Looking for a playable high LA race, low optimization game

[FrancisBean]

I've had a hankering lately to play a really different race, purely for the novelty value. My current group is hovering around 10th level and are mostly playing tier 3-4, so there's some room to play a nerfed build.

What's the highest LA race which leads to a playable ECL 10-12 character? I'm well aware that most any LA you can't buy off usually leads to very underpowered characters relative to mainstream. What class progression would you use? Preferably not Wizard, since that's my most recent character. This is 3.5, Core, Complete, and Races. Most other sources would be permitted after discussion. I'm pretty sure I could sell my DM on Savage Species.

I've been tempted by ideas like an Aranea sorcerer/assassin or an Unbodied psion but I haven't even tried to stat them out yet. :smallamused:

[Karl Aegis]

Half-Fey, Feral, Primordial Giant and Saint are pretty good templates to look into.

[Crake]

Succubi are ECL12? They're great fun to play, and you have a bunch of options at your disposal right away, including the fiend PrC in the back of fiend folio, possibly some interesting bard choices with your super high cha, or perhaps even warlock?

Plus, who doesn't like ethereal jaunt and greater teleport at will.

[FrancisBean]

Succubi are ECL12?

Great idea, and I love it ... except that the general party alignment is still trending very "north." :smallfrown: Although there is the party cleric being seduced away from her deity by Nerull, so there might be a possible backstory for an evil outsider in there. It bears some thought....:smallbiggrin:

[Necroticplague]

Sharn Mystic Theurge. Sharn are ECL 9 (5 LA, 4 HD), so they can just keep taking levels of mystic theurge to progress their innate casting in this level range. Have some interesting abilities, and are pretty far 'out-there' compared to the game's assumption of humanoids.

[khadgar567]

if you like half breed their is nephalim and houri combo for lvl 9 adjustment

[Urpriest]

Great idea, and I love it ... except that the general party alignment is still trending very "north." :smallfrown: Although there is the party cleric being seduced away from her deity by Nerull, so there might be a possible backstory for an evil outsider in there. It bears some thought....:smallbiggrin:

Well you could just be sneaky about it, Succubi are good at that. :smallwink:

Alternatively, Gloura (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031003e) are pretty solid options.

[Flickerdart]

Half-Celestial or Half-Fiend on top of 8HD of a class would be pretty viable - nice stats, nice defenses, some SLAs so you can pretend to be a cleric for a bit. Magic in the Blood gives you more uses of everything.

[Rebel7284]

Races
- Pixies have some pretty ridiculous stats and abilities. At 4LA, they walk that fine line between too much LA and playable.
- Glouras are fun if you want to stack Charisma to saves/ac a bunch of times.
- Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale is... well... you're a walking, talking whale xD (Anthropomorphic animals in general are weird)
- Tortle from Dragon #315, go into Ninja. Roleplay being young. You are a teenage mutant ninja turtle. xD

Templates
- Monster of Legend has been reversed engineered to be 7LA. However, you can pick up cleric 5 casting as one of the abilities.
- Voidmind is pretty weird, if you're ok being dominated by illithids from time to time.
- Spellwarped is good.