[3.5] Help building a strange party

[Zweisteine]

I'm going to be starting an adventure at level 5 in which I will be playing the entire 4-character party. I wanted to try something different, though, rather than have a couple of standard* character concepts. I kind of want to play a chaotic party that can travel unnoticed (invisible too!) and wreak havoc for their benefit, whether on monsters or towns (but not innocent bystanders).

*standard = very common; boring/straightforward; like a basic race/class combo

These were my rolls (I'll use 4 sets):
18, 15, 14, 14, 12, 12

17, 16, 15, 14, 10, 10

17, 13, 12, 12, 11, 10

16, 15, 12, 12, 12, 10

16, 14, 13, 13, 12, 8

The one character I decided on with certainty was a Pixie Warlock, because it sounds cool/fun/scary and I haven't played one before.

Other things I've considered using, but can't decide how, if I do.

The half-fey template class (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a)

The ghost template class (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a)

Half-Fey Enchanter = spam charm person, and can get mindspy->mindsight

The LA 0 templates (magic-blooded, arctic, primordial giant). Unseelie fey also looks cool, but it doesn't have a proper LA, and seems a bit strong for LA 0.

Whisper Gnome

the Troll-blooded feat (paired with fire/acid immunity!)

Swiftblade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327) and/or Abjurant champion, especially if there's a way into Swiftblade before level 7.

I was thinking about playing a Whisper Gnome Focused Illusionist/Master Specialist, but then I remembered the Shadowcraft Mage and Shadowcrafter classes, which sound even more fun. Beguiler is cool too, but that doesn't get the racial substitution to get more illusions.

In case I get into melee, I was thinking about having a Primordial Half-Giant gish of some sort, and using Troll-blooded (and diehard) to be mostly damage-proof, but that takes up a lot of feats, and hasing a glaring weakness to fire. The LA might be a bit annoying too.


What I need help with:

Should I use a gnome illusionist or shadowcrafter, and which?
How do I do that?

What makes for better tanking than troll-blooded, and what classes make good tanks (especially gish tanks)?

What should the rest of my party be? I want to play an enchanter, kind of, but they have problems with higher-level opponents...

Should my pixielock be Magic-Blooded?

Pixielock feats?


Thanks!

Warning: I'm very indecisive.

[Zweisteine]

Bumpety bump!

Please help me!

[Zanfire]

Try searching for "Killer Gnome" (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/930001) that sounds like what your looking for with regard to the Gnome.

Edit: Link to a thread on it, but I think there is one floating around that uses master specialist too. And as for Swiftblade, maybe use extra spell to snag haste off the trapsmith's list early as a lv 1 spell? (prolly wont fly though)

I've also seen a few "pixylocks" as you out it around here before, but can't remember them of the top of my head.

Have you tried a few google searches for these builds, several sound familiar.

[Vhaidara]

For the gish, I would say talk to your DM about homebrew modifying Jade Phoenix Mage from Tome of Battle to work for other disciplines (I did for one of my players into Iron Heart/Diamond Mind), and then go for a Crusader/Sorcerer build. Grab buffs from Sor, such as Enlarge Person.

That, or go standard JPM with a Wizblade.

Pixielock might be tricky starting at level 5. Given that pixie is +4LA. So you have 6+Con modifier hp. At the level wizards get fireball.

No idea on the illusionist.

For the last member, how about a Spirit Shaman (Complete Divine) Ghost. A spirit that traffics with spirits.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Always buy off a level adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm) as early as possible. With those template classes, each level is basically a point of level adjustment. Start with the first level before your fist character level, after your 3rd character level (ECL 4) you can buy it off. Spend your next level to get the second level of the template class, and at your 6th character level (ECL 7) you can buy that one off. Repeat gaining one level of the template class and then buying it off three character levels later, and you can have a +6 LA worth of templates bought off by level 18.

Most gish builds aren't played like a gish until around level ten, but something like Crusader 4/ Duskblade 2/ Suel Arcanamach 4/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Spellsword 1/ whatever 4 would still be tanky at your starting level. Be sure to get Iron Will via the Otyugh Hole instead of spending a feat on it. Consider making him a variant half-fiend (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060630x&page=1) such as the Half-Goristro in their example at the bottom of the page. You could adapt the half-fiend template class to gradually gain it (example (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234089#4)) and gradually buy it off. It ends up giving +16 Str with the size increase, plus DR and two slam attacks which deal damage as two-handed weapons.

One of the recommended adaptations for Mindbender is to make it a psionic prestige class. A Half-Fey Psion could actually pick any discipline, since the racial Charm Person ability will allow him to qualify for that. Maybe include a Half-Fey (gradually bought off) Warforged Psion (Shaper) with the Share Pain: Psicrystal trick and maybe even Adamantine Body. Between Psionic Minor Creation to make powerful contact poisons that he's naturally immune to, Personal Construct (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a), and the efficiency of Psionic Repair Damage, it makes an extremely potent and extremely durable primary caster.

(Cloistered) Cleric actually makes a decent base for a Shadowcraft Mage. With the Illusion and/or Gnome domains, spontaneous domain casting in PH2, and Divine Metamagic: Heighten, it has just as many advantages as using Wizard, and can still fill the role of a Cleric in the party. You can even get the Kobold Domain (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a) (renamed Trap Domain) and be the party trapmonkey, plus dip Contemplative for Trickery later on.

['Neath the Moon]

Pixie-warlock is a pretty good combo. In terms of feats, I've found that flyby attack (http://dndtools.eu/feats/monster-manual-v35--5/flyby-attack--1153/) (blast halfway through your greater-invisible flight, so they have no idea where you actually are) and air heritage (http://dndtools.eu/feats/planar-handbook--79/air-heritage--54/) (add 30 feet to your fly speed, for a considerable 90 feet) are quite helpful. Improved flight (http://dndtools.eu/feats/races-of-the-wild--84/improved-flight--1493/) may also be worth it, as perfect maneuverability would let you fly straight up at full speed.