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View Full Version : Getting the most out of awesome ability scores [3.5]



Bugbeartrap
2009-11-18, 03:29 PM
So for a very casual game with my brother I end up rolling: 18, 18, 16, 15, 14, and 14 with the roll 4d6 drop the lowest method. So after shattering my belief in probability, I have no idea what character to make to best take advantage of the awesome scores. All party roles are already filled so I can play whatever I want. I was thinking of a death knight sort of character, or something a little shady, as I'm joining the group late and would be an outsider anyway.

Anyway, to the point of the post, what would you do with insane scores?

streakster
2009-11-18, 03:31 PM
Head straight for the Chameleon PrC, and never look back.

Mongoose87
2009-11-18, 03:31 PM
Well, you could play any class usually hampered by MAD. For your shady Death Knight, you could play a Paladin of Tyranny.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#paladinofTyrannyClassF eatures

BRC
2009-11-18, 03:33 PM
So for a very casual game with my brother I end up rolling: 18, 18, 16, 15, 14, and 14 with the roll 4d6 drop the lowest method. So after shattering my belief in probability, I have no idea what character to make to best take advantage of the awesome scores. All party roles are already filled so I can play whatever I want. I was thinking of a death knight sort of character, or something a little shady, as I'm joining the group late and would be an outsider anyway.

Anyway, to the point of the post, what would you do with insane scores?

Monk


....what, don't look at me like that.

but seriously, Factotums are good, stick one of those 18's in Intelligence, distribute the rest as you see fit. Not only will you have the class features to handle any situation, you'll have the stats to back it up.

This build could make a nasty Rogue as well.

shadow_archmagi
2009-11-18, 03:35 PM
I'd play a swordsage or a sorcerer.

Shademan
2009-11-18, 03:36 PM
use one of the monk variants. great fun!

Draz74
2009-11-18, 03:38 PM
At the moment, I'm rather fond of Warblade/Master of Nine, with dips in Swordsage and Fighter.

18 Str
18 Dex
15 Con
14 Int
16 Wis
14 Cha

Uber.

Totally Guy
2009-11-18, 03:49 PM
Monk


....what, don't look at me like that.

Monk, for a couple of levels, but then make it into a spell blasting gish somehow.

Keld Denar
2009-11-18, 03:54 PM
Tashalatora!!!!

Good Str helps tripping and grappling, along with Expansion.
Good Dex helps with AoOs, despite penalties to Combat Reflexes from being Enlarged.
Good Wis helps your AC, and gives you more PPs to play with.
Good Con helps you not die, because I hear its rather uncomfortable.
Goodish Int gives you skills, because PsyWars actually get some decent skills.
Goodish Cha, cause no one likes a smelly wrestler...

Telonius
2009-11-18, 03:57 PM
Wizard.

Str 14
Dex 14
Con 16
Int 18
Wis 15
Cha 18

Who says the Bard has to be the pretty one? :smallcool:

Demons_eye
2009-11-18, 04:13 PM
I would go with totemist or maybe warlock.

Eldariel
2009-11-18, 04:23 PM
Go for a Cleric. Cloistered Cleric, even. They can make use of good ability scores to do everything.

streakster
2009-11-18, 05:07 PM
I just realized. If you take Chameleon, you can fluff your focuses, feats, and ability boons as gifts from the Dark Lords for your Death Knight concept.


You do the whole circle with star, candles, etc thing, then:

"Lord of War! Lend me thy STEEL!"
"Lord of Flames! Lend me thine POWER!"
"I ask for STRENGTH! I ask for KNOWLEDGE!"


Then an armored demon, a fiery one, a muscular one and a floaty brain one show up, and you absorb them (or eat them!), gaining your powers for the day(Martial focus, Divine Spellcasting, strength bonus, and Knowledge Devotion feat, in this example). Then, next day, you do it again.

PinkysBrain
2009-11-18, 05:10 PM
Monk, for a couple of levels, but then make it into a spell blasting gish somehow.
Enlightened Fist is a pretty good PrC.

AslanCross
2009-11-18, 05:15 PM
1. Tashalatora Monk/Psychic Warrior.
2. Swordsage/Psychic Warrior.
3. Warblade/Duskblade

Thurbane
2009-11-18, 08:30 PM
Archivist, or one of the other dual-ability caster's (Favored Soul etc.). Stick the 18s into Int and Wis, 16 in Con and then as you see fit.

aje8
2009-11-18, 08:41 PM
I'd probably do Factotum. Int and all of the physical ability scores are important to a Factotum, and then you have the stats to throw a decent score into wisdom for spot/listen and a decent one into cha so you can be the party face. This configuration makes you truly versatile in a reasonably strong class which can truly take advantage of your strong rolls.

I'd probably place em like this for a Factotum:
Str: 18
Dex: 15
Con: 16
Int: 18
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 14

Holocron Coder
2009-11-18, 09:39 PM
Psychic Warrior

Str 18
Dex 15
Con 16
Int 14
Wis 18
Cha 14

valadil
2009-11-18, 10:36 PM
Not just wizard, venerable wizard.

Akal Saris
2009-11-18, 10:41 PM
Archivist, or one of the other dual-ability caster's (Favored Soul etc.). Stick the 18s into Int and Wis, 16 in Con and then as you see fit.

I'm with Thurbane on this one.

Temet Nosce
2009-11-18, 10:44 PM
So for a very casual game with my brother I end up rolling: 18, 18, 16, 15, 14, and 14 with the roll 4d6 drop the lowest method. So after shattering my belief in probability, I have no idea what character to make to best take advantage of the awesome scores. All party roles are already filled so I can play whatever I want. I was thinking of a death knight sort of character, or something a little shady, as I'm joining the group late and would be an outsider anyway.

Anyway, to the point of the post, what would you do with insane scores?

Swordsage, and abuse the X stat to Y bonus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125732) stuff. Particularly for Dex.

Hawk7915
2009-11-19, 12:48 AM
I think Duskblade actually does a great job of emulating a WoW style "Death Knight" if you invest a few feats (or fighter level) in wearing plate, and with stats like that the Duskblade's slight MAD won't matter at all. You get Ghoul Touch (Icy Touch), Blade of Blood (can't be more perfect for a DK), Vampiric Touch (Death Strike), Shocking Grasp (Oblivion), etc, with some juicy debuffs (RAY OF ENFEEBLEMENT!) and self-buffs as well. All you need is Death Grip :smallamused:

I'd assign stats like so:
STR: 18
DEX: 15
CON: 16
INT: 18
WIS: 14
CHA: 14

For feats, take Power Attack (obviously), and then if you really want the DK feel take Heavy Armor proficiency and Battle Caster (so that your ability to wear medium and have no penalty goes up to include heavy as well). From there, take Arcane Strike, Combat Reflexes, and whatever else you like. If the game is casual and low on optimiztation you should quickly become the party's dark, tortured, and suspicious MVP :smallbiggrin:

Duke of URL
2009-11-19, 08:30 AM
I really like Glaivelock (melee Warlock/Hellfire Warlock) here, but then, I'm an invoker fan.

STR 15
DEX 18
CON 18
INT 14
WIS 14
CHA 16

Swap CON and CHA if you're going for invocations allowing saving throws, but a glaivelock generally doesn't need to. Take Weapon Finesse, Medium Armor Proficiency, and Battle Caster, and you can be wearing mithril full plate (and you can afford it, as you don't need to buy a weapon). Invocations should focus on damage increases to the eldritch blast and self-buffs.

Why bother with Weapon Finesse? It allows you to focus on DEX for both melee and ranged AB, as well as the AC bonus (though the latter will be capped by your armor choice, of course).

dsmiles
2009-11-19, 08:35 AM
I don't think I've ever rolled like that (I generally - with racial modifiers - end up with approximately 15s across the board), but something that can take advantage of multible high ability scores...monk, beguiler, bard, rogue, paladin...maybe some others.

subject42
2009-11-19, 08:36 AM
What level are we talking?

Swashbuckler 3 / Factotum 8 / Chameleon x is a blast, especially if you take the right feats and items.

Eloel
2009-11-19, 08:53 AM
15 Str
18 Dex
14 Con
18 Int
14 Wis
16 Cha

Be Human, or any race with +Int. Go Rogue. With 13 SP/level, you should have plenty of skills. With high Dex and Cha, you're getting 'high' ability bonuses to pretty much any skill that matters.