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View Full Version : [3.5] Reaper build (help)



SethFahad
2010-04-01, 04:10 AM
A friend of mine, wants to create a character who wields a Scythe, wears black hooded-garments, and "harvests souls".
Yes he wants to build a Reaper (Haron:greek).

Any ideas for the build?

I was thinking of evil cleric as a base....or necromancer (???)... and then???

What PrCs? What magic weapon enh. ?

AslanCross
2010-04-01, 04:15 AM
A cleric with the War domain (for martial proficiency) and Death domain works quite well.

Clerics actually make better necromancers than wizards. For a less overpowered character, the Dread Necromancer from Heroes of Horror works quite well because it can choose a single Martial weapon to be proficient in.

It's not going to be quite as good at fighting due to the poor BAB, but it is a necromancer.

Loki Eremes
2010-04-01, 05:34 AM
Cleric is a good start, also, look for Ordained champion PrC (complete Champion)
- Full Bab
- War domain gain (could sacrifice 1 or 2 domains for extra feats)
- Spell Chaneling
- short PrC IF your friend also wants to be melee.



hope it helps you a bit

SethFahad
2010-04-01, 05:57 AM
thank you....

more builds please!!! (need to present a lot of 'em)

Greenish
2010-04-01, 06:06 AM
Cleric is a good start, also, look for Ordained champion PrC (complete Champion)
- Full Bab
- War domain gain (could sacrifice 1 or 2 domains for extra feats)
- Spell Chaneling
- short PrC IF your friend also wants to be melee.Ordained Champion is indeed awesome, but you probably want the War domain from beginning to help you qualify (free weapon focus). In the end it doesn't matter much, since OC gives you a new domain that you get to pick yourself if you already have war.

To continue with the death theme, Bone Knight (Five Nations) is 9/10 casting, full rebuking and (I think) full BAB. Rounds cleric/ordained champion out nicely.


If you have access to MoI, Evil Incarnate is, well, literally evil incarnate, though you'll need the DM's permission to change their incarnate weapon to scythe.

crazedloon
2010-04-01, 06:11 AM
I will (what is it 3rd) 3rd the cleric suggestion and to go further and suggest the consumptive field spells for the soul harvesting effect

AslanCross
2010-04-01, 07:19 AM
I will (what is it 3rd) 3rd the cleric suggestion and to go further and suggest the consumptive field spells for the soul harvesting effect

This is a good idea that I hadn't thought of. Consumptive Field indeed gives the cleric strength by burning up the souls of the dying.

PinkysBrain
2010-04-01, 07:24 AM
How about an adapted Ordained Champion of Nerull? No war domain, but he can always retrain the weapon focus feat after taking the class.

RagnaroksChosen
2010-04-01, 07:27 AM
though not along the lines of Cleric.

Mabye avenging executioner, i belive its out of C. Scoundrel.

PinkysBrain
2010-04-01, 07:37 AM
How about a Necropolitan Warmind/Souleater wielding a Necrotic Focus Scythe?

Gnaeus
2010-04-01, 09:47 AM
The word you are looking for is Reaper. I was hoping this was a thread about Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Tyrmatt
2010-04-01, 10:06 AM
The word you are looking for is Reaper. I was hoping this was a thread about Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Seconded. I was envisioning some kind of Rogue/Wizard/Archivist thing :(

SethFahad
2010-04-02, 03:57 AM
The word you are looking for is Reaper. I was hoping this was a thread about Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Oooops! Sorry! :smallredface:

Any more ideas?

Necrotic focus, ord.champ., and the consuptive field spells (awesome!!!), are perfect! thank you.

Necropolitan was my suggestion to my friend too, but then I thought of Shade template.... but LA is +4... he liked the shadow travel (sp) alot...I think it fits.

Hmmm... may a human shade (outsider) become necropolitan and thus augmented undead???? :smallconfused:

HunterOfJello
2010-04-02, 04:42 AM
Crusader -> Cleric -> Ruby Knight Vindicator



full plate + stealth + rampaging awesomeness


~~~

An evil warblade would also be a truly frightening enemy to behold.

Roc Ness
2010-04-02, 06:23 AM
... Does your friend want to be a Reaper or a Necromancer who likes dressing as a deathly apparition? :smallconfused:

Because you'd think a (thought he was called Charon?) type person would be a force of indiscriminate balance, the type to get mad at undead for not being dead, y'know, not create the kind to create them... :smallconfused:


I support the War and Death domains, and the Ruby Knight Vindicator, though. They make good reapers.

Salt_Crow
2010-04-02, 06:31 AM
Expanding on the Magic of Incarnum idea given above, one of the PrCs in the book called Necrocarnum is the class you want, flavour-wise. Its abilities focus on creation of special zombies and empowering its own power by harvesting the opponents' souls.

Or, he could just be a cleric and take Harvester of Souls (a feat) from Elder Evils or something. I haven't got the book with me right now, but it's something that prevented normal resurrection and whatnots. If for any reason the character follows an elder evil (it will not grant spells however), it's free too.

Everyman
2010-04-02, 09:15 AM
I don't have any additional builds, but I recommend one of the special metals from Complete...Warrior, I think. Basically, if a weapon made of it is used to slay a creature, said creature's soul gets trapped in the metal (only one soul per weapon at a time, new souls cause old ones to get released). A few ceremonial daggers or sickles made of that metal could help expand on the fluff, since he could quite literally collect the souls.

Incidently, said capture prevents the creature from being brought back to life.

SethFahad
2010-04-02, 09:29 AM
... Does your friend want to be a Reaper or a Necromancer who likes dressing as a deathly apparition? :smallconfused:

Because you'd think a (thought he was called Charon?) type person would be a force of indiscriminate balance, the type to get mad at undead for not being dead, y'know, not create the kind to create them... :smallconfused:

I support the War and Death domains, and the Ruby Knight Vindicator, though. They make good reapers.

I think (I must confirm it by asking him) he likes the "looks" + the soul harvesting effect. He is not much the necromancer-like-guy... I dont know, maybe a create/command/animate will be fiting.


I don't have any additional builds, but I recommend one of the special metals from Complete...Warrior, I think. Basically, if a weapon made of it is used to slay a creature, said creature's soul gets trapped in the metal (only one soul per weapon at a time, new souls cause old ones to get released). A few ceremonial daggers or sickles made of that metal could help expand on the fluff, since he could quite literally collect the souls.

Incidently, said capture prevents the creature from being brought back to life.

IIRC this was an enhancement with "positive" effect. (transport and protect the soul of a fallen friend -or your own soul in order to come back to life), no harvesting...

Everyman
2010-04-02, 09:49 AM
I could have been mistaken, but I swear there was a metal that trapped a soul in Comp. Warrior. One sec...lemme Google it.

....
....

Thinaun. That's the name of it.
"If a thinaun melee weapon is touching a creature when it dies, that creature's soul is sucked into the weapon "

the humanity
2010-04-02, 09:58 AM
you could make him a ________ with the flaw of being unable to eat food, but can eat the life essence of living creatures. maybe he got cursed by somebody. of course it could be as simple as, when he kills something he doesn't have to eat for a week.

that way he could mess with his dude to fit exactly what he wanted, I never pictured the grim reaper being able to do much spellwise besides obscuring mist and invisibility. might I propose Rogue/fighter/assassin? as long as you max out assassin once you get there, this is a deadly combination. assassin spells would suit this build I think.

Orran
2010-04-02, 10:28 AM
To be proficient with a scythe, you can pick aasimar or tiefling as a race, as outsiders they are automatically proficient with martial weapons.

SethFahad
2010-04-03, 02:18 AM
What do you think, is Mortal Hunter from BoVB a good choice?
Or maybe souleater from the same book?

PinkysBrain
2010-04-03, 02:25 AM
Mortal Hunter is okay ... but you get to deal with polymorph shenanigans ...

So the question is, do you want him to run around as a War Troll?

Roc Ness
2010-04-03, 02:30 AM
I think (I must confirm it by asking him) he likes the "looks" + the soul harvesting effect. He is not much the necromancer-like-guy... I dont know, maybe a create/command/animate will be fiting.

If he likes the looks and the soul harvesting, then maybe he could look for something that makes use of the intimidate skill? Or just put a whole bunch of ranks in it?

Also, just as a side thing, d'you reckon you can hear souls whispering from within the Thinaun metal?


... there isn't anything good left I can suggest that hasn't already been suggested. Maybe Duskblade who loves channelling Vampiric Touch? :smallconfused:


Also, as for the Soul Eater, it doesn't seem very useful for a necromancer until level 9 as it doesn't progress casting or undead turning, and then that only works best with prisoners. Generally monsters will have so many hit dice using energy drain offensively is pointless except as a weak buff, and as a touch attack it seems a bit risky for anything squishy. That said, it is useful for someone looking to hit things with a big (soul-catching) stick, what with full BaB, excellent saves and the ability to get an all day buff starting from the first encounter of the day. Heck, you could drain an ally and get a caster to restore the level...

Optimator
2010-04-03, 07:18 PM
Ruby Knight Vindicator comes to mind. Dunno if it's been mentioned yet, but it's perfect. Complicated for a new player, potentially.

PinkysBrain
2010-04-03, 07:22 PM
Also, as for the Soul Eater, it doesn't seem very useful for a necromancer until level 9
You wouldn't use Soul Eater with a caster, more likely a warblade.

Roc Ness
2010-04-03, 07:48 PM
I guess. The biggest perk of Soul Eater is that once you hit level 9 you get to make infinite numbers of wights which make infinite numbers of wights and so forth

PinkysBrain
2010-04-03, 08:20 PM
At level 6 you can be draining 3 levels with your necrotic focus scythe on a full attack with haste, throw in Stormguard Warrior and let the games begin.

Trodon
2010-04-03, 09:17 PM
This is the best that I have found. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6248489#post6248489

PinkysBrain
2010-04-03, 10:00 PM
Meh, looks like primarily still a spellcaster to me ... inability to combine Spellscythe with a full attack means you won't be using it much. If you're buffed for melee you want to make full attacks, if you aren't buffed for melee what are you doing in melee?

BenTheJester
2010-04-03, 10:40 PM
The answer, as always, is wizard.

The following might get you a few books thrown at you:

Silverbrow Human Wizard 20
ACF: Planar Wizard, for the level 10 ability.

Feat to take:
-Snowcasting: Adds [Cold] descriptor to spells
-Draconic Aura [Cold]: Up to +4 DC to cold spells
-Cold Focus+Greater Cold Focus: +2 DC to cold spells
-Spell Focus+Greater Spell Focus [Necromancy]: +2 DC to necromancy spells
-Violate Spell: +1 Metamagic, adds [Evil] descriptor to spells(and spell damage is half Vile damage)
-Malign Spell Focus: +2 DC to evil spells

Other:
-Greater Planar Binding a Succubus with max levels in Fiend of Corruption and Fiend of Possession.
Mindrape said succubus, making it your loyal follower who will stay with you forever, and have it possess you and give you a +7 bonus to your spellcasting stat (+4 Profane and +3 Unnamed).

-Use Souls in Larval form, +2 DC(optional spell component)

-Use Mushroom Powder, for +2 to Int

-Wear Icemail armor +2 DC to all [cold] spells; also no arcane spell faliure for [cold] spells
found here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20030323a

Your Int should be around 46 (18[starting stats]+3[venerable]+5[levels]+5[tome]+6+7[succubus]+2[mushroom])
--------------------------

What you get is +33(34 vs good creatures) DC.

So now you go around, dressed in a black cloak, wielding a scythe you're not even proficient with and cast Fingers of Death at DC 51-52.


[i]I'd like to note that this was mostly taken on BG, but I lost the link to the original thread

SethFahad
2010-04-04, 03:47 AM
I guess. The biggest perk of Soul Eater is that once you hit level 9 you get to make infinite numbers of wights which make infinite numbers of wights and so forth

Can you do that?!?!?!? :smalleek: I mean, is it ok by the rules?
I thought summons don't summon....:smallconfused:

olentu
2010-04-04, 03:56 AM
Can you do that?!?!?!? :smalleek: I mean, is it ok by the rules?
I thought summons don't summon....:smallconfused:

I don't think the wights are summons rather when the negative levels kill them they become wights you control instead of how they normally become an uncontrolled wight or whatever so basically what rebukers can do but with more wights under your direct control. Though all this hinges on me remembering the ability correctly.

SlyGuyMcFly
2010-04-04, 05:14 AM
Eldritch Glaivelock. Sure wielding a scythe is cool and all. But I find that the 'personification of death' is quite improved when the scythe is constructed entirely of unholy energies of death, destruction and decay. But maybe that's just me.

Maybe splash some Eldtritch Disciple for cleric-y goodness. Travel Devotion being a great option getting the most out of the Glaive.

Roc Ness
2010-04-04, 06:06 AM
Can you do that?!?!?!? :smalleek: I mean, is it ok by the rules?
I thought summons don't summon....:smallconfused:

The rules don't say anything. With normal create undead, theres a limit, but this just says "any creature you kill with your energy drain attack becomes a wight under your control" and there is no mentioned limit to the number of wights your wight can control either.

So you could just knock out everybody in a small village, round them up, hold them each of them for less than half a minute and hey presto, small band of wights. Repeat this process through the next couple of small village, hey presto, small army of wights. Now just keep travelling the world 'till you got enough wights, invade a large metropolis with a ridiculously large number of wights, hey presto, wight creation centre, etc, etc.