[3.5] Moar Beard than your build has room for!

[Keld Denar]

So, I'm creating an NPC (with a CR, not an ECL) character on a whim for a friend. The race is Bearded Devil, and the class is Beardfist Warrior (http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-legacy-discussion/306725-beardfist-warrior.html) (yo dawg, we heard you like beards).

So Bearded Devils get 8+Int skill points, which is sexy. There isn't really a list of what skills are class skills. It tentatively states at the front of the monstrous manual that any skills listed are class skills, but is that all inclusive? Can I just pick whatever I want? Beardfist Warrior needs like 6 skills @ 5+ ranks, and only Climb is on the Bearded Devil list. Given that I'm repicking his feats, I'd assume its not outside of the rules to reallocate skill points?

I know it's an NPC, and DM fiat and all that jazz, but if I'm gonna post it online as an NPC to use, I'd like it to be more or less legit. Is there anything wrong with repicking skills? If so, which do I get to choose from?

EDIT: Only 3 days left to ask me questions. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194049&page=15) Don't miss your chance!

[Zherog]

You can choose to reallocate the skill points. But as far as the class skill list, it'll be the list in the monster manual/SRD entry (Climb, Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Spot). Anything else is cross-class.

[Thurbane]

You can choose to reallocate the skill points. But as far as the class skill list, it'll be the list in the monster manual/SRD entry (Climb, Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Spot). Anything else is cross-class.
Yep, that's the RAW.

If you want to expand the skills that you can purchase with the Bearded Devil's RHD, your best option is to take feats that add skills to your class skills list:

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6832.0

[Keld Denar]

As an ECL17 player character, not terribly impressive. As a CR10 boss encounter...*shudder*

Stankbeard (Barbazu6/Beardfist Warrior (http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-legacy-discussion/306725-beardfist-warrior.html)5)
Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Size: Medium
HD: 11d8+77 (125 HP)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 36 (10 +2 Armor + 7 Con + 7 Con + 7 Natural +3 Shield) 27 Touch, 36 Flat Footed
BAB/Grab: +11/+11
Attack: Glaive +16 (1d10+7) or UAS +14/+14 (1d8+7) plus Beard
Full Attack: Glaive +16/+11/+6 (1d10+7) or UAS +14/+14/+9/+4 (1d8+7) plus Beard and 2 Claws +9/+9 (1d6+2) plus Beard
Space/Reach: 5’/5’ (10 with Glaive)
Special Attacks: Infernal Wound, Beard, Battle Frenzy, Summon Devil, Badass Beard, Bearded Devil’s Bane, Hammer Fist Blow
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/silver or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, see in darkness, spell resistance 22, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: F+20/R+9/W+14
Abilities: Str 20 Dex 15 Con 24 Int 11 Wis 11 Cha 10
Skills: Balance +7, Climb +10, Craft(Booze) +14, Handle Animal +5, Heal +5, Listen +14, Spot +14, Survival +8, Tumble +16
Feats: Great FortitudeB Improved UAS, Endurance, Superior UAS, Snap Kick
CR: 10

Combat
Stankbeard is a feared combatant. Like most Barbazu, Stankbeard carries around his saw-toothed glaive, but in reality, he rarely uses it. After the first round of combat, Stankbeard will drop his glaive, pummeling foes and tearing at them with his claws and razor sharp yet delightfully refined beard. Any foe struck more than once by his beard in a round is subject to a followup Beard attack, as is any foe struck by both claws in a round. Because of this, Stankbeard often utilizes Snap Kick (or Beardshank, as he refers to the maneuver) to make as many attacks on as many foes as possible. Stankbeard has the ability to start grapples with his beard, but doesn’t often utilize this tactic unless it is against a single foe.
Stankbeard’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Spell-Like Abilities
At will— greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only). Caster level 17th.

Infernal Wound (Su):
The damage Stankbeard deals with its glaive causes a persistent wound. An injured creature loses 2 additional hit points each round. The wound does not heal naturally and resists healing spells. The continuing hit point loss can be stopped by a DC 22 Heal check, a cure spell, or a heal spell. However, a character attempting to cast a cure spell or a heal spell on a creature damaged by a Stankbeard’s glaive must succeed on a DC 22 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the injured character.
A successful Heal check automatically stops the continuing hit point loss as well as restoring hit points. The infernal wound is a supernatural ability of the Stankbeard, not of the weapon. The check DC is Constitution-based.

Beard (Ex):
If Stankbeard hits a single opponent with both claw attacks, it automatically hits with its beard. The affected creature takes 1d8+7 points of damage and must succeed on a DC 22 Fortitude save or be infected with a vile disease known as devil chills (incubation period 1d4 days, damage 1d4 Str). Damage is dealt each day until the afflicted creature succeeds on three consecutive Fortitude saves, the disease is cured magically, or the creature dies. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Battle Frenzy (Ex):
Twice per day, Stankbeard can work himself into a battle frenzy similar to the barbarian’s rage (+4 Strength, +4 Constitution, +2 morale bonus on Will saves, -2 AC penalty). The frenzy lasts for 6 rounds, and Stankbeard suffers no ill effects afterward.

Summon Devil (Sp):
Once per day Stankbeard can attempt to summon 2d10 lemures with a 50% chance of success, or another bearded devil with a 35% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.

Slow But Steady (Ex):
Stankbeard adds his Constitution modifier to his armor class in place of his Dexterity modifier.

Badass Beard (Ex):
The Beadfist Warrior's beard may be used to deliver unarmed strikes and grants him the Improved Grab ability.

Axe-Hand Strike (Ex):
Stankbeard's unarmed strikes may deal slashing damage should he so choose.

What Doesn't Kill You (Ex):
Whenever he successfully saves against a poison, Stankbeard heals hit points equal to his Constitution modifier.

Beard of Awesome +3 (Ex):
Through years of dedicated training and hair conditioning, the beard remains as soft and supple as ever, yet can harden in moments of danger to grant Stankbeard a +3 shield bonus to AC. Activating this ability is a swift action.

Elbow of Justice (Ex):
Stankbeard's unarmed strikes may deal piercing damage should he so choose.

Abs of Steel (Ex):
In addition to substituting his Constitution modifier in place of his Dexterity modifier for armor class, Stankbeard now adds his Constitution modifier to his armor class as an untyped bonus. Treat this as a monk's armor class bonus.

Bearded Devil's Bane (Ex):
Whenever Stankbeard lands two unarmed attacks on an opponent, his beard automatically hits.

Steel Fan Kick (Ex):
The secret martial arts maneuver known only to the Macehand monastery grants a +2 to trip attempts.

Nerves of Steel (Ex):
The techniques of self-discipline taught in the Macehand monastery's inner chambers grants Stankbeard the ability to use his Constitution modifier in place of his Wisdom modifier for determining will saves. In addition, frequent exposure to alcohol hardens his liver, preventing him from automatically failing a fortitude save when he rolls a 1.

Hammer-Fist Blow (Ex):
Inspired by the fighting style of the legendary captain J. T. Kirk, this technique allows Stankbeard to gain 1.5 his Str bonus to damage with his Unarmed Strike (and Beard). He is also able use Power Attack to get a 2:1 benefit for the penalty taken.

21,000g worth of gear (reflected in statblock)
4000 +2 Con Neck
4000 +2 Str Belt
4000 Bracers of Armor +2
1400 Anklets of Translocation
3400 Scout’s Headband
3000 Otyuth Hole
1000 Cloak of Resistance +1
200g in gems

Stankbeard is referred to as such due to the foul odor that emanates from his beard. Whispers say that his beard acquired this odor when he was sentenced to live in an Otyuth Hole for a year by a Pit Fiend, but nobody who has ever asked Stankbeard about this has ever lived to tell the tale.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

For the skills, I'd honestly just fiat sensible things, copying down stuff for a monk/fighter/whatever else "feels right" in way for class skills. It's not RAW, but I personally never liked how class skills were determined for racial HD:smallannoyed:

As for the build itself, it seems pretty solid Superior UAS and Snap Kick are deadly on it. If you don't mind him having an extra five or so levels, you could also go whatever that class's name is that gives Shadowpounce to better use his inherent teleportation SLA to better use.:smallamused:

Currently, his gear/treasure looks solid. A necklace of natural attacks may be nice, but that's rather bland and only does what the strength item does anyhow.

Currently, as a monster, he wants to smack things with his unarmed strikes, glaive, and claws, so multiattack is a great boon. TWFing may also needed to switch between the glaive and the unarmed strikes. This is mostly a personal issue I have with the Bearded Devil and its default inability to both get the free beard hit and use his glaive in the same round of combat.:smallsigh: This prestige class does help, though.


Ideally, due to how the fistbeard works and assuming that he is free to switch between his normal weapon and his unarmed strikes, his first full attack should go glaive/UAS/UAS/UAS/Claw/Claw, netting him up to two free hits with his beard.

Honestly, it'd probably just be easier to have him drop the glaive after the first round of combat, maybe using standstill before then to insure he gets at least one full attack on his opponent without them doing the same. A level of Crusader would also help with this plan.

EDIT: Considering the personal touch done to the monster, I'd tack on an ad-hoc +1 or +2 to CR for the prestige class and the like. As is, I'd feel it's more a CR 11 fight, but that's just my gut feeling. Somewhere between CR13-CR15 by RAW, you may bump it instead by +2, then jump back down to +1 afterwards. Really, just wing the CR.:smalltongue: