I Need Help! [Archive] - Wizards Community

I Need Help! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
esteigs
06-12-07, 11:00 PM I need help! what are some of the more fun classes to play? I want to try something new, preferably melee oriented. Nothing too min-maxed, we had to stop the last campaign because it was getting out of hand. My DM doesn't want anything from the ToB or psionics. I've played most of the basic classes, and would just like some new/interesting ideas. this campaign is going to be pretty combat oriented. Starting at lvl 1, with no LA buyoff. please be prompt!
StoneStokes
06-13-07, 12:34 AM Just take a class that you like reasonably well, and add a twist. Examples:

A monk with a different feat progression than you would usually take;
A halfling barbarian;
An elven barbarian;
A dwarven ranger;
A gnomish monk.

Any class can be fun to play, the trick is finding something that makes the character unique.
Radiun
06-13-07, 12:36 AM It's not Melee Oriented, but I love the DragonFire Adept.
sbattisti
06-13-07, 08:45 AM Any class can be fun to play, the trick is finding something that makes the character unique.

Building on this, take a standard class and make the character interesting. D&D isn't (necessarily) about the best classes or skills. It's about role-playing. Focus on creating an interesting character background and personality for your character. Take skills and feats that would make sense for that character, instead of the ones that will max out your BAB.

Some ideas:

Create a fighter with a low-ish strength (like 12), and come up with a reason why - perhaps his main arm was shattered in a childhood accident, and it never healed quite right.

Create a rogue, but have them in the middle of an emotional crisis, and eventually decide to become a priest instead.

I'm not saying that you have to cripple your character, especially if your DM's campaigns tend to be very competitive, but you can make a character that is more interesting, even if less effective than a min-maxed one, by focusing on the person.

Even more simply, give the character some interesting personality traits. Have a big burly dwarf who is terrified of spiders. Have a mage who is obsessive-compulsive about keeping his spellbook pristine. Give your bard a beautiful singing voice, but he stutters when he talks.

IMHO, these traits often work better if they're not overbearing. For example, if your personality is the focus of discussion every session, it's probably too much. But, these traits should come up often enough to make your character interesting and memorable.

Just my 2 cp tho'.

Steve
ZigMover
06-13-07, 09:09 AM Ask if you can use the Unearthed Arcana... It offers a whole lot of uniqueness to melee classes.

One of my favorites in that is the Chaotic Good or Lawful Evil Paladin, Monk Style Variants, and a Rogue Fighter variant...

Pretty much, most of the simple varaints take away from the existing class and tack on something from other classes. The more elaborate variants give a unique feel to melee.
JellyPooga
06-13-07, 09:35 AM The simple answer is that all classes are fun to play.

The more complex one is to make a character, not just a set of stats. As sbattisti said, give your character little quirks or habits that individualise him/her. If you do only that (taking sbattisti's example: having a Fighter with a Fear of Spiders), you'll find that a whole character may well evolve from that one trait.

For example; Said Arachnophobic Fighter may have been raised in an area where spiders have particularly virulent venom, hence the phobia. This then gives rise to the thought that maybe he's from a warm climate (think of Australia: more deadly spiders there than more temperate climates, right?), maybe even near a jungle. As such, he intensely dislikes cold weather, so when the adventure takes the Heroes up Mount 'Evil-Guys-Lair', he's grumbling every step of the way because he's cold, despite the cold-weather gear he's wearing. Conversely, when the Bad Guy teleports the Heroes half way across the world (laughing maniacally of course), to the depths of the 'Evil-Lizard-Man-Infested' Jungle, our Arachnophobic Fighter feels much more at home and might even be giving the party tips on how to survive in this particular area.

All that off the top of my head in a couple of minutes, based entirely on the fact that Mr.Generic Fighter has a fear of spiders. I realise it's not much, but it's a start.
esteigs
06-13-07, 09:39 AM What book is the dragonfire adept from?
esteigs
06-13-07, 09:41 AM Thanks Guys, i'll keep that in mind
Repirr
06-13-07, 11:18 AM Just take a class that you like reasonably well, and add a twist. Examples:

A monk with a different feat progression than you would usually take;
A halfling barbarian;
An elven barbarian;
A dwarven ranger;
A gnomish monk.

Any class can be fun to play, the trick is finding something that makes the character unique.

I've taken the halfling barbarian course. No one knew who my character was until he burst out of a building! The look of disbelief among the player's faces at seeing a halfling with a greatsword was priceless!
Avatar of Kokusho
06-13-07, 11:55 AM Any class can be fun if you play your character differently. Let's take my epic level wizard. She has a horrible fear of earth elementals, even tiny ones. Whenever she sees one, she runs behind the nearest other character, yelling, "Don't let it get me!" (Long story involving a critical hit from a primal elemental with a surprise attack. Ouchies.) Stuff like this makes for interesting roleplay, along with story twists if your DM decides to incorporate it. Also, strange race/class combinations work well...halfling barbarians are a good example, as are halfling paladins.
Aubri
06-13-07, 01:28 PM The simple answer is that all classes are fun to play.

The more complex one is to make a character, not just a set of stats. As sbattisti said, give your character little quirks or habits that individualise him/her. If you do only that (taking sbattisti's example: having a Fighter with a Fear of Spiders), you'll find that a whole character may well evolve from that one trait.

Quoted for truth. The cleric in my campaign is a very standard dwarven cleric, but he pulls it off with so much personality that you don't really mind. The mechanics don't make the man. I've always found it useful to start with a single character flaw and work from there -- flaws are much more defining than strengths. Writing up a few interests, relations, and friends can also be really useful in that respect.

An unusual take on a standard class is also fun -- in my campaign, the aforesaid cleric is the party's main tank because they lack a straight-up fightery type (the other players being a dragon shaman who takes on the bulk of healing duties and a remarkably fragile rogue). He uses his spells to good effect to protect himself and the rest of the party. And if he gets in a situation that doesn't call for tankery, he can simply prepare a different spell set and take on a different role.

OK, anyway... classes. Hrmmm... nothing psionic, so fun soulknife skirmisher builds are out. The Knight (PHB2) is fun and ... um ... classy. You won't quite match the damage output of a Fighter, but his battlefield control is awesome and the charismatic aspects make for a very different character when the swords are put away. Hexblades are also a lot of fun, especially if you use the Dark Companion variant (an insubstantial black cat that curses everyone around it, which stacks with your Hexblade's Curse). The Shapeshift variant for Druids can make an awe-inspiring tank as well as giving you some other combat options. If you're not trying to tank, a TWF ranger is nice too.

Other than that, mix'n'match! A fighter with a 4-5 level dip in Hexblade can curse people, gets Mettle (Evasion for Fort and Will), gets a bonus on his saves against spells, a familiar (or Dark Companion) and a couple of minor spells. You'll probably want to select spells with no somatic components or utility spells, since you won't be in light armor, but you'll only get a couple of 1st level ones anyway. Moreover, you can then use wands of anything on the spell list!

Various mixtures of Fighter and Barbarian are classic, of course. A little bard or Rogue never hurt nobody. If you feel like cracking the Magic of Incarnum, it can be a nice addition. You could steal races from other settings -- a lone Warforged built to replace a wizard's dead son, for example. Or was it intended to preserve his mind in an incorruptable metal body?
Radiun
06-13-07, 04:47 PM DragonFire Adept is from Dragon Magic
DrMorganes
06-13-07, 06:37 PM Scout from Complete Adventurer is a nice mix of rogue and ranger. Toss in a few levels of Combat Trapsmith from Complete Scoundrel for some booby-trapping goodness!
Phrennzy
06-13-07, 09:27 PM Fighter with average or low Str, with a high Dex. Specialize in the Spiked Chain.

You'd wear lighter armor to make use of your Dex, and spin and dance as you fight.
esteigs
06-13-07, 09:47 PM Fighter with average or low Str, with a high Dex. Specialize in the Spiked Chain.

You'd wear lighter armor to make use of your Dex, and spin and dance as you fight.

tried that. even had the spiked chain explosive, so they took an extra 2d4 while i took nothing. great combo though.:D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
esteigs 06-12-07, 11:00 PM	I need help! what are some of the more fun classes to play? I want to try something new, preferably melee oriented. Nothing too min-maxed, we had to stop the last campaign because it was getting out of hand. My DM doesn't want anything from the ToB or psionics. I've played most of the basic classes, and would just like some new/interesting ideas. this campaign is going to be pretty combat oriented. Starting at lvl 1, with no LA buyoff. please be prompt!
StoneStokes 06-13-07, 12:34 AM	Just take a class that you like reasonably well, and add a twist. Examples: A monk with a different feat progression than you would usually take; A halfling barbarian; An elven barbarian; A dwarven ranger; A gnomish monk. Any class can be fun to play, the trick is finding something that makes the character unique.
Radiun 06-13-07, 12:36 AM	It's not Melee Oriented, but I love the DragonFire Adept.
sbattisti 06-13-07, 08:45 AM	Any class can be fun to play, the trick is finding something that makes the character unique. Building on this, take a standard class and make the character interesting. D&D isn't (necessarily) about the best classes or skills. It's about role-playing. Focus on creating an interesting character background and personality for your character. Take skills and feats that would make sense for that character, instead of the ones that will max out your BAB. Some ideas: Create a fighter with a low-ish strength (like 12), and come up with a reason why - perhaps his main arm was shattered in a childhood accident, and it never healed quite right. Create a rogue, but have them in the middle of an emotional crisis, and eventually decide to become a priest instead. I'm not saying that you have to cripple your character, especially if your DM's campaigns tend to be very competitive, but you can make a character that is more interesting, even if less effective than a min-maxed one, by focusing on the person. Even more simply, give the character some interesting personality traits. Have a big burly dwarf who is terrified of spiders. Have a mage who is obsessive-compulsive about keeping his spellbook pristine. Give your bard a beautiful singing voice, but he stutters when he talks. IMHO, these traits often work better if they're not overbearing. For example, if your personality is the focus of discussion every session, it's probably too much. But, these traits should come up often enough to make your character interesting and memorable. Just my 2 cp tho'. Steve
ZigMover 06-13-07, 09:09 AM	Ask if you can use the Unearthed Arcana... It offers a whole lot of uniqueness to melee classes. One of my favorites in that is the Chaotic Good or Lawful Evil Paladin, Monk Style Variants, and a Rogue Fighter variant... Pretty much, most of the simple varaints take away from the existing class and tack on something from other classes. The more elaborate variants give a unique feel to melee.
JellyPooga 06-13-07, 09:35 AM	The simple answer is that all classes are fun to play. The more complex one is to make a character, not just a set of stats. As sbattisti said, give your character little quirks or habits that individualise him/her. If you do only that (taking sbattisti's example: having a Fighter with a Fear of Spiders), you'll find that a whole character may well evolve from that one trait. For example; Said Arachnophobic Fighter may have been raised in an area where spiders have particularly virulent venom, hence the phobia. This then gives rise to the thought that maybe he's from a warm climate (think of Australia: more deadly spiders there than more temperate climates, right?), maybe even near a jungle. As such, he intensely dislikes cold weather, so when the adventure takes the Heroes up Mount 'Evil-Guys-Lair', he's grumbling every step of the way because he's cold, despite the cold-weather gear he's wearing. Conversely, when the Bad Guy teleports the Heroes half way across the world (laughing maniacally of course), to the depths of the 'Evil-Lizard-Man-Infested' Jungle, our Arachnophobic Fighter feels much more at home and might even be giving the party tips on how to survive in this particular area. All that off the top of my head in a couple of minutes, based entirely on the fact that Mr.Generic Fighter has a fear of spiders. I realise it's not much, but it's a start.
esteigs 06-13-07, 09:39 AM	What book is the dragonfire adept from?
esteigs 06-13-07, 09:41 AM	Thanks Guys, i'll keep that in mind
Repirr 06-13-07, 11:18 AM	Just take a class that you like reasonably well, and add a twist. Examples: A monk with a different feat progression than you would usually take; A halfling barbarian; An elven barbarian; A dwarven ranger; A gnomish monk. Any class can be fun to play, the trick is finding something that makes the character unique. I've taken the halfling barbarian course. No one knew who my character was until he burst out of a building! The look of disbelief among the player's faces at seeing a halfling with a greatsword was priceless!
Avatar of Kokusho 06-13-07, 11:55 AM	Any class can be fun if you play your character differently. Let's take my epic level wizard. She has a horrible fear of earth elementals, even tiny ones. Whenever she sees one, she runs behind the nearest other character, yelling, "Don't let it get me!" (Long story involving a critical hit from a primal elemental with a surprise attack. Ouchies.) Stuff like this makes for interesting roleplay, along with story twists if your DM decides to incorporate it. Also, strange race/class combinations work well...halfling barbarians are a good example, as are halfling paladins.
Aubri 06-13-07, 01:28 PM	The simple answer is that all classes are fun to play. The more complex one is to make a character, not just a set of stats. As sbattisti said, give your character little quirks or habits that individualise him/her. If you do only that (taking sbattisti's example: having a Fighter with a Fear of Spiders), you'll find that a whole character may well evolve from that one trait. Quoted for truth. The cleric in my campaign is a very standard dwarven cleric, but he pulls it off with so much personality that you don't really mind. The mechanics don't make the man. I've always found it useful to start with a single character flaw and work from there -- flaws are much more defining than strengths. Writing up a few interests, relations, and friends can also be really useful in that respect. An unusual take on a standard class is also fun -- in my campaign, the aforesaid cleric is the party's main tank because they lack a straight-up fightery type (the other players being a dragon shaman who takes on the bulk of healing duties and a remarkably fragile rogue). He uses his spells to good effect to protect himself and the rest of the party. And if he gets in a situation that doesn't call for tankery, he can simply prepare a different spell set and take on a different role. OK, anyway... classes. Hrmmm... nothing psionic, so fun soulknife skirmisher builds are out. The Knight (PHB2) is fun and ... um ... classy. You won't quite match the damage output of a Fighter, but his battlefield control is awesome and the charismatic aspects make for a very different character when the swords are put away. Hexblades are also a lot of fun, especially if you use the Dark Companion variant (an insubstantial black cat that curses everyone around it, which stacks with your Hexblade's Curse). The Shapeshift variant for Druids can make an awe-inspiring tank as well as giving you some other combat options. If you're not trying to tank, a TWF ranger is nice too. Other than that, mix'n'match! A fighter with a 4-5 level dip in Hexblade can curse people, gets Mettle (Evasion for Fort and Will), gets a bonus on his saves against spells, a familiar (or Dark Companion) and a couple of minor spells. You'll probably want to select spells with no somatic components or utility spells, since you won't be in light armor, but you'll only get a couple of 1st level ones anyway. Moreover, you can then use wands of anything on the spell list! Various mixtures of Fighter and Barbarian are classic, of course. A little bard or Rogue never hurt nobody. If you feel like cracking the Magic of Incarnum, it can be a nice addition. You could steal races from other settings -- a lone Warforged built to replace a wizard's dead son, for example. Or was it intended to preserve his mind in an incorruptable metal body?
Radiun 06-13-07, 04:47 PM	DragonFire Adept is from Dragon Magic
DrMorganes 06-13-07, 06:37 PM	Scout from Complete Adventurer is a nice mix of rogue and ranger. Toss in a few levels of Combat Trapsmith from Complete Scoundrel for some booby-trapping goodness!
Phrennzy 06-13-07, 09:27 PM	Fighter with average or low Str, with a high Dex. Specialize in the Spiked Chain. You'd wear lighter armor to make use of your Dex, and spin and dance as you fight.
esteigs 06-13-07, 09:47 PM	Fighter with average or low Str, with a high Dex. Specialize in the Spiked Chain. You'd wear lighter armor to make use of your Dex, and spin and dance as you fight. tried that. even had the spiked chain explosive, so they took an extra 2d4 while i took nothing. great combo though.:D