[3.5] Horizon Tripper help

[AirTony7]

My DM is starting a new campaign and as a change of pace, I figured I would try my hand at a melee character. I came across a guide for the Horizon Tripper http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80415. The guide however makes no real recommendations for stats. I was just wondering if anyone knows what stats I would use for a 25 point-buy.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I can help you. What books are allowed?

[Eldariel]

Is the campaign Core-only? 'cause that's gonna be harsh for a Horizon Tripper; 25pb really only works for a Wizard, a Druid or a Cleric.

Anyways, Horizon Tripper requires following:
- 13 Int for Combat Expertise + Improved Trip (skippable outside Core; SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/) alone offers a way around this)
- 13 Dex for Combat Reflexes (not strictly necessary, but oh-so-empowering)
- Max Str for actually tripping things, and decent Con to...survive.

13 Int and 13 Dex is 10 points. Leaves 15 left, which would buy you 15 Str, 14 Con and upping the Dex to 14. 12 Con would buy you 16 Str; as bad as it is, this is probably preferable as you need bonuses on those Trip-checks. If you are not limited to Core, dump Int to all hell and pump Str and Con. 17 Str and 14 Con that way.


Dwarf seems like the only sensible race since you plan on replacing the movement issues with Dimension Dooring anyways and the Con-boost hits you where it helps. Besides, you'll be wearing heavy armor for most of your life anyways; Full-Plate is cool.

Half-Orc could be considerable if not for the Int-hit. It actually leaves you strictly worse than a Human on this pb. Full Orc would lead to slightly higher Str, but even worse Wis.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

If this is non-core, what I would do is go 2 levels of Barbarian for Pounce (CC Spirit Lion Totem) and Improved Trip (UA Wolf Totem), then 2 levels of Fighter, then 3 of Ranger, and finish off with Horizonwalker, Fist of the Forest (CC), and Deepwarden (RoS).

If your DM won't allow for alternate Totems stacking, go 2 levels of Passive Way Monk (UA) for Combat Expertise and Improved Trip.

You'll want to grab Knock Down (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#knockDown) at some point. Read it, it's good stuff.


Knock-Down [General]
Prerequisites
Base attack bonus +2, Improved Trip, Str 15.

Benefit
Whenever you deal 10 or more points of damage to your opponent in melee, you make a trip attack as a free action against the same target.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

If you want to be melee battlefield control, PsiWar may be of interest to you.

Psionic Lion's Pounce and Expansion are your two primary powers, everything else is for flavor and fun.

Here's a typical build:

Ranger1/Fighter2/PsiWar2/Slayer10/anything3

Feats:

EWP: Spiked Chain, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Trip, Shock Trooper, Leap Attack

The tactics:

Basically, you jump in, and make everything fall down go boom. Free hits on prone targets = win. With shock trooper and leap attack, you are getting 3x BAB to damage on every hit, so you are going to be hitting ridiculously hard, particularly if you start off as a race with Powerful Build to begin with.

So, in short, everything within 30' of you falls down and goes boom whenever they do anything that provokes an AoO.

[Killer Angel]

- Max Str for actually tripping things, and decent Con to...survive.


I'm playing currently an HT (thanks Saph for the idea! :smallwink:), with 12 con (after adj... :smallsigh:; well, my choice).
Having low hp it's not a big problem, it's more an impression: you will be hit a lot less than the others meleers, and this compensate. Eventually, damage spells can be a problem, depending on the style of the campaign.
to compensate the low hp, Die hard helps (twice saved my life, in the same combat), and also the level in barbarian for raging.

Keep in mind that (IMO) you need at least 14 dex, especially if you use the Enlarge potions, that drop your dex by 2 points, and you need the potential to make AoO.