What to make for a newish player in a high power group... [3.5e]

[Lord of Syntax]

I have a fleshworld group with a new player joining (new to D&D, not just new to this group), and it is a __VERY__ high power game, what should I make for him that has fun tricks, but not enough to make his head explode?

[Lycanthromancer]

I have a fleshworld group with a new player joining (new to D&D, not just new to this group), and it is a __VERY__ high power game, what should I make for him that has fun tricks, but not enough to make his head explode?

Crusader or warblade.

Alternately, binder or dragonfire adept. Great with the right feats.

[Godskook]

Depends on the player's general capability. If he's likely to take a while getting used to D&D before he's ready to spread his own wings, DFA is fantabulous. Alternatively, if he's the type to dive straight in, ToB would be better.

Essentially, I'm totally agreeing with Lycanthromancer, except on the Binder part, since from what I've seen, they're not straight-forward to play, even once built.

[Flickerdart]

Give him a Barbarian. They're easy to play, take a long time to kill and his friends can buff him in case of whatever.

[Draz74]

Yeah, before I read the other responses, I was already going to say "Dragonfire Adept."

[Godskook]

If he goes DFA, make sure he grabs the feat Entangling Exhalation. It is to DFAs what Spell Focus is to wizards.

[Lord of Syntax]

The party is a Dark Chaos Shuffling Anthropomorphic Bat (+6 to Wis) DMM: Persist abusing Cleric/Sovereign Speaker/Contemplative (6 bonus domains between them (for Dark Chaos Shuffle fuel))//Druid/Planar Shepard (me), and some other gawdly overpowered builds I don't know.

[Lycanthromancer]

The party is a Dark Chaos Shuffling Anthropomorphic Bat (+6 to Wis) DMM: Persist abusing Cleric/Sovereign Speaker/Contemplative (6 bonus domains between them!)//Druid/Planar Shepard (me), and some other gawdly overpowered builds I don't know.

d2 crusader, then.

[Draz74]

The party is a Dark Chaos Shuffling Anthropomorphic Bat (+6 to Wis) DMM: Persist abusing Cleric/Sovereign Speaker/Contemplative (6 bonus domains between them!)//Druid/Planar Shepard (me), and some other gawdly overpowered builds I don't know.

Ah. OK, a run-of-the-mill DFA with Entangling Exhalation will probably be a little ... impotent, then.

In that case, I'm thinking maybe he should use something that's normally ridiculously broken, and count on his inexperience with the game to tone him down to non-game-breaking levels. Tainted Scholar, maybe?

... No, wait, I've got it: Hulking Hurler abuse. Possibly on a Tauric Template creature. It doesn't get much simpler than "My turn? I throw another boulder. 4287d6 damage."

[Human Paragon 3]

Set him up with an ubercharger build with irrelevent flaws for bonus feats. Help him pick out really good magical gear. That should at least let him contribute to a party like this. And buff him.

[WeeFreeMen]

Pun-Pun?..
I kid.

However, Have you thought of Wizard lock-down / Batman?
Can never go wrong with one of those, and played right not much can beat it.

Plus its good fun ;]
RP him as Insane :D

[Lycanthromancer]

Vow of Poverty Dragonfire Inspiration/Snowflake Wardance bard/crusader/sublime chord (1)/jade phoenix mage? Focusing on White Raven maneuvers?

Buff while you buff while you buff in the buff?

[Godskook]

The party is a Dark Chaos Shuffling Anthropomorphic Bat (+6 to Wis) DMM: Persist abusing Cleric/Sovereign Speaker/Contemplative (6 bonus domains between them (for Dark Chaos Shuffle fuel))//Druid/Planar Shepard (me), and some other gawdly overpowered builds I don't know.

Oh, oh god. I can't tell where one build ends and the next begins.

[Lord of Syntax]

It is all me, yay gestalt!

[Arakune]

What the GM throws at you? Twice Betrayer? Ike Tarrasques? Tarrasques as MOB?

[Dusk Eclipse]

The party is a Dark Chaos Shuffling Anthropomorphic Bat (+6 to Wis) DMM: Persist abusing Cleric/Sovereign Speaker/Contemplative (6 bonus domains between them (for Dark Chaos Shuffle fuel))//Druid/Planar Shepard (me)

You want a newish player to play in such a grou???

Well.... maybe an incantrix// factotum would be nice...give him a magic item of Spellcraft so he can persist, extend sculpt, what ever he wants multiple times per round

[Amphetryon]

Make a Nasty Gentleman

[Draz74]

I still say this whole situation is precisely why the Hulking Hurler exists.

[Lord of Syntax]

We are a preexisting group, we are now doing a high powered campaign.

[Lycanthromancer]

We are a preexisting group, we are now doing a high powered campaign.

You horrifically cruel man, you.

[edit] Really, your best bet is to make him into something that gives everyone else more actions. White Raven maneuvers.

Warblade/crusader//factotum?

Play him as an egomaniacal Sun Tzu, playing with the battlefield like a chessboard, moving his pawns on a whim.

Simple, elegant, and able to keep up with the party by making their power his own.

[Flickerdart]

Yes, perhaps...toning things down might be a good idea. If it's a new player, gestalting together two Tier-1 classes is not a good introduction for them. Having said that, Arcane Swordsage might be what you need.

[Kylarra]

++to the hulking hurler.

[Mushroom Ninja]

Maybe some sort of bard with Inspire Courage/Dragonfire Inspiration optimization. As long as the player remembers to sing every combat, they're helping out the party. Beyond that, they can experiment around with a wide range of options without seriously detracting from the group's power.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Hellfire Glaivelock with a level dip in Binder for Strongheart Vest, and Legacy Champion to promote Hellfire Warlock to stupid levels

He has a short list of fun abilities, can crank out stupid D6's, and has some utility with things like Chilling Tentacles, plus being surprisingly difficult to kill.

Here's how I'd run things:

Eldritch Glaive, Eldritch Spear (for when they try to stay away), and Dark One's Own Luck to help him survive SoD situations for Least invocations

I'd also give him Voratious Dispelling as an Invocation, because sometimes when dealing with a Batman Wizard, the best thing to do is strip him. Plus Flee The Scene. He's gonna need hellrime blast to qualify for HFW

For greater, you got options. Chilling Tentacles are fun, so is Vitriolic Blast and Eldritch Cone/Chain. But there's some fun toys here

And for Dark invocations, you simply cannot go wrong with Utterdark Blast.

Make him a Pixie, and buy off the LA as you progress. That gives you Flight, Greater Invisibility, and Tiny size for better AC. Also, a huge beam of energy erupting from a tiny pixie is simply amusing.

[Lord of Syntax]

It is starting at lvl 11.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

It is starting at lvl 11.

Gestalt game, right? Here's what you do:

Pixie4/WhateverClass6//Warlock6/HFW3/Bloodline2

Alternately,

Crusader/Cleric/RKV

That ought to be fun

[Dusk Eclipse]

Hellfire Glaivelock with a level dip in Binder for Strongheart VestNaberious , and Legacy Champion to promote Hellfire Warlock to stupid levels

He has a short list of fun abilities, can crank out stupid D6's, and has some utility with things like Chilling Tentacles, plus being surprisingly difficult to kill.

Here's how I'd run things:

Eldritch Glaive, Eldritch Spear (for when they try to stay away), and Dark One's Own Luck to help him survive SoD situations for Least invocations

I'd also give him Voratious Dispelling as an Invocation, because sometimes when dealing with a Batman Wizard, the best thing to do is strip him. Plus Flee The Scene. He's gonna need hellrime blast to qualify for HFW

For greater, you got options. Chilling Tentacles are fun, so is Vitriolic Blast and Eldritch Cone/Chain. But there's some fun toys here

And for Dark invocations, you simply cannot go wrong with Utterdark Blast.

Make him a Pixie, and buy off the LA as you progress. That gives you Flight, Greater Invisibility, and Tiny size for better AC. Also, a huge beam of energy erupting from a tiny pixie is simply amusing.

Fixed that for you, and Strongheart vest is incarnium

[BooNL]

I bet you if this guy even takes one glimpse of your characters' sheets he's going to be confused, majorly.

If you want someone to learn the ropes, don't drop them into an 11th level min-maxed gestalt game. Do you really expect him to say "Geeh, I think I've got the hang of this now" after the first 3 sessions?

Seriously, just do a one-off with the guy, using regular rules at low level. After he's broken in a bit, let him join your other game. At least that way he's prepared.

Also, if he's really a newbie, he could consider getting a copy of NWN2. While it's not a perfect intepretation of 3.5, he should be able to pick up some of the rules from that and at least learn which kind of character he likes.

[Lord of Syntax]

Is is not a "newbie", he just does not have much experience, I can explain the gaps, and the other players wont wait, and it is all ready been timeshifted for me...[/drama]
We need someone for the role of the corpse front-line combatant.

[Eldariel]

Druid. Easy, easily powerful enough to carry anyone through. No. Wrong. Choices. Oh, and yeah, pretty fcking good frontliner.