HotU - Fun with Prestige Classes

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On a whim, I wanted to see what I could come up with in an interesting character and stretch the potential of the prestige classes. In this case, the Red Dragon Desciple. Considering the awesome stat boosts and breath weapon the RDD gets, I thought it a bit of a waste for a straight sorcerer to get them. Why not a strong melee character?

I wanted to make a character that takes advantage of the high Charisma of either the Bard or Sorcerer (since either is required to become an RDD). The melee character that benefits the most from a high CHA score is the paladin, without question. So this means a Bard build is out, because Bards can't be lawful good. I started off with a Paladin (recommended stats), took my 2nd level as a Sorcerer, and 3 more levels of Paladin. Pumping skills into Lore each level, this made me eligable for the RDD by 5th level. I then dumped the next 10 levels into RDD.

[ NOTE: If you don't care about charisma or don't want to be a goody two shoes, you could do a Fighter X/Bard 1 build. ]

What I got was the following character:

Ther Jarius
Human (so no XP penalty)
Paladin X (4) / Sorcerer 1 / Red Dragon Desciple 10
Lawful Good
STR 24 (yowsa! )
DEX 12
CON 18
INT 12
WIS 13
CHA 18

Other benefits:

Improved Criticals in Greatsword and Bastard Sword

Sorcerer benefits, including casting spells from staffs and wands and a familiar (Pseudodragon...could ya guess?). Though with Full Plate & Shield, normal Sorcerer spellcasting is a problem - 60% failure - but who cares...

I have wings!

All paladin benefits (thanks to a high CHA), including killer saves, lay on hands, turning undead, immunities, etc.

All RDD benefits, including 100% immunity to fire (very helpful in HotU), paralysis, poison, and sleep, beefed up natural AC, 6d10 breath weapon, etc.

I've just rescued Linu in Undermountain (so still not far in) and I've added 2 more levels to Paladin. You'd have to admit...a half-dragon Paladin makes for an interesting roleplay character. Not totally unlike Blade, the half-vampire who dedicates himself to slaying vampires. This is my favorite character so far.

Post your interesting combo here.

[ December 22, 2003, 16:50: Message edited by: Death Rabbit ]

 

Has anyone tried the Pale Master yet? It seems like every other person has done the Dragon disciple.

I'm sort of curious as to how the shifter plays out too. The other prestige classes were sort of boring looking in my opinion.

 

For my part, I would say that the Weapon Master is awesome against non-constructs, non-undead, and foes not immune to critical strikes.

The Pale Master IMO sucks horribly powergaming wise. The added Melee capability and increased HD are totally useless for a spellcaster. Not to mention that the skeletal graft looks downright silly as well. You're better off taking a straight wizard specializing in Necromancy instead.

The Red Dragon Disciple grants insane stat bonuses which are very complimentary to a Sorc 1/RDD 10/Paladin X build.

The Blackguard is another awesome class. The Epic Vrock Summon simply owns and he gets uber saving throws along with access to Divine Might/Shield. However, Smite Good is rather useless in HOTU.

I hate elves so I refuse to play as an Arcane Archer.

I've already went on to describe a bit on the Shadow Dancer 4/Assassin 2/Rogue X build in another topic. Unlimited backstabbing for terrific carnage.

I've not tried the rest since I cannot envision myself playing a Dwarf (though I have nothing against them), the Champion of Torm sounds rather weak, and I don't particularly like Druids so the Shifter is out.

 

The Champion of Torm basically just combines some of the coolness of the Fighter and Paladin, but makes neither very unique and special. The CoT gets a bonus feat every 2 levels, like the Fighter, and the other abilities aren't all that different from a Pally. If they could summon a Deva or something at 10th level, that would be something...

I have no interest at all in the Harper Scout, and I agree with Shura's play on the Pale Master. It just seems like your spreading things too thin.

@Shura - I did make a ShadowDancer/Monk, which was pretty cool. Give it a shot. If you make him evil you can throw in a few levels of Assassin as well. Wait, I am talking to Shura...I shouldn't have said IF.

In my next game I may give the Shifter a try, but right now the Pally/Sorc/RDD is my fave, followed a close second by the Fighter/Weapon Master. I tend to shy away from spell casters because I like melee too much and dislike resting too often. I don't know about you Shura, but I was getting critical hits in the triple digits by the end of Chapter 2!

 

Yeah.. everyone goes for RDD

Its a bit overpowered PrCs anyway. +8str in the end plus all those bonuses DR described. Its too much. And it also goes fine with melee as well as spellcasting types.


I was playing a Shifter (naturaly, thats me ). I recreated my ALFA character. Druid 5/rogue 3/shifter x. Only i wanted to take Shifter slowly, so i went druid 12/rogue 3/shifter x. Its a very cool combination. Strong on all saves, has a little sneak attack for coolness, almost all rogue abilities, and slowly advancing as a Shifter.

But the way it is made, makes Shifter abilities completely useless. At lvl 16+ you will never shift into a dragon wyrmling (and lose all equipment) to breathe some heat into the enemies. Which does insignificant damage, while you're standing there with a low AC (for such a level), waiting for another round for another *puf* .


I unistalled HotU however to be able to play ALFA again. I still have the saves so i'll just continue when ALFA upgrades to HotU. Probably around March or so

 

Does anyone know what is the BAB progression for the Red Dragon Disciple? Is it +1 every level or is it lower like a cleric's one?

 

It's like the cleric's.

btw I tried a Bard 5/RDD 10/ Weapon Master X
It's a nice build but if you want to be Weapon Master in a weapon other than a simple one, you need to be human (although some may not even consider that a disadvantage)

 

uhhhh.... Death Rabbit? If you're RDD 10/sorc 1/pally 4, don't you get XP penalties? I thought that humans just disregarded the highest level class, but the rest was the same.

 

@ ywpark89 - Prestige classes don't count for XP penalty purposes thus as a human neither of Death Rabbit's character's RDD or paladin levels are considered in calculating XP penalties.

 

I think I figured out the use for the Champion of Torm, as its mostly pointless for a paladin or a fighter to take levels in it (well any fighting class for that matter).

I think I'm going to start giving my rogue/shadowdancer some levels in CoT for some quick dirty BAB, more hp and new feats. The rather slack class requirements (and no xp penalty of course) seem to call out to non-fighter classes IMO.

All you have to be in non-evil.

 

Heh, i'm wondering what the fun of really slowly transforming into a red dragon is?
Shifter can instantly shift into a full-grown truly massive red warm lizard, given the right level and stats.
As a RDD you cannot become one truly

 

and there is no way you can become RDD/shifter in NWN, you'd have to be able to have 4 classes.

 

I agree on the Pale Master being a complete waste of time. It takes so much away from a caster. You then become a weak fighter with less spells than if you had just powerhoused a spellcaster to begin with. I started to try it out, but after I got the super thin white bone arm on my character, I just lost all faith. Even when you get to lvl 10, and get the "kill" arm, it is still this little skinny white skeletenal arm. Very lame looking... but how can you top wings anyways?! I my opinion, the RDD should have grown other features as well, the more they progress. The shifter was interesting, but I don't see it working out to being that powerful of a character. I could be wrong though,

@ Gothmog4230 - let me know how that works out please.