Need some advice about what/who to play

[TheIceborn]

About to start playing a campaign with my friends and I need some advice about what to play.
I want to be able to deal a lot of damage if I play the game skillfully, as well as have a fun character.
Do you have any ideas what to take?
1. All races are allowed, level adjustment(if there is one) is applied normally
2. All classes from player's handbook I and II are allowed(can be discussed with the DM if I wish to change some class features)
3. Feats from all the books are allowed.
What I'm asking for is not a character planned out to every detail, just the general course of feat selection and a proposal which race and class should I take. Level adjustment is NOT an issue to me, as long as it is not too big, just so that the character is fun to play.

[Flickerdart]

What level are you? What are your friends building?

Typically, fun in this game is not the same as dealing damage. Given the variety of challenges that can exist, a fun character is a character that can contribute something in every situation (and not just combat scenarios). A character that deals too much damage is actually no fun at all, since he may well one-hit-kill everything!

[Red Fel]

About to start playing a campaign with my friends and I need some advice about what to play.
I want to be able to deal a lot of damage if I play the game skillfully, as well as have a fun character.
Do you have any ideas what to take?
1. All races are allowed, level adjustment(if there is one) is applied normally
2. All classes from player's handbook I and II are allowed(can be discussed with the DM if I wish to change some class features)
3. Feats from all the books are allowed.
What I'm asking for is not a character planned out to every detail, just the general course of feat selection and a proposal which race and class should I take. Level adjustment is NOT an issue to me, as long as it is not too big, just so that the character is fun to play.

Why?

Not why you want a character. I get that. Why do people do this to us?

Why do people come in and say "Propose a character?" With no guidelines whatsoever?

"Fun to play?" What does that even mean? Is phenomenal cosmic power at the cost of obscene bookkeeping fun for you? Is being able to switch up class features from one day to the next fun for you? Is doing a surprisingly accurate impersonation of a Gundam fun for you?

I get that you're being open-ended, but it needs to start someplace. Suggest what you like. Mention what you know. Offer an idea or two. Just something, so that we can say, "Sure, here's an idea based on that."

Otherwise you're just going to hear "Play a Wizard," the end.

[ComaVision]

Pretty limited on classes. You could play a Rogue and grab the Craven and Darkstalker feats, then the Dark template for Hide in Plain Sight. Either Two Weapon Fighting or a flask throwing would allow you to do a lot of damage when you get set up properly. Race doesn't matter much, I'd probably do halfling for the small size and dex bonus or human for the extra feat.

[Flickerdart]

Otherwise you're just going to hear "Play a Wizard," the end.
Wizard is probably one of the least fun classes out there. Not only does it have a ridiculously low floor, but the reliance of the rest of the party on the arcanist role means that a crappy wizard drags everybody down. Poorly played wizards give rise to 15 minute adventuring days.

[Red Fel]

Wizard is probably one of the least fun classes out there. Not only does it have a ridiculously low floor, but the reliance of the rest of the party on the arcanist role means that a crappy wizard drags everybody down. Poorly played wizards give rise to 15 minute adventuring days.

Which is precisely my point. For some people, being able to do everything forever is a lot of fun; for others, the bookeeping is a nuisance and the capacity to bork it is frustrating.

Fun is not objective. Red Fel needs guidance badly. What do you want, OP?

[TheIceborn]

Sorry about not being specific, I have no idea what do I want to play...:p
My idea of fun is everything out of the ordinary: from pranks to getting out of impossible situations.
I also want to play something that requires a lot of skill to pull off, but if I manage to do it, its highly rewarding.
I want my character to be charismatic and support/damage in battle.
Considering I don't know what to play exactly, I can't be more specific than this :/

[Flickerdart]

Which is precisely my point. For some people, being able to do everything forever is a lot of fun; for others, the bookeeping is a nuisance and the capacity to bork it is frustrating.
It's highly unlikely that a beginner will be able to do everything forever even if we write a manual for him, or that an experienced player would have posted a thread such as this.


Sorry about not being specific, I have no idea what do I want to play...:p
My idea of fun is everything out of the ordinary: from pranks to getting out of impossible situations.
I also want to play something that requires a lot of skill to pull off, but if I manage to do it, its highly rewarding.
I want my character to be charismatic and support/damage in battle.
Considering I don't know what to play exactly, I can't be more specific than this :/
You're limited to PHB I and II, and you want a class that requires a lot of skill to play and can do anything?

Wizard, cleric, or druid. Start reading the handbooks - by this time next year you should be skilled enough to play them like you want.

[TheIceborn]

I'm not the begginer, I just never played as a player before. I'm a DM for a year now and I have never been in a position where I don't control everything.
Thats why I'm asking.

[TheIceborn]

P.S. I read all the books multiple times

[Red Fel]

Sorry about not being specific, I have no idea what do I want to play...:p
My idea of fun is everything out of the ordinary: from pranks to getting out of impossible situations.
I also want to play something that requires a lot of skill to pull off, but if I manage to do it, its highly rewarding.
I want my character to be charismatic and support/damage in battle.
Considering I don't know what to play exactly, I can't be more specific than this :/


I'm not the begginer, I just never played as a player before. I'm a DM for a year now and I have never been in a position where I don't control everything.
Thats why I'm asking.

Okay. This is something I can work with.

You want something versatile, out of the ordinary, and rewarding to pull off well. The base class needs to come from PHB/PHB II, but the feats and races can be anything.

First question: The class restriction. Does that apply only to base classes? For example, could you take a non-PHB prestige class? Could you take a non-PHB ACF for a PHB class? I have an idea in mind, but it depends on the answer to these questions.

[TheIceborn]

Yes, the restriction applies only to base classes, I can take a prestige class from anywhere as long as my DM inspects it(but she'll allow it 95% certainly).

[Red Fel]

Yes, the restriction applies only to base classes, I can take a prestige class from anywhere as long as my DM inspects it(but she'll allow it 95% certainly).

Jackpot. We're making you a Shifter.

Shifter Druid, to be precise. Start by looking at Eggynack's obscenely comprehensive guide to the Druid (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?439991-Being-Everything-Eggynack-s-Comprehensive-Druid-Handbook). It's an awesome, versatile, strong class, which - if played well - can fill almost any role, from healing and buffing, to melee combat, to summoning, to blasting. You have plenty of options.

Here's where "unusual" comes in - you're going to be a Shifter. Shifters are a race that are sort of sub-lycanthropes - people who can turn semi-bestial to get a little power boost. Shifter Druids are addressed in more detail in Eggy's guide.

You're going to take the Shifter substitution levels. Well, two of the three. The first one, Beast Spirit, replaces your animal companion with a passive buff that grows with your Druid level, and it's awesome. The second, Reckless Nature, replaces Resist Nature's Lure (which is stupidly situational) with a bonus to Reflex saves (which you need) and a penalty to Will saves (which doesn't hurt you). The third, Wild Shifting, is crap and you shouldn't take it.

Now, you have a choice. You can take Shifter Druid, all 20 levels, getting all of the benefits of Druid and Shifter and your Beast Spirit. Or you can PrC into Moonspeaker, a prestige class for Shifter Druids that will blow your mind. It shortens your Wild Shape progression, but it dramatically boosts your summoning, as well as giving you some very versatile new summons. It also gives you energy resistances and an immunity, DR, some bonuses to your Shifter abilities, and improves your natural attacks.

Played well, a Shifter Druid can basically be whatever you want it to be, whenever you want it to be. Want to talk to the animals? Want to be one? Want to grow a pair of claws for no apparent reason? Want to summon a Nymph? Throw lightning? You can do whatever you want with this chassis - be as versatile or focused as you please.

[TheIceborn]

That actually sounds awesome! Thank you very much for your help, I'll surely check it out :)

[geekmode]

How about a dwarven drunken monk with the vow of poverty. you could have him slur his words so badly no one understands him but a single party member. maybe his beard is so soaked with booze its always catching fire.