Author Topic: If you had to be, what would you be?  (Read 14555 times)

Offline SorO_Lost

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If you had to be, what would you be?
« on: October 28, 2016, 06:52:26 PM »
So I have a question for you all, if you had to be a D&D Class what one would you be?
The simple answer is the one you like right? Well feel free to mention for favorite Class but...
What if I told you you'll be on Earth, and a Jew, in Germany, and it's February 1933?
Well it's not really any of those things so your knowledge of WW2 is worthless.
But the idea of being alone, hunted, and starting with essentially nothing in a world full of gun toting guards.


So the world you spawn in is kind of close to that. Guns cars, planes exist but pre-Internet so information isn't globally shared in a split second. You're in a city under martial law that's declared it's hatred of your kind. Maybe your D&D powers no one else has violate laws, maybe a previous transplant raised an army of undead, who knows (or cares). The the vast majority of locals will turn you into the authorities who will imprison and study you assuming immediate off-the-record execution isn't an option.

But there is a win condition, if you take over a country with the military might and inbred hatred of your people like Nazi Germany, you can flip the local region back to friendly. In such a case you need to prove to them you're a productive member of society and not just built for war. So what would you offer to the job market?

And I'm going to throw some other curve balls at you.
* Human only, no other Races or Templates unless you personally have a way to self-grant it (like dragon disciple or wish).
* Druids and Leadership are banned, everyone will want to exploit them otherwise.
* Does having a closer to standard 8~12 in your Ability Scores change your choice?
* Level 20 cap but at the first level you can choose to gestalt, if you do it takes x2 the XP to level.
* The list is subjective and may change over time.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2016, 11:38:23 PM by SorO_Lost »

Offline altpersona

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2016, 07:46:31 PM »
lol, this is pretty close to how i approach most characters... plan on no items, no 'help' and your trying not to die...

i like warlock for all day range blasts

precocious wizard sounds appealing but not real practical

same w/ spell to power erudite



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We are not descended from fearful men. - Murrow
The Final Countdown is now stuck in your head.

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Offline Nifft

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2016, 08:09:57 PM »
So I have a question for you all, if you had to be a D&D Class what one would you be?
The simple answer is the one you like right? Well feel free to mention that...

But what if I told you you'll be on Earth, and a Jew, in Germany, and it's February 1933.
That's one of those rare situations where doing the sorts of things that earn XP would actually be rather acceptable.

I mean, under most circumstances I'd feel reluctant to start murdering my way through an army of humans, but those people...

...Oh, and the Druid is banned.
Goddamn it.

Druid was absolutely my first choice.

The plan would have been: escape to Russia, create an elite bear cavalry unit, and then lead them for honor, duty to humanity, freeing the hell out of Europe, and earning XP.

Also: Stalin would get some mental adjustments and/or bears to the face. Let's see how the world fares with Trotsky in power.

- - -

Second Choice: Binder 1 / Easy Bake Wizard / Anima Mage

Starting out with at-will Disguise Self is a good way to get away from my former identity, and escape pursuit in an urban area. At-will Command is pretty spiffy as a surprise tactic to put people in a worse position, and taking 10 on Bluff checks is absolutely key to lying about my identity over the long term.

Then, after that, add on the perks of being a Wizard.

Finally, the perks of being a Wizard with a free rotating item creation feat.


- - -

Gestalt Choice: Warblade // Egoist (with the ACF that grants the Changeling's shape-change power)

As above, the key is face-changing to escape attention.

Offline Solo

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2016, 08:11:02 PM »
Expert with ranks in diplomacy
"I am the Black Mage! I cast the spells that makes the peoples fall down."

Offline altpersona

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2016, 08:15:56 PM »
So I have a question for you all, if you had to be a D&D Class what one would you be?
The simple answer is the one you like right? Well feel free to mention that...

But what if I told you you'll be on Earth, and a Jew, in Germany, and it's February 1933.
That's one of those rare situations where doing the sorts of things that earn XP would actually be rather acceptable.

I mean, under most circumstances I'd feel reluctant to start murdering my way through an army of humans, but those people...

...Oh, and the Druid is banned.
Goddamn it.

Druid was absolutely my first choice.

The plan would have been: escape to Russia, create an elite bear cavalry unit, and then lead them for honor, duty to humanity, freeing the hell out of Europe, and earning XP.

Also: Stalin would get some mental adjustments and/or bears to the face. Let's see how the world fares with Trotsky in power.

- - -

Second Choice: Binder 1 / Easy Bake Wizard / Anima Mage

Starting out with at-will Disguise Self is a good way to get away from my former identity, and escape pursuit in an urban area. At-will Command is pretty spiffy as a surprise tactic to put people in a worse position, and taking 10 on Bluff checks is absolutely key to lying about my identity over the long term.

Then, after that, add on the perks of being a Wizard.

Finally, the perks of being a Wizard with a free rotating item creation feat.


- - -

Gestalt Choice: Warblade // Egoist (with the ACF that grants the Changeling's shape-change power)

As above, the key is face-changing to escape attention.


Germany has wolves, wolves get Trip

Binder is a feat (2 feats) Not a class, i thought...
The goal of power is power. - 1984
We are not descended from fearful men. - Murrow
The Final Countdown is now stuck in your head.

Anim-manga still sux.

Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2016, 11:23:56 AM »
Gestalt: Psion(Telepath) 20 // Monk 2/ Marshal 1/ Ardent 2/ Thrallherd 10/ Cognition Thief 5

Why do the work when you can have others do it for you?

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2016, 11:38:42 AM »
same w/ spell to power erudite
Yeah learning Discipline Powers (aka spells) requires a world full of casters.

Warlock would be pretty helpful. But would you gestalt and what would you later employment? An army of undead Nazi's? :o
I know your secret! Do you like war? No, Alt, do you love war?

Druid was absolutely my first choice.
Yeah but it's too obvious of a pick to your inner optimizer.

Also per Modern 1gp equals twenty bucks. So a +1 Dagger costs forty six thousand four hundred dollars on the open market. Even a single Hat of Disguise will run you a raw material investment of eighteen thousand. It's definitely a after war rich guy trinket thing.

Gestalt: Psion(Telepath) 20 // Monk 2/ Marshal 1/ Ardent 2/ Thrallherd 10/ Cognition Thief 5
Why do the work when you can have others do it for you?
Genius.


I personally vary day to day. Bard or Sorcerer, I hate singing but Bard has survivability. Monk//Psion for much the same reasons but I hate the Vancian system and Spellpower Sorcerers get like 80% of points their Psion counterparts get dispite having the same required Augmentation traits. But in the context of the setting Favored Soul comes to mind. Yeah it's be a huge pain in the ass to level but being a Jew walking around healing people would bound to convince some people to follow me. Like twelve at least I'm sure.  :P

Offline ketaro

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2016, 12:26:52 PM »
Artificer.

Self-explanatory.

Offline altpersona

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2016, 01:39:23 PM »
same w/ spell to power erudite
Yeah learning Discipline Powers (aka spells) requires a world full of casters.

Warlock would be pretty helpful. But would you gestalt and what would you later employment? An army of undead Nazi's? :o
I know your secret! Do you like war? No, Alt, do you love war?


in the OP scenario a necromancer could have a lot of fun.

gestalt always struck me as playing a different game...

if experience is a river, then gestalting makes sense.

if we are talking practical / mistakes are lethal, then i want level 20 coming as fast as possible.

overall, in that 'real world' style game, i want invis, fly, and some alter self thing asap.

that necro keeps scratching at the back of my brain

as for employments, artificer is the win right?

otherwise its standard dnd loot and pillage
The goal of power is power. - 1984
We are not descended from fearful men. - Murrow
The Final Countdown is now stuck in your head.

Anim-manga still sux.

Offline altpersona

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2016, 01:50:11 PM »
also seems like a good place for the Halloween contest monster that i periodically rave about and can never find the right version of that possesses orphans and hands you your ass.

the point of that being that Possession is brutal, and telekinesis while we're at it
The goal of power is power. - 1984
We are not descended from fearful men. - Murrow
The Final Countdown is now stuck in your head.

Anim-manga still sux.

Offline TenaciousJ

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2016, 02:40:20 PM »
Artificer.

Self-explanatory.

Defect to the US to work on the atomic bomb and the space program?
Make Eberron Great Again! #MEGA

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2016, 03:11:10 PM »
Defect to the US to work on the atomic bomb and the space program?
Nah, probably end up as a Hydra scientist that uses the Ark to open a hole to Cthulhu and bring his red stone handed son to our world shortly before inventing the Pretender whom will later dress in a Guy Fawkes mask. But it all comes crumbling down as a British 007 agent, a transforming car, and a guy with a phone booth all show up to protest the over usage of this trope.

Artificer.
Self-explanatory.
How would you obtain tools? The raw materials? A safe place that'll last weeks by avoiding detection or be secure enough to withstand siege from modern-ish weapons? What would you eat since you'll take days to months to make anything?
« Last Edit: October 29, 2016, 03:16:35 PM by SorO_Lost »

Offline ketaro

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2016, 03:15:03 PM »
Defect to the US to work on the atomic bomb and the space program?
Nah, probably end up as a Hydra scientist that uses the Ark to open a hole to Cthulhu and bring his red stone handed son to our world shortly before inventing the Pretender whom will later dress in a Guy Fawkes mask. But it all comes crumbling down as a British 007 agent, a transforming car, and a guy with a phone booth all show up to protest the over usage of this trope.

And that's when I defect.  :cool

Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2016, 05:10:27 PM »
Defect to the US to work on the atomic bomb and the space program?
Nah, probably end up as a Hydra scientist that uses the Ark to open a hole to Cthulhu and bring his red stone handed son to our world shortly before inventing the Pretender whom will later dress in a Guy Fawkes mask. But it all comes crumbling down as a British 007 agent, a transforming car, and a guy with a phone booth all show up to protest the over usage of this trope.
:lmao

Offline Nifft

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2016, 06:24:44 PM »
Artificer is a great idea ... at high levels, with lots of money.

Getting there is going to be the tough part.

I would only pick Artificer as half of a Gestalt with something that could get me through the low levels: Binder, Egoist, Warlock, that sort of class.

Offline ketaro

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #15 on: October 29, 2016, 06:35:39 PM »
In the realm of Earth, even a 1st lvl artificer would have enough knowledge and applicable ability to make themselves valuable to some one who'll keep them alive.

Offline linklord231

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #16 on: October 29, 2016, 06:38:49 PM »
Some kind of divine gish.  Probably Cloistered Cleric/Crusader/RKV or Cloistered Cleric//Crusader.  XP isn't an issue if you're the only one earning it (you never "fall behind" your party mates), and life (presumably) doesn't end just because you hit 20th level, so maybe Epic isn't out of the question. 

Important things are that it's useful and fun from level 1 on, and Cloistered Cleric gives lots of useful skill points for "real life" applications.
I'm not arguing, I'm explaining why I'm right.

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #17 on: October 29, 2016, 08:00:18 PM »
In the realm of Earth, even a 1st lvl artificer would have enough knowledge and applicable ability to make themselves valuable to some one who'll keep them alive.
fify.

It's one thing to show off magical talents they can never use, it's another to entirely rely off inventing weapons anyone can use. You only get one Tony Stark moment, and it's not going to be like the movies either. Heaven forbid you fail...

Offline ketaro

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #18 on: October 29, 2016, 08:44:24 PM »
In the specific setting you spelled out, I would very much not want to be the super special snowflake they could never be and flaunt it unless I was the diplomancer that takes over that shit. ;)

Offline Nifft

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Re: If you had to be, what would you be?
« Reply #19 on: October 29, 2016, 08:47:50 PM »
So I have a question for you all, if you had to be a D&D Class what one would you be?
The simple answer is the one you like right? Well feel free to mention that...

But what if I told you you'll be on Earth, and a Jew, in Germany, and it's February 1933.
You can pretty much replace the flavor with whatever but the point is most people around you won't be helpful and quite a few will even go so far as being harmful.
In the realm of Earth, even a 1st lvl artificer would have enough knowledge and applicable ability to make themselves valuable to some one who'll keep them alive.
I'd suggest re-reading the first post in this thread.

You are playing someone who starts off with an army built up for the express purpose of murdering you (and taking your stuff), right at 1st level.

You're not starting play in a peaceful, modern nation -- that would be a very different thread.