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View Full Version : Character build, assistance requested



ShneekeyTheLost
2009-07-19, 02:03 AM
Okay, here's the deal. I'm trying to make a melee character who can use a lot of non-magical fear effects. I was thinking something along the lines of Barbarian with Intimidating Rage. I specify non-magical, because I may be able to get something which does an AMF effect.

Ideally, I want to be able to charge into combat and use an area-effect fear on everything near me. Power Attack + Shock Trooper + Leap Attack is the direction I'm currently leaning to.

Sources:

Allowed: Core + Completes (except Champion, Lion-Totem Barbarian is explicitly prohibited) + PhB II + ToB. Heroes of Battle is also allowed.

Prohibited: Complete Champion, BoED, BoVD, ALL Races Of books, Dragon Mag, homebrew

Also, we have a Paladin/Crusader in the party, so I would rather *not* be Evil if I can help it. I don't like to create party conflict or drama. He's playing his "Stick Up His Pigu" class ability.

Characters will be starting at 11th level, although we are expected to advance fairly quickly. The GM is going to be throwing some higher than normal CR critters at us. This isn't exactly a 'powergamers r us' game, but we've been warned that we should try for making effective characters, because it's gonna be tough.

I want to play a *MELEE* character. I don't want to hear "Wizard focus specialized on Necromancy with some PrC that does magical fear stuff", nor do I wish to discuss the whole wizard>melee debate.

WeeFreeMen
2009-07-19, 02:11 AM
All I can say is Good Luck, fear while effective is also mitigated just as easy as it is gained..IMO

Only other Melee related feat I can think of is in World or Warcraft RPG Book (Intimidating Shout) I believe, as for your melee weapon if you don't get that AMF on you there is a +2 Enchantment (Doomburst) that on crit causes target to be shaken No Save.

Sorry I cant be of much help, but I really don't got much experience aside from Intimidate checks / Weapon Drill.

Anyway, best of luck.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-07-19, 02:32 AM
Most of the better fear effect abilities aren't in your allowed books, but I'll list them anyway:

Dreadful Wrath feat from Player's Guide to Faerun gives you a frightful presence ability, causing opponents to become Shaken. As usual, an opponent who is already Shaken is instead progressed into Frightened, or one already Frightened becomes Panicked.

Frightful Presence feat in the Draconomicon requires Intimidate 8 ranks, so can't take it sooner than your 6th level feat. Almost identical to Dreadful Wrath but only affects creatures whose HD is fewer than your character level.

The Never Outnumbered skill trick in Complete Adventurer allows your Intimidate check to demoralize an opponent to affect all opponents within ten feet rather than a single target, though only once per encounter. Definitely worth spending a few skill points on if you have additional fear effects.

Imperious Command feat in Drow of the Underdark also requires Intimidate 8 ranks, competing with Frightful Presence for the 6th level feat spot. It makes it so anyone you demoralize via the Intimidate skill will Cower for the initial round, and then be Shaken on the following round. Amazing when combined with Never Outnumbered.

The Zhentarim Soldier (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) substitution levels for Fighter give some decent Intimidate boosts. It should be easy to reflavor for a more appropriate organization. Best of all there's not really any drawback to taking them other than suffering through so many fighter levels. I've just made them a part of the base Fighter class in games I run. It grants Skill Focus: Intimidate at Fighter 3, makes your diplomatic Intimidate uses last longer than normal at Fighter 5, and at Fighter 9 it allows you to Demoralize as a swift action every round, rather than having to use a standard action. I'd say its even better than Intimidating Rage, though it requires a larger investment. You may as well get the Dungeoncrasher ACF from Dungeonscape while you're at it.

The Talon of Tiamat prestige class from the Draconomicon grants a Frightful Presence special ability at its 8th level, though it has the same HD limitation as the Frightful Presence feat from the same book.

The feat Intimidating Strike in PH2 could be decent for creating an initial shaken condition, though it has no effect on anyone who's already shaken.

A half-orc can take the feat Menacing Demeanor from Races of Destiny the sidebar on page 152 of Complete Scoundrel to get +4 Intimidate, which stacks with Skill Focus. You could also gain both of those feats via the Otyugh Hole detailed in CS without spending an actual feat slot, or if starting higher than 1st level you can sacrifice 3000 gp of your starting funds per Otyugh Hole visit in your backstory to take them at character creation.
Half-Orc Paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#halfOrcParagon) in UA gets a +4 racial bonus on Intimidate checks, as well as gaining Rage 1/day and a +2 to Strength.

AslanCross
2009-07-19, 03:14 AM
Tome of Battle has Fountain of Blood in the Tiger Claw Discipline. It's not really that good (I never thought fear effects were worth it), but it definitely is something you could use.

White Raven has a whole bunch of strikes that suppress your enemies in nonmagical ways.