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Overlard
2007-02-22, 07:46 AM
I'm part of a large group of gamers with games normally lasting 2 months or so before a new DM runs something. We occasionally go back to an old campaign, but by & large they're self-contained adventures.

Some players use the same PC in different campaigns, which is fine as it shows them at different points in their career (there's a paladin who fell when he reached 14th level & is now a ex-paladin/knight, but he's also still a paladin in the 8th level campaign he's in). The problem is, the DMs run their games in different realms. A couple are in the Forgotten Realms, one's in Greyhawk, one's in The Kyngdoms, one's in Ravenloft and a couple are homebrews. Some players are trying to "standardise" the setting (so all games are set in FR) but they're in the minority, so the eclectic settings remain. But having one PC who's in each of these realms is kinda odd.

Or is it?

I've had an idea for a character that travels between planes and realms. He's not a magic user who continually uses plane shift or similar effects, but someone who bodges his way from place to place, using whatever gates he can find, convincing/tricking powerful wizards to help him out, stealing magic items and using those etc. I'm thinking of a swashbuckler/rogue, using some of the stuff out of Complete Scoundrel to enhance his trickster/luck-dependant characterisation. He's never satisfied with where he is, and gets itchy feet after a few weeks/months in any one place.

I'm not after a level by level build or anything hence why it's not in the Character Builder thread (although anyone with knowledge of an appropriate PrC would be much loved), just input as to whether this is a good/viable idea and what ideas you might have that would help.

All input much appreciated. :smile:

Yuki Akuma
2007-02-22, 08:26 AM
Well, according to Planescape, you can be a Plane Walker no matter what your profession is; you just have to know where to find free-standing, natural portals.

Nontheless, Horizon Walker fits the theme of a planar traveller quite well, even if it's not the most powerful PrC out there (although some abilities are quite useful). A high Knowledge (the Planes) skill would be a good thing to have, as well.

Overlard
2007-02-22, 09:37 AM
Well, according to Planescape, you can be a Plane Walker no matter what your profession is; you just have to know where to find free-standing, natural portals.

Nontheless, Horizon Walker fits the theme of a planar traveller quite well, even if it's not the most powerful PrC out there (although some abilities are qutie useful). A high Knowledge (the Planes) skill would be a good thing to have, as well.
I didn't even think of horizon walker. :smallconfused: I'll check it out at home, just to see if it fits in with the scoundrelish theme.

As for knowledge (planes), it's annoying that so few classes have access to it. I might have to take a feat to ensure I can have it as a class skill rather than cross-class (although I think there's a feat that lets you take cross-class skills for 1 skill point each, although the half limit still applies, with a decent Int, that might work) Alternatively, being a human paragon lets me have a bonus class skill and fits in well with the concept.

Thanks Yuki

Yuki Akuma
2007-02-22, 09:55 AM
Able Learner lets you buy cross-class skills as if they were class skills (although the maximum ranks still apply). If you take a level in a class with Knowledge (the Planes) as a class skill, your maximum ranks becomes equal to your character level + 3. Essentially, it becomes a permanent class skill for you.

A single level of bard wouldn't hurt.

tape_measure
2007-02-22, 10:10 AM
There's a PrC in the Planar Handbook (or the newer version thereof) that i beleive will suit the needs you stated. I couldn't tell much about the PrCexcept for the interesting picture. From what I remeber, the class creates 'keys' that allow the character to move about at will between planes (with appropriate materials)

Ramza00
2007-02-22, 10:16 AM
I recommend a single level of Rogue, or a single level of feat rogue (drop sneak attack get a fighter bonus feat) instead of bard if you are using able learner.

NVM Rogue doesn't have Knowledge the planes

Jimp
2007-02-22, 10:25 AM
You might want to take a look at the Gatecrasher prestige class from Manual of the Planes. It is like a rogue who specialises in planar portals.
The book is 3.0 though, so check the wizards site for the 3.5 update manual.

hewhosaysfish
2007-02-22, 10:45 AM
There is/was a PrC called Gatecrasher that was all about getting through portals, especially to places you weren't supposed to get to. I can't remember if it's in the 3.0 planar handbook or the 3.5 manual of the planes, though.

EDIT: NINJA!

Matthew
2007-02-22, 02:25 PM
Sounds like a viable concept. These Characters, though, don't have to belong to same timeline. Personally, I like the idea of taking Knowledge (Planar) and just assuming they are moving between planes, but you might encounter some causality discrepancies (which can be solved with alternate timelines).

Jimp
2007-02-22, 03:45 PM
EDIT: NINJA!

Yes, 20 minutes before you posted :smallbiggrin:

Ashes
2007-02-22, 07:25 PM
Able Learner lets you buy cross-class skills as if they were class skills (although the maximum ranks still apply). If you take a level in a class with Knowledge (the Planes) as a class skill, your maximum ranks becomes equal to your character level + 3. Essentially, it becomes a permanent class skill for you.

A single level of bard wouldn't hurt.



Heard this a few times. Could you be so kind as to point me to exactly where it says that?

Matthew
2007-02-22, 07:34 PM
Benefit: All skill ranks cost 1 skill point for you to purchase, even if the skill is cross-class for you. The maximum number of ranks you can purchase in a cross-class skill remains the same.
This feat does not affect the skill point cost to learn a language or to gain literacy (for a barbarian or other illiterate character).
Normal: Cross-class skills cost 2 skill points per rank.


Skills
If a skill is a class skill for any of a multiclass character’s classes, then character level determines a skill’s maximum rank. (The maximum rank for a class skill is 3 + character level.)
If a skill is not a class skill for any of a multiclass character’s classes, the maximum rank for that skill is one-half the maximum for a class skill.

I hope that helps.

Yuki Akuma
2007-02-23, 06:04 AM
So you can take a level of Bard and Able Learner, and basically make every Knowledge skill the equivalent of a class skill for you. As well as awesome skills like Tumble and Use Magic Device.

It's a useful feat. Many of my human skillmonkeys use it.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-02-23, 06:26 AM
Alternatively, if Knowledge skills are all you want, Eberron and certain regions of Faerun have access to the Educated feat, which makes all Knowledge skills class skills for all your classes. That way, it only costs you a feat, rather than a feat and class levels.

Although, Bard + Able Learner gives you access to a lot of other useful skills, like Tumble, Sleight of Hand, and all the social interaction skills.

(If you really want to go crazy, combine Able Learner with one level of Factotum, from Dungeonscape. Now every skill in the game is a class skill for you, forever.)

Also, read up on the old Planescape setting. There's a whole 'nother world between all the worlds. Officially, in 3.0 and 3.5, Planescape only applies to the Greyhawk campaign setting, since it flatly contradicts the cosmologies of other settings. Still, with enough thought on the part of a potential DM, there's no reason that you can't take a portal in, say, Faerun to Sigil, and take another portal to Greyhawk or Eberron.

Must fight urge to reference Sigil Prep.
EDIT: Dammit!

Overlard
2007-02-23, 06:31 AM
What I might end up doing is taking Able Learner, and going Rogue 3/Human Paragon 3/Uncanny Trickster 3/Swashbuckler 11. I can choose my class skills for Human Paragon, so Knowledge (the planes) can be one of those. Basically I intend to max that out, along with UMD, Bluff, Diplomacy and the movement skills, Open Lock & Disable Device, a few low knowledges and maybe Perform, plus plenty of skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel. I'm thinking Intelligence and Dex will be my main stats (Int highest for the skill points) with Cha not far behind. I really want him to be a "getting by by the skin of his teeth" character.

Beleriphon
2007-02-23, 06:39 AM
Also, read up on the old Planescape setting. There's a whole 'nother world between all the worlds. Officially, in 3.0 and 3.5, Planescape only applies to the Greyhawk campaign setting, since it flatly contradicts the cosmologies of other settings. Still, with enough thought on the part of a potential DM, there's no reason that you can't take a portal in, say, Faerun to Sigil, and take another portal to Greyhawk or Eberron.


Officially that would be FR=>Plane of Shadow=>Greyhawk

Be warned if anybody uses Eberron, its cosmology is kind of wonky, that is to say more so that the concept of D&D cosmology is in general, in that there are only 13 planes. No elemental planes at all, quite an odd setup, but it works really well for the setting.

Overlard
2007-02-23, 06:44 AM
Also, read up on the old Planescape setting. There's a whole 'nother world between all the worlds. Officially, in 3.0 and 3.5, Planescape only applies to the Greyhawk campaign setting, since it flatly contradicts the cosmologies of other settings. Still, with enough thought on the part of a potential DM, there's no reason that you can't take a portal in, say, Faerun to Sigil, and take another portal to Greyhawk or Eberron.


Officially that would be FR=>Plane of Shadow=>Greyhawk

Be warned if anybody uses Eberron, its cosmology is kind of wonky, that is to say more so that the concept of D&D cosmology is in general, in that there are only 13 planes. No elemental planes at all, quite an odd setup, but it works really well for the setting.
Thanks guys, I've never really had anything to do with the planes before (I'm a strictly material man) but I'm looking forward to finding out more and making this character.

Now I just wish I wasn't DMing next, coz I've got over 2 months before I can try him out. :smallannoyed:

Nerd-o-rama
2007-02-23, 06:45 AM
There are elemental planes. They're just combined with Hell and/or Heaven, is all, with no Aristotelian Inner Planes.

And I'm actually not positive where Earth and Water elementals come from. Maybe Khyber for the Earth Elementals, but...

Also, Eberron arguably shares its Astral and/or Shadow Planes with other Material spheres. And of course, Portals can go anywhere. Still, Eberron's not really meant to be combined with other settings, since it's all unique and junk. It can be made to work, though.