Flavorfully coolest classes/PrCs?

[Eonas]

Which classes or PrCs do you think are the coolest in terms of flavor? (Not mechanics - a wizard being able to single-handedly defeat 5 fighters of her own level is not flavorfully cool. A wizard being able to single-handedly defeat 5 fighters of her own level by summoning a demon, enhancing it to Godzilla status, and then having it crush the paste out of the poor bastards IS flavorfully cool, however.) Here are mine:

1. Shadowdancer. The whole concept of the Shadowdancer I find cool. She's somebody whose entire martial strategy is designed around flickering, transitory objects who are intangibly real - shadows. And she doesn't just sneak around in them, she DANCES in them. Her abilities are awesome, too: she gets to disappear in them, teleport from one shadow to another, and literally have a shadow as a pet! It's a real pity that mechanically the SD sucks, because that's one cool PrC.

2. Blood Magus. Most arcane disciplines perform magic in relative safety... not so the Blood Magus. A Blood Magus harms herself to perform more powerful magic, revels in blood, controls it, stores her spells in it, and then even gets to enter it (which I find is one of the more badass capstones in the game). What makes the Blood Magus fascinating is the nature of blood: it signifies wounding and pain, but also life: it's (literally) at the heart of us all. So the Blood Magus has a status not unlike the necromancer, in that he manipulates life and death itself. Which brings us to...

3. Dread Necromancer. Almost every D&D game has a necromancer as some sort of villain, and not without reason. Necromancy is one of the embodiments of evil: a Dread Necromancer bends his powers towards killing, but he also brings relife in his own shallow way. The fact that a DN gets to eventually have an undead legion, a demon familiar, and eventually become a lich is just awesome, in my opinion.

4. Dragonrider. A dragonrider rides dragons. 'Nuff said.

5. Malconvoker. A malconvoker gets to trick demons. It's like Faust, sort of.

6. Druid. Aside from the obvious 'Guardian of Nature' schtick (which is cool in and of itself), the Druid has three singularly badass abilities. First of all, the fact that a Druid gets to cause earthquakes, call storms, turn flesh into stone and stone into mud, and so on, makes him already singularly badass. Then, he gets to shape into things like an elemental the size of a house, and so on. While casting the aforementioned spells. Finally, he gets to have things like a T-Rex or Giant Bat as a pet. What's not to love?

7. Daggerspell Shaper. Okay, so we already know how cool shapeshifting is, but the idea of a dagger dual-wielding shapeshifter is just that much more awesome, in my opinion. I don't know what it is about daggers, but they're one of the most flavorfully cool weapons in D&D, in my books.

8. Fleshwarper. We have the Blood Magus already, and now we have somebody who warps flesh in a bizarre combination of Lovecraftian horror and Frankenstein-ishness. For pete's sake, you get to give your pet raven a tentacle.

9. Succubus. I guess this technically isn't a class, it's a Savage Species monster progression class, but I couldn't resist adding this in there. The succubus is an amazing monster, and not just in a titillating sort of way - a succubus is rogue-ier than an actual rogue whenever social skills are concerned. She loves wreaking chaos, and she has the power to do so: while a succubus is (justly) most famous for her kiss ability, don't forget that she has very easy access to other brilliant abilities. She can make herself appear like the king (or anybody else, for that matter), charm just about anybody, detect their thoughts detect threats, and when her dirty work goes awry, she can teleport out of danger, easy as pie. She's the queen of intrigue, manipulation, and subterfuge. She can topple entire nations and nobody need suspect that she was behind it. How is that not the coolest character concept ever?

10. Shadow Sun Ninja. Monks are intrinsically rather cool, I must say: they're like a cross between a zen master and a wire-fu martial artist, can talk to animals, and become incorporeal. But, to me, the Shadow Sun Ninja ramps up that awesome factor by about 300%. Not only is the 'balance of light and dark' thing pretty flavorful on its own (besides giving a player ample role-playing possibilities), but all the abilities are brilliant and equally cool - to me, the best part is that you get to turn into a vampire if you take your dark side too far. If you can't think of at least 5 reasons why a vampire isn't one of the cooler D&D monsters right off the cuff, there's something seriously wrong with you.


So that's my top-10 list, let's see yours!

[BowStreetRunner]

Bloodhound. Watch out Lord Baltimore - Butch & Sundance may have given you the slip, but this guy would never have lost them. He can track someone who uses pass without trace and even gets Locate Creature and Find the Path as spell-like abilities.

[Eldan]

Wizard. I love the fully Vancian magic system and the only one thatcomes close to it in mechanic interestingness in 3.5 is number two,

The Binder. The binder has the advantage over the wizard that the interesting fluff is not just implied, but built in. And unlike with the wizard, every ability they have comes with an in-built interesting legend and an RP requirement, which rocks.

[DustyBottoms]

Seconding the binder - the fluff included and the fluff available to roleplay make it a fun class in addition to a relatively strong one.

I'm also partial to the Avenging Executioner, as well...interesting fluff, although an average set of abilities.

[Venom3053000]

I like Artificer

[ZamielVanWeber]

After some thought I would like to nominate fist of Raziel. Nothing says "I hate Evil" more then massively powerful Smite Evil's. Add in Prestige Paladin and you can get in through cleric only 2 levels late and give up only 2 spells levels. (And some of the things Fist gets is nice too).

[Nettlekid]

Dragonfire Adept!! Unlike the Dragon Shaman, who is in awe of the power of dragons and seeks to gain their favor, the Dragonfire Adept recognizes their power to match that of those ferocious beasts and seeks to emulate it!

Also Truenamer, really. By speaking the raw cosmic language of the universe, you reshape it to your liking. By telling your enemy to feel pain, they feel pain. By telling your allies to heal, their wounds mend. By speaking calmly and quietly, you can rip holes in space itself. Pity about that whole skill check thing.

[Daftendirekt]

Also Truenamer, really. By speaking the raw cosmic language of the universe, you reshape it to your liking. By telling your enemy to feel pain, they feel pain. By telling your allies to heal, their wounds mend. By speaking calmly and quietly, you can rip holes in space itself. Pity about that whole skill check thing.

This. It's disappointing that it was so poorly put together, because it really does have some amazing flavor. It really reminds me of the Earthsea trilogy, in which the magic was pretty much exactly like truenaming, if truenaming was all in Draconic.

[Manly Man]

One of my favorites is actually the Frenzied Berserker. That one is willing to temporarily relinquish their sanity so as to nearly guarantee the defeat of their enemies is a lot of fun, and one of my favorite things to do, if the DM says that if it applies to Rage, then it applies to Frenzy as well, having your character see the flaws in their reasoning and the harm they can do to those they care about, then find a way to control it through the goodness of their furious hearts (Righteous Fury exalted feat) feels pretty awesome.

Illithid Savant is one of my favorites as well. Sure, Sylar only had to touch their brains, but why waste such an opportunity and/or well-balanced breakfast? I'd love to see what one of them would do if they caught that bastard, honestly, but then I would also run away for the rest of my life.

As has been mentioned, Truenamers are so up there, and just the flavor alone almost makes their terribleness kinda-sorta worth it. Because of their utter suckage mechanically, I haven't played one, but I've been tempted before.

I also really enjoy the Wuxia-themed stuff from Tome of Battle. Sure, some people claim that it just has got no good way to fit into a medieval European setting, but... have you heard some of the names they give to maneuvers, attacks, and stances in European fencing? Some of it's just as silly. That, and I'd love to have a character who genuinely calls his abilities 'Weeaboo Fightan Magic'. That nobody would take him seriously until he pounds them into the dust makes it all the more hilarious.

[Gigas Breaker]

Binder for sure for the reasons already stated.

[DementedFellow]

Truenamer have so much flavor it's really a great disservice that they are really gimped by their mechanic. Through great study they learn the words that bind the world to reality, and they are able to twist reality to their whim.

Walker in the Waste is a close second in my eyes. Being a creature of the wastes, being the heart of the wastes, and bringing the waste with you wherever you go. The abilities match the class to a T and it's amazing how cohesive the class comes across.

[erikun]

I like the shadow illusionist classes, such as the Shadowcraft Mage and the Shadowcaster, with the whole "use shadowy illusiony stuff for real effects" theme.

I'm a big fan of psionics, and have been since the early days of D&D, and so of course the whole range of Psion, Ardent, Erudite, Psychic Rogue, and Psychic Warrior really appeal to me. Imagine, psionics that work!

The way the Warlock is described, it sounds a lot like an anti-Cleric, getting powers in much the same manner but through different means and a different source. I'm a bit disappointed that it doesn't seem to behave that way. (and that the Ur-Priest is the official "anti-Cleric")

I've always been a bit of a fan of the Pyrokineticist (EPH/SRD) and the Cryokineticist (Frostburn). No, they aren't that great or that powerful, but they are still some fun concepts. I guess the Psion Uncarnate (EPH/SRD) with its turn-incorporeal abilities is also a really neat one.

...I did mention that I'm a fan of psionics, right? :smallbiggrin:

[Darth Stabber]

Jumping on the truenamer love/fail bandwagon. The way I see them they are basically characters that figured out the language the world was programmed in and has learned to do magic by screaming C++, also there are great opportunities for leaning on/breaking the fourth wall for your character (assuming he interperates his powers as confirmation of "the matrix"). Sadly his "hacks" will never compare to the "end user reality editing tool" users (casters). I actually played one of these and found out the hard way just how bad they suck, but the "deadpool antics" made it worth it.

Totemists are probably one of my favorite classes in several categories. Fluff wise the whole "venerate and emulate monster" shtick is pretty neat. On the crunch side they are a very flexible "make your own monster" class. Balance wise they do what I like doing with druids, only they won't overshadow the whole party if I don't hold back.

War weaver has some interesting fluff, they weave people together so they can hit the whole lot with a single spell. They also have MASSIVE spell efficiency and action economy efficiency (able to drop 4 spells in one action, and even the single target ones affect the entire party). It's a great way to play a very powerful wizard, and not look that powerful, you can hide all that power in you teammates. And since your buff spells get all that extra milage, you can have some very nice "panic buttons" that no one has to see until you absolutely need them. To quote my last war weaver "only the foolish or vainglorious wizard uses his power to charge headlong into battle when he could instead empower and protect those fools and gloryhounds with whom he travels".

[Petrocorus]

I like the idea of the Duskblade. I even like the name of the class. Sadly, their stupidly restrictive class spell list make them unable to actually do what they're meant to do without severe optimization.

I also have a thing for the Suel Arcanamach. I find it flavorful and versatile.
The idea of the warrior who learn ancient way to practice magic, in order to hunt arcanist, that's flavorful.
And i will add the Spellsword and the Swiftblade. They also make better gish than the Duskblade. I actually like the idea of the gish. The guy try to be a complete man and to be good at everything.

I really like the Knight Phantom with his Steed. I find it really cool.

As for base class, i'm really interesting in the Sha'Ir. The guy must bargain with genies to get spells, and he has his tiny genie to help him. The Cha-based casting and the ability tto cast some divine spell offer so many possibility to multiclass and to make flavorful character.

[Deathra13]

Jumping on the Truenamer as well, though it ties with rage mage. I just love the idea of a caster losing control of the magic energy he has harnessed and just unleashing the raw power of the arcane.

[Bethrezen]

Shadowbane Inquisitor, and to a lesser extent Grey Guard. Few things are as fun as saying things like "After the light...comes judgment!" and "From the shadows comes the Light!" while being literal about it. Or being divine-powered Batman. Either way, both are good ways of making a paladin more stealthy.

[Daftendirekt]

I like the idea of the Duskblade. I even like the name of the class. Sadly, their stupidly restrictive class spell list make them unable to actually do what their meant to do without severe optimization.


And that's where the PF Magus comes in. It drops from full BAB down to 3/4 and can only channel spells (spellstrike) into one attack, but it gets a much better spell list. And arcanas. And spell recall.

[Handsome Goblin]

I like the vigilante from 3.5, prbably because it always reminded me of batman. :smallbiggrin:

[blelliot]

I like the urban soul, that always screamed batman to me.

[Werephilosopher]

I'll join in the lovin' for binders, as well as the martial adepts. Dragonfire adept is also one of my favorites.

My favorite PRC has got to be the malconvoker. I love the idea of summoning fiends and forcing them to work for good.

[ArqArturo]

And that's where the PF Magus comes in. It drops from full BAB down to 3/4 and can only channel spells (spellstrike) into one attack, but it gets a much better spell list. And arcanas. And spell recall.

And the mechanics/fluff of the bladebound is really awesome. One of my players in my PF game is a Magus, and his background is that he is an archeologist with a military bent (think of a more aggressive Indiana Jones), and he told me that he wanted that his Blackblade to not be a magical relic, but a technological one. So his falcata actually has an infant AI, and the related arcana abilities of his weapon are nanomachines adapting to the magical environment.

My 3.5 fluff flavor goes both for the Sacred Exorcist prestige class, and the Warmage class. I imagine the Sacred Exorcists like the Witcher: Traveling warriors with enough knowledge in the divine to seek out and hunt fiends and ghosts, and beating the crap out of them with both spell and steel.

And warmages... What's not to love about a military boot-camp of a bunch of warmage trainees being drilled to cast 5th level spells on day one?.

[Petrocorus]

And that's where the PF Magus comes in. It drops from full BAB down to 3/4 and can only channel spells (spellstrike) into one attack, but it gets a much better spell list. And arcanas. And spell recall.

It's when i read your post quoting mine that i saw my awful grammatical mistake. Edited.

On topic, i played Basic D&D, i started playing elves when all elves were warrior-mages. And i like that idea (of the warrior-mage, not of the lack of diversity), even if i didn't like the level limitation. So i really enjoyed when i first read the Duskblade class. Then i read the spell list, and i enjoyed much less. And with all the other options out there to build gishes, the class end up being quite lame.
A notable option is the Spellsword who is quite similar to the Duskblade in fluff and features. If i wanted to play a Duskblade, i would play Ranger 1/ Fighter 1/ Wizard 4/ Spellsword 10 and call myself a Duskblade 16.

[IronFist]

Binder, for all the reasons everyone has already said
Duskblade, because gish
Ghostwalker, for all the mystery and western feel
Rogue, for being the one class that's truly about wits vs the world
Telflammar Shadowlord, because NIghtcrawler
Truenamer, also for all the reasons everyone has already said
Warlock, because UNLIMITED MAGIC POWER!

Also, when it comes to Pathfinder: Inquisitor, Magus, Red Mantis Assassin, Synthesist

[Daftendirekt]

And the mechanics/fluff of the bladebound is really awesome. One of my players in my PF game is a Magus, and his background is that he is an archeologist with a military bent (think of a more aggressive Indiana Jones), and he told me that he wanted that his Blackblade to not be a magical relic, but a technological one. So his falcata actually has an infant AI, and the related arcana abilities of his weapon are nanomachines adapting to the magical environment.


I may need to steal this concept. Super cool.

[Petrocorus]

I also like the flavour of the Soulknife. Too bad the mechanics were so poorly written.

[Humble Master]

Tome of Battle in general is pretty flavorful.
Binder and Truenamer, as said above, are both very delicious
Gish classes in general have always had a place in my heart

[IronFist]

I also like the flavour of the Soulknife. Too bad the mechanics were so poorly written.

Pathfinder Soulknife (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/soulknife), to the rescue!

[asnys]

I'm fond of paladins, illusionists, and spellthieves. Also, I like the idea of the Initiate of the Seven-Fold Veil, even if its existing fluff is lacking.

[Ninja_Grand]

I give my vote to the odd ball out. Ghost Faced Killer. For me its more fluffy then a kitten.

Thats my 2cp

[Eonas]

I give my vote to the odd ball out. Ghost Faced Killer. For me its more fluffy then a kitten.

Thats my 2cp

Oh, wow, that is pretty cool.

[DMVerdandi]

Erudite
(Instead of a meditant like the psion, this is a psychic wizard, using science and research to master psionics, rather than introspection. My favorite class because of how it works. Even the base erudite is cooler than a cucumber to me, although I prefer the convert spell to power erudite.)



Warmage

(I enjoy the idea of a mage who is taught military style magic, and that alone. Interestingly enough, mechanically, it teaches evocation only, even when war is fought on a plethora of fronts, and the wizard spell list is leagues better for someone at war. From truely looking at it, the wizard IS a warmage. The sorc/wiz spell list is highly offensive for killing's sake, great in the field, and generalized enough to be taught on a military scale, while allowing for maximum usefullness. Perhaps if the warmage got the wizard's list...)

Artificer

(The tinkerer. I am surprised it took so long for this class to be made. Years and years. Decades went by before someone said "what if your class was to make magic items?". Classes like the magister imitated what could be done, but it wasn't done RIGHT until the artificer came along. Now one could be inspired by vulcan, and CRAFT!!! Engineering ftw. Sadly, crafting in 3.5 is murderous. The resources needed [$,XP,HRS] are really, unrelentingly harsh.)


Fighter
( A fighter. Mechanically It falls short of how I would have liked, though. I think it's because ultimately, feats aren't that great. I don't really care for the over fluffing of warblades, but had a martial fighter been the norm... I cannot say I wouldn't have been maining those all along. The non-fluff allows one to do whatever they wish with it. It is always the classes with the most fluff that are in my opinion, the least enjoyable. The fault of the fighter, is they have no crunch either. )

[ArqArturo]

Warmage

(I enjoy the idea of a mage who is taught military style magic, and that alone. Interestingly enough, mechanically, it teaches evocation only, even when war is fought on a plethora of fronts, and the wizard spell list is leagues better for someone at war. From truely looking at it, the wizard IS a warmage. The sorc/wiz spell list is highly offensive for killing's sake, great in the field, and generalized enough to be taught on a military scale, while allowing for maximum usefullness. Perhaps if the warmage got the wizard's list...)

This is why I treat Warmages more like Archers, or the light artillery, than an actual spellcaster. However, the one advantage they have over the beguiler and the dread necromancer (the other two 'I know all the list' spellcasters) is that they lose less when they multiclass/get feat options that give them more spells. This is actually a pretty interesting plus, if you ask me.

[Manly Man]

I give my vote to the odd ball out. Ghost Faced Killer. For me its more fluffy then a kitten.

Thats my 2cp

I had gone and made a scarecrow playable race, and this was the choice of the first player to use them. He was, to say the least, really good at the 'Killer' part of his job.

[Daftendirekt]

I give my vote to the odd ball out. Ghost Faced Killer. For me its more fluffy then a kitten.

Thats my 2cp

It's even decent mechanically as well!

[Grayson01]

I would have to go with:
Favored Soul: The whole Chosen and smiled on by a diety thing to me just sets off so many Charcter Ideas.
Rouge: the fluff leads to so many ways to have a slanted view of the world
Soulknife: Making a weapon out of your mind it just kinda BA!
Dragon Shaman: The whole veneration of Dragons concept has so many RP IDeas.
Arcane Archer: I love the idea of blending Arcane Magic and Blasting away with a a bow. i wish they would have made a Divine verison and dropped the race requirment.
STORM LORD!!!! I love the idea of running around revaling in the destroction and crazyness of storms. And Also making my DM roll to determine the weather every Game Day so that in thunder storms my Character can run around with his long spear in the air trying to get struck by lighting.
and on the Next page Shinning Blade of ________ god! it's just cool

[Novawurmson]

PF Oracle and Witch. I really didn't like the 3.5 way of giving more primal societies Clerics and Wizards. Having real medicine man/shaman is great.

Bit of a clear crowd favorite, but the Binder. Probably the best fluff for a class ever.

The Aegis, because who doesn't like summoning an evolving, power-enhancing suit of energy?

The Factotum. It can do most things long enough to fake them convincingly, but the bit about worshiping most gods (just to be safe) is hilarious.

I'm also with Grayson01 - The Storm Lord is absolutely amazing, for fluff at least.

[limejuicepowder]

One of my first books was complete warrior, so it follows that two of my favorite classes are kensai and dervish. Fluff and power, I really like those two.

Until warblades came out, I think kensai were the best class for a samurai build. The oath, the superweapon, the gaining power through meditation...awesome stuff.

As for the dervish...well ever since I read that class I've wanted to play a dervish that sacrifices himself to hold back a horde. "I may have stayed here to die, but you will not have my head so easily...I will dance to the end"

[Eonas]

As for the dervish...well ever since I read that class I've wanted to play a dervish that sacrifices himself to hold back a horde. "I may have stayed here to die, but you will not have my head so easily...I will dance to the end"

... I so want to try that now.

[XmonkTad]

Its Dragon, but the charlatan and as a close second, the evangelist.
They talk and talk and you don't just believe them, you change your alignment and attitude. These guys are the kings of the "don't listen to him talk" roost. Your enemies are now your friends, and your friends all have earplugs, lest they violate their code of conduct (again). They're the mental realm only truenamers.

[Kane0]

In no particular order.

1. Wu Jen
2. Binder
3. Effigy Master
4. Wild Mage
5. Shadowbane Inquisitor
6. Hexblade
7. Order of the Bow Initiate
8. Tatooed Monk
9. Shadow Sun Ninja
10. Jade Phoenix Mage / Eternal Blade

[Silverbit]

I'll echo everyone else and say Binder. Preferably Naberius; crane/dog with a gravelly voice FTW!

Besides that, Warlock. The wizard works and studies for his power, sorcerers get it in their blood, bards sing and clerics pray but you, and only you*, dared to make a deal with something beyond your comprehension to give you limitless eldritch power.

*Well, you and DragComp Mountebank.

[Grayson01]

OH EVANGELIST!!!! Anotehr great one!


Its Dragon, but the charlatan and as a close second, the evangelist.
They talk and talk and you don't just believe them, you change your alignment and attitude. These guys are the kings of the "don't listen to him talk" roost. Your enemies are now your friends, and your friends all have earplugs, lest they violate their code of conduct (again). They're the mental realm only truenamers.

[Incanur]

Sword-&-sword aesthetics continue to appeal to me. I find the favor of the duskblade and hexblade compelling. For a time I was mildly obsessed with hexblades.

[Ninja_Grand]

Geometer and Shair (Dragon) enter the fray.