[3.5] One Shot Game - Build Ideas?

[Person_Man]

Playing a one shot game this weekend.

Level 14
+1 or +2 race or template for free.
The other 3 players are two Monks and a Fighter.
All books are allowed except for magazines, 3.0 material, and 3rd party sources. More common sources (SRD, Completes, PHBII, Tome of Battle) are preferred over less common sources.

So, what do you think I should play? As you can tell, it's not a very optimized group. The main goal is to just have fun, and to try out stuff that I don't normally play. Ideas?

[Keld Denar]

Bard or Bardblade

I built one to 11, wouldn't be hard to extrapolate to 14. A template with non-claw natural attacks so you could increase your attacks per round. Kinda 1 dimensional, but thats not a terribly bad thing in an unoptimized game. Plus, stack on enough IC and even a monk will be able to hit stuff and do meaningful damage.

Otherwise, I'd suggest a divine caster like a cleric/druid/archivist. In fact, Archivist would be good, what with the fun casting and Dark Knowledge to boost the party.

Otherwise, a low tech batman wizard would be neat. Focus on Teleport and similar spells (Quickened Benign Transposition!) to move your allies around the board like chess pieces. Buff them, move them, and do a little hindering of their foes. Play him as a doting ol' grandfather, trying to keep those durned whippersnappers from jumping face first into the open mouth of a dragon. Kids these days with their fancy swords and armor. Back in my day, we used wooden spears and wore armor made from GRASS, and we liked it! Fuddy duddy!

Just a couple fun ideas.

[UserClone]

I would totally rock the Feral Mineral Warrior...whatever. After those two templates, class level are pretty much just gravy.

[Keld Denar]

I would totally rock the Feral Mineral Warrior...whatever. After those two templates, class level are pretty much just gravy.

Feral Mineral Warrior Dragonborn Mongrelfolk Dragonfire Adept!

Thats what, a +12 con mod at level 1? You'll be immune to Power Word: Stun by level 10!

[Lycanthromancer]

How about an evolved undead necropolitan changeling factotum/chameleon with Darkstalker, Lifesense, and lots and lots of trapmaking gear? See if you can find insanely quick ways to make totally outlandish traps. Or maybe go evolved undead necropolitan kobold for that trapmaking goodness.

[Grail]

Wight Monk, all my fav NPC's are Wight Monks!

[Prometheus]

I second Bard, because it sounds like this party needs a jack of all trades and Bards are great fun.

Alternatively, play a zoo. Make a Druid, Summoner, Necromancer, or Artificer and get as many animals, monsters, undead, or constructs as you can, even if each of them are relatively weak. If your DM lets you, purchase trained animals or constructs to supplement your herd.

Of course, what would make this a much more effective build is if you could have someone play a zoo and someone play a Bard, but no matter.

[Eldariel]

Make an Artificer with Mercantile Background, Extraordinary Artisan and Legendary Artisan (henceforth to be referred to as Mr. Rich)! Mr. Rich provides the whole party with a whole slew of funny equipment and has a megaton of Wands, Staves, Rods and other magical trinkets to fool around with. Mr. Rich has a Greater Stone Golem toy to break things he doesn't like and to provide flanking for whoever hits things for him (henceforth referred to as hitmen). Then he does something hugely inconveniencing to the enemy with any given Wand/Staff/Scroll/Infusion/whatever-the-heck-he-happens-to-feel-like, while buffing his hitmen to some ridiculous degree (ask them if they'd like to be a party of different varieties of hydras for example). Hitmen go and Hulk Smash everything they run into while Mr. Rich yawns, wandsmashes something, turns something into a hybrid of a mouse and a snail, and makes random opponents spontaneously combust. Oh, and pretends to be a damn god. Half-Fey Human.

Sure, it'd be powerful, but you'd all be powerful and if you warned your DM beforehand, he could raise the overall CR of everything by about 2-3 and you'd have a Boom Boom Bang Bang game. Of course, if you want something standard level 14, disregard this.

[dspeyer]

Mystic Theurge. Your party is going to need both arcane and divine magic. It's up to you to provide it, and by using the "it's a trap" class, you won't be massively more powerful than your teammates like a normal full caster. I'm only half joking.

For similar reasons, you might play a bard (which is always fun).

[Samakain]

Second Mystic Thurge! be the most handy for your party and you'll be slinging spells left and right.

Also on another note and if anybody ever tells you to play a bard again :P kick em in the junk. This announcement brought to you by Burn the Lute Foundation, hating bards since 1st ed :D.

Cheers.

[Curmudgeon]

Yes, by all means play a Mystic Theurge. Load up on metamagic, including metamagic wands, so you can crank out the spellpower continuously. If your goal is to try out new things, also pick base classes that are different for you, like Wu Jen and Ur-Priest. As for the race or template, you can go Lolth-touched (Monster Manual IV), which is a strong +1 choice.

[Draz74]

Half-Fey Swift Hunter archer. With an irrational hatred for some unusual Favored Enemy choice (gnomes?), and a lot of cross-class ranks in social skills to complement the high Charisma.

[Malacode]

Also on another note and if anybody ever tells you to play a bard again :P kick em in the junk. This announcement brought to you by Burn the Lute Foundation, hating bards since 1st ed :D.

Cheers.

That was back when bards we're hateable. Now they're just ignoreable and mildly disappointing. Unless you've already got the party roles filled... In that case, go bard, with ranks in Perform: comedy. Quote Monty Python/Mighty Boosh. All the time. Even if it doesn't apply to the current situation.

[jcsw]

That was back when bards we're hateable. Now they're just ignoreable and mildly disappointing. Unless you've already got the party roles filled... In that case, go bard, with ranks in Perform: comedy. Quote Monty Python/Mighty Boosh. All the time. Even if it doesn't apply to the current situation.

If all the other party roles are filled, it's up to you to play the role of "Chaotic Stupid"! Constantly reference anything and everything, even if it does apply to the current situation, and especially if your enemies understand you. Only ever cast summon instrument until all hope is lost, after which cast mending.

[Evilfeeds]

Slightly offtopic, but:
Bards are one of my favourite classes. Not only do they lend themselves well to certain obscene diplomacy builds, but they have the most powerful spell of all time.

Modify memory.

Cast it on your "friends" while theyre asleep. If they save, no biggie, just cast it again later.

Have fun rewriting their entire lives, 5 minutes at a time.

Now, a 14th level bard can cast it 4 times a day. Thats either enough for the whole party, or enough to really mess up one guy. Try borrowing things off people, like a few hundred gold, or their favourite magic item. When they ask for it back, point out thatit was actually YOU that lent THEM the gold, and they can pay it back when they get a bit more.

Added bonus for going chaotic and just messing around with them. Why exactly are we on this quest in the first place? And what is "the lost orb of shoopadoowoop" anyway?

[Person_Man]

OK, I've decided to go with a Bard (maybe a Sorcerer) 5/PrC 4/War Weaver 5

If you're not familiar with the War Weaver, I suggest you read up on it. It's basically the ultimate buffer class. I ran the idea past the DM, and he's fine with it. He knows I'm a mature player, and that I won't purposefully upstage others. And if I do, hey, everyone benefits!

So, ideas for template? Best full caster progression PrC to fill the middle levels with? Spells I must take?

[Vexxation]

Not only do they lend themselves well to certain obscene diplomacy builds, but they have the most powerful spell of all time.

Ah, clearly, you've not read about Mindrape.

[Darrin]

So, ideas for template? Best full caster progression PrC to fill the middle levels with? Spells I must take?

Half-Fey is pretty darned nifty for only +2 LA. Fly = 2 x land speed, charm person at will, some other great SLAs, and a hefty Charisma bonus.

To make it interesting... how about a magic-blooded half-orc. Take the Battle Howler of Gruumsh PrC at ECL 6 for rage/full BAB/full CL/martial weapon proficiencies.

Otherwise... Kobold Sorcerer + Sandshaper has some interesting buff options. Use Greater Draconic Rite of Passage to make up for one of the lost caster levels. Maybe pick up the Earth Bloodline feat for Enlarge Person and Keen Edge.

Hold on, here's an idea... Mystic Ranger (Dragon #336, lose favored enemy and animal companion, gain early spellcasting) + Sword of the Arcane Order (Champions of Valor). Not sure if those would count as arcane spells... but a dip into Duskblade + Alternative Source Spell might fix that. Cure spells, Ranger buffs, and all the Sorcerer/Wizard buffs.

[dspeyer]

I'd suggest Mage of the Arcane Order. With four levels, you can cast spells you don't know up to 6th level. Even done once a day, that's a nice bit of flexibility.

You'll need two useless feats (arcane preparation and co-operative spell) to get in, but you'll get a bonus metamagic feat to compensate, so it's more like one wasted feat. Since you also need a metamagic feat as a prerequisite, you'll need to be human, but you may have wanted that anyway.

As for templates, most thing with serious +cha are LA3. Saint is probably the best, though your DM might object (it'll help if you plan to play a saintly character). Half-fey is also good.

[Shalizar]

Even though you have already choose, you should have been a Psionic Warrior/Soulknife Warforge. Five Levels of each, you need Wild Talent at first level and Exotic Weapon Proficency Bastard Sword to have a two handed weapon. Make Intelligence and Charisma your Dump Stats, and just get your Intelligence up to 16 and your good, sure its a +4 Level Adjustment, but think how badass it will be to have that character.


Edit: Sorry, that is for Warforged Chargers, Warforge is just +2 Con, -2 Wis and -2 Cha, but there is no level adjustment, and the bonuses, also you get more class levels.

[Keld Denar]

I heard of a totally abusive combo with Warweaver. As a cleric, you take levels in that Spellguard of Silverymoon PrC, I believe, and then take Magic of the Land feat. As long as you are standing in a wooded area (which you can take with you via a magic acorn, forgot the name), all of your buff spells give small amounts of healing. Since they give small amounts of healing, Spellguard allows you to cast them on others...even personal ones.

Now, you can pump all your nasty personal cleric buffs through the weave. Divine Power for everyone? Coming right up! Add a side of Divine Favor, and a couple others and you've just increased the effectiveness of your whole team by about 3 levels! Monks + Divine Powah = not lame!