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View Full Version : [3.5] King of Smack warforms?



knightMARE
2010-07-08, 11:20 AM
I'm playing a level 20 ardent, based on the King of Smack build. However, I'm having trouble picking a decent metamorphosis / greater metamorphosis form for my character to be in during combat. One of the ones I picked as a possibility is the Choker (as I have Metamorphic Transfer, and I like extra actions). Any other good forms people can think of?

Keld Denar
2010-07-08, 11:24 AM
War Troll (MMIII) is a classic. Sexy regen only overcome by acid, a whomping 34ish Str, large size and a couple other goodies.

Eldariel
2010-07-08, 01:09 PM
War Troll (MMIII) is a classic. Sexy regen only overcome by acid, a whomping 34ish Str, large size and a couple other goodies.

The awesome thing is 29 Con (if you have means to add Con to anything like AC, that's just huge)! Though only 31 Str. It's a wonderful combat form; Keld understates one of its biggest advantages in Dazing Blow. Every attack you make is basically a Save-or-Die. Derived off your immense Constitution, no less!


Quick excerpt from my Shapechange-guide (mostly applies to Greater Metamorphosis too):
Chronotyryn [Fiend Folio]/Choker [MM]: Chronotyryn is a far more respectable form in every other way (has some handy special attacks and such), but they share the reason to pick them; both have the ability to take extra actions each round. Choker gets one extra Standard Action while Chronotyryn gets an entire second set of actions. When you need to bury someone in spells, or have to get some convoluted combo off, or need to make the most out of Time Stop buff turns, this is for you.

Beholder [MM]/Beholderkin of all kinds [Lords of Madness]: Eye rays are a supernatural ability so you'll get the whole set. If you have any Charisma (like you do; their save DCs are Charisma-based), this can be...a wee bit brutal.

Dread Wraith/Allip/Company [MM]: Incorporeality has obvious benefits and ability draining attacks are a way to easily defeat some very tough creatures (e.g. the fabled Tarrasque-being-slain-by-an-Allip). Dread Wraith also senses things with Lifesense, they both scare animals away and have some unsettling aura and such. Also, Incorporeal gets Cha to AC by default, which can be convenient.

Nymph/Gloura/similars: Many Cha-based SLAs and more importantly, Charisma to stuff like saves, AC, etc.

Phoenix [MM2]: Can Planar Travel without error or risk on Astral or Ethereal Plane at will. Also, Spell Resistance 35, decent DR, ability to explode (dealing 40d6 damage or so) and return in perfect condition at the end of turn, 200' flight, etc. Horrible physicals, but you can just Polymorph (Any Object) afterwards (into Bearded Devil or whatever combat form you want) to sidestep that. It might also have some interesting free metamagic for your spells if they are indeed SLAs.

Nightmare [MM]: Much like Phoenix except worse physically; you get Etherealness at will and Astral Projection at will! Yeah, immortality has never been easier to achieve. Also some nice protections in some miss chances and such.

Dread Linnorm [MM2]: It has 120' Blindsight, SR 36, some decent DR, Energy Drain attacks, fine physicals, double breath weapon and a dragon's very respectable martial capabilities.

Dire Tortoise [Sandstorm]: Well, it's a very uninspiring form otherwise, except for the one little ability that says: "Always acts on the surprise round". Yeah, it's fairly damn good out-of-combat and in the beginning of combat, you can just shift to something else. When expecting fight, anyways. Otherwise, walking around as a Tortoise might be a bit weird.

12-Headed Cryo/Pyrohydra [MM]: Huge Fast Healing (24 or something; Time Stop in Hydra-form is like Heal already alone), ability to attack with all heads after movement, ability to use all heads on AoO, a very respectable combat form all things considered.

Ragewalker [MM3]: Somewhat fringe form, though Induce Bloodfrenzy is a scary Charisma-based effect; the key here is "Repel Projectiles" which does pretty much what it says; projectiles just get deflected. So they can't hit you. Ever. Things around it also take 2d6 damage per turn and it can control Living Spells. It's 22 HD though so you need some CL pumping to become one. Also, Fast Healing, some DR and poor SR.

Dusk Giant [Heroes of Horror], etc: Various unsightly things that can eat others to become stronger. One needs care here as they can pump you to truly ludicrous decrees of power with repeated feeding, which may just be a tad too much. Also here belongs Shambling Mound [MM] and the ability to repeatedly shoot you for lightning for arbitrarily high Constitution.

Solar/Balor/Pit Fiend/etc.: Good all-rounders with fine stats, natural armor, natural attacks and a useful array of special abilities. Outsiders in general tend to be of affordable HD.


For Metamorphosis, the usual Polymorph-forms are a good option. Remorhaz, Hydras, War Troll, Dragonhawk, etc.

erikun
2010-07-08, 05:40 PM
If you are using King of Smack, why not a Titan? The "classic" KoS build was with Monk/Tashalatora feat and unleashing absurdly large unarmed strikes at the enemy, so you will generally want the largest creature you can find.

Keld Denar
2010-07-08, 05:42 PM
No, thats the Tashalatoran KoS. The origional KoS was PsyWar20 that uses augemented Claws of the Beast, Augemented Expansion, and and application of Improved Natural Attack.

Tash came later.

Fax Celestis
2010-07-08, 06:59 PM
This thread needs more Rukanyr.

Three bite attacks, a slam attack (with attached Ex save-or-stun-for-1d4-rounds), and six claw attacks by itself. Fast healing 5, sonic immunity, stability, reflexive sunder, Ex DC 20 poison on bites (dealing 2d6 Dex damage as initial and secondary), and a Su roar attack that deafens all in a 60' cone and deals 12d6 sonic to one creature and all items it carries usable every 1d4 rounds.

Lycanthromancer
2010-07-08, 07:09 PM
I like girallons. They make great pouncing chargers, especially when mounted, since they have decent physical stats and can dual-wield lances two-handed (which counts for a lot). They also have humanlike builds, and so can wear equipment just fine.

Shimmerlings are good for stealth, being one of the very few Fine creatures available for use with metamorphosis. They also have a really nice Dexterity, too, though you'll need to extrapolate a shimmerling from the swarm template (it's in the MMIII).

Hydras are always good, of course. Give yourself 12 or so breath weapons, and grab a breath weapon feat or two, and you can deal some SERIOUS damage, especially if you've done some prep-work and grown an additional 12+ heads with a dozen decapitations. 72d6 cold/fire damage (24 Ref saves) is totally worth it, especially when the foe gets hit with 24 iterations of whatever breath weapon feats you have (is there a Fell Drain breath feat?).

Rust monsters are great for utility and for taking on several types of golems, and crysmals (from the XPH) are similarly good any time crystal of any kind is involved.

If you have psionic charm, you could always try the puppeteer (also from the XPH). It's a nasty little beastie. Dominate a creature and ride it around. It'll be fun!

Mimics...oh, mimics. They're awesome. Great for stealth and grappling both.