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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
When you think your name is Star/Makes no difference who you are. . . . -J.C.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Star
Fluff:
Spoiler
"Know your limits! Shamus drilled that into me from day one, always. You have to be sure that you can do something, and do it right. Don’t chance it, or else it’s your fault when you screw up. Don’t play a game of cards if you can’t stack the deck.”
Star was born to a loving family…well, loving before she came along. Her mother was blissfully unaware about the fact that her husband was a Changeling. It had been blind chance that Star’s two older brothers had been born as normal humans, and it had shocked Star’s father as much as anyone when his third child emerged from the womb as a genderless mass of grey flesh.
Star’s mother was enraged that her husband had never told her the truth about himself, and he was upset that his offspring forced him to acknowledge his species; many Changelings prefer to live only one life, shunning their heritage to fit in with the community they choose to live in. Star grew up in a broken home, the rift between her parents caused entirely by her own existence. She ran away when she was 7, after her father had a particularly bad night. One benefit about being able to change your shape was that there was never any problem hiding the bruises.
Star was found by an old man named Shamus, a former pickpocket and acolyte of the god Olidammara, who’d been “retired” by the City Guards when he made a slip up. Since then, he’d become bitter and slightly cynical, but he still revered the God of Rogues, and spent his time looking after a pack of street rats. He taught them his art as best he could, and made sure they all had food to eat, wine to drink and a place to hole up in out of the cold.
He was proud of Star; her abilities made her invaluable to him, as she could serve any number of roles in any number of schemes. Sometimes she would be the face, fooling the mark Shamus pointed out for her while one of the others pocketed his valuables. Sometimes she would be picking the locks of a Nobleman’s house. And sometimes, she would go with Shamus to shake down one of his competitors. She could be very scary when she wanted to be.
Level 1
Spoiler
Changeling Rogue 1
Taking the substitution level to trade Trapfinding for Social Intuition, which gives Star the ability to take 10 on Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate and Sense Motive, so already the core idea of the Build is taking shape. Her bluff checks of 18 are pretty respectable at this level, and she can demoralise in combat for the same
Shamus was getting old, and he began to rely on Star more heavily than she liked. He trusted in her abilities, and he began grooming her as his successor. He encouraged her to do more and more, and soon she was running the group, with Shamus little more than an Advisor. She had to think of new and better ways to do things, not just relying on the same old tricks.
She became known throughout the city underworld for bursts of insight, trying new things and getting results. Her band of misfits became a more respectable outfit than what it had been under Shamus, and was a legitimate thieves’ guild by the time Star was 21, with her at the head. Shamus died quietly, proud of what his protégé.
Star kept true to what he’d taught her as best she could; don’t rely on being lucky, make your own luck, and always know what your limits are...she added a little bit of wisdom of her own to his teachings however, when she passed those words on to the next generation of street rats and apprentice thieves she took in.
Know your limits, but also know when to push past them.
Level 5
Spoiler
Changeling Rogue 2/Factotum 3
Star’s Int Mod is now doing triple duty on the skills front, and her three Inspiration Points can give her some nice boosts when she needs them. They let her break the cap on her Take 10 Skills and give her a little boost in combat and such. Craven keeps her damage output relevant when she needs it, but her Diplomacy and Bluff should keep her out of trouble most of the time.
Most of her skill points have been invested into the prerequisites for her Prestige Classes, and while the progression of Skill Points I have further down is serviceable, it can certainly be done better so that her skill based abilities remain consistently useful throughout, rather than dropping and rising in power at random points, but that's my fault for not organising skills better, not an inherent flaw of the idea.
Diplomacy is always getting a skillpoint each level, however, which means she always has her most potent trick up her sleeve.
There is a problem with running a fully-fledged thieves’ guild when compared to leading a small gang of street urchins. The main thing is that you start showing up on the radar of those in power. Star had inadvertently forced the hand of the city watch, as her group was too big and too established to ignore. Her guild house was stormed by the watch, and most of her friends were arrested. Star, however, escaped. She ran, and hid and lied, but she got away.
And, with nothing left, she started anew. She tried a new tactic, and began to break into houses and pocket valuables, and used the rooftops and the alleyways as her new home. The streets didn’t belong to her anymore, but she’d created a power vacuum. Someone else took over the remnants of her guild, but she wasn’t invited. She was hunted by both sides, and if it weren’t for her abilities, she’d have been chased down in days.
But even the best make mistakes.
They caught her a year after the bust on her Guild House, and they threw her into the darkness, and threw away the key. She became twisted and angry, shifting her shape to reflect that. Just as Shamus had used her to scare people in the past, she became something worth fearing.
It was only then that she met the God of Rogues.
Level 10:
Spoiler
Changeling Rogue 2/Factotum 3/Thief-Acrobat 4/Temple Raider of Olidammara 1
Her first level of Temple Raider coincides with acquiring Skill Focus: Intimidate, and Star is well on the way to becoming a scary, scary person. Thief-Acrobat gives her the very useful Defensive Roll and the ability to take 10 on even more skills.
Star has also finally found the time to take Two-Weapon Fighting, so I would also propose that now is a great time to purchase some Gloves of the Balanced Hand, to gain Improved Two-Weapon Fighting without having to spend the feat
Freeing herself from the darkness was easy enough with Olidammara’s blessing; he had given her abilities beyond the normal, and the guards were not equipped to deal with them, and meeting her in the dark was the stuff of nightmares. Star took a measure of vengeance on those who had imprisoned her.
Following the instructions of her deity, Star left the city she had grown up in, and began to travel. And as she did, she started becoming more than just a thief and a manipulator. She needed to become more dangerous
Level 15:
Spoiler
Changeling Rogue 2/Factotum 3/Thief-Acrobat 4/Temple Raider of Olidammara 6
Not much in the way of notable changes at this point, but overall, its a very simple idea. Get as many instances of Skill Mastery and Take 10 on everything.
Star does get a few more Sneak Attack dice from her Temple Raider levels, along with some spellcasting (none of the spells are that great though; Temple Raider has a rather rubbish list).
She tried her best to rely only on her own skill, but as time went on, it became harder and harder. It was getting harder to talk her way out of things, and she wasn’t as strong or as fast as many of her competitors. Still, she survived by the skin of her teeth, and kept on doing what she could to be true to her teacher, her friends and her god. A skin of wine for the dead and the divine after a successful job, and a grin for happy memories of better times.
Know your limits, know when to push them, know when to hang it all and trust that Olidammara is watching over you.
Level 20:
Spoiler
Changeling Rogue 2/Factotum 3/Thief-Acrobat 4/Temple Raider of Olidammara 10/Exemplar 1
Capping off the Build, Star finishes Temple Raider and takes a level of Exemplar to grab some more Skill Mastery. By now she has access to the Luck Domain, which is pretty nifty and gives her 4 decent spells and a good domain power, and a boost to her Intimidate Score.
At this point, she can take 10 on 24/35 of the skills that she can actually use, and many of the ones she doesn't she can take 10/20 on naturally. She won't need to be rolling dice very often.
Crunch:
Spoiler
The Build:
Spoiler
Star, Skill Master of Olidammara
Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Feats
Class Features
1st
Rogue 1
+0
+1
+5
-1
Able Learner
Sneak Attack +1d6, Social Intuition (Bluff, Diplomancy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Sense Motive)
Star is based around utilising Skill Mastery-esque Abilities, supplemented by the small amount of casting granted by Temple Raider (which I haven't listed, seeing as it is the exact same thing here as it is in the book).
Seeing as she is a skill-based build, her potential is constrained by item use. By using her WBL, she can utilise her abilities to take 10 on practically everything to her advantage in different ways. Catch all items like Wands of Divine Insight or Guidance of the Avatar would be things she'd use often, which makes her Skill Based powers much more effective.
Her damage is mostly going to be coming from Craven and Crit-Fishing...that is, if she ever needs to fight. Her Diplomacy Score can make someone with a Hostile Attitude go straight to friendly by spending an Inspiration Point.
Overall, while she can be pretty effective out of the box, she really shines when she has access to the right gear.
Ability Scores:
Spoiler
Base: Str 8 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 16 Wis 8 Cha 15
@ 20 w/Items: Str 8 Dex 26 (+4 Inherent, +6 Item) Con 12 Int 32 (+5 Level Up, +5 Inherent, +6 Item) Wis 14 (+6 Item) Cha 15
Balance (8), Bluff (17), Climb (8), Diplomacy (18), Disable Device (4), Disguise (4), Hide (18), Intimidate (18), Jump (8), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (5), Knowledge (Religion) (1), Move Silently (18), Open Lock (4), Search (8), Sense Motive (5), Tumble (18), Use Magic Device (18); Never Outnumbered (2)
Balance (8), Bluff (19), Climb (8), Diplomacy (19), Disable Device (4), Disguise (4), Hide (19), Intimidate (19), Jump (8), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (5), Knowledge (Religion) (1), Move Silently (19), Open Lock (4), Search (8), Sense Motive (5), Spellcraft (1), Tumble (19), Use Magic Device (19), Never Outnumbered (2)
Balance (8), Bluff (20), Climb (8), Diplomacy (20), Disable Device (4), Disguise (4), Forgery (1), Hide (20), Intimidate (20), Jump (8), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (5), Knowledge (Religion) (1), Move Silently (20), Open Lock (4), Search (8), Sense Motive (5), Sleight of Hand (1), Spellcraft (1), Tumble (20), Use Magic Device (20); Never Outnumbered (2)
Balance (8), Bluff (21), Climb (8), Diplomacy (21), Disable Device (4), Disguise (4), Forgery (1), Hide (21), Intimidate (21), Jump (8), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (5), Knowledge (Religion) (1), Move Silently (21), Open Lock (4), Search (9), Sense Motive (5), Sleight of Hand (1), Spellcraft (1), Tumble (21), Use Magic Device (21); Never Outnumbered (2)
Balance (8), Bluff (22), Climb (8), Diplomacy (22), Disable Device (4), Disguise (4), Forgery (1), Hide (22), Intimidate (22), Jump (8), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (5), Knowledge (Religion) (1), Move Silently (22), Open Lock (4), Search (9), Sense Motive (5), Sleight of Hand (1), Spellcraft (1), Spot (4), Tumble (22), Use Magic Device (22); Never Outnumbered (2), Acrobatic Backstab (2)
Balance (8), Bluff (23), Climb (8), Diplomacy (23), Disable Device (4), Disguise (10), Forgery (1), Hide (23), Intimidate (23), Jump (8), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (5), Knowledge (Religion) (1), Move Silently (23), Open Lock (4), Search (9), Sense Motive (5), Sleight of Hand (1), Spellcraft (1), Spot (5), Tumble (23), Use Magic Device (23); Never Outnumbered (2), Acrobatic Backstab (2)
NOTE: I have NOT factored in the Int boost from the Wishes/Tome of Clear Thought +5, so depending on when that is used, additional skill points might appear.
Skill Checks at Lv20:
Spoiler
Appraise 21
Balance 37
Bluff 38
Climb 35
Concentration 1d20+1
Craft 1d20+11
Decipher Script 1d20+11
Diplomacy 42
Disable Device 35 (Take 20)
Disguise 35
Escape Artist 27
Forgery 22
Gather Information 13
Handle Animal 1d20+3
Heal 12
Hide 50
Intimidate 47
Jump 37
Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) 1d20+16
Knowledge (Religion) 1d20+12
Listen 12
Move Silently 50
Open Lock 41 (Take 20)
Perform 1d20+3
Profession 1d20+2
Ride 27
Search 40 (Take 20)
Sense Motive 19
Sleight of Hand 30
Spellcraft 22
Spot 17
Survival 1d20+2
Swim 20
Tumble 52
Use Magic Device 36
Use Rope 27
Sources Used:
Spoiler
Champions of Ruin
Complete Adventurer
Complete Divine
Complete Scoundrel
Drow of the Underdark
Dungeonscape
Eberron Campaign Setting
Player’s Handbook II
Races of Destiny
Races of Eberron
Races of the Wild
This has the potential to be either a really, really disappointing entry or a curious but still kind of cool idea. Here's hoping its the latter.
__________________
Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Declaring a war on locks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolus Praedo
Spoiler
Dolus Praedo: The Mystic Con-man
Level 1
Spoiler
Dolus grew up in the slums of a large town, the son of a fence for the local thieves guild. Having hung around theives his entire life it came as no surprise to anyone when the lad soon began picking up the skills of a thief himself.
CN Human
Human Paragon 1
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 12
But where his father was the more traditional roguish type, Dolus took a more mystical bent to thievery. Dolus knew that there were many thieves stronger or smarter than he, but he also knew that power was always available to those who seek it. So he went directly to the source- the gods. While not possesed of a particularly clerical bent, Dolus knew that Olidammara was a deity used to the unconventional. With this in mind he bribed a sufficiently high level Cleric of the Laughing God into summomoning a servant of the deity, with whom he made a pact- power in exchange for service to the god. The skills gained from this pact instantly made a huge impact on the local thieves guild. Dolus suddenly became very popular as a sniper, he became quite skilled at verbal misdirection, and his newfound ability to scale walls made him immesurably useful in infiltration.
Human Paragon 1/Warlock 4
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 12
As Dolus became more and more skilled at the art of thievery he became more and more addicted to the idea of a big heist. And as Olidammara's power manifested itself more and more powerfully his ability to enact such acts of larceny became greater and greater, until he had set his sights on none less than the coffers of the local temple of Pelor. And so, after much planning, Dolus enacted a scheme against the temple. His method of entry was simple- he simply had a "friend" rough him up rather severly, and then drop him off in a public place close to the temple in the wee hours of the morning. As the town awoke he was discovered and brought to the temple for healing, and once in he bluffed his way into the inner courts of the temple, used his talent in stealth to search the rooms for valuables, and finally he left what was to become his calling card- he carved the holy symbol of Olidammara on the celing of the high preist's chambers before making his careful escape.
Human Paragon 1/Warlock 7/Human Paragon +2
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 15
Gear: +5 Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt, Masterwork Dagger, Masterwork Thieves Tools, Wand of Cure Light Wounds, Wand of Knock, Bag of Holding Type 2, Ioun of Light
Level 15
Spoiler
As a result of this little stunt at the temple Dolus began to attract a whole new type of attention. Any of those who had a bone to pick with Pelor seemed to want to hire his services, though most of them were small-time. One night jobs at best. However he also attracted the notice of those more practiced at temple theft: The Temple Raiders. With little trouble he was recruited into thier ranks, and soon began traveling much more extensively to raid temples far and wide, and his new selection of spells allowed him to pull of heists even more elaborate and dangerous than ever before.
Human Paragon 1/Warlock 7/Human Paragon +2/Temple Raider of Olidammara 5
Str 10, Dex 22, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 22
Gear: +5 Greater Blurring Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt, Masterwork Dagger, Masterwork Thieves Tools, Wand of Cure Light Wounds, Wand of Knock, Bag of Holding Type 4, Ioun of Light, Wand of Web, Cloak of Charisma +6, Gloves of Dexterity +6, Vest of Resistance +5
Level 20
Spoiler
As Dolus continued to hone his skills as a thief and con artist he began to develop a reputation, even amonst his fellow Temple Raiders, as a man with a way out of any sticky situation. While he didn't have the lock picking skills that many of his fellow thieves had, his powers and early training, not to mention his growing collection of magic items, earned him a uniquie niche in the organization. These days Dolus leads a team of temple raiders, mostly young bucks recent to the organization and eager to prove themselves.
Human Paragon 1/Warlock 7/Human Paragon +2/Temple Raider of Olidammara 10
Str 10, Dex 24, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 22
Gear: +5 Glammered Greater Blurring Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt, Greater Armor Crystal of Glancing Blows, +5 Defeniding Parrying Impedance Dagger (not accounted for in defensive stats), Masterwork Thieves Tools, Wand of Cure Light Wounds, Wand of Knock, Bag of Holding Type 4, Ioun of Light, Wand of Web, Cloak of Charisma +6, Gloves of Dexterity +6, Vest of Resistance +5, Warlock's Scepter, Belt of Many Pockets, Greater Chasuble of Fell Power, Wand Bracelet, Mask of Lies, Boots of Teleportation, Hat of Disguise, Ring of Telekinesis, Ring of Freedom of Movement, Rod of Absorption, Wand of Dispel Magic (CL10), Portable Hole, Immoveable Rod
Spells per day
Spoiler
Level
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
11th
2
-
-
-
12th
3
-
-
-
13th
3
2
-
-
14th
3
3
-
-
15th
3
3
1
-
16th
3
3
2
-
17th
4
3
2
1
18th
4
3
2
2
19th
4
4
2
2
20th
4
4
3
2
Notes about the build:
Dolus is not neccesarily intended to be in combat much. In fact- he's got lots of tricks specifically for the purpose of avoiding combat (Wand of Web, Boots of Teleportation, Ring of Freedom of Movement, Walk Unseen, Flee the Scene, Spider Climb, etc.). But in combat he's still got some options. His offense consists primarily of his Eldrich Blast and Sneak Attack. His defenses can be boosted by drawing his dagger and using combat expertise, and his armor provides a nice miss chance, especially when combined with Walk Unseen. The biggest weakness he would have here is True Seeing, which would negate both miss chances, but that is somewhat situational since most foes he'll be interacting with will likely be lower level and/or non-casters. Against casters, which are the only thing that should really give him any serious problems, he has a Rod of Absorption, and if neccesary the Impedance property of his dagger. In terms of being good at his chosen profession- his spells and invocations are his primary tools when getting into and out of a temple complex, and his Skill Mastery skills are also of great use in that respect, as well as for searching around once inside. Plenty of extradimensional storage is, of course, indispensable for any thief of his caliber, and a goodly amount of that is provided here. He normally keeps most of his gear in his belt, unless he's expecting to need it quickly, in which case he'll put it on his bracelet. And in case anything goes wrong, Touch of Healing provides an easy way to patch up afterwards.
A strong priority for this build was playability at all levels, which I hope is apparent. Another priority was to take what Temple Raider was apparently built for- the typical roguish tricks, and do it entirely differently. This is not intended to be your typical Open Lock/Disable Device rogue. That's entirely on purpose. As evidenced from the backstory he's intended to work well with others who do that, but that's not his schtick. The Temple Raiders are an organization, and one that would promote teamwork, thus an atypical member such as Dolus would bring invaluable skills to such a team. If he's going solo for some reason he's got the trapfinding and ranks in search to find it, and the teleportation to get past most traps. Taking 20 on Open Lock/Disable Device is also an option for most lesser challenges, especially since invisibility affords him some time.
Overall Dolus makes a competent tier 3 character who is fairly decent at a variety of things, but especially his chosen profession. He would fit well in any party as the "fifth man," or "the UMD guy," though with his high bluff score and later skill mastery thereof he would make an interesting take on a "party face."
__________________
Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
You know I've been to the challenge on a build with no name. - America (paraphrased)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unnamed
The Temple Raider of Mammon is a feindish thief who is capable of sneaking past any guard, into any vault, and away with any treasure. He is a follower of the demon lord, Mammon, and is thus granted supernatural abilities of theft and deciet.
Appraise+4, Open Lock+4, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+4, Search+4, Spot+4, Listen+4, Hide+4, Move Silently+4, Tumble+4, Use Magic Device+4, Knowledge(Religion)+2
Disciple of Darkness
Sneak Attack+1d6, Trapfinding
2nd
Rogue 2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
Appraise+5, Open Lock+5, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+5, Search+5, Spot+5, Listen+5, Hide+5, Move Silently+5, Tumble+5, Use Magic Device+5, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+5
None
Evasion
3rd
Rogue 3rd
+2
+1
+3
+1
Appraise+6, Open Lock+6, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+6, Search+6, Spot+6, Listen+6, Hide+6, Move Silently+6, Tumble+6, Use Magic Device+6, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+6
Weapon Finesse
Sneak Attack+2d6, Trapsense+1
4th
Rogue 4th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Appraise+7, Open Lock+7, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+7, Search+7, Spot+7, Listen+7, Hide+7, Move Silently+7, Tumble+7, Use Magic Device+7, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+7
None
Uncanny Dodge
5th
Rogue 5th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Appraise+8, Open Lock+8, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+8, Search+8, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+8, Move Silently+8, Tumble+8, Use Magic Device+8, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Sneak Attack+3d6
6th
Rogue 6th
+4
+2
+5
+2
Appraise+9, Open Lock+9, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+9, Search+9, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+9, Move Silently+9, Tumble+9, Use Magic Device+9, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
Willing Deformity
Trap sense +2
7th
Disciple of Mammon 1st
+5
+2
+7
+4
Appraise+10, Open Lock+10, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+10, Search+10, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+10, Move Silently+10, Tumble+10, Use Magic Device+10, Knowledge
None
Lie
8th
Disciple of Mammon 2nd
+6
+2
+8
+5
Appraise+11, Open Lock+11, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+11, Search+11, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+11, Move Silently+11, Tumble+11, Use Magic Device+11, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Cheat
9th
Disciple of Mammon 3rd
+7
+3
+8
+5
Appraise+12, Open Lock+12, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+12, Search+12, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+12, Move Silently+12, Tumble+12, Use Magic Device+12, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
Deformity(gaunt)
Thief, Steal
10th
Temple Raider of Olidimmara 1st
+7
+3
+10
+7
Appraise+13, Open Lock+13, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+13, Search+13, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+13, Move Silently+13, Tumble+13, Use Magic Device+13, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Trapfinding, Trap Sense+3
11th
Temple Raider of Olidimmara 2nd
+8
+3
+11
+8
Appraise+14, Open Lock+14, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+14, Search+14, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+14, Move Silently+14, Tumble+14, Use Magic Device+14, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Sneak Attack +4d6
12th
Temple Raider of Olidimmara 3rd
+9
+4
+11
+8
Appraise+15, Open Lock+15, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+15, Search+15, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+15, Move Silently+15, Tumble+15, Use Magic Device+15, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
Deformity(gaunt)
Uncanny Dodge
13th
Temple Raider of Olidimmara 4th
+10
+4
+12
+9
Appraise+16, Open Lock+16, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+16, Search+16, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+16, Move Silently+16, Tumble+16, Use Magic Device+16, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Trap Sense+4
14th
Temple Raider of Olidimmara 5th
+10
+4
+12
+9
Appraise+17, Open Lock+17, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+17, Search+17, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+17, Move Silently+17, Tumble+17, Use Magic Device+17, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Sneak Attack +5d6
15th
Temple Raider of Olidimmara 6th
+11
+5
+13
+10
Appraise+18, Open Lock+18, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+18, Search+18, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+18, Move Silently+18, Tumble+18, Use Magic Device+18, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
???
Improved Uncanny Dodge
16th
Temple Raider of Olidimmara 7th
+12
+5
+13
+10
Appraise+19, Open Lock+19, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+19, Search+19, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+19, Move Silently+19, Tumble+19, Use Magic Device+19, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Trap Sense +5
17th
Disciple of Mammon 4th
+13
+6
+13
+10
Appraise+20, Open Lock+20, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+20, Search+20, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+20, Move Silently+20, Tumble+20, Use Magic Device+20, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Divert Attack
18th
Disciple of Mammon 5th
+14
+6
+13
+10
Appraise+21, Open Lock+21, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+21, Search+21, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+21, Move Silently+21, Tumble+21, Use Magic Device+21, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
Dark Speech
Summon Osyluth
19th
Disciple of Mammon 6th
+15
+7
+14
+11
Appraise+22, Open Lock+22, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+22, Search+22, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+22, Move Silently+22, Tumble+22, Use Magic Device+22, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Take Object
20th
Disciple of Mammon 7h
+16
+7
+14
+11
Appraise+23, Open Lock+23, Pickpocket(sleight of hand?)+4, Disable Device+23, Search+23, Spot+8, Listen+8, Hide+23, Move Silently+23, Tumble+23, Use Magic Device+23, Knowledge(Religion)+2, Climb+8
None
Enhance Value
SPELLS KNOWN
Spoiler
Spells per day/Spells Known
Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10th
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
11th
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12th
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
13th
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
14th
2
2
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15th
2
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
16th
2
2
1
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
17th
2
2
1
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
18th
2
2
1
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
19th
2
2
1
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
20th
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
LEVEL 5
Spoiler
At this point,there isn’t very much setting this apart. Plenty of skills, but not much else.
LEVEL 10
Spoiler
Getting good at sneaking around and stealing things(emphasized by the steal ability), slightly better BAB than most rogue types, and good at weaseling by traps
LEVEL 15
Spoiler
Some spellcasting, otherwise the same path as before, not much new aside from increased abilities
LEVEL18
Spoiler
A lot of very high skills, Dark Speech to (literally) crack safes for you, and the ability to summon a little mook that takes your hits. Pretty nifty
LEVEL 20
Spoiler
With all the stats maxxed out and a slew of fun abilities, you are a master thief
GEAR
Spoiler
Items that increase your Dexterety/AC are useful, wands are a good addition to your arsenal as well;invisibility, web, knock, flight, and dispel magic are all good choices
__________________
Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
"What's your party role?" "I push the big red button."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Durbein Stoneknock
Durbein "Trap Bait" Stoneknock, an 'Unusual' Paladin.
"Contrary to popular paladin belief, sometimes, just sometimes, it's not the best idea to throw caution to the wind and charge in to save a hostage or recover a dangerous artifact. While it may be the simplest way, and the honorable way it's also, how do we say, Lawful stupid.
we're not putting up with them shenanigans here, lad.
Don't give me that 'Oh, it's the right thing to do!' shin-dig either, cause when the big baddie decides he can't win the fight without putting the hostages in harms way, You're the one holding the bill with why things went from bad to worse.
------
Every paladin answers to a calling. Durbein Stoneknock was no different, albiet a little more unsual. Durbein had always looked for the new way to do things, even though he often lacked the experience to do so. His small community was under a tyrnannical leadership of the local baron. The baron had a bit of an underhand deal with a nearby slave ring and often times unattended children would go missing.
Durbien, in his youth, decided one day to step up and directly oppose these kidnapping personal, and proudly defied the Baron's men admist the Market place.
It didn't work out so well. in fact, it went pretty poorly. After a week of the stockades and a few tender beatings later and he learned a valuable lesson. sometimes doing the right thing hurts. well, that, and You can't just go charging in head first. sometimes you gotta outsource to some unmentionable people and Fight injustice with... well, Justice?
He found that the thieves guild wasn't to found of the New Baron, and let the Slavers get a little too much leeway for thier comforts. albiet his skills were raw, and his nature was outlandish, they didn't mind getting a helpful tip off about the Baron's movements and where and how the slaver's operated. within due time, his strangely helpful skills were noticed by a group of Temple Raiders.
-------
Initially invited as "Trap Bait" for the Group, the Hollow Hand started testing what Durbien could potentially do. He wasn't anything graceful, that was for sure, but he did his best to keep up and had little intrest in keeping himself safe along the run. Selfless and Enduring, a quick study and a good heart, he was a natural pawn to play with, although he was a little bit too goody two shoes for their tastes.
When asked about why he let the Hollow Hand use him like so, he would be quick to say that he was using them. Indeed, he may not have always recieved his fair share of the loot or been treated nicely, and might have, once or twice, been locked in a chest when he was ramblin' a bit too much, but Olidimmara certainly did have a special place in mind for him. And the skills he learned he would return to good use, keeping an ear to the ground for reports of missing persons cases and bounties or anything else that may test his skills and allow him to do more good for the communities they fenced their items for. Such experience is Priceless to a man harty enough to take a beating and come back kickin'.
After many years, a few hard earned scars and countless adventures later, Durbien grew to be an accepted member of the team. He started to become more graceful in and intuned to the chaos of an unexplored ruin or dungeon and once he had felt he had seen it all and been everywhere, he moved onward to his original goal. He has since been nothing shy of rumors and hopeful prayers of a dark shadow that keeps those who would impede freedom and simple liberties. though iron clad in a heavy pair of boots, you'd never see him, but the sudden absence of slaves, Vital phylactries gone missing, and the kidnapped princess vanishing back home, are all signs that Durbien Stoneknock is still around.
---------------
Desert Dwarf Paladin of Freedom 3/The Master Inquisitive 2/temple raider of Olidimmara 10/Deepwarden 5
Str: 13
Dex: 13
Con: 18
Int: 12
Wis: 20 (+5 for level advancement)
Cha: 5
Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skill points
Feats
Class Features
1st
Paladin of Freedom
+1
+2
+0
+0
Sense Motive 4, Search 2, Gather Information 4
City Slicker
Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/day
2nd
Paladin of Freedom
+2
+3
+0
+0
Sense Motive 5, Search 2 1/2, Gather Information 5
N/A
Divine Grace, Lay on Hands
3rd
Paladin of Freedom
+3
+3
+1
+1
Sense Motive 6, Search 3, Gather Information 6
Investigate
Aura of Resolve, Divine Health
4th
Inquisitive
+4
+3
+3
+1
Open Lock 3 1/2, Disable Device 3 1/2, Search 3, Sense Motive 6, Gather info 6
N/A
Zone of Truth
5th
Inquisitive
+5
+3
+4
+1
Open Lock 4, Disable Device 4, Knowledge (religion) 1, Search 8, Sense Motive 6, Gather Infor 6
Improved Iniative
Bonus Feat
6th
Temple Raiders of Olidimmara
+5
+3
+6
+3
UMD 5, Search 8, Open Lock 4, Disable Device 4, Knowledge (Religion) 1, Search 8, Sense Motive 6, Gather Info 6
Rod of Negation
Rod of Security
Staff of passage
Handy harversack
Scroll of antimagic
Scroll of silence
Wand of Baleful Transposition
Rod of Ropes
Potions of Glibness
Eggshell Bombs
Tactics:
Significantly less then Your typical tank, Mr. Stoneknock performs an unusual Niche in the party. He is classed as a paladin, but is more like a Divine Bard. Fittingly, (who hasn't wanted to kill the party bard?) absurdly hard to kill, with (Pre-Magic Items) saves of +20Fort/+17Reflex/+22Will, he can charge first, and ask questions later (Like A paladin!.. wait..) A combination of Deepwarden and the Feat Serenity helps him ignore a bit of MAD while Skill Mastery lets him ignore the chance of poor rolling from keeping him from keeping up with the rest of the Raiders. Even a finger of death trap will have to think twice on Durbin, as he gets a staggering +25 to fortitude saves against traps. Again is stands to be stated this is Before Anything that can add to his Wisdom and therefore to all of his saves.
He can be a wrecking ball in any typical dungeon, any spells or special attacks are bound to be laughed off especially Poisons, Traps, or... Poison traps? His AC is sufficient, depending on how the DM rules The max Dexterity bonus to AC in heavy armor, as Deepwarden adds Consitution to his AC instead. It's worded that whenever he would lose his dexterity bonus, he loses the Constitution bonus but unlike Monk AC bonus, there is no limit to what kind of armor he's allowed to wear. I would personally rule that he has a max Con Bonus to AC, but it still bears to be asked.
However, he truly Shines when paired with a couple Rogues. His feats were selected later on to allow him to wade past traps and jump into the midst of combatitive folk, and automatically counting them all as flanking. With the right selection of Magic items, he can do so more easily without provoking more AoOs and Combat Elusiveness was chosen over Combat reflexes, as it allowed him to better position himself with fellow Temple Raiders of Olidimmara.
His skill mastery is set to Climb, Jump, Swim and UMD. with a total of 15 ranks invested in Use Magic Device, he can 'blindly' use any magic device he finds and activate it. It should be higher, but Deepwarden has UMD as cross class and he had too many ranks to put more into it. I decided to fill out survival rather then put it into the more proactive Spot/Listen, just because it seemed more fitting to the idea of the character, tracking down kidnapped and lost mcGuffins after leaving the Temple Raiders.
---------------------
Source list:
+Unearthed Arcana+
Desert Dwarf, Paladin of Freedom, +Complete Divine+
Temple Raiders of Olidimara +Eberron Campaign book+
Master Inquisitive, Investigate +Dragon Magazine Compendium+
Double Team, Serenity, Pact tactics +Races of Stone+
Deepwarden +Races of Destiny+
City slicker +Tomb Of Battle+
Combat Elusiveness
__________________
Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Apart from Island of blades, which is needed for Shadow Blade and, the actual maneuvers and second stance are largely irrelevant
Level 5:
Spoiler
From level 5 onwards, we don't really look like a rogue. But instead more like a front line fighter, which is the intention. Stealth will be worked on, but if all goes to hell, at least he has the benefit of not being useless in a frontal assault.
The feat choices have pretty much killed the need for strength, not all that useful for a thief, since he can't lug stuff out, but less ability scores to focus on, the better. Four levels of swordsage also gives us wisdom to AC in light armour and to damage. This is assuming that bonuses to damage stack, as I have found no evidence to the contrary.
The ferocity ACF was chosen because it gives a bonus to dexterity.
Dragon wings is useful, because free (almost) unlimited flight by 12th level is too good to pass up. And because weapon finesse can wait till level 3.
Level 10:
Spoiler
Urban ranger variant, for a concept like this, pretty much needed. Church of Tiamat was chosen for fluff reasons, but can be changed to any other church instead.
Improved dragon wings is a must, really, so was picked up.
Dragonic cohort is both A: Really cool and B: The only cohort type that can fly. See below for more information on the Dragonic Cohort.
Level 15:
Spoiler
So, by now we can fly. We have taken our first few steps into Temple Raiding and we have developed our unarmed abilities. Why? Because an unarmed strike is a shadow hand weapon.
Stealth has not been ignored, of course.
Since we already have a high wisdom score, the spell casting is not lost.
Level 15 is also the sweet spot, since the stealth side is not wasted, and the martial one is still helpful.
Level 20:
Spoiler
At level 20, all of the Temple Raider's skills come to light. Skill mastery, since we do have an Int penalty, only lets us choose two skills. Good thing we only rely heavily on two.
Versatile unarmed strike was chosen, simply because that feat slot was free.
Dragonic cohort:
Spoiler
At level 9 the Dragonic cohort feat was added. We still have to make use of the leadership stats in the DMG, but only for a cohort.
Since the build's alignment is chaotic good, focus on chaotic good dragons. Eventaly, assuming all bonuses, a Juvenile Copper dragon will be your companion and ally.
Sources:
Spoiler
Tome of Battle:
Swordsage
Shadow blade
superior unarmed strike.
Cityscape:
Ferocity ACF
Unearthed Arcana:
Urban Ranger
Complete divine:
Temple raider of Olidammara
Player's Handbook II:
Versatile unarmed strike
Dracomonican:
Draconic cohort
Races of the dragon:
Dragon wings
Improved dragon wings
Dragon magic:
Silverbrow human
__________________
Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Kneel before Zed!. . . or something.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zed
Sky Raider Zed
Lockpicks, where we are going we don't need lockpicks!
What is a thief?
Do they wear black?
Do they mess about with tools?
Do they climb skinny ropes?
No says Zed.
A thief is someone who takes.
The Perfect Man ECL 7
Spoiler
Zed has begun his journey on his two roles, the burglar and the mounted warrior. He hasn't yet reached a true synthesis of the roles, but is good at both of them. He doesn't have trapfinding yet, but he can still use detect magic to detect auras. His familiar also has the same skills as him giving him two search checks, two disarm checks and so on. The familiar can also serve as a secondary scout, as it shares Zed's hide and move silently ranks.
He usually uses whatever mount he can afford, a hippogriff for the fly speed if at all possible. While he doesn't have Spirited Charge, that is only one eternal wand of heroics away.
The Temple Raider ECL 15
Spoiler
By now Zed has become one with his role, he is the thief, and he is the charger. Locks have never been much difficulty to one with an adamantine longsword, but by this point even walls are irrelevant.
Zed's mount is a hippogriff familiar. It shares Zed's skill checks, Zed's spells, and even Zed's Soulmelds. Zed has the Phase Cloak bound to his shoulders. When he or his mount take a move action they become temporarily ethereal allowing them to ignore difficult terrain, touch based traps, and even walls. That is when he uses Ride by Attack.
Now the usual difficulty with any flying through solid objects build is seeing just what is on the other side of the wall. Zed can cast Clairvoyance. Clairvoyance lets him scry on a specific location, no save, no sr, and it does not require concentration but instead lasts minutes per level. This is plenty of time to mounted charge a room full of temple monks. Blur and charging through the very walls helps to make sure he gets his sneak attacks in.
Now the difficult part about cavalry charging your way through a temple is the traps. Magical traps are usually the ones that cause the greatest worry. There is a limited number of triggering methods for magical traps.
Location - Must stand in particular square. Bypassed by being ethereal and flying.
Proximity - Usually activated with either an alarm spell or a detect x spell. Temple Raider gives undetectable alignment. Alarms are bypassed by a spoken pass code. These can be learned through Clairvoyance.
Sound - Defeated by move silently and the silence spell.
Visual - Defeated by Hide, Invisibility and so on.
Touch - Ethereal and flying.
Zed also doesn't need to come in charging from the get go. He and his hippogriff are perfectly capable of sneaking around corridors and searching for traps. It is also significantly harder to find a scout that can move through walls. Trapfinding combines well with detect magic to discover magical traps. Trap Sense helps him survive the few traps that he doesn't discover.
Lastly, Temple Raider has the best spell list ever... for a front line meleer. Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, Spell Immunity, Delay Poison, Resist Energy. All very useful spells (that are of course shared with his mount). And uncanny dodge never hurt.
The Uber Raider ECL 20
Spoiler
A few final Temple Raider levels and a Warblade dip finish off the build. The luck reroll can save lives, although the spell list itself isn't that impressive. Skill Mastery helps insure that he makes his UMD, Trap, and Ride checks. Zed can now reliably emulate other alignments. While previously he was using portable holes for ransacking temples, now he can use the much superior enveloping pits. A fifty foot deep storage space at just 3,600 a piece. And if anything valuable is attached to a wall, thats just a few adamantine longsword swings away.
Warblade gets him two major things, White Raven Tactics to let him charge twice a round, and Leading the Charge Stance, giving all of his group members +10 damage on all charge attacks. Craven gives him an additional +20 damage on all sneak attacks. With a good Valorous Collision Lance that is a bonus 35 damage on all his attacks. All that damage is then multiplied by four.
Full attacks on charges are easily gained by a wand of Lion's Charge kept in a wand compartment in the lance. Lion's charge like all his other spells is shared with his hippogriff familiar.
Kitchen Ingredients
Spoiler
Useful gear
"Masterwork Lockpick" Adamantine Longsword
Eternal Wand (MIC 159) of Heroics (Spell Compendium 113)
Adamantine Lance of Collision and Valorous (Unapproachable East 54)
with a wand chamber (Dungeonscape 34)
Wand of Lion's Charge (Spell Compendium 133)
Belt of Magnificence (Miniature Handbook 42)
Other Sources:
Lore Song, Mimicking Song (Dungeonscape 42)
Darkstalker (Lords of Madness 179)
Obtain Familiar (Complete Arcane 81) Human Paragon
Shape Soulmeld (Magic of Incarnum 40)
Open Lesser Chakra (Magic of Incarnum 40)
Share Soulmeld (Magic of Incarnum 41)
Phase Cloak (Magic of Incarnum 82)
Improved Familiar Hippogriff (Complete Warrior 100)
Craven (Champions of Ruin 17)
Zed's Stats
Spoiler
Sky Raider Zed
Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features
1st
Bard 1
+0
+0
+2
+2
Hide 4, MS 4, UMD 4, K. Arcana 4, K. Religion 1, Ride 2, Sing 3, Search 2, Open Lock 2, Disable Device 1, Diplomacy 4
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Prying open the archives.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aundair Yannedge-Owens
Aundair Yannedge-Owens
Spoiler
ONE of the greatest explorers of our time, a legend in his own lifetime and feted hero of Khorvaire, Henry "Aundair" Yannedge-Owens, has died at the age of 124 after a short illness.
Best known for his sensational recovery of the Cup of Resurrection from a ruined giant temple in the bowels of Xen'drik - which granted both Yannedge-Owens and his father (the respected scholar Henry Yannedge Sr.) a lifespan beyond the normal human range - Yannedge-Owens had had a long and colourful career from his acceptance as a teenager into the archaeology faculty at Morgrave University. His old professors remembered him as a bookish, devout student, who on joining the university intended to focus his researches in the distinctly quiet field of the translation, editing and study of ancient magical texts, and who proved a bright but somewhat unreliable talent.
Yannedge-Owens' student career took a turn for the action-oriented, however, when a field trip to examine some antique magical stelae in a lizardfolk community in Q'barra saw the university party ambushed by bandits. The young scholar put the riding skills learned in his farmstead upbringing to good use, catching a horse, bringing the bandit leader to bay with a whip and bringing the cache of valuable ancient items safely back to the university museum.
"Having once tasted drama," his official biographer, Spee L. Burg, wrote in Volume I of the compendious /Adventures of Henry Yannedge-Owens/, "young Henry developed a palate for risk and danger that rapidly became an addiction." The technical side of his magical studies, though never fully abandoned, fell by the wayside as he pursued a career in the field, braving cavernous mountains and sweltering jungles to seek out shrines closed off by rockfall or long since overgrown.
Always a devout follower of the Sovereign Host, Yannedge-Owens took as a central tenet of his archaeology the belief that the gods of distant or long-extinct races were emanations of the same divine source, and sought to rescue the holy treasures of such lost temples with an eye to returning them to civilisation where they could be used and reverenced by the faithful. Considering the trajectory of his career, it is possible to trace the burgeoning and strengthening of this belief, from its first roots in the simple but heartfelt religion of a backcountry boy, through the undoubtedly heroic acts of his middle career (but which were still undertaken largely for their own sake), to the absolute conviction in his later life that his career was not merely a profession but a holy calling, which he could no more refuse than he could refuse to breathe or sleep.
This steadfast faith in the essential unity and, moreover, essential goodness of all races - which manifested in a reluctance to join combat and, once joined, a refusal to kill or injure unless fighting for his life - saw him come into conflict on more than one occasion with those of differing opinions, most notably the more militant offices of the Church of the Silver Flame. His retrieval of the lost Casket of Angels from far beneath the Valenar desert - on which expedition he met the druidess Mariel Woodraven, whom he would later marry - was hotly contested by the inquisitors of that faith. What happened to those exorcists present has never been adequately explained, but the word "melted" figures prominently. The Cup of Resurrection was similarly contested, with a high-ranking cleric of the Flame lost in the ensuing avalanche, and in that case the artefact in question could not be retrieved, being lost forever under a million tons of stone.
In his last interview, granted to this newspaper late last year, Yannedge-Owens cited the latter loss as the single greatest disappointment of his entire career, lamenting that an artefact of such wondrous potential and divine grace would go for another aeon unused. Asked, perhaps incautiously, what the second-greatest disappointment was, he replied with typical laconic charm that it was being banned from all House Lyrandar airship services after having been caught without a ticket.
Such a flippant reply, neatly deflecting attention from what one suspects was the real answer - the sad death of his wife Mariel some twenty years ago - encapsulates in a nutshell the unique contradictions of the man behind the inexplicable nickname: the devout priest who spent his career stealing from holy places, the fearless explorer who loathed combat and (legendarily) ran screaming at the sight of a snake, the serious-minded scholar never short of a barbed remark, and the famed lothario who nonetheless only ever seems to have loved one woman.
He will be sorely missed.
//Brother Professor Henry "Aundair" Yannedge-Owens, born 973, d. 1097; survived by his only son, Henry Yannedge-Owens junior.//
Abilities & Race
Spoiler
STR 10
DEX 15 (20)
CON 12
INT 16
WIS 12
CHA 14
32 point buy, +1 Dex at levels 4, 8, 12, 16 & 20
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Race: Human
Humanoid (Human)
Extra Skill point
Bonus feat at 1st level
Suggestions for Divine Spells to Learn:
1 - Arrow Mind (ranger), Find Temple (paladin), Guided Shot (ranger), Snake's Swiftness (druid), Sniper's Shot (ranger), Vine Strike (druid), Warning Shout (paladin)
Temple Raider Spells per Day
Level
1 lvl per Day
2 lvl per Day
3 lvl per Day
4 lvl per Day
1st
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
-
-
-
3rd
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
5th
-
-
-
-
6th
-
-
-
-
7th
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
9th
-
-
-
-
10th
-
-
-
-
11th
1
-
-
-
12th
2
-
-
-
13th
2
0
-
-
14th
2
1
-
-
15th
2
1
0
-
16th
2
1
1
-
17th
3
1
1
0
18th
3
1
1
1
19th
3
2
1
1
20th
3
2
2
1
Spells Prepared:
1 - Detect Secret Doors, Entropic Shield, Protection from Law
2 - Cat's Grace, Lesser Restoration
3 - Remove Curse, See Invisibility
4 - Airwalk
Tactics and Highlights
Spoiler
LEVELS 1-5:
At first Aundair has to rely on his archivist spells and (with his high Dex) ranged weapons, but as a spellcaster able to wear some armour he shouldn't have too much difficulty surviving. Weapon Finesse and the Ranger's abilities give him more options, and Action Boost means he can add d8s instead of d6s to his heroic hijinks for some extra help.
LEVELS 6-10:
At level 6 Aundair gets to use a whip properly, which is a great battlefield control weapon if not great for dealing damage. Sticking with ranged weapons is probably the best combat plan, and at least with its reach using the whip doesn't mean you have to get close in. Additional action points from Extreme Explorer and Heroic Spirit are great, especially when combined with Extreme Hustle and Action Surge, which let you burn them for extra actions in a round! Attack and disable in a single round!
LEVELS 11-15:
This is where the build really starts to come together, with the whip and Improved Disarm making it a breeze to ruin the day of most foes without even having to risk engaging them in melee (especially with a Disarming enhancement on the whip). Aundair also gets some sneak attack online, which he can then use to power Arterial Strike for some sneaky extra damage with the whip. You see, Arterial Strike is one of the few ambush feats that does not specify the attack has to deal damage, just that it has to hit. This means that you should be able to apply the bleeding wounds even to enemies in armour if you can sneak attack them, which even makes sense given how whips are normally used, and you can give them plenty of lashes as the bleeding wounds stack! Flick their weapon away, then watch them slowly bleed to death as they try to get back into a position to threaten you at all, at which point you do it again.
LEVELS 16-20:
The final levels give Aundair some more sneak attack dice and Razing Strike which lets him burn his Archivist spells to sneak attack undead. After getting Skill mastery he is also able to auto-succeed pretty much all UMD checks, allowing him to use the power of the artefacts he discovers in his adventures, and spend the loot to buy useful wands and staves. His required skills are all maxed out and his other useful skills have plenty of ranks, and some skill tricks picked up along the way let him fight more capably in the dungeons and temples he visits.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
"What did you say the intruder looked like, ma'am?" "Um, well, y'see. . . ."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eglath
Eglath
Spoiler
Sometimes a job calls for stealth, and sometimes for brute strength. You never know when it takes a cat, or even an octopus, to steal the relic from a temple. Usually it don't, but when it does, they call me. I get it done.
From the deepest caverns to long abandoned ruins, adventurers for centuries are familiar with the dungeon crawl. But what happens when the original builders of the dungeon are still using it? And the dungeon is actually a temple? Well, it is still a dungeon crawl. There are the normal variety of traps, both magical and mundane, and a large cadre of guards and clergy. There are basically have two ways of dealing with this, brute force and stealth. The ideal temple raider has both, in spades. This is the story of Eglath.
I was always fascinated with dungeons. The ruins of a temple, with a deep underground labyrinth, holds treasures unimagined, regardless of how many people have been through there before. There are always scraps of books and parchment which some mage or priest would pay dearly for, some secret door that has yet to been discovered, traps that no one has yet disabled. So when I took a job to raid a temple of Nerull, who I had just happened to have a history with, I was hooked. Time to stop being a bottom feeder and start living the high life. It is the active temples that have all the gold, gems, and artifacts. Why not make a profit off of a rival's misfortune?
Unfortunately, while we met our objectives on the small shrine, resistence and casualties were higher than expected. Time to learn some new tricks. I had already mastered the basics of wildshaping, but it was time to pursue that, all the better to get the loot. I eventually learned to wildshape into larger creatures, like the giant octopus, which is useful both underwater and on land. Ever been grappled by a giant octopus? You don't really want to. But most important was when I learned to shape into tiny creatures, like that bane of commoners everywhere, the housecat.
So I've been seeking exciting new opportunities, new destinations, and in the process, making new ruins for you to enjoy later, or in another life.
You're welcome.
The Build
Spoiler
Eglath Gathakanathi, CN Goliath Ranger 5/Temple Raider 8/Master of Many Forms 4/Divine Seeker 2
2nd rival organization (temple of Erythnul), Wildshape
6th
Temple Raider 1
+5
+4
+6
+3
Hide 9, Know Rel 2
Improved Grapple
Trapfinding, trap sense +1
7th
Master of Many Forms 1
+5
+6
+8
+3
Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Shifter’s speech, improved wild shape (humanoid)
8th
Master of Many Forms 2
+6/+1
+7
+9
+3
Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Improved wild shape (giant; Large)
9th
Master of Many Forms 3
+7/+2
+7
+9
+4
Anything stealth/disguise
Natural Spell
Fast wild shape, improved wild shape (monstrous humanoid)
10th
Master of Many Forms 4
+8/+3
+8
+10
+4
Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Natural Spell
11th
Temple Raider 2
+9/+4
+8
+11
+5
Know Rel 3, Hide 10,Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Sneak attack +1d6
12th
Temple Raider 3
+10/+5
+9
+11
+5
Anything stealth/disguise
Savage Grapple
Uncanny dodge
13th
Temple Raider 4
+11/+6/+1
+9
+12
+6
Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Trap sense +2
14th
Temple Raider 5
+11/+6/+1
+9
+12
+6
Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Sneak attack +2d6
15th
Temple Raider 6
+12/+7/+2
+10
+13
+7
Anything stealth/disguise
Craven
Improved uncanny dodge
16th
Temple Raider 7
+13/+8/+3
+10
+13
+7
Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Trap sense +3
17th
Temple Raider 8
+14/+9/+4
+10
+14
+8
Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Sneak attack +3d6
18th
Divine Seeker 1
+14/+9/+4
+10
+16
+8
Anything stealth/disguise
Extra Wildshape
Sanctuary, Thwart Glyph
19th
Divine Seeker 2
+15/+10/+5
+10
+17
+8
Anything stealth/disguise
N/A
Sacred defense +1, sneak attack +4d6
Spellcasting (Note, includes bonus spells for wis at level 20, without inherent and item enhancement bonuses)
Spoiler
Spells per day/Spells Known
Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Ranger 4)
5th
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Ranger 5)
6th
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Temple Raider 1)
7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
11th
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Temple Raider 2)
12th
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Temple Raider 3)
13th
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Temple Raider 4)
14th
2
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Temple Raider 5)
15th
2
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Temple Raider 6)
16th
3
2
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
(Temple Raider 7)
17th
3
2
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
(Temple Raider 8)
Ranger spells
Level 1-Alarm, animal messenger, calm animals, charm animals, delay poison, detect animals or plants, detect poison, detect snares and pits, endure elements, entangle, hide from animals, jump, longstrider, magic fang, pass without trace, read magic, resist energy, speak with animals, summon nature's ally I.
Temple Raider spells
Level 1-detect law, detect secret doors, disguise self, invisibility to undead, obscuring mist, protection from law.
Level 2-augury, cat’s grace, darkvision, delay poison, invisibility, lesser restoration, undetectable alignment.
Level 3-locate object, magic circle against law, nondetection, obscure object, remove curse, resist energy, see invisibility.
Level 4-air walk, confusion, death ward, freedom of movement, neutralize poison, restoration, spell immunity.
Ability Scores, final skill checks, saves:
Spoiler
Ability scores:
32-point buy-Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12
Racial-Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12
Levels-Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 12
Inherent-Str 22, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 26, Cha 12
Items-Str 28, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 32, Cha 12
Skills: I didn't calculate all the skills, just ensured that each skill had enough to meet the pre-reqs for my prestige classes. Focus on stealth and you won't go wrong.
Recommended magic items:
Spoiler
This character is not terribly reliant on magic items. Of course you want cloak of res, stat boosters, etc. Magic Light armor is nice for when you are not wildshaped (but when would that be? I guess if he has a girlfriend...) dunno if wilding clasps make the armor fit octopus form. I'm gonna say no.
Main this this guy is going to want is a portable hole, as he is scoring big when he makes a run through a temple.
Playing notes/recommended tactics:
Spoiler
As mentioned in the story, wildshaping into a giant octopus is particularly unpleasant for the victims. Savage grapple allows sneak attack damage to be done with each successful grapple, and specifically does NOT cost wildshape uses, as opposed to other wild feats. For stealth, it is hard to beat a cat, although other tiny creatures are also useful. Most of his skills are designed around stealth for the initial insertion, but shaping into an octopus or bear is always useful when things hit the fan. Honestly, are there any problems that don't get better if you throw a bear, or an octopus, at it?
Craven + 4d6 sneak attack + savage grapple is an extra 33 damage on a successful grapple, which is why octopus is so great (base 2d8 +6 on a grapple, and you get 8 of them a round without using iterative attacks). Grappling is assisted by race, with Powerful build specifically not being lost with wildshape, getting another grapple bonus. Out of water? You can hold your breath for 2x con rounds, or way longer than combat should last. Once we start getting limbs sundered, shape into bear for a while, and if we need to run away, there are numerous fast, stealthy creatures, both with or without flight, to shape into, without denting the number of wildshapes per day significantly.
It was a tough decision to forgo the last 2 levels of Temple Raider, but getting the glyph bonus is potentially a lifesaver in some of the larger temples. Another sneak attack die was a bonus. Wildshaping through MoMF also allows humanoid shaping, allowing for additional potential in disguise and bluffing past mooks.
All in all, we've got stealth, we've got strength, we've got temples in ruins after we're finished with them.
The character is viable at all levels, I considered trading away ranger spellcasting but decided to keep it as they have a large and useful list of spells. Trading it would have hurt me at higher levels when access to wands and such is better. Pass without trace was, in particular, extremely difficult to give up.
If LA buyoff is allowed, I think it is time to go into Warshaper, getting the capstone of multimorph would be extremely useful for this character, but comes, obviously, post-epic
References:
Spoiler
Wildshape Ranger - SRD
Urban Companion/Favored Organizations - Cityscape Web Enhancement
Champion of the Wild - Complete Champion
Trap Expert - Dungeonscape
Imp favored Enemy - Complete Warrior
Master of Many Forms, Savage Grapple - Complete Adventurer
Divine Seeker - Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
__________________
Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
"Trust me. I'm a paladin. Kind of."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arminel Raynel
Sir Arminel Rayne CG Human Paragon 1/Paladin of Freedom 5/Temple Raider of Olidammara 10/Divine Seeker 4
Backstory
Spoiler
From "A Child's Encyclopaedia of Gods and Heroes: T is for . . . Tymora, Temples and Tombs"
Arminel Rayne would likely have been the first to admit that she wasn't a great example of what people think of when they think of paladins - or more likely, she would have been about the fifty-third to admit it, the queue of disgruntled priests, clerics, acolytes, initiates, novices, neophytes and adepts being (by the end of her career) rather long.
Rayne was born in a small village in western Faerun to poor parents, who had too many children to easily support, and so didn't hesitate to hand their youngest and unruliest daughter over to the local monastery. (Don't mention this to your parents, in case it gives them ideas.) The monastery tried their best to teach her to be a proper paladin, but gave up in the face of her tendency to want to be out fighting the forces of darkness face to face, and stealing their stuff, without really bothering with little things like training, preparation, allies, or a plan.
Their best attempts at discipline failed thanks to the two things that would later make Arminel a hero: first, her utter conviction that the Goddess Tymora was commanding her to go out and steal the most powerful evil magical items out from under their owners' noses, and second, a developing talent for breaking into and out of all sorts of interesting places - beginning with, her abbot wrote in her last year at the monastery, "the pantry and the kitchen, and ending in a locked reliquary cupboard in the concealed cellar of the guarded townhouse of a local nobleman nobody had ever suspected was a demon cultist".
Despite getting a reputation for trickery to rival a rogue's, Arminel was allowed to take her final paladin vows as normal, albeit years later than usual - it's not a stretch to imagine that after that length of time the monastery probably just wanted to get rid of her. She celebrated with a holiday to a beautiful scenic island off the nearby coast - where she found, infiltrated and robbed a hidden temple to an obscure scorpion god. She carried on like this for years, until one night when she had a vision of Tymora, commanding her to stop messing about and get down to her real divine mission - to go to the temples dedicated to Tymora's arch-enemy and other half, Beshaba (the god of bad luck, from chapter 2), and bring back the assorted evil idols, magic swords, and other horrible things back to be purified or destroyed.
Arminel took to her new career like a duck to water, to the point where clerics of more law-abiding gods wondered snidely whether she'd actually had divine visions or made the whole thing up in order to have a good excuse for what she'd been doing already. (Sadly, claiming you had a vision of Tymora telling you to bunk off school probably won't get you very far.) All in all, over her lifetime she claimed to have robbed more than 150 temples to Beshaba (and a few other evil gods) and delivered more than two thousand evil magical gems, swords, rings, wands and other odd things to Tymoran priests. She never got much better at planning, though, preferring just to break into a temple and go from there - sometimes she would sneak in quietly, sometimes charge in screaming and sometimes do a little bit of both. (Although she did say that sneaking was better for getting in, and charging off screaming was better for getting out.)
She's still revered as a great servant of Tymora, but she never really caught on as a patron or exemplar in the way that some great heroes did. Clerics tend to be a little uneasy with a holy warrior who makes a career out of robbing temples - even evil temples. Most people haven't heard of her, even in the region she came from. (Have you?) It doesn't help that she doesn't have a shrine or a tomb for people to visit - nobody knows where she was buried. In fact, nobody even knows how she died. It's said that one powerful cleric of Beshaba put a curse on her, saying that Tymora might have her soul but Beshaba would keep her body - and sure enough, one day, she went alone (as usual) into a heavily guarded and defended temple (as usual) and simply never came back.
Prepared Spells:
Paladin 1 - Rhino's Rush
Temple Raider of Olidammara 1 - Detect Secret Doors, Invisibility to Undead, Obscuring Mist
Temple Raider of Olidammara 2 - Invisibility, Lesser Restoration
Temple Raider of Olidammara 3 - Magic Circle against Law, See Invisibility
Temple Raider of Olidammara 4 - Freedom of Movement
Additional Build Information
Spoiler
Attributes:
STR 14
DEX 14
CON 10
INT 14
WIS 12
CHA 15 (20 with all bonus stat points)
Alternative Class Features:
Charging Smite – replaces the Special Mount feature to let you use Smite Evil on a charge attack
Level Highlights
Spoiler
Level 6:
At level 6 Arminel is already becoming a formidable melee combatant with Power Attack, Divine Might and the ability to smite on a charge attack. Decent Strength and good Charisma means combining all three on a charge she hits at +7 before equipment at max PA, dealing 2d6+21 damage with a greatsword.
Level 12:
Shock Trooper and Leap Attack adds to the powerful charging build, with a max PA smiting charge now hitting at +17 (at a cost of 11 AC) and dealing 2d6+34 or 2d6+43 with a greatsword, depending on your interpretation of Leap Attack. Temple Raider has added +2d6 sneak attack at this point too and given Arminel the skill points for decent sneaking skills, making it likely that she can get a surprise round and add the sneak attack damage to the charge too.
Level 20:
Improved Buckler Defense and Divine Shield can counteract some of the AC penalties Arminel will be taking from Shock Trooper, and with standard equipment can almost negate it completely, so even when charging carelessly at her foes she are not entirely defenceless. Divine Perseverance gives her more healing on top of Lay On Hands to keep her hits up when they do land a blow, and Sacred Stealth combining Skill Mastery and high ranks in Move Silently mean her Move Silently check is 22 before equipment whilst taking a -20 for running. Use the luck domain reroll to re-do a charge attack or to get a high initiative, so her can sneak/charge out of the shadows and get two rounds of max PA and sneak attack before they even know what's happening.
Notes
Spoiler
Yes, it's a Paladin who steals from temples! I wanted to find a class with full BAB to get into Temple Raider as soon as possible that wasn't Ranger, and once I thought of Paladin I had to do it for the irony alone. Paladin of Freedom works well, being chaotic and themed around liberty, and the enmity between Tymora and Beshaba made for a good story. The only thing missing was Search, which was picked up along with some useful skill points from Human Paragon.
Divine Seeker seems tailored for Temple Raider, the only down side being the lack of Disable Device and Open Lock, which is why there are a few more levels of Temple Raider afterwards to bring the important skills up to maximum rank. The rest of its class features blend well with Temple Raider - spell-like abilities for locating the items and people you want, large bonuses to sneaking and avoiding traps, as well as more sneak attack to stack with Temple Raider.
Craven is a standard damage-booster for sneak attack builds, but as well as not fitting so well with the fluff of this build I think the charging feats are more potent and usable more frequently given the lack of any improvements to feinting. You could replace Improved Buckler Defense and Divine Shield with Craven and an ambush feat, at the expense of more AC, but in my opinion a better option would be other charging/PA feats like Combat Brute. Alternatively, if you're worried about your AC being too low you could swap out Improved Bull Rush and Shock Trooper to add Shield Specialization and Shield Ward, adding your improved Shield AC (including the Divine Shield bonus) to your Touch AC. Any of these options are also available if you are allowed flaws, although if you are this time you might not be next time...
Equipment Suggestions
Spoiler
The weapon enhancements Warning (+1 bonus) and Blurstrike (+2 bonus) give Arminel a high chance of going first and getting a sneak attack in, as they respectively grant +5 to initiative and 10 charges per day of rendering your opponent flat-footed for your first attack.
Other useful items include Deathstrike Bracers for getting sneak attacks or criticals against those normally immune, Boots of Swift Passage to let you teleport short distances into a good position to charge, and the always controversial Nightsticks for more Turn Undead attempts.
Sources
Spoiler
Complete Warrior - Divine Might feat, Divine Shield feat, Shock Trooper feat, Improved Buckler Defense feat
Complete Adventurer - Leap Attack feat
Complete Divine - Temple Raider of Olidammara class
Player's Handbook II - Charging Smite variant
Player's Guide to Faerun - Divine Seeker class
Unearthed Arcana - Human Paragon class, Paladin of Freedom class
Spell Compendium - Rhino's Rush paladin spell
Magic Item Compendium - equipment suggestions
__________________
Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Ted rolled over in bed and delivered a merciless karate chop to the top of his custom alarm clock. It wasn't anything you could buy in a store, he was sure that it would be labeled a weapon of mass destruction. It was reinforced to survive plummeting off his nightstand and to keep ticking after being hit. He loaded it up with something he'd want to stop listening to as soon as possible.
He caught his reflection in the glass of the clock face. He looked far from presentable for any sort of job that his mind could come up with at this early hour. This was one of the many reasons he was so glad he worked from home.
His muscles traced him through his comfortable morning routine. It was as though his brain didn't fire a single synapse as he made his coffee and sat down in front of his byzantine computer. It was a work of art. He had built it from the skeleton up with his own two hands. Every morning when he inevitably asked himself what he had done with his life, he had his answer when he looked at his computer.
Its three monitors were positioned in a perfectly symmetric semicircle around him, looking down comfortingly at him as the beamed to life as he sat in his chair, his slim body tripping the sensor that told his machine to wake up.
There was little work to be done today, the same as every day. As he had honed his trade, he needed to pull jobs less and less often. After all, nowadays, the sorts of things Ted did drew lots of unwanted attention. Government drones wouldn't descend upon him for a few wayward pdfs, but the scale of the things he had been up to over the last few months might motivate them off their asses and out the door any day now.
He had enough money to tend to his day to day needs, but just like the fella once said, man doesn't live by bread alone. When he'd been in school, before he'd realized the skills he'd acquired through his own "independent study" had prepared him from a life of hacking and cracking more than a few more seminars with professors almost as old as the equipment they were using could have, he'd always heard that a job was more than money, that it was the fulfillment that came from what one did. At the time, he'd dismissed it as sentimental junk, but now he was beginning to be bothered by his sense of ennui.
While intellectually, he knew that to go back online to trawl for more poorly protected passwords and badly blocked up bank accounts was to paint a target on his own back, his sense of self-preservation was no match for his boredom at having the whole world at his fingertips.
His eyes flicked to the boxes surrounding his custom rig. It blocked all the signals he'd be sending out. It took up a fair amount of power, but his landlord collected enough from him every month not to ask too many questions. His tetchy brain imagined for a moment the g-men of the world flying through the skies like superman, looking in vain for him in his lead-lined room.
He checked his messages, his brain unspooling the code like spaghetti, the word substitutions his network used changing every week to buffalo the government filters and scanners: banknotes to boomerangs, passwords to pincushions. Was it a lot to keep up with? Yes. Did he have anything better to occupy his time? Not really.
There was an intriguing proposition from an affiliate, who Ted knew only as All_that_Glitterz. Apparently, according to the message, a very big fish was swimming into Ted's pond. From the intel, a foreigner who was immigrating and just now getting his assets transferred from gold doubloons and awkward fist-sized precious stones to electronic money. Probably because his grandkids had talked him into thinking it was safer, more practical.
Ted had a cocky smirk on his face. He did love going whale hunting. The bigger they were the harder they fell and all that. It was almost as though they thought they were too big to fail. Where had he heard that before? Oh yeah.
Ted logged in as JohnnyMnemonic and let Glitterz that he was in and that he'd cut him in if he could patch him in to his network of rerouters to bounce Ted's ping around. The Man shouldn't've been able to triangulate his location, but it never hurt to be too careful. It was how he'd avoided seeing the inside of a jail cell up until now, a combo he didn't plan on having broken any time soon.
JohnnyMnemonic: kk. deal me in, send me the deets.
All_that_Glitterz: watch out, guys, we're dealing with a badass over here. that's it? u don't need to know anything else?
JohnnyMnemonic: nah, they don't call me teh best for nothing. sides, less u know, better 4u. dunno if they got same laws about internet stuff where u at.
All_that_Glitterz: lol, i wouldn't worry about it if i were u. this guy's a real deevdru di vi riika, love if u could take him down a peg
JohnnyMnemonic:pfft. keep an eye on reddit, you'll hear about it. probably see "police baffled" there
All_that_Glitterz:kk
From that point, making the money disappear had been a simple enough matter. He usually didn't like to take it all from one person at a time, too risky, but the bonus Glitterz was offering was too good to pass up.
Like so much on the internet, it was over too soon, and Ted felt himself sinking back into his default state of boredom. He shifted back into his cycle and to an outside observer, nothing extraordinary had all would have just taken place. Just a man at his computer.
When he heard a knock at the door, he was surprised. He hadn't ordered anything, which was more or less the only reason anyone would stop by his place.
He opened the door and three people stood there, all dressed in black leather jackets and wearing ridiculous sunglasses.
"I think you want the guy across the hall, I don't do that stuff."
The one in the center, clearly the leader, thought Ted, if Saturday morning cartoons had taught him anything, spoke first.
"We know who we're looking for, Mr. Logan. Or should I say, Johnny Mnemonic?"
Ted's eyes widened before he could stop them.
"Before you waste our time saying you don't know what we're talking about, let me just say that we're not here to punish you. Quite the opposite, in fact."
Ted was becoming distinctly uncomfortable.
"We don't look like your police, do we?"
Ted shook his head.
"What do you mean 'your' police? Are you guys interpol?"
"No, nothing like that. We're from rather further away from that. But as we said, there is little time. The police of your locale are going to be on their way any second now, doubtless tipped off by your friend All_that_Glitters."
"How could you know that?" There was no point pretending now. He could hear sirens in the distance.
"Magic. Now are you coming with us or not? If you do, we can guarantee our protection. If not, good luck against the police."
Ted didn't have time to draw objections.
"Fine, just let me wipe my hard drive. It'll look bad enough that I'm running."
"No time," said the leader. He nodded to the bony woman on his left who hadn't spoken a word since the door had opened. "Thri?"
She nodded and withdrew a short ebony stick. She pointed it at Ted's machine and the lights on it dimmed to darkness.
"What?" was all Ted could say.
"Magnetism, it's a Wu Jen thing. Come on, we gotta go." The leader said as Thri put the stick away.
Ted stepped into the hallway, not bothering to lock up. He could always start over somewhere else. Before they had taken two steps, the other of the leader's henchmen stepped back inside.
"What are you doing?" Ted asked.
"You're going to die resisting arrest," he said, lowering his sunglasses with a wink. By the time he'd pushed them back up, Ted stared into his own face, the man's face shifting like dough rising. Before he could even ask, the door was shut and they were moving down the hall.
Thri shoved a steel flask into his hand as she and the leader bustled him onto the elevator.
"Here, drink this."
"Hey now, I don't take candy from strangers."
Thri murmured some kind of foreign curse under her breath. "Look, if we'd wanted to do anything to you, we would've done it back at your place, just drink the damn thing, it'll disguise your appearance."
Ted knocked it back, trying not to taste it. He saw his reflection in the wall of the elevator. He looked the spitting image of the man who had walked up and taken his place.
"How long?"
"Long enough," Thri said casually.
They got into the parking lot and were on the road before the cops got to his apartment. Ted let out a sigh of relief.
"Now that we're out of the danger zone, you want to tell me what the hell's going on here?"
Thri was at the wheel, so the leader turned around in the passenger seat, awkwardly pivoting his torso to talk to him.
"What exactly do you know about the man you stole from?"
Ted shrugged. "Not much. Just what Glitterz fed me."
"Did you have any reason to question that information?"
"Not really, he's been a liaison of mine for years."
"It's always the ones you least expect, isn't it?"
Ted narrowed his eyes. "Where are you going with this?"
"Have you heard any of the theories over the last few years that the ruling elite are reptiles?"
Ted rolled his eyes. Nothing was so good at making the internet look bad like a conspiracy theorist with a cracked copy of dreamweaver.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"What would you say if I told you they weren't theories?"
"I don't think I'd say anything you could repeat in polite company."
The leader smirked. "I can tell we're going to get along just fine. But your disbelief aside, that's just what's happened. Over the last few decades in your world, creatures have been infiltrating your financial system in disguise as humans. Where they're from, the economy still uses the barter system. There's only 1 worldwide currency."
"What is it? Seashells? Math problems? Pictures of Dave Coulier?"
"Nothing so esoteric. Gems, precious metals, same stuff you used to use. But it's nothing compared to your world. It's much easier for someone with a lot of money to make more here. They can put it in a bank and watch it grow."
"Won't grow much, interest rate sucks lately."
"That matters less for a creature that lives many times longer than a mortal man."
Ted blinked. "Wait. They don't have banks where they're from? What do they do, just shove it in a cave like a dragon?"
The leader said nothing.
"Oh, no way."
"Way."
"How do you know all this?" Ted asked. "About their world, I mean."
"We're from there too," said Thri as the car slowed. "We're here."
They climbed out and walked into a warehouse past a pair of armed guards that made Ted very uncomfortable. They went down a freight elevator and he saw a strange assortment of what looked vaguely like computer equipment, but with components he'd never seen. One looked something like a dentist's chair with a mess of restraints on it.
"What's that one for?" he asked.
"Training," said Thri.
"Why am I here?"
"Training." He could have sworn he detected a smile as she said so.
The leader and a few others milled around. He stood at a makeshift pulpit and raised his arms up as though to deliver a sermon.
"We've been waiting for this day for a while. It looks like we've finally found someone with the knack. As soon as his training is done, we can all go home!"
Cheers echoed through the building and Ted wondered at the integrity of the soundproofing.
"Don't worry. Permanencied silence on the walls," Thri said.
Could she read his mind?
"You say that like it's hard. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."
The leader finished up his sermon and stepped over to Ted.
"Are you ready to begin?"
"I guess so… what should I call you?"
The leader chuckled. "Names are power here. Same as anywhere. Perhaps later. I need to ask something of you though."
"What?"
"You've got to take your oath before we can proceed."
"Oath?"
"Nothing too drastic, just put your hand over this book and pledge that you'll do your part for the Laughing Rogue when he calls upon you for his service, like now."
He did so. Ted didn't want to over think the implications, so changed the subject.
"What's gonna happen to me when I'm in that chair?"
"Just a little VR with a touch of illusion magic. Not too different from a rousing game of skyrim. Our world works differently from yours, and you'll need to adapt before we take you over. We needed an environment where your mind could deal with consequences but your body wouldn't suffer any adverse effects. Shall we begin?"
Ted nodded. It wasn't as though he had much choice.
He sat in the chair and it wrapped itself around him. He found himself in a smoky underground corridor, many inexplicably lit torches burning away on the walls with the leader beside him. He looked down and saw he was wearing a black shirt with a laced up chest and a hood over his head. He had a variety of junk hanging from his belt, most of it made of metal.
"Who lights all these things? Does someone live here?"
"No, this is a simulation. In our world, dragons have to protect their hoards in a more hands-on manner, so to speak. You can't just brute force your way in with a dictionary attack or sneak in with a key logger."
Ted smirked. "I knew this bat utility belt was missing something."
The leader seemed to more or less ignore him.
"Now, we've got to proceed carefully. What's the first thing you do when you're trying to get in somewhere you don't belong?"
"Cover your tracks?"
"Exactly. Look on your belt."
Ted did so and saw a number of sticks carved of differently hued woods, recognizing now that they were literal magic wands. They had those bright red metal labels from a label maker gun on them, doubtless part of this tutorial. One of them was labeled "nondetection" which seemed the logical choice. He waved it at himself in a way that felt instinctual.
"Good. Proceed."
Ted took a few steps forward and heard a high-pitched whining noise, like when you turned on a gas grill. His eyes caught a seam between two stones on the wall and saw metallic nozzles poking from between them. His eyes widened and he somersaulted forwards, the sheet of flame behind him barely missing him.
The leader was somehow still by his side.
"Don't tell me. Firewall?"
"More or less. The idea is to express unfamiliar concepts in a context you're familiar with, one way or the other."
"Is that how you acclimated your medieval members into wearing ray bans?"
"More or less."
"How'd you pick all this up?" Ted was approaching the end of the hall. The far wall looked like a bank vault made of rock. He walked up to it and let his hands trail over it until he found something that looked like a dial.
"This makes no sense," he said as he turned it, pressing his ear to the wall.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The leader grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back just as a spike came out of the wall where his ear had been. "I could hardly give you a stone keyboard. That wouldn't help at all."
"Whatever." Ted pushed the dial into the wall and the door magically disappeared, revealing a vast room of gold coins with the occasional gem shining out from the mass.
"Whoa."
"Yes. Whoa indeed." The leader said. He clapped his hands twice and the scene dissolved around them. Ted sat up from the chair and rubbed his eyes, the darkness of the underground base hitting him suddenly.
"Nice job." The leader patted him on the back.
"Can we go again?"
He broke into a smile. "I had a feeling you might say that."
Playtips
Spoiler
Lvl 5: You function as a factotum here, albeit with your skill points spread a little on the thin side. Use inspiration on damage here when it is relevant, as it will no longer be when you get out of the low levels. Cunning knowledge is a real lifesaver on knowledge checks since they're seldom made more than once/skill/day. Brew potion can be used to carry around odd or situational things via your arcane dilettante ability, so build up a nice larder while you can. Sneak around with darkstalker and disable all the traps.
Lvl 10: You have your first temple raider level and mind sight. It is very hard for a foe to get the drop on you. Mindsight lets you know there is an intelligent enemy, what its int is, and how close they are if they're within range. With darkstalker (and later your hide from dragons ability) you can walk right up to them and they'll never know the difference. Undead being the one hole in this strategy, temple raider is kind enough to provide 3.0's invisibility to undead, so that takes care of that, especially with a duration of 10 min/lvl. This is another good candidate for a brewed potion since your CL is kind of bad at the moment.
Lvl 15: Imp Uncanny dodge is online now, so your back's a little more covered than it normally would be in case someone sees through your stealth (they shouldn't) As far as offense goes, make sure you've got a few wands in your hands (due to the 5k prereq for hoard stealer, you should have a nice nest egg for consumables like wands)
Lvl 20: luck domain is online in case anything goes *really* wrong and you need to reroll. entropic shield is a good anti trap thing that'll make you even more of a trap smith's nightmare than you already are. keep up your stealth and they'll never see you coming
Sources
Spoiler
draconomicon (hoardstealer), complete divine (temple raider), dungeonscape (factotum), lords of madness (Darkstalker), SRD (brew potion) complete mage (delay potion, favored magic foe) web (font of inspiration) http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070606 , tome of magic (dark template)
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Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Making a carrere out of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tia the Fox
Tia the Fox
A Dagger Hidden amongst the Folds
Spoiler
The two hobgoblin guards were speaking in soft voices as they stood guard outside the Dhakaani shrine. The Kech Shaarat, true descendants of the ancient Empire, had discovered this shrine to the Dark Six nearly two weeks beforehand and were waiting on the Kech Volaar to send one of their fabled duur’kaala, dirgesingers and keepers of the histories.
“Warriors!”
The two looked up and saw a figure wearing a weather-beaten cloak. As they moved to assist the traveller, they noticed her fine metal plate armor and the superior quality of her gear. Rando, the older guard flicked his ears and gave a quick nod to his younger companion. This must be the duur’kaala that we’ve been expecting.
The guards escorted her into the shrine, where she requested to be alone with the artifacts, asking for complete silence. The guards watched her begin humming a tune that Rando placed as Riin Dynasty and they walked back to their posts to guard the historian.
The historian waited until she could no longer hear the footsteps of the goblinoids. Pulling back her hood, she shook her hair free from its former constraints. As her hair moved, it lengthened and lightened in color, becoming a fine silvery-grey. Her features melted together and smoothed, leaving her with a plain face. The changeling smiled as she picked up the artifact.
Her superiors in the Church of the Sovereign Host had commanded her to retrieve the artifact before it could be reclaimed by the Kech Volaar. It apparently had ties to ancient rituals that allowed the Dhaakani to hold their own against the elves of Aerenal in the days of yore.
She heard voices raised in confusion near the entrance hall, including a woman’s voice which resonated with arcane power. The changeling realised with a start that the actual historian had just arrived. With a smirk, she broke the seal on a wooden scroll case and pulled out the weathered paper. She read off the word scribed on the paper, and as the guards came barreling down the hall, she blew them a kiss and vanished into thin air.
Career Choices
Spoiler
Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features
1st
Changeling Rogue 1
+0
+0
+2
+0
Bluff 4, Decipher Script 2, Diplomacy 4, Disable Device 4, Disguise 4, Gather Information 4, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) 4, Open Lock 4, Search 4, Sense Motive 4, Speak Language 2, Use Magic Device 4
Able Learner
Sneak Attack +1d6, Social Intuition
2nd
Rogue 2
+1
+0
+3
+0
Bluff 5, Decipher Script 3, Diplomacy 5, Disguise 5, Gather Information 5, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) 5, Search 5, Sense Motive 5, UMD 5
Evasion
3rd
Divine Bard 1
+1
+0
+5
+2
Bluff 6, Diplomacy 6, Disguise 6, Gather Information 6, Perform 1, Search 6, Sense Motive 6
Spells chosen:
0- Prestidigitation, Light, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Message, Resistance
1- Inspirational Boost, Grease, Unseen Servant and one more (choice)
2- Glitterdust, Shatter and two more (choice)
3- Glibness, Haste, Blink
Spells per day (Temple Raider)
Spoiler
Level
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
10th
1
-
-
-
11th
2
-
-
-
12th
2
1
-
-
13th
2
2
-
-
14th
2
2
0
-
15th
2
2
1
-
16th
3
2
1
0
17th
3
2
1
1
18th
3
3
1
1
19th
3
3
2
1
20th
3
3
2
1
At a glance...
Spoiler
Tia the Fox
Rogue 2/Divine Bard 8/Temple Raider (of the Sovereign Host) 10
Medium Humanoid [shapechanger, draconic]
HD: 20d6+41 (121 hp, assuming 1/2HD+1 per level)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30ft
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+14
Saves: +7 Fort, +18 Reflex, +15 Will (+6 vs. sleep effects, +4 vs. paralysis and sonic effects, +2 vs. charm effects)
Stats: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 20
Feats: Able Learner(1st),Dragontouched (3rd), Draconic Heritage (Battle) (6th), Song of the Heart (B) (8th), Dragonfire Inspiration (9th), Persona Immersion (12th), Draconic Senses (15th), Draconic Aura (Presence) (18th)
Skills: Bluff 23 (+34), Decipher Script 5 (+6), Diplomacy 23 (+33)), Disable Device 4 (+5), Disguise 23 (+28), Gather Information 20 (+25), Knowledge [Nobility and Royalty] 5 (+6), Knowledge [Religion] 1 (+2), Open Lock 4 (+6), Perform 6 (+11), Search 8 (+13), Sense Motive 15 (+17), Speak Language 2, Use Magic Device 18 (+23, +25 with scrolls)
The life of a changeling...
Early levels (1-5)
Spoiler
In early life, Tia is the quintessential social rogue. With Social Intuition (changeling rogue ACF) allowing (effectively) Skill Mastery on 4 important skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information and Sense Motive), as well as enhanced uses for these skills, she’s easily capable of not only being the party face, but also at scouting. Her racial shapechange ability lets her infiltrate nearly any enemy stronghold, when combined with ranks in Disguise and the appropriate aforementioned skills.
Her greatest flaw at this level is her low combat ability: with only +1d6 SA at 5th level and a low BAB (+3 at 5th), Tia tends to focus on avoiding combat entirely with infiltration and social skills.
Early-mid levels (6-10)
Spoiler
Bard 7 (ECL 9) brings us perhaps our greatest weapons: Dragonfire Inspiration (sonic) and Glibness. With a duration of just over an hour, it makes quick infiltrations easy with an nearly unbelievable Bluff result of 56 (Social Intuition allowing her to take 10), she’ll be able to bluff her way past nearly any guard.
Dragonfire Inspiration allows us to contribute to party damage in a measurable way – with the spell Inspirational Boost taken as one of your 1st level spells and Song of the Heart, you give +3d6 sonic damage to each of your allies’ attacks.
Late-mid levels (11-15)
Spoiler
Half of the Temple Raider levels have been picked up, and Tia slowly becomes more of a presence in combat (again if necessary) with more SA dice (+3d6) and Dragonfire Inspiration (+4d6 if you pick up a Vest of Legends, DMG2).
Temple Raider gives medium armor proficiency, and since Divine Bards like Tia cast her spells as Divine, say hello to your new best friend – mithral full plate. Her Temple Raider spells are used to supplement her natural abilities and to help hide her cover (along with Persona Immersion) with spells like Undetectable alignment, while her Bard spells are more supportive.
She also picks up Draconic Senses here, giving her +4 to Search, and, more importantly, 60’ darkvision and 20’ blindsense.
End game (16-20)
Spoiler
Finishing off Temple Raider and adding another Bard Level (for another point of DFI, assuming Vest of Legends). She’s able to slip into (and out of) nearly any enemy encampment undetected, with an insane Bluff result of 74 (with Glibness up). Her (mundane) result of 43 Diplomacy serves as an acceptable backup method, on the off chance that Bluff somehow fails, automatically making Hostile enemies Friendly.
Temple Raider features
Spoiler
Spells: Mainly used as support and to help with her cover, with spells like Invisibility, Nondetection, Locate Object, Air Walk, etc... Trapfinding: Not needed. Why should you sneak in and be mindful of the traps when they’ll invite you right in? Trap sense: In case you have to leave in a hurry, this will help keep you alive. Sneak Attack: For increased melee presence. (Improved) Uncanny dodge: Do you want to get flanked? I didn’t think so. A rogue needs to be 16th level or higher to sneak attack you now. Skill Mastery: Funny enough, not needed as badly as you’d think, considering you already get effective Skill Mastery for your important social skills at first level. It’s very helpful, however, in maintaining a stable Disguise check, and gets even better on the (unlikely) assumption that this can apply to UMD. Luck Domain: While the spells aren’t that great, the reroll chance is golden.
Equipment Wish-list
Spoiler
A Harmonizing Morphing feycrafted weapon would be preferred, and a Vest of Legends raises your effective Bard level by 5 for the purposes of Bardic Music for only 16k. Morphing is to change up your weapon to aid in quick disguise changes (and overcoming specific damage reduction types).
Sources Used
Spoiler
PHB
Races of Eberron
Unearthed Arcana
Dragon Magic
Races of the Dragon
Eberron Campaign Setting
DMG2
Races of Destiny
Magic Item Compendium (Optional)
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Star Metallurgist of the Roy Fanclub
Who made my awesome Dwarf Hexblade avatar, you ask? BRC did!
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Damn it! I just had my fluff left to write when you finished posting. Why!?
I was going to for a Diabolus Paladin 4/Feat Rogue 2/Temple Raider of Kord 8/Ordained Champion 5, using the Chaotic subtype that Diaboli have to qualify for everything.
Her fluff was essentially being a female and good Kratos (from God of War, natch.)
I was also thinking of going ahead and entering a Purple Dragon Wurmling Temple Raider of Aasterinian, due to how their breath weapon can be used as a sword for touch attack heaven.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
An interesting crop of competitors this round. I was thinking of going with a Human Paragon 2/Warblade 8/Temple Raider 10, using Skill Mastery to take 10 on Concentration checks, along with a slew of Diamond Mind maneuvers (particularly the save-replacing manuevers). At 15th-level, you'd be able to auto-succeed on any save with a DC of 30 or lower once per round. A few luck feats meant that, even on higher saves, you'd have a shot at a reroll a few times per day. I'd use the Luck Domain capstone and Third Time's the Charm to get one last-ditch effort if my reroll went awry.
However, I couldn't really think of anything it could do besides "make one ridiculously high save every round." I was toying with the Temple Raider's recharge mechanic of refreshing daily spells after an hour of quiet supplication, especially since the text mentioned that you didn't need to rest. A warforged Temple Raider who kept casting spells and recharging while his friends slept seemed like a cool idea at first, but I couldn't really make anything out of it.
__________________
ON VACATION 5/23-5/31. Posting may be slow or nonexistent until the first week in June, but I'm still around.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
I didn't get mine in on time, but I had a Ranger 3/Stealthy Fighter 1/ Ranger 1/Stealthy Fighter 2/Temple Raider 1/Sanctified One 5/Temple Raider 7 set up for my build, using the Savage Progression Drow (LA:0, +2 Dex, -2 Con, +2 Int, other stuff including Hand Crossbow Proficiency) to qualify for Drow Fighter Racial Substitution. Had +16 BAB, all the neat Sanctified One abilities, maxed Stealth abilities, 2.5x Dex to damage with a Fierce (+2) Weapon, and 10/10 Temple Raider spell casting. Lousy finals getting in the way of my actual work!
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Theory and practice are the same in theory, but differ in practice.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amechra
I was also thinking of going ahead and entering a Purple Dragon Wurmling Temple Raider of Aasterinian, due to how their breath weapon can be used as a sword for touch attack heaven.
No... Way....
One of my possible ideas was a CE Very Young Shadow Dragon TR of Mask (FR). Toss on entangling exhalation, constant total concealment, and +6 to all mental abilities (crazy, I know), and you have an interesting concept. It's a shame I ran out of time. Although I learned that dragons count UMD as a class skill for their racial HD.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Some interesting entries! Can't wait to read over them in detail!
I had two ideas. One was an infiltration focused changeling rogue/shadowcaster/spymaster, who started out as a wizard, became Vecna-blooded, and then used the Creeping Darkness rules to turn those wizard levels into shadowcaster levels. The fluff was going to be a thief so good, she stole the blood of a god.
The second was a muckdweller druid, using the deadly hunter UA variant, going into wild plains outrider, who rode atop an eagle. Both he and the eagle had Darkstalker, and shared stealth abilities via the wild plains outrider ability. This one focused on poison use and ability score debuffing.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
I really wanted to make Androminus the rogue who stole his own soul from Ollidarma. Wasn't sure exactly how to portray it though. There was always the Dead + Freedom of Movement, or Dead + Iron Heart Surge as well as a few True Speaking prestige classes. There might be some possibilities with various soul trap spells and materials, and potentially time travel.
But none of it seemed to fit well with Ollidarma outside of fluff.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
I had a deadly hunter druid2/human paragon3 (Iaijutsu focus)/temple raider of beshaba 10/Nar demonbinder 5 build focused on iaijutsu focus through dagger throwing (and a quasit familiar that did the same while using my skills) but the build got so complicated to create I didn't have time to finish it.
And, in the end, it really didn't do much. Was too MAD to actually accomplish anything well (scouting, damage dealing, skillmonkey ability) and its BAB was just plain terrible.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amechra
You know, there is no "Drow Fighter" substitution levels. You can take those ACFs without actually being a Drow.
Technically speaking, no, you don't need to be a Drow Fighter to take the Drow Fighter unique option. But that's a really sketchy interpretation, and it would almost certainly be a significant elegance hit, so I didn't push it. It also doesn't specify that you're a Fighter, instead saying only that you give up proficiency with heavy armor and tower shields. I don't think that there's a good argument to be made you can take a Drow Fighter ACF without being either a Drow or a Fighter.
__________________
Theory and practice are the same in theory, but differ in practice.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Gilded Duke
I really wanted to make Androminus the rogue who stole his own soul from Ollidarma. Wasn't sure exactly how to portray it though. There was always the Dead + Freedom of Movement, or Dead + Iron Heart Surge as well as a few True Speaking prestige classes. There might be some possibilities with various soul trap spells and materials, and potentially time travel.
But none of it seemed to fit well with Ollidarma outside of fluff.
that's a pity, I would've voted honorable mention just for you having the balls to build "iron heart surge away death" into your backstory.
I'd initially planned on a couple of levels of bereft into my guy's build, since there was no minmum utterance level required, but it's just somehow even more worthless than straight truenamer. I know they can be done well, like milo brushscrubber, but they kinda have to be the "meat" of the build due to how many crutches they need, and that didn't end up being possible with the number of skills temple raider requires that aren't on the truenamer list.
Quote:
You know, there is no "Drow Fighter" substitution levels. You can take those ACFs without actually being a Drow.
are you talking about hit and run tactics? because yep, you're right. it's a common mistake since it was introduced in Dotu, and most of the stuff there is drow-only.
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
First build I was working on was a Faerie Dragon, but I couldn't make the Search ranks required. Then I tried to make a (templated) Illumian with uber high DEX, taking 4 levels in Jaunter, and using his DEX for TRoO bonus spells through his sigils. Couldn't get to work as well as I would have liked, either. One of these days I'll get an entry in!
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thurbane
First build I was working on was a Faerie Dragon, but I couldn't make the Search ranks required. Then I tried to make a (templated) Illumian with uber high DEX, taking 4 levels in Jaunter, and using his DEX for TRoO bonus spells through his sigils. Couldn't get to work as well as I would have liked, either. One of these days I'll get an entry in!
TroO? what's that an acronym for?
jaunter is wonderful, but the spring attack chain is painful. cobra strike monk helps mitigate a little (seems the easiest entry anyway)
sneakiest thing with illumian is taking bonus spells from str and going momf. get zillions of bonus spells.
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXII
