Ok, might be coming at this bass-akwards, but here it is.
I’ve decided to make another attempt at finding a PbP game that will live longer than a few weeks. However, I can’t make characters quickly enough for the recruitment threads. By the time I come up with a concept, back story, description, personality, and build – well they have already chosen and started playing. I don’t have a problem getting things done quickly in game, but building a new character often takes me weeks.
Therefore, I’m going to make up a series of characters that are say 90% done. When there is an opening that I want to apply for, I will chose one of my PC’s that seem most likely to fit. Then I can modify things to a greater or lesser extend to make them even more applicable.
A long time ago, I had a fighter/rogue that was Lawful Evil and very much not stupid. I played him as a bloodthirsty vicious killer. He enjoyed slaughtering and humiliating his foes. However, he was smart enough to realize that indiscriminant killing would get him executed.
So he was very careful to only let himself loose on the known or provable bad guys. Usually at the behest of the authorities. He loved the “Wanted dead or alive” posters and always brought them back dead.
Also more than smart enough to realize that screwing with your allies is not a winning strategy.
I want to revisit that personality but do it as a gish instead of a fighter/rogue.
Since he is this LE vicious killer gish - I’m thinking buff self, debuff the enemy, then hack them with weapons.
Lore warden to get more class skills to use with my relatively high number of skill points and probably won’t be using heavy armor anyway.
Sage Sorcerer because I like the intelligence casting stat since it will give me more skill points. I don’t really like prepared or book casters (especially not for a PbP where I won’t necessarily have all my stuff with me when posting).
The Eldritch Knight to combine them.
This character practically begs for Teifling both for the personality and the early entry into EK.
1) Would you be willing to have a guy with this personality in your group?
2) Can this be made to work reasonably well? Yes, I know it is not optimal, but can it a least be halfway decent?
3) Should I go only spells for defense, Arcane Armor Training, or Still Spell (or ones with no somatic components)? Not sure which will work better.
4) Anything I should particularly avoid or work toward?
{{ Note: I considered the same personality with an inquisitor. But I’m not sure I can see him as a religious unless I do a zealot type. Then how is he going to really cooperate with a group that isn’t all the same religion? Still not sure. }}
chirp
The Fighter/spellcaster/EK is a pretty good option, but why not go Magus from the get-go?
Arcane Armor training isn't terribly useful. Wasting your swift action is annoying, especially when you'd probably want arcane strike to enhance your attacks.
If you really want to go armored, go Magus. If you're dedicated to the Fighter/spellcaster/EK, you'll want Mage armor, shield, blur, ablative barrier, mirror image, displacement, Stoneskin, and so forth -- things that cause miss chances and absorb damage.
I don't particularly like prepared casters, especially for a PbP where I will often be posting without access to all my info, so I need everything possible on the boards.
The couple of times I tried in in the last few years, I found spell book casters to be incredibly annoying. To really make use of the strength of the prepared-book caster. You have to spend a LOT of effort and cash keeping the book as full as possible. I just didn't find it very fun.
Magi don't have very many of my favorite spells. They aren't a horrible selection, but they tend to be fairly 'standard' always used spells. Though they do have Force Hook Charge which I think is pretty snazzy.
I still might do magus, but it isn't my first choice. If I did, it would probably be the spontaneous caster version. Unfortunately that starts to get away from my 'smart' LE guy concept into a 'charming' LE guy concept.
Good point on the defense, I will try to rely on spells.