Bakkan
2009-11-13, 01:38 AM
There are some character archetypes built around the idea of randomness and chaos, involving luck feats and the like. I wanted to see what the options are for a character who would never (or almost never) have to touch a die, but simply say "I do this" and do it. Many people would not like to play a character like this (heck, I'm not sure I would), but perhaps some might. In any case, this could become a reference for people who always seem to fail one type of die roll.
Please provide feedback and other options for eliminating die rolls. Thanks in advance.
Let's take a look at what die rolls are used for
Weapon or spell attack rolls
Miss chances
Weapon or spell damage/effects
Caster level checks
Saving throws
Skill and ability checks
Initiative checks
Other miscellaneous rolls (like the chance of a Teleport error)
Let us suppose that forcing opponents to roll dice is OK.
Weapon or spell attack rolls
At this point, there are a few known ways to avoid a roll when taking an action requiring an attack roll. Some of those are given here.
The Weapon Supremacy feat (PHB2) allows an 18th level Fighter to take 10 on one attack with his chosen weapon per round
The Aura of Perfect Order stance (ToB) allows the initiator to take 11 on one attack per round
Miss chances
This will rarely come up if a player is not making attack rolls. However, ways to avoid making a miss chance roll include the Improved Precise Shot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedPreciseShot) feat for ranged attacks.
Weapon or spell damage/effects
Some ways to avoid making rolls for damage or effects are
Using a weapon that is small enough to only do 1 damage
Using a weapon that deals 1d2 damage and having an ability that allows a reroll of damage dice that come up 1 (Combining this with Aura of Chaos if of course not recommended)
Using spells whose effect do not depend on dice, e.g. Heal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/heal.htm), Harm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/harm.htm), most buffs, the Vigor line of spells (SpC), and most crowd control spells.
Caster level checks
Here you have two options:
Pump your caster level to the roof so you atuo-succeed on any caster level check that comes your way (requires mid-high levels and often much gp)
Do not use spells that allow SR, make dispel checks, or cast from a scroll of too high a level
Saving throws
In some ways saving throws are the most problematic of the dice rolls to eliminate. They fail on a natural 1, like attack rolls, but there is (usually) little way to avoid situations where a saving throw will be necessary. a solution, then, would be a way to both be sure you could pass the save and eliminate the chance of failing by rolling a 1. Enter Tome of Battle, and the Diamond Mind counters Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought, and Mind over Body. These maneuvers let you replace a Will, Reflex, or Fort save (respectively) with a Concentration check that explicitly does not fail on a natural 1. Also, since skills scale much faster than saves, it's far easier to get a Concentration check high enough to essentially auto-pass anything even remotely level-appropriate.
Incidentally, for dips Warblade is preferable to Swordsage, since the Warblade can recover all three maneuvers as a swift action his next turn. However, a Swordsage with the Adaptive Style feat (ToB) would work nearly as well.
The big downside to this is that both Warblade and Swordsage are martial characters, so they have the same difficulties with avoiding attack rolls that all combat-oriented characters do.
Here's an example build that doesn't have to worry about saves from level 6 on:
Warblade 6 or Swordsage 6(up to 2 levels may be replaced with other classes, but if so, Warblade or Swordsage must be the last level taken - we need initiator level 5 to get Mind over Body)
Maneuvers Readied include Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought, and Mind over Body
Feats: 6th level - Steady Concentration (RoS) - Allows character to take 10 on Concentration checks
Items: Tunic of Steady Spellcasting (MiC) - +5 competence bonus on Concentration checks (2500 gp)
Constitution score at least 18
Concentration check:
10 Take 10 + 9 ranks + 4 Con mod + 5 Tunic = 28 Concentration check, every time.
I'm pretty sure that no CR 6 encounter will have a save DC higher than 28, which is equivalent to a 9th-level spell cast by someone with a primary stat of 28
So for an investment of one feat and 2500 gp, we get essential immunity to anything requiring a save.
As our levels increase, we just have to keep putting skill points into Concentration. If we keep it maxed out, we will always be able to pass a save with DC less than or equal to our level + 22. If even more save is needed, the Third Eye Concentration (MiC, 10,000 gp) grants a +10 competence bonus to Concentration, Githcraft armor or shield from the DMG2 gives another +1 for minimal investment along with some other caster-friendly goodies, and Skill Focus(Concentration) is still available to us
Incidentally, this can be accomplished with only a 1-level dip in Warblade or Swordsage if one waits until 9th level to take it.
Skill and ability checks
Skill checks are probably the easiest rolls to avoid - they don't fail on a natural 1, and they can reach high modifiers extremely quickly. If someone wants to link a good skill check optimization guide, I'll link it here.
Ability checks also do not fail on a natural 1 but are not as easy to get to insane levels. In this case Moment of Prescience (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/momentOfPrescience.htm) and similar spells are your best friend.
Initiative checks
Like saves, it usually impossible to completely avoid situations where you need to roll for initiative (unless you never use combat in your game, but then why are you worried about reducing the amount of rolling you do?). One could, in theory, get an initiative modifier 19 higher than anyone else in combat, which would ensure you go first. Ways of doing this include
The ever-popular Improved Initiative feat
The Moment of Prescience spell (an Initiative check is technically a Dexterity ability check)
The Nerveskitter spell (SpC)
The Hummingbird familiar (Dragon magazine) grants a +4 bonus to your initiative checks. There is a feat (don't have the reference) that doubles the numerical bonus your familiar gives you, which would bump it up to a +8
Other miscellaneous rolls
The easiest way to avoid a roll is to not take actions that would make the roll necessary. For example, you could never cast Teleport (or Augury, or others of this type of spell). However, going so far as to literally never want to touch a die would probably prove detrimental to most games.
Please suggest any other methods of eliminating some or all of a certain type of roll. Eventually, perhaps we can get a build for the No-Dice King.
Please provide feedback and other options for eliminating die rolls. Thanks in advance.
Let's take a look at what die rolls are used for
Weapon or spell attack rolls
Miss chances
Weapon or spell damage/effects
Caster level checks
Saving throws
Skill and ability checks
Initiative checks
Other miscellaneous rolls (like the chance of a Teleport error)
Let us suppose that forcing opponents to roll dice is OK.
Weapon or spell attack rolls
At this point, there are a few known ways to avoid a roll when taking an action requiring an attack roll. Some of those are given here.
The Weapon Supremacy feat (PHB2) allows an 18th level Fighter to take 10 on one attack with his chosen weapon per round
The Aura of Perfect Order stance (ToB) allows the initiator to take 11 on one attack per round
Miss chances
This will rarely come up if a player is not making attack rolls. However, ways to avoid making a miss chance roll include the Improved Precise Shot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedPreciseShot) feat for ranged attacks.
Weapon or spell damage/effects
Some ways to avoid making rolls for damage or effects are
Using a weapon that is small enough to only do 1 damage
Using a weapon that deals 1d2 damage and having an ability that allows a reroll of damage dice that come up 1 (Combining this with Aura of Chaos if of course not recommended)
Using spells whose effect do not depend on dice, e.g. Heal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/heal.htm), Harm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/harm.htm), most buffs, the Vigor line of spells (SpC), and most crowd control spells.
Caster level checks
Here you have two options:
Pump your caster level to the roof so you atuo-succeed on any caster level check that comes your way (requires mid-high levels and often much gp)
Do not use spells that allow SR, make dispel checks, or cast from a scroll of too high a level
Saving throws
In some ways saving throws are the most problematic of the dice rolls to eliminate. They fail on a natural 1, like attack rolls, but there is (usually) little way to avoid situations where a saving throw will be necessary. a solution, then, would be a way to both be sure you could pass the save and eliminate the chance of failing by rolling a 1. Enter Tome of Battle, and the Diamond Mind counters Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought, and Mind over Body. These maneuvers let you replace a Will, Reflex, or Fort save (respectively) with a Concentration check that explicitly does not fail on a natural 1. Also, since skills scale much faster than saves, it's far easier to get a Concentration check high enough to essentially auto-pass anything even remotely level-appropriate.
Incidentally, for dips Warblade is preferable to Swordsage, since the Warblade can recover all three maneuvers as a swift action his next turn. However, a Swordsage with the Adaptive Style feat (ToB) would work nearly as well.
The big downside to this is that both Warblade and Swordsage are martial characters, so they have the same difficulties with avoiding attack rolls that all combat-oriented characters do.
Here's an example build that doesn't have to worry about saves from level 6 on:
Warblade 6 or Swordsage 6(up to 2 levels may be replaced with other classes, but if so, Warblade or Swordsage must be the last level taken - we need initiator level 5 to get Mind over Body)
Maneuvers Readied include Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought, and Mind over Body
Feats: 6th level - Steady Concentration (RoS) - Allows character to take 10 on Concentration checks
Items: Tunic of Steady Spellcasting (MiC) - +5 competence bonus on Concentration checks (2500 gp)
Constitution score at least 18
Concentration check:
10 Take 10 + 9 ranks + 4 Con mod + 5 Tunic = 28 Concentration check, every time.
I'm pretty sure that no CR 6 encounter will have a save DC higher than 28, which is equivalent to a 9th-level spell cast by someone with a primary stat of 28
So for an investment of one feat and 2500 gp, we get essential immunity to anything requiring a save.
As our levels increase, we just have to keep putting skill points into Concentration. If we keep it maxed out, we will always be able to pass a save with DC less than or equal to our level + 22. If even more save is needed, the Third Eye Concentration (MiC, 10,000 gp) grants a +10 competence bonus to Concentration, Githcraft armor or shield from the DMG2 gives another +1 for minimal investment along with some other caster-friendly goodies, and Skill Focus(Concentration) is still available to us
Incidentally, this can be accomplished with only a 1-level dip in Warblade or Swordsage if one waits until 9th level to take it.
Skill and ability checks
Skill checks are probably the easiest rolls to avoid - they don't fail on a natural 1, and they can reach high modifiers extremely quickly. If someone wants to link a good skill check optimization guide, I'll link it here.
Ability checks also do not fail on a natural 1 but are not as easy to get to insane levels. In this case Moment of Prescience (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/momentOfPrescience.htm) and similar spells are your best friend.
Initiative checks
Like saves, it usually impossible to completely avoid situations where you need to roll for initiative (unless you never use combat in your game, but then why are you worried about reducing the amount of rolling you do?). One could, in theory, get an initiative modifier 19 higher than anyone else in combat, which would ensure you go first. Ways of doing this include
The ever-popular Improved Initiative feat
The Moment of Prescience spell (an Initiative check is technically a Dexterity ability check)
The Nerveskitter spell (SpC)
The Hummingbird familiar (Dragon magazine) grants a +4 bonus to your initiative checks. There is a feat (don't have the reference) that doubles the numerical bonus your familiar gives you, which would bump it up to a +8
Other miscellaneous rolls
The easiest way to avoid a roll is to not take actions that would make the roll necessary. For example, you could never cast Teleport (or Augury, or others of this type of spell). However, going so far as to literally never want to touch a die would probably prove detrimental to most games.
Please suggest any other methods of eliminating some or all of a certain type of roll. Eventually, perhaps we can get a build for the No-Dice King.