Favorite Race And/Or Template?

[Angel Tarragon]

Half-Celestial Bearhound Barbarian/Druid/Master of Many Forms

 

[Jack Simth]

SRD Ghost. Definately SRD Ghost. After 6 class levels (ECL 11), the character can, theoretically (IOW, if the DM allows it) take 10 on it's rejuvination rolls and ALWAYS come back (with no reliance on a specific item, as a lich has). With the +4 Turn resistance, virtually any cleric can Turn/Rebuke the ghost, but it takes a cleric of (nearly) twice the ghost's ECL to Destroy/Command it (unless the cleric is using a Turn-boosting item, of course). Vow of Poverty is especially good for Ghosts (it's wierd, but it works, as a Ghost doesn't have any alignment restrictions), as they have difficulty re-equipping anyway (Plane Shift can do it). With the +4 charisma, synergyses well with Sorcerors. The selectable ghostly abilities are fun (Malevolence! Telekenisis! Corrupting Gaze! (in that order, prefferably)), as is the fact that a ghost is etherial and can manifest to cast things at people (which still affect the Etherial Plane.... Careful with those Wall of Stone spells!).

 

[The Human Target]

SRD Ghost. Definately SRD Ghost. After 6 class levels (ECL 11), the character can, theoretically (IOW, if the DM allows it) take 10 on it's rejuvination rolls and ALWAYS come back (with no reliance on a specific item, as a lich has). With the +4 Turn resistance, virtually any cleric can Turn/Rebuke the ghost, but it takes a cleric of (nearly) twice the ghost's ECL to Destroy/Command it (unless the cleric is using a Turn-boosting item, of course). Vow of Poverty is especially good for Ghosts (it's wierd, but it works, as a Ghost doesn't have any alignment restrictions), as they have difficulty re-equipping anyway (Plane Shift can do it). With the +4 charisma, synergyses well with Sorcerors. The selectable ghostly abilities are fun (Malevolence! Telekenisis! Corrupting Gaze! (in that order, prefferably)), as is the fact that a ghost is etherial and can manifest to cast things at people (which still affect the Etherial Plane.... Careful with those Wall of Stone spells!).

This is a freaking good idea.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I'm rather fond of Ghostwalk ghost (so no ECL problems) Psion with Ghost Ride. Hide out in the other characters' bodies and zap out as many Powers as you can!

 

[Jack Simth]

This is a freaking good idea.

It's a long-term turtle build. It shines best at ECL 11-12, where the ghost's Malevolence and Telekenisis are at par with a straight Sorceror/Wizard casting Magic Jar and Telekenisis, or at high epic levels, where 5 class levels don't matter too much. Below that, and the Ghost has a 50% or less chance of self-ressurecting (taking 10 fails at CL 5 (DC 16; rolls 1d20 + Ghost's HD)). Above that, a Sor/Wiz can duplicate most/all of the Ghost's abilities (depending on selection of Ghostly abilities and the Sor/Wiz spell list) while the Ghost will be stuck 2-3 levels of spells behind (and 5 caster levels - that 11th level Wiz casting Fireball does 10d6 damage for one of his middle slots, while the ECL 11 ghost is only doing 6d6 for one of his highest slots). Moreover, the Ghost can't use any touch spells (well, at least not without Spectral Hand, Arcane Reach or some other way to avoid the "relying on touch" aspect of touch spells), so isn't nearly so good with party buffs. Even further, it's almost impossible to re-equip the ghost after character creation (Must hire Plane Shift or something) which pretty much rules out anything with costly material components (hence VoP being a good choice).

It's a costly way to go about gaining immortality. Makes for a great scout (go etherial for a standard action .... or rather, go non-etherial for a standard action), and a good recovery expert (always recovers personally, so can regroup and ressurect the others), but makes a poor addition to the combat team; can only self-heal (by using Neutral Cleric levels, rather than Sorceror levels) using a Harm/Inflict spell that won't help the rest of the party one iota.

 

[Tric]

half-celestial elan psion/wildshaping ranger/assassin/blackguard/uncarnate/master of many forms/warshaper

 

[Jack Simth]

half-celestial elan psion/wildshaping ranger/assassin/blackguard/uncarnate/master of many forms/warshaper

Just how high up is that epic level character?

 

[glass]

As far as stupidly overpowered goes ...

I once saw a human fighter/forsaker with the vow of poverty. He was in Kalamar, where Lightning Reflexes is a fighter bonus feat.

That means he got Forsaker at second level. He didn't get the Vow until 6th, but it hardly mattered. As his CON also added to his AC, it became more important than strength. He was ridiculously overpowered.

Don't forsakers have to destroy a certain value of MI every so often? If so, he shouldn't have been able to be a Forsaker and have a VoP: each forces you to breach the requirements of the other.


glass.

 

[Seeten]

I love Undead characters, but there are better ways to become a Ghost: Have the party Pale Master kill you and raise you as a Shadow, or Ghost with Create Undead. No +ECL with that. =)

 

[darkelfo]

Drow, because they're just so cool. I mean drow in the imaginatively expansive sense, not dual wielding ranger sense.