Help me choose a character direction

[dreaded_beast]

I'm joining a campaign based in the Forgotten Realms where everyone is starting off at first-level. The allowable books are the DND "core". The DM's definition of the "core" books are anything published by WotC, spanning anywhere from Races of Stone to Book of Exalted Deeds, etc.

Anyway, I like to play the type of character that goes off and sneak around by himself every so often, can hold his own in a fight but not necessarily the tank or heavy-hitter. Think Batman or stealthy, finesse fighter, but no swashbuckling types. Eventually I would like to mulit-class into a spell-casting class, most-likely arcane. I realize that I will probably be a relatively weak spellcaster, but I don't mind.

We are using point buy, 32 points.

I'm a bit of a "min-maxer", but like to keep it within my character concept. I try not to min-max to the point where it ruins the fun for the other players or the DM.

I like to play characters that have a tragic history or dark destiny. I like to incorporate fiends, demons, devils, planar things, and dark gods in my background. I dislike playing "comical" type characters. Once again, think Batman or (hold the snickers) Drizzt.

Being given so much freedom to choose, I'm hoping that people here at EN World can give their suggestions in terms of race or template, class progression, and eventual PrCs. The choices come from any WotC work, mainly the books, but possibly Dragon Magazine and the websites.

Hope this is enough to go on, thanks!

 

[solientious]

I realy am fond of Rogues with the Shadowwalker Templet. I think that Rogues can hold their own and if played right can be a terror on the battle field or dark alleyways. As for your issue. I would start a rogue with magical talent. Then eventuallly head to Arcane Trickster. Backstab with rays are excellent.

 

[irdeggman]

Sounds an awful lot like a ranger. Taking 2w style at 2nd level and then picking up an arcane casting class. Although I'd go with the archer version and then arcane archer at later levels.

Rangers are very easy to come up with tragic backgrounds - its the reason they like to work alone or have a favored enemy, etc.

Remember if it is a 1st level character there is not a lot of real useful templates that don't have a LA adjustment - hence would put you outside of the 1st level character concept. That also eliminates races with a LA too, unless you find one that has 'class levels' to adjust them to play at 1st level.

 

[noeuphoria]

Since you like dark backgrounds, try maybe rogue/cleric into divine agent. You can still be neutral, but choose a "darker" god like Wee Jas or Olimdarra. You get spell-like abilities, domain abilities, and you have to go on missions for your god. If you serve Olimdarra, he might have you go off on your own for vengence. If Wee Jas... well, you can't get much darker than her with a non-evil god.

 

[Particle_Man]

Well two ideas that don't quite fit, but are close:

Ranger: You got the sneaky stuff, you got pretty good combat, you don't get arcane but you do get spells.

Hexblade: You got arcane spells, you got pretty good combat, you could sneak if you get cc, but you have less skill points to play with (but some of the spells (invis, etc.) are helpful to sneaking). But dark heritage? Hexblades are all about the dark heritage, man.

 

[Particle_Man]

Oh, 3rd idea:

"hello, my name is Bard. James Bard"

Bards get sneak skills, are ok but not great in combat, get arcane spells. Insert dark heritage yourself, and there ya go! You could work up to Shadowdancer real easy.

 

[Li Shenron]

I second the Ranger! If the wilderness style doesn't fit your concept, maybe the UA's Urban Ranger or Planar Ranger do?

 

[dreaded_beast]

I second the Ranger! If the wilderness style doesn't fit your concept, maybe the UA's Urban Ranger or Planar Ranger do?

Hmm...Urban Ranger sounds good.

I was also looking at the Stalker of Kharash from the BoED.

Keep em' coming everyone!

I have 1 week to figure this out, hehe.

 

[irdeggman]

Do you want to play a party character or an anti-party character?

What I mean is that if your PC goes too far into the dark (and presumably evil/chaotic) side he will be against the party. I am assuming that the party is pretty much good oriented and not evil.

One of the great leaps forward that 3.0/3.5 made was to encourage playing as a team. No more individual exp and awards, what the party does everyone shares - you don't fight over who managed to kill that last pesky troll to see who got more exp. Common goals and tasks not individual play, everyone has a role to play when this is run properly and no one feels left out or overshadowed. There was a good article in a recent Dungeon talking about playing for the team and how to create characters with the other players (and their PCs) in mind. Those have ben the most fun games I've played in when the group comes together and allows the individual players to take turns with their PCS stepping up to the plate to do what their PCS are best at. We have had trouble at times when one player would play his PC as a non-engaging type of character. "My PC would never go there, no he'll just stay on the ship while the rest of you go investigate that distress signal."

IMO this is a great thing - it encourages people to play together and not to play against each other. While playing the chaotic evil backstabbing thief is fun, it is not fun to have have to worry about whether someone in the party is going to kill your favorite PC or not.

 

[dreaded_beast]

Do you want to play a party character or an anti-party character?

What I mean is that if your PC goes too far into the dark (and presumably evil/chaotic) side he will be against the party. I am assuming that the party is pretty much good oriented and not evil.

One of the great leaps forward that 3.0/3.5 made was to encourage playing as a team. No more individual exp and awards, what the party does everyone shares - you don't fight over who managed to kill that last pesky troll to see who got more exp. Common goals and tasks not individual play, everyone has a role to play when this is run properly and no one feels left out or overshadowed. There was a good article in a recent Dungeon talking about playing for the team and how to create characters with the other players (and their PCs) in mind. Those have ben the most fun games I've played in when the group comes together and allows the individual players to take turns with their PCS stepping up to the plate to do what their PCS are best at. We have had trouble at times when one player would play his PC as a non-engaging type of character. "My PC would never go there, no he'll just stay on the ship while the rest of you go investigate that distress signal."

IMO this is a great thing - it encourages people to play together and not to play against each other. While playing the chaotic evil backstabbing thief is fun, it is not fun to have have to worry about whether someone in the party is going to kill your favorite PC or not.

While I like playing the type of characters are dark/loner type, it is within the context of a "group game". My characters are almost always good aligned, just with a bit of "taint" to them. I usually "metagame" my characters so that even though it would go against their "concept", they make decisions that would be more fitting for a group game.