Low level character breaking?

[killianh]

One thing I've noticed with a lot of the builds, tricks, and the like to break or OP a character usually involves a full 20 level build or something specific to a setting. Pun pun needs forgotten realms to work for example. Chain gate needs you to have the XP to burn so you're gonna need a bit higher than level 17 to start doing that.

Other than planar Sheppard or some monster class trick (beholder mage, Illitid savant, etc) what kind of break builds are there for lower levels?

Say up to level 10? Any build you post or links would be helpful for this, because up until now I haven't really seen any (other than this 6 template build that needed incarnate construct to work)

[ThiagoMartell]

You can get chain gates at level 1, because it only depends on wealth by level.
Step 1 - You either....
- Buy stairs. Break them in two. Sell them like they were 10 foot poles. Repeat as needed. Get rich.
- Cast mount. Cast magic aura on the horse. Sell it. Repeat as needed. Get rich.
- Sell your spellbook. Buy a scroll of flesh to salt. Use it on a cow or mule. Read Arms & Equipment guide and realize salt is worth a lot of money. Repeat as needed. Get rich.
Step 2 - Now that you're rich, buy a Candle of Invocation and enough caster level boosters that your caster level is 5.
Step 3 - Gate in an efreeti via the Candle. Since the spell comes from the candle, you don't spend any XP. Rinse and repeat as needed.
Step 4 - Whatever you want.

[NM020110]

Thanks to Emperor Tippy's alternate pun-pun, and with a bit of optimisation, the game can be broken rather easily at level two, and without setting dependence. If you don't feel like using Pazuzu, then try to find some other means of getting a wish. If you can't, the elder phaerim scroll is affordable by WBL at level ten.

1.) Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu...I wish to be temporarily transformed into a Lilitu, as per Polymorph any Object.
2.) Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu...I wish for a scroll of ice assassin targeting a revered elder phaerim with Ice Assassin and Wish on its spell list.
3.) Use the scroll.
4.) Order the phaerim to use wish to create a scroll of ice assassin targeting a psionic elder brain with fusion, astral seed, and psychic chirurgy on its power list.
5.) Use the scroll.
6.) Order the elder brain to manifest fusion on you, and then relinquish control.
7.) Manifest astral seed.
8.) Die.
9.) Reform from the astral seed, losing a level.
10.) Manifest psychic chirurgy to regain the lost level.
11.) Use fusion on the phaerim.
12.) Manifest astral seed, die, reform, then manifest psychic chirurgy to remove the lost level.
13.) Proceed to use wish to get scrolls of ice assassin for whatever creatures you wish to gain the abilities of. Manifest fusion on them, then use astral seed, die, reform, then remove the lost level. Repeat until you are effectively pun-pun.

[Malimar]

Bubs the Commoner (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7097263&postcount=38) is level 4.

[SowZ]

Well, are you allowed to use tricks which put you above level ten without any real effort/risk?

[kardar233]

The Elven Domain Generalist (for which dextercorvia has a link in his sig) gets 9ths at 1st level.

Pun-Pun can ascend at ECL 5 without needing Pazuzu or Candles of Invocation. Divine Minion +1/Wizard1/Master of Many Forms3 will get you Sarrukh form.

[ThiagoMartell]

For all of you mentioning Pun-Pun, Sarrukh is from Serpent Kingdoms, a setting specific book.

[eggs]

Builds are usually presented at ECL 20 for completeness, not because they don't work earlier.

[VGLordR2]

There was a recent thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245258) about the most powerful ECL 1 character. You'll find interesting stuff there.

[Mithril Leaf]

Well at level 7 a shaper psion can reliably kill a great wyrm prismatic dragon without DM intervention. That's good at getting you WBL-mancer powers.

[Lateral]

For all of you mentioning Pun-Pun, Sarrukh is from Serpent Kingdoms, a setting specific book.

Big whoop. There's nothing in the OP to indicate that they're talking about non-setting-specific material only.

[killianh]

Big whoop. There's nothing in the OP to indicate that they're talking about non-setting-specific material only.

Personally I'd rather not see the setting specific stuff, or online only for the build. I just want to know what kinds of high powered builds are out there that don't rely on being higher level or emulating higher levels

[Mystral]

How about the master of shrouds. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20041015b) Assuming you play in Faerun:

Level 1: Wizard (I suggest Conjurer with Apprupt Jaunt)
Level 2-3: Cleric of Velsharoon (Domains Undeath and Magic)
Level 4-10: Master of Shrouds (Libris Mortis)

That's right, Prestige Class at Level 4. You'll be summoning shadows at level 5, combine with animate undead and similiar shenanigans for the ultimate undead army. For giggles, use scrolls and wands for wizards. See your enemies wail in despair as you summon shadow after shadow (at level 9, you can summon 4 as a standart action), wraith after wraith while you are invisible and standing on the ceiling.

For wizard spells, take stuff that does not need a somatic component so you can wear armor. I recommend Benign Transposition, your summoned shadows and undead minions count as willing targets. The build works great until level 13, then it slows down, but you can just take cleric levels and will still be able to keep up.

[Malimar]

Big whoop. There's nothing in the OP to indicate that they're talking about non-setting-specific material only.


One thing I've noticed with a lot of the builds, tricks, and the like to break or OP a character usually involves a full 20 level build or something specific to a setting. Pun pun needs forgotten realms to work for example.

I think perhaps your definition of "nothing" differs from mine. :smalltongue:

That said, you are correct that the crux of the OP's question itself was about low-level builds, not builds that don't include setting-specific material.

[dextercorvia]

The Elven Domain Generalist (for which dextercorvia has a link in his sig) gets 9ths at 1st level.


I prefer the term Versatile Domain Generalist, but I believe this is the most powerful ECL1 character (at the beginning of a game, no level drain shenanigans) without infinitely repeatable loops.

[Fable Wright]

I prefer the term Versatile Domain Generalist, but I believe this is the most powerful ECL1 character (at the beginning of a game, no level drain shenanigans) without infinitely repeatable loops.

It also can be argued that it does not work by RAW, given some rather vague rules interactions. For example, the entire build depends on the assumption that Domain Wizard's granting "One bonus spell per spell level," which you interpreted to mean as one bonus spell per level of the highest level you can cast, rather than the spells allotted by the Wizard spell per day chart. (It could also be interpreted as getting 9th level spells off the bat, in which cast this entire argument it moot.) In addition, after floating the Generalist bonus spell up one level, you would not necessarily be able to cast spells of the lower level anymore, which would mean that you no longer filled the prerequisites for gaining the new spell level and have the spell slot fall down again, keeping it at 1 spell level ahead of you (which is still powerful, but nowhere near as gamebreaking).

[Amphetryon]

- Buy stairs. Break them in two. Sell them like they were 10 foot poles. Repeat as needed. Get rich.I assume "stairs" should read as "ladders".

[dextercorvia]

It also can be argued that it does not work by RAW, given some rather vague rules interactions. For example, the entire build depends on the assumption that Domain Wizard's granting "One bonus spell per spell level," which you interpreted to mean as one bonus spell per level of the highest level you can cast, rather than the spells allotted by the Wizard spell per day chart. (It could also be interpreted as getting 9th level spells off the bat, in which cast this entire argument it moot.) In addition, after floating the Generalist bonus spell up one level, you would not necessarily be able to cast spells of the lower level anymore, which would mean that you no longer filled the prerequisites for gaining the new spell level and have the spell slot fall down again, keeping it at 1 spell level ahead of you (which is still powerful, but nowhere near as gamebreaking).

The term Bonus spells is first defined in the PHB where it talks about high ability scores. Without any specific rule to the contrary (which UA doesn't provide), they merely require having sufficient class level to cast said spells before receiving them. This is why it requires Generalist, since that gives you a class granted ability to cast that level of spell (based on your ability to use Versatile Spellcaster to cast that next higher level).

Regarding your second point, once he has a 3rd level slot from Elven Generalist, he can still cast 2nd level spells (from that slot if necessary), so he doesn't revert to any prior state.

[Fyermind]

a level 1 dragonborn anything (say commoner) can clinging breath weapon for a few days someone it doesn't like with minimal feats. If it can then escape it's foe will probably die eventually.

There are a lot of ways to make VERY powerful first level characters. As to splitting the game neatly in two at level 1, I am not so well versed, but I like my characters powerful but playable anyway.