Recommend A Striker?

[Argyle King]

Sorcerers use STR, right?

I'm not sure how optimized it would be, but a Fighter/Dragon Sorcerer or a Thaneborn Barbarian/Dragon Sorcerer might be workable. Fluffwise, the Barb/Sorc could play on the idea that his inner natural abilities take over and boil out of control.

 

[ourchair]

Sorcerers use STR, right?

I'm not sure how optimized it would be, but a Fighter/Dragon Sorcerer or a Thaneborn Barbarian/Dragon Sorcerer might be workable. Fluffwise, the Barb/Sorc could play on the idea that his inner natural abilities take over and boil out of control.

Wouldn't a Sorcarian be just double striker?

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I do like your fluff angle, too.

You do not seem to have a leader. I think this is OK but it helps to compensate with some MC leader feats or Hybrids - you can get a good chunk of healing without compromising your main role with a hybrid leader. You could easily go Bard or Ardent or Warlord with a Sorcerer - that seems to cover a bigger gap than the stretched defender. (Hmmm bard sorcerer seems really good - especially once the implement rules harmonise)

You are on the squishy side - 3 ranged guys, a rogue & a swordmage is not the most robust of parties. Dragonborn make very good AOE Damage (dragon duh!) sorcerers. I think the other flavours are more controlly but anyone with a +cha is going to work fine.

I'm not entirely worried about party makeup right now. The Kalashtar Psion might be out, and I'm trying to encourage him to be a defender as he rarely gets to be a macho man character (and he's already a cleric in my campaign). There's also another player who's still undecided about his race/class build as well, so opportunities to take the leader/defender position are not lacking.

 

[Klaus]

I statted up a hybrid that I loved: barbarian/dragon sorcerer.

You could be an expatriate Seren barbarian who fell in love with a Cyran woman and decided to adopt Cyre as a homeland. After the Day of Mourning, you're left with no true home (being unwelcome in Seren), so you turn your family and close friends (the other PCs) into a nation unto its own.

You could *look* human, but have the stats of a dragonborn, to mimic a Seren "dragon totemist".

Pick Arcane Implement Proficiency (heavy blades) so you can use a greatsword as a sorcerer implement, and then Hybrid Talent (Armored Barbarian) so you can wear hide armor. Keep both Str and Cha high and switch between devastating melee attacks and bursts of energy.

 

[jbear]

My ideas must have been beneath your notice.

 

[ourchair]

oops. double post.

 

[ourchair]

My ideas must have been beneath your notice.

'Course not!

I'm working right now and have merely transferred your entire post into a text document that I will view on the road. I do that for all the crunch heavy posts my poor brain can't handle when I'm multitasking.

I'm specifically looking at that Paladin/Warlock build and figuring out how to tweak the Paladin-y components into a Changeling Sorcerer concept, but trying to mess with the Character Builder at the same time as any other task ain't easy.

 

[Neonchameleon]

My experience and observation of Warlocks is that people who enjoy the more complex, challenging roles of Leader or Controller find Warlocks boring. Warlocks have some great concepts, but mechanically there's just not a whole lot to do with them, and tactically, while you do have to keep cursing and mobility in mind, it doesn't hold a candle to the interest of playing a leader (who must be aware of the tactics of the party of the whole) or controller (who must be aware of the complexion of the entire battle).

Mine's almost the reverse. As strikers go, Warlocks are some of the most tactically rich and complex. Not only do they need to keep moving, they are ranged strikers who are best at point blank range or even just about in melee. (Eldritch Strike was huge). Take the Darkpact and Infernalpact Warlocks. Unusually for strikers, both of these guys want to be hit by the enemy for different reasons. But they want to set it up in advance and not be hit too hard. And then they want to not be tied down. And even the Feypact can do quite well at point blank range between Eldritch Strike and Eyebite (invisibility and an opportunity attack if you can crowd the enemy).

But I'm going to throw a "Yang" option in to the Warlock's "Yin" - it's not technically a striker, but from some of the damage numbers that's open to debate. Malediction Invoker - preferably one who doesn't actually want the presence of their God. On the one side you have a character that's made a pact for power. On the other you have someone who has had power forced upon them by their God. On one side you have a character who gets power now with a price to pay later. On the other you have a character who has a price forced upon them every time they need to use more than the lightest fraction of their power (pick the self-harming and self-dazing powers), but has the likelihood of a good afterlife if not utterly burned up by the presence of their God.

 

[DracoSuave]

If the words 'melee leader/defender/striker hybrid' come out and no one says 'Runepriest' then there's a lack of 'the right thing to say' in this thread.


The Runepriest will make your rogue better, will make your swordmage better, and will basically act as an off-defender-striker taking and dishing out considerable damage on his own. You might lose a -bit- of healing, but Leader and Healbot are not the same word.

 

[Kzach]

If it's going to be a heavy roleplaying game that will be centred in cities a lot, then I can recommend a changeling assassin, focusing on first strike novas. The assassin is a very weak striker, but in a heavy roleplaying game, especially one that tends to spend a lot of time in cities, it's freaking awesome.

Give him a weapon that can change into any other weapon at-will, and armour that can change into any other armour/clothing at-will, and he becomes a nigh-unstoppable infiltrator. Teleport at-will and being able to walk through walls (sustain minor and an encounter power, so only requires 5 min reboot), and being able to impersonate anyone (with an extra +5 bonus on an already high bluff check) wherever you go = loads of fun.

But if those two criteria aren't met, they can be a bit lacklustre, with their awesomely cool abilities going to waste more often than not, and their weak striker capacity making them a poor choice next to the rogue.

Personally, I'd probably make a drow rogue as her companion. A drow rogue and a tiefling warlock would make a great 'dark' partnership. He could be her 'defender' in a sense, being focused on melee and using the drow longknife and the heavy blade feat (can't remember the name, allows a rogue to use heavy blades for sneak attack and powers), whilst she darts in and out. Both classes have a pretty strong secondary 'controller' schtick so the two of you could manipulate the battlefield like nobody's business

 

[TarionzCousin]

If the words 'melee leader/defender/striker hybrid' come out and no one says 'Runepriest' then there's a lack of 'the right thing to say' in this thread.

Ahem. Runepriest!

I wish the new guy in our group had picked Runepriest instead of Warden.