Looking for ideas on a Paladin/Sorceror or a Rogue/Wizard

[Billiarmus]

Hi Everyone.
This is the first time i've started a new thread, so bear w/ me if i do anything wrong.

Looking for ideas on how to play an interesting and/or powerful (preferably a bit of each) either wizard/rogue or paladin/sorceror. Trying to come up w/ ideas, but hitting a proverbial "wall". Anything from items to skill selection to character background would be useful.

Campaign is as follows:

I'm playing in a campaign soon, relatively high level (11th), normal magic, and a slightly-power-gamish party. We have access to any books released and most Dragon stuff.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Zad]

The first obvious problem with a paladin/anything is that if you take a level in another class, you can't take any more levels in paladin.

The second thing I'd suggest is this: Multiclassing looks powerful at low levels, but as you get into the mid levels, you start to realize that you stink at everything you do (assuming you run an even split). The specialist who sticks to one class, (or only takes a level or two in another) has a great advantage in their core competencies.

(Prestige classes may or may not count in this argument depending how you go about it. If you switch to straight shadow dancer, you're ok. But if you add a level of one, a level of another and then go back to your "main" class, you're going to feel weakened.)

Let's assume you want to stay with a Rog/Sor. What can you do?

First off realize that as a sorcerer you will stink in some ways. Your spell selection will lag, and most importantly, the DC on your saving throws will be weakened. To counteract this, choose your spells carefully. Do NOT choose spells that affect the opponent that they get a save from - charm person, hold person, fireball, etc. DO choose spells that are buffs and beneficial to you - haste, cat's grace, bull strength, fly, and so on. By doing this you avoid the whole problem with your save DC's. Use the sorcerer spells to augment your abilities as a rogue.

As for hooks that are...well "sexy", afraid I don't have any.

 

[Wolfen Priest]

I don't have the DMG in front of me, but here's a suggestion. Make a paladin until about maybe 6th level, then go straight sorceror for a while.

Don't tell your other party-members, but eventually consider going blackguard (you don't even have to tell them after it happens; just let them slowly figure it out). I don't have the pre-req's in front of me, so maybe it wouldn't even make much sense to go sorceror, but I would.

 

[warpmind]

Some Pal/Sor:
Think about the apprentice of an evil wizard (diabolist or necromancer works fine). He has been raised by him, as he saw in the boy some innate ability for magic. This boy has suffered constant humilliation but hasn't parents and thinks of his master as a kind of "father". He has helped him with his rituals time and again, sending innocents to death in horrible sacrifices. Let him be a 4th or 5th level sorcerer.
One day a party of clerics followers of a good deity find his lair and kill the boy's master. When the boy thinks he's going to be the next to fall to the ground with his head severed he sees that the clerics let him live as they see no true taint of evil in his soul.
That day he sees the light and begins to seek redemption. He promises himself to undo his evil deeds.
His former master's lair was nearly destroyed but you still know a secret room where he guarded ancient lore about the lower planes and all kinds of evil arts.
If you have the Evil book by AEG you can let him have had some evil pact with some extraplanar being, and some knowledge in demonology. Now it could be broken or not.
A good PrC for him could be Knight of the Chalice.

 

[Uller]

I'd stay away from multiclassing as a sorcerer, unless you want to just take a couple levels of sorcerer or just a couple levels of your other class. Otherwise, you end up being so watered down you are pretty much useless.

A rogue wizard can be very cool from a power gaming POV. Maybe something like a Rog3/Wiz8 (it can work with sorcerer, too, but you'll lose a lot of versitility, IMO).

Spells Known:
4-Improved Invisibility, Polymorph Self (helps to get into small places as well as fighting), Fear (good to get out of a jam), Enervation*
3-Haste, Fly, Blink, Flame Arrow*
2-Melf's Acid Arrow*, Cat's Grace, Mirror Image, Knock (See Invisibility or Glitterdust might be helpful if your DM likes invisibility)
1-Unseen Servant, Mage Armor, Shield, Spider Climb, Expeditious Retreat (when combined with Haste, you can move 60' and do a full attack!), Chill Touch*

* with these spells, you can apply sneak attack damage.

For feats, take (assuming you are human and have a good dex): Weapon Finesse (unarmed strike), Weapon Focus ( Ranged Touch: Energy Missile), Weapon Focus (unarmed strike), Energy Substitution.

So you can use Enervation, Flame Arrow, Melf's Acid Arrow and Chill Touch (8 uses per casting!) to deal sneak attack damage. Imp Invisibility and Blink should help you get sneak attacks more often (from range). Another interesting thing to do might be to drop Fly and take Vampiric Touch (or just by a scroll and add it to your spell book). That'll help with your low hit points (the concensus in the rules forum is that with VT you get the sneak attack damage in temporary HP as well...you DM may disagree, though).

You could do something similar with a Rog/Sorcerer, but you'll know very few spells.

 

[warpmind]

Wiz/Rog= GNOMES (Illusionsts, if possible)

Not necessarily powergaming, but definitely lots of fun.

 

[Nightfall]

A good PrC for him could be Knight of the Chalice.

Dunno. I think Silver Knight is much better Warp. Besides he'd have to get a level in ranger so he could get favored enemy. With Silver Knight, the requirements are FAR less strict. Not to mention he'd favor fighting OUTSIDERS as well elementals.

 

[ichabod]

I would definately go for a Rog/Sor (I know you said Rog/Wiz, but if you can go for Sor).

Why? Arcane Trickster from Tome and Blood. Pick up three levels of rogue and six in sorcerer. Then you can take arcane trickster. The only real class feature of the sorcerer at this point is spell progression, which you still get. In addition, you get 2 more skill points, access to the rogue skills, sneak attack, ranged legerdemain, impromptu sneak attack, and a good reflex save.

You can do it with wizard, but you lose some metamagic feats. Not that it isn't worth what you're getting.

 

[warpmind]

Sure Night but I don't like using PrC from a setting into another. The Silver Knights are really good, but the role is kind of tied to the SL.
Of course SIlver Knight IS the choice if the character is going to wander through Ghelspad.

 

[Nightfall]

Well that or Mithril Knight.

But I understand your reason for NOT suggesting it. However remember you could just have him switch Gods. Corean is pretty interchangeable even if he's very good at what he does. Even so my hope is that one of my players uses the pre-generated paladin so that he/she can try out Silver Knight.