Build: Max Dex Swordsman

[Mieko]

Hey there!

I'm currently building a character for a new campaign that has started recently. The theme is "dexterous swordsman with Dex as high as possible". Things that increase my dodge AC are ok as well (both Dex to AC and dodge AC I think illustrate the "char is awesome and completely dodges enemy attacks" part well). What follows is a little list of things I mustn't use and things I don't want to implement in the build:

- No shapechanging; The char is supposed to be a swordsman standing there with his sword.
- No ToB allowed
- No other AC boni; No natural, deflection, or other AC - I wanna dodge the bullets.

I did consult the "sources of bonuses to ability scores" and "x stat to y" handbooks, among other sources, and came up with the following build so far:

The sneaky evasive swordsman
Starting Score +18
Char Lvl +5
Gray Elf +2
Arm of Nyr +2 (Item, 12.800gp)
Clockwork Armor +4 (Item, 27.250gp)
A few rods of bodily restoration (Item, ???gp)
Monk's Belt (Item, 13.000gp)
Feycraft masterwork bastard sword (???gp (I'm lazy))
Lvl 1 Barbarian (spirit lion totem + ferocity ACFs) +4 (1/day)
Lvl 2 Psychic Warrior - adrenaline boost power +2 (Wis Mod /day) (bonus feat)
Lvl 3-7 Wizard (bonus metamagic feat)
Lvl 8-9 Wildrunner +6 (primal scream)
Lvl 10 Metaphysical Spellshaper
Lvl 11-20 Wyrm Wizard
---Lvl 12 (bard 4) inner beauty +4+2 spell learned
---Lvl 14 (runescared berserker 3) divine power learned
---Lvl 15 (sorc/wiz 5) transfusion +3(-6)+2 learned
---Lvl 16 (cleric 5) divine agility +10+2 learned
---Lvl 20 (druid 7) aura of vitality +4+2 learned

Feats
Ability Enhancer (Feat) (prereq Spell Focus (Transmutation), adds the +2 to each transmutation spell)
Extend Spell
Persist Spell
Power Attack
Leap Attack
Battle Jump
Agile Athlete (used to hit the leap atk/battle jump checks easier)
Endurance (prereq for wildrunner)
(No shock trooper - don't wanna get a hit to AC, especially as this build should get sufficient boni to attack rolls)

= 72 Dex = +31 Dex Mod, AC 41+Wis Mod

What I ask for now is opinions on the build and suggestions how to increase Dexterity / dodge AC further, and advice on how to improve the build in general. The build includes pounce, a feycraft bastard sword to make use of the high Dex for attack, sufficient damage, 55ft speed, Dex to jump cheufcks, high AC and even decent arcane spellcasting (up to lvl 7), although that came by accident. Maybe I did forget about some stf that would be beneficial; Maybe the build is nonsensical and I'd be much better off with a different approach to the theme. What I'd like the char to be is a better skillmonkey, though that can probably be achieved by using spells that replace skills (there's a handbook I did read).

Thanks!

Edit: Forgot: The wizard bonus feat enables me to take extend + persist spell, which is ofc needed to persist the +Dex spells.

[Twurps]

I'm having difficulties with the image of a dexterity based character wearing 250Lbs(!!) of armor. Having said that, there's nothing by RAW preventing you from doing this, so if you don't have the same problems. Go with it.

Is this supposed to be just a TO exercise in maxing dex? Or do you intent to play this? If the latter: be sure to run the clockwork armor by your DM. Because the armor is not included in the 'normal' Armor stat-blocks usually printed in a regular book, there's no mention of ASF or a maximum dex to AC. Does this mean it doesn't have any?

As I'm not familiar with quite a bit of the things in your build (ability enhancer?), I can't really comment on the thing as a whole. What caught my eye is:
-You claim to use 'extend' and 'persist' metamagic feats, but haven't listed them in your feat list. (a simple omission? I didn't do the math to see if they fit in)
-Persist adds a +6 to your spell level. As you are only able to cast up to lvl 7, you can only persist lvl1 spells. (or am I missing a metamagic reducer in there somewhere?).

[Mieko]

The clockwork armor and the arm of nyr both are optional but included as the campaign is quite...futuristic, like, totally would fit shadowrun. I did look for answers myself, and it seems that the "but" part that mentions a hit to dex means - according to community consensus - that the armor itself doesn't have a max dex to AC mod.
I intend to play that build. Not a TO attempt; Could probably reach a much higher dex modifier with alternate forms and certain wizard tricks for higher spells and such stuff, but I never did give TO a try.

Ability enhancer is a feat from dragon compendium - every transmutation spell I cast that enhances ability scores increases these ability scores by +2 more than normally.
I did forget to add extend and persist to the list, but the math is simple: I have 7 feats taken already, get 7 + 1 from psychic warrior and 1 from wizard 5 - makes a total of 9, hence, +extend +persist.

The metamagic reducer is metamagic spellshaper, which lets the caster cast metamagic'd spells and take ability damage instead of raising the spell level. The rods of bodily restoration let me cure that ability damage (where ability dmg heal spells, for example, won't). This PrC is quite overpowered, yet I'll only use it to persist the 4 +Dex spells. No maximized empowered extended persisted chained twin repeat baleful polymorph.

Hope I could help :smallsmile:

[LokeyITP]

Any reason for no ToB? It seems like you're using a ton of cheese and houserules (enhancement bonuses stacking) to do something not so great. A cleric 20 is going to be throwing dc 60 save or die/lose with a lot less book trawling under those rules.

RAW doesn't like Li Mu Bai :) I'd suggested homebrewing something like warhulk with some ab and class features (i.e. add dex with levels).

Or do something standard and refluff your actions and don't carry buildings around. And don't be one low level dispel away from useless/corpse.

[Mieko]

Any reason for no ToB? It seems like you're using a ton of cheese and houserules (enhancement bonuses stacking) to do something not so great. A cleric 20 is going to be throwing dc 60 save or die/lose with a lot less book trawling under those rules.

RAW doesn't like Li Mu Bai :) I'd suggested homebrewing something like warhulk with some ab and class features (i.e. add dex with levels).

Or do something standard and refluff your actions and don't carry buildings around. And don't be one low level dispel away from useless/corpse.

I'm...confused. Please elaborate.

- The DM doesn't like ToB / thinks the classes are too strong, sadly I can't convince him.
- Cheese and houserules? I don't know which parts of the build you mean.
- The only enhancement bonus I thought to have included is from the divine agility spell; Which others are there?
- I think a cleric 20 with DC 60 save or dies could melt a lot of martial builds? I wouldn't know how to prevent him from doing that, other than to prioritize the wizard side of the build.
- Li Mu Bai?
- No Homebrew. Forgot to mention that!
- Refluff my actions? Like "tell everyone the armor/deflection/natural bonuses / miss chance are dodge bonuses"? "Carry buildings around"? A phrase I don't know the meaning of, I'm afraid.