[3.5] Optimized party support

[archonkain]

So, I am going to be part of a new D&D 3.5 game with a couple players that have never played any table top RPG before, ever. I would like to make a support character that is of the uber overpowered variety that can basically guarantee (I know the dice gods can trump the best laid plans, but close?) that the party can win any encounter the DM throws at us no matter the number of rookie mistakes (either in playing, choice of action, or character building) that happen. I also want to be able to make sure the other players are in the spotlight. So, I am not looking for something like PunPun or Cindy or CoDzilla where you solo win the game.

I have been looking at a focused specialist wizard (conjuration, transmutation or abjuration) into master specialist then war weaver for massive buff potential, but I am not married to the idea.

I really want to make the party superb, not myself. In fact I would be content to never have to make a to-hit roll or force an offensive saving throw.

As of right now I am assuming the game is setting neutral (so all setting specific books are out) and WotC books (no Dragon magazines) only.

What are you suggestions on how to best accomplish this goal?

I do know we will be starting at level 1, so something that is very strong from the beginning is vastly preferred.

Thanks for your imput

[Aegis013]

A Wizard focused on battlefield control or a Bard are the two best ways to go, IMO.

For Wizard, you look for spells that affect the battlefield rather than directly winning, and pick up as many non-personal buffs as you can, spending your time separating enemies so they can't gang up on your team, and empowering your team to stack the deck in your teams favor all the time. It's very easy to become able to solo encounters if you need to with this character. If your DM agrees with the rules that Text trumps Table, consider the Rainbow Servant Prestige class to get access to Cleric spells for more buff spells for your buddies.

For Bard, you want to get the spell Inspirational Boost, the item Badge of Valor, the item Vest of Legends (eventually), the feat Dragonfire Inspiration, and the feat Words of Creation and watch your team obliterate all the enemies with fistfulls of d6's. Googling optimizing inspire courage will get you a nice resource and locations of all of these particular items. Bards also have a pretty utility focused spell list, so that will do nicely. The big concern here is if you're party doesn't use abilities that require attack rolls, this won't be quite as great.

[jiriku]

Wizard into war weaver is an excellent idea. In addition to the usual buffs, I recommend spells usable as an immediate action to protect allies: alter fortune and celerity are the big two. Heroics is a great choice to put in the weave -- you can use it to give a broad variety of benefits chosen at casting, so it's very flexible as a buff. Summon monster IV can get you a lantern archon or a cervidal guardinal -- both are good party-support summons able to buff or remove negative status conditions.

[AvatarVecna]

Bard 4/War Weaver 5/Uncanny Trickster 1/Sublime Chord 2/Uncanny Trickster +2/?

Use some trick of casting lvl 3 spells with only lvl 2 spell slots (Heighten Spell+Versatile Spellcaster, for example) to enter War Weaver at ECL 5. Up until that point, you're a bard optimized for skills and buffing. By level 9, you should have a few useful skill tricks, some awesome skills, casting as a Bard 8, and bardic music as a Bard 5. Once you dip into Sublime Chord (I recommend 2 levels for the Song of Arcane Power, but a single level dip works as well), finish up Uncanny Trickster, using its class features to enhance War Weaver class features beyond level 5 to level 7. The main benefits here are allowing level 6 and 7 spells to be used with Eldritch Tapestry, as well as the spellcasting advancement you can give to Sublime Chord (it says "every level except first", so that should work). After that...I dunno. My suggestion is to take things that advance casting at every level; if it were me, I'd do Mindbender 1/Archmage 5, but that might not fit for you. Alternatively, you could go into Ultimate Magus for the next 6 levels and advance both your Sublime Chord and Bard casting.

The one caveat about this build is this: you need to talk your DM through it and get their approval before going through with this. This has early entry cheese and Uncanny Trickster cheese creating War Weaver cheese. There's enough elements here that a DM might take issue with that you might very well end up regretting it if you don't ask them for permission first.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I would go with something like the following Focused Specialist Conjurer or Transmuter builds (http://community.wizards.com/comment/20798761#comment-20798761). If you scroll down to the 6th post, there are example lists of spells prepared, recommended items, and recommended strategies for the conjurer at levels 5, 10, and 15.

[chaos_redefined]

A wizard focused on buffs and debuffs is a viable approach if you doubt your party is newer and won't understand the BFC spells.

At level 1, your best spells for this are probably Enlarge Person, Protection from <alignment>, Ray of Enfeeblement, and Ray of Clumsiness.

[Extra Anchovies]

A wizard focused on buffs and debuffs is a viable approach if you doubt your party is newer and won't understand the BFC spells.

At level 1, your best spells for this are probably Enlarge Person, Protection from <alignment>, Ray of Enfeeblement, and Ray of Clumsiness.

I'd actually focus on debuffs and BFC, since those are all things handled DM-side. Buffs change the PC's numbers, which means mid-combat math on the part of each player. When I and my friends were all new those definitely slowed down combat.

[Venger]

agree with the masses. batman wizard is a great support character. treantmonk (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1146876) walks you through the basics here.

[Jergmo]

This is probably going to sound really weird to people here, but I created a support-focused and flexible character that was very successful and appreciated.

What I did was I multiclassed Bard and Marshall from Miniatures Handbook, took a feat to give me a familiar from Complete Arcane, then used a variant from Unearthed Arcana to turn my familiar into an animal companion, and went to town, using whatever feats I had to spare after music feats to give bonuses to flanking attempts/shield defense.

If we're talking about a party of semi-noobs, it could be very inventive and flavorful. The animal companion can also provide flanking and Aid Another bonuses.

The party's frontliner was an unusually-built barbarian/fighter with a 2H weapon and high defense. The Marshall auras and boosted song (Song of the Heart feat I think?) turned her into a monster.

I admit that it doesn't have the raw potential for power as a batman wizard, but I can guarantee having fun controlling the character and never not having something to do.

[Socratov]

I agree withg the smalle classes and go for a Silverborw Human DFI bard 8/Virtuoso 2/Sublime Chord 2/Virtuoso 8 with a masterwork horn, healing hymn, bardic knack, suggestion traded away for Song of the Heart and Words of Creation. Step 1: DFI, step 2 IC normally, step 3 Song of Arcane Power, step 4: help debuffing enemies/healing allies, step 5: ???, step 6: get showered in the love of each and every partymember. Bonus: step 7: each night toot your horn and have people heal overnight as if they had some very relaxing and intesive bedrest.

[Melcar]

If you can do a greenbound summoning druid, and have the invisible sepll metamagic feat, you would summon some very nasty invisible creatures... thats good support!

[archonkain]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I would not have even considered looking at a bard without them. So I have a tentative build I think I like and I would love some feedback and suggestions (specifically on what spells to learn and what the last three feats should be). I am still adamant on trying to avoid ever rolling a d20 offensively or forcing saves on the bad guys intentionally. This is all about making the rest of my party shine and be the center of attention.

So here goes:

Race: Human: Silverbrow (DrM)
Alignment: NG or CG
Minimum Attributes Needed at Creation: Int 15, Cha 14
Languages Requires: Draconic

1 Bard 1 (PhB) Variant: Healing Hymn (CC) Feats: Dragonfire Inspiration (DrM), Eschew Materials (PhB)
2 Bard 2
3 Bard 3 Feat: Song of the Heart (ECS)
4 Bard 4
5 Bard 5
6 Bard 6 Feat: Enlarge Spell (PhB)
7 Bard 7
8 Bard 8
9 War Weaver 1 (HoB) Feat: Words of Creation (BoED)
10 Uncanny Trickster 1 (CS)
11 Sublime Chord 1 (CAr)
12 Wyrm Wizard 1 (DrM) Advance: Sublime Chord Feat: ?
13 Wyrm Wizard 2 Add Spell: Heal (Adept 5)
14 War Weaver 2 Advance: Sublime Chord
15 War Weaver 3 Advance: Sublime Chord Feat: ?
16 War Weaver 4 Advance: Sublime Chord
17 War Weaver 5 Advance: Sublime Chord
18 Uncanny Trickster 2 Advance: War Weaver Feat: ?
19 Uncanny Trickster 3 Advance: War Weaver
20 Sublime Chord 2


I intend to be able to give out significant buffs from bardic music (both standard inspire courage and dragonfire inspiration) along with full casting through war weaver to the whole party.
Uncanny Trickster levels 2 and 3 are used to increase War Weaver past the printed table allowing more spells (5 and 6 respectively) to be stored in the weave and allowing higher level spells (level seven eventually) to be cast through it.

This build ends with access to one ninth level spell, which makes it an epic ready spellcaster. :)

Right now the other players are talking about at least one barbarian or other melee beatstick and one melee cleric (or possibly duskblade, they want a self buffing melee machine) so I will likely need to pick up the slack on all the healing and miscellaneous spell casting, which unfortunately this build is lacking level 3 spells, both in number known and spells per day, and no access to the fly spell (looks like polymorph is the source of party flight?).

Again, I appreciate everyone's feedback, you have given me quite a bit to look at.