Dervish/Tempest (Scimitars Enchantments Help)

[Delai]

Okay so I'm back with another 3.5 character I'm trying to figure out. I'll tell you a bit about the character, feel free to add any suggestions, critiques you want.

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The Plan: Scout 3, Swashbuckler 3, Dervish 10, Tempest 4

Currently: Scout 3, Swashbuckler 3, Dervish 3, Tempest 4

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She wields two large scimitars (1d8s) using the strongarm bracers from the MIC. Now I know that I want each of them to have the Prismatic Burst enchantment on them.. bumping their price up to 30k+ each (Without affecting other enchants on the blades). As I am starting at level 13, I plan on putting some other enchants on it as well.. but thought Id try and get some feedback as to what I should get.

I could go the classic Flaming Burst and Freezing Burst.. but thats about all the ideas Ive come up with so far.. so.. any ideas?

[herrhauptmann]

What are your sources?

You're dualwielding, so I'd suggest flat cost enchantments like Spellblade (pgtf).
You'll also get lots of hits, with low damage, so I'd advise something that activates when you hit. Like Wounding or something.

Flat cost are good because they stop your price from spiraling out of control.

I've got a list here you may want to see.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218331


edit:

Get Soulfire Armor, and the lifedrinker weapon. You deal negative levels when you hit. I'd put one weapon as lifedrinker, and one prismatic burst. Cost is about the same, but you're getting different effects with each one. This is good if you've got an enemy immune to one, you might be able to hurt him with the other. Rather than having him immune to both your weapons.
Luckblade with 0 wishes. I think it's about 14k.
Is the extra 1 point of damage (on average) from larger weapons worth it? Since you're not stacking boosts (psywar with expansion, gold weapons, strongarm bracers), I'd usually say no.

[Delai]

When it comes down to it you're right.. I had the idea back when I was making a tempest dwarf (with large dwarven war axes) so it was worthwhile.

As for allowed books.. All the "complete" series, unearthed arcana, all the eberron books, others are on a case by case basis. My DM think ToB is too powerful alot of the time.. and frankly I agree.

As for Psionics.. he hasnt ruled them out, but hasnt ruled them in because he doesnt want to deal with them lol.

I'm taking a look at that list now, but yeah I see what you're saying.. My only thing regarding crit based enchants is that with imp crit I'm going to be critting on 15s, So I wonder if sticking to the on hit ones will be worthwhile or not.

[Andezzar]

If you can afford it, how about getting two Sun Blades (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#sunBlade)? They deal damage like Bastard Swords but are wielded like short swords. So you need neither strongarm bracers nor oversized TWF and still deal d10 slashing damage.

Further enchant the weapon to taste and budget.

[Delai]

If you can afford it, how about getting two Sun Blades (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#sunBlade)? They deal damage like Bastard Swords but are wielded like short swords. So you need neither strongarm bracers nor oversized TWF and still deal d10 slashing damage.

Further enchant the weapon to taste and budget.

I like the idea, but the reason I went with scimitars is that Dervish makes them count as light weapons (thus dex to hit with weapon finesse) and they will be critting on 15s, as opposed to 17s.

I can live with doing 1d6s considering how many attacks I will end up getting.. think about it.. say I have a BAB of 11.. I would hit up to 6 times (with appropriate feats for more offhand attacks), each attack would deal

1d6 + <Str Bonus> + <Int Bonus> + 1d6 Fire/Frost/etc

and on crits, which will be more often with scims..

1d6 + <Str Bonus> + <Int Bonus> + 1d6 Fire/Frost/etc + Flaming/Freezing Burst + Prismatic Burst

now on their own, I agree that its not super tons.. but lets average it out and say 3 of those hit.. with a str of say 16, and int of I dunno, 12.. that's 3d6+3d6+12 on noncrit, and (1d6+1d6+2d10+12)x2...Before even considering the Prismatic burst.

Plus there's the fact that I have an image in my head of this character wielding scims. :P

[herrhauptmann]

My DM think ToB is too powerful alot of the time.. and frankly I agree.

As for Psionics.. he hasnt ruled them out, but hasnt ruled them in because he doesnt want to deal with them lol.

ToB is too powerful, but he might allow psionics? I need a better smiley for laughing hysterically. :smallbiggrin:
There's a lot of abuses in psionics that aren't in the basic casting system.



I'm taking a look at that list now, but yeah I see what you're saying.. My only thing regarding crit based enchants is that with imp crit I'm going to be critting on 15s, So I wonder if sticking to the on hit ones will be worthwhile or not.
That will depend a lot on your game.
If a lot of creatures are going to be crit immune, go for the 'on hit' ones.



1d6 + <Str Bonus> + <Int Bonus> + 1d6 Fire/Frost/etc

and on crits, which will be more often with scims..
1d6 + <Str Bonus> + <Int Bonus> + 1d6 Fire/Frost/etc + Flaming/Freezing Burst + Prismatic Burst

now on their own, I agree that its not super tons.. but lets average it out and say 3 of those hit.. with a str of say 16, and int of I dunno, 12.. that's 3d6+3d6+12 on noncrit, and (1d6+1d6+2d10+12)x2...Before even considering the Prismatic burst.


About that, your damage looks off. Maybe I'm misreading something...

I don't think the fire damage from flaming burst stacks with the fire damage from flaming. Ditto for cold. (Fire is also the most commonly resisted element in the game. Sonic is probably the least.) So regular hits will only do 1d6 fire.

On a crit, your fire damage will be 1d6+1d10, plus whatever you get from Prismatic burst, as well as your base weapon (1d6+static mods)x2.
I don't know why you're doubling your fire damage in the last line quoted.

Have you checked the Zinc Saucier threads? They did one for dervish a few months ago, you could get the flavor and mechanics of dervish, without using the PrC.

[Delai]

The last line of damage was me making a mistake :P

But I just reread scout's skirmish blurb and found out that I can add the skirmish damage to each attack.. so with a stacking feat my DM and I have made.. I do an additional 2d6 precision damage every attack.. so with just corrosive/shocking weapons (As Im not getting the non prismatic bursts yet) my damage should be something like:

Normal: 1d6 + 2d6 Skirmish + Str Mod + Int Mod + 1 Enhancement Bonus + 1d6 Energy

Critical: 1d6 + 2d6 Skirmish + Str Mod + Int Mod + 1 Enhancement Bonus + 1d6 Energy + 1d10 Energy + Prismatic Burst

This not including any bonuses from magic items.

[herrhauptmann]

But I just reread scout's skirmish blurb and found out that I can add the skirmish damage to each attack.. so with a stacking feat my DM and I have made.. I do an additional 2d6 precision damage every attack.. so with just corrosive/shocking weapons (As Im not getting the non prismatic bursts yet) my damage should be something like:

Normal: 1d6 + 2d6 Skirmish + Str Mod + Int Mod + 1 Enhancement Bonus + 1d6 Energy

Critical: 2d6 + 2d6 Skirmish + 2*(Str Mod + Int Mod + 1 Enhancement Bonus) + 1d6 Energy + 1d10 Energy + Prismatic Burst


Yup, so long as you meet the criteria, you get your precision damage on all attacks.
So flanking rogue? All attacks.
Rogue with regular invisibility? One attack.
Rogue with improved invisibility? All attacks.

Stacking feat? Something like Daring Outlaw which stacks Rogue and Swashbuckler levels? Probably scout and swash?
Try asking for a feat similar to Craven (from Champions of Ruin). I'm thinking one that will add your HD to your skirmish damage. And as a flat bonus, it would multiply on a crit.

[Andezzar]

But I just reread scout's skirmish blurb and found out that I can add the skirmish damage to each attack.. so with a stacking feat my DM and I have made.. I do an additional 2d6 precision damage every attack.. so with just corrosive/shocking weapons (As Im not getting the non prismatic bursts yet) my damage should be something like:

Normal: 1d6 + 2d6 Skirmish + Str Mod + Int Mod + 1 Enhancement Bonus + 1d6 Energy

Critical: 1d6 + 2d6 Skirmish + Str Mod + Int Mod + 1 Enhancement Bonus + 1d6 Energy + 1d10 Energy + Prismatic BurstHuh?


A scout relies on mobility to deal extra damage and improve her defense. She deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks she makes during any round in which she moves at least 10 feet.So no skirmish damage unless you have some form of extra movement.

Since you don't get Two-Weapon Spring Attack (Tempest 5), this is irrelevant, but the Rules Compedium nerfs this ability:
A form of attack that enables an attacker to make multiple attacks during an action
other than a full-round action, such as the Manyshot feat (standard
action) or a quickened scorching ray (swift action), allows precision damage to be applied only to the first attack in the group.

I second looking at the Zinc Saucier Dervishes.

Also since not that much of your damage is static modifiers (no Two-Handed Power attack for example) I don't think crit fishing is such a good idea.

[herrhauptmann]

I second looking at the Zinc Saucier Dervishes.

Also since not that much of your damage is static modifiers (no Two-Handed Power attack for example) I don't think crit fishing is such a good idea.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=280212

Dug up the link for dervishes. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=280212
For static modifiers, find the X stat to Y bonus thread from Personman. (or Person_man, I forget)

[Andezzar]

Did you intentionally post the same link twice?

[herrhauptmann]

Did you intentionally post the same link twice?

Nope, grabbed the link, pasted it. Typed, then brainfarted and pasted again.
I'm just glad it wasn't an embarrassing one posted by accident. (I try to limit my number of open tabs for that reason)