Looking for advice for a Caster Character

[vulcan_idic]

I'm looking for some advice about what kind of caster character to make.

I'm currently playing in an Eberron Campaign. We're at 3rd level and I've begun to realize I made some poor decisions through the course of character creation - I tried to do too many things with one character so he is minimally skilled at a huge number of things (Warforged Fighter/Artificer/Kineticist).

I have decided to change characters. The one thing my DM said was he would like it if I went with a caster character of some sort as our current group is almost entirely melee more or less (a rogue, a scout, and a modified monk moving towards Kensai), and we've already come across a few situations - such as a swarm and a bright naga - that a caster would have been a big help for. I said I would. It should also be mentioned that the characters in the group tend to the agressive side (the scout is a shifter who is quite antisocial and the modified monk is calm and reserved but basically goes into a berserker/bloodthirsy/brutally efficient trance in combat).

I generally have a few goals with characters -

(1) I like to be self-sufficient. This is why Monks appeal to me in general. Take away all their fancy equiptment and you haven't inhibited them much at all. This is also why my last character was Warforged.

(2) I like to be able to do cool things. Blindsight, scent, darkvision - I like to be able to detect things in many ways. Or breathe underwater (or lack the need to breathe at all).

(3) I like to be a utility knife character. I'm not necesarily a big weapon dealing all kinds of damage, but I want to be a force multiplier for others (combat wise) and outside of combat be able to really help with utility kinds of things. For example, the Warforged was great because I didn't sleep and could be the night watchman providing a unque, greatly appreciated role for the group.

Based on these things a druid or sorcerer character might be best, I guess, but I really don't know, I don't play casters much at all, and I don't know how to go about designing them well.

Anyway, I appreciate any and all advice on this!! Thank you all!!

 

[shilsen]

Actually, based on what you said, I would suggest keeping on playing an artificer. That's the ultimate utility caster, with the ability to come up with spells fom any spell-list on the fly, and all the other crafting abilities. Why not retcon your warforged into a straight artificer?

 

[vulcan_idic]

Well, it wouldn't fit with his backstory particularly well. The warforged, who goes by the name I.U. 5924 because he found that marked on his arm with chalk when he attained consciousness, is an escapee from the garbage dump of Merrix d'Cannith's secret forge. He was, or was at least thought to be, a failed prototype/experimental model trying to combine an Adamantium Body with a (what I now have a word for) Psiforged Body. The experiment worked better than it was thought to and he actually gained consciousness and had some small psionic talent inborn (Hidden Talent:Catfall). Character-wise I play him similar to a very early Data - he's very smart (Int:17) but unfamiliar with the world - he was only partly finished in the forge when they ejected him for being a failure (the I.U. in I.U. 5924 means Inoperative Unit). Given his history remaking him into a straight Artificer would be problematic as it wouldn't really fit with his backstory.

A straight artificer could work I suppose, but I haven't really been drawn to them. I've never like making items myself, which seems to be their main schtick. But that may be because I haven't really understood how to use them to their best advantage. I remember after I read City of Towers by Keith Baker I really wanted to play one because the one in the novel seemed so cool... but then I went to look at them and they didn't seem as fun. What am I missing about them?

 

[vulcan_idic]

Maybe I'll go for something monstrous via a Savage Species type class. I like doing things a bit different. An ogre mage or Medusa maybe - still filling the caster role, but in a slightly different way?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Have you considered playing a Druid?

There's some interesting druidic sects in the ECS.

 

[vulcan_idic]

Based on these things a druid or sorcerer character might be best, I guess, but I really don't know, I don't play casters much at all, and I don't know how to go about designing them well.

I have considered it - are they any good? Any advice on playing one? I really haven't played casters much at all before, and when I did I didn't do very well.

 

[wolff96]

It's hard to give advice without knowing more specifically what you like, but I'll take a stab at it.

Sorcerers are powerful, assuming you choose their spell list well. They have a tendency to devolve into artillery turrets in some player's hands, but that may be what you like.

Druids are one of the most underrated classes in the game. Their spell list isn't as versatile as a Cleric's list, nor do they get the armor. However, they have some real gems on their spell list (Flame Strike wands, ahoy!) and have significant battlefield control spells. On top of that, Wild Shape is decent for combat and incredible for scouting, exploring, and escaping detection.

If you want my recommendation, play a druid (and experiment with some of the Eberron sects as Patryn mentioned). You get a LOT of utility from Wildshape if you use the forms you have available, you've got good combat survivability, and the Summon Nature's Ally list is pretty potent as well. Take Natural Casting (cast while Wild-shaped) for maximum adaptability.

One more thing: Scribe Scroll. A druid has a lot of spells that are EXCEEDINGLY specialized but incredibly powerful for that ONE USE. (Quench springs immediately to mind.) You don't need to take the feat if you don't want, but try to buy/acquire scrolls that cover those situations. That way, you can memorize the artillery and utility spells, then bust out the battle-changing specialty spell when it's needed.

 

[vulcan_idic]

That does sound pretty good. One thing I really like about druids is all the utility spells they have. I was a little concerned because they do have combat oriented spells they don't seem to come in until 2nd or 3rd (spell) level. Wild shape seems really useful too - I really like the spying aspect of it.

I'm leaning towards a sorcerer at this point, because while I'll have limited spells known I can choose my list to have a good mix of combat and utility spells. I'm sure I'll be needed as a artillery piece, but I want to make sure I'm not pidgeon-holed.

I'm also thinking about playing a pixie as a savage species type class, then going into Sorcerer or Druid from there. A Doppelganger might also be fun.

Whatever I take I think I'd want to trade out a familiar/animal companion UA style - I just can't see wanting to drag a poor animal along with me into potentially lethal situations.

 

[vulcan_idic]

Actually the sects in Eberron are part of the reason I'm leary of playing a druid there - do you have to be in one?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I have considered it - are they any good?

Duh! Missed it!

Yes, actually, I rather like the druids I've played (who are, unfortunately, rather limited in number).

I bring them up because, in your list of "things you'd like to do," druids have a fair shot of getting all of them either through specific class abilities or through things like wildshape and spells. Need to go underwater? Wildshape into a fish or shark. Need blinsight? Bat's your answer!

There's also a line of feats in Complete Adventurer called [Wild] feats (and they may be elsewhere as well). They allow you to spend a use of Wildshape to gain specific abilities (similar to the [Divine] line of feats which are powered via Turn Undead attempts). There's things like Blindsense (spend 1 Wildshape to gain Blindsense 30' for 1 minute / level).

The sects in Eberron are optional; you certainly aren't required to belong to any of them. However, "membership has its privileges." Generally, these take the form of a bonus to saves, additional class skills, and additional spells.

For instance, being an initiated member of the Gatekeepers gives you a saving throw bonus against the spell-like and supernatural abilities of aberrations, Knowledge (The Planes) as a class skills, and one additional spell on your spell list at each level (things like Protection from Evil, Banishment, and Imprisonment).

Or, you could be a member of the Ashbound - a group of druids who see arcane magic as an abomination. Your summonings get a large bonus.

They also give you a pretty quick hook into the Eberron world. The Gatekeepers are the line of druids descended from the survivors of the druidic circles who bound the Daelkyr and others into Khyber. You travel the world, finding places where the seals are weakening, and reinforce them. Maybe you're an Ashbound, and your goal is to end the existence of warforged.