3.5e "lucky" martial characters

[Albions_Angel]

Hi all,

so there are tons of threads about lucky characters, but its difficult to collate all that information in one place.

I am about to start another 3.5e game for some people, and one of them would like to play a "lucky but naive" character. To me Naive doesn't mean stupid, so a fairly intelligent rogue or similar is still on the table.

Now, I know lucky feats arn't very optimal, but this will be a very low op game. While I am quite experienced as both a player and a DM, they are all brand new to 3.5e, and only one has any D&D experience.

More or less anything EXCEPT psionic and ToB (region locked to other areas of my world, until players are both setting and system familiar) is on the cards.

So, what feats/prestige classes would make for a "lucky" character. I am thinking a mix of actual luck feats, and dodge/mobility feats, but some hard names would be good :) Preferably non spellcasting. Preferably "online" at level 1, and certainly online before level 6.

[Thurbane]

Not actual Luck feats, but the Heroic Destiny feat/chain in RoD works along the same lines:

Heroic Destiny: +1d6 to a d20 roll 1/day
Protected Destiny: reroll a save 1/day
Fearless Destiny: avoid dying from damage 1/day

[bean illus]

Skills certainly can be fluffed as luck. So could some spells. Also, ...

Strongheart halfling

Cloistered Cleric 5, luck and hope
Fatespinner 4
Luckstealler 9
Fortune's Friend 2

Caster level 19?
There's a luck devotion, too.

[Segev]

"Lucky" can be portrayed a number of ways, even ignoring mechanics. What does this "lucky but naive" character look like, if you're just writing stories about him? Can you describe some iconic scenes he might be acting in, and what his behavior would be and how his luck would manifest?

[SangoProduction]

"Lucky" can be portrayed a number of ways, even ignoring mechanics. What does this "lucky but naive" character look like, if you're just writing stories about him? Can you describe some iconic scenes he might be acting in, and what his behavior would be and how his luck would manifest?

I think I have an idea.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjnFy81JNsFi3QtyLDe6ppl-J8GC5nuTE43Brfxgf8DKIjhq59XQ

[Albions_Angel]

I cant really write a story. I need ideas in general because I will present some of them to the player in question.

I feel that the luck should have a mechanical impact, as shes new to D&D, but be simple enough to understand. Thats why rerolls, buffs to rolls, etc, are all good. Its also why spellcasting is probably a no go. Spellcasting is often confusing for new players (though personally, I think Sorc is one of the easiest classes to pick up). Trying to get them to pick divination spells over blasting spells is even harder.

Thats why I need the character to sort of be online at first level, and really into their streak by 6th. The campaign might not go above 10th.

[Zaq]

Lucky martial character screams “critfishing” to me. No ToB means no Aptitude BS, but maybe that’s a good thing. You can still get a nice expanded crit range and maybe some fun extra effects to tack on, with your crits simply representing really lucky blows that just happen to come around for you more often than for other people.

[Falontani]

I have a homebrew system for luck that I can share and help out with. If you want, just let me know. (Anyone can be lucky, having good luck doesn't overshadow those without luck, but those that are lucky gets to do some fun things, and they have a small passive thing too)

[Crichton]

What about giving her some version of the Action Point system from the Eberron Campaign Setting or the version from Unearthed Arcana? The Eberron version is simpler and more limited in what it can be applied to, but they both have the same basic premise: the player has a limited pool of Action Points they can spend to add 1d6 to the result of a d20 roll (attack rolls, saving throw, etc).

[Particle_Man]

Warlock has dark one’s own luck. Not quite a spellcaster and warlocks are newbie friendly anyhow.

[bean illus]

I cant really write a story. I need ideas in general because I will present some of them to the player in question.

I feel that the luck should have a mechanical impact, as shes new to D&D, but be simple enough to understand. Thats why rerolls, buffs to rolls, etc, are all good. Its also why spellcasting is probably a no go. Spellcasting is often confusing for new players (though personally, I think Sorc is one of the easiest classes to pick up). Trying to get them to pick divination spells over blasting spells is even harder.

Thats why I need the character to sort of be online at first level, and really into their streak by 6th. The campaign might not go above 10th.

I agree spell-casting can be confusing for new players. Unfortunately, I think most of the luck prcs are based on spell casting classes. It's also true that really lucky builds need feats, and something to do when they're not re-rolling. So either straight fighter, with all fighter Feats and luck feats, or a skill build with few spell levels plus a luck prc. ?
I've always found cleric to be the easiest caster to fluff as non-magical. Especially low-level ones.

This build comes online as a luck / skill build immediately, but won't get 2nd level spells till fifth level.

Human:
Improved Initiative, Quick Reconoiter

1. Cloistered Cleric 1, luck and hope
2. Fighter 1, bonus feat, bab
3. Human Paragon 3, bonus feat (any), skills
* level 3 feat = any luck feat
6. Fortune's Friend 5, 2/5 casting luck abilities

Luck rerolls @ level 1, and turn undead to fuel more attempts. Boosted initiative, and free listen + spot every round. Minimum magic is mostly buffs(luck). Extra feats @ 2 & 4, plus a luck prc. Great skill access. +2 Ability Boost (any).

5/10 cleric casting will not blast, only buff. Maybe trade some acfs to reduce casting or spontaneous healing? Paragon allows UMD?

[Ramza00]

2nd level Pearls of Power and a friend who casts this spell onto you. (Or eternal wands, or whatever.) The spell is summarized below.

Benediction 2nd Level Complete Champion spell.


For the duration of the spell which is 10 mins per caster level, you get a +2 bonus to saving throws that is Luck Based.
In addition, at any point before the duration expires, the subject can choose to reroll a single attack roll, saving throw, skill check, or ability check after seeing the result of the initial roll, but before finding out whether it succeeds or fails. The person gets the higher of these two rolls and this is a free action that discharges the remaining duration of the spell and thus you lose the +2 luck bonus to saving throws.


What is the rest of the party consisting of?

[Ellrin]

I feel like mechanically the best way to represent a lucky character in 3.5 is to build a character with high bonuses to rolls. A character with high saves and evasion, high skill ranks and/or bonuses, and maybe a high attack bonus is generally going to seem luckier than a character with low bonuses and a few daily rerolls. There's no particular reason you can't fluff those as luck rather than pure skill/talent.

[RNightstalker]

I played a Rogue/Cleric/Wizard/Fortune'sFriend/ArcaneTrickster...I had more fun with him than my Dervish. All those luck rerolls came in handy as we came up against a boss with about 5 Finger of Death spells that almost wiped out the party...I had a terrible string of luck and burned six rerolls on one of those FoD's...I think the DM didn't say anything because I kept cursing louder on each failed roll. But I picked up the dead RSoP's Warhammer to make the killing blow and wouldn't let the RSoP forget. But I'm down with the Paragon dip that was mentioned before and that same character has a high enough IQ that a one-level dip soon into Loremaster will be a bonus feat as well.
As far as luck feats go, Unbelievable Luck is the only one that I know of that grants you TWO luck rerolls per day. (Side note, Luck domain from Cleric gives you an additional one as well.)
Also, Advantageous Avoidance is the only defense there is to being struck by a Vorpal weapon. (Apparently, Fortification armor that "produces a magical force that protects vital areas of the wearer more effectively" somehow doesn't manage to protect the neck...)

[RNightstalker]

I think I have an idea.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjnFy81JNsFi3QtyLDe6ppl-J8GC5nuTE43Brfxgf8DKIjhq59XQ

I literally burst out laughing on this one...that's the best post I've seen here!!

[daremetoidareyo]

The OA 3.5 update in Dragon 318 has a feat called audacious attempt that can be used once per encounter to roll 2d20 for any skill check or attack roll that can only succeed on a nat 20.

[bean illus]

I feel like mechanically the best way to represent a lucky character in 3.5 is to build a character with high bonuses to rolls. A character with high saves and evasion, high skill ranks and/or bonuses, and maybe a high attack bonus is generally going to seem luckier than a character with low bonuses and a few daily rerolls. There's no particular reason you can't fluff those as luck rather than pure skill/talent.

Human, (open feat)
12, 14, 14 - 12, 14, 14 = +10 bonus

1. Human Paragon 1, Adaptive Learning
2. Monk 1, Combat Expertise
3. Monk 2, Improved Trip, Evasion (open feat)
4. Favored Soul 1, spont. divine casting
5. Human Paragon 2, bonus feat (any), +1 CL
6. Favored Soul 2,
7. Human Paragon 3, Ability Boost +2, +1 CL

Saves (with ability bonus): +9, +9, +11, and evasion. Good skill and umd.

[Segev]

How about a bard? It is a spellxaster, but spontaneous, so you could pick spells for him that are pretty straightforward. True Strike is not very optimal, but can make him feel very lucky every other round at low level. I sure courage could be done with perform: lucky breaks. It’s technically a performance skill, but it’s all about making thinks look easy, hapless, and make him seem lucky. You can fluff it as honestly being so.