[3.5]Give Me Your Opinions or Suffer

[CockroachTeaParty]

HEY! I have a question for the collective consciousness of the forums.

Who would you add to the following four person party? There is one space left, and I am at a loss as to how to proceed:

-A factotum/chameleon
-a chaos incarnate/psion/soul manifester
-a cleric/malconvoker/thaumaturgist

So, what would be a good 4th party member? On the whole the party is predominantly human, and leaning towards the chaos/good side of things.

Also, what discipline should the psion pursue? Shaper would be thematically appropriate, but astral constructs would seem redundant with the malconvoker summoning things left and right.

If I do not receive opinions on this matter, I will record myself crying like a imbecile, and put videos up on Youtube to further poison our cultural zeitgeist. Please, think of the zeitgeist.

[Quirp]

I would say a bard would make a good fourth person for this party:
-buff the summons
-watch the others beat monsters up
-tell the story in the next inn how you defeated all those monsters
-.....
-profit

(before you do that talk to your resident factotum and offer some sort of reward if allows you to do that)

Seriously I think a bard would make a good arcane caster/jack of the trades the factotum does not want to master. Go into Sublime Chord as fast as possible and you should be OK.

[WildPyre]

Probably one of the ToB classes... you already have the factotum so the natural progression on this forum would be for people to suggest one of the ToB classes. *nods sagely* Or beguiler.

[CockroachTeaParty]

I was thinking bard too... Something like bard 6/lyric thaumaturge 4/sublime chord 10?

A Tome of Battle character specializing in White Raven might be interesting, to coordinate with the summons... Maybe some kind of ToB bard?

[Greenish]

I'll combine the above suggestions and say: Bard/warblade. Songs of White Raven, Dragonfire Inspiration and lots of facesmashing.

[Edit]: Argh, the ninjas are out to get me today.

[Ryuuk]

Shaper might still be appropriate, perhaps focusing on crystal based powers instead. He could see a pattern where others see a swirl of chaos in a Hail of Crystals, or freeze a single unrepeatable moment forever through Crystallize and use of Quintessence. You may be able to fluff Minor Creation or Fabricate as chaotic as well (The Improbability drive from the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy, perhaps). You don't have to focus on making Astra Constructs.

As for what to play, they all seem pretty modular, able to shift roles every day, to some extent. Maybe following the theme with a Binder? Or a Binder/Wizard/Anima Mage so you can help the Chameleon out with a spellbook?

EDIT: In retrospect, this is probably because I'm a big fan of the binder. If you find you're missing a role, you can fill it the the proper vestiges.

[Pluto]

You've got two characters that can probably do the skillmonkey/toolbox thing and you have two casters to stand in the back and cast, so I'd probably want something to stand in the front and hit things. Something bigger, scarier and cheaper (in terms of spell slots and actions) than summons.

Probably something along the lines of Cleric, Duskblade, Artificer, Battle Sorcerer, Psychic Warrior or Druid. Maybe ToB or Totemist, if you're into that kind of thing.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Hmm... Shaper sounds pretty sweet when you put it like that, Ryuuk.

I've never seen a totemist in action before... Perhaps a totemist/barbarian/totem rager?

I believe Anima Mages have to be evil, so that probably wouldn't fly. On the whole, I find binders somewhat underwhelming.

These are good ideas though. OH YEAH!

[Lycanthromancer]

I was thinking bard too... Something like bard 6/lyric thaumaturge 4/sublime chord 10?

A Tome of Battle character specializing in White Raven might be interesting, to coordinate with the summons... Maybe some kind of ToB bard?

ToB bard, definitely. Buff yourself, buff your allies, buff their summons, and CHARGE!!!

Also, how about a seer for divinations, or egoist for morph-n-kill? The second works best with having soulmelds available, as well as with the ToBard.

[CockroachTeaParty]

ToB bard, definitely. Buff yourself, buff your allies, buff their summons, and CHARGE!!!

What kind of monstrous bard/warblade/(jade pheonix mage?)/(sublime chord?) builds are out there? I'ma have to look through me copy of ToB...

[Greenish]

What kind of monstrous bard/warblade/(jade pheonix mage?)/(sublime chord?) builds are out there? I'ma have to look through me copy of ToB...

Keld Denar had one here, rather heavy on warblade. Have a looksee.

[CockroachTeaParty]

I haven't worked it all out yet, but how would a bard 4/warblade 6/sublime chord 2/jade pheonix mage 8 sound? A singing, Knowledge Devoting, arcane striking, snowflake wardancing mad(wo)man? Seems rather feat starved...

What's the deal with dragonfire inspiration, anyway? Is adding d6's of fire damage better than the normal bonuses from inspire courage?

Edit: nuts... wouldn't qualify for Sublime chord... He'd have to go bard 8/warblade 2...

[Greenish]

What's the deal with dragonfire inspiration, anyway? Is adding d6's of fire damage better than the normal bonuses from inspire courage?

The real deal of DFI is that it stacks with normal IC.

[CockroachTeaParty]

The real deal of DFI is that it stacks with normal IC.

The feat reads "Each ally so inspired loses the standard morale bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls." The bonus to saves against fear is still there, but you'd have to sing twice to stack them, and one of the songs isn't going to last very long.

[imperialspectre]

The standard ToB/bard combination is to take 2 or 4 levels of Bard and then take all other levels in either Warblade or Crusader, with Song of the White Raven to stack those levels for progressing Inspire Courage.

You can also do Paladin 4 with Initiate of Milil (Champions of Valor) to get Inspire Courage, which then functions the same way.

[Greenish]

The feat reads "Each ally so inspired loses the standard morale bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls." The bonus to saves against fear is still there, but you'd have to sing twice to stack them, and one of the songs isn't going to last very long.

Song of the White Raven allows you to use IC as a swift action. The effect of IC lasts for 5 rounds which should be plenty, and if it isn't, you can take Lingering Song feat.

[Gorgondantess]

Let's combine all of the suggestions:
bard 7/crusader or warblade 3/SC 1/Abjurant champion 4/JPM 5. You get your spooniness, you get 9th level arcane casting, you get frontliner, you get ToB, everybody's happy.

[Escheton]

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.a...sb/sb20030504x

check out the bard spells

and wield a exotic with a first lvl spell, and add feats equal to your int mod with a second lvl

[gorfnab]

Bard 6/ Crusader 2/ Jade Phoenix Mage 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Jade Phoenix Mage 8
Otherwise it seems you party is lacking ranged support so maybe Bard 7/ Fighter 1/ Arcane Archer 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Sacred Exorcist 3

[gdiddy]

A Monk. To Supervise.

[Amphetryon]

Whirling Frenzy Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Psychic Warrior 2/Totemist 7/Totem Rager 10.

[The Glyphstone]

Song of the White Raven allows you to use IC as a swift action. The effect of IC lasts for 5 rounds which should be plenty, and if it isn't, you can take Lingering Song feat.

On that note, would it be RAW if you had Twin Song to 'double up' on Inspire Courage, applying DFI to one of them?