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View Full Version : [3.5] Looking for a "beatstick" ECL 17 build



Prplcheez
2010-07-27, 06:05 AM
I'm looking for some kind of a build for an ECL 17 character that just runs up and beats the opponent into a pulp. Doesn't matter what weapon (or lack thereof) or what class combination, but I'm leaning toward Fighter simply for the fighter-only feats.

Not really asking for a detailed build here, just kind of an outline of how it works. Homebrew is fine as long as it's not totally gamebreaking, and I have access to pretty much all 3.5 books. Thanks.

HunterOfJello
2010-07-27, 06:08 AM
Warblades fullfill this role very well and exemplify everything you're looking for.

Building one at ECL 17 might take a bit of time but I'm sure someone on this board could help you.

Mongoose87
2010-07-27, 07:17 AM
Make one of those Crusader/Swordsage/Master on Nine builds that get piles of always re-granting maneuvers.

PId6
2010-07-27, 08:29 AM
Warblade or Crusader both work for mundane beatstick types that are still effective at high levels. Alternatively, more magically-oriented melee classes like Duskblade or Psychic Warrior may work as well, though they tend to be a bit harder to play (PsyWar more so than Duskblade). Finally, you have true gishes, like a Soradin or Ardent/Slayer, which are the most difficult to build/play but are the most powerful.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-07-27, 09:40 AM
Assuming you can buy off a level adjustment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/reducingLevelAdjustments.htm), I'd go with a Goliath (RoS) Mineral Warrior (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031003e), single-class Fighter using the Dungeoncrasher ACF from Dungeonscape and the Zhentarim Soldier substitution levels (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) (reflavored big-bad-bully with no affiliation to any organization). Take two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm), try to get something that's not going to be a huge drawback, such as Shaky and Murky-Eyed.

You can spend 3,000 XP at Fighter 3 to buy off the +1 LA for Goliath, gain Mineral Warrior, and pay another 6,000 XP to buy off that +1 LA. Take Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) and you'll get a 10% XP bonus, which at level 17 would be 13,600 XP, so you could still be 4600 XP ahead of everyone else even after buying those off. You can upgrade an Item Familiar as though you possessed all the necessary prerequisites to do so, so you could upgrade 115,000 gp worth of magical properties to that item yourself at half price and still break even on XP with creation costs.

Your feats and class features should be as follows:

1. Dreadful Wrath (PGtF)
Flaw. EWP: Spiked Chain
Flaw. Combat Reflexes
F1. Power Attack
F2. Dungeoncrasher ACF
3. Item Familiar
F3. Skill Focus: Intimidate
F4. Improved Bull Rush
F5. Extended Intimidation
6. Knockback (RoS)
F6. Dungeoncrasher ACF
F8. Combat Expertise
9. Imperious Command (Drow of the Underdark)
F9. Swift Demoralization
F10. Improved Trip
12. Knock-Down (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#knockDown)
F12. Weapon Focus: Spiked Chain
F14. Weapon Specialization: Spiked Chain
15. Melee Weapon Mastery
F16. Greater Weapon Focus: Spiked Chain
18. Greater Specialization: Spiked Chain
F18. Weapon Supremacy: Spiked Chain
F20. Defensive Sweep
Put max ranks in Intimidate and get the Never Outnumbered skill trick in Complete Scoundrel.

Every time you hit an opponent, you'll get both a free trip check (Knock-Down) and a free bull rush check (Knockback). If you knock them into a solid object such as a wall they'll take additional damage (Dungeoncrasher). Most often they'll end up out of reach and prone, so they'll need to make a move-action to get up and another move-action to get back into melee, thus every attack you make will probably waste an opponent's turn. When you first attack you'll have a fear aura (Dreadful Wrath) which opponents will have to save against or become Shaken. You can make an Intimidate check as a swift action every round to make an opponent you threaten cower for one round and be Shaken the round after (Imperious Command), though an already Shaken opponent will become Frightened instead. Once per encounter you can do that to every opponent within ten feet of your target (Never Outnumbered), causing everyone to cower for a round and then be shaken (or frightened) for the round after.

Your Item Familiar should definitely be your chain, and you should definitely use a lock gauntlet with it. If you're starting out higher than the minimum for your current level, or if characters are given an allowance of XP for item creation and/or won't fall below level 17 due to XP costs, then you should definitely put everything on it yourself at half price. Otherwise, no more than 115,000 gp worth of properties can be at half price before you'd end up starting at level 16, though it still may be worth it because you'll still be close enough to hit 17 in just one or two encounters. Read over item familiars thoroughly (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm), and keep in mind that it is treated as an intelligent item which means it is treated as a construct which means it cannot be sundered, disjoined, or dispelled, and continues to function in an antimagic field and dead magic areas. Note that on leveling up you gain skill points before you gain any feats (PHB p58-59) so at most you'd be able to invest all of your level 4+ skill points into it for buku unnamed bonuses to your skills.

You'll need Int 13+ for Combat Expertise, which is a minimum of three skill points/level. I'd get Int 14 if you can just to even it up for four skill points/level, but remember that Mineral Warrior gives you -2 Int, so that means start with at least a 15 there, preferably a 16. You can trade out Ride for Tumble as a class skill (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a), which is highly recommended. Keep in mind you can only add as much unnamed Item Familiar bonus to a skill as you have ranks in that skill, so if you put a skill to 6 ranks you can add +6 to it, if you have a skill at max ranks (20 ranks at level 17) you can add an extra +20 bonus to it. I'd put max ranks in Intimidate and Tumble, five cross-class ranks in Balance, and everything else divided between Jump and Climb. At four skill points/level from levels 4-17 you'll have invested 56 skill points into your item familiar, assuming you go all-in. That's +18 worth of unnamed bonus, all of which I'd put into Intimidate so you'll pretty much always succeed at it, and don't forget Powerful Build gives you a size bonus to intimidate checks if applicable. This character will be able to make dragons quake in their boots.

As for the item familiar itself, I'd make it a +1 Spiked Chain with Sweeping (+1), Wounding (+2), Marrowcrushing (+3), Wrathful Healing (+3), Sudden Stunning (2,000 gp). Sweeping is in MIC, it grants a +2 to trip checks. Marrowcrushing is in BoVD, it deals 1 point of Con damage on every hit, which works on every opponent unlike Wounding and the two of those stack. Wrathful Healing is in Enemies and Allies, whenever the weapon hits you're healed for half of the total damage dealt. Sudden Stunning is in DMG2 and allows you to spend a swift action (can't intimidate that round) to force an opponent struck by it to make a reflex save vs stun, the DC is based on your character level and Cha bonus and it's usable a number of times/day based on your Cha bonus. Additionally, at this level your item familiar can have two special abilities. I'd give a Special Purpose with a Dedicated Power twice, most likely to defend the wielder and to crush the wielder's opponents. The dedicated powers should be True Resurrection once per month and the 10d6 Lightning Bolt at will. Note that an intelligent item can take actions in combat apart from the wielder's actions, so the item itself would be shooting out a lightning bolt every round while you continue to full-attack. The total price of this item would be a whopping 462,325 gp, but most of that you'd get at half price for crafting it yourself. It would have to start out a +1 Spiked Chain which you'd pay full price for (2,325 gp), and the remaining properties would cost you a total of 230,000 gp and 18,400 XP, so if you were starting out at the minimum XP for level 17 you'd instead start with 122,200 XP, 14k short of level 17 but totally worth it.

Standard WBL for ECL 17 is 340k gp, so you'll have 107,675 gp remaining for other gear. I'd get Armbands of Might (MIC, 4,100 gp), +1 Mithral Full Plate (11,500 gp), +1 Animated Heavy Steel Shield (9,170 gp), Ring of Freedom of Movement (40,000 gp), Sandals of the Light Step (MIC, 9,000 gp), Winged Vest (MIC, 12,000 gp), Healing Belt plus Strength +4 (MIC, 16,750 gp), Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000 gp), and 1,155 gp remaining. Keep in mind you'll have DR 8/Adamantine and +3 natural armor from Mineral Warrior.