Haste usable by:

[escaflowne777]

The Swiftblade is actually what I'm looking to qualify for. I tried making a speed freak character with levels in barbarian for the increased movement and martial requirements, and levels in sorcerer for haste, and one level in rogue for the character concept, but things got far to complex and I lost sight of the character idea and roleplaying a fast sorc. rog. barb. was kind of a bad experience. The beguiler however holds much promise. I looked at duskblade but never thought to look at beguiler. I'll have time to look it over this weekend, but do they have moderate combat skills?

 

[Nifft]

beguiler. I'll have time to look it over this weekend, but do they have moderate combat skills?

- HD d6
- Cast in Light armor
- Poor BAB

BUT:
- Class grants equivalent of Improved Feint
- Benefits to casting if you Feint your opponent

I'd call it a support class which isn't afraid to tumble around in combat a bit, but not really a moderate combat class.

Cheers, -- N

 

[FreeXenon]

You could go with the Battle Sorcerer variant from Unearth Arcana, Medium BAB, Cast in light armor, but with one less spell known and castable per level (to a minimum of one).

 

[eamon]

The beguiler is... so-so, melee wise. He can wear light armor (just as well, as that can leave your speed untouched), but his spell-list is mostly illusions and enchantments, and not so many self-buffs (which you'd want)

You could try the shugenja in the complete divine. It's a divine caster with bad BAB, but it has a lot of buff's on it's spell list. It can wear any armor without spell failure, but is proficient with none (which is unhandy). Things like barkskin, shield of faith, greater magic weapon, might make a decent buffer. If you take a level of fighter or barbarian or paladin (or even two!) you would have the armor benefit. Paladin is particularly interesting since it grants both armor proficiency and also uses charisma (a shugenja's casting stat) for smites and as a bonus on saves (both quite interesting). I don't think you'll be a combat powerhouse, but it might work.

A Wu - Jen would qualify too (Complete Arcane), but I don't think they'd be particularly good either.

I'm not really sure what your best bet would be, but I'm curious what you choose... ;-).

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Clerics can also get haste via the Time domain (Spell Compendium). My cleric has it, as he worships the goddess of time in our setting. For real fun, mix in the PHB2 rule to spontaneously cast from the time domain list instead of cure/inflict. (You gain the ability to prep cure/inflict in your domain slots in turn, so your role as heal bot isn't totally removed.)

 

[gnfnrf]

The beguiler is... so-so, melee wise. He can wear light armor (just as well, as that can leave your speed untouched), but his spell-list is mostly illusions and enchantments, and not so many self-buffs (which you'd want)

Beguilers do okay for illusion self-buffing, I'd say. Mage Armor, Invisibility, Blur, Displacement, Mirror Image are all pretty good for combat.

Where they fall apart is affecting other people, since virtually everything they do is Will negates.

And the beguiler's improved feint like ability is nearly impossible to use, because they go squish in melee.

--
gnfnrf

 

[Hammerhead]

Trapsmith from Dungeonscape gets it as a 1st level spell. Also, Factotums get it, but probably not what you're looking for.

 

[Nifft]

Where they fall apart is affecting other people, since virtually everything they do is Will negates.

I was considering playing one (instead of a Rogue) for a game of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, and carefully scrutinized their spell-list for stuff that affects mindless Undead. I found one or two at each level which would be directly helpful -- silent image (and kin), glitterdust, haste (of course) and slow, and the encounter-avoiders like invisibility and silence.

And the beguiler's improved feint like ability is nearly impossible to use, because they go squish in melee.

I dunno. Anyone with Tumble and access to mirror image and displacement is probably okay for a few rounds.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Hammerhead]

To be fair, the Beguiler has pretty much the same defenses as a rogue...better, really, b/c of GMI. However, their feinting ability is pretty much the suck...as a caster, I try to stay as far away from the monsters as I can. Just go invisible to get your cloaked casting benefits, and leave the feinting to the Invisible Blades and Victorian ladies.

 

[Darklone]

I third the bard. Only thing you need is good str, dex and con plus cha.

Bard archers not even with optimised inspire courage plus haste and Rapid Shot rule the battlefield. And not only because all these buffs help the others as well.