Need a melee skill-monkey that turns undead

[veven]

As if those requirements weren't restrictive enough, it has to be level 5 max!
I am playing a decently optimized crusader in an E6 game. The two other party members are a Wizard and Warlock both not optimized at all. The campaign so far has been pretty undead focused so i was thinking about taking leadership and getting a cleric cohort. The problem is we also don't have a dedicated skill monkey, i have 1 level in bard so my social skills are good but that is about it. I thought, "an undead turning skill-monkey? cloistered cleric! done." But my character tends to use white raven tactics and dragonfire inspiration a lot, another melee combatant would be very useful as the other two players are at least smart enough to stay more than 10 feet away from me.
I thinking i could use the close cohort feat to get a 5th level factotum since they can turn and of course are the quintessential skill monkey. I don't really know how to optimize them for melee (i would like to avoid iajutsu focus cheese). What advice do you guys have? either on a factotum build, or another build that can at least adequately fill these three roles? Thanks for the help!

[IronWilliam]

Wow...
The only classes that I know of that can turn undead are divine spelcasters, and Paladins and Clerics get so few skill points the're lucky if they can tie their own shoes. You could try a multiclass character, but that would reduce your power and spread out your stats. You could try playing an archivist (heroes of horror) which is a divine spell caster based on intelligence, and just prepare a lot of control undead spells. You could multi class to swashbuckler so that you can take the duelist prestige class. Swashbuckler let's you add int. bonus to attack (I think) and duelist adds it to AC. You would need to have good int, con, and dex scores, int being the most important, con second, and dex last. (for weapon finnesse)

[Thurbane]

In b4 Cloistered Cleric/Kobold Domain/Persisted Divine Power... :smalltongue:

Not doable in E6 though.

Cloistered Cleric 1 (Kobold Domain if allowed)/Ranger 5...Able Learner feat if Human...

[flabort]

It's too bad you don't mean the type of "turn undead" I first thought you meant.
And it's too bad you couldn't fit in enough levels of dread necromancer to get the capstone. And it's too bad that that's neither melee, nor skill-monkey.

But it's mostly too bad that you wanted a gestalted paladin/rouge, but in one class rather than 1.5 of 'em.

[veven]

But it's mostly too bad that you wanted a gestalted paladin/rouge, but in one class rather than 1.5 of 'em.


I know right!? Life is so easy in gestalt land.

[flabort]

"Easy for the player, hard for the books"
Yes. Although said gestalt would be pretty MAD.
cha for turn attempts/smites, wisdom for paladin spells, Int for skill monkeying, and Str/con for being a melee character. Oh, and dex for being a sneaky rogue. :smallmad:
Things may not be so simple in gestalt land after all. But, you're not seeking the answer "Try gestalt!", your seeking a class that can do that without.

[veven]

Right:( I'll probably end up with a factotum with high CON and the shadow blade feat or something. Opportunistic piety is good enough for me...can't fuel turning feats but i can heal a little bit with it.

[Draz74]

Right:( I'll probably end up with a factotum with high CON and the shadow blade feat or something. Opportunistic piety is good enough for me...can't fuel turning feats but i can heal a little bit with it.

I approve the Factotum option.

Not sure Shadow Blade is really worth it, though. Not unless you also dip a level of Swordsage (which would mean you don't get Opportunistic Piety at Level 5). Too feat-intensive to get the prerequisite maneuver, then the prerequisite stance, then Shadow Blade. (Of course, if your cohort has oodles of feats, E6-style, go for it. But since he's level 5, I doubt that will be the case.)

Instead, look into Knowledge Devotion. It's money for melee (or archer) Factotums.

[BobVosh]

I was going to suggest factotum, but see I was beaten to the punch.
Level 5 makes this hard. You already have leader ship, why not get a cleric cohort, and one of your level 1 followers be a rogue. Buy him some nice MW tools or magic items to boost those skills for trapfinding.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Kobold Cloistered Cleric, Trickery or Sun domain, Kobold (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a) domain, Knowledge Devotion. Feats should include Improved Turning and Empower Turning, and he should try to get as many of the following as possible: Phylactery of Undead Turning (DMG), Rod of Defiance (MIC), Ephod of Authority (MIC), Scepter of the Netherworld (MIC), Reliquary Holy Symbol (MIC). There's no penalty for using a masterwork light shield nonproficient, he can have mithral breastplate, and I'm pretty sure Inspire Courage isn't limited to melee attacks so he could be a dart thrower with a high Dex.

[only1doug]

As suggest by others Kobold Cleric with Kobold domain, fill spell slots with summon monster spells for extra allies.

Heck its a cohort lets cheese him a bit and use one of his feat slots for dragonwrought and make him a Venerable dragonwrought kobold for kicks (Dragonwrought has no penalties to stats from age brackets so its all bonus, +3 to all mental stats).

He can stand at the back with a crossbow and turn undead or summon help behind the enemies lines.

The only question is which first level Sorcerer spell to get him as a spell like ability (Draconic Rite of Passage - 100GP)
A favorite is identify but there is plenty of choice.
I doubt its worth using a 2nd feat to get the SLA 3/day.

This doesn't yet grant any ability to open locks, teach the wizard Knock or buy an eternal wand / wand / scrolls / whatever.

Edit: Draconic rite of passage
Edit #2: lockpicking

[Jarawara]

Step 1: Make a full-up Rogue or perhaps multi-class Rogue/Barbarian (or other preferred melee type).

Step 2: Get killed by Vampire.

Step 3: Rise the next day as a Vampire, with all the additional combat skills from being a Vampire.


Congradulations, you're a melee/skill monkey who has 'turned' undead!

[Escheton]

3 lvls of factotum for skills, int to everything.
Turning is pretty borked unless you go radiant servant or somesuch. But you could always take a lvl of cloistered cleric, if not just for the knowledge devotion and wanduse. And just item up to get some juice outta the turns.

You won't get multiple attacks and your feats are too precious to spend on (too many) combat feats: so 1 lvl of warblade, preferably at lvl 5 or 6

Which leaves you with a Factotum3/Cl Cleric1/Warblade1

[Daftendirekt]

Step 1: Make a full-up Rogue or perhaps multi-class Rogue/Barbarian (or other preferred melee type).

Step 2: Get killed by Vampire.

Step 3: Rise the next day as a Vampire, with all the additional combat skills from being a Vampire.


Congradulations, you're a melee/skill monkey who has 'turned' undead!

Wouldn't you be a vampire SPAWN, and thus under the control of the vamp who killed you?

And you can't travel in sunlight. Or enter anything but public buildings. Or cross running water.

And you're way above the rest of the party in power. And they'll probably want to kill you for being an abomination.

[Eloel]

Feat: Sacred Outlaw