Optimization Iron Chef Optimisation Challenge - Home Cooking Edition [Archive]

View Full Version : Optimization Iron Chef Optimisation Challenge - Home Cooking Edition

Heliomance

2014-12-20, 07:48 PM

Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef Home Cooking Edition. Here in Optimization Colosseum, contestants will endeavor to create an optimized and flavorful character using a specified D&D3.5 prestige class as a "Secret Ingredient". As this is a special Home Cooking edition, the Secret Ingredient for this contest will be homebrew drawn from our very own homebrew forums!

Contestants: 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. Feel free to present as many of these as you like, and please give a rundown of the build's abilities and playability at all of the levels you didn't show. The rules are as follows:

Menu: The "special ingredient" for this offshoot competition is a homebrew prestige class, drawn from the homebrew forums on this very site.

32 point-buy is the presumed creation method, but we have generally allowed other levels of point-buy.
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.

Kitchen: 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 Elegance 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. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt or Generic Classes are not allowed, as they create a different playing field. Also, item familiars are forbidden because I hate 'em. Please refrain from using Taint unless it's necessary for the Secret Ingredient.

Cooking Time: Contestants will have until 09:59 GMT on Sunday, January 11th, 2015 to create their builds and PM them to the Chairman, Heliomance. Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying. Judges will have until 09:59 GMT on Sunday, January 25th, 2015 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.

Judging: Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Power, Elegance, Use of Secret Ingredient.

Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level. 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 could bear a little elaboration. It basically measures how skillfully you put your build together, and whether you sacrificed flavor for 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 considered in poor taste, and judges are asked to take a dim view of this option, taking it into account while grading. Other things that will cause penalties here are excessive multi-classing, and classes that don't fit the concept - using Cloistered Cleric in a front-line melee fighter, for example, will lose you points.Please note the following change: a legal source's relative obscurity should not be considered as penalizing Elegance, excepting the aforementioned issues with Unearthed Arcana. Using too many sources may result in a penalty to Elegance at the judges' discretion, but a book's relative obscurity may not. In that same vein, drawing solely from the Core 3 (and the d20 SRD) should not be punished for lacking Originality.
Presentation: 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!

Due to concerns about standardizing entry format, I'd like everyone to try to use the following table for their entry.NAME OF ENTRY

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

1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

7th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

8th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

9th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

10th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

11th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

12th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

13th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

14th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

15th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

16th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

17th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

18th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

19th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

20th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

Code immediately below (spoiler).

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

1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

7th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

8th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

9th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

10th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

11th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

12th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

13th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

14th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

15th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

16th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

17th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

18th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

19th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

20th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

For entries with spellcasting, use the following table for Spells per day and Spells Known. (Spells Known only if necessary, i.e. Sorcerer or Bard, but not Wizard or Warmage)Spells per Day/Spells Known
Spells per Day/Spells Known

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

1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

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

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

5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

12th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

13th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

14th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

16th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

17th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

19th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Code immediately below (spoiler)Spells per Day/Spells Known
Spells per Day/Spells Known

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

1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

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

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

5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

12th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

13th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

14th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

16th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

17th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

19th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

For other systems (Psionics, ToB, Incarnum, etc.) keep track of PP/maneuvers/essentia separately, preferably in a nice neat list.
Speculation: Please don't post or speculate on possible builds until the "reveal," in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.

Leadership is banned; we're producing a meal, not a seven-course banquet for a hundred diners. 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.

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!

For this fist Home Cooking Contest, the Secret Ingredient is your chairwoman's very own
Fecund Healer! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?386434-Fecund-Healer-(3-5-PrC)-PEACH-make-people-explode-with-positive-energy!)
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. Judges, contestants and guests alike are invited to vote for honorable mention via PM. If there are no votes, Honourable Mention will go to the chairwoman's favourite build.

Allez, optimiser!

The Builds

Heliomance

2014-12-20, 07:50 PM

FAQ:
What's this even about? I'm glad you asked, actually... (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15415117&postcount=1)

Is Dragon Compendium Allowed? Yes (as well as its Errata), but individual issues of Dragon Magazine are not.

What about 3.0 materials? 3.0 materials, whether online or in printed form, are allowed unless they've been officially updated to a 3.5 edition.

Are Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, or Kingdoms of Kalamar allowable sources? The Dragonlance Campaign Setting is allowed, but the subsequent books for Dragonlance are considered 3rd party, and are therefore not eligible, despite the "WotC approved" status of those books. The same holds for Oriental Adventures (1st party) and the subsequent Rokugan books (3rd party). Materials from Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, and Kingdoms of Kalamar are considered 3rd party for purposes of this contest, and are therefore not allowed.

What about online sources in general? If the online source is a) published by WotC, and b) not replaced by an updated version at a later time, it is eligible. Use it, link it.

Where's the line drawn with "acceptable/unacceptable" for Unearthed Arcana? This will likely vary a bit from Chairman to Chairman. Item Familiars and Gestalt have always been verboten, since before IC migrated to GitP; don't expect that to change. Flaws have similarly always been noted as warranting a deduction; while I am Chairman, I'm extending that to Traits, though they warrant 1/2 the penalty in Elegance that a Flaw would because they're roughly 1/2 as useful. Alternate spell systems, alternate skill systems and alternate crafting rules all create an uneven playing field, and as such, will be disallowed for as long as I am Chairman. Bloodlines and the Retraining options presented in the PHB2 are ripe for abuse, and will be strongly discouraged as long as I am Chairman. Note that judges are allowed to look askance at any use of Unearthed Arcana not specifically mentioned above, at their discretion, and otherwise penalize Elegance according to their preference.

What, exactly, does the ban on Leadership mean? As folks have started to try to work around the edges of this one, I'm forced to spell it out more plainly. No Leadership, Draconic Cohort, or Feats that grant a similar ability are allowed EXCEPT Wild Cohort while Heliomance is chairman. Any PrC you choose with Leadership or a Leadership-analog has that ability entirely ignored for this contest, as it may neither be used nor traded away via any means whatsoever.

What's the minimum score in a category? Assuming an entry is legal, the minimum score in any category is 1. If a judge is convinced that an entry is mechanically illegal by the RAW, the judge may give the build a score of 0 in Elegance, and proceed to judge the entry as if the offending material was not included. Failing to meet a fluff requirements for a prestige class does not merit a 0, but may qualify for a penalty, at the judge's discretion. Because this contest focuses on Player Characters, an entry that is not technically allowed for a PC, but is viable as an NPC, counts as a legal entry, but may receive a minimum score at the judges' discretion.

Creatures and templates with no listed LA are playable, right? No. No listed LA is equivalent to LA: -. It is not suitable for PCs. If you use it, expect judges to look extremely disfavourably on it.

Deadasadoor

2014-12-20, 10:05 PM

Interesting ingredient, I'm already kicking around one idea, though it may be too obvious.

WhamBamSam

2014-12-21, 03:28 AM

I might try to make something for this.

Question regarding entry requirements: For the "Must be able to heal others at least 20 points of hit point damage per day" requirement, would, say, being able to use Cure Light Wounds 3 times per day be enough? If you roll high you could potentially heal over 20 HP that way, but it's up to chance. Basically, do you need to be able to heal 20 points without relying on variables you don't control, like dice?

Heliomance

2014-12-21, 06:35 AM

Fax Celestis

2014-12-21, 11:47 AM

Is other homebrew acceptable in conjunction?

Heliomance

2014-12-21, 12:37 PM

Is other homebrew acceptable in conjunction?

I propose we restrict it to only the SI being allowed, normal rules otherwise applying. Otherwise, you run into the possibility of someone writing and posting a piece of homebrew speciifically to gain an advantage in the competition. I doubt anyone would, but I'd like to block the possibility. Also, if you allow it, then you're penalising people for not having an in-depth knowledge of everything that's ever been posted here.

I'm not set in stone on this though, so if people feel strongly, I'm willing to change my mind.

Fax Celestis

2014-12-21, 01:50 PM

How about "maximum one other base or prestige class posted before Dec 2014"?

Extra Anchovies

2014-12-21, 02:35 PM

I propose we restrict it to only the SI being allowed, normal rules otherwise applying. Otherwise, you run into the possibility of someone writing and posting a piece of homebrew speciifically to gain an advantage in the competition. I doubt anyone would, but I'd like to block the possibility. Also, if you allow it, then you're penalising people for not having an in-depth knowledge of everything that's ever been posted here.

I'm not set in stone on this though, so if people feel strongly, I'm willing to change my mind.

Don't worry, I agree with you too. All normal Iron Chef sources plus the single homebrew thing.

sakuuya

2014-12-21, 04:29 PM

How about "maximum one other base or prestige class posted before Dec 2014"?

This works for me, though I don't actually follow homebrew at all. It'd be a fun little wrinkle, I think(le).

The Viscount

2014-12-21, 05:02 PM

I agree with the decision for no homebrew. It makes for easier stances on the rules and finding them. I'm a tentative in. I have an idea I like for this.

Jormengand

2014-12-21, 05:27 PM

Ooh, I might actually do this one. And allowing one other piece would certainly make it more interesting: I know what I would use if we could.

Venger

2014-12-21, 08:35 PM

I agree with the masses. No other homebrew.

MilesTiden

2014-12-22, 01:59 AM

I think I have an interesting idea for this one, I just need to make sure it all works mechanically. I like the class quite a bit though!

(On an unrelated note, under the Vivacious Blast entry, there seems to be an artifact from a possible earlier version, or maybe just a typo: "A vivacious blast is the equivalent of a spell whose level is equal to the Fecund Healer’s class level (round down), with a minimum spell level of 1st and a maximum of 9th when a Fecund Healer reaches 9th level or higher."

The bolded bit is unnecessary, as your class level will always be a whole number. Also, it will never be a spell level of 1st, as you get the ability at second level. Of course, it's entirely possible I'm just missing something here. :smalltongue:)

KrimsonNekros

2014-12-22, 03:42 AM

I'very got a delightfully twisted idea if I can make it work.

WhamBamSam

2014-12-22, 04:41 AM

A couple of decent ideas have come to me. I'll sleep on them to decide which ones I actually like and maybe start hammering them out tomorrow.

Heliomance

2014-12-22, 05:28 AM

WhamBamSam

2014-12-22, 04:39 PM

Bleh. My ideas aren't working out as well as I'd hoped when I try to stub them out. It's one of the great truths of optimization that there are never enough feats. Ah well, I still have hope yet.

KrimsonNekros

2014-12-24, 12:28 AM

Build is done, just need to write up fluff

Michael7123

2014-12-24, 05:45 PM

I just had an incredible idea. I'm in.

Michael7123

2014-12-25, 10:33 PM

I've got the class made along with the main table. Now just to write everything up.

Heliomance

2014-12-26, 05:28 AM

I've got the class made along with the main table. Now just to write everything up.

Wait, class made? What are you talking about? The objective here is not for you to homebrew something yourself.

Michael7123

2014-12-26, 06:56 AM

Wait, class made? What are you talking about? The objective here is not for you to homebrew something yourself.

I misspoke (or mistyped, I guess). What I meant is that I had my build created, and entered into the main table. I'm just typing up the other details now (like sources and the write ups at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20). I didn't use any Homebrew other than fecund healer.

Heliomance

2014-12-26, 07:08 AM

I misspoke (or mistyped, I guess). What I meant is that I had my build created, and entered into the main table. I'm just typing up the other details now (like sources and the write ups at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20). I didn't use any Homebrew other than fecund healer.

Ah, that makes more sense! I got a bit confused there :P

KrimsonNekros

2014-12-26, 11:43 AM

Ah, that makes more sense! I got a bit confused there :P

Time to start cutting back on the eggnog there Heliomance :P

Heliomance

2015-01-01, 12:39 PM

How are people doing? Three days to go in the contest, and I haven't had any entries yet

Deadasadoor

2015-01-01, 02:47 PM

My entry is done other than fluff and formatting. I was busy all week and I suspect that's the case with the other chefs. Maybe the cooking time should be extended if the other chefs need it?

Michael7123

2015-01-01, 05:00 PM

I really need to get the write up finished, but I'm basically done except for that.

Also, is a backstory required/reccomended?

The Viscount

2015-01-01, 08:13 PM

Finally finished my entry. Backstory took me a while to finish hammering out. Could I get confirmation of it getting there to assuage my paranoia?

I don't think the rules explicitly say you must include a backstory, but you certainly should expect a penalty if you don't have one. That being said we've had successful entries with all sorts of backstory length. We've had ones as short as a few lines of verse.

Michael7123

2015-01-01, 08:24 PM

Heliomance

2015-01-02, 02:21 AM

KrimsonNekros

2015-01-02, 02:34 PM

Entry received. And... I see some things I need to tweak after the contest O_o
Tweak with the contest, or with the class?

Deadasadoor

2015-01-02, 03:53 PM

Sent mine in. I just hope nobody got the same ideas as I did :smallconfused:. It'll be interesting to see what the other chefs did.

Heliomance

2015-01-02, 04:06 PM

Welp, from the two entries I've received so far, I think I've made the class a bit overpowered!

A note to judges: Unlimited Healing was not intended to break caster level caps on Cure spells and the like. I realise the current wording is a tad unclear, and Death of the Author and all that, but that's the RAI of the ability should it matter.

KrimsonNekros

2015-01-02, 11:24 PM

You'll have a third entry once i finish up the fluff and the table. COuld really use a way to just export it out of hero forge, but that might be a bit much of a coding headache.

Heliomance

2015-01-03, 07:24 AM

You'll have a third entry once i finish up the fluff and the table. COuld really use a way to just export it out of hero forge, but that might be a bit much of a coding headache.

... damn you. Damn you to the blackest pits of Tartarus! Now I'm trying to work out how to do that >_>

Won't be possible to auto populate feats, as HF doesn't keep track of what level they're gained at, but the rest... Maybe. No promises.

KrimsonNekros

2015-01-03, 11:04 AM

Honestly just Classes, BAB, Saves, and Skills are the most time consuming. Copying abilities and feats is easy.

Heliomance

2015-01-03, 09:55 PM

Only had two entries, and it was Christmas. Think I'll let this run another week, if that's okay with everyone. The judging phase of the main contest will also run another week.

Michael7123

2015-01-03, 10:01 PM

Only had two entries, and it was Christmas. Think I'll let this run another week, if that's okay with everyone. The judging phase of the main contest will also run another week.

Yeah, another week probably would be for the best. I'm fine with it.

sakuuya

2015-01-03, 10:04 PM

Only had two entries, and it was Christmas. Think I'll let this run another week, if that's okay with everyone. The judging phase of the main contest will also run another week.

Hallelujah. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUZEtVbJT5c&feature=youtu.be&t=20s) I have a build about half-written, and yeah, it's Christmas' fault. I'll definitely be able to enter with the extension.

KrimsonNekros

2015-01-03, 10:28 PM

I finishing up the writeup then I'll submit. Might throw together another Idea I was tinkering with.

The Viscount

2015-01-04, 11:08 AM

No objections here.

Michael7123

2015-01-09, 01:18 AM

sakuuya

2015-01-09, 04:54 PM

I'm in too! Finally.

I also hope I didn't make any noobish mistakes, and this like my 9th build competition... :smallredface:

KrimsonNekros

2015-01-09, 07:00 PM

Build submitted. I'm really happy with how it turned out (at least, I think it turned out well. This is my first iron chief challenge, I'm just hoping I didn't make any noobish mistakes. Either way, I had fun making the build.

I'm in too! Finally.

I also hope I didn't make any noobish mistakes, and this like my 9th build competition... :smallredface:

I've been cooking for a while and I still make noob mistakes :)

Heliomance

2015-01-10, 07:23 PM

Only a few hours more to go on this. I have four builds in so far - there going to be any more last minute entries?

Also, I am so going to nerf the save on Unlimited Healing after this is done.

Michael7123

2015-01-10, 07:41 PM

Only a few hours more to go on this. I have four builds in so far - there going to be any more last minute entries?

Also, I am so going to nerf the save on Unlimited Healing after this is done.

I can't imagine why.

Also, did you get my recent PM? I forgot to send you my write up at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20 in my original submission. They're in the new PM.

Heliomance

2015-01-10, 07:53 PM

I did indeed.

Heliomance

2015-01-11, 05:02 AM

Aaand that's time, ladies and gentlemen. Here follow the entries. Or entrées?

Heliomance

2015-01-11, 05:04 AM

Kᴜɴᴅᴀʀᴀᴋ-Cʀᴇᴀᴛᴏʀ, ᴅᴏᴇs ᴛʜɪs ᴜɴɪᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ sᴏᴜʟ?

Clank
LN Warforged Crusader 3/Fighter 2/Warforged Juggernaut 1/Pious Templar 1/Warforged Juggernaut 4/Fecund Healer 10

Stats
Str 16
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 16
Cha 8

With Racial Adjustments
Str 16 (Increases here)
Dex 10
Con 16
Int 12
Wis 14
Cha 6
Backstory
Clank was born with a soul. His superiors told him many times that he was simply forged with intelligence, but through all the lessons in basic training, Clank never gave up on the idea that he, just like every warforged, had a soul just like every other being in Khorvaire.

When basic had finished Clank was shipped off with the rest of his battalion to fight in the war. It’s true what they said. War was hell. It was nothing like the sparring matches and practice fights of basic. Battles were messy, disorganized, brutal, and exhaustingly long. Clank was no innocent. He knew he would have to kill to survive. He was prepared for the killing, but not for the screaming, the mess, the fear in the fleshy men’s eyes as they faced death. The mercenaries were brave enough to face the battles without complaint. The reanimated dead bore battle, like everything, in chilling silence. Worst were the living Karrnathi soldiers. They knew that those who fell in battle earned another tour of duty in the Bone March, and it frightened them.

Clank was assigned the heavy infantry division, which meant he along with his comrades spent a great deal of time blocking enemy advances while artillery or a spoiled wizard bombarded the ground right in front of them. Warforged fit the job perfectly, as they were tough soldiers and the very definition of acceptable losses as far as superiors were concerned. In fact the only fleshy one in their unit was their human commander, Standish. He was a tough man who asked much and forgave little. He was greyed and thinned with age but Clank never knew how much was from age and how much was vitality drained from war. He was not a cruel man, and he only doled out punishment to those who failed or disobeyed. But he was an old commander used to human armies, and he didn’t know how to treat his new recruits. Deep down he was likely a little afraid of them. So he defaulted to the simplest commands and the strictest rigor possible. It made little difference in the long run. The only reward he could have given them was armor polish, but that would have made them too visible.

As the war dragged on, things got worse for everyone. Supply lines thinned, and what little they received trickled to near nothing. The troops barely noticed at first. Without a need for food, drink, or bedding, they needed little to keep running. But as weeks added up and they pushed deeper into dangerous territory, supplies stopped completely. The troops pushed on as best they could, using whatever scrap metal they could to make kludge repairs, but the gaps in their armor got wider with every battle. Their commander was not so lucky. He was able to scavenge enough to keep in working shape for a while, but a long string of battles with Karrnathi zombies meant there was no food to be found. Starvation weakened him, but he did his best to put on a brave face for the troops.

After two weeks the commander was getting desperate. He sent the troops out on increasingly daring raids in the hopes of finding something he could use. After a few close calls they finally found something. An ambush of a Karrnathi camp yielded two scroll hidden in the officer’s tent. Standish had enough training to recognize them as scrolls of teleportation, but that was all he could tell. He thought over it for most of the night while eating a modest dinner of trail rations.

The next morning he gathered his damaged, half rusted troops and informed them he would be selecting a small group to test the scroll with him in the hopes it could take them somewhere where they could reunite with the main army. Clank asked what would happen to those left behind. Standish answered with the phrase used to describe their battalion since day one: acceptable losses.

Standish selected Clank as one of those who would accompany him. Looking around at the others selected, Clank realized the group had been selected at random. To Standish, they were all the same. Standish stood in the center and recited the activation words on the scroll as best he could, stumbling slightly over the unfamiliar language. A sudden flash of light, and then they were floating in emptiness. Although there was nothing to see, Clank felt immense power flowing into him. Before his eyes, Clank saw the notches and gaps in his armor disappearing. The rest of the troops were similarly regenerating. Standish’s minor nicks were disappearing even faster, but his sunken cheeks remained. Clank spoke up to ask where they were. Standish opened his mouth to answer and found he couldn’t. His hands went to his throat as he gasped for air that wouldn’t come. The troops looked on helplessly as their commander struggled even as he was filled with more life than even they. As Clank moved toward the commander, he felt the life force within him building to levels beyond what he had ever felt before. His insides began burning with the sheer power struggling to find an outlet. From the look on Standish’s face, Clank could tell the same was happening. The purple of Standish’s face gave way to shining gold. The scroll he was reaching for fell from his hands as Standish burst with a wheezing gasp and a shower of blinding gold. Clank felt the burning intensify, and the troops began groaning that it was becoming too much.

In the following chaos, one of the troops was able to activate the second scroll on pure luck. Someone was smiling down on them for the first time in a long time, and it brought them back to the right plane, reuniting them with the troops. They buried Standish’s remains with as much resembling military honors as they could manage. When they finished, they looked about asking what their next orders were. After an hour of discussion they reached the conclusion that they no longer had any orders. In all their time fighting none of their superiors found it necessary to inform the troops what the larger purpose was. They just followed orders that sent them from battle to battle. Without a commander the troops simply marched forward, looking for something more. In time the war concluded, not that they ever knew. After a while they finally found themselves in the Mournlands, accepted into the growing community of warforged who lived there.

There they learned about the war they fought, the crimes of men, and the freedom they could now enjoy. Some pushed for war upon the world. Others taught them of the Becoming God, who watched over warforged and needed a body. Then Clank’s life finally made sense. Their teachings reaffirmed what he had known his whole life: that he, like every warforged, had a soul. There he had his revelation: he may have the same soul as men, but he was blessed by the Becoming God with stronger life force. Someone was watching out for them that day. Their trip to the Positive Energy Plane taught Clank that the powerful force of life was too strong for the weak bodies of flesh. Warforged were the ones who most deserved the life force that was the gift of the Becoming God. It was then that Clank dedicated himself to spreading the healing blessing to those who most deserved it: his warforged brethren.
Build

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

1st
Crusader 1
+1
+2
+0
+0
Balance 4, Heal 2, Knowledge (the planes) 2, Knowledge (Religion) 4, Martial Lore 1
Adamantine Body
Furious Counterstrike, Steely Resolve 5

2nd
Crusader 2
+2
+3
+0
+0
Balance 5, Heal 2.5, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (the planes) 2.5

Indomitable Soul

3rd
Crusader 3
+3
+3
+1
+1
Heal 3, Intimidate 3, Knowledge (the planes) 3
Power Attack
Zealous Surge

4th
Fighter 1
+4
+5
+1
+1
Craft (Alchemy) 2, Heal 3.5
Weapon Focus (Slam)
Bonus Feat

5th
Fighter 2
+5
+6
+1
+1
Heal 4, Knowledge (the planes) 4
Improved Bullrush
Bonus Feat

6th
Warforged Juggernaut 1
+5
+8
+1
+1
Heal 4.5, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (the planes) 4.5
True Believer, Powerful Charge (B)
Armor Spikes 1d6, Expert Bull Rush, Powerful Charge, Reserved

7th
Pious Templar 1
+6/+1
+10
+1
+3
Heal 7.5

Mettle

8th
Warforged Juggernaut 2
+7/+2
+11
+1
+3
Heal 8.5, Knowledge (the planes) 5

Charge Bonus +1, Construct Perfection I, Extended Charge

9th
Warforged Juggernaut 3
+8/+3
+11
+2
+4
Heal 10
Shock Trooper
Construct Perfection II, Healing Immunity, Superior Bull Rush

10th
Warforged Juggernaut 4
+9/+4
+12
+2
+4
Intimidate 5

Armor Spikes 1d8, Charge Bonus +2, Construct Perfection III

11th
Fecund Healer 1
+9/+4
+14
+2
+6
Concentration 5

Healing Hands, Unlimited Healing

12th
Fecund Healer 2
+10/+5
+15
+2
+7
Concentration 8, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1
Stone Power
Vivacious Blast +1d6

13th
Fecund Healer 3
+11/+6/+1
+15
+3
+7
Concentration 13

Brew Restorative Draught

14th
Fecund Healer 4
+12/+7/+2
+16
+3
+8
Concentration 17, Spellcraft 1

Vivacious Blast +2d6

15th
Fecund Healer 5
+12/+7/+2
+16
+3
+8
Concentration 18, Diplomacy 4
Shards of Granite
Defy Death, Greater Healing Hands

16th
Fecund Healer 6
+13/+8/+3
+17
+4
+9
Concentration 19, Diplomacy 8

Vivacious Blast +3d6

17th
Fecund Healer 7
+14/+9/+4
+17
+4
+9
Concentration 20, Diplomacy 12

Brew Restorative Draught (4th)

18th
Fecund Healer 8
+15/+10/+5
+18
+4
+10
Concentration 21, Diplomacy 16
Martial Stance (Aura of Perfect Order)
Vivacious Blast +4d6

19th
Fecund Healer 9
+15/+10/+5
+18
+5
+10
Concentration 22, Diplomacy 20

Brew Restorative Draught (5th)

20th
Fecund Healer 10
+16/+11+6/+1
+19
+5
+11
Concentration 23, Diplomacy 23, Heal 11

Holy Hands, Master of Life, Vivacious Blast +5d6, Zoetic Transformation

Spells
Spells per Day

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

1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

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

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

5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

7th
-
0*
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

8th
-
0*
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

9th
-
0*
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

10th
-
0*
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

11th
-
0*
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

12th
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

13th
-
1
0*
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

14th
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

15th
-
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

16th
-
1
1
0
-
-
-
-
-
-

17th
-
1
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
-

18th
-
2
1
1
0
-
-
-
-
-

19th
-
2
1
1
1
-
-
-
-
-

20th
-
2
1
1
1
-
-
-
-
-

Maneuvers
1st: Charging Minotaur, Crusader’s Strike, Douse the Flames, Vanguard Strike, Stone Bones

2nd: Foehammer

Stances: Martial Spirit, Leading the Charge, Aura of Perfect Order (Martial Stance)

Level 5
Crusader’s a solid base to start with, and it will go far to keep you alive along with adamantine body giving you DR 2 and your large amounts of health. Leading the Charge is a good stance to start with in combat, as time goes on it becomes more viable to use in as well. Martial Spirit is your bottomless source of healing at 2 per strike (you heal full not half, since it’s not supernatural or a healing spell) so it qualifies you for the SI. Don’t worry about indomitable soul, it only adds bonus (not penalty) and you’re still benefitting from Wis. Zealous Surge becomes extremely useful in preventing yourself from blowing up.

For maneuvers you get to prepare 5 of 6, so forget about Stone Bones once it stops being useful and just keep in reserve. Charging Minotaur’s bonus and damage stack with Superior Bullrush so it makes itself useful later. Crusader’s Strike is more healing to stay alive and can be used on friends as well, same full benefit as Martial Spirit. Foehammer is great for punching through DR, and you don’t need mountain hammer since your slam and armor spikes are adamantine. Douse the Flames’ primary use will be protecting yourself when you want to use drink a potion or use Vivacious Blast.

Feat choices are all going toward qualifying for things, and fighter goes a long way toward getting in as soon as possible. Slam is the only favored weapon of the Becoming God; don’t feel compelled to use it over a greatsword.
Level 10
With a level of Pious Templar and four of Warforged Juggernaut your survivability has shout up even higher. Mettle combined with a high fort save, a good Con, and a host of construct immunities mean there’s little that really fazes you. Pious Templar gives you the choice of paladin or blackguard spells as a neutral servant of a neutral god. Personally I prefer blackguard, with more spells from the assassin list and fewer ones centered on a mount you don’t need, and you’re not losing the effect of that many (healing) spells since most of your list is other buffs. The investiture spells in particular are very nice and as a warforged you cannot suffer the fatigue that follows.

Juggernaut doesn’t do anything to prevent Crusader’s maneuvers and stances from healing you, so use them to your advantage. To summarize, you’re immune to the following: poison, sleep, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, nonlethal damage, critical hits (and thus precision damage), death effects, necromancy effects, and mind affecting effects. That’s nearly everything you could want to be protected against, and the SI will fix up what little remains.

Shock Trooper and Superior Bullrush mean you can run about pushing people around and smashing your enemies with relative impunity, and the bonus from Juggernaut means you will be able to succeed on most checks.
Level 15
The SI begins to pay off quickly, and it’s becoming quite difficult to put you down. Healing hands and greater plug the last defense you were missing and undo ability damage and drain. Brew Restorative Draught gives you a plethora of useful spells, most importantly the vigor line, to keep everyone alive and kicking. Unlimited healing potentially quite the real powerhouse, because it covers Juggernaut’s only real drawback of healing immunity. The exact effect is a bit vague, so it’s not certain whether your spells can heal you half (assuming it treats you like a construct) or heal you full (on the basis of you being a living construct), but either way it’s more than the zero you had before. A stricter DM may rule against you and say you still can’t heal, but regardless your Crusader healing works at full. The second potential outcome of Unlimited Healing is that it might restore your ability to benefit from the potions you brew, since that might fall under the purview of the first clause of the ability. If so, that effectively adds more spells onto your list to be used in the thick of battle, in which case Douse the Flames will save your hide.

Vivacious Blast similarly has full effectiveness on you since it’s neither a (healing) spell nor a supernatural ability. Your high survivability means if you want to you can engage in a war of attrition with your enemy and heal them until they explode. Your high offensive power means if that doesn’t work you can simply buff and heal yourself and smash them into submission. Vivacious Blast is best used to keep you and friends alive, and Douse the Flames removes the pesky AoO issue, though you’ll automatically make the concentration check if it comes to that from level 14 on. You’ll also make any checks to cast Pious Templar spells, which the SI advances.

Defy Death worth fantastically with your abilities. Crusader’s strike automatically heals enough to trigger it, so it will come up quite a lot, and will make great use on yourself when in a particularly tough battle as a sort of homemade stance of immortal fortitude. Martial Spirit is great for bringing back those who just died from hp loss, and once your potions can copy higher level spells you can pour a Heal or Panacea down their throat, which will bring back almost anybody.

Stone Power effectively gives you DR 10, stacking with the 2 from Adamantine Body, and Shock Trooper means you don’t have to worry about the attack penalty bothering you. Shards of Granite lets you save up Foehammer for when you really need it and it gives you extra incentive to use Stone Power. The ability to overcome hardness means you don’t mind Mountain Hammer, and you can fly when you want.
Level 20
Now true Power is yours. Martial Stance nabs you Aura of Perfect Order, which lets you take 11 on any d20 roll. This is exceptionally useful in doing things like ensuring later iteratives hit, but its strongest power lies in allowing you to run about with a buffer of temporary hitpoints.

With your bonus to fort saves and the way the DC is calculated at level 18 you can have 55 temporary hitpoints at absolutely no danger, and because only two successive failures are lethal you only have to use the ability on saves every other round, and can use the power on whatever you want for those in between. Once you hit level 20 you can have around 226 temp hp with the same trick, assuming average hp. If you don’t want to use the stance for this, or want to have Martial Spirit up instead you can simply have around 166 temp hp and make no saves since that brings you to double your normal max.

Granted, once Zoetic transformation kicks in that’s not much of an issue. As we all know, regeneration plus immunity to nonlethal makes for a winning combination. You’ve easily got the healing to cover the little that overcomes it (especially now that with brewing 5ths you can make heal and panacea), and your immunities cover most everything else. The largest source of negative energy is necromancy spells. If your DM decides (as many do) that the immunity to necromancy effects means immunity to necromancy spells, then that’s one source essentially covered. Vile damage as the other is extremely rare so is virtually not a concern. Vivacious Blast now deals enough to trigger Defy Death every time, so you can use it to get out of whatever rare jam you fall into.

The fact that Zoetic Transformation changes your type to outsider may seem to cause problems at first. However, warforged’s immunities are all based on the living construct subtype, and this subtype is retained even when type changes, so it’s all good and you’re still night invulnerable.
Sources
Crusader, Martial Stance, Stone Power, Shards of Granite: Tome of Battle
Warforged, Warforged Juggernaut, Adamantine Body, Powerful Charge: Eberron Campaign Setting
Pious Templar, True Believer: Complete Divine
Shock Trooper: Complete Warrior
Fighter, Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush: srd

Heliomance

2015-01-11, 05:06 AM

Have you ever danced with the devil in the warm glow of exploding imps?

Solas, Bringer of Light
NG Spirit Hellbred
6 cleric/4 Radiant Servant of Pelor/10 Fecund Healer

Str 10 Dex 8 Con 16-2 Int 12 Wis 16(+5) Cha 14+2
Casting as 17th level cleric, with 20 CL

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

“He’s not coming, stupid fleshbag.” barked the first imp
“Patience, the muck slows down these flightless idiots. A few more hours though and the boss may call it quits.” replied the second.
Finally a figure appeared out of the dark. It wore white robes, patterned with red and green, the center of its torso holding a large image of a sun, the sign of Pelor. The imps turned invisible and waited as the door was opened. The figure stepped inside and removed its hood to reveal a golden-eyed man, hair cropped short and his neck bearing several holy symbols that pained the imps to be near.
“I am Solas. Pleased to meet your acquaintance. Apologies for my lateness, Mrs. Harrison was having her baby finally and I stayed to help deliver. I see you’ve already made yourselves at home.” calmly spoke the man. The imps were taken aback. How could he possibly know that they were there? They needed to act quickly.
“Grab those holy symbols! He can’t focus his magic without them!” yelled the third imp as it darted up to eye level and tried to lift off one of the amulets. The imp instantly regretted the action as holy energy surged into its body, causing it to explode in a golden puff of smoke a few seconds later. The remaining imps stood there, mouths open. “Killing my underlings Solas? I had been told since you were brought back you were man of peace. Unfortunate, given your previous position as a favourite enforcer of mine...” a man dressed in blood red and black robes stepped out of the darkness. “How you used to revel in the bloodshed, collecting contracts from us... It’s sad to see you've stooped to healing those you use to torment.” the robed man waved his imps away, telling them to report back. Solas walked past the man into his kitchen and began to brew himself some tea. The devil winced at being ignored, but continued his speech. “Since you were a favourite, I’ll give you one chance to redeem yourself... Or it’ll be a long time in the pits for you” Solas continued working on his snack. “Well I wouldn’t want to miss my tea. And as the chosen of Pelor, I should be dealing with you. A detect n’ Smite, as the Paladins would say. But since you say we were once good friends I will offer you one chance to leave my home and never return to this city.” The devil laughed and began to transform into his pit fiend form. Solas clapped his hands together. “Oh good, something to do while my tea boils. I always find it so dreadfully boring, I always feel like I could heal ten men in the time it takes. Wiping you out is like healing a thousand!” Solas dusted off his holy symbols. “Well then. Let’s get this over with.”

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

1st
Cleric 1
+0
+2
+0
+2
4 Heal, 4 concentration, 4 knowledge religion
Extra Turning
Turn Undead, Sun Domain, Healing Domain

2nd
Cleric 2
+1
+3
+0
+3
5 Heal, 5 concentration, 5 knowledge religion
-
-

3rd
Cleric 3
+2
+3
+1
+3
5 Heal, 6 concentration, 6 knowledge (religion), 1 knowledge(planes)
Extend Spell
-

4th
Cleric 4
+3
+4
+1
+4
5 Heal, 7 concentration, 7 knowledge (religion), 2 knowledge(planes)
-
-

5th
Cleric 5
+3
+4
+1
+4
5 Heal, 8 concentration, 8 knowledge (religion), 3 knowledge(planes)
-
-

6th
Cleric 6
+4
+5
+2
+5
5 Heal, 9 concentration, 9 knowledge (religion), 4 knowledge(planes)
Persistent Spell
-

7th
Radiant Servant of Pelor 1
+4
+7
+2
+7
5 Heal, 10 concentration, 9 knowledge (religion), 5 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 1
-
Greater Turning, Radiance

8th
RSoP 2
+5
+8
+2
+8
6 Heal, 11 concentration, 9 knowledge (religion), 5 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 2
-
Divine Health, Empower Healing

9th
RSoP 3
+6
+8
+3
+8
8 Heal, 12 concentration, 9 knowledge (religion), 5 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 2
Divine Metamagic(persist)
Aura of Warding

10th
Radiant Servant of Pelor 4
+7
+9
+3
+9
10 Heal, 13 concentration, 9 knowledge (religion), 5 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 2
-
-

11th
Fecund Healer 1
+7
+11
+3
+11
10 Heal, 14 concentration, 9 knowledge (religion), 5 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 2, Spellcraft 4
-
Unlimited Healing, Healing hands

12th
Fecund Healer 2
+8
+12
+3
+12
10 Heal, 15 concentration, 9 knowledge (religion), 6 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 4, Spellcraft 4
Practiced Spellcaster
Vivacious Blast +1d6

13th
Fecund Healer 3
+9
+12
+4
+12
10 Heal, 16 concentration, 10 knowledge (religion), 7 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 5, Spellcraft 4, knowledge (arcana) 1
-
Brew Restorative Draught

14th
Fecund Healer 4
+10
+13
+4
+13
10 Heal, 17 concentration, 10 knowledge (religion), 7 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 6, Spellcraft 6, knowledge (arcana) 2
-
Vivacious Blast 2d6

15th
Fecund Healer 5
+10
+13
+4
+13
10 Heal, 18 concentration, 10 knowledge (religion), 7 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 8, Spellcraft 8, knowledge (arcana) 2
Ocular Spell
Defy Death, Greater Healing Hands

16th
Fecund Healer 6
+11
+14
+5
+14
10 Heal, 19 concentration, 10 knowledge (religion), 7 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 10, Spellcraft 10, knowledge (arcana) 2
-
Vivacious Blast 3d6

17th
Fecund Healer 7
+12
+14
+5
+14
10 Heal, 20 concentration, 10 knowledge (religion), 9 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 10, Spellcraft 12, knowledge (arcana) 2
-
Brew restorative draught(4th)

18th
Fecund Healer 8
+13
+14
+5
+14
10 Heal, 21 concentration, 10 knowledge (religion), 10 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 10, Spellcraft 14, knowledge (arcana) 3
Mindsight
Vivacious Blast 4d6

19th
Fecund Healer 9
+13
+14
+6
+14
10 Heal, 22 concentration, 11 knowledge (religion), 11 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 10, Spellcraft 16, knowledge (arcana) 3
-
Brew Restorative draught(5th)

20th
Fecund Healer 10
+14
+15
+6
+15
10 Heal, 23 concentration, 12 knowledge (religion), 12 knowledge(planes), Craft(alchemy) 10, Spellcraft 16, knowledge (arcana) 5
-
Zoetic Transformation, Vivacious blast 5d6, Holy hands, Master of Life

1-5
Solas is a spirit aspect hellbred cleric of Pelor. Spirit aspect was chosen because CHA helps fuel DMM, and the CON penalty can actually be stomached due to the fact that our schtick is being really good at healing. Domains picked are Sun, required for Radiant Servant, but not at all a bad domain, and Healing. Why Healing, you ask? Because we also grab the Spontaneous Domain ACF, which trades spontaneous cure spells for spells from the Healing domain. This serves no purpose at lower levels, but as we progress that means spontaneous Heals and Mass Heals, which is a major part of the build. The +1 CL isn’t bad either. Extra turning is grabbed for pre-reqs, and extend spell is grabbed at level 3.

6-10
One more level of cleric here, since Radiant Servant of Pelor(RSoP) needs 9 ranks in heal. It gives more greater turning attempts and stacks with cleric for determining effectiveness, which is a bonus in medium level undead-heavy games. The bonus here is the 2nd level ability, which empowers our domain spells from the Healing domain for free. Based on my reading, this means that any spell prepared as a domain spell is empowered, but not spells cast regularly. However, that’s why we have Spontaneous Domain. We take 4 levels in RSoP to grab the aura of warding, and the required skills before the SI. Persist and DMM(persist) are taken because even though the DMM errata sucks, it’s still powerful and we have plenty of turn attempts so they might as well be put to use.

11-15
We enter the SI at level 11. The first level gives a serious boost with Unlimited Healing. With the healing cap broken, and combined with RSoP, even the lowly cure light wounds now heals (1d8+10)*1.5 at this level. Now we can even kill people with it (though it takes 2 rounds, other spells can be used to disable them until then)! We also get lesser restoration and remove disease as spell-likes, and raise dead for no material cost! Here we get vivacious blast, which lets us heal allies as a spell-like for no wasted spell slots. This ensures everyone will be healed between every fight, even though it’s only +1d6 at this point. Brew restorative draught let’s us brew potions at a much higher potency, again thanks to Unlimited Healing. I can’t find anything saying you can’t put metamagic potions either. Empowered cure critical wounds potions, anyone? Defy Death is awesome too. Healing people from out of death’s clutches with no penalty at all? Bananas. Looks like nobody will ever die in your party. ECL 12 also gives 6th level spells, meaning our new favourite toy, Heal. Empowered heal at this point deals ((12 CL+1)*10)*1.5=195, which if I’m doing my math right comes out to a 88 save. We lose 2 CL at this point, and grab practiced spellcaster to mitigate that, since every healing spell is helped by CL. Ocular spell is grabbed at level 15 for laser healing.

16-20 Sweet spot
Our sweet spot is here, as with any caster this is where we have the most tools and power. At the last level of Fecund Healer we become an outsider. With regeneration. That is only negated by negative energy. From a simple persisted death ward we are effectively invincible, and with the positive energy subtype we can skyrocket our health past that of a dragon. We also get access to 9th level spells, one of which is Heal, Mass. Stand in a crowd of enemies and cast it twice. Nothing will survive since the save is well over a hundred ((20 CL +1)*10)*1.5=315 hp/5*2=136 save. Not even the tainted scholar(okay, maybe they can with enough time) can get a save like that. Mindsight is grabbed at level 18 to take advantage of our telepathy from Hellbred.

Heal 10 ranks-This sucks, but at least it’s a class skill all the way down.
Knowledge- the Planes 5 - Knowledges are good. It’s actually beneficial to put ranks in this.
Craft(alchemy) 2- Only 2 ranks needed, otherwise not bad.

Race-living- Hellbred are resurrected humanoids.
Able to heal 20 points a day-Easy. 2 Cure lights a day after our dip into RSoP achieve this.

Must survive potentially lethal healing- Solas took a vacation to the Positive Energy plane to better understand Life.

Unlimited Healing- The butter to our bread. Let’s us heal the crap out of anything friendly, and potentially explode the crap out of anything evil.

Vivacious Blast- Awesome, I wish the build had the capacity to support it more, but with the scaling spell level, it isn’t worth it to throw metamagics on it. Still works as a highly effective way to heal your party between battles, or emergency heal at a range.

Healing hands- Remove Disease is meh, unless someone gets bit by a mummy. It could be used to stop an epidemic in a village though. Lesser Restoration usable X class level/day? Now that is better. Knock off a large amount of ability damage with a few castings.

Brew Restorative Draught- Paired with RSoP this lets us brew extra-potent potions for our allies.

Defy Death- As long as Solas can cast a spell or use vivacious blast, nobody under his care is going to die. Unless they get disintegrated of course.

Greater healing hands- Like lesser restoration, but more. Once a day is great, saves our spell slots. Resurrection once a week is great too, and since we have it on our spell list we can choose whether to spend gold or exp to revive an ally.

Zoetic Transformation- Solas has fulfilled his oath to Pelor and redeemed his soul, ascending to a being of pure Life in the process. Giving regeneration to PC’s is always dangerous. With a persisted death ward, Solas is effectively unkillable, barring dispels, since vile damage is so uncommon.

Holy hands-Same deal as regular resurrection. When you really need to save the barbarian from being tortured in Baator.

Master of Life- Healing a whole army/city? Why not. The save might be difficult to make, and the loss of Zoetic Transformation for a year sucks, but in a campaign-ending battle against the BBEG, it may be worth it.

I wanted to make vow of nonviolence work, but since every healing spell now has the potential to kill, it renders the whole thing void.

I also looked at Combat Medic from Heroes of Battle, but I found it didn’t really do anything better than RSoP, since we already get spontaneous heal’s.

Complete Divine-DMM, RSoP
Heliomance-Fecund Healer
Complete Arcane-Practiced Spellcaster, Persistent Spell
Lords of Madness- Mindsight, Ocular Spell
Core-Cleric, Domains

Heliomance

2015-01-11, 05:07 AM

Light and dark.
Life and death.
Oh, who am I kidding? She's just going to kill you either way.

http://38.media.tumblr.com/664454c3facf660e4266c36e427d1df2/tumblr_n9eiolBIre1t8junlo1_500.jpg

Shiv 'Yon Kocot
Lesser Tiefling, CN, Archivist 4/ Dread Necromancer 6/ Fecund Healer 10
My Tale:
Positive energy, useless for anything but healing. It was unworthy of my time and intellect, or so I used to think. I was obsessed with negative energy. So much it could do, disable, kill, resurrect. It seemed to have limitless potential so I delved into it's lore, sought every spell I could. It fascinated me, in such ways that positive energy never did, at least until the sojourn.

There was knowledge I sought but it could only be found on the Positive Energy Plane. Still woefully ignorant of it's power, I wandered out into it's wilds with my compatriots. We had not made any special preparations, and as such had left ourselves vulnerable. We noticed something was off while on the way to our objective. We felt vibrant and full of energy, not necessarily a bad thing, but as we journeyed, it became worse, we started to feel pain that we couldn't describe. Still we continued on. Once we reached our objective, one of our number collapsed and then exploded in a burst of brilliance.

I'd never seen such a thing happen before, it was fascinating. Unfortunately it didn't take much longer at that point for the rest of us to begin decaying. Fortunately thanks to my intellect I was able to quickly figure out the cause. The energy of the plane was ripping us apart. There seemed to be only one logical counter. I began to hurl what negative energy I could to stabilize us while we completed our task.

The job done, we all ran making a mad dash back to the portal that we used to enter this place. We lost half our number on that trip, and my remaining comrades were ready to swear off any further adventures. Myself, I found a new fascination. I delved eagerly into this new concept seeking everything I could. I had to understand why things had happened. How could positive energy be so destructive?

In my studies I chanced upon a curious subject. At one point there existed a group of healers who completely mastered the aspects of positive energy to such an extent that it became part of them. I began digging deeper into their lore and learning their abilities. That was 8 years ago now. I've since mastered their skills, but now, I have to restore my own balance. Once more I delve into the negative energies. I have to master them now, and then nothing will stop me.

Abilities:

Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Wisdom Charisma Reason
8 14 10 19 11 14 32-point buy
8 15 10 20 11 14 4th
8 16 10 21 11 14 8th
8 16 10 22 11 14 12th
8 16 10 22 11 15 16th
8 16 10 22 11 16 20th

Build:

Level Class BAB Fort Ref Will Skills Feats Features
1 Archivist +0 + 2 + 0 + 2 Craft (Alchemy) 4, Heal 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Nature) 4, Knowledge (Religion) 4, Knowledge (The Planes) 4, Spellcraft 4 Jack Of All Trades, Scribe Scroll Dark Knowledge 3/Day
2 Dread Necromancer +0 + 2 + 0 + 4 Bluff 2, Craft (Alchemy) 5, Heal 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 5, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Nature) 4, Knowledge (Religion) 5, Knowledge (The Planes) 4, Spellcraft 5 Martial Weapon Proficiency (Longsword) Charnel Touch, Rebuke Undead
3 Dread Necromancer +1 + 2 + 0 + 5 Bluff 2, Craft (Alchemy) 6, Heal 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 6, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Nature) 4, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 4, Spellcraft 6 Combat Casting, Collector of Stories Lich Body (DR 2)
4 Archivist +2 + 3 + 0 + 6 Bluff 2, Craft (Alchemy) 6, Heal 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 7, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 5, Knowledge (Nature) 5, Knowledge (Religion) 7, Knowledge (The Planes) 7, Spellcraft 7 - Lore Mastery
5 Dread Necromancer +2 + 4 + 1 + 6 Bluff 4, Craft (Alchemy) 8, Heal 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 8, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 5, Knowledge (Nature) 5, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Knowledge (The Planes) 7, Spellcraft 8 - Negative Energy Burst 1/Day
6 Archivist +2 + 4 + 2 + 6 Bluff 4, Craft (Alchemy) 8, Heal 8, Knowledge (Arcana) 9, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 6, Knowledge (Nature) 6, Knowledge (Religion) 9, Knowledge (The Planes) 9, Spellcraft 9 Battlecaster Defense Dark Knowledge 4/Day
7 Archivist +3 + 6 + 2 + 7 Bluff 4, Craft (Alchemy) 8, Heal 10, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 7, Knowledge (Nature) 7, Knowledge (Religion) 10, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 10 - Still Mind
8 Fecund Healer +3 + 8 + 2 + 9 Bluff 4.5, Craft (Alchemy) 11, Heal 11, Knowledge (Arcana) 11, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 11, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 11 - Unlimited Healing, Healing Hands
9 Fecund Healer +4 + 9 + 2 + 10 Bluff 6, Craft (Alchemy) 12, Heal 12, Knowledge (Arcana) 12, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 9, Knowledge (Religion) 12, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 12 Insightful Reflexes Vivacious Blast +1d6
10 Fecund Healer +5 + 9 + 3 + 10 Bluff 7.5, Craft (Alchemy) 13, Heal 13, Knowledge (Arcana) 13, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 10, Knowledge (Religion) 13, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 13 - Brew Restorative Draught
11 Fecund Healer +6/+1 + 10 + 3 + 11 Bluff 9, Craft (Alchemy) 14, Heal 14, Knowledge (Arcana) 14, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 11, Knowledge (Religion) 14, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 14 - Vivacious Blast +2d6
12 Fecund Healer +6/+1 + 10 + 3 + 11 Bluff 10, Craft (Alchemy) 15, Heal 15, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 15 Somatic Weaponry, False Theurgy Defy Death, Greater Healing Hands
13 Fecund Healer +7/+2 + 11 + 4 + 12 Bluff 12.5, Concentration 2, Craft (Alchemy) 15, Heal 16, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 16 - Vivacious Blast +3d6
14 Fecund Healer +8/+3 + 11 + 4 + 12 Bluff 14, Concentration 4, Craft (Alchemy) 16, Heal 17, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 17 - Brew Restorative Draught (4th)
15 Fecund Healer +9/+4 + 12 + 4 + 13 Bluff 15.5, Concentration 8, Craft (Alchemy) 17, Heal 18, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 18 Practiced Spellcaster, Swift Concentration Vivacious Blast +4d6
16 Fecund Healer +10/+5 + 12 + 5 + 13 Bluff 17, Concentration 12, Craft (Alchemy) 18, Heal 19, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 19 - Brew Restorative Draught (5th)
17 Fecund Healer +11/+6/+1 + 13 + 5 + 14 Bluff 18, Concentration 17, Craft (Alchemy) 19, Heal 20, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 20 - Vivacious Blast +5d6, Zoetic Transformation, Holy Hands, Master of Life
18 Dread Necromancer +12/+7/+2 + 13 + 5 + 15 Bluff 20, Concentration 19, Craft (Alchemy) 20, Heal 21, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 21 Touch of Healing Advanced Learning, Negative Energy Burst 2/Day
19 Dread Necromancer +12/+7/+2 + 13 + 5 + 15 Bluff 22, Concentration 21, Craft (Alchemy) 21, Heal 22, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 22 - Fear Aura
20 Dread Necromancer +13/+8/+3 + 14 + 6 + 16 Bluff 23, Concentration 23, Craft (Alchemy) 23, Heal 23, Knowledge (Arcana) 15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 12, Knowledge (Religion) 15, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Spellcraft 23 - Scaborous Touch 1/Day

Spells Per Day:Archivist/Dread Necromancer

Level Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Level 7 Level 8 Level 9
1 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
2 3 / - 2 / 3 - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
3 3 / - 2 / 4 - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
4 4 / - 3 / 4 - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
5 4 / - 3 / 5 - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
6 4 / - 3 / 5 2 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
7 4 / - 4 / 5 3 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
8 4 / - 4 / 5 3 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
9 4 / - 4 / 5 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
10 4 / - 4 / 5 4 / - 3 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
11 4 / - 5 / 5 4 / - 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
12 4 / - 5 / 5 4 / - 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
13 4 / - 5 / 5 4 / - 4 / - 3 / - - / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
14 4 / - 5 / 5 5 / - 4 / - 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
15 4 / - 5 / 5 5 / - 4 / - 4 / - 3 / - - / - - / - - / - - / -
16 4 / - 5 / 5 5 / - 5 / - 4 / - 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / -
17 4 / - 5 / 5 5 / - 5 / - 4 / - 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / -
18 4 / - 5 / 6 5 / 3 5 / - 4 / - 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / -
19 4 / - 5 / 6 5 / 4 5 / - 4 / - 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / -
20 4 / - 5 / 6 5 / 5 5 / 3 4 / - 3 / - 2 / - - / - - / - - / -

Sources:

Item Book Page
Lesser Tiefling Player's Guide to Faerun 191
Dread Necromancer Heroes of Horro 84
Archvist Heroes of Horro 82
Jack of all Trades Complete Adventurer 110
Insightful Reflexes Complete Adventurer 110
Touch of Healing Complete Champion 62
Somatic Weaponry Complete Mage 47
Battlecaster Defense Complete Mage 39
Practiced Spellcaster Complete Arcane 82
Skill Tricks Complete Scoundrel 82

Notes:

Levels 1-7: Initial Build
Archivist is a natural choice for going into this class, we have easy access to divine healing spells and all the prerequisite skill are class skills. The Dark Knowledge class feature gives us an additional use for the knowledge skills we inevitably pick up. The interesting choice is Dread Necromancer which is take for defensive utility. Dread Necromancer gives proficiency with light armor and early on provides damage reduction. As a caster based build we shouldn't be getting mixed up in the fighting too much, but in the event that we get surrounded, or run out of spells we aren't completely useless.

For feats, Jack of All Trades lets us make use of all our skills, especially any unused Knowledge skills. Combat Casting is a prerequisite into Battlecaster Defense which lets us slip out of some nasty situations. Grabbing the Skill Trick Collector of Stories is also useful as it makes identifying monsters for Dark Knowledge easier.

Level 17: Sweet Spot
At level 17 we've become a veritable force to deal with. Our high intelligence gives us a large number of spells to choose from, with the highest level we can cast being 6th level divine spells. Thanks to Practiced Spellcaster we also have an effective caster level of 15. Insightful reflexes tightens up our defenses by letting us use our considerably higher intelligence modifier for reflex saves. Somatic weaponry makes it easier for us to cast and fight at the same time since we're able to hold a staff, wand, scroll, or sword in each hand, and still be able to make use of somatic components. False Theurgy is a nice trick that allows us to mask one of our spells as something else. Swift Concentration is also useful.

Heliomance

2015-01-11, 05:09 AM

Positively plane and simple.

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/344/b/2/cleric_by_yefumm-d4io1n1.jpg

Wilfire Tuskgale was the seventh born child to a moderately poor Alchemist living in the city Mandaree. Like most of his siblings, he possessed some talent for his mother’s trade, but that ultimately prove to be irrelevant. When he was eleven he was sent away to live with the clerics at the local temple of Pelor. At first, he was miserable, to make matters worse, he seemed to have extreme difficulty channeling even the most basic forms of divine magic.

` Early into his training, Wilfire was the subject of a plane shift spell gone wrong. Catapulted into the Plane of Positive energy, the life force of the plain embed itself into him. He barely survived the experience, but it marked a turning point in his training. Wilfire quickly one of the temple’s protégés.

Wilfire completed his training at the age of 19, fairly young among most Clerics. He was so proficient with his divine magic that he was inducted into the Radiant Servants, an elite order mostly comprising of especially talented clerics of Pelor. Not long afterwards, he discovered that his healing powers were… unique.

At lower levelw, this is a build centered on healing. After the first level of Fecund Healer is obtained, the build becomes focused on nuking opponents with positive energy. By the end of the build, the living will have just as much to fear from your Heal Spells as the undead (if not more so).

Race: Lesser Aasimar
Traits:
• LA +0
• Energy Resistances: Cold 5, Electricity 5, Acid 5
• Statistics Adjustments: WIS +2, CHA +2
• Spell Like Abilities: Daylight 1 per day
• Skill Bonuses: +2 to Spot and Listen
• Automatic Languages: Common, Celestial
• Favored Class: Paladin
• Medium Size
• Movement Speed: 30 ft
• Darkvision 60 ft
• Humanoid with the Planettouched subtype. Can be affected by spells that affect both humanoids and outsiders. For example, Charm Person and Banishment spells would both work on a Lesser Aasimar.

Method Used: 32 point buy

Level
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA

Base
12
8
14
14
18
8

Base + Racial Adjustments
12
8
14
14
20
10

4th
12
8
14
14
21
10

8th
12
8
14
14
22
10

12th
12
8
14
14
23
10

16th
12
8
14
14
24
10

20th
12
8
14
14
25
10

Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities

1st
Cleric 1
+0
+2
+0
+2
Craft (Alchemy) 2, Heal 4, Knowledge (Religion) 4, Knowledge (Planes) 4, Concentration 1, Spellcraft 1
Extra Turning
Turn Undead (3/day); Chosen domains, Sun and Strength domains; Aura

2nd
Cleric 2
+1
+3
+0
+3
Knowledge (Religion) 1 [5], Heal 1 [5], Concentration 1 [2], Diplomacy 1
-
-

3rd
Cleric 3
+2
+3
+1
+3
Heal 1 [6], Knowledge (Religion) 1 [6], Diplomacy 2 [3]
Heighten Spell
-

4th
Cleric 4
+3
+4
+1
+x4
Heal 1 [7], Knowledge (Religion) 1 [7], Diplomacy 1 [4], Knowledge (Planes) 1 [5]
-
-

5th
Cleric 5
+3
+4
+1
+4
Heal 1 [8], Knowledge (Religion) 1 [8], Healing Hands (Skill Trick, costs 2 skill points)
-
-

6th
Cleric 6
+4
+5
+2
+5
Heal 1 [9], Knowledge (Religion) 1 [9], Concentration 2 [4]
Spontaneous Domains
-

7th
Cleric 6/ Radiant Servant of Pelor 1
+4
+7
+2
+7
Heal 1 [10], Sense Motive 3
-
Extra Greater Turning, Radiance, Turn Undead

8th
Cleric 6/Radiant Servant of Pelor 1/ Fecund Healer 1
+4
+9
+2
+9
Concentration 3 [7], Spellcraft 3 [4]
-
Unlimited Healing, Healing Hands

9th
Cleric 6/ Radiant Servant of Pelor 2/ Fecund Healer 1
+5
+10
+2
+10
Concentration 3 [10], Spellcraft 1 [5]
Imbue Healing
Divine Health, Empower Healing

10th
Cleric 6/ Radiant Servant of Pelor 3/ Fecund Healer 1
+6/+1
+10
+3
+10
Sense Motive 2 [5], Diplomacy 2 [6]
-
Aura of Warding

11th
Cleric 6/Radiant Servant of Pelor 4/ Fecund Healer 1
+7/+2
+11
+3
+11
Knowledge Arcana 3, Sense Motive 1 [6]
-
-

12th
Cleric 6/ Radiant Servant of Pelor 5/ Fecund Healer 1
+7/+2
+11
+3
+11
Concentration 2 [12], Spellcraft 2 [7]
Healing Devotion
Bonus Domain: Healing

13th
Cleric 6/Radiant Servant of Pelor 6/ Fecund Healer 1
+8/+3
+12
+4
+12
Sense Motive 4 [10]
-
Maximize Healing

14th
Cleric 6/Radiant Servant of Pelor 6/ Fecund Healer 2
+9/+4
+13
+4
+13
Knowledge (Nature) 5, Spellcraft 1 [8]
-
Vivacious Blast +1d6

15th
Cleric 6/ Radiant Servant of Pelor 6/ Fecund Healer 3
+10/+5
+13
+5
+13
Spellcraft 2 [10], Concentration 4 [16]
Augment Healing
Brew Restorative Draught

16th
Cleric 6/ Radiant Servant of Pelor 6/ Fecund Healer 4
+11/+6/+1
+14
+5
+14
Concentration 3 [19], Spellcraft 3 [11]
-
Vivacious Blast +2d6

17th
Cleric 6/Radiant Servant of Pelor 6/ Fecund Healer 5
+11/+6/+1
+14
+5
+14
Concentration 1 [20], Knowledge (Planes) 5 [10]
-
Defy Death, Greater Healing Hands

18th
Cleric 6/ Radiant Servant of Pelor 6/ Fecund Healer 6
+12/+7/+2
+15
+6
+15
Knowledge (Arcana) 5[8], Concentration 1 [21]
Practiced Spellcaster
Vivacious Blast +3d6

19th
Cleric 7/Radiant Servant of Pelor 6/Fecund Healer 6
+13/+8/+3
+15
+6
+15
Concentration 1 [22], Diplomacy 3 [9]
-
Healing pool

20th
Cleric 7/Radiant Servant of Pelor 6/ Fecund Healer 7
+14/+9/+4
+16
+6
+16
Diplomacy 6 [15]
-
Brew Restorative Draught (4th)

Final Skill List:
Craft (Alchemy): 2
Concentration: 22
Diplomacy: 15
Heal: 10
Knowledge (Arcana): 8
Knowledge (Nature): 5
Knowledge (Planes ): 10
Knowledge (Religion): 10
Sence Motive: 10
Spellcraft: 11

Skill Tricks:
Healing Hands

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

1st
3
3 +1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2nd
4
4 +1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

3rd
4
4 +1
2 +1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

4th
5
5 + 1
3 + 1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

5th
5
5 +1
3 +1
2 +1
-
-
-
-
-
-

6th
5
5 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
-
-
-
-
-
-

7th
6
6 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
2 + 1
-
-
-
-
-

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

9th
6
6 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
-
-
-
-
-

10th
6
6 + 1
6 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
2 + 1
-
-
-
-

11th
6
6 + 1
6 + 1
4 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
3 + 1
-
-
-

12th
6
7 + 1
6 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
2 + 1
-
-
-

13th
6
7 + 1
6 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
-
-
-

14th
6
7 + 1
7 + 1
5 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
1 + 1
-
-

15th
6
7 + 1
7 + 1
5 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
4 + 1
2 + 1
-
-

16th
6
7 + 1
7 + 1
7 + 1
5 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
1 + 1
-

17th
6
7 + 1
7 + 1
7 + 1
5 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
1 + 1
-

18th
6
7 + 1
7 + 1
7 + 1
6 + 1
5 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
3 + 1
2 + 1

19th
6
7 + 1
7 + 1
7 + 1
5 + 1
6 + 1
5 + 1
5 + 1
3 + 1
3 + 1

20th
6
7 + 1
7 + 1
7 + 1
5 + 1
6 + 1
5 + 1
5 + 1
4 + 1
4 + 1

NOTES:
• From sixth level onward, domain spells are left unprepared due to the spontaneous domains feat.
• At level 19, a fourth level spell slot is lost in order to gain access to the healing pool ability.

One of the reasons I love the lesser Aasimar as a race is that they get wisdom and charisma bonuses, and natural energy resistances with no level adjustment. Starting out with a wisdom score of 20 lets Wilfire have relatively high DC’s to all his spells at an early level.
Access to the sun domain makes his turning skill slightly more useful, considering that his Charisma score was dumped. The strength domain is meant to act as a counter to his average strength score, and I guess if you really need to kick down a door, you can use the feat of strength that it gives you.
Extra turning gives Wilfire… extra turning. Again, charisma was a dump stat, so he’d normally be limited to a measly 3 turning attempts per day. Now he’s got 7, with one of them being a greater turning, which just obliterates undead instead of turning them.
At level three, I gave Wilfire the heighten Spell metamagic feat. I've always been frustrated when I find a spell that has a really great effect, but a lousy save DC due to it’s level. Given the sheer size of the cleric spell list, there are plenty of uses for this later on.

This is where things start to get fun. At level seven, Wilfire finally unlocks the ability to kill with positive healing.
I’m used to having all spells be spontaneous. I choose spontaneous domains largely out of personal preference, but it does play an important role later in the build, when I gain access to a third domain from the radiant servant of Pelor Prestige class.
Imbue healing is an extremely unappreciated feat in my opinion. I've never seen it mentioned, but it’s a no brainier for a class that is centered on healing. This allows you to add extra abilities to heal spells based on your available domains, with no change to spell levels. At this point, the only viable option is the +2 sacred bonus to strength on heal spells. (It’s that or a bonus on spot checks and low light vision.). These effects last for one minute.
By this point it’s possible, in theory, to kill with healing spells. It doesn't really become practical until level 13, the sweet spot for the class.)

At this point, any domain spells cast from the healing domain {which Wilfire gains access to at level 12) are maximized, and can be used to over heal an enemy into oblivion. This is why the spontaneous domain feat was necessary. You now have three domains too choose from. Do you nuke an opponent with positive energy, or do you use something from the strength or sun domains. This allows the class a great deal of versatility. Furthermore, access to the healing domain does allow the player to forego the slight strength boost from imbue healing and replace it with some more temporary hit points.
[NOTE: it is possible I misread the Maximize healing class ability for the Radiant Servant. It says that any domain spell cast from the healing domain spell gets maximized. This should mean only domain spells would be effected (not a spontaneously cast heal spell). However, if spontaneously cast healing spells from the regular cleric spell list are maximized by this ability, all the better. That would just make this build even more powerful.]
The healing Devotion feat allows Wilfire to make use of his 7 turning uses per day when not facing undead. You can give yourself or an ally fast healing based on your character level, which lasts for one minute.
Things only get better from here on out.

Augment Healing. More of what this class is good at. Hurl positive energy with more glory and splendor than you thought possible.
At this point, you can make opponents deal with ridiculously high fortitude saves. Turning people (and monsters, animals, outsiders). Into nice little piles of golden leather should be your primary tactic at this point. As an added bonus, you can use the oodles of XP you get from exploding your enemies to brew healing potions for your party. In case you somehow manage to run out of healing spells.

I picked up practiced spellcaster in order to make up for the spells lost from Fecund Healer. Pretty self-explanatory.
Healing pool allows for you to, you guessed it, heal more. By this point, level 4 spells shouldn't be very crucial you. The ability to heal 205 more points of damage every day, on the other hand, is quite useful. Did someone say dual fortitude saves of over 90 to avoid exploding? Not many dungeon bosses you face could handle that type of save, let alone normal enemies. Heal all your problems away. You could potentially kill some minor deities with a fortitude save like this (Although attempting decide would be unwise for obvious reasons).
If the positive energy plane is the limit, than you’re in luck, because it’s infinite, just like the destructive opportunities of this build.

-Players handbook:
* Cleric [Base Class] (p. 30)
* Extra Turning [Feat] (p. 94)
* Heighten Spell [Feat] (p. 95)

-Complete Scoundrel:
*Healing Hands [Skill Trick] (p. 87)
.
-Complete Divine:
* Radiant Servant of Pelor [Prestige Class] (p. 52)
* Augment Healing [Feat] (p. 79)
* Practiced Spellcaster [Feat] (p. 82)

-Complete Champion:
* Imbue Healing [Feat] (p. 60)
* Healing Devotion [Feat] (p. 59)
* Spontaneous Domains [Feat] (p. 62)
* Cleric Healing Pool [Class Variant] (p.47)

-Monster Manuel
* Aasimar [Race] (p.209)

-Player’s Guide to Faerun
*Lesser Planettouched [Race] (p.191)

Heliomance

2015-01-11, 05:10 AM

Sweet mother, sweet mother, send your wounded unto me.

Mother Halfbreed
NE Desert Half-Orc Cleric of Luthic 3/Warlock 2/Eldritch Disciple 5/Fecund Healer 10

http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/338/3/d/female_orc_shaman_by_boc0-d5n0wmx.jpg
Image by Bram Sels (http://boc0.deviantart.com/art/Female-Orc-Shaman-341004345)

Story
No, no, she wasn’t always called Mother. Survival is hard, you know, in the desert, and breeding is not a right. Her mother didn't care about that, copulating with that filthy human and then keeping the child. Of course the child was as weak as her worthless father, and her mother left the tribe so they'd take care of the halfbreed.

It was a fortunate trade. The little halfbreed was too weak to be a warrior, but that was no matter. She showed promise as a healer's apprentice, and had even the fortitude to survive the test of light, where she shone like a star but never burst, despite the too-much life energy coursing through her body. In time, the old healer taught the halfbreed all the secrets of life energy she knew, though the halfbreed soon surpassed her.

Now, the tribe's healer is quite an important position, and the halfbreed embraced the better side of her parentage, embracing her proper subservient role despite her great power, and so she was allowed a child, a girl who grew up as strong as any of her age-mates despite her diluted blood.

But of course, our people can never be allowed to live peacefully, so when Mother Halfbreed's daughter was near to womanhood, a band of elves descended upon us while our warriors were away, slaughtering many, including Mother Halfbreed's daughter. In her grief and rage, she began to glow like a star again, and all of the fallen were returned to life. What's more, her light was a beacon to our warriors, who returned in time to route the elves.

Since then, something's changed in Mother Halfbreed. Her eyes seem duller. She still heals every wound she touches, but some strange spark is gone. I asked her about it once, but all she said was that it was a sacrifice she felt blessed to make.

Ability Scores
Starting Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 16
Level-Up Increases: Wis at 4, 8, and 12; Cha at 16 and 20.
Final Ability Scores (No Items): Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 18

Build Table

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

1st
Cleric
+0
+4
+0
+2
Concentration 2, Craft (Alchemy) 2, Heal 4, Knowledge (Religion) 4
Great Fortitude
Spontaneous Inflict Spells, Rebuke Undead

2nd
Cleric
+1
+5
+0
+3
Concentration 4, Heal 5, Knowledge (Religion) 5

3rd
Warlock
+1
+5
+0
+5
Heal 5.5, Knowledge (Planes) 2
Mortalbane
Eldritch Blast 1d6

4th
Warlock
+2
+5
+0
+6
Heal 6, Knowledge (Planes) 4

Detect Magic

5th
Cleric
+3
+5
+1
+6
Knowledge (Religion) 8

6th
Eldritch Disciple
+3
+7
+1
+8
Heal 9
Touch of Healing
Eldritch Blast 2d6, Corrupting Blast

7th
Eldritch Disciple
+4
+8
+1
+9
Concentration 5, Heal 10, Knowledge (Planes) 5

8th
Fecund Healer
+4
+10
+1
+11
Concentration 6, Diplomacy 2, Heal 11, Spellcraft 1

Unlimited Healing, Healing Hands

9th
Fecund Healer
+5
+11
+1
+12
Concentration 7, Diplomacy 4, Heal 12, Spellcraft 2
Craft Wondrous Item
Vivacious Blast 1d6

10th
Fecund Healer
+6/+1
+11
+2
+12
Concentration 8, Diplomacy 6, Heal 13, Spellcraft 3

Brew Restorative Draught

11th
Fecund Healer
+7/+2
+12
+2
+13
Concentration 9, Diplomacy 8, Heal 14, Spellcraft 4

Vivacious Blast 2d6

12th
Fecund Healer
+7/+2
+12
+2
+13
Concentration 10, Diplomacy 10, Heal 15, Spellcraft 5
Extraordinary Artisan
Defy Death, Greater Healing Hands

13th
Fecund Healer
+8/+3
+12
+3
+14
Concentration 12, Diplomacy 12, Heal 16

Vivacious Blast 3d6

14th
Fecund Healer
+9/+4
+12
+3
+14
Concentration 14, Diplomacy 14, Heal 17

Brew Restorative Draught (4th)

15th
Fecund Healer
+10/+5
+14
+3
+14
Concentration 16, Diplomacy 16, Heal 18
Cumbrous Fortitude
Vivacious Blast 4d6

16th
Fecund Healer
+10/+5
+14
+4
+15
Concentration 18, Diplomacy 18, Heal 19

Brew Restorative Draught (5th)

17th
Fecund Healer
+11/+6/+1
+15
+4
+16
Concentration 20, Diplomacy 20, Heal 20

Vivacious Blast 5d6, Zoetic Transformation, Holy Hands, Master of Life

18th
Eldritch Disciple
+12/+2/+7
+15
+5
+16
Concentration 21, Diplomacy 21, Heal 21
Evil’s Blessing
Eldritch Blast 3d6

19th
Eldritch Disciple
+13/+8/+3
+16
+5
+17
Concentration 22, Diplomacy 22, Heal 22

Fiendish Resistance

20th
Eldritch Disciple
+13/+8/+3
+16
+5
+17
Concentration 23, Diplomacy 23, Heal 23

Eldritch Blast 4d6, Eldritch Spellweave

Spellcasting
Spells per Day

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

1st
3
1+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2nd
4
2+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

3rd
4
2+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

4th
4
2+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

5th
4
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

6th
4
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

7th
5
3+1
2+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

8th
5
3+1
2+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

9th
5
3+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-
-
-

10th
5
3+1
3+1
2+1
-
-
-
-
-
-

11th
5
3+1
3+1
2+1
-
-
-
-
-
-

12th
6
4+1
3+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-
-

13th
6
4+1
3+1
3+1
2+1
-
-
-
-
-

14th
6
4+1
4+1
3+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-

15th
6
4+1
4+1
3+1
3+1
2+1
-
-
-
-

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

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

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

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

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

CL at 20th Level: 14
Domains: Family, Orc

Invocations
CL at 20th Level: 7
Invocations Known(Level Gained): Entropic Warding (3rd), Beguiling Influence (4th), Frightening Blast (7th), Vivacious Blast (9th), Eldritch Chain (19th)

Level Breakdown
Level 5: The specific order of levels Mother Halfbreed takes here is just to avoid multiclassing penalties, and honestly, her abilities don’t cohere very well yet. She can cast 2nd-level Cleric spells, has a li’l Eldritch Blast, and can detect magic at will. Nothing too special. I chose her domains (Orc and Family) for flavor reasons, as Luthic doesn’t grant any really stellar domains. Great Fortitude is her first-level feat ‘cause it makes her more likely to survive the over-healing fluff requirement of Fecund Healer, which is mentioned in the fluff as being a ritual for (Fecund) (H)ealers in her tribe.. Her other feat is Mortalbane, a nice little thing from BoVD that lets her add 2d6 to her Eldritch Blast 5/day.

Level 10: The Touch of Healing reserve feat is so good for a healer, because it allows her basically unlimited healing--well, as long as the healees are below half hitpoints. Still, that by itself should qualify her for the 20 HP/day requirement of Fecund Healer, and then that class’ first level ability busts the feat wide open, allowing her literally unlimited healing as long as she has a 2nd-level healing spell left. And why would she waste those spells when, between this and Vivacious Blast, she can now heal everybody forever without expending resources? Her Vitrolic Blast is 3d6 (or 5d6 5/day), assuming no items. Her other feat here is Craft Wondrous Item, which allows her to craft healing items above and beyond her spellcasting and invoking--Healing Belt is a particular good (and inexpensive!) one.

Level 15: Mother Halfbreed’s Vivacious Blast improves to 6d6 (8d6 5/day), and she’s winnowed her skills down to Concentration (for blasting and casting in combat), Diplomacy (for out-of-combat utility), and Heal (she doesn’t need the stabilization, but the knowledge aspect is still good for someone who’s a professional healer). Feat-wise, Extraordinary Artisan lets her make both wondrous items and healing potions from Brew Restorative Draught more cheaply, and Cumbrous Fortitude is there to help her stay alive if she herself is over-healed.

Level 20: Okay, Mother Halfbreed’s final Vivacious Blast damage is 9d6 (11d6 5/day) assuming no items, and her one Lesser invocation is Eldritch Chain, which lets her hit one extra target for half, which is particularly handy if she needs to heal an ally while blowing up an enemy. She can’t apply it to spells with Eldritch Spellweave, unfortunately (because it counts a 9th-level spell), but she can use Eldritch Spellweave with Frightful Blast, which, if it succeeds, imposes a -2 penalty for saves vs. exploding. Plus, she gains access to the Heal spell at level 18, which is the single best way to make an enemy explode with positive energy.And speaking of exploding, her Fort save is only +27 (16 +2 Con + 6 Cumbrous Fortitude + 3 (Cha) Evil’s Blessing), which isn’t great for Master of Life, but it’s high enough that it can easily be boosted into a pretty safe range with spells, particularly since she adds both her Con and Cha bonuses. For instance, Bear's Endurance, Eagle's Splendor, and Superior Resistance give her an extra +10. And that's assuming no items.

Sources
Book of Vile Darkness: Mortalbane
Complete Arcane: Warlock
Complete Champion: Touch of Healing
Complete Mage: Eldritch Disciple
Eberron Campaign Setting: Extraordinary Artisan
Elder Evils: Evil's Blessing
Homebrew: Fecund Healer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?386434-Fecund-Healer-(3-5-PrC)-PEACH-make-people-explode-with-positive-energy!) by Heliomance
Savage Species: Cumbrous Fortitude
Spell Compendium: Family and Orc domains
Unearthed Arcana: Desert Half-Orc

Heliomance

2015-01-11, 05:11 AM

And that's the lot. A crop of five isn't bad for this, I don't think. Who's up for judging?

sakuuya

2015-01-11, 02:11 PM

I bet the two Radiant Servant builds are thanking their lucky stars that they didn't take the same number of SI levels. Of course, I'm an entrant, so I may be one of those very thankful people. :smallwink:

Michael7123

2015-01-11, 02:31 PM

sakuuya

2015-01-11, 03:04 PM

Yeah. That would be awkward.

It's happened before, believe it or not. The tables are a little hard to read now, but these (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=12990063&postcount=149) two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=12990236&postcount=157) Shadow Sentinel builds both went Illumian Duskblade 5/Abjurant Champion 5/Shadow Sentinel 10.

WhamBamSam

2015-01-11, 03:10 PM

My primary idea was Glimmerskin Halfling Bard 2/Marshal 3/Ur-Priest 2/Fecund Healer 10/Contemplative 1/Bard +2. The idea was to use an Obtained Familiar to carry a (hopefully Empowerd) Heal spell which had been pumped well past the cap by a Motivate Charisma Boosted Divine Spell Power and Reserves of Strength, while also using Martial Study(Mind Over Body) (and crafting Diamond Mind Rings of it for any of his friends who would benefit) with Concentration checks boosted by Motivate Constitution to manage the Fort saves the SI occasionally forces on you. I think it was a pretty good idea, I just couldn't get motivated to work on it and hammer out the details over the holidays.

I also played around briefly with a Sha'ir build with Arcane Disciple (Healing), trying to get some Arcane Thesis cheese behind my Heal castings, and to work the Heal Skill requirements and Outsider type change (plus the Ritual of Alignment in Savage Species or some Polymorphing shenanigans) into being able to qualify for Graft Flesh (Fiendish Grafts) and toss them around for free by Polymorphing into a Sibriex with either Metamorphic Transfer or Assume Supernatural Ability or mostly free by Shapechanging into one. It was just too feat intensive to get anywhere with though, especially with needing to get Heal as a class skill somehow.

I might try to judge, seeing as there are only 5 entries and I don't have to change my Iron Chef criteria apart from plugging in the specific abilities of this SI.

MilesTiden

2015-01-11, 04:18 PM

Huh, no one went with either of my ideas. The first was a Glimmerskin Halfling Binder 8/Nosomatic Chirurgeon 2/Fecund Healer 10 who used the various Inflict boosting eberron feats, Nosomatic Chirurgeon, and Vivacious Blast's absurdly high spell level to get a Maximized Mass Inflict Critical Wounds and a Quickened Maximized Mass Inflict Critical Wounds every round. The other was a Dvati Warlock 5/Spellfire Channeler 4/Fecund Healer 10 who passed Vivacious Blasts back and forth between eachother to rack up huge Spellfire levels, and rained fiery death on the world below. Unfortunately, depression got in the way of both of these. :smallfrown:

Sian

2015-01-12, 02:10 PM

thought about submitting a Tarmak (Dragonlance Campaign Setting p232) Egoist 6 / Sangehirn 5 / Fecund Healer 9 (although prehaps lowering Fecund healer and raising Sangehirn a bit) depending on the argument that Tarmak War Paint aren't a Magical item (its made with Alchemy checks and the lore explicitly states that no Tarmak Spellcasters have ever been seen), in which case Unlimited Healing would remove the cap of 20 damage healed from each applience of war paint (at a Fast Healing 5), so it would work at all time, in turn depending on Empathic Transfer to heal friends, and use some power regeneration trick to keep it going.

But neither had the time, nor really the want to discuss why it should be allowed.

Macabaret

2015-01-13, 05:38 PM

I ran into this thread pretty late. Seems like it would have been a fun one. My thought for it would have been to use some persistent Positive Energy Aura cheese with a cleric-based grappler. Perhaps an anthropomorphic bunny (an abominable snow rabbit) named Lenny that literally squeezes the life out of people. (Of course, for that, you'd have to find a arctic hare or something somewhere in 3.5 D&D -- why isn't there one in Frostburn? -- and create some stats for an "abominable" template or some such.)

...Also, I am so going to nerf the save on Unlimited Healing after this is done.

If you're going to make some changes to the PrC, may I suggest a change from "+1 divine casting level" to "+1 divine casting level OR +1 meldshaper level". It seems to me that there could be a lot of fluff synergy with an incarnate base using his/her own soul to fuel the fecund healer abilities.

Heliomance

2015-01-13, 05:54 PM

I ran into this thread pretty late. Seems like it would have been a fun one. My thought for it would have been to use some persistent Positive Energy Aura cheese with a cleric-based grappler. Perhaps an anthropomorphic bunny (an abominable snow rabbit) named Lenny that literally squeezes the life out of people. (Of course, for that, you'd have to find a arctic hare or something somewhere in 3.5 D&D -- why isn't there one in Frostburn? -- and create some stats for an "abominable" template or some such.)

If you're going to make some changes to the PrC, may I suggest a change from "+1 divine casting level" to "+1 divine casting level OR +1 meldshaper level". It seems to me that there could be a lot of fluff synergy with an incarnate base using his/her own soul to fuel the fecund healer abilities.

Incarnates can meet the healing prereq?

Temotei

2015-01-13, 06:33 PM

Incarnates can meet the healing prereq?

Lifebond vestments meet it pretty easily.

The Viscount

2015-01-13, 06:37 PM

Binder similarly meets the prereq with Buer, though advancing binding would be rarer.

Sian

2015-01-13, 06:49 PM

in fact, you could certainly make the argument that it should count as raising the levels for any type of casting, whether its spells, psionics, or prehaps meldshaping.

Might even be worth it to load it more heavily in the rear end, and lower it to halfcaster, only gaining caster levels every second or so.

The Viscount

2015-01-19, 07:30 PM

Are we still looking for a judge for this round?

WhamBamSam

2015-01-19, 08:36 PM

Are we still looking for a judge for this round?I said I'd judge. I'm having a hard time settling into a rhythm and really churning them out, but I'll get it done.

sakuuya

2015-01-25, 01:33 PM

Any word on progress, WhamBamSam? I...I sort of forgot about this contest, what with IC and JW, but now that they're winding down, I hope this contest gets a little judging love.

WhamBamSam

2015-01-25, 04:29 PM

Any word on progress, WhamBamSam? I...I sort of forgot about this contest, what with IC and JW, but now that they're winding down, I hope this contest gets a little judging love.I've got a few entries done. It's really slow going, mostly because I'm being lazy and not setting my nose to the grindstone, despite a dearth of any particular other work to do.

dysprosium

2015-01-25, 04:46 PM

This may also be a good example of a round where the creator of the class itself could/should be a judge.

Who better than the creator than to determine all of those RAI vs RAW arguments?

KrimsonNekros

2015-01-28, 09:01 PM

pinging for an update if there is one to be had.

WhamBamSam

2015-01-29, 01:04 AM

I've got three builds of the five done, and would be further if I had any damn discipline. It'll be done by this weekend, I promise.

WhamBamSam

2015-02-01, 04:12 AM

Judgings are in! Sorry I took so long about getting this done.

Clank – 16.25 Originality – 4.5 Crusader 1 is an easy way of meeting the SI’s healing prereq, and the SI makes it easier to heal yourself as a Warforged. So those things weren’t completely out of left field, but they weren’t completely expected eather. I really wasn’t expecting such a melee-oriented base and Pious Templar wasn’t on my list of predicted casting classes. Alright, you’ve piqued my curiosity. (+0.75)

Getting around the construct healing immunity imposed by Warforged Juggernaut is sort of nifty, and healing just enough to trigger Defy Death is a nice little trick. Using Order of the Perfect Order to ensure success on saves against death by overhealing is especially snazzy (it doesn’t quite work due to issues with initiator level, but it’s a clever idea, so you still get the originality points). You’re still a pretty standard frontline fighter in a lot of respects, but the healing fits in surprisingly well and makes for a refreshing little twist. (+0.5)

The fluff of the Becoming God fits really well here and I like the story of how Clank comes to realize his calling as a Fecund Healer. (+0.25)

Power – 3.75 You go an unexpected route with the SI, and the big selling point of blowing things up with positive energy is an afterthought more than anything else, but it’s hard to argue that you aren’t getting nice things out of it. (+0.5)

You’ve got a decent damage output, and are hard to kill, but you don’t really address the standard tank problem of needing a way to ensure that enemies attack you instead of your friends. You do have some means of helping them keep alive, and Vivacious Blast and Healing Hands alone gets you infinite out of combat healing and most of the other situational healing you need to be the party’s primary medic. Unfortunately your biggest trick doesn’t work, as you lack the initiator level for Aura of Perfect Order when you try to pick it up, and hence don’t have much way of getting it, barring a Psychic Reformation or Chaos Shuffle at level 19+. You still come out better than even, but it was almost much better. (+0.25)

Elegance – 3.5 Your initiator level is only 10.5 when you try to pick up Aura of Perfect Order, which requires an initiator level of 11. (-0.5)

Unlimited Healing might not actually trump Warforged Juggernaut’s Healing Immunity, as it seems to only be connected to the inability to heal constructs in a fluff sense. But you’re right that Vivacious Blast and Crusader’s Strike don’t care, so you’re mostly in the clear there, and I don’t feel strongly enough about this to get on your case about questionable rules interpretations. (+0.5)

You avoid multiclass experience penalties as Warforged have Favored Class: Fighter. (0)

I can’t see a reasonable DM having much issue with your level progression. There’s only one PrC dip, and you continue its casting progression. (+0.5)

Use of Secret Ingredient – 4.5 You have to take a lot of the prereq skills cross-class and don’t do much with them. You do make use of the healing you use for entry, but it’s not quite enough for points here. (0)
You get up to 5th level Restorative Drafts for potions of Heal, giving you access to a powerful spell (and a few other, less powerful ones) that you wouldn't ordinarily have any access to. (+0.5)
Unlimited Healing may or may not actually matter when it comes to your ability to heal yourself, and most of your healing seems to come through things which neither it nor Warforged/Warforged Juggernaut healing limitations govern (a non-Conjuration (Healing) (Sp) ability and (Ex) Crusader maneuvers, when only Conjuration (Healing) spells and (Su) HP healing are limited). However, you do a pretty good job of managing the fort saves and making use of your extra HP on the front lines. You’d get credit for going above and beyond if you qualified for Aura of Perfect Order, but you still do alright as is. (+0.5)
You don’t really use Vivacious Blast in any special way. Infinite out of combat healing is nice, but everyone gets that. You do like to load up on HP though, and it’s less unwieldy than maneuvers out of combat, so I’ll give partial credit I guess. (+0.25)
You’ll enjoy Delay Death on the front lines and being able to activate it while attacking is gravy. (+0.75)
Healing Hands, the Greater Version, and Holy Hands flesh out your role as party medic, though that’s pretty standard. The ability damage healing from the Restoration line covering one of your few weaknesses is a nice little thing though, and as a non-full caster, you don’t get all the relevant spells just from casting. You get credit. (+0.5)
You’ll be happy with the extra HP from being able to heal all the way to twice your normal maximum, but the real kicker when it comes to your Zoetic Transformation is how hard you’ve made it to get through the Regeneration with your other immunities. (+0.75)
If you qualified for Aura of Perfect Order you’d be only a few items shy of being able to use it to reliably make the save on Master of Life, but without it staring down the barrel of a DC 40 Fortitude save is a dangerous proposition for you. I suppose you are at least well suited to campaigns over a long time scale, and that might make the whole “year and a day” thing less of a bummer. Partial credit. (+0.25)

Solas – 14 Originality – 1.5 Radiant Servant of Pelor is pretty well known, a pretty obvious fit here with all its healing stuff, and there was another Cleric/Radiant Servant this round. You’re also running pretty standard persistomancy fare. I do like seeing Hellbred though. They’re a better race than they get credit for on good aligned clerics. That keeps you from taking the full penalty here. (-0.75)

There’s nothing really mechanically unique at play here. Apart from the SI’s presence, this is a standard DMM Persist build, doing standard DMM Persist things. Standard Cleric handbook fare, through and through. (-1)
I’ll throw you a bone and give you your quarter point for fluff though, even if “healing a Pit Fiend to death while your tea boils” is as on the nose for a Cleric build as all the mechanical stuff. (+0.25)

Power – 4.75 You do lose 3 spell levels, but those are some ridiculous save DCs you’re throwing around. You’re getting a lot out of the PrC. A part of me thinks that 2 or 4 levels might have been a better breakpoint to minimize caster levels lost, and that keeps me from handing out a perfect score here, but you certainly are getting your money’s worth out of some of the higher level abilities, like Zoetic Transformation. (+0.5)

There’s a reason why the persistomancy shenanigans you use are so well known. They work. You’re everything that the internet expects out of a T1, with some extra tricks from the homebrew SI. You’re a nigh-indestructible powerhouse and you deserve all the points I can give you here. (+1.25)

Elegance – 3.75 Ocular Spell requires 4 ranks in Knowledge (Dungeoneering), which you do not possess. It’s an easy enough fix, even cross-class, that I’m not going to take points away elsewhere, but you get a ding here. (-0.5)

You don’t rely on questionable rules interpretations. There are a few, (Heliomance said that RAI was that Unlimited Healing did not break caps on individual healing spells, and I’m not sure Empower Healing works with Brew Restorative Draft), but they don’t really affect the build’s potency all that much). (+0.5)

With only one base class, there are no multiclass penalties here. (+0.25)

Some DMs get DMM Persist right up their left nostril, but assuming a game where the power level is acceptable, this doesn’t seem likely to raise any eyebrows. (+0.5)

Use of Secret Ingredient – 4 You invest a little more than absolutely necessary in a few prereq skills, and more importantly, use the Heal ranks to meet another prerequisite getting into Radiant Servant of Pelor. (+0.25)
You get up to 5th level spells on Brew Restorative Draft, meaning you can make potions of Heal. The crafting rules are sort of obnoxious, and I can’t tell whether you actually cast a spell you provide when crafting (and Brew Restorative Draft doesn't even have you provide spells), so I don't think Empower Healing actually works here. So no above and beyond credit, unless you can provide me with compelling evidence that it does work and don’t mind Wilfire getting the extra quarter point too. (+0.25)
You’ve optimized Unlimited Healing to the point of basically being a “no save, just die” effect. Full marks. (+0.75)
You don’t really get anything out of Vivacious Blast that everyone else doesn’t. The free out of combat healing and ranged component are enough for partial credit though. (+0.25)
You’ve got several mass healing options to get your allies Defying Death in addition to the standard ranged option from Vivacious Blast, and can heal with enough potency to set those on death’s door right as rain again. Good enough for me. (+0.5)
You really only save yourself spell slots with the Healing Hands abilities and Holy Hands, since everything they granted was available to you via Cleric casting. (0)
DMM Persisted (Ocular, if your DM rules that Touch isn’t a fixed range) Death Ward to make your Regeneration all but impossible to bypass is going above and beyond on Zoetic Transformation. (+0.75)
One casting of Guidance of the Avatar or Surge of Fortune could buff your Concentration check high enough to make the Master of Life save with a ring of Mind Over Body. I can’t give full credit for it, especially with how much you’ll miss the benefits of Zoetic Transformation, but I’ll give you the partial credit quarter point. (+0.25)

Shiv 'Yon Kocot – 11.75 Originality – 3.25 Dread Necromancer is a surprise, even if Charnel Touch is technically a way to meet the healing requirement. Certainly it’s piqued my curiosity that you’ve taken so much of it. Great as the class is, Archivist was also a little unexpected, at least compared to Cleric, and I’m interested to see where you’re going with that particular stack of feats. Lesser Tiefling is a surprise as well, but as you aren’t using it to qualify for anything, and its stat modifiers are merely okay for you due to the Cha penalty (Grey Elf would have washed out slightly better with point buy prices being what they are), so you fall just short of full marks. (+0.75)

You have the semblance of an idea with Battlecaster Defense, since the SI's inclination towards Heal might shift you closer toward the front lines than you otherwise might go (even if you have less need to run back away afterward due to your extra HP and whatnot). Unfortunately, Somatic Weaponry was just a straight up bad choice and you aren't going anywhere with Dread Necromancer, other than away from the place where higher level spells are. Neither contributes in any meaningful way to your build, interesting or otherwise. (-0.75)

I did like the fluff of the character previously all about negative energy learning the power of positive energy, though. (+0.25)

Power – 2 I don’t see the SI as making this build better. It’s only actively working against you insofar as it costs you three more caster levels on top of the ones you’ve already thrown aside and isn’t a theurge PrC, but it just doesn’t seem to be all that helpful. (-0.25)

You've chosen two casting classes which don’t synergize well due to MAD. This would be a pretty bad Mystic Theurge build, and it’s worse as a non-theurge, losing 9 caster levels on one side and 14 on the other. (-0.75)

Elegance – 2.75 You lack the necessary 12 ranks in Concentration when you take swift concentration. It’s a minor fix, but it still incurs a penalty. (-0.5)

You avoid questionable rules interpretations. (+0.5)

Neither Archivist nor Dread Necromancer is a favored class for Tieflings, so you incur multiclass penalties, even if it is just at 20th level. I hate to give you another penalty, but the rubric demands blood. (-0.25)

I don’t really feel right giving you points for the overall flow of the build. It just feels clunky and directionless to me. (0)

Use of Secret Ingredient – 3.75 You invest skill points beyond the minimum needed to qualify for the SI, maxing two of them, and Knowledge (The Planes) fuels your Dark Knowledge ability. (+0.25)
You get enough levels in the SI to make potions of Heal with Brew Restorative Draft. Moreover you’re the only one with access to the Quick Potion spell and Heal as a 5th level spell, so you can produce potions more quickly and cheaply than the other builds here. (+0.5)
You don’t really do much with Unlimited Healing. If you solve your Wisdom problem, you just barely make it up to the CL cap for Heal, but I can’t really say much more than that. I’ll give you partial credit I guess. (+0.25)
You don’t really get anything out of Vivacious Blast that everyone else doesn’t. The free out of combat healing and ranged component are enough for partial credit though. (+0.25)
You have access to a number of mass cure spells at lower levels than normal via the Healer spell list and you can heal at range via Vivacious Blast, so at least you’ll have some success keeping party members alive and under the effects of Defy Death. (+0.5)
You really only save yourself spell slots with the Healing Hands abilities, since everything they granted was available to you via Archivist casting. You do come up short of being able to cast Resurrection though, so you get a little bit out of Holy Hands. (+0.25)
Archivists have access to Death Ward, which makes your Regeneration very difficult to get through, and through various chicanery, you can get Polymorph spells to take advantage of the Outsider typing. It’s not quite the always on nigh-impenetrability of some of your colleagues, but it’s enough for credit. (+0.5)
Once your Concentration ranks catch up (as they have done by the time you get Master of Life), you have the same tools to auto-pass the save with a ring of Mind Over Body that Solas does. You get partial credit, just like he does. (+0.25)

Wilfire Tuskgale – 13.75 Originality – 2.25 There was another Cleric/Radiant Servant (and as the best published healing PrC, it’s only a natural choice), and Lesser Aasimar is a classic Cleric race, but not gunning straight for DMM Persist keeps you from the maximum penalty, like Hellbred does for Solas. (-0.75)

You pull out a few stops that the others don’t in your healing optimization, but it’s nothing all that shocking, given the SI. It does taste less stale than Persistomancy though, and the Healing Domain Imbued Healing throwing yet more temporary HP at the enemies you’re trying to blow up is clever and funny, and breaking the cap on Pool of Healing is fun. Y’know what? Let’s call it a wash. (0)

Your fluff is a bit sparse and has a few editing mistakes. Not quite enough for your quarter point bonus, sorry. (0)
Power – 4.25 You don’t finish the SI, but that’s more of a UoSI problem. You’re putting the Fecund Healer levels you do take to work, and save yourself a lost caster level on a full caster build by exiting early. I’ll give you full marks for the build being improved by the SI’s presence. (+0.75)

Unfortunately, I think you ultimately come up short of Solas in terms of the role you play (which is more or less the same, and invites comparison, natch). As I said earlier, persistomancy is known cheese for a reason. Also, the Spontaneous Domains feat is inferior to the Spontaneous Domain ACF, which you have no reason to take, but don’t seem to have. Also, since Heal (which is on the Healing Domain and therefore works with Radiant Servant abilities) doesn’t gain anything from being maximized, you might have been better off jumping out before 6th level. That’s not to say this isn’t a powerful, dangerous build, but a lot of its optimization gets into the same overkill problem that uberchargers have. There is a certain threshold point beyond which more damage or a higher save DC doesn’t really matter anymore and you’d be better off diversifying your portfolio. (+0.5)

Elegance – 4.5 You qualify for everything. (+0.5)

You avoid questionable rules interpretations. (+0.5)

You bounce around a bit, but I doubt most DMs would take issue with your progression. (+0.5)

You avoid multiclass penalties. (0)

Use of Secret Ingredient – 2.75 You pretty much only take what you need to qualify in the prereq skills, but you use the Heal ranks to meet another prerequisite getting into Radiant Servant of Pelor, the Healing Hands skill trick, and Imbue Healing. (+0.25)
As you don't need to provide spells for Brew Restorative Draft, you could have made potions of Heal had you taken enough of the SI for 5th level potions. The crafting rules are sort of obnoxious, and I can’t tell whether you actually cast a spell you provide when crafting (and Brew Restorative Draft doesn't have you provide spells at all), so I don't think Empower Healing works here. It wouldn't help you anyway, as Solas would get the same quarter point boost if it did work. (0)
You’ve optimized Unlimited Healing to the point of basically being a “no save, just die” effect and you’re breaking the daily limit on Pool of Healing as well. Full marks. (+0.75)
You don’t really get anything out of Vivacious Blast that everyone else doesn’t. The free out of combat healing and ranged component are enough for partial credit though, even if you have a few other means of pulling off the former. (+0.25)
You’ve got several mass healing options to get your allies Defying Death in addition to the standard ranged option from Vivacious Blast, and can heal with enough potency to set those on death’s door right as rain again. Good enough for me. (+0.5)
You really only save yourself spell slots with the Healing Hands abilities, since everything they granted was available to you via Cleric casting, and don’t get Holy Hands at all. (0)
You don’t get Zoetic Transformation, and I’m not convinced that leaving early was a better use of the Secret Ingredient. (0)
You don’t get Master of Life, and I’m not convinced that leaving early was a better use of the Secret Ingredient. (0)

Mother Halfbreed – 15.25 Originality – 3.25 The SI encourages Warlock/Eldritch Disciple builds by stacking Vivacious Blast with Eldritch Blast but only progressing divine spellcasting, but it wasn’t at the top of my list of things to expect and no one else used it, so it evens out. I’m also at least a bit curious where you’re going with that feat progression, even if it does have a few classic staples, like Mortalbane on a Warlock. Desert Half-Orc was unexpected, but in absence of a substitution level or something that it qualifies you for, it doesn’t really seem to give you much other than fluff. We were, however, awash in clerics, and I saw that coming a mile away. You get a small ding, but escape the fate of the two Cleric/Radiant Servants. (-0.25)

Your attempt to push your Fort save for Master of Life feels a little bit “brute force,” but that’s sort of fitting. I don’t see any tricks that really “wow” me, but nothing feels especially stale either. You come out just slightly better than even for breaking out some save boosting that I haven’t seen before (even if you would have been better just using a feat for Martial Study (Mind Over Body)). (+0.25)

I’ll say your fluff is good enough for a side competition. It’s always nice to get out of one’s anthrocentric bubble and see how the other half lives, and I like that you gave some thought to the aftermath of Master of Life. (+0.25)

Power – 3.5 I can see why this build goes into Fecund Healer, but the loss of 9th level spells from the caster levels it costs you really hurts. That’s sort of de rigueur for Iron Chef, but even so, I can’t give you too big of a bonus. (+0.25)

You don’t have the Wisdom to cast 8th level spells, but since you’ve invested the feats to be able to craft stat-boosting items yourself and do so cheaply, and since it only comes into play at 20th level when it’d be ridiculous to assume that you didn’t have a single Wis booster, that’s not going to cost you. You do the role of healer pretty well, and you can pump save DCs against healsplosions pretty high, and the Eldritch Spellweave stuff is sort of nice, but for the standard that’s to be expected of clerics, I think you fall shy of lavish praise. Still, I’d say you come out on top again, ever so slightly. (+0.25)

Elegance – 4.5 You qualify for everything. (+0.5)
I was all set to get on your case about Mortalbane stacking with Vivacious Blast, but since Vivacious Blast works as an Eldritch Essence invocation, I think you can probably get away with firing off a Vivacious Mortalbane Eldritch Blast instead of a Mortalbane Vivacious Blast, which wouldn’t work. You avoid questionable rules interpretations. (+0.5)
I can’t see a DM having a problem with your level progression. (+0.5)
You take care to avoid multiclass penalties. (0)

Use of Secret Ingredient – 4 You max out Heal, but invest only the minimum necessary in the other prereq skills and don’t really make use of any of them. (0)
You’ve got the necessary spells to get some decent mileage out of Brew Restorative Draft. (+0.25)
You make it to the CL cap for Heal and invest in Fort save boosting to keep from killing yourself with Unlimited Healing. You’re doing a good job here, though you don’t crank it up to 11 the way the Radiant Servants do with their encounter-leveling Mass Heals. (+0.5)
The Eldritch Blast stacking alone puts your Vivacious Blast use above and beyond, I’d say. Vivacious Blast seems to lack a level equivalent, which makes use with Eldritch Spellweave tricky, but you’re getting full marks either way. (+0.75)
You’ve got several mass healing options to get your allies Defying Death in addition to the standard ranged option from Vivacious Blast, and can heal with enough potency to set those on death’s door right as rain again. Good enough for me. (+0.5)
You really only save yourself spell slots with the Healing Hands abilities and Holy Hands, since everything they granted was available to you via Cleric casting. (0)
You have access to Death Ward and its mass version to cover the weak spot in your regeneration. (+0.5)
With your crafting feats, casting, and various save optimization feats, you can put yourself in a position where you’ll reliably make the save for Master of Life. You could also use the Ring of Mind Over Body+Guidance of the Avatar trick that I’ve been handing out partial credit for, and could even craft the ring so long as you had someone providing the maneuver. You don’t really go above and beyond, but unlike the rest of the builds, you clear partial credit here. (+0.5)

Heliomance

2015-02-01, 04:34 AM

Point of order: Brew Restorative Draught explicitly does not require you to have access to the spells you're making potions of.

sakuuya

2015-02-01, 10:51 AM

Aw yeah, judging! Thanks, WhamBamSam!

Michael7123

2015-02-01, 12:20 PM

Tied for third on my first competition. I can live with that :smallbiggrin:.

sakuuya

2015-02-01, 12:49 PM

You're not supposed to give any hints on which build is yours, Michael, even if you're only narrowing it down a bit rather than being explicit. Please edit that post. I won't tell anybody. :smallwink:

WhamBamSam

2015-02-01, 12:52 PM

Point of order: Brew Restorative Draught explicitly does not require you to have access to the spells you're making potions of.Ohhh, so it works like the Warlock Imbue Item ability. I missed that. That would mean that Solas and Clank can make Heal potions, but Wilfire cannot. Archivist casting would probably allow Shiv to make potions more quickly and cheaply due to having access to Quick Potion and all of the spells in their lowest level versions, though, since Brew Restorative Draft makes the likes of Cure Critical Wounds and Heal "spells suitable for making potions."

That'll end up being +0.5 to Clank and -0.25 to Wilfire. I'll edit the judging post accordingly.

@Michael:, it's preferred if you don't provide insight into which build is yours before the chair officially closes the competition. We might see some disputes or something before she does the official reveal.

The Viscount

2015-02-01, 01:34 PM

Sweet! Judgings. Thanks a bunch, Sam.

Now that the scores are up, what's our deadline for disputes?

Deadasadoor

2015-02-01, 01:41 PM

No disputes on my end, thanks Sam!

Heliomance

2015-02-01, 02:32 PM

Pair of disputes:

I don’t think Unlimited Healing works the way you say it does with Touch of Healing, though. The way I read it, it breaks the caps on number of hit points per day or rounds per day or the like, not situations where the healing abilities can be used, and it wouldn’t allow you to use Touch of Healing on a creature above half health any more than it would allow you to use it while stunned.

The example given in the text of Unlimited Healing of something that could is the Dragon Shaman's vigor aura, which grants fast healing but only on "characters at or below one-half their full normal hit points," which is almost exactly the restriction of Healing Hands. Since Unlimited Healing breaks that limit for the vigor aura, it should break the same limit for Healing Hands.

Thank you for judging!

In Mother Halfbreed's dispute, I kept saying Healing Hands when I meant Touch of Healing. I mix that skill trick and feat up constantly. I'm just happy I didn't do it in the build itself. Sorry for the confusion, WhamBamSam.

Thank you for judging however as is inevitable there will be disputes.

First as an Archivist I utilize my far superior Intelligence not Wisdom for my spells

Spellcasting: An archivist casts divine spells, drawn primarily from the cleric spell list although he can eventually uncover, learn, and prepare non cleric divine spells spells.Unlike clerics, archivists prepare spells from a prayerbook,a collection of copied divine spells. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, an archivist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an archivist’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the archivist’s Int modifier.

As to my feats. They primarily function to allow me to cast spells and get clear of danger if an enemy closes in. Combat Casting provides a bonus to Concentration checks while casting defensively. This combines with Battlecaster Defense which allows me to avoid provoking an AoO moving through threatened squares after successfully casting a spell on the defensive among other abilities.

Somatic Weaponry allows me to keep myself armed, preferably with a staff or wand, and my longsword, and still be able to cast spells that require somatic components.

A note: I'd appreciate it if you included your build's name when you send me disputes. That way I don't have to trawl back through my inbox to find your build when I replace your name in the quote.

WhamBamSam

2015-02-01, 04:23 PM

@Mother Halfbreed: Fair point. In that case, I'll give you back your points for avoiding questionable rules interpretations. I don't think it makes enough of a difference to bump your use of Unlimited Healing into the same "above and beyond" category as the Radiant Servant builds, and it doesn't really change your power enough to warrant a score change, as you already had unlimited out-of-combat healing through Vivacious Blast anyway.

+0.5 to Elegance

@Shiv 'Yon Kocot: I could've sworn that the Archivist dual-stat casting put the ability to cast the spells under Wisdom. Turns out Wis only governs bonus spells/day. You're absolutely right, so your Power situation isn't quite as dire as I thought.

As for your feats, there's a reason why Combat Casting and Battlecaster Defense aren't common handbook fare for casters. They aren't very good. I guess there's some merit in being able to maneuver out of the thick of things more safely when one of your go-to spells is Range: Touch, but on the other hand you've got extra HP from the SI to make yourself more comfortable when enemies get up in your grill. Still, that's more of a Power concern. At least you're trying to do something, so you'll get a little bit back in originality. As for Somatic Weaponry, I'm aware what the feat does, but it simply doesn't do anything for you. Why on earth would you even want to be carrying a longsword? Dark Knowledge can only do so much to salvage relatively low BAB and a Str penalty, especially without Knowledge Devotion backing it up. You eventually gain the capability to polymorph into something that could use it better, I suppose, but even if you were a gish, that feat would be a questionable choice, and certainly not a mechanically interesting one.

And I stand by my assessment that Dread Necromancer was a terrible choice here. From a Power standpoint, it puts you laughably behind where you would have been as a more straightforward Archivist 10/Fecund Healer 10 (or similar). From an Elegance standpoint it's clunky and awkward. It doesn't assist in any combo which would cause it to help you get points back in terms of mechanical Originality. Even from a fluff standpoint, it doesn't bring anything to the table that more Archivist wouldn't have.

+0.25 to Originality

+0.5 to Power

Off to edit the judging post accordingly.

sakuuya

2015-02-01, 04:51 PM

It seems like we could use a table, now that there's been judging and disputes.

Build Score Place
Clank 16.25 1st
Mother Halfbreed 15.25 2nd
Solas 14 3rd
Wilfire Tuskgale 13.75 4th
Shiv'Yon Kocot 11.75 5th

Venger

2015-02-01, 05:27 PM

And it looks like the disputes have been addressed. Well it looks like that's that. good job, chefs. Thanks for judging, whambamsam

sakuuya

2015-02-03, 08:37 AM

Are there any more disputes, Ms. Chairwoman? And if not, what's the deadline for 'em?

Heliomance

2015-02-05, 02:09 PM

Doesn't look like there's any more disputes coming in, so as this contest's already overrun massively, I'll close it there.

Build Chef Score Place
Clank The Viscount 16.25 1st
Mother Halfbreed sakuuya 15.25 2nd
Solas deadasadoor 14 3rd
Wilfire Tuskgale Michael7123 13.75 4th
Shiv'Yon Kocot KrimsonNekros 11.75 5th

Congratulations, all!

If people are interested in another, I'll start it up on Sunday when submissions to the main competition close.

The Viscount

2015-02-05, 05:11 PM

Heliomance

2015-02-05, 06:23 PM

I had a ton of fun this round. I'd be down for another one.

Now that the reveal is up, I'd love to have your feedback on the few uncertainties my build opened up. Would you say the unlimited healing granted by the class overcomes warforged juggernaut's immunity to (Healing) spells and inability to benefit from potions?

Current RAW, no. As the designer, RAI is for it to grant half healing to juggernauts, as if they were Constructs without the living construct subtype. Potions probably don't work though, even ones crafted by the Fecund Healer.

3WhiteFox3

2015-02-06, 01:30 AM

I'd like to say that I'm sad to see that I missed this one (I've been wanting to see this done for some time now). I'd love to see another one, if there's still interest.

Deadasadoor

2015-02-06, 10:08 AM

I'd definitely like to do another one of these. Especially since my Thunder Guide build in the main contest was a wash. There are so many cool homebrew classes, it'll be interesting to see what we do next.

Heliomance

2015-02-06, 12:28 PM

I've made several changes to the class now the contest's over, notably to Unlimited Healing, Brew Restorative Draught, and Zoetic Transformation. Mind giving me your thoughts on the matter?

WhamBamSam

2015-02-06, 02:52 PM

I've made several changes to the class now the contest's over, notably to Unlimited Healing, Brew Restorative Draught, and Zoetic Transformation. Mind giving me your thoughts on the matter?Unlimited Healing is much clearer now, and seems to work as intended. So that's a good thing.

The new writing of Brew Restorative Draft might invite Sanctum Spell abuse, but lots of things invite Sanctum Spell abuse. I think the change is fine.

A better phrasing for Zoetic Transformation might be "you cannot become immune to negative energy or vile damage, and lose that immunity if you already possessed it, though you can become immune to other negative energy effects (such as energy drain) or death effects." As written it probably works, but reads a little awkwardly and requires some extra reading into the rules to make sense of.

You should also add an effective level to Vivacious Blast when it's learned as an Eldritch Essence Invocation, as it's necessary to determine its interaction with things like the Eldritch Spellweave.

Heliomance

2015-02-06, 03:48 PM

As written currently, it doesn't stop you becoming immune to negative energy. What it does is stops you being a warforged juggernaut, being immune to non lethal, and becoming invulnerable.

WhamBamSam

2015-02-06, 05:14 PM

Ah, I see. Reading again, that makes more sense now.

Sian

2015-02-06, 06:03 PM

again, i'm suggesting one of Giant's Old prestige classes.