How to make an angel pc

[Wazaman]

Hello fellow dungeoneers! I'm currently trying to build a pc that resembles an angel in all ways, but I don't just want to go cleric and slap on the half celestial template, all official content is a go and some homebrew allowed (with dm review) we're also getting one free LA or one la off of a +2 or higher template. I'm using saint as my template of choice as well as the half orge template for the insane stat boost, I'm also going to put primordial giant on, to mitigate the hit to int and wis. lesser aasimar as the race. My main question would be how do I get the casting of an angel without spending all the levels in a divine spellcasting class, I was thinking abjurant champion but that doesn't work, as a side not, we're currently level 10 and using la buyoff, I was going to go with the infused class, but I don't really know what to do before that or if there's a better option, I wanted to go with crusader or warblade to get more a "tactical general" feel to the character, but then i loose out on casting, any and all advice is warm welcomed

[Rebel7284]

With Divine Metamagic, a Cleric or Archivist are significantly better at fighting than Crusader/Warblade can ever be. With that said, Ruby Knight Vindicator can give you both.

Other thoughts:
Monster of Legend template has 7LA but also has an option to give the casting of a 5th level cleric. Probably not worth it because you'd be super fragile, but it's there.

Divine Crusader gives you 9th level spells in 10 levels, but only from one domain. There are a bunch of ways of expanding that.

Gloura comes with bard casting and only 2LA (Charisma to AC and saves is nifty too) and even wings that can be made to look angelic.

[Dalmosh]

The Celestial heritage feats (Dragon 311) and Players Handbook II produce a pretty angelic character.

RAW they are just for spontaneous arcane casters, but if you're an actual celestial to begin with its pretty stupid not to have access to these kind of options. RAI they represent the sort of powers that a PC with angelic blood should be able to use. Good Devotion from Complete Champion is probably relevent too.

Favoured Soul is a pretty angelic player class.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

If you want both casting and Crusader or Warblade, there's always the Ruby Knight Vindicator and Jade Phoenix Mage prestige classes, perhaps with a little refluffing.

Cleric 4/ Crusader 1/ Ruby Knight Vindicator 5 would be the classic version. You could also go Crusader 4/ Cleric 1/ RKV 5 for more of an emphasis on the martial, or Paladin 4/ Crusader 1/ RKV 5 to really lean into the holy angle. These are all flexible enough to be spun into whatever flavor of angel you want, though Crusader maneuvers and stances lend themselves well to a guardian angel type character (and if you really want to focus on that, the Devoted Defender prestige class might be worth a look as well, though it doesn't progress casting).

I'm not as familiar with Jade Phoenix Mage, but it's the other theurge class in Tome of Battle, progressing both initiating and spellcasting... though neither 100%. It's much more flexible about entering it than RKV, but you'd lose at least one more level of casting, and it only gives you Desert Wind maneuvers and stances. In addition to progressing both casting/initiating (more or less), it gives you some cool fire powers and some sweet benefits for using both casting and maneuvers in the same combat. Fluff-wise, this might best represent the mortal reincarnation of an avenging angel, rather than a natural-born angel.

[Endarire]

We can help you more by your explaining what you envision this "Angel PC" doing and being if not a Cleric, melee type, or full divine caster.

[Telonius]

'm currently trying to build a pc that resembles an angel in all ways
...
I'm using saint as my template of choice as well as the half orge template


I'd recommend a Hat of Disguise.

A little more seriously, I'm not sure applying all of those templates would be legal. Half-Ogre doesn't change the Type of the base creature, and Primordial Giant can only be applied to something with the Giant type. So if you want to apply both Half-Ogre and Primordial Giant, the base creature has to also have the Giant type. Lesser Aasimar is a Humanoid, not a Giant.

[Ramza00]

See if your DM will allow Otherworldly feat (makes humanoid into an outsider native) and half fey ( only 2 la, includes wings and spell like abilities including charm person at will. )

[Wazaman]

We can help you more by your explaining what you envision this "Angel PC" doing and being if not a Cleric, melee type, or full divine caster.
My orignal vision for the character was a battlefield control tank. I was going to play a large race and use psionics to double size category and do stuff like sit in front of a doorway or belt of battle shadow step and whirlwind trip everything in a 30 foot AoE, with providing small buffs to the team and using the psion version of protect other. The goal of coming here was to more find a way to get divine casting to make it feel more like an actual angel (since they get cleric casting based of hit dice) I have feats and items mostly sorted to "control" the battlefield was more looking for a cheeky way to get cleric casting without being an ur priest or a cleric, to name a few, or other like minded class.
TLDR the character is more martial, using casting as a bonus and Rp

[Kelb_Panthera]

Have you given any thought to just playing an angel? Astral Deva has a "monster class" in Savage Species that carries you from 1 to 20.

[Wazaman]

Have you given any thought to just playing an angel? Astral Deva has a "monster class" in Savage Species that carries you from 1 to 20.
No I hadn't known this existed, though the +8 LA does sting at level 10 I'll run it by my dm to see if we can change it a bit

[Karmea]

If you wanna go the monster class route, ghaele is probably better mechanics-wise than astral deva. Plus you get your cleric casting.

There are also some straight up low LA options: arcadian avenger (8 HD/2 LA) from MM V and protectar (2 HD/3 LA) from Miniatures Handbook, but neither have casting abilities.

[Dalmosh]

If you are open to the forum's Level Assignment Thread, Movadic Deva from the Fiend Folio was reassigned an ECL of 8, though had no preexisting rating.
Monadic received ECL 12.

The Astral Deva was reassigned by the forum to ECL 14, and may be more likely to be allowed as it's stat block does have a printed ECL.

[ShurikVch]

My idea:
Lesser Aasimar
Half-Celestrial template (LA +2 - Book of Exalted Deeds variant)
Half-Ogre template (Dragon #313) LA +1
Then - the Ogre Mage template from Warcraft (Horde Player's Guide): it gives you spellcasting on your HD, but since your HD is replaced with class HD, you may try to argue it should count too; LA +1

[Ronin Duelist]

My idea:
Lesser Aasimar
Half-Celestrial template (LA +2 - Book of Exalted Deeds variant)
Half-Ogre template (Dragon #313) LA +1
Then - the Ogre Mage template from Warcraft (Horde Player's Guide): it gives you spellcasting on your HD, but since your HD is replaced with class HD, you may try to argue it should count too; LA +1

As someone who loves both D&D and Warcraft... That sort of Ogre Magi is very setting-specific, and I think only the most lenient of DMs is likely to even consider this. Nevermind the slightly less cheesy little brother to the Half-Minotaur template. :smallwink:

But that would be a fearsome creature to behold.

Edit: Though, the spellcasting on Ogre Magi specifies racial hit dice. You technically don't get that spellcasting on your above character.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Just use DMM: Persistent with Greater Visage of the Deity to get the half-celestial template for 24 hours at a time, every day.

[Wazaman]

Just use DMM: Persistent with Greater Visage of the Deity to get the half-celestial template for 24 hours at a time, every day.

how would I do that as a level 10 with 41k gold? I would love to do it but I don't see how. Great suggestion though!

[Rebel7284]

how would I do that as a level 10 with 41k gold? I would love to do it but I don't see how. Great suggestion though!

What you do is persist Holy Transformation, Lesser for now. Then as you level, you can persist Holy Transformation and then Greater Visage of the Deity.

Also, if you go with an Arcane gish, Draconic Polymorph is persistable. Notably less angelic flavor though.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

how would I do that as a level 10 with 41k gold? I would love to do it but I don't see how. Great suggestion though!

I guess I missed that starting level in your wall of text.

Given you're using LA buyoff and one free LA, I'd do the following:

Lesser Aasimar Half-Ogre, +1 LA becomes free. Primordial Giant is +0 LA.

The Half-Celestial Transition Class (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040319a) from Aasimar is only a +3 LA, and you can gradually gain it (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a). Each level of it is effectively a point of LA, and can be bought off. The transition template takes the Aasimar's +2 Wis and Cha into account and reduces the Half-Celestial bonuses by as much, but that's totally worth losing 1 LA IMO.

Gain the first level of the transition class, your total LA is +1, it can be bought off at 3rd level (ECL 4) for 3,000 xp.

After that's bought off, gain the second level of the transition class. Your total LA was +2 but is now +1, you can buy that off at 6th level (ECL 7) for 6,000 xp.

After buying that off, gain the third and final level of the transition class. Your total LA was +3 but is now +1, you can buy that off at 9th level (ECL 10) for 9,000 xp.

There you have it, you'll either start out below ECL 10 due to being down 9,000 xp, or you'll start out down by 18,000 xp, but in either case you'll have the full Half-Celestial template but effectively lose the Aasimar ability bonuses in the process.