Junkyard Wars in the Playground VII: Metamagic Feats + LA - Metamagic Reducers!

[OMG PONIES]

Welcome to Junkyard Stadium! It is in this hallowed pile of miscellaneous parts that we will hold a competition of Practical Optimization with three components. The catch? Competitors may not use the third item in their builds!

Goal: Create a build that showcases the selected ingredients while steering clear of the Forbidden Ingredient.

This competition has two Necessary Components and one Forbidden Component. This one is themed my birthday, coming up on Saturday! As such, I've selected two ingredients that I despise and one that I really love. Please take the components that I hate and make something beautiful from them for me, while avoiding the ingredient I already know and love so as not to tarnish it for me. We've got a category of feats used by the most fearsome mages and a rule system used by the most fearsome munchkins. But please, keep the rudisplorking to a minimum and don't use anything to mitigate the costs of your metamagic feats. Without further ado, our components are...


Necessary: Metamagic feats!
Note: this does not include Metapsionic feats.
Necessary: Level adjustment!
Note: we're looking for a listed LA, be it negative, +0, or positive. Cohort LA and LA: --, however, are right out. We're looking to build PCs here.
Forbidden: Ways to reduce/replace metamagic costs!
e.g. Divine Metamagic, Midnight Metamagic, Naenhoon Illumians, Arcane Thesis, etc.

I know, I know, "Thou Shalt not lose caster levels." However, here you're going to have to. And don't try to get cute with using metamagic feats without paying for them.

Contestants:

So you wanna give this thing a shot? Awesome! The rules are as follows:
Creation: 32 point-buy is the presumed creation method. If you do use a different point-buy, please make your case for its necessity in your entry. Keep in mind that for using exceptionally large or small point-buys may warrant deductions in Elegance and/or Power. XP is assumed to be 190,000--just enough to hit 20th level. This is a departure from previous rounds that awarded "bonus XP" to use for crafting, LA buyoff, etc. No more!
Workshop: Competitors will be free to use any official 3.5 rulebook in constructing their builds. Dragon Magazine is disallowed, and Unearthed Arcana is allowed; but see below. Web-exclusive 3.0 or 3.5 materials by WotC are expressly allowed, but take care to verify that an updated version did not appear in print elsewhere as this may cause an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion. If you use web material, link it. Dragon Magazine Compendium is allowed, as are Oriental Adventures and the Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt and fractional saves are not allowed, as they create a different playing field.
Speculation: Please don't post or speculate on possible builds until after the reveal in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.
Disputes: Any scoring disputes should be sent to the Chair via PM. Valid disputes include RAW misreadings, arithmetic errors, things missed that are present in the entry, and inconsistently applied criteria. Invalid disputes include disagreements on matters of opinion, a judge not catching something not explicitly presented in the entry, and the like. Invalid disputes will be responded to via PM by the Chair, but valid disputes will be posted in-thread for the judge to review. When disputing, please indicate the judge the dispute is intended for and provide a quote of the disputed comment or comments. Note: the Chair may edit or paraphrase any disputes in presenting them to the judges.
Leadership is banned: We're creating one things, not all of the things. If your entry includes a prestige class or ACF that grants Leadership or a Leadership-like ability as a bonus feat, the feat should be ignored and is not eligible to be traded away for another feat or ACF through any means.
Presentation: You will need to present a write-up of your build at at least one of the following points: 5th level, 10th level, 15th, 20th, and a "sweet spot" that you feel is the high point of the build, as well as presenting a fully-fleshed out 20-level build in the table below. Please give a rundown of the build's abilities and playability throughout its life. Builds will be posted anonymously, in order to avoid the potential of bias towards a particular competitor. For this reason, please don't put your name in the build as I'm likely to miss it when reviewing the entries. Also for this reason, PLEASE do not include any material that may or may not offend any potential viewers/judges/competitors OR break forum rules. Any builds which violate forum rules WILL be withheld from posting.


Due to concerns about standardizing entry format, I'd like everyone to try to use the following table for their entry.NAME OF ENTRY
LevelClassBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSkillsFeatsClass Features


1stNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


2ndNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


3rdNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


4thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


5thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


6thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


7thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


8thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


9thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


10thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


11thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


12thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


13thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


14thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


15thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


16thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


17thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


18thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


19thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


20thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities




Table Code:


NAME OF ENTRY
LevelClassBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSkillsFeatsClass Features


1stNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


2ndNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


3rdNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


4thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


5thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


6thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


7thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


8thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


9thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


10thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


11thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


12thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


13thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


14thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


15thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


16thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


17thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


18thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


19thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities


20thNew Class Level+x+x+x+xSkillsNew FeatsNew Class Abilities




For entries with spellcasting or other systems (Psionics, ToB, Incarnum, etc.) keep track of spells per day/spells known/PP/maneuvers/essentia separately, preferably in a nice neat list.

Judges:

Scoring: Each judge is required to provide the criteria by which they are judging the builds. By "criteria," we mean a simple explanation of what the judge is looking for in each of the below categories and what kind of scoring we can expect. If a judge deems a build to be illegal, they may provide a 0 in Elegance but may not refuse to judge any build presented by the Chairman.
The Categories: Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Power, Elegance, Use of Components.


Originality: Basically put, does the build stand out from the crowd? Some judges score entries for the quality of their concept & backstory as well, though not all do. Providing at least some backstory is heavily encouraged, as it helps the judges figure out who the entry is.
Power: Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level unless you're showcasing a new TO build you've discovered. In the words of one of my predecessors, a little cheddar can be nice, but avoid the mature Gruyere unless you're making a cheese fondue.
Elegance: This category was formerly titled "Build Stability." Here, we're essentially measuring how skillfully you put your build together and how you balanced flavor with power. We're cooking here - if your dish doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter how well-presented it is. Use of flaws is an automatic loss of one point per flaw in this category. Other things that will cause lost points here are excessive multiclassing, and classes that don't fit the concept - using Cloistered Cleric in a front-line melee fighter, for example, will lose you points. Some judges have penalized dipping classes in this category. Rule adherence and legality of sources is scored under this category. Using too many sources may be an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion, but a book's relative obscurity may not. Note: for this round, the use of Level Adjustment should not receive a deduction. LA Buyoff, however, may receive deductions at each individual judge's discretion.
Use of Components: Was the Forbidden Component avoided? Were the Necessary Components showcased, or simply used because they were necessary? Note: some judges deduct for things that still hold the feel of the Forbidden Ingredient, even if said ingredient itself is not used (ex: using savant levels when factotum is forbidden).

Disputes: Any scoring disputes will be posted by the Chairman in-thread after reviewing them privately. Valid disputes include RAW misreadings, arithmetic errors, things missed that are present in the entry, and inconsistently applied criteria. Invalid disputes include disagreements on matters of opinion, a judge not catching something not explicitly presented in the entry, and the like. Invalid disputes will be responded to via PM by the Chair, but valid disputes should be responded to by each individual judge. Should a judge fail to respond to a valid dispute in a timely fashion, the Chair reserves the right to respond on behalf of the judge.

Completion Time:

Contestants will have until [11:59 PM GMT on October 13th, 2014] to create their builds and PM them to the chairman, OMG PONIES.
Builds will then be posted simultaneously to avoid copying.
Judges will have until [11:59 PM GMT on October 27th, 2014] to judge the builds and submit their scores. If no judges have scored by that point, only the scores of the first judge to submit will be counted.
As the precedent has been set from Episode 2, should all prospective judges have posted their rulings in a neat, timely fashion and all disputes have been settled satisfactorily (to either judges, contestants, or the Chairperson), the judging period may end prematurely to give way to a new episode. No reason to keep working on a finished building and avoid moving onto the next one.

So who wants to sign up as a contestant and who wants to sign up as a judge? Looking for as many contestants and judges as feel like playing!We will award 1st through 3rd places, as well as a shout-out for honorable mention. The honorable mention prize is given to the most daring or unexpected build that doesn't gain a medal. Contestants are invited to vote for honorable mention via PM. Everyone else can vote in-thread. Ready? Steady? Get to the junkyard and start building!

Previous Competitions:
Episode 1: Shadowdancer + Sneak Attack - Rogue (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?342896-Junkyard-Wars-in-the-Playground-II)
Episode 2: Healing Spells + Ruby Knight Vindicator - no Cleric (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?337864-Junkyard-Wars-in-the-Playground-I)
Episode 3: Dragon Type + Mystic Theurge - Kobold (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?347412-Junkyard-Wars-in-the-Playground-III-Dragons-Theurges-Kobolds)
Episode 4: Book of Exalted Deeds + Undead Type - Completes Books (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?355278-Junkyard-Wars-in-the-Playground-IV-BoED-Undead-Type-Completes)
Episode 5: Dread Witch + Reaping Mauler - Fighter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?360271-Junkyard-Wars-in-the-Playground-V-Dread-Witch-Reaping-Mauler-Fighter)
Episode 6: Wonderworker + the Profession Skill - Factotum (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?369604-Junkyard-Wars-in-the-Playground-VI-Wonderworker-Profession-Skill-Factotum)

[Telonius]

I have an idea for this already. Definitely in!

[sideswipe]

im entering, thats it.

a few bits, im guessing the minimum LA is 1

the changes to the judging and building rules that you proposed, can you post them for all to see?

and as a point. can you clarify to all that anything that attempts to reduce metamagic is against it, so anything obscure you havent mentioned does not get around this point.

and.... LA buyoff allowed or not? please make this very clear :smallsmile:

[dysprosium]

Quite the interesting combination there.

I'll see what I can come up with.

[Sian]

got a few cute ideas off the bat ... lets set the heat to 'stew' and see if something is interesting enough to build

[Muggins]

Does this include Metapsionics, or are we only talking about feats with the explicit [Metamagic] descriptor?

[OMG PONIES]

im entering, thats it.

a few bits, im guessing the minimum LA is 1

the changes to the judging and building rules that you proposed, can you post them for all to see?

and as a point. can you clarify to all that anything that attempts to reduce metamagic is against it, so anything obscure you havent mentioned does not get around this point.

and.... LA buyoff allowed or not? please make this very clear :smallsmile:

The information you seek should be in our new & improved opening post. As far as LA, there is no stated minimum as there are some things that provide LA +0 (or even negative LA). You've simply got to use something with a listed level adjustment. That means no using a human and saying "yep, LA +0!"


Does this include Metapsionics, or are we only talking about feats with the explicit [Metamagic] descriptor?

As it says on the tin, my friend. You're free to use metapsionics as well, but they would not fulfill the necessary component. Otherwise, Metapower would be at once eligible for Necessary and Forbidden Component status, causing heads to asplode.

[sakuuya]

The information you seek should be in our new & improved opening post. As far as LA, there is no stated minimum as there are some things that provide LA +0 (or even negative LA). You've simply got to use something with a listed level adjustment. That means no using a human and saying "yep, LA +0!"

"LA -" doesn't count as a listed level adjustment, though, right? That would lead to nothing but shenanigans.

[WhamBamSam]

"LA -" doesn't count as a listed level adjustment, though, right? That would lead to nothing but shenanigans.LA -- is the opposite of a listed level adjustment.

Question: how does the LA requirement interact with the LA buyoff cushion we've been using? Or are we not doing that this round?

[dextercorvia]

Chair Ponies (Would that be Saddle instead?),

Was the replacement of Build Stability with Elegance a planned departure from past rounds?

[TheGeckoKing]

You know, I might have a crack at this. The problem is I can't decide which of my many initial builds to go with. :smallsigh:

[sideswipe]

LA -- is the opposite of a listed level adjustment.

Question: how does the LA requirement interact with the LA buyoff cushion we've been using? Or are we not doing that this round?

you now only get enough XP to reach level 20, 190,000 so no LA buyoff :smallbiggrin:

[Troacctid]

I have two ideas for this one, but so far I've only come up with a way for one of them to connect the two ingredients together.

Edit: Wait! I got it! Okay, this should be great. Yeah, this is a neat set of ingredients. It's something I'd never think of playing in a real game, but it's interesting to brew with.

[OMG PONIES]

"LA -" doesn't count as a listed level adjustment, though, right? That would lead to nothing but shenanigans.


LA -- is the opposite of a listed level adjustment.

Ma'am, I am going to answer your question (I am!) but it's already been answered correctly by WhamBamSam (and I don't want to create spam).:smallbiggrin: On a less rhyming note, that information has been added to the OP. You see? :smallwink:

Question: how does the LA requirement interact with the LA buyoff cushion we've been using? Or are we not doing that this round?[/QUOTE]


you now only get enough XP to reach level 20, 190,000 so no LA buyoff :smallbiggrin:

Indeed. I asked at the end of last round, and one person said it would be okay to go in my intended direction so I took that as majority opinion--100% of respondents answered favorably to my proposal. :smalltongue: The original post already stated this, so I haven't made any alterations.


Chair Ponies (Would that be Saddle instead?),

Was the replacement of Build Stability with Elegance a planned departure from past rounds?

Yes, it definitely was. I never understood the difference in title for what was essentially the same category. I've added an explanatory note to the OP.


Edit: Wait! I got it! Okay, this should be great. Yeah, this is a neat set of ingredients. It's something I'd never think of playing in a real game, but it's interesting to brew with.

That was the idea; I'm glad someone else's mind is as crazy as mine. You hear the music too, right?
Unrelated to anything, is your avatar a "cow pi?" :smallbiggrin:

[Troacctid]

What's the ruling on cohort LA? Unicorn, blink dog, et al.


Unrelated to anything, is your avatar a "cow pi?" :smallbiggrin:

:smallwink:

[Jeff the Green]

Can a character have the ability to apply metamagic effects to spells without increasing level but not use it?

[WhamBamSam]

Can a character have the ability to apply metamagic effects to spells without increasing level but not use it?I would guess no. If you're an Incanatrix or Anima Mage or whatever, and you have that ability, you're eventually going to use it. I mean, the judges could just treat it like it isn't there, but ehhh.

[OMG PONIES]

What's the ruling on cohort LA? Unicorn, blink dog, et al.

Again, we're building PCs. Cohort ony LA should not be used. I'll update the OP.


Can a character have the ability to apply metamagic effects to spells without increasing level but not use it?

I'm leaving that one to each individual judge, but I'd expect some furrowed brows at the least.

[sakuuya]

Is anyone currently planning to judge? I feel like this round is particularly open-ended, so it'd be nice to have people who could say "Yeah, I'd penalize you for taking Anima Mage even if you said you weren't gonna use vestige metamagic" or whatever.

[heavyfuel]

Since there's no way I'll be able to find the time to create a build I shall be judging!

[Deadline]

I think I'm going to bow out of this one from both sides. I'm committed to judging for Kuulv's last blast, and I don't have any inspiration on this one.

[Kazyan]

My immediate idea is a balls-to-the-wall risk. How does that usually go over with judges? Maybe I'll actually finish this time, just to see how it's received.

[heavyfuel]

My immediate idea is a balls-to-the-wall risk. How does that usually go over with judges? Maybe I'll actually finish this time, just to see how it's received.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "balls to the wall risk", but from what I've seen, most judges like inovative ideas but dislike cheese. Take from that what you will.

[dysprosium]

I should be able to get my idea entered.

Let's see how the Junkyard likes it.

[Sian]

my main issue with my idea is that i'm slightly uncertain if it fits one part enough, and similarily uncertain if the other part aren't to heavy on the gorgonzola, so i'm not sure i'm going to submit just yet

[heavyfuel]

my main issue with my idea is that i'm slightly uncertain if it fits one part enough, and similarily uncertain if the other part aren't to heavy on the gorgonzola, so i'm not sure i'm going to submit just yet

Remember you can submit 2 builds. Or is that not a thing anymore?

[Sian]

Remember you can submit 2 builds. Or is that not a thing anymore?

.... I know, but that doesn't have anything to do with my issues. My 1! build idea have two seperate problems, one of them being that half the dish might not fit well enough, while the other part might be to cheesy

[sideswipe]

im getting no inspiration..... i thought i had some and then hit a wall.

[ranagrande]

Do the judges post their criteria here? There are a few different ways I could go with my idea, and that might help me decide.

[OMG PONIES]

Do the judges post their criteria here? There are a few different ways I could go with my idea, and that might help me decide.

Judges' criteria are usually posted alongside the Reveal. The idea is to post a build you're proud of, rather than a build that caters to their criteria.

[sakuuya]

Heavyfuel, what are your feelings about (a) having metamagic reduction abilities but not using them (as Jeff posted upthread), and (b) effects that allow spontaneous casters to use metamagic'd spells as standard actions? Like, do you consider either/both of these an automatic 0/RTJ level offense? I have a few ideas I'm kicking around, and I'm trying not to get myself disqualified...

[Telonius]

And the crunch is done! Working on the fluff now... :smallamused:

[heavyfuel]

Heavyfuel, what are your feelings about (a) having metamagic reduction abilities but not using them (as Jeff posted upthread), and (b) effects that allow spontaneous casters to use metamagic'd spells as standard actions? Like, do you consider either/both of these an automatic 0/RTJ level offense? I have a few ideas I'm kicking around, and I'm trying not to get myself disqualified...

Since the judging criteria aren't revealed until the builds have been submitted, I'm reserving my answer to your question until chairman PONIES allows for my answer (I've pm'd him about it)

[OMG PONIES]

Heavyfuel, what are your feelings about (a) having metamagic reduction abilities but not using them (as Jeff posted upthread), and (b) effects that allow spontaneous casters to use metamagic'd spells as standard actions? Like, do you consider either/both of these an automatic 0/RTJ level offense? I have a few ideas I'm kicking around, and I'm trying not to get myself disqualified...

Something to keep in mind from the OP:


If a judge deems a build to be illegal, they may provide a 0 in Elegance but may not refuse to judge any build presented by the Chairman.


Since the judging criteria aren't revealed until the builds have been submitted, I'm reserving my answer to your question until chairman PONIES allows for my answer (I've pm'd him about it)

You're free to respond (or not) as you see fit to individual questions like the above. I just don't want judges posting their criteria so far in advance that folks start building in attempts to cater to the judges rather than because they built something they're actually proud of. I've said it before and I'll say it again:


The idea is to post a build you're proud of, rather than a build that caters to their criteria.

[heavyfuel]

I haven't fully decided on my criteria but, neither scenarios will disqualify you or anyone else, although the first will result in a score penalty to Use of Component. The exact penalty will be decided upon analysis of the build as a whole

[sakuuya]

That's very helpful, heavyfuel. Thanks.

[Telonius]

Build is submitted!

[heavyfuel]

This may be a stupid question, but do I have to submit my judging criteria to the chairman? Or just the judging f the builds themselves?

Edit: Regardless, criteria has been submitted. Hope to judge all competitors soon

[dysprosium]

. . . must get . . . real life . . . to let me . . . enter my build!

[Sian]

really wanted to finish my build, but given how busy i'm going to be today (got a tree to cut down before the winter storms start arriving) and the fact that its been fighting me from the beginning, as i'm still lacking quite a few things (Skill points, Fluff and Spells, and not entirely certain on all the feat choices either), I'm not going to submit my idea. I believe the core idea is sound through, so i'm going to sit on it in hope that i can break it out for another contest at some point.

[sideswipe]

hmmmm... can i build from scratch in a few hours..... maybe....

[Troacctid]

I probably should have finished sooner so I wouldn't have to work at the last minute, but whatever.

[Jeff the Green]

Huh. I wasn't expecting to finish this soon. Well, off to the Chairman it goes!

[dysprosium]

I can't see how I am going to get my entry in on time. I'll give my idea after the reveal.

Good luck to the entrants!

[OMG PONIES]

And away we go! Please refrain from posting until I give the "all clear."

[OMG PONIES]

Well, this guy certainly sucks.


(Unfortunately, after scrolling through probably hundreds of Google Images that can't be unseen, and DeviantArt pages that will haunt my dreams for weeks, I am forced to conclude that no one has ever drawn a picture of a half-dragon-like vampire mad scientist. I urge the internets to rectify this situation immediately).

Baron Jareth von Retselheim IV

Vampire Lord Spellscale Artificer12

The valley of Retselheim is a peaceful place. The peasants dwell under the protection of their ruler, a kindly Spellscale inventor named Baron Jareth. The good Baron is the fourth of his line, and the fourth of that name … or so they believe.

Four hundred years ago, Jareth was a young Spellscale, fresh into the world, full of curiosity, and – despite a fairly sickly nature – ready to go adventuring. He met with some early success, earning himself a workshop of his own, complete with a Dedicated Wright he’d just crafted for himself. But Jareth tempted fate once too often. In an expedition to an ancient lair, he fell victim to a Vampire Sorceress’s bite. He rose as a Vampire (rather than a Spawn). She quickly saw his potential and set him to work for her. At her orders, he scavenged her victims for magical items and created Wondrous Items and Armor to benefit her.

In an effort to keep him weak (and her own power secure), she forbade him to join in any raids with her. Although he was allowed free rein of the night, he spent most of his time in her lair with only his Homunculus for company, working furiously to carry out what research he could. Despite his new un-life as a vampire, he retained his Spellscale curiosity, and his “Blood-Quickening Meditations” took on new meaning as the blood that flowed through him was not even his own. Jareth chafed under her command. By and by, saw his opportunity. He created two scrolls of Air Walk, gave one to his Mistress, then activated his and playfully walked just above a river to demonstrate. The Sorceress attempted to activate the scroll, but – not suspecting his treachery and never having asked him to make a Scroll – didn’t realize that the magic had not taken effect. She was quickly engulfed by the moving water.

Freed from his creator, Jareth quickly set about making new friends. He created – and freed – a dozen new vampire spawn, but the large clutch of undead quickly drew the attention of some Clerical authorities. He thwarted their assaults, using his cunning and impressive array of magical items – especially his offensive wands. He never forgot the lessons of his Mistress, and no magical item he captured ever went to waste. Each victory fueled his craft reserve. Soon he was strong enough to raise several Vampires of his own, always freeing them as soon as they were created.

Soon, other vampires began to feel threatened by Jareth the upstart, who seemed to be expanding territory and gathering power by favors and obligation instead of outright enslavement and domination. Several assassination attempts – including an attack by one of his former spawn – were foiled by his progeny or his own craftiness. He had achieved dominion over his little corner of the world, surviving where many others had been destroyed, and earning the title of Vampire Lord.

Still, the attacks kept coming, and eventually he saw them as mere annoyances, and distractions from his research pursuits. As much as he enjoyed subverting the vampiric hierarchy, he wanted the nuisances to leave him alone even more. No longer constrained by the limits imposed on others of his kind, he took the enormous wealth he had gained, and set up a barony in Retselheim. He has been posing as Baron Jareth and his descendants for the last 200 years. His research during that time has given him wealth and power almost unimaginable. Time is money, and he has all the time in the world. He still offers discreet and gracious hospitality to any passing vampire, but reacts violently to anyone he believes would bring vampiric politics into his realm. He regards his home as a freehold, and will use all of his impressive powers to keep it that way.

Starting Ability Scores: 32 point buy.
STR 10 (2)
DEX 14 (6)
CON 10 (2) -> 8 (race)
INT 16 (10)
WIS 10 (2)
CHA 16 (10) -> 18 (race)

Final Ability Scores:
STR 22 (+6 Vampire, +6 Vampire Lord)
DEX 22 (+4 Vampire, +4 Vampire Lord)
CON (null)
INT 23 (+2 Vampire, +2 Vampire Lord, +3 level increases)
WIS 14 (+2 Vampire, +2 Vampire Lord)
CHA 24 (+4 Vampire, +4 Vampire Lord)

Build Table
Baron Jareth von Retselheim IV
LevelClassBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSkillsFeatsClass Features


1stArtificer1+0+0+0+2Concentration +4 points (total 4 ranks), Craft(Pottery) +4 points (4 ranks), Diplomacy +4 points (2 ranks), Know(Arcana)+4 (4), Know(Planes)+4 (4), Spellcraft +4 (4), UMD +4 (4)Heighten SpellArtificer knowledge, artisan bonus, disable trap, item creation, Scribe Scroll


2ndArtificer2+1+0+0+3Concentration +1(5), Craft+1(5), Diplomacy +1(2.5), Know(Arc)+1(5), Know(Planes)+1(5), Spellcraft+1(5), UMD+1(5)-Brew Potion


3rdArtificer3+2+1+1+3Concentration+1(6), Craft+1(6), Diplomacy+1(3), Know(Arc)+1(6), Know(Planes)+1(6), Spellcraft+1(6), UMD+1(6)Energy Substitution (Cold)Craft Wondrous Item


4thArtificer4+3+1+1+4Concentration+1(7), Craft+1(7), Diplomacy +1(3.5), Know(Arc)+1(7), Know(Planes)+1(7), Spellcraft+1(7), UMD+1(7)-Craft homunculus, Bonus Feat (Quicken Spell), +1 Int


5thArtificer5+3+1+1+4Concentration+1(8), Craft+1(8), Diplomacy +1(4), Know(Arc)+1(8), Know(Planes)+1(8), Spellcraft+1(8), UMD+1(8)-Craft Magic Arms and Armor, retain essence


6thArtificer6+4+2+2+5Concentration+1(9), Craft+1(9), Diplomacy +1(4.5), Know(Arc)+1(9), Know(Planes)+1(9), Move Silently+1(0.5), Spellcraft+1(9), UMD+1(9)Extend Spell. Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative and Lightning Reflexes (from Vampire template)Craft Wand. Gains Vampire template between 5th and 6th level. +2 Int, total 19


7thArtificer7+5+2+2+5]Concentration+1(10), Craft+1(10), Diplomacy +1(5), Know(Arc)+1(10), Know(Planes)+1(10), Move Silently+1(1), Spellcraft+1(10), UMD+1(10)-Metamagic spell trigger


8thArtificer8+6/+1+2+2+6Concentration+1(11), Diplomacy +1(5.5), Hide+1(0.5), Know(Arc)+1(11), Know(Planes)+1(11), Move Silently+2(2), Spellcraft+1(11), UMD+1(11)-Bonus Feat (Split Ray), +1 Int, total 20


9thArtificer9+6/+1+3+3+6Concentration+1(12), Diplomacy +1(6), Hide +1(1), Know(Arc)+1(12), Know(Planes)+1(12), Move Silently+2(3), Spellcraft+1(12), UMD+1(12)Wand MasteryCraft Rod


10thArtificer10+7/+2+3+3+7Concentration+1(13), Diplomacy +1(6.5), Hide +2(2), Know(Arc)+1(13), Know(Planes)+1(13), Move Silently+2(4), Spellcraft+1(12), UMD+1(12)Iron Will and Leadership (ignored) from templateVampire Lord template. +2 Int from template, total 22


11thArtificer11+8/+3+3+3+7Concentration+1(14), Diplomacy +1(7), Hide+2(3), Know(Arc)+1(14), Know(Planes)+1(14), Move Silently+2(4), Spellcraft+1(12), UMD+1(12)-Metamagic spell completion


12thArtificer12+9/+4+4+4+8Concentration+1(15), Diplomacy +1(7.5), Hide +2(4), Know(Arc)+1(15), Know(Planes)+1(15), Move Silently+2(5), Spellcraft+1(15), UMD+1(15)MindsightCraft Staff, Bonus Feat (Energy Admixture:Cold), +1 Int, total 23



Infusions by character level
Level123456

12-----

23-----

331----

432----

5331---

6332---

7332---

83331--

93332--

103332--

1133321-

1233322-



Craft Reserve by level
1: 20
2: 40
3: 60
4: 80
5: 100
6: 150
7: 200
8: 250
9: 300
10: 400
11: 500
12: 700

Meditations to gain metamagic feats:
Chronepsis (Silent Spell, no per-day restriction given)
Garyx (Widen Spell, 2/day)
Hlal (Heighten Spell, 3/day)
Io (Empower Spell 3/day)
Lendis (Still Spell, no per-day restriction given)

Level Breakdown
Artificer 5: Jareth is still among the living. He’s a fairly typical Artificer, though he’s taken Quicken Spell instead of one of the Artisan feats at fourth. (I’ve left those feats out, since they could be construed as a “Metamagic Reducer”). Jareth’s daily meditations are typically on Chronepsis and Lendis, allowing him to apply Silent or Still to any of his Infusions. At 5th level, he gains Retain Essence, allowing him to scavenge any of the XP from captured magic items. He will use this ability significantly, in order to craft items without losing XP (and levels).

Artificer 10: Jareth has just achieved his Vampire Lord status. Level 10 is the single highest increase in power in the entire build, doubling most of the bonuses gained from the Vampire template and negating most of the Vampire’s weaknesses. His ability to use Wild Shape at will can provide some excellent utility, mobility, camouflage, and healing (if absolutely necessary – a large amount of Fast Healing will typically lessen the need). The Vampire Lord’s improved Children of the Night gives him an army of spies and scouts. A very large amount of Natural Armor, possibly combined with a Scroll of Scintillating Scales (SpC), makes him very hard to hit. He makes regular use of captured (and created) wands, using his Metamagic Spell Trigger to apply feats such as Heighten, Split ray, Energy Substitution, Extend, or Quicken. His Blood-Quickening Meditations allow him to apply other feats, like Silent, Still, Widen, or Empower, on occasion. He could also use these feats in creating items if he chooses.

Artificer 12: With his new Mindsight ability, Jareth can pinpoint any intelligent creature within 100 feet. His Metamagic Spell Completion ability lets him apply any of his metamagic feats to spell completion items (assuming he makes the UMD check).


Sources
Spellscale: Race, Races of the Dragon
Artificer: Class, Eberron Campaign Setting
Dragon Tail: Feat, Races of the Dragon
Energy Substitution: Feat, Complete Arcane
Split Ray: Feat, Complete Arcane
Energy Admixture: Feat, Complete Arcane
Mindsight: Feat, Lords of Madness
Scintillating Scales: Spell, Spell Compendium. (Not necessarily part of the build, but recommended due to high natural armor).
Vampire: Template, Monster Manual 1
Vampire Lord: Template, online at http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20021018a

Rules Notes
Vampire Lord is 3.0 material. Damage Reduction of 10/+3 does not directly translate to 3.5 DR. Because the precise increase in DR would be up to the individual DM, the build assumes that the Vampire Lord does not gain any additional DR above the regular Vampire template. Since the template mentions it’s “extremely tough,” and the 3.0 vampire originally had DR 15/+1, we can probably assume the DR in 3.5 wouldn’t be any worse than 10/silver and magic.

The backstory assumes that newly-created Vampires are not mindless automatons under the complete control of their creators. If the DM rules that they are, the template could still be gained if his creator voluntarily relinquished control of him, and he later slew her. This would also be in keeping with his Chaotic nature.

[OMG PONIES]

She also answers to "Your Highness" and "who'smylittlesmookumwookums?"



Princess Pufflebutt
CN Cheshire Cat (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c) Sorcerer 3/Mindbender 1/Nightmare Spinner 5/Shadow Adept 1/Fatespinner 4
http://www.metaphoricalplatypus.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/white-persian-cat1.jpg

Aw, look, a kitty!
“And you’re sure the wizard who built this place isn’t around anymore?”

“Yeah, like I told you. It was a big deal around here when she died. She was kinda nuts, left the whole place to her cat.”

“Haha, seriously?”

“Yep. That was almost a decade ago, though, so I can’t imagine it--hang on, what was that?”

“What was what? This tower is spooky as hells, but you’re the one who keeps insisting that nobody lives here.”

“Shh! I think I saw a ghost or something. Something pale just ran through that room over there, I swear.”

“Please tell me you did not convince me to help you rob a tower with a ghost wizard in it.”

“Ahh! There it is again! That’s it, I’m out of here.”

“Hold on a sec. That looked pretty short to be a ghost. Yeah--c’mon, you big chicken. Look. It’s just a cat. Here, kitty kitty!”

“Cut that out! What if it’s a ghost cat? The wizard’s cat must’ve died years ago!”

“Well, maybe it had kittens. Did you ever think of that? Aww, hello, pretty kitty! She feels solid enough to me, Njal. Oof! Fat for a cat who lives in an abandoned tower, though. You think the wizard set up a magical cat-food dispenser or something?”

“Maybe. This place still gives me the creeps, though. Let’s try to find something valuable and then get the heck out of here.”

“Okay, fine. I still think you’re being--hey!”

“Ahh! What happened?”

“Calm down. The cat just clawed me a little bit and jumped out of my arms. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

“Well, good riddance. That thing gave me the creeps.”

“Hey, maybe she knows where the wizard’s treasure is. If I was a cat, I’d definitely live in the treasure room. She went over here.”

“Fine. Oh, look, your stupid cat lead us to a dead end. Can we please get serious about looking now?”

“There must be a secret passage or something. She can’t’ve just disappeared… Hey, what was that?”

“What was wh—ahhh!”

“Ahh! Run!"


Ability Scores and Racial Traits
Ability Scores Before Racial Adjustment: Str 11, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 16
Ability Scores After Racial Adjustment: Str 3, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 22
Ability Score Increases: All (levels 7, 11, 15, and 19) go to Cha.

Racial Traits

Fey type
Low-light vision
Controlled invisibility
+8 bonus on balance checks; +4 bonus on climb, jump, hide, and move silently checks. Hide bonus increases to +8 in tall grass or heavy undergrowth, and jump bonus increases to +8 for running jumps.
Uses Dex bonus for jump and climb checks
Casts spells as 3rd-level Sorcerer


Build Table


Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st-6th
Cheshire Cat
+1
+1
+3
+3
Concentration 3, Diplomacy 6, Handle Humanoid 6, Hide 6, Intimidate 3, Move Silently 6, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 3
Surrogate Spellcasting, Silent Spell, Eschew Materials (Bonus), Weapon Finesse (Bonus)
Racial Traits


7th
Sorcerer
+1
+1
+3
+5
Bluff 2, Knowledge (Arcana) 5, Spellcraft 5

Metamagic Specialist


8th
Sorcerer
+2
+1
+3
+6
Bluff 4, Intimidate 4, Sense Motive 4




9th
Sorcerer
+2
+2
+4
+6
Bluff 5, Concentration 5, Know (Arcana) 6, Spellcraft 6
Shadow Weave Magic



10th
Mindbender
+2
+2
+4
+8
Bluff 7, Concentration 7, Know (Arcana) 7, Spellcraft 7

Telepathy


11th
Nightmare Spinner
+2
+2
+4
+10
Bluff 8, Concentration 8, Intimidate 5, Know (Arcana) 8, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 8

Bonus Spells, Immunity to Fear, Inspire Fear


12th
Nightmare Spinner
+3
+2
+4
+11
Bluff 9, Diplomacy 7, Concentration 9, Intimidate 7, Sense Motive 7
Deceptive Spell
Nightmare Phantasm


13th
Nightmare Spinner
+3
+3
+5
+11
Bluff 10, Diplomacy 9, Concentration 10, Intimidate 9, Sense Motive 9

Spirit Chill


14th
Nightmare Spinner
+4
+3
+5
+12
Bluff 11, Diplomacy 11, Concentration 11, Intimidate 11, Sense Motive 11




15th
Nightmare Spinner
+4
+3
+5
+12
Profession (Gambler) 5, Know (Arcana) 10, Sense Motive 12
Still Spell
Deadly Nightmares


16th
Shadow Adept
+4
+3
+5
+14
Bluff 12, Concentration 12, Hide 7, Move Silently 7, Spellcraft 9
Insidious Magic (Bonus), Pernicious Magic (Bonus), Tenacious Magic (Bonus)



17th
Fatespinner
+4
+3
+5
+16
Bluff 13, Concentration 13, Sense Motive 13, Spellcraft 10

Spin Fate


18th
Fatespiner
+5
+3
+5
+17
Bluff 14, Concentration 14, Sense Motive 14, Spellcraft 11
Mindsight
Fickle Finger of Fate


19th
Fatespinner
+5
+4
+6
+17
Bluff 15, Concentration 15, Sense Motive 15, Spellcraft 12

Spin Destiny


20th
Fatespinner
+6/+1
+4
+6
+18
Bluff 16, Concentration 16, Sense Motive 16, Spellcraft 13

Deny Fate, Resist Fate



Spells
Spells per Day/Spells Known


Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


1st
5/4
3/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
5/4
3/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
6/5
4/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
6/5
4/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
6/5
5/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
6/5
5/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
6/6
6/3
3/1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
6/6
6/4
4/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
6/7
6/4
4/3
3/1
-
-
-
-
-
-


10th
6/7
6/5
6/3
4/2
-
-
-
-
-
-


11th
6+1/7
6+1/5
6+1/3
4+1/2
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th
6+1/8
6+1/5
6+1/3
5+1/2
3+1/1
-
-
-
-
-


13th
6+1/8
6+1/5
6+1/4
6+1/3
4+1/2
-
-
-
-
-


14th
6+1/9
6+1/5
6+1/4
6+1/3
5+1/2
3+1/1
-
-
-
-


15th
6+1/9
6+1/5
6+1/5
6+1/4
6+1/3
4+1/2
-
-
-
-


16th
6+1/9
6+1/5
6+1/5
6+1/4
6+1/3
5+1/2
3+1/1
-
-
-


17th
6+1/9
6+1/5
6+1/5
6+1/4
6+1/4
6+1/3
4+1/2
-
-
-


18th
6+1/9
6+1/5
6+1/5
6+1/4
6+1/4
6+1/3
5+1/2
3+1/1
-
-


19th
6+1/9
6+1/5
6+1/5
6+1/4
6+1/4
6+1/4
6+1/3
4+1/2
-
-


20th
6+1/9
6+1/5
6+1/5
6+1/4
6+1/4
6+1/4
6+1/3
5+1/2
3+1/1
-


Note 1: Cheshire cat has no actual monster class, so I assumed alternating HD and LA.
Note 2: The extra +1 spells per day starting at level 11 indicate bonus spells from Nightmare Spinner, which can only be used for illusion spells.

Spells Known
(Taken in order)

0 Level: Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Open/Close, Caltrops, Sonic Snap, Dancing Lights, Read Magic
1st Level: Silent Image, Charm Person, Grease, Mage Armor, Ray of Clumsiness
2nd Level: Mirror Image, Scare, Detect Thoughts, Alter Self, Entice Gift
3rd Level: Major Image, Slow, Dispel Magic, Unluck
4th Level: Shadow Conjuration, Dimension Door, Celerity, Fear
5th Level: Greater Blink, Prying Eyes, Dominate Person, Shadow Evocation
6th Level: Permanent Image, Greater Dispell Magic, Acid Fog
7th Level: Greater Shadow Conjuration, Stun Ray
8th Level: Greater Shadow Evocation


Level Highlight
Level 10Thanks to her racial HD and +3 LA, the princess isn’t playable below level 6. Her monster class is pretty excellent, though, because she gets full Sorcerer casting in addition to Fey skill points and at-will SU invisibility. There’s no indication that she becomes visible if she attacks or casts a spell, so at this level her best bet is probably to stay invisible as much as possible. With Metamagic Specialist, she can apply metamagic 6/day (assuming no Int-boosting items) without increasing her casting time, but if her enemies can’t see her, it’s best to just eat the full-round casting time for a metamagic’d spell and saving the Metamagic Specialist uses for when she really needs ‘em.

Surrogate Spellcasting lets her cast spells with meows and adorable paw movements--I mean, yeah, she can speak normal languages, but Surrogate Spellcasting specifies “vocalizations and gestures appropriate to your shape,” and her shape is a big ol’ kitty. If she wants to be stealthy, she can use Silent Spell and go invisible. For someone who pretends to be a dumb animal, she’s got pretty good social skills, but Bluff is obviously the most important, because acting. Oh, and Handle Humanoid is the cat version of Handle Animal, used for stuff like teaching humanoids to open doors for you or bring you food. She could use spells for that (and has to, when no one’s around), but this is funnier.

Mindbender is a pretty obvious dip, but it has almost total prereq overlap with Nightmare Spinner, and it’s better than just taking another Sorcerer level. Plus, telepathy gives her another way to mess with people, which I fully support.
Level 15
The two feats she gets here are Deceptive Spell and Still Spell, which add to her “Nope, I’m just a cat!” shtick. At higher levels, her invisibility becomes less useful because more people will have access to special vision modes, so having spells that (a) don’t seem to be coming from her and (b) she is not visibly doing anything to cast is increasingly important.

Nightmare Spinner’s various illusion enhancements are good for haunted-tower atmosphere (particularly when they don’t seem to be coming from anywhere), but the best thing she gets from that class is a buttload of extra spell slots, which are always welcome. They’re illusion-only, but can presumably be used for metmagic-enhanced spells, as long as those spells are still illusions.
Level 20
Shadow Adept is less well-known than Mindbender, but for easy prereqs, the princess get 3 free feats with a one-level dip, all of which are (inexplicably) categorized as metamagic: One that makes her spells harder to pierce with divination, one that makes them harder to dispel, and one that makes counterspelling them more difficult but also makes her a less effective counterspeller, all of which are dependent on enemy mages not having the Shadow Weave Magic feat. The last one is ehh (the princess doesn’t have enough Spellcraft ranks to be a really good counterspeller anyway), but the first two are excellent. None of them actually work like metamagic, though--they’re all just passive bonuses.

Fatespinner is mostly used for DC increase and forced save-rerolling, since high-Will characters are a pain in the butt for illusionists. I do think Deny Fate is pretty flavorful for a cat character, though, giving a nice “I have nine lives” feel.



Use of Secret Ingredients
Level Adjustment: Welp, Cheshire Cat has a +3 LA. It’s also, as far as I know, the only race that completely fits Princess P’s concept: Tibbits and Hengeyokai are both shapeshifters (so they don’t appear as cats to people with True Seeing or the like), Tressym have cohort LA, and awakened cats are completely dependent on DM fiat. Princess P does have the disadvantage of being bigger than a normal cat, but that can be explained away as her being a big fatty, so it’s not too suspicious.

Metamagic Feats: Princess P has the following metamagic feats: Silent Spell, Still Spell, Deceptive Spell, Insidious Magic, Pernicious Magic, and Tenacious Magic--though as I mentioned in the level highlight section above, I suspect the latter three are miscategorized. The first three, though, have one important purpose: Making her seem like a big dumb cat.


Cat Toys
Being cat-shaped, Princess Pufflebutt has some unique challenges when it comes to gear, particularly since she’s trying to seem like a normal cat. One mostly-flavor item I highly recommend is the Collar of Perpetual Attendance from the same article Cheshire Cat hails from. It allows at-will Unseen Servants to keep the princess all pretty-like, and it looks like a collar, so it’s not suspicious. A Ring of Undetectable Alignment (or cat jewelry of undetectable alignment, I guess) would also be beneficial so she doesn't ping as being chaotic or having intelligent thought. Cats can’t use some magic items by RAW, so she should also get Gloves of Man once she can afford them. Unfortunately, the gloves are pretty obvious (and, I imagine, creepy-looking), so she’ll have to stash ‘em somewhere when she’s not using them. Also note that Princess P cares about her Int much more than most Sorcerers, since it fuels her Metamagic Specialist ability, so it’s definitely worth boosting along with the normal Sorcerer stats.


Adaptation
If LA buyoff is allowed in your campaign, Princess Pufflebutt gets 3 more levels to play around with. In such a case, I would have her go [Cheshire Cat 3/]Sorcerer 1/Dread Witch 5/Mindbender 1/Nightmare Spinner 5/Shadow Adept 1/Fatespinner 4. I wish I could’ve incorporated Dread Witch into the real build, because it combos well with Nightmare Spinner, but it would’ve prevented the princess from gaining 8th level spells. The LA buyoff version, though, actually gets 9th level spells.


Sources
Cityscape: Deceptive Spell
Complete Arcane: Fatespinner, Mindbender
Complete Mage: Nightmare Spinner
Fabulous Cats! (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c): Cheshire Cat, Handle Humanoids skill
Lords of Madness: Mindsight
Player’s Guide to Faerun: Shadow Adept, Insidious Magic, Pernicious Magic, Shadow Weave Magic, Tenacious Magic
Player's Handbook II: Metamagic Specialist ACF
[B]Savage Species: Surrogate Spellcasting

Everything not mentioned above is from core.

[OMG PONIES]

This entry was a bit shocking!


Zyx, the Energizer
TN Mechanatrix Wizard 9/Stormcaster 10

http://i.imgur.com/d0zvh9o.png

Zyx is a blaster and controller who will make fainthearted DMs cry. He's optimized for dealing fistfuls of damage dice to every opponent at the same time while simultaneously applying devastating status conditions that prevent them from fighting back. What's more, as a Mechanatrix, electricity damage heals him, so he can include himself in the area of his lightning spells and be healed for 1/3 the damage it would have dealt. And with unlimited uses of Storm Bolt to fall back on, his endurance in combat is unrivaled. You might say he keeps going, and going, and going...

32 point buy: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 16 Con, 16 Int, 12 Wis, 10 Cha
After racial modifiers: 8 Str, 12 Dex, 18 Con, 18 Int, 12 Wis, 8 Cha
All ability score increases go in Int.

LevelClassBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSkillsFeatsClass Features


1stLevel adjustment+0+0+0+0--Shocking grasp 1/day, cold resistance 5, electricity healing, fire resistance 5, outsider traits, +2 racial bonus to Spot, +4 racial bonus to Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering)


2ndWizard 1+0+0+0+2Autohypnosis 2 (cc), Concentration 5, Knowledge (Arcana) 5, Knowledge (Nature) 4, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) 1, Spellcraft 5Fell Drain, Alertness, Scribe ScrollSummon familiar (toad), domain wizard (storm domain), 0th and 1st level spells


3rdWizard 2+1+0+0+3Concentration 6, Knowledge (Local) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (History) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Spellcraft 6--


4thWizard 3+1+1+1+3Concentration 7, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) 3, Knowledge (Geography) 1, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) 1, Knowledge (Religion) 1Energy Substitution (Electricity)2nd level spells


5thWizard 4+2+1+1+4Concentration 8, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) 7, Knowledge (Local) 1-Intelligence +1


6thWizard 5+2+1+1+4Concentration 9, Escape Artist 1 (cc), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) 9, Knowledge (Nature) 5Storm BoltSpeak with familiar, 3rd level spells


7thStormcaster 1+2+3+3+4Concentration 10, Knowledge (Arcana) 10Born of the Three ThundersStorm spell power, thunderclap


8thStormcaster 2+3+4+4+5Concentration 11, Knowledge (Nature) 10-Resistance to electricity 10


9thStormcaster 3+3+4+4+5Concentration 12, Knowledge (Nature) 11, Spellcraft 11-Shield of winds 1/day, 4th level spells, Intelligence +1


10thStormcaster 4+4+5+5+5Concentration 13, Listen 3, Skill Trick (Swift Concentration)Quick RecoveryEye of the storm


11thStormcaster 5+4+5+5+6Concentration 14, Listen 5, Skill Trick (Listen to This), Spellcraft 13-Thunderbolt, 5th level spells


12thStormcaster 6+5+6+6+6Concentration 15, Knowledge (Arcana) 14, Knowledge (Nature) 13-Shield of winds 2/day


13thStormcaster 7+5+6+6+6Concentration 16, Listen 6, Survival 5Martial Study (Moment of the Perfect Mind)Resistance to sonic 10, 6th level spells, Intelligence +1


14thStormcaster 8+6+7+7+7Concentration 17, Listen 12-Call storm, eye of the storm 30-ft. radius


15thStormcaster 9+6+7+7+7Concentration 18, Listen 18-Shield of winds 3/day, 7th level spells


16thStormcaster 10+7+8+8+7Concentration 19, Listen 19, Knowledge (Nature) 14, Spellcraft 18Sculpt SpellLord of the storm


17thWizard 6+8+9+9+8Concentration 20, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) 14, Spellcraft 20-8th level spells, Intelligence +1


18thWizard 7+8+9+9+8Concentration 21, Knowledge (Arcana) 16, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) 16, Knowledge (Nature) 16, Spellcraft 21--


19thWizard 8+9+9+9+9Concentration 22, Knowledge (Arcana) 19, Knowledge (Nature) 19, Spellcraft 22Spell-Linked Familiar9th level spells


20thWizard 9+9+10+10+9Concentration 23, Knowledge (Arcana) 22, Knowledge (Nature) 22, Spellcraft 23--


Disclaimer: Zyx has a lot in common with a typical Wizard, and because he gives up so little in order to gain his unique abilities, he does actually still have access to all the standard Wizard tactics. I won't go into much detail about them for the same reason I'm not going into detail about how he spends his wealth by level, but just bear in mind that, while he's primarily built for blasting, he always has the option to go into "Hey, I'm also a tier 1 full caster with no banned schools and no limit on spells known" mode, if that's what you're into.

Like most characters with a level adjustment, the early levels are not pretty for Zyx. His unique abilities take a few levels before they come online, so for now, the best he can do is try and survive long enough to use them. 18 Con and a toad familiar are a big help in that area, helping to make up for losing a hit die to LA.

It's going to be rough. Power through it. It gets better.

He chooses to be a Domain Wizard rather than a specialist. With the Storm domain, he gains access to several weather-themed spells that synergize with his Stormcaster abilities and boosts the caster level of his lightning bolt and chain lightning. Really, though, it's a toss-up between that and Evoker, which offers a nifty alternate class feature that, in exchange for the familiar, gives +1 CL to all electricity spells--very nice for this build. Could go either way.

The skills are fairly straightforward. Concentration, Spellcraft, and Knowledges are standard. Cross-class Autohypnosis is just for value--with 2 ranks, 12 Wisdom, and the synergy bonus from Concentration, he can take 10 to memorize stuff, and he has slightly better odds of stabilizing if he falls into negatives.

Unfortunately, the prerequisites for his feats are set up so that even though he'd really, really like to take Energy Substitution first and save Fell Drain for later, he can't. Sad times.
This is the level where Zyx begins to come into his own. He now has Storm Bolt, providing him with an at-will supernatural ability that deals 3d6 electricity damage in a 20-foot line. No spell resistance, no verbal or somatic components, just ZAP--your HP goes down, mine goes up, and oh, did I mention all my blasting spells are at +1 CL too? And since it has unlimited uses, he can start every encounter at full hit points with no resource expenditure required. It's basically just fast healing. For now, his 3rd level domain spell (lightning bolt) is typically going to stay in reserve to power this feat; instead, his main damage dealing spell is the 2nd level spell shocking spark, the electric version of scorching ray, from Dragonlance. At CL 6, it fires two rays, for a toasty total of 8d6 damage. Seeking ray (PHB2) is another strong option that deals 4d6 damage at medium range and ignores cover, concealment, and the penalty for firing into a melee.

Energy Substitution is another piece that's now falling into place. While there are enough electricity spells out there that Zyx could function without it if he had to, it provides options and saves time on splatbook diving. It's a "free" way to increase the caster level of a blasting spell, add self-healing (in the case of area spells), and, later, make it eligible for the Thunderbolt ability at Stormcaster 5.

Fell Drain is also online at this level. Zyx has access to the classic fell drain sonic snap as a 2nd level spell that bestows a negative level, no attack roll, no save. He can also do a fell drain thunderhead as a 3rd level spell that zaps you for a negative level every round for 1 round/level with a reflex save each time, or an electric fell drain magic missile as a 3rd level spell to apply negative levels to several enemies at once. Oh, and he can fill his 2nd-level domain slot with an electric fell drain ray of frost, which is a step up from gust of wind.

Skills are more of the same, with a dip in cross-class Escape Artist to take advantage of the +5 bonus granted by heart of water.
So let's talk about what Stormcaster is doing for the build.

First off, +2 CL on air, water, electric, and sonic spells. This stacks up damage on his blasting spells. Zyx cares a lot about caster levels. Throwing six-sided dice at the bad guys is his job, and more caster levels means more six-sided dice. It buffs up control winds too; at the first level he can cast the spell, he's casting it with enough power to increase the wind speed from a dead calm to a full windstorm, or from a moderate breeze to a hurricane.

Second, Thunderbolt. Any creature damaged by Zyx's electricity spells must make a Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. This is superb. Normally, blasting is a suboptimal strategy because, although you deal a lot of damage, dealing a lot of damage doesn't actually hinder the enemy in any way unless it kills them outright; battlefield control effects tend to be more valuable because they immediately disable their targets. Well, with this ability, that paradigm gets thrown out the window, because all your fireballs are also stunning everyone they hit. Every damaging spell, from the lowly ray of frost to the mighty meteor swarm, forces a save against skipping your entire next turn. Okay, granted, a lot of creatures are immune to stunning, but still, it's a pretty fantastic effect to apply to all of your spells for free, especially with spells like electric vengeance, channeled pyroburst, or channeled sound blast that you can cast as immediate or swift actions, or with spells like thunderhead or ball lightning that deal damage over multiple rounds. (The latter of those, incidentally, also an amazing source of healing.) Not to mention blistering radiance, which is damage over time with a round/level duration and a massive 50-ft radius area of effect.

Those are the big ones. Zyx also gets a few other auxiliary abilities:
Thunderclap prevents him from ever running out of things to do in combat even if he has a lot of utility spells prepared, since he can always spontaneously cast thunderclaps. It's also a backup plan for enemies with both spell resistance and electricity resistance, since it's a supernatural ability that deals sonic damage. It can be used in a grapple too, and breaks the grapple if they fail the save.
Shield of Winds is a great defense to have--just toss up a personal wind wall as an immediate action whenever. Very nice.
Resistance to Electricity...okay, this one actually does nothing. Well, I guess it works even if Zyx polymorphs, so maybe it doesn't do nothing.
Eye of the Storm lets Zyx ignore penalties from strong winds. The ranged attack penalty is only for weapons, so this will only come up in extreme corner cases.
Resistance to Sonic will actually be really important because it prevents Zyx from taking sonic damage from his own thunderbolt-fueled spells. There's an awkward two-level window where his electric spells deal bonus sonic damage that he doesn't resist and he has to compensate with magic items or abjurations to avoid stunning himself accidentally. Then the sonic resistance shows up and fixes everything.
The Call Storm spell-like ability will mostly just be an extra spell slot in disguise. It lets Zyx fill his domain slot with a sculpted electric fell drain ice storm without feeling guilty about it. I have honestly never cast control weather in my life, so I have no idea if it's good or not, but it seems pretty strong.
Lord of the Storm is the capstone. Once he gets it in a few levels, it'll buff Zyx's resistances some more and make him immune to getting knocked around by winds. Goes nicely with Control Winds and prevents him from taking damage from his own Born of the Three Thunders'd spells (the lower-level ones, anyway).
Born of the Three Thunders comes online at Stormcaster 1, a bit sooner than Thunderbolt. It does pretty much the same thing, except they can both be used together. What's better than forcing one save? Forcing three saves. It only activates when the spell concludes, so it's not a combo with damage-over-time spells, but on the upside, it can also knock them prone. There is a big drawback to it--the dazing--but that's what Quick Recovery is for, allowing Zyx to remove the daze effect with a Will save. With a cloak of resistance, his success rate should be at least 50-75%; in a couple more levels, he'll be able to boost that to 100% once per encounter by using Moment of the Perfect Mind to make a Concentration check in place of the Will save.

Some important all-day buffs also come online at this level, including overland flight and the full heart of [element] quartet.
Here are the levels where Zyx finishes off his prestige class and essentially completes his build. He has all of his unique abilities already, and now he's busy unlocking bigger, better spells that will let him use them more effectively, like chain lightning and freezing fog. His control winds is now strong enough to bring the wind from a dead calm to a full-blown hurricane, and with the Stormcaster capstone, he can float calmly in the center of the hurricane without being affected by the winds.

Sculpt Spell is a handy metamagic feat that's good at transforming spells with a small area, like channeled pyroburst or burning hands, into spells that are suddenly hitting every enemy all at once and triggering Thunderbolt, Fell Drain, and/or Born of the Three Thunders on all of them.

There are also a ton of miscellaneous great spells that these levels open up, like contingency and whatnot.

Zyx's build is complete at this point. He graduates early. Past here, you're getting into 9th level spell territory and everything else stops mattering. Zyx gets 9th level spells and doesn't do anything particularly special to abuse them because, honestly, you don't really need to do anything special to abuse them. He grabs Spell-Linked Familiar for action economy abuse, letting his stinky old toad from 1st level make itself useful by tossing around a fell drain sonic snap or two. If LA buyoff is allowed, he can get a 10th level of Wizard and pick up another bonus feat, which would be, I dunno, Craft Wondrous Item or something.
I've put together Stormcaster builds in the past and always found myself wanting to use metamagic with them--particularly Born of the Three Thunders/Energy Substitution and Fell Drain, which fit perfectly with their natural propensity for big AoE lightning spells. Neither of those metamagics is really in need of metamagic reduction, the former two because they don't alter the spell's level, and the latter because you're mostly putting it on your low-level spells to begin with, so the adjustment doesn't hurt much. So that's what jumped to my mind when this round's ingredients were announced; the problem was, why in the world would a Stormcaster choose a race with a level adjustment?

Then I was browsing LA races and came across the Mechanatrix and its unique ability to absorb electricity damage. Click. That's amazing! Stormcasters are already doing a ton of electricity damage and doing it in a large area! It's like the perfect strategy for a Mechanatrix! It even comes with a boost to Int and Con, our two most important stats, which is delicious, delicious gravy.

So I came up with this build, which I think manages to use both of the ingredients in such a way that both of them make sense and are important to the character's function. This character can do things with his spells that no non-Mechanatrix character can do, and metamagic is a cornerstone of his strategy. If LA buyoff is allowed, or if your DM is crazy enough to let you play a Lesser Mechanatrix, I think this might be an actual, genuine, good build. Without that...well, losing caster levels is more or less the worst thing in the world, but I'm pretty sure you can still make DMs cry.
In order of appearance:


Fiend Folio: Mechanatrix
Stormwrack: Stormcaster
Complete Mage: Storm Bolt
Expanded Psionics Handbook: Autohypnosis
Libris Mortis: Fell Drain
Unearthed Arcana: Domain Wizard
Complete Arcane: Energy Substitution, Born of the Three Thunders, Sculpt Spell
Lords of Madness: Quick Recovery
Complete Scoundrel: Skill tricks
Tome of Battle: Martial Study, Moment of the Perfect Mind
Player's Handbook II: Spell-Linked Familiar

[OMG PONIES]

This guy is scary good.



Saint Ruethgar the Terrible
http://oi57.tinypic.com/2587bmc.jpg

Hagiography
"What do you think, Ralmevik?"

"I think you shouldn’t have mouthed off to the Durthans." Ruethgar laughed, and his weather-beaten face crinkled about his eyes.

The two brothers stood atop a ridge, peering through the coiling evening mist at a sizeable horde. It was not an encouraging sight. "I make out maybe twice our number out there," Ralmevik said. "If it were only the Nar, we could send the rest of my lodge home, handle them between the two of us, and then catch up with them before morning."

"If you tried to send the Wolf lodge home when there’s a nice friendly war brewing they’d be out there fighting the Durthans’ mob to see who got the honor of killing us."

"True, that," Ralmevik allowed with a smile of his own, but then it faded and all mirth drained from his voice. "But with an outlaw Ettercap lodge out there too, well, those aren’t the sort of odds I much want to gamble lives on." He scratched his neck and considered for a moment. "Not the lives of anyone I like very much, anyways.

"We’re not getting any help from the Hathrans, are we."

It wasn’t a question, but Ruethgar shook his head anyway. "No, Verkordhra brought word from our great aunt. Apparently her exact words were ‘Tell my nephews that if they didn’t want to fight stupid wars on their own they should have listened to my advice in the first place.’"

"That was blunt enough."

"Yes, well, her Art’s in her blood. You can’t expect someone like that to be terribly sharp."

"Your Art is in your blood."

"Well, a bit. A lot more is in my head and book. And I have the Power too, when I care to bother the Three for it."

"I really wish you hadn’t taken that stupid vow of yours. We could really use some balls of fire and rains of acid and maybe a tame orglash or two tomorrow."

Ruethgar’s eyes twinkled in the fading sunlight. "Just wait. You might be surprised."


The sky was only barely tinged with red light in the East when Ralmevik woke, but Ruethgar was apparently already long-awake and was watching as an enormous wolf bathed in pale werelight loped out of sight, its paws never quite touching the ground.

"Where’s Verkordhra off to?" he asked his brother. "It’s not like her to miss a chance to watch the lodge fight."

"She has something to do that’s more important," Ruethgar replied.

"Don’t do that," Ralmevik complained. "I don’t like secrets or surprises anymore, Ruethgar, and yours tend to be more unsettling than most."

"Not my decision. She thinks there’s a Durthan out there that’s been going around invisibly, reading our minds, and she doesn’t want them preparing countermeasures."

Ralmevik started at the news. "That’s not good. I don’t think I like the idea of the Nar or the Ettercaps knowing our battle plans."

"The plans that consisted of you and the lodge trying to kill as many of them as possible and me trying to get as many as possible to save themselves by running away?"

"Well, yes."

Ruethgar bared his teeth in a wolfish grin. "Ralmevik, anyone who’s ever heard of us knows that’s what our battle plans are. Anyway, I can guard my own mind from intrusion fairly well, but you and your men are open books." Ralmevik didn’t look particularly happy with the situation, but he bowed to the inevitable and the two of them went about to gird themselves for battle.

When they emerged from their tents the two brothers could not have set a greater contrast. Ralmevik wore boiled leather plate, supplemented here and there with chain mail, and in the few places where his skin was visible ropy muscle stood out. He bore a pair of hunting knives at his waist, along with a few throwing axes, a shortsword, and small leather bladders filled with potions, and slung across his back was an enormous double-axe like those favored by orcs. His long black hair had been oiled and drawn back into a braid that was tucked into his armor, and he looked dangerous.

Ruethgar could have been mistaken for a moderately wealthy farmer on a trip into town with his loose linen shirt and black horsehide pants and vest. Various trinkets and ornaments that seemed ordinary Ralmevik knew to be worth more than whole herds of horses. His hair was short, brown, and messy, though his beard was neatly trimmed. He looked… ordinary.

The two brothers nodded wordlessly and went to take their positions.


The first clash of the two opposing bands was fast, brutal, and dirty. Snow mixed with blood and the churned earth to produce a hideous and treacherous slush. Axes and swords hewed through flesh and bone and the air was thick with screams of both the red-eyed ragers and the mortally wounded. It was the sort of battle that gave lie to the idea of glory in war, a throng of bodies, bloody, dirty, and cold.

At least, that was how the battle looked on Ralmevik’s side of the battle. He couldn’t see Ruethgar’s because half the Nar barbarians and a full tithe the ettercaps were trapped on the other side of an escarpment—a feature that was not there when the two armies entered battle. Even with the screams of dying men and the crash of shields and spears and blades, he could hear the terror his brother inspired in his allotment of enemies. No one in their right mind would be afraid of his Ruethgar—the gentlest man Ralmevik had ever known, who could barely bring himself to kill a rampaging owlbear—but very few enemies managed to stay in their right mind around him.

Some time into the battle, though how long Ralmevik could not have told, there was a crash of thunder and a blinding light as a bolt of lightning struck the stone wall dividing the two portions of the enemy force. Another came a second later, then another. The Durthans, Ralmevik thought. They’re trying to get more Ettercaps over to kill Ruethgar. More lightning flashed and eventually the wall was reduced to a pile of rubble.

Ralmevik was able to see his brother, in plate that shone like the morning sun, for only a moment before the Ettercaps began to swarm at him. While this provided much needed relief to his men, it would be disastrous for Ruethgar. Ralmevik fought his way through the throng of barbarians and renegades and leaped up onto the tallest remaining portion of the ex-wall.

He saw his brother, and he was not well. Blood ran from a dozen cuts and he leaned on his spear—its tip still unbloodied—to support the weight one badly mangled knee clearly could not. He was surrounded by enemies too fearful to approach and others who apparently fainted in terror, but one or two would come at him every few seconds and cut at him. Many blows were turned away by that shining armor, but enough got through. It wouldn’t be long before Ruethgar fell.

Well, that isn’t happening. With a thundrous roar Ralemevik leaped off of the wall, taking down two Ettercaps before he even had his feet on the ground. He cut his way through toward his brother’s attackers and began methodically cutting down the ones who weren’t cowering.

He frowned as he pulled his axe free of a Nar’s ribcage. Why aren’t they all cowering? Ralmevik had been on the wrong end of his brother’s spells once, and he couldn’t imagine anyone not running away or gibbering in terror. He absently took off an Ettercap’s head and tracked the flying Durthan circling overhead, who seemed to not have any more lightning left in her.

The thought struck him like, if you’ll excuse the metaphor, a bolt of lightning and a sulfurous oath escaped his lips. If he’d been blessed with half his brother’s wits he would have seen it before he jumped down into the crush of enemies. With a word of power his cloak flared out behind him like the wings of a great red dragon and he flew off to engage the Durthan.

Of course, Ralmevik had been blessed with half of Ruethgar’s wits he wouldn’t have tried to take on a Durthan alone either. He got in one surprise attack before the witch’s spells began to hammer at him. Fire, then ice, then two tiny, shadowy figures that looped a garotte around his neck. The sky grew dark. Or maybe it was Ralmevik’s vision.

"Hey, ugly!" Ralmevik heard his brother shout, clear as day through the darkening fog. The entire battle seemed to halt about them "Now I know why the Hathrans didn’t send us help. Obviously they knew you were going to be here and decided a couple of whelps could deal with you."

Ralmevik could suddenly breathe as the Durthan snapped her head at Ruethgar and lost control of her spell. Now if only he could get his axe-arm to work. Or the other arm. Or his legs.

"Wow, I’m sorry about that ‘ugly’ comment," his brother continued. "That was grossly unfair. ‘Hideous’ is more appropriate. Or maybe ‘grotesque’. ‘Abominable’ sounds right too."

Oh, gods, Ruethgar. Please just shut up. Let her have me and get yourself out.

"Then again, ‘loathesome’ has a certain appeal to it. By any chance did your mother dally with a camel at some point?"

The Durthan, her face now mottled purple in rage, seemed to blur as she dove at Ruethgar. The sound of impact was deafening as she slammed into him. She picked him up by the collar of his vest and dragged him up into the air, slamming him almost negligently against the ground, the rubble of the wall she’d destroyed, any handy Nar. Eventually she got tired of this game and landed. She straddled her now nearly unconcious prisoner and with a hideous grin spoke an incantation that covered her hand in flame.

"That’s a clever mouth you have, boy," she said in a disturbingly honey-like voice. "Is there anything else you’d like to say before I close it for good?"

Oh gods oh gods oh gods. No.

Ruethgar gave the witch a wolfish grin as he reached for a pocket. He drew out a soapstone wolf, an old toy he’d kept from childhood. "Yep. Verkordhra, we could use your help about now."

The ground across the battlefield glowed for a moment, and then the light rushed upward with a roar. Wolves and badgers and mountain cats, even the occasional march hare, all wreathed in the foxfire glow of the telthor, leaped out and began savaging the Nar and the Ettercaps. One great wolf ran through the air and, ghostly teeth flashing, began ripping flesh off the Durthan. She screamed in pain, and then in insane fury as she brought her fist down into Ruethgar, leaving only a smoking hole where his heart lay.

Ralmevik could never remember more than flashes of what came next. Somehow he recovered from—or ignored—the hideous wounds the Durthan had inflicted on him and paid her back, because some time later when he woke to the sound of gathering crows he lay next to his brother’s battered body and his murderer’s headless one. He gradually came to and rose to see Verkodhra staring at the two brothers. Even without the connection between her and his lodge, Ralmevik could have seen the mournfulness on her face.

"I would have come sooner," she said, almost more to the air and the earth than to Ralmevik, "but he bade me wait in the earth until his call. Thy brother hast ever been wont to take more upon himself than he ought."

Ralmevik tried to answer, but his throat seemed to close and Verkodhra to vanish behind a veil of tears. He sat there among the carnage until two of his lodge-brothers came and helped him to his feet and back to camp.


Two evenings passed and Ralmevik gave one last feast for fivescore and seven brothers by battle and one brother by blood. He heaped them with gold and weapons and armor. He sang the old poems in their names and gave more libations than he could count. He feasted and drank, as much to numb himself before they lit the pyres as to honor his fallen brothers. And, when the all the wine was drank and all the meat eaten, he took the torch and consigned each lost warrior to the flames.


Ralmevik woke to sunlight streaming through his tent door. "Why are you still in bed?" someone called. Ralmevik knew the voice, but couldn’t place it. In any case the stranger was horribly loud. Without asking leave, he stooped and came in. "The fires have died down, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been fond of the scent of burnt Rashemi."

Ralmevik blinked and sat up. "What are…" he began, but then stopped as he recognized the stranger. "Gods. I thought I was done having this dream after the tenth companion I buried."

Ruethgar reached down and pinched his brother in a tender place. "Nope, not a dream." He yanked Ralmevik up and out of the tent. Ralmevik was too stunned to object to being hauled into the winter air in only a loin cloth. When he saw what was outside, he promptly fell into the slush in cataplexy.

His men were arrayed about the camp, all ghostly white and most horribly injured. All except one hundred and seven who stood naked in the middle of camp. Glowing. He then looked at his brother, who, he noticed, had a patch of pink new skin over his heart and his own nimbus of silvery light. "How?" was all he could get out.

Ruethgar pulled a face. "Whoever is writing our epic is a talentless hack," he replied, "because we just had a literal deus ex machina. Apparently the Durthan had some demonic help and Gwynharwyf wanted to balance the scales. So we all have another chance, of sorts."

Ralmevik still stood gaping.

"Ah, still speechless. Good; you always seem more intelligent that way."

Ralmevik’s response, he thought, was quite elegant. Ruethgar let out a bark of laughter as he rubbed his head where his brother cuffed him.

"You’re glowing."

Ruethgar blushed and the light dampened. "Yeah, I know. I haven’t quite gotten a handle on it yet."

"You’re also naked."

Ralmevik fell into the slush again. (This time he had some help.) The brothers embraced and went to find some clothes.

Ruethgar's Build
CG Human Saint Wild Bard 4/Dread Witch 5/Chameleon 9


Ability
Point Buy
Level
Template
Final


STR
8


8


DEX
12


12


CON
14

+2
16


INT
16
+4

20


WIS
14

+2
16


CHA
14

+4
18





Level
Class
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1
Bard
+0
+2
+0
+2
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 4, Concentration 4, Diplomacy 1, Disguise 4, Gather Information 1, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (arcana) 4, Perform (epic poetry) 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Use Magic Device 4
Able Learner, Dreadful Wrath
Inspire Courage +1, Healing Hymn, Spellbreaker Song, Loresong


2
Bard
+1
+3
+0
+3
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 4 ↗ 5, Concentration 4↗ 5, Diplomacy 1 ↗ 2, Disguise 4 ↗ 5, Gather Information 1 ↗ 1.5, Intimidate 2 ↗ 2.5, Knowledge (arcana) 4 ↗ 5, Perform (epic poetry) 4 ↗ 5, Sense Motive 4 ↗ 5, Spellcraft 4 ↗ 5, Use Magic Device 4 ↗ 5




3
Bard
+2
+3
+1
+3
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 5 ↗ 6, Concentration 5 ↗ 6, Diplomacy 2 ↗ 4, Disguise 5 ↗ 6, Gather Information 1.5 ↗ 3, Intimidate 2.5 ↗ 3, Knowledge (arcana) 5 ↗ 6, Perform (epic poetry) 5 ↗ 6, Sense Motive 5 ↗ 6, Spellcraft 5 ↗ 6, Use Magic Device 5 ↗ 6
Nymph's Kiss
Hymn of Fortification


4
Bard
+3
+4
+1
+4
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 6 ↗ 7, Concentration 6 ↗ 7, Diplomacy 4 ↗ 6, Disguise 6 ↗ 7, Gather Information 3 ↗ 4.5, Intimidate 3 ↗ 3.5, Knowledge (arcana) 6 ↗ 7, Perform (epic poetry) 6 ↗ 7, Sense Motive 6 ↗ 7, Spellcraft 6 ↗ 7, Use Magic Device 6 ↗ 7




5
Dread Witch
+3
+4
+1
+6
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 7 ↗ 8, Concentration 7 ↗ 8, Diplomacy 6, Disguise 7 ↗ 8, Gather Information 4.5, Intimidate 3.5 ↗ 6.5, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 7 ↗ 8, Sense Motive 7, Spellcraft 7, Use Magic Device 7
Unnatural Will
Master of Terror


6
Chameleon
+3
+4
+1
+6
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 8 ↗ 9, Concentration 8 ↗ 9, Diplomacy 6 ↗ 7, Disguise 8, Gather Information 4.5, Intimidate 6.5 ↗ 7.5, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 8, Sense Motive 7 ↗ 8, Spellcraft 7 ↗ 8, Use Magic Device 7 ↗ 9
Fell Frighten
Aptitude Focus 1/day (+2)


7
Dread Witch
+4
+4
+1
+7
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 9 ↗ 10, Concentration 9 ↗ 10, Diplomacy 7 ↗ 8, Gather Information 4.5, Disguise 8, Intimidate 7.5 ↗ 8.5, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 8 ↗ 9, Sense Motive 8 ↗ 9, Spellcraft 8 ↗ 9, Use Magic Device 9 ↗ 10

Absorb Fear


8
Dread Witch
+5
+5
+2
+7
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 10 ↗ 11, Concentration 10↗ 11, Diplomacy 8 ↗ 9, Disguise 8 ↗ 9, Gather Information 4.5, Intimidate 8.5 ↗ 10.5, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 9 ↗ 10, Sense Motive 9, Spellcraft 9, Use Magic Device 10 ↗ 11

Fearful Empowerment 1/day


9
Dread Witch
+6
+5
+2
+8
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 11 ↗ 12, Concentration 11 ↗ 12, Diplomacy 9 ↗ 10, Disguise 9 ↗ 10, Gather Information 4.5 ↗ 5, Intimidate 10.5 ↗ 12, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 10 ↗ 11, Sense Motive 9, Spellcraft 9, Use Magic Device 11 ↗ 12
Sacred Vow
Delay Fear, Greater Master of Terror


10
Dread Witch
+7
+5
+2
+8
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 12 ↗ 13, Concentration 12 ↗ 13, Diplomacy 10 ↗ 12, Disguise 10 ↗ 11, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 12 ↗ 13, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 11 ↗ 12, Sense Motive 9, Spellcraft 9, Use Magic Device 12 ↗ 13

Fearful Empowerment 2/day, horrific aura, reflective fear


11
Chameleon
+8
+5
+2
+8
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 13 ↗ 14, Concentration 13 ↗ 14, Diplomacy 12 ↗ 13, Disguise 11 ↗ 12, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 13 ↗ 14, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 12 ↗ 13, Sense Motive 9 ↗ 11, Spellcraft 9 ↗ 10, Use Magic Device 13 ↗ 14




12
Chameleon
+8
+6
+3
+9
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 14 ↗ 15, Concentration 14 ↗ 15, Diplomacy 13 ↗ 14, Disguise 12 ↗ 13, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 14 ↗ 15, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 13 ↗ 14, Sense Motive 11 ↗ 13, Spellcraft 10 ↗ 11, Use Magic Device 14 ↗ 15
Vow of Nonviolence
Mimic Class Feature 1/day


13
Chameleon
+9
+6
+3
+9
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 15 ↗ 16, Concentration 15 ↗ 16, Diplomacy 14 ↗ 15, Disguise 13 ↗ 14, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 15 ↗ 16, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 14 ↗ 15, Sense Motive 13 ↗ 15, Spellcraft 11 ↗ 12, Use Magic Device 15 ↗ 16

Ability Boon +2


14
Chameleon
+10
+6
+3
+9
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 16 ↗ 17, Concentration 16 ↗ 17, Diplomacy 15 ↗ 16, Disguise 14 ↗ 15, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 16 ↗ 17, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 15 ↗ 16, Sense Motive 15 ↗ 17, Spellcraft 12 ↗ 13 Use Magic Device 16 ↗ 17

Aptitude Focus 2/day (+4)


15
Chameleon
+10
+7
+4
+10
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 17 ↗ 18, Concentration 17 ↗ 18, Diplomacy 16 ↗ 17, Disguise 15 ↗ 16, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 17 ↗ 18, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 16 ↗ 17, Sense Motive 17 ↗ 18, Spellcraft 13 ↗ 16, Use Magic Device 17 ↗ 18
Extra Music
Mimic Class Feature 2/day


16
Chameleon
+11
+7
+4
+10
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 18 ↗ 19, Concentration 18 ↗ 19, Diplomacy 17 ↗ 19, Disguise 16 ↗ 17, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 18 ↗ 19, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 17 ↗ 19, Sense Motive 18 ↗ 19, Spellcraft 16 ↗ 18, Use Magic Device 18 ↗ 19

Ability Boon +4, Double Aptitude


17
Chameleon
+12
+7
+4
+10
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 19 ↗ 20, Concentration 19 ↗ 20, Diplomacy 19 ↗ 20, Disguise 17 ↗ 19, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 19 ↗ 20, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Perform (epic poetry) 19 ↗ 20, Sense Motive 19 ↗ 20, Spellcraft 18 ↗ 20, Use Magic Device 19 ↗ 20

Rapid Refocus


18
Chameleon
+12
+8
+5
+11
Autohypnosis 1, Bluff 20 ↗ 21, Concentration 20 ↗ 21, Diplomacy 20 ↗ 21, Disguise 19 ↗ 21, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 20 ↗ 21, Knowledge (arcana) 7 ↗ 8, Perform (epic poetry) 20 ↗ 21, Sense Motive 20 ↗ 21, Spellcraft 20 ↗ 21, Use Magic Device 20 ↗ 21
Versatile Spellcaster
Mimic Class Feature 3/day





Bard Spells per Day


Level
0
1
2


1
2
-
-


2
3
0
-


3
3
1
-


4+
3
2
0



Bard Spells Known (level)

Detect magic (0)
Ghost harp (0)
Ghost sound (0)
Message (0)
Prestidigitation (0)
Songbird (0)
Cause fear (1)
Cure light wounds (1)
Swift invisibility (1)
Elation (2)
Scare (2)
If retraining is allowed, initial 1st-level spells should include sleep (retrained to cure light wounds around level 5).

Chameleon Spells per Day


Level
0
1
2
3
4
5
6


6
4
2
0
-
-
-
-


7
4
3
1
-
-
-
-


8
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


9
4
4
3
1
-
-
-


10
4
4
3
2
0
-
-


11
4
4
4
3
1
-
-


12
4
4
4
4
2
0
-


13
4
4
4
4
3
1
-


14
4
4
4
4
4
2
0


15
4
4
4
4
4
3
1


16
4
4
4
4
4
3
1


17
4
4
4
4
4
3
1


18
4
4
4
4
4
3
1




Snapshots
ECL 1-5 (Character level 1-5)
At early levels Ruethgar is a fairly standard Bard, though more adept at being the face of the party than any sort of scout. Very adept, actually, with max ranks in all the social skills for most levels, a Charisma of 16, and his relationship with the she-wolf telthor Verkordhra giving him Nymph's Kiss*. In combat he uses Inspire Awe and his fear spells to even the odds and fights with a crossbow. He prefers to get up close to the enemies when casting cause fear or scare so as to subject them to his frightful presence, but with mediocre HP and AC, this is always a calculated risk.

*Get your mind out of the gutter. Then go read the other definition of "intimate"; they're very good friends and enjoy their long discussions about philosophy and whether it really makes sense to cook one's food.

ECL 6-10 (Character level 6-10)
It is at this point that Ruethgar has come into his own. He takes his first level of Chameleon, opening up an enormous number of spell options, and completes Dread Witch. He also picks up Fell Frighten, a wonderful little feat that offers no-save shakening, and with Dread Witch it's no-immunity too. It's particularly fun to pair Fell Frighten with blade of pain and fear, effectively turning a melee touch attack into a guaranteed shaken effect and on a failed save panic. And once he obtains level 9 and, along with it, BAB +6/+1, he can force this on an enemy twice, along with an additional save against his frightful presence.

Of course, while he specializes in causing fear, this is by no means his only option. He can draw from any arcane spell list, including, for instance, trapfinder, assassin, and telflammar shadowlord, as well as Sanctified spells like luminous armor (solving his squishiness problem handily). His ability as party face continues to improve as well, and he can now hit UMD checks with enough reliability to start using scrolls and wands in combat.

ECL 11-15 (Character level 11-13)
Ah, sainthood. With Ruethgar's vow to never physically harm a humanoid and his subsequent martyrdom and resurrection, he becomes a living embodiment of Good on Toril. This has a wide range of benefits, but the most important is a +2 increase to the DCs of all his abilities—spells, inspire awe, and dreadful wrath, mostly. Vow of Nonviolence bumps this up a further +4. Of course, he'll need to change spell strategies a bit. Blade of pain and fear is no longer an option when fighting humanoids or monstrous humanoids, but there are plenty of spells that deal nonlethal damage to key Fell Frighten off of—sunstroke is a favorite.

Oh, and that floating feat? Aside from using it with Extra Spell and Arcane Disciple to get an absolutely absurd number and range of spells in his spellbook (which is good, because he doesn't get to add any on level-up), Ruethgar has two favorites: Melodic Casting and Nonlethal Substitution. Melodic Casting lets him fire off fear spells while he's in the middle of Inspiring Awe, effectively turning any fear effect, including Fell Frighten, into Duration: until he runs out of poetry. And while there are plenty of spells that naturally do nonlethal damage, Nonlethal Substitution can make some of the better ones, like Kelgore's grave mist, absolutely terrifying. Or he can just toss around fireballs without worrying about breaking his vows. In the right circumstances Imperious Command may be a good choice as well.

ECL 16-20 (Character level 14-18)
And we come full circle. At high levels Ruethgar again relies on Inspire Awe, but now can use it in every encounter and have uses left over for healing. And he's a spontaneous caster again with Versatile Spellcaster, though with a much larger list (i.e. just about every spell from 1st-6th, and depending on interpretation, divine 7ths.) It's an old trick, but at ECL 20 it's not at all out of line. His ability to inspire fear is second to none, with a frightful presence, any number of fear-inducing spells, and turning any damage spell into a fear spell. And even if this somehow fails him (maybe he needs to capture someone?) he has 6th-level spells from any arcane or divine casting list, a floating feat, and impressive social skills to back him up.

(Incidentally, if LA buyoff is used, the 10th Chameleon level can be followed by nearly anything. Cloistered Cleric, for devotion feats and turn attempts to power them, would be fine, if a bit late.)

Note 1: There are three possible interpretations of how Chameleon functions with prestige classes like Dread Witch that progress spellcasting: that they cannot progress its casting, that it progresses only either arcane or divine, or that it progresses both. I assume here the middle interpretation. As Chameleon can grant the ability to cast spells it is clearly a spellcasting class and eligible to be advanced "as if you had also gained a level in" it. This would seem to imply that both its arcane and its divine casting would be progressed, but this can reasonably be argued against, is rather stronger than I prefer, and in any case doesn't significantly affect the power of this build.

Note 2: I keep saying "no save, no immunity". Why? It turns out that Dread Witch's Greater Master of Terror in fact bypasses not just specific immunity to fear like a paladin has, but immunity to mind-affecting effects. Your fear spells "can even affect individuals normally immune to fear." Mindless creatures (for example) are indeed normally immune to fear, so Ruethgar's fear spells can affect them. And since Fell Frighten is an effect added onto the spell, it slips in too. The only thing that saves a creature from this is having more HD than Ruethgar's CL + 4, which, at the end, totals 30.

"I never said I was taking a vow of poverty"
These are the things Ruethgar needs/wants to be more effective.
+Intelligence items. This affects the DCs of his spells and how many he gets per day.
+Charisma items. This improves the DC of Inspire Awe, his Dread Witch abilities, and his face skills.
+Wisdom items. While he doesn't rely on divine spells to anywhere near the degree he relies on arcane spells, they are very nice to have and it boosts his AC too.
+Perform items. Inspire Awe already has a sky-high DC, but at the beginning and end it's bread and butter. Early on this could be a masterwork tool (tom-toms, perhaps, or notes to help him remember the really long epics), but later a Circlet of Persuasion and custom magic items will take over.
Fearsome Armor. This will need to be feycraft/githcraft/mithral/twilight/whatever, but if he plans on using Imperious Command and Never Outnumbered at all, it's worth having.
Wands, scrolls, etc. Well, duh. He's a Bard/Chameleon.
Blessed Books/Aureon's Spellshards. As easy as it is for a Chameleon to get new spells, these will be more than worth the expense.
Pearls of Power. Ruethgar's approach to round holes is to pound square pegs through them with sheer force of personality, so getting one back is very much like getting an entirely new slot.

Non-SRD Sources
Book of Exalted Deeds – Nymph's Kiss, Sacred Vow, Saint, Vow of Nonviolence
Dungeonscape – Loresong
Eberron Campaign Setting – Extra Music
Heroes of Horror – Dread Witch, Unnatural Will
Libris Mortis – Fell Frighten
Player's Guide to Faerûn – Dreadful Wrath
Races of Destiny – Able Learner, Chameleon
Races of the Dragon – Versatile Spellcaster

[OMG PONIES]

I say some pretty abyssal things whenever I go bump in the night...


A Bump in the Night
CE Abyssal Skulker
RHD 2/LA +2/Wizard 6/Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 10


Str.....10....+0....10
Con....12...+2....14
Dex....12...+4....16
Int......18...+2....20
Wis....08...+4....12
Cha....14....-2....12

Increases: ECL 6, 11, 15, 19: Int



There are things that go bump in the night.

Rumors, myth, legends, stories of old. They all add insight to the mysteries that lie in the shadows. But questions remain. The shadows cast over the facts are almost as scary as the monsters that hide within the darkness. The unknown shivers the imagination and sends tremors through the minds of men.

One such story, built almost entirely of folk tales and fairy legends, tells of one such night-going bump. Brought to this world as a member of a scouting party from the depths of the Hells Beyond the Pale, he sought knowledge, information. His, it is rumored to be, was a mission to learn all he could about those in this world and return that knowledge to the beasts of the Lower Planes, who would, in turn, use the knowledge to unleash their Hell upon us all in the War of Soulblood.

But something happened. Some stories talk of an act of the gods to protect their mortals. Others tell of a random occurrence of luck. Still others refer to the will of greater Devils, thwarting the demon plan. Whatever the cause, it is believed that the scouting party was cut-off from their portal and left with no way to return to their home plane.

One amongst them, it is said, found a way to survive. He, alone, met the hardships of this world with a cunning and intellect necessary to survive. He unlocked the mysteries around him, explored the realm of the arcane, puzzled through the greatest mysteries the Prime kept hidden from curious eyes, and in so doing, caught the attentions of the one, and only, entity that could further open doors to the Mysterious.

And open those doors became. This Bump soaked up the knowledge offered, learned ways to remain hidden -- from the light, from the eyes of enemies, from the view of Time itself. So hidden, he stalks the world, hatred infused in his blood, raking the world with pain and death, crippling the whole of the Prime, awaiting the day when, finally, his brethren will pour out from Hell, and the War will begin.

Such are the rumors and the stories, anyway. Who but the shadows can say what's true....





ECL
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


3rd
Abyssal Skulker 1
+1
+2
+2
+2
Concentration 4(2); Gather Information 4(2); Hide 4(4); K:Arcana 4(2); K:Dungeoneering 4(2); K:Psionics 4(2); K:thePlanes 4(2); Listen 4(4); Move Silently 4(4); Sense Motive 4(2); Spellcraft 4(2); Spot 4(4); Use Magical Device 4(2)
1st: Mindsight
Racial Features


4th
Abyssal Skulker 2
+2
+3
+3
+3
Concentration (2); Gather Information 1(2.5); Hide 1(5); K:Arcana (2); K:Dungeoneering (2); K:Psionics (2); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 1(5); Move Silently 1(5); Search 4(2); Sense Motive 1(2.5); Spellcraft (2); Spot 1(5); Use Magical Device 1(2.5); Use Psionic Device 2(1)
--
--


5th
Wizard 1
+2
+3
+3
+5
Concentration (2); Gather Information 1(3); Hide (5); K:Arcana 3(5); K:Dungeoneering 2(4); K:Psionics (2); K:thePlanes (2); Listen (5); Move Silently (5); Search (2); Sense Motive 1(3); Spellcraft (2); Spot (5); Use Magical Device (2.5); Use Psionic Device (1)
3rd: Aberration Bane Magic; B: Scribe Scroll
Summon Familiar


6th
Wizard 2
+3
+3
+3
+6
Concentration 1(3); Gather Information (3); Hide (5); K:Arcana 2(7); K:Dungeoneering 3(7); K:Psionics (2); K:thePlanes (2); Listen (5); Move Silently (5); Search (2); Sense Motive (3); Spellcraft (2); Spot (5); Use Magical Device 1(3); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
--


7th
Wizard 3
+3
+4
+4
+6
Concentration (3); Gather Information 2(4); Hide (5); K:Arcana 1(8); K:Dungeoneering 1(8); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion 1(1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen (5); Move Silently (5); Search (2); Sense Motive 2(4); Spellcraft (2); Spot (5); Use Magical Device (3); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
--


8th
Wizard 4
+4
+4
+4
+7
Concentration 5(8); Gather Information (4); Hide (5); K:Arcana 1(9); K:Dungeoneering 1(9); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen (5); Move Silently (5); Search (2); Sense Motive (4); Spellcraft (2); Spot (5); Use Magical Device (3); Use Psionic Device (1)
6th: Ocular Spell
--


9th
Wizard 5
+4
+4
+4
+7
Concentration 1(9); Gather Information 2(5); Hide (5); K:Arcana 1(10); K:Dungeoneering 1(10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen (5); Move Silently (5); Search (2); Sense Motive 2(5); Spellcraft (2); Spot (5); Use Magical Device (3); Use Psionic Device (1)
B: Create Wonderous Item
--


10th
Vecna-Blooded
Sh
hh
hh
hhh!
You
can't
remember me!


11th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 1
+4
+4
+4
+9
Concentration (9); Gather Information (5); Hide 6(11); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen (5); Move Silently 6(11); Search (2); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft (2); Spot (5); Use Magical Device (3); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
Cerulean Focus; Detect Aberrant Taint


12th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 2
+5
+4
+4
+10
Concentration (9); Gather Information (5); Hide 1(12); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 5(10); Move Silently 1(12); Search (2); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft (2); Spot 5(10); Use Magical Device (3); Use Psionic Device (1)
9th: Extend Spell
Greater Banemagic 1/day


13th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 3
+5
+5
+5
+10
Concentration (9); Gather Information (5); Hide (12); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 2(12); Move Silently (12); Search (2); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft (2); Spot 2(12); Use Magical Device 8(11); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
Word of Revelation


14th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 4
+6/1
+5
+5
+11
Concentration 5(14); Gather Information (5); Hide (12); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 2(14); Move Silently (12); Search (2); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft (2); Spot 2(14); Use Magical Device 3(14); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
Greater Banemagic 2/day


15th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 5
+6/1
+5
+5
+11
Concentration 1(15); Gather Information (5); Hide 3(15); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 1(15); Move Silently 3(15); Search (2); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft 2(4); Spot 1(15); Use Magical Device 1(15); Use Psionic Device (1)
12th: Violate Spell
Portal Warding


16th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 6
+7/2
+6
+6
+12
Concentration 1(16); Gather Information (5); Hide 1(16); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 1(16); Move Silently 1(16); Search (2); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft 6(10); Spot 1(16); Use Magical Device 1(16); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
Greater Banemagic 3/day


17th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 7
+7/2
+6
+6
+12
Concentration 1(17); Gather Information (5); Hide 1(17); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 1(17); Move Silently 1(17); Search (2); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft 6(16); Spot 1(17); Use Magical Device 1(17); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
Mental Backlash


18th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 8
+8/3
+6
+6
+13
Concentration 1(18); Gather Information (5); Hide 1(18); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 1(18); Move Silently 1(18); Search 4(6); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft 2(18); Spot 1(18); Use Magical Device 1(18); Use Psionic Device (1)
15th: Twin Spell
Greater Banemagic 4/day


19th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 9
+8/3
+7
+7
+13
Concentration 1(19); Gather Information (5); Hide 1(19); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 1(19); Move Silently 1(19); Search 6(12); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft 1(19); Spot 1(19); Use Magical Device 1(19); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
--


20th
Keeper of the Cerulean Sign 10
+9/4
+7
+7
+14
Concentration 1(20); Gather Information (5); Hide 1(20); K:Arcana (10); K:Dungeoneering (10); K:Psionics (2); K:Religion (1); K:thePlanes (2); Listen 1(20); Move Silently 1(20); Search 6(18); Sense Motive (5); Spellcraft 1(20); Spot 1(20); Use Magical Device 1(20); Use Psionic Device (1)
--
Greater Banemagic 5/day





Spells per Day/Spells Known


ECL
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
3
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
4
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
4
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-


10th
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-


11th
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
-


13th
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-


14th
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-


15th
4
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-


16th
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-


17th
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-


18th
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-


19th
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
-
-


20th
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
-



Spells of Interest (though certainly not to only spells to learn):
1st: ABERRATE (BoVD); Power Word: Pain (RotD); Thunderhead (SpC)
2nd: Kelgore's Grave Mist (PHBII); Melf's Acid Arrow (SRD); Numbing Sphere (FB); Zone of Glacial Cold (FB)
3rd: Arctic Haze (FB); Caustic Smoke (CM); Prismatic Mist (PHBII)
4th: Bleakness (PHBII); Bright Worms (PHBII); Damning Darkness (LoM); Lightning Fog (ShSo); (Also, consider researching a spell much like Damning Darkness that effects lawful and neutral creatures without effecting chaotic creatures.)
5th: Acid Rain (HoB); Ball Lightning (SpC); Beltyn's Burning Blood (UE); Resounding Thunder (CM)
6th: Acid Fog (SRD); Freezing Fog (SpC); Scalding Mud (Sand)
7th:
8th: Zajimarn's Field of Icy Razors (MoF)



The trick to this build is in using Aberration Bane Magic (and its Greater version from Keeper of the Cerulean Sign) with the spell Aberrate (BoVD).

The benefits of LA:

Aberrate requires the caster be a fiend!
Telepathy gives access to the Mindsight feat, which is incredibly useful when using AoE spells.
Immunities/Resistances are helpful when flinging elemental AoE spells around.


Metamagic:

Ocular Spell makes it easier to apply Aberrate to target enemies. Also nice in a 'boss fight' -- Ocular Acid Fog (or Solid Fog or...) is a great way to cripple one enemy while leaving allies unaffected.
Extend Spell goes hand-in-hand with Aberration Bane Magic and DoT spells.
Violate Spell is just so very, very wicked with long-term damage.


The feat mentions "A character may take this feat multiple times, choosing a different spell each time." Other metamagic feats in the Book of Vile Darkness include the same line -- a line which is removed on reprints in 3.5 books. (Corrupt Spell, for example, revised in Complete Divine.) To the best of my knowledge Violate Spell has not been reprinted or updated in any other book. Seeing how it is soooooooooooooooo unusual for a metamagic feat to apply to only one spell, you can feel fairly well assured that the DM at your table will allow for the removal of that line and the ability to apply this feat to any spell, as usual for metamagic feats.


Twin Spell allows you to apply Greater Bane Magic to a single twinned spell and have it affect both castings. For example, a Twinned Kelgore's Grave Mist affected by one use of Greater Bane Magic would create an area that would deal 1d6+6d6 [cold] damage per round, twice. It can also be used to force a target to save twice against Aberrate.




Monster Manuel 2 -- Abyssal Skulker race (see also MM2 3.5 update)
Lords of Madness -- Mindsight feat; Aberration Bane Magic feat; Ocular Spell feat; Keeper of the Cerulean Sign class
Monster Manual 5 -- Vecna-Blooded template
Book of Vile Darkness -- Violate Spell feat
Complete Arcane -- Twin Spell feat
SRD -- Everything else.

[OMG PONIES]

Heavy meta.



(Work in Progress; header of entry below. REMOVE THIS NOTE WHEN DONE)

(Eye-catching image)

(Tedious 'Arm' Pun)
TN Spellweaver Argent Savant 3

Fluff (Note to self: Don't call it fluff in the final draft)
(Do later. Come up with some overwrought, yet incomprehensible garbage about a creature with an alien mind discovering hidden secrets of blah blah metamagic. Oh who am I kidding; I can't do the expected Lovecraftian horror while trying to make a point. Perhaps some other filler about what spellweavers are actually trying to do, since it's mentioned as a mystery in MMII. If going this route, hide the lack of relevance to the character somehow. Whatever the case, come up with something long enough to not get docked for lack of fluff.)

Basics
(Repeating of information in the header)

STR: 6 = 8 - 2 (racial)
DEX: 20 = 14 + 6 (racial)
CON: 14 = 16 - 2 (racial)
INT: 16 = 8 + 8 (racial)
WIS: 14 = 8 + 6 (racial)
CHA: 24 = 18 + 6 (racial)

(Inset quip about the 'usefulness' of increasing a single even ability score by 1, justifying the level-up ability score increase being unlisted.)

Tables
LevelClassBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSkillsFeatsClass Features


LA+7(Clever way of emphasizing seven levels of LA)


1stRHD 1+1+0+2+2(Copypaste incremented numbers for Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Spellcraft, Spot, and Use Magic Device ad nauseum)Empower Spell, Spell Focus (Abjuration)B, Spell Focus (Evocation)B, Spell PenetrationBSpell-like abilities, spells, Chromatic disk, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to mind-affecting, shielded mind, spell weaving, SR 21, telepathy


2ndRHD 2+2+0+3+3


3rdRHD 3+3+1+3+3Sanctum Spell


4thRHD 4+4+1+4+4


5thRHD 5+5+1+4+4


6thRHD 6+6+2+5+5Twin Spell


7thRHD 7+7+2+5+5


8thRHD 8+8+2+6+6


9thRHD 9+9+3+6+6Obtain Familiar


10thRHD 10+10+3+7+7


11thArgent Savant 1+10+3+7+9(Same as before, but Listen, Spot, and UMD become cross-class. Advance them anyway.)Force Specialization


12thArgent Savant 2+11+3+7+10Versatile SpellcasterForce Armor


13thArgent Savant 3+11+4+8+10Extended Force


Spells Known from Spellweaver:
0: (Do cantrips later since they generally don't matter)
1: Magic Missile, Blade of Blood, Mage Armor, True Strike, Grease
2: Wings of Cover, Web, Wraithstrike, Lesser Celerity, Glitterdust
3: Haste, Fly, Dimension Step, Heart of Water
4: Thunderlance, Wings of Flurry, Celerity
5: Draconic Might, Wall of Stone
6: Greater Dispel Magic

Spells Known from Argent Savant:
4: Greater Mirror Image, Ruin Delver's Fortune
6: Superior Resistance
7: Greater Teleport

Explanations
(Handwave the necessity for the build to be presented at different levels on account of it starting at level 17.

Discuss how spellweavers cast as their HD + 2, but bring up that MMII is 3.0 and needs to be adjusted, which would likely default the spellweaver casting to RHD + 2 under any reasonable DM. So, assume that spellcasting has to be advanced normally like everyone else has to.

Describe primary Spellweaver ability: can cast a bunch of spells at once so long as their spell levels total to 6, where a cantrip counts as 1, using one of six arms per spell level. Emphasize how hard this breaks the action economy. Also, with enthusiasm, point out how metamagic doesn't actually increase spell levels because that's Heighten Spell's job. Discuss the fact that, by applying Sanctum Spell to any spontaneously-cast spell, the spell level can be lowered by 1 at the cost of making the spell a full-round action. Makes things bonkers, but judges must be convinced, so lay it on thick.

Before talking about individual spell combos, make a case for swift and immediate action spells being able to be metamagic'd without increasing casting time. Arguments from here (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=12031.0).

Start talking about individual spell combos with other metamagics:

1) Empowered Magic Missile hurts when 6 are cast at once by an Argent Savant; it's like (30d4+60)*1.5 = ~200 damage.
2) A bunch of Sanctum Twinned Glitterdusts will cost a lot of 6th level slots, but they blind all of the everyone.
3) Wraithstrike + Blade of Blood to power up for an attack. If judges agree with immediate action metamagic, Empowered Blade of Blood instead.
4) Empowered Thunderlance can be wielded in all six hands. Wielding a weapon in six hands is 3.5 times Str to damage per Savage Species, but Thunderlance replaces Str with Cha for to-hit and damage, and it's empowered. So we're looking at, with Force Specialization's damage bonus, (3d6+3)*1.5 + 5.25 times Cha damage per hit. Also +2 to hit from Force Specialization; work that into the description. Blue-text quip about epic gestalt characters not knowing anything about adding Charisma to things several times. May be able to get away with sharing Thunderlance with familiar and having it use your Charisma, since you're the one who cast it and "you" in a spell means the caster.
5) Sanctum Web, possibly Twinned, to get sticky stuff everywhere nearby
6) Sanctum Wings of Flurry twice at once, possibly Empowered if 6th level slots are readily available, gets people to shut up and sit down
7) Lesser Celerity + Celerity for full-round action; drop any combo in above section or a full attack with Thunderlance
8) If judges agree with immediate action metamagic, Twinned Sanctum Lesser Celerity for 12 move actions. Play Yakety Sax and run away as far as possible from e.g. Great Wyrm Prismatic Dragon

Off-handedly mention usefulness of having a familiar just because, and Versatile Spellcaster for using lower-level slots. Hide the fact that these are basically filler feats because the metamagic thing is already online and I don't know what else to do with them.)

Sources
Spell Compendium for most non-core spells
PBHII for Celerity line
Races of the Dragon for "Wings of" spells and Versatile Spellcaster
MMII for Spellweaver race
Complete Arcane for Argent Savant, Obtain Familiar, and metamagics besides Empower

(Beg for brownie points for using "only" 5 splatbooks)

[OMG PONIES]

That's all of them, folks! Judge's criteria don't get lame jokes, but here they are regardless...

MYSTERY JUDGE A

A build can have anywhere from 0 to 80 points. Points will then be divided by 4 to attain a score that can range from 0 to 20. The reason behind the division is simply that I prefer working with larger scores because it gives me more freedom to score appropriately. Eg. The versatility score can be up to 13, that means I'll have more scores to judge with. If I feel that a build is slightly more versatile than another, I can award an 11 and a 10, just as a show that the other build won in versatility. I know the same can be achieved with fractional numbers, but It's just a preference to judge with whole numbers.

Classes that aren't commonly used (Wizard, Sorcerer, Cleric, Druid): Start with 3 points, lose them if classes are used, any of them, even if it's just a dip.

Metamagic that is often used, but just as often reduced (Persistent, Quicken, Twin, Chain): Up to 2 points.

Uncommon Metamagic Feats (any as per my discretion): Up to 2 points

Unusual Templates or Races with LA (any as per my discretion): Up to 5 points

Backstory/Fluff: Up to 5 points

Other things (per my discretion): Up to 3 points





Versatility, aka, how close you are to Tier 1: Up to 13 points, taking int account skills, spellcasting, ability scores, maneuver and whatever else can be used outside combat.

Raw power, aka, how fast can you kill an enemy. Up to 7 points


Cheese: Penalty ranging from 0 to 20 points (including but not limited to: Dragonwroth Kobold, Inifinite loops)

Flaws: 0 points and lose 4 points per flaw (this is to keep with rules of 1 point lost per flaw)

Dips (3 or less levels in a class). Racial Hit dice may be considered dips if using Savage Species progression: Starts with 6 points, lose one point for every dip taken.

Build Cohesion, or, how the fluff and crunch interact: Up to 7 points

LA Buyoff: Starts with 7 points, lose 1 point for every level bought off.

Variety of Sources: No points will be awarded or lost based on the number of sources used for a build, as long as the sources are legal.





Metamagic: Up to 10 points. Higher cost feats will be awarded higher score in this category.

LA: Up to 10 points. Higher cost LA will be awarded higher score in this category.

Metamagic Reducers. Using them disqualifies the build, simply having access to them will result in a penalty ranging from 1 to 20 points



Feel free to resume posting and/or taking potshots at the Chairman as you see fit.

[heavyfuel]

Ahh Mystery Judge A, who might you be!? :smallannoyed:Well, PONIES did tell us to take potshots at him...

[sakuuya]

Aw, man, I knew I should've called my build Mystery Judge A. :smallbiggrin:

[OMG PONIES]

Ta-da! Judging!


Note from Mystery Judge A: Given the recent heatwave of 100+ degrees F, my laptop decided to take a break and I had to judge the builds on my phone. Because of this, there's a 95% chance that I missed something in at least one build. Please contact the chairman if you feel I've misjudged your build and I apologize in advance.

With no further ado, the scoring:


ORIGINALITY:
Uncommon Class: 3
Commonly Used and reduced Metamagic: 2
Uncommon Metamagic: 0
Unusual Templates/Races with LA: 1
Backstory/Fluff: 4
Other: 3

Quicken spell is one the big ones here. It’s a +4 feat and quite unusual to see it without a reducer so he gets max score in this. As for Vampire, I don’t personally thing it’s that original of a concept, especially with how many vampire things we’ve seen in the media lately. However, I did like the upgrade to Vampire Lord as well as the Meditations for bonus feats so he gets 3 extra points in the “other” category.

POWER:
Versatility: 8
Raw power: 5

High level infusions (5 out 6 levels), really good ability scores. “Maxed” UMD is a given for almost any Artificer but his ok Diplomacy and Mindsight give him even more versatility than the average one with 5th level infusions. His raw power is also above average with his ability to blast being quite good.

ELEGANCE:
Dips: 6
Build Cohesion: 7
LA Buyoff: 7

Not much to say here. He met all the criteria imposed and his story fits with the build.

USE OF SECRET INGREDIENT:
Metamagic: 10
LA: 10
Metamagic Reducers/Replacer: -20

Spectacular usage of both LA as well as Metamagic feats, especially with the Meditations. Unfortunately, it’s all for naught as the forbidden ingredient isn't just Metamagic Reducers, but also Replacers. While I wouldn't have penalized an Artificer that explicitly didn't use Metamagic Spelltrigger, the explicit use of the ability by the submitter means this breaks the Junkyard Wars rules.

Final Scoring: 3.25+3.25+5+0 = 11.5



ORIGINALITY:
Uncommon Class: 2
Commonly Used and reduced Metamagic: 0
Uncommon Metamagic: 2
Unusual Templates/Races with LA: 5
Backstory/Fluff: 5
Other: 2

While the use of Sorcerer hurt the score a bit, I’ll hand it to the submitter that I did not expect someone to use the "Fabulous Cats" article or any race in them. Also, very nice twist to the "Pet heir" trope.

POWER:
Versatility: 10
Raw power: 5

8th lv Sorcerer spells with a plus. Add in Mindsight, Handle Humanoid and other Social Skills and you get a pretty powerful character.

ELEGANCE:
Dips: 3
Build Cohesion: 5
LA Buyoff: 7

Penalty to Build Cohesion as the fluff didn’t explain the PrCs. I also assumed the no LA Buyoff of the build as it’s the one that’s actually been submitted.

USE OF SECRET INGREDIENT:
Metamagic: 6
LA: 5
Metamagic Reducers/Replacer: 0

Nice amount of MM Feats, but all pretty cheap or free. The LA is also good, but not spectacular by any means.

Final Scoring: 4+3.75+3.75+2.75 = 14.25



ORIGINALITY:
Uncommon Class: 2
Commonly Used and reduced Metamagic: 0
Uncommon Metamagic: 0
Unusual Templates/Races with LA: 4
Backstory/Fluff: 1
Other: 0

Wizard class gives you a small penalty. The fluff was non-existant, but I gave 1 point because at least a theme was kept. However, a nice race from a somewhat obscure book did help you keep your score somewhat high.

POWER:
Versatility: 13
Raw power: 7

Almost full casting from the get-go and access to 9th lv spells from the second best list in the game. Nuff Said.

ELEGANCE:
Dips: 6
Build Cohesion: 2
LA Buyoff: 7

Like I mentioned above, there is no fluff to judge Build Cohesion on, but given that the electricity theme was kept throughout the build, I’ve awarded a few points in the category. Again, I judged based on the no LA Buyoff version of the build as it’s the one that’s actually been submitted.

USE OF SECRET INGREDIENT:
Metamagic: 4
LA: 1
Metamagic Reducers/Replacer:

Not that many MM Feats and they’re all pretty cheap. Also, a single LA... bare minimum effort gets the bare minimum score.

Final Scoring: 1.75+5+3.75+1.25 = 11.75



ORIGINALITY:
Uncommon Class: 3
Commonly Used and reduced Metamagic: 0
Uncommon Metamagic: 1
Unusual Templates/Races with LA: 2
Backstory/Fluff: 5
Other: 2

One point for the use of Fell Frighten, probably the least mentioned/used feat of the “Fell X” line. Despite the fact that Saint is a common enough template, its combination with dread Witch and fear escalation is something I’ve never seen before so I’ve awarded points in the “Other” category. As for the fluff, it’s a well written and properly displayed backstory. I loved it… 5/5 would read again.

POWER:
Versatility: 7
Raw power: 5

Good array of social skills, UMD and 6th level spells. Not mind blowing but still quite versatile. Then we have fear escalation can be incredibly strong, especially when you make enemies immune to fear not so.

ELEGANCE:
Dips: 6
Build Cohesion: 7
LA Buyoff: 7

Nothing to say here. He met all criteria and exposed his class choice in the fluff.

USE OF SECRET INGREDIENT:
Metamagic: 2
LA: 3
Metamagic Reducers/Replacer:

Only a single MM feat, but it’s a +2 one at least. The low LA also wasn’t enough.

Final Scoring: 3.25+3+5+1.25 = 12.50



ORIGINALITY:
Uncommon Class: 2
Commonly Used and reduced Metamagic: 2
Uncommon Metamagic: 2
Unusual Templates/Races with LA: 4
Backstory/Fluff: 3
Other: 0

As with other builds, the usage of a common class gives a slight penalty. Twin Spell awarded 2 points in the “Commonly Used and Reduced MM” while Violate Spell gave him another 2 points in Unusual Metamagic. Enjoyable but rather plain backstory. Also, nice going with Vecna Blooded template.

POWER:
Versatility: 11
Raw power: 5

8th level Wizard Spells, Mindsight, and UMD (some UPD too). Didn’t managed to get big to the big 9th spells, but still very powerful build.

ELEGANCE:
Dips: 6
Build Cohesion: 6
LA Buyoff: 7

Yet again, not much to say here.

USE OF SECRET INGREDIENT:
Metamagic: 8
LA: 3
Metamagic Reducers/Replacer:

Really nice MM feats, especially Twin Spell, however the low LA hurts his score here.

Final Scoring: 3.25+4+4.75+2.75 = 14.75



ORIGINALITY:
Uncommon Class: 3
Commonly Used and reduced Metamagic: 2
Uncommon Metamagic: 0
Unusual Templates/Races with LA: 5
Backstory/Fluff: 0
Other: 3

Again, Twin Spell awards 2 points in the proper category. Max points for the Race choice, unfortunately, your build has no fluff nor theme. However, given the meta aspect of your submission which I liked as well as the fact that you have no base class, only RHD, I’ve awarded 3 points in the “Other” category

POWER:
Versatility: 8
Raw power: 4

7th level spells and UMD. Pretty good, for the average gaming table.

ELEGANCE:
Dips: 6
Build Cohesion: 0
LA Buyoff: 7

No fluff to judge build cohesion on, also, no theme. Nothing to say otherwise

USE OF SECRET INGREDIENT:
Metamagic: 6
LA: 9
Metamagic Reducers/Replacer:

Only 3 MM feats, although you do have Twin as a +4 feat. 7 LA isn't 8, but it's still impressive. PS: Beggary for brownie points negated.

Final Scoring: 3.25+3+3.25+3.75 = 13.25

[sakuuya]

Oh, woah. I kinda forgot about this contest! But my build scored higher than I expected, so that's nice. :smallsmile:

Thanks for judging, Mystery Judge heAvyfuel!

[Macabaret]

Whoo-hoo, judging!!

Thanks for the time and effort, Mystery Judge A. Much appreciated.

[OMG PONIES]

Sorry for the delayed reveal, friends!


In first place with 14.75, A Bump in the Night by Macabaret!
In second place with 14.25, Princess Pufflebutt by sakuuya!
In third place with 13.25, [Tedious Arm Pun] by Kazyan!
In fourth place with 12.5 and honorable mention, Saint Ruethgar by Jeff the Green!
In fifth place with 11.75, Zyx by Troacctid!
In sixth place with 11.5, Baron Jareth von Retselheim IV by Telonius!
Now that this round's done, does anyone have anything they'd like to see required and/or banned in Round VIII? The weirder, the better! Or do we want to press pause on Junkyard Wars and return to our regularly scheduled Iron Chef?

[heavyfuel]

Now that this is all over, I have a confession. I am Mistery Judge A. Yes, a shock I know. But I really wanted to congratulate Sakuuya. Your build was my favorite and you had me in tear after I read the name Princess Pufflebutt.


For the next Jukyard Wars I'd like to see the following:

Forbidden Ingredient - Bonus Feats by any name (including things like the Ranger's Combat Style)
Maybe add in some secret ingredient that doesn't allow someone to go for "Sorcerer 20" build

As for pausing the Jukyard Wars, I'd say just start a new one with a longer cooking and judging time

[Troacctid]

Eh, building without bonus feats isn't much of a challenge. A lot of builds don't have or need them. You could require an ingredient with a lot of prerequisite feats like Master of Nine or something, but all that means is everyone takes the exact same feats every three levels.

[heavyfuel]

Eh, building without bonus feats isn't much of a challenge. A lot of builds don't have or need them. You could require an ingredient with a lot of prerequisite feats like Master of Nine or something, but all that means is everyone takes the exact same feats every three levels.

Hmm. Makes sense.

It seemed like a good idea in my head.

[Troacctid]

Magical darkness
Any Wild feat
Magical Trickster
Any racial paragon class
Any weapon style feat
The Craft skill
Exactly one level of Cleric (but no Turn/Rebuke Undead)
Dvati

[WhamBamSam]

Maybe any Wild Feat other than the Blindsense one which is actually okay.

The Psionic Vestiges (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070119a) would be an interesting ingredient, though forcing everyone to be Binders is kind of a drag.

[Sian]

+ Spelldancer (MoF)
+ Cloaked Dancer (CS)
- Bard
- Jester

[Jeff the Green]

Exactly one level of Cleric (but no Turn/Rebuke Undead)


I like this one, though you'd need to also ban the ACFs that power divine feats; otherwise you'd see a lot of Azurin Cleric 1/Archivist 19 builds.

[Troacctid]

I like this one, though you'd need to also ban the ACFs that power divine feats; otherwise you'd see a lot of Azurin Cleric 1/Archivist 19 builds.

And I'm sure those people will enjoy their 1s in Originality. And probably Elegance too--that is one whopping great multiclass xp penalty. And presumably there's another ingredient involved that they're ignoring while also ignoring the spirit of the forbidden ingredient, so they're just tanking every category except Power, which is not usually a winning recipe.

[Jeff the Green]

And I'm sure those people will enjoy their 1s in Originality. And probably Elegance too--that is one whopping great multiclass xp penalty. And presumably there's another ingredient involved that they're ignoring while also ignoring the spirit of the forbidden ingredient, so they're just tanking every category except Power, which is not usually a winning recipe.

It's easier to seek forgiveness than ask permission ban something than give it low scores.

Do judges usually penalize builds that would incur multiclass penalties? I know I've submitted builds to similar competitions (I don't think this one, though I could be wrong) that would incur them and I didn't get knocked for it.

[Sian]

Well for what its worth, in Zinc XXVIII, the Judge mentioned that me taking 'Additional Favored class' gave much less penalty (as it is from a variant sidebar in UA), than the build would have gotten if it'd just eaten the multiclassing penalty

[Telonius]

I sent this list of suggestions to the previous chairman, but:

Ingredients: Mounted Combat, Spellcasting
Forbidden Ingredient: Paladin

Ingredients: Half-Elf Paragon, Darkwood Stalker PrC
Forbidden Ingredient: Ranger

Ingredients: Goblin race, melee combat
Forbidden Ingredient: Tome of Battle materials

Ingredients: Dragon Disciple, Monk
Forbidden Ingredient: Sorcerer

[dysprosium]

I would hate to see this competition go by the way side.

Especially since the Zinc Saucier might end up going the way of the dodo . . .

Just the idea of banning a usually well known or optimal ingredient makes for more interesting building by forcing the contestants to look or think in a different way.

That alone makes it different from Iron Chef.

[Macabaret]

I'd be interested in seeing what might get built with:
+ Share Soulmeld feat
+ ???
- Improved Familiar feat/Dragon Familiar feat/other "familiar" improving feats

You could even include Obtain Familiar and Wild Cohort in the ban list and make the characters come by (and improve) their furry little friends naturally. (i.e. Via class)

[WhamBamSam]

I'd be interested in seeing what might get built with:
+ Share Soulmeld feat
+ ???
- Improved Familiar feat/Dragon Familiar feat/other "familiar" improving feats

You could even include Obtain Familiar and Wild Cohort in the ban list and make the characters come by (and improve) their furry little friends naturally. (i.e. Via class)Wild Cohorts can't share spells. Same goes for the Monstrous Companions of a Beast Heart Adept, and probably a few other things that should get it. Strange but true. Also, most Share Soulmeld optimization I see is based around more familiars/companions/whatever rather than better ones.

So long as we're spitballing potential ingredients, I love the Area Attack feat to bits.

Telepathy but no Mindsight could potentially be a thing if you feel like being cruel.

[sakuuya]

Now that this is all over, I have a confession. I am Mistery Judge A. Yes, a shock I know. But I really wanted to congratulate Sakuuya. Your build was my favorite and you had me in tear after I read the name Princess Pufflebutt.

:smallredface: Aw, thanks, heavyfuel. I had a lot of fun building her.


Now that this round's done, does anyone have anything they'd like to see required and/or banned in Round VIII?

Bardic Music + Bardic Knowledge - Bard? Although I guess that pretty much makes it a Zinc Saucier round...