Storms! [3.5]

[AtopTheMountain]

So while thinking of character concepts for a possible upcoming campaign, I decided on a character based around the theme of storms.

First I built a Paladin/Shining Blade of Heironeous, but I realized that it was horrible. Then I built an Ardent with that one storm presige class in Complete Psionics, but it wasn't much good either.

Right now, my idea is a Cleric with the Air and Windstorm domains, going into the Stormlord prestige class. However, I don't really like the class's reliance on spears and javelins; I'd prefer to have more storm-themed spellcasting.

So, what's a good way to do this?

EDIT: I have access to Core, PHB2, Expanded Psionics Handbook, ToB, Magic of Incarnum, Libris Mortis, Spell Compendium, Complete [Warrior, Adventurer, Arcane, Scoundrel, Divine, Psionic], and the 3.0 books Tome and Blood, Sword and Fist, and Masters of the Wild.

[The Rose Dragon]

Did you check out Stormwrack? It is about the seas, but I'm sure it has at least one weather-based class.

[AtopTheMountain]

Unfortunately, I don't have access to Stormwrack, or that would have been the first place I would go (for obvious reasons ).

[weenie]

What about an electricity themed gish? You could go with a standard sorcadin build, and take lots of electricity spells. Take Energy Substitution, and you can change any spell with an energy descriptor to electricity.

[AtopTheMountain]

That was one thought I had, and it's probably what I'll do if all else fails. But if possible, I'd prefer to be specifically based around the storm concept. That's one reason I made the Ardent, but it didn't actually have a whole lot of storm stuff, and the prestige class was very weak.

[LordShotGun]

SilverClawShift had a raindancer type class that was custom made. I belive that he/she (I don't know) still sticks around this forums so if you give her a PM she may give you the specifics.

[Eldariel]

How about just straight Druid? You get a lot of Storm-related magic and can take Aspect of Nature-variant to further push the angle. Focus your summons on various Elementals, pick up Storm-related spells and profit. Pick up Storm Elemental as an Elemental Companion from Complete Mage and you're pretty set.

Cleric would work except you just so happen to lack the books with the Domains you'd want (Stormwrack, Spell Compendium, Complete Divine). Otherwise you could make do with Spontaneous Domain casting and maybe Customize Domain but as it stands...

[AtopTheMountain]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I have Spell Compendium and Complete Divine.

Druid also sounds like a good idea, and it's probably my best option at this point.

[Quirp]

I really think Druid going into Stormlord is a good way to go. You get all the nice spells (control wind, control weather, .....) and the immunities of stormlord. If you don`t like them just ignore the javelins and throw around your spells while everyone else is severly crippled.

[Grumman]

Seconding the Druid Stormlord. For your race, I suggest Raptoran (Races of the Wild or just use the stats for a Raptoran to represent a human with exceptional skill with wind magic. I'd also suggest you arm yourself with a weapon coated with Pandemonic Silver (from Complete Warrior) so that when you stroll unharmed through your tornado you also cause fear, making it even easier to butcher your cowering foes.

[Curmudgeon]

Check out some relevant online content in "The Far Corners of the World" series:

• Spells of the Sky
• Magic Items of the Sky

[molten_dragon]

Another option would be to play a wizard or sorcerer, play an air elemental savant, and take the born of three thunders feat.

[dspeyer]

You might use the spontaneous druid from UA. It specializes better. Use your summons for storm elementals exclusively.

[Zaq]

My roommate once played a Spirit Shaman who used only weather-themed spells, prestiging into Stormlord. I don't think he ever actually ended up using the Stormlord abilities, though, and it has a hefty entry cost (three mostly useless feats, if memory serves), but he was still a full caster, so even losing three feats didn't put him out of line with the rest of the party. He had fun with it, overall.

[KillianHawkeye]

Druid 5/Stormlord 10/Nature's Warrior 3/Druid +2

Mix Nature's Warrior into Stormlord to taste.

[nedz]

Some more options to consider:

Favoured Soul into Stormlord saves you a feat, gives you an extra Energy Res and (unless you have a bonus feat) allows for a slightly earlier entry; but Cleric or Druid is usually stronger in the long run.

Mystic Ranger into Stormlord can also work, but you probably don't want something from Dragon.

[Optimator]

Well, there's the Stormsinger form Frostburn. It's certainly playable, although I think some of the more powerful abilities should take fewer Bardic Musics per use.

[Prodan]

Pity Lightening Warrior isn't allowed. It would be the most flavorful class to take for this concept.

[ericgrau]

+1 to druid, though ya all 3+ full casters have options.

[Xallace]

Another vote for spontaneous-variant druid. You also might want to swap out wildshape for something more thematic. Nature's Aspect works, but a refluffed version of PHBII's Shapeshift variant might be a lot of fun.

I have an issue of dragon with a "Storm Druid" variant. Changes your spontaneous spell list, and replaces a couple class features with bonus electricity and sonic damage, a fear aura, and resistance and immunity to various storm-related effects- most of which I suppose you'll be getting with Stormlord, so I guess it would be redundant.

[Tytalus]

Unusual and surprisingly effective melee storm-flavored Clericzilla:

Cleric5/ElementalSavant(Air)10/X++ (1)

Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, Elemental Substitution (Electricity).

Persist an (electricity-substituted) Ice Axe [Spell Compendium]. Go to town.

If you want to spread a bit more cheese on your bread build, use Born of the Three Thunders [Complete Arcane] to stun everything you hit (also, to deal half your damage as sonic damage).

If you can snag the War domain, the Holy Warrior reserve feat ups your melee damage nicely.


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(1) The caster levels lost are a pain, but it's pretty flavorful. Also, the 10th level offers some nice benefits. X can be anything that progresses cleric casting. Qualifying for ES is slightly tricky since there aren't very many [Electricity] spells on the cleric list, but arguably a Storm/Thunder should do the trick.

[Prime32]

There's a feat called Storm Magic which increases your CL by 1 in a storm.

Alternatively, see if you can get a modified version of the Snowcasting chain from Frostburn (or just use Snowcasting as-is, then apply Energy Substitution [electricity]). If nothing else, this lets you screw with mechanatrices by denying them saving throws against all your spells.