A useful and easy build for a new player in a Red Hand of Doom Campaign[3.5]

[The Antigamer]

So I'm running Red Hand of Doom for a group of 4-5 starting Saturday. The group is comprised mostly of people who have played before, albeit not very many times. One has only ever played once, and asked me to make a character for him. I need to make him a character that's easy to use and master, but enjoyable to play, and useful. The party besides him is a Conjuration Domain Whisper Gnome Wizard 6, Dragonborn Cleric 5/Divine Oracle 1, Human Warblade 6. They were given all books but Exalted Deeds and Vile Darkness to use, so long as they ran it by me first. Starting at 6th level, no positive level adjustment races, no flaws or traits, but two feats at first level, and a feat every odd level (3, 5, 7, etc.) instead of every 3.

I'm thinking about making him a rogue/warlock, because the party lacks trapfinding and lock-opening, and warlocks are easy to play and enjoy. Thoughts? Ideas? Builds? All are welcome and appreciated.

[Tar Palantir]

In my experience, a rogue can be relatively easily obsoleted by an eternal wand of knock, and maybe some summons to deal with traps. As far as I can recall, RHoD doesn't even have any traps until the last chapter, so there's ample time to come up with a solution.

I do second the warlock though. In one of my runs of RHoD, one of my players ran a whisper gnome warlockwho used Fell Flight and Flyby Attack (I houseruled Fell Flight to count as the fly speed prereq) to deal an extremely reliable, if unimpressive, amount of damage each round without exposing his squishy rear to danger. He was the only one to survive the final encounter, and managed to kill the bad beastie all on his own, which is saying a lot.

[The Antigamer]

That is a good point, I guess I'm still stuck on the last campaign I ran, which was just all kinds of trap-happy. Warlock's "Hey, I can do something useful every round, without any thought" attitude is the reason I thought of it though, yes.

[Hadrian_Emrys]

Rolled, or point buy?

[The Antigamer]

Rolled, or point buy?

Forgot to add that, very relevant. I do rolled, because it leads to some interesting and unique builds. Just rolled his base stats, 15, 8, 16, 13, 10, 17.

[PId6]

I'd recommend a sorcerer or swordsage. That's a fairly optimized-looking party, and a warlock doesn't really cut it when competing against higher tiers without optimizing very heavily. A sorcerer with a prepicked list and simple spells should be almost as simple to run, and more powerful, and the same can be true of a swordsage.

[Math_Mage]

Impulse suggestions: Factotum, Bard, Warlock, or some combination thereof.

[Iku Rex]

(Note that RHoD is supposed to start at level 5, in case you were mislead by the cover.)

[The Antigamer]

I'd recommend a sorcerer or swordsage. That's a fairly optimized-looking party, and a warlock doesn't really cut it when competing against higher tiers without optimizing very heavily. A sorcerer with a prepicked list and simple spells should be almost as simple to run, and more powerful, and the same can be true of a swordsage.

Hmmmm, the sorcerer suggestion is a good one. I'm not sure about swordsage, he may find the concept and execution a little harder to understand than spells.

[The Antigamer]

(Note that RHoD is supposed to start at level 5, in case you were mislead by the cover.)

Yeah, I got that, but I'm starting it at 6 and raising the difficulty of some encounters. Thanks though!

[PId6]

Hmmmm, the sorcerer suggestion is a good one. I'm not sure about swordsage, he may find the concept and execution a little harder to understand than spells.

If you do go with sorcerer, pick powerful but simple spells (so definitely avoid Polymorph line). Glitterdust, Magic Missile, Scorching Ray, Invisibility, Slow, Haste, Wings of Flurry, etc. Even spells like Fireball can be good since swarms of enemies are fairly common in RHoD. Also make sure to pick up a blasting reserve feat (like Fiery Burst) since they're fairly useful in RHoD and are easy to use as a fallback option.

For PrC options, I can't really think of a good sorcerer PrC that's also easy to use besides Incantatrix. Fatespinner is good, but you don't qualify until later. Ruathar -> Abjurant Champion is an option as well. Mage of the Arcane Order is probably too complex though.

[Ethdred]

I'm just coming to the end of ROHD, with a 6 player party, and the least munchkin of the players has run a warlock and had great fun. Although this is partly because she's a hobbit and I've rule-of-cooled it that she can ride the half-ogre beserker into battle. It's also an arcanist-free party, but her UMD hasn't been needed as much as we'd all thought when developing the party. IIRC there aren't many traps or locks so a rogue isn't really needed

[Zanticor]

My party just finished the last chapter of RHOD as well. We were fairly optimized and ended up with only one death along the way in the very last encounter. We were with four and the DM didn't adjust anything:
One halfling bard (+3 inspire courage)
One halfling paladin (on a riding dog with halfling outrider Prc)
One Dwarven spellthief
One Human warlock

By buying lots of scrolls and potions (fly) we managed quite well.

Zanticor

[balistafreak]

I'm in a RHOD game right now. The Dragonfire Adept from Dragon Magic is like a caster-lite class, similar to the Warlock. It's a bit better at (close-range) blasting, as it throws down lines and cones of dragonbreath. As long as you take Entangling Exhalation and Slow Breath at 5th level, you can't go wrong at all.

You do have fewer options outside of combat, though, compared to a Warlock. (Warlocks get all those awesome UMD class features.)

Dragonfire Adepts have fewer invocations, but since they don't have to use invocations on improving their main weapon (which has its own separate line of improvement), they're kind of even.

[Lamech]

Go with a dweamerkeeper!

But if you don't want to confuse a new player and break the game, I would suggest some sort of charger. Do the whole shock trooper, that jump-charge thing, pounce, frenzied 'zerker. Thats fairly simple and powerful, just charge, retreat, repeat.

Another useful class would be a bard (with dragonfire of course). If its done right he should give pretty decent damage, you'd probably want to find an online build to max the damage. Summons or polymorph would allow for a bunch of d6s.

[Math_Mage]

Go with a dweamerkeeper!

But if you don't want to confuse a new player and break the game, I would suggest some sort of charger. Do the whole shock trooper, that jump-charge thing, pounce, frenzied 'zerker. Thats fairly simple and powerful, just charge, retreat, repeat.

Another useful class would be a bard (with dragonfire of course). If its done right he should give pretty decent damage, you'd probably want to find an online build to max the damage. Summons or polymorph would allow for a bunch of d6s.

I've never played a charger build, so can't comment on the difficulty of play, but the inordinate amount of bookkeeping required for summons or polymorph would intimidate a lot of new players.

I second the suggestion of Dragonfire Adept for a new player, but it might not match the power level of the rest of the group. Another suggestion I keep coming back to is Druid--not the regular Druid that has to keep track of wildshape and summons and animal companion on top of being a fullcaster, but a Druid with the Swift and Deadly Hunter variant, or the Druidic Avenger variant, or both.

[Greenish]

I've never played a charger build, so can't comment on the difficulty of play, but the inordinate amount of bookkeeping required for summons or polymorph would intimidate a lot of new players.

As long as you write up your static damage after modifiers (ex. PA with LA 6x2x3=36, without LA 6x2=12) so you don't have to recalculate it all the time. Charger with nothing else can get boring even for new player: I charge. I charge. I can't charge? I move and hit.

I second the suggestion of Dragonfire Adept for a new player, but it might not match the power level of the rest of the group. Another suggestion I keep coming back to is Druid--not the regular Druid that has to keep track of wildshape and summons and animal companion on top of being a fullcaster, but a Druid with the Swift and Deadly Hunter variant, or the Druidic Avenger variant, or both.

And you could use spontaneous divine casters variant with pre-picked spells, too. I'd allow the druid to swap his fast movement (from druidic avenger) for pounce, though.

[The Antigamer]

Hmmm, a spontaneous shapeshifter or avenger druid might work. It's between that, sorcerer, and warlock at the moment.

[Runestar]

I don't think there is much for a rogue to do in the game, since traps are few and far in between. If you want a scout-type PC, a ranger works better.

(Note that RHoD is supposed to start at level 5, in case you were mislead by the cover.)

I think either 4 6th lv PCs, or 6 5th lv PCs. Many of the encounters aren't all that hard, but there are a few boss fights which can really tax you, so I think either party makeup is fine.

[Hadrian_Emrys]

“The Wyrmslayer”
Desert Dwarf (CE)
3 Paladin “of Slaughter” (normal features) / 1 Hexblade / 1 Crusader / 1 Hexblade / (2 Blackguard)
Str 16 +3
Dex 13 + 1
Con 13 + 1
Int 10 + 0
Wis 8 - 1
Cha 18 +4

Hide: ? (get to 5 asap)
Intimidate: ?
Knowledge (Religion): ? (get to 2 asap)

Proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Class Abilities:
Aura of Good (Ex)
Detect Evil (Sp)
Smite Evil (Su)
Divine Grace (Su)
Lay on Hands (Su)
Aura of Courage (Su)
Divine Health (Ex)
Hexblade's Curse (Su)
Arcane Resistance (Su)
Steely Resolve (Ex)
Furious Counterstrike (Ex)

Feats:
1: Power Attack
1: Cleave
3: Improved Sunder
5: Extra Granted Maneuver

Maneuvers and Stance:
Crusader's Strike, Charging Minotaur, Stone Bones, Foehammer, Mountain Hammer
Martial Spirit

+1 Dragon Bane Howling Dragon Dragonfang Dwarven Waraxe 1d10+3+1+1(sonic), x3 slashing, 8 lbs. 10330 gp
Masterwork Fullplate 8 AC, +1 Dex, -5 checks, 50 lbs. 1650 gp
1020 gp left

... I really need to avoid attempting character creation this early in the morning.

[The Antigamer]

I personally like the build Hadrian, but he's gonna wanna play good, I know it, lol. I'm totally stealing it as an NPC for my other game though

[ryzouken]

Dragonfire Adept.

I'm currently playing in a hard mode RHoD game (we all started at level 1. Yeah. No deaths yet though!) where the DFA has literally been the saving grace of our entire team in multiple encounters. Give him Entangling Exhalation, Ability Focus Breath Weapon and Exhaled Barrier and gear his invocations to utility/battlefield control and there will be no question as to his abilities. Max his UMD too, grab the Draconic Flight invocation, and sink points into spot and listen. He'll be able to use every magic item they come across and perform admirably as the party scout (especially if he gets a wand of invis and a wand of silence in his starting wealth).

The hardest part of a DFA build is what race to choose.

[mcl01]

New player eh? You want trapfinding? You want effectiveness?

Then i suggest Beguiler. Trapfinding with a spontaneous caster who knows every spell on his list. Have him look over all the spells, and he doesn't have to agonize over not knowing what spells to prepare for the day. Also, a whole tonload of skillpoints, allowing him explore the skill system more freely.

If you really like the warlock part, you can also tack on a level of Warlock and advance both spellcasting and invocations using Eldritch Theurge. I had a character who did just that, and it was lovely. Beguiler 4/Warlock 1, max out Eldritch Theurge. He needs 2d6 eldritch blasts, but you can use Chausuble of Fell Power, Lesser (CAr 148) to give him +1d6 to his eldritch blast.

Advantages over straight beguiler? Eldritch blast if he wants to do damage, with invocations/eldritch blast he'll never be caught without some sort of action, increased diversity with tasty invocations such as fell flight, and UMD. All this, and he simply sacrifices his beguiler class features and 1 CL.

It's effective, fits into the trapfinding niche, less chances to screw up than a wizard or sorcerer (not to mention simpler), and covers a wide range of applications which can be used as teaching tools.

[PId6]

The hardest part of a DFA build is what race to choose.

Not really; Dragonborn Mongrelfolk all the way!

[Person_Man]

Here's a wacky suggestion - Binder 5. Although it's complex on the surface, strait Binder is really quite easy to play. At this level, you only get 1 vestige. You can easily write down each vestige's abilities on an index card, and pick one each morning. All of your abilities are continuous or can be used once every 5 rounds. So there's little to no book keeping. They're Supernatural, so you rarely have to worry about Concentration checks, Dispel Magic, or any of the other assorted magical baggage.

For example, if he binds Paimon, he gets Uncanny Dodge, Whirlwind Attack, limited Weapon Finesse, +4 Dex, +4 Tumble, and Dance of Death (everyone you move past get's attacked once). It's a very fun and flexible combat style for that level, especially when combined with any speed buff, a Spiked Chain, and maybe Knockback.

I would also suggest a simplifying the Expel/re-bind Vestige rules so that he can swap them out like a Tome of Battle class (1 minute of standing meditating, or something similar).

Whatever he goes with, I would say that there's no reason to saddle a newb with having to be the Trap Finding Skill Monkey just because no one else wants to play it. Give him something fun, not tedious.

[ryzouken]

Not really; Dragonborn Mongrelfolk all the way!

That's a +6 Con race/template mix for 0LA, isn't it?

I hate you WotC. I hate you so...

Yeah. Dragonborn Mongrelfolk Dragonfire Adept. It's even fluffy! (Breath Weapon DC: 23. Yeah, save vs. that!)

[The Antigamer]

That was a very good argument for Binder, but Dragonfire Adept sounds like it would work best, and be the most fun to play. I'll build one when I get back from work. Thanks for the comments all!

[The Antigamer]

I seem to recall a RHOD intro encounter wizards had on their website, but can't seem to find it. Figured I'd ask here rather than start another thread.

[Myshlaevsky]

I seem to recall a RHOD intro encounter wizards had on their website, but can't seem to find it. Figured I'd ask here rather than start another thread.

There is a Use This Book Tonight article on it. I'm not sure if it's what you are looking for or not.

[The Antigamer]

Yep, that was it, thanks!