Feats for a combat-oriented 20th-level solo/poor commoner in 3.5e?

[47948201]

Assume that, by some strange twist of fate, a commoner got to 20th level but only has 5d4 gp worth of equipment (that is, WBL for a 1st-level commoner), and doesn't have Leadership or anything like that. What are some other feats that would make them as capable as possible in 1-vs-1 or 1-vs-many combat? I know that obviously they're not gonna be as good as even a regular PC half their level, but just how competent could they be made to be?

This (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?232822-The-Commoner-Handbook) thread has lots of cool suggestions for building commoners in general, but I wonder what more could be accomplished with another 19 (or I guess technically 17) levels worth of feats. Stuff that in some way scales off of character level (like a lot of things from ToB) or is useful at any level (like some soulmelds)? Maybe just a low-budget ubercharger, or perhaps something that takes advantage of its sheer number of HDs?

No multiclassing/prestige classes, of course. Let's say they can either have 11 11 11 10 10 10 or 13 12 11 10 9 8.

[Doctor Despair]

So first, assuming no infinite or NI tricks, the best thing you can do is trip or grapple. You also will have a lot of dependence on the resources from your race and trmplates, since you don't get class features or WBL.

Some spicy combos for that are thing like Half-Undead (template) with the Troll-Blooded feat for immunity to non-fire/acid damage, or Void-Minded or Half-Dragon to become immune to acid. Not much to do about the fire without WBL.

Half-Minotaur (maybe adding Feral) could be good for grappling/tripping

Taking Necropolitan could be very helpful if you use the taint rules to get 2 free feats (providing your charisma is high enough relative to your wisdom). This also allows you to become spell-stitched and get a bunch of SLAs.

I'm sure there are other powerful options, but without native spellcasting, these seem pretty strong

[el minster]

If your only getting 4d5gp anyway get vow of poverty

[Ruethgar]

Sculpt Self, sculpt Sanctum Cantrips and Orisons, all of them, at will. That gives you free WBL equivalent to work with putting on yourself. Sell your soul and worship an elder evil that your sculpt can 1/week chaos shuffle. You’re a half human elf obviously for four more feats and you are doubly flawed. You could go chicken infested if you want to abuse that but whatever. Sculpt on a legendary bowbladed neckbladed triple wand chambered lutebow as well. You went to that one dragon shrine place right? Right! Least Dragonmark free to you doesn’t count against WBL.

That puts you at 25 feats, minus one for Sculpt.

Hidden Talent use Psychic Adept class list which is any discipline powers allowing access to StP Erudite spell-powers, such as Shades cast by an insanely Epic Mind Mage and caught by a Magic Mantled Spellhoarding dragon to be a level one power. Psycarnum Infusion, Azure Talent, Psionic Meditation, you have 20 feats left and you have Shades at will, guess you didn’t need to sell your soul or mutate yourself away from being a pure elf.

More reasonably. Pick a normal 1st level spell-power, Unseen Servant. StP makes it a power but never explicitly removes it at a spell(Living Spell has the same feature). So you’ve 20 feats, Magical Training, Precocious Apprentice, Heighten Spell, Sanctum Spell, Earth Sense, Earth Spell, fourteen left, Extra Slot(3rd), Extra Slot(4th), Extra Slot(5th), eleven left, Expanded Knowledge(Shadow Evocation), Expanded Knowledge(Shadow Conjuration) both at will. That’s 9 left, let’s not worship evil or sell your soul, that’s 2 remaining, Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty, now you have two ways to supplement gear and you went from evil to exalted, would you look at that.

Ok, at will spells of all Evocation and Conjuration spells below five and four is a bit potent. Could we dial it back? White Dragonspawn Abomination Dragonwrought Loredrake Kobold, you now cast as a Sorcerer 10 and you bought off your LA years ago. Skip Sculpt, it’s cheesy. Nine feats, one is eaten for a sorcerer spellcasting Level one Dragonwrought, so seven. Take Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty, Eschew Materials, and really whatever for the other 4, Sorcerer 10 is decent enough.

Be a Spellweaver, ECL 17 Sorcerer 12, each level of commoner adds a sorcerer spellcasting level, so 15.

Be a Titanic Dungeonbred Magebred Intensified Awakened War Lizard ECL 0 then Half Dragon for +3 that you buy off. Go with War Wyrm(the Sovereign Archetypes are highly implied but not explicitly required to be a True Dragon, just a dragon) 16 feats baseline +2 flaws +11 War Wyrm. Get counted as a true dragon via that clause in RotD about Half Dragons being versions of true dragon, then take Ravening. Bonus(Weapon Finesse, Great Fortitude, Multiattack, Improved Natural Attack x4), Quick Trait, Dragon Wings, Dragon Tail, Draconic Aura x2, Double Draconic Aura, Flyby Attack, Improved Speed, Dragon Breath, Recover Breath, Tempest Breath, Entangling Exhalation, Lingering Breath, Flyby Breath, Strafing Breath, Hover, Power Surge(breath duration), Improved Multiattack, Improved Unarmed Strike, Superior Unarmed Strike, (Improved)Two-Weapon Fighting, (Improved)Rapidstrike, Beast Strike, Martial Study(Sudden Leap)x2, Martial Stance(Leaping Dragon), Power Attack, Area Attack, Improved Trip, Knockdown.
With that you are a 45HD Huge Dragon that can cause some nice CC breath effects from the safety of 100ft speed flight.
Sudden Leap with Dragon Wings to move pretty far to full attack with 4 Claws, 1 Bite, 1 Tail, 6 Unarmed(which also do claw damage). +45/+45/+40/+35/+45/+45/+43/+43/+38/+38/+33/+28
Defensively, you can take Dragonscale Husk for a +2, but mostly it’s a fly by and breathe til they die and count on your high health(30 Con 5.5*24+10+2.5*20+10*45-45=597). If grounded, Area Attack(1d8+1.5 Str 44 min score, 26 min damage) and Knockdown to strike everyone in reach with unarmed(2d8)+claw(2d6)+8 damage on the Improved Trip down.

Edit: Make it a cat, take a faustian pact for Dash and Improved Maneuverability.

[47948201]

Wow, that post was a trip. I was thinking of LA+0 races with no templates, like just straight from ECL 1st to ECL 20th commoner (+10 BAB, +6/6/6 saves, 7-10 feats), but I guess that's on me for not specifying. Still... Wow. That was really interesting!

[Ruethgar]

A normal Advanced Awakened Monkey is no templates and would still get you 5 free animal HD, not the best, but it is an extra two feats on an ECL 0.

No Leadership, but you could take Landlord and make your decently enchanted room into your legacy item(creating a legacy grants the feats so no need to take them), Ancestral Relic, and Item Familiar. That would give a fair bit of wealth on its own, sure it is into one item, but with the Calling power you can summon your room anywhere.

Lucid Dreaming is exceptionally broken if you wanted to take a few ranks there, Flexible Mind gets it on your class list so you can easily hit that +19 to make that DC 20 and let your imagination run wild with what Wondrous Architecture you could dream into being... like Rune Circles and Spell Traps. Or, a plant god that has actual real Divine Ranks to give to you before it ceases to exist.

Speaking of divine rank. Least Dragonmark(free yay), Lesser Dragonmark, Greater Dragonmark, Extra Familiar, Improved Familiar(Mirror Mephit). Now you have neigh infinite divine rank.

[Darrin]

Allow me to introduce you to the "Landlord" feat: Stronghold Builder's Guide p. 10. This allows a commoner to build "The Cube (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=8187767&postcount=7)".

[Psyren]

If your only getting 4d5gp anyway get vow of poverty

That - the piddly GP aren't doing anything, so donate it and get spiritual benefits that are worth far more. Unless of course you use that 5d4 as seed money to split ladders into 10-ft poles etc.

[JeminiZero]

A Warforged Commoner who doesn't need sleep needs just 1 flaw (Chicken Infested) and 2 feats (Martial Study, Martial Stance Blood in the Water) to be able to build up the Sleeping Raven Infinite Blood Frenzy Combo (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?241913). At Level 1.

[Gruftzwerg]

A Warforged Commoner who doesn't need sleep needs just 1 flaw (Chicken Infested) and 2 feats (Martial Study, Martial Stance Blood in the Water) to be able to build up the Sleeping Raven Infinite Blood Frenzy Combo (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?241913). At Level 1.

just had the same idea in mind^^