Advice for first time in a high level game

[Britsky]

So I'm going to be in a Level 20 game, It's going to be a very combat oriented dungeon crawl type of affair.
This will be my first time playing at anywhere near that level, I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to what kind of things i should be looking into character wise, Races, classes, items etc. I want to do this properly, a tier 3 decently optimized character

To make it less vague I'd quite like something fairly hands on, using magic of course(Will also be my first time playing a magical char) But not just standing back firing off spells all the time a character who likes to get in close, but having some decently devastating ranged or area spells would be nice.

Should also be fairly versatile(from what i understand this is what the tier system means?) Having a way to deal with all sorts of enemies, obstacles and situations; being able to fly, attack incorporeal enemies, true sight, these sort of things, be it due to an ability, a spell, or an item.

Sorry is this is a bit of a big question, but i don't know what i'm doing, i don't want to panic and just make a lvl 20 rogue.

[Name1]

I'm gonna suggest Savage Bard 1/Ardent 4/Urpriest 2/Psychic Theurge 3/Sublime Chord 1/Mystic Theurge 3/Psychic Theurge 1/Cerebremancer 5 again.

It's a simple "Jack of all Trades, Master of None" kinda deal: You are a Mulan Human (Races of Faerun p. 95) and start as a Savage Bard (Good Fort save is important to qualify for Urpriest), then you go Ardent (whose max. choosable Powerlevel depends on nothing but their ML), picking up the prerequisites of Urpriest along the way. At level 9, you take the Southern Magician feat, which allows you to consider Urpriest arcane for the purpose of qualifying for Sublime Chord. The rest is basically just getting levels of Psionics/Magic in. Be sure to pick up Tap Mantle along the way and devote yourself to an Elder Evil and Chaos Shuffle for some extra feats (you can increase your ML/CL or learn new powers with them, for example).

You'll also need a good UPD (Use Psionic Device), so you can emulate an Inspired and use Power Link Shards, since these allow you to augment a power with +2PP 3/day, which is great since the item also states that using them allows you to spent more on a power than your ML by said amounts. You can have up to your ML of these shards, and you should try to get them if you can.

This build nets you a few arcane spells, a few divine spells and a few powers to play around with, even if it's not as much as a full caster can do.

[Britsky]

Also I forgot to say, this will be a pathfinder game.

[Name1]

Also I forgot to say, this will be a pathfinder game.

Ohhh... sorry, couldn't tell without the tag. In that case, this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?233029-PF-Optimization-Guides-Compendium) might help you.

[Britsky]

Ohhh... sorry, couldn't tell without the tag. In that case, this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?233029-PF-Optimization-Guides-Compendium) might help you.

Yeah sorry, pretty important info. Thanks i'll give it a look.

[Ecliptic]

What books are allowed? Third party?

Could try making a mystic (DSP class).

Has a lot of caster-like abilities and maneuvers, but also a lot of martial qualities. ;)

Look here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?380631-All-the-Path-of-War-Guides-in-One-Place!) for Path of War stuff!

[BearonVonMu]

I will second the path of war if it is allowed. You will be a strong martial type who has powers like you were a 4th edition character.
It works out to be like spells for fighting with. I especially like the Zweihander Sentinel Archetype for Warden.
Otherwise, Magus is a fantastic gish class that allows for fighting and spellcasting.

[Barstro]

Inquisitor, Magus, and Alchemist can be very powerful in melee and still cast spells.

You could also take poor archetypes of Tier-1. I've never considered White-Haired Witch to be all that good, but it might work with what you want in a class.

[Britsky]

What about in Tier 1, anything like that there? Feel like wrecking house.

[Arbane]

What about in Tier 1, anything like that there? Feel like wrecking house.

Wizard, Cleric, Druid, Arcanist, and Witch are all considered Tier 1. (If you mean in DSP's stuff, I don't think so.)

[CharonsHelper]

What about in Tier 1, anything like that there? Feel like wrecking house.

If going that path - you would never go on a dungeon crawl at 20. You would remain on your private/secret demi-plane and send half a dozen simulacrums which you created with Blood Money to do all of your questing for you.

(Frankly - in my opinion even trying to play 3.x past 14-15ish is generally a mistake. It's at its best for levels 1-10ish (though some would argue a narrower 3-8 sweet-spot). It works okay up until 12ish.

If you really want to break the game with a tier 1 caster at level 20 - it's not very hard. There are plenty of ways to do it and bunches of guides explaining how.

[dascarletm]

IMHO going straight magus (possibly the eldritch scion archetype for ease) will be the most fun experience. You won't feel weak, but it won't be easy-mode either.

EDIT: Checklist



something fairly hands on,
Check

using magic of course(Will also be my first time playing a magical char)
Check

But not just standing back firing off spells all the time
Check

a character who likes to get in close,
Check

but having some decently devastating ranged or area spells would be nice.
Check

Should also be fairly versatile(from what i understand this is what the tier system means?)
Check

Having a way to deal with all sorts of enemies, obstacles and situations;
Check

being able to fly,
Check

attack incorporeal enemies,
Check

true sight,
Check... well you'll have to get an item for that but...

these sort of things, be it due to an ability, a spell, or an item.

[Eldariel]

For your description, Clerics and Druids are effortlessly naturally hands-on obviously with a massive helping of magic, securely Tier 1.

You can downplay the minionmancy a bit to make it more dungeoncrawl-friendly, but a neutral Cleric channeling negative energy with a huge undead horde could still work, himself as the champion at the head of the formation.

Clerics and Druids using their magic kick ass with the best of them in melee.

[Britsky]

Check... well you'll have to get an item for that but...

I think i saw true seeing on the magus spell list.