thunder punch

[ZiggenTheLord]

im looking for a melee class or prestige class with little to no spellcasting based on using thunder and lightning damage. Id prefer using unarmed strike or light weapons if possible, thank you.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Uhh... Pyrokineticist (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/pyrokineticist.htm) using the Mind's Eye rules (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625e) to switch to electricity damage? One level gets you a lightning whip*; two levels adds 2d6 energy damage to your unarmed strikes. Dead-easy to qualify for; pretty much any psionic race has 1pp, and if not, Wild Talent (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#wildTalent) and Hidden Talent (also Expanded Psionics Handbook, I think, but doesn't seem to be on the SRD) both give you the pp you need-- no great cost, either, as otherwise all the PrC requires is a few skill ranks and some roleplaying.


*Which works via ranged touch attack, but benefits from feats that affect whips. Whips are one-handed weapons, with nothing stopping you from holding it in two hands. Full Power Attack, anyone?

[Pyromancer999]

Draconic Fist ACF for the Monk gets you the ability to add electricity damage to your attacks as a swift action for class level times/day. A dip for a few level in Monk for that would technically do it.

Otherwise, seconded on the Electrokineticist variant for the Pyrokineticist. (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625e)

[Troacctid]

Take the Shocking Fist feat (Player's Guide to Eberron). Works great on a Crusader.

[Pyromancer999]

Another point I forgot to mention is that you can also go into Duskblade and focus on spells like Shocking Grasp. Combine with Superior Unarmed Strike, deliver spells like that through your fists/a light weapon once you get Arcane Channeling.

[sleepyphoenixx]

The Storm Sentry from Dragonmarked is pretty much exactly that. There's also a lot of wind attacks, but you also get various electric abilities.
It's also the perfect setup to get Dragonmark Visionary for the Mark of Storms, which gives you buffed Storm Touch 2/day for 10d6 + stun electric touch attacks.
Not the most optimized class ever, but it's surprisingly fun to play.

Tempest Stormwind made a build for it (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?471336-Weekly-Optimization-Showcase-Storm-Knight-(Tempest_Stormwind)) if you're interested.

[ATHATH]

If you do go for an unarmed-based build, go for Unarmed Swordsage (what Monk should have been) instead of Monk (what Monk actually is). You'll thank me for it later.

[Vizzerdrix]

I think planar handbook has something that could work. Elemental warrior or something like that.

[The_Iron_Lord]

Like ATHATH said, Unarmed swordsage using Desert wind (changed to Lightning damage) and Tiger Claw, who uses his high Jump to fall down on enemies and smite them with THUNDER AND LIGHTNING!!!:smallamused: Snap kick would also be a good feat so you can "strike like lightning" and make the most of temporary boosts like Burning Blade(Lightning Blade)

[ZiggenTheLord]

[QUOTE=sleepyphoenixx;21826900]The Storm Sentry from Dragonmarked is pretty much exactly that. There's also a lot of wind attacks, but you also get various electric abilities.
It's also the perfect setup to get Dragonmark Visionary for the Mark of Storms, which gives you buffed Storm Touch 2/day for 10d6 + stun electric touch attacks.
Not the most optimized class ever, but it's surprisingly fun to play.

what page is the mark of strorm on ?

[PrismCat21]

I haven't seen anyone mention Incarnum yet.
The Lightning Gauntlets soulmeld allow you to deal electricity damage with a melee touch attack. If bound to your hands, chakra you can channel the damage through your weapon (or fists I imagine).

I believe damage is 1d6 + 1d6/point if essential invested.

*afb, I may be wring on some particulars.

[Stealth Marmot]

You could of course go for Shining Blade of Heironeous from Complete Div-PFFFFFFFT BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

I'm so sorry I couldn't hold it in. That prestige class is terrible. Don't get it.

[Gruftzwerg]

there are some thunder based maneuvers in Tome of Battle, maybe a an unarmed swordsage would be fitting your needs. It's a noncaster with access to magic like maneuvers. While only a few are thunder themed, imho it's enough to tailor a build around it.

[Inevitability]

what page is the mark of strorm on ?

The Least Dragonmark feat is on page 56 of the Eberron Campaign Setting. Storm Sentry is on page 124 of Dragonmarked.

[DrMartin]

You could also check the Mechanatrix race (fiend folio i believe) which are immune to lightning, and heal when they would otherwise be affected by electricity damage. The conductivity feat (unearthed arcana) is also pretty funny for the theme, if not exactly a power choice

[weckar]

Another for Electrokineticist - mostly because of some cheesy stuff you can do with that Lash (twf AND manyshot on the same attack? Yes you can.)

[Grod_The_Giant]

I haven't seen anyone mention Incarnum yet.
The Lightning Gauntlets soulmeld allow you to deal electricity damage with a melee touch attack. If bound to your hands, chakra you can channel the damage through your weapon (or fists I imagine).

I believe damage is 1d6 + 1d6/point if essential invested.

*afb, I may be wring on some particulars.
Only once per round, sadly.

[Darrin]

I think planar handbook has something that could work. Elemental warrior or something like that.

Elemental Weapon (Su) is a move action to do +2d6 damage. Not really worth it.

Warforged with Shocking Fist + Lightning Gloves might be the best way to go here.

[ZiggenTheLord]

would custom legacy items be good for changing my damage to lightning or thunder ?

[Jeff the Green]

there are some thunder based maneuvers in Tome of Battle, maybe a an unarmed swordsage would be fitting your needs.

There really aren't, but you can easily change Desert Wind to Mountain Cloud, making them do electricity damage instead of fire.

[daremetoidareyo]

Only once per round, sadly.

Decisive strike acf? Double dat damage. Any ideas on how to double it again?

[Dagroth]

Decisive strike acf? Double dat damage. Any ideas on how to double it again?

Err... charging?

[Inevitability]

Err... charging?

Specifically, charging with sweet, sweet Headlong Rush.

However, as Decisive Strike takes up your full round action already, I suggest getting a few Belts of Battle and Mantis Leap.

...Now I kind of want to make that build.

[SirNibbles]

You could take a few levels of Kensai (Complete Warrior, page 49) to be able to enchant your fists to deal electrical damage via Shock or Shocking Burst (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 225.

[Fouredged Sword]

At one point I was playing around with a warforged monk 2 / battle sorcerer 2 / Fighter 2 for an E6 game that was based around punching things for 32d6 damage. The same idea could be applied to a non-e6 game with a more decompressed build and add lightning with shocking fist.

Monk 2 / sorcerer 3 / enlightened fist 10.

The core of the build focuses on mixing battle fist with beaststrike, greater mighty wallop, and the focused attack ACF from monk meaning that you get a weird stacking damage bonus from increasing the size of your battle fist.

So here is how it works. A battle fist increases the size of both your slam and unarmed strike. A medium battlefist is a weapon that allows you to treat your unarmed strike and slam as if you are large. Greater mighty wallop will add 5 sizes to that, meaning your unarmed strike and slam both count as 8d6 weapons. Improved natural attack (slam) and the monk unarmed progression decreases the Cl needed for greater mighty wallop to max out your damage but they do not increases the cap of 8d6 (the maximum damage on the weapon size chart).

But what you say, 8d6+str damage isn't that great, powerful as a weapon, but not that impressive. Well, the monk focused strike ACF turns that into a single 16d6+2str attack by doubling your damage. Your punch does as much as being literally hit by a meteor. But wait, there's more. You pick up beast strike around level 9. This is why your slam attack was important. This adds your slam attack damage (another 8d6) to your unarmed strike. This is also doubled by focused attack leaving you dealing 32d6+2str punches.

Shocking fist can be added to add another BABd4 shock damage. Stone power can be used to gain enough temp HP to counter the damage up to 10 points, meaning 10d4 shock damage. This doubles with the focused attack ACF meaning 20d4 shock damage on that punch.

Now you can make a massive single attack as a full round action that is a -7 to hit but 32d6 bludg +20d4 electric damage punch. On top of this you are a sorcerer with true strike meaning you can get a rod of metamagic quicken or three to make that attack at +13 to hit rather than -7. Any additional damage bonuses apply double (enchant your battle fist for +5)

And on top of that you are a sorcerer who has 16/20 casting and charisma to AC (aesthetic mage).

If you want something more simple but less minmaxy but more pure lightning, consider

duskblade 20 warforged with stone power and shocking fist. You mix shocking grasp and shocking fist/stone power to gain 6d6+babd4 lightning damage. You can even add your slam damage with arcane channeling at the loss of it being a touch attack. With full bab you rapidly reach the shocking fist/stone power no damage cap of 10d4 lightning damage to each attack.

[SirNibbles]

At one point I was playing around with a warforged monk 2 / battle sorcerer 2 / Fighter 2 for an E6 game that was based around punching things for 32d6 damage. The same idea could be applied to a non-e6 game with a more decompressed build and add lightning with shocking fist.

Monk 2 / sorcerer 3 / enlightened fist 10.

The core of the build focuses on mixing battle fist with beaststrike, greater mighty wallop, and the focused attack ACF from monk meaning that you get a weird stacking damage bonus from increasing the size of your battle fist.

So here is how it works. A battle fist increases the size of both your slam and unarmed strike. A medium battlefist is a weapon that allows you to treat your unarmed strike and slam as if you are large. Greater mighty wallop will add 5 sizes to that, meaning your unarmed strike and slam both count as 8d6 weapons. Improved natural attack (slam) and the monk unarmed progression decreases the Cl needed for greater mighty wallop to max out your damage but they do not increases the cap of 8d6 (the maximum damage on the weapon size chart).

But what you say, 8d6+str damage isn't that great, powerful as a weapon, but not that impressive. Well, the monk focused strike ACF turns that into a single 16d6+2str attack by doubling your damage. Your punch does as much as being literally hit by a meteor. But wait, there's more. You pick up beast strike around level 9. This is why your slam attack was important. This adds your slam attack damage (another 8d6) to your unarmed strike. This is also doubled by focused attack leaving you dealing 32d6+2str punches.

Shocking fist can be added to add another BABd4 shock damage. Stone power can be used to gain enough temp HP to counter the damage up to 10 points, meaning 10d4 shock damage. This doubles with the focused attack ACF meaning 20d4 shock damage on that punch.

Now you can make a massive single attack as a full round action that is a -7 to hit but 32d6 bludg +20d4 electric damage punch. On top of this you are a sorcerer with true strike meaning you can get a rod of metamagic quicken or three to make that attack at +13 to hit rather than -7. Any additional damage bonuses apply double (enchant your battle fist for +5)

And on top of that you are a sorcerer who has 16/20 casting and charisma to AC (aesthetic mage).

If you want something more simple but less minmaxy but more pure lightning, consider

duskblade 20 warforged with stone power and shocking fist. You mix shocking grasp and shocking fist/stone power to gain 6d6+babd4 lightning damage. You can even add your slam damage with arcane channeling at the loss of it being a touch attack. With full bab you rapidly reach the shocking fist/stone power no damage cap of 10d4 lightning damage to each attack.

Where is Battlefist? I can't find it in any book. Google says it's somewhere in the Eberron Campaign Setting but I can't find it there.

[daremetoidareyo]

Where is Battlefist? I can't find it in any book. Google says it's somewhere in the Eberron Campaign Setting but I can't find it there.

It's a warforged component

[ExLibrisMortis]

Battlefist should be under warforged components somewhere.


Not a low-casting build per sé, but you can just ignore your spells, or use only thematic ones (wind walk, control winds, chain lightning, and what-have-you): Stormlord. All javelins and spears you use are automatically +3 shocking burst. Could be fruitfully combined with Bloodstorm Blade and gloves of endless javelins.

[SirNibbles]

It's a warforged component

Found it. Thanks. Eberron Campaign Setting, page 268

[Grod_The_Giant]

Decisive strike acf? Double dat damage. Any ideas on how to double it again?
Psionic Weapon helps stack damage, but I'm not sure Decisive Strike helps; usually things like that only apply to static damage bonuses, as opposed to damage dice.

[Dagroth]

Psionic Weapon helps stack damage, but I'm not sure Decisive Strike helps; usually things like that only apply to static damage bonuses, as opposed to damage dice.

From PHB2: "If the attack hits, it deals double damage (as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn)."

BTW, I'm surprised nobody is suggesting adding Shocking Grasp, considering you can cast it like a buff spell (after all your other buff spells).

[Grod_The_Giant]

From PHB2: "If the attack hits, it deals double damage (as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn)."

Multiplying Damage

Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results. Note: When you multiply damage more than once, each multiplier works off the original, unmultiplied damage.

Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are never multiplied.
Emphasis mine. A DM might rule that the Decisive Strike wording overrules that, but I wouldn't count on it.