New Eberron Campaign

[holyplankton]

My group is starting a campaign next week set in Eberron. This is the first time any of us have attempted to use a premade campaign setting, we almost exclusively use worlds we make ourselves. I've been looking around and trying to make sense of the different races and classes and whatnot. I built myself a Warforged Samurai, because I think the flavor of earning his swords from a human in the Last War would make a decent backstory.

I have been working over making a Shifter, but I can't seem to get my head around which class would work for it. I like the idea of a Ranger, but I'm not a fan of ranged weapons as a main damage source and I already made a Samurai which would be a two-weapon wielder, so I'm wondering which other classes work well as a Shifter. Druid seems a bit redundant, Monk maybe?

Also I was looking at Eberron prestige classes and the Warforged Juggernaut seemed fun, though the class's lack of a good BAB progression worried me a bit. Also the Shifter prestige class seemed interesting, particularly the Tiger lycanthropy line, but I'm not sure how well this would transition into the game, or which class would be best to start out with.

Any thoughts on the subjects are greatly appreciated.

 

[Lwaxy]

I presume you are going to run self made adventures?

Warforged Samurai sounds really good. With a samurai, maybe Forgefire Warlock would be a good prestige class?

Shifters tend to become a PITA over the course of adventures, as a lot of folks simply hate them. You can adapt that in your campaign of course.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Do you have Magic of Incarnum? I made a Shifter Totemist that was extremely cool.

Shifter Ranger/Scout Swift Hunter builds are flavorful.

A Shifter Druid may seem redundant, but gets you access to the Moonspeaker Prestige class, which is really effective at making a Druid even more Druid-y. The PrC is found in Races of Eberron if you have the book.

I noticed in your discussion of races you're not considering Changeling, is the flavor not for you? Yes, their primary ability can be duplicated with An 1800gp Item however it gives you access to Complete Warrior's Warshaper PrC to get you Fast healing as early as level 8, which is nifty in any non-caster build.

The Samurai class tends to be very underwhelming mechanically compared to many other classes, but I don't know how you and yours play so it may be ok.

There are many fun things you can do in Eberron, enjoy!

 

[holyplankton]

Changelings are interesting, I just don't feel the natural Disguise Self ability they get is worth the lack of other racial bonuses like what even Elves and Dwarves get.

I have just about every book available to me, so those are not an issue, though I'll admit the chakra binding system from the Magic of Incarnum has always seemed a bit too daunting for me to sit down and figure out. Right now I have a basic Dwarven Fighter built because I haven't played a Fighter in years, but I do like the flavor and feats available to the Warforged race.

I do still want people's opinions on the Warforged Juggernaut class. It seems fun, but like I said above, the average BAB progression (rather than the good progression that a Fighter or Samurai gets) scares me a bit.

Thanks for the thoughts guys, keep em coming!

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Changelings are interesting, I just don't feel the natural Disguise Self ability they get is worth the lack of other racial bonuses like what even Elves and Dwarves get.

The best part of the Changeling are the access into PrCs, in my opinion. Recaster, Warshaper, Cabinet Trickster/ Mindspy, etc. Also, the Rogue racial variant gets 10 skillpints + INT mod. per level, which is crazy. Also, the Able Learner feat, officially only accessable to Humans and Dopplegangers, should by all rights be accessible to the Changeling, sine they are a mix of the 2.

I have just about every book available to me, so those are not an issue, though I'll admit the chakra binding system from the Magic of Incarnum has always seemed a bit too daunting for me to sit down and figure out.

I understand that, it took me about 3 times to read it through to understand it but once I did I realize it's just a series of all-day effects with the ability to shift power around. Totemist is nifty.

 

[emoplato]

My group is starting a campaign next week set in Eberron. This is the first time any of us have attempted to use a premade campaign setting, we almost exclusively use worlds we make ourselves. I've been looking around and trying to make sense of the different races and classes and whatnot. I built myself a Warforged Samurai, because I think the flavor of earning his swords from a human in the Last War would make a decent backstory.

I have been working over making a Shifter, but I can't seem to get my head around which class would work for it. I like the idea of a Ranger, but I'm not a fan of ranged weapons as a main damage source and I already made a Samurai which would be a two-weapon wielder, so I'm wondering which other classes work well as a Shifter. Druid seems a bit redundant, Monk maybe?

Also I was looking at Eberron prestige classes and the Warforged Juggernaut seemed fun, though the class's lack of a good BAB progression worried me a bit. Also the Shifter prestige class seemed interesting, particularly the Tiger lycanthropy line, but I'm not sure how well this would transition into the game, or which class would be best to start out with.

Any thoughts on the subjects are greatly appreciated.

A samurai is only worth maybe a couple of levels regardless of which one it is. If you have the OA version congrats that is the better of the two as you will be able to have a money-saving big weapon with a couple of bonus feats so that you may compliment another class and/or PrC that better, especially when Iajitsu focus is available. If you have the Complete Warrior version get out of it fast as you can. It simply doesn't have any extra dice damage available for it, therefore it has no synergy with the only available weapon style it gives. Its other key feature also can be duplicated and is vastly better with a couple feats and a skill trick. It also will only come into play with lower level enemies that aren't immune to mind-affecting, fear effects.