"Flavorful/fun optimizations"

[Flame of Anor]

I'm starting in a new Forgotten Realms campaign next week. Since I haven't quite made a character yet, I thought I'd inquire here for some build suggestions. The DM's specifications are as follows:

-32 point buy (with a minimum score of 10 in Charisma, unadjusted for race)
-Level 3 character
-No Psionics/Incarnum/Book of 9 Swords
-All other 3.5 material published by Wizards of the Coast is fine (Dragon/Dungeon magazine does not count)
-No silly optimizations. Flavorful/fun optimizations are fine! Red raiding hood, multipouncers, jumplomancers, and ted the enabler are not.

I like DMM clerics, Batman wizards, and abjurant champions, but I'm certainly not bound to those archetypes. Can you suggest some interesting ideas for builds which are decently strong (tier 1-3, or else very optimized) but not completely generic? I'm especially interested in improving my roleplaying for this campaign, and it should be helpful if I have an interestingly-flavored character to start with.

[Almost_Elven]

I've always liked Shadowcraft shenanigans... 130% real magic and so on. Be a gnome, take the Shadowcraft Mage PrC, take Heighten spell and Earth Spell, and flavorfully destroy your opponents with shadowy fireballs. Or shadowy light spells.

D2 crusader? You can aways writ a great backstory etc.

[prufock]

Gizmo the Electric Kobold

Kobold Binder 3
Feats: Improved Binding, Dodge
Vestige: Focalor
Gear: MW Full Plate, MW Tower Shield (Armor Check Penalty -14, you aren't proficient, but it doesn't really matter), Oil of Magic Vestment
Str 5, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 15 (all stats negotiable except dex)
AC = 10 + 1 dex + 8 full plate + 4 tower shield + 1 size + 1 natural + 1 dodge + 1 pact augmentation + 1 oil of MV = 28

You are very hard to hit. Focalor's lightning bolts don't require an attack roll, nor does his breath, and Aura of Sadness doesn't even allow a save. Blast until you come up against something with high Ref and Evasion, then use the Fort-save blinding breath ability. Get up close and they take -2 to all saves anyway. Get a riding dog to make up for your slow movement.

Credit for original idea goes to this thread, which is a cool little resource. I've just fixed some math and fleshed it out.

Bonus points if you can somehow acquire a pet shocker lizard.

[roguemetal]

Druid10/Planar Shepherd 10 from the Plane of Shavarath.

Great chance for roleplaying within an incredibly unique organization. Grants ties to a plane that exists as an eternal battlefield, and gives a very different definition of what a Druid can be.

Archivist 7/Uncanny Trickster 3/Malconvoker 9/Sacred Exorcist 1

One of my favorite builds, has lots of potential for background in studying cults and religion as a scholar, but isn't without tricks. The massive skill points from Uncanny Trickster will allow for complete character customization at a relatively low cost.

Strongheart Halfling Psion

Take the Personal Space feat from Mind's Eye, fill it with gold. Voila! Instant Leprechaun.

[nedz]

Shocker Lizard, but it is feat intensive, and requires level 5 (or more feats+cheese)

1 level Dip in Sorcerer, Practised Spellcaster for arcane caster level 5, Improved familiar.

[Madara]

Divine Class/ Earth Dreamer(RoS)

You don't lose any casting, but you do get the ability to Earth Glide, and have X-ray Vision

[Firechanter]

Forgotten Realms? Just be a Wizard/Incantatrix, load up on Metamagic feats and own the game. Spellcasting Prodigy recommended. No further shenanigans required.

[Fouredged Sword]

Scout / trapsmith / swiftblade.

Not tier one Op, but solidly tier 3. Good solid spells, with an extra standard or move action each round.

[Kazyan]

Wu Jen 6/Chameleon 2/Swiftblade 10/Master Thrower? 2

Fire Shuriken.

Any Metamagic you want, through Chameleon.

Dakka.

[nedz]

Monk 2 / Spirit Shaman X

Flurry with Shillelagh/Brambles/Entangling staff.

Spiritual feel and Tier 1, well only just.

[Piggy Knowles]

Warforged, Cloistered Cleric 5/Landforged Walker 5/Earth Dreamer 5. Finish out with anything... Paragnostic Apostle and Divine Oracle come to mind.

Become a wandering, holy tree. A tree that glides through the earth...

[Flame of Anor]

Apparently I won't actually get to join this campaign.

But I would still like to see your character concepts.

[prufock]

Shocker Lizard, but it is feat intensive, and requires level 5 (or more feats+cheese)

1 level Dip in Sorcerer, Practised Spellcaster for arcane caster level 5, Improved familiar.

I like it, however he's starting at level 3. Something to shoot for in the future.

If you were starting at a higher level, I'd even recommend grabbing Sorc 1 as your first level spell and the Precocious Apprentice feat, the rest of your levels in Binder and aiming for the Anima Mage PrC when you qualify.

lnlL

[RFLS]

Forgotten Realms? Just be a Wizard/Incantatrix, load up on Metamagic feats and own the game. Spellcasting Prodigy recommended. No further shenanigans required.

I believe he requested "Flavorful" in addition to "optimized."

Pet build pushing time: Crusader 1/Sorc 2/Crusader 1/Sorc 1/Runesmith 1/JPM 6/Deepstone Sentinel 4/JPM 4

Control ALL THE FIRE and ALL THE EARTH. Ends with 6th level casting and 9th level maneuvers.

[eggs]

Is it pet build time?

Johnny the Carpenter
Troll-blooded Hengeyokai Champion of the Wild Ranger 4/Savage Ghost 4/Warshaper 4/Primeval (Giant Octopus) 8

Possess creatures with Malevolence! Get all Warshaper's immunities! turn arbitrary appendages into natural weapons! Only be destroyed by fire! (and acid. shhh!) Be scary enough to freak out huskies! And when things get crazy, make the possessed creature erupt a mass of flailing tentacles!

[Emperor Tippy]

Dark (if LA buy off is allowed) Grey Elf Factotum who specializes in scouting, assassination, and general skill monkey things.

You are capable of filling an often overlooked roll, capable of contributing quite well both in combat and out of combat, it's fun to play, and it's not too powerful but still able to contribute in a party with tier 1's and 2's without any problem.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

"Don't make me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry..."

Strongheart Halfling Monk2 (overwhelming attack style)/Stoneblessed3/Barbarian1 (pounce and Mountainous Rage variants)/War Hulk10/Frenzied Berserker1/Crusader4

He started off being raised in a shao-lin temple, and quite enjoyed his life, until raiders razed the temple and scattered the survivors. While fleeing, he found a tribe of Goliaths and lived among them. His anger at his loss, however, was not so easily put aside, and led to bouts of rage which were so fierce that even the goliaths who had adopted him were wary.

The halfling goes from Str 6 to Str 42 when he rages (bonuses from War Hulk don't apply until he becomes Large size from Mountainous Rage, and he gets size bonuses from going from Small to Large). He uses Shards of Granite to bypass DR while getting his own form of damage mitigation. He gets additional self-healing from the crusader stance, unless he goes Thicket of Blades.

He typically uses a Spiked Chain and charges into the middle of the frey using Shock Trooper and Leap Attack with a Skillful Valorous Spiked Chain. He gets to attack everyone within 20' as an attack action. With some form of haste, his damage output goes to Ludicrous Speed.

[roguemetal]

Is it pet build time?

Johnny the Carpenter
Troll-blooded Hengeyokai Champion of the Wild Ranger 4/Savage Ghost 4/Warshaper 4/Primeval (Giant Octopus) 8

Possess creatures with Malevolence! Get all Warshaper's immunities! turn arbitrary appendages into natural weapons! Only be destroyed by fire! (and acid. shhh!) Be scary enough to freak out huskies! And when things get crazy, make the possessed creature erupt a mass of flailing tentacles!

This is a truly different build than almost anything I've seen before. I am glad nobody has pulled this on me as a DM, and a little disappointed they haven't at least tried.