Build Ideas

[m149307]

Ok, I am trying to build yet another character... but idk how to go about it. I was thinking of doing a level 6 Warforged Totemist. The stats would be a 32 point buy, with 1 flaw allowed for the character. All books are open (no online resources). I want to be able to be self sufficient (meaning able to repair myself if need be), but also be able to deal very good damage on my own, if possible. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[gorfnab]

A level of Soul Eater (BoVD) is great for Tometists.

Also here are two Totemists handbooks that may provide some use.
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2943.0
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?287304-danzibr-s-Totemist-Handbook

[m149307]

I would have to take that at a later level, since Totemist have medium BAB

[m149307]

Still looking for help, please. Any suggestions welcome...

[The Insaniac]

I've always been partial to using psywar or ardent to add some more bang with stuff like claws of the vampire or forced share pain.

[m149307]

How many levels would you say to take in a psy warrior, and is there a PrC that I could go into with psionic/incarnum?

[The Insaniac]

http://web.archive.org/web/20130531110052/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20060217a This is the link for the soulmanifester, it's the soulcaster for psionics. I'd recommend the ardent over psiwar because ardents get powers faster and because they don't have an explicit "highest level powers known" column. This allows you to select any powers that you can manifest, using practiced manifester to make up for the lost ardent levels. I'd recommend:

For a psionics heavier build:
Ardent 1 (Azure talent)
Ardent 2
Totemist 1 (practiced manifester (ardent))
Totemist 2
Ardent 3
Soulmanifester 1-8
Ardent 4-10
Using both of the acfs on this page http://web.archive.org/web/20130605114655/https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a

For an incanum heavier build
Ardent 1 (Azure talent)
Ardent 2
Totemist 1 (practiced manifester (ardent))
Totemist 2
Ardent 3
Soulmanifester 1-10
Totemist 3-6 (snag practiced manifester in here as well)
Ardent 4

Both builds will get you 9ths by 20 and the arms/brow/shoulders chakras set but one gives you dominant ideal and lots more pp while the other gives you 2 melds, 6 essentia and 1 bind extra plus four meldshaper levels.

[m149307]

Alright, which mantles would you suggest?

[The Insaniac]

It really depends on if you can use the substitute powers ACF. In the words of Samb, writer of The Ardent Handbook: Dominating the Mantles, it is "pimp my mantle". If you can't, the best mantles are: conflict, creation, fate, freedom, magic, the planes and time. Take a look at the handbook for more information on those. http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1319.0

If you can use the ACF, the mantles that I put together were:


Pain and Suffering Mantle:

Granted Ability: As an immediate action, you can expend your psionic focus to share the pain of the next melee attack that deals damage to you. The attacker takes damage equal to half the damage it deals you.

1 Mind Thrust: Deal 1d10 damage.
2 Inflict Pain: Telepathic stab gives your foe -4 on attack rolls, or -2 if he makes the save.
3 Empathic Transfer, Hostile: Your touch transfers your hurt to another.
3 Share Pain, Forced: Unwilling subject takes some of your damage.
4 Empathic Feedback: When you are hit in melee, your attacker takes damage.
5 Anticipatory Strike: Take your action out of initiative order.
6 Breath of the Black Dragon [A]: Breathe acid for 11d6 damage.
7 Decerebrate: Remove part of a creature's brain.
8 Recall Death: Subject dies or takes 5d6 damage.
9 Intellect Bomb: Causes your target's head to explode.


Conflict Mantle:

Granted Ability: You are more in tune with martial concepts and gain the Weapon Focus feat as a bonus feat with a weapon of your choice.

1 Prescience, Offensive: Gain +2 insight bonus on your damage rolls.
2 Lion's Charge, Psionic: You can make a full attack in the same round you charge.
3 Dimension Slide: Teleports you a very short distance.
4 Immovability: You are almost impossible to move and gain damage reduction 15/ .
5 Fiery Discorporation [A]: Cheat death by discorporating into a nearby fire for one day.
6 Temporal Acceleration: Your time frame accelerates for 1 round.
7 Fate of One: Reroll any roll you just failed. You also gain an augmentation option unavailable to other manifesters of this power.
Augment: If you spend 3 additional power points, you can reroll a third time. You need not decide to spend the power points for this augmentation until after you decide to roll the third time, but you must spend the power points before you know the result of your roll.
7 Mind Blank, Personal: You are immune to scrying and mental effects.
8 Spirit of War: Confer +4 on attack rolls and damage rolls, +10 to one save, and confirm one critical threat.
9 Affinity Field, Pain: Negative effects that affect you also affect others.


Physical Power Mantle:

Granted Ability: As a free action, you can expend your psionic focus to gain a +2 bonus to Str, Dex, or Con for 1 round.

1 Adrenaline Boost: Receive a temporary Str and Dex boost.
1 Precognition, Offensive: Gain +1 insight bonus on your attack rolls.
2 Animal Affinity: Gain +4 enhancement to one ability.
3 Claws of the Vampire: Heal damage when you hit with a claw attack.
4 Immovability: You are almost impossible to move and gain damage reduction 15/-.
or 4 Psionic Open Chakra: Open target's crown hands or feet chakra. Augment to open stronger chakras.
5 Psychofeedback: Boost Str, Dex. or Con at the expense of one or more other scores.
6 Inconstant Location: Make swift instantaneous moves in combat.
7 Oak Body: Your body becomes as hard as oak.
8 Iron Body, Psionic: Your body becomes living iron.
9 Metamorphosis, Greater: Assume any nonunique form.

Remember, you will have powers equal to your ardent level plus your soulcaster level plus one, so choose carefully.

[m149307]

Ok, and what race would be good to tie the two together? I know Human is always good... but what else would work? And for the melds, I was thinking of Wormtail belt, Sphinx claws, Threefold mask of the Chimera (would that make sense in a gladiator type campaign??).

So, I would do (focusing on incarnum)
Ardent 2/Totemist 2/Ardent 1/SM 1.

Only thing I am worried about is the fact that I won't hit as often since I will be at a +3 BAB... any suggestions to help further? Or edits to my idea to improve the character?

[The Insaniac]

If you've got LA buyoff I'd go with Sunscorch Hobgoblins from Dragon Magic. They get +2 to wis and con and the dragonblood subtype which grants access to some nifty soulmelds. If you want the extra feat, I'd recommend azurin over human for the extra essentia. Skarn get extra natural attacks, which is nice. Warforged with adamantine body is always good for laughs (take the second slam and jaws of doom feats) but anything that's +con, +str, +wis and/or has really good additional benefits would work just fine.

For melds, look at the handbooks and remember that if you have an hour, you can swap them out. I prefer the girallon arms to the sphinx claws before I get the hands chakra open since you get more attacks that way and thus more strength boosts to damage but both are good.

As far as your attacks go, essentia investments, necklace of natural weapons and amulet of might fists give you enhancement bonuses. The conflict mantle gives you weapon focus. The modified physical power mantle gives you powers that will buff your attack bonus. Most importantly though, you're only 3 BAB behind the fighter at this point but you've got lots more attacks.

Edit: I just remembered that, amusingly enough, kobold could work in a lower-op game. It takes a bit more work and you need the expansion power and strength buffs asap but if you use the earth or desert kobold variant from unearthed arcana and the web enhancement from races of the dragon, you can get four natural attacks before soulmelds if you take the draconic tail feat (claw, claw, bite, tail slap). It's also great for laughs.

[m149307]

Ok, so if I go with Azurin (for the bonus feat), I was planning on having my Stats look like this:
Con/Wis 16, Str 14, Int/Dex 12, and Cha 7. I am using a 32 point buy, so yeah.

And for feats, I would have expanded soulmeld capacity, Power Attack, Azure Talent, and Multiattack (no flaws allowed).

Does this sound like a good idea?

[The Insaniac]

Stats look good (I'm not the best judge since I don't play with point-buy). Feat wise, I'd pick azure talent, practiced manifester (Ardent), multiattack and bonus essentia. You really need practiced manifester to keep you ML up to get good powers.

For melds, I'd take wormtail belt, girallon arms (bound) and then either ankheg breastplate (if you're the only melee) or dread carapace (if someone else will be taking some of the hits).

For powers, I'd take:
Ardent 1 (ML 1) Adrenaline Boost and Offensive Precognition
Ardent 2 (ML 2) Offensive Prescience
Ardent 3 (ML 5) Claws of the Vampire
Soulmanifester 1 (ML 6) either Hostile Empathic Transfer of Forced Share Pain