Indiana Jones

[Shar Tahl]

What core class variant best represents and Indiana Jones type character?

[Velcro Zipper]

I don't have my APG with me at the moment, but the Bard Archivist springs to mind. The free whip proficiency is a nice touch but, IIRC, the archivist replaces the typical performance-based bard stuff with knowledge-based abilities and that seems more appropriate for an Indy-like character.

[CJohnJones]

Shar Tahl wrote:

What core class variant best represents and Indiana Jones type character?

Archivist bard. He can do it all, look good doing it and he uses a whip. Keep in mind, if you are trying to recreate him, that he is max level and rolled really high stats.

[Glutton]

I support this post 100%. if your GM uses 3.5 make sure to pick up Whip Climber from Complete Scoundrel

[james maissen]

Shar Tahl wrote:

What core class variant best represents and Indiana Jones type character?

Bard has most of what's needed. Variants thereof are likely to have you find happiness.

You might wish to decide whether or not Indiana Jones could handle magical traps as well as mundane ones.

Talking with your DM to swap out some spell casting or other ability for traps and possibly evasion might be in order, or a few levels multiclassing in rogue.

-James

[Mikaze]

I knew Indy was using animate rope!

Seriously, if you want to be just like Henry Jones Jr., that spell can certainly help.

[Eric Clingenpeel]

I agree with the Archivist Bard, but you definitely need this trait...

pfsrd wrote:

Prehensile Whip

In your hand a whip has a life of its own, wrapping around pillars and beams with ease.

Benefit: You can use a whip as if it were a rope with a grappling hook at the end. Attaching your whip is a standard action, but detaching it is a full-round action.
Source Adventurer's Armory 31

[ElyasRavenwood]

I did a fair job emulating indianna jones. We were doing the age of worms adventure path, and we got up to 9th level

He had 2 levels of rogue, and 7 levels of bard.

What else, feats combat expertese, improved trip, improved disarm, I also gave him Improved unarmed strike, and from the "book of nine swords" superior unarmed strike ( gave him the monk damage of a halfling)

and there was a skill trick that allowed you to use a whip like a grappling hook.

I Hope this helps.

[Richard Leonhart]

the complete scoundrel got a special kind of skill-thingy, that would let you wrap a whip around something to swing yourself.

aside from that, my suggestion as nearly always with recontruction movie-personas is: monk. He doesn't cast spells, runs pretty fast when the stone is trying to crush him. He doesn't wear armor and hits the bad guys with his fists if he doesn't use his ... handcrossbow with metal balls based on prejecting them trough the explosion of blackpowder ;)

enjoy.

[Firest]

Richard Leonhart wrote:

the complete scoundrel got a special kind of skill-thingy, that would let you wrap a whip around something to swing yourself.

aside from that, my suggestion as nearly always with recontruction movie-personas is: monk. He doesn't cast spells, runs pretty fast when the stone is trying to crush him. He doesn't wear armor and hits the bad guys with his fists if he doesn't use his ... handcrossbow with metal balls based on prejecting them trough the explosion of blackpowder ;)

enjoy.

The problem with Monk is that Indiana Jones isn't that good of a hand to hand combatant.

If you watch his fights in the movies he's mostly up against low-level mooks. When he has to fight someone at a more even level (the bald Nazi, giant Soviet) he tends to get his ass kicked until he can maneuver his opponent into a trap.

Bard/Rogue works well for him.

[tumbler]

I'd say he probably uses the "dirty trick" maneuver from the APG a lot.

[Rezdave]

Shar Tahl wrote:

What core class variant best represents and Indiana Jones type character?

I'd go with either Expert or use a Charisma-based Rogue that trades out Sneak Attacks for other abilities (gaining certain Knowledges as Classed Skills, for example).

We've usually done something like this for "Indiana Jones-inspired" PC concepts. He definitely should have Evasion, Uncanny Dodge and so forth.

FWIW,

Rez

[phoenix182]

Sorry to necro-thread, but just started a solo-campaign (3.5) along this theme ...playing an Indiana Jones based character (i.e. a very knowledgeable explorer of archeological sites obsessed with religious and mystical artifacts).

I picked Scout over Bard, owing to the amount of exploration, running, movement based combat, skills, etc. I also really thought it was important to include the religious/mystical aspect, so included Cleric of Boccob with Knowledge and Magic for my domains which added a TON of synergy, especially regarding knowledge/academia. I felt I had to add one level of Wizard, just for a few spells to aid in 'Indyisms' (like animate rope, disguise self, jump, etc). I also really wanted a snake familiar (and named him Short-Round). Finally we adapted the Loredelver PrC, allowing for divine spellcasters of non-Illumian descent (something we always thought the class deserved anyway since 'tomb-robbing' is inherently more of a clerical sphere than wizardly).

So by the end he'll be a Human Scout 14/Cleric 5/Wizard 1/Lordelver 10. It's not an optimized build by any means, but it's INCREDIBLY fun and very close to true for the character inspiration.

I wish more people played around with themes like this rather than min/maxing. It's crazy awesome.

[Dr. Kreiger]

It Lives!! Mwahahahahahahahahahaha!!