ILM
2015-02-02, 11:53 AM
I'm currently revisiting the cohort of an old NPC of mine, whose main role was to hit targets with as many save debuffers before said NPC hit them with a nasty (usually mind-affecting, Will-based) spell. It used to be a mess of levels and not as effective as I wanted, since most of the debuffs took a standard action to apply.
So, in an effort to streamline the build a bit and make it more practical, I’ve come up with this:
Shadow monster class (SS) 1/ Hexblade 4 (Dark Companion ACF from PHB2) / Paladin of Tyranny 3/ Binder 8 (ToM) / Sneak-attack fighter 1
Feats: Insane Defiance (EE), Sickening Strike (DotU), Terrifying Strike (DotU), Aleval School (also DotU), Staggering Strike (CV) and some way to increase Sneak Attack die (you’re going to need 3d6 in total)
Since it’s a cohort I only have 17 ECL to play with, and the Shadow monster class level is for fluff reasons – otherwise I’d have gone for the ever-useful Unseelie Fey (even though we’ve nerfed it quite a bit so it only gives a -2 to saves and no flight). Binder 8 is only to bind two vestiges at the same time, though you could conceivable skip those levels altogether if you were willing to take the Wisdom damage from Insane Defiance.
So how does this work in practice? Well, after binding Focalor and Naberius in the morning, and perhaps casting Bedevil (CoR) if you can (from a wand or whatever) you’d waltz into combat, and:
- Move action: get adjacent to target (underground if possible, since you’re incorporeal anyway), applying a total of -6 to saves from Dark Companion, Paladin and Focalor
- Standard action: stab the target with, say, a Life-Drinker with Blurstrike on it, and apply all your debuffs from the above feats: shaken (-2 to saves) for 1 round, sickened (another -2) for 1 round and -2 to a save of your choice for a round from Aleval School. Plus 2 negative levels, for another -2.
- Swift action: well, I guess you might as well try and land that Hexblade’s Curse (with the designer's fix) since the target already has a -14 to saves (assuming it’s vulnerable to all the above, of course), so there’s another -2.
- And finally, on the main event’s turn (the NPC whose cohort this debuffer is), you target the shadow with your spell instead of the actual target, so that the shadow can redirect the spell to the real target with a -4 to saves.
Total debuff to Will saves in 1 round: -20.
How do I improve this? I have a feeling I can put those 8 Binder levels to better use. I considered a shadowpounce build and an anklet of translocation (MIC) for swift-action attack and application of sneak-attack debuffs, which would free up a standard action for a more potent additional debuff. Doomspeak? Bard 3/ Crinti Shadow Marauder 5 would work, though it's a bit costly in terms of prereqs.
So, in an effort to streamline the build a bit and make it more practical, I’ve come up with this:
Shadow monster class (SS) 1/ Hexblade 4 (Dark Companion ACF from PHB2) / Paladin of Tyranny 3/ Binder 8 (ToM) / Sneak-attack fighter 1
Feats: Insane Defiance (EE), Sickening Strike (DotU), Terrifying Strike (DotU), Aleval School (also DotU), Staggering Strike (CV) and some way to increase Sneak Attack die (you’re going to need 3d6 in total)
Since it’s a cohort I only have 17 ECL to play with, and the Shadow monster class level is for fluff reasons – otherwise I’d have gone for the ever-useful Unseelie Fey (even though we’ve nerfed it quite a bit so it only gives a -2 to saves and no flight). Binder 8 is only to bind two vestiges at the same time, though you could conceivable skip those levels altogether if you were willing to take the Wisdom damage from Insane Defiance.
So how does this work in practice? Well, after binding Focalor and Naberius in the morning, and perhaps casting Bedevil (CoR) if you can (from a wand or whatever) you’d waltz into combat, and:
- Move action: get adjacent to target (underground if possible, since you’re incorporeal anyway), applying a total of -6 to saves from Dark Companion, Paladin and Focalor
- Standard action: stab the target with, say, a Life-Drinker with Blurstrike on it, and apply all your debuffs from the above feats: shaken (-2 to saves) for 1 round, sickened (another -2) for 1 round and -2 to a save of your choice for a round from Aleval School. Plus 2 negative levels, for another -2.
- Swift action: well, I guess you might as well try and land that Hexblade’s Curse (with the designer's fix) since the target already has a -14 to saves (assuming it’s vulnerable to all the above, of course), so there’s another -2.
- And finally, on the main event’s turn (the NPC whose cohort this debuffer is), you target the shadow with your spell instead of the actual target, so that the shadow can redirect the spell to the real target with a -4 to saves.
Total debuff to Will saves in 1 round: -20.
How do I improve this? I have a feeling I can put those 8 Binder levels to better use. I considered a shadowpounce build and an anklet of translocation (MIC) for swift-action attack and application of sneak-attack debuffs, which would free up a standard action for a more potent additional debuff. Doomspeak? Bard 3/ Crinti Shadow Marauder 5 would work, though it's a bit costly in terms of prereqs.