[3.5/PF] Elf as a class

[Xyon]

So back in the beginning, Elf was a player class. Whether you remember it fondly, remember it as bad, or do not remember it at all, it certainly was a thing that existed.

I'm not all that familiar with all of the 'extra' classes outside of the core book, and not at all familiar with the homebrew creations that are out there. But I was wondering if anyone knwos of a character class for 3.5/pathfinder that fits well with the fighter/magic user type of character that the elf class used to be.

[The-Mage-King]

Less "class", more build.

In both, there are a number of builds that fall under the "Gish (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8881.0)" archetype. 3.5 makes it easier, since there's so much support, and Paizo seems to hate multiclassing as a concept, but you can get a few done in it, too.


And, of course, there are the "Gish-in-a-can" classes. Duskblade for 3.5, and Magus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus) for PF.

Hope these help.

[HylianKnight]

In Pathfinder, the Advanced Race Guide is where they put all their race-specific Archetypes. One of the Elves option is a Magus archetype called Spell Dancer that channels the exact trope it sounds like you're looking for (as well as by Pathfinders spiritual successor to the Blade Singer PrC from 3.5 and earlier that exemplified this).

[Thurbane]

The Elf Paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#elfParagon) class advances Wizard casting 2/3. Ruathar (RotW) advances casting 3/3. Both are very "Elf" based classes.

[Amphetryon]

Duskblade (3.5) or Magus (Pathfinder) coupled with the Elf Paragon and, in 3.5, Abjurant Champion works reasonably toward this goal. Ruathar and Eternal Blade are also viable options in 3.5.

[DMVerdandi]

I would make one myself.
The class that exists already, which seems most like what the elf tried to do, the chameleon, is a human only class, so it's kind of out of range.

I would just homebrew it. Make it the best spellcasting class.

Give it D4 hp, full bab, all martial weapons, no armor, all skills as class skills, 6 skill points per level, bestows fae subtype, full spellcasting and give it the spirit shaman casting mechanic, but with all spell lists.

Similar to the Artificer, they use magic, but is is not considered arcane or divine. It is somewhere strange in between both and far away. It is specifically elvish magic.

If Arcane is controlling cosmic force, and divine is taking energy from concepts, then elvish magic would be pulling the magic from one's own cosmic and divine soul and fashioning spellcraft from it... Call it glamour if you will.
Have it require charisma intelligence, and wisdom to cast from (Hell yeah, this class is going to be MAD as heck. If you aren't rocking 20's, you aren't going anywhere.)


If you take levels outside of the class once started, it cannot be progressed in again.


Man... I wanna play that myself.

Of course you are going to pick up flack for it, but in that just remind anyone that because it uses Glamour, it is not necessarily open to actually taking any prestige classes, or any feats that are decidedly arcane or divine. Leaving the class means forsaking all benefits from further progression, and finally, that it is only 3 spell levels away from being a terrible copy of the chameleon prestige class.
They get all arcane and divine spells up to level 6. This throws away much of those benefits and brings it up to level 9.
Plus you HAVE to be an elf.


the class is sexy though... rawr.:smallcool:

[Vanitas]

I would make one myself.
The class that exists already, which seems most like what the elf tried to do, the chameleon, is a human only class, so it's kind of out of range.

I would just homebrew it. Make it the best spellcasting class.

Give it D4 hp, full bab, all martial weapons, no armor, all skills as class skills, 6 skill points per level, bestows fae subtype, full spellcasting and give it the spirit shaman casting mechanic, but with all spell lists.

Similar to the Artificer, they use magic, but is is not considered arcane or divine. It is somewhere strange in between both and far away. It is specifically elvish magic.

If Arcane is controlling cosmic force, and divine is taking energy from concepts, then elvish magic would be pulling the magic from one's own cosmic and divine soul and fashioning spellcraft from it... Call it glamour if you will.
Have it require charisma intelligence, and wisdom to cast from (Hell yeah, this class is going to be MAD as heck. If you aren't rocking 20's, you aren't going anywhere.)


If you take levels outside of the class once started, it cannot be progressed in again.


Man... I wanna play that myself.

Of course you are going to pick up flack for it, but in that just remind anyone that because it uses Glamour, it is not necessarily open to actually taking any prestige classes, or any feats that are decidedly arcane or divine. Leaving the class means forsaking all benefits from further progression, and finally, that it is only 3 spell levels away from being a terrible copy of the chameleon prestige class.
They get all arcane and divine spells up to level 6. This throws away much of those benefits and brings it up to level 9.
Plus you HAVE to be an elf.


the class is sexy though... rawr.:smallcool:

This makes the Lightning Warrior look balanced.

[Petrocorus]

Any gish builds quite fit the former Elf Class from Basic.

Some classes have been made for this purpose, but they are not always well designed. The Duskblabe was supposed to be exactly this, but her poor spell list render the class barely useful at mid level.

The best fit would be rangerish gish build, but they are not easy to pull off.
Ruathar, Master of Yuirwood and Evereskan Tomb Guardian are the closest things.
The SwiftBlade is a good fit to, it's the embodiment of the Fragile Speedster (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FragileSpeedster), an archetype often associated with Elves, and it's far more efficient that the previous ones.

A build like Ranger 1 / Wizard 5 / Swiftblade 9 match whates the Elf Class was doing in Basic.

[Kaje]

Mystic Ranger.

[DMVerdandi]

This makes the Lightning Warrior look balanced.

:smallcool:
Hehehe.

Lightning warrior had d20 hp,perfect two weapon fighting, and could spontaneously cast all sorc spells. It is a far cry from that.


On the flip side, mine requires that you be an elf, cannot be exited, needs 3 ability scores to cast, uses the spirit shaman casting mechanic (yes it can cast any divine or arcane spell. No it can't all at once. It chooses it's list while preparing.), and casts untyped spells so it cannot actually take feats which require arcane or divine spells as a prerequisite.

It's actually underpowered in many ways. It looks superbombad, but if you realize that the chameleon class has similar power, just at three lower levels, and for far less MAD, it's not that bad.

Being able to cast from all lists seems crazy, but when you think about it, Its not that insane at all. A few more drops in the bucket of being a full caster.

[Xyon]

Thank you, everyone! I hadn't expected so many replies in such a short time. I've got some good leads in what to look into, thank you.