Class Suggestions for Non-Magic Campaign

[HumanInDisguise]

Hello All!

I am about to participate in a very non-magic campaign and I can't decide what class or race I want to play. The campaign is 100% non-magic and set in what I can only glean to be a very ignorant and dilapidated world after some major event, however evolution hasn't completed, so not exactly sure on the setting or reasons behind it yet, which the DM is keeping secret deliberately. Here is what little information I have been able to glean from the DM:


"Super short version, only some races survived an event you don't know about it. Humans (as is) half elf (race skills as class skills) elf/wild elf (need to sleep/no immunity to sleep) surface dward, halfling (as is) kabolod (I'd have to look up stats, I think -4str +2cha or dex and +2 professional miner) Also limited classes, a lot of knowledge has been lost so: barbarian, fighter, rogue, scout, medic [custom healing class] or ask about certain classes"

"Tl;Dr world/settings (without the general flavor I normally do) was sun no more sun, gods are all but forgotten, the few gods that are remembered are more so children's fairy tales, no one remembers why but pelor is always the villain in children's tales and is used as a swear amongst adults. Some small settlements have popped up around floating stones called... yeaven stones? [Just a name he came up with] basically floating stones that give off light and can sorta be used to grow crops. Caravans are super important but it can take days, if not weeks or years, to get from 1 settlement to the next, should they ever even arrive."

"The art of smithing and crafting is basically being rediscovered using ancient relics, so there isn't much, if anything at all, as far as 'fresh gear' is concerned, so crafting is beyond important, I'm giving a bonus skill point every level to be used in crafting."

"Like to the point, consider new armor/weapons at at least a +1-2 magic item, master worked like +3 or higher (in terms of rarity)"

Asked about Bug bears and I was told they "aren't sentient yet. Well, anywhere near remotely civilized"

"Your starting at 1, it's going to be a long campaign"

"I'm gygaxian with my games"

"Disclaimer: this is a new world, random lore may randomly change. I think I got it all hammered out. Then again that's assuming the lore you pick up is true, and not horribly influenced by ones opinion because that never happens"


So I am looking to be filling out a party of 3-4 people for a long "gygaxian" non-magic campaign where crafting and trade is super important, and the sun is missing(?). I am experienced in role playing and this campaign won't be super combat oriented, but will have need of fighting capabilities. I am looking for any suggestions for a race/class combination that can be played with some flair or uniqueness to increase fun and options for role playing, preferably a female but can be male, and I would appreciate any suggestions you might have.

This is the part as is stands:
Kabold Scout (from dndtools.pw/classes/scout/)
someRace Medic (custom healer class)
someRace someClass
ME AND IDK WHAT TO DO D:

Thanks guys!

[Xerlith]

Oh man... Tongue in cheek, but I'd probably use:

Human
Martial (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogue) Wilderness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogueVariantWilderness Rogue) Rogue 2/Hit-And-Run (DotU) Dungeoncrasher Fighter 2/Spirit Lion Totem (CChampion) Whirling Frenzy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#rageVariantWhirlingFrenzy ) Barbarian 2, then finish up with Rogue.

You have feats to spare:
Human: Able Learner
1: Power Attack
rog1: Improved Bull Rush
rog2:
3:
ftr1:
ftr2:
6:

r Dungeoncrasher (loses 2nd lvl feat) grants you the ability to bullrush people into objects for 4d6+Twice Strength mod. That would somewhat lessen the need of having a good weapon, too.

What does it give you? 8+Int skill points at first level, with a better suited to wilderness Wilderness Rogue (duh) skill choice.

[Tvtyrant]

...whatever makes you sneakiest. Grab Darkstalker to blank mundane senses, hide in plain sight, and go whole hog into poisons. Archer-sniping is now viable.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Spellless Ranger/Monk with Ascetic Hunter might make a fun "crazy mountain savage" character. Live in the woods and punch things to death. Ditch Monk after two or three levels and you won't run afoul of the "no magic" clause, nor will you get anything that's really a "mystic kung-fu secret" kind of thing. (You learned to dodge better and punch things harder and faster-- that's not exactly fancy martial arts). Without spells you're probably better off dumping Wisdom and just using the Ranger's light armor, though.

EDIT: Although looking at the list of houserules, I'd be very careful proposing anything even mildly high-op. The whole "no magic, good items are super rare" thing is common among controlling GMs, and the super-restricted list of classes is also worrying. "I'm gygaxian," the implied reticience about houserules, and that weirdly-worded entry about changing lore aren't great signs either. I'd probably stick to as simple a build as possible, honestly. Maybe just ask about spellless ranger (Complete Warrior, I think)-- that would get you decent skills and combat ability without needing anything fancy. In such a situation I like dipping Fighter for heavy armor and 1-3 levels of Rogue for a bit of sneak attack, and TWFing with a greatsword and armor spikes/spiked gauntlet/unarmed strikes.

[stanprollyright]

Spell-less Swift Hunter. Daring Outlaw with Assassin's Stance and Shadow Blade.

[HumanInDisguise]

I got some more information from the DM.

Apparently its a 25 point buy, no more than 16 score in any stat, however +1 to any stat (max base stat 20) every other level starting at 2, and free bonus feat every other level starting at level 3, so Fighter is pointless with the free ANY feat.

DM: "play a character, not a gimmick, i dont want people playing numbers, i want people characters"

Its all about the role playing opportunities. Forgive me for taking so long to respond, I appreciate the input, I am just reading through everything and re-reading all the suggestions you have made, and they are very helpful. I will give my responses later when I have the chance.

Multi-classing does impose an XP penalty, however your highest level class counts as favored class. This means, with the bonus stats and feats that I would lose from 3 class xp penalty I would be under leveled. I won't be lacking for feats, so I need to pick something OTHER than fighter I think.

He will also let me trade class skill for other skills, so if I don't want jump I can trade it for use rope (not sure why, but example) at character creation. I can also trade Heavy Armor prof. on a fighter for more skill points, however the character will NEVER be able to acquire Heavy Armor prof. again.

This threw some more shenanigans into the mix, but certainly gives me more options for pizzaz.


Edit: This would probably make Homebrew Classes allowed as well, so long as they are well thought out and non-magic (and not just utterly broken)

[xyianth]

Oh boy...

First things first, just to get it out of the way: Run. Seriously. This set off almost every red flag I have for bad DMs. I'll translate what you gave us into what I heard:

"I'm gygaxian": You will die quick and often. Anytime you find a trick that seems too effective, I will invent a reason that it no longer works.
"play a character, not a gimmick": Your class defines who you are, multiclassing is deeply frowned upon, and any optimized combo will be nerfed.
"no magic, items are rare": I've been burned in the past by powerful/creative spell uses and cheap but effective items, never again!
"lore can change randomly and retroactively": This is my game, you players are here at my whim to follow the roles I have assigned you, and I am infallible.
"caravans and crafting is super important": I'm going to make you meticulously track supplies, encumbrance, and travel distance/time. Because I like tedious bull****.
Now, assuming you aren't running away and actually want to play in this game:

The setting and lore hints you described actually sound amazingly intriguing. If I am wrong about all the above warning signs, this could turn into a really fantastic and memorable game.
Simple builds are best, and in non-magic settings the keys to survival are range and stealth. Rogue is a fantastic class for non-magic settings. Skills are much more valuable when wizards aren't running around and auto-succeeding on things that require skill checks. Sneak attack is a wonderful tool for alpha-striking. And no-one is better at stealth in a non-magic game than rogues are.
With all the extra feats being thrown around, you can attempt to build around several feat chains. This may or may not run afoul of the "play a character not a gimmick" rule. If you can incorporate these tricks as your character's signature fighting style it shouldn't be a problem. There are several, very effective, feat chains that revolve around non-magic techniques:

Mace Prowess: [Three Mountains, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Weapon Focus] This is for a strength focused melee build. It combines well with Dungeoncrasher Fighter, Knockback, and Shocktrooper, Lightning Maces.
Boomerang Tosser: [Boomerang Daze, Boomerang Ricochet, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Two-Weapon Fighting, etc...] This is for a good dex focused ranged build. It combines well with Targeteer Fighter, Master Thrower, Bloodstorm Blade.
Knock-Down and Stagger: [Knock-Down, Improved Trip, Staggering Strike] This is for a strength focused melee build. It can be combined with the Mace feats above, though it does not have to be done with maces. The key tactic is to do 10+ damage to trigger Knock-Down, trip the opponent to trigger Improved Trip, then attack again. If you can cause those attacks to be sneak attacks, the enemy ends up prone and staggered; thereby having to choose between standing up or attacking while prone.
Fear and Loathing: [Dreadful Wrath, Imperious Command] This is for any build with decent charisma. The ability to cower your foes is very powerful, especially in a no-magic setting where defenses against fear should be minimal. This combines well with Avenging Executioner, Scarlet Corsair, and/or Twisted Lord prestige classes.
As far as stealth goes, the Darkstalker feat is invaluable, and the ability to Hide in Plain Sight is also extremely useful. Unfortunately, the best forms of HiPS are Su, and therefore not available. The best and earliest to acquire Ex version of HiPS is available as the 1st level of the Hellbreaker prestige class from FCII. Since your campaign has no Sun, it shouldn't be hard to find darkness to hide in. If that won't work, (admittedly, learning Infernal in a non-magic setting is questionable) The easiest method is to play a Wilderness Rogue from UA. That way you can get it as two of your rogue special abilities. (have to take camouflage too)
Poisons are much more useful in non-magic settings, but they are also much more dangerous. Do not use them unless you have the poison use ability. With no easy means of remove poison available, poisoning yourself can have some very nasty consequences. (If the homebrew medic class can deal with them somehow, ignore this)
Dex based builds will perform much better than Str based ones. High AC is harder to acquire in non-magic settings and initiative boosts are practically non-existant.

Best of luck in your upcoming game. I sincerely hope I am wrong about all the warning signs.