Fun martial builds

[danielxcutter]

Note: Thought exercise - not going to be used in actual play anytime soon.

Anyone have some interesting, fun martial builds that aren't spiked-chain trippers or uber-chargers? Now, I'm not saying that I don't want to use spiked chains or charging feats - if it's unusual, fun to play, and reasonably powerful, such as using a spiked chain with Great Cleave or using Roofjumper to weaponize falling, then it goes.

Oh, gish-in-a-can builds are okay if they're rather different from the norm, and please don't include anything that could be seen as rules-lawyering. All official sources and Dragon Magazine are allowed.

[ExLibrisMortis]

I made this a while back. It's pretty fun, though I haven't gotten to test it out yet.

[danielxcutter]

I made this a while back. It's pretty fun, though I haven't gotten to test it out yet.

Hmmm... Interesting. The first combo might not swing with some DMs, but the others are pretty nice.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Hmmm... Interesting. The first combo might not swing with some DMs, but the others are pretty nice.

Why wouldn't it swing? At worst, you don't get to treat Martial Spirit as first-level spell, reducing the healing-per-hit to 8.

[ShurikVch]

1. Which sources are allowed? (Magazines? 3rd party?)
2. How cheese-sensitive we are here? (Dragonwrought Kobold early [epic] feat access?)

Also, how about the Zhentarim Soldier fearmonger?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Totemist 2/Harmonious Order Paladin* 18. Take From Smite to Song, Zen Archery, your mount, and Share Soulmeld. Bind a Manticore Belt. Activate Dragonfire Inspiration. Murder everything with dozens of burning spikes.

*Or any other Bardic Music using combo; straight Bard works too, as do Song of the White Raven builds.

[danielxcutter]

Totemist 2/Harmonious Order Paladin* 18. Take From Smite to Song, Zen Archery, your mount, and Share Soulmeld. Bind a Manticore Belt. Activate Dragonfire Inspiration. Murder everything with dozens of burning spikes.

*Or any other Bardic Music using combo; straight Bard works too, as do Song of the White Raven builds.

Not sure how it all works, but it seems delicious.

[Muggins]

Not sure how it all works, but it seems delicious.

Share Soulmeld can let you do some real neat things. Mostly sensible things, but other things, too. It lets you share your soulmelds with any familiars, animal companions, or mounts within 5ft of you.

Like, for example, the build for Xander Marchand you'll find in my signature. It's really easy to get multiple familiars, pseudo-familiars (who still count), animal companions, and more - even without any levels in a spellcasting class. Just shape/bind something with a damage-dealing ranged touch attack (Dissolving Spittle, Frost Helm, Necrocarnum Touch, Yrthak Mask), get yourself four tiny-sized companions (who can all fit in your space and move with you), and you're spitting out five 1d6-5d6 ranged touch attacks a round.

[NerdHut]

It'd require a little homebrew approval from your DM, but it's not unreasonable to assume the "repeating" funtion could be added to Races of Stone's Great Crossbow. Once you're allowed that, slap a large on of those mofos (3d8 per attack, anyone?) in a Goliath's hands and put some armor on him. Possibly as close to a literal tank a single mundane character can get. He does the damage of a standard ballista and is significantly more mobile.

I'm currently planning to put one of these guys somewhere in my campaign in the future.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Not sure how it all works, but it seems delicious.

Manticore Belt is a soulmeld that lets you to fire volleys of spikes as a standard action, each dealing 1d6+1/2 Str. The number of spikes scales based on Incarnum investment, which is (largely) based on your ECL.

Share Soulmeld is a feat that, basically, gives you Share Spells for soulmelds. (Not sure if it works for multiple companions, as Muggins suggests, but certainly for one). You have to be within 5ft to make it work, but hey-- that's what mounts are for. You'll also want things like Bonus Essentia and Sapphire Smite to keep you essentia totals up.

The Harmonious Knight Paladin substitution levels (from the Champions of Valor web enhancement) grant you Inspire Courage at first level in place of Detect Evil. It doesn't scale up from +1, but you get one use/level. From Smite to Song is a feat to add in later that lets you trade Smite attempts for Inspire Courage that does scale.

From that basic chassis, you take Dragonfire Inspiration and add in your normal Inspire Courage boosters-- Badges of Valor, a Vest of Legend, Words of Creation, Song of the Heart... hopefully Inspirational Boost, somehow, though that's harder with a paladin base. Bard is probably a superior option, but that's less martial so <shrug>

So now you and your mount are both shooting multiple spikes every turn, and each spike gets the full benefits of Dragonfire Inspiration. If you want to be really stupid, it's possible that you can get a pair of Necklace of Natural Attacks (it's not clear if the spikes from Manticore Belt are natural weapons or not) and add Splitting to triple your spike count.

And as a bonus, it's not a one-trick pony. You get to pick another two soulmelds every morning and (ideally) have plenty of essentia to play around with, letting you be surprisingly good at skill type things, and there are plenty of other Totem melds that will play nicely with DFI. Feats like Intuitive Attack and Serenity can make you nicely SAD, while more Totemist levels or an Incarnate dip can do wonders for both essentia totals (you need I think 7 by your late teens) and your versatility. You can arguably stack Mystic Fire Knight and Sword of the Arcane Order onto the chassis, too.

Admittedly, a Bard probably does all this better, because a medium BAB is plenty to hit with spikes, more skills/spells are always better, and you can get a familiar through feats instead of a paladin mount, but... <shrug>

[Vizzerdrix]

I have always been a fan of getting troll blooded and mark of Xoriat at or close to level 1. Nothing says early survival like DR 5 and regen 1. Either fighter 1 or martial rogue 1 can do this if human.
Mark of xoriat needs aberrant dragonmark and mark of maddness, so you could start a cha based melee to push the saves on those feats. Dip battle dancer and get a stunning weapon for some more cha synergy. Maybe even a few levels of paladin of freedom for a total of cha to saves, ac, stunning DC, and sla saves.

[Kaje]

My Master Shiftshaper build:

Spoiler

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Wildhunt Shifter Wild Shape Ranger 1 / Spirit Bear Totem Wolf Totem Barbarian 2 / Warblade 1 / Warshaper 2 / Weretouched Master 5 / Warshaper 2 / Bloodclaw Master 5 / Warblade 2

Flaws:
Shaky
Weak Will

Feats:
1 - Shifter Instincts
1 - Track [Ranger]
1 - Wildhunt Elite [Flaw]
1 - Extra Shifter Trait (Longtooth) [Flaw]
3 - Improved Unarmed Strike
3 - Improved Trip [Barbarian]
6 - Longtooth Elite
8 - Shifter Multiattack [Weretouched Master]
9 - Healing Factor
10 - Great Bite [Weretouched Master]
12 - Martial Study: Iron Heart Surge
15 - Shifter Savagery
18 - Martial Stance: Wolverine's Stance OR Extra Rage

I disregarded Shifters for a long time until I realized that the way you use them is not to optimize them as, say, a ranger or barbarian, but to make them the best damn shifter they can be. So this guy can turn into an incredibly powerful weretiger and tear its enemies apart.



Run-n-Gun Kobold

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Desert Kobold Scout 1 / Fighter 2 / Cloistered Cleric 1 / Scout 16

Feats
1 - Dragon Tail
1 - Prehensile Tail [Flaw: Noncombatant]
1 - Multiweapon Fighting [Flaw: Weak Will]
2 - Point Blank Shot [Fighter]
3 - Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Hand Crossbow)
3 - Weapon Focus (Hand Crossbow) [Fighter]
4 - Knowledge Devotion [Cloistered Cleric]
4 - Travel Devotion [Cloistered Cleric]
4 - Air Devotion [Cloistered Cleric]
6 - Dead Eye
7 - Rapid Reload [Scout]
9 - Crossbow Sniper
11 - Precise Shot [Scout]
12 - Extra Turning
15 - Improved Precise Shot
15 - Improved Initiative [Scout]
18 - Rapid Shot
19 - Far Shot [Scout]

Little dude just unloads a showers of bolts, reloading dual hand crossbows with his tail. I like that the only supernatural stuff here is that one level of cleric (and I assume his WIS is probably so low he can't even cast spells.) He's even not entirely terrible in melee, what with 4 natural weapons +skirmish +travel devotion.

[danielxcutter]

Great work, guys! Some of those ideas are awesome!

[Kelb_Panthera]

Honestly, Paladin 4/ Crusader 1/ RKV 10/ X 4 is just a great character to me.

I like a good paladin anyway and crusader adds so many options beyond spells. It's also a good excuse to double-down on the zealotry. Maybe cap-off with X being fist of raziel for triple the fanaticism.

What? It can be fun to pretend you're balls-to-the-wall nuts for your cause once in a while.

[danielxcutter]

Honestly, Paladin 4/ Crusader 1/ RKV 10/ X 4 is just a great character to me.

I like a good paladin anyway and crusader adds so many options beyond spells. It's also a good excuse to double-down on the zealotry. Maybe cap-off with X being fist of raziel for triple the fanaticism.

What? It can be fun to pretend you're balls-to-the-wall nuts for your cause once in a while.

Hmmm... speaking about RKV, is Crusader 4/Paladin 6/RKV 10 good? How would you build one?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Hmmm... speaking about RKV, is Crusader 4/Paladin 6/RKV 10 good? How would you build one?

It's nothing spectacular. Basically just the sum of its parts. Definitely grab battle blessing and maybe SotAO (ask your DM about interaction). I'm fond of the shards of granite tactical feat. Definitely swap the mount for something, maybe CC's companion spirit.

If you know how to run a decent paladin, then you're pretty much set. The crusader side of things is pretty hard to screw up. Maybe consider putting crusader 1 at level 1 and grab martial study for something shadowhand and grab darkstalker in the mid-levels so you can stealth it up, since RKV gives some minor synergy there.

I suppose I could crank out something more complete after some sleep. No promises.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Hmmm... speaking about RKV, is Crusader 4/Paladin 6/RKV 10 good? How would you build one?

It's not great, but not terribly weak. Mainly, it is very obvious to add cleric 1/prestige paladin 5, instead of paladin 6. Far superior casting, and the same paladin class features (slightly weaker smite, slightly stronger mount). You can go for a Sword of the Arcane Order build, which gets the most out of the paladin levels, with Mystic Fire Knight (if deity conflict is averted) and AeshKrau (bonus spells from strength). Ordained Champion could be nice instead of some of the higher paladin, crusader and RKV levels, but then you're giving up more maneuvers and casting.

[Swaoeaeieu]

not my own work. but i have always admired the Dragoon build.
some sweet jumping action and walking on walls seems the awsome kind of anime fighting people dont want but actually do want in their dnd :P

[Inevitability]

I have always been a fan of getting troll blooded and mark of Xoriat at or close to level 1. Nothing says early survival like DR 5 and regen 1. Either fighter 1 or martial rogue 1 can do this if human.
Mark of xoriat needs aberrant dragonmark and mark of maddness, so you could start a cha based melee to push the saves on those feats. Dip battle dancer and get a stunning weapon for some more cha synergy. Maybe even a few levels of paladin of freedom for a total of cha to saves, ac, stunning DC, and sla saves.

I personally think Quasilycanthrope is a better way for low-level DR. It's only +1 LA and gives DR 10/silver (ever had an opponent use silvered weapons?). I admit losing a level sucks, but it's probably better than having to spend three feats. Also, LA buyoff.

[Vizzerdrix]

I personally think Quasilycanthrope is a better way for low-level DR. It's only +1 LA and gives DR 10/silver (ever had an opponent use silvered weapons?). I admit losing a level sucks, but it's probably better than having to spend three feats. Also, LA buyoff.

Im not sold on that. Surviving a werewhatever attack at low levels is a rather tricky affair. And their is also the problem of tracking down a were thingy that is the same flavor as your quasithrope so it activates.

[danielxcutter]

Im not sold on that. Surviving a werewhatever attack at low levels is a rather tricky affair. And their is also the problem of tracking down a were thingy that is the same flavor as your quasithrope so it activates.

Just write it into the backstory

Personally, it seems like a nice template.

[Vizzerdrix]

Just write it into the backstory

Personally, it seems like a nice template.

Before or after I write in having beat an Aleax for all the tasty bonuses?

[Andezzar]

If Psychic Warrior is martial enough for you, I'll leave the King of Smack here.

[Hiro Quester]

If you want fun to design and play (but possibly annoying after a while) the thread exploring the idea of a barbarian who thinks he's a wizard.

A couple of threads having fun with this idea have happened here, the last one was this one from last year, that references the previous one (which has a much more developed "spell book").

[danielxcutter]

If Psychic Warrior is martial enough for you, I'll leave the King of Smack here.

It seems fuuuuun(no really), but how exactly does all that work again?

[Andezzar]

It seems fuuuuun(no really), but how exactly does all that work again?

Aside from the Elan being an aberration and thus qualifying for (Improved) Rapidstrike it is just Claws of the Beast, Claws of the Vampire and Karmic Strike.

Claws of the Beast gives claws, which benefit from any size increases you might put on yourself.

Claws of the Vampire heals you for half the damage you deal with the aforementioned claws.

And lastly Karmic Strike gives you an AoO (up to your normal number of AoOs) each time an opponent hits you. this mean that each time you are hit you have the chance to heal most if not all of that damage and damage the opponent.

Expanded Knowledge (Metamorphosis), (Improved) Rapidstrike and Warshaper are just icing on the cake to do even more damage.

Illithid Slayer gives you some immunities.

[A.A.King]

Two-Weapon Fighting is always fun to do, but the problem people always bring up is that fighting with a Two-Handed Weapon is just so much more efficient. Solution? Do Both.

Ranger 2 / Barbarian 4 / Swordsage 9+ / Bloodclaw Master 3+

Spoiler: General Build

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Silverbrow Human
01. Ranger - Power Attack, Dragon Tail, Track
02. Barbarian 1
03. Ranger 2 - Two-Weapon Fighting, Prehensile Tail
04. Barbarian 2
05. Swordsage 1 - Weapon Focus (Tiger Claw Discipline)
06. Barbarian 3 - Adaptive Style (or Free Feat)
07. Barbairan 4
08. Swordsage 2
09. Bloodclaw Master 1 - Free Feat
10. Bloodclaw Master 2
11. Bloodclaw Master 3
12+ Swordsage

Personally I would pick up the Trapkiller ACF for the Barbarian so that you also have some out of combat utility as both a Tracker and secondary Trapmonkey. Also always ask if you can re-fluff the Bloowclaw Master's Tiger-Shifting into Dragon-Shifting (befitting of your heritage)

The idea is very simple. Dragontail gives you a Tail attack and Prehensile Tail allows you to use your Tail to hold a weapon and use it as your off-hand weapon. So while you use your regular hands to wield a Greataxe your tail is holding a hand-axe. Note: Whenever the Bloodclaw Masters mentions the Tiger Claw weapons they leave out the Greataxe probably because without a third arm you can't two weapon fight with it, it is however still a Tiger Claw weapon and as such works with the Bloodclaw Master's claw abilities.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Two-Weapon Fighting is always fun to do, but the problem people always bring up is that fighting with a Two-Handed Weapon is just so much more efficient. Solution? Do Both.

Armor spikes or unarmed strikes (at least if you have a Monk level) also work.

[Andezzar]

Spoiler: General Build

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Personally I would pick up the Trapkiller ACF for the Barbarian so that you also have some out of combat utility as both a Tracker and secondary Trapmonkey. Also always ask if you can re-fluff the Bloowclaw Master's Tiger-Shifting into Dragon-Shifting (befitting of your heritage)

Without pounce (i.e. the Spiritual Lion Totem ACF), you still have the problem that you can only use a Full Attack when you do not take more than a 5 ft step.

[Kaje]

Without pounce (i.e. the Spiritual Lion Totem ACF), you still have the problem that you can only use a Full Attack when you do not take more than a 5 ft step.

There's a maneuver for that.