PDA

View Full Version : All Things Considered, Character Analysis



Tormsskull
2007-09-20, 01:28 PM
Hi all,

All things considered, meaning:


This is a heavy-roleplaying game.
Core-only.
The campaign world is low-magic, and low-civilization. There are very few kingdoms around, and most villages are ruled by their own authority.
The current party members are: Barbarian 4, Cleric 5, Druid 5, (melee)Ranger 4.


Do you think that an archer-style elven Ranger would be a good complement to the party?

The Barbarian is pretty straight forward: Rage and melee. The cleric is mostly a healer, the Druid pours on the damage (Ape Animal companion that has 3 attacks and reach + Summon Nature's Ally), and now that he has wildshape he'll be even more powerful. The Ranger tries to be a damage dealer but is so so at it.

My character before this new one was a Wizard who focused on debuffs and battlefield control spells. He was kind of boring to play as I really didn't get to roll the dice very much (and that's something I found that I personally enjoy). Anyhow, the Wizard has been wisked away by the BBEG, and I am playing a temporary character up until the point that the party saves or kills the Wizard (either method solves our dilemma, though the second might have some side effects since the group is all good), at which point I can reclaim my Wizard character (if he survives) or choose to continue playing the new one.

The idea behind this temporary character that makes her interesting is that she was the apprentice of a trio of ancient druids who she saw killed before her very own eyes. She is Chaotic Neutral (but not the stupid kind), and vengenace & hatred are her motivating factors at this point. She embraces the plan to kill the Wizard, as it will be infinitely easier than saving him.

And I have to admit it is kind of fun roleplaying a new character that is trying to kill my old character :smallsmile: .

I rolled exceptionally good stats for her, going from memory:
Str: 16
Dex: 18
Con: 12
Int: 14
Wis: 12
Cha: 12

She's level 5, has a Composite Longbow+1 (+3 Str mod), and a mithral chain shirt. Her animal companion is a wolf. Feats: Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot.

So, overall, good idea or any major flaws in this character idea?

GimliFett
2007-09-20, 01:38 PM
I'd say your background and basic idea are solid, but how's the group in Skill-Monkey-ness? Traps, stealth, etc? Rogue might be a good choice as well.

Starbuck_II
2007-09-20, 02:01 PM
Hi all,

All things considered, meaning:


This is a heavy-roleplaying game.
Core-only.
The campaign world is low-magic, and low-civilization. There are very few kingdoms around, and most villages are ruled by their own authority.
The current party members are: Barbarian 4, Cleric 5, Druid 5, (melee)Ranger 4.


Do you think that an archer-style elven Ranger would be a good complement to the party?

The Barbarian is pretty straight forward: Rage and melee. The cleric is mostly a healer, the Druid pours on the damage (Ape Animal companion that has 3 attacks and reach + Summon Nature's Ally), and now that he has wildshape he'll be even more powerful. The Ranger tries to be a damage dealer but is so so at it.

My character before this new one was a Wizard who focused on debuffs and battlefield control spells. He was kind of boring to play as I really didn't get to roll the dice very much (and that's something I found that I personally enjoy). Anyhow, the Wizard has been wisked away by the BBEG, and I am playing a temporary character up until the point that the party saves or kills the Wizard (either method solves our dilemma, though the second might have some side effects since the group is all good), at which point I can reclaim my Wizard character (if he survives) or choose to continue playing the new one.

The idea behind this temporary character that makes her interesting is that she was the apprentice of a trio of ancient druids who she saw killed before her very own eyes. She is Chaotic Neutral (but not the stupid kind), and vengenace & hatred are her motivating factors at this point. She embraces the plan to kill the Wizard, as it will be infinitely easier than saving him.

And I have to admit it is kind of fun roleplaying a new character that is trying to kill my old character :smallsmile: .

I rolled exceptionally good stats for her, going from memory:
Str: 16
Dex: 18
Con: 12
Int: 14
Wis: 12
Cha: 12

She's level 5, has a Composite Longbow+1 (+3 Str mod), and a mithral chain shirt. Her animal companion is a wolf. Feats: Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot.

So, overall, good idea or any major flaws in this character idea?

Okay, I have questions:

Why are some dudes level 4? Like Barb and Ranger?

Why the Wolf as Animal Companion? I've always perferred Riding Dog: townsfolk feel less apprehensive about a dog and he can wear all armor (war trained according to Monster Manual).

Which remind me: did you buy your Wolf leather barding: +2 AC keeps wolfie alive. No armor check penalty issue so wolf won't be upset wearing it.
Barding is in armor section. Costs double.
If your character has some untold reason for not buy barding: just say so.

Just something I thought would be useful to know.

Great rolls by the way: 18 Dex will help archery.
So are you going to buy special material arrows (assuming they exist in world) like Cold Iron, Silver , etc.
Never know when Lycantropes, demons, or monsters will be.

What types of creatures are you trained to fight (Favored Enemy, which is a misnomer, you aren't really enemies just good at fighting them)?
a. Humanoids (like human very common, Elves (makes sense you know how to fight oneself)).
b. demons: something tough to fight
c. Shapechangers: they aren't fully natural.

storybookknight
2007-09-20, 02:18 PM
I might second the archery-style Rogue idea.

Between the Barbarian, Druid, and Ranger, the "naturalist" aspect of things is pretty darn well covered, I think. Since the other Druid and Ranger are likely to have animal companions, take advantage of those flanking bonuses!

Or, since you're an archer, not... But you'd be none too shabby if you needed to mix it up in melee for some reason, and that 18 dex just screams "Hide and Move Silently" to me! Not to mention Sleight of Hand...

If you like rollin' dice, skillmonkey characters may be right for you.

Telonius
2007-09-20, 02:19 PM
Hm. Where'd you put your +1 stat from fourth level? That 12 Con is a real bummer, but with those even scores and your pointy ears, there's not much you can do about it right now. Rangers tend to be a little bit squishy, with lighter armor and fewer hitpoints than fighters.

OverdrivePrime
2007-09-20, 02:47 PM
What about mixing rogue and ranger levels? With that 12 Wisdom, you're not going to be casting a lot, but an archer rogue 3/ranger 2 has a lot of delightful skill synergy, plus you gain the benefit of evasion, which is nice for any wizard hunter. :smallsmile:

Tormsskull
2007-09-20, 03:08 PM
Thanks for the input all, here comes some answers:


Okay, I have questions:

Why are some dudes level 4? Like Barb and Ranger?


Their players missed sessions without notifying the DM therefore they received less experience.


Okay, I have questions:
Why the Wolf as Animal Companion? I've always perferred Riding Dog: townsfolk feel less apprehensive about a dog and he can wear all armor (war trained according to Monster Manual).


I picked wolf because I thought it fit more in line with a Ranger than a dog did. The dog seems more like a domesticated animal, where as the wolf is a wild animal and more in line with the idea of a vengeful (i.e. vengeful side of nature) CN Ranger.



Which remind me: did you buy your Wolf leather barding: +2 AC keeps wolfie alive. No armor check penalty issue so wolf won't be upset wearing it.
Barding is in armor section. Costs double.
If your character has some untold reason for not buy barding: just say so.


I hadn't even considered barding for a wolf, to be honest. It doesn't seem like something that a natural animal would wear.



Great rolls by the way: 18 Dex will help archery.
So are you going to buy special material arrows (assuming they exist in world) like Cold Iron, Silver , etc.
Never know when Lycantropes, demons, or monsters will be.


Yeah, I was pretty amazed with the rolls myself. We haven't encountered anyone in the world yet that sells or even has special material arrows. We haven't run into any of those strange monsters yet, mostly humanoids, monstrous humanoids, and undead.



What types of creatures are you trained to fight (Favored Enemy, which is a misnomer, you aren't really enemies just good at fighting them)?
a. Humanoids (like human very common, Elves (makes sense you know how to fight oneself)).
b. demons: something tough to fight
c. Shapechangers: they aren't fully natural.

I picked Monstrous Humanoids as my first favored enemy (Minotaurs are a big problem in this character's neck of the woods), and Abberations as a second favored enemy because I couldn't think of anything else.



I might second the archery-style Rogue idea.


Yeah, I had initially though of going full rogue, then ranger/rogue, but I was hesitant because the last few sessions we have been fighting a LOT of undead, and the BBEG is undead himself.



Or, since you're an archer, not... But you'd be none too shabby if you needed to mix it up in melee for some reason, and that 18 dex just screams "Hide and Move Silently" to me! Not to mention Sleight of Hand...


Yeah, I love Hide and Move silently, and I took them both for my Ranger.



Hm. Where'd you put your +1 stat from fourth level? That 12 Con is a real bummer, but with those even scores and your pointy ears, there's not much you can do about it right now. Rangers tend to be a little bit squishy, with lighter armor and fewer hitpoints than fighters.


You know, I might have forgotten to use my +1 to stat!! I'll have to check my notepad when I get home. And I'm not 100% sure on the stats themselves as after I tried to recall them from memory I noticed they were all even, I may have been remembering just the modifiers.



What about mixing rogue and ranger levels? With that 12 Wisdom, you're not going to be casting a lot, but an archer rogue 3/ranger 2 has a lot of delightful skill synergy, plus you gain the benefit of evasion, which is nice for any wizard hunter.


Yeah, not a bad idea. I was just concerned about losing attack bonus from the rogue levels.


Also, oddly enough, the DM has ruled that being "flanked" is like a status. Meaning that if two of your party members are "flanking" someone, that someone is considered "flanked" and EVERYONE that attacks that someone gets the +2 to hit. I'm not sure how that works with sneak attack, and I'm not looking to be Mr. McCheesy, but I'll check in with him.

JackMage666
2007-09-20, 03:18 PM
EDIT - Disregard, I looked right over the Core-only requirement, sorry. A level or 3 of Rogue could still be useful to pick up Trapfinding, though.

I'll just spoiler this if you're interest
What books do you have access to?

If so, a few levels in Scout (Complete Adventurer) will help dramatically (3, and you can take a feat that stacks for alot of good things, feat found in Complete Scoundrel). More importantly, it will give you Trapfinding, thus you would be serving an important party role as well.

And, if I were you, I'd give up Magic. The Ranger magic isn't wonderful, and you can get some decent things for it instead - Various bonuses can be found in Complete Warrior, or you could take Bonus Feats (found in Complete Champion).

Person_Man
2007-09-20, 03:25 PM
There's little crunch reason to be an Elf if you're a Ranger. It might be a good idea if your a Rogue or Wizard and want to use a Composite Longbow.

When people talk about how alignment causes intra-party problems, Chaotic Neutral is the most commonly cited example. But you sound like a mature player, so hopefully that won't be an issue. Just avoid acting against your party and their best interests. If acting bat guano crazy is "what my character would do," then you need to come up with a new character concept.

Other then that, you're fine.

Reptilius
2007-09-20, 03:29 PM
Magical beast is almost always a great choice. Crack open the first few pages of the Monster Manual, and see how many magical beasts there are. Look at 'em all! Then again, you say you you haven't really met any. But even if it's only +2, invest something in Fav Enemy (Magical Beast).

ranger89
2007-09-20, 03:33 PM
If you like this temporary character (and you should because you have an interesting backstory combined with kickass scores and it sounds like you've found the PC's "voice" already), my advice would be to play it just because you want to. I'm not a big fan of playing a class just because you feel the party needs it. In my opinion, it makes for better role playing to run whatever character strikes your fancy.

Setting my personal preferences aside, I still think your party could benefit from an archer though I think you should stick with pure ranger so you can get the most out of your animal companion.

Ralfarius
2007-09-20, 03:47 PM
I would personally be wary of having overlap of the same class. If your character is a ranger and turns out particularly effective, you're might make that melee-ist feel like a bit of a mook. Other than that, I'd say go with whatever seems like it would be fun, especially if it's a throw-away character.

Tormsskull
2007-09-20, 03:47 PM
There's little crunch reason to be an Elf if you're a Ranger. It might be a good idea if your a Rogue or Wizard and want to use a Composite Longbow.


Yeah, the reason to be an elf is purely Fluff.



When people talk about how alignment causes intra-party problems, Chaotic Neutral is the most commonly cited example. But you sound like a mature player, so hopefully that won't be an issue. Just avoid acting against your party and their best interests. If acting bat guano crazy is "what my character would do," then you need to come up with a new character concept.


Yeah, I'm not planning on going against the party. The only thing I could forsee being an issue is that if the group decides that the plan is to save the Wizard, and then we are failing badly, she might just snipe him (because doing so actually kills the BBEG, long story, but yeah).

I'm not sure how they would react to that, but if it came to them then attacking me I would try to avoid that combat, explain why I did it, and then accept the character death if they didn't want to listen.



Setting my personal preferences aside, I still think your party could benefit from an archer though I think you should stick with pure ranger so you can get the most out of your animal companion.


Yeah, I'm still tossing around the ideas in my head. Unfortunantely I had very little time to make my character, and I was completely blindsided by it. So the DM will probably allow me to remake her if need be as I haven't used any of her abilities yet (the other PCs simply met her, then we ended that session).

The other Ranger in the group (the melee one) was disappointed about his animal companion as compared to the Druids, and thus I mentioned Natural Bond to the DM (which I learned about from these boards, I don't have the book it comes from). He said that if I could track down the text we'd vote on it as a group. If the group approves it, I may take it myself.

Fhaolan
2007-09-20, 03:51 PM
Hmmm. I'm flip-flopping between ranger and ranger/rogue. One the one hand, the animal companion bonuses for pure ranger is good for AnCom survivability. On the other hand, the sneak attack and additional skill points...

I'd be willing to play either version, but for some reason the ranger/rogue really appeals to me.

Damionte
2007-09-20, 04:47 PM
Your idea so far is just fine the way it is. If you want to also provide the skill monkey trap finding skills to the party you can splash either 2 levels or 4 levels of scout into your build without losing any of it's flavor. It get's trapfinding and a bunch of skill points while mantaining the ranger flavor.

Plus they have a great synergy feat with the ranger in Complete Scoundrel.

I think though to do this you'd have to be a half elf instead of an elf. I don't think Scouts or Rangers are favored classes for elves. I could be wrong. I'm too lazy to look it up right now.