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tstewt1921
2018-06-17, 03:23 PM
Group make up - Cleric, Dread Necro, Shadow Caster, Wizard (Evoker), Rogue.

We are playing in Ravenloft, no one specific story, but just the setting as a whole.

All books available nothing to homebrew though and I'm able to have a +2 level adjust race pending approval of dm. We are level 7.

So I leave it open to you, what should I play?

Goaty14
2018-06-17, 04:37 PM
In the traditional sense of WOTC, CustServ would probably recommend you play a beatstick. In terms of tiers, your group looks T4/T3 (excluding the cleric). Logically speaking, you should be able to play any class, and the DM should be able to adapt his adventure to the general party composition (though I could imagine a sour look on his/her face should you play a commoner).

Just play what you want.

One Step Two
2018-06-17, 07:20 PM
A front line type is all that's missing from your classic team comp, in your place, I would happily play a Warblade or Crusader.
If your team cleric is evil/converts his spells to inflicts, you can play as a Necropolitan.

Silva Stormrage
2018-06-17, 07:55 PM
They have a Dread Necromancer so once they hit level 8 they will have plenty of beat sticks.

Crusader would still be a decent choice though since a lot of white raven manuvers really benefit from having hordes of minions.

Other options include a summoner Druid (Greenbound Summoning can make Druid's summons absolutely insane).

Can the LA +2 race be a template? That opens up a lot of fun options. Here is a good list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?401132-Lists-of-Every-Playable-Monster-by-ECL)

Good +2 LA races though include some of the anthromorphic animals from Savage Species and Petals if your DM thinks they are playable.

Nifft
2018-06-17, 08:59 PM
Druids are awesome and can fit almost any role, but be warned that you will be doing a lot of reading to really use your class to its full potential.

Crusader (Tome of Battle) is simple, fun, and very good at front-line combat.

Binder (Tome of Magic) is a bit more complex, but at level 7 you start getting some great options, and level 8 you can dual-bind. You're starting in a sweet spot for this class, almost past the level 4-7 doldrums. Tip for Ravenloft: check out Tenebrous for all-day Rebuke abuse.

Artificer (Eberron Campaign Setting) - It's a whole new type of spellcasting, plus you can craft stuff, and you technically get access to all the Graft feats as well (so you can turn your party-mates into walking abominations).

Totemist (Magic of Incarnum) - It's another weird subsystem, but once you learn it the actual use in combat is pretty simple. (You won't need to reallocate Essentia every turn.) You're an illiterate beast who channels the fury of other beasts.



More complexity:

Psion (Telepath) 5 / Thrallherd 2 - You get Leadership, except you can send your minions to die every day and yet you wake up with fresh new minions the next day. Zombies flee from an unending hoard of YOU. Telepathy powers aren't great vs. the Undead, but you have plenty of slots for physical attack powers, too.

Binder 1 / Wizard 3 / Anima Mage 3 - Dual-advancement which gets special Metamagic perks, very strong with Persistent Spell. You'll have access to Tenebrous soon. Be some kind of specialist, and ban Evocation & Necromancy, so you aren't competing with the Dread Necro or the Evoker.

Wildshape Ranger 5 / Master of Many Forms 2 - All Wild Shape, all the time. Trade away your spellcasting and Animal Companion since you won't advance them ever again -- Distracting Attack is pretty good in trade for your AC, since you've got a Rogue who can capitalize on it, and for spells either Champion of the Wild or Spell-Less Ranger.

Changeling Racial Sub Rogue 2 / Cloistered Cleric 1 / Swift Avenger Druid 1 / Whirling Frenzy Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian 1 / Chameleon 2+ - and all future levels into Chameleon. You're a Swiss Army Nuke with access to every spell on every list, you can disguise yourself as almost anyone, and during downtime you can craft almost as well as the Artificer.

Incarnate 2 / Seer 3 / Soul Manifester 2+ - Why play one weird & unpopular subsystem when you could play two? This is a dual-advancement Incarnum + Psionics class. It's tactically quite flexible. If you're Evil, you can make weird zombies.

Acanous
2018-06-17, 10:06 PM
You’re in Ravenloft. Your cleric and dread necromancer man... they’re so screwed.

The cleric is going to lose his powers whenever it’s a bad time, and the DN is really going to have to be careful with what he animates. They’ll turn on him.
Be a Crusader. You’ll have all the abilities you need to ensure the party stays up and viable even when things start goin really bad.

Elrak
2018-06-18, 03:29 AM
If you are playing Ravenloft, then what about a FavoredSoul6/Knight of the raven 1?

Falontani
2018-06-18, 09:30 AM
Urban druid from Dragon Compendium. You'll be able to pull off the face, can be a beatstick (by becoming an animated object of your choice, so become a transformer) and can do spellcasting without being too weird. Alternatively I'd use warrior of light from deities and demigods.

Cosi
2018-06-18, 10:17 AM
If you really want to play a tank could try a Warshaper. Changeling/Shifter Fighter 2/Warblade 1/Full BAB/Warshaper 3. Spend your LA on some natural attacks. You don't get the fast healing until 8th level though, at which point undead will probably do all the tanking you need.

You've got a couple of allies who are weak-ish combatants (Cleric, Rogue, eventually Undead), so you could play a War Weaver buff build. Wizard 5/War Weaver 2, picking up Incantatrix or something later. Losing a caster level hurts, but your party isn't pushing too much on power level.

You could try a Stalwart Battle Sorcerer with some self buffs. Take Incantatrix and use your one top-level spell known on self buffs and you could be a passably effective Gish without overshadowing people.

With the free LA you can negate the INT penalty of Frostblood Half-Orc, letting you swap the Mystic Ranger's 4th level bonus feat for Sword of the Arcane Order, getting you access to it ASAP. Then you get to both melee and cast spells, plus some synergies with the party Wizard. Unfortunately, you only get 5th level spells, which means the build will struggle some at high levels.

Binder 1/Sorcerer 4/Anima Mage 2 (you could go Wizard, but the party has a Wizard already and Sorcerer is CHA SAD) is a cool build. You get a big power bump when you get your free metamagic, and then again when you unlock the summon monster web vestige and its totally expendable minions, but you lose out in the long run when you run out of theurge levels.

Bonded Summoner isn't something I normally recommend because the lost caster levels make it suck, but in this party Arcane Caster 5/Bonded Summoner 2 could work. You get a pet element which shares your spells (including potentially buffs like enlarge person). Remember you need to spend a feat on a familiar if you aren't going Wizard or Sorcerer.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't actually work for a bunch of reasons, but Warlock into Nar Demonbinder into Eldritch Theurge is potentially cool if you can somehow swing the prerequisites of Nar Demonbinder. It's a nicely thematic build if you can though.