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silentknight
2007-03-22, 01:31 PM
I am creating an NPC that is an immortal warrior. I want him to have abilities that truly show that he is a swordsman without peer, but I don't necessarily want him to be a massive-damage-dealing-brute. I want his choice in feats and classes to reflect years of honing his craft. I want him to, with a single attack or flourish of his sword, show his opponents that only death lies down the path of combat with him.

What I have in mind so far:
Warblade 20 / Fighter 12 / Swordsage 5.

His martial adept disciplines are Ironheart, Stonefist, and Diamond Mind mostly.

Feats: Weapon Focus and Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus and Specialization, Epic Weapon Focus and Specialization, Whirlwind Attack and Improved Whirlwind Attack (and the feats to get him there), Weapon Mastery, and Weapon Supremacy.

Weapon of choice: longsword.

Any suggestions to help this guy put fear into the hearts of his mortal foes?

ZekeArgo
2007-03-22, 01:36 PM
I am creating an NPC that is an immortal warrior. I want him to have abilities that truly show that he is a swordsman without peer, but I don't necessarily want him to be a massive-damage-dealing-brute. I want his choice in feats and classes to reflect years of honing his craft. I want him to, with a single attack or flourish of his sword, show his opponents that only death lies down the path of combat with him.

What I have in mind so far:
Warblade 20 / Fighter 12 / Swordsage 5.

His martial adept disciplines are Ironheart, Stonefist, and Diamond Mind mostly.

Feats: Weapon Focus and Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus and Specialization, Epic Weapon Focus and Specialization, Whirlwind Attack and Improved Whirlwind Attack (and the feats to get him there), Weapon Mastery, and Weapon Supremacy.

Weapon of choice: longsword.

Any suggestions to help this guy put fear into the hearts of his mortal foes?

Your epic and not a full spellcaster. Nothing to do but lose.

Fax Celestis
2007-03-22, 01:36 PM
Perhaps the Guardian template out of Dungeonscape, and perhaps my very own Eternal template. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37908)

Assassinfox
2007-03-22, 01:37 PM
Wizard = Win, blah blah blah

He's trying to make a swordsman, not a cheese monster!

Meat Shield
2007-03-22, 01:41 PM
Very helpful Zeke.

However, he does raise a good point Silent. You need to keep the guy immune to magics. Acquire as much spell resistance as possible would be my advice, a permanent anti-magic shell around him would be the best way. Which at level 37 might be possible.

The rest is not on the character sheet. Play him as a swordsman without peer. Embelish every action of his with fantastic parries and blinding flashed of blade. Watch Errol Flynn movies, but Gene Kelley movies could inspire as well. The fear you instill in the players will come not from his stats, but from you describing actions that they have never dreamed possible.

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-03-22, 01:44 PM
Someone needs to invent an epic maneuvers and stances creation system like we've got for spellcasting. Then maybe a melee'r could stand tall in epics.

kamikasei
2007-03-22, 01:47 PM
How high level are your players? If this guy is intended to be way out of their league in CR as well as chutzpah, you could try cutting down his level but making him gestalt so that he has a raftload of options in combat, representing his in-depth training.

This is assuming that he's meant to be a lot tougher than your PCs, though. If he's supposed to be close to their level then making him gestalt when they're not would be a little off.

ZekeArgo
2007-03-22, 02:54 PM
He's trying to make a swordsman, not a cheese monster!

Unfortunatly it doesn't matter what hes trying to make, once you hit epic if your not a Cleric, Druid, Wizard, Sorcerer, or other full-casting progression class you are simply done if Epic spellcasting is being used, and even *then* ToB classes only have a slightly less marginal chance of standing up against a full caster than a more traditional meleer.

With the stipulation that epic spells are not created and used, a swordsage using the spellcaster variant could very well give you a capable meleer at epic levels, though your selection of maneuvers and spells will have to be very good, possibly to the point of cheese.

I'm sorry thats how it works, but Epic Spellcasting = win button. Since he said nothing about who or what the build was for I asssumed its for an upcoming epic game he's participating in and gave an extremely similar response to the one *I* was given when asking the same question.

kellandros
2007-03-22, 02:55 PM
The main thing for him to be an all powerful swordsman is first that almost no one should be able to hit him(huge AC). You don't live that long taking many wounds in every combat.

Since he is an NPC, I'd suggest giving him some extra rule-breaking abilities. Start shoving every appropriate feat onto him, regardless of limits/prereq's.

Assassinfox
2007-03-22, 02:56 PM
Wizard = Win, Blah blah blah

That doesn't make your statement any more helpful to the OP.

Variable Arcana
2007-03-22, 02:59 PM
What I have in mind so far:
Warblade 20 / Fighter 12 / Swordsage 5.

A 37th level character?

The D&D rules really don't work particularly well at that level.

What level is the party that you'd even consider sending them up against a 37th level character?

Deus Mortus
2007-03-22, 02:59 PM
There is also a PrC in ToB that let's you master all styles, give him that and break some rules, he now knows all manouvres in all styles and can use them whenever he wants without readying them.

Khantalas
2007-03-22, 03:01 PM
That's why I never play epic. And play Mutants and Masterminds or Hunter instead. It's harder to break.

I actually created a ECL 65 warrior once.

Warforged Warblade 20 / War Mind 10 / Incarnum Blade 5 / Shadowsmith 10 / Corrupt Avenger 10 / Pious Templar 10.

It uses 6 different types of magic (psionics and manuevers count) and would have full BAB if epic levels allowed it. And no XP penalty for multiclassing. And requires every single stat to be effective (maybe Dexterity less so).

I called him Trueblade the Dabbling Warrior.

storybookknight
2007-03-22, 03:06 PM
Alternately, cheat.

Forget statting him. Enemies with stats can be killed. Give him health as plot-appropriate. Give him insanely high saves and evasion. Don't give him a class, just give him a bunch of abilities like "Parry Magic Missiles and Ray Attacks" or "Automatic Disarm" or "True Strike as a quickened SLA at will".

If you *must* have stats, I say go gestalt fighter/swordsage. Combat Expertise, Disarm, Trip, Combat Reflexes, Robilar's Gambit, Weapon Supremacy... You can figure something out, I'm sure.

Khantalas
2007-03-22, 03:08 PM
Better yet, take a page out of Mutants and Masterminds and make him a cosmic imp. Basically, leave his stats and abilities blank. Roll dice randomly, disregarding them completely and just telling what happens.

All X traits FTW.

silentknight
2007-03-22, 05:52 PM
Fax: I like the template. A little tinkering would make it mesh well with the concept I had in mind. Although he has done many, many things in his life, he is currently hanging out in the ancient elven kingdom, occupying his time with guarding a tomb against incursion. (Mundane, yes, but he was given this station long ago by the world's greatest elven king. Besides, what else does an immortal do on his 1,277,853rd day of life?)

Oh, and about the SR. Not necessary. He has an artifact sword that nullifies magic.

Thank you all for the input. He isn't really going to be used against the players unless they get stupid and blood-thirsty when they meet him. Given his level and the high level maneuvers, he will no doubt make the PCs think twice should they be foolish enough to try his sword skills.

Maxymiuk
2007-03-22, 06:06 PM
For added fun and profit, somewhere in the FR (I believe) there is a magic item called the Ring of Nine Lives. Yup, you guessed it. It has nine charges of True Resurrection, each one to go off whenver the wearer dies, forcing you to fight the same foe nine times in a row (if you can last that long).

silentknight
2007-03-22, 06:13 PM
Actually, his immortality is granted by the Phoenix Curse, which was bestowed by a god long ago for a grievous crime. Each time he dies, he is brought back by true ressurection in a gout of fire. Until he amends for his past.

kamikasei
2007-03-22, 06:27 PM
Just out of curiosity: what's this character actually supposed to be for?

Will he be an ally of the PCs, and you want to impress upon them just how awesome he is? Will he be a deterrent to them, and you want it to be clear that they can't beat him?

What level are the PCs?

silentknight
2007-03-22, 06:34 PM
The PCs will be in the low 20s and the immortal will be an ally. But the storyline will have them approaching the tomb in an aggressive manner. I was asking you all if I had maybe overlooked some feats or classes that would make this guy impressive without having to draw his sword. Obviously, roleplaying is where he will make the best and most impressive...impression.

Besides, I like to make characters. This guy was an old NPC that I decided to update with the Tome of Battle.

Tengu
2007-03-22, 06:37 PM
Just make sure he doesn't become a DMNPC. That might really spoil the fun for your players.

silentknight
2007-03-22, 06:43 PM
Yeah, not going to be an DMPC. But if they need a powerful ally to help them against the epic monsters, he could be there for them.

I know the players are the focus, so he'll help out only if they REALLY, REALLY need it.

I mean, he may have a boring life, but he does have a job to do. Tombs can't guard themselves, right?

No, don't look at the self-guarding tomb. Just stop right now.

Stormcrow
2007-03-22, 06:45 PM
Immortality isnt born of strength or speed or cunning, skill with a blade or fortitude of body. Immorality is born of bard songs in taverns that carry word of your deeds for hundred and thousands of years after you dissapear from the public eye. Make it flashy, Live Fast and Die Young.

A Level 20 Swordsage could do it easy, without the Epic Cheese.
I'll try and find a link to the article but it was proven quite soundly that a LvL 5 character is the skill level of an Olympic Athlete. Level 20 _is_ a master of his craft, honed to a fine edge.

kamikasei
2007-03-22, 07:10 PM
I'll try and find a link to the article but it was proven quite soundly that a LvL 5 character is the skill level of an Olympic Athlete. Level 20 _is_ a master of his craft, honed to a fine edge.

http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/d&d-calibrating.html

Starbuck_II
2007-03-22, 07:29 PM
The main thing for him to be an all powerful swordsman is first that almost no one should be able to hit him(huge AC). You don't live that long taking many wounds in every combat.

Since he is an NPC, I'd suggest giving him some extra rule-breaking abilities. Start shoving every appropriate feat onto him, regardless of limits/prereq's.
You definately want a Cloak of Displacement. Miss chances are worth more than AC. they effectively double your health.

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-03-22, 08:18 PM
Actually, just giving him really, really high spell resistance would probably negate half of the PC casters' cheese. Except for things like gate/teleport/etc, but it's a start.

If you want to build him legitimately to gain this SR, consider making him a Spellwarped, the only +3 LA template I can think of that is worth it's high adjustment. 11+HD SR is nothing to laugh at. Burn a few epic feats getting that resistance skywards while you're at it. Give him some really abusive magic items, like one that casts an epic variant of dimensional anchor, an epic variant of cancellation, a quick fly speed, and an epic variant dispel magic as a "just in case". He'll be a nightmare to mages everywhere, though I don't doubt the potential for a smart wizard player to still overcome this.

It'll just take him quite a while longer then he's used to.

PinkysBrain
2007-03-23, 07:24 AM
LA is meaningless to NPCs. If you want DM cheese for driving up SR then give him HD based SR and lycanthropy. Dire Weretiger adds 16 HD (and other goodies) for +5 CR.

bosssmiley
2007-03-23, 01:09 PM
Dragon #354, article on undying characters. Should be in the magazine rack at your FLGS now.

Swordsman without peer? Keep the character pre-epic and (if ToB doesn't float your boat) give him kensai (CW) or Iaijutsu Master (OA?) PrC levels.