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Let's play make believe.
The situation: your DM is letting you pick and play any monster in the beastiaries and retroactively pick feats and skills according to its Hit Dice. However, the rules for 'buying back' levels in the back of beastiary 1 mean you will always lag behind in class levels if you pick anything with a cr of 3+. The severity of this lag is, of course, dependant on the CR of the beastie you choose.
On the other hand, you could just go standard race for this campaign and enjoy full class levels the whole way.
The campaign will be brutal acording to your DM. It will start at high level and end well into the 20's.
What do you do? Do you play another standard race character and enjoy all the power that comes with a fully leveled and then some character? Or do you take the opportunity to play a high CR beastie?
If you had this opportunity, what beastie would you choose to play (or would you not play a monster) and why?
Assumptions:
DM is letting you play any beastiary 1,2, or 3 monster. There is no CR cap (for build argument and build planning's sake)
Level cap around 27. (DM's exact words are "closer to 30 than 20")
Using the 'Monsters as PC's' rules from the back of beastiary 1.
Crap-ton of starting gold ("...at least 25% more than sandard wealth for a level 21, possibly more." His exact words. ), but no ability to buy equipment as you level through the campaign. No word on crafting.
I look forward to seeing the fruit of your wonderful, creative minds. I'll type up and post what I would do later today.
Goblin... Nothing worse than getting your @$$ handed to you by a goblin. You don't even have to take a hit to go Goblin.
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I'd ask the DM if I could convert a Thri-kreen (non-psionic) to PF. Cause I really love the mantids. If that went over I'd roll up a pure alchemist. "good news everyone! Flasks EVERYWHERE!" and be a total party bro with 4 healing flasks for all a round.
If not, Minotaur Monk, wearing armor (screw the wisdom AC, fast movement and flurry at this point) with brawling on the armor, while wearing an amulet of mighty fists. pour all my points into dex so I can grab two weapon fighting feats for my own armored flurry. Master of Many Styles using Janni Rush. Ever been hit by a large cow doing a FALCON PUNCH?
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Clearly you'd want to go Boggard.
Let's play make believe.
It's what we do here. ;)
you will always lag behind in class levels if you pick anything with a cr of 3+.
Does this mean anything with CR 1 or 2 is fair game?
If I was playing a caster I would go with full levels and no CR lag.
If I was playing a melee character I would go with a CR hit and play an entertaining monster (e.g. if I wanted to be a scout I'd probably roll up a quickling).
The "Classic X Revisited"-creatures have some interesting feats available to them.
Song Dragon Bard, for the lulz.
fairie dragon sorceror keep full casting levels above that get good charisma and stats and can fly at will. Get good spell like abilities but bloodline might be delayed.
Or make a leshy charisma based caster.
Oh are templates allowed?
I'd rather go 0 HD race with full levels -- I'd feel I'd more likely mechanically get more out of it (more abilities per hit die/level) and if I want to do something like play a caster, I definitely want full character level to have caster levels as high as possible.
Also, if the game starts high level, it means I might be able to try a prestige class build that is often a pain to build from level one (sometimes EK or Arcane Trickster, always Mystic Theurge) but might be fun/interesting/exciting to just dive in at high levels. Splitting my level between HD and class levels would make that unlikely.
From a roleplay point of view, I also often--though not always--find it more of a fun challenge to take what some might think is a "boring" race or class and make a fun and awesome background and personality to play, than take a monster that is "exciting" but then it's easy to just let the fact that it's a monster be the reason it's awesome and not the other aspects of character concept creation. Of course it's possible to do both, but harder. I'd rather be known for "Bob, the guy who did that awesome thing" then "that dragon character."
OTOH, it may also depend on the nature of the campaign and the plot hook the GM has thrown at us. If something specific about the setting/hook gives me a great idea for a monstrous PC, then I'll probably go for it.
The tarrasque is CR25, therefor fits under the "approximately level 27" limit.
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Initial cr is 21 so the tarresque is out, unfortunately
If you have an awesome idea that uses templates feel free to share!
My idea was an intelligent (possibly lifespark template) adamantine or mithral golem with Combat Patrol and related feats and lvls in Stalwart Defender. Become the most amazing squishy protector ever. :)
Drider cleric can get more cleric levels than a 0 hd race.
Without an INT score, how does a Gelatinous Cube become an adventurer?
1. I'm assuming that the thread is for generating adventurers, and not, like, just gladiator pit fighters or something. Correct me if I'm wrong.
2. I am not trying to be snarky. I honestly am intrigued by the notion of a gelatinous cube being a hero. I'm sure we can come up with something more interesting than "wish spell" or "polymorphed fighter".
Well fed pet Barbarian.
Clearly you'd want to go Boggard.How would you build yourself, Mr. Boggard?
Clearly singing and dancing would be important so I would go bard (savage skald, melee brute/controller build looking to exploit Sticky Tongue when feasible).
young succubus arcane bloodline sorcerer with the leadership feat. name her Koakuma. make her cohort an asthmatic purple haired samsarang wizard with a 5 constitution named Patchouli Knowledge.
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I'd ask the DM if I could convert a Thri-kreen (non-psionic) to PF. Cause I really love the mantids. If that went over I'd roll up a pure alchemist. "good news everyone! Flasks EVERYWHERE!" and be a total party bro with 4 healing flasks for all a round.
If not, Minotaur Monk, wearing armor (screw the wisdom AC, fast movement and flurry at this point) with brawling on the armor, while wearing an amulet of mighty fists. pour all my points into dex so I can grab two weapon fighting feats for my own armored flurry. Master of Many Styles using Janni Rush. Ever been hit by a large cow doing a FALCON PUNCH?
Playing Thri-Kreen is easily my favorite part of 4e. My LFR characters contain a level 25 Thri-Kreen Monk, a level 21 Thri-Kreen Rogue, and a level 23 Thri-Kreen Fighter. They're ridiculously fun.
Always found Minotaur to be surprisingly playable.
Efreeti. With Leadership.
your Ifriti Sultan's cohort should be an enslaved Djinni War Prisoner.
Play as Choral the Conqueror.
Young succubus arcane bloodline sorcerer with the leadership feat. name her Koakuma. make her cohort an asthmatic purple haired samsarang wizard with a 5 constitution named Patchouli Knowledge.
You've got it all wrong!! Koakuma is the cohort, and Patchouli is the Wizard with the Leadership feat.
(I'm a Patchouli fanboy, bite me)
I got to play a Half-Fiend (Devil) Elf Wizard (Necromancer) once. It was pretty awesome, and one of my allies was a Wereshark Barbarian.
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Nymph Druid.
CR7, 8HD casts as a 7th level druid anyway. Charisma to saves and armour class, blind and stun at will with a decent save.
If taking an animal companion then boon companion is obligatory and if 3rd party is allowed then Greater Animal Companion from Feats of Divine Might.
Assuming 27th level you'd have a Nymph Druid 27 who cast as a 34th level druid.
If your going to be a caster be one that stacks with existing spellcasting like farie dragon but with farie dragon you get d12 hit dice +3 fort and will saves. Immunity to sleep and paralysis. And a few more skill ranks.
Nobody mentionning a dragon or a solar with reduced HD?
Invisible Stalker Rogue. You are always invisible so sneak attack away!
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Young succubus arcane bloodline sorcerer with the leadership feat. name her Koakuma. make her cohort an asthmatic purple haired samsarang wizard with a 5 constitution named Patchouli Knowledge.You've got it all wrong!! Koakuma is the cohort, and Patchouli is the Wizard with the Leadership feat.
(I'm a Patchouli fanboy, bite me)
I got to play a Half-Fiend (Devil) Elf Wizard (Necromancer) once. It was pretty awesome, and one of my allies was a Wereshark Barbarian.
i know Koakuma would be the cohort, i just wanted to take advantage of Koakuma's epic leadership score to bring Patchouli even more love. Patchouli would still be the one in control.
Must make Owlbear . .
Wait, with the Nymph druid. If your class says "as x lvl caster" and you take lvls as x class those caster lvls stack?
yes although the blinding beauty could be a problem depending on the party and you might have to suppress it if they are humanoid.
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So CR 21 max, right?
I would strongly consider a Pleroma Aeon:
- CR 20, casts spells as a 20th-level cleric AND can choose sorcerer/wizard spells as cleric spells (this also stacks with cleric levels), fast healing, 20d8 melee touch with reach, 1/day Wish, and 3/day Sphere of Annihilation!
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So CR 21 max, right?
I would strongly consider a Pleroma Aeon:
- CR 20, casts spells as a 20th-level cleric AND can choose sorcerer/wizard spells as cleric spells (this also stacks with cleric levels), fast healing, 20d8 melee touch with reach, 1/day Wish, and 3/day Sphere of Annihilation!
120ft Blindsight and constant True Seeing is a nice bonus.
One question: how the heck would that thing use magic items?
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So CR 21 max, right?
I would strongly consider a Pleroma Aeon:
- CR 20, casts spells as a 20th-level cleric AND can choose sorcerer/wizard spells as cleric spells (this also stacks with cleric levels), fast healing, 20d8 melee touch with reach, 1/day Wish, and 3/day Sphere of Annihilation!
120ft Blindsight and constant True Seeing is a nice bonus.
One question: how the heck would that thing use magic items?
Good question. How would it? It is roughly humanoid in shape. Maybe it can selectively solidify?
Good question. How would it? It is roughly humanoid in shape. Maybe it can selectively solidify?So CR 21 max, right?
I would strongly consider a Pleroma Aeon:
- CR 20, casts spells as a 20th-level cleric AND can choose sorcerer/wizard spells as cleric spells (this also stacks with cleric levels), fast healing, 20d8 melee touch with reach, 1/day Wish, and 3/day Sphere of Annihilation!
120ft Blindsight and constant True Seeing is a nice bonus.
One question: how the heck would that thing use magic items?
Where does it say it's incorporeal? According to Void form they are semi-tangible not incorporeal…
Immunity to critical hits is good too. The major default I see is the "envisaging" in the language section… Not been able to speak with your fellow players is a big drawback.
Put skill points in linguistics?