Planning for the future (Optimizers keep out)

[dantiesilva]

Hello playground, if you are a normal everyday, does not berate every build that is not optimized welcome. If you only care about optimization please just leave now, you will be raging over what will be in this thread more then likely and stating I should rebuild the entire thing.

Well with that over to everyone still reading I am happy you are still here and are willing to help. At the moment in one of the games I am playing in, my character is a noble in an empire that is ruled by those who can wield arcane magic. I have just recently hit level 3 and I am in a frozen tundra for my small portion of the kingdom.

Over the past few months my mind keeps being drawn back to Thay and the red wizards, as my character is much like them. though he does have a small code of honor. However I want to look at the larger scale game, as there are two other players in this game that have their own threads with their own hidden agenda's. As such I wanted to begin working on a royal guard if you will. And as such I began dabbling with the idea of the Abjurant champion, and mixing it with a Thayan Knight as it seems like it would flow well as a character for royals who is also only their to protect the one they consider their king (my character).

The build so far

Combat Wizard 4/Fighter 2//Abjurat champion 5/Thayan Knight 5/Spellsword 4

Does this seem like a realistic build that would fit fluff wise? Keep in mind I am not looking for optimized, just simple flow well together.

[Helcack]

I think fluff-wise it would flow well, as long as your character was a Red Wizard of Thay at least. Otherwise a guard who is dedicated to someone other than their king is likely to turn on the king if commanded.

[Doc_Maynot]

No levels in Noble? For shame. :smallwink:
The build looks interesting and fun to play.

[Der_DWSage]

Hm. My only question is-why Ranger? Are you going for the Favored Enemy, or the general 'Man of the wilderness' type of person? My first thought was to swap out the Ranger for the more focused Horizon Walker and take Mountains as your terrain, to better show your mastery over the kingdom's natural state, but either way still works.

[Emperor Tippy]

Why ranger and why fighter?

BAB prerequisites or something else?

[dantiesilva]

To get into Spellsword you need a BAB of +4
Abjurant champion +5
Thayan knight +5

Spellsword requires access to 2nd level arcane spells
Abjurant champion just 1 Abjuration spell.

Wizard 2 gets me +1 BAB and 1st level spells
Fighter 2 gets me another +2 BAB

However what I just realized was that what I was counting on (BAB 4 from ranger) would get me into Spellsword, but I need to take 2 more levels in wizard to do so. Meaning the build now is Wizard 4/Fighter 2 (fighter grants me the BAB needed, as well as bonus feats to get into the classes I need with ease.


@Doc_Maynot In truth I considered noble, however nobles would have mindsets that would not allow them to be commanded at times. A commoner,or expert would work much better for my needs because of this. My friend is actually using a similar build Wizard 1/Paladin 5/ Abjurant champion 1 and so far it is keeping up power wise with the nerf my DM placed on DMM Persist.

@Helcack Well their will be red wizard levels, there are however no red wizards in this game. I would be making them basically.

[Radar]

However what I just realized was that what I was counting on (BAB 4 from ranger) would get me into Spellsword, but I need to take 2 more levels in wizard to do so. Meaning the build now is Wizard 4/Fighter 2 (fighter grants me the BAB needed, as well as bonus feats to get into the classes I need with ease.
It would be helpful to update the first post with the current build in order to avoid confusion and repeated or out-of date advice.

On the character itself: the fluff might work as long as it goes well with DM's ideas about the empire. I'm mostly worried about the tatoos, which are clearly a form of mind control and/or slavery. It would be good to discuss it with the DM, since it might be a affecting the world at large.

If I understand it correctly, you intend to make such a character a bodyguard to your Red Wizard, or am I mistaken?

[dantiesilva]

The build will be the use for his bodyguards yes. Think of them as his Honor Guard. I will also be making Fighter 3/Marshal 2/Dragon samurai X characters as well for soliders. At the moment the empire thinks he is working for them, and a group known as Hydra thinks the same. It works out because Hydra's member's are suppose to look like they are part of the empire at this time so nothing conflicting so far. But in the end he is using them both to maintain his power and expand it after making sure his army can take on any that come at him.

He already has a huge advantage of being in a fridge environment not made for most of the empires people. It is the coldest place in the empire he lives and rules. And it is a mountain making it that much easier to defend. Throw in the snow people who plague the land and the days it takes to get from city to city on a normal clear day with no storms and you have a very good starting point to build an army.

[JusticeZero]

Hello playground, if you are a normal everyday, does not berate every build that is not optimized welcome. If you only care about optimization please just leave now, you will be raging over what will be in this thread more then likely and stating I should rebuild the entire thing..
Waitwait what? I'm not described by the above statement, but I still found it offensive. Why go on the attack like that in such a harsh way when just some milder mention that you are low-op and focusing on fluff would communicate your idea better than flicking rude gestures at a lot of good and helpful people??

[dantiesilva]

Because those good helpful people only rip any build that is not fully optimized apart and call it garbage. Should I as a person asking for help have to deal with that? I do not believe so, nor do I believe anyone else should have their builds judged on a scale of what an optimizer finds fair. This is a game where you are to have fun not break a group apart by min/maxing everything.

If you find it offensive I am more then happy for you to report it however know I will also be pulling 5 threads where others ask for help and are told their builds are garbage. It is real disheartening as a player to hear left and right how your build is crap and you should change this or do that. Thats why I asked, in what I thought was a nice way for optimizers to keep out. Again if you feel it was rude I do understand and will not be mad if you report it.

[JusticeZero]

That's why I suggested saying you were looking for low-op and focusing on optimizing the fluff.
I see a lot of people raging at optimizers acting as though they are being hateful when all I saw was attempting to help get the concept offered to perform the role desired. Optimizers are quick to offer help for several reasons.
One, they enjoy the game.
Two, they want other people to enjoy the game by having characters who don't end up on the bench for lack of options to use or for being ineffective at what they are made to do.
Three, they get irritated when people who build characters that don't do what they are designed to do proceed to think it is their divine right to chase them away from the game they love just because they are somewhat good at it.

Take a statement like "(Roleplayers stay out) If you are an ordinary person who likes to play stay. If you are one of those roleplayers who aren't satisfied unless their character is as weak as possible, then leave now, because you're just going to be happy with anything you read, because I want to make a character that isn't just a cool backstory, but can kind've do their job."

I think you might take a bit of offense to that, as a roleplayer, because it has a couple of straw man slurs in it that are on the level of grade school.

Anyways. It probably isn't usable in your game, but your concept sounds similar to the Warden that is being playtested for Pathfinder right now. There's a ginormous thread on those classes. However, it is 1: 3p, 2: playtest, and 3: Pathfinder.

[Radar]

Depending on how much you want to focus on your underlings, there are some interesting options to vary them a bit:

Void Disciple (Complete Divine) could make a good right-hand-man with his various detection abilities. If you delve into politics, such a minion would be a valuable source of inteligence.

Avenging Executioner (Complere Scoundrel) might be an interesting base for terror troops if you need such. His basic ability allows him to frighten all enemies whenever he gets to use Sudden Strike (ability similar to Sneak Attack). After a few levels he can use Sudden Strike on all enemies under fear effects, so the ball gets rolling.

If I can gauge correctly, those prestige classes should be in line with your chosen power level.

[Averis Vol]

So, and I don't mean this to be taken offensively but it might, your character is a terrible person right? You did say he was basically a red wizard. if that is correct, then yea, the thayan gish should work just fine; both through fluff and mechanically.

If your character has any semblance of a heart I would suggest something like Ranger 2/ Hexblade 3/ Purple dragon knight 5/x 10. The main thing here is to grab Nemesis from BoED and have each guard grab a different favored enemy of each of the common races in the area, so you basically have constant "Detect {creature type}" to protect you from assassination attempts. Hex blade gives you defenses against a lot of things, specifically mid control (because nothing sucks worse than having your personal guard get taken over, Arcane resistance you can add your CHA to saves, all the better to keep them on your side) and purple dragon knight has a lot of both boosting powers and defensive. X is left open so things can be filled in.

[dantiesilva]

I take no offense Don 't worry. But yes he is LE torture you name it. He'll he is in the middle of killing his own father

[Chronos]

Wait, I might be thinking of the wrong organization, but aren't the Thayan knights slavishly devoted to the Red Wizards? It seems odd to have levels in that and wizard both in the same class.

[Ranting Fool]

Wait, I might be thinking of the wrong organization, but aren't the Thayan knights slavishly devoted to the Red Wizards? It seems odd to have levels in that and wizard both in the same class.

Haven't read it in awhile but I do believe they are. Also something about them Auto-failing spells vs Red wizards but gain some buffs.

Can anyone tell me what book Thayan Knights and Red Wizards are in? I've got an odd urge to look them up :smallbiggrin:

But as far as the build goes, what about levels of Knight (LE) instead of fighter. While not really that great vs a fighter if you're only going for a few levels it could fit fluffwise :smallbiggrin:

[Waker]

Wait, I might be thinking of the wrong organization, but aren't the Thayan knights slavishly devoted to the Red Wizards? It seems odd to have levels in that and wizard both in the same class.
I haven't read much of the fluff concerning Thay as well, but it does seem a bit odd to have a Wizard who also takes levels in a class where you are a fanatic defender of Wizards. Not too mention that if you have some political ambitions in a nation ruled by Wizards, it might be a bad idea to take a class that makes you auto-fail saves against Wizards.

But as far as the build goes, what about levels of Knight (LE) instead of fighter. While not really that great vs a fighter if you're only going for a few levels it could fit fluffwise :smallbiggrin:
I would also second your use of Knight in place of Fighter. You get less feats, but you get some decent abilities like the Challenge ability. If you dropped the Thayan Knight levels, you could fit in more levels of Spellsword or perhaps a different class like Eldritch Knight.

[dantiesilva]

Thayan Knights only auto fail to their red wizard masters, thus Being the only red wizard means they only auto fail to me in essence. A Fighting force that can never turn on you and must always protect you, has its uses.

As For trading fighter to Knight....It would make me work feats around a bit, but not drastically I will admit.

Dropping Thayan knight for classes that give more spellcasting as well as BAB would be the exact opposite of what I am asking for and going more towards min/maxing, something I am trying to stay away from.

[Waker]

Thayan Knights only auto fail to their red wizard masters, thus Being the only red wizard means they only auto fail to me in essence. A Fighting force that can never turn on you and must always protect you, has its uses.

As For trading fighter to Knight....It would make me work feats around a bit, but not drastically I will admit.

Dropping Thayan knight for classes that give more spellcasting as well as BAB would be the exact opposite of what I am asking for and going more towards min/maxing, something I am trying to stay away from.

Except that Thayan Knight doesn't specify a certain Wizard of Thay, just Wizard of Thay. So your guy could used against you if you come up against another Thayan Wizard.

As for your comment on PrCs, I didn't suggest dropping Thayan Knight strictly for mechanical reasons. Besides, Spellsword is hardly the most impressive PrC considering the half caster progression so you would get 3 more caster levels at most. Since you want a bodyguard kinda build, what about Devoted Defender from Sword and Fist? It's 3.0, but it is fairly easy to update.

[The Insanity]

Combat Wizard 4/Fighter 2//Abjurat champion 5/Thayan Knight 5/Spellsword 4

Does this seem like a realistic build that would fit fluff wise?
Yes.

BTW. I'm an optimizer, yet I managed to not berate you for making a subpar character. Weird, huh?

[dantiesilva]

@The Insanity You also respected what I asked above. Tell me what did your normal instincts say when you saw the build? To change this and that around?

@Waker You have a point on the thayan wizard part, something I may have to speak over with my DM to see if I could work it a particular way of wording then so they only obey me.

14/20 casting is not something to laugh at however either, it would make it much simpler for them to "break free" of my will and rebel with more caster levels. I had considered it, as well as starting with a duskblade to be honest. However Abjurant champion would not give it much, and going straight duskblade would have been more useful.

[Yogibear41]

I'm pretty sure lore wise Thayan Knights never have arcane caster levels they are just sworn to protect the red wizards. Also by combat wizard does that mean the UA variant giving you fighter feats instead of normal wizard ones?

You could probably just replace it with more spellsword, or maybe even just eldritch knight since it is basically the quintessential gish class.

Looking at your original post, this is for your guards and not you? May want to have some healing bots close by if you are building guards. Creating some golems for your guards sounds like an amazing idea if your primary adversaries are also arcane spell casters.

Also there is the idea that if this is for your guards, and your and other societies are ruled by arcane spell casters and your evil,(probably LE) then maybe you should outlaw the teaching of other wizards and sorcerers etc. in your kingdom so no threat arises to usurp your throne? All the more reason for the big dumb fighters to lay down their lives to protect you the superior being. (now this is where some thayan knight action would be great)

Also you should be nice to the optimizers they only want to help ha ha :smallsmile: you can still optimize things that aren't optimal if you know what I mean.

[dantiesilva]

@Yogibear41 If you can point me to a place with actual Thayan knight law that would be great, as I could not find one to be honest. As such I saw no reason one could not have caster levels.

I could replace it with more spellswrd or eldritch knight, but I am trying to stay away from giving him many more caster levels. I wish for my guards to be capable in magic enough to defend me against it, but more competent with a blade so that when in a situation like an AMF they are still useful.

Golems would later become a mass produced thing I am hoping, Shadesteel ones and such. But at this time (going on level 4) unrealistic. Though some healers will be in order as I have gotten the church of Pelor and Hextor pissed at me.

Making such a law would threaten to alert the empire I am still in at this time that I am trying to break off. However controlled teaching is a different matter once I become the undisputed ruler of my area. So far my family boosts, a transmuter, a conjurer, a Dread necromancer, and myself an illusionist. And that is not including my dragon master.

I just do not like how I have been treated by optimizers when I want to have a fun character over the past, and as such have kept to not posting asking for help 98% of the time as of late. I am happy to see it is not AS bad as before.

[Sith_Happens]

If you ask me, nothing says "bodyguard" quite like Crusader. Extremely hard to kill, get the perfect stance for making AoOs, can heal you whenever they hit your would-be assassin, and fluff-wise are basically the any-alignment-friendly version of a Paladin/Knight? I'll take a whole platoon.

[The Insanity]

@The Insanity You also respected what I asked above. Tell me what did your normal instincts say when you saw the build? To change this and that around?
They told me to change Wizard and Fighter levels into Warblade and/or Crusader, both which are more efficient warriors and better suited to protecting someone. 9 levels of Wizard casting won't do you much good. And I might be wrong, but isn't Abjurant Champion mainly for self-buffing?
My instincts also told me to replace Thayan Knight, Abjurant Champion and Spellsword with Occult Slayer and Witch Slayer. Your main character is a caster and the biggest threat to a caster is another caster, so it's better if your bodyguard is geared towards fighting casters, which those two Slayer prcs are for.

There's something that is unclear to me. Does "//" mean gestalt? Because if it does than that build is illegal.


I just do not like how I have been treated by optimizers when I want to have a fun character over the past
You just have to realize that "optimized" doesn't mean "unfun". Quite the opposite actually. Believe me, it's more fun when your character is actually good at the things you want him to be good at.

[MinMax Hardcore]

Dropping Thayan knight for classes that give more spellcasting as well as BAB would be the exact opposite of what I am asking for and going more towards min/maxing, something I am trying to stay away from.

When running a country that is ruled by wizards, more spellcasting
sounds good.

[dantiesilva]

Truthfully I have never heard of the "Witch slayer" PrC before though I have used Occult slayer in the past. As for ToB classes, most DM's do not allow the ToB because things get silly and impossible for them to keep up if they do not know all the rules. And as he is already letting me use just about any source allowed as long as I realive it opens the same things up to him, I rather not fight a legion of Crusaders that the empire controls.

As for the "//" that would happen to be a mistype and will be fixed as son as I get a chance now that it has been brought to my attention.

I take it you have never played an average game where you are the only one optimizing then were the party gets annoyed and hates you because there is no need for them. Players drop, those that stay ignore your character. I have seen it happen and have heard of it happening. I am in a game to have fun, plain, simple fun. As this is a multiplayer game I want to make sure those I am playing with also have fun. Optimizing so that no one can do anything (Incatrix, DMM persist, JAck be trip,.etc) is not what I call fun, it is optimizing, and I see more and more some of these builds being suggested in actual games to be played.

[Waker]

Witch Slayer is a PrC from Tome of Magic. 2/5 of it's class abilities have to do with Binders/Possessed Creatures, but the other three (Mettle, Slippery Mind and a magic suppressing attack) are rather shiny. Qualifying for the class is the trickiest part, as it requires you to have fought a Binder or Possessed Creature.
As for the optimizing you are trying to avoid, clearly stating the boundaries of what you are looking for tends to keep out most of the extreme suggestions. In the few threads where I have come looking for advice, I rarely get any outrageous replies to my queries.

[dantiesilva]

And knowing my DM fighting a possessed or bound creature will be very interesting to try and pull off in a RP game. Especially with a bunch of characters. 1 or 2 I may be able to get by, but no more. I could see them as more assassins however with ranger levels and Arcane hunter ACF.

[The Insanity]

Truthfully I have never heard of the "Witch slayer" PrC before
It's in Tome of Magic. Similar to Occult Slayer in function, but has different abilities. Occult Slayer and Witch Slayer work great together, giving the character both defense and offense against casters.


I take it you have never played an average game where you are the only one optimizing then
You're wrong, I have. There were no problems, simply because I wasn't a jerk.


the party gets annoyed and hates you because there is no need for them. Players drop, those that stay ignore your character. I have seen it happen and have heard of it happening. I am in a game to have fun, plain, simple fun. As this is a multiplayer game I want to make sure those I am playing with also have fun. Optimizing so that no one can do anything (Incatrix, DMM persist, JAck be trip,.etc) is not what I call fun, it is optimizing, and I see more and more some of these builds being suggested in actual games to be played.
Those aren't problems with optimizing, but with jerk players, plain and simple. Optimizing in of itself doesn't create problems, players do.

[Waker]

Those aren't problems with optimizing, but with jerk players, plain and simple. Optimizing in of itself doesn't create problems, players do.

This is fairly accurate. As long as you behave in a friendly manner with the other players and don't play your character in such a way as they step on other's toes they usually won't get too bothered. I have yet to come across a situation where the party yells at my Bard for buffing them up too much or my Paladin for being too competent a Tank/Healer.

[dantiesilva]

The first time I played a cleric I came looking for help. Once the people saw my character was a dam cleric 2 outright dropped. Those who stayed made the cm nerd it to the point it became a waste of feats before the game even began. You may have had better groups, but every time something looks optimized from what I have seen the complaints start coming.

[The Insanity]

The first time I played a cleric I came looking for help. Once the people saw my character was a dam cleric 2 outright dropped. Those who stayed made the cm nerd it to the point it became a waste of feats before the game even began. You may have had better groups, but every time something looks optimized from what I have seen the complaints start coming.
Sorry, but I'm having trouble understanding what you are saying.

[Waker]

The first time I played a cleric I came looking for help. Once the people saw my character was a dam cleric 2 outright dropped. Those who stayed made the cm nerd it to the point it became a waste of feats before the game even began. You may have had better groups, but every time something looks optimized from what I have seen the complaints start coming.

I'm not understanding what you are trying to say at these two parts.
As for the groups giving you grief, don't show them your character sheet? Seriously, it is none of their business what is on the sheet. The only ones who should have access to it are you and the DM.

[dantiesilva]

Sorry posting from my phone that has auto correct. Dam cleric is suppose to be dmm cleric. The other is DM nerfed dmm persist. No matter how many turning pools you have can only use one of them for dmm, thus defeating the purpose.

[The Insanity]

So if I understand you correctly, you made an optimized Cleric, your group saw it and started complaining, so your DM nerfed it?

[dantiesilva]

Yes, that is correct. Did not even wait to see me play either. Happens on the boards often.

[The Insanity]

It was a game online? Can I perhaps get a link?

[dantiesilva]

I will ask our cm if he still has the pms from the players that left/complained. As for the game itself is called shadows of the past. We are on our 4th ic now.

[The Insanity]

I skimmed through the recruitment thread and I didn't see anyone complaining about your character or dropping out. Was all that strictly through PMs?

[dantiesilva]

From what I am aware.

[Xerlith]

So, basically, it's conformity speaking through you? I did not initially want to touch this subject, but it made me curious

You optimized, your non-optimizing low-op co-players got, uh, "offended" by your a tad bit optimized build... So you now hate optimizers, while it was those non-optimizers who feared you'd overshadow them who started the case?

Funny thing is, Thayan Knight seems to not really fit fluff-wise (unless heavy-refluffing is in place), but, apart from being a non-spellcasting class, appears to be an optimization case - Since you're the only "Red Wizard", you basically made yourself immune to all the disclaimers of failing saves against Red Wizards' spells. That, my friend, is a metagaming optimization, no less.

And not to feel unhelpful, I'd like to point out that Red Wizard class seems more fitting than Thayan Knight. you're not protecting a master, you ARE the master.

[The Insanity]

And not to feel unhelpful, I'd like to point out that Red Wizard class seems more fitting than Thayan Knight. you're not protecting a master, you ARE the master.
For clarification, the Thayan Knight build discussed in this thread isn't the OPs character, but just his bodyguard(s). The OPs actual PC is a Red Wizard, from what I understand.

[Xerlith]

Then well, it works. Kind of. Still fails only to the OP's spells. :smallamused:

[dantiesilva]

@Xerlith That would be correct if every single time someone asks for help they are not criticized for their build and told to take more caster levels. Does not matter what the build is, the answer is always more caster levels or ToB. That is why I asked nicely for optimizers to stay out as I know a few people this has happened to besides myself. So instead of getting into petty arguments I asked them to stay out so their were no annoyances like the one I am dealing with now.

As for thayan knight not fitting a guard to a magically ruled kingdom, it was made for exactly that. Mind you it could have been made better, but you can say that about any class that is not tier 1.

[Sith_Happens]

@Xerlith That would be correct if every single time someone asks for help they are not criticized for their build and told to take more caster levels. Does not matter what the build is, the answer is always more caster levels or ToB. That is why I asked nicely for optimizers to stay out as I know a few people this has happened to besides myself. So instead of getting into petty arguments I asked them to stay out so their were no annoyances like the one I am dealing with now.

Sounds like you've had bad luck on your sampling. The majority of threads I've seen have not directly criticized the original build, and plenty of them contain few or no suggestions to add casting to a non-casting build. Admitted initiator classes do get suggested a lot, but that's mainly because there's so incredibly multiclass-friendly in the first place.

[Xerlith]

I guess i should feel offended being called an annoyance. :smallconfused:
Oh well. I hope you do know that writing in a tone like that is exactly what makes people behave appropriately towards you. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As I said earlier, I took it that the build is for your character, not a cohort.
For a cohort, the Thay Knight makes sense.

[passive-aggresive mode]Also, you DO know that AbjChamping and 2-lvl fighter dipping can be considered optimizing? Since optimization, at its core, means choosing best options from those given, and that's what I'm seeing in your build.
On a sidenote, I've never even once built a character that wasn't fitting fluff-wise into what I was playing. Guess I don't fit your "optimizer" description.[/passive-aggresive mode]

Finally, take a look at the Suel Arcanamach class. It fits the fluff you want completely. It was, if I remember correctly, in Complete Arcane.

So, say, a fighter4/hexblade1/Thayan Knight5/Suel5/AbjChamp5 could make a flavorful and competent combatant, who was taught magic only for the purpose of protecting their master, chosen from those who displayed affinity for it.
And is far from being optimized, which I guess counts as a plus.

[TuggyNE]

@Xerlith That would be correct if every single time someone asks for help they are not criticized for their build and told to take more caster levels. Does not matter what the build is, the answer is always more caster levels or ToB. That is why I asked nicely for optimizers to stay out as I know a few people this has happened to besides myself. So instead of getting into petty arguments I asked them to stay out so their were no annoyances like the one I am dealing with now.

I'm inclined to suspect the root problem is a poorly-defined problem statement; if you give an engineer (and make no mistake, optimizers are D&D engineers) a well-defined problem, they'll generally solve it. But if you give them a problem that appears inconsistently phrased or missing some important consideration, they'll bring that to your attention.

This is why simply saying "please don't try to solve for X" doesn't work well: you've still given them the problem, so they'll still be itching to solve it, explain why it really does need to be solved, or whatever.

[dantiesilva]

@Xerlith I must admit I had not remembered the Suel Arcanamach as I have never played it. But it however does fit much better, thank you. However I am thinking Hexblade 5/Thayan Knight5/Suel Aracanamach 10 would be much better. As now it does not have the problem of only being able to self buff an Abjurant champion would have, as well as it stops progression of increasing caster levels of either, making me stuck with what I have to work with.

Suel Arcanamach requires
BAB +6 (easy)
Concentration 4 ranks (easy enough), Jump 4 ranks (easy), Spellcraft 5 ranks (easy), Tumble 4 ranks ( medium difficulty as I would need to take a feat to make it easy)

Combat casting and Iron Will (easy)
Language Ancient Suloise (difficult)
Proficient in 4 martial or exotic weapons (difficult)
Must have read the Grimoire Arcanamacha (hardest)

Thayan knight requires
Human
Neutral or evil
BAB +5
Intimidate 2 ranks, Knowledge arcane 2 ranks, Knowledge local (thay) 2 ranks,
Iron will (both require so easy), Weapon focus longsword (easy to get, a waist of a feat however)
Sworn alliance to red wizard (me)

All in all the hardest thing I think I will face is getting my DM to approve the SA as it does require a lot of special things compared to the thayan knight. Though if he does it will fit better, thank you.

[Doc_Maynot]

Uh, as a hexblade you are proficient will all martial weapons, so it'll be quite easy for you in that aspect.

[dantiesilva]

I meant if I went the exotic route. After all the double bladed scimitar from eberon is pretty nifty. However with Weapon focus longsword duel wielding is kind of pointless. And getting a spiked tower shield would be more beneficial.

Human feat Weapon focus (Longsword)
1st level feat Iron Will
3rd level feat Combat casting
6th level feat Power attack
9th level feat Tower shield proficiency
12th level feat Shield wall
15th level feat Leap attack
18th level feat Lighting reflexes

How does that sound for feats? I want him to be able to resist most things with enough ease, while also being strong enough to stand in a fight without help.

Should I instead take ability focus for my last two feats? To boost my Hexblades curse up to DC16+cha modifier? It would make it more able to stay later on in fights? Also just noticed hexblade gets a bonus feat so combat casting takes that slot leaving one slot still open for feats.

Also if it is relevent I will be taking the dark companion ACF.

[Xerlith]

Dark Companion is THE ACF for the Hexblades. It's one of the things that help make it a viable choice.
Hexblade 2 gives you Arcane Resistance, adding your Charisma to your saves. At 3rd level you get Mettle, so you put those heightened saves to a good use. Although as the build is a bit feat-starved, I'd say Hexblade4/Fighter1 is a better entry.

Is this supposed to be a whole squad or just a single soldier? Shield Wall is completely useless, I'd like to note, since you have the Shield spell that you can drop at any time thanks to AbjChamp. If you want your guards to be an impassable wall, you're better off getting the Stand Still feat, probably grabbing Combat Reflexes earlier. It allows to actually, you know, stop people before they get to you. It would be nice if your soldiers could use two weapons, a halberd and a longsword. Maybe throw in Quick Draw so they can switch them on the fly. Or give them Gloves of Storing.

Suel Arcanamach and Grimoire Suloise... Refluffing it is easy. Just be the one who creates The Book (of course named differently). And of course this would let you skip the language part.

How are you, though, intending to cast with a Tower Shield imposing a 50% ASF penalty?

Also, It's worth noting that Abjurant Champion does not need a Shield, as his Shield spell gives him a +9 shield bonus and does not stack with a mundane shield.

[dantiesilva]

A few posts up I changed the build a bit, taking out adjutant champion. As for the spell failure SA changes it to 30%