What would you do with these stats?

[joe]

So we're starting a new campaign, and the DM is having us roll the stats in order (1st 4d6, drop the lowest into Strength; 2nd into Dexterity; etc.)

So rolling my character I ended up with a pile of stats that looks promisingly fun, but I'm not certain where I should go with it.

STR: 12
DEX: 11
CON: 14
INT: 14
WIS: 16
CHA: 4

I was initially wanting to play an arcane caster, but seeing as Wisdom is my best stat, I'm pretty accepting of my fate as a divine caster.

So, I'm interested to know what character races/classes youse would choose with these kinds of stats. I'm considering a cloistered cleric/monk mainly, though the thought of a druid has come to mind. Any suggestions?

[Rhaegar14]

4 Charisma is a pretty severe detriment to a Cleric, so I would go with Druid. Your strong-ish Con would also make you quite powerful in Wild Shape.

[NNescio]

I second the druid. Your character would also have a great excuse for not speaking much.

[CTrees]

That set is actually a little below average (exclusively because of the four).

Anyway. Druid is an obvious choice. Maybe incorporate the terrible Cha into roleplay and insist that your druid refuses to speak to anyone who isn't a druid or an animal? If you spend all day, every day as a bear, social skills won't matter much*. I dunno, I'm sure you can figure something out. Not many things do Charisma damage, so you should be fine.

*although some would suggest mauling IS a social skill...

[crazyhedgewizrd]

ask for a reroll

[Hecuba]

OP

If you really do want an arcane caster, 14 is enough to get quite safely to level 9s in time to cast them: depending on the power level of the campaign, that might be enough. Alternately, there should be little issue with a warlock.

The optimal choice here would be druid: you have little mechanical benefit from charisma and you can use Wildshape to boost physical stats.

Cleric is still a strong choice: you don't actually need DMM on a cleric in any but the most optimized of games. If you do need it, there are probably stacking nightsticks available.

If you want it anyways, I would suggest Cleric to Prestige Paladin 2, pick up Serenity. You loose a caster level, but you gain Divine Grace keyed to your primary casting stat (and if your DM does give you access to the paladin spell list as suggested by the Prestige Paladin rules, you also might be able to get battle blessing). This is probably what I would do in most (mid to high op) games.

[Cog]

ask for a reroll

Those stats aren't anywhere near bad enough to justify that. Average rolls would net +6 or so total modifiers; this has +5. Part of the risk of rolling is sometimes coming out under average.

[Gwendol]

Druid will be interesting. Or monk: a book-learned socially challenged monk.

[GeekGirl]

If you really do want an arcane caster, 14 is enough to get quite safely to level 9s in time to cast them: depending on the power level of the campaign, that might be enough. Alternately, there should be little issue with a warlock.
.

Warlock's DC are charisma based, as long as you don't want to use any power that give a save, I wouldn't play a warlock. Also their ability to UMDs is a huge class feature, -3 won't kill it, but its sure as hell wont help. I have to agree with the group, Druid is your best bet. 14 Int isn't great you could still cast with it. You just may have to bump it up as you go.

[Feytalist]

Maybe incorporate the terrible Cha into roleplay

Seconded. Those little defects can sometimes make for the most memorable characters.

As stated, the 14 Int isn't all that crippling for an arcane caster for the moment. The 11 Dex might be a bit iffy if you can't use heavy armours though.

[Amnestic]

Normally I'd suggest Druid too, but to mix things up I'm going to suggest a Paladin with the Serenity feat (Dragon Compendium) to remove your charisma dependencies.

[Fouredged Sword]

Druid warshaper who never comes out of wildshape... Ever. Don't talk, bite anyone who touches you.

Ether that or be a very shy pixie Assasin with the skill trick that lets you attack without a foe noticeing. Don't even let the party know you are following them around, just death attack every 3 rounds and disarm traps. The party can just be left wondering why foes keep falling down for no reason and all the traps are already disarmed.

[mootoall]

Heck, play a Buomman(sp?). Wis bonus, and an excuse to never speak ever. If you change your mind about the speaking, get dragonborn'd and gain a bonus to constitution as well, which matters in Wildshape, as opposed to the Dex penalty, which doesn't.

[Socratov]

well... druid is obvious, but a ranger or skillmonkey rogue or scout wouldnt hurt either (actualy it would, but you know what i mean). A scout only needs to convey information, not attend parties. For the rogue you would go into assassin or burglar or something, because the social skills won't work. Ranger will use the attributes the best. You use the variant class that uses no animal companion, and just go for the "I'm a redneck hunter" roleplay, you are angry, mean and a killing machine :) (also, with your dex and str i would go twf, and get some awesomeness). and did I mention Ranger gets spells too?

[McSmack]

Just for gits and shiggles, play a dwarf.

Had a buddy play a druid once who had a terrbile charisma. He was an alcoholic druid who stayed shapeshifted as a polar bear at all times. His animal companion was a dire parrot who would do all the talking for him. He'd even have the bartenders put his drink in a wooden bowl so he could drink easier.

[Feytalist]

What about Zen Archery cleric? The low Charisma is a burden, but you will be relying on your spells mostly anyway.

[Fouredged Sword]

Actualy playing a race with a cha penelty may not be a bad idea, as I remember reading somewhere that the racial penelties can't take you lower than 4. Maybe a dragonborn mongrelfoke or a dragonborn water ork. Both would net you 6 cha after racial modifiers. Then go dragonfire adept.

[Cog]

Actualy playing a race with a cha penelty may not be a bad idea, as I remember reading somewhere that the racial penelties can't take you lower than 4. Maybe a dragonborn mongrelfoke or a dragonborn water ork. Both would net you 6 cha after racial modifiers. Then go dragonfire adept.

Intelligence 3 is the limit for PCs; the limit for everything else is 1.

[Hazzardevil]

Actualy playing a race with a cha penelty may not be a bad idea, as I remember reading somewhere that the racial penelties can't take you lower than 4. Maybe a dragonborn mongrelfoke or a dragonborn water ork. Both would net you 6 cha after racial modifiers. Then go dragonfire adept.

That only works for INT, I reccomend an Artic Dwarf, +4 con, +2 STR and -4 Dex and the ever present -2 cha makes an interesting TWF ranger, you can just stand there and hack into the opponent with Waraxes.

[Draz74]

I'd probably take Intuitive Attack and play either a Psychic Warrior or an Unarmed Swordsage.

A Zen Archer (probably Soulbow) is also a good option.

No question that Druid is stronger, though.

[Undercroft]

Obvious choice is a druid however. Wildshape means only one stat really matters.

Warlock can also work as they're only got a limited amount of decent "save or stuff happens" effects. However druid is still likely the best bet.

[Alexander1996]

Druid. No question.

[Thurbane]

You'd want to pump Int through items and level increases (and maybe race), but those stats could make a decent Archivist, since his bonus spells/day run off Wis.

[Divide by Zero]

Warlock's DC are charisma based, as long as you don't want to use any power that give a save, I wouldn't play a warlock. Also their ability to UMDs is a huge class feature, -3 won't kill it, but its sure as hell wont help. I have to agree with the group, Druid is your best bet. 14 Int isn't great you could still cast with it. You just may have to bump it up as you go.

Someday, I want to play a warlock with 1/1/1/3/1/1 stats, just to see if it actually works.

[IthroZada]

Someday, I want to play a warlock with 1/1/1/3/1/1 stats, just to see if it actually works.

I see that as less of a person, and more of a feral and pathetic creature that uses its eldritch powers to hunt and survive. Just crawling through the forest, barely aware, and blasting creatures with a relatively low touch ac.

[Kylarra]

DFA would probably do it better since they don't need to hit to deal damage.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well after a point you are a floating aberation useing area effect invocations to hit stuff, so dex and strength don't matter so much, and you can't trip and fall.

Your biggest drawback would be that total lack of HP. I think you would be looking at 20-40 hp at max level.

The natural predetor of such an character would be wasps. With that low con score a wasp sting poision would likely do enough stat damage to drop you.

[kharmakazy]

I would re-roll them.

I can't suffer a 4 in a stat... just can't do it.

[Essence_of_War]

If psionics is allowed you could make a dandy Ardent!

[Thurbane]

The natural predetor of such an character would be wasps. With that low con score a wasp sting poision would likely do enough stat damage to drop you.

14 is low now?