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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

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    Default What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Like the titles says, in your opinion what is the best class and or build to take going from level 1-20 if you were adventuring solo? For this exercise only use official first party sources. In this case solo means only you and the dm no other players but cohorts and minions or more than welcome for the builds.

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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    GreenSorcererElf

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Druid for all thier versatility
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    Titan in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Quote Originally Posted by liquidformat View Post
    Like the titles says, in your opinion what is the best class and or build to take going from level 1-20 if you were adventuring solo? For this exercise only use official first party sources. In this case solo means only you and the dm no other players but cohorts and minions or more than welcome for the builds.
    I would probably go with Binder. They can go with Platemail at level 1-2 to keep them alive, get Zcerall at later levels for an unending flood of spells and minions.
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    Troll in the Playground
     
    MonkGuy

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Imho it highly depends on what type of adventures your are going to have with your DM.

    If it is mostly about killing stuff, there are plenty of legit (build/class) options to choose from: mundane , gish or full caster everything goes here.

    If your campaigns consists more of "solving non-combat problems", you might be better of with some T1 caster build.

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    Titan in the Playground
     
    Troacctid's Avatar

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    It depends, but also, druid.

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    Troll in the Playground
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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Anthropomorphic Bat is very good as a race. At level 1, you have flight, darkvision, Listen/Spot+4, Small size (so Hide+4), and Blindsense 20'. Oh, and Wisdom+6.

    For classes, Cloistered Cleric with the Sky and Trickery domains as well as Knowledge Devotion. Take Apprentice[spellcaster] as your first level feat. At this point, you have as class skills Hide, Spot, Diplomacy, Concentration, Spellcraft, Knowledge[Religion], and Use Magic Device. Putting a rank in each knowledge skill allows knowledge devotion to trigger. Compared to a Druid, you lack an Animal Companion (...which would probably ruin your stealth), but you have two more skills.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Azurin Artificer!

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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Kaleph's Avatar

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    The problem is that, if you are alone, you are likely to suck too much on the action economy; sooner or later there will be someone who will successfully cast at you a save-or-lose, and then you're done, since you have no party member who can tank for you or cast remove paralysis or whatever.

    Therefore: dragonborn dvati!

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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    My idea with the Azurin Artificer is to make tons and tons of golems. And before that, buy lots of fighting animals for your team!

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Troll in the Playground
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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Quote Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx View Post
    My idea with the Azurin Artificer is to make tons and tons of golems. And before that, buy lots of fighting animals for your team!
    I second (3rd? 4th?) Artificer. You have the highest access to a variety of minions, and you will want them. Nothing is as bad as having a cleric turn all your backup, so a mix of undead, constructs, and summons will keep you from losing everything to a single turning.
    ,,,,^..^,,,,


    Quote Originally Posted by Haldir View Post
    Edit- I understand it now, Fighters are like a status symbol. If you're well off enough to own a living Fighter, you must be pretty well off!

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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    And plus they get access to all the obscure summoning spells that last am extra long time. And can do lesser planar ally/servant before anyone else.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    GnomeWizardGuy

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    I would vote beguiler actually

    -you need some form of trapfinding otherwise any bad luck with a trap is essentially instant death
    -the highest tier trapfinder is a beguiler

    You do lack versatility with your basic spells but there are a few workarounds

    Arcane disciple + ancestral relic (for a runestaff) can take care of giving you access to utility spells you lack like summons and undead minionmancy
    Eternal wands can cover low level spells that you intend to use a lot (say desecrate to create said undead minions)
    Wild cohort gives you a bodyguard close to a druid's animal companion, I highly suggest it as your first feat (a progressed riding dog in barding can be surprisingly good)
    Obtain familiar gives you a trapfinder (since it uses your skills) that lets you stay away from a bad roll on a trap disarm and it'll help you spot traps too

    Being INT based + x6 skillpoints in light armor means you're not completely defenseless without spells (compared to a wizard) and your skills let you take care of problems with something else than your precious spell slots.

    The wild cohort is marginally weaker than an animal companion
    The spell list is also a bit weaker but you have more options to expand it (it's harder to expand a druid's spell list) and that gives you access to broken spells a druid doesn't have (like animate dead)
    The skills are much better and being INT based also helps with that
    It's hard to compensate for not having the wildshape option but being in melee is generally not a good idea anyway when you're solo

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    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Quote Originally Posted by Troacctid View Post
    It depends, but also, druid.
    Honestly, most of the questions that start with "what is the best...?" are going to involve druid.

    It's a complete package at all levels of the game. You even get diplomacy, so you have some social ability to work with.

    If you wanted something a bit off the beaten path, bard/barbarian into the frenzied berserker/warchanter PrCs is a good option. At lower levels, you're a reasonably survivable combatant with plenty of out-of-combat options (especially since your bardic spellcasting effectively unlocks a lot of handy consumable magic items). At higher levels, the interplay of Inspire Recklessness + upgraded power attacks wins a lot of fights in a hurry. As an added perk, you only need core + Complete Warrior, so no need to bust your DM's chops with 8 different resources to dip through.

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Troll in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGirl

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Is the adventure intended for a single player of any class?

    If it is, you're probably okay.
    If it it's a module, you run into problems.

    I can't say I've done a complete survey, but I imagine many modules have challenges that cater to different characters. With encounters being quite hard for a single character already, some might be impossible to beat without a specific ability.

    At mid-high levels, I expect most casters to do well in either case.
    At low levels, it's tricky. Druids are probably solid, and clerics, and bards are in that lot, too, due to their wide skill range. Artificers are great for dungeons, too, with Trapfinding and all. Wizards and psions have a little more trouble, but if you can get plenty of rest, I suppose you'll live...


    I would probably choose to play a steel dragon gish. Loredrake wyrmling, two levels in wizard, levels in Swiftblade. LA buyoff, ideally. Not really optimal--you lose a lot of casting--but I imagine a small, fast dragon is quite survivable at low levels. And you have Alternate Form, too.
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  15. - Top - End - #15
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    So, crazy thing: as a solo adventurer, you don't care about, you know, things that normally limit you with a party.

    As such, take advantage of as many of those as you can!

    For example, you don't need to worry about being "behind the party in level", because there is no party. So spend XP on crafting, on Sculpt Self, on anything you can to make yourself OP for your level. And adventure at your actual level, stomping everything.

    Towards that end, I'll point out that any class with a Familiar gives you an easy way to decrease your XP, thereby increasing your treasure to XP ratio.
    Last edited by Quertus; 2020-07-07 at 10:31 PM.

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    But but... The cute little familiar that loves and trusts you!

    How could you??

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    If Pathfinder is on the table, a Summoner is in my opinion a fine class for solo adventures:

    • An easily replacable, strong, highly adaptable eidolon (almost-permanent summoned creature that can be modified on the fly) as front-line fighter
    • Lots of summons as backup
    • Good support/utility spell list, party with earlier access to spells than wizard (unless you take unchained summoner)
    • Cha-based character, i.e. good social skills for non-combat stuff

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    DwarfBarbarianGuy

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Bard. Some fighting, spells, a little healing, and plenty of skills.
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  19. - Top - End - #19
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    How focused are you on the adventure feeling like a normal adventure?

    Because once the Druid 8 uses aberrant wildshape (Dharculus) (or the artificer or wizard start using nightmares to astral project, but it’s a harder road to get there) virtually nothing can threaten it except for encounters specifically designed to fight planar threats

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Arcane Hierophant topped off with Mystic Theurge.
    Your companion familiar is a whole second character.
    Breadth of magic and massive spell selection to cover everything. Including things like guard duty (via Alarm, Hut, etc) normally easily covered by simply having friends.

    There are arguments on the arcane side for Wizard or Beguiler (giving up some spell selection for class abilities and massive skills and skillpoints)

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    thethird's Avatar

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    I would go with artificer, or druid depending on the tone/timing of the game.

    If being solo player means that I will have some downtime so I can spend time crafting at my own pace and then confront the problems after properly thinking about it, artificer for sure. If the DM is railroad-y doesn't want me to find magic items, is stingy with loot and stuff then definitively druid.

    Those are extremes though, most likely it will fall somewhere on the middle, in which case I lean towards artificer, mostly because artificers are my kind of fun.
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  22. - Top - End - #22
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Lvl 2 Expert's Avatar

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Quote Originally Posted by Quertus View Post
    So, crazy thing: as a solo adventurer, you don't care about, you know, things that normally limit you with a party.

    As such, take advantage of as many of those as you can!

    For example, you don't need to worry about being "behind the party in level", because there is no party. So spend XP on crafting, on Sculpt Self, on anything you can to make yourself OP for your level. And adventure at your actual level, stomping everything.

    Towards that end, I'll point out that any class with a Familiar gives you an easy way to decrease your XP, thereby increasing your treasure to XP ratio.
    But you're banking on your GM feeding you suitable encounters for level 4 until you get to five, while you're specifically stalling. That's a bit of a gamble. What happens if the GM starts ramping up the difficulty the moment they figure you should have been level 5?
    Last edited by Lvl 2 Expert; 2020-07-10 at 01:17 AM.

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Troll in the Playground
     
    MonkGuy

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Quote Originally Posted by Lvl 2 Expert View Post
    But you're banking on your GM feeding you suitable encounters for level 4 until you get to five, while you're specifically stalling. That's a bit of a gamble. What happens if the GM starts ramping up the difficulty the moment they figure you should have been level 5?
    Agree and if the DM uses an (bought) adventure book designed for normal level progression that might become a problem.


    _________________


    Imho we need something stealthy, be it mundane hide/move silently or invisibility. Because being solo, you don't wanna be ambushed or have several enemies have their turn before you. And no, Improved Initiative is not enough in this chase.

    My best bet would be my Killer Kobold glaivelock build (see signature). Has (basically) HIPS, Invisibility, & Fly at will. Further can share a space with an enemy and hope that other enemies hit that enemy (50%) instead of him (50%). Can deal enough dmg in any scenario since he can bypass almost any DR (and later SR).

    The build can get up to 10 attacks @ lvl 16 which most likely will ALL HIT, because they are touch attacks.
    Most enemies will never see this Kobold before it is to late.

    Since the requested build is only up to lvl20 we can exchange some of the epic feat taxes like Brimstone Blast and take Flee the Scene. FtS allows us to come and go as we please. No door or wall will stop the lil Kobold. Once of the best escape & tactical abilities in the game.

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Quote Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx View Post
    But but... The cute little familiar that loves and trusts you!

    How could you??
    Um… Lawful Evil.

    Quote Originally Posted by Gruftzwerg View Post
    Agree and if the DM uses an (bought) adventure book designed for normal level progression that might become a problem.
    Quite the opposite! A (bought) adventure is designed to give roughly 4x the XP you need for each level - so you need an outlet to spend it, else you're higher level than expected.

    A (bought) module is explicitly *why* I recommended having an XP outlet. Although "CR appropriate challenges" (which, you'll note, is kinda a Playground meme) is another good reason.

    Agreed on the "stealth" bit, btw - Dark Petal, perhaps?
    Last edited by Quertus; 2020-07-10 at 06:50 AM.

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Ruethgar's Avatar

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Quote Originally Posted by Anthrowhale View Post
    Anthropomorphic Bat is very good as a race. At level 1, you have flight, darkvision, Listen/Spot+4, Small size (so Hide+4), and Blindsense 20'. Oh, and Wisdom+6.
    If you didn't want to look like Manbat, Anthro ravens also have +6 Wisdom and flight with a little more Charisma for turning/social, but less sensory benefits.
    Last edited by Ruethgar; 2020-07-10 at 11:59 AM.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Doctor Awkward's Avatar

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    For most purposes Druid 20 is going to be the best class to solo at any given level. The amount of utility they get from nothing but the core books is insane.

    For any endeavor where you might roll skills checks to solve most of your problems the Factotum is the best bet. In addition to winning at skills they can be tinkered with to function adequately in most combat situations: extra standard actions to make up for being alone, access to turning and healing, a few silver bullet arcane spells for emergencies plus the standard Use Magic Device shenanigans.

    The type and scope of adventures you will be playing matters a great deal to answering this question.
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  27. - Top - End - #27
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    I'd actually suggest Dvati Crusader, as the two bodies share uses, have half health from class levels, and spellcasting eats the actions of both. For the Crusader, the first is an upside, everything they have mitigates the second, and the third is a non-issue. Iron Guard's Glare effectively means +4 AC, Stone Bones is DR 5/Adamantine, Crusader's Strike is healing period, and generally the Crusader's very early tankiness makes for a very good time getting through fights.

    The big thing is that you need to drop everything for surviving the first few combats, and Dvati Crusader is a lot of tools to do that. With each wearing Studded Leather, 16 Dexterity, and Iron Guard's Glare, enemies have to land a 20 on their attack rolls to hit right from 1st level, and those that do have 5 of that delayed to next round. This may lead to poor damage prospects in the future, but up-front heavy tanking means you'll actually get to see that future.

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Ruethgar's Avatar

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    If you really wanted to go all in Awakened Advanced Monkey, ECL 0, 5 free RHD, add any number of non-type templates and Awaken sets it to 0(Titanic, Dungeonbred, Magebred, War). But for more tame, I would probably also second Dvati Crusader. Delayed damage plus Stone Power for temp health is awesome for that race especially.
    Last edited by Ruethgar; 2020-07-11 at 03:22 PM.

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    Quote Originally Posted by Ruethgar View Post
    If you really wanted to go all in Awakened Advanced Monkey, ECL 0, 5 free RHD, add any number of non-type templates and Awaken sets it to 0(Titanic, Dungeonbred, Magebred, War). But for more tame, I would probably also second Dvati Crusader. Delayed damage plus Stone Power for temp health is awesome for that race especially.
    Explain? Does it have LA -5? But you said you're setting LA to 0…

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Ruethgar's Avatar

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    Default Re: What is the best class/ build 1-20 solo adventure

    The Dragon Magazine article was released a little before 3.5 so they didn’t have LA, instead the article directly set the ECL for all MMI creatures with Animals being the only exception in that they got their ECL from being awakened. Since that part was never reprinted, it remained valid in 3.5. So any awakened cat/rat/toad/lizard/monkey is set to an ECL of 0 by awaken before DM adjudication. Pick a monkey because an advanced one is small so you don’t need the April fools “Don’t Mind Me” feat or similar.
    Last edited by Ruethgar; 2020-07-12 at 11:19 AM.

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