Lockdown build

[Finalsatyr]

I just posted the thread about the Halfling Warblade the other day, but turns out that character probably won't exist
The game I was making that character for has now turned into a party of all halflings, and being as I was looking to make a "tank" character, I'm left with the tank...any thoughts on a high AC lockdown halfling?

[GilesTheCleric]

You're probably better off with a medium or large creature. But, you can make up for that with various spells and items, so it's not a huge hurdle or anything.

What I would love to see is a halfling with a large spiked chain, using it as a jumprope in between laying down the law.

What sort of feedback did you want, exactly?

[Finalsatyr]

Problem with being medium or using spells and items, is that the flavor for the campaign is that we're always small always...So I need to do my best to work around that
I know I could take halfling monk and use clever wrestling and racial subs or something like that, but I was super set on the idea of the plate wearing halfling...and now that we're gonna be all be small I think it'll be even better

Honestly, I suppose I just need a good rundown of how the lockdown works and a good way to go about it. Fighter, and use all the bonus feats for CC? Dungeoncrasher fighter2/CrusaderX for the charging slam and sword and board soaking? Or the super cheese spiked chain route (which I'd prefer to avoid, but if there's no other route while wearing plate...)?

[Feytalist]

Lockdown isn't an amazing strategy, but could be pretty fun.

Something like Knight4/CrusaderX with a reach weapon, feats like Stand Still, stances like Island of Blades (and that other one that stops enemies from moving through squares that you threaten), any maybe the tripping route could work well, even without enlarging tactics. Also Goad if you want. Your opposed Strength checks will take a hit, but maybe there's a racial thingy for that, similar to powerful build? I dunno for halflings. Shame there doesn't exist something* that boosts a knight's challenge, cause that's the closest you'll get to aggro in D&D.


*(something other than that silly little item in MIC)


Edit: Oh, take a look at Deepstone Sentinel in the ToB. It's dwarf only, and it suffers from the same problem as Dwarven Defender (you can't really move once you've taken up position), but I've always thought it could be turned into a possible lockdown build. Got one or two battlefield management options as well.

[Finalsatyr]

I actually never even gave knight a thought or glance
I'm not looking to opt-fu the character, just making a passable halfling plate-wearer...flavorful opt-fu works, but I can't stand cheese...is there anything specific that makes the knight stand out over the crusader?

[Harlot]

Tank halfling - I used to have one. Or maybe more of a rogue, but take a look:

Strongheart halfling from races of Faerun (p 78), using Hornblade (http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/magweapdesc.pl?power=Hornblade&src=mweapontype)weapons, which allow you to use medium weapons as if they were small, while still dealing medium damage.

Strongheart halfling race bonus:
1 ekstra feat at level 1.
+2 dex , - 2 til strength, small (+1 AC, +1 attack rolls, +4 hide)
+2 climb, jump, listen & move silently checks
+ 2 saving throws against fear
+1 bonus to attack w/thrown weapons

So with the lower str. and the dex bonus, I naturally had the weapon finesse feat to compensate for this.
And using hornblade weapons allowed her to treat (small) one handed weapons as a light weapon with the weapon finesse feat.
She was a swordsage, so she had martial melee weapon proficiency, which with hornblade weapons allowed her to deal a base damage of 1d6 with her small longsword while treating the weapon as light :-)

As for armor/AC: As a swordsage, she could add her wisdom modifier to her armorclass. Very handy. And she had light armor proficiency, so I gave her:
Light armor: Chain Shirt (250gp) + mithral (1000 gp) +1 (1000 gp) with an 'least Iron ward diamond': 500 gp)
(Max Dex +2, Armor check penalty lowered by 3)

Yeah well, it may not be a tank, exactly, more of a tank/rogue crossover, but it is still a badass halfling, so that is what I named her.

And regardless of what you end up having as a character - for a group of halflings, Hornblade weapons are a must.

[Finalsatyr]

That is definitely badass, and I'm sure the entire party will attempt to acquire Hornblade weapons after myself :p
However, Heavy armor, full plate is definitely the main staple of this toon that seems to be lost once opt-fu comes into play
Knight and Crusader almost fit the bill, but neither quite fits the flavor for the character...not devoted to a cause or oath, but still being a "knight" if that makes sense (also trying to avoid halfling charger cheese).

[Feytalist]

I actually never even gave knight a thought or glance
I'm not looking to opt-fu the character, just making a passable halfling plate-wearer...flavorful opt-fu works, but I can't stand cheese...is there anything specific that makes the knight stand out over the crusader?

Oh, I'm not nearly good enough at opt-fu for you to be worried :smalltongue:

Anyway, the Knight (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=2) (also discussed here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20060523a)) has a knight's challenge, similar to a bard's bardic music, that allows him, among other things, to engage in a test of mettle with all enemies in a certain radius. On a failed Will save, they must attack him and him only. (This is what I mean by aggro.) You get this at level 4. Also, at level 3, you get something called Bulwark of Defense. I'll quote the relevant section: When you reach 3rd level, an opponent that begins its turn in your threatened area treats all the squares that you threaten as difficult terrain. I think that's pretty cool, especially with a reach weapon.

The knight gets some other enemy-denying options, but level 4 is a good break point, and Crusader also gives you a few options that sync well with Knight. Also the d12 HD and full BAB is not to be sneezed at.

Unfortunately, the Knight does have a silly code of honour. No attacking unaware opponents (this includes flat-footed ones and surprise rounds), no attacking downed opponents, stuff like that. But it's something to look at at the least.

[IdleMuse]

In terms of Inititiators, Iron Guard's Glare is one of the best tanky abilities in the game.

[Feytalist]

In terms of Inititiators, Iron Guard's Glare is one of the best tanky abilities in the game.

That's the one I was trying to remember. I think I confused it with Island of Blades, which is a Shadow Hand stance. Whoops.

Yeah, that's pretty nice. Only level 1 as well.

[morkendi]

It would take a few levels, but psy war + expantion+ spiked chain+ combat reflexes + hi dex+ knockdown feat. After that, any feat that gives you an AoO like karmic strike. Improved trip helps also. You do more than 10 damage, you get free trip. Augmented expiation to get yo large size to increase damage and reach. Wade into battle and start knocking people down. They try to get up, knock them back down. They move 10 feet in your treat range, knock them down, they actually hit you, knock them down as well.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

If Incarnum is on the table, then Ironsoul Forgemaster is a very 'tanky' prestige class.

In effect, you get:

* Energy Resistance (fire, cold, electricity, acid, AND sonic) from your shield
* DR/- that stacks with other DR/- (so with Adamantine Full Plate, you can really rock the DR/-)
* Insight bonuses to damage (plus an almost-never-lands chance to daze). Since they are insight bonuses, they stack with the Enhancement bonuses you get from regular enchanting.
* The ability to make your own magic weapons and armor, although you'll need a caster to help you
* Continued Meldshaping progression 9/10 and all of the important chakra binds.

So you can sit there with sword and shield, and be mechanically effective. Heck, there's a couple of Crusader maneuvers that use a shield too. If you are getting really frisky with the damage bonus stacking, you might even consider TWFing with a Shield of Smiting and getting Improved Shield Bash.

[Finalsatyr]

That incarnum guy does sound really cool...not sure if I can make it fit his flavor though
I've never looked at Magic of Incarnum at all...so its another thing I don't really know too well
I'll take a look at it though