Swift Hunter for free-for-all arena

[mucco]

Hello,

I have a friend who is entering a Swift Hunter into a free-for-all level 16 arena. He is a good optimizer but he is up against a Cleric, a Psionic character, as well as an optimized (God type) Wizard, and possibly more casters. This being level 16, he is in quite some trouble.

What are his best build options? He currently is thinking about trying to hide away while the others battle it out, as Darkstalker will negate most senses.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Sorry, your friend is probably hosed. -Maybe- he's got a shot if he goes mystic SotAO ranger on his ranger part, but even then it's looking bleak.

Actually, if he goes scout/ cleric/ prestige ranger he might be okay.

[magotter]

Alright, time to dust off some build sheets I haven't touched in a few years.....

You actually might, might have a shot at this. Assuming you build right and everyone starts with zero buffs on. Here's my preferred build setup for this scenario:
(1) Scout 1, feat: Point Blank Shot
(2) Cleric 1, Cloistered Cleric ACF, Domains: Fate, Travel, Knowledge. Trade in the domain for the Bonus Feat: Knowledge Devotion (Ruling in CC, pg. 52 and 60). Deity: Oghma
(3) Ranger 1, Arcane Hunter & Spell-less Ranger & Distracting Attack ACF, Feat: Travel Devotion
(4) Scout 2
(5) Scout 3
(6) Scout 4, Feat: Improved Skirmish, Bonus Feat: Swift Hunter
(7) Fighter 1, Underdark Fighter ACF, Bonus Feat: Darkstalker (in order to help proc Hit-and-Run a lot)
(8) Ranger 2, Bonus Feat: Rapid Shot
(9) Ranger 3, Feat: Weapon Focus: Crossbow
(10) Ranger 4, Bonus Feat: Crossbow Sniper
(11) Ranger 5
(12) Ranger 6, Feat: Point Blank Shot, Bonus Feat: Manyshot
(13) Dragon Devotee 1
(14) Dragon Devotee 2
(15) Dragon Devotee 3, Feat: Improved Rapid Shot
(16) Dragon Devotee 4
Underdark Fighter and Crossbow Sniper you're adding 1/2 Dex to Damage on Crossbows (1-1/2 vs. Flat-Footed foes). Take a Light Crossbow so you can reload as a free action. Otherwise, I am gonna assume you know more or less how Swift Hunters and Travel Devotion work. Be sure and max out Use Magic Device, even if you dump your CHA stat.

At that point you'll have 13 BAB, 14/10/6 Saves, and Skirmish for 7d6 damage and 4 AC. X-Bow Sniper and Knowledge Devotion adds to this amount, but won't matter much. Additionally you'll have the Cleric and Sorcerer Spell lists available for wanding/scrolling (though only slots for level 1 spells).

Now, there are a few vital items to get, in order of importance: Items of Wis-or-Cha (You need either 18 Wis or 16 Cha, or none if you know you can beat a UMD DC of 31), three Scrolls of Antimagic Field (The reason, 6 vials of Aboleth Mucus (Savage Species, Pg 46), and 6 Dust Eggshell Grenades (Oriental Adventures, Pg 78). No doubt all three casters are going to Self-Buff or BF Control the field (Wall of Force around the Wizard, Divine Favor for the Cleric, some utter Bullsh*t power for the Psion) on the first round, so this buys you a small window to take at least one of them out.

Since you're a pure-DEX monster, pray that you're able to win the initiative. If you get it, you're golden. Use Move/Standard to draw and Cast AMF on yourself. This will more or less shut down the Wizard's attacks. Use that swift to close the gap between you and the Psion. Since AMF lasts 10 minutes, and (probably) the Wizard won't have a scroll of Mage's Disjunction, you should be safe. Even if he does, that's why we bought backup scrolls. If you want, let the Cleric and Wizard duke it out. Your first target is the Psion.

This is because it's always wonky whether or not AMF applies to psychics. Assuming it doesn't (and you'd wanna kill him anyway even if it did), your action next round is to chuck the Eggshell Grenade and the Aboleth mucus on him. Being a scrawny caster, he should be easy to hit (The eggshell is a touch attack no less with no save). He is now blind, and unable to breath air (Meaning he also cannot speak). Use the Swift and keep moving! Moving is key! Rinse and repeat for whomever is nearest between the Wizard and Cleric.

By now one of them will have summoned a pet. Just dance around/through the bastards (did you remember to take Jump and Tumble? yeah... do that). Once everyone is unable to speak or see, assess the situation: Did anyone take Silent Spell? How is the battlefield shaped? Are the obstacles mundane or magical? Your AMF gives you a ton of prowess in this fight, as magical hazards vanish into the ether as you pass through them, only to reappear. Any chance you have to do damage, do it.

Since you're sitting in an AMF the whole fight, don't bother with magical items. Do, however, take in all the masterwork, mithral, and other special material'd gear you can nab. Alchemical Items are also the bee's knees in this case. I also recommend a big bag full of Firestones (Dragon Compendium, pg 117 and can do upwards of 20d6 damage when hurled at a foe (just be sure you don't trip)), Tanglefoot Bags, Stonebreaker Acid and Delver slime (A&E, pg 35) to deal with stone and metal walls/armor/barriers, Flour Pouches to act as a cheap Glitterdust for anyone who manages to go invisible, Marbles to trip people like a non-magical Grease, and Tarmak War Paint for bonus healing and AC (Dragonlance, 232).

Lastly, if you wanna be a real Class-A jerk, but some Dust of Sneezing and Choking. It's from the DMG, so you don't have to worry about it being a banned book. Only costs 2500 gp a vial. Normally a cursed item, this will stun anyone for 5d4 rounds even IF they make the save.

All this said and done, you have a lot of options to choose from. You're actually lucky in this fight because you're the only person who can operate at almost 100% capacity in an AMF, and the build I offered grants you the ability to use it.

Good luck, and keep moving.

[Eldest]

6 vials of Aboleth Mucus... 6 Dust Eggshell Grenades... [masses of] Firestones... Dust of Sneezing and Choking

OP, so you are aware, the first two and the last are some of the most broken items in the game, and I (personally) would shut them down just as hard as if somebody tried to get an Candle of Invocation. Further, the 3rd doesn't sit very well with me, though not nearly on the same level of insanity as those others. I would suggest hiding/sniping, and staying far away from the Psion, due to Touchsight, which is very similar to blindsight but is not countered by Darkstalker.

[magotter]

OP, so you are aware, the first two and the last are some of the most broken items in the game, and I (personally) would shut them down just as hard as if somebody tried to get an Candle of Invocation. Further, the 3rd doesn't sit very well with me, though not nearly on the same level of insanity as those others. I would suggest hiding/sniping, and staying far away from the Psion, due to Touchsight, which is very similar to blindsight but is not countered by Darkstalker.

That is a fair opinion and I don't disagree. However, he did say "free for all" arena....

Still, even without all the tricksy-type items, the AMF will do quite a lot to win you the fight. Of course, I am basing this entirely on the other three people going full-casters with little to no gishing. In which case the cleric may still be an issue, but it will be thoroughly easy to keep skirting around him and plinking away at his health until he keels over.

If they do gish a bit, its a different story, but the ability to full-attack and still move means that the hunter will probably have a higher DPR ratio than the others, and unless all three gish and all three focus on him, he may yet still win it by sheer tenacity, and sticking both close enough to enemies to dispel their defences from the AMF's radius, yet far enough away so they can't hit back.

[Eldest]

That is a fair opinion and I don't disagree. However, he did say "free for all" arena....

Still, even without all the tricksy-type items, the AMF will do quite a lot to win you the fight. Of course, I am basing this entirely on the other three people going full-casters with little to no gishing. In which case the cleric may still be an issue, but it will be thoroughly easy to keep skirting around him and plinking away at his health until he keels over.

If they do gish a bit, its a different story, but the ability to full-attack and still move means that the hunter will probably have a higher DPR ratio than the others, and unless all three gish and all three focus on him, he may yet still win it by sheer tenacity, and sticking both close enough to enemies to dispel their defences from the AMF's radius, yet far enough away so they can't hit back.

Free-for-all is not "anything goes", the two are very seperate.

[bekeleven]

His real goal is to maximize one-time spike damage on 2 targets. Because every member of this fight will be spending their actions attacking other spellcasters and just sort of hoping he attacks other people, especially if he doesn't take out anyone else round 1. In 5 or 6 rounds when it's down to ~2 people, they will pay attention to him in a serious way.

So any constructive way to spike as hard as possible (belt of battle, etc.) is in his interest.

[mucco]

AMF is a solid idea.

There are two problems I can see: Crystal Shard (unlikely); and Orb of X (likely). How can my character boost his touch AC or otherwise resist those attacks mundanely?

[Eldest]

AMF is a solid idea.

There are two problems I can see: Crystal Shard (unlikely); and Orb of X (likely). How can my character boost his touch AC or otherwise resist those attacks mundanely?

Miss chance is good. Not being targeted is better. Being immune is best. Greater Blurring armor (if I recall correctly) is good, being hidden is better. Globe of Invulerability is also a good idea, seeing as it will block all powers the Psion tries of fourth level or below, no matter how high he augments the power.

[mucco]

Greater Blurring armor
Globe of Invulerability

AMF, sadly...

[Kelb_Panthera]

AMF is -not- the solution to a pile of casters, at least not unless you can pin one to each of them, a la arcane archer or something similar. Otherwise it leaves you with only your mundane, read; horribly unimpressive, weapon and defenses. There're a whole host of spells that will allow them to blast you to nothing after they're done with their aerial battle that you couldn't take part in because your AMF kept you ground-bound.

[Eldest]

AMF, sadly...

Globe of Invulnerability just sits there. Put it between the casters and you, and then be far enough away that the AMF doesn't shut it down, and now you are only affected by instantaneous conjuration spells of 5th level and above.That's if you want to be a brick wall. I'm not advising on if that's a good plan, just how to do that plan.