[3.5] Need a fresh take.

[aphoticConniver]

So I'm retiring my Kobold Spirit Shaman, as the way the character fills his role (battlefield controller) is becoming bland and tiresome. I either end up casting Frostfell or Firestorm over and over until the things are dead. Now, I don't necessarily have to fill the same role, but it would keep the group well-rounded. Truth be told, I'm getting a bit sick of spells. So I decided to roll up a Kobold Dragonfire Adept, but now with the Adept, I'm worried that just using the breath weapon over and over is going to get tiresome much faster than I had previously thought. What classes would you, the forums, suggest for me? I'm open to pretty much anything (even psionics, which I usually don't like for fear of not understanding the mechanics, which is my own problem). I'd like to keep the kobold as a race, but it isn't a necessity. Any help would be most appreciated.

EDIT: Oh, and it might be prudent to mention that the character is starting at 16th level.

EDIT 2: Homebrew classes are perfectly fine, as long as A) They aren't gamebreaking, and B) I would have to get them approved by my DM.

[Empedocles]

If homebrew is good, I'd reccomend this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12138519) or this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9623431&postcount=9). Both offer entirely fresh mechanics and provide totally new things to do. The first of the two is more "out there" homebrew. It isn't broken, but at the same time the mechanics are different enough that many DMs would probably forbid it. The latter is probably better designed, if a little less exciting.

Barring homebrew, I'd reccomend incarnum for a fresh take; either incarnate or totemist. If you dont have access to the Magic of Incarnum sourcebook, try a binder, from the Tome of Magic. It's well balanced and versatile.

Finally, if you go the route of psionics, Id reccomend either a psychic warrior or a psychic rogue (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723b). The psychic rogue is actually an official WotC class, just released online. It isn't homebrew. Both provide more things to do then just manifesting; if you go with a pure manifesting class (psion, wilder, or erudite) youll likely find yourself doing the same things you did as a caster.

[aphoticConniver]

I've actually been considering a Totemist build, but the Handbook on the class seems to be incomplete. Other than that, I'm definitely going to take a look at Exarch. It seems like it'll provide some fun flavor opportunities.

[Empedocles]

I've actually been considering a Totemist build, but the Handbook on the class seems to be incomplete. Other than that, I'm definitely going to take a look at Exarch. It seems like it'll provide some fun flavor opportunities.

Definitely.

If you build a handbook totemist...well...to each his own of course, but I feel like you end up just sort of hitting people a lot. It's not super exciting. Try building your own totemist, or at least just using the totemist as a sort of guide.

[Harrow]

If you want something new you may want to avoid Totemist. It gets lots of neat natural attacks, but that means all the interesting stuff is just character creation and setting up a good loadout. Once you have those, you're back to charge/full attack like most melee classes. However, that's just straight Totemist. Throw in some Lion Totem Barbarian and Totem Rager, an incarnum prestige class made for barbarian/totemist multiclassers and you becomes a spinning ball of death.

Want some Incarnum, but not a whole build based off of it? Umbral disciple. Three levels gives you +1 sneak attack, hide in plain sight, and concealment, which happen to work together quite well. Mix and match with stealth-based classes and Incarnate 'til you get the ratio you like.

Outside Incarnum; Binder. Pick and choose from a host of abilities. If you get bored of doing something, pick a different set of abilities the next day. It's like playing a whole different character. There aren't a ton in the book, but there are enough that there's more than one build you can pull off, and then add on the official web sources, homebrew from here on GitP and anything you cook up yourself and you won't have to worry about spamming the same actions ever again. Though, if you do find yourself attached to any particular vestige, Knight of the Sacred seal is worth checking out. The other two classes from the tome of magic are also great, but require a lot more optimization/work with DM to make playable.

Finally, Factotum, a base class from Dungeonscape and Chameleon, a PrC from Races of Destiny. If something needs done, you can do it. Not as well as someone who built their character around it, but if anyone in the party can be doing something at any given moment, so can you.

[aphoticConniver]

So I've been talking with my DM, and sadly the Exarch is a bit too powerful for our campaign. I'm still on the prowl for a class, but the character concept I had for him is too cool to give up.

The character is a changeling who replaced an elven child. During his childhood, his elven parents spouted nothing but stories of the ancient heroes of the realm, and he grew to admire and idolize them. He strives to do good, but upon returning to his natural form, as his elven shape is uncomfortable to stay in for extended periods of time, he finds himself craving chaos and mischief. Upon changing back, he is terrified of how much he enjoyed this rabble rousing, and vowed to do as much good as possible between these brief lapses of trickery. He is currently the "resident hero" of a small town, and is also their greatest plague at the same time.

What sort of class would fit that kind of flavor? I've been wracking my brain and I can't really come up with anything interesting besides the Exarch.

[Barsoom]

If it seems to you that you are falling into the "doing same things all over again" routine, you need to consider the possibility that it's your problem, and not your character's. Admittedly, some classes are "better" than others at encouraging routine play (Duskblade: "I attack, channeling Vampiric Touch again!", Barbarian: "I rage and charge... again", and so on.).

Still, it is possible to fall into a rut with every class. A Wizard can just cast Black Tentacles every encounter, and that's that. If that's the way a player wants to play him, of course. In your case, you have a Spirit Shaman!? The class that gets a new spell list EVERY BLOODY DAY? If this class gets you bored with repetative play, I don't really see a mechanical solution to your plight. You need to step back and think, why did you play this guy repetatively? Why didn't you try more different things? Why didn't you get a new spell list every day?

Also, involve the DM in this. Tell him that you don't want encounters that can be solved with the same mechanical ability every time. Tell him that if he sees you doing "ability X" too often, he needs to throw in more X-immune or at least X-resistance encounters. That'll help.

[aphoticConniver]

If it seems to you that you are falling into the "doing same things all over again" routine, you need to consider the possibility that it's your problem, and not your character's. Admittedly, some classes are "better" than others at encouraging routine play (Duskblade: "I attack, channeling Vampiric Touch again!", Barbarian: "I rage and charge... again", and so on.).

Still, it is possible to fall into a rut with every class. A Wizard can just cast Black Tentacles every encounter, and that's that. If that's the way a player wants to play him, of course. In your case, you have a Spirit Shaman!? The class that gets a new spell list EVERY BLOODY DAY? If this class gets you bored with repetative play, I don't really see a mechanical solution to your plight. You need to step back and think, why did you play this guy repetatively? Why didn't you try more different things? Why didn't you get a new spell list every day?

Also, involve the DM in this. Tell him that you don't want encounters that can be solved with the same mechanical ability every time. Tell him that if he sees you doing "ability X" too often, he needs to throw in more X-immune or at least X-resistance encounters. That'll help.

I mean, I suppose I could try to justify myself by saying that I've usually played a druid, so the spell list is very familiar to me and, to be honest, starting to bore me. I mean, not the idea of casting, but more the spells themselves. I want to discover new solutions to my problem.

I'm thinking about Psion, or one of the psionic classes. Would these be recommended in a mostly tier-3 game?

[Eldan]

have you tried just mixing up your spirit Shaman? Get a new book, and only take spells from that, if your standard spells bore you. Or give yourself a challenge. Take a random spell every day you have never used before and try to find a creative use for it. IF you really think you've worked your way through the Spell Compendium (I doubt it), then go into the Pathfinder SRD. You should find a few dozen new spells there.

[Big Fau]

I've actually been considering a Totemist build, but the Handbook on the class seems to be incomplete. Other than that, I'm definitely going to take a look at Exarch. It seems like it'll provide some fun flavor opportunities.

Which handbook are you reading? Sinfire (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=583)'s may not have a list of builds, but it does have all of the information you need to build a Totemist (and he can help you out if you have questions).

[Slipperychicken]

Have you considered using an Initiator/ToB class? Even a level or two can spice up melee considerably. Also gives you an excuse to shout your moves like an anime character, with your "ultimate technique" constantly being altered or given a progressively-wackier name each time you use it.