Iron Chef Optimization Challenge XI

Ozymandias9 · 08-31-2010, 11:36 AM

Basically, a challenge to create an optimized, flavorful character, using a "Secret Ingredient" of a particular PrC, different for each contest. You will need to present your build at at least one of the following points: 5th level, 10th level, 15th, 20th, and a "sweet spot" that you feel is the high point of the build. Feel free to present as many of these as you like, and please give a rundown of the build's abilities and playability at all of the levels you didn't show. The rules are as follows:

Menu: For most challenges, the "special ingredient" will be drawn from Core plus Completes. There will, from time to time, be special challenges that showcase secret ingredients from other books--for example, the XPH.

Kitchen: Competitors will be free to use any official 3.5 rulebook in constructing their builds. Dragon magazine is disallowed, and Unearthed Arcana is allowed; but see Elegance below. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt are not allowed, as they create a different playing field. Also, item familiars are forbidden because I hate 'em.

Cooking Time: Contestants will have until Thursday, September 9th to create their builds and PM them to the Chairman, Ozymandias9. Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying.

Judging: Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Power, Elegance, Use of Secret Ingredient.

Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level unless you're showcasing a new TO build you've discovered. In the words of one of my predecessors, a little cheddar can be nice, but avoid the mature Gruyere unless you're making a cheese fondue.

Elegance could bear a little elaboration. It basically measures how skillfully you put your build together, and whether you sacrificed flavor for power. We're cooking here - if your dish doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter how well-presented it is. Use of flaws is an automatic loss of one point per flaw in this category. Other things that will cause lost points here are excessive multiclassing, and classes that don't fit the concept - using Cloistered Cleric in a front-line melee fighter, for example, will lose you points.

I am going to have to ask the contestants to PM me about any disagreement with the judges. Under no circumstances is a contestant to defend themselves inside the thread, since it breaks anonymity.

Presentation: Builds will be posted anonymously, in order to avoid the potential of bias towards a particular competitor. For this reason, please don't put your name in the build, as I'm likely to miss it when anonymising the entries!

Due to concerns about standardizing entry format, I'd like everyone to try to use the following table for their entry.

Spoiler

NAME OF ENTRY

Level	Class	Base Attack<br>Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
2nd	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
3rd	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
4th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
5th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
6th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
7th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
8th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
9th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
10th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
11th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
12th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
13th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
14th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
15th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
16th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
17th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
18th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
19th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
20th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities

Code

Spoiler

For entries with spellcasting, use the following table for Spells per day and Spells Known. (Spells Known only if necessary, i.e. Sorcerer or Bard, but not Wizard or Warmage)

Spoiler

For other systems (Psionics, ToB, Incarnum, etc.) keep track of PP/maneuvers/essentia separately, preferably in a nice neat list.

Speculation: Please don't post or speculate on possible builds until the "reveal," in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.

Leadership is banned; we're producing a meal, not a seven-course banquet for a hundred diners.

So! Who wants to sign up as a contestant, and who wants to sign up as a judge? Looking for about 5 judges and as many contestants as feel like playing!

This will be the contest's third special challenge. This week's special ingredient is:

Races of Stone's Blade Bravo!

Allez optimiser!

Judges
DaragosKitsune
Keld Denar
BobVosh
WinWin
Kesnit

Contestants
OMG PONIES
Vorpal Tribble
Amphetryon
mjames
Yucca
Biffoniacus_Furiou
IthilanorStPete
IdleMuse
Malbordeus
true_shinken

Past Competitions

Iron Chef I (Entropomancer)
Iron Chef II (Psibond Agent)
Iron Chef III (Cancer Mage)
Iron Chef IV (Stonelord)
Iron Chef V (War Chanter)
Iron Chef VI (Master of Masks)
Iron Chef VII (Green Star Adept)
Iron Chef VIII (Pyrokineticist)
Iron Chef IX (Animal Lord)
Iron Chef X (Mythic Exemplar)

DaragosKitsune · 08-31-2010, 11:37 AM

Yeah, I'll be okay to judge again.

The Vorpal Tribble · 08-31-2010, 11:44 AM

Race-specific PrC... hm.

Edit: A race that has no racial benefits for the PrC no less.

Draz74 · 08-31-2010, 11:59 AM

Hmmm ... as I see it, the greatest difficulty here is coming up with something that's not just essentially a copy of The Other Killer Gnome by TheLogicNinja ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozymandias9

This will be the contest's second special challenge.

Technically, it's the third (after Cancer Mage and Pyrokineticist).

EDIT: the OP doesn't list a deadline. I doubt I'll have time to enter this round, but if the deadline is, like, three weeks away, maybe I'll change my mind.

Ozymandias9 · 08-31-2010, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draz74

Technically, it's the third (after Cancer Mage and Pyrokineticist).

Oops. Edited appropriately.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draz74

EDIT: the OP doesn't list a deadline. I doubt I'll have time to enter this round, but if the deadline is, like, three weeks away, maybe I'll change my mind.

It's listed under "Cooking Time": Thursday, September 9th. I should probably bold it.

OMG PONIES · 08-31-2010, 12:09 PM

Hmm, currently in as a contestant. However, that may change to judge if inspiration fails to strike me. I keep wanting to come back to the obvious...I'll need to examine this thoroughly.

The Vorpal Tribble · 08-31-2010, 12:15 PM

Interestingly I got an almost instant idea... just wish I had the slightest liking for gnomes so as to be enthusiastic about it.

OMG PONIES · 08-31-2010, 12:20 PM

I, too, have an idea. However, I fear it may be the first "original" idea that comes to everyone. This will be interesting.

Keld Denar · 08-31-2010, 12:26 PM

I like judging! Copy/Pasta

My Criteria
Originality: Does the submission use unexpected sources or material? Does it avoid over-used qualification methods? Does it use the secret ingredient in an unusual or clever way? This section is an amalgam of the build itself and how the build is presented.

Power: What tier is this build? How does it compete against similar roles in terms of versatility, skills, damage, control, resiliance, etc. Does the inclusion of <Secret Ingredient> actually make this build more powerful? Is the build well-optimized? Are there any noticable saggy spots where the build underperforms? Is the build versatile (able to respond to a variety of challenges, both combat and non-combat), on top of any specialized tricks it may contain. Does the build use large amounts of LA and/or RHD that could lead to a slow start? Be as detailed as possible. If there is something your build does that is powerful, yet not completely obvious, you should probably expand upon it. If an important yet subtle feature in your build is missed by the judges, its mostly your own fault.

Elegance: Does your build progress well? Does it avoid flaws and variant rules (not including published Alt Class Features like Racial Subs)? Do you avoid overly dipping classes like cleric 1 that are obviously for bonus feats/class abilities? Does your build subscribe to various power break points if it doesn't complete a PrC? Do you avoid using Taint and Dark Chaos shuffling? Other judges might, but I have no problem with a player drawing from a multitude of sources. As far as I'm concerned, if material in a source book improves your submission, use it. This section is the one most affected by your back story and build presentation, but the submission itself is still very important here. PLEASE CITE ALL SOURCES USED!

Use of Secret Ingredient: How important is the secret ingredient in this build? Would you refer to the build as being A <Secret Ingredient>, or are you just splashing the PrC in there? Does the flavor of the build fit that of the PrC? Do you use the PrC in a clever, synergistic or powerful way? Do the special abilities of the secret ingredient augement or are augemented by other abilities in the build? If you didn't use all levels of the secret ingredient (and you don't always have to), do you have good reasoning why not, and did you exit at an acceptable power break point? This section is an amalgam of the build itself and how the SI interacts with the rest of the build.

DaragosKitsune · 08-31-2010, 12:36 PM

Almost forgot.

Spoiler

Akal Saris · 08-31-2010, 12:38 PM

I'm a fan of the PrC as well. I'll enter this competition, and hopefully RL won't devour me before the deadline :)

OMG PONIES · 08-31-2010, 12:40 PM

Akal Saris is competing? I'm both frightened and excited!

Ozymandias9 · 08-31-2010, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Interestingly I got an almost instant idea... just wish I had the slightest liking for gnomes so as to be enthusiastic about it.

I'm assuming that means you're in. I'm putting your name down as a contestant-- tell me if you need me to remove it.

The Vorpal Tribble · 08-31-2010, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozymandias9

I'm assuming that means you're in. I'm putting your name down as a contestant-- tell me if you need me to remove it.

Oh, definitely a contestant.

mjames · 08-31-2010, 03:05 PM

I'm in. May submit two builds drastically different builds however. Multiples still okay, right? By-the-by,no guarantee on two builds, just making sure it's acceptable.

Amphetryon · 08-31-2010, 03:11 PM

Competing this time.

BobVosh · 08-31-2010, 03:31 PM

I would like to judge.
Criteria:

Spoiler

Ozymandias9 · 08-31-2010, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjames

I'm in. May submit two builds drastically different builds however. Multiples still okay, right? By-the-by,no guarantee on two builds, just making sure it's acceptable.

Multiple builds are OK, though to my knowledge we've never actually gotten one (though someone seems to ask every couple contests). This comes with the obligatory reminder that you may want to look over past competitions and look at the level of detail of the high scoring submissions before considering double entry.

WinWin · 08-31-2010, 04:41 PM

I am willing to judge if neccesary.

My criteria

Spoiler

ForgottenCode · 08-31-2010, 04:51 PM

Hi. I've been a longtime reader of the comic and forum, I've just never registered. I really love the idea of this contest. I'm just not sure I'll be able to come up with someone original enough for this prc. Still, I'll think it over and in the coming days post if I'm going to join this one or not.

Yucca · 08-31-2010, 04:54 PM

I've been wanting to do one of these for a while. And I've always thought this was a fun looking PrC. In as a contestant.

Biffoniacus_Furiou · 08-31-2010, 05:06 PM

I put on my apron and chef's hat....

IdleMuse · 08-31-2010, 05:08 PM

I love Races of Stone, and although I've never really looked at this PrC, I'm staying with my folks for a week or two, so lots of time to develop an entry. Hopefully I'll actually get it submitted this time, the last two contests I built builds but just ran out of time (and motivation) to finish and submit them.

The Vorpal Tribble · 08-31-2010, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdleMuse

I love Races of Stone, and although I've never really looked at this PrC

Still not sure why gnomes are a 'race of stone' and if they were what this PrC has to do with gnomes or races of stone, so I'm just rolling with it.

Kesnit · 08-31-2010, 05:25 PM

I love Gnomes.

I much prefer judging to being a contestant, so I'd like to sign up for that.

Spoiler

Originality
I tend to look at each entry based on their own merit, rather than compare each to another. If two entries use the same base class, but go about them differently, they won't lose Originality points from me. If the entries are similar, they will.

Power
I'm going to steal this quote from DK, but it sums up my point of view. "Power comes down to, quite simply, how the build would fare in a mid-power campaign." I am not an min-maxer, and I do not play with min-maxers. I'm used to thinking of PCs as they are seen in many of the D&D books - where characters of different types of classes work together to get the job done.

As a heads-up, an extremely powerful PC will be marked down if, in my view, it would not work well as a member of a mixed party. (Mixed party defined as "not all PCs are pure casters.") That is not to say any Tier 1 PC will lose points, as they can be built in a way to help (rather than replace) the rest of the party.

Elegance
I REALLY dislike dipping, which I define as taking 1-2 levels of a base class. (Exceptions to that are if a PrC requires Class A 1/Class B 5, or something to that extent.) I am a little more open to taking 1-2 levels of a PrC, especially in a competition like this where it is expected 10 levels of another PrC will be taken. However, excessive "dipping" of PrCs will also lose Elegance points.

On the flip side, I like a good story. A lot of "strange" class changes and combos can be "overlooked" if the contestant can provide a logical reason for them. Also, I am aware English is not everyone's first language, and if a contestant feels they were marked down because they could not adequately explain their concept, I am willing to reevaluate my analysis of their Elegance. (Note I did not say I will automatically increase their score, but if informed, I will give it a second look.)

Use of Secret Ingredient
The point of this competition is the Special Ingredient, so obviously it should be the focus. Competitors will lose points if they use less than 9 levels of the SI. (I'd prefer to see all 10, but sometimes, things just cannot be helped.)

true_shinken · 08-31-2010, 06:21 PM

I'd like to sign up as a judge!

IthilanorStPete · 08-31-2010, 06:32 PM

I'll try my hand at competing in this.

IdleMuse · 08-31-2010, 07:25 PM

They have a Con bonus, they must be a Race of Stone, right? :P More, I think, that they divided the core PHB races into a set of piles for each of the Races books, and gnomes ended up with dwarves.

Have a potential build idea, is kind of gimped at the moment due to not having room for thirty-odd class levels

Also frustrated by the lack of spellcasting progression in the classes I want to take

Private-Prinny · 08-31-2010, 08:54 PM

As a fellow gnome lover, I want in on this. I don't know how I'll stack up against Akal and Vorpal, however.

And if anyone is thinking about something like this, it's been done before.

true_shinken · 08-31-2010, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private-Prinny

And if anyone is thinking about something like this, it's been done before.

That's exactly why I decided to not compete ^^
I doubt I could come up with something as awesome as that.