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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wingsandsword" data-source="post: 4311691" data-attributes="member: 14159">The whole ongoing discussion about 4e making suboptimal combat characters impossible (or at least difficult to create), and discussion about how not all D&D characters are defined by combat role or being efficient "builds" has me thinking. . .What are your favorite unoptimized, non-combat-oriented D&D PC's you've played (any edition)?  I mean characters actually played in an ongoing game, and characters where they were not optimized for combat (not necessarily helpless, but certainly not built with their combat role or damage output in mind) but had another focus and they were still fun to play.Here is my favorite.  As you can see, he's not totally helpless, but this guy would be hamburger in a lot of campaigns.  He was really fun to play and really useful with his skills and spells, but it definitely wasn't a typical Constant Dungeon Crawls/Kick In the Door type campaign:Peritus Fiducia (3.5 D&D R.A.W.)Peritus was born and raised on a world where magic was rare, wizards and actual spellcasting clerics were few and far between.   Magic was rare enough that most towns probably would only have an adept or two, most wizards in the world knew each other personally, and actual spellcasting clerics are rare enough that by sheer nature of their status as actually blessed with true godly magic, a 1st level Cleric could be the head priest of a major temple.Peritus was a greedy shopkeeper who operated a apothecary shop and clinic in a bad part of town (divine healing magic being rare, a good trade could be made as an apothecary).  Occasionally he'd go off with some friends and try to harvest some exotic herbs or odd fungi in isolated locations (and pillage ancient treasure hoardes) while they were trying to save somebody from something.  One day, in a distant crumbling keep he got separated from his friends and found some bizarre ancient tomes on transmutation and alchemy. . .magic textbooks from another age, an age when wizards were far more common.  Believing them to be of great value he pocketed them and read them in secret between expeditions.  He became obsessed with the exotic chemistry and bizarre alchemy contained within.  He was amazed at what it meant for his herbalism (and now alchemy & potion) business.  Also, between what he learned reading those old journals and divination magics he uncovered he has begun to figure out dark secrets of the ancients including why divine magic is so rare and the truth about where the ancients who founded their civilization really came from.Peritus FiduciaLN Human Male Rogue 8/Wizard (Transmuter) 5Ability Scores:STR 8 +0DEX 10 +0CON 10 +0INT 19 +4WIS 14 +2CHA 13 +1AC: 20HP: 40Saves:Fort: +3Ref: +10Will: +5Attacks: (BAB +8/+3)+1 Hand Crossbow +9/+4 1d4+1+1 Silver Dagger +9/+4 1d4+1Feats: Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Diligent, Skill Focus (Profession: Apothecary), Skill Focus (Heal), Skill Focus (Craft: Alchemy), Scribe Scroll, Brew Potion, Craft Wondrous ItemSkills:Appraise +17 (+19 appraising Alchemical items), Diplomacy +15, Decipher Script +17, Handle Animal +3, Craft (Alchemy) +23, Knowledge (History) +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +9, Spellcraft +10, Tumble +5, Heal +10 (+12 with healer's kit), Use Rope +4, Profession (Apothecary) +21, Hide +10, Listen +13Languages: Common, Undercommon, Draconic, ElvenClass Abilities: Sneak Attack +4d6, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge/Improved Uncanny Dodge, Trap Sense +2Spells Per Day: 4+1/4+1/3+1/2+1 (Barred Schools: Necromancy & Illusion)Spells in Spellbook:3rd: Water Breathing, Haste2nd: Continual Flame, Rope Trick, Bull's Strength, Fox's Cunning1st: Identify, Enlarge Person, Magic Weapon, Expeditious Retreat, Comprehend Languages, Protection from Evil, Magic Missile, Detect Secret Doors, Hold Portal0th: Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Dancing Lights, Flare, Light, Ray of Frost, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Arcane Mark, PrestidigitationEquipment:Bracers of Armor +6, +1 Silver Dagger, +1 Hand Crossbow, Ring of Protection +4, Ring of Sustenance, Type IV Bag of Holding, Immovable Rod, Spellbook, Collection of various potions & elixirs (condensed for brevity), collection of alchemical items (condensed for brevity), (lots of mundane goods omitted for brevity), healer's kit.</blockquote>

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