3.5 D&D Character Suggestion Needed

[togapika]

Making a first level character for an eberron game. Assume that I have yet to roll my stats, but that we are rolling and not using point buy. Game is set in an as yet unmentioned town, but I do know it's one with no literature already written about it.
1st Level
Stick to core books and Completes
Races from the PHB only, but also include goblin and full orc
Since I expressed possible interest in playing a hexblade, the DM asked what sort of changes that had been homebrewed online I felt would bring it up to par with the other classes.
Assume that all other players may not specifically have optimization in mind when creating their characters, but all are highly efficient, even when not specifically setting out to optimize their characters to the hilt.
Current characters I know of include a half-orc ranger, and some kind of cleric

I was thinking for possibilities Hexblade, Spellthief, or possibly a scout.
As for races I was considering playing a goblin, but am open to any with good reasoning.

[Bulwer]

Depending on what sort of cleric, sounds like you've got both damage-dealing and divine casting sorted out with the two party members you mentioned. You could play an Artificer or a Batman Wizard for versatile casting. Spellthief is a fun choice. You could go with one of the themed spontaneous casters, too: Beguiler, Warmage, or Dread Necromancer. Beguiler is nice for sneaky things, and it has trapfinding, which means that a party with one can get by without a Rogue. It's from PHB 2.

For races, I've always liked Human. Without broader choices, that feat is the best thing in the PHB, I think.

[wadledo]

Hexblade fix.
Scroll down half a post.

Human is always awesome, and while I've never been particularly fond of Goblins, Hobgoblin seems a pretty decent choice, especially f you can convince your DM to let you cut the LA.
(Reasoning; Your playing a weakened class, and even with the fix it still is pretty bad.
Plus, your playing a race that is reviled all over as a killer and child stealer.)

[Keld Denar]

A couple of my best works:
From another thread here,

Spoiler

Show

Paladin5/Fighter2/Divine Crusader2/Ordained Champion4/Divine Crusader7

Pal 1 - Law Devotion (CChamp), Improved Toughness
Pal 2 -
Pal 3 - Knowledge Devotion (CChamp)
Pal 4 -
Pal 5 - (Charging Smite ACF PHBII)
Ftr 1 - Power Attack (F) Divine Might (CWar)
Ftr 2 - Weapon Focus: Longsword (F)
DC 1 -
DC 2 - Awesome Smite (CChamp)
OC 1-
OC 2-
OC 3- Holy Warrior (Reserve Feat, CChamp)
OC 4 -
DC 3 -
DC 4 - Practiced Spellcaster (Divine Crusader)
DC 5 -
DC 6 -
DC 7 - Extra Turning
DC 8 -
DC 9 - (no spell progression, but you do get +1 CL)

My Dwarven Urgrosh build

Spoiler

Show

1 Ranger1 Track, Endurance Favored Enemy: Arcanists (get 4 ranks in prereq skills, 2 ranks Kn:Relig xclass)
2 Fighter1 Power Attack (5th rank in Climb + Jump)
3 Fighter2 Hold the Line, Weapon Focus: Urgrosh (5th rank Kn: Dung xclass)
4 Barbarian1 Spirit Lion Totem (5th rank in Survival class + 3 Craft:Weapon)
5 Barbarian2 Uncanny Dodge (3rd + 4th rank Kn:Relig xclass)
6 Deepwarden1 Track again... True Believer (Kn:Arc 3 ranks)
7 Deepwarden2 Stonewarden (Kn:Arc 4th rank xclass Spellcraft 2 ranks xclass)
8 Pious Templar1 Mettle (Spellcraft 3rd rank xclass)
9 Pious Templar2 Improved Init (Spellcraft 4th rank xclass)
10 Pious Templar3 Weapon Spec:Urgrosh
11 Exotic Weapon Master1 Flurry of Strikes Trick
12 Exotic Weapon Master2 Uncanny Blow Trick Leap Attack
13 Pious Templar4 Melee Weapon Mastery: Slashing
14 Occult Slayer1
15 Occult Slayer2 Slashing Fury
16 Occult Slayer3
17 Occult Slayer4
18 Occult Slayer5 Battle Blessing
19 Pious Templar5
20 Pious Templar6

First build is Core + Complete only
Second build is Core + Complete + Races of Stone (for Deepwarden, which is also online)

If you are interested in a scout type character, I'd suggest looking up different Swift Hunter builds, and Hexblade is complimented nicely by Blackguard if you don't mind being evil, or Suel Arcanamach if you don't mind being an Aryan racist bastard.

Anything catch your eye?

[Elrond]

I think you should play a halfling spellthief i played one of them once and it was great hope that helps

[Shalizar]

I say you should play a Cleric with Multiple Personality disorder, and have each of them worship a diffrent god of a diffrent alignment, and roll a D10 to see what personality you are (assign each a number 1-9, reroll on 10)

But, if you are going to focus away from the character, I would say roll as a Elven Hexblade, also look into Bladesinger PrC from CW while you are at it.

[monty]

(assign each a number 1-9, reroll on 10)

No, that's no fun. Here's what you should do: on a 10, reroll twice (rerolling an additional two times if you roll another 10, for three total, and so on), and have both (or all three, or whatever) personalities attempt to manifest simultaneously. What happens from there is up to you.

[Prometheus]

I vote for goblins. Of course, they aren't terribly optimized (perhaps they have an errata I don't know about). I think they would make a great Scout or Rogue however.

[monty]

I vote for goblins. Of course, they aren't terribly optimized (perhaps they have an errata I don't know about). I think they would make a great Scout or Rogue however.

While not the best, they are hardly a weak race. For rogue-types, small size and a Dex bonus are great. Of course, if you really want to be optimal, you have to play a kobold.

[Fax Celestis]

You could try something that's been going through my head recently:

Ranger 4/Extreme Explorer 5.

Maybe go into Divine Champion for a level to pick up the Luck domain and go into Fortune's Friend from there. Spend all your feats on Luck feats from Complete Scoundrel and on action point stuff from ECS. You'll be able to reroll whatever the hell you want.

[Rei_Jin]

A goblin spellthief would be pretty cool.

I've always loved the idea of a goblin wizard who likes to build constructs and the like. Give him levels in Effigy Master when he qualifies for it, and ride around on your construct mount.

He wouldn't be using those constructs to make up for his racial identity of inferiority now, would he?

[Starbuck_II]

No, that's no fun. Here's what you should do: on a 10, reroll twice (rerolling an additional two times if you roll another 10, for three total, and so on), and have both (or all three, or whatever) personalities attempt to manifest simultaneously. What happens from there is up to you.

Internal Holy War?

[Shalizar]

Internal Holy War?

now that sounds like fun.

[xanaphia]

I vote elf sorcerer with lots of talking kind of spells, and Diplomacy.

Be the head of the party, and focused on talking. It's fun.

[The Glyphstone]

Start with a Warforged Warrior. Multiclass into Warlock at 2nd level, then Warmage at 3rd level. If you can convince your DM to allow ToB, then slap on a level of Warblade at 4th level, otherwise another level of Warrior. Dip one level each in Cleric (War domain, naturally) and Bard, then take Warrior levels until you qualify for War Chanter and Warpriest. A level in Warmind will do you good, and you can always grab some Warforged Juggernaut levels. Since one of your Warmind powers should be Expansion, it'll qualify you to take Warshaper. Wield a Warhammer.
Never mind, Expansion =/= Polymorph.


Warforged Warrior 1/Warmage 1/Warlock 1/Cleric 1/Bard 1/Warrior +4/Warpriest 1/War Chanter 1/Warmind 1/Warforged Juggernaut 1/Warmage +5/War Weaver 1/Warshaper 1, with the War domain and wielding a Warhammer.

You utterly fail at actually contributing to a fight, but you have more WAR than should be able to fit into a 5-ft space. Enemies will die simply from moving adjacent to your miniature self-contained WAR.

[Eloel]

I'm so trying that :)

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'd take one of several approaches, all of which include only one level of Spellthief with the feat Master Spellthief (CS):

Bard 1/ Spellthief 1/ Bard X: Get Song of the Heart at level 1 and Master Spellthief at 6, at 3 and 9 maybe pick up Obtain Familiar (CA) and Improved Familiar (CW, DMG) for a useful flanker like a Quasit or even a Krenshar. Weapon Finesse would also be a good choice, and be sure to cast Inspirational Boost (SC) if you can get it before using Inspire Courage. Also get a (few) Badge of Valor (MIC) from the Regalia of the Hero item set. At level 3 your Inspire Courage could be a +4 bonus, which will definitely be a huge boost to the rest of your party as well as boosting your Familiar's multiple attacks if you get one. Another great feat choice would be Wild Cohort, just remember with Inspire Courage something with multiple attacks is better. If possible make this character a Human with the feat Able Learner (RoD) so you can double as a skillmonkey/trapfinder.

Hexblade 8/ Spellthief 1/ whatever: Full BAB, near-full Hexblade abilities, and full Steal Spell progression starting at level 9. This would be a very combat-focused character, though most Hexblades would want Arcane Strike as their 9th level feat.

Something like Spellthief 1/ Warlock 1/ full spellcasting class 18, with Practiced Spellcaster for both Warlock and your full spellcasting class (taken at 1 and 3) and Master Spellthief (6) would have a caster level of (character level +6) for all classes. You'd be able to use Steal Spell with Eldritch Blast since it's not limited to melee sneak attacks, and you'd be counting all of your levels for the highest level spells you can steal. You'll be two character levels behind what you'd normally have for your spellcasting progression, but with a +6 caster level boost you could use Warmage and be a superb blaster.

If you could use the PH2, something like Duskblade 5/ Spellthief 1/ Duskblade X would be amazing. A Goblin Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Beguiler X would also make an extremely fun/useful character.

[AslanCross]

I say you should play a Cleric with Multiple Personality disorder, and have each of them worship a diffrent god of a diffrent alignment, and roll a D10 to see what personality you are (assign each a number 1-9, reroll on 10)

But, if you are going to focus away from the character, I would say roll as a Elven Hexblade, also look into Bladesinger PrC from CW while you are at it.

To be fair, the most common church in Eberron does worship an entire pantheon. Clerics of the Sovereign Host can choose from a lot of domains. But yeah, you're stuck to just getting two Domains.

Unless you get the Sovereign Speaker PrC, which gives a bonus domain practically every level.

It's too bad Tome of Battle isn't allowed. I tend to think that its exotic melee classes suit Eberron a lot more. In any case, if all Completes are allowed, check out Complete Champion for the Devotion feats. I find a lot of them are pretty good, and have no requirements.

[sebsmith]

Your in Ebberon, to me that means it's dragonmark time. I prefer the half-elf house which can get a free airship (Lyrander?). One description of the prestige class which does that was something like "you cease to be batman and become the pimp of pimps." How could anybody say no to being the pimp of pimps?

[AslanCross]

House Lyrandar doesn't give away free airships, though. They're pretty happy that they have a monopoly on the industry. But yeah, if you take the Lyrandar Windwright Captain PrC, you'll eventually get an airship (but if you want to buy it, it still costs 90000 gold).

[monty]

War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War War WAR WAR

Note: I added nothing to this post. I only removed stuff.

[vegetalss4]

Your in Ebberon, to me that means it's dragonmark time. I prefer the half-elf house which can get a free airship (Lyrander?). One description of the prestige class which does that was something like "you cease to be batman and become the pimp of pimps." How could anybody say no to being the pimp of pimps?

because saying yes means you stop being batman?

[Who_Da_Halfling]

I don't know what goes into Eberron, specifically, but I've always found Bards to be especially useful, and Beguilers come in a close second in the neat stuff they can do.

Of course, I've also always been partial to Spiked-Chain-wielders. Swashbuckler seems like a really interesting class too.

Really, there's a lot of characters I've wanted to try and just never had the opportunity :-(.

-JM