help me with my character (3.x)

[Somensjev]

ok, i'm not sure entirely what i'm doing with this thread :smalleek: but, i wanted to post up a concept for a character (and a couple guidelines) and see what class/race/what-have-you people think might be able to fit that concept (dips/prc are fine)


restrictions:
level 7
LE
that is all


idea: i want someone who's able to use magic (or psionic powers, or other things) but still be able to wade into combat, i'd prefer not to be restricted in my alignment, so that it can develop with my character, i don't care if i'm optimised or not, it doesn't bother me


thanks in advance for any responses, and i may or may not steal an idea i like, but in reality, i'll probably steal parts from different things, and throw them together :smalltongue:

[Particle_Man]

Cleric 7

You can wear heavy armour and shield and use 1d8 damage weapons.

You can cast divine favour and divine power to up your combat ability.

You have other spells that do various cool things.

You have 2 domains to give you more spells and a few cool abilities (travel is nice to avoid grapples, and luck is good for rerolls).

Oh, and you can rebuke (and occasionally control) undead, which is useful for all sorts of things.

[Particle_Man]

Another option (since I personally like the flavour) is to look in the book Magic of Incarnum.

Duskling race.
3 levels of Cleric (Law and Incarnum as domains)
2 levels of Totemist (you could get away with 1 if you want another level of Cleric, but the totem binding is cool!)
2+ levels of Sapphire Hierarch.

Now you have some cleric stuff and some natural attacks stuff (through soulmelds).

But this may be a bit fiddly if you are starting out. There is nothing wrong with cleric 7.

[Somensjev]

Another option (since I personally like the flavour) is to look in the book Magic of Incarnum.

Duskling race.
3 levels of Cleric (Law and Incarnum as domains)
2 levels of Totemist (you could get away with 1 if you want another level of Cleric, but the totem binding is cool!)
2+ levels of Sapphire Hierarch.

Now you have some cleric stuff and some natural attacks stuff (through soulmelds).

But this may be a bit fiddly if you are starting out. There is nothing wrong with cleric 7.

i dont mind the fiddly things, and that looks fun, i just have one (very minor) problem with it, read below


Cleric 7

You can wear heavy armour and shield and use 1d8 damage weapons.

You can cast divine favour and divine power to up your combat ability.

You have other spells that do various cool things.

You have 2 domains to give you more spells and a few cool abilities (travel is nice to avoid grapples, and luck is good for rerolls).

Oh, and you can rebuke (and occasionally control) undead, which is useful for all sorts of things.

dont you have to stay within a certain number of steps from your god's alignment? (i guess you could say you worship a cause, and argue that it's all alignments at once?)

[Cranthis]

The two most out of the can Melee-wading magic users are Cleric and Duskblade. Clerics are all about buffing themselves, at least melee ones, and killing enemies abit slower, but being hard to kill. Duskblades, on the other hand, are all about the offense. They take less hits than the Cleric, but the damage output is substantially higher.

So the next question is, do you want to be a more defensive or offensive?

[Somensjev]

The two most out of the can Melee-wading magic users are Cleric and Duskblade. Clerics are all about buffing themselves, at least melee ones, and killing enemies abit slower, but being hard to kill. Duskblades, on the other hand, are all about the offense. They take less hits than the Cleric, but the damage output is substantially higher.

So the next question is, do you want to be a more defensive or offensive?

i didnt consider that yet, i guess i'd prefer to be able to swap between offensive/defensive on a day to day basis, but that might not be practical?

i think i'd prefer offensive, if i had to choose just one

[Cranthis]

Cleric is abit better for options. You do get all the way up to ninth level spells and whatnot. But you said you don't care about optimization, so I'd just take a look over both classes and pick what you like best.

[Somensjev]

Cleric is abit better for options. You do get all the way up to ninth level spells and whatnot. But you said you don't care about optimization, so I'd just take a look over both classes and pick what you like best.

for me it's a question of "which one opens more options later?"
i assume the answer to that would be cleric, since there's lots of domains, gods, spells, prc's, etc (however i might be incorrect)

[gorfnab]

Psychic Warriors can make decent melee tanks.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

LE, use magic and still be able to wade into melee....

Human Cleric of Zarus (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20041203a&page=1), start out Cleric 5/ Divine Oracle 2 with the Strength and War domains. Trade spontaneous inflicts with spontaneous domain casting (PH2), and trade your Strength domain power for the ability to spontaneously cast the Restoration line of spells per the Dungeonscape ACF. Say you visited the Frog God's Fane detailed in Complete Scoundrel to get the feat prerequisite for Divine Oracle for 2,000 gp without having to spend a feat on it. Wear full plate and swing a Greatsword.

Your final build should be Cleric 6/ Divine Oracle 4/ Contemplative 10. Get the Law and Destiny domains from Contemplative. Use Divine Metamagic: Persistent Spell with Divine Power, Mass Lesser Vigor, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, Choose Destiny, etc.

[Particle_Man]

dont you have to stay within a certain number of steps from your god's alignment? (i guess you could say you worship a cause, and argue that it's all alignments at once?)

Well your OP said LE which I took to be Lawful Evil. Just find a LN, LE or NE god and you are golden. Wee Jas is not too bad, or Hextor.

Or just have no god and be any alignment you want. ;)

[Somensjev]

Well your OP said LE which I took to be Lawful Evil. Just find a LN, LE or NE god and you are golden. Wee Jas is not too bad, or Hextor.

Or just have no god and be any alignment you want. ;)

i want to start at LE but it's highly possible that i'll drift to a different alignment

[Xerlith]

Some ideas:

ToB:
Crusader1/Cleric (of Wee Jas)4/Ruby Knight Vindicator2 (Casts as Cleric 5) -as long as you stay lawful, it's okay

Swordsage 7 (Has supernatural "magic" maneuvers) - no alignment restrictions

Crusader4/Cleric (of Wee Jas)1/Ruby Knight Vindicator2 (Casts as Cleric 2)



non-ToB:
Paladin of Tyranny3/Hexblade3/Suel Arcanamach1 (If you lose alignment, you lose abilities)

Hexblade3/Duskblade3/Suel Arcanamach1 (You are free to change your alignment to whatever you wish)

Duskblade7 (why not, melee nuker)

Cleric4/Ordained Champion3 (Hextor!)

[Particle_Man]

Psychic Warriors can make decent melee tanks.

+1. They are well-balanced for the classic fighter/magic-user split.

[XmonkTad]

A warlock with eldrich glaive can magic all day. At level 7 you get to choose between infinite flight, unlimited dimension doors, or raising zombies. Not as adaptable as cleric, but more magical than duskblade. If you can buy partially charged wands from magicmart™ then you can take 10 on using them. Only uses light armour though.

For something a little hardier, monk 1/warlock 4/Enlightened Fist 3 with eldrich claw (dragon mag source) and sun school (CWar) can teleport around all day and instantly smack whatever you show up next to. Lots of fun with a mindbender dip for mindsight. The build doesn't really come online until level 8 though.