Thursday, July 23, 2009

Hybrid Class Playtest and Character Concept III

My DM hates gnomes.

This is not a big deal normally, I have never played a gnome in my 30 years of playing xD&D in all it's forms. But during the 3.0 days I made a gnome character to take advantage of the new multi-classing rules. This was a gnome that started out in life as a bard, but eventually became a witch using my d20 book of Witches and Warlocks. He was a hopeless romantic and dashing rake that had a story for every adventure, usually featuring himself as the star, and a lover in town. His name was Jassic Winterhaven. Part Don Juan, part Cyrano de Bergerac, a little bit of Captain Jack Harkness and some of that rabbit in School House Rock "Lucky Seven". But Jassic had another side to him. He was a "Benandanti" or a Gnome Witch (yes I know it means "Good Walker"), he traveled the lands, walking stick in hand, and believed this was his way of serving his Goddess, Cardea (opener or ways, Goddess of the Portals). Jassic was very much a snapshot of what I was doing at the time in my writing.

I never got to play Jassic though.

Now enter the 4th Edition rules and Jassic has returned, and this is even better fit for him. In 4E Jassic is a hybrid Bard/Warlock. Unlike my experiment with Heather, Jassic's concept in my mind fit SO well with the hybrid rules that I have to consider his 3.0 counterpart as nothing more than a rough draft. In this case my character concept and the rules merged so well together that I would be hard pressed to think of him any other way. My multi classed Bard/Witch became a Hybrid Bard/Warlock. Which does bring up a point I want to deal with latter; are 4th Ed Warlocks supposed to be Witches? I suppose I should try him out in say AD&D 2nd Ed as well, but that would be some work and won't really tell me much. What is cool here is that Bards in later versions of D&D became less and less like Bards, and more like some sort of fantasy pastiche of rogues, scoundrels with magic added in. Terrible, if I want to make a classic Bard (like Amergin), but perfect for a "D&D Bard" like Jassic and Heather.

Here are my 4th Ed version using the Hybrid rules and using the DDI character builder. I am sure there are some good Paragon paths for him to take, either Gnome, Bard or Warlock. Fey Beguiler, Entrancing Mystic or Cunning Prevaricator would all be good choices (based on concept alone), but like Jassic himself, I am not going to make up my mind till I am there to see the forks in the road.
BTW I want to add. The DDI character builder is awesome.


====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
"Come now, we have miles to go and the sun is only our friend for a few more hours. Have I ever told you about the time I charmed a dragon into giving me a magical wand? It is a wonderful tale for the road mostly because it features me…" - Jassic Winterhaven
Jassic Winterhaven, level 4
Gnome, Bard|Warlock
Hybrid Bard: Hybrid Bard Reflex
Eldritch Pact (Hybrid): Fey Pact (Hybrid)
Eldritch Blast: Eldritch Blast Charisma
Hybrid Warlock: Hybrid Warlock Will
Hybrid Talent: Words of Friendship
Background: Occupation - Entertainer (+2 to Bluff)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 19.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 16.
AC: 16 Fort: 13 Reflex: 15 Will: 17
HP: 39 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 9
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +11, Bluff +13, Diplomacy +11, Nature +8
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +4, Dungeoneering +4, Endurance +4, Heal +4, History +5, Insight +4, Intimidate +7, Perception +4, Religion +5, Stealth +6, Streetwise +7, Thievery +4, Athletics +4
FEATS
Level 1: Fey Trickster
Level 2: Magic of the Mists
Level 4: Hybrid Talent
POWERS
Hybrid Bard at-will 1: Vicious Mockery
Hybrid Warlock at-will 1: Eldritch Blast
Hybrid encounter 1: Witchfire
Hybrid daily 1: Slayer's Song
Hybrid utility 2: Beguiling Tongue
Hybrid encounter 3: Recitation of Foreknowledge

ITEMS
Adventurer's Kit, Leather Armor, Short sword (2), Implement, Rod, Meal, Common, Rope, hempen (50 ft.) (2), Torch (2), Traveling papers, Woodwind, Bedroll
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

I am not going to get to play him, cause, you know, my DM and gnomes, plus he is also not allowing Hybrids in his game. I still have Family D&D Night however, so there is a chance.
In the end, Jassic here looks fun. Chalk up a win for 4e.

 

2 comments:

DeadGod said...

I recently got to put together and play a 12th level bard/lock for a one-shot game and had an excellent time with him! In one encounter I managed to use Spider Climb to get on top of the nearest building, where I could easily throw around my Bard healing and buffs as well as reign flaming death down on enemies with my Warlock powers.

greywulf said...

He's a great character! Thanks for sharing - I'd certainly let you use him in my games :D