Dusk Blade/Monk/Kensai class build!

[Void Bovine]

So cool build idea using arcane channeling features of dusk bladehttp://dndtools.eu/classes/duskblade/ and monks unarmed abilities mostly focuses around sun school tactical feat which has a maneuver called "Flash of Sunset: To use this maneuver, you must move adjacent to a foe instantaneously, as with a dimension door spell or the monk's abundant step class feature. If you do so, you can immediately make a single attack at your highest attack bonus against that foe."http://dndtools.eu/feats/complete-warrior--61/sun-school--2835/ this gets used with the spell dimension hop in this case

Build takes 13 lvls of dusk blade 4 lvls of monk (1d8 unarmed) and 3 lvl of kensai

the reason I added in kensai was for the signature weapon and it can be made by the player to since they will be +2 "bloodstone" fists utilizing vampiric touch and arcane channeling

Bloodstone weapon is a +1 price enhancement that act as spell storing http://dndtools.eu/items/dungeon-masters-guide-v35--4/spell-storing--161/ weapon for vampiric touch only except it automatically empowers it as the empower spell feat (magic item compendium)

Feats: empower spell, sun school tactical feat, weapon focus (unarmed) and combat expertise

Race: human/half elf - or any other race that can get duskblade as a favored class

as for how you want to tier in this build that's up to any one reading this though monk and kensai need to be within 1 lvl of each other regardless to avoid xp penalty

[Red Fel]

Okay, honest critique time.


mostly focuses around sun school tactical feat which has a maneuver called Flash of Sunset:

We'll come back to that part in a moment.


Build takes 13 lvls of dusk blade 4 lvls of monk (1d8 unarmed) and 3 lvl of kensai

the reason I added in kensai was for the signature weapon and it can be made by the player to since they will be +2 "bloodstone" fists utilizing vampiric touch and arcane channeling

There's a magic item you want, called the Necklace of Natural Weapons, from Savage Species. It allows its enhancement bonus to transfer to one of your natural weapons - here, your unarmed strikes. Further, it takes enhancements as a weapon would - so, for instance, you could enhance it with Bloodstone, and that property would transfer to your unarmed strikes.

Costs money, which is abundant, as opposed to class levels, which are finite. If your DM allows 3.0, it's a better choice than Kensai, if all you want is the ability to enhance your fists.

As an aside, nothing in Duskblade's class description actually requires manufactured weapons, so you don't need the Monk's special ability to treat unarmed strikes as natural or manufactured as needed; they're already simple weapons with which a Duskblade is proficient. If you were willing to lose the free IUS, you could ditch the levels of Monk, take IUS as a stand-alone feat, and then take Superior Unarmed Strike to let your unarmed strikes scale properly.

Okay. Now let's look again at Sun School. It triggers off of Dimension Door and the like. Duskblades get Dimension Hop at level 5, and Dimension Door at 13. So, yes, you could cast either one, pop up next to an enemy, and get one punch at your highest BAB. Note that this does not stack with Arcane Channeling, which requires a standard action to channel into a single strike (at level 3) or a full attack action to channel into each strike (at level 13).

In other words, it's a great way to hop into combat, but it won't let you make full use of your abilities. Want to know what will? Shadow Pounce. Shadow Pounce is a delightful class ability that allows you to make a full attack after a teleport. Note that your 13th-level Arcane Channeling allows you to cast a touch spell as part of a full attack, so it mixes nicely with this ability.

Telflammar Shadowlord and Crinti Shadow Marauder are the classes you want to see. Both PrCs have substantial requirements, not the least of which is a nongood alignment, but the result is one you'll enjoy. Shadowlord gives you a spell progression, and at level 4 gives you Shadow Pounce. Crinti gives you Shadow Pounce at level 5 instead of 4, but it also gives you Sudden Strike damage, as well as some mostly-useless bonus feats, and its prereqs are slightly less onerous.

A simple enough build might look like this:

Human Duskblade 13/ Crinti Shadow Marauder 5/ Duskblade +2.

Feats:
Human Bonus: Improved Unarmed Strike
1: Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike)
3: Superior Unarmed Strike
6: Stealthy
9: Mounted Combat
12, 15, 18: Whatever you want.

This gets you into Crinti, and adds Shadow Pounce, Sudden Strike, and a few other nuggets of fun to your repertoire. If you still want more, take the feat Shape Soulmeld (Blink Shirt), and get an at-will standard action short-range Dimension Door ability you can use every round, all day. Mixed with Shadow Pounce, that means a teleport followed by a full attack; thanks to Duskblade 13, you can channel a touch spell into your mighty fists as you do. And thanks to your Necklace, those fists are +X Bloodstone fists with whatever else you want on them.

And, because it's just one class and one PrC, no xp penalty involved. Much neater.

[Void Bovine]

Was relying on quick cast for dimension hop btw also savage species is 3.0 and crinti shadow marauder is a campaign setting class...

[Vhaidara]

Was relying on quick cast for dimension hop btw also savage species is 3.0 and crinti shadow marauder is a campaign setting class...

Unupdated 3.0 is 100% RAW 3.5 legal. Also, even in that case, it was in a web article. One of the Fight Clubs, IIRC.

[Snowbluff]

Hey guys, no need for Totemist! Just channel D Hop, and hit yourself with your last attack! Recursive Shadow Pouncing!
Full Channeling is a Full ATTACK Action. Shadow Pounce grants those.

[Red Fel]

Was relying on quick cast for dimension hop btw also savage species is 3.0 and crinti shadow marauder is a campaign setting class...

Quick Cast, with the class levels you've picked, can be used twice a day. Now, if you only plan to use your Hop as an opener, and your campaign tends towards the usual 3-4 combats per day, that's not terrible. But it's not great, either. Even if you use Quick Cast and Arcane Channeling, you're only getting the one attack (Sun School only gives you one attack), and you're only getting it twice a day (Quick Cast can only be used 2/day at Duskblade 13).

Now, your concerns about Crinti and Telflammar are valid ones - they are region-specific. Unless, of course, you decide to overlook that. Your DM might be the tolerant type. And Shadow Pounce is just that good for a build concept like this. A dimensional-shifting magic fist who pops in and out of the shadows and punches people with his vampiric hands. It's juicy. And it beats a disappointing 2/day single-attack setup.

[Void Bovine]

Yeah crinti shadow marauder looks like a really cool class from that standpoint I just don't think my DM would let me use other wise I would any ways also was looking at flurry of blows in general with arcane channeling. Also side note can I use Blinding Sun of Noon in tangent with Flash of Sunset like there isn't anything that says i can't right?

Remembering a meta magic feat repeat spell can be used at least twice with dimension hop at dusk blade lvl 13 would allow a reserve on quick cast if needed forgot to mention it before my bad

-Also what about Monks Belt?

[Red Fel]

any ways also was looking at flurry of blows in general with arcane channeling.

Yes, Flurry does work with Arcane Channeling, but keep in mind the fact that you're taking a penalty to hit on all attacks until Monk 9. (Hence why it's often called "Flurry of Misses.") Further, while Monk's Belt may upgrade your unarmed strikes and unarmored AC, it does not upgrade your Flurry of Blows. Thus, since you have only 4 levels in Monk, you'll be taking -2 to all attacks during a Flurry round.

So, if you hit, Flurry + Channeling can be useful. But that's if you hit.


Also side note can I use Blinding Sun of Noon in tangent with Flash of Sunset like there isn't anything that says i can't right?

Well, you have to stun an enemy with an unarmed attack to trigger Blinding Sun. A Stunning Fist can be declared as part of any attack roll. So, yes, you could teleport, get a single attack from Flash, declare it to be a Stunning Fist attack, and do the same thing next turn. Note that both would have to be against the same opponent, so it seems a bit silly to teleport to him and only have one attack, then teleport again and only have one attack instead of simply staying there and making a full attack (one hit being your second Stunning Fist).

But yes, you can use them together.


Remembering a meta magic feat repeat spell can be used at least twice with dimension hop at dusk blade lvl 13 would allow a reserve on quick cast if needed forgot to mention it before my bad

Well, that's complicated. First, Repeat Spell has a finite range; if you D-Hop more than 30 feet, it fails. Second, Repeat Spell takes up a slot 3 levels higher; D-Hop is a level 2 spell, which means a Repeat D-Hop is a level 5 spell. You don't have level 5 spells until Duskblade 17, and you've only taken 13 levels of the class. You don't have a way to use it.


-Also what about Monks Belt?

Monk's Belt upgrades your unarmed strike damage and unarmored AC. As a Monk 4, you would be treated as a Monk 9. Your unarmed strikes would deal 1d10 instead of 1d8, and you would receive Wis+1 to your Monk AC instead of Wis+0.

[Talionis]

Two levels of Totemist grants you access to bind your Totem Chakra, making the Blink Shirt an immediatate or Swift action. But also Shadow Hand discipline in Tome of Battle grants short range teleports at standard, move, and immediate actions. Burning through three Manuevers can net you three attacks and moving 150 ft.

[Darrin]

Two levels of Totemist grants you access to bind your Totem Chakra, making the Blink Shirt an immediatate or Swift action.


Move action. And it still has the "can't take any actions" restriction in effect, so while you can Shadow Pounce once, you can't standard dimdoor + move dimdoor in the same round.



But also Shadow Hand discipline in Tome of Battle grants short range teleports at standard, move, and immediate actions. Burning through three Manuevers can net you three attacks and moving 150 ft.

Swordsage dip can usually pick up Shadow Jaunt, but Shadow Stride requires IL 9 and Shadow Blink requires IL 13. And you also need Adaptive Style to reset them as a full-round action. You'll need at least six levels of Swordsage to get Shadow Blink at ECL 20 (without resorting to IL shenanigans). If you need all three actions, it might be better to get Shadow Jaunt with a Swordsage dip, dimension hop with Ardent/Mantled Psychic Warrior/Hidden Talent, and Blink Shirt with Totemist 2. Then you have a standard port with Shadow Jaunt, swift with dimension hop, and can finish off with Blink Shirt as a move action.

[Void Bovine]

Yeah forgot duskblade have 0 lvl spell though repeat works with arcane thesishttp://dndtools.eu/feats/players-handbook-ii--80/arcane-thesis--104/ and arcane preparation http://dndtools.eu/feats/complete-arcane--55/arcane-preparation--97/ not sure its worth that many feats though...