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littlebum2002
2014-03-21, 11:04 AM
Obviously, I'm not into optimization here, but more creating a fun character based on a fun concept. However, you can't have fun if your character is useless, so basically I want to create a Belkar who is as competent as Belkar can be.

This is the concept I want in my character:

-Abysmal mental stats
-Dual-wields daggers. OK, short swords, since they're slightly better and, for one strip at least, Belkar's daggers were considered Short Swords, so it's not TECHNICALLY cheating.
-mentality: He's not going to Hide, he's not going to Move Silently, he's going to stab things. And if stabbing things doesn't work, he's going to stab them more

-At least a handful of levels in Ranger, for thematic reasons (I guess I just have an old-school notion that anyone carrying a bow or dual wielding needs to be a Ranger). I'm thinking about taking the Undead Stalker Ranger from the DMG. Instead of Belkar having an unerring hatred of kobolds, he'll have an equally devoted hatred of undead. This ranger, in case you are unfamiliar, gives favored enemy (undead) (it stacks every time you would normally get a new one), it gets Rogue sneak attack bonuses but only against Undead, and at 3rd level you get Smite Evil, but only against Undead.
-Probably a few levels of Warblade, just to actually make TWF feasible.
-Almost certainly a Barbarian dip for Pounce


I've thought of a handful of paths this can go down:

1: Straight ranger, except for the dip into Warblade and perhaps other dips. Considering the Sneak Attack and Smite Evil progression, this might actually be a feasible build

2: Straight warblade, except for a few levels in Ranger. Although this isn't hitting the theme quite as I hope, it's much more powerful.

3. Dip Ranger, Dip Warblade, dip whatever else until I can eek my way into a prestige class. Maybe Dervish, tempest, bloodclaw master?

4. Totally off the "Belkar" road, but I was thinking: What if, instead of just stabbing, I but, kicked, slammed, and hit any which way I could? I was thinking maybe it might be a fun build to be a down and dirty fighter who just gained tons of natural attacks and hits enemies in whichever way he can.

I know there's a lot of variation in those 4, but that's how I always create characters: start with a basic theme, and think of a lot of ways it can go until I find a REALLY good way to follow one of those ways, and then I've got my character! I just seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one, so figured I would ask for help.

Dusk Eclipse
2014-03-21, 11:09 AM
It seems a Swift Hunter (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.mx/2011/09/swift-hunters-handbook.html) is exactly what you want.

Go scout 3/Ranger 16/Spirit Lion Barbarian and go to town with:

19 BAB
Full TWF progression
Almost full skirmish progression, it should be +4d6/+3 AC
4 Favoured enemies you can skirmish even if they are immune to precision damage
Pounce

littlebum2002
2014-03-21, 11:15 AM
thanks, I forgot to mention the Pounce.

Plus, if I took that as well as the Undead Stalker Ranger, I could have almost full progression of Sneak Attack AND Skirmish.

(I think we're doing Ravenloft, that's why I'm so focused on Undead. If not, I'll just go regular Ranger)

winter92
2014-03-21, 01:48 PM
A friend and I were looking at builds in this vein recently. If you want something that feels a bit like strip #439 Belkar, I might have a recipe:
Scout 4/Ranger 6/Dervish 10.

Perks:
8 attacks/round, 17(ish) BAB, great cleave
Full movement during full attacks, fast movement +25, take 10 on tumbles
Skirmish, favored enemy, boosted attack with slashing weapons, spring attack
Uncanny dodge, battle fortitude, free feat

Thoughts: find a way to get, then max, Profession (dance). You want as much as you can get. Get every tumble skill trick you can think to use, starting with Acrobatic Backstab and looking into Twisted Charge. Take a dog as your Ranger companion and refluff it to a cat, or just get permission to take a cat.

It's pretty much how I'd build Belkar, a strong mid-level combat build, and wonderfully race/feat/etc flexible.

littlebum2002
2014-03-21, 01:58 PM
I wonder if I took profession (Thriller Dance) the DM would give me a bonus to blend in with the Undead... Get them all to start dancing with me then just start stabbing.


As of right now, I have

Spirit Lion Barbarian 1/Scout3/Ranger 2/Warblade 1

(we start at level 7)

and I'll just keep progressing as either a Ranger or a Dervish, I think.

(Also, I'm going straight Ranger now, not Undead Stalker, since we are no longer doing Ravenloft, but that also means I can take further advantage of Swift Hunter now.)



Although I'm going to check out the maneuvers I want, and see if maybe I should wait on Warblade.