3.5E magical menagerie - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

3.5E magical menagerie

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
cogminded
Oct 28, 2012 11:26:09 Ok so my friend is running a fun campaign that has the players themed on the idea of Eliza Doolittle

Currently it features
Eliza, a gnome sorcerer
Her fairy rogue lover
A minotaur psionic
A bugbear warrior

and i cannot remember what the other two characters are playing (i know she calls one of them puppy)

Basically we have been told that we can be anything playable from the MM and to have fun

they have been playing for a month or so now and are up to level 7, and i have been invited to join but i have VERY little D&D experience (i played a one shot game 2 years ago)

So, i was wondering if people could lend a hand?

I would like to stick to just using the players guide and MM if possible just because i know that the DM has those books (i know he has some others but i dont know what)

While I am going to sit down with the DM to actually sheet up my character, I wondered if anyone could lend some advice since all I have managed to decide is that i would like to play a Rakshasa Sorcerer, everything else is kinda beyond my experience
#2
draco1119
Oct 28, 2012 12:13:45 Um... You can't. A Rakshasa has 7 HD plus LA +7. That means it's a 14th-level character before you give it any class levels. If you really want a sorcerer, why not play a Wild Elf (one of the elf variants in MM)? It's different from the "average" elf, and give sorcerer as its favored class.
#3
cogminded
Oct 28, 2012 12:32:19 Ah, apologies I misunderstood how that worked.

Im looking for the most outlandish creatures possible simply because its not a serious party, just one for having a laugh in and the Wild Elves arent really that out there in terms of style
#4
StevenO
Oct 28, 2012 14:56:33 How far out the window have the rules gone? I'm asking in part to figure out what "level 7" means here because even I'm afraid that party already has levels all over the place:

Gnome Sorcerer: Ok, this one's simple and can be a Sorcerer 7
Fairy (Pixie?) Rogue: Could be a Rogue3 to go with a +4 LA from Pixie where the normal Fey 1 became Rogue 1.

Minotaur Psionic: Even withOUT any class levels the basic MM Minotaur counts as a 8th-level character due to its 6 HD of Monstrous Humanoid and +2 LA.

Bugbear warrior: May have three class levels to go with three HD of Humanoid and a +1 LA.

A menagerie is right and there are four character with wildly different basic builds. As mentioned your Rakshasa doesn't work but if you're building an ECL 7 character you will have a number of options. Here are some crazy ideas:

Copper Dragon Wyrmling: 5HD +2 LA = ECL 7 but is tiny sized
Centaur Ranger 1: 4HD + 2LA + 1 class level = ECL 7
Satyr: 5HD + 2 LA
#5
SwordDisciple
Oct 28, 2012 15:02:54 Could be a Dragonlance Campaign Setting Minotaur.. Just saying.. ;)
#6
StevenO
Oct 28, 2012 15:09:14
Could be a Dragonlance Campaign Setting Minotaur.. Just saying.. ;)

Then it wouldn't be a MM Minotaur which is strongly hinted at in the original post.

#7
cogminded
Oct 28, 2012 16:16:21 In all honesty I cannot give you a definite answer, Pete has a habit of letting things be loose in favour of fun because that is what this adventure is all about (Eliza rides the minotaur with a harness pelting fireballs at people)

But I do know that they have been playing since about level five so it is distinctly possible that he is ignoring some aspect of it (possibly the HD? I am a little unclear on how it all works, as I said I am very new to D&D)
#8
StevenO
Oct 28, 2012 16:36:10 I'm cautious around people who are "loose with the rules in favor of fun" because it can make 'balance' impossible to achieve. Oh, I'm sure some people can play down their true strengths but if someone is underplaying something and then suddenly desides to "turn it on" things can go crazy. Even if "fun" is the goal, which it always should be, I believe it is better to stay pretty close to the rules instead of going too crazy. It may not be the case here but some people think the only "fun" ability score arrays are obscene sets that must include an 18 and have no scores below 12 yet when you need to do all the work to boost opponents that fun can be lost quickly.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 cogminded Oct 28, 2012 11:26:09	Ok so my friend is running a fun campaign that has the players themed on the idea of Eliza Doolittle Currently it features Eliza, a gnome sorcerer Her fairy rogue lover A minotaur psionic A bugbear warrior and i cannot remember what the other two characters are playing (i know she calls one of them puppy) Basically we have been told that we can be anything playable from the MM and to have fun they have been playing for a month or so now and are up to level 7, and i have been invited to join but i have VERY little D&D experience (i played a one shot game 2 years ago) So, i was wondering if people could lend a hand? I would like to stick to just using the players guide and MM if possible just because i know that the DM has those books (i know he has some others but i dont know what) While I am going to sit down with the DM to actually sheet up my character, I wondered if anyone could lend some advice since all I have managed to decide is that i would like to play a Rakshasa Sorcerer, everything else is kinda beyond my experience
#2 draco1119 Oct 28, 2012 12:13:45	Um... You can't. A Rakshasa has 7 HD plus LA +7. That means it's a 14th-level character before you give it any class levels. If you really want a sorcerer, why not play a Wild Elf (one of the elf variants in MM)? It's different from the "average" elf, and give sorcerer as its favored class.
#3 cogminded Oct 28, 2012 12:32:19	Ah, apologies I misunderstood how that worked. Im looking for the most outlandish creatures possible simply because its not a serious party, just one for having a laugh in and the Wild Elves arent really that out there in terms of style
#4 StevenO Oct 28, 2012 14:56:33	How far out the window have the rules gone? I'm asking in part to figure out what "level 7" means here because even I'm afraid that party already has levels all over the place: Gnome Sorcerer: Ok, this one's simple and can be a Sorcerer 7 Fairy (Pixie?) Rogue: Could be a Rogue3 to go with a +4 LA from Pixie where the normal Fey 1 became Rogue 1. Minotaur Psionic: Even withOUT any class levels the basic MM Minotaur counts as a 8th-level character due to its 6 HD of Monstrous Humanoid and +2 LA. Bugbear warrior: May have three class levels to go with three HD of Humanoid and a +1 LA. A menagerie is right and there are four character with wildly different basic builds. As mentioned your Rakshasa doesn't work but if you're building an ECL 7 character you will have a number of options. Here are some crazy ideas: Copper Dragon Wyrmling: 5HD +2 LA = ECL 7 but is tiny sized Centaur Ranger 1: 4HD + 2LA + 1 class level = ECL 7 Satyr: 5HD + 2 LA
#5 SwordDisciple Oct 28, 2012 15:02:54	Could be a Dragonlance Campaign Setting Minotaur.. Just saying.. ;)
#6 StevenO Oct 28, 2012 15:09:14	Could be a Dragonlance Campaign Setting Minotaur.. Just saying.. ;) Then it wouldn't be a MM Minotaur which is strongly hinted at in the original post.
#7 cogminded Oct 28, 2012 16:16:21	In all honesty I cannot give you a definite answer, Pete has a habit of letting things be loose in favour of fun because that is what this adventure is all about (Eliza rides the minotaur with a harness pelting fireballs at people) But I do know that they have been playing since about level five so it is distinctly possible that he is ignoring some aspect of it (possibly the HD? I am a little unclear on how it all works, as I said I am very new to D&D)
#8 StevenO Oct 28, 2012 16:36:10	I'm cautious around people who are "loose with the rules in favor of fun" because it can make 'balance' impossible to achieve. Oh, I'm sure some people can play down their true strengths but if someone is underplaying something and then suddenly desides to "turn it on" things can go crazy. Even if "fun" is the goal, which it always should be, I believe it is better to stay pretty close to the rules instead of going too crazy. It may not be the case here but some people think the only "fun" ability score arrays are obscene sets that must include an 18 and have no scores below 12 yet when you need to do all the work to boost opponents that fun can be lost quickly.