Rakaydos
2014-03-08, 04:18 AM
I recently worked up a level 11 gestalt gold dragon, optimized as a mid level skirmishing beatstick. Now I'm looking to expand the character, both toward it's youth and toward level 20.
Level 5: HD reduced Gold Dragon Wyrmling(LA+4)/Warblade 1//Wyrm of War 5 (3 levels below gold dragon wyrmling HD)
Flaw: Shakey/Beast Strikes. Dragon claws wernt made for holding bows.
Flaw: Inattentive/Stone Power. Were you hitting me? I didnt notice.
Feat 1: Wingover
Feat 3: Flyby Attack
WoW 4: Snap Kick
Warblade1: +Int to Reflex saves
-maneuvers: (Concentration as Will save); Rabid Wolf Strike (tiger claw minimum), (Attack Two targets); Stance: Punishing Stance (extra damage for reduced AC)
Is there any published rules for Age Category 0 hatchlings? it's easy enough to do the obvous HD and age category number bits, but stats and racial abilities make playing this low... questionable.
If possible, though, this hatchling focuses on bite+unarmed(claw) strike flyby attacks, trying to use positioning to avoid low level return attacks.
Level 8: Gold Dragon Wyrmling (LA+4)/Warblade 1/Unarmed Swordsage 2 Warblade +1//Wyrm of War 8
Feat 6: Adaptive Style
USS1: Unarmed combatant, Weapon focus (Tiger claw: Claws, Unarmed strikes), init bonus
USS2: AC bonus
WoW8: Multiattack
Warblade 2: Uncanny Dodge
-Warblade Maneuvers: Iron heart surge
-Swordsage maneuvers: Counter Charge, Burning blade, Bruning Brand, Hatchling's Flame, Cloak of Deception, Clinging Shadowstrike; Stances: Child of Shadow, Step of the Wind
The lowest SRD level that this character officially works, I think. USS's AC boost comes online, also getting proficency in unarmed attacks that are also claw attacks, and Iron Heart Surge, for all your anti-BFC needs. The Swordsage gives a bit of added utility, from saying NOPE! to whirlpounce (once), very limited invisibility, reach, and an extra breath weapon)
Level 11: Very Young Gold Dragon (LA+5)/Warblade 2/Unarmed Swordsage 2 Warblade +2//Wyrm of War 11
Feat 9: Vital Recovery
Warblade3: +int to Critical confirmations
Very Young Age category: Large Size. natural weapon damage increase, add tailslap to full attack, reach on bite, +4 Str, +2 Con, Int, Wis and Cha. Breath weapon damage doubles, and range +10'
-Maneuvers: (Concentration as fort save), (1d4 Wisdom stat damage as a standard); Stance (+10 movement and +2 AC)
With the ability to attack 2 different stats (2 Str AoE from breath weapon, 1d4 Wis 1 target from maneuver) and maxxed Concentration-as-defences (a dragon class skill), a reach attack and a double strike as a standard, he has a flexible combat skillset that still focuses on the same "flyby and evade" tactic. While not as devastating as a proper ubercharger, it retains mobility, expecially with maxxed Tumble ranks to avoid OAs, and denies non-uberchargers a full attack, keeping the HP exchange in his favor.
Level 14: Young Gold Dragon (LA+6)/Warblade4/Unarmed Swordsage 2/Paladin 2//Wyrm of War 14
Feat 12:
WoW12: Cleave
Paladin 1+2: Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/day, Aura of Good (as if Gold dragon wasnt enough of a tip off), Charisma to All Saves. "Stabilize NPC" level minor healing.
Young Age Category: +4 strength, Sorcerer Casting 1, more breath weapon damage (or 3 str damage)
-Spells: 3/day+bonus, 2 known. Shield, Shocking Grasp
This is where I start getting speculative, and where optimization help is greatly appreciated. My thought was that as the levels get higher, magic becomes a bigger deal and having untouchable saves becomes more important. At level 14, my Concentration maneuvers give me the equivilant of 17+Int to Fort and Will, While my Reflex (and other saves, after my defensive maneuver are popped by a quickened spell) is hanging around 9 +Dex (+int for reflex) Plus Charisma, with a +6 racial bonus to both Int and Cha. On one paw, getting 2 levels of Paladin is effectively a +5 or so to all my saves, especially if I'm up against a caster who throws quickened and contingency spells at me to pass my defences. On the other paw, picking up more warblade levels gives me 5th level maneuvers, and lets me retrain to pick up the Reflex save maneuver from earlier levels for a higher, single layer of defence.
The Age increase gives me sorcerer casting as well as another +4 strength, raising the total to +14. While I cant really expect to throw around my own Save or sucks with a caster level 1, I can at least throw up a Shield to make my Touch AC a bit harder to Shivering Touch. This also leads into Abjurant Champion at 15 and 16 (Wyrm of War covers the martial weapon proficency, and I can pick up Combat Casting with the level feat) which gives me quickened abjurations and 3rd level sorc casting. 5th level Ab Champ gives me my Full BAB as a caster level and Dispell Magic- Late, but better late than never, and rather good for a beatstick. (Can I quicken that dispel magic? It says class level, not Ab champ level...)
If I can convince the GM to follow the progression of Gold dragon past what the SRD specifically says, A Juvenile would likely be +7 LA (combined with 17 LA would otherwise be epic, if it wernt for gestalt) for +2 sorc casting levels, +4 Str, and +2 Con, Int, Wis and Cha, and Bless 3/day and a SLA- overall a solid boost. Young adult wouldnt be available till 20, and probably a +2 or even +3 jump- because Young Adult is when all the classic Solo Dragon Encounter abilities kick in. Though with how weak the DCs are at that level, (20+ Cha on Frightful Presence, Spell Resistance 21, DR5 magic) I might be able to convince a GM to let me have it as a LA+1 capstone. If so, Huge size, Crush attack, natural reach, and the ability to drop the typical wizard in two strength draining breath attacks (-5 strength each) are a nice finisher.
Is there any obvous synergies I miss, or some obscure class that would massively improve my build? Are my thoughts on Saving throws valid, or do I need Evasion more than another +5/+7? Was Abjurant champion errata'd to give the class bonus to the Shield Spell's deflection bonus or Mage Armor's Conjuration school? How likely is the "hatchling" or Juvinile age levels to be allowed?
Level 5: HD reduced Gold Dragon Wyrmling(LA+4)/Warblade 1//Wyrm of War 5 (3 levels below gold dragon wyrmling HD)
Flaw: Shakey/Beast Strikes. Dragon claws wernt made for holding bows.
Flaw: Inattentive/Stone Power. Were you hitting me? I didnt notice.
Feat 1: Wingover
Feat 3: Flyby Attack
WoW 4: Snap Kick
Warblade1: +Int to Reflex saves
-maneuvers: (Concentration as Will save); Rabid Wolf Strike (tiger claw minimum), (Attack Two targets); Stance: Punishing Stance (extra damage for reduced AC)
Is there any published rules for Age Category 0 hatchlings? it's easy enough to do the obvous HD and age category number bits, but stats and racial abilities make playing this low... questionable.
If possible, though, this hatchling focuses on bite+unarmed(claw) strike flyby attacks, trying to use positioning to avoid low level return attacks.
Level 8: Gold Dragon Wyrmling (LA+4)/Warblade 1/Unarmed Swordsage 2 Warblade +1//Wyrm of War 8
Feat 6: Adaptive Style
USS1: Unarmed combatant, Weapon focus (Tiger claw: Claws, Unarmed strikes), init bonus
USS2: AC bonus
WoW8: Multiattack
Warblade 2: Uncanny Dodge
-Warblade Maneuvers: Iron heart surge
-Swordsage maneuvers: Counter Charge, Burning blade, Bruning Brand, Hatchling's Flame, Cloak of Deception, Clinging Shadowstrike; Stances: Child of Shadow, Step of the Wind
The lowest SRD level that this character officially works, I think. USS's AC boost comes online, also getting proficency in unarmed attacks that are also claw attacks, and Iron Heart Surge, for all your anti-BFC needs. The Swordsage gives a bit of added utility, from saying NOPE! to whirlpounce (once), very limited invisibility, reach, and an extra breath weapon)
Level 11: Very Young Gold Dragon (LA+5)/Warblade 2/Unarmed Swordsage 2 Warblade +2//Wyrm of War 11
Feat 9: Vital Recovery
Warblade3: +int to Critical confirmations
Very Young Age category: Large Size. natural weapon damage increase, add tailslap to full attack, reach on bite, +4 Str, +2 Con, Int, Wis and Cha. Breath weapon damage doubles, and range +10'
-Maneuvers: (Concentration as fort save), (1d4 Wisdom stat damage as a standard); Stance (+10 movement and +2 AC)
With the ability to attack 2 different stats (2 Str AoE from breath weapon, 1d4 Wis 1 target from maneuver) and maxxed Concentration-as-defences (a dragon class skill), a reach attack and a double strike as a standard, he has a flexible combat skillset that still focuses on the same "flyby and evade" tactic. While not as devastating as a proper ubercharger, it retains mobility, expecially with maxxed Tumble ranks to avoid OAs, and denies non-uberchargers a full attack, keeping the HP exchange in his favor.
Level 14: Young Gold Dragon (LA+6)/Warblade4/Unarmed Swordsage 2/Paladin 2//Wyrm of War 14
Feat 12:
WoW12: Cleave
Paladin 1+2: Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/day, Aura of Good (as if Gold dragon wasnt enough of a tip off), Charisma to All Saves. "Stabilize NPC" level minor healing.
Young Age Category: +4 strength, Sorcerer Casting 1, more breath weapon damage (or 3 str damage)
-Spells: 3/day+bonus, 2 known. Shield, Shocking Grasp
This is where I start getting speculative, and where optimization help is greatly appreciated. My thought was that as the levels get higher, magic becomes a bigger deal and having untouchable saves becomes more important. At level 14, my Concentration maneuvers give me the equivilant of 17+Int to Fort and Will, While my Reflex (and other saves, after my defensive maneuver are popped by a quickened spell) is hanging around 9 +Dex (+int for reflex) Plus Charisma, with a +6 racial bonus to both Int and Cha. On one paw, getting 2 levels of Paladin is effectively a +5 or so to all my saves, especially if I'm up against a caster who throws quickened and contingency spells at me to pass my defences. On the other paw, picking up more warblade levels gives me 5th level maneuvers, and lets me retrain to pick up the Reflex save maneuver from earlier levels for a higher, single layer of defence.
The Age increase gives me sorcerer casting as well as another +4 strength, raising the total to +14. While I cant really expect to throw around my own Save or sucks with a caster level 1, I can at least throw up a Shield to make my Touch AC a bit harder to Shivering Touch. This also leads into Abjurant Champion at 15 and 16 (Wyrm of War covers the martial weapon proficency, and I can pick up Combat Casting with the level feat) which gives me quickened abjurations and 3rd level sorc casting. 5th level Ab Champ gives me my Full BAB as a caster level and Dispell Magic- Late, but better late than never, and rather good for a beatstick. (Can I quicken that dispel magic? It says class level, not Ab champ level...)
If I can convince the GM to follow the progression of Gold dragon past what the SRD specifically says, A Juvenile would likely be +7 LA (combined with 17 LA would otherwise be epic, if it wernt for gestalt) for +2 sorc casting levels, +4 Str, and +2 Con, Int, Wis and Cha, and Bless 3/day and a SLA- overall a solid boost. Young adult wouldnt be available till 20, and probably a +2 or even +3 jump- because Young Adult is when all the classic Solo Dragon Encounter abilities kick in. Though with how weak the DCs are at that level, (20+ Cha on Frightful Presence, Spell Resistance 21, DR5 magic) I might be able to convince a GM to let me have it as a LA+1 capstone. If so, Huge size, Crush attack, natural reach, and the ability to drop the typical wizard in two strength draining breath attacks (-5 strength each) are a nice finisher.
Is there any obvous synergies I miss, or some obscure class that would massively improve my build? Are my thoughts on Saving throws valid, or do I need Evasion more than another +5/+7? Was Abjurant champion errata'd to give the class bonus to the Shield Spell's deflection bonus or Mage Armor's Conjuration school? How likely is the "hatchling" or Juvinile age levels to be allowed?