Surprisingly Effective Hybrids

[I'm A Banana]

We all know hybrids can be all over the place, and the "best" synergies are often pretty obvious (and usually mentioned right in the hybrid description).

So this is a thread for any hybrids you've found that are pretty dang solid at what they do, but NOT an expected combination. Bonus points if you've got a coherent character behind the mechanics!

My inspiration for this thread was a Qorrashi (snow genie) character I was fiddling around with. I wanted it to have equal amounts "Ice Powers" and "Radiant Powers," (being the ex-disciple of a Crystal Dragon) and to sort of have a Leader quality to it (being a genie and all, it should help out the party!).

On sort of a whim, I gave a Genasi Sorcerer|Cleric a whirl. I didn't expect much out of it. I was pretty excited when I found I could basically pump up WIS and CHA and grab an implement and have a pretty dang effective attack bonus. The Genasi element helps out with the Fort save/"Sorcerous Power" element (+2 Strength!), and the "genie" flavor, and I could alternate "Cold" powers with "Leaderish Radiant Powers" as much as I wanted. Clerics already having a pretty effective ranged build, it combo'd with the Sorcerer's ranged elements really well!

So, let me know what you've found, and what characters lurk behind these seemingly random combinations!

 

[Karmic_vegeance]

I once messed around with a Hybrid Bow Ranger/Monk that used its bow as an implement and Iron Soul Flurry of Blows on its turn and attempted to use Fading Strike (via Hunter Fighting Style) as an opportunity attack to trigger Hunter's Quarry. It also utilized a bunch of immediate action ranger powers and multiple uses of Mountainfall Stomp (knocks target prone, standing provokes OAs) via the human racial paragon path to cause the target to provoke more often. Haven't revisited that concept in a while however, and I never got to try it out in play - though it seemed like it would be effective!

 

[Badwe]

Tiefling: infernal pact warlock | chaladin. 18s in cha and con (thanks to the new split stats, but it worked fine before that). you'll have to switch between weapon and implement until you get a rapier pact blade, but then you're golden. this is made all the sweeter by "Winning Races: Tieflings" from Dragon 381, penned by the illustrious mike mearls. This describes the crimson legion, a sect of knights dedicated to restoring bael turath to its former glory, and who use longstanding pacts with the devils to siphon their own power and exact vengeance upon them for allowing bael turath to fall. Feats allow you to do some great things like use d10s for your curse damage vs. someone both marked and cursed by you, or +2 damage with any paladin power against anyone cursed by you. The end result is a fairly potent striker that can "off tank" by peeling away a single target. The high con means you're in no danger even if you don't take hybrid armor, but if you want to really get in there and be a defender, that's your only option.

 

[On Puget Sound]

half orc ranger/ rogue whose only standard actions are at-wills. Every encounter or daily is an immediate, minor, free or opportunity action. Designed to get both a ranger power and a rogue power to hit every turn, triggering both sneak attack and quarry damage. The recent update to sneak damage allowing it to be scored once per turn rather than once per round has made this build less necessary (a 100% rogue can now double-dip striker bonus damage).

This character (Chizz) is linked to in my sig.

 

[Dannager]

I don't know if it's surprisingly effective, since it's pretty obvious from the get-go that this is a solid combo, but I put together an Avenger/Invoker hybrid with Paladin multiclass that basically keeps vulnerable 20 (or higher) radiant on every enemy for the whole fight, deals thousands of points of radiant damage every round, and keeps himself and his allies fully healed and free of debilitating conditions at the same time.

It's pretty okay.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Fighter/Rogue with Tempest Talent and short sword and dagger. Pretty much dex-only, with the fighter daily being Rain of Steel and the encounter adding dex to your to hit as a rider.

Anything/Warlord.

 

[Evilhalfling]

I haven't played him but my Warforged Warden/Warlord with Warlock multi-class looks like actually a decent defender. Okay so the warlock feat is just unnecessary. The Warsoulblade (component-weapon) is a necessity.

 

[Mengu]

I find any melee|range combo to be pretty good for contributing in the most effective way to any encounter. Monk|Ranger for instance is a very versatile combo. Paladin|Warlock, Battlemind|Warlock, Paladin|Sorcerer, Swordmage|Wizard and the like are probably obvious combos, but I particularly like their flexibility.

Being a hybrid is a slow career though. The flexibility and tricks do come at a somewhat hefty cost.

 

[Mummolus]

Had a player in my group who tried an Avenger/Shaman combo... It didn't quite work, but every so often seemed like it might. Could be worth looking at, with some optimization.

 

[kristoaster]

Fighter-ranger, with the tempest fighter ability and two off-hand defensive weapons (double sword or two gauntlet axes from dark sun). Ideal!