I've recently gotten involved in a PbP game in a custom world setting. We've been piecing our characters together and I can't seem to decide on which class I'd like to play. Due to the nature of PbP it's going to be ridiculously slow paced (1 post a day, ignoring weekends) and initiative is ignored. I haven't seen combat play out in these games, so I don't know how tactical it will be or if a tactics-based class is worth it.
Here are the basics:
- Core & Advanced Players Guide only
- 30 point buy, 1st level
- Group will (probably) contain 2 clerics, or a cleric & oracle.
- One of the two clerics is confirmed to focus on spellcasting
- No neutral/evil characters. Druids can be LG/NG/CG.
About the only thing I've cemented so far is that I want to be a Surface Drow (+2 Dex/Int, -2 Con) which you can find detailed here if you're interested. I'm really heavily considering going the Druid route, building the character into a hybrid style (similar to 3.5) capable of going melee after his spells are depleted. With 30 points I can build up some decent physical stats while focusing on wisdom.
I just don't have much of a clue on how to do this successfully, though. Which archetypes are worth considering for this type of build? What feats are essential (beyond Augment Summoning, of course) for a hyrbid style druid? Or would there be a stronger class that I could pursue instead?
Thanks in advance for any insight/tips/guidance you can offer.
I've also been considering a bard character, as the group will have 5-6 additional players and I don't see this going poorly in terms of group dynamics. Any ideas there?
Wizards always welcome and fun.
... I'm really heavily considering going the Druid route, building the character into a hybrid style (similar to 3.5) capable of going melee after his spells are depleted. With 30 points I can build up some decent physical stats while focusing on wisdom...
I haven't played PbP since 2nd Ed, but a druid seems like a very difficult druid seems like a very difficult choice. Got you and your anaimal companion to keep track of. Plus every time you shape change you have to geive the GM all you new stats for what ever you picked to become this time.
My experience was that PbP only worked very well when each of the chars had a modest number of easily understandable choices. Ranger might be easier. Your experience may vary. {shrug}
If you do decide to go with it, I've seen shape changing druids be very respectable melee combatants. Especially if they have time to buff before changing into a bear or whatever. They don't focus on wisdom though. they only take it to about 14. The rest in physical stats. They often put a level or 2 of monk or rogue in there.
I haven't played PbP since 2nd Ed, but a druid seems like a very difficult druid seems like a very difficult choice. Got you and your anaimal companion to keep track of. Plus every time you shape change you have to geive the GM all you new stats for what ever you picked to become this time.
My experience was that PbP only worked very well when each of the chars had a modest number of easily understandable choices. Ranger might be easier. Your experience may vary. {shrug}
That's some really solid advice, and now has me steering away from the Druid.
Wizards always welcome and fun.
Your race is heavily suboptimal for a druid. Beyond that, trying to go both spell casting and melee will tax your feats heavily and in the end you'll be decent at both (at best).
With that race I would consider a magus (dervish dance). Optionally any intelligence based caster will benefit from your stats, as will ninja (bonus to charisma would be better than intelligence, but oh well).
I love wizards, but I've played quite a few in the past two years and I'm really looking to break free of that spellcasting list. As far as magus or ninja goes, neither of those are available to me (Core & APG only).
So now bard is looking incredibly attractive. Any thoughts on that?