Opinions on what class i should choose.

[Dankus Memakus]

Okay so i have two ideas an i just want people to throw in opinions on what they think i should choose. I really want this to be fun and just not an average character. If you have magic item suggestions or anything interesting for either builds please tell me. I understand that im not optimizing so please dont lecture me.

Option 1: A rock gnome rogue who has a backround in alchemy carrying alchemists fire and making little gadgets and such.

Option 2: A variant human barbarian with the tavern brawler feat. Basically a giant angry villager who punches people to death.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Option 1 if you have a chill DM who likes to think outside the box. Option 2 if you have a more tactical objective-based DM

[Dankus Memakus]

Option 1 if you have a chill DM who likes to think outside the box. Option 2 if you have a more tactical objective-based DM

The whole group dm's so it varies but it is pretty chill. But that said there are a few in the group who are brutally tactical. That being said, i can adopt either style with either character.

[djreynolds]

Okay so i have two ideas an i just want people to throw in opinions on what they think i should choose. I really want this to be fun and just not an average character. If you have magic item suggestions or anything interesting for either builds please tell me. I understand that im not optimizing so please dont lecture me.

Option 1: A rock gnome rogue who has a backround in alchemy carrying alchemists fire and making little gadgets and such.

Option 2: A variant human barbarian with the tavern brawler feat. Basically a giant angry villager who punches people to death.

Combine them, a rock gnome barbarian with tavern brawler feat and his whimpy human side kick and his chemistry set

[Ninja_Prawn]

Combine them, a rock gnome barbarian with tavern brawler feat and his whimpy human side kick and his chemistry set

Or a rock gnome alchemist who brews a potion that temporarily turns him into a human barbarian... :smallamused:

[djreynolds]

Or a rock gnome alchemist who brews a potion that temporarily turns him into a human barbarian... :smallamused:

That's actually good.... I'm stealing it.

Is there any green radiation around.

[Decstarr]

Whenever I read that people want to play a "fun, not average" character and then read "Human Variant", I instantly stop reading. To me personally, Human is the most boring race and the Variant just exist for one reason: optimization. So to me it is somewhat of a contradiction to use this for a "fun focused" character.

Rock gnome's are fun. Period. A rock gnome barbarian is probably one of the most fun things to play. But rogues are cool, too. If you come up with interesting quirks - e.g. ACTUALLY pitying the "tall folk" for being tall and always having to avoid hitting their heads etc - a rock gnome can make for some ridiculous role playing. If your DMs are up for some fun and you play the rock gnome with an interest in alchemy, you could implement some "experiments gone wrong" stuff that has significant side effects - and it might be your personal goal to get rid of those. Let's say you always have to throw up when you smell roses, your skin starts to shine purple during a full moon or things like that. Or you just play a sapper-type character (recommending Malazan Book of the Fallen) and throw cussers at the enemy instead of actual fighting. Now THAT would be interesting :P

[Dappershire]

If, as you said, you don't mind being unoptimized, why not reverse those.

I'm so tired of the trope of the tiny gnome/Halfling/goblin/sprite alchemist bomber. I mean, yes, its stereotyped for good reason. But why not make an unlettered, bulky human or halforc your alchemist. Sure, he could have become a barbarian warrior like most his tribe. But he found more interest learning how to grind fauna from the medicine man. Or what might happen if you add the dropping of direbats to the mushroom powder the Ragers took before battle. And when he learned the civilized world hid an entire school of learning on the subject, his life was never the same.

On the other hand, Gnomes can always make a fun barbarian. A people, always forced to move every time a more vicious race hit their town for slaves, plunder, and beautiful gnome women. Eventually they adapted, becoming underdark nomads. Their warriors, changed. An outlook of vicious, violent explosion, to drive any threat away from their people. (also, on the topic of powdered muchroom rage enhancers, underdark gnomes prolly have the hookup.) Tiny little anklegnawers. Heavy Picks may not seem manly, until you watch some midget yank one out of a Dragon skull.

[Findulidas]

Option 2: A variant human barbarian with the tavern brawler feat. Basically a giant angry villager who punches people to death.

If you pick fighter you probably end up being a more effective grappler in the long run due to all the extra attacks granting more grapples/shoves per round. While they are a bit more likely to break out you also have more of a chance to actually be able to deal some damage.

Also that brawny feat (UA) feat seems really good as grappler.

[D.U.P.A.]

Whenever I read that people want to play a "fun, not average" character and then read "Human Variant", I instantly stop reading. To me personally, Human is the most boring race and the Variant just exist for one reason: optimization. So to me it is somewhat of a contradiction to use this for a "fun focused" character.


Humans are actually the most interesting, because you are free to roleplay as you wish and no one can brag about it like dwarves acting like elves or viceversa. You have no restriction roleplaying them. For example I picked human for my last character, because elf would not fit well, even though it would be more optimal for the build.

After all there are many better races for various classes than human. Like Elf Monks and Rangers, Half elf Paladins and Bards, Orc or Mountain Dwarf Barbarians or frontline Fighters, etc. their racial features are better than feats, especially because those more powerful feats do not give stat increase.

[Findulidas]

Humans are actually the most interesting, because you are free to roleplay as you wish and no one can brag about it like dwarves acting like elves or viceversa. You have no restriction roleplaying them. For example I picked human for my last character, because elf would not fit well, even though it would be more optimal for the build.

After all there are many better races for various classes than human. Like Elf Monks and Rangers, Half elf Paladins and Bards, Orc or Mountain Dwarf Barbarians or frontline Fighters, etc. their racial features are better than feats, especially because those more powerful feats do not give stat increase.

You also dont have to pick an awesome feat. One of my friends picked silver tongue from the UA just cos he thought his character should be awesome at deception. That certainly isnt powergaming, it also seems like a fun choice.