Halfling, yes but I don't know for the class

[bolower]

Hi,

I need help to create a new character. I've a particular concept in mind : a halfling, follower of Arvoreen.

This character'd be anxiously protective of halfling communities, and he'd always alert to impending dangers. He wouldn't be particularly aggressive. He'd only engage in combat if he is attacked, though he'd seek out his enemies and actively confront them to get them to desist from their evil practices. He wouldn't go very far out of his way to avoid combat if it occurs, however, and fights to the finish. He would be more serious and less carefree and joyful than the typical halfling. He would spend his time constructing defensive barriers, signaling systems, beacons, and traps, and reviewing defenses already in place. He would regularly patrol his community, always investigating the slightest hint of a threat.

Race : Strongheart halfling
Religion : Arvoreen
Alignment : Lawful Good
Skills : craft (trapmaking), Knowledge (engineering), Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and why not survival.
Feats : Alertness, Track.

One interesting feat is "Allied Defense" (found in Shining South) but it require Combat Expertise feat. It allows any ally adjacent to you to get the same dodge bonus to AC that you get when using your Combat Expertise feat.

I don't know what to choose as core class and as prestigious class.

Has anybody suggestions or remarks?

 

[Nac_Mac_Feegle]

Hmm, rogue would give you the right skill set, but not sure it fits.

I would probably think ranger or fighter, and wiht his gruff outlook, and his way of doing things, I might consider a more Chaotic Good rather than lawful good concept, not sure.

As a stalwart protector, you may wish to look into Halfling outrider, although theres no reason, if you go the serious fighter route, why you couldnt adapt Dwarven Defender PrC to a halfling.

He almost certanly screams to me to be a fighter or ranger though, but ranger forces you into 2 handed style or bow, which might not be what you want. Though a multiclass warrior/ranger might work better, and then dont worry about a PrC at all

You have the scouting, roaming, self reliance on one side, and the community protector, defender militia man on the other side.

Feegle Out

 

[bolower]

I looked at the scout, it is a good idea. He has 8 skill points, trapfinding, uncanny dodge, fast movement, trackless step, evasion, one bonus feat.

warrior/ranger is interresting but i'll have some xp penalty and the warrior lacks skill points.

 

[Li Shenron]

This character'd be anxiously protective of halfling communities, and he'd always alert to impending dangers.

Here I was already thinking about a Ranger.

You mentioned later that traps would be one of his signature abilities. You could make it Rogue 1/Ranger X for this purpose, but he rather looks like a trapmaker than a trapfinder, so you probably don't even need the multiclass combination.

 

[Nac_Mac_Feegle]

warrior/ranger is interresting but i'll have some xp penalty and the warrior lacks skill points.

Not if you keep them levelled the same. I personally find it hard to play a character who only took one level of a class for its benefits. If I dual class, I typically keep them very close, usually one for one levelling, I have only broken my own rule twice, and it was for concept

I had a rogue 1/paladin x, he was a rogue who was saved and found god, basically mending his ways, but allowed me to play a paladin form a different perspective, someone who had lived and breathed the underbelly of society, and understood it, and now wanted to fight it

My other was a dwarven fighter 1/cleric x, who came from a clan on the edges of orc territory, and anyone from that clan was trained as a fighter first and foremost, while he did his other training, as all were expected to fight if the orcs invaded.

Most of the time, I cant work with a concept of just taking a class to reap its benefits for only one level, a fighter/ranger at higher level keeping both within a level of each other will give you stealth, traking, good trap finding, good spot and listen, and a fighters versatility, especially if you do build upon the rangers 2 weapon style

Feegle Out

 

[bolower]

Li Shenron, between us, I also thought of a ranger or a scout. I like enough Nac_Mac_Feegle's idea.

Now, I hesitate to make a scout or a warrior/ranger.


This combination gains in feats, and in BAB. But in the long term, it loses skill points, discretion and movement.

What about Scout (Complete Adventurer). This sort of combines the ranger and rogue classes, but with some completely new material.

 

[nittanytbone]

I would front-load 1 level of rogue, then go either ranger or scout. Occasionally, dip into another level of rogue in order to get your disable device, sense motive, and crafting skills back up to par. With ranger levels, you can get your handle animal up and either ride a war pony (cover more ground, quicker) or have a riding dog (either as mount or guard dog, sort of like the bullmastiffs used by sheriffs that protected forests from poachers). I don't think scout is as useful with a small sized creature; skirmish is one of the main abilities and it is somewhat less useful with a 15' or 20' move speed.

If you get into two weapon fighting, I'd consider investing in halfling paragon; the thrown weapon mastery stacks nicely with TWF, Quickdraw, and throwing missile weapons. The skill points offered by all of these classes are good and obviously +2 to dex from paragon is handy.

 

[bolower]

Hmm, why do you say that? You have to take an entire move action to move 10 feet. If all you're looking at is how beneficial skirmish is, what does it matter if you move 5, 10 or 20 feet beyond what is needed to get the benefits? As a small character, you're going to have less movement, but I don't see how this makes skirmish less useful. Am I missing something?

 

[bolower]

Lvl 1 : Alertness.
Lvl 1 : Combat Expertise.
Lvl 3 : Allied Defense.
Lvl 4 : Track.

Main weapon : Short bow
Secondary weapon : Short sword (held two hands)

In the case where I'm a Scout :

Lvl 6 : Able Sniper.
Lvl 8 : Point Blank Shot.
Lvl 9 : Woodland Archer.
Lvl 12 :Improved Combat Expertise.
Lvl 12 : Rapid Shot.
Lvl 15 : Manyshot.
Lvl 16 : Greater Manyshot.
Lvl 18 : Improved Rapid Shot.
lvl 20 : Improved Manyshot.

If I'm ranger/warrior, I don't know what take.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

If you're going to go for one level of rogue, you might as well go for four. It's your favored class and gets you sneak attack damage, evasion, uncanny dodge, and some very good skills.

Alternatively, you could go for a single-classed scout. You're a bit more durable than the rogue, and you don't need surprise or flank for damage, but you are just as far up a creek fighting undead or constructs and you deal less damage as a whole. If you do go this route, I recommend picking up Elusive Target and possibly Spring Attack because you're going to have to keep moving if you want to deal significant damage.

Other possibilities: Rogue/Paladin. Start with at least two levels of rogue and then go paladin. If you want to go back to rogue and then advance paladin again, you would need to either substitute Pious Templar for paladin (the class is similar in concept, so you just say "I'm a paladin with something extra on his character sheet, better spells, weapon specialization, DR, no mount, and weak lay on hands'), check if your DM allows paladin/rogue multiclassing for Arvoreen (it may be explicitly allowed in a Forgotten Realms supplement that details Arvoreen), or take the Devoted Inquisitor feat from Complete Adventurer (unfortunately, the Devoted Inquisitor feat is pretty weak--all it gives you is multiclassing ability and a daze effect if you smite evil on a sneak attack; unfortunately, multiclassing with rogue really nerfs your smite ability so the class combo neuters the ability it adds synergy to).

If you don't mid being a complete mutt in terms of classes, however, there are a couple good possibilities:

1. Fighter Power Attack and Dodge
2. Cleric (nobility and war)
3. Monk Divine Might, Improved Grapple
4. Monk Combat Reflexes, Evasion
5. Cleric
6. Fighter Mobility and Close Quarters Fighting
7. Paladin Smite Evil, Detect Evil
8. Paladin Divine Grace
9. Paladin Aura of Courage, True Believer
10. Pious Templar Mettle
11. Pious Templar
12. Pious Templar Weapon Specialization, Elusive Target
13 and further: Pious Templar
20. Fighter 3 (+1 reflex and will), Cleric 3 (+1 reflex, 2nd level spells), or any other +1 BAB class
21+ Epic Pious Templar

That's a character I'm playing at the moment (one module short of level 8) and she's worked very well so far. Being a halfing is enough of a liability in combat (less strength=lower to hits and less damage, and small means easily tripped or grappled (though her feats make her hard to grapple)) that, despite a class mix that would probably be overpowering on a human, or elf (normal dwarves and half-orcs would suffer from the charisma penalty, and gold dwarves would suffer from the dex penalty), she is simply competent. Then again, everything doesn't pay off until 8th level anyway and it only really kicks in at 10th level (excellent saves all around, mettle, and evasion along with enough equipment that her weapon's enhancements should be dealing a fair amount of damage).

A less multiclassed proposition:
Fighter 2 then Paladin 4 then Fighter 3 and 4 followed by Pious Templar could be made to work but you'd suffer an xp penalty from level 6-7. (And, if you're going Fighter 4, you don't need Pious Templar for Weapon Spec, so you might want to try Halfing Outrider or something similar instead).

Straight-up Paladin could probably be made to work as well--especially if you focus on the mounted combat side of things and ride a medium mount.