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The Noble Shade

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Hello people of the forum,

I am beginning in a game where we are starting at 5th level. We are playing in a mash up of 3.5 and Pathfinder. Books included Races of and their campaign books so on.

Because we are starting at level 5 I was allowed to make any character I wanted so long as the CR adjustment is not greater then 3. Well I wanted to play a Swashbuckler because I love the fluff and all that of the class.

So I wanted to play a powerful race combo.
Drow Noble with the Shade

So that that would leave me at level 5 with only two class levels but when I get near 6 I replace one CR for a Class level.

I know this is insanely strong, I am not debating that but do you think it will work? I have a full background story for why this combo exists.

LA mechanically doesn't exist in PF. Will your DM permit this? What are the other players using? Is this for PFS?

The obvious problem is that the Shade is a +4 level adjustment. At level 5 you zero hit dice since the Drow Noble is supposed to be CR1; your GM might let you run it as a zero but... good luck with that.

So. Doesn't work.

This is a home game

I know LA does not exist, the template has a CR +2.

So I am starting 3 levels behind the party (2 class levels)

My DM did allow the CR limitation of 3.
The Noble Shade wrote:
I know LA does not exist, the template has a CR +2.

I'm really curious about where you're getting this from since neither the DnD Tools link nor Races of Faerun says this.

CR 3 + LA 4 = LA 3? Math is hard, I guess. There is no way this is LA 5.

Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (pg 315)(It has the template which says its CR is a +2)

Arthurus where are you getting those numbers?
Drow Noble is a CR 1 race
Shade is a CR 2 Template
1+2=3

Ah. Yeah... in 3.5, CR and LA are not synonymous terms. Actually becoming a Half-Dragon, for example, requires three levels. It's a CR+2 template.

I would strongly recommend picking a system and sticking with it. If you're going to use the PF Level-equals-CR system, then that does not include a level buy-off. If you're going to use the 3.5 level buy-off system, then that includes using LA.

That said, if your GM is okay with it... I'm not sure what the question is? Will it work what, mechanically? More or less, sure, though you're going to have a rough first few levels and it's doubtful that your damage will ever actually hit its potential. You're stupid-broken defensively due to the Shade, so long as you work out a plan for dealing with sunlight, but those are obvious.

Will it work themeatically? I'd... really want to see that backstory. Shadovar are noted to only create Shades from people 5th level or higher, don't allow people to leave their city (unless your GM is cool with you having a notable military rank!), and don't associate with other races. Drow come with similar baggage, though mildly less stringent.

Will it work balance-wise? Probably not, no, though it depends on how the rest of your party is kitted.

PF has their own rules on playing monster PC and it does note buying off those CR levels. So this would be a PF rule. Half-Dragon in PF is a CR 2 as well.

2d10 will be rough at level 5 that is for sure. The +2 to attack and damage is nice, the Luck bonus to saves with Fate's Favored will add a total of +5 to Will and Fort saves at-will deeper darkness is a way to solve problems when it comes to losing his powers in daylight. Basically be depowered when not in combat, first round of combat drop Deeper Darkness using the vision abilities to see through deeper darkness even in dim light to begin with and go to town.

Shade template actually makes no mention of the Shadovar. It explains that is can be applied to any humanoid creature by removing part (or all) of ones soul and replacing it with Shadowstuff from the Shadow Plane.

So... I'm honestly confused at this point.

What do you want advice on? You asked if "it" would work. What's your actual question?

The question is on the build not if the race combo will work. The Swashbuckler on this build, will it be effective once I get it up. The Luck bonus should help with the poor saves it gets. The Deflection bonus makes him tougher when stuck to light armor. The bonus to Cha means Dodge panache is even better.

The Swashbuckler is... never effective. Not with the Daring Champion and Magus both in existence, beating it up and stealing its stuff.

I know the Daring Champion but can the Magus even gain the good deeds?

I think the question of whether the race works has been answered quite frankly. Anything else is a conversation for your DM.

Well that is not the question here.

I want to know if the Swash will work with this Race combo, I have talked my DM into a Drow Noble campaign where we are all Shade Drow Nobles so the CR increase is kind of useless for class levels.
The Noble Shade wrote:
...I have talked my DM into a Drow Noble campaign where we are all Shade Drow Nobles...

Then you good sir, have a much higher Charisma score IRL than i

The Noble Shade wrote:
I know the Daring Champion but can the Magus even gain the good deeds?

It can get literally every deed on the Swashbuckler list, so unless what you consider "the good deeds" only exist in archetypes, yes.

If you're intent on Swashbuckler, the biggest pitfall you'll hit: Dumping Str is a trap. You need Power Attack. Without it you just won't keep up in damage. The Daring Champion can skate by without it so long as they use Challenges well, but that's not necessarily easy to do so they should still probably take it. The Magus doesn't want it but half their damage comes from a totally different source.

And realistically you'd probably do better with Tiefling instead of Drow Noble for the extra level, but hey.

The Improved Critical at 5th level is nice and the bonus to hit and damage is nice as well.

The Race/Template Combo makes Cha a +4 so I was focusing on a Cha basis. Though I imagine a Magus//Swashbuckler gestalt would be pretty sick mixing in spellcombat with precise strike on a 15-20/x2 weapon.
The Noble Shade wrote:

Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (pg 315)(It has the template which says its CR is a +2)

Arthurus where are you getting those numbers?
Drow Noble is a CR 1 race
Shade is a CR 2 Template
1+2=3

From the links you posted. Shade LA = +4. It is stated very clearly. The Drow Noble has 3 cleric levels, but Bulmahn noted Drow Noble characters should have one less level. That makes it, effectively, a total LA of +6.

But PF does not use LA, specifically it does not use LA. You use the creatures CR which is 2 plus the CR 1 of the Drow Noble puts me at CR 3 which means I am effectively three levels behind. LA was always bloated to make playing anything but the core races a punishment.
The Noble Shade wrote:
The Improved Critical at 5th level is nice and the bonus to hit and damage is nice as well.

Improved Critical was factored into my math in my claims that you need PA. With it, you tip over to superiority when you acquire their Improved Critical, drop off a bit again at level 8, and then regain superiority at level 9 and maintain superiority in damage through the campaign, barring a TWF Cavalier at the really high levels (or a Daring Champion making you their b+$%&, but that's kind of what DCs do to Swashbucklers).

The Noble Shade wrote:
The Race/Template Combo makes Cha a +4 so I was focusing on a Cha basis. Though I imagine a Magus//Swashbuckler gestalt would be pretty sick mixing in spellcombat with precise strike on a 15-20/x2 weapon.

Swashbuckler doesn't really need all that much Cha. Some is good, a lot is unnecessary-- keep in mind that you'll get ~1 panache back per four hits. And... why would you gestalt it with Magus? The Magus already gets Precise Strike. And can auto-Keen their weapon from level 5.

Inspired Blade//Magus is a decent combination, but moreso for the full-BAB than anything else. It's probably the best martial to use, though Bloodrager//Magus has some very interesting possibilities.

It was mostly due to the high crit range with little cost in money and so forth.

I can honestly say that only a race with darkness as a spell-like or somewhat common ability could have the Shade.

Also for a Drow Noble in the surface world there is always the Szarkai (Albino Drow)
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