More damage on an unarmed build

[ILM]

Continuing a previous thread, I've pretty much decided on a build for a BBEG lieutenant of mine. It goes like this:

Human Swashbuckler 3/SA Fighter 1/Swordsage 16. 2 flaws.
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike retrained into Combat reflexes once she gets a Fanged Ring, Aberrant Blood, Versatile Unarmed Strike, Adaptive Style, Shadow Blade, Weapon Finesse, Inhuman Reach, Snap Kick, Craven, Robilar's Gambit, Darkstalker (pretty much in that order).

I've loaded up on protective items (high AC, miss chance, save boosters, death ward armor, etc.) and stat boosters for dex, int and con, but running the numbers, her damage at level 20 is pretty pathetic. Craven bumps it up to a reasonable level, but I'm still not sure it makes her a credible threat.

What are your thoughts? Any cheap and easy ways to bump that up a bit?

[Kyuu Himura]

Greater Mighty Wallop is a spell in Draconomicon that increases the damage of a blunt weapon as if it was a few size categories bigger, it lasts hours per level.

The Swordsage levels should give him enough maneuvers to have a respectable damage output.

Hope it helps.

[Darrin]

What are your thoughts? Any cheap and easy ways to bump that up a bit?

Necklace of Natural Weapons/Attacks + Shock property, Collision property, etc.

Dragonfang Gauntlets or Scorpion Kama + Lesser Crystal of Acid Assault.

Wand chamber or Glyph Seal + blades of fire/sonic weapon/frost weapon/etc.

[Person_Man]

Increasing Size, Effective Size, Unarmed Damage, Reach (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127732)

There are a large variety of different methods listed there that you may wish to consider, including a number of magic items and wand-able spells.

Also, it's an NPC and you're the DM, so you can just set his damage at whatever you think is appropriate.

[Cieyrin]

Greater Mighty Wallop is a spell in Draconomicon that increases the damage of a blunt weapon as if it was a few size categories bigger, it lasts hours per level.

The Swordsage levels should give him enough maneuvers to have a respectable damage output.

Hope it helps.

Actually, Wallop is in Races of the Dragon.

[Rubik]

You don't have to retrain Improved Unarmed Strike if you use the Unarmed Swordsage variant. You give up some armor proficiencies to gain the monk's unarmed damage progression and IUS.

That should give you some extra damage.

Also, a monk's belt and a necklace of natural weaponry (or was that natural attacks) from Savage Species. You can put any weapon enhancements you like on there, including throwing and distance, manyfanged, concussion, and so on. Go for a +1 necklace with +9 in abilities on there.

A weapon crystal (go sonic; nobody guards against sonic unless they're manifesters).

The tooth of Leraje from Tome of Magic. That's a +5 right there.

Add some magical fist wraps that add weapon enhancements to damage for some extra oomph.

[ILM]

Thanks all, some interesting looking suggestions in here (especially ideas for items). I haven't had the time to look them up yet though. One small point: I'm pretty sure the Unarmend SS only gives the monk's unarmed damage progression but not the feat IUAS. Am I wrong on this?

Also, what's up with the super-expensive necklace of natural attacks?

[Rubik]

Thanks all, some interesting looking suggestions in here (especially ideas for items). I haven't had the time to look them up yet though. One small point: I'm pretty sure the Unarmend SS only gives the monk's unarmed damage progression but not the feat IUAS. Am I wrong on this?

Also, what's up with the super-expensive necklace of natural attacks?IUS is part of the monk's unarmed strike ability, so a swordsage should get it.

As for the necklace, go for the one in Savage Species. It allows you to throw weapon abilities on it, and it's cheaper since you can only get it on one natural attack (unarmed strike).

The one in the DMG is overpriced because it's on the wrong slot (which should be the wrists). Make them bracers and you can cut the price in half.

[ILM]

IUS is part of the monk's unarmed strike ability, so a swordsage should get it.
Good point, I'd misread that. Thanks. :smallsmile:

[Greenish]

Also, what's up with the super-expensive necklace of natural attacks?Necklace of Natural Weapons (for one natural weapon) costs the same as an equivalent weapon.

If you mean Amulet of Mighty Fists, well, it'll break even at three separate natural weapons.

[Lyndworm]

Necklace of Natural Weapons (for one natural weapon) costs the same as an equivalent weapon.
Slightly more, actually, but not by a lot (~300gp).



I suggest picking up the Hit-and-Run Tactics Fighter ACF from Drow of the Underdark. Trade Heavy armor proficiency (from every class, though you can still take the feat) for an untyped +2 bonus to Initiative and the ability to add Dex to damage as a competence bonus against flat-footed targets.

[kardar233]

The Tashalatoran God of Smack (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5661.msg187309#msg187309) (in both its Half-Giant and Tashalatoran forms) is essentially the epitome of size increase stacking for massive unarmed damage. Using any or all of the elements contained therein will shoot your UAS damage through the roof.

I should warn you that some instances of those size increases rely on what is a likely houserule, though not RAW. Specifically, it treats any size increases applied to the gauntlets you wear as a size increase to your unarmed damage, which you may choose to rule however you wish.

I'm not entirely clear on what you're getting from that Swashbuckler dip unless you have a very high Intelligence, which seems unlikely as Swordsage gets bonuses based on Wisdom. If you want to swing outside of Swordsage and get full BAB for your extra attack, I'd say you should dip TheBarian1 and then grab Fist of the Forests3 (from Complete Champion) for another size increase. Your other option would be TheBarian into Frostrager.