3.0 outsider

[stenver1010]

Hey everybody

I would like to know if there is any point to become an outsider for human cleric?

I can see that i would get darkvision and martial weapon proficiency.. but thats it

I would also gain weaknesses - i cant be raised, i can be affected with anti outsider spells

Why do people praise becoming an outsider?

[Telonius]

There are a few good points to becoming a native outsider - I believe those were first described in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Their deal is that they get most of the benefits without the drawbacks. They can be raised, they can't be dismissed from the material plane, they're not subject to things like Hold Person (that affect only humanoids).

Outsider is also one of the few "good" monster hitdice. Lots of goodies compared with, say, Magical Beast or Animal.

[stenver1010]

But if i take a prestige class and reach the level that makes me an outsider, then i still dont start getting outsider HD, do i?

I still progress levels normally, right?

[Crake]

it depends on what kind of outsider. If you're say an Aasimar, you can still be raised, because you have the (Native) subtype. On the other hand, you become immune to a large variety of spells that only target humanoids, like hold/charm/dominate person (they now need to use the monster variant to affect you). The free martial weapon proficiency is also quite nice on most characters, and can help qualify for some classes if necessary.

[stenver1010]

Thanks. Native outsider said it all!

[Chronos]

There are other advantages to having the Outsider type, though they're more relevant for wizards than for clerics. The Alter Self spell, for instance, can only change you into a creature of the same type as yourself, and there are a lot more good forms available as an Outsider than as a Humanoid.

[Vaz]

Without Metamorphic Transfer or Assume Su ability, Outsider forms lower than 5 HD aren't brilliant; it is Polymorph which gets best use out it (with the above, Visilight is my favourite bar-none).

Alter Self is best on Aberration (or Monstrous Humanoid for Anthropomorphic Giant Squid) where you can get a stupidly high number of attacks. (get it on the transformation domain and combine woth Divine Power).