[3e] Taking Creative Build Requests

I'm bored, and in the mood to fiddle with the rules, so I'm taking build requests. These can be things you actually want to play, ideas that have been bouncing around your head that you don't know how to make work, or just challenges to test my ingenuity. I don't mind if other people give their own answers to challenges before or after I do.

What you give me
I'll need a brief description of the type of role you want the character to fill, any special requirements, and the general level range you want the character for. Do not mention the name of any class, or any particular known trick, just the idea you're going for. I'll accept PrC requests, but will interpret them liberally - you'll get something that fills the same archetype, but might handle it differently.

What I give you
A way to creatively fill that role that (in my opinion) is powerful, unique, and playable in a normal game. I won't give you anything I wouldn't allow as DM, but I may make minor houserules (if so, I'll state them and the justification). My emphasis will be on creativity, rather than literalism. What you get will not be the definitive example of its class, it'll be something that competes in the same category with (I hope) more style. I won't be making full character sheets, but I'll give you a firm basis that works.


Example:
You: "Hey Mr Zeal Person, I want an archer who can deal huge damage and peg off enemy leaders!"
Me: "Why certainly! Let's just grab you a level 7 Wilder. What's that you say, you were expecting a Scout or Ranger? Well, the Wilder gets Crystal Shard, and let's boost it up with Empower Power, and Metapower for that extra little edge. Hey presto, your Crystal Shard does, effectively, 10.5d6 as a ranged touch attack! Even better, let's surge to bring that up to, effectively, 15d6! And it's a ranged touch attack, so good luck anyone trying to dodge it! And then you can start taking archery feats like Psionic Shot! Hey presto, your archer does what an archer should without all the mucking about with silly things like arrows or bolts!"
You: "....except hit something more than 40 feet away."
Me: "Well, there's that. But you can't have everything, y'know? And you've still got a bunch of feats and psi powers to play around with."

Concept: Archer, single target DPS
Race/Class: Elan Wilder 7
Necessary components: Crystal Shard power, Empower Power feat, Metapower feat.
Result: Heavy single-target damage, does it as a ranged touch attack for reliability, scales very well with level (39d6 at lvl 20, without any further effort at all).

So it's kind of like an odd version of the Character Builder Thread? Interesting, I guess. Let's see how long the thread lasts then. :smalltongue:

Request #1: Build me a wielder of the Sugliin (Frostburn). If I'm wielding a big, two-handed stick, I want to be wielding a big, unusual, two-handed full of antlers. Make the character as effective as possible. I will leave what is "effective" - either damage, utility, versitality - up to you.

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Originally Posted by erikun

So it's kind of like an odd version of the Character Builder Thread? Interesting, I guess. Let's see how long the thread lasts then. :smalltongue:

Request #1: Build me a wielder of the Sugliin (Frostburn). If I'm wielding a big, two-handed stick, I want to be wielding a big, unusual, two-handed full of antlers. Make the character as effective as possible. I will leave what is "effective" - either damage, utility, versitality - up to you.

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Probably not long. =P To be honest, I'd completely forgotten that other thread exists even though it's stickied.

Sugliin, eh? Not much to recommend it, and not really much to go on either. Hmm....... *digs around*

Request #2: Shankenstein
I want a build which is an effective dungeon-crawler skillmonkey (open locks/disable device more important than Party Face), but also dishes out very respectable damage in combat without becoming a greasy smear. I would prefer that it NOT be a primary caster (we already know that Wizards Do Everything Better).

Request #3: I would like a melee damage dealer with a stealth flavor. Either single target or crowd controlling but must not be a glass cannon. Some skill variety and some skill tricks would be nice too. If you could give me an outline for the entire build that would be great. Thanks in advance.

Since you are bored and don't seem to have enough to do yet, I'll humor you with something I've been rolling in my head as of late.

Request #4: In Your Face, Cleric Archer of Corellon!
I'd like to see a Psionic Archer. The three key points I want are:
-It uses an actual bow and actual arrows.
-It can act at long (~300'+) range relatively efficiently.
-It uses psionic powers and feats to augment its archery.

Level 10 or 12 or so; 20 if you're in the mood for something extra.

Request #5: A high damage archer that uses a bow :smalltongue:. Eberron is a must. Level range: 10 and up.

EDIT:Stupid ninjas...

Not to steal any of Zeal's thunder here, but I can handle some of these.

1. Sugulin wielder: Ghost Bard/Master of the Unseen Hand. Wield a Sugulin without ever touching it. Also use cool stuff like Suggestion and Haunting Melody.
2. Shankenstein: Pixie Rogue 2/Paladin of Tyranny 2/Hexblade 3. Fly around invisibly. DR 10 and all-day flight mean you're pretty much immune to all traps that aren't true seeing activated magic traps, and you'll have stupidly high saves, mettle, and evasion. Fill the rest out with your choice of any of those classes.
3. Wildshape Ranger/Master of the Unseen Hand. All the skills you could desire, and turn into a bear. Pretty much any combat style you want. Grapple, DPS, Charging, Specialty (engulfing), not to mention unmatched sneaking.

Now I have a challenge for you.

6. A grappler that can wrestle foes to the floor and toss them off of cliffs and such.

Request #1:

Concept: Sugliin-wielder
Race/Class: Half-Orc Paladin/Barbarian/Champion of Gwynharwyf
Necessary components: Aura of Awe alternate class feature, Frightful Presence feat.
Result: Grawr smite! With smites you're better off on single powerful attacks anyway so the special feat becomes less necessary. You also give people penalties against fear, and can stack fear effects on them when you rage, by hitting them with a terrifying massive antler-on-a-stick. This needs one more fear effect to really get things rolling and get that lovely Panic level, but you get the idea.



Request #2:
Concept: Skillmonkey/ganker
Race/Class: Human Paragon Cleric with the Kobold Domain (yes, I know =P)
Necessary Components: Wieldskill spell
Result: Quite adequate skillmonkey. Weildskill makes up for lack of ranks early on (doesn't really keep up later, but there's other tricks you can pull then), and there's plenty of other spells that can help fill the role. If possible, also get the Magic domain and grab yourself a Wand of Knock.

Request #3:

Commentary: ....honestly, you're looking for a Swordsage here. But I promised ass-backwards creativity, and I just happen to have the perfect thing already fleshed out.

Goal: Durable, stealthy melee fighter
Race/Class: Human Crusader 7 / Suel Archanamach 3 / Jade Phoenix Mage 10
Necessary Components: Extend Spell feat, Permeable Form spell, Ghost Touch reach weapon
Result: Exceedingly durable, and nastily sneaky with double-extended Permeable Form (immediate action, lasts four rounds). There's some really odd rules loopholes that allow you to do this, but trust me it works. There's a whole bunch of other spells that are great for double-extending, and nothing says "stealthy" like glaiving someone through the floor. A full build can be found here.



Request #4/#5:

Commentary: Not feeling too creative here. There isn't much flexibility here, so I'll go with the obvious. Bow-and-arrow archery has a massive dearth of options, so really there isn't much great stuff out there.

Goal: Long range Psi Archer
Race/Class: Half-Giant PsiWar / Cragtop Archer
Necessary Components: Greater Psionic Shot feat, Psionic Meditation feat, whichever damage-boosting powers you want.
Result: Pretty obvious, really. Excellent range, decent damage (I recommend Truevenom and Prescience to boost this). Synesthete helps you on those fickle spot checks, and is a good defense anyway.



Request #6

Goal: Grappler
Race/Class: Human Wizard (Focussed Specialist Conjurer)
Necessary Components: Master Specialist PrC, Rapid Summoning variant class feature (and for bonus points, access to spells off the Animal domain).
Result: Due to rather odd wordings, you can now summon monsters as a swift action. Spam creatures with larger grapple mods, and use your actual actions to buff them, debuff the enemy, or reshape the battlefield to make those cliffs to toss things off.

Alright, let's have a go at this.

I want a character focused highly on her animal companion, any class/feat/book allowed except Wild Cohort.
So, what's the strongest animal companion you can create?

Alternate Request #4/#5

Comments: This whole thing is predicated on a houserule like my group has to allow anything that works with melee attacks to also work with ranged attacks (within reason). You also need to count a ray under "any touch spell", which is also arguable.

Goal: Long range Psi Archer
Race/Class: Empty Vessel Duskblade 3 / Lurk X
Necessary Components: optimize Int, get as many pp from misc sources as you can, buy a Wand of Stupidity, put a Wand chamber in your bow.
Result: Use Arcane Channeling to combine the Ray of Stupidity (1d4+1 int damage) with your normal ranged attack at your normal ranged attack range (works with Far Shot, for example), then toss a fully-augmented Mental Assault after it. At lvl 12 you'll be doing 1d4+5 Int damage, no save... which isn't all that huge but more expensive wands can help there, and that's still enough to ruin a Wizard's day or outright end anything with Int 6 or less, which is a heck of a lot of things. Plus you really haven't invested much into it that isn't useful in other ways, so you've got a reasonable base from which to do other things. Certainly pales to what a metamagicing Wizard could do back to you, but doesn't everything?

Hummm...Lets see if I can brake your creativity.

A HUMAN using 5 weapons at once, all must be effective, no summoning/shapeshifting allowed.

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Originally Posted by BooNL

Alright, let's have a go at this.

I want a character focused highly on her animal companion, any class/feat/book allowed except Wild Cohort.
So, what's the strongest animal companion you can create?

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Mwhahaaaa! I have this as a backup character in a lvl12 campaign I'm in! By which I mean the Animal Companion; the druid himself is totally out of play, and spends all his time sleeping in a cave somewhere.

Request #7

Comment: There seems to be some question of Bloodlines interacting with these things, and it might have been ruled not to work by FAQ. Few people take FAQ all that seriously though, so whatever.

Goal: Animal Companion Pwnage
Class: Druid3/Variant.Wizard3/Beastmaster1/Variant.Bard1/
Acane.Heirophant1/Bloodline3
Necessary Components: Obtain Familiar feat, Theurgic Bond feat
Result: I'm not going to work through all the math for you, but the basis is to take the Wizard variant that lets you trade your Familiar for an Animal Companion, the Bard variant that lets you trade a whole bunch of stuff for an Animal Companion, stacking all those levels together (with the Bloodline +3 boost on each one) to get your effective druid level, then using Obtain Familiar to get your familiar back and boost it too. End result, by my calculations, had an effective Druid level of 27, and an effective Wizard level of 24. Combine them via Arcane Heirophant, and you've got a highly intelligent mind in a brutally strong body with ridiculous SR, with some magic via Familiar Spell from the epic Wizard progression. No class features though, so it's not all that broken to play. Choice of body can move it dramatically up and down the power scale, to find a spot that fits your campaign.

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Originally Posted by boomwolf

Hummm...Lets see if I can brake your creativity.

A HUMAN using 5 weapons at once, all must be effective, no summoning/shapeshifting allowed.

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That sounds like a challenge, rather than a build! I'll approach it as such; my goal is to get all 5 in play within reason. I need to head off to bed, but in the mean time - how do you feel about templates? Non-shapechanging spells? Grafts? Symbiotes? Soulmelds? Natural Weapons? As stated there's too many easy ways to beat this challenge... but cut out too many options and it could become impossible too.

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Originally Posted by boomwolf

Hummm...Lets see if I can brake your creativity.

A HUMAN using 5 weapons at once, all must be effective, no summoning/shapeshifting allowed.

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Kneeblades & Bootblades....

Rq7 help on answer:
Add Natural Bond.

Request 8:
The highest at-will (1/round for a whole hour) RTA damage possible, at L20.
Situational stuff like SA, SS & Skirmish count half of what they would otherwise be.

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Originally Posted by ozgun92

Kneeblades & Bootblades....

Rq7 help on answer:
Add Natural Bond.

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Can't raise your effective druid level higher than your character level. Doesn't work for this build, as we're already over /double/ the guy's character level. You could try applying it first, but that's just lame. =P

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Originally Posted by ozgun92

Request 8:
The highest at-will (1/round for a whole hour) RTA damage possible, at L20.
Situational stuff like SA, SS & Skirmish count half of what they would otherwise be.

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I have no idea what RTA means, but I'll take a stab in the morning.

Quote:

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Can't raise your effective druid level higher than your character level. Doesn't work for this build, as we're already over /double/ the guy's character level. You could try applying it first, but that's just lame. =P

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You can choose a 3 level higher AC, and have your normal effective level. Like, FLESHRAKER instead of wolf :smallbiggrin:

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I have no idea what RTA means, but I'll take a stab in the morning.

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Ranged Touch Attack

person man's Haberdash the masked might count for the 5 weapon thing.

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Originally Posted by ozgun92

You can choose a 3 level higher AC, and have your normal effective level. Like, FLESHRAKER instead of wolf :smallbiggrin:

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I'm pretty flexible with the rules, be even I wouldn't allow this. It's abundantly clear that it's meant to function like Practiced Spellcaster, and gets applied before that penalty. Besides, it's hardly needed; you can dip Ranger and Spirit Shaman for +4/+0, Sorc for +4/+4, any other arcane class for +0/+4, or you could just quietly progress Arcane Hierophant for +1/+1 and get better spells to share with the familiar.



Request #8:

Comment: Nyaaa, I know there's better options out there, but I'm going for style here. Also, this is in absolutely no way viable to be played.

Concept: Ranged Touch Attack Damage
Race/Class: whatever the World Record build for optimizing Strength was (Gleemax is down)
Necessary Components: Exchange two levels for Bloodstorm Blade, Scroll/Potion/whatever of Persisted Wraithstrike, Power Attack, any Power Attack multipliers you can scrounge up, Returning Kaorti Greatsword.
Result: Stand by the dummy target, which is presumably helpless. Power Attack on your Coup de Grace (you're treating ranged attacks as melee attacks, remember) with your throwing-greatsword which is a touch attack thanks to Wraithstrike. Get that tastey x4 crit, quadrupling your strength and PA damage. Rince copious blood off you, repeat.

Request 9

I'd like to see the most effective character that you can manage that uses rope to solve as many problems as possible, including combat, skill checks, role playing, and dungeon crawling. Magic and psionics are allowed, as long as rope is used.

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Originally Posted by woodenbandman

Not to steal any of Zeal's thunder here, but I can handle some of these.
2. Shankenstein: Pixie Rogue 2/Paladin of Tyranny 2/Hexblade 3. Fly around invisibly. DR 10 and all-day flight mean you're pretty much immune to all traps that aren't true seeing activated magic traps, and you'll have stupidly high saves, mettle, and evasion. Fill the rest out with your choice of any of those classes.

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A Skillmonkey means he can disable them so the rest of the party isn't hurt by them. Furthermore, it has almost no damage output. His response was closer, but again, has little damage output as listed.

As far as your request, that's simple.

Goliath Barbarian (Mountainous rage variant from races of stone)/Reaping Mauler/Warhulk/Hulking Hurler.

With Reaping Mauler, you can grapple. Mountainous Rage gives you Large size for Warhulk, and Hulking Hurler lets you throw your opponent.

But you CAN disable the traps! You're a rogue, aren't you? Also you can wield a greatsword and use power attack!

True it's kinda sucky, but I was trying for creativity.

Request #10
A powerful melee fighter (non-stealth) that is also an intellectual with many skills and languages.

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Originally Posted by ShneekeyTheLost

His response was closer, but again, has little damage output as listed.

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Dude, you're a ClericZilla. Damage output is there after you buff yourself up and lay the smack down.

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Originally Posted by ShneekeyTheLost

As far as your request, that's simple.

Goliath Barbarian (Mountainous rage variant from races of stone)/Reaping Mauler/Warhulk/Hulking Hurler.

With Reaping Mauler, you can grapple. Mountainous Rage gives you Large size for Warhulk, and Hulking Hurler lets you throw your opponent.

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If I remember correctly, Reaping Maulers lose access to their own PrC if they go up size categories (and are pretty pathetic anyway). A good straight grapple build is probably more like... Fighter4/PsiWar2/Warmind10 with Practiced Manifestor. Expansion + Grip of Iron + all the grapple feats you'll ever need + some good Warmind boosts.



Request #9

Comment: To make this character really effective, I've taken a fairly liberal interpretation of "rope".

Concept: Rope-meister
Race/Class: Human Artificer
Components: Cast "Hardening" on an adamantine Spiked Chain, Animate that object, and do the Sandwich Psion trick
Result: You're a construct, so you benefit from all the awesomeness Artificers can do to make them more powerful. You're also, fundamentally, a sort of metal rope. Let the fighter wield you, play dead, and quietly buff everyone (and/or yourself) through the roof. Note that you don't have hands, so you may want to make some Dedicated Wrights before doing the switch, but that's no problem. You also lose a lot of the standard Artificer tricks, but honestly Artificers are pretty OP to begin with. If you're really feeling classy, take your last five levels in Justicar and start hogtieing people with your own body.

Ok, new thing.

A character with 20 OR MORE attacks per round. melee only. slashing weapons only.

#10
A charisma based fighter- something that you could sink 10 or 12s in everything but charisma, but still run up there and kick ass. No summoning creatures, no levels in a full-casting class or a class with 1/2 BAB.

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Originally Posted by Gorgondantess

#10
A charisma based fighter- something that you could sink 10 or 12s in everything but charisma, but still run up there and kick ass. No summoning creatures, no levels in a full-casting class or a class with 1/2 BAB.

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You're #11. I still haven't answered #10 (but will soon).

Request #11

Actually, I just posted one over in the CW Samurai thread.

Concept: Cha-based warrior
Race/Class: Human Fighter 2 / CW Samurai X
Components: Weapon Focus feats for both your weapons, Combat Expertise, Circlet of Persuasion, Skill Focus: Perform, optimized Charisma.
Result: Check that other threads for details, but basically you've got yourself one really solid general. Make thousands upon thousands of troops that much better than the enemy, force any enemy troops that approach you to flee, and fight with Crescent Moon inside an AMF if there's something you really can't scare away.

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Originally Posted by sonofzeal

Concept: Sugliin-wielder
Race/Class: Half-Orc Paladin/Barbarian/Champion of Gwynharwyf
Necessary components: Aura of Awe alternate class feature, Frightful Presence feat.
Result: Grawr smite!

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Not at all what I expected, but definitely a fun result. Would need to be a Paladin of Freedom. I could definitely see Ragesmiting people into a quivering mass with a giant stick being rather amusing. :smallbiggrin:

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Originally Posted by boomwolf

A HUMAN using 5 weapons at once, all must be effective, no summoning/shapeshifting allowed.

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Wield one weapon in each hand, preferably two different ones so you can choose which best to use. Flail/Rapier or Flail/Trident gives you the most options. Next, Spiked Gauntlets for punching anyone who tries to invade your personal space, and Armor Spikes for Grappling. Improved Unarmed Strike for kicking people in the face, not to mention getting Improved Grapple.

Depending on what you consider a "weapon", tossing in psionics gives you another attack to throw around. Schism allows you to attack with psionics along with your standard attacks.

You could also replace the Flail/whatever with a double weapon if you wanted to cast spells, as you could just hold it one-handed while casting. You may need lighter armor for an arcane caster, though.

Class has a lot of options. Psychic Warrior will work, especially if you want to TWF. Wilder/Slayer is a decent gish with highest level psionic powers available. I'll leave the selection of magical classes/gishes to others, who have more splatbooks.

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Originally Posted by erikun

Not at all what I expected, but definitely a fun result.

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And that's exactly what this thread is for. :smallcool:

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Originally Posted by erikun

Wield one weapon in each hand, preferably two different ones so you can choose which best to use. Flail/Rapier or Flail/Trident gives you the most options. Next, Spiked Gauntlets for punching anyone who tries to invade your personal space, and Armor Spikes for Grappling. Improved Unarmed Strike for kicking people in the face, not to mention getting Improved Grapple.

Depending on what you consider a "weapon", tossing in psionics gives you another attack to throw around. Schism allows you to attack with psionics along with your standard attacks.

You could also replace the Flail/whatever with a double weapon if you wanted to cast spells, as you could just hold it one-handed while casting. You may need lighter armor for an arcane caster, though.

Class has a lot of options. Psychic Warrior will work, especially if you want to TWF. Wilder/Slayer is a decent gish with highest level psionic powers available. I'll leave the selection of magical classes/gishes to others, who have more splatbooks.

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A few additions...

1) Armor Spikes

2) Animated spiked shield (nothing RAW prevents animated shields from bashing, afaik)

3) Braid Blade

4) Foot Spike