Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XXXVI

Amphetryon · 08-16-2012, 04:44 PM

Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef XXXVI. Here in Optimization Colosseum, contestants will endeavor to create an optimized and flavorful character using a specified D&D3.5 prestige class as a "Secret Ingredient".

Contestants: You will need to present a write-up of 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, as well as presenting a fully-fleshed out 20-level build in the table below. 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.

32 point-buy is the presumed creation method, but we have generally allowed other levels of point-buy.
If you do use a different point-buy, please make your case for its necessity in your entry. Keep in mind that for using exceptionally large or small point-buys may warrant deductions in elegance and/or power.

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. Web-exclusive 3.0 or 3.5 materials by WotC are expressly allowed, but take care to verify that an updated version did not appear in print elsewhere, as this may cause an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion. 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. This comes up often enough to bear mention in the rules: Dragon Compendium is allowed.

Cooking Time: Contestants will have until 11:59PM GMT on Saturday, August 25th, 2012 to create their builds and PM them to the Chairman, Amphetryon. Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying. Judges will have until 11:59PM GMT on Saturday, September 8th, 2012 to judge the builds and submit their scores. If no judges have scored by that point, only the scores of the first judge to submit will be counted.

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. Please note the following change: a legal source's relative obscurity should not be considered as penalizing Elegance, excepting the aforementioned issues with Unearthed Arcana. Using too many sources may be an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion, but a book's relative obscurity may not.

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 reviewing 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 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. If your entry includes a prestige class or ACF that grants Leadership or a Leadership-like ability as a bonus feat, the feat should be ignored and is not eligible to be traded away for another feat or ACF through any means.

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

This week's special ingredient is:
Complete Arcane's Acolyte of the Skin
We will award 1st through 3rd places, as well as a shout-out for honorable mention. The honorable mention prize is given to the most daring or unexpected build. Judges, contestants and guests alike are invited to vote for honorable mention via PM.

Allez optimiser!

Contestants

Judges

The Builds

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
Iron Chef XI: Blade Bravo
Iron Chef XII: War Mind
Iron Chef XIII: Vigilante
Iron Chef XIV: Seeker of the Song
Iron Chef XV: Drunken Master
Iron Chef XVI: Assassin
Iron Chef XVII: Ardent Dilettante
Iron Chef XVIII: Unseelie Dark Hunter
Iron Chef XIX: Dread Pirate
Iron Chef XX: Incandescent Champion
Iron Chef XXI: Ghostwalker
Iron Chef XXII: Dervish
Iron Chef XXIII: Divine Crusader
Iron Chef XXIV: Tactical Soldier
Iron Chef XXV: Scion of Tem-Et-Nu
Iron Chef XXVI: Shadowdancer
Iron Chef XXVII: Mindbender
Iron Chef XXVIII: Cryokineticist
Iron Chef XXIX: Consecrated Harrier
Iron Chef XXX: Initiate of Pistis Sophia
Iron Chef XXXI: Shadow Sentinel
Iron Chef XXXII: Temple Raider of Olidammara
Iron Chef XXXIII: Drow Judicator
Iron Chef XXXIV: Dragon Disciple
Iron Chef XXXV: Death Delver

Amphetryon · 08-16-2012, 04:48 PM

FAQ:
Is Dragon Compendium Allowed? Yes, but individual issues of Dragon Magazine are not.

What about 3.0 materials? 3.0 materials, whether online or in printed form, are allowed unless they've been officially updated to a 3.5 edition.

Are Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, or Kingdoms of Kalamar allowable sources? The Dragonlance Campaign Setting is allowed, but the subsequent books for Dragonlance are considered 3rd party, and are therefore not eligible, despite the "WotC approved" status of those books. The same holds for Oriental Adventures (1st party) and the subsequent Rokugan books (3rd party). Similarly, materials from Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, and Kingdoms of Kalamar are considered 3rd party for purposes of this contest, and are therefore not allowed.

What about online sources in general? If the online source is a) published by WotC, and b) not replaced by an updated version at a later time, it is eligible. Use it, link it.

Where's the line drawn with "acceptable/unacceptable" for Unearthed Arcana? This will likely vary a bit from Chairman to Chairman. Item Familiars and Gestalt have always been verboten, since before IC migrated to GitP; don't expect that to change. Flaws have similarly always been noted as warranting a deduction; while I am Chairman, I'm extending that to Traits, though they warrant 1/2 the penalty in Elegance that a Flaw would because they're roughly 1/2 as useful. Alternate spell systems, alternate skill systems and alternate crafting rules all create an uneven playing field, and as such, will be disallowed for as long as I am Chairman. Bloodlines are ripe for abuse, and will be strongly discouraged as long as I am Chairman. Note that judges are allowed to look askance at any use of Unearthed Arcana not specifically mentioned above, at their discretion, and otherwise penalize Elegance according to their preference.

What, exactly, does the ban on Leadership mean? As folks have started to try to work around the edges of this one, I'm forced to spell it out more plainly. No Leadership, Draconic Cohort, or Feats that grant a similar ability are allowed EXCEPT Wild Cohort while Amphetryon is chairman. Any PrC you choose with Leadership or a Leadership-analog has that ability entirely ignored for this contest, as it may neither be used nor traded away via any means whatsoever.

What's the minimum score in a category? Assuming an entry is legal, the minimum score in any category is 1. If a judge is convinced that an entry is illegal by the RAW, the judge may give a 0 or decline to score a given entry. Because this contest focuses on Player Characters, an entry that is not technically allowed for a PC, but is viable as an NPC, counts as a legal entry, but may receive a minimum score at the judges' discretion.

For the "Wear Fiend" ability, what difference does it make if the AotS chooses a specific Devil, Demon, or other Fiendish creature? Barring explicit errata or similar to the contrary from WotC, the choice of what type of Fiendish creature to wear is purely cosmetic in regards to Wear Fiend.

Is "Fiendish Glare" based upon the target's total HP, or current HP? It is based upon the target's current HP at the moment they are affected by Fiendish Glare.

What happens if an Undead or a Construct takes AotS? According to Savage Species 143, undead and constructs do not have a Con score and therefore cannot become any other creature type. The capstone would apply the DR if otherwise possible, but no other effects of Fiendish Symbiosis would apply.

Piggy Knowles · 08-16-2012, 04:50 PM

Well dang... I'll be honest, I kind of expected Acolyte of the Skin would never actually happen! I'll have to crack open CArc; it's been a long time since I've looked at the class.

Good luck, everyone!

GreenSerpent · 08-16-2012, 04:54 PM

First time I'm entering Iron Chef and it's this... *sighs and grabs Complete Arcane*

Menteith · 08-16-2012, 04:56 PM

I have ideas. I'm not sure they're good ideas, but I have ideas regarding the PrC. Off to look for rulings before I commit to anything!

OMG PONIES · 08-16-2012, 05:06 PM

New contest?

Let's see what this round's SI is...

*whistles, clicks, reads*

So it begins. Now taking bets on how quickly we break the "fastest first submission" record. There is such a thing, right?

Amphetryon · 08-16-2012, 05:18 PM

I'll be honest; the delays that real life caused me in ending the previous contest prompted me to choose Acolyte of the Skin, on the basis that it's been asked for so often that I figured folks could get their entries in with less than 2 weeks to build.

The Dark Fiddler · 08-16-2012, 05:29 PM

I've never entered an Iron Chef competition before.

I'm not much of an optimizer.

I don't remember what Acolyte of the Skin does.

I still have summer work to do before school starts up again.

But you know what? I just might do this... or maybe, if possible, I'll judge. I'll see when I get home and I can look at the PrC.

KoopaTrooper#12 · 08-16-2012, 06:47 PM

My first Iron Chef, (and first post here) I have a few ideas and looking forward to this!

ShneekeyTheLost · 08-16-2012, 07:05 PM

Oohhhh... 1/2 caster progression PrC. Will entries be able to utilize this, and avoid a penalty for not utilizing the SI fully, but not horridly nerf their class because it's only 1/2 caster progression? Let us see.

A question for Fiendish Glare... the duration for the possible stun effect... is that based on maximum hit points, or current hit points?

Some 1/day abilities and some resistances that a straight Warlock could beat? How is that a trade-off for five lost caster levels?

The contestants sure have their work cut out for them...

Gotterdammerung · 08-16-2012, 07:09 PM

Ahahah! I knew it!!!

Kazyan · 08-16-2012, 07:20 PM

This is the part where everyone else makes something really impressive, right?

Ugh, gotta make this all actually come together this time. Think.

Piggy Knowles · 08-16-2012, 07:26 PM

Man, after re-reading this PrC, I am already feeling less confident about this one. This is... not a lot to work with.

I do have a couple of ways I could go with this from a flavor perspective, but while having an interesting story to tell always helps, it doesn't do much if I can't back it up with a halfway decent build.

Time to go book-diving!

TheGeckoKing · 08-16-2012, 07:31 PM

I.....think I can make this one work. One can only try as one usually does, with gibbering lunacy and mirth.

ClayQ · 08-16-2012, 08:38 PM

Otyugh Hole here I come.

I got my build down trouble is although I have 10 levels of aots its all flavor really, and im powerful inspite of it kinda overshadowing the abilities I get from it.

Zaq · 08-16-2012, 08:47 PM

Even if I had time in my schedule (it's not lack of interest that has caused me to be absent for so long), I'm not positive I could do much with this one.

Well, OK, one thing. But it's not a good thing.

I do have to laugh at the fact that the picture claims to be of "Vorta Nehalem," but it's so very clearly of Morthos. My best explanation* is that Morthos and Vorta are both played by the same guy, and he's one of those annoying guys who plays the same character in every campaign, even though he sometimes uses a different name.

*Not really.

Gotterdammerung · 08-16-2012, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClayQ

Otyugh Hole here I come.

I got my build down trouble is although I have 10 levels of aots its all flavor really, and im powerful inspite of it kinda overshadowing the abilities I get from it.

Don't talk about builds. We are all optimizers... high caliber optimizers. With that little slip of the tongue more than a few people here can infer about 80% of your build.

GreenSerpent · 08-17-2012, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotterdammerung

Don't talk about builds. We are all optimizers... high caliber optimizers with at least one person working on a build with pretty much blind luck because he has only some rudimentary optimisation skills.. With that little slip of the tongue more than a few people here can infer about 80% of your build.

Fixed that for you.

OMG PONIES · 08-17-2012, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amphetryon

For the "Wear Fiend" ability, what difference does it make if the AotS chooses a specific Devil, Demon, or other Fiendish creature? Barring explicit errata or similar to the contrary from WotC, the choice of what type of Fiendish creature to wear is purely cosmetic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Complete Arcane, page 20

If the skin is demonic, once per day he can summon a babau; if devilish, once per day he can summon a chain devil.

A minor difference, and one that has no bearing on wear fiend, but wanted to make sure it was noted.

Kuulvheysoon · 08-17-2012, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMG PONIES

A minor difference, and one that has no bearing on wear fiend, but wanted to make sure it was noted.

Damn, and here I was going to bind a Yugoloth to me... oh well.

I'm unsure if I'll compete here... I'll either judge or compete, though - been looking forwards to this one.

Venger · 08-17-2012, 09:43 AM

well I'm obviously cooking this time. glad aots is off the back burner

RFLS · 08-17-2012, 10:50 AM

Ah, what the heck. I'm in. Should be fun.

TroubleBrewing · 08-17-2012, 02:11 PM

I've been asking for this for as long as I've been participating in the contest.

SO EXCITED.

The Gilded Duke · 08-18-2012, 04:40 PM

I might actually have a build coming together for this.

ThiagoMartell · 08-18-2012, 06:07 PM

I'll compete this time.

Thurbane · 08-18-2012, 08:30 PM

I've got a build idea, but it's so glaringly obvious I'd imagine at least 2 other people would submit very similar. Still, if I get time and inspiration, I may enter it anyway.

The Dark Fiddler · 08-18-2012, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thurbane

I've got a build idea, but it's so glaringly obvious I'd imagine at least 2 other people would submit very similar. Still, if I get time and inspiration, I may enter it anyway.

Is it [REDACTED]?

I dislike this whole "not being able to talk about builds" thing, but at the same time recognize its necessity.

Still, considering how obvious you think it is, I do believe it's the same idea I have. Either that, or a different idea that I thought was equally obvious but disregarded. Guess we won't know until the end, huh?

EDIT: ...one entry per person?

EDIT-EDIT: There's an error in the link to the latest Iron Chef (Death Delver).

EDIT^3: Do we use fractional saves/BAB? Is it optional? Something to be noted in adaptations?

Kazyan · 08-18-2012, 09:30 PM

For the past two contests, I submitted builds that seemed obvious, but received significant marks for Originality. And nothing about this ingredient lends itself to "duh" moments. I wouldn't freak out too much.

The Dark Fiddler · 08-18-2012, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazyan

For the past two contests, I submitted builds that seemed obvious, but received significant marks for Originality. And nothing about this ingredient lends itself to "duh" moments. I wouldn't freak out too much.

Well, when I refreshed my memory of what the PrC was, I had two classes jump to mind immediately, so I do feel like there is an obvious choice or two. Hopefully, I'm wrong, or my execution is original enough for originality points.

Edit: More-or-less finished my entry, at least the actual entry part. Gonna pretty it up, add explanations and fluff and stuff. Made me realize how much of a pain the skill system in this system can be...

And I swear I won't edit another post for the rest of the week. I've met my allowance already tonight.

Venger · 08-18-2012, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dark Fiddler

Is it [REDACTED]?

I dislike this whole "not being able to talk about builds" thing, but at the same time recognize its necessity.

Still, considering how obvious you think it is, I do believe it's the same idea I have. Either that, or a different idea that I thought was equally obvious but disregarded. Guess we won't know until the end, huh?

EDIT: ...one entry per person?

EDIT-EDIT: There's an error in the link to the latest Iron Chef (Death Delver).

EDIT^3: Do we use fractional saves/BAB? Is it optional? Something to be noted in adaptations?

the whole double bluff thing gets everyone:

step 1: X is so obvious
step 2: I will not do it. everyone will be doing it
step 3: everyone will have this line of thought. it is back on the table
step 4: everyone will have the above line of thought. it is back off the table.
step 5: repeat step 3&4 until you pick one to settle on.

honestly, I thought nosomatic chirurgeon was "obvious" for death delver, but I got a ton of points for originality (and was the only one) so I was wrong, maybe you're wrong about the thing you're thinking.

you do not use fractional saves/BA. it is not optional, it falls under "alternate rules systems" like generic classes, gestalt, spell points, etc. it is not usable for the purposes of this contest and this has been asked before (in dread pirate I think)