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kentma57
2008-01-19, 10:34 PM
What is you favortte 1st level ability?

I love the "Assasin" base class' ability "bounes language", it lets them learn any language even secret languages like druidic. I only spoke to the party druid in druidic, needless to say she was not happy.

Dhavaer
2008-01-19, 10:41 PM
What? Assassins (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/assassin.htm) do not get Bonus Languages as a class ability. Loremasters (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/loremaster.htm) do, but not a 1st level and they're nothing like assassins.

de-trick
2008-01-19, 10:51 PM
warshapers immunity to critical hits

RTGoodman
2008-01-19, 10:55 PM
What? Assassins (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/assassin.htm) do not get Bonus Languages as a class ability. Loremasters (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/loremaster.htm) do, but not a 1st level and they're nothing like assassins.

A quick Google search turned up that there's a Green Ronin book with an Assassin base class that does indeed get the Bonus Languages feature described above.

Also, I agree with de-trick's suggestion of Warshaper, mostly because I can't think of anything else cool like that. I am fond of Rage, though, so Barbarian is also cool.

loves_to_laugh
2008-01-19, 10:58 PM
abilities: bardic knowledge (dms hate when you get to know everything)

abilities/spells at first level: sleep. works on just about anything at first level

TheLogman
2008-01-19, 11:04 PM
The Marshal's (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b) level one ability, Minor Aura, is amazing, but one in particular is the Motivate Charisma aura. This allows him to add his Charisma modifier to his and any ally around him's Charisma checks, effectively doubling his Charisma Modifier as long as it is up. It is the base of all Diplomacy cheese. However, the Minor Auras are not just for cheese, they are great for support, and an excellent choice for a "5th member" of a party. The best part it he can have several on at a time at later levels, and even better, they increase as his Charisma does, which means they scale over time.

Frosty
2008-01-19, 11:08 PM
Forget Rage. I like that level 1 barbarians can get Pounce.

de-trick
2008-01-19, 11:15 PM
no rage is fun. cause then you get to say RAGE

RTGoodman
2008-01-19, 11:19 PM
Of course, you could just combine the two and have a

Pouncing Rage of Doom!

(And, assuming you're allowed to use the Spirit Lion totem cheese variant, you can still do it all at first level, and call it out as you do it!)

SadisticFishing
2008-01-20, 12:34 AM
Monk AC :P

I'm boring. :(

Reinboom
2008-01-20, 12:43 AM
Telepathy 100' (mindbender).
or
Sudden higher level spellcasting (sublime chord)

Person_Man
2008-01-20, 12:57 AM
Spellthief (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20050107a)'s Steal Spell ability. A one level dip and the Master Spellthief feat makes pretty much any arcane caster build fun and playable. Not powerful enough? Just borrow it from the other casters in your group!

LibraryOgre
2008-01-20, 01:01 AM
What is you favortte 1st level ability?

I love the "Assasin" base class' ability "bounes language", it lets them learn any language even secret languages like druidic. I only spoke to the party druid in druidic, needless to say she was not happy.


That's a neat one. I like that Bards can take Read Languages at 1st level, while Thieves have to wait until 4th... though a Fighter's ability to specialize is pretty sweet.

skywalker
2008-01-20, 01:38 AM
I like wizard/cleric spellcasting.

Yeah, I'm a smart ass.

Thanatos 51-50
2008-01-20, 01:42 AM
I'm a big fan of trapfinding.

No, you don't get a more in-depth explanation.

DementedFellow
2008-01-20, 01:46 AM
Well, for clerics of the thirst domain, they can either turn or command oozes.

Ever wanted a gelatinous cube as a pet?:smallcool:

Tortoise262
2008-01-20, 01:54 AM
Speaking of barbarians, I gotta go with Fast Movement ^_^ Especially if you go with Spring Attack at some point!

Enguhl
2008-01-20, 02:17 AM
Magic Missile! The bestest spell in the game!

de-trick
2008-01-20, 02:21 AM
Smite evil, can't have fun without smiting the infidels

Hunter Noventa
2008-01-20, 02:27 AM
The Factotum's Cunning Insight is pretty high up there. And it comes with Cunning Knowledge and trapfinding as a bonus!

TheOOB
2008-01-20, 03:00 AM
Dread Necromancer's Charnel Touch. Not only a down right nasty offensive ability at low levels, but can be used to provide limitless healing to undead allies(and yourself if you take the tomb-tainted soul feat(your taking the tome-tainted soul feat)).

Icewalker
2008-01-20, 03:06 AM
Oooh, how about Eldritch Blast? It is perfect for the psychotic villain who kills because he enjoys it, because he can slaughter innocents and not be out of stuff to use when the PCs show up. :smallbiggrin:

CASTLEMIKE
2008-01-20, 06:18 AM
NarDemonbinder -1 Fiendish Familiar (Normally 2 familiar feats and nice for a class like Archivist without a familiar) plus inimical casting along with 4th and 5th level spontaneous spellcasting.

Saph
2008-01-20, 07:23 AM
The Dragon Shaman's Vigour aura is awesome at level 1. Free healing!

The class goes downhill after that, but they're still a welcome sight to any low-level adventuring group.

- Saph

Nebo_
2008-01-20, 07:31 AM
The Shapeshift Druid is pretty nice at level 1.

Tola
2008-01-20, 07:54 AM
Warlock's Eldritch Blast combined with....damm, I haven't the name at present, the range increaser(You're allowed 1 Invocation at 1st, it counts).

250 foot range? That's MASSIVE, and means you're pretty much entirely safe as you shoot.(Lord, why isn't there a feat that allows Blasts as your full attack, blocking a few Invocations(Things like Eldritch Doom, for instance) if you do so?)

Zenos
2008-01-20, 07:59 AM
Warlock's Eldritch Blast combined with....damm, I haven't the name at present, the range increaser(You're allowed 1 Invocation at 1st, it counts).

250 foot range? That's MASSIVE, and means you're pretty much entirely safe as you shoot.(Lord, why isn't there a feat that allows Blasts as your full attack, blocking a few Invocations(Things like Eldritch Doom, for instance) if you do so?)

Eldritch spear.

mostlyharmful
2008-01-20, 08:00 AM
animal companion. Spell shareing meatshield for FREE. and it's better than the fighter for a level or two.:smallcool: "I have special abilities that are more powerful than your entire class!"

MorkaisChosen
2008-01-20, 08:27 AM
I quite like the Knight's Challenge for flavour reasons. Mechanicall it's nothing special, but it's good from an Rp perspective (Shouting "Stand and fight, knave!" can have a game effect!).

Mechanically, I'd probably go with Steal Spell, too.

bosssmiley
2008-01-20, 08:52 AM
The Psion's psicrystal class ability.
Can you say 'Weighted Companion Crystalline Chunk'? :smallbiggrin:

Illiterate Scribe
2008-01-20, 09:11 AM
Paladin's detect evil is very useful.


The Psion's psicrystal class ability.
Can you say 'Weighted Companion Crystalline Chunk'? :smallbiggrin:

Oh, wow ...

I. AM. PLAYING. A. PSION. WHO. THINKS. WITH. TELEPORTATION. CIRCLES.

Nebo_
2008-01-20, 09:24 AM
The Psion's psicrystal class ability.
Can you say 'Weighted Companion Crystalline Chunk'?

Can you say 'Not a class feature'?

It's a feat.

Snadgeros
2008-01-20, 10:04 AM
<_<

>_>

Flurry of blows.

*Ducks*

SoD
2008-01-20, 10:10 AM
Spirit Shamans Spirit Companion...being able to see and talk to something nobody else can see or hear...bloody brilliant fun!

CASTLEMIKE
2008-01-20, 11:22 AM
In a game using Action Points: Seer - 1 with the Fate Points variant since you get 2 feats: Action Boost and Action Surge which is pretty sweet at all levels particularly the first.

Project_Mayhem
2008-01-20, 01:02 PM
<_<

>_>

Flurry of blows.

*Ducks*

don't be silly, you don't need to duck flurry of blows at first level. You stand there and the monk misses.

(Yes I'm playing a monk atm - I like him, but unbuffed he cant hit squat)

Telok
2008-01-20, 02:49 PM
Actually at first level flurry isn't bad.

Most first level opponents will have 1HD and less than 20 AC. With a 14 Str a first level monk is decently dangerous against 1HD foes. Once you get to 7HD foes with 25 AC and +12 attack bonus for 2d6+10 damage, then flurry sucks.

Sort of like how Soulknife or Wilder is good at first level. After about 6th level it's got problems, but at first it's fine.

My favorite first level ability? Expert, any 10 skills as class skills.

Human Expert 1 and Barbarian 9, don't annoy the librarian.

Magnor Criol
2008-01-20, 03:15 PM
Human Expert 1 and Barbarian 9, don't annoy the librarian.

Win.

I like the Bardic Knack variant class ability presented in PHB2. It replaced Bardic Knowledge, but it lets you use half your bard levels, rounded up, on all skill checks, even if you have 0 ranks in that skill. It seems like it'd be pretty hand in-game (haven't gotten a chance to play with that yet, so I don't know for sure) and it fits thematically oh-so-well with the wandering jack-of-all-trades archetype.

Dark Tira
2008-01-20, 03:21 PM
For a non-base class then the Chameleon's Aptitude Focus is my favorite. Otherwise, I'm going to go with the Seer Variant that gives action points. They just seem so much sweeter when you're the only one that has them

The_Werebear
2008-01-20, 03:28 PM
Crusader- Steely Resolve is fun. Nothing bothers the DM like taking a hit that could drop you into negs, staying up, and delivering a Crusader Strike that drops the foe and heals you enough to keep on your feet.

FlyMolo
2008-01-20, 05:09 PM
Spellthief steal spell and Warlock's invocation/eldritch blast.

They go even better together!

Burley
2008-01-20, 06:47 PM
Warlock's Eldritch Blast combined with....damm, I haven't the name at present, the range increaser(You're allowed 1 Invocation at 1st, it counts).

250 foot range? That's MASSIVE, and means you're pretty much entirely safe as you shoot.(Lord, why isn't there a feat that allows Blasts as your full attack, blocking a few Invocations(Things like Eldritch Doom, for instance) if you do so?)

Eldritch Glaive from Dragon Magic lets you use extra attacks from your BAB.

bugsysservant
2008-01-20, 07:13 PM
I know its overpowered, but if you avoid abusing it, the transmuter familiar variant that lets you exchange your familiar for immediate teleport int bonus times per day is very fun.

As for pounce, thats probably the worst first level ability in the game. Its game breakingly good, isn't applicable at the level you get it, and makes a class thats already overused for dips even more attractive. It would be like having a fighter variant that lets you add five times your Con bonus as a dodge bonus to AC, but only if you have a Con bonus of six or more. It may be good, but its very bad game design.

Chronicled
2008-01-20, 07:30 PM
I know its overpowered, but if you avoid abusing it, the transmuter familiar variant that lets you exchange your familiar for immediate teleport int bonus times per day is very fun.

That would be the conjurer variant, not the transmuter.

UserClone
2008-01-20, 09:51 PM
Okay.....I can't believe no one has mentioned it yet, but I'm gonna throw it out there: grease.

Nebo_
2008-01-21, 01:28 AM
Okay.....I can't believe no one has mentioned it yet, but I'm gonna throw it out there: grease.

That would be because it isn't a class ability.

It's a spell.

Tokiko Mima
2008-01-21, 02:14 AM
If this is going for sheer power I vote Warlock Invocations, if only because Summon Swarm is a least Invocation.

Choose an unlimited use ability to create a 10 by 10 square of spiders that poison for 1d3/1d3 Str damage, cause 1d6 damage without an attack roll, are immune to weapon damage and mind affecting attacks, has 30' tremorsense, and forces multiple poison/distraction saving throws all at a level where saves still have a good chance of failing? Why not?

What? You mean to tell me the fact that Warlock duration's is reduced on that same spell actually makes it stronger by effectively eliminating the uncontrolled 2 rounds at the end of the spell? That's even better.

BadJuJu
2008-01-21, 02:48 AM
Smite evil, can't have fun without smiting the infidels

Yeah, then you get to say cool stuff like"I smite you in the name of <insert god here>" as well as refer to your weapon as a smotation device. Just cool.