Ok
In my current game, my Rogue/Warlock is getting pulled into a lot of political stuff, to the point where it's becoming an issue of people sitting around while I deal with a month's worth of wrangling in the city over economics and military strategy.
Add on to that the fact that one of the other players wants to do all the rogue type stuff, and I'm feeling a combination of redundant and a drag on the others. So, I'm thinking about retiring my character to semi-NPC level (RPing with the GM via e-mail for him) and bringing in a new character to actually adventure with.
I had this idea awhile back about a Zen Archer/Sorcerer, but it was very hard to do with monks being already MAD. However, the new UM and UC have opened up a lot of possibilities. So, I'm putting what I have here for input on him.
His background is he was left at the door to a monestary, and the monks raised him. As he aged, they found he was not suited to the normal training, and finally found his way with the bow, which was not the favored method for the monestary he was in, although they had scrolls detailing that type of training. When he turned 13, his sorcerous blood awakened, when he healed a dieing monk who had fallen using his Heavenly Fire. The monks decided he was not meant to continue in their monastary, as his preferred way was not theirs, and his blood made him too different. It wasn't a negative thing, they honestly didn't think they were his destiny. And, with his magic awakening, he agreed and began to travel, learning his blood magic as he traveled. Due to his way of the bow, his magic has focused on that, both in making his attacks more dangerous, and in defending (he can pump his AC up to 25 for 2 hours at a time 6 times per day, or pump his bow to 2d6 for 2 minutes up to 6 times a day with his spells). He's dropped into being a performer when he goes to different towns, using his ability with a bow to do trick shots, while acting the clown. His travels have left him with a very active sense of self preservation, always looking for trouble so he can avoid it before it finds him (high perception). He's also picked up quite a bit of lore as a healer as he traveled. In combat, he sets himself up to unload as many arrows into an attacker as he can, even after they close with him. If they try to disarm him or run past him, he uses his combat reflexes to trip them or knock them down or just kick them hard.
Any feedback? I think he's pretty decent as a self-sustaining attacker, able to buff himself and deal decent damage, or get out of dodge if he get's into trouble. The Empyreal bloodline get's him down to two stats he needs, DEX/WIS.
Vahn Wylden
LG Half-elf Monk (Zen Archer)/Sorcerer (Celestial/Empyreal)
Stats (Yes, I rolled really good!)
STR : 13
DEX : 16
CON : 14
INT : 13
WIS : 20 (Includes +2 for half elf, and +1 for 4th level)
CHA : 13
Monk (Zen Archer) : 3 levels
Sorcerer (Celestial/Empyreal) : 2 levels
AC : 21 (10 + 3 (Dex) + 1 (Dodge) + 1 (NA) + 1 (Deflect) + 5 (Wis))
Touch : 20 Flat Foot : 17
Speed 40
Fortitude (5), Reflex (6), Will (11)
CMB (4), CMD (22)
Skills :
Acrobatics (7), Appraise (5), Bluff (5), Climb (5), Escape Artist (7), Heal (11), Intimidate (5), Kn (History) (5), Kn (Religion) (7), Kn (Arcana) (5), Perception (16), Perform (Comedic) (5), Profession (Performer) (9), Ride (7), Sense Motive (9), Spellcraft (5), Stealth (7), Swim (5), UMD (5)
Since they're high, Heal is Wis based, and he get's a +2 from bloodline. Perception is also Wis based, and his Skill Focus is Perception (from half-elf), plus he get's a bonus to it for being half-elf.
Racial Abilities : Low-Light Vision, Skill Focus (Perception), Elf Blood, Immunity to Sleep Effects, +2 vs Enchantment Spells, Keen Senses (+2 Perception), Multitalented (Monk & Sorcerer)
Monk Abilities : Bows Weapon Group, Flurry of Blows with Bows, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Perfect Strike, Weapon Focus (Bows), Point Blank Master (Bows), Unarmed Strike, Increased Speed
Sorcerer Abilities : Summoned Creatures gain DR 1/Evil, Heavenly Fire : 1d4+1 Positive Energy Ray, Damaged Evil, Heals Good, Neutral unaffected, Usable 8 times per day. Good creature limited to one benefit per day. Eschew Materials, Cantrips
Level Benefits : Dodge, Combat Reflexes, Mobility
Equipment :
+1 Longbow (Str +1) +9 to hit, 1d8+3 (+7/+7 when flurrying), 2d6+3 with Gravity Bow
Muleback Cords
Quarterstaff
Amulet of Natural Armor +1
Ring of Protection +1
Ring of Sustenance
MW Backpack
Various Sundries (everyday items, etc)
Spells :
5 Cantrips known, 2 1st level spells
Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Disrupt Undead
Mage Armor, Gravity Bow
Spells per Day : 6 1st Level Spells
Well, with the build you have now, you can easily get into shadowdancer. That might make a decent character development, and two levels would give some cool stuff.
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I like the backstory and flavor! I'm going to have to disagree with the Shadowdancer idea, though...Just to weird to have a divine-fire-casting LG guy go into Shadowdancer.
I think you'd do well to take Deadly Aim and Weapon Focus instead of Combat Reflexes and Mobility.
If you're going for crazy optimization, I might suggest being a dwarf, since you don't need Cha with your bloodline.
Well, with the build you have now, you can easily get into shadowdancer. That might make a decent character development, and two levels would give some cool stuff.
Hmmm, I rarely go into prestige classes, but yeah, I'm real close. I'd have to change my skills around and boost stealth and add Perform (Dance) at 2 ranks. I'm a bit skill point starved. But then again, I haven't spent my favored class bennies yet, so I could add 5 ranks that way. HIPS, Evasion, and Uncanny Dodge are pretty nice bonuses for a 2 level dip.
And it's amazing flavor. Just because it doesn't work! That's the beauty of it, malebranche.
Maybe your deific blood was tainted by shadows. If you change skill focus, you could take a level of shadowdancer and get eldritch heritage at the same time!
I like the backstory and flavor!
Thanks. :)
I'm going to have to disagree with the Shadowdancer idea, though...Just to weird to have a divine-fire-casting LG guy go into Shadowdancer.
It's an iffy one I grant you. It's some nice bennies, but it doesn't fit with the character, I agree. I'm thinking about it. Nothing wrong with thinking. :)
I think you'd do well to take Deadly Aim and Weapon Focus instead of Combat Reflexes and Mobility.If you're going for crazy optimization, I might suggest being a dwarf, since you don't need Cha with your bloodline.
The half-elf gives me favored class with both lines, and also floating +2 with no penalty, which I like. Plus the skill focus with perception (I love having a minimum 17 Perception at 5th level, and I'm not even maxed out on ranks. :))
I'm not going for crazy optimization, just ideas. The CR and Mobility are to take advantage of combat patrol, and later on getting snap shot (from UC) to be able to use his bow in his combat patrol (Which would be nasty with gravity bow on it). I'm not married to that though. I do like the idea of him AoO anyone that get's close and provokes. And he's got Weapon Focus. :) It's under Monk Abilities (Bonus Feat)
Oh,
Two other things I'm looking for input on.
TRAITS
We get two traits, so I'm willing to entertain suggestions, both flavor and crunch. That is, traits that fit the background and traits that fit the crunch direction.
Weapon Groups
We use weapon groups (ala players handbook, 3.5), using the fighter groups from the fighter training. In our game, a 3/4 BAB class get's 2 weapon groups. So, I picked Monk (duh) and I get Simple for free. Bows are expressly given by the archtype. So that leaves me with one weapon group to get. I am leaning heavily toward polearms, especially if I go the combat patrol route, since that gives me two options with that, polearms and bow (with snapshot feat). While it doesn't help with monk stuff, it deffinately fits his abilities.
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A good trait would be magical knack--you'd have a sorcerer CL of 4th and be able to cast 2nd level spells.
If I've got the flavor right, spears might be preferable to polearms? You can have reach, but it looks less "western guard" and more "asian foothills."
Sorry, I missed the bonus feat/half-elf abilities. Got too inundated with information.
A good trait would be magical knack--you'd have a sorcerer CL of 4th and be able to cast 2nd level spells.
If I've got the flavor right, spears might be preferable to polearms? You can have reach, but it looks less "western guard" and more "asian foothills."
Sorry, I missed the bonus feat/half-elf abilities. Got too inundated with information.
That's not how the trait works, it raises your caster level, not your class level. However, it would boost my range on my spells, and my DCs and concentration checks, so that's a good idea.
Hmm, it's not aisan foothills, but... yeah, spears might work better. So yeah, I'll take spears instead, gives me the same effect.
And no problem, it's a lot to look over. :)
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Making a back-up character is considered bad form as it gives you less incentive to keep your current one alive (and gives the DM less incentive to do so as well). If you clear it with your group first and it's because your current character is dragging (as you say), then it's not creating a back-up, it's creating a replacement.
Making a back-up character is considered bad form as it gives you less incentive to keep your current one alive (and gives the DM less incentive to do so as well). If you clear it with your group first and it's because your current character is dragging (as you say), then it's not creating a back-up, it's creating a replacement.
I think that's dependent on who you play with. I had a guy who made a new character every week and two on holidays, and he played the same character for a year and a half. And as to the gm incentive, the GM shouldn't be having an incentive either way, he either dies or doesn't.
However, I did talk to my GM about it, and I'm waiting on her decision. Even if I don't end up using this guy to play in a game, I might use him in mine as an NPC or BBEG.
Follow up, in case anyone is interested.
Talked to my GM, and she agreed, that my current character was getting pulled into a lot of politics in the game world, and was going to have a hard time adventuring. So, he's now a partial NPC, and I'm doing RP stuff between games with him via e-mail. He's hired on people to replace him and another PC that left (my wife's character, she had to quit due to work issues). So that all worked out well.
I played the new character this weekend, and he was a lot of fun to play. His final stats worked out as below. He was fun to play, and when he got into combat he was keeping up with the fighter of the group (20 Str Adamantine Warforged Fighter with a Falchion build). The fighter/cleric was dishing out about the same damage as well. My monk averaged, on a full attack flurry, about 20hp in damage if he hit both times (and he usually did) with gravity bow active. The fighter was doing about the same with his falchion with power attack (averaging 18-20) and the fighter/cleric was doing about 17 a round. If I missed, obviously, I did less.
We fought some giant ants first (4 CR 2's) and made pasty goo out of them. Then we fought a pair of huge spiders (CR 4's) and my monk got trapped in the room behind both of them, with only him and the cleric able to attack them. I had gravity bow up, and the cleric and I did 40 hp to the one blockign the door and turned it into pasty goo (I rolled 11 and 12 on my two hits, on the dice, so almost max damage!). Then the cleric and I pasted the other one, both of us critted on it (in different rounds). I did 12 with one hit, and he did 50 even with his crit. There wasn't even anything left of it per the GM.
Finally, the fighter, monk and cleric entered a room with a collosal centipede. It was 35 feet away when we stepped in, and then it 5ft adjusted and attacked at range (30 feet of reach!). The warforged fighter charged it, and started hacking at it. The cleric enlarged himself and ran forward to. I just stayed at 30 feet and flurried every round. Fortunately, it kept attacking the warforged (it was the closest) and while it was doing damage to him (and the cleric, who had shielded the warforged, and was taking half his damage), the warforged was immune to the absolutely MASSIVE amount of poison the thing was pumping out (4d6 a hit). It took us about 5 rounds to kill it. The cleric had to use a single channel when the fight was over to get everyone mostly healed up (the warforged is still down a bit).
I never got a single HP of damage the entire night. So I'm very happy with my character. :) The funniest part was my character ended up doing the trap searching, because the Warforged Artificer (who is now our team rogue) kept rolling 5 or less on his perceptions and lock pickings. :) Three times I reached out and tapped him on the shoulder and said "Uh, shouldn't you disable that trap right there? Before you pick the lock?". :)
LG
Zen Archer Monk 3/Empyreal Sorcerer 2
HP : 37
STR : 13
DEX : 16
CON : 14
INT : 13
WIS : 20
CHA : 13
I did roll well for stats (Wis includes +2 racial and +1 from 4th level). Note that I really only use 2 stats (Dex & Wis), the rest aren't really used. STR gives me a tiny bump on damage, but not much.
AC : 21 (10 + 3 (Dex) + 1 (Dodge) + 1 (Natural) + 1 (Deflect) + 5 (Wis)
Touch : 20 Flat Foot 17
Fort Save : 5
Reflex Save : 6
Will Save : 11 (+2 vs Enchantment)
Melee : +4
Ranged : +6
CMB : +4
CMD : 22
Skills
Acrobatics (8), Appraise (5), Bluff (5), Climb (5), Craft Bow & Arrows (5), Escape Artist (7), Heal (11), Intimidate (5), KN History (5), Kn Religion (7), Kn Arcana (5), Perception (18), Perform Comedy (5), Profession Street Performer (9), Ride (7), Sense Motive (9), Spellcraft (5), Stealth (7), Survival (10), Swim (5), UMD (5)
I put 1 pt into ever class skill, and maxed out perception and put an extra point into acrobatics. I took skill points for my first 5 levels for favored class bonus. He doesn't try to sneak past trouble, he spots trouble 2 miles away and just walks around it the long way. :)
Racial :
Low-Light Vision, Skill Focus (Perception), Elf Blood, Immunity to Sleep Effects, +2 vs Enchantment Spells, Keen Senses (+2 Perception), Multitalented (Monk & Sorcerer)
Sorcerer (Celestial/Empyrean) :
Use WIS for casting spells, +2 Heal & Knowledge (Religion), Heavenly Fire : 1d4+1 Positive Energy Ray, Damaged Evil, Heals Good, Neutral unaffected, Usable 8 times per day, Good creature limited to one benefit per day, Eschew Materials, Cantrips
Monk (Zen Archer) :
Bows Weapon Group, Flurry of Blows with Bows, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Perfect Strike, Weapon Focus (Bows), Point Blank Master (Bows), Unarmed Strike
Level Benefits : Feats (1st, 3rd, 5th)
Dodge, Combat Reflexes, Mobility
Traits :
Magical Knack (+2 Caster Level for Sorcerer)
Outcast (+1 Survival, Survival becomes class skill) (campaign thing, half-elves treated like half-orcs)
Attack with Bows : 5 (Wisdom) + 3 (BAB) + 1 (Wpn Focus)
Weapons :
+1 Composite Longbow (Str +1), Kusarigama, Unarmed Strike, Longspear
Magic Items :
Muleback Cords, Amulet of Natural Armor +1, Ring of Protection +1, Ring of Sustenance 2500gp
Spells Per Day :
6 first level spells (CL 4)
Known Spells
0 : Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Disrupt Undead
1 : Mage Armor (Boosts armor to 25), Gravity Bow (Bow treated as Large)