As the title sez--what's your favorite 3.5 D&D build, class, race, etc.  Explain why if you want, even include your least favorites.  Let's talk some D&D. :cool:

My new favorite class is the Warblade from Book of 9 Swords.  You get a badass fighter with tasty maneuver-based crunch.

My flavor-of-the-month fave race is the Warforged from Eberron.  Because playing a robot in D&D is super awesome.  No real mechanical reason.

My favorite class seems to be Wizard.  There's a few reasons - for one, I've got the sort of detail-obcessed mind that likes to pour over lists of possible spells, thinking up which combination of spells and feats will work for the next day of gaming.  For two, wizards are high on the customizable scale - since they don't get that many 'per level' benefits (other than spells) they can slide into any of a number of prestige classes without losing much.  So, I can run a Wizard/Conjurer through the Loremaster and Archmage prestige classes and be completely different than my Monk/Wizard mix.

For race, I usually go with Human, 90% of the time.  The extra starting feat, extra skill points, and ability to mix around with other classes without penalty is just too much fun.  My second favorite is Halfling - the mixture between the benefits of small size and dex bump make them just about the hardest thing to hit on the battlefield, all else being equal.

Not having access to all the newer books, I would say

Warmage
Warforged

These two cover my munchkin side.

Otherwise I like the Knight and Fighter classes.

I've been considering trying the knight.  Especially since our DM keeps sending his monsters past my meat shield to pick on the team wizard.

If there's a big enough group, five or more, I like to play Bards.  Yeah that's right, I said it: Bards!  I'm not an optimizer so I don't have any build-specific reasons why; I enjoy being a team player, and there are fewer better team players than Bards.

If there's fewer players, I'll play a Fighter -- usually a heavy armor, crit-monkey type.  I would like to try the Knight one of these days.

My favorite character "in theory" would be the Rogue.  Since Mentzer's Red Box Basic, I've always liked the idea behind them, and I've played them a number of times, but I never really felt I played the character *well*.  I never got to skulk and thieve and unlock and detrap things sufficiently; I was just kind of that flanking-guy.

I generally go Human.  That extra feat is usually too nice to pass up.

I like Clerics.  Clerics kick all kinds of all-mighty ass.  

You get decent melee ability, if not the full BAB of a Fighter, full plate, heals, some pretty damn nice damage spells at the high levels, a host of utility spells, the fun of customizing your domains, the ability to fuck with undead something harsh, and they make the best necromancers hands down if you go negative energy.

Absolutely love them.  You get a piece of everything, and are actually half-decent at all of it, instead of sucking it up.  It's the best hybrid class there is.

Next down the list would probably have to be Rogues, just for the "stab them in the arse for massive damage" factor.

Race-wise, I just plain like humans.  Bonus feat + bonus skill points is just too sweet a perk to pass up.  Mechanically I think they're the best race there is.  

I like elves though too, especially when playing a rogue.

I like half-orcs in terms of character concept, but the mechanics leave a lot to be desired.  Last time I played an orc-type character I wound up just using the Orc race from the WOW tabletop game.

Human wizard, because I like skill points and feats, and I know the arcane spell system well enough to fuck my DM's villains in the ass with it. I prefer wizards to sorcerors because I like using unusual spells to get marginal advantage, and I prefer playing specialists because I like the power boost specialisation gives you.

I like the power of clerics and druids, but I really hate codes of conduct and buff spells.

Just picked up Dungeonscape tonight and the Factotum looks pretty sweet.

Myself, I'm a fan of the Bard.  I like the "utility infielder" role, and I usually like being a social butterfly.  That said, I usually play my bards more as a skald, bravo, or fighting troubador than I do with a concentration in the arcane side of the while business.

My runner-up would be the Fighter, who I like to run with a high INT/CHA when possible.  I also like the Marshal and Knight.

Least favorite?  I hate the Rogue in 3.5.  Not a big fan of...well, I'm an old-school Thief fan, I guess.  I also don't play Druids (though I think they're pretty cool) or Barbarians much at all.

Favorite Race:  Human, with Gnome a distant 2nd.  Human just gets too many bonuses and helps boost my options available.  And I'm not a huge fan of a lot of the other races.

Least Favorite:  Drow.  Damn you, Salvatore.  Damn you to the Nine Hells.  I met Bob Salvatore briefly at a gaming convention, and he seemed like a very nice guy, but I hold him responsible for the population explosion of Chaotic Good emo Drow at gaming tables all over the world.

Elves (Other) aren't really high on my list, either.

QuoteLeast Favorite: Drow. Damn you, Salvatore. Damn you to the Nine Hells. I met Bob Slavatore briefly at a gaming convention, and he seemed like a very nice guy, but I hold him responsible for the population explosion of Chaotic Good emo Drow at gaming tables all over the world.

I've only ever made one drow.  She was an evil, self-serving, murderous bitch.  

The way Drow are supposed to be, damnit.

Hmm, I haven't played a whole lot of D&D, so I'm still a "I'd love to try everything at least once!" kind of player.

...I do have a habit of wanting to play rather esoteric characters though.  Ones that get DMs pissed at me.  I tried playing a lizardman gladiator (from the little gladiator class pamphlet from...  mongoose?  something like that) but I wasn't allowed because "then everyone would want to play a monster."  :rolleyes:

I tried playing a hengeyokai (Oriental Adventures race) warlock once last year.

Recently I made a character called "Tainted One" that's a formian worker that displayed sorcerous talent and was thus exiled and became a barbarian.  He's a lvl 1 Sorc / lvl 1 BbN and let me tell you...  formian workers are BADASS barbarians.  I know I'll never get to play him, but damn.  Plus the dip into sorc gave him enlarge.    I think he'd be fun in, say, a DarkSun style sword-and-sorcery setting.

Next I think I'd love to try a bard, dread necromancer (and go undead army happy!), or artificer (Eberron).

Quote from: J ArcaneI like half-orcs in terms of character concept, but the mechanics leave a lot to be desired.  Last time I played an orc-type character I wound up just using the Orc race from the WOW tabletop game.

I miss the old rotten bastard assassin half-orcs.  The new barbarian half-orcs are a little too noble savage-y for my tastes.

Elven Ranger, whose primary weapon is a long bow.

That reminds me:  The Scout from Complete Adventurer.  I just discovered it the other day and fell in love.  It's like everything I ever wanted from the Ranger without all the cruft.