Going out with a bang (and making a dwarf)

[SnowleopardVK]

I'm not due to start any new games in the near future, but I've decided that when the time does come I'm going to finally play the one race among the core seven that I've not yet tried; a dwarf.

Since it'll be my final "first time" with a core race I want to make this dwarf spectacular, fun, and at least marginally different from my other first times with the other six races (Each will have their own story).

For the other six, I played:

A Half-Orc Barbarian first
A Halfling Rogue second
A Human Fighter third
A Half-Elf Cleric at the halfway point
A Gnome Sorcerer fifth
And an Elf Paladin most recently

So throw out some ideas, things to consider and whatnot. This isn't for any specific game at the moment, so I've got no other party members, setting, or limitations to affect my choices yet.

 

[Nookie]

Dwarf Inquisitor!

 

[dragonis111]

either the alchemist or summoner, ultimate magic adds some awesome summoner options.

 

[Systole]

Summoner is bad for dwarf because a summoner's main stat is charisma.

I totally disrespected inquisitors until a player took one in my campaign and killed a CL+2 by himself. Pretty impressed now.

I second the inquisitor vote. Otherwise, maybe a cave druid or a witch.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Summoner is bad for dwarf because a summoner's main stat is charisma.

Meh, I care for roleplay more than optimization, so I wouldn't say no to a class/race combination just because the abilities don't necessarily work great for it. I'd lose so many potentially fun characters if I did things that way.

Regardless, Inquisitor seems to be the popular vote so far.

Although the comment about the dwarven bad ability score being Cha has got me considering Bard now too. I'm aware that it's not the best race for a bard of course, but hey it could be fun.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Although the comment about the dwarven bad ability score being Cha has got me considering Bard now too. I'm aware that it's not the best race for a bard of course, but hey it could be fun.

I hear you, the "Filthy Ike" that I am named after was a 3.0 Half-Orc Bard. Fun times character, although not that great of a Bard

(pro-tip: took a level of Barbarian and grabbed a greatsword as back-up)

 

[RangerWickett]

I always wanted to play a bad-ass dwarf crossbow-wielding bounty hunter (ranger, I suppose).

Maybe make a monk who hardened his fists by mining bare-handed.

 

[Systole]

Meh, I care for roleplay more than optimization, so I wouldn't say no to a class/race combination just because the abilities don't necessarily work great for it. I'd lose so many potentially fun characters if I did things that way.

It depends a lot on the GM and the group. If the game isn't hardcore, I'll do non-optimal choices like dwarf bard -- especially if it's a higher point build, because there's more wiggle room. But if the GM is out for blood and we're looking at 15-point characters then I tend to do more optimized builds. I figure you have to survive first in order to RP.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

It depends a lot on the GM and the group. If the game isn't hardcore, I'll do non-optimal choices like dwarf bard -- especially if it's a higher point build, because there's more wiggle room. But if the GM is out for blood and we're looking at 15-point characters then I tend to do more optimized builds. I figure you have to survive first in order to RP.

My normal group is in the decidedly "not hardcore" category. There's only one guy who bothers making things really optimized because he doesn't really get that the GM (regardless of which one of us it is) isn't trying to kill him. Although he blames PF itself, and he's been part of the group less and less lately anyways. We also tend towards either 25-point or rolling 4d6 (rerolling 1s) and removing the lowest 6 times, then allocating the results.