A Land Far Away

So last night someone asked me how I built my character.

First with knowledge of the environment *I* was entering I created a character that could function within the rules that existed outside of that environment, the Alfa player guidelines.

Next I wanted the character to be unquestionable in her actions (whatever she chose to do.) And I wanted the character to also have iconic qualities I enjoyed in other literary/film characters. BUT most of all I wanted to maximize survivabity. THEN I wrote my bio with all this in mind while I played the first two levels.

I wanted to comment that *I* really didn't build my character at all once I started playing. Early on I asked Audark specifically how to level and he gave me a run down up to level 5 where I should be. Keryn also unwittingly helped me as he told me about various ways to make the most of my ranger while I Dm'd Sywyn.

Add to that roleplay skill points I attributed to events that occurred that naturally would lead up to her improving those skills.

Simply it really is a balance between the two questions:

1. What is a natural progression for my character related to the events that have occured?
2. What will be a natural progression and enhance my characters survivability?

http://community.wizards.com/go/forum/v ... timization

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/ ... r_Handbook

The Ranger's Handbook

People really think about these things?

Rotku wrote:People really think about these things?

yes... I built mine to have certain background skill point distributions, typical for a gnome tinkerer, after landing int he realm of BG I have allowed the ingame needs of wizard survival combined with his IC desires, to guide his point allocations.

i usually build my characters with a mix of IC and OOC thoughts behind it. I rarely make anything truelly optimized, but I do know how to do that.

I like to have a few clear strengths of a character, but also prefer them to have weaknesses too e.g. Current character is a relatively skillful melee character who IC has no real reason to be anywhere other than melee.... however he's got a con of 10. I doubt you'll see many melee builds like that

I am also a fan of thinking outside the box for ways to make a character survivable.

But as I know Cloud regularly notes and advocates, really the best way to stay alive, is to have others to watch your back!

I start out with complete and fully-fleshed plans for builds!


Persephone was gonna be the bestest Mystic Theurge ever. By which I mean the worstest (but still fun).


And then actual play happened, and I got a healtank.

I have a spirit shaman/warlock with hideous blow.

I certainly had Hully planned out all the way from level 1 until now....... (PrC Shadowdancer). There's really now way to do a feat-intensive PrC without building at it from the start.

As for skills, I knew it in a vague manner - stealth: maxed
sleight, open lock, disable,etc: moderate
charisma rogue skills: weak

I knew he was a going to be a shadow-based hider and a skilled rogue, but too much of an a**hole to talk his way out of much.

From here on out it's a quandry .... I haven't thought through level, feats, skills, even new classes....we'll just see where it goes now

I always plan my build for my PCs at least through level 10 and even beyond if considering a PrC. I generally let the PC's backstory guide the build in terms of attributes, skills and feats and then adapt the build as the PC progresses based on the RP. I'd venture that many players build their PCs this way: a planned build to start and then let the RP take over.

Be careful with WotC optimization forums...those folks often regard the best as the enemy of the good.

A certain amount of planning is necessary for a lot of reasons...particular feats, PrCs as mentioned, the like. The real importance though is to make sure you're not unwittingly gimping your PC.

Wittingly gimping your pc however, is approved. I have done it often.

I must admidt i've taken RP points out of her classes skills to her semi-detriment in the uber skills I know others of her class told her to max out. That includes not knowing some languages she should probably know.

But it makes for good RP if you aren't the "super man/woman Mary Sue" with all the answers and skills.

Olaf would make for a passable Mystic Theurge himself, though in terms of plans he never really had any long term build related plans. Wound up getting the prerequisites for the Spellguard PrC but it'd be tricky to implement presently, and it's a bit late to start trying to shuffle towards some other PrC now.

Also terrible feat selection choices compared to some of the widely regarded good choices.

Most of my characters start off as a "build"-concept. Then a history and a personality gets added, things are tweaked and powergaming is averted - sometimes.

I wish I'd heeded Creslyn's PGing advice so my PC didn't suck tremendous balls.

*shrugs* I never have a build.
just an RP concept and everything I take and use is built acordingly.