D&D 5E My Dark Sun character died. What do I play next?

[I'm A Banana]

Soooooo, I don't have any strong ideas. What's yours?

For history, the character that died was a party striker: a thri-kreen ranger (with monk multiclass feats) very specifically designed to give me an insane quantity of attacks in each round (minor action attacks, two-attack standard actions, free action bonus attacks, and a flurry of blows and quarry damage to top it all off). She was a lot of fun to play, and I'm gonna miss that bug, but it's time to move on.

I've been possibly pondering a few seeds of replacement, but they haven't gelled into awesome characters. I've never seen a mul played ever, so I was thinking about that, but their racial abilities leave me yawning, and I can't think of a cool class combo with 'em.

I've also been curious about the genasi (and the dark-sun-specific souls), but I noticed I can't take the Dark-Sun-Specific souls with the Extra Manifestation feat, which suuuuuuuuucks. I wanted to be all kinds of destroyed ash and dust, but if I'm limited to one flavor, that's not so cool.

A third direction I've been pondering is going heavily weather-themed or water-themed, possibly with a sorcerer, druid, or shaman (or some unholy combination thereof). I'm enamored of the Sentinel druid's "living zephyr" animal companion (re-fluffed as a constant raincloud! The aura of light obscurement is RAIN!), but full sentinel is a little boring, and I'm not finding a statisfying hybrid for the sentinel that works with the fluff of making my magic appear from the animal companion.

I'm able to be pretty flexible with regards to the character: the party is pretty big, and contains a goliath battlemind (mercenary), a halfling warden (former gladiator) a shardmind artificer (living relic of a previous age), a human psion (scholarly type), a human warlock (hunted noble from Urik), and a companion NPC warlord (a drunk mercenary). So we definitely don't need another defender, and we don't really need another leader, which is why I was farting around with hybrids so much. The general party tendency is functional amorality, though my thri-kreen was a big element of that, so perhaps it'll be a bit less so now.

But really, I think I just need a good hook. The thri-kreen had multiple arms and multiple attacks. What else you got for me?

 

[Neonchameleon]

Looking at that party, you've two defenders, two leaders, a control-heavy striker, and a controller. One of the fundamental rules of 4e is that you can never have too many strikers. I know what I'd do under those circumstances - it's a playstyle and a character type. Provoke opportunity attacks! Yes, I'm serious (mostly). I'd take a melee skirmisher (executioner assassins, rogues/thieves, and monks are all good, and there's something to be said for barbarians and heroic tier vampires) and specialise in walking past the enemy, offering them a free swing to give the defender a free attack. It's risky, it's memorable, and it's very fun.

As for the raincloud, how about Thunderborn Barbarian.

Out of curiosity, is the warlord a free-strike granter? If so you want an assassin or thief for awesome melee basic attacks.

 

[Manbearcat]

@Neonchameleon mentions above - Thunderborn Barbarian is a good option - a good option for a Mul (and I like the racial power - enormously helpful in a game with a lot of action denial/status effect enemies) or a Stormsoul Genasi with Promise of the Storm. If the Warlord gives free MBAs then Barbarian or Slayer is a great route.

Something that might be fun is a Changeling (if you guys are allowing it in Dark Sun) Rogue or Thief. Speed, mobility, CA on your own, some fun out of combat stuff, and big time damage.

 

[Ferghis]

Setting aside all your ideas and going with Neonchameleon's logic, a crazed cannibal halfling would be great at drawing (and being missed by) OAs. Rogue would also help. Deft Hurler Style would grant you an extra use of Sly Fluorish too.

 

[Raunalyn]

Halfling wild sorcerer or storm sorcerer....that is all.

 

[TwoSix]

Are there any good striker themes? I always wanted to go full-bore on a character that played up their theme, to the point of not using their class powers much.

 

[Ferghis]

Are there any good striker themes? I always wanted to go full-bore on a character that played up their theme, to the point of not using their class powers much.

Sohei and some of the elemental chaos ones are good mechanical fits for martial strikers.

 

[Herschel]

Genasi Swordmage/Warlock would work well. Reflavor the Sorcerer-King Pact as a pact with a primordial vs. an actual SK, Elemental Initiate theme (or similar). Genasi also make good Rangers, Barbarians and Blaster Wizards. Aw, heck, Genasi make good everythiing.

Cindersoul mechanically fits Dark Sun flavor pretty perfectly (become a conflagration of ash & fire, absorbing and dispersing the energy of the attack that hit you) for a second manifestation, as do all the Corrupted ones. Windsoul is terrific if you want to go with the Desert's Voice Paragon Path, Stormsoul if you want to boost your damage a couple of rounds/fight.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Like you said, you need a good hook. What kind of concept can be created that would mesh well with your preferred playstyle AND the world of Athas?

The best three 4Ed PCs I have are not really for Athas, but I list them here to maybe get you thinking:

1) a dwarven Starlock/Psion whose clan's sacred mission is to fight aberrations (inspired by Cthulhu Mythos stories);

2) a wandering scholar Dragonborn Paladin/Sorcerer/Starlock from an Arabic themed culture (inspired by The 13th Warrior and the song "Ordinary Son" by Black Country Communion);

3) a Warforged InfernaLock/Battlemind who was created to be a living conduit to the lower planes, but has rejected this destiny (inspired by Hellboy and the LeMarchand boxes from the Hellraiser stories & movies).

 

[TwoSix]

I've also been curious about the genasi (and the dark-sun-specific souls), but I noticed I can't take the Dark-Sun-Specific souls with the Extra Manifestation feat, which suuuuuuuuucks. I wanted to be all kinds of destroyed ash and dust, but if I'm limited to one flavor, that's not so cool.

Out of curiosity, why is this not allowed? Specific rule, or character builder limitation?