Character help?! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Character help?! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Aeraes
09-21-07, 03:45 AM I have just started playing D&D a few months ago. Love it. Right now, I'm in two campaigns with a third starting soon and I'm getting a bit lost. All three are set in Ebberon, since my DM is a freaky knowledge-beast about all of D&D but Ebberon in particular.

My character is an Elven Revenant Blade level 7 (Aeraes). My plan is to max out his Revenant Blade levels, giving me a total of 8 attacks with my Valenar double scimitar (each at 1.5 main and off-hand, 1d6+12/1d6+12 damage, +17/+12 attack bonus, 15-20 x2 crit range [Ancestral Guidance grants improved crit]+1 on all rolls if mounted). I also get Great Cleave as an Ancestral Guidance feat. Given this, my average damage would be 120 if I don't crit. I then plan to multi-class to Barbarian, allowing me to:
A. Rage
B. Take the prestige class Lion Totem Warrior (Tome of Battle, Book of
Nine Blades)
a. Pounce - allows me to full attack and charge
C. Become the Salad Shooter - charge and pounce, giving me all eight
attacks at (correct me if I'm wrong) +2 attack, rage, power attack for
full (-10 from attack, +10 to damage), use an action point ( add 2d6 drop
the lowest to all rolls) and possibly cleave into the next enemy using great
cleave if I kill my target.

My minimum damage, if I calculate everything right, would be 128 with +4 to hit. My average would be 170 with +4 to hit. My max (criticals included) would be 416 which, I'm pretty sure, would kill my target so I'd get the same attack on my next target. My DM hates me.

What should I do after I'm done with the Lion Totem Warrior? I'm open to any suggestions.
Aeraes
09-21-07, 03:48 AM My second character is a half-orc half-dragon monk. Yes, I know. Kind of odd?

Anyways, I have no idea what I'm going to do here. I was thinking about Drunken Master, but I'm not sure.

I'm open to any and all suggestions, given that they're serious.
Aeraes
09-21-07, 03:50 AM My third character is a human warlock. Once again, I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'd like to take mainly Draconic feats, since I gain 2 HP for each one that I have.

I want to become a Wild Caster because I normally roll fairly high, but it seems too risky.

Let me know what you think, tell me anything you think may be relevant.
roir1k
09-21-07, 08:38 AM I guess more important is the tenor of the game you're playing? Is it combat heavy? Do you do a lot of investigating? What is your usual role in the group?

What are the concepts behind these characters? Race/Class/Feats/PrCs can be the result of personality, of goals, of the organizations available and the groups the character *wants* to pursue. Each character's motivation becomes important in developing the character further.

For instance, let's consider your draconic half-orc...if only because I just started a game in the Eldeen Reaches tonight.

Orcs from there have a strong sense of duty regarding the Gatekeepers and protection of the seals that keep Xoriat from Eberron. What will your character's attitude be towards the Gatekeepers? Does he aspire to be one? does he see them as relics of a bygone age? His draconic nature seems like it would make the Gatekeepers very interested in him, regardless-- perhaps he's a reluctant member, rebuffing their advances, challenging their beliefs as antiquated. As you make these decisions, his development becomes much easier-- if he joins them, he'd need Gatekeeper Initiate then perhaps he should take the Monastic Training feat and consider alternating between say... Monk and Psychic Warrior, or Soul Knife? Following up with Unnatural Enemy, from the Player's Guide to Eberron?

My point here is that these feat and class choices become tailored to suit the character's motivations.

Yes.

You could simply try building for greatest firehose-of-a-damage-dealer you could figure out for each character, but this game is about finding the story, about finding new ways to solve the problems, about trying out the new points of view. I say decide the motivations for these two characters and the class and feat choices will become self-evident.

RE: your Elven Revenant... why barbarian? Why would the cultured, tradition bound and ancestor driven elf become a barbarian, given to bouts of rage and undisciplined fury? Or is he more of a Khorvaire elf? Again, the background should be driving decisions, what he was helps decide what he is and what he will become-- guideposts, not iron clad demands, but logical paths of development.
Ell
09-21-07, 11:20 AM You probably want to go to character optimization forum (http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=339) with all questions regarding how to multiclass and prestige class, they'll help you.
Aeraes
09-21-07, 05:50 PM Right, thanks for the advice. My role in the party is... well, complex. It's a group of 7 players: A barbarian, a rogue, an artificer, my revenant blade, a ranger, a cleric and a necromancer. I have insane move silently, spot and hide ranks, a lot of ride, good listen and a few other skills.

I guess you could say my role is to back up the scout when we go scouting ahead, help the barbarian since I have a better chance to hit than him, help the rogue when he goes sneaking and help the cleric heal. I'm kinda the guy that backs everyone up. Also, I'm the cavalry guru.

And yes, our game is EXTREMELY combat heavy, lots of stealth action too.
happy_fuzzy
09-21-07, 09:18 PM sry to be off topic but is the ToB:9 blades same as ToB:9 swords? casue i cant find this lion totem warrior
FoulQ
09-21-07, 11:54 PM I thought Lion Totem (Barbarian, I assume?) was in Unearthed Arcana
Aeraes
09-22-07, 06:41 AM Hmmm... Not really sure, but I'll look into it. All I know is that I saw it in the
library of D&D supplements that my DM has. I'll have to rifle through it again.
NoldorForce
09-22-07, 11:11 AM Hmmm... Not really sure, but I'll look into it. All I know is that I saw it in the library of D&D supplements that my DM has. I'll have to rifle through it again.Complete Champion.

For your Revenant Blade (you may wish to note the precise class breakdown, by the way), I've heard that Dervish (Complete Warrior) is a good option if you've got the feats to swing. Alternately, if your party can handle it, you could be a Frenzied Berserker for the bigger Power Attack benefits.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aeraes 09-21-07, 03:45 AM	I have just started playing D&D a few months ago. Love it. Right now, I'm in two campaigns with a third starting soon and I'm getting a bit lost. All three are set in Ebberon, since my DM is a freaky knowledge-beast about all of D&D but Ebberon in particular. My character is an Elven Revenant Blade level 7 (Aeraes). My plan is to max out his Revenant Blade levels, giving me a total of 8 attacks with my Valenar double scimitar (each at 1.5 main and off-hand, 1d6+12/1d6+12 damage, +17/+12 attack bonus, 15-20 x2 crit range [Ancestral Guidance grants improved crit]+1 on all rolls if mounted). I also get Great Cleave as an Ancestral Guidance feat. Given this, my average damage would be 120 if I don't crit. I then plan to multi-class to Barbarian, allowing me to: A. Rage B. Take the prestige class Lion Totem Warrior (Tome of Battle, Book of Nine Blades) a. Pounce - allows me to full attack and charge C. Become the Salad Shooter - charge and pounce, giving me all eight attacks at (correct me if I'm wrong) +2 attack, rage, power attack for full (-10 from attack, +10 to damage), use an action point ( add 2d6 drop the lowest to all rolls) and possibly cleave into the next enemy using great cleave if I kill my target. My minimum damage, if I calculate everything right, would be 128 with +4 to hit. My average would be 170 with +4 to hit. My max (criticals included) would be 416 which, I'm pretty sure, would kill my target so I'd get the same attack on my next target. My DM hates me. What should I do after I'm done with the Lion Totem Warrior? I'm open to any suggestions.
Aeraes 09-21-07, 03:48 AM	My second character is a half-orc half-dragon monk. Yes, I know. Kind of odd? Anyways, I have no idea what I'm going to do here. I was thinking about Drunken Master, but I'm not sure. I'm open to any and all suggestions, given that they're serious.
Aeraes 09-21-07, 03:50 AM	My third character is a human warlock. Once again, I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'd like to take mainly Draconic feats, since I gain 2 HP for each one that I have. I want to become a Wild Caster because I normally roll fairly high, but it seems too risky. Let me know what you think, tell me anything you think may be relevant.
roir1k 09-21-07, 08:38 AM	I guess more important is the tenor of the game you're playing? Is it combat heavy? Do you do a lot of investigating? What is your usual role in the group? What are the concepts behind these characters? Race/Class/Feats/PrCs can be the result of personality, of goals, of the organizations available and the groups the character wants to pursue. Each character's motivation becomes important in developing the character further. For instance, let's consider your draconic half-orc...if only because I just started a game in the Eldeen Reaches tonight. Orcs from there have a strong sense of duty regarding the Gatekeepers and protection of the seals that keep Xoriat from Eberron. What will your character's attitude be towards the Gatekeepers? Does he aspire to be one? does he see them as relics of a bygone age? His draconic nature seems like it would make the Gatekeepers very interested in him, regardless-- perhaps he's a reluctant member, rebuffing their advances, challenging their beliefs as antiquated. As you make these decisions, his development becomes much easier-- if he joins them, he'd need Gatekeeper Initiate then perhaps he should take the Monastic Training feat and consider alternating between say... Monk and Psychic Warrior, or Soul Knife? Following up with Unnatural Enemy, from the Player's Guide to Eberron? My point here is that these feat and class choices become tailored to suit the character's motivations. Yes. You could simply try building for greatest firehose-of-a-damage-dealer you could figure out for each character, but this game is about finding the story, about finding new ways to solve the problems, about trying out the new points of view. I say decide the motivations for these two characters and the class and feat choices will become self-evident. RE: your Elven Revenant... why barbarian? Why would the cultured, tradition bound and ancestor driven elf become a barbarian, given to bouts of rage and undisciplined fury? Or is he more of a Khorvaire elf? Again, the background should be driving decisions, what he was helps decide what he is and what he will become-- guideposts, not iron clad demands, but logical paths of development.
Ell 09-21-07, 11:20 AM	You probably want to go to character optimization forum (http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=339) with all questions regarding how to multiclass and prestige class, they'll help you.
Aeraes 09-21-07, 05:50 PM	Right, thanks for the advice. My role in the party is... well, complex. It's a group of 7 players: A barbarian, a rogue, an artificer, my revenant blade, a ranger, a cleric and a necromancer. I have insane move silently, spot and hide ranks, a lot of ride, good listen and a few other skills. I guess you could say my role is to back up the scout when we go scouting ahead, help the barbarian since I have a better chance to hit than him, help the rogue when he goes sneaking and help the cleric heal. I'm kinda the guy that backs everyone up. Also, I'm the cavalry guru. And yes, our game is EXTREMELY combat heavy, lots of stealth action too.
happy_fuzzy 09-21-07, 09:18 PM	sry to be off topic but is the ToB:9 blades same as ToB:9 swords? casue i cant find this lion totem warrior
FoulQ 09-21-07, 11:54 PM	I thought Lion Totem (Barbarian, I assume?) was in Unearthed Arcana
Aeraes 09-22-07, 06:41 AM	Hmmm... Not really sure, but I'll look into it. All I know is that I saw it in the library of D&D supplements that my DM has. I'll have to rifle through it again.
NoldorForce 09-22-07, 11:11 AM	Hmmm... Not really sure, but I'll look into it. All I know is that I saw it in the library of D&D supplements that my DM has. I'll have to rifle through it again.Complete Champion. For your Revenant Blade (you may wish to note the precise class breakdown, by the way), I've heard that Dervish (Complete Warrior) is a good option if you've got the feats to swing. Alternately, if your party can handle it, you could be a Frenzied Berserker for the bigger Power Attack benefits.