Post/Author/DateTime	Post
manintights 07-19-07, 03:40 AM	Hey there peopele, first time poster here. After taking quite a break from DnD, a friend of mine started up a ravenloft game. I was hesitant to join, but now the campaign is off to a marvellous start I got tempted and wanna join in. Here's (I hope) where you guys come in. I'll be playing a lvl6 character, with the following stats to distribute: 16/15/14/13/12/12. Not including the +1 from lvl 4. What would be the best way to go, seeing as there is allready a rogue, wizard, barbarian, cleric. Greetz, MIT
Grogmir 07-19-07, 06:48 AM	Welcome Manintights. Well as you’ve got the classic 4 party group how about the classic 5th party member the… Bard! (little note - perhaps a little info on Books you have available, character concepts you like who help narrow it down?) Grogmir.
manintights 07-19-07, 07:39 AM	I have access to phb 1&2. Complete series, incuding scoundrel. Races of the wild, races of stone. That's the boks I can use. I don't if any of you know him, but I'd love to play a character similar to Martrim Cauton from the weel of time novels. I wouldn't know what class to make him tough, plain fighter won't do the trick I reckon. MIT
Grogmir 07-19-07, 08:04 AM	Hey Manintights. That’s quite a set of books you have there! I’m afraid I don’t know the Wheel of Time series. What sort of character is Martrim Cauton? What’s his signature moves? If you’re looking for a Melee character with a little flair perhaps Duskblade/Hexbalde could surfice? Grogmir
manintights 07-19-07, 08:53 AM	Mart Cauton is a great tactician, who fights with a blade spear. He trips and disarms a lot and is Really lucky. He also has a resistance to magic. MIT
Anaxander 07-19-07, 03:03 PM	Fighter with the mageslayer feat & some luck feats?
foxtail 07-19-07, 04:05 PM	Unless I missed something over the few books I didn't read, Mat just has an amulet of spell resistance , right? :D If you decide to go with the bard that Grognir suggested, see if your DM will let you take the Undead Empathy feat from Libris Mortis, to let you use your Diplomacy skill on mindless undead (and even better on the thinking ones). Should come in handy in Ravenloft.
DrMorganes 07-20-07, 01:14 PM	I have access to phb 1&2. Complete series, incuding scoundrel. Races of the wild, races of stone. That's the boks I can use. I don't if any of you know him, but I'd love to play a character similar to Martrim Cauton from the weel of time novels. I wouldn't know what class to make him tough, plain fighter won't do the trick I reckon. MIT Mat would definitely fall under either a Rogue, Bard, or Beguiler (from PHB2), definitely using material from Complete Scoundrel - most specifically the Luck Feats! Since you already have one rogue in the party, I second the vote for Bard. Here's a suggested ability score breakdown: STR: 12 DEX: 15 CON: 13 INT: 14 WIS: 12 CHA: 16 I'll leave it to you to decide where to put your 4th Level ability boost. Class options: Rogue. Sure the party already has one, but no two rogues are quite alike. Take a path which enhances the party in some way. If the current rogue is focused on stealth and traps, go with the social skills for instance. You have the skill points to burn, so feel free to play with skill tricks. 2 points per trick isn't much, especially when you consider a PrC like the Uncanny Trickster (see below). Bard. The quintessential all-around support class, bards don't excel at much but they make a great additional 5th man to an already well-rounded party. Bardic Knowledge and Bardic Music (especially with some of the variant uses in Complete Adventurer) can definitely have an impact on many social and combat situations. They're the only arcane casting class I can think of right now with Cure spells on their class spell list. Even if you don't actually bother to learn the spells, you CAN use various wands of Cure <<whatever>> Wounds without a Use Magic Device Check. Don't bother with spells that do damage in combat. Instead go with "buff" type spells and crowd control. Beguiler. An INT-based spontaneous arcane caster with the Sorcerer's progression for spells per day and spells known. Shares most (if not all) of the class skills with the rogue and gets Trapfinding, so the party gets TWO chances to find and disarm traps. A lot of the spells on the class spell list are useless vs the undead common in a Ravenloft game, but there are still many that would be useful in many situations (Knock, ferinstance). Their Advanced Learning class feature allows gives several opportunities to add any Illusion or Enchantment spell from the Wiz/Sor list to their own, increasing their versatility. Take a look at the various prestige classes that synergize well with your class. You have the skill points to make use of the Skill Tricks (8 per level if you use the ability score array above) from Complete Scoundrel. A few suggestions: Uncanny Trickster is great choice, as you can take all 3 levels in it and only lose a single Bard level. Each level of Uncanny Trickster other than the first grants +1 level of previous class features. This would include your spellcasting progression! The class also has a large class skill list, 8 skill points per level, grants bonus tricks at each level, and has some other nifty features. Magical Trickster works well with spontaneous casters, as you have the spell slots to burn on "recharging" your skill tricks. You'll lose 3 levels of Bard class features, but only 1 caster level if you take all 3 levels. Fortune's Friend cries out to someone basing a character on Matrim Cauton and wanting to replicate his luck. You won't lose anything in the way of class skills or skill points, but you will lose 5 levels of your Bard class features and 3 caster levels if you take the PrC all the way to Level 5. In return, however, you gain 2 bonus luck feats (and however many luck rerolls are granted by those feats), a flat 3 additional luck rerolls, and some neat luck-flavored class features. Since you pick your level-based feats before you choose your class, you could opt to wait until Level 6 to take the single luck feat required as a prerequisite to enter the class. You'll have the 8 ranks in 1 skill at Level 5 (probably a Perform skill if you stick with Bard).
stuporhero93 07-20-07, 02:08 PM	I am a WoT junkie so I can give you everything you need to make Mat.(or anyone else...) One get a custom halberd. It about fits. two get an ammulet of spell resistacne continully upgrade this. I would definently get mage slayer. and then get him leadership to form well... you know what and then start singing about a shadowy person named Jack.... P.S.- Robert Jordan if you are reading this, feel better!!!
DrMorganes 07-20-07, 03:19 PM	From a game perspective, however, you'll need to pick and choose a few things, I think. First, obviously, is Class. If you're dead set on using a halberd you'll either need a class with proficiency with all martial weapons, or you'll have to burn a feat on Martial Weapon Proficiency (Halberd). Mat doesn't really strike me as a D&D Fighter. He's more of a fast-talking gambler type, which fits the D&D classes of Rogue, Bard, or Beguiler (from PHB2) far better (dunno why I didn't think of Beguilers earlier). Lemme add that to the list above... I'd focus on an "inspired by" type of concept rather than trying to replicate Mat exactly. Lugging around a magical halberd may well seem like a cool idea, but I'd be willing to bet there are better uses for that feat that would go further in simulating some of Mat's traits. Luck feats spring immediately to mind...
archerpwr 07-20-07, 05:40 PM	DrMorganes, luck feats are pretty subpar; as are all 3 of those prestige classes. If you are worried about making saves the most efficient route is to pump your saves (divine grace et all) and dip a single level of cleric to grab the pride domain. The only prestige classes of note in complete scoundrel are grey gaurd (a bit underpowered, but nice abilities all the way through) and the first level of master of the masks (and only for the gladiator mask). All the other prestige classes are so underpowered as to be a waste of time. For a bard (what I suggest): Bard 10 is your best bet becuase the campain ends at level ten. Virtuoso (complete adventurer) may be worth it. Lyric thuramage (complete mage) is nice for specific purposes (like getting wraithstrike on your list), but otherwise subpar to bard levels.