[3.5] Party Build

[Thurbane]

If you had to build a 4 member party with the following stipulations, what would you come up with:

- No character can be of the Humanoid type
- No character can have templates, inherited or otherwise
- Every character must have at least 2 RHD, and at least +1 LA; it must also have at least 1 class level
- No duplications of race, must be 4 different races in the party
- ECL for each character is 6 (along with level 6 starting wealth)
- Must be a relatively coherent party (i.e. no fiends adventuring alongside celestials)
- A token effort must be made to cover the 4 common party roles (beatstick/tank, buffer/healer, blaster/area control and skillmonkey/faceman
- Abilities are elite array/25 point buy

Assume all official 3.0 and 3.5 sources are open. No Dragon Mag, no Pathfinder.

Cheers - T

[WhamBamSam]

Any way we could bump the ECL up to 7? An overwhelming majority of my ideas are coming up just short at 6.

[Thurbane]

Any way we could bump the ECL up to 7? An overwhelming majority of my ideas are coming up just short at 6.

OK, let's say 6 or 7 are acceptable.

[Nifft]

- No character can be of the Humanoid type
- No character can have templates, inherited or otherwise
Cool.

So like, a Dragonwrought Kobold, a Warforged, an Elan, and a ...



- Every character must have at least 2 RHD, and at least +1 LA; it must also have at least 1 class level
... wait what.

Uh, okay, why 2 RHD and +1 LA? Those usually suck. Especially the RHD.

[Randomguy]

Here's what I came up with: An aquatic party!

Skum: Aberration. 2HD, 3LA, Fighter 1. Putting that racial strength bonus to good use.
Sahuagin: Monstrous humanoid. 2HD, 2LA, Wizard 2. Relatively low LA and low int make it a decent wizard. Maybe swap the familiar for an animal companion to pick up a Shark, for fluff purposes.
Anguillian: (stormwrack). Aberration, 3HD, 2LA, Rogue 1. Decent strength and dex plus a bunch of natural attacks synergise well with sneak attack.
(good wisdom, too)



- Must be a relatively coherent party (i.e. no fiends adventuring alongside celestials)


Darn, I missed this requirement. I was originally going to go for a Triton as the party druid, but Sahuagin hate Tritons, so I guess that's a no go.
To deal with that, just bump the ECL up to 7, give everyone an extra class level, and for the last member of the party we have:
Nereid: Fey, 3HD / 3LA / Druid 1. The speak with animals ability synergizes well with druid. As the only party member with any charisma, she would also be the party face.

[WhamBamSam]

Cool.

So like, a Dragonwrought Kobold, a Warforged, an Elan, and a ...

... wait what.

Uh, okay, why 2 RHD and +1 LA? Those usually suck. Especially the RHD.Just to be difficult, I imagine. Anyway, here's a first attempt.

Thri-Kreen 2/1 LA/Rogue 1/Pouncebarian 1/Unarmed Swordsage 2
1. Tomb-Tainted Soul
3. Craven or Darkstalker
6. Multiattack, Improved Unarmed Strike

Get your charge on to do some damage. Some skillmonkeying.

Steel Loredrake 4/LA 2/Sorcerer 1
1. Tomb-Tainted Soul
3. Flyby Attack

Pretty much a cop out. Still, it can sorta cast and has some face skills, so that's nice.

Kaorti 2/LA 2/Swordsage 1/Fiend of Possession 2
1. Hidden Talent (Entangling Ectoplasm), EWP (Ribbon Dagger)
3. Tomb-Tainted Soul

Possesses the Thri-Kreen's Necklace of Natural Attacks. In times of great emergency can curse the dragon to increase his age by a category. Also grants a permanent flank to the Thri-Kreen via Island of Blades and can help others flank via Distracting Ember. Has a few minor debuffs which don't require somatic components.

Deathlock 3/LA 3/Warlock 1
1. Mortalbane
3. Violate Spell-like Ability

Out of combat, heals the party with his at-will Inflict Minor Wounds. In combat he has an at-will Eldrich Blast and a 3/day Magic Missile to serve as vectors for Mortalbane and Violate SLA.

[Inevitability]

A bunch of desert-dwelling monsters who decided to band together and plunder tombs, then kill all who oppose them become respectable adventurers doing adventurer things.

Marrulurk Rogue 3, Ogre barbarian 1 (lockdown build), symbiotic anthropomorphic toad-awakened camel cleric 3, wyrmling sand dragon sorcerer 2.

[Anthrowhale]

Party Face with Iajutsu Focus for fighting and good sneak ability, particularly outdoors.
Anthropomorphic(*) Lion 2HD/ECL+1/Factotum 3 Str+2/Dex+6/Wis+4/NA+3, Pounce, Improved Grab, 1d6 Bite/1d3 claw or hand/1d3 claw or hand, Balance+4/Hide+4/Move Silently+4(+12 in tall grass or heavy undergrowth)

A brutally strong and endurable fighter with two extra natural attacks and pounce
Anthropomorphic Cachalot Whale 3HD/ECL+1/Barbarian(Lion Spirit totem) 1/Crusader 1 Str+8/Dex+4/Con+6/Wis+6/NA+9, Blindsight 60', 2d6 Bite/1d4 Tail slap, Swim+8/Listen+4/Spot+4, Size Large

Party Wizard with 2nd level spells and a 50' move.
Anthropomorphic Light WarHorse 2HD/ECL+1/Wizard 3 Str-2/Dex+4/Con+2/Wis+4/NA+4, 1d2 bite/1d3 hoof or hand/1d3 hoof or hand, Move 50'

Party Cleric with 2nd level spells and scout with all-day flight that can trivialize outdoor encounters against non-ranged opponents.
Anthropomorphic Eagle 2HD/ECL+1/Cloistered Cleric 3 Str+2/Dex+2/Con+2/Wis+6/NA+1, 1d6 bite, Fly 40'(Poor), Spot+8

(*) Not a template.

[Eldariel]

How strong a campaign should I design the party for?

[Psionic Dog]

How is this?

Blaster: Brass Dragon Wyrmling 4-Racial/2-LA/1-Sorcerer
Beatstick/healer: Centaur: 4-Racial/2-LA/1-Ranger
Beatstick/Control: Worg 4-Racial/1-LA/2-PsyWarior
Healer/Skill: Marrulurk: 3-racial/1-LA/3-Bard

The Centaur* was charged with secretly raising a Wyrmling in safety on behalf of a harassed parent. However boredom/other egg thefts/the now-missing parent/etc have sent the two adventuring instead. Centaur and charge have currently banded together with a Worg intellectual and a Marrulurk historian to pass themselves off as a traveling freak show as they pass through civilized lands.

The group will have to depend a little more heavily on wands for healing/buffs than I would ordinarily like but oh well.

*Originally a Fey until I realized the Satyr didn't have a class level and the Sprites lacked natural HD...

[RedMage125]

From the Tyr Region's wasteland, comes a motley assortment of raiders.

At'itl'tuk, Thri-Kreen Scout 4 (his companions call him "Click", because none of them can pronounce his name)

Garanesh, Gnoll Barbarian 4

Sussuruk, Lizardfolk Cleric 4 (no deity, Water and Healing domains; worships elemental water)

Xynthos, Shadar-kai Wizard 3

Each of them was outcast from their respective tribes or homes, or, in the case of Sussuruk, is the last of his tribe. They have banded together for survival and in doing so, have found a new tribe (or clutch, in Click's case) in each other.

[Thurbane]

How strong a campaign should I design the party for?

Shoot for medium to high op. Heck, if you want to go TO, knock yourself out, but something that might actually see play at a table is probably better.