[3.5 Character Concept] A Frosty Dwarf

[tadkins]

Came up with this random character concept earlier that seems to really stick out in my head, so I would like to expand on this, perhaps even play it in a 3.5 game one day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/Kayoss/screenshot_110_zps1bb0d33c.jpg

I'm thinking about some sort of arctic/ice themed dwarven melee powerhouse with a bit of cold-themed spellcasting. Guessing Cleric would probably work well for this, representing the power of his frozen mountain home.

Assuming most of the typical stuff would be allowed/disallowed (likely no Dragon Magazine such, etc), what would be a cool way to optimize this character and keep it loyal to the thematic concept?

If I missed some info please let me know and I'll update. Thanks in advance.

[Tegannie]

My only advice would be to see if the prestige classes elemental warrior (in complete warrior, I think. correction: it's in the Planar Handbook) or elemental savant (if you want to focus on spell casting. it's in complete arcane) would be good.

[MilesTiden]

Well, although it's not really an 'optimal' choice, Disciple of Thrym from Frostburn fits fairly well. Alternately, you could go with your standard buffzilla cleric into Winterhaunt of Iborighu, from the same book. Or something.

[tadkins]

My only advice would be to see if the prestige classes elemental warrior (in complete warrior, I think. correction: it's in the Planar Handbook) or elemental savant (if you want to focus on spell casting. it's in complete arcane) would be good.

Elemental Savant seems like it might work (as it progresses spellcasting). I'd be a cleric focusing on melee but it would be nice not to sacrifice a lot of spellcasting ability either.


Well, although it's not really an 'optimal' choice, Disciple of Thrym from Frostburn fits fairly well. Alternately, you could go with your standard buffzilla cleric into Winterhaunt of Iborighu, from the same book. Or something.

I should have mentioned that I want to give the character a good alignment, so Iborighu and Thrym's very evil selves are definitely out I'm afraid. xD

As a dwarf I'd be more inclined to lawful good, unfortunately the only deity I could find with the Cold domain on that side of the spectrum was Bahamut, and I'm not sure how well that'd fit for a dwarf.

[Feytalist]

You'll want Arctic dwarf from Races of Faerun, then.

They're Small, though. But that could work to your advantage.

[Person_Man]

This is an old build of mine that may fit the concept you're looking for:

Frozen Dwarf Hulk Smash!!!

Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Any Full BAB class 3/Fist of the Forest 1/Deepwarden 2/Frostrager 3

Lion Totem Barbarian: Grants Rage and Pounce.

Fist of the Forest: Con to AC when unarmored. Increased unarmed damage. Ranger Skills and other minor bonuses, including a Ferocity effect that adds an attack and stacks with Rage. And the PrC can be entered early, as soon as ECL 5. Complete Champion.

Deepwarden 2: Replace Dex bonus with Con bonus to AC. Requires that you be a Dwarf. Races of Stone.

Frostrager: Increased AC and unarmed damage when in Rage. Healed by Cold damage when in a Rage. Frostburn.

Putting this together, at ECL 10, you get:

Pounce (using the Complete Champion Lion Totem Barbarian variant).
Con to AC twice when unarmored.
Healed by Cold damage.
Lots of other minor bonuses and perks.

Have your best arcane caster friend take Energy Substitution (Cold) and dump Cold Fireballs into the middle of the battlefield. Buy some magic bracers or whatnot items to improve your AC even further - it'd be easy to get to 30-40ish by mid levels.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Use Cleric with the Cold domain and the PH2 spontaneous domain casting ACF for it. That's plenty of cold spellcasting.

Use DMM: Persist with Ice Axe (SC), which is your melee cold damage. Add on Fell Drain Spell if you want so you deal a negative level per hit, but any one opponent will only receive one negative level from it in a given round.

If you want to break the game, get the Winter domain from Frostburn, and make everyone in the party pitch in 2,000 gp for a 1st level Pearl of Power and to go in thirds for Lesser Rods of Extend. Use those to put Extended Snowsight on everyone including yourself for only a single 1st level spell slot. Everyone in the party who can cast it should have (Extended) Obscuring Snow constantly active, from that same book.

[tadkins]

You'll want Arctic dwarf from Races of Faerun, then.

They're Small, though. But that could work to your advantage.

Do you think the UA Arctic Dwarf would work just as well? Seems like it's a bit more adaptable, plus it doesn't have the +LA.

Was looking around and Frost Dwarf from PH would work pretty well too, just a shame they're all chaotic evil.


This is an old build of mine that may fit the concept you're looking for:

Frozen Dwarf Hulk Smash!!!

Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Any Full BAB class 3/Fist of the Forest 1/Deepwarden 2/Frostrager 3

Lion Totem Barbarian: Grants Rage and Pounce.

Fist of the Forest: Con to AC when unarmored. Increased unarmed damage. Ranger Skills and other minor bonuses, including a Ferocity effect that adds an attack and stacks with Rage. And the PrC can be entered early, as soon as ECL 5. Complete Champion.

Deepwarden 2: Replace Dex bonus with Con bonus to AC. Requires that you be a Dwarf. Races of Stone.

Frostrager: Increased AC and unarmed damage when in Rage. Healed by Cold damage when in a Rage. Frostburn.

Putting this together, at ECL 10, you get:

Pounce (using the Complete Champion Lion Totem Barbarian variant).
Con to AC twice when unarmored.
Healed by Cold damage.
Lots of other minor bonuses and perks.

Have your best arcane caster friend take Energy Substitution (Cold) and dump Cold Fireballs into the middle of the battlefield. Buy some magic bracers or whatnot items to improve your AC even further - it'd be easy to get to 30-40ish by mid levels.


Use Cleric with the Cold domain and the PH2 spontaneous domain casting ACF for it. That's plenty of cold spellcasting.

Use DMM: Persist with Ice Axe (SC), which is your melee cold damage. Add on Fell Drain Spell if you want so you deal a negative level per hit, but any one opponent will only receive one negative level from it in a given round.

If you want to break the game, get the Winter domain from Frostburn, and make everyone in the party pitch in 2,000 gp for a 1st level Pearl of Power and to go in thirds for Lesser Rods of Extend. Use those to put Extended Snowsight on everyone including yourself for only a single 1st level spell slot. Everyone in the party who can cast it should have (Extended) Obscuring Snow constantly active, from that same book.

Both of these sound like awesome options, thank you guys. :)

I will keep these referenced and use them according to what a given party I join might need, whether it's a bruiser or a divine caster.

[ksbsnowowl]

Was looking around and Frost Dwarf from [Planar Handbook] would work pretty well too, just a shame they're all chaotic evil."Always [alignment X]" only means the vast majority, like 99%, are that alignment. They can still be of another alignment, especially if they don't have a subtype (but even then, they can).

I'm away from my books at the moment, but will try to find and source the quote tonight.

Edit: From the Monster Manual glossary.



Alignment:This line in a monster entry gives the alignment that the creature is most likely to have. Every entry includes a qualifier that indicates how broadly that alignment applies to all monsters of that kind.
Always: The creature is born with the indicated alignment. The creature may have a hereditary predisposition to the alignment or come from a plane that predetermines it. It is possible for individuals to change alignment, but such individuals are either unique or rare exceptions.
Usually: The majority (more than 50%) of these creatures have the given alignment. This may be due to strong cultural influences, or it may be a legacy of the creatures’ origin. For example, most elves inherited their chaotic good alignment from their creator, the deity Corellon Larethian.
Often: The creature tends toward the given alignment, either by nature or nurture, but not strongly. A plurality (40–50%) of individuals have the given alignment, but exceptions are common.

[tadkins]

"Always [alignment X]" only means the vast majority, like 99%, are that alignment. They can still be of another alignment, especially if they don't have a subtype (but even then, they can).



Extraplanar would be a subtype though, wouldn't it? I know it's not Outsider so I can't really say if frost dwarves were born with literal evil in their being. Though, it does say they do come from the Abyss, so it's tough to say.

[LOTRfan]

I'd interpret it this way; their humanoids with souls, and descendants from Dwarves (specifically Duergar) abducted from the Material Plane, so I don't think they should necessarily be any more naturally evil than any other dwarf. It's their environment that drives them to their racial inclination of Chaotic Evil.

[tadkins]

I'd interpret it this way; their humanoids with souls, and descendants from Dwarves (specifically Duergar) abducted from the Material Plane, so I don't think they should necessarily be any more naturally evil than any other dwarf. It's their environment that drives them to their racial inclination of Chaotic Evil.

Makes sense. So it's not too far-fetched to say that one managed to break away from all that and became, say, chaotic good?

[ksbsnowowl]

Extraplanar would be a subtype though, wouldn't it? I know it's not Outsider so I can't really say if frost dwarves were born with literal evil in their being. Though, it does say they do come from the Abyss, so it's tough to say.

I was talking about alignment subtypes, not subtypes in general. Sorry for my ambiguity.

[tadkins]

I was talking about alignment subtypes, not subtypes in general. Sorry for my ambiguity.

Yep I was a bit confused for a sec as well, so I looked back and noticed that frost dwarves didn't have the evil subtype, like all demons do.