New here and have a character question

[Salezel]

Hello,

I'm new here and I have a few questions.

So I am going to be playing in a 3.5 game. its been a while since I played and I am having a hard time choosing a character. I always play a wizard...I really like being a wizard I'm good at it, it suits my play style and personality...but because I always play a wizard I was asked to play something else this time.. :(

so I need some help from you guys if you would be so kind.

Im making a 1st level character I can be a spell caster or even a wizard variant just not a basic wizard.

I need ideas for classes I can be or interesting variants... I usually play a wizard and my role in the party is usually like the crazy specialist guy, I carry a big bag and have an item or spell for just about any situation.

im trying to find some type of spell caster class to play as please help?

[molten_dragon]

Why not try a different type of caster, like a druid or cleric. You still get the fun of spells, but with a whole different flavor.

Or if you want something more similar to a wizard, but not exactly the same, try an Archivist out of Heroes of Horror. They cast out of a spellbook like a wizard, but with divine spells instead of arcane.

[Salezel]

hmmm I might consider a druid..im kind of put off of divine classes because they tend to run good alignment and I tend to run chaotic...but my dm is a little flexible. are there any cleric types that don't have to be good per say?

[Urpriest]

hmmm I might consider a druid..im kind of put off of divine classes because they tend to run good alignment and I tend to run chaotic...but my dm is a little flexible. are there any cleric types that don't have to be good per say?

None of the cleric-types except Paladins need to be good. It all depends on what god or principle you worship. As a Druid, you need to have one component of your alignment neutral, so you could be chaotic neutral for example.

[Segev]

There's also Sorcerer, if you want to try out spontaneous casting.

But a CN druid could be a lot of fun. Look in...I think it's either Complete Scoundrel or Complete Arcane...for the Fochlucan Lyrist. If you're familiar with 1e's Bard, it's basically that. If you're not, it's a Bard/Druid PrC that could be a lot of fun.

You could alternatively try out Bard and go for Sublime Chord (also from one of those two books; I cannot recall which); that PrC extends Bardic casting into including high-level Sorc casting, and brings spells up to 9th onto the table.


But straight-up druid is a really fun and easy thing to play without falling behind, and is a full caster. As a divine prepped caster, you also can prepare any spell on the druid spell list, without need to worry about spellbooks.

I do suggest familiarizing yourself with the creatures available on Summon Nature's Ally I-IX, because that's your spontaneous auto-substitution, so you want to know them well enough to know what to call forth if you find you have a useless spell prepared you want to ditch.

Also, pick your animal companion carefully. Wolves tend to be good ones at first level. A popular meme around here is having a bear, and then wild shaping into a bear, and using SNA to call forth more bears, but that's only if you want to be the Bear Cavalry.

[molten_dragon]

hmmm I might consider a druid..im kind of put off of divine classes because they tend to run good alignment and I tend to run chaotic...but my dm is a little flexible. are there any cleric types that don't have to be good per say?

For one there's no reason you can't be both chaotic and good. And there are plenty of deities you can worship that don't require you to be good (in fact there are a lot which won't allow you to be good and worship them). It depends on the pantheon you're using in your game, but if you're using standard PHB deities, and you wanted to be something chaotic but not good you could worship:

Correlon Larethian
Kord
Boccob
Fharlanghn
Obad-Hai
Olidammara
Nerull
Vecna
Erythnul
Gruumsh

[Raezeman]

personally, i would choose to try and play as many different types of classes/characters as i can and would suggest you go something without casting abilities at all.
But, as you made clear you want a type of caster, i suggest:
THE DUSKBLADE!
it has casting but still is much more a melee type character. that would mix things up nicely.

[Metahuman1]

If all you care about is Chaotic, open up Complete Divine and Tome of Battle. There is a base Class in Tome of Battle call the Crusader, take levels in it. There is a prestige class in Complete Divine, called the Ur-Priest. When after taking Crusader levels you can qualify for it, take 2 levels of it.

Finally, there is a prestige class in Tome of Battle called the Ruby Knight Vindicator. Make sure that buy the time you've taken 2 levels in Ur-Priest you can qualify for a refluffed version of it that does not depend on a specific Deity.

Lastly, take levels in Ruby Knight Vindicator.


You will have to be evil by the time you go to take those Ur-Priest levels, but once you've got the 2 levels to get your foot in the door, you can Antone and have what ever revelation you fancy, or not, and play any alignment you like while having full cleric spell casting and a progression of the Tome of Battle Crusader's Subsystem, which itself is a lot of fun.


This makes you a really good Gish btw.

[QuintonBeck]

Psion if psionics are allowed in the setting. I personally find the Psionic system a bit easier to understand and use than Vancian Magic and they can more or less substitute for Wizards. They're not quite as versatile, the fluff is a bit different, but they're a solid choice for a caster I think.

[nedz]

I need ideas for classes I can be or interesting variants... I usually play a wizard and my role in the party is usually like the crazy specialist guy, I carry a big bag and have an item or spell for just about any situation.

You could play a skillful character — they tend to fit this role.

Try a Factotum, Changeling Rogue, Spellthief or a Beguiler ?

[Red Fel]

Psion if psionics are allowed in the setting. I personally find the Psionic system a bit easier to understand and use than Vancian Magic and they can more or less substitute for Wizards. They're not quite as versatile, the fluff is a bit different, but they're a solid choice for a caster I think.

Seconding Psion. Playing a Psion is like playing a Wizard with Still and Silent Spell Metamagic feats. The key difference is that your powers don't scale the way they did with Wizard, but you can augment many of them by spending PPs.

Really, if you like playing Wizard, and you want to play Wizard, but they don't want you to play Wizard, the best thing to do is simply make them regret keeping you from that which is rightfully yours by showing them just how dominant and unrestrained you can be with another source of power play something similar. I happen to think that Psion is a great choice for that, while bringing enough distinct flavor and mechanics to make it a unique experience. If you want something more Wizard-like in mechanics, you could take an Erudite, and be able to basically learn every power. You could also take a Spell-to-Power Erudite, master every arcane spell, and be a Psion and a Wizard. Then you'll show them all...

[Pickford]

Hello,

I'm new here and I have a few questions.

So I am going to be playing in a 3.5 game. its been a while since I played and I am having a hard time choosing a character. I always play a wizard...I really like being a wizard I'm good at it, it suits my play style and personality...but because I always play a wizard I was asked to play something else this time.. :(

so I need some help from you guys if you would be so kind.

Im making a 1st level character I can be a spell caster or even a wizard variant just not a basic wizard.

I need ideas for classes I can be or interesting variants... I usually play a wizard and my role in the party is usually like the crazy specialist guy, I carry a big bag and have an item or spell for just about any situation.

im trying to find some type of spell caster class to play as please help?

What are the other characters in your group?

Do you want to be the generalist who carries a big bag of random things, or would you prefer to try specializing?

Do you want to stick with an Arcane caster?

Some Options:

Arcane:
Specialist
Sorcerer
Wu Jen
War Mage
Warlock
Truenamer
Shadow
Pact

Divine:
Cleric
Druid
Archivist
Shugenja
Spirit Shaman
Favored Soul

Manifester:
Psion
Wilder

There are also the guys with lower progression:
Bard
Hexblade
Duskblade
Spell Thief
Paladin
Ranger

PrCs: Assassin (from anything), Vigilante, etc..

[Salezel]

What are the other characters in your group?

Do you want to be the generalist who carries a big bag of random things, or would you prefer to try specializing?

Do you want to stick with an Arcane caster?

Some Options:

Arcane:
Specialist
Sorcerer
Wu Jen
War Mage
Warlock
Truenamer
Shadow
Pact

Divine:
Cleric
Druid
Archivist
Shugenja
Spirit Shaman
Favored Soul

Manifester:
Psion
Wilder

There are also the guys with lower progression:
Bard
Hexblade
Duskblade
Spell Thief
Paladin
Ranger

PrCs: Assassin (from anything), Vigilante, etc..

Well so far we have a monk who plans to somehow become a samurai type fighter, and the others are still working on their characters so I have no idea yet.

What is a truenamer or shadow pact?

I don't have to stick with arcane caster, its just what im used to. as far a generalist of specialist I don't know really. I kind of like to be able to damage but also to be able to be like "oh what's this random obscure challenge? I probably have something for this"

[Invader]

There was quite a lot of talk about the Hexblade in another thread and the more I look at it the more I think I'd like to give it a try. Personally I always play casters. For years cleric was my go to class until I started playing a druid which is now my first choice.

I'll also suggest the ToB classes although they often get banned. If you usually play a caster and think you'd like to try a martial class they probably offer the least jarring differences so you might like them better that a regular fighter or barbarian.

[NemoX]

If you want to stay with arcane casters why not try a sorcerer or a bard? Spontaneous casting is a beautiful thing. And with the bard you can do almost anything really, specially if you are shooting for trying something new :)

[Red Fel]

Well so far we have a monk who plans to somehow become a samurai type fighter, and the others are still working on their characters so I have no idea yet.

What is a truenamer or shadow pact?

I don't have to stick with arcane caster, its just what im used to. as far a generalist of specialist I don't know really. I kind of like to be able to damage but also to be able to be like "oh what's this random obscure challenge? I probably have something for this"

Truenamer, Shadowcaster and Binder are classes (and alternate magic systems) introduced in Tome of Magic. If you don't have access to that book, obviously, don't use them.

If you do have access, then for the love of all that is holy, avoid Truenamer unless you really intend to optimize. I generally dislike discouraging a class, but there is a broad consensus that Truenamer was terribly poorly designed. Shadowcaster is not as broken, but often derided. Binder, however, is an excellent class, for a dip or a more advanced progression - I think it might be a fun change for you.

If you want to be able to handle random obscure challenges, I echo the earlier suggestions of Incarnum classes. Soulmelds are like all-day buffs, some of which have additional spell-like uses, which can be inflated by a resource called Essentia. Since you know all of the soulmelds and can switch them up daily, it means that with foresight, you can be prepared for any challenge.

[Petrocorus]

THE DUSKBLADE!

Be careful, the Duskblade does not have a very versatile spell list, and may end up being a two-trick pony. Talk to your DM to improve the spell list if you want to take this.


If all you care about is Chaotic, open up Complete Divine and Tome of Battle. There is a base Class in Tome of Battle call the Crusader, take levels in it. There is a prestige class in Complete Divine, called the Ur-Priest. When after taking Crusader levels you can qualify for it, take 2 levels of it.

Finally, there is a prestige class in Tome of Battle called the Ruby Knight Vindicator. Make sure that buy the time you've taken 2 levels in Ur-Priest you can qualify for a refluffed version of it that does not depend on a specific Deity.

Lastly, take levels in Ruby Knight Vindicator.


You will have to be evil by the time you go to take those Ur-Priest levels, but once you've got the 2 levels to get your foot in the door, you can Antone and have what ever revelation you fancy, or not, and play any alignment you like while having full cleric spell casting and a progression of the Tome of Battle Crusader's Subsystem, which itself is a lot of fun.


This makes you a really good Gish btw.
Good suggestion, but why being chaotic? And why atoning, Wee Jas is LN, so you can be a LE Crusader of Wee Jas, this alignment fit the requirement of all the 3 classes.

[Dread_Head]

I'd suggest a bard, they have a tendency to be chatoic if thats what you're going for. They have some spell casting of an interesting list which can be very good if you build for it with Lyric Thaumaturge and Sublime Chord being good prcs to aim for. Inspire Courage is a really good combat buff for the melee members of your party and can be pumped pretty easily. Even better take Dragonfire Inspiration and it becomes an obscene buff to damage. Lots of skill points are always nice and you can play the bag of tricks carrying type character almost straight out of the box. If you want to enter combat and Gish it up there are a lot of good bard options for that, really you can do pretty much anything with a bard and be good at it whilst providing a party wide buff to attack and damage.

[Bacchus]

personally, i would choose to try and play as many different types of classes/characters as i can and would suggest you go something without casting abilities at all.
But, as you made clear you want a type of caster, i suggest:
THE DUSKBLADE!
it has casting but still is much more a melee type character. that would mix things up nicely.

Trying that out. Bucking the norm though and making a dex build Whisper Gnome

[sideswipe]

if you want to remain an arcane caster but cast divine spells there is the dread necromancer.
love the undead mastery.

[Metahuman1]

Be careful, the Duskblade does not have a very versatile spell list, and may end up being a two-trick pony. Talk to your DM to improve the spell list if you want to take this.


Good suggestion, but why being chaotic? And why atoning, Wee Jas is LN, so you can be a LE Crusader of Wee Jas, this alignment fit the requirement of all the 3 classes.

OP mentioned perfering playing Chaotic characters to lawful ones. Atoning let's him quickly get out of being lawful the split second he doesn't need it anymore to take levels. And it also get's him around some other fluff requirements as needed.