Class that would complement a Scout/Ranger, Barbarian, Cleric and Vampire

[thewittybard]

I was playing as a Bard, but it's an ill-fitting class for this particular party. I don't have enough experience to be able to adapt my style of play to this party so I'm relying on more experienced players to give me their advice. I was thinking a striker might be good, or perhaps a sorceror. I like the kind of feats and skills found in the Complete Scoundrel, if that's anything to go by. I'd rather not play a core class. I think I want to play something where I can just go do my own thing. It's a party with frequent conflict and so far I have only been adding to this with my inexperience and general impotence (as a bard I wasn't cut out to be a damage dealer and found myself frequently doing very little, note: the DM tends to focus more on battle than on skills that relate to story (i.e. diplomacy). The party is also frequently impatient and they want to get on with the battles.

Summary:
- I need a class that complements the aforementioned party members.
- I would like a non-core class
- Battle-focused campaign/missions
- I want to be self-sufficient for the most part. (since the other party members usually forget about the buffs I have given them)

Maybe I should just find a different group xD

Thanks in advance.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Is the Scout/Ranger an archer, or melee? What's the cleric mostly do? And...you really need to elaborate more on the vampire.

My gut reaction is to make an arcane spellcaster. Mix blasting spells with battlefield control (like Web and Stinking Cloud), stay back, and be the artillery.

If you don't want to put much thought into it, there's the Warmage class (Complete Arcane). But they aren't even as good at their job as a regular old Wizard or Sorcerer with the right spells and variants. A build of one of those would probably be best, but also more complicated. What level is this game at right now?

 

[parinho7]

you haven't specified the available books.
i'll suggest the same thing i suggest to everyone since i became aware of its existence: the Swiftblade http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327

you can enter this prc, with any arcane spellcasting class that grands you the haste spell, so you can be a bard again if you want. other options: wizard, sorcerer, beguiler.

i think this prc is awesome.

 

[Dandu]

You might also want to specify the level of the party as well.

 

[thewittybard]

Thank you for the replies. Sorry for omitting the party level. We are at level 10. I had the haste spell, but seem to have difficulty finding it useful at all. Like I said, the other people keep forgetting about my buffs It didn't seem to work for the scout ranger who is an archer. He uses skirmish and has to move so the bonus that haste gives is not helpful (or something).

The vampire really doesn't have that many details -_- it's pretty ridiculous. He has 4 vamp spawns and keeps using dominate on everything. An item that casts perpetual darkness so that he doesn't die. I think he's also a lv 1 warlock. Given the level adjustment he has low health so is pretty useless for melee personally. The DM has started equipping all the foes with protection from evil to stop him from being totally broken. Due to this, I have had to waste all my lv 3 spells on dispel magic =_=


I thought the beguiler class looked cool but does it deal enough damage so that people aren't going to nag me?

The books available are PH1&2, Libris mortis (pretty limited use I think it was just to allow some stuff for the cleric) the cleric spends his time healing (all his spells are rays) and raising giants from the dead with some spell from libris mortis I believe.

we also have access to most of those "The Complete _____" books, of which the complete scoundrel is one. I can ask the DM for more info if I haven't given enough.

Thanks again.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Thank you for the replies. Sorry for omitting the party level. We are at level 10. I had the haste spell, but seem to have difficulty finding it useful at all. Like I said, the other people keep forgetting about my buffs It didn't seem to work for the scout ranger who is an archer. He uses skirmish and has to move so the bonus that haste gives is not helpful (or something).

If you're willing to devote your Bard to helping him pwn things, you could actually be very useful to him, as could haste. Just in subsequent turns use spells, abilities or even bull rush (in each case, ready them for his turn if the DM's strict about the movement having to occur ON the ranger/scout's own turn) to move him 5 or more feet. Then he can simply 5 ft step nd full attack. I wouldn't want to be a single other character's errand boy like that, but it's a strong combo if you're up for it.

The vampire really doesn't have that many details -_- it's pretty ridiculous. He has 4 vamp spawns and keeps using dominate on everything. An item that casts perpetual darkness so that he doesn't die. I think he's also a lv 1 warlock. Given the level adjustment he has low health so is pretty useless for melee personally. The DM has started equipping all the foes with protection from evil to stop him from being totally broken. Due to this, I have had to waste all my lv 3 spells on dispel magic =_=

Ugh. Sounds like he's not using the rules correctly / being a munchkin crossed with making a really useless character that he thinks is cool because it's "invulnerable" even though it also doesn't contribute much. Stop wasting your spells on Dispel Magic, let him sit there and suck until he picks up dispel on his own.

I thought the beguiler class looked cool but does it deal enough damage so that people aren't going to nag me?

Beguiler doesn't really deal damage, they get spells to make friends, mentally dominate, and control the battlefield. I don't thin it'd be a good fit for what you want.

The books available are PH1&2, Libris mortis (pretty limited use I think it was just to allow some stuff for the cleric) the cleric spends his time healing (all his spells are rays) and raising giants from the dead with some spell from libris mortis I believe.

we also have access to most of those "The Complete _____" books, of which the complete scoundrel is one. I can ask the DM for more info if I haven't given enough.

Thanks again.

What do you want to play? I think your party could use an artillery piece, and it's pretty easy to wrack up high damage with arcane casters (and that's not even considered their "optimal" use). Again, Warmage is nice and simple. Spontaneous caster, knows ALL the spells on hs spell list, most spells are straight-forward damage-dealers. That would be an easy to play class. If you want something more powerful, a Sorcerer or Wizard built for blasting does better but requires a lot of sourcebooks and tinkering.

 

[Dandu]

Quick solution to your problem because I am lazy.

 

[irdeggman]

Try a dwarven fighter using the racial class substitution levels for Races of Stone.

It is a basic fighter but the racial substitution levels give him a real racial "feel" also giving up the 1st level fighter feat for what is essentially weapon focus with all axes is real sweet (and the d12 hit die at racial substitution levels).

A warforged (from Eberron Campaign setting) is real sweet race too.

Go to Races of Eberron and use the racial substitution levels for fighter.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Quick solution to your problem because I am lazy.

No offense, but that's gotta be the worst Sorc 10 I've ever seen.

 

[Dandu]

I'm glad you've seen so many good Sorcerer builds.