Bullet06320
2015-09-21, 12:28 AM
as originally posted by Dictum_Mortuum on WOTC boards on June 25, 2007
http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1121371
The Basket Weaver's Handbook
•Human: The extra feat is always useful, especially for skill focus (basket weaving).
•Goliath: You can make use of oversized baskets. Be careful though, level adjustment may be bad for your ranks in craft (basket weaving).
•Aquatic Elf: Very important race to those who want to weave their baskets underwater.
•Warforged: The important component for "The Tireless Weaver"! Can create baskets non-stop!
•Commoner (DMG): The ultimate basket weaving class. Lack of various class features makes you able to devote your self to the craft you are adept at: weaving baskets.
•Expert (DMG): A close second to the commoner in power. There are only a few base classes that can compete with these two in basket weaving power.
•Drunken Master (CW): Craft your baskets and use them to whack enemies.
•Hulking Hurler (CW): Craft baskets and fill them with horrible things. Throw your baskets of doom to enemies to whack them.
•Exemplar (CV): Mainly for skill artistry (basket weaving). This is a class for serious basket weavers.
•Human Paragon (UE): or the evolved-cheesy-dipping basket weaver, this is an option for those that want serious optimization. Many basket weaver builds that use human paragon compete even with pun-pun.
•Thrallhead: Nice, but remember that no one can weave baskets like you!
•Anointed Knight (BoED): Your ancestors have been basketweavers since the beginning of time, you have an ancestral basket that was handed to you by your father on his death bed. The basket is sentient and far wiser than you.
•Tattooed Monk (CW): You have a tattoo of a basket (some evil tongues say it looks more like a full moon) on your forehead, it helps you concentrate on basketweaving in the darkest hours. Luck bonus on skills checks (ie. basketweaving) at night.
•Exotic Weapon Master (CW): Just for the show off ability. Do what you do best. A good trick that helps especially on ladies.
Combat Reflexes (PHB): If someone foolish enough provokes an attack of opportunity from you, they will receive your basket's punishment more often!
•Exotic Weapon Proficiency (throwing basket or spiked basket) (PHB): Not necessary. It is purely used for style points.
•Improved Critical (PHB): Again your basket already deals loads of damage, what do you want a larger critical range for?
•Quick Draw (PHB): Draw your basket as a free action. One of the best feats out there. The faster you draw your improvised weapon of doom, the faster your enemies will turn in red clouds of blood!
•Weapon Focus/Greater (Baskets) (PHB): One of the best feats out there. Due to the high damage potential of baskets, even a +1 modifier greatly improves the damage output of basket weavers.
•Skill Focus (basket weaving) (PHB): Remember that this isn't just a feat, but rather an idea (and ideas are bulletproof? :D). No one is considered a true basket weaver if he doesn't have skill focus in the best skill in the world. Those who take it later than 1st level in their careers , are usually forever shunned by basket weaver society unless they provide a pretty good darn reason (such as fulfilling requirements for extra cheese with baskets).
•Two-Weapon Fighting/Improved/Greater (PHB): More attacks for you means that you can whack more enemies with your baskets.
•Weapon Specialization/Greater (PHB): Bad feat. First you must be a fighter to take this and that means you are an already suboptimal basket weaver. Second it offers just a little boost in damage of your basket when it already dishes tons of it.
•Armor Specialization (basket armor) (PHB II): Nice feat. While your basket armor may offer lots of AC bonus, this gives you damage reduction.
•Throw Anything (CW): Throw your basket with no penalty.
The Raging Paladin Monk by surreal
Basket-Weaving Build by Zemyla http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16924466&postcount=20 thanks rockdeworld for finding that
The Warforged Weaver by Tshern
these links are all broken, if anyone has the builds I will post or relink to them
The Item Familiar feat seems like a must for any true Basket Weaver. It allows you to invest skills, spells and life force in to your primary basket and gain bonuses to craft and XP for making it better!
Your basket becomes sentient, and eventually can gain greater powers and a purpose! What's more perfect than that? When you lose the Ego battle eventually, you don't care, because the special purpose is just to create more baskets anyway....
No basket weaving handbook would be complete without mention of the only spell that requires Basket weaving.
Beget Bogun: (SC et al)
DC 12 Craft Basketweaving check.
Archivist 1 Mercantile background
Archivist 2
Archivist 3 Skill focus (basket weaving)
Fighter 1 Quick draw
Fighter 2 Weapon focus (basket)
Fighter 3 Greater skill focus (basket weaving)
Fighter 4 Weapon specialization (basket)
Monk 1 Improved unarmed strike, Improved grapple
Monk 2 Combat reflexes
Psychic Warrior 1 Carmendine Monk
Psychic Warrior 2 Stunning fist
Archivist 4 Practiced spellcaster (Archivist)
Exemplar 1
Exemplar 2
Exemplar 3 Improved initiative, Combat casting
Exemplar 4
Exemplar 5
Sacred Fist 1 Earth's embrace
Sacred Fist 2
Sacred Fist 3
This diligent worker only needs a few items:
-Belt of Magnificence
-Tomes to boost intelligence and constitution.
-Competence bonus item to improve his weaving.
With such a minimal investment Gorumbo can do a variety of things. Perhaps the most important of which are:
-Grapple and beat his opponents to oblivion with baskets.
-Do MAGNIFICENT baskets.
-Use Craft (basket weaving) instead of Diplomacy checks in order to get more customers.
-Contribute to out-of-combat situations. He has a decent Diplomacy modifier and owing to his high intelligence score he can afford to invest in crossclass skills such as Spot, which also helps him to see the possible (yet rare) flaws in his creations.
-Sell the baskets for good profit because of Mercantile background.
-He does not need to sleep, so he can guard the party and weave the baskets at the same time.
Gorumbo is not a primary tank or damage dealer of any party, but he has viable combat strategies. Mostly he uses Divine power+Expansion to grapple his opponents. If possible, he weaves his opponents within the baskets during the grapple. He also enjoyes decent intelligence synergy, although Psychic Warrior manifesting still depends on wisdom.
He also gets Divine insight and that nets him a lot of bonuses to his weaving (which also covers the diplomatic parts of his life) and he can take 10 on every weaving check.
On top of this, his Craft (basket weaving) check results are way above normal standards. His check can be broken down to: 23 (ranks)+30 (competence bonus item)+2 (masterwork tools)+12 (intelligence)+6 (Greater skill focus)+15 (Divine insight spell)+1 (luck stone)+1 (+2 competence bonus to intelligence from Mechanus mind thanks to Archivist's ability to get access to domain spells, too)+10 (can take ten)=100!
Human Commoner 10/Anointed Knight 10
1 Skill Focus (basket weaving), Able Learner
3 Ancestral Relic
6 Heroic Destiny
9 Trophy Collector
11-20 Lots of combat feats
Able Learner so he is guaranteed to always know craft: basket weaving, the Ancestral Relic is naturally a basket. Heroic Destiny is amazing, +1d6 to a basket weaving check every day! Trophy Collector taken on the off chance that the DM lets him weave trophies into his baskets. Starting at 11th level he starts collecting AK bonus feats which unfortunately don't really improve his basket weaving much.
And then the Ancestral Basket:
Basket (Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 14)
Skills: Intimidate 12, bluff 12, speaks common, draconic, and abyssal
Special abilities: Dancing, Sizing, Morphing, Blindsighted, Aquatic, Ghost Touch, Smoking, Hideaway, Parrying, Spellblade, and about 120,000 gold coins worth of other enhancements
Hardness: 10 higher than normal masterwork basket
Hit points: 50 more than normal masterwork basket
Class: Human Paragon 3/Bard 9/Sublime Chord 2/Wayfarer Guide 1/Exemplar 1/Fatespinner 4
Progression: Human Paragon 1/Bard 9/Exemplar 1/Sublime Chord 2/Human Paragon 2/Wayfarer Guide 1/Fatespinner 4
Human Paragon 1 Skill focus (basket weaving), Able learner
Bard 1
Bard 2 Exotic weapon proficiency (basket)
Bard 3
Bard 4
Bard 5 Quick draw
Bard 6
Bard 7
Bard 8 Weapon focus (basket)
Bard 9
Exemplar 1
Sublime Chord 1 Greater skill focus (basket weaving)
Sublime Chord 2
Human Paragon 2 Skill focus (Perform: Weapon drill)
Human Paragon 3 Greater skill focus (Perform: Weapon drill)
Wayfarer Guide 1
Fatespinner 1
Fatespinner 2 Craft wondrous item
Fatespinner 3
Fatespinner 4
Guidelines for the character:
-Maximize intelligence and charisma. Constitution does not hurt either. Overall, the ability score priority should be something like: Int=Cha>Con>Wis>Str.
-Get something to keep her going. Heward's Fortifying Bedroll and a Ring of Sustenance are very potent options.
-Amaze people by making and selling baskets as well as performing for money. Profit!
-Max out Perform (Weapon drill), any other Perform and, of course, Craft (basket weaving).
Things worth noting:
-You need a lot of skills. That is why Human Paragon, Bard and Able learner are going to be damn handy.
-Her craft check for baskets is going to be amazingly high. 23 (ranks)+13 (intelligence)+1 (Luck stone)+1 (Mechanus mind, +2 competence bonus to intelligence)+30 (Competence bonus item)+15 (Wand of Divine Insight)+6 (Greater skill focus)+2 (Masterwork tools)+4 (Spin destiny)+4 (Greater Heroism)+10 (can take ten)=109!
-Her Perform (Weapon drill) check is: 23 (ranks)+12 (charisma, 17+tome+Nixie's grace+Righteous aura via Limited wish)+30 (competence)+1 (Luck stone)+15 (Divine insight)+4 (Greater Heroism)+5 (½ BAB)+4 (Quick draw and Weapon focus)+6 (Greater skill focus)+2 (masterwork tools, baskets that is)+4 (Spin destiny)+10 (takes ten)=116! Or with another Limited wish Christie's BAB will be 20, giving another +5, increasing her result all the way up 121! This is enough to convert creatures from hostile to fanatic with a single performance.
Christie is one of the few proud basket weavers who have dedicated their lives to not only make incredibly good, even magical, baskets but also to wandering around the world as an ambassador of the might of baskets of all kinds. Essentially, her performances reveal a small part of baskets' potential as weapons as well as utilitarian tools.
Her profession, or calling if you wish, requires her to travel a lot and thus magical means of moving around are very precious to her. Also, understanding magic enables her to create even greater baskets for those who truly need them. Indeed, she is so dedicated to her profession that most of her magical training has taken place merely for the good of the baskets. Now she can travel further with more baskets, have godly performances and create baskets good enough for the gods themselves.
Take enough Psion (Shaper) for Unincarnate for continuous Telekinetic Force, using your Bonus Feats for Schism, Metamorphosis, Control Object, and Object Reading. Take the Artiste Psicrystal for an obsessive / compulsive Basketweaving Psicrystal!
Important Powers:
Astral Construct-Ectoplasmic Animated Construct Baskets with Craft (Sculpt)
Minor Creation, Psionic-Baskets!
Psionic Repair Damage-Basket Healing!!!
Fabricate, Psionic-More Baskets!
Crystallize-Crystal Baskets!!
Fabricate, Greater Psionic-EVEN MORE Baskets!
Genesis-Make your own Basketweaving DEMIPLANE!
True Creation-STILL MORE BASKETS!
Schism-You AND your other mind can weave baskets with TK!
Metamorphosis-BECOME a Basket!
Control Object-Animate your Baskets!
Object Reading-Who's been touching my baskets?!
Far Hand-C'mere Basket!
Float-Sit on the ocean to weave baskets!
Grease, Psionic-Difficult to steal baskets!
Matter Agitation-Burning Baskets!
Detect Hostile Intent-Who wants to steal my baskets?!
Levitate, Psionic-Floating Baskets!!
Psionic Lock-You're not getting into my basket!
Solicit Psicrystal-Your psicrystal can make baskets!
Telekinetic Force-Weave Baskets with your MIND!
Telekinetic Thrust-Hurl Baskets
Touchsight-Weave Baskets in the Dark!
Matter Manipulation-Adamantine Baskets!
Affinity Field-You and all your friends become baskets!!
Nothing quite like hurling hundreds of Adamantine Baskets at your foes for over 120d6 a round!
Enjoy!
Don't overlook the four-armed, basket-weaving fury of a Thri-Kreen or a Xill.
Why stop there? Anthropomorphic Giant Squid!
http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1121371
The Basket Weaver's Handbook
•Human: The extra feat is always useful, especially for skill focus (basket weaving).
•Goliath: You can make use of oversized baskets. Be careful though, level adjustment may be bad for your ranks in craft (basket weaving).
•Aquatic Elf: Very important race to those who want to weave their baskets underwater.
•Warforged: The important component for "The Tireless Weaver"! Can create baskets non-stop!
•Commoner (DMG): The ultimate basket weaving class. Lack of various class features makes you able to devote your self to the craft you are adept at: weaving baskets.
•Expert (DMG): A close second to the commoner in power. There are only a few base classes that can compete with these two in basket weaving power.
•Drunken Master (CW): Craft your baskets and use them to whack enemies.
•Hulking Hurler (CW): Craft baskets and fill them with horrible things. Throw your baskets of doom to enemies to whack them.
•Exemplar (CV): Mainly for skill artistry (basket weaving). This is a class for serious basket weavers.
•Human Paragon (UE): or the evolved-cheesy-dipping basket weaver, this is an option for those that want serious optimization. Many basket weaver builds that use human paragon compete even with pun-pun.
•Thrallhead: Nice, but remember that no one can weave baskets like you!
•Anointed Knight (BoED): Your ancestors have been basketweavers since the beginning of time, you have an ancestral basket that was handed to you by your father on his death bed. The basket is sentient and far wiser than you.
•Tattooed Monk (CW): You have a tattoo of a basket (some evil tongues say it looks more like a full moon) on your forehead, it helps you concentrate on basketweaving in the darkest hours. Luck bonus on skills checks (ie. basketweaving) at night.
•Exotic Weapon Master (CW): Just for the show off ability. Do what you do best. A good trick that helps especially on ladies.
Combat Reflexes (PHB): If someone foolish enough provokes an attack of opportunity from you, they will receive your basket's punishment more often!
•Exotic Weapon Proficiency (throwing basket or spiked basket) (PHB): Not necessary. It is purely used for style points.
•Improved Critical (PHB): Again your basket already deals loads of damage, what do you want a larger critical range for?
•Quick Draw (PHB): Draw your basket as a free action. One of the best feats out there. The faster you draw your improvised weapon of doom, the faster your enemies will turn in red clouds of blood!
•Weapon Focus/Greater (Baskets) (PHB): One of the best feats out there. Due to the high damage potential of baskets, even a +1 modifier greatly improves the damage output of basket weavers.
•Skill Focus (basket weaving) (PHB): Remember that this isn't just a feat, but rather an idea (and ideas are bulletproof? :D). No one is considered a true basket weaver if he doesn't have skill focus in the best skill in the world. Those who take it later than 1st level in their careers , are usually forever shunned by basket weaver society unless they provide a pretty good darn reason (such as fulfilling requirements for extra cheese with baskets).
•Two-Weapon Fighting/Improved/Greater (PHB): More attacks for you means that you can whack more enemies with your baskets.
•Weapon Specialization/Greater (PHB): Bad feat. First you must be a fighter to take this and that means you are an already suboptimal basket weaver. Second it offers just a little boost in damage of your basket when it already dishes tons of it.
•Armor Specialization (basket armor) (PHB II): Nice feat. While your basket armor may offer lots of AC bonus, this gives you damage reduction.
•Throw Anything (CW): Throw your basket with no penalty.
The Raging Paladin Monk by surreal
Basket-Weaving Build by Zemyla http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16924466&postcount=20 thanks rockdeworld for finding that
The Warforged Weaver by Tshern
these links are all broken, if anyone has the builds I will post or relink to them
The Item Familiar feat seems like a must for any true Basket Weaver. It allows you to invest skills, spells and life force in to your primary basket and gain bonuses to craft and XP for making it better!
Your basket becomes sentient, and eventually can gain greater powers and a purpose! What's more perfect than that? When you lose the Ego battle eventually, you don't care, because the special purpose is just to create more baskets anyway....
No basket weaving handbook would be complete without mention of the only spell that requires Basket weaving.
Beget Bogun: (SC et al)
DC 12 Craft Basketweaving check.
Archivist 1 Mercantile background
Archivist 2
Archivist 3 Skill focus (basket weaving)
Fighter 1 Quick draw
Fighter 2 Weapon focus (basket)
Fighter 3 Greater skill focus (basket weaving)
Fighter 4 Weapon specialization (basket)
Monk 1 Improved unarmed strike, Improved grapple
Monk 2 Combat reflexes
Psychic Warrior 1 Carmendine Monk
Psychic Warrior 2 Stunning fist
Archivist 4 Practiced spellcaster (Archivist)
Exemplar 1
Exemplar 2
Exemplar 3 Improved initiative, Combat casting
Exemplar 4
Exemplar 5
Sacred Fist 1 Earth's embrace
Sacred Fist 2
Sacred Fist 3
This diligent worker only needs a few items:
-Belt of Magnificence
-Tomes to boost intelligence and constitution.
-Competence bonus item to improve his weaving.
With such a minimal investment Gorumbo can do a variety of things. Perhaps the most important of which are:
-Grapple and beat his opponents to oblivion with baskets.
-Do MAGNIFICENT baskets.
-Use Craft (basket weaving) instead of Diplomacy checks in order to get more customers.
-Contribute to out-of-combat situations. He has a decent Diplomacy modifier and owing to his high intelligence score he can afford to invest in crossclass skills such as Spot, which also helps him to see the possible (yet rare) flaws in his creations.
-Sell the baskets for good profit because of Mercantile background.
-He does not need to sleep, so he can guard the party and weave the baskets at the same time.
Gorumbo is not a primary tank or damage dealer of any party, but he has viable combat strategies. Mostly he uses Divine power+Expansion to grapple his opponents. If possible, he weaves his opponents within the baskets during the grapple. He also enjoyes decent intelligence synergy, although Psychic Warrior manifesting still depends on wisdom.
He also gets Divine insight and that nets him a lot of bonuses to his weaving (which also covers the diplomatic parts of his life) and he can take 10 on every weaving check.
On top of this, his Craft (basket weaving) check results are way above normal standards. His check can be broken down to: 23 (ranks)+30 (competence bonus item)+2 (masterwork tools)+12 (intelligence)+6 (Greater skill focus)+15 (Divine insight spell)+1 (luck stone)+1 (+2 competence bonus to intelligence from Mechanus mind thanks to Archivist's ability to get access to domain spells, too)+10 (can take ten)=100!
Human Commoner 10/Anointed Knight 10
1 Skill Focus (basket weaving), Able Learner
3 Ancestral Relic
6 Heroic Destiny
9 Trophy Collector
11-20 Lots of combat feats
Able Learner so he is guaranteed to always know craft: basket weaving, the Ancestral Relic is naturally a basket. Heroic Destiny is amazing, +1d6 to a basket weaving check every day! Trophy Collector taken on the off chance that the DM lets him weave trophies into his baskets. Starting at 11th level he starts collecting AK bonus feats which unfortunately don't really improve his basket weaving much.
And then the Ancestral Basket:
Basket (Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 14)
Skills: Intimidate 12, bluff 12, speaks common, draconic, and abyssal
Special abilities: Dancing, Sizing, Morphing, Blindsighted, Aquatic, Ghost Touch, Smoking, Hideaway, Parrying, Spellblade, and about 120,000 gold coins worth of other enhancements
Hardness: 10 higher than normal masterwork basket
Hit points: 50 more than normal masterwork basket
Class: Human Paragon 3/Bard 9/Sublime Chord 2/Wayfarer Guide 1/Exemplar 1/Fatespinner 4
Progression: Human Paragon 1/Bard 9/Exemplar 1/Sublime Chord 2/Human Paragon 2/Wayfarer Guide 1/Fatespinner 4
Human Paragon 1 Skill focus (basket weaving), Able learner
Bard 1
Bard 2 Exotic weapon proficiency (basket)
Bard 3
Bard 4
Bard 5 Quick draw
Bard 6
Bard 7
Bard 8 Weapon focus (basket)
Bard 9
Exemplar 1
Sublime Chord 1 Greater skill focus (basket weaving)
Sublime Chord 2
Human Paragon 2 Skill focus (Perform: Weapon drill)
Human Paragon 3 Greater skill focus (Perform: Weapon drill)
Wayfarer Guide 1
Fatespinner 1
Fatespinner 2 Craft wondrous item
Fatespinner 3
Fatespinner 4
Guidelines for the character:
-Maximize intelligence and charisma. Constitution does not hurt either. Overall, the ability score priority should be something like: Int=Cha>Con>Wis>Str.
-Get something to keep her going. Heward's Fortifying Bedroll and a Ring of Sustenance are very potent options.
-Amaze people by making and selling baskets as well as performing for money. Profit!
-Max out Perform (Weapon drill), any other Perform and, of course, Craft (basket weaving).
Things worth noting:
-You need a lot of skills. That is why Human Paragon, Bard and Able learner are going to be damn handy.
-Her craft check for baskets is going to be amazingly high. 23 (ranks)+13 (intelligence)+1 (Luck stone)+1 (Mechanus mind, +2 competence bonus to intelligence)+30 (Competence bonus item)+15 (Wand of Divine Insight)+6 (Greater skill focus)+2 (Masterwork tools)+4 (Spin destiny)+4 (Greater Heroism)+10 (can take ten)=109!
-Her Perform (Weapon drill) check is: 23 (ranks)+12 (charisma, 17+tome+Nixie's grace+Righteous aura via Limited wish)+30 (competence)+1 (Luck stone)+15 (Divine insight)+4 (Greater Heroism)+5 (½ BAB)+4 (Quick draw and Weapon focus)+6 (Greater skill focus)+2 (masterwork tools, baskets that is)+4 (Spin destiny)+10 (takes ten)=116! Or with another Limited wish Christie's BAB will be 20, giving another +5, increasing her result all the way up 121! This is enough to convert creatures from hostile to fanatic with a single performance.
Christie is one of the few proud basket weavers who have dedicated their lives to not only make incredibly good, even magical, baskets but also to wandering around the world as an ambassador of the might of baskets of all kinds. Essentially, her performances reveal a small part of baskets' potential as weapons as well as utilitarian tools.
Her profession, or calling if you wish, requires her to travel a lot and thus magical means of moving around are very precious to her. Also, understanding magic enables her to create even greater baskets for those who truly need them. Indeed, she is so dedicated to her profession that most of her magical training has taken place merely for the good of the baskets. Now she can travel further with more baskets, have godly performances and create baskets good enough for the gods themselves.
Take enough Psion (Shaper) for Unincarnate for continuous Telekinetic Force, using your Bonus Feats for Schism, Metamorphosis, Control Object, and Object Reading. Take the Artiste Psicrystal for an obsessive / compulsive Basketweaving Psicrystal!
Important Powers:
Astral Construct-Ectoplasmic Animated Construct Baskets with Craft (Sculpt)
Minor Creation, Psionic-Baskets!
Psionic Repair Damage-Basket Healing!!!
Fabricate, Psionic-More Baskets!
Crystallize-Crystal Baskets!!
Fabricate, Greater Psionic-EVEN MORE Baskets!
Genesis-Make your own Basketweaving DEMIPLANE!
True Creation-STILL MORE BASKETS!
Schism-You AND your other mind can weave baskets with TK!
Metamorphosis-BECOME a Basket!
Control Object-Animate your Baskets!
Object Reading-Who's been touching my baskets?!
Far Hand-C'mere Basket!
Float-Sit on the ocean to weave baskets!
Grease, Psionic-Difficult to steal baskets!
Matter Agitation-Burning Baskets!
Detect Hostile Intent-Who wants to steal my baskets?!
Levitate, Psionic-Floating Baskets!!
Psionic Lock-You're not getting into my basket!
Solicit Psicrystal-Your psicrystal can make baskets!
Telekinetic Force-Weave Baskets with your MIND!
Telekinetic Thrust-Hurl Baskets
Touchsight-Weave Baskets in the Dark!
Matter Manipulation-Adamantine Baskets!
Affinity Field-You and all your friends become baskets!!
Nothing quite like hurling hundreds of Adamantine Baskets at your foes for over 120d6 a round!
Enjoy!
Don't overlook the four-armed, basket-weaving fury of a Thri-Kreen or a Xill.
Why stop there? Anthropomorphic Giant Squid!