ToB mindflayer pirate captain NPC

[BobVosh]

I have never looked into ToB too much, although considering how much these boards love ToB(or despises) I seek a bit of quick advice.

If my perusal of these forums is correct, warblade is Int based or helped significantly by it. CR 17-18 is what I'm shooting for, so I can fit in about 10 levels, with 4(or is it 5? away from books) HD. So my question is what stances are good, and which maneuvers so I look at? Also is anything really a trap as far as it goes?

*edit* I really have been wanting to look into doing something with ToB, this is my excuse.

[Ecalsneerg]

Traps? Not really, although Stone Dragon doesn't work while off the ground, so is meh at high levels.

For a mind flayer, I'd recommend at least some Diamond Mind. Also, ToB has some feats while work really well with psionics, so I'd use the psionic mind flayer, not the default one.

[Runestar]

The int synergy warblade has is actually fairly marginal. They are nice when they do apply, but you generally can get by just fine without them (with the possible exception of the reflex save bonus).

Assuming you let the mindflayer's 8 racial HD count towards IL, this gives you IL14 with 10 class lvs (enough for 7th lv maneuvers).

To be honest, I don't think mindflayers make good melee combatants. They should just stay as psions (using the XPH variant) and continue advancing in manifestor class lvs or go illithid savant. Or at least, I have no idea how to make them viable fighters.

[shadow_archmagi]

The int synergy warblade has is actually fairly marginal. They are nice when they do apply, but you generally can get by just fine without them (with the possible exception of the reflex save bonus).

Assuming you let the mindflayer's 8 racial HD count towards IL, this gives you IL14 with 10 class lvs (enough for 7th lv maneuvers).

To be honest, I don't think mindflayers make good melee combatants. They should just stay as psions (using the XPH variant) and continue advancing in manifestor class lvs or go illithid savant. Or at least, I have no idea how to make them viable fighters.

He's building a ninja pirate captain mindflayer.

I'm not sure optimization is really his goal

[Ecalsneerg]

Isn't there a PrC for melee mind flayers that lets you smash people's faces with metal-spiked tentacles?

[sonofzeal]

He's building a ninja pirate captain mindflayer.

I'm not sure optimization is really his goal
In that case, I'd recommend Swordsage. In light armor they get better AC, better initiative, and are far more ninja-pirate in tone and flavour. Shadow Hand maneuvers capture the Ninja side, and I could see a slightly reflavoured Setting Sun (themed around dirty tricks and counters) capturing the Pirate side. Shadow Sun Ninja is purely optional.

The downside is you key off Wis instead of Int, but fortunately Mindflayers are solid on both and stat-synergy is honestly of secondary concern to most ToBers.

[Runestar]

Isn't there a PrC for melee mind flayers that lets you smash people's faces with metal-spiked tentacles?

In the underdark FR book. You can opt to forgo the use of your SLAs, but gain a number of melee-related abilities.

What about a rogue/swashbuckler combination with daring outlaw? There is the tricky part of your mediocre bab, but you get to add SA damage to your 4 tentacle attacks.

If we assume rogue is non-associated, this gives us mindflayer rogue8/swashbuckler5/swordsage1? Cr18, you can get up to +9d6 SA with assassin's stance (or 7d6 without). Bab+17 (bab+16, ebab+1). Swordsage lets you select up to 6th lv maneuvers.

[sonofzeal]

In the underdark FR book. You can opt to forgo the use of your SLAs, but gain a number of melee-related abilities.

"Illithid Body Tamer", page 36. Requires Illithid, illithidkin, or a creature with the half-illithid template. Unrated in the PrC Tier System last I checked. I should give it a read through....

[BobVosh]

Metal tentacle destruction? Sounds awesome...

Also yes, I am going more for fun melee with illithid, not optimized. Its a huge campaign arc vs illithid, and the optimized psion and cerebralmancers types can come later. First is sounding something like Metalbeard.