Looking For an Optimized Build for an Eastern Campaign (3.5)

[Shinzutalos]

Hello all! I wanted some build suggestions for an eastern setting campaign that my friends are hosting in a few days. I have no real ideas and I don't really have the knowledge yet to make my own setting-friendly build. I want to be able to shine as a character but still be able to have good roleplay. If anyone has any suggestions that would be great. Also, this is a good/neutral-aligned campaign starting at level 2 in version 3.5.

[Shinzutalos]

Oh, I almost forgot! Stat context! Here's the ability scores I rolled:
Str: 13
Dex: 10
Con: 17
Int: 13
Wis: 11
Cha: 12

[Darrin]

What exactly do you mean by eastern? Oriental, Al Qadim, Mordor, Dothraki, Nadsokar?

[Shinzutalos]

What exactly do you mean by eastern? Oriental, Al Qaddim, Mordor, Dothraki, Nadsokar?

Oh, I really didn't specify too well did I? This is a campaign set in an Oriental setting, leaning more towards a Japanese setting the more I think about it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You use stats rolled in order, and you got those? In that case, there are only a few things I'll be able to recommend:

Dragonfire Adept from Dragon Magic, preferably a Warforged (MM3) with Adamantine Body (same book). Pick Endure Exposure and other long-duration buffs for your invocations, take Entangling Exhalation from Races of the Dragon, and spam your breath weapon every round. Use a masterwork heavy shield or even a tower shield since nonproficiency penalties won't matter as you're not making attack rolls. You'll have a natural slam attack that adds 1.5x Str to damage when you're not using any other weapons, but you shouldn't ever find yourself in a situation where your breath weapon is useless.

Water Orc from Unearthed Arcana, Dragonborn of Bahamut (breath aspect) in Races of the Dragon, and the Mineral Warrior template which could exist in any game setting. This gives you ability score adjustments of Str +6, Dex -2, Con +8, Int -4, Wis -4, Cha -4, so your totals will be Str 19, Dex 8, Con 25, Int 9, Wis 7, Cha 8. At 4th level (three class levels and +1 LA) you can buy off your level adjustment, which only costs a single level's worth of xp and gets rid of the one-level cost of that level adjustment, for a net cost of nothing. From that point you'll be gaining more xp per encounter than the rest of the party for being lower level, and you'll eventually catch back up. Use any melee build you want with this, I would recommend Crusader from Tome of Battle. Get Entangling Exhalation on this character as well, and use an entangling breath weapon whenever you don't have an ideal maneuver granted. Possibly go Crusader 5/ Binder 1/ Hellreaver 5/ Crusader 9, Binder is in Tome of Magic and you'll want to bind Naberius since Hellreaver's special abilities are fueled by Con damage, Hellreaver is in Fiendish Codex II. That build is probably the best tank plus in-combat healer that you'll be able to play.

Middle-Age Gray Elf, either a Wizard specialized in Conjuration or a Beguiler from Player's Handbook II. That will make your ability scores Str 10, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 13. If you go Wizard you'll want to get Abrupt Jaunt in PHB2, along with this variant in UA to trade Scribe Scroll for Improved Initiative, and trade your Wizard 5 feat for a domain power or spontaneous divination in Complete Champion. Check this wizard handbook for advice on building and playing such a character. If you opt for Beguiler instead, you'll want to go Beguiler 5/ Mindbender 1/ Beguiler 14 for your career, get Versatile Spellcaster in Races of the Dragon at 1st level, and take Mindsight in Lords of Madness p126 if possible. With Versatile Spellcaster you can spend two 1st level spell slots to cast a 2nd level spell, which arguably grants you all the 2nd level Beguiler spell list as spells known, though if you must first demonstrate that you can cast a spell of that level then you'll need Heighten Spell as well. If that ends up being necessary due to how your DM decides to rule it, you should consider taking a reserve feat in Complete Mage to make better use of having that. In either case, this build allows your Advanced Learning spells to be up to 2nd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 9th level, in which case I would suggest taking Ray of Stupidity, Shadow Form, Greater Shadow Conjuration, Greater Shadow Evocation, and Superior Invisibility, most of which is from Spell Compendium. This is the build I would use if you don't have someone in the party who can deal with traps.

I'm sure I can come up with a few more viable builds with those ability scores, but a bit of input as to what you want this character to be capable of would really help.

[Shinzutalos]

Tbh, I think I'm gonna reroll my stats, I've been playing mages and druid-like characters for a few years now and I think I need to play something more physical, as much as I love spell classes, I'm kinda burnt out on them at the moment.

[Shinzutalos]

New rolls:
Str: 17
Dex: 16
Con: 10
Int: 12
Wis: 11
Cha: 10

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If you go the route of Dragonborn Mineral Warrior Water Orc that I suggested earlier, it would be a dragon-looking humanoid covered in stone-like scales, probably with tusks. Your stats would be Str 23, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 7, Cha 6. In that case you could go Warblade with medium armor, get the wings aspect and get Reinforced Wings at 6th to be able to fly in your armor. At the time you gained Mineral Warrior you wouldn't have had the fly speed yet so it wouldn't have been lost, you'll still gain the ability to fly at 6th level. Get the Tiger Claw maneuvers that use jump checks, Iron Heart maneuvers are too good to pass up, and filling it out with Stone Dragon would just be fitting. Between your natural armor and DR 8/Admantine you'll still have superb defenses with a two-handed weapon, I would use a reach weapon like a glaive with spiked armor so you still threaten adjacent squares. Be sure to buy off your +1 LA at your 3rd class level, as there's no real drawback and it's eventually extremely beneficial.