NAD characters?

[Amechra]

Alright, imagine the following:

You have a DM who, though he's a great DM, seems to want to try something new after the last game.

He tells you the following:

"Alright, for our next game... no templates, no races higher than +0 LA, and you have a 14 in one ability score, 8 in another ability score, and 10 in all the rest. We're starting at level 1. You'll all be getting a level every other session, and the plan is to go as high as we can (probably will end up ending at 11th level, though.)"

With the above rules, and the knowledge that your DM is notorious for not making treasure available beyond your standard magic weaponry and armor, with some quirky other magic items, what would you build?

To cut the claptrap...

What builds (other than Druid) work just fine without you having amazing stats? Assume you can't pump ability scores.

[brujon]

No pumping AT ALL, not even buffs? Or just no pumping via Wish/Tomes or other more permanent means?

[Downloaded]

Wild shape Ranger 5/Master of Many Forms x?

[wotmaniac]

Several options come to mind:
- Warlock -- 14 dex ; 8 str
- pretty-much any SAD caster can work, but only if you completely ignore any spell that allows a save (grey elf wizard?)
- Factotum?  your main currency (inspiration) is stat-independent ... a 14 INT is doable (again, grey elf wizard?)
- if I was inclined to do a BDF, I'd consider 4 options:
  1) archer -- either air goblin, strongheart halfling
  2) wild-shape variant ranger in to MoMF
  3) ranger w/natural bond in to either Beastmaster or Animal Lord (play support for your animal)
  4) Barbarian -- either mongrelfolk or aquatic/artic/earth dwarf

mental stats seem to be harder to come by for +0 LA creatures.

wait a minute .... I just thought of something:
Xvart
(DR339 p64)
+2 Dex
–2 Str
–2 Con
Fighter
• Small Size
• 30’ Movement
• Darkvision 60’
• +2 Racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
• Humanoid (xvart)
• Speak with Animals (rates & bats only), 1/day. Works
with the Dire version of the indicated creatures.


Also, here's your WIS character:
Tortle
(turtle-like humanoids)
(DR315 p72)
+2 Con
+2 Wis
–2 Dex
–2 Cha
Cleric
• Medium Size
• 20’ Movement
• Swim 10’
• +8 Racial bonus on Swim checks
• Humanoid (tortle)
• Low-Light Vision
• +3 Natural Armor bonus to AC

[brujon]

Wow, that's a nice find. Humanoid version of Incarnate Construct.

[Unbeliever]

It does seem to privilege polymorph or minion builds.  Big Guy is With Me doesn't care about your stats that much, though it's a caster so there's that.  Ubermount doesn't care about your stats at all. 

[Agita]

In the vein of minion builds, summoning doesn't care about your stats much, either. You'd lose some spell slots compared to someone with a decent casting stat, that's about it. Planar Binding is still better at it, though.

[Garryl]

Dragonfire Adept always seems to get bandied about as not stat dependent. Stick your 14 in Con and you're set.

[Tr011]

You might simply play a RAW truenamer. Put your 14 in int and pump the skill like hell, make sure that you take only the no-save utterances and you are a fine battlefield controller.

[zook1shoe]

A hairy spider character doesn't worry about 3 of your 6 scores... Downside? No skills or feats.

Go hairy spider swordsage and use tiger claw

[JohnnyMayHymn]

Kalashtar Psychic Warrior5, Thrallherd1, WhateverX

Throw that 14 in Str or Con put the 8 in Wis or Cha

Grab an artificer Thrall  and go to town

*Edit: Thrall  not cohort derp

[Demelain]

wait a minute .... I just thought of something:
Xvart
(DR339 p64)
+2 Dex
–2 Str
–2 Con
Fighter
• Small Size
• 30’ Movement
• Darkvision 60’
• +2 Racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
• Humanoid (xvart)
• Speak with Animals (rates & bats only), 1/day. Works
with the Dire version of the indicated creatures.
• Level Adjustment: –2

Not sure if it's appropriate, but that LA is f'n awesome!

I'm looking at it, and under the "Xvart as characters" I'm not seeing "LA: -2"
The only place I'm seeing that -2 is under Challenge Rating: Xvart with levels in NPC classes have a CR equal to their character level -2.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

I don't see why a Caster wouldn't work.

Caster stat 14 + 2 levels + 2nd level spell buff.
If you're stopping at 11th level or so, nothings
really all that much off.

[wotmaniac]

I'm looking at it, and under the "Xvart as characters" I'm not seeing "LA: -2"
The only place I'm seeing that -2 is under Challenge Rating: Xvart with levels in NPC classes have a CR equal to their character level -2.

Ah -- you are right ... it's a +0
 I was simply going by the "Index" pdf.   

[altpersona]

halfling dog wrangler

[zook1shoe]

You mean the halfling chicken wrangler?

[altpersona]

halfling chicken infested expert (chef), doesnt exactly seem like an adventurer

halfling dog rider w. pack o dogs is viable for a couple levels.

[zook1shoe]

I played an optimized one, one time... Provided lots of comic relief for the group

Profession (cook) helps you at a campfire cook up some good food while the others are preparing the campsite. Yeah, you might be able to convince your DM to let you replace it with Survival or something.