Advice for Creating D&D 3.5 Characters

[DAT]

As a short update, I played in a my first D&D 3.5 game last night.

After much indecision (I had six versions of my Rogue Character written up; i.e., Whisper Gnome, Elf, Hafling, Dwarf, Air Goblin, and Human) I finally went with a Whisper Gnome (I rolled a 1).

The session was an introduce everyone/gather information/hire an NPC fighter/prepare for our journey session. We had lots of fun meeting interesting NPCs and trying to get useful information or other help from them.

We stopped the session as we were about to get a blessing from a priest of Thor, just before we left town to find out who was leading/directing the horde of cannibal cultist invading the land. The campaign has some potential.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by BLloyd607502

Doppleganagers are brutal if you don't mind the + 4 level Adjustment, they tend towards the Chaotic and evil ways although

Changelings can be almost as good, and have no LA.

OTOH I think whisper gnomes are the most broken race in 3.5 (although perhaps tied with Kalashtar), so if you don't mind being a Munchkin, and the DM allows them, by all means play one.

Why exactly do Whisper Gnomes and Kalashtar lack a LA but Blues have a +1? It really makes no sense.

[DAT]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Changelings can be almost as good, and have no LA. ... Why exactly do Whisper Gnomes and Kalashtar lack a LA but Blues have a +1? It really makes no sense.

I don't have access to anything that describes Changelings, Kalashtar, or Blues; and am an effect newbie besides, but from my observations so far Level Adjustments seem to track mostly with combat effectiveness. Whisper Gnomes (the only race mentioned that I have any detailes about) have lots of Special Abilities, but none seem (to the inexperienced guy) to give any great combat edge. Their big niche seems to be Hiding, which isn't directly a big damage dealer.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

OTOH I think whisper gnomes are the most broken race in 3.5 (although perhaps tied with Kalashtar), so if you don't mind being a Munchkin, and the DM allows them, by all means play one.

Owch... "most broken race in 3.5" seems a little harsh, but I really don't know enough to say you are wrong (or right) and give counter examples (if they exist).

I would be interested in learning your reasoning for why.

Putting my GMing (I guess that should be DMing, but I'm channeling my GURPS years for a couple seconds) hat on, the race seems tricked out for stealth (Hide and Move Silently) which is good for many normal bad guys, but there are plenty of situations it won't help or critters the ability doesn't work on; so I don't see an unbalancing power here. But maybe I'm missing something.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by DAT

I don't have access to anything that describes Changelings, Kalashtar,

Eberron Campaign Setting and Races of Eberron

Blues,

Expanded Psionic Handbook

but from my observations so far Level Adjustments seem to track mostly with combat effectiveness. ,

Not for Blues it isn't. Blues are exactly the same as normal Goblins (with all of the downsides of being a Goblin) except they have +2 Int instead of +2 Dex, get a single bonus psionic power point and a +1 level adjustment. Why the level adjustment? It can't be the power point, Kalashtar (along with a laundry list of special abilities) get 1 bonus power point per level and no level adjustment. It must be the +2 INT, which isn't IMO that potent in such a squishy critter.

Owch... "most broken race in 3.5" seems a little harsh, but I really don't know enough to say you are wrong (or right) and give counter examples (if they exist).

I would be interested in learning your reasoning for why.

Whisper Gnomes have nearly all the good features of Halfings and and all of the features of Goblins together in the same race. If they are available, without level adjustment, there is nearly no reason (from a gamist perspective anyway) to play a Halfing Rouge (only if you want a social rogue, and in that case Half-Elf, Human or Changling are much better choices) and absolutely no reason to play a Goblin Rouge.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Enhancement bonuses never stack.

...but you need to look at the fine print each time the question comes up. The Monk movement bonus is described as "enhancement" but the Barbarian bonus isn't.

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

...but you need to look at the fine print each time the question comes up. The Monk movement bonus is described as "enhancement" but the Barbarian bonus isn't.

So...Barbarian/Rogue Halfling in Boots of Striding and Springing!

Yeah!

[DAT]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Blues are exactly the same as normal Goblins (with all of the downsides of being a Goblin) except they have +2 Int instead of +2 Dex, get a single bonus psionic power point and a +1 level adjustment. Why the level adjustment? It can't be the power point, Kalashtar (along with a laundry list of special abilities) get 1 bonus power point per level and no level adjustment. It must be the +2 INT, which isn't IMO that potent in such a squishy critter.

Another theory bites the dust, unless the "edge" is psionics. I haven't dealt with Psionics, so I have no idea how useful "a single bonus psionic power point" is to combat (if at all).

For some additional speculation, the +2 INT could potential give addition skill points, which could boost general character effectiveness, but not combat (another nail in the coffin lid for my theory).

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Whisper Gnomes have nearly all the good features of Halfings and and all of the features of Goblins together in the same race. If they are available, without level adjustment, there is nearly no reason (from a gamist perspective anyway) to play a Halfing Rouge (only if you want a social rogue, and in that case Half-Elf, Human or Changling are much better choices) and absolutely no reason to play a Goblin Rouge.

I don't know. I think a Halfing Rogue is better in combat (the +1 ranged weapon bonus) than a Whisper Gnome Rogue, and is not penalized as much socially (no -2 CHA), while still having the +4 to Hide and Move Silent. The big race Rogues have better damage potential in combat, but don't have the Hide and Move Silent or Halfling's ranged weapon bonus. A party that would accept a Whisper Gnome probably wouldn't accept a Goblin and visa versa. I think each race has their niche, IMHO.

That said, if my DM had told me no "Whisper Gnomes" or house ruled a "+1 level adjustment for Whisper Gnomes", it wouldn't have phased me. I' would have gone with a Dwarf, Elf, or Halfling Rogue and tweeked my concept slightly to match.

[DAT]

Originally Posted by trooper6

So...Barbarian/Rogue Halfling in Boots of Striding and Springing!

Yeah!

So should the news that a horde of barbarian halflings are marching on the city your in cause you to flee, laugh, or try to corner the market on tea and cookies to sell the horde? Just thinking ... ;-)

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by DAT

Another theory bites the dust, unless the "edge" is psionics. I haven't dealt with Psionics, so I have no idea how useful "a single bonus psionic power point" is to combat (if at all).

There are other naturally psionic races (ie. 1 bonus power point) with no level adjustment and Kalashtar get 1pp/level (!) with no level adjustment.

For some additional speculation, the +2 INT could potential give addition skill points, which could boost general character effectiveness, but not combat (another nail in the coffin lid for my theory).

Blue psions (and wizards for that matter) do get some boost in combat effectiveness from higher INT.

A party that would accept a Whisper Gnome probably wouldn't accept a Goblin and visa versa. I think each race has their niche, IMHO.

That's why I specified a purely gamist perspective. There is absolutely no reason besides role-playing or story reasons to play a Goblin if Whisper Gnomes are available.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by trooper6

So...Barbarian/Rogue Halfling in Boots of Striding and Springing!

Yeah!

Add Cleric with Celerity Domain (common to many Thief gods). That's another "untyped" bonus.