Effective Non combat-based Character

[SpicyBoi_Nezu]

I am currently playing a campaign, where we are all playing as elves. The campaign isn't supposed to be combat heavy, and should focus on the Role-Playing aspect of the game. We have been playing this campaign for a few weeks now. I am currently building my fourth character.

The first was a wizard, specialized in illusion, but he was scrapped at the last second after I was having a meltdown trying to decide on what spells to pick (There's so many to choose from). The next was a fighter that specialized in ranged damage, and was supposed to prestige into Order of the Bow Initiate, he was arrested and sent to jail for supposed murder of "Innocent" Drows. The Most recent was a Star Elf Bard, and he was going to become a master of masks, he specialized in Disguise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Hide, Move Silently, and Crafting Masks, he was killed off by a swarm of around 40 bats after being sent into a room by himself to look around, but the party forgot that he doesn't have dark-vision, nor did he have a torch, and he was knocked unconscious before the rest of the party even heard him scream, slowly ticking away as his party struggled to reach him.

I'm a choosing to be a bit more meticulous with this next one, I'd like it if anyone had some recommendations on what class to play, and what sub-race of elf would fit the best. My initial thoughts were to either play a Sorcerer, focus on Bluff and Knowledge Arcana, and Prestige into Mountebank, and keep himself alive in combat by feinting and using skill tricks to avoid attacks of opportunity. I also though about playing a Tank-ish monk, using a high dex and wisdom score to give myself a higher AC, and having more combat oriented features to keep myself from repeating my mistakes. The only case is, that since this is a more Role-play heavy campaign, I'm a bit more worried about focusing too much on surviving an encounter, and I don't want to be absolutely useless outside of combat, thats why I decided to rule out Barbarian and Fighter, because I'm not confident enough I could manage to play either of those classes without just sitting around, waiting for the next encounter.

I'm willing to play something Psionic, but I don't have much experience with those classes, so I don't really know what they do, or even, where to find them. I'm confident that there is an Elf Subrace that is better at the psionic classes, but I cant be sure.

I'm open for recommendations for what class and subrace to play, as well as advice for playing in a less combat oriented campaign.



For those that care
The story takes place on the continent of Eubros (pronounced Ew-br-oh-ss) This continent is one working government. It's a true democracy, and there is one representative for each philosophy (total of four). Naleism (pronounced Nay-lee-ism) is emotion based (You must be in tune with your emotions), representative called the Naley. Maylism (pronounced May-lism) is ethics based (You must respect your environment), representative called the Mayla. Voronism (pronounced Vohr-own-ism) is law based (You must treat everyone as if they are your peers), representative called the Voron. Finally, Eldredism (pronounced El-dread-ism) is knowledge based (You must learn at all opportunities) representative called the Eldred. It's believed you should keep a balance of these to live a full spiritually wealthy life. Whenever one one the representatives die the other three travel around the globe to find a new one, they believe that they are chosen by the gods to represent balance. Also every person who enters the continent as an adult must attend two months of school to prove that they won't betray the government, they really just learn simple history about Eubros and the philosophies and pledge to protect the representatives and do a physical test. This is called Newcomer School. THERE ARE NO HOUSES / FAMILY ROYALTY. In fact there is no royalty at all.

[Thurbane]

Gray Elf Factotum?

In an RP heavy campaign, access to skills like Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge(s), Sense Motive etc. may be very handy.

[Falontani]

Albino Drow Rogue 1/Swashbuckler 6/Disciple of Baalzebuul 10/Avenging Executioner 4.

Don't let anyone know what you truly are, role play as a skill monkey with a high int/cha good dex.
Grab garrote proficiency, and improved grapple. Be good at killing from stealth (if you locking garrote someone with a sneak attack, it's a sneak attack every round until they escape). Be able to adapt to any situation and become anyone. But follow a very strict code of ethics.

[Luccan]

Artificer? You can make magic items for your friends, wear armor to protect yourself when in danger, you can be a trapmonkey, and make money on the side with crafting.

[Menzath]

I don't know why but I was suddenly reminded of another thread from a few months back while reading this.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?571186-quot-My-name-s-Tommy-and-I-m-a-TOUGH-guy!-quot

The point of the thread was making a semi intimidating adolescent who was incredibly "tough".

So I can imagine something in a similar vein is what you are looking for in that you want
a) fun roleplay with skills/class features to back it
b) not die.

If you do happen to play a spell caster look for spells that let you not worry about being hit or taking some damage, like ironguard(normal and lesser), starmantle, vigor(all of them), and other odd tricks in the above mentioned thread. But do go over anything too odd or cheasy with your DM first to see if it flies.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Beguiler in PH2 is amazing at everything that happens outside of combat, and can still be useful in a fight. Go with an Int-bonus race like Gray Elf, go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Beguiler 14 so your advanced learning spells can be one level higher. Be sure to pick up Mindsight from Lords of Madness.

Take Versatile Spellcaster (and Heighten Spell if needed, with a flaw even) to gain early access to the next higher level of spells and enable your advanced learning spells to be one level higher yet. So a single-classed Beguiler's advanced learning spells can be 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, whereas yours can be up to 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 9th level. For those I'd get Ray of Stupidity, Shadow Form, Greater Shadow Evocation, Greater Shadow Conjuration, and Superior Invisibility.


If you want even more of a spellcasting focus, make an Illumian (Krau/anything), Beguiler 1/ Wizard 4/ Ultimate Magus 10/ PrCs 5. With flaws get Able Learner, Practiced Spellcaster, and any metamagic feat prior to 6th level. Able Learner allows you to keep up your ranks in your favorite Beguiler class skills (Illumians have the human subtype), but must be taken at 1st level. You need Practiced Spellcaster prior to your first UM level to put your UM spellcasting toward Wizard, and you need a metamagic feat to qualify for UM. You should also get Versatile Spellcaster, as you can spend two Beguiler spell slots of the same level to cast any Wizard spell you've learned that's one level higher. With Practiced Spellcaster and the Krau sigil you can put all ten UM levels toward your Wizard spellcasting.

[BowStreetRunner]

I would say Factotum and Beguiler are both decent options. Factotum has lots of options both in and out of combat without the list of choices being overwhelming. Beguiler would work better than your initial Illusionist character because they know all the spells on their list up to the highest level they can cast and can cast spontaneously. No needing to decide in advance what to take.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Binder 1/Warlock can make a pretty good diplomancer/utility character that's still good at combat, especially since the Naberius vestige that provides diplomacy benefits also eliminates the Con damage from Hellfire Warlock. RP-wise, it's very consistently themed around borrowing power, and there's a lot of options for roleplaying (especially if you get a poor binding of Naberius and are compelled to make speeches).

[Zaq]

My absolute favorite non-combat character that I've ever seen was Chronos's incomparable Kole Naerrin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18787020&postcount=127). It's rare that I see a build that leans so hard into the non-combat thing that I'm willing to believe that they actually won't need to get into combat much, if at all, but Kole Naerrin pulls that off.

You probably don't want to be a thunder guide, given the sheer degree to which thunder guide is unmitigated hot garbage, but the build might inspire you.

[Maat Mons]

Typically, I'm fond of arctic, desert, snow, and wild elves and kagonesti, since they lack a Con penalty.

If you're playing an Int-based caster, I'd also consider fire, gray, and sun elves and silvanesti, for the Int bonus.

The closest thing to psionic elves ever published were illaeli elves, and the only "psionic" thing they get is Psion as a favored class.

[Psyren]

The first was a wizard, specialized in illusion, but he was scrapped at the last second after I was having a meltdown trying to decide on what spells to pick (There's so many to choose from). The next was a fighter that specialized in ranged damage, and was supposed to prestige into Order of the Bow Initiate, he was arrested and sent to jail for supposed murder of "Innocent" Drows. The Most recent was a Star Elf Bard, and he was going to become a master of masks, he specialized in Disguise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Hide, Move Silently, and Crafting Masks, he was killed off by a swarm of around 40 bats after being sent into a room by himself to look around, but the party forgot that he doesn't have dark-vision, nor did he have a torch, and he was knocked unconscious before the rest of the party even heard him scream, slowly ticking away as his party struggled to reach him.

Beguiler sounds perfect for all of your issues:

1) You don't have to worry about agonizing over what spells to pick (they can spontaneously cast from their whole list.) For Advanced Learning, grab Shadow Conjuration/Evocation-type spells to cover your bases.

2) They do well in both combat-heavy and combat-light games, so you don't have to worry about preparing for one only to get blindsided by the other.

3) A good Beguiler can get out of nearly any jail with ease.

4) You can deal with swarms a variety of ways. Shadow Conjuration is probably your best bet since they tend to have weak will saves, and there's always UMD.

[Maat Mons]

I'll echo other posters by saying that I think Beguiler would be a great choice.

If you have access to Dragon Magazine Compendium, Urban Druid might be worth considering. You have Cha-based casting, 4+Int skill points, Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, and Sense Motive as class skills, and the ability to "wild shape" into humanoids starting at 5th level (for disguise purposes). (Maybe throw on City Slicker, to get Disguise as a class skill... and Forgery, if you're into that.) And who wouldn't want a free animated object following you around? Though you have to be at least 10th-level to get what is clearly the most awesome companion, a stagecoach.