[3.5] Born! The King of Braves!

[Red Fel]

In a recent thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15962778), I was playing with the idea of a Warforged Dragonborn blah-blah-blah, and it occurred to me that I was in essence toying with the building blocks of GaoGaiGar. While I have since moved elsewhere with that build (Spoiler: I didn't build GaoGaiGar) it made me wonder: How exactly would one build the King of Braves in 3.5?

So here's the build challenge. The goal is to build Genesic GaoGaiGar. All books are available, 3.5e only, no level limit, no homebrews. Any class/race combinations. Further, although the character is a giant robot, we may assume that any size that works for your build - medium, large, small, whatever - is acceptable. We may also assume, although the character is designed for melee, that any effect which replicates its key abilities is acceptable. Thus, if you can pull it all off with caster classes, feel free to try it.

The build does not have to be viable; I have no intent to use it. This is purely a creative exercise.

Here is some information about the character, including physical description:GaoGaiGar is a giant robot, a la Voltron meets Transformers. To start with, the core/pilot, Guy Shishio, is an evolved humanoid/cyborg who fuses with an alien robotic lion, Galeon, and a bunch of vehicles (a jet, a train, etc.) to become a giant robot with a lion on its chest. The giant robot, Genesic GaoGaiGar, features functional wings, a tail, claws, and other weapons and abilities described below.
Here is a list of the character's abilities:1: Broken Magnum: GaoGaiGar shoots its fist at an enemy
2: Protect Shade: Creates a barrier when attacked, which responds by unleashing a destructive wave
3: Straight/Spiral Drill: He has drills on his knees, because reasons, and he knee-drills people, because knee-drills
4: Will Knife: Forms a blade extending from the hand, with sharpness based on the user's will
5: Bolting Driver: Forms a sort of mini-cannon over the hand, which fires explosive/disruptive bolts
6: Hell and Heaven (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnVlcBXpTtc): GGG's signature finishing move. Generates powerful electromagnetic fields (fluff appropriately) from his hands, allowing GGG to charge at an enemy and rip out its core/heart/whatever. I have included video for reference.
So, there you are, Playgrounders. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to create a winged, tailed, clawed, lion-themed (giant?) robot with neato abilities. Go nuts.

[The-Mage-King]

Are we allowed 3rd party?

This is important, since I have a common belief that the best way to model G-stone, Spiral Power, The Power, et all Green Emotion-based space rocks is Psionics, and DSP has some useful things for this.

[Red Fel]

I'd prefer to avoid 3rd Party, but as long as you specifically label it as such, I don't see a particular problem with it. This is a creative exercise, after all.

[The-Mage-King]

Hm....


My gut says a gish build for Evoluder Guy. Probably an Elan Psion (Shaper) X/Slayer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/slayer.htm) 10/Psion Y, maybe with a level or two of Warblade thrown in for save replacements+IHS, but still at ML 17 minimum. Knows Astral Construct, has the Personal Construct ACF (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) (GaiGar, obviously) and a feat for Fusion, along with this beauty (http://dsp-d20-srd.wikidot.com/astral-juggernaut-power) to represent Genesic GaoGaiGar itself. Other powers are used to recreate the attacks and other capabilities.


But, for Genesic GaoGaiGar itself, as its own character? Warforged Warblade with a number of armor enhancements, a Throwing Battlefist, and levels in Bloodstorm Blade, maybe?

[Red Fel]

Hm....


My gut says a gish build for Evoluder Guy. Probably an Elan Psion (Shaper) X/Slayer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/slayer.htm) 10/Psion Y, maybe with a level or two of Warblade thrown in for save replacements+IHS, but still at ML 17 minimum. Knows Astral Construct, has the Personal Construct ACF (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) (GaiGar, obviously) and a feat for Fusion, along with this beauty (http://dsp-d20-srd.wikidot.com/astral-juggernaut-power) to represent Genesic GaoGaiGar itself. Other powers are used to recreate the attacks and other capabilities.


But, for Genesic GaoGaiGar itself, as its own character? Warforged Warblade with a number of armor enhancements, a Throwing Battlefist, and levels in Bloodstorm Blade, maybe?

Interesting. With regard to Guy, I like your build. I think the Astral Construct idea makes sense, and the Will Knife is very like a Mind Blade in some ways, so psionics function very well. IHS is definitely mandatory for how often Guy does his courage/willpower "My G-Stone is powered by my awesomeness" thing.

And I definitely see Genesic GGG as a Warforged something or other, although I could see other race builds as well.

But what would you do about the abilities? Bloodstorm Blade could certainly give you the Broken Magnum, but what about the rest? Some of them, like the drill knees, are fairly easy to replicate (unarmed attack with a spiked piece of armor of some kind), but what about Hell and Heaven, for example?

[The-Mage-King]

The Warforged only feat Shocking Fist from Player's Guide to Eberron, combined with a good-damage Strike, I suppose. Maybe one of the White Raven charging ones?

[Red Fel]

The Warforged only feat Shocking Fist from Player's Guide to Eberron, combined with a good-damage Strike, I suppose. Maybe one of the White Raven charging ones?

It's nice, and fits the flavor. Electrified hands and all. As a bonus, it should be noted that pre-Genesic GGG suffered damage from using H&H, so that's added fluff. A bit on the weak side for what should be his finishing move, but it could be augmented with something else.

So, let's review. If we build him as a psionic construct, with Guy as the character, we use a Psionic build with various upgrades as you've suggested. That won't let us take Shocking Fist, but frankly, Psionics can replicate just about anything we want, so I'm not terribly worried there.

If we build him directly as the robot, we go Warforged. I like Warblade, for IHS and such; we could set him up for unarmed attacks or with a hammer. For added flavor, we could make him Dragonborn Warforged, which could net us wings and tail (with feats). Adding Roaring enchant on the armor fills out the lion vibe, and we could add claws as well if needed. Shocking Fist to reproduce H&H, Bloodstorm Blade and a Battlefish for Broken Magnum. Maybe some kind of armor spikes with unarmed attacks for the knee drills.

What does that leave? We still need a source for Protect Shade. I figure that would be easier if building him as PsiGuy. Isn't there a spell that creates a wall that deals sonic damage if struck? Is there a Psi version of that?

We also need a source for Will Knife and Bolting Driver, although those strike me as gear options rather than actual abilities.

Finally, we need an actual build. These myriad pieces are all good and well, but the question is raised as to how they fit together into an actual, fits-the-RAW build.

Any takers? Or other suggestions?