King of Smack with soulbound weapon(s)

[Andezzar]

So how much worse would a build be if you took the King of Smack and replaced the claws and powers with the soulbound weapon ACF and Vampiric Blade?

[Zaq]

Which version of the King of Smack are you using? (Links are good.)

I admit that it’s been a long time since I read the KoS, but doesn’t it hinge on Rapidstrike, which itself hinges on natural weapons? Or am I misremembering and confusing it with something else?

[Andezzar]

I was looking at these (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19914037&postcount=39).

Yes it kind of hinges on rapidstrike, but I was wondering if you could get the damage to "good enough" with a weapon (or two).

[Zaq]

Eh, I mean, "good enough" is a very table-specific term, you know?

I don't feel like it's appropriate to use the term "King of Smack" if you're not stacking natural weapon size increases and then using Rapidstrike to get way more attacks than you'd expect out of a natural weapon user (who isn't a totemist). Like, I'm sure you can make a perfectly fine psychic warrior build that uses the techniques you laid out, but that doesn't make it a King of Smack build. It's just a psychic warrior. Nothing wrong with a psychic warrior (I think they're a remarkably well-designed and elegant class, to be honest), but you don't gain anything by calling it something it's not.

Whether that psychic warrior you've put together is "good enough" depends on exactly what the rest of your game looks like and what your ultimate goal is. There are games where the original King of Smack is ludicrously OP, so if you're in a game like that, some lost effectiveness is actually going to be a good thing because it gets you closer to the range where you won't cause much group friction. And for the mandatory mirror view of this, there are games where the original King of Smack build would struggle to keep up, so if you're in a game like that, you're going to be way behind the curve if you aren't gaining something really cool for what you're giving up. There is no such thing as "good enough" in a vacuum. It's all relative to the power level of your game.

What does your actual build look like? You aren't really a King of Smack build if you aren't using the King of Smack's signature tricks, but what you've discussed so far is really just two power choices on a psychic warrior. What's the goal for what you're trying to do? What kinds of party members are you trying to keep up with and/or not overshadow? What sorts of challenges are you expecting to face?

[Andezzar]

You are right, good enough is pretty subjective. I was thinking about a psychic warrior that can heal all his damage with a round of attacks, gets the Ilithid slayer goodies and does not need to eat. Everything beyond that is just extra.

I am just mulling the character over, currently there is no group to fit in.

[Feint's End]

You are right, good enough is pretty subjective. I was thinking about a psychic warrior that can heal all his damage with a round of attacks, gets the Ilithid slayer goodies and does not need to eat. Everything beyond that is just extra.

I am just mulling the character over, currently there is no group to fit in.

Hmm unlikely. It's much harder to increase weapon size to a level where it heals you by enough (especially if you don't wanna resort to 3 year old cheddar). You can of course try but KoS will likely just outperform you. Comes down to what power level you gonna play at of course.