Requesting help bringing a D&D 3.5 character concept to fruition

[TheMerchandise]

Hello there!
Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I have an idea running around in my head for a character that I want call Luckbox McGambleshack (this will be his alias. real name is Laurence Kasper). I want him to be of low intelligence and wisdom (pretty oblivious to his surroundings) but fairly charismatic (people generally like him and consider him a charming oaf). The problem I am having then is how to make him ridiculously successful at what he does and not totally incompetent while ALSO making him appear to be rather lucky. A lot of it will be RP and rolls and RP based on rolls, but I have no idea what class to start with or what feats might be of help.
Essentially, any ideas for classes that can be successful with low int and wis but mid-high cha would be appreciated. Also, just ideas on where to take this guy would be cool. I have a fairly good idea about what he's like:

Laurence is a living, breathing, walking, talking menace. Disaster and disorder seem to follow him, affecting most around him, but leaving him completely unscathed. Also, he has barely developed a reputation for himself, except as a relatively likeable and modest fellow- an upstanding youth, albeit not too bright. This is because his alias, Luckbox McGambleshack, gets the rap for all the problems that ensue. The curious thing is how his alias has never been attributed to him personally; Luckbox McG is an unkown felon that nobody has ever seen, because nobody notices the pattern between Laurence's presence and the disasters. Laurence himself barely understands what goes on around him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a single gear is waiting to turn that will reveal to him the truth about his alias and status. But through some combination of denial and his general inability to put 2 and 2 together, Laurence remains blissfully ignorant.

[Pluto]

You want crimes to occur around your character without him knowing that he's causing them?

I'm not sure this is a class thing.
I mean you could support this with a Luck feat/Fortune's Friend sort of thing or a Factotum tweaked to a Charisma base stat and luck-based fluff.

But most of this sounds like something you need to talk to your DM about.
Not so much something that you can do with class.
(You're talking about what you want other people to do around Laurence, right?)

Unless you want to do something like a Wilder/Thrallherd without acknowledging that the character has psychic powers or thralls IC.

That might work. kind of.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Bard would be a good fit. Low level spells like Guidance, Mage Hand, Glibness, Disguise Self, Cheat, and Improvisation will do exactly what you're looking to accomplish. Get feats to improve your Inspire Courage and some buffs to be useful in combat. Maybe pick up Obtain/Improved Familiar for a useful accomplice, and eventually you'd probably want to go into Sublime Chord. Just a typical optimized Bard build can do everything you describe with a little creativity.

[JeminiZero]

Essentially, any ideas for classes that can be successful with low int and wis but mid-high cha would be appreciated.

Sorcerer, Bard, maybe Crusader or Favored Soul if you have sufficient strength. Possibly take two, and add some PrC that progresses both (E.g. Crusader/Sorcerer/Jade Phoenix Mage).

The problem I am having then is how to make him ridiculously successful at what he does and not totally incompetent while ALSO making him appear to be rather lucky. A lot of it will be RP and rolls and RP based on rolls, but I have no idea what class to start with or what feats might be of help.

In the short run, its rather difficult in D&D to tell the difference between someone who is lucky and someone who is good. For example, lets say you are fighting an enemy, and you attack with your weapon. If you hit, it might be due to either high AB, good dice roll, or some mixture of the 2. But why you hit has virtually no bearing on what others see happening (short of a critical hit anyway). They'll just see you swing your sword, and it slices the guys flesh. So rather than trying to make a lucky character, think about making a good character, and simply describe his successes as skin-of-his-teeth luck.

Crunch wise, here are a few abilities off the top of my head that can affect dice rolls: A Sorcerer should consider 4 levels of the Fate Spinner PrC. Crusaders have a bunch of level 6 stances that can 'control' the dice in various ways (e.g. take 10 to d20 rolls, roll additional damage dice whenever you roll maximum on any dice). I think Bards have the Improvization spell which gives them a floating pool of points that they can add to any roll. Various items can give rerolls although these tend to be less than worth your GP.

Laurence is a living, breathing, walking, talking menace. Disaster and disorder seem to follow him, affecting most around him, but leaving him completely unscathed. Also, he has barely developed a reputation for himself, except as a relatively likeable and modest fellow- an upstanding youth, albeit not too bright. This is because his alias, Luckbox McGambleshack, gets the rap for all the problems that ensue. The curious thing is how his alias has never been attributed to him personally; Luckbox McG is an unkown felon that nobody has ever seen, because nobody notices the pattern between Laurence's presence and the disasters. Laurence himself barely understands what goes on around him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a single gear is waiting to turn that will reveal to him the truth about his alias and status. But through some combination of denial and his general inability to put 2 and 2 together, Laurence remains blissfully ignorant.

Let me see if I got this correct:
-Whereever Laurence goes, disaster strikes those around him.
-However this is on no account due to anything that Laurence does. It just happens, essentially he is a jinx.
-Instead, all the trouble is attributed to a mysterious Luckbox McG whom no one has ever seen. (This strikes me as something that many people aren't likely to believe in, much like the Chupucabra)
-Laurence does not realize that he has this aura of bad luck.

You'll have to talk with your DM about this bit. Its generally very difficult to ensure that bad stuff happens to people around you without any action on your part. This is more of a plot device than anything else.

[TheMerchandise]

Yes, it is mostly about the plot and how I narrate the attacks. Your summary is pretty much correct. I was mainly just trying to figure out what sort of competent character I could build with low int and wis and high cha with the flavor of someone who is lucky rather than who studies intensely and is extremely good at what he does because of it. that said, i could definitely see bard or the jade phoenix mage combo. thanks for the advice! (more is always welcome, of course)

[the humanity]

sounds like fortunes friends description to me.

not the best class admittedly...

but it would fit.

[endoperez]

Since there's no mechanical penalty for you (because people don't realize the connection), there shouldn't be a mechanical bonus either. And obviously, your DM should approve.

There are several ways of explaining the mishaps.
His "lucky successess" could be him DRAINING the luck out of somewhere else. When you reroll, someone fails; when you get a buff casted on you, someone hurts his arm etc. That's more like your original concept, but it'd take a specific type of character.


There's a variation that would work with Bard or other spellcastery types. Something about the character causes problems with magic. When you cast a Grease, it spreads where you wanted it to, but a tiny patch of Grease also appears three miles northwards just under the foot of a policeman about to round a corner. When he comes to, he notices his money has been stolen, and he's sure Luckbox ambushed him.
Also, you could make his Bardic Voice throw his sound in weird ways. He shouts at some kobolds and a random merchant hears Luckbox threatening him, etc.

Man, that's a great concept. I'm having all kinds of ideas for how it could work! :D Hope you have fun with him!

[~LuckyBoneDice~]

D&D wiki has a BC called "Lucky Bastard" which I'd pair with Fortune's Friend