Prophes0r
2014-08-29, 09:31 PM
Hello all.
I was invited to a game this Sunday (it is Friday evening as I type this) and I need a bit of help working out a character. I haven't played any tabletop games for about 18 months, and up until then we were playing Pathfinder/3.5/Warhammer/Gamma World/D&D(without the A) depending on who was DMing that night. So I'm a bit out of practice.
I have browsed through the PHB but I'm having trouble seeing the obvious synergies that must be there, and also the flaws/pitfalls that must also be there.
I'm looking for a little input that will both keep me at roughly (or slightly above) the currently party power level, and keep me useful by having me fill a roll that no one else can.
The world is has a "Pirates of the Caribbean" feel. Thousands of islands covered in dense tropical jungle and/or volcanoes, most are only a few miles across. The largest islands are 40-50 miles across and are essentially city states. Most islands can see other islands on the horizon and sometimes are clustered into small groups. As you travel further from the central city islands, everything thins out until there is only ocean. As far as anyone knows, there is nothing out there.
Maybe no one has gone out far enough.
Maybe there are continents out there (That idea itself is foreign to these people)
Maybe the ocean pours off at a planar boundary. Who knows?
A few changes have been made to base races.
All Elves are "Island Elves" which are Wood Elves with+1 Str +2 Dex instead of +2 Dex +1 Wis. These Elves live on some of the larger islands, but choose to leave them mostly untamed. They live in sprawling canopy cities and prefer to wear minimal, natural clothing. Curiously, when a new child is born, they abandon it in front of wolf dens so that their children are LITERALLY raised by wolves. Groups of hunters watch these children from afar, and keep the wolves and children safe from outside influence. Once the children become 15-20, the children are captured in their sleep, and forcibly reintegrated into Elven society. The Elves don't remember exactly why they started this process. They think it might be part of a pact with some god, or other powerful being, but they have been doing it for thousands of years.
Half-Orcs are Lucha libre. Seriously. All known monks are Half-Orcs, and ALL Half-Orcs have levels of Monk. They have their own island, and their entire society AND their religion revolves around training for, or attending, the wrestling matches. They relate everything to wrestling, and wrestling solves everything.
Most families have their own moves, or fighting style, that they developed to relate their everyday lives to "The Shows". Farmers teach their sons about how the roots can show them the secrets of strong footing. Sailors teach their daughters that the rocking of a boat can teach them to be agile and fluid to avoid their opponents. Smiths teach their children how, just as steel will yield when struck enough times under the right conditions, so to will their opponents.
Even prospective husbands/wives are expected to gather a group, then wait outside the home of their mate, hurling over the top insults and flexing, until their challenge is accepted and they rush in to fight the family and take the husband/bride away. They also consider weapons to be the tools of the weak, and all REAL fighting is done bare handed.
All male Dragonborn are blue, and all female Dragonborn are white. I don't know why.
There are no Dwarves. I don't know if they existed at some point and are now extinct, or if they are just completely absent.
As is tradition, on the first of the month (Crewing Day), anyone looking for work at sea lines up on the docks at dawn where ships looking for fresh crew can pick over them. Shortly before sundown (when Crewing Day ends), after nearly every other able body has been chosen, a ragged captain comes by and picks the 4 current party members as they were about to leave. Right now the party consists of:
Elf Fighter Outlander - 17 dex. Chainmail / Shortsword / Pistol / Whip
Half-Elf Rogue Charlatan - 15 Dex / 15 Cha - Leather Armor / Rapier / Shortbow
Human Paladin - 16 Str / 15 Cha - Chainmail / Shortsword / Spear
Human Wizard SpellCook(?) - 9 / 16 / 16 / 16 / 9 / 9 - Dull Cleaver - Probably crazy
So...
Multiclassing and feats are fair game.
Characters will start at level 1. Will probably max out at level 6 at most.
Playing the long game is OK, but character needs to be viable at every level, and be good at something.
No Dwarves.
All Elves are 'regular' +2 Dex elves and are a little 'wild'.
Half-Orcs must start as a level 1 Monk. I MAY be able to convince my DM to let me start with 1 level of...
Barbarian or
Cleric (War Domain)
But the second level would NEED to be Monk.
All Monks must be Half-Orcs
Dragonborn must be blue or white.
27 point buy. Prefer no stats less than 10.
Remember that most combat will be on ship decks, Wild jungle, or cramped shantytowns/cities. Mobility is important, but might be drastically reduced once combat is joined without flying/climbing.
Random Ideas.
Half-Orc Cleric (War) 1 / Monk x
Half-Orc Barbarian ?/ Monk ?
A Grappling character? Maybe
Barbarian ? / Rogue ?
Monk ? / Barbarian ? / Rogue ?
An Omni-Melee-Caster? Cleric (War) 1 / Warlock 2 / Druid (Moon) 2 / ?
I'm still at a loss. I don't want to be overpowered, but I want to be able to hold my own from the very start without having to get hand-held till level 3-4.
Suggestions?
I was invited to a game this Sunday (it is Friday evening as I type this) and I need a bit of help working out a character. I haven't played any tabletop games for about 18 months, and up until then we were playing Pathfinder/3.5/Warhammer/Gamma World/D&D(without the A) depending on who was DMing that night. So I'm a bit out of practice.
I have browsed through the PHB but I'm having trouble seeing the obvious synergies that must be there, and also the flaws/pitfalls that must also be there.
I'm looking for a little input that will both keep me at roughly (or slightly above) the currently party power level, and keep me useful by having me fill a roll that no one else can.
The world is has a "Pirates of the Caribbean" feel. Thousands of islands covered in dense tropical jungle and/or volcanoes, most are only a few miles across. The largest islands are 40-50 miles across and are essentially city states. Most islands can see other islands on the horizon and sometimes are clustered into small groups. As you travel further from the central city islands, everything thins out until there is only ocean. As far as anyone knows, there is nothing out there.
Maybe no one has gone out far enough.
Maybe there are continents out there (That idea itself is foreign to these people)
Maybe the ocean pours off at a planar boundary. Who knows?
A few changes have been made to base races.
All Elves are "Island Elves" which are Wood Elves with+1 Str +2 Dex instead of +2 Dex +1 Wis. These Elves live on some of the larger islands, but choose to leave them mostly untamed. They live in sprawling canopy cities and prefer to wear minimal, natural clothing. Curiously, when a new child is born, they abandon it in front of wolf dens so that their children are LITERALLY raised by wolves. Groups of hunters watch these children from afar, and keep the wolves and children safe from outside influence. Once the children become 15-20, the children are captured in their sleep, and forcibly reintegrated into Elven society. The Elves don't remember exactly why they started this process. They think it might be part of a pact with some god, or other powerful being, but they have been doing it for thousands of years.
Half-Orcs are Lucha libre. Seriously. All known monks are Half-Orcs, and ALL Half-Orcs have levels of Monk. They have their own island, and their entire society AND their religion revolves around training for, or attending, the wrestling matches. They relate everything to wrestling, and wrestling solves everything.
Most families have their own moves, or fighting style, that they developed to relate their everyday lives to "The Shows". Farmers teach their sons about how the roots can show them the secrets of strong footing. Sailors teach their daughters that the rocking of a boat can teach them to be agile and fluid to avoid their opponents. Smiths teach their children how, just as steel will yield when struck enough times under the right conditions, so to will their opponents.
Even prospective husbands/wives are expected to gather a group, then wait outside the home of their mate, hurling over the top insults and flexing, until their challenge is accepted and they rush in to fight the family and take the husband/bride away. They also consider weapons to be the tools of the weak, and all REAL fighting is done bare handed.
All male Dragonborn are blue, and all female Dragonborn are white. I don't know why.
There are no Dwarves. I don't know if they existed at some point and are now extinct, or if they are just completely absent.
As is tradition, on the first of the month (Crewing Day), anyone looking for work at sea lines up on the docks at dawn where ships looking for fresh crew can pick over them. Shortly before sundown (when Crewing Day ends), after nearly every other able body has been chosen, a ragged captain comes by and picks the 4 current party members as they were about to leave. Right now the party consists of:
Elf Fighter Outlander - 17 dex. Chainmail / Shortsword / Pistol / Whip
Half-Elf Rogue Charlatan - 15 Dex / 15 Cha - Leather Armor / Rapier / Shortbow
Human Paladin - 16 Str / 15 Cha - Chainmail / Shortsword / Spear
Human Wizard SpellCook(?) - 9 / 16 / 16 / 16 / 9 / 9 - Dull Cleaver - Probably crazy
So...
Multiclassing and feats are fair game.
Characters will start at level 1. Will probably max out at level 6 at most.
Playing the long game is OK, but character needs to be viable at every level, and be good at something.
No Dwarves.
All Elves are 'regular' +2 Dex elves and are a little 'wild'.
Half-Orcs must start as a level 1 Monk. I MAY be able to convince my DM to let me start with 1 level of...
Barbarian or
Cleric (War Domain)
But the second level would NEED to be Monk.
All Monks must be Half-Orcs
Dragonborn must be blue or white.
27 point buy. Prefer no stats less than 10.
Remember that most combat will be on ship decks, Wild jungle, or cramped shantytowns/cities. Mobility is important, but might be drastically reduced once combat is joined without flying/climbing.
Random Ideas.
Half-Orc Cleric (War) 1 / Monk x
Half-Orc Barbarian ?/ Monk ?
A Grappling character? Maybe
Barbarian ? / Rogue ?
Monk ? / Barbarian ? / Rogue ?
An Omni-Melee-Caster? Cleric (War) 1 / Warlock 2 / Druid (Moon) 2 / ?
I'm still at a loss. I don't want to be overpowered, but I want to be able to hold my own from the very start without having to get hand-held till level 3-4.
Suggestions?