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| Chimaera200002-19-07, 07:06 PM | Salutations! I'm currently working on a changeling (Eberron) who believes that "she" can become anything. She sees individuals bemoan the limits that the universe places on them, refusing to test those limits out of apathy and fear. She doesn't believe in limits; she can become anything she desires. If you want, here's some more flavor: An attention-jarring woman enters the room, her gaze as captivating as a viper. Long swirls of red hair silhouette lithe shoulders and breasts flush against their midnight-black silk prison. She commands the room, letting gazes dwindle on men who would give anything to sleep with her and women who would give anything to be her. She moves with the grace of a predator, a cat stalking its prey. For now, she has other business. She moves up the steps, backing off a would-be follower with a harsh glare. She leaves a intertwined web of conversation behind her as she moves up the stairs to her private abode. She goes through the motions, unlocking a series of locks and safeguards before entering her sanctuary. “Sanctuary,” she laughed to herself. More like a decrepit inn closet with a bed that was never meant to fit in such a tiny niche. She shut the door behind her, happy to be alone at last. She shut the door, seeking for a journal with eyes that were unencumbered by the darkness. She found it and her prized graphite writer, applying the first words of the day’s entry: “What do you become… when you can be anyone?” She paused for a moment. She stripped bare in the darkness, a sight that the many of the men below would have sold their children to see. She put her hand to her breast, caressing it in a gentle massage. As sensual as the motion was, it was not for pleasure (at least, mostly not). She closed her eyes, and the breast retreated flat against her chest. A hand went over her stomach, and it sagged out; hair shrunk and shifted tone with a touch. Within a minute, the woman that had stunned the crowds below was gone and a paunchy brown-haired boy sat in her place! He dressed himself in slacks, alongside a short shirt with thick overcoat. This closet was always cool; a great hole let in the chill night air of Guardian City. He brought a circular cap to his head, a memento of a life lived long ago. He again brought the writer to his hand and wrote again: “I’ve asked myself this before, in my younger days. Now, I laugh at it. Before, I was tentative, afraid of using my gifts. After all, when one could appear as anyone one wished, it lends itself to certain…. abuses. Crimes. Sins. Unforgivable sins, even. “I’ve long since disabused myself of these limits. Most people find themselves locked into single, droll personalities. I am virtuous or I am a sinner; I am kind or I am ruthless; I am strong or I am weak. Ha-ha! I am all of these and none of these.” The boy’s flesh again ripples. Time passes, and a young, wide-eyed girl is left in his wake. “You see, I’ve discovered that I have gifts. I have the potential to make a great difference in the world. I’ve been blessed to be able to go beyond my limits. The power to become anyone…. that’s a wonderful gift! How shall I use it?” She stands up suddenly, soaring into the towering, muscled form of a half-orc. “HOWEVER I WISH!” appears on the sheet in bold, jagged letters. The half-orc sags down, her features melding into those of an old, tired, balding man. He tanks up the writer in his gaunt, shaking hands and writes for some time. “I have known that I am unique in many ways. I am a changeling, a creature capable of becoming and zhe desires. I have been craftsman and destroyer, healer and slayer, leader and follower, content and miserable, obese and starving…. I have lived a long life and become all of these things. Other beings may profess to the power of limits, but I’ve never believed in it. I have proven myself capable of doing anything that I have set out to do. “Some would say that I can only do this because of my birthright. Perhaps if someone else had the luxury of changing appearance like I change clothing, they too would be able to become whatever they wish. Horseshit! I have succeeded while others have failed because I refuse to live in apathy; I pursue excellence in whatever I pursue. I live my life as proof that limits are the excuse of the weak-willed. Limits do not exist. I refuse to let them exist. “This is how I live my life. Whether cleric or heathen, commoner or aristocrat, housewife or wife-beater, I do what I wish and excel in whatever I do. I refuse to live my life any other way.” Now, let's min-max this character! Race: Changeling Books: Any, including campaign-specific material. Build goals: A character capable of performing a wide variety of skills adequately with a few (primarily social skills, possibly trapfinding) very well. I would like to have some utility magic, preferably both arcane and divine. Combat ability is nice, but lowest priority. Ability Scores: 32 Point-Buy. Currently: Str 10 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 16 Wis 10 Cha 14 Relevant House Rules: No multiclassing penalties; the bonus provided by the minor auras of the marshal are capped to marshal level +1. Traits (Unearthed Arcana) are allowed, while Flaws may or may not be allowed. Initial Thoughts This build will likely involve a lot of level-dipping. I'll be starting off with the changeling rogue substitution level from Races of Eberron (provides 10 base skill points and social skill benefits), followed by a level of factotum (Dungeonscape) and/or psychic rogue (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723b). This provides a solid skill base, trapfinding, and with the Able Learner feat (Races of Destiny), can provide all skills as class skills (factotum). What I'm wondering is this: where to from here? The classes that I'm currently considering are rogue, bard, factotum (Dungeonscape), marshal (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b), warlock (Complete Arcane), and dragonfire adept (Dragon Magic). I'm also considering the Exemplar (Complete Adventurer) and Chameleon (Races of Destiny) prestige classes, as well as the Dark template (Tome of Magic). I've heard that some of the material from Magic of Incarnum may be useful as well. Some possible builds I've considered are this: Changeling Rogue 1/Factotum 1/Bard x w/Bardic Knack alternate class feature (PHB II). This builds is simple and does most of what I'm looking for (skill versatility, healing and arcane magic), but I'm not completely satisfied with the spell list and don't believe that inspiring courage is necessarily her style. Virtuoso may fit the bill, however. Changeling Rogue 1/Factotum 1/Dragonfire Adept 1/Warlock 2/Class x: provides a skill base and access to invocations like Beguiling Influence, Leaps and Bounds and Draconic Knowledge. I can also take the Entangling Exhalation feat (Races of the Dragon) to be able to actually contribute to combat! Changeling Rogue 1/Factotum x: Nice, simple, reasonably effective. Changeling Rogue 1/Factotum 1-3/Marshal x: This build focuses on adding Charisma to most skill and ability checks through minor auras. Three levels of factotum allow Intelligence to act similarly through the Brawns over Brain ability. My question to you is this: do you have any recommendations for how best to achieve my character concept? Thanks. |
| mod500002-19-07, 07:17 PM | Two PrCs you'll probably want to look at if you want to actually *become* just about any creature, are the Master of Many Forms (echh, personally), and one of my favorites, the Master Transmogrifier from CA. Just add Warshaper, and you're good to go ^_^ |
| PhaedrusXY02-19-07, 07:30 PM | Psychic Rogue2/Cleric1/Ftr2/Chameleon10/Warshaper5. Take Extend, Persistent, and DMM: Persistent. Also take Practiced Manifester, and Metamorphic Transfer. You can use Metamorphic Transfer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#metamorphicTransfer) with any shapechanging magic, not just Metamorphosis. You can literally be almost anything or anyone, and be a strong combatant in any form. |
| Rancorous_Fool02-19-07, 07:45 PM | Sounds to me like one of the triple or quadruple threat builds utlizing Fochlucan lyrist might be right up your ally. Also the flavor fits pretty well with what you are shooting for. |
| Chimaera200002-19-07, 09:45 PM | Interesting.... despite being a changeling, I'd not considered using shapeshifting. Those builds from mod5000 and PhaedrusXY would work extremely well, with the possible exception of skills. Thanks for the heads-up! Likewise, thanks for reminding me about the Fochulucan Lyrist, Rancorous_Fool. It's a high-level choice, but otherwise provides what I'm looking for. A build along the lines of Rogue 2/Cloistered Cleric 7/Wizard 1/Fochlucan Lyrist 10 or Rogue 2/Cloistered Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 2/Fochlucan Lyrist 10 would work extremely well as a triple threat. One build that I was considering made heavy use of Cloistered Cleric. It's be remarkably simple to pull off, too: Changeling Rogue 1/Cloistered Cleric X, worshipping an ideal and taking the Kobold and Spell Domains, the bardic knack alternate class feature (PHB II), and a means of spontaneously casting domain spells. This gives me great skills, trapfinding, the ability to add half my cleric level in place of my skill ranks, near-full divine spellcasting, and access to arcane spells through anyspell and greater anyspell. It's not as sexy as some of the other builds, but it works! I guess I just have to figure out what balance of skills to spellcasting I'm looking for.... |
| NatchFeral02-19-07, 09:46 PM | Whatever you do, there is no reason to mix Rogue and Factotum. Factotum works best with at least 8 levels, otherwise there are simply not enough inspiration points or other class features to matter. For simplicity, Factotum 10/Chameleon 10 works well enough. |
| Chimaera200002-19-07, 11:41 PM | There's one reason to, actually: the changeling rogue substitution level (Races of Eberrron). You sacrifice trapfinding to gain a lot of benefits; one level of factotum gives you trapfinding again. |
| Ashlan02-20-07, 12:39 AM | I strongly recommend at least a 2 level dip in Chameleon, especially if you want to be some kind of skill-monkey. You can use that feat to temporarily grab Open Mind (afb, might have the name wrong) to give you 5 skill points which, if you take Factotum, you can put in whichever skill you happen to need at that time. Really helps for those skills that you rarely use, appraise, forgery etc. (and that is a weak use of the feat) |
| UCsimplyme02-20-07, 01:25 AM | Changling Rogue 3/ Beguiler 2/Chameleon 8/Master of Masks 7 You can literally be anything with this build! Any class you want to duplicate is at your fingertips! Enjoy. |
| FriendlyFrog02-20-07, 04:12 AM | There's also the Cabinet trickster. I quite like Wild shape Ranger 5/Master of many forms 8/Chameleon 7. Though with access to the the Enhanced Wild shape spell from Chameleon (and a Wild shape amulet, if cross setting material is fine), a Rogue 2/Wild shape Ranger 6/Master of many forms 4/Chameleon 8 might be even better. |
| solbergb02-20-07, 01:03 PM | Hm...I have a sorceress with kind of this attitude. At the moment she feels that targeting restrictions (such as "creature only"), range limits and area effects are optional and flexible, and doesn't bother with material components at all. Eventually she'll prove that verbal and somatic components are also optional. I built her spell mix and feats with the idea that the usual way is "easier" but "with a little more effort" she can break the rules that most arcanists live by. You've got a much more open ended idea. It's fairly easy to do with spellcasting. Doing it with party roles is tough, but changeling is the way to begin |
| Chimaera200002-21-07, 07:01 AM | The primary build that I'm considering is this: Changeling Rogue (sub) 1/Cloistered Cleric 3/Bard 4/Mystic Theurge 3/Sublime Chord 1/Fochlucan Lyrist 8 Domains: Knowledge (Bonus), Kobold (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a), Celerity Flaws: Vulnerable Feats 1: Able Learner, Jack of All Trades, Improved Initiative (swapped for sneak attack; Unearthed Arcana variant). 3: Practiced Spellcaster (Cleric) 6: Shape Soulmeld (Impulse Boots; provides evasion when bound to chakra) 9: Open Least Chakra 12: Practiced Spellcaster (Sublime Chord) 15, 18: Open Other Abilities of Note: Traded Bardic Knowledge and Lore for Bardic Knack alternate class feature (PHB II). Though it's not completely optimal having the rogue level at 1st level compared to the spellcasting of the cloistered cleric, but it helps tremendously with playability at low levels. Having 10 base skill points, skill mastery in social skills and some extra class skills doesn't hurt, either. It takes a while for the spellcasting of this build to take off, but I'll have skill versatility all throughout. That should make it more bearable until the later levels can be reached. Does anyone know of any domains that grant Open Lock as a class skill? If I can find one, I may drop the level of rogue. Any other optimization thoughts? |
| ReaderOfPosts02-21-07, 07:43 AM | Since Able learner decreases the cost, and you get it as a class skill from rogue, and max skill ranks are counted using class skills in all of your classes, you can essentially treat all skills as class skills that appear on any of your class lists. Curious, how are you getting speak language druidic? Bardic College, or do you plan on abducting an ex-druid sometime before 13th level. Else it looks good. |
| Chimaera200002-21-07, 07:51 AM | I'm guessing that the Able Learner comment is in regards to my question about domains. I've edited my previous post for clarity. I was assuming that I would learn Druidic by becoming a druid temporarily. :) Effectively, she'd use her disguise skills to "study" with a druid for a time, using Bluff and Diplomacy liberally to convince them to teach her the language, then leave. |