| Post/Author/DateTime | Post |
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| #1HalfofTwinPowersMay 23, 2014 13:20:34 | Hello! I've been playing D&D for a few months now but have never had to create a character that used a race with more than +1 LA or a monster. I'm currently trying to create a Pixie Sorcerer(We have ECL of 6 to start). I have a few questions on the filling out certain aspects since I don't fully comprehend how monster builds work. I'll explain fully below. 1. I want to use savage species for my pixie build. It appears to only take 5 levels to get all the pixie bonuses plus the special arrows(which isn't offered in the Monster Manual version). Could anyone supply me with a good argument for allowing this savage species version over the monster manual? The DM will listen to whatever the other two players tell him, and the other two hate Savage species. However, they will allow what savage specieis says if their isn't an alternative. The monster manual offers a weaker alternative which I wouldn't mind if I got the option of the arrows. So any help? The common argument given is that the Monster Manual is newer than savage species, so it trumps anything in savage species. 2. does my pixie gain three feats like a lvl 6 character? If not, plese give me exact methods for calculating the feats. I'll need the info to defend my character build to the other players. 3. Using savage species, does my pixie gain skill points at each pixie class level or only with the sorcerer level? 4. How do I determine my hit points? Do I get 1d6 total for my pixie classes plus 1d4 for my level in sorcerer? |
| #2HalfofTwinPowersMay 23, 2014 14:49:11 | So I figured out the answer to question three by paying closer attention to the pixie class. My pixie will get skill points on first level but nothing after that until first class level of sorcerer.
Also, I think I figured out the Hit points. He'll get 1d4 plus con mod because of wizard level. First class level replaces the racial hit die if there is 1HD. So my pixie will only have 7 hit points to start. Yikes.
still confused on the feats(though I think what it means is the Pixie gets a feat on first pixie xclass and then I'll gain another on first level of sorcerer because he'll be ecl level 6 after ending the pixie class and moving into sorcerer. Sound right?
Still need a good defense for choosing this version which has arrows, otto's irresistable dance, and one less LA. |
| #3Tempest_StormwindMay 23, 2014 14:52:00 | Before I start, I'd like to say that unless a race has racial spellcasting (as in a 9HD race that casts spells as a 9th level sorcerer or the like - simply having spell-like abilities won't cut it), there's practically no reason to ever consider a race with racial HD and a level adjustment, and that goes triple if you're considering spellcaster classes.
With that caveat out of the way...
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| #4StevenOMay 23, 2014 16:50:33 | You want to play a Pixie Sorcerer and you're being giving ELC 6 as a target: Here is what you can get:
Pixie Sorcerer 2 HD 2d4: hp = 7 (using fixed hp/HD here) + (CON modifier x2); Base Saves: +3 WILL Skill Points: 10 + (Int Modifier x5) Stats: Whatever method your group normally uses then add Racial Modifiers BAB: +1 Feats: First level feat, Dodge (bonus), Weapon Finesse (bonus) Spells: As Sorcerer 2 Equipment: Here you should actually be equiped as if you are a 6th-level character so you should have 13,000 pg worth of stuff.
This is the basic view of your stat block. Although Sorcerer is the "favored class" for the Pixie being 4 levels behing a "real" caster is usally hard. You size hurts in physical combat but a Pixie often makes a better Rogue type character. |
| #5HalfofTwinPowersMay 23, 2014 22:58:51 | Once you said that savage species is from 3e, I lost all hope of arguing against them. I am unaware to which edition each rule book belongs. If I had realized savage species was 3e, I wouldn't have bothered attempting to justify using it over the 3.5 monster manual.
Our games rarely have fighting(probably had a total of like 6 battles since level 1. XP isn't tracked) so I'm not afraid of battles. NPCs are the killers because the DM constantly has us run into overpowered things he created which we must please or trick to survive. I have a big distaste for this because one wrong move has resulted in the deaths of my two previous characters. So while the pixie will be low on spells and HP, those most likely won't be a problem.
And no gold. The DM refuses to ever grant us starting gold or equipment outside of starter armor and weapon. |
| #6Slagger_the_ChuulMay 25, 2014 3:35:00 | Playing a monster is basically like multiclassing, and in the case of the pixie, you're multiclassing four levels into a "class" that grants special abilities, but no improvement in Hit Dice (so no advancement in BAB, skills, saves, hit points) and no spellcasting. If you wouldn't normally multiclass out of spellcasting levels to get special abilities, don't do it with a monstrous race either.
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| #7michaielMay 25, 2014 22:09:45 | The above advice is all very good. One thought, though. If your DM is willing to strip away some of the ahilities in order to knock out two of the LA, it's a much more playable race.
You can (and should) completely remove Greater Invisibility -- that's an LA all by itself. That's too powerful of an ability to have until high levels (a Wizard can cast it at 7th level, sure, but it's much more powerful than the spell version, being constant and Supernatural).
Other than that, the super high stat boosts, the fly speed, the two bonus feats, the DR, and the SR are all candidates for partial LA removal. Figure out what you for sure want to keep, and see if you can get rid of the rest.
Note that many consider altering a race "cheating" -- don't go this route if you want to be a true CO player! But I thought I'd mention it for completeness' sake (and since I did this very thing...). |