Character Creation Rut

[nameless]

Basically, you have 10 "levels" of Outsider which gives you +10 BAB and +7 base saves in all categories. And on top of that you have a 6 level adjustment, in the same way that the drow/half-fiend has a LA. You'll get the natural armor, the natural attacks, the special attacks (including spell-like abilities and summoning) and special qualities (including fast healing and various resistances/DR). Your class skills are all of the skills listed in the description of the Gray Slaad, and your skill points are (8+Int Mod) x 13. You should get 4 feats (levels 1, 3, 6, and 9). The necessary info that isn't in the stat block is in the 3.5 MM glossary under "Outsider".

If you need more help, go over to the rules forum and someone can possibly explain it better. You basically get to play the critter directly out of the MM, but you get a better ability score array, you get to pick your own feats, and you get to customize your skills. You also get whatever equipment a character of your ECL would have.

NOTE: I just noticed that you said 3.0. I used the stats out of 3.5 which are slightly different. In the 3.5 MM, Gray Slaadi are listed as 10 HD with a LA of +6. Savage Species (the 3.0 reference) lists the same ECL. I'd say to check with your DM and see how he wants to handle it, but using a monster as a PC isn't too complicated.

 

[Amrynn Moonshadow]

whenever i'm in a rut i take a look at non-traditional ways to play a character class or race.

one of the most interesting classes i think is the Rogue; it is so open ended as opposed to the paladin. most people think rogues are sneaky guys who are interested in stealing. sorry, that's a thief -- in 3.0 and 3.5 they are rogues. the rogue has alot of skillpoints (who would say no to that?) and alot of class skills. you can be lawful, iirc, LN or whatever, or play it safe with a NG/TN/CN allignment. try and pair up a rogue with a race that isn't really that sneaky . . . say . . . a dwarf.

why would a dwarf be a rogue? maybe he wasn't interested in being a fighter, or the church wouldn't accept him. why? maybe he was charged with the important task of keeping the long oral (and writen) tradition of his clan (or maybe no one else had the mental (INT) stats to do it); an honoured yet somewhat marginalized position in dwarf society. (can't be on the front lines, due to clan importance, but because he/she isn't out on the front lines, has no chance for valour) perhaps at a young age he/she would sit on grandmother's knee and showed an interest in the sort, listening to all of her stories and tales of the clan's forebears.

why not bard? well . . . everyone would expect that, a rogue can be just as good with the "education" feat at 1st level. (all knowledge skills are class skills, and +1 to two knowledge skills) (3.0 FRCS)

the rogue also has ok saves, which counter balance the dwarves dexterity, and they can be a big help in fights. you may not be the sneakiest out there but you'd be a disgrace if you ever came up against a lock or stone trap you couldn't best! you have the pride of your people at stake and your ancestors to answer to if you couldn't!

It's a bloody lock, your people made them in their sleep! (uphill both ways in the snow type of thing . . .)

Obviously this character needs a good INT score (+3 i guess) and that only adds to your volumes of skill points . . . heck, you could be good at moving silently, a master locksmith, AND have all the skill points needed for other things, like maxing out a few knowledge skills or who knows what else.

I've never seen (or built) a 17th level rogue, i usually multiclass them. the obvious thing for a dwarf would be to add uneven levels of fighter (adds more punch, but then the story has to be tweaked). the other senisble thing would be to add another class which has INT as a high value stat. i guess that means wizard, but well, whatever ... i don't think you would want to do a wiz/rogue who was big on Knowledge: History (Ancient Dwarven) and stuff like that. perhaps a multiclass with Barbarian would be fun . . . dude has alot of unresolved issues as he wants to be a fighter but can't, so never really learned the finer points of it, but still gets very angry (you wouldn't like me when i'm angry) at key times.

I don't know how much you want to get into the mental problems a multiclassed dwarf with no fighter levels would have though . . .

. . . needless to say he would be motivated to find some ancient scroll (or i guess dwarven tablet) or something (mix in a bit of indiana jones) . . . or maybe he lost that tablet in the first place, or it was stolen from he, and he cannot return to his homeland again unless he had it with him.

I'd add some PrC to it, i don't remember if you can or cannot use the splat books, but there are some good ones, like the dude who has spent years underground (i believe the dungeon delver or something), or if you have a DM who allows more than one PrC then go for it.

heck, you want to make it interesting? make him have some crazy magic item which has sentience (not like a weapon which tries to possess him, but perhaps some old dwarven logbook (cookbook?) or history book which constantly nags him for not doing enough for his clan based on the annoying voice of fran drescher) . . . i dunno . . .

 

[Nifft]

A Ghostwise Halfling Druid 17, who's on the run from the Planar Halfling Mafia. He's a basically good guy, but he's festering with revenge -- the PHM just destroyed his village, and they must be made to pay! Or, he just needs a place to hide out from them for a while.


A Djinni (HD 7 + LA 6 = ECL 13) Ranger4 or Fighter4. His former Calpih lost land and wealth to an Effreti invasion and can no longer afford his services. He's looking for help / companions / monetary rewards.


A "Risen" Incubus (CN instead of CE -- HD 6 + LA 6 = ECL 12), Rogue5 who's exploring this whole "morality" thing. He likes that the half-fiend drow "smells like home".


A Hound Archon (LG, HD 6 + LA 6 = ECL 12) Paladin5 or Ranger5 (Favored Enemy: Evil Outsiders), who's been sent to finish converting the party to shiny goodness -- or to kill them off. Intro: "The Celestial Host has noted your rise to power. There had been some debate as to when we should kill you, but to the surprise of many, you have risen in morality as you have risen in power. Now I am sent to you in the capacity of a companion and liason to The Higher Power Of The DM's Choice."


An Azer (LN, HD 2 + LA 4 = ECL 6) + 11 Class Levels. He gets great combat bonuses (including Natural Armor +6 and SR 13 + Class Level), and you can make s'mores on him! Interesting classes could be: Cleric of Lathander or Kossuth (with Craft Magical Arms & Armor), or a Druid (favors Fire spells ), or even a Monk.

-- N

 

[Ferret]

A dextrous charismatic purple knight?

A Monk? A bard?!!?

 

[The_Gneech]

High level monks are way cool. Or, just to be weird, how about a barbarian who became lawful around 7th or so and was forced to multiclass, so he became a monk?

-The Gneech

 

[GentleGiant]

Going a bit further with the Slaad character (haven't heard back from the DM, I did suggest the character to him, but it's still in Limbo (okay, bad pun, bad, bad pun)).
What is the LA for the Death Slaad?
I just found this thread about Slaadi and was thinking that the Life Slaad would be cool, since I was thinking of going the Cleric way and the party could use some healing powers.

Keep the suggestions coming!

 

[ShaggySpellsword]

Half-Fiend Azer Drd5/Elemental Archon of Kossuth 2

You come from a sect of the Kossuthan faith called The Seekers of the Pheonix. They beleive that in order to tuly glorify in Kossuths gifts of destruction and renewal you must live it in spirit. Your father decended so deeply into evil (spiritual destruction) that he found himself banished to a hell-dimension (9 hells, Abyss, etc.) where he met your mother and you were born. Having been born as a total moral destitute, your father has taught you that you now have the opportunity to most perfectly have a "Pheonix Experience" and should seek to rise from the depths of your perfect Vileness unto a level perfect goodness. You have only recently escaped from hell in your spiritual renewal and shifted alignments from LE to LN. You have somehow heard that the other PCs are also experiencing a moral turn around and you would like to help lead them on a spiritual Pheonix experience. Striving to leave your innate and utterly evil past and transform yourself into a totally good entity.

You could have an enterage of an animal companion and three Mephit Underlings: Your disciples. You'd have access to 4th level druid spells and a slew of half-fiend special abilities. If you want more caster levels be a Fiendish Azer instead and take two more levels of Elemental Archon. Favor spells like flaming sphere and flame strike: lots of Evocation, so Spell focus and Greater Spell focus are good feat choices, and for a little added fun: Spell Thematics(Flaming Chains) or something similar can make all your spells seem fiery without having to use Energy Substitution to do it. Good Thematic (+1 CL) Spells include: Produce Flame, Flame Blade, Call Lightning, and Flamestrike.

This character also works as a Cleric instead of a Druid! In this case the Renewal and Destruction domains fit in VERY thematically.