians and I always have a hard time not dipping it for at least a couple of levels.

[HalfQuart]

Bard? Buff the heck out of all those other melee monsters, plus some nice arcane spellcasting, all in a Tier 3 package.

[Nightgaun7]

Bard? Buff the heck out of all those other melee monsters, plus some nice arcane spellcasting, all in a Tier 3 package.

Haha, I'm currently tinkering to see if a Bard/Warblade/Paladin is doable, probably with Prestige Bard changed to work with Divine Bard and then going in to Ruby Knight Vindicator. Hm...start off with Cleric? Then do prestige bard and prestige pally, a level in Warblade, and finish off with Ruby Knight Vindicator? Not quite sure.

[HalfQuart]

Ha, yeah, I just stumbled across your other thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=278583).

[Nightgaun7]

Yeah, it wasn't really clicking earlier. But a Bardadin -> RKV sounds fun, limited casting and some maneuvers.

Any thoughts on the exact build? And should I do bard into P. Paladin, Paladin into P. Bard, use two totally different classes for the same feel, what?

One thought I just had was to find that one PrC that gives you all the bardic songs at level 1...

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Maybe go Bard played as more of a Skald, such as with this build (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252815#4) (skip necropolitan). See if you can throw Frostblood Half-Orc on top of Desert Half-Orc, since tundras are technically considered deserts anyway. Frostblood orcs and half-orcs are in Dragon Magic.

[Nightgaun7]

Can you take both Savage Bard and Divine Bard?

[Phippster]

I like the idea of the Bard/Paladin, and I feel as though if you could swing for being dragonblooded with a silver dragon ancestor, you could add the cold damage with Dragonfire Inspiration for a very interesting party dynamic. Of course, you can then grab Words of Creation from BoED as a gift from Odin, or something to that effect. Makes for someone who, if role-played right, could be like the warrior Skalds. You both fight in melee (With a giant, viking axe) and fuel the party through mystic powers of gods and ancient beasts. A properly built bard can be a fearsome melee monster with Inspire Courage and his other buffs running. There's a great guide for it somewhere, but I can't seem to find the link.

As for paladins, there's a nice feat that stacks Paladin and Bard levels for Smite Evil damage and Bardic Music uses. Devoted Performer in Complete Adventurer. It only boosts Smite Evil damage, though, not USES, so be careful on that. It also lets you multiclass freely and take levels in bard despite being lawful. It's nice, and makes a very viable build depending on how you do it. While running Prestige Bard/Paladin may or may not work with Devoted Performer, if it does you net some really nice synergy on a Divine Bard / Prestige Paladin.

[Nightgaun7]

I like the idea of the Bard/Paladin, and I feel as though if you could swing for being dragonblooded with a silver dragon ancestor, you could add the cold damage with Dragonfire Inspiration for a very interesting party dynamic.


Only problem would be a lot of the enemies will be heavily cold-resistant.

Could take some sort of sonic dragon and say he's a bard cause the music's in his blood.

Another thought I just had was a guy who fights with axe, or maybe spear, and shield, but I don't know how viable that is. People seem to be of the opinion that THF is hands down the best way to play melee, and so far I've seen nothing to counter that.

[Nightgaun7]

Also, does divine bard eliminate the risk of ASF? Cause if so that helps a lot.

[Nightgaun7]

Here are the stat rolls I have to work with, incidentally.


(4d6b3)[18]
(4d6b3)[17]
(4d6b3)[15]
(4d6b3)[11]
(4d6b3)[11]
(4d6b3)[10]



(4d6b3)[17]
(4d6b3)[16]
(4d6b3)[15]
(4d6b3)[12]
(4d6b3)[12]
(4d6b3)[12]



(4d6b3)[17]
(4d6b3)[17]
(4d6b3)[17]
(4d6b3)[13]
(4d6b3)[11]
(4d6b3)[11]

[Nightgaun7]

Prestige Paladin requires Turn Undead, unfortunately. Any way to get it without being a cleric that might work?

[Tytalus]

{table]Character|Race/Class
Bartok the White (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=542124)|Neanderthal Ranger 5/Primeval 3; melee brute
[/table]


Are you waiving prerequisites for prestige classes? Primeval can't be entered before ECL 9 (BAB +8 requirement).

[Nightgaun7]

Are you waiving prerequisites for prestige classes? Primeval can't be entered before ECL 9 (BAB +8 requirement).

I'm not playing that character but I believe they did something there. I think the frostrager is using pathfinder rules as well.

[Nightgaun7]

Maybe go Bard played as more of a Skald, such as with this build (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252815#4) (skip necropolitan). See if you can throw Frostblood Half-Orc on top of Desert Half-Orc, since tundras are technically considered deserts anyway. Frostblood orcs and half-orcs are in Dragon Magic.

This build is RAW illegal, by the way, due to Bardic Lock

[limejuicepowder]

I like the idea of the Bard/Paladin, and I feel as though if you could swing for being dragonblooded with a silver dragon ancestor, you could add the cold damage with Dragonfire Inspiration for a very interesting party dynamic. Of course, you can then grab Words of Creation from BoED as a gift from Odin, or something to that effect. Makes for someone who, if role-played right, could be like the warrior Skalds. You both fight in melee (With a giant, viking axe) and fuel the party through mystic powers of gods and ancient beasts. A properly built bard can be a fearsome melee monster with Inspire Courage and his other buffs running. There's a great guide for it somewhere, but I can't seem to find the link.

As for paladins, there's a nice feat that stacks Paladin and Bard levels for Smite Evil damage and Bardic Music uses. Devoted Performer in Complete Adventurer. It only boosts Smite Evil damage, though, not USES, so be careful on that. It also lets you multiclass freely and take levels in bard despite being lawful. It's nice, and makes a very viable build depending on how you do it. While running Prestige Bard/Paladin may or may not work with Devoted Performer, if it does you net some really nice synergy on a Divine Bard / Prestige Paladin.

In a melee-heavy party, dragonfire inspiration is NOT worth it. Not only does it shoehorn you in to obviously magically effects, it takes extra feats, and the damage it is, at best, only barely comperable to power attack - and that's just base power attacking with a THW. Throw in leap attack or other power attack multipliers, and it DFI falls behind.

Dragonfire inspiration is only really good if you are buffing huge numbers of weak allies that would do almost nothing otherwise.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

This build is RAW illegal, by the way, due to Bardic Lock

Bardic what now?

[Shining Wrath]

Dragon Shaman with a White Dragon totem, followed by Savage Bard, followed by King of the Mountain.

[Nightgaun7]

Bardic what now?

Nevermind, seems the source I was looking at was wrong. Which is nice.

But I could swear there's a class that locks you into it for all 10 levels.

[Gwendol]

Something like a bard/warrior skald/war chanter perhaps?