[3.5] Character Build Help Please

[robvile]

Thank you for your help everyone.

Some background info on the game itself:

We're gladiators who have pledged allegiance to a dark lord in exchange for power. For every worthy victim we slaughter in the arena, we are rewarded with shadow points to spend on additional boons of power (feats, gestalt levels, SU's, etc.)

The Character:
Hellbred Deathknight
6th Paladin of Slaughter
1st Blackguard

I have all of the ability features of an undead character, + 6 levels of class abilities from Paladin, +1 level of black guard, + all hellbred race features.

I have abyssal blast 1/day, and 3 touch attacks.

Because of the process to become a Hellbred, I had to have died meaning I had all my original stats, and I was allowed to retool my feats.

My feats are as follows:
Cleave
Power Attack
Mounted Combat (pending if I can keep summon mount)
Extra Turning
Spell Penetration
Greater Spell Penetration
Demonic Skin
Improved Init
Deathblow
Mobile Spellcasting
Combat Casting
Battlecasting Defence
Parrying Sheild
Mortalbane
Eshew Materials


I would like him to be able to utilize his touch attacks and abyssal blast more often per day, and ultimately be a real bad ass. Currently he has a 31 AC, and 15 DR - anyway to pump those up, and cause more damage would be fantastic.

Edit: If you could also let me know where your feat selections come from that would be awesome. My DM likes to know where I got them from if he is unfamiliar with them.

Thank you everyone. If you need any more info, please let me know..

[robvile]

The DM has spoken, Mounted Combat is out - I was thining of putting Clever Opportunist (from Drow of the Underdark) in its place. It would allow me to spend an immediate action to exchange places with foe...

However, does this mean that once they enter my threatened area, I can then switch?

EX. A fighter has decided to charge, when he enters threatened range, I expend my immediate action to exchange places with him (like a parry), and we are now switched, no attack..

Am I looking at that right?

[Keld Denar]

You have Rebuke Undead, so it might be worthwhile to invest in some [Divine] feats to get more mileage out of that ability (since you'll really suck at actually rebuking undead). I like Divine Might (CWar) for extra damage/hit, which you already qualify for since you have PA. Divine Shield (CWar) will jack your AC way up if you have a decent Cha score as well. Travel Devotion gives you a pseudo-pounce ability that allows you to move and still full attack.

Technically, Battle Blessing (CChamp) is only for paladins, but it wouldn't be a stretch to apply it to Blackguard casting.

I don't see Mobile Spellcaster benefitting you that much. You won't often be casting spells, and when you do, a goodly portion of them are swift actions. Battlecaster Defense is likewise...meh.

[robvile]

You have Rebuke Undead, so it might be worthwhile to invest in some [Divine] feats to get more mileage out of that ability (since you'll really suck at actually rebuking undead).

Currently, we haven't fought much undead - I might hold off on this until later considering we can purchase feats in the game.



I like Divine Might (CWar) for extra damage/hit, which you already qualify for since you have PA. Divine Shield (CWar) will jack your AC way up if you have a decent Cha score as well.

I will be taking both of these!
I switched out Mounted Combat for Divine Might, and switched Mobile Spell Casting for Divine Sheild



Travel Devotion gives you a pseudo-pounce ability that allows you to move and still full attack.

This doesn't sound like a bad plan. A full move + full attack for 1 minute (10 rounds) would last just about an entire battle. I took Extra Turning as well to gain more attempts, which allows me to sack more attempts to utilize the Travel Domain more times / day - which is a good deal.


Technically, Battle Blessing (CChamp) is only for paladins, but it wouldn't be a stretch to apply it to Blackguard casting.

As of right now, my casting isn't very good.. I only have 1 spell, plus some extra casting of it. Its a level 1 spell, I think I will hold off on it..


I don't see Mobile Spellcaster benefitting you that much. You won't often be casting spells, and when you do, a goodly portion of them are swift actions. Battlecaster Defense is likewise...meh.

After thinking of my spell casting habits, I have decided to sack these two - and have been getting ready to get rid of "Combat Casting"

Any opinions on that?

Current Feat list:

Cleave
Power Attack
Extra Turning
Spell Penetration
Greater Spell Penetration
Demonic Skin
Improved Init
Deathblow
Combat Casting
Parrying Sheild
Mortalbane
Eshew Materials
Divine Might
Divine Shield

>> Due to spell casting habits, I have been debating trading the following feats out:

Spell Penetration
G. Spell Penetration
Combat Casting
Open Slot where Mounted Combat was

[robvile]

I've also been debating taking "strong two-handed" from Torn Asunder (its been approved) it allows me to take double strength bonus to damage when wielding a weapon two handed.

[Keld Denar]

Currently, we haven't fought much undead - I might hold off on this until later considering we can purchase feats in the game.

You missed what I was meaning. You don't trade out your ability to rebuke undead, you use some of your uses/day to power the abilities. Divine Might and Divine Shield are both [Divine] feats. Its just a catagorization of feats (like [Fighter] bonus feats or [Metamagic] feats). It sounds like you got the jist of how to use them, though.

I'd drop all of your casting feats. They just aren't...doing much for you.

A feat I like is Quick Recovery from Lords of Madness. It allows you to end a whole list of nasty effects as a move action, assuming you can make a high enough Will save. Well, you should have a decent will save (with Divine Grace/Dark Blessing), so that means that even if you DO fail against something, you can recover from it the next round, and if you are affected by something that DOESN'T allow a save (like Holy Word or something like White Raven Hammer), you can end it and at least still have your standard + swift actions left to retort.

Also, if you really have feats coming out the wazzoo, you can seldom go wrong with Improved Initiative and Improved Toughness.

[robvile]

I'm immune to Stun, and I'm not sure if the feat seems worthwhile for one effect.... however the ability to save against things that usually don't have saves is a good one.. I'm torn against that one..

So, If I sack ALL of my spellcasting feats

spell penetration
greater spell penetration
combat casting
& eshew materials (which I like, so i dont need those damn components)

what would you replace for what?

I would love to have more uses of my abyssal blast... lol.

[Keld Denar]

You are immune to stun, but you are not immune to daze. While daze is less common than stun, it is none-the-less a threat. Granted, being evil makes you immune to the most common source of no-save daze (Blasphemy, because team evil gets the strongest word. Holy Word and Dictum suck compared to Blasphemy).

So yea...probably not that great.

I dunno, pick some feats and I'll keep giving you advice on whether or not they'll be good. Or, if you want insight, look up Person_Man's Melee Combo guide or the reprint of the X to Y stat thread. Lots of fun toys listed in both of those.

[robvile]

Considering "Pressing Attack" again, from Torn Asunder
This feat allows you to follow an opponent who tries to step back from an area you threaten. The opponent must be in an area you threaten at the beginning of his action. If the opponent takes a 5-foot step to an area you do not threaten, you may immediately take a 5-foot step of your own to any unoccupied square where you again threaten the opponent. If no such space is available, you cannot use this feat. You may only use this feat once per round"

Any opinions?

[Keld Denar]

Well, thats actually pretty good. Unfortunately, it would be REALLY good comboed with Mage Slayer, but since you have spells yourself, giving yourself a -4 caster level that you get with Mage Slayer is...probably not wise.

Still, that'll help give you a leg up vs casters and archers who's favorite tactics are 5' back and cast/full attack. It also makes for interesting situations with folks who use non-adjacent style reach weapons (like Glaives and Guisarmes and Glaive-Glaive-Glaive-Guisarme-Glaive-Guisarmes).

[Fouredged Sword]

I would see if there is a paladin varient somewhere (I think there is one) that trades spellcasting for fighter feats. Take mageslayer. Totaly worth it.

[robvile]

Mage slayer has been taken! Awesome boosts, especially when utilizing pressing the line.

Are there any feats that will help boost my cause disease SU? As of right now, I can only use it 1/wk, and I would like to do it more often than that.. lol

[robvile]

Alright, I took the replacement Holy Warrior variant and got rid of my spell casting for the 4 extra feats by level 20 -> kind of a bum move considering I get 1 feat right now... ><!! but will gain a few more along the way..


Current Feats:
Cleave
Power Attack
Extra Turning
Demonic Skin
Improved Init.
Deathblow
Divine Shield
Strong Two-Handed Fighting
Parrying Shield
Mortalbane
Improved Sunder
Travel Devotion

Feats Available:
3 + 1 bonus feat, preferably divine

Any more suggestions?

I was thinking possibly:

Improved Critical, Daunting Presence, Death Master, Eviscerator, possibly Life leach later?

[Cofniben]

From Complete Divine
Improve Smiting - more damage and aligns weapon to overcome DR
Spontaneous Wounder - spontaneously cast Inflict Spells

From Complete Warrior
Power Critical - +4 to confirm critical hits

From PHB2
Divine Armor - expend turn/rebuke check for DR 5/-
Divine Ward - expend turn/rebuke check to change the range of a spell from touch to close

From Complete Adventurer
Devoted Inquisitor - use smite evil and sneak attack to daze foes (you may be able to get your DM to be okay with smite good instead of smite evil)
Insightful Reflexes - add your Int modifier to reflex saves instead of Dex (if your Int is higher)

And that's all I can think off with out dedicating a lot of time to it.

[Keld Denar]

Oh, since you have Smite, you might consider Awesome Smite from Complete Champion. It allows you to smite someone so hard they fall down. WIN!

[Saintheart]

Anything in Exemplars of Evil to consider? I haven't looked at the book recently, I only mention it because the ACF Blasphemous Incantation for clerics is nice for low level (I mean level 3) clerics who don't have any real use for Rebuke Undead abilities. Possibly there's other stuff in there too, most of the book seems to be about ACFs and spells rather than feats per se.

[robvile]

EoE has some nice things, but unfortunately a lot of them don't fit with my character...

So far, Book of Vile Darkness, Lords of Madness, and the Fiendish Codex have worked the best.