SangoProduction
2016-10-26, 05:08 PM
So, I took a slightly deeper look at the Gelatinous Cube class, when someone asked for a Goo PC. BTW, this was made for Pathfinder, but the racial base stat modifiers seem to follow the 1-1 plus to minus ratio that 3.5 has. If anything, the base race is weaker than a human (especially given its speed, and its inability to see past 60 feet...not to mention having no hands without burning a feat), so would probably work in 3.5 as well. (I'll not comment on the class because Wizard.)
Note: I realize it was an april fools thingy. But still. That doesn't mean it can't be optimized.
Dreamscarred Press's April Augmented 2016 has the Gelatinous Cube monster and monster levels. Refluff it as an amorphous Ooze. And, I'm fairly sure you don't *have* to take all the levels, although they are pretty good for a melee build...Well, aside from like not being able to use two-handed weapons (unless you take a feat to be able to transform to a medium humanoid), and effectively has a worse version of the Monk unarmed attack that can't be scaled by normal means, not even having the potential of enhancing the unarmed attack with an enchanted gauntlet, which some GMs allow (because you aren't using unarmed attack - you're using slam attack).
But it's got paralysis, and the DC on paralysis is actually pretty sick because of the boosted Con. +20 Con by level 4, with the DC being 10 + 1/2 the gelatinous cube’s character level + the gelatinous cube’s Constitution modifier.
And ...2d6 rounds of paralysis per melee attack is pretty good at incapacitating enemies, even if you don't do much damage (given that they count as having 0 Str and Dex, and are helpless).
So, my first thought was to optimize the paralysis. It's already at a stupid good bonus, just from the class and race bonus alone. DC 22 fort save, given a Con score of 10 before taking the class/race, and no other modifiers, at level 4. That's enough to give a Barbarian with equal level and starting Con score only a 15% chance of succeeding (before rage, 25% with rage), and will continue to scale.
I was thinking of ways to Cu De Grace quickly and efficiently. (No farming implements?) I think there is a feat that allows you to CDG as a standard action without provoking, which would be nice. So, that'll use a feat, if we go that route.
Of course, at level 4, the paralyze amplifies to affect anything hit by your melee attacks, not just your slam attacks. If we find a way to wield a reach weapon in one hand (so that I can hold it while maintaining my large size), then I can effectively paralyze people at a range of 20 ft, and then automatically engulf them. Does that move me to their space, or them to mine? (lol)...EDIT: after thinking about it some more, it probably means "they don't get an attack nor save to avoid engulf"
Also, going along that line, I think Bloodstorm Blade lets me throw weapons and count them as melee attacks? I am not looking it up, but that's how I remember it. If that's true, then we could well do that, and not worry about wielding a reach weapon. Not to mention the combat maneuvers.
But, if we still want to do the reach weapon thing, then we could go with Psychic Warrior, which will grant us Expansion, for +2 size categories. This is nice considering there aren't many size enhancers for Oozes. Not to mention we get other goodies that come coupled in with Psionics.
Of course, templates can increase size, but often come coupled with LA, and would be overwritten by taking the fourth level of Gelatinous Ooze, which gives that upgrade to paralyze, so yeah. Probably not worth.
Also, if we take a liberal reading of the feat, Form Figure in the same book as this class, and Warshaper, we can eek out another +5 feet of reach. And there's Aberration Blood, which can be taken to get more reach later with Inhuman Reach. Deepspawn might actually be a decent feat to take, because it will help with grapple (which will maintain the engulf, which maintains the paralyze), and will allow us to qualify for that feat in the Savage Species book that gives +5 ft reach if we have a flexible appendage without needing to take that Pseudopod feat presented in the April Augmented 2016 book.
Still might want to anyway, because having no hands kinda sucks in combat...so might not actually want the tentacles...especially as the easiest engulf targets are paralyzed, and aren't escaping any time soon. Also, I don't see grappling making it any easier to initiate the engulf. So yeah...bad feat is bad I think.
Then I remembered there was a class that had Con as a casting stat. Maybe it was Dragon Fire Adept? It's the only thing that's coming to mind. I don't really remember it. But if we could force Con into a casting stat (I remember a feat in a 3rd party 3.5 book which allowed that, but dunno if it's something that can be done otherwise), then that could be really quite powerful.
Speaking of forcing Con into stuff it's not supposed to be in...well...I remember there being a forum post that showed all the ways that you could get X stat to Y bonus...but I don't know how to look that up. Anyway, high Con by default just makes you harder to kill...which is fine and all, but isn't incredibly interesting.
Oh, and then there's the stuff in the Savage Species book, if it's allowed, which boosts the DC of stuff, which is probably complete overkill, especially if you continued boosting Con after you were done with the Gelatinous Ooze class, but it's there. Not to mention it also has reach-enhancing feats.
So anyone got ideas for a cohesive build? These are just my collections of thoughts on the matter.
Note: I realize it was an april fools thingy. But still. That doesn't mean it can't be optimized.
Dreamscarred Press's April Augmented 2016 has the Gelatinous Cube monster and monster levels. Refluff it as an amorphous Ooze. And, I'm fairly sure you don't *have* to take all the levels, although they are pretty good for a melee build...Well, aside from like not being able to use two-handed weapons (unless you take a feat to be able to transform to a medium humanoid), and effectively has a worse version of the Monk unarmed attack that can't be scaled by normal means, not even having the potential of enhancing the unarmed attack with an enchanted gauntlet, which some GMs allow (because you aren't using unarmed attack - you're using slam attack).
But it's got paralysis, and the DC on paralysis is actually pretty sick because of the boosted Con. +20 Con by level 4, with the DC being 10 + 1/2 the gelatinous cube’s character level + the gelatinous cube’s Constitution modifier.
And ...2d6 rounds of paralysis per melee attack is pretty good at incapacitating enemies, even if you don't do much damage (given that they count as having 0 Str and Dex, and are helpless).
So, my first thought was to optimize the paralysis. It's already at a stupid good bonus, just from the class and race bonus alone. DC 22 fort save, given a Con score of 10 before taking the class/race, and no other modifiers, at level 4. That's enough to give a Barbarian with equal level and starting Con score only a 15% chance of succeeding (before rage, 25% with rage), and will continue to scale.
I was thinking of ways to Cu De Grace quickly and efficiently. (No farming implements?) I think there is a feat that allows you to CDG as a standard action without provoking, which would be nice. So, that'll use a feat, if we go that route.
Of course, at level 4, the paralyze amplifies to affect anything hit by your melee attacks, not just your slam attacks. If we find a way to wield a reach weapon in one hand (so that I can hold it while maintaining my large size), then I can effectively paralyze people at a range of 20 ft, and then automatically engulf them. Does that move me to their space, or them to mine? (lol)...EDIT: after thinking about it some more, it probably means "they don't get an attack nor save to avoid engulf"
Also, going along that line, I think Bloodstorm Blade lets me throw weapons and count them as melee attacks? I am not looking it up, but that's how I remember it. If that's true, then we could well do that, and not worry about wielding a reach weapon. Not to mention the combat maneuvers.
But, if we still want to do the reach weapon thing, then we could go with Psychic Warrior, which will grant us Expansion, for +2 size categories. This is nice considering there aren't many size enhancers for Oozes. Not to mention we get other goodies that come coupled in with Psionics.
Of course, templates can increase size, but often come coupled with LA, and would be overwritten by taking the fourth level of Gelatinous Ooze, which gives that upgrade to paralyze, so yeah. Probably not worth.
Also, if we take a liberal reading of the feat, Form Figure in the same book as this class, and Warshaper, we can eek out another +5 feet of reach. And there's Aberration Blood, which can be taken to get more reach later with Inhuman Reach. Deepspawn might actually be a decent feat to take, because it will help with grapple (which will maintain the engulf, which maintains the paralyze), and will allow us to qualify for that feat in the Savage Species book that gives +5 ft reach if we have a flexible appendage without needing to take that Pseudopod feat presented in the April Augmented 2016 book.
Still might want to anyway, because having no hands kinda sucks in combat...so might not actually want the tentacles...especially as the easiest engulf targets are paralyzed, and aren't escaping any time soon. Also, I don't see grappling making it any easier to initiate the engulf. So yeah...bad feat is bad I think.
Then I remembered there was a class that had Con as a casting stat. Maybe it was Dragon Fire Adept? It's the only thing that's coming to mind. I don't really remember it. But if we could force Con into a casting stat (I remember a feat in a 3rd party 3.5 book which allowed that, but dunno if it's something that can be done otherwise), then that could be really quite powerful.
Speaking of forcing Con into stuff it's not supposed to be in...well...I remember there being a forum post that showed all the ways that you could get X stat to Y bonus...but I don't know how to look that up. Anyway, high Con by default just makes you harder to kill...which is fine and all, but isn't incredibly interesting.
Oh, and then there's the stuff in the Savage Species book, if it's allowed, which boosts the DC of stuff, which is probably complete overkill, especially if you continued boosting Con after you were done with the Gelatinous Ooze class, but it's there. Not to mention it also has reach-enhancing feats.
So anyone got ideas for a cohesive build? These are just my collections of thoughts on the matter.