Drow!

[Talya]

We know Drow have an excessive level adjustment, blah blah blah. Don't care.
We know Drow have poor ability score modifiers to make a cleric from, nothing synergizes. Yeah. Don't care.

Your task: remaining true to fluff and flavor, build a Drow priestess of Lolth that isn't just effective (let's face it, clerics are effective, even with a useless +2 level adjustment), but really takes the Drow race and makes it relevant and even integral to the build. She's gotta start off Cleric and never lose a level of cleric spellcasting, and should be well designed for Underdark adventuring, effective both against PvE encounters, and murderous pvp scheming expected by other Drow PCs and NPCs.

40 point buy, all books allowed. Focusing on the Forgotten Realms Underdark sourcebook and the more generic Drow of the Underdark. Make her quintessentially Drow, getting maximum potential out of her racial features. Bonus points for relying on stereotypical Salvatore or War of the Spider Queen equipment, as well.

[Emperor Tippy]

No LA buy off I take it?

EDIT: And for never loose a level of Cleric spell casting you mean cast as a level 18 human cleric would, correct?

[Talya]

No LA buy off I take it?

Let's assume no. (I have no such campaign to play one, this is just a theoretical exercise at this point.)


EDIT: And for never loose a level of Cleric spell casting you mean cast as a level 18 human cleric would, correct?

Yeah. Perhaps "never lose another level of casting, beyond the adjustment for being drow" would be better.

[thethird]

No to the lesser drow (player's guide to faerun), nor the savage progression (here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a)) okay. I guess. I'll give this a try.

[Emperor Tippy]

How do you feel about Ur Priest? Stealing power from other gods for the glory of Lolth.

[Talya]

How do you feel about Ur Priest? Stealing power from other gods for the glory of Lolth.

I'd prefer not. Oh, I know it's a good class. But I'd prefer the traditional cleric.

[Emperor Tippy]

I'd prefer not. Oh, I know it's a good class. But I'd prefer the traditional cleric.

But pure Cleric is boring :smalltongue:

Unseelie Fey Dark Drow Warlock 2/ Factotum 3/ Ur Priest 10 with some VoP shuffling to solve a feat shortage. :smallbiggrin:

But straight Cleric, hmm. Could be fun.

[Talya]

Cleric + flavorfully appropriate PrCs is fine.

Let's avoid unseelie fey, too.

[Emperor Tippy]

Cleric + flavorfully appropriate PrCs is fine.
Hmm, I'll see what I can do I suppose.


Let's avoid unseelie fey, too.
Fine, I couldn't find a way to get Ur Priest or Cleric working off of Cha instead of Wis anyways. :smallannoyed:

[thethird]

Drow LA 2 / Cleric 1 / Drow Paragon 1 / Cleric +4 / Arachne 10 (Faith's and pantheon's) / Divine Emissary Disciple 3 (Player's guide to faerun)

There aren't many cleric spellcasters that advance full spellcasting and fit.

Domains are Spider (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_Spiderdomain&alpha=) (spells of it can be cast spontaneously, per PHB II ACF) and trickery domain (traded for trickery devotion). Rebuke spider attempts are burned to activate the trickery devotion. SLAs are used in conjunction with the illusion to dominate the battlefield.

Feats are Great fortitude, still spell, survivor (taxes to get into aracne), poison spell, lolth's caress (both this feats combined with two spider companions, i.e. free poison are powerful and thematic), gift of the spider queen (gives some extra effects out of the SLAs, specially useful due to the extra uses of the paragon class), Master of shadows (more uses of the SLAs).

Cleric casting as an 18th level cleric, is an outsider, has two spider companions, can use the drow SLAs 3/day each plus gets extra use of them, and has thematic abilities in the trickery devotion and the spider domain spontaneity.

I hope this is okay with you, even if it didn't actually use much of the underdark book, prcs there loose spellcasting and the feats aren't extremely helpful.

[Talya]

Drow Paragon 1 ... gift of the spider queen (gives some extra effects out of the SLAs, specially useful due to the extra uses of the paragon class), Master of shadows (more uses of the SLAs).




Cleric casting as an 18th level cleric, is an outsider, has two spider companions, can use the drow SLAs 3/day each plus gets extra use of them, and has thematic abilities in the trickery devotion and the spider domain spontaneity.

I hope this is okay with you, even if it didn't actually use much of the underdark book, prcs there loose spellcasting and the feats aren't extremely helpful.

Nice. Very nice. Exactly the type of thing i'm looking for. With flaws, perhaps add Magic in the Blood (start with 3 uses of each SLA, then add more afterward), and Highborn Drow (more SLAs?)

[thethird]

Yes those were two things I actually considered getting from flaws, using cloistered cleric is also always an option.

If high born drow interacts with magic in the blood (it should), master of shadow (it should), the drow paragon (it also should), and gift of the spider queen (it would be a houserule) it can be quite fun.

[Talya]

Yes those were two things I actually considered getting from flaws, using cloistered cleric is also always an option.


Oh yeah. Cloistered Cleric should be a nobrainer here. Drow females wear ridiculously skimpy armor. Switching to light armor as a Cloistered Cleric fits well.

[Vaz]

Umbral Collar gives Dark template for free, no extra level available there for a Contemplative.

So, we've got 9 Domains she has access to;

Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Drow, Evil, Oracle, Pestilence, Spider and Trickery.

Chaos Domain; +1 CL for Chaos spells, Chaos Hammer only non-Cleric spell
Darkness; Blind Fight, 7/9 non Cleric, Blindness/Deafness available 1 level early
Destruction; Smite 1/day (+4 Attack, Bonus = Cleric Level), Disintegrate only non-Cleric Spell
Drow; Lightning Reflexes, 5/9 non cleric spells, powerful domain spells (Word of Chaos, Greater Planar Ally and Gate)
Evil; +1 CL for Evil spells, Unholy Blight only non cleric spell
Oracle; All Divinations at +2CL, Identify, Legend Lore and FORESIGHT as non-cleric spells
Pestilence; Immunity to Diseases, but can still carry, 5/9 non-cleric spells, including the notoriously badly written Curse of Lycanthropy; which could be used to include the Vermin Lycanthropes, or even non Vermin or Animals.
Spider Domain; Turn/Rebuke Spiders; 7/9 non-cleric spells
Trickery; Bluff/Disguise/Hide Class skills, 9/9 non-cleric spells

So Cleric 5/Divine Oracle 6/Divine Disciple 1/Contemplative 6 gets you 6 Domains; Darkness and Trickery to start off with, then Drow and Pestilence, with Oracle from Divine Oracle, and your choice from Spider, Destruction, Evil or Chaos. I personally would choose Spider for the Turning Spiders thing.

Spontaneous Domain for Trickery.

Feats? Skill Focus K. Religion. Leaves us with 6 feats still to use.

Darkstalker, Craft Contingent Spell, Invisible Spell, Blend Into Shadows, Master of Poisons, Lolth's Caress

Advance craft for poison, and then otherwise fulfil your minimum requirements. In addition, increase your hide check out the wazoo. Poison your weapons as swift actions, then use your Turn Undead attempts to quickly apply the second dose.

If caught unaware, Craft Contingent Time Stop, HiPS, Darkstalker to stay hidden and Invisibility/Mislead, while Gating invisible monsters or Invisible PAO'ing members of your team.

[Talya]

Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Drow, Evil, Oracle, Pestilence, Spider and Trickery.


And knowledge, for free, as a cloistered cleric.

[One Step Two]

Okay, I give you Zildrauil, the mother-spider who watches.

Cloistered Cleric 4/Drow Paragon 1/Divine Oracle 4/Contemplative 9

Str: 8
Dex: 12
Con: 12
Int: 18
Wis: 21 (+3 from leveling)
Cha: 16

She has access to the Knowledge, Trickery, Spider, Oracle, Pride and Darkness Domain, she spontaneous casts from the Trickery Domain.

Her Feats include:
Trickery Devotion (Feeble flaw), Gift of the Spider Queen, High Born Drow, Extend Spell, Persistant Spell, Divine Metamagic: Persist, Craft Contingent Spell, and Skill Focus (know: Religion).

Skills:
Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense Motive, Intimidate, and Knowledge: Religion are most important, followed by Knowledge: Nobility, Concentration and Spellcraft. Hide and Move silently are nice when points can be spared, but knowledges, and grabbing knowledge devotion can be good too.

Noted Abilities: Immunites to all Diseases and Poisons, Unaging, and a secondary source of SR, ability to heal herself using an SU ability, Slippery Mind, and Evasion. Everything a Drow needs to keep ahead of the game.

I don't feel like diving into specific items, but someone above me mentioned the umbral collar which is always a good one, because this Drow Priestess is going to use and abuse her skill points. Making use of Bluff, and Hide especially, but Disguise is nice too. The DMM: Persist isn't to cheese stuff like greater consumptive field, but to offset her frailties, with things like persisted Cats grace, and Bears endurance, use of things like Divine power means she's failed at being the oracle/divine seer.

While lacking any sort of familiar, she has more than enough charisma, and power to make use of Planar Bindings to secure the service of any demonic spider-like minions she choses.

Story-wise, I see her as the ancient mother of a Drow House-hold who looks as vibrant as ever (thanks to Eternal Body from contemplative) who manipulates all her children with practiced ease and grace. Her power is subtle, and her web's extend far, and cut deeply when fought against.
Though very waif-like, her command of the Spider-queens blessings means she is not without power to cast down on those who would threaten her.

[Vaz]

Sure thing. You get +3 to Divination Caster Levels then by ECL9; it's one I wouldn't suggest getting Knowledge Devotion in though.

Spiderform also lasts hour/level for each casting; make sure its' the FR setting version.

[Talya]

Where's the spontaneous domain casting coming from in these builds?

[Emperor Tippy]

Where's the spontaneous domain casting coming from in these builds?

PHB2, ACF imaginatively named Spontaneous Domain. Let's you trade spontaneous cure/inflict for a Spontaneous Domain.

[Talya]

PHB2, ACF imaginatively named Spontaneous Domain. Let's you trade spontaneous cure/inflict for a Spontaneous Domain.

Wow...that's way better than the Domain Spontaneity feat.

[Elderand]

Fine, I couldn't find a way to get Ur Priest or Cleric working off of Cha instead of Wis anyways. :smallannoyed:

Have you checked dynamic priest ? Granted it doesn't key the whole thing, just extra spell slot but it's a start

[Kuulvheysoon]

But pure Cleric is boring :smalltongue:

Unseelie Fey Dark Drow Warlock 2/ Factotum 3/ Ur Priest 10 with some VoP shuffling to solve a feat shortage. :smallbiggrin:

But straight Cleric, hmm. Could be fun.


Your task: remaining true to fluff and flavor, build a Drow priestess of Lolth that isn't just effective (let's face it, clerics are effective, even with a useless +2 level adjustment), but really takes the Drow race and makes it relevant and even integral to the build.

Funny enough, this is one challenge where you can't DCFS VoP bonus feats, as the challenge specifies Priestess of Lolth, meaning CE, NE or CN only.

Quenthel's whip would have to be an Intelligent Scourge of Fangs (SK), so an EWP (Scourge) is almost a necessity (or is the scourge not an exotic weapon?).

+1 to Divine Emissary and Drow Paragon. Does anybody know if the Divine Emissary is the 3.5e "update" to Divine Disciple (FRCS)? If not, there's another full-casting one to add to the list.

[Talya]

Does anybody know if the Divine Emissary is the 3.5e "update" to Divine Disciple (FRCS)? If not, there's another full-casting one to add to the list.

Divine Emissary is a class feature of the updated Divine Disciple in PGtF, which is what I suspect TheThird intended. The downside here,the updated divine disciple doesn't get an extra domain until level 4.

[Emperor Tippy]

Funny enough, this is one challenge where you can't DCFS VoP bonus feats, as the challenge specifies Priestess of Lolth, meaning CE, NE or CN only.

That just means a better backstory is required.

Lilith Amadesus was an odd little drow, for one her blood wasn't exactly pure but no one is exactly sure where the Unseelie blood came from, but she certainly lived down to the darkness and vileness expected of her race (her very blood and essence seemed to scream with the darkness that most of the Drow felt only faintly) and great things were expected from her in the future but at the age of twenty the Third House of Xen'dron'loth was attacked by the Fifth House in a subtle move and Lilith was hit with a most vile curse that warped and shackled her mind, forcing her to be nothing but the most saintly of individuals and unable to bare the touch of valuable objects.

Fortunately, Lilith still had her brain and she fled Xen'dron'loth within moments, heading to the surface where her relatives would not tread with any great willingness. She only survived the trip by constantly hiding and tapping the darkness that was her birthright.

Her greatest weapon was her exceptional mind and ability to learn, especially when combined with her great beauty. Over the next few years she became a master in dozens of fields as she honed her skills being a spy for various holy causes and orders. She kept trying to join a faith and become a cleric of a god like her blood and heritage demanded but none of the Holy would accept a creature so steeped in darkness and with vile power as her birthright, especially when they knew she was only so good and just because of the shackles on her mind.

Good, just, holy, exalted even. Lilith may well have been all of those things but she was also Drow; assassination, intrigue, manipulation, breaking the rules, betrayal, they were all in her very blood and marrow. So when the gods would not accept her fealty and make her one of their emissaries she found her own way. Deep mediation to tap her species natural connection to the divine combined with the arcane magics that she had picked up in her travels were enough, along with some heretical teachings that she had been dispatched to destroy, allowed her to achieve something most can't even contemplate; siphoning power from deities without the deities consent or notice.

Over the next decades Lilith continued to live the life of itinerant traveler and priest, using her skills to masquerade as an emissary of whatever good god most suited her current area and quietly doing good.

She was one hundred and three when she finally managed to fully master the divine power that she was siphoning and that's when it occurred; for she was stealing primarily from Lolth as that evil deity's power was best kept out of the hands of her clerics and Lilith's blood and essence was so intimately linked with that dark goddess. With so much of Lloth's power channeled through her a Miracle occurred and the curse that had bound the mind of Lilith Amadesus shattered. With her mind once more her own for the first time in over eight decades Lilith wasted no time in divesting herself of every trace of holy and pure power in her body and soul, trading it to demons for abilities and blessings far more inline with her true nature.

Lilith rededicated herself to Lolth and Lolth was pleased to have her back, for Lilith represented everything that it was to be drow and even when cursed with a soul filled with exalted power she still managed to twist it into her favor and rejoin the darkness.

With a simple twist of power Lilith moved herself between one step and the next into the bed chambers of Adrago Kinese, Matron of the Fifth House and the female responsible for her cursing, and showed her just how much power she had acquired over the years. Adrago's soul remains trapped in the gem of Lilith's necklace where it continues to undergo the most vile tortures that Lilith can imagine and is obliterated piece by piece for power. Lilith continued her rebirth into Drow society by killing every single member of House Kinese and giving their souls to Lolth as thanks for freeing her.

With the destruction of the Fifth House and the great power now returned to the Third House the politics of Xen'dron'lolth have become even more vicious and chaotic than normal.

----
There we go, the backstory for VoP (Chaos Shuffled at level 20) Dark Unseelie Fey Drow Warlock 2/ Factotum 3/ Ur Priest 10 :smalltongue:

[thethird]

Divine Emissary is a class feature of the updated Divine Disciple in PGtF, which is what I suspect TheThird intended. The downside here,the updated divine disciple doesn't get an extra domain until level 4.

and that guys is why you need to check your writing a lot if you are dyslexic.

[Vaz]

If 'all books' includes 3rd party, then Bastards and Bloodlines I recall has a certain notoriety regarding changing casting stats.

[Talya]

There we go, the backstory for VoP (Chaos Shuffled at level 20) Dark Unseelie Fey Drow Warlock 2/ Factotum 3/ Ur Priest 10 :smalltongue:

Except she's 15...

[TuggyNE]

Except she's 15...

I assumed he meant ECL 20, and took the LA of those templates into account. (How much is Unseelie Fey, anyway? +2?)

[Emperor Tippy]

Except she's 15...

Dark (+1 LA) Drow (+2 LA), and she casts as a level 20 Cleric thanks to Ur Priest.


I assumed he meant ECL 20, and took the LA of those templates into account. (How much is Unseelie Fey, anyway? +2?)
Unseelie Fey is +0. It's horribly stupid and horribly balanced.