Need Help Creating a Human Duelist

[Elric]

I am currently creating a human duelist. I am not sure exactly what his final class breakdown will be, but he will definitely have a couple levels of Rogue. The other levels might be fighter and might be Monte's Ranger (which doesn't get two weapon fighting but gets some bonus feats). The character will have low (10-12) Str and high Int and Dex. For this reason, I am leaning towards the Ranger right now because it results in a more skill oriented character. At the same time, I need to actually be able to hold my own in combat.

The character is level 9, so will have 2 levels of duelist, giving him precise strike and canny defense. He'll already have Ambidexterity, Dodge and Mobility to qualify for the prestige class. If you post a feat that isn't in the class or core books please give a brief description so that I know what it is.

In addition to feats, I'm still figuring out what gear he's going to have. I am currently thinking Short Sword (finessed) and a Buckler. He has 20k to spend on magic items, but only 4k on any given item. Suggestions for when I get more gold are fine, though! Anything else that you can think of is also fine.

Thanks for the help.

By the way, this character is for DM_Matt's play by post FR game that is starting in the in-character forum.

If you want to take a look, it's here

Edit- I think everyone has a little while to submit characters and everything, so don't worry if you're a latecomer to the thread.

Second edit- I think we have enough people now. However, I still need help with my duelist!

 

[Crothian]

Personally, a really good way to the Duelist is Bard4/Fighter4. It does take a little longer, but the right bard spells like Cat's grace really help in the long run. Also, the fighter part gets 3 extra feats, and weapon focus, weapon specilization, and weapon finesse are great ways to spend those.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

hmmm...magic items

+1 short sword (2320 gp)
+1 buckler (1165)
headband of intellect +2 (4000)
gloves of dexerity +2 (4000)
bracers of armor +2 (4000)
heward's handy haversack (2000)
ring of protection +1 (2000)
6 potions of cure lights wounds (600)
2 quaal's feather token: tree ('cause you never know when you'll need a tree )

= 19985 gp!

 

[Crothian]

hmmm...magic items

+1 short sword (2320 gp)
+1 buckler (1165)
headband of intellect +2 (4000)
gloves of dexerity +2 (4000)
bracers of armor +2 (4000)
heward's handy haversack (2000)
ring of protection +1 (2000)
6 potions of cure lights wounds (600)
2 quaal's feather token: tree ('cause you never know when you'll need a tree )

= 19985 gp!

I'd go with rapier instead of short sword. Or even better Elven Thinblade. I'd forgo the buckler, but that's personal preference. The Heward's is pretty much standard issue from Mr Fidgit, but still handy haversack to have. Ring of Jumping might be something to add as mobility is fun to p[lay up with this type of character. And everyone needs their trees.

Oh, and if you take bard levels you can get a wand of cure light light wounds 50 charages for 150gp more then the 6 potions. Well worth the money.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i totally agree with rapier, hewards especially because of "a low (10-12) Str", cure light wand if you're a rogue or bard (use magic device skill), but i just GOTS to have me some trees!

 

[Henry]

Personally, a really good way to the Duelist is Bard4/Fighter4.

Ah, Cyrano...

"I shall compose a ballade, and then when I end the refrain, thrust home!"

A melee bard who cast his spells by composing poetry and ballads while fighting? I love it!

 

[Crothian]

i totally agree with rapier, hewards especially because of "a low (10-12) Str", cure light wand if you're a rogue or bard (use magic device skill), but i just GOTS to have me some trees!

Well, when Sym reaches 9th level we'll have him take Major Creation and see if Eva will allow him and Faroth to work together to make you some Trees!!

 

[Mr Fidgit]

WOO HOO!

we're hijacking Elric's thread, but i LOVES my trees!

 

[Corwin]

What I did...

Something I did when I made my duelist...

His name is Karlistigan Ignacious Lucien Montenue Artimen DelGato IV.

I started him off with a level of rogue and went next for a single level of monk before taking more rogue and some levels in fencer*. This all played out in his background as having been sent off, as a youth, to a monastary. You see, he was a bit wild as a young man (rogue) and his parents wanted him more under control and hoped he'd learn peace and spirituality. He got kicked out less than a year later.

So his father then enrolled him in the Charlemont School of Fencing and Swordplay. Basically a military school of sorts. My PC came from a land of very "Renaisance" style and culture. So the school was kinda like a Muskateer training school. His father was hoping it would reign him in through discipline. Karl graduated with honors. Though he refused to sign up for service upon graduating. He wanted to travel and so on... (you know, the usual PC sets off to discover the world, yada, yada, yada.)

Anyway, he ended up being Rogue-3/Monk-1/Fencer*-4/Duelist-X. He's still going up in Duelist. Since we allow humans to ignore any one class for XP penalty (instead of the highest), he does not suffer a loss.

The level of monk works really well because it gives you that swashbuckly ability to punch and kick (for a d6). Plus you get the Wis bonus to AC as well as that of Int from Duelist.

So, yeah, there are some house rules in play here. But it makes for a great PC with lots of style. I enjoy playing him.

(* Fencer is a modified version of fighter we created. The DM allowed me to drop all but light armor and buckler, restricted weapons to a short, specific list - like rogues, and reduced HD to d8. I still get fighter feats, receive base 4 skills with a slightly expanded list, and pick up +10 movement like a barbarian.)

 

[Elric]

I just remembered that I can finesse a rapier. That makes his weapon a much harder choice. I'd rather use a standard weapon than the thinblade, unless I can think of an in-character reason why he prefers the other. The Fighter-Bard-Duelist is a cool character, but I'm not really looking to play a spellcaster (both of my previous chars were spellcasters). There was character who fit that description in the last campaign (although he retired shortly after I started playing). I'm sure someone else will make good use of Cyrano.

Just wondering, can a duelist actually use their Ambidextrous feat for anything? Piercing strike is far better than using a second weapon, unless you happen to be fighting undead with low AC. I'm not sure conceptually if I want the character use a buckler, but I am sure that I don't want to have an AC in the teens while using magic items.

I am a little worried about every character in this game coming in with the exact same magic items- Ring of Jumping, +1 weapons/armor, +1 Rings of Prot/Amulets of Nat Armor, Cloaks of Resistance +2... I'm not sure how that will work out.

Any good feats? Weapon specialization is looking really good (too bad I'm not a fighter) because I need some damage bonuses. 9th level characters can pretty much ignore you when you crit for 12 damage and do 8 on a normal hit. I guess Sneak Attack could help.