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Thread: Help? Not sure what to do...
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2007-05-25, 10:54 AM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2007
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- RVA
Help? Not sure what to do...
Hey everyone, new to the forums and excited to be here!
I'm hoping you guys can give me a little help. After wrapping up the last campaign a few months ago, one of my DM's will soon be starting a new campaign within the same world setting, albeit with different characters and time period. He's having us start (at least, and probably spend a significant amount of time) in a rainforest type environment, and strongly emphasized the rain element of it. When I joked that he was placing us in monsoon season, he disagreed, saying "monsoon season implies that the rain will stop." Further, he suggested that metal-reliant characters may struggle, due to the rust-friendly environment.
I need help rolling up a character for the game. I had originally planned on a Vow of Poverty oriented monk, who was also generally nonviolent. I was planning to work towards Defensive Throw (CW) and generally disable opponents rather than dealing lethal damage. However, it struck me that a monk focusing on trip attacks might not be the best suited to a forest environment, with all its quadripedal menaces. Back to the drawing board...
Characters start at 5th level. Everything Core is allowed, and non-core books are admitted on a case-by-case basis. This being said, he's generally amenable as long as he has the chance to see it, so feel free to use your imagination with sources.
I had a few ideas bouncing around in my head:
- Druid: obviously great for any wilderness campaign, and suddenly their metal restriction doesnt seem like such a bad thing...only problem is I am drawing a blank on any exciting character concepts that are druid-oriented.
- Ranger: another "duh" class, but I was reading through an old issue of Dungeon Magazine and saw the Runner of Elhonna PrC, and thought that could be interesting...
- After reading a Gish thread, building a Swashbuckler3/Wizard2 and working towards Bladesinger seemed like an intriguing concept. Won't worry as much about metal armor, but my poor rapier...
- Reading through PHB2 last night, I was looking over the Barbarian information (I'm playing one in another campaign, but that's fodder for another post) and was intrigued by the Whirlwind starting package. Light armored character would be good, definitely tough, but I'm not sure I should play the same class in two different campaigns at once.
- Shugenja? The elemental focus makes the class very naturally based, and the name sounds cool. Maybe that's what drew me to it.
Obviously, my ideas haven't amounted to much. Interested to see what you guys have in mind, because I'm definitely struggling with this one...
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2007-05-25, 10:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Land of Angles
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
You don't really have to worry about metal items rusting, unless it's magical rain. A little rain (even a LOT of rain) never hurt metal. You need otherfactors, and overpowering rain would jsut wash those away. Just take care of your weapons and armour and try to cover them up when you're not using them!
Or carve your stuff out of wood and get someone to cast Ironwood.
Perhaps get everything made of crystal (it functions exactly like steel, and doesn't rust). You can find it in the psionic section of the SRD.
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2007-05-25, 11:09 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
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- RVA
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Knowing my DM, it will be magical rain if that's what it takes.
The Ironwood idea was something I considered before (in addition to woodshaping things for myself, if I don't feel like investing in craft), but it will be a while before I can do that for myself (11th level, starting at 5th) and, again knowing my DM, he likes to get us stranded or alone, so relying on someone else to cast it for me may not be wise.
Thanks for the input, any other ideas?
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2007-05-25, 11:12 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
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- Tail of the Bellcurve
- Gender
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Here's a possible Druid character idea- concept only, no class info:
Be a druid that only really cares about one or two types of creature- say oak trees and squirrells, and approaches every other element of nature roughly as a squirrell would. So trees would be good, and you would have a strange and irrational fear of lots of relatively weak predators. You would also be a complete packrat, and would be fiercely territorial, defending your percieved territory from others of your kind- in this case druids. See if you can get your DM to OK a squirrell animal companion (or a dire squirrell) to complete the package.
For Ranger you could do a similar thing and instead of going for some "defender of nature" archtype, instead be an active participant in nature- always hunting the weakest animals in a herd. As the character levels up he could move up the food chain as well- so at first he would have the hunting patterns etc of some smallish predator, but by level ten he would be more closely associated with a bear or something.
Hope this was of some use.
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2007-05-25, 11:39 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
A druid build might be interesting. I have had a concept for some time of a druid that specializes in trees, you may take it and run if you want.
Said druid takes weapon focus (slam) and combat reflexes. be sure to take some levels in Natures Warrior described in the Complete Warrior book. as you progress, you should have some nasty plant forms you can take. Tree-like monsters can be nasty in combat. by 15th level, you can turn into a plant that no one can get close to due to the long reach and combat reflexes with the 4 or so slam attacks. Also take augmented critical and improved natural weapon (slam) to deal truly massive amounts of damage.
You can tweak other aspects of the druid as you see fit.
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2007-05-25, 11:50 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- Italy
- Gender
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
I would give a try also to an elemental (water) cleric, worshipping the cloud/rain god, maybe built around some simil-shamanic barbarian cult.
He will dress light and primitive and get ranks in survival, knowledge (nature) and profession(alchemy/Herbalism).
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2007-05-25, 12:15 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
- Location
- GI Joe Headquarters
- Gender
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
You might want to look into the Shugenja in complete divine. Elemental magic is the class’s specialty
edit
you might also want to take a look at the spirit shaman (also in complete divine).Last edited by TheThan; 2007-05-25 at 12:16 PM.
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2007-05-25, 12:37 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- Oregon, USA
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
You could use dragonhide armor. It's not metal, so it doesn't rust.
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2007-05-25, 12:54 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- Vietnam
- Gender
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2007-05-25, 12:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- Oregon, USA
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Here you go. It's under Psionic Items, probably why you didn't find it.
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2007-05-25, 01:15 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- Vietnam
- Gender
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Ah, thanks! The website I use for the SRD (here) doesn't seem to have it (not the only thing it's missing, but I like the layout), and my Ctrl-F of the WotC RTF files got tedious enough that I figured it would be quicker to just ask.
"I don't know why everyone always complains about being overshadowed in combat. I've always found it very relaxing."
Avatar by Threeshades. Thanks Threeshades!
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2007-05-25, 01:30 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Sounds like he's planning on damaging melee based characters even more than normal.
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2007-05-25, 02:43 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2007
- Location
- Oregon, USA
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
It's not missing, I found it there.
Depends, really. RAW, rain in a dense forest environment restricts the maximum given range for spot checks to detect someone is 60 feet; by the time you can see an opponent you're almost certainly in melee or charge range.
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2007-05-25, 04:01 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Convince the party to roll up all wizards, clerics, and druids and teach him why gimping melee classes is a bad idea.
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2007-05-25, 04:12 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Ape Totem Barbarians.
Classic Gorrila fighting.
(sorry)
But really, in a tree-heavy environment, a climb speed could be nice, makes for mobility and provides options. Equip them with a greatclub, some hide armour... It could work.
Is he going to be punishing archers too? A rainforest environment would be murder on a bow kept strung. A quick ambush and any archer could be in trouble.
Edit - Oh, and will the wizards spellbook get wet and have the ink run? The Clerics holy symbol start to rot? Will animal companions get bogged down, or catch strange diseases? If he's going to pick on someone, he should really pick on everyone...Last edited by goat; 2007-05-25 at 04:16 PM.
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2007-05-25, 05:23 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- Vietnam
- Gender
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Ah, thank you. (I'm, ah, rather embarrased that I didn't think to look at the header link's own page. )
Okay, perpetual rain? Play an aquatic race and carry around a bucket to take breaths with. And be a Cleric to Make Whole anything that the rain damages (or even Prestidigitation, if your DM would allow it to be enough).
Edit: Though I fail to see why perpetual rain does things that adventuring underwater doesn't, like rust magic armor at speeds exceeding those of real life metal rusting in real life situations.Last edited by DreadArchon; 2007-05-25 at 05:26 PM. Reason: Note at end.
"I don't know why everyone always complains about being overshadowed in combat. I've always found it very relaxing."
Avatar by Threeshades. Thanks Threeshades!
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2007-05-25, 10:12 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- RVA
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
You're one of several people to make comments about how this would impact other classes/items. I'll definitely raise the question with him when I talk to him next, but I apologize for not having a better answer for you now.
Still, I love the Ape Totem Bbn idea, I never would have thought of that. I really appreciate the ideas from everyone, from using alternate materials in equipment to different character concepts. So a big thanks to everyone so far, and hopefully there's more on the way
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2007-05-25, 10:25 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Hmm, I thin it depends a lot on if your party is native to this rainy area, or is arriving from outside. If the latter, it might be entertaining to go through a (brief! it must be brief!) period where your gear rots away in the oppressive humidity. Sort of a "US Army in Vietnam" kind of situation Then your DM should quickly allow you to find/learn about items that are locally-made and designed to stand up to such conditions, and you go from there.
If the former, there should be regional variations on equipment that you are familiar with which provide all the same choices as the standard dry-weather gear. Otherwise, yes, the equipment-reliant classes will be unnecessarily gimped. And, really, a fighter from a jungle setting needs armor just as much as a desert fighter (because he is mechanically identical) and the culture would therefore find a way to build non-rusting, non-rotting armor.
Yeah, talk with your DM about it. I think his idea is really cool, and plays with the basic assumptions of what a D&D setting is like in an interesting way. But he needs to be very aware of what could happen mechanically because of his decisions. Find a way to get the interesting flavor, without hurting balance."'To know, to do, and to keep silent.' Crowley had the first two down pat."
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2007-05-25, 10:35 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2006
- Location
- Canada
Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
either in complete adventurer, or in the 3.0 book song and silence, is the magical goo waterproofing. does exactly what it says. buy a jar or two, and make any character you want
Last edited by vanyell; 2007-05-25 at 10:36 PM.
Nerd-o-rama Wrote on 10/16/06 at 01:06:57:
Even creatures listed as "Always Alignment" have one-in-a-million exceptions: the Chaotic Good White Dragon Ranger yearning to throw off the reputation of its Evil kin, anybody?
Dice for the Dice God! D20s for the D20 Throne!
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2007-05-26, 01:10 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2006
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- in the state of Misery...
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Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
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2007-05-26, 02:21 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
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- Spokane, WA
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Re: Help? Not sure what to do...
Brachiation, a feat from the Complete Adventurer, allows a swinging speed equal to base land speed in dense forsts/jungle.
You have the opportunity to create Tarzan right at your fingertips.
Seriuosly though, a swinging Ape totem barbarian would be awesome.
Also, if you really need rust proof weaponry that doesn't lack in flavor, look in Frostburn. Most of the weapons detailed are primitive exotic weapons. (I personally love the tiger skull club)
They can be wielded without the -4 penalty, but may break without EWP.