Post/Author/DateTime	Post
BaronVonStevie 03-07-04, 02:37 AM	work is boring. work is boring BUT I can read D&D books and I'm behind a counter so girls can't see what I'm reading. Anyways I got bored and I saw fit to try and see if I could get a cool character out of the Unearthed Arcana book which I bought. Our group talked about using the Paragon classes. I'm a big fan of elves and haven't played one in a while so I went straight for the Elf Paragon. I level by levelled him up to 20 planning for stuff and was having a ball getting this guy fleshed out. I drew a picture of him(and I am a good artist) which only made me more fascinated by this character I was fooling around with. We also discussed using some variant classes and I went with the Evoker variant that gives you a favored energy type but eliminates the familiar class feature so when you see "Wizard" on this level progression and the note that I'm taking Leadership.. don't flip out. My Leadership score won't be penalized :rolleyes: keep in mind... Elf: Elf Paragon FTR: Fighter WIZ: Wizard As a first level Elvish Paragon I'm concentrating on having good move silently, hide, knowledge(arcana), spellcraft, diplomacy, listen, and spot. Those will probably be the skills I improve the most until my wizard levels yield both alchemy and of course concentration. suggestions for changes to what I have here would be nice.. especially in regard to a wizard's bonus feats(I hate the choices you get) but what I'd like most is some nice suggestions for a backstory. Keep it generic b/c I've yet to establish a campaign setting for this guy. We always use 32 points for attributes. STR: 12 DEX: 17 CON: 12 INT: 12 WIS: 14 CHA: 12 1. ELF1: Point blank shot 2. WIZ1: Scribe Scroll 3. FTR1: Rapid Shot, Precise Shot 4. ELF2: Weapon Focus(Composite Longbow), +1 DEX 5. FTR2: Weapon Finesse(rapier) 6. ELF3: Combat Casting, +2 INT 7. FTR3: 8. FTR4: Weapon Specialization(Composite Longbow), +1 INT 9. FTR5: Spell Focus(Evocation) 10. FTR6: Manyshot 11. FTR7: 12. WIZ2: +1 INT, Spell Penetration 13. WIZ3: 14. WIZ4: 15. WIZ5: brew potion, Leadership 16. WIZ6: +1 INT 17. WIZ7: 18. WIZ8: Greater Spell Penetration 19. WIZ9: 20. WIZ10: +1 INT, Forge Ring
Gingerbread Guy 03-07-04, 10:49 AM	Uhm, this seems more like an optimization topic, rather than a development one.. Why can't people tell the difference? ~Ginger
BaronVonStevie 03-07-04, 06:55 PM	nah dude read my post again. I'm asking for a backstory. He's an archer at first then becomes an uber wizard w/ leadership. Just give me some ideas for a story. I've got two campaigns to think about already and this is really extraneous right now. So help me out. Feel free to offer up ideas on how to maximize him too. Hell why not? I tweaked him today at work. Really optimization is never my first and formost mission statement when playing D&D. I just want a kewl character.:cool:
Skyrocket 03-08-04, 12:16 AM	This character seems like the sort whose well suited for some levels of Arcane Archer or Bladesinger. You could say he holds magic, the bow and the blade as high points of elven culture and stives to excel in each of them.
BaronVonStevie 03-08-04, 01:16 AM	some minor detail changes here. at work I switched his wisdom and intelligence score. I lowered his DEX by 2 and raised his strength to a 14. He's goin Fighter1 before Wizard1 and taking Combat Expertise instead of weapon finesse(rapier). He's using a longsword.. because longswords and elves ROCK. Originally posted by Skyrocket This character seems like the sort whose well suited for some levels of Arcane Archer or Bladesinger. You could say he holds magic, the bow and the blade as high points of elven culture and stives to excel in each of them. yeah he's a pure elf warrior. No doubt. With the skills I gave him he's got knowledge(arcana) and spellcraft but no spells yet so what I'm thinking.. and stop me if it ROCKS too hard or melts your face... is that he's some sort of uber wizard in training. But he's not JUST a wizard in training he's also a journeying bowman and deulist... a soldier of the elven people on a quest to fufill his destiny of one day becoming ONE WITH THE ARCANE AND A LEADER OF ARMIES. He begins but a humble young archer and wizard's apprentice but then becomes a brave warrior and a reknowned master of the bow and sword... before finally displaying his true wizards power. okay who else can tell I've just watched School of Rock? anyone have any feedback, suggestions, questions, etc?
BaronVonStevie 03-08-04, 05:13 PM	oh and about the arcane archer idea... it's a good one.. but that class doesn't get spell progression. I want this guy to end up a kick ass wizard. The new bladesinger from Complete Warrior is really SHIVE I can't wait to play one.. but again that spell progression is weak sauce and you need to use a finessefull weapon and I've basically made up my mind about this guy using a big meaty longsword instead. Good ideas though. With my FTR4/DIV5(see sig below) I was going for Arcane Archer and ALMOST got to gain a level in it before the campaign ended. MAN... that crushed my heart.:(
beavis123 03-11-04, 02:29 PM	That's what this game needs. Another elf...we don't have enough of them!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, the game mechanics you got, but what makes this elf different from every other elf in any setting??
Cynosure 03-11-04, 08:29 PM	What makes this elf different from every other elf is the fact that... He's more powerful. Isn't that what designates PC's from most NPC's? I mean, yeah there will be a few NPC's that are equally or more powerful than the PC's, but generally you've got a bunch of commoners looking up to the PC's and telling stories about how they met the general of the elven army to their friends. Why should he strive to be different, anyway? Someone's got to play the stereotypical elves, otherwise the stereotype wouldn't be very stereotypical, would it? As far as backstory, Stevie, you could have it so that the your character's particular family was notorious for containing many skilled melee fighters and archers, but not wizards. As a result, your character, as a child, was expected to specialize in mundane fighting styles. Like most children, you did it because you wanted your parents to be proud of you. (not knowing they'd be proud of you, anyway) After you were exposed to wizardry, however, your character found it to be his true passion. This would explain the first level in fighter, and then the branching into the arcane. Or perhaps it was the other way around, with the family expecting him to be arcane, yet he cared more for combat.
BaronVonStevie 03-11-04, 11:40 PM	As far as backstory, Stevie, you could have it so that the your character's particular family was notorious for containing many skilled melee fighters and archers, but not wizards. As a result, your character, as a child, was expected to specialize in mundane fighting styles. Like most children, you did it because you wanted your parents to be proud of you. (not knowing they'd be proud of you, anyway) After you were exposed to wizardry, however, your character found it to be his true passion. This would explain the first level in fighter, and then the branching into the arcane. NEAT~! pretty cool. Duxindale(see sig again) was an elvish noble with dissaproving parents so I may play on that. I like some of my characters to exhibit similar traits... lol sometimes we all joke about characters being distant relatives of eachother's previous characters. I like the idea of the rebellious son going against the family fighting tradition. I could even throw some Luke Skywalker undertones into it and say that a crazy old wizard is teaching him the arcane against his parents' wishes. Then we can ask "why does my family shun wizardry?"... and perhaps even who this wizard really is and why he has chosen to train my character with such urgency. the coolest part is I've tinkered with him some more and MAN would he be better going Eldridge Knight(sp?) after 10th level. He'll be a kick ass wizard AND a great melee combatant. Perhaps he learns to balance the two styles of magic, and martial art... refining his fighting code and skill with the arcane??? Someone's got to play the stereotypical elves, otherwise the stereotype wouldn't be very stereotypical, would it? hahaha... dude at our table it's so boring with race selection. Everyone wants to be a human and our DM never questions it. Believe you me, when I play a "stereotypical elf" it's like WATCH OUT!!! INNOVATIVE CHARACTER ALERT!!! I've been told my elves are really fun and fresh... I suspect this guy will be no different.
Cynosure 03-13-04, 07:48 AM	Well, glad I could help out as far as background goes. Now, if you need any help min/maxing this guy, feel free to send me a message or something. You could always check out the CO board for help. Eldritch Knight is probably my favorite prestige class. An almost wizard-like progression with a fighters base attack. Very crunchy, I must say. hahaha... dude at our table it's so boring with race selection. Everyone wants to be a human and our DM never questions it. Believe you me, when I play a "stereotypical elf" it's like WATCH OUT!!! INNOVATIVE CHARACTER ALERT!!! LoL, nothing like our table at all... Player 1: I want to play a half lizard-man, half ogre. Player 2: Can I play a half-blood Yuan-Ti? Player 3: What about an anthropomorphic elephant? Player 4: Can I play an awakened construct? On the rare ocassion that someone mentions playing a human the room goes silent and everyone stares at him like he just had sex with his own grandma.
BaronVonStevie 03-14-04, 01:27 AM	yeah dude like I checked Eldridtch Knight in the DMG today.. I could hack it brah. you need like a +4 or 5 to hit, martial profs, and 3rd level spells. Easy peezy. First we gotta straighten out what we can use in the first place then we'll see about optimization and all that garbage. LoL, nothing like our table at all... Player 1: I want to play a half lizard-man, half ogre. Player 2: Can I play a half-blood Yuan-Ti? Player 3: What about an anthropomorphic elephant? Player 4: Can I play an awakened construct? On the rare ocassion that someone mentions playing a human the room goes silent and everyone stares at him like he just had sex with his own grandma. see our table learned very early on that a team too mixed up racially is lame. It's like the UN! It's like the Justice League even. LLLLLLLAME :rolleyes: We just take this wisdom too far and end up having it so that everyone is a human lol. It's too generic. No one wants to add that flavor to the team except me.
beavis123 03-14-04, 05:17 PM	Nobody wants to see another elf!!!!!!! At least you aren't trying to play a construct as a character. That thread screamed, loser
BaronVonStevie 03-14-04, 06:39 PM	Nobody wants to see another elf!!!!!!! lol Who asked you? Are you in my group even? See in my group we only have one person who ever plays anything else than human. That's me and I haven't played an elf in a year. I've played humans in fact. so in fact probably everyone who matters from my POV wants to see another elf in this case. :cool:
Twilly 03-15-04, 11:29 AM	What is a paragon? What does it mean to be elfparagon? I know the paragon template is powerful, but I dont know what it means for a character. A celestial, is a creature that comes from celestia, a vampire is a form of undead, but what is a paragon ... ? Is it a gift/blessing from a god? Is it someone from the paragonium plane? Someone that ate from a plant called paragonius? I have absolutely no clue, what a paragon whatever is?
BaronVonStevie 03-15-04, 04:22 PM	Good question. A paragon level is basically taking a level in your race. The paragon classes are 3 level race specifics meant to enhance the importance of what you're race gives you. It can be found in Unearthed Arcana. Elf Paragons get cleric/rogue/bard/etc Base Attack progression... a good reflex save... and at first level thier vision gets enhanced... second level they get wizard spell progression and a weapon focus feat... third they get +2 to Int. it makes fighter/wizard prestige classes easier to get. It's a godsend really lol