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View Full Version : (3.5) Templates for Skill-Gishes?



Coidzor
2010-10-05, 04:31 PM
So, right now I'm considering a duskblade with a roguefactotum dip for trapfinding or a sword of the arcane order mystic ranger (maybe with wildshaping?) giving up tracking for trapfinding.

From what I understand, if I buy-off an LA+1 from a race or template at 3, if I get an acquired LA+1 template, I can buy it off at 6th level, right?

I'm going to be coming in at either ECL 7 or 8 to join up with the party, and from what I can tell, I'll be a main-line fighter along with the monk and maybe the wild-shaped druid.

From what I recall of what they are, there's a level 9 or 10 human monk (drew two lucky cards on a deck of many things, one of which was 10K XP and the other was something along the lines of "if you fight a battle and win it by yourself, you auto-level up"), a lizard folk druid 8 or 9, a gnome wizard 7 or 8 (got killed and reincarnated and ended up as a gnome again), a favored-soul/healer of 8th or 9th level, and a semi-cohort of the favored soul that's a Fighter 7 or 8 that the DM said will probably be leaving if I'm taking on a melee role.

Also, they had a bard of the same level range up to this point, but he's getting written out of the story due to his player leaving the group.

For those morbidly interested, this is a RHOD campaign and will be my second-time through, my first time being with a rogue/fighter that started like this (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=135754) and ended up something like this (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=136595). Was a tripper/trapmonkey basically.

So, any thoughts on good picks?

Fax Celestis
2010-10-05, 04:42 PM
I am partial to Half-Fey (FF), but it's +2. Insert typical Mineral Warrior/Feral recommendation.

Skipping Dragon material: Dark (ToM) is good for sneakies. Draconic (RotD) is alright. Voidmind (MM-III) is good (really good), but it does have some weird fluff aspects of it that tend to be hard to work with. Chameleon (Underdark) is okay, but Dark is better for sneaky. However, it does give you a tongue attack and a climb speed. Lolth-Touched (MM-IV) is rather good for a meleer, except it makes you eeeeeeeeeeevil.

Curmudgeon
2010-10-05, 07:13 PM
From what I understand, if I buy-off an LA+1 from a race or template at 3, if I get an acquired LA+1 template, I can buy it off at 6th level, right?
Actually, no. There are only certain specified class levels where you can reduce your level adjustment. For LA +1 there's just one option: class level 3. So you could buy off the first LA +1, but not the second if you bought off the first one at class level 3. However, if you acquired an additional LA +2 before class level 6 after buying off LA +1 at class level 3, you would be allowed to buy off all of your level adjustment because the permitted reductions for LA +2 are at class levels 6 and 9.

These LA buyoff rules are rather rigid, but you can benefit from them in the case of that LA +3 total bought off in different phases as I've explained above. That's much faster and cheaper than buying off LA +3 acquired in one piece.

Fax Celestis
2010-10-05, 07:15 PM
...why would you not add the total level adjustment together?

Curmudgeon
2010-10-05, 07:25 PM
...why would you not add the total level adjustment together?
You only add them together when they apply to the creature at the same time. After you buy off LA +1 there's nothing to add when you subsequently pick up an acquired LA +2.

Fax Celestis
2010-10-05, 07:26 PM
Yes, but the game is starting at 8th level.

deuxhero
2010-10-05, 07:38 PM
Go Goliath or Half-Giant if you like to hit things. Sure Mineral Warrior is more powerful, but powerful build is fun (and less likely to get a DMG in the face).

Curmudgeon
2010-10-05, 08:08 PM
Yes, but the game is starting at 8th level.
So the back story includes buying off an inherited LA +1 for 3,000 XP at class level 3, and an additional LA +2 acquired after that. The character will start at 25,000 XP when everyone else starts at 28,000 XP: class level 5 and LA +2. As soon as they get 3,000 more XP they'll hit class level 6 and can then buy off half of their remaining level adjustment. That buyoff for 7,000 XP will put them at 21,000 XP; they'll stay at ECL 7 (class level 6, remaining LA +1) when everyone else is at ECL 8.

Coidzor
2010-10-06, 01:41 AM
Any recommended combinations of LA+1 and LA+2 for that?

Vin Robinson
2010-10-06, 02:38 AM
I am partial to Half-Fey (FF), but it's +2. Insert typical Mineral Warrior/Feral recommendation.

Skipping Dragon material: Dark (ToM) is good for sneakies. Draconic (RotD) is alright. Voidmind (MM-III) is good (really good), but it does have some weird fluff aspects of it that tend to be hard to work with. Chameleon (Underdark) is okay, but Dark is better for sneaky. However, it does give you a tongue attack and a climb speed. Lolth-Touched (MM-IV) is rather good for a meleer, except it makes you eeeeeeeeeeevil.

Holy macaroni at Voidmind. I never bothered to look at it, but I'm definitely going to work on refluffing this in order to play one in my next campaign.

Tytalus
2010-10-06, 04:54 AM
The Tier System for Templates (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=2nvh6mbrqrfldff9cet0pdtni3&topic=7044.0) has some pointers.

Considering your considerations:

Mystic Ranger (WIS caster): Feral (SS, LA+1) is a no-brainer, as is Half-Minotaur (Dr#313, LA+1 - although I'd stay away from that cheese). Lolth-Touched (MM4, LA+1)

Duskblade/Factorum (INT caster): Lolth-touched. Half-Minotaur is still strong. Feral is not a good choice (INT -4).

Other solid templates are Mineral Warrior (note the hit to your casting stat, though), Saint etc.

An interesting option is to take either the Half-Fey or the Shadow Creature template along with the Magic In The Blood feat [PGtF], which boosts your racial spellcasting to considerable levels - so much that you don't really need a magic-using class. E.g., the MitB Half-Fey is a capable enchanter despite his actual class levels, and the Shadow Creature becomes a shadow-flavored gish.