There's also one more solution. Have your wizard take his life in the most disgusting way possible and re-roll a sorcerer. No spellbook, no components (save expensive ones which you shouldn't have too many of at level 9), no problem. Plus sorcerers are cooler anyhow, so it's really a win-win situation.
Quick write up to follow up on the Titan Mauler. Incomplete, but I think I got most of the offensive abilities. Additional Rage powers could include Superstition, Rolling Dodge, or possibly Unexpected Strike (to set up future use of Snap Shot and Imp Snap Shot). You could also go Disruptive and Spellbreaker for the Snap Shot chain.
Goblin Barbarian 12 (Titan Mauler)
(25 point buy system)
Bse Enh Rage
Str 16 16 22
Dex 18 28 28
Con 10 10 16
Int 10 10 10
Wis 12 12 12
Cha 7 5 5
Large Composite Longbow (Gravity Bow) +4 (3d6)
Belt: +4 Str/Dex
Ring of Permanent Reduce Person
Boots of Haste
FEATS/ABILITIES
1) Big Game Hunter(+1 AR, +1 dodge vs larger enemies), Point Blank Shot, rage
2) Jotungrip, rage power (Reckless Abandon)
3) Precise Shot, Massive Weapons (-4 AR penalty reduced for using oversized weapons)
4) Rage power
5) Rapid Shot, Evade Reach
6) Rage power
7) Deadly Aim
8) Rage power
9) Manyshot
10) Rage power
11) Improved Precise Shot, greater rage
12) Rage power
What I like about this build (aside from the uniqueness) is the ability to customize your defenses through Rage Powers. Every build could differ depending on the rage power choices, which gives added flexibility not found in the fighter or ranger variants.
I wouildn't mind him becoming packlord. I already told him that I might have to run a post-CC "Kill Bill" game, where all the children he's sired on the women he raped join together and hunt him down for vengeance. That's if he survives until the end, that is (Though to be fair, he's a tough one to kill. Well over 100 hp at level 7, the ability to heal while raging, and Superstition have made him a tough SOB to bring down, especially with healing backup).
We had this discussion at the table when the fire damage hit. The conclusion was that magical fire spells and spell effects don't hurt flesh golems, they just slow them. But the flaming ability is not a magical spell or spell effect, and just like Alchemists fire, would be able to affect the flesh golem, since he doesn't actually have fire resistance or immunity. It was a 30 minute discussion right in the middle of combat (our group always breaks for rules discussions), but that was the mutual resolution at the end of it.
The campaign had a very interesting start to it, mostly because the party despised all the villagers so much for their suspicion and their superstition. Considering there was a necromancy-heavy witch, the half-orc and an oracle of bones in the first party... they right away clashed with the villagers. They immediately dove straight into the prison, because they were more interested in the undead than the living.
The half-orc has been hilarious to play with. Not to make light of his actions, but listening to him painstakingly explain to a nine year old girl, the importance of eating the heart of your fallen enemies, has had the group in stitches at times. Bear in mind, this was before they even reached the Shudderwood; he has been eating the heart of worthy foes since the beginning. When he found out that's how werewolves determined rank, he became absolutely obsessed with becoming Packlord.
His relationship with Mina has been likewise an interesting one. He originally wanted to sell her into slavery, until he saw her turn into 'Jenny', and since that time is determined that she must be an orc, because she can kill so effectively. He's no protective of her and is nurturing her 'orc blood'. For Mina's part, shielded from the worst of his excesses, she's become an efficient manipulator. The girl has a 15 intelligence while Raknor's is a 6, so she's done quite a bit to redirect his natural bloodlust. One example is that when he gets bored of all the 'talky talky' and wants to kill s$%+, she convinces him to go outside and play with her imaginary friends (i.e; summon monster summoner ability). She used that quite extensively in Ascanor Lodge to keep him from brutalizing Madame Ivanja and her call girl.
1) Basically we're going to have her become a Paladin of Freedom. Same essential abilities, but with a Chaotic Good alignment, with the belief that all people should have the basic rights of freedom and to choose their destiny. That's been discussed already with the player in an aside, because she's the one that approached me with the idea of a class change.
2) You're right, the ritual is problematic, but the Evoker has had a close relationship with Mina, as he's been trying to awaken her potential. Additionally he has an arcane interest in the ritual and he's the one that actually pieced together that it can be activated. He plans to send the party off on a distraction while he activates the ritual itself. Though he's evil, he hasn't actually done anything vulgar in and of itself. To be honest, most of the group has just been selfish more than anything, only Raknor is thoroughly beyond redemption. I'm planning on having any of the other PC's have a chance for an alignment shift if they participate in the re-consecration of the temple. If they refuse then they'll be violently cast out of the communion.
3) This is a big potential issue down the road. Because she's a 9 year old girl when 'Jenny' isn't around, both the Evoker and the Sorcerer have become very protective of her. Whenever something vile has gone down, they've either distracted her, or the Sorcerer wipes her memory (with that 6 second memory-wipe spell). So she's unaware (to date) of the true nature of some of her companions. The real issue, is like always, with Raknor. He sees 'Jenny' as Mina's orc blood trying to break free, and is determined to tutor Mina in the ways of the orc. He's consistently trying to get her to follow in his footsteps and is consistently arguing with his companions who try to shield her. But yes, there is a recipe for strife with the group, and it may end up with at least one PC death. Luckily, our gaming group has been intact for the last 10 years, and we take that sort of thing rather well (Last campaign was an Eberron Pathfinder conversion and my insane CN Barbarian was left on the plane of Xoriat by his 'friends' because they considered him too much of a threat to the world if they let him return).
I have to start this thread because it's been quite an interesting experience running an evil party through Carrion Crown. Their actions and motivations have been so different from those of the other parties here, that I wanted to share them. First off, let me preface this by saying that we did experience quite a bit of turnover in ToTB, due to the air elemental at Schloss Caramarc killing off half the original party. Currently the party is just approaching the Stairs of the Moon in book 3.
The party as it stands includes this:
Roknar - Chaotic Evil Half-Orc Barbarian: Easily the most evil member of the group, he is your prototypical orc savage. Raised within an orc tribe, he killed his father to assume leadership of the tribe, but with his youth and inexperience they were slaughtered by a rival tribe and he barely escaped with his life. He believes in survival of the fittest, might makes right, and so far has killed quite a few NPCs, along with raping a green hag and two werewolves to prove his dominance over them, along with killing one of the werewolf pack leaders and proclaiming himself Packlord (no, he's not a werewolf, but with intelligence of 6, he might not be aware that is necessary).
Lawful Evil Elven Evoker: Not as savagely evil, he is simply ruthless. He's in it for only one reason, personal power and knowledge. Currently researching both golem creation and the history (and magic) of the Runelords, he's devoted to the arcane arts more than anything else.
Sticks - Neutral Evil Gnome Sorcerer: She is less evil, and more capricious. A sensate at heart, all she cares about is new experiences, both wonderful and vile. Has an excerbated case of ADD, she would be far more terrifying if she could focus on anything for longer than a minute or so.
Lawful-Evil Dwarven Priest of Greed: He worships the almighty gold piece, and is constantly exhorting his companions to follow his worship and donate to the church. Beyond talking in a nigh-incomprehensible (bad) Scottish brogue, he's actually a good guy until his streak of greed comes to the surface.
Mina - Lawful Good (Chaotic Evil) Summoner: This one is interesting. She's the summoner that merges with their eidolon (too lazy to look up the name right now), and is a 9 year old girl, that gets possessed by a demon when threatened with danger. It's a flavor take on the summoner class and has been interesting, because the PC is so terrifying in combat that the other PCs have taken to worshiping "Jenny" (as the 9 year old calls her 'imaginary friend'). There is a story twist in place that the girl will find out at the Stairs of the Moon (once the PC's undergo the ritual)that the Demon has been keeping her from aging and she is truly 29 years old, but has been possessed and stifled by the demon for the last 10 years. She will get to confront the demon and if successful will return as a woman of 29 and a paladin of Desna.
Aiden - Neutral Human Fighter (archer build): The only non-evil member of the group, he's taken to crying himself to sleep on some nights; particularly when Roknar is in one of his moods.
Dead PC's include a CE half-elven ranger, NE human summoner, a LE dhampir Oracle and a NE human Witch.
Spoiler:
CC1: This one was the easiest to motivate the PC's with, as they all had background reasons to get involved with the Professor's death. Additionally, the Witch was intrigued by the Whispering Way and determined to make contact with them to plunder their secrets on necromancy. The only real differences here was that the group slaughtered the mob out of hand when they were confronted at the graveyard, had no use for any of the townsfolk except Kendra, and let the townhall burn down, while they laughed at the burning, inbred backcountry hick townsolk. Ironically, they had great sympathy for the ghost, because both the witch and the oracle were heavily into necromancy and went out of their way to cultivate a good relationship with her.
CC2: This is where things started to go wrong. It began just fine; Roknar loved meeting up with the carnies, because he finally found some real-women (ended up seducing the pinhead sisters), which kept his bloodshed at a minimum... at first. However, at the point of investigating the Beast, the PC's started to have problems. Roknar originally wanted to free the Beast so he could challenge him to single combat, but when the Beast started crying about the dead girl, Roknar quickly decided that he should be burned for being a weakling, and attempted to convince the rest of the party to let him burn. Luckily, they had lots of platinum reasons not to do that, which worked for a time.
While investigating the murders, the witch nearly started killing merchants because of the idiotic way they did business in town. Trying to track down the owner of the surgeons' tools irritated him to no small end (you make the tools, then instead of selling them you put them on auction for someone to buy to sell them to the surgeon that actually needs them?! He nearly killed all the merchants involved, simply out of the desire to stop the stupidity at the root source.). Additionally, they killed their guide after he made one too many annoying comments, tossing a flask of alchemist's fire at him and telling him to 'catch it'. Eventually they did prove the Beast's innocence, however reluctantly, though not before the witch ended up falling face first into a bear trap and the ranger got killed by Brother Swarm (which made that fight particularly nasty as she ended up coming back as a wraith mid-fight).
Finally, Schloss Caromarc served as one giant loot-haul at this point. Already irritated at the Beasts' creator for having started all this trouble, they then blamed him for the trolls inhabiting the castle as well, and proceeded to strip the place of anything of value. The evoker mass memorized Shrink Item, and even took doors and other bulky items while Raknor ate all his food while the dwarven priest drank his wine collection and smoked his tobacco. In the end, they didn't bother controlling the Beast, as the orc refused to let a weakling fight his battles. The Air Elemental was a bigger threat than the Aberrant Promethean and they cut him down in just a couple rounds. They did let Count Caromarc live, after shaking him down for as much as they could, threatening him with blackmail.
CC3: At this point, Raknor is the only living member of the original party, but the newcomers have other reasons for wanting the Whispering Way dead. Some just want to get paid, while others want their knowledge or just to settle old debts. We may lose Raknor at this point, as the PC is quickly becoming obsessed with ruling all the werewolf packs by killing and eating the pack leaders' hearts. Other than that, damage has been fairly minimal, as Sticks is heavily enchantment based, and prefers trickery and subterfuge to violence. When some of the PCs have instigated violent confrontation as a solution, she has no hesitance to back up her viewpoints with carefully worded suggestions and charm persons.
