Making the most of it: Unholy Scion

[Xuldarinar]

For reasons passing understanding, I have recently become interested in the Unholy Scion (Heroes of Horror). Given that this is a +5 LA template, it is something that in optimization that would be generally frowned upon. That having been said…


How could someone attempt to optimize a character possessing the template?

What races and classes would work the best with the template, in terms of flavor or mechanics?

[Particle_Man]

Don't know about power, but necrocarnate might be a flavourful evil prestige class to go for (in Magic of Incarnum).

[HaikenEdge]

Unholy Scion is easily one of my favorite templates. In my experience, best time to use it is either in a gestalt campaign, where you can take the edge off the LA, or go with psionics, namely because psionics generally scale well, using Overchannel to help raise your maximum augments and your sky-high Int modifier to get bonus PP. An Erudite with Convert Spell to Power would probably be the best choice, probabilistically.

Racially, I'd go for Human or Strongheart Halfling, for the extra feat at 1st level.

[Xuldarinar]

Some good advice so far.

What about considering what sort of fiend led to the birth of the Scion in terms of classes/abilities/ect. This may have no effect on the template itself, but for the sake of a character, it could certainly be something that contributes. For instance, an unholy scion who's possessor/father was an Osyluth might be more inclined to work with magic involving bones, or one of a Kyton might work with spiked chains in some way, or even one of a Gelugon might be more likely to become a cryomancer or cryokinetisist. The unholy scion of a shadow demon might be more inclined to work with shadow magic, where as one of a cerebrilith might be more likely to possess psionic abilities (that particular one I believe should have it's spell-like abilities replaced with equivalent psi-like abilities), and one of a Logokron devil may be more likely to at least dabble in truename magic. If it were possible with soul eaters, which it might be, then such a scion might be more inclined to interact with incarnum, and one of a Reth Dekala, similarly, might tend towards using maneuvers.

[HaikenEdge]

I'm not sure what the question there is. I generally go for the "conceived in an area of high taint" route, and I feel that, like half-fiends, an unholy scion's demonic parent has little bearing on how the unholy scion will turn out.

Not to mention, it's fluff, so sometimes I refluff it as a superior evolution of the base creature, or an ancient experiment, etc, etc. I find that, with fluff, you're only really limited by your imagination.

[Xuldarinar]

I'm not sure what the question there is. I generally go for the "conceived in an area of high taint" route, and I feel that, like half-fiends, an unholy scion's demonic parent has little bearing on how the unholy scion will turn out.

Not to mention, it's fluff, so sometimes I refluff it as a superior evolution of the base creature, or an ancient experiment, etc, etc. I find that, with fluff, you're only really limited by your imagination.

The question is more of the thought of going the particular route I discuss. I do not think that it would make a huge difference, as it might with adaptation of the half-fiend template might, but perhaps an inclination towards something. The possession route would certainly have a greater effect of course than just by conception in an area of taint. I can understand re-fluffing the template, and those are some interesting examples. In a social game, sometimes flavor is just as or even more important than the mechanics.