New player in a large rostered eberron game.

[lytokk]

so, it looks like I'll be getting to join an eberron game in the near future. The current roster seems to be pretty robust (7 players), but its lacking any real ranged characters and completely lacking in Arcane spellcasters. I'm trying to come up with a fun concept to play, but am running into a bit of a wall. My first thought was a warforged warlock or a soulbow, but I was wondering if anyone else in the playground had any thoughts. I'd like to do some arcane casting, as its been a very long time since I played a straight arcane character, but I don't have a decent concept in mind that doesn't do a lot of minionmancy, and in an already full party, probably not a good idea.

I think there's 2 clerics already, a paladin, bard, twf ranger and I think a druid. I'm not sure on what the other is. The group isn't using a battlemat, and combat has been described to me as chaotic. Also the method for attribute rolling hasn't been told to me yet, so I'm not sure what my stats would be.

[Kol Korran]

Can you tell us anything about the campaign? Any major themes? Any particular region?

How knowledgeable are you of Eberron? The rest of the group? What play style doesn't the group prefer?

What sort of characters do you like playing? What aspects of character design appeal to you?

what sources are available? Any special restrictions- crunch or flavor wise?

[lytokk]

Can you tell us anything about the campaign? Any major themes? Any particular region?

I don't have any of this unfortunately. I believe the DM wants to keep me in the dark about this, he really likes having a random group.


How knowledgeable are you of Eberron? The rest of the group? What play style doesn't the group prefer?

Played in Eberron before, and I've got a reasonble knowledge of how the world functions. The group seems to be playing loosey with the rules since, as it was explained to me, one of the players prefers rule light systems and likes to focus more on the role-play aspects.


What sort of characters do you like playing? What aspects of character design appeal to you?

Normally I play mundane hitters. Fighter (despite it's failings) is still my favorite class. But, the group seems to be full up on the melee types and severly lacking in ranged or arcane potentials. So I'd like to spread my wings and play a caster. I'd prefer sorc to wizard. I hate preparing spells. Warmage could be a fun option as well, since they get their full lists and don't need to prepare. UMD would be a plus. I'm not married to warforged as a race, but I do like them.

I just remembered one member of the group is a barbarian, which made my idea of a shifter barb/weretouched master redundant. Was going to go full Aisha ClanClan too...


what sources are available? Any special restrictions- crunch or flavor wise?

Normally if we can provide the book (physical or digital) then its allowed. I would imagine Dragon Magazine is out. Since the group is running pretty loosely with the rules, (the paladin is playign chaotic even though its a run of the mill paladin) I would say anything with an alignment restriction is overlooked, so long as it doesn't break the class.

[lytokk]

In an addition, I'd like to have something with at least an average BAB, some sort of armored mage. I'm thinking a type of mailman build, but something straight out of the box. Beguiler and warmage fit well, except the BAB is low. Warlock seems to fit what I want best, but I was wondering if there was another class that could do what it does with a little different flavor.

[Red Fel]

In an addition, I'd like to have something with at least an average BAB, some sort of armored mage. I'm thinking a type of mailman build, but something straight out of the box. Beguiler and warmage fit well, except the BAB is low. Warlock seems to fit what I want best, but I was wondering if there was another class that could do what it does with a little different flavor.

Is Duskblade on the table? It's a great gish-in-a-can. Satisfy your inner melee with full BAB and two good saves, take an Int-based arcane half-casting progression with a limited list, channel your spells through your weapon. As a bonus, it uses the mental stat to which Warforged don't have a penalty, Int, meaning a Warforged Duskblade is totally viable. As a double-bonus, the Duskblade's bread and butter, Vampiric Touch, is a Necromancy spell instead of a Healing subschool spell, meaning the temporary HP it grants are fully beneficial to a Warforged.

Or are you trying to stay out of melee altogether?

[lytokk]

I was trying to stay out of melee, otherwise I would have jumped on the duskblade wagon easily. Just not enough ranged spells on its list unfortunately. Though I did like the concept of channeled pyroburst. Kinda neat to have a spell that can get charged up, and I haven't seen one like it. In regards to the inspiration for the character, I keep coming back to megaman and the song "click click boom".

And I'd rather not do artificer. Never could completely wrap my head around that class

[Fouredged Sword]

Really, if you are playing an eberon game and can't decide what to play, is anything stopping you from being a changeling chameleon?

Other than that, straight wizard with a focus on ranged combat filled the role nicely.

[gorfnab]

Changeling Factotum into Chameleon would give the group a skill monkey and backup caster.
Beguiler is decent option for a skill monkey backup caster as well.
Spellthief or Rogue 1/ Wizard (Spontaneous Divination ACF) 5/ Unseen Seer 10/ Arcane Trickster 4 would give you a reseanable skill monkey and nearly full (19/20) Wizard caster. See this handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1240) for how to set up this build.

[sleepyphoenixx]

A Wizard/Swiftblade archer can be fun. When you get to Swiftblade 9 you can full attack and still cast in the same round, get tons of defensive benefits and good BAB + mini-skirmish.

[Shining Wrath]

A warlock might be close to what you want - just eldritch blast all day long and you bring some arcane casting.

A little further out of the box, try a Dragonfire Adept and use breath weapons instead of bows. A Warforged DFA is perfectly legal albeit mind-boggling to construct a good back story for, and DFA can be built to be Constitution SAD, which is your strong suit. Choose your invocations (aside from the mandatory Entangling Exhalation) to avoid charisma - you can be the party knowbot with Draconic Knowledge.

[morkendi]

I had fun playing a beguiler/warlock/eldritch thurge before. Not overpowering, but you dont need to be in that group. Good amount of skills and fun to role play. A rogue/ warlock/ unseen seer would be fun as eell.

[PsyBomb]

Straight Artificer gives you a healthy dose of Blast, and the Double-Wand Weilder build is right around Mailman potential if you have the wealth to support it.

Changeling Sorc into Recaster (especially if you go into Escalation Mage) is hugely entertaining, as well.