Rakshasa PC

[meltinbradley]

So I'm playing a Rakshasa, using the savage species book, in terms of leveling him up. I always liked them ever since 2nd edition. Now Im finally playing one, and am currently 4th level, and I must say it is boring. It kind of sucks actually, I feel very useless in the group. Of course come 8th or 9th level, things will get a lot more exciting.
Anyway, I have two questions.
Any recommendations for feats?
I dont have my sheet as I am at work, but current feats I have are deflect arrows (I would hate to get hit with a blessed bolt), I used a feat, I forget the name, but it allows one of my spell like abilities to become supernatural. I chose detect thoughts for that, so there is no SR when I use it. I also used a feat that allows me to mubble, or sing, or make sounds to cast spells instead of using actually words of power. (Makes sense for the different personalities he plays.)
Im just thinking about other feats that might make sense for a Rakshasa.
I know there is a feat that makes shapechange faster, but is that really important?

My second question is when I reach 14th level I am done with that class.
I need a new class. What should I pick?
There is a class that has like 5 levels, i think its in complete adventurer that allows you to use detect thought and take it to the next level. It gives you bonuses for knowing what oppopents do before they do them, among other bonuses. Its called like a mind spy or something.
I was also thinking sorcerer. Because I will be able to cast as a 7th level sorcerer, if I start taking levels in that class will the exisiting spell level stack? Thanks, MB

 

[javcs]

I believe the class you're thinking of, Mind Spy, is in Complete Psionics. A class that is somewhat similar is MindBender from Complete Arcane - make a minion meatshield for you.

Yes, if you started taking sorcerer levels, it would stack with your racial casting abilities.

No matter what you do, though, you're going to be extraordinarily squishy as a character.
Feats that increase your survivability should a priority - Imp Toughness, luck feats, anything that lets you get rerolls or force rerolls on enemies.
If the DM allows you, take Leadership, you want your cohort to be big on healing and protecting you - the level cap on the cohort runs off of your ECL, not your HD, so the cohort may well have more HD and HP than you.

 

[Runestar]

Are you playing 3.0 or 3.5? The 3.5 raksasha was given an overhaul (eg: it replaced its spell immunity with very good sr and lost its vulnerability to blessed bolts). So you may want to check with your DM if you can revise your character sheet.

If you have complete mage, abjurant champion seems like a decent choice, granting full bab and spellcasting, plus a slew of other features.

 

[moritheil]

Mind Spy is a really neat concept, but in terms of power I remember it being sub-par. You pretty much have to be a caster to get in, and it doesn't advance casting at all. I would probably only recommend it for doppelgangers, and even then it's questionable. If you really want to contribute more I'd look at progressing your casting, since even relatively low-level casters are pretty much always useful. You'll have to pick and choose spells where caster level is less important, but one more caster in the group is always a good thing. Put another way, you're already frail, so you might as well just accept it, and hang out in the back with the casters. If you go for melee classes, you have the low BAB problem and you risk dying to a full attack. Your DR (15/good and piercing) is great but it can't make up for such low hit points.

Consider prestige classes that advance sorcerer casting but give you abilities that will help you survive. For example, 2 levels in Divine Oracle advances your casting just as sorc levels would, and lets you pick up what is essentially an upgraded version of evasion. The downside is that you need to burn a feat to enter (you also need to spend skill points on know (religion) but that's a reasonably useful knowledge skill, so it's not a waste.)

EDIT: There is one melee class I actually would recommend for a 2-level dip: the blackguard. You have low saves due to not having much in the way of hit dice. You can solve that problem with blackguard (adds Cha to saves at level 2.) It doesn't really help you become more useful unless you intend to work as some kind of assassin, but on the other hand, if you're dead, you're not useful at all.

Following blackguard, you can take a dip into Spellsword (for the ASF reduction) and then Eldritch Knight or one of the splatbook classes (they're pretty much all better than EK.) Knight Phantom, for instance, is very easy to get into and offers you a slew of benefits plus d8 hit dice, with the same casting progression as EK. If you do that you don't even need to dip Spellsword, as Knight Phantom grants you the ability to cast in light armor.

 

[Starbuck_II]

So I'm playing a Rakshasa, using the savage species book, in terms of leveling him up. I always liked them ever since 2nd edition. Now Im finally playing one, and am currently 4th level, and I must say it is boring. It kind of sucks actually, I feel very useless in the group. Of course come 8th or 9th level, things will get a lot more exciting.

You possibly chose a feat or two that add cool options/look cool but suck mechanically.

I dont have my sheet as I am at work, but current feats I have are deflect arrows (I would hate to get hit with a blessed bolt),

Smart. As that kills you.

I used a feat, I forget the name, but it allows one of my spell like abilities to become supernatural.
I chose detect thoughts for that, so there is no SR when I use it.

See here may be where you made a flavor choice that makes you feel useless.
SR is rarely a problem normally (there are exceptions).
How often does detect thoughts get used? Are you planning on using all the time?
If all the time: sure. But if it is situational, bad choice.

I also used a feat that allows me to mubble, or sing, or make sounds to cast spells instead of using actually words of power. (Makes sense for the different personalities he plays.)

Flavor choices are bad for use; another reason you might feel useless.
You can sing to cast spells (Bards prove this) without that feat.

You can do flavor without spending feats.
The PHB encourages reflavoring (Rice Paper Walk for example instead of Move silently)

My second question is when I reach 14th level I am done with that class.
I need a new class. What should I pick?
There is a class that has like 5 levels, i think its in complete adventurer that allows you to use detect thought and take it to the next level. It gives you bonuses for knowing what oppopents do before they do them, among other bonuses. Its called like a mind spy or something.
I was also thinking sorcerer. Because I will be able to cast as a 7th level sorcerer, if I start taking levels in that class will the exisiting spell level stack? Thanks, MB

I would take a Prc like Complete Mages: Aburant Companion. Full bab/Spell Caster progression.

 

[meltinbradley]

thanks guys

Starbucks II- I have looked over some prestige classes, Abjurant Champion seems like a nice class to choose.
I use detect thoughts all the time(Well one a day at the moment). I use it on my party members as well as on enemies. Granted, right now that feat is useless as there isnt anyone really with SR, But I think it can become useful later. So far in this campaign it has been extremely helpful and we learned a lot of clues pertaining to the story.
In combat it is very boring, so I have to do crazy and weird, abnoxious things to remain sane. But when it comes to role playing, I love it, because of detect thoughts and shapeshange I have been able to penetrate areas, other PC's cant, so It allows for a lot of role playing oppurtunities and to gather crucial information. My character is rather unique among the party, when I have that spell permanently I will use it all the time. Not only does it read surface thoughts, it tells how many intelligent beings are around you in a 60ft radius. Very useful when dealing with hidden enemies. I thought the feat would be good when we finally deal with demons and devils.
As long as the DM gives me role play opportunities Im fine, which he finally did last session, but when combat comes and I run out of my like 2 or 3 first level spells I am extremely useless.
Yes, I do understand it can be costly to waste feats on flavorful choices. But when I make a character, there is a certain way I want him to be. I am not always intereseted in making the toughest character, in this case, I will ask the dm if he will let me reselect my feats because my character is really that weak at the moment. But if not, I am not bitter about my
choices as it makes sense to his personality. But you are right, you can still be a flavorful character without using feats.

Moreitheil- Yes, I also thought it was a neat concept, but as you said there is no spellcasting level upgrade. I would have chosen mind spy if it allowed that. Divine Oracle, what book is that in?
I looked over the Knight Phantom, it like the Abjurant Champion a lot better, I just think its somewhat unbalanced, but I feel the rest of the party is somewhat unbalanced, so it would definetely help out. But reading over the phantom knight and for role playing purposes makes more sense.
I cant be a black guard.
Sorry fellahs, I should have told you a little back ground on my Rakshasa, its not a typical Rakshasa. He is not evil, he is unique. Orginally, my character was a cleric of Pelor(this is all in the background) He betrayed his god and was cursed into the form of a Rakshasa. He is chaotic neutral in most cases, but has multiple personalities to cope with his curse (his family was killed by rakshasa's so he loathes them and the form he has become) So certain personalities are chaotic good, some neutral, some evil....but the campaign is a good one so I couldnt play straight evil. But it was a oppurtunity to always play a race I always wanted to play. The bonus to saves though does sound nice, and I could do paladin but I really dont want to play lawful good.

Runestar- We are playing 3.5 but the version I have you eventually have spell immunity to 8th level and below and damage reduction 15/+3.....rather then 15/good /piercing.
I kind of like that better. I have total immunity. I mean I guess I would have the chance to protect myself from 9th level spells...Does anyone have the revised one so I can check it out?

Javcs-can you name some of these luck feats, and feats where they change rolls and where I can find them? I like that.
Leadership sounds cool, but he is a little to crazy to be a leader. It wouldnt work for him.
Thanks again for the help. MB

 

[Starbuck_II]

Runestar- We are playing 3.5 but the version I have you eventually have spell immunity to 8th level and below and damage reduction 15/+3.....rather then 15/good /piercing.
I kind of like that better. I have total immunity. I mean I guess I would have the chance to protect myself from 9th level spells...Does anyone have the revised one so I can check it out?

Remember, spell immunity (like Spell resistance) only blocks others spells. You can still cast stuff on self as well as use your magic items without issue.

 

[Shin Okada]

Beware. While Spell Immunity is good, that means you cannot be benefited from most of the buffing and healing spells from your comrades unless you turn it off (takes a standard action). So, basically, if you are using it in combat, when you are heavily injured, your friend can't heal your HP unless that one can use a 9th-level spell to do so. If I were you, I will choose the combination of usual spell resistance and DR 15/Good and piercing. That DR is rarely penetrated.

Edit : If you are using SS version of Rakshasa. It says you are simply immune to spells of certain level and you can suppress it like SR to accept your own spells or spells from allies. That means, unless you suppress it, you can't even cast lower-level spells on yourself, too. That seems to be a very, very, inconvenient ability. You will become immune to 8th-level spell at ECL 14. And you must be at least ECL 25 to cast 9th-level spells.

Abjurant Champion seems to be one of the best option for you. But your caster level is still miserably low for your ECL. When other party members are L 19, your Rakshasa/Abjurant Champion 5 has caster level of 12. So your attack spells are so weak and if it allows SR, it is almost useless against something with SR and with appropriate CR against your party. Also, your spells will be dispelled very easily.

So, your choice of spells would better be swift action spells such as Wraithstrike and non-SR attack spells such as Orb of XXX.

LA +7 is a biiiiiiiig burden.

 

[Starbuck_II]

Edit : If you are using SS version of Rakshasa. It says you are simply immune to spells of certain level and you can suppress it like SR to accept your own spells or spells from allies. That means, unless you suppress it, you can't even cast lower-level spells on yourself, too. That seems to be a very, very, inconvenient ability. You will become immune to 8th-level spell at ECL 14. And you must be at least ECL 25 to cast 9th-level spells.

Actually, both Spell immunity and SR don't affect your own spells.
This is why Golems can cast Haste on themselves.

Page 298 DMG Under Spell Resistance: 5th paragraph:
A Creature's spell resistance never interferes with their own spells, item, or abilities.

 

[meltinbradley]

thanks again

Is there anywhere on the net, a link, anything that shows this new rakshasa progression. I have the SS that has Spell Immunity, killed instantly by blessed bolt, DR 15/+3, or what book is the revised version in?
Also, is there a link to the actual abjurant champion Prestige class? I cannot find it, I found something posted by some guy. I would like to see more on it. Thanks, MB