Darth Vader in v3.5?

[Socksy]

Here is your challenge: Build me a Darth Vader BBEG.

I need a big bad for a campaign, and I'm aiming to get him around level 23-25. And basically, I want him to be Darth Vader. Lightsaber and all. (Perhaps a Brilliant Energy longsword?)

I can look online for any obscure skills and feats, I just need a v3.5-compatible Vader. I'd really rather there were no homebrew classes or feats involved.

Thank you in advance! (And sorry if there's already a thread for this, I'm new and not too sure how to use the forums entirely)

[OldTrees1]

Question: How powerful do you want it? At epic levels the optimization ceiling is infinite. Obviously you do not want an infinity powerful BBEG.

I am going to guess that you want a medium optimization, mostly martial character with some casting/manifesting to represent the Jedi Powers.

[Phelix-Mu]

I'm feeling some psywar stuff going on, maybe dipping Warblade for some maneuvers. Lightsaber is probably going to be the hardest thing to emulate accurately. Hmm. If we can get him telekinesis, we can get him some of the levels from Master of the Unseen Hand, which is some decent win even though it doesn't increase ML. A versatile form of telekinesis is probably Vader's signature move. Get him a psicrystal that can maintain concentration on it while he's fighting, maybe store the psicrystal in the hilt of the lightsaber.

Do we want him to have lots of grafts or whatever? That also isn't terribly useful, but as a BBEG, just handwave a number of warforged or construct grafts onto him. His cybernetics seemed to be largely superficial, anyway, and were dwarfed by the power conferred by his mastery of the force.

Oh, oh, oh. Maybe the lightsaber is actually just his psicrystal, charged up using energy conversion with huge amounts of energy damage. Hmm, maybe psion is better than psywarrior.

[TheDarkDM]

Half-golem is a pretty elegant way to represent Vader's prostheses, so long as you ignore the massive and unjustified hits to Int and Cha and the breath weapon that really doesn't fit. A four-limbed half iron golem gets him a bunch of fun things, including golem-like magic immunity. Also, while Psychic Warrior is an excellent chassis for this, you might also consider Duskblade. True, Telekinesis isn't on their spell list, but that's an easy thing to handwave and the channeled spells seem to mesh with the idea of a lightsaber. And full BAB is a nice thing to have on a martial big bad.

[Grizzled Gryphon]

Being as Starwars D20 is completely compatible with DnD 3.5, just get the stats for Vader, and there ya go.

Aside from that, probably some sort of Gish with telekinesis powers out the wazoo. Maybe give him the psiblade class feature for the lightsaber, but the brilliant energy longsword works as well.

[Snowbluff]

Construct Grafts! Mighty Arms and those legs... And some other stuff.

I don't do much grafting, okay!

[Phelix-Mu]

I am actually seeing a way of possibly refluffing a full manifester build into a decent vader. Vader's combat prowess was mainly through his lightsaber and other force powers. He wasn't a juggernaut or some heavy armour wonk. I'd go with using some kind of energy power or refluff of psicrystal/laser battery trick to just use point-blank range blasting to emulate the lightsaber. Add in some telekinesis, some wound-causing powers, some more telekinesis, and some construct use (he's good at making droids, dammit!), and flavor to taste. There are plenty of defensive powers and such to emulate defensive use of the force, and there are clairsentience powers to let him "sense the Force."

Finally, I think the pool of power points and the augment mechanics emulate the virtually at-will-seeming use of the Force that is present in the movies.

[Zanthy1]

Soulknife. When he forms it, it'd totally look like the lightsaber coming forth. 5 levels in that class gets the mind blade to be able to shape into a bastard sword or longsword to get the length to match what a light saber would actually be.

[Grizzled Gryphon]

Ah, but remember, the Mindblade can look like anything the user desires. so even the short sword one could look just like Darths lightsaber at first level. The crunch stays the same, but it can look like whatever you want it to.

[Phelix-Mu]

Soulknife. When he forms it, it'd totally look like the lightsaber coming forth. 5 levels in that class gets the mind blade to be able to shape into a bastard sword or longsword to get the length to match what a light saber would actually be.


Ah, but remember, the Mindblade can look like anything the user desires. so even the short sword one could look just like Darths lightsaber at first level. The crunch stays the same, but it can look like whatever you want it to.

Except that mindblades are quite inferior weapons, while the lightsaber is exactly the opposite (excepting it's reliance on parts that are relatively breakable and a source of energy that is not unending).

I'd use a mindblade, except that Soulknife is generally bad and does none of the non-lightsaber stuff that we need Vader to be capable of. A 1-level dip in Soulknife might work, but the resulting weapon is going to be so bad as to be pretty much not useful at all.

[Grod_The_Giant]

At this level, a brilliant energy weapon is the easiest solution. As for class... I'd probably go Wilder/Slayer, possibly with a few crusader dips near the top. Take the Educated Wilder and Mantled Wilder ACFs (both from Mind's Eye, I think). Grab the Conflict mantle for the latter to get a bunch of nice gish powers... and if you check the Ardent ACF, you can arguably use the Substitution Powers bit for mantled wilder as well.

[Gavinfoxx]

A Lightsaber is a Feycraft Adamantine +1 Hideaway Shocking Flaming Parrying Defending Longsword. Not a Brilliant Energy weapon!

[Scow2]

Yeah... a Lightsaber is NEVER a "Brilliant Energy" weapon. Those things can't cut through doors. Or be used to parry anything.

[Socksy]

A Lightsaber is a Feycraft Adamantine +1 Hideaway Shocking Flaming Parrying Defending Longsword. Not a Brilliant Energy weapon!

Ooooh, that sounds suitably complicated. Would that beat my brother's annoying kobold wizard something with DR only beaten by a +3?

[Amphetryon]

Tlaxia_Ghoula (I think I spelled that SN correctly) built a Darth Vader Character for an old competition back on 339. You might be able to pull it up with the wayback machine.

[nedz]

The Thunder Lance spell, or the Eldritch Glaive invocation, are good for the Light sabre. You might need to tweak the first with some metamagic or just research a spell which is similar.

[AlltheBooks]

Psionic sizing deepcrystal longsword. Add on whatever else. Or glove of storage or whatever it's called. Deepcrystal because a psionic creature can get some nice damage out of it, psionic makes it glow and hum and sizing to make it "appear".

[Slipperychicken]

Being as Starwars D20 is completely compatible with DnD 3.5, just get the stats for Vader, and there ya go.


I'm going to have to suggest this. Get those stats up, so you don't kill yourself trying to emulate it in dnd.

[DMfromTheAbyss]

DO NOT USE THE OFFICIAL STARWARS D20 version of Darth Vader.
As written it is one of the best examples of the writers for the game not knowing how to build characters with their own system.

It's also what I generally use as a measuring stick for my campaign's higher level pc's. If they can't take him out SOLO by level 15 or so they are not a very combat effective build and probably need a rewrite/help with the system.

That being said going with levels of Jedi Guardian (Star Wars d20 base class) will definately work, better if you combine it with some of the more combat related jedi prestige classes. Using the Force powers stright out of the Star Wars system may pretty much break your game however.

It works ok by itself. A well made up version of Vader, with access to his version of the force and the capacity to get magic items/abilities/minions from standard 3.5 would be a nightmare to fight even at relatively high level and optimization.

If you'd like I could stat up a better version of what he would look like from my game.. at about the level you need.. just to give you an idea.

[Socksy]

Yes please!! :D
I'm pretty useless at statting things out o:
The most I've done is a v3.5 quickling... Which probably already exists somewhere already.

[OverdrivePrime]

I'm surprised no one's suggested a Ruby Knight Vindicator build. You could quite easily justify 10 cleric levels for Vader, plus a handful of Crusader levels, and then RKV the rest of the way. Just custom up a Sith religion with domains of Evil, Tyranny and um... Sith, and have the Sith domain give him Detect Thoughts, Levitation, Telekinesis and fun lightning effects.

[DMfromTheAbyss]

d20 compatible Vader -Constructed with Star Wars d20 RPG and Power of the Jedi Source book.


Level 20 Jedi Guardian
level 5 Weapon Master

STR: 32 (18+6 lvl bonuses +8 "equipment" bonus (buffs to 40 with enh.Ab)
DEX:16
Con: 18
Int: 16
Wis: 16
Cha: 15

Obviously some nice stats meant for a BBEG and my ease of math, adjust to taste.
Defence:(aka AC) 39 DR:15 (Masterwork Sith Dark Armor)
Fort:21 Ref: 18 Will +15
HP: 350 (this represents a max roll, also adjust to flavor/dice convention)
BAB +25
Full Atack: +25/+20/+15/+10/+5
Adjusted full atack with feats/abilities/stats +61/+61/+56/+51/+46/+41
(+22 1.5-Str/+1weapon focus/+1 self built saber/+12 Battle mind/ -2 Rapid Strike/+3 masterwork weapon total bonus of +37 to hit)

Damage per attack 8d8+24 (plus power attack at 2/1)

Skills (net adjusted)
Battle Mind +13 (free action to give that +12 to hit)
Enhance ability +28
Affect Mind+31
Fear +28
Farseeing +26
Force Grip +26 (DC20 Fort or take 3d6 Con damage)
Heal another +10
Heal Self +10
Move Object +31
See Force +7
Telepathy +7
Tumble +9
Force defence +32
Pilot +24

Feats/class abilities
WP Simple/blaster pistol/Exotic: Lightsaber
Force Sensitive/Sense/Control/Alter
Heroic Surge (6xper day get an extra action/move... use for move to get full attack or as extra attack as needed-1x per round)
Burst of Speed, Knight Speed. (so 20x movement speed for the round)
+6d8 damage for lightsabers (class ability)
Weapon Mastery Rapid strike (flurry of blows like ability)
Weapon Mastery Weapon Specialization +2 to damage with LS
Weapon Focus LS
Power Attack, Cleave Great cleave
Deflect Blasters
Dissipate Energy
Throw lightsaber
Force Mastery/High Force Mastery



So a neigh unstoppable killing machine in melee due to a combination of strength and skill (and buffing) who can read minds, tell the future. Choke you to death if he can see you, resists most effects (good saves plus force defence +10 for fort/ref/will) move at 20x normal speed, throw around a small starfleet with TK...

Only real drawbacks and vulnerabilities are he needs to draw on his own life "Force" to use most of his abilities (so he could be worn down if you had enough people attacking over time that are tough enough to make him use his abilities.

The only real other option is to blast him with large energy blasts (far in excess of 15DR +fort save+d20 or so damage a shot) to overwhealm his dissipate energy and DR.

Now imagine him with magical gear, spell resistance and minions who can spell cast... scary.

[Gavinfoxx]

Would that beat my brother's annoying kobold wizard something with DR only beaten by a +3?

That doesn't exist in 3.5e. I mean dr/+3. It isn't a 3.5e thing.

[Socksy]

That doesn't exist in 3.5e. I mean dr/+3. It isn't a 3.5e thing.

Huh? I thought it was...
Then again, I've been thinking Persuade was a skill up until a couple of weeks ago, and I've been playing since I was seven...

Probably something stolen from Baldur's Gate or some other, older setting then.
Any idea if that complicated groovy sword thing would work against it, though?

EDIT: Oh my gosh that is an amazing build, how did you do that so quickly?? *o*

[Zonugal]

I would probably just do a simple build like:

Human Ardent 4/Warblade 1/Slayer 10/Warblade 1/Ardent 3/Warblade 1

BaB +18, ML 20 (with Practiced Manifester), IL 16 (if you consider all prestige classes to progress IL).

[Gavinfoxx]

Huh? I thought it was...
Then again, I've been thinking Persuade was a skill up until a couple of weeks ago, and I've been playing since I was seven...

Probably something stolen from Baldur's Gate or some other, older setting then.
Any idea if that complicated groovy sword thing would work against it, though?

EDIT: Oh my gosh that is an amazing build, how did you do that so quickly?? *o*

It's a 3.0 and earlier thing.

[(Un)Inspired]

I feel like Vader doesn't do THAT much manifesting in the movies. He doesn't just use telekinetic thrust to throw that chump farm boy out of an airlock nor does he launch energy missles during his fights. He goes in swinging he sword. This does not sound like a full caster to me.

What about a crusader with the phrenic template?

[DMfromTheAbyss]

For reference one of the reasons the Jedi Guardian is widely thought of as an alpha class is that it effectively gets full BAB and counts as full level for Force user levels.

The closest to a direct translation would be either a Psychic Warrior, or some kind of a Gestalt Psion/Fighter.

That being said I can see the Ruby Knight/crusader suggested earlier being close to the feel if we're not worried about psychic/magic/balance issues.

Though really for the lightsaber give him any awesome bastard sword/katana ish weapon that magical enough to glow and some "bad idea scary black armor" and have other NPC's just be terrified of him (justifieably so) and some strange mystic abilities and you are on the right track.

Incidentally I came up with the build on a small piece of scrap paper in about 45 minutes cause I've made up way too many Star wars d20 characters.. way too many... and the books I needed were literally in reach of my computer.