Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XX [Archive]

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true_shinken

2011-04-09, 07:29 PM

Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef XX. Here in Optimization Colosseum, contestants will endeavor to create an optimized and flavorful character using a specified D&D3.5 prestige class as a "Secret Ingredient".

Contestants: You will need to present your build at at least one of the following points: 5th level, 10th level, 15th, 20th, and a "sweet spot" that you feel is the high point of the build. Feel free to present as many of these as you like, and please give a rundown of the build's abilities and playability at all of the levels you didn't show. The rules are as follows:

Menu: For most challenges, the "special ingredient" will be drawn from Core plus Completes. There will, from time to time, be special challenges that showcase secret ingredients from other books--for example, the XPH.

32 point-buy is the presumed creation method, but we have generally allowed other levels of point-buy.
If you do use a different point-buy, please make your case for its necessity in your entry. Keep in mind that for using exceptionally large or small point-buys may warrant deductions in elegance and/or power.

Kitchen: Competitors will be free to use any official 3.5 rulebook in constructing their builds. Dragon magazine is disallowed, and Unearthed Arcana is allowed; but see Elegance below. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt are not allowed, as they create a different playing field. Also, item familiars are forbidden because I hate 'em.

Cooking Time: Contestants will have until 11:59pm CUT on Saturday, April 23rd 2011 to create their builds and PM them to the Chairman, true_shinken (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=50679). Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying.

Judging: Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Power, Elegance, Use of Secret Ingredient.

Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level unless you're showcasing a new TO build you've discovered. In the words of one of my predecessors, a little cheddar can be nice, but avoid the mature Gruyere unless you're making a cheese fondue.

Elegance could bear a little elaboration. It basically measures how skillfully you put your build together, and whether you sacrificed flavor for power. We're cooking here - if your dish doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter how well-presented it is. Use of flaws is an automatic loss of one point per flaw in this category. Other things that will cause lost points here are excessive multiclassing, and classes that don't fit the concept - using Cloistered Cleric in a front-line melee fighter, for example, will lose you points.

I am going to have to ask the contestants to PM me about any disagreement with the judges. Under no circumstances is a contestant to defend themselves inside the thread, since it breaks anonymity.

Presentation: Builds will be posted anonymously, in order to avoid the potential of bias towards a particular competitor. For this reason, please don't put your name in the build, as I'm likely to miss it when reviewing the entries!

Due to concerns about standardizing entry format, I'd like everyone to try to use the following table for their entry.NAME OF ENTRY
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features

1st|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

2nd|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

3rd|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

4th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

5th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

6th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

7th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

8th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

9th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

10th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

11th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

12th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

13th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

14th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

15th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

16th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

17th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

18th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

19th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

20th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities[/table]

CodeNAME OF ENTRY
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features

1st|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

2nd|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

3rd|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

4th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

5th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

6th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

7th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

8th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

9th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

10th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

11th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

12th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

13th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

14th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

15th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

16th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

17th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

18th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

19th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities

20th|New Class Level|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Skills|New Feats|New Class Abilities[/table]

For entries with spellcasting, use the following table for Spells per day and Spells Known. (Spells Known only if necessary, i.e. Sorcerer or Bard, but not Wizard or Warmage)
Spells per day/Spells Known
{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

6th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

7th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

8th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

9th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

10th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

11th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

12th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

13th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

14th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

15th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

16th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

17th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

18th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

19th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

20th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-[/table]

CodeSpells per day/Spells Known
{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

6th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

7th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

8th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

9th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

10th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

11th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

12th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

13th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

14th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

15th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

16th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

17th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

18th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

19th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

20th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-[/table]

For other systems (Psionics, ToB, Incarnum, etc.) keep track of PP/maneuvers/essentia separately, preferably in a nice neat list.

Speculation: Please don't post or speculate on possible builds until the "reveal," in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.

Leadership is banned; we're producing a meal, not a seven-course banquet for a hundred diners.

So! Who wants to sign up as a contestant, and who wants to sign up as a judge? Looking for about 5 judges and as many contestants as feel like playing!

This week's special ingredient is:
Magic of Incarnum's Incandescent Champion!
We will have trophies for 1st through 3rd places, as well as a special trophy for honorable mention. The honorable mention prize is given to the most daring or unexpected build. Judges, contestants and guests alike are invited to vote for honorable mention via PM.

Allez optimiser!

Judges
Zaq (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10742852&postcount=3)
OMG Ponies (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10752731&postcount=14)
Private-Prinny

Contestants
Amphetryon
Amechra
Cartigan
woodzyol
Z3ro
dextercorvia
Xodion

The Builds

Past Competitions

Iron Chef I: Entropomancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142470)
Iron Chef II: Psibond Agent (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146583)
Iron Chef III: Cancer Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148584)
Iron Chef IV: Stonelord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150595)
Iron Chef V: War Chanter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152543)
Iron Chef VI: Master of Masks (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156876)
Iron Chef VII: Green Star Adept (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158633)
Iron Chef VIII: Pyrokineticist (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160266)
Iron Chef IX: Animal Lord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162702)
Iron Chef X: Mythic Exemplar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164381)
Iron Chef XI: Blade Bravo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166539)
Iron Chef XII: War Mind (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9426386#post9426386)
Iron Chef XIII: Vigilante (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172233)
Iron Chef XIV: Seeker of the Song (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174434)
Iron Chef XV: Drunken Master (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176049)
Iron Chef XVI: Assassin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178202)
Iron Chef XVII: Ardent Dilettante (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182492)
Iron Chef XVIII: Unseelie Dark Hunter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186097)
Iron Chef XIX: Dread Pirate (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=190607)

Amphetryon

2011-04-09, 07:44 PM

Competing.

Zaq

2011-04-09, 08:16 PM

Woo hoo! I've been waiting for this! I'm totally judging.

My criteria:

Originality: You pretty much already know what to expect here. Did you surprise me? Did you use a strategy that's very similar to that of anyone else? Perhaps most importantly, if you used a very obvious method of entry (e.g., Rogue into Assassin, Ranger into Dark Hunter, etc.), what did you do to differentiate yourself? Obviously, if the secret ingredient calls for a certain class feature that only one class gets, I'll be less picky about this, but it's still in your best interest to make yourself stand out a bit . . . or more than a bit, if you can! What makes you different from everyone else who takes this prestige class?

Power: For me, this is tied to Use of Secret Ingredient, in that I judge based on (or at least take into consideration) how much the secret ingredient builds on what you've already got. If you were aiming at a high-powered chassis, I'll judge you that way. If you were aiming for something more moderate, I'll judge you that way. Basically, how powerful did you become within the limits your class and role place upon you? How much do you need magic items, and how well do you stand on your own? Note that builds that don't function at both low and high levels (1 to 20 is ideal, but I understand that you might not hit both extremes) will be docked points in this category. Also, I will let you know right now that I hate LA. You can TRY to justify it to me, but I'll be honest, if you take LA, you're almost certain to lose points from me somewhere. Exactly where those points are lost varies, but Power is often the first to go, since it makes your low level career so fragile. Weigh your options carefully.

Elegance: Does it flow? Does it work? Can I see how everything fits together? How easy is it to read? Does each level naturally lead into the next, or are there a lot of "it'll make sense in four levels, trust me" choices? If I were looking at your build one level at a time and had no idea what the whole thing looked like, at each level, to what extent would I say "ah, that choice makes sense"? To what extent would I be able to predict, roughly, what you'll take next? Note that while I am not fond of dips and may penalize for them, they are not an automatic loss of points if you can explain why the dip was truly necessary. (Beware, though, that a dip that delays or doesn't synergize well with your other class features might lose you points in Power, if not here.) Also, I can't speak for the other judges, but I have no problems drawing from as many different books as you need. I'd prefer that you not mix setting-specific stuff if you don't have to, but I tend to be lenient about what is and is not setting-specific. I can't speak for every judge, though, so you might not want to risk it. Finally, see "Editing," below.

Use of Secret Ingredient: What do you do with the secret ingredient that you couldn't have done without it? How does it make you stronger than ten levels in another class would? How do you make taking all the prereqs truly worth it? Is it obvious that your build needs the secret ingredient, or are you only taking it because you have to? Good backstory fluff helps here, but bad backstory fluff will not hurt, because I know that not everyone is good at creative writing (I'm certainly not). Do you use every part of the buffalo, so to speak? I know that very few builds can use ALL of the class features that a given class has to offer, but the more you use, the more favorably I will judge. Also, while I'm not always going to be strict about this, if you keep the prereqs in mind after you've already met them (keeping up your skills, using feats as part of your strategy, etc.) will generally earn my favor.

Special—Format and Editing: Please, please make your build easy to read. Don't make me guess or have to remember which skills you took in-class and which skills you took cross-class. Don't just tell me that you have a +35 in Craft: Underwater Basketweaving. Tell me somewhere that you got a bonus from your race, a bonus from your ACF, and a synergy bonus from Profession: Underwater Basketweaver. Explain to me where your cool combos come in and how they work together. Sure, I'll get most of them on my own, but you don't want to risk me missing something you thought of, do you? If you have spells/maneuvers/soulmelds/etc., explain which are your favorites for general situations and why. If you use racial substitution levels or alternative class features, explain what they do and why you took them. As a rule, you're not going to go wrong by explaining why you took just about everything you did. "Letting the work stand on its own" is for poets, not Iron Chef Optimizers. In general, the more you explain and the less you gloss over, the happier I'm going to be. You thought of all these cool things and noteworthy angles, and it's important to me that I understand your thought process as best as I can. I don't want to end up scratching my head and saying "why the hell did they take Blessed of Tem-Et-Nu?" while you're giggling in anticipation of how awesome Blessed of Tem-Et-Nu is going to make you and how it's going to wow the judges. Oh, and failure to cite your sources WILL result in a loss of points.

Furthermore, and this is different from most other judges, I'm going to be just a little picky about spelling and grammar. No, stop that face. It'll be OK. I'm not gonna dock you for a single typo (though if you consistently misspell a word, then we might have problems) or a small grammatical slip-up. I'm not your English teacher. I do, however, notice these things, and I will take off points if anything sends me into a grammar rage and has me instinctively reaching for my red pen. For example, one build a few sessions back used the word "whom" in the backstory over and over and over when they really needed to use the word "who." Using "who" when you mean "whom" is one thing, but using "whom" when you mean "who" tells me that you're trying something you don't understand. That's the sort of thing that will have me shaving off a quarter-point here and a quarter-point there, usually in Elegance. Basically, don't try any grammatical tricks you don't understand, try to keep it easy to read, and stay the hell away from comma splices, and we'll both be happy.

Now, I understand that English isn't everyone's first language. If you're not a native speaker and what I'm saying scares you, feel free to PM our chairman and ask him to privately tell me that. (You could put it in the build itself, but I certainly understand if you don't want to make a big deal about it). As a rule, just keep it simple and you'll be fine. I'm not here to judge you on your grammar. I'm just warning you that I won't be happy if your grammar interferes with me reading your build. I honestly don't expect this to come up. I just don't want anyone to be surprised if it does.

Amechra

2011-04-09, 08:52 PM

I'll do this one...

I'LL DO THIS ONE!

... (too pushy?)

dextercorvia

2011-04-09, 09:25 PM

Watching. Maybe more if I think of something.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-10, 06:20 AM

Oh geez, Incarnum? I'll have to start reading in order to compete.

Zaq

2011-04-10, 11:26 AM

Since almost everyone will be using soulmelds and everyone will be using essentia, do we want to make a predefined level table like we have for spells? I think it'll go a long way toward preventing errors. I can't even tell you how many little errors I had to count off for in the last round (wrong skill points here, wrong BAB there, etc.), and those make me very sad, because they're totally preventable. (Hell, I'm by no means immune . . . when I was building Aesc, a few ranks in Jump disappeared somewhere between my spreadsheet and my final entry, making my last few AD levels illegal.) Any thoughts on this? I know that we already say to provide information on maneuvers and meldshaping and such separately, but given the nature of this specific contest, I wonder if it wouldn't be appropriate to make a new tool. Thoughts?

Also, on a personal note, I'd just like to say that I'm thrilled at the timing. I've been asking for this SI for a very long time (since before Shink took over as chair, I believe), and when does it finally hit the table? One day before my birthday, which is today. I'm certainly not going to complain about that.

Psst! Hey, Shink! The number in the intro's wrong! It should be XX, not XIX!

Amphetryon

2011-04-10, 11:33 AM

true_shinken

2011-04-10, 11:56 AM

Also, on a personal note, I'd just like to say that I'm thrilled at the timing. I've been asking for this SI for a very long time (since before Shink took over as chair, I believe), and when does it finally hit the table? One day before my birthday, which is today. I'm certainly not going to complain about that.

Happy birthday, Zaq. I also edited the mistake you pointed, thanks.

Cartigan

2011-04-10, 12:25 PM

I think I'll enter this just to make something ridiculous.

Zaq

2011-04-10, 11:24 PM

I just noticed that we have two weeks to do this. Isn't it usually just one week? Or am I just totally misremembering things?

true_shinken

2011-04-10, 11:27 PM

I just noticed that we have two weeks to do this. Isn't it usually just one week? Or am I just totally misremembering things?

It is usually one week. But since we have the side contest going along and this is somewhat of a tough cookie, I figured more time was in line.

Thurbane

2011-04-11, 12:25 AM

Wow, not the SI I was expecting. Not that familiar with MoI, so I won't be competing or volunteering for judging. Will be watching eagerly, though. Incarnum is a system I really want to get more familiar with.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-11, 06:53 AM

Since nothing is popping into my brain as far as possible builds go, I'll be judging this round.

My Criteria (spoilered for length)

Originality

1: The build is either a duplicate or a collage of pieces gleaned from well-known charop builds.
2: The build closely mirrors another submission in election (race/class/etc) and/or execution (entry/combos/tricks). Please note that, in such situations, both submissions will receive the reduced score.
3: The build is fairly straightforward, though some small elements may have been unexpected.
4: The build is unexpected in either election (race/class/etc) or execution (entry/combos/tricks), but not both.
5: The build was entirely unexpected and unique, both in election and execution.

NOTE: I also evaluate the character's backstory as a component of my originality score. Particularly unique and decent stories may receive a small bump (up to +1), though drab or cliche stories will not be penalized. I understand that the build itself is the focus of the competition, but I feel that a finely crafted or well-told story can really give a build identity.

Power

1: The build, as presented, cannot function in its chosen role. Examples include a wizard with 9 INT.
2: The build functions more weakly in a party than a similar build without the secret ingredient, relying entirely on items or an unreasonable number of preparation rounds.
3: The build functions as well in a party as a similar build without the secret ingredient. Though the build can still function without items or an unreasonable number of preparation rounds, it does so at a significantly reduced capacity.
4: The build functions as a stronger party member than a similar build without the secret ingredient. Though the build can still function without items, it may rely on an unreasonable number of preparation rounds.
5: The build excels at its chosen role/roles within a party, eclipsing a similar build without the secret ingredient, even in the absence of items or adequate preparation rounds.

NOTE: Please keep in mind that I evaluate submissions against similar builds, rather than against each other. I will evaluate a caster submission against the strength of other casters, a skillmonkey build against the strength of other skillmonkeys, and so on.

Elegance

1: The build presented is illegal by any reading of the rules, functions only upon an intentional misreading of the rules, or contains 3 or more "dips" (defined as less than two levels in any class).
2: The build presented is overly complex, or relies on conflicting class features (either mechanically or in terms of flavor). No more than two dips.
3: The build presented is simple and straightforward enough that most DMs would allow it at their table. No more than 1 dip.
4: The build presented, while streamlined, efficient, and free of dips, relies on a variant such as LA buyoff or variant classes/races presented in Unearthed Arcana. Please keep in mind that such elements can be presented as possible adaptations with no reduction to Elegance. However, if the variant is presented as the default option for the build, the deduction will be taken.
5: The build presented is so streamlined that it all seems to blend together as one larger class. Feats are useful as soon as they are taken, material from Unearthed Arcana is presented only as a possible option, and the character progresses at a natural rate from levels 1-20.

NOTE: As per contest rules, flaws will cause a deduction of one point each, to a minimum score of 1. Also, while I will not penalize cheese in terms of power, it may cause a reduction in elegance.

Use of the Secret Ingredient (UoSI)

1: The build does not qualify for the Secret Ingredient, renders the class features useless in some way, or hampers class features gained elsewhere by taking the Secret Ingredient.
2: The build has utilized (but not showcased) any of the class features acquired.
3: The build has showcased at least one class feature acquired, and taken at least half of the levels of the Secret Ingredient.
4: The build has taken every level of the Secret Ingredient, or provided a persuasive explanation as to why not doing so was beneficial. Most class features acquired are showcased, but not all.
5: The build has taken every level of the Secret Ingredient, or provided a persuasive explanation as to why not doing so was crucial. Every class feature acquired is showcased.

NOTE: As mentioned, by my criteria a character can fail to use every level of the Secret Ingredient and still receive a perfect score in this category. It's not just about how much you use...it's about why you use it, and how you use it.

Please note that submitting an illegal build will result in penalties to elegance. Feats you do not qualify for will net you a -0.5 penalty, while class levels you do not qualify for will receive a -1 penalty per class. Failure to qualify for the Secret Ingredient will instead be penalized under Use of the Secret Ingredient. Please double check your entry requirements and feat prerequisites.

If there are any questions or comments on my criteria, let me know via PM or through the chairman.

Cartigan

2011-04-11, 08:06 AM

Zaq

2011-04-11, 09:05 AM

Technically speaking, the Incandescent Champion doesn't actually use incarnum, though it does have essentia abilities. Or as far as I can tell anyway.

I dunno, I find a class explicitly focused on melee combat but without a full BAB sketchy at best.

Well, yes. That's why it's such a perfect Iron Chef ingredient. It pretty much precisely fails to mesh with what it's supposed to mesh with. It's now your job to figure out what to do with it anyway.

Cartigan

2011-04-11, 09:08 AM

gbprime

2011-04-11, 09:20 AM

Well, yes. That's why it's such a perfect Iron Chef ingredient. It pretty much precisely fails to mesh with what it's supposed to mesh with. It's now your job to figure out what to do with it anyway.

And the classic Iron Chef solution... mesh it with something unexpected.

On the fence over this one. Going to study up on Incarnum before I decide.

Thurbane

2011-04-11, 06:05 PM

I dunno, I find a class explicitly focused on melee combat but without a full BAB sketchy at best.
Yes, it was one of those WotC oddities - they were loathe to give any melee types with pseudo-magical abilities full BAB (Elemental Warrior, Shadowblade, Soul Knife etc.). Then someone made the Duskblade, and they realized "Ohhhh...it doesn't break the game". :smalleek:

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 08:41 AM

If only 3 people compete, can we just play rock-paper-scissors for the trophies?

Xodion

2011-04-13, 08:55 AM

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 09:12 AM

They might enter more than one entry each - there are two weeks to make them this time, plenty of time.

I don't have this book, nor any knowledge of the class or this essentia stuff, so I'll stick with watching to see what happens.

Man, I was hoping for rock-paper-scissors contest.

Maybe I should just enter 5, none of which have any reason for taking the class and make no sense. And are terrible. (It will be interesting to see how people justify taking a completely combat focused class that is bad at combat so they don't get pinged on it)

Anyway, you don't - necessarily, it seems to me - need to know how essentia or anything works in anything more than the general sense since you won't be playing it.

true_shinken

2011-04-13, 09:16 AM

Man, I figured we'd have few contestants this time, but I didn't expect that few...

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 09:21 AM

Man, I figured we'd have few contestants this time, but I didn't expect that few...

I think people are really holding back due to not understanding incarnum making it a system they would have to learn at least on a basic level to enter the contest.

It would be like making one of the Shadowcaster (or whatever it is from ToM) PrCs the secret ingredient.

dextercorvia

2011-04-13, 09:30 AM

If the field stays this thin, I may actually be motivated to do something. I understand the system, anyway, enough to build something.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-13, 09:47 AM

I have the beginnings of a build idea, but I don't want to leave Zaq as the only judge. I echo the sentiments of others that incarnum is far too alien to some competitors.

Xodion

2011-04-13, 09:50 AM

Anyway, you don't - necessarily, it seems to me - need to know how essentia or anything works in anything more than the general sense since you won't be playing it.

Surely you need to know how it works to make good use of the class? Anyway, I don't have the book so I couldn't enter even if I wanted to :smallfrown:

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 10:01 AM

Surely you need to know how it works to make good use of the class? Anyway, I don't have the book so I couldn't enter even if I wanted to :smallfrown:

The incarnum abilities, as far as I can tell, are limited to incarnum base classes. All you really need to know for the PrCs, or at least Incandescent Champion, is how essentia works (which seems like "I put essentia in this ability"). But since you won't be PLAYING the character, you don't really need any more than that. If you use incarnum, you are going to have to figure out how that works.

I think Zaq was really the only one fighting for this. I know some other people like incarnum and throw it in here and there, but it's an alien system only visited in one book. You'd be better off with psionics, or even binding.

dextercorvia

2011-04-13, 10:31 AM

I feel the same way about binding that many feel about Incarnum. I've just never been motivated to learn more than the Naeberius dip for Hellock and the prereq shenanigans to get into Anima Mage.

I really like the soulmelds, and see them as fixed invocations. You only get a few all day abilities, but you can change them out each day.

Z3ro

2011-04-13, 10:36 AM

Never done Iron Chef before, but I love Incarnum, so I'll submit a build.

Being new to this, I may have an inordinate amount of questions (though I'm good for now, we'll see once the build starts. I'm so excited!).

OMG PONIES

2011-04-13, 10:45 AM

The incarnum abilities, as far as I can tell, are limited to incarnum base classes. All you really need to know for the PrCs, or at least Incandescent Champion, is how essentia works (which seems like "I put essentia in this ability"). But since you won't be PLAYING the character, you don't really need any more than that. If you use incarnum, you are going to have to figure out how that works.

You need to know about max essentia investments, when and how you can change those investments, and how those investments can make a strong character. Granted, you don't need to actually DO that as you would in a normal campaign, but a strong Iron Chef entry should know (and explain) how to do everything it claims to do.

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 10:50 AM

You need to know about max essentia investments, when and how you can change those investments, and how those investments can make a strong character. Granted, you don't need to actually DO that as you would in a normal campaign, but a strong Iron Chef entry should know (and explain) how to do everything it claims to do.
How those investments make a strong character is subjective and the only thing really related to the iron chef challenge. The other things are important in so much as you want to avoid being incorrect if you are going into too much detail about how the character is played.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-13, 11:02 AM

How those investments make a strong character is subjective and the only thing really related to the iron chef challenge. The other things are important in so much as you want to avoid being incorrect if you are going into too much detail about how the character is played.

Essentia limits and reallocation are also of fundamental importance in this round of Iron Chef. If a build is submitted that claims great bonuses by putting more than their maximum essentia into an ability, or if they claim they can swap around essentia in an illegal manner, I will dock them. I will dock them hard. Those two things are basic parts of the system, and they are intrinsically relevant to this competition.

Amphetryon

2011-04-13, 11:05 AM

I also don't recall any judge to date commenting on 'too much detail about how the character is played' being a problem.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-13, 11:06 AM

I also don't recall any judge to date commenting on 'too much detail about how the character is played' being a problem.

True. Too much backstory, maybe. Too much crunch just helps us understand why your character is as awesome as you claim it is.

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 11:12 AM

Essentia limits and reallocation are also of fundamental importance in this round of Iron Chef. If a build is submitted that claims great bonuses by putting more than their maximum essentia into an ability, or if they claim they can swap around essentia in an illegal manner, I will dock them. I will dock them hard. Those two things are basic parts of the system, and they are intrinsically relevant to this competition.

Which is what I said - you only need to worry with it if you going into too much detail. You don't have to provide a detailed play by play of what you are doing. You don't have to say "I put 20 essentia" in an ability. All you have to say is what percent of available essentia you put where, and that you are providing a percent of the essentia you can put in an ability. You have in so doing described what you are doing, legally and exactly as far as theorycraft is concerned, without having to have the slightest idea about anything more than the basics.

ILM

2011-04-13, 11:28 AM

I think people are really holding back due to not understanding incarnum making it a system they would have to learn at least on a basic level to enter the contest.
Pretty much. I'd like to compete in one of these, but I don't use Incarnum, don't have the book, and even if I did I cba to learn. :smallsmile:

Amphetryon

2011-04-13, 11:34 AM

This is nothing more than an inquiry:

Given the hesitation and concerns folks have raised over this particular Secret Ingredient, has any thought been given to changing the Secret Ingredient to one slightly more accessible to the community at large?

OMG PONIES

2011-04-13, 11:45 AM

Which is what I said - you only need to worry with it if you going into too much detail. You don't have to provide a detailed play by play of what you are doing. You don't have to say "I put 20 essentia" in an ability. All you have to say is what percent of available essentia you put where, and that you are providing a percent of the essentia you can put in an ability. You have in so doing described what you are doing, legally and exactly as far as theorycraft is concerned, without having to have the slightest idea about anything more than the basics.

Actually, speaking in percentages rather than flat numbers is more obtuse for the judges, and may cause some to take a slight deduction. Personally, I'd rather see "I invest 3 essentia in this ability" rather than "I invest 33% of my essentia," since then I'd have to find your essentia pool total and calculate the percentage myself. Throughout the book, everything is listed in flat essentia points. Why differentiate?

Also, your solution does nothing to fix my problem; instead, it simply hides it. Let's take, for example, a 20th-level character with 10 levels in incandescent champion, assuming a bare minimum essentia pool of 9 (8 from the class + 1 needed to enter). Without using Incarnum Overload*, their maximum essentia capacity for any feat, soulmeld, or class feature is 4. So if the entry reads "I invest 66.66% of my essentia," "I invest 2/3s of my essentia," or "I invest 6 essentia," it still means the same thing--they can't do it! Be warned, competitors: you have a maximum essentia capacity. You may also have ways to enlarge it, but there is still a cap. You won't be investing 20 essentia into anything anytime soon without some fancy footwork.

*or any other methods, since I don't want to get into speculation.

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 12:00 PM

Actually, speaking in percentages rather than flat numbers is more obtuse for the judges, and may cause some to take a slight deduction. Personally, I'd rather see "I invest 3 essentia in this ability" rather than "I invest 33% of my essentia," since then I'd have to find your essentia pool total and calculate the percentage myself. Throughout the book, everything is listed in flat essentia points. Why differentiate?
1) The amount invested could change every level. Or every day as the case may be.
2) Why are you even going that in depth yourself? Why are you deducting from players for being obsessive compulsive? Unless the actual effect changes based on how much you invest, as opposed to proportional numerical changes, what's the point in exact specifications of the amount?

Also, your solution does nothing to fix my problem; instead, it simply hides it.
In what way? You can never over reach if you simply specify proportional allocations.

Let's take, for example, a 20th-level character with 10 levels in incandescent champion, assuming a bare minimum essentia pool of 9 (8 from the class + 1 needed to enter). Without using Incarnum Overload*, their maximum essentia capacity for any feat, soulmeld, or class feature is 4. So if the entry reads "I invest 66.66% of my essentia," "I invest 2/3s of my essentia," or "I invest 6 essentia," it still means the same thing--they can't do it! Be warned, competitors: you have a maximum essentia capacity. You may also have ways to enlarge it, but there is still a cap. You won't be investing 20 essentia into anything anytime soon without some fancy footwork.
You don't need to calculate how much they are investing down to a number to see that they are breaking the rules. 66%/(2/3) is obviously larger than the amount allowed to invest in any single ability. Therefore, over. Either avoiding even that level of specifity avoids this problem - why do more than indicate where you are going to focus your essentia investment primarily? Or being even more generically specific.

If you are making a build to showcase how awesome your ability to generate numbers is, you are obviously going to be very specific in how your numbers go here or there and how they add up to be awesome. If you aren't, who cares since you aren't actually playing the character.

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 12:02 PM

OMG PONIES

2011-04-13, 12:44 PM

1) The amount invested could change every level. Or every day as the case may be.

True. I'm not saying people should say "I always invest X essentia in this." However, it would be nice to see something like "At this level, I usually invest X essentia in this, Y essentia in that, and Z essentia in the other, which provides the following results..."

2) Why are you even going that in depth yourself? Why are you deducting from players for being obsessive compulsive? Unless the actual effect changes based on how much you invest, as opposed to proportional numerical changes, what's the point in exact specifications of the amount?

I'm not going to deduct from players for being detailed*. The actual effects DO change based on how much you invest. "Equal to the points of essentia invested in this ability" is a phrase that's slapped on nearly everything in Magic of Incarnum, especially the Incandescent Champion. I don't know where your concept of proportional numerical changes is coming from---can you elaborate on that a bit?

In what way? You can never over reach if you simply specify proportional allocations.

You don't need to calculate how much they are investing down to a number to see that they are breaking the rules. 66%/(2/3) is obviously larger than the amount allowed to invest in any single ability. Therefore, over. Either avoiding even that level of specifity avoids this problem - why do more than indicate where you are going to focus your essentia investment primarily? Or being even more generically specific.

I'm confused here. How is it obvious that 66% of your essentia is larger than the allowed amount? If, at 20th level, your essentia pool is 3, then 66% of that is only 2 essentia--well within the limit for a 20th level character. If, on the other hand, your essentia pool is 9, then 66% of that is 6, and we're above the normal** essentia limit. Either way, specifying only a percentage doesn't give the judges an idea of your concrete abilities. What I'm asking is simple--save the judges from having to do the math ourselves, please.

*OCD is a real disorder, and I don't want to downplay it by using it as an adjective.
**Though see my previous post.

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 12:53 PM

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is uncontrollable obsessive compulsiveness. But that's neither here nor there.

Amechra

2011-04-13, 02:48 PM

Just want to say that I'm really happy with this SI, mainly because I found a beautiful synergy...

Mmmm... synergy.

Also, would something like this be useful? (You can use this if you like; I'm just going to put the minimum possible essentia pool at a given level, based off of entry at 7th level):
{table=head]Level|Essentia Pool|Typical Essentia Investment
1|
1|
2|
1|
3|
1|
4|
1|
5|
1|
6|
1|
7|
2|
8|
3|
9|
4|
10|
4|
11|
5|
12|
6|
13|
7|
14|
7|
15|
8|
16|
9|
17|
9|
18|
9|
19|
9|
20|
9|[/table]

I've gotten points of for being unspecific, and this will speed up the whole look-through for the judges

OMG PONIES

2011-04-13, 03:07 PM

I <3 Amechra. That's exactly what I'd like to see.

Amphetryon

2011-04-13, 03:11 PM

OMG PONIES

2011-04-13, 03:12 PM

Code:

{table=head]Level|Essentia Pool|Typical Essentia Investment
1|
1|
2|
1|
3|
1|
4|
1|
5|
1|
6|
1|
7|
2|
8|
3|
9|
4|
10|
4|
11|
5|
12|
6|
13|
7|
14|
7|
15|
8|
16|
9|
17|
9|
18|
9|
19|
9|
20|
9|[/table]

Amphetryon

2011-04-13, 03:14 PM

Amechra

2011-04-13, 03:15 PM

{table=head]Level|Essentia Pool|Typical Essentia Investment

1|
1|

2|
1|

3|
1|

4|
1|

5|
1|

6|
1|

7|
2|

8|
3|

9|
4|

10|
4|

11|
5|

12|
6|

13|
7|

14|
7|

15|
8|

16|
9|

17|
9|

18|
9|

19|
9|

20|
9|[/table]

Have fun!

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 03:27 PM

Those without coding chops would probably appreciate a copy-pasta code of that table for their submissions. I know it's not especially difficult but not all of us geeks are computer geeks. :smallbiggrin:

This isn't really coding...

I was just going to append it to the main table, but I suppose this works too.

true_shinken

2011-04-13, 05:34 PM

All you have to say is what percent of available essentia you put where, and that you are providing a percent of the essentia you can put in an ability.
I want to point out that dealing with percentages you will most likely end up with 'free essentia', which would probably be a hit in power or elegance.
My advice: just say exactly what you are doing. Remember the rules of the contest, you only need to actually accurately describe your tactics in a single point of your character. Essentia is the heart of incarnum. If you get it wrong, expect the judges to deck you. If you dodge it, expect the judges to deck you as well.

EDIT: Ninja ponies! Ninja ponies everywhere!

Woodzyowl

2011-04-13, 06:08 PM

Ya know what? This sounds like fun, so I'll try it out (although I'm probably going to fail miseraby). Don't worry, I'm not going to submit something (too) stupid. I hope.

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 06:38 PM

I want to point out that dealing with percentages you will most likely end up with 'free essentia', which would probably be a hit in power or elegance.
My advice: just say exactly what you are doing. Remember the rules of the contest, you only need to actually accurately describe your tactics in a single point of your character. Essentia is the heart of incarnum. If you get it wrong, expect the judges to deck you. If you dodge it, expect the judges to deck you as well.

Oh well, I'm aiming for inadvertent last.

Zaq

2011-04-13, 06:56 PM

Ya know what? This sounds like fun, so I'll try it out (although I'm probably going to fail miseraby). Don't worry, I'm not going to submit something (too) stupid. I hope.

That's, um, almost the spirit! You'll be fine, really. Hell, my first ICOC entry got honorable mention (and he was almost a joke), and my second try got third place. I think that the key (at least for me) is to aim for something totally unexpected. Not only will you probably do well in Originality, but you probably won't be using the same tricks that everyone else is, which means that you'll at least be judged somewhat differently for Power.

Oh well, I'm aiming for inadvertent last.

Trying something polarizing? After submitting Aesc, I can't really argue against that. Sometimes the fun comes from seeing the comments, not the scores.

If the field stays this thin, I may actually be motivated to do something. I understand the system, anyway, enough to build something.

Doooooo iiiiiiiiitttttt.

Never done Iron Chef before, but I love Incarnum, so I'll submit a build.

Being new to this, I may have an inordinate amount of questions (though I'm good for now, we'll see once the build starts. I'm so excited!).

Excited is good! Questions are fine! More contestants! MOAR!

Seriously though, I think we can cobble together something resembling a quorum (yes, I am aware that we don't have a defined quorum). Hell, this can't be harder to optimize than Vigilante, for Kord's sake. At least it does have worthwhile features. They just happen to have very little synergy with anything else.

As far as essentia goes, I wouldn't mind hearing a quick mention of your essentia cap at your various breakpoints, but I'm not going to out-and-out require it. (That said, including it indicates to me that, on some level, you know what you're doing, which I'd go so far as to say is something you want me to believe.) Saying exactly how many essentia you keep in each soulmeld/receptacle runs counter to the entire point of essentia: it's meant to be ever-changing, shifting around to give you exactly the bonus you need when you need it. That said, if you want to say "at this level, I get the Cornflower Cupcake ability, which obviously enhances my already formidable sweet-based tricks. With 4 essentia in it, I can frost up to 6 cupcakes a round, or 10 if my Ultramarine Sprinkles ability is active!" or something like that, I think that'd do just fine.

I will warn, though, that if I get the impression that you believe that all of your essentia receptacles will be constantly maxed out, I'm not going to like that too much. Don't have Schrödinger's Essentia Pool. Mentioning your abilities at their best is fine, but if you sound like you think that you'll always have maxed essentia in everything, I'm not going to be happy. Is this warning vague? Perhaps a little bit, but at least you've been warned.

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 07:13 PM

Zaq

2011-04-13, 07:16 PM

After reading more into this, I may have to pull out of the contest. It's just BAD. I mean, truly god awful. I don't see why ANYONE would ever take this.

Maybe I will just submit something truly godawful, worthy of how terrible it is.

This is a contest that has produced interesting and (kinda) useful Psibond Agents, Mythic Exemplars, Drunken Masters, Vigilantes, and Green Star Adepts. You can't tell me that this class is worse than Stonelord, can you? Everyone's working with the same crappy class. Don't disappoint me. You can do it.

Cartigan

2011-04-13, 07:32 PM

This is a contest that has produced interesting and (kinda) useful Psibond Agents, Mythic Exemplars, Drunken Masters, Vigilantes, and Green Star Adepts. You can't tell me that this class is worse than Vigilante, can you? Everyone's working with the same crappy class. Don't disappoint me. You can do it.

I could produce an interesting, if not terribly playable Vigilante. And you should SEE my theoretical Drunken Master.

This class is COMPLETELY focused on melee combat, but it doesn't have full BAB and the limits on essentia make Incandescent Strike a joke. It's capstone is absurd - you can't attack or roughly anything else or end it prematurely? It's penalizing you for upping your Charisma for all your other abilities! Incandescent ray makes the Warlock look flat out overpowered. You could maybe work with Unbearable Countenance if there weren't a multitude other abilities in the game several times better.

I can't think of a single build to can into this that wouldn't be better going into ANYTHING else. Vigilante might not be a great class, but at least it does what it aims to do.

true_shinken

2011-04-13, 09:15 PM

I can't think of a single build to can into this that wouldn't be better going into ANYTHING else. Vigilante might not be a great class, but at least it does what it aims to do.
I'll justy point one thing out: one of Incandescent Champion's abilities is downright broken on what it can accomplish in niche cases, as an old friend of mine in 339 pointed out years before (he is somewhat of a titan).
Yes, this class has potential.

Woodzyowl

2011-04-13, 09:19 PM

I can't think of a single build to can into this that wouldn't be better going into ANYTHING else. Vigilante might not be a great class, but at least it does what it aims to do.

Agreed. I'm a pathetic optimizer, and a pathetic class is just going to make my job harder. However, if a total n00b (pardon my leet) is going to attempt to do something with this, you should give it your best shot.

Xodion

2011-04-14, 04:16 AM

Is it really that bad? I almost want to find this book just to see...

Cartigan

2011-04-14, 07:55 AM

Is it really that bad? I almost want to find this book just to see...

The class doesn't get full BAB but it is a melee guy.
It's first ability uses essentia to augment its damage - except essentia investment is capped absurdly low. Without an ability that lets you expand it, you can get like 4 (or 6, I forget) at CL 17-20.
The next ability is a fear effect that instead of based on HD or even class level, is based on essentia investment (with the usual 10 +Cha).
You finally get the ability to increase your essentia investment into an ability at level 3 I think it is, at which point you can add your Cha mod to the essentia limit. Which would be ok except it's 1/day...
Then there is a ray that does 1d8 per essentia. I think the earliest you can get this ability is like 15..
Then there is a damaging aura, that I suppose has potential. If not for the essentia limit and saving throw. I suppose you could dazzle Orcs with it.
The capstone ability basically gives you gaseous form where you can invest essentia and use your aura and it lasts Charisma rounds. Did I mention you can't end it prematurely?

You also get fast healing at 2nd or something of essentia investment, class rounds a day. I suppose that's sort of ok.

Xodion

2011-04-14, 08:13 AM

The class doesn't get full BAB but it is a melee guy.

That doesn't scare me, I play melee rogues more than everything else put together :smallbiggrin:

It's first ability uses essentia to augment its damage - except essentia investment is capped absurdly low. Without an ability that lets you expand it, you can get like 4 (or 6, I forget) at CL 17-20.
The next ability is a fear effect that instead of based on HD or even class level, is based on essentia investment (with the usual 10 +Cha).
You finally get the ability to increase your essentia investment into an ability at level 3 I think it is, at which point you can add your Cha mod to the essentia limit. Which would be ok except it's 1/day...
Then there is a ray that does 1d8 per essentia. I think the earliest you can get this ability is like 15..
Then there is a damaging aura, that I suppose has potential. If not for the essentia limit and saving throw. I suppose you could dazzle Orcs with it.
The capstone ability basically gives you gaseous form where you can invest essentia and use your aura and it lasts Charisma rounds. Did I mention you can't end it prematurely?

You also get fast healing at 2nd or something of essentia investment, class rounds a day. I suppose that's sort of ok.

Sounds like it's about choosing what you want, rather than doing everything at once. Can you rearrange your essentia at any point, or only when you level?

...I'm actually getting quite interested now. I'll see if I can find someone who owns it.

Cartigan

2011-04-14, 08:42 AM

That doesn't scare me, I play melee rogues more than everything else put together :smallbiggrin:

Melee rogues can do this thing called "putting out lots of damage."
Would you play a melee Rogue where you didn't get Sneak Attack?

And I don't think it was very clear on how essentia is invested. I want to say at the start of the day.

Xodion

2011-04-14, 08:55 AM

Melee rogues can do this thing called "putting out lots of damage."
Would you play a melee Rogue where you didn't get Sneak Attack?

And I don't think it was very clear on how essentia is invested. I want to say at the start of the day.

Putting out lots of damage is the point of melee classes, though, so yes, if I was replacing it with some other damage output. Basically, I'm not bothered about full BAB in a melee class, it's nice but not essential.

Every day would sound about right, anything less frequent and you would struggle. I won't go on, as I think I'm in danger of speculation, but I might give this one a try if I can find a copy of the book from someone :smallsmile:

dextercorvia

2011-04-14, 08:57 AM

You may reinvest essentia every round as a swift action into all receptacles except incarnum feats.

Cartigan

2011-04-14, 09:03 AM

Putting out lots of damage is the point of melee classes, though, so yes, if I was replacing it with some other damage output.

Which is the problem. This class doesn't get any notable damage booster. All abilities are significantly hampered by essentia investment restrictions.

I think I'll scrap what I have and go with something else.

Xodion

2011-04-14, 09:16 AM

You may reinvest essentia every round as a swift action into all receptacles except incarnum feats.

Thanks for the info :smallsmile:

Which is the problem. This class doesn't get any notable damage booster. All abilities are significantly hampered by essentia investment restrictions.

I guess that's why it's in Iron Chef! It might be fun one day to try something already very powerful and see just how far people can take it (Dervish or FB, for example), but that might just be my inner powergaming- and melee-loving voice talking :smallwink:

BluesEclipse

2011-04-14, 10:01 AM

You know what? Count me in. I'm a fan of Incarnum, so I'll see what I can do with my collection of books(mind you, I don't have nearly as many as I'd like - in particular, no Tome of Battle) to make a viable build here.

dextercorvia

2011-04-14, 10:01 AM

My guess is Cartigan has something pretty awesome up his sleeve, and is just trying to discourage the competetion. ;)

I have something that I'm cooking.

Cartigan

2011-04-14, 10:10 AM

My guess is Cartigan has something pretty awesome up his sleeve, and is just trying to discourage the competetion. ;)

If I only I would tell myself what it was...

OMG PONIES

2011-04-14, 10:42 AM

Sonofacrap. I now have a build idea that I think is pretty stellar, yet here I am as one of two judges. Oh well.

Xodion

2011-04-14, 10:49 AM

Looks like we've managed to drum up some interest after all, hooray!

I would like to enter now, and though I don't have any ideas yet I can usually do something with melee classes :smallsmile:. Also, with more time to make the build (is that deadline Easter Saturday?), I should be able to avoid my silly spelling mistakes from last time. Serves me right for rushing, and writing it all up in Notepad :smallredface:

dextercorvia

2011-04-14, 10:52 AM

Sonofacrap. I now have a build idea that I think is pretty stellar, yet here I am as one of two judges. Oh well.

Which means we'll have to beat your idea to score any points in power, eh?

OMG PONIES

2011-04-14, 11:57 AM

Which means we'll have to beat your idea to score any points in power, eh?

No, no, it just means that I'll be secretly rooting for one build while simultaneously docking it in originality. :smallfrown:

Amechra

2011-04-14, 08:41 PM

Out of curiosity, after this competition is done, would anyone be amenable to an Alternate Rules and Restrictions contest? You know, something like: "Magic Rating replaces caster level; all the stuff that boosts cl doesn't affect Magic Rating (which is sorta like magical BAB; look in your copy of Unearthed Arcana today!). Build an effective character with a magic rating between 10 and 15." Or something.

I'm just thinking that an optimization contest where the fundamental assumptions of the system are changed (or assumptions not so fundamental) could be awesome.

Ideas:
Build an e6 party (It's more like snack foods than a meal in this case)
Using the injury system (some classes gain usefulness, some lose usefulness)

Of course, like Leadership is banned here, and Landlord is banned in the vehicle contest, some other feats will have to be banned; for example, NO ONE CAN TAKE STEADFAST DETERMINATION IF THE COMPETITION IS BASED OFF OF THE INJURY SYSTEM. Otherwise, anyone with a decent Fort save becomes immune to mundane damage, among other things.

Anyone game for this?

Thurbane

2011-04-14, 09:05 PM

Zaq

2011-04-14, 09:06 PM

Hey - I'm still very sketchy on MoI rules. Does the table above represent a characters essentia pool, regardless of class or race?

It's just an example. You're supposed to replace the numbers with what your actual pool is.

Akal Saris

2011-04-14, 09:23 PM

Man, I'd like to enter this one, but I really suck at incarnum stuff :smalltongue: Ah well, maybe if some time opens up unexpectedly I'll have time to read through MoI again.

Zaq

2011-04-14, 09:24 PM

Man, I'd like to enter this one, but I really suck at incarnum stuff :smalltongue: Ah well, maybe if some time opens up unexpectedly I'll have time to read through MoI again.

So does this class.

(You should totally join us!)

Amechra

2011-04-14, 09:33 PM

NO!!! I can't possibly compete against Akal! He is as a deity in this competition!

I swear, your suck will probably be better than my skill (surprisingly, Incarnum is one of the few subsystems that give me a good "feel", the others being the psionic focus, invocations, ToB, and a couple of homebrew systems here and there (Xenotheurgy and Arcane-Divine-Martial Rotes being being big ones). Oh, and Binding. All other systems just feel kind of bleh to me.)

true_shinken

2011-04-14, 09:57 PM

Btw, did OMG Ponies tie with Akal Saris for the overall number of gold trophies last contest?

Amechra

2011-04-14, 10:28 PM

Please don't remind me; I have effectively until tomorrow to make my contestant...

dextercorvia

2011-04-15, 08:09 AM

@Amechra -- I've thought before that an E6 contest would be fun, but I couldn't figure out how to do the Secret Ingredient. Concept, feat chain, ....

true_shinken

2011-04-15, 09:24 AM

@Amechra -- I've thought before that an E6 contest would be fun, but I couldn't figure out how to do the Secret Ingredient. Concept, feat chain, ....

An E6 contest with a prestige class secret ingredient would be fun. Qualify as early as possible and try to make a build function around one single level. Extra points if you manage more than one level. :smallamused:

Xodion

2011-04-15, 09:33 AM

An E6 contest with a prestige class secret ingredient would be fun. Qualify as early as possible and try to make a build function around one single level. Extra points if you manage more than one level. :smallamused:

Found an article about E6 - just to make sure I'm looking at the same thing, it's the rules about advancing normally to level 6, then taking tons of feats instead of levels, right? It looks really cool, and I love taking lots of feats! :smallbiggrin:

OMG PONIES

2011-04-15, 10:18 AM

Btw, did OMG Ponies tie with Akal Saris for the overall number of gold trophies last contest?

:smallbiggrin:. I didn't want to sound like a jerk by pointing it out myself. Akal Saris and myself are both tied at 4 for most Iron Chef gold medals (at least, here on GiTP). Akal, I don't know if this gives you a reason to compete this round...

true_shinken

2011-04-15, 10:37 AM

:smallbiggrin:. I didn't want to sound like a jerk by pointing it out myself. Akal Saris and myself are both tied at 4 for most Iron Chef gold medals (at least, here on GiTP). Akal, I don't know if this gives you a reason to compete this round...

Oh, it would be a lot more climatic to have a tie-breaker when both are competing!

kestrel404

2011-04-15, 12:26 PM

I'm willing to be a judge for this one.

@OMG_PONIES, if you really want to compete we can probably find another judge.

Derjuin

2011-04-15, 01:26 PM

If it isn't too late to be a contestant, I'd like to give this a try :smallsmile:

true_shinken

2011-04-15, 01:32 PM

If it isn't too late to be a contestant, I'd like to give this a try :smallsmile:

It's never too late!

Well, until the reveal, that is. :smalltongue:

OMG PONIES

2011-04-15, 02:24 PM

@OMG_PONIES, if you really want to compete we can probably find another judge.

'Tis kind of you. If Mr. Saris competes, I might just have to give the Chairman the tiebreaker he's looking for. :smallwink: For now, though, I'm still on as a judge.

Woodzyowl

2011-04-15, 02:30 PM

I think I'm going to have to drop out of this one for a no-internet camping trip for the next week. Maybe I'll come back next week and live up to my name: The 1337 Noob.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-15, 02:37 PM

I think I'm going to have to drop out of this one for a no-internet camping trip for the next week. Maybe I'll come back next week and live up to my name: The 1337 Noob.

Submit your build this weekend?

Woodzyowl

2011-04-15, 02:41 PM

Next week as in the next seven days, sorry guys. I had some good ideas too. :roy:

Cartigan

2011-04-18, 08:38 AM

I'm going to have to drop out. I definitely can't think of anything properly capable and I'm having a problem trying to figure out how to present my terrible and ridiculous build other than saying it is terrible and ridiculous and bad at everything, which is obviously not the point of the challenge.

Zaq

2011-04-18, 09:12 AM

gbprime

2011-04-18, 09:18 AM

http://helenholmberg.se/bloggen/wp-content/uploads/sad-panda.jpg

Is he our official Sad Panda now? :smalltongue:

true_shinken

2011-04-18, 11:22 AM

Is he our official Sad Panda now? :smalltongue:

I declare it official!

Rancor1

2011-04-18, 12:26 PM

Just to make sure, are feats from 3.0 that were not reprinted/changed in 3.5 legal for use?

Cartigan

2011-04-18, 12:42 PM

I declare it official!

Do I get a statue of a panda?

true_shinken

2011-04-18, 03:53 PM

Just to make sure, are feats from 3.0 that were not reprinted/changed in 3.5 legal for use?

This is standard for 3.0 material according to 3.5 rules, but I believe a few judges would penalize your elegance score.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-18, 08:33 PM

I would join as a (late) contender, but my optimize-fu is... incredibly lacking.

Will be keeping a close eye on these, however.

Zaq

2011-04-18, 08:39 PM

I would join as a (late) contender, but my optimize-fu is... incredibly lacking.

Will be keeping a close eye on these, however.

That's no excuse! We were all new once, and the fact that we're all laboring under this handicap does more to even the field than you might think. I promise it's more fun than you probably think it is! You've got enough time left to crank something out.

Or, you know, don't. That's cool too. But honestly, there's no reason to stand in your own way. You'll almost certainly get better by going through this once or twice.

T.G. Oskar

2011-04-18, 09:34 PM

I would join as a (late) contender, but my optimize-fu is... incredibly lacking.

Will be keeping a close eye on these, however.

Remember that this isn't just optimization, but flavor. If your idea is good enough, it may have a few dents on Power but otherwise get great scores on Originality, Elegance and Use of Secret Ingredient.

Read the four scores appropriately. Optimization works mostly with Power and Use of Secret Ingredient; you can get a powerful build that only uses about 10% of the SI, meaning that if you could make that build with a different PrC, then it's not a good idea. As well, you could have a build that improves the SI and uses all the bits, but end up with the Monk problem (lots of features without synergy), so you get hit on Power. Since there's lots of tricks that already exist and are well-known, Originality exists within the premise that the usual entry to the build isn't the only one. Elegance is best explained as "following the rules and making sure everything flows nicely". Actually, a good deal of times a typical build will focus on Power and Use of Secret Ingredient, with an average Elegance score and generally average or low Originality (mostly a few hits). Optimi-fu alone doesn't guarantee a successful build, actually. So there's nothing wrong in trying; you might get a good deal of pointers.

As for the competition...I'm not sure if I should take a rest or go judge, but Incandescent Champion is quite interesting. VERY.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-18, 09:37 PM

That's no excuse! We were all new once, and the fact that we're all laboring under this handicap does more to even the field than you might think. I promise it's more fun than you probably think it is! You've got enough time left to crank something out.

Or, you know, don't. That's cool too. But honestly, there's no reason to stand in your own way. You'll almost certainly get better by going through this once or twice.

I guess that I can try out my pseudo-fu. Deadline's this coming Saturday, right? I might be able to whip something up - I'll definitely give it a try.

Private-Prinny

2011-04-18, 10:11 PM

I'll be the mystery judge for this round. I'll post my criteria at the beginning of my judging post, so none of you will have any special opportunity to try to score brownie points.

true_shinken

2011-04-19, 02:56 PM

As for the competition...I'm not sure if I should take a rest or go judge, but Incandescent Champion is quite interesting. VERY.
Glad someone else agrees ^^
I was starting to think only Zaq and I thought this class was worth a short.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-19, 03:01 PM

I was starting to think only Zaq and I thought this class was worth a short.

I've just kept my mouth shut. I think it has needles of awesomeness buried in haystacks of shame.

Cartigan

2011-04-19, 03:05 PM

Glad someone else agrees ^^
I was starting to think only Zaq and I thought this class was worth a short.

I agree the class should be electrocuted.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-19, 05:12 PM

Actually, it's a lot better than I thought. The first time I read through it, I somehow assumed that you could only place essentia in the class features once a day (like Incarnum feats). But looking at it again, they're pretty much just permanent soulemlds.

I'm just hating the BAB+6 and alignment: Good requirements. Well, and the save DCs for the abilities. WHY, Wizards? I mean SERIOUSLY.

T.G. Oskar

2011-04-19, 05:51 PM

Glad someone else agrees ^^
I was starting to think only Zaq and I thought this class was worth a short.

Well, it fits the general theme of the competition (something hard to deal with), but at the same time it introduces something that they could have gone with the Soulborn. Mentioned through spoilers because of a possible, yet frighteningly obvious, build potential:

Thematically, the Incarnate has the ability to boost its soulmelds to incredible levels, while the Totemist has the ability to unlock his totem chakra in order to generate new abilities. The Soulborn is unfortunately riddled with poor class abilities trying to "compensate" for full BAB.

Incandescent Champion brings the ability to place Essentia to class abilities, which could have done a phenomenal thematic link to Soulborn and not to mention providing a very solid progression to the class itself. Basically, it gave a different set of class abilities to progress into, and probably stack alongside the Soulborn's own. It would have also made the Soulborn unique, and potentially allow it to finally bypass the problem with Paladin-likes (such as Divine Mind, and before the Crusader) by providing a reason why to take the class and keep taking levels up to level 20.

Still, the class abilities aren't so bad. For starters, it has a quite solid capstone. Fast healing is pretty nice, albeit limited. The DC really can't be helped, because that's exactly how the rest of the soulmelds deal with their save DCs. And they have an ability that allows them to increase the total essentia for a while, but it's extremely limited (before D&D shifted into per day, per encounter and at-will abilities). It has a bit of the Monk problem (non synergistic abilities), but it has better abilities that most of the classes we've dealt with recently, IMO. So it's really an interesting class to tackle, the only problem being that it's upon a system that's hard to understand on the first place. I find it's better than Incarnum Blade (although IB is five levels long, quite a surprise), but stuff like Totem Rager place the class to shame. I'd say there's another class that's similar in that regard, in that it has interesting features but it's really hard to optimize around.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-19, 08:03 PM

Alright, so I was looking through the first post, and I couldn't see few questions answered...

1) Skill points - can you hold them over on level-up, or do you have to use them all at the level earned?

2) If I use LA, should I present 2 altered builds, one featuring LA buyoff and one not?

3) Finally, should we write up a separate table for essentia/essentia cap, or just mention it in the class features column?

Zaq

2011-04-19, 08:14 PM

true_shinken

2011-04-19, 08:17 PM

Alright, so I was looking through the first post, and I couldn't see few questions answered...

1) Skill points - can you hold them over on level-up, or do you have to use them all at the level earned?
We follow the official rules, so you can't.

2) If I use LA, should I present 2 altered builds, one featuring LA buyoff and one not?
You can present one as an alternative, sure, but judges will probably focus on only one build.

3) Finally, should we write up a separate table for essentia/essentia cap, or just mention it in the class features column?
A table for essentia cap is not needed, since it's the same for all charaters at the level, but knowing your essentia per level is very important.

EDIT: swordsage'd

Amechra

2011-04-21, 08:56 AM

How much would I have to bribe you with to extend the competition by 6 hours? I have my build pretty much done, but I'm literally getting home at the exact deadline, and there will be sadness if I can't submit.

Please? Pretty please?

OMG PONIES

2011-04-21, 10:05 AM

Shink usually waits until a few hours after the deadline to post submissions as it is...

Amechra

2011-04-21, 11:25 AM

Ah yes, I should be fine then.

true_shinken

2011-04-21, 12:13 PM

Shink usually waits until a few hours after the deadline to post submissions as it is...

yup. I'll be pretty wasted on Saturday anyway, so don't expect the reveal until late Sunday.

gbprime

2011-04-21, 01:10 PM

yup. I'll be pretty wasted on Saturday anyway, so don't expect the reveal until late Sunday.

Okay, now you're just making me envious. :smalltongue:

gbprime

2011-04-22, 05:26 PM

Ninja Entry!!!111!!! :smallcool:

Build submitted. Didn't have time to start on it until today, so we'll see what happens. :smallwink:

Amphetryon

2011-04-22, 06:45 PM

Entry delayed by migraine. Hope to finish up tonight or tomorrow morning.

Zaq

2011-04-22, 07:27 PM

Migraines are miserable. Best of luck, man.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-22, 07:51 PM

Just finishing up moving the fluff to the computer, entry should be submitted later tonight.

And Amphetryon? I feel for you. Just finished finals myself, so my brain is kinda on melt-down. Probably not the best time to try and optimize... oh well.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-22, 09:57 PM

...and build submitted!

Let's see the effects of brain-burnout on optimization!

Z3ro

2011-04-22, 10:14 PM

Build submitted earlier. Can't wait to see the builds.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-23, 07:31 AM

Can't wait to judge the builds. One particular incarnum trick jumped out at me in considering possible builds, so I really hope someone's been able to make use of it.

Private-Prinny

2011-04-23, 05:22 PM

Can't wait to judge the builds. One particular incarnum trick jumped out at me in considering possible builds, so I really hope someone's been able to make use of it.

I had an Incarnum trick in mind, but Curmudgeon shot me down when I went to double-check the RAW with him. So now I'm judging, because I couldn't think of anything else to exploit.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-23, 05:30 PM

I had an Incarnum trick in mind, but Curmudgeon shot me down when I went to double-check the RAW with him. So now I'm judging, because I couldn't think of anything else to exploit.

Can't wait 'til this is closed - I want to know what trick got shot down.

...And now I'm paranoid that I may have been liberal with RAW. Curses.

Xodion

2011-04-23, 07:04 PM

An hour late this time - I'm making a bad habit of this.

Note to self: never think "oh, I've got plenty of time, I'll do it later" regardless of how long there is left...

Amphetryon

2011-04-23, 10:17 PM

*pant pant* Build submitted. *pant pant*

TroubleBrewing

2011-04-23, 10:26 PM

Talk about skating in at the eleventh hour. Hope it all goes well!

true_shinken

2011-04-24, 04:53 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, be ready for the great reveal in a few moments.
OK, get ready for the great reveal!

Our first build somewhat surprised me. I mean with that (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayrton_Senna) name (http://eyeshield21.wikia.com/wiki/Sena_Kobayakawa), I expected someone faster (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuperSpeed). A lot faster (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FlashStep).

http://www.monkey-pictures.net/blue-monkey-pic.jpg
WHO (background)
My name is Sena. I am a warrior of my Vanaran people, chosen by the life essence around us that our totemists call “incarnum” to guide my people to greatness, and this is my chronicle.

I was raised a wild thing, more creature than person. We had some trade with the city makers, who valued our hunting skills as much as we valued their smithing. I was gifted with my falchion when I finished the rites that made me an adult in the eyes of my kind.

In battle I have always entered what some called a rage, but my tribe teaches as a terrible clarity of vision. Distractions melt away and the world becomes my weapon, my strength, and my opponent. In this clarity of vision, I could see motes of life essence floating around everything. The council of totemists told me this was incarnum, when I thought to ask. Their ways were odd, even to my tribe, but I learned enough to call that life essence, that incarnum, to me and to my falchion.

The more I learned of it, the more frightful a fighter I became. This spiral of events encouraged me, so I pursued it with an almost obsessive resolve. The person you see before you, relating this chronicle, is the result of that resolve.

WHAT (Tables)
Chaotic Good Vanara (1) Barbarian 5/Incarnum Blade 5/Incandescent Champion 10
Starting stats: STR 14 DEX 12 CON 14 INT 12 WIS 10 CHA 16
Boost STR at level-ups. Chart does not include stat modifiers for saves or skills.
SENA
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features

1st|Barbarian 1|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Climb 4, Concentration 1, Intimidate 4, Jump 4, Ride 1, Survival 4, Swim 1|Power Attack|Rage 1/day, Fast Movement, Illiteracy

2nd|Barbarian 2|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Climb 5, Concentration 1.5, Intimidate 5, Jump 5, Survival 5|-|Uncanny Dodge

3rd|Barbarian 3|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Climb 6, Concentration 2.5, Intimidate 6, Jump 6|Cobalt Rage (MoI 37)|Trap Sense +1

4th|Barbarian 4|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Climb 7, Concentration 3.5, Intimidate 7, Jump 7|-|Rage 2/day

5th|Barbarian 5|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Climb 8, Concentration 4, Intimidate 8, Jump 8, Survival 6|-|Improved Uncanny Dodge

6th|Incarnum Blade 1 (MoI 121)|
+6|
+6|
+1|
+1|Climb 9, Concentration 5, Intimidate 9|Cobalt Charge (MoI 35)|Shape Blademeld, Blademeld Chakra Binds

7th|Incandescent Champion 1 (MoI 116)|
+6|
+6|
+1|
+3|Concentration 6, Intimidate 10, Ride 2|-|Incandescent Strike, +1 Essentia Pool

8th|Incandescent Champion 2|
+7|
+6|
+1|
+4|Concentration 7, Intimidate 11, Ride 3|-|Fast Healing (self), +1 Essentia Pool

9th|Incandescent Champion 3|
+8|
+7|
+2|
+4|Concentration 8, Intimidate 12, Ride 4|Shape Soulmeld (Blink Shirt)|Unbearable Countenance, +1 Essentia Pool

10th|Incandescent Champion 4|
+9|
+7|
+2|
+5|Concentration 9, Intimidate 13, Ride 5|-|Incarnum Overload 1/day

11th|Incarnum Blade 2|
+10|
+8|
+2|
+5|Climb 10, Concentration 10, Intimidate 14|-|Blademeld Chakra Binds

12th|Incarnum Blade 3|
+11|
+8|
+3|
+6|Climb 11, Concentration 11, Intimidate 15|Shape Soulmeld (Threefold Mask of the Chimera: MoI 90-1)|Rebind Blademeld, Blademeld Chakra Binds

13th|Incandescent Champion 5|
+11|
+8|
+3|
+6|Concentration 12, Intimidate 16, Ride 6|-|Incandescent Ray, +1 Essentia Pool

14th|Incandescent Champion 6|
+12|
+9|
+4|
+7|Concentration 13, Intimidate 17, Ride 7|-|+1 Essentia Pool

15th|Incandescent Champion 7|
+13|
+9|
+4|
+7|Concentration 14, Intimidate 18, Ride 8|Cobalt Power (MoI 37)|Incarnum Overload 2/day, +1 Essentia Pool

16th|Incandescent Champion 8|
+14|
+9|
+4|
+8|Concentration 15, Intimidate 19, Ride 9|-|Incandescent Aura

17th|Incarnum Blade 4|
+15|
+10|
+4|
+8|Climb 12, Concentration 16, Intimidate 20|-|Blademeld Chakra Bind (Heart)

18th|Incarnum Blade 5|
+16|
+10|
+4|
+8|Climb 13, Concentration 17, Intimidate 21|Open Least Chakra: Crown (Threefold Mask of the Chimera: MoI 39-40)|Dual Chakra Binding, Blademeld Chakra Bind (Soul)

19th|Incandescent Champion 9|
+16|
+11|
+5|
+9|Concentration 18, Intimidate 22, Ride 10|-|Fast Healing (Allies), +1 Essentia Pool

20th|Incandescent Champion 10|
+17|
+11|
+5|
+10|Concentration 19, Intimidate 23, Ride 11|-|Incandescent Transcendence, Incarnum Overload 3/day, +1 Essentia Pool[/table]

INCARNUM TABLE

{table=head]Level|Essentia Pool|Typical Essentia Investment
1|
1|-
2|
1|-
3|
2|1 in C. Rage
4|
2|1 in C. Rage
5|
2|1 in C. Rage
6|
3|Blademeld to Hands Chakra, 1 Rage, 1 C. Charge
7|
4|Blademeld: Hands, 2 in Incandescent Strike, 1 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge
8|
5|Blademeld: Hands, 2 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge
9|
6|Blademeld: Hands, 2 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 1 Blink Shirt
10|
6|Blademeld: Hands, 2 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 1 Blink Shirt
11|
6|Blademeld: Arms, 2 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 1 Blink Shirt
12|
6|Blademeld: Throat, 2 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 1 Blink Shirt
13|
7|Blademeld: Throat, 3 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 1 Blink Shirt
14|
8|Blademeld: Throat, 3 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 2 Blink Shirt
15|
10|Blademeld: Throat, 3 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 2 C. Charge, 2 Blink Shirt
16|
10|Blademeld: Throat, 3 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 2 C. Charge, 2 Blink Shirt
17|
10|Blademeld: Heart, 3 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 2 Blink Shirt
18|
10|Blademeld: Heart/Throat, 3 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 2 Blink Shirt, 1 Mask
19|
11|Blademeld: Heart/Throat, 3 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 1 C. Charge, 2 Blink Shirt, 2 Mask
20|
12|Blademeld: Arms, 3 Incandescent Strike, 2 C. Rage, 2 C. Charge, 2 Blink Shirt, 2 Mask[/table]
Any incarnum not allocated above goes first to Incandescent Ray, then Incandescent Aura (when available).

WHERE (Highlights)
At 7th level, Sena is adding +6 to damage on any charge attacks before Rage, Power Attack, Strength or weapon damage is factored in, and 5 on every other attack before those factors. Cobalt Charge negates the reduced BAB of Incandescent Champion.

At 12th level, the Blink Shirt protects him with better mobility, the Threefold Mask prevents him from being flanked, and the Throat Blademeld stacks fear effects with the Unbearable Countenance ability. In times of need, Sena can allocate incarnum to either the Mask or the Blink Shirt to gain better Search/Spot or greater mobility, respectively.

At 18th level, when the need is great, the Blink Shirt’s teleportation ability can be combined with the Threefold Mask’s faux Haste effect to make a devastating first round attack sequence. Because of the inherent limitations to movement in the following round, this option should be carefully weighed before being used.

WHEN (Sweet Spot)
The Incandescent Aura ability, gained at 16th level in the build, meshes with the fear-stacking abilities of Incarnum Blade and Incandescent Champion to let Sera deal steady damage to nearby opponents who are Frightened and find it difficult to flee. The damage he does while Raging is prodigious in those cases where fear is not an option, especially on the initial charge routine, while the Incandescent Ray gives a weapon against those he cannot charge. With a Falchion and the Arms Blademeld option, Sera can play the crit-fisher when it’s the best choice instead, though he’d have to decide to do so before the fight.

WHY (Explanation of build choices and role)
Vanara was chosen as one of the few LA+0 racial choices with a Climb speed, which increases mobility options greatly. The Cliffwalker Shifter and the Mountain Spirit Folk are the other two options I could find, and both are even more setting specific than the Vanara. That climbing ability reduces - but does not eliminate - the dependence a non-caster has on other party members and magic items for help in getting to hard-to-reach opponents. The image of a blue monkey-like being infused with the blue essence of incarnum was another factor, as was the Near-East flavor mesh of the Vanara with chakra binding.

Sena is a solid damage-dealing option who is not solely a charger, a fear-monger, or a crit-fisher, though he can excel in any of those roles. Against foes he cannot easily charge, he can stack fear effects and/or stack crit enhancers. If facing undead that he cannot charge, his incarnum ray and aura become even more useful choices. The Incandescent Champion’s ability to overload chakras, combined with the Blademeld abilities and the malleability of incarnum investment means the damage from a chosen attack mode will be assured of relevance.

With a simple Barbarian base, Sena has solid damage capacity and decent utility thanks to good INT. The high HP totals are obviously of great use, and mesh well with the prodigious +40 HP bonus the Incarnum Blade’s Heart Bind provides, to make Sena exceptionally sturdy. Incarnum Blade, like Incandescent Champion, works with the incarnum system without forcing the players to delve too deeply into the incarnum system. This means that Sena is a good choice for a player who wants a versatile primary damage dealer that can introduce a group that is unfamiliar with incarnum to the system, while still fitting into a more standard campaign.

HOW (Changing things up with potential options, and Source List)
(1) Oriental Adventures received an update to 3.5 in Dragon (April, 2004) which removed all ability score adjustments for the Vanara. This results in the stats listed here. Confer also with AZNsupermarket's excellent Master Race compilation (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19546874/Master_Player_Race_List_Version_2.0). A DM that does not accept this update as valid gives us starting stats of STR 12 DEX 12 CON 14 INT 14 WIS 12 CHA 14. The increased INT would give more skill points to devote to Ride as a Barbarian, and to Jump once Prestige Classes are started. To further avoid rules debates about accessing Power Attack as a Barbarian with a base STR of 12 under this ruling, move Cobalt Rage to 1st level, Cobalt Charge to 3rd level, and Power Attack to 6th level.

Take two Flaws - Shaky and Vulnerable, for preference - and Shock Trooper and Leap Attack can fit in for a true Ubercharger in a campaign where that level of power is more appropriate. Alternately, Extra Rage and Intimidating Rage would be a slightly less over-the-top pair of choices that would emphasize the fear-monger aspects of Sena while keeping his damage output a mite higher. Additionally, Fractional BAB/Fractional Saves should always be considered when available, for a smoother progression.

If Unearthed Arcana is allowed, consider the Dragon Totem ACF for Barbarian to get the fear stacking in full effect. Sena might alternately consider the ever-popular Lion Totem ACF in Complete Champion, for the most reliable source of Pounce outside of spellcasting.

Any magic item that grants Flight, or increases CHA, should be top priorities at Ye Olde Magick Mart.

Source List
1. SRD
2. Magic of Incarnum
3. Oriental Adventures

true_shinken

2011-04-24, 05:10 PM

This is the first time I heard (well, read) someone saying shifters were underpowered.

Ushlaka, aka Brother Justice
Shifter
32 Point Buy
Str 15 Dex 10 Con 16 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 10
Ending Stats
Str 24(30) Dex 10 Con 22(28) Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 12(18)
(4 stat points to Str, 1 stat point to Con, +5 book to Str and Con, +2 book to Cha, +6 item to Str, Con, and Cha)
The Build
{table=head]Level|Class|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Skills|Feats|Class Features|Essentia

1st|Barbarian (Spirit Lion Totem)|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|(16)Intimidate 4 Jump 4 Listen 4 Survival 4|Shifter Ferocity|Pounce, Illiteracy, Rage 1/day|
0

2nd|Ranger|
+2|
+4|
+2|
+0|Knowledge(nature) 4 Jump 1 Survival 1|| Favored Enemy (Humans), Track, Wild Empathy|
0

3rd|Ranger|
+3|
+5|
+3|
+0|Concentration 3 Jump 1 Listen 1 Survival 1|Shape Soulmeld (Thunderstep Boots)|Combat Style (Two Weapon Fighting)|
0

4th|Warblade|
+4|
+7|
+3|
+0|Concentration 2 Intimidate 1 Jump 1||Battle Clarity (reflex save), Weapon Apttitude|
0

5th|Warblade|
+5|
+8|
+3|
+0|Survival 2||Uncanny Dodge|
0

6th|Weretouched Master|
+5|
+10|
+5|
+0|Jump 1 Survival 1|Bonus Essentia|Weretouched 1 (Bear)|
2

7th|Weretouched Master|
+6|
+11|
+6|
+0|Jump 1 Survival 1|Shifter Multi-Attack|Wild Empathy, Shifter Feat|
2

8th|Incandescent Champion|
+6|
+11|
+6|
+2|Concentration 2||Incandescent Strike|
3

9th|Incandescent Champion|
+7|
+11|
+6|
+3|Concentration 2|Extra Rage|Fast Healing (self)|
4

10th|Weretouched Master|
+8|
+11|
+6|
+4|Jump 1 Survival 1||Weretouched 2 (improved grab)|
4

11th|Weretouched Master|
+9|
+12|
+7|
+4|Jump 1 survival 2|Shifter Savagery|Frightful Shifting, Shifter feat|
4

12th|Incandescent Champion|
+10|
+13|
+8|
+4|Concentration 2|Shape Soulmeld (bluesteel bracers)|Unbearable Countenance|
5

13th|Weretouched Master|
+10|
+13|
+8|
+4|Jump 1 Survival 1||Alternate Form, Weretouched 3|
5

14th|Incandescent Champion|
+11|
+13|
+8|
+5|Concentration 2||Incarnum Overload 1/day|
5

15th|BloodClaw Master|
+11|
+15|
+10|
+5|Jump 1 Survival 1|Great Bite|Shifting 1/day, Claws of the Beast|
5

16th|BloodClaw Master|
+12|
+16|
+11|
+5|Jump 1 Survival 1||Superior Two Weapon Fighting, Tiger Claw Synergy (stance)|
5

17th|Incandescent Champion|
+12|
+16|
+11|
+5|Concentration 2||Incandescent Ray|
6

18th|Incandescent Champion|
+13|
+17|
+12|
+6|Concentration 2||Shape Soulmeld (Incarnate Avatar (good)|
7

19th|Incandescent Champion|
+14|
+17|
+12|
+6|Concentration 2||Incarnum Overload 2/day|
8

20th|Incandescent Champion|
+15|
+17|
+12|
+6|Concentration 2||Incandescent Aura|
8[/table]

Martial Maneuvers
3rd Level – Sudden Leap, Wolf Fang Strike, Moment of Perfect Mind
4th Level – Claw at the Moon
15th Level – Dancing Mongoose

Martial Stances
3rd Level – Hunter’s Sense
Background
The earliest memories of Ushlaka were pure and simple rage. He fought to survive alone against a world the barely understood and outright rejected him simply for what he was. Mindless rage was all he knew.

But then they found him. He never learned what chance encounter led them to him, but they showed him a better way. They started by training and refining the wilderness skill he already had. Even when the training started to focus more on swordplay, the beast inside was ever-present, and his style reflected that beast. The champions persisted, and he came to understand the higher path.

Learning the deeper truth of the world around him he embraced their teachings and their cause. He shown as a light, incandescent, in the darkness. He would bring the enemies of what was good and right to justice. Out in the wilderness where he hunted his prey, he was no longer Ushlaka; he was known by another name. Out in the wilds he was called Brother Justice.

Even after his training, the internal turmoil persisted. As he grew in his understanding of the world around him and the goodness all around, so to did the monster inside him. For it was impossible to separate the two; monster and man. Instead, Brother Justice embraced the beast and used it for good, where before there was only rage. Pity those who find themselves on the wrong end of Brother Justice!

General build notes:
This build attempts to fuse two generally underpowered things (shifter race, Incandescent Champion) into one powerful package. The biggest problem with shifting is the combination of the required investment and limited usage. While shifted and raging, this character is pretty powerful, but loses a lot when it’s not. In an attempt to help fix this, all Incandescent Champion abilities seamlessly shift between shifted form and non-shifted form. This allows the character to utilize TWF with an extra damage boost and other abilities that otherwise wouldn’t be there when no longer shifting.

Besides combat, this build can fill several other roles, thanks to its component classes. Besides combat, the build is an excellent tracker and can use wands off the Ranger list, likely making him the party healer at low levels courtesy of various wands.

Essentia only has a few sources to shuffle between in this build. Generally, the build maxes out thunderstep boots when charging, then shifts the essential to Incandescent strike and bluesteel bracers once combat is joined. 2/day the build can go nova, dumping all 8 essentia into the boots, dealing an extra 8d4 damage per attack on a charge. Other abilities, such as healing, gaze, and ray, can have essential put into them when needed, usually in maximum amounts.

Level Progression:
Note: At each level above 3 or so, this build will assume liberal use of the braid of dire shifting, a one-shot item costing 100gp that allows the user to become one size larger when shifting. At such a low cost, and relatively few shifts per day, there is no reason that the majority of the time the character is shifted, they also aren’t large.

Levels 1-5
The build is, at all points, a strong melee combatant, starting with levels in Barbarian, Ranger, and Warblade. Barbarian starts the build with good HP and attack bonuses, and shifting gives the character another attack. At level three the character begins fighting with two weapons, giving him three attacks when shifting. Using pounce and Thunderstep boots gives all three attacks an extra 1d4 damage, not bad for a 3rd level character. Warblade gives a few useful maneuvers, notably helping to shore up the weak will save, and using sudden leap to charge on consecutive rounds. Hunter’s Scent was chosen for thematic rather than power purposes, as Blood in the Water would be more useful at most levels.

Levels 6-10This is the point were the build really starts coming into its own. Bonus essentia at level 6 gives you 3d4 bonus damage on each charging attack. The levels of weretouched master boost your strength and give claw attacks along with improved grab, which lets you grapple if necessary (you should be large while shifting most of the time). Incandescent champion at this point is used primarily for its abilities granting essentia boosts to all damage, as well as its limited healing. TWF is still the predominate method of attack, though when shifting claws+bite may result in more damage thanks to the bonus shifters receive in damage as they level up.

Levels 11-15This section, like many builds, is really the sweet spot. At level 11 you get shifter savagery, which gives a big boost to damage while raging and shifting. At level 13, while shifting and raging, the character gets +14 str, +4 con, plus damage bonuses to all its natural attacks. This, combined with the extra damage granted by Incandescent strike, Thunderstep boots, and Bluesteel bracers, gives the character big boosts to damage in both shifted and non-shifted forms. The levels of Incandescent Champion give the character some options, including a decent ranged attack and a gaze attack which can be combined with standard actions, such as Wolf Fang Strike to attack foes with weak will saves. Thunderstep boots can be combines with dumping essential into them with Incarnum Overload to go nova during an initial charge.

Levels 16-20At this point any build should be swinging for the fences, and this one is no exception. The levels of Bloodclaw master give a nice flex upwards in power, including losing penalties to TWF, full strength to both attacks (which this build has plenty of), an extra shift/day, as well as picking up Dancing Mongoose, which combined with the damage stacking given by the various essential boosts can result in a devastating amount of damage. A typical attack involves charging in with an extra 5d4 on five attacks (three weapon, claw, bite). The great bite feat might seem out of place, but the feat is really more about getting an extra shift per day than any damage increase. Shape Soulmeld (Incarnate Avatar) is less immediately useful, but is selected both for flavor reasons and at 21st level open chackra(soul) can be taken, giving the character fulltime flight.

Final damage while raging and shifting:
Claw – 2d6+5(shifter)+5(Necklace natural attacks)+8(Essentia)+17(Str)=2d6+35
Bite – 2d8+5(shifter)+5(Necklace natural attacks)+8(Essentia)+8(Str)=2d8+26
Full Round, w/Dancing Mongoose – 5 attacks, average damage 203

Alternative Options
A couple of different things can be done to strengthen this build, but are not necessary. The first would be to select whirling frenzy instead of rage, granting an extra attack. I chose not to, given that the con boost from rage helps while shifted, and a DM’s ruling would be needed on if whirling frenzy counted for shifter savagery.

The option would be to take 1 or 2 flaws, but those would strengthen any build. The resulting feats would probably be used for either more shapesoulmeld feats or more shifter feats.

true_shinken

2011-04-24, 05:11 PM

I have a soft spot for musical freedom fighters such as this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LisGiOJguA).

Camden Dale, Knight of the Blue

Human – Chaotic Good – Bard 2 / Paladin of Freedom 8 / Incandescent Champion 10

Backstory
Camden had always been able to feel the energy, like a physical surge just beyond his reach. It called to him, made him feel like… moving. But he didn’t know what to make of it, or what to do with it. It wasn’t until he was near the completion of his apprenticeship to the Knights of the Blue that he made his first discovery.

The Paladins had taught him to focus his anger, to strike down the foes of his order. But he found that in battle, he had precious little time to be angry. A village, raiders… cut off from his brethren, young Camden was the last one standing between a barn full of villagers and their attackers. He struck out with all his vigor, but not from anger. Instead he concentrated on the WHY of it, the lives taking shelter behind him and preserving them from harm.

The power flowed. His arm quickened, his eyes shone, and his weapon trailed ghostly blue fire. He smote his foes not once, but twice in rapid succession. And his master, riding to his rescue, saw him do it.

In the aftermath, the surviving paladins were at a loss to figure out exactly what the young paladin had tapped into. It took an advisor to their order, an aged bard named Darian, to discover the source of Camden’s unusual power… Incarnum, the energy of souls. With the permission of the order, Darian agreed to take on Camden as a student and teach him to fully unlock the power.

Under Darian’s tutelage, there was a lot to learn. He had to blend both bardic and paladin traditions together and then learn how to move. More akin to dance moves than actual katas or martial routines, Camden learned to feel the Incarnum around him and move WITH it, letting it guide and empower his actions. He refined his smiting power with it and developed a martial dance of sorts that let him move with supernatural grace.

The fluid lethality was the last piece of the puzzle. Darian described him as an Incandescent Champion now, able to channel Incarnum through his body at will. When he rejoined the order, they were still unsure what to make of his abilities, but his soul was pure and he was a fluid engine of vengeance. Camden officially became a Knight of the Blue that day, serving the order for decades to come.

The Build

{table=head]STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|-|Level Bonuses
14|14|14|10|8|16|-|+1 CHA every 4 levels[/table]
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features

1st|Paladin of Freedom 1|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Heal Bluff 4, Concentration4, Kno (Religion) 4|Power Attack, Sapphire Smite|Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/day, Essentia (1)

2nd|Paladin of Freedom 2|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0| Bluff 5, Concentration 5, Kno (Religion) 5|-|Divine Grace, Lay on Hands

3rd|Bard 1|
+2|
+3|
+2|
+2| Perform 6 (Dance), Diplomacy 1|Devoted Performer| Bardic Music, Bardic Knowledge, Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage +1

4th|Paladin of Freedom 3|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3| Kno (Religion) 6, Ride 2|-|Aura of Resolve, Divine Health
5th|Paladin of Freedom 4|
+4|
+4|
+3|
+3| Kno (Religion) 7, Ride 4| Improved Smiting|Turn Undead, Holy Warrior Alt Ability

6th|Bard 2|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+4| Perform 9 (Dance), Diplomacy 5|Snowflake Wardance| -
7th|Paladin of Freedom 5|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+4| Kno (Religion) 9, Ride 5|-|Smite Evil 2/day, Charging Smite Alt Ability
8th|Incandescent Champion 1|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+6| Kno (Religion) 10, Intimidate 2| -| Incandescent Strike, Essentia (2)

9th| Incandescent Champion 2|
+7|
+4|
+4|
+7| Kno (Religion) 11, Intimidate 4| Divine Soultouch|Fast Healing (Self), Essentia (3+)

10th| Incandescent Champion 3|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+7| Kno (Religion) 12, Intimidate 6|-| Unbearable Countenance, Essentia (4+)

11th| Incandescent Champion 4|
+9|
+5|
+5|
+8| Kno (Religion) 13, Intimidate 8|-| Incarnum Overload 1/day

12th| Incandescent Champion 5|
+9|
+5|
+5|
+8| Kno (Religion) 14, Intimidate 10|Divine Might| Fast Incandescent Ray, Essentia (5+)

13th| Incandescent Champion 6|
+10|
+6|
+6|
+9| Kno (Religion) 15, Intimidate 12|-| Essentia (6+)

14th| Incandescent Champion 7|
+11|
+6|
+6|
+9| Kno (Religion) 16, Intimidate 14|-| Incarnum Overload 2/day, Essentia (7+)
15th| Incandescent Champion 8|
+12|
+6|
+6|
+10| Kno (Religion) 17, Intimidate 16|Avenging Strike| Incandescent Aura

16th| Incandescent Champion 9|
+12|
+7|
+7|
+10| Kno (Religion) 18, Intimidate 18|-| Fast Healing (Allies), Essentia (8+)

17th| Incandescent Champion 10|
+13|
+7|
+7|
+11| Kno (Religion) 19, Intimidate 20|-| Incandescent Transcendance, Incarnum Overload 3/day,, Essentia (9+)

18th|Paladin of Freedom 6|
+14|
+8|
+8|
+12| Kno (Religion) 21, Bluff 6|Martial Study (Shadow Stride)| Remove Disease 1/week

19th| Paladin of Freedom 7|
+15|
+8|
+8|
+12| Kno (Religion) 22, Bluff 8|-|-
20th| Paladin of Freedom 8|
+16|
+9|
+8|
+12| Kno (Religion) 23, Bluff 10|Extra Turning|Holy Warrior Alt Ability [/table]
Spells per day/Spells Known
{table=head]Level|0|1|2|3|4|Bard Spells Known

3rd|2|-|-|-|-|Cantrips (Mage Hand, Mending, Prestidigitation, Read Magic)

6th|3|0|-|-|-|Cantrips (Open/Close), 1st (Feather Fall, Swift Expeditious Retreat) [/table]

Level Highlights

NOTE – The special ingredient is poor at using incarnum, so I decided to keep incarnum content minimal and utilize the class abilities in other ways. The build focuses on charisma synergy for melee combat. Divine Might, Smite (Basic, Charging Smite, Improved Smite, Sapphire Smite), Snowflake Wardance (powered by Bardic Music) and Avenging Strike all put Charisma to use for hit and damage purposes, augmented by desired equipment such as Slippers of Battledancing. Divine Soultouch is used to provide temporary power boosts. Prestige Class features Incarnum Overload, Incandescent Aura, Unbearable Countenance, and Incandescent Trancendence all benefit from the focus on Charisma and the Divine Soultouch boosts.

Equipment Priorities – Given a choice of what magical equipment to pick up over his career, the main focus goes onto both a CHA boost item and (by level 12) Slippers of Battledancing. Secondarily, a CON item will be needed by level 12 to increase the CON limit on Essentia investment. Other key items are the usual things that a melee combatant needs (STR, DEX, armor class (light armor in this case), and a decent 1 handed slashing weapon) plus bardic spell wands, but such things are not central to the build.

Level 6 – Camden has harnessed the Snowflake Wardance at this level, freeing up his natural BAB to be used for Power Attack damage (though he is using 1 handed weapons with it). He can sustain it for 9 rounds and can use it 6 times daily.

Level 10 – With 4 points of Essentia and the ability to put 2 into any given ability, Camden usually puts 2 into Sapphire Smite and alternates the other 2 between Incandescent Strike and Unbearable Countenance, and is able to boost either one to 3 with Divine Soultouch.

Level 15 – Sweet Spot – Divine Might and Avenging Strike are online now, as is Incandescent Aura which is now a preferred location for Essentia points. Normal allocation is 3 into Sapphire Smite, 1 in Incandescent Strike, and 3 alternating between Unbearable Countenance and Incandescent Aura. Divine Soultouch can boost by 1, and Incarnum Overload can be used to put pretty much everything into Incandescent Aura or even Incandescent Ray when needed. With Slippers of Battledancing as well, a charge is looking at bonuses of +(4xCHA) to hit and +(3xCHA+7) to damage, plus Incandescent Strike and/or Incandescent Aura, Power attack, and the rest. All of this is powered with a 25 charisma, and his Intimidate Skill is pretty good at stacking with Unbearable Countenance to bump opponents to Shaken and then Frightened with a single round’s actions.

Level 20 – Camden has picked up more mobility with Incandescent Transcendence and Shadow Stride, and more staying power with Extra Turning.

Source Books
{table=head]Sourcebook|Class/Race|Feats
Complete Adventurer|-|Devoted Performer
Complete Champion|Holy Warrior Alt|-
Complete Divine|-|Improved Smiting
Complete Warrior|-|Divine Might
Frostburn|-|Snowflake Wardance
Magic of Incarnum|Incandescent Champion|Divine Soultouch, Sapphire Smite
Player’s Handbook|Bard|Extra Turning, Power Attack
Player’s Handbook 2|Charging Smite Alt|-
Tome of Battle|-|Avenging Strike, Martial Study
Unearthed Arcana|Paladin of Freedom|-[/table]

true_shinken

2011-04-24, 05:14 PM

For some reason, this builds reminds me of this guy.
http://www.postednote.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/wolverinecartoon.jpg

Azuki Sharass, Totemist 10/Incandescent Champion 10

The Legend of the Huntress’s Hand

“The Huntress’s Hand? Bah, lad, that wench is naught but a legend. A woman with four arms and the head of a wolf? Sounds like the boy’s been doing a little bit too much drinking!”

-the Lord Reynolds, the Year of the Howling Moon (1130 DR)

There’s been dozens of rumours as to her origins. Some say that she was the illegal child of a skarn and a rilkan, and was abandoned in the wild after her parents were killed by outraged members of both races. Another story places her as the sole survivor of a skarn expeditionary party. Regardless of the source, one thing stays constant throughout the tales.

She had been goddess-touched.

Again, not much is truly known of her earlier days. As far as scholars can tell, she was apprenticed to the great elven totemist Aelindel underneath the boughs of the Grandfather Tree sometime after 1100 DR. She learned much from him, from summoning the spirits of magical beasts to aid her in battle to surviving in the wild for weeks at a time.

The first true account of her comes from the journal of Sayyara ne Retheil, a Knight of the Crescent Moon. It reads...

Our party was surrounded by a raiding party of orcs. They had taken us by surprise, and after an hour of heavy fighting, we were down to a pair of Knights, nearly a half dozen squires and I. We could see the orcs gathering for a final charge, and prepared to breathe our last. A smoky figure darted out of the shadows and coalesced into a.... beast. A loose, heavy braid of dark hair hung over her mottled blue and silver cloak, while an additional set of clawed arms hung loosely at her sides. She stood in the path of the orcish horde, and sprang at them as they charged. She parted them like a stone in a stream, leaving behind a trail of bloodied corpses. Rallying ourselves, we charged in behind her, not second-guessing our mysterious benefactor.

After the battle had ended, I saw her face... and was surprised to see a blood-spattered bone white wolf mask staring back at me. Nodding in recognition, she gestured and he mask faded into nothingness, leaving behind a hint of azure traceries before dissipating entirely.

I was stunned to see the features of a skarn staring back at me. They were rare even in the Order, which spanned the width and breath of Faerûn. I noticed that her eyes were a hint of blue instantly recognisable to any schooled in incarnum.

“You’re... you’re the Huntress’s Hand” I had stuttered at the moment, astonished to meet a living legend.

With a nod, she agreed with me. Noticing my injured companions, she stomped her foot and her eyes flared brightly. I felt the incarnum inside me reacting to her presence and speeding my wounded body to health. As it flowed through me, I realised that I recognised it as one of the abilities that the greatest of my Order possessed; the ability to use incarnum to heal one’s allies.

“You’re of the Order, aren’t you?”

She nodded once more. Her voice whispered through the air, possessing an unearthly quality. “Azuki Sharass, Totemist and Champion Incandescent, at your service.”

17 Tarsahk, 1115 DR (the Year of the Haunted Herald)

Levelling Information

AZUKI SHARESS
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features
1st| Totemist 1 |
+0|
+2|
+2|
+0|Concentration 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks, Survival 4 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks|Expanded Soulmeld Capacity|Meldshaping, illiteracy, wild empathy
2nd|Totemist 2 |
+1|
+3|
+3|
+0|Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1| |Totem chakra bind (+1 capacity)
3rd|Totemist 3 |
+2|
+3|
+3|
+1|Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1|Multiattack|Totem’s Protection
4th|Totemist 4|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1| Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1||
5th|Totemist 5 |
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1| Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1||Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands)
6th|Totemist 6|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5| Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1|Open Least Chakra (hands)|Totem chakra bind (+1 meldshaper level)
7th|Totemist 7|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+2| Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1| |
8th|Totemist 8|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+2| Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1||Rebind totem chakra 1/day
9th|Incandescent Champion 1 |
+6|
+6|
+6|
+4|2 skill points for literacy, Heal 2|Double chakra (totem)|Incandescent Strike
10th|Incandescent Champion 2|
+7|
+6|
+6|
+5|Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1||Fast healing (self)
11th|Incanescent Champion 3|
+8|
+7|
+7|
+5| Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1||Unbearable Countenance
12th|Incandescent Champion 4|
+9|
+7|
+7|
+6| Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1|Improved Natural Attack (Girallon Claws)|Incarnum overload 1/day
13th|Incandescent Champion 5|
+10|
+7|
+7|
+6| Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1||Incandescent Ray
14th|Totemist 9|
+10|
+7|
+7|
+7| Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1| |Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)
15th|Totemist 10|
+11|
+8|
+8|
+7| Spellcraft 1, Survival 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Listen 1|Split Chakra (shoulders) |
16th|Incandescent Champion 6|
+12|
+9|
+9|
+8| Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1| |
17th|Incandescent Champion 7 |
+13|
+9|
+9|
+8| Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1||Incarnum overload 2/day
18th|Incandescent Champion 8|
+14|
+9|
+9|
+9| Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1|Bonus Essentia|Incandescent Aura
19th|Incandescent Champion 9|
+14|
+10|
+10|
+9| Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1||Fast healing (allies)
20th|Incandescent Champion 10|
+15|
+10|
+10|
+10| Heal 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1||Incandescent transcendence, Incarnum overload 3/day[/table]

Meldshaping
{table=head]Level|Soulmelds|Essentia|Chakra binds
1st|2|1|0
2nd|3|2|1
3rd|3|2|1
4th|4|3|1
5th|4|3|1
6th|4|4|2
7th|5|5|2
8th|5|5|2
9th|5|6|2
10th|5|7|2
11th|5|8|2
12th|5|8|2
13th|5|9|2
14th|5|10|2
15th|6|11|3
16th|6|12|3
17th|6|13|3
18th|6|15|3
19th|6|16|3
20th|6|17|3[/table]
*Note: Azuki may choose one soulmeld a day to be affected by her Improved Essentia Capacity feat.

General Information

Azuki Sharass, NG female Skarn
Levels: Totemist 8/Incandescent Champion 5/Totemist 2/Incandescent Champion 5

Stats at 1st level: 32 PB

Str: 16 (+2 racial)
Dex: 12 (-2 racial)
Con: 18
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 14

Build: Basically? We have a pseudo-holy guardian beast.

Combining the best of both Totemist (Natural attacks and Constitution SAD) with Incandescent Champion (essentia to damage, aura, incarnum overload) into a single beast of war.

Inspiration for this build was actually the Book of Exalted Deeds – specifically, some of the ranger/druid feats/PrCs. With that in mind, I created this – the animal-paladin-esque skarn. I chose Skarn as the race for two reasons – the first, hard crunch, was because they receive a pair of natural weapons that I can stack onto her full attack. The second was because the skarn themselves are a strongly Lawful aligned race. The way I see it, they’d be naturally drawn to a knightly order such as the Incandescent Champions, especially considering how they already gravitate towards Incarnum.

6 Soulmelds shaped, 4 chakra binds (one to hands) and 17 essentia: Girallon Arms (bound to totem, occupying arms), Sphinx claws (bound to hands, occupying hands), Phase Cloak (bound to shoulders chakra, occupying shoulders), Totem Avatar (occupying the heart), Dread Carapace (occupying the feet), and one more bound to the totem for taste. For everyday situations, Azuki usually binds the Winter Mask (bound to totem chakra, occupying throat) soulmeld.

Essentia Investment (typical)

Soulmelds
Girallon Arms: 7 essentia
Sphinx Claws: 0 essentia
Phase Cloak: 0 essentia
Totem Avatar: 2 essentia
Dread Carapace: 0 essentia (essentia can be moved here if the enemy has a low AC for more damage)
Winter Mask: 4 essentia

Class Features
Incandescent Strike: 4 essentia
Incandescent Ray: 0 essentia (if she needs a ranged attack, she shifts 4 essentia from her Winter Mask soulmeld into this class feature)
Incandescent Aura: 0 essentia (if she ever finds herself surrounded by mooks, shift 3 essentia from Winter Mask and 1 from Incandescent Strike.)

Azuki and Incandescent Champion: Possible combinations...

1. Incarnum overload is a powerful weapon in Azuki’s hands, and one that I noticed had some potential. For one round (three times a day), I can effectively add +5 to both attack and damage from my Girallon Arms soulmeld (for a total investment of 11 essentia, giving me +11 to attack and damage with each claw attack). Add in one of your rounds of Haste granted by your boots of speed for extra fun.
2. Incandescent Strike is an easy +4 damage to each melee attack, while lighting up the area (compensating for a skarn’s lack of low-light/darkvision) with the equivalent to a light spell.
3 Incandescent Ray gives her a fairly reliable ranged damage output. The sole ranged Totemist soulmeld is the Manticore Belt, but she’s got more interesting things to do with her totem chakra.
4. Incandescent Aura and Unbearable Countenance can both be used against hordes of low-level/challenge mooks. DC 19 at 20th level isn’t too impressive of a save, and she’s got other things to do with her actions.
5. Fast healing is nice, but at the levels that I’m getting it at (10 for self, 19 for allies) it becomes nearly superfluous. Still, free healing is free healing, especially at level 10.

Tactics

Level 1-5
First level for Azuki will likely be scouting and some light skirmishing with a longspear (Your mileage here may vary – ever DM I’ve played with using this strategy (skarn/race with natural attack and reach weapon) has let me use my arm spines to make AoOs. This isn’t explicitly covered in any rules that we’ve found, so my DMs have always ruled on the side of RAI). Once she hits second level, things start getting interesting as she unlocks her Totem Chakra, and all the possibilities that that opens up. Third level is really the key level for her in the earliest stages of her career. The reason? Multiattack. This reduces the penalty from all your (natural) secondary attacks from the painful -5 to a more manageable -2. Starting here on out (for the rest of your career), you’ll want to max out essentia capacity on your totem meld and go to town (don’t forget to use your Expanded Capacity feat on your totem meld).
(+1 to Constitution at 4th)

Level 6-13
Level 6 is a game-changer. Not only do you grab Open Least Chakra (hands) so you have a free chakra bind (hands only, though, but you’ll see that that’s not a problem) for your Sphinx Claws. Binding these to your hands gives you virtual Pounce, as long as you use only natural attacks. You’ve hit your main strategy for the rest of your career. You also get the potent ability to rebind your totem chakra at 8th, possibly completely changing your play style. Level 9 gives us our first taste at both our Secret Ingredient, as well as the ability to have two melds bound to our totem chakra (Double Chakra (totem)). Your fighting skills continue to develop at an alright pace, while you get a good defensive bonus: IC’s saves include a good Will save, your one bad save. You’re now less of a worry to get dominated. Straight levelling here until she finally gets her reliable ranged attack, the Incandescent ray.
(+1 to Constitution at 8th, +1 to Strength at 12th)

Level 14-20
You’ve returned to Totemist for a pair of levels now that you’ve obtained a decent ranged attack, and grabbing not only another chakra bind, but three more places to bind it to (arms, brow, shoulders). The Phase Cloak is probably the best option here for this build. The ability to go Ethereal is just too potent to pass up, especially considering that each round spent Ethereal gives your party another chance at XP (10% encounter rate on the Ethereal plane). Your ability to engage multiple opponents scales with your IC levels, especially with the Incandescent aura. The fast healing obtained at tenth level now applies to your allies as well, making maintaining your team’s health just that much simpler. You’ve hit Incarnum overload 2/3 times per day now, greatly increasing your ability to nova (choose your Girallon Arms soulmeld). If you’re using action points, the Incarnum overload becomes even better when combined with a wand of Heroism (grab a fighter feat that grants (temporary, in this case) action points) because you can expend an action point to gain another use of a per-day class feature... and guess what Incarnum overload is.
(+1 to Strength at 16th, +1 to Charisma at 20th)

Equipment:

Azuki needs little in the way of equipment. Phoenix Cloak grants a fly speed, while an Animated shield and armour help boost her lacklustre AC. Her Incarnum bracers raise her essentia cap on her arms chakra, giving her claws additional attack/damage.

Her necklace of Natural attacks was calculated using the following formula:

+3 weapon (+1 Holy) +600 (for odd slot) *7 (for 7 different natural weapons)= 130’000gp

Belt of Magnificence +6 (200K), Ring of Freedom of Movement (40K), Manual of Bodily Health +4 (110K), Vest of Resistance +5 (25K), Phoenix Cloak (50K), +2 Animated Heavy Wooden Shield (16K), +3 Blurring Mithral Breastplate (20K), Incarnum bracers (15K), Boots of Speed (12K), Third Eye Conceal (120K), +1 Holy Necklace of Natural Attacks (7 attacks) (130K), Ring of Protection +2 (8K), 14K left

Final stat block:

Azuki Sharass
Totemist10/Incandescent Champion 10
Medium Outsider (Good, Incarnum, Native, Reptilian)
HD: 10d8+10d10+211 (321 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30ft, fly 30ft (+30ft 10/rds/day with Boots of Speed)
AC: 29 (+1 natural, +4 dex, +8 armour, +4 shield and +2 deflection)
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+38
Attack: Winter Mask +23, damage (per hit): 1d6+16+4d4 cold (+2d6 if opponent is evil)
Full Attack: Winter Mask +23, damage (per hit): 1d6+16+4d4 cold (+2d6 if opponent is evil), Girallon claws +27/+27/+27/+27, damage per hit: 1d6+16 (+2d6 if opponent is evil) and 2 arm spines +21/+21, damage per hit: 1d6+11 (+2d6 if opponent is evil)
Saves: +25 Fort, +19 Reflex, +18 Will. Freedom of movement.
Stats: Str 24, Dex 18, Con 30, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 21
Feats: Expanded Soulmeld Capacity (1st), Multiattack (3rd), Open Least Chakra (hands) (6th), Double Chakra (totem) (9th), INA (Girallon Claws) (12th), Split Chakra (shoulders) (15th), Bonus Essentia (18th)
Skills:
*Note: all of Azuki’s attack count as Good for overcoming DR.

Flaws/Notes in the build:

-Low AC: even with various boosts, Azuki’s AC never hits 30 (unless you invest more essentia in Totem Avatar).
-Low meldshaper level (starting about level 15): your souldmelds stand a decent chance of being dispelled (they’re effectively CL11). Once those are down, so are you for the few rounds until they resume (Soulmelds are treated as magic objects, rather than ongoing spells, for the purposes of dispel magic).
-Another weakness of this build is it’s vulnerability to DR. If you think that you’ll be fighting a wide variety of DR creatures, it’s entirely possible (by RAW) to apply Transmuting instead of Holy to your Necklace of Natural Attacks. This will, of course, drop your overall damage (against evil creatures).
-I could have split the levels Totemist11/IC9 to get the totem chakra (double bind), letting me either rend with my claws for 2d6+24 or have a pretty good cold breath weapon (12d6 cold/d4 rounds, DC 25 Reflex for half). But in doing so, I would have lost the capstone. And thematically, it’s a nice capstone (and it doubles my subtypes!), so I decided that it was worth it to get the last level.
-If your game is using action points, it might be worth it to change around some feat choices (or nab a flaw) to take Shape Soulmeld (Mage’s Spectacles, or Elder Spirit (if your subtype has the [dragonblood] tab)) to get access to UMD, so you can use things like wands of Heroism, Mass Vigour, etc... (or help with general buffing)

Books used

Primary books used: Core, Magic of Incarnum
Secondary: MIC, MiHB, Dragon Magic, Savage Species

true_shinken

2011-04-24, 05:16 PM

I was secretly hoping someone would use Umbral Disciple. I was not disappointed.

http://www.hollyzell.com/images/art121/light-shadow.jpg

He Who Watches in Bright Shadow
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features|Essentia Pool|PP per Day|Powers Learned

1st|Psychic Rogue|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+0|28 Hide 4, Move Silently 4, Concentration 4, Sleight of Hand 4, Spot 4, Knowledge Arcana 2, Listen 4|Able Learner, Indigo Strike|Sneak Attack 1d6|2|0|Control Light

2nd|Psychic Rogue|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+0|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently,+1 Concentration, +1 Spot, +1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Listen, Autohypnosis 1||Evasion|2|2|My Light

3rd|Psychic Rogue|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+1|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently,+1 Concentration, +1 Spot, +1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Listen, +1 Autohypnosis|Two Weapon Fighting||2|3|Dimensional Pocket

4th|Psychic Rogue|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+1|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently,+1 Concentration, +1 Spot, +1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Listen, +1 Autohypnosis||Sneak Attack 2d6, +1 Dex|2|6|

5th|Sneak Attack Fighter|
+4|
+3|
+4|
+1|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Concentration||Sneak Attack 3d6|2|6|

6th|Sneak Attack Fighter|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Sleight of Hand|Psycarnum Infusion||2|6|

7th|Sneak Attack Fighter|
+6|
+4|
+5|
+2|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Concentration||Sneak Attack 4d6|2|6|

8th|Incandescent Champion|
+6|
+4|
+5|
+4|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Sleight of Hand||Incandescent Strike, +1 Dex|3|6|

9th|Incandescent Champion|
+7|
+4|
+5|
+5|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Concentration|Psionic Meditation|Fast Healing (Self)|4|6|

10th|Incandescent Champion|
+8|
+5|
+6|
+5|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Sleight of Hand||Unbearable Countenance|5|6|

11th|Incandescent Champion|
+9|
+5|
+6|
+6|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Concentration||Incarnum Overload 1/day|5|6|

12th|Umbral Disciple|
+9|
+5|
+8|
+8|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently,+1 Concentration, +1 Spot, +1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Listen, +1 Autohypnosis|Improved Two Weapon Fighting|Sept Knowledge, Step of the Bodiless, +1 Dex|6|6|

13th|Umbral Disciple|
+10|
+5|
+9|
+9|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently,+1 Concentration, +1 Spot, +1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Listen, +1 Autohypnosis||Sneak Attack 5d6|6|6|

14th|Umbral Disciple|
+11|
+6|
+9|
+9|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently,+1 Concentration, +1 Spot, +1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Listen, +1 Autohypnosis||Embrace of Shadow|7|6|

15th|Incandescent Champion|
+11|
+7|
+10|
+9|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Sleight of Hand|Azure Talent|Incandescent Ray|9|6|

16th|Incandescent Champion|
+12|
+8|
+11|
+10|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Concentration||+1 Cha|10|6|

17th|Incandescent Champion|
+13|
+8|
+11|
+10|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Sleight of Hand||Incarnum Overload 2/day|11|6|

18th|Incandescent Champion|
+14|
+8|
+11|
+11|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Concentration|Craven|Incandescent Aura|11|6|

19th|Incandescent Champion|
+14|
+9|
+12|
+11|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Sleight of Hand||Fast Healing (Allies)|12|6|

20th|Incandescent Champion|
+15|
+9|
+12|
+12|+1 Hide, +1 Move Silently, +1 Concentration||Incarnum Overload 3/day, Incandescent Trancendence, +1 Cha|13|6|[/table]

CG Azurin Psychic Rogue 4/SA Fighter 3/Incandescent Champion 4/Umbral Disciple 3/Incandescent Champion +6

32 PB
Str 10 (2 points)
Dex 14 (+3 from levels, 6 points)
Con 13 (5 points)
Wis 13 (5 points)
Int 12 (4 points)
Cha 16 (+2 from levels, 10 points)

Typical Investments Table
{table=head]Level|Essentia Pool|Typical Essentia Investment
1|
2|Indigo Strike (1)
2|
2|Indigo Strike (1)
3|
2|Indigo Strike (1)
4|
2|Indigo Strike (1)
5|
2|Indigo Strike (1)
6|
2|Indigo Strike (2)
7|
2|Indigo Strike (2)
8|
3|Indigo Strike (2)/Incandescent Strike (1)(While not being sneaky)
9|
4|Indigo Strike (2)/Incandescent Strike (2)(While not being sneaky)/Fast Healing (2) (While being sneaky)
10|
5|Indigo Strike (2)/Incandescent Strike (2)(While not being sneaky)/Fast Healing (2) (While being sneaky)/Unbearable Countenance (1)
11|
5|Indigo Strike (3)/Incandescent Strike (2)(While not being sneaky)/Fast Healing (2) (While being sneaky)
12|
6|Indigo Strike (3)/Incandescent Strike (2)(While not being sneaky)/Fast Healing (1) (While being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (2) (While being sneaky; 1 when not being sneaky)
13|
6|Indigo Strike (3)/Incandescent Strike (2)(While not being sneaky)/Fast Healing (1) (While being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (2) (While being sneaky; 1 when not being sneaky)
14|
7|Indigo Strike (3)/Incandescent Strike (2)(While not being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (2) (While being sneaky)/Embrace of Shadows (2)
15|
9|Indigo Strike or Azure Talent (3, split between the two)/Incandescent Strike (3)(While not being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (3) (While being sneaky)/Embrace of Shadows (3)
16|
10|Indigo Strike or Azure Talent (3, split between the two)/Incandescent Strike (3)(While not being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (3) (While being sneaky)/Embrace of Shadows (4)
17|
11|Indigo Strike or Azure Talent (3, split between the two)/Incandescent Strike (3)(While not being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (4) (While being sneaky)/Embrace of Shadows (4)
18|
11|Indigo Strike or Azure Talent (3, split between the two)/Incandescent Strike/Aura (3)(While not being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (4) (While being sneaky)/Embrace of Shadows (4)
19|
12|Indigo Strike or Azure Talent (4, split between the two)/Incandescent Strike/Aura (3)(While not being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (4) (While being sneaky)/Embrace of Shadows (4)
20|
13|Indigo Strike or Azure Talent (4, split between the two)/Incandescent Strike/Aura (4)(While not being sneaky)/Step of the Bodiless (4) (While being sneaky)/Embrace of Shadows (4)[/table]

Backstory

"So, please, speak clearly into the recording device. State your name."
"My name is Salvagio sin Servic, and I fight for the freedom of my oppressed peo-"
"Please, only answer the question. We don't want any of your rebel rhetoric on the record. Tell me, how did you fall in with the rebels?"
"First off, I was born blind; I was healed at age two by our village mystic, who was then reported to be in possession of illegal, none-Vancian magic, and was then subsequently Stripped and executed. I was six when the execution occurred, and I watched him die with the eyes he gave me."
"Can you please advance to a more relevant section of your personal history?"
"Alright, fine, whatever you say. I was found to have a very basic grasp of non-Vancian magics by the time I was seven, and didn't have many friends due to it, due to the stigma involved. Of course, due to how my eyes had been healed, my first few tricks dealt with light and darkness..."
Level 1
Say hello to our nice young rebel Psychic Rogue. Yep, he has some very basic abilities at the moment, most noticeably, the ability to manipulate ambient light, which is very useful when connected to his Hide skill. Yep, we're gonna see a little Hide optimization while we're doing this.
"And you were eventually caught. Mind if you tell us why?"
"Well, I was found stealing jewelry from one of my mother friends at 15. I had palmed the necklace, and it just sorta vanished. Of course, since my offense wasn't severe, I got away with just an exiling."
"And you fell in with a traveling group, who you successfully got to hire you on as a scout?"
"Yep. Officially, that merchant kept me to help scout ahead for bandits; in reality... let's just say that, after I came into town, most other merchants lost their secrets. Of course, I... No."
"No what?"
"I'm not going to share the next portion of my life with you. It is none of your business what I did for those 8 years; so I suggest you don't ask questions."
Level 5
Sal has the same amount of sneak attack most rogues have at this level, and a slightly higher BAB. He also has TWF, meaning he is getting in an extra hit for his buck. And don't discount Indigo Strike; +2 damage might seem small, but it will get better, especially since it's layered with an average of 10.5 points of precision damage, due to hiding.
"So then, after that period, I read here that you managed to join the high guards?"
"Yes. By then, my personal magic began showing as a certain incandescence around my hands whenever I struck someone. For some reason, bandits didn't want to come near me, and my body healed faster. Or at least, that's what they said. I didn't have any overt representations of my magic-"
"Except for your glowing blue eyes and all the light?"
"The official story was that my mother drank magic-tainted water when she had me as a child."
"I... see."
Level 10
Sal has entered the secret ingredient, and has more uses for his Incarnum (YAY!) For one thing, he now has limited Fast Healing, which can be pretty damn nice. He can also fill any of his incarnum receptacles to full with a single expenditure of his psychic focus, which means that he can get a +2 to attack and damage with his Incandescent Strike, or some quick Fear Effect with his Unbearable Countenance (which, since Sal is a sneaky bastard, he ignores mostly.) Tactics remain pretty much the same, with the following tricks being used: he uses Psycarnum Infusion to fill his Incandescent Strike just as he's attacking, trusting in his 3 attacks and extra damage to carry the day. He then uses Fast Healing later on, to alleviate his wounds should he be caught. The reason the Incandescent Strike isn't kept full is because of the whole "hands shine like LIGHT was cast on them."
"So, how did you end up falling in with the terrorist group you were a part of?"
"For one thing, we weren't a terrorist group; we were working to free our brethren from the massive amount of oppression you keep them under. For another, it all started when I met my girlfriend. She was a librarian at the local Library of the Occult, and she was one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met. I mean, I could-"
"On topic, please."
"Alright. Anyway, we both were outraged by your treatment of the Azuranisti people. As you know, I am half Azuranisti, enough so that I can pass as human."
"By Azuranisti, you mean Dusklings, correct?"
"Do I call you a pinky? anyway, I digress. The important part is that she brough home a text one day. The Book of the Shadow's Counting, it was called, and it taught me how to use my birthright."
"Come again?"
"My magical birthright. I learned to control shadows, wrap them around me, use them to hide me. And by day, I still portrayed the shining figure that the guards knew me as; I had become quite popular by then."
Level 15
Now, let's meet Mr. Sal's dark side; namely, Umbral Disciple. He uses this quick detour to shore up on sneak attack, make his hiding better, and to add a permanent miss chance, which also pretty much grants him Hide in Plain Sight. And of course, Incarnum Overload, combined with Psycarnum Infusion, gives critical boosts when they are really needed; for example, when necessary, his capacity for any receptacle increases to 7, which means a neat +14 damage with Sneak Attacks (which, with 4 attacks, adds up a lot), or +7 to attack and damage, which can means that those 4 attacks will hit much more often, by filling up Incandescent Strike. And don't get me started on filling up Fast Healing; Fast Healing 7 for 5 rounds strikes me as lovely. And Incandescent Ray? It isn't Sal's main weapon (which is most probably a pair of daggers), but a situational, fully-charged 7d8+5d6+(some damage bonus from Indigo Strike and Incandescent Strike) can make for nice sniping.
"So, then we caught you."
"Yep, I knew I shouldn't have gone all out in that goblin raid. I did get slightly noticeable-"
"We could see you from half a mile away, and when we caught you, you did admit to all of your terrorist activities-"
"Look, disrupting your communication lines with the Azuristani Occupational government is barely a crime from my people's point of view, and-"
"This interview is over; please don't try to use your Transcendence trick, we have warded the walls against Ethereals. I believe your trial will be in 7 days."
Level 20
Yep, levels 16 and up treated Sal well. Craven means that his Sneak Attacks deal an extra 20 damage each, which with all his other layering gets to be quite stabbity. 3 uses of Incarnum Overload mean that those earlier situational uses for the ability become more frequent, with the addition of the fact that, by level 20, the filled capacity is 9. Just for show, Sal can hit a 90% miss chance; of course, this is more useful for stuff like Incandescent Aura, for an actually decent save DC and for 9d6 damage to everyone around him (not End to Strife, but good enough.) Of course, stealth is still this fellow's modus operandi!

Wish List
If items are available, a Ring of the Darkhidden is a must, for foiling our good friends (those with Darkvision) Deathstrike Bracers and Gloves of the Balanced Hands are also nice, especially since the latter item opens up a feat for Darkstalker. Other than that, a pair of daggers with Assassinating and a couple of other sneak attack classics, Charisma boosters, and a friendly caster to cast Haste... who could want anything else? (besides little pieces of equipment.)

true_shinken

2011-04-24, 05:20 PM

You know the time is right to take control,
We gotta take offense against the status quo
No way, not gonna stand for it today, fight for your rights,
It's time we had our say

Sir Karel of the Five Rivers
CG Lesser Aasimar Bard 1/Paladin of Freedom 5/Mythic Exemplar 4/Incandescent Champion 10

Backstory
From the VITAE SANCTORUM

VITA SANCTI KARELI QUINQUE FLUMINUM

The most holy knight champion Sir Karel of the Five Rivers was born to humble parents in the town of Elinar, and, it being immediately apparent that the child was blessed with uncommon poise and grace, was apprenticed to a troubadour of local renown whose name the chronicles do not record. At the age of seven he went on the road with his mistress for the first time, performing with a capability beyond his years to the rude folk of the Five River Valleys. In one such hamlet, they met by providence with a paladin of the Harmonious Order, who recognised what the common folk had not - that the young Karel was blessed with the touch of the celestial realms, and destined for divine service. By the offices of this paladin it was swiftly arranged that the boy should be sent to the nearest monastery of the Order, there to learn the ways of knighthood and turn his gift to the glorification of the Gods.

As the holy Karel grew, he learned the teachings of the good gods, and in especial found himself drawn to the divine Milil, who as we may readily recall holds guardianship over troubadours and minstrels; and Karel resolved to go into the special service of this god. In the ancient books of the monastery he found the stories of the ancient Knight Marshal Sir Reikhardt, who had followed much the same path many hundreds of years before, and in them found guidance and inspiration. Thus armed with patrons both earthly and divine, in his middle twenties Karel bid farewell to the monastery and set off on the road, retracing the steps of his patron who had, hundreds of years before, wandered between the towns and villages paying his respects to the shrines of Milil, offering his aid to those in need, and all the way lifting his voice in praise of the glory of his God.

One day, in a small village high up in the mountains, he aided the villagers in fighting off a marauding band of orcs. In that fight, the village shaman - who despite clinging tightly to his ancestral beliefs and refusing the truth of Milil, was as hardy a defender of right and good as Karel had ever encountered - wielded a strange blue energy that shaped itself into weaponry and armour even as he moved. Struck by the transcendent beauty of the shifting blue radiance, and seeing in the deep purity of the colour a blending of lights that seemed almost to mimic in visible form the harmonies of Milil, the paladin asked the shaman what the strange substance was, and was told that it was incarnum, the living energy of the soul. Utterly entranced, Karel stayed that winter with the ancient shaman, learning all the old man could teach him of the magic of incarnum, and learned to channel essentia for himself. At the end of the long mountain winter he left the village to resume his retracing of his patron's path; but his heart was heavy, and he did not forget the old shaman in his prayers.

Over the years Karel grew swifter and more adept with the use of incarnum, blending its strange capabilities with his natural talent for music and his paladin training to create symphonies of light and sound and steel that lifted up the hearts of his allies and made evil creatures flee in fear. There were rumours, too, that towards the end of his tragically short life he mastered the slippery magic of incarnum to such a degree that he was able to throw off the shackles of embodiment itself and transform himself into a shimmering cloud, bright with divine light; but whether those rumours are true, nobody knows.

Those who fought alongside him told afterwards that he was gentle, and kind, and burnt above all with the desire to do good in the world; not one to plan battles or concoct crafty plans, but a born leader, ready to shoulder the burden of command in any righteous fight. It was in just such a battle, leading a brave but hideously outnumbered band of his fellow paladins against a swarm of the vilest undead and their necromancer masters, that the noble Karel was martyred, in the sixty-seventh year of his life. His last request was that his body be buried in the little village in the mountains, next to that of his old mentor. His name shall live forever in the song of Milil. Amen.

The Build
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features

1st|Bard 1|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Bluff 3, Concentration 4, Diplomacy 4, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 4, Perform (Sing) 4, UMD 4|Apprentice (Entertainer)|Bardic music, bardic knowledge, countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +1

2nd|Paladin 1|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+2|Bluff 3, Concentration 5, Diplomacy 4, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 5, Perform (Sing) 5, UMD 4||Aura of good, detect evil, smite evil 1/day

3rd|Paladin 2|
+2|
+3|
+2|
+2|Bluff 3, Concentration 6, Diplomacy 4, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 6, Perform (Sing) 6, UMD 4|Snowflake Wardance|Divine grace, lay on hands

4th|Paladin 3|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Bluff 3, Concentration 7, Diplomacy 4, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 7, Perform (Sing) 7, UMD 4||Aura of resolve, divine health

5th|Paladin 4|
+4|
+4|
+3|
+3|Bluff 3, Concentration 8, Diplomacy 4, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 8, Perform (Sing) 8, UMD 4|Bonus Feat: Extra Smiting|Turn undead, holy warrior bonus feat

6th|Paladin 5|
+5|
+4|
+3|
+3|Bluff 3, Concentration 8, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 8, Perform (Sing) 8, UMD 4|Devoted Performer|Smite evil 2/day, stand fast

7th|Mythic Exemplar 1|
+5|
+4|
+3|
+3|Bluff 3, Concentration 9, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 9, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 6||Paragon's path (Reikhardt), Will save bonus +1

8th|Mythic Exemplar 2|
+6|
+4|
+3|
+3|Bluff 4, Concentration 10, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 8||Least paragon's gift (inspire courage)

9th|Mythic Exemplar 3|
+7|
+5|
+4|
+4|Bluff 5, Concentration 12, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10|Midnight Dodge|Archetype advancement (Marshal aura - Motivate Charisma), Will save bonus +2

10th|Incandescent Champion 1|
+7|
+5|
+4|
+6|Bluff 5, Concentration 13, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10||Incandescent strike

11th|Incandescent Champion 2|
+8|
+5|
+4|
+7|Bluff 5, Concentration 14, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10||Fast healing (self)

12th|Incandescent Champion 3|
+9|
+6|
+5|
+7|Bluff 5, Concentration 15, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 8, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10|Divine Soultouch|Unbearable countenance

13th|Incandescent Champion 4|
+10|
+6|
+5|
+8|Bluff 5, Concentration 15, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 9, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10|Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered|Incarnum overload 1/day

14th|Incandescent Champion 5|
+10|
+6|
+5|
+8|Bluff 5, Concentration 15, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 12, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10||Incandescent ray

15th|Incandescent Champion 6|
+11|
+7|
+6|
+9|Bluff 5, Concentration 16, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 14, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10|Initiate of Milil|

16th|Incandescent Champion 7|
+12|
+7|
+6|
+9|Bluff 5, Concentration 17, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 16, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10||Incarnum overload 2/day

17th|Incandescent Champion 8|
+13|
+7|
+6|
+10|Bluff 5, Concentration 18, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 18, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10||Incandescent aura

18th|Incandescent Champion 9|
+13|
+8|
+7|
+10|Bluff 5, Concentration 19, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 20, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10|Imperious Command|Fast healing (allies)

19th|Incandescent Champion 10|
+14|
+8|
+7|
+11|Bluff 5, Concentration 20, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 22, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10||Incandescent transcendence, incarnum overload 3/day

20th|Mythic Exemplar 4|
+15|
+8|
+7|
+11|Bluff 5, Concentration 23, Diplomacy 7, Intimidate 23, Knowledge (History) 3, Perform (Dance) 10, Perform (Sing) 9, UMD 10||Lesser paragon's gift (Charisma)[/table]

Spells & Essentia
Spells per day and Spells Known
{table=head]Level|0lvl per Day|1st per Day|0lvl Known|1st Known

1st|2|-|4|-

2nd|2|-|4|-

3rd|2|-|4|-

4th|2|-|4|-

5th|2|-|4|-

6th|2|-|4|-

7th|2|-|4|-

8th|3|2|5|2

9th|3|2|5|2

10th|3|2|5|2

11th|3|2|5|2

12th|3|2|5|2

13th|3|2|5|2

14th|3|2|5|2

15th|3|2|5|2

16th|3|2|5|2

17th|3|2|5|2

18th|3|2|5|2

19th|3|2|5|2

20th|3|3|6|3[/table]

Spell List:
0 - Songbird, Detect Magic, Lullaby, Ghost Sound, Message, Read Magic
1 - Cure Light Wounds, Inspirational Boost, Critical Strike

Essentia
{table=head]Level|Essentia Pool|Typical Essentia Investment

1|
-|

2|
-|

3|
-|

4|
-|

5|
-|

6|
-|

7|
-|

8|
-|

9|
1|Midnight Dodge 1

10|
2|Midnight Dodge 1, Incandescent Strike 1

11|
3|Midnight Dodge 1, Incandescent Strike 2 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

12|
4|Midnight Dodge 1, Incandescent Strike 3 or Unbearable Countenance 3 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

13|
4|Midnight Dodge 1, Incandescent Strike 3 or Unbearable Countenance 3 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

14|
5|Midnight Dodge 2, Incandescent Strike 3 or Incandescent Ray 3 or Unbearable Countenance 3 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

15|
6|Midnight Dodge 3, Incandescent Strike 3 or Incandescent Ray 3 or Unbearable Countenance 3 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

16|
7|Midnight Dodge 3, Incandescent Strike 1, Incandescent Ray 3 or Unbearable Countenance 3 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

17|
7|Incandescent Aura 3, Midnight Dodge 1, Incandescent Strike 3 or Incandescent Ray 3 or Unbearable Countenance 3 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

18|
8|Incandescent Aura 4, Incandescent Strike 4 or Incandescent Ray 4 or Unbearable Countenance 4 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

19|
9|Incandescent Aura 4, Midnight Dodge 1, Incandescent Strike 4 or Incandescent Ray 4 or Unbearable Countenance 4 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)

20|
9|Incandescent Aura 4, Midnight Dodge 1, Incandescent Strike 4 or Incandescent Ray 4 or Unbearable Countenance 4 (move to Fast Healing when necessary)[/table]

Additional Build Information
Lesser Aasimar:
Humanoid (Planetouched)
+2 Wis and +2 Cha
60ft Darkvision
+2 racial bonus to Spot and Listen
Daylight 1/day
Acid, Cold and Electricity resistances 5

Attributes:
STR 10
DEX 13
CON 13
INT 12
WIS 8 (+2 racial makes it 10)
CHA 18 (+2 racial makes it 20, and all five points due to levelling up make it 25 at level 20)

Alternative Class Features:
Holy Warrior (Complete Champion) – swaps Paladin spells for bonus feats at 4th and higher levels
Stand Fast (Cityscape Web Enhancement) – swaps Special Mount for 1/day ability to add Charisma modifier to allies' saves or to a roll to resist a Special Attack such as a Bull Rush or a Trip

Tactics
Levels 1-5: Early on, Karel is pretty weak in combat, but has other abilities to make himself useful. Inspire Courage is limited to 1/day until level 6, but is still useful and lasts as long as he keeps singing. Smite Evil with high Charisma gives him a big bonus to hit, as does Snowflake Wardance when it kicks in at level 3, although for a few levels he has to give up using Inspire Courage to use it. More paladin levels increase the Smite damage and the Extra Smiting bonus feat at level 5 means he can use it frequently, and his high Charisma also means he has a lot of healing from Lay On Hands to use when he isn't smiting. He also gains Turn Undead at level 5, but sadly he cannot make good use of this until later on.

Levels 6-9: At level 6 Devoted Performer means Karel's paladin levels count for uses of Bardic Music per day, so Snowflake Wardance and Inspire Courage become much more available at this point. Maximum ranks in Perform (Dance) means the Snowflake Wardance should last for the whole encounter, and singing for Inspire Courage can continue for as long as necessary. Stand Fast allows him to aid allies in a saving throw or prevent himself from a special attack such as a trip as an Immediate action once per day, adding to his repertoire of abilities that benefit both himself and his party as a whole. At level 9 he gains the Marshal minor aura Motivate Charisma from Mythic Exemplar, giving himself and his allies his +6 Charisma modifier to all Charisma checks, including Charisma-based skills. Combining this with his new ranks in Use Magic Device gives him a total modifier of +22, meaning automatic success using items such as wands (although staves based on Charisma spellcasting (Sorcerer and Favoured Soul) would make better use of his attributes.) Mythic Exemplar also gives him a bit more Bard spellcasting - just enough to use Inspirational Boost a few times a day to improve his near-constant Inspire Courage singing.

Levels 10-14: Level 10 is the start of Incandescent Champion, and the very first ability lets us increase Karel's damage, which is the one thing that has been lacking so far outside of Smite attacks. Level 11 provides Fast Healing to back up his Lay On Hands, and Level 12 gives him both Divine Soultouch (which allows him to use a Turn attempt to boost his essentia pool and all essentia capacity limits by 1 for a round) and Unbearable Countenance. At this point Intimidate ranks are being increased rapidly, and with his Charisma bonus added twice (thanks to Motivate Charisma) he should be able to start stacking fear effects from demoralising and Unbearable Countenance, as the latter is not limited to just Shaken. Levels 13 and 14 give him the Incandescent Ray ability, a ranged touch attack for dealing with any foes he cannot reach, and the skill trick Never Outnumbered which allows him to start demoralising large numbers of enemies simultaneously. He also gains his first use per day of Incarnum Overload which lets him move all of his essentia into a single ability, allowing for bonus damage or fast healing in an emergency, or a nasty 5d8 damage (6d8 with Divine Soultouch) ranged touch attack for a particularly tough foe.

Levels 15-20: Initiate of Milil increases Karel's ever-present Inspire Courage bonus to a base of +2 at level 15, and at level 17 he gains the superpower of the class – Incandescent Aura. This should be maxed out at all times, doing 4d6 of damage to everyone adjacent with a base Will save DC of 21 from level 18 onwards. Level 18 brings in Imperious Command to improve his demoralisation some more, and also lets his Fast Healing heal allies nearby too. Level 19 brings him to the capstone, Incandescent Transcendence, allowing him to turn into an invulnerable cloud of energy for some time while still maintaining any active auras and abilities. He cannot attack, cast spells or activate any new abilities, but every single one of his auras remains active for his allies and his foes. Incandescent Aura continues to damage the enemy, the Paladin of Freedom's Aura of Resolve continues to give allies bonuses to saves against compulsions, Motivate Charisma continues to boost their Charisma-based skill checks, and he can continue to sing for Inspire Courage (I checked with true_shinken). Level 20 finally brings in his last level of Mythic Exemplar, giving him a four-round buff that increases Charisma by 4 as an insight bonus, increasing nearly all of his abilities and save DCs by 2 and his Charisma-based skill checks by 4. With Intimidate (and Concentration) maxed out at this point, his demoralisation check with this +4 insight bonus should come in at +43 without equipment, which will beat almost anything vulnerable to fear without even rolling.

Notes
Why Mythic Exemplar? I started out looking at combining Paladin, Bard and Marshal, but I couldn't get enough levels in to gain all the abilities I wanted without sacrificing Incandescent Champion levels. In the end I had to sacrifice Marshal altogether, but Mythic Exemplar let me continue improving Bard abilities whilst giving me the important Motivate Charisma aura, and a nice Charisma buff ability too. The skills I added to the Mythic Exemplar list are from Bard: Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy and Use Magic Device, and Perform was added already in the Complete Champion errata.
So what about the other classes? The Paladin is all about Charisma, as is the Incandescent Champion. It's an obvious entry route, but with 3/4 BAB and poor Strength I needed the Smite ability to improve my to-hit. Bard is also Charisma-based, but this was more about Inspire Courage – after I saw the Incandescent Aura and Transcendence abilities, I knew I needed auras and buffs to make the most of it.
How many paladin variants? The build didn't require either the paladin spells or the special mount, so I swapped them out for a bonus feat that I would actually use (Extra Smiting) and the Stand Fast special abilities. Paladin of Freedom does not conflict with either of these changes, and suits both the character and the class progression much better, as well as replacing the Aura of Courage (which does not stack with Inspire Courage) with the Aura of Resolve (which does stack, because it buffs against compulsion effects instead)
Initiate of Milil and Imperious Command kick in pretty late on... This was due, as always, to a lack of feats. I originally thought IoM would be great at level 6, as the table said it allowed Turn attempts to active Bardic Music. Sadly, the text didn't say this, so I decided to put Devoted Performer in front for the extra Bardic Music uses. Imperious Command was my attempt to improve demoralisation, and if I had had the feats I would have thrown in Intimidating Strike too. Intimidate only really came into its own at around level 12 onwards, so it wasn't too bad putting the feat at level 18.
Incandescent Champion is entered fairly late too. This was mostly due to BAB constraints, as BAB +6 is only reached at level 8, so level 9 would have been the earliest I could have entered. I felt leaving the Incarnum feat I required until level 9 was a reasonable delay to help the build early on, as the Snowflake Wardance and Devoted Performer feats help strengthen it when it is at its weakest point.
Lesser Aasimar? It's a bit cheesy, but after using some other Forgotten Realms material it seemed to fit in. I also have to fall on the side that not having the Outsider template is a big deal – being an Outsider in a previous game has saved my entire party before now (Dominate Person is nasty like that). Adding the +1 LA for a full Aasimar shouldn't make too much of a different to the build either, as you would only really lose a few skill points and the Charisma buff from Mythic Exemplar.
So, with all this considered, how does it use Incandescent Champion? Everything in this build is based around the Incandescent Champion and its basis in Charisma. Smite Evil and Incandescent Strike work well together, Unbearable Countenance can combine with Intimidate for stacking feat effects, and a high Charisma modifier increases all the DCs and allows vast amounts of damage for Incandescent Ray and Incandescent Aura. Divine Soultouch also allows us to raise the capacities of these abilities many times per day, and the many additional auras and buffs continue to function even after he retreats into the cloud form of Incandescent Transcendence. For this build, I can't think of another class that would both improve it and be improved by it to the same degree that Incandescent Champion is.

Variants
If flaws are allowable, Extra Music would make the first few levels run more smoothly, and the Dreadful Wrath regional feat from the Player's Guide to Faerun would give you a nice Frightful Presence effect whenever you attacked or cast spells.

Flexible Mind, a Dragon Magazine feat, would work better than the unusual Apprentice feat from DMG II for gaining Perform as a class skill.

For truly cheesy optimisation, if you didn't mind crossing settings, you could look at Haunting Melody and Song of the Heart, two excellent Eberron feats for improving bardic abilities. I suppose technically the Mythic Exemplar uses Greyhawk-specific material, but Greyhawk and Faerun cross over a lot already, and you can easily replace the Six of Shadow with another group of setting-appropriate legendary heroes.

Allowing LA buyoff would let you play the (somewhat superior) full Aasimar without cost, or another race with a larger racial Charisma bonus. You could even play a Ghost, for even more ridiculous Charisma/buff/invulnerability synergy.

Equipment Suggestions
A Cloak of Charisma is the most important item to get, as Charisma is the key aspect of the whole build. Everything is based on it, so improving it as much as possible and as soon as possible will make everything work much better. Consider finding a Tome of Leadership and Influence too, they're expensive but every point of Charisma counts, and just a +1 Tome will turn that odd Charisma score at level 20 into an even one.

At first glance, medium or heavy armour would suit this character, but as Snowflake Wardance requires light armour to work, a mithral breastplate and some Gloves of Dexterity would be the best option. The Fearsome armour enhancement from Drow of the Underdark will help speed up Intimidate checks too.

Snowflake Wardance also requires the use of a slashing weapon in one hand, possibly a bastard sword so that it can be wielded in one or two hands depending on the situation. There are many useful weapon enhancements for this build: Harmonic (MIC) will help with bardic music, Mighty Smiting (MIC) improves smiting abilities, and Holy Surge (DMG II) grants extra damage to evil enemies 1+Charisma modifier times per day. Another nice combination is Stunning Surge (MIC) and Sudden Stunning (DMG II), both of which have a Charisma-based save (Fort and Reflex respectively) to stun for a short time and 1+Charisma modifier uses per day.

Other useful items include the Slippers of Battledancing (DMG II) which add your Charisma modifier to attacks and damage if you move at least 10ft that round; the Badge of Valor (MIC) and the Vest of Legends (DMG II) both improve bardic music abilities; and the Veil of Allure (MIC) increases the DCs by 2 of any Charisma-based supernatural and extraordinary abilities, which in this build is nearly every ability with a save.

Sources
Complete Adventurer - Devoted Performer
Complete Warrior - Extra Smiting
Complete Scoundrel - Never Outnumbered skill trick
Complete Champion - Mythic Exemplar, Holy Warrior ACF
DMG II - Apprentice (Entertainer), equipment suggestions
Magic Item Compendium - equipment suggestions
Spell Compendium - non-core Bard spells
Magic of Incarnum - Incandescent Champion, Sapphire Smite and Divine Soultouch
Frostburn - Snowflake Wardance
Drow of the Underdark - Imperious Command, Fearsome armour enhancement
Player's Guide to Faerun - Lesser Aasimar
Champions of Valor - Initiate of Milil
Cityscape Web Enhancement - Stand Fast ACF

true_shinken

2011-04-24, 05:42 PM

That's the last of them.
Ready, set, JUDGE!

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-24, 05:47 PM

Huh. Lots of variety here. I don't think that there's a single repeated entry (well, there's the pair of barbs, but even they diverge quite a bit).

Can't wait to see the judge's comments!

T.G. Oskar

2011-04-24, 07:01 PM

Actually, a pair of Barbarians isn't the thing. They're quite different.

I actually look at the pair of Bards with levels in Paladin of Freedom. If it had one that was a vanilla Paladin and another that has Paladin of Freedom, then it may have been different; however, they also have a few feat similarities.

At least they didn't have any of the tricks I was planning for, but then again, it would have been a bit throw-away for what it's worth. Plus, it would have been thematically similar to the above-mentioned, so probably loss of points for that.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-24, 07:05 PM

Zaq

2011-04-24, 08:32 PM

Private-Prinny

2011-04-24, 08:36 PM

OK, I've got a rules question for one of the builds. I see something that doesn't quite add up, but I'm open to the possibility that I'm missing something. Since I'm trying to be as charitable as possible, I'd like to get this cleared up. Should I post the question here for all to see (and then let Shink answer it after the chef in question PMs him), or should we conduct this whole thing through PM? If I'm confused, another judge might be as well, but I don't want to unduly influence them.

As a fellow judge, I think it would be better to do this out in the open. That way, we can get a clear, decisive ruling, and it allows the other judges to have a more complete understanding of the build, leading to more accurate scores.

Plus, someone else might be able to answer your question.

Zaq

2011-04-24, 08:42 PM

As a fellow judge, I think it would be better to do this out in the open. That way, we can get a clear, decisive ruling, and it allows the other judges to have a more complete understanding of the build, leading to more accurate scores.

Plus, someone else might be able to answer your question.

Good enough for me. I'll put it in a spoiler just in case anyone doesn't want to see it.

Sena: Your essentia table says that you have 1 point of essentia at levels 1 and 2, and it raises accordingly. Where does that first point come from? I don't see where you could get any before you take Cobalt Rage. Am I missing something, or do you have more essentia than you should?

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-24, 10:46 PM

Hmmm....

It's entirely possible that Sena started life as a Duskling/Azuring. That'd explain the spare essentia point.

Dusk Eclipse

2011-04-24, 10:57 PM

Hmmm....

It's entirely possible that Sena started life as a Duskling/Azuring. That'd explain the spare essentia point.

It is a Vanara (monkey race from Oriental Adventures) so no

Akal Saris

2011-04-24, 11:01 PM

Heh...I forgot all about this ^^;; My build sketch was either to do something involving Incarnum Dragon with some binder class levels or a paladin build similar to Sir Karel.

I liked that Pennywise song btw :smalltongue:

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-24, 11:03 PM

It is a Vanara (monkey race from Oriental Adventures) so no

What I meant was perhaps in an earlier version of the submission, he used an Azurin or Duskling (both of whom get a bonus point of essentia as a racial feature). Then he forgot to update the essentia table to reflect this.

*shrug* It's my best guess. The creator can give us a definitive answer after judging.

Dusk Eclipse

2011-04-24, 11:04 PM

What I meant was perhaps in an earlier version of the submission, he used an Azurin or Duskling (both of whom get a bonus point of essentia as a racial feature). Then he forgot to update the essentia table to reflect this.

*shrug* It's my best guess. The creator can give us a definitive answer after judging.

Not the first thing I would have thought of; but it is certainly plausible

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-24, 11:09 PM

Not the first thing I would have thought of; but it is certainly plausible

I may have gone through a race change or two myself...:smallwink:

Akal, the dragon would have been EPIC. You would have been able to grab a Young dragon (7HD, LA +3) and still manage to cap out IC. You totally would have gotten huge points in originality, no doubt.

Or maybe a wyrmling (4HD, LA+2) for 4 Binder levels. Anything would have been crazy awesome.

T.G. Oskar

2011-04-24, 11:38 PM

Not the first thing I would have thought of; but it is certainly plausible

It happens. In my case, one of my entries for the last competition (Alria) was supposed to be honorable, but I shifted into dishonorable in midst of creation. However, I didn't change the sneak attack, and thus it shows. So it's plausible; starting with an azurin or duskling (my opinion is Duskling, since aside from the bonus to Constitution the rest isn't so different). Might have found that Incarnum-related classes were expected and went for a rarer choice, or really didn't like the extraplanar flavor.

true_shinken

2011-04-25, 12:20 AM

I just got a PM from Sena's creator. He is supposed to have Cobalt Rage at first level and Power Attack later.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-25, 12:23 AM

...Now that I did not expect. PA is pretty much a class feature for Barbarians, so I didn't even consider that... huh.

true_shinken

2011-04-25, 12:30 AM

...Now that I did not expect. PA is pretty much a class feature for Barbarians, so I didn't even consider that... huh.

Well, Power Attack at first level is rather risky.

EDIT: Stop the presses! I got it all wrong.

Sena is NOT supposed to have Cobalt Rage at 1st and Power Attack later.

As I said, his original progression had Cobalt Rage at 1st level, Cobalt Critical at a later level, and did not fit Power Attack in. The Incarnum progression table reflects this original progression.

When I realized I'd goofed up and left Power Attack off - probably thinking I had an extra feat from being a typical Human - I fixed my feats to get Power Attack, but forgot to fix the Incarnum progression table due to time constraints.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-25, 02:41 PM

Many thanks to our 6 brave competitors; I'm just about to begin judging after my first read-through of the entries.

I'm surprised that nobody tried the dubious trick of twisting Midnight Metamagic into working all day via Psycarnum Infusion (a trick I toyed with myself, but couldn't fully support via RAW). Also, I'm kind of sad that we didn't see even a single Ironsoul Forgemaster. However, the builds we did get have some great things going for them--stay tuned for my judging!

And Akal, I would have golf-clapped your Incarnum dragon. Heavily.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-25, 04:46 PM

I was considering the Midnight Metamagic route, but that just got too cheesy. I mean, would you enter an Incantrix into one of these?

And Akal, who cares about deadlines? BUILD YOUR DRAGON.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-25, 04:53 PM

I was considering the Midnight Metamagic route, but that just got too cheesy. I mean, would you enter an Incantrix into one of these?

And Akal, who cares about deadlines? BUILD YOUR DRAGON.

Eh, there's no way around it: by RAW, you can activate Midnight Metamagic 1/day. Whoo. Yipee. Granted, with Incarnum Overload and a few other tricks, you can really push the essentia cap to get some beautifully large metamagic for free. Still though, once a day. The best I could do with it was an azurin cleric/IC who used the 1/day to persist Divine Power for full BAB and just played as a tank/healbot with some spells. When it came down to it, there was no real reason to use the SI instead of playing a DMM: persist cleric.

I concur with your remarks about Mr. Saris, though. :smallwink:

Amechra

2011-04-25, 09:49 PM

Yay, people used my table! And I managed to get my build in! Resounding joy and happiness!

I'm going to just put this in here... I actually originally planned to do multiple builds, including one that used Soul Manifester to get some beautifully strong powers (I was thinking of having 3 levels of Wilder and 5 levels of Soulborn). Who wants a power with a ML of 9+Charisma modifier?

An alternate plan was to do something with the Forgemaster. You know, because uber DR and getting good crafting ability is really fun.

Of course, I ended up only having time for the one. Oh well.

flabort

2011-04-25, 10:27 PM

The judging hasn't started (or atleast hasn't been posted yet, sorry Ponies), but I'm already wondering what the next SI will be, and what source book.

I'm also wondering if you'd make a SPECIAL EDITION IC later, (once/since the PMR SE IC is done) to embrace some GitP PrCs at some point. Except for the SI, the normal "no homebrew" restriction would have to apply, though.

T.G. Oskar

2011-04-25, 10:34 PM

I'm also wondering if you'd make a SPECIAL EDITION IC later, (once/since the PMR SE IC is done) to embrace some GitP PrCs at some point. Except for the SI, the normal "no homebrew" restriction would have to apply, though.

From what I can gather, not while Chairman shink is...on the Chairman's chair, I'm afraid (pardoning the redundancy). We might see a lot more odd PrCs, and who knows? Maybe a base class contest.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-25, 10:39 PM

Heck, maybe even something 3.0!

If so, my vote would totally be on Ghostwalker. I mean, come ON. And the fluff stories could be SPECTACULAR.

Actualy, thinking on it, what's the ICO's stance on using un-updated 3.0 stuff? Could I toss say, Lasher onto a random build?

Dusk Eclipse

2011-04-25, 10:48 PM

From what I can gather, not while Chairman shink is...on the Chairman's chair, I'm afraid (pardoning the redundancy). We might see a lot more odd PrCs, and who knows? Maybe a base class contest.

How would a base class contest work? I am intrigued by that ; but I am not really sure how it would work, as most builds will be almost identical, with only feats and perhaps some abilities (Spells or souldmelds for example).

Heck, maybe even something 3.0!

If so, my vote would totally be on Ghostwalker. I mean, come ON. And the fluff stories could be SPECTACULAR.

Actualy, thinking on it, what's the ICO's stance on using un-updated 3.0 stuff? Could I toss say, Lasher onto a random build?

If it is not updated on any book it is legal (by Raw even, AFAIK that is WotC stance on the validity of 3.0 material);but I think some judges might impose an elegance penalty.

Also I think Lashers was subsumed into Exotic Weapon Master.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-25, 10:57 PM

flabort

2011-04-25, 11:05 PM

Base Class would probably have the following features:

-Minimum amount of levels in the specified base class, probably minimum 5
-Elegance points given out on the basis of how MUCH of the Base Class you used
-Points also awarded on how closely they maintained the general feel of the base class with PrCs/feats

And that's really all I got. But the idea SOUNDS intriguing, to say the least.

Hmm. I'd assume minus elegance or UoSI for taking levels in another Base Class, too, and unrelated PrCs (SI rogue, takes wizard+arcane trickster, and other casting PrCs, loses lots of points).
Delaying taking any levels in the SI would lose points, even if it's so "I can qualify for this 1337 PrC that I need levels in this class for, and I can't take other classes before it. Look how this PrC synergises with both, though!"

If I had enough time, books, and smarticles to try, I'd definitely compete in a Base Class IC.

gbprime

2011-04-25, 11:12 PM

If I had enough time, books, and smarticles to try, I'd definitely compete in a Base Class IC.

You'd have to make it unbearable, though, like Healer. :smallamused:

Dusk Eclipse

2011-04-25, 11:14 PM

You'd have to make it unbearable, though, like Healer. :smallamused:

Ok, that was cruel and completely unnecessary :smallannoyed:

Well played, sir, good played.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-25, 11:17 PM

Zaq

2011-04-25, 11:25 PM

There's TONS of other options. Divine Mind (CPsi), Soulborn (probably not - we DID, after all, just do incarnum)(MoI), Ninja (CAdv), Knight (PHB2), Wilder (XPH) (although the Wilder isn't THAT bad...), and that's just off the top of my head.

And Healer isn't just bad - it's nearly unplayable at most levels (along with, you know... CW Samurai and the Truenamer). Actually, Truenamer would be EVIL. Mainly because everyone would have to be straight Truenamer because NOTHING IN IT'S OWN DAMN SECTION ADVANCES TRUENAMING.

Truenamer wouldn't be a good contest, but not for the reasons you think. No, it's not just that it's a failure of a class . . . it's that there would be NO VARIETY in the builds. I won't go so far as to say that there's One True Way to make a 'namer, but I will say that everyone would look awfully similar.

As for Healer, it's totally bearable. It qualifies for Sentinel of Bharrai without TOO much difficulty. See? Easily bearable. I regret nothing.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-25, 11:31 PM

Truenamer wouldn't be a good contest, but not for the reasons you think. No, it's not just that it's a failure of a class . . . it's that there would be NO VARIETY in the builds. I won't go so far as to say that there's One True Way to make a 'namer, but I will say that everyone would look awfully similar.

As for Healer, it's totally bearable. It qualifies for Sentinel of Bharrai without TOO much difficulty. See? Easily bearable. I regret nothing.

And Healer isn't just bad - it's nearly unplayable at most levels (along with, you know... CW Samurai and the Truenamer). Actually, Truenamer would be EVIL. Mainly because everyone would have to be straight Truenamer because NOTHING IN IT'S OWN DAMN SECTION ADVANCES TRUENAMING.

See bolded. But seriously, who wants to play Exalted?:smalltongue:

Dusk Eclipse

2011-04-25, 11:35 PM

Truenamer wouldn't be a good contest, but not for the reasons you think. No, it's not just that it's a failure of a class . . . it's that there would be NO VARIETY in the builds. I won't go so far as to say that there's One True Way to make a 'namer, but I will say that everyone would look awfully similar.

As for Healer, it's totally bearable. It qualifies for Sentinel of Bharrai without TOO much difficulty. See? Easily bearable. I regret nothing.
why?..... seriously why? Why did you go that far?http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/Smileys/default/uhhuh.gif

And a +1 for the base class contests, it really sounds interesting.

Zaq

2011-04-26, 12:17 AM

See bolded. But seriously, who wants to play Exalted?:smalltongue:

Not . . . quite what I meant, my friend. Not quite what I meant. If I may be so bold as to quote myself:

What options does a Truenamer have?

This is one of the saddest parts of this post. I'm really forced to believe that to play a Truenamer well, you really don't get that many options. You more or less have to be a member of the Paragnostic Assembly (that unnamed +10 is way too good to pass up, and frankly necessary at higher levels), you really can't prestige class out (the classes that give Truespeak as a class skill don't actually give you new utterances known, and if your GM rules that classes that advance "+1 level of existing casting class" works for Truenamers the way it works for Shadowcasters, Warlocks, or Artificers, well, you have to burn additional skill points since Truespeak isn't a class skill for them, and they rarely offer anything to the Truenamer anyway), and worst of all, there just aren't that many utterances to choose from. Let's take a look at what utterances you can take. I'm going to assume that the Truenamer is a straight-classed Truenamer 20, and takes nothing but the highest-level utterances available (for instance, not learning a 2nd level LEM after level 6, when you get level 3 LEM).

LEM 1: 5 available, 2 known
LEM 2: 8 available, 3 known
LEM 3: 8 available, 4 known
LEM 4: 8 available, 4 known
LEM 5: 8 available, 4 known
LEM 6: 6 available, 3 known

The LCT and LPM are even worse. You learn 1 of each level available (so 5 LCT, and 4 LPM), and there are even fewer options (2 for each level of LCT, 3 for LPM).

So, what does this mean? Well, most Truenamers are going to look awfully similar. There simply aren't enough options to allow for any real diversity, especially when you consider that a good handful of utterances outright suck. There are NO utterances printed in ANY supplemental material, including web enhancements (a lot of alternate power sources get the same treatment, but at least there are a COUPLE additional vestiges, mysteries, and soulmelds), so what you see is what you get.

Feats are another issue. At least three feats are accounted for (Skill Focus, Extend Utterance, and Quicken Utterance), which is a sizable chunk of the few you get. There simply isn't a lot of diversity possible here.

The Truenamer skill list, as I've said, is pretty lousy. The only skills worth mentioning are Knowledge, Truespeak, and UMD. While Knowledge and UMD will get you pretty far, the point is that the skill section of most Truenamers' character sheets will look pretty similar overall.

So, Truenamers will mostly be purchasing the same magic items, taking the same class, taking more or less the same feats, taking very similar utterances, taking very similar skills, joining the same organization... even certain races are far more common than others (Illumians, with their Naen sigil giving a +2 on all INT-based skill checks, are far and away the most commonly played Truenamers).

As a self-avowed option whore (I have a hard time making a character that uses few than 3 books, NOT COUNTING the PHB/DMG), I'm forced to admit that most Truenamers will look damn near identical. The class just isn't flexible enough to allow for anything else.

Some Truenamers will take dips here and there (I've heard of Marshal and Exemplar dips being very common, for the +CHA to INT skills and +4 on any skill, respectively), but that hardly counts as diversity.

It pains me to say it, but Truenamers have more or less one viable build, with a couple small options. I hate to declare anything "THE ONE AND ONLY PATH," but frankly, if you deviate too far from what I'm talking about, you'll either be incapable of pulling your weight or stop really being a Truenamer.

This makes me sad. If anyone wishes to provide a counterpoint, please let me know. It sucks that a class should be shoehorned into such a cookie-cutter build just to be capable (not even talking about godly), but that's what we have in the Truenamer.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-26, 12:29 AM

I'll give you that. I've actually been playing around with a truenaming homebrew... but it's coming VEEERY slowly. Mainly because I have to write up a new list of Utterances (that scale nicely and don't suck) and new rules, since I'm trying to stick with the skill-based casting. But that's neither here nor there.

More on topic, I kind of want to see the next SI be Acolyte of the Skin. It advances +1 CASTING level, so there's a huge variety of things that qualify.

TroubleBrewing

2011-04-26, 01:14 AM

I've actually been playing around with a truenaming homebrew... but it's coming VEEERY slowly.

Have you seen Kyeudo's Truenamer Fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120488)?

It's pretty solid. I've used it in my own group before, and it hovers somewhere in that nebulous area between Tier 4 and Tier 3. I like the fix, personally, as it keeps all of the flavor while providing a great power boost. He's provided a few prestige classes that are really interesting, too.

Amechra

2011-04-26, 06:00 AM

Does anyone want me to start the e6 contest? Using a BASE CLASS?

Yep. You have 6 levels. 3-4 of those have to be X class. Have fun!

gbprime

2011-04-26, 09:23 AM

As for Healer, it's totally bearable. It qualifies for Sentinel of Bharrai without TOO much difficulty. See? Easily bearable. I regret nothing.

Ba-dum CHING. :smallcool: Nice.

gbprime

2011-04-26, 09:24 AM

Does anyone want me to start the e6 contest? Using a BASE CLASS?

Yep. You have 6 levels. 3-4 of those have to be X class. Have fun!

Cool. But should we wait for the Pimp My Ride Iron Chef to end first? How many Alt.Chef can we run at once?

OMG PONIES

2011-04-26, 09:56 AM

Cool. But should we wait for the Pimp My Ride Iron Chef to end first? How many Alt.Chef can we run at once?

It's kind of...over. Probably my failing as sub-chair, but I just wanted a venue for people to post their rides. We have no judges.

Grynning

2011-04-26, 11:03 AM

It's kind of...over. Probably my failing as sub-chair, but I just wanted a venue for people to post their rides. We have no judges.

You could put it to a vote or something...just have people PM you their favorite builds, or even list them in order, you with your love of spreadsheets and all.

And yes, I still lurk every IC contest, even though I haven't been active lately. Hi guys!

Dusk Eclipse

2011-04-26, 12:15 PM

Does anyone want me to start the e6 contest? Using a BASE CLASS?

Yep. You have 6 levels. 3-4 of those have to be X class. Have fun!

Yeah...I'll pass on that (I really don't like e6)

Edit: Hi Gryning, nice to see you

true_shinken

2011-04-26, 06:33 PM

Heck, maybe even something 3.0!

You are on to something, mister.
Well, we already had a 3.0 SI recently with (Unseelie) Dark Hunter, buuut...

true_shinken

2011-04-26, 06:36 PM

It's kind of...over. Probably my failing as sub-chair, but I just wanted a venue for people to post their rides. We have no judges.

I think putting it to a vote would be nice, yeah.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-26, 07:32 PM

Judging is half done. Once I've posted it, I'll put the Pimp My Ride round to a popular vote of sorts.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-26, 08:59 PM

Is there only the 2 judges for this round of ICO?

Amphetryon

2011-04-26, 09:07 PM

Private Prinny is also judging.

Akal Saris

2011-04-26, 10:07 PM

Actually, a pretty solid build for truenamer is Truenamer 10/Legacy Champion 10. You give up 2 levels of truenaming, but gain better HD, better saves, better skills, better BAB, and can modify your legacy weapon to have some very nice spell-like abilities like a 4/day Mass Heal. Makes a solid enough gish, assuming your truenaming skill is pumped high enough to auto-quicken an utterance every round.

The dragon build that never made it:

Siskus, LG Phrenic Wyrmling Incarnum Dragon 4 RHD/Binder 3/Incandescent Champion 10 (LA Buyoff 1)

I was hoping to use the Dragons of Eberron 'Wyrm of War' substitution level to trade sorcerer casting for swordsage maneuvers, use binder for either diplomancer (Naberius) or Fly-by attacks (Paimon) and use a +6 racial charisma along with Phrenic to have very strong incarnum-based melee attacks along with lots of psionic options like dominate, teleport, and direct energy damage. The result would have been a character that effectively uses psionics, incarnum, and the tome of battle.

The problem with the dragon build was that dragon HD gained essentia points way too late (young age category) to qualify for significant levels of incandescent champion. Also, the swordsage maneuver trade was illegal, because it functions off of a nonexistent sorcerer level (dragons without cleric domains like black dragons can trade their non-existent domains away, which is why the loredrake sorcerer trick arguably works, but the swordsage maneuvers are gained in place of actual slots). And then real life interfered before I could tinker around more with the build :smallfrown:

Dusk Eclipse

2011-04-26, 10:17 PM

Damn... that was a great idea; but IIRC the Wyrm of War gives you access to Tiger Claw maneuvers, not the whole initiator "package".

Akal Saris

2011-04-27, 12:08 AM

Damn... that was a great idea; but IIRC the Wyrm of War gives you access to Tiger Claw maneuvers, not the whole initiator "package".

Yeah, it's a pity that the Tiger claw option is weaker than the fighter feats option :(

Zaq

2011-04-27, 12:48 AM

One build down, five to go.

I'll be straight with you folks: Portal 2 is kiiiiind of competing for my attention right now. I swear that I'm trying. I've got the groundwork set out for a second build, but the devil's in the details.

T.G. Oskar

2011-04-27, 12:55 AM

It's a shame the SI wasn't Incarnum Blade, because combining that with another PrC would have been awesome.

Still...I'd have gone for something that, while peculiarly weak, would have been pretty interesting to work with: Soulborn 5-6/Divine Mind 4-5/Incandescent Champion 10. That way, I could have gone for close-to-full BAB, two mantles and the auras to go with it (alongside five auras to go with it, three of the auras granting a +2 bonus), the potential for psionic powers, and at least one soulmeld. Divine Mind and Psychic Warrior could be alternated (exchanging one of the psionic bonus feats for Mantled Warrior) to gain more psionic power. Then, probably go off Azure Talent and Psycarnum Infusion alternated between the soulmeld and the class features.

Of course, amongst the myriad of problems was the insane amount of MAD (Strength, Constitution, Charisma for Divine Grace AND a bit of Wisdom for psionic powers), and that both Soulborn and Divine Mind start off very late (you start to get proper meldshaping at Soulborn level 8th, while you start to get a reasonable amount of manifesting at Divine Mind level 8th), so it was playing which thing to sacrifice, which would have meant pretty much going the rest of the levels on one class. Full BAB isn't much, Soulborn adds a nice touch with a bonus feat but the build would have been feat-intensive, and the soulmelds/powers I'd have gotten wouldn't have done a thing.

Soulborn 5/Psychic Warrior 5/Incandescent Champion 10 would have been better, though: three bonus feats (one Incarnum, two psionic), the Mantled Warrior feat allowing for an increased spell list (if chosen carefully), one soulmeld and 5 powers (including 2 second-level powers, meaning I could use Psionic Lion's Charge or Hustle), less MAD (decent Strength, Wisdom, not much Constitution) and nifty tricks to pull off (Power Attack + Cobalt Charge + Cobalt Power + Psionic Lion's Charge + Leap Attack, with Psycarnum Infusion to temporarily maximize one of the two incarnum feats). Still, the power would have come mostly from the combination of abilities, not from Incandescent Champion, and Divine Mind would have been thematically closer (Divine Aura + Incandescent Aura, for example). At most, Incandescent Champion + Psycarnum Infusion would have allowed for maximized essentia capacities on a combined effort in order to make insane pounces on a single enemy. However, aside from that, there would be little tricks to pull off (Power Attack + Hustle + Airstep Sandals from Shape Soulmeld + Cobalt Power + Incandescent Strike would equal quite a bit of damage as a full-attack action against a flying enemy, or Midnight Augmentation + Psycristal Containment + a psicrystal + Thicken Skin + Psycarnum Infusion to get nice AC without expending PP, or Midnight Augmentation + Psycarnum Infusion +a psicrystal + Psicrystal Containment to reduce the amount of PP I could use to augment powers, or Azure Talent + Psycarnum Infusion for "phantom PP")...

Actually, is Azure Talent + Psycarnum Infusion a RAW trick? That + Improved Essentia Capacity could provide a steady amount of power points per round to do what you feel like doing... Now that I notice, it would have been a nice trick to pull off, though probably not so elegant considering I tend to place one or two mistakes. Besides, it would pull around the same tricks the Psychic Rogue/Umbral Disciple pulled, except the shift between tactics (TWF vs. ubercharger).

kestrel404

2011-04-27, 06:56 AM

I'm also working on a judging, but my between easter weekend and my wedding anniversary being yesterday, I'm just going to be starting it tonight.

dextercorvia

2011-04-27, 08:57 AM

Actually, is Azure Talent + Psycarnum Infusion a RAW trick? That + Improved Essentia Capacity could provide a steady amount of power points per round to do what you feel like doing... Now that I notice, it would have been a nice trick to pull off, though probably not so elegant considering I tend to place one or two mistakes. Besides, it would pull around the same tricks the Psychic Rogue/Umbral Disciple pulled, except the shift between tactics (TWF vs. ubercharger).

My understanding is since they aren't temp PP, they are lost when Psi. Infusion runs out, and pumping Az. Talent again, just restores them, rather like putting on and taking off an [Item] of [Statboost].

I toyed with the idea of Ardent 10/Inc.Champ10, using Dominant Ideal for Hustle linked to Hustle, shared with my Psicrystal for a bajillion Foci/turn, and using Psicarnum Infusion to keep all of my Inc. Champ abilities at full every round.

T.G. Oskar

2011-04-27, 09:53 AM

I toyed with the idea of Ardent 10/Inc.Champ10, using Dominant Ideal for Hustle linked to Hustle, shared with my Psicrystal for a bajillion Foci/turn, and using Psicarnum Infusion to keep all of my Inc. Champ abilities at full every round.

Hmm...if pulled correctly, such a build could pull a perfect score. I mean:

Ardent is already expected, but going with a counter-intuitive entry (perhaps Psion or Wilder?) could rack up originality points a lot (especially with a non-incarnum, non-psionic race such as a Dwarf, which nonetheless has a strong psionic influence). The Hustle/Psionic Meditation/Psycarnum Infusion trick could allow you to spend your PP at 3 points each time to have one of your powers charged at all times, so that would do wonders to Use of SI (given that you have an option to improve pretty much all class features and still have essentia to spare), the ability to get up to 7th level powers (based on how the Practiced Manifester trick is seen by the judges) through judicious leapfrogging of Ardent adds to your power (even if you're limited mostly to three or four mantles), and simple methods to refill your essentia capacity every round, combined with ways to recharge both fonts of psionic focus for eventual boosts of power and showcasing how incarnum and psionics play nicely together adds up for Elegance.

The only problem I see with the trick is as follows: you use your move action to recharge one feature, then Linked Power for hustle to recharge your psicrystal, leaving your standard action either to move or to make an attack (probably Incandescent Ray?), THEN having Hustle at the next round recharge your psionic focus on the next round in order to do what you want, so you'll be mostly alternating between expending your psionic focus twice and then recharging the next round. If you can end the battle on one or two rounds, there's little need to expend your PP in such a way to always have two receptacles full. Generally, you'll want to use Hustle + your move action to keep stuff like Incandescent Ray, Incandescent Aura or fast healing all charged up for the round, or use both actions to "boost" yourself once per round, with a standard action in-between. Going Dominant Ideal and Linked Power isn't that necessary in that sense.

dextercorvia

2011-04-27, 10:32 AM

With Psicrystal Containment, with a little stat boosting for Hidden Talent and Psionic Meditation, your shared Hustle gets your Psicrystal an extra Focus per round, linked to hustle with dominant ideal means that for 4 PP/round, you get 6 Foci/round to play with, 5 if you need to take a Full round action, or use one of your moves for something else. Of course this relies on the reading of Psi. Containment that you may use the focus of your Psicrystal even if you didn't store it there. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother with the Psicrystal.

Cieyrin

2011-04-27, 11:58 AM

Back on the topic of truenaming, I think a good candidate for IC is Acolyte of the Ego. You have more controlled DCs, since you're only buffing yourself, multiple paths of entry and some fairly neat and modular abilities could make it a nice showcase of what your can do with truenaming without having to deal with the mess that is Truenamer.

So, what do you say? Who's with me in showing what synergy Truenaming can provide from the fairly unbroken prestige classes that are the true heirs of the beaten stepchild of 3.5 magic systems? :smallbiggrin:

true_shinken

2011-04-27, 12:06 PM

I'm also working on a judging, but my between easter weekend and my wedding anniversary being yesterday, I'm just going to be starting it tonight.

Congrats, dude.

So, what do you say? Who's with me in showing what synergy Truenaming can provide from the fairly unbroken prestige classes that are the true heirs of the beaten stepchild of 3.5 magic systems? :smallbiggrin:
I thought about this already, actually. Might show up as a SI soon-ish.

Amphetryon

2011-04-27, 12:34 PM

I thought about this already, actually. Might show up as a SI soon-ish.
EEP!
:smallyuk:

Zaq

2011-04-27, 02:17 PM

A . . . Truenaming . . . Iron Chef contest.

I.

What.

Oh god, the rules disputes, they will be prodigious . . .

true_shinken

2011-04-27, 02:30 PM

A . . . Truenaming . . . Iron Chef contest.

I.

What.

Oh god, the rules disputes, they will be prodigious . . .

I was only considering Acolyte of the Ego. Not much room for disputes there.

Zaq

2011-04-27, 06:41 PM

I was only considering Acolyte of the Ego. Not much room for disputes there.

You think that now. Speaking as someone who has actually read the Truenamer chapter front to back more times than anyone at WotC, I would beg to differ.

I would love to be wrong. But there's hardly a clear rule in the bunch.

Besides, many of the Acolytes will be, you know, Truenamers. Oh god, the rules.

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-27, 06:49 PM

You think that now. Speaking as someone who has actually read the Truenamer chapter front to back more times than anyone at WotC, I would beg to differ.

I would love to be wrong. But there's hardly a clear rule in the bunch.

Besides, many of the Acolytes will be, you know, Truenamers. Oh god, the rules.

MY sister's only read through it three times, and she's read through it more than the editing staff at WotC.

Any they might not be truenamers - I can see a couple of builds using that feat that always make Truespeak a class skill for you, and then there's that 5 level PrC, the Bereft... there's a couple of ways to finagle around Truespeak.

Have we started with suggestions/ideas for the next ICO? If so, I put forward Acolyte of the Skin. Easy pre-reqs, rarely (if EVER) used, and here's the kicker: Caster level 5. That means every single caster in the game can qualify, including warlocks and DFAs.

Amphetryon

2011-04-27, 06:58 PM

Here's my 21st vote for Rage Mage. :smallbiggrin:

Zaq

2011-04-27, 07:09 PM

Rage Mage and Acolyte of the Skin would both be excellent. Rage Mage because it's harder to optimize to use all of its features (in my mind, at least) and Acolyte because it'd be a lot more varied.

Urpriest

2011-04-27, 07:11 PM

Seconding Acolyte of the Skin. Not sure what I would do with it, but definitely interested. Plus, the class's fluff means that you'll occasionally get new players interested in it, so it would be nice to point them to a few examples of how to get some mileage out of it.

Amechra

2011-04-27, 07:25 PM

I'll take the initiative...
<Surge of Fortune, Charisma to Initiative due to Levels in Marshal, Intelligence to Initiative from 3 levels of Factotum, for a total bonus of +high>

Alright, I think I'll start up the appetizer-making contest.

Tvtyrant

2011-04-27, 07:27 PM

If we are going the Truenaming route then I want Fiendbinder. At least that one has the potential not to suck.

Thurbane

2011-04-27, 09:09 PM

I'd humbly request that we not have two "niche" PrCs in a row - incarnum then truenaming. Definitely in a future comp, but maybe not straight after.

I'll throw out a vote for Shadowblade...even though it's in the ToM, it's not ToM specific. Maybe a little too similar to Incandescent Champion (medium BAB melee type with special powers).

dextercorvia

2011-04-27, 09:54 PM

Rage Mage would be awesome. I rather like the idea of a half caster trap class.

Amechra

2011-04-28, 01:21 AM

I, too, support the Mage of Rage...

Or we could go for Blood Magus. Might be interesante.

Zaq

2011-04-28, 01:41 AM

I, too, support the Mage of Rage...

Or we could go for Blood Magus. Might be interesante.

Eh, I dunno about Blood Magus. It's got halfway decent flavor, but it's fundamentally an 8/10 wizard class with nothing weird standing in your way (aside from the whole "must have died" thing, but that's fluff). Their few abilities that are actually interesting are 1) late and 2) 1/day . . . not enough to base a suite of varied builds around, if you ask me.

Basically, it's flavorful and suboptimal (both of which do indicate possible SI candidacy), but there's no real way to define yourself as a Blood Magus first and a Wizard (or Sorcerer or Beguiler or whatever) second.

Rage Mage still sounds like fun, as does Acolyte of the Skin. I like 5/10 casting classes as the SI.

BobVosh

2011-04-28, 02:01 AM

OMG PONIES

2011-04-28, 06:28 AM

Still slogging through my judging. Amechra, link to the E6 competition?

Kuulvheysoon

2011-04-28, 06:50 AM

Still slogging through my judging. Amechra, link to the E6 competition?

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197000

Thar ya go.

dextercorvia

2011-04-28, 06:51 AM

I would love to see the stories for the blood mage, but as Zaq mentioned, the features aren't all that varied.

I would like to see a chameleon (the RoD PrC) IC build. Originality without hitting power would be most amusing. Or vice versa.

Chameleon is one of the better PrC's in the game. There are several well known tricks that really maximize it. I doubt we see it at IC anytime soon.

kestrel404

2011-04-28, 07:09 AM

I've got 2 done so far. If I can keep up this pace I should be done by the end of the week.

Amechra

2011-04-28, 11:04 AM

Perhaps...

Fang of Lolth or Arcane Duelist? The capstone for the AD is rather decent, and they do get reverse Power Attack.

And Fang of Lolth gets... extra limbs and the VERMIN TYPE!, along with some other, semi-lame class features...

And it requires a rather large number of ranks in UMD to enter, iirc, and a certain magic item (backstory power to the rescue!)

Though I wouldn't make waves against Rage Mage...

OMG PONIES

2011-04-28, 01:48 PM

My judging is done! As a baseline of what I kicked around as my own ideas, here are three builds I tried and abandoned:

Azurin Cleric 3/Incarnate 2/Sapphire Hierarch 6/Incandescent Champion 9: the build for my aforementioned Midnight Metamagic shenanigans. Full BAB thanks to Persisted Divine Power, 5th level spells, meldshaping as if 8th level...scrapped because of RAW issues with my main trick and the question "why not take more Sapphire Hierarch?"
Dwarf Totemist 3/Paladin 4/Deepwarden 2/Incandescent Champion 10/Ironsoul Forgemaster 1: Built as a CON/CHA shield tank with self healing, high AC, high saves, and resistance to 5 energy types at 5*essentia. Started with 3 levels in Incarnum Blade, which were scrapped for Deepwarden and more paladin. Dropped when I realized he didn't have much else.
Duskling Dragon Shaman 8/Incandescent Champion 10/Marshal 2: CHA-focused aura support (still good while incorporeal). A minor marshal aura and a major one at +1, dragon shaman auras at +2. Shape Soulmeld: Apparition Ribbon and Open Greater Chakra (throat) meant plenty of incorporealness, even after Incandescent Transcendence wore off for the day. Dropped because his only offensive option was a 4d8 breath weapon, and he didn't make decent use of any class features besides Incandescent Aura and Incandescent Transcendence.

Anyway, enough yapping...here are my scores! Each category starts at a perfect score of 5 and is lowered from there, unless otherwise noted. NOTE: Scores have been updated to reflect which items were scoring adjustments and which were simply comments. While some scores may have changed, they remain mostly consistent. I apologize for any confusion my scoring has caused this round.

SENA: 11 (2.75 average)

Originality: 2.5

I expected a whole lot of Oriental Adventures flavor when dealing with Incarnum, and you didn't disappoint. However, it wasn't anything new. [0]
I myself toyed with an Incarnum Blade, so I'm cheering you on there. However, I'm docking the originality, as I mentioned I would. [-1]
More usage of the Shape Soulmeld feat to gain meldshaping ability. Yay. [-0.5]
Rage. Charge. Incarnum. Repeat. [-1]

Power: 1.5

You claim that, at 7th level, you have 6 bonus damage to each charge attack before factoring in Rage, Power Attack, STR, or weapon damage. However, this is not the case. Your blademeld, Cobalt Charge, Cobalt Power, and Cobalt Rage all provide insight bonuses to damage. Unfortunately, bonuses of the same type like these do not stack. You can max your essentia investment in one of them, then add on a max essentia investment in Incandescent Strike. You're still at a total of +4 bonus damage, but it's unfortunate that you selected so many feats and class features that provide non-stacking bonuses. While it seems like a small difference at level 7, the gap grows as higher levels (when your max essentia investment increases). [-0.5]
While you wind up with a respectable +17 BAB (and the all-important 4th attack), you don't actually have a way to utilize those extra attacks. Pounce is mentioned in the adaptation notes, so I won't be taking off as much as I otherwise might, but your focus seems to be on charging for one attack per round. With stacking sources of bonus damage, it's a decent strategy. However, when you sources don't stack, it waters down your power a bit (see above). [-1]
While Blink Shirt provides some mobility, the standard action activation means it's best used as a get-out-of-jail free card. If you had a way to bind it to your totem for move action teleportation, or even binding it to your heart for the ability to use blink, it would have been a much stronger option for you. As such, though, it seems like a feat that could have been better spent. [-0.5]
The Blink Shirt teleport + Threefold Mask of the Chimera combo as presented doesn't do anything special. Blink Shirt teleports you as a standard action, your turn allows you a move action, and then the crown chakra bind of the Threefold Mask allows you to take an extra move action. Essentially, you've allowed yourself to double-move and teleport 10 feet; unfortunately, a 1st-level conjurer with Abrupt Jaunt has the same ability with much less investment. Granted, you can extend the range of the teleportation with essentia investment. If you had a way to bind the Mask to your soul and Shirt to your totem, you could teleport as a move action, then use two standard actions in the same round. Unfortunately, you'd still be a sitting duck for the next round, with a -5 penalty to attacks and AC. [-1]
No reliance on magic items is great, but no source of non-standard movement beside a standard-action teleport isn't the greatest. One offsets the other, so no reduction here. [0]
All in all, your divided focus is your undoing in terms of power. You don't have as much oomph as a devoted charger, you don't have save DCs as high as a dedicated fearmonger, and you don't have as many attacks (or as many sources of bonus damage) as a crit fisher. Unfortunately, Sena is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. [-0.5]

Elegance: 4

I'm not sure what do to with this one point: the Vanara's 3.5 update is technically not allowed in this competition, since it's Dragon Magazine content. I appreciate your short explanation of what you would do if the update wasn't available, so we won't take any points off here unless true_shinken makes me. [0]
While I appreciate your Adaptation notes, you'd have to do more than take two flaws to qualify for Shock Trooper. I'm loathe to take off points from a small adaptation note, but feel that I have to for the failure to mention that you'd also need to snag Improved Bull Rush. [-0.5]
I wasn't sure whether to dock Power or Elegance for this. When it comes down to it, I chose to dock Elegance. While I understand your reasoning for selecting Open Least Chakra, it comes online WAY late in the game. By this time, and with no additional effort, you could have selected Open Lesser Chakra (for arms, brow, or shoulder binding) or Open Greater Chakra (for throat or waist binding). Granted, neither of the soulmelds you elected would benefit from these chakras, but there are some better ones out there. Overall, I decided to put this under elegance because the build relies on a feat- and action-intensive strategy that fails to pay off. You don't need two feats and a penalty the following round to take an extra move action. [-0.5]

UoSI: 3

Your Incandescent Aura/Throat Blademeld/Unbearable Countenance combination seems great on the surface--I actually tried to make it work myself--but it's actually rather lackluster. It takes a full round of actions away from you (a move action for Unbearable Countenance, and a standard action for Throat Blademeld). In exchange, it possibly frightens 1 foe for 1 round and deals minimal damage (halved by a low save, since you yourself state that Incandescent Aura is the last priority for your essentia investment). The laughably low DC of both effects coupled with the level the trick comes online means that the combo loses some of its potency. Adding insult to injury, allows two saving throws to negate or lessen, only lasts for one round, and those who save against your unbearable countenance are immune for an hour, meaning you'd need some other move-action demoralization to use for your second attempt. All in all, the reward doesn't outweigh the risks. [-0.5]
Your low DEX means that, even with a high BAB, your Incandescent Ray might be missing frequently. Cobalt Power may actually help you here, since its insight bonus applies to "attack rolls," with no stipulation of only melee or ranged attacks. However, your bonuses to damage rolls all stipulate melee damage rolls, meaning that Incandescent Ray won't be doing much damage even when it does hit. [-0.5]
You've taken all the levels, and for that I'm glad. However, you don't really attempt to showcase anything (besides the combo mentioned above). Furthermore, as a charger/crit-fisher, the capstone of the SI is at odds with your primary tactic. While fear could still work, you would need some kind of always-on aura like the Dread Necromancer or Dread Witch. Unfortunately, the limitation on activating class features means that, while incorporeal, you can't use the only combos you've shared. [-1]

USHLAKA: 9.5 (2.375 average)

Originality: 2.5

I wasn't expecting a shifter, especially one so dedicated to shifting.[+0.5]
More usage of the Shape Soulmeld feat to gain meldshaping ability. Yay.[-0.5]
If I was expecting shifters, though, I would have expected weretouched master and bloodclaw master.[-0.5]
A barbarian dip for pounce? It's an easy grab, and one I've used myself far too many times (especially considering that you could have grabbed it as a Weretouched Master (granted, at a higher level).[-1]
Rage. Charge. Incarnum. Repeat. [-1]

Power: 3.5

You're assuming a metric crapload of magic items. [-0.5]
Three shape soulmeld feats? You might as well have wedged an incarnate dip in the mix. [-1]
You mention Blood in the Water would be better for this crit-fisher, but why didn't you take it? You gain scent from Weretouched Master, making Hunter's Sense irrelevant. [0]
How did I miss Shifter Savagery before? That's a nice little feat, especially when coupled with a braid of dire shifting. [+0.5]
Pouncing charger with 7 attacks (3 BAB, 1 TWF, 2 Dancing Mongoose, 1 Shifting bite) is good, but could have been better. The TWF feat tree is abandoned, and additional natural attacks available via soulmelds are ignored. I won't dock it too hard, since the number of attacks weren't the immediate focus of your build, but a few minor tricks could have made this truly breathtaking. [-0.5]
Your bonus damage output is solid, but reliant upon your high STR from Shifting/raging/items. Luckily, you still fare well without these bonuses, due to your balanced stacking of bonus damage from Incandescent Strike and Bluesteel Bracers. It's clear that you were counting on Thunderstep Boots for more bonus damage, but see UoSI. Even if the trick had worked, bonus damage doesn't get multiplied on a crit, so your essentia is probably better invested in the bracers and Strike. Still, solid damage. [+0.5]
You don't have any unorthodox mobility. It's good that you've got a way to fly at 21st level, but that needs to be a consideration pre-epic. [-0.5]
Improved Grab is a great ability to have, and hardly gets a nod! Though, interestingly enough, choosing the tiger as your ancestor instead of the bear could have given you pounce without the barbarian dip. [0]

Elegance: 1

Three dips [-4]
You don't qualify for Weretouched Master, since you only have 4 ranks in Know: Nature [-1]
Shifter savagery isn't listed as an eligible bonus feat for Weretouched Masters in ECS. While I have no problem allowing ANY shifter feat as the bonus feats, I can see some tougher DMs taking issue with that. [0]
You get +12 to STR while raging & shifting, rather than +14. The Bloodclaw Master has a sidebar that applies to shifters who take the class, with no mention as to whether or not it is optional, so you don't get the +2 STR bonus from Bloodclaw Master shifting. [0]
What KIND of Shifter are you? I'm guessing longtooth from your feat requirements, but it would have been good to state. [0]
Nitpick: sometimes spell checkers can "correct" things that aren't wrong to begin with. Because of this, you spend some time talking about investing "essential." Be sure to do your own proofreading. No deduction, just me ranting. [0]

Note: Minimum score for any category is 1.

UoSI: 2.5

Bluesteel bracers provide an insight bonus to damage rolls, nice combo w/ Incandescent Strike and multiple attacks. [+0.5]
Your incarnum overload trick was a bit of wishful thinking; while some may argue that Pounce works with Thunderstep Boots, the soulmeld specifically states one attack. So you burn one of your daily incarnum overloads, dump all of your essentia for the round into the Boots, and get...8d4 sonic damage. Once. It's still something, but you'd probably be better using it on your bracers or Incandescent Strike before going to town with a full attack. [0]
It's there, but I can't applaud you for a synergy you didn't even mention. Frightful Shifting+Unbearable Countenance is a great way to attempt getting foes past shaken without giving up too many actions. Granted, you're probably more concerned with pouncing than the one attack per round that this combo would allow (stupid move action for Unbearable Countenance...) While it suffers from a low save DC and the 24-hour immunity clause, you're basically getting it for free, and it would have been nice for you to mention. [0]
Besides Incandescent Strike and incarnum overload, you don't make mention of any other class features acquired. [-3]

CAMDEN DALE: 10 (2.5 average)

Originality: 2

The bardadin is a repeated chassis in this round, and a highly expected one at that. [-3]
Oh, another charger? Yawn. [-0.5]
Using smite as your primary mechanic, however, was an interesting derivation. [+0.5]

Power: 3

Avenging Strike was an odd choice, given the "Evil outsiders only" limitation. However, it provides a little extra "oomph" in those cases, and fits the flavor of "Outsider champion of light and justice fights outsider champions of darkness and evil" [-0.5]
More bard could have provided you fantastic versatility, along with snagging the much-lauded Alter Self. Incandescent Champion makes you an outsider, so you could laugh all the way to the bank. [-0.5]
Sure, you can add your CHA to saves, to hit, and damage. But your problem is that you can't full attack with much of this. The to-hit bonus from smite/charging smite only applies to one attack (which is fine, since you have no way to full attack on a charge). The to-hit bonus from Snowflake Wardance affects all attacks across multiple rounds, and it's really your best bet along with the damage bonus from Divine Might. However, your Slippers only activate when you move, so say goodbye to your full attacks. Also, Avenging Strike takes away your swift action (hope you like your essentia where it is), only applies against evil outsiders (but see above), and only lasts for your next attack. Even if you have a 25 CHA (16+4 levels+...5 inherent from a tome, I'm guessing?), you're looking at one shot to deal about 21 bonus damage per round with a +28 bonus to hit. It seems like great synergy, but it's not really stellar output. When it comes down to it, a duskblade with True Strike can do just about the same without any serious optimization. [-1]

Elegance: 3

one dip [-2]
Don't worry, unless I'm missing something I'm not seeing a CON limit on essentia investment anywhere. [0]

UoSI: 2

You take every level of the Secret Ingredient, but make limited mention of any class abilities gained from it. None of the abilities are showcased, which leaves me feeling like you only took this class and wedged in the incarnum because you had to. [-3]

AZUKI SHARASS: 12.5 (3.125 average)

Originality: 3.5

While we're looking at another Pouncing Charger, at least this one obtains pounce through a method more jermaine to the Secret Ingredient. However, it's still not an entirely new method. [-1]
I applaud your thinking on your use of Action Points to activate class features, but see Elegance. Still, you made me go to the books to check that such a rule even existed, so I'm awarding you for that. [+0.5]
I appreciated (but anticipated) the appearance of totemist in this round. [-1]

Power: 3

Taking Double Chakra (totem) instead of carrying Totemist to 11th level for it was wise. [+0.5]
Binding Phase Cloak to your shoulders provides some interesting mobility options, and helps to provide some defenses against attacks of opportunity. However, you have to use a move action to activate it, so it doesn't activate on a charge. [0]
Bonus essentia seems like a fine feat, but why not take it at lower level? [-0.5]
Nitpick: Skarns only have one natural attack, not two...unless I'm missing something. [0]
You claim to need little in the way of items, but you've got quite a lot of GP hanging off of you, including some individual items that are quite expensive on their own. [-1]
Your final number of attacks is good, as is your ability to pounce with natural weapons thanks to Sphinx Claws. However, your actual damage output is a little lacking. [-1]
You wind up with nearly the same number of chakra binds as a straight totemist, and you have almost as much essentia. When it comes down to it, it seems like a draw between a straight totemist (higher chakra binds and enhanced totem binding) and this build (secret ingredient features). [0]

Elegance: 3

You're using more than 32 point buy, by my reckoning. Even if you STR is 16 (and your DEX is 12) after your racial modifiers, you're using 38 points (6 each for STR and DEX, 16 for CON, 2 each for INT and WIS, and 6 for CHA). [-1]
I see why you took Open Least Chakra (a clever way to bind something to your hands while still leaving your 3 binds from totemist free), but it's not the most elegant solution. You're taking a feat at 6th level which opens a chakra that was already open at 5th level. Also, there are no RAW answers to the question of whether this feat gives you a free chakra bind, or counts against your normal bind limit. [-0.5]
While I mentioned your “burn 2 action points to reactivate a class feature” idea, please read carefully on page 46 of the Eberron Campaign Setting; you can only do this to activate bardic music, rage, smite evil, Stunning fist, turn/rebuke undead, or Wild Shape. While a generous DM may extend this to other x/day abilities, it's nowhere in the RAW. [-0.5]
How are you investing 7 essentia in Girallon Arms? At 20th level, you've got 4 max. With Expanded Soulmeld Capaity, it's up to 5. With totemist's +1 capacity, that's 6 essentia. Am I missing something? [0]

UoSI: 3

Incarnum Overload DOES work nicely with Girallon Arms' totem bind, boosting both your to-hit and damage for a maximum return on your investment. [+1]
While Incandescent Ray is still far from showcased, I'm glad you gave thought to other ways to obtain ranged attacks and presented a reason why you didn't choose the other option. [+0.5]
What can I say? Even though it didn't work, I'm glad you attempted to snag the possibility to recharge your class features via action points. [0]

Edit: As Incarnum Overload was the only class feature truly showcased, you received a maximum UoSI score of 3.

SALVAGIO: 15 (3.75 average)

Originality:5 (originally listed as 4 due to bad math)

I was not expecting to see too many rogues this round, especially given how the whole “shining champion of good” image doesn't really mesh with the “stalker in the dark” ambience of the rogue. [+0.5]
Psychic rogue, you say? A sneak attacker with craven, you say? These two items have become charop staples for a reason; they're powerful, but they're no longer original. [-1]
I do like how you moved into fighter for a +3 BAB and 2 more dice of sneak attack (using the sneak attack variant). While some might not applaud your originality for scooping up levels in fighter, it was a mechanically original way to power up your sneak attack while getting you the BAB needed to enter the secret ingredient. [+0.5]
I was hoping someone would make use of Umbral Disciple, while carefully weighing the light effects of Incandescent Champion with the sneakiness of the Umbral Disciple. [0]

Power: 3.5

FINALLY the Psycarnum Infusion/Psionic Meditation combo makes an appearance. As we've seen with dextercorvia's post, this can be optimized to broken levels. While you haven't sprinkled in that sort of cheese, you've got a reliable way to max out one of your essentia receptacles every round with no investment. However, I can't give full points for this in good conscience; as a two-weapon fighter, any round you spend a move action to regain your focus is a round in which you're not full attacking. If your build relied more on standard actions (like say, a dedicated manifester) this combination would have been much more deadly. [+0.5]
As a two-weapon fighter, you miss the all-important point of BAB that would have given you four attacks, and you also abandoned the Two-Weapon Fighting feat tree halfway through. Shame, shame. [-1]
You say we're going to see Hide optimization, yet we never do. Sure, Hide in Plain Sight is snagged via Umbral Disciple (and it was clearly your whole reason for entering the class), but Darkstalker doesn't ever show up, so you can easily be detected by means other than sight. Also, your Hide modifier isn't astronomically high. While you have max ranks and a +4 DEX, that's only +27 to Hide. It's possible to get your modifier through the roof without too much effort. [-1]

Elegance: 2.5

You don't qualify for Umbral Disciple, as you only have 7 ranks in Listen prior to entry. [-1]
You don't qualify for Two-Weapon Fighting at the level you've taken it, since you started with a 14 DEX. [-0.5]
How are you getting an essentia capacity of 9 at 20th level with Incarnum Overload? There's the 4 base + 4 from your CHA, which is 8. Am I missing something? [0]
Reliance on a variant from Unearthed Arcana (sneak attack fighter) sets your maximum Elegance score to 4.

UoSI: 4

Using Psycarnum Infusion to power up Incandescent Strike before a full attack is a great way to use it regularly without actually investing essentia in it. [+1]
Incarnum Overload w/ Indigo Strike would only work for one round's worth of attacks, but you are looking at a possible extra 56 damage for that round, so I guess that's nothing to sneeze at. Incarnum Overload w/ Incandescent Strike, however, does not provide +7 to attack and damage...just damage. [+0.5]
You...you made Incandescent Ray do respectable damage! Even without Incarnum Overload, your ability to apply sneak attack and Craven damage means you have a useful ranged attack option. Indigo Strike does pair nicely with this (and I like its "double your money" payout), but unfortunately Incandescent Strike does not, as it only works on melee damage. Still, I have to give you credit for taking Incandescent Ray from a nuisance to a useful tactic. However, some Hide optimization would have really made this trick shine. As is, your +27 Hide drops to +7 when sniping, which is sad at 20th level. [+1]
Incarnum Overload + Embrace of Shadow = hilarious. Unfortunately, the hilarity only lasts for one round. I love it still, though. Just for lulz, I would have liked to see you get your CHA up to +6, so you'd have a 10 essentia cap when using Incarnum Overload for 100% miss chance on Embrace of Shadow. If you had coupled that with a way to invest essentia as an immediate action (if such a thing exists), you would have won one internet for creating an incarnum-based "NO!" button. [+1]

Note: I have to stay consistent with my metric...while you mentioned fast healing, you didn't showcase it, so I have to impose a maximum UoSI of 4.

SIR KAREL: 12 (3 average)

Originality: 2.5

Bardadin is a repeated chassis, and a highly expected one at that [-3]
...but Mythic Exemplar adds a little. It's always nice to see past Secret Ingredients used outside of their particular round; I take it as a shining beacon of hope that maybe that particular class isn't so bad after all. [+1]
Lesser Aasimars are frequent charop fare when looking for high CHA. Since we were dealing with high-CHA beings of pure good, I expected quite a few. [-0.5]

Power: 3

While Snowflake Wardance and Smite Evil provide large bonuses to hit, you're not doing much damage once you do connect, what with that 10 STR and no source of bonus damage besides Smite Evil and Inspire Courage for most of your career. Even once the Secret Ingredient is added to the mix, you're doing a maximum of 13 bonus damage on one attack per round (5 from Incandescent Strike with Divine Soultouch + 5 Smite Evil+3 Inspire Courage w/ Inspirational Boost) before considering Incarnum Overload. [-1]
While max ranks in Intimidate are always good, stacking it with Unbearable Countenance takes up a whole round of actions to leave your opponent frightened for 1 round if they fail a save and a check. Also, since you don't get to add your CHA twice (see Elegance, below), your Intimidation check won't be sky-high, though it remains decent. Someone who saves against Unbearable Countenance is immune for an hour, meaning that fear is not a relevant tactic against them for the remainder of that combat. Finally, Imperious Command comes online way too late in the build--it would have been a perfect choice at level 9 if you had another way to gain essentia. As a footnote, how are you getting the +43 Intimidate you claim to have? I'm seeing +23 ranks+6 CHA+2 (via +4 bonus to CHA)=+31. Even if you could add your boosted CHA twice, that's only +39. Where's the final +4 from? The only thing I can think is that you took the +4 bonus to CHA as a +4 bonus to the check itself, forgetting that boosting a stat by 4 only boost your modifier by 2. [-1]
With the above in mind, I appreciate your nod to Dreadful Wrath under your variant notes. That little feat doesn't get enough credit. [+0.5]
Apprentice: Entertainer isn't really necessary, and basically wastes your first level feat. There are other ways to get Perform as a class skill for your paladin levels. I know you mention Flexible Mind, but I don't feel like I can give back any points for that, since it's Dragon Mag material. [-0.5]
I was going to dock you for not optimizing Inspire Courage to its fullest, but I appreciated your notes and equipment suggestions. While I would have docked for class-setting material, you were right to mention Song of the Heart (and could have used it to great effect in this build). I'm ambivalent about Haunting Melody, but I haven't played a bard recently without Song of the Heart. Since Inspire Courage is your main class feature, I wouldn't have minded a little cross-setting splashing around, especially since there are no strong ties to Eberron fluff with those two feats. If you were stomping around Faerun with a dragonmark, that would be a little different. [0]
Your high CHA and smart gear suggestions mean that, even on your class features that offer saves, the saves are respectably high. [0]

Elegance: 2.5

One dip. [sets maximum Elegance of 3]
I'm not clear on whether the Archetype Advancement of Mythic Exemplar gives you the ability to use marshal auras if you don't already have the ability. Usually, classes with the "you gain +1 level" language only advance class features you already have, rather than functioning as a grab bag that allows you to pick one. Classes that grant the ability if you don't already have it are usually very specific on that point, containing a sentence that starts "If you don't already have..." or something similar. Because of this, I know that I would rule at my table that you don't spontaneously get marshal auras. I know some DMs might allow that, but plenty would not. Because of this, you don't auto-succeed on wand activation, but you're at a +16, which is pretty darn close. [-0.5]

UoSI: 4

I llove your idea of using auras along with Incandescent Transcendence (and even tried it myself with a marshal/dragon shaman build). However, since some might argue that you don't have the marshal's auras, your only active auras are your Aura of Resolve (situational at best) and Incandescent Aura. While this is good synergy, it's specifically spelled out in the class description. You can indeed continue singing, and that was a good catch. I was trying to think of class abilities that stay active while transcended, and I thought of auras without considering Inspire Courage. Nice catch, as long as you activate it before going incorporeal. Here it would have payed to be a bardblade; you could have popped Inspire Courage as a swift action via Song of the White Raven and gone transcendent in the same round. As it stands, you have two class features that each take a standard action, so this combo takes two rounds. A generous DM might let you activate your bardic music via the Least Paragon's Gift of Mythic Exemplar, but I know I wouldn't.

Note: I wanted to give you a 5 for UoSI...I really did, but you just didn't showcase the class features enough for me.

And now...

Final Tallies After One Judge (before disputes)
{table=head]ENTRY|PLACE|TOTAL|AVERAGE
Salvagio|GOLD|15|3.75
Azuki Sharass|SILVER|12.5|3.125
Sir Karel|BRONZE|12|3
Sena|Fourth|11|2.75
Camden Dale|Fifth|10|2.5
Ushlaka|Sixth|9.5|2.375

[/table]

For the next special ingredient, I'd like to see a return to Core + Completes, for easy accessibility to all participants. Not everyone decided it was worth the coin to snag Tome of Magic or Magic of Incarnum, you know. There's plenty of bad (but salvageable) classes in the Completes...look at Round IV's Stonelord.

Amphetryon

2011-04-28, 02:06 PM

I am.... intrigued by that scoring metric.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-28, 02:17 PM

I am.... intrigued by that scoring metric.

Care to elaborate, kind sir? Either publicly or via PM? Come to think of it, I think we may have discussed some of my criteria by PM before.

Ditto

2011-04-28, 03:05 PM

OMG PONIES

2011-04-28, 03:09 PM

One thing that jumps out at me is Salvagio's elegance seems curious. You mention a class, feat, and class feature that he does not qualify for... but gets the +.5 bump? Not saying a 3.5 is or is not warranted, but your notes gave no explanation for it.

Starting at a perfect score of 5, I deducted 1 point for the failure to qualify for Umbral Disciple (4), as well as 0.5 for the failure to qualify for TWF (3.5). The point about max essentia investment was, for the time being, a question, as I may have missed something, so no deduction was taken. However, I now realize that Salvagio's elegance should be docked another point, since it relies on the sneak attack fighter variant found in Unearthed Arcana, meaning he starts at an Elegance of 4 before deductions.

Doc Roc

2011-04-28, 03:27 PM

Starting at a perfect score of 5, I deducted 1 point for the failure to qualify for Umbral Disciple (4), as well as 0.5 for the failure to qualify for TWF (3.5). The point about max essentia investment was, for the time being, a question, as I may have missed something, so no deduction was taken. However, I now realize that Salvagio's elegance should be docked another point, since it relies on the sneak attack fighter variant found in Unearthed Arcana, meaning he starts at an Elegance of 4 before deductions.

How is it inelegant to use a variant in the allowed sources?

Amphetryon

2011-04-28, 03:30 PM

How is it inelegant to use a variant in the allowed sources?

UA is noted in the rules as being possibly worthy of a small Elegance deduction; OMG's rubric makes this deduction explicit.

Doc Roc

2011-04-28, 03:32 PM

UA is noted in the rules as being possibly worthy of a small Elegance deduction; OMG's rubric makes this deduction explicit.

Actually, they mention that they may mention them. My question, however, stands. Why is it less elegant? What is elegance?

OMG PONIES

2011-04-28, 04:02 PM

I don't personally consider it less Elegant. However, I know that for judges in the past, elegance has fallen into three sub-categories:

Simplicity: While I don't necessarily agree, some rule that the fewer classes, the better, no matter what. Dips are often penalized under this subcategory, and that is why I make mention of them in my criteria. A sprig of parsely is fine garnish. A sprig of parsely, a twist of lemon, a drizzle of chocolate, and a slice of cucumber is just cumbersome.
Liquidity: Easily the most subjective part of Elegance, liquidity measures whether the build "flows." Are classes entered and exited at appropriate levels? Are class features relevant when acquired and at all levels thereafter? Does the same hold for feats?
User-friendliness: simply put, "would it fly at most gaming tables?" It is under this category that I impose a maximum elegance of 4 on builds that rely on Unearthed Arcana. While I allow it at my table, plenty of others do not (or only allow specific sections). Because of this, players looking to use an Iron Chef entry in their own games may experience some friction.

Does this help?

true_shinken

2011-04-28, 04:09 PM

Actually, they mention that they may mention them. My question, however, stands. Why is it less elegant? What is elegance?

Elegance is a concept hard to understand in IC. Basically, it depends on the judge. There are 19 previous Iron Chefs defining what elegance is all about.

Basically, here, it is less elegant because it is mentioned as a possible deduction in the OP.

Amechra

2011-04-28, 05:18 PM

Everyone is looking good so far. And OMG_Ponies is a fast judge...

Still, mine could have done better...

kestrel404

2011-04-29, 05:55 AM

All of the entries had their merits, but not one of them used the best trick the class has to offer (though at least Sir Karel managed the second best trick). My judging first, and the trick after.

Sena
Originality - Well, Barbarian/Incarnum Blade is definitely not an expected entry, but you are a charging, fear inducing barbarian. And while Vanara is definitely an under-used race, the fact that a climb speed is basically its only racial trait makes it clear why. Total: 3.5
Power - You are a barbarian. Your incarnum blade gives you a small amount of versatility as far as combat options. Most of your options come from incandencent champion, but you're not doing a lot with those options. Also, I feel that the Threefold Mask soulmeld is something of a waste - by the time you get it, you can get the effects of both the unflankability (through Incarnum Blade) and extra mobility (through blink shirt) without wasting two feats on it. Total: 1
Elegance - You used 3 sources. And while one of those sources was Oriental Adventures, you just used that for your race (+2). You used 1 base class and 2 prestige classes, and took all levels of both prestige classes. And while it is questionable whether you can actually make use of the Open Chakra feat, by a pure RAW reading, if you don't have the Chakra Bind class feature, you can bind any chakra that you have the Open Chakra feat for. Total: 5
Use of Secret Ingredient - Well, while the secret ingredient may be the heart of this character, you seem to be focusing on the least interesting and least powerful class features. The fear power is only useful against weaker enemies, and the extra damage you gain from Incandescent Strike is chump change in comparison to power attack. Total: 1.5
Total: 11

Ushlaka
Originality - I expected Warblade, and to a lesser degree Ranger, but Shifter is an interesting choice, especially given the Cha penalty. Lion totem barbarian is also over-done, especially as a dip. Total: 2
Power - Shifter/Barbarian is always nice for serious burst power, especially with Shifter Savagery. And you use a few choice soulmelds, gained through feats, to very nice effect in conjunction with a standard pouncing build. But that's really all you've got going here, and while you do manage some nice bonus damage while shifted/raging, you'd actually be doing more with a greatsword, and an extra +1 BAB would net you a 4th attack at 20th level, making it obvious that trading those levels of bloodclaw master (and probably ranger) for more warblade is a better option if you're focusing on damage dealt. Also, given the need to have a significant Con score as well as the concentration skill for this build, more Diamond Mind maneuvers would have been a good idea. Total: 2
Elegance - Lots of dips, including Lion totem Barbarian 1. You honestly would have done better with Warblade 5 to start, and the Pouncing Strike maneuver, or focusing on natural attacks with totemist. Also, being dependent on a nearly limitless supply of a specific disposable 100gp magic item for your entire career makes things rather dicey. Total: 2
Use of the Secret Ingredient - You make good use of Incarnum Overload, with a pouncing build and thunderstep boots (though your Cha bonus is pretty low without magic items), and you use Incandescent strike for simple damage boosting. But you barely even mention the other class features in passing. You could accomplish just as much with more levels of warblade. Total: 1.5
Total: 7.5

Camden
Originality - Both Paladin and Bard were pretty obvious entries, with their Cha focus. The paladin variants are also quite expected. And with the serious optimization you put into Smite, I would have really liked to see Killoren as the race, or something with a racial Cha bonus. Total: 1
Power - You are a smiting machine. Whenever you get it off, that smite is just going to blow away whatever you hit with it. But you're also something of a one-trick pony, and if you're going to focus that much on a single trick, you could have done a bit better. Killoren would have gotten you a wider bredth of targets for your smite, and if you'd gone for spirited charge instead of Improved Smite, Martial Study and Avenging Strike (delaying Divine Might until your 18th level feat), you could have been doing 3x damage on a charging smite from the back of a griffon by level 15, getting better mobility and damage more often and more consistently. You've got intimidate and unbearable countenance both, which would work for fear stacking - except that it will take both a move and a standard action to render a single enemy panicked for 1 round, IF they fail their will save. A single feat for haunting melody or some other fear-inducing ability that lasts more than 1 round would have made this a serious strategy. That being said, your focus on being Charisma-SAD and stacking cha to damage & attack multiple times is a good trick. Total: 4
Elegance - It's a simple build, but lots of ACFs and the bard levels feel like a dip just for snowflake wardance. Could have nearly doubled your total skill points by level 20 if you'd started with bard rather than paladin at a cost of ~3 HP. Total: 3.5
Use of the Secret Ingredient - At least you've got a plan for using all the class feature here, except the fast healing or the capstone power. But I can't help but feel that you're not really using the class features - yes, the incandescent aura is nice and deals extra damage to your enemies, but you could get as much damage from a mantle of flame or a number of spell effects. Indeed, you could get almost as much from 10 levels of Soulborn, and you could certainly get MORE from 10 levels of totemist. So while you might be using the Incandescent champion class features, they're certainly not integral to the build. Total: 2
Total: 10.5

Azuki
Originality - Straight Totemist. I expected to see some totemist and incarnate dips, but straight totemist is surprise. Skarn is a nice choice, and not often used, although it seems to be a popular choice for totemist for all the reasons you mentioned. Total: 4
Power - I'd love to give a high score here as one of the more powerful and versatile builds. Unfortunately, I can't help but see how the secret ingredient is actually less strong for this build than taking more levels of the base class. You make good use of what Incarnate Champion provides, but in the end your build is just a bit less powerful and versatile than a totemist 20. I think that if you'd focused a bit more on the Manticore Belt (a high Cha and Incarnum Overload and might be able to pump all 17 of your essentia into it 3/day). Total: 3.5
Elegance - I cannot find a flaw in the elegance of this build. It's simply core+incarnum, 1 base class and 1 prestige class, with suggestions from other sources. Total: 5
Use of the Secret Ingredient - While you may have been better off in some ways without the secret ingredient, you do explain why you took it for both thematic and tactical reasons. You cover all the bases (although some examples of how you'd use the capstone would have been nice) and you have a plan for using the various class features. Total: 3.5
Total: 16.5

Salvagio
Originality - Azurin is a nice way of getting that point of essentia for entry, but you don't rely on it. And Psychic rogue/SA Fighter is definitely not an expected entry. I also like the implied background from your story. This is a nicely refreshing build. Total: 4
Power - You're very stealth oriented, despite Incandescent Champ being a thoroughly non-stealthy class. Indeed, half the class feature cause you to glow! Speaking of, why in the world did you take my light? Even from a flavor perspective it makes no sense. Still, you manage versatility, usefullness outside or a pure damage dealing brute, and you have a number of options for what to do with your essentia. There are two things I'd have liked to see in this build that you're missing out on. If you'd tried a bit harder with the psionic aspect of the character, say Psi-rogue 5/Incarnate 2/Soul Manifester 4/Incandescent Champ 9, then you'd have been able to take two feats (midnight augmentation and Expanded Knowledge:Bestow Power) to manage the PP recharge trick. Add another Expanded Knowledge for one of the really useful utility/combat powers like Astral Construct and you would be a really serious force. That said, you get some very nice damage, you've got real uses for all the class features, and you manage your party role nicely. Total: 4
Elegance - No dips, an obscure but perfectly viable ACF, and a web-based base class. There's nothing wrong with the build elegance wise, but it's definitely something of a mishmash source-wise. Total: 3
Use of the Secret Ingredient - Simply by mentioning all of the class features in your build, you're doing better than most here. You've also got legitimate uses for all of the class features, although it's kind of shaky for a few of them. But you've got a plan for them and Incandescent Champion is definitely useful to your intended role, perhaps not the single best choice but a definite advantage. Total: 4
Total: 15

Sir Karel
Originality - Bard/Paladin seems to be popular for the Charisma SAD, especially trading the paladin spells away. Lesser Aasimar is a good choice for race, but also to be expected here. I liked your character's story, though, so I'll give you points for that. And Mythic Exemplar was definitely an interesting twist. Total: 2.5
Power - Well now, this is pretty good. Where Camden focuses on getting the most bang for his charisma (literally), you're getting quite a lot of versatility out of it, as well as the Incandescent Champion class features. Your extensive use of auras helps you break out of the 'I can only hurt this one guy' rut that most melee characters get into. You do a good job of explaining how and why you chose the feats and feat ordering that you do, but I'd like to point out a few things you may have missed, because they make for truely awesome combos. For one, Imperious Command is the single best feat for an Incarnate Champion (and I'm glad someone took it). With the fearsome armor enhancement from DotU, you can literally fear-lock one guy who's standing next to you (move action, cause someone to cower for a round - that means they CANNOT MOVE OUT OF YOUR DAMAGE AURA) while blasting or smiting someone else! For that reason alone, it's probably worth delaying Mythic Exemplar until after you've got 8 levels of Incandescent Champion. Another thing is that Midnight Dodge is a rather poor feat choice here - you could have done better with several of the Incarnum feats, although since damage-dealing isn't your big schtick like most of the other entries this isn't a terrible issue. The only other thing that would have given you a significant boost is the Harmonious Knight ACF from the Champions of Valor web enhancement - it gives you Inspire Courage paladin level times per day in trade for detect evil. This would have freed up your bard music use for snowflake wardance in the early levels. Overall, though, this is a nicely crafted build in terms of versatility and utility. Total: 4.5
Elegance - In comparison to some of the other entries, your source list is huge. I'm not going to penalize you for FR specific stuff, since you stuck exclusively to that setting, which means you get a pass on lesser aasimar. But your first level bard dip is obviously just that. Fortunately for you, lesser aasimar have favored class paladin, so no multiclassing issues. Overall, it draws on a lot of sources, but that's to be expected from a highly optimized build. Total: 2
Use of the Secret Ingredient - Your build is definitely well geared towards using all of the class features. Your extensive use of auras allows you to make good use of the capstone as more than a 1/day bypass wall power, taking Imperious Command makes both the Incandescent Aura and the Unbearable Countenance abilities significantly stronger, and the only trick you missed is one that nobody else used, so I'm not going to penalize you for it. This is definitely the best use of Incandescent Champion here. Total: 5
Total: 14

I'm going to recommend Sir Karel as Honorable Mention, because he makes the best use of Incandescent Champion overall.

As for the trick that everybody missed:

Incarnum Overload (Ex): At 4th level, you can temporarily
boost the maximum essentia capacity of any
soulmeld, incarnum feat, or special ability that allows
essentia investment. This effect lasts for 1 round, during
which the essentia capacity of the chosen soulmeld, feat,
or ability increases by an amount equal to your Charisma
bonus (minimum +1). This ability is usable once per day
as a free action.

Incarnum Feats:
Incarnum feats are similar to soulmelds in that they allow you
to invest essentia into them, increasing their power. Unlike
most other incarnum-based abilities, a character can invest
essentia into each incarnum feat only once per day.

For everything else, Incarnum Overload is a burst power. But the essentia put into the incarnum feats is determined once, and then that essentia stays in there for the rest of the day, regardless of whether the capacity goes down the next round or not - there's no disclaimer that if your essentia capacity decreases, the essentia in the feats comes back out or is lost for the day. And this is the only way that using Incarnum Overload would actually WORK when using it on an incarnum feat (except in Salvagio's case with Psicarnum Infusion). So I see this as a valid use by both RAW and RAI. If someone had built a character around sticking 10 essentia into, say, cobalt charge while making a pouncing or supercharging build, it would have been pretty sweet. All of the other class features of Incandescent Champion are available elsewhere in some form or another. Incarnum Overload is the only really unique feature of the class, and I'd have liked to see at least one build focusing on it.

That said, I enjoyed all the builds and good luck to everyone.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-29, 06:48 AM

Kestrel, thanks for posting your scores. A tally will be posted shortly. As for your main trick that was missed, one possible competitor PMed me that they tried it, but were told that it did not work by RAW. Perhaps they can post a response here to illuminate the issue.

Amphetryon

2011-04-29, 06:56 AM

Forged Fury

2011-04-29, 07:50 AM

@Kestral: The Totem Rager's Totem Rage class ability has a similar mechanic, but explicitly allows you to allocate extra essentia to the Cobalt Rage feat whenever rage is triggered.

I could pretty easily see a DM saying no to the Incarnum Overload/Incarnum Feat trick. It seems pretty clear that it's supposed to be a 1 round boost. Were I to adjudicate it, I'd probably just add the rider language similar to what appears in Totem Rage to allow a meldshaper to reallocate essentia to the incarnum feat for one round. The next round, the character can reinvest the essentia into their soulmelds, etc by the normal swift action allocation method. It may just be me, but it seems more balanced than providing a 24 hour capacity boost.

kestrel404

2011-04-29, 08:05 AM

Just a guess as to why nobody used that particular trick, Kestrel:

"Obvious" tricks that can be considered somewhat cheesy have historically been penalized - at times heavily - by at least one judge. "Cheese should be kept to a minimum" is in the OP, after all. The thinking may have been that avoiding the 'cheese" of Incarnum Overload-fueled feats was the wisest choice.

In other words, Lowest Common Denominator thinking has its merits.

There is that. Plus, not as many entrants as usual. But I'd still have liked to see a bit more focus on that class feature. Actually, i'd have liked to see a bit more focus on ALL the class features. The class is a bit wacky, but there are some real hidden gems in there if you look at it right.

@Forged: That would be an interesting house rule and it would make for a more workable interpretation, but the RAW is actually pretty clear. Yes, the boost to capacity only lasts one round, but you only need one round to set the value for the feat for the rest of the day. And given that the ability actually works on feats explicitly, I see that as a RAI blessing from the author.

Forged Fury

2011-04-29, 08:29 AM

@Forged: That would be an interesting house rule and it would make for a more workable interpretation, but the RAW is actually pretty clear. Yes, the boost to capacity only lasts one round, but you only need one round to set the value for the feat for the rest of the day. And given that the ability actually works on feats explicitly, I see that as a RAI blessing from the author.That's fine, I tend to read the phrase "Maximum Essentia Capacity" literally. I'd be more inclined to believe the author forgot how incarnum feats worked than intended for a character to double, triple, or quadruple the maximum essentia capacity of an incarnum feat for a full day. But, that's the joy of D&D.

Edit: For clarification, I do agree with you. By RAW, it's there. Since the text of every incarnum feat I've seen ends with: "Once the amount of essentia invested
is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for
24 hours." It would seem to make you a bit less versatile, which I think weakens one of the keystones of Incarnum.

OMG PONIES

2011-04-29, 03:02 PM

Standings after Two Judges (before disputes)
{table=head]ENTRY|PLACE|TOTALS|AVERAGE
Salvagio|GOLD|30|3.75
Azuki Sharass|SILVER|28.5|3.5625
Sir Karel|BRONZE|26|3.25
Sena|Fourth|22|2.75
Camden Dale|Fifth|20.5|2.5625
Ushlaka|Sixth|17|2.125[/table]

Zaq

2011-04-29, 07:16 PM

If all goes well, I plan to be done or nearly done by the end of the weekend.

I promise nothing, because I make no promises I do not know if I can keep. But that is my plan.

It is unlikely that anything will get done tonight, but tomorrow's pretty wide open, so that should help.

As it stands, I've got two builds pretty much done and two more with some bits and pieces in them. (Yes, I occasionally jump around when judging. It happens.)

Edit: It's 6:40 PM (my time) on Saturday. Three builds are totally done, and the other three have been started. I expect to get at least one more build done tonight, probably two. All three is not out of the question, but don't hold your breath.

Zaq

2011-05-01, 02:51 PM

I'm about half finished with the last build, folks. I promise I'll be done tonight. I have to run before I can finish it properly, but watch for it tonight.

Zaq

2011-05-01, 11:52 PM

Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. I wanted to see what weird things could be done with this cool but amazingly weak class. What did I get? Well, builds that use a cool but amazingly weak class . . . and are therefore rather tricky to judge. However, after the skill-counting nightmare that was Dread Pirate, I found it a relief to rarely deal with vast quantities of skill points per level from many far-flung classes. (Yes, I do count your skill points.)

Sena

Incarnum Blade? That's one way to try to make Incandescent Champion look good, at least in comparison. Pity that it's not actually an incarnum class, huh? I do find it humorous that you pretty much said exactly what the book says about IB (that it's a good way to introduce incarnum to the table without delving too deeply). I'm pretty sure we both know that's a lie (given that it's not an incarnum class.)

Originality: Again, since it's not an incarnum class (yes, it has some similar names, but look me in the eye and tell me that the Blademeld has anything to do with normal incarnum use) and it's one of the only two PrCs in MoI that's undoubtedly worse than Incandescent Champion, I did not expect to see an Incarnum Blade. (+0.5) Vanara also came totally out of left field; not only are they obscure, but they really don't have much to do with incarnum, at least in my mind. Definitely didn't see that coming. (+0.25) Your battle strategy isn't unbearably hackneyed, but it's nothing earth-shakingly new. (0) Total: 3.75

Power: This build . . . is different. I don't really see any amazing synergy. You're not bad while you're raging, but you're nothing special. You have an awful lot of incarnum feats . . . which are nice in that they give bonus essentia, but are not so nice in that they lock your essentia away and defeat the entire point. I don't see Cobalt Power on your “typical investments” table anywhere. Why did you take it if you never plan to use it? Bonus Essentia could have gotten you 2 extra essentia (you do have the ability to shape two melds, after all, so it's not even ambiguous). I also really do not see the point of Threefold Mask of the Chimera. The Crown bind of the Threefold Mask is pretty much only useful for desperately running away. It gives you horrific penalties, it eats your full attack next round (and since you have 16 BAB by the time you get it, I imagine you care about that a little bit), and since it specifies that the extra move action happens at the end of your turn, you can't even use it to move into position and make a full attack (with or without the penalties). Just shaping it doesn't seem to offer the kinds of benefits I expect from a feat. I pretty much consider those two feats wasted, and Cobalt Power is nearly so. (–0.25)

The benefits from Incarnum Blade seem marginal. The extra HP really isn't enough to matter by the time you get the Heart bind (40 HP will only rarely be the difference between living and dying at level 20 . . . CR 15+ foes tend to hit really hard, or else just don't care about HP), and I don't see much of the point of the others. I don't see why you took it, honestly. The Throat bind is elegant (and I gave you points for it there), but it's not at all powerful enough to be worth the levels you spent on it, and it seems to be your primary Blademeld bind. In short, they feel like wasted levels. I don't see how you're better off with 5 levels in Incarnum Blade compared to 5 levels in one of many other melee classes. Yes, you succeeded in using it to make Incandescent Champion look good in comparison, but I ask you, at what cost? (–0.25)

I will say this: thank you for not just assuming that you can get any damn item you please. This should be the default assumption (rather than something I should call out as praiseworthy), so I won't give you extra points for it, but still, after looking at so many other builds that just bake their items into their baseline assumptions, this is refreshing. (0, but thumbs up) Total: 2.5

Elegance: OK, so, we kind of had that mini-dispute in the thread itself, but even if you got the order of your feats wrong (thus explaining why you have essentia at first level), you're still double-dipping somewhere. You should have 8 from IC and 1 each from Cobalt Power, Cobalt Charge, and Cobalt Rage, which should result in a total of 11, not 12. It's obvious where the error came from, but it's still a not-exactly-insignificant math error in your favor (there's barely an incarnum-user alive who doesn't want another point of essentia, after all), so there's gotta be some flavor of penalty. (–0.25) I do like the mix of Unbearable Countenance and the throat-bound Blademeld for fear stacking . . . very difficult to get the save DCs up anywhere respectable, of course, and the fact that neither has a duration greater than 1 round makes the usefulness rather sharply limited, but the move action of one and the standard action of the other work well enough together and was pretty clever. (+0.25) Your class progression isn't entirely clear to me. Why break IB after 1 and 3? Breaking IC after 4 I can see, but why after 8? If there's any method in this madness, you didn't make it clear. (–0.25) I find it a little weird that you didn't spend the skill points to become literate . . . I don't disapprove quite strongly enough to mark off for it, but I find it hard to imagine that you'd wait until level 6 to become literate if you were actually playing at the table. (Never becoming literate is fine and dandy, but waiting until level 6? Weird.) Total: 2.75

Use of Secret Ingredient: You kind of avoid the “not enough essentia to fill an Overloaded receptable” trap that other people fell into, but not if you make heavy use of your incarnum feats. You do at least have the option of keeping your essentia free and useful, so that's better than some other folks. (0) I know that you put IB in here to make IC look good in comparison, but I confess, in some ways, it worked. (+0.25) On some level, this build has to be an Incandescent Champion simply because it isn't anything else. The essentia does build on what you've already got (mostly your incarnum feats, but they complement Barbarian well enough), even if the class features don't seem to be astoundingly useful. I just don't see what else there is to say. Total: 3.25

Final Comments: Incarnum Blade. Just . . . Incarnum Blade. It was ballsy. I'll give you that. It takes guts to say “you think the SI is a crappy PrC? Ha! Get a load of this!” In the end, I wish I could justify rating you a bit higher, but when everything gets added up, it is what it is. There just isn't a whole lot of meat to the build . . . it seems to have IB just for shock value. It's otherwise just a lackluster melee basher.
Final Total: 12.25

Ushlaka

Sorry, Shink, but I'm with Ushlaka on this one . . . Shifters get a raw deal among races, especially for Eberron. That doesn't make you a bad character, of course, but we'll see how you do. Also, for the life of me I can't tell what flavor of shifter you are. That's pretty important, no? I guess you're probably a longtooth, since you have Great Bite, but you didn't tell me that, and to be blunt, that's . . . worrisome.

Originality: I didn't expect a pseudo-Totemist. An actual Totemist, sure, but not, well, this. (+0.5) You made a decent use of the shifter race, which is indeed normally woefully underpowered if they want to actually use their racial abilities. (+0.25) Total: 3.75

Power: I'll be blunt; I really don't like your reliance on items. While 100 gp a pop for those Braids of Dire Shifting isn't much, I question your ability to get the piles and piles of them you seem to assume you'll have; that should be a footnote at the end, not a baseline assumption. Likewise, I don't like it that you're just slinging around stat tomes and +6 stat boosts. Yes, in a real game you're very likely to have them, but honestly, you really shouldn't assume that, especially the multiple maxed-out tomes. Add in the Necklace of Natural Attacks that you're just assuming in your final damage totals, and I see a build that seems to need items to function. Perhaps it can function on its own, but that's not what you showed me. (–0.75) That said, I do like what you've done with the shifter race. You've got a nice blender effect going, and Weretouched Master is a nice class. (Sure, most of your strength doesn't come from Incandescent Champion, but we'll get to that in UoSI.) (+0.5) Unfortunately, Bluesteel Bracers don't help you out nearly as much as you seem to think they do, since they only affect weapon damage rolls and not natural weapon damage rolls (which seems to be where the real money is, as far as you're concerned). Incandescent Strike is a small damage boost for most of your career, but Thunderstep Boots seem to be your real source of bonus damage (aside from, you know, turning into a bear). Total: 2.75

Elegance: No sources cited? When I explicitly said that failure to cite sources would result in a loss of points? :smallannoyed: Bad Ushlaka! Bad! I don't have a spray bottle or a rolled-up newspaper handy, so we'll just have to settle for the loss of a point. (–1) I'm sorely tempted to take off more, since it's taken me way too long to hunt down all your feats, but I'm not going to judge in anger. Also, I will mention that you're wrong about taking Open Soul Chakra (not, by the way, “chackra”) at 21st level, since it requires you to be 24th level first. I won't count off for that, but I will mention it. While I'm nitpicking, my copy of ECS doesn't mention “Weretouched 3” at 5th level of Weretouched Master.

Anyway, I'm not going to count off for your mishmash of levels before diving into PrCs, because honestly, the progression makes sense to me. You went Barbarbian for Pounce, you went Ranger to get TWF without investing in DEX, and you went Warblade because Warblades are awesome. Personally, I would have gone Ranger first instead of Barbarian (since I value the boost to skill points much more than the boost to HP), but I guess that's a personal preference. Your level breakpoints later on do confuse me. You never made it clear why you break Weretouched Master at 2nd and 4th, for example. If there's a method to the madness, you didn't make it clear to me. I really did mean it when I said that you need to explain your methods to me. (–0.25) I do approve of the way that you use Moment of Perfect Mind to cover for your abysmal Will save, given that you needed the points of Concentration anyway. Sometimes it's the little things that help. (+0.25) I've always found the “Shape Soulmeld lets you satisfy Bonus Essentia's 'if you can shape soulmelds' clause” argument to be highly suspect, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Total: 2 EDIT: After reading through the other judges' comments, I noticed that you don't qualify for Weretouched Master. I'm not going to lower your score (I messed up, so you get the benefit), but I will glare at you and shake my finger in a disapproving manner. Tsk, tsk.

Use of Secret Ingredient: So, um, why the hell aren't you a Totemist instead? You gain very little from Incandescent Champion other than essentia. You have no CHA (no, I'm not counting your randomly listed +6 item and +2 book . . . first, I don't like that you have to rely on it and that you just assume you get it, and second, it feels like an afterthought), so you can't even use Incarnum Overload, which in my mind is the class's signature ability. You pretty much just use the essentia and the occasional Incandescent Strike, no? You do mention Incandescent Ray in passing, which is at least a small mark in your favor, but really, I don't get the feeling that you needed to be an IC. It feels like you just took it because it was the SI. (–1) Furthermore, only taking 8 levels is going to cost you. While it's true that you certainly wouldn't benefit much from the capstone (since you can't really properly use Overload and you don't have the CHA to use Transcendence very well either), I still think you can do better. (–0.5) Total: 1.5

Final Comments: I saw a very clear focus from you, and it wasn't Incandescent Champion. If you wanted to be a bestial, natural-weapon-using meldshaper, we already have a class for that. I just feel like the 8 (not 10) levels of IC were wasted. You made one of the nastier shifters I've seen in a while, so kudos for that, but it feels like the SI hindered you as much as it helped you.
Final Total: 10

Camden Dale

You know, I like your backstory. The more I judge, the more I come to appreciate a really short and sweet backstory. I get a nice little bite of fluff without having to try to keep your character straight in my head with all the others. Anyway, let's get to your build.

Originality: Two Bard/Paladins of Freedom? I guess if you're trying to justify packing a character with as much CHA as they can hold, it makes sense. Anyway, I see pretty much everything I'd expect on a character like this (Sapphire Smite, Snowflake Wardance, Divine Soultouch, yada yada yada), so while I won't take off for your classes not being unique, I'm going to take off a little bit for not seeing anything surprising within your class structure. (–0.25) Total: 2.75

Power: I do not like your assumptions about your magic items. While it is not terribly unreasonable to assume that you will have a basic stat boosting item or two at mid-high levels (so while I'm not thrilled that you need a CON boosting item for essentia investment, I'm not going to punish you for it), the Slippers of Battledancing are a little bit dicey. (Also, they don't stack with Charging Smite . . . they specify a move action, while charging is a full-round.) The build should stand without items. This is hardly the worst offender I've seen, but I don't like that you put the items in your baseline assumptions. If you had talked about what you could do without all your stat boosts and Slippers of Battledancing and whatever could have done for you and then said “oh, and if I get free pick of items by WBL, this goes up even higher, to ,” I wouldn't mind, but as it stands? Don't make those kinds of assumptions. (–0.25)

Your feats are mostly to be expected but are effective nonetheless. Divine Soultouch is a superb feat for this kind of character, and Sapphire Smite means that you might be able to smite often enough that you remember that it exists! Divine Might doesn't suck either. (+0.25)

Honestly, I don't see much of the value of Bard here. Snowflake Wardance is good CHA synergy, but the fact that you have Power Attack for your entire career makes me wonder if it's truly worth it, since it prevents you from two-handing your sword. With your respectable number of smites per day (woo, Sapphire Smite!) and Charging Smite, this seems . . . suboptimal to me. I don't think that you get much good out of it (meaning the Bard levels or SFWD). Dropping Bard would free up two levels, two feats, and two hands. Yes, I'm aware that you think that you get the Slippers of Battledancing, but frankly, I don't think it's appropriate to base your build around something like that. (–0.25)

Overall, I see a strong T5 or bottom T4 build here. Your tricks are acceptable, but not amazing. I don't see any kinds of good mobility boosters aside from Charging Smite (which is only a stopgap without Pounce, really), so you're pretty much stuck to fighting things that are no more than 5' away from you if you want to full attack. Is it an improvement over straight Paladin? Yeah, probably. Within your power level, you're not awful. Having a Crusader at the table would probably make you feel permanently upstaged, but you'd look acceptable next to a Ranger. (+0.25) [b]Total: 3

Elegance: You know, as a weird quirk of RAW, taking Devoted Performer means that you have to be LG, even if you're a PoF, because it explicitly says that you must remain LG to retain your Paladin abilities. RAI is so painfully obvious on this one that I wouldn't dream of taking off for it (and would look askance at anyone who would), but it's a weird quirk. Moving on, you forgot to remove Heal from your skills at first level, but no harm done. (0)

I hereby declare Martial Study (Shadow Stride) to be my favorite 18th level “eh, now what do I take?” filler feat ever. Sure, it might have nothing to do with the character thematically, but 18th level feats rarely do, and everyone can use a free move-action teleport once per encounter. I always kind of laugh at the 18th level feats in Iron Chef builds, because most of the time, you want to take the really important feats as early as you can . . . so despite it being the last feat you usually get, it rarely ends up being that critical or that amazing. MS(SS) is an excellent choice. (+0.25)

Technically, your build is illegal for your last three levels. Incandescent Champion does not contain a clause that states that you may return to being a Paladin after taking it. Silly? Yes. Still the rules? Also yes. (–0.25) Total: 3

Use of Secret Ingredient: As I mention in Sir Karel's build, your CHA is so high and your essentia pool is so small that you rarely have the ability to actually get the maximum benefit from Incarnum Overload. For instance, at ECL 11 (when you get Overload), you have 4 essentia and the ability to put 2 into any given receptacle. If you put your typical 2 points into Sapphire Smite, you gain literally no benefit from Incarnum Overload, because the 2 essentia you have left would fit into any given slot without the boosted cap. Even without Sapphire Smite, you have 16+ CHA at that point, so you can boost any cap up to at least 5 essentia . . . but you only have 4. Divine Soultouch also raises the cap, so that's a wash. This problem never really goes away . . . the numbers go up and down relative to each other, but they never really match up. (–0.25)

I guess this build was pretty much a miniature Soulborn. You get smites (good ones, with that PHB2 ACF), a little bit of essentia but nowhere spectacular to put it, and . . . yeah, nothing really special. Incandescent Ray makes you slightly less frustrated at enemies that are far away, you get essentia to fuel Sapphire Smite, Incandescent Strike is low but at least relatively consistent damage . . . eh, I really don't see anything to write home about. I don't see anything special about your use of Unbearable Countenance . . . yeah. I got nothing. Total: 2.75

Final Comments: This build was uninspiring. I didn't see anything really special about it. It would be acceptable at a very low-powered table (the kind that takes Weapon Focus for reasons other than prerequisites), but I didn't see any new tricks, or even really any amazing applications of old tricks. It's not the worst CHA-stacker I've seen, but I just don't see much to it.
Final Total: 11.5

Azuki Sharass

I've noticed that we get an average of one 10/10 build per Iron Chef. It's always a gutsy move, but we'll see how you do. I find it cute that you included the example NPC in your backstory. Also, aren't azuki red, not blue? We clearly can't allow that in anything incarnum-related.

Originality: On the one hand, I approve that someone had the guts to go for a full meldshaper and risk the “so why didn't you just keep advancing Totemist?” question that's bound to pop up. (+0.25) On the other hand, while your Totemist strategies are perfectly respectable, they're also pretty textbook. Skarn? Check. Girallon Arms? Check. Pounce? Check. Multiattack? Check. I can't look you in the eye and tell you that it's not a powerful strategy, but you can't look me in the eye and tell me that it's anything we haven't seen before. You're a stock-standard Totemist before you're an IC, and you pretty much keep being one after you enter the SI. While the power impressed me, there was very little here to surprise me. (–0.5) Total: 2.75

Power: Standard Totemist face-eating and multiattacking is always good fun. Totemist and Incandescent Champion actually sync up pretty well together. Totemists can get by with only a handful of binds if they keep getting essentia, and you're one of the few contestants who really has enough essentia to make proper use of Incarnum Overload. 17 essentia is nothing to sneer at. 6 melds, 17 essentia, 3 binds (plus hands)? Yeah, a smart and creative Totemist can get by with that, since so many of their goodies are tied to the Totem chakra rather than the higher-level ones. In other words, yes, you probably would have been strictly better off with Totemist 20, but Incandescent Champion didn't really cripple you, since you still have all your natural weapons and plenty of nice binds. It's not the world's most original strategy, but dammit, it works. (+1)

Once again, I'm never happy to see an Iron Chef entrant just assuming that they get full access to whatever items they damn well please. Item suggestions are fine, but I'm not thrilled to see you including your Ring of Freedom of Movement and your Third Eye Conceal in your final stat block, let alone your Belt of Magnificence and your +4 tome. Thankfully, I don't think you really need too many of those items, so I'm not going to dock you too heavily for relying on them, but I think you can do better. (–0.25) Total: 3.75

Elegance: Whoa. What's up with those stats? If the 16 and 12 are pre-racial, you spent 40 points. If they're post-racial, you spent 38 points. Either way, you're waaaaay over budget. You could keep your (pre-racial) 16 STR, 18 CON, 14 CHA by dropping everything else to (again, pre-racial) 8, but somehow I don't think that's what you meant. This is a pretty major error. Not only is it blatantly illegal, but it also puts me in a bind when it comes to fairly assessing what you can and can't do, since you clearly don't have the stats you wrote down, but I don't know what your actual stats are or should be. Don't do that again. (–1)

As for your melds of choice, you were put in kind of a hard situation. In my mind, the strength of a meldshaper is in their flexibility, so locking yourself into a certain set of soulmelds every day is counterintuitive. However, in a competition like this, you can't very well list every meld in the book, and saying “oh yeah, I just swap my melds as the campaign requires” is pretty much just a cop-out. However, the fact that you set up a standard list but left one of your two Totem binds squishy really earned you points in my book. You have a core strategy to fall back on, but it's not so rigid that you can't embrace the flexibility that really defines a good meldshaper. It was a little thing, but I liked it. (+0.25)

As I mentioned with another build, you seem to wait a really long time to become literate. I could totally see someone just never bothering to become literate, but becoming literate at 9th? Eh, it strikes me as weird. Not points-off weird, but weird.

I really would have liked to have seen a typical essentia investment strategy at more levels than just 20th, but at least with a Totemist it's reasonably clear what's going on. Add in the fact that you don't always have the exact same set of soulmelds shaped, and I understand why you didn't go into more detail. Still a little disappointing, but not enough to warrant a penalty. (0) Total: 2.25

Use of Secret Ingredient: You know, this isn't bad. Totemist does do a lot of the heavy lifting, but IC complements it well enough that it doesn't feel like 10 totally wasted levels. I could see someone playing this at the table. It's not as good as Totemist 20, as I said, but I don't get the “you were doing so well! Why did you do that to yourself?!” vibe I might have gotten in another situation. You actually make decent use of the class features—Incandescent Strike is a perfectly acceptable way of getting more damage on each of your many swings, Incandescent Ray does a decent job of covering your ranged weakness, and you arguably make the best use of Incarnum Overload that I've seen in this competition (because you have not only enough essentia to actually use it but also essentia receptacles that are worth supercharging). I won't go so far as to say you turned the class into a strength, but you at least prevented it from being a true liability, and that's about all you can ask from a class like this. (+1) Total: 4

Final Comments: I was kind of hoping to see someone do something ridiculous with Incarnum Overload and the Manticore Belt (a boring strategy to base your entire character off of, but kind of hilarious to do just once or twice), but overall, I still like what you gave me. This may be one of the least bad ways of using IC.
Final Total: 12.75

Salvagio

First, I must say that your backstory (and specifically its talk about “illegal non-Vancian magics”) made me laugh, primarily because I once DM'd a campaign in which it was Vancian magic that was illegal, and the PCs were a special ops unit (which did include an incarnum user and a couple psionics users) who hunted down Vancian casters. Also, one of my favorite (terrible, terrible) stories includes an unfortunate mention of an “illuminated silhouette” (whatever that means), so you talking about “bright shadow” made me think of that. So yeah. Fun. On to the build! (One last thing: your mother's cover-up is that she “drank magic-tainted water when she had you as a child”? Your mother had you as a child? No wonder you turned to a life of crime!)

Originality: The existence of Psycarnum Infusion (I can never decide if that name is cool or stupid) made me expect at least one psionicist, though the Psychic Rogue caught me off guard (I was expecting an Ardent, since they have the easiest time multiclassing). (+0.25) The whole “glows like Light/Daylight” thing definitely would have discouraged most people from taking the sneaky route, but it looks like you did a good job dealing with that. (+0.25) Your psionic powers are very appropriate thematically, which is nice to see. (+0.25) Total: 3.75

Power: Your to-hit is pretty low. Medium BAB for almost the whole build, TWF gives you another penalty, 10 STR with no Weapon Finesse (which wouldn't really make an enormous difference for a while, but every point of attack bonus matters at early levels), and nothing that really increases your to-hit in any way (no, Incandescent Strike does not increase your to-hit, only your damage). TWF and ITWF with no Quick Draw makes me believe that you're not attacking at range aside from the occasional ray, so you're not really going to have a very easy time hitting. Hiding is nice, but it only does so much. (–0.5) Control Light is an interesting choice, but kind of a limited one. I don't see any way for you to see through your own darkness (so dropping it to 0% will let you hide, but will kind of strand you as well), and it's important to remember that it only lasts as long as you concentrate on it, so it's not very useful for actually getting a good SA off. You're good at hiding, but you're bad at using that ability to hide to actually do anything (since the inability to see out of the darkness hurts scouting, and the need to concentrate hurts attacking or setting up proper ambushes). My Light is similarly confusing . . . it's canceled by Control Light, and if you're hiding in normal darkness, it'll make you stand out like a beacon. Thematically, it fits very well, but it's nonetheless not actually doing you any good. (–0.25) At higher levels, you're also not amazing at hiding . . . Embrace of Shadow is a really cool ability, but it comes online at ECL 14. At ECL 14, if you don't have Darkstalker, hiding is going to be very difficult indeed. It's great for the miss chance, but you're not really that sneaky. I hate that Darkstalker is such a necessary feat tax, but WotC was so free with blindsense/blindsight/scent/tremorsense that late-game hiding just isn't possible without it. (–0.25) Azure Talent doesn't really seem to be that useful, since you don't have that many uses for your PP, but hey, at least it's a source of essentia.

It's not all bad, of course. I like that you have TWF and ITWF so that the bonus damage from Incandescent Strike actually applies often enough to notice, and you kept up a respectable (if hardly maxed) level of SA, so if you actually get off a full attack, you'll have a pretty good time of things. I don't see anything that'll help you get into position to do a proper full attack, and your low to-hit bonus hurts, but at least it's there. (+0.25) Between Indigo Strike, SA, Incandescent Strike, and Craven, you've got plenty of bonus damage, so I certainly can't complain there. (+0.25) Basically, your build has a pretty cool trick or two, but it's not very good at getting those tricks to work as smoothly as they might. Total: 2.5

Elegance: No sources listed? Dammit, I told you about that. Your build was relatively easy to read otherwise, but I penalized everyone else for this, so I have to be fair and penalize you too. (–1) I also only count 7 ranks in Listen (4 at ECL 1, 5 at ECL 2, 6 at ECL 3, 7 at ECL 4, then nothing before taking UD), so you don't actually qualify for Umbral Disciple. It's a minor lack of qualification, but it's still illegal. (–0.25) Also, you take TWF at level 3, but you don't have 15 DEX until level 4, so that's illegal. It doesn't cause your build to crumble (it'd be easy enough to swap Psycarnum Infusion and TWF), but it's illegal nonetheless. (–0.25)

Your pre-PrC life makes sense to me. PsyRogue gives you skills, SA, and PP, while SA Fighter keeps your SA up while you're getting the BAB necessary to enter Incandescent Champion. Classy. (+0.25) Dimensional Pocket fits your fluff like a glove, since it's perfect for a sneak thief. You're not very good at scouting or at ambushing, but I can easily imagine an early-level version of you sneaking around stealing things. (+0.25) Total: 2

Use of Secret Ingredient: I feel like you thought that Incandescent Strike increased your to-hit (you do mention it several times), and you seemed to rely on that to make up for your weak overall attack bonus. So, on the one hand, you did rely on the SI a fair bit. On the other hand, it doesn't help you in the way you think it does. I'll call it even. (0) I do feel like you strike a nice balance between hiding and glowing, so it's good that you didn't let the SI become a weakness. (+0.25) It was a little weird to see you basically trying to work around your own abilities, but you managed to do it in a reasonably elegant manner. The mix of Psycarnum Infusion and Incarnum Overload nicely solves the problem of “well, I can put more essentia here, but what do I pull it out of?” that has the potential to pop up. Expected, perhaps, but it's by no means a bad trick. (+0.25) Overall, I didn't see anything too amazing, but you really didn't do anything to be ashamed of. Total: 3.5

Final Comments: I do love the idea of hiding with Embrace of Shadow but keeping your Aura at Daylight levels. Sure, it'll be easy to figure out where you are, but they still can't see you . . . just your light. Nifty. I was saddened to see that your build was much cooler than it is powerful, but aside from the missed prerequisites, it's still pretty nifty.
Final Total: 11.75

Sir Karel of the Five Rivers

Another Bard/Paladin of Freedom? There's always something that we see a few of in every Iron Chef, and I guess that's it this time.

Originality: It's not very often that you see an older Iron Chef ingredient in a new Iron Chef competition. I really didn't see Mythic Exemplar coming. (+0.5) I was also shocked to not see Sapphire Smite in a build featuring both Paladin and Incandescent Champion. You'll hear about this in Power, but at least you surprised me. (+0.25) Bard/Pally of Freedom wasn't technically unique, but it's still weird enough (at least, I didn't expect it) that I won't count off. Total: 3.75

Power: Yeah, OK, the loss of Sapphire Smite seems like a real oversight. Yes, it's obvious, but it's one of the nicest incarnum feats there is, and it really goes a long way toward making smite attacks useful. If you hadn't taken Extra Smiting, I probably would have just let it go with a comment, but you obviously care about your ability to smite, and Sapphire Smite is just so appropriate. (Hey, at least it perfectly balances with the bump to Originality.) (–0.25) Your 10 STR just feels out of place. Your BAB isn't bad, but until you get the ability to use Snowflake Wardance more than once per day or get reliable smiting, you don't reliably get to add a stat to your to-hit roll. Since most of your early levels are in a clearly frontline class, this is kind of a problem. I really don't like how long it takes you to get off the ground, so to speak. (–0.25)

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you really go anywhere great, either. I have a hard time thinking of 4d6 (Will 21 half) 1/round as a “superpower” at ECL 18, especially since it triggers at the start of your turn (so if they take a basic 5' step away, they laugh at your aura). Free damage without action expenditure is nice, but it's kind of dated by the time you get it. Please note that I'm not taking off because Aura is weak . . . I'm taking off because you really miss your chance to do anything fun with it. The same goes for Unbearable Countenance as well . . . by the time you get it, the save DC is acceptable but hardly stellar, and a lot of things are just going to be immune to fear. Your absurd CHA and Divine Soultouch would have made these halfway decent, but the level at which you get them just kind of kills their usefulness. (–0.5)

In short, your build suffers from a case of “that's very nice, but what does it do?” You have a really confusing progression of Inspire Courage, but I don't see anything here to really make it awesome aside from Inspirational Boost. (I respect your decision to not cross setting lines for Song of the Heart, but I still don't see anything special here.) You have some minor fear effects, but the duration is kind of a problem until Imperious Command hits the table: both vanilla Intimidate and Unbearable Countenance have a duration of 1 round, so you really can't take a foe out of the fight with fear for long. None of your tricks really add up to a harmonious whole. (–0.25)

I will give you some credit for Divine Soultouch alone. It's great for giving yourself a lot of miniature Incarnum Overloads, and you've got the Charisma to use it with reckless abandon. Good show on that front. (+0.25) Overall, though, I guess I just don't see what you're supposed to do. Total: 2

Elegance: I don't like lesser aasimar, but it beats LA. I'll leave you with a stern look, but no loss of points. (0) Using Mythic Exemplar to get Motivate Charisma is downright sneaky (I had to read it a few times to make sure that it was legit), but so far as I can tell, it seems legal. Quite sneaky, but legal. What's not quite so legal is your use of Intimidate as a Bard. Maddeningly, Bards don't get Intimidate in-class, and while you stayed within the rank limits, you spent too many skill points. So far as I can tell, you only did this once and it really didn't mess anything up, but I still can't condone it. (–0.25) EDIT 10 May 2011: It was pointed out to me that Apprentice gives two extra skill points to spend, so Sir Karel is legit on this front. I hereby restore the 0.25 points.

Midnight Dodge is interesting. At first I thought it was a really weird choice, but with your loss of armor and shield (Snowflake Wardance = no heavy armor and no shield), I suppose it's not entirely irrelevant. It's still pretty irrelevant, but I can at least see what you were aiming for. (0)

I reall don't feel like your early build flows. The progression of a single level in Bard (which you don't really get to use until significantly later) into Paladin (on a statblock that's not really good at melee combat) into the PrCs just doesn't feel natural. It's obvious that you used Bard for skills, but its other abilities just kind of sit and moulder until much later. No element of your build feels like a natural choice. (–0.25) Total: 2.5 2.75

Use of Secret Ingredient: You said it yourself: you get into IC really late. I already covered this in Power, but I'm going to mention it again, even if I'm not going to take off for it.

Also, your low essentia and propensity for locking up a good chunk of it in Midnight Dodge means that you'll have a hard time actually taking advantage of your increased cap with Incarnum Overload. For example, at ECL 13 (when you get Overload), you have 4 essentia. If even a single point of it is locked into Midnight Dodge, you gain no benefit from Overload (and even if it's not, you don't really get to flex your massive Charisma that much). At ECL 16 (when you get Overload 2/day), if we go by your table and accept that you have 3 essentia in Midnight Dodge, you get the same benefit from Overload as you would if you had 12 CHA. (Even without Midnight Dodge, you never manage to reach the cap.) I'm aware of Divine Soultouch, but it also increases your cap, so that's a wash. (–0.25)

I do approve of the fact that you gave yourself a pile of abilities that will all work when you're in Transcendence form. That's pretty classy. I can't really reward you in Power (both because it comes online way too late and because it's not that amazingly strong), but it's very classy. I really wish it had come online earlier, but I applaud the effort. (+0.5) Total: 3.25

Final Comments: Your build felt scattered. Everything was pointed at the Incandescent Champion, but nothing really had much synergy with it. I'm still really not sure why you're a Paladin (yes, smite and BAB while sorta-kinda advancing Bard, but I don't feel it), and I'm just not impressed with any given part of the build.
Final Total: 11.5 11.75

So, like usual, I saw some things I didn't expect, I saw some things I did expect, and I didn't see some things that I expected. I would have loved to see a grappler, if for no other reason than that Incandescent Aura requires your foe to be adjacent to you at the start of your turn. I'm surprised that no one took Soulborn, since it seems like a natural choice. I imagine that the lack of Soulborn is about 50% because people wanted to avoid the obvious choices and 50% because the Soulborn's just that bad. I can't prove it, of course, but that's what I'd guess.

I m the one who requested this PrC in the first place. I've always been intrigued by the fluff and, well, negatively intrigued by the crunch (since it seems to almost go out of its way to not mesh with anything). I wanted to see what the collective minds of the Iron Chefs could come up with. Was there gold waiting beneath the surface? Could we pull strengths out of hidden pockets? In short, can we force it to work? After all this, I still don't know the answer. It doesn't seem like we managed to come up with anything groundbreaking. That's not to cast aspersions on our fine contestants, of course . . . none of you filled me with rage or disappointment the way some of the Dread Pirates did, for instance, and there's only so much you can do to turn a really crappy class into an actual build. It's entirely possible that the class just resists optimization, and that there's no real way to make it worth it. It looks like some of the highest praise I gave out in UoSI was “well, it doesn't hurt you TOO badly” or “it doesn't help you, but at least it doesn't really hinder you.” Again, I think that's the fault of the ingredient, not the fault of the chefs.

For my own part, I noticed that my scores tended to be a lot closer together than they were for Dread Pirate, and while I'm still kind of the harsh judge, I feel like I was slightly less so than last time. (You may not think so, but at least I think I was even-handed about it). Overall, I had fun. I sincerely applaud everyone who had the guts and the wherewithal to enter. I guess I was hoping against hope that someone would discover some crazy combo with Overload that made the whole thing worthwhile, but in the end, I don't think that this class really has anything to offer us. But hey, at least now we know. Congratulations to all our entrants!

Amechra

2011-05-02, 12:33 AM

Actually, I did find a rather crazy combo...

a level dip in Soul Manifester allows you to invest essentia into powers, raising their ML and DC by 1 (the maximum amount of essentia you can invest at the 1st level of that PrC). Overload+Infusion results in your ML increasing by 2+cha on a given power, which then is explicitly returned to your pool, depending on whether or not a feat or a class feature counts a more specific.

I actually was planning on doing a Soulbound Weapon Psychic Warrior ACF route, with Soul Manifester to make up for the weaknesses in the weapon, but it fell flat.

OMG PONIES

2011-05-02, 06:25 AM

@kestrel404: Azuki's total is listed as 16.5, but the sum of all the categories is an even 16. Which is correct?

Tallies After Three Judges (before disputes)

{table=head]ENTRY|PLACE|TOTAL|AVERAGE*
Salvagio|GOLD|41.75|3.48
Azuki Sharass|SILVER|41.25|3.44
Sir Karel|BRONZE|37.5|3.13
Sena|Fourth|34.25|2.85
Camden Dale|Fifth|32|2.67
Ushlaka|Sixth|27|2.25[/table]

*Average scores rounded to two decimal places

So, any disputes before the big reveal, Mr. Shinken?

Zaq

2011-05-02, 08:47 AM

Wasn't Private Prinny judging as well?

OMG PONIES

2011-05-02, 08:59 AM

Ah, yes, forgot we managed to get 4 judges this round. :smallredface:

Zaq

2011-05-02, 06:53 PM

Private-Prinny

2011-05-02, 09:53 PM

Speaking of . . . any progress updates, Mr. Prinny? After how hilariously long I took in Round XIX, I'm certainly not going to call you out for being slow, but any hints when we should start being worried?

The play I was in just dismantled the set yesterday, and I have a couple days of serious schoolwork left, but we should see some results by this weekend.

true_shinken

2011-05-03, 07:25 PM

Ah, yes, forgot we managed to get 4 judges this round. :smallredface:

It's been a while since we got 4 judges, I believe :smallwink:
Can't blame you.
but Prinny is in your crew, even

Zaq

2011-05-03, 08:41 PM

Speaking of judges, we have four judges here, but it looks like we currently have only one judge in the Iron Chef E6 contest. Since I'm entering, I have a vested interest in more people going over there to judge . . . but some of you should totally do it anyway. (Hey, at least you're unlikely to have to track labyrinthine prereqs, right?)

Amechra

2011-05-03, 09:25 PM

Thank you, Zaq.

kestrel404

2011-05-04, 08:05 AM

true_shinken

2011-05-05, 05:59 PM

Speaking of judges, we have four judges here, but it looks like we currently have only one judge in the Iron Chef E6 contest.
I wanted to do it, but I dunno. I mean, I want to judge an IC again, but I'm not sure I can be a fair judge in the Divine Mind contest. I really dunno. I'll think about it and then let you guys know.

Amechra

2011-05-05, 06:04 PM

I'm unleashing the builds on the poor, unsuspecting world in two days, so you better think quick. :smallbiggrin:

Zaq

2011-05-05, 07:40 PM

I wanted to do it, but I dunno. I mean, I want to judge an IC again, but I'm not sure I can be a fair judge in the Divine Mind contest. I really dunno. I'll think about it and then let you guys know.

Pleeeeeeease? It's E6, so it can't be that hard . . . or at least not that complex. If you've been wanting to judge again but feel like you're out of practice, it's the perfect thing for you, since it's on a much smaller scale than the real deal.

If I might ask, in what way do you not think you could be fair?

true_shinken

2011-05-06, 04:22 PM

If I might ask, in what way do you not think you could be fair?
I'm not very familiar with the expected power of a Divine Mind, so I might come out as a bit harsh.