[3.5] Ideal class for an Aranea?

[Luccan]

Those ugly shape-shifting spider freaks. What would be the ideal class/classes for them? Their stats make it clear they can excel at pretty much anything if you were to change them to bonuses and create unique scores and their abilities can augment pretty much anyone, but I'm curious what people think these abominations would be best as. (Also because I really want to play one, but can't decide a class to take).

[thoroughlyS]

Araneas have racial casting as a sorcerer, so I would recommend that. I'm unsure of how this works, but if you can progress racial casting through prestige classes I might also recommend some good gish classes - like the ever-popular Abjurant Champion (Complete Mage).

[Coidzor]

Sorcerer>Unseen Seer could be fun, possibly finishing up with Arcane Trickster.

I think there might be a way to qualify for something like Warshaper and turn into a blender, possibly with some Totemist, with some spellcasting to back it up.

[Luccan]

Sorcerer>Unseen Seer could be fun, possibly finishing up with Arcane Trickster.

I think there might be a way to qualify for something like Warshaper and turn into a blender, possibly with some Totemist, with some spellcasting to back it up.

I always consider Warshaper when thinking about a shapeshifter, especially ones with high LA, it's usually easy to qualify in a level or two (for aranea, I could be a Warshaper by second character level, if I wanted).

Sorcerer is a tempting offer, especially since I start as a 3rd level one anyway and get that bonus to CHA

[CozJa]

If you can bring them to cast 2nd level spells, the Arachnomancer from Drows of the Underdark is quite fun (not powerful, but fun): it would expand on the shapechanging abilities by giving basically all of the normal (hunting or web-spinning) Spider forms, advance some spellcasting with it and gives you extra arahcnoid abilities that are always on. Adding a bit of Warshaper would make for an interesting strong arcane spider

[Luccan]

If you can bring them to cast 2nd level spells, the Arachnomancer from Drows of the Underdark is quite fun (not powerful, but fun): it would expand on the shapechanging abilities by giving basically all of the normal (hunting or web-spinning) Spider forms, advance some spellcasting with it and gives you extra arahcnoid abilities that are always on. Adding a bit of Warshaper would make for an interesting strong arcane spider

I like this idea. I'm thinking a character just learning they are an Aranea, somehow raised in their humanoid form (which looks like a half-drow, for added confusion). Then I get to revel in their magic, shapechanging, spidery goodness as time goes on.

[CozJa]

I like this idea. I'm thinking a character just learning they are an Aranea, somehow raised in their humanoid form (which looks like a half-drow, for added confusion). Then I get to revel in their magic, shapechanging, spidery goodness as time goes on.

Extra fun if he shouts "Oh no, I've been hit with the Drider Curse!" when he first enters hybrid form.

Anyway, I'd say that just adding a sorcerer level and making it count as as adding to the other levels may reasonably work... after all it has +4LA... Oh, and remember that the Spider shape ability of Arachnomancer counts as Wildshape

[BWR]

Definitely sorcerer levels, possibly Beguiler, considering their innate magical power and propensity for controlling lesser species. Their alternate forms can be any humanoid, and will usually be the same as the dominant humanoid in the area.