Need help with Avenging Executioner build

[KotserB]

Hi Playgrounders,

I'm working on a build with the Avenging Executioner PrC (CW).
Its a 10th level character, and this is what i've got so far:

Catfolk Hexblade 4/Ninja 2/Avenging Executioner 4
Hexblade with the Dark Companion ACF (PHBII)

Feats:
Expeditious Dodge
Combat Reflexes
Weapon Finesse
Weapon Focus
Graceful Edge
Other suggestions?

Skill Tricks:
Never Outnumbered (If I'm not mistaken I can demoralize multiple opponents as a swift action once per encounter now)
Mosquito's Bite
Other suggestions?

How I imagine a combat with this character:
Walk 40 ft. to some dude. Demoralize multiple foes. Attack the dude i mentioned earlier. Have multiple number of foes frightened.
Or I become invisible, walk 40 ft. and i attack a dude.

I have two questions now:
1. does sudden strike apply on AoO?
2. can you help me to improve this character (feats, levels in other classes, skill tricks, items, anything)?

[DemonRoach]

Imperious Command is an ideal feat for any intimidate based character. :smallsmile:

From Drow of the Underdark, requires CHA 15, Intimidate 8, causes foes to cower for a round when you intimidate.

[Namfuak]

Before we delve too deep, if you are using the base Catfolk from RotW they have an LA of +1. I haven't found a savage progression for them yet (a friend of mine wanted to play one as well), so you would probably be stuck with that unless your DM was willing to negotiate.

Honestly, if you took out +2 dex and +2 cha that race would be pretty balanced with the PHBI LA0 races (no negative abilities, but way less and less powerful racials).

[KotserB]

@Demonroach:
that sounds like a lot of fun, thanks!

@Namfuak:
In our campaings we are allowed to take LA +1 races as if they were LA +0. LA +2 or higher is not allowed.

[DemonRoach]

Hmm, any thought to catfolk pounce as well? (Would've mentioned it earlier, but my misfiring brain flicked over the post and somehow inserted "Gnome" instead of "catfolk", go me)

[KotserB]

I wasn't really going to charge with this character; id rather demoralize or turn invisible as a swift action, move 40 ft. and make a single attack.

[Urpriest]

I wasn't really going to charge with this character; id rather demoralize or turn invisible as a swift action, move 40 ft. and make a single attack.

Your character isn't optimized for single attacks though. You've got sudden strike dice, and the ability to trigger them without hiding. You're better off making full attacks, and one of the few ways to do so in a mobile way is with some form of pounce.

[KotserB]

@Urpriest
That's exactly the point I'm trying to make in my first post; i know what my character roughly looks like, but I need help optimizing it.

[Urpriest]

@Urpriest
That's exactly the point I'm trying to make in my first post; i know what my character roughly looks like, but I need help optimizing it.

Ok, so given the tactics described in your first post, I agree that you should grab Catfolk Pounce, since all of the things you do work better if you're charging with pounce and you'll get flat-footed foes more often than most since you can turn invisible and IIRC as of Rules Compendium being invisible makes your enemies count as flat-footed.

Also, yes Sudden Strike applies on AOO just like any other boost to damage, and just like any other boost to damage all the conditions need to apply. So if you're invisible and you take an AOO, yes you'll get Sudden Strike.

[KotserB]

But how am I going to charge in the same round as I either turn invisible or use the demoralize action?

[Urpriest]

But how am I going to charge in the same round as I either turn invisible or use the demoralize action?

Didn't you say that you can turn invisible or demoralize as a swift action? If it's a move or standard then you can't use your other tactics anyway.

[KotserB]

Charging is a full-round action in 3.5 right?

[Othesemo]

If your DM will allow it, there's a feat called Dreadful Wrath from PGtF which gives you frightful presence whenever you charge, full attack or cast a spell. Since you can demoralize as a swift action, you'd be able to get your enemies pretty dang terrified of you before they even act in initiative. Since it lasts for a minute, you can stack fear effects very well.

[FMArthur]

IIRC as of Rules Compendium being invisible makes your enemies count as flat-footed.

Can you give a page reference for that? Or a reference on where you heard it if it turns out not to be from Rules Compendium? I would really like for this to be true, but I'm not seeing it at all in the Rules Compendium.

[Hunter Killer]

Imperious Command (Drow of the Underdark) would be a damned good thing to have, since your build is based on fear.

Another level of Ninja could grab you Poison Use, which is pretty nice for added nasty. Especially the poisons that make opponents lose actions.

Ten levels of Ghost-Faced Killer (Complete Adventurer) would be nice too, but it takes two feats and a lot of skills to get into.


Can you give a page reference for that? Or a reference on where you heard it if it turns out not to be from Rules Compendium? I would really like for this to be true, but I'm not seeing it at all in the Rules Compendium.

Rules Compendium, Page 76. Bottom of the page, under the "Attacks" section. Technically, the are not Flat-Footed. The are Denied Dexterity Bonus to Armor Class. That's actually important for some abilities...

[FMArthur]

It's very important to use correct terminology to distinguish flat-footedness from mere Dexterity denial, and I'm pretty sure he was talking about flat-footedness in particular; otherwise he wouldn't need to say that Rules Compendium had changed anything (making invisible attacks always denied Dexterity to AC to begin with). Iaijutsu Focus in particular demands careful attention to the distinction.

[KotserB]

@UrPriest:
my bad, I thought full-roundactions were actions that took a full round. But apparently you can also use a swift action.
Catfolk Pounce could be very useful.

About Dreadful Wrath: I don't qualify for that (race requirement).

[Urpriest]

It's very important to use correct terminology to distinguish flat-footedness from mere Dexterity denial, and I'm pretty sure he was talking about flat-footedness in particular; otherwise he wouldn't need to say that Rules Compendium had changed anything (making invisible attacks always denied Dexterity to AC to begin with). Iaijutsu Focus in particular demands careful attention to the distinction.

Page 92: "If you’re successfully hidden with respect to another
creature, that creature is flat-footed with respect to you."

It means you need to not just be invisible but to succeed at a hide check, but even with the large penalty for hiding while attacking the bonus from invisibility should make it doable.

[kardar233]

Check out Captain Four Fingers (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10609622&postcount=104).

[FMArthur]

Page 92: "If you’re successfully hidden with respect to another
creature, that creature is flat-footed with respect to you."

It means you need to not just be invisible but to succeed at a hide check, but even with the large penalty for hiding while attacking the bonus from invisibility should make it doable.

My Iaijutsu Ninja is extremely pleased to hear this. Thank you!