Well, I have to make a new AoW character, lol
We are just about 3rd level and in the final stages of the Whispering Cairn. Due to other party deaths, some other players have taken advantage of the new classes in PHB II, and we currently have:
Human Cleric of Procan
Human Rogue (Sneaky/Ranged Specialist)
Human Fighter (Ranged Specialist)
Human Duskblade
Human Duskblade (another one)
Dragon Shaman (Whatever the race is in Races of the Dragon where you transform into a dragon, thats what he is)
I was the party wizard, but I ran afoul of a couple of corrupt town guards, and then some of the St Cuthbert clerics found me standing over dead bodies, and it went downhill from there...
I'm pondering a couple of options for my replacement character, and I'm wondering what everyone else thinks the party might benefit from given our current roster?
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Cool... a cleric of Procan! Very nice.
With the Duskblades (love that class!) and the Dragon Shaman, the need for raw firepower seems to be covered rather well, and the Rogue should take care of traps and such. IMO, you can never have too many clerics, especially when the Age of Worms is approaching, and the party seems to be a bit low on future high-level spellcasting.
So - may I perhaps suggest a priest of Kelanen, the Prince of Swords? Besides being a slice-and-dice close combatant, you could load up on Diplomacy and Extra Turning and, whoa! you'll be everybody's favourite party member. Enjoy!
I'll second the suggestion for someone with a bit of Diplomacy... in fact, I'd even go so far as to recommend playing a bard. Even if you have someone with rudimentary social Skills, it will pay greatly to have a character invest in skills like Gather Information, Bluff, most of the Knowledges, etc.
Thanks for the responses.
I was pondering my options during work last night (I work graveyards) and I came up with a few options, some of which match your suggestions.
1. A bard, albeit a bard using the PHB II "Jack of all trades" option.
2. A Cleric of Pelor, headed towards Radiant Servant of Pelor. However, this I'd have to run past the DM, as I don't want to upstage anyone else once the AoW starts in full... But that being said, as was noted above, you can never have too many clerics. Plus the party is missing a real tank, someone with a high AC, as the duskblades, fighter and rogue all wear light armor, and the cleric of Procan is willing to slug it out up front, but frankly, having the only cleric be the tank is not exactly optimal, lol
3. Some form of Arcane Caster, since otherwise our Arcane component will consist of the two duskblades and the rogue using UMD.
I too was going to suggest a bard as a good fit. The group I have running through this has nobody with any diplomacy skill, so it will be interesting to see how things go throughout the campaign.
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as the duskblades, fighter and rogue all wear light armor,
If you get a chance check with the duskblade players to see if either of them plan on taking the Battle Caster feat (p. 75) from Complete Arcane. It would let them cast in heavy armor without spell failure after they get Armored mage (medium) from their class at 4th level.
EDIT:
I was worrying so much about the specifics of the feat & level for it, forgot the reason for it. If one of the duskblades winds up going with heavy armor will mean you won't have to be the tank for the grp. They're probably going to be in or near the front line ideally anyway.
I too was going to suggest a bard as a good fit. The group I have running through this has nobody with any diplomacy skill, so it will be interesting to see how things go throughout the campaign.
Well, whatever I come in as, I'll probably have diplomacy... seeing as how a lack of diplomacy (along with a lack of wisdom and an general tendency to kill corrupt Diamond Lake guards that try to mug me) is what got my original character into trouble in the first place.
Although I should note that my original character is still playable, however, I feel that given his "trial" and the public humiliation and suffering he endured (imposed for his "crimes" of self-defense... and subsequent attempt to leave the crime scene... and resisting arrest) he'd probably switch from CG to CN, and probably be pretty likely to try and hunt down everyone who threw rocks and rotten vegetables at him while he was in the stocks.... combine that with the fact that I killed some town guards, and its probably for the best if I retire this character, rather than sidetrack the campaign.
as the duskblades, fighter and rogue all wear light armor,If you get a chance check with the duskblade players to see if either of them plan on taking the Battle Caster feat (p. 75) from Complete Arcane. It would let them cast in heavy armor without spell failure after they get Armored mage (medium) from their class at 4th level.
EDIT:
I was worrying so much about the specifics of the feat & level for it, forgot the reason for it. If one of the duskblades winds up going with heavy armor will mean you won't have to be the tank for the grp. They're probably going to be in or near the front line ideally anyway.
Good Point. I know one of them isn't taking it (he is a pirate-inspired character for the style), but the other one packs around a greatsword, so he might be taking that feat.
Another thing I'm considering that is making me lean towards cleric (or another Divine Caster) is that right now we have a 7 man party. And only 1 person who can cast cure spells. Although I believe the Dragon Shaman has some healing ability, he just hasn't exhibited it yet.
1 divine caster keeping 6 other PCs and himself up to strength just doesn't work too well. I know we've had to camp out for multiple days on several occasions due to a lack of healing spells. (And a lack of cash to buy healing items)
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As you've said yourself and others have suggested... Clerics can really shine in this campaign. I'd suggest distinguising yourself in significant ways from the other holy (wo)man in the party, so that you don't feel like Band-Aid Guy #2.
I believe there are feats out there... somewhere... that allow those with the ability to turn undead to do so cooperatively. Perhaps it's a spell, or a variant rule; I'm sure I've seen it, though. Complete Divine would be my first suggestion as to where it might be, followed by Unearthed Arcana. Might be worth some investigation on your part, if you have those resources.
Have fun!
Of course, if you're worried about the lack of healing, the bard gets Cure spells from about Level 2 (assuming high CHA) - that will make him popular!
Replacement character?
Depends on what level your DM has you start out at.
If were at higher levels than I'd go see if he'd allow me to take the Greenstar Adept prestige class. Once you hit 10th level those pesky worms and undead attacks are utterly worthless against you.
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Whether your party needs a tank or not depends a lot on your style of play - i.e. stand-and-slug vs. duck-and-weave. However, the Dragon Shaman is a capable close combatant, as will the other Duskblade be once he gets into that suit of platemail.
I agree that a Bard would be a worthy addition, and that the Green Star Adept is extremely cool. However, as your party only has one dedicated, full-progression spellcaster, you are facing the very real possibility that, even at very high levels, only the Procan Cleric can cast spells of lvl 6 and up. Though the Duskblades shred, their spell selection is rather limited, and a Bard or GSA has a slow spell progression.
Thus, as you will need high-end magical power, you might want to consider one of these options:
1. A straight-up Cleric. Avoid multiclassing or PrCs, as these generally hurt your ability to turn undead (the AP has a couple of them...). The exception to this, of course, is the Radiant Servant, which is, simply put, great.
2. A Bard, aiming for the Sublime Chord PrC. This allows you to cast lvl 9 bard spells at high levels.
3. If the other Cleric has the undead thing under control, you might want an arcane caster. I personally love the specialist Wizard/Cleric/Mystic Theurge combo - it gives you blasting, buffing and healing, though it leaves you largely unable to fight or turn undead.
My 5 øre...