My thoughts on Eva

[Dracos]

Eva was an experiment and a fun concept I think.  From a dice perspective though she's been the most jinxed character I've ever played.  More than 6 points below party average attributes, which left her with a lot less to toss around.  Below average HP rolls.  Generally being a plain build in a party of customs and splatbook choices was risky.  The fact that I wanted to play her as a bag of tricks character that meleed from time to time made things more broken toward that.  Her numbers really said 'no you don't get to ever enter melee' regardless of my intended concept.  I didn't voice it much earlier, as it felt whiny and I wanted to see how it'd end up playing a character that was pretty average by D&D standards.

She accented after creation just what I thought about Bards, which is that they simply are terrible.  The inability to act and buff or act and special effect generally meant that in battle they're ineffective unless you're just buffing with them which isn't much fun (Doing things is fun).  They also generally hit an area that folks dislike as letting them shine in cha based stuff means they fight more for screen time off combat than other characters.  It's a pity, because the concept is kind of cool, A singing fighter that buffed folks as she took up flanking and went around collecting neat stories from across the planes.

I think the easiest way to try and salvage the concept would be to fling her up attribute wise to party average, tossing that in con so suddenly she has the hp to survive a single bad roll.  But that wouldn't help with the jinxing and really the fact that an average jack of trades type build isn't beefy enough for ECL+2-ECL+4 type encounters.  Bringing her back to life as is means its pretty much a given that I'll get nailed again soon as the 1 enemy type encounters we've been hitting have generally had at least the ability to do 20 area effect damage.  Narrative wise, it'll be pretty tough to play off of since I built Eva as a type that largely evaded long term trouble and sticking around on a mission that got her killed on the first go is pretty rough.

I don't have an immediate concept for a replacement though really. :(  I know we need a healer type, but given a jack of trades type failed, I'm not much in the mood to grab a healer type and I somewhat feel thief and frontliners are well covered.  So nothing is immediately leaping out at me as a fun mesh option.  Always kind of slow coming up with a replacement build.

[Carthrat]

Healer types are overrated, we really don't need one. Essays were written on why healing mid-combat is rarely the right choice, wands are as good as anything and many classes can use them without dramatic expenditure of effort, etc. An archer would be pretty cool, and I have no objection to peppering foes with arrows until they're weak enough to charge at.

Eva would've made a good Chameleon, which is a class from Races of Destiny, if you ever see it, Drac. As a combatant, she was quite clearly behind Mari, Adail and Knight, especially seeing as she liked to get close. Waiting for a PrC to kick in there... well.

Fight was a bit of a shame, though. Deva was quite tough, and I didn't expect her to kill anyone- just defeat them. Next time something like this happens, I'm probably going to try and defuse the situation instead of wililngly escalate it. People dying because I'm okay with a pointless fight is troubling. >_>

[Dracos]

PRC wouldn't have really changed being a mediocre combatant.  My To-hit and damage would've risen past Mari, but no where near the other two and the special effects wouldn't have nearly matched sneak attack mods.  Conceptually, I wasn't planning on worrying too much about that, just being happy adding the occassional couple of d6s to the fray.  Since I had a built that could add a 'little bit' to everything (Bag of Tricks), it should never be about out effecting others and instead about being able to contribute something interesting to every scene type.  It's a mentality that doesn't though fly too well when dealing with enemies well above level as anything but a huge hp resevoir and powerful damage dealing capability just wash when.  Technically, the results we got yesterday are just what the book says should happen with an EL+6 enemy.  We almost had two deaths had Mari not gotten that that temp hp item last game.  Though, if she hadn't I'd probably be cure moderate casting instead so who knows where it would've gone :)

Don't have Races of Destiny, actually...maybe I should pillage your books sometime :)  Still got a server up by any chance?  I'll give a thought about archer.  I usually prefer melee types (even with my support builds), but it might be a neat change of pace.

I agree it's a pity there, because frankly a good challenge makes a follow up ability gain as a reward far more satisifying.  Narratively though, now instead of having it be something to gear up for in preparation, there's more reason to try as hard as possible to avoid 'meaningless fighting'.

And yeah, ideas are well welcome from others as ko said yesterday ;).

[Merc]

Rat's mention of Chameleon PrC is probably a good fit for what Eva was playing as. It also reminded me of another class that might interest you, as it's similar in flavor to what you were playing, the Factotum from dungeonscape.

I've never actually seen it in play, but it's essentially a jack of all trades class, and a base class to boot, so no waiting to qualify so you can go into it. I'm uploading both DS and RoD to my mediafire account, so you can get 'em there. Poke me if you don't recall the address and I'll link the page.

[Dracos]

Yeah.  Eva sadly dies here.  Her song will not reach the furthest of planes.  Her search for the story of what happened that day all those years ago in the City of Brass will forever go unanswered.

Currently fiddling between an archer, a lancer, and a spiked chain wielder. 

<Dracos> !rollchar 6x 3d6/5d6
<Hatbot>  [5d6=5, 6, 6, 1, 6] -> 18
<Hatbot>  [5d6=1, 5, 1, 6, 6] -> 17
<Hatbot>  [5d6=3, 5, 3, 4, 6] -> 15
<Hatbot>  [5d6=3, 4, 6, 4, 5] -> 15
<Hatbot>  [5d6=1, 6, 1, 4, 3] -> 13
<Hatbot>  [5d6=5, 4, 6, 5, 1] -> 16
<Hatbot> Dracos: 18, 17, 16, 15, 15, 13

apparently this time I have stats that would excuse playing a weaker class.  Not that I likely will.

[Dracos]

Current draft.  Thanks for ideas merc and ko. :P 
Kinda wish there was Guisarme and Shield style (or that Pike and Shield style didn't outlaw Guisarme).  Don't know any tripping pikes though.  Any ideas would be cool.

------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Kamvakua Niomel the Heavenly Trail
Class: Goliath 1/Wolf Totem Goliath Barbarian 2/Fighter 4/1 Champion Of Gwynharwyf
Deity: Fharlanghn ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fharlanghn )
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Race: Goliath
Gender: Male
Age: 30
Height: 8'0''
Weight: 330 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: None
Skin: Golden
Size: Medium
Concept: Traveling 'monk' following the trail across the planes.

Stats

HP:  = 12 + 2d12 + 4d10 + 35
AC: 19 = 10 + 7 + 1 + 1

Bab: +7/+2
Melee to hit:  +14/+9
Melee To Damage: 2d6+10+1d6 (Shock)
Grapple: +13
Trip Mod: 8+6(str)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 55
Language: Common, Gol-Kaa, Terran, Celestial

Fort:  14 =  7 + 5 + 2
Ref:    5 =  1 + 2 + 2
Will:   5 =  1 + 2 + 2

<Hatbot> Dracos: 18, 17, 16, 15, 15, 13
STR: 22 +6
DEX: 14 +2
CON: 20 +5
INT: 13 +1
WIS: 15 +2
CHA: 16 +3


Skills 42:
Literacy: 2
Climb:      11 = 6 + 6 - 3 + 2
Intimidate: 13 = 10 + 3
Jump:       14 = 6 + 6 - 3 + 5
Listen       8 = 6 + 2
Survival:    8 = 6 + 2
Swim:        9 = 6 + 6 - 3
Sense Motive 4 = 0 + 2 + 2

Feats: 6 (1 exist, 1 level 3, 1 level 6, fight 1, fight 2, fight 4)
Dodge: +1 ac
Mobility: +4 to AoO
Spring Attack: Move before and after attacks
Knight of Stars: +1 to any roll once per day.
Righteous Rage: DC 15 will save to evil characters or be shaken on hits.  Perfect clarity of mind while raging.
Travel Devotion: Once per day as a swift action, you can activate this ability to move up to your speed as a swift action each
round. Thus, you can move your speed and then take a full-round action, or move and take two other actions (two move actions or one move action and one standard action). This

effect lasts for 1 minute.

Special:
Smite Evil: +3 to hit, +1 to damage.
Detect Evil: Spell-like ability, at will.
Fast Movement: Movement 40 when in medium or less armor.
Mountain Rage 1/day: +6 str, +4 con, +2 will, -3 AC, -1 to hit, size large, reach (with spear) 20 feet.Results  +14 hp,-3 AC, +2 to hit, +3 damage
Improved Trip: +4 to trip attempts, Free attack on all successful trips at current attack bonus.

Spells:
1 level 1 spell

Goliath Racial traits:
+4 Strength, –2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution
Level Adjustment: +1
Powerful Build: Treat as Large whenever advantageous.  Use large weapons without penalty.
Mountain Movement:  Goliaths can make standing long jumps and high jumps as if they were running long jumps and high
jumps. A goliath can engage in accelerated climbing (climbing half his speed as a move action) without taking
the –5 penalty on the Climb check.
+2 bonus on Sense Motive checks

Inventory: 27000
8318 GP Large Guisarme +1 Shock "Heaven's Wrath"
5350 GP Rhino Breastplate +2, +2d6 damage on charge.  Penalty -3.
6500 GP Wander's Boots of Striding and Springing: +15 speed, +5 jump, Always succeed on forced march (Can walk forever).
2000 Ring of Protection +1
4000 Cloak of Protection +2
Climbing Kit +2
Clothes
Food
Rope
Torches
Bedroll

782 gp


Background:
Concept: Traveling 'monk' following the trail across the planes.

[VySaika]

Goliath, eh? Awesome. The two of us together almost make two normal sized PCs then! ^_^;

On that note, as Adail's spent a bunch of time in Arborea and the Court of Stars himself, do you want to work out some kind of previous history between the two of us? Might make sliding into the group a bit easier and all.

[Anastasia]

Curiously, why spring attack? I mean, if you're going Travel Devotion, it's a questionable use of 3 feats, that's all.

[Dracos]

Yeah...  I dunno.  it seemed cheaty with travel devotion without it.  So, still early draft.  I thought I had down there but...yeah, I should probably spend those 3 feats otherwise.

[Dracos]

Goliath, eh? Awesome. The two of us together almost make two normal sized PCs then! ^_^;

On that note, as Adail's spent a bunch of time in Arborea and the Court of Stars himself, do you want to work out some kind of previous history between the two of us? Might make sliding into the group a bit easier and all.

Mayhaps, it is a welcome offer, my shortish friend, that we shall meet again upon our journeys.  I had thought that you were settling in the land of endless fights, but joining our paths as one once more sounds a fair travel.  We must speak :3