If you had a dead zone...

[Coy]

Lets say you have a longsword. This sword counts for all effects and purposes as a dead zone (a type of AMF from forgotten realms), affecting both you and the things you hold in your possession, and things you cut (temporarily).

This means you cannot wear armour with magical enhancement, or cast spells; but it makes you the bane of alot of casters (minus instantaneous conjuration stuff). It has even been ruled that hitting a caster causes them to start forget spells/losing slots.

So i ask, what is the best way of using this sword in terms of character creation? This is a pathfinder game with very relaxed use of 3.5 material. My initial thoughts go to ToB classes, probably a swordsage, perhaps with Vow of Poverty?

But can anyone think of some better use?

[SilverLeaf167]

Well, you definitely can't take Vow of Poverty because it disallows from using any magic items etc. Tome of Battle is probably the best choice, from all melee classes they depend the least on gear (though it's still important).

[Curmudgeon]

You want to make the greatest use of the blade you possibly can. So boost your speed by any and all means possible (Quick (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm#quick) trait, 1 level of Barbarian, Dark Creature template, & c.) and go for Dervish. That Dervish Dance will let you zip around the battlefield and strike the largest number of enemies each round.

[Telonius]

Second the Dervish Dance suggestion.

Not totally familiar with the Dead Zone stuff - does it negate Su abilities like a regular AMF? Are you still able to have beneficial spells cast on you? Enlarge Person seems like it would be an obvious choice, to get reach for the weapon. If it won't function at all, a Large-sized race might be a good thing to consider

[erikun]

You are going to have problems where flight is needed, as so will want an option to neutralize your sword when necessary. Incorporeal enemies are also a large problem, although the undead variety can't hurt you due to being removed from existence (temporarily) when they try to attack - you might want to check exactly how that interaction would work. Incorporeal non-undead are unaffected, but these are noticably rarer.

As for classes, Tome of Battle seems like a good place to start. I'm not familiar with the Dervish, so no comment there. Binding could work, depending on how it is worded - I think most binds produce (Ex) abilities and can't be removed with dispel/null magic, but I am not 100% sure.

Supernatural abilities don't work in dead magic zones, so something that grants (Su) becomes worthless.

[Ranos]

You could play as a raptoran, or a dragonborn, for completely nonmagical flight.

An etherblade could probably take care of incorporeal non-undead creatures. It's a non-magical sword that can fire non-magical rays of force. Only 50 charges, but it only costs 800 gp.

And yeah, I'd say a warblade is probably your best bet here.

[Coy]

Well, you definitely can't take Vow of Poverty because it disallows from using any magic items etc.

Actually, I don't think it is intended to even be a magical item. I know it sounds dumb, but isn't it a kind of non-magical item by definition? A 'hole in the weave' and all that. And the fact it is a dead zone over an AMF, and the fact its not even of masterwork quality (should have mentioned that) supports this.

The way we are ruling the Dead Zone right now (rightly or wrongly) is MOSTLY no SU. Now this is just a campaign thing, as we have alot of mystra/shar interaction (weave/shadoweave).

Dervish Dance... now that is an idea. The problem is that while the quick trait is fine, being a quasi shadow creature is just a fast way of being killed in this setting: the main enemy being the city of shades. Barbarian 1 could work... but i'd rather keep whole number initiator levels right now. Besides, our DM prefers straight builds, in exchange for feat freedom. A good reason to run Pathfinder.

Where are etherblades from?

[Ranos]

Where are etherblades from?
Fiend folio, p68



The way we are ruling the Dead Zone right now (rightly or wrongly) is MOSTLY no SU. Now this is just a campaign thing, as we have alot of mystra/shar interaction (weave/shadoweave).

Wait. Is this just a no-weave thing, or an actual dead magic zone ? Can clerics still cast in there ? If not, how do you make the distinction between which abilities work and which don't ?

[Coy]

Consider it an actual dead magic zone. I simply meant we have a cleric of mystra who tries (and usually fails) to use it using Initiate of Mystra feat. And since it is patfinder, he is allowed to use channel energy class feature too. Which is a Su, i believe.

[Ranos]

Consider it an actual dead magic zone. I simply meant we have a cleric of mystra who tries (and usually fails) to use it using Initiate of Mystra feat. And since it is patfinder, he is allowed to use channel energy class feature too. Which is a Su, i believe.
If channel energy works, then a crusader's Su abilities should work as well. I guess that's one more class option for you.

[Curmudgeon]

You are going to have problems where flight is needed, as so will want an option to neutralize your sword when necessary.
You wouldn't have magic problems if you got flight from a graft, since they're nonmagical. Feathered Wings (Fiend Folio, page 210) grant flight at 2x land speed. That would also help with Dervish Dance, since the class doesn't require you to Dance on the ground. Flying at 5' elevation will work just fine, and the doubled movement makes it likely you'll get in all the attacks that Dervish Dance will allow.

[blackjack217]

with it could you try orb of annihilation shenanigans?

[Coy]

You wouldn't have magic problems if you got flight from a graft, since they're nonmagical. Feathered Wings (Fiend Folio, page 210) grant flight at 2x land speed.

Doesn't that require some kind of feat for accepting a graft? Also, fiendish grafts are kinda out for a VoP character.

So are orb hijiks for that reason im afraid :smallfrown:

[erikun]

Also, fiendish grafts are kinda out for a VoP character.
Vow of Poverty prevents you from owning or using a longsword, even a mundane non-magical one. Ordinary, simple weapons only - neither masterwork nor martial/exotic.

[Qwertystop]

What's a Dead Magic Zone as opposed to a standard AMF?

[Ranos]

Same thing, but natural instead of magical. It's forgotten realms specific. Some stuff keyed to antimagic fields won't work either. A disjunction, for example, won't have any effect.

Also, VoP is one of the worst things you could do with this char. The bonuses from VoP are all going to be suppressed by the amf anyway. Exalted feats are supernatural.

[Seffbasilisk]

I'd say Warblade, going Tiger Claw and White Raven for mobility and movements.

[Curmudgeon]

Doesn't that require some kind of feat for accepting a graft? Nope; it requires a feat for the grafter, not the graftee. Fiendish grafts do tend to make you Evil, though.

Also, fiendish grafts are kinda out for a VoP character. Everything is pretty much out for a Vow of Poverty character; I thought we'd discarded that VoP notion a ways back.