[3.5] Let's Talk About Beatsticks

[strider24seven]

Every now and again, it feels good to get down and dirty and hit things with a sharp object until it drops.

The iconic D&D party features a Sword and Board Fighter, and most people are familiar with images of huge muscular men like Conan the Barbarian, but D&D offers players the chance to play melee in many different forms.

This is the thread to talk about your favorite beatstick, either played by you or by someone else.

I'll offer up Hassiq, a gish of yore (I haven't played him for a few years now):

Unseelie Fey (Winter), Magic-Blooded (Spark) Human
Paladin of Tyranny 2/Hexblade 4/Suel Arcanamach 4/Abjurant Champion 5

Used Cityscape to sub Paladin's Ride for Tumble to qualify for Suel Arcanamach. Dark companion to replace familiar from Hexblade. He ended up Lawful Evil despite his heritage - raised as a slave, he was determined to become a ruler himself, envious of the god-kings of his homeland, and struck out to secure power for himself.

Notable features:
- Lots of CHA synergy
- Several debuff auras to lower enemy saves
- Tough, Long-lasting buffs
- Nearly full BAB
- Party face with access to multiple conversation skills and high CHA

His party members were all spellcasters, and loved him for his debuff auras and for his ability to withstand great punishment whilst still putting out damage every round, and for his ability to manipulate others through his conversation skills. Played from levels 1-15, before the campaign came grinding to a halt because of college. All in all, a versatile beatstick, and one of my finer works (if I do say so myself).

[Azoth]

I have two beat sticks that come to mind. Both were for gestalt campaigns, but both were more beatstick than anything else to the group.

The first was Grusk, He was a monster who had been experimented on by wizards, befriended by savages, hunted by men, taken in by dwarves, and finally imprissoned as a guardian for a relic of power by Lolth herself...all before campaign start. He was templated to hell on one side, dumb as a box of rocks (int 4 without magic items boosting it)...and a walking 30' radius of raging death for anyone in the opposition. He was actually a very gentle and docile creature most of the time and just functioned as the party's walking U-Haul (light load of around 15 tons with a move speed of over 100'), but if someone attacked his friends he went completely ape **** and didn't stop hitting things until the paste that was their body stopped squelching when he hit it...then he painted with the pretty colors if there was time. I was sad when he died, and the party tried to attack Lolth outright to free the soul of their beloved simpleton.

The second was Maruuk. He was the wild man of borneo type. Abandoned in the woods, survived by mimicing animals and was just a feral wild child. He had great reverance for nature and strong animals. To him the party was his pack, and his Magebred War Trained Dire Wolf was his best friend (even got the DM to let me take Lupine as a language so they could talk without the use of magic). He was very much so the acrobatic type who ran, jumped, climbed, swam, or any combination of the above to get to a target before mauling its face off with his bite and claw attacks. In the end, he was one of the few people to survive as original characters in the campaign's end despite being the most reckless son of a ***** in the group.

[Kristofthegreat]

Anthropormorphic (Human Looking) "Bear Man" was a favorite in one campaign. He took levels of a few things out of the book of vile darkness, so he eminated a 30' radius of fear and had a force scythe, so if he didn't activate his blade (similar to a lightsaber / scythe), he would just beat people with a metal stick. He was also a bear-man.

One of my favorite builds that I did was a 10th level Fallen Paladin / Blackguard who took levels of Desciple of Dispader (I think) to the full limit. He fought in full plate, weilding kukuris, which were rusty. He took a couple of feats, so they critically hit on something like an 8. He was a dwarf and also took feats and things so not only did they increase their damage to his level (to a D8, I think), but he got to add his con bonus to attacks instead of strength.

[Spuddles]

Krug, the half water orc (other half minotaur!), troll-blooded barbarian/monk/fist of the forest/frenzied berserker.

Absolute combat monster, dumb as a box of rocks, and generally a friendly sociopath. Sort of ended up as party leader because Krug very handsome :smallwink:

[strider24seven]

Krug, the half water orc (other half minotaur!), troll-blooded barbarian/monk/fist of the forest/frenzied berserker.

Absolute combat monster, dumb as a box of rocks, and generally a friendly sociopath. Sort of ended up as party leader because Krug very handsome :smallwink:

Nonsense. That is obviously a wizard. Observe how I would play him:


"Krug cast magic missile!" ::throws bag of rocks::
"Krug cast rope trick!" ::throws 50ft rope into tree::
"Krug cast polymorph into ANGRY KRUG!" ::frenzies::