Awesome One-trick pony character classes (base or prestige)? [Archive]

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Quirken

2013-04-29, 07:11 PM

I like to have really unusual D&D characters, so I go crazy finding obscure/weird classes. But I've been doing this for a few years, and so it's getting harder to find things that satisfy my sense of novelty.

I want to make a new character that has some single "thing" that defines him. Silly is good, but not necessary. Goal is to have something playable, useful, and entertaining without being overwhelming/confusing.

(We're starting at level 2)

My DM is extremely flexible for sourcebooks - homebrew is okay if it's reasonable.

It's OK if that defining ability or characteristic comes from a race (LA or not).

In particular, I really like classes that grant abilities you can't normally get, or are hard to find.

Also, while I am something of a minmaxer, I'm prefer builds that don't use more than a single 1-level dip.

A few examples of characters I've had:

half-orc paladin. Very dumb, but friendly.
fiend of possession (my character spent a lot of time ethereal, not as much time actually possessing)
"mole" character (a burrowing rogue that would pop up to attack)
cleric/ordained champion/bone knight - tanky tank with some cool flavor and easy to remember offensive abilities
truenamer - skill-based mage. cool idea, not balanced well in practice

There's an incredible (and overwhelming) list of base classes here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241689 but skimming through, only a couple stood out (like Chaos Mage)

Any suggestions for weird, zany, unusual classes or character concepts?

One idea I found googling old forum posts was an ogre rogue - the joke being he's too big to hide. Not the most interesting gameplay wise, but funny enough for role playing that it'd work

Story

2013-04-29, 07:19 PM

Have you tried Bubs The Commoner yet?

Handle Animal would be boosted much more easily with a one level Marshall dip, but then you wouldn't have the fun of being a pure classed Commoner.

ben-zayb

2013-04-30, 10:33 PM

ShneekeyTheLost

2013-04-30, 10:42 PM

Well, my build Takahashi no Onisan probably qualifies here. Look in my sig for a link to his character sheet.

He is the scariest samurai alive.

Now, this is the Samurai class found in Complete Warrior, the class that can make a solid argument for being the weakest base class ever intended to be played by a PC (thus, excepting NPC classes). In fact, there are NPC classes more powerful than this class.

In brief, what this build does, is focus on Intimidate. He has a class ability from Samurai 10 that allows him to Intimidate all opponents within 30' of him. Now he takes the feat Imperious Command from Drow of the Underdark to make anyone intimidated by him Cowering. Then the Fearful enchantment from the same sourcebook to allow him to do so as a Move action.

Then you skill-stack. You can actually get quite a bit more ridiculous, if you are willing to use an Item Familiar.

In brief, if you are not immune to Fear, and are within 30' of him, you are cowering. With no chance of avoiding it, unless you are Mindless.

However, for a full BAB class, he's got absolutely pathetic attack bonuses and damage numbers. It generally takes him around ten to twenty turns to finally kill someone off, just because his damage and attack numbers are so pathetic.

So while he is, literally, the scariest samurai alive, he's also the weakest threat to your health and well being.

Than

2013-04-30, 10:42 PM

Well, there is always Kord the Magical (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195049) and Fistbeard Beardfist (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116838).

The Viscount

2013-05-01, 12:27 AM

Iron Chef has produced some rather interesting concepts such as Spoons McGee (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9940342&postcount=171), who kills you with spoons, Pumpkinhead (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12203710&postcount=308), the half-ogre who's not too big to sneak, and (to toot my own horn a bit) Tacgnol (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14723588&postcount=100), the guy with the longest reach I've seen in the game.

Quirken

2013-05-01, 04:08 PM

Well I guess absurd builds are a subset of one-trick pony concepts. So here are some crazy ones:

Those were hilarious. Thanks!

I'm looking for playable but entertaining build ideas, so most of these are too over-the-top or rules-abusey, but there's some useful ideas in those. Like the jumplomancer - it'd be fun to have a stupid fast character, and then just not abuse the rules too much.

I dig the idea of the silly intimidation checks, but it would probably only be funny for one or two sessions. Plus my DM probably wouldn't allow it :(

The barbarian wizard is a great concept. I might try that :)

Those were some cool builds The Viscount, but not likely to get past my DM. Although I could probably have a rogue that used spoons, and just stat them as daggers.

Thanks everyone!

Barsoom

2013-05-01, 04:35 PM

Well I guess absurd builds are a subset of one-trick pony concepts. So here are some crazy ones:
Chuck E. Cheese (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2548.0): The fastest. Period. Oh, he has a wicked Jump check too.
The Jumplomancer (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19870138/The_Jumplomancer_-_are_you_serious): A weaker, but simpler, acrobatic freakshow than Chuck.
The Assplomancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238255): He'll tear you a new one and you're gonna love him for it.
The Trouserfang Dwarf (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19860262/The_Trouserfang_Dwarf:_A_Rebirth): You've heard of those stuff like "curing people with venom"? This "Snakes on a Dwarf" build fits the concept quite nicely
The Lightning Thief (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142080): Put yourself and anything else, anywhere (well, almost)
All great ideas, but the Jumpomancer doesn't work.

Your Jump check is modified by your speed. If your speed is 30 feet then no modifier based on speed applies to the check. If your speed is less than 30 feet, you take a -6 penalty for every 10 feet of speed less than 30 feet. If your speed is greater than 30 feet, you gain a +4 bonus for every 10 feet beyond 30 feet.

You may also sprint as a cheetah: Once per hour you may move 10 times your normal speed as part of a charge.
As you can see, Cheetah's Speed doesn't actually change your base speed - which is what the Jump skill is concerned about. It merely modifies the rule of "move x2 your speed as part of a charge" into "move x10 your speed as part of a charge". The numeric value of "your speed" is unchanged.

koboldish

2013-05-01, 05:52 PM

Look at some of the articles Mr. Burlew has on this site. Bottom of the "gaming" section of the left sidebar. My personal favorite was the Halfling Skip-Rock Champion. It seems balanced(ish), and I am going to try it out in the next game I play in. I may add a 2 level barbarian dip for kicks and giggles...

Bonzai

2013-05-01, 06:43 PM

Human/Unseelie Fey (Dragon Magazine Compendium) Hexblade 7/ Black Guard 3/ Hexblade 10

Choose the Winter Chill ability from Unseelie fey. Also take the Dark Companion alternative class feature from the PH2.

Also you will want to take the following feats; Dreadful wrath (PGtFR), Bind Vestige & Improved Bind Vestige (ToM), Netherese Battle Curse (LEoF), and Brutal Strike (PH2), as well as power attack, cleave, and improved sunder to get into black guard.

So... lets add up what everything does.

Features

Winter Chill: All living, non-fey within 5ft take a moral penalty to their saves equal to your Charisma modifier.

Hex Blade Curse: You won't have the dire version, but will have the greater version, which is a -4 penalty to saves, attacks, damage, skill, and ability rolls.

Dark Companion: Replaces your familiar. It gives a -2 to saves and Ac to enemies within 5ft.

Aura of Despair: -2 to saves on enemies adjacent to you.

Feats

Bind Vestige & Improved Bind Vestige: You want Focalor's Aura of Sadness, which gives you a 5ft aura that gives -2 to saves, attacks, and skill checks.

Dreadful Wrath: When you charge, cast a spell, or full attack, enemies close by have to make a save or be shaken (-2 to a bunch of stuff).

Brutal Strike: Use as part of a power attack, if they fail a check, they become sickened (Also a -2 penalty to a bunch of stuff).

Netherese Battle Curse: Sacrifice a spell, and make an attack with an attack bonus equal to spell sacrificed. If it lands, they have to make a save or take a -2 penalty to a bunch of stuff.

So add it all up. Most things adjacent to you will be debuffed -6 plus your charisma mod to saves, and -2 to ac, attack rolls, and skill checks. Charge the biggest threat, triggering dreadful wrath, brutal strike, and Netherese battle curse as part of your charge. Then hit them with your Hexblade curse. If all goes well, the target will be debuffed by -16 (plus Charisma modifier) to saves, -12 to attack rolls, -10 to damage rolls, -12 to skill checks, -10 to ability checks, and -2 to AC.

You are now an enabler for the party. Combats will be less dangerous, and aside from SR casters spells will almost always succeed. What I like about it, is that even passively, you are providing a significant de-buff. Outside of de-buffing, you are full BAB. Unseelie Fey gives you some nice bonuses including DR. Blackguard also gives you +Charisma to saves, which you should max out anyway. Combined with Mettle, aura of unluck, etc... and you have a lot of nifty defensive abilities as well. Overall I like the build a lot, but DM's may hate it once they see it in action.