Iron Chef Optimisation Challenge in the Playground LXXVI

[Heliomance]

A dimly-lit library. Rows of bookshelves line the walls, and as the camera slowly pans over them, we see that they are filled with gaming books. From the original brown-cover D&D manuals to the newest fifth edition supplements, we are given a brief but breathtaking history of over four decades of gaming in visual form.

A pair of feet, clad in Converse, appear. The camera pans back to reveal the Chairwoman as she strides out into Optimization Stadium. Slowly, she looks around at the battleground. Rapidly, we are shown shots of the gaming materials here assembled: books, miniatures, maps, dice. The Chairwoman reaches down and picks up a twenty-sided die. She rolls it, then turns to the camera... and smiles.

The camera pulls back from the smile to reveal... the Iron Gamers. Row upon row they stand, clad in the uniform of their trade: t-shirts with fantasy images, buttons with obscure quotes from novels and movies, dice bags at the ready. The shot dissolves into flames and the logo:


Iron Gamer

A montage of the contestants plays, with summaries of their optimization triumphs and achievements. Interspersed are brief interviews. Finally, though, the introductions are over. The contestants stand arrayed before the Chairwoman.

Chairwoman: We unveil the ingredient!

Tense music plays as the pedestal containing the mystery ingredient rises from below. Stacked neatly on the pedestal are copies of Weapons of Legacy.

Chairwoman: This month's theme is... Legacy Champion! ALLEZ OPTIMISER!


http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/api/content/nl/en-us/SSZND2_6.0.0/com.ibm.etools.webreference.doc/images/hr_runtime.gif

Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef LXIX. Here in Optimisation Colosseum, contestants will endeavour to create an optimized and flavourful character using a specified D&D3.5 prestige class as a "Secret Ingredient".

Contestants: You will need to present a full 20-level build for your entry. Also required is a rundown of how your build works at lower levels, to demonstrate that it is a functional character that could be played from 1-20 in a real game. Traditionally contestants give "snapshots" of tactics and abilities at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, as well as a "sweet spot" of their choosing that represents what they believe to be the high point of the build. The purpose of these snapshots is not just to showcase your use of the SI, it is to demonstrate that your character is playable at every level. For this reason, it's still worth giving a snapshot before you have entered the SI.

Menu: The "special ingredient" can be drawn from any legal source. Originally, the plan was to mostly use Core and Completes, but that was a long time ago, and we've started running out of interesting classes to use if we restrict ourselves to those.

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.
NB: Official Errata and 3.5 updates to 3.0 content are considered valid regardless of whether their sources would otherwise be legal. This includes the 3.5 update of Oriental Adventures given in Dragon Magazine, and the 3.5 updates of Dragonlance Campaign Setting content given in later third party Dragonlance books.

Cooking Time: Contestants will have until 09:59 GMT on Sunday, Febrary 21st, 2016 to create their builds and PM them to the Chairwoman, Heliomance. Please put the name of your build in the subject line of your PM. Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying. Judges will have until 09:59 GMT on Sunday, March 6th, 2016 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 unless you're showcasing a new TO build you've discovered. 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!

We will award 1st through 3rd places, as well as a shout-out for honourable mention. The honourable mention prize is given to the most daring or unexpected build. Judges, contestants and guests alike are invited to vote for honourable mention via PM. If there are no votes, Honourable Mention will go to the chairwoman's favourite build.

The Builds

Past Competitions

Iron Chef I: Entropomancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142470)
Iron Chef II: Psibond Agent (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146583)
Iron Chef III: Cancer Mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148584)
Iron Chef IV: Stonelord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150595)
Iron Chef V: War Chanter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152543)
Iron Chef VI: Master of Masks (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156876)
Iron Chef VII: Green Star Adept (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158633)
Iron Chef VIII: Pyrokineticist (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160266)
Iron Chef IX: Animal Lord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162702)
Iron Chef X: Mythic Exemplar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164381)
Iron Chef XI: Blade Bravo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166539)
Iron Chef XII: War Mind (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9426386)
Iron Chef XIII: Vigilante (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172233)
Iron Chef XIV: Seeker of the Song (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174434)
Iron Chef XV: Drunken Master (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176049)
Iron Chef XVI: Assassin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178202)
Iron Chef XVII: Ardent Dilettante (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182492)
Iron Chef XVIII: Unseelie Dark Hunter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186097)
Iron Chef XIX: Dread Pirate (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=190607)
Iron Chef XX: Incandescent Champion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10976416)
Iron Chef XXI: Ghostwalker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=198921)
Iron Chef XXII: Dervish (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206576)
Iron Chef XXIII: Divine Crusader (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=210071)
Iron Chef XXIV: Tactical Soldier (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214198)
Iron Chef XXV: Scion of Tem-Et-Nu (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217441)
Iron Chef XXVI: Shadowdancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220956)
Iron Chef XXVII: Mindbender (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224008)
Iron Chef XXVIII: Cryokineticist (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227304)
Iron Chef XXIX: Consecrated Harrier (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229688)
Iron Chef XXX: Initiate of Pistis Sophia (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233346)
Iron Chef XXXI: Shadow Sentinel (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236908)
Iron Chef XXXII: Temple Raider of Olidammara (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239786)
Iron Chef XXXIII: Drow Judicator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243052)
Iron Chef XXXIV: Dragon Disciple (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246072)
Iron Chef XXXV: Death Delver (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249542)
Iron Chef XXXVI: Acolyte of the Skin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252923)
Iron Chef XXXVII: Justiciar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13865473)
Iron Chef XXXVIII: Hand of the Winged Master (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255215)
Iron Chef XXXIX: Renegade Mastermaker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260333)
Iron Chef XL: Nightsong Infiltrator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=263173)
Iron Chef XLI: Geomancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=266709)
Iron Chef XLII: Shadowblade (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270196)
Iron Chef XLIII: Bladesinger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274122)
Iron Chef XLIV: Urban Soul (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279116)
Iron Chef XLV: Talon of Tiamat (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15216595)
Iron Chef XLVI: Cipher Adept (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287314)
Iron Chef XLVII: Cold Iron Warrior (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291294)
Iron Chef XLVIII: Shadow Sun Ninja (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=297327)
Iron Chef XLIX: Thrall to Orcus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=302487)
Iron Chef L: Corrupt Avenger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307823)
Iron Chef LI: Black Flame Zealot (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312773)
Iron Chef LII: Anointed Knight (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317934)
Iron Chef LIII: Zerth Cenobite (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325164)
Iron Chef LIV: Osteomancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330890)
Iron Chef LV: Mountebank (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?336373-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LV)
Iron Chef LVI: Dwarven Defender (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?342807-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LVI)
Iron Chef LVII: Darkrunner (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?349040-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LVII)
Iron Chef LVIII: Spellsword (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?357412-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LVIII)
Iron Chef LIX: Fleet Runner of Ehlonna (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?364667-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LIX)
Iron Chef LX: Lasher (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?371835-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LX)
Iron Chef LX(II): Acolyte of the Ego (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?372145-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LX)
Iron Chef LXII: Dungeon Lord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?376810-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXII)
Iron Cheff LXIII: Witchborn Binder (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?382632-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXIII)
Iron Chef LXIV: Slime Lord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?387166-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXIV)
Iron Chef LXV: Thunder Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?394981-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXV)
Iron Chef LXVI: Dwarven Chanter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?400810-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXVI)
Irogn Chef LXVII: Gnome Giant Slayer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?406613-Irogn-Chef-Optimisatiogn-Challegnge-ign-the-Playgrougnd-LXVII)
Iron Chef LXIX: Fang of Lolth (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?412530-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXVIII)
Iron Chef LXIX: Shiba Protector (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?420165-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXIX)
Iron Chef LXX: Order of the Bow Initiate (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?425634-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXX)
Iron Chef LXXI: Silver Key (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?431484-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXI)
Iron Chef LXXII: Spellfire Channeler (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?439020-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXII)
Iron Chef LXXIII: Flux Adept (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?448596-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXIII)
Iron Chef LXXIV: Crinti Shadow Marauder (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?458711-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXIV)
Iron Chef LXXV: Thief of Life (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?472831-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXV)

[Heliomance]

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

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

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

Q: Are Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, or Kingdoms of Kalamar allowable sources?
A: 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.

Q: What about online sources in general?
A: 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.

Q: 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. In a similar vein, LA buyoff and fractional BAB are also disallowed. 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.

Q: What, exactly, does the ban on Leadership mean?
A: 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.

Q: What's the minimum score in a category?
A: 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 special requirement 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.

Q: Creatures and templates with no listed LA are playable, right?
A: 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.

Q: So what's the deal with equipment, anyway?
A: There is no official policy on how much equipment you should list. Historically, judges have frowned upon "item dependent" builds, but unfortunately the definition of that has been applied to mean anything from builds that don't function if you remove one very specific item, to builds that so much as mention a particular weapon. Builds that don't list gear should be assumed to buy useful generics - items to boost their primary stats, cloaks of resistance, appropriate magical weapons and armour, and so forth. If a build would find particular items useful, they should be listed, but experience suggests that the more generic you keep them, the more favourably judges are likely to look upon them, as a build being shut down because the Thundering Bagpipes of Urist McTrumpetbritches were unavailable is considered a weakness. Similarly, requiring items in order to be able to qualify for things tends to be frowned upon.

Q: Do you have any other rules and guidelines on how to judge?
A: We do, actually, designed to try and avoid unpleasantness we've encountered in past contests. The things we've come up with to avoid repeating this are given below.

One Mistake, One Penalty

Judges are only allowed to penalise once for a given mistake. If someone messes up their skills and doesn't qualify for a PrC, ding them as hard as you like. Once. In one category. You don't then get to declare that because they didn't qualify for that PrC, they don't get those levels, and thus don't qualify for anything else. If Ranger is a common ingredient, ding them for Originality. Once. Don't also take off points for Two-Weapon-Fighting being a common ingredient.

Non-exhaustive list of examples:

Skills

Allowed:

Giving a penalty for miscalculating the number of skill points gained
Giving a penalty for not having enough ranks to meet a prerequisite
Increasing the harshness of a skill miscalculation penalty if it affects critical skills including prereqs


Not allowed:

Giving separate penalties for miscalculating skill points and for non-qualification where the non-qualification is solely caused by the miscalculation



Prereqs

Allowed:

Giving a penalty for not meeting prereqs
Scaling the penalty depending on how important the item that the build failed to qualify for is
Giving minimum score in UotSI for not qualifying for the SI
(Trial, may be disallowed later)Not giving credit for (note: not the same as penalising for) tactics using feats or classes other than the SI that were not qualified for (but see below)


Not Allowed:

"Cascading" failures to qualify - declaring that because a build doesn't qualify for a feat, for example, it also doesn't qualify for anything using that feat as a prereq
Treating a build as having fewer levels than it does because of FtQ for classes



Other general things that are no longer allowed:

Penalising because someone has chosen to build a tribute to an existing creative work
Deciding that a backstory has not met a fluff prerequisite well enough, or because its method of meeting it is "unrealistic". You may penalise if a fluff prereq is not addressed at all, but not for how well it is addressed.


Note that these are protections, not licenses. Deliberately taking a feat that you know you don't qualify for hoping to just suck up the judging penalty for a feat that you couldn't normally take is not okay, and may lead to your build being disqualified.

Q: Do you have any contest house rules or clarifications to ambiguous rules?
A: Some that have come up in previous contests and needed answers to:

All creatures are proficient with any natural weapons they may have or acquire.
Bonus feats that are granted even if you do not meet the prerequisites do not require you to meet the prerequisites in order to use.
Able Learner's benefit applies to the level you take it.

[Venger]

Oh my God. The last subsystem I haven't learned.

Down to cook. I assume we need to use printed legacy weapons

[Heliomance]

Oh my God. The last subsystem I haven't learned.

Down to cook. I assume we need to use printed legacy weapons

I'm inclined to let you build your own, to be honest. The rules are fairly complete, if memory serves.

The real challenge here is somehow making a build that showcases the concept of Legacy Champion, when Legacy Champion's class features boil down to "more of whatever you were before"! :P

[WhamBamSam]

Huh. Well, we can expect the Vizzini effect to be at an all time high this round.

[Muggins]

You monster.

[Venger]

I'm inclined to let you build your own, to be honest. The rules are fairly complete, if memory serves.

The real challenge here is somehow making a build that showcases the concept of Legacy Champion, when Legacy Champion's class features boil down to "more of whatever you were before"! :P
Well that's certainly good to know.

Yeah there is that. Uotsi will be weird this round

[Sian]

the tricky bit about building your own legacy weapon is that it somewhat negates the usefulness of "Replace Legacy Ability"

[Heliomance]

Mm, the class does seem to be intended more for using an existing weapon than for founding your own legacy. Essentially, chefs, you have three options:


Use one of the existing weapons from the book.
Make up a new weapon of legacy with its own history and abilities, that your character finds as an existing weapon. Try to avoid making it match your character's abilities suspiciously closely.
Have your character found a legacy, and construct a custom weapon just for them. Be prepared to lose points in UotSI for not taking advantage of Replace Legacy Ability.

[Zaq]

What. I don't even.

I need a minute.

[ImSAMazing]

I will be participating. Bare with me, since this is my first Iron Chef. I have a small question: Do we have a limit of how much gear/money we may use? Or is it unlimited but points are being withdrawn from your score if you use to much money?

[Sian]

Generally your character is excepted to have generic items, but if there is specific items you absolutely need you'll have to specifically note them, in which case you might get pinged for it if its too specific and/or you don't have the resources to get it yourself.

[riccaru]

This is going to get crazy.

[Deadline]

I will be participating. Bare with me, since this is my first Iron Chef. I have a small question: Do we have a limit of how much gear/money we may use? Or is it unlimited but points are being withdrawn from your score if you use to much money?

If you haven't already, take a moment to review a few past contests and their entries. Also, read this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?287603-Handy-Tips-for-the-Iron-Chef-in-the-Playground-Noob).

The one thing you'll note is that level appropriate gear is assumed, so you don't need to list gear. The general feeling is, everyone gets better with gear, and we are here to present the characters, not the gear. That said, as others have mentioned, if you have a particular trick that requires a certain piece of gear (or your build requires a certain piece of gear), then you should list it. And in cases where a piece of gear is an integral part of the special ingredient (like in this competition), you obviously need to include that.

[Sian]

Is the any official weapons other than in Weapons of Legacy and Tome of Nine Swords?

[daremetoidareyo]

Is the any official weapons other than in Weapons of Legacy and Tome of Nine Swords?

bunch scattered around eberron books

[Deadline]

*sigh* Uninspiring and bland.



Naturally my brain finds an idea amid that wasteland. Assuming real life will allow me to take some time off, I'm tentatively in to cook.

[Zaq]

I will be participating. Bare with me, since this is my first Iron Chef. I have a small question: Do we have a limit of how much gear/money we may use? Or is it unlimited but points are being withdrawn from your score if you use to much money?

Generally, the less you rely on specific magic items, the better. Judges are especially apt to penalize if you need stat-boosting items to meet prereqs or to use SI class features. Every judge is different, but your safest bet is probably to present your strategy with as few magic items as possible. You can certainly include a wishlist, and there's a general underlying assumption that most characters will benefit from generic numbers-boosters (magic armor, Cloak of Resistance, stat boosters, etc.), but it's going to be safer to not include those numbers-boosters in your actual write-up. So for example, if you're presenting a character whose big trick relies on a saving throw with a DC of 10 + class level + CHA, figure out what that DC is at your write-up breakpoints based on your level and your unboosted CHA and present those DCs as your baseline numbers, then mention elsewhere that that save DC will be boosted if you find a Cloak of Charisma.

As far as nonmagical items go, again, every judge is different, but the majority of judges aren't going to assume that you're completely naked. (Though, if you have Monk levels or other build elements that would indicate that you have the capability to fight unarmed and/or unarmored, it's definitely going to be wise to be very clear about whether you're planning to equip yourself or not.) I generally try to specify what type of weapon my character uses, if appropriate, and at least what class of armor (heavy/medium/light) I'm aiming for. (I'm squishier on armor than on weapons because it's not that much gold to buy pretty much any kind of nonmagical weapon other than really gnarly composite bows, but there's lots of ways you can make armor fancy and expensive before you get any magic involved, so you might not want to assume you've got full plate or a mithral breastplate at level 1.)

Historically, if I want my character to have access to a specific magic item, I generally try to squeeze in the appropriate item crafting feat; I'm going to say it a million times, every judge is different, but many judges will be more forgiving about assuming you have access to an item that you can craft on your own than they are about items you have to rely on finding or buying. (That's only if I need something really specific, though. As an example, Benjamin Nutt, my Acolyte of the Ego entry, needed an Amulet of the Silver Tongue and ideally a custom Truespeak item to meet his Truespeak checks, so I made damn sure that I could fit in Craft Wondrous Item to be certain that I'd have access to those things. As another example, in the Flux Adept Round, the SI had a class feature that allowed you to reuse a potion you'd recently drunk, so several chefs took Brew Potion or an equivalent in order to guarantee that they'd have access to potions to use this way.)

This specific contest is a little different from normal, given that we HAVE to have access to a legacy item in order to qualify for the SI. Since this is an unusual situation, I'm not going to have a lot of specific advice about how to talk about your specific legacy item. But as far as your non-legacy items go, try to minimize how important they are to the build.

[Deadasadoor]

Oh... Oh dear Pelor....

Never thought I'd see this ingredient. I have a very cheesy idea, but I feel like it won't be original as I think.

[Darrin]

I think we're going to need an official ruling:

Can you continue to gain class features by advancing a class beyond the printed class levels? For example, Wayfarer Guide (Complete Adventurer) is only three levels long. Can I use Legacy Champion to level up to Wayfarer Guide 4, which means Enhanced Capacity allows me to teleport an additional 4 medium-sized creatures instead of 3?

(I am going to assume that infinite class feature recursion via Uncanny Trickster <-> Legacy Champion is well beyond even exceedingly permissive definitions of "illegal".)

[Venger]

Is the any official weapons other than in Weapons of Legacy and Tome of Nine Swords?

There are also some in expedition to castle ravenloft

[Amphetryon]

Ugh, the pain. This could be an interesting round, where folks dabble in cheddar, methinks.

[Heliomance]

I think we're going to need an official ruling:

Can you continue to gain class features by advancing a class beyond the printed class levels? For example, Wayfarer Guide (Complete Adventurer) is only three levels long. Can I use Legacy Champion to level up to Wayfarer Guide 4, which means Enhanced Capacity allows me to teleport an additional 4 medium-sized creatures instead of 3?

(I am going to assume that infinite class feature recursion via Uncanny Trickster <-> Legacy Champion is well beyond even exceedingly permissive definitions of "illegal".)

You may do this if you like. Judges may also slam you for it if they like.

As for the white text, I don't know how it works but it had the word infinite in it so no :p

[Piggy Knowles]

This should be interesting. I think one of the more difficult aspects is not going to be figuring out what to do with the SI, but delicately toeing the line between originality and known cheese. This class has been such a CharOp staple for so long that most of the usual exploits have been known for years. I'll be interested to see what new and fun exploits this contest may bring.

Not sure yet whether I'll be cooking this round. If not, I'll try to judge.

[Darrin]

As for the white text, I don't know how it works but it had the word infinite in it so no :p

Take Uncanny Trickster to at least 2. Then take Legacy Champion up to 2. Use Legacy Champion 2 to get the class features of Uncanny Trickster 3. Use Uncanny Trickster 3 to get the class features of Legacy Champion 3. Use Legacy Champion 3 to get the class features of Uncanny Trickster 4. Use Uncanny Trickster 4 to get Legacy Champion 4, and so forth, ad infinitum.

[daremetoidareyo]

I have a question about what happens when you return to your class levels after doing a stint in legacy champion.

Example:

If I take Cleric 2/paladin 3 / legacy champion 4 / paladin 2, where do i start off my class features. Do I get a second disbursement of the ability to turn undead by picking up the fourth level of paladin by returning to the legit source (paladin class levels)? Do I get another mount?

[Sian]

Legacy Champion works for all intends and purposes (except for the Chassis) as if you had taken a level in it so in your case your 4th and 5th level of Paladin would effectively have been 7th and 8th

[Heliomance]

Take Uncanny Trickster to at least 2. Then take Legacy Champion up to 2. Use Legacy Champion 2 to get the class features of Uncanny Trickster 3. Use Uncanny Trickster 3 to get the class features of Legacy Champion 3. Use Legacy Champion 3 to get the class features of Uncanny Trickster 4. Use Uncanny Trickster 4 to get Legacy Champion 4, and so forth, ad infinitum.

What effect does that even have? O_o

[Venger]

Take Uncanny Trickster to at least 2. Then take Legacy Champion up to 2. Use Legacy Champion 2 to get the class features of Uncanny Trickster 3. Use Uncanny Trickster 3 to get the class features of Legacy Champion 3. Use Legacy Champion 3 to get the class features of Uncanny Trickster 4. Use Uncanny Trickster 4 to get Legacy Champion 4, and so forth, ad infinitum.

But there are only three levels of uncanny trickster

What would that accomplish? I feel like I'm missing something

[Darrin]

What effect does that even have? O_o

Not all that much, considering you have infinite class features!

I was going to say, it allows you to take all 10 levels of Legacy Champion by only taking 4 class levels, but the loop breaks down on Legacy Champion 7. So you'd have to take up to Legacy Champion 8 to activate the loop, at which point you can get the class features of Legacy Champion 9 and 10 without actually taking LC 9/10... but you had to take UT 1/2 instead, so overall it's still 10 class levels to get all the class features of Legacy Champion 10.

However, every level of Uncanny Trickster gives you Bonus Trick and Favorite Trick, so you wind up with all the skill tricks you can qualify for, and can use them twice per encounter.

There may be an infinite caster level loop possible with Master Spellthief shenanigans (if you can count UT/LC as classes that advance arcane spellcasting), but that sort of ruleswonkery might be a stretch too far even for me.

[Amechra]

Are custom Weapons of Legacy allowed, or do we have to use one from the book (or Tome of Battle)?

[Venger]

Are custom Weapons of Legacy allowed, or do we have to use one from the book (or Tome of Battle)?


I'm inclined to let you build your own, to be honest. The rules are fairly complete, if memory serves.


Mm, the class does seem to be intended more for using an existing weapon than for founding your own legacy. Essentially, chefs, you have three options:


Use one of the existing weapons from the book.
Make up a new weapon of legacy with its own history and abilities, that your character finds as an existing weapon. Try to avoid making it match your character's abilities suspiciously closely.
Have your character found a legacy, and construct a custom weapon just for them. Be prepared to lose points in UotSI for not taking advantage of Replace Legacy Ability.


Remember, there's also some items in expedition to castle ravenloft.

[Sian]

by looking around I've found Weapons of Legacy in these books

Weapons of Legacy (duh)
Tome of Battle
Dragon Magic
Eberron: Forge of War
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
Expedition to Demonweb Pits
White Plume Mountain revised 3.5 (online only ... pdf is no longer on Wizards, so you'll have to find it floating around somewhere)

[Sian]

That said, uncertain from reading the book but is it by RAW possible to add greater legacies on legacy items that doesn't have them? ... and in terms of the contest, how would such an item be considered given the theres an acceptence for homecooked legacies.

connected on the second one, can item legacies be your submitted characters legacy?

[Venger]

by looking around I've found Weapons of Legacy in these books

Weapons of Legacy (duh)
Tome of Battle
Dragon Magic
Eberron: Forge of War
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
Expedition to Demonweb Pits
White Plume Mountain revised 3.5 (online only ... pdf is no longer on Wizards, so you'll have to find it floating around somewhere)

very helpful. Thanks for the list

[MisterKaws]

I'd suggest having all forms of prestige class level overloading by legacy champion be illegal, otherwise this will be the new record for lowest average elegance score ever.

[Venger]

I'd suggest having all forms of prestige class level overloading by legacy champion be illegal, otherwise this will be the new record for lowest average elegance score ever.

Huh? That's literally all legacy champion does, so I don't see that happening.

[Deadline]

Yikes, I'd forgotten just how much the printed Legacy weapons suck. Yeesh. It's like cooking 100 Year Old Eggs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg) with a side of Durian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian) fruit.


Glorious.

[Deadline]

Huh? That's literally all legacy champion does, so I don't see that happening.

I believe he's referring to using Legacy Champion to advance a Prestige Class beyond it's normal number of levels. That enters very uncertain waters from a rules standpoint, which will likely mean a heavy elegance penalty from judges.

[Sian]

oh and ... there's also this (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20050930a) Item which is either a small heavy mace or a small Quarterstaff, depending on if you are a Psychic warrior or a Psion/Wilder ... weirdly enough given that the history bit talks about a (medium sized) dwarf making it.

As for White Plume Mountain, given that the revised version which had the Items of Legacy was a free upload here (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20051207a), I'd be inclined to disregard shops trying to sell it, as they're most likely selling whats free.

[Venger]

I believe he's referring to using Legacy Champion to advance a Prestige Class beyond it's normal number of levels. That enters very uncertain waters from a rules standpoint, which will likely mean a heavy elegance penalty from judges.
Ah, okay, that makes more sense.

Again, that's the only unique function LC actually serves. If all I wanted was my own class features, I'd have stayed put. I hope this ruling isn't made since it'll block out rather a lot of useful entries into LC.


oh and ... there's also this (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20050930a) Item which is either a small heavy mace or a small Quarterstaff, depending on if you are a Psychic warrior or a Psion/Wilder ... weirdly enough given that the history bit talks about a (medium sized) dwarf making it.

As for White Plume Mountain, given that the revised version which had the Items of Legacy was a free upload here (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20051207a), I'd be inclined to disregard shops trying to sell it, as they're most likely selling whats free.

Fair enough. edited accordingly.

In the intervening time, I have found the information elsewhere, but I'll wait to hear whether it's kosher to post it before putting a link.

since it was, as Sian says, put up for free, is it all right if I put a link to the white plume mountain adventure, chair?

[Douglas]

Might be worth noting since it's easy to miss, the Least/Lesser/Greater Legacy feats are granted as a free bonus when you complete the corresponding legacy ritual. You do not need to spend feat slots on them. See Weapons of Legacy page 9 for reference.


since it was, as Sian says, put up for free, is it all right if I put a link to the white plume mountain adventure, chair?
Huh. WotC put it up for free on their website, and I rather doubt they'd do that if they didn't have the rights to it, and the site with the links is still there (albeit archived), but the links themselves are broken. I'm not sure how that affects the copyright question.

[Deadline]

Again, that's the only unique function LC actually serves.

Well, aside from what the class was actually designed to do, which is grant bonuses and assist with unlocking the abilities of one of a number of awful Weapons of Legacy.

I'm not saying advancing prestige class abilities beyond their limit should be outright banned, but if I were judging, I'd certainly hit them just as hard as I would elsewhere, like trying to use a +1 level of existing spellcasting class PrC to advance a PrC with its own casting past its limit. Aside from some edge cases where the wording works in your favor, you are pretty much adding 4 + cat and trying to claim it's anything other than NaN :smallwink:.

That said, the class feature advancement of this ingredient does have other uses beyond the obvious. Not sure I'll use any of them though.

[Venger]

Huh. WotC put it up for free on their website, and I rather doubt they'd do that if they didn't have the rights to it, and the site with the links is still there (albeit archived), but the links themselves are broken. I'm not sure how that affects the copyright question.
Okay. Well, I'll hold off until we get the okay, in case anyone wants to use any of those weapons.


Well, aside from what the class was actually designed to do, which is grant bonuses and assist with unlocking the abilities of one of a number of awful Weapons of Legacy.
Well yeah but who cares about that?


I'm not saying advancing prestige class abilities beyond their limit should be outright banned, but if I were judging, I'd certainly hit them just as hard as I would elsewhere, like trying to use a +1 level of existing spellcasting class PrC to advance a PrC with its own casting past its limit. Aside from some edge cases where the wording works in your favor, you are pretty much adding 4 + cat and trying to claim it's anything other than NaN :smallwink:.

That said, the class feature advancement of this ingredient does have other uses beyond the obvious. Not sure I'll use any of them though.

Okay, good, I don't think it should be banned either.

Huh? Why? What you're describing is overtly illegal. Legacy champion works differently and is an instance of specific trumping general:


At each level except 1st and 7th, you gain class features and an increase in effective
level as if you had also gained a level in a class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level.

I can certainly see how you might not like using legacy champion, but it isn't against any rules I can see.

Obviously, it'd only work for classes that say "at each level, (foo)" versus "at level 3, 6, and 9, you get (foo)" if that's what you're saying then of course I agree.

Are you planning to judge?

Either way, I think a ruling on this would be helpful.

[The Viscount]

Oh lord this is going to be a tough one. With allowed Legacy Item and procession past the finish of a class? This makes it very interesting indeed.

Also, is this the first time that a secret ingredient had such a hard line on entry with no real means of getting around it?




Either way, I think a ruling on this would be helpful.

We got one, it's this.


You may do this if you like. Judges may also slam you for it if they like.

As for the white text, I don't know how it works but it had the word infinite in it so no :p

[Venger]

Oh lord this is going to be a tough one. With allowed Legacy Item and procession past the finish of a class? This makes it very interesting indeed.

Also, is this the first time that a secret ingredient had such a hard line on entry with no real means of getting around it?

While initiate of pistis sophia didn't have an explicit level cap in place, the way it screwed up its feats also made it so it wasn't enterable until at least 10

[The Viscount]

Ah but that can only be entered at 10 because of hidden horrible design, needing ki strike lawful by/before level 10. I'm not entirely convinced that the designers were aware that this happened.

This is one where the designers strictly say you can only enter via attaining character level 10th.

[Zaq]

Yikes, I'd forgotten just how much the printed Legacy weapons suck. Yeesh. It's like cooking 100 Year Old Eggs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg) with a side of Durian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian) fruit.


Glorious.

I was going to say something very similar, though perhaps with a less colorful analogy. There's a reason that Weapons of Legacy is the only book I hard-banned back when I used to GM (not that I've GMed 3.5 anytime recently), and there's a reason that I've never even attempted to use it on any character I've ever concocted. These rules are awful. These costs are nowhere near appropriate for the benefits.

Is it ever even explicitly stated which abilities are Least/Lesser/Greater? It seems to heavily imply that Least is 5-10, Lesser is 11-16, and Greater is 17+, but is that explicitly spelled out anywhere?

[MisterKaws]

At each level except 1st and 7th, you gain class features and an increase in effective
level as if you had also gained a level in a class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level.

We could consider this too: You can't normally over-advance in any class, and Legacy Champion explicitly says you are advancing the class in the same way as you normally would. Based on this, it should be also RAW-illegal to advance classes over their normal maximum by using Legacy Champion, as it says nothing about going over a certain limit.

[Venger]

Ah but that can only be entered at 10 because of hidden horrible design, needing ki strike lawful by/before level 10. I'm not entirely convinced that the designers were aware that this happened.

This is one where the designers strictly say you can only enter via attaining character level 10th.

Oh, yeah there's no way they did that on purpose.

In that case, I think legacy champion is a first in kitchen stadium

[WhamBamSam]

Ah, okay, that makes more sense.

Again, that's the only unique function LC actually serves. If all I wanted was my own class features, I'd have stayed put. I hope this ruling isn't made since it'll block out rather a lot of useful entries into LC.There's also the other thing (which I could probably just say, since it's pretty well-known, but I'll steer clear of speculation), but on the whole, I agree. Legacy Champion has little to offer in terms of non-shenanigan functions. Sometimes the ingredient you're asked to cook with is some manner of weird artisanal cheese. We should just embrace it and try to find a nice wine pairing.

[AvatarVecna]

The problem with the idea of ruling that LC can't advance something beyond it's max level means that the only reason to take Legacy Champion instead of continuing to take what you took before taking LC is because the benefits it provides other than slower advancement of those class features is "advantages" in a sub-system with ****ty and limited RAW-legal options. In the past, I've run into (and seen others run into) a problem when submitting in that there was basically no reason for their character to become the Secret Ingredient, instead of something else. Unless you're a pretty unoptimized non-caster non-initiator, it won't be much of an upgrade...although if you are a monk or fighter, and you take this, it can get decidedly awesome (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1009.html) comparatively (assuming your legacy item is sufficiently capable).

Yes, I know Legacy Champion stuff isn't mechanically what's happening there, but it's something similar.

[Venger]

I was going to say something very similar, though perhaps with a less colorful analogy. There's a reason that Weapons of Legacy is the only book I hard-banned back when I used to GM (not that I've GMed 3.5 anytime recently), and there's a reason that I've never even attempted to use it on any character I've ever concocted. These rules are awful. These costs are nowhere near appropriate for the benefits.

Is it ever even explicitly stated which abilities are Least/Lesser/Greater? It seems to heavily imply that Least is 5-10, Lesser is 11-16, and Greater is 17+, but is that explicitly spelled out anywhere?

There are rules for this, but they're confusing and difficult to find:

When you complete the rituals for least, lesser, and greater, then you gain those feats free without needing to buy them

HOWEVER

the feats lie dormant and don't actually do anything until you meet the listed prereqs, given on the feat section on page 13-14. the only req (aside from ceremony) is indeed level and that's where the rules are


We could consider this too: You can't normally over-advance in any class, and Legacy Champion explicitly says you are advancing the class in the same way as you normally would. Based on this, it should be also RAW-illegal to advance classes over their normal maximum by using Legacy Champion, as it says nothing about going over a certain limit.

We could, but I have no idea why we would. It'd take the SI from nearly worthless to completely worthless since it now offers nothing over just taking more levels of whatever class you were already in.


There's also the other thing (which I could probably just say, since it's pretty well-known, but I'll steer clear of speculation), but on the whole, I agree. Legacy Champion has little to offer in terms of non-shenanigan functions. Sometimes the ingredient you're asked to cook with is some manner of weird artisanal cheese. We should just embrace it and try to find a nice wine pairing.


I... have no idea what you mean (no pressure to speculate) so good luck with whatever other use for LC exists.

[MisterKaws]

We could, but I have no idea why we would. It'd take the SI from nearly worthless to completely worthless since it now offers nothing over just taking more levels of whatever class you were already in.

This time's challenge is not about who can use shenanigans better, it's about who can make a nonsuckish Legacy build. It seems pretty clear from previous versions that any kind of TO will result in an elegance hit proportional to how game-breaking it is, people can still do it, but the judges won't take it well.

[Venger]

This time's challenge is not about who can use shenanigans better, it's about who can make a nonsuckish Legacy build. It seems pretty clear from previous versions that any kind of TO will result in an elegance hit proportional to how game-breaking it is, people can still do it, but the judges won't take it well.

eh, depends on the judges. builds like frater omnia back in mindbender are certainly capable of doing well. we'll see what the ruling is re: using legacy champion's class features

[Amphetryon]

We could consider this too: You can't normally over-advance in any class, and Legacy Champion explicitly says you are advancing the class in the same way as you normally would. Based on this, it should be also RAW-illegal to advance classes over their normal maximum by using Legacy Champion, as it says nothing about going over a certain limit.

I'd be more inclined to this reading, if the word 'normally' were actually included within the Legacy Champion explicit text. Barring the notion that my copy has different verbiage than yours, 'normal' and 'normally' are not used in the passage you're citing as 'explicitly' describing how to advance the Class.

[WeaselGuy]

Well, for 1, I made a bunch of stupid mistakes last round with Brother Hellakanus. I think I'm burnt on cooking for a while. That being said, I think I might be inclined to judge for the first time! Does anybody happen to have that handbook for judging handy, by chance?

[Venger]

Well, for 1, I made a bunch of stupid mistakes last round with Brother Hellakanus. I think I'm burnt on cooking for a while. That being said, I think I might be inclined to judge for the first time! Does anybody happen to have that handbook for judging handy, by chance?

Don't get too discouraged. We all make mistakes sometimes. What I like to do is keep a list, that way I can try to ensure it doesn't happen again (I'm certainly never going to forget how dragontouched works again). You're certainly under no pressure to cook. this is a tough ingredient.

do you mean this thread? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?287603-Handy-Tips-for-the-Iron-Chef-in-the-Playground-Noob)

[Muggins]

Well, for 1, I made a bunch of stupid mistakes last round with Brother Hellakanus. I think I'm burnt on cooking for a while. That being said, I think I might be inclined to judge for the first time! Does anybody happen to have that handbook for judging handy, by chance?
You should've seen my first time. I think I came in last. :smallwink:

[Inevitability]

Told you we should've gone with blackguard. :smallwink:

[Heliomance]

since it was, as Sian says, put up for free, is it all right if I put a link to the white plume mountain adventure, chair?

I'm not prepared to make a ruling on that. If course, if it happens to get passed around by PM, there's not a lot I can do about it even if it does break the rules.

Regarding over progressing short classes: it's allowed, but as very well known cheese, I would be extremely surprised if judges doesn't mark it down hard.

[Muggins]

I knew the Legacy rules were bad, but I didn't know they were this bad.

I don't even think spellcasters can make this ingredient good.

[Heliomance]

Huh. WotC put it up for free on their website, and I rather doubt they'd do that if they didn't have the rights to it, and the site with the links is still there (albeit archived), but the links themselves are broken. I'm not sure how that affects the copyright question.

I've just noticed you're a mod :smalltongue: Would it be possible to get a mod-hat ruling on whether we're allowed to do this?

[Requiem_Jeer]

I knew the Legacy rules were bad, but I didn't know they were this bad.

I don't even think spellcasters can make this ingredient good.

Speaking from experience, they're alright if you throw the personal costs out completely. The DM has to do a little extra work to make the treasure come out okay, but you get a half-decent item with some extra flavor tacked on.

But for this? Without using the cheese the class is capable of, you're going to have to accept that there's not much of a reason to become a legacy champion mechanically instead of doing a more normal build.

There's a few builds that have spare levels in the middle though, and a spellcaster just loses the kind of wiggle room most usually have to blow a level or two on nice features.

But hopefully you can do some neat stuff with your legacy weapon to make up for it.

[Heliomance]

But for this? Without using the cheese the class is capable of, you're going to have to accept that there's not much of a reason to become a legacy champion mechanically instead of doing a more normal build.


I think Legacy Champion isn't something you normally plan on becoming. It's for if you find a sweet legacy weapon in play, and you want to use it and customise it a bit, without having to change your entire build concept.

[JyP]

Speaking from experience, they're alright if you throw the personal costs out completely. The DM has to do a little extra work to make the treasure come out okay, but you get a half-decent item with some extra flavor tacked on.

But for this? Without using the cheese the class is capable of, you're going to have to accept that there's not much of a reason to become a legacy champion mechanically instead of doing a more normal build.
let me quote myself from an older thread :

At 10th level, Planeshifter's Knife costs 2302 gp + 3200 gp for the first legacy ritual.

If it was custom magic items it would be 2302 gp (+1 dagger) + detect alien which should be 1x5x1800 gp, see invisibility 5/day which is 2x5x1800 gp, rope trick 2x10x 2000/5 gp, hide from undead 1x5x1800/5 gp = 2302 + 36,000 gp. Or as a single item : as it uses multiple several abilities (DMG p.282), it could be 29,250 gp instead of 36,000 gp. Or 45,000 gp with the "multiple different abilities" rule on DMG p. 285.

=> a 10th-level character has 49,000 gp as WBL...

From my point of view, players can very easily see the costs for Legacy Items, and it's a mighty deterrent. But it is very difficult to see benefits on WBL as it is handled by DMs anyway, and not showed at all in the book.

Planeshifter's Knife would be usable for an X-Files low-magic campaign againt aliens (great for Mulder against shapeshifters), not every campaign, sure. Maybe every item of legacy was created to over-specialize againt specific circumstances - and like artefacts, items of legacy should be handled as story items with impacts on the campaign, not random treasures. It makes no sense to use Planeshifter's Knife for a 3rd-level to 10th-level spellcaster, as you said.
to sum up : this can be a free magic item, tailored for your needs, not costing any WBL. and with Legacy Champion you keep all class features... so why not use it :smallbiggrin:

[Vaz]

How does Legacy Champion (et al) interact with Initiator progression? Do they add both +1 for advancing Martial Class, and +0.5 for being a nome initator, or +1 only because it is now an initator necause it advances Martial class?

[Heliomance]

How does Legacy Champion (et al) interact with Initiator progression? Do they add both +1 for advancing Martial Class, and +0.5 for being a nome initator, or +1 only because it is now an initator necause it advances Martial class?

I'll say +1 for every level that it's progressing a Martial Class, and +0.5 for any other levels.

[OMG PONIES]

What. I don't even.

I need a minute.

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/55063633.jpg

[WhamBamSam]

I'll say +1 for every level that it's progressing a Martial Class, and +0.5 for any other levels.Ah well. IL bootstrapping with the levels progressing an initiator class counting for +1.5 was the "other thing" I was hinting at. Guess that puts the kybosh on that.

[Venger]

Ah well. IL bootstrapping with the levels progressing an initiator class counting for +1.5 was the "other thing" I was hinting at. Guess that puts the kybosh on that.
Since that's the only other thing worth doing with this class I personally wouldn't worry about it. It's like qualifying for thief of life on time m there's a small number of ways to do it so everyone going to be doing the same things

[Muggins]

I've got something really, really stupid to do with this class. Beware.

For simple clarification purposes, because the Legacy Weapon rules are apparently really dense: How does one go about unlocking Lesser and Greater legacies with the Legacy Champion? Does it circumvent the need to have the Lesser Legacy and Greater Legacy feats through its Reduced Ritual Cost (Lesser/Greater) class feature, or does it need to take those feats with its Bonus Legacy Feat class feature in order to progress its legacy further than the prerequisite Least Legacy feat allows?

Basically, does the Legacy Champion class unlock the lesser and greater legacy tiers automatically, or does it need to spend feats like everyone else?

[daremetoidareyo]

Let me get this straight:

You have to make a ritual wherein you dump thousands of XP and Gold. Then you have to take a hit on your most prized abilities like attack bonuses, skill points, and hp, and in return you get one item that has +20 to resist sunder attempts as well as limited uses of spells that are about 5 levels below your character level.

None of the abilities grant the effect of feats. None of the menu items allow you to simply choose any spell; you have to choose from an unimpressive array.

[JyP]

Basically, does the Legacy Champion class unlock the lesser and greater legacy tiers automatically, or does it need to spend feats like everyone else?
you don't need feat slots for least/lesser/greater legacies feats - they are added as bonus feats, when you do the right ritual.

Legacy Champion allows you to not have to pay the gp cost associated to these rituals. (but you still have to do the rituals and pay personnal costs).

[JyP]

You have to make a ritual wherein you dump thousands of XP and Gold
I would say it's not a big cost - roughly 1/3rd of XP for a level, 1/10th of WBL... and a lot less of what you would have to pay to construct the same as magic items, if you were able to (and you don't need to !)

Then you have to take a hit on your most prized abilities like attack bonuses, skill points, and hp
if you take the worst personal cost table, sure - note that these can be pretty much mitigated with other magic items, and overall you will have much more WBL than you should anyway.

you get one item that has +20 to resist sunder attempts as well as limited uses of spells that are about 5 levels below your character level.
or a weapon/armor matching your level without having to pay for it, with added abilities - so yes, not for tiers 1 classes.

None of the abilities grant the effect of feats. None of the menu items allow you to simply choose any spell; you have to choose from an unimpressive array.
there are some gems hidden in these arrays :smallwink:

[Muggins]

None of the abilities grant the effect of feats. None of the menu items allow you to simply choose any spell; you have to choose from an unimpressive array.
there are some gems hidden in these arrays :smallwink:
I feel like the rules for Founding a Legacy are the response of the Wizards team to everything broken they've ever made. They know that they can't trust us with just giving us "You can use a level 1 Wizard spell 3/day" as a Legacy Weapon ability, because they know that there's going to be some stupid spell out there which totally breaks the game.

Apparently giving us "free" metamagic was okay, though. :smallconfused:

Edit: In regards to the legacy penalties, I'd imagine that our judges will penalise any builds which choose a progression which doesn't actually penalise the character. The Founding a Legacy rules stipulate that much.

[deathbymanga]

I'm game for this challenge, I love builds that involve Knowledge Checks

[Venger]

I've got something really, really stupid to do with this class. Beware.

For simple clarification purposes, because the Legacy Weapon rules are apparently really dense: How does one go about unlocking Lesser and Greater legacies with the Legacy Champion? Does it circumvent the need to have the Lesser Legacy and Greater Legacy feats through its Reduced Ritual Cost (Lesser/Greater) class feature, or does it need to take those feats with its Bonus Legacy Feat class feature in order to progress its legacy further than the prerequisite Least Legacy feat allows?

Basically, does the Legacy Champion class unlock the lesser and greater legacy tiers automatically, or does it need to spend feats like everyone else?
You do it by doing the relevant ritual. Then you gain the feat. If you do it early it lies dormant until you hit the right level. Then you can use those legacy abilities from your item.

Legacy champion does unlock them without spending feats but no one has to spend feats to get these


Let me get this straight:

You have to make a ritual wherein you dump thousands of XP and Gold. Then you have to take a hit on your most prized abilities like attack bonuses, skill points, and hp, and in return you get one item that has +20 to resist sunder attempts as well as limited uses of spells that are about 5 levels below your character level.

None of the abilities grant the effect of feats. None of the menu items allow you to simply choose any spell; you have to choose from an unimpressive array.
Yes. Isn't this class awesome?

you don't need feat slots for least/lesser/greater legacies feats - they are added as bonus feats, when you do the right ritual.

Legacy Champion allows you to not have to pay the gp cost associated to these rituals. (but you still have to do the rituals and pay personnal costs).
They are added but remember they don't turn on till you hit the requisite level

[Deadline]

Obviously, it'd only work for classes that say "at each level, (foo)" versus "at level 3, 6, and 9, you get (foo)" if that's what you're saying then of course I agree.

As far as progressing class features, yes. Those are the edge cases I was referring to, i.e. cases that refer to class level, or "Every x levels" should work by a strict RAW reading, but may produce unintended or unexpected results. While these may garner power, they may cost elegance. It's up to the individual judges, of course, but it's no different than the usual power cheese vs. elegance balance dance that we usually go through here.


Are you planning to judge?

I'm going to try and cook this round. Heck, I even have two awful ideas. Possibly even dumber (more dumb?) than the idea that Muggins is thinking of. :smalltongue:

Edit - I think working with this ingredient is damaging my brain.

Yerp, derfernertly hurts mah thinkin' meats. :smallbiggrin:

[Muggins]

Thanks JyP, Venger. I was worried that I might've missed something and didn't want my build to end up missing out on the Lesser/Greater abilities.


I'm going to try and cook this round. Heck, I even have two awful ideas. Possibly even dumber than the idea that Muggins is thinking of. :smalltongue:
You're on. :smalltongue:

[Sian]

actually got an idea thats very competent at what he do, with the weapon giving strong stuff for him, but not really all that good at much else to be quite frank

[Venger]

actually got an idea thats very competent at what he do, with the weapon giving strong stuff for him, but not really all that good at much else to be quite frank

Whoa you found a good legacy weapon? What sorcery is this?

[Sian]

Whoa you found a good legacy weapon? What sorcery is this?

Not exactly ... i found a good way to use a mediocre legacy weapon in an unintended way.

[Inevitability]

Whoa, you don't even get full BaB? It's a class based around wielding a friggin' legendary weapon; it's not like we won't be making any attacks.

The more I read, the greater my desire to skip this contest, and the greater my stubborn tendency to not do so.

[Getsugaru]

You may do this if you like. Judges may also slam you for it if they like.

As for the white text, I don't know how it works but it had the word infinite in it so no :p
Basically the only real use of the "infinite loop" is to get every skill trick and be able to use them multiple times per encounter. In the long run it's only useful if skill tricks are your bread and butter, and usually only as a last level thing since doing it any sooner means you have no more "proper" level slots of Legacy Champion to do it with (at least, according to some GM's).


Not all that much, considering you have infinite class features!

I was going to say, it allows you to take all 10 levels of Legacy Champion by only taking 4 class levels, but the loop breaks down on Legacy Champion 7. So you'd have to take up to Legacy Champion 8 to activate the loop, at which point you can get the class features of Legacy Champion 9 and 10 without actually taking LC 9/10... but you had to take UT 1/2 instead, so overall it's still 10 class levels to get all the class features of Legacy Champion 10.

However, every level of Uncanny Trickster gives you Bonus Trick and Favorite Trick, so you wind up with all the skill tricks you can qualify for, and can use them twice per encounter.

There may be an infinite caster level loop possible with Master Spellthief shenanigans (if you can count UT/LC as classes that advance arcane spellcasting), but that sort of ruleswonkery might be a stretch too far even for me.

There are better ways to Master Spellthief, however. and besides, once you pass the CL 1000 mark, most spells that are still boosted by CL (*cough*venomfire*cough*) are made strong enough to destroy sizable chunks of the material plane, which, to be honest, is usually not a good plan.

If there is still room for another chef, I would like to enter this particular contest. I even have the perfect WoL. I doubt I'll win, but I like to enter these just to see what others think of my builds.

[Venger]

Whoa, you don't even get full BaB? It's a class based around wielding a friggin' legendary weapon; it's not like we won't be making any attacks.

The more I read, the greater my desire to skip this contest, and the greater my stubborn tendency to not do so.
Full ba is disgustingly hard to find. Is regarded by designers as being on par with class features or spell progression


Basically the only real use of the "infinite loop" is to get every skill trick and be able to use them multiple times per encounter. In the long run it's only useful if skill tricks are your bread and butter, and usually only as a last level thing since doing it any sooner means you have no more "proper" level slots of Legacy Champion to do it with (at least, according to some GM's).



There are better ways to Master Spellthief, however. and besides, once you pass the CL 1000 mark, most spells that are still boosted by CL (*cough*venomfire*cough*) are made strong enough to destroy sizable chunks of the material plane, which, to be honest, is usually not a good plan.

If there is still room for another chef, I would like to enter this particular contest. I even have the perfect WoL. I doubt I'll win, but I like to enter these just to see what others think of my builds.

There is still a hard cap for how many skill tricks you can have

There's no limit on chefs. Good luck

[WeaselGuy]

You should've seen my first time. I think I came in last. :smallwink:

The discouraging thing is that this wasn't my first time competing, more like my 7th or 8th. I just made a bunch of small mistakes working on this while on vacation, and they all added up against me. I think I just need a break from cooking for a while. Plus, LC is such a cheese-heavy ingredient, I would have a hard time NOT doing a straight up fondue.

[Douglas]

I've just noticed you're a mod :smalltongue: Would it be possible to get a mod-hat ruling on whether we're allowed to do this?
I'm afraid official policy has to err on the cautious side. Wizards of the Coast is the copyright holder. A link to where WotC is offering it for free download would be ok, a link to where anyone else is offering it for free download would not, unless you can find a statement or licensing terms from WotC that say otherwise.

So, most likely not allowed. If it turns out the file is actually still hosted by WotC, just with the link broken by the move to archives, and someone manages to figure out the fixed version of the link, I would think that would be ok. I'm none too sure about that being possible, though.

[Venger]

I'm afraid official policy has to err on the cautious side. Wizards of the Coast is the copyright holder. A link to where WotC is offering it for free download would be ok, a link to where anyone else is offering it for free download would not, unless you can find a statement or licensing terms from WotC that say otherwise.

So, most likely not allowed. If it turns out the file is actually still hosted by WotC, just with the link broken by the move to archives, and someone manages to figure out the fixed version of the link, I would think that would be ok. I'm none too sure about that being possible, though.

Fair enough. Thanks for the heads up

[Zaq]

There are rules for this, but they're confusing and difficult to find:

When you complete the rituals for least, lesser, and greater, then you gain those feats free without needing to buy them

HOWEVER

the feats lie dormant and don't actually do anything until you meet the listed prereqs, given on the feat section on page 13-14. the only req (aside from ceremony) is indeed level and that's where the rules are

Yeah, I got that much, but what I'm saying is that I can't find any rules text spelling out which legacy abilities are "least," which are "lesser," and which are "greater." As I said, it's heavily implied that legacy abilities you unlock at levels 5-10 are least, levels 11-16 are lesser, and levels 17+ are greater, but I can't find any text that actually SAYS that. (Which kind of implies that you only need the Least Legacy feat to use any legacy abilities, since none of them are stated to require Lesser or Greater . . . or worse, it implies that the Least Legacy/Lesser Legacy/Greater Legacy feats don't actually do anything, since they unlock a category of abilities that nothing is actually stated to be in!)


Told you we should've gone with blackguard. :smallwink:

Ugh, Blackguard. No thank you. If nothing else, I don't want the judges to have to deal with the RAW headache of retroactively swapping out fallen Pally levels for Blackguard levels. There just does not seem like a good way to present that in an Iron Chef format. (If it weren't for that whole mess, it'd be a fine SI—obnoxious to get into and basically impossible to smoothly fluff from character creation to entry in the class, but with the promise of a wee bit of optimization potential, mostly in the form of non-core spells. But the whole "trading in Paladin levels" thing just seems impossible to get past.)


Well, for 1, I made a bunch of stupid mistakes last round with Brother Hellakanus. I think I'm burnt on cooking for a while. That being said, I think I might be inclined to judge for the first time! Does anybody happen to have that handbook for judging handy, by chance?

Aw, don't be discouraged. Every last one of us has had our scores dropped by making a stupid mistake or three. That said, we always need more judges, so I'm certainly not going to tell you not to judge if you're up for it! I'm not familiar with any specific handbooks for judging, but if you'd like, I'd be happy to describe the process I go through when judging and see if I can spin that into advice or suggestions. (Let me be very clear: I'm not yet volunteering to judge this particular round. It's not out of the question, but I'm not making that commitment yet.)

Lay out your criteria as best as you can. Some people (notably, though not limited to, PONIES) set up a strict rubric of criteria and just score based on those specific questions; I'm personally the style of judge who lays out a lot of general things I'm looking for, but I don't generally pre-assign numerical bonuses or penalties to specific questions. But your criteria should give you an idea of what you want to be important.

Anyway, read all of the builds first before writing down any numbers or anything. Take some notes for yourself and maybe make a list of things in specific entries that pop out to you (good or bad), which might serve as a reminder to you to make sure you go over everything when the time comes, but don't put down any scores yet. You want to get a general feel for the scope of all the entries. Are any build elements or tactics common? What's the general power level? Were there any specific aspects of the SI that some builds used and some builds didn't? Did everyone enter the SI at about the same level? Again, you're just looking for trends rather than for individual details, but this helps to make sure that you're judging everyone reasonably equitably.

After you've read all of them, your brain will probably naturally gravitate towards one of them, so just let that happen and start working on that one first. Here's an important thing: you do not have to finish one build before starting on the next. Doing so is neither good nor bad, but sometimes you can be more thorough if you don't exhaust yourself on one build at a time. But of course, you do have to start somewhere.

Anyway, once you've started working on a build in earnest, read it again. Carefully. Figure out if the chef's asserted strategy actually lines up with the capabilities from the build itself. If you're like me and want to make sure that every build is actually legal, this is as good a time as any to check skill point totals and feat prereqs. But try to figure out what the character is actually trying to do and if they've got the capabilities to do it. Every judge is different, of course, so it'll be up to you how much you want to read into the build versus how much you'll expect the chef to spell out exactly what they plan to do at any given level, but one way or another, get a handle on what the character actually does.

Then just go through the categories in whatever order you like and figure out how well the build meets or exceeds your expectations. In the interest of not imposing my criteria on you, I won't go into the specific sorts of things I look for in each category, but by now you probably have a decent idea of what sorts of questions you should be asking yourself about the build. Give points for things you like, deduct points for things you dislike, and add up the totals.

I know I'm kind of telling you not to think of a purple elephant, but try not to keep the category totals in mind, because you don't want to subconsciously start trying to give a certain build a certain score in a given category. Even if your first impulse said "Build A is probably going to score better than Build B in Elegance," once you've gone in and listed the bonuses and penalties for each build's Elegance score, if Build B's Elegance was equal or better than Build A's Elegance, that's okay. You don't want to go in and try to "fix" that somehow; let each build earn what it earns. (Similarly, if your totals surprise you for a given build, don't go in and intentionally try to raise or lower that build's score. It's okay to revise yourself if you really think you missed something or didn't judge fairly, but again, don't try to "fix" a score.)

Now, this is very important: as you go through this process with each build, make sure that you're applying bonuses and penalties equitably. You don't want to just second-guess yourself into oblivion, but it's okay to go back and revise a score if you ended up scoring differently for a similar build element in a different entry. But whenever you call out something you like or something you don't like, try to take a second and think about if any other builds did the same thing, and if so, whether you scored them in the same way. The circumstances might be sufficiently different to warrant a different score (for example, two builds might not have the same infrastructure necessary to support a given feat they have in common, or they might have taken it at different levels and thus gotten different uses out of it), but do your best to be fair. Also, if you've found that you've written way more for one entry than for another one, make sure that there's a very good reason for it. You don't have to make everything exactly the same length (some entries flat out need more detail than others), but you don't want anyone thinking you're unfairly picking on (or unfairly championing) one build because you wrote twice as much about it as you did about the previous one. That said, when I enter a build, I'm absolutely dying to know what the judges thought about it, so I always encourage the judges to go into detail about what they did and didn't like about the builds. (You can look at my own judgments to see that I endeavor to practice what I preach.) But this is really the most important thing I'm saying here; even if you disregard everything else I've written, please do your best to make sure that you're judging fairly.

Overall, though, just find a rhythm and keep pounding away at it until you're done. Take breaks as you need them (you don't have to do this in one sitting or in one day); there's a TON of info to unpack in every Iron Chef entry, and you need to make sure you're not missing anything important because of brain fatigue. Any more detail I can add at this point would basically boil down to me going through the criteria I usually lay out, which isn't the goal of what I'm saying here, but hopefully I've been some help.

[Muggins]

Out of curiosity, can I get a rules clarification on the Replace Legacy Ability class feature? The use of the word "can," rather than "may," leads me to believe that these abilities are usable at-will. No use restriction seems to be given, but it's wholly possible that i might be misreading things.

Also, does anyone have any ideas why the summoning abilities of legacy items refer to a nonexistent table of Summon Monster/Nature's Ally spells in the Monster Manual? :smallconfused:


Yeah, I got that much, but what I'm saying is that I can't find any rules text spelling out which legacy abilities are "least," which are "lesser," and which are "greater." As I said, it's heavily implied that legacy abilities you unlock at levels 5-10 are least, levels 11-16 are lesser, and levels 17+ are greater, but I can't find any text that actually SAYS that. (Which kind of implies that you only need the Least Legacy feat to use any legacy abilities, since none of them are stated to require Lesser or Greater . . . or worse, it implies that the Least Legacy/Lesser Legacy/Greater Legacy feats don't actually do anything, since they unlock a category of abilities that nothing is actually stated to be in!)
Page 188, under Ability Menu A (Least), states that Menu A options are gained from levels 5 to 10.
Page 193, under Ability Menu D (Lesser), states that Menu D options are gained from levels 11 to 16.
Page 199, under Ability Menu G (Greater), states that Menu G options are gained from levels 17 to 20.
It's probably stated somewhere else.

[Getsugaru]

Also, does anyone have any ideas why the summoning abilities of legacy items refer to a nonexistent table of Summon Monster/Nature's Ally spells in the Monster Manual? :smallconfused:


It probably meant the PHB; WotC really should of had lawyers or gamers proofread their books before going to market, as many of their books contain typos and the occasional incorrect source.

EDIT: There is something I need clarified before I can start considering builds. As stated above, WotC is known for typos and errors in their books. One particularly bad case is text vs tables. Sometimes tables disagree with the text; not all DM's agree however on which to use in some cases. As such, which do the Iron Chefs consider official? (Mostly asking because of the many caster prestige classes that state they are full casting progression but the tables show missing caster levels; there's also the legendary Erudite Unique Powers fiasco. I simply wish to avoid such a situation.)

[Piggy Knowles]

I've gotten an idea that I like, so I think I'll probably put it together into a build. If it falls apart or I don't end up having the time, I will try to fall back on judging.

Just to be 100% clear, I'd like an official ruling from Heliomance on this: Assuming we are performing the proper rituals, do we need to spend a feat on Least/Lesser/Greater Legacy, or are the feats granted to us?

By my own reading it appears that the feats are granted when you perform the ritual, but I just want to make sure. I'd hate to build under that assumption, only to get a minimum score for failure to qualify for the Secret Ingredient because a judge decides that I still need to actually use one of my feat slots for Least Legacy in addition to performing the ritual.

[Heliomance]

It probably meant the PHB; WotC really should of had lawyers or gamers proofread their books before going to market, as many of their books contain typos and the occasional incorrect source.

EDIT: There is something I need clarified before I can start considering builds. As stated above, WotC is known for typos and errors in their books. One particularly bad case is text vs tables. Sometimes tables disagree with the text; not all DM's agree however on which to use in some cases. As such, which do the Iron Chefs consider official? (Mostly asking because of the many caster prestige classes that state they are full casting progression but the tables show missing caster levels; there's also the legendary Erudite Unique Powers fiasco. I simply wish to avoid such a situation.)

Text trumps table is the official rule.


I've gotten an idea that I like, so I think I'll probably put it together into a build. If it falls apart or I don't end up having the time, I will try to fall back on judging.

Just to be 100% clear, I'd like an official ruling from Heliomance on this: Assuming we are performing the proper rituals, do we need to spend a feat on Least/Lesser/Greater Legacy, or are the feats granted to us?

By my own reading it appears that the feats are granted when you perform the ritual, but I just want to make sure. I'd hate to build under that assumption, only to get a minimum score for failure to qualify for the Secret Ingredient because a judge decides that I still need to actually use one of my feat slots for Least Legacy in addition to performing the ritual.

Yes, that is correct. Feats come for free with the rituals.

[Getsugaru]

Thanks. Just wanted to check first. :smalltongue:

[The Viscount]

Ugh, Blackguard. No thank you. If nothing else, I don't want the judges to have to deal with the RAW headache of retroactively swapping out fallen Pally levels for Blackguard levels. There just does not seem like a good way to present that in an Iron Chef format. (If it weren't for that whole mess, it'd be a fine SI—obnoxious to get into and basically impossible to smoothly fluff from character creation to entry in the class, but with the promise of a wee bit of optimization potential, mostly in the form of non-core spells. But the whole "trading in Paladin levels" thing just seems impossible to get past.)


It doesn't seem that bad to me, but that may have something to do with the fact that I've already gone through all of the difficult math and juggling when I made Phoebus for Black Flame Zealot. I think the strikethrough method sort of worked, but it's still definitely not perfect.

[Getsugaru]

I apologize for my many questions; it has been a while since I've taken part. What are the rulings regarding Rebuilding (Player's Handbook II; page 196-198), specifically class rebuilding? Is it allowed? Are there limits? The answer will impact my potential build in more ways than one.

[WeaselGuy]

Just to give people a heads up, and also to store my decision, I've decided to go ahead an post my judging criteria. And by "my judging criteria", I mean OMG Ponies' judging criteria that I am shamelessly stealing from the last IC round. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20283869&postcount=97)


My (Stolen) Criteria
All builds will start with a base score of 12, representing 3 points in each category. Those category scores will change based on my answers to a series of questions, presented below. An answer of "Yes" will earn a +0.5 boost to that category, an answer of "No" will earn a -0.5 penalty to that category, while an ambivalent "Yes and no" will not change the score of that category at all. Thus, it is possible for a build to score anywhere between 1 and 5 points in each category. The questions are as follow:

Originality
Does the build present a compelling backstory or concept?
Does the build enter the Secret Ingredient through a method unique from the sample character in the source as well as other entries in this round?
Does the build make use of any interesting race, class, feats, or mechanical tricks that the judge hasn't seen in common use before?
Does the build avoid "known cheese" and overused optimization suggestions?

Power
Does the build utilize established power breakpoints and feat taxes for all classes and prestige classes taken?
Does the build function at the same power level throughout an entire adventuring day, rather than relying on "nova" powers?
Does the build thrive without requiring specific magic items (other than the required Legacy Item), templates, or other "add-ons" to qualify for anything?
Does the build contribute significantly in terms of offense, defense, and utility?

Elegance
Does the build qualify for all classes taken outside the Secret Ingredient?
Does the build qualify for all feats taken?
Does the build avoid any rules errors, questionable rules interpretations, cross-setting material, or material specifically disallowed from this competition?
Does the build avoid multi-class penalties and excessive dipping (defined as taking 2 or fewer levels in 2 or more base/prestige classes)?

Use of the Secret Ingredient
Does the build qualify for the Secret Ingredient and make use of all entry requirements?
Does the build complete the Secret Ingredient or present a compelling reason why not doing so is actually a better use of the Secret Ingredient?
Does the build pair mechanical abilities of the Secret Ingredient with the rest of the build in unique ways (e.g. do something not every other entry can do)?
Does the build complement the concept of its chassis through use of the Secret Ingredient (i.e. does the entry feel like a Legacy Champion)?

[riccaru]

I apologize for my many questions; it has been a while since I've taken part. What are the rulings regarding Rebuilding (Player's Handbook II; page 196-198), specifically class rebuilding? Is it allowed? Are there limits? The answer will impact my potential build in more ways than one.

From the OP

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.

[Getsugaru]

From the OP

Ah. I mostly asked because technically Retraining and Rebuilding are two separate things, but I suppose the OP may have meant to use Retraining as a blanket term.

[Zaq]

Page 188, under Ability Menu A (Least), states that Menu A options are gained from levels 5 to 10.
Page 193, under Ability Menu D (Lesser), states that Menu D options are gained from levels 11 to 16.
Page 199, under Ability Menu G (Greater), states that Menu G options are gained from levels 17 to 20.
It's probably stated somewhere else.

With some more digging, I found pp. 182-3, where it is stated that the least legacy ritual unlocks abilities from levels 5-10, the lesser legacy ritual unlocks abilities from levels 11-16, and the greater legacy ritual unlocks abilities from levels 17-20. RAI is pretty clear here.

Of course, this section is about founding legacy items rather than unlocking premade ones, and the headers over the relevant paragraphs are "Least Legacy Founding Ritual," "Lesser Legacy Founding Ritual," and "Greater Legacy Founding Ritual" (my emphasis), so technically, I still can't find any super-explicit RAW about when you need to undergo which rituals to unlock the abilities of the premade legacy items, because I can't find any rules text explicitly saying which abilities on the premade items are "least" vs. "lesser" vs. "greater."

As I said, RAI is abundantly clear (almost certainly clear enough for the purposes of this contest; I think we can all agree that you need the ritual and the corresponding feat for least abilities at 5-10, lesser at 11-16, and greater at 17+), but wouldn't it be just like WotC to forget something like that?

I do wonder why they formatted the Least/Lesser/Greater feats as feats, though. You don't take them like normal feats, and arguably, you can't take them like normal feats—every one of them has the prereq of "must perform the appropriate ritual for a given item," which causes you to automatically get the "feat." The legacy feats that aren't Least/Lesser/Greater are fine (well, okay, most of them are crap, but they're fine in that they still make sense as feats), but the ones that actually unlock the abilities really just should be part of the ritual. When you must do the ritual to unlock the item, and the ritual automatically gives you the feat, why have the extra step of "ritual -> feat -> abilities" instead of just "ritual -> abilities"?

[Venger]

With some more digging, I found pp. 182-3, where it is stated that the least legacy ritual unlocks abilities from levels 5-10, the lesser legacy ritual unlocks abilities from levels 11-16, and the greater legacy ritual unlocks abilities from levels 17-20. RAI is pretty clear here.

Of course, this section is about founding legacy items rather than unlocking premade ones, and the headers over the relevant paragraphs are "Least Legacy Founding Ritual," "Lesser Legacy Founding Ritual," and "Greater Legacy Founding Ritual" (my emphasis), so technically, I still can't find any super-explicit RAW about when you need to undergo which rituals to unlock the abilities of the premade legacy items, because I can't find any rules text explicitly saying which abilities on the premade items are "least" vs. "lesser" vs. "greater."

As I said, RAI is abundantly clear (almost certainly clear enough for the purposes of this contest; I think we can all agree that you need the ritual and the corresponding feat for least abilities at 5-10, lesser at 11-16, and greater at 17+), but wouldn't it be just like WotC to forget something like that?

I do wonder why they formatted the Least/Lesser/Greater feats as feats, though. You don't take them like normal feats, and arguably, you can't take them like normal feats—every one of them has the prereq of "must perform the appropriate ritual for a given item," which causes you to automatically get the "feat." The legacy feats that aren't Least/Lesser/Greater are fine (well, okay, most of them are crap, but they're fine in that they still make sense as feats), but the ones that actually unlock the abilities really just should be part of the ritual. When you must do the ritual to unlock the item, and the ritual automatically gives you the feat, why have the extra step of "ritual -> feat -> abilities" instead of just "ritual -> abilities"?

Your efforts are certainly appreciated.

If I had to make an educated guess I'd say they designed legacy champion first and have it the featchain to fill out it's dead levels as aplace holder and didn't decide what the feats did till later

Someone else wrote up the feats which are not feats and he never communicated with the person who wrote the class so they never went back and fixed it.

They really aren't feats. They're more like those weird rituals in phb2

[Zaq]

I'm continually impressed with how bad these legacy item abilities are and how often they're all but negated by the personal costs. Look at Caladbolg: It increases your STR by +2/+4/+6. But every time that happens, you take another –1 to all attack rolls, so you basically don't get any benefit. (Your damage goes up a tiny bit, but that's still pretty bad.) And of course, it's an enhancement bonus, so if you were going to get an enhancement bonus anyway, you're pretty much just straight up worse off.

Or look at the Bullybasher Gauntlets: You can heal 1 HP once per day if you're knocked into negatives but not killed! Ignoring how unbelievably minor that effect is, it comes 2 levels after your max HP was dropped by 2. So, again, you're pretty much strictly worse off here, but the game acts like it's doing you a favor by granting you this legacy ability.

Exordius isn't quite as bad as far as the penalties outstripping the abilities, but it still eventually gives you a bigger penalty on all saving throws than the bonus you get from Will of Two (which applies only on Will saves). Cure Serious Wounds 1/day is likely to heal more than the 8 HP the sword has robbed from you by the point you get it, but not so much more as to actually be exciting.

I'm not even halfway through the book, and I'm just pointing out the obvious stuff. Good luck, everyone.

[Venger]

I'm continually impressed with how bad these legacy item abilities are and how often they're all but negated by the personal costs. Look at Caladbolg: It increases your STR by +2/+4/+6. But every time that happens, you take another –1 to all attack rolls, so you basically don't get any benefit. (Your damage goes up a tiny bit, but that's still pretty bad.) And of course, it's an enhancement bonus, so if you were going to get an enhancement bonus anyway, you're pretty much just straight up worse off.

Or look at the Bullybasher Gauntlets: You can heal 1 HP once per day if you're knocked into negatives but not killed! Ignoring how unbelievably minor that effect is, it comes 2 levels after your max HP was dropped by 2. So, again, you're pretty much strictly worse off here, but the game acts like it's doing you a favor by granting you this legacy ability.

Exordius isn't quite as bad as far as the penalties outstripping the abilities, but it still eventually gives you a bigger penalty on all saving throws than the bonus you get from Will of Two (which applies only on Will saves). Cure Serious Wounds 1/day is likely to heal more than the 8 HP the sword has robbed from you by the point you get it, but not so much more as to actually be exciting.

I'm not even halfway through the book, and I'm just pointing out the obvious stuff. Good luck, everyone.

And there are more in other books. A lot of other books. These things received more support than several subsystems.

I regret to inform you they don't get any better.

[Getsugaru]

Which is why almost all uses of the WoL rules are custom weapons of legacy. At least then the players can make sure the item actually works.

[OMG PONIES]

Just to give people a heads up, and also to store my decision, I've decided to go ahead an post my judging criteria. And by "my judging criteria", I mean OMG Ponies' judging criteria that I am shamelessly stealing from the last IC round. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20283869&postcount=97)

Steal away. Pay royalties. Everyone wins. :smallcool:

[d20familiar]

Am I understanding it correctly that by choosing a legacy item with, say, progression till 16 (lesser legacy abilities) one can build his own progression in 17-20 range as if he was creating custom legacy item?

[daremetoidareyo]

Am I understanding it correctly that by choosing a legacy item with, say, progression till 16 (lesser legacy abilities) one can build his own progression in 17-20 range as if he was creating custom legacy item?

Heliomance suggested that we can make our own Weapons of Legacy because the rules are relatively direct. Overt Cheesiness will probably be punished in the elegance section of judging, so...you could absolutely do your thing, and found new abilities with the legacy item.

The stat block that can be used should be relatively uniform.
Make sure to include

Description
Non-legacy item game statistics
Omen
History
A Table of the Costs & Powers
Legacy rituals
Wielder Requirements
Power descriptions

[Muggins]

For anyone interesting in founding their own legacy without providing some explanatory fluff; no, this probably isn't the round for you.

Still plenty of others to choose from, though!

[riccaru]

Heliomance suggested that we can make our own Weapons of Legacy because the rules are relatively direct. Overt Cheesiness will probably be punished in the elegance section of judging, so...you could absolutely do your thing, and found new abilities with the legacy item.

The stat block that can be used should be relatively uniform.
Make sure to include

Description
Non-legacy item game statistics
Omen
History
A Table of the Costs & Powers
Legacy rituals
Wielder Requirements
Power descriptions

Is there even a reason to put in wielder requirements? There doesn't seem to be anything about that on designing your own weapon.

[Getsugaru]

Is there even a reason to put in wielder requirements? There doesn't seem to be anything about that on designing your own weapon.

Because every other WoL in the book has them?

[riccaru]

Because every other WoL in the book has them?

But what are they supposed to be? It's never spelled out anywhere.

[Muggins]

But what are they supposed to be? It's never spelled out anywhere.
Skill ranks, alignments, spellcasting, ability to speak a language, and sometimes even a feat. Use the other WoL prerequisites for reference.

[Venger]

But what are they supposed to be? It's never spelled out anywhere.

It's like when you make a custom magic item and give it restrictions as to who can use it, such as a holy avenger.

[Getsugaru]

Well, I have a bit of experience making these things, as do others on the Playground. I believe how I did it back when I was first starting out was in a manner like this:

Here we have three different Weapons of Legacy: The Bow of the Black Archer, the Ghostfolly's Gloves, and the Scales of Balance. I've included both their actual requirements as well as the text describing usual wielders. We'll establish what they require and why individually.


Rangers or clerics of Shevarash get the most use out of the Bow of the Black Archer, but any character who regularly battles against dark elves might find this weapon useful.

Bow of the Black Archer Wielder Requirements
Cannot be drow
Base attack bonus +3
Hide 2 ranks
Move Silently 2 ranks
Favored enemy elves +2
To begin, the Bow of the Black Archer is designed to be used against Drow; presumably the magics within it prevent Drow from even touching it. Second, we have the BAB. The weapon is designed for martial combatants, and as such requires they have a semblance of accuracy (BAB+3 is a 15% accuracy bonus effectively). Next are 2 ranks in both Hide and Move Silently; the weapon is meant for hunters, who need to be in the right place at the right time, often requiring they move without their target detecting them. Finally there is the Favored Enemy requirement, which is specifically for elves. Drow are elves. The bow is for those who hunt Drow. A reasonable requirement in that case.


Most wearers of Ghostfolly’s Gloves are bards or rogues, although any character specializing in espionage might consider wearing them.

Ghostfolly’s Gloves Wielder Requirements
Disable Device 2 ranks
Open Lock 2 ranks
Sleight of Hand 2 ranks
The Ghostfolly's Gloves are meant to be used by those who obtain knowledge through deceit and espionage. They are also gloves, and therefore deal in manual dexterity of hands. Therefore, Disable Device, Open Lock, and Sleight of Hand, all skills aimed at using your hands to perform dexterous feats and all involving deceitful actions of some form, are reasonable requirements for this particular item.


Monks and clerics are the most likely to have the spiritual tendencies necessary to wield the Scales of Balance, but any character with a philosophical bent could make use of the staff.

Scales of Balance Wielder Requirements
Balance 3 ranks
Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks
Finally, we have the Scales of Balance, which is a quarterstaff blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with powers of life and death. Requiring the user to have a sense of physical balance, while a bit strange, is perfectly reasonable. Likewise, as the Scales of Balance was the result of the founder's battle with the Grandmaster of Wee Jas's cult and is a symbol of his enlightenment along the path of "The Balanced Way," a requirement of religious knowledge is also reasonable.

By now we can see a pattern: each has requirements related to both its abilities, history, as well as its intended wielders. Another way of putting it is that all three have requirements related to the thematic elements of the item in question. As such, requirements for our own Weapons of Legacy should similarly require a thematic relation based on the weapon's powers, history, and intended wielders. For example, say you wished to make a weapon of legacy that was a scythe meant to slay witches (or, for a more specific example, arcane magic wielders) in the name of a deity, claiming that the magic of witches is heretical. Good abilities would be related to deflecting or outright negating magic. A good Least quality would be to detect magic and be able to tell if it is divine or arcane in origin. A good lesser quality (one that is actually in the book already) would be to be protected from all magic from 1st- through 3rd-level, like Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, but limited to the wielder only. Finally, a good greater quality (again one that is in the book) would be to be able to reflect spells back at the foe, as the Spell Turning spell. Reasonable requirements for such an item would be Knowledge (Religion) ranks, as well as Knowledge (Arcana); easier to hunt something if you know what it is. A requirement that would not be out of the question is access to divine casting; banning arcane casters from wielding it would also be reasonable since it is meant to be their bane. There could be more prerequisites, but at the same time these could be more than enough. The point is that these weapons have requirements to prevent someone who (given the items abilities or backstory) should not even be able to touch it from using the item as a normal item; they are not normal items. They have special magics within them. They have a story. And their next wielder will add to it.

Hope this helps; and before anyone asks, no. I am not making an item following the example above. I came up with that on the spot based off a campaign I am currently taking part in (Thanks, Dice, for the idea.). My entry will be much more interesting and unique than the above. :smallamused:

EDIT: Just realized this was a question worth asking: when designing a custom Weapon of Legacy, are we limited solely to the items on each list in the book, or are we allowed to make custom, unique abilities (along similar lines and levels of power to the abilities in the book)? Mostly asking because I've seen many custom Weapons of Legacy ignore the lists' actual contents and instead make custom effects along similar lines of power or thematically fitting the item in question. Just figured clarifying for this contest was a good idea for all involved.

[Thurbane]

Wow...VERY interesting ingredient.

I dare say we'll probably see one of the most diverse range of entries ever.

[Muggins]

EDIT: Just realized this was a question worth asking: when designing a custom Weapon of Legacy, are we limited solely to the items on each list in the book, or are we allowed to make custom, unique abilities (along similar lines and levels of power to the abilities in the book)? Mostly asking because I've seen many custom Weapons of Legacy ignore the lists' actual contents and instead make custom effects along similar lines of power or thematically fitting the item in question. Just figured clarifying for this contest was a good idea for all involved.
I'm left with the impression, as given in the book, that the creator of a Legacy item is free to create new abilities so long as they are in-line with the examples given throughout the book. These could be reskins of abilities from other Legacy items, or they could be something entirely new; I suspect that our Judges will have full reign on what is to be considered 'balanced,' 'fair,' or 'in-line with existing powers.'

There's a reason, after all, why they didn't just put down "choose a spell of level X; you get it as a spell-like ability Y times per day" under the menu options.

[WhamBamSam]

Well, after some fiddling and one major disappointment of a Legacy ability that I thought was actually good turning out, upon rereading, to be every bit as dull as all the others, I think I've got one solid component of an idea.

[The Viscount]

When making tables, do we incorporate save or attack penalties alongside the penalties to skillpoints in our chart?

EDIT: Also, will the character be expected to complete all aspects of the ritual alone? For example, some weapons require visiting another plane. Should our character have to plane shift themself there, or could they be understood to have bought a scroll/had a friendly spellcaster/been sent there by an encounter?

[OMG PONIES]

When making tables, do we incorporate save or attack penalties alongside the penalties to skillpoints in our chart?

EDIT: Also, will the character be expected to complete all aspects of the ritual alone? For example, some weapons require visiting another plane. Should our character have to plane shift themself there, or could they be understood to have bought a scroll/had a friendly spellcaster/been sent there by an encounter?

While your mileage may vary by individual judge, the usual rule of thumb here in Iron Chef has been "if you want something done right, do it yourself." At least in terms of Elegance, some judges may look more favorably upon an entry who can do all this without reliance on external factors or parties.

[Heliomance]

When making tables, do we incorporate save or attack penalties alongside the penalties to skillpoints in our chart?

I recommend using the format in the book. Here's a sample table, if you happen to be using penalties to these categories.



Character Level
Attack Penalty
Save Penalty
Hit Point Loss
Abilities


5th






6th






7th






8th






9th






10th






11th






12th






13th






14th






15th






16th






17th






18th






19th






20th

[Heliomance]

Incidentally, because it's been asked as a question, I'm clarifying here: I'm counting the 10th level prereq as requiring 10 HD.

[Getsugaru]

I recommend using the format in the book. Here's a sample table, if you happen to be using penalties to these categories.


I think the question might of been whether to note them in the stats of the character or leave them separate. I could be wrong, but that is a possible meaning of the question. :mitd:

[Strategos]

I haven't competed in one of these in a very long time, but I've got an idea I really want to write up. I don't know how it'll hold up mechanically but I'll compete nonetheless. Not screwing up the table code is likely going to be the hardest part of the contest though. :smalltongue:

[OMG PONIES]

Busy week + going away this weekend, so I won't be able to cook for this one. I may just judge again, but that's highly dependent on how long it takes me to learn this subsystem that I've never messed with before.

[daremetoidareyo]

I haven't competed in one of these in a very long time, but I've got an idea I really want to write up. I don't know how it'll hold up mechanically but I'll compete nonetheless. Not screwing up the table code is likely going to be the hardest part of the contest though. :smalltongue:

Build your build in a spreadsheet.

Reply to the thread.

make a 1 by 1 table.

click the A/A Button on the top left of the reply window. This is called WYSIWYG mode (what you see is what you get mode).

Paste your spreadsheet into the 1x1 box.

If it shows up fine, congratulations, you just saved a buttload of time. All you need to do is hit the WYSIWYG mode button again to get the code. Copy that code into your build description.

Don't accidentally post your build.

Good luck.

[Zaq]

Build your build in a spreadsheet.

Reply to the thread.

make a 1 by 1 table.

click the A/A Button on the top left of the reply window. This is called WYSIWYG mode (what you see is what you get mode).

Paste your spreadsheet into the 1x1 box.

If it shows up fine, congratulations, you just saved a buttload of time. All you need to do is hit the WYSIWYG mode button again to get the code. Copy that code into your build description.

Don't accidentally post your build.

Good luck.

Don't do this by replying to the thread. Do it by writing a private message to yourself. That way you won't accidentally post the build if you accidentally hit submit.

Anyway, I haven't been struck by inspiration yet. Depending on how many entries we get, I may or may not judge, but I haven't decided yet (and likely won't decide until I see if there's four entries or eight entries or twenty entries). It's not out of the question that I could get inspired in the next day or two and throw something together in a hurry, but signs currently point to no.

[Venger]

Build your build in a spreadsheet.

Reply to the thread.

make a 1 by 1 table.

click the A/A Button on the top left of the reply window. This is called WYSIWYG mode (what you see is what you get mode).

Paste your spreadsheet into the 1x1 box.

If it shows up fine, congratulations, you just saved a buttload of time. All you need to do is hit the WYSIWYG mode button again to get the code. Copy that code into your build description.

Don't accidentally post your build.

Good luck.

Bless you. Too late to avail myself of this this time, but I'll definitely try it next month.


Don't do this by replying to the thread. Do it by writing a private message to yourself. That way you won't accidentally post the build if you accidentally hit submit.

Anyway, I haven't been struck by inspiration yet. Depending on how many entries we get, I may or may not judge, but I haven't decided yet (and likely won't decide until I see if there's four entries or eight entries or twenty entries). It's not out of the question that I could get inspired in the next day or two and throw something together in a hurry, but signs currently point to no.

You can also use the "preview" function next to reply.

I don't think legacy champion is getting twenty entries.

[OMG PONIES]

I don't think legacy champion is getting twenty entries.

...and ya just jinxed it.

[Getsugaru]

I don't think legacy champion is getting twenty entries.
Must...resist...urge...to enter three entries at once as I did long ago...

...actually, one of those entries used Legacy Champion...

...no. No, I told myself to never do that again unless I finish the first concept into a full entry two weeks before the submission date. I only finished my entry yesterday; I am not entering a rush job again (and besides, I'm still giving my entry a good once over to make sure I didn't miss anything important, etc.).

[Venger]

Must...resist...urge...to enter three entries at once as I did long ago...

...actually, one of those entries used Legacy Champion...

...no. No, I told myself to never do that again unless I finish the first concept into a full entry two weeks before the submission date. I only finished my entry yesterday; I am not entering a rush job again (and besides, I'm still giving my entry a good once over to make sure I didn't miss anything important, etc.).

each chef's only allowed two entries now, just so you don't waste your time on a third. good luck.

[Getsugaru]

each chef's only allowed two entries now, just so you don't waste your time on a third. good luck.

No no. only entering one this round. I'm just saying that it's too bad I don't have the proper amount of time to go back to that character and fix what was wrong with them back then. Thanks for informing me, however. :smalltongue:

[Getsugaru]

Sorry for the double post, but I've discovered a critical error I'd overlooked in my entry: character limit. Including the information about the Weapon of Legacy itself has caused my entry to jump above the forum's 25000 character limit. In case this happens to anyone else, should we submit such entries that go over the limit with the Weapon of Legacy in a separate "Part 2" PM, or will this be handled differently?

[Muggins]

Sorry for the double post, but I've discovered a critical error I'd overlooked in my entry: character limit. Including the information about the Weapon of Legacy itself has caused my entry to jump above the forum's 25000 character limit. In case this happens to anyone else, should we submit such entries that go over the limit with the Weapon of Legacy in a separate "Part 2" PM, or will this be handled differently?
I've also had a submission over the character limit, but it's simple enough to work around. Just break it up into ordered parts; "Dingus McDoogle, Part 1 of 2" and "Dingus McDoogle, Part 2 of 2" would work, for example.

[OMG PONIES]

I've also had a submission over the character limit, but it's simple enough to work around. Just break it up into ordered parts; "Dingus McDoogle, Part 1 of 2" and "Dingus McDoogle, Part 2 of 2" would work, for example.

I now predict at least 3 entries riffing off of the idea of "Dingus McDoogle," including at least 1 dvati entry named "Dingus McDoogle, Part 1 of 2" and "Dingus McDoogle, Part 2 of 2."

[Zaq]

I now predict at least 3 entries riffing off of the idea of "Dingus McDoogle," including at least 1 dvati entry named "Dingus McDoogle, Part 1 of 2" and "Dingus McDoogle, Part 2 of 2."

Dvati do seem to pop up more and more. In some ways it feels like dvati is the new changeling Rogue.

[daremetoidareyo]

changelings tend to pop up on racially restricted contests. Probably because WOTC thinks that people enjoy playing dwarfs.

[d20familiar]

changelings tend to pop up on racially restricted contests. Probably because WOTC thinks that people enjoy playing dwarfs.
Sacrilege! How could one NOT enjoy playing dwarf?

[Getsugaru]

Shut ye geggie an' oot da road, ya rocket! Yer aff yer heid.

[The Viscount]

I now predict at least 3 entries riffing off of the idea of "Dingus McDoogle," including at least 1 dvati entry named "Dingus McDoogle, Part 1 of 2" and "Dingus McDoogle, Part 2 of 2."

Well now that you've said it I have to make a Dvaati for this round.

[Venger]

Well now that you've said it I have to make a Dvaati for this round.

Do you get two weapons of legacy?

[Getsugaru]

Do you get two weapons of legacy?

While there's no rule against it, you would only be able to apply the benefits of Legacy Champion to one of them.

[Venger]

While there's no rule against it, you would only be able to apply the benefits of Legacy Champion to one of them.

I was joking.

[Korahir]

Do you get two weapons of legacy?

*sarcasm on* A nunchuk might work ;) each dvatii holding on to one end. *sarcasm off*

[Amphetryon]

Lots of speculation and hand-wringing about the RAW, this round.

[The Viscount]

*sarcasm on* A nunchuk might work ;) each dvatii holding on to one end. *sarcasm off*

Plot twist: the legacy weapon is actually the dvaati handcuffed to each other, and it's being wielded by a giant.

[Getsugaru]

And so the day has arrived where we all submit our entries. I can't wait to see what people came up with; Legacy Champion is just one of those ingredients that can do well in almost any dish. I'm getting excited. :smallredface:

@Heliomance: Is your PM box prepared? Only asking since mine is in parts and I don't want only part of it to go through. :smalltongue:

[Macabaret]

@Heliomance: Is your PM box prepared? Only asking since mine is in parts and I don't want only part of it to go through. :smalltongue:

Nope. Apparently it is not prepared.



Heliomance has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.


What to do...what to do....

[Getsugaru]

Nope. Apparently it is not prepared.

What to do...what to do....

Wait until morning in the United States' Central (or is it Eastern?) timezone when Heliomance can realize and fix it?

[Inevitability]

Plot twist: Every single PM in Heliomance's PM box right now is a dish for this contest. First come, first serve. :smalltongue:

[Muggins]

Plot twist: Every single PM in Heliomance's PM box right now is a dish for this contest. First come, first serve. :smalltongue:
I guess someone wasn't prepared for the attention that Legacy Champion would get!

Will wait on word from Heliomance before sending in my submission.

[Macabaret]

Plot twist: Every single PM in Heliomance's PM box right now is a dish for this contest. First come, first serve. :smalltongue:

No...nooo...no. No! No!
Don't even joke about that kind of thing!

I've spent waaaay too much time and effort on this thing! Coming up with an idea, sifting through books to try to make it work, writing it all up, realizing that it doesn't work, giving up on it completely....and then, in the wee hours of the morning, finding that my brain is still working on it. "If I just shift these skill points over here...." Stupid brain!! And, in the end, I spent my whole Saturday rebuilding this thing from scratch, molding and forming and polishing the uber-turd that squeezed from the unholy sphincter of this ungodly sub-system. And I will not be denied entry!!!

I think, perhaps, that I may be badly in need of sleep. My apologies for the silly rant.

[Heliomance]

Inbox cleared

[Macabaret]

Submission sent.

[Muggins]

Submission sent. :smalleek:

[Venger]

hey muggins, might want to edit or delete that. we don't want to know which one yours is.

[erok0809]

Build submitted. This is my first one, so I'm excited to see how it does.

[Muggins]

hey muggins, might want to edit or delete that. we don't want to know which one yours is.
Naturally. I didn't see anything problematic there, since I feel like it's going to be an issue for practically everyone this round (and there's nothing incriminating there), but I've scrubbed it anyways. Just to be on the safe side.

[Venger]

Build submitted. This is my first one, so I'm excited to see how it does.

good luck!

[Zaq]

Oh dear. I hope there aren't too horribly many entries. I've been toying with the idea of judging, but I won't do it if I don't feel like I can give everyone the analysis they deserve (without spending forty hours on it).

Still. Excited for the reveal, as always.

[daremetoidareyo]

Oh dear. I hope there aren't too horribly many entries. I've been toying with the idea of judging, but I won't do it if I don't feel like I can give everyone the analysis they deserve (without spending forty hours on it).

Still. Excited for the reveal, as always.

I'm counting about 7-9 entries.

[WhamBamSam]

Well, my idea is dead. It doesn't work like I thought it did, which is a shame, but I probably wasn't going to get it to translate into a full build anyway with the little time I have left. Good luck to all the competitors.

I'd like to judge, but it's unlikely that I'll have time.

[Venger]

Oh dear. I hope there aren't too horribly many entries. I've been toying with the idea of judging, but I won't do it if I don't feel like I can give everyone the analysis they deserve (without spending forty hours on it).

Still. Excited for the reveal, as always.

people probably just sent in a lot of drafts as they, throughout revisions, figured out how these stupid legacy weapons work and they found out they hadn't sacrificed enough skill points or what have you and had to fix them.

weapons of legacy is a book that barely exists. I don't think a lot of people had access, and among those I don't think everyone who owns WoL wanted to cook. I'd estimate a spread of 10 dishes since I think someone said they were doing two.

[Muggins]

I'm really anxious to see everyone's ideas for this one. I get the feeling that there's going to be something super-abusable that I missed with Legacy Champion and/or the Legacy Weapons rules, and I wanna find out what.

[Piggy Knowles]

I was a bit worried when Helio's inbox was closed when I tried to submit earlier :smalleek:

Luckily looks like I wasn't the only one with that issue, and got mine in.

As for number of entries, I suspect that most entries probably had to get broken down into multiple parts. Especially for those who ended up designing their own Weapon of Legacy, I'd imagine it's pretty hard to fit everything under 25k characters.

Excited to see what everyone submitted!

[Venger]

I'm really anxious to see everyone's ideas for this one. I get the feeling that there's going to be something super-abusable that I missed with Legacy Champion and/or the Legacy Weapons rules, and I wanna find out what.

There isn't. If there were, people would actually use this class.

[Piggy Knowles]

I get the feeling that there's going to be something super-abusable that I missed with Legacy Champion and/or the Legacy Weapons rules, and I wanna find out what.


There isn't. If there were, people would actually use this class.

I mean, there ARE things super-abusable with this class and it has made its way into some fairly well-known CharOp builds, but most of them were nixed by the chair or fall under "known cheese."

I don't think it's speculation to talk about this, because it was already brought up and ruled against by the chair, but Legacy Champion is known for being able to "bootstrap" initiator level by effectively providing 1.5 IL for every level it advances an initiator class - but the chair stated that for the purposes of this contest, it only advances by 1. Similarly, probably everyone who has been around the optimization scene for a while knows about certain abuses involving advancing short classes with "per level" abilities beyond their usual number of class levels - but that too was already brought up and the chair has stated that doing so risks elegance penalties.

What's going to be interesting to me is seeing how people made the Legacy Champion's abilities in a way to make them the focus of the dish - not always the easiest thing to do, when you've got a class that's focused on advancing the abilities of another class. Definitely excited to see what people pulled off this round.

[daremetoidareyo]

I mean, there ARE things super-abusable with this class and it has made its way into some fairly well-known CharOp builds, but most of them were nixed by the chair or fall under "known cheese."

I don't think it's speculation to talk about this, because it was already brought up and ruled against by the chair, but Legacy Champion is known for being able to "bootstrap" initiator level by effectively providing 1.5 IL for every level it advances an initiator class - but the chair stated that for the purposes of this contest, it only advances by 1. Similarly, probably everyone who has been around the optimization scene for a while knows about certain abuses involving advancing short classes with "per level" abilities beyond their usual number of classes - but that too was already brought up and the chair has stated that doing so risks elegance penalties.

What's going to be interesting to me is seeing how people made the Legacy Champion's abilities in a way to make them the focus of the dish - not always the easiest thing to do, when you've got a class that's focused on advancing the abilities of another class. Definitely excited to see what people pulled off this round.

Funny. I took this challenge as a way to find unknown cheese and add it to the known cheese.

[WhamBamSam]

I'm really anxious to see everyone's ideas for this one. I get the feeling that there's going to be something super-abusable that I missed with Legacy Champion and/or the Legacy Weapons rules, and I wanna find out what.I'd thought that I'd found abusable things on two separate occasions, only to realize, upon rereading, that they don't actually work.

[Venger]

I'd thought that I'd found abusable things on two separate occasions, only to realize, upon rereading, that they don't actually work.

That's what makes legacy champion such a great ingredient: brimming with new and exciting ways to disappoint.

[Zaq]

I mean, there ARE things super-abusable with this class and it has made its way into some fairly well-known CharOp builds, but most of them were nixed by the chair or fall under "known cheese."

I don't think it's speculation to talk about this, because it was already brought up and ruled against by the chair, but Legacy Champion is known for being able to "bootstrap" initiator level by effectively providing 1.5 IL for every level it advances an initiator class - but the chair stated that for the purposes of this contest, it only advances by 1. Similarly, probably everyone who has been around the optimization scene for a while knows about certain abuses involving advancing short classes with "per level" abilities beyond their usual number of class levels - but that too was already brought up and the chair has stated that doing so risks elegance penalties.

What's going to be interesting to me is seeing how people made the Legacy Champion's abilities in a way to make them the focus of the dish - not always the easiest thing to do, when you've got a class that's focused on advancing the abilities of another class. Definitely excited to see what people pulled off this round.

A super-cheesy reading of the rules might even advance it by more than 1.5, depending on how much weight you give that very poorly-written sentence on ToB pg. 39 about how prestige classes advance IL by a full level per level. Specifically banned by the Chair for this contest (and for good reason), and I doubt anyone's Elegance score would have survived trying to actually pull that off, but I can see someone trying it in a game that explicitly asks for cheesy tactics.

[Getsugaru]

A super-cheesy reading of the rules might even advance it by more than 1.5, depending on how much weight you give that very poorly-written sentence on ToB pg. 39 about how prestige classes advance IL by a full level per level. Specifically banned by the Chair for this contest (and for good reason), and I doubt anyone's Elegance score would have survived trying to actually pull that off, but I can see someone trying it in a game that explicitly asks for cheesy tactics.

There's also the quasi-famous "Hellfire Cheeselok" build in which you use Legacy Champion (and Uncanny Trickster) to advance your Hellfire Blast damage, as well as the infinite loop of Uncanny Trickster advancing Legacy Champion advancing Uncanny Trickster ad-infinitum until you have every skill trick usable twice per day for free.

But yeah, the Legacy Champion is a good class only when you have a worthwhile Weapon of Legacy, which usually means a custom-made weapon. If you have that and did not have any plans for levels 11-20 yet, you can use this class and still get effective 18th level in your base class if you want.

Side Note: I was the one who was "considering two entries this round." I only entered one; the "considering" came from when I remembered an entry I did long ago used this class in its recipe, and that if I'd had enough time I could have fine tuned it to make it better than before and re-enter it. The build involved DFA, and that is all I will say in case someone else chose that class for their entry this time (if you did, then I'm sorry for mentioning this).

EDIT: Heliomance, I did not receive a message stating your inbox was full when I sent mine last night, but that might be because I also sent its parts to myself just in case. As such, I'll just resend them for good measure.

[The Viscount]

I also had a second entry calling out to be made, but it came down to partially it seeming like my first entry and partially suspecting someone else might do it. We'll see about my suspicions soon.

[erok0809]

I had a second idea in addition to the one I submitted, but I didn't have time to put the whole build together with feats and stuff, plus I'm not actually sure it would have been able to DO much. I'll post the stub after the reveal.

[JyP]

I got sick so was not able to complete my build on time :smallfrown:



Main idea was to play an intelligent weapon being the de facto leader of an organization (thieve's guild for example)

- a weapon of legacy can be linked to many wielders at the same time
- using trial by combat is sufficient to change wielders
- factotum 20 as a build would cover the different members of the organization
- most personal costs would be annuled for the current wielder with a magic scabbard with right enchantments - penalty to will save is more a bonus than a penalty when you play the weapon itself.
- downside : needs a wielder at level 6 to start the fun.

[Heliomance]

Right, so I suppose you all came here for some entries or something. Here they are, I guess.

[Heliomance]

Shake my hand! Won't you shake a poor sinner's hand?


Outlaw Skim Wheelkicker


http://pre08.deviantart.net/8ad5/th/pre/i/2006/215/4/c/halfling_fighter_by_thadeoradicarlous.jpg


Failed corsair, Astral-hobo, Fiend slayer, Blasphemer, Plan-wrecker and Short-statured man of fortune.

“Ever make a wish?
Ever have your DM twist that wish to hurt you for no good reason?
Do you want to turn the tables around?”

The halfling, dressed like what can only be described as a disco-pirate, sits down at the table. He’s fidgeting with his gross locket for some reason. He smiles a toothy smile and extends his hand for a handshake.

“Why don’t you make a wish for it?”

Do you shake his hand?

CN Strongheart Halfling (FRCS p. 18)
Rogue 1/Ranger 4/Gatecrasher 1/Hellbreaker 4/Legacy Champion 10


+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength:
base land speed is 20 feet.
+2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, Listen and Move Silently checks:
one extra feat at 1st level,
+2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear.
+1 racial bonus on attack rolls with a thrown weapon and slings:
small: +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.


Rogue 1
Halfling Rogue substitution level (RotW p. 160): Ranged sneak attack +1d6, melee sneak attack +0, trapfinding
Mimic ACF (EoE p. 21): replace trap finding with 1/day disguise self, CL = class level.

Ranger 1
planar ranger (UA p. 55): knowledge planes replaces other knowledge skills. Celestial stuff, doesn’t matter it all gets traded away.
Arcane Hunter (CM p. 32): Favored enemy arcanists.
spiritual connection (CC p. 50): replaces wild empathy; 3/day speak with animals or speak with plants CL= Class level

Ranger 3
Shadow Sword Substitution Level (CoV p. 49): Add knowledge (history) to class skill list and 1/2 Class level times per day: swift action: +5 circumstance bonus on Move Silently checks for 1 round. No endurance.

Ranger 4
distracting attack (PHB2 p. 55) - No companion; whenever you hit an enemy with attack, that enemy is considered flanked by you for the purpose of adjudicating your allies’ attacks, last until next attack or until next turn. Remember: You can trigger this yourself: Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook, Core Rulebook I v.3.5, Glossary, p. 304. Ally: A creature friendly to you. In most cases, references to "allies" include yourself.
Champion of the wild (CC p. 50): no spell casting; bonus feat from select list. Choose improve feint.


Ability Scores
Str 9, Dex: 15, Con: 10 Int 16, wis 10, cha 16
4th: +1 int
8th: +1 int
12th: +1 str
16th: +1 cha
20th: +1 cha

Sources:
CoV = Champions of Valor
CoS = City of Stormreach
CC = Complete Champion
CM = Complete Mage
CS = Complete Scoundrel
DMG = Dungeon Master's Guide
ECS = Eberron Campaign Setting
EoE = Exemplars of Evil
FC2 = Fiendish Codex 2: Devils
FRCS = Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
LoM = Lords of Madness
MoP = Manual of the Planes
PlHB = Planar Handbook
PHB2 = Player’s Handbook 2
RotW = Races of the Wild
UA = Unearthed Arcana
WoL = Weapons of Legacy



Level

CLASS

BAB

Fort

Ref

Will

Skills

FEATS

Class Features



1
Halfling Rogue (ROTW p. 160) Mimic ACF(EoE p. 21)

0
0
2
0
[FONT=Times][FONT=Times]Bluff 4, UMD 4, Gather Information 4, Diplomacy 2, Hide 4, Move Silently 4, Sense Motive 4, Open Lock 4, Balance 4, Disable Device 4, Sleight of Hand 4

Combat expertise (1), Criminal Background (CoS p.94)(b)


Ranged sneak attack +1d6, melee sneak attack +0, Mimic (disguise self 1/day, CL 1)



2
Planar Ranger Variant (UA p. 55) Arcane Hunter (CM p. 32), spiritual connection (CC p. 50)

1
2
4
0
knowledge the planes 5, UMD 5, Survival 1, Open Lock 5

Track (b)

Modified Skills:Remove Knowledge (nature) and Knowledge (dungeoneering), Add Knowledge (the planes) and Speak Language (Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, Terran only)
Spiritual Connection: 3/day speak with animals or speak with plants (CL=Ranger class level)
Favored Enemy (Arcanists)
Track Bonus Feat.



3
Planar Ranger

2
3
5
0
UMD 6, Survival 4, gather information 5, Open lock 6, Heal 1, Bluff 5

2WF (b), Neraph Throw (PlHB p. 40),

Combat Style



4
Planar Ranger Shadow Sword Substitution Level (COV p. 49)

3
3
5
1
Knowledge (history) 5, UMD 7, survival 5, Open Lock 7



Add knowledge history to skill list,
Walk in Silence (1/2 Ranger level times per day, +5 Move silently for 1 round, light armor)



5
Planar Ranger distracting attack (PHB2) Champion of the wild (CC p. 50)

4
4
6
1
UMD 8, survival 6, Bluff 6, Heal 3, Profession sailor 1, skill trick

Improved feint (b) Least Legacy (b) group fake out skill trick (CS)

Distracting attack, Champion of the Wild Bonus Feat



6
gate crasher (MOP p. 26)

4
4
8
3
Sense Motive 8, Bluff 8, Disable device 7

Undo resistance (FC2 p.85)

analyze portal (Sp): (1 per day per GC level), bonus language



7
hellbreaker 1 (FC 2 p. 86)

4
4
10
5
[FONT=Times][FONT=Times]Bluff 9, Spot 1, open lock 8, Hide 5, skill trick, -3 points

timely misdirection skill trick(CS)

Mantle of Darkness, telepathic Static



8
hellbreaker 2

5
4
11
6
Bluff 10, sense motive 10, Hide 7, Move Silently 6, Open Lock 10, Sleight of Hand 5



Steal Spell like ability



9
hellbreaker 3

6
5
11
6
Bluff 11, spot 4, move silently 8, Hide 8, -3 points

Wanderer’s diplomacy (PHB2 p. 85)

Sneak Attack +1d6



10
hellbreaker 4

7
5
12
7
Bluff 13, Hide 12, Move silently 11, Knowldege Planes 5,



Stowaway



11
Legacy Champion 1 (WoL p. 19)

7
5
12
9
Decipher Script 4, Open Lock 12, Gather information 7



Reduced ritual cost (Lesser) Bond Lore



12
Legacy Champion 2 (HellBreaker 5)

8
5
12
10
knowledge history 7, UMD 10, gather information 8, -3 points

Undead Empathy (ECS p. 61)

Neutralize Spell like ability, Replace Legacy Ability



13
Legacy Champion 3 (HellBreaker 6)

9
6
13
10
UMD 12, Bluff 15, Gather info 12



Sneak Attack +2d6, Extra legacy ability use (least)



14
Legacy Champion 4 (HellBreaker 7)

10
6
13
11
UMD 16, Open Lock 16

Legacy Focus(b)(WoL p.15)

Foil Summoning, bonus legacy feat



15
Legacy Champion 5 (HellBreaker 8)

10
6
13
11
gather information 14, Sleight of Hand 10, open lock 17

Dark Stalker (LOM p. 179)

Steal Supernatural Ability, Replace legacy ability (least or Lesser),



16
Legacy Champion 6 (Gate Crasher 2)

11
7
14
12
open lock 19, Decipher script 5, Bluff 17, -3 points




Comprehension (+2 insight to decipher script, UMD, disable magic traps), Extra legacy ability use (lesser)



17
Legacy Champion 7

12
7
14
12
Survival 10




Reduced ritual cost (greater)



18
Legacy Champion 8 (Gate Crasher 3)

13
7
14
13
-3 points, open lock 21, Bluff 20

Quicken legacy(b)(WoL p.15), Trickery Devotion (CC p. 63)

Open Portal: Open Lock using Int modifier to open portal for 1d4 +1 rounds. DCs on Page 26 of MOP, bonus legacy feat,



19
Legacy Champion 9 (Gate Crasher 4)

13
8
15
13
UMD 22, gather info 16



Extra legacy ability use (greater) , Summon spell dampening, bonus language



20
Legacy Champion 10 (Gate Crasher 5)

14
8
15
14
sleight of Hand 15, -3 points



replace legacy ability (least, lesser or greater), Silver tongue: +2 insight bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks




A halfling boy is kidnapped by raiders and then sold into slavery to a plane hopping race. The boy is sold as a slave to githyanki marauders. Boy grows up as a downtrodden slave by day, thief and mischief maker by night. Boy runs away at first opportunity and raises himself the rest of the way, traveling with whomever takes his company. Taken in by a shadow sword traveling companion for a bit, eventually the boy grows into an Outlaw. Outlaw Skim finds himself an opportunity to steal a monkey’s paw from a powerful business man and he takes that opportunity. Everyone who’s travelled somewhere has heard of the monkey’s paw and how it grants weird wishes. Unfortunately, businessmen from the lower planes now have put a bounty on Skims head.

Level 5:
We have here a halfling rogue 1/planar ranger 4. With the exception of Track, Skim trades away every single class feature. Being raised on the outer planes is hard. We trade away these class features for good reason: Outlaw Skim is wandering planar sellsword swashbuckler type, and he needs knowledge history and knowledge the planes, the ability to deliver sneak attacks, and something to offset the skill point loss that occurs later when he awakens his legacy item.

He carries any thrown weapon of decent stats that he can get his hands on. He has 2d6 sneak attack with thrown weapons and two weapon fighting, with distracting attack, and Neraph throw he is able to activate that sneak attack very reliably. As stated in the glossary of the PHB, he should count as his own ally for distracting attack ACF, allowing his offhand flask or throwing knife to activate sneak attack damage. Skim trades away his animal companion because he won’t be advancing him any further after 4 ranger levels anyway. He has a criminal background, which makes bluff, open lock, and sleight of hand class skills, as well as allowing DC 15 sense motive checks when dealing with criminal motives as well as +4 to gather information checks about criminals. The sense motive ability is helpful for a few things, judging how to twist a wish, and making diplomacy checks. Trading away spell casting nets a bonus improved feint, which we beef up with some skill tricks. We also aren’t going to advance ranger anymore, so trading away your ranger spells, especially after dumping wisdom is a good idea, especially if Skim can get a prerequisite feat out of it. The Shadow sword sub level allows for a high bonus to hide checks that stacks with the racial and size bonus. This also allows Skim to divert skill points towards pre-requisites and toward beefing other skills for when the legacy penalties hit. Wild empathy is traded away for the ability to straight up talk to animals and plants. So Skim can grant the wishes of trees and squirrels too. Getting mimic in place of trap finding allows Skim to change appearance as necessary for his shenanigans. Outlaw skim is a solid throwing ranger who is a bit weak but has half decent social skills.

Level 10:
Here, Outlaw Skim starts getting weird. As a mostly nonmagical being dealing with all the nasties of the outer planes, Skim picks up a level of gatecrasher and then 4 levels of hellbreaker. At level 5 he activates the monkey’s paw and has access to comprehend languages, a small sense motive buff, and his new travelling companion and trap monkey, Chestnut. Wanderer’s diplomacy sets up the next combo, undead empathy, which allows the outlaw to ignore having to kill undead with a bluff check. It also allows Skim to find whatever new gear or magical lady he is chasing after next. Skim can find anything you need to buy. Dealing with powerful magical beings, Skim develops telepathic static to throw off bounty hunters, and he also picks up the trick of stealing other people’s magic powers. His knowledge of portals is great, and he can stowaway on other people’s teleportation effects. He hires himself out as a tout and guide for expeditions, and picks up whatever gig offers the most loot and adventure. Outlaw skim always tries to diplomance his way out of tough situations. Even if it means that he must lie. Working off of the feint optimization, Outlaws skim’s bluff check is helpful with wanderer’s diplomacy to make friends as a standard action instead of a full minute. The ability to do this absolutely helps with when he offers wishes to people who might kill him. Steal spell like ability, paired with skim’s ability to land a ranged sneak attack by Neraph throwing while flanking with himself and two weapon fighting allows Skim to deplete some offensive abilities of the enemy.

At this point, Skim and Chestnut dress alike and travel around wreaking havoc. Earning money to waste on consumable goods and good times.

Level 15:
At 15th level, you can grant 1 wish to people. Make your DM wish for stuff. Grant the whims of the lamest NPCs and meanest BBEG. Then twist the results for him. Just like he always does for you…You can do this because: 1.)You own an intelligent item that grants wishes, but doesn’t have “charges.” 2.) Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 268 “Intelligent items can actually be considered creatures because they have Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. Treat them as constructs (see page 307 of the Monster Manual).” and Hellbreaker’s Steal Supernatural ability: If the target is willing, you can steal a supernatural ability with a touch as a standard action, no need to worry about sneak attacking the construct. Your monkey’s paw grants one wish per person as a supernatural ability at 13th level. Outlaw Skim can steal that supernatural ability, and grant wishes to people that touch him, as if he were the monkey’s paw, which counts as a construct, because it is an intelligent magic item. He can grant wishes like a short CN astral pirate genie.

Now it’s a fine line whether or not you get to decide how the wish gets twisted, but c’mon, do you know how much combat utility Outlaw Skim gave up for this?
This is the whole point of the build. Yer Darn tootin’ this is the high point.

Your Sneak attack finally advances a little more. And you have darkstalker. If you buy enough sneak attack increasing gear you should be pretty formidable considering that you can broadcast total radio silence between telepathic static and darkstalker. No one can detect you, so long as you also spend money on gear to boost your move silently up a bit.

If your Skim’s DM won’t let skim grant terrible wishes to people or allow him to control the “Twist”, he has a back up plan. At level 13, Skim gets a wish of his own. He wishes for all wishes that he will grants in the future be twisted and deliver ultimately unfavorable outcomes. In 1d100 days that wish will reveal itself to be somehow unfortunate for Skim. At level 15, when Skim can finally steal supernatural powers, he can grant the terrible wishes that the money paw could grant.

…meaning that any wish that skims grants to other people will ultimately lead to an unfavorable outcome for them, while an unfavorable outcome for Skim would be for that wish to actually deliver an ultimately FAVORABLE outcome. Which means that Skim can grant decent wishes to people if he wants to.

Level 20:
If I’m totally honest with you, Legacy Champion is worthless after level 7 for this build. But, bailing out early on the prestige class tends to be frowned on. The monkey’s paw now grants up to 3 wishes to strangers, and you can now teleport or plane shift yourself only. Or you can steal that ability and plane shift or teleport others. Trickery devotion allows you to rob others at no personal risk. It also allows you to steal spell like and supernatural abilities to blow around with. You can open portals using your open lock skill, you have enough survival skill to track people across the planes. On some portals which can only be opened on one side, Skim can plane shift to the other plane and open it from over there. Skim has 2 more wishes to spend.

Item of Legacy - The Monkey’s Paw

http://images-cdn.moviepilot.com/image/upload/c_fill,h_450,w_800/t_mp_quality/scream-factory-and-chiller-wish-you-to-take-the-monkey-s-paw-home-jpeg-98399.jpg

Description: A desiccated Monkey’s hand crumpled into a fist, with a crudely hewn wooden haft jutting out from where the wrist ends. The haft is made from a material similar to Livewood (ECS p.127). The haft has a single hole in it, which the wielder can loop a small necklace chain or leather straps to wear as an amulet or clunky bracelet.

Non Legacy Game statistics: Domain Infused Holy symbol (CC p.135), ~350gp. When used as a divine focus to cast a spell from the Trickery domain, Portal or Trade Domains, the Spell is cast at +1 Caster Level.

Omen: The monkey’s paw will appear to slowly unfurl into an open hand when it’s owner is owner is making a desperate plea or bargain with a person or creature of greater social stature or physical power.

History: The Blood War, the pre-eminent battle between order and chaos knows no boundaries. In antiquity, a layer of Arboria, now entitled Mithardir (MoP p.146) had a dense forested region. In this forest, animalistic fey spirits ran free. These creatures spirits were bound to host trees, much like the dryads. But then the Blood war came to the upper planes. Evil creatures tore a rift in space, gating 1,000s of demons onto the layer. Those demons defoliated giant swaths of the entire layer, crafting bane weapons from the Chaotic infused trees. The spirit animals fought as well as they could, but they were systematically slain. The weapons crafted from these trees contained the wild animal spirits within them, granting them some degree of power. One such tree was chopped and razed. It’s animal guardian hideously maimed by a Balor, who casually skewered the poor little monkey with a shaft of wood from his own tree, roasted him over a fire, and ate him off the spike. Picking his teeth with the remains, he cast the skewered paw (mostly bones anyway) to the side. (DC 15: Sorrow Breaker’s Feast). Since then, stories about a cursed monkey’s paw were strewn around the planes. The elven viking druid-maester, Quithenna, found this curio item a thousand years after the demons were repelled, by winning it in a card game against a priest of loki. Quithenna kept it until he died. Communing with the great trees of Yggdrasil after a great pillage, Quithenna found that spirit of the tree, a celestial monkey, still survives in the splinter used to cook its material form. (DC: 21 Nature’s Interrogation) When Quithenna was later slain in the astral plane by marauding githyanki, the item found its way to Sigil. It’s traded hands many times since then, having travelled to every outer plane, and is in many ways, one of the only remaining legacies of the grand and gentle forestkin of Mithardir (DC 26: Strewn Seed Rebellion).




Level
Skill check penalty
4-5 Reflex save penalty
4-5 hp penalty
4-5 skill point loss
Power Level
Menu
Power Name


1

-
-
-
-
-




2


-
-
-
-
-




3


-
-
-
-
-




4


-
-
-
-
-




5


-
-
-
-
least
A
Intelligent Legacy Minor (Su)


6


-
-
-2


-
least
A
Comprehend languages


7


-1


-1


-
-3


least
A



8


-
-
-
-
least
A



9


-
-
-
-3


least
C
Constant Companion: Chestnut


10


-
-
-2


-
least
A
Skill enhancement +5 Sense motive


11


-
-
-
-
Lesser




12


-
-2


-
-
Lesser




13


-
-
-
-3


Lesser
F
1 Wish


14


-2


-
-
-
Lesser




15


-
-
-
-
Lesser
E
Skill enhancement +10 Survival


16


-
-
-
-3


Lesser
D
Slippery barrier


17


-
-
-
-
greater




18


-
-
-
-3


greater
H
2 wish


19


-3


-
-
-
greater
G
plane shift


20


-
-
-
-3


greater
G
teleport



Legacy Rituals:
Sorrow-breaker’s Feast: You must banish, kill, defeat, humiliate, or trick a Chaotic Evil or Neutral Evil outsider or demon. The creature must know that it has been bested. The ritual is then performed in a wooded setting, where the bearer must recount the story of how he bested the fiend. The ritual concludes with making a small offering the spirits. Costs 2,300 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Monkey’s paw)

Nature’s Interrogation: You must spend a week in a heavily forested area completely alone, uninterrupted, carrying nothing more than what you can fit on your back. On the night of the seventh day, you light a large bonfire and meditate over the embers. Costs 12,700 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Monkey’s Paw)

Strewn Seed Rebellion: Over the course of 3 days, you must plant 99 seeds. Half of the seeds must be fast growing hearty plants from the prime material planes. Each day you must judiciously plant one third of the seeds on a different plane of existence. No plane of existence can be chosen more than once. Demiplanes may not be chosen. Each batch of seeds needs to be introduced in a region on that plane where they will have generally the greatest chance of taking root and successfully adopting the environment. No seed may be from a plant that can be found naturally on the plane onto which it is being planted. e.g.: you can’t plant Baatorian acorns on Baator, but you could plant them in Limbo, ideally near a light and water source. Costs 40,500 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Monkey’s Paw).

Wielder Requirements
Almost anyone can wind up possessing this item. It’s an ugly trinket that is somehow oddly compelling. It does, however, tend to wind up in the hands of scrappy young radicals and traveling thugs quite often.
Bluff 2
Survival 4
Diplomacy 2

Legacy Item Abilities
Level 5: Rebel spirit: Intelligent Legacy Minor (Su): The item gains sentience. It can communicate with you empathically, and can hear and see out to 60 feet. It gains Intelligence 13, Wisdom 10, and Charisma score of 13. Ego: 3. Its Ego also increases as more legacies are unlocked. At level 6, the ego increases to 5. At level 13, it’s ego increases to 7, and at level 18 the ego increases to 11. The monkey’s paw’s alignment is CN. After passing through the hands of so many selfish entities through the millennia, and having suffered greatly to even have been created, the item has lost some of its celestial luster. Generally, the monkey’s paw very much enjoys ruining the plans of the powerful and giving power to the weak. The general empathy feelings that the monkey paw instills in it’s wielder comes in four different categories: contentment, antsyness, anger, and compassion. With anger being directed at the presence of the powerful entity near itself, and compassion for the weaker beings around it. Most of the other times, it remains content, even if surrounded by bloodshed or fear. The item doesn’t empath antsyness until level 9, when Chestnut wants to be free.

Level 6: Hanging the trader: Comprehend Languages (Su): The person in contact with this item continually understands all spoken and written languages, as if continually affected by the comprehend languages spell.

Level 9: Constant Companion: Chestnut the Celestial Monkey. After developing a relationship with the monkey’s paw, and having demonstrated the ability to hold one’s own against evil planar creatures, Chestnut will feel safe to leave the confines of the livewood splinter that holds this holy symbol together. While you are holding, wearing, or wielding the item, you can use a swift action to summon Chestnut the Celestial Monkey. The allied creature attacks your foes and serves you to the best of its ability. If you can communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. It remains with you unless dismissed (a standard action) or killed. If the creature is slain, it can be summoned again after 24 hours, fully healed.

Chestnut is missing his right hand, because his spirit cannot complete reform until the hand is removed from the splinter that binds his soul. In his hand’s place, is a shimmering blue ghost hand. It’s told that over the course of 100 years, Quithenna taught this little monkey how to wield a tiny rapier in his off hand. When summoned, he does not have any weapons or clothing. Chestnut is comfortable wearing clothes and sometimes wears oversized gloves to cover up his missing hand. At intelligence level 3, he speaks with incomplete syntax, and his desires usually revolve around finding young monkey maidens to impress, and frustrating whomever is opposed to the wielder of his missing hand. He generally dislikes being confined in the item and will on occasion summon himself, particularly after a week or two feeling antsyness.


Chestnut
Celestial Monkey with Ghostly Arm Graft (LM p.80)
Size/Type: Tiny Magical Beast
Animal Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)

Initiative: +2

Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft. 

Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12 

Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–12

Attack: Rapier +4 melee (1d3–4) Full Attack: rapier +4 (1d3-4), Bite -1 melee (1d3–4), ghost arm -1, 1d6
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft. 

Special Attacks: Ghostly arm graft 

Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Darkvision, DR 5 Acid, Cold and Electricity

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1

Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 5 

Skills: Balance +12, Climb +10, Escape Artist +4, Hide +10, Listen +3, Spot +3

Feats: Weapon FinesseB, martial weapon proficiency: rapier (1d3, 18-20 X2)

Challenge Rating: 1/6 

Alignment: CG

Skills: Monkeys have a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. They can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb checks.
Smite Evil (Su) Once per day a celestial monkey can make a normal melee attack to deal 1 point of extra damage against an evil foe.
Ghostly Arm Graft: This incorporeal hand can’t be used to manipulate solid objects. However, the grafted creature can use the ghostly hand to deliver an incorporeal touch attack that deals 1d6 points of damage, as a ghost can with its corrupting touch attack. Treat the hand as a secondary weapon; the arm has no Strength score and thus gains no bonus or penalty on damage rolls from the user’s Strength.

Level 10: Upward nobility: Skill Enhancement +5 (Su): While touching this item, it grants you a +5 competence bonus on sense motive.

Level 13: Curse of the Monkey’s paw: Wish (Su): The item grants you a single wish as the spell. The recipient of this wish must state the desired effect while touching either the monkey’s paw or Chestnut. As long as you have performed the appropriate legacy ritual and meet the level requirement, you gain this benefit, even if a previous owner has made a wish using the item. A given creature can never gain more than one wish in this way. If a save is allowed, the save DC is 23, or 19 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. The monkey’s paws wishes, however, all come with a little bit of baggage. While apparently coming true, negative consequences of the wish tend to befall the wisher 1d100 days later, typically dealing with nature of the wish or the personality defects of the wisher.

Level 15: Well wisher’s water: Skill Enhancement +15 (Su): The item grants you a +10 competence bonus on Survival checks.

Level 16: Bad luck Aura: Slippery Barrier (Su): If the wielder of the monkey’s paw is standing on solid, open ground, you can use a swift action to cover the open ground with a layer of slippery grease. This effect resembles the grease spell but covers each eligible 5-foot square adjacent to your own (your space is free of the grease effect). Another swift action dismisses the effect; otherwise the grease dissipates in 1 minute. If there is no open ground in one or more adjacent squares, or if you leave the ground, the effect immediately ends. The save DC is 11, or 11 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher

Level 18: Greater Curse of the Monkey’s Paw: Wishes, Two (Su): The item grants you two wishes as the wish spell. You must state the desired effect while in sight of the item.. As long as you have performed the appropriate legacy ritual and meet the level requirement, you gain this benefit, even if a previous owner has made two wishes using the item. A given creature can never gain more than two wishes in this way. If a save is allowed, the save DC is 23, or 19 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. The monkey’s paws wishes, however, all come with a little bit of baggage. While apparently coming true, negative consequences of the wish tend to befall the wisher 1d100 days later, typically dealing with nature of the wish or the personality defects of the wisher.

Level 19: No place like home: Plane Shift (Sp): Once per day, when you issue the command word and gesture with the item, you can use plane shift as the spell. Only willing creatures can be transported with this effect

Level 20: Home is where the hand is: Teleport (Sp): Two times per day, when you issue the command word and gesture with the item, you can use teleport as the spell.

[Heliomance]

The bone sings to me, and I respond in kind



Skullwearer
http://i.imgur.com/l4fDJkW.jpg
Picture by doppelganger-art (http://doppelganger-art.deviantart.com/art/wyrm-579597588)
NE Female Human Bard 4/Barbarian 3/Fighter 1/Master of Masks 2/Legacy Champion 10
STR: 14, DEX: 13, CON: 14, INT: 14, WIS: 8, CHA: 15

CHIEF KARÜD:
But how!? My guards are most alert, my shaman's have the greatest power in the Plains of Shalad, my palace has many charms, wards and traps. Before you take me, pray tell: how did you manage to get to me?
DEATH:
How you ask? I need not tell you. For I have many tricks, for I have many powers, for I come in many masks. Had this ruse not succeeded another would have in time. All that matters is that I am here and now your bones will line my robes and your skull will adorn my blade.


An Excerpt from The Loreplays of the Scablands, Collected by Loremaster Gallin


Once a bard who was dedicated to performing the history of her people in their Loreplays, the woman who would become known as the “Skullwearer” was pressed into combat when her tribe was attacked by a larger tribe bent on enslaving those who would submit and killing those who who would not. During the final battle against the aggressors she was knocked unconscious and was captured, to be used as a concubine by the conquering tribes chief. Managing to knock out one of her guards, she took her uniform and managed to make it through the tribe unnoticed until she made her way to the chief's lodge. In one of the rooms she found a weapon, one she recognised from the plays. The Skull Lash a weapon used by many heroes. How it came to be in the chief's collection she didn't care but she knew what to do. She quietly entered the chiefs bedroom and stood over him. She quoted from one of the Loreplays: “ I am here and now your bones will line my robes and your skull will adorn my blade” A furious roar from the weapon affirmed her action as she smashed the flail into his torso again and again. Using his sword to cut his head off, she took it with her as she slipped away in the confusion.

For two years she wandered the plains, no tribe would take her in as they assumed she had deserted her tribe in it's time of need. Although the Skull Lash took care of her needs the beating hot sun and lack of food and drink eventually took their toll on her sanity. There was a belief among the tribes, one that was beginning to fade away, that there was power in the bones of a creature you killed. The Skull Lash was proof that this was true, her captor's head now a part of the weapon had made it more powerful. Those who wielded it in defence of others had made it strong in the tales, but when she had tried to defend others she was almost enslaved, scorned and rejected. Thus the only way to truly survive and prosper was to kill things and wear their bones and to prove her way was correct she would set about recreating the events of the Loreplays, but twisted to her philosophy. So it was that when she finally wandered into northern hinterlands an antelope's skull was added to her flail and two masks made from the skulls of other creatures. It had been so long since she had spoken to another person that she had forgotten her name. It was with pride she took the title that the cowering peasants had scornfully whispered as she entered their village: Skullwearer.

From there she joined with the Death's Talons mercenary group when they took down the Silver Dragon Kilara, asking for no treasure but the gold agreed on and the dragon's skull. The power in the bones adapting to her new environment, there was more a need to not be seen in the cities and less need to worry about food. Those she killed who she deemed worthy she took their skulls and turned them into masks, drawing powers to not be seen, to strike harder and more accurately, the ability to fly, to cast spells of all kinds, to kill unseen and to command. Her Skull Lash approved and gave her the power to make decoys of herself.
When the hobgoblins rose up and attacked the Barony of Feuertafelberg Skullwearer worked alongside them eventually infiltrating Castle Eisenberg and slaying Paladin-General Heinrich von Amsel throwing the defenders into disarray and unlocking further powers of the Lash.

Skullwearer now stalks the Hinterlands, striking out at whoever she feels is a target worthy of her flail. Despite demonstrating the rightness of her philosophy, even when she sought to twist the Legacy of the bearers of the Skull Lash she was still playing the role of another:

DEATH:
No keep or ward can deny me, no twisted visage of undeath shall forever duck my blade. For one day, in their time, all things shall take their place among my robes and upon my blade 'til I alone remain.


An Excerpt from The Loreplays of the Scablands, Collected by Loremaster Gallin






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


1st
Bard 1
+0
+0
+2
+2
Perform: Act 4, Knowledge: History 4, Bluff 4, Disguise 4, Use Magic Device 4,Hide 4, Move Silently 4, Intimidate 2, Survival 2, Spellcraft, Speak Language: Orcish, Speak Language: Goblin
Able Learner(Races of Destiny), Darkstalker(Lords of Madness)
Inspire Awe (Dragon Magic), Lore Song (Dungeonscape), Countersong, Healing Hymn (Complete Champion),


2nd
Bard 2
+1
+0
+3
+3
Perform: Act 5, Knowledge: History 5, Bluff 5, Disguise 5, Use Magic Device 5,Hide 5, Move Silently 5, Spellcraft 4
-
-


3rd
Bard 3
+2
+1
+3
+3
Perform: Act 6, Bluff 6, Disguise 6, Use Magic Device 6, Hide 6, Move Silently 6, Intimidate 3, Survival 3, Speak Language: Abyssal
Melodic Casting (Complete Mage)
Inspire Competence


4th
Fighter 1
+3
+3
+3
+3
Perform: Act 7, Bluff 7, Disguise 7, Hide 7, Move Silently 7
Power Attack
-


5th
Barbarian 1
+4
+5
+3
+3
Perform: Act 8, Bluff 8, Disguise 8, Hide 8, Move Silently 8, Intimidate 5
Least Legacy: Skull Lash (Bonus)
Spirit Lion Totem(Complete Champion), Rage 1/day


6th
Master of Masks 1(Complete Scoundrel)
+4
+5
+5
+5
Perform: Act 9, Bluff 9, Disguise 9, Move Silently 9, Intimidate 8
Doomspeak(Champions of Ruin)
Persona Masks (Gladiator, Faceless)


7th
Bard 4
+5
+5
+6
+6
Perform: Act 10, Bluff 10, Disguise 10, Move Silently 10, Hide 10, Intimidate 10 Survival 6
-
-


8th
Barbarian 2
+6/+1
+6
+6
+6
Perform: Act 11, Bluff 11, Disguise 11, Move Silently 11, Hide 11, Intimidate 11, Survival 7
-
Uncanny Dodge


9th
Barbarian 3
+7/+2
+6
+7
+7
Perform: Act 12, Bluff 12, Disguise 12, Move Silently 12, Hide 12, Intimidate 12, Survival 8
Imperious Command (Drow of the Underdark)
Trapkiller


10th
Master of Masks 2
+8/+3
+6
+8
+8
Perform: Act 13, Bluff 13, Disguise 13, Move Silently 13, Hide 13, Intimidate 13, Survival 9
-
Persona Mask (Angel)


11th
Legacy Champion 1
+8/+3
+6
+8
+10
Perform: Act 14, Bluff 14, Disguise 14, Move Silently 14, Hide 14, Intimidate 14, Survival 10
Lesser Legacy (Bonus)
Reduced Ritual Cost (Lesser), Bond of Lore


12th
Legacy Champion 2(MoM3)
+9/+4
+6
+8
+11
Perform: Act 15, Bluff 15, Disguise 15, Move Silently 15, Hide 15, Intimidate 15, Survival 11
Frightful Presence (Draconomicon)
Replace Legacy Ability (Least) (Sustenance for Invisibility 1/day), Persona Mask (Archmage), Mask Specialist


13th
Legacy Champion 3(MoM4)
+10/+5
+7
+9
+11
Perform: Act 16, Bluff 16, Disguise 16, Move Silently 16, Hide 16, Intimidate 16, Survival 12
-
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Least) (Invisibility)


14th
Legacy Champion 4(MoM5)
+11/+6/+1
+7
+9
+12
Perform: Act 17, Bluff 17, Disguise 17, Move Silently 17, Hide 17, Intimidate 17, Survival 13
Quicken Legacy: Invisibility (Bonus) Persona Mask (Assassin), Many Faces (2, Swift)
-


15th
Legacy Champion 5(MoM6)
+11/+6/+1
+7
+9
+12
Perform: Act 18, Bluff 18, Disguise 18, Move Silently 18, Hide 18, Intimidate 18, Survival 14
Improved Bull Rush
Replace Legacy Ability (False Life for Mirror Image)


16th
Legacy Champion 6 (MoM7)
+12/+7/+2
+8
+10
+13
Perform: Act 19, Bluff 19, Disguise 19, Move Silently 19, Hide 19, Intimidate 19, Survival 15
-
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Lesser) (Mirror Image), Persona Mask (High Priest)


17th
Legacy Champion 7(MoM7)
+13/+8/+3
+8
+10
+13
Perform: Act 20, Bluff 20, Disguise 20, Move Silently 20, Hide 20, Intimidate 20, Survival 16
Greater Legacy (Bonus)
Reduced Ritual Cost (Greater)


18th
Legacy Champion 8 (MoM8)
+14/+9/+4
+8
+10
+14
Perform: Act 21, Bluff 21, Disguise 21, Move Silently 21, Hide 21, Intimidate 21, Survival 17
Shock Trooper, Quicken Legacy: Bestow Curse (Bonus)
Many Faces (3,Swift)


19th
Legacy Champion 9 (MoM9)
+14/+9/+4
+9
+10
+14
Perform: Act 22, Bluff 22, Disguise 22, Move Silently 22, Hide 22, Intimidate 22, Survival 18
-
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Greater) (Bestow Curse), Persona Mask (Lord)


20th
Legacy Champion 10 (MoM10)
+15/+10/+5
+9
+10
+15
Perform: Act 23, Bluff 23, Disguise 23, Move Silently 23, Hide 23, Intimidate 23, Survival 19
-
Replace Legacy Ability (Greater) (Replace Weathering with Teleport), Many Faces (4, Immediate)


With an Intelligence bonus of +2 Skullwearer gains an additional two languages. Elven and Draconic are the two she learns.
At 4th Level Skullwearer puts her Stat Boost into Charisma, The 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th go into Strength
At 20th Level Skullwearer's stats, without magic items, are the following:
STR: 18, DEX: 13, CON: 14, INT: 14, WIS: 8, CHA: 16

Spells per Day/Spells Known

Spells per Day/Spells Known


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


1st
2/4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
3/5
0/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
3/6
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
3/6
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
3/6
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
3/6
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
3/6
2/3
0/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
3/6
2/3
0/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
3/6
2/3
0/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


10th
3/6
3/4
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


11th
3/6
3/4
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th
3/6
3/4
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


13th
3/6
3/4
2/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


14th
3/6
3/4
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


15th
3/6
3/4
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


16th
3/6
3/4
2/3
0/2
-
-
-
-
-
-


17th
3/6
3/4
2/3
0/2
-
-
-
-
-
-


18th
3/6
3/4
2/3
0/2
-
-
-
-
-
-


19th
3/6
3/4
3/4
1/3
-
-
-
-
-
-


20th
3/6
3/4
3/4
1/3
-
-
-
-
-


Note: Spells are listed in the order chosen.
0
Cure Minor Wounds
Lullaby
Prestidigitation
Songbird (Spell Compendium)
Ghost Sound
Message

1st[b]
Silent Image
Grease
Beastland Ferocity (Spell Compendium)
Expeditious Retreat

[b]2nd
Alter Self
Glitterdust
Dark Way (Spell Compendium)
War Cry (Spell Compendium)

3rd
Haste
Glibness
G'elsewhere Chant (Spell Compendium)


Skull Lash


Character Level
Attack Penalty
Save Penalty
Hit Point Loss
Abilities


5th
-
-
-
Sustenance/Invisibility 1/day


6th
-
-
4
-


7th
-
-
-
First Skull Ability


8th
-
-1
-
-


9th
-1
-
2
+2 Heavy Flail


10th
-
-
-
False Life 1/day/Mirror Image 1/day


11th
-
-
-
+3 Heavy Flail


12th
-
-
2
-


13th
-2
-
-
Second Skull Ability


14th
-
-
-
Bestow Curse 1/day


15th
-
-
2
+4 Heavy Flail


16th
-
-2
-
Revitalising Strike


17th
-
-
-
Weathering/Teleport 2/day


18th
-
-3
2
False Life 2/day (CL10)/-


19th
-
-
2
Third Skull Ability


20th


2
+5 Heavy Flail






Like throughout your career, you are a jack-of-all-trades with a focus on stealth and melee combat and fear. At this level your fear focus is a bit subdued, but shaken enemies with Inspire Awe is always welcome. You have Darkstalker and max ranks in the stealth skills so you're pretty hard to find, once a day rage can provide a welcome boost to damage and Lore Song's +4 is welcome wherever you decide to use it. Spirit Lion is not useful at this level but is a necessary set up for what is to come. Healing Hymn lets your Cure Minor Wounds cure up 9 HP a spell, which is not insignificant and will only improve in time. Your spells are pretty standard for a bard, various utility and a form of combat enhancement in the form of Beastland Ferocity. Melodic Casting saves you skill points on concentration and lets you cast spells while maintaining a Bardic Music effect. The Skull Lash is mostly just a +1 Heavy Flail that lets your rage last an extra round at this point, but a free Ring of Sustenance is not a bad effect at this level. As a note I can't We also meet all non-level 10 based requirements to enter both our Prestige Classes as well as actually use the Skull Lash

As an aside I'd have Skullwearer start of as Neutral in alignment and give her an actual name if you're starting at anything below fifth. She has not had the life-shattering experiences that lead to her psychotic world view yet. If your DM allows flaws, take one and pick up Power Attack at level one and change out your level of Fighter for another Level of Barbarian instead and increase your survival with the extra two skill ranks. If you're allowed a second flaw pick up Extra Music from either Complete Adventurer or the Eberron Campaign Setting for your other feat. On the very low chance of having Dragon Magazine allowed at the table AND being able to pick flaws, the Wild Flaw from Dragon Magazine #329 is a thematic choice.


6th Level is a great level for us! Doomspeak is a great feat from Champions of Ruin that use a Bardic Music use to have an enemy make a Will save at DC 10+Character Level+CHA or take a -10 penalty to practically everything, We also enter one of my guilty pleasure prestige classes, the Master of Masks a nifty little class that is let down by a terrible chassis. Gladiator mask is one of the most common uses of the class and I make sure to pick it up alongside Faceless as soon as possible. 6th Level is also the place where intimidate catches up to being maxxed where it will basically stay for the rest of Skullwearer's career. Our Bard level grants us an extra music use as well as spells, and the Barbarian levels pick us up Trap Killer as well as survival ranks to use it. The Animal Skull of our Skull Lash negates the penalty you take while using Survival to search for traps. Imperious Command is another great feat, demoralising an enemy and leaving them shaken, the Dragon Skull providing +5 to intimidate is great for this. I'd also suggest getting the Fearsome enchant for whatever armour you're wielding if you can. It's great for what we're doing. The Second Level of Master of Masks gives us the Angel Mask. Flight is always a great ability to have, even for only a few rounds a day. You have two attacks now so the Pounce from Spirit Lion comes on line and with the assorted buffs you have you're almost at par for a melee character of your level. Spell wise your up to second level and pick up the ever popular Glitterdust and Alter Self, the latter is especially important to you naturally. You also grab Expeditious Retreat to help with your movement.

On the legacy Weapon side we're just shy of picking up both Legacy Champion and our Lesser Legacy feat, but two of the skill bonuses we get to choose from synergise well with what we're trying to do and false life is never a bad thing to have available.

Officially, each Mask made by the Master of Masks has a material it is made out of, for example alabaster for the Angel. However I'm sure most DM's should be willing to let you fluff them however you like as long as you pay the appropriate fee. Wearing the skulls of your defeated enemies is appropriately thematic for someone using the Skull Lash. For flavour, whenever using Doomspeak or Inspire Awe from level 6 or higher I'd create quotes from the Loreplays Skullwearer learned in her youth and just speak in the lines attributed to Death.



At long last we enter the secret ingredient. Naturally we are using the advance class features class feature to prop up our Master of Masks levels. Medium Base attack bonus is what the class really needs and Legacy Champion provides it. Featwise in this section we pick up Frightful Presence from the Draconomicon, which is great for debuffing enemy minions and the like while Improved Bullrush is a necessary evil to grab Shocktrooper at 18th. We manage to squeeze in our third attack this level too, by level 20 we'll have the same base attack as a regular level 20 Bard which is not too bad. Mask Wise you gain the Archmage, for a variety of magical tricks while acting as half a practised spellcaster, and Assassin which grants you sneak attack and sneaking skill buffs. You also gain the next tier of bonuses granted by each mask. Legacy Weapon wise we trade out Sustenance for once a day Invisibility, which we then make twice a day with our class feature. With the Archmage mask this lets use Invisibility a total of three times a day which augments our stealth skills.

The Second Skull bonuses on each of her three skulls are useful, scent is a good ability to have and detect thoughts and charm at will almost never be bad. As an aside if you really need someone charmed you can use your Archmage's Charm spell-like if they resist the Skull Lash. Bestow Curse combos well with her Doomspeak feat and the various ways we can make people shaken. Skullwearer also trades away False Life, for the often better Mirror Image once a day to provide defence in a pinch which helps counteract the loss of HP for wielding Skull Lash. She also gains the ability to Quicken our Invisibility. Not too much has changed on the spell side, but we do get Dark Way which can operate as a kind of Wall of Force.




Skullwearer finishes her career with a flurry of activity on the Legacy side of things. An extra use of Mirror Image, gain Revitalising Strike, which is useful for removing fatigue or exhaustion, quicken and gain another use of our Bestow Curse. Our Third Skull ability allows us to swap between +6 to CON, WIS or CHA, though we'll be sticking more to CHA and CON, and replace weathering with two Teleports a day which is a great ability for anyone to have. Master of Masks wise we get the High Priest for a variety of minor healing effects, Remove Curse and Lesser Restoration are of note, and the Lord for once a day Heroism, Dispel Chaos and a couple of other things. You also get the 7th and 10th level benefits for all your masks, can wear up to four of them and switch between them as an immediate action. Spell wise War Cry helps with both your primary tricks, providing a bonus to hit and damage while charging and forcing a will save vs panic. Haste and Glibness never go out of style and G'elsewhere Chant is a guilty pleasure spell of mine that can act as an emergency escape for yourself or an ally, a way to temporarily remove an enemy for a small reprieve in combat, or remove an obstacle. Unlike most teleportation spells, this one doesn't have a weight limit on what it can teleport for the object so it's a good way to get rid of any adamantine doors in the way ;). If at any point in your career you get the chance to pick this up as a wand I'd take it, if only to get rid of annoying obstacles. Due to the light armour needed to cast your Bard spells AC's likely going to be rubbish anyway so we take the ever-popular Shock Trooper to tank it instead of your to hit while charging. It's the most sensible thing to do.

In the backstory I posted, I tried to go with things the opposite the way the legends of the previous wielders of the Skull Lash did, an Antelope instead of a Dire Lion, a good Dragon's skull instead of an evil ones, and the general fighting against an army of hobgoblins instead of leading them. If you can pull something like that off I'd suggest doing it. I think it's a nice little twist on living up to a legacy.




PHB
Weapons of Legacy
Complete Scoundrel
Complete Champion
Complete Mage
Races of Destiny
Dungeonscape
Lords of Madness
Champions of Ruin
Dragon Magic
Draconomicon
Spell Compendium

[Heliomance]

I am the very model of a modern elementalist
I've mastered Ignan, Aquan, Auran, Terran - I'm no specialist
In matters elemental I'm a consummate proffesionalist
With wind and wave and storm at my command I am the very best!



Kainoa Guyer, Herald of the Elements

”The storm is coming. Will you join us, or be pushed aside?”
TN Female Human Cloistered Cleric 5/Dweomerkeeper 2/Stormcaster 3/Legacy Champion 10

32-Point Buy method: 10 points each in INT and WIS, 6 points in CHA, 2 points each in STR, DEX, and CON.


Attribute
Base
Racial
From Level
From Legacy
Total


Strength
10
-
-
-
10


Dexterity
10
-
-
+6
16


Constitution
10
-
-
-
10


Intelligence
16
-
2
-
18


Wisdom
16
-
3
-
19


Charisma
14
-
-
-
14

Increases by level: 4th, 8th, INT; 12th, 16th, 20th, WIS.

We place little focus upon the physical stats as the character is more a caster, and as a Cleric, there are many simple ways (Buffs) that can allow you to mitigate a bad physical stat. Divine Power, one of the most useful spells for Cloistered Clerics ever printed, changes your Base Attack Bonus to your character level (in other words, that poor BAB you wound up with as a Cloistered Cleric? Doesn't matter), gives you a +6 enhancement bonus to strength (bringing it on par with our WoL-boosted Dexterity), and 1 temporary hit point per caster level. One spell effectively replaces three major elements of this build that some would call negative, and two of them are Atribute-based. it also fits thematically; a Cloistered Cleris is, as the name implies, more cloistered away than the usual cleric, spending more time in the library and less time in the sparring room. As Knowledge is a key feature of this character, the trade-off is more than reasonable and fitting.

For languages, we have access to almost every language as a bonus language. We have Common by default, and at character creation we get three languages. In the case of this character, we will go with Draconic, Elven, and Celestial; Draconic and Celestial because these two languages are often related to arcane and divine magic, and Elven because in my experience, Elves treat you better when you speak their language (and it helps with making sure they aren’t plotting behind your back). Later, four ranks are put into Speak Language to unlock Auran, Aquan, Ignan, and Terran, the four languages of the elementals. Hard to be someone’s herald if you can’t communicate with them.



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


1st
Cloistered Cleric 1
+0
+2
+0
+2
Concentration 4, Decipher Script 4, Diplomacy 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (History) 4, Knowledge (Nature) 4, Knowledge (Religion) 4, Knowledge (The Planes) 4, Listen 2, Spellcraft 4, Spot 2
Scribe Scroll, Magical Training (Human), Knowledge Devotion (Nature) (Domain), Able Learner (Flaw)
Turn Undead, Domains (Magic, Storm), Lore, Character Flaw (Vulnerable)


2nd
Cloistered Cleric 2
+1
+3
+0
+3
Concentration 5, Decipher Script 5, Diplomacy 5, Knowledge (Arcana) 5, Knowledge (History) 5, Knowledge (Nature) 5, Knowledge (Religion) 5, Knowledge (The Planes) 5, Listen 2, Spellcraft 5, Spot 2, Use Magic Device 1

-

-


3rd
Cloistered Cleric 3
+1
+3
+1
+3
Concentration 6, Decipher Script 6, Diplomacy 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 6, Knowledge (History) 6, Knowledge (Nature) 6, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 6, Listen 2, Spellcraft 6, Spot 2, Use Magic Device 2
Extend Spell

-


4th
Cloistered Cleric 4
+2
+4
+1
+4
Concentration 7, Decipher Script 7, Diplomacy 7, Knowledge (Arcana) 7, Knowledge (History) 7, Knowledge (Nature) 7, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 7, Listen 3, Spellcraft 7, Spot 2, Use Magic Device 3

-

-


5th
Cloistered Cleric 5
+2
+4
+1
+4
Concentration 8, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 8, Knowledge (Arcana) 8, Knowledge (History) 8, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 8, Listen 4, Spellcraft 8, Spot 2, Use Magic Device 4

-

-


6th
Dweomerkeeper 1
+2
+4
+1
+6
Concentration 9, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 9, Knowledge (Arcana) 9, Knowledge (History) 9, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 9, Listen 4, Spellcraft 9, Spot 2, Use Magic Device 4
Practiced Spellcaster
Mantle of Spells 1


7th
Dweomerkeeper 2
+3
+4
+1
+7
Concentration 10, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 10, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 10, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 4, Spellcraft 10, Spot 2, Use Magic Device 5
Least Legacy (Staff of the Invoked Omnimental) (Legacy)
Arcane Sight


8th
Stormcaster 1
+3
+6
+3
+7
Concentration 11, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 10, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 10, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 8, Spellcraft 11, Spot 2, Use Magic Device 5

-
Storm Spell Power, Thunderclap


9th
Stormcaster 2
+4
+7
+4
+8
Concentration 12, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 10, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 10, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 8, Spellcraft 12, Spot 6, Use Magic Device 6
Energy Substitution (Electricity)
Resistance to Electricity 10


10th
Stormcaster 3
+4
+7
+4
+8
Concentration 13, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 10, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 10, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 9, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 13, Spot 6, Use Magic Device 6

-
Shield of Winds 1/day


11th
Legacy Champion 1
+4
+7
+4
+10
Concentration 14, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 14, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 13, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 9, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 14, Spot 6, Use Magic Device 6
Lesser Legacy (Staff of the Invoked Omnimental) (Legacy)
Reduced Ritual Cost (Lesser), Bond of Lore


12th
Legacy Champion 2
+5
+7
+4
+11
Concentration 15, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 15, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 15, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 9, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 15, Spot 6, Use Magic Device 10
Craft Contingent Spell
Replace Legacy Ability (least), Class Features (Stormcaster 4: Eye of the Storm)


13th
Legacy Champion 3
+6/+1
+8
+5
+11
Concentration 16, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 16, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 16, Knowledge (Nature) 8, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 10, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 16, Spot 8, Use Magic Device 10; Collector of Stories, Swift Concentration

-
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Least), Class Features (Stormcaster 5: Thunderbolt)


14th
Legacy Champion 4
+7/+2
+8
+5
+12
Concentration 17, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 17, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 17, Knowledge (Nature) 9, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 12, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 17, Spot 8, Use Magic Device 12; Collector of Stories, Swift Concentration
Legacy Focus (Legacy Champion)
Class Features (Stormcaster 6: Shield of Winds 2/day)


15th
Legacy Champion 5
+7/+2
+8
+5
+12
Concentration 18, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 18, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 18, Knowledge (Nature) 9, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 12, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 18, Spot 9, Use Magic Device 16; Collector of Stories, Swift Concentration
Storm Bolt
Replace Legacy Ability (Lesser), Class Features (Stormcaster 7: Resistance to Sonic 10)


16th
Legacy Champion 6
+8/+3
+9
+6
+13
Concentration 19, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 19, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 19, Knowledge (Nature) 10, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 16, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 19, Spot 9, Use Magic Device 16; Collector of Stories, Swift Concentration

-
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Lesser), Class Features (Dweomerkeeper 3: Mantle of Spells 2)


17th
Legacy Champion 7
+9/+4
+9
+6
+13
Concentration 20, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 20, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 20, Knowledge (Nature) 10, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 18, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 20, Spot 10, Use Magic Device 18; Collector of Stories, Swift Concentration
Greater Legacy (Staff of the Invoked Omnimental) (Legacy)
Reduced Ritual Cost (Greater)


18th
Legacy Champion 8
+10/+5
+9
+6
+14
Concentration 21, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 21, Knowledge (Arcana) 10, Knowledge (History) 20, Knowledge (Nature) 10, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 10, Listen 21, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 21, Spot 10, Use Magic Device 21; Collector of Stories, Swift Concentration
Summon Elemental, Curative Legacy (Legacy Champion)
Class Features (Dweomerkeeper 4: Supernatural Spells 1/day)


19th
Legacy Champion 9
+10/+5
+10
+7
+14
Concentration 22, Decipher Script 8, Diplomacy 22, Knowledge (Arcana) 11, Knowledge (History) 20, Knowledge (Nature) 11, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 11, Listen 22, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 22, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 22; Collector of Stories, Swift Concentration

-
Extra Legacy Use (Greater), Class Features (Dweomerkeeper 5: Mantle of Spells 3)


20th
Legacy Champion 10
+11/+6/+1
+10
+7
+15
Concentration 23, Decipher Script 12, Diplomacy 23, Knowledge (Arcana) 11, Knowledge (History) 20, Knowledge (Nature) 11, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Knowledge (The Planes) 11, Listen 23, Speak Language 4, Spellcraft 23, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 23; Collector of Stories, Swift Concentration

-
Replace Legacy Ability (Greater), Class Features (Dweomerkeeper 6: Supernatural Spell 2/day)



Spells per Day: Cleric


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


8th
6
4+1
3+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-
-


9th
6
4+1
3+1
3+1
2+1
-
-
-
-
-


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


11th
6
4+1
4+1
3+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-


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


13th
6
5+1
4+1
4+1
3+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-


14th
6
5+1
4+1
4+1
3+1
3+1
2+1
-
-
-


15th
6
5+1
5+1
4+1
4+1
3+1
2+1
1+1
-
-


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


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


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


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


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


NOTE: I did not include Ability score-based bonus spells, because you may have more (or, for unknown reasons, less) Wisdom than in this build, and therefore you may have more (or less) bonus spell slots. Therefore, I left them off. Also, I looked at previous contest entries to see what the norm was, and from my brief checking, most people don't add the bonus spells, so I guess leaving them off is the norm?

Also not included in this table is the Wizard Arcane casting from the Magical Training feat. You have three 0-level arcane spell slots you prepare each day from your spellbook (See item section). As Ability Modifiers do not influence the number of 0-level spell slots you get per day, the three slots from Magical Training do not get increased, and therefore are instead listed here as a side note.


Here I shall make mention of three types of gear: gear that must be had no matter what (Required Gear), suggested items that complement the build but are not required for it to function (Honorable Mentions), and specific items that, if they exist in your campaign and you encounter them, you will want to spoof with UMD (UMD Lovelies).

Required Gear:
Spellbook: Your use of the Magical Training feat is as a wizard. Therefore, you have a spellbook neatly provided to you by the feat itself with three 0-level Wizard spells already inside. Not only can you store loose scrolls within and claim them to be old or torn out pages, but you could easily pass off the spellbook as a prayer book, explaining why a Cleric carries around an old book everywhere (alternatively, you can state it as a normal notebook or where you store information related to Magical Theory; you are a Dweomerkeeper, so such knowledge is indeed something you will collect).
Staff of the Invoked Omnimental: This is your Weapon of Legacy. It is very difficult to both perform your duties as a Legacy Champion as well as qualify for feats if you do not have this. More details below.

Honorable Mentions:
Monk's Belt (SRD; 13,000 gp; 1 lb.): This is a cleric build. The Monk's belt works off of Wisdom. This item is very handy for you for a couple of reasons. You get an ac bonus equal to your Wisdom bonus plus the bonus a 5th level Monk would receive (+1). As a Cloistered Cleric, you do not get the usual Full-plate proficiency, and as your Magical Training casting is arcane, armor just isn't that appealing to you in the long run (both in and out of character). This item is lovely on clerics; the only way it could be any better is if it also granted Flurry of Blows. Flurry of Blows + Divine Power is a scary combination, and as your WoL is a monk weapon, a quarterstaff, you could indeed use it with Flurry of Blows if you were to have access to it.
Bracers of Armor (SRD; Various Prices; 1 lb.) If you go the Monk’s Belt path, picking up a nice pair of these can be useful.
Decanter of Endless Water (SRD; gp; lb.): This item is already well known as being useful. However, for this build it has an additional use: Water Elemental summoning. Water Elementals are not allowed to move a set distance away from their water source, according to the Monster Manual entry. However, the Decanter of Endless Water is not only an infinite source of water, but also an easily movable object. Now you can take your elemental with you wherever you go or, if you trust it enough to give it a magical item, you can leave the water running and stick it inside the elemental. Now it is always at its original water source, as if it had an Acorn of Far Travel with it. Only better, since the decanter retains its normal usefulness in addition to this new use.
Shapesand (Sandstorm; gp; lb.): Shapesand is another one of those useful items with many uses. It gains honorable mention, however, since it fits with the theme of the build: You are the Herald of the Elements, and while your skill do point more towards the planes of Air or Water, you still possess powers with regards to the other planes, including the plane of Earth. And as magical sand that can take almost any form you can think of, one could call it a wonderful representation of the plane of Earth.
Gloves of the Balanced Hand (Magic Item Compendium; 8000 gp; No Noted Weight): Your main weapon is a quarterstaff. There will be times that you shall need to engage in melee combat, whether you are out of spells or otherwise. Might as well make it as useful as possible.
Ring of Sustenence (SRD; 2500 gp; No Noted Weight): 2 hours of sleep counts as 8 hours, and you no longer need food and water. The latter is convenient; the former is just lovely if you are a caster. Just know that you have to wear it always; take it off, and you'll have to wear it for a week before it kicks back in. That's really the only downside to it.
Self Crafted Rings (SRD; Various Prices; No Noted Weight): As a cleric, you gain access to all these wonderful buff spells, like Divine Power, the various animal's trait buffs, etc. But lo! They all have these super short durations! What is a cleric to do? Normally, the answer is Persist Spell, Divine Metamagic, and a lot of nightsticks, but in this case, these are not available. In building a character, you must choose your feats carefully, and for this build DMM was just not in the cards. So what do you do? Put the spell in a ring (that you likely have crafted for you unless you switched another feat down the line) of continuous! By putting the spell in the ring, you gain the effects as long as you wear it, saving you time and spell slots each day with regards to that spell. Divine Power is an excellent choice, as it normally lasts Caster level number of rounds, and sometimes you need that effect more than just for one fight. Another great spell for this is Owl's Wisdom, since, by boosting your Wisdom, you boost a great many things!. However, there is one continuous ring to rule them all. And it's for a power instead of a spell. In Complete Psionics on page 104, there is a power called Temporal Reiteration. Its wonderful effect is "the past round does not count as time spent from the duration of ongoing effects on you such as rage, spell duration, and poison." Now craft this into a continuous ring. Congratulations, your buffs (and sadly debuffs) last until dispelled or you take off the ring, at which point time flows normally and their durations eventually expire. One ring to rule them all indeed. If your GM allows such a ring to be made, know that it would be a wonderful boon to your arsenal.

UMD Lovelies:
Amulet of Supremacy (Draconomicon 82; Minor Artifact; no noted weight): You will likely never see this in your campaign. It may only be a minor artifact, but it is an artifact none-the-less. And if you are not a dragon, it’s normally very dangerous. But the risk is worth it for you. When worn by a dragon, the Amulet of Supremacy "confers the benefits of the Maximize Breath feat on the dragon's breath weapon, and applies the effects of Maximize Spell feat to the dragon's spells and spell-like abilities. These benefits come at no cost to the dragon..." Maximize Spell on all spells and Spell-like Abilities. For Free. While some GM's may decide that this is limited to innate spell-like abilities, the word innate is nowhere in the item's listing; the only thing remotely similar is the line specifying Maximize Breath. So you UMD the item and poof; all your spells and spell-like abilities (including the many you get from your WoL) are automatically Maximized. Finally, in the event someone tries to steal your shiny necklace and put it on, if they put it on without a successful UMD check of their own (or being a dragon), disintegrate. Wins all around.


Born to a fisherman and a wizard, a young Kainoa Guyer grew up by the sea. Raised from a young age to be the successor to the legacy of her mother, a powerful wizard named Marcelle Guyer, Kainoa was taught magical theory alongside basic skills such as reading and writing. However, unlike her mother, Kainoa asked questions that could not be answered solely in arcane magics. As she grew, so did her questions veer away from the arcane path, until finally, at age six, her mother decided that Kainoa would never truly embrace the path of the arcane, and left her with her father to seek out a new apprentice, one more inclined to study the ways of the arcane.

Kainoa's father, Morris Guyer, was a strong and hardy man who believed females should stay away from the heavy lifting. He raised his daughter along for a couple years as his wife went on her journey, but he was unburdened by this as his daughter, while not a wizard, still reminded him daily of his love Marcelle with her constant studying. One day, a terrible storm ravaged the coast, destroying the entire village; while the people were lucky to have escaped mostly unscathed, the village had not been so lucky. Nor had Kainoa. During the storm, instead of the fear the others of her tender age of 6 had felt, she instead had been strangely calm, making others see her as strange. It wasn't that she did not mind the storm so much as it somehow had soothed her. When she asked her father of this, Morris guessed that Kainoa was simply "born to be one with the eye of the storm."

Two more years passed before Kainoa's mother returned with a young boy, roughly the same age as Kainoa herself. Marcelle had decided this boy, Mical Rhoonie, would be her new apprentice and that Kainoa was to pursue whatever career she so desired. However, Kainoa still held an interest in magic and was uncertain of what path to take if not that of the arcane. Consulting with her mother, Marcelle unhappily chose to inform her daughter of another type of magic: divine magic. With no other options, Marcelle was convinced by Kainoa to help her follow her new path. Kainoa was sent inland to stay with Marcelle's old friend, a cleric of Boccob named Torik.

Torik found it hysterical that Marcelle's daughter had actually chosen divine magic over arcane, as Marcelle had apparently preached for years that she would bear an heir to her legacy and yet said heir wished to walk a different path. Taking Kainoa in, Torik added her to the roster of clerics in training at the cathedral of Boccob. However, as he suspected, Kainoa was more like her mother than she realized; while the other trainees deeply believed in Boccob and trained both their minds and their bodies, Kainoa was uncertain. She was willing to believe that Boccob and the other gods existed, but unlike the others, her faith was in what she'd learned previously; in knowledge, magic, and the storm. The last of these intrigued Torik, as her faith in the storm was something uncommon to the point of obscurity.


Torik's surprise when Kainoa began casting divine spells without faith in a deity was a sight to behold. At first, he believed his words were finally getting through to her, that she was now a faithful follower of Boccob and would act in his interest. Instead she seemed to have called upon her faith in herself and what her parents had taught her, to the point of casting a spell no cleric of Boccob had cast before: Call Lightning. With this development, Torik knew not what to do to teach this young woman any longer. He suggested to her that she go on a pilgrimage around the continent and visit many different clergies until she found one to which she truly belonged.

At first, the now twenty-year old Kainoa was uncertain of leaving her second home; the cathedral had been her home for a decade, and departing it was done with sadness. However, she had trained as a cleric and knew to listen to Torik's instructions. She journeyed from place to place, solving a few problems and starting a few others. She passed through many clergies in a short time, but none truly fit her.

As Kainoa traveled, she learned the hard way that she should of spent more time in combat training, as compared to other clerics she was rather physically weaker. She also did not know how to fight with armor, and most armor she'd tried at the clergy had been too heavy or bulky for her to use. Likewise, though a cleric, she still carried her basic spellbook from her time under her mother's tutelage and could still cast a few cantrips. These cantrips, while still useful, were likely less efficient compared to the full-plate armor and tower shields her compatriots could use.

But Kainoa learned other things as well on her pilgrimage; she learned to take care of herself no matter the situation and surroundings, using her knowledge to counter those stronger than her. She also continued to study magic. In her old spellbook were her notes from studying arcane magic, including the many questions that had stumped her mother years ago. To her surprise, however, she began to realize not only the answers to some of these questions through divine magic, but also how similar the two forms of magic are.

Her travels soon brought her to an arid wasteland, where she'd heard rumors of ancient temples crafted by long dead mages. Kainoa decided that if she truly wished to understand all magics, she would need to learn their history. She'd always loved learning new things, whether from books or people. And with her heart set on its path, she journeyed into the wasteland to find these lost ruins.

If only she'd payed attention when people had told her the ruins were lost. She spent months searching the desert high and low for any sign of this lost civilization, to no avail. It was just before she gave up that she literally stumbled into a major discovery: by falling down a hole in the sandy wastes, she had discovered the lost civilization was in-fact right under the wasteland! Excited, she began her search, only to encounter and spring more traps than the mice in the cellar had. Her magics protected her, but as she went deeper and deeper, she found the traps to be more and more deadly.

It was worth it in the end.

Deep within, she found a library, its scrolls mostly preserved and unharmed. With the knowledge she found, she soon discovered both what the civilization was as well as their relation to magic: the city had been founded by a powerful wizard as a place of study for all mages. However, after several years, the large collection of magical knowledge began to make nearby nations feel unsafe. The massacre of the city would have been bloody and terrible had the founder and his conclave not cast powerful spells to literally bury their city safe beneath the wastes. This was done at the cost of their lives, and without a group to lead them, the various casters went their separate ways, leaving the city to ruin.

As her understanding of magic grew, so did her exploration of the city. She began to figure out where the traps were and how to avoid them ("best leave them armed in case of enemies," she thought to herself). And as she explored, she found chambers of study with relation to magical items. One chamber had apparently been for studying a strange staff. Within the chamber were many dead ends of notes, none seemingly able to understand just what this staff was, who made it, and why. All that was known was it was from oversees and its name was the Staff of the Invoked Omnimental.

Returning home for the first time in ten years, Kainoa was greeted with a strange sense of nostalgia upon returning to the fishing town. Eleven years was a long time away, and yet only she seemed to have changed. No one seemed to recognize her now as she walked down the busy main street, where many folks were trying to sell their last catch of the day. Twilight had arrived by the time Kainoa climbed to the top of the hill on the South side of town. Upon this hill sat a simple cottage with a strange stone tower beside it. Still the same as ever.

When she reached the front door, she was greeted with an unusual explosion from the tower. She quickly shifted her attention to the small fire that had fallen from atop the tower. However, before she could act, her mother's strict teacher voice echoed from atop the tower.

Her mother flew down from atop the stone tower, putting out the fire with her arcane magics. As she did, she noticed Kainoa, her beautiful and all grown up daughter. With joy, she flew down and hugged her daughter. Surprised at being recognized, Kainoa discovered her mother had been literally watching over her all this time via crystal ball, except when she had disappeared beneath the wastelands. Kainoa explained that there was a hidden magical city beneath the wastes, and it was like warded against divinations. Marcelle agreed with her daughter's reasoning and then asked what she found.

From her bag, Kainoa revealed a strange staff, engraved with four different languages. Its form was of a six-foot tall crystalline staff, the same staff she had found in the research chamber. Kainoa had brought it to her mother to ask for help discovering just what the staff was, since as far as the records of the lost city go, they did not find out much at all before their end.

Her mother was intrigued and accepted Kainoa's offer on the condition that she stay at home while they researched. Kainoa gladly accepted. She was finally home.

Several weeks passed as Marcelle and Kainoa did their best to unravel the mysteries of the strange "Staff of the Invoked Omnimental." All the while, a cruel jealousy had formed unseen in Mical, who was receiving less and less training from his teacher. Before a month had even passed, Mical's jealousy and rage grew. He planned out his revenge.

On a sunny day, as Kainoa walked back from the harbor to pick up ingredients, she was ambushed by Mical. Powerful evocations were slung by Mical at Kainoa, who did her best to defend herself. Not sure what to do, she heard a strange sound in her mind; a calm, soothing wave and a gentle flowing wind. Mical had chosen the worst day to enact his revenge.

From the West came a sudden wind, as dark clouds formed in the sky on the horizon. A large storm, similar to the one from thirteen years prior, was on its way. Kainoa smiled at the timing. Was it a coincidence? Was it divine intervention? Or was it a sign? Kainoa did not know, but what she did know was she'd have the advantage there. She lured Mical in his envious rage out to sea, both flying under magical power. When they arrived at the cusp of the storm, Kainoa did something Mical could never of expected: She drew upon the power of the storm, a deafening thunderclap ringing in Mical's ears before a bolt of lightning fell from the sky. Mical was badly injured by the attack, yet Kainoa felt more at ease than ever. She was not scared of going too far in doing the right thing, nor was she enraged by his vicious attack prior. Instead, she felt calm. At ease. Alive.

Realizing his plan had failed, Mical retreated back towards mainland. Alas, he overestimated his abilities, and just before returning to land, his flight spell expired and he plummeted into the seas below. Neither knowing nor caring whether or not he had survived, Kainoa returned to her mother and told her of their "exchange."

Marcelle had suspected Mical was unstable for years, but thought she could fix him. Instead, her expanding his arcane knowledge had addicted him to it. But before Kainoa could ask why her mother had taken in someone so risky, her mother revealed a breakthrough: the staff was originally from a continent across the sea, and that there would likely be more information about it there. Offering to teleport them both there, Kainoa refused. She decided that she needed to continue this on her own, as she felt it was her path to follow; it was her legacy to uphold. Marcelle, shocked by these words, still accepted Kainoa's decision and was proud to see her daughter had grown into a strong and independent woman.

Kainoa chartered passage on a large vessel to head across the sea, using the two months it would take as time to do some divine research into the staff as well as embrace her connection to the storm. During the journey, she learned of Weapons of Legacy, how to bond with such a weapon (and that she apparently already had), and that those who encounter such weapons often become powerful influences on their times. Likewise, sailors spoke stories of arcane magicians who become one with the storm and channel its power, as she had.

The two months were more eventful than expected, requiring a stop at an island chain halfway in which Kainoa discovered Mical had survived. He acted as if he had no memory of her, so she left him there. He seemed to be no threat, so she left him alone.

It did not take long after arriving upon the other continent to learn more about her staff and its legacy. A legacy of water, earth, fire and wind. A legacy in which the world is taken by storm. Her father once said she was "one with the eye of the storm." Choosing to learn more about the staff and follow the path it shall lead her on, Kainoa chooses to champion the legacy of the Staff of the Invoked Omnimental.

Bonding with the staff and studies overseas had paid off. Kainoa began to learn more of the staff's history as well as to understand the destiny she would herald. She would become the voice of the elemental planes and help the material plane learn to respect the elements, no matter what. All to help maintain balance between the planes. She traversed the continent, spreading knowledge of the planes to others as well as reprimanding those who would take advantage of the planes. She championed the cause of the inner planes, travelling to and from them almost daily as she both learned about the true desires of these planes as well as in what ways she can help.

One journey to the Plane of Earth revealed a group of thieves had been raiding the plane of priceless metals and gems, materials that made up the bodies of some Earth Elementals. Kainoa searched for and found the hideout of these thieves in the material plane, which she proceeded to raid and destroy with powerful elemental magics. She returned as much of the stolen earth as she could before continuing her journey.

Another journey took her to the Plane of Fire, where she discovered that a group of Salamanders were going to take revenge on a paladin of Heironeous for allegedly attacking them. Kainoa intervened, looking into what happened both in the material plane and the Plane of Fire. She discovered the weapon they'd crafted for the paladin was actually a phoney, and her code required she uphold the law and punish their treachery. Kainoa convinced the Salamanders to create the promised sword and in exchange Kainoa healed those injured by the paladin. She then gave the sword to the paladin in exchange for leniency in this case.

It was her journeys to the Planes of Air and Water that Kainoa enjoyed the most, as granted her freedom and only had minor problems. It wasn't until she encountered an evil conjurer who had forcibly kept two elementals, one of air and one of water, bound to his castle as guardians. Furious at their enslavement, Kainoa stormed the castle and used her magic to free the elementals and allow them to return to their home planes after seven long years. When the conjurer attacked Kainoa for freeing his elementals from his thrall, she killed him for the good of the elements and the balance of the planes.

Within a year, Kainoa had grown to be a powerful mage and embraced her new path. But there was still one more trial she would have to face, as she discovered in a hidden library similar to the lost civilization she'd found back home. In it, she discovered the last piece of the puzzle to the origins of the Staff of the Invoked Omnimental, one she felt stupid for not realizing sooner: the staff was likely made by an Omnimental or from an Omnimental's essence. As such, she would need to connect to this essence if she truly wished to be the voice of the elements. She knew what she had to do.

Despite dangerous winds, Kainoa kept the boat safe from the storm's rage and the ocean's surge. She'd chartered passage back to the island chain from before, but it was not until she arrived at the islands that she discovered the truth. Mical had not only faked his amnesia last time they met, but had also followed the path of the Stormcaster. Now believing himself superior to Kainoa, he had taken control of the island and caused massive storms in an attempt to draw her out.

Planning to finally seek his revenge on her, he used powerful lightning and wind magic to keep her ship from landing, just in case she'd brought any assistance to deal with his "all-powerful" self. He sunk the ship and tore it to shreds with his magic before realizing his target wasn't there. The unnatural state of the storms had somehow warned her of Mical's presence, and she'd abandoned the boat to complete her goal without interruption. It wasn't until an explosion occurred atop the island's dormant volcano that Mical partly-realized what had happened; Kainoa had not cared about his revenge, and instead had done something to the volcano. Enraged, the mad Stormcaster raced to his target. The two engaged atop the dormant crater with powerful magics of sonic and electricity. Neither seemed to be making any impact when the serenity of Kainoa's mind allowed her to hear the elements as she had done long ago; the rushing wind, the crashing waves, the rumble of the crater and the hiss of the fires within.

With a smile she turned to Mical, his face twisted into a psychotic fit of rage. She blasted him with water magic, something he shrugged off less easily than he had the lightning. She forced stone to split and struck him with earth magic, something that only his shield of wind could protect him from. Lava spouted from the crater, drawn up by Kainoa's powerful fire magic. The intense heat prevented Mical from getting in close, buying Kainoa all the time she needed.

Channeling the ultimate powers of the staff, Kainoa called forth the most powerful elemental of all: an Omnimental. Its power surged through the land, sea, and sky, and with a powerful blow, it knocked Mical out of the sky and down to the ground. From there, Kainoa closed in and struck him with powerful close=-range attacks, something his arcane studies and madness left him ill prepared for.

Soon after, Mical lay on the hard cold stone, panting and near death. His madness seemingly broken, Mical spoke of wanting to go back and fix his mistakes, to have not grown jealous of losing his teacher's favor. To not have attempted to become one with the storm. On only the latter did Kainoa agree; his actions had brought shame to the air and water, the storm itself. Acting as she always had, Kainoa finished off Mical before burying his body beneath the volcano's base. For the good of all, his life had to end. Kainoa proceeded to return to her home, where her mother and father greeted her. Marcelle inquired about the fate of Mical once more; she'd clearly been watching. Kainoa told her that she did what was necessary for the good of all. When asked by her father what she would do now, Kainoa stated she still had much work to do.

For it was her Legacy to herald the coming storm.

[Heliomance]

No, I'm not coming up with a second verse of that!



Please note I’ve made a slight modification to the original version for balance purposes (I changed the words “at will” to “five times per day” in the elemental strikes because I felt having those at will is very much op. Also, the original does not specify caster levels for spell-like abilities, so I will presume they are equal to character level).


Wielder Level
Attack Penalty
Will Save Penalty
Hit Point Loss
Abilities


5th
-
-
-2
+1/+1 Obdurium Quarterstaff, Replication


6th
-
-
-
Elemental Energy Resistance 5


7th
-
-
-
Elemental Dance +2


8th
-
-1
-2
-


9th
-
-
-
Elemental Strike, Least


10th
-
-
-
+1/+1 Obdurium Elemental Quarterstaff


11th
-
-
-2
Invoker's Boon


12th
-
-
-
Shared Life


13th
-2
-
-
Elemental Energy Resistance 10


14th
-
-2
-2
Elemental Dance +4


15th
-
-
-
Elemental Strike, Lesser


16th
-
-
-
+2/+2 Obdurium Elemental Burst Quarterstaff


17th
-
-
-2
Elemental Dance +6


18th
-
-
-
Dark Life


19th
-
-
-
Elemental strike, Greater


20th
-
-3
-2
Invoker's Boon 2



This 6-foot-tall, crystalline quarterstaff has a small sphere at the bottom matching the color of the staff's hilt, with a head based on the powers it wields. Carved into the hilt are mystic runes, mixing together the languages of Auran, Aquan, Ignan, and Terran.
Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1/+1 obdurium quarterstaff; Cost 3000 gp.
Omen: When you pick up the staff, it's color and head change shape to match your outlook; becoming black and red with a horned beasts skull adorning the head if you are evil, or black and yellow with a clockwork-surrounded gem adorning the head if you are good. If you are neutral-aligned, the form it takes depends on which side you lean towards (DM's discretion).
http://01.wir.skyrock.net/wir/v1/resize/?c=isi&im=%2F3344%2F84463344%2Fpics%2F3124720517_1_15_uWW Bp5ET.png&w=565
Six wielders, each calling upon different forms of the Staff.[From Left to Right: Top: Earth, Dark/Evil, Water; Bottom: Fire, Light/Good, Wind;

History: The weapon's history cannot be determined from its appearance, as its appearance depends upon the holder. What can be deduced is that its powers come from a wielder's innate abilities mixed with the Elemental Planes. According to scholars who studied the runes on the hilt of the staff, one of the few things on the staff that cannot change, the staff was created from the Elemental Planes themselves. (DC 15)
The staff's history is hard to understand mostly because of the weapon's age being quite young. It is believed to have been made by a being who, like an Omnimental, could split into four beings that shared the same soul. It is believed the staff can do the same. (DC 20 Gates of the Elements)
It is said that the being was able to control the Elements at an innate level, even being able to convince Elementals that to serve her rather than fight her. Those few she couldn't convince to join her were defeated and sent home. (DC 25 Elemental Charm/Battle)
Some believe that the being was actually an Omnimental, the ruler of all Elementals, and that s/he could separate and fuse together at will. It is also said that a young woman was once seen placing the four different staves atop four piles of gems, blasting them with dark energy, and inhaling the dust of the gems' remains. It was believed to have called forth an Omnimental through this process. No one is quite sure if this is truth or folklore... (DC 35 Invocation of the Omnimental)

Legacy Rituals:
Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of the Staff of the Invoked Omnimental.
Gates of the Elements: You are required to perform a ritual to infuse yourself with the powers of the elemental planes. This ceremony involves drawing a magical circle on the ground, placing a ruby, sapphire, emerald, amber, amethyst, and topaz each worth 300 gp at the edge of the the circle the same distance from each other and the center. You must then stick the staff in the center of the circle and focus on each of the Elemental Planes and the Positive and Negative Energy Planes, each for 10 minutes. The process transforms the staff, replicating it for a total of six staves, each floating in the air directly above the gem of its elemental force. The gems are then destroyed, their remains floating into the head of each staff. At the end of the ritual, the magical circle disappears and the staves unite into one staff once again. Up to four living beings can take part in the ritual, gaining the feat. For each Character after the first involved, the price increases by 300 gp. Cost: 1800 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Staff of the Invoked Omnimental)
Elemental Charm/Battle: You are required to face an Elder Elemental of the elemental power you use most. You draw a magical circle similar to the one drawn for the Gates of the Elements Ritual, except the circle must have a radius of 30 feet. You must place a gemstone worth 600 gp of the same type as the element you wield at one of the four cardinal points on the circle (ruby for fire to the East, sapphire for water/cold to the west, amber for earth/acid to the south, and emerald for wind/electricity to the north). You must then meditate on the gemstone; after 10 minutes, the gemstone disintegrates and summons forth an Elder Elemental of the matching element as the gemstone as the Gate spell. Both you and the Elemental cannot leave the magical circle until one of the following happens: The Elemental's hit points reach zero (at which point the Elemental ceases attacking and yields in defeat) or you succeed on a Diplomacy check to improve the Elemental's attitude to friendly (the Elemental starts with an attitude of unfriendly). If either of these events occur, the elemental grants you a bit of its power and returns through the Gate used to summon it. Up to four living beings can take part in the ritual, gaining the feat, and increasing the number of Elementals of different elements that must be summoned. For each Character after the first involved, the price increases by 900 gp. Cost: 10,600 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Staff of the Invoked Omnimental).
Invocation of the Omnimental: You must travel to the top of an island with a volcano. Upon reaching the top of the volcano, you must place 5000 gp's worth of rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and amber at each of the cardinal points at the top. you must hold the Staff (or staves, see Replication) in the center and fire its magic at each pile of gemstones (see Invoker's Boon). The gemstones then turn to dust; the dust rises into the sky and swirls above the staff, mixing with the dust of the other crystals. The dust then flows through the head of the staff and into your body, dealing 1d10 damage. Up to four living beings can take part in the ritual, gaining the feat. The price does not increase no matter how many Characters take part. Cost: 40,000 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Staff of the Invoked Omnimental).

Wielder Requirements:
Warlocks and Dragonfire Adepts possess the natural abilities related to the staff's innate powers, but any character with the ability to use some form of spell-like ability could make use of the staff
Staff of the Invoked Omnimental Wielder Requirements:
Knowledge (Arcana) 5 Ranks
Use Magic Device 5 Ranks
Any one Spell-Like Ability At Will or 3/Day

Legacy Item Abilities:
All of the following are legacy item abilities of Staff of the Invoked Omnimental. Unless the user has used the Replication ability below, the original staff is able to use the abilities of all four staves, temporarily changing its form into the staff who's power is currently in use.
Replication: At 5th Level, the staff can release a copy of itself of a specific element. Releasing another staff is a move action. For each element replicated, the original staff loses the same element and cannot replicate another of that element (for example, Eria releases three elements to her allies. She releases fire, wind, and earth. Her Staff now possesses only the water powers, as the three other elements have already been released.). Only a character with the Least Legacy (Staff of the Invoked Omnimental) feat can wield one of the replicated staves; if anyone without the feat holds a replicated staff for 1 round or tries to make an attack with it, the staff dissipates and returns to the original staff.

Elemental Energy Resistance: At level 6, the elemental powers within you begin to awaken. While in possession of the staff or one of its replications, you gain energy resistance 5 of the element of the staff wielded. This energy resistance increases to 10 at 13th level. If you already possess energy resistance of the same type as the staff grants, only the higher resistance is used (they do not stack).

Elemental Dance: The Elemental Energies within you enable you to move more quickly. At 7th level, you gain a +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity. This bonus increases to +4 at 14th level and to +6 at 17th level.

Least Elemental Strike: Starting at 9th level, your elemental powers begin to shine through the staff you wield. When wielding the staff or one of its replications, you gain the following spells as spell-like abilities usable 3 times per day: Fire: Orb of Fire, Lesser; Heart of Fire; Water: Orb of Cold, Lesser; Heart of Water; Air: Orb of Electricity, Lesser; Heart of Air; Earth: Orb of Acid, Lesser; Heart of Earth. Also, at 10th level, the staff now counts as a +1/+1 Obdurium Quarterstaff with flaming, frost, shock, or corrosive quality (depending upon the staff's elemental power). You cannot apply more than one elemental quality to a single staff at the same time.

Invoker's Boon: At 11th level, your skill with elemental invocations grants you increased knowledge dealing with elemental invocations. You gain Brimstone Blast and Hellrime Blast if you are a Warlock, or Lightning Breath and Acid Breath if you are a Dragonfire Adepts. If you have levels in both, you get both, as long as you are high enough in level in both classes to be able to gain them normally.

Shared Life: Starting at 12th level, some spells get sent through the staff to the replications and vice versa. All spells with Cure or Inflict that hit a wielder of the Staff or its replications that successfully hit the wielder get sent through the staff to all other wielders within 30 feet of each other, granting the same effect.

Lesser Elemental Strike: Starting at 15th level, your elemental powers increase further. When wielding the staff or one of its replications, you gain the following spells as spell-like abilities usable 3 times per day: Fire: Orb of Fire; Flame Strike; Water: Orb of Cold; Flame Strike (Energy Substitution: Cold); Air: Orb of Electricity; Flame Strike (Energy Substitution: Electricity); Earth: Orb of Acid; Flame Strike (Energy Substitution: Acid). Also, you may now use the Least Elemental Strike’s spell-like abilities five times per day. Also, at 16th level, the staff now counts as a +2/+2 Obdurium Quarterstaff with flaming burst, icy burst, shocking burst, or acidic burst quality (depending upon the staff's elemental power). You cannot apply more than one elemental quality to a single staff at the same time.

Dark Life: Starting at 18th level, the Energies of the Positive and Negative Planes can no longer harm the wielder. While in possession of the staff or one of its replications, you are immune to negative levels. Also, both positive energy and negative energy heal you, rather than injuring you.

Greater Elemental Strike: Starting at 19th level, your elemental powers increase further. When wielding the staff or one of its replications, you gain the following spells as spell-like abilities usable 3 times per day: Fire: Summon Monster IX(Fire Elementals only); Water: Summon Monster IX(Water Elementals only); Air: Summon Monster IX(Air Elementals only); Earth: Summon Monster IX(Earth Elementals only). Also, you may now use the Lesser Elemental Strike’s spell-like abilities five times per day. Finally, once per week, you may summon forth an Omnimental, but only if all four staves are united as one. Any Elemental summoned by these effects starts with an attitude of Helpful towards you, and all other Elementals start with an attitude of Friendly.

Invoker's Boon 2: At 20th level, your skill with Elemental Invocations grants a bonus to all elemental class abilities granted by levels in Dragonfire Adept and Warlock, increasing their DC of any and all saves by 10.


At level 1, you are a traditional Cloistered Cleric 1 with one difference. You do not worship a deity to get your spells, instead they come from your devotion to elemental magic. Otherwise you are the same as any other Cloistered Cleric 1. You have spells and skills and know of many things. Unless you have a Charisma-based caster on your team, you probably will be the most skilled at Diplomacy for a while. This gives you usefulness outside of combat which you will retain all the way to level 5. In combat, however, you will likely spend most of your time in the back because unlike a normal Cleric, you do not have full plate and a fair amount of hit points. You’re squishy, like a Wizard. So stand by the Wizard; you should be fine. A crossbow is a simple weapon, so you could use that if you want.

This is where your sandwich starts to get its tasty filling ingredients. Dweomerkeeper’s Mantle of Spells is a wonderful ability that allows you to select one spell and have it as a spontaneous back up. You basically have one signature spell you can call on at will (spell slots permitting), so choose the one you think will generally be more useful. You also get Arcane Sight as a spell-like ability at will, but with the caveat that it’s duration is now concentrate. Still, this is wonderful because you now qualify to take the least Legacy feat for your Staff of the Invoked Omnimental, and trust me when I say the benefits of this item are worth the costs. Likewise, we begin to get our damage into the build with Stormcaster. I know, we lose a caster level, but this class is worth it (this is also part of the reason you took Practiced Spellcaster at 6). We get a way to deal sonic damage (one of the hardest damage types to resist) which has the added benefit of stunning on a fortitude save (you’ll be seeing this phrase a lot later on). In addition, water, sound, and electricity spells (which, thanks to Energy Substitution is any and all of your energy spells) are an additional +2 caster level, which rocks as two of your key spells will be Call lightning and Call Lightning Storm, which call a number of bolts (up to a maximum) equal to your caster level (you might want to have these Mantled unless you have a better spell in mind). Finally, you get a spherical wind wall to protect yourself with once a day. That’s a once a day “Nope” to a lot of things (it states an immediate action, but it specifies it is “equivalent to a Free action, except you can take it when it isn’t your turn”). Sadly, the sub-par domain ability of the Storm Domain becomes useless at this point (resistances do not stack, sadly), but everything else we got is far superior to it anyway (including a higher resistance to the same element).

11 level is where we finally get the meat (or quite possibly the complimenting sauce) of the build. Legacy Champion. It makes your Weapon of Legacy better and still advances your previous classes (except at 1 and 7 of the class, but that’s why we took Practiced Spellcaster). One thing I suggest immediately with this build is to take advantage of the Lesser ability replacement on the Invoker’s Boon; unless you have levels in Warlock or Dragonfire Adept, the ability is useless. Most of the abilities in the D menu are subpar for you, but a few that stand out are the Haste effect, the Darkness, Other effect, and the Obscurity effect, but the decision is up to you. Just make sure you switch it to something because the current ability you get is nothing. During this time, you can advance another class’s features, so you could advance Dweomerkeeper. However, you will only be getting three Mantled spells in this build by 20th, so taking those levels later when you have stronger spells you would want to apply Mantle to is probably better. Instead, I advise advancing Stormcaster, which gets you Eye of the Storm and more importantly Thunderbolt, your meat for damage. Remember how you took Energy Substitution (Electricity) back at 9th? This is why. You make your attacks deal electricity damage to trigger thunderbolt, which adds on sonic damage and a free stun chance. Stun is amazing; your enemy has to drop everything they are holding, can’t take any actions, takes a -2 penalty to AC, and loses their Dexterity bonus to AC. All that from one save that happens every time you deal electric damage with a spell. You also get Storm Bolt at 15; later than usual for its prerequisites, but still worth it, as having a free way to launch a line of electricity (as much as you want since all of your damaging spells will deal electricity damage) will save you some spells in a fight. Unfortunately, it will not apply Thunderbolt, but it still comes in handy in a longer dungeoncrawl. Finally, you yourself gain resistance to sonic. That’s hard to come by at all, and if your enemies are like you and expect the enemy to have all the normal bases covered, they’ll never expect sonic resistance. Admittedly situational (since people don’t happen to have as much access to sonic damage as compared to, say, fire damage), but it’s just one of those things that you are happy to have when you need it and no worse off when you don’t.

I’d say the sweet spot is around 13. 13 is the level you get your most useful ability in combat from class levels. Thunderbolt is just such a useful ability for you in combat, as if you do it right you can prevent your enemy from ever being able to act. Some may call that boring, but I see it as one (or several) less enemy(ies) for your team to worry about trying to bash their face in during a fight. Outside of combat, by this point you’ve returned your Diplomacy skill to maximum rank, so you can return to being the party face if needed. Likewise, you still have Lore, which can cover a lot of information.

It’s around level 17 that things slow down for a moment. On one hand, you can now get access to your Greater Legacy abilities. On the other, you aren’t really advancing anything other than skill points for a level. And even then, it isn’t until level 19 that you will get your best powers. And it isn’t until 20 that you get 9th level spells. However, that’s not to say the build grows weak towards the end; quite the opposite, in fact. The problem is that there’s a small grace period where you feel like you aren’t improving before you suddenly get a massive power boost. 20th level brings many wonderful things. You get 9th level spells, the WIS score to use them, and the last ability of your Weapon of Legacy, which is anything from List G in WoL because you’re replacing the last ability. Invoker’s Boon 2 is another case of class-specific buff. However, because of Legacy Champion, we get to select whatever ability we need to round out our build. Special mentions go to Greater Invisibility, Skill Enhancement +15, and Plane Shift, as all three can fill niches your character may have at this point. Finally, at level 18 we get Summon Elemental, a Reserve Feat that is actually rather useful to us; by keeping a Summon Monster spell at the ready (I suggest an 8th for a Large, but in a pinch a 6th for a Medium will do), you can call upon an elemental for free. Sure, it needs to stay within 30 feet of you, but it’s free Elemental bodyguards (albeit one at a time) as many times as you need per day so long as you still have a Summon Monster spell of a high enough level prepared. Thematic and oh so useful.


This section will hold all sources except for items I pointed out the source to already (Such as the Item Section)
SRD: Human, Cleric, Magic Domain, Scribe Scroll, Extend Spell
Complete Arcane: Craft Contingent Spell (77), Energy Substitution (79),
Complete Champion: Knowledge Devotion (60-61),
Complete Divine: Practiced Spellcaster (82), Dweomerkeeper ("More Divinity" Web Enhancement),
Complete Mage: Storm Bolt (47), Summon Elemental (47-48)
Complete Scoundrel: Collector of Stories (85), Swift Concentration (90)
Player's Guide to Faerûn: Magical Training (41),
Races of Destiny: Able Learner (150)
Stormwrack: Stormcaster (72-73), Storm Domain (110)
Unearthed Arcana: Cloistered Cleric (50-51), Vulnerable (91)
Weapons of Legacy: Various Legacy Feats Used (14-15), Legacy Champion (19-20),
The Playground: Staff of the Invoked Omnimental (Found in the Homebrew Section while searching for WoL's)

[Heliomance]

Bodies are clothes, to be worn or discarded at will.



Larami d’Orien


http://40.media.tumblr.com/9e0711f67fca62ad2ea0ab8f7220c1f1/tumblr_nskou96ayw1u67xr8o1_400.jpg


CN human shape-changing ranger 5/master of many forms 3/war hulk 2/legacy champion 10


str 18
dex 10
con 16
int 10
wis 10
cha 8

increases to strength

final ability scores:
str 43
dex 10
con 16
int 10
wis 10
cha 8

Larami d’Orien took his rightful place in the first class compartment of the Lyrander airship. He’d shown the captain his ticket, and aside from a rude look, had gotten no trouble.

It was going to be a long trip. His father had sent him out to prove his worth to the house by supervising some incoming cargo. As though they didn’t have people for that. Something to do with an illegal shipment of bones. Larami knew it was just to keep him busy.

He glanced out the window at the ground, so distant below while he waited to take off.

“This seat taken?” a fetching young lady from the aisle asked.

“Not if you’re asking,” Larami said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes at him and sat down.

“Don’t get any ideas. I’m not here for that,” she said.

Larami called over the attendant and ordered lunch, having lost interest.

“Then why are you here?” he asked.

“I’m going to die here,” she said.

Larami waved off the attendant. None of his business.

“Could’ve saved on the fare. Or rather your father could’ve.” He nodded toward a jutting piece of dragonmark protruding from her sleeve, barely visible through a lace cuff. “And just jumped from the platform.”

She opened a compact and touched up her wrist with some makeup matching her dark skin.

“We’re not all here running errands,” she said. “I’m here fulfilling my destiny.”

“Some destiny,” Larami said.

She shrugged. “Can’t win ‘em all. I figure I might as well get it over with. I mean, where else does one have terrible things happen to them than the jungles of Xen’drik?”

She had a point.

“And until then?”

She looked over her shoulder. ‘I was planning to spend my time in absentia.”

Larami touched his canine with the edge of his tongue. “You’ve got some?”

“What’ve you got for me?” she asked. She undid a button on her collar. She wore the nozzle for an absentia pipe on a chain around her neck.

Larami pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, petals of dream lily peeking through its folds.

“Something to make you dreams come true, maybe,” he said.

“Sounds good. Not now though. Later,” she said.

“Sure. What’ve you heard about the captain?” Larami asked.

“Heard it’s Thrush Xivdrad. Maybe your dad’s trying to bump you off after all.” She pocketed his handkerchief. He let her. “I heard he sold the last little princeling into slavery. That’s why he’s off the list.”

Larami shrugged. “Maybe that’s why he’s willing to take on a few odd jobs.”

She excused herself shortly thereafter.The captain roamed around the ship. He probably hadn’t heard. That’s what Larami told himself.

Once night came, Larami lingered in his sleeping compartment. They were somewhere over the jungles of Xen’drik now. The ship drifted over gargantuan pyramids built to honor long dead gods.

The giants slumbered here. Some of them were coming onboard tomorrow, probably. Or what was left of them, at least.

He didn’t know what to do with his hands, lacking any lily petals to touch.

His guest knocked at the door. He let her in and locked the two of them in.

“Took you long enough,” he teased. It was after midnight.

She hung up her coat, her arms bare, even of the dragonmark he’d seen earlier.

“Dab hand with that makeup,” Larami said.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. Once she stood in the light, he caught the mark on the left side of her face, curved around her cheek and forehead like a question mark, disappearing into her hairline.

It hadn’t been there earlier.

“You’re—“ she didn’t let him finish.

“Don’t say it out loud,” she said.

That explained why she hadn’t given her name. Cataclysm magi had enough problems without advertising their presence. It meant, to his annoyance, her prophecy was legitimate, though.

She pulled pieces of her absentia pipe out of her pockets, screwing them together like a staff. It was a beautiful thing in silver and gold with a dragon’s wing filigree up its handle.

“Is that supposed to be ironic?” Larami asked.

“Something like that,” she said. She pulled pillows from the bed and propped herself up on her side, lying on the floor.

She lit the wick of a small lamp and held her pipe over it to warm the pearl of absentia waiting.

“Is it safe?” Larami asked before he could help himself. He’d never tried absentia, but hadn’t planned on outing himself so soon.

She laughed. “I hope not.” She unpeeled a leaf of dream lily from Larami’s handkerchief and packed it between her cheek and gum. “I bet this stuff is though.” Her voice was muted as the flower numbed her lips.

Larami laid down next to her and breathed deep the absentia, feeling the smoke go directly into his mind.

He knew enough about magic to understand a body was just something you wore. Larami changed his own often enough. But this was the first time he’d ever had the privilege of an honest-to-the-divinity-within out-of-body experience.

Larami’s body had been a giant before, but Larami had never been a giant before. That was where he found himself now. Not in a plush private chamber aboard Lyrander’s airship with a lovely exotic woman as company, but below in the darkness of Xen’drik.

He was in a cave, peering out a hole in the ceiling at the night sky. The airship Larami knew himself to be on right now drifted lazily through the air, a dark blot over the moon.

This giant he was felt threatened. It worried the airship would come to its graveyard and steal the bones of its ancestors. It was right, of course, Larami thought from outside of himself.

The giant reached for a hammer. Larami understood once he laid the hands that weren’t his own upon it that it was some ancient, unknowable thing. Laremi’s father would certainly be impressed if he could add it to the cargo hold. Much better than some dusty old bones.

What better way to prove he could do more for the House than check off supplies on a clipboard than by going out there and getting his hands dirty?

Larami had no more time to ponder the thought than he found himself back in his own body. His arms had slackened and grown loose in the joints, wrists dangling below his knees as was often the case when he was out of his mind. Side effects of playing fast and loose with the shape of his body.

“Welcome back,” she said. She breathed hot against the tip of the pipe and wiped it clean with a cloth. “Well, it’s been fun, but I’m afraid this place is too safe. Have a nice trip.” She swallowed the last of his lily petals.

“What if I told you I had something for you?” Larami asked. He flexed those muscles inside him no one else had and pulled his arm in tight until they were the right size, like a telescope.

“I’d ask what it was,” she said, still packing her things.

“A death sentence,” Larami said.

“I’d say I was listening,” she said.

He told her what he’d dreamt and not a minute later they’d leapt out the window of the airship. Larami bent and pruned himself into a giant bat. His companion held herself fast to his back, clamping her thighs around his body, her hands balled into fists in his hair.

They found the cave in short order. They hoped the giant hadn’t gotten far.

Unbelievably, it wasn’t there. It’d left that dumb hammer behind after all this.

Larami shrugged his own shape back on since he needed thumbs.

“I’ll keep watch,” she said, sounding disappointed.

Larami touched the hammer. It began to weep blood from the skull motif on its head. Smelled human.

“Anything?” she asked. She played with the handle of a knife, its blade missing.

“It’s bleeding. Not blood spattered, but bleeding. Tastes human,” Larami said. One picked things up.

She didn’t look surprised.

Larami hefted the hammer, but found it was heavier than it looked. When he couldn’t pull it up, he realized, with creeping horror why.

A giant hand gripped the head as he pulled at the handle. The rest of the creature stepped from the stone of the walls, appearing as if from nowhere. It grunted at them in its bestial language, pointing a finger and shoving Larami away. It bellowed at the girl.

She drew her knife that wasn’t here and cut a hole in the world.

Pure nightmares poured in from the space between spaces and the giant screamed. Its flesh melted away in boiling, fleshy lumps, dripping upwards against the pull of the earth to pool on the ceiling above, errant drops drifting through the skylight off into the night.

It lurched forward and hurled its enormous hammer at Larami. He turned his bones to jelly and stood on the other side of it, his body some unspeakable tentacled beast.

From the sound the hammer made, which was nothing like a hammer striking stone, Larami gathered his companion hadn’t been so lucky.

What had been done had been done. Before tending to her, he needed to make sure this giant was dealt with.

Larami strode into the wave of nightmares, the lemon rains of Xoriat tearing strips off him. He wrapped his tentacles around the giant’s head, bit through its thick skull with his beak, and swallowed its tiny brain whole, soft and eggy. One picked things up.

He shook off the shape and looked at what was left of her.

The hammer had taken her head off right at the neck. Wasn’t much left now. Her skin was gray and soft when he wrapped his arms—too long, but he didn’t care— around her to pick her up. A changeling. It made sense for someone on the run in the way she was.

He peeled what was left of the dragonmark she had on that day from her skin. The Seren tribe in the area would never resurrect her if they saw what she’d done. Their kind thought of it as blasphemy.

It looked like they’d both gotten what they wanted, so he shrugged on a giant’s shape to make carrying her corpse easier and clipped the hammer onto his belt. It eased his journey in some ineffable way.

Once Larami came to the expedition’s camp some hours later, he saw Thrush there talking to Kole Naerrin himself over eggs and sausages.

“So I don’t know where the brat is. Must’ve jumped ship,” Thrush said.

Larami dumped the changeling’s headless corpse onto the table, assumed his natural shape, and took a sausage from the frying pan with his fingers.

“Something like that. Want to hear what happened?”




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


1st
Ranger 1
+1
+2
+2
+0
climb 3, hide 4, jump 4, knowledge (history) 4 (2), ms 4, speak language 1 (dwarf), swim 4, tumble 4
Alertness, Power Attack
Fast movement, favored enemy (arcanists), track, voice of the city


2nd
Ranger 2
+2
+3
+3
+0
climb 1 (4), hide 1 (5), jump 1 (5), knowledge (history) 1 (2.5), ms 1 (5), swim 1 (5), tumble 1 (5)




3rd
Ranger 3
+3
+3
+3
+1
climb 1 (5), hide 1 (6), jump 1 (6), knowledge (history) 1 (3), ms 1 (6), swim 1 (6), tumble 1 (6)
Cleave
Endurance


4th
Ranger 4
+4
+4
+4
+1
climb 1 (6), hide 1 (7), jump 1 (7), knowledge (history) 1 (3.5), ms 1 (7), swim 1 (7), tumble 1 (7)

Animal companion (swindlespitter), blind-fight


5th
Ranger 5
+5
+4
+4
+1
climb 1 (7), hide 1 (8), jump 1 (8), knowledge (history) 1 (4), ms 1 (8), swim 1 (8), tumble 1 (8)

Favored enemy (foo), wild shape 1/day (small or medium animal)


6th
Master of Many Forms 1
+5
+6
+6
+1
climb 1 (8), hide 1 (9), jump 1 (9), knowledge (history) 1 (4.5), swim 1 (9)
Improved Bullrush
Shifter’s speech, improved wild shape (humanoid)


7th
Master of Many Forms 2
+6/+1
+7
+7
+1
climb 1 (9), hide 1 (10), jump 1 (10), knowledge (history) 1 (5), swim 1 (10)

Improved wild shape (giant; Large)


8th
Master of Many Forms 3
+7/+2
+7
+7
+2
climb 1 (10), hide 1 (11), jump 1 (11), swim 2 (11)

Fast wild shape, improved wild shape (monstrous humanoid)


9th
War Hulk 1
+7/+2
+9
+7
+2
climb 1 (11), intimidate 1, jump 1 (12)
Shock Trooper
No time to think,ability boost (Str +2)


10th
War Hulk 2
+7/+2
+10
+7
+2
climb 1 (12), intimidate 1 (2), jump 1 (13)

Great swing, ability boost (Str +2)


11th
Legacy Champion 1
+7/+2
+10
+7
+4
jump 1 (14), intimidate 1 (3), tumble 3 (11)

Reduced ritual cost (lesser),bond of lore


12th
Legacy Champion 2
+8/+3
+10
+7
+5
jump 1 (15), intimidate 1 (4), tumble 3 (14)
Aberration blood (flexible limbs)
Replace legacy ability (least) (replace the earth provides with continual unseen servant), Mighty rock throwing, ability boost (Str +2)


13th
Legacy Champion 3
+9/+4
+11
+8
+5
hide 2 (10), intimidate 1 (5), jump 1 (16), ms 1 (9)

Extra legacy ability use (least) (pathbreaker 2/day), Mighty swing,
ability boost (Str +2)


14th
Legacy Champion 4
+10/+5
+11
+8
+6
hide 1 (11), intimidate 1 (6), jump 1 (17), ms 2 (11)

Bonus legacy feat (quicken legacy: haste), Ability boost (Str +2)


15th
Legacy Champion 5
+10/+5
+11
+8
+6
hide 2 (13), intimidate 1 (7), jump 1 (18), ms 1 (12)
Aberration Wild Shape
Replace legacy ability (lesser) (replace stony resistance with haste 5/day), Sweeping boulder,
ability boost (Str +2)


16th
Legacy Champion 6
+11/+6/+1
+12
+9
+7
hide 1 (14), intimidate 1 (8), jump 1 (19), ms 2 (14)

Extra legacy ability use (lesser) (meld into stone 2/day), Ability boost (Str +2)


17th
Legacy Champion 7
+12/+7/+2
+12
+9
+7
hide 2 (16), intimidate 1 (9), jump 1 (20), ms 1(15)

Reduced ritual cost (greater), Massive sweeping
boulder, Toughness,
ability boost (Str +2)


18th
Legacy Champion 8
+13/+8/+3
+12
+9
+8
hide 1 (17), intimidate 1 (10), jump 1 (21), ms 2 (17)
Swift Wild Shape
Bonus legacy feat (transfer legacy)


19th
Legacy Champion 9
+13/+8/+3
+13
+10
+8
hide 2 (19), intimidate 1 (11), jump 1 (22), ms 1 (18)

Extra legacy ability use (greater) (wall of stone 3/day), Ability boost (Str +2),
Toughness


20th
Legacy Champion 10
+14/+9/+4
+13
+10
+9
hide 1 (20), intimidate 1 (12), jump 1 (23), ms 2 (20)

Replace legacy ability (greater) (replace terra obscura with +15 to skill: tumble), Massive swing, Toughness,
ability boost (Str +2)






Character Level
Attack Penalty
Save Penalty
Hit Point Loss
Abilities


5th



Large +2 warhammer


6th


4
Earthseeker


7th



Pathbreaker 1/day


8th

-1

Earthen stature 1/day


9th
-1

2
The earth provides (replace at 12 with continual unseen servant)


10th



Deny earth’s embrace


11th



Large +3 warhammer


12th


2
Earthen stature at will


13th



Pathbreaker 2/day


14th
-2


Large +4 warhammer


15th


2
Stony resistance (replace at 15 with haste 5/day)


16th

-2

Meld into stone 2/day


17th



Large +5 warhammer, terra obscura (replace with +15 to skill: tumble)


18th

-3
2
Wall of stone 2/day


19th


2
Earthwalker’s bane, wall of stone 3/day


20th


2
Ignore earth’s clutch





You’re a straightforward wild shape ranger here. Skulk around in small shapes, beat up bad guys in medium ones. Cats are good pouncers. Bite, claw, rake, etc. power attack and cleave are up, helping you scythe through mooks. your skill choice is unconventional because of your later lifestyle choices.


As a brute, shock trooper is your bread and butter. the full line’s operational now. Master of many forms is online. You’ve got access to humanoid, giant, and monstrous humanoid shapes small to large. You’ve got enough uses and duration to be large all the time, grooming you for war hulk.

This is incidentally the reason I alluded to earlier for your unconventional skill choices. War hulk’s no time to think means your mod’s effectively zero for mental skills, so there’s no point investing there.

You can wild shape as a move action and great swing is up, letting you take a swipe at 3 separate enemies. It plays very nicely with your cleave, letting it be more than a feat tax.

You can detect earth creatures and ignore their dr. Pathbreaker opens locks, doors, chains, and such. It’ll even dispel hold portal and arcane locks in instances when you can’t just knock the door down.

Enlarge person’s up and works through wild shape, so make use of it to improve your reach.


Congraulations, you’re in the secret ingredient. You’ve unlocked the secret of your aberrant blood, allowing you to crush your enemies more effectively, granting a +2 to your grapple. It also paves the way for aberration wild shape, giving you a variety of options. Mind flayer for its extract special ability is fun. Despite its normally low str, your strength boosts from war hulk are class features, so you hang onto them, giving you a good grapple. Aberration blood helps too.

You’ve learned the arcane science of throwing rocks at your enemies. Mighty swing’s up and running, letting you swipe at 3 bad guys for only a standard. Sweeping boulder lets you bowl over multiple enemies with your rock throwing.

This is the crux of the build. Legacy champion’s strength aside from advancing class features is abandoning your old chassis. What is the class where legacy champion’s advancement of its features is better than just staying put?

War hulk. You now get to have your cake with your strength increases, and eat it too by taking advantage of legacy champion’s base attack.

Your weapon’s pulling its weight now. Unseen servant’s always on, you’ve got some lock opening and similar utility from pathbreaker an extra time a day. Since wild shape doesn’t change your type, you can use it while in a large form to become huge and improve your reach and thus all your war hulk abilities, helpfully advanced by legacy champion.

Stony resistance puts an egg in its shoe and beats it, being replaced with 5/day haste (which you cast as a swift.) Mighty swing’s a standard? Have fun doing it twice if anybody’s left standing.


Meld into stone’s around in case you want to sneak up on your enemies (which you are quite good at, since you need to lean on your physical skills.)

You can slap down four enemies per rock now, so enjoy that. Massive swing is now also around. It’s like a whirlwind attack without the prereq if you’re ever surrounded on all sides by weak enemies. Do this while huge and there’s no limits on what you can achieve.

You wild shape on as a swift now, saving your actions. Wall of stone helps out battlefield control. Box your enemies in and use your war hulk abilities to clobber them once they’re cornered.

Your skill bonus helps you out with tumble since you’re in close quarters to a lot of enemies a bunch of the time and are adjacent to a lot of squares.

Toughness, toughness, and toughness give you 9 additional hit points. This makes a considerable dent in the hit points you sacrifice to your legacy weapon.

You now have the extremely important freedom of movement up, a valuable defensive option.


srd: shape-changing ranger, alertness, power attack, cleave, improved bullrush
complete warrior: shock trooper
lords of madness: aberration blood (flexible limbs), aberration wild shape
complete champion: swift wild shape, champion of the wild
weapons of legacy: legacy champion, bloodcrier’s hammer
cityscape web enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a): skilled city dweller, voice of the city

[Heliomance]

Were-tiger? There tiger!

Man, I'm on fire today!



Shoshon the Elegant
http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/thumb/f/fb/Fallen_Comrades_Tigatron_beast.jpg/300px-Fallen_Comrades_Tigatron_beast.jpg
N Wildhunt Shifter Warblade 4/ Weretiger 1/Tiger(Lycanthrope) 1/Warshaper 5/Legendary Champion 9

Stats (With Adjustments)
Str 18
Dex 12
Con 14 (16 when shifting, Increases here)
Int 12
Wis 10
Cha 6

At level 20 (Animal/Hybrid in parenthesis)
Str 18 (34)
Dex 12 (16)
Con 24 (30 when shifting, 34 in animal/hybrid, 36 when both)
Int 12
Wis 12
Cha 6
Build


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


1st
Warblade 1
+1
+2
+0
+0
Balance 4, Intimidate 2, Jump 4, Knowledge (history) 4, Knowledge (local) 2, Tumble 4
Improved Unarmed Strike
Battle Clarity (Reflex Saves), Weapon Aptitude


2nd
Warblade 2
+2
+3
+0
+0
Balance 5, Intimidate 3, Jump 5, Knowledge (history) 5, Tumble 5

Uncanny Dodge


3rd
Warblade 3
+3
+3
+1
+1
Intimidate 5, Jump 6, Knowledge (History) 6, Tumble 6
Power Attack
Battle Ardor (Critical Confirmation)


4th
Warblade 4
+4
+4
+1
+1
Intimidate 7, Jump 7, Knowledge (History) 7, Tumble 7




5th
Weretiger 1
+4
+4
+1
+1

(B)Alertness
Wis +2, Natural Armor +2, Alternate form (Tiger), Low-Light-Vision, Shapechanger Subtype, Weretiger Feat (Alertness)


6th
Tiger(Lycanthrope) 1
+4
+6
+3
+1
None (3 to Weapon, Owe Weapon 1)
(B)Least Legacy
Str+2, Natural Armor +2, Tiger Abilities (+4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, and Move Silently), Bite


7th
Warshaper 1
+4
+8
+3
+1
Jump 9 (1 to Weapon)
Wildhunt Elite
Morphic Immunities, Morphic Weapons


8th
Warshaper 2
+5
+9
+4
+2
Jump 10, Tumble 8 (2)

Morphic Body


9th
Warshaper 3
+6/+1
+9
+4
+2
Jump 11, Tumble 9 (2)

Morphic Reach


10th
Warshaper 4
+7/+2
+10
+4
+2
Jump 12 (2 to Weapon)
Ragewild Fighting
Morphic Healing


11th
Warshaper 5
+7/+2
+10
+4
+2
Jump 13, Tumble 10 (2)

Flashmorph


12th
Legacy Champion 1
+7/+2
+10
+4
+4
Jump 14, Tumble 12 (2 to Weapon)
(B)Lesser Legacy
Reduced Ritual Cost (Lesser), Bond of Lore


13th
Legacy Champion 2
+8/+3
+10
+4
+5
Jump 15, Tumble 14, UMD 2
Martial Study (Iron Heart Surge), (B)Improved Natural Attack (Bite), (B)Improved Natural Attack (Claw), (B) Iron Will?
Replace Legacy Ability (Least): Solitary Warrior to Unceasing Servant, Alternate Form (Hybrid), Tiger Empathy, Damage Reduction 5/Silver, Weretiger Feats


14th
Legacy Champion 3
+9/+4
+11
+5
+5
Jump 16, UMD 6

Extra Legacy Ability Use (Least):Knock Silly, Str +2, Dex +2, Scent


15th
Legacy Champion 4
+10/+5
+11
+5
+6
Jump 17, UMD 8 (2 to Weapon)
(B) Transfer Legacy (Knock Silly)
Bonus Legacy Feat, Str +2, Con +2, Natural Armor +1, 2 Claws


16th
Legacy Champion 5
+10/+5
+11
+5
+6
Jump 18, UMD 12
Martial Stance (Press the Advantage)
Replace Legacy Ability (Lesser): +3 Gauntlets to Darkness, Other ; Str +2, Con +2, Improved Grab, Large


17th
Legacy Champion 6
+11/+6/+1
+12
+6
+7
Jump 19, UMD 16

Extra Legacy Ability Use (Lesser): Cheat Death, Curse of Lycanthropy, Damage Reduction 10/Silver


18th
Legacy Champion 7
+12/+7/+2
+12
+6
+7
Jump 20, UMD 18 (2 to Weapon)
(B) Greater Legacy
Reduced Ritual Cost (Greater)


19th
Legacy Champion 8
+13/+8/+3
+12
+6
+8
UMD 21 (2 to Weapon)
(B) Quicken Legacy (Darkness, Other), Quick Change
Bonus Legacy Feat, Str +2, Dex +2, Natural Armor +1?, Pounce


20th
Legacy Champion 9
+13/+8/+3
+13
+7
+8
Jump 22, UMD 22 (2 to Weapon)

Extra Legacy Ability Use (Greater):Lightning Punch, Str +2, Con +2, Rake


Legacy Weapon


Character Level
Attack Penalty
Skill Check Penalty
Hit Point Loss
Skill Point Loss
Abilities


5th




Sturdy Grip


6th


2
4
Knock Silly 2/day


7th
-1



Solitary Warrior Unceasing Servant


8th




Cheat Death 1/day


9th







10th

-1
2
2
Power of One +2


11th




Rough and Tumble


12th



2
+2 Gauntlets


13th
-2



Giant Bearing


14th


2

Power of One +4


15th



2
Stone Gathering


16th

-2


+3 Gauntlets Darkness, Other


17th




Frightful Prescence


18th


2
2
No Wound too Big, Power of One +6


19th

-3

2
Lightning Punch


20th



2
+3 Gauntlets



Maneuvers
1st: Wolf Fang Strike, Sudden Leap, Charging Minotaur, Douse the Flames (at 2)
2nd: Wall of Blades
3rd: Iron Heart Surge (at 13)
Stances: Leading the Charge, Blood in the Water, Press the Advantage (at 16)
Backstory
Life’s rough. Khorvaire’s got some good people in it, but they’re spread pretty thin over a pretty wide area. If you’re a shifter trying to live anywhere but the wilderness, don’t expect to run into too many of them. If you get ahead in life, you gotta learn from the animal world. You gotta care for yourself and stand up to the bastards. When I left the wilds for the city you know what my first job was? I got drafted for infantry in the war. I served 2 years dodging arrows and cutting down poor shlubs on the other side. I couldn’t have fun doing it most of the time! Almost all the guys I fought were tin men or dead men walking, no hot blood in between your teeth when you strike ‘em down.

Most people at least got some war buddies out of it, but not me. All the jerks in my squad didn’t appreciate having a backwoods wildman who didn’t listen to orders well. I had to face off against one or two, but they learned after I knocked the biggest guy on his softy city derriere.

War sure did make me stronger, though. I don’t know if it was those performance enhancing potions they had us trying out, or some of the army’s magic doing weird stuff to my tiger bloodline, or maybe just skills honing with use, but by war’s end I was shifting faster and more extreme than anyone in my clan ever did. You’d think it would earn me a field promotion, but it wasn’t in the cards for old Shoshon.

They say war never changes, but at least that one eventually ended. I visited some relatives who said they had a kid who went off to war like me but didn’t return, and they hadn’t heard from his commanding officer that anything had happened. I didn’t have the heart to tell them they probably both went up in the Day of Mourning, so I promised to look for him, or at least something to bring back. Eventually I was able to track him down, or at least what was left. A skeleton isn’t much, but it’s a lot to a shifter family. It’s enough to keep his spirit in the grove of his ancestors, which was good enough for me. Doing that seemed to work out well enough so I decided to do it some more while the money lasted. There were a lot of people who went missing in the war, and plenty more who used it as an excuse to go missing. There was some competition in the people finding business, not all of them so principled as yours truly. Hell, I managed to find out a whole crew of my competitors who weren’t even doing that job. They were just stringing along desperate families for the salary while they sat on their asses. This time I suppressed my urges and did the civilized thing: report them to the papers in an exclusive interview (for a finder’s fee of course, still gotta eat).

Turns out the crew was bigger than I thought, and a couple important people’s sons were in the operation. I got a little more famous than I would like, and I had to lay low for a while. That suited me fine. I needed an excuse to get back to the jungle, and I could get on just fine in the wild. I was only getting stronger. Sometime around here I went on something of a vision quest with some of the druids and found out my tiger blood was a hell of a lot stronger than most shifters. By that point I was basically full-fledged lycanthrope, and let me tell you that gets you some respect in the shifter world. I wasn’t Shoshon from some nowhere village anymore, I was Shoshon the Elegant.

Anyway, after a while of getting back to my roots and wandering with the winds I hit a little village of shifters. Real nice folks, the Winterhide clan. Ain’t got no mean bones in ‘em. Truth was, that was their problem. Turns out they were refugees smuggled out from Rierdra, mostly women and kids sent out while the men stayed behind. They were supposed to follow soon after, but the authorities probably found out, and it was going to be a while before they could regroup. In the meantime they were getting raided by all sorts of thugs, and they were still half-brainwashed into thinking they had to submit to those above them. I tried to teach them how that wasn’t the way, but they couldn’t fight so many years of what they learned. Finally I figured out I had to show them their real nature the only way that would work. I bit ‘em. Don’t look at me like that, I didn’t bite that hard, just hard enough to bring life to the tiger inside of them, make them strong like me. Next time those raiders came around they were in for one real surprise. A whole village of tigers met ‘em tooth and claw and you can bet they tore those suckers a new one. I decided to stick around for a while to help the townsfolk get adjusted to the new way of life while they waited for their menfolk, and teach the kids about the way of the world, least according to old Shoshon the elegant. Life’s rough, and if you want to get ahead, you gotta make it rougher for the other guy.
Level 5
Welcome to the confusing world of savage progressions! We’re starting things off as a shifter, since their lycanthrope ancestry makes a good starting point for a natural lycanthrope to gradually gain power. I’ve chosen Wildhunt, which boosts Con (so increases shifting duration) and gives scent, which is good for anti-stealth and finding things. Lycanthrope savage progression is going to raise some questions, which I’ll try to bring up when they arise.

We’re going to begin with 4 levels of warblade, which provide a solid foundation to build on. Full BA, Battle clarity to help mitigate the save penalty, ardor to help with critical hits (for blood in the water), and uncanny dodge to protect from sudden strike and some sneak attack. The first “level” of weretiger doesn’t give any HD, so it’s a lot like taking LA. It does provide some benefits, like free alertness, +2 Wis and NA, and the ability to turn into a tiger (which for the moment has no mechanical benefit). Legacy weapons make reference to character level many times, and it’s unclear whether a savage progression level counts toward this. I’ve assumed not for the purposes of legacy feats and weapon effects, but if they do simply shift everything up one. They almost certainly don’t count for feats and skill caps which is why they are adjusted from here on.

Improved Unarmed Strike is a prerequisite for the gauntlets, but it can still be useful in tiger form, when grappling, etc. Attacks with gauntlets are still unarmed strikes, so this feat does help in using them by making you threaten and not provoking AoO. Power attack is a setup for later and also just a good feat for brutes. You’ll have Str enough to afford using it.

Wolf Fang Strike is necessary for the rest of Tiger Claw, but at least you actually have IUS (later other things) to use with it. Sudden Leap is essentially battlefield teleport, and your bonuses to jump are going to go up and up with time. Charging Minotaur is useful for pushing guys around, especially once your big strength kicks in. Douse the Flames prevents AoOs for when you things that would normally provoke. Wall of Blades is great for when you don’t want something to hit you, note that it works on spells that require attack rolls, which you really don’t want to get hit with. Leading the Charge is good for beginning the combat, and most likely applies to Charging Minotaur. Blood in the Water isn’t bad for normal combat.
Level 10
More savage progression weirdness! Weretiger is presented as sort of 2 classes. We’re going to be taking a level in the “second” one, which does grant HD, skills, and everything like a normal class. It gives a bit attack boost to str and natural armor in hybrid and animal forms, and a boost to a few skills all the time. At this point I’ll mention that the table for natural armor bonuses is a bit wrong, it should grant you 1 more natural armor, so talk with your DM on where to add it. Your speed goes up in tiger form to 40 feet (so more boost to jump). Taking this level has additional purposes. The first is that Legacy Champion only advances classes you took before, and I didn’t want to risk someone counting these HD levels as a different class. The second is that it provides an actual benefit for being in tiger form, so your DM is more likely to accept it as a form for warshaper.

Now let’s talk warshaper. The shapeshifter subtype is your means of entry (it explicitly mentions lycanthropes as an example) and I’m assuming the bonuses apply when shifting or when in tiger or hybrid(when you unlock it) alternate forms. It gives you immunity to stunning and crits, +4 to Str and Con, 5 extra feet of reach, fast healing 2, and the ability to change forms as a move action next level (obviously only for alternate form). Those are some really powerful abilities, especially when you can have them on as long as you want. I’m going to assume that you’re using morphic weapons only to increase the damage of your existing natural weapons; we don’t need to get crazy.

Wildhunt Elite gives blindsense when shifting (which is lengthened by Con boosts and by this feat itself). Ragewild Fighting has 3 tactical maneuvers, all of which useful. Rattle the Weakling should come up basically every combat, so use it.

We’re going to pick up the Bullybasher’s Gauntlets here, so let’s discuss abilities. Assuming you’re 1 level behind, you have sturdy grip (+4 to start grapple), Knock Silly (touch of idiocy when damaging 2/day), and Cheat Death (free 1 healing when knocked below 0). Solitary warrior’s not too interesting, we’ll be trading it away. It’s mostly pretty straightforward stuff, cheat death’s useful if you get hit when not in alternate form, buying you time to get to a form where fast healing activates. Because they’re magical gloves, they change to fit the wearer so long as they have that slot, so should fit over your Large paws in tiger and hybrid form. Due to their design your claws aren’t covered so are still able to be used. The attack penalty is minor and easily covered by strength, the hp is more than covered by your Con boosts. Skill check penalty doesn’t hinder you much. Skill point loss is felt a tad more, I’ve indicated on table when it’s paid.
Level 15
It’s time for the SI! We’ll be using it to advance both halves of weretiger. For the “LA” levels it gives you HD, skills and saves where you had none, and for the “HD” levels it gives you better skills and the fact that you’re gaining class HD instead of weird racial animal HD. Reduced cost saves you lots of gp for using on other gear. Bond of lore means you don’t have to put any more ranks in Knowledge History. There’s no reason you can’t just keep trying until you hit the DC, and your mod is high enough for that to be possible. We’re going to replace solitary warrior with a constant unseen servant, which can do all sorts of minor tasks and fine manipulation when you don’t have hands as a tiger. Extra use of Knock Silly is nice for the encounters you have during the day. We’re going to use the bonus feat on transfer legacy so that you can knock enemies silly using a more powerful weapon.

In terms of other class features advanced, we’re going to get one more level of the “LA” class and 2 more of the “HD” levels. You now have the hybrid form, which should be your default form so you can keep warshaper benefits. DR is never bad, and here we gain 2 free feats. It should be three with Iron Will, but the designers goofed here. It doesn’t really matter too much, but it will help mitigate save penalty so ask your DM when to get it. Improved Natural Attack is a shifter feat as by ECS, and since you get it twice you now have another use of shifting, which lasts Con +6 rounds now. More physical stat boosts, scent, and claws to add to your bite. It’s likely in your best interests to attack with a weapon, then bite and claw when in hybrid form, and when in tiger form use IUS followed by bite and claws. Your tumble mod is high enough that you can stop putting ranks in it, so we’re going to begin heavy investment in UMD.

Iron Heart Surge is an immensely useful maneuver when you straight up don’t want to be under an effect. Combo it with instinctive strike to get a free attack out of being hit with a spell before you turn the effect off.

In terms of the gauntlets, they now boost your Con by 4, give you DR/magic, and give you the ability to sort of become larger. You don’t actually gain size or reach, but you gain Str (not noted in above stats) and bonus on grapple checks, usable whenever you want (so use it as much as you wish). Your dex bonus offsets the penalty, and the penalty on attack rolls is covered by the Str the ability grants.
Level 20
We now finish up with what of the SI we can. Don’t cry too hard about the last level, replacing a greater ability is not a huge loss, and you finish advancement of weretiger. We’re replacing the +3 enhancement with the ability to cast darkness at will on another object. Cast it on something you’re holding, plunge your area in darkness, activate shifting for blindsense to locate creatures in the dark and pinpoint them with scent to fight in the darkness. Quicken Legacy means you can use Darkness as a swift 3/day when things get tricky. We’ll add another use of Cheat Death on the rare chance that you get hurt that bad twice in a day (largely because all of the other abilities aren’t limited use) as well as lightning punch for chain lightning fun. Reduced Greater Ritual saves you a huge chunk of change for use on whatever else you want (like wands for your UMD).

Finishing up the last “LA” level gives you DR 10/silver, but more importantly Curse of Lycanthropy. This is important for the greater ritual for gauntlets, which requires you to organize a defenseless town’s people to protect themselves. Without spending the boatload of gp to help them, you’ve got to find other means. Lycanthropy may technically be a curse but it makes them much more resilient and powerful. 6HD is a lot to your average level 1 commoner or expert. The idea was too hilarious for me to pass up.
The levels in weretiger give you Large size in hybrid and tiger forms, more stat boosts, and finally imp grab, pounce, and rake when in tiger form. Your stats are now the final ones presented in the above. When in tiger form your total jump mod is a hilarious 22+4(speed)+2(tumble)+13(Str)-3(gloves)=38, meaning you can jump 35 feet with no effort at all (or 15 feet if your DM says sudden leaps are treated as standing, which I doubt). This means you can also automatically jump 9 feet straight up with a running start, meaning you reach creatures 30 feet off the ground (9 ft jump +16 foot vertical reach + 5 warshaper reach) meaning you really get around. At this point Shifting is activated twice per day and lasts (assuming hybrid or animal form) 19 rounds a pop, so you can have blindsense up for quite a sizable chunk of your combat.

Martial Stance gives Press the Advantage for double FFS or taking a FFS in difficult terrain. You can use this and sudden leap for all your movement in the battlefield leaving you free to full attack. Quick Change stacks with Flashmorph to allow you to use alternate form as a free action, so you can change multiple times in a single round! Begin as a shifter to catch your enemies unawares, change to tiger to pounce, grab and rake, then shift to hybrid form to cause problems for your enemies with 15 foot reach on their turns, fight on in that form or change as you like.

The gauntlets now gives you +6 Con, let you throw rocks like a giant, activate a frightful presence that renders shaken for 4d6 rounds, regenerate your body parts in 2d10 rounds, and fire off some sweet chain lightning 2/ day. Almost all your abilities are constant or at-will, which is why I really love the gauntlets.
Sources
Warblade, Martial Study, Martial Stance: Tome of Battle
Warshaper: Complete Warrior
Weretiger: Web Enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031212a)
Bullybasher’s Gauntlets, Least Legacy, Lesser Legacy, Greater Legacy, Legacy Champion, Quicken Legacy, Transfer Legacy: Weapons of Legacy
Wildhunt Elite, Ragewild Fighting: Races of Eberron
Improved Natural Attack: Eberron Campaign Setting
Quick Change: Savage Species
Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Alertness, Iron Will: srd

[Heliomance]

Well. That went well.


Quietshoes McBraggylips
Grey Elf
Chaotic Good
Beguiler 5/Ardente Diletante 3/Ruathar 2/Legacy Champion 10


Point Buy...Stat...Start...Race...Total
02...Str...10...-2...08
04...Con...12...-2...10
04...Dex...12...+2...14
16...Int...18...+2...20
04...Wis...12...--...12
02...Cha...10...--...10

All level increases apply to Int.





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


1st
Beguiler 1
+0
+0
+0
+2
Bluff 3 Concentration 4 Diplomacy 4 Disable Device 4 Hide 4 K: arcana 4 Listen 4 Move Silently 4 Open Lock 1 Search 4 Sleight of Hand 4 Spot 4
1st: Darkstalker
Armored Mage; Trapfinding


2nd
Beguiler 2
+1
+0
+0
+3
(2)Bluff 5 (1)Concentration 5 (1)Diplomacy 5 (1)Disable Device 5 (1)Hide 5 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)Listen 5 (1)Move Silently 5 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 5 (1)Spot 5
--
Cloaked Casting (+1 DC); Surprise Casting


3rd
Beguiler 3
+1
+1
+1
+3
(-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 5 (1)Diplomacy 6 (1)Disable Device 6 (1)Hide 6 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)Listen 6 (1)Move Silently 6 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 6 (1)Sleight of Hand 6 (1)Spot 6 (1)Use Magic Device 1 (2)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
3rd: Obtain Familiar
Advanced Learning (Shock and Awe)


4th
Beguiler 4
+2
+1
+1
+4
(-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 5 (1)Diplomacy 7 (1)Disable Device 7 (1)Hide 7 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)Listen 7 (1)Move Silently 7 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 7 (1)Sleight of Hand 7 (1)Spot 7 (3)Use Magic Device 4 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
--
--


5th
Beguiler 5
+2
+1
+1
+4
(-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 5 (1)Diplomacy 8 (1)Disable Device 8 (1)Hide 8 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)Listen 8 (1)Move Silently 8 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 8 (1)Sleight of Hand 8 (1)Spot 8 (3)Use Magic Device 7 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
B: Silent Spell
--


6th
Ardent Dilettante 1
+2
+1
+3
+4
(1)Autohypnosis 1 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 5 (1)Diplomacy 9 (1)Disable Device 9 (1)Hide 9 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)K: history 1 (1)Listen 9 (1)Move Silently 9 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 9 (1)Sleight of Hand 9 (1)Spot 9 (1)Use Magic Device 8 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
6th: Keen-Eared Scout; Free: Least Legacy
Heightend Senses; Lore


7th
Ardent Dilettante 2
+3
+1
+4
+4
(1)Autohypnosis 2 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 5 (1)Diplomacy 10 (1)Disable Device 10 (1)Hide 10 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)K: history 2 (1)Listen 10 (1)Move Silently 10 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 10 (1)Sleight of Hand 10 (1)Spot 10 (1)Use Magic Device 9 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
--
Enthrall


8th
Ardent Dilettante 3
+3
+2
+4
+5
(1)Autohypnosis 3 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 5 (1)Diplomacy 11 (1)Disable Device 11 (1)Hide 11 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)K: history 3 (1)Listen 11 (1)Move Silently 11 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 11 (1)Sleight of Hand 11 (1)Spot 11 (2)Use Magic Device 11 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
--
Joie De Vivre


9th
Ruathar 1
+3
+2
+6
+7
(-)Autohypnosis 3 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 5 (1)Diplomacy 12 (-)Disable Device 11 (1)Hide 12 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)K: history 4 (1)Listen 12 (1)Move Silently 12 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 12 (3)Sense Motive 3 (-)Sleight of Hand 11 (1)Spot 12 (-)Use Magic Device 11 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
9th: Quick Reconnoiter; B: MWP Longbow
Word of Friendship; Gift of the Elves (Cloak of Elvenkind)


10th
Ruathar 2
+4
+2
+7
+8
(-)Autohypnosis 3 (-)Bluff 5 (1)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 13 (-)Disable Device 11 (1)Hide 13 (-)K: arcana 4 (1)K: history 5 (1)Listen 13 (1)Move Silently 13 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 13 (2)Sense Motive 5 (-)Sleight of Hand 11 (1)Spot 13 (-)Use Magic Device 11 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
--
(Improved) Low-Light Vision; Elfwise


11th
Legacy Champion 1
+4
+2
+7
+10
(-)Autohypnosis 3 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 14 (3)Disable Device 14 (1)Hide 14 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 14 (1)Move Silently 14 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 14 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 12 (1)Spot 14 (-)Use Magic Device 11 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
Free: Lesser Legacy
Reduced Ritual Cost (Lesser); Bond of Lore


12th
Legacy Champion 2 (advances Ardent Dilettante)
+5
+2
+7
+11
(-)Autohypnosis 3 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 15 (1)Disable Device 15 (1)Hide 15 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 15 (1)Move Silently 15 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 15 (-)Sense Motive 5 (3)Sleight of Hand 15 (1)Spot 15 (-)Use Magic Device 11 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
12th: Penumbra Bloodline; B: Versatile Spellcaster
Replace Legacy Ability (Least) (Carapaced Nerves --> Comprehend Languages); Sense Link


13th
Legacy Champion 3 (advances AD)
+6/1
+3
+8
+11
(-)Autohypnosis 3 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 16 (1)Disable Device 16 (1)Hide 16 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 16 (1)Move Silently 16 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 16 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 16 (1)Spot 16 (2)Use Magic Device 13 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
--
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Least)(Winged Range); Scent


14th
Legacy Champion 4 (Advances AD)
+7/2
+3
+8
+12
(-)Autohypnosis 3 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 17 (1)Disable Device 17 (1)Hide 17 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 17 (1)Move Silently 17 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 17 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 17 (1)Spot 17 (2)Use Magic Device 15 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
BLF: Transfer Legacy
Seen It Before


15th
Legacy Champion 5 (Advances AD)
+7/2
+3
+8
+12
(-)Autohypnosis 3 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 18 (1)Disable Device 18 (1)Hide 18 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 18 (1)Move Silently 18 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 18 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 18 (1)Spot 18 (2)Use Magic Device 17 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
15th: Cloak of Obyrith; B: Eyes of the Abyss
Replace Legacy Ability (Lesser)(Scarab of Resistance +4 --> Knock)


16th
Legacy Champion 6 (Advances AD)
+8/3
+4
+9
+13
(1)Autohypnosis 4 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 19 (1)Disable Device 19 (1)Hide 19 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 19 (1)Move Silently 19 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 19 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 19 (1)Spot 19 (2)Use Magic Device 19 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This

--
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Lesser)(Winged Range); See It Again


17th
Legacy Champion 7
+9/4
+4
+9
+13
(2)Autohypnosis 6 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 20 (1)Disable Device 20 (1)Hide 20 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 20 (1)Move Silently 20 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 20 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 20 (1)Spot 20 (1)Use Magic Device 20 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This

Free: Greater Legacy
Reduced Ritual Cost (Greater)


18th
Legacy Champion 8 (Advances AD)
+10/5
+4
+9
+14
(2)Autohypnosis 8 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 21 (1)Disable Device 21 (1)Hide 21 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 21 (1)Move Silently 21 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 21 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 21 (1)Spot 21 (1)Use Magic Device 21 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
18th: Vestigial Wings; BLF: Quicken Legacy (Teleport)
Blindsense 10'


19th
Legacy Champion 9 (Advances AD)
+10/5
+5
+10
+14
(3)Autohypnosis 11 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 22 (1)Disable Device 22 (1)Hide 22 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 22 (1)Move Silently 22 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 22 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 22 (1)Spot 22 (-)Use Magic Device 21 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
B: Heart of Nabassu
Replace Legacy Ability Use (Greater)(Scarab of Resistance +5 --> Obscurity); Death Holds No Mysteries


20th
Legacy Champion 10 (Advances Ruathar)
+11/6/1
+5
+10
+15
(3)Autohypnosis 14 (-)Bluff 5 (-)Concentration 6 (1)Diplomacy 23 (1)Disable Device 23 (1)Hide 23 (-)K: arcana 4 (-)K: history 5 (1)Listen 23 (1)Move Silently 23 (-)Open Lock 1 (1)Search 23 (-)Sense Motive 5 (1)Sleight of Hand 23 (1)Spot 23 (-)Use Magic Device 21 (-)Skill Tricks: Listen To This
--
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Greater)(Teleport); Star Blessing; Arvandor's Grace





Spells per Day
Spells per Day + Bonus Spells From Intelligence


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


1st
5
3+2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
6
4+2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
6
5+2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


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


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


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


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


8th
6
6+2
6+2
4+1
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
6
6+2
6+2
5+1
3+1
-
-
-
-
-


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


11th
6
6+2
6+2
6+1
4+1
-
-
-
-
-


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


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


14th
6
6+2
6+2
6+1
6+1
5+1
3+1
-
-
-


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


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


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


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


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


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





Scarab of Aradros
Stats available in Weapons of Legacy p.139-140. A continuation of Greater Legacy founding provided below.

Penalties applied as per Table 4-6 of Weapons of Legacy page 186.



Wielder Level
Save Penalty
Skill Check Penalty
Caster Level Penalty
Spell Slot Loss
Abilities


17
--
--
--
--
Still Spell, Greater (Menu F)


18
--
--
--
7th
Teleport 2/day (Menu G)


19
--
--
--
--
Extend Spell, Greater (Menu F)


20
--
--
--
8th
Concentration Enhancement +15 (Menu G)





Before we begin, let me just state for the record, to make this perfectly and abundantly clear: This. Is. Not. A. Character. Built. For. Combat!


...stay behind the others. If there's fighting, you drop to the floor or run away. It's okay to leave them to die.

Now, that having been said:
This character is the lookout and something of the party face.

You'll notice max. ranks in Hide and Move Silently, coupled with the Darkstalker feat, which will allow infiltration of, and movement through, enemy territory. (See also the Invisibility and Spider Climb spells.)

Maximum ranks in Spot, Listen, and the Listen To This skill trick lets him scout ahead well and bring information back to recite perfectly. (See also the See Invisibility spell.)

Maximum ranks are also found in Search (with bonuses from being an elf) and Disable Device so traps shouldn't be a problem.

There is one rank in Open Locks, which is enough to make it "trained" and, thus, usable. Taking 20 (given the time) and with a set of Masterwork lockpicks, he's able to handle an average lock. He also has access to the Knock spell.

Diplomacy is also maxed out (with a synergy bonus from Bluff) so chatting up the locals shouldn't be too much of a concern. The Sleight of Hand skill (via uses found in Races of Stone) allows Charm Person and other such spells to be cast unnoticed, especially with the Silent Spell feat. (See also the Detect Thoughts spell.)

Use Magic Device is as potent as people say it is. Though far from an automatic success here, there is still the possibility of it working.

And there's a familiar hanging around that can make all of those skill checks, too.



You'll note that I've put the Least Legacy feat here at 6th level, one level behind where it could be taken. The reasoning is that I cannot, in fact, guarantee when the character will gain the knowledge necessary to complete the ritual. (Or, indeed, when he'll have the opportunity to complete it, easy as it is.)
At 5th level, his only option is to buy the knowledge from an historian somewhere (probably aided by Diplomacy checks and a discreetly cast Charm Person spell) or to ask help from the party Bard, should there be one.

At 6th level, he gains a rank in Knowledge: history himself and can attempt the check (DC 19). One rank + five Int + 1d20 means he needs to roll a 13 or higher (a 40% chance). His familiar, also, gets to make a check (though, with a much lower Int, has just a 5% chance.)
Failing both of those, a lore check is possible (also at 40%) (see Weapons of Legacy p 205-6).
And, if that fails, too, there's the possiblity that the DM may allow a Knowledge: arcana check. (See p.205 of Weapons of Legacy.) That would come at a 30% chance. (And another for the familiar at 20%.)
With all of those options on the table, there's a pretty good chance that one of them will work. And if not, all of those checks can be retried at 7th level, and again at 8th, and 9th, and 10th if need be (each with increasing probablility of success), until one of them does hit.

So, what else comes along at these levels?
Keen-eared Scout and Quick Reconnoiter add wonders to the lookout role. (Even if your DM rules that they don't "work together".) Add in the Ardent Dilettante's Heightened Senses and Ruathar's Elfwise and this guy can see or hear most anything coming. (Great for use with Obscuring Mist and similar spells.)

The ranks in Autohypnosis give him the chance to remember every little detail about the things he's seen (and is usable by his familiar, too), which couples well with the Listen To This trick from earlier levels.

And, of course, access to more spells has opened up. Namely, 3rd and 4th level spells from the Beguiler list, including: Dispel Magic, Haste, Invisibility, Greater, Freedom of Movement....

As for the Scarab of Aradros, the character gains a few more hit points each day, a bonus on saves, and a few uses of Extend Spell. At the cost of one caster level, a -1 skill check penalty, and a 3rd level spell slot. Not game breaking, but not crippling either.



Welcome Legacy Champion!
And why Legacy Champion, you may ask. Why not just advance the previous class levels instead? Simple! He can't. He doesn't qualify to advance Ardent Dilettante levels since he doesn't have the ranks in Perform...and later, the ability to cast divine spells or the ability to use an exotic weapon or....
Well, the point is, he doesn't qualify to proceed with the class. (Although, you'll note, that the levels do, in fact, exist!)

Sense Link, Scent, Seen It Before, and Eyes of the Abyss continue to advance his scouting abilities.

Changing out Carapaced Nerves for Comprehend Languages lets him be more of a snoop. (Remember Listen To This and Autohypnosis are still in the mix.)

Changing out a point of resistance bonus for at will Knock saves spells slots.

Penumbra Bloodline and Versatile Spellcaster give better options for using those spell slots. (Spells, by the way, which have now reached 6th level.)

And what is that Scarab offering?
Well, it's now demanding a -1 to saves, -2 to skill checks, -2 caster level, and a 5th level spell slot. In return, it offers a +3 resistance bonus to saves, Knock at will, a continuous Comprehend Languages ability, temporary hit points, Extend Spell uses, an active use of Shield pretty much all day.

Oh, and resistance 30 to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic. It says "or", but it really means "and". It's an immediate action to use and lasts for a minute. There's no reason to believe they won't all work simultaneously, so he'll just walk around spending an immediate action each round to start up a resistance in order to keep all of them working throughout the day. Very helpful when a trap does blow up in your face.
(Speaking of traps blowing up on you, that Cloak of Obyrith feat isn't just for combat, you know.)

The Transfer Legacy feat is an interesting one that bears note, I think. It can be used to give some legacy abilities to the familiar. After Transfering what he wants to keep to the Cloak of Elvenkind (see Character Level 9), the Scarab can be given to the familiar to use Comprehend languages and Knock and....
A cute little idea that may have uses at some point.



At 16th level, the Scarab takes a 6th level spell slot and gives back another +1 resistance bonus to saves. Not exactly a worthwhile trade. Unless, of course, a greater legacy is unlocked. (Stats for which are included.) The options listed seem fairly self-explanitory to me.

Quicken Legacy being used to affect Teleport is a great way to escape danger.

Vestigial Wings and Heart of Nabassu have their own particular uses for helping out an infiltrating trapsmith, but have the added benefit of helping to advance other Abyssal Heritor feats as well.

By the end, he has full ranks in Diplomacy, Disable Device, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sleight of Hand, and Spot. (And more than his share of bonuses to several of those skills.) Autohypnosis will auto-succeed on Memorizing checks (even for the familiar) and Use Magic Device will auto-succeed on wand usage (even for the familiar).

All in all, if you need someone to sneak in behind enemy lines, steal some information, and slip out undetected, you could do a lot worse than to hire this guy.

And, of course, there are his spells, too -- 8th level Beguiler list (9ths if you count Versatile Spellcaster!)




SRD -- Grey Elf (Monsters); Autohypnosis skill (Psionic skills)
Player's Handbook II -- Beguiler class; Keen-eared Scout feat
Lords of Madness -- Darkstalker feat
Complete Arcane -- Obtain Familiar feat
Spell Compendium[/u -- Shock and Awe spell
[u]Planar Handbook -- Ardent Diletante class
Races of the Wild -- Ruathar class
Dungeonscape -- Quick Reconnoiter feat
Weapons of Legacy -- Legacy Champion class; (Least)(Lesser)(Greater) Legacy feat(s); Transfer Legacy feat; Quicken Legacy feat
Dragon Compendium -- Penumbra Bloodline feat
Races of the Dragon -- Versatile Spellcasting feat
Fiendish Codex I -- Cloak of Obyrith feat; Eyes of the Abyss feat; Vestigial Wings feat; Heart of Nabassu feat

[Heliomance]

We're all following a strange melody
We're all haunted by a tune
We're following the Piper
And we dance beneath the moon for him
And we dance beneath the moon



"They never thought I was good enough. I could see it in their eyes, hear it in their voice - the desire that I just give up, and go home. To forsake my destiny as a Piper, to forget my trials and tribulations, to forgive myself for my inability to achieve as they had. It didn't matter that I was the first-born, that I should've inherited it by tradition. All they ever cared about was my 'gifted' brother and his stupid music."
"Just as well; they're all rotting in the Nine Hells now, courtesy of my masters. Serves them right."

http://i.imgur.com/rU3PmPM.jpg (http://ashleycope.deviantart.com/art/Prince-of-Rodents-10385432)

Xander Marchand had never gotten what he'd deserved. As the firstborn of his family, it was to be his right - and his right only - to train as a Pied Piper, as was tradition. He would learn the dances, the sayings, and the practices of his ancestors, and would one day don the sacred garb of the first Piper with pride. That was his destiny, they told him. His reason for being.

Unfortunately, The talents of the Pipers were not among Xander's repertoire. When asked to play a tune, he would deliver a cacophony; when asked to recite the legend, he could only ever remember its morbid ending. He showed a clear bond with vermin and creatures, true, but his music was foul and his personality poisonous. He was greedy, overconfident, and sullen. He was vainglorious and ignorant, denied all fault from his own mistakes, and refused to listen to the advice of his teachers and peers. Thus, when his younger brother - a talented soul, gifted with music and joyous of heart - stepped into the picture, he was cast out in turn. There was no place for him among them, they said. He could live with his books and his raptors and his venomous ideology, but not with them. Never again.

Rejection, however, bred regret. Regret bred malice and, in turn, hatred. In exile, vengeance - on his peers, on his teachers, on his damnable brother - became his sole goal, and he sought it out with impunity. He was not strong enough to exact his will alone, though, and so he searched for others. The young boy read tomes, contacted eldritch researchers, and pursued the darkest realms of study in search of power and of fame. Power over others, over vermin, rodents, and otherwise. Fame amongst his people, throughout the world, across the planes. He wanted some way to prove his skills, earn the garbs of his ancestors, and flourish as his tutors had promised him so. And although he eventually did locate one who could help him in his vendetta, an aranea loyal to Lolth and fiends both, such power did not come freely. Instead, he was offered a bargain. He took it without a thought.

He returned to his hometown not weeks later, but he did not do so alone. With him came the scum of the wilds - insects, spiders, rats and more, starved and ravenous all. Each he had plucked from the forests, ensorcelled, and they struck the town as one. Together, they sought out his elders, his brothers and sisters, and each was struck down in turn without so much as the slightest hesitation. By the end of the night, all knew of his return - for he exacted his payment, and that of his new masters, on father, mother, and child alike. There were none among them who lost nothing, and those who escaped with their lives did so with fear in their hearts. For, amongst it all, the exile had claimed his prize; the Vestments of the Pied Piper, hard-won and blood-soaked, from the body of his own sibling. Those who survived said that he took to to the garb well, and held no regrets over his actions.

After all, he had merely followed the instructions of his forebears:
"Thou shalt not suffer an oathbreaker to live, and their loved ones doubly so."

Xander Marchand, the Last Pied Piper
Race: Azurin
Classes: Incarnate 1/Wizard 7/Vermin Lord 2/Legacy Champion 10
ACFs: Animal Companion Wizard ACF (replaces Familiar), Domain Granted Power Wizard ACF (replaces 5th level bonus feat)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Deity: Lolth

Ability Scores: 32 Point Buy
Base: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 15 Con, 16 Int, 8 Wis, 15 Cha
Levels: +2 Int, +1 Con, +2 Dex
Total: 8 Str, 16 Dex, 16 Con, 18 Int, 8 Wis, 15 Cha



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


1st
Incarnate 1
+2
+0
+0
+2
4 Concentration, 4 Knowledge (History), 4 Knowledge (Planes), 4 Spellcraft, 2 Perform (Wind Instruments)*
Verminfriend, Wild Cohort (B)
Aura, Detect Opposition


2nd
Wizard 1
+0
+2
+0
+4
4 Concentration, 4 Knowledge (History), 5 Knowledge (Planes), 4 Spellcraft, 2 Perform (Wind Instruments), 2 Hide*
Scribe Scroll (B)
Animal Companion


3rd
Wizard 2
+1
+2
+0
+5
4 Concentration, 4 Knowledge (History), 6 Knowledge (Planes), 4 Spellcraft, 3 Perform (Wind Instruments)*, 3 Hide*
Share Soulmeld



4th
Wizard 3
+1
+3
+1
+5
4 Concentration, 4 Knowledge (History), 7 Knowledge (Planes), 4 Spellcraft, 3 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 1 Move Silently*




5th
Wizard 4
+2
+3
+1
+6
4 Concentration, 4 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 4 Spellcraft, 3 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*
Least Legacy: Vestments of the Pied Piper (B)
Fear Aura


6th
Wizard 5
+2
+3
+1
+6
4 Concentration, 5 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 4 Spellcraft, 3 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 2 Knowledge (Arcana)
Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment), Incarnum Spellshaping (B)
Domain Granted Power (Incarnum)


7th
Wizard 6
+3
+4
+2
+7
4 Concentration, 8 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 4 Spellcraft, 3 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana)




8th
Wizard 7
+3
+4
+2
+7
4 Concentration, 10 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 4 Spellcraft, 5 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana)




9th
Vermin Lord 1
+3
+4
+2
+9
4 Concentration, 10 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 5 Spellcraft, 10 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana)
Obtain Familiar
Chitin +1, Vermin Servant 1 HD


10th
Vermin Lord 2
+4
+4
+2
+10
6 Concentration, 13 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 5 Spellcraft, 13 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana)

Blood Drain


11th
Legacy Champion 1
+4
+4
+2
+12
8 Concentration, 14 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 9 Spellcraft, 14 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana)
Lesser Legacy: Vestments of the Pied Piper (B)
Reduced ritual Cost (Lesser), Bond of Lore


12th
Legacy Champion 2
+5
+4
+2
+13
10 Concentration, 15 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 11 Spellcraft, 15 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana)
Expanded Soulmeld Capacity
Replace Legacy Ability (Least) | +1 Vermin Lord: Spider Hand


13th
Legacy Champion 3
+6/+1
+5
+3
+13
14 Concentration, 16 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 13 Spellcraft, 16 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana)

Extra Legacy Ability Use (Least) | +1 Vermin Lord: Chitin +2, Swarm Armour


14th
Legacy Champion 4
+7/+2
+5
+3
+14
16 Concentration, 17 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 15 Spellcraft, 17 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana)
Quicken Legacy: Vomit Swarm (B)
Bonus Legacy Feat | +1 Vermin Lord: Wings of the Vermin, Vermin Servant 4 HD


15th
Legacy Champion 5
+7/+2
+5
+3
+14
18 Concentration, 18 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 18 Spellcraft, 18 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana), 1 Listen
Extraordinary Concentration
Replace Legacy Ability (Lesser) | +1 Vermin Lord: Spider Legs


16th
Legacy Champion 6
+8/+3
+6
+4
+15
19 Concentration, 19 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 19 Spellcraft, 19 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana), 5 Listen

Extra Legacy Ability Use (Lesser) | +1 Vermin Lord: Chitin +3, Spew Vermin


17th
Legacy Champion 7
+9/+4
+6
+4
+15
20 Concentration, 20 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 20 Spellcraft, 20 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana), 9 Listen
Greater Legacy: Vestments of the Pied Piper (B)
Reduced Ritual Cost (Greater)


18th
Legacy Champion 8
+10/+5
+6
+4
+16
21 Concentration, 21 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 21 Spellcraft, 21 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana), 11 Listen
Open Greater Chakra (Throat), Quicken Legacy: Beguiling Proposal (B)
Bonus Legacy Feat | +1 Vermin Lord: Poison


19th
Legacy Champion 9
+10/+5
+7
+5
+16
22 Concentration, 22 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 22 Spellcraft, 22 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana), 15 Listen

Extra Legacy Ability Use (Greater) | +1 Vermin Lord: Vermin Servant 16 HD


20th
Legacy Champion 10
+11/+6/+1
+7
+5
+17
23 Concentration, 23 Knowledge (History), 8 Knowledge (Planes), 23 Spellcraft, 23 Perform (Wind Instruments), 3 Hide, 2 Knowledge (Nature), 3 Move Silently*, 4 Knowledge (Arcana), 17 Listen

Replace Legacy Ability (Greater) | +1 Vermin Lord: Chitin +4, Hivemind



Spells Per Day

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


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


2nd
3
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


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


5th
4
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
-


9th
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-


10th
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-


11th
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-
-


12th
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-


13th
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-


14th
4
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-


15th
4
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-
-


16th
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-


17th
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-


18th
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
-


19th
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
-
-
-


20th
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
-



The table above does not include modifiers from Legacy Item payments/features or from a high ability score.

Spells Known: Universalist Wizard.
0th Level: All known.
1th Level: Colour Spray, Benign Transposition, Familiar Pocket, Feather Fall, True Strike, Identify, Shield, Mage Armour
2nd Level: Summon Swarm, Soul Boon, Rope Trick, Mirror Image
3rd Level: Least Revitalise Legacy, Enhance Familiar, Mass Mage Armour, Mass Snake's Swiftness
4th Level: Polymorph, Scrying, Evard's Black Tentacles, Summon Pest Swarm
5th Level: Telekinesis, Permanency, Teleport, Nightstalker's Transformation
6th Level: Freezing Fog, Eyebite, True Seeing, Contingency
7th Level: Simulacrum, Limited Wish
Vᴇsᴛᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Pɪᴇᴅ Pɪᴘᴇʀ


Wielder Level
Skill Check Penalty
Caster Level Penalty
Skill Point Loss
Spell Slot Loss
Abilities


5th
—
—
—
—
Verminous Vibrations


6th
—
-1
2
—
Piper's Prowess +5


7th
—
—
—
1st
Vest of Resistance +2


8th
-1
—
2
—
Swarm Sensitivity


9th
—
—
2
—
—


10th
-1
—
—
2nd
Vest of Resistance +3


11th
—
—
—
—
—


12th
—
—
2
—
Piper's Prowess +10


13th
—
-2
—
3rd
Vest of Resistance +4


14th
—
—
2
—
Vomit Swarm 5/day


15th
-2
—
—
—
Beguiling Proposal


16th
—
—
—
4th
Vest of Resistance +5


17th
—
—
—
—
Piper's Prowess +15


18th
—
-3
2
—
Bargain 1/day


19th
—
—
—
5th
Bewitch 3/day


20th
-3
—
2
—
Swarm Stride 2/day



Legacy Item Breakdown


Level
Tier
Ability


5
Least
Menu A: Verminous Vibrations *


6
Least
Menu A: Skill Enhancement: Perform (Wind Instruments) +5


7
Least
Menu A: Resistance +1


8
Least
Menu A: Swarm Sensitivity **


9
Least
EXPENDED


10
Least
Menu B: Resistance +1


11
Lesser
EXPENDED


12
Lesser
Menu E: Skill Enhancement: Perform (Wind Instruments) +10


13
Lesser
Menu C: Resistance +1


14
Lesser
Menu D: Summon Swarm 5/day


15
Lesser
Menu D: Psionic Suggestion at-will ***


16
Lesser
Menu C: Resistance +1


17
Greater
Menu G: Skill Enhancement: Perform (Wind Instruments) +15


18
Greater
Menu G: Planar Ally 1/day


19
Greater
Menu G: Charm Monster 3/day


20
Greater
Menu G: Tree Stride 2/day ****



* Given that the monetary cost of the Pipes of the Sewers is a mere 1,150gp, an amount easily obtainable by level 5 and which can be covered by the Least Ritual costs, there shouldn't be any balance issues here. Menu A seemed to be the most appropriate tier for such an ability.
** Based on the Green Empathy ability of Treebrother, page 170. It targets vermin, rats and rodents instead of plants, and uses the Perform (Wind Instruments) skill instead of a check of 1d20+level+Cha. Seems to be a Menu A option. If the modifiers this item grants to Perform (Wind Instruments) checks would make this ability too strong, then setting it to operate as the default Wild Empathy ability would suffice; using the perform skill instead simply seemed more appropriate.
*** Based on the Penetrating Proposal ability of Mau-Jehe, page 115. Suggestion 2/day is a Menu C option, while this seems to be a Menu D option.
**** 2/day Teleport is available as an option at this level; a modified Tree Stride, usable on vermin instead of trees, should be equivalent in value

These gaudy clothes are reminiscent of an older, simpler time before the evolution of good taste.
Nonlegacy Game Statistics: Vest of Resistance +1; Cost 1000gp; Weight 1 lb.
Omen: The coloration of the Vestments of the Pied Piper changes upon being donned, shifting subtly to clash horribly with some other part of the wearer's wardrobe. The wearer, however, will never notice this until it is pointed out to him by someone else.

Hɪsᴛᴏʀʏ
Garments such as these, imbued with magic to maintain their garish majesty, were once a prized possession in ages past. While especially popular among bards, jesters, and traveling musicians, this particular garb belonged to a man of no small import. Though his name has long since been lost to the annals of history, the tales of the Pied Piper are told throughout the land to small children so as to scare them into good behaviour. (DC 15)
The earliest of tales set his origins almost five hundred years ago, by the northern town of Hamblyn. Infested by rats and struck by plague, the Pied Piper negotiated a deal with the town's mayor; gold, one thousand, if he was only to take care of the rats. The mayor agreed, for he had heard of the Piper's honest work in Tartre and Asha, and didst so wish for his town to be free of its vermin. (DC 20; Pledge of the Pied Pipers)
Thusly entrusted by the mayor, the Pied Piper took to Hamblyn's streets and hence played a tune with his fine, oaken panpipes. It rattled the halls and the walls, from alleyway to courtyard, and so came the rats of the town - dozens, hundreds, of not thousands from every nook, cranny, pore and corner. Though at first they did so with great speed, his magicks did yet have a trick; an captivating melody, befitting a prince, set to fascinate both swarm and straggler. He led them from the town and, one by one, into the nearby river Vesre, 'til there were none of their numbers left alive. (DC 25; Trial by Swarm)
Yet, when all was settled and his part was done, no heed was given to the town's saviour. No gold, no goods, no hearth or meal; nothing, not even a scrap. When asked of this, the mayor rebuked in jest - and, thus denied his rightful debt, the Pied Piper was forced to seek his own payment. Thus, once again, he played upon his panpipes, and once again his tunes rumbled and tumbled, and once against didst he work his magicks. This time, though, he drew of the children, and led them elsewhere beyond the Vesre. Thus shunned, neither he nor the children were ever seen or heard from again - though it is said that his descendants, who inherited his possessions, share in his indignation. (DC 30; Steal the Deal)

Lᴇɢᴀᴄʏ Rɪᴛᴜᴀʟs
Pledge of the Pied Pipers: You are required to keep your word and fulfil any promises you make, upholding the legacy of the Pied Pipers. Each time you fail to act in a manner required by this pledge, you lose the two highest-level abilities of the Vestments of the Pied Piper to which you have access for one day. Cost: 2,000 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Vestments of the Pied Piper)
Trial by Swarm: You must prove your skills as a Pied Piper by defeating a collection of swarms, vermin, rats, or other rodents with a combined Challenge Rating equal to or greater than your character level. You must do so without the help of any other individuals. Cost: 14,000 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Vestments of the Pied Piper)
Steal the Deal: You must exact payment from an oathbreaker, or a group of oathbreakers, by taking away that which is most precious to them. This may be something of monetary or sentimental value, although it is tradition for a Pied Piper to instead take the lives of their loved ones. Cost: 41,000 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Vestments of the Pied Piper)

Wɪᴇʟᴅᴇʀ Rᴇǫᴜɪʀᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs
Bards, jesters, and other skillful spellcasters are the favoured bearers of the Vestments of the Pied Piper. However, anyone of the same moral fiber with the ability to perform music and to control swarms also qualifies.
Vestments of the Pied Piper Wielder Requirements
Perform (Wind Instruments) 3 ranks.
Ability to cast Summon Swarm.
Any nonchaotic alignment.

Lᴇɢᴀᴄʏ Iᴛᴇᴍ Aʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs
All the following are legacy item abilities of the Vestments of the Pied Piper.
Verminous Vibrations (Su): Beginning at 5th level, you gain the ability to replicate the effects of a Pipes of the Sewers (see page 264 of the Dungeon Master's Guide) using any masterwork wind instrument.
Piper's Prowess (Su): At 6th level, you gain a +5 bonus on Perform (Wind Instrument) checks while wearing the Vestments of the Pied Piper. This bonus improves to +10 at 12th level, and to +15 at 17th level.
Swarm Sensitivity (Su): Beginning at 8th level, you can attempt to influence the attitudes of vermin, rats, or other rodents with a successful Perform (Wind Instruments) check. This ability is otherwise similar to the wild empathy class feature (see page 35 of the Player's Handbook).
Vomit Swarm (Sp): Beginning at 14th level, you can vomit forth a swarm of vermin, rats, or other rodents from your mouth to replicate the effects of a Summon Swarm spell as cast by a 10th level Bard. You can use this ability up to five times per day.
Beguiling Proposal (Sp): Beginning at 15th level, at will on command, you can attempt to make someone an offer they can't refuse. This functions as per psionic suggestion; the save DC is 16, or 14 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Manifester level 10th.
Bargain (Sp): Beginning at 18th level, you may call upon the legacy of the Pied Pipers and the lingering magics of deals once-struck. Once per day, you can call an extraplanar creature of 12 HD or less to perform a task for you, as the Planar Ally spell. You must still pay any gold piece cost associated with the task. Caster level 15th.
Bewitch (Sp): Beginning at 19th level, you may attempt to mire the minds of those who would wish you ill or break their word. Three times per day, you can use Charm Monster as the spell. The save DC is 16, or 14 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 15th.
Swarm Stride (Sp): At 20th level, you learn how to cross great distances using the bodies of vermin, rats, or other rodents as a medium. This ability is usable up to twice per day, and otherwise functions as the Tree Stride spell using an alternate medium. Caster level 15th.


Level 5: Incarnate 1/Wizard 4
Xander begins his life as an Incarnate, soulmelds and all. In particular, we're interested in the Dissolving Spittle and Soulspark Familiar soulmelds, which grant us some viable combat options. Dissolving Spittle will let us use a standard action to deal a repeatable, respectable 2d6 acid damage as a ranged touch attack. Soulspark Familiar gives us an additional 1d4+1 untyped damage for free, every round, with no action on our part. We also have the option of changing out either of these soulmelds every day, such as the Cerulean Sandals to walk on water or the Enigma Helm to protect ourselves from divinations.

The real meat of the build, though, comes from Xander's arcane spellcasting and the toys that it brings. By taking the Animal Companion ACF, we replace our familiar with a significantly tougher creature which can take some hits for us. We'll be taking a Swindlespitter Dinosaur to start out with, giving us a poison (at a level where it's still viable) and a high-dexterity chassis. We'll also take the Wild Cohort feat, and again choose a Swindlespitter Dinosaur as the companion. At higher levels, we'll swap both of these out for Fleshraker Dinosaurs for an even better body. We then combine both of these companions with the Share Soulmeld feat at level 3, allowing both of our animal companions to benefit from our soulmelds while they're within five feet of us. With Dissolving Spittle and Soulspark Familiar, this gives us three ranged touch attacks for 2d6 acid damage, plus three soulspark familiars for an additional three 1d4+1 untyped damage, per round. This is a potential 6d6+3d4+3 damage per round, and will be Xander's engine for the rest of the game.

As for spells, we go for variety - as befitting a wizard. Familiar Pocket will be useful later, once we have familiars to use it with. Shield, Mage Armour, and Mirror Image all offer protections against anything which can get past our two animal companions, three soulspark familiars, and Dissolving Spittle spam. Colour Spray is our save-or-die of choice, and Benign Transposition offers some low-level teleportation. Summon Swarm will have its uses later on, but for now will do nicely if we'd rather spend our actions to attack someone with rats, bats or spiders.
Level 10: Incarnate 1/Wizard 7/Vermin Lord 2
It's clear that the Share Soulmeld feat wasn't intended for use with multiple animal companions or familiars. At level 9, we take the Obtain Familiar feat to get a Tiny Monstrous Spider; like our animal companions, it has access to our soulmeld and gives us an additional Dissolving Spittle per round (using our BAB) and an additional Soulspark Familiar. Likewise, we get an additional familiar from the Vermin Lord's vermin servant class feature, for which we select another Tiny Monstrous Spider. Our Dissolving Spittle deals 3d6 acid damage now, and we get four uses per turn. For protection, our familiars can hide in their Familiar Pockets; they take a free action to leave the pocket, a standard action to use Dissolving Spittle, a free action to command their Soulspark Familiars to attack, and then another free action to return to the safety of the pocket. They're functionally untouchable, save by a readied action.

The Domain Granted Power alternative class feature replaces our 5th level bonus feat from being a Wizard with the granted power of a domain. In this case, we choose the Incarnum domain, which gives us the Incarnum Spellshaping feat and allows us to use Incarnum spells. Of note, this gives us access to the Soul Boon spell, which can be used to boost our Essentia even after leaving the Incarnate class. We also take the Planar Touchstone feat for the Catalogues of Enlightenment, choosing the Spider domain as befitting Xander's patron, Lolth. This gives us the ability to rebuke and command spiders, which is sweet, and also gives us limited use of the domain's spells - such as Giant Vermin, one of the prerequisites for the Vermin Lord prestige class. While the Catalogues of Enlightenment are rather old hat, the Arcane Disciple feat would've required our alignment to be Chaotic Evil, disqualifying us from our Incarnate levels.

We've also got some other new spells to work with. Enhance Familiar will help our familiars hit their targets, Mass Mage Armour for protection, and Mass Snake's Swiftness lets us spend our standard action to immediately give all of our allies (possibly including ourselves, if we count as our own ally) a "melee or ranged attack" - such as Dissolving Spittle (a ranged touch attack, albeit not a regular one). This includes all of our animal companions, all of our familiars, and even our soulspark familiars for a potential 12d6+5d4+5 damage as a standard action. This is our nova ability, and we will use it well. Other spells include Polymorph for its absurd utility, Scrying to know anything and everything that's going on, Evard's Black Tentacles for some tried-and-true battlefield control, and Summon Pest Swarm to nail down the theme.

By this level, we've also found our Legacy Item; the Vestments of the Pied Piper. This Vest of Resistance gives us several abilities relating to vermin, rodents, and the tale of the Pied Piper. For now, it is capable of replicating a Pipes of the Sewers, grants a +5 bonus to Perform (Wind Instruments) check, and gives us a form of Wild Empathy which uses the Perform (Wind Instruments) skill and which can only be used on vermin and rodents. These abilities are mostly flavour, but may have some utility when paired with Summon Swarm.
Level 15 (Sweet Spot): Incarnate 1/Wizard 7/Vermin Lord 2/Legacy Champion 5
We've gone off into the deep end and entered into the Secret Ingredient. Legacy Champion levels are used to progress the Vermin Lord prestige class while also allowing us to customise the Vestments of the Pied Piper to our liking. Bond of Lore allows us to actually know the rituals of the Vestments and their requirements, while the Reduced Legacy Cost ability obviously allows us to ignore the monetary costs for said rituals. For our Bonus Legacy Feat, we'll choose Quicken Legacy (Vomit Swarm); this will allow us to summon a swarm as a swift action while maintaining the rest of our action economy at no personal cost. Combined with the Extraordinary Concentration feat, Xander is capable of maintaining a swarm - or even two swarms, assuming a move action and a swift action - without losing his standard action (for Dissolving Spittle, Mass Snake's Swiftness, or some other spell).

For Replace Legacy Ability (Least) and (Lesser), we're going to do something which is a little dirty. There isn't any requirement in the Weapons of Legacy book that improvements such as the +6 to an ability score or +15 to a skill need to be preceded by gradual improvements of +2/+4 (for the ability score) or +5/+10 (for the skill), and some of the legacy items already do this. In other words, removing a weaker bonus won't interfere with a higher bonus, because they don't interact in any way beyond not stacking due to their shared type (in this case, Competence). As-written, the Vestments of the Pied Piper follow a +5/+10/+15 progression for the Perform (Wind Instruments) skill; we're going to replace the +5 bonus at level 12 with Lesser Metamagic (Extend Spell), and we're going to replace the +10 bonus at level 15 with a +10 bonus to Concentration checks. Extend Spell will ensure that our various buffs last the day, while the Concentration bonus will ensure that our Extraordinary Concentration feat actually triggers. For Extra Legacy Ability Use, we'll choose Lesser Metamagic (Extend Spell) so that we have four uses per day.

As for the Vestments of the Pied Piper themselves, we're going to briefly lose our bonus to Perform (Wind Instruments) check for a benefit later on. We also have the Beguiling Proposal ability, giving us at-will Psionic Suggestion. Unlike regular Suggestion, the psionic version includes an augmentation for multiple targets, as per Mass Suggestion. The Will save DC is 16, and the manifester level is 10; this hits up to four targets with what is, functionally, a save-or-die. Suffice to say, this has its uses, even as a standard action. It also fits the Pied Piper's bill precisely.

In other news we have another vermin servant, giving us a third familiar, and our Dissolving Spittle has jumped to 5d6 thanks to the Expanded Soulmeld Capacity feat. We're dealing 30d6+6d4+6 with Dissolving Spittle uses and our Soulspark Familiars, assuming our touch attacks hit; a casting of Mass Snake's swiftness goes for 25d6+6d4+6 as a single standard action. While it's quite possible that enemies will have acid resistance at this level, Xander possesses many other spells and abilities with which to spend his actions - and it's a fair amount of damage, even if they do have resistance.

Xander's spells are advancing, albeit slowly. His Least Revitalise Legacy spell comes into effect here, giving us an extra use of Lesser Metamagic (Extend Spell) for a total of five uses per day. Teleport gets you anywhere, anytime, and Permanency can be used on Familiar Pocket (and possibly other familiar-enhancing spells) so that we don't have to keep on spending spell slots on our eldest trick. Telekinesis, when paired with your typical assortment of a dozen colossal greatswords, gives us a viable and powerful option for when the Dissolving Spittle plan is a no-go. Nightstalker's Transformation, on the other hand, offers some sneak attack damage and other potent boosts to your ranged touch attack gameplan.
Level 20: Incarnate 1/Wizard 7/Vermin Lord 2/Legacy Champion 10
The peak. Legacy Champion rounds out with an extra Lesser Ability Use (for Vomit Swarm) for six uses per day, and Quicken Legacy (for Beguiling Proposal) for a swift-action save-or-die three times a day. Extra Greater Use is spent on Bargain, giving us the ability to call down a powerful outsider twice per day. Finally, we replace the Bewitch ability for the Lesser Quicken Spell ability, which we will primarily use for Mass Snake's Swiftness and Soul Boon. The remaining greater abilities from the Vestments of the Pied Piper include the aforementioned Bargain, which functions as per a Planar Ally spell, and Swarm Stride, which serves as a Tree Stride spell. A Pied Piper does not forget the favours which those of their bloodline are owed, and their bond with vermin and rodents is such that they may travel amongst them with but a thought.

Xander's Dissolving Spittle trick plateaus, with 5 essentia invested (for a total of 6d6 damage) and a third vermin servant (another Tiny Monstrous Spider) from the Vermin Lord prestige class. This gives us seven uses of Dissolving Spittle per round - one from Xander, two from his animal companions, and four from his familiars - for a total of 42d6 potential acid damage. Combined with the Open Greater Chakra (Throat) feat, the Dissolving Spittle hits again on the following round for an extra 42d6. If we're still using the Soulspark Familiars, there's also 7d4+7 potential untyped damage for our target to deal with. On a good turn, we then cast a quickened Mass Snake's Swiftness for an additional 36d6+7d4+7 potential damage, with 36d6 lingering acid damage on the next round. The total possible damage that Xander can deal is 78d6+14d4+14 on that round, followed by an additional 78d6 one round later. Acid resistance shuts him down, of course - but Xander still has spells to work with.

Freezing Fog locks down enemies and, in conjunction with True Seeing, enables some decent sniping. Eyebite gives you a passive save-or-suck for enemies to deal with while you spam acid or throw spells at them. Contingency will save you from death more than once. Simulacrum and Limited wish give you a plethora of options and versatility - Simulacrum, for example, may allow for the creation of a duplicate of yourself with soulmelds, animal companions, and familiars all of its own. If not, it will still let you be in multiple places at once, which has its uses.

At level 20, however, it could be argued that all of this is moot. The Vermin Lord's capstone ability, Hivemind, allows you to create sentient entities out of swarms - for example, those created by a Summon Swarm spell, which have an infinite duration so long as you can maintain concentration. The more creatures there are in the swarm, the more intelligence, charisma, feats, skill points, and spellcasting (as a sorcerer) the swarm gets. Since you and your vermin servants are considered to be a part of the hivemind, you (and your familiars) also get access to that sorcerous spellcasting - and, hence, have nigh-infinite arcane spells per day from the entire spell list, presuming you have the castings of Summon Swarm to spare. It's cheesy and it's broken, yes, but at level 20 you're already playing Calvinball. All this means is that, at higher levels, you can always keep up.

If you want, though, you can always summon a few swarms of rats for the sole purpose of casting Mass Snake's Swiftness four times in a round. That's a definite improvement to your action economy-breaking spellcasting.
As the build above is treated as a showcase, it obviously displays all of its information in the most positive of lights - or, in other words, in the best-case scenario. As such, there are some rulings and clarifications which should be made.

Wild Cohort and Share Soulmeld
While the Wild Cohort feat largely follows the rules and stipulations of a Druid or Ranger's Animal Companion, there doesn't seem to be any explicit wording that the cohort is actually treated as an Animal Companion. If this is ruled to the case by your DM, then Share Soulmeld won't work as it is restricted to Animal Companions, Mounts, and Familiars only. Although it may be possible to rule that using Handle Animal to treat the cohort as a mount would allow it to qualify, but if it is decided that there is no interaction between Wild Cohort and Share Soulmeld then you should consider changing the Wild Cohort companion into something big and tough like a bear (or some other grappler).

Domains
The Domain Granted Power ACF states that the chosen domain must be from a deity's domain list. However, the Incarnum domain is available to all clerics regardless of their deity (or lack of deity, if they worship a pantheon or don't worship a deity at all). Therefore, it's a legal choice, even though Lolth doesn't offer the Incarnum domain in her portfolio. I would've loved to have used Arcane Disciple instead of Planar Touchstone, since the latter is pretty well-known, but the alignment restrictions on Incarnate wouldn't have allowed it.

Verminfriend
Verminfriend was originally published in the Book of Vile Darkness, and is a prerequisite for the Vermin Lord prestige class. There, it had a prerequisiteof 15 Charisma. It was later reprinted in Drow of the Underdark, with the prerequisite inexplicably changed to Race: Drow. I chose to use the version from the Vook of Vile Darkness, as the Vermin Lord prestige class refers to the version from that book rather than the racially-restricted revision of the feat.

Founding a Legacy
First things first: I know I chose the progression for a bard-like class (4-8), rather than a full caster like the Wizard (4-6 or 4-7). I did this for three reasons:
Firstly, because Xander never obtains 8th or 9th level spells, choosing either 4-6 or 4-7 would've prevented him from ever obtaining all the abilities of his legacy item. This caveat is explained on page 24 of Weapons of Legacy. Given that I wanted to emphasise the abilities of the Legacy Champion prestige class - and, admittedly, wanted some of those really nice Greater abilities - I used table 4-8 instead.
Secondly, because the legacy was technically founded by the Pied Piper, a bardic progression makes more sense than a full caster progression. He wouldn't qualify for the higher-tier abilities of his own item, as in Xander's case, if he used either the 4-6 or 4-7 table.
Thirdly, because the penalties of 4-8 are absolutely huge. The loss of three caster levels and the lost spell slots are significant for any full spellcaster, and the skill penalties are nothing to balk at either.

Custom Legacy Abilities
As noted above, I have used a few custom legacy abilities in the development of the Vestements of the Pied Piper. I used my best judgement for this, and referred to other items of legacy (as noted in the book, pages 183-184).

Being the Pied Piper
If you're curious; yes, we can ensorcel rodents, vermin, and children alike. The epic uses of a Perform (Wind Instruments) check can send anything vulnerable into a fervor, and we have at-will mass Suggestion as a backup plan if our base modifier of +48 can't hit the mark for some reason. For verminous creatures, we have the Swarm Sensitivity and Verminous Vibrations abilities from the Vestments, which also use Perform (Wind Instruments).

Weapons of Legacy: Least Revitalise Legacy, Quicken Legacy, Legacy Champion, Weapons of Legacy.
Book of Vile Darkness: Vermin Lord, Verminfriend.
Magic of Incarnum: Incarnate, Incarnum Spellshaping, Incarnum Domain, Azurin, Share Soulmeld.
Spell Compendium: Benign Transposition, Familiar Pocket, Augment Familiar, Enhance Familiar, Mass Snake's Swiftness, Nightstalker's Transformation.
Cityscape: Summon Pest Swarm.
Planar Handbook: Planar Touchstone.
Monster Manual III: Swindlespitter Dinosaur, Fleshraker Dinosaur.
Complete Champion: Domain Granted Power ACF.
Unearthed Arcana: Animal Companion ACF.

[Heliomance]

The cold never bothered me anyway


Kethezara Theravin
The Blizzard Wizard
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/5e/fc/bc/5efcbc84866a29e43401ec73686cbcd7.jpg
TN Gray Elf Wizard 5/Stormcaster 3/Frost Mage 2/Legacy Champion 10

32 Point Buy:
Strength 10
Dexterity 10
Constitution 15
Intelligence 18
Wisdom 12
Charisma 8

After Racial Adjustments:
Strength 8
Dexterity 12
Constitution 13
Intelligence 20
Wisdom 12
Charisma 8

Adjustments: Level 4 goes to Constitution, the rest to Intelligence

Note to avoid confusion: Personal costs have not been subtracted from the save numbers here. They have their own table.


Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills (updates in bold)
Feats (new in bold) (B=bonus)
Class Features


1st
Elven Generalist Wizard 1
0
0
0
2
Concentration 4, Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (history) 4, Knowledge (nature) 4, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 4, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 2
Snowcasting, Scribe Scroll (B)
Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll, Generalist Wizardry


2nd
Wizard 2
1
0
0
3
Concentration 5, Knowledge (arcana) 5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (history) 5, Knowledge (nature) 5, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 5, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 2.5
_
_


3rd
Wizard 3
1
1
1
3
Concentration 6, Knowledge (arcana) 6, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 1, Knowledge (history) 6, Knowledge (nature) 6, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 6, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 3
Winter's Blast
_


4th
Wizard 4
2
1
1
4
Concentration 7, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 7, Knowledge (nature) 7, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 7, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 3.5
_
_


5th
Wizard 5
2
1
1
4
Concentration 8, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 8, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 8, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 8, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 4
Least Legacy (Frostburn's Wrath) (B)
Spontaneous Divination


6th
Stormcaster 1
2
3
3
4
Concentration 9, Knowledge (arcana) 9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 9, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 9, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 9, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 4.5
Frozen Magic
Storm Spell Power, Thunderclap


7th
Stormcaster 2
3
4
4
5
Concentration 10, Knowledge (arcana) 10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 10, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 10, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 10, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 5
_
Resistance to Electricity 10


8th
Stormcaster 3
3
4
4
5
Concentration 11, Knowledge (arcana) 11, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 11, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 11, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 11, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 5.5
_
Shield of Winds 1/day


9th
Frost Mage 1
3
4
4
7
Concentration 12, Knowledge (arcana) 12, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 12, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 12, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 12, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 6
Piercing Cold
Natural Armor Increase (+1)


10th
Frost Mage 2
4
4
4
8
Concentration 13, Knowledge (arcana) 13, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 13, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 13, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 13, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 6
_
Resistance to Cold 10


11th
Legacy Champion 1
4
4
4
10
Concentration 14, Knowledge (arcana) 14, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 14, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 14, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 14, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 10
Lesser Legacy (Frostburn's Wrath) (B)
Reduced Ritual Cost (Lesser), Bond of Lore


12th
Legacy Champion 2
5
4
4
11
Concentration 15, Knowledge (arcana) 15, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 15, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 15, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 15, Survival 1, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 14
Cold Spell Specialization
Replace Legacy Ability (Least), Eye of the Storm


13th
Legacy Champion 3
6
5
5
11
Concentration 16, Knowledge (arcana) 16, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 2, Knowledge (history) 16, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 16, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 16, Survival 4, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 16
_
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Least), Thunderbolt


14th
Legacy Champion 4
7
5
5
12
Concentration 17, Knowledge (arcana) 17, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 5, Knowledge (history) 17, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 17, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 17, Survival 5, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 17
Legacy Focus (B)
Bonus Legacy Feat, Shield of Winds 2/day


15th
Legacy Champion 5
7
5
5
12
Concentration 18, Knowledge (arcana) 18, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 7, Knowledge (history) 18, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 18, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 18, Survival 7, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 18
Flash Frost Spell
Replace Legacy Ability (Lesser), Resistance to Sonic 10


16th
Legacy Champion 6
8
6
6
13
Concentration 19, Knowledge (arcana) 19, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 11, Knowledge (history) 19, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 19, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 19, Survival 7, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 19
_
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Lesser), Call Storm, Eye of the Storm 30-ft. Radius


17th
Legacy Champion 7
9
6
6
13
Concentration 20, Knowledge (arcana) 20, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 15, Knowledge (history) 20, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 20, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 20, Survival 7, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 20
Greater Legacy (Frostburn's Wrath) (B)
Reduced Ritual Cost (Greater)


18th
Legacy Champion 8
10
6
6
14
Concentration 21, Knowledge (arcana) 21, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 19, Knowledge (history) 21, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 21, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 1, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 21, Survival 7, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 21
Quicken Legacy (B)
Bonus Legacy Feat, Shield of Winds 3/day


19th
Legacy Champion 9
10
7
7
14
Concentration 22, Knowledge (arcana) 22, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 22, Knowledge (history) 22, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 22, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 2, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 22, Survival 7, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 22
_
Extra Legacy Ability Use (Greater), Lord of the Storm


20th
Legacy Champion 10
11
7
7
15
Concentration 23, Knowledge (arcana) 23, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (geography) 23, Knowledge (history) 23, Knowledge (local) 1, Knowledge (nature) 23, Knowledge (nobility) 1, Knowledge (religion) 3, Knowledge (psionics) 1, Knowledge (the planes) 1, Spellcraft 23, Survival 10, Tumble 1, Use Magic Device 23
_
Replace Legacy Ability (Greater), Gain Knowledge






Character Level
Save Penalty
Skill Check Penalty
Caster Level Penalty
Spell Slot Loss


5th
_
_
_
_


6th
-1
_
_
1st


7th
_
_
-1
_


8th
_
-1
_
2nd


9th
_
_
_
_


10th
_
_
_
3rd


11th
_
_
_
_


12th
_
_
_
4th


13th
_
_
-2
_


14th
_
_
_
5th


15th
_
_
_
_


16th
_
_
_
6th


17th
_
_
_
_


18th
_
_
_
7th


19th
_
_
_
_


20th
_
_
_
8th



Note to avoid confusion: Personal costs have not been subtracted from the spell slot numbers here. They appear on their own table.

Spells Per Day


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


1st
3
1
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_


2nd
4
2
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_


3rd
4
2
1
_
_
_
_
_
_
_


4th
4
3
2
_
_
_
_
_
_
_


5th
4
3
2
1
_
_
_
_
_
_


6th
4
3
2
1
_
_
_
_
_
_


7th
4
3
3
2
_
_
_
_
_
_


8th
4
4
3
2
1
_
_
_
_
_


9th
4
4
3
3
2
_
_
_
_
_


10th
4
4
4
3
2
1
_
_
_
_


11th
4
4
4
3
2
1
_
_
_
_


12th
4
4
4
3
3
2
_
_
_
_


13th
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
_
_
_


14th
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
_
_
_


15th
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
_
_


16th
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
_
_


17th
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
_
_


18th
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
1
_


19th
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
_


20th
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
1




[/SPOILER]
Kethezara decided that today was the day; she would finally go out find it, instead of sitting here trying to figure out where it was before going. Frostburn’s Wrath. She had been studying for a while now, trying to piece together the events of the past, but had found nothing. The fabled staff of Sorelius had to be somewhere near the Village of Crystal, the village where Faedrion had lived, at least until Sorelius came down in her rage. The problem was, there are only rumors about the village’s actual location; several places claim to be the true location, and none of them have turned up anything. Kethezara looked around the towns for a while, but found nothing. She decided to go to a local gorge, to sit outside and enjoy the cold and the snow. On a whim, she decided to lose one of her spells to use her newest ability, her spontaneous divination. She tried to locate object on a quarterstaff, and was incredibly surprised when she detected one in the direction of a small cave system nearby. As she was walking, she was set upon by a troll, Wordun. It could have been a harsh fight, but with patience (and a little help from flight) Kethezara was able to wear down Wordun enough to knock him out for a minute or two, despite his troll regeneration. She had such excess cold magic that she could blast it out every couple seconds, faster than the troll can regenerate, so Wordun wasn’t going to get up for a while. She searched the cave he had to have come from, and couldn’t believe her eyes. She had finally found it. The legacy of Frostburn’s Wrath would continue.
Offensively, Kethezara has Winter’s Blast, plus 3rd level offensive spells, preferably those with [cold] so she can use the CL boosting aspect of Snowcasting if she doesn’t have to use her move actions for something else. She can also use battlefield control spells and debuffing like Blood Snow, Grease, and Glitterdust. She also gets a 1/week cold-damage Fireball from Frostburn’s Wrath. She’s also an Elven Generalist, so she has more spells in her spellbook than other wizards, assuming equal access to scrolls and the like.

Defensively, she has 3rd level spells, such as Fly and Invisibility for example. Not much more to say here.

In terms of utility, she has 3rd level spell, such as Shatter and Knock. She also has Spontaneous Divination, if she needs information, or just has spell slots to burn at the end of the day.


Kethezara had kept it a secret for a long while now. She knew that Sorelius liked her secrets, and got a really bad feeling every time she thought about showing anyone the staff’s abilities. To make sure it stayed secret, Kethezara had decided to go out into the world, and find the wild, untamed places where she could practice her magic, and feel at home. She had realized shortly after she acquired Frostburn’s Wrath that the path of a normal wizard wasn’t for her; she had always been best with cold magic, but also really enjoyed the way the hair on her neck stood on end when lightning struck, or the way the wind whipped trees around in a windstorm. So she decided to become the best of both worlds, first learning the storm, then learning the cold. She had even sat out in a blizzard at one point, to train her body to love the cold, and through grit, perseverance, and a little help from a healing wand she had picked up and gotten to function about half the time, she had survived and come out stronger. Frostburn’s Wrath could have helped her survive it without a second thought, but she knew she needed to do it unprotected, so she never held it during the blizzard. Now her skin was hard like ice, and she couldn’t feel the cold’s icy sting like she used to. But Kethezara could tell, this training would be coming to a close soon. She could sense Frostburn’s Wrath waiting, somehow knowing that it should be used to destroy those who prey on others to make their own living, as Sorelius had destroyed the berserkers who ravaged her home. She could tell that she was very close to unlocking the staff’s true potential, having practiced with it, shooting bolts of cold lightning and spikes of ice with abandon. Soon, she would destroy the bandits, and finally show her power to the world, championing the legacy of Frostburn’s Wrath as it deserved.
Kethezara has now started down the paths of the Stormcaster and Frost Mage, to levels 3 and 2 respectively.

Offensively, she has 9 levels of spellcasting, so she has 5th level spells. She can use Control Temperature to lower the temperature band by one, putting it to Cold in a lot of places, or even to Severe Cold if it’s already Cold. At Cold, Frozen Magic raises her caster level by 1, and at Severe cold, it raises it by either +1 or +2, depending on the DM’s reading of the boundaries on Frozen Magic, whether the number for the temperature or the name of the temperature band takes precedence. She also picked up Piercing Cold, to deal with those pesky resistances and immunities. She can then use Snowcasting to add [cold] to any spell, allowing Frozen Magic to raise the caster level of all her spells, or to increase the caster level even further for spells that are already [cold]. If she doesn’t want to use [cold] she can also use Storm Spell Power from Stormcaster to raise CL by 2 for [elec], [air], [water], and [sonic] spells. She can use this with Snowcasting and Frozen Magic together, to raise the CL even higher. She can also spend a spell slot to deal some sonic damage to everyone within 30 feet, but the more important part of that is there’s a Fortitude Save or they’ll be stunned for a round, which is great. Frostburn’s Wrath also lets her shoot an ice spike 3 times per day for a little cold damage, or use a [cold] Lightning Bolt 1/day at CL 5, so these plus Winter’s Blast gives her something to do if she doesn’t want to use her own spell slots.

Defensively, she can see clearly through snow, rain, and sleet, so she should be taking advantage of that with her spells. She can also activate a Wind Wall effect surrounding her square as an immediate action if she wants to dodge a ranged attack, which is nice. She also has access to Dimension Door and Celerity, for example, as tactical defensive spells. She also now has +1 to natural armor, and resistance 10 to cold and electricity, which is pretty nice too.

In terms of utility outside of battle, she hasn’t gotten much specifically that’s new, but like I’ve already said, she has 5th level spells. Teleport is online now, so that’s an option, along with things like Spontaneous Divination gives her access to Scrying, Prying Eyes, and Contact other Plane. She has Major Creation, and Overland Flight. There’re lots of options here.


They’d deserved it. That group of bandits a while back were fairly well known in the local area. The storm within had raged, and Frostburn’s Wrath had shown through. First, she found their scouting party, the three people who watch for the travelers and learn the movement patterns of the caravans. She had killed two of them with ice spikes, and…convinced…the remaining one to tell her where the main hideout was. She had him lead her there, and as they arrived, she put an ice spike through his face. In the hideout, there were 9 of them in all; 8 underlings, and the leader, Rask the Red, the barbarian. Frostburn’s Wrath’s Freezing Spread had destroyed each of the underlings, and Rask had fallen to a subsequent Freezing Bolt. For good measure, she had put an ice spike through his face. It’s easy to kill mundanes when you can fly. She had brought the justice down, as Sorelius had done in the past, and she could feel Frostburn’s Wrath’s powers unlocking. She continued on her path of blind justice, using her spells and Frostburn’s Wrath to destroy the offenders. Since then, Kethezara and Frostburn’s Wrath were well known in the area, but now, months later, she began to feel a little sadness about what she had done. These men had families, and some had certainly turned to banditry because of their poverty, rather than evil. Sometimes she felt her justice was a little too blind, as Sorelius had after she had killed Faedrion. She began her research anew; she had to find the actual location of Faedrion’s demise, so she could mourn and repent.
Finally, Kethezara has entered the SI. This gives her 4 levels of advancement in other classes, which she uses to advance Stormcaster, getting effectively to Stormcaster 7. She has 13 levels of spellcasting advancement now, so she has access to 7th level spells.

Offensively, she now adds sonic damage to all of her electricity spells, with a Fort Save or stun, even if the spell didn’t offer a save before, which is great. She also uses Legacy Focus to increase the Save DCs on all of Frostburn’s Wrath’s abilities. She uses the same kind of tactics as before, but now Control Temperature lowers the temperature band by two, which makes it pretty likely that she gets the +2 CL from Frozen Magic. She’ll also be getting +2 damage per die from Cold Spell Specialization, and she can use Flash Frost Spell for another +2 damage per spell level. Snowcasting and Piercing Cold have the same utility as earlier as well. She can also use Frostburn’s Wrath to use Sleet Storm twice per day; her Freezing Bolt now acts at CL 10; and if something goes horribly wrong and Kethezara ends up in melee, the magical side of Frostburn’s Wrath gets the Frost property.

On the defensive side, she has resistance to sonic 10 to complement her resistances to cold and electricity. She can use her Wind Wall effect twice per day now as well, and also uses Replace Legacy Ability to trade away the redundant Resistance to Cold 10 for a Mirror Image once per day, which she then makes twice per day with Extra Legacy Ability Use.

For utility, she has 7th level spells. Plane Shift, True Seeing, Programmed Image, Contingency, Planar Binding, Control Weather, Simulacrum, and even Limited Wish…there’re plenty of options here. Spontaneous Divination gives access to Greater Scrying and Arcane Sight as well.
Also, at this point she has maxed out Use Magic Device, making her able to use wands of other classes’ spells, if she wants to grab cleric or druid buffs, for example.

Lastly, from Frostburn’s Wrath with Replace Legacy Ability, she has Gust of Wind at-will, which is cool for some battlefield control, but the real benefit to Continual Wind is that she now constantly has her cloak swaying in the wind like a hero, which is SO COOL.


Kethezara had reached the top. It felt like so long ago that she had found Faedrion’s true resting place. She was surprised that she hadn’t thought of it before; it was so simple. It took a few days to cast, since she didn’t have detailed knowledge about the location, but Legend Lore was really useful. It had told her exactly where to go, and she had found it. She had set up her bonfire, and begun meditating, directly in the middle of the town. She mourned for three days. The people walked by, and asked her what she was doing; the wind pushed them away. This was her time of mourning, and she would not be disturbed. Three days later, she knew it was over, and the bonfire was allowed to run down. She felt Frostburn’s Wrath unlock fully; now it was up to her to figure out how to use it. She disappeared in a swirl of snow. Over a year later, she had finished her training. She felt she had reached the top of what she could do, and Frostburn’s Wrath agreed, having nothing new to teach her. Kethezara was satisfied with her life, and decided it was time to move on, and find new adventures. She went back to town, had a stiff drink, and walked out into the snow.

Sometimes, in the most intense blizzards, laughter can be heard, carried by the high winds. Some people claim to have seen a glance of a figure holding a staff and flying through the air, riding the winds, lightning cracking and thunder booming all around. The staff was rumored by some to be the legendary Frostburn’s Wrath, the staff of Sorelius, and people chased the figure to see evidence of this, but those who were seen to get too close came out frozen. Over time, this humanoid figure had been given a name as she rode the storm, and stories were told of her for ages; the Blizzard Wizard had come, and Frostburn’s Wrath was her legacy.

Finishing off Legacy Champion, Kethezara uses the first three advances to finish off Stormcaster, and the last one to make it up to Frost Mage 3. She has 17 levels of spellcasting now, so at level 20 she gets 9th level spells.

Offensively, Kethezara acts much the same as earlier in terms of tactics, using battlefield control and blasting with cold, electricity, and sonic damage. She picks up Storm Magic to add more to her caster level in a storm, so after Control Temperature and (if necessary) Control Weather, her caster level for an electricity spell with Snowcasting will be up by 2 from Frozen Magic, 2 from Storm Spell Power, and 1 from Storm Magic for a total of 22, down to 20 from the caster level penalty, which is still pretty good. Cold Spell Specialization and, if used, Flash Frost Spell add a solid amount of damage too, and then Thunderbolt adds more sonic damage plus a Fort Save against stunning. From Frostburn’s Wrath, she also now gets Ice Storm twice a day (which Extra Legacy Ability Use makes thrice a day); Freezing Bolt 5 times a day (3 of which can be quickened, thanks to Quicken Legacy); Freezing Sphere once a day, which becomes twice a day with Extra Legacy Ability Use; Chain Lightning 1/day (which replaces the Control Weather 1/week effect thanks to Replace Legacy Ability); and finally Cone of Cold twice per day. All of this is nice when she doesn’t want to cast her own spells, along with Winter’s Blast for more at-will blasting.

Defensively, her resistances to sonic and electricity go up to 30; she can use the Shield of Winds 3 times per day; and she becomes immune to the effects of high winds affecting her movement, along with a bonus to saves against air and water spells. She also has access to 9th level spells now, like Foresight and Prismatic Sphere for example.

Utility-wise, she, again, has access to 9th level spells. She has Wish and Gate, to name a few. She also gets Conjure Ice Beast I added to her spellbook, which is useful, although she also has access to Summon Monster I-IX for summoning if she wants to use that. There’re a lot of options here for utility, especially with 23 ranks in Use Magic Device helping out too.

With all of this, Kethezara Theravin is…The Blizzard Wizard.




Prerequisites: Kethezara keeps Knowledge (history) maxed out. Least Legacy is used to activate Frostburn’s Wrath’s abilities.

All advancements go to Stormcaster except the last, which goes to Frost Mage. There’s no reason to go past level 10 with Stormcaster, since there wouldn’t be any extra benefit beyond extra spellcasting, which she gets anyway from Frost Mage.

Level 2: Replace the redundant Winter Embrace with Mirror Image 1/day for defense. Frost Mage's Natural Armor Increase already effectively does what Winter's Embrace does.

Level 3: Get an extra use of Mirror Image per day for even more defense.

Level 4: Bonus Feat -> Legacy Focus, increasing the save DC’s of all of Frostburn’s Wrath’s powers.

Level 5: Replace the redundant Resistance to Cold 10 with Continual Wind, giving some at-will battlefield control, with the effect of making her look heroic all the time. Frost Mage 2 gave us an equivalent resistance.

Level 6: Get an extra use of Plague of Hail (Ice Storm) per day, for extra offense.

Level 8: Bonus Feat -> Quicken Legacy (Freezing Bolt), getting the ability to quicken 3 of the 5 times per day you can use it.

Level 9: Get an Extra use of Globe of Ice (Freezing Sphere) per day, for more offense.

Level 10: Replace Unforgiving Cold 1/week with Chain Lightning 1/day. As thematic as the Control Weather 1/week is, once per week isn’t going to cut it.


SRD: Wizard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm), Gray Elf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elf.htm)
Races of the Wild: Elven Generalist Subsitution Level (pg 157)
Complete Champion: Spontaneous Divination ACF (pg 52)
Stormwrack: Stormcaster (pg 72), Storm Magic (pg 94)
Frostburn: Cold Spell Specialization (pg 47), Frozen Magic (pg 48), Piercing Cold (pg 49), Snowcasting (pg 50), Frost Mage (pg 58), Conjure Ice Beast I (pg 91), Ice Beast Template (pg 138)
Weapons of Legacy: Legacy Focus (pg 15), Quicken Legacy (pg 15), Legacy Champion (pg 20), Frostburn’s Wrath (pg 93)
Complete Mage: Winter’s Blast (pg 48)
Dungeon Master’s Guide II: Flash Frost Spell (pg 91)

[Heliomance]

Does this unit have a soul?



https://www.asme.org/getmedia/4f2d581f-a146-4faf-b3c5-b1761134bee1/Leonardo_Da_Vinci-History_of_Mechanical_Engineering-01.jpg.aspx?width=340
Talos, Porteur de Lumière
Warforged, Crusader 8/Soldier of Light 2/Legacy Champion 10


I was a soldier.

No, that isn't quite true. I was never a soldier, not really. Soldiers are people, beneath the armor. I was no soldier. I was a weapon. I was a weapon no different than this blade, forged for a war that they said would never end. I may walk and speak, but I was a blade, wielded by a hand not my own.

And what of you, my dangerous friend? You are a weapon too, no doubt - and I believe you have seen far more wars than me. Your edge may glint as though new, but my old eyes are not fooled: it has tasted blood. Long 'ere I was forged, you were cutting through flesh.

And what of such deeds? The pages of history have turned. Spilt blood has long since dried. Have those lives you claimed vanished? Oh, by the Light of Elishar, what do I do? When I pledged myself to Her, I was a fool. I thought that Her light could make me into something more than a weapon. I thought that Her light could make me - well, perhaps not human, but alive. And yet it brought me here, to Her altar, holding an instrument of death in my hands.

Seed and source of light. That is how it goes, yes? Seed and source of life and light, goal of all our living; you defend us of the night, healing and forgiving. As our life flow from you only, let it be pure and holy. That is the hymn I was taught, at an altar much like this one.

But is it enough? Can it ever be enough? I do not bleed. How can I hope to scrub away the blood of others?

As our life flows from you only. But death flows from you, my terrible friend. You are called Faithful, I am told. The Faithful Avenger. Yet your faith knows neither Good nor Evil. You obey.

Perhaps that is all that matters. If you fell from my hands, you would become the Faithful weapon of another.

Very well, then; if I must choose, I choose the holy. I choose Elishar's light. And you, my Faithful friend... you will fight by my side. We old weapons, forged for another age, will fight together.

And mayhaps together, we can do some good in this wicked world...


Talos, NG Warforged, Crusader 8/Soldier of Light 2/Legacy Champion 10
WEAPON OF LEGACY: The Faithful Avenger (ToB)

Starting stats (before racial modifiers): Str 14/Dex 10/Con 16/Int 10/Wis 14/Cha 14
Starting stats (after racial modifiers): Str 14/Dex 10/Con 18/Int 10/Wis 12/Cha 12

Boost CON at every level.



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


1st
Crusader 1
+1
+2
+0
+0
Concentration 4 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 4 ranks, knowledge (history) 4 ranks, knowledge (religion) 4 ranks
Extra Granted Maneuver
Furious counterstrike, steely resolve 5


2nd
Crusader 2
+2
+3
+0
+0
Concentration 5 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 5 ranks, knowledge (history) 5 ranks, knowledge (religion) 5 ranks

Indomitable Soul


3rd
Crusader 3
+3
+3
+1
+1
Concentration 6 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 6 ranks, knowledge (history) 6 ranks, knowledge (religion) 6 ranks
Martial Study (Moment of Perfect Mind)
Zealous surge


4th
Crusader 4
+4
+4
+1
+1
Concentration 7 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 7 ranks, knowledge (history) 7 ranks, knowledge (religion) 7 ranks

Steely resolve 10


5th
Crusader 5
+5
+4
+1
+1
Concentration 8 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 8 ranks, knowledge (history) 8 ranks, knowledge (religion) 8 ranks




6th
Soldier of Light 1
+6/+1
+6
+1
+1
Concentration 9 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 9 ranks
Power Attack
Detect undead, turn undead


7th
Soldier of Light 2
+7/+2
+7
+1
+1
Concentration 10 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 10 ranks

Divine grace, smite undead


8th
Crusader 6
+8/+3
+8
+2
+2
Concentration 11 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 11 ranks, knowledge (history) 9 ranks, knowledge (religion) 9 ranks

Smite 1/day


9th
Crusader 7
+9/+4
+8
+2
+2
Concentration 12 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 12 ranks, knowledge (history) 10 ranks, knowledge (religion) 10 ranks
Healing Devotion



10th
Crusader 8
+10/+5
+9
+2
+2
Concentration 13 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 13 ranks, knowledge (history) 11 ranks, knowledge (religion) 11 ranks

Steely resolve 15


11th
Legacy Champion 1
+10/+5
+9
+2
+4
Concentration 14 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 14 ranks, knowledge (history) 12 ranks, knowledge (religion) 12 ranks

Reduced ritual cost (lesser), bond of lore


12th
Legacy Champion 2
+11/+6/+1
+9
+2
+5
Concentration 15 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 15 ranks, knowledge (history) 13 ranks, knowledge (religion) 13 ranks
Martial Study (Action Before Thought)
Replace legacy ability (least)


13th
Legacy Champion 3
+12/+7/+2
+10
+3
+5
Concentration 16 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 16 ranks, knowledge (history) 14 ranks, knowledge (religion) 14 ranks
Die Hard
Extra legacy ability use (least), Die hard


14th
Legacy Champion 4
+13/+8/+3
+10
+3
+6
Concentration 17 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 17 ranks, knowledge (history) 15 ranks, knowledge (religion) 15 ranks
Curative Legacy
Bonus legacy feat


15th
Legacy Champion 5
+13/+8/+3
+10
+3
+6
Concentration 18 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 18 ranks, knowledge (history) 16 ranks, knowledge (religion) 16 ranks
Martial Study (Moment of Alacrity)
Replace legacy ability (lesser), steely resolve 20


16th
Legacy Champion 6
+14/+9/+4
+11
+4
+7
Concentration 19 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 19 ranks, knowledge (history) 17 ranks, knowledge (religion) 17 ranks

Extra legacy ability use (lesser), mettle


17th
Legacy Champion 7
+15/+10/+5
+11
+4
+7
Concentration 20 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 20 ranks, knowledge (history) 18 ranks, knowledge (religion) 18 ranks

Reduced ritual cost (greater)


18th
Legacy Champion 8
+16/+11/+6/+1
+11
+4
+8
Concentration 21 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 21 ranks, knowledge (history) 19 ranks, knowledge (religion) 19 ranks
Animal Devotion, Empower Legacy (lesser restoration)
Bonus legacy feat


19th
Legacy Champion 9
+16/+11/+6/+1
+12
+5
+8
Concentration 22 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 22 ranks, knowledge (history) 20 ranks, knowledge (religion) 20 ranks

Extra legacy ability use (greater)


20th
Legacy Champion 10
+17/+12/+7/+2
+12
+5
+9
Concentration 23 ranks, craft (blacksmithing) 23 ranks, knowledge (history) 21 ranks, knowledge (religion) 21 ranks

Replace legacy ability (greater), steely resolve 25




A NOTE ON LEGACY FEATS

You may notice that the build table does not include Least, Lesser and Greater Legacy as feats. Per the Chair's ruling (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20380983&postcount=94), these feats are granted automatically when the rituals are completed, and do not need to be taken as feats normally. The reason I did not include them on the build table is that the precise timing as far as when the rituals are completed is going to differ from campaign to campaign, as the rituals involved with the Faithful Avenger require not only finding the Faithful Avenger but also finding an appropriate temple (in the case of the Least and Greater rituals) and an appropriate foe (in the case of the Lesser ritual).

Please assume that Talos completes the Least and Lesser rituals at his earliest opportunity (levels 5 and 11 if possible). The Greater ritual, however, will require some preparation; see the build notes for more details on this.

MANEUVER/STANCE SELECTION:
1- Crusader's Strike, Charging Minotaur, Douse the Flames, Leading the Attack, Stone Bones, Martial Spirit (s)
2- Leading the Charge (s)
3- Mountain Hammer, Moment of Perfect Mind*
4- Battle Leader's Charge -> Stone Bones
5- White Raven Tactics
6-
7-
8- Divine Surge -> Leading the Attack
9- Bonesplitting Strike
10- Press the Advantage (s), Elder Mountain Hammer -> Charging Minotaur
11-
12- Radiant Charge, Action Before Thought*
13- Order Forged From Chaos -> Douse the Flames
14- Rallying Strike
15- Clarion Call -> Battle Leader's Charge, Moment of Alacrity*
16- Ancient Mountain Hammer
17-
18- Immortal Fortitude (s), Greater Divine Surge -> Crusader's Strike
19- War Master's Charge
20- Strike of Righteous Vitality -> Mountain Hammer**

*Learned via Martial Study
**After dropping Mountain Hammer, you will have three Stone Bones maneuvers known: Elder Mountain Hammer, Bonesplitting Strike and Ancient Mountain Hammer. Ancient Mountain Hammer requires 3 Stone Bones maneuvers known to maintain qualification. There is a debate about whether or not Ancient Mountain Hammer is itself counted in that calculation. If your DM believes that this trade will mean you lose Ancient Mountain Hammer, then instead trade away Divine Surge.


LEAST: Detect evil traded for Skill Enhancement +5 (Concentration)
LESSER: Faithful Strike traded for Cunning (never flat-footed while wielding Faithful Avenger)
GREATER: Lesser Restoration traded for Spell Turning




LEVELS 1-5: Talos is, first and foremost, a soldier, and begins as most Crusaders do. Between warforged immunities, excellent Constitution and maneuvers and stances such as Crusader's Strike, Stone Bones and Martial Spirit, Talos is incredibly hard to kill. He is no slouch in the damage department, however. He opens up most combat in the Leading the Charge stance and begins with a high damage charge, followed up by powerful strikes such as Mountain Hammer. It's worth noting that things like Battle Leader's Charge and the Leading the Charge stance work well with his preferred weapon, the falchion, as they provide large sources of flat damage that is multiplied on a critical hit. His only real weak point is his Will save - but luckily thanks to Martial Study, he has access to the maneuver Moment of Perfect Mind, which allows him to substitute his Concentration check in its place.

As a soldier, Talos does not merely fight alone - he aids his allies as well. Martial Spirit and Crusader's Strike make him a capable in-combat healer, and many of his stances and strikes aid his allies as well. He can position opponents with Charging Minotaur bull rushes, manipulate turn order with White Raven Tactics, provide bonuses to attack and damage, and just in general be a good ally on the battlefield in addition to being a fearsome opponent all on his own.

LEVELS 6-10: Beginning at level 6, Talos briefly departs from Crusader to pick up some levels in Soldier of Light. This choice isn't solely made for flavor - Soldier of Light lays the groundwork for some pretty important abilities down the road. In the meantime, it helps him assist his team by providing him with spells such as cure light wounds and protection from evil, and also gives him several Paladin-like abilities, such as the ability to detect and turn undead, and Divine Grace. Turn undead is nice for powering Healing Devotion, which is especially useful for Talos, as standard curative magic has diminished effects on a warforged.

Offensively, Talos continues to pick up a lot of high damage maneuvers. Divine Surge does insane damage for the level with no drawbacks, Bonesplitting Strike can help break down an enemy's constitution, and Elder Mountain Hammer not only deals excellent damage but also bypasses any forms of damage reduction or hardness. Talos also has Power Attack now to further augment his damage. He's also begun to unlock the abilities of his legacy weapon, the Faithful Avenger. This makes it a decently powerful cold iron falchion that hits even harder against evil enemies and also boosts his Constitution (saving him a magic item slot). That's pretty neat, but the really cool abilities are yet to come...

LEVELS 11-15: From here on out, Talos is all about the legacy weapon. The remainder of his levels are in the Legacy Champion prestige class, using it to further advance Crusader. He gets a couple of substitutions at these levels: the Faithful Avenger's detect evil (which is easily duplicated with Talos' SoL spells) is instead replaced for a sizable bonus to his Concentration checks (which now can be used in place of both Will and Reflex saves, as he's picked up Action Before Thought), and the Faithful Strike ability, which is sadly less useful for Talos than most due to his NG alignment, gets swapped for the Cunning ability that prevents him from becoming flat-footed. This is a nice buff in general, but will become especially important in a couple of levels when he picks up Greater Divine Surge.

Talos picks up a lot of neat maneuvers here that provide him with a variety of abilities not only for himself but for his allies as well, including some particularly notable ones such as Order Forged From Chaos, which allows him to shift the entire battlefield, and Clarion Call, which lets him to grant all of his allies extra attacks. He can also further manipulate the initiative order now that he has picked up Moment of Alacrity, which serves as a temporary +20 to his initiative. This is pretty much always useful, but will become especially potent in a couple of levels. Also, some of his Soldier of Light abilities end up paying off further here. In particular, thanks to the spells, he qualifies for Curative Legacy, which provides him with free healing when he activates his Faithful Avenger's abilities.

LEVELS 16-20: In these last levels, Talos becomes a master commander, with combat abilities that can turn the tide of any battle. Thanks to his sojourn into Soldier of Light and Legacy Champion, Talos actually qualifies for 8th-level stances when he picks up a stance at level 18 - notable, as a standard 20 level Crusader actually cannot learn any 8th-level stances without the Martial Stance feat. This means he picks up the exceedingly useful Immortal Fortitude, which allows him to make fortitude saves to ignore death from damage. The Faithful Avenger makes this even better, providing him with temporary hit points every round round he remains in this stance. It also allows him to entirely ignore a source of damage once a day. Between these and Moment of Perfect Mind/Action Before Thought, Talos is nearly unkillable in combat. Talos also nabs a spell turning ability through his Faithful Avenger to help combat enemy spellcasters, and Animal Devotion to ensure that he is never a sitting duck against aerial opponents. As far as maneuvers, he picks up three of the best maneuvers in the entire game: War Master's Charge, which can end entire encounters from turn one, Strike of Righteous Vitality, which allows him to simultaneously attack and fully heal himself or an ally as though using a heal spell, and Greater Divine Surge.

This last one is of particular note. Greater Divine Surge provides a decent damage boost on its own, and also allows Talos to trade Constitution damage for +1 attack and +2d8 damage per point sacrificed. It also leaves him flat-footed for the round following its use. This can provide some very scary amounts of damage, especially when combined with Power Attack, but has obvious drawbacks. However, thanks to the Faithful Avenger and his Legacy Champion abilities, Talos can avoid these drawbacks entirely. After making an attack draining himself down to 1 Constitution, he can activate his Faithful Avenger's restoration ability as a swift action, completely restoring all his lost Con - and healing 25 hit points to boot thanks to Curative Legacy. Because he swapped away the situationally useful Faithful Strike for the Cunning ability, he is NOT flat-footed for this time, and he gets an extra use of this ability through his Legacy Champion levels.

In the case of a REALLY tough opponent, Talos can actually go even further. He simply delays his action so that he goes AFTER any current enemies, then activates Moment of Alacrity and makes a Greater Divine Surge strike. Moment of Alacrity will shift his initiative order back up near the top, allowing him to act again before his foes do. Now he can heal up (again, his Faithful Avenger's restoration ability is a swift action, or he can use Strike of Righteous Vitality, which will also restore all ability damage) and attack yet again.

How much damage are we talking about? Assuming Talos has access to a +5 tome at some point, his Constitution will be 34 (18 +5 levels +5 tome +6 Faithful Avenger). If he dumps 33 points of Constitution into Greater Divine Surge, his attack will have a +33 bonus to its attack roll and do a whopping +72d8 damage, which is an average of 324 points of damage just from Greater Divine Surge alone. That's ON TOP of his base weapon amage, any bonuses from his Strength score, his weapon enhancement (he's wielding a +3 holy weapon at this point), Power Attack, etc. In practice this strike will easily do 400 points of damage or more, enough to fell a titan in a single blow... without relying on charging, or buffing, or multiple hits, or any of the other staples of high damage attacks. And he can realistically do this in every single encounter (Greater Divine Surge will always be granted by turn 3 at the latest in any given encounter, as he readies six maneuvers and has four granted to him at the start of any encounter) - sometimes even multiple times an encounter in the case of particularly tough battles!


He is dead. Oh Elishar, no more will fall to this beast's claws. May I yet call myself your soldier in truth? Or am I still merely a weapon?

It matters not, I suppose. The beast is dead, and there is some good in the world. Where your light flourishes, darkness flees. The beast is dead. I will think on that.

Oh Elishar, the beast is dead.


While Talos primarily plays as a standard Crusader, every single aspect of his build has been set up to take advantage of the Faithful Avenger, the Devoted Spirit legacy weapon. From his focus on big flat damage sources such as Battle Leader's Charge, which take advantage of the Faithful Avenger's high critical rate, to picking up abilities such as spellcasting for access to Curative Legacy, to building toward the difficult-to-obtain stance Immortal Fortitude, Talos' Faithful Avenger is as much a part of him as his own right hand, and Legacy Champion is an essential part of this.

In particular, Legacy Champion allows Talos to continue progressing Crusader while also delaying his advancement enough to pick up an 8th-level stance and further augmenting his Faithful Avenger's abilities. It also entirely powers his high damage "trick" involving Greater Divine Surge (see the Build Breakdown for more details): Replace Legacy Ability gives him Cunning to avoid the flat-footed penalty from Greater Divine Surge, Bonus Legacy Ability gives him extra uses of his swift action restoration to fully restore his Constitution damage, and the bonus feat for Curative Legacy adds healing on top of his restoration effect.

Beyond that, Talos also uses Legacy Champion to shore up areas of weakness: in particular he uses it to nab a Skill Enhancement to power his Diamond Mind Concentration-based counters and pick up spell turning to help combat enemy spellcasters. The class as a whole also offers a significant improvement in Talos' Will save.


Talos is meant to be an effective character from level 1 through level 20. He is primarily focused on melee, but can also support the team heavily, as he has access to spells, maneuvers and abilities that can heal, provide additional actions, detect foes, and more.

OFFENSE: Offensively, Talos should always be able to contribute more than his fair share. In addition to having a solid +17 BAB and common melee damage boosts like Power Attack, Talos has access to 9th-level maneuvers from Crusader. He focuses primarily on single high damage strikes, which he gets throughout his career, and by the end can easily do more than 400 points of damage to enemies with a single swing of his Faithful Avenger, without relying on a charge, thanks to Greater Divine Surge plus his Faithful Avenger and Legacy Champion abilities. (See build breakdown for details.) He can bypass common defenses such as flight, damage reduction and more.

DEFENSE: As a Warforged that prioritizes Constitution and with a focus on healing maneuvers and abilities, Talos can take a huge amount of punishment. His race brings with it many immunities, and he further supports these with Action Before Thought and Moment of Perfect Mind. He gets healing maneuvers and abilities from level one on, and they range from healing via attacks such as through Crusader's Strike and the Martial Spirit stance to gaining fast healing and healing his allies via spells to powerful abilities such as restoration and Strike of Righteous Vitality, which acts as a heal spell. He also has maneuvers and abilities that allow him to avoid damage altogether through damage reduction or temporary hit points, such as the Stone Bones maneuver or the Immortal Fortitude stance in combination with his Faithful Avenger's boundless determination ability. He can even avoid death or completely ignore some sources of damage!

UTILITY: The vast majority of Talos' healing abilities can be used on his allies as well as himself, making Talos quite an effective healer. Other in-combat utility includes the ability to shuffle around initiative order and action sequence with maneuvers such as Moment of Alacrity and White Raven Tactics, allow his allies to make additional attacks or move for free, and provide bonuses to hit certain enemies. Outside of combat, he remains a talented healer, and can use maneuvers such as the Mountain Hammer line to bypass obstacles and traps. He also has various detection spells and abilities through his Faithful Avenger and his Soldier of Light spells, and he can even fly for short periods each day.



The Crusader, Faithful Avenger and all maneuvers are found in Tome of Battle, as well as Martial Study and Extra Granted Maneuver.

Legacy Champion, Curative Legacy and the rules for Legacy weapons are found in Weapons of Legacy.

Elishar and the Soldier of Light are found in Deities & Demigods. Note that Elishar is a setting-neutral deity of light and positive energy, so Talos should be able to be played in most campaigns.

Devotion feats are found in Complete Champion.

The warforged player race may be found in either the Eberron Campaign Setting or the Monster Manual III.

All other feats and abilities are found on the SRD or in the Player's Handbook.



Come out, fiend! Come out and taste my blade! Elishar's light shines on your profane alter. I will cleave it in half, lest you show your horny hide.

I was once a weapon, but now my eyes are filled with light. Together with Faithful, I will strike you down, and a little more light will fill our world. Come out! I can feel your fetid breath. Come out!

Seed and source of life and light, goal of all our living. Evil, foul creature, minion of darkness, it is time to face the light. You defend us of the night, healing and forgiving. By Elishar I will defend this world from your wickedness and gloom. As our life flow from you only, let it be pure and holy. Yes, let it be pure and holy.

I am a soldier, not a weapon. I can choose where my blade falls, and I can choose which battles to fight. I choose to fight you, fiend. I choose to strike you down. Let it be pure and holy.

Come out, fiend. Come out and face the light!

While the other two rituals, Awakening and Nurturing, can be performed without any preparation, the Commanding ritual requires Talos to slay a horned devil in single combat. This will require some preparation, as the horned devil may only be struck down by silver weapons, and the Faithful Avenger is cold iron. Luckily alchemical capsules exist that can temporarily bestow the silver property on your blade; Talos, not being ignorant of the rituals required, will certainly stock up on this. When preparing for the battle, Talos will be sure to prepare Moment of Perfect Mind as one of his maneuvers to ensure he does not fall victim to the devil's fear aura. Beyond that, the horned devil should not prove too difficult an opponent despite its high CR; once you can bypass its regeneration, 172 HP of damage is not difficult at all for Talos to produce.

[Heliomance]

That seems to be all. Have at!

[Sian]

I was putting around with a Ironsoul Forgemaster using Lorestealer to help him craft stuff, exchanging the weapon upgrades for more misc abilities, leaving it as a 'boring' +1 Throwing Axe with no combat frills.

My other idea that didn't get further than thinking, was a Knight / Battle Maiden / Kishi Charger, with Quickspur's Ally, focusing on mounted combat with dual-wielding Lance and Shield.

[Muggins]

So, it turns out that making the nigh-featureless Legacy Champion the focus of your build is kinda hard. :smallconfused:

Honestly, it feels like the equivalent of having Fighter as the secret ingredient.

[JyP]

A lot of concepts in the builds : wizards, thieves, fighters, cleric, tiger... At least it shows that legacy champions can be anything :smallsmile:

I wonder who is the guy with the hammer for Larami d’Orien - is this from a TV show ?

[Amphetryon]

A lot of concepts in the builds : wizards, thieves, fighters, cleric, tiger... At least it shows that legacy champions can be anything :smallsmile:

I wonder who is the guy with the hammer for Larami d’Orien - is this from a TV show ?

Not my entry, but I recognize it. It's from the movie Adventures in Babysitting, starring Elizabeth Shue. The guy with the hammer is played by Vincent D'Onofrio, from Full Metal Jacket, Men In Black, and one of the Law & Order spinoffs.

[erok0809]

My second idea was a Ranger 5/Horizon Walker 5/Legacy Champion 10, using the Rod of Trimeg as his legacy item. It would have been able to pick up more terrain masteries than is normally allowed, and that would have been cool, but in the end I'm not sure it would have really been capable of doing anything cool except walking to places. It wouldn't have been interesting, even if I did have the time to put the build together.

[Deadline]

I sadly just couldn't bring myself to finish either entry I was shooting for. One was a Orc warleader/historian using Guurgal, the other was a descendant of Bigby who used a custom item that was very focused on Hand Spells. The former made much better use of the SI than the latter, but the latter was much more humorous. Ah well, congrats to everyone who got an entry in!

[Heliomance]

Cookie to anyone that can identify all my references, incidentally. Google is cheating!
(Not all of the posts contain references, just most of them)

[Venger]

I'm shocked we had no chameleons.


Cookie to anyone that can identify all my references, incidentally. Google is cheating!
(Not all of the posts contain references, just most of them)

Challenge accepted.

Wheel kicker is dr facilier from "princess and the frog"

Skullwearer is this kimimaro from "naruto" ?

Kainoa is the modern major General from"pirates of penzanze"


Larami Is frank cotton from "hellraiser"

Shoson oots maybe? I think elan said this

Quietshoes I've seen this lots of places. Is it Armand from"the birdcage? "

Xander is this from a Voltaire song?

Kethezara "frozen"

Talos I think is from "iron giant"

Some fun quotes this time.

[Darrin]

My best idea was just a retread. I was going to take my Archon of Nine build, tweak it to match the ToB text for Reshar, and that would take care of nearly everything: build, backstory, and... well, ok, I had no idea what to do about the legacy weapon, but there were nine to choose from, so... pick one? And then use Legacy Champion to rework the abilities so it didn't suck so much?

Warblade 1/Swordsage 7/Crusader 1/Master of Nine 1/Legacy Champion 10

It took me a very long time to notice that Heliomance had ruled that you couldn't use Legacy Champion to inflate your Initiator Level by +1.5. However, I found a way to work around that... actually, by using the same stupid trick I was joking about when this thread started: take a few levels of Uncanny Trickster first, then use Legacy Champion to advance UT +1, and use UT to advance Swordsage +1. There were two somewhat nontrivial problems with this, though... 1) calculating the IL was still very confusing and 2) ruleswise it was so unredeemably sketchy that even I didn't think it would fly.

In an effort to avoid actually digging into the Weapons of Legacy rules to pick which of the nine swords would be the least annoying (probably Kamate, but then bastard swords tend to be one of my big SQUEEE! buttons), I also futzed around with the idea of what if Reshar could wield all nine of the swords at the same time? This would require 11 or 12 hands (so maybe insectile anthropomorphic giant squid?) as well as a combined -18 attack penalty on a build that only gets BAB +14. That would be stupid... but also kinda cool. However, I couldn't think of a way to fit in the extra arms stuff and still have a high enough IL for 9th level maneuvers... until yesterday morning where I thought, hey maybe I can graft some extra arms on with whatever WBL is left after unlocking 9 legacy weapons? Anyway, didn't get very far with that one.

My back-up idea was a large hornhead saurial that abused Huling Hurler + War Hulk, but that didn't get any further than the initial thought. I'm glad to see we had at least one War Hulk entry, though.



Quietshoes I've seen this lots of places. Is it Armand from"the birdcage? "


My guess was Firefly, Malcom Reynolds from the opening scene of the "Trash" episode.

[Muggins]

My guess was Firefly, Malcom Reynolds from the opening scene of the "Trash" episode.
I think you might be right, but I wouldn't be surprised if that (rather generic-looking) phrase comes from somewhere older than Firefly.

In other news: I'm kinda surprised that we got two Stormcasters, but nobody took the Truenamer bait. A +15 Truespeak item is probably one of the most useful things this horrid subsystem offers.

[Venger]

I think you might be right, but I wouldn't be surprised if that (rather generic-looking) phrase comes from somewhere older than Firefly.

In other news: I'm kinda surprised that we got two Stormcasters, but nobody took the Truenamer bait. A +15 Truespeak item is probably one of the most useful things this horrid subsystem offers.
That would require someone besides zaq to learn how to play true namer.

But you don't gain anything from a legacy weapon. The bonus type is competence which you'll already have.

[Getsugaru]

In other news: I'm kinda surprised that we got two Stormcasters, but nobody took the Truenamer bait. A +15 Truespeak item is probably one of the most useful things this horrid subsystem offers.

Walking the Truenamer's path is madness. In all honesty, though, you'd never get the most useful aspect of the class, Gate at will, which needs 20th level from what I've heard (tried reading the truenamer section of my ToM once; it was upside down); at max your effective Truenamer level would be 18 since Legacy champion drops a level at 1 and 7 (just taking a level in the main ingredient makes it impossible).

The fact that we have two Stormcasters is what surprises me. It's Wet Out There isn't normally a resource people use unless in a campaign involving oceans (same goes for It's Cold Out There with Icy Peaks and It's Hot Out There for Deserts...actually, between both builds all three are mentioned in some manner).

[Muggins]

That would require someone besides zaq to learn how to play true namer.

But you don't gain anything from a legacy weapon. The bonus type is competence which you'll already have.
From what? The Amulet of the Silver Tongue grants an enhancement bonus, and most of the competence bonuses I know of are of a piddling +2 or +4. It'd also give you access to a bunch of effects which Truenaming is lacking, like summons (which you can Truespeak on) or wishes (to remove all of your Truenamer levels, perhaps?).

[Deadline]

From what? The Amulet of the Silver Tongue grants an enhancement bonus, and most of the competence bonuses I know of are of a piddling +2 or +4. It'd also give you access to a bunch of effects which Truenaming is lacking, like summons (which you can Truespeak on) or wishes (to remove all of your Truenamer levels, perhaps?).

Usual argument is from a custom item. Having it be an item of legacy in this case would be a neat way to shore up a weakness in truenamer with a slightly more 'by the book' method.

[Venger]

From what? The Amulet of the Silver Tongue grants an enhancement bonus, and most of the competence bonuses I know of are of a piddling +2 or +4. It'd also give you access to a bunch of effects which Truenaming is lacking, like summons (which you can Truespeak on) or wishes (to remove all of your Truenamer levels, perhaps?).
From a competence item. You won't survive 10 true namer levels without one.

Usual argument is from a custom item. Having it be an item of legacy in this case would be a neat way to shore up a weakness in truenamer with a slightly more 'by the book' method.
It goes a bit beyond usual argument here. The class really doesn't work at all without those bonuses to truespeak. A judge may be dubious you could function delaying getting a competence item that long

[Piggy Knowles]

Well, this is timely... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1025.html)

In more relevant news...

Apparently storm themes are popular this round. I actually had another storm-themed entry I strongly considered, based around the Storm Sentry from Dragonmarked. With Legacy Champion to progress it past its usual 5 levels (a bit cheesy, I know, but a fairly tame use of cheese all things considered, and I was hoping I'd get points for the cool factor) I got eight more uses of its gust of wind ability and +8 to its DC.

In the end I decided that as cool as it is to blow people around, the build was kind of boring beyond that trick, and I didn't really like any of the legacy weapon options, so I abandoned it. I'm happy with my build, but I do wish I'd come up with a way to make my windy warrior a bit cooler.

[ImSAMazing]

OMG!
The new oots tells that Roy´s sword is a Weapon of Legacy, too!
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1025.html

edit Ninja´ed!

[Getsugaru]

Well, this is timely... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1025.html)

OMG!
The new oots tells that Roy´s sword is a Weapon of Legacy, too!
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1025.html
I can't stop laughing. The timing is too perfect. This is just funny.

Oops, a Haiku.

[ImSAMazing]

I can't stop laughing. The timing is too perfect. This is just funny.

Oops, a Haiku.

xD!

A weapon mighty,
It has a rare legacy.
Use it son, my trust.

[Getsugaru]

A weapon mighty,
It has a rare legacy.
Use it son, my trust.

There is a problem:
You chose to do a Haiku
Mine happened by chance.

But now I digress.
We should stop before we start
a poetry war.

[Piggy Knowles]

Hate to break the chain / but I got a cool idea / and wanted to share.

An Apostle of Peace, using the exception Apostles of Peace get to Vow of Poverty in order to pick up a defensive legacy item. Not sure what I'd do with the remaining eight levels, but I think the idea of a VoP Legacy Champion sounds surprisingly fun. (Plus, you know, ninth level spells are neat...)

[Getsugaru]

Hate to break the chain / but I got a cool idea / and wanted to share.
Well played.



An Apostle of Peace, using the exception Apostles of Peace get to Vow of Poverty in order to pick up a defensive legacy item. Not sure what I'd do with the remaining eight levels, but I think the idea of a VoP Legacy Champion sounds surprisingly fun. (Plus, you know, ninth level spells are neat...)
Wait, what? "Exception?" "Vow of Poverty" "to?" What?!

[Piggy Knowles]

Wait, what? "Exception?" "Vow of Poverty" "to?" What?!

"As part of their sacred vows, apostles of peace forswear the use of armor, though they may wear magic items that protect them (such as a ring of protection or bracers of armor)."

Apostle of Peace is a ridiculously broken class, as it grants very powerful 9th-level spells as a 10 level PrC, relies on campaign-breaking abilities such as Vow of Peace and gets the utterly silly Pacifying Touch (a no-save, no SR calm emotions), but the fact that it lets you use magic items of protection despite requiring Vow of Poverty is neat.

[Getsugaru]

"As part of their sacred vows, apostles of peace forswear the use of armor, though they may wear magic items that protect them (such as a ring of protection or bracers of armor)."

Apostle of Peace is a ridiculously broken class, as it grants very powerful 9th-level spells as a 10 level PrC, relies on campaign-breaking abilities such as Vow of Peace and gets the utterly silly Pacifying Touch (a no-save, no SR calm emotions), but the fact that it lets you use magic items of protection despite requiring Vow of Poverty is neat.

:eek:

...I'm going to have to change my sig now, aren't I?

[Zaq]

As expected, we've got quite some variety here. Mages, thieves, beatsticks, the works. Not yet sure if I'll judge or not; give me some time to digest the entries and I'll see if I have it in me. No promises yet. Nine entries is a lot when you write several thousand words on each judgment.

Piggy, I had the same idea about the Apostle of Peace's loophole in VoP. I eventually decided against it because I couldn't find a good way to get around the GP cost of the Least Legacy Ritual (Legacy Champion takes care of the others, but you need the Least to kick the whole thing off). Maybe taking VoPov after unlocking the ritual? But then you'd have a hard time getting the Apostle's loophole online exactly when VoPov kicked in (remember, you pick class levels before picking feats). I just couldn't make it elegant.

Any of our usual lorekeepers feel like putting in the effort of making a quick-reference table of which classes were used how many times? I feel like that'd be really interesting this time around.

Trying to resist the urge to be snobbish about the non-haikus. Where's the season words? Where's the cutting words? Where's the emotional snapshot, or the "two poles between which a spark jumps"? There's more to a haiku than syllable count!

[Piggy Knowles]

:eek:

...I'm going to have to change my sig now, aren't I?

Why stick to just one? You could do both - I see no reason why Incarnate 8/Apostle of Peace 2/Legacy Champion 10 is anything but a fine build for VoP enthusiasts (that I would never, ever, EVER let into one of my campaigns).

EDIT: Except, of course, for the reason Zaq just mentioned. I bet there's a workaround, though... give me time.

[Getsugaru]

Why stick to just one? You could do both - I see no reason why Incarnate 8/Apostle of Peace 2/Legacy Champion 10 is anything but a fine build for VoP enthusiasts (that I would never, ever, EVER let into one of my campaigns).

EDIT: Except, of course, for the reason Zaq just mentioned. I bet there's a workaround, though... give me time.

I prefer Totemist myself. I love the Book of Blue. It was my first specific system that I learned (and according to some, mastered). I have more time with spellcaster rules. XD

As for getting the Least Legacy squared away, there are still ways. One is that you are not the one paying for it; perhaps as a reward for a mission in which you found a WoL, the quest giver (King, Noble, Lich, etc.) decides to make you aware of the item's history and insists on awakening it for one of you. Basically, you never own or are given monetary compensation, but instead lead through a ritual to make you stronger as your reward (I've seen similar done in the past, just not involving VoP :smalltongue:).

[Muggins]

Any of our usual lorekeepers feel like putting in the effort of making a quick-reference table of which classes were used how many times? I feel like that'd be really interesting this time around.
I'm not one of the usuals, but sure can!

The Builds

Outlaw Skim Wheelkicker: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453140&postcount=177) Strongheart Halfling. Rogue 1/Ranger 4/Gatecrasher 1/Hellbreaker 4/Legacy Champion 10
Skullweaver: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453148&postcount=178) Human. Bard 4/Barbarian 3/Fighter 1/Master of Masks 2/Legacy Champion 10
Kainoa (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453162&postcount=179) Guyer: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453165&postcount=180) Human. Cleric 5/Dweomerkeeper 2/Stormcaster 3/Legacy Champion 10
Larami d'Orien: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453172&postcount=181) Human. Ranger 5/Master of Many Forms 3/War Hulk 2/Legacy Champion 10
Shoshon the Elegant: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453179&postcount=182) Shifter. Warblade 4/Weretiger 1/Tiger (Lycanthrope) 1/Warshaper 5/Legendary[sic] Champion 9
Quietshoes McBraggylips: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453191&postcount=183) Grey Elf. Beguiler 5/Ardente Diletante[sic] 3/Ruathar 2/Legacy Champion 10
Xander Marchand: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453207&postcount=184) Azurin. Incarnate 1/Wizard 7/Vermin Lord 2/Legacy Champion 10
Kethezara Theravin: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453209&postcount=185) Grey Elf. Wizard 5/Stormcaster 3/Frost Mage 2/Legacy Champion 10
Talos: (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20453216&postcount=186) Warforged. Crusader 8/Soldier of Light 2/Legacy Champion 10


Nine unique builds! I've noted down the repeats below; all other class and race choices were unique.
Repeated Races:
Three humans.
Two grey elves.
Repeated Classes:
Two rangers.
Two stormcasters.
Two wizards.
Nine legacy champions. Obviously.

[Sian]

I like the sidestepping of the additional prerequisites of Arcane Diletante that Quietshoes does :)

[Muggins]

I like the sidestepping of the additional prerequisites of Arcane Diletante that Quietshoes does :)
Meanwhile, I'm fixated on a bunch of rather odd rules interpretations amongst the builds, but I suppose that's to be expected when we're working with obtuse rules such as these.

Curious as to how the judge(s) will rule using Legacy Champion to avoid prestige class prerequisites like that.

[Sian]

oh i don't disagree in wondering if its considered kosher, but that doesn't stop me from finding it interesting

[WhamBamSam]

Wow, how did I miss that Legacy Champion covers the gp costs for Legacy Rituals? That means that my idea actually sort of works after all (though I still would have needed to do a lot of fleshing out and it's still a little unwieldy).

Legacy Weapons work differently than normal magic weapons when damaged or broken. When damaged you can just use Make Whole, which was what caught my attention, but when broken you have to reforge it and then re-perform the highest legacy ritual you've reached, paying the gp costs. That got me to scrap my idea, but if Legacy Champion will pay those gp costs, it's salvageable.

There's a feat in Dragonlance Campaign Setting called Tremendous Charge. It allows you to use your mount's Str score in place of your own on a charge with a lance, but forces the lance to make a DC8 Fort save or break into pieces. This is inconvenient and expensive with normal magical weapons, but if you can repair the item for free then it's at worst a time-sink.

Once you're over that hurdle, it's just a matter of actually making use of the feat. What I'd come up with was to Weapon Shift the Sunsword from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft into a lance. A good aligned character can wield the Sunsword as if it were a Short Sword. Short Swords are Shadow Hand weapons and can be Monk weapons with the Unorthodox Flurry feat. With some cocktail of Overwhelming Attack Decisive Strike Monk and splashes of Sorcerer/Wizard, Hit-and-Run Fighter, and Swordsage, I could get my own Dex to damage twice, my mount's Str to damage 1.5 times (using a small race so a medium sized "short sword" could be treated as a one-handed weapon and wielded two-handed) and still toss Shock Trooper on for good measure despite dumping Str. Due to the wonkiness of mounted combat rules, I could Decisive Strike for an extra doubling to bring the usual Spirited Charge cocktail up to a x4 multiplier (x5 with Valorous, which I was going to sneak onto the weapon before its enhancement bonus got too high by way of Ancestral Relic*). So basically a slight twist on a pretty standard ubercharger, but whatever. Fluff would have involved a lot of puns about the sun rising again, and probably something about how badly Strahd was gonna get staked.

What I was disappointed in not having was a means of optimizing my mount's Str. I had hoped to get an ubermount off the ground, but even scrapping everything but the Paladin 5/Ranger 4 base I wasn't going to get more than 10 effective levels of Halfling Outrider. The build might work in a Legacy Champion tag-team with Larami.

*I was a little surprised not to see any Ancestral Relic/Kensai/etc to sneak enhancements onto the WoL on the relatively cheap.

[Heliomance]

Challenge accepted.

Wheel kicker is dr facilier from "princess and the frog"
Correct


Skullwearer is this kimimaro from "naruto" ?
Incorrect


Kainoa is the modern major General from"pirates of penzanze"
Correct



Larami Is frank cotton from "hellraiser"
If it is it's pure coincidence. No intentional reference here.


Shoson oots maybe? I think elan said this
It's a very old and very bad pun. I didn't have a particular source in mind.


Quietshoes I've seen this lots of places. Is it Armand from"the birdcage? "
Incorrect


Xander is this from a Voltaire song?
Incorrect


Kethezara "frozen"
Correct


Talos I think is from "iron giant"

Correct



My guess was Firefly, Malcom Reynolds from the opening scene of the "Trash" episode.
Correct

Skullwearer, Xander, and Talos still to get.

[Deadline]

*I was a little surprised not to see any Ancestral Relic/Kensai/etc to sneak enhancements onto the WoL on the relatively cheap.

Because it doesn't work. :smalltongue:

You can't add extra enchantments to a Legacy item. Check the "Enhancing an Item of Legacy" bit at the bottom of page 11.

And when forging an item of legacy, you can't use an item with more than minor powers to forge a new legacy item. That +1 Longsword is ok, but if it were a +2 Longsword, you're out of luck. (See page 181 - The Candidate Item).

Believe me, I looked for ways to make some of those awful items better. Heck, one of the builds I was looking at was going to use Guurgal! :smallwink:

[WhamBamSam]

Because it doesn't work. :smalltongue:

You can't add extra enchantments to a Legacy item. Check the "Enhancing an Item of Legacy" bit at the bottom of page 11.

And when forging an item of legacy, you can't use an item with more than minor powers to forge a new legacy item. That +1 Longsword is ok, but if it were a +2 Longsword, you're out of luck. (See page 181 - The Candidate Item).

Believe me, I looked for ways to make some of those awful items better. Heck, one of the builds I was looking at was going to use Guurgal! :smallwink:Huh, lame. Ah well.

[Getsugaru]

Wow, how did I miss that Legacy Champion covers the gp costs for Legacy Rituals? That means that my idea actually sort of works after all (though I still would have needed to do a lot of fleshing out and it's still a little unwieldy).

Legacy Weapons work differently than normal magic weapons when damaged or broken. When damaged you can just use Make Whole, which was what caught my attention, but when broken you have to reforge it and then re-perform the highest legacy ritual you've reached, paying the gp costs. That got me to scrap my idea, but if Legacy Champion will pay those gp costs, it's salvageable.

There's a feat in Dragonlance Campaign Setting called Tremendous Charge. It allows you to use your mount's Str score in place of your own on a charge with a lance, but forces the lance to make a DC8 Fort save or break into pieces. This is inconvenient and expensive with normal magical weapons, but if you can repair the item for free then it's at worst a time-sink.

Once you're over that hurdle, it's just a matter of actually making use of the feat. What I'd come up with was to Weapon Shift the Sunsword from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft into a lance. A good aligned character can wield the Sunsword as if it were a Short Sword. Short Swords are Shadow Hand weapons and can be Monk weapons with the Unorthodox Flurry feat. With some cocktail of Overwhelming Attack Decisive Strike Monk and splashes of Sorcerer/Wizard, Hit-and-Run Fighter, and Swordsage, I could get my own Dex to damage twice, my mount's Str to damage 1.5 times (using a small race so a medium sized "short sword" could be treated as a one-handed weapon and wielded two-handed) and still toss Shock Trooper on for good measure despite dumping Str. Due to the wonkiness of mounted combat rules, I could Decisive Strike for an extra doubling to bring the usual Spirited Charge cocktail up to a x4 multiplier (x5 with Valorous, which I was going to sneak onto the weapon before its enhancement bonus got too high by way of Ancestral Relic*). So basically a slight twist on a pretty standard ubercharger, but whatever. Fluff would have involved a lot of puns about the sun rising again, and probably something about how badly Strahd was gonna get staked.

What I was disappointed in not having was a means of optimizing my mount's Str. I had hoped to get an ubermount off the ground, but even scrapping everything but the Paladin 5/Ranger 4 base I wasn't going to get more than 10 effective levels of Halfling Outrider. The build might work in a Legacy Champion tag-team with Larami.

*I was a little surprised not to see any Ancestral Relic/Kensai/etc to sneak enhancements onto the WoL on the relatively cheap.

Anyone got a blender? I think we need some rocks for this beverage to avoid overdose of deliciousness. :smallamused:

Also, There was another idea floating around in my head while building my entry, separate from the one I entered:

Kobold (Dragonwrought?) Dragonfire-Inspired Iaijutsu Warrior with a pair of Gnome-quickrazors he turns into paired-weapons of legacy. My plan was a bit of Bard, a pinch of Warrior Skald, Lots of Charisma, fun with cleavage (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0102.html), and for this kobold to take a pair of Gnome Quickrazors that slaughtered a tribe of Kobolds and use them against Gnomes. A lot of Gnomes. Possible path for these quickrazors was to see about making them like crystal echoblades over time to further boost the madness of the Bardic performance (which would be dance because of a magic item and, well, the idea of "dancing with blades" just being cool) as well as make them into Gnome-bane at the end; rather useless in the long run, but fitting for their purpose (inspiration for anti-X weapon came from Bow of the Black Archer (WoL 36-37)). Proof that WoL's can be a pair of weapons came from Devious and Vicious (WoL 67-71), albeit not in the way I'd hoped. Because I wanted to avoid rule-disputing with any builds I entered, I scrapped the idea since I just could not make the weapon work (which is sad because it would of been awesome in combat). Then again, just qualifying for Cleave was possibly going to cause problems, and there was a chance the build would not have seen 10 levels in Legacy Champion solely because of certain wanted classes not being available until level 11 (of course, since the character would have been founding the legacy, the capstone ability of Legacy champion wasn't as much of a need, and so I could have probably justified only taking 7 levels for the ritual cost reduction). That, and I was having trouble justifying why a low-level Kobold would be able to get their hands on a pair of (what I planned to be) Kaorti-resin Gnome Quickrazors; first of all, why would they be Kaorti-resin, and even if they were, why would Kaorti-resin weapons be in the hands of a low-level Gnome? :smallamused:

[The Viscount]

I'm not sure how the WoL rules would treat two different weapons, while devious and vicious work with each other, they are presented in separate entries. Granted, Bullybashers Gauntlets are a pair of weapons and they are presented as one, so maybe there's basis for it.

I believe Talos's quote is from the Aasimov series beginning with Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

I can't really see how a judge could rule against using Legacy Champion to gain class features of Ardent Dilettante without paying the price, prerequisites aren't class features.

Also this might be the first time in a while we've had a high casting advancement class that didn't have an Ur-Priest or Apostle of Peace entry.

[Deadasadoor]

I wanted to use a trick that I came across a while ago but never got around to starting. Since the Vampire template class from the web archives is 8 levels long, you can advance it nicely with Legacy Champion, while getting 7/8 levels with BaB, saves and HD. Tacking on Vampire Lord for free also adds a few more fun abilities, but is incredibly cheesy. I would have flavored it as a person finding a weapon that slowly corrupts them into vampirism, but I really didn't feel like messing around with custom legacies.

[Amphetryon]

I was going to go Bloodclaw Master, until Heliomance ruled on ToB Class advancement.

[OMG PONIES]

My second idea was a Ranger 5/Horizon Walker 5/Legacy Champion 10, using the Rod of Trimeg as his legacy item. It would have been able to pick up more terrain masteries than is normally allowed, and that would have been cool, but in the end I'm not sure it would have really been capable of doing anything cool except walking to places. It wouldn't have been interesting, even if I did have the time to put the build together.
But you could have named your build Walker, Texas Ranger!

I sadly just couldn't bring myself to finish either entry I was shooting for. One was a Orc warleader/historian using Guurgal, the other was a descendant of Bigby who used a custom item that was very focused on Hand Spells. The former made much better use of the SI than the latter, but the latter was much more humorous. Ah well, congrats to everyone who got an entry in!
I can't put my finger on the humor in the latter one, but if you can I really have to hand it to you. Most of my jokes would have just been too hamfisted.

...I also futzed around with the idea of what if Reshar could wield all nine of the swords at the same time? This would require 11 or 12 hands (so maybe insectile anthropomorphic giant squid?) as well as a combined -18 attack penalty on a build that only gets BAB +14. That would be stupid... but also kinda cool.
The mental image alone is tremendous :smallcool:.

That would require someone besides zaq to learn how to play true namer.
hey now

Hate to break the chain / but I got a cool idea / and wanted to share.
you saucy minx

An Apostle of Peace, using the exception Apostles of Peace get to Vow of Poverty in order to pick up a defensive legacy item. Not sure what I'd do with the remaining eight levels, but I think the idea of a VoP Legacy Champion sounds surprisingly fun. (Plus, you know, ninth level spells are neat...)
That's genius! I've played a few Apostles of Peace and somehow overlooked that particular exception...

Also this might be the first time in a while we've had a high casting advancement class that didn't have an Ur-Priest or Apostle of Peace entry.
Ur Priest has been decently popular with 8 builds using it throughout the contest history, but we've only ever had 2 Apostle of Peace builds (Round VI's Keiji (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8798072&postcount=132) & Round LIX's St. Smokey (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17943637&postcount=111)).

[The Viscount]

I wanted to use a trick that I came across a while ago but never got around to starting. Since the Vampire template class from the web archives is 8 levels long, you can advance it nicely with Legacy Champion, while getting 7/8 levels with BaB, saves and HD. Tacking on Vampire Lord for free also adds a few more fun abilities, but is incredibly cheesy. I would have flavored it as a person finding a weapon that slowly corrupts them into vampirism, but I really didn't feel like messing around with custom legacies.

Hey, what do you know? That's the idea I had toyed around with, at least using Legacy Champion with vampire, it added up too perfectly. I eventually tossed it because of vampire's laundry list of weaknesses that pose major problems to play, and I couldn't find something that flowed really naturally with vampire, lifedrinker being out due to so many levels without casting, and master vampire being not well suited to Iron Chef. I suppose one might make a lurking terror out of it.

[Getsugaru]

So I must ask: as I find myself looking at all of the entered builds (my own included), I find myself comparing each build to each other in various party roles, such as Face, Melee, Ranged, Skill Monkey, etc. Does anyone else find themselves doing similar?

[erok0809]

But you could have named your build Walker, Texas Ranger!


That actually was his name in my plans. I may still actually finish out the build to use as an NPC in my game I'm DMing, because I really like the concept in general. It just wouldn't have worked very well for IC I think; at least, not with my limited optimization skills.

[Piggy Knowles]

That's genius! I've played a few Apostles of Peace and somehow overlooked that particular exception...

Ur Priest has been decently popular with 8 builds using it throughout the contest history, but we've only ever had 2 Apostle of Peace builds (Round VI's Keiji (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8798072&postcount=132) & Round LIX's St. Smokey (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17943637&postcount=111)).

The problem with the idea, as Zaq pointed out, is paying for that initial ritual. You could probably work out some shenanigans like paying for the ritual at the earliest possible level, then taking Vow of Povery and donating the unlocked legacy item, only to reclaim it once you take levels in Apostle of Peace... but that seems like a lot of work, and I can't find any other RAW way to get that first ritual paid for beyond DM-specific scenarios like getting a patron to pay for it. Still, I wish I'd thought of it earlier. The sheer cheekiness of the idea appeals to me.

Regarding accelerated casting classes that we see a ton of in IC, I'm really surprised at the complete lack of Chameleons. I thought for sure there would be at least one, and wouldn't have been surprised to see two or three.

[riccaru]

My entry would have been a spellthief into chameleon into legacy champion but I couldn't come up with a good item or the fluff to use it. Maybe next time.


Why did everyone expect chameleon, out of curiosity?

[Venger]

My entry would have been a spellthief into chameleon into legacy champion but I couldn't come up with a good item or the fluff to use it. Maybe next time.


Why did everyone expect chameleon, out of curiosity?

Better luck next time.

Well, aside from chameleon being an all-around fun class, it's quite popular in iron chef, even if it's often only a 2 level dip for the bonus feat.

Even with extending the effective class level being forbidden, its bonus feat at 2 is still useful for what we thought would be the inevitable hellfire warlock entries.

chameleons' aptitude foci can't be used to meet prereqs, so they're often blocked from entering +1 casting classe. +1 class features, like legacy champion on the other hand, would work fine.

I didn't bother cooking one of these because I thought it would be very obvious. apparently not.

[Zaq]

Chameleon didn't seem obvious to me. The SI is sufficiently "full casting advancement" that we didn't obviously need a fast-casting PrC to still be magical (Legacy Champion isn't 10/10 advancement and advances more than just spells, of course, but you get what I'm saying), and since the legacy items tend to nudge you towards one specific playstyle, there isn't a whole lot of specific benefit to be gained from Chameleon's flexible nature. I mean, I like Chameleon and I'm rarely sad to see it, but it didn't seem like an obvious pairing for Legacy Champion.

[Heliomance]

We have some minor errata to one of the entries. Judges, feel free to take it into account or ignore it at your discretion.


I don't know if this is a thing, but I'll try for it anyways.

Under the "Specifics" section of Xander's submission, replace the following passage:

Ability Scores: 32 Point Buy
Base: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 15 Con, 16 Int, 8 Wis, 15 Cha
Levels: +2 Int, +1 Con, +2 Dex
Total: 8 Str, 16 Dex, 16 Con, 18 Int, 8 Wis, 15 Cha
Should be this:

Ability Scores: 32 Point Buy
Base: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 15 Con, 16 Int, 8 Wis, 15 Cha
Levels: +2 Int, +3 Con
Total: 8 Str, 14 Dex, 18 Con, 18 Int, 8 Wis, 15 Cha

[JyP]

Piggy, I had the same idea about the Apostle of Peace's loophole in VoP. I eventually decided against it because I couldn't find a good way to get around the GP cost of the Least Legacy Ritual (Legacy Champion takes care of the others, but you need the Least to kick the whole thing off). Maybe taking VoPov after unlocking the ritual? But then you'd have a hard time getting the Apostle's loophole online exactly when VoPov kicked in (remember, you pick class levels before picking feats). I just couldn't make it elegant.
As part of the ritual, you must dedicate yourself to make bread freely for the poor during a long time, as a sign of humility
Use Craft(cooking), this would be half your check result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. Should take less than 3 years :smallwink:

[Muggins]

As part of the ritual, you must dedicate yourself to make bread freely for the poor during a long time, as a sign of humility
Use Craft(cooking), this would be half your check result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. Should take less than 3 years :smallwink:
As part of the ritual, you must donate <Ritual Cost> gold pieces to a charity or directly to those in need.
You'd hit the mark as a part of following your Vow of Poverty, and could work from there.

[JyP]

Chameleon didn't seem obvious to me. The SI is sufficiently "full casting advancement" that we didn't obviously need a fast-casting PrC to still be magical (Legacy Champion isn't 10/10 advancement and advances more than just spells, of course, but you get what I'm saying), and since the legacy items tend to nudge you towards one specific playstyle, there isn't a whole lot of specific benefit to be gained from Chameleon's flexible nature. I mean, I like Chameleon and I'm rarely sad to see it, but it didn't seem like an obvious pairing for Legacy Champion.
You would have seen a chameleon if I had finished my build :smallwink: But as my idea was to play an intelligent weapon with many wielders, controlling a thieves' guild, it would have been more to simulate the many wielders than a true flexible character.

[Sian]

... via fiend of possession?

[JyP]

... via fiend of possession?
no, only using Ego rules for intelligent items. You start with a +1 weapon, which awakens with a wielder at level 6 with 16/16/10 abilities, gain charm person 5/day at level 8, and otherwise only increase weapon enhancement, to maximize Ego.

But main issue is that Ego is not high enough to challenge and dominate the wielder until much higher levels. (Ego 9 at level 6, 15 at level 11, 24 at level 17), as D&D was not designed to play intelligent weapons as the main character :smallbiggrin:

[Muggins]

... via fiend of possession?
Fiend of Possession, progressed past its original levels via Legacy Champion? :smallbiggrin:

[Sian]

Fiend of Possession, progressed past its original levels via Legacy Champion? :smallbiggrin:

Not even needed ... either have something Psionic on the side, or Warlock, then you still have stuff to do even if you possess an item (as neither need you to be able to move or speak) ... for added hilariousness, look into adding Fiend of Corruption as well

[Piggy Knowles]

Not even needed ... either have something Psionic on the side, or Warlock, then you still have stuff to do even if you possess an item (as neither need you to be able to move or speak) ... for added hilariousness, look into adding Fiend of Corruption as well

Actually, Warlock still requires you to make somatic gestures despite its abilities being SLAs... It's why they're restricted to light armor.

[Venger]

Not even needed ... either have something Psionic on the side, or Warlock, then you still have stuff to do even if you possess an item (as neither need you to be able to move or speak) ... for added hilariousness, look into adding Fiend of Corruption as well

Or use steelsteal.

[Getsugaru]

Not even needed ... either have something Psionic on the side, or Warlock, then you still have stuff to do even if you possess an item (as neither need you to be able to move or speak) ... for added hilariousness, look into adding Fiend of Corruption as well

Or be a living windsock. (http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/6/64/Phaerimm.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20060515194712) Then you get SPA spellcasting as a sorcerer. Without somatic, verbal, nor material components. And a bunch of other useful stuff.

[Sian]

two issues with that:

1. They're Aberrations and Fiend of possession asks for you to be Outsider with Evil Subtype (not impossible but difficult to do).
2. Heilomance ruled that Legacy Champion's level rules, demands that you have 10HD, and as Phaerimm have a minimum of LA+2, you'd only be able to take 8 levels of the SI.

[d20familiar]

2. Heilomance ruled that Legacy Champion's level rules, demands that you have 10HD, and as Phaerimm have a minimum of LA+2, you'd only be able to take 8 levels of the SI.
Wasn't there some early-entry trick with (ab)using high-level bard to get temporary HD?

[The Viscount]

That's using bard's inspire greatness, and it certainly could work, though it requires 9 levels of bard. The larger problem is that many judges would likely penalize you for entry through such means. There may also be some consternation at using class granted HD to maintain requirements once in (that is, using the class to classify for itself).

In terms of the fastest way to get it that I know of, Warrior Skald can be entered at level 6, though it still can't bypass the perform cap, which still lands you at 9. This might be feasible, but I don't think it could be done elegantly.

[d20familiar]

What if we add that feat chain from Cityscape, that allows to get one rank over the cap for the selected skill?

[Venger]

What if we add that feat chain from Cityscape, that allows to get one rank over the cap for the selected skill?

favored in house and contact. 2 feats to break the cap for a single skill is seldom worth it.