Is this even viable?

[Ballista]

Hey guys, I'm new to tabletop rpg's, but have been reading these forums for a while now. I might finally be able to start playing with a group of my friends and well, I really don't want to fail miserably at the game.

In most other rpg video games, I always play a sadistic/evil character and I guess I wanted to roleplay as someone who doesn't curbstomp kittens.

The setting of the campaign will be in a desert, so I went out and got the Sandstorm supplement and lo and behold, I fell in love with the Ashworm Dragoon PrC. of course because of my desire to try to be lawful good, I want to use paladin as my bass class.
*Cue the boo's and hisses*
And to boost my mount's abilities, I was thinking of dipping into Beastmaster.
So... Paladin5/Beastmaster1/AshwormDragoon10?

-Thanks in advance... I hope?

Edit: Ok so I left some details off,

Race - Aasimar, Lesser [Edit]
Feat - Monkey Grip or Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Chain [Edit]
Will probably be using CW's ACF thank's Psyren


Edit2:
My DM decides to have a tantrum regarding optimization after someone else in the group decides to make the Pun-Punesque character he read on the forums...
Now my DM is deciding to make it so that I actually have to find a living NPC of that PrC to train me. This puts off my build by a bit since the older Dragoon is hidden somewhere deep in a really unhappy desert. His new approach on DMing also shoves a big pointy stick through my Beastmaster dip. I still plan on using this build, but I need some filler in between my Paladin levels and my Dragoon levels to make up for lost time.

Paladin5/SomethingX/AshwormDragoon10?

[Psyren]

Hrm... Since it doesn't progress spellcasting at all, I suggest an ACF that does away with your magic for something else. Maybe the non-magic paladin from CWar or something?

Are you going to do the ritual (Sandstorm pg. 67, sidebar) that turns your Ashworm into your special paladin mount?

[Sucrose]

To know how viable it would be, we would need to know the optimization level group that you are playing in, how lethal the DM tends to make the monsters, and so on. In a low-op group, it'd probably be fine. In medium-op, you'd want to get some sort of flight mechanism, and you'd have to hope that the DM keeps enough space for you to ride your ashworm wherever you go. In high-op, this may be somewhat inadvisable, but is probably still better than most straight Fighter builds.

[Ballista]

I am indeed going to have to remove the poison gland, the dm is a stickler for the rules.

As for the ACF, I think it would be a good idea but I'm not sure if we'd actually get that far in terms of levels unless I cut back on AshwormDragoon.

Edit: @Sucrose
Personally, the dm doesn't seem like the type of person to try to tpk everybody and I've played some practice sessions with him and it was overall on par with what I believe to be fair. As for the party, it is pretty low-op. As in they apparently went threw a whole campaign without using prestige classes...

[Urpriest]

You're probably aware that this build needs the Devoted Tracker feat to stack those Beastmaster bonuses on your Ashworm. With that though, you've got a decently powerful creature, a 5th level Paladin's Mount + 4th (or 7th with Natural Bond) Druid Companion + 10th level Ashworm Dragoon. It's not as powerful as some supermount builds, and you should ask your DM if removing the poison glands removes the sting attack, as if it does your Ashworm will need to take Improved Unarmed Strike.

[Ballista]

you should ask your DM if removing the poison glands removes the sting attack, as if it does your Ashworm will need to take Improved Unarmed Strike.

That was like the first thing I asked :smalltongue: since Sandstorm only specifies that the gland be removed, the stinger is left intact.

[Urpriest]

That was like the first thing I asked :smalltongue: since Sandstorm only specifies that the gland be removed, the stinger is left intact.

Your Ashworm may still want to take Improved Unarmed Strike, iterative attacks are always nice.

[Ballista]

Alright thanks guys, but umm, are there any obscure mounted feats/tricks I should know about before I start charging into hordes of goblins?

[Urpriest]

It's a little weird having Dragon Wings as a mounted character. I suppose it lets you get off your mount and still deal some damage, but it feels a little inefficient. Especially since you're also Dragonborn (Heart) which again feels like something you won't get a chance to use. If you're worried about enemies at range it would be better to get your mount the ability to fly. Ask your DM if magic horseshoes work on Ashworms, if so there are lots of possibilities.

Mounted Combat with a lance is pretty straightforward. Mix and match some of the following depending on optimization level:

Use Power Attack and Spirited Charge to deal large amounts of damage, Shock Trooper (CW) to avoid taking penalties to-hit. If you keep your spellcasting, use a wand of Rhino's Rush (SpC) to deal even more damage. If you don't keep your spellcasting, DON'T use the ACF from CW. Use the one from Complete Champion. It's much better designed, the CW one is a bunch of situational spell-like abilities that will probably never be useful. A Valorous Weapon (Unapproachable East) will similarly help. Once you're reliably killing your enemies on a charge, Cleave will be of use, but Great Cleave is probably too situational. Leap Attack is probably out of bounds since you're on a mount, but if you want to be obnoxious you can jump off your mount to combine the benefits.

[Chronos]

I think Ashworm Dragoon is generally considered one of the best options for mounted combat, so that should be fine. There's a lot of potential with a mount with a burrow speed: You can charge enemies from beneath them.

I'm not sure what good your race does you, though. A little extra Con is always nice, of course, but other than that, Dragonborn doesn't really do much for a mounted charger. And if you are going Dragonborn, there are better choices for the base race than Human: Ideally, you want something with good ability score adjustments and/or good movement (faster ground movement or flight or such), since those are the only things you retain from your original race.

And as others have said, you'll get more benefit from giving your mount the ability to fly than you will from giving it to yourself.

[Mystify]

You could stack cavalier(cWar) on it for higher levels. It advances your mount progression, gives you bonuses from attacking while mounted, increases the speed, and you can deal extra multipliers on charges.

[Ballista]

It's a little weird having Dragon Wings as a mounted character.

I was inspired by the idea of being able to fly off the ashworm while it's in mid-jump and land in the middle of some bandit camp. But honestly, it's just for times where the ashworm wouldn't be able to accompany me (i.e the top of a wizard's tower)


Ask your DM if magic horseshoes work on Ashworms, if so there are lots of possibilities.

My DM just kinda called me an oddball; he is huge on roleplaying and doesn't see how I can equip horseshoes on something that doesn't even have legs. He seemed somewhat ok with giving the ashworm the Dragontouched feat from DragonMagic and with Dragon Wings in conjunction


Ideally, you want something with good ability score adjustments and/or good movement (faster ground movement or flight or such), since those are the only things you retain from your original race.


What are you suggesting? Raptoran was my original base-race but my DM saw that their was no place for a bunch of flying elf-birds in a desert constantly buffeted by sandstorms.


You could stack cavalier(cWar) on it for higher levels. It advances your mount progression, gives you bonuses from attacking while mounted, increases the speed, and you can deal extra multipliers on charges.

I am not positive the campaign will last this long for me to be able to utilize the class along with full Ashworm Dragoon, is Cavalier ultimately better than progression with Dragoon?

Edit:

DON'T use the ACF from CW. Use the one from Complete Champion. It's much better designed, the CW one is a bunch of situational spell-like abilities that will probably never be useful.

OOh bonus feats; ok this will definitely be nice

[Mystify]

I am not positive the campaign will last this long for me to be able to utilize the class along with full Ashworm Dragoon, is Cavalier ultimately better than progression with Dragoon?

the cavalier conintues the mounts advancement as a paladin. However, the 10 levels of ashworm, dragoon advance your mount more than 20 levels of paladin.
You definitely want the relentless sheild ability from the dragoon, either way. Your ride check should be amazing, and hence that can be a HUGE boon in keeping your mount alive. When I played a cavalier, my mounted combat would easily deflect 1 attack at my mount each round, but a full round would destroy it. The dragoon would be able to deflect almost anything.
Cavalier also gives the full mounted attack, but by the time you take the levels in dragoon, its quicker just to continue in dragoon. And in the process you would get stamp into the sand and sand rider, both of which are pretty awesome.

So, depending on how much you care about earth rider, I would take at least 7 levels of dragoon before I consider leaving for cavalier. The main reason I suggest cavalier is that it would continue advancing your mount and ride bonuses, making it a good class to finish up the build. The reason you may leave dragoon early for it would be deadly charge, which would give you x4 lance damage on a charge. But in all other respects, the dragoon is superior.

[Chronos]

What are you suggesting? Raptoran was my original base-race but my DM saw that their was no place for a bunch of flying elf-birds in a desert constantly buffeted by sandstorms.That depends on how much you value your Cha-based abilities. Orc would be a solid choice if you don't mind the -2 Cha, since that +4 Str is huge for a melee character (note that Dragonborn will remove the light sensitivity, and the -2 Wis won't matter much if you're not casting spells anyway). Alternately, there's Wood Elf, which after Dragonborn would give a net of +2 Str, -2 Int.

[Ballista]

That depends on how much you value your Cha-based abilities. Orc would be a solid choice if you don't mind the -2 Cha, since that +4 Str is huge for a melee character (note that Dragonborn will remove the light sensitivity, and the -2 Wis won't matter much if you're not casting spells anyway). Alternately, there's Wood Elf, which after Dragonborn would give a net of +2 Str, -2 Int.

I asked my DM about wood elf as a base race and he believes that because I am multiclassing into a non-favored class and will take the exp penalty. I'm pretty sure this isn't the case with prestige classes but he needs some sort of proof...
Is it stated anywhere that prestige classes do not contribute to exp penalty?

[Mystify]

I asked my DM about wood elf as a base race and he believes that because I am multiclassing into a non-favored class and will take the exp penalty. I'm pretty sure this isn't the case with prestige classes but he needs some sort of proof...
Is it stated anywhere that prestige classes do not contribute to exp penalty?

Taking a prestige class does not incur the experience point penalties normally associated with multiclassing. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/prestigeClasses.htm)

[Urpriest]

For horseshoes, remind your DM that as a roleplayer he is a proponent of magic items that don't always look exactly like the description in the book, since this isn't some sort of world of warcraft-esque land of mass-produced magic items made by powergamers. So some of the things described as magic horseshoes are also made as worm bands or the like, depending on the culture that makes them. Since cultural variation is a roleplayer thing.

I would probably peg Raptoran in the desert as another example of this, but that's a fight you don't need to win since it's better for your mount to fly than you.

[Ballista]

Taking a prestige class does not incur the experience point penalties normally associated with multiclassing. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/prestigeClasses.htm)

Aha! much obliged my dear sir/madame/ilithid


since this isn't some sort of world of warcraft-esque land of mass-produced magic items made by powergamers.

The ironic thing is that he does play world of warcraft, he's quite lenient in some regards but sometimes can be really conservative. He wasn't originally going to have many dragons in the game, but decided to change that after I asked him about Dragonborn; I really don't want to push it.