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Tyrael
2007-04-27, 06:42 PM
Hey, all. Quickie question, my DM is starting a temporary online summer campaign, low-level, low-magic. I'm trying to think up a character, but I'm coming up blank on how to implement it.

Starting level is level 3. I'm looking for a wanderer/traveller type of character, a guy who can survive completely on his own, has been travelling the world/towns/wilderness for several years and can get by most situations, whether it's talking, fighting, or retreating for another day.

I was thinking of a Ranger, but there's already a Ranger in the party. Perhaps a Scout, or a Scout/Rogue? Something skill-heavy, probably. Race is Wood Elf.

Any ideas, folks?

Tellah
2007-04-27, 06:48 PM
You might be interested in a Wilderness Rogue (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/unearthedCoreClass.html#wilderness-rogue).

illathid
2007-04-27, 06:49 PM
Well you could try the Factotum from Dungeonscape. I haven't played one yet, but I hear they can do just about anything.

Isomenes
2007-04-27, 07:07 PM
Bard is an ok match for this--some magic, but nowhere near the arcane heights of a wizard. Plenty talky, plenty fighty esp. if you minimize your spellcasting.

Jannex
2007-04-27, 08:53 PM
As others have said, Scout, Rogue, or Bard are your best bets, if you don't want to step on the Ranger's toes. There are different ways you could implement each one...

Scout: You've got the wilderness skills here. You might pick up the Track feat, or not, depending on how important you think it would be to the character (or again, if you're concerned about stepping on the Ranger's toes). Decent in combat, very maneuverable, bonus to movement speed. In civilized areas, no better or worse than any other adventurer with social stuff.

Bard: You've got social interaction covered. Even without reaching into your spell list, you should be able to talk your way around, over, or through most social situations. Bardic Knowledge gives you additional insight into any number of situations and obstacles, and all Knowledge skills are class skills, so if you want to know about the wilderness, you can. Bards are famous for being support characters, but if you want to be self-sufficient, Haste works just as well on you as it does on the rest of your party. And you get healing.

Rogue: Again, a great spread of class skills, with enough points that if you want to throw a rank or two into some cross-class learning, you can probably afford it. Like the Bard, you have access to all the social skills, and like the Scout, you've got decent combat potential with your Sneak Attack and a decent Hide check. You don't have as much wilderness familiarity as the Scout, but if you keep close to the roads you should be okay. Use your Gather Information and Knowledge: Local to feel out the area before wandering off into the woods, and keep Spot and Listen high, and you should do all right.

Or, mix'n'match. A Scout/Bard wouldn't be the most optimized thing in the world, but would be able to handle both wilderness and city situations quite well, and should be fairly capable of keeping himself alive. It also sounds like a really fun concept, which I might steal sometime.

Matthew
2007-04-28, 10:54 PM
What about Monk?

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-04-28, 11:05 PM
I really reccomend the rogue/scout (both, perhaps. They mesh great). There's so many ways you could spin the flavor, and for a guy that can get along out there on his own, the skilled dude's got it best. I wouldn't pick a half-orc, gnome, or elf as a race for the proper flavor. The other core races would work fine. Non-core, a changeling or stoneheart halfling would be nice. If you're looking for power though, nothing quite touches the human.

If you're having trouble figuring out additional flavor, take a look at the stats you end up giving him. High strength, he has a tendency to act rashly and violently. High dexterity, he's quick and nimble and over all pretty slick. High constitution, he's a heavy drinker and loves good food. High intelligence, he plans things out as they come and is a great improviser. High wisdom, he's world-weary and has picked up years of hard-earned know-how. High charisma, he's a bit of a charmer that will use both wiles and social grace to get what he wants.

Mix and match for fun.

pantoffelheld
2007-04-29, 02:17 PM
well, the first thing I thought of when viewing the OP, was my cleric of Fharlangh which I recently sent of to the horizon. He had the same flavour, being a traveller and walking the land all his life and whatnot. Fharlangh is really a great deity, as he (she?) has luck, travel and protection as domain.


a guy who can survive completely on his own,
Travel domain grants you survival to your class skills, which is basically what you're searching for here. I also took the track feat, because I thought it fitted the flavour suprisingly well. when used correctly, track can be extremely useful.


can get by most situations, whether it's talking, fighting, or retreating for another day.

for the talking part: calm emotions is your friend. high charisma also helps your turn undead ability and diplomacy is on your class skills. When fighting, remember that your a cleric, one of the more powerful classes. so go slay some living. Retreating is one thing you excel at, with the fly and teleport spells granted bij the travel domain and the hold person and longstrider spell.

You might consider using a bow and taking zen archery, since the best way to survive is to not expose yourself to the enemy. Not that you're extremely vulnerable, with your cure spells and can take the protection domain to cover you. My cleric had a quarterstaff/walking stick, because Fharlangh approve of it, and could held himself fairly well in chaotic situations. unlike the sorcerer, who kept flinging fireballs around the small room. What I like about this character is his self-sufficient skills. You don't need any-one else to get something done, as you have an answer to almost every situation. How very unlike my recent half-orc barbarian, who can't tie his laces without help.

PlatinumJester
2007-04-29, 03:36 PM
Dragon Shaman Changeling is pretty call in my opinion. Just don't be a catfolk duelist cos they suck.