3.5 Swift Charger Build

[DrTank09]

Hey guys, I recently got into DnD and for a new game I decided to make a Scout. I love dwarves and thought about going with a master throwing scout using two weapon fighting and such, but I decided to go another route.
This setup is meant to use an elvencraft composite bow or a magical swordbow that can be used as a ranged or melee weapon in the same encounter. The melee component should be wielded in two hands.

Character Attributes
STR 20
DEX 18
CON 16
INT 14
WIS 16
CHA 12

Skills:
Focus on Jump, Climb, Intimidate.
Required: Knowledge Religion 2, Craft Bowmaking 5

Equipment
Magical Swordbow, Bowsword, Yuan-Ti Serpent Bow, or Elevencraft Bow. Yuan-Ti serpent bow not recommended as you would have to give up a feat slot for the proficiency.


1-Scout 1: Skirmish 1d6, Trapfinding 0bab

Feat:Point Blank +1 to attack and damage within 30'

2-Scout 2: Battle Fortitude +1 to Fortitude and initiative, Uncanny dodge can't be caught flat footed, but does lose dex AC bonus when immobilized 1bab

3-Ranger 1: Human Favored Enemy +2 against humans when using bluff, listen, sense motive, spot or survial skill. Also get +2 to damage rolls, Track can track DC10 and higher, Wild Empathy using ranger level + chrasima mod. 2bab

Feat:Powerful Charge +1d8 to charge attack

4-Barbarian 1: Lion Totem Pounce, Rage 1bab +4 to strength and constitution, +2 to will saves, -2 to AC. Rage lasts 1 min, ending it causes fatigue (-2 to stregth and dexterity, can't run or charge) 3BAB

5-Ranger 2::Archery Combat Style Rapid Shot take a -2 on all attacks while full attacking to gain addtional ranged attack at highest bab 4BAB

6-Barbarian 2:Improved Uncanny Dodge can't be flanked execpt by rogues of class level Barbarian+Scout (4) 5bab

Feat:Power Strike may subtract attack roll bonus for damage

7-Scout 3: Skirmish 1d6/1AC, Fast Movement +10 to speed, Trackless step can't be tracked unless desired 6/1BAB

8-Barbarian 3: Trapsense +1 reflex save against traps or +1 dodge AC against traps 7/2BAB

9-Ranger 3: Endurance +4 to multiple types of saves and may sleep in light armor without fatigue 8/3BAB

Feat: Swift Hunter Skirmish 2d6+1AC Favored enemy Outsider(Chaotic) and +2 bonus to either

10-Scout 4: Improved Skirmish 2d6+2AC/4d6+4AC 9/4BAB

11-Fighter 1:Leap Attack increases multiplyer for power strike by a factor of one. 1>2 2>3 10/5BAB

12-Ranger 4:Pet Wolf successful attacks lead to free trip attempt(D2) 11/6/1 BAB

Feat:Weapon Focus (type of bow) +1 to attack

13-Order of the Bow Initiate 1: 1d8 precision (standard precision attack within 30') 12/7/2

14-Order of the Bow Initiate 2: close combat shot (Do not provoke AoO when atacking in close range) 13/8/3

15-Fighter 3: 14/9/4

Feat: Shock Trooper three tactical actions

16-Fighter 2: Greater Powerful Charge 2d6 replaces 1d8 15/10/5 BAB

17-Barbarian 4:Rage 2/d 16/11/6/1 BAB

18-Ranger 5: Skirimish 3d6 +2AC/5d6 +4AC 17/12/7/2

Feat: Manyshot

19-Fighter 4 Greater Manyshot 18/13/8/3

20-Warsblade with Tiger Stance, Sudden Leap, Stone Bones (for fisticuffs), and Charging Minotaur for when I decide I want to move things.

S4/R5/B4/F4/OBI 2/W 1

The idea is to charge into an opponent, using the mods from leap attack (so I'll have to roll a jump) and the pounce ability to get a full attack in. In addition I can add an extra attack with rapid shot, and close combat archer allows me to not prock AoO's when I do it.

Skirmish adds to my AC when I engage unless I use the heedless charge from Shocktrooper to drop it, losing 2 AC any way because I am charging.

If I require a retreat or I don't have the 20' charge distance I need, I can fall back 20ft, and poke them with the ranged greater manyshot for reduced number of attacks and a decent attack roll on all four attacks with their additional precision and skirmish damage.

I'd love to get some feedback on this build if anyone has any comments. I saw someone using a bowsword on a build and this was the inspiration I got. It revolves around the Oriental adventures quarterstaff bow, the Elvencraft composite bow, or the magical Greaterswordbow.

Maximum attack damage

Single charge full attack with a 19 power attack using rapid shot against a human using a great swordbow (Races of the Wild 171)

Melee attacks-
Skirmish 5d6
Greater powerful charge 2d6
Strength mod 5
Rage 2
Leaping Power Attack 19x3
Favored enemy bonus +4
Greatsword 2d6

(5d6+2d6+5+2+(19x3)+4+2d6)x4
(9d6+68)x4

so each melee attack is between 77-124 damage base with that BAB. You might say hitting when I take a 19 hit to my attack role won't happen, and I'd agree with you, but if I use heedless charge from Shocktroper, I just lose that to my AC. In fact my AC is -19 from that, -2 from my charge, and -2 from my rage with +4 from skirmish for a total of -19. Effectively if I don't kill everything around me on the first hit, I am guaranteed to be hit the round after so it will be a bit of a mixture where I take a hit from AC and a hit on attack.

Currently my melee attack roll is modified as
+2 Rage
+5 strength
+2 charge
-2 Rapid Shot
+4 Favored enemy
and potentially -1d19 for power attack that I don't syphon into my AC

for a total of 11~-8
So for my melee attack rolls it would be
30~11
25~6
20~1
15~(-4)

Now for ranged as I do get one additional attack at range here and it does not get the negative modifier from the power attack so it is at a base BAB of 19. I am using a +5 Composite Longbow
Attack roll will be:
+2 for Rage
+4 for Dex
-2 for Rapid Shot
+4 for Favored enemy
+1 for Weapon Focus Longbow
+1 for Point blank range

for a total of +29 to my attack roll. I also want to note that due to Order of the Bow Initiate, this does not provoke an AoO

Damage would be
+5d6 skirmish
+5 Strength
+4 Favored enemy
+1 Point Blank
+1d8 for the bow itself

(5d6+1d8+10) 16~48

Total damage is 324~544 with potential AC Drop to 1 or a huge hit to the attack rolls

As for retreat, the precision damage of the Order of the Bow Initiate doesn't do much for me compared to manyshot. Still working on how to optimize that because I need the dip into Order of the Bow Initiate for the Close combat fighting.

A standard action attack with a bow would either grant me one of two options

Ranged precise shot
5d6+1d8+1d8+5+4+1 for a total of 17~48 at a full BAB of 29

or manyshot with four arrows at
5d6+1d8+5+4+1 on the first attack (16~40)x4 at a full BAB attack of 21 on all four arrows (64~160 damage)

[Gruftzwerg]

Since your original intention was a throwing build (& I did a few of em in the last weeks^^) I'll stick to that with my answer.

First, have a look at the Bloodstorm Blade (tome of battle, prc). Most important are the first 2 (or 4 depending on the build) lvls and abilities. If you want to have full ranged attacks with thrown weapons, you need to take 4 lvl of the prc.
BsB gives you "Throw Anything", "Returning/Lightning Ricochet" and the ability to let your ranged throwing attacks count as melee attack until end of your turn (enables ranged melee attack & dmg rolls, incl. Power Attack, Charge multipliers, Whirlwind Attack ...).
As said, this setup will let your ranged attacks make full profit from your pounce (charge multipliers).

If your intention was a Warhammer hurling Dwarf, have a look at my "Hammerdin of Moradin" build. Other possible builds for inspiration could be the "ShurikenNado" & "Shivering Tornado of Death" builds (but these have other race restrictions than Dwarf).

[Metahuman1]

Suggestions:

Dip 1 level of Cleric. By using retraining you can cover gaps in skill progression form that and Barbarian for the most part, so that should not be a bad hit.

Take Travel Devotion instead of Travel Domain, and either Strength Domain (Only if you can have 4 1st level spells or more per level with the 1 level dip AND the spontaneous domain AFC from the Players Handbook 2.) or any domain that gives the extra turning feat as a bonus feat for it's domain power.

Travel Devotion and a Night Stick and that extra turning feat to fuel it should give you the ability to reliably get a swift action move every round. Useful if your fighting at a bit of range and want to trigger skirmish, want to set up an angle to set up a charge, or want to charge in and then after attacking at the end of the charge move away to make sure they can't full attack you unless they also have pounce.

If you go the Strength Domain Route, you can try enlarge personing yourself right before every battle, meaning you'll have the bonus of being large.








If your using Rage, consider the Whirling Frenzy AFC from Unearthed Arcana and the SRD. More attacks is better for Skirmishing. Also consider the tireless feat if you can get it, it's from one of the Forgotten Realms books, I forget which one off the top of my head, but it makes you immune to fatigue. So Rage/Frenzy won't give you that penalty afterword's.

[DrTank09]

Since your original intention was a throwing build (& I did a few of em in the last weeks^^) I'll stick to that with my answer.

First, have a look at the Bloodstorm Blade (tome of battle, prc). Most important are the first 2 (or 4 depending on the build) lvls and abilities. If you want to have full ranged attacks with thrown weapons, you need to take 4 lvl of the prc.
BsB gives you "Throw Anything", "Returning/Lightning Ricochet" and the ability to let your ranged throwing attacks count as melee attack until end of your turn (enables ranged melee attack & dmg rolls, incl. Power Attack, Charge multipliers, Whirlwind Attack ...).
As said, this setup will let your ranged attacks make full profit from your pounce (charge multipliers).

If your intention was a Warhammer hurling Dwarf, have a look at my "Hammerdin of Moradin" build. Other possible builds for inspiration could be the "ShurikenNado" & "Shivering Tornado of Death" builds (but these have other race restrictions than Dwarf).

I like it, and for my master thrower build I'm going to use this. My problem lies in how feat heavy such a build is. In order to fully utilize my pounce and power attacks, I'd have to grab quite a few additional feats to match the damage in close range or charges and would lose my additional attacks while retreating away from a fight.

Relying on the Order to gives me both close combat archer (making sure I can use my rapid shot given to me by the ranger without AoO's) means that I in a charge I can actually do 5 attacks rather than four and to targets I'm not even near. I'd gain my additional 1d8 damage from precision strikes as well. I'd be losing my additional attacks that I get from manyshot (which only works with bows).

For damage, I'd be dumping only a little of my damage bonus in melee attacks, but because I'm optimizing my powerstrike damage with leap attack (x3 to melee) and gaining an additional ranged attack with all the skirmish and precision damage... it just doesn't seem as good of an option.


Suggestions:

Dip 1 level of Cleric. By using retraining you can cover gaps in skill progression form that and Barbarian for the most part, so that should not be a bad hit.

Take Travel Devotion instead of Travel Domain, and either Strength Domain (Only if you can have 4 1st level spells or more per level with the 1 level dip AND the spontaneous domain AFC from the Players Handbook 2.) or any domain that gives the extra turning feat as a bonus feat for it's domain power.

Travel Devotion and a Night Stick and that extra turning feat to fuel it should give you the ability to reliably get a swift action move every round. Useful if your fighting at a bit of range and want to trigger skirmish, want to set up an angle to set up a charge, or want to charge in and then after attacking at the end of the charge move away to make sure they can't full attack you unless they also have pounce.

If you go the Strength Domain Route, you can try enlarge personing yourself right before every battle, meaning you'll have the bonus of being large.



Skills aren't an issue due to both Ranger and Scout having very high skill progression, but travel devotion was something I was looking at. My DM wouldn't let me have it, but looking at my current build vs the one I had, I'm not sure I want it.
Travel devotion is awesome for the 1 min/activation that I can use it, but I still don't get the retreat I wish I would have after an attack. Spring attack being a full round action and requiring me to do only a standard attack with two movements. I could use the 5ft step rule to move out of the engagement, but now I'm lacking all of the additional damage that I would be doing if I had charged, which I can't do as a part of travel devotion. The one great advantage of travel devotion would be its retreat mechanism, but I would proc AoO's every time I retreated due to the inability to 5ft step out of a target's threat after a charge.

Strength Domain, on the other hand, would be amazing for the charge build because I could enlarge myself and get the additional damage from Greater powerful charge.

Unfortunately my DM wouldn't allow me to use magic as a dwarf in his setting in either case. They are cursed and can't use magic at all.

[Gruftzwerg]

I like it, and for my master thrower build I'm going to use this. My problem lies in how feat heavy such a build is. In order to fully utilize my pounce and power attacks, I'd have to grab quite a few additional feats to match the damage in close range or charges and would lose my additional attacks while retreating away from a fight.


Yeah the builds are really feat intensive and kick in on later levels. But imho that ain't that big of a problem. Early lvls, your melee power with some situational ranged attacks are enough to handle combat.
Later you get more and better ranged options, when enemy monsters start to get nasty for melee (in terms of taking dmg /surviving combat).
It's a nice progress curve that will make your character really feel like he is progressing and getting one cool stuff after the other. You start as a charger/pouncer and end up as mobile heavy artillery ^^.

[DrTank09]

I solved the problem of no retreat with Sudden Leap from warblade. Swift action to jump away, use tumble to avoid AoO

[Karl Aegis]

Is there anything wrong with a simple Scout 11 / Druid 2 / Prestige Ranger 7 build? Druid fills in your will save a tiny bit and Prestige Ranger gives you Rhino's Rush and Lion's Charge in your 1st and second level spell slots.

[DrTank09]

Normally no, but in my current campaign, magic isn't allowed. I'd also hate the dip from both Scout and Druid in BAB. I would also be losing a number of feats built up due to my extra fighter and Bow Initiate, with the close combat shot being the important one from bow initiate. At that I'd have a BAB of 16/11/6/1 which is still passable since I still capable of throwing in the additional attack. As for will saves, those are mainly for magic, and as a Dwarf, its not as important to me and Order of the Bow Initiate boosts Will +3 for a total of +8 to will saves any way.