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View Full Version : [3.5] Jarlaxle!



Shadowbane
2009-09-09, 11:52 PM
Simply put, I want to play Jarlaxle Baenre of the Forgotten Realms.

32 point buy, 20th level, with the following racial adjustments for dark elves (my own homebrew my group plays with): +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma.

No level adjustment.

760,000 gold pieces for you to work with. If you give me a class or an item, tell me where you got it if it isn't core. If you got it from the Magic Item Compendium, I would be much obliged if you could tell me the page number. You don't have to, if it's too much trouble, but I'd be very grateful.

Please and thank you...I've always wanted to see what people could come up with.

Pharaoh's Fist
2009-09-09, 11:53 PM
A description of the target?

kpenguin
2009-09-09, 11:54 PM
@Pharaoh's Fist: Wikpedia to the rescue! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarlaxle)

Anyway, Jarlaxle seems to me like a Factotum (from Dugeonscape), someone who has a bit of everything and wins by his wits.

Eldariel
2009-09-10, 02:13 AM
Jarlaxle, by the books, is basically a Rogue (Factotum works too) who happens to have broken the WBL something severe. He literally is the fcking Batman - he always has the right magic item regardless of what's happening.

Sholos
2009-09-10, 02:37 AM
Well, let's see.

Portable Hole
Ring of Fire Resistance
Token (Feather)
The Eyepatch (protects against mind reading)
The Hat does something, but I don't remember what
At least 1 Wand of Fireball
Some method of teleporting
The Boots (lets him walk as quietly or as loudly - to an extent - as he wants)

And probably a bajillion other random things.

Seriously, the guy once almost blinded some poor gnome who looked at him with Detect Magic active.

Seffbasilisk
2009-09-10, 02:46 AM
Feather summons a bird.
Earring is, I think, Earring of the Wolf.

AB
2009-09-10, 02:47 AM
Isn`t Jarlaxle described (with stats and everything) in some FR supplement book? Or was that 4th edition?

Myshlaevsky
2009-09-10, 02:48 AM
Isn`t Jarlaxle described (with stats and everything) in some FR supplement book? Or was that 4th edition?

He's statted out in 4e.

Zephyros
2009-09-10, 02:50 AM
The really funny thing is that Jarlaxle is statted out as a Fighter 20 in the FR CS. (in 3.5)

IMHO you can depict him really well if you find a way to max-out his UMD, add Quick-draw, and a crapton of magic items. He also seems to have abused the contacts rules (from Eberron?) cuz almost everyone in Menzoberranzan (sp?) owes him favors.

I'd go for Factotum with UMD as his primary skill, throwing combat style feats, and maxed out INT and DEX.

Eldariel
2009-09-10, 03:11 AM
The really funny thing is that Jarlaxle is statted out as a Fighter 20 in the FR CS. (in 3.5)

IMHO you can depict him really well if you find a way to max-out his UMD, add Quick-draw, and a crapton of magic items. He also seems to have abused the contacts rules (from Eberron?) cuz almost everyone in Menzoberranzan (sp?) owes him favors.

I'd go for Factotum with UMD as his primary skill, throwing combat style feats, and maxed out INT and DEX.

I'd stat him out as a Commoner 20 with maxed cross-class UMD just to make a point. But really, yeah, Factotum or Rogue is the best fit. He obviously has great social prowess as proven by his being alive, and in addition to UMD, he seems to just have insane skills overall.

And he's pretty smart. The only combat skills he's shown is throwing a lot of those darts/knives/whatever that he gets an infinite supply from the whatever-it-is on his hand. Given that he managed to throw 5 of them at Drizzt (achieving absolutely nothing), I theorize he's got Rapid Shot and full iteratives.

BobVosh
2009-09-10, 03:37 AM
I'd stat him out as a Commoner 20 with maxed cross-class UMD just to make a point. But really, yeah, Factotum or Rogue is the best fit. He obviously has great social prowess as proven by his being alive, and in addition to UMD, he seems to just have insane skills overall.

And he's pretty smart. The only combat skills he's shown is throwing a lot of those darts/knives/whatever that he gets an infinite supply from the whatever-it-is on his hand. Given that he managed to throw 5 of them at Drizzt (achieving absolutely nothing), I theorize he's got Rapid Shot and full iteratives.

Knowing him it is more than likely to be boots of speed. Why have a feat if you can have a magic item?

Eldariel
2009-09-10, 04:12 AM
Knowing him it is more than likely to be boots of speed. Why have a feat if you can have a magic item?

He's truly a model case of what people refer to as "Item Wizard". Negligible own power, but a christmas tree worth of items.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-09-10, 04:28 AM
Definitely go with a Master Thrower build, using Gloves of Endless Javelins from MIC adapted to create daggers instead. His eyepatch should be a Cowl of Warding from Magic of Faerun, adapted to the face/goggles spot. His cloak would have the properties of a Ring of Invisibility, plus a continual effect of Entropic Shield. At that level you should definitely consider a Belt of Magnificense +6 from the Miniatures Handbook. The feather in his hat should be a Figurine of Wondrous Power adapted to turn into whatever kind of bird that is.

For the actual build, I'd probably go with something like Swordsage 1/ Swashbuckler 3/ Swordsage 3/ Master Thrower 5/ Swordsage 8. That should give him the combat abilities described along with unmatched versatility outside of combat.

kme
2009-09-10, 04:57 AM
He also has the TWF tree, and is possibly a better fighter then both Drizzt and Entreri.

Eldariel
2009-09-10, 05:08 AM
He also has the TWF tree, and is possibly a better fighter then both Drizzt and Entreri.

Canonically he's been shown not to be able to touch Drizzt in direct combat (remember Drizzt's fight with Entreri where Jarlaxle helped Entreri out with a bunch of thrown daggers with Drizzt blocking them without even noticing); while he's doubtless a good fighter, that's definitely not why he's one of the two males of any relevance in Menzoberranzan.

FRCS stats him out as a Fighter 17, but by the way he handles all the matrons and overall his position in Menzoberranzan, it seems like he's got near-epic Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Intimidate and a bunch of key Knowledges (and Use Magic Device, obviously). I could see Master Thrower thrown in though, but I definitely argue his base class is Factotum or Rogue; feels like Sneak Attack suits his fighting style better than standard combat anyways. Swordsage wouldn't necessarily be out-of-place either.

Zephyros
2009-09-10, 05:10 AM
Ye...

The only way to depict him correctly is Factotum with Fond of Inspiration as every feat and maxed out UMD. Otherwise you will always be missing on a stunt or two

Fizban
2009-09-10, 05:14 AM
I'd stat him out as a Commoner 20 with maxed cross-class UMD just to make a point. But really, yeah, Factotum or Rogue is the best fit. He obviously has great social prowess as proven by his being alive, and in addition to UMD, he seems to just have insane skills overall.

And he's pretty smart. The only combat skills he's shown is throwing a lot of those darts/knives/whatever that he gets an infinite supply from the whatever-it-is on his hand. Given that he managed to throw 5 of them at Drizzt (achieving absolutely nothing), I theorize he's got Rapid Shot and full iteratives.

Knowing him it is more than likely to be boots of speed. Why have a feat if you can have a magic item?
I'm sure there are items that grant Rapid Shot and TWF. If not, he's probably got a wand of Heroics somewhere too.

Longcat
2009-09-10, 05:40 AM
Personally, I'd stat him like Factotum8/Warblade2/Master Thrower5/Exemplar1/Bloodstorm Blade4.

Factotum&Exemplar for the Skillmonkey stuff, the martial classes for his prowess with thrown weapons.

As for his items, in addition to the ones mentioned above, he almost certainly has a Gauntlet of Blades from MIC and two sizing/morphing Swords.

darkblust
2009-09-10, 07:02 AM
He also has a wand of web,and a button that works as a bag of holding.He has a statue that breaths like a dragon,unless entreri has that.

Eldariel
2009-09-10, 07:14 AM
One more reason why Factotum makes such perfect sense for him: He never does a lot in fights. Why? Obviously 'cause he doesn't have the inspiration to pull long fights so he does things with minimum effort! That's also why Crenshinibon got to him eventually; he ran out of Inspiration to make the Will-saves.

Olo Demonsbane
2009-09-10, 08:35 AM
For all of his items, if you wanted it to play like Jarlaxle, you could be an artificer. Factotum//Artificer...mmmmm.....

Cieyrin
2009-09-10, 01:50 PM
For all of his items, if you wanted it to play like Jarlaxle, you could be an artificer. Factotum//Artificer...mmmmm.....

Nah, he's definitely not a crafter. There's probably a couple crafters in the Bregan D'aerthe that initially took care of his magic item needs. Since then, he's probably depended on whatever connections he can get ahold of for replenishing his supplies.

tcrudisi
2009-09-10, 02:04 PM
Nah, he's definitely not a crafter. There's probably a couple crafters in the Bregan D'aerthe that initially took care of his magic item needs. Since then, he's probably depended on whatever connections he can get ahold of for replenishing his supplies.

I agree -- he's not a Crafter. But how else can you break the magic item rules other than by playing an Artificer? Bonus points if you don't use the errata and take the feat 4x each that let you make a magic item for 25% less xp, time, and gold. Then you can create any magic item you want, for free, in 8 hours. It fits. Yeah, it's broken... but so what? It's Jarlaxle. Like someone above said, the dude is the Santa Clause of magical items.

That's how I'd handle it anyway, if I were DMing, and just come to a gentleman's agreement with the player to not break it too badly.

Draz74
2009-09-10, 02:04 PM
Yeah ...

Factotum 10/Marty Stu 10

Where Marty Stu in this case is a PrC that grants a reasonably-balanced mix of rogue-like class abilities. Reasonable fighting ability, perhaps some bonus feats -- maybe even a continuing progression of Factotum's Inspiration abilities, plus a couple bonus Fonts of Inspiration.

But Marty Stu also grants magic items in 500% excess of normal Wealth By Level. :smallyuk:

Sorry, I used to love Jarlaxle. But after reading the Sellswords Trilogy, I eventually just got sick of him ... and his Endless Pouch of Deus Ex Machina Items.

Sholos
2009-09-10, 02:51 PM
Yes, how dare a literary character not follow the guidelines in the printed source material!

Harperfan7
2009-09-10, 03:15 PM
Yes, how dare a literary character not follow the guidelines in the printed source material!

I agree with Draz. I think salvatore just gave up after the hunter blades trilogy.

Shadow_Elf
2009-09-10, 03:19 PM
He's statted out in 4e.

Where? Jarlaxle is one of my favourite characters from a novel, ever (see avatar). He's just pretty much made of awesome. That and, in a pinch, he summons a dire emu to smite his foes. Doesn't get much more badass than a dire emu.

Sholos
2009-09-10, 05:16 PM
My point was that complaining about a literary character violating game guidelines was silly. Also, Jarlaxle has been pulling random items to save himself almost since he was created.

Myshlaevsky
2009-09-10, 05:22 PM
Where? Jarlaxle is one of my favourite characters from a novel, ever (see avatar). He's just pretty much made of awesome. That and, in a pinch, he summons a dire emu to smite his foes. Doesn't get much more badass than a dire emu.

FRCG. It specifies that the magic items listed in his entry are more or less the bare minimum and that he is likely to have additional ones on a particular mission.

Jergmo
2009-09-10, 06:36 PM
He's also got a statue that summons a Nightmare, a Portable Hole, an X-Ray Vision eyepatch, the bracers can also be modified on command to turn the daggers into short or long swords for DW'ing...um...

Also, as the Wiki says, he's just a Rogue 6/Fighter 10/Duelist 9, he ain' got none of these fancy Factotum deals. It's not the most optimal of builds, but as said, Jarlaxle isn't the uberest of warriors, and it does suit his style of combat.

And speaking of rings, doesn't he have a couple on his toes, too? I forget what they do.

Edit: In general, the FR heroes actually kinda suck. The only non-epic-level-jerks you see that are of fairly high level are Jaraxle, Entreri, and Drizzt, and they're in no way optimized. Heck, if I remember right, Bruenor is just a level 7 fighter.