Challenged again! Single-class character!

[weckar]

So, last time I was challenged to come up with an interesting character featuring low-low-low mental stats.

This time, my group has noticed that my characters never tend to have less than 4 classes on the sheet. They have challenged me to make an interesting and viable single-classed character (no PrCs, no full-casters) at lv 15.

My first thought was Bard or Duskblade, but I feel that would be cheating the point a little - so I am for my own sake trimming out all spellcasting whatsoever. And Warlocks, because I've made far too many of those already.

This leaves my brain with a bruiser-type, a DFA or a Binder as viable options. Ideally I'd still like to overcome the 'limits' (a.k.a. pigeonholing) of the chosen class through feats or cross-class skills...

This is my train of thought for not. Playground, please derail it.

[Inevitability]

Martial initiators, binders, dragonfire adepts, incarnum-users, even shadowcasters... there's a ton of classes out there that are viable as your sole one.

What do you want this character to be able to do? 'Having one class' is not specific enough.

[Gusmo]

Samurai? Scout? What's that druid variant that gives up spellcasting (hopefully I'm not imagining it)? Dragonfire adept? Sneak attack thug fighter? Soulknife? Marshall? Dragon shaman? A monster progression from savage species?

[Eldariel]

Factotum or Rogue would be my pick. With Font of Inspiration, a Factotum on these levels is quite the force to be reckoned with and you're not that far from the tier ascension in Cunning Brilliance (level 19), which is an absolutely incredible ability. And Wilderness Rogue already has Hide in Plain Sight and all the key feats and is free to pick up other cool Special Abilities. Both of 'em can be very powerful overall.

[Metahuman1]

Id go with a Dragon Fire Adept, A Factotum, a Binder or a martial initiator personally. If the latter you may wish to see about getting your hands on some rather little animated objects that can launch ranged attacks at +9 or better bonus to hit so that they can use the aid another action to pay for things like Stone Power and Power Attack.


Binder and Factotum are probably best at being whatever you need them to be on the fly. Dragonfire adept tends to pick a couple of things from a list, and do them well, but can't change it's gears as easily.

[weckar]

Frankly, I don't quite KNOW what I want, because I must honestly say I don't know what most classes mean past the first 5 levels or so :smalltongue:

[Swaoeaeieu]

Jack B. Quick. fighter 20, awsome all the way. (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=6944.0) Also works on level 15.

Or just single class warblade.

[Thurbane]

Single classed Binder, pick up some ToB stuff via feats, and bind primarily martial-focused vestiges.

Alternatively, martial adept and grab the vestige-binding feats, and maybe some incarnum feats. A swordsage 15 with Binding and Incarnum feats will have a bucketload of options in and out of combat.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Martial initiators, binders, dragonfire adepts, incarnum-users, even shadowcasters... there's a ton of classes out there that are viable as your sole one.

What do you want this character to be able to do? 'Having one class' is not specific enough.
This. I'd say anything that isn't from the PHBs+Completes line will do. Off the top of my head, I'll suggest Totemist as an interesting bruiser with a lot of day-to-day customization potential.

[Mr Adventurer]

Jack B. Quick. fighter 20, awsome all the way. (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=6944.0) Also works on level 15.

Or just single class warblade.

I love this - but how do you ensure (or weight toward) successful Trip checks? Seems like the ability score spread needs more Dex than a Str fighter - and Jack is presented as less-muscled?

Edit: on topic, Swordsage is what came to my mind, as well.

[Particle_Man]

Monks make interesting cops. You can run after felons, you are fairly good at subduing them (non-lethally) and you have a respect for the law.

Play this up and you could be a police officer seconded to the party to make sure that their activities are lawful (and to report their non-lawful activities to the proper authorities).

Take leadership when you can, so that you are justified in occasionally calling in extra members of your "police force" to set up a sting operation to catch criminals, or to take away felons to jail, or what have you.

Take Diplomacy, Spot, Listen and Sense Motive for sure, then see what else is available. A cross-class rank or two in Ride would not go amiss :Elan:

Wear a blue uniform. Call yourself Bobby. Or wear a red uniform: Call yourself Frasier.

Option: Play a psionic race, like Xeph (hey they get even *more* movement). Take the concentration feat. Take shape soulmeld (I believe incarnate avatar increases your bonus to hit - on the other hand, if your DM counts unarmed strikes as natural attacks, sphinx claws would be great once you spend another feat to bind them to your hands so you can charge with full attack), psycarnum infusion, and a few of the incarnate feats (saving throws are nice to have when you need them, so the Cerulean line might do, but you could also take the charge one). Put your incarnum in your soulmeld but blow your psionic focus on a psionic feat when you need it.

[Eldariel]

I love this - but how do you ensure (or weight toward) successful Trip checks? Seems like the ability score spread needs more Dex than a Str fighter - and Jack is presented as less-muscled?

It's strength-based but needs to get to 17 Dex. With the bonus from Improved Trip and hopefully Enlarge though, it's pretty darn solid at getting the trips off. Still, it's not that much of a great all-rounder build but an anti-Fighter Fighter. It doesn't actually have any tools for fighting non-warriors, but between Elusive Target, Sidestep + Robilar's Gambit and the whole counterattack sequence, it's got plenty of ways to combat warrior types. Though admittedly the build is less efficient against anything really large since Tripping such things is problematic and they can attack from outside its reach anyways and it's hard to Sidestep out of their reach. Being able to negate their Power Attack and get counters is still nice though.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

This. I'd say anything that isn't from the PHBs+Completes line will do. Off the top of my head, I'll suggest Totemist as an interesting bruiser with a lot of day-to-day customization potential.

Totemist 20 is my pick for the most interesting single-class character to play. It shifts the character building process further to the day-to-day side than any other non-caster, more even than some pure casters.

[Gullintanni]

Wildshape Ranger? Plenty of versatility, all in one class.

Edit: Champion of the Wild from Complete Champion gives up Ranger spells in favour of bonus feats.

Abberant Wildshape allows you to assume the form of small and medium Aberrations, and requires Abberation Blood as a pre-requisite.

Picking the "Tail" mutation would open up Prehensile Tail, allowing you to use three weapons, or two hand a greatsword and still use a shield in the off-hand.