D&D Carte Blanche

[the_spooky]

Okay, here's the purely theoretical situation:

You are joining a new campaign, none of the other chars have histories with each other (so you aren't the "new kid" as far as interactions go, you'll all be on the same footing), and as far as you know, the world is a fairly run-of-the mill fantasy one, events will unfold as the game goes on.

However, you are allowed to build any character you like, race/class/ECL are entirely up to you (Your DM is some sort of game-balance deity).

The question here is: what would you play, and more importantly, why?

It'd be cool to play some sort of wicked powerful creature, but stats block aside, what would drive your character, especially a monstrous one (if you go that route), to perform feats of derring-do/villainy, or even just get out of the lair for a couple weeks?

Of course, this hinges directly on your (or your group's) style of play.

(And if you choose the Tarrasque [and you know someone will], you'd better have a damn good reason aside from "I'm hungry". scream )

Maybe this is a kind of silly question, but all the D&D discussions I've been looking at on Gaia got me thinking about this sort of thing...

Discuss!

[Peddy]

You know, truth be told I'd probably still end up playing something normal. Low or no ECL race, and then whatever class best fit the concept.

I've done the monsterous character thing in the past (our group has had a handfull of the-stranger-the-better one shots, mainly as a mental excercise) and to tell the truth it gets kinda dull in the end. Because there's such a disconnect from what you can envision and empathize with when you're playing something really alien, it becomes really hard to get inside the character's head and actually play the character, rather than just play yourself but with 'kewl powerz'. I mean hell, it's hard enough to play an elf as something other than just a human with pointy ears, but when you're talking about things like a Multiheaded Vampiric Anthropomorphic Whale, a Half-Celestial Gelatinous Cube, or even a relativly straightforward Kuo-Toa Monk it quickly approaches impossible.

If I was to play something monsterous, its motivations would have to be pretty close to normal or I'd just end up saying screw it and play something I can understand and enjoy.

[Draco Obscura]

Assuming a non-Epic char, I would go with a Necromancer 5/ Cleric 5/ True Necromancer 10. Neutral Evil. Grey Elf.

I would leave my lair in order to obtain the necesary Artifacts to put my plan of Planar Conquest into action.

Kinda plain, but I like a "normal" character.

[Peddy]

DracoObscura

Assuming a non-Epic char, I would go with a Necromancer 5/ Cleric 5/ True Necromancer 10. Neutral Evil. Grey Elf.

I would leave my lair in order to obtain the necesary Artifacts to put my plan of Planar Conquest into action.

Kinda plain, but I like a "normal" character.

Oh hey, that reminds me - DO, the True Necromancer has been updated with Libris Mortis. 14 lvl PrC, few other things. I can send you a copy if you're interested.

[Draco Obscura]

Absolutely! I'm a poor shmuck, so I can't afford all the pretty new 3.5 supplements, and True Necro and Pale Master were my two favorite PrCs from Tome & Blood

[Genshiro]

I'd just probably play my female Hexblade. In it for herself, enjoys the booze and shedding blood, and her main motivation is either treasure, or because she's really bored. Good fights help too... Of course, all this is depending on if her party can stand her; she's pretty insulting at times and almost always sarcastic.

[Peddy]

DracoObscura

Absolutely! I'm a poor shmuck, so I can't afford all the pretty new 3.5 supplements, and True Necro and Pale Master were my two favorite PrCs from Tome & Blood

Cool, cool. Shoot me off an email at [e-mail] real quick then, if you'd be so kind. 3nodding

[kustross]

I think I would play a Kitsune from AEG's Fortune's and Wind book. I'd want to go for the sorcerer class. I really like how AEG balanced the shifters by having them select taboos every 5 levels, and I like Kitsune, though the other shifters in the book are neat too.

[Akujo]

Lycanthropic were-bear iron half-golem.

And hes a pacifistic monk with the vow of nonviolence and peace from "Book of Exalted Deeds."

He's a supre strong basher with lots of HP and decent other scores, but he wont fight until needed.

Of course he'd be going out in the world to spread peace and show the people the error of their ways.

[Arc Vembris]

Half-Vampire Paladin Ranger Hutner of the Dead with two-weapon style and oversized 2Weapon fighting.

[Sirithdelroth]

A Half-Red Dragon Ithilid sorcerer.
With energy substitution (fire)


essentially it's a Mind Flayer That would light you on fire on sight.
and has claws.

[SilverEyesthatseethewind]

I would probably play a were dire tiger paladin with the Saint templant from the "Book of Exalted Deeds" and the Divine Hammer prestige class from the Ultimate Prestige book. This paladine would be ready for a fight but would throw his life way in a hopeless fight.

[dudebro711]

Me? I'd play a Lich Necromancer. I own the miniature for it whee and I really like the thought of it. It's a pretty cool idea. Besides, Lich are my favorite undead. I'd probably demand to be called Nerzhul, but hey, Lich rule! All hail the Lich King!

[MishaTerina]

I happen to really like Psions, particulaly Telepaths. At least, 3.0 psions, I don't know anything about any other editions' Psionics. My favorite psion that I've played so far, though, has been my Githyanki psychic warr/ psion/ pyrokineticist. His main drive for adventuring is learning what is and is niot true about the Githyanki paradigm. He hopes to one day throw down the tyrranny of the Lich Queen and free githyanki to do as they please.

[Daelin]

I quote, from the wizards of the coast board:

Quote:

Stop me if I'm wrong.

Half ogre: Large size, +6 strength, -2 int, -2 chr, +1 LA

5 levels of barbarian: +5 bab, 2 feats, rage (+4 strength) twice a day

Warhulk: Prereqs BAB 5, large size, power attack. Benefits: 10 levels gives +20 strength, boulder throwing (strength instead of dex to hit, damage 2d8, hit 4 targets with a single throw).

Hulking hurler: Prereqs BAB 5, large size, 3 level PRC. Benefits: 2 levels gives: Really throw anything (chuck anything up to a light load). Super really throw anything (chuck anything up to a medium load and two size categories above you).

So - we have an 18th level character. His strength is (assuming an 18 to start) 24+4(levels)+4(rage)+20(war hulk) = 52. We can get to 62 with magical items with relative ease.

This makes his medium load 346 (medium load for a strength 22 character) x 256 (4 x 4 x 4 x 4 - +40 strength from the encumberance rules on extending the table) x 3 (because he's large) = 265728.

The end of complete warrior says that a thrown weapon does 5d6 damage for a 400 pound object, plus another 1d6 for every 200 pounds beyond that.

(265728-400)/200 x 1d6 + 5d6 = 1331d6 damage. Plus strength bonus (+39).

An average of about 4697 damage a hit.

Hmm.

Lead weighs in at 712 pounds per cubic foot, so we need 373 cubic feet of lead to throw. As a sphere, that has a diameter of 8.932771693 feet. Which probably falls within the large to colossal size range that our buddy can throw.

And if we buy it as lead sling bullets, it comes in at 1 silver for 5 pounds of lead, making our lead ball cost 5315 (rounded up) gold.

So if 4 targets line up in a row...
Splat.
Splat.
Splat.
Splat.

Painful.
I think that makes 18788 points of damage in blocks of 4697 damage. At that point, who cares about damage resistance!

That is the basis for one of the most interesting power builds around. When you can get the damage up to 168 billion (with a b)d6, you're just ... insane.