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Old 02-29-2012, 02:49 AM   Top  -  End  -  #2
thereaper
Bugbear in the Playground
 
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: 
Florida, USA
Gender: Male
Default Re: The Nameless One (3.5)

Nuts and Bolts of the conversion:

Spoiler


As for actually using The Nameless One, I don't recommend making him an adversary. Due to having a PC chassis of absurdly high levels without level-appropriate equipment and a complete lack of optimization, his capabilities are somewhat lopsided. He has several abilities that are useful in situations that would rarely (if ever) come up for a monster (trapfinding, tons of skills, Raise Dead, Speak with Dead) and some blind spots in his abilities (17 AC, 1d8+8 damage before Power Attack). He does have quite a bit of power, though (9th level spells, 10d6 sneak attack, and a high BAB). However, if he is to be used as an adversary, keep in mind that he is going to have to power attack for far more than a monster normally would, and that the PCs (once they realize his AC is pitiful) will do the same to him.

However, as an NPC, The Nameless One can work beautifully. He has the capabilities to ensure PCs don't ask "How has this guy survived down here so long?", and enough variety in them that he can help the PCs accomplish anything the plot requires.

He can also potentially work as a TPK machine for mid-level PCs (Ability Drain? Sorry, he's immune. Ability Damage? He's got 25 in all stats; he'll survive long enough to kill you. Anything requiring a save? Sorry, he passes on a 1. Spells? He's got 9th level ones, and SR you can never hope to beat. Sneak Attack? He's got Improved Uncanny Dodge. Etc, etc). His only real weaknesses are his AC, his reliance on power attack, his lack of backup weapons, and his reliance on spells for many situations (which spells he knows and has prepared at any given moment I leave as an exercise for each individual DM).

Supercharging The Nameless One

If you want a little more oomph out of your TNO, give him 1 more level each of Fighter, Rogue, Wizard, and Ex-Cleric. This gives +2 to BAB and saves, +44 HP, 45 skill points (spend 4 of them to learn any 4 languages, put 5 into Knowledge (Arcana), and dump the rest into Spellcraft), +11d6 Sneak Attack, +7 Trap Sense, 1 more feat (make it Polyglot), and +1 to any one stat (increase one of his stats to 26, then retrain one of his "Great X" feats to Epic Spellcasting, bringing his stats back to all 25's).

Now he has the ability to cast Epic Spells (3 per day, in fact), and enough Spellcraft muscle to really put them to use.

To advance him to even higher levels, use the following guidelines:

Class: Always Epic Wizard
Skills: Spellcraft +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Concentration +1, Hide +1, Move Silently +1, Sleight of Hand +1, Open Lock +1, Search +1, Disable Device +1, Use Magic Device +1
Wizard Feats: Always Improved Spell Capacity
Standard Feats: Always Epic Toughness
Ability Score Increases: Always increase Constitution (when you get the chance, retrain two Great Constitutions for Heighten Spell and Improved Heighten Spell, as long as the Con score remains at or above 25).

This gives him the increased hit points of a Fighter, the skills of a Rogue, and the spell progression of a Wizard.

And if you really want to make him even more awesome, give him level-appropriate gear ("I'll take a +20 Axe, please"). Anything except armor and weapons he's not proficient with is fine (he is still The Nameless One, after all). By my math, the starting WBL of an 84th level character should be roughly 901,191,434.7 gp (with an additional 10% for each level afterwards). Have fun.
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Wolfen Houndog - The World in Revolt (4e)
The Mythic Warrior, a 3.5 base class that severs limbs and sunders armor
The Nameless One, converted to 3.5

Last edited by thereaper : 03-25-2012 at 03:53 AM.
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