Character Help: From Idea to Class

[CAFargo]

OK, so I got this great idea for a character. He is a butler/servant of a lord or otherwise influential character in the party, and has sworn his loyalty to this other party member. He dresses as a butler even in combat, but hides two large swords (thinking great-sword and bastard sword, monkey grip (Complete Warrior) feat and two-weapon fighting make it as if it were one-handed and light weapons with lowered penalties) underneath his cape. He is a master of detection and infultration, but can also dish out a lot of damage as well. He doesn't, however, need to be able to take a lot of damage.

So which class should I choose for him. I was thinking either rogue (skill lists, sneak attack, evasion and similar abilities...), ranger (skill list, two-weapon fighting track, animal companion...), or monk (bonuses to AC, great saves, multiple attacks...)

The DM hasn't decided yet, but we tend to start around 6th level.

Any prestige class help would be great too.

 

[kyrand]

If I remember Monkey Grip correctly, you can't actually use it to wield a greatsword and bastard sword at the same time... the weapon still takes the normal number of hands, you can just use a larger version (with a -2 attack). You can, however, use two regular-size bastard swords if you take the oversized Two-Weapon Fighting feat (from Complete Adventurer, IIRC). That feats makes a chosen one-handed weapon count as light for the purposes of TWF

Monkey Grip would, however, let you use a Large bastard sword in your primary hand (it prohibits its use in the off-hand, even though an NPC from Exemplars of Evil does exactly that).

As far as prestige classes go, if you want to really be good at TWF, do a search for the various Tempest builds in this forum.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

An oversized BS and another BS is about as "beefy" as you'll get with 3.5 rules (for the reasons stated above).

Either Rgr or Ftr would be the best fit of the basic classes in terms of getting the requisite feats under your belt. A war/combat themed cleric might also work.

If you have access to the XPH, you can take levels in PsyWar and add the Expansion power to your list of tricks, further boosting your damage output by increasing your size. You can do something similar with levels in BattleSorc (Unearthed Arcana) or Stalwart Sorcerer (PHB2), or possibly WarMage (CompArc) and Duskblade (PHB2)- I can't recall their spell lists) by if the PC learns Enlarge person...but the PsyWar has bonus feats.

If you have access to Magic of Faerun, you can have your weapons be made of magically tempered gold or platinum (see the special materials rules & Heavy Weapon feat) which will further boost your weapons' base damage.

Thematically, Kensai (CompWar) would represent your PC quite well...and has some nice powers to boost your damage output.

Another PrCl that might work for you is the Shou Disciple from Oriental Adventures- an armored "monk" (no actual Monk levels required) that can FoB.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Rogue, Ranger (maybe trade out some of the wilderness stuff, or do Urban Ranger) work well for core.

Arcana Evolved's Unfettered class could do a good job of representing the character. Perhaps the Akashic, too.

Not sure if the feats you mention will help you to wield those weapons. Monkey Grip in particular does not benefit the offhand and is just plain awful anyway. I would go for Oversized TWF to use a one-handed sword n your off hand at no penalty. I would then use Strongarm Bracers from Magic Item Compendium (MIC), costing 6000 gp, to use weapons one size larger than normal at no penalty.

To help hide them out of combat, you have a few options. MIC has a sizing property to add to weapons that lets you re-size a weapon on the fly as you like. MIC also has the Hideaway weapon enhancement, which is dirt cheap, something like +2000 gp to weapon cost. That lets you as a swift action shrink the weapon down to 2 sizes smaller than normal or back again. I had a Swordsage/Rogue "assassin" (no levels in the class) that used it on her spiked chain and wore it wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet (she dressed fairly goth anyway) when it was in shrunken form.

The third and most expensive option is Gloves of Storing. I think the Hideaway property is the best to go with, the only issue is if you want two big weapons, that's technicaly be two swift actions to re-size them to normal. You could ask your DM to pay some extra amount (on top of the 2k gp each weapon) so you can activate both with one swift action. I allow players to spend standard actions to take swift actions if they want, that could be another houserule compromise.

 

[Corsair]

I had a Swordsage/Rogue "assassin" (no levels in the class) that used it on her spiked chain and wore it wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet (she dressed fairly goth anyway) when it was in shrunken form.

For some reason I really love this visual. Consider it possibly yoinked.

 

[shadyizok]

Instead of the feat expendature for the use of two bastard swords you could ask you DM to allow purchase of a pair of Sun Swords (it's found in one of the Ravenloft adventures I think) which is a stripped down version of the sun blade found in the DMG. 3k for a +1 bastard sword that can be wielded like a short sword.

However make sure you find the module somewhere first because I'm not entirely sure anymore about that weapon. It's been a long time.