sage20500
2015-02-27, 04:37 AM
So i'm running a gestalt game with a group of friends, one of them is running a Warforged Wildshaping Ranger/Druid, another is running a melee Rogue/Archivist, and the last is running an Elf Arcane Archer(Literally is a wizard/fighter that will be going arcane archer as soon as he can).
For the most part my character seems to have become the official tank for the party since I have an above average defenses, and i come with built in DR. The issue is that I'm trying to figure out how to become better at being a lockdown character without trading out my main character concept of playing a character that just punches things with her fists. Originally when I came up with this character I was more focused on doing fear based shenanigans, but at the DM had me change my character for having 28 AC at level 4, I dropped all ideas for that and instead tried to work out different combos to work off of combat reflexes.
So big things for rules, all books and official first party content is open, 3rd party and anything Pathfinder is banned. The dm is allowing players to gain a feat every even level, and when every 4th level we're allowed to add a +1 to two different stats. My character is an Unseelie Fey (Winter Aspect) Magic Blooded Silverbrow human, my alignment is Chaotic Neutral, and at level 4 my stats are currently 13 Str, 21 Dex, 12 Con, 18 Int, 12 Wis, and 23 Cha. I am allowed access to one homebrew item, and that's being allowed to replace the tiger claw discipline from Tome of Battle with The Demented One's Dancing Leaf discipline. Currently on one side of my build I have 4 levels in Unarmed Swordsage, while the other side is Hit and Run Commander Fighter 1, Cleric of Time and Space 1, Battledancer 1, and Martial Chaotic Monk 1. The weapon I'm currently sticking with is a feycraft ward cestus.
For feats I currently have Improved Unarmed Strike, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Backstab, Karmic Strike, and Stand Still. Once I hit level 8 I'm planning on retraining one of my level 1 feats into Adaptive Style and then Retaking that feat at level 8 so I can start taking 2 levels of Master of the Nine. Feature wise I traded out Chaotic Monk's Flailing Blows for Decisive Strike, and we're using the rules variant for weapon proficiency that allows me to have access to 4 weapons groups so that I can wield a Ward Cestus without having to spend a feat for it, and for Maneuvers I'm focusing on counters and some boost, and mainly using strikes from Shadow Hand and Stone Dragon disciplines since I'm effectively allowed to add my charisma to any of my strike's saving throws as a morale bonus.
From here, at level 5 I was planning on taking a level in Crusader to get access to Steely Resolve and to hopefully by 6 have some way of gaining the thicket of blades stance, and after that really I just want to be able to improve my ability to just stand next to groups of people and not allow them to do anything without getting hit.
My original build had me taking on the non swordsage side 5 levels of Dragon Devotee (2 at level 6 and 7, another 1 at level 11, and then the last 2 at levels 14 and 15), 3 levels of Human paragon (1 at level 10, and then the last 2 at 12 and 13 so I can gain access to Draconic Aura and Double Draconic Aura at the same time,) and then on the swordsage side going SwordSage 1-7, Master of the Nine 8-9, and then SwordSage 10-17, then finally Master of the Nine 18-20. Now I'm just constantly wondering how useful Dragon Devotee really will be for me with the new build being aimed at trying to make use out of the outrageous amounts of AoO's I can make, so I'm wondering what some suggestions might be both base and prestige class wise to make this new direction be more fun.
Potential Feats I'm wanting to pick up, Leadership (For a cohort Artificer), Draconic Aura and Double Draconic Aura, Rolibar's Gambit, Mage-Slayer, Snap Kick, Elusive Dance, Riposte, Hold the Line, Supernatural Instincts, and possibly Weapon Focus (Ward Cestus) and Single Blade Style.
So yeah, any thoughts are welcome, would love to hear some ideas :).
For the most part my character seems to have become the official tank for the party since I have an above average defenses, and i come with built in DR. The issue is that I'm trying to figure out how to become better at being a lockdown character without trading out my main character concept of playing a character that just punches things with her fists. Originally when I came up with this character I was more focused on doing fear based shenanigans, but at the DM had me change my character for having 28 AC at level 4, I dropped all ideas for that and instead tried to work out different combos to work off of combat reflexes.
So big things for rules, all books and official first party content is open, 3rd party and anything Pathfinder is banned. The dm is allowing players to gain a feat every even level, and when every 4th level we're allowed to add a +1 to two different stats. My character is an Unseelie Fey (Winter Aspect) Magic Blooded Silverbrow human, my alignment is Chaotic Neutral, and at level 4 my stats are currently 13 Str, 21 Dex, 12 Con, 18 Int, 12 Wis, and 23 Cha. I am allowed access to one homebrew item, and that's being allowed to replace the tiger claw discipline from Tome of Battle with The Demented One's Dancing Leaf discipline. Currently on one side of my build I have 4 levels in Unarmed Swordsage, while the other side is Hit and Run Commander Fighter 1, Cleric of Time and Space 1, Battledancer 1, and Martial Chaotic Monk 1. The weapon I'm currently sticking with is a feycraft ward cestus.
For feats I currently have Improved Unarmed Strike, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Backstab, Karmic Strike, and Stand Still. Once I hit level 8 I'm planning on retraining one of my level 1 feats into Adaptive Style and then Retaking that feat at level 8 so I can start taking 2 levels of Master of the Nine. Feature wise I traded out Chaotic Monk's Flailing Blows for Decisive Strike, and we're using the rules variant for weapon proficiency that allows me to have access to 4 weapons groups so that I can wield a Ward Cestus without having to spend a feat for it, and for Maneuvers I'm focusing on counters and some boost, and mainly using strikes from Shadow Hand and Stone Dragon disciplines since I'm effectively allowed to add my charisma to any of my strike's saving throws as a morale bonus.
From here, at level 5 I was planning on taking a level in Crusader to get access to Steely Resolve and to hopefully by 6 have some way of gaining the thicket of blades stance, and after that really I just want to be able to improve my ability to just stand next to groups of people and not allow them to do anything without getting hit.
My original build had me taking on the non swordsage side 5 levels of Dragon Devotee (2 at level 6 and 7, another 1 at level 11, and then the last 2 at levels 14 and 15), 3 levels of Human paragon (1 at level 10, and then the last 2 at 12 and 13 so I can gain access to Draconic Aura and Double Draconic Aura at the same time,) and then on the swordsage side going SwordSage 1-7, Master of the Nine 8-9, and then SwordSage 10-17, then finally Master of the Nine 18-20. Now I'm just constantly wondering how useful Dragon Devotee really will be for me with the new build being aimed at trying to make use out of the outrageous amounts of AoO's I can make, so I'm wondering what some suggestions might be both base and prestige class wise to make this new direction be more fun.
Potential Feats I'm wanting to pick up, Leadership (For a cohort Artificer), Draconic Aura and Double Draconic Aura, Rolibar's Gambit, Mage-Slayer, Snap Kick, Elusive Dance, Riposte, Hold the Line, Supernatural Instincts, and possibly Weapon Focus (Ward Cestus) and Single Blade Style.
So yeah, any thoughts are welcome, would love to hear some ideas :).