Iron Chef Optimisation Challenge in the Playground XCIX

[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 the Perilous Gateways web enhancement.

Chairwoman: This month's theme is... Life Eater! (http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=fr/pg20020911b) ALLEZ OPTIMISER!


-----------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef LXXXIV. Here in Optimisation Colosseum, contestants will endeavour to create an optimised 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 07:59 GMT on Tuesday, June 25th, 2019 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 07:59 GMT on Tuesday, July 9th, 2019 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

Courtesy of some wonderful volunteers, there is a handy-dandy spreadsheet guide to all previous builds here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oyjVU5JmeCnC8YTMqDArDqE5PszHl0Ysadz630kuTGk/edit?ts=59a4835f#gid=0).

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 Chef 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 LXVIII: 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)
Iron Chef LXXVI: Legacy Champion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?477153-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXVI)
Iron Chef LXXVII: Great Rift Skyguard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?482249-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXVII)
Iron Chef LXVIII: Risen Martyr (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?487560-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXVIII)
Iron Chef LXXIX: Black Blood Hunter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?492923-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXIX)
Iron Chef LXXX: Master of Many Forms (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?498359-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXX)
Iron Chef LXXXI: Serene Guardian (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?502666-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXI)
Iron Chef LXXXII: Elocator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?505762-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXII)
Iron Chef LXXXIII: Winterhaunt of Iboorighu (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?510581-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXIII)
Iron Chef LXXXIV: Waverider (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?514631-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXIV)
Iron Chef LXXXV: Astral Dancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?519296-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXV)
Iron Chef LXXXVI: Twisted Lord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?525401-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXVI)
Iron Chef LXXXVII: Shadowsmith (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?528361-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXVII)
Iron Chef LXXXVIII: Arboreal Guardian (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?533367-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXVIII)
Iron Chef LXXXIX: Thrall of Demogorgon (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?536247-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-LXXXIX)
Iron Chef XC: Bloodstorm Blade (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?542380-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XC)
Iron Chef XCI: Fatemaker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?550203-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCI)
Iron Chef XCII: Eye of the Xanathar (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?556092-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCII)
Iron Chef XCIII: Hoardstealer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?560330-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCIII)
Iron Chef XCIV: Doomlord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?564804-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCIV)
Iron Chef XCV: Gnomish Artificer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?571065-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCV)
Iron Chef XCVI: Oozemaster (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?576075-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCVI)
Iron Chef XCVII: Aerial Avenger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?579553-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCVII)
Iron Chef XCVIII: Visionary Seeker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?583331-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCVIII)

[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
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.


Q: Can I submit more than one entry?
A: You may submit up to two entries into a given competition.

[MisterKaws]

Mythic Exemplar, huh. Two caster rounds in a row. Feels odd.

Life Eater, whuzzat? Ne'er heard of it.

[DeTess]

Reading through the class, I'm left with a couple of questions. First of all, I've encountered the chill touch spells in a number of discussion focussed on how many creatures you can touch with it, and when these touches are made (it seems some people claim you can touch as many people as the spell allows the moment you cast it, others state that they're delivered through touch attacks as part of your normal attacks). Second of all, what's the save-DC for fatiguing touch?

[WhamBamSam]

Mythic Exemplar has already been done. Was that intentional?

[MisterKaws]

Mythic Exemplar has already been done. Was that intentional?

Hmm, that's true. It's round X.

[Heliomance]

Mythic Exemplar has already been done. Was that intentional?

That was not intentional, I had not noticed. It was on my list of ingredients to use, I didn't check the back catalogue!

Right, Life Eater it is then!

[WhamBamSam]

Cool. I've wanted Life Eater for a while.

[MisterKaws]

That was not intentional, I had not noticed. It was on my list of ingredients to use, I didn't check the back catalogue!

Right, Life Eater it is then!

Can I undo my edit? ¬_¬

[Heliomance]

Can I undo my edit? ¬_¬

Feel free :P

[MisterKaws]

Feel free :P

I don't remember what I posted.:smallmad:

[Wolfem]

ICO Spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oyjVU5JmeCnC8YTMqDArDqE5PszHl0Ysadz630kuTGk/edit?ts=59a4835f#gid=0&range=A1023) updated with placeholder for this cook.

[Zaq]

I certainly feel like Iron Chef eats my life now and again. In a good way. Usually.

Weird ingredient. Really not sure how they picked those prereqs. Moderately interesting abilities, I guess? I’m going to need to think about it for a while. Not that I’m THAT likely to have time to enter, since I’m moving within the next few weeks.

[Thurbane]

Ooh! I had a build stub for this a fair while back...if I can dig it up, I might enter.

[The Viscount]

Deeply frustrating, but with just enough unique bits that I'm tempted. I hope I have the time to cook for this one.

[Heliomance]

Incidentally, with only minor abuse of the rules of Roman numerals, this is IC Challenge IC

[DeTess]

btw, since we're back to the life-eater, could the chair weigh in on the questions I asked about that class?

[Venger]

what a weird class. i'm in to cook.

[Efrate]

I actually was planning on playing something similar to this class in a campaign that only lasted like 3 sessions. If I had known that this existed I would have used it. I want to cook but do not know if I will have time, pulling 50 to 70 hours a week rest of the month.

[The Viscount]

Just realized the PrC grants all good saves. I can't remember the last time I saw that for a class not made for monks.

[jdizzlean]

definitely down for this one.

[DeTess]

Did this one get an extension? The 25th of june has passed a while ago now...

[Venger]

Did this one get an extension? The 25th of june has passed a while ago now...

If you want to enter something, as long as it's in before the reveal, it's fair game. Best of luck to you.

[jdizzlean]

is everything ok helio?

we're at almost 3 weeks past the deadline

[Heliomance]

Yikes, I did not mean to leave it that long, sorry! I am OK, executive dysfunction is a bitch. Let's have some entries, shall we?

[Heliomance]

Entry number 1!


Hunger Dragonborn Warforged (wings) CN -> CE
Crusader 1/Barbarian 1/Totemist 6/Binder 1/Swordsage 1/Life Eater 10

Fluffy Bits

Number 493809 remembered just before a great battle. Fresh from the forge the masters knew something was not right. Too free spirited they said. Too flighty. They stuck it on the front lines, seeing as how if it was a defect at least it would be eliminated quickly, and if it proved competent so much the better. It remembered the war horns, the tide of bodies of too many models and species to count surging up the hill towards his position. It remembered just before they met, a great tearing sound from its side. It turned to look into a vast hole which seemed to lead to nothingness which stretched on forever. Barely had it time to process when it felt a thump from its blind side. Something hit it, hard, and it felt itself deactivating as it was thrown into the blackness. It remembers a snapping sound as the field of battle disappeared and the hole to nothing seemed to close. Then it shut down.
Time passed. Number 493809 knew not how long. It was not aware, though it feels like it was a long while. It hears a commanding sibilant voice ordering it to wake. It tries but though it is now aware it cannot see, it is inside something. With a surge of energy it bursts from what it was encased in. Something akin to a pod, but with liquid. Its plating is gone. Something grows from its shoulders, being constantly assembled as it walks around. It sees a great reptilian face, like a tarnished but some luminescent piece of silver. It feels a command “Live, learn, and tell your story.”
It remembers falling. Far, far away. It lands softly in a verdant glade. Renewed with vigor to champion the cause of its savior, it wanders a short distance. A small town in the forest. No walls, no trenches, no defenses to speak of. Curious it investigates. A being with pointed ears shrieks in an odd tongue, runs away. Number 493809 tries to speak to tell its story. The thing does not know its words and does not stop. A bigger pointed ear thing, armed with a blade comes out shortly to stop its advance into the town. The thing says something in that odd tongue, then another one. Number 493809 speaks in each of its three tongues. Its normal words fall on deaf ears. It tries the dialect of the giants that made the ramparts it marched out it, and the thing seems alarmed.
Finally it tries a third tongue, one its savior gave to it. Recognition crosses the face of the thing. It knew that one. Other point eared things gather, the one with the blade standing between Number 493809 and the rest. It tries to advance, speaking in its given tongue, the smaller point ears are scared. They scream and scatter. The big one forces it back, and haltingly says in the third tongue that abominations are not welcome here, or anywhere. The big point ear with the blade advances to attack, and Number 493809 is forced away.
For some time Number 493809 wandered. Not many seemed to speak the third tongue nor the second, and none spoke the first. The ones who spoke third and second repeated what the big pointed eared one said with minor variation. It became bitter. It left its mission. What kind of creator would give a mission that it could not complete? It decided to leave the populated places and head to the wilds. No one to talk to there.
It encountered savage wildlife and it learned to be savage to fight back. It found joy in that. Especially in those weaker than it, which it would slaughter easily, and merrily. Those stronger than it it ran from. It learned their ways, and tapped into their strength. It did not know when it started to consume them, only to stop shortly after. It did not gain their strength that way, but it felt right. Even if it had to remove parts of them from its core later.
It wandered longer, growing, adapting, learning. It killed an old round ear drawing pictures on a moonless night in the dirt. The round ear was weaker than him and deserved to die. It found a book written in the tongue gifted to him by his worthless master, detailing multitudes of pictographs and entities from beyond space and time who granted power to those who knew their secrets. Number 493809 studied this book, and finished what the old round ear had started.
It felt a new alien power inside, different from any it had known before. It also caused more new parts to assemble from its head, similar to how the parts that had assembled from its shoulders came to be. It was a master now, and it liked that. It merged what it knew and what it had learned into a new fighting method, and it continued to journey. A master needed subjects after all.
After some time, it came across a babbling round ear. The round ear was weak enough to not even warrant killing, but that round ear was consuming another body and was impressed by his new head assembly. The round ear spoke in the second tongue to it and mentioned the prophecy of Baphomet and how a great horned one would one day slaughter and feast on all in orgiastic glee. Curious, it let this round ear live, and it was taken to a secret temple of Baphomet.

Number 493809 had found what he was missing. It learned, and it consumed what it could, but it always wanted more. It became its defining feature, and it renamed itself. Hunger. Hunger was never satisfied, there too much to destroy, too much to consume. Luckily it had all the time in the world. After many years and countless round ears and pointed ears, Hunger finally could totally consume its prey, body and soul. It smiled, for its real work had just begun.







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


1st
Crusader 1
+1
+2
+0
+0
Balance +4, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +4, Knowledge: Religion +4, Tumble +4
Hidden Talent: Psionic Minor Creation
Furious Counterstrike, Steely Resolve 5, Maneuvers, skilled city dweller


2nd
barbarian 1
+2
+4
+0
+0
Balance +4, Bluff .5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +5, Hide .5 , Knowledge: Religion +4, Move Silently .5, Tumble +5
Feats
Spirit Lion Totem (pounce), Whirling Frenzy, skilled city dweller


3rd
Totemist 1
+2
+6
+2
+0
Balance +4, Bluff +1 , Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +5, Hide +1, Knowledge: Religion +4.5, Move Silently +1, Tumble +6
Midnight Dodge
Meldshaping, Wild Empathy, Skilled city dweller


4th
Totemist 2
+3
+7
+3
+0
Balance +4, Bluff +1.5 , Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +5, Hide +1.5, Knowledge: Religion +5, Move Silently +1.5, Tumble +7

Totem Chakra Bind (+1 capacity)


5th
Totemist 3
+4
+7
+3
+1
Balance +4, Bluff +2 , Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +5, Hide +2, Knowledge: Religion +5.5, Move Silently +2, Tumble +8

Totem’s Protection


6th
Totemist 4
+5
+8
+4
+1
Balance +4, Bluff +2.5 , Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +5, Hide +2.5, Knowledge: Religion +6, Move Silently +2.5, Tumble +9
Multiattack



7th
Totemist 5
+5
+8
+4
+1
Balance +4,[b] Bluff +3 , Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +5, Hide +3, Knowledge: Religion +6.5, Move Silently +3, Tumble +10

Chakra Binds (crown, feet, hands)


8th
Totemist 6
+6
+9
+5
+2
Balance +4, [b]Bluff +4.5 , Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +5, Hide +3, Knowledge: Religion +7, Move Silently +3, Tumble +11

Totem Chakra Bind (+1 meldshaper level)


9th
Binder 1
+6
+11
+5
+4
Balance +4, Bluff +4.5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, [b]Intimidate +7, Hide +3, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +3, Tumble +11
Improved Binding
Soul Binding


10th
Swordsage 1
+6
+11
+7
+6
Balance +4, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +7, Hide +6, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +12
Weapon Focus (Tiger Claw), improved unarmed Strike (B)
Discipline Focus (Tiger Claw), Quick to act +1, maneuvers


11th
Life Eater 1
+6
+13
+9
+8
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +11, Hide +8, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +12

Deathwatch, Poison Use


12th
Life Eater 2
+7
+14
+10
+9
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Intimidate +12, Hide +12, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +12 Never Outnumbered
Mindsight
Sneak Attack +1d6, Death Knell


13th
Life Eater 3
+8
+14
+10
+9
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Escape Artist +2 , Intimidate +13, Hide +13, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +16, Never Outnumbered

Chill Touch


14th
Life Eater 4
+9
+15
+11
+10
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Escape Artist +6 , Intimidate +14, Hide +14, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +17, Never Outnumbered

Hide in Plain Sight


15th
Life Eater 5
+9
+15
+11
+10
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Escape Artist +10 , Intimidate +15, Hide +15, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +18, Never Outnumbered
Expel Vestige
Sneak Attack +2d6, Wounding Sneak attack


16th
Life Eater 6
+10
+16
+12
+11
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Escape Artist +14 , Intimidate +16, Hide +16, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +19, Never Outnumbered

Fatiguing touch


17th
Life Eater 7
+11
+16
+12
+11
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +4, Escape Artist +16 , Intimidate +17, Hide +17, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +20, Never Outnumbered, Back on your Feet

Enervation


18th
Life Eater 8
+12
+17
+13
+12
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +5, Escape Artist +17 , Intimidate +18, Hide +18, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +21, Never Outnumbered, Back on your Feet, Twisted Charge
Darkstalker or Open
Sneak Attack +3d6, draining sneak attack,


19th
Life Eater 9
+12
+17
+13
+12
Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +6, Escape Artist +18 , Intimidate +19, Hide +19, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +22, Never Outnumbered, Back on your Feet, Twisted Charge, Nimble Stand

Destruction


20th
Life Eater 10
+13
+18
+14
+13
] Balance +5, Bluff +5, Craft: Armorsmithing +7, Escape Artist +19 , Intimidate +20, Hide +20, Knowledge: Religion +8, Move Silently +5, Tumble +23, Never Outnumbered, Back on your Feet, Twisted Charge, Nimble Stand, Nimble Charge

Feed




Maneuvers:
Lvl 1: crusader’s strike, leading the attack, stone bones, douse the flames, charging minotaur
Lvl10: Shadow Garrote, Shadow Jaunt, Cloak of Deception, Mountain Hammer, Distracting Ember, Burning Brand

Stances:
Lvl 1: Martial Spirit
Lvl10: Assassin’s stance

Incarnum Stuff

Essentia: 5
Chakra Binds: 2
Soulmelds: 4

Girallon Arms Bound to totem Chakra, Shaped to Arm
Shedu Crown bound to the Crown
Dragon Tail Shaped until level 8, then usually Blink Shirt
Dread Carapace for fear stack is okay, shaped on feet bound to totem for fear stack. If you know mooks are coming in droves.

Binding
Bound Vestige is Usually Amon, though Dahlver-nahl, Naberius, and Malphas are swapped in as needed, or your vestige of choice.

Crunchy bits and lvl by lvl

Dragonborn (wings) warforged is your base. CN -> CE
Str 16 Dex 15 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 12 Cha 8 base
Str 16 Dex 13 Con 18 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha 6 after racials. Increase strength at every level.
Con is great, flight is great, especially since warforged are immune to fatigue so they come online drastically earlier, and you are amazingly resilient. Also, importantly, you are immune to poison. That will be a key novaing ability.
Lvl1: You are a crusader for skills! Who knew?! It is one of the few classes that gets both knowledge religion and intimidate as class skills, and it has the benefit of having a decent amount of skill points from a solid list, and it is quite possibly the most survivable level 1 class. You heal on every attack with your stance, plus you have a healing strike, your delayed damage pool, d10 HD and pretty great con. You have basically every maneuver you can have, since you only have 6 total options, with two being pretty functionally identical. Of note here is psionic minor creation. In addition to normal utility to make what you want 1x a day, it can make a ton of poisons. Greensickness and black lotus extract are both plant based and qualify. Greensickness is a Fort DC 33 inhaled poison, with primary and secondary Damage of 2d6 str AND 1d4 con. It clears groups, kills or incapacitates anything that breaths it in and has a fort save of basically NOPE for most levels. That’s and average of 7 strength damage and 2 con damage instantly as long as your enemy is living and breathes. Black Lotus extract is contact DC 20 for 3d6 con primary and secondary, so only a touch attack for an average of 10 con damage. The save is much easier but its still a very potent option when needed. Otherwise you are a super tanky crusader. Heal yourself getting around most warforged limitations with your maneuver and stance, beat things with a quarterstaff or greatsword (quarterstaff is super budget) and you can go bonkers with poison when needed. Also you can take time to fix yourself for more healing with armorsmithing. Just take 20 in downtime.
Lvl 2: You can pounce for 2 attacks in your frenzy now. Still hardy.
Lvl 3: Will save is hurting but at least you got some soulmelds to alleviate it a bit and give you some minor utility or skill bonuses as needed.
Lvl 4: Totem comes online, which means girallon arms. This is good.
Lvl 5: You have pounce, whirling frenzy, your totem bind, and your three go to melds. Your totem is girallion arms from now until the end of time, you also shape dragon tail for the extra attack and Shedu crown for the bonus to will because your will save is trash. Most of your essential will be in the crown and likely midnight dodge, tail sometimes. Your to hit is not great because no multiattack until next level. However, you have a massive number of attacks and can still coat yourself in black lotus extract to make a bunch of touch attacks. Your frenzy routine is now +8 claw/+8 claw/+8 claw/+8 claw/+8 claw/+3 tail, or +8 weapon/+8 weapon/+3 claw/+3 claw/+3 claw/+3 claw/+3 tail. As touch attacks those are pretty likely to hit for black lotus destruction, or for normal attacks you are not amazing but still decent enough and you have reasonable strength for ok bonus damage.
Lvl 6-8: More essential, more totemist stuff. Your will save is awful, a trip to the otyugh hole is recommended and keep your crown shape/bind full until you know you do not need it. You have a fly speed now make use of it.
Lvl 9: Binder and Improved binding. Why? Because I love binders. Honestly you can do most anything here. Binder gives a ton of utility and neat situational abilities, and they have upsides for later in the build. You could go bard for DFI here, another totemist for another bind and shuffle mindsight in early, a level of fighter for a bonus feat or whatever you feel is best. Binder gives Amon for a Gore attack like Baphomet, which lets your swap your dragon tail to blink shirt for tactical teleportation. You can get sudden strike, invisibility, scout bird, free skills, and any number of other things. You could skip Improved binding and stick with the level 1 vestiges but I like more options. Plus it helps with meeting skill reqs. Since knowledge religion is not on most classes you want to take levels in.
Lvl 10: Your (unarmed) Swordsage level here means you can get up to 3rd level maneuvers and stances. You also finish your pre reqs if I have done my skill math correct. Assassin’s stance if your new go to, though you have a fall back for healing. You can also always flank now with your little elemental buddy, which coincidentally gives you infinite out of combat healing, just punch it in your other stance. You gain a ranged attack which your largely lack, more teleportation if you want to not bind blink shirt, reach if needed, greater invisibility if you want to bind something else, and everyones favorite lockpick in Mountain Hammer which your crusader maneuver qualifies you for. Also weapon focus in tiger claw is huge giving you an additional to hit for your now proficient unarmed attacks and claw attacks. Your frenzy attack looks like +11 unarmed/+11 unarmed/+ 9 claw/+9 claw/+9 claw/+9 claw/+8 gore (+8 tail) which with cloak of deception targets FF AC for an additional 2d6 per attack, 3d6 if you take the sudden strike vestige( lose gore though). If you prep with your lotus extract that’s 7 or 8 attacks vs. a flat footed touch AC target most times. The save is lacking now but variance is on your side with that many applications. Greensickness is still a great localized aoe if needed which has a wicked save still out of reach for many things, though there are more immunities to poison now if they are not immune its pretty unlikely they make the save.
Lvl 11-12: In the SI now, focusing on your few key skills. You do not need many so just keep a few up. You get sneak attack which is an extra 1d6 on your attacks most of the time now, between your invisibilities and distracting ember, which with assassins stance and respectable strength is a fair bit of pure damage. You are not putting out uber charger numbers but with an average of 8 attacks and 23 strength is 128 DPR before each individual attacks damage assuming all hit. Double on dive. That is respectable. You also get mindsight at 12 making you nearly impossible to surprise. With a bind alters you can also have a respectable fear stack, making never outnumbered a reasonable skill trick to acquire here. Especially since you do not need or use a lot of your points.
Lvl 13: Chill touch is more useful than you think, because undead are problematic. You can bypass with flight or teleportation but being able to send some packing is not bad. Fatigue is ok if it lands which it will not likely because your charisma is awful. Also since you hold the charge until it is dispelled and you get a fair few attacks, you could I believe hit multiple foes a turn. And you have enough attacks if you cannot hit multiples (or more than just your Unarmed strikes, held multiple charge spells gets weird) you can spare one for a potential rider, or just add it as a maybe into your attack routine. You can discharge on a normal unarmed or claw attack.
Lvl 14: HiPS is nice, but you will not need it because of your invisibility most of the time. However with your hide skill being respectable and with melds and vestiges to enhance it further you can be a deadly ghost. See invis doesn’t see you if you are hiding, and you can short range teleport to someplace hide and get a better attacking angle, or reset charge paths, or any number of other fun things. You can also get a darkness bubble if needed so you always have concealment/shadow. Incarnum and Binding open up so many great options.
Lvl 15: More sneak attack and wounding sneak attack are great. A bit more damage from the number of attacks is nice and being a ghost and forcing a bunch of bleed is nice, Baphomet would approve. You can play deadly cat and mouse and if they stop to heal you can get them again. Fear stacking here again helps, you can force them to flee as they bleed. Expel Vestige helps keeps versatility high.
Lvl 16: Fatiguing touch can be nice, but not as easy to stack as fear. Again as a bonus rider on a hit not the worst.
Lvl 17: Enervation is nice, a ranged debuff option is fine, and its an ok way to open fights. It also importantly lowers saves for poison and fear. Our final unarmed attack comes online yaay.
Sweet spot! Lvl 18: It took a while but we are here. The sneak attack bump is nice, but better is draining sneak attack. A negative level on every sneak attack, and we are getting 9 attacks on Average in a frenzy, 4 unarmed, 4 claws, and one gore or tail. -9 to most everything in one round wrecks BBEGs or anything that is not immune or prepared. You can (more) easily trigger wightpocalypse now with humanoids, and you are immune to energy drain so it doesn’t bug you, and seeing as how you lack flesh in general they will likely leave you alone. You also blend pretty well, dealing 185 damage a round before rolling base weapon die without sudden strike vestige (which adds 31, all doubled on diving) which is pretty nice, assuming all attacks hit. You have a host of immunities, flight, short range teleportation, mindsight for catching (or setting up) ambushes, and can nova in a burst of poison which may be encounter ending right there, especially after adding 9 or so negative levels to something. Plus a variety of goodies from soulmelds and binding, and a bit of maneuvers for extra rounded out utility. Darkstalker enhances your sneakiness but is not really needed this late unless everyone has see invis., shape soulmeld for crystal helm for incorporeal foes, open greater chakra shoulders gives you a few more attacks or options, anything that gives essentia or power points, or anything that helps poison DC all work here.
Lvl 19: Destruction is nice but your save DC is low, however being able to blow someone up at close range is great for ruining morale, especially if you do it from invisibilty.
Lvl 20: Nom nom time. Warforged can benefit from consumables and I believe that applies to bodies. A bunch of free con is nice.
HP: 147 (before inherents from feast)
Fly 30 ft. Average, 30 ft. ground
Attack routine in frenzy with base damages: Unarmed +19/+19/+19/+19. 1d6 +7 4 claws +17. 1d4 + 3 Tail+16 1d8 +3 or gore + 16 1d8+1d6+10 (on charge).
Saves: Fort + 22, Ref + 15, Will +13
AC 11 (before midnight dodge)

So Hunger is a multiattacking fairly mobile debuffing beatstick. It has a decent bit of utility though the vastness that is binding and incarnum, covers most of its own weaknesses and can be an excellent debuffer or SoL in brief moments. It is also almost completely wealth independent. All numbers are gearless, no invested essentia. Great for a random loot dungeon crawl like WLD or low/no magic game.
Recommended items: Necklace of natural attacks (savage species) with force enchantment, and possibly mage bane and/or something that dispels. Death ward sucks for you. Best full plate with fearsome and animated shield you can get, AC as it stands is pretty bad. Stat and save boosters, focusing on strength and will saves. FoM is not super needed with blink shirt and shadow jaunt, but never bad. Anything that improves your flight mobility. Mind Blank is nice later but you do not really need it early, or just get a banner of protection from good for most of the same stuff for a much cheaper price.
Its weaknesses are incorporeal creatures, swarms (until lvl 9 with amon and not great after), and poison immune foes to a lesser extent. Death ward or immunity to negative energy hurt a lot, but Hunger is a decent blender with enough damage to contribute, especially if diving after level 6 for double damage, though losing the 5d6 sneak on every attack vs. immune targets does hurt as well. Will saves are pretty awful until SI, so keeping your crown bind full of essentia and possibly visiting the otyguh hole when/if you can is highly recommended.


Sources

Warforged: Eberron Campaign Setting
Dragonborn of Bahamut(wings): archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060105b
Crusader, Swordsage, Maneuvers, Stances : Tome of Battle
Totemist, Midnight dodge, soulmelds and essentia: Magic of Icarnum
Dragon tail soulmeld: archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=4
Hidden Talent: Expanded Psionic Handbook
Greensickness: Monster Manual 3 Plague Bush entry
Binder, vestiges, improved binding, expel vestige: Tome of Magic
SI: See chair’s post
Multiattack: Monster Manual 1
Mindsight, darkstalker: Lords of Madness
Skilled City Dweller: archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a
Whirling Frenzy: SRD
Spirit Lion Totem: Complete Champion
Skill tricks: Complete scoundrel and adventurer, I forget which are which.

[Heliomance]

Entry number 2!



https://www.daily-sun.com/assets/news_images/2016/05/23/old-japanese-people.jpg
Oroba, Weaver of Webs
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XxnoOaROusg/XQAwEHiGFDI/AAAAAAAAPyo/EK-i_qx7bRA9xe-WD_9wIub8KdVx-pm2wCK8BGAs/s0/2019-06-11.jpg



Oroba ambled from her small, crooked house atop a mountain where few ever tread. She picked a plum from a tree with her strong hand. The other lay by her side, tiny and withered, clutching her cane whittled from a tree that had long since left the mountaintop. The wisps of hair on her hand stood on end among the folds of her wrinkled flesh, grasping for their twins. Ever since Oroba had been separated by a knife's point from her sister, parts of her longed for their counterpart. Despite magic's best efforts, they would always be two parts of a whole.

Oroba sat at their stone bench and examined the board on the table before her. Pieces lay untouched since the first snow of last winter, some representing figures she had forgotten. Others were new additions, put there surreptitiously by her sister in her absence. Oroba ran her fingertip along one, a child holding a knot of chains in her hand, a tiny ruby brooch holding her cloak shut like a drop of blood.

Sure enough, Deigra's wizened silhouette emerged from the mists of early morning. She and her cane lurched over from her house on the other tine of the mountain. Like a fork, it separated the sisters but for their meetings in this valley garden.

"What do you lay against my champion, m'dear?" Deigra nodded toward an ancient figurine of charred white oak. A diadem of fangs plucked from the mouths of rats rested atop his head. Diegra didn't even touch him, many seasons of dust comfortably coating his bare shoulders. He seemed to flaunt how long he had sat, entrenched on the board.

Oroba set the child down in an ebony square. "Her. And those in her path she manages to rally."

Deigra grinned, her crooked teeth rasping against each other as she laughed. "You always did have to make things difficult, didn't you? What shall we say, yours or mine brought here alive before the end of the harvest?"

"And no direct interference," Oroba bit her plum in half.

"Perish the thought." Deigra took the other half and spat out the stone. It landed on the line dividing their estates. "As it lies." She ground it into the earth with the tip of her cane.


Clouded Moon climbed the final step to reach the mountain's peak. Her visions had led her here. All was as it had been in her dreams, down to the last stone in front of the ramshackle house before her. She stepped forth and motioned to knock with her mailed fist, but the door opened before she had a chance.

"Come in, child," the crone within said. She was enormous, but stooped. Her limbs weren't straight for more than a hand's span, twisted like roots.

"I'm here to free the land from the-th the pall of oppression it's fallen under in recent years," Clouded Moon said.

"Ah, yes. Well thank you, dear one. As you can see, I'm feeling very oppressed here. People coming here day and night to oppress me despite my best efforts." The crone poured fragrant tea into two bone cups out of a pot carved to look like a skull (Clouded Moon hoped.)

"You're probably wond-, um, please don't make fun of me, I have a whole speech prepared. You've gone and made me lose my place." Clouded Moon fiddled with the length of priest-blessed chains she'd wended around her body to protect her from the evil spirits rumored to haunt this valley.

"If you've prepared it in advance, you can get out the cards and find your place. I'll even pretend not to look if you like." The crone sipped her tea.
"Can't read. I'm afraid our village is too simple for such extravagances. Surely this is due to the evil workings of the Prince-"

"Prince of Teeth. Right. I've heard tell of him and so on and so forth. I've got an artifact here to help you in your noble quest if you promise to get on with it after you've had something to eat," the crone said. She reached into a drawer on her table and pulled out the biggest ruby Clouded Moon had ever seen. It must've been the size of a whole peppercorn!

"Wow! What convinced you? Has he been here? Or those in his employ?" she asked.

"Sure," the crone said. "Mostly it was your natural leadership and speaking ability. Whoever sent you here was clear the prince must be taken alive, yes?"

Clouded Moon frowned and ate some small cakes, finer than anything she'd ever tasted. "Well, yes, now you mention it, Lord Roberts was quite insistent. Not repaying evil with evil, right?"

"Yes, that's it exactly. You're quite the perceptive one, aren't you?" The crone pushed a plate of sausages toward her.

"Well, I don't like to brag," Clouded Moon said, her mouth full. Was this what beef tasted like? No wonder people wrote songs about it. She'd heard the Prince of Teeth had it every night. Imagine! "Don't worry, he'll be alive when he gets here." She swallowed and looked as serious as she could. "This I swear to you."

Clouded Moon reached for the knife closest to her on the table and ran it across her thumb. "I'll swear it in blood if you like," she said just as she realized it was a butter knife and wished she'd fallen off the mountain.

"No, no, dear, that's fine. Why don't I just wrap a few things up for your journey?" The crone nudged a fully loaded pack much nicer than the one Clouded Moon wore on her back.

"Gee, thanks! Your cooking is great, but this is kind of a lot, don't you think?" Clouded Moon said, trying not to be too obvious about counting the cakes.

"Well, since this, Prince of Teeth, was it? Since he's oppressed so many people, you might find people who want to help you. I thought it might speed things along if you had some extra provisions. Plus the less time you have to spend hunting--"

"Or gathering," Clouded Moon said helpfully.

"Or gathering, the more time you can spend on your quest," the crone finished.

After a quick goodbye, Clouded Moon was on her way to defeat the Prince of Teeth.


Clouded Moon swung from the chandelier in the Prince of Teeth's throne room, and decapitated the last gargoyle. "That's for Click!" The cutpurse had given his life for their mission. His dying scream would haunt her for the rest of her days, as would the smell of his burning flesh when he had failed to disable the final lava trap.

The Prince of Teeth laughed at her declaration. "You think I need these things to protect me? Ha! I've got a place on my brow for those canines of yours, brat!" He tore off his tattered black cape, revealing his pale, muscular chest and dove toward Kris, digging his claws into the parts of her flesh she hadn't yet replaced with living crystal. She didn't scream. Classic Kris.

"That's what you think!" Clouded Moon pulled her blade in a circle and cut through the chain holding the chandelier to the ceiling. "You should never underestimate the bravest souls of Belstrand's Hollow!" The chandelier tinkled and clattered on its journey downwards. The Prince of Teeth raised his hand, black nails glistening with fresh blood to abjure it somehow, but faltered.

"Wait, where did you say you were from?" That was all it took. The spokes of the chandelier pinned his arms to his sides. From there, it was a simple matter for Clouded Moon to tie his wrists and ankles with the length of haunted chain she'd worn wrapped around herself this whole time as an armored shell. Hopefully, bringing this tyrant to justice would lay the spirits within each link to rest forever and let them move on to the next world.

Kris staunched her wounds with the black soil of her homeland. "Oh, so you've heard of Belstrand's Hollow?" She smirked, no longer making an effort to hide her fangs. Kris lifted the crown of teeth from the prince's head and twirled it around her crystalline finger. "Howell, check it out. Free hat."

"No time for that, devil woman. Let's get this over with." The grizzled man lifted a black bag stitched meticulously with holy runes and loomed over the prince.

"If only." Kris extruded a blade from her thumb, letting it grow til it was two hand spans long. She pressed it to the prince's neck and drew a drop of blood.

Howell elbowed her aside and yanked the bag over the prince's head. "None of your nonsense. You know the rules."

Clouded Moon swallowed. "Yeah, that's right! I mean, we'd be no better than the Prince of Teeth if we did that!" She slapped Howell on the part of his back not marred with burn scars from the dragon that lay dead in a heap on the floor. He shrugged her off with something that looked an awful lot like disgust.

"Death is too good for his kind." Howell healed himself with a nip from the iron flask around his neck that didn't smell much like holy water.

"No, it's not! Kill me! Please! You like my castle? You've seen the whole thing by now. Take it, it's yours! Lock me away forever. Keep me in the dungeon. Just don't take me back there!" He stopped talking when Howell punched him in the stomach.

"Silence, filth." Howell's magic enforced his command. The runes on the blag bag glowed, cutting off whatever the prince was going to say next. They brightened the louder he tried to scream.

"Guys, he's not--I mean, there isn't a reason to, uh--" Clouded Moon wasn't sure what she was trying to say, even though she thought it was obvious what she meant.

"The order was for alive, not well, kid." Kris ran her tongue across a hound's tooth on the prince's crown and frowned. "After all this, the damn thing's not even magic? I figured the only reason laughing boy here would wear this was if it was giving him some juice. Barely worth keeping, now."

"Still your sorrows. Even if it's purely decorative, I'm sure some deviant like you will pay handsomely for it solely for the reputation," Howell scolded.

"Hey, you're right." Kris donned the crown even though it caught in her bangs. "Just for that, I'll take first shift tonight." Howell grumbled, almost like he hadn't wanted to make Kris feel better.

"First shift for what? There won't be any more attacks. It's over! We beat the Prince of Teeth! We're heroes!" Clouded Moon said, since everyone else seemed to be forgetting.

"This is gonna be hilarious. Click's gonna kick himself for missing this," Kris said.


Clouded Moon welcomed the chance for rest once darkness fell over the land. It was going to be a long journey back. Even without bloodthirsty monsters at her heel, transporting the Prince of Teeth would slow them down. She hadn't been asleep long when the noise of battle awakened her once more. Clouded Moon drew her blade and whirled in a circle looking for assailants.

She saw only Kris grappling with the Prince of Teeth by the riverbed, his head under the water's surface. Clouded Moon didn't feel good.

"Hey! C-c'mon! Can't you see he's not dangerous? You don't have to do that to him." Clouded Moon crept closer to the riverbank but couldn't bring herself to sheathe her blade.

"You wanna try telling him that?" Kris grunted and lost her footing on the slippery rocks. The bag came off the prince's head and he dove into the water. Kris grabbed his chain and braced herself against the shore. "If you're up, then help me, unless you want to violate the precepts of your mission."

Clouded Moon dropped her blade and helped pull the prince out of the water. Before he had a chance to thank her, Kris put the bag back over his head. "I'm doing you a favor, trust me," she said.

Clouded Moon wasn't really in the mood to talk so tried her best to rest. During her watch, they were attacked by a gang of gargoyles. Curiously, they only seemed interested in attacking the prince. By now, her party was adept at killing gargoyles, so it was dealt with quickly, but it still seemed odd, even if she was the only one who thought so.

The closer they got to home, the less like adventuring their quest became. After a few days, there weren't any more monster attacks. They were making camp one day and Clouded Moon took the prince his ration. She took the bag off his head at mealtimes. The others just rolled up the part for the mouth. He didn't cry out for his minions to swarm him. Not anymore.

"Here you go," she said and broke off a piece of a scone.

"No," he said, devoid of the bombast he'd had in his throne room.

"You've got to eat something," she said and had some herself in case he thought it was poisoned.

"Heavens and hells, you really don't know, do you, girl?" he said with something like pity. "I know if I go without for long enough, I'll die. I've made my peace with that."

"I don't think we're that far off," Clouded Moon said.

"Then it doesn't matter," the prince said.

Kris came over to relieve her. "What's this? You two having a little heart to heart?"

"I don't think he's hungry," Clouded Moon said, trying not to meet Kris's gaze.

"Huh. Why don't you go get us some more firewood, kid? Your shift's over." Kris picked up a piece of meat from the prince's plate and chewed it.

When Clouded Moon got back, the prince's plate was empty, and his mouth was bloody. Some of his teeth were broken. She hoped they got home soon.


"One more day. I can't tell you how glad I'll be to be done with you," Kris said to no one in particular.

She took point in marching order, since Click was still dead. She'd stopped talking to the prince days ago. Mostly she acted like he wasn't even there. What Clouded Moon had thought was affectionate banter between her and Howell, or perhaps even the smoldering embers of a star-crossed romance between a holy man and whatever Kris was didn't look likely. The things they said to each other had about as much warmth behind them as the crystal parts of Kris's skin. They could hardly stand to look at each other anymore. About the most Kris said to Clouded Moon now was to change shifts.

"I can't help but wonder if my god guided me to capture the right unholy creature in that castle," Howell mused to himself.

"You're not fooling anyone, you know. We all know what god you worship. I don't know why you're still playing it coy," Kris said.

"Allowing you to hear his name would pollute it," Howell said.

"You guys have been, uh, you helped me succeed on my mission. That's something," Clouded Moon said, trying to keep a smile on her face.

"Her mission," Kris said. Despite himself, Howell couldn't suppress a chuckle. Clouded Moon couldn't figure out why.

Soon enough, they were at the mountain's base. Despite Kris and Howell's efforts to keep him fed, the prince was too weak to climb.

"I don't suppose you might consider making this easy on us," Kris said.

"Die in hell," the prince said.

"Fair enough," Kris said. "We'll have to tie him to a branch, hang him below us, and carry him up. It's the only way." They'd come this far. They tied themselves together and began the climb

Howell channeled the spirits of ancient beasts to climb the mountain with spectral claws, gouging holds into the rock. Kris shaped her crystals into hooks and spikes to speed her ascent. Clouded Moon had to make do with the nonmagical chains left in her possession, hammering spikes and digging in with pitons. Their ascent was uneven, but eventually, they got to the top.

Before they could get their bearings, Clouded Moon heard the ragged wheeze of the prince's breathing. He must have gotten the bag off. Clouded Moon got to her feet and turned around. The prince had a bottle of Kris's cursed soil in his teeth and was working the cork out with his tongue.

"No! I didn't go through all this for you to ruin it now!" Kris yelled.

"Guys, it's fine, maybe he just wants to heal his wounds. He doesn't look so good," Clouded Moon said.

"That foul earth kills regular people," Howell said. He reached for the ropes binding him to the others, but he was furthest from the prince.

"I really didn't want to have to do this." Kris's crystal eye glowed with a dull blackness. She held her empty hand out and the prince collapsed flat on his back. His toes turned inward, and his hands grasped into claws, palms out. He seized up and held so terribly still.

"Is he--?" Clouded Moon started.

"Finish a sentence. Once. Just once. No, you stupid girl, he's not dead." Kris opened her palm and held a grape-sized lump of brain. "The order was in one piece. I figure as long as it adds up, we'll still get the full sum."

Howell lifted the prince's limp body over his shoulder. "If not, it's coming out of your share, witch."

Clouded Moon winced, waiting for Kris's retort.

"You know what? That's reasonable. I'll give you that one," Kris said.

Clouded Moon cut herself loose from their climbing ropes and opened the door to the crone's house. "Wait, you guys are getting paid?"

Lord Roberts was waiting inside. He was wrapped in furs to ward off the chill of the mountain air. He had a lantern clutched in his fist. There was already a fire burning in the small house, but he seemed to treat the thing more as a talisman. Always, he kept it between himself and the crone.

"You're here. Thank the heavens. Come in, come in, come in," Lord Roberts said. "Gods know I can't stand being alone with this . . . thing," he murmured to Clouded Moon, putting his arm around her shoulder in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.

"That's not nice," Clouded Moon said. The crone teetered in the kitchen and ladled mulled wine into mugs. She accepted one just as Lord Roberts mouthed "don't" from behind the crone's hunched back.

"Thank you," Clouded Moon said and took a sip.

"That him?" Lord Roberts nodded toward the lump over Howell's shoulder.

"Most of him," Howell said.

"Snitch." Kris gave the crone a chin nod. "Here, catch." She tossed the chunk of brain toward the crone who opened her jaws and caught it like a dog. The edges of her mouth went back further than they should when they opened.

"Well, these things can get away from you," the crone said. "You empty his bladder and bowel?"

"He took care of that on the walk up. Is there anywhere I can change after?" Howell asked.

"Oh, feel free to use the garden. I have it mostly to myself." She limped over to him and picked the prince off his shoulder in one hand. The muscles in her arms stood out like cords of rope as she lifted him over the table and set him on the kitchen counter. She rubbed the prince with olive oil and sharpened an enormous razor on a whetstone.

"W-was this why you wanted him alive? So he'd be fresh?" Clouded Moon asked.

Lord Roberts laughed.

"Nothing so base, I assure you," the crone said as she shaved him.

"You'll see soon enough. Even if you wish you hadn't," Lord Roberts drank deeply from a flask around his neck.

The crone hanged the prince by the ankles over a ceiling beam so he dangled over the dining table. Above him was the skull of something between man and bull with writing under it, like a shrine to some evil god. Clouded Moon didn't want to know what it said. The prince's soft breathing didn't quicken.

"Please, everyone, sit. Make yourselves comfortable. We have a long night ahead of us," the crone said as she made a quick, triangular cut across the prince's neck, his blood draining into a bowl fashioned from some enormous thing's skull cap.

Kris picked at a roll with her crystalline talons and put a few crumbs of bread in her mouth.

"I hope it hurts, you bastard," Howell hissed.

"She's already eaten the part of him that feels pain. Feels anything, really. It's not in that spirit stuff you're so hot for. Just in our meat." Kris took a pinch of salt from a cellar on the table.

"Is the blood for a ritual or something? The blood of a great evil?" Clouded Moon asked. That was the kind of thing needed for powerful magic.

"No, it's for gravy," the crone said. She stood from her chair and took a bite out of the prince's calf. His lack of any reaction, even the slightest breath let Clouded Moon be sure he was quite dead.

"I don't feel so good," Clouded Moon said. "May I please be excused?" She pushed her chair back a hand span, but was stopped by Lord Roberts's arm across her back.

"No one moves. No one leaves. Not until she's finished. She has to destroy it all. What's to keep her from saving a piece aside if we don't watch her?" Lord Roberts asked, unblinking.

"Sir, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but this is-- this is wrong! What are we doing here?" Clouded Moon swallowed, feeling her gorge rise.

"When I found this thing digging up graves, I thought it was just a beast. I repacked the soft earth and buried what was left and tried to put it out of my mind. Our village is small. There's not enough fresh corpses to sustain its appetites. Soon, it began to kill to sate its hunger. On its own, this would be bad, but not unfixable. The problem was, people it ate couldn't always be brought back," Lord Roberts said.

"What, you mean she ate too much for the spell?" she asked.

"No. Even those spells, the ones that don't need a body. They didn't work. Those people were just gone. Forever."

"I don't understand," Clouded Moon said.

"There's a surprise," Kris said.

"A lesser man, a simpler man, would've seen this unnatural magic as something to be destroyed without a second thought. But not I. I cornered this thing and said in exchange for it leaving the village and going into exile, now and again, I'd feed it a nice big meal. Someone the world was better off without. But I know I couldn't leave it to its own devices. What would stop it from leaving a foot or a claw in its larder only to bring it back again and again? No. We had to monitor it. It's the only way," Lord Roberts said, seemingly more for his own benefit than anyone else's.

The crone took this talk in stride. By now, she was sucking the meat off the prince's ribs. Even if she'd been offended, she hardly could've responded. It wasn't long before she was cracking his bones to suck out the marrow. When they were dry, she ground them in her jaws like rye beneath a millstone. Lord Roberts nodded to Howell, who took out a scroll. He spoke the words to raise the dead and named the Prince of Teeth.

"Hey! You had that the whole time? Why didn't you use it on Click? He was your son!" Clouded Moon demanded.

Howell finished the incantation, and, chillingly, nothing happened. Lord Roberts nodded. "It is done. Farewell to the Prince of Teeth."

"I know he was my son. Why would you feel as though you needed to remind me of that? If I used it on him, I couldn't have proved our enemy was dealt with. How would we collect the bounty that way?" Howell said.

"Bounty? But I thought--" Clouded Moon began.

"We'll see you're taken care of, don't you worry yourself over it," Lord Roberts said.

"No. Well, I mean, thank you, of course, but I thought we were doing this to protect the land. Liberate the people the Prince of Teeth was oppressing. Did someone just hire us to do this?" Clouded Moon asked.

Lord Roberts chuckled. "Well, you don't get to be in a position like his without making a few enemies. The way I see it, we were doing a little of both. Who ever said a man can't serve two masters? Anyway, now that he's dealt with, I'll leave you to your own devices. Howell, go change out of that piss soaked robe. I'll send word to you when your money arrives and you can resurrect your idiot son as many times as you like." Howell grunted.

"Kris, until the next threat looms, you know the position of my personal guard is still open," Lord Roberts said.

"And it'll stay that way," she said.

"Clouded Moon, you have a lot to learn, but the next time there's a threat to the village--"

"Call someone else."


After she'd bid the last of her visitors farewell, Oroba went into her garden. She burnt the priest's discarded garment and sprinkled the ashes in her spice garden. She lurched to the game board between her house and her sister's. The Prince of Teeth was no longer on the board. She moved her Knight of Chains a square forward and smiled.


NE lesser tiefling incarnate 7/necrocarnate 3/life eater 10


before mods
str 16
dex 12
con 14
int 14
wis 14
cha 8

after racial mods
str 16
dex 14
con 14
int 16
wis 14
cha 6

after increases
str 18
dex 14
con 17
int 16
wis 14
cha 6

increase str at 4 and 20, increase con at 8, 12, and 16




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


1st
Tiefling Incarnate 1
+0
+2
+0
+2
bluff 4, hide 4, k (arcana) 4, k (planes) 4, k (religion) 4, ms 4 (2), spellcraft 4
midnight dodge
aura, detect opposition (good), see in darkness


2nd
Incarnate 2
+1
+3
+0
+3
k (arcana) 1 (5), k (planes) 1 (5), k (religion) 1 (5), ms 1 (2.5), spellcraft 1 (5)

chakra bind (crown)


3rd
Tiefling Incarnate 3
+1
+3
+1
+3
bluff 1 (5), hide 2 (6), k (arcana) 1 (6), k (religion) 1 (6), spellcraft 1 (6), ms 1 (3)
necrocarnum acolyte
expanded soulmeld capacity +1, incarnum radience 1/day + concealment


4th
Incarnate 4
+2
+4
+1
+4
k (arcana) 1 (7), k (planes) 1 (6), k (religion) 1 (7), ms 1 (3.5), spellcraft 1 (7)

chakra binds (feet, hands)


5th
Incarnate 5
+2
+4
+1
+4
k (arcana) 1 (8), k (planes) 1 (6), k (religion) 1 (8), ms 1 (4), spellcraft 1 (8)

rapid meldshaping 1/day


6th
Incarnate 6
+3
+5
+2
+5
k (arcana) 1 (9), k (planes) 3 (9), spellcraft 1 (9)
ordered chaos



7th
Tiefling Incarnate 7
+3
+5
+2
+5
bluff 3 (8), hide 3 (9), spellcraft 1 (10)

telepathy 100ft


8th
Necrocarnate 1
+3
+5
+2
+7
intimidate 3, ms 2 (5)

harvest soul (1 minute), improved meldshaper level


9th
Necrocarnate 2
+4
+5
+2
+8
intimidate 5 (8)
mindsight
necrocarnum soulshield


10th
Necrocarnate 3
+4
+6
+3
+8
intimidate 3 (11), never outnumbered

chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)


11th
Life Eater 1
+4
+8
+5
+10
balance 5, hide 4 (13)

deathwatch, poison use


12th
Life Eater 2
+5
+9
+6
+11
hide 2 (15), ms 7 (12)
darkstalker
sneak attack +1d6, death knell


13th
Life Eater 3
+6/+1
+9
+6
+11
hide 1 (16), ms 3 (15), sleight of hand 5

chill touch


14th
Life Eater 4
+7/+2
+10
+7
+12
sleight of hand 7 (12), mosquito's bite

hide in plain sight


15th
Life Eater 5
+7/+2
+10
+7
+12
hide 2 (18), intimidate 4 (15), ms 3 (18)
double chakra (arm)
sneak attack +2d6, wounding sneak attack


16th
Life Eater 6
+8/+3
+11
+8
+13
bluff 4 (12), hide 1 (19), intimidate 3 (18), ms 1 (19)

fatiguing touch


17th
Life Eater 7
+9/+4
+11
+8
+13
bluff 5 (17), hide 1 (20), intimidate 2 (20), ms 1 (20)

enervation


18th
Life Eater 8
+10/+5
+12
+9
+14
bluff 3 (20), hide 1 (21), intimidate 1 (21), k (religion) 3 (11), ms 1 (21)
open greater chakra (waist)
sneak attack +3d6, draining sneak attack


19th
Life Eater 9
+10/+5
+12
+9
+14
bluff 1 (21), hide 1 (22), intimidate 1 (22), k (religion) 5 (16), ms 1 (22)

destruction


20th
Life Eater 10
+11/+6/+1
+13
+10
+15
bluff 1 (23), hide 1 (23), intimidate 1 (23), k (religion) 5 (21), ms 1 (23)

feed





You get to enjoy the goodies of a standard evil incarnate. Get bonuses to a bunch of skills, deal reliable ranged damage with dissolving spittle. Tiefling incarnate's cool sub levels let you see in darkness, including magical, and gives concealment during incarnum radiance, which is pretty cool. Lesser tiefling allows you to benefit from effects such as enlarge person or similar. It also gives you darkness to hide in and trigger your hide in plain sight later on. Stay mobile and beat up enemies. Things are going to get interesting.


Ordered chaos allows you to be treated as chaotic to enter life eater, while you actually remain NE throughout your whole career, so as to avoid losing your meldshaping from incarnate. Thanks, ordered chaos. It's also a thing tied to abyssial heritage, which dovetails nicely with tiefling. Tiefling incarnate gives telepathy, so you gotta get mindsight to pinpoint enemies to leap upon and drain the life from. Necrocarnate makes your bottled essentia into a fountain and lets it all be limitless. Just carry around the ol' bag of rats (or whatever) and have fun. Appropriate for an aspiring life eater. You've got your arm, brow, and shoulder open now too, so your melds are an awful lot more useful, letting you do great stuff, especially with your necrocarnum ensemble. The necrocarnum touch at range is a great conduit for your later sneak attacks via life eater.



You're in life eater now. You can keep your necrocarnum touch (or whatever else) locked and loaded by doubling up your arm chakra, and darkstalker's online to go with your hide in plain sight (hips.) since life eater grants hide/ms. You've got the best kind, too, which allows you to make a check while being observed and without cover to hide behind. stay near 10ft of shadows, and you'll be golden. Necrocarnum touch's ray allows you to zap enemies for sneak attack at range if you like and goes well with life eater's negative energy focus. Goes very well with mindsight to zero in on enemies while staying hidden. Wound enemies, bleed them out, and kick some butt.


You've wrapped up life eater and have the last of its abilities. You can destroy the soul itself and create a magic block only the gods can overcome. Nicely done. Your waist is open now, enabling further melds which synergize with your other soul destroying route via necrocarnate. Enjoy making your opponents' weaknesses your strengths.




magic of incarnum: incarnate, necrocarnate, open greater chakra, double chakra, midnight dodge, tiefling incarnate
lords of madness: darkstalker, mindsight
player's guide to faerun: lesser tiefling
fiendish codex 1: ordered chaos
complete scoundrel: never outnumbered, mosquito's bite

[Heliomance]

Entry number 3!


Sybil Soule
CE Unseelie Fey Jerren Ghost Rogue 3/Eidolon6/Life Eater 10/Swordsage 1
https://thelibertarianalliance.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/vg4m6dg.gif


The Cult of Baphomet was no place for the weak. The weak were crushed at the first opportunity to strengthen the rest. As a newling and an as yet proven initiate, I was more ruthless than most. However, being smaller than everyone else made me a constant target. I quickly grew tired of that game, and so I switched things up on my tormentors.

Volunteering as sacrifice to our Lord, I lay down upon the Alter free of restraints and let the Shaman do their worst upon me. It wasn’t without pain of course, but it was pain in His name. An eternity later and my life-force was finally severed. I was left to roam alone in the vast empty endlessness. But, I had done my research, and now had more power than those who had sought to subjugate me. I could now wound and harm with a mere touch, and I took endless pleasure in tormenting those who had placed themselves above me.

With no need to sleep, I could awaken them in the night with a caress, ravaging their bodies and souls, and then sinking from view before they could respond. My name became a Curse amongst my enemies who never knew when I would strike, or how.


Flexible Ghost Advancement Variant: can advance class levels and still stay a ghost.
Path of the Corrupter
Repulsive Appearance (-6 Bluff/Diplo/Gather Info/Perform/CHA to influence NPC’s) +6 to Intimidate

Jerren: +2 DEX, -2 STR, Small (+1 Attack/AC, +4 Hide), Speed 20
+2 Intimidate, Bluff, Move Silent, Listen
+1 on all saves and +2 morale on saves vs fear
Always Evil

Unseelie Fey Template: -2 STR/CON, +2 DEX/CHA,
Roll d100 for wings type/usability, roll d100 for vision mode
Autumn Harvest (Su) 1+CHA/day uses, standard action touch attack as targeted dispel magic, CL=HD
DR by HD: 1-3 none, 4-7 5/cold iron, 8-11 10/cold iron, 12+ 15/cold iron. Iron Vulnerability (Ex) iron/steel touch deals 1 damage, hits deal extra 1d6.
+4 to Intimidate, Always Evil

Ghost Template: Become Outsider (Incorporeal) Speed 30, fly (good), CHA to AC (deflection)
Lowlight Vision, Disembodied Soul (Ex), No Discernable Anatomy (Ex) immune to crit/sneak attack, disease/poison that affects physical body, no need to eat, breathe, sleep. Ectoplasmic Body (Ex) senses are muted, can’t become fatigued/exhausted. Sense Physical Body (Ex), Ghost Weakness (Ex) if hit by sneak/crit from a silver weapon FORT DC 15 or stunned for 1 round. When a ghost is incorporeal it has no STR score. +4 on Hide checks while incorporeal
14d6+6d8+20 HPs

Point Buy:
S 7, D 15, C 14, I 10, W 12, C 17
Racials:
S 3, D 19, C 12, I 10, W 12, C 19
all points to CHA, 24 end




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


1st
Rogue
+0
+0
+2
+0
Bluff 4, Hide 4, Intimidation 4, Know-Rel 4, Listen 4, Move 4, Sense 4, Spot 4
Education
SA +1d6, Trapfinding


2nd
Eidolon
+1
+0
+2
+2
Intim 5, Know 5
(B)Corrupting Touch
-


3rd
Eidolon 2
+2
+0
+2
+3
Intim 6, Know 6
(B)Agony Touch (DEX), Dodge

-


4th
Rogue 2
+3
+0
+3
+3
Bluff 5, Hide 6, Initm 7, Know 7, Listen 5, Move 5, Spot 5
-
-


5th
Rogue 3
+4
+1
+3
+4
Bluff 6, Hide 7, Intim 8, Know 8, Listen 6, Move 6, Sense 5, Spot 6
-
SA +1d6, Spell Sense ACF


6th
Life Eater
+4
+3
+5
+6
Bluff 7, Hide 8, Intim 9, Know 9, Sense 6, Listen 7
Shriveling Touch (DEX)
Deathwatch, Poison Use


7th
Life Eater 2
+5
+4
+6
+7
Bluff 8, Hide 9, Intim 10, Know 10, Sense 7, Spot 7
-
SA +1d6, Death Knell


8th
Life Eater 3
+6
+4
+6
+7
Bluff 9, Hide 10, Intim 11, Sense 8, Spot 8, Listen 8
-
Chill Touch


9th
Life Eater 4
+7
+5
+7
+8
Bluff 10, Hide 11, Intim 12, Spot 9, Never Outnumbered
Freezing Touch
Hide in Plain Sight


10th
Life Eater 5
+7
+5
+7
+8
Bluff 12, Hide 13, Intim 13, Spot 10
-
SA +1d6, Wounding SA


11th
Life Eater 6
+8
+6
+8
+9
Bluff 13, Hide 14, Intim 14, Sense 9, Spot 11, Listen 9
-
Fatiguing Touch


12th
Life Eater 7
+9
+6
+8
+9
Bluff 14, Hide 15, Intim 15, Sense 10, Spot 12, Listen 10
Enervating Touch
Enervation


13th
Life Eater 8
+10
+7
+9
+10
Bluff 15, Hide 16, Intim 16, Sense 11, Spot 13, Listen 11
-
SA +1d6, Draining SA


14th
Life Eater 9
+10
+7
+9
+10
Bluff 16, Hide 17, Intim 17, Sense 12, Spot 14, Listen 12
-
Destruction


15th
Life Eater 10
+11
+8
+10
+11
Bluff 17, Hide 18, Intim 18, Sense 13, Spot 15, Listen 12
Improved Energy Drain
Feed


16th
Eidolon 3
+12
+9
+11+
+11
Hide 19, Intim 19
-
-


17th
Eidolon 4
+13
+9
+11
+12
Hide 20, Intim 20
(B)Touch Attack Specialization - Agony Touch (DEX)
-


18th
Eidolon 5
+14
+9
+11
+12
Hide 21, Intim 21
Agony Touch - CON
-


19th
Eidolon 6
+15
+10
+12
+13
Hide 22, Intim 22
(B)Touch Attack Specialization - Shriveling Touch
-


20th
Unarmed Swordsage
+15
+10
+14
+15
Hide 23, Intim 23, Listen 14, Sense 15
(B)Weapon Focus - Unarmed
Quick to Act +1, Manuevers, Stance



Feats:
1- Education - All Knowledges as class skills, and +1 to 2 (Rel and any other)
2- Corrupting Touch: (29) touch attack for 1d4 dmg
3- Agony Touch: REQ Corrupting Touch, CHA 11(28) choose 1 physical ability score (Dex), when you touch a creature deal 1d4 temp dmg
3- Dodge
6- Shriveling Touch: REQ Corrupting Touch/Agony Touch for same score, CHA 13 (38) touch attack permanently drains 1d4 points (DEX)
9- Freezing Touch: REQ Corrupting Touch (33) touch attack deals 1d6 cold
12- Enervating Touch: REQ Corrupting Touch, CHA 15 (31) touch attack deals a negative level, 24 hrs later, DC 10+1/2HD+CHA, failure removes a level permanently
15- Improved Energy Drain - whenever you bestow a negative level, gain +1 to skills/ability checks/attacks/saves for 1 hour
17- Touch Attack Specialization – Agony Touch +2 Damage
18- Agony Touch (CON) – choose 1 physical ability score (CON), when you touch a creature deal 1d4 temp dmg
19- Touch Attack Specialization – Shriveling Touch: +2 Damage
Stance/Maneuvers:

Depending on which school of thought you believe in, we either qualify for 5th lvl stances/maneuvers at 20th, or you get a 1st level stance for IL 10, and still qualify for 5th Maneuvers. Clearly, Assassin’s Stance for 2d6 extra SA is best here, but if not then we’ll take the Blood in the Water Stance (TC 1) Crits equal +1 attack/damage for 1 min and stacks w/ itself. Or, the Hunter’s Sense Stance (TC 1) to gain Scent because a ghost w/ Scent is hilarious. However, anything chosen out of Setting Sun/Shadow Hand would require some rework to qualify for the stance since most of them require 1 maneuver from that school known. The stance chose if not Assassin's is irrelevant to gameplay.


SETTING SUN
1- Counter Charge (71)- opposed DEX check at +4 if smaller than target, succeed and can move target 2 squares and charge fails, fail and target gets extra +2 to charge attack

4- Comet Throw (71)– as part of melee touch attack, resolve as trip attempt w/o provoking AoO at +4 to DEX, success means you can throw target 10 feet and it lands prone and takes 4d6, extra range for better success.

5- Mirrored Pursuit (73) – when opponent moves, use this to move directly next to them w/o provoking AoO

SHADOW HAND
3- Shadow Garrote (78) – 60ft ranged touch 5d6 and fort DC 13+WIS or become flat footed until next turn

3- Strength Draining Strike (80) – As part of melee attack, deal 4 pts STR damage, FORT DC 13+WIS for half.

5- Bloodletting Strike (76) – as part of melee attack, deal 4 pts CON damage, FORT DC 15+WIS for half



5- A roguish ghost with a few uses of dex draining attacks. 2d6 sneak and a minor ac boost vs spells. Best thing at this rank is you are incorporeal at a level that most things can’t affect you.

10- Halfway into Life Eater, 4d6 sneak. 3/day chill touch, but endless freezing Touches and HiPS tacked on to a maxed hide (along w/ the +8 bonus from racials) for more sneaky sneaks. A Ghost – Touched Gauntlet would allow for poison use provided you could dip your gauntlet into it, but otherwise Poison is the only aspect of the SI we’re not using. 10 uses per day now of both Agony and Shriveling for temporary and permanent DEX drain.

Fun point to argue. Life Eater’s Sneak Attack entry specifically states: “…the life eater’s attack deals extra damage”. As a ghost, using Agony or Shriveling, the only damage we’re doing is ability damage, meaning you should be able to apply at least the Life Eater’s SA bonus to that ability damage, if not all your SA “..this extra damage stacks with any extra sneak attack damage”. So while you only have 10 agony and shriveling attacks at this point, each one should be doing 1d4+4d6 DEX damage, likely dropping 1 opponent to the floor per attack. Does then Wounding Sneak deal 1 DEX/round/SA, or 1 normal damage?

Chill Touch would then do extra damage in the SA as well as its 1 STR damage.

15- Done w/ the SI, 1/day Enervation as an SLA, but endless Enervating Touches. Fatiguing Touch for more STR/DEX fun 1/day, along w/ Destruction 1/day and Feed. Arguably Feed grants a +5 to CON over time, so now our CON would be 17, and at this point add 60 HPs to the build, but that’s subjective to gameplay of course. As a ghost, imagine yourself as Lord Voldemort sucking the life from a Unicorn! SA up to 5d6 now. Improved Energy Drain also gives us a bonus anytime we gift someone w/ a negative level.

20- 4 more ranks in Eidolon brings 2 more bonus Ghost Feats, which we use to bump our Agony/Shriveling (DEX) attacks by 2 damage meaning each is now doing 3-6 + 5d6 SA at 20 uses a day (or 4-6 depending on when you apply the damage, before the save or after?). Also picking up 20 uses of CON drain/day. The last rank in Swordsage gets you another +1 to attacks, +1 to Init, and a pile of up to 5th lvl Maneuvers. The stance is open, although there are suggestions. If Assassin’s Stance is ruled legal, that’s 7d6 sneak.

All of the Ghost feat attacks grant you weapon finesse to your attacks, so it isn’t needed to be taken in the build. They all also double any damage (even Ability damage or level loss) on a confirmed crit. At the very unlikely event that you ran out of Agony/Shriveling attacks, you could always plink an opponent to death w/ 1d4+5-7d6 SA’s w/ corrupting touch or 1d6+SA cold freezing attacks, or enervate them into oblivion. Plus, they’re all touch attacks, which bypass Armor.

I chose DEX over STR or CON for Agony/Shriveling as it affects Initiative, REF saves and AC. STR would only really target an opponent’s Hit chance/damage of which we’re mostly unafraid of, and CON would only affect FORT and Hit Points. We do pick up CON later to help flush out the FORT saves our maneuvers will force, meaning you can now affect all 3 physical scores to drop someone to 0 in one hit. Now targeting also the FORT save means that Destruction has a better chance of succeeding as well.

Sweet spots: 3, 12, and every level from 15 on.


Book of Vile Darkness: Jerren 15
Complete Mage: Spell Sense 35
Dragon Compendium: Unseelie Fey 222
Ghostwalk: Flexible Advancement 12, Education 31, Ghost 163, Ghost Feats 28-39, Eidolon 16
Libris Mortis: Improved Energy Drain 27
Tome of Battle: Swordsage 15, Maneuvers/Stances
http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=fr/pg20020911b Life Eater


In a completely open game, the Races of Ansalom: Dragonlance – Nightstalker base class is perfect as an entry into Life Eater, but in IC it’s not legal sadly.

[Heliomance]

Entry number 4!


Qua'Tro the Bladestorm

Qua'Tro had been found outside the city of Fairhaven while he was still very young. He was found by a middle aged university professor called Karl Avenheim that happily seized this opportunity to prove that nurture, not nature, was the most important factor in how someone turned out by raising the child of the bloodthirsty mantis folk as noble scholar.

The professor ended up rather disappointed. though Qua'Tro was quite willing and able to learn, his desire to show his superiority in martial matters trumped Karl's desire to turn him into a scholar, and once fully grown he left the professor's care to join a mercenary company. This company was sent to deal with a group of raiding minotaurs in the hinterlands. Upon seeing the utter ineffectiveness of his compatriots against the savagery of the great beasts, Qua'Tro promptly switched sides as he saw his own desire for martial perfection reflected in the rage-filled eyes of the minotaurs.

Qua'Tro's time with the Minotaurs got cut short as a group of actual adventurers was send in to deal with them and the herd got promptly slaughtered. Qua'Tro wasn'ta t the camp when it happened, as a vague horned figure in his dreams had warned him to leave. Qua'Tro's education had covered the religious significance of prophetic dreams, so he happily followed the instructions of his new god as his patron led him to ever greater deeds of savagery and slaughter.



CE (non-psionic) Thri-Keen fighter 1/barbarian 1/ninja 2/life eater 10/sword-sage 1/ninja+2
Ability scores



Base
Racial
Level 4
Level 8
Level 12
Level 16
total


STR
10
+2
-
-
-
-
12


DEX
16
+4
+1
+1
-
-
22


CON
14
-
-
-
-
-
14


INT
14
-2
-
-
-
-
12


WIS
14
+2
-
-
+1
+1
18


CHA
10
-4
-
-
-
-
-6





Note: the non-psionicThri-keen from 'shining south' has two HD and 1 LA. The starting stats of the Thri-keen are given on the 'level 3' row of the table. Note that because of the LA, standard feats are gained one level alter in the table than they otherwise would be.


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


1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
Thri-keen
+2
+0
+3
+3
hide 5, spot 5, knowledge (religion) 5
education(religion and nature)
-


4th
Fighter 1
+3
+2
+3
+3
intimidate 3, hide 5, spot 5, knowledge (religion) 5
multiweapon fighting, weapon finesse(fighter bonus)
Hit-and-run ACF


5th
Barbarian 1
+4
+4
+3
+3
intimidate 7, hide 5, spot 5, knowledge (religion) 6
-
whirling frenzy 1/day, pounce (from spirit lion totem ACF)


6th
Ninja 1
+4
+4
+5
+3
intimidate 7, hide 6, spot 5, knowledge (religion) 7, bluff 5
-
ki power, sudden strike (+1d6), trapfinding, AC bonus


7th
Ninja 2
+5
+4
+6
+3
intimidate 7, hide 7, spot 5, knowledge (religion) 8, bluff 5, move silently 5
dodge
ghost step(invisible)


8th
life eater 1

+5
+6
+8
+5
intimidate 7, hide 10, spot 5, knowledge (religion) 8, bluff 5, move silently 9
-
deathwatch, poison use


9th
life eater 2
+6
+7
+9
+6
intimidate 11, hide 11, spot 5, knowledge (religion) 8, bluff 5, move silently 11

-
sneak attack +1d6, death knell


10th
life eater 3
+7
+7
+9
+6
intimidate 12, hide 12, spot 9, knowledge (religion) 8, bluff 5, move silently 12

multidexterity
chill touch


11th
Life eater 4
+8
+8
+10
+7
intimidate 13, hide 13, spot 13, knowledge (religion) 8, bluff 5, move silently 13

-
hide in plain sight


12th
life eater 5
+8
+8
+10
+7
intimidate 14, hide 14, spot 14, knowledge (religion) 11, bluff 5, move silently 14

-
sneak attack +2d6, wounding sneak attack


13th
life eater 6
+9
+9
+11
+8
intimidate 15, hide 15, spot 15, knowledge (religion) 14, bluff 5, move silently 15

improved multiweapon fighting

fatiguing touch


14th
life eater 7
+10
+9
+11
+8
intimidate 16, hide 16, spot 16, knowledge (religion) 16, bluff 5, move silently 16, balance 1

-
Enervation


15th
Life eater 8
+11
+10
+12
+9
intimidate 17, hide 17, spot 17, knowledge (religion) 17, bluff 5, move silently 17, balance 3

-
sneak attack +3d6, draining sneak attack



16th
Life eater 9
+11
+10
+12
+9
intimidate 18, hide 18, spot 18, knowledge (religion) 18, bluff 5, move silently 18, balance 5

expanded ki pool
Destruction


17th
life eater 10
+12
+11
+13
+10
intimidate 19, hide 19, spot 19, knowledge (religion) 19, bluff 5, move silently 19, balance 5, skill trick: nimble charge
-
Feed


18th
Sword sage 1
+12
+11
+15
+12
intimidate 20, hide 20, spot 20(CC), knowledge (religion) 20, bluff 5, move silently 20, balance 6, skill trick: nimble charge

-
quick to act +1, discipline focus (weapon focus)(shadow hand)


19th
ninja 3
+13
+12
+15
+13
intimidate 21(CC), hide 21, spot 21, knowledge (religion) 21, bluff 5, move silently 21, balance 7, skill trick: nimble charge
shadow blade
sudden strike(+2d6), poison use


20th
ninja 4
+14
+12
+16
+14
intimidate 22(CC), hide 22, spot 22, knowledge (religion) 22, bluff 5, move silently 22, balance 8, skill trick: nimble charge
-
great leap





Stance:
island of Blades

Maneuvers(those with a star are typically prepared):
cloak of deception*
distracting ember*
burning blade*
wolf fang strike
sudden leap
dancing mongoose*





ECL 5
At ECL 5 Qua'Tro is a fairly simple melee-beatstick. Your combat trick is to charge someone, stab them four times for damage, and the bite them for some more damage. Simple and probably at least somewhat effective. Ranks in intimidate give you something to do outside of combat. The level of barbarian also let's you rage once, and the whirling frenzy acf gives you an extra attack while raging.

ECL 6-8
Two levels in ninja give you the sneaky skills necessary to get into life eater. They also allow you to turn invisible 4 times per day, which allows you to set up your sneak attacks rather easily.
You should probably have a chat with your DM about saving up the poison Thri-keen naturally create for later use with your 'poison use' skill.

ECL 9-14
During these levels, you develop in a rather decent scout wiht hide in plain sight and decent sneaking skills. You also pick up a bunch of SLA's, most of which are worse than just stabbing someone a whole bunch of times given the riders you get on your sneak attacks.

ECL 15 (sweet spot)
This is the level where all the stuff finally starts coming together. Untill now you where a decent scout and sneak-attack blender, but with the addition of the negative level rider you suddenly become very dangerous. At this point, a full-attack routine consists of 9 attacks (2 main-hand attacks, 6 off-hand attacks and a bite) so you'll be dropping a bunch of negative levels whenever you attacks. Even if it doesn't kill your victim in a single round, it'll make them a lot less relevant for the combat given the significant penalties the stacking negative levels would inflict.

ECL 16-20
The destruction SLA gives you a nice ranged option once per day, or a finisher against someone that you've already given a bunch of negative levels. Your save DC's might not be very high, but if someone's already taking a -10 penalty you might just get lucky. Feed gives you a bit more Con for survivability, which is nice.
The level in sword-sage gives you a bunch more toys, including a once-per-combat invisibility which should reduce the drain on your uses of invisibility from ninja, a once-per combat flanking buddy, a once-per-combat damage boost in the form of burning blade (which would be significant given the amount of attacks you get per round) and a once-per-combat additional 2 attacks, for those situations where someone really needs stabbing about a dozen times.
The last two levels of ninja give you an additional use of ghost step and 1d6 more sudden strike, which is not bad, but nothing to write home about.


HP:48+2d8+1d10+1d12+14d6(118 average)
AC:23(Dex+wis+natural AC)
full attack routine:+18/+18/+18/+18/+13/+13/+13/+13/+8 and a bite at +13. The main attack routine with shortswords would deal 6d6+13 damage each to a flatfooted target, as well as a negative level and an additional point of damage on the next turn. The bite deals 1d4+5d6+7 damage to a flatfooted target, with the same riders as the weapon attacks.
ghost step uses: 9/day






shining south: thri-keen
complete champion:spirit lion totem barbarian acf
complete scoundrel: expanded ki pool
savage species: improved multi-weapon fighting
monster manual: multi-weapon fighting
complete adventurer: ninja
tome of battle: swordsage, shadow blade, stances and maneuvers
monster manual: multidexterity, multiweapon fighting
eberron campaign setting: education

[Heliomance]

Entry number 5!



https://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/thumb/a/aa/Sniper_huntsman_drawn.png/350px-Sniper_huntsman_drawn.png
The Hunstman
CE Silverbrow Human, Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 4/Life Eater 10

Dad? Dad? Ye- I’m- Not a “crazed bowman,” dad. I’m an assassin! ...Well, the difference being one is a job, and the other’s mental sickness!
--The Hunstman




Snipin’s a good job, mate! It’s challengin’ work, outta doors. Guarantee yeh’ll not go hungry, cuz at the end of the day, as long as there’s two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead.

Feelings? Look, mate, yeh know who has a lotta feelings? Blokes what bludgeon their party mates to death with a standard issue ten-foot pole. Professionals have standards: Be polite. Be efficient. Have a plan to kill everyone you meet.



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


1st
Ranger 1
+1
+2
+2
+0
Hide 4 ranks, move silently 4 ranks, disguise 4 ranks, sense motive 2 rankscc, bluff 2 rankscc, intimidate 2 rankscc, spellcraft 2 rankscc, knowledge (local) 4 ranks
Urban TrackingB, Able Learner, Darkstalker
Favored enemy (humanoid - human), Urban Tracking, celestial slayer


2nd
Ranger 2
+2
+3
+3
+0
Hide 5 ranks (+1), move silently 5 ranks (+1), disguise 5 ranks (+1), knowledge (local) 5 ranks (+1), knowledge (religion) 1 rank, knowledge (nature) 1 rank, sense motive 2 ranks
Rapid ShotB
Combat style


3rd
Fighter 1
+3
+5
+3
+0
Hide 6 ranks (+1), move silently 6 ranks (+1), disguise 6 ranks (+1), bluff 3 ranks (+1)
Point Blank ShotB, Knowledge Devotion
Bonus feat, hit-and-run fighter


4th
Fighter 2
+4
+6
+3
+0
Hide 7 ranks (+1), disguise 7 ranks (+1), sense motive 3 ranks (+1), spellcraft 3 ranks (+1)
Precise ShotB
Bonus feat


5th
Fighter 3
+5
+6
+4
+1
Disguise 8 ranks (+1), sense motive 4 ranks (+1), spellcraft 4 ranks (+1), bluff 4 ranks (+1)
Skill Focus (intimidate)B
Zhentarim fighter - skill focus


6th
Fighter 4
+6/+1
+7
+4
+1
Bluff 8 ranks (+4)
Manyshot, Greater ManyshotB
Bonus feat


7th
Chameleon 1
+6/+1
+7
+4
+1
Hide 8 ranks (+1), move silently 7 ranks (+1), intimidate 4 ranks (+2), knowledge (religion) 3 ranks (+2)

Aptitude focus 1/day (+2)


8th
Chameleon 2
+7/+2
+7
+4
+1
Hide 9 ranks (+1), move silently 8 ranks (+1), intimidate 6 ranks (+2), knowledge (religion) 5 ranks (+2)

Bonus feat


9th
Chameleon 3
+8/+3
+8
+5
+2
Hide 10 ranks (+1), move silently 9 ranks (+1), intimidate 7 ranks (+1), knowledge (religion) 8 ranks (+3)
Expeditious Dodge
Mimic class feature 1/day


10th
Life Eater 1
+8/+3
+10
+7
+4
Hide 13 ranks (+3), move silently 13 ranks (+4), knowledge (dungeoneering) 1 rank

Death watch, poison use


11th
Life Eater 2
+9/+4
+11
+8
+5
Hide 14 ranks (+1), move silently 14 ranks (+1), knowledge (the planes) 1 rank, knowledge (arcana) 1 rank, intimidate 11 ranks (+4)

Sneak attack +1d6, death knell


12th
Life Eater 3
+10/+5
+11
+8
+5
Hide 15 ranks (+1), move silently 15 ranks (+1), intimidate 15 ranks (+4), bluff 10 ranks (+2)
Shadow Striker
Chill touch


13th
Life Eater 4
+11/+6/+1
+12
+9
+6
Hide 16 ranks (+1), move silently 16 ranks (+1), intimidate 16 ranks (+1), bluff 15 ranks (+5)

Hide in plain sight


14th
Life Eater 5
+11/+6/+1
+12
+9
+6
Hide 17 ranks (+1), move silently 17 ranks (+1), intimidate 17 ranks (+1), bluff 17 ranks (+2), knowledge (religion) 11 ranks (+3)

Sneak attack +2d6, wounding sneak attack


15th
Life Eater 6
+12/+7/+2
+13
+9
+7
Hide 18 ranks (+1), move silently 18 ranks (+1), intimidate 18 ranks (+1), bluff 18 ranks (+1), knowledge (religion) 15 ranks (+4)
Improved Precise Shot
Fatiguing touch


16th
Life Eater 7
+13/+8/+3
+13
+9
+7
Hide 19 ranks (+1), move silently 19 ranks (+1), intimidate 19 ranks (+1), bluff 19 ranks (+1), knowledge (religion) 19 ranks (+4)

Enervation


17th
Life Eater 8
+14/+9/+4
+14
+10
+8
Hide 20 ranks (+1), move silently 20 ranks (+1), intimidate 20 ranks (+1), bluff 20 ranks (+1), knowledge (religion) 20 ranks (+1), disguise 11 ranks (+3)

Sneak attack +3d6, draining sneak attack


18th
Life Eater 9
+14/+9/+4
+14
+10
+8
Hide 21 ranks (+1), move silently 21 ranks (+1), intimidate 21 ranks (+1), bluff 21 ranks (+1), knowledge (religion) 21 ranks (+1), disguise 14 ranks (+3)
Able Sniper
Destruction


19th
Life Eater 10
+15/+10/+5
+15
+11
+9
Hide 22 ranks (+1), move silently 22 ranks (+1), intimidate 22 ranks (+1), bluff 22 ranks (+1), knowledge (religion) 22 ranks (+1), disguise 17 ranks (+3)

Feed


20th
Chameleon 4
+16/+11/+6/+1
+15
+11
+9
Hide 23 ranks (+1), move silently 23 ranks (+1), intimidate 23 ranks (+1), bluff 23 ranks (+1), knowledge (religion) 23 ranks (+1), disguise 18 ranks (+1)

Ability boon +2


cccross-class skill, purchased at double cost (only applies at first level; after this point, cross-class skills no longer need to be purchased at double cost due to Able Learner)
BBonus feat



Alternate Class Features:

Ranger - Urban Tracking (replaces Track)
Ranger - Skilled City Dweller (replace knowledge (nature) with knowledge (local))
Ranger - Celestial Slayer (lose wild empathy, animal companion and woodland stride for bonuses against [Good] creatures and spells)
Fighter - Hit-and-run fighter (lose heavy armor and tower shield proficiency for bonus to initiative and damage bonus against flat-footed foes)
Fighter - Zhentarim fighter (modified skill list and gain Skill Focus (intimidate) at level 3)





32 point buy:
Str 12/Dex 16/Con 12/Int 14/Wis 14/Cha 10

Boost Dexterity at every available level. With items, prioritize Dexterity first, then Wisdom (you’ll want at minimum to go up to 16 for a bonus 3rd level chameleon spell). Strength and Con can be boosted by Life Eater class abilities, so they are less essential to boost than on a typical build, but aren’t bad choices as well.



Spells per Day (does not include bonus spells due to specialization or high Int bonus)


Level
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th


7th
4
2
0
-
-
-
-


8th
4
3
1
-
-
-
-


9th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


10th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


11th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


12th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


13th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


14th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


15th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


16th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


17th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


18th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


19th
4
3
2
0
-
-
-


20th
4
4
3
1
-
-
-







You’re an archer, so equip yourself like one. In particular, you’ll want to boost Dexterity as high as possible, focus on light or medium armor with the highest possible Dexterity bonus to benefit and the shadow and silent moves properties, and work hard on your bow.

Remember that your chameleon levels and floating feat allow you to craft things yourself. You’ll only have a CL of 6 for a good chunk of your career, but that can be boosted to hit what you need. For example, if you want to get to CL 10 for improved shadow armor, all you need to do is use your death knell SLA, then cast infernal threnody (off the divine bard spell list) and adept spirit. This gets even easier once you can afford a prayer bead of karma. This will go a long way to ensuring you always have the gear you need.

Speaking of crafting things on your downtime, spells like divine insight and magecraft can help you competently make poisons or alchemical items in your downtime (which you can make even more potent by using your floating feat on Poison Expert). Having a decent variety of poisons is always handy, and I also highly recommend crafting a good store of trollbane in case you encounter any foes with regeneration.

For your bow, I recommend an elvencraft composite longbow with multiple wand chambers, so that you can keep wands of common spells and activate them without dropping your bow. As far as enhancements, the splitting enhancement from Champions of Ruin is pricey at +3 but literally doubles your potential damage output, so it’s hard to go wrong. Collision is another great option. As an archer, though, you benefit from the ability to swap out arrows as the situation demands. Rather than spending lots of money on your bow itself, you can keep seeking arrows and force arrows and magebane arrows and brilliant energy arrows, and pull them out as needed.

The only other item I really recommend is the collar of umbral metamorphosis. While you have a superior version of hide in plain sight already, it still provides darkvision, a speed boost, cold resistance and a very nice racial bonus to hide and move silently. Definitely worth the price.

1 Ranger1- You won’t be particularly skilled at regular tracking or Urban Tracking, but the Urban variety is a better fit for you as a city dweller, and will at least carry some synergy with your knowledge (local). Down the road you’ll be able to use this to track just fine via spells like divine insight. More interesting is your celestial slayer ACF, which trades out your underwhelming wild empathy for SR against good spells/SLAs and a sizable bonus to confirming crits against creatures with the [Good] subtype. Your main focus, though, is stealth: Darkstalker means that you’re decent at stealth right from the get-go; no point mucking about with trying to sneak past the guards and getting your cover blown by something as simple as a CR ⅓ guard dog. Also, I know everyone and their mother takes arcane hunter with rangers, but you’re Chaotic Evil and so you break the mold: go ahead and enjoy the fact that you can actually pick humans as your favored enemy.

2. Ranger2- Rapid Shot without the requirements alongside your Dex means you’re a pretty decent archer at this point.

3. Ranger 2/Fighter 1- The hit-and-run fighter variant from DotU is key here, making your archery way more potent. You weren’t using heavy armor or shields anyhow, so it’s basically free, and now you get a bonus to Init and your Dex as bonus damage against flat-footed enemies within 30’. You also have PBS here, which is generally a filler feat meant to gatekeep future archery stuff, but is actually not too bad at this level when every +1 helps. If you win initiative against your foe, firing off a couple of arrows dealing hit-and-run and PBS damage is actually pretty decent, especially since it doesn’t require you to be suicidal and run headlong into danger like most chargers. Add on Knowledge Devotion, which guarantees at least another +1 to attack and damage once you drop a skill rank into all the relevant knowledge skills, and you’re actually doing pretty good damage-wise.

4. Ranger 2/Fighter 2- Precise Shot is a necessary evil; otherwise you’re forced to target enemies on the fringes of combat or eat big penalties. Luckily it also opens up the splitting enhancement and Improved Precise Shot down the road, so it’s all worth it.

5. Ranger 2/Fighter 3- Intimidation is never a bad tool to have in your belt, and you get Skill Focus (intimidate) for free as a Zhentarim fighter, so enjoy. More important is that Zhentarim fighters get bluff as a class skill, which is a necessity for your various PrCs. By the end of your career you’ll actually have quite good bluff, intimidate and disguise checks despite the middling Charisma, letting you play as the party face a bit if necessary.

6. Ranger 2/Fighter 4- And now you can grab both Manyshot and the Greater version. This will be your main way of moving and attacking. Because you’ll soon want to always have your swift action free for spells such as sniper’s shot, guided shot or grave strike, the most common method of attacking multiple times while still retaining the ability to move (Travel Devotion) isn’t actually useful here. Instead, you’ll focus on using Greater Manyshot, which allows you to eventually take up to 4 attacks (or 8 with a splitting bow) while still retaining your move action.

And why is staying on the move so important? Well, tactically staying on the move is always very nice, allowing you to use terrain to your advantage to keep foes away, eliminate clusters of allies that otherwise encourage area attacks, force enemies to split up, etc. Most importantly, though, don’t forget that hide checks aren’t their own action but rather are combined with movement. Now, in general there are a few things keeping this from being relevant at this level. The first is that you can’t hide without concealment or cover, or while being observed. The second is that you take a big honking -20 penalty for hiding on the same turn that you attack. It’s OK, you’ll get past both of these issues soon enough.

7. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 1- Enter chameleon, with its incredibly flexible casting. The ranger spell list in particular is a doozy, giving you everything from camouflage (a +10 bonus to hide checks on a long duration spell that stacks with shadow armor!) to longstrider (combine with your Dex focus, Expeditious Dodge and Greater Manyshot to keep a surprisingly high AC up as you dance around) to guided shot (concealment? cover? not your problem, mate). It gets even better once you get access to sneak attack, with spells like sniper’s shot or grave strike to bypass many of sneak attack’s usual limitations.

8. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 2- The second level of chameleon comes online, giving you more spells and a free bonus floating feat. On days when you expect combat, there are some neat options. I like Ranged Pin if you know you’re fighting humanoid foes; you aren’t a dedicated grappler but it takes a standard action for your enemy to unpin themselves. Able Sniper is another good one (though it’ll get a lot better in a couple of levels, when you get HiPS).

Outside of combat, though, it’s all about crafting. In particular you’ll want wands of low level ranger spells so that you don’t need to burn through all your spell slots keeping camouflage and the like up, and you’ll want to enchant your armor with shadow and silent moves as quickly as possible. Both of those are easy to do with your chameleon spell access, and thanks to SLAs like feather fall, you have a caster level with which to qualify for the feats. You’ll also eventually want to add on the splitting enhancement to your bow, though that’s a bit pricey at this level even if you’re crafting it yourself. Or speaking of crafting, take the Poison Expert feat to boost the DCs on any poisons you craft (using divine insight and magecraft to power said crafting). Or take Extra Spell and start building an arcane spellbook. The world is your oyster.

9. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3- Mimic class feature isn’t nearly as good as aptitude focus, but immediate action evasion is always nice, especially since one common way of dealing with enemies you can’t find is to carpet-bomb the area with AoE spells. A much bigger deal is access to 3rd-level spells off any divine list, which means (among other things) spells like arrow storm and find the gap. Expeditious Dodge alongside Greater Manyshot and the longstrider spell (or an item that boosts movement) is a nice way of keeping your AC up while attacking.

10. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 1- The SI comes online, giving poison use and always-on deathwatch. Archers are great with poison, since they can apply it to their arrows before combat and can use a variety of poisons that they choose based on what type will be most effective. Considering that you can make poison yourself fairly easily during your downtime thanks to the divine insight and magecraft spells (don’t you just love chameleons?), this is definitely nice. And deathwatch is huge, instantly letting you know whether anyone is hiding within range (if you get pings for creatures that you can’t see, welp, something’s hiding) and if anything is a type that might otherwise be immune to precision damage. As it’s a cone-based emanation, you can even use it as radar, sweeping it back and forth to determine the location of hidden foes - at which point all it takes is one use of faerie fire or glitterdust and bing, no more hiding.

11. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 2- Sneak attack on a volley archer is always great. Go ahead and nab Craven with your floating feat as your top combat option. Pop a swift invisibility or target foes whose initiative hasn’t rolled around yet and fire off three attacks, each dealing 1d8+1d6+12+Dex+Str, plus Knowledge Devotion, plus any bonuses from your magic bow, plus Favored Enemy, plus poison… it starts to add up fast. If you need to stay mobile, you can instead use Greater Manyshot.

As for death knell, don’t think of this one as a combat spell. Instead think of it as a quick and cheap way to boost your CL before you start crafting, or before you cast an hours/level buff spell for the day.

12. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 3- You’re not a melee brute, but chill touch gives you a way of dealing with enemies who get really up close and personal. Shadow Striker is a tactical feat that on its surface seems like it would be better suited for melee, but actually has some very nice options for you. Evade notice and ghost strike both give you some ways to get out of melee if someone does end up closing with you (and ghost strike also provides an additional way for you to active sneak attack), but in particular you’re interested in the second option, fade away. This says that when you attack with a standard action (which Greater Manyshot is) and then make a Hide check as part of your move action, you get a +5 bonus to this check. You’ll still need some form of cover or concealment to hide, and can’t hide if you’re being observed, but that’s about to change very soon...

13. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 4- Hide in plain sight! This is the ability you’ve been waiting for. This is the absolute best version of HiPS, letting you hide while being fully observed and without requiring any sort of concealment. Combined with Shadow Striker, your attack routine is complete. Keep camouflage up and stay hidden. Come out of hiding to make a sneak-boosted Greater Manyshot attack to fire off three arrows, applying sneak and poison and Knowledge Devotion and Craven and hit-and-run fighter damage and all that good stuff. If necessary, pop a guided shot to bypass concealment or sniper’s shot to extend your range or grave strike to make sure you can hit undead. Then take your move action, and use the action to go into hiding again as you move. You take a -20 penalty to your hide check, but just from camouflage and Shadow Striker and improved shadow armor (well within your WBL at ECL 13, especially if you craft it yourself) alone, you have a +25 bonus on this check, which more than makes up for the difference. As a bonus, even if your enemy does have a way to locate you (with, say, Mindsight), you can also activate Expeditious Dodge by moving (though keep in mind that you do take an additional -5 penalty to hide if you move at more than half speed).

14. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 5- A bump to sneak attack damage, and your sneak attacks now bleed extra damage each round. Ouch.

15. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 6- Fatiguing touch is a cute little debuff that’s especially nice to secretly deliver to anything that relies on charge damage, as fatigue prevents running or charging; thanks to the spectral hand spell, you can deliver it from 30’ away. You also pick up Improved Precise Shot here, which eliminates any concealment less than total. Concealment’s a big deal, since it blocks precision damage, so this is fantastic. While you could already use guided shot to do this, Improved Precise Shot is always on and frees up your swift action for other spells. In fact, since you ignore concealment while attacking, go crazy and pop large area spells that apply concealment across the board such as darkness (there are better spells, but this one has the advantage of being something you can pre-cast on an object before combat and pull out as necessary). Your foes will have a miss chance against you, while you can attack with impunity thanks to Improved Precise Shot.

16. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 7- Enervation is another excellent debuff, and this one doesn’t need any spectral hand shenanigans to be delivered at range.

17. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 8- An extra die of sneak damage is great. You know what’s even better? The fact that your sneak attacks now also dish out a negative level! The fact that you can do this at range with multiple attacks and while remaining completely hidden, and can do it against almost every foe, makes this especially deadly.

18. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 9- If damage and negative levels isn’t handling things fast enough, why not just, you know, kill them? Destruction is one of the better SoD spells, since it still deals good damage even on a successful save and bypasses common resurrection magic.

Able Sniper also comes online at this level, giving you another +4 to hide after you make an attack. So let’s add it all up: the camouflage spell, Able Sniper and Shadow Striker effectively give you a +19 to your hide check following an attack, almost completely eliminating the -20 penalty you take for hiding while attacking. With level appropriate gear (just greater shadow armor and a collar of umbral metamorphosis provide a very nice +23 bonus that stacks with your other boosts) and your max ranks and Dex focus, you should now have a bonus in the neighborhood of +43 to your hide check at this level even after taking the -20 penalty for attacking. Consider that the CR 23 solar, one of the most difficult enemies to hide from in the entire Monster Manual, “only” has a +32 to their spot check. They can roll a natural 20 on their spot check and you, a lowly ECL 18 archer, still have a 50% chance of evading their sight.

19. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 3/Life Eater 10- Feed is just such a cool ability, letting you chow down on your fallen foes and steal their lifeforce in the process. It’s also very nice for shoring up that MAD that archers always fall prey to. Considering how expensive a +5 tome is, this ability isn’t just cool, it’s also literally worth its weight in gold.

20. Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 4/Life Eater 10- Ability boon gives you a +2 to any ability score; how about Dex? Your hide checks after attacking should now be somewhere in the neighborhood of +47 (or +58 on turns where you aren’t attacking).




As a stealth- and precision damage-focused character, I wanted to take a bit to talk about how to beat most anti-stealth defenses:

HOW TO BEAT COMMON ANTI-SNEAK ATTACK AND ANTI-STEALTH DEFENSES:

Alternate senses (tremorsense, blindsight, scent, etc.): Darkstalker allows you to make hide checks against all of these.
Concealment: Guided shot is a swift action and ignores the AC bonus for cover and the miss chance for anything less than total concealment, making it your go-to option until Improved Precise Shot comes online. If you do run into total concealment, you can use your at-will deathwatch ability as radar to get a decent idea of where your enemy is and then use faerie fire or glitterdust (available as a divine spell via divine bard) to completely negate most common sources.
Type-based immunities: You can immediately identify if an enemy is a construct or undead via your at-will deathwatch and have access to grave strike, vine strike and golem strike via your chameleon spells to bypass most type-based immunities to precision damage.
Mindsight: Honestly not as oppressive to deal with as you’d think. First of all, if you are hidden from view, you will still have total concealment even if your opponent has the Mindsight feat. It will not prevent you from using precision damage. Second, Mindsight typically has a range of 60’-100’, based on the telepathy ability that powers it. If you wish to remain undetected, simply stay out of this range; sniper’s shot will allow you to hang out at the edge of your composite longbow’s range increment and still qualify for sneak attack (though unfortunately this will mean giving up your hit-and-run damage).
Fortification: Extremely difficult to bypass completely, though luckily this is less common than other defenses. Fortification effects are most commonly found on armor or on items such as the Gemstone of Fortification. Your best bet if you find that your opponent is somehow still resisting your sneak attack despite all of the above is to use a dispel to attempt to suppress any magic items for 1d4 rounds. Alternately, if you have a good idea of what item is providing the bonus (learn to recognize what a Gemstone of Fortification looks like!), grab a few serpentstongue arrows and sunder the heck out of it.




I put this build together after noticing that the Life Eater’s wounding and draining sneak attacks did not require melee hits. These properties are really rare for ranged attackers, and so I decided to see if I could build an archer that benefited from the Life Eater’s abilities. I wanted something that could effectively benefit from hide in plain sight as well, since mundane stealth, when done well, is incredibly hard to bypass.

All in all the class turned out to be a great fit for an evil stealth-focused archer, even better than I’d expected. I’m pretty happy with the final outcome, and this is something I’d absolutely play in a campaign (assuming the Chaotic Evil didn’t turn off my party mates).

As for the Life Eater’s specific abilities and how this build makes the best of them:


Entry requirements: Life Eater’s skill requirements were a bit of a bear, but with Knowledge Devotion to put those knowledge ranks to good use, a stealth focus, and a secondary class with shared requirements for the social skills, they aren’t so bad. Dodge gets replaced by the superior Expeditious Dodge; the build has a couple of ways of collecting speed boosts (longstrider at low levels, and if you obtain a collar of umbral metamorphosis, that provides a speed boost as well), and its fighting style is naturally mobile. Also, being chaotic evil opened up some neat ranger options, such as taking your own type as a favored enemy and the celestial slayer ACF.
Skills: Skills get a bit dicey for you in the low levels (hard to avoid when you have four levels of fighter on a build with hefty skill requirements), but the Life Eater’s excellent skill points allow you to easily make up the difference and catch up with all your relevant skills.
Deathwatch: Constant deathwatch without requiring an action? Heck yeah, I like that! In particular, you’ll use it in two ways: as a way to identify undead foes or constructs so that you can use the appropriate spell, and as radar: sweep it back and forth to get a general idea of where foes are hiding, then use faerie fire or glitterdust to expose them.
Poison use: Archers in general love poison use, since they can apply their poison to their arrows in advance and don’t need to waste time in combat or blow a feat. It’s even better because you can craft poisons yourself quite competently thanks to your Chameleon spells (magecraft/divine insight) and floating feat (used for Poison Expert, or even for something like Animal Devotion or Wild Cohort to obtain a source of poison).
Sneak attack: Obviously a huge part of this build. By combining it with Greater Manyshot, hide in plain sight and a number of ways to reduce the penalty for hiding and attacking, you have a number of reliable ways to both stay mobile and activate SA. Damage is further boosted via Craven, which you take with your floating feat on any days you expect combat.
Death knell: Primarily used for the caster level boost, which can allow you to craft items such as improved shadow armor that would otherwise require too high a CL.
Chill touch: Your main way of dealing with foes that get up close and personal. You have a decent BAB but a middling Strength score, so being able to attack foes that approach to melee range as a touch attack is definitely nice, and even though melee isn’t your main schtick, Shadow Striker has some decent melee options.
Hide in plain sight: Another really key part of this build.
Wounding sneak attack: An extra point of bleeding damage every round really adds up when you start talking about firing off multiple shots a round.
Fatiguing touch: This applies fatigue but is Will negates, rather than Fort negates, making it a great way to shut down uberchargers. You don’t love getting into melee (though your stealth means you can if you have to), but you DO have access to the spectral hand spell to deliver this from afar.
Enervation: You’re really good at ranged attacks, including rays, and this is a great way to soften foes up for your draining sneak attacks.
Draining sneak attack: Literally the inspiration for this build. The fact that this is not melee-only makes it unique, and lets you fire off volleys of arrows that apply negative levels in addition to things like poison and damage.
Destruction: OK, I’ll admit that you don’t do anything special with destruction beyond… you know… using it. It’s still destruction, so it’ll definitely come in handy.
Feed: Not only does this ability save you a bundle on the otherwise super expensive Manual of Gainful Exercise or whatever it’s called, it also is a great way to the BBGG doesn’t keep coming back after you kill her.





Ranger, Fighter, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, Skill Focus, Manyshot, Greater Manyshot, Improved Precise Shot: SRD
Skilled city dweller, Urban Tracking ranger: Cityscape web enhancement
Celestial slayer ACF: Exemplars of Evil
Hit-and-run fighter ACF: Drow of the Underdark
Zhentarim fighter ACF: Champions of Valor web enhancement
Chameleon: Races of Destiny
Able Sniper, Expeditious Dodge: Races of the Wild
Shadow Striker: PHB2
Darkstalker: Lords of Madness
Silverbrow Human: Dragon Magic



Ah my Gods, yeh’ve been shot! Didja get a good look at the handsome cad who did it? No? Well, keep lookin’, mate.

Where’d I getcha that time? The liver? The kidney? I’m losin’ track. Runnin’ outta places to put holes in yeh. If your strategy is to build me confidence, it’s workin’.

Oh, yeh want me to stop? Hate to break it to yeh, but your own team paid me to do that. And hey, as a bonus, I get t’eat for free when yeh’re done bleedin’ out all over the city streets.

I toldja snipin’ was a good job!

[Heliomance]

Entry number 6!


Sound & Silence


Already after the deadline so don't have time for anything elaborate. The aberrant taint of Ragnorra caused one of the Dvati twins to be unable to speak so they couldn't talk in their own language and where made fun of for having to speak common. Major animosity built up and turn Sound & Silence to the dark side.



Neutral Evil Dvati Rogue 2 / Totemist 2 / Barb 2 / Rogue +1 / Life Eater 10 / Disciple of Mephistopheles 2

Starting Abilities: STR 14, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 14, WIS 12, CHA 8
All lvl increases to STR
Final Abilities: STR 19, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 14, WIS 12, CHA 8

Sworn to the Elder Evil, Ragnorra ,(vile feat(V) at lvl 1, 5, 10, 15)





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


1st
Dvati
+0
+0
+0
+0


Darkvision (60ft), Twins, Echo Attack, Pair Link, Spell Conductor


2nd
Martial Rogue 1
+0
+0
+2
+0
Bluff(4)4, Hide(4)4, Intimidate(4)4, Move Silently(4)4, Knowledge (local) (4)4, Disable Device(4)4, Open Lock(4)4, Spot(4)4, Listen(4)4
Aberration Blood, Dodge(B), Willing Deformity(V)
Bonus Feat, Trapfinding


3rd
Martial Rogue 2
+1
+0
+3
+0
Bluff(1)5, Hide(1)5, Intimidate(1)5, Move Silently(1)5, Knowledge (local) (1)5, Disable Device(1)5, Open Lock(1)5, Spot(1)5, Listen(1)5
Combat Expertise(B)
Bonus Feat, Evasion


4th
Totemist 1
+1
+2
+5
+0
Knowledge (nature) (1)1, Knowledge (arcana) (1)1, Knowledge (planes) (1)1, Knowledge (religion) (1)1
Knowledge Devotion (religion)
Wild empathy


5th
Totemist 2
+2
+3
+6
+0
Knowledge (nature) (1)2, Knowledge (arcana) (1)2, Knowledge (planes) (1)2, Knowledge (religion) (1)2

Totem chakra bind (+1 capacity)


6th
Barbarian 1
+3
+5
+6
+0
Collector of Stories(2), Intimidate(2)7
Deformity (teeth)(V)
Lion Totem (pounce), Whirling Frenzy


7th
Barbarian 2
+4
+6
+6
+0
Listen(4)8
Multi attack
Uncanny dodge


8th
Martial Rogue 3
+5
+7
+6
+1
Hide(1)6, Knowledge (local) (1)6, Knowledge (religion) (6)8

Penetrating strike


9th
Life Eater 1
+5
+9
+8
+3
Knowledge (local) (2)7, Knowledge (arcana) (2)3, Knowledge (religion) (2)10

Deathwatch, Poison use


10th
Life Eater 2
+6
+10
+9
+4
Knowledge (local) (2)8, Knowledge (arcana) (2)4, knowledge (religion) (2)12
Inhuman reach
Sneak attack 1d6, death knell


11th
Life Eater 3
+7
+10
+9
+4
Knowledge (local) (2)9, Knowledge (arcana) (2)5, knowledge (religion) (1)13, Knowledge (nature) (1)2.5
Disciple of Darkness(v)
chill touch


12th
Life Eater 4
+8
+11
+10
+5
Knowledge (local) (2)9, Knowledge (arcana) (2)5, knowledge (religion) (1)13, Knowledge (nature) (1)2.5

Hide in plain sight


13th
Life Eater 5
+8
+11
+10
+5
Knowledge (local) (2)9, Knowledge (arcana) (2)5, knowledge (religion) (1)13, Knowledge (nature) (1)2.5
Deepspawn
Sneak attack +2d6, wounding sneak attack


14th
Life Eater 6
+9
+12
+11
+6
Knowledge (local) (2)10, Knowledge (arcana) (2)6, knowledge (religion) (1)14, Knowledge (nature) (1)3

Fatiguing touch


15th
Life Eater 7
+10
+12
+11
+6
Knowledge (local) (2)11, Knowledge (arcana) (2)7, knowledge (religion) (1)14, Knowledge (nature) (1)3.5

Enervation


16th
Life Eater 8
+11
+13
+12
+7
Knowledge (local) (2)12, Knowledge (arcana) (2)8, knowledge (religion) (1)15, Knowledge (nature) (1)4
Vicious wound, Evil Brand(V)
Sneak attack +3d6, draining sneak attack


17th
Life Eater 9
+11
+13
+12
+7
Knowledge (local) (2)13, Knowledge (arcana) (2)9, knowledge (religion) (1)16, Knowledge (nature) (1)4.5

Destruction


18th
Life Eater 10
+12
+14
+13
+8
Knowledge (local) (2)14, Knowledge (arcana) (2)10, knowledge (religion) (1)17, Knowledge (nature) (1)5

Feed


19th
Disciple of Mephistopheles 1
+13
+16
+15
+10
knowledge (religion) (4)21
Arterial Strike
Hellfire grasp, fire adept


20th
Disciple of Mephistopheles 2
+14
+17
+16
+11
knowledge (religion) (1)22, knowledge (local) (2)15, Spot(1)6

Fire resistance 10







I'm an unconventional squishy melee fighter, so I grab Dodge and Combat Expertise for a little survivability while using the improved flanking of the Dvati and Knowledge Devotion to shore up my ability to hit things. I lay the groundwork for future endeavors by gaining Aberration blood and pledging myself to an elder evil which allows me to grab Willing deformity. Totemist lets me shape Totem Avatar for some more hps and either Pegasus Cloak(feather fall) or Blink Shirt(teleport). And I can bind Girallon Arms which brings up some rules questions. Does binding give the benefits to both of the Dvati twins or only one? If it's only one then the twin without the bind will spend more of his time using Aid Other to increase hit chances on all of the new secondary natural attacks his twin gets.



I gained a bite attack on each twin and can pounce into combat to make better use of all my attacks which are now easier to hit due to Multiattack reducing the to hit penalty for secondary attacks. I also get to stay slightly further away from my pray thanks to Inhuman reach. I now have the option to use Team Melee Tactics (dodge, Combat Expertise, BAB+6) to further increase the benefits of Aid Other. My third Rogue level gives me Penetrating Strike which is an extremely important ability in that it lets me sneak attack creatures that are usually immune to it with the sneak attack die I just got by dipping my toe into the Secret Ingredient. The only creatures I can't sneak attack are those that can't be flanked. I can now cast death knell just in case one of the twins goes down in a fight.



I grab two more natural attacks on each twin via Deepspawn, another sneak attack die, and the ability I've been waiting for...wounding sneak attack. Any time I sneak attack a foe I stack a bleed and I currently have up to 16 attacks (Two sets of 2 iterative, 3 claw, 2 tentacle, 1 bite) if Girallon Arms binds to both twins or 13 attacks if not. That bleed damage stacks up nicely over time and I can go after other targets when I know, because of Deathwatch, that I've stacked enough for them to die. I also get a few once a day spells that can be situationaly useful.



I now get draining sneak attack which bestows a negative level on all attacks that were already stacking up wounds and makes even shorter work of my enemies. I pick up Vicious Wound and Arterial strike to stack wounds even quicker. I'm now at 18(15) attacks per round that stack 3 bleed and a negative level each and some additional fire damage on all of the natural attacks thanks to Hellfire Grasp. Feed allows me to pump up by Con a bit more which is doubly beneficial on a Dvati.




Book of Vile Darkness - Disciple of Mephistopheles, Willing Deformity, Disciple of Darkness, Evil Brand
Complete Champion - Lion Totem, Knowledge Devotion
Complete Scoundrel - Collector of Stories
Complete Warrior - Arterial Strike
Dragon Magazine Compendium - Dvati
Dungeonscape - Penetrating Strike
Elder Evils - Sworn to Evil
Heroes of Horror - Deformity (teeth)
Lords of Madness - Aberration Blood, Inhuman Reach, Deepspawn
Magic of Incarnum - Totemist
Monster Manual - Multiattack
Player's Handbook - Barbarian, Rogue
Player's Handbook II - Team Melee Tactics
Savage Species - Vicious Wound
Unearth Arcana - Whirling Frenzy, Martial Rogue

[Heliomance]

Entry number 7!


Ana Piranha
CE Aquatic Human Factotum 10/Life Eater 10

The land-cult’s boat sat in the center of the lake. Ana and the others swam up to it. They lifted their heads above the surface and her father and the priest standing on the deck of the ship inclined their heads to one another. Her father spoke a word and the tank that the hunters had brought rose to the surface and its top unsealed. The priest intoned “Lord Baphomet. We send this sacrifice to the hungering depths, that she may please you in the Abyss.” A cow that they had brought from the land was lowered into the tank, and the starving fish inside immediately tore into it, rapidly stripping the creature to the bone. Above and below the water, the cultists chanted praise to the Prince of Beasts. Ana pressed her hands to the tank, and felt as the cow’s life force drained away.

Chumming the OceanAbility Scores
12 Str, 13 Dex, 13 Con, 16 Int, 10 Wis, 14 Cha
Increase Int at all opportunities.

Build Table


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


1st
Factotum 1
+0
+0
+2
+0
Hide 4, Move Silently 4, Knowledge (Religion) 4, Bluff 4, Intimidate 4, Swim 4, Iaijutsu Focus 4, Craft (Poisonmaking) 4, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Forgery 1
Darkstalker, Swim-By Attack
Inspiration, Cunning Insight, Cunning Knowledge, Trapfinding


2nd
Factotum 2
+1
+0
+3
+0
Hide 5, Move Silently 5, Knowledge (Religion) 5, Bluff 5, Intimidate 5, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 5, Craft (Poisonmaking) 5, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Forgery 1, Quick Swimmer
-
Arcane Dilletante (1 Spell, Max Level 0)


3rd
Factotum 3
+2
+1
+3
+1
Hide 6, Move Silently 6, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Bluff 6, Intimidate 6, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 6, Craft (Poisonmaking) 6, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 2 Quick Swimmer
Mortalbane
Brains Over Brawn, Cunning Defense, Arcane Dilletante (Max Level 1)


4th
Factotum 4
+3
+1
+4
+1
Hide 7, Move Silently 7, Knowledge (Religion) 7, Bluff 7, Intimidate 7, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 7, Craft (Poisonmaking) 7, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 5 Quick Swimmer
-
Arcane Dilletante (2 spells), Cunning Strike


5th
Factotum 5
+3
+1
+4
+1
Hide 8, Move Silently 8, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 8, Intimidate 8, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 8, Craft (Poisonmaking) 8, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 8 Quick Swimmer
-
Opportunistic Piety, Arcane Dilletante (Max Level 2)


6th
Factotum 6
+4
+2
+5
+2
Hide 9, Move Silently 9, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 9, Intimidate 9, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 9, Craft (Poisonmaking) 9, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 9, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1 Quick Swimmer
Expeditious Dodge
-


7th
Factotum 7
+5
+2
+5
+2
Hide 10, Move Silently 10, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 10, Intimidate 10, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 10, Craft (Poisonmaking) 10, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 10, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1 Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories
-
Arcane Dilletante (3 Spells)


8th
Factotum 8
+6
+2
+6
+2
Hide 11, Move Silently 11, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 11, Intimidate 11, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1 Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories
-
Cunning Surge, Arcane Dilletante (Max Level 3)


9th
Life Eater 1
+6
+4
+8
+4
Hide 12, Move Silently 12, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 12, Intimidate 12, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 4, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1 Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories
Sahuagin Flip
Deathwatch, Poison Use


10th
Life Eater 2
+7
+5
+9
+5
Hide 12, Move Silently 12, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 12, Intimidate 12, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 4, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories
-
Sneak Attack +1d6, Death Knell


11th
Life Eater 3
+8
+5
+9
+5
Hide 13, Move Silently 13, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 13, Intimidate 13, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 1, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 11, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories
-
Chill Touch


12th
Life Eater 4
+9
+6
+10
+6
Hide 14, Move Silently 14, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 14, Intimidate 14, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 5, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 14, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories
Staggering Strike
Hide in Plain Sight


13th
Life Eater 5
+9
+6
+10
+6
Hide 15, Move Silently 15, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 15, Intimidate 15, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 11, Listen 1, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 15, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories
-
Sneak Attack +2d6, Wounding Sneak Attack


14th
Life Eater 6
+10
+7
+11
+7
Hide 16, Move Silently 16, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 16, Intimidate 16, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 16, Listen 2, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 16, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories
-
Fatiguing Touch


15th
Life Eater 7
+11
+7
+11
+7
Hide 17, Move Silently 17, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 17, Intimidate 17, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 17, Listen 5, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 17, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories, Spot the Weak Point
Craven
Enervation


16th
Life Eater 8
+12
+8
+12
+8
Hide 18, Move Silently 18, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 18, Intimidate 18, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 18, Listen 9, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 18, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories, Spot the Weak Point, Clarity of Vision
-
Sneak Attack +3d6, Draining Sneak Attack


17th
Life Eater 9
+12
+8
+12
+8
Hide 20, Move Silently 20, Knowledge (Religion) 8, Bluff 20, Intimidate 20, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 11, Search 1, Spot 20, Listen 20, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 20, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories, Spot the Weak Point, Clarity of Vision
-
Destruction


18th
Life Eater 10
+13
+9
+13
+9
Hide 21, Move Silently 21, Knowledge (Religion) 9, Bluff 21, Intimidate 21, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 13cc, Search 1, Spot 21, Listen 21, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 21, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories, Spot the Weak Point, Clarity of Vision
Font of Inspiration
Feed


19th
Factotum 9
+13
+10
+13
+10
Hide 22, Move Silently 22, Knowledge (Religion) 9, Bluff 21, Intimidate 21, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 11, Craft (Poisonmaking) 22, Search 1, Spot 21, Listen 21, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 21, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories, Spot the Weak Point, Clarity of Vision
-
Arcane Dilletante (4 Spells)


20th
Factotum 10
+14
+10
+14
+10
Hide 23, Move Silently 23, Knowledge (Religion) 9, Bluff 21, Intimidate 21, Swim 5, Iaijutsu Focus 16, Craft (Poisonmaking) 23, Search 1, Spot 21, Listen 21, Tumble 1, Disable Device 1, Sleight of Hand 21, Forgery 1, Use Rope 1, Concentration 15, Diplomacy 1, Heal 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (The Planes) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Heal 1, Disguise 1, Escape Artist 1, Gather Information 1, Sense Motive 1, Quick Swimmer, Collector of Stories, Spot the Weak Point, Clarity of Vision
-
Opportunistic Piety (+1 Use), Arcane Dilletante (Max Level 4)



Blood in the WaterLevel 6We’re diving into the deep end of not just the alignment pool, but of actual water. We have enough bonuses to not really ever need to worry about actually hitting DCs for swim checks, but 5 ranks are still worth it for an extra 10 ft of movement once per encounter from the Quick Swimmer skill trick. Swim-By attack is a better version of Spring Attack while in the water, also allowing for things like Arcane Dilletante SLAs (souped up with Mortalbane) mid-move. So swim out of hiding, drawing a weapon to trigger Iaijutsu Focus, flip a Mortalbane Ice Dagger or somesuch at your foes (the +2d6 from Mortalbane applies to the splash as well) and swim off with Quick Swimmer giving the extra movement needed to trigger Expeditious Dodge. Factotum also is a headache-free way of getting all the necessary skills for the SI.

Level 10We stick around to Factotum 8 before entering the SI. Life Eater itself doesn’t get craft, but with ranks from Factotum levels, access to Magecraft, and Cunning Insight, we’re in decent shape to make our own poisons for Poison Use. Sahuagin Flip is fun, allowing us to withdraw as a move action after making a melee attack (including a touch SLA). Cunning Surge and Swim-By Attack can be used to make another attack of some sort mid-withdrawl as well.
Level 15Now we’re more into the meat of the SI. HiPS makes the swimming tricks really pop. Being underwater will generally mean not being in full daylight, so we can now hide during Swim-By Attacks and Sahuagin Flips. Chill Touch gives us a new Mortalbane vector. Staggering Strike is also online with damage from Craven helping to boost the DC. Ask your DM if the bleed from Wounding Sneak Attack counts as dealing damage with a sneak attack for the purposes of Staggering Strike (even at DC 1 that’s a 5% chance of not being able to do much for another turn) or if those who take damage from things like splash damage, the burst damage from Ice Knife, or the like also count as victims of the sneak attack for the purpose of wounding despite not actually taking the sneak attack damage.
Level 20Destruction is an insta-kill, or a Mortalbane vector on a successful save. Draining Sneak Attack is a welcome addition to earlier tactics. The +5 to Con from Feed makes us sturdier and saves a few skill ranks getting Concentration high enough to auto-succeed using Destruction defensively. We then finish out with Factotum, gaining an extra Arcane Dilletante spell and hitting 4ths, which opens up more offensive options, or Minor Creation to produce poisons.

An Hour After EatingBook of Vile Darkness: Mortalbane
Complete Adventurer: Staggering Strike
Champions of Ruin: Craven
Dungeonscape: Factoum
Lords of Madness: Darkstalker
Oriental Adventures: Iaijutsu Focus
Races of the Wild: Expeditious Dodge
Spell Compendium: Ice Dagger, Ice Knife
Stormwrack: Sahuagin Flip, Swim-By Attack
Web: Font of Inspiration (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070606), Life Eater (http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=fr/pg20020911b)
Everything else should be in the SRD.

[Heliomance]

Entry number 8!



https://ak1.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/9701981/thumb/1.jpg
Old Johnny Blackspine
LE>CE Skarn Cobra Strike Monk 5/Life Eater 5/Scaled Horror 2/Jaunter3/Life Eater 10

Stats (after racial mods)
Str 16 (18) (Increase here at 16)
Dex 15 (13) (Increases here at other levels)
Con 14
Int 12
Wis 12
Cha 8
Backstory
Don’t walk too close to the water’s brink
Don’t stare too long at the briny drink
Or you might find that soon you sink
And meet old Johnny Blackspine

He’ll drag you down to the depths below
He’ll eat you up and he’ll do it slow
And where you went no one will know
Except old Johnny Blackspine

If daddy’s been too long away
But wasn’t at the port today
He might have had a chance to play
With dear old Johnny Blackspine

If he smells blood then he’ll come quick
His spines will rattle and they’ll click
He poisons with the smallest stick
He's mean, old Johnny Blackspine

-Cautionary rhyme from a seaport town, date unknown
Build


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


1st
Skarn Cobra Strike Monk 1
+0
+2
+2
+2
Bluff 4, Hide 4, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (Religion) 4, Move Silently 4
Apprentice (Criminal), (B)Dodge
+2 to Escape Artist, Dodge, Flurry of Blows, Spine Strike 1d6


2nd
Cobra Strike Monk 2
+1
+3
+3
+3
Bluff 5, Escape Artist 1, Hide 5, Knowledge (Religion) 5, Move Silently 5
(B)Mobility
Mobility, Invisible Fist


3rd
Monk 3
+2
+3
+3
+3
Escape Artist 3, Hide 6, Knowledge (Religion) 6, Move Silently 6
Water Heritage
Prayerful Meditation, Swim Speed +10ft


4th
Monk 4
+3
+4
+4
+4
Escape Artist 5, Hide 7, Knowledge (Religion) 7, Move Silently 7

Ki Strike (Magic), Water Step 20 ft, Spine Strike 1d8


5th
Skarn Monk 5
+3
+4
+4
+4
Escape Artist 6, Intimidate 7, Knowledge (Religion) 8

Purity of Body, Defensive Insight


6th
Life Eater 1
+3
+6
+6
+6
Escape Artist 8, Hide 9, Intimidate 8, Move Silently 9
Darkstalker
Deathwatch, Poison Use


7th
Life Eater 2
+4
+7
+7
+7
Escape Attack, Craft (Poisonmaking) 0.5(1), Hide 10, Knowledge (the Planes) 1 (2), Move Silently 10

Sneak Attack +1d6, Death Knell


8th
Life Eater 3
+5
+7
+7
+7
Craft (Poisonmaking)1(1), Hide 11, Knowledge (the Planes) 3(4), Move Silently 11

Chill Touch


9th
Life Eater 4
+6/+1
+8
+8
+8
Craft (Poisonmaking) 2.5(3), Hide 12, Knowledge (the Planes) 4(2), Move Silently 12
Spring Attack
Hide In Plain Sight


10th
Life Eater 5
+6/+1
+8
+8
+8
Craft (Poisonmaking) 5(5), Hide 13, Move Silently 13

Sneak Attack +2d6, Wounding Sneak Attack


11th
Scaled Horror 1
+6/+1
+10
+8
+8
Hide 14, Move Silently 14, Survival 3

Improved Grab, Keen Scent


12th
Scaled Horror 2
+7/+2
+11
+8
+8
Hide 15, Move Silently 15, Survival 6
Track
Freedom of Movement


13th
Jaunter 1
+7/+2
+11
+10
+8
Hide 16, Move Silently 16, Tumble 3

Travel Power, Benign Transposition


14th
Jaunter 2
+8/+3
+12
+11
+9
Hide 17, Move Silently 17, Tumble 6

Baleful Transposition, Fast Movement


15th
Jaunter 3
+9/+4
+12
+11
+9
Hide 18, Move Silently 18, Tumble 9
Multigrab
Dimension Door, Teleport


16th
Life Eater 6
+10/+5
+13
+12
+10
Craft (Poisonmaking) 7.5(5), Hide 19, Move Silently 19

Fatiguing Touch


17th
Life Eater 7
+11/+6/+1
+13
+12
+10
Craft (Poisonmaking) 10(5), Hide 20, Move Silently 20

Enervation


18th
Life Eater 8
+12/+7/+2
+14
+13
+11
Craft (Poisonmaking) 12.5(5), Hide 21, Move Silently 21
Greater Multigrab
Sneak Attack +3d6, Draining Sneak Attack


19th
Life Eater 9
+12/+7/+2
+14
+13
+11
Craft (Poisonmaking) 15(5), Hide 22, Move Silently 22

Destruction


20th
Life Eater 10
+13/+8/+3
+15
+14
+12
Craft (Poisonmaking) 17.5(5), Hide 23, Move Silently 23

Feed



Spells
Spells per Day/Spells Known


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


11th

0*
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th-20th

1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Level 5
Let’s start off with some monk. Skarn is a reptilian race for scaled horror, and has a helpful racial substitution levels that provide Intimidate to help qualify for the SI. Monk has many ACFs for us to customize with. Spine strike is a little short on text, so it’s not entirely clear if you can use your spines in the same round that you’re using spine strike in place of your unarmed strike, but I’m assuming not. Invisible fist is invaluable for a sneaky monk. As per Stormwrack, we can use the monk boost to increase our swim speed. Prayerful meditation gives us a bonus against all spells and effects from Good creatures, a far sight better than enchantment alone. Cobra Strike Monk grants us bonus feats to help qualify for Jaunter later.

Water heritage grants us a swim speed which also grants the bonus on swim checks for Scaled Horror. Apprentice (Criminal) gives us bluff for the 5 levels we’ll need it. Once we hit level 5 we can change alignment from LE to CE. It means we can’t take anymore monk, but we don’t lose anything. It was time for PrCs anyway. Our ducks all in a row mean we can progress on to the SI.
Level 10
I’m tickled that right as we enter the secret ingredient, our saves appropriately become 6/6/6. Sneak attack gives us a payoff for that invisibility and our hide/ms which we’ll continue investing in. HiPS will work fine in the water, wherever there are light sources, there are shadows, and you’ll find shadows from the enemies you face. The SI unhelpfully doesn’t give us craft, but we still have the cap from monk so we can make some poison to apply with poison use. Use injury poisons and smear them on your spines for combat readiness. Chill touch makes for a good converter of your sneak attack dice to the attractive negative energy. Escape attack will pay off in a few levels when everything coalesces. Wounding sneak attack makes for a good break point to nab the last few important bits.
Darkstalker is a must for anyone with stealth. Spring attack is the last prerequisite for Jaunter, which we’ll be entering shortly.
Level 15
Scaled Horror is a fun little class that is extraordinarily frontloaded. To start it will be giving us ranger spells, which fill out some utility as well as augment our natural abilities. Deep Breath will help you out when deep underwater, and embrace the wild can give you some extra sense in a pinch. The next important feature is improved grab. Hitting someone with your spines is using your natural weapons as an unarmed strike of sorts, but scaled horror has you covered either way. Here’s where flurry of blows becomes more useful, as each blow allows you a grapple attempt. You might want to skip the first grapple attempt or two to maximize your attacks (and thus your sneak attack and wounding) and that’s certainly your prerogative. Keen Scent is the next topic of interest. While underwater you work out to 180 feet, putting most regular scent to shame. The second part is the really fun one. You detect blood in the water at a range of up to 1 mile, and wounding attack means your victims are bleeding. Scent rules tell us that you can recognize familiar scents like familiar images, so you can distinguish your prey from other sources, and find them if you’re anywhere in the area. Track is a natural choice to hone this ability further for pursuit, so you can break off combat whenever you like safe in the knowledge you can find them again. Freedom of Movement in the water has the primary benefit of removing all of the penalties you’d normally face fighting in the water, allowing you to use slashing or bludgeoning weapons at full damage. It also means that you can effortlessly escape the grapples you start. This lets you fire off escape attack, for another hit that they’re flatfooted against. Thus more sneak attack and more wounding.

Jaunter has a wonky chart that doesn’t line up with normal advancement for poor fort and will saves. I’ve transposed it faithfully, but your DM might say use normal saves, which delays the increase from level 2 to level 3. End number is the same. Jaunter gives us the means to pursue with real speed. The speed boost means better maneuverability on the battlefield (remember your Spring Attack), and Benign and Baleful transposition make for good tactical movement. At level 3 are the real treats, dimension door for unfettered tactical teleportation, and teleport for crossing large distances. Teleport means that you can instantly get to anything whose blood you smell in the water. You can of course also use it to bring your friends to places you go.

Multigrab allows us to attempt a strategy that before would not have been viable. Improved grab from Scaled Horror allows you to conduct a grapple normally or to hold your target with your spines, in which case you do not count as being grappled. This ordinarily imposes a ruinous -20 to your grapple checks, but with Multigrab it’s lessened to a more reasonable penalty. Not counting as being grappled means you can do normal things like cast spells, use SLAs, and threaten spaces. It also means, more importantly, that you can invoke an important rule for grappling. Creatures in a grapple lose their dexterity bonus against creatures other than the one they’re grappling. You don’t count as being grappled by your target here, so you can sneak attack them with ease, piling on the wounding.
Level 20
Now that we’re finished with our other PrCs, let’s return our attention to the SI. Fatiguing touch and enervation are good for softening up foes for easier grappling, especially once you get draining sneak attack. Nothing goes with negative levels like more negative levels. Remember that casters lose spell slots when you smack them with this, and you could easily end up removing an opponent’s ability to cast the healing spells to counteract your wounding. When you do kill a target, don’t be afraid to teleport away with the body so you can use feed in peace, and return to your other bloodied foes at your convenience.
Greater Multigrab completely eliminates the penalty for holding an opponent with your spines, so you’re all the more likely to be able to hold them as long as you want while you get in your sneak attacks. Break it off with an escape attack, hit a different target, teleport or dimension door away leaving them bleeding, return when you like hidden under cover of invisible fist to strike again.
Seasoning to taste
There is one build choice that elected not to include because I was uneasy with its legality. Planar Monk is a planar substitution level available at level 5 for monk. It trades purity of body for resistance 5 to the energy of your choice. More importantly, it grants Knowledge (the Planes) as a class skill. This could save a few skill ranks for the build, which would be appreciated, and lets Water Heritage pull double duty in qualifying for the sub level as well. However, substitution levels, unlike ACFs, have charts and skills. As such, it does not strike me as legal to take 2 substitution levels at once, so I prioritized Skarn monk. Of course, I’ve not seen any rules one way or the other, and your DM may be more permissive. In such a case it’s a nice addition that meshes well with Jaunter, and I certainly like energy resistance more than immunity to disease.
Sources
Skarn, Skarn Monk: Magic of Incarnum
Scaled Horror, Multigrab, Greater Multigrab: Savage Species
Jaunter: Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
Escape Attack: Complete Scoundrel
Apprentice: DMGII
Walter Walk ACF, increased swim speed: Stormwrack
Darkstalker: Lords of Madness
Invisible Fist: Exemplars of Evil
Prayerful Meditation: Complete Champion
Water Heritage, Planar Monk: Planar Handbook
Monk, Cobra Strike Monk, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Track: srd

[Heliomance]

Entry number 9!


Maldred the Chaotic Evil Human Paladin of Slaughter 2/Hexblade 4/Abjurant Champion 5/Life Eater 9



Stat

Base

Level Up

Final



Strength

16


16



Dexterity

13

4, 8, 12

16



Constitution

14


14



Intelligence

13


13



Wisdom

8


8



Charisma

14

16, 20

16









Level

Class

Base Attack Bonus

Fort Save

Ref Save

Will Save

Skills

Feats

Class Features


1st

Paladin of Slaughter

+1

+2

+0

+0

Intimidate +4, Knowledge Religion +4, Hide +2, Move Silently +2

Combat Casting, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Chain

Aura of Evil, Detect Good, Smite Good 1/day



2nd

Paladin of Slaughter

+2

+3

+0

+0

Intimidate +5, Knowledge Religion +5, Hide +2.5, Move Silently +2.5


Deadly Touch, Divine Grace



3rd

Hexblade

+3

+5

+0

+2

Intimidate +6, Knowledge Religion +5, Hide +3, Bluff +1, Move Silently +3

Combat Expertise

Arcane Attunement, Hexblade’s Curse 1/day



4th

Hexblade

+4

+6

+0

+3

Intimidate +7, Knowledge Religion +5, Hide +3.5, Bluff +2, Move Silently +3.5


Arcane Resistance



5th

Hexblade

+5

+6

+1

+3

Intimidate +7, Knowledge Religion +6, Hide +4, Bluff +2, Move Silently +4


Mettle



6th

Hexblade

+6

+7

+1

+4

Intimidate +7, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +4, Bluff +4, Move Silently +4

Improved Trip

Summon Familiar, CL 2, 1st level spells



7th

Abjurant Champion

+7

+7

+1

+6

Intimidate +7, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +4.5, Bluff +5, Move Silently +4.5


Abjurant Armor, Extended Abjuration, CL 3



8th

Abjurant Champion

+8

+7

+1

+7

Intimidate +7, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +5.5, Bluff +5, Move Silently +5


Swift Abjuration, CL 4, 2nd level spells



9th

Abjurant Champion

+9

+8

+2

+7

Intimidate +10, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +6, Bluff +5, Move Silently +5

Knockdown

CL 5



10th

Abjurant Champion

+10

+8

+2

+8

Intimidate +10, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +6.5, Bluff +5, Move Silently +6.5


Arcane Boost, CL 6, 3rd level spells



11th

Abjurant Champion

+11

+8

+2

+8

Intimidate +12, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +7, Bluff +5, Move Silently +7


Martial Arcanist, CL 11, 4th level spells



12th

Life Eater

+11

+10

+4

+10

Intimidate +14, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +8, Bluff +5, Move Silently +8, Spellcraft +2

Mage Slayer

Deathwatch, Poison Use



13th

Life Eater

+12

+11

+5

+11

Intimidate +16, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +9, Bluff +5, Move Silently +9, Spellcraft +4


Sneak Attack +1d6, Death Knell, CL 12



14th

Life Eater

+13

+11

+5

+11

Intimidate +17, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +11, Bluff +5, Move Silently +10, Spellcraft +6


Chill Touch, CL 13



15th

Life Eater

+14

+12

+6

+12

Intimidate +18, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +12, Bluff +5, Move Silently +12, Spellcraft +8

Arterial Strike

Hide in Plain Sight, CL 14



16th

Life Eater

+14

+12

+6

+12

Intimidate +19, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +14, Bluff +5, Move Silently +13, Spellcraft +10


Wounding Sneak Attack, Sneak Attack +2d6



17th

Life Eater

+15

+13

+7

+13

Intimidate +20, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +15, Bluff +5, Move Silently +15, Spellcraft +12


Fatiguing Touch, CL 15



18th

Life Eater

+16

+13

+7

+13

Intimidate +21, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +17, Bluff +5, Move Silently +16, Spellcraft +14

Improved Familiar

Enervation, CL 16



19th

Life Eater

+17

+14

+8

+14

Intimidate +22, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +18, Bluff +5, Move Silently +18, Spellcraft +16


Sneak Attack +3d6, Draining Sneak Attack, CL 17



20th

Life Eater

+17

+14

+8

+14

Intimidate +23, Knowledge Religion +8, Hide +20, Bluff +5, Move Silently +21, Spellcraft +17


Destruction




Spells per Day



Level

1st

2nd

3rd

4th


1st

-

-

-

-



2nd

-

-

-

-



3rd

-

-

-

-



4th

-

-

-

-



5th

-

-

-

-



6th

0

-

-

-



7th

1

-

-

-



8th

1

0

-

-



9th

1

1

-

-



10th

1

1

1

-



11th

2

1

1

0



12th

2

1

1

0



13th

2

1

1

0



14th

2

1

1

0



15th

2

1

1

0



16th

2

1

1

0



17th

2

1

1

0



18th

2

1

1

0



19th

2

1

1

0



20th

2

1

1

0



Spells Known
Level
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
-
-
-
3rd
-
-
-
-
4th
-
-
-
-
5th
-
-
-
-
6th
2
-
-
-
7th
3
-
-
-
8th
4
2
-
-
9th
4
3
-
-
10th
4
4
3
-
11th
4
4
4
2
12th
4
4
4
2
13th
4
4
4
2
14th
4
4
4
2
15th
4
4
4
2
16th
4
4
4
2
17th
4
4
4
2
18th
4
4
4
2
19th
4
4
4
2
20th
4
4
4
2

How does this all work. It is a specific reading, and it is headache inducing. Blame half casters like Hexblade, Paladin, Ranger, Spellthief, etc.
First a quote:


Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a hexblade gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells, which are drawn from the hexblade spell list (see Chapter 3). He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, just as a sorcerer can. To learn or cast a spell, a hexblade must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, Cha 12 for 2nd-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a hexblade’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the hexblade’s Cha modifier. Like other spellcasters, a hexblade can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1–1. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. When Table 1–1 indicates that the hexblade gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level (for instance, 1st-level spells for a 4th-level hexblade), he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level. The hexblade’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A hexblade begins play knowing no spells, but gains one or more new spells at certain levels, as indicated on Table 1–2. (Unlike spells per day, his Charisma score does not affect the number of spells a hexblade knows; the numbers on Table 1–2 are fixed.)

Upon reaching 12th level, and at every third hexblade level after that (15th and 18th), a hexblade can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the hexblade “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level hexblade spell the hexblade can cast. For instance, upon reaching 12th level, a hexblade could trade in a single 1stlevel spell (two spell levels below the highest-level hexblade spell he can cast, which is 3rd) for a different 1st-level spell. At 15th level, he could trade in a single 1st-level or 2nd-level spell (since he now can cast 4th-level hexblade spells) for a different spell of the same level. A hexblade may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

Through 3rd level, a hexblade has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is one-half his hexblade level.
So for each level that a half caster gains a level in their class, they gain half a caster level.



Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an abjurant champion, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
There are several ways to argue this point:
Option 1: You increase your caster level (in this case from CL 2 to CL 3), but only put yourself to level 5 on the Hexblade table (in which case you should only have CL 2). This means you gain no new spells known, no new spells per day, you just get a CL boost.
Option 2: You increase your caster level (again from CL 2 to CL 3), and since you are now CL 3 you put yourself on the Hexblade table where you would have CL 3 (level 6).
Option 3: You increase your “hexblade” level from 4 to 5, granting you nothing. No CL increase, no new spells per day, no new spells known, nothing.

To me the only fair way to treat the advancement from a prestige class on a half caster, is to increase their placement by 2 on the spells portion. This does not give them “early” access to spells. You need just as many caster levels to reach 4th level spells on a Hexblade in this manner as a wizard. You still get 4th level spells at CL 7. Same as Assassin and wizard.

Onto the why. Why have I gone through convoluted means to get access to hexblade’s crappy spell list? Cursed Blade.
Cursed Blade is a 4th level Assassin and Hexblade spell only. Lasting for 1 minute per caster level, any wounds dealt by your weapon can’t be healed until the recipient of the damage receives a remove curse. Combined with Wounding Sneak Attack and Arterial Strike, and you now deal an additional stacking 2 bleed damage per sneak attack continuing until the target receives a remove curse. You hit a guy 3 times, he starts taking 6 damage per round until he’s cured.

Oh and on the note of mage slayer, you apply effects on yourself in whichever order you choose iirc. So CL 7 - 4 = 3, 3 is less than 17, so your CL now equals your BAB of 17.

Spells Known:
1: Entropic Shield, Bloodletting, Augment Familiar, Detect Magic
2: Arcane Turmoil, Alter Self, Mirror Image, Suppress Magic
3: Hound of Doom, Dispel Magic, Vampiric Touch, Arcane Sight
4: Cursed Blade, Polymorph[/SPOILER]

You are a spiked chain tripping fighter. You have mage slayer. You're quite good at doing the CC job within 15 ft of yourself. In addition you bring unhealable wounds and negative levels whenever you can sneak attack. Your saves are absolutely phenomenal thanks to Divine Grace + Arcane Resistance + Good saves from Life Eater. Surprisingly you are fairly stealthy with Hide in Plain Sight and decent skill investment, add in the fact that you have some decent wand usage from your hexblade wands (for things like solid fog, greater invisibility, etc). You have a familiar which can do some fun things depending on which one you choose (I like getting flight via a hippogriff.) Your CL of 17 is fairly decent for dispelling using your quickened dispels. Get yourself a Runestaff of Abjuration or a Custom Runestaff of Shielding (Steel Shadows, Fire Shield, Repelling Shield, and Nightshield) to enjoy the benefits of Abjurant Armor.

[Heliomance]

And that's all of them!

I'm deeply sorry about the delay. I've had the tab open for a while, being weirdly intimidated by the prospect of making the reveal post, I don't know why. I realise I've not been the best chair this year, with a lot of delays for no good reason. I'd like to take the competition one thread further, to see it to the hundredth thread, and then I intend to step down as chair and let someone else have a turn.

Anyway, judges, have at!

[MisterKaws]

Huh, they're out!

I'm seeing a problem with one of the builds just from skimming through, but I'll leave it for after judging is done.

By the way, that entry 7 sounds super dirty in Portuguese, though it's probably accidental.

[Wolfem]

Added Dishes to the ICO Spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oyjVU5JmeCnC8YTMqDArDqE5PszHl0Ysadz630kuTGk/edit?ts=59a4835f#gid=0&range=A1023:A1031).

[Venger]

Thanks a lot, Wolfem

[Thurbane]

Congrats to everyone who got an entry in. SOme nice stuff there.

Wish I could have found my old stub (and the spare time) to get an entry in. I can't remember all of it,. but I think there was Spellthief and the Spell Drain and Death Devotion feats involved. I was pretty happy with it, from memory, but TBH, may not have been all that impressive compared to some of the builds entered.

[Venger]

Congrats to everyone who got an entry in. SOme nice stuff there.

Wish I could have found my old stub (and the spare time) to get an entry in. I can't remember all of it,. but I think there was Spellthief and the Spell Drain and Death Devotion feats involved. I was pretty happy with it, from memory, but TBH, may not have been all that impressive compared to some of the builds entered.

sounds pretty cool. I considered using spell drain with a skulk-friendly accelerated casting prc like assassin, but since the ability isn't exactly energy drain, I figured it wouldn't be worth the hassle and did something else.

[Efrate]

I am just happy to see a fair bit of MoI. More I read that the more I like it.

[The Viscount]

Lot of cool builds going in different directions here. Are any of our generous souls considering judging this round?

[Darrin]

Lot of cool builds going in different directions here. Are any of our generous souls considering judging this round?

I have been considering it, but I need to block out some time for it. As of right now, I don't know how long it would take. So put me down for a "maybe".

[Piggy Knowles]

I have been considering it, but I need to block out some time for it. As of right now, I don't know how long it would take. So put me down for a "maybe".

If you can find the time, that would be fantastic! Your judging is always top notch.

Any speculation on what Helio has in store for the Iron Chef century?

[The Viscount]

My deepest fears tell me it will be Shining Blade of Heironeus; I can only hope they are wrong.

[Piggy Knowles]

I have a feeling that Helio will throw us a curve somehow. Maybe she'll bring things full circle with something like blackguard, which if I recall correctly was the original Iron Chef ingredient way back on the BG boards.

[WhamBamSam]

Optimistic Prediction: Maybe my years of asking for Beast Heart Adept will finally be rewarded. It's a cool, unique, and actually pretty good PrC. Or something else off my ever-expanding list of Defiant, Eye of Gruumsh, Watch Detective, Mortal Hunter, Demonologist, Vassal of Bahamut, Ninja of the Crescent Moon, Rage Mage, DotU Arachnomancer, Disciple of Thrymm, Thayan Slaver, Warrior of Darkness, Tattooed Monk, and others I'm probably forgetting.

Realistic Prediction: Shining Blade. It's gonna be Shining Blade.

[EndlessKng]

I have a feeling that Helio will throw us a curve somehow. Maybe she'll bring things full circle with something like blackguard, which if I recall correctly was the original Iron Chef ingredient way back on the BG boards.

Was going to say - for an iconic prestige class from the very beginning, Blackguard seems oddly conspicuous in its absence... didn't realize it existed elsewhere, but even so.

And blackguard is a class that anyone who can get enough Knowledge Religion can join by 10th level (with a couple levels MC for classes Poor BAB but even then), so it does lend to a ton of builds.

Then again it has an annoying number of dead levels after fifth... if it wasn't a caster...

[Darrin]

If you can find the time, that would be fantastic!


Ok, I'm going to see if I can clear out some time this week to get some judging done. No ECD yet.



Any speculation on what Helio has in store for the Iron Chef century?

I've suggested Soulborn 20 a couple times, but Helio had very little interest in it.

[Piggy Knowles]

While we’re waiting for judges, figured I’d post my initial abandoned idea. For a while I was really stuck on the idea of a tibbit Life Eater, who used stealth to sneak into people’s spaces unnoticed and then unleash a flurry of draining attacks. I had most of the build planned out, and some strong ideas for the fluff as well: I was going to write a riff on the “Wait Till Martin Comes” story from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (like most stories in the collections, its origins predate that collection, but that’s the version I know best), where someone breaks into a house to get out of the rain and is met by increasingly larger and scarier cats who sneak in and quietly discuss eating him, but keep saying to “wait till Martin comes.” I thought I’d write a fairly straight take on the story, but at the climax when the protagonist runs away, it would be revealed that Martin was there the whole time, hiding in his shadow. Nothing groundbreaking, I know, but it sounded fun.

The build itself was kind of neat, using rogue + warblade as a sort of swordsage analogue, and with some nice Cha-focused tricks as well. I went with the standard Underfoot Combat/Confound the Big Folk method of attacking larger opponents, which combines really nicely with HiPS and a stealth focus, since you can actually sneak into enemy spaces. The secondary Cha-focus went straight back into stealth via a marshal dip for motivate Dexterity, while also giving me some neat ways to deal with undead via Undead Empathy + Wanderer’s Diplomacy.

Anyhow, I had the build skeleton more or less planned out, and even wrote up my build snapshots, when I thought of another idea and decided to go for that one instead. Didn’t really have it in me to do two entries this competition, so this one got relegated to my increasingly bloated google doc of build stubs. Figured I’d post it here instead of letting it just collect dust.

Tibbit, rogue 4/warblade 2/marshal 1/life eater 10/uncanny trickster 3

1 rogue1- darkstalker, dodge
2 rogue2- weapon finesse
3 rogue3- knowledge devotion
4 rogue4- combat expertise
5 warblade1-
6 life eater1- skill focus (diplomacy)
7 life eater2-
8 marshal1- underfoot combat
9 life eater3- confound the big folk
10 life eater4-
11 life eater5-
12 life eater6- undead empathy
13 life eater7-
14 life eater8-
15 life eater9- wanderer’s diplomacy
16 life eater10-
17 warblade2-
18 uncanny trickster1- craven
19 uncanny trickster2-
20 uncanny trickster3-

maneuvers/stances
1- Sudden leap, sapphire nightmare blade, stance of claritystance
2- Rabid wolf strike
5- Dancing mongoose
6- Moment of alacrity
7- Hearing the airstance, avalanche of blades

Marshal aura: motivate dexterity

POSS CHANGES: reshuffle later feats to take craven at 12 and bump undead empathy/wanderer’s diplomacy to 15/18

BUILD SNAPSHOTS
Rogue 4/Warblade 1:

During these lowest levels, Martin often prefers to remain in humanoid form for combat, as his cat form must enter the foe’s space in order to attack. As a feat rogue Martin does not have access to sneak attack yet, but he is still an agile fighter and can quickly reposition himself with sudden leap and apply bonus damage with Knowledge Devotion and his sapphire nightmare blade and rabid wolf strike maneuvers. Defensively his small size and high Dexterity, combined with Dodge and stance of clarity, allows him to remain alive.

Outside of combat, Martin possesses fantastic stealth (including a +21 hide bonus before items while in cat form) and decent social skills, as well as a wide smattering of knowledge skills. He is a capable infiltrator, able to use his cat form and Darkstalker to get into almost any location completely unseen.

Death’s ruin may seem like an odd ACF to take considering that Martin does not have sneak attack, but it will absolutely come in handy down the road.

Rogue 4/Warblade 1/Life Eater 4/Marshal 1:

In these first four levels of the secret ingredient, Martin completely comes into his own. Here Martin begins abandoning his humanoid form and remaining in cat form during combat. With Underfoot Combat and Confound the Big Folk, Martin can enter the space of a medium or larger foe while in cat form, receive a shield bonus from the foe whose space he is occupying, and have all of his attacks be considered as flat-footed. He can also make opposing attacks have a high likelihood of striking his opponent for the low cost of a -1 penalty to his attack rolls, and can even make trip attacks using a Dexterity check (further boosted by his marshal’s Motivate Dexterity aura), while his opponents are denied any bonus for their size.

These two feats are effective all on their own, but adding in Life Eater’s ability, they become quite a bit deadlier. With hide in plain sight, he can hide in his opponent’s shadow as he sneaks into their space, disappearing completely until he attacks in a flurry of claws and teeth. And while his damage is minimal, adding an injury poison and sneak attack to his three attacks helps keep him relevant in combat. He can also use chill touch as an alternative means of attacking for high-AC foes

Rogue 4/Warblade 1/Life Eater 9/Marshal 1:

At ECL 15, Martin has fully developed all of his main strategies. His sneak attack improves to +3d6, and each attack wounds his opponents and deals negative levels as well. He also gains some very nice spell-like abilities in enervation and destruction that allow him to attack from a distance without leaving his cat form.

Undead Empathy and Wanderer’s Diplomacy may seem like an odd departure from his attacking-focused feats, but they go a long way toward shoring up his single biggest vulnerability: the undead. With a decent Charisma, good skills and his Skill Focus feat, Martin is an excellent bluffer and passable diplomancer. These two feats work in tandem to let him make a bluff check as a standard action (with no penalty!) to temporarily influence the attitudes of mindless undead, leaving him capable of completely removing them from combat with a DC 25 bluff check.

Rogue 4/Warblade 2/Life Eater 10/Marshal 1/Uncanny Trickster 3:

Martin finishes out his last levels by focusing on his initiating. Bouncing back into warblade immediately gives him access to dancing mongoose, and he also picks up moment of alacrity and avalanche of blades as well. Dancing mongoose increases his attacks in a single round to 5 despite his moderate BAB, and when adding on sneak attack, craven, negative levels and wounding, that is significant, even against undead (who are immune to negative levels and poison but still take sneak damage thanks to Martin’s death’s ruin ACF). Against low-AC foes he can go further and use avalanche of blades for potentially even more attacks.

Moment of alacrity provides an interesting trick. Since Martin’s usual attacking sequence requires first sneaking into his opponent’s space, it means he typically does not start dealing damage until the second round of combat, and he has to watch out for enemies that attempt to leave the shared space. With moment of alacrity, Martin can delay until after all his opponents act, sneak into their space, use moment of alacrity to shuffle himself back up to the top of the initiative order, and then immediately attack on the next round with all his benefits.

Uncanny trickster offers a few excellent benefits here. In addition to advancing his warblade levels while also providing extra skill tricks and significantly improved skill points/selection, it also allows Martin to avoid multiclassing penalties and effectively provides an extra .5 initiator level (since it advances warblade but is not itself an initiating class, it effectively provides +3.5 IL in three levels), allowing Martin to just eke out IL 13 for 7th-level maneuvers. (If your DM does not allow this, it’s still superior to taking more levels of warblade due to the skills and avoidance of multiclassing penalties; the only thing that changes about the build is that Martin must choose a 6th-level or lower maneuver instead of avalanche of blades when swapping out sapphire nightmare blade.)

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I'm seriously considering judging, but before I do I need to ask how fair it is to make the story/fluff a significant part of the score. I was thinking of going as high as +1 in Originality for good fluff (no penalty for lacking fluff, you just don't get those points), and additionally waiving or reducing some penalties in Elegance if the fluff did a good enough job justifying them (this would be for dipping and such, not actually illegal stuff, naturally). Is that fair/reasonable, or am I letting my own preference for a good story have too big an influence on the score?

[pabelfly]

I'm seriously considering judging, but before I do I need to ask how fair it is to make the story/fluff a significant part of the score. I was thinking of going as high as +1 in Originality for good fluff (no penalty for lacking fluff, you just don't get those points), and additionally waiving or reducing some penalties in Elegance if the fluff did a good enough job justifying them (this would be for dipping and such, not actually illegal stuff, naturally). Is that fair/reasonable, or am I letting my own preference for a good story have too big an influence on the score?

Did judging on another thread, and reading up on how others have scored... yeah, I think it's quite fair to partially base your score on the story concept that a character brings with them.

[Darrin]

I'm seriously considering judging, but before I do I need to ask how fair it is to make the story/fluff a significant part of the score.


That is entirely at the discretion of the judge. Sometimes judges address story/fluff points in Originality, sometimes it shows up in Elegance. Judges actually have quite a bit of leeway in how they weight their scoring rubrics.

I can't really speak for other judges, but I can explain my own reasoning (even though nobody asked): Coming up with a backstory is one of the toughest parts of Iron Chef for me, so much so that it often prevents me from submitting something that works mechanically but I can't think of a decent backstory for it. Some chefs only submit a bare-bones backstory, some skip it entirely. I want to be fair to chefs have trouble with backstory or decide not to provide any.

So my reasoning: I will not penalize an entry for having a short/brief backstory, or for having no backstory at all. Skipping or skimping the backstory won't hurt you. What I use the backstory for is when I have two builds that are "tied" on points, but I feel that one build should be a little stronger than the other, then I will look into the backstory for reasons to elevate a score in a particular category. So I tend to use story/fluff for tiebreakers.



I was thinking of going as high as +1 in Originality for good fluff (no penalty for lacking fluff, you just don't get those points), and additionally waiving or reducing some penalties in Elegance if the fluff did a good enough job justifying them (this would be for dipping and such, not actually illegal stuff, naturally). Is that fair/reasonable, or am I letting my own preference for a good story have too big an influence on the score?

That sounds entirely fair and reasonable.

[DeTess]

I'm seriously considering judging, but before I do I need to ask how fair it is to make the story/fluff a significant part of the score. I was thinking of going as high as +1 in Originality for good fluff (no penalty for lacking fluff, you just don't get those points), and additionally waiving or reducing some penalties in Elegance if the fluff did a good enough job justifying them (this would be for dipping and such, not actually illegal stuff, naturally). Is that fair/reasonable, or am I letting my own preference for a good story have too big an influence on the score?

This sounds fair to me. When I judge I generally award up to 1 point for extremely flavorful builds. I'd personally be a bit careful of letting fluff buy off penalties, unless the penalty is fluff related. For example, I penalized a build in the past for taking an [exalted] feat in addition to several morally grey classes/feats/features (don't quite remember the details). A fluff aknowkedgement and explanation could have prevented that.

[Piggy Knowles]

It’s been a long time since I’ve last judged, but when I did, I always looked for builds that were thematic and flavorful and seemed like they’d be interesting as characters or NPCs, and rewarded them with decent scores accordingly. Sometimes that was represented in a well-written backstory, but sometimes it was present in the build itself. There have been plenty of entries over the years that managed to really capture who they were and what they were going for with minimal (and in some cases non-existent) backstories, and there have been just as many cases where a long or convoluted backstory only served to muddy the waters.

Basically, what I’m interested in is a clear idea of who the character is and what makes them interesting, and there are a lot of ways to get that across. Show me that, whether you do it through a backstory or little vignettes or epic poetry or just through a really flavorful and well-done build, and I’ll be happy. Don’t present that, and no amount of backstory will fix it for me.

[Heliomance]

Any updates on judging? We've come so far, it would be a real shame to have the contest die now, on the 99th thread!

[Empyreal Dragon]

Would I be able to judge? I have some thoughts, and since I just missed entry I'd love to participate somehow.

[Zaq]

I won’t have free time until December. But I will happily judge Round XCIX in December if no one else steps up to the plate before then.

Yes, I’m aware of how dumb that statement is.

[jdizzlean]

Would I be able to judge? I have some thoughts, and since I just missed entry I'd love to participate somehow.



please do!

[Piggy Knowles]

We've come so far, it would be a real shame to have the contest die now, on the 99th thread!

"This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but with a whimper."

If no one is working on judging at all by the end of the week, I'll withdraw my entry and judge instead.

[DeTess]

If no one is working on judging at all by the end of the week, I'll withdraw my entry and judge instead.

I'd make that offer as well (actually, I'd have made it a month or so ago), but I'm too busy to commit to judging. If piggy does end up doing this, I'll try to do a judge-style critique of their build at least.

[Quentinas]

I can try to judge .... It would be my first time and i have to read the SI because i never used that but i can try (i don't know how much time i will use)

[WhamBamSam]

I can try to judge .... It would be my first time and i have to read the SI because i never used that but i can try (i don't know how much time i will use)Give it a try! Clearly the contest would benefit from a broader pool of judges and I've found that you get a lot out of judging even if it tends to be quite a bit of work.

We'll probably be fairly gentle. I doubt anyone remembers their build well enough to dispute too strenuously.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I've started judging, but it's slow going, since my main free time is also when I have no/limited access to internet. Makes it hard to reference what class features/feats actually do/require.

[Quentinas]

Maybe for the next Tuesday you will have my judgement for now i have done 2 builds and one is at half but this weekend i will not write basically

[Quentinas]

Update probably i will post by Wednesday because some build are more complicated to judge than i have think and i have taken a tendinitis to my right hand

[DeTess]

Update probably i will post by Wednesday because some build are more complicated to judge than i have think and i have taken a tendinitis to my right hand

Don't worry about taking a bit longer. We all get how real life can slow stuff down once in a while.

[Quentinas]

I have done 7 of 9 build so it should not take me so much now

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I have done 7 of 9 build so it should not take me so much now

Welp, you're finishing before me, that's for sure. Looking forward to seeing them!

[Quentinas]

So i tried to judge , and i'm not a english native one but let's see about these builds maybe there will be some error this is my first judgement so i hope that is good

One warforged who eat life? That is strange, and i would not expected a dragonborn with this Secret Ingredient , but as race is quite standard (+0). There are so many dips and only the SI as prestige class but let's analyze them . Barbarian+ lion totem + girallon arm already seen (-0.25), a dip of crusader and swordsage i have not think about that with this secret ingredient and generally one take only one level to take the maneveur you want (-0.25) , warforged and poison and hidden talent to create poison already seen as combination as you are immune and can create without problem (-0.25) but surprisly your base is totemist something that i would not expected or seen in many build (is taken as a dip to gain girallon arm as far as i know) (+0.5) and i would never have expected the binder as dip (+0.5)


So you have listed for each level while one could ask fro som point so thanks it can helps . Your melee setup is good among the number of attacks and the sneak attack , and you don’t put all your damage on that so even
against creatures that are immune to critical you can do , and you will bestow negative level with each sneak attack +1 Each of your dips add something to the attack routine and while the damage doesn’t boost until sneak attack come online is still good even only for the numbers that there are here. Your BAB is penalized from so many dips many of them who doesn’t have full BAB but at the end you are in mid between a 1 /2 BAB character and a 3 /4 BAB character which can be good (+0) The soulmeld are good you don’t have so much essentia but you use them as a bonus so you can expend essentia in other things as for example midnight dodge. They are for all day , not like the maneuvers or minor creation. The first has the problem that the main one are not usable for more than 1 time for encounter each one, and the second will last only for one hour (if you can create the poisons note below) (-0.25) They are only a bonus to your damage at the end (you can still make sneak attack easily)
On the defensive side your saves are not so bad the worst reflex if you don’t use shedu crown which is good , your fortitude saves are good thanks to the boost of constitution but with a low dexterity i’m not sure how much AC will you have and as HP 147 seems a little low with your constitution modifier but with hide in plain sight you hope that you are not hit and you still have the warforged traits +0
On the utility side you have various form of movement, you have mindsight and you can hide and move silently without many problems you can try to help the face and to know something about the religions, the real gem is mindsight for the utility so all summed +1.25 One fact that I note is that you don’t have any ranks to craft poison , so if they are listed as complex items (and I think they are ) you could not craft them (-0.25) You could exchange the ranks in armorcrafting you have but you did not say anything about that
You take very late darkstalker and sadly this is something that the SI require to be used well (-0.25)
With your charisma mod is not easy to intimidate the enemies so I don’t see how you can fear stack but at least you can try(+0)


You finished the secret ingredient but waited until the last opportunity to end that but at least you finished him. Sorry but one could argue that you can't take multiattack because you don't have each time the required arms to take that ,so while many DM will accept that i'm not so sure that is legal all the time but is a little thing and the same is applied to shedu crown for mindsight (-0.25) You used midnight dodge rather than normal dodge to qualify and that is neat because you have your essentia that can boost that but you will not invest so much (+0.25)
You suffer multiclass penalties you know that right? Even if in many games they are not used they exists and you suffer them in an heavy way and is inelegant to have so many classes (-0.5)
You listed improved unarmed attack as a bonus but you did not say me that you used the unarmed swordsage in the table but in the crunchy bits level by level yes and is obvious what you have taken so -0.25 because the table is the primary thing one go to see.
As note your stat after racial modifier are wrong you still have 12 of intelligence (and your skill point for that are correct)
At level 13 you overspent one skill point and from level 18 to level 20 you overspent 1 skill point for level you know… life eater doesn’t have craft as skill (and I don’t know why you put point in craft) (-0.5)
In your backstory you didn’t tell about this but I think you will exchange patron from Bahamut to Baphomet but is not something that I will penalize


So you have all level of the SI (+1), you use in a good way three abilities of the SI Many things that help you come from out the SI ( all of your attack for example ), the poison use without poison use thanks to the warforged, and the maneuvers which shine as bright like the SI… So you gain something from that but you mimic that from the various base classes so it shine less (the better thing is the negative level on the sneak attack)(-0.5) basically you could have progressed the other classes to gain near the same things



I would have expected the lesser tiefling , thematically was good with this SI (-0.25) , but I would not expected another incarnum class, especially the incarnate because the alignment restriction and the necrocarnum is so good as theme with the life eater for me (+1) As for the feats nothing so special to be worth a bonus here


On the utility side you have a good hide and move silently you have some knowledge that you can try to use, arcana and religion and plane with the second very good and the other two acceptable, your social interaction are good even with the malus to charisma (you can bluff easily and you can intimidate if you want) and with mindsight and deathwatch you can pin many enemies easily and darkstalker took maybe a little too late but before HiPS so all summed +1.25
On the attack side I’m unsure because as noted in elegance is not clear which meldshape you will use but at least you say your attacking one and sadly while is only a standard action will beated easily as damage and sure is a touch attack but only against living creature. And you don’t have any feat to improve ranged damage, so with a weapon you can do something more so you are more melee than anything but you are something more than a low bab class who fight in melee (-0.75) You arrive at having the third attack from BAB even if you use classes that have a low BAB so it’s acceptable +0 . Many things are at single use for day (or something more) but the meldshape are for all day long so that is good . It seems that you are a melee character from the stats
On the defensive side your saves are not so high but with the meldshape I’m sure that you can boost them , and for Hp you are around 135 on the average, thanks to the constitution that is boosted +0


You don’t say me how many essentia points you have or what will be your setup for the meldshape which necrocarnum meldshape will you use for example or how you will expend essentia and this is not good to make a valuation (-0.25) The fact that you have taken midnight dodge is good and with a good amount I can think that you can put the maximum in that +0.25. Ordered chaos is an elegant way for me to qualify for life eater while using another alignment so is a bonus for you +0.5. The rest seems all legal even if you don’t say anything abouth Baphomet and your fluff is a little strange to explain your character but I can’t penalize for that and is a good reading


Thanks to the SI you arrived at having the third attack , and you finished in time (even if you take that at the last) , but from the SI what do you use? Hide in plain sight, deathwatch combined with necrocarnum and mindsight , the sneak attack ,and maybe the wound that they provokes but you don’t explain with it is needed to be a life eater all what you use can be gained by other prestige so +1 because you finished the SI, +0.25 thanks to deatwatch , mindsight and necrocarnum that have a synergy as theme and is different enough from the base classes to add something



A strange race , unseelie fey is known as cheese and I think at that reading the SI (-0.5) but personally I would not have think at the jerren (but for example at a whisper gnome as race) +0.5 the Ghost template is strong and not so much used , like the eidolon claases +1. Your feats are strange and I think that one so much focused on touch attack is rare +0.25


So let’s put down this your incorporeality is fantastic as a defensive means but depends on the campaign because if Ghostwalk is used you wll have more enemies even at the start but is a great means as a defense, and for the equipment it can be a problem but not so much +0.5
Your saves are not so bad counting that the incorporeality will prevent you from many obstacles ,so fortitude even if it is low is not so a problem, that will could be +0.25 Out of combat you have a very good hide and spot and you could move within object , but no darkstalker so i’m unsure if you can move in each place avoiding to be spotted +0.25 You can try knowledge religion and to be an help as face with your high charisma so you will not be useless but it’s not your main focus +0.25
In combat well you have many uses of your touch but you can’t combine them is written in the feats that each touch can only have only one damage or effect from the path of the corruptor, other than you will have serious problem against creature immune to critical and immune to ability damage. You will do many negative levels and in the case that is ruled that they do negative damage as bonus (see in elegance) enervating touch will give 2 negative level + sneak attack negative damage at the time , but you still have the problem with creatures immune to critical and ability damage and that is a serious thing especially at high level +0
Why the last level as swordsage? A full bab class would have been better considering that you would have gained the last attack so more damage.
Note I have considered that fatiguing touch, chill touch, and the various touch doesn’t stack on the single touch but it is unclear for the touch outside the corruptor path

I think you know this but your point buy is illegal because you can’t put a stat under 8 so if I put strength to 9 you are expending 33 points ( you could resolve removing one point from wisdom) (-0.5) Then you are using the templates and while by RAW they can be taken the unseelie fey is something dodgy because it doesn’t say except in the example character level adjustment +0 so -0.25 because not all the DM judge that legal
A particular that you have missed the spell sense ACF required 1 rank in knowledge arcana and you doesn’t have that (-0.25)
You have talked about the sneak attack on the touch that do ability damage and this is dodgy on one hand I give you reason because it is never said anything about supernatural abilities that do ability damage and sneak attack but on the other hand there is the ruling from the complete arcane and from this link that talk about spell and sneak attack (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040309a)and spell which do ability damage deal negative energy damage so it is unclear what happens with supernatural abilities so -0.5 because it is unclear (it is awesome but it’s not clear)
All of the rest is mechanically legal from what I see


Here is the problem with this build...is strong surely but why enter in the life eater? For the sneak attack? Other rogue level would have been better, for the negative level on the sneak attack? You have enervating attack, for chill touch? You end with many touch attacks, for the SLA? For hide in plain sight without darkstalker(considering some particular place? Is strong it benefits from the SI in some way but not so much for me… You have entered it at the earliest but it lacks for me the explanation on what give you that you could not have (maybe at the start is useful for the infinite touch but at the end no) So +1 for have finished that +0.5 for using some of the lesser aspect of the build which were not use , -1 for the lack of evident synergies at the end of the build (being stronger at the early so it’s half of the penalty I would give for the total lack of the use of the SI and it includes that many sweet point are before or after the SI basically)


That was really unexpected as race who love racial hit dice and level adjustment at the end? (+0.75) The other things was more or less thinkable (barbarian and the fighter especially) while ninja no +0.5 . The lion totem is the classical while the feats are something particular so at the end -0.25

You are quite a melee beast when it come to do damage similar to an ubercharger as power you can do so much damage during the charge with all your arms with so many attacks that if something doesn’t hit is not a so big problem … The problem is that these attack will do not so much as sneak attack they will surely put negative levels but it will be more a problem to kill the enemy quick if one between sneak attack and sudden strike there isn’t +1 Now the bad things about this build . First the limited resource not having adaptative style is bad and having only 9 use of ghost step is bad as thing, is mitigated by swordsage maneuvers but you could run out of things quickly if there is even only an uncanny dodge on the field.(-0.25) Same for the rage but you don’t base yourself on that. On the defensive side you have a not so high fortitude , a good reflexes, and a good will save (if you have ki uses that remains) , so one of the most important there is the other no, as abilities you can be the scout who doesn’t know how listen, you can intimidate the enemies (but you lose her for the charisma) you can try knowledge religion… and you don’t have darkstalker bad very bad (-0.5) considered how much focus you put on invisibility with the ninja. . You can try to bleed out the opponent but is more important to finish the combat early than trying to take that out to let the enemy die from bleed Your touch AC is good and your normal AC not so much if compared to other melee classes but at high level the touch AC is more important

You suffer multiclass penalties because thri keen hav favored class ranger ,they are not so much used but they exists -0.25. The rest seems legal the only note I want to do that with racial hit dice I would have separated them. A note some DM could say that you can’t create a reserve of thri keen poison but i’m unsure so no penalty

All your arms helps you at doing more sneak attack especially with the negative level that can be given and while you have hide in plain sight without darkstalker that is not so good , you finished the secret ingredient, and you don’t use the various touch that is given not that is easy


I have chosen to ignore each of your suggestion about equipment because the other builds that I have judged did not include any equipment

[Human with able learner something that I could have seen very easily . You add to the dish ranger , fighter and chameleon and while the 2° was obvious as dip, the 3° less obvious ( but with able learner as feat yes) , the first was a little unexpected. To boost all the silverbrown human another choice seen many times in the contest but so many levels of fighter were not so expected

I’m sad to say this but deathwatch is not the radar you think or better it will individuate people near death, construct and undead but not each single creature that for example have all life and there is another big problem in your tactics you want to use various spell as grave strike , guided shot and sniper shot on your turn but you only have a swift action so for example an undead with concealment would block you for that turn. But you know how do damage if they are not with these conditions as difference with other contestants. +0 Another problem is how many spells you will have because considering even a magic item that give you +6 of wisdom you end with 6 level 1 slot 5 level 2 and 2 level 3 slot which considering that many spell do you need are level one is not an help for all the day -0.5. You have full bab and that is fantastic considering how many arrow you will use and that each one will have sneak attack and a negative level maybe +1.5 You have urban tracking but do nothing with that but outside of combat you can intimidate very well and bluff but you could not spot your target with no rank in that +0. You have a very high hide and that is an help considering that you have taken darkstalker at the first level which is a bonus +0.25 Your saves are not so high ,and your HP are not so high without feed but you can hide to be not spotted so it’s a form of defense You have some spells and that is good but your caster level is not so high but is better than nothing

You doesn’t suffer multiclass penalties but the presence of chameleon make this character theme something strange, not so strong , but it can work (the absence of a more detailed fluff doesn’t help) if one think about a city adventure. You have done something wrong because after you have taken the zhentarim soldier level you did not consider that bluff is a class skill only for these level so you can’t put 4 ranks in bluff at the next level. Probably it can be worked around in someway but not without losing something at the first level (replacing skill point from hide to bluff for example) is still a good level but you have calculated in the wrong manner something important -0.25 . About that level while it’s not a prerequisite written in a clear way I’m unsure that a chaotic character can be a member of the Zhentarim because loyalty is important for them but no penalty here
You have taken expeditious dodge rather than the normal dodge and used some feats to gain knowledge religion and avoided other multiclass with that , using fighter to gain bonus feat and intimidate +0.25

This is difficult you have seen that you can use deathwatch in some way, the sneak attack are good as the conditions that are given as bonus, but chill touch and fatiguing touch are not used basically and the Spell like abilities are good but they are not your main option. You benefit from hide in plain sight maybe too late but better than nothing



For this build I ruled that the meldshape apply to each dvati as they were separated character
Dvati! Something that sometimes appear in these contests but not so common +0.5 . Never heard of disciple of Mephistopheles before now +0.5 but the other ingredients of this dish are expected Barbarian and totemist were taken many times especially as a dip -0.5 Rogue was for me one of the expected classes that could go in the Life Eater especially for Penetrating Strike but it was not taken so much -0.5 for the Martial rogue. Is a strange combination of feats but the focus on the natural weapon was expected

Being a Dvati is useful but is a risk because each twin will have less than 80 hp and you fight in melee so it a bit risky . Your will save is very low and mind affecting abilities on the dvati are a problem . Your attack setup is good with many attacks and a possibilities to flank each time using sneak attack to do much damage even without having problem with the classical monsters not affected by sneak attack . You are a glass cannon basically because you will easily kill many enemies (focusing on one enemy for one character) and thanks to the SI you will be able to bestow negative levels. Until level 18 is all okay but then you took the disciple of Mephistopheles why? To have a full bab class without multiclass penalties? Your attack power is high even with these level which I don’t know why you have taken(+1.25). On the defensive side being a Dvati doesn’t help because you will be attacked more time -0.25. On the utility side you don’t have darkstalker and that is very but very bad (-0.5) on the other hand you have many knowledge and even if they are not so high is good as thing so +0.25. You can intimidate in a good way and you have disciple of darkness to help in general ,and you have evasion which is good always with a minor resistance to fire (+0.25)

Pledging himself to an elder evil is known cheese and it is inelegant -0.5 in your case even more because you are allying yourself with three force of evil so much different (An elder Evil , Mephistopheles for Disciple of Darkness and the last prestige class and Baphomet for the SI ) and the second is a devil and Baphomet is a demon so it quite not standard as thing and probably not easy as doing in a game -0.5. Your alignment maybe is a reflection of this but is required to be Chaotic Evil for the Life Eater so -0.25 for this even if it can be adjusted but you write another alignment. You doesn’t suffer multiclass penalties thanks to a clever distribution of the levels and that is good. Sorry but one could argue that you can't take multiattack (at the level when you have taken that) because you don't have each time the required natural attack to take that ,so while many DM will accept that i'm not so sure that is legal all the time but is a little thing and if one rule that the girallon arms appear only on one dvati the other one could not take the feats (-0.25) You don’t say what do you choice from aberration blood. Note i’m not sure about the first rank in knowledge religion , in the E6 competition there is an house rule that permit that, here I don’t know so no penalty

You have concentrated yourself on the sneak attacks with the penalties that the SI give on who is affected on them, using dvati to flank in a better way, with a wound condition which is good for an hit and run but without darkstalker. The other attributes of the SI are not used with feed which is thematically strange (one twin eat and the two benefits from that ?)


When I have seen so many skill points I was intimidated , and factotum was a neat way to enter in the SI because of the Skill class : All that he has. (+0.5) An aquatic character not something that I ever used but the race (not considering the aquatic) was expected -0.5 As for the feats something that I have never seen , and a fresh character on all (and quite simple except to be read for the skill point) +0.5


This is a build which use most of the main features not so many times for day. Arcane dilettante for example have only 4 spell (and I know only one of the spell which will you use in combat, and your first trick (the one described in level 6 spoiler) can be made one for encounter. To use at the full extension your feats you will not made many attack for round, basically only one, surely hiding each round with darkstalker which was taken at the first level, probably putting poison, but is crippling themselves as you can’t hide from anything and you don’t have full attack possibilities if you use sahuagin flip. Inspiration is good for each encounter you should have enough point I think but i’m not so sure how much she will be able to fight with many things for day somewhat will do but then she will be less useful (+0.75) On the utility side you have so many , but so many skill, that was a problem for me read them all , and you have putted one rank in many skill only to try them right ? With these skill you will do something surely but you shine few skill but good (to scout you have various skill, to face you have intimidate and bluff, to know you have all knowledge skill , and for the combat you have concentration and iajutsu focus (+0.5) But on the defensive side you are not so much good , your saves are somewhat low , and with your constitution modifier and only d6 as hit dice you will not have many hp (-0.25)

You have forgotten to spend the points from level 9 to level 10 (they are the same points so 11 ), and you have overspent from level 16 to level 17 (33 point spent in one level if I have counted well so 21 overspent) You overspent one point from level 13 to level 14 (at that level you have 6 (class)+4 (int 19 ) +1 (human) skill point for level) you did not spent one point from level 18 to level 19 So on the total you overspent 10 points (and if even it was 0 as count it would not have been a good sign) (-0.5). You used expeditious dodge but until you take sahuagin flip you will use that not so many times so no bonus but no penalty . Putting together Baphomet and an aquatic campaign for which this character is made is not easy as Baphomet don’t have a true relations with deeps or with the sea but you are not the only that have made an aquatic character

It is a nice build… but I have to ask why go in the life eater? The best thing that was boosted were the saves, as the sneak attack could be taken with another prestige class, and by your style of fighting (swim hit and swim) skirmish for example would have been better . Hide in plain in sight is useful but i’m totally unsure how this prestige class help you at doing your work even if in some way it boost you so is not so bad but other prestige class would have been better probably


An unused race, a monk start, use of other prestige class, a very strange to detect the enemies and all combined… I have not to much to say about this , would never have expected something similar even if the feats would be something that I have seen (it’s absurd even if I have already seen some similar feats)

Your attack is not so bad but because your main idea is to move and attack you will do mainly only one attack for round, but if you don’t use spring attack you could do a good attack hiding in the water. Your build is good but i’m not sure how much three feats do for you. Because monk and scaled horror give a bonus to grapple you tried to use that to take the enemy with the sneak attack but you end with a +23 for the grapple check without using items.. a valor that could be beated even by a fighter 20 with your valor of strength. Good as idea but it lack the number to be good -0.25 and you could grab after the attack only the enemy of your size Outside this you can still attack from hidden and then hide again thanks to darkstalker which is took at the right level not after hide in plain sight. Your attack except the grab is good with strength which is the higher stat +0.5 . Your idea to use wounding sneak attack, scent and track is fantastic (+0.5 ) but tracking in the water is not so easy if is an enemy that you wound maybe yes for the time that have passed is not so much but if is another creature would be not so easy. You did not think at the pressure damage so probably you will not go in the deep water as the name says (no penalty for this because is not so common . Outside of combat you have some utility from jaunter even if is not so much but is something. Your abilities are not so bad but if is needed a face you can at maximum intimidate, and as knowledge you have only religion. +0 The saves you have a good fortitude , a good reflex but a poor will so +0 Is a good build but focusing on the grapple seems not so easy

A radical change of alignment in one level is not something that I like, not to the point to give a big penalty but a penalty yes (-0.25), using monk was neat to gain dodge and to gain knowledge religion , escape artist and hide, and even using skarn substitution level to gain intimidate. You remembered that intimidate was class skill only for level 1 and level 5 . I like the timing you have used to enter the Scaled horror and how you have recycled the dodge feat to use spring attack and the jaunter (+0.25) But you have to explain how these prestige class mesh together for the fluff nothing impossible but I would have liked to see that as they could be seen as extremely separated without a fluff that explain (mechanically you have mixed well) (-0.25) You have an equipment dependency on the use of the wand of deep breath without that you could fight well in surface but many tricks would not work (-0.25)

You have taken the SI as first as you could , and you used the wounding sneak attack in a clever way, using hide in plain sight in a good way, but not using so much the other abilities of the SI In the end is good enough to justify to doesn’t take any other levels of the other prestige class or of the monk .



Note I judged power as he has written, even if in elegance I said that for me that is incorrect
I expected the human race, but not paladin hexblade or the champion (+0.25) But your feats are the traditional tripping build even if with the SI that would not be expected (+0)

So what we have here? One melee fighter which is a tripper with the spiked chain especially with the trip… but that can only do one attack per round because he doesn’t have combat reflexes so it will trip mainly during his round to gain more attack reaching a good number of attack and that is good surely (+1) If you are hidden or invisible you could do even the sneak attack but you don’t have darkstalker so the best bet is using the familiar for flanking the enemy risking his life that is not so good for your experience points but is awarding to do the sneak attack (-0.25) Out of combat you can try to use intimidate with your charisma and can be good, and using light armor for the hexblade you can sneak around good except that you are misssing Darkstalker . You can try knowledge religion but is not your main focus (-0.25) On the save you are good on the most important but you are not good on reflex which is the least important among them (+0.25) You have some spell and you can use wand from the two list of the paladin and of the Hexblade, and with the spell you found this is good(+0.25)

Well this could be expected but you did not pay your feat taxes… Where is your dodge for the Life Eater? It was required to all character and you did not have taken that (or did not you say that you would have retrained in some way this is BAD) (-0.5) And you could expect even this but I’m sure that the increase of the caster level for classes like hexblade or paladin doesn’t work as you said for two motivation . First it would be an absurd for build like paladin 10 / prestige class that boost the caster level 10 (it would finish at caster level 30 by level 20 by your method without spell to learn) and the second (more RAW) by the text you have quoted


Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an abjurant champion, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
The piece that I put in bold say how the caster level increase like if you had gained a level so at each level it boost the caster level of the hexblade like it had taken a level in the hexblade so you doesn’t arrive at gaining the level 4 spell as you said (sadly) and even if the DM would buy your argument it would be quite inelegant (-1 this include the shift of power that would be) Probably your build was the last that was submitted but it lacks completely the source list and a good formatting with the spoilers that are not so good made The formatting is not so a big problem but the source list yes (-0.5) You overspent 2 point at level 6 (knowledge religion is cross class for the hexblade) you spent one point less at level 8 (-0.25)


This is the build that for me used in the worst manner because his focus is not on the SI , but more on the Abjurant Champion, you have a big problem at doing sneak attack and you don’t talk about the other SI abilities, you don’t gain feed which is the capstone of the SI (is more a money saver than anything else but is the capstone) you use a style of combat that is more difficult to use with the sneak attack from many other that I know … at the end the Life Eater for this build doesn’t do so much

[WhamBamSam]

Thanks for judging!

[The Viscount]

Thank you Quentinas, your efforts are appreciated!
I have no disputes.

[Venger]

Thanks for judging. No disputes.

[Efrate]

No disputes. Thanks for the judge. Who is ready for shining blade of heironious?

[Venger]

My body is ready.

[DeTess]

No dusputes here either. And I'm really looking forward to discovering just how bad the shining blade is.

[The Viscount]

We don't know that it's shining blade, though, do we?
Oh no now I'm considering what could be worse than Shining Blade.

[Efrate]

We do not, but hard to think of something worse. Anyone?

[WhamBamSam]

No disputes. Thanks for the judge. Who is ready for shining blade of heironious?I knew this day would come.

[Heliomance]

Do we want to wait for PoeticallyPsyco to finish judging, or call it there?

Also, could one of you lovely people knock up a table for me? That would be wonderful!

Mnrg. I kinda do want to drop Shining Blade on you now, but no, I'll stick with my original plan. Hope you won't be too disappointed

[DeTess]

Do we want to wait for PoeticallyPsyco to finish judging, or call it there?


Of PoeticallyPsyco has already started judging I see no reason why we shouldn't let them have their say too.

[Quentinas]

Well i hope that my judgement was not so bad
But here is a table including PoeticallyPsico Judgment if needed



Namel
Race/ALignment
Stub
Quentinas judgement
PoeticallyPsico judgement
Average
Position
Chef


Old Jhonny Blackspine (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037024&postcount=33)
LE>CE Skarn
Cobra Strike Monk 5/Life Eater 5/Scaled Horror 2/Jaunter3/Life Eater 10
15.75
???
15.75
First
???


Oroba (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037001&postcount=27)
NE lesser tiefling
Incarnate 7/ Necrocarnate 3/Life Eater 10
15
???
15
Second
???


Sybil Soule (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037004&postcount=28)
CE Unseelie Fey Jerren Ghost
Rogue 3/Eidolon6/Life Eater 10/Swordsage 1
14.25
???
14.25
Third
???


Qua'tro (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037010&postcount=29)
CE (non-psionic) Thri-Keen
fighter 1/barbarian 1/ninja 2/life eater 10/sword-sage 1/ninja+2
14
???
14
Fourth
???


Huntsman (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037012&postcount=30)
CE Silverbrow Human
Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 4/Life Eater 10
13.5
???
13.5
Fifth
???


Hunger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24036993&postcount=26)
Dragonborn Warforged (wings) CN -> CE
Crusader 1/Barbarian 1/Totemist 6/Binder 1/Swordsage 1/Life Eater 10
13
???
13
Sixth
???


Sound&Silence (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24120670&postcount=32)
NE Dvati
Rogue 2 / Totemist 2 / Barb 2 / Rogue +1 / Life Eater 10 / Disciple of Mephistopheles 2
12.75
???
12.75
Seventh
???


Ana Piranha (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037018&postcount=32)
CE Aquatic Human
Factotum 10/Life Eater 10
12.5
???
12.5
Eighth
???


Maldred (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037028&postcount=34)
CE Human
Paladin of Slaughter 2/Hexblade 4/Abjurant Champion 5/Life Eater 9
9.75
???
9.75
Ninth
???



As for the next Secret Ingredient... Heliomance did not say something about Spinemeld Warrior some time ago?

[Efrate]

Awww. I have 2 stubs for shining blade that I kind of want to flesh out. Oh well.

[Venger]

Do we want to wait for PoeticallyPsyco to finish judging, or call it there?

Also, could one of you lovely people knock up a table for me? That would be wonderful!

Mnrg. I kinda do want to drop Shining Blade on you now, but no, I'll stick with my original plan. Hope you won't be too disappointed

I would like to call it here if that's okay with PoeticallyPsyco.

Not shining blade? You are too kind.

[WhamBamSam]

Do we want to wait for PoeticallyPsyco to finish judging, or call it there?

Also, could one of you lovely people knock up a table for me? That would be wonderful!

Mnrg. I kinda do want to drop Shining Blade on you now, but no, I'll stick with my original plan. Hope you won't be too disappointedI'm with Venger. I'd say call it here unless PoeticallyPsycho really wants to finish or is very close.

The Shining Blade stubs return to the emergency bunker for another round. Looking forward to whatever you've got planned.

[Zaq]

My only ask is that we get a nice long cooking period that ideally includes the week of the 14th, since I have a small break from school then and I REALLY want to participate in round 100.

[KellKheraptis]

I would be interested in entering the next round, if possible, as well.

[Venger]

My only ask is that we get a nice long cooking period that ideally includes the week of the 14th, since I have a small break from school then and I REALLY want to participate in round 100.
I can't wait to see what you come up with.


I would be interested in entering the next round, if possible, as well.

You are certainly welcome. Best of luck to you.

What do you think the next round will be? thrall to eltab?

[Efrate]

Soulborn 20 xD

[Venger]

Soulborn 20 xD

some lines cannot be crossed

[Zaq]

I can't wait to see what you come up with.



You are certainly welcome. Best of luck to you.

What do you think the next round will be? thrall to eltab?

Likewise!

Part of me feels like it’s gonna be something shockingly powerful. Dweomerkeeper or something. Helio’s been putting in “good” ingredients on the 10s, after all. (If that’s true, it’s going to be surprisingly difficult.)

[WhamBamSam]

What do you think the next round will be? thrall to eltab?I think it'll be a round 100 special rather than an October Haloween round. Demonologist or Mortal Hunter would be cool though.

I kind of think it'll be Spinemeld Warrior. All the pomp and circumstance of its various titles seems appropriate for round 100 and Helio's sendoff as chair.

[Heliomance]

My money's on Dragon Ascendant

[Venger]

I can't believe I ate my whole hoard! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFKifpMtlNs)

[Efrate]

Cracking the ELH....whoa there. I was joking about soulborn I swear! I do not want to fill out an epic level table and all that....mess. And I have successfully played epic as a non caster.

[The Viscount]

Come onnnnn Dragonkith!

[MisterKaws]

Why not Survivor?

[DeTess]

Why not Survivor?

Oof yeah, that one is terrible too. It kinda got done in the appetizer challenge though, when they did a prc round and 4 people figured out that survivor was 1 of 2 prc's that you could finish in e6.

I think that round ended up getting split between survivors and other classes?

[EndlessKng]

Oof yeah, that one is terrible too. It kinda got done in the appetizer challenge though, when they did a prc round and 4 people figured out that survivor was 1 of 2 prc's that you could finish in e6.

I think that round ended up getting split between survivors and other classes?

Four entries out of ten were Survivor (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?572441-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-XIII)), going Commoner 1/Survivor 5, but the winning three used other builds - the goal wasn't to use all the levels of a class, but to use at least two and as many as you could.

That said, first and third place DID use all three levels of three level PrCs (Squire of Legend and Stoneblessed, respectively). I think you could also use Jaunter, if you make a human, take Fighter 1 and multiclass into something with Knowledge Planes at 2nd level, then go into Jaunter for four levels to finish the six. Not the strongest build, but it is an option that uses a whole prestige class in E6.

Still have a gut feeling that Blackguard could be our Centennial challenge, but guess we'll see.

[Zaq]

Four entries out of ten were Survivor (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?572441-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-XIII)), going Commoner 1/Survivor 5, but the winning three used other builds - the goal wasn't to use all the levels of a class, but to use at least two and as many as you could.

That said, first and third place DID use all three levels of three level PrCs (Squire of Legend and Stoneblessed, respectively). I think you could also use Jaunter, if you make a human, take Fighter 1 and multiclass into something with Knowledge Planes at 2nd level, then go into Jaunter for four levels to finish the six. Not the strongest build, but it is an option that uses a whole prestige class in E6.

Still have a gut feeling that Blackguard could be our Centennial challenge, but guess we'll see.

I was really surprised in that E6 round that no one took a fallen paladin who'd cashed in all of their paladin levels for blackguard. That's the only way I know of (with the ruleset in place) to get more than 5 levels in a PrC in E6.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I was really surprised in that E6 round that no one took a fallen paladin who'd cashed in all of their paladin levels for blackguard. That's the only way I know of (with the ruleset in place) to get more than 5 levels in a PrC in E6.

I think you need at least 10 levels in Paladin to have that as an option. Lemme double check... at least 11 levels for the Dark Gods' Favor benefit, which lets you exchange levels of Paladin for levels of Blackguard.

[Venger]

I think you need at least 10 levels in Paladin to have that as an option. Lemme double check... at least 11 levels for the Dark Gods' Favor benefit, which lets you exchange levels of Paladin for levels of Blackguard.

that's probably the reason no one did it.

are you all right with us doing the reveal and starting the long-awaited round 100?

[Falontani]

I have some things I'd like to have a quick discussion that doesn't need to hold up the next competition, but can't be done until scores are revealed

[Elves]

I don't know if this is the appropriate place to ask this, but out of interest:

What's the rationale for banning fractional BAB in IC? Is there a specific reason it's not viewed as kosher?

[Venger]

I don't know if this is the appropriate place to ask this, but out of interest:

What's the rationale for banning fractional BAB in IC? Is there a specific reason it's not viewed as kosher?

by all means it's an appropriate place.

it's banned the same reason any variant rule system (spell points, item familiar, etc.) because let's say I use fractional ba in my build and you don't, and everything else is identical. well, i've basically gotten free goodies for no reason that you do not and will get marked higher in power. it creates an unequal playing field, so we are all held to using the same rules.

can we have the reveal now? I'm excited to see what's in store for us for the next round.

[Elves]

Unlike item familiars, however, it has no opportunity cost, and unlike spell points or similar variants it has no potential to make a certain build any worse than it is, so it doesn't impact parity so much as expand the range of options.

I'm not arguing with your answer, just clarifying why I guessed it was because the competition either disliked the rule from a balance perspective or disliked specific build types that benefited from it. If either is the case I'd still be interested to know about it.

[Venger]

Unlike item familiars, however, it has no opportunity cost, and unlike spell points or similar variants it has no potential to make a certain build any worse than it is. I'm not arguing with your answer, just clarifying why I guessed it was because the competition either disliked the rule from a balance perspective or disliked specific build types that benefited from it. If either is the case I'd still be interested to know about it.

Like I said, it's because it would lead to some builds using it while some did not and it would be hard to evaluate them against each other.

[daremetoidareyo]

Unlike item familiars, however, it has no opportunity cost, and unlike spell points or similar variants it has no potential to make a certain build any worse than it is, so it doesn't impact parity so much as expand the range of options.

I'm not arguing with your answer, just clarifying why I guessed it was because the competition either disliked the rule from a balance perspective or disliked specific build types that benefited from it. If either is the case I'd still be interested to know about it.

There is another reason.

The guidelines try to put contestants into character creation space that allows their characters to be picked up by strangers and used in real play in real life. Reliance on too many variant rules for the competition metagame destroys this utility. You see this demonstrated in many judges approaches as well. Here are some judging criticisms that we see and expect

*Too many sources! It took you 26 books to make this character! No one does that
*Over-reliance on items or one specific item: Not all games have magicmarts
*Although RAW legal, it will never fly at a real table
* Too much multiclassing!

Here's a contrapositive:

*no-one is penalized for ignoring favored class rules because most tables don't actually follow this rule in real play

So the ability to lift an iron chef entry has this expectation that if a GM allows all first party gaming material, any iron chef build will be a viable pre-generated character for you to use in real play. Some of us push this envelope, using weird obscure web articles, but they get docked by judges (for cheese) back down because of this loss of generic table utility.

--

Further, banning fractional stuff still allows you to use these builds if your table allows fractional stuff, your character will just be even better than the original chef made it. It is still plug and play.

The opposite isn't true: building a character with fractional stuff will likely lead to character design that cannot be used at non-fractional tables. And thus, it makes sense to ban it.

[Efrate]

It also makes qualification for anything requiring a BaB easier for better or worse, and rewards random dips more. If I dip in 4 half bab classes I get 2 BaB compared to getting 0 normally. That can be a substantial increase in power or ease of entry, and a more restrictive system leads to more creativity. My 2 copper.

[Zaq]

My finals for the quarter just finished. I have roughly a week with just my day job to worry about, though I’ll have homework next weekend.

The sooner the new round is posted, the more likely it is that I can participate without making choices I’ll later regret. And I really want to join round 100, so I’m gonna be selfish here: can we please move on? Like, immediately?

[Venger]

My finals for the quarter just finished. I have roughly a week with just my day job to worry about, though I’ll have homework next weekend.

The sooner the new round is posted, the more likely it is that I can participate without making choices I’ll later regret. And I really want to join round 100, so I’m gonna be selfish here: can we please move on? Like, immediately?

Yeah, I'll second that.

[The Viscount]

I'm for it.

[DeTess]

I think we've waited long enough for any other judges to have a window to give input, so let's get the 100th show rolling!

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Just for fun, here's the rubric I was using while ever-so-slowly working my way through the entries.

All scores start at 3 except for Elegance, which starts at 5. I’m branching out from my usual strategy of just going with my gut for the final score in each category (after analyzing all the factors in detail); this time I’m going to try to assign hard values to all my judgments. Maybe I’ll like it, maybe I won’t.

Originality:
I’m actually a relative newb at character optimization. As such, for the most part I’m not going to be able to recognize the relative originality or lack thereof as far as mechanics outside of my spheres of knowledge. Rather than fall into the trap of penalizing only builds that fall into those spheres of knowledge, Originality will be split in to a few parts to deemphasize mechanical tricks.
–The fluff: story, characterization, tone. (+0 to +1)
–Race: what can I say, these contests are inundated with humans and dragonborn. I’d like to reward variety beyond that. (–0.5 to +0.5)
–Other mechanics: (up to ±0.25 each)

Power:
–Levels 1-5 (–0.5 to +0.5)
–Levels 6-10 (–0.5 to +0.5)
–Levels 11-15 (–0.5 to +0.5)
–Levels 16-20 (–0.5 to +0.5)
–Overall versatility: can a combat character contribute outside of combat and vice versa? This is also taken into account in the points for each level bracket. (–0.5 to +0.5)

Elegance:
–Overall ‘flow’ of the progression: here’s another place where fluff can help you out. If your fluff makes the progression feel more natural (or at least more justifiable) this penalty will be reduced or even waived. (up to –1)
–Mechanical flaws (up to –1 each)
–Table errors and similar, when what it’s supposed to be is still clear. (–0.1 each)

Use of the Secret Ingredient:
Gonna come back to this one. Here are my rough thoughts.
–Mechanical synergy/importance to the build (–0.5 to +1.5)
–Each level taken (+0.1)
–Each level not taken (–0.1)
Note that sufficiently taking advantage of the classes features can make up the points for missing levels. Note also that there is no penalty for getting creative with the flavor/feel of the class; you won’t be docked because (for instance) Life-Eaters are described as assassins and you’ve used it on a frontline warrior or a diplomat.

While I'm fairly happy with the rubric itself, trying to implement it has convinced me that such a strict system is not for me, and future attempts at judging will return to my "thorough analysis of everything I found worth mentioning, but the final score in each category is determined by going with my gut" strategy.

[Venger]

Thanks, PoeticallyPsyco. Maybe you can take a crack at judging in round 100.

[Heliomance]

Apologies for delay, brain is being unhelpful. Will post reveal when I wrestle it into submission.

[The Viscount]

We appreciate you, Heliomance!
Real life comes before internet competitions.

[Venger]

Thanks for the update. Hope you feel better.

[Piggy Knowles]

Is there any way we can help? Appreciate all that you do!

[Venger]

Is there any way we can help? Appreciate all that you do!

Would it be helpful if we revealed ourselves? There is already a chart on the last page. I'd be more than happy to edit the chefs in and post it so you can put up thread 100.

[daremetoidareyo]

Any guesses on the next comp ingredient?

[Venger]

I'm guessing one of the thralls from bovd.

[Thurbane]

*fingers crossed* Dragon Samurai (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906c) :smalltongue:

[KrimsonNekros]

DotU Arachnomancer!

[PoeticallyPsyco]

My proverbial money's on Blackguard.

[daremetoidareyo]

*fingers crossed* Dragon Samurai (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906c) :smalltongue:

eww

eeeeeewwwwwwww

[Zaq]

I have a hunch we’re gonna get rage mage.

That or something actually insanely strong. Dweomerkeeper, maybe.

[The Viscount]

I'm going for Yathrinshee.

[jdizzlean]

it's dragon, but i've always been intrigued w/ mind mage

[WhamBamSam]

I still think all of Spinemeld Warrior's pompous titles make it a likely round 100.

Maybe Defiant?

[Venger]

Defiant would be interesting. I always thought blighter should let you trade in levels of druid like defiant and blackguard do.

[Heliomance]

Alright, lets get this done! I'm really sorry for the wait, I've been getting this really annoying aversion to doing the thing. Anyway, without further ado, the scores!



Namel
Race/ALignment
Stub
Quentinas judgement
Average
Position
Chef


Old Jhonny Blackspine (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037024&postcount=33)
LE>CE Skarn
Cobra Strike Monk 5/Life Eater 5/Scaled Horror 2/Jaunter3/Life Eater 10
15.75
15.75
First
The Viscount


Oroba (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037001&postcount=27)
NE lesser tiefling
Incarnate 7/ Necrocarnate 3/Life Eater 10
15
15
Second
Venger


Sybil Soule (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037004&postcount=28)
CE Unseelie Fey Jerren Ghost
Rogue 3/Eidolon6/Life Eater 10/Swordsage 1
14.25
14.25
Third
jdizzlean


Qua'tro (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037010&postcount=29)
CE (non-psionic) Thri-Keen
fighter 1/barbarian 1/ninja 2/life eater 10/sword-sage 1/ninja+2
14
14
Fourth
DeTess


Huntsman (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037012&postcount=30)
CE Silverbrow Human
Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 4/Life Eater 10
13.5
13.5
Fifth
Piggy Knowles


Hunger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24036993&postcount=26)
Dragonborn Warforged (wings) CN -> CE
Crusader 1/Barbarian 1/Totemist 6/Binder 1/Swordsage 1/Life Eater 10
13
13
Sixth
Efrate


Sound&Silence (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24120670&postcount=32)
NE Dvati
Rogue 2 / Totemist 2 / Barb 2 / Rogue +1 / Life Eater 10 / Disciple of Mephistopheles 2
12.75
12.75
Seventh
Darkcouch


Ana Piranha (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037018&postcount=32)
CE Aquatic Human
Factotum 10/Life Eater 10
12.5
12.5
Eighth
WhamBamSam


Maldred (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=24037028&postcount=34)
CE Human
Paladin of Slaughter 2/Hexblade 4/Abjurant Champion 5/Life Eater 9
9.75
9.75
Ninth
Falontani



Congratulations to The Viscount, Venger, and jdizzlean for their trophies! Next thread up shortly

[Thurbane]

Congratulations to The Viscount, Venger, and jdizzlean for their trophies! Next thread up shortly

Indeed. And congrats to everyone who got an entry in!


Alright, lets get this done! I'm really sorry for the wait, I've been getting this really annoying aversion to doing the thing. Anyway, without further ado, the scores!

We all very much appreciate your efforts. And if you ever need a break, I'm sure one or more of us would be willing to fill in as needed.

[Heliomance]

New thread! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?601292-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-C&p=24223779)

[Venger]

Thank you. This was a fun round. congrats to The Viscount and jdizzlean. nice dishes both of you

[The Viscount]

Great round everyone, I had a lot of fun.

We really owe you a lot Heliomance. Thank you so much for helming our competition for so long.

[Wolfem]

Updated ICO Spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oyjVU5JmeCnC8YTMqDArDqE5PszHl0Ysadz630kuTGk/edit?ts=59a4835f#gid=0&range=A1023:A1031) to match dishes to their chefs.

[Venger]

You're the best, Wolfem

[Falontani]

I have some things I'd like to have a quick discussion that doesn't need to hold up the next competition, but can't be done until scores are revealed




Note I judged power as he has written, even if in elegance I said that for me that is incorrect
I expected the human race, but not paladin hexblade or the champion (+0.25) But your feats are the traditional tripping build even if with the SI that would not be expected (+0)

So what we have here? One melee fighter which is a tripper with the spiked chain especially with the trip… but that can only do one attack per round because he doesn’t have combat reflexes so it will trip mainly during his round to gain more attack reaching a good number of attack and that is good surely (+1) If you are hidden or invisible you could do even the sneak attack but you don’t have darkstalker so the best bet is using the familiar for flanking the enemy risking his life that is not so good for your experience points but is awarding to do the sneak attack (-0.25) Out of combat you can try to use intimidate with your charisma and can be good, and using light armor for the hexblade you can sneak around good except that you are misssing Darkstalker . You can try knowledge religion but is not your main focus (-0.25) On the save you are good on the most important but you are not good on reflex which is the least important among them (+0.25) You have some spell and you can use wand from the two list of the paladin and of the Hexblade, and with the spell you found this is good(+0.25)

Well this could be expected but you did not pay your feat taxes… Where is your dodge for the Life Eater? It was required to all character and you did not have taken that (or did not you say that you would have retrained in some way this is BAD) (-0.5) And you could expect even this but I’m sure that the increase of the caster level for classes like hexblade or paladin doesn’t work as you said for two motivation . First it would be an absurd for build like paladin 10 / prestige class that boost the caster level 10 (it would finish at caster level 30 by level 20 by your method without spell to learn) and the second (more RAW) by the text you have quoted

The piece that I put in bold say how the caster level increase like if you had gained a level so at each level it boost the caster level of the hexblade like it had taken a level in the hexblade so you doesn’t arrive at gaining the level 4 spell as you said (sadly) and even if the DM would buy your argument it would be quite inelegant (-1 this include the shift of power that would be) Probably your build was the last that was submitted but it lacks completely the source list and a good formatting with the spoilers that are not so good made The formatting is not so a big problem but the source list yes (-0.5) You overspent 2 point at level 6 (knowledge religion is cross class for the hexblade) you spent one point less at level 8 (-0.25)


This is the build that for me used in the worst manner because his focus is not on the SI , but more on the Abjurant Champion, you have a big problem at doing sneak attack and you don’t talk about the other SI abilities, you don’t gain feed which is the capstone of the SI (is more a money saver than anything else but is the capstone) you use a style of combat that is more difficult to use with the sneak attack from many other that I know … at the end the Life Eater for this build doesn’t do so much


How does this all work. It is a specific reading, and it is headache inducing. Blame half casters like Hexblade, Paladin, Ranger, Spellthief, etc.
First a quote:


Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a hexblade gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells, which are drawn from the hexblade spell list (see Chapter 3). He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, just as a sorcerer can. To learn or cast a spell, a hexblade must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, Cha 12 for 2nd-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a hexblade’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the hexblade’s Cha modifier. Like other spellcasters, a hexblade can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1–1. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. When Table 1–1 indicates that the hexblade gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level (for instance, 1st-level spells for a 4th-level hexblade), he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level. The hexblade’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A hexblade begins play knowing no spells, but gains one or more new spells at certain levels, as indicated on Table 1–2. (Unlike spells per day, his Charisma score does not affect the number of spells a hexblade knows; the numbers on Table 1–2 are fixed.)

Upon reaching 12th level, and at every third hexblade level after that (15th and 18th), a hexblade can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the hexblade “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level hexblade spell the hexblade can cast. For instance, upon reaching 12th level, a hexblade could trade in a single 1stlevel spell (two spell levels below the highest-level hexblade spell he can cast, which is 3rd) for a different 1st-level spell. At 15th level, he could trade in a single 1st-level or 2nd-level spell (since he now can cast 4th-level hexblade spells) for a different spell of the same level. A hexblade may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

Through 3rd level, a hexblade has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is one-half his hexblade level.
So for each level that a half caster gains a level in their class, they gain half a caster level.



Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an abjurant champion, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
There are several ways to argue this point:
Option 1: You increase your caster level (in this case from CL 2 to CL 3), but only put yourself to level 5 on the Hexblade table (in which case you should only have CL 2). This means you gain no new spells known, no new spells per day, you just get a CL boost.
Option 2: You increase your caster level (again from CL 2 to CL 3), and since you are now CL 3 you put yourself on the Hexblade table where you would have CL 3 (level 6).
Option 3: You increase your “hexblade” level from 4 to 5, granting you nothing. No CL increase, no new spells per day, no new spells known, nothing.

To me the only fair way to treat the advancement from a prestige class on a half caster, is to increase their placement by 2 on the spells portion. This does not give them “early” access to spells. You need just as many caster levels to reach 4th level spells on a Hexblade in this manner as a wizard. You still get 4th level spells at CL 7. Same as Assassin and wizard.


I do not want to be a sore loser; I am bringing this up after the fact specifically because I do not want to argue about this for more points. I bring this up now because I want to see what others believe from information above. I can honestly see and agree with the reading that Quentinas used. It is a good RAW reading, however to me it is not the only RAW reading. If others believe it to be the only RAW reading as well then I will not use this type of combination in the future contests, however if you agree that my reading could in fact be a RAW reading I may attempt do something akin to it again, and it may inspire builds in future competitions.

[The Viscount]

The correct reading is option 3. The important part is the text just after what you've bolded "as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level."

At every level that you would advance casting, act as if you took another level in your base class. Yes, for hexblade this means that you go from effective 4 to effective 5 and get nothing. This is why half casters have a hard time at life.