So my DM is starting a new campaign (3.5). Help me OP my character?

[Dren Nas]

Yeah, so, I want to build a character that will be able to easily destroy my companions if needed because my group has a tendency of PVP. Last campaign was 5th ed, and I was playing a cleric of death. I killed 3 party members before level 3 because they decided to aggro on me. Not my fault, I SWEAR! I was actually lawful evil leaning neutral. They're a great group of guys, but they tend to drag grudges through characters. I just want to survive. XD

I don't want to Pun-Pun, but I want to be self sufficient to the point where I can easily off troublesome players whether head on or through subtlety if needed. All non-third party 3.5 resources are open. I'm starting at first level, but we should move through levels fairly quick.


I was looking at the artificer, but I don't have access to the ebberon books personally. So its not so easy for me to plan my build.

I'm not locked into the artificer, so I am open to suggestions for ANY archetype.

What do you think?

[Segev]

At what level are you starting?

edit: never mind, I see it in your original post now, sorry.

[Nibbens]

Yeah, so, I want to build a character that will be able to easily destroy my companions if needed because my group has a tendency of PVP. Last campaign was 5th ed, and I was playing a cleric of death. I killed 3 party members before level 3 because they decided to aggro on me. Not my fault, I SWEAR! I was actually lawful evil leaning neutral. They're a great group of guys, but they tend to drag grudges through characters. I just want to survive. XD

I don't want to Pun-Pun, but I want to be self sufficient to the point where I can easily off troublesome players whether head on or through subtlety if needed. All non-third party 3.5 resources are open. I'm starting at first level, but we should move through levels fairly quick.


I was looking at the artificer, but I don't have access to the ebberon books personally. So its not so easy for me to plan my build.

I'm not locked into the artificer, so I am open to suggestions for ANY archetype.

What do you think?

Wizard/sorcerer - Prioritize charm and compulsion spells and don't go looking for trouble. When trouble comes looking for you - charm the barbarian into being your friend who wants to protect you. lol.

[Segev]

Between Charm Person and Hypnotism you can convert people to "fanatic" level attitude towards specific ideas or requests. Use this and/or regular Diplomacy to make friends with all the NPCs you can, and instill in them a fanatic devotion to revenge on anybody who harms you. Make sure the party knows this; if they turn on you, they'll have most every NPC they've ever met devoting their lives, treasure, and sacred honor to avenging you.

[Dren Nas]

Wizard/sorcerer - Prioritize charm and compulsion spells and don't go looking for trouble. When trouble comes looking for you - charm the barbarian into being your friend who wants to protect you. lol.

I've thought about doing a controller build. It wouldn't be bad, but it's squishy at low levels.

[lhilas]

Pick up sorcerer / Artificer and split ray of enfeeblement your way to victory as your team fall to the ground like a bunch teenage girls at a Justin Bieber concert...

Seriously though - tier 1 paranoidic spellcaster is the way to go, always make sure you've got the upper hand in combat through improved invisibility, summons and no-save spells such as geas /quest, ray of enfeeblement, ray of clumsyness, evard's black tentacles and such.
As long as nobody else is picking up a high power tier 1 class you should be just fine.

[Dren Nas]

Ok, I've decided to go either cleric or wizard.

[Nerdguy88]

You might look into Tome of Battle. Most of those classes are pretty OP early on.

[LoyalPaladin]

Ok, I've decided to go either cleric or wizard.
Disintegrate is your best friend.

... What? I just said what everyone was thinking...

[Dread_Head]

Divine Metamagic: Persist cheese on a cleric is pretty survivable and can dish out the hurt in return. What are you more concerned about, surviving any attacks or being able to lay down the hurt if attacked?

A 1st level Wizard with the Abrupt Jaunt ACF and the feats Fell Drain and Metamagic School Focus can kill three level one characters with little chance of them being able to land a blow in return, it also remains effective as you level.

If you want to be able to survive what they have to throw at you a Crusader or Incarnate can be pretty survivable.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

Wizard, and then go into whichever of the standard great casting PrCs particularly honk your dongle. I'm thinking here of Dweomerkeeper, Shadowcraft Mage, Initiate of the Sevenfold Veils, Incantrix.. whatever you feel like. Warmage or Beguiler into Rainbow Servant can work too depending on your DM's interpretation of that class. Artificer (or, dear god, Psionic Artificer), if you think you'll be able to craft things (or if you're willing to craft stuff for people as bribes. Maybe with I-don't-work-anymore command words built in...)

Also remember that you reap what you sow. If your party wants to be good, play a good character. The game is about having fun. Don't be a jerk, in or out of character. There are few things more obnoxious than a guy who creates his build with PvP in mind, then acts like a tool because he knows he'll be the last one standing. That's a mentality for a very specific kind of game. Most tables aren't it.

[Red Fel]

I hear your Wizard and Cleric, and yeah, they're awesome. Tier 1, good times. I'm going to suggest Druid or Psion, instead.

Druid is the paradigmatic does-anything class. Want to withstand physical abuse? Turn into a bear. Feeling outnumbered? Summon minions. Enemies too far away to maul? You have spells. You can pretty much do whatever you want with a well-optimized Druid, and it's not hard to pull off, either.

When it comes to self-sufficient casters, though, I have a soft spot for the Psion. Are they squishy? Sure. But they're never at a loss for material, verbal, or somatic components. Tied up? Cast anyway. Zone of silence? Cast anyway. Stripped naked in the middle of a desert? Cast anyway, and then go find some pants. Psions have outrageous methods of abusing the action economy, and nasty tricks like infinite PP cycling and the Share Pain + Vigor + psicrystal combo. There are powers that cover every combat situation, and they can be augmented to precisely your level of need, without the waste you feel blowing an 8th-level spell slot on a 5th-level threat.