Design the Kwisatz Haderach. Paul Atreides

[Garthanos]

How would you create the character...

He kind of moves like a monk... but one almost wants wizdom or intelligence based action ...

Strangely thinking a thief (yeah essentials) multiclassed in to sword mage with intelligent blade master might be appropriate.

 

[ceiling90]

He's a hard one to even pin down.

In the books, he's not much more than a very charismatic person who could see the future, and basically the events that could effectively change it. Supposedly he can be in many places at once, bridging space and time... or something.

But remember he basically got the full training of a Bene Gesserit, which accounts for his monk like speed, agility, and fighting style. This is also where the got the "voice", and some other nifty powers.

So maybe a Monk with a theme that grants prescience? and some nifty self healing powers?

Note: Might make him a Deva Monk. The whole other memory bits.

 

[Garthanos]

He's a hard one to even pin down.

In the books, he's not much more than a very charismatic person who could see the future, and basically the events that could effectively change it. Supposedly he can be in many places at once, bridging space and time... or something.

But remember he basically got the full training of a Bene Gesserit, which accounts for his monk like speed, agility, and fighting style. This is also where the got the "voice", and some other nifty powers.

So maybe a Monk with a theme that grants prescience? and some nifty self healing powers?

Note: Might make him a Deva Monk. The whole other memory bits.

Oh the seer theme is a defintie ...but remember the shielding and dagger was the primary personal weapons (this could be thief)
And he also had mentat training which also influenced (Intelligent Blademaster)

If he goes heavy on the sword mage mc he could get more teleporting around there is a sword mage power that allows you to attack every enemy in view... ummm awesome space time high jinx

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I don't recall any suggestion that Paul was actually able to teleport or be in two places at once. These might be THEORETICAL capabilities of the Kwisatz Haderach, maybe. One difficulty is that most of Paul's 'adventuring' type activity was glossed in the books. We don't really see him fighting Harkonen, we just get a couple flashes and a segue to the end of the war. In the 2nd book we see a bit more 'advanced' Paul relying entirely on prescience, but I still don't recall him doing things like teleporting.

I think a 'seer' type build would be good. He anticipates his opponents more than anything else. He does have skill with the dagger, but it seemed to me his success there was related to his BG training. Being able to nullify a poison, using his Voice to gain a momentary tactical advantage, etc. It is going to be tough to find an exact analog to his abilities.

I might consider perhaps something like Avenger as a base for his melee fighting (which also gives you some limited ranged attacks that could be fluffed appropriately). I don't see rogue really at all, he wasn't a sneak fighter. You might even use Paladin, a lot of his abilities might well work as fluff on chaladin stuff.

 

[jimmifett]

Not even Duncan could teleport. Seer is pretty mandatory. Avenger does sound pretty good as a base to build from.

 

[El Mahdi]

Well, there's really two Pauls. The one we see come into his own in Dune, and the worn down version in Dune Messiah. (And three if you count "The Preacher" from Children of Dune.) I think the Paul we see in Dune Messiah would also be awesome as a character. Blind with gaping holes where his eyes would be, yet seems to "see" perfectly. That would be a fun character.

Maybe the Paul of Dune is Heroic Tier, the Paul of Dune Messiah is Paragon Tier, and The Preacher of Children of Dune is Epic Tier.

Mechanically this would be easy. Just treat him as a seeing character, but without eyes (and some kind of bonus to Perception).

Obviously the player can't know what's going to happen in the game, but they can play him as if they do - sad and world weary, and not surprised by anything ("Everything is happening in the same way that I've seen it occur..."). Kind of a *Sigh* - "I knew that was going to happen" attitude.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Yeah, interesting. Hmmmm. I think a 'young Paul' might be the easiest to stat up.

 

[the Jester]

Monk/Avenger hybrid maybe?

With a dash of psion to account for the Voice?

I like using deva for the race.

 

[Garthanos]

There are definitely multiple manifestations of the character the characters might be dramatically different at each tier enough so to call for a rebuild though.

it is implied in story he ought to be a hybrid ie a perfect mixture of mentat and noble and benejeserat to use the game world concepts later in career perhaps only the benejeserat and mentat were important.

The reason for a rogue in this case thief was specifically for the duelist direction which is sort of a noblemans rogue... it lined up with daggers too (Though an avenger is similar and allows perception/wisdom to be the central it doesn have the right style of mobility) where as a thiefs mobility could be flavored rather monk like.

I kind of assumed a thief could be a duellist style fighter like the rogue can.. (there is a feat that allow you CA even when you arent distracted (like in a duel and just like the avengers focus)

I guess I do like the Divine theme going on in an Avenger so that might be enough to swing that direction but man... an Avenger with Daggers??????

 

[Garthanos]

With a dash of psion to account for the Voice?.

I was considering bard as it also alligns with prophetic elements... but do you have details on that idea?