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View Full Version : Soul Eater - a 1-level dip, or longer?



ChaosDefender24
2009-07-01, 09:23 AM
I can't decide what the viability of the soul eater class is past level 1. Its first-level ability, a 1-level energy drain that applies to all of your natural attacks, can make any build with lots of natural attacks into a nightmare. However, like most other material from the BoVD, the class's abilities are really sporadic and weird in power. Most of its class features become rather worthless, because they are enhancement bonuses to stats that you get when you energy drain (it doesn't stack with items), and you get a puny laser 1/day.

The really nice ability is at level 7, where you upgrade to a 2-level energy drain, thus doubling your power. IMO the only noteworthy ability between 1 and 7 is the ability to shapechange into whatever you energy drain to death, at level 6. Although shapechange as early as ECL 11 is simply hilarious, you can only shapechange into what the DM throws at you, and you somehow have to energy drain the creature's levels before you and your party simply beat the thing to death - meaning that your damage output must be low. But I suppose level 7 helps mitigate that

So is level 7 worth it?

At level 9 you get create spawn (wights), but people are already spectre-bombing by then.

Lolzords
2009-07-01, 09:37 AM
Wow, off topic, but that pic you have there is scary.:smalleek:

herrhauptmann
2009-07-01, 01:06 PM
Be a choker for your race. Reach, small size (ac and to hit bonuses), +4 racial to grapple offsets small size.
And be a monk. :) Now flurry of blows on someone and deal a negative level, or two, each hit.

I'd say, totally worth it to go up to level 7. I forget, is there a timelimit on how long you can shapechange into something after killing it? Like hours per level? Days per level after you've killed it?

I watched someone with a level 15 souldrinker take down the Tarrasque on his own. Granted, he didn't have access to the wish/miracle to keep it dead, but he brought it down on his own.
I know there are builds to stop the tarrasque at level 13 or 12, Balors too. But those are people building specifically to fight a certain monster. And they usually use clericzilla, wizard, or swordsage. This was a monk that was actually used in a game starting from level 3.

Keld Denar
2009-07-01, 01:13 PM
I watched someone with a level 15 souldrinker take down the Tarrasque on his own. Granted, he didn't have access to the wish/miracle to keep it dead, but he brought it down on his own.

How? Big T (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/tarrasque.htm) is immune to Energy Drain...

herrhauptmann
2009-07-01, 01:17 PM
I dunno, part of it included turning into an undead (wight or somesuch). So maybe energy damage, instead of drain?

Given how much of a rules lawyer the DM was, I don't think they'd handwave something like that. However, I didn't see the full build and item list. Only race and souldrinker 8.

Keld Denar
2009-07-01, 01:22 PM
There is no Energy Damage. There is Ability Damage and Ability Drain, of which Mr. T is immune to only Ability Damage. That's why one of the most commonly cited methods of killing him is the Alip swarm, since they drain wisdom, as opposed to a Shadow, which damages strength. But neither of those are relevant since a Soul Eater causes Energy Drain, or the aquisition of negative levels, and Mr T is completely, explicitly immune to Energy Drain.

So...there must have been something else, and I can't think of anything else. You might want to call your friend out on this one...

herrhauptmann
2009-07-01, 01:28 PM
I'll ask to see his build next time we meet.
edit: Anyway, even if something got messed up on his character, I still think Souldrinker is viable up to level 7. The hard parts are surviving as an evil monstrous humanoid prior to that.

ChaosDefender24
2009-07-01, 02:12 PM
When you're an amphibious anthropomorphic giant squid, nothing's particularly hard.

Wings of Peace
2009-07-01, 02:22 PM
TWF builds are also viable since the Necrotic Focus enhancement from Libris Mortis allows the ability drain to function when the enchanted weapon strikes. I am uncertain if this extends to throwing weapons.

Doc Roc
2009-07-01, 02:45 PM
When you're an amphibious anthropomorphic giant squid, nothing's particularly hard.

Except your beak.

ChaosDefender24
2009-07-01, 02:54 PM
Except your beak.

I lol'd


Even if Necrotic Focus doesn't extend to throwing weapons normally, Bloodstorm Blade could help you there. There's a build somewhere on CharOps with bloodstorm blade's ricochet thing, and the "cleave" of Warmind 5, and that's gotta be ridiculous when you combine that with Soul Eater. I almost wonder if you can fit palm throw into there somehow

Doc Roc
2009-07-01, 03:02 PM
You can. Trust me. There's a few builds I've made over the years that I never published. :: grin ::

ChaosDefender24
2009-07-01, 03:05 PM
nvm you can...

X 5/soul eater 1/warmind 5/bloodstorm blade 4/master thrower 5

haha, it works perfect, and you get the touch attack ability too!

Doc Roc
2009-07-01, 03:06 PM
"But you don't do any damage, chaos! Why don't you take monkey grip?"



;)

ChaosDefender24
2009-07-01, 03:13 PM
naww, energy drain's 5+ hp/drain got it covered.

wait did you seriously think up the soul eater + necrotic focus + warmind/bloodstorm trick before I did, on your own?

Doc Roc
2009-07-01, 03:59 PM
I am but a finger, a gesture, a notion in the great mind that is Gleemax.

Also, the quote was me joking.

ChaosDefender24
2009-07-01, 05:30 PM
yeah what we've basically done here is take two things they've already come up with and mash them together :P

I knew the monkey grip part was a joke, but I wasn't sure whether you were being serious or not about the build's complete inability to do damage outside of energy drain (undead become interesting)