Dwarf optimization help

[Xaroth]

So I'm playing a PHB Dwarf in a Stormwrack/Frostburn-based campaign.

We're allowed to play basically any class, regardless of the book it's in so long as it's 3.5 official (3.0 is possible but I'll need to ask the DM).

What I haven't told him is that I'm playing a Chaotic Evil Dwarf and that I'm going to try and get EVERY OTHER PC to be a Dwarf.

Our goal is going to be to commit mass genocide on every race that isn't a dwarf.

I'm starting at level 1, but does anyone have an idea on what I could do in advancement to kill things quickly, easily, and pretty much without trouble without becoming a caster? I'm thinking Rogue, not sure though.

[Juntao112]

Fistbear Bearfist (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=9111595&postcount=107), replacing Animal Lord with Primeval or Frost Rager.

[Brookshw]

The first rule of Dwarf club is more beard. When it comes to dwarf optimization it's always more beard!

Back on topic, what's the optimization level?

[Krazzman]

Stormwrack was the Sea-faring one, right?

What you need:
Resistance Frost and Underwater breathing or swimspeed...

Totemist witht he Kraken Mantle Shape gets a swimspeed. I think you can qualify for Ironsoul Forgemaster with Totemist...

Crusader and Warblade are also quite the killing machines. Crusader might not be that good a choice if you want his healing capabilities...

Depending on your starting level:
Warblade1/Totemist 2/Warblade X gives you:
Soulmelds:
Frostresitance and Swimspeed. And AWESOME Claws.
Warblade Maneuver.

Also going for a "simple" Master of 9 with a totemist dip might be worthwhile then into that class that gives Shadowpounce and you are set.

Hope this helps

[WinWin]

Aleithian Duergar. Start off as an Atheilian Dwarf (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psb/20030926a), at some point take the Dwarf/Duergar transition class (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040319a), then buy off the level adjustment. Add a little environmental and elemental flavour, profit.

Not my idea. More details here (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9671.0).

[Red Fel]

My suggestion? Barbarian 1/ Totemist 4/ Warblade 15.

Why Barbarian? First, you can take the Spirit Lion Totem variant, which gives you Pounce. Second, you can go with Whirling Frenzy variant, which gives you a bonus attack (at the cost of some to-hit). Given that you only have one level of Barbarian, you won't be using this much without taking feats.

Why Totemist 4? At Totemist 4, you can have four soulmelds shaped. That should be enough for every conceivable natural weapon you can take. If you don't need four soulmelds, take only 2 levels of Totemist and you'll be able to shape three. You want a massive array of natural weapons, is the point. If you decide to go only with Totemist 2, put the remaining 2 levels into Warblade.

Why Warblade 15 (or 17)? Oh, so many reasons. Maneuvers are among them, true, as is the full-BAB, bonus feats, and various other goodies. But the biggest reason I'm suggesting it? King of Smack.

In sum, a King of Smack build works like this: take Stormguard Warrior. Have your massive list of natural weapons. Open combat with Pounce. Take your full attack. Deal no damage, using Combat Rhythm. On your next full attack, receive massive bonuses to damage on every hit. Straight-up murder just about anything in two rounds.

Then do it again. Attack something, deal no damage, next round, slaughter. And again. And again.

What's that, your enemy has DR? Amulet of Mighty Fists. Why an AoMF, and not a Necklace of Natural Weapons? A NoNW is fantastic when you have a relatively short list of natural weapons, like just unarmed attacks, or unarmed attacks and a bite, because you can add weapon enhancements to them individually. But that's the thing - it has to be done individually. An AoMF adds its bonus to all of your unarmed strikes and natural weapons, across the board. (And I think it makes them count as magical for DR purposes, but I don't recall.)

And on top of that, you get full maneuvers. With 15 levels of Warblade, you have an IL of 17 - enough to qualify for 9th-level maneuvers. In fact, at Warblade 15 (and at Warblade 17), you gain a new maneuver known - meaning you can take your 9th-level maneuver right then.

What's that? You want to take Time Stands Still, using the bonuses from Combat Rhythm? Go right ahead.

[Xaroth]

The first rule of Dwarf club is more beard. When it comes to dwarf optimization it's always more beard!

Back on topic, what's the optimization level?

20, I think. I'm not quite sure what you mean, but let's go with 20, like Red Fel did. Although I think I'm going with Red Fel's.


My suggestion? Barbarian 1/ Totemist 4/ Warblade 15.

Why Barbarian? First, you can take the Spirit Lion Totem variant, which gives you Pounce. Second, you can go with Whirling Frenzy variant, which gives you a bonus attack (at the cost of some to-hit). Given that you only have one level of Barbarian, you won't be using this much without taking feats.

Why Totemist 4? At Totemist 4, you can have four soulmelds shaped. That should be enough for every conceivable natural weapon you can take. If you don't need four soulmelds, take only 2 levels of Totemist and you'll be able to shape three. You want a massive array of natural weapons, is the point. If you decide to go only with Totemist 2, put the remaining 2 levels into Warblade.

Why Warblade 15 (or 17)? Oh, so many reasons. Maneuvers are among them, true, as is the full-BAB, bonus feats, and various other goodies. But the biggest reason I'm suggesting it? King of Smack.

In sum, a King of Smack build works like this: take Stormguard Warrior. Have your massive list of natural weapons. Open combat with Pounce. Take your full attack. Deal no damage, using Combat Rhythm. On your next full attack, receive massive bonuses to damage on every hit. Straight-up murder just about anything in two rounds.

Then do it again. Attack something, deal no damage, next round, slaughter. And again. And again.

What's that, your enemy has DR? Amulet of Mighty Fists. Why an AoMF, and not a Necklace of Natural Weapons? A NoNW is fantastic when you have a relatively short list of natural weapons, like just unarmed attacks, or unarmed attacks and a bite, because you can add weapon enhancements to them individually. But that's the thing - it has to be done individually. An AoMF adds its bonus to all of your unarmed strikes and natural weapons, across the board. (And I think it makes them count as magical for DR purposes, but I don't recall.)

And on top of that, you get full maneuvers. With 15 levels of Warblade, you have an IL of 17 - enough to qualify for 9th-level maneuvers. In fact, at Warblade 15 (and at Warblade 17), you gain a new maneuver known - meaning you can take your 9th-level maneuver right then.

What's that? You want to take Time Stands Still, using the bonuses from Combat Rhythm? Go right ahead.

Wh...what if I took Great Cleave?

And Combat Rhythm only gives a +5 to damage. At 1st level that'd be deadly, but as it gets into the higher levels it's going to be no more than a scratch.

What maneuvers would you suggest? And also I'm not sure how Soulmelds work.

[Red Fel]

Wh...what if I took Great Cleave?

In theory? Nice, but not super. Great Cleave, like Cleave, gives you a single, immediate attack against an adjacent target with the weapon (and bonuses) you used to kill the first one. If you did it with your main weapon, it's awesome; with one of your secondaries, it's decent. Where this shines is when your Combat Rhythm bonus takes over (see below), because then the damage bonus is added to that Cleave attack (but remember, only that single attack).


And Combat Rhythm only gives a +5 to damage. At 1st level that'd be deadly, but as it gets into the higher levels it's going to be no more than a scratch.

Read it again.


For each melee touch attack that hits, you gain a +5 bonus on melee damage rolls against that same foe on your next turn.

Do I need to math that out for you? That's a whole lot of attacks, and they add up quickly. With the Multiattack feat, you decrease the secondary weapon penalty, ensuring more of them hit.

Let's say you have, at higher levels, four attacks with your primary weapon. Let's say you're also using soulmelds - say, some claw attacks, tail whip, a bite. Let's average it and say you're adding four secondary attacks (you could do more, but I don't feel like going into specifics here). That's eight attacks per round. During your first round of combat, deal no damage. During your second, deal +5 damage for each one that hit. Assuming all eight hit, that's +40 damage. But that's not just +40 damage total; that's a +40 bonus "on melee damage rolls." Meaning that the +40 is added to each hit on the second round. And I remind you that you're making 8 hits. That's +320 damage.


What maneuvers would you suggest? And also I'm not sure how Soulmelds work.

First, maneuvers. The thing to remember is that most maneuvers require a standard action, so they don't work with a full attack. As such, there is a certain degree of incompatibility with a King of Smack build, since the goal of such a build is to land as many hits as you can, as often as you can. Tiger Claw Mongoose maneuvers are a popular choice, and Diamond Mind's Time Stands Still is excellent. For a stance, take Punishing Stance, for two reasons. First, it adds 1d6 damage to all of your melee attacks - and you make a lot of them. Second, it activates the benefit of Ironheart Aura, which is the prerequisite for Stormguard Warrior.

Apart from moves like that, focus on boosts and counters. Wall of Blades is a fun choice, because by its language you can parry rays with your sword. The Diamond Mind counter-saves are no-brainers. And so forth.

Second, soulmelds. Soulmelds are fairly straightforward. In the morning, when others prepare their spells, you can shape soulmelds. They remain shaped until you decide otherwise. You can invest essentia (a power currency) in them as a swift action. The Totemist class description tells you how many soulmelds you can have shaped at once, how much total essentia you have, and how many of your soulmelds you can bind to chakra slots. Binding a soulmeld blocks you from using magic items in that slot, so be aware of that, but just shaping the soulmeld doesn't. Finally, be aware that you can only invest a certain amount of essentia in any given soulmeld; your essentia capacity is explained elsewhere, but it boils down to this: From levels 1-5, you can invest 1 essentia in any given soulmeld, 2 essentia from 6-11, 3 from 12-17, and 4 from 18-20. In addition, your totem chakra has 1 extra capacity; so, for example, at level 6 you could invest 3 essentia, instead of just 2, but only in the totem chakra.

That's a lot to swallow, but fortunately, you won't need to invest much. With only 4 levels of Totemist, you only have 3 essentia to invest, and frankly, your goal is simply to shape the soulmelds that give you natural weapons. Once shaped, you have natural weapons, done and done; everything else is simply icing.

[Xaroth]

In theory? Nice, but not super. Great Cleave, like Cleave, gives you a single, immediate attack against an adjacent target with the weapon (and bonuses) you used to kill the first one. If you did it with your main weapon, it's awesome; with one of your secondaries, it's decent. Where this shines is when your Combat Rhythm bonus takes over (see below), because then the damage bonus is added to that Cleave attack (but remember, only that single attack).

NEAT.


Do I need to math that out for you? That's a whole lot of attacks, and they add up quickly. With the Multiattack feat, you decrease the secondary weapon penalty, ensuring more of them hit.

Let's say you have, at higher levels, four attacks with your primary weapon. Let's say you're also using soulmelds - say, some claw attacks, tail whip, a bite. Let's average it and say you're adding four secondary attacks (you could do more, but I don't feel like going into specifics here). That's eight attacks per round. During your first round of combat, deal no damage. During your second, deal +5 damage for each one that hit. Assuming all eight hit, that's +40 damage. But that's not just +40 damage total; that's a +40 bonus "on melee damage rolls." Meaning that the +40 is added to each hit on the second round. And I remind you that you're making 8 hits. That's +320 damage.

Sweet mother of-


First, maneuvers. The thing to remember is that most maneuvers require a standard action, so they don't work with a full attack. As such, there is a certain degree of incompatibility with a King of Smack build, since the goal of such a build is to land as many hits as you can, as often as you can. Tiger Claw Mongoose maneuvers are a popular choice, and Diamond Mind's Time Stands Still is excellent. For a stance, take Punishing Stance, for two reasons. First, it adds 1d6 damage to all of your melee attacks - and you make a lot of them. Second, it activates the benefit of Ironheart Aura, which is the prerequisite for Stormguard Warrior.

Apart from moves like that, focus on boosts and counters. Wall of Blades is a fun choice, because by its language you can parry rays with your sword. The Diamond Mind counter-saves are no-brainers. And so forth.

Awesome, time to open the ToB.


Second, soulmelds. Soulmelds are fairly straightforward. In the morning, when others prepare their spells, you can shape soulmelds. They remain shaped until you decide otherwise. You can invest essentia (a power currency) in them as a swift action. The Totemist class description tells you how many soulmelds you can have shaped at once, how much total essentia you have, and how many of your soulmelds you can bind to chakra slots. Binding a soulmeld blocks you from using magic items in that slot, so be aware of that, but just shaping the soulmeld doesn't. Finally, be aware that you can only invest a certain amount of essentia in any given soulmeld; your essentia capacity is explained elsewhere, but it boils down to this: From levels 1-5, you can invest 1 essentia in any given soulmeld, 2 essentia from 6-11, 3 from 12-17, and 4 from 18-20. In addition, your totem chakra has 1 extra capacity; so, for example, at level 6 you could invest 3 essentia, instead of just 2, but only in the totem chakra.

That's a lot to swallow, but fortunately, you won't need to invest much. With only 4 levels of Totemist, you only have 3 essentia to invest, and frankly, your goal is simply to shape the soulmelds that give you natural weapons. Once shaped, you have natural weapons, done and done; everything else is simply icing.

Alright, that seems fairly straightforward. But what does investing more than 1 essentia do?

And where can I find the Spirit Lion Totem variant of the Barbarian?

[Red Fel]

Alright, that seems fairly straightforward. But what does investing more than 1 essentia do?

For most Totemist soulmelds, investing essentia is optional, not mandatory. They work perfectly well without any essentia invested in them. For your natural weapon soulmelds, investing essentia generally increases the damage output. For your utility soulmelds, investing generally increases the base function. Let me give you two examples.

The Girallon Arms soulmeld is shaped over the arms chakra, and grants a bonus on Climb and Grapple checks. Investing essentia in it increases that bonus. Nothing impressive. But binding it to the totem chakra gives you four extra arms that deal claw attacks, each one dealing 1d4 damage. Investing essentia gives +1 to attack and damage rolls per essentia invested. This is a classic go-to soulmeld for a King of Smack build, because, and I'll say it again, this one soulmeld gives you four secondary attacks.

The Blink Shirt soulmeld is shaped over the heart chakra, and grants you Dimension Door (10 foot distance) at-will as a standard action. Great in a shadowpouncer build, useful in other builds but not in combat. Investing essentia increases the distance traveled by 10 feet per essentia invested.

As you can see, investing is generally helpful, but not mandatory. The only soulmeld that really requires an essentia investment is the Incarnate Avatar, and Totemists don't get that one, so you don't have to worry about it.


And where can I find the Spirit Lion Totem variant of the Barbarian?

Spirit Lion Totem is one of several variant totems from Complete Champion. Don't confuse it with the Lion Totem variant, found in Unearthed Arcana and on the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#lionTotemClassFeatures ). The Spirit Lion Totem trades a Barbarian's Fast Movement ability for the Pounce (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_pounce&alpha=P) ability. The Lion Totem trades Fast Movement for Run.

I don't have to tell you why one is awesome, and one is highly "meh."

[Xaroth]

The Girallon Arms soulmeld is shaped over the arms chakra, and grants a bonus on Climb and Grapple checks. Investing essentia in it increases that bonus. Nothing impressive. But binding it to the totem chakra gives you four extra arms that deal claw attacks, each one dealing 1d4 damage. Investing essentia gives +1 to attack and damage rolls per essentia invested. This is a classic go-to soulmeld for a King of Smack build, because, and I'll say it again, this one soulmeld gives you four secondary attacks.

The Blink Shirt soulmeld is shaped over the heart chakra, and grants you Dimension Door (10 foot distance) at-will as a standard action. Great in a shadowpouncer build, useful in other builds but not in combat. Investing essentia increases the distance traveled by 10 feet per essentia invested.

And I can soulmeld both of these as a 4th level Totemist?

[Krazzman]

And I can soulmeld both of these as a 4th level Totemist?

Yes.

But there are only 1 or 2 soulmelds (for which you need the Dragon subtype[similar to what you need to have Dragonfire Inspiration]) that give Natural Weapons on your Shape. Else you always need to bind it to your Totem.

You have to see the shaping as an extra item slot.
Shaped it fill the shape-slot. Bound it fills both the Shape and Magic Item slot. Your Totem has no impact on your magic item slots.

I would advise you to read the Totemist handbook as the explanation there is more lenghty, but more in depth and quite good.
Like I said Kraken Mantle Shaped, The resist cold soulmeld and Gorillon Arms shaped on Arms and Bound to totem. Totemist 4 would allow you to Shape Blink Shirt too.

[Red Fel]

Yes.

But there are only 1 or 2 soulmelds (for which you need the Dragon subtype[similar to what you need to have Dragonfire Inspiration]) that give Natural Weapons on your Shape. Else you always need to bind it to your Totem.

You have to see the shaping as an extra item slot.
Shaped it fill the shape-slot. Bound it fills both the Shape and Magic Item slot. Your Totem has no impact on your magic item slots.

I would advise you to read the Totemist handbook as the explanation there is more lenghty, but more in depth and quite good.
Like I said Kraken Mantle Shaped, The resist cold soulmeld and Gorillon Arms shaped on Arms and Bound to totem. Totemist 4 would allow you to Shape Blink Shirt too.

Krazz is correct on all points. As a 4th-level Totemist, you can have four soulmelds shaped; the only restriction is that they can't overlap. So, you can't shape two soulmelds to the Arms slot, for example. (Exception: if you take the Double Chakra feat.)

Krazz is also correct that most natural weapons soulmelds have to be bound to the Totem chakra, and as I mentioned, you generally can't bind more than one soulmeld to a chakra (but see Double Chakra, again). There are exceptions: Draconic soulmelds (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=4) need not be bound to the Totem chakra, and can provide natural weapons even when not bound.

Note that, at Totemist 4, you can only bind one soulmeld. (It should probably be Girallon Arms.)

Finally, as Krazz suggested, consult a Totemist handbook. Here's a good one (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?287304-danzibr-s-Totemist-Handbook). There's even an entire section dedicated to natural weapons.