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gdiddy
2010-03-11, 04:19 PM
Okay, I'm making a bodyguard for a king for a game I'm playing in a few months. I have weird build parameters, as this is for a low magic setting and involves heavy role play. He's going to be a younger son from a family of humans that are famous for drow hunting.

This guy is also going to be a bodyguard to a king. So he'll need to be somewhat useful at spotting danger.

He's either 8th or 10th level when the campaign begins.

I can use any official WotC materials, as long as he does not use magic or psionics. This also precludes all ToM and Incarnum stuff.

The only magic items I could get for him was a set of +1 spiked mithral full plate and a +1 Bastard Sword of Collision. Any build would have to use these.

He has three Flaws, all of which buy a feat: Murky-Eyed, Shaky, and Migraines (Homebrew).

He also has the Quickness trait.

His rolled stats are 10, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17.

Ideas, gentlemen?

Eldariel
2010-03-11, 04:23 PM
Crusader? With a shield and Shield Ward and Shield Block and the like? And ally-healing maneuvers and Thicket of Blades? And maybe some levels in that 3.0 Devoted Defender, for Defensive Strike and Harm's Way. There are also some feats that help.

subject42
2010-03-11, 04:39 PM
The full-plate is a problem, but it might be worth it to consider a rogue. They have a lot of skill points and have spot, listen, and sense motive as class skills.

If he has good initiative and doesn't have a problem with being a bit trigger happy, a full attack's worth of sneak attack would probably eliminate potential threats before a great big meatwall became necessary.

If you take the feat rogue ACF, you could even up his AC and HP a bit.

Optimystik
2010-03-11, 04:43 PM
No Magic, Psionics, ToM or Incarnum leaves only ToB.

(Unless you (a) just want him to swing a stick around or (b) Consider dragonbreath/draconic auras not to fall under the above.)

BRC
2010-03-11, 04:45 PM
Knights make good bodyguards. They're highly survivable, and can use Test of Mettle to draw enemies fire, also, they tend to have good charisma scores, useful in an RP heavy campaign.

Dr Bwaa
2010-03-11, 04:45 PM
I think Sword and Fist is 3.0, but the Devoted Defender PrC in that book is really flavorful and pretty fun (even though it's not super strong, it does give some really useful bodyguard abilities, full BAB, etc).

EDIT: Ninjas :smallfrown:

lord_khaine
2010-03-11, 04:47 PM
If you could get the platemail downgradet to a breastplate then i would recomend swordsage/shadowdancer, letting him stay hidden in the kings shadow all day long without anyone even knowing the king has a elite bodyguard.

Lysander
2010-03-11, 04:53 PM
If he's known for hunting drow maybe you can homebrew a variant ranger that gives up spellcasting progression in exchange for a few feats (starting with heavy armor proficiency at early levels). Having an animal companion would also make it easier to keep a watch for assassins.

AslanCross
2010-03-11, 04:54 PM
My favorite tank build is Knight/Crusader. An even split of both if he's level 10 gives him the Knight's most important "defender" abilities: Bulwark of Defense and Vigilant Defender.

Crusader will give him Thicket of Blades. That's pretty difficult to navigate already, but it would be moreso if he used a reach weapon like a Glaive or Guisarme instead so he can threaten a larger area. He can use his spiked armor when people close in past his polearm.

Bibliomancer
2010-03-11, 05:04 PM
I'd second the recommendation for swordsage (especially if you can downgrade the armor to breastplate: failing that, you can give him Armor Proficiency (Medium) as one of his feats from flaws.). The hearing the hair stance grants blindsense (highly useful) constantly. Combine that with a few feats for Snatch Arrows, and you have a good chance of stopping any non-spell threat that gets close to the king.

Since this is a low-magic campaign, I assume that warforged are off-limits. To minimize time spent sleeping, I'd recommend making him an elf. Trance only lasts 4 hours, and blindsense from the stance hearing the air (level 5) remains active during this time, providing him with both a mechanical and logical reason to jump into action at a moment's notice (since elves trance, it would be easier for them to go from resting to combat in no time flat).

Nero24200
2010-03-11, 05:08 PM
You may find the feats Constant Guaridan and Dutiful Guaridan from drow of the Underdark to be useful.

One let's you increase the AC of a neabye ally (not that great), but the other allows you to swap places with them as an immediate action.

Kelb_Panthera
2010-03-11, 06:28 PM
Sounds like a ranger/tactical soldier to me, using the one of the non-spellcasting ranger variants of course.

gdiddy
2010-03-11, 07:18 PM
I definitely agree with the ToB sentiment on here. However, I doubt this DM, who specified this character will have nothing magical about him, whatsoever, would be happy with swordsage or crusader. That leaves me with warblade.

As far as strategy, I am really left with eliminating threats before they even become a problem. This kind of calls for Leap Attacking Shock Trooper, with White Raven strikes, of course.

I might grab a level of rogue to up my spot and listen.


Any ideas for this build?

Optimystik
2010-03-11, 07:21 PM
Show him the (Ex) next to most of the maneuvers. If he complains, buy him a magnifying glass.

gdiddy
2010-03-11, 07:27 PM
Show him the (Ex) next to most of the maneuvers. If he complains, buy him a magnifying glass.

Then he would say "That is fire damage, on your non-magic ability. Is that from the friction that stupid rule makes against reality? Thank you for the magnifying glass."

lsfreak
2010-03-11, 07:30 PM
Then he would say "That is fire damage, on your non-magic ability. Is that from the friction that stupid rule makes against reality? Thank you for the magnifying glass."

Actually, those are [Su]. Just say you won't take anything that's not [Ex].

Eldariel
2010-03-11, 07:34 PM
Actually, those are [Su]. Just say you won't take anything that's not [Ex].

Uhm, just say you're not a Swordsage. The schools with Su maneuvers are all Swordsage-exclusives. Crusader or Warblade has nothing such to worry about (though the healing maneuvers are weird and thus require a bit of odd fluffing to work with; mostly, remembering that HP is an abstraction and playing on that a bit).

Swordsage covers the mystic warrior archetypes. Crusader can too sorta, but mostly Crusader and Warblade are martial.

Tinydwarfman
2010-03-11, 07:36 PM
half-minotaur Fighter 8/ Crusader 1 with a trip focused build and a spiked chain.
Nobody moves towards your ward, else they land on their face.

Optimystik
2010-03-11, 07:44 PM
half-minotaur Fighter 8/ Crusader 1 with a trip focused build and a spiked chain.
Nobody moves towards your ward, else they land on their face.

"Sire, I have this decree for your sig-" *courier's feet yanked out from under him*

JoshuaZ
2010-03-11, 07:57 PM
Warblade has no access to anything (Su) and almost all their maneuvers are actually sensible in that regard. Presumably a bodyguard should have high ranks in things like sense motive and spot, so maybe take a 1 or 2 level dip into rogue?

Lycanthromancer
2010-03-11, 08:19 PM
Multiclass ToB (focusing on non-Su abilities, of course), or factotum are my suggestions (see if you can exchange Arcane Dilettante for a bonus feat every 4 levels).

Who better to prevent assassins than another assassin?

Warforged would actually be really good for this, since they don't need to eat, sleep, or breathe, which can give you an edge in unusual situations.

Thurbane
2010-03-11, 08:29 PM
I'm also going to suggest Knight. Also, the feats in DotU (Constant Guardian, Dutiful Guardian) are appropriate, as mentioned.

If you don't want to go Knight, the Tactical Soldier (MH) gets a similar type of "shield ally" ability to the Knight.

Bibliomancer
2010-03-11, 10:29 PM
Warforged would actually be really good for this, since they don't need to eat, sleep, or breathe, which can give you an edge in unusual situations.

Unfortunately, warforged are MAGIC ROBOTS, so I would be rather surprised if they weren't banned (I mentioned this in my above post). Elves minimize the time spent unconscious, though.

Warblade doesn't need levels in rogue, since Hearing the Air grants blindsense. Combine with snatch arrows to reduce ranged threats, and you're set.

gdiddy
2010-03-12, 01:33 AM
Alright, decided to go straight Warblade 10.

These are the Feats and maneuvers I've picked so far for level 10:

Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Surprising Riposte, Leap Attack, Shock Trooper, (Room for One More, I might try to sell him on a Martial Study: Shadow Stride)

• Moment of Perfect Mind (Diamond Mind) (Counter Level 1) (Pg 64)
• Emerald Strike (Diamond Mind) (Strike Level 2) (Pg 62)
• Hearing the Air (Diamond Mind) (Stance Level 5) (Pg 63)
• Wall of Blades (Iron Heart) (Counter Level 2) (Pg 70)
• Absolute Steel Stance (Iron Heart) (Stance Level 3) (Pg 66)
• Iron Heart Surge (Iron Heart) (Level 3) (Pg 68)
• Mithral Tornado (Iron Heart) (Strike Level 4) (Pg 69)
• Battle Leader's Charge (White Raven) (Strike Level 2) (Pg 90)
• White Raven Tactics (White Raven) (Boost Level 3) (Pg 94)
• Covering Strike (White Raven) (Boost Level 4) (Pg 91)
• Leading the Charge (White Raven) (Stance Level 1) (Pg 92)

Draz74
2010-03-12, 02:11 AM
• Hearing the Air (Diamond Mind) (Stance Level 5) (Pg 63)
• Absolute Steel Stance (Iron Heart) (Stance Level 3) (Pg 66)
• Leading the Charge (White Raven) (Stance Level 1) (Pg 92)

Sadly, you can't have all of these at this level. When you acquired your second stance at Level 4, you weren't high enough level to pick a Level 3 stance.