Optimization Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground CVIII [Archive]

The Viscount

2020-12-17, 12:58 AM

Welcome to Optimization Stadium, the field of combat for our storied competition. Here the contestants will be transmuting lead into gold as we showcase the overlooked, underused, weird, wild, and wonky prestige classes.

This round we turn to Cityscape. He's making a list/He's checking it twice/ He's bringing you in if you'll fetch the best price/ Crimson Scourge is coming this round!

Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef. Here in Optimization Colosseum, contestants will endeavor to create an optimized and flavorful character using a specified D&D 3.5 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. 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.
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. Here's a guide to most of what has and hasn't been updated. (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20050110x) 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. 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 13:59 GMT on Sunday, January 17th, 2021 to create their builds and PM them to the Chairman, The Viscount. You may submit build by email if it is too large for a single PM. 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 13:59 GMT on Sunday, January 31st, 2021 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.Please note the following: a legal source's relative obscurity should not be considered as penalizing Elegance, excepting the aforementioned issues with Unearthed Arcana. Using conflicting setting material 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

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

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 honorable mention. The honorable mention prize is given to the most daring or unexpected build. Judges, contestants and guests alike are invited to vote for honorable mention via PM. If there are no votes, Honorable Mention will go to the chairman's favorite build.

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 of 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)
Iron Chef XCIX: Life Eater (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?589964-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-XCIX)
Iron Chef C: Swiftblade (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?601292-Iron-Chef-Optimisation-Challenge-in-the-Playground-C)

Iron Chef CI: Night Mask Deathbringer (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?610308-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-CI)
Iron Chef CII: Blade Dancer (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?613031-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-CII)
Iron Chef CIII: Psion Uncarnate (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?614461-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-CIII)
Iron Chef CIV: Atavist (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?615697-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-CIV)
Iron Chev CV: Primeval (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?618136-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-CV)
Iron Chef CVI: Disciple of Mammon (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?620730-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-CVI)
Iron Chef CVII: Insidious Corruptor (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?622560-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-in-the-Playground-CVII)

The Viscount

2020-12-17, 01:00 AM

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. 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 disfavorably 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 armor, 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 favorably 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:

Penalizing 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 penalize 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.
Weapons from soulmelds are considered to be magic weapons.
Unarmed Swordsage grants Improved Unarmed Strike at level 1.
Not finishing Savage Progression is subject to a penalty to Elegance
One dispute per entry. Submit disputes by PM to the Chair.
Ghostwalk ghost is banned
Gold, silver, and bronze are awarded regardless of ties (e.g., 2 silvers does not preclude bronze)
Spelltouched feats are legal and can be taken just like any other feat when you meet the prerequisites and have the feat slot available.

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

Q: What's with the deadline?
A: With the holidays everyone gets busy, so we extend the cooking time out.

Venger

2020-12-17, 01:01 AM

Oh boy! Down to cook.

Thurbane

2020-12-17, 01:21 AM

Nice! I'll see if inspiration strikes, and cook something up while I'm off work.

Empyreal Dragon

2020-12-17, 01:37 AM

Someday.

Someday the ingredient will be warhulk

daremetoidareyo

2020-12-17, 01:49 AM

This class is terrible.
Lol. What were they thinking?

WhamBamSam

2020-12-17, 02:03 AM

This class is terrible.
Lol. What were they thinking?Right? I'm looking at some of the ideas I had saved up thinking we'd get Watch Detective someday, and realizing just how much worse this class manages to be at essentially the same thing without any of the Bad 3.0 Design charm.

H_H_F_F

2020-12-17, 04:42 AM

Interesting ingredient. It's bad, of course, but it's interesting - it does a lot of things and is very easy to enter, which I think is great. Unlike, say, Atavist, it's got full bab, 6+ skill points, and more than one aspect you could really build around. Haven't decided yet whether I'll cook or judge. Either way, good pick IMO.

eversilentone

2020-12-17, 09:42 AM

Determined to use the Christmas break to cook!

Questions for the Chair: The Crimson Scourge gains a free proficiency with one of: bolas, net or whip. Does this grant the appropriate feat (e.g. Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bolas) or just proficiency?

Thanks in advance!

Zaq

2020-12-17, 10:24 AM

I need more time to look at this critically, but I legit do not believe I've ever looked at this class before.

Q: What does "unmodified strength modifier" mean? How unmodified are we talking here?

H_H_F_F

2020-12-17, 12:50 PM

Q: What does "unmodified strength modifier" mean? How unmodified are we talking here?

Asked myself the same thing. Gotta assume it just means items, right?
It's such a weird ability, I kind of love it. This class does some things which I've never seen before. 1 point in a skill as a prerequisite?

I can't wait to see people arguing that [insert normal combat action here] is an "effect which inflicts pain."

AvatarVecna

2020-12-17, 01:02 PM

I have no interest in building for this round, so I'll announce upfront that I'm judging again. I'd really appreciate if there were judges besides me this time, though. :smalltongue:

nosborm

2020-12-17, 02:03 PM

So it begins! I'm in a less busy period so I should be able to cook, but if no inspiration strikes I'll do my best to judge instead.

Piggy Knowles

2020-12-17, 04:29 PM

Troacctid

2020-12-17, 05:18 PM

Wow, what an absolute nothing of a class. Being on a ranger chassis is nice, but it's amazing how completely inconsequential basically all of its class features are. Should be a fun one.
I definitely disagree. Sure, there are other classes that do it better, like watch detective or Deneith marshal, but some of the stuff here is pretty cool. And at the very least, it compares pretty favorably against single-classing any of the core non-casters, yeah?

AvatarVecna

2020-12-17, 05:27 PM

I think Ranger 5/Crimson Scourge 10 is worse off than Ranger 15, outside of one very specific mechanic that it pairs well with and is everybody's immediate thought upon reading one particular ability here. I'm already preparing to give everybody a -0.50 Originality for using that thing. :smalltongue:

Zaq

2020-12-17, 07:31 PM

If everyone is unoriginal, then nobody is!

RaiKirah

2020-12-17, 07:31 PM

This is an absolute dumpster fire of a class, though perhaps burning something exotic? With funny colors and smells? Not sure yet, we'll see if I can find something worthwhile to cook around.

H_H_F_F

2020-12-17, 07:44 PM

I've decided I'll judge this round. Can't wait to see what y'all come up with!

The Viscount

2020-12-17, 11:42 PM

Right? I'm looking at some of the ideas I had saved up thinking we'd get Watch Detective someday, and realizing just how much worse this class manages to be at essentially the same thing without any of the Bad 3.0 Design charm.

Don't go using all your ideas. It, too, will have its day in the sun.

Determined to use the Christmas break to cook!

Questions for the Chair: The Crimson Scourge gains a free proficiency with one of: bolas, net or whip. Does this grant the appropriate feat (e.g. Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bolas) or just proficiency?

Thanks in advance!

You do not receive the appropriate feat, only proficiency. Sorry.

I need more time to look at this critically, but I legit do not believe I've ever looked at this class before.

Q: What does "unmodified strength modifier" mean? How unmodified are we talking here?

I haven't the foggiest idea what they were trying to say, and any attempt to distinguish what makes it modified here just feels arbitrary. Disregard "unmodified" in that sentence.

AvatarVecna

2020-12-17, 11:58 PM

Don't go using all your ideas. It, too, will have its day in the sun.

You do not receive the appropriate feat, only proficiency. Sorry.

I haven't the foggiest idea what they were trying to say, and any attempt to distinguish what makes it modified here just feels arbitrary. Disregard "unmodified" in that sentence.

Ugh, I suppose I can take thatinto account when jidging... :smalltongue:

Zaq

2020-12-18, 09:40 AM

Gruftzwerg

2020-12-18, 10:23 AM

Q: What does "unmodified strength modifier" mean? How unmodified are we talking here?

Imho the rule is talking about "modifiers (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm)". Modifiers are added or subtracted from a value. So anything that gives + or - to your Strength score should be disqualified.
On the contrary, anything that set your Strength score to a certain value should be legal. We have some option in 3.5 that fall under this but I won't mention any for the sake of the competition (but there are a few obvious choices here).

_______________

Q: Do I have to fit all 10 lvls of the prc into the 20 lvls? Is there a minimum lvl set for the SI? And how much it is penalized by the judges?

nosborm

2020-12-18, 10:59 AM

Q: Do I have to fit all 10 lvls of the prc into the 20 lvls? Is there a minimum lvl set for the SI? And how much it is penalized by the judges?

A: I am still very new to this competition, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but both of my past two entries did not take all 10 levels. Granted, I did not win but it's definitely not disqualifying. As I see it, you are potentially trading points in UotSI category for points elsewhere, assuming you actually sacrifice those levels for some reason. AvatarVecna has a very clear explanation of their approach last round here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24840999&postcount=97) under general approach. Under their rubric I 'lost' .5 UotSI points due to 'skipping' the last two levels (because I couldn't fit the Fatespinner capstone in my build otherwise, which I needed to make my trick work). But, like everything in IC, it's ultimately up the judge(s) to decided how much (if at all) they penalize you. As a note, AvatarVecna and H_H_F_F have both incredibly selflessly agreed to judge this round (thanks so much y'all!) so you can look at the past few competitions to get a read on their approaches to UotSI, which I think are very fair minded and well explained enough that you can make an intelligent decision. In general, you want to make sure you're actually using the SI and not just taking it (if that makes sense), which may end up forcing you to drop some levels to complete the build as a whole, at least as I see it.

EDIT: Spelling and profusely thanking our judges.

daremetoidareyo

2020-12-18, 11:04 AM

I have a roaringly stupid idea, but I need to spend some time combing through Teh RulezTM to make sure that it's not impossible before the word go.

If that doesn't pan out... yikes. We've got what, two, maybe three abilities that aren't a common feat or some piddly numbers? Hard to show that off... I'll spend some time thinking about it though.

http://thenewswheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/handshake.jpg

I have a stupid idea too!

_______________

Q: Do I have to fit all 10 lvls of the prc into the 20 lvls? Is there a minimum lvl set for the SI? And how much it is penalized by the judges?

You don't have to fit the whole thing in, but it will be penalized in UoSI roughly commensurate to how much you miss, which you can sometimes make up by really using the class features that you do pick up, depending on judge. So a rule of thumb is: only skip levels of the SI if progression if something else amplifies the levels you did take, and to be clear about that.

Halrax

2020-12-18, 12:01 PM

Thinking of making my first ever entry with this one, and was wondering about the rules. The ACFs or Alternate classes from Unearthed Arcana are available, right? (Urban Ranger, Cloistered Cleric, etc.) Only actual alternate rule systems like the Generic classes are banned. If I'm wrong please tell me, I'd hate to give a build that violates protocol.

H_H_F_F

2020-12-18, 12:34 PM

AvatarVecna

2020-12-18, 02:34 PM

Imho the rule is talking about "modifiers (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm)". Modifiers are added or subtracted from a value. So anything that gives + or - to your Strength score should be disqualified.
On the contrary, anything that set your Strength score to a certain value should be legal. We have some option in 3.5 that fall under this but I won't mention any for the sake of the competition (but there are a few obvious choices here).

_______________

Q: Do I have to fit all 10 lvls of the prc into the 20 lvls? Is there a minimum lvl set for the SI? And how much it is penalized by the judges?

The chairperson has ruled on the first bit, so I won't address that personally. The next bit...

A: I am still very new to this competition, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but both of my past two entries did not take all 10 levels. Granted, I did not win but it's definitely not disqualifying. As I see it, you are potentially trading points in UotSI category for points elsewhere, assuming you actually sacrifice those levels for some reason. AvatarVecna has a very clear explanation of their approach last round here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24840999&postcount=97) under general approach. Under their rubric I 'lost' .5 UotSI points due to 'skipping' the last two levels (because I couldn't fit the Fatespinner capstone in my build otherwise, which I needed to make my trick work). But, like everything in IC, it's ultimately up the judge(s) to decided how much (if at all) they penalize you. As a note, AvatarVecna and H_H_F_F have both incredibly selflessly agreed to judge this round (thanks so much y'all!) so you can look at the past few competitions to get a read on their approaches to UotSI, which I think are very fair minded and well explained enough that you can make an intelligent decision. In general, you want to make sure you're actually using the SI and not just taking it (if that makes sense), which may end up forcing you to drop some levels to complete the build as a whole, at least as I see it.

EDIT: Spelling and profusely thanking our judges.

Refusing to take some levels in the SI isn't the absolute end of the world for any build. With my particular setup, not taking the final level effectively loses you 0.5 points from that one category (including the loss of the +0.25 bonus for completing the SI), while each subsequent level not taken "only" loses you 0.25 points. Ultimately, because SIs tend to be pretty crap, it's entirely possible that taking a couple SI levels and trading them for something far better will boost your build's power enough to make up for the lost points of the SI. How much you can do this before it goes too far is a matter of opinion, and how high you think you could've gotten your power score if you took the SI vs if you didn't.

As an example, a Sorcerer 10/Dragon Disciple 10 is honestly a pretty crap build, but somebody might be able to make decent use of the SI abilities to be a semi-gish character. This person would likely end up with a Power 3/UotSI 4 under my rubric. If that person went Sorcerer 14/Dragon Disciple 6, they might end up Power 4/UotSI 3.25 - a small boost overall, but if that's what you gotta do then that's what you gotta do. On the other hand, if they just gave up and went Sorcerer 20, they'd probably end up Power 5/UotSI 1, or maybe even Power 6/UotSI 0 if the chair lets them get away with it.

"But isn't the minimum score 0?"

Okay so the story there, from what I recall, is that there's been some judges along the way who saw that somebody failed to qualify for the SI entirely, and ended up either refusing to judge that build at all, or giving it UotSI 0. The particular example I remember actually happened in villainous, where one judge's judgement was so off-kilter, lacking in commentary, and mean-spirited, that it inspired a number of people (including myself) to step up to judge in order to outweigh that person's judgement. That person's judgement was eventually stricken from the record by the chair, and there was even brief talk in the thread about the possibility of participants anonymously voting on whether this judgement or that judgement should be stricken from the record as a step in the general process for competitions going forward. That was deemed unnecessary, on account of this being a one-time fluke. But IC has had a much longer run than villainous, and I'm sure there's been similar incidents of bad-faith judgement along the way.

The reason that failing to qualify shouldn't earn you a 0 in UotSI is because of the community consensus regarding not penalizing for the same thing twice. In a normal game, failing to qualify for a PrC means that the PrC doesn't count for determining how powerful you are. But in a normal game, it might be that you were given the feat you need (or whatever) as a quest reward that just wouldn't be accounted for. Or maybe it's a prereq that your build requires the DM to waive. For this reason, "failure to qualify" is an Elegance penalty, because it's a DM adjudication issue, but it shouldn't affect your power rating or UotSI - if it did, then the failure to qualify would be getting penalized in two separate categories, which is a no-no. Each category should be judged on its own merits.

Ultimately, because most people build in good faith, a build shouldn't warrant a 0 in any category, even UotSI as long as they're actually attempting to use it, so the judges should judge in good faith and set the minimum score per category to 1. Beyond that, 0 ratings aren't generally allowed because 1 is considered low enough for most purposes anyway. Consider the earlier sorcerer build: that would probably score a 1 in originality and a 5 in elegance from most judges as well. Maybe they'd end up getting a slightly higher Originality than that? But even then, a really good build that utterly ignores the SI and just does the SI's job better without it won't score higher than like...13 total. 13s don't win competitions, not even close. The fact that refusing to take the SI at all could theoretically warrant a 0 if 0s were a legal score is irrelevant.

Hiro Quester

2020-12-18, 04:22 PM

What an odd class the SI is. The mix of prerequisite skills makes you need either one obvious class, or a bunch of cross-class skills using the other classes most of us will employ to be more original.

And the highest skill ranks needed are in Handle Animal, for a class that has not a single animal related ability? In fact, requiring urban tracking undermines some otherwise handle-animal friendly class variants or ACFs.

Question: how do track and urban tracking relate to one another? If you have urban tracking, does that qualify you for anything that requires track as a prerequisite? Or might you need to take track feat as well?

I can see how this might be a case-by-case adjudication, since some things seem more obviously a decent substitution, while others might be quite a stretch.

Troacctid

2020-12-18, 04:49 PM

Question: how do track and urban tracking relate to one another? If you have urban tracking, does that qualify you for anything that requires track as a prerequisite? Or might you need to take track feat as well?

I can see how this might be a case-by-case adjudication, since some things seem more obviously a decent substitution, while others might be quite a stretch.
This one's easy. They're separate feats and do not interact with one another.

The Viscount

2020-12-19, 12:06 AM

This one's easy. They're separate feats and do not interact with one another.

This is correct.

Halrax

2020-12-19, 10:05 AM

H_H_F_F

2020-12-19, 10:14 AM

Just got several hours in (I'm new to the GITP formatting) and realized that the Trollblooded feat is from Dragon Magazine and thus not allowed. Would leaving it in cause the build to be disqualified or merely subject to a penalty to Elegance? Mainly don't want to go through the pain of restructuring the build, but I can do it if it's necessary.

Just as a note, try not to be as specific when you can; there's a rule regarding anonymity, and if one of the builds will have troll-blooded, there'll be no doubt as to who's is it.

Now, as for the question itself: while flaws can be a valid choice to sacrifice elegance, purposefully submitting a build with disallowed content is not. It would be like purposefully skipping a qualification, or making a "mistake" with your ability scores. Don't use unallowed material.

AvatarVecna

2020-12-19, 10:25 AM

Just as a note, try not to be as specific when you can; there's a rule regarding anonymity, and if one of the builds will have troll-blooded, there'll be no doubt as to who's is it.

Now, as for the question itself: while flaws can be a valid choice to sacrifice elegance, purposefully submitting a build with disallowed content is not. It would be like purposefully skipping a qualification, or making a "mistake" with your ability scores. Don't use unallowed material.

I'll add onto this by saying that one of the biases you can get in a judge is that, if a build is blatantly illegal in some fashion, the whole build ends up getting judged more harshly, even on aspects utterly unrelated to the illegal material. If I were to speculate on the why, I would say that judges are frequently people who try to cook for various contests but aren't able to be satisfied with their dishes but still want to contribute, so seeing somebody take illegal material in order to make the building easier feels...not really insulting, but kinda "I ended up scrapping my build because playing the rules couldn't make something I liked, how come you just get to break them", and this kinda subconsciously seeps into the whole judgement.

To bring back something I said in the previous contest, this is the equivalent for Elegance to the thing about Power I discussed: because 1 is the minimum, if one build is so un-Elegant that it basically redefines the low-point, it can arbitrarily raise the judge's opinion about the relative Elegance of all other builds.

(Avoiding that particular knee-jerk reaction is part of why I do the very orderly judging I do - its hard to give a slight boost to other Elegance scores when you've got a pretty solid history on judging Elegance a certain way. And even then, this particular phenomenon tends to come up in the power section of my judging anyway.)

Halrax

2020-12-19, 10:53 AM

Yeah, okay, that makes sense. Sorry about mentioning the specifics, I'm still very new to this. I have to go back now and figure out what to replace it with, and edit the rest of the description accordingly (which is fine, it's just annoying that I forgot to check the source when starting it). Thanks for explaining.

holbita

2020-12-19, 05:39 PM

Hi guys, long long time lurker on the forum, very recent poster. I was actually playing a level 13 Crimson Scourge in a game a few months ago so this seems like the perfect excuse to showcase it on the forum. This would be my first time joining the competion, I am curious to see how my build will fare compared to the rest of entries... I don't expect it will do a very good job but... we will try at least!

H_H_F_F

2020-12-19, 07:08 PM

KrimsonNekros

2020-12-19, 11:16 PM

I am finding myself in a most unusual position. most of these competitions I'm fighting to get all my feats in and fitted properly. Now I have more feats than i know what to do with..... HELP!

Gruftzwerg

2020-12-20, 12:05 AM

I am finding myself in a most unusual position. most of these competitions I'm fighting to get all my feats in and fitted properly. Now I have more feats than i know what to do with..... HELP!

lul, I still have the same problems as every to slim down my feat selection...^^
I would like to help, but for a fair competition we should avoid giving tips here.. ;)

The Viscount

2020-12-20, 12:44 AM

I hear there's some really cool feats in the srd that give you bonuses to TWO different skills!

AvatarVecna

2020-12-20, 03:13 AM

I hear there's some really cool feats in the srd that give you bonuses to TWO different skills!

I hesitate to even mention them, but there's some 3.0 feats that should be legal via grandfathering. They have base Fort prereqs, but they're essentially like taking Toughness multiple times with a single feat slot!

holbita

2020-12-20, 08:33 AM

I have heard legendary tales about characters who took such feats... about the way they died or sometimes about how little they contributed to the group... legendary tales indeed.

Piggy Knowles

2020-12-20, 11:37 AM

Gruftzwerg

2020-12-20, 12:33 PM

Somehow after not being able to muster a completed entry at all in time last round despite loving the ingredient, I've managed to complete and submit a build that I'm honestly pretty tickled with already despite more than 3 weeks remaining. Should be a fun one, interested to see what everyone else came up with.

I should be done soon. Need to write it up thou.

But somehow I'm afraid that others will have the same/similar idea because it is to tempting xD

eversilentone

2020-12-21, 06:42 AM

You do not receive the appropriate feat, only proficiency. Sorry.

No problem, thanks for the quick response - that's one build already nixed lol!

Hiro Quester

2020-12-21, 10:37 AM

But somehow I'm afraid that others will have the same/similar idea because it is to tempting xD

That’s how really cool builds get Vizinni’d into sacrificing awesomeness for what the creator thinks is “originality”.

Quite a few times I had an idea I thought was pretty obvious, so didn’t pursue, yet saw nothing like that in the actual submissions.

Zaq

2020-12-22, 09:49 AM

Vizziniing too hard is how we end up with stuff like two prostitutes with Vow of Poverty (ardent dilettante) or two dark changeling trapsmiths (silver key).

Just go for it.

WhamBamSam

2020-12-22, 05:19 PM

Vizziniing too hard is how we end up with stuff like two prostitutes with Vow of Poverty (ardent dilettante) or two dark changeling trapsmiths (silver key).

Just go for it.Two Dark Changeling Trapsmiths out of four entries no less!

KrimsonNekros

2020-12-22, 10:25 PM

Yeah I haveto fight Vizinni quite a bit on mine. Keeps screaming that's too obvious.

The Viscount

2020-12-22, 11:28 PM

Two Dark Changeling Trapsmiths out of four entries no less!

Don't forget last round, where we had 12 entries and no Beguilers.

Zaq

2020-12-23, 09:42 AM

Or my E6 Fighter round that had ten entries and zero dungeoncrashers.

daremetoidareyo

2020-12-23, 12:22 PM

Or my E6 Fighter round that had ten entries and zero dungeoncrashers.

I liked that round. Dungeoncrasher wasn’t inspiring because of how much noise it gets on the boards.

Sian

2020-12-23, 07:01 PM

Been poking a bit at it, and my first 3 (significantly different ) ideas as of how to utilize ended up being dumpster fires, being completely worthless since it was near-impossible to actually do what i had in mind

The Viscount

2020-12-24, 12:03 AM

I liked that round. Dungeoncrasher wasn’t inspiring because of how much noise it gets on the boards.

Dungeoncrasher is for dumb jocks! People of culture use Zhentarim Fighter.

Been poking a bit at it, and my first 3 (significantly different ) ideas as of how to utilize ended up being dumpster fires, being completely worthless since it was near-impossible to actually do what i had in mind

Sounds like my normal Iron Chef build process!

Sian

2020-12-26, 06:13 PM

daremetoidareyo

2020-12-26, 06:24 PM

Think i found a way to solve one of my ideas, but ran into another problem

Why the hell does the class ask for Handle Animal 8? ... I could understand if it was Gather Info 8, and possibly Sense Motive and/or Diplomacy, but Handle Animal?

And you don’t use it at all for any class features!

Maybe they thought chattel was Middle English for cattle

KrimsonNekros

2020-12-26, 10:51 PM

And you don’t use it at all for any class features!

Maybe they thought chattel was Middle English for cattle

I have my suspicions why they did it, but it might go against the speculation rules to state the reason

The Viscount

2020-12-27, 01:46 PM

Think i found a way to solve one of my ideas, but ran into another problem

Why the hell does the class ask for Handle Animal 8? ... I could understand if it was Gather Info 8, and possibly Sense Motive and/or Diplomacy, but Handle Animal?

Now you see the hidden evil of the ingredient. It commits the greatest sin of all, wasting your time!

I've got nothing, other than to enforce a means of entry that as KrimsonNekros mentioned. Especially weird considering this is in Cityscape, the book of city stuff.

Zaq

2020-12-27, 02:33 PM

Yeah, I have a guess as to why Handle Animal is required. KN and I are probably thinking along the same lines. If it was done intentionally, it's evil but actually kind of clever. If it was done haphazardly, it's evil and stupid.

Hiro Quester

2020-12-27, 03:58 PM

Think i found a way to solve one of my ideas, but ran into another problem

Why the hell does the class ask for Handle Animal 8? ... I could understand if it was Gather Info 8, and possibly Sense Motive and/or Diplomacy, but Handle Animal?

This has been a roadblock for me on a few ideas. Most of the cool and promising ways to start this class have Handle Animal as a cross-class skill. It undermines a few combinations that could be interesting Scourges, if not for the need to have 8 ranks is a skill unrelated to the urban investigator theme.

Dipping to get HA in-class seems inelegant, and I needed all 10 levels in other classes to set up the aspects of the SI.

this has been an issue for two different potential builds I have abandoned.

Gruftzwerg

2020-12-27, 07:35 PM

AvatarVecna

2020-12-27, 07:46 PM

@ Handle Animal

I don't get why you have problems with HA? There are enough base classes that give it and if I don't want want em, I know of at least 2 feats to get HA as class skill. Open you mind, it is really not that hard to get access to HA. I would recommend to look at the base classes aside from core too, there are a few really promising classes that could work as a base.

The complaint isn't that it's too difficult to get Handle Animal or too big an investment, it's that it's dumb the class has a prereq that doesn't seem to tie into the fluff or mechanics of the PrC at all.

Gruftzwerg

2020-12-27, 10:08 PM

The complaint isn't that it's too difficult to get Handle Animal or too big an investment, it's that it's dumb the class has a prereq that doesn't seem to tie into the fluff or mechanics of the PrC at all.

The prc locates their targets via Urban Tracking. You don't need to follow stupid footprints and waste time doing so. The fastest way for mundane characters is a mount.
Further dogs and other animals for regular "Track" can be handy.

And there is a cheesy trick to abuse Handle Animal:
People tend to use watch-dogs or other "trained" animal to guard their properties. A simple "Handle an Animal" check (DC 10) and the animal does one trick he knows that you command him to do so. The skill doesn't require you to own the animal, it just needs to be trained in the skill you command him to do.

AvatarVecna

2020-12-28, 12:52 AM

The prc locates their targets via Urban Tracking. You don't need to follow stupid footprints and waste time doing so. The fastest way for mundane characters is a mount.
Further dogs and other animals for regular "Track" can be handy.

And there is a cheesy trick to abuse Handle Animal:
People tend to use watch-dogs or other "trained" animal to guard their properties. A simple "Handle an Animal" check (DC 10) and the animal does one trick he knows that you command him to do so. The skill doesn't require you to own the animal, it just needs to be trained in the skill you command him to do.

The theoretical ability to spend your action on maybe wasting the action of an enemy guard dog isn't nearly as good as you seem to think it is; animals just aren't that big of a threat or an obstacle. Additionally, unlike normal Tracking (where a good enough bonus lets you travel faster and suck up a penalty for tracking at faster speeds), Urban Tracking has a set time frame - it doesn't matter if you're using Urban Tracking while riding a snail or an epic dragon, it still takes the same amount of time.

I said Handle Animal didn't really fit with the fluff or mechanics of the actual PrC, and you countered with "Handle Animal isn't literally useless for you, therefore it has synergy". No. That's not what synergy is. The class doesn't give you an animal companion/special mount, nor does it advance an existing one. It doesn't grant you bonuses to Handle Animal, it doesn't grant you new uses of Handle Animal, and it doesn't remove some restrictions of the Handle Animal skill. It just requires a skill that has literally nothing to do with your class' fluff or mechanics. Being good at Handle Animal doesn't do anything to assist with your PrC features, and none of your PrC features do anything to assist you with Handle Animal checks. The same cannot be said for Intimidate, which gets an upgrade, a loosened restriction, and a slight bonus from class features, and yet that skill only has 4 ranks required.

If you made a build that had absolutely phenomenal use of the Handle Animal skill that just happened to have all ten levels of Crimson Scourge, you'd get a boost to your power score and a penalty to your UotSI score.

Gruftzwerg

2020-12-28, 02:53 AM

The theoretical ability to spend your action on maybe wasting the action of an enemy guard dog isn't nearly as good as you seem to think it is; animals just aren't that big of a threat or an obstacle. Additionally, unlike normal Tracking (where a good enough bonus lets you travel faster and suck up a penalty for tracking at faster speeds), Urban Tracking has a set time frame - it doesn't matter if you're using Urban Tracking while riding a snail or an epic dragon, it still takes the same amount of time.

I said Handle Animal didn't really fit with the fluff or mechanics of the actual PrC, and you countered with "Handle Animal isn't literally useless for you, therefore it has synergy". No. That's not what synergy is. The class doesn't give you an animal companion/special mount, nor does it advance an existing one. It doesn't grant you bonuses to Handle Animal, it doesn't grant you new uses of Handle Animal, and it doesn't remove some restrictions of the Handle Animal skill. It just requires a skill that has literally nothing to do with your class' fluff or mechanics. Being good at Handle Animal doesn't do anything to assist with your PrC features, and none of your PrC features do anything to assist you with Handle Animal checks. The same cannot be said for Intimidate, which gets an upgrade, a loosened restriction, and a slight bonus from class features, and yet that skill only has 4 ranks required.

If you made a build that had absolutely phenomenal use of the Handle Animal skill that just happened to have all ten levels of Crimson Scourge, you'd get a boost to your power score and a penalty to your UotSI score.

k, missed the fixed time Urban Tracking has, sry.

But that doesn't change my statement. Sure, having more synergy on the skill would be nice, but that is a rare thing. Most prc that have skill requirements don't have any kind of special synergy. It's just, you need this cause it's a common requirement. I could list most knowledge skills, spellcraft, professions and even things like tumble/jump are common requirements that barely see any synergy within a prc, other then that it is occasionally used.

And I see how it can fit the fluff. As mentioned the use of hunting/tracking dogs/animals fits the theme. A mount to cover longer distances to get to your target is also part of bounty hunters life. The ability to manipulate possible enemy watchdogs or mounts into your favor is also fitting the fluff.

Compare it to an Incantatrix:
Needs Knowledge Arcana and Spellcraft with each 8 ranks. It doesn't give any synergies nor does it make use more than the base class that enters the prc. It's just a requirement that fits the fluff of the prc.

A crimson scourge seems to be envisioned as bounty hunter that makes use of trained animals from time to time. But if you want, you can ignore that you have the skill. Just like a Incantatrix can be played with a minimal amount of use for the skills required. It's up to you, if you follow the base that was envisioned or not.

Special synergy for required skills ain't that common imho.

AvatarVecna

2020-12-28, 03:44 AM

And I see how it can fit the fluff. As mentioned the use of hunting/tracking dogs/animals fits the theme. A mount to cover longer distances to get to your target is also part of bounty hunters life. The ability to manipulate possible enemy watchdogs or mounts into your favor is also fitting the fluff.

"Don’t worry. I’ll see that the package is delivered unharmed. Well . . . mostly unharmed."
--Geddrik the Whip

In the fantasy world as well as the real world, the reach of the law sometimes isn’t enough. When a criminal is on the loose, or a prisoner has escaped, professional bounty hunters offer their services to bring in the fugitive. Additionally, in some urban fantasy settings, the slave trade is just an accepted fact of life. And just as a rancher sends herders after stray cattle, so too must a slaver hire specialists to track down and recover lost or escaped slaves.

Whether they are independent crime-fighters assisting the law or grim mercenaries who hunt living property, such trained specialists are called crimson scourges. These fearsome trackers are known not only for their efficiency, but for their zealous commitment to the task at hand. Crimson scourges are dedicated - at least to the handsome sums they earn.

BECOMING A CRIMSON SCOURGE
The crimson scourge is a tough and efficient tracker who specializes in dealing painful but ultimately nonlethal wounds. Scourges hail almost exclusively from the ranks of barbarians, fighters, and rangers, though the occasional dedicated warrior might join their ranks as well. Druids can qualify almost as quickly, but most fi nd a scourge’s work distasteful or unfulfilling. All other classes either cannot meet the alignment and/or skill requirements, or must reach higher levels before qualifying to become a crimson scourge.

PLAYING A CRIMSON SCOURGE
You are an unusual creature: someone capable of being stealthy and subtle, but who rarely needs to be. People like you aren’t called “crimson scourges” for nothing. Your very existence serves as a deterrent against escape. If you are neutral-aligned, you likely don’t deserve much of what’s said about you, but it’s against your financial interests to set the record straight. If you’re evil, it’s probably all true.

Your relationship with your employer is the most important thing for you. Whether or not your loyalty is genuine, without the safety of your patron, your numerous enemies would not hesitate to pounce. You prefer to work alone, but sometimes scourges are hired in pairs—nominally for their safety, but mainly to keep tabs on a suspect hunter.

COMBAT
Crimson scourges never shy away from combat, and more often than not they will instigate a fight just to prove a point. Most of your skills revolve around tracking and disarming (and often humiliating) a single individual. You’re not terribly effective in fights involving multiple foes, so bravado is a large part of your combat ability: If you can intimidate your opponent into backing down, you’ve won without striking a single blow. If melee is inevitable, focus on making the most of your abilities. Strike at unarmed assailants first, to try to take them out of combat quickly, and then move to disarming those who carry weapons so you can do the same to them.

ADVANCEMENT
Unless you are in business for yourself, your advancement potential relies heavily upon a slavers guild or patron organization. The more successful you are at what you do, the more rapidly you’ll advance. Sometimes an employer or guild sends scourges out in pairs—one junior tracker and one veteran. Although true friendship between them rarely blooms, the elder usually ends up taking on the role of mentor.

You were already a competent tracker before becoming a true scourge, but you should continue to make hunting skills a priority when the time for skill point allotment arrives. Before a single blow is landed, your strongest advantages in combat are your reputation and your perceived ability to back up that reputation. Make sure that Intimidate is as high a priority as Gather Information. Focus your feat selection on developing tricks of the trade, such as Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Improved Trip, and Improved Sunder.

RESOURCES
Depending on its size and public persona, a slavers guild usually funds its scourges’ retrieval efforts...provided it has concrete information on where a target has gone, and it has a good idea of what the operation will cost. If you’re a member of the guild and possess the Favored feat, then you’re entitled to such aid should you ask for it. If you are in the employ of a wealthy patron, you can receive some compensation for your expenses, especially if you have performed satisfactory work for that employer before.

Your work often takes you into areas with no guild presence or where slavers are reviled (if you are a hunter of slaves), or into the underworld (if you pursue criminals). In those environments, you’re on your own. For this reason, be sure to fix the terms of employment before venturing out after a quarry.

CRIMSON SCOURGES IN THE WORLD
"They provide a necessary service, of course. But I do wish they could be a bit more...discreet."
--Lord Beaumond Richhierre, second-tier magistrate

Crimson scourges are suitable for almost any city. They can appear in areas with little to no slave trade, focusing entirely on escaped criminals, or be in the employ of slavers guilds but hunting in areas where escaped slaves have fled. On occasion, a slavers guild sends a pair of scourges into a town where the trade hasn’t yet blossomed. The scourges quietly investigate factors such as the rich–poor divide, the socioeconomic dynamic, and the attitude of the ruling class toward indentured servitude, evaluating the potential for a new market.

ORGANIZATION
Crimson scourges have little organization unto themselves. Aside from the mentor–student relationship that develops between pairs, they neither want nor need additional complication in their lives. The only structure that the scourges recognize is an informal system of rank, based upon a combination of achievement and reputation. The more successful the scourge, and the more fearsome his reputation, the more respect he gains from his peers. Nonevil scourges also depend on successful retrievals but value independence far more than ferocity; A scourge who can dictate his own terms earns more respect in the eyes of his peers than one known only for intimidating his quarry.

Daily life for the average scourge consists of countless hours of training and waiting, interspersed with frenetic bouts of activity. Scourges have to keep themselves sharp, but unless they’re on active assignment, they have little to do but wait. For this reason, crimson scourges often take assignments as bodyguards or enforcers, serving either the guild or independent parties. In some cases, a scourge is retained permanently, which provides him or her a steady stream of work. Non-evil scourges tend to refuse exclusivity arrangements. Only by committing to a job and then leaving immediately upon success can such scourges maintain their objectivity and independence.

NPC REACTIONS
By their very nature, scourges elicit fear and unfriendly suspicion from those they meet. Other people might still be helpful to a scourge, but out of fear rather than admiration or respect. Only slavers react to them more favorably than unfriendly, and even they are usually indifferent.

CRIMSON SCOURGE LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) or bardic knowledge can research crimson scourges to learn more about them. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

DC 10: Slavers guilds and city watches sometimes use fearsome trackers to hunt down fugitive criminals and escaped slaves.

DC 15: These so-called crimson scourges are highly skilled not only in hunting their quarry but in causing pain without dealing lethal injury. They are known for their callousness.

DC 20: Crimson scourges have a talent for dealing massive amounts of pain to unarmed opponents, and for disarming opponents who might otherwise provide a threat. The best of them feel no pain at all.

CRIMSON SCOURGES IN THE GAME
The crimson scourge fills a specific enough niche that a DM can easily work the class into a campaign under the assumption that the PCs have simply never heard of the scourges before (especially if none of the PCs have ever been in an area with a slavers guild).

Players who enjoy search-and-recover adventures, as well as those who embrace the challenge of a morally complex character, might be drawn to the crimson scourge class. As an NPC, a scourge makes an excellent adversary, whether encountered on the trail of a PC who is an escaped slave, or as a threat to an acquaintance or relative of a party member.

ADAPTION
The crimson scourge is suitable for just about any urban campaign setting. Even if your setting features no slavers guild, slaves probably exist somewhere. And as long as there are fugitives, whether criminals on the run or missing property, there will always be crimson scourges to bring them in. In a setting without slaves, the class might be associated with a variant organization, such as a thieves or assassins guild. Scourges might even form the retrieval arm of a cult that endorses slavery, in which case every scourge would be a member of the cult.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER
A character who has reason to encounter a scourge probably has reason to quarrel with him, too. Most run-ins with crimson scourges take place in the midst of recovery operations, while the scourge is tracking down a fugitive. In these situations, a scourge is less inclined to banter or negotiate.

EL 9: Almost every scourge takes care to foster a nasty reputation, but the soon-to-be infamous Geddrik Raud—the so-called “Whip”—is making an art form out of it. He takes the nickname of his trade literally, scourging the backs of recaptured slaves for every misstep on the way back to their owners. When the PCs encounter him, he is just about to recover his latest target: the child of an escaped slave, whom Geddrik intends to use as leverage against the mother.

Geddrik’s arrogance could be his undoing. He refused to partner up with a mentor, and he might have to flee if the PCs get the drop on him or are tougher than the unarmed wretches the Whip is used to bullying.

This is the whole of the fluff text for Crimson Scourge. Go ahead and do a Ctrl+F through for things like "animal", "beast", "mount", and the like. Or just read through the whole thing. Animals never come up, because this is a slave-catcher class, and training animals isn't ****ing relevant. Probably the funniest bit to me is that the sample build, that lvl 9 guy mentioned at the end there, is a Ranger 5/Crimson Scourge 4. His animal companion doesn't get a single mention, and he only has just enough Handle Animal to qualify for the class. You know why he doesn't bother taking the skill further? You know why they didn't bother listing his ranger 5 companion for a lvl 9 fight? BECAUSE IT'S IRRELEVANT.

If a frenzied berserker invests in the Speak Language skill cross-class because he's being played as a natural linguist by the player, that doesn't mean that the Speak Language skill suddenly fits the fluff of the frenzied berserker class, nor does it mean the Speak Language skill suddenly has synergy with the commoner class features.

Compare it to an Incantatrix:
Needs Knowledge Arcana and Spellcraft with each 8 ranks. It doesn't give any synergies nor does it make use more than the base class that enters the prc. It's just a requirement that fits the fluff of the prc.

K (Arcana) is a skill that certainly only fits the fluff of the PrC, in that it's a class designed around intimate magical knowledge. But Spellcraft? The lvl 2 and 3 abilities, which for the majority of your career are the good stuff you're getting out of Incantatrix, require Spellcraft checks. If you invested in Spellcraft just to meet the prereqs and then never touched it again, you'd be shooting yourself in the foot. If you invested in Handle Animal purely for prereq purposes on Crimson Scourge, and then never touched it again, you wouldn't lose out on a single class feature, and you wouldn't lose out on any of the fluff of the class. And we know that's the case, because the freaking sample character does that exact thing, and even ditches his animal companion.

A crimson scourge seems to be envisioned as bounty hunter that makes use of trained animals from time to time. But if you want, you can ignore that you have the skill. Just like a Incantatrix can be played with a minimal amount of use for the skills required. It's up to you, if you follow the base that was envisioned or not.

It's literally not tho. "Makes use of trained animals from time to time" literally comes up nowhere in the fluff. You're only convincing yourself that it does because the class has the skill as a prereq, even though by your own admission there's a lot of classes that have weird nonsensical skill prereqs.

Special synergy for required skills ain't that common imho.

I don't disagree with this point: most PrCs end up having a skill pre-req that's just there to gatekeep the class and doesn't actually tie into much of anything. War Weaver pretends that you need Craft/Weaving to be good at weaving spells into your allies - because thread and magic are the same thing, right? But that's not the point you were making, or that I was arguing against:

You: "Oh come on, it's just a useless feat and skill tax, what's the problem?"

Me: "The problem is that it's not doing anything for this class."

You: "It is if you pretend the rules are different."

Me: "But the rules aren't different, so it's not doing anything for this class."

You: "It can fit with the fluff if you pretend the fluff is different, and besides who even needs ability synergy?"

Me: "Except it literally doesn't fit the fluff."

To return to your Incantatrix example: if that class has Handle Animal as a skill prereq, it'd be just as stupid as it is here. Nobody is going to stand up and say "why doesn't Incantatrix require the Handle Animal skill, it fits the fluff so well", and the reason nobody would stand up and say that is because IT DOESN'T FIT THE FLUFF. If this class didn't require the Handle Animal skill, nobody wouldn't be standing up to say that for this class either, and you know why? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT THE FLUFF HERE EITHER.

and I don't even know why you're trying so hard to convince people that it's relevant - by your own account, a lot of classes have dumb skill prereqs. Why are you trying so hard to convince people that this is the exception, and that it's actually a very relevant skill to this class?

H_H_F_F

2020-12-28, 05:22 AM

I think part of the reason the handle animal requirement has brought this attention is because it excludes gather information as a class skill for many entries that would otherwise use skilled city dweller to get it. Gather information has much more to do with Crimson Scourge, both fluff and mechanics wise.

It would weirdly make more sense if the SI required at least 5 ranks of gather information instead of 4, as that would actually exclude characters without native gather information proficiency from the earliest entry. As is, characters from these classes can still enter - it's just a weird, nonsensical skill tax that forces a less thematically and mechanically appropriate choice. My best guess is that it was designed to force out the classic city oriented classes, but I'm not sure why - and just demanding 4 or 5 bab would have achieved the same thing much more elegantly.

I've seen some concern around speculation this round, which I think may have referred to this issue. If that's the case, I disagree - I really don't think this level of general discussion should be regarded as speculation. As the chair said in the Primeval round, regarding Piggy's comment on speculation rules:

It was always more self or peer-enforced than chair-enforced. I'm fine with discussion, I'd just like to avoid people saying "man x is the perfect entry class for y ingredient."

daremetoidareyo

2020-12-28, 08:27 AM

AvatarVecna

2020-12-28, 08:44 AM

Another line of argument that supports avatar vecnas point is:

No one is complaining about the 1 rank in heal.

I think that it differs from handle animal prerequisite in that you can actually understand how a slave catcher or bounty hunter of live quarry might need to know how to stabilize an over damaged person. Or how the prestige class features highlight a mastery of pain.

Heal isn’t mentioned in the fluff at all either, but the obvious uses of the skill actually lend themselves in an explanatory fashion to the crimson scourge.

In contrast, handle animal is less obvious than ride. If you’re hunting people, you gotta move faster than them. And yeah, we can imagine the use of dogs or horses using scent to find people, but 8 ranks for something that has zero support in either the fluff or mechanics seems rather steep. Especially when every other skill requirement is more directly and thematically tied to what the class actually is and does

It's also worth mentioning that scent isn't that great for tracking people: the Track feat plus scent means you can ignore the visibility increase to the DC, but following a trail by scent gets +2 DC per hour behind you are, as opposed to the +1 DC per day behind you are that standard tracking has for humanoids. A ranger 4 should have Survival +8 at least, and will have just gotten a dog or wolf that has +5 when tracking by smell. The ranger 4 has to take the penalty for tracking by moonlight, or through fog/precipitation, which puts him at +5 as well, but if they're even a single hour behind their quarry, the ranger 4 is better. That's assuming basic skill point investment by the ranger, at the lowest level a ranger can even have an animal companion, and the ranger is still objectively better at tracking in 99% of situations. And the discrepancy gets worse the higher level the ranger gets, especially if he PrCs out and stops advancing his animal companion. And that's not even touching on whether Darkstalker should reasonably affect the ability to track you by scent at all.

A dog/wolf whose feats/skills can be optimized for tracking would be a completely different story, but that's just not how the animal rules work most of the time...and even then it'd just be slightly more competitive. Long story short: any prey that could be caught more easily with the help of a bloodhound is prey you were going to catch anyway, and any prey that would be difficult for you to catch isn't going to be easier to catch with the assistance of a bloodhound.

Troacctid

2020-12-28, 09:39 AM

I suspect that the class, being geared towards catching slaves, uses Handle Animal as a proxy for, uh, handling slaves, which, uh...😐

AvatarVecna

2020-12-28, 09:43 AM

I suspect that the class, being geared towards catching slaves, uses Handle Animal as a proxy for, uh, handling slaves, which, uh...😐

That's as good a theory as any. Oh, and I would have zero complaints if this class required you to be a cat with the Handle Humanoid skill.

(Also if we wanna be technical wait, no, shouldn't talk about that, that's definitely speculation.)

The Viscount

2020-12-28, 10:51 PM

I suspect that the class, being geared towards catching slaves, uses Handle Animal as a proxy for, uh, handling slaves, which, uh...😐

You know, I had a similar thought, and then I stopped thinking about the class for a while.

Wildstag

2020-12-29, 05:53 PM

I suspect that the class, being geared towards catching slaves, uses Handle Animal as a proxy for, uh, handling slaves, which, uh...😐

Yeah... that's something I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.

Falontani

2020-12-30, 05:43 PM

I have a mostly complete table. I haven't started to work on fluff yet...

eversilentone

2020-12-30, 06:56 PM

Gruftzwerg

2020-12-31, 01:37 AM

I have a mostly complete table. I haven't started to work on fluff yet...

I'm the reverse! Desperately trying to find something that will mechanically fit my fluff and struggling! It's "interesting" trying to use the SI - not sure I'm going to do a great job there, but having a blast so even a rubbish score and last place will be fun :)

I could say that I've completed both, the fluff and the table. But I still have problems to solve (which could cause me to change the table..)..^^ Everybody has his problems to manage :smallwink:

good luck to all of you.

Khatoblepas

2021-01-04, 12:18 AM

I have a build put together, and fluff, but I'm struggling to word how to use the build in any sane way, its fighting style is just a bit wacky and niche but at the same time I'm a little worried that someone might have had the same idea as me and implemented it better than me. I haven't built a 3.5 character in a long while.

When it's time to submit, who do I DM it to again?

WhamBamSam

2021-01-04, 12:31 AM

Korahir

2021-01-04, 11:59 AM

DM to the chair, Viscount.

I've got a build in. Contemplating whether or not to submit a second with all the extra time we've got this round.

I have 4 stubs fleshed out. Not sure if I end up submitting a build. This ingredient is painful to work with. No pun intended.

Hiro Quester

2021-01-05, 01:54 PM

I'm suffering from too many options. I have a build core idea, and a fluff idea for it that I'm kind of tickled by. But too many options for fine-tuning it. (I have another different idea that I might flesh out if I can make time.)

I'm somewhat resenting the last three levels of this class, though. There are so many ways to augment a good build that require losing 1, 2, or 3 levels of the SI. And those three don't offer much that the build needs. (Scent as the capstone is really meh.)

Scoring question for those with more experience, or for those who have judged. Does the use of SI penalty scale? That is, if you don't take the full SI, do you get more of a penalty for only taking 7/10 as opposed to only missing one level (9/10), assuming that you can justify using that (or those) levels for options that enable better power, originality, elegance?

The Viscount

2021-01-05, 07:56 PM

In my experience the penalty may scale somewhat, but not very linearly. The difference between 9 and 10 levels tends to be more than the difference between 7 and 9. "Did you finish the ingredient" is often a component of a judge's score for UotSI, but it's not the only question.

AvatarVecna

2021-01-05, 09:05 PM

I can't speak for anybody else, but I will say two things about that:

1) I take off a quarter point for every missing SI level, and I add half a point if you finished it. This means the difference between SI 9 and SI 10 is at least 0.75 points. Additionally, depending on how mechanically girthy the capstone is, and how many abilities you're making good use of from elsewhere in the SI, it's possible that making good use of the capstone would be enough to upgrade your score another quarter-point, although that's mostly gonna depend on just how much use you're getting out the SI elsewhere. This rubric ends up giving most level something like +0.6 worth, and gives the final level something like +1.0 worth (at least, for maximum potential per level). Given the idea behind the contest, I give more scoring leeway to people who finished the class. Yes, it's not worth taking to 10th level. That's the point: if you went on the actual iron chef competition and the secret ingredient was whole milk, and you used skim instead, you'd lose points with the judges for your lower percentage.

2) I'm not fond of the mentality behind the question that's less about building around the Secret Ingredient, and more about building around the judges.

Hiro Quester

2021-01-06, 09:45 AM

AvatarVecna

2021-01-06, 09:50 AM

The question was not about building around the judges, but having an informed assessment of the rubrics used for scoring, to calculate whether it's better to finish the SI completely, or sacrifice a bit of use of SI for more power, elegance, and/or originality.

That's kinda exactly what I'm talking about tho. You're not building based on how Elegant you think this option vs that option is, or how powerful you think this option vs that option is, or whatever. You're asking the question because you're trying to figure out how to optimize your build's chances at getting a good score based on a particular judge's standing rubric. Instead of thinking it through for yourself about whether what you're giving up from that last level in both power and presentation is worth whatever else you could get for those resources, you're trying to feel out what the judges will let you get away with.

You're trying to make build decisions based on how you think the judges will judge things, and because you're not confident in your ability to assess that for yourself, you're asking for a cheat sheet so that you can give yourself the best chance at a high score by knowing what this judge or that judge might penalize you more or less for. That's definitionally building around the judges.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-11, 05:22 AM

With less than a week left until the deadline, how is everyone doing?

Khatoblepas

2021-01-11, 06:37 AM

I got my entry in, I don't think I can do any more with it since it gives me a headache to think about. Hopefully it's weird and novel enough to at least be a fun build to look at.

WhamBamSam

2021-01-11, 07:15 AM

I've got everything but fluff written for a second submission. I dithered a little over whether to bother doing another build, but I'm actually really happy with how it turned out.

Hiro Quester

2021-01-11, 01:05 PM

I have a submission mostly built, and partly fluffed.

I have another more “out there” stub of a build that seems promising. I hope I can make time during this (busy) week to get that one also built out enough to determine its viability.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-12, 03:31 PM

Guys, due to unforseen circumstances, the villainous competition currently has no judge. Would anyone be willing to step up? It would be greatly appreciated!

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-13, 04:45 AM

With less than a week left until the deadline, how is everyone doing?

I didn't had much time the past week, due to real life..

But the build is set into stone, I got the tables, fluff text seems complete. I'm still writing some explanations and stuff. I hope it will be finished the next days... so that I can return to finish my almost complete "Itachi Uchiha" build, that has been paused for the last month..^^

Thurbane

2021-01-13, 02:59 PM

After some consideration, I can't really find anything interesting to submit as a build. I have one or two ideas, but they are more working around the ingredient, than showcasing it.

Will be interested to see if anyone submits anything close to what I was thinking...

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-14, 01:54 AM

Thurbane

2021-01-14, 03:56 PM

Does this mean that we have found a potential judge? ^^

As usual, will depend heavily on what's happening IRL at time of reveal, but possibly...

Zaq

2021-01-16, 03:18 PM

Hiro Quester

2021-01-16, 04:06 PM

H_H_F_F

2021-01-16, 04:09 PM

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-16, 04:38 PM

I'm not going to get my entry in. My brain's been rebellious lately and I just haven't had the focus needed to finish it. Since I've got other stuff I plan to work on today, I'm afraid I'm out for this round.

All I had was more or less a joke build anyway. I'll share my notes after the reveal.
Yeah, time management has become more problematic these day..^^
I hope you can now relax a bit. Maybe the entries will help ;)
I had similar problems myself. 95% was finished since weeks, but couldn't find the time and clear mind for the finish until a few hours ago. Now the entry is in and I can rest a bit... and go back to the anime adaptation I was working on before the contest did come up..^^

That's a shame. I played around with a particular joke myself, but abandoned the idea, because I recognized that didn't have the ability to tell it very well, and I though it might be a joke Zaq could tell better, or at least Zaq would be able to see I had not told it very skillfully. Looking forward to seeing what you would have done.

I don't regret abandoning that joke. I found another way to play. Though I'm going to be working hard to get it all written up and presented in time.

I hope you make it in time and wish you good luck

Hiro Quester

2021-01-17, 10:23 AM

eversilentone

2021-01-17, 10:39 AM

I got my build done and submitted. Through it took close to an all-nighter to get it done.

In part, it took so long because I was trying also to get another build completed too. I had to abandon it and get one done and sleep.

I’ll put up the skeleton of the other build after the official submissions are revealed.

How long do we have before submission? As of the time of posting it's 1540 in the UK - just trying to work out if I have the time to complete my entry.

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-17, 10:54 AM

How long do we have before submission? As of the time of posting it's 1540 in the UK - just trying to work out if I have the time to complete my entry.

GMT 13:59 today was the submission time. You are already to late if I'm not mistaken.

eversilentone

2021-01-17, 10:58 AM

GMT 13:59 today was the submission time. You are already to late if I'm not mistaken.

Ah ok, that's a shame. Thank you for replying so quickly. In my mind I thought I had a few more hours, so my mistake. Unfortunately even with the extra time I had to move house and that left me without the time I needed to put into the build. I may post my idea after the reveal.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-17, 11:05 AM

Ah ok, that's a shame. Thank you for replying so quickly. In my mind I thought I had a few more hours, so my mistake. Unfortunately even with the extra time I had to move house and that left me without the time I needed to put into the build. I may post my idea after the reveal.

I mean, the chair has pushed back a deadline by a couple of hours before... If you're excited about your build, and are very close to being done, I'd consider asking for a bit of extra time, and maybe keeping at it while you wait for the answer.

AvatarVecna

2021-01-17, 11:11 AM

It can't hurt to ask.

eversilentone

2021-01-17, 11:11 AM

I mean, the chair has pushed back a deadline by a couple of hours before... If you're excited about your build, and are very close to being done, I'd consider asking for a bit of extra time, and maybe keeping at it while you wait for the answer.

I'd feel bad about holding things up - if there's an extension because others need then I'll certainly use it and I'm working on it as we speak, but I don't think my build is anything too innovative, I just had great fun with the fluff/backstory and thought it was an interesting way of working with the SI thematically. It's cool, I need to be better organised in the future!

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-17, 11:17 AM

I'd feel bad about holding things up - if there's an extension because others need then I'll certainly use it and I'm working on it as we speak, but I don't think my build is anything too innovative, I just had great fun with the fluff/backstory and thought it was an interesting way of working with the SI thematically. It's cool, I need to be better organised in the future!

You can still share your idea after the reveal of the official contest builds. I did the same last time because I was to short on time.

The Viscount

2021-01-17, 11:54 AM

I think we're waiting on one or two others, so I can push back the deadline say 8 or 10 hours. It gives me time to work on my non-entry.

eversilentone

2021-01-17, 01:34 PM

I think we're waiting on one or two others, so I can push back the deadline say 8 or 10 hours. It gives me time to work on my non-entry.

I'm still working away - I've gotten the skills and main build table complete and just working on the level snapshots and fluff now. If we have that 8 hour extension (that would I think be another 3.5 hours) I should be grand to submit, but please don't hold on just for myself.

The Viscount

2021-01-17, 01:49 PM

I'm still working away - I've gotten the skills and main build table complete and just working on the level snapshots and fluff now. If we have that 8 hour extension (that would I think be another 3.5 hours) I should be grand to submit, but please don't hold on just for myself.

You got time.

Hiro Quester

2021-01-17, 01:53 PM

I think we're waiting on one or two others, so I can push back the deadline say 8 or 10 hours. It gives me time to work on my non-entry.

Oooh. If that’s the case I might be able to finish my other idea. It’s Sunday after all. I’ll check how it looks.

So the deadline is about 2:00 am, GMT? That might be possible.

eversilentone

2021-01-17, 04:33 PM

Build submitted! I hope it's able to be accepted, but no worries if not. If it is, apologies in advance if I've gotten the table formatting wrong. I've worked on it for about 6 hours today and honestly, about 4.5 of those have been formatting :'( In any event, if it's not able to be submitted or if it can and I come dead last, I had a blast. Thank you, all of you, for this wonderful community and competition. I love it!

Hiro Quester

2021-01-17, 05:37 PM

Im abandoning my other build. As I work on it, I realize its more complicated than I can throw together in the next few hours.

And our new Campaign is having its first meeting tonight. We're gonna try a Deadlands (Savage Worlds) campaign). Must maintain priorities.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone has done here.

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 01:46 AM

Thank you for your patience. It's time for the reveal! (Please don't post until the all clear.)

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:05 AM

Jack Frost nips at more than just your nose...

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/647393639886094337/790069841574887464/santa.jpg
Santo di Sassania
Human Wendigo, Barbarian 5/Crimson Scourge 8/Uncanny Trickster 3

A chill wind is blowing...

“My Lord, they’ve gone to ground. The chances of us finding them now--”

Lord Giraldi grunted. “Come now, it’s a handful of peasants,” he said. “I find myself deeply disappointed that a full squadron of your guards, a squadron of guards I have been so generously keeping well equipped and well fed throughout this difficult winter, cannot find a handful of peasants.”

Gromman shifted uncomfortably. “They are not just peasants, my Lord,” he said. “They are -- well, since rebelling against their landlord and burning his home, they have become almost mythical figures. My guards are talented, but when the whole of Bloodstone Village is treating them as folk heroes… well, they are getting nowhere. They have disappeared into the village, and I fear there is no way to suss them out quickly.”

“Hmph,” Lord Giraldi said. “I won’t have it. They are tenants. They refused to perform their duties. They burnt the home of their liege-appointed guardian. Every minute that they are not hanging from the gallows is a message to every other tenant on my lands that perhaps they should consider doing the same. I want them out of there at once.”

“I’m -- I’m sorry, my Lord,” he said. “I just don’t see that it is possible. Truly, we are trying. But if we just give it a moment, if we just let them feel that they are safe, they will make mistakes. I urge patience here.”

“Never mind,” said Lord Giraldi, cutting his advisor off with a curt wave. “You’re not the first in here to tell me of the troubles. I have seen to it. I have called on an old… friend. I have called in Santo di Sassania.”

Gromman blanched. “Not… not Claws,” he whispered.

Lord Giraldi laughed. “Yes, yes, I forgot that is what you all call him around here,” he said. “Funny that you call him that, when it’s his teeth that you really have to watch out for. My, my, he’s built up quite the reputation.”

“My Lord, he is an animal. Worse - he is an abomination. A crime against nature and the Gods. If you set him free in Bloodstone Village, he will slaughter half the city in pursuit of a few men.” Gromman’s hands opened and closed, as if grasping for something. “He -- Good Gods, my Lord, did you not hear of what he did in Helgabal? When Baron Ree hired him to deliver ‘justice’ there to a cloth merchant who had not been paying his tariffs?”

“Now, now,” said Lord Giraldi. “Don’t be dramatic. Certainly, Santo can be a bit… overzealous, but what can I say? He loves his work.”

“Loves his work?” Gromman seemed to be choking on his words. “My Lord, he snuck into the cloth merchant’s home in the dead of night. All the doors were locked, there were guards posted outside, but still he managed to find his way past all of them. Blew in down the chimney on a fell wind, some say. Claws slaughtered the merchant and everyone within. Wife, children, servants. All of them. They say--” and here Gromman shuddered. “They say that the only one left alive was a young serving girl, who managed to survive with only an arm missing… but that she had gone completely mad. That a week later they found her attempting to… to eat her own sister. The priests had to put her to death.”

“Mm,” said Lord Giraldi, his eyes closing in appreciation. “Mm, he does leave quite the impression, doesn’t he? Folks around here, they wait all year for the coming of Santo di Sassania. I have heard that when they hear him approaching, they leave offerings out, in hopes that he will sate his hunger on such humble fare as they can offer, and leave them alone. Don’t you worry. I shall give him a list, a list of those who have… trespassed on my generosity. I’ll insist he check it twice, if it makes you feel any better. But sometimes a bit of fear is exactly what the people need. If Santo makes a colorful example of these traitors, it will discourage others from following their lead for a generation.”

“My Lord, please don’t do this,” whispered Gromman. “Please. I will redouble our efforts. My guards can search again. They will visit every basement in Bloodstone Village if they must. But please do not call this creature.”

“It is already done,” Lord Giraldi said with relish. He grinned. “Santo -- Claws -- is coming to town.”

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

1st
Barbarian 1
+1
+2
+0
+0
Bluff 2 ranks (cc ), gather information 2 ranks (cc), handle animal 4 ranks, heal 1 rank (cc), intimidate 4 ranks, listen 4 ranks, literacy (2 ranks)
Dreadful Wrath, Intimidating Rage
Illiteracy, improved grab, rage 1/day

2nd
Barbarian 2
+2
+3
+0
+0
Bluff 2.5 ranks (+.5, cc), gather information 2.5 ranks (+.5, cc), handle animal 5 ranks (+1), intimidate 5 ranks (+1), listen 5 ranks (+1), spot .5 ranks (+.5, cc)

Uncanny dodge

3rd
Barbarian 3
+3
+3
+1
+1
Bluff 3 ranks (+.5, cc), gather information 3 ranks (+.5, cc), handle animal 6 ranks (+1), intimidate 6 ranks (+1), listen 6 ranks (+1), spot 1 rank (+.5, cc)
Urban Tracking
Wastelands trap sense +1

4th
Barbarian 4
+4
+4
+1
+1
Bluff 3.5 ranks (+.5, cc), gather information 3.5 ranks (+.5, cc), handle animal 7 ranks (+1), intimidate 7 ranks (+1), listen 7 ranks (+1), spot 1.5 ranks (+.5, cc)

Rage 2/day

5th
Barbarian 5
+5
+4
+1
+1
Bluff 4 ranks (+.5, cc), gather information 4 ranks (+.5, cc), handle animal 8 ranks (+1), intimidate 8 ranks (+1), listen 8 ranks (+1), spot 2 ranks (+.5, cc)
Blazing Berserker
Wastelands bonus feat

6th
Crimson Scourge 1
+6/+1
+6
+3
+1
Bluff 5 ranks (+1), gather information 5 ranks (+1), handle animal 9 ranks (+1), intimidate 9 ranks (+1), listen 9 ranks (+1), spot 3 ranks (+1), Never Outnumbered skill trick
Imperious Command
Kid gloves, Special Dispensation

7th
Crimson Scourge 2
+7/+2
+7
+4
+1
Gather information 7 ranks (+2), handle animal 10 ranks (+1), intimidate 10 ranks (+1), listen 10 ranks (+1), spot 6 ranks (+3)

Swift tracker

8th
Crimson Scourge 3
+8/+3
+7
+4
+2
Gather information 9 ranks (+2), handle animal 11 ranks (+1), intimidate 11 ranks (+1), listen 11 ranks (+1), spot 9 ranks (+3)

Painful strike +1d6

9th
Crimson Scourge 4
+9/+4
+8
+5
+2
Gather information 11 ranks (+2), handle animal 12 ranks (+1), intimidate 12 ranks (+1), listen 12 ranks (+1), spot 12 ranks (+3)
Extra Rage
Immovable heart

10th
Crimson Scourge 5
+10/+5
+8
+5
+2
Gather information 13 ranks (+2), handle animal 13 ranks (+1), intimidate 13 ranks (+1), listen 13 ranks (+1), spot 13 ranks (+1), Spot the Weak Point skill trick
Improved Disarm
Improved disarm

11th
Crimson Scourge 6
+11/+6/+1
+9
+5
+3
Bluff 6 ranks (+1), gather information 14 ranks (+1), handle animal 14 ranks (+1), intimidate 14 ranks (+1), listen 14 ranks (+1), spot 14 ranks (+1), Clarity of Vision skill trick

Painful strike +2d6

12th
Crimson Scourge 7
+12/+7/+2
+9
+5
+3
Bluff 7 ranks (+1), gather information 15 ranks (+1), handle animal 15 ranks (+1), intimidate 15 ranks (+1), listen 15 ranks (+1), spot 15 ranks (+1), Listen to This skill trick
Instantaneous Rage
Threaten

13th
Crimson Scourge 8
+13/+8/+3
+10
+6
+3
Bluff 10 ranks (+3), gather information 16 ranks (+1), handle animal 16 ranks (+1), intimidate 16 ranks (+1), listen 16 ranks (+1), spot 16 ranks (+1)

Deadened hide

14th
Uncanny Trickster 1
+13/+8/+3
+10
+8
+3
Bluff 15 ranks (+5), gather information 17 ranks (+1), handle animal 17 ranks (+1), intimidate 17 ranks (+1), listen 17 ranks (+1), spot 17 ranks (+1)

Bonus trick (Point it Out), favorite trick (Never Outnumbered)

15th
Uncanny Trickster 2
+14/+9/+4
+10
+9
+3
Bluff 18 ranks (+3), gather information 18 ranks (+1), handle animal 18 ranks (+1), intimidate 18 ranks (+1), knowledge (local) 2 ranks (+2), listen 18 ranks (+1), spot 18 ranks (+1)
Extra Rage
Bonus trick (Timely Misdirection), favorite trick (Clarity of Vision), painful strike +3d6

16th
Uncanny Trickster 3
+15/+10/+5
+11
+9
+4
Bluff 19 ranks (+1), gather information 19 ranks (+1), handle animal 19 ranks (+1), intimidate 19 ranks (+1), knowledge (local) 6 ranks (+4), listen 19 ranks (+1), spot 19 ranks (+1)

Bonus trick (Group Fake-Out), favorite trick (Spot the Weak Point), tricky defense, smell of blood

32 point buy:
Before racial mods: Str 18/Dex 8/Con 14/Int 12/Wis 8/Cha 14
After racial mods: Str 22/Dex 16/Con 18/Int 12/Wis 10/Cha 18

Prioritize Strength first, then Charisma second while leveling up and purchasing items. Note that you must have a Charisma of 15 in order to take Imperious Command, so if you are unable to apply the wendigo template prior to that point, be sure to put your first point into Charisma.

Final Skill Layout
Bluff 19 ranks
Gather information 19 ranks
Handle animal 19 ranks
Intimidate 19 ranks
Listen 19 ranks
Spot 19 ranks
Knowledge (local) 6 ranks
Heal 1 rank
Literacy (requires 2 ranks, taken at 1st level)

Skill Tricks
Clarity of Vision*, Group Fake-Out, Listen to This, Never Outnumbered*, Point it Out, Spot the Weak Point*, Timely Misdirection

*Favored trick, may be used twice per encounter

Levels 1 - 5
Barbarian 5

Santo di Sassania begins as a barbarian of the wastes, focused on tracking down his foes and locking them down with grapples and fear. Dreadful Wrath and Intimidating Rage combine to turn every rage into an instant lockdown for those who fail their saves, and with improved grab starting at 1st level thanks to his spiritual totem and a Strength of 22 when raging, he should be able to strike foes and bear hug them into submission fairly easily. At level 5 Blazing Berserker comes online, giving him the [fire] subtype while raging for an immunity to fire.

Levels 6 - 10
Barbarian 5/Crimson Scourge 1 (wendigo +4 LA)

Wendigo is an applied template, and doesn’t need to happen at any particular point in the game - in many games it might make the most sense to start with it applied (and its abilities are particularly potent at low levels if you go that route). Still, from a story perspective for Santo di Sassania’s character in particular, he becomes a wendigo just before becoming a crimson scourge, after traveling to the frozen northeast of Faerun and encountering one of the fell beasts.

Wendigo is a powerful template. While +4 is a hefty level adjustment, in return it provides a 120’ fly speed, +Charisma to AC, a very nasty bite attack with 18-20/x3 crits and a disease rider, the ability to wind walk at will, a maddening whisper that can damage wisdom and regeneration 5. This latter is only bypassed by fire damage… which Santo is immune to while raging thanks to Blazing Berserker. That means that while he rages, all of his damage is converted to nonlethal damage, making him almost impossible to kill.

After becoming a wendigo, pale white and terrifying, Santo dons the crimson robes and becomes a crimson scourge, using his newfound abilities to stalk and hunt his prey. Employed as a bounty hunter, he receives a special dispensation to ply his fell trade in more civilized areas, and he rushes through towns on a whispering wind, scaring his enemies into submission or murdering them outright. He begins by softening up his foes with his whispering wind ability, hopefully burning off a few points of Wisdom and lowering their Will defenses as a result. Imperious Command comes online (yes, it’s unoriginal, but it’s more or less a must on any intimidate-based build), as does the Never Outnumbered skill trick, making his intimidating rage into quite the impressive lockdown, especially in concert with his frightful presence. From there he goes in for the kill, either disabling his foes with nonlethal damage and grapples or shredding them to pieces with weapon and bite attack.

Levels 11 - 15
Barbarian 5/Crimson Scourge 6 (wendigo +4 LA)

The reputation of the crimson scourge, Santo, or “Claws” as he comes to be known, spreads. Santo di Sassania is a terrible, hungry presence, stalking the land, shunned by society. Still he is drawn to these places, and so he acts as a bounty hunter for hire, giving him dispensation to spend time in the cities, towns and villages of the north. He is a brutally effective tracker, with excellent skills and swift tracker. Against foes he is hired to capture alive, he has a number of ways to do this, able to disarm or grapple his foes and dealing extra damage to anyone disarmed. Meanwhile, immovable heart helps soften up his Will save, otherwise his most vulnerable area. And with Extra Rage, he now has four rages a day, meaning that he almost always should have the ability to turn into a blazing, freezing terror immune to almost all damage.

Levels 16 - 20
Barbarian 5/Crimson Scourge 8/Uncanny Trickster 3 (wendigo +4 LA)

Wait! You didn’t finish the SI! Don’t worry, the SI is “finished,” it’s just that the last two levels come from uncanny trickster instead of directly taking levels of crimson scourge. Uncanny trickster is mostly here to give an extra use of Never Outnumbered each encounter, because in these levels Santo actually has multiple ways to demoralize foes in a single encounter without giving up his attacks. Threaten allows him to demoralize foes as a move action, and extends the duration considerably thanks to his sizable Strength. So now, Santo “Claws” di Sassania can terrify enemies into submission in three ways: via Dreadful Wrath, via Intimidating Rage and via threaten. Given how fear escalates, this is quite potent. And once he has a level of Uncanny Trickster, it makes sense to keep going, since finishing the short prestige class means he progresses his last two levels of crimson scourge but with some extra skill points and abilities.

Oh, and since all non-fire damage is converted to nonlethal (which becomes ALL damage while raging), it makes sense to go ahead and become immune to nonlethal damage, too. Thanks to deadened hide, he does just that. To make it even better he also takes Instantaneous Rage, allowing him to rage at any point in response to anything, even when surprised or flat-footed. This means that if someone unexpectedly attacks him with a fire attack, he can rage in response to the attack to become immune to fire. The end result is that Santo “Claws” is fully immune to damage. And just in case 4/day wasn’t enough, another Extra Rage ensures that Santo can do this six times per day, to make it as difficult as possible to simply wear him down out of attrition and then strike him with fire once his rage ends.

After something so big, merely adding scent and a bonus to initiative feels like small potatoes, but it all fits in well with the theme and aids him in tracking down foes, so let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth, yeah?

You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santo “Claws” is coming to town…

They gave him a list
He’s checking it twice
Doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice
Santo “Claws” is coming to town…

He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He’ll find you whether you’re bad or good,
You’ll be gone before daybreak!

So, you better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout, I’m telling you why
Santo “Claws” is coming to town
Yes, Santo “Claws” is coming to town

-Rashemi folk song

Santo di Sassania, better known as Claws by those villagers who live in fear of him, haunts the frozen north of Faerun. Once human himself, formerly a berserker of the wastes, after a trip to the frozen north he now hungers for the flesh of those who were once his brethren, and longs to re-enter those towns and villages that are thrumming with warm blood. But who would allow such a terror anywhere near the civilized lands? And so, he dons the crimson robes of a bounty hunter, and offers his services to those who can provide him the special dispensation that allows him to enter these places harassed. Once there, there is little to stop him from giving into his hunger, from diving into the thick, heady scent of human blood.

In between these terrifying times, he haunts the frozen lands. He has an affinity with animals, especially the great caribou that roam free on those lands, and in fact many have become superstitious about the animals, fearing that the sight of these reindeer presages the coming of Santo “Claws.” When people in the towns and villages of the Cold Lands or the Unapproachable East hear rumor of his coming, they put out offerings, raw meat and tankards of mother’s milk, in hopes that he will fill himself on these treats and leave them and their families alone.

And when he does come -- oh, what a sight! That gastly red and white apparition, his bounty hunter’s robes the color of blood, his pale skin and great berserker’s beard the dull white of glacial ice! He rides in on the wind, wispy and insubstantial, able to move so swiftly one hardly believes he is not in two places at once. If the smallest draft can penetrate your home, Santo di Sassania can do so as well, and those who thought themselves well guarded find themselves vulnerable as he carries himself in through a chimney or the cracks beneath a door, bypassing all their protections. Not that any mortal men could strike him down if they tried! With the scent of blood in his nose and his anger, both burning and cold, flaring, nothing stops Santo di Sassania. Weapons do not pierce him, nor do the elements. He is as inevitable as the wind.

And so the people of the North and the East, always known as a superstitious lot, sing songs about Santo di Sassania. They tell tales of him. They hang twisted wreaths of holly and bells on their doors to ward him off, praying to every God of the North that he will pass their house by. But when Santo comes to town, no one is safe, and many fear that the last thing they will hear in this life will be the maddening, breathy whisper of Santo di Sassania:

”Hoooooo……. hoooooo…. hoooooooo….”

SOURCES:

Wendigo template: Fiend Folio
Wastelands barbarian ACF, Blazing Berserker: Sandstorm
Uncanny trickster, skill tricks: Complete Scoundrel
Intimidating Rage, Instantaneous Rage, Extra Rage: Complete Warrior
Crimson scourge, Urban Tracking: Cityscape
Bear spiritual totem barbarian ACF: Complete Champion
Dreadful Wrath: Player’s Guide to Faerun
Imperious Command: Drow of the Underdark

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:08 AM

An unconventional, but effective strategy.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/647393639886094337/789384109931626517/f7b.png
Owen Austin
LN Human Ranger 1/Psychic Warrior 8/Crimson Scourge 10/Devoted Defender 1

Robes of RedLupe scrunched up her snout in displeasure as she crossed the street between two large buildings so that the wind blew between them towards her and placed her downwind of Owen. She still didn’t understand why she needed a bodyguard. What did her father expect to happen to her just out shopping? And what sort of hare-brained idea was it to hire a bounty hunter for the job?

The guild master had seemed to share her bemusement when the job was presented to him, but Lupe’s father had insisted that they were perfect, since they had license to carry arms within the city and would know how assassins think and have an ear to the ground for what they were up to. The guild master had shrugged and put Owen on the job.

Owen did not make for great company. He scarcely said anything, and reeked of blood, especially for someone whose schtick was supposedly bringing people in alive. Lupe had heard that the elite Scourges eventually developed a preternaturally strong sense of smell and hoped privately that it might eventually make him a bit more aware of what he subjected others to. She sighed, but as they rounded a corner the wind at least changed direction. The sun at last peeked over the tops of the buildings and she cheered up taking in its light and warmth.

At least until she found herself standing in Owen’s shadow as he grew to suddenly stand at twice his normal height. Lupe opened her mouth to snap at him, feeling that this was the final straw, but before she could do so, he reached out a giant hand to jerk her back behind him. Out of the corner of her eye, Lupe saw an arrow clatter across the street in the direction of the motion of her bodyguard’s other hand. Another embedded itself in his shoulder, provoking a rare grunt. Another shadow loomed over Lupe as a man with hurtled forward bellowing a battle cry, but Owen interposed himself again, catching the handle of the enormous greataxe that the attacker was swinging in a hand that made the weapon look like a small child’s toy, wresting it from the assailant’s grip and bringing it back down viciously. The blow was under the axe’s beard and drew no blood, but Lupe heard a crunch of bones cracking and caught the caustic smell of acid as the man crumpled to the ground before his own weapon.

Lupe could only watch in shock as a masked man from the direction the arrow had come from glowered at her and disappeared in a puff of smoke. She turned to where Owen was heaving the unconscious axeman over his hulking shoulder from which an arrow still protruded.

“Apologies, milady, but I’m afraid you’ll have to put off your shopping trip.” Owen’s voice rumbled.

“Never mind that,” Lupe said, her voice shaking. “You’re hurt!” She pointed to the arrow.

Owen shrugged and wrenched the shaft out of his shoulder. The red of his robes around the wounded area seemed to deepen.

“So that’s why...” Lupe said in sudden realization. The smell of blood, the red of his scourge’s robes, they were his own, acquired by intercepting attacks intended for others.

Owen winked at her and began to walk back in the direction of the manor. “I’ll have to ask your father if there are any brown pants for this fellow when we interrogate him.”

Standing GuardAbility Scores
16 Str, 14 Dex, 10 Con, 13 Int, 14 Wis, 11 Cha
Increase Dex at 4th, 8th, and 12th, Str at 16th and 20th

Build Table

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

1st
Urban Ranger 1
+1
+2
+2
+0
Handle Animal 4, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 2cc, Concentration 4, Sense Motive 4, Spot 4, Knowledge (Local) 4, Search 3, Heal 1
Urban TrackingB, Hidden Talent (Synchronicity), Combat Reflexes
UA Urban Ranger, Favored Enemy (Rival Organization), Wild Empathy

2nd
Psychic Warrior 1
+1
+4
+2
+0
Handle Animal 4, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 2, Concentration 5, Sense Motive 4, Spot 4, Knowledge (Local) 4, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3
Psicrystal Affinity (Bully)B, AlertnessB
-

3rd
Psychic Warrior 2
+2
+5
+2
+0
Handle Animal 4, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 3cc, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 4, Knowledge (Local) 4, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3
Improved Unarmed StrikeB, Deflect Arrows
-

4th
Psychic Warrior 3
+3
+5
+3
+1
Handle Animal 6cc, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 3, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 4, Knowledge (Local) 4, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3
-
-

5th
Psychic Warrior 4
+4
+6
+3
+1
Handle Animal 8cc, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 3, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 4, Knowledge (Local) 4, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3
-
-

6th
Crimson Scourge 1
+5
+8
+5
+1
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 9, Intimidate 6, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 4, Knowledge (Local) 4, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3
Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike)
Kid Gloves, Special Dispensation

7th
Devoted Defender 1
+6
+10
+7
+1
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 9, Intimidate 6, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 8, Knowledge (Local) 4, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3
-
Harm’s Way

8th
Crimson Scourge 2
+7
+11
+8
+1
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 11, Intimidate 11, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 8, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3
-
Swift Tracker

9th
Crimson Scourge 3
+8
+11
+8
+2
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 12, Intimidate 12, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 8, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 1
Practiced Manifester
Painful Strike 1d6

10th
Crimson Scourge 4
+9
+12
+9
+2
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 13, Intimidate 13, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 13, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 2
-
Immovable Heart

11th
Crimson Scourge 5
+10
+12
+9
+2
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 14, Intimidate 14, Concentration 6, Sense Motive 4, Spot 14, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 7
Improved DisarmB
-

12th
Psychic Warrior 5
+10
+12
+9
+2
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 14, Intimidate 14, Concentration 10, Sense Motive 4, Spot 14, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 7
Combat ExpertiseB, Grappling Block
-

13th
Psychic Warrior 6
+11
+13
+10
+3
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 14, Intimidate 14, Concentration 14, Sense Motive 4, Spot 14, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 7
-
-

14th
Psychic Warrior 7
+12
+13
+10
+3
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 14, Intimidate 14, Concentration 16, Sense Motive 4, Spot 14, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 7, Clarity of Vision
-
-

15th
Psychic Warrior 8
+13
+14
+10
+3
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 14, Intimidate 14, Concentration 18, Sense Motive 4, Spot 14, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 7, Clarity of Vision, Never Outnumbered[b]
Linked PowerB, Snatch Weapon
-

16th
Crimson Scourge 6
+14
+15
+11
+4
Handle Animal 8, [b]Gather Information 19, Intimidate 17, Concentration 18, Sense Motive 4, Spot 14, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 7, Clarity of Vision, Never Outnumbered
-
Painful Strike 2d6

17th
Crimson Scourge 7
+15
+15
+11
+4
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 20, Intimidate 20, Concentration 18, Sense Motive 4, Spot 17, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 8, Clarity of Vision, Never Outnumbered
-
Threaten

18th
Crimson Scourge 8
+16
+16
+12
+4
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 21, Intimidate 21, Concentration 18, Sense Motive 4, Spot 21, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 10, Clarity of Vision, Never Outnumbered
Psicrystal Containment
Deadened Hide

19th
Crimson Scourge 9
+17
+16
+12
+5
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 22, Intimidate 22, Concentration 18, Sense Motive 4, Spot 22, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 15, Clarity of Vision, Never Outnumbered
-
Painful Strike 3d6

20th
Crimson Scourge 10
+18
+17
+13
+5
Handle Animal 8, Gather Information 23, Intimidate 23, Concentration 18, Sense Motive 4, Spot 23, Knowledge (Local) 5, Search 4, Heal 1, Autohypnosis 3, Balance 5, Use Rope 20, Clarity of Vision, Never Outnumbered
-
Smell of Blood

Psionic

Level
PP
New Powers Known

1
2
Synchronicity

2
2
Vigor

3
3
Expansion

4
5
Empty Mind

5
7
Detect Hostile Intent

12
9
Dissolving Weapon

13
13
Hustle

14
17
Dimension Slide

15
21
Evade Burst

*Does not include bonus PP.

Blocking With Your FaceLevel 5A Ranger dip gets some important skills and Urban Tracking as a bonus feat. From there it’s into Psychic Warrior, which bolsters awareness via a Psicrystal which can scout ahead or provide Alertness by staying close and Detect Hostile Intent, survivability from Vigor and Deflect Arrows, and added muscle from Expansion, making Owen already effective in his role of sniffing out threats to his employer and neutralizing them, and sets him up to enter the SI.

Level 10Crimson Scourge grants Owen the ability to strike nonlethally at no penalty to bring would-be assassins in alive for questioning, Special Dispensation to avoid any authorities that would look askance at the typical adventurer wandering around in expensive military equipment, and a full BAB chassis to set up a dip into Devoted Defender. Devoted Defender goes a long way to solve the main problem of tank builds by letting Owen switch with the person he’s guarding to take an attack in their stead. For the moment being, this means mostly blocking with his face and soaking damage with Vigor HP, but he can bat down one attack from a ranged weapon per round with Deflect Arrows as well.

Jumping back into the SI, Owen gets Swift Tracker and the skill points to spend on developing his Urban Tracking. Immovable Heart alongside Empty Mind helps to shore up his Will save against some particularly nasty things that target it. Painful Strike isn’t too reliable yet absent a reliable way to ensure that enemies are unarmed but could come in handy against caster types.

Level 15This is where things get fun. Improved Disarm is online, and by going back into PsyWar for a well timed bonus feat to spend on its last tax, Owen finally qualifies for Grappling Block. So now, when he would normally be hit by a melee attack, including when he intercepts one meant for his charge with Harm’s Way, he can disarm the attacker by expending an AoO. At level 15, he also picks up Snatch Weapon, allowing him to make an attack with the disarmed weapon if it’s one that he can wield in one hand. This will be the case more often than it otherwise might, given that Expansion can size him up appropriately to be able to one-hand medium two-handed weapons or weapons made for larger creatures, and as the target will have been disarmed, they should be vulnerable to Painful Strike. With a Synchronicity readied action, he can also apply Dissolving Weapon to the disarmed weapon just before attacking with it, expand to the appropriate size to wield the weapon one-handed if he wasn’t able to buff ahead of time, or even something as simple as making an extra attack.

Linked Power is also now online, giving Owen an action economy boost once per encounter, especially with powers like Synchronicity and Hustle, along with PsyWar powers up to 3rd level for Dimension Slide tactical teleportation and Evade Burst as a defense against AoE attacks which enemies might use to get around Deflect Arrows and Grappling Block. Clarity of Vision is handy for invisible enemies that ping on Detect Hostile Intent.
Level 20Owen closes the build out by finishing Crimson Scourge. Threaten can be used with Hustle and Linked Power shenanigans to spam demoralization. Painful Strike damage ticks up to make the Grappling Block+Snatch Weapon attacks more powerful. Smell of Blood offers a way to detect unseen enemies which shores up some of the weaknesses of Detect Hostile Intent in that it’s always on and works on things that are immune to mind-affecting effects, and as before, invisible creatures detected by scent can be exposed with Clarity of Vision. His final feat goes to Psicrystal Containment, allowing for an extra Linked Power per encounter.
Equipment RecommendationsOwen is quite MAD. While stat boosts to Str and Con are the highest priority for items, Wis, and Cha would also be appreciated enough that a Belt of Magnificence may be worth the investment. If access to an appropriate one is reliable enough in your game, it may even open up reducing the investment in Dex for point buy or level ups, since that can get Owen to the threshold of Dex 17 to maintain qualification for Deflect Arrows when expanded to Huge, though additional Dex beyond that point does increase the maximum number of AoOs/Grappling Blocks per round.

While he doesn't need it to be particularly dangerous for actually hitting people, Owen will want a Necklace of Natural Weapons or Gauntlet to enhance unarmed strikes in a way suitable for disarming (such as with the Disarming enhancement).

A trip to the Shriver is worth it for pretty much any Crimson Scourge, since Deadened Hide pulls double duty of conferring immunity to the pain effect that forces Will saves, and of making a character that gets Regeneration from the ordeal effectively immune to damage. Owen in particular can also expend psionic focus (twice if need be) to auto-succeed on concentration checks to manifest through the damage to shore up his HP with Vigor and increase his ability to survive the ordeal.

ScarsCityscape: Crimson Scourge
Cityscape Web Enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a): Rival Organization
Complete Psionic: Linked Power, Synchronicity
Complete Scoundrel: Clarity of Vision, Never Outnumbered
Oriental Adventures: Grappling Block
Song and Silence: Snatch Weapon
Sword and Fist: Devoted Defender

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:09 AM

Polly want your soul!

The Ghost Pirate, Colly and Chuck
Symbotic Human/Phrenic Fiendish Greenbound Wendingo Corollax Zhentarim Fighter 9/Crimson Scourge 10

Stalking the streets at night, floating by, stretched and mangled body covered in kelp and vines, puppeted by a hideous mockery of a parrot perched on its shoulders, The Ghost Pirate is a terrifying sight. It pursues its marks with unerring persistence, for days, weeks, but never allows them to die. There are things so much worse than death, but you'll be surprised what you can live through.

Colly:

Colly, Venerable Phrenic Fiendish Greenbound Wendigo Corollax
Size/Type: Tiny Plant (Cold, Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 1d10
Initiative: +5
Speed: fly 120 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 33 (+2 size, +6 natural, +5 Dex, +10 deflection), touch 27, flat-footed 28
Attack: Bite -2 melee (1d3-3 plus disease, 18-20/x3)
Full Attack: Bite -2 melee (1d3-3 plus disease, 18-20/x3)
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, Maddening Whispers, Ravenous Bite, spell-like abilities, psi-like abilities
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low light vision, cold subtype, corner of the eye, regeneration 5, wind walk, grapple bonus, resistance to cold/electricity 10, PR 11, DR/10 magic and slashing, fast healing 3, tremorsense
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +5
Abilities: Str 5, Dex 21,Con 13, Int 8, Wis 21, Cha 31
Skills: Intimidate 2 ranks
Feats: Urban Tracking, Track (B)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

+8 racial bonus on Hide, Move Silently, and Survival checks.
+16 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks made in forested areas.

Color Spray (Su): Once per round, a corollax can unleash a vivid cone of clashing colors. This ability works like a color spray spell (caster level 1st; save DC 21). The creature is immune to its own color spray attack and to those of others of its kind.

Disease (Su): Any creature hit by a wendigo's bite attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 wendigo's HD + wendigo's Con modifier) or become infected with the wendigo's hunger. The incubation period is 1d3 days, and the disease deals 1d3 points of Wisdom damage. Additionally, each day that a victim takes Wisdom damage from the disease, he must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 wendigo's HD + wendigo's Cha modifier) or become overwhelmed with an insatiable hunger for the flesh of its own race. The victim stalks and tries to kill the closest member of its own race; if it does so, it feeds on the victim's body and then returns home with no memory of the tragic event. If a victim of this hunger is reduced to a Wisdom score of 0, he transforms into a wendigo immediately and races off into the night sky at such speed that his feet burn away into bloody charred stumps.

Maddening Whispers (Su): A wendigo may use its maddening whispers on any one target within 120 feet once per day. The wendigo may use this ability while wind walking. Only the chosen victim can hear the insane whispers and invitations of the wendigo. The victim must make a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1 2 wendigo's HD + wendigo's Cha modifier) or take 1d3 points of Wisdom damage. Typically, a wendigo stalks a chosen victim for days, wearing down the victim's Wisdom score until it attacks and attempts to bring down its disease upon the poor soul. A wendigo will stop stalking a target that resists the maddening whispers for more than three days and fly off to seek easier prey.

Ravenous Bite (Ex): A wendigo threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 18-20 when attacking with its bite, and deals triple damage on a successful critical hit. A wound resulting from a critical hit bleeds for an additional 3 points of damage per round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks result in cumulative bleeding loss (two wounds for 6 points of damage per round, and so on). The bleeding can be stopped only by a successful Heal check (DC 10) or the application of any cure spell or other healing spell (Heal, healing circle, or the like).

Cold Subtype (Ex): A wendigo is immune to cold damage. It takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or a failure.

Corner of the Eye (Su): A wendigo that stalks a victim while wind walking always seems to lurk just at the corner of its chosen victim's field of vision. This victim takes a -2 penalty on all Wisdom-based skill checks as long as the wendigo stalks him.

Regeneration 5 (Ex): Fire deals normal damage to a wendigo.

Wind Walk (Su): A wendigo can wind walk at will, transforming from physical form to incorporeal form or back again as a move action.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - entangle, pass without trace, speak with plants; 1/day - wall of thorns. Caster level equals greenbound creature's character level; save DC 10 + spell level + greenbound creature's Charisma modifier.

Damage Reduction (Ex): A greenbound creature has damage reduction 10/magic and slashing. A greenbound creature's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Fast Healing (Ex): A greenbound creature heals 3 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 or fewer hit points in combat, it is slain.

Grapple Bonus (Ex): The thorny hooks on a greenbound creature's hands and feet grant it a +4 bonus on grapple checks.

Resistance to Cold and Electricity (Ex): A greenbound creature gains resistance 10 to cold and electricity.

Tremorsense (Ex): Greenbound creatures can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.

Colly was an evil wizard's pet, long ago. Colly was the only creature the wizard ever treated kindly, and together they would plot and scheme for power, and immortality. The wizard taught Colly everything they knew, but the wizard, alas, did not know enough himself. Tricked by a band of good adventurers into going into a cursed wood in search of something that would extend his lifespan, he instead got lost, and was tracked by a wendigo, who whispered to him cruel things. The wizard succumbed, growing ever more paranoid and frightened of the world around him, thinking even Colly an interloper who was plotting his downfall. When the Wendigo finally tore out his throat and turned him, the wizard did the same to Colly, the ultimate betrayal, and sped off into the night, mind broken and soul ravaged, never to be seen again. Colly remained in those cursed woods, growing more bitter and more spiteful, becoming one with the woods, until one day they were captured by a hunter, and taken to where Chuck lived, a rotting seaside town. Colly let themselves be caught. This ugly, hideous, but strangely compelling bird would find a new master to love, and this time, their new master would never die.

Chuck:

Human Fighter 1
Point Buy 32: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8
Str 14
Dex 18
Con 16
Int 8
Wis 8
Cha 8

Chuck was a failed pirate, getting seasick easily, getting kicked off of ships, and drinking until he blacked out. He was truly a mediocre terror, his nickname "Ghost Pirate" given to him because of his pale face and forgettability. Though large and imposing, Chuck was never a leader, never the fearsome force of nature that he dreamed of being. He latched onto Colly, his weird, ugly bird that screamed and seemed to talk to him in a voice only he heard. He talked to his bird, lamenting that he would never be the terror of the seas. The bird, however, was listening, and bonded with him. Quite literally, the terror bird latched onto him and would not let go, forever digging its strange roots into his shoulder and puppeting him about. Chuck, Colly thought, was not fit to control his own body, he would get himself killed with his alcoholism and surly nature. If Chuck was to survive, then Colly would have to be the brains of the operation.

Tactics

Level 1-5
The Ghost Pirate at these levels is not accustomed to working together, so at these low levels they are flighty and cautious. Colly's Color Spray attack is vital, and is quite deadly due to Colly's high Charisma. Any creature that attacks The Ghost Pirate directly will get a face full of rainbows. If hurt, The Ghost Pirate will go incorporeal and hide until they have healed. Regeneration means all but fire will be nonlethal, and Colly's fast healing heals the rest.

As The Ghost Pirate hunts, Maddening Whispers is useful for wearing down their marks, reducing their defense against Color Spray, and later on, demoralization.

The Ghost Pirate devotes themselves to Ragnorra, as her goal, to reshape life and make everything undying, lines up with Colly's goal of never allowing Chuck to die. And since The Ghost Pirate is already an abberation and a travesty against nature, what else could Ragnorra possibly do to them?
Levels 6-10
This is where the Ghost Pirate starts to really come into their own. Now that Dungeoncrasher is available, and they have enough money to buy a Ghost Touch glaive (or billhook, for a piratey flair), TGP begins to hide in walls to take out enemies, using their increased 15ft reach to stay out of harm's way and attack anyone fool enough to be in their way. Along with this, Colly can intimidate foes, using Never Outnumbered to cower everyone around them. Since cowering means enemies drop their weapons, TGP gets an extra bit of damage against them. Nothing groundbreaking, but nice. An Eternal Wand of Acorn of Far Travel will let The Ghost Pirate hide and move silently a lot better, all the better for sneaking up on their opponents for the best opportunity to dungeon crash. You don't have to line up an enemy against a wall
Levels 11-15
At these levels, The Ghost Pirate can afford to have Mantle of the Fiery Spirit cast upon them, making them take all damage as nonlethal. They are very nearly indestructable, and continue to use their Dungeoncrashing and Intimidation to cow opponents. A Ghost Touch Mouthpick Whip-Dagger for Colly is useful here too, as Colly's bite attack is going to waste but since the Symbiotic creature is a medium creature, a regular whip held in Colly's mouth is wieldable, and the extra reach for their regular attacks is nothing to sniff at (20ft, from the whip and Deformity (Tall)). Even if The Ghost Pirate is defeated in battle, they will merely become incorporeal and recover their health before renewing their pursuit.
Levels 16+
At this point, The Ghost Pirate is truly immortal. No damage can hurt them, so rejiggering their feats for Robliar's Gambit means that they can leave themselves wide open to attack, floating just above their foes, and dungeon crash them with their AoOs. Being incorporeal means that no mortal bonds can hold them, and the icing on the cake, Swift Demoralization, means that they can use their previously useless swift actions to cow opponents and still get a full attack down, Painful Strike included.

Possible Rules Weirdness:

- 120ft fly speed is part of the guest of the symbiotic template, meaning that The Ghost Pirate doesn't have an official fly speed when incorporeal. I assume their land speed becomes a fly speed while incorporeal, but getting a fly speed isn't that difficult.
- Bull Rushing while incorporeal is another weird one. By using Knockback I'm using a weapon, which is Ghost Touch, and "a ghost touch weapon counts as either corporeal or incorporeal at any given time, whichever is more benefical to the wielder.". Can I bull rush while incorporeal? Does it use Strength (a nonability at the time) or Dexterity? In the very worst case scenario, The Ghost Pirate can turn corporeal, in which case swap Dex and Str.
- Jotunbrud doesn't really give you Large size for Knockback, but it's been used in other Iron Chefs without comment, so I assume it's allowed.
- Wind Walk doesn't seem to reference the spell Wind Walk, it's just an at-will move action switch between incorporeality and corporeality.

Build:

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

0th
Symbiotic Template
--
--
--
--
--
Urban Tracking (B), Track (B), Jotunbrud
Spell-Like Abilities: At will - entangle, pass without trace, speak with plants; 1/day - wall of thorns.
Psi Like Abilities: 3/day—defensive precognition; 1/day—force screen, DR10/magic and slashing.
Fast Healing 3, Grapple Bonus, Cold Resistance 10, Electricity Resistance 10, Tremorsense 60ft, Cold Subtype,Corner of the Eye,Regeneration 5 (Fire),Wind Walk,Color Spray

1st
Fighter 1
+1
+2
+2
+0
Intimidate 4, Handle Animal 4,Gather Information 4, Heal 1, Knowledge (local) 2
Power Attack, Willing Deformity (B)
--

2nd
Fighter 2
+2
+3
+2
+0
Intimidate 5, Handle Animal 5,Gather Information 5, Heal 1, Knowledge (local) 2
Feats
Dungeon Crasher (4d6+2*Str)

3rd
Fighter 3
+3
+3
+3
+1
Intimidate 6, Handle Animal 6,Gather Information 6, Heal 1, Knowledge (local) 2
Skill Focus (Intimidate) (B), Improved Bull Rush
--

4th
Fighter 4
+4
+4
+3
+1
Intimidate 7, Handle Animal 7,Gather Information 7, Heal 1, Knowledge (local) 2
Combat Reflexes
--

5th
Fighter 5
+5
+4
+3
+1
Intimidate 8, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 8, Heal 1, Knowledge (local) 2
Deformity (Tall) (B), Knockback
Extended Intimidation

6th
Fighter 6
+6
+5
+4
+2
Intimidate 9, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 8, Heal 1, Knowledge (local) 2, Never Outnumbered
Imperious Command
Dungeon Crasher (8d6+2*Str)

7th
Crimson Scourge 1
+7
+7
+6
+2
Intimidate 10, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 10, Heal 1, Knowledge (local) 5, Never Outnumbered
--
Kid Gloves, Special Dispensation

8th
Crimson Scourge 2
+8
+8
+7
+2
Intimidate 11, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 11, Heal 1, Hide 1, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 2, Never Outnumbered
--
Swift Tracker

9th
Crimson Scourge 3
+9
+8
+7
+3
Intimidate 12, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 12, Heal 1, Hide 3, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 4, Never Outnumbered
Shock Trooper
Painful Strike +1d6

10th
Crimson Scourge 4
+10
+9
+8
+3
Intimidate 13, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 13, Heal 1, Hide 5, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 6, Never Outnumbered
Deformity (Teeth) (B)
Immovable Heart

11th
Crimson Scourge 5
+11
+9
+8
+3
Intimidate 14, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 14, Heal 1, Hide 7, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 8, Never Outnumbered
Improved Disarm (B)
--

12th
Crimson Scourge 6
+12
+10
+9
+4
Intimidate 15, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 15, Heal 1, Hide 9, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 10, Never Outnumbered
Combat Reflexes
Painful Strike +2d6

13th
Crimson Scourge 7
+13
+10
+9
+4
Intimidate 16, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 16, Heal 1, Hide 11, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 12, Never Outnumbered
--
Threaten

14th
Crimson Scourge 8
+14
+11
+9
+4
Intimidate 17, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 17, Heal 1, Hide 13, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 14, Never Outnumbered
--
Deadened Hide

15th
Fighter 7
+15
+11
+9
+4
Intimidate 18, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 18, Heal 1, Hide 13, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 14, Never Outnumbered, Collector of Stories
Deformity (Gaunt) (B), Robilar's Gambit
--

16th
Fighter 8
+16
+12
+9
+4
Intimidate 19, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 19, Heal 1, Hide 13, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 15, Never Outnumbered, Collector of Stories
Karmic Strike (DCFS [Improved Disarm, Track], to [Dodge, Combat Expertise])
--

17th
Fighter 9
+17
+12
+10
+5
Intimidate 20, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 20, Heal 1, Hide 13, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 16, Never Outnumbered, Collector of Stories
--
Swift Demoralization

18th
Crimson Scourge 9
+18
+12
+10
+6
Intimidate 21, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 21, Heal 1, Hide 15, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 18, Never Outnumbered, Collector of Stories
It doesn't matter at this point, this feat can be whatever you want.
Painful Strike +3d6

19th
Crimson Scourge 10
+19
+13
+11
+6
Intimidate 22, Handle Animal 8,Gather Information 22, Heal 1, Hide 17, Knowledge (local) 5, Move Silently 20, Never Outnumbered, Collector of Stories
--
Smell of Blood

Notes:

This build is just, held together by dreams and string, really. I wanted an excuse to just make the wildest thing with Regeneration, and a lot of the elements fit well with the elements in Crimson Scourge. I believe I've made use of most of the prestige class' abilities, from whip proficiency, intimidation improvements, Painful Strike, to the very saught after Deadened Hide. Being invulnerable is very fun. I imagine this build taking place mostly in Cities, like Cityscape wants it to. Lots of walls to beat people against, windows to look through to attack while incorporeal, and other stuff like that. This build rewards patience and positioning for the most part, getting into position while incorporeal and hiding from your enemies, but able to take advantage long after the surprise round. And if they move away from a wall, you just turn incorporeal and try again. You eventually become an immortal terror, but until then you are incredibly durable, with abilities to make you useful for scouting, the charisma to help with social encounters, and bonus damage to help you in combat - and all on a fighter base!

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:15 AM

Big Guy not included.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/647393639886094337/799476058444922880/rsz_1historische-waffen.png
Rusty
NE Human Ranger 2/Binder 5/Crimson Scourge 10/Knight of the Sacred Seal 3

The tavern door swung wide. It was a dingy place, but the warmth of the fire within was inviting after a long trek in the cold rain.

“You sure its okay for us to be here Tay?” Paul whispered nervously as he crossed the threshold.

“You worry too much,” Taylor sounded exasperated as she made an effort to shake some of the water off her cloak. “Who’s gonna recognize us out here in the boonies, and what’re they supposed to do about it? The police force out here’s probably one half-orc with a stick who has to send quests in to the adventurer guilds by snail mail when they have trouble with goblins.”

“There’s a red robe over there!” Paul hissed back, gesturing discretely toward the bar, where a hooded figure hunched over a mug.

Taylor glanced over. The robe was faded and worn, closer to the color of rust than the Scourges’ crimson. “If he’s a bounty hunter, he doesn’t look like a very successful one. Probably just tending the chickens or something with all that animal training they make them do.”

Paul still looked worried.

Taylor sighed. “We’ll keep an eye on him. Anyway, if we’re gonna be in a fight, I’d rather not have it on an empty stomach.”

“Nothing too heavy though,” Paul responded by way of acquiescence, sitting down at a table that provided an unobstructed view of the bar.

The robed figure didn’t seem to move throughout their meal, and the bartender seemed to avoid them save for one instance of bringing a shot, which the man poured directly into the mug he was drinking from. By the time they finished eating Taylor was beginning to look annoyed. The rain had intensified outside, and she hoped her companion wouldn’t insist on finding another place to spend the night. “If you’re so worried about him, why don’t you just take a trip to the restroom?” She inclined her head toward a door that was conveniently not far past where the man was sitting. “You’ve had your study time and then some. Might as well put that fancy trick knife to use.”

Paul swallowed, but it made sense. He could have his quickrazor hidden as soon as the deed was done, and no one in the one horse town was likely to even realize the man was dead until it was much too late. They would be secure in warm lodging for the night with the doors barricaded and could stroll past the local law enforcement long before help arrived. With a well-practiced nonchalance, he strode off, just as a waitress was wandering by along a route that would push him over to within reach of the figure on route to the bathroom.

No sooner had he come within striking distance than the bottom seemed to fall out of his stomach. He felt what might have been sorrow, and yet was not. Inside of him was nothingness, the void, and when the robed man turned toward him with a glance of a reddened, baleful eye, he could do nothing but tremble before his would be victim, who turned toward the table where Taylor was rising to her feet, revealing a rapier and kukri as his robe unfurled. The weapons were colored with rust, almost matching the faded robe, but clearly of fine, indeed magical craftsmanship. In the rapier’s elegant was set an untarnished gem, and as he touched the weapon, it shone with magic, and a curtain of more rusted swords appeared in the air behind Taylor cutting off her exit.

She hadn’t planned on running away. Muttering an incantation under her breath, she drew the sword at her waist and sent it whirling through the air to slash the bounty hunter before returning to her hand, and overturned the table in front of her to obstruct his path.

Her adversary moved with an alacrity that belied his hunched posture, running past the table and setting his feat to spring towards Taylor as if there had been no impediment in his way at all. His rapier slid under her sword’s guard, and he twisted with such quickness and force that the weapon was wrested from her grip, twisting her arm awkwardly and leaving her open to a slash from the blade in his other hand. The kurki came down directly on her elbow, its curved blade wrapping around her arm. The rusted blade did not cut deep, but pain shot through her as if the limb had been cleaved off. The kukri slashed again, along her arm and into her throat, again, and though blood was not spilling forth as from a death blow, she could only sputter and cough before the blades were upon her again, and the world soon went black before the pain.

Legs still trembling in fear, Paul stumbled toward the exit. He could withstand a Blade Barrier and the red robe would at least have to take the time to dismiss it before following after. He’d have time to hide or turn invisible, perhaps get a cleaner attack off. Tay was alive and he could come back to rescue her if he could just take care of the Scourge. He winced as he passed through. As with the blows that the bounty hunter had delivered directly to Taylor, the rusted blades did not cut deep but stung as they buffeted him on his way through. Paul looked around for a place to hide only to see his foe step through the barrier just behind him, apparently unperturbed. Scarcely could Paul even register his surprise before he found himself cowering in blind terror once again as the hunched figure loomed over him, tarnished blades descending.

Ability ScoresStr 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12 Cha 14
Increase Cha at 16, Str at all other opportunities.
Build Table

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

1st
Ranger 1
+1
+2
+2
+0
Handle Animal +4 (4), Gather Information +4 (4), Heal +3 (3), Knowledge (Local) +3 (3), Knowledge (Arcana) +1cc, (1), Spot +4 (4), Use Rope +4 (4), Tumble +4 (4), Listen +4 (4), Swim +4 (4)
1st: Combat Expertise, Human: Weapon Focus (Kukri), Ranger: Urban Tracking
UA Urban Ranger, Favored Enemy (Arcanist), Wild Empathy, Skilled City-Dweller (Ride for Tumble)

2nd
Binder 1
+1
+4
+2
+2
Intimidate +5 (5)
-
Soul Binding (1 Vestige)

3rd
Binder 2
+2
+5
+2
+3
Intimidate +1 (6), Knowledge (The Planes) +3 (3)
3rd: Power Attack
Pact Augmentation (1 ability), Suppress Sign

4th
Binder 3
+3
+5
+3
+3
Intimidate +1 (7), Knowledge (The Planes) +2 (5), Knowledge (Arcana) +1 (2)
-
-

5th
Binder 4
+4
+6
+3
+4
Intimidate +1 (8), Knowledge (The Planes) +3 (8), Knowledge (Arcana) +1 (3)
Binder: Improved Binding
Bonus Feat

6th
Ranger 2
+5
+7
+4
+4
Handle Animal +4 (8), Knowledge (Local) +2 (5), Gather Information +3 (7)
6th: Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment: War), War Domain: Weapon Focus (Rapier), Ranger: Two-Weapon Fighting
Combat Style

7th
Binder 5
+5
+7
+4
+4
Intimidate +2 (10), Knowledge (Arcana) +2 (5), Bluff +1 (1)
-
Pact Augmentation (2 Abilities)

8th
Crimson Scourge 1
+6
+9
+6
+4
Balance +5 (5), Tumble +1 (5), Gather Information +2 (9), Intimidate +1 (11)
Crimson Scourge: Special Dispensation
Kid Gloves, Special Dispensation, Skilled City-Dweller (Ride for Tumble)

9th
Crimson Scourge 2
+7
+10
+7
+4
Gather Information +3 (12), Intimidate +1 (12), Use Rope +2 (6), Spot +1 (5), Twisted Charge
Two-Weapon Pounce
Swift Tracker

10th
Crimson Scourge 3
+8
+10
+7
+5
Gather Information +1 (13), Intimidate +1 (13), Use Rope +3 (9), Spot +4 (9)
-
Painful Strike +1d6

11th
Crimson Scourge 4
+9
+11
+8
+5
Gather Information +1 (14), Intimidate +1 (14), Use Rope +1 (10), Spot +2 (11), Tumble +1 (6), Never Outnumbered
-
Immovable Heart

12th
Crimson Scourge 5
+10
+11
+8
+5
Intimidate +1 (15), Gather Information +1 (15), Use Rope +4 (14), Spot +3 (14)
Crimson Scourge: Improved Disarm, 12th: Steal and Strike
Improved Disarm

13th
Knight of the Sacred Seal 1
+11
+13
+8
+5
Intimidate +1 (16), Tumble +4 (10)
Andras: Improved Critical (Any)
Aligned Strike, Patron Vestige (Andras), Soul Binding, Skilled City-Dweller (Ride for Tumble)

14th
Knight of the Sacred Seal 2
+12
+14
+8
+5
Intimidate +1 (17), Tumble +1 (12), Clarity of Vision
-
Vestige’s Protection

15th
Knight of the Sacred Seal 3
+13
+14
+9
+6
Intimidate +1 (18), Bluff +3 (4), Knowledge (Religion) +1 (1)
15th: Staggering Blow
Vestige’s Protection Aura, Soul Binding (2 Vestiges)

16th
Crimson Scourge 6
+14
+15
+10
+7
Intimidate +1 (19), Gather Information +4 (19), Use Rope +2 (16), Spot +2 (16)
-
Painful Strike +2d6

17th
Crimson Scourge 7
+15
+15
+10
+7
Intimidate +1 (20), Gather Information +1 (20), Spot +3 (19), Use Rope +3 (19), Bluff +1 (5)
-
Threaten

18th
Crimson Scourge 8
+16
+16
+11
+7
Intimidate +1 (21), Gather Information +1 (21), Spot +2 (21), Use Rope +2 (21), Listen +1 (5), Nimble Stand
18th: Imperious Command
Deadened Hide

19th
Crimson Scourge 9
+17
+16
+11
+8
Intimidate +1 (22), Gather Information +1 (22), Spot +1 (22), Use Rope +1 (22), Listen +5 (10)
-
Painful Strike +3d6

20th
Crimson Scourge 10
+18
+17
+12
+8
Intimidate +1 (23), Gather Information +1 (23), Spot +1 (23), Use Rope +1 (23), Listen +5 (15)
-
Smell of Blood

ECL 5Crimson Scourge really turns the screws to enforce Ranger entry, but we’ll get good value out of the levels beyond just getting some class skills that we want. Beyond the dip, you’re a Binder with Improved Binding online for vestiges of up to 3rd level which gives some solid choices to pick from to suit the adventuring day at hand. Though you’ve got Weapon Focus (Kukri), you’ll most likely be better off wielding a two-handed weapon at this point for better returns on your Str score and Power Attack.
ECL 10Another Ranger level grants Two-Weapon Fighting at the same time as we pay what will be our second Weapon Focus tax with the Binder’s preferred way of taking the feat, getting it off of the War Domain’s Granted Power via a Planar Touchstone for the Catalogues of Enlightenment, which at least gives you a little more value by way of a 1/day spell off the domain if you can make it to Mechanus to recharge the thing now and again, and can get your Wis to the point necessary to cast the spell level you want. Vestiges can help with either by helping with checks you otherwise couldn’t make with advance notice, or by crafting items with Astaroth when 4th level vestiges come online with a 5th level of Binder. Your go to 4th for day to day adventuring will be Andras, who, despite his Paladin/Blackguard vibe, is pretty good for a Rapier/Kukri TWF build, as he grants Improved Critical to any weapon you wield for a 15-20 threat range on both and a +4 on confirmation rolls. From there, we’re into the SI, improving Urban Tracking, giving some useful things for bounty hunting RP which we’ll expand upon more later, and a d6 of Painful Strike, which, even before disarming really comes online, will give a little boost against enemies who you get to before they draw their weapons or some of the squishy wizards who are your hated enemies.
ECL 15Crimson Scourge grants Improved Disarm right on time to qualify for Steal and Strike with our 12th level feat, meaning that a successful disarm with your main-hand rapier grants a free attack with the off-hand kukri against an enemy that’s now presumably unarmed and hence susceptible to Painful Strike. From there we hop back to a few more levels of binding progression with Knight of the Sacred Seal. That locks you into binding Andras, but we pick up a 2nd bound vestige each day which can hold a different vestige of up to 5th level at Effective Binder Level 8, though my choice for a typical second vestige when not looking to prepare for anything special would be the 3rd level Focalor, whose Aura of Sadness penalizes enemies’ attack rolls and saves, making them more susceptible to disarming and further debuffs.

At 15th level we nab Staggering Blow, which is something of an unwieldy feat under normal circumstances. It requires that you have Improved Critical for unarmed strikes or a bludgeoning weapon, and only works with bludgeoning weapons or weapons that can deal nonlethal, and for which you have Improved Critical, which can be inconvenient for a lot of crit-fishers, especially of the variety that would care about a SoL rider instead of just more damage. But it works here, as Andras grants the benefit of Improved Critical with every weapon you wield, including the unarmed strike, which you can effectively be considered to be wielding all the time by virtue of your ability to kick or headbutt even if you never actually do for qualification purposes, and your better-for-crit-fishing rapier and kukri combo, which Crimson Scourge allows you to deal nonlethal with. With a 15-20 range on both weapons, and Andras’ +4 to confirmation, you’re reasonably likely to force the save (which has a solid, Str-based DC on its own, but can be made harder with Focalor’s Aura of Sadness and penalties from demoralization) on any round in which you make multiple attacks, even if you spend one of them disarming, since Steal and Strike will give a free kukri attack to crit-fish with if you’re successful.
ECL 20We close out by finishing up Crimson Scourge. Our final feat goes to Imperious Command, which provides a potent lockdown ability with its classic pairing of Never Outnumbered and the SI’s Threaten ability. A double demoralize round is always an option, but since you’ve got access to Astaroth back with your second vestige, see if you can get yourself +4 Wis somehow (potions of Owl’s Wisdom may be the most cost-effective mechanism since you don’t need it all the time) to hit the threshold of being able to cast Blade Barrier with the Catalogues of Enlightenment Higher Order ability as another 1/day standard action BFC ability to fill out a demoralize turn. The blades in a Blade Barrier may or may not qualify as weapons for the purposes of Kid Gloves, but if they do, apart from being amusing and thematic, you can pass through the nonlethal wall of freely thanks to Deadened Hide. It also expands your limited range of options (demoralize, Focalor’s Breath or another Vestige AoE, Clarity of Vision against invisible foes) for dealing with creatures that are detected through scent but can’t be precisely targeted for whatever reason.

Cityscape: Crimson Scourge
Cityscape Web Enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a): Skilled City-Dweller
Complete Mage: Arcane Hunter
Complete Scoundrel: Skill Tricks
Dragon Compendium: Staggering Blow
Drow of the Underdark: Imperious Command, Steal and Strike
Planar Handbook: Planar Touchstone, Catalogues of Enlightenment
Player’s Handbook II: Two-Weapon Pounce
Tome of Magic: Binder, Improved Binding, Knight of the Sacred Seal, Vestiges
Urban Magic Web Enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070307a): Astaroth

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:19 AM

Having one form is like having one pair of pants.

The Infraggable Double Agent

Inspired by:
Total Recall (https://images4.alphacoders.com/110/1103518.jpg)
The Incredible Hulk (https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/1563045034034-48VDAZ4XLEHAYMHJIK8E/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kNvT88LknE-K9M4pGNO0Iqd7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUq MSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqp eNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1USOFn4xF8vTWDNAUBm5ducQhX-V3oVjSmr829Rco4W2Uo49ZdOtO_QXox0_W7i2zEA/image-asset.jpeg?format=2500w) & The Infraggable Krunk (https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EW0Q1RkKFoM/maxresdefault.jpg)

Welcome to this TO build about a first class special infiltrator character. The build specializes in changing shapes for spy missions and is also a formidable 1st class combatant that doesn't fear any enemies. His final mission (@lvl13) starts a circle of madness that totally breaks his personality. The reason why this is TO is because I recently discovered the true potential of "Master of Many Forms". The explicit ruling is explained at the end in the rules section.

As a nameless orphan street child, we just try to survive. No concept of good or evil, law and chaos. We just do what we need to do to survive like an animal (full Neutral alignment like an animal). One day we get caught in the storehouse of a big and evil trading company. Since we showed some skill to break in and looked "promising", they threw us into their special orphan program: to train us into a loyal servant for their dirtwork.
While we often joke about our masters/teachers by mimicking em, they start to see it as our natural gifted ability. This sets the course for our future training (Urban Druid - Urban Shape).

base (Dark Stalker / War-Troll)
STR: 10 (14/31) (up to +8 enhancement bonus from VoP) (+4 inherit bonus @lvl 12)
DEX: 10 (18/16) (up to +2 enhancement bonus from VoP)
CON: 14 (14/29) (up to +4 enhancement bonus from VoP)
INT: 14
WIS: 16
CHA: 16 (up to +5 from LvlUp) (up to +6 enhancement bonus from VoP)

LVL
Class
BAB
Fort S.
Ref S.
Will S.
Skills
(B = max ranks for this build)
Feats
Class Feature

1st
Urban Druid
+0
+2
+0
+2
Bluff: 4
Concentration: 4
Diplomacy: 4
Gather Information: 4
Intimidate: 4
Sense Motive: 4
Spellcraft: 4
Urban Tracking
Combat Reflexes (HBF)

____________________
"Sacred Vow" (with Assume Supernatural Ability after lvl-9 when in disguise as "the disciple" (monk 1) see "lvl & story progression" below)
"Vow of Poverty"(HBF when Humanoid Shaping into the disciple monk after lvl-12)
"Vow of Nonviolence" (feat from VoP)
City Sense
Favored City 1
Urban Companion

2nd
Urban Druid
+1
+3
+0
+3
Bluff: 5
Concentration: 5
Diplomacy: 5
Gather Information: 5
Intimidate: 5
Sense Motive: 5
Spellcraft: 5
"Vow of Peace" (VoP)
Crowdwalk

3rd
Urban Druid
+2
+3
+1
+3
Bluff: 6
Concentration: 6
Diplomacy: 6
Gather Information: 6
Intimidate: 6
Sense Motive: 6
Spellcraft: 6
Alertness
Alley Fighting

4th
Urban Druid
+3
+4
+1
+4
Bluff: 7
Concentration: 7
Diplomacy: 7
Gather Information: 7
Intimidate: 7
Sense Motive: 7
Spellcraft: 7
"Nimbus of Light" (VoP)
Disease Immunity
Favored City 2

5th
Urban Druid
+3
+4
+1
+4
Bluff: 8
Concentration: 8
Diplomacy: 8
Gather Information: 8
Intimidate: 8
Sense Motive: 8
Spellcraft: 8
(buy a cast of "Unfailing Endurance", Cleric 4(Defenders of the Faith: A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins), before entering MoMF @lvl 6 to have Endurance)
Urban Shape

6th
Master of Many Forms
+3
+6
+3
+4
Handle Animal: 7
Power Attack
(Urban Shape into a Dark Stalker for the STR requirement)

____________________
"Holy Radiance" (VoP)
Shifter's Speech
Improved Wild Shape (humanoid)

7th
Master of Many Forms
+4
+7
+4
+4
Handle Animal: 8
Heal: 1 (+2p)
Disguise: 4 (+4p)
---
Improved wild shape (giant; Large)

8th
Master of Many Forms
+5
+7
+4
+5
Concentration: 11 (+3p)
Diplomacy: 11 (+3p)
Disguise: 5
"Gift of Discernment" (VoP)
Fast Wild Shape
Improved Wild Shape (monstrous humanoid)

9th
Master of Many Forms
+6
+8
+5
+5
Concentration: 12
Diplomacy: 12
Disguise: 10 (+5p)
Assume Supernatural Ability
Improved wild shape (fey; Tiny)

10th
Master of Many Forms
+6
+8
+5
+5
Concentration: 13
Diplomacy: 13
Jump: 5 (+5p)
"Defender of the Homeland" (VoP)
Improved wild shape (vermin)

11th
Master of Many Forms
+7
+9
+6
+6
Concentration: 14
Diplomacy: 14
Listen: 5 (+5p)
---
Improved wild shape (aberration; Huge)

12th
Master of Many Forms
+8
+9
+6
+6
Concentration: 15
Diplomacy: 15
Spot: 5 (+5p)
Improved Bullrush

____________________
"Intuitive Attack" (VoP)- transform into a War Troll to have the Spell Resistance
Extraordinary Wild Shape
Improved Wild Shape (plant)

13th
Crimson Scourge
+9
+11
+8
+6
Diplomacy: 16
Gather Information: 16 (+8p)
---
Kid Gloves
Special Dispensation

14th
Crimson Scourge
+10
+12
+9
+6
Diplomacy: 17
Gather Information: 17
Intimidate: 15 (+7p)
"Exalted Spell Resistance" (VoP)
Swift Tracker

15th
Crimson Scourge
+11
+12
+9
+7
Diplomacy: 18
Gather Information: 18
Intimidate: 18 (+3p)
Move Silently: 4 (+4p)
Shock Trooper
Painful strike +1d6

16th
Crimson Scourge
+12
+13
+10
+7
Diplomacy: 19
Gather Information: 19
Intimidate: 19
Move Silently: 5
Hide: 5 (+5)
"Gift of Faith" (VoP)
Immovable heart

17th
Crimson Scourge
+13
+13
+10
+7
Diplomacy: 20
Gather Information: 20
Intimidate: 20
Bluff: 14 (+6p)
---
Improved Disarm

18th
Crimson Scourge
+14
+14
+11
+8
Diplomacy: 21
Gather Information: 21
Intimidate: 21
Bluff: 20 (+6p)
Knockback

____________________
"Nymph's Kiss" (VoP)
Painful Strike +2d6

19th
Crimson Scourge
+15
+14
+11
+8
Diplomacy: 22
Gather Information: 22
Intimidate: 22
Bluff: 22
Jump: 10 (+5p)
---
Threaten

20th
Crimson Scourge
+16
+15
+12
+8
Diplomacy: 23
Gather Information: 23
Intimidate: 23
Bluff: 23
Jump: 15 (+5p)
"Sanctify Natural Attack" (VoP)
Deadened Hide

LVL:
Vow of Poverty Benefits:

1st
AC bonus +4

2nd
Bonus exalted feat

3rd
AC bonus +5, Endure Elements

4th
Exalted strike +1 (magic), Bonus Exalted Feat

5th
Sustenance (doesn't need to eat or drink)

6th
AC bonus +6, Deflection +1, Bonus Exalted Feat

7th
Resistance +1, Ability Score Enhancement +2 (STR)

8th
Natural Armor +1, Mind Shielding, Bonus Exalted Feat

9th
AC bonus +7

10th
Exalted Strike +2 (good), Damage Reduction 5/magic, Bonus Exalted Feat

11th
Ability Score Enhancement +4 STR / +2 CHA

12th
AC Bonus +8, Deflection +2, Greater Sustenance (doesn't need to breathe), Bonus Exalted Feat

13th
Resistance +2, Energy Resistance 5

14th
Exalted Strike +3, Freedom of Movement, Bonus Exalted Feat

15th
AC Bonus +9, Ability Score Enhancement +6 STR / +4 CHA / +2 CON, Damage Reduction 5/evil

16th
Natural Armor +2, Bonus Exalted Feat

17th
Exalted Strike +4, Resistance +3, Regeneration (more like Ring of Regeneration)

18th
AC Bonus +10, Deflection +3, True Seeing, Bonus Exalted Feat

19th
Ability Score Enhancement +8 STR / +6 CHA / +4 CON / +2 DEX, Damage Reduction 10/evil

20th
Exalted Strike +5, Energy Resistance 15, Bonus Exalted Feat

Spells per Day - CHA 18 (CHA 29 = +6 from VoP, +5 from lvlUp)

Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd

1st
3
2 (4)
-
-

2nd
4
3 (6)
-
-

3rd
4
3 (6)
2 (3)
-

4th
5
4 (7)
3 (4)
-

5th
5
4 (7)
3 (4)
2 (3)

Frequently prepared Spells for each LVL:
0: Detect Magic / Poison; Know Direction
1: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Secret Doors, Jump, Pass Without Trace
2: Detect Thoughts, Knock, Locate Object, Misdirection, Rope Trick, Spiderclimb
3: Cure Moderate Wounds, Glibness, Nondetection, Speak With Dead

We are a typical Urban Druid. Nothing to fancy but the abilities fit the SI of the competition very well. Be it Favored City (1st lvl = 1 city; 4th = lvl 2 cities: sacred bonus to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Intimidate checks equal to her Wisdom modifier; +2 morale bonus on Will saves), Crowdwalk (+4 bonus on any skill check, Strength check, or attack roll made to resolve the movement through a square occupied by a hostile creature) or Alley Fighting (fighting in an area no wider than her space: gain +1 competence bonus on attack rolls; Ignore "cover" (not full cover) when attacking around corners), all handy abilities to have. The Urban Tracking feat fits well inline.
All of these abilities reflect our background as street kid. With this arsenal we can start our first missions for the trading company. We search people with our connections on the streets. Either to spy on them if necessary or to collect their dept. And if a confrontation is unavoidable, we know how fight in the streets. The Disease Immunity is one of many steps to become an unstoppable force and fits the (Hulk) theme.
As Urban Companion we pick a Light Warhorse at start and later change to a Heavy Warhorse past lvl 4. While the build stops progressing it past lvl 5, it's still a handy mount that is easily replaceable within 24h.
Finally we get Urban Shape, which enables the build to shape into Humanoids. With this we can do our first real infiltration missions to get our first taste of law and chaos, good and evil (and as such, it starts to slowly affect our alignment towards C-E). The company decides that we should get familiar with Dark Stalkers to give us access to a stealthy assassin form.
We want to learn how to shape into more diverse races like giants, monstrous humanoids, feys and others. But we lack the "Endurance" (feat) to keep up with the harsh training at the beginning (entering MOMF) and thus cheat with the Cleric (4th lvl) spell:"Unfailing Endurance" (bought as service) to succeed.
Fast Wildshape helps with the Action Economy. If suddenly a fight emerges and you need to switch to a combat form ASAP, we still have a standard action left to either immediately attack or move in the same turn.
Around lvl 9 we receive a special mission to infiltrate a group around an Apostle of Peace. We scout one of his "disciples" (monk 1) as potential target (form). We need to invest some time into special training to adapt to his Sacred Vow (Assume Supernatural Ability), because otherwise our disguise wouldn't be safe enough to fool the apostle. We kidnap him with some allies of the company over night and replace him. For the perfect disguise all his memory gets extracted and implanted into you via Mind Rape from the party caster (scroll bought from WBL for the sake of this competition. as consumable it only affects our WBL temporary). But the memories we receive gets slightly altered so that we have the urge to gather the wanted information for the company without knowing it is for them. Finally our alignment gets changed to L-G to match it with that of the target disciple (monk 1).
The mission seems to work as planned. The urge to go to the secret meeting point (to meet your allies from the company) activates and we get picked up by our allies. They Mind Rape the infos out of us and than Mind Rape our own memory and alignment back into us. The disciples memory gets altered so that he forgets anything about the company and the kidnapping and gets the memories that we have accumulated in the meanwhile. Nobody did take notice of the temporary kidnapping, not even the disciple himself. The mission is a full success.

At lvl 12 we reach the climax of our shaping abilities by obtaining Extraordinary Wild Shape. We are finally able to "Hulk Out" into our desired combat form (War-Troll) for raw combat power.
While we where disguised as disciple (monk 1), we did find value in the skill that all the monks showed when it comes to dealing either nonlethal or lethal damage when in combat. Which is why we become a Crimson Scourge at lvl 13 ("Kid Gloves" is even better then the monks ability to deal nonlethal/lethal damage, since it applies to all weapons), to further increase our value as professional servant for the evil trading company.

We receive another mission to infiltrate the group of the Apostle of Peace again. This time we need to stop an upcoming peace treaty between two rival cities. If they succeed with the treaty, the trading company would lose the very profitable smuggling businesses in that area. Thus the treaty needs to be stopped: no matter what it takes. The higher ups have decided that we should again infiltrate the group. Disguised as disciple, we should sabotage and stop the peace treaty.

But this time.. the plan fails...
As soon as we change into the disciple of the apostle, the **** hits the fan. Nobody notices it at first glance, but that doesn't change the outcome. The disciple was a 1st lvl human monk with the feats Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty (HBF) and Vow of Nonviolence (bonus feat from VoP). Last time we only had Assume Supernatural Ability to get access to Sacred Vow. But this time we further have Extraordinary Wild Shape which gives us access to the Human Bonus Feat (which is an EX trait, even if the feat picked is a SU exalted feat. As such, the Ex trait gives us the SU feat).
The problem thrives from the fact that the Vow of Poverty feat we get doesn't target the disciples HD, it targets our HD/class lvl (which remains unchanged while Wild Shaping). Combined with the rule that we need to be familiar with the target form, the situation implies that all the Exalted Feats that we get, according to our HD, would be those that the disciple would have picked (if he would have lived longer and reached that lvl...).
This escalates up to a dozen exalted feats that we didn't ask for. One of these is "Gift of Discernment". This exalted feat lets us as a free action (= always active) know, if any action will affect our alignment or our standing with our deity (which was set to the deity of the disciple and L-G via Mind Rape to fit the disguise as disciple). This stops us from sticking to the plan (the Mind Rape instructions) as the time comes. First we ignore the order given to prevent the next peace treaty. And then, when the time has come to meet our former allies at the secret location, we won't cooperate with em. Since they show the intent to overpower us if needed, we transform into a War Troll as defensive measurement against the attacks and spells we might face. This sets up our Spell Resistance which is further boosted by the exalted feats to make any spell attempts against us a pain. The setup "to Mind Rape us back" has failed. They try to overwhelm us but even those who manage to have the guts to attack us (Vow of Peace: Calm Emotions) just see how their weapons break on our skin (Vow of Peace). We manage to escape from our former allies and seek shelter within the order of our *new* master (Apostle of Peace). He sees the need for a careful investigation. This finally leads into a Wish spell (due to immunity to divination from VoP..^^) to revert the memory changes of Mind Rape (which doesn't change the alignment; a break enchantment spell would be needed for that).
Now we are full aware of the situation but are still in the gasp of our new L-G alignment and the Gift of Discernment combo. "It feels so good to be good!" We want to stay good. As such, from now on, we need to spare 5 of our daily Wild Shape charges to constantly refresh the duration (5h) of the Humanoid Shape for imitating the disciple and only have 3 charges left/day to "Hulk-out".
The total madness: We don't know if they (company) have killed him (the disciple) or if he is still held hostage. We feel guilty but at the same time we want to take his place as disciple for redemption. We want to be like him, that what he envisioned for his life. His former master, the Apostle of Peace, sees how we try to be honest and follow "the path of peace". He sees this as trial from the gods he has to bear and lets us take the place of his apprentice/disciple.
In the meanwhile the evil company wants us back. Because in their eyes they own us and invested a lot of resources & effort into our skills. On the other hand, we are now a loyal peace-loving priest apprentice and as such an enemy for em. The situation between us and the two organizations will soon reach its climax.

After lvl 12, when disguised as disciple (monk 1), we get the exalted feat Intuitive Attack (from VoP). This helps us in this weaker humanoid form to attack with WIS instead of STR. The monks unarmed strike ability is also an EX ability (even if not marked as such. ruling see below in the rules section), which is a nice fallback option when in disguise as disciple.

At 15 we finally get access to Shock Trooper to boost out charge attacks.

"It's coming to an end..."
Improved Disarm is just another way to show your enemies how pointless their weapons are. It's like taking toys from the hands of children.
Knockback (lvl 18) allows us to knock our enemies around the place. Together with Directed Bull Rush & Domino Rush, we can now pile up all the enemies at one spot.
With Threaten (lvl 19) we have another tool to scare off enemies. They should know that they better avoid to fight us.
The final level of Crimson Scourge turns us into a perfect peace sustaining combat machine (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EG5Q5_5W4AE--lp?format=png&name=900x900)that is hard to bring down. Unless we are facing high acid dmg, we are basically immune to damage (thx due to Regeneration from War-Troll and the non-lethal dmg immunity we get from Deadened Hide). And due to our high Acid Resistance (from VoP), even acid doesn't help that much to stop us. We have become an almost invincible fighting machine while also trying to be the most peace loving person on the world.
Finally we are given our 1st mission of your new master (Apostle of Peace): "Bring justice upon those that lead the evil company and try to disturb the peace"
1. track em down alive
2. show em that fighting (The Infraggable Krunk) is pointless ^^
3. try to rescue the disciple if he is still alive

Small overview of what we get as War Troll:
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 16, Con 29
Special Qualities: regeneration 9, SR 20
Feats: Alertness; Improved Initiative; Iron Will; Multiattack; Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Special Attack: Dazing Blow (DC 25 Con based, as such the bonus from VoP increases the DC) is a nice tool that further enhances our ability to catch opponents unharmed. Combined with Knockback and Shock Trooper we can control most of the fights with ease.

Urban Shape refers to work identical as Wild Shape except the noted differences. To function "identical" it has to count as such for prerequisites of abilities that enhance Wild Shape. Thus entering MOMF and its abilities should be working legally together with it.

Wild Shape used to refer to Polymorph. But that was changed into Alternate Form in the Errata for the PHB. But they seem to have ignored/missed the MOMFs ability to get the Extraordinary Qualities of a form while also keeping those it had.
The truth is, the ERRATA enables more cheese than ever. The designers have missed that the rules for Alternate Form have a few shortcomings compared to the Polymorph rules (which is also the reason why we have been playing under a misconception of Wild Shape/"MOMF 7" RAW so far):

1. Polymorph is referring to Alter Self, which has the rule:
You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race.
Alternate Form doesn't have any restrictions of that kind and neither does Wild Shape. This means, we aren't restricted to the an average member of a race anymore. Wild Shape is now only restricted by type, size, HD and that you have to be familiar with the target form.
The consequence of this is that we can now Humanoid Shape into specific targets with class levels, if we are familiar with the persons. Wild Shape only excludes templates from the target form.

2. As said, before the Errata, Wild Shape referred to a spell (Polymorph). As such, it had to behave like a spell and thus follow the stacking rules for "spells" (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm). These restrict you from stacking effects from the same (spell) source. Which was fine. But now Wild Shape refers to an SU ability, which isn't restricted by the "spell" stacking rules. Thus when you stack several Wild Shape uses (with remaining duration), you do what you always do when Wild Shaping: "keep the things mentioned, get the things mentioned".
The side-effect of this is that we can now profit from the Extraordinary Qualities of multiple forms, since that is something we keep (Wild Shape/Alternate Form rules) and get (MOMF lvl 7: Extraordinary Wild Shape).
If you want to blame anyone for this, blame the ERRATA that caused this state (that Wild Shape doesn't operate under the Spell Stacking rules anymore).

Are racial traits EX?
All traits presented in the Monster Manual are marked as EX. We sole lack an MM entry for Humans to clarify if their HBF trait is also EX. But since the rule-text for HBF doesn't claim "to count as something else out of the line", we can well assume that it is also an EX ability as the other traits. And if we just follow the guideline for Special Abilities (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm), it becomes obvious that it has to be an EX ability.

Do most Feats default to EX?
Most feats default to EX. While most feats lack any kind of reminder in this regard, that doesn't stop the Special Ability (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm)rules to apply, because it is the Primary Source for its topic (Primary Source Rule from the ERRATA). The section does never claim to list all Special Abilities, but gives a guideline to categories all abilities without any room for errors. Since most feats are non-magical and aren't Natural Abilities either, this makes them EX abilities (exceptions exist and either it is called out or indicated by their rule text that they are magical (SU) or even imitating a spell (SLA)). BoED confirms this in its exalted feats section with the following quote:

These feats are thus supernatural in nature (rather than being
extraordinary abilities, as most feats are).As said, most feats are non-magical and thus default to EX.
The Special Ability section did choose a stairway type of order to further reflect the progressive differences between these categories:

non magical non special = NA and not a Special Ability
non magical but special = EX
magical and resembles a spell (follows spell rules) = SLA
magical but doesn't resemble a spell (and thus isn't limited by spell rules) = SU
NA are just things that you would assume everybody to have normally from its physical form. Sight, HP, Ability Scores and Skills fall into this category. Note that in the Special Ability section NA aren't a part of the Special Ability paragraph. They (NA) represent the ground floor, which isn't a part a stairway, while the Special Abilities Ex, Sla, Su are the actual steps of the stairway (Special Abilities). NA is the "norm/-al" stuff.
EX are non magical and "not something that just anyone can do or even learn to do without extensive training.". The part about "not everyone being able to learn them without extensive training" is most likely referring to prerequisites, requirements and other conditions that you must have before learning the ability (e.g. feats generally have requirements, class abilities require you to have a certain lvl in a class, other abilities may come from a template... I hope you get the difference here compared to NA).
SLA are magical, but are still bound to Spell Rules (with the mentioned exceptions). As thus they need to follow e.g. the spell stacking rules.
SU are also magical. But they aren't bound by any Spell Rules. As such spell stacking rules don't apply to them.
As you can see, we have a linear increase (from non magical non special to special and not bound by spell rules) with the order they did choose to present the categories.

Is the monk's Unarmed Strike ability EX?
If we apply the rules described above, we can clearly categorize em as EX abilities. The ability is:
- non magical
- something that not anybody can do or even learn to do without extensive training
... and as such is clearly designated into the EX category (by the definition of that category).

Is the post ERRATA ruling too strong?
A question that heavily depends on the optimization lvl of the table (not sole the player). But you have to keep in mind that the basic entry for this cheese is a T1 druid who sacrifices a minimum of 7 lvls worth of his T1 spell-progression (and animal companion progression, which is also considered part of the reason why druids as T1). Further a straight druid would have gained immediate access to all the druid spells for those levels. Wild Shape is compared to that much more in the hands of the DM. He decides what it takes to be familiar with specific persons to shape into them. Further he has control what kind of humanoids he uses (if at all). And templates can't be replicated by Wild Shape at all and thus are further an option to deny the MOMF to copy the full extend of a humanoid enemy.
Sure, this pushes MOMF maybe even back into T1-2 territory, but imho it's not more game-breaking than any other optimized druid build. It's just another reason why mundanes got the short end of the stick in 3.5 .. :(

For the sake of a fair competition I didn't go overboard to pick the max HD possible for the Humanoid Shapes or dozens of different combat forms. I restricted the build story wise to a 1st lvl human monk as target humanoid form, the Dark Stalker as sneaky attack form and the War-Troll as ultimate Hulk-out form. I could have got similar combat results for the build without relying on this (humanoid shape) cheese, by cutting down 2 feat to make room for Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty. But I did fell in love with the idea of combining The Incredible Hulk with a double agent thematic, who looses his true identity to end up as The Infraggable Krunk!^^

The Infraggable Krunk is nearly invincible while having no intent to harm anyone (and thus only relies on non-lethal attacks). He also has a kind <3 (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EG5Q5_5W4AE--lp?format=png&name=900x900) for his enemies: He'll gently slap the peacefulness into the baddies until they get that violence is BAD! He's just a real Pain in the Tooth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYWoTjaYt-s) to deal with (especially for the DM who needs to think twice before presenting any humanoid encounters that could give him access to new class/prc combinations for more cheese).

Dragon Compendium (Urban Druid class)
Book of Exalted Deeds (most exalted feats)
Players Guide to Faerûn (Gift of Discernment exalted feat)
Champions of Valor (Defender of the Homeland exalted feat)
Complete Adventurer (Master of Many Forms prc)
Complete Warrior (Shock Trooper feat)
Races of Stone (Knockback feat)
Monster Manual III (War Troll race/monster)
Fiend Folio (Dark Stalker race/monster)
Cityscape (Urban Tracking feat; Crimson Scourge prc)

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:21 AM

We're very serious about those late fees.

Booker, The Crimson Librarian
Stub: LN Primordial Half-Giant Factotum4/Warblade 1/Factotum+4/ Crimson Scourge 10

“When somebody goes to ground,
And the library’s property can’t be found,
The Book Collector will come around
He’s the one to track them down.

Give up the book, right away
Or the Book Collector will Make… You… Pay!”

[As we know, at the end of the rhyme, the kid singing tries to hit another kid on the top of the head with a book. The target runs screaming in mock terror as the chase ensues. It is loud and hilarious fun for the kids, and a constant source of annoyance and picking up mess for their parents.]

The Primordial Half-Giant, Booker, who everyone knows as the infamous and intimidating Crimson Librarian, began his life very far from the musty bookshelves of the Library of Korranberg.

He was born as a slave, with the childhood name “Twig”. As a child, he was smart and charismatic, not as strong or tough as his peers. Curious, and with a phenomenal memory for facts and stories, he would have been described as a “bookish smarty-pants know-it-all” if slaves had any access to books. He had the unfortunate reputation for being more interested in a good story than a hard day’s toil, and for offering verbal rebukes and talk-back when given his orders.

His early years are a pattern of abuse, torture, beatings, neglect, and worse. We don’t need details here. Suffice it to say, it was not nice. And twig’s defiance and intelligence made it worse. It’s perhaps understandable then, that he grew up to be the guyt who has been reffrred to often as “would-be-a-hero-Librarian-if-he-were-not-such-an-intimidating-abusive-bastard”. I’m sure you have heard that in the stories. I have worked hard spreading the word, to make sure you have.

The cruel overseer saw little value in a defiant slave that talked back too much and knew too much for his own good, so sold the adolescent to a travelling slave-trader. Taking him to a minor port city, “Twig” was sold on the back market to a travelling Bard, your faithful narrator, Glimmersong (at the time I was not near as famous as I am now). I recognized the signs of Primordial ancestry in “Twig”, as the adolescent half-giant chewed my ear off listening to and then embellishing my stories. I took pity on the poor wretch, and decided to free him and mentor him, taking him with me on my journey to Korranberg (for story research). By the time we arrived, nearly 6 months later, Twig had learned to read very well, and had already devoured every book I could provide.

When we arrived in Korranberg, Twig had heard enough stories of the massive library that he begged me to take him with me. I have promised not to reveal what happened there that day. But by the end of the day Twig had a new name, a new family, and a new home.

My long-time friend, and erstwhile storytelling partner Lyra Bookbinder, human professor in the College of Lyrris (Arts and Literature) adopted the Half Giant, giving him the name “Booker” (presumably because of the huge and varied stack of books he was desperate to read). Raised in her house, and accompanying her to the library to educate himself while she worked, Booker learned fast. He was especially interested in the culture of his primordial giant ancestors. Reading the following gave him a serious advance in his self-understanding.

Primordial giants embrace enlightened civilization. They study constantly, struggling to recapture the lost knowledge of their race... Primordial giants place a high priority on exploring Xen’drik’s ancient ruins in search of their former glory. They neglect their physical attributes in their quest to improve their minds.
The cultured nature of primordial giants does not translate into pacifism, however. Some primordial giant tribes consider themselves so highly advanced that they think nothing of killing other sentient creatures to further their goals, viewing such acts as little different from slaughtering cattle.

Becoming a citizen of the city, Booker was eventually educated in the Library (as can all citizens who pass the entrance tests), and somehow managed to become one of the more well-rounded students the college has produced. His belligerence and persistence with his professors probably helped. He is not the student who takes “no” for an answer, when pursuing a line of inquiry, or wants to access a tome in the ‘forbidden section” of the research stacks.

I drop in on them whenever I’m back in Korranberg, which is at least one a year or so. My retellings of that half-giant’s exploits have earned me free ale at many taverns across the world. You would probably never have heard of Gliommersong the Bard, were it not for my association with that big know-it-all, and my good fortune to be able to spread my tales of his exploits far and wide.

While studying, Booker found himself also with a dual interest: Deeply dedicated to the library that gave him shelter and an education, and also to his pursuit of knowledge, but also drawn to athletic and martial pursuits. While weak for a half-giant, he was strong enough, and always smart enough to understand just how to make the most of his knowledge of leverage, tactics, physiology and history, to fight smart. So it was only natural that his adopted mother and professor introduced Booker to her gnome friend Cleverbeard Yenvanvar, and suggested that Booker train with the professor as a Factotum.

Cleverbeard, in addition to being a professor and factotum, is in charge of acquisitions and collections for the library’s massive collection. This involved two tasks: exploring to find long-lost tomes to add to the library’s collection, and chasing down delinquent borrowers, when they failed to return borrowed books.

Booker’s deep allegiance to the library, combined with his burgeoning martial skills, his ability to be diplomatic in a fashion, but also to be fiercely intimidating, combined with his tenacity, and pragmatic do-whatever-it-takes attitude, made him ideally suited to help in these tasks.

We know all that of course. The stories of the Crimson Librarian, his faithful dog Spine, and his horse Biblius are now widely known around Korranberg and its surrounding villages. (A secret that is not widely known, dear reader, is that he has had several different dogs and horses, but always calls his dog “Spine” and his horse “Biblius”.)

We have all read, or heard the Bards tell, of his beginning as an adventurer, exploring to acquire lost tomes from ancient ruins. Most children in the area know tales of the Library Horse, Biblius, his two saddlebags stuffed with a seemingly endless supply of books; one saddlebag for the Crimson Librarian’s own reference, and one to lend out to those who hunger for knowledge or a good yarn.

And everyone with sense knows to return borrowed books, for fear of his other role, as the Fearsome Book Collector, tracking down delinquent borrowers and extracting the library’s property, by whatever means necessary.

Booker’s tendency to tell chilling (and perhaps slightly embellished) tales of the pain, anguish, humiliation, and abject terror he has visited upon delinquent patrons who failed to return the library’s property has spread his reputation widely. (And I, dear reader, have made a good living embellishing and telling them further afield.)

To library patrons and those the travelling Librarian lends to, and to honest, hard-working college professors, he’s a hero. His fame and honorable purpose protecting the books everyone needs to be protected, and his well-known reptation for only inflicting non-lethal (but humiliating, terrifying, bloody, and extremely painful) damage to those he hunts, mean most citizens are happy to help him track down those book-thieves he pursues.

And if that reputation doesn’t help, his implacably menacing demeanor, and his uncanny ability to know the secrets and foibles of many prominent citizens, helps him gather information about his quarry at an astounding pace.

To those who try to abscond with or keep the library‘s property, however, he’s a source of abject terror. His punishments and interrogations entail a serious disincentive to deviating from complete and prompt adherence to the Library’s Due Dates

Delinquent borrowers who refused to return a book so very much fear being visited by the infamous Crimson Librarian, Booker, that delinquent borrowing is almosta thing of the past. When the Book Collector comes to collect, you give up the books, or pay dearly.

The sight of his Crimson cloak approaching a neighborhood or village often simultaneously evokes both cheers and screams of terror.

And that’s the origin of the earworm nursery rhyme every kid knows by now.

My apologies for spreading the rhyme, parents. And for the way kids hit their friends with books at the end of the rhyme (that part the kids added themselves; that was not my design).

But the library asked me to spread the story. And I know better than to show disloyalty to a magnificent and generous and fearsome educational institution like the Library.

Booker

Ability
Point
Buy
Half-
Giant
Race
Prim-
ordial
Giant
Template
Level 1
Total
Level 19
Total

STR
15
2
-4
13 (+1)
14* (+2)

DEX
10
-2

8 (-1)
8 (-1)

CON
14
2
-2
14 (+2)
14 (+2)

INT
17

4
21* (+5)
24* (+7)

WIS
8

8 (+2)
8 (+2)

CHA
11

4
15 (+2)
15 (+2)

*first 3 level increases to INT, last one to STR

Booker
Note: Booker's skills are too many for this table, so I made a separate table that makes them easier to see and track.

Level
Class
BAB
fort
ref
will
Insp pts
PP
Class Abilities
Feats

+1LA
Primordial Half Giant

2
Powerful Build,
Fire Acclimated,
At will Invisibilty Purge,
1/day Stomp,
Naturally Psionic,
Magical Knack (SLAs +1CL),
+2 UMD and Spellcraft

1
Factotum 1
0
0
2
0
3
2
Inspiration,
Cunning insight (insp: +int to attack, dam or ST),
Cunning knowledge (insp: +fact level untyped bonus to skill check),
Trapfinding
Font of Inspiration 1

2
Factotum 2
1
0
3
0
4
2
Arcane dilettante (1 spell)

3
Factotum 3
2
1
3
1
6
2
Brains over brawn (+int to all str and dex check --incl. trip, grapple, disarm- and str and dex skills),
Cunning defense (insp: +int as dodge to AC)
Font of Inspiration +2

4
Warblade 1
3
3
3
1
6
2
Battle Clarity (int to reflex saves),
Weapon Aptitude
Collector of Stories °

5
Factotum 4
4
3
4
1
6
2
Arcane dilettante (2 spells)
Cunning strike (each inspiration point adds 1d6 damage)

6
Factotum 5
4
3
4
1
7
2
Opportunistic piety 3/day (Insp: heal or turn undead),
2nd level spell
Knowledge Devotion (knowledge Nature in-class)

7
Factotum 6
5
4
5
2
7
2

8
Factotum 7
6
4
5
2
7
2
Arcane dilettante (3 spells)

9
Factotum 8
7
4
6
2
8
2
Cunning surge (3 insp for extra standard action, 3rd level spell
Urban Tracking, Acrobatic Backstab°

10
Crimson Scourge 1
8
6
8
2
8
2
Kid gloves,
Special Dispensation
Never Outnumbered°

11
Crimson Scourge 2
9
7
9
2
8
2
Swift tracker
Back on your Feet°

12
Crimson Scourge 3
10
7
9
3
8
2
Painful strike +1d6
Imperious Command ,
Twisted Charge°

13
Crimson Scourge 4
11
8
10
3
8
2
Immovable heart

14
Crimson Scourge 5
12
8
10
3
8
2
Improved Disarm
Improved Disarm (bonus feat),
Clarity of Vision°

15
Crimson Scourge 6
13
9
11
4
11
2
Painful strike +2d6
Font of Inspiration (+3)

16
Crimson Scourge 7
14
9
11
4
11
2
Threaten (demoralize as a move action)

17
Crimson Scourge 8
15
10
12
4
11
2
Deadened hide

18
Crimson Scourge 9
16
10
12
5
15
2
Painful strike +3d6
Font of Inspiration (+4)

19
Crimson Scourge 10
17
11
13
5
15
2
Smell of Blood

°Skill Trick
** This is assuming that in addition to humanoids, he will encounter animals and giants a lot. Could choose a different knowledge for Knowledge Devotion (and cross class knowledge ranks taken in CS), if common delinquent borrowers turn out to be outsiders, or aberrations, or undead, etc.

Warblade Maneuvers:
· Diamond 1: Sapphire Nightmare Blade (concentration vs AC to make flat footed and +1d6 Damage)
· Diamond 1: Moment of Perfect Mind (concentrate instead of will wave)
· Iron 2: Disarming Strike (Make attack with free disarm attempt if it hits)
· Stance: Punishing Stance (+1d6 dam, -2AC)

Spellcasting(number of spells and highest level spell are listed in class abilities). Can only prepare one spell of highest level. His Racial ability makes spells, which operate as SLAs, all +1 CL. So CL = Factotum level +1. The DC is 10+level (1-3)+int(6-7)=17-20.

Typical spells(!=Prepared usually)
0: Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Mage Hand,
1: Grease!, Master’s Touch! (CA) (gain EWP Spiked Chain), Nerveskitter (+5 initiative), Benign Transposition, Truestrike, Protection from Evil (Good, Chaos)
2: Heroics!! (Use Fighter bonus feat for 10 min/level; 90 minutes max; Often prepare twice), Fox’s Cunning,
3: Primal Instinct! (24 hours +5 initiative), Invisibility, Shrink Item,

Heroics Spell:grants use of Fighter feats for 90 minutes, such as
· EWP: Gnomish Quickrazor! (draw as a free action for Iaijutsu Focus attack)
· EWP: Spiked Chain (which can be used to attack, trip, and disarm)
· Improved Initiative,
· Combat Expertise and Improved Disarm or Improved Trip;
· IUAS and Improved Grapple (he counts as large for grapples, and adds his INT bonus to grapple checks)

Skills by level: Ranks (Check)
Listed Checks include ability bonuses, synergy, Brains over Brawn, racial bonuses, etc. Bonus to Intimidate also includes +4 size bonus (assuming medium creature). Does not include any magic items, masterwork tools, etc.

Level
Balance
Bluff
Concen-tration
Decipher Script
Diplo-macy
Disable Device
Gather Info.
Handle Animal
Heal
Iaijutsu Focus
Intim-idate
Jump
Kn (arcana)
Kn (A&E)
Kn (Dung)
Kn (Geog)
Kn (Hist)
Kn (Local)
Kn (Nat)
K (Nob)
Kn (rel)
Kn (Planes)
Lis-ten
Open Lock
Perf (Oratory)
Ride
Search
Sense Motive
Spot
Spell-craft
Tum-ble
UMD
Use Rope
Skill Trick
Increase total

LA+1

2

2

1st
1 (0)
1 (4)
4 (7)
1 (6)
0 (3)
1 (6)
4 (7)
1 (4)
1 (0)
4 (7)
4 (11)
0 (1)
1 (6)
1 (6)
1 (6)
1 (6)
0 (5)
4 (9)
1 (6)
-
1 (6)
-
0 (-1)
1 (0)
1 (4)
1 (0)
1 (6)
1 (0)
1 (0)
1 (8)
4 (3)
1 (6)
0 (-1)
0
44

2nd
2 (1)
1 (4)
5 (8)
1 (6)
0 (3)
1 (6)
5 (10)
3 (6)
1 (0)
5 (8)
5 (12)
0 (1)
1 (6)
1 (6)
1 (6)
1 (6)
0 (5)
5 (10)
1 (6)
1 (6)
2 (7)
-
0 (-1)
1 (0)
1 (4)
1 (0)
1 (6)
1 (0)
1 (0)
1 (6)
5 (4)
1 (6)
0 (-1)
0
11

3rd
1 (5)
1 (4)
6 (9)
1 (6)
0 (3)
1 (6)
6 (11)
5 (8)
1 (0)
6 (9)
6 (13)
0 (8)
2 (7)
1 (6)
1 (6)
1 (6)
0 (5)
6 (11)
1 (6)
1 (6)
3 (8)
-
0 (-1)
1 (5)
1 (4)
1 (7)
1 (6)
1 (0)
1 (0)
1 (6)
6 (10)
1 (6)
0 (4)
0
11

4th
2 (9)
1 (4)
7 (10)
1 (7)
0 (3)
1 (6)
6 (11)
5 (8)
1 (0)
6 (9)
7 (14)
0 (9)
2 (8)
1 (7)
1 (7)
1 (7)
1 (7)
7 (13)
1 (7)
1 (7)
3 (9)
-
0 (-1)
1 (6)
1 (4)
1 (8)
1 (7)
1 (0)
1 (0)
1 (7)
8 (13)
1 (6)
0 (5)
2
10

5th
3 (10)
1 (4)
8 (11)
1 (7)
0 (3)
1 (7)
7 (12)
6 (9)
1 (0)
8 (11)
8 (15)
0 (9)
2 (8)
1 (7)
1 (7)
1 (7)
1 (7)
8 (14)
2 (8)
1 (7)
3 (9)
1 (7)
0 (-1)
1 (6)
1 (4)
1 (8)
1 (7)
1 (0)
2 (1)
1 (7)
9 (14)
2 (7)
0 (5)
2
12

6th
5 (12)
1 (4)
9 (12)
1 (7)
0 (3)
1 (7)
9 (14)
7 (10)
1 (0)
9 (12)
9 (16)
0 (9)
2 (8)
1 (7)
2 (8)
1 (7)
1 (7)
9 (15)
3 (9)
1 (7)
3 (9)
2 (8)
0 (-1)
1 (6)
1 (4)
1 (8)
1 (7)
1 (0)
2 (1)
1 (7)
10 (15)
3 (8)
0 (5)
2
12

7th
5 (12)
1 (4)
10 (13)
1 (7)
0 (3)
1 (7)
10 (15)
7 (10)
1 (0)
10 (13)
10 (17)
0 (9)
3 (9)
1 (7)
3 (9)
1 (7)
1 (7)
10 (16)
4 (10)
1 (7)
4 (10)
3 (9)
0 (-1)
1 (6)
1 (4)
1 (8)
1 (7)
1 (0)
3 (2)
1 (7)
11 (16)
3 (8)
0 (5)
2
12

8th
5 (12)
1 (4)
11 (14)
1 (7)
0 (3)
1 (7)
11 (16)
8 (11)
1 (0)
11 (14)
11 (18)
0 (9)
4 (10)
1 (7)
4 (10)
1 (7)
1 (7)
11 (17)
5 (11)
1 (7)
4 (10)
4 (10)
0 (-1)
1 (6)
1 (4)
1 (8)
1 (7)
1 (0)
3 (2)
1 (7)
12 (17)
4 (9)
0 (5)
2
12

9th
5 (12)
1 (4)
12 (15)
1 (7)
0 (3)
1 (7)
12 (17)
8 (11)
1 (0)
12 (15)
12 (19)
0 (9)
5 (11)
1 (7)
5 (11)
1 (7)
1 (7)
12 (18)
6 (12)
1 (7)
5 (11)
5 (11)
1 (0)
1 (6)
1 (4)
1 (8)
1 (7)
1 (0)
3 (2)
1 (9)
12 (17)
5 (10)
0 (5)
2
12

10th
5 (12)
2 (5)
13cc (16)
1 (7)
0 (3)
1 (7)
13 (18)
8 (11)
1 (0)
13cc (16)
13 (20)
0 (9)
5 (11)
1 (7)
5 (11)
1 (7)
1 (7)
13 (19)
6 (12)
1 (7)
5 (11)
5 (11)
1 (0)
1 (6)
1 (4)
1 (8)
1 (7)
1 (0)
5 (4)
1 (9)
12 (17)
5 (10)
0 (5)
4
12

11th
5 (12)
3 (6)
14cc (17)
1 (7)
0 (3)
2 (8)
14 (19)
8 (11)
1 (0)
14cc (17)
14 (21)
0 (9)
5 (11)
1 (7)
5 (11)
1 (7)
1 (7)
14 (20)
6 (12)
1 (7)
5 (11)
5 (11)
1 (0)
1 (6)
1 (4)
1 (8)
1 (7)
1 (0)
6 (5)
1 (9)
12 (17)
5 (10)
0 (5)
6
12

12th
5 (13)
4 (7)
15cc (18)
1 (8)
0 (3)
3 (9)
15 (20)
8 (11)
1 (0)
15cc (18)
15 (22)
0 (10)
5 (12)
1 (8)
5 (12)
1 (8)
1 (8)
15 (22)
6 (13)
1 (8)
5 (12)
5 (12)
1 (0)
1 (7)
1 (4)
1 (9)
1 (8)
1 (0)
8 (7)
1 (10)
12 (18)
5 (10)
0 (6)
8
13

13th
5 (13)
5 (8)
16cc (19)
1 (8)
0 (5)
4 (11)
16 (21)
8 (11)
1 (0)
16cc (19)
16 (25)
0 (10)
5 (12)
1 (8)
5 (12)
1 (8)
1 (8)
16 (23)
6 (13)
1 (8)
5 (12)
5 (12)
3 (2)
1 (7)
1 (4)
1 (9)
1 (8)
1 (0)
10 (9)
1 (10)
12 (18)
5 (10)
0 (6)
8
13

14th
5 (13)
6 (9)
17cc (20)
1 (8)
0 (5)
5 (12)
17 (22)
8 (11)
1 (0)
17cc (20)
17 (26)
0 (10)
5 (12)
1 (8)
5 (12)
1 (8)
1 (8)
17 (24)
6 (13)
1 (8)
5 (12)
5 (12)
3 (2)
1 (7)
1 (4)
1 (9)
1 (8)
1 (0)
12 (11)
1 (10)
12 (18)
5 (10)
0 (6)
10
13

15th
5 (13)
7 (10)
18cc (21)
1 (8)
0 (5)
6 (13)
18 (23)
8 (11)
1 (0)
18cc (21)
18 (27)
0 (10)
5 (12)
1 (8)
5 (12)
1 (8)
1 (8)
18 (25)
8 (15)
1 (8)
5 (12)
5 (12)
3 (2)
1 (7)
1 (4)
1 (9)
2 (9)
2 (1)
12 (11)
1 (10)
12 (18)
5 (10)
0 (6)
10
13

16th
5 (13)
8 (11)
19cc (22)
1 (8)
0 (5)
7 (14)
19 (24)
8 (11)
1 (0)
19cc (22)
19 (28)
0 (11)
5 (12)
1 (8)
5 (12)
1 (8)
1 (8)
19 (26)
10 (17)
1 (8)
5 (12)
5 (12)
3 (2)
1 (7)
1 (4)
1 (9)
3 (10)
3 (2)
12 (11)
1 (10)
12 (18)
5 (10)
0 (6)
10
13

17th
5 (13)
9 (12)
20cc (23)
1 (8)
0 (5)
8 (15)
20 (25)
8 (11)
1 (0)
20cc (23)
20 (29)
0 (11)
5 (12)
1 (8)
5 (12)
1 (8)
1 (8)
20 (27)
12 (19)
1 (8)
5 (12)
5 (12)
3 (2)
1 (7)
1 (4)
1 (9)
4 (11)
4 (3)
12 (11)
1 (10)
12 (18)
5 (10)
0 (6)
10
13

18th
5 (13)
10 (13)
21cc (24)
1 (8)
0 (7)
9 (16)
21 (26)
8 (11)
1 (0)
21cc (24)
21 (30)
0 (11)
5 (12)
1 (8)
5 (12)
1 (8)
1 (8)
21 (28)
14 (21)
1 (8)
5 (12)
5 (12)
3 (2)
1 (7)
1 (4)
1 (9)
5 (12)
5 (4)
12 (11)
1 (10)
12 (18)
5 (10)
0 (6)
10
13

19th
5 (13)
11 (14)
22cc (25)
1 (8)
0 (7)
10 (17)
22 (27)
8 (11)
1 (0)
22cc (25)
22 (31)
0 (11)
5 (12)
1 (8)
5 (12)
1 (8)
1 (8)
22 (29)
16 (23)
1 (8)
5 (12)
5 (12)
3 (2)
1 (7)
1 (4)
1 (9)
6 (13)
6 (5)
12 (11)
1 (10)
12 (18)
5 (10)
0 (6)
10
13

Note: a +INT item and a +CHA item would be a high priority. As would a circlet of persuasion effect added to the +INT item, for +3 to all Charisma checks).

Masterwork tools would be used also a priority to add +2 Circumstance bonus to skills such as:
· Concentration (smooth spot on the hilt of all weapons to rub like a worry stone)
· Knowledge (reference books studied daily),
· Intimidation (face tattoos),
· Diplomacy (well dressed).
· Ride (military saddle),
· Gather Information (book detailing library borrowing habits of prominent citizens, for blackmail and intimidation purposes),
· Thieves Tools (open lock, Disable Device)
· Search (magnifying glass)
· Tumble (rubber-soled shoes)

LA+1 Primordial Half-Giant Factotum 2/Warblade 1/Factotum 2
Booker is a knowledge-monkey, intimidating party face, and smarty-pants fighter. Being funded by his patron organization the Library, gives him access to a good stock of mundane weapons, as well as masterwork tools.

He always travels with his medium-sized riding dog Spine (he doesn’t ride it, of course) and his horse Biblius. He has used Handle Animal skill to train both for war. Spine can fetch, guard, attack (and trip), and track by scent. He has convinced the librarians and professors to give a special dispensation for the dog to be allowed in the library. Biblius’s saddlebags are usually full of books as they travel (some for his own reference, some for lending).

His Powerful Build means he counts as large for purposes of intimidation, and he has maxed out this skill. So in addition to his +11 to intimidate, he also gains another +4 size bonus to intimidate medium creatures, and +8 vs. small gnomes. Living in a majority gnome city, this is a significant advantage in demoralizing delinquent borrowers and avoiding physical confrontation.

Booker is a library geek. He is Maxing out Knowledge (Local), for knowing the city, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of humanoid opponents. Cunning knowledgecan use inspiration to add his factotum level to any knowledge check used to identify opponents’ weaknesses. He is working on having 5 points in all knowledges related to identifying other creatures, and one point in all other knowledge skills.

He has maxed out gather information for finding humanoid delinquent borrowers (and long-lost tomes in the ancient parts of the city).

His racial abilities all come in handy. At-will invisibility purge(CL equal to his hit dice) means no invisible attacker can evade him or attack him. 1/dayStompSLA (reflex DC 10+1+CHA=13) can knock opponents in a 20 ft cone prone and deal 1d4 nonlethal damage. He is Fire Acclimated, getting +2 to saves vs fire. And his natural Magical Aptitudegives +1 CL to his SLAs (and all his spells are SLAs).

Brains over Brawnmeans that all strength-based skills and dex-based skills (including Balance, Jump, Ride, Tumble) gain his intelligence bonus as an additional modifier. This also applied to strength and dexterity based checks like initiative, trip, bullrush, grapple, and disarm checks. Intelligence to initiative means he has an excellent chance of going first.

His Warblade level gives +1 to AC, Weapon Aptitude with his large longsword, and means he always has prepared a Disarming Strike, Sapphire Nightmare Blade (concentration check (maximized) vs AC to make opponent flat footed for Iaijutsu), and Moment of Pure Mind (replacing his weak will save (+1) with a strong concentration check (+11). He will always have concentration maxed out.

His weapons are all large-sized, which he can use without penalty thanks to Powerful Build.

Arcane Dilletante (Spellcasting SLAs):
At 5th level, Booker has can prepare any 1stlevel Wizard/Sorc spell as a SLA, and a cantrip. He might often prepares Grease, using it to make the enemy flat footed (enabling Iaijustu). It can also coat an enemy’s weapon to facilitate disarming. He might also prepare truestrike, charm person, or cause fear (which augments his intimidation, turning shaken targets that he has intimidated (<6HD) into panicked ones).

Most of the time, however, he’ll prepare Master’s Touch (SC), to grant Proficiency with a weapon he touches (a large Gnomish Quickrazor). (The good thing about working for a well-funded and feared organization like the Library, is that researchers know about all kinds of obscure weapons.)

His Racial ability makes these spells, that operate as SLAs, all +1 CL. So CL = Factotum level +1. The DC is 10+level(1)+int(+6)=17.

In Combat
He will start with a Longsword. He usually goes first, drawing as part of his move action and using Iaijutsu Focus (+11, +15 with Inspiration) to add extra 2d6 to 5d6 damage. Next round he can use Sapphire Nightmare Blade maneuver to make the enemy flat-footed through sheer concentration for another Iaijutsu strike with his Longsword. Next round, he can switch his sword to his offhand (free action), and refresh this maneuver (Swift action), while drawing his Gnomish Quickrazor (free action) for Iaijutsu again. Then SNB again, if the enemy still stands.

Cunning Defenseenables him to spend an inspiration point to get his intelligence bonus as a dodge bonus to AC (even when wearing medium armor).

While he does not have many inspiration points (6/day), he will often use them to tactical advantage as a bonus on Iaijutsu Focus rolls, knowledge checks, or tactical maneuvers like grappling and pinning, disarming, or tripping an opponent, to help finish a fight quickly. While he has the ability to enact a “cunning strike” to add 1d6 damage, it’s usually better to use inspiration points for saving throws, iaijustu focus, and/or damage rolls.

Primordial Half-Giant Factotum 8/Warblade1/Crimson Scourge 1
Beginning Crimson Scourge, Booker is now specializing in traveling to the far corners of the city, and to the surrounding villages, lending books and chasing down delinquent borrowers for his feared and respected patron the City Library.

He continues to travel with his well-trained attack dog Spine and horse Biblius (he can probably afford to have saddlebags of holding now, to carry even more books to lend).

Booker has now used Handle Animal to teach Spine a new application of fatch. Whenever Booker disarms an opponent, or panics them into dropping their weapon, Spine will fetch the weapon and keep it away from them, so it’s not there for the person to pick it up.

CS enables Booker to wear Medium Armor. He will. And he can still add +INT as a dodge bonus for one round by spending an inspiration point.

Special Dispensation means Spine is now tolerated inside the library.

Kid Glovesmeans that Booker has practiced and researched special pressure points. Striking at these points with iaijutsu focus causes massive damage, but it is not lethal. Lots of blood loss and pain, but it won’t kill the enemy. This can be effective in both punishing the delinquent borrower, and a vivid reminder to witnesses to return the Library’s property promptly.

Factotum 8’s Cunning Surge can be exceptionally useful for a nova attack in the first round of an encounter, if you are acting before your opponent and they are still flat -footed. Booker can spend 3 inspiration points to get an extra standard action in a round. This can be an extra Iaijutsu attack, casting a spell, demoralizing the enemy you just lacerated, and so on.

It’s becoming possible that Booker could assassinate an enemy, or make them bleed into unconsciousness in the first round.

Factotum’s Cunning Strike uses an inspiration point to add a d6 sneak attack damage. Usually adding inspiration to +INT damage would be more effective. But it seems that many points each add a d6.

Knowledge Devotionfeat means Booker can make knowledge checks to gain a bonus to attack and damage for a type of creature, for an entire encounter. He has maxed out Knowledge Local for encounters with humans, and has a decent number of ranks on other knowledges.
His base is +19. Collector of Stories Skill Trick adds +5. Inspiration could add another +9.
So against humanoids rolling better than a 2 gets +3 to attack and damage, without using inspiration. Rolling better than 7 gets +4. Rolling better than 12 gets +5. With inspiration better than 3 gets +5 to attack and damage.
And that’s not including any masterwork tools or magic items that could boost the check further.

Against Non-humanoids his knowledge check is +16 or +17 at level 10; without inspiration, granting +2, or +3 rolling 10+. +4 rolling 15+

He alwaysmakes knowledge checks before or at the beginning of an encounter.

Spellcasting:
Booker can now prepare a 3rd level spell and two 2nd level spells. The second levels spells will often be two castings of Heroics, to grant himself a Fighter Feat or two for 90 minutes (Combat Expertise and Improved Disarm or Improved Trip; IUAS and Improved Grapple (he counts as large for grapples, and adds his INT bonus to grapple checks); Power Attack; Exotic Weapon Proficiency

When going against delinquent borrowers with many low-level minions, he might prepare Scare, which makes all creatures below 6HD frightened. Never Outnumberedskill trick enables him to make them all panicked with an intimidate check (+20).

Note: panicked creatures disarm themselves. His dog Spine (40 ft land speed) can trip them as they run away.

Iaijutsu:
In addition to going first, SNB, and Gnome Quickrazor, He now has the Skill Trick Acrobatic Backstab, enabling Booker to tumble through an enemy’s space (+13 to tumble) as his move action, and make the enemy flat footed. SNB can be renewed as a swift action while making GQ or AB attacks now.

Iaijutsu check is now +16 before any magic items or masterwork tools. That is adding 3d6 to 6d6 damage. Punishing Stance adds another d6. SNB adds another d6.

He now has +10 to UMD checks. With inspiration that’s +19, meaning that he is guaranteed to be able to pass the DC 20 UMD check to impersonate another class. That means he can use wands and scrolls from any class.

Other Skills: Booker can find and disable traps, though he probably needs Inspiration to do so safely and well). He’s investing in disable Device, though. Bluff is used rarely (though more so at higher levels) to assist in telling tall tales (one rank in Perform Oratory) about the awful things he has been forced to do to find and punish those who fail to return the library’s property.

Now knowledge skills (except local and one other) are cross-class, he’ll invest in Spot as prerequisites for Skill tricks. Acrobatic Backstabrequired Tumble 12. Spot 12 will be needed soon.

He’s also investing in Bluff now, to make his tall tales (that increase his feasrsome reputation) more believable.

Primordial Half-Giant Factotum 8/Warblade1/Crimson Scourge 6
With Painful Strike granting extra damage to disarmed opponents, +1d6 at level 12, and +2d6 at 15thlevel, Booker will focus on disarming his opponents before punishing them and extracting the Library’s property.

His proficiency with whip will be extremely effective here. In addition to Whip’s +2 to disarm, Booker’s Powerful Build gives him +4 to the check, as though he were Large. His Disarm check is now BAB13+1STR+7(INT)+2(Whip)+4(size)=27 to hit. He can use inspiration for another +7 (so, +34) to the opposed attack roll to disarm.

He also will use the Disarming Attack Maneuver, which adds a disarm attempt after an attack that does damage.

Of course, he will intimidate opponents first, to convince them to just give the books back and accept their punishment. His intimidate check is now +27 (without any magic augmentation). With a +4 item and a circlet of persuasion this would be +34.

Now he has taken the Imperious Commandfeat along with Never Outnumberedhe can use intimidate to demoralize everyone around him, making everyone cower for a round (and shaken after that). Note that cowering is both panicked and unable to escape. Panicked people drop everything they are carrying. So Demoralizing now disarms everyone who fails.

And next level, when he gains the Threatenclass ability, he will be able to demoralize a crowd as a move action, and then attack them as they cower.

Stacking Fear effects can make opponents panicked. Panicked people disarm themselves.

He could probably afford a Fearsome armor enhancement (MIC 15,000 gp) 3/day makes everyone in 20 ft radius panicked (or shaken if they save).

Other Skills:
His single rank in Perform(oratory) and +10 to Bluffwill continue to be used to spread fearsome stories of the awful things that happen to people who fail to return the Library’s property, and find themselves tracked by the Crimson Librarian. His reputation does half the work of preparing the population to fear him, and to return books promptly.

Skill trick Clarity of Visionmeans he can make a spot check DC 20 to spot an invisible creature nearby. His racial at-will invisibility purge SLA is useful for when he does so.

Spellcasting: 3 spells up to level 3.
He is still using the Heroics spell to grant himself 90 minutes/casting use of EWP Gnomish Quickrazor for a second Iaijutsu attack in a round.

If Booker is tracking Giants or other large creatures, then he can use Heroics to grant Giantbane (make Giants Flat footed if you tumble under them as a free action).

He can prepare a level 3 spell of Primal Instinct, for +5 initiative for 24 hours.

Iaijutsu Focus:
SNB and Acrobatic Backstab still reliably make opponents flat-footed. Iaijutsu Focus is at +25 for the base check. That’s automatically at least +4d6 (not counting the +6 CHA boosting item or a circlet of persuasion’s +3 he would have by now). With those and inspiration the check should produce 25+6+9= +40 to the skill check. That’s at least 7d6 and hitting the maximum of +9d6 with a roll of 10 or better.

Primordial Half-Giant Factotum 8/Warblade1/Crimson Scourge 10

Most of what was happening at 15, but more so. Threatenis now enabling intimidate to be used to demoralize a group as a move action. Intimidate check (without magic enhancements) is now +31 to make everyone drop their weapons and cower.

Painful strike is now +3d6 to disarmed opponents. Disarm with whip is now +31, or +38 to attack, with Inspiration. With his Longsword it’s +30 using the Disarming Attack maneuver.

Iaijutsu Focus:
SNB and Acrobatic Backstab still reliably make opponents flat-footed. Iaijutsu Focus is at +25 for the base check. That’s automatically at least +4d6 (not counting the +6 CHA boosting item or a circlet of persuasion’s +3 he would have by now). With those and inspiration the check should produce 25+6+9= +40 to the skill check. That’s at least 7d6 and hitting the maximum of +9d6 with a roll of 10 or better.

That’s on top of Painful strike’s 3d6 to disarmed opponents, and SNB’s extra d6, and Punishing Stance’s d6. Using all of these together gets +14d6 to an attack against a disarmed, flat footed opponent (which is not difficult to make happen).

Skills:
He has maxed out Concentration, Gather Information, Iaijutsu Focus, Intimidate, and Knowledge (Local).

He has enough ranks in UMD to tap the check to impersonate other classes, and is able to use wands and items for other classes (with inspiration, if need be).

He’s also investing ranks in Knowledge (assuming that /giants, abound, I’m putting these in Knowledge Nature. (In a different environment and type of monsters encountered, changing Knowledge Devotion to a different knowledge and putting ranks there might be appropriate.)

Now knowledges are supplied and skill tricks earned, he can put some final ranks in Disable Device, Search and Sense Motive.

Booker is now +27 to Gather information checks to find those who refuse to return the library’s property.

Cityscape (Crimson Scourge, Urban Tracking)
Complete Adventurer (Master’s Touch)
Complete Psionics (Half-Giant)
Complete Scoundrel (Skill Tricks)
Complete Warrior (Giantbane)
Drow of the Underdark (Imperious Command)
Dungeonscape (Factotum, Font of Inspiration)
Oriental Adventures (Iaijutsu Focus)
Races of Stone (Gnomish Quickrazor)
Secrets of Xen'drik (Primordial Giant Template)
Tome of Battle (Warblade Maneuvers and Stances)
All else is Players Handbook.

This character owes a hat tip to the depression-era Horseback Librarians of Kentucky (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/horse-riding-librarians-were-great-depression-bookmobiles-180963786/), who I found out about last week. And to that Seinfeld episode (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0697721/), of course.

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:22 AM

If you go out to the woods today you're in for a big surprise.

https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p600x600/66753661_2404942549565657_3354167087906947072_o.jp g?_nc_cat=106&ccb=2&_nc_sid=a26aad&_nc_ohc=zBYxp9-bPRQAX9xFXxh&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&tp=6&oh=20706959271a82e6773f9e1dc4fe1f12&oe=602AF18B
Annette

Professor Gossamer sifted through her files in an all-too-brief pit stop in her office. Morgrave set the space aside for her all the same, but as of late, she’d been spending little time here. Finally, she was getting the recognition she was due and then some. Long had she studied the ancient ruins of Xen’drik, and long had she searched desperately within the company of her fellow scholars to find the smallest foothold to advance her research. And after years of dedication she’d found it. Now it looked like that was all going to be pissed away if she couldn’t drum up funds to pare back the jungle before it overtook the dig site she’d devoted the better part of a year to.

She went through her mail and found a few promising notes asking for interviews and speaking engagements when she had something to present, but nothing solid yet. She sighed and made a pile for things marked overdue. Hopefully one of her teaching assistants would deal with it while she was away.

Before the first letter hit the table, she was no longer alone in her office. A woman with a broad-brimmed hat rolled up on one side suddenly appeared before her. She had on a pair of sturdy trousers with some kind of shifting camouflage pattern that slowly adjusted itself to the brickwork of her office, shifting from the smoky grays of the walls outside on the street. Her chest was bare, but her skin mingled itself with the long-departed spirit of some furred beast to keep her decent.

“Office hours aren’t until six,” Gossamer said and gestured to a seat.

“I understand you’re looking for something deep in the jungles of Xen’drik,” the interloper said and took off her hat, revealing damp hair plastered to her head beneath it. She made no motion to smooth it away.

“Anyone who knows me could’ve told you that,” she said without moving from behind her desk.

The woman reached into her belt and withdrew some talisman from an unseen space. It clattered onto the table, some ancient black stone thing infested with a rare species of moss Gossamer recognized immediately. She bit the inside of her cheek to muffle her excitement.

“I’m pursuing quarry there: official scourge business. I could show you papers, but I’d hate to add to the pile,” she said with a dismissive nod to Gossamer’s inbox.

“I see. And what exactly does that have to do with this university?” she asked, working hard not to say “me” like she actually meant.

“Standard arrangement when contracting outside help: you help me bring my quarry in, you’ll get half of the fifty thousand. I heard you were the woman to ask when it came to the jungle, but if my intel’s bad, I can take my business elsewhere,” she said.

Gossamer grabbed her suitcase, already packed, from under her desk and flicked a wand at the blotter on her desk for whoever chanced in here next letting them know she’d be gone indefinitely and to send for her if there was anything urgent. Twenty five thousand would buy a whole lot of time for her to research, and maybe even a more permanent solution to her vegetation problem.

“At your service, miss” Gossamer said with an extended hand.

“You can call me Annette. Everyone else does,” she said. She took Gossamer’s hand, her fingertips just barely edging out of a pair of unlined leather gloves.

Gossamer closed the distance and wrapped her arm around Annette’s waist. “All right, you can take us out now,” she said and clenched everything she could in anticipation of being teleported. No matter how safe everyone told her it was, she could never shake the worry that she’d leave something important behind.

“Afraid we’re taking the scenic route, professor,” Annette said and gracefully shucked her in one fluid motion. Gossamer’s hand rested on empty air and Annette opened the door to her office and beckoned for her to leave.

“Ship takes off from the station in half an hour. Better get moving if you can’t hop by yourself,” Annette said.

She led the way out to the street but blessedly let Gossamer at least get them a carriage to the station.

“How did you know I’d say yes?” Gossamer asked. “Didn’t leave yourself much time to convince me if I wanted to put up a fight.”

“Your reputation. Anyone who’s heard of you knows you won’t stop at anything to dig those old ziggurats outta the jungle. Even if I never met you before, that I can trust,” Annette said. Despite the bump of the carriage as it seemed to hit every pothole in the road, she didn’t jolt once, maintaining a perfect equilibrium. It was the kind of thing Gossamer had a spiteful urge to attribute to some unearned magical quirk, but knew was merely an innate grace she herself lacked.

“Well, there are worse things to be known for, I suppose,” she said.

“Mm.” Annette picked at a loose thread on her trousers.

“Are your bags already onboard? I’m not sure how much intelligence your patron provided you with on who you’re looking for. We might be in the jungle a while, and I don’t usually travel with a companion,” Gossamer said, already mentally cataloging how many magically shrunken bags of dried apricots she had secreted away in her luggage.

Annette cleared her throat and gestured at the coachman with her thumb.
“I’ll get more details once we’re closer to the spot. Never know who’s listening, y’know?”

Gossamer nodded, feeling foolish. “Right. Sorry.”

They arrived at the station and Annette got out first, even taking her suitcase.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m guessing the manhunting gig is new territory for you.” She showed a porter a pair of tickets and he waved them onboard the airship.

“Is it that obvious?” Gossamer gripped the railing of the ship as it swayed beneath her as the gentle breeze played across its hull.

“Don’t take it personally. I’m paid to notice stuff like that. I can tell you more when we’re in the jungle proper, away from prying eyes. If your work’s not so hush-hush, I’m happy to switch over and listen for a while if you like.” Annette said and abruptly started off somewhere else on the airship.

Not having any idea where the hell anything was, Gossamer had little choice but to follow.

“Well, I am trying to unearth one of the ancient giants’ ziggurats. That much you can read in any paper.” When they had the decency to cover her, but that she kept to herself. “But what I’m working on right now is a way to cut down on how often I or people like me have to flit back out here,” she said, slightly out of breath already trying to keep pace and keep her balance while talking.

They were in the lower decks of the ship now, the open sky a distant memory as the ceilings above them grew lower. Annette checked something on her ticket against the number on the door and murmured the magical password to open it.

Gossamer bit her tongue to stop from saying anything she’d regret. It looked like Annette’s patron, whoever he was, wasn’t breaking the bank with this scourge. There was no magic making the room any bigger than it was: a small porthole for nonmagical light when the ship faced the sun and barely enough room for one single bed.

“Sorry about this. Glamorous life as a scourge, eh?” Annette said. “You can see why I travel light.” She hung her hat up on a loose screw, which was about all she could do. She gestured to the bed and Gossamer felt slightly guilty until the ship pitched again and she tumbled onto it no matter how polite she felt like acting.

Once she caught her breath, she continued. “I, uh, what I’m working on is a new kind of herbicide, something to keep the plants from re-encroaching on our dig sites once we’ve got everything all set up. It’ll mean a lot less wasted time.”

The fur on Annette’s chest glowed and she was sitting by Gossamer’s side without taking a step across the tiny room.

“I know what herbicide means, professor,” she said and leaned down to unbuckle her boots.

“Oh, right, of course you do, exploring the jungle and all. Sorry, I just spend so much time justifying my expenses to the dean. I’m sure you know how it is with your patron and all.”

“You have no idea,” Annette said. She reclined on precisely half of the mattress, perfectly balanced. To look at her, you’d never know the ship had taken off and was swaying thousands of feet in the sky.

“Sun’s down soon, so I’ll be winding down. Tell me more about it if you like. Anything I miss, you can go back over in the morning,” Annette said, her eyes closed.

It was true what they said about the scourges. For the time being, Gossamer was happy to talk about her work, even to someone who only looked like she was listening.

As Gossamer had feared, Annette falling with the sun meant she rose with it as well, and seemingly the moment she’d finally gotten herself to sleep after the ship hit a patch of calm air, she was being gracefully, but firmly nudged awake by her companion.

“Professor. It’s time to go.”

“Oh, already? I didn’t hear feel us land.”

“That’s because we didn’t.” Annette was already up and dressed.

“No. No, oh, Host, please, no, don’t tell me.”

Annette opened the door to the room into the hallway, dark and silent at this repellent hour.

“Why do you think the mission’s paying so well? We’re doing this in secret. We’ll have to disembark soon or we’ll miss our rendezvous.”

Annette led her through the dark corridor by the hand. She navigated the dark naturally as anything as her eyes gleamed like a cat’s.

Once they were on the observation deck, Gossamer’s nightclothes already damp with morning dew, she couldn’t deny what she knew was coming next.

“And by ‘disembark,’ you mean—“

“Jump.”

Annette took her around the waist and the two tumbled over the railing of the ship.

Gossamer had the presence of mind not to scream, but the night of turbulence combined with the shock of this sudden jolt were too much for her to stomach and she vacated her last meal into the sky above them. Blessedly, it missed Annette. That was the last thing she needed.

“You’ve got something, right? Some kind of magical thing to protect us?” Gossamer shouted, hoping to be heard over the wind as it tore at their faces.

Annette turned her head after she worried she hadn’t been heard, or worse had been ignored. “Don’t worry, professor. It’s all going according to plan.”

The ground was growing closer every second. Though she knew it was silly, Gossamer shut her eyes, believing the earth would have no ability to harm her if she couldn’t see it, like pulling a blanket over her head as a child to keep monsters away.

Annette’s arms weren’t around her anymore.

“Annette? Did you put a spell on me or something? Am I flying?”

A sudden, painful impact with the jungle beneath her informed her she was not.

The shock of hitting the loamy floor under her knocked all the wind and a great quantity of blood out of her. Her eyes were certainly open now.

Her vision swam, but eventually she saw a distant shape closing in: Annette gliding on a pair of spectral wings. She landed without a sound a few steps in front of her.

“And here I was worrying I hadn’t baited the hook enough with twenty five,” Annette said. She knelt in front of Gossamer and touched her fingers to her face. They came away red and wet. Annette drew some ancient shape even Gossamer didn’t recognize across her own brow with the blood.

“The jungle tried to send you a message when it overcame that ziggurat, you know, same as it did with the giants who lived there last time.” Annette touched her bloody hand to the bark of an enormous tree right next to them. It must have moved its branches to avoid breaking Gossamer’s fall.

“The jungle is not encroaching on anything, professor. We were here first dammit, and we’ll be here long after you’re gone. Hopefully this message is clear enough for you people.”

The symbol of office Annette had shown her at the college: she hadn’t been showing off the stone. It was the moss. This was her patron

The bloody handprint disappeared immediately from the tree’s bark, like water poured onto desert sands. Though the tree didn’t speak, Gossamer felt a deep rumble through the earth as it shook, jostling her shattered bones. It was hungry.

LE silverbrow human totemist 6/crimson scourge 10/totemist 10

str 16 (increase at 4, 8, 12, and 20)
dex 14
con 16 (increase at 16)
int 12
wis 10
cha 8

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

1st
totemist 1
+0
+2
+2
+0
gather information 4 (2), handle animal 4, heal 2 (1), intimidate 4 (2), spot 2, tumble 4
urban tracking, shape soulmeld (fearsome mask)
wild empathy, illiteracy

2nd
totemist 2
+1
+3
+3
+0
handle animal 1 (5), spot 3 (5), tumble 1 (5)

totem chakra bind (+1 capacity)

3rd
totemist 3
+2
+3
+3
+1
gather info 2 (3) handle animal 1 (6), spot 1 (6), tumble 1 (6)
multiattack
totem’s protection

4th
totemist 4
+3
+4
+4
+1
handle animal 1 (7), intimidate 2 (3), spot 1 (7), tumble 1 (7)

5th
totemist 5
+3
+4
+4
+1
gather information 2 (4), handle animal 1 (8), spot 1 (8), tumble 1 (8)

chakra binds (crown, feet, hands)

6th
totemist 6
+4
+5
+5
+2
listen 3, spot 1 (9), tumble 1 (9)
bonus essentia (+2 essentia)
totem chakra bind (+1 meldshaper level)

7th
crimson scourge 1
+5
+7
+7
+2
balance 5, intimidate 2 (5)

kid gloves, special dispensation, exotic weapon proficiency (net)

8th
crimson scourge 2
+6/+1
+8
+8
+2
intimidate 5 (10), never outnumbered

swift tracker

9th
crimson scourge 3
+7/+2
+8
+8
+3
intimidate 2 (12), jump 2, tumble 3 (12)
power attack
painful strike +1d6

10th
crimson scourge 4
+8/+3
+9
+9
+3
intimidate 1 (13), jump 6 (8)

immovable heart

11th
crimson scourge 5
+9/+4
+9
+9
+3
intimidate 1 (14), listen 6 (9)

improved disarm

12th
crimson scourge 6
+10/+5
+10
+10
+4
intimidate 1 (15), listen 6 (15)
leap attack
painful strike +2d6

13th
crimson scourge 7
+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+4
intimidate 1 (16), listen 1 (16), spot 5 (14)

threaten

14th
crimson scourge 8
+12/+7/+2
+11
+11
+4
intimidate 1 (17), listen 1 (17), spot 3 (17), clarity of vision

deadened hide

15th
crimson scourge 9
+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+5
intimidate 1 (18), listen 1 (18), sm 2, spot 1 (18), point it out
cobalt charge
painful strike +3d6

16th
crimson scourge 10
+14/+9/+4
+12
+12
+5
intimidate 1 (19), listen 1 (19), sm 2 (4), spot 1 (19), listen to this

smell of blood

17th
totemist 7
+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+5
handle animal 3 (11), listen 1 (20), spot 1 (20)

18th
totemist 8
+16/+11/+6/+1
+13
+13
+5
handle animal 3 (14), listen 1 (21), spot 1 (21)
open greater chakra (waist)
rebind totem chakra soulmeld 1/day

19th
totemist 9
+16/+11/+6/+1
+13
+13
+6
handle animal 3 (17), listen 1 (22), spot 1 (22)

chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)

20th
totemist 10
+17/+12/+7/+2
+14
+14
+6
handle animal 3 (20), listen 1 (23), spot 1 (23)

For the time being, you play as a fairly standard totemist with access to a great number of melds natively. Your draconic heritage through silverbrow human also provides access to several draconic melds, namely claws of the wyrm, dragon mantle, dragon tail, and dragonfire mask. Due to later focus on intimidation, you will further boost your versatility with access to the fearsome mask via shape soulmeld. Multiattack is already up and running and lets you lash out more often and get more attacks on target. You have access to your totem, crown, feet, and hands, giving you an enormous amount of utility. Your possible loadouts are too numerous to list, but one that will likely be useful now and throughout your career is loading up on natural attacks, binding the sphinx claws to your hand for pounce, and going to town on your enemies with claws of the wyrm shaped to your arm. When you get more binds later on, you can supplement this routine with more. Skilled city dweller allows you to trade ride for tumble both here and later in crimson scourge.

You have wisely invested your skills and are now in crimson scourge. Among other things, it grants you literacy. In addition, you can deal nonlethal damage at will and slow enemies down with nets. Your weapon access has been sizably expanded adding in all martial weapons. This lets you focus your hands on weapons should you so choose and vary your meld selection somewhat more than a straight totemist. Bonus essentia helps your melds do what they do better. Since you’ve got access to classic 2 handed fare such as the greatsword, power attack pulls its weight more than normal for a straight totemist. Use special dispensation to track your quarry and painful strike to keep them from getting away.

You’re nearly done with crimson scourge, and it’s continued to pay off. It now lets you level the playing field and disarm enemies so you can bring your natural attacks to bear should you so choose. Your access to large numbers of natural attacks in tandem with painful strike throwing +3d6 damage onto each one means you can put enemies down very quickly, which is why totemist is a natural complement to this secret ingredient. Leap attack improves your damage output and mobility, especially when used in tandem with the landshark boots, krenshar mask, manticore belt, or pegasus mantle, which boost your jumping ability. Cobalt charge gives you even more essentia and piles on more damage when charging, including manufactured weapon attacks, bolstering your versatility.

You’ve wrapped up crimson scourge and gained scent to hunt your enemies and have gone back into totemist, gaining access to the arm, brow, shoulder, and waist chakra to gain more options, enabling many options such as ethereal movement, flight, and more. You have skill tricks focused on zeroing in on enemies, and nothing ought to be able to evade you.

srd: urban tracking, power attack
monster manual 3: multiattack
magic of incarnum: totemist, bonus essentia, open greater chakra, shape soulmeld, cobalt charge
complete adventurer: leap attack
dragon magic: silverbrow human, draconic melds
cityscape web enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a): skilled city-dweller

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:25 AM

Doing what's right... ish.

Nameel The Equivocator
Fighter 1 / Paladin 4 / Gray Guard 5 / Crimson Scourge 10

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/3/3b/Ilmater_symbol.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20070212032213

Beginnings
Nameel grew up in Calimport, privileged to be a servant rather than a slave. He did not think twice to dispense the masters’ cruelty upon the slaves, having seen sufficient examples made of other guards whose mercy got them and those they pitied slain. But each flick of the lash wounded his soul even as it broke the skin of the slaves he attacked. Still, it was the way of things - he could care, privately - but what could he do? The memories of pain and fear - not his yet in his mind - whispered to keep his feelings to himself, and he did.

Beginning Anew
He hid around the corner, hoping the attackers would focus on liberating the slaves. The other guard were fighting them, but he had no stomach for that - he wouldn’t put his life at risk just to further cruelty, even as he knew he risked it by not defending the masters’ “property”. A rustling nearby drew his attention and he saw a slave child cowering mere feet from him, staring at him in terror unable to move. “Boy, come here! That’s an order!” - the slave complied, dejection in his eyes as he moved then began to bow in abasement. “No time for that - let’s get you to them. They can’t be worse than here!”. The child looked in amazement, crying silently in customary compliance. Nameel grabbed the boy’s hand and ran, unsure if the crying was the boys or his own. Around the perimeter, he fumbled for keys, the sounds of fighting getting closer. “Through this gate and we’re free, boy! Keep an eye out!”. The boy looked up at him for a moment and Nameel saw that his tears had stopped. That was the last thing he saw before a crushing blow landed on his head and he slumped into unconsciousness.

The Doctrine Of Suffering
”Suffering is our privilege!” wailed Brother Brivet; Nameel screamed as the lash swept by his head and the Ilmateran priest flailed himself. “I will take the pain so you don’t have to” - another crack and all about Nameel could hear the screams of his captors. Weeks passed as Brivet gave him his food, tended to his wounds and all the while flagellating himself as he sang catechisms in praise of The Crying God. Why does he do this? Why not slay me and be done with it? Months further, a particularly brutal flailing left Brother Brivet bloodied and unconscious. Nameel screamed for help - for hours no-one came, his scream unnoticed amongst those of the priesthood. Nameel began to cry, nearly hoarse from demanding help for this strange man who hurt himself in the belief his pain spared Nameel’s. Unbidden came a memory and in that moment did Nameel beg to take the lash to spare Brivet his suffering.

A Dedication
”I will suffer so others need not. I will explore the depths of my own pain, wherever it may lead me, that the innocent and guilty alike may have salvation and redemption. Suffering is my privilege.

The Hunt Begins
Nameel waited for hours in that bar, enjoying the deadened sensation as the blood left his legs in numb agony. He’d had a tip that cultists of Loviatar were looking to find a sacrifice and had marked the barmaid. He would save her and he would exercise his privilege. When the attack came it was predictably swift. Using his Divine senses he saw them coming around the corner as the barmaid was preparing to leave her shift. He stumbled to his feet, unsteady from the pins and needles, and lunged for her mimicking the most lascivious leers he had seen his former masters proffer. She screamed and ran from him, away from the approaching cultists. They helped him exercise his privilege, with blade and scourge, fist and hate. Bloodied and on the cusp of consciousness, he remembered his shame, his guilt. He could not die here - he had more to atone for.

Whose Suffering?
”Again if you please, Brother Brivet”. Nameel screamed silently as the brand was plunged into his ribs. Frustrated at the weakness of his focus, he resolved to continue to dedication. He had no sense of time as he stared into the eyes of the Loviataran cultist before him, thanking her for taking her suffering. The contempt of the cultist steeled his resolve. Nameel knew he would have to suffer greatly for this woman to have redemption.

To The Gray
”I walk this path willingly. I live to suffer, that others may be spared. My soul is merely another instrument to alleviate the suffering of others”. “But do you understand the depths to which you could sink?”. “Yes!” replied Nameel emphatically, “I do! And I will cry and break a thousand times if I may serve a thousand more!”. Brother Brivet nodded, and the hooded figure next to him placed a delicate hand on his shoulder in agreement. “Then rise, Brother Nameel, of the Noble Heart. Wade into the mire of sin, suffering the stain and stench, that we may lift free those who know not their peril”.

From A Great Height...
Nameel grinned as he punched the sacrifice. He had spent weeks finding this trafficker of people, and now he had him. He would do what had to be done to find the cult leader, “Lady” Ejenna. If he had to stain his soul by inflicting suffering, he would do so by picking those further from salvation. Turning the rack, inured to the scream of the occupant, he focused on the approving murmurs of the other cultists. He wished he felt sickened, but alas he felt pity. Later that evening, in the privacy of his room, he began to call upon Ilmater to bless him with pain, his very touch burning the skin beneath his fingers. He was truly blessed.

...Came A Great Fall
”I’m getting good at this!” Nameel thought to himself. I can make them confess. And I already know their guilt. He ignored the confessions to elements he knew were false - evil is evil, and he knew they would say anything to avoid retribution. Yet that evening as he prayed to Ilmater, he hands did nothing. And that night he did not cry.

Atonement
”Your soul is tarnished, dear Brother. Will you allow me to suffer to cleanse you?”. Not trusting himself to speak, Nameel shook his head in the negative. “Your generosity of spirit is unparalleled, Brother Brivet. But it is I who must atone”. “Yes,” came the reply, “through seeing the consequences of your lapse in faith”. With that Brother Brivet began his flagellation, commanding Ilmater to punish him that Nameel be saved once again. Nameel wept inconsolably as he was denied the sacrament of suffering.

Rededication
The hooded figure spoke for the first time, “enough”. There was no force, little volume, yet instant obedience from Brother Brivet. His now blinded eyes still wept, as he hovered on the edge of consciousness. The figure lowered her hood, revealing a pristine half-elven visage of pale gray onyx mottled with white blotches. “You are ready to resume your mission. But you see the consequences of your failure?” Brother Brivet lay still on the floor, maimed and wounded almost beyond comprehension. Unmoving, unbreathing. “I do” whispered Nameel.

The Quarry Is Nigh...
”That is a pathetic devotion to the Maiden! Strike me and if I endure your pain you will know you have failed your mistress!”. He was getting close, hints that “Lady” Ejenna might show herself at the Festival of Flails in a month’s time. But more concerning - that an envoy of Loviatar herself would be present. Nameel worked tirelessly to divert the cult to sacrifice those who abused their power, their strength - and took note of each and every punishment they received. Nightly he would perform - as precisely as possible - those same acts upon himself, and every third day would leave a message for Sister Tor’Dyllara to arrange his next atonement.

...The Quarry Is Cunning
”You are sure you heard correctly, Brother?” lilted Sister Tor’Dyllara. “A devil will be summoned in three weeks hence?”. “I am, Sister”. “Then you must act decisively. This part of your suffering nears an end - you must slay that devil”. Kneeling in gratitude on the sharp stone floor, Nameel kissed Tor’Dyllara’s feet. “Unto my dying breath I do swear I shall slay the devil”.

Festival Of Flails
Nameel could not recount the details of the Festival Of Flails were he ever to have been asked. The depravity was beyond comprehension, an orgy of suffering and pain even his hardened heart struggled to comprehend. He could not recount when later asked what the devil looked like, only that somehow he knew he hated it, this Erinyes. He hated it for everything it stood for. He hated it for fleeing to Hells as he slew countless cultists, disrupting their ritual and profaning their temple. In his rage, he did not take note of the smile on “Lady” Ejenna’s face as she discreetly left him to his carnage.

Pursuit
”It was a portal, I am certain of it” - though he knew not how or why he was certain. “A portal across the Planes. I will find that devil and fulfil my oath!”. “Yes, yes,” demured Tor’Dyllara. “You’ve said so before. But… you’re still here?”. Fury boiled in his veins and he relished the shame he felt in his pride. “You are right, Sister. Of course. What… what must I do?”. “Why, fulfil your oath of course. Take the portal and follow this devil to the Hells themselves if that’s what it takes. After all,” she purred, “a devil can only be truly slain in the Hells. Your oath was greater than you knew”.

Void
He had nothing to compare to the Astral plane. A formless void, barren of features. He… smelled the sin on the devil. No, that couldn’t be right. But he could sense her wrongness in the wake of her passage. How long had he been here? He clenched his fist as he steadied his resolve - not long enough if I haven’t found Hells.

Phlegethos
Phlegethos is not friendly to those of faith, nor those of good intent. Yet whether the bloodied hand of Ilmater himself or the amused benediction of Asmodeus as murderous pursuit was afoot, Nameel evaded legions of devils. Perhaps they saw him and didn’t care, one mortal intent on revenge, a soul already in Hells waiting to be tormented.

Betrayal
”Oh betrayal is so cliche” sneered the Erinyes as Nameel stood slack-jawed in shock. "Of course you’re here, so good, so devoted. So certain that your suffering will help others. Fool. Still, the old ones are the best ones - a trusted mentor manipulating your every move, leveraging your faith to greater pain in the cause of her goddess. And you fell for it, poor mortal. You really did! Sister Tor’Dyllara indeed. No? Still not following? Perhaps if I called her… a lady?”.

Shriver
Nameel did not scream. He did not cry. He did not move. He accepted all the Shriver had to offer. Suffering was his privilege!

Revenge
”Well obviously she assumes you’re dead,” rilled the Erinyes as Nameel steadfastly clenched his jaws in the Shriver. “I suppose…” she bent over and looked Nameel in his eyes inches from his face as blades tore into him. “I suppose we could make a little deal. You know, if you wanted to avenge yourself and rid the world of that pathetic priestess?”

Arrival
The portal closed behind him and he staggered to his feet. His many wounds began to stitch themselves together. This was as nothing compared to the Shriver. The lights of Calimport glowed on the horizon. His throat as dry as the desert around him, Nameel ambled towards the city.

Privilege
”You will not! I will not!”. Spitting and cursing in elven, Tor’Dyllara invoked Loviatar to no avail as the circle of Ilmaterans chanted sonorously. In the centre of the circle, tied to a wrack next to Tor’Dyllara’s cage, Nameel smiled as he cried. “Again if you please, Brother Sulim”. His flesh tearing, his joints popping, only to reknit together, Nameel found peace in his salvation. Tor’Dyllara’s screams were sweet music as he knew he could endure however much suffering it took to cleanse the darkness in her soul.

Starting Stats (30 point buy):
Strength 12
Dexterity 10
Constitution 14
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 12
Charisma 16 (+5 from ASI)

Alignment:
Level 1: Lawful Neutral
Levels 2-9: Lawful Good
Level 10: Lawful Neutral
Level 11-20: Lawful Good

SRD
Complete Scoundrel
Races Of Stone
Cityscape
Fiendish Codex I
Fiendish Codex II
Champions Of Ruin
Champions Of Valor
Drow Of The Underdark

ECL
Class
BAB
Base Fort
Base Ref
Base Will
Feats
Class Features
Notes

1
Fighter
+1
+2
+0
+0
Craven, Keeper Of Forbidden Lore (Human Bonus Feat)
Thug Skills, Sneak Attack 1d6
Starting off by taking both Thug and Sneak Attack Fighter alternative class features (both in the SRD). SA lets us qualify for Craven (Champions of Ruin) for a negligible increase in damage at this level, but gives SA a little scalability later on. The Human bonus feat is going to be Keeper Of Forbidden Lore (Fiendish Codex I) and between that and Thug starts to expand our skills significantly, and helps to qualify later for the SI. I appreciate that the negative modifier from KoFL to Gather Info runs against a thread of the character, but it sets him up for a different thematic use (albeit mechanically not so much) come level 18.

2
Paladin
+2
+4
+0
+0
-
Aura Of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/day
Nameel’s conversion to Ilmater manifests as his first Paladin level with all the usual goodies. He’s maintaining full BAB but is currently weak in his other saves. That said he regains the armour proficiencies he traded for his Fighter level, which is a bit of a boost. Detect Evil and Smite Evil are frequently useful at any level, and help him understand the world he came from in a new light.

3
Paladin
+3
+5
+0
+0
Urban Tracking
Divine Grace, Lay On Hands
Divine Grace gives a huge boost to his saves at this level, +3 to each, and Lay On Hands is an emergency heal to stabilize a fallen comrade. I’ve not included the bonus from Divine Grace in Nameel’s saves as (to be demonstrated shortly) there will be periods of time in which he will not have access to this, but I will note at each level the bonus he is getting from it. Urban Tracking (from Cityscape) is necessary for the SI and builds upon Nameel’s penchant for Gathering Information (KoFL notwithstanding).

4
Paladin
+4
+5
+1
+1
Track (Bonus Feat from Noble Heart substitution level)
Aura Of Courage, Tenacious Tracker
To start, Nameel’s success in hunting Loviataran cult members has steered his position in the Ilmateran faith towards membership of the Noble Heart and he exchanges the standard Divine Health for Tenacious Tracker (Champions Of Valor). This means he has Survival as a class skill at this level and gains Track as a bonus feat. He can now track in rural and urban settings and whilst not a strong niche, this is one he leans into right until the end of his build. He also puts a point in Charisma for his ASI.

5
Paladin
+5
+6
+1
+1
-
Turn Undead, Spellcasting
A deceptively big level as although he gets little benefit in the short term, this opens up wand use and that tiny bit of spellcasting might (very rarely) prove relevant as Paladin spells are sometimes stronger than their spell level indicates. It’s also worth noting that potentially he can gain access to wands of Favor Of Ilmater to assist his infiltration of the cult of Loviatar - an early foreshadowing of his eventual Deadened Hide. I wish I’d had the feat space to find a Devotion feat to use the Turn Undead later on, but I would have to miss out on fluff choices, and in any event they might overshadow the SI. I’ll just acknowledge it as an area of study that isn’t his strongest, perhaps because of his KoFL related heritage.

6
Gray Guard
+6
+8
+1
+3
Iron Will
Sacrament Of Trust, Lay On Hands
Nameel’s flirtation with moral ambiguity has been noticed by the church of Ilmater, but seeing this as an opportunity for him to embrace his own suffering - the endangerment of his soul - to alleviate that of others, they consecrate him into the ranks of the Gray Guard (from Complete Scoundrel). The scourging of his body to demonstrate his faith earns him his Iron Will (from the SRD) needed to convince the church of his piety. The Sacrament Of Trust is the vehicle through which he can cross lines as he needs to but pull back before descending into damnation. It is for this reason that Nameel will not always have access to his Paladin/Gray Guard abilities, but they should not be lost indefinitely - he can be redeemed through Atonement as he reports back to the church the results of his infiltration of the cult of Loviatar.

7
Gray Guard
+7
+9
+1
+4
-
Debilitating Touch
How do you infiltrate a cult of Loviatar without being willing to cause pain? This Gray Guard ability to cause pain can be used to further his cover, and I have the notion of him using it on himself just before he sleeps as an ongoing devotion to Ilmater. It gives a thematic use for his otherwise slightly underwhelming Lay On Hands and sets him up for a greater familiarity with the mechanisms of inflicting pain employed later in the SI. Finally a slight increase in spellcasting ability, although no increase in CL or spells per day makes it imperceptible.

8
Gray Guard
+8
+9
+2
+4
-
Smite Evil 2/day
Another use of Smite Evil per day - sometimes this will be an option and sometimes not depending on the state of Nameel’s Atonement. Finally Nameel gains another point of Charisma from his ASI, which boosts the bonus to saves from Divine Grace to +4 each when it applies, as well as his Lay On Hands/Debilitating Touch pool.

9
Gray Guard
+9
+10
+2
+5
Steady Concentration
Justice Blade (Chaos)
There are a few things going on in this level. Firstly, Steady Concentration (Races Of Stone) enables Nameel to better maintain concentration - at this point it is mostly thematic as he is far from an able spellcaster. Nonetheless, it is easy to imagine him flagellating himself before the church of Ilmater as part of his Atonement, resolute in his pursuit of his Loviataran foes. Nameel gains his final boost to spellcasting here, with both an increase in CL (to a total of CL3) and can now cast 2 1st level spells. Finally Justice Blade is a small way of expanding the versatility of Smite Evil - not particularly useful against the cult of Loviatar, but evil comes in many forms after all.

10
Gray Guard
+10
+10
+2
+5
-
Devastating Touch
Devastating Touch is the culmination of Nameel’s ability to use his Lay On Hands now not just for pain but actual bodily injury too. It’s also where he picks up the last skills to meet the entry requirements for the SI

11
Crimson Scourge
+11
+12
+4
+5
Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered
Kid Gloves, Special Dispensation
And now we’re at the start of the SI, looking to complete it fully. It’s worth noting that it grants proficiency with one of a small number of weapons - Nameel will choose the whip here, in keeping with Loviatar’s scourge. It will also be where he crosses the line a little too much - an actual alignment shift is required back to Lawful Neutral (his original alignment and one permitted by worshippers of Loviatar). I note that the SI has an alignment prerequisite but nothing contingent on maintaining that alignment for progression. I hope this means that after an appropriate Atonement Nameel is able to regain his Paladin/Gray Guard abilities, although it’s clear that his equivocation led him further astray than anticipated this time. Kid Gloves is a way in which Nameel can employ his whip for pain or damage, and this can be amplified after Atonement by a well-placed Smite Evil or Justice Blade (which doesn’t seem to require a blade…) for a surprising amount of damage, especially if using a Sneak Attack and Craven. He is not a damage dealer but it’s a nice little trick, and allows him to potentially do a reasonable amount of non-lethal damage should that be appropriate. Any build leaning into Intimidate lends itself to fear shenanigans, so predictably we take the Skill Trick Never Outnumbered (from Complete Scoundrel) - it won’t shine just yet but it’s a start as Nameel has begun to add fear to complement the pain in his kit. Lastly, I find it amusing that Nameel has both a Sacrament Of Trust and now also Special Dispensation. He can come and go with surprising impunity as long as he is moderately careful.

12
Crimson Scourge
+12
+13
+5
+5
Imperious Command
Swift Tracker
Imperious Command (from Drow Of The Underdark) is an obvious choice for a situational power boost - I expect it to be ubiquitous, but we have the SI that we have! Swift Tracker is a little lacklustre but again plays into theme of Nameel being a great tracker. From this point onwards Nameel will be maxing both Gather Information and Survival to really entrench him as an excellent tracker in all modalities. Nameel gainst another point of Charisma for his ASI but this wouldn’t affect anything at this level.

13
Crimson Scourge
+13
+13
+5
+6
-
Painful Strike +1d6
I tried to imagine how often I could use this and short of leaning into Disarm I don’t see it happening that often. However, it’s the final set of boosts Nameel will get to his non-lethal damage, and demonstrates his heightened ability to inflict pain from the covert learnings of the cult of Loviatar. By my calculation this could equate to an average of around 30 points of damage. For this level that’s trivial, especially for all the set-up. But it’s also quite a bit of non-lethal damage against an unarmed and unarmoured foe. I think outwith spells it’s actually reasonably difficult to deal large amounts of non-lethal damage with weapons. Also, this average damage is fairly consistent thanks to Craven and Smite Evil, so there’s that I suppose? Still, if he’s actually using Intimidate or Animal Handling then the ability to do non-lethal damage may come in useful at times.

14
Crimson Scourge
+14
+14
+6
+6
-
Immovable Heart
As his skin starts to harden from the lashing and scourging in covert abasement to Loviatar and in sincere devotion to Ilmater, so too does Nameel’s heart. His familiarity with fear as a tool and is darkening belief that all is suffering, the insidious questioning his purpose and mission, lends him a cynicism that buffers his resolve against Enchantment and Fear spells, which - when he has access to Divine Grace - means he actually has a decent save (6 base, +2 for Iron Will and +4 for Divine Grace for a total of +12 against Enchantment or +10 against Fear (because of Craven) before any equipment).

15
Crimson Scourge
+15
+14
+6
+6
Cumbrous Will
Improved Disarm
Disarming is not Nameel’s forte but it is added to his kit as something to turn on Painful Strike. Cumbrous Will (from Savage Species) is an interesting choice in that I feel it both compliments Craven thematically and Immovable Heart - I envision a shield of cynicism deflecting whatever mental assault he faces, only for the fear that his wrongness (the whispers from KoFL) mean that he is unworthy - he continues to suspect his own motives. Perhaps he hasn’t Atoned enough for the sins that got him here? It’s worth noting that the whispers Nameel has been hearing have been consistently leaving a legacy of lore about the Planes - he is looking to maximise his K:Planes as well as his intimidate, and has already placed a hefty investment in Spellcraft, despite his own failings.

16
Crimson Scourge
+16
+15
+7
+7
-
Painful Strike +2d6
A shallow level, but noteworthy for the boost to Charisma for the ASI. This now means Nameel is adding +5 to saves through Divine Grace as well as having a Lay On Hands/Debilitating Touch/Devastating Touch pool of 45 before items - a nice little interrogation/intimidation tool indeed. The Painful Strike damage now hits for an average of around 37 points - again, not impressive for combat but for transporting those he has tracked, it’s likely a useful tool to elicit compliance.

17
Crimson Scourge
+17
+15
+7
+7
-
Threaten
The culmination of Nameel’s fear tricks - it comes on late, but with Never Outnumbered and Imperious Command it allows him to stop the objects of his hunt in their tracks, and has some wider battlefield control options.

18
Crimson Scourge
+18
+16
+8
+7
Astral Tracking
Deadened Hide
Keeper Of Forbidden Lore finally pays off giving Nameel the K:Planes and Spellcraft needed to qualify for Astral Tracking (from Dragon Compendium) which is the pinnacle of Nameel’s tracking career, and the tool through which he can pursue the Loviataran cult leader to Phlegethos where he will find the Shriver (Fiendish Codex II). This is what the build has built to and is his “trick” - Deadened Hide and the regeneration from surviving long enough in the Shriver (just 4 rounds) means all hit point damage becomes non-lethal and he is now immune to non-lethal damage. He has finally become the relentless tracker he has always been destined to be. We might argue that Deadened Hide means he doesn’t feel pain, and thus is at no risk of screaming out and failing the Will save associated, or perhaps even taking the Fortitude save. We can’t assume that, however. In addition to an impressive base Fortitude save of +16 (+21 with Divine Grace), Iron Will and Divine Grace give Nameel a Will save of 14 before equipment with Cumbrous Will giving another +6 if that feels necessary. If we were to factor in WBL then I might be looking at things such as Cloak Of Resistance +5, Tome Of Leadership +3 and Scarab Of Invulnerability. He could easily use Oil Of Slipperiness in case he has to get out - his ranks in Concentration and Steady Concentration means he should automatically be able to do this. Once he has survived 4 rounds and gained Regeneration 1 he can’t die from Shriver, so then it’s just a case of getting the required rolls to be able to escape - however long that takes...

19
Crimson Scourge
+19
+16
+8
+8
-
Painful Strike +3d6
This ability is already quite situational and after what was effectively Nameel’s capstone last level feels doubly so. That said, it’s here and pushes that painful damage that little bit extra.

20
Crimson Scourge
+20
+17
+9
+8
-
Smell Of Blood
As a capstone, it is underwhelming, but it does add just one final tool to Nameel’s tracking prowess. If you’re in a city? Urban Tracking? The wilderness? Tracking. The actual Astral plane? He has can find you there too, he can smell your sin. Even over the stench of his own thoroughly tortured, compromised self.

ECL
Concentration
Gather Information
Handle Animal
Heal
Intimidate
K:Planes
K:Religion
Sense Motive
Spellcraft
Survival
Cross Class/Skill Tricks
Notes

1
0
4
4
0
4
4
0
2
4
2
4
Gather Information is in Class because of Thug, K:Planes and Spellcraft are in Class all levels because of Keeper Of Forbidden Lore. Cross Class ranks in Sense Motive and Survival. Skill points are 4 (Thug) +1 (Human) +2 (Intellegence) = 7x4 for 1st level.

2
0
4
4
1
4
4
4
2
4
2
0
Gaining Heal and K:Religion as Class skills from Paladin levels, popping in just one point in Heal to qualify for the SI later on.

3
1
4
4
1
4
4
6
4
4
2
0
-

4
2
4
4
1
4
5
7
4
6
2
0
-

5
3
4
4
1
4
5
8
4
6
5
0
Hitting K:Religion 8 and Sense Motive 4 in time to qualify for Gray Guard. Survival in Class due to Noble Heart substitution level.

6
6
4
5
1
5
5
8
4
6
5
0
-

7
10
4
5
1
6
5
8
4
6
5
0
-

8
10
4
6
1
8
5
8
4
8
5
0
-

9
10
4
7
1
11
5
8
4
9
5
0
-

10
10
4
8
1
13
5
8
4
9
7
0
Hitting Handle Animal 8 to qualify for entry to the SI.

11
10
4
8
1
14
9
8
4
10
8
2
Two ranks here for the Never Outnumbered Skill Trick.

12
10
8
8
1
15
13
8
4
10
8
0
-

13
10
13
8
1
16
15
8
4
10
9
0
-

14
10
16
8
1
17
17
8
5
10
11
0
-

15
10
17
8
1
18
18
8
8
10
14
0
-

16
10
18
8
1
19
19
8
11
10
17
0
-

17
10
19
8
1
20
20
8
14
10
20
0
-

18
10
20
8
1
21
21
8
19
10
21
0
-

19
10
22
8
1
22
22
8
22
11
22
0
-

20
10
23
8
1
23
23
8
23
15
23
0
-

Nameel has full BAB throughout his career, so even though he doesn’t hit hard he does hit precisely. He actually converts, from Lawful Neutral to Lawful Good, in order to join the church of Ilmater. At this level his Fort save is pretty decent and buffered by Divine Grace. Although his Gather Information is a little low, he has both Track and Urban Tracking and can at least attempt to hunt down foes of the faith. Whilst he is afraid - mostly of his own corruption - his cowardice rewards him as he lands precise damage (SA boosted by Craven) for a little extra oomph. He also has decent K:Planes and K:Religion for these levels, as well as the barest of magical talents. He meets the prerequisites needed to enter the Gray Guard.

Inducted into the Gray Guard his flirtation with moral decline is in full swing. He has demonstrated his Iron Will in the fight against suffering, and has reasonable saves at those times when he hasn’t overstepped the tenets of his faith. He meets the necessary prerequisites to enter the SI and starts dabbling in the application of pain and fear as part of his cover, finding particular use in Debilitating Touch and Devastating Touch. He’s convinced he doesn’t like doing this. Absolutely convinced… In fact he will regularly be seeking Atonement (less of a burden for a Gray Guard than most Paladins thanks to his Sacrament of Trust) though his moment of equivocation will temporarily see him revert to his previously Lawful Neutral self in time to enter the SI.

Realising the severity of his sins, Nameel does seek the appropriate (though somewhat more severe) Atonement and actively seeks the redemption needed to once again become Lawful Good. He vows never to cross that line again, instead subverting the his role as finder of sacrifice within the cult of Loviatar. Nameel has full mastery of his fear-based skills, having some battlefield control with Imperious Command and Never Outnumbered, and his determination, though cumbrously late to the party, helps ensure his will will never falter again.

And here’s the culmination. Being immune to all HP damage fulfils the relentless hunter fantasy he has been hurtling towards. He has fantastic tracking in all sorts of conditions, through maxed Gather Information and Survival, reasonable social facility through maxed Intimidate and Sense Motive, utility through maxed K:Planes and a smattering of K:Religion and Spellcraft and enough Concentration (along with Steady Concentration) to make all but the highest checks should that matter.

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:26 AM

I... what?

Jonny Goldpiece: He-Man of the Paragnostic Assembly Collections Department

Lawful Neutral Dragonborn (wing aspect) Human

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Trebuchet2.png/220px-Trebuchet2.png
https://i.imgur.com/bu5FOfj.png

Psychic warrior 10/crimson scourge 10

Abilities
Str 10,
Dex 10,
Con 12,
Int 16,
Wis 16,
Cha 12

Add +1 to Cha at levels 4, 8, and 12,
Add +1 to str at 16 and 20

Within the City Limits, I came across this dragonborn setting up a trebuchet in the city square. Yes, a trebuchet. A 10 ton trebuchet.

He was ordering a bunch of githyank around and aiming it squarely at the Black Rook Inn.

Of course, I stopped him, and he seemed genuinely aggravated for the disturbance. I told him, you can’t be setting up a flippin’ siege engine in the middle of town at midnight.

He dug through a satchel and showed me his paperwork.

He had a special dispensation to use ANY WEAPON in any part of the town. This couldn’t be right. But it was right there, signed off and everything. So I stood back and watched.

A few seconds later, he said, “We’re using the kid gloves boys!” and proceeded to level the entire Black Rook Inn. No one died, but they were all knocked out. He sniffed the air, identifying some scent that he was looking for and dug through the rubble and attached some manacles to an arm he found attached to a thoroughly comatose somebody.

He bellowed “Got him! This stinking tax cheater ain’t cheating the paragnostic assembly ever again.” And he drug the bedraggled knocked out person from the rubble.

“Yall are dismissed!” and the githyanki disappeared along with the trebuchet.

-Town watchman Eggly Beggulface

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

1
Lower Class (Cityscape p.59) Soulbound Weapon (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a) Psychic Warrior
0
2
0
0
20: Heal 1, Gather information 4, Handle animal 4, Intimidate 2, psycraft 2, k. local 4, profession (siege engineer) 3
Weapon focus (heavy trebuchet)(b), urban tracking 1 (Cityscape p.64), able learner(b) (Races of Destiny, p. 150), point blank shot (b)
Bonus Feat, Weapon Focus (soulbound weapon), Power: Call Weaponry (XPH p.82)
0

2
soulbound weapon (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a) Psywar
1
3
0
0
5: Gather info 5, handle animal 5, profession Siege engineer 5, profession (sailor) 1

Soulbound Weapon, Power: Extend range (compsi p.89)
1

3
psychic warrior
2
3
1
1
5: intimidate 3, psycraft 3, handle animal 6, gather info 6, profession siege engineer 6
Linked power
Power: synesthete (XPH 134)
3

4
psychic warrior
3
4
1
1
5: gather info 7, handle animal 7, profession siege engineer 7, profession sailer 2, k. planes 1

Power: sense danger (magic of eberron p.105)
5

5
psychic warrior
3
4
1
1
5: gather info 8, handle animal 8, psycraft 4, profession Siege engineer 8, k. planes 2
Expert siege engineer (Heroes of Battle, p. 97)
Bonus Feat, Power: ethereal volley (com psi p.88)
7

6
psychic warrior
4
5
2
2
5: gather info 9, intimidate 4, profession siege engineer 9, k. planes 4
Touchstone (Sandstorm, p. 53) (astral sojourner plHB p.165)
Power: dimension swap (XPH p.93)
11

7
Crimson Scourge 1
5
7
4
2
9: gather info 10, profession siege engineer 10, profession sailer 9
Special dispensation
Kid Gloves, Special Dispensation
11

8
Crimson Scourge 2
6
8
5
2
9: gather info 11, k. planes 8, profession siege engineer 11, profession sailer 11

Swift Tracker
11

9
Crimson Scourge 3
7
8
5
3
9: gather info 12, pro (siege engineer) 12, pro (sailer) 12, forgery 4, handle animal 10
Practiced manifester (Complete Psionic, p. 57)
Painful Strike
11

10
Crimson Scourge 4
8
9
6
3
9: gather info 13, pro (siege engineer) 13, Pro (sailer) 13, forgery 6, search 4

Immovable Heart
11

11
Crimson Scourge 5
9
9
6
3
9: gather info 14, pro (siege engineer) 14, pro (sailo) 14, intimidate 10
Improved disarm
Improved Disarm
11

12
Crimson Scourge 6
10
10
7
4
9: gather info 15, pro (siege engineer) 15, pro (sailor) 15, search 8, forgery 7, k. planes 9
personal touchstone (Planar Handbook, p. 41)
Painful Strike +2d6
11

13
Crimson Scourge 7
11
10
7
4
9: gather info 16, pro siege engineer 16, pro sailor 16, intimidate 16

Threaten
11

14
Crimson Scourge 8
12
11
8
4
9: gather info 17, pro siege engineer 17, pro sailor 17, intimidate 17, search 13

Deadened Hide
11

15
Crimson Scourge 9
13
11
8
5
9: gather info 18, pro siege engineer 18, pro sailor 18, intimidate 18, survival 5
scourge of the seas (Stormwrack, p. 93)
Painful Strike +3d6
11

16
Crimson Scourge 10
14
12
9
5
9: gather info 19, pro siege engineer 19, pro sailor 19, intimidate 19, disable device 5

Smell of Blood
11

17
psychic warrior
15
12
9
5
5: gather information 20, pro siege engineer 20, pro sailor 20, concentration 3

Power: vampiric blade (XPH p.140)
15

18
psychic warrior
16
13
9
5
5:concentration 8
point blank shot, penetrating shot
Bonus Feat, Power: animal affinity
19

19
psychic warrior
16
13
10
6
5: concentration 13

Power: exhalation of the bronze dragon (com psi p.89)
23

20
psychic warrior
17
14
10
6
5:concentration 18

Power: psychokinetic weapon (com psi p.96)
27

Build synopsis:
Special dispensation allows you to use any weapon you want. You know what the best weapon is? A 10 ton heavy trebuchet. That you can call on command due to the soulbound warrior ACF. Even better that you can then proceed to use it with the kid gloves ability so that it deals non-lethal damage. So, you use urban tracking to find out where your quarry is staying for the night, you sneak up to 1000 feet away from them. Summon your magically enhanced trebuchet, and use your crew of 13 githyanki that you get from going to steer the astral sojourner out of the maelstrom on a biweekly basis, thanks to the touchstone feat, and use that to just smash your bounty to little bits.

Granted, you’ll need to find a way to consistently get to the astral plane to keep your trebuchet crew around at your beck and call, but luckily you needed planes knowledge anyway to get double your astral sojourner higher order uses anyway, and the paragnostic assembly (affiliation in Complete Champion) is more than willing to grant you a knowledge class skill, and they definitely have a problem with deadbeat adventurers not paying the mandatory 10% wealth tax that the free class access to knowledge skills that they provide. So, basically they’ll be your patron shuttling you to the astral plane seeing as how they are comprised of brainiacs anyway, while you guarantee that they get paid.

So a few things:
“Unlike other ranged weapons, siege weapons deal full damage to objects.” These things are weapons.

Trebuchet: A trebuchet uses a heavy counterweight to fire heavy projectiles an extraordinary distance. The great trebuchet uses a 30-foot-long swing arm on a fulcrum with twin buckets filled with rubble attached to one end and a sling for the ammunition attached to the other end. The counterweight buckets are hauled into the air by a winch system and held in place by a latch .Loads of shot launched by a heavy trebuchet deal damage to all creatures within 2 squares of the target square. Loading a heavy trebuchet requires six full-round actions. Reaiming a trebuchet requires four times as long as loading it, and the weapon cannot be re aimed while it is loaded. A heavy trebuchet takes up a 25-foot-by-25-foot space.

Firing a heavy trebuchet

First, the catapult crew must aim the catapult at a target square. Doing this requires a DC 15 Profession (siege engineer) check by the crew chief (the lead operator of the catapult) and one or more full-round actions taken by the crew of the catapult. Multiple crew members can perform these full-round actions at the same time, reducing the time it takes to aim the catapult. The number of rounds required varies by the weapon. Other crew members can assist this skill check by making a DC 10 Profession (siege engineer) check, as described under Combining Skill Attempts, pages 65–66 of the Player’s Handbook; success on this check this grants the crew chief a +2 bonus on his check.

Next, the catapult must be loaded. As with aiming, loading a catapult requires one or more full-round actions taken by the crew members. As before, multiple crew members can perform
these full-round actions at the same time, reducing the time it takes to load the catapult (for example, if the catapult requires four full-round actions to load, a crew of four can load it in a single round). The crew chief must succeed on a DC 15 Profession (siege engineer) check, and at least one member of the crew must succeed on a DC 10 Strength check. Other members
of the crew can assist with either of these checks by using the aid another action but must choose which check to aid (that is,the same crew member cannot assist in both rolls). Large or
larger creatures load a catapult in half the given time, while Small creatures require twice the given time. Tiny creatures can’t load a catapult.
\Finally, the crew chief makes a special attack roll to fire the catapult. He rolls 1d20 and adds his base attack bonus, his Intelligence modifier, any penalty for range increments (see Table 4–1), and any other modifiers that apply (see the remainder of this sidebar). A square on the battlefield is treated as having AC 15 against a catapult’s attack. This attack is a standard action, and the attack roll can’t be assisted by the crew.

Qualification: We get our animal handling and gather information class skills by coming from the lower class, as specified on page 59 of cityscape, the same book in which we find the crimson scourge. That gives us everything we need to get into the class.

Touchstone: The touchstone feat is compatabile with planar touchstones and only needs a key to operate with no other pre-reqs, which is convenient because you'll probably have insufficient rank in the paragnostic assembly to have free k. planes as a class skill until well after level 6.

SnapShots
Level 5 You’re a lame psychic warrior who cant do anything but summon a trebuchet.

High point of the build: Level 7: Here, we have 90% of the hijinx in place. We have a summonable trebuchet, the ability to fly kinda, through dragonborn lineage, a special dispensation to use that trebuchet anywhere where bounty hunting is legal, and we can use that trebuchet to deal non lethal damage by using kid gloves.

You should have the higher order ability to summon your 13 githyanki pirates to help you bring that 24 round aiming process of the trebuchet down to like 2 or 3 turns, and you can always summon another trebuchet while they are loading it.

You can load the trebuchet up with different +1 enchantments, like ghost touch. Plus, thanks to aerial bombardment rules on page 68 of heroes of battle, and the fact that psychoportation does not have the limitations of the conjuration subschool, therefor you can psychoport things without the stipulations about them requiring solid ground, you can just spend a single pp and drop 20d6 trebuchet damage all day long while you glide aloft summoning trebuchets to fall on your enemy’s heads.

Level 10 So, you can do everything you could do at level 7, but a little bit better.

Level 15: Here, some things have changed. You have 4 higher order uses of githyanki per visit to the astral voyager thanks to the personal touchstone. You now have scourge of the sea, which a fantastic feat for narrative naval combat. Should you encounter another ship captain, you can scare them with your intimidation check. Or...maybe you can forge papers to make someone a captain and use the threaten ability along with scourge of the sea when you see the opponent out at the bar.

Level 20: I checked, you can totally animate your trebuchet with your 4th level power: psychokinetic weapon. animal affinity gives you the strength prereq for penetrating shot, in case you want to do 14d6+3 damage in a straight 60' line, and because it deals full damage to objects, you can just blow through basically anything. Further, vampiric blade also works for your trebuchet. So get ready to heal all that area damage that your DM throws at your broken little build.

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:28 AM

And here's the Chair's just for fun entry. Don't judge this one.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/d/da/Giant_Fishballoon.png
The Lady of Spines
CE Spiker Soulborn 5/Crimson Scourge 10/Soulborn 10

Stats
Str 16
Dex 10
Con 16
Int 12
Wis 10
Cha 12 (Increases Here)

Backstory
In a seedy bar in a grimy part of a gloomy town, Georg nervously drank cheap beer from a filthy glass. The sweat from the glass was far outshone by the sweat cascading down his face. The bartender turned to him with a concerned look tinged with suspicion.

“Are you all right there? We don’t have any of the hard stuff here, if you’re looking for a hit.”
“N-no, it’s not that. I’m just… worried. Someone’s after me. She’s been following me all day. I’ve given her the slip a couple times, but she just keeps finding me again.”
“What did you do that she’s after you?”
“Nothing! I’m innocent, I swear! She’s a relentless demon, and I’m her prey! I’m doomed, I tell you.”
“OK, buddy, I think that’s enough drink for you. I’m cutting you off.”
“No please, I need just one more to steady my nerve before- “

“GEORG YOU SCUTTLING WORM! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE YOUR PUNISHMENT!”
The bars patrons looked up to find an imposing figure in the doorway. The dim light glistened on the wicked spines erupting from every inch of her skin. In the silence that settled over the bar, the clinking of the chains in her hand echoed like the tolling of bells. She lowered her voice, still easily audible over the hush.
“If you try to run, you will know pain.”

“Light preserve me, she’s here!” Georg sprang from his stool, and was half a step towards the back door before she was upon him. The chain fell upon him with a clap of thunder, stopping him in his tracks. His eyes unfocused and he let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a groan, wavering on his feet. She hefted him by the waist, tossing him up draped over her shoulder. He let out a squeal as his weight settled onto her spines. She rooted in his pockets, tossing a few coins on the bar.
“Didn’t pay your tab, scum.”
She turned on her spined heel and strode away without another word.

In a cramped room in a dark corner of a crooked alley, Georg’s wails rang out to the uncaring night. After a considerable time, the sounds relented. The door opened and Georg stepped out, shoulders sagged but skin unbroken.
“The fire… I could feel it burning as the spines pierced my flesh… but I’m not burned.”
“It’s a new trick I figured out.”
“It’s astounding.”
“I’m flattered. Put out another bounty and I’ll find you again.”
“Thank you, my lady. Good night”
“Good night Georg. You worm.”

Build

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

1st
CE Soulborn 1
+1
+2
+0
+0
Gather Information 4(2), Handle Animal 4, Heal 1, Intimidate 3
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain)
Aura, Smite Opposition 1/day

2nd
Soulborn 2
+2
+3
+0
+0
Gather Information 1(2.5), Handle Animal 5, Intimidate 4

Incarnum Defense(Immune to Str reduction)

3rd
Soulborn 3
+3
+3
+1
+1
Gather Information 1 (3), Handle Animal 6, Intimidate 5
Urban Tracking, Sapphire Smite(B)
Bonus Feat

4th
Soulborn 4
+4
+4
+1
+1
Gather Information 1 (3.5), Handle Animal 7, Intimidate 6

5th
Soulborn 5
+5
+4
+1
+1
Gather Information 1 (4), Handle Animal 8, Intimidate 7

Smite Opposition 2/day

6th
Crimson Scourge 1
+6/+1
+6
+3
+1
Gather Information 9, Intimidate 9
Power Attack, (B)Special Dispensation
Kid Gloves, Special Dispensation, Net Proficiency

7th
Crimson Scourge 2
+7/+2
+7
+4
+1
Gather Information 10, Intimidate 10, Survival 5

Swift Tracker

8th
Crimson Scourge 3
+8/+3
+7
+4
+2
Gather Information 11, Intimidate 11, Survival 10

Painful Strike +1d6

9th
Crimson Scourge 4
+9/+4
+8
+5
+2
Bluff 3, Gather Information 12, Intimidate 12, Survival 12
Martial Study (Foehammer)
Immovable Heart

10th
Crimson Scourge 5
+10/+5
+8
+5
+2
Bluff 5, Diplomacy 2, Gather Information 13, Intimidate 13, Survival 13
(B)Improved Disarm
Improved Disarm

11th
Crimson Scourge 6
+11/+6/+1
+9
+6
+3
Bluff 6, Diplomacy 5, Gather Information 14, Intimidate 14, Survival 14

Painful Strike +2d6

12th
Crimson Scourge 7
+12/+7/+2
+9
+6
+3
Bluff 10, Gather Information 15, Intimidate 15, Survival 15
Martial Stance (Martial Spirit)
Threaten

13th
Crimson Scourge 8
+13/+8/+3
+10
+7
+3
Bluff 14, Gather Information 16, Intimidate 16, Survival 16

Deadened Hide

14th
Crimson Scourge 9
+14/+9/+4
+10
+7
+4
Bluff 17, Gather Information 17, Intimidate 17, Survival 17

Painful Strike +3d6

15th
Crimson Scourge 10
+15/+10/+5
+11
+8
+4
Bluff 18, Diplomacy 8, Gather Information 18, Intimidate 18, Survival 18
Martial Study (Burning Brand)
Smell of Blood

16th
Soulborn 6
+16/+11/+6/+1
+12
+9
+5
Heal 3, Intimidate 19

17th
Soulborn 7
+17/+12/+7/+2
+12
+9
+5
Heal 5, Intimidate 20
(B)Healing Soul
Bonus Feat

18th
Soulborn 8
+18/+13/+8/+3
+13
+9
+5
Heal 7, Intimidate 21
Martial Stance (Thicket of Blades)
Chakra Binds (Crown, Feet, Hands)

19th
Soulborn 9
+19/+14/+9/+4
+13
+10
+6
Heal 9, Intimidate 22

Share Incarnum Defense 1/day

20th
Soulborn 10
+20/+15/+10/+5
+14
+10
+6
Heal 11, Intimidate 23

Smite Opposition 3/day

Soulmelds: 2 Essentia: 3(+2 from feats) Chakra Binds: 1

Level 5
Spiker gives you natural armor and always-on armor spikes for free. I’m assuming they’re treated as natural weapons. Soulborn provides for skills needed to enter the SI, a smite for more damage, and soulmeld shaping for some added utility, boosting skills and damage. Lucky dice are a solid go-to if you don’t know what to shape. Spiked Chain is perhaps the only Exotic Weapon worth the feat, reach, trip, disarm, and you can still attack adjacent targets. Plus spikes on spikes go together like stripes on stripes. Sapphire smite means more smites, which is always good.

Level 10
Jumping into the SI. Kid gloves can apply to whatever you want, so nonlethally whip someone with your chain and punch them with spines. Net’s a good opening salvo, worth having a couple to start a fight with. Power attack is almost given with full BAB. Foehammer punches through DR and sets up later feats.

Level 15
Finishing the SI and you’re firing on all cylinders. Disarm opponents and nonlethally beath them senseless. Be immune to other crimson scourges. Scent makes for good anti-stealth, and builds on well. Martial Spirit gives bottomless healing to keep yourself going and patch up your targets. Burning Brand adds even more reach, plus I think nonlethal fire damage is funny.

Level 20
Back to Soulborn for more smites, more essential, more melds, and importantly, binds. Binding the Hunter Circlet gives Track, which actually pairs well with Urban Tracking. It pairs especially well to track by scent instead of tracks. Impulse Boots give evasion. Thunderstep Boots are the famous soulborn exclusive meld for a reason. They deal sonic damage, and the bind lets you stun enemies. Slapping someone with nonlethal spiky fire from 15 feet away to stun them is just a fun time. Thicket of Blades provides a way to lock down enemies if they try to flee once you’ve charged in.

Sources
Spiker: Planar Handbook
Soulborn, Healing Soul, Sapphire Smite, Soulmelds: Magic of Incarnum
Martial Study, Martial Stance, maneuvers: Tome of Battle
EWP, Power Attack, Urban Tracking: PHB

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 02:29 AM

And that's our entries for this round. Judges, over to you!

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-18, 03:07 AM

And that's our entries for this round. Judges, over to you!

WoW, didn't expect so many diverse builds. I was expecting to only see the same classes over and over again^^

I need to take a closer look at them later when I have some more time. Many interesting ideas and almost nothing is overlapping.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-18, 04:45 AM

So many entries! And very diverse, proving my point about this ingredient being a good one. Well done, everyone!

I should have some time tomorrow to start judging, and I'll make time during the weekend to hopefully finish.

AvatarVecna

2021-01-18, 05:18 AM

Hmm...9 entries...4am...busy monday...

...I'll get to judging when I can. Expect it'll be a few days before I can properly start, though.

WhamBamSam

2021-01-18, 06:01 AM

No one (myself included) went for early entry. You can enter Crimson Scourge at 5th level if you can get a unspecified feat for Primary Contact at 4 while maintaining full BAB. Thug Fighter 4 going Dragonborn to shuffle Weapon Focus for a familiarity weapon or Dodge or something works, as does Frostblood Orc or Half-Orc Barbarian 1/Ranger 3 with the bonus feat that replaces Endurance. I suppose Crimson Scourge doesn't really do enough on its own for the resource investment to be worth it.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-18, 06:27 AM

Hmm...9 entries...4am...busy monday...

...I'll get to judging when I can. Expect it'll be a few days before I can properly start, though.

10 entries, unless my eyes deceive me.

And I'd say you can take your time - knowing you, I'll be very surprised if I manage to finish judging before you do.

AvatarVecna

2021-01-18, 07:02 AM

10 entries, unless my eyes deceive me.

And I'd say you can take your time - knowing you, I'll be very surprised if I manage to finish judging before you do.

9 entries we're expected to judge. 10th is the chair's. :smalltongue:

Hiro Quester

2021-01-18, 10:00 AM

Very cool. Some amusing stories, and options. (A kid gloves Trebuchet is an ... in treating idea.) I'm looking forward to reading all the details.

I really wanted to find a way to get Thunder Guide into the mix. It fits the theme really well, by taking Stormreach Irregulars it gives a boost to Gather information checks for Urban Tracking and treating the city as a large village. Plus at 5th level you literally become a Folk Hero. But any way I looked at it, it's a downgrade in power. It fits the theme really well, though.

the other build I didn't finish was trying to put a Fear caster base on it.
Inspire Awe Melee Bard 5/Dread Witch 5/Crimson Scourge 10. or Bard 6/DW 5/CS7/ Abjurant Champion 2.

Or maybe Nightmare Spinner at the end there. Or finish CS (see why I had trouble finishing it?)

With able learner he could have Handle Animal 8 by level 13 without a feat to add the skill (like 3.0's Cosmopolitan, which felt like it might count as replaced by the 3.5 feat). Bard has the rest of the skills he'd need.

Dread witch for a permanent fear aura emanating from him, and for the ability for fear effects to stay relevant when enemies that (theoretically, but not for him) immune to fear. Focussing on escalating fear effects and fear-enhanced illusions that scare your targets into submission. Bard's whip for disarming and tripping, and adding bolas to trip and entangle panicked targets into cowering as they try to flee.

Plus Bard's ability to whistle a tune that caused fear (like Omar in The Wire (https://youtu.be/UmtuRRhtGQw)), and a bard's ability to spread stories (using perform (storytelling) and bluff, that enhance your reputation as a merciless bastard to be feared.

Thurbane

2021-01-18, 02:02 PM

I briefly looked at the Imp monster class, to get Regeneration, but couldn't really do much with it.

daremetoidareyo

2021-01-18, 04:00 PM

I toyed with a shadow caster entry because a lot of their lower level mysteries deal non lethal and a one level dip in crimson scourge would make them actually good, but eh... it seemed like a stretch to do anything else

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 05:24 PM

I considered pyrokineticist because the idea of whipping people with nonlethal fire was very funny to me. Then I saw that it's still a ranged touch attack (I think possibly due to some weird unupdated 3.0 about how whips work) so you can't use it with kid gloves.

I also considered avenging executioner before a nagging thought reminded me to look at the full sudden strike rules, which don't allow you to use sudden strike with nonlethal damage because... like with skirmish not working while mounted, they decided to make it worse than sneak attack in a weird way that doesn't really affect much but still feels like a pain.

AvatarVecna

2021-01-18, 06:21 PM

Never before have I come so close to just refusing to judge an entry. Definitely a lock for my Dishonorable Mention vote.

daremetoidareyo

2021-01-18, 06:21 PM

The Viscount

2021-01-18, 06:34 PM

Kid gloves works with ranged. Painful strike is the one that requires melee

You got me. That's still really weird though, no? to enable you to start doing something and then say "nevermind, you can't do this." I can't think of a reason for it, especially since the expected entry is through ranger, which get ranged combat styles as an option.

daremetoidareyo

2021-01-18, 06:39 PM

You got me. That's still really weird though, no? to enable you to start doing something and then say "nevermind, you can't do this." I can't think of a reason for it, especially since the expected entry is through ranger, which get ranged combat styles as an option.

I think they were imagining a whipcracker. It explains the ranged allowance for whips

AvatarVecna

2021-01-18, 09:16 PM

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.50: Human
+0.50: Wendigo
+0.25: Barbarian
-0.25: Uncanny Trickster
+0.25: Feat Choices
+0.25: Skill Choices
+0.50: Overall Concept

Human and Uncanny Trickster are common fodder in charop discussions, but the rest of it was pretty unexpected. I'm looking forward to how you make a Barbarian Santa Claus expy pull together.

If villains hadn't been waiting on judgement as long as it had, I'd suspect I know who you are for using Wendigo, but then it's been running for so very long that anybody who does these contests could've seen it, so... :smalltongue:

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.00: One template
+0.50: One base class
+0.00: One non-SI PrC
+0.25: No dips
+0.25: No multiclass penalties
+0.25: Qualifies for everything
+0.25: List Of Sources

Not the simplest build in the world, but nowhere near the mess I've come to expect from contests like this. It's not quite as simple as I'd prefer for a perfect score, but I imagine you're getting closer than most.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.50: Low Level Power
+0.50: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid-High Level Power
+0.25: High Level Power

Your low-level snapshot implies that Dreadful Wrath + Intimidating Rage = "instant lockdown", but I'm really not seeing it, at least not at this point in the build. Dreadful Wrath lets you free action AoE "save vs fear" on a group of people, but it's just shaken. Intimidating Rage lets you free action attempt to demoralize a single foe, and if affected they remain shaken for as long as you're raging, but it only affects one person per encounter. You'll certainly be handing out plenty of Shaken conditions in a fight - which isn't a bad condition, but it's hardly "instant lockdown" material. Still, you're a low-level barbarian with two free action fear effects, and that's pretty good for this level so you're fine.

Wendigo + Blazing Berserker is a powerful combo, and you're correct that Wendigo brings a lot of goodies to the table. Normally, being an ECL 9/4 HD bruiser would count against you, regeneration (along with fire immunity making you actually unkillable while raging) make that far less of a problem than other builds have had previously. In particular, using Blazing Berserker to get around the fire vulnerability of the template is a lovely little move, well done.

Mid-levels sees you pick up the tricks that really bring your intimidation tactics into play. Your general capabilities don't change too significantly after this point - it's just this, but more - but fly 120 ft, invulnerability, and standard fear-optimization are doing you pretty well, even if your attack routines aren't the most notable things in the world. Even with it becoming just not quite as impressive for a high-level character, you're doing so phenomenal that you get full marks here. I didn't have high standards for a non-caster, but you've blown most of them out of the water, and other builds will have to work to keep up.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Starts SI late
+0.25: Completes SI
+1.50: 9/9 SI features used

I debated whether to take off points for not technically finishing the SI, especially since I'd get pretty frustrated if future competitions turned into "SI 2/Legacy Champion 10" builds, but I decided not to. The spirit of things matters: you avoided the actual levels, but you took all the features, and Uncanny Trickster still ties in with a really skilled combatant. The uses for two of the features (Painful Strike and Improved Disarm) are left heavily implied rather than specifically called out, but it's close enough for government work. Starting the SI after Wendigo makes sense for the story you've got put together, but it's also robbing you of the half-point you're missing. Them's the shakes.

Beyond the mechanics, though, I appreciate the work put into the actual story - making the class and race abilities tie together to make a scary Santa Claus. A scary noncaster is a difficult sell, but you make it work.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.50: Human
-0.25: Ranger
+0.50: Psychic Warrior
+0.50: Devoted Defender
+0.50: Feat Choices
+0.25: Skill Choices
+0.25: Overall Concept

Human Ranger is par for the course here, but I 100% did not expect a psionic character this round, and that's honestly why you're getting a bunch of big buffs to your score. Taking a sadistic bounty hunter and making them a bodyguard is also pretty interesting. Looking forward to seeing how the mechanics shake out.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Zero templates
+0.25: Two base classes
+0.00: One non-SI PrC
-1.00: Two 1-level dips
+0.25: No multiclassing penalties
+0.00: One minor qualification issue
+0.25: List Of Sources

Those two dips are costing you pretty bad. If this was just Psychic Warrior/Crimson Scourge (somehow), you'd be looking at a 5, but I can understand why you're taking them. It's worth mentioning that you only qualify for Devoted Defender when your psicrystal is within reach. There's debate on whether you stop gaining the benefits of features if you stop qualifying for them, and while I'm pretty sure you're RAW in the clear, if it ever came up where you were separated from your crystal in a real game, I'm sure it would turn into an argument about whether you still have the feature or not. Causing rules arguments at real tables is an Elegance issue, but it's fairly minor and niche, so it's just a small penalty.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.50: Low Level Power
+0.50: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.25: Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid-High Level Power
+0.25: High Level Power

Having powers where others don't make your low levels more impressive than I was expecting. Harm's Way avoids the usual "immediate action" issue that a lot of bodyguarding abilities have, so having that kick in low-mid along with some basic Crimson Scourge stuff is doing well for you. You drop off a bit in mid without further power support - even if the ones you have are still doing good work, they've not really improved much. Mid-high sees you advance that further, and high levels pick up some of the more powerful scourge abilities so you're only a little bit behind where I'd expect a high-level noncaster to be.

Additionally, I'm glad to see that you've made item recommendations for your build. They don't necessarily factor into your build's power directly, but it's good to see that you're putting thought into the synergy even if it's not kosher to assume they're 100% allowed.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Starts SI on time
+0.25: Completes SI
+1.25: 8/9 SI Features used

Near-perfect score. Weirdly, I can't really see how nonlethal immunity is really doing anything for your build that's worth mentioning, so deadened hide isn't doing too well for you - and it's weird to say that a damage immunity isn't doing much to help a tank, but there you go. Unless I've missed something about how your power setup works? But everything else gets mentioned or referenced - in particular, I like how you're using Scent to cover the weaknesses in one of your sensory powers, making good use of a normally-bad capstone.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.50: Human
+0.50: Corollax
-0.50: Symbiotic template
+0.25: Phrenic
+0.25: Fiendish
+0.50: Wendigo
+0.50: Greenbound
-0.50: Dungeoncrasher Zhentarim Fighter
-0.25: Feat choices
+0.00: Skill choices
+0.50: Overall Concept

Well, the feat choices are uninspired, and Human/Zhentarim Fighter as entry is one of the things I think everybody at least considered. But I gotta be honest, I wasn't expecting anybody to superglue a magic parrot with LA +16 to their shoulder. Just not a possibility I was considering for this competition at all, for some reason. That's boosting your score quite a bit higher than it would otherwise be.

+3.00: Starting Position
-1.50: Five templates
+0.50: One base class
+0.25: Zero non-SI PrCs
+0.25: No dips
+0.25: No multiclass penalties
-0.25: One qualification issue
+0.25: List Of Sources
-1.00: Four lesser rules issues (known when submitted)
-1.50: Guaranteed to start a huge argument at the table

I honestly don't even know what kinda feedback to give here. You know what you did. That said, a couple slight points worth mentioning beyond the obvious issues:

Symbiotic template doesn't have the same text that Tauric does, where the LA only applies to one creature in the pair and their LA is otherwise entirely unconnected. Even if a DM were to agree that the text in Tauric means that you can staple an LA +9001 creature to an LA +0 creature and have the Tauric result be LA +2, that doesn't give Symbiotic the same pass. And let's be clear: the Tauric example would still cause a massive argument.

2) Just because Jotunbrud --> Knockback has been allowed before, doesn't make it any more legal. You're medium, you don't qualify. Judges aren't infallible, and mistakes aren't approval.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.50: Low Level Power
+0.50: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid-High Level Power
+0.50: High Level Power

I honestly didn't even bother reading through your entry for this part. You slapped LA +16 worth of templates onto a human for LA +1, and frankly stopping at LA +16 feels like it was kinda arbitrary - why not slap on a round of half-dragons and the paragon template? And while that gets penalized in Elegance, we're supposed to not do double-jeopardy stuff when judging, and I figure at least one of us has to participate in good faith here, at least a little bit. I'm not giving feedback though.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Started SI late
+0.25: Finished SI
+0.25: 4/9 SI features used

Kid's Gloves, Painful Strike, Threaten, and Deadened Hide. The rest doesn't even get referenced, let alone built around. Heck, you DCS'd away the SI's bonus feat. I'm going to quote myself from my discussion about ratings from the previous IC:

4) UotSI is about the whole ingredient. If your build is Wizard 10/SI 10, but realistically you're playing a god wizard who wasted 8 levels and would've only dipped SI 2 for a real game and doesn't really use the rest of the SI for anything, you're not really a [SI] character, you're a Wizard with a gimmick, and your score will reflect that.

Guess what you are.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.50: Human
-0.25: Ranger
+0.50: Binder
+0.50: Knight Of The Sacred Seal
+0.25: Feat choices
+0.00: Skill choices
+0.00: Overall Concept

First fairly straightforward bounty hunter character in concept, although the execution is nice. Wasn't expecting binding anymore than I was expecting psionics, so points for surprising me. We'll see how it works out for you.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Zero templates
+0.25: Two base classes
+0.00: One non-SI PrC
-0.25: One 2-level dip
+0.25: No multiclassing penalties
+0.25: Qualifies for everything
+0.25: List Of Sources

A bit too unorthodox for full marks, but it's reasonably simple, and you've got everything in order.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Low Level Power
+0.25: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.00: Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid-High Level Power
+0.50: High Level Power

Binder is pretty solid at low/low-mid levels, not much else to say on that front. You're not quite as impressive as the wendigos, though. Mid-levels, Painful Strike is better with TWF stuff, and has good binding support so it's not going to fall too far behind. KotSS boost mid-high by significantly improving your best quality (binding). Unfortunately, while thematic, blade barrier isn't weapons so Kid's Gloves won't apply by default...although I could maybe see a DM allowing it, and it's an endgame trick that's pretty cool. You're still fairly powerful even without that, though.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Starts SI late
+0.25: Completes SI
+1.50: 9/9 SI Features used

While some SI features don't get quite as big of a spotlight as I'd generally prefer, what you do show off I greatly enjoy. Combining Crimson Scourge with binding is surprisingly quite valid and the build performs fairly well.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.50: Human
+0.50: Urban Druid
+0.50: Master Of Many Forms
+0.25: Feat Choices
+0.00: Skill Choices
+0.00: Overall Concept

Shapeshifter is an interesting approach to Crimson Scourge, but it's pretty standard cheese fodder for the playground...but an infiltrator like this is definitely surprising, so that balances out. While your own feats are boring and basic, being able to gain a bunch of Exalted feats is pretty surprising, given the SI's alignment restriction.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Zero templates
+0.50: One base class
+0.00: One non-SI PrC
+0.25: No dips
+0.25: No multiclass penalties
+0.25: Qualifies for everything...sorta
+0.25: List Of Sources
-0.75: Qualification argument
-0.75: Copying Race/Class/Feats argument

The bane of TO nonsense: the Elegance category. Really the only thing worth mentioning here is the qualification issues: even without touching on the particularly weird way in which Exalted feats are gained and lost (even if you're cheating your way into technically getting them via wild shape, the act of cheating your way into them can itself be potentially unqualifying), you've got two feats that your basic build depends on you having, which themselves depend on temporary changes to your statblock. It's not very difficult to argue that you don't have Endurance or Power Attack, and thus don't have MoMF. This build's big schtick is dependent on a DM agreeing with the following:

1) An explicitly temporary feat lets you meet prereqs.

2) Losing the feat doesn't lose the thing it qualified you for.

3) The rules support for this wild shape letting you copy race/class/feats for the most part isn't so against designer intent that it should be struck down.

For all three, RAW seems to be on your side pretty explicitly, even as RAI is very much against you. In the previous TO nonsense build, it's very much a "the rules don't say I can't, so I can", where here it seems as if the rules really do support your position, even if that's definitely not designer intentions. The lesser penalties reflect that.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.50: Low Level Power
+0.50: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid-High Level Power
+0.50: High Level Power

Low levels you are a druid. Past that point, you are a pile of shapeshifting nonsense pretending to be a bounty hunter. Nothing that really requires discussion: you're easily going to be one of the most powerful Crimson Scourges in existence even without having to tangle with the aforementioned qualification issues.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Starts SI late
-0.50: Two levels not taken
+0.00: 3/9 SI features used

As with the previous TO build, this really feels like you've tacked Crimson Scourge on for ****s and giggles rather than any actual synergy. The nonlethal immunity combos well enough with your one specific combat form I suppose, but you don't really care for bounty hunting even in the fluff, and you're only getting good use from the nonlethal damage boosting features as a happy coincidence.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.50: Half-Giant
-0.25: Primordial Giant
+0.00: Factotum
+0.00: Warblade
+0.00: Feat choices
+0.25: Skill Choices
+0.75: Overall concept

Factotum is pretty good in general, and applicable enough, but certainly far from expected entry. Given the nonmagic focus and the peculiar advancement of maneuvers, I expected more ToBs than I've gotten so far. The particular story you went with is surprising, but I'm enjoying it well enough. Easily my favorite so far.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.00: One template
+0.25: Two base classes
+0.25: Zero non-SI PrCs
-0.50: One 1-level dip
+0.25: No multiclass penalties
+0.25: Qualifies for everything
+0.25: List Of Sources

Fairly straightforward build. Would be a good deal more elegant without the Warblade dip, but that dip is doing a lot of work so it's understandable.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Low Level Power
+0.50: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.25: Mid Level Power
+0.25: Mid-High Level Power
+0.25: High Level Power

With the template, you're Factotum 3 at lvl 4, and that's just not particularly impressive at all, even with some of the tricks up your sleeve. Low-Mid is where you really come into your own with better Handle Animals shenanigans, maneuvers, spells, and Knowledge Devotion. Mid-levels sees the SI and action economy shenanigans kick in, but your maneuvers and spells just aren't keeping you up to snuff once you enter the SI. You've still got enough goodies that you're far from awful, and you're doing better than I was expecting...just not by much.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Enters SI late
+0.25: Finishes SI
+1.25: 8/9 SI features used

Kid's Gloves and Special Dispensation have surprising synergy with your skills, to my amusement. The focus on nonlethal serves your profession well. I'm not really seeing what nonlethal immunity is doing for you, but that's about it. Overall just excellent work.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.50: Silverbrow Human
+0.50: Totemist
+0.25: Feat choices
+0.00: Skill choices
+0.75: Overall concept

Another subsystem I wasn't expecting, and you get solid points for that. Definitely wasn't expecting a nature avenger type, for that matter, given the SI fluff being so tied to civilization.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Zero templates
+0.50: One base class
+0.25: Zero non-SI PrCs
+0.25: No dips
+0.25: No multiclass penalties
+0.25: Qualifies for everything
+0.25: List Of Sources

Perfectly elegant build. Race, base class, SI, and that's it. Everything's taken care of, full marks with nothing to complain about.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Low Level Power
+0.25: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.25: Mid Level Power
+0.25: Mid-High Level Power
+0.25: High Level Power

Standard totemist shenanigans are doing you well throughout your entire build. It never gets far enough to truly impress me the way some builds have, but it's a consistent level of effort that few others have - there's no levels I'd regret playing this at, unlike a number of the other builds that just wouldn't be as much fun at the lowest or highest levels.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Starts SI late
+0.25: Finishes SI
+0.75: 6/9 SI features used

I'm not really seeing what Immovable Heart, Threaten, or Deadened Hide are doing for you. If you've got a totemist thing that can give you regeneration that didn't get mentioned, though, that would be an easy +0.25 for you. You're essentially refluffing the existing class, but you've got enough mechanical synergy that I don't mind too much.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.50: Human
+0.25: Thug SA Fighter
+0.50: Paladin
+0.50: Grey Guard
+0.25: Feat choices
+0.00: Skill choices
+0.75: Overall Concept

Enjoying the neutral paladin infiltrating the pain cult. Definitely not what I expected for this round. Near full marks on this one, only harmed by being boring old human.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Zero templates
+0.25: Two base classes
+0.00: One non-SI PrC
-0.50: One 1-level dip
+0.25: No multiclass penalties
+0.25: Qualifies for everything
+0.25: List Of Sources
-0.00: One minor rules issue

No questionable rules interpretations. The build's a bit of a mess, but everything's tying together enough that you should be making the points back in other categories. It's unclear if you lose Craven or the fear immunity when you gain that via Paladin, but that's a minor issue that's not worth penalizing you for, even if it's worth mentioning

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Low Level Power
+0.25: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.00: Mid Level Power
+0.00: Mid-High Level Power
+0.25: High Level Power

Early levels are a bit above average, but you never really get better than that. Partially-charged wands past lvl 5 does not a powerful character make. You eventually get some regeneration just in time to be effectively invulnerable the way a bunch of other builds do, but they've had it online for a whole lot longer, where for you it's an end-of-game trick that's location-dependent.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Starts SI late
+0.25: Completes SI
+1.50: 9/9 SI features used

You tie in with the SI thematically and mechanically. Nothing much else to say about it.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.50: Human
+0.00: Dragonborn Of Bahamut
+0.50: Psychic Warrior
+0.25: Feat choices
+0.25: Skill Choices
+1.00: Overall Concept

The alignment stuff is the only reason dragonborn avoids an originality penalty. I can't not give a big bonus for the general concept, though, because that's amazing.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.00: One template
+0.50: One base class
+0.25: Zero non-SI PrCs
+0.25: No dips
+0.25: No multiclassing penalties
+0.25: Qualifies for everything
+0.25: List Of Sources

Super-simple build, elegant in its execution. Just shy of a perfect score.

+3.00: Starting Position
+0.25: Low Level Power
+0.50: Low-Mid Level Power
+0.50: Mid Level Power
+0.25: Mid-High Level Power
+0.50: High Level Power

Another TO kinda build, albeit a whole lot simpler than the other ones that have gotten the spotlight this round. I appreciate how it comes online at lvl 7, and I appreciate how it's mostly not pulling other shenanigans besides the trebuchet trick. That means midhigh-level power is suffering a bit, but not that badly, and you still get full marks.

+3.00: Starting Position
-0.25: Starts SI late
+0.25: Finishes SI
-0.25: 2/9 SI features used

It's a funny build that'll be marvelously effective, I 100% agree. But also, let's be honest: if you were making this for any other round, or any other competition, this would be a Psychic Warrior build with a 1-level Crimson Scourge dip. You're not here for anything but Kid's Gloves and Special Dispensation, and we both know it.

I've taken the chair's advice and left their build un-judged.

Build
AvatarVecna
Total

Santo "Claws"
18.00
18.00

Owen Austin
17.00
17.00

The Ghost Pirate
13.00
13.00

Rusty
16.50
16.50

Double Agent
14.25
14.25

Booker
16.25
16.25

Annette
17.00
17.00

Nameel
16.75
16.75

Jonny Goldpiece
17.00
17.00

Let's see...three way tie for second place...took a giant dump on both of the high-effort TO builds...yeah that oughta generate some good salty disputes. Mmmmm salt.

Venger

2021-01-19, 12:11 AM

We wait until after the reveal is posted to say who cooked what, should you wish to edit or delete your post.

AvatarVecna

2021-01-19, 12:13 AM

Additionally, we've got another judge incoming that will balance things out overall.

Piggy Knowles

2021-01-19, 06:26 AM

Wow, can't remember the last time we've had such prompt judging. Thanks! No disputes from me.

Venger

2021-01-19, 06:35 AM

Likewise. Thanks for judging so quickly.

eversilentone

2021-01-19, 07:12 AM

Thank you for the super-speedy judging. No disputes from me - I learned a lot about the scoring which I'll put into practice for next time!

Zaq

2021-01-19, 08:10 PM

My idea was all kinds of goofy. It was straddling the line between "joke build" and "refuge in audacity." Lemme just... copy this out of my notes.

• Step 1: get shrink item as many times per day as possible.
• Step 2: get into the SI and become able to deal nonlethal damage with weapons.
• Step 3: parse the rules about catching on fire very carefully and make an argument that you can now deal nonlethal fire damage. Then coal things in oil and hit them with fire-dealing weapons and let them catch on fire.
○ Aid to step 3: Dragonfire Assault. Turns PA damage into fire. Prereqs STR 13, CHA 11, dragonblood subtype, Power Attack
• Step 4: Since the nonlethal damage rules specify that creatures are knocked out when their nonlethal damage total exceeds their HP but specify nothing of the sort when it comes to objects, argue that this lets you make true nonmagical everburning torches. Or logs. Or campfires. The nonlethal damage will knock the wood out but won't consume it because it doesn't actually damage the object. Objects aren't immune to nonlethal damage but a comatose object is functionally identical to a normal one.
• Step 5: Cast shrink item on a bunch of eternal campfires, since shrink item can explicitly target a burning fire and its fuel.
• Step 6: Eternal campfires are still fires! They're still hot and absolutely nothing says they wouldn't still be burning. This is true when they're shrunk as well. So we need the SI's ability to become immune to nonlethal damage!
• Step 7: Once we're immune to nonlethal damage, we can pick up a whole bunch of our tiny eternal campfires (which are still constantly dealing nonlethal fire damage) and then use Sleight of Hand at a -20 (or -10 with Master Pickpocket) to plant them on some target as a free action. Suddenly that target is the one carrying all the burning things, and they're not immune to nonlethal damage! Ta-da, we've got a KO!
Extra credit: Sew the shrunken campfires together into a really badass cape.

Stupid, right? Funny, but stupid. Stub was something like human paragon 1 / wizard 3 / human paragon +2 / incarnate 2 / CS 10 / something to finish with.

Maybe coulda used a few more parts of the buffalo than it did, but the core concept seemed somewhat amusing. (I mean really, you ever see someone take shrink item as their arcane thesis before?) But I just didn't have the focus needed to get it into a full write-up in time. Which is fine, because I don't think I would have been the funniest entry here, so I probably wouldn't have stood out. There's some good variety here!

Venger

2021-01-19, 08:16 PM

What an incredible idea. Hopefully it consoles you that we did get a dish that deals nonlethal fire damage.

The Viscount

2021-01-19, 08:19 PM

Thank you for your speedy judging, AvatarVecna. I have a dispute for you.

Thanks for the fair, reasonably even-handed, and speedy judging, AvatarVecna (you made time to judge the entries faster than I made time to carefully read them).

A couple of minor quibbles about Booker.

On originality, you said:

Factotum is pretty good in general, and applicable enough, but certainly far from expected entry

If it's far from expected, it's surprising that you gave zero points for using Factotum to enter. You did award 0.25-0.5 originality points to other entries for relatively unexpected entry classes (Totemist, Psychic Warrior, Binder, Urban Druid, Paladin and even Barbarian).

Or perhaps this was a typo, and you meant that it was a far from unexpected entry? Even so, it doesn't seem much more unexpected that Urban Druid or Barbarian.

On power you said:

With the template, you're Factotum 3 at lvl 4, and that's just not particularly impressive at all, even with some of the tricks up your sleeve.

I just want to confirm that you are not underestimating those tricks. One might argue that being able to spend his 6/day inspiration points to add +5 to any attack, damage roll or saving throw, and to AC for a round, as well as a passive always-on +5 to initiative, and +5 to Iaijutsu checks, isn't that pathetic.

Plus he's adding his intelligence bonus (+5) to grapple, disarm, and has a +4 size bonus to those and to trip attacks vs medium creatures.

And at level 3 he has a +13 to intimidate checks to make a bully back down from initiating a fight to begin with (and can spend inspiration to add +5 to that).

You also didn't say anything about the use of Iaijutsu, adding an increasing number of d6s of damage to any attack against a flat-footed foe (and having a few ways of making opponents flat-footed).

Even at low levels, with +9 to the Iaijutsu check, and another +5 with an inspiration point, the check of +14 adding 2-5d6 to such an attack (a cumulative d6 for each multiple of 5 on the d20 roll).

So the low level power, isn't completely unimpressive.

And it's arguably decent at higher levels, too, adding +10d6 damage from Iaijutsu and Punishing Stance (in addition to the SI's +3d6 to disarmed opponents, which he specializes in creating, too).

It's not trebuchet levels of power, but it ain't insignificant, either.

Again, these are minor quibbles, mostly double-checking the (already impressive) consistency you have shown in judging these various builds. Thanks for considering them.

daremetoidareyo

2021-01-19, 08:22 PM

Falontani

2021-01-19, 08:45 PM

Holy... I've never seen a judgement that fast.
I had a completed stub, but couldn't make anything interesting for a story. I didn't take all ten levels of the prestige class, and didn't do anything awesome. My trick was using justicar and witchborn binder to handcuff people in incarnum manacles and having a bunch of non lethal damage.
If anyone wants I can post the stub in a spoiler edit.

Zaq

2021-01-20, 12:37 PM

My other goofy idea was trying to argue that a breath weapon is a weapon and that kid gloves would apply to a breath weapon. So then I wanted to use metabreath stacking to put basically an entire city to sleep with nonlethal damage. (Possible name: "the Sandman.") I was thinking I'd try to get the [Evil] subtype somehow and go Exalted / VoNV, with the idea being that they were some kind of redeemed fiend who really believed in the cause of Good but who was still pretty confused on the concept, so while they never permanently hurt anyone, they still caused a lot of collateral damage spewing nonlethal fire all over the place. (After all, why else would you bother with nonlethal breath weapons, especially if you're making it the build centerpiece?)

Problem is that it's a royal pain to get the [Evil] subtype. The imp class from Savage Species doesn't get Handle Animal, and neither does dragonfire adept. (I was also thinking of making the imp go dragonborn to support the whole "redeemed fiend" thing and to get a breath weapon with a recharge measured in rounds, for metabreath qualification, but the cost was really high.) Even worse, I really wasn't using anything from the SI except kid gloves. Like, at all. So that ended up on the scrap heap.

Venger

2021-01-20, 03:06 PM

For future reference, if you don't like kaorti, the traditional entry for fiend of possession, diabolus divine minion is the quickest way to get the [evil] subtype without touching those cheesy rituals from savage species.

WhamBamSam

2021-01-20, 03:25 PM

Also, while perhaps not relevant to this competition, Amethyst Dragons can deal non-lethal damage with their breath weapon.

Hiro Quester

2021-01-20, 08:47 PM

The Viscount

2021-01-20, 08:56 PM

Aereni Focus can give you whatever you want, though you have to be an elf and it's setting-bound.

A 1 level dip in human paragon, though of course you must be human.

Able learner plus 1 level in the class of your choice, though restricted to human or changeling. Popular to pair with factotum (or if you're me, savant) for all class skills forever.

Venger

2021-01-20, 08:59 PM

I didn’t see anyone finding interesting ways to get handle animal on your skill list. Did anyone find a good way to do that?

I wanted to use a gnome bard base, with a wild cohort (and special dispensation getting permission to take a tiger everywhere with him). But getting handle animal on that was difficult.

the 3.0 Cosmopolitan regional feat would do it (make any skill in-class). But that seems to have been superseded by the 3.5 Version that gained gather information, diplomacy, and sense motive as in class skills.

skill knowledge feat would too, but that seemed only for alternate skill systems.

Using a feat for that skill seemed expensive. And you could get eight ranks in a cross class skill by level 13, and adjust to take the best seven levels of Crimson scourge anyway. I’d resigned myself to having to do that when I ran out of time.

what other methods would do it?

what other
cosmpolitan does indeed default to the 3.5 version, same as anything else that has been updated.

Skill knowledge is not allowed in iron chef.

Aside from feats that allow any class skill to be selected or dipping a class that has it as a class skill, there is only one way to obtain handle animal: being of a low-class background, which is mentioned in cityscape. Someone did this last round and got penalized, so it's unsurprising no one tried it this time around.

daremetoidareyo

2021-01-20, 09:51 PM

Trebuchet guy is low class for handle animal

Venger

2021-01-20, 09:53 PM

I must've missed it. Since he uses a trebuchet, a gentleman's weapon, I assumed he was middle or high class.

Thurbane

2021-01-20, 10:23 PM

Aside from feats that allow any class skill to be selected or dipping a class that has it as a class skill, there is only one way to obtain handle animal: being of a low-class background, which is mentioned in cityscape. Someone did this last round and got penalized, so it's unsurprising no one tried it this time around.

I was unaware of this optional rule in Cityscape!

While of questionable legality in IC, it's something I think I'll incorporate into my own game.

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-21, 03:09 AM

I didn’t see anyone finding interesting ways to get handle animal on your skill list. Did anyone find a good way to do that?

Handle Animal reminds me that..
I had the idea of running around with a dozen tracking and scouting pets. Having multiple spot/search/listen/track rolls can be handy.
Other option I had in mind was Arcane Hierophant's "Companion Familiar" (CF). A familiar has access to the ranks of his master. This can make the CF a very good scout and tracker. Further the CF can also train other conventional tracking/scouting pets. This way you can always train 2 pets at the same time. Since regular pets are at higher risk at dying, this is a good way to increase your steady supply of trained pets.
Sadly, I didn't had enough time for a second build.

The Viscount

2021-01-21, 08:40 PM

One more for you, AvatarVecna.

I have a lil problem with the reasoning of AvatarVecna regard some reduced points. (my entry the Double Agent)

This build's big schtick is dependent on a DM agreeing with the following:

1) An explicitly temporary feat lets you meet prereqs.

2) Losing the feat doesn't lose the thing it qualified you for.

3) The rules support for this wild shape letting you copy race/class/feats for the most part isn't so against designer intent that it should be struck down.

I'll quote the DMG (Primary Source for PRC) about the requirements of PRC:

Chapter Six: Characters
Prestige Classes

Unlike the basic classes found in the Player’s Handbook, characters must meet requirements before they can take their first level of a prestige class. (...) If a character does not meet the requirements for a prestige class before that first step [of leveling up], that character cannot take the first level of that prestige class.

The rules clearly only require you to meet the requirements for entering the 1st lvl of a PRC. This is also RAI, since we have Dragon Disciple (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/dragonDisciple.htm). DD needs to be a non-dragon to enter and becomes a dragon at lvl 10.

Finally we have rules to qualify for requirements with magic items/buffs.

These three arguments should shows that it is within the intend of the designers to qualify for PRCs with meeting the requirements only for entering a PRC (1st lvl), not to progress it further.
________________

I have no problem with the point reduction for elegance itself, to make that clear. That can stay as it is, since I can fully understand when somebody says that it kills the elegance. But I have a problem if he implies that it is not within the designers intend. We have proof (DD) against that argument.

To make it clear: I'm not asking for more points. That is not my intention here. I'm fine with the reduced points for elegance if that is how he feels about it.

And I'm grateful for his fast judging^^

H_H_F_F

2021-01-25, 09:30 AM

Updating:

Judging has advanced well, and I have a bit of free time today. Barring any surprises, judgment should be finished well ahead of the deadline.

WhamBamSam

2021-01-27, 01:01 PM

H_H_F_F

2021-01-27, 01:39 PM

Any predictions for next round? It'll probably be neither full BAB nor skillful, so I'd guess some sort of caster or something like Arcane Duelist that's just baffling design every which way. My thought for a caster is Rage Mage, since the other ones I can think of off the top of my head are Arachnomancer (another Drow-themed one not long after Insidious Corruptor) and Scar Enforcer (Favored Enemy right after a Ranger PrC).

I've been pro rage mage for a while (not that I know what I'd do with it). Otherwise, I'd be happy to see a return to the DMG at one point or another. There's something to be said for "finishing" a book, and the DMG has a few not-great classes.

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-27, 03:57 PM

Any predictions for next round? It'll probably be neither full BAB nor skillful, so I'd guess some sort of caster or something like Arcane Duelist that's just baffling design every which way. My thought for a caster is Rage Mage, since the other ones I can think of off the top of my head are Arachnomancer (another Drow-themed one not long after Insidious Corruptor) and Scar Enforcer (Favored Enemy right after a Ranger PrC).

How about an Invocation based SI? I would love to see Enlightened Spirit, Eldritch Theurge and Eldritch Disciple builds. Or how about DFA builds in general?

WhamBamSam

2021-01-27, 04:55 PM

How about an Invocation based SI? I would love to see Enlightened Spirit, Eldritch Theurge and Eldritch Disciple builds. Or how about DFA builds in general?Enlightened Spirit is sort of interesting, but the Eldritch Blast req is probably too restrictive for Iron Chef. Eldritch Disciple at least doesn't have it, but it's full casting even if it is a theurge class. DFA doesn't show up much in Iron Chef because it's not very multiclass or PrC-friendly, but telling people to focus on a base class seems like a bit too much of a departure from the norm for the main competition.

Troacctid

2021-01-27, 04:59 PM

Personally, I'd like to see some Dragon Magazine classes. It's a pretty deep well.

Gruftzwerg

2021-01-27, 05:50 PM

DFA doesn't show up much in Iron Chef because it's not very multiclass or PrC-friendly, but telling people to focus on a base class seems like a bit too much of a departure from the norm for the main competition.Maybe we would need to alter the rules for elegance points. Extra points for nice PRC that works with DFA and penalizing other base classes. Imho not that much of a stretch, but opinions may vary here.

Personally, I'd like to see some Dragon Magazine classes. It's a pretty deep well.
That would be nice option too. But I fear we might end in a discussion whether or not other stuff from Dragon Magazine should be allowed too. So maybe it would be better to agree on that first.

Thurbane

2021-01-27, 06:13 PM

There's still some untapped stuff from Dragon Compendium.

Shaper of Form might be fun: 6/10 casting is still low enough to make it challenging.

It also has some weird and funky abilities, so it would be interesting to see how these were used.

Troacctid

2021-01-27, 06:47 PM

That would be nice option too. But I fear we might end in a discussion whether or not other stuff from Dragon Magazine should be allowed too. So maybe it would be better to agree on that first.
It would be fairly easy for the chair to bang the gavel and say that the article the prestige class appears in is legal for the duration of the round, and no other Dragon material is legal (apart from the usual 361, 362, 363, Compendium, and parts of 318, 357, and 360).

These days it's actually significantly easier to find individual issues of Dragon than it is to find a copy Dragon Compendium.

The Viscount

2021-01-27, 08:53 PM

Sam well summarizes my thinking.

Dragon Magazine is still difficult enough to find that I'm hesitant to reach to it for ingredients, at least while I've got a comfortable backlog. Many of the classes mentioned in this discussion are already on that list.

I've chosen my next ingredient. Here's a hint: It follows in the style of a famous ingredient from one of the earliest rounds.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-28, 09:28 AM

JUDGEMENT IS NIGH!

What an interesting round! I really liked a lot of the entries, and they went a lot of directions I wasn’t expecting at all. Lots of excellent fluff being put up as well. My opinion on many of these entries changed while judging, which in my view showcases the complexity and creativity shown by many of our chefs. I was not expecting a lot of what we’ve seen here at all.

A few things I did hope to see but didn’t:

Someone pushing Str to absolutely absurd lengths for an unnecessarily long fear effect through threaten.

Someone finding a reason to make non-lethal weapons do lethal damage.

Someone finding a good reason to have 23 points in heal.

Someone finding a class feature with a drawback described in terms of “Excruciating pain”.

Still, I saw a bunch of clever, funny, powerful and mind blowing combinations. This community manages to surprise and amaze me every time. Well done, everyone!

And now

JUDGEMENT:

Originality:Our only Christmas themed entry! At least as far as my heathen eyes can see. I loved your fluff, and the way you used your mechanics to support it, which in my view is an aspect too often neglected in this competition. 10/10.

Human was no surprise, of course, and ditto for fear tactics. I saw barbarian coming, and actually expected more of them – though I imagined it’d come for the threaten-strength synergy, not for blazing berserker. It’s also a pleasant surprise to see a complete champion spiritual totem which isn’t lion. I’m slightly irked by you not addressing how a Rashemi man wound up growing up in the desert, but that’s negligible.

Getting regeneration was on my list of things to look for, obviously, but wendigo was very surprising, and very brave IMO – it’s not often that we see someone take the risk of high LA in this competition. An acquired template is of course less of a headache than 1st level LA, but it’s still courageous.

Uncanny trickster is a clever way of ditching out of the SI early, though I’m not sure it was worth it for you (more on that later).

This is a very thematic entry, with fluff managing to both be seasonal, and harmonize the feel of the Barbarian with that of the uncanny trickster and the crimson scourge. Its mechanical goals were expected, but it went about doing them in a very unusual way. Great work.

Score: 4.3 points.

Power: Surprisingly, I found this part quite hard to evaluate. Initially I wanted to give you a lot of credit here. Dreadful wrath and intimidating rage allow for quick fear escalation from the very first level of the build, with improved grab and a great strength score to back it up. Imperious command and never outnumbered come along at level 6 – the point in the build in which it becomes feasible to take the 4 LA and go wendigo – a powerful template unto itself. You become immune to all damage while raging at ECL 17, you’ve got good scouting going on throughout the build, you’re a decent half-face, and your skill tricks give you some nice utility.

However.

Your grappling starts staggering hard the minute you take your LA, and without ways of getting real big, it was going to become pretty obsolete even without it. I’m not saying it won’t have its uses – just like with fear tactics, people in these forums sometimes forget that you get atypical encounters even at high levels, and that “situationally useful” can still be very useful – but you’re not going to remain a “grappler” after the early levels. Meet a big enemy that’s immune to fear – not at all a rare occurrence – and you’ll be reduced to biting at it, with no power attack or other damage enhancements to sweeten the deal. You’re not enough of a utility monkey to make up for that fact. You also never get a 4th attack, which is negligible (it would only affect level 20), but hurts nonetheless. It also brings to light the fact that uncanny trickster isn’t doing enough for you. I can’t help but think you’d gain more by sticking with the SI, and getting some more combat utility out of a good full Bab class. Hell, even a level of fighter would have allowed you to at least take PA or something. I’m also thinking about it from the perspective of saves – the reflex save is often considered the least important one, and that’s much truer for you than for most people. You don’t care about taking a maximised firestorm to the face one bit, but failing a fort or will save can still shut you down hard.

Nevertheless, you poured a lot of resources into being nigh-invulnerable, and it shows. I feel like you have enough HP to not need instantaneous rage, but I respect the hustle. When your tactics work, they work. You’re a real serious threat throughout your early career, and the combination of your urban tracking prowess and your wendigo nature makes you a serious threat in any long-form confrontation.

Score: 3.6 points.

Elegance:: Your level layout is orderly, no going back and forth. Only one base class and 2 PRCs – one of which you finish, and the other you “finish”. You’ve got a clever and powerful synergy going on with your “song of ice and fire”, and its use for deadened hide will obviously be mentioned in the next section. Your investment in literacy showed thought and care. You qualify for everything, you made no math errors I could see, your table is very easy to follow, and you list your sources clearly. Very well done.

I wish your table clearly indicated at which point in the build you took wendigo – offering an alternative level range is nice, but the decision is an important one, and you should fully commit to it. Not providing a level is kind of a copout. As you did indicate level 6 in your notes, there isn’t even a slap on the wrist here, but I’d like to see it in the table in the future.

Overall, a very elegant build. It’s smart, it’s clean, and I’ve got nothing really negative to say about it.

Score: 4.75 points

Use of the Special Ingredient: Well. You get credit for Feeling a lot like a crimson scourge should feel. Wendigo is a great fit for a merciless and relentless hunter of men.

You also kept up 3\4 of the prerequisite skills. You don’t find any innovative uses for gather information, but it’s bound to be useful with urban tracking. You did find a use for handle animal, even if it’s thematic and not mechanic, and I appreciate that. The crimson scourge, for some ****ing reason, is an animal handler, and you kept to that. You’re also a full-fledged intimidation machine, pouring a lot of resources into fear tactics. That point connects to your excellent use of threaten, which also benefits from your impressive strength score.

You leaned hard into deadened hide, of course – not only getting regeneration, but pouring resources into expanding it to encompass all damage. You don’t take all levels of the SI, but giving you anything more than a slap on the wrist seems pedantic – you get every ability the SI has to offer, all you’re actually losing out on is a BaB point and a couple of HP.

You don’t really do anything interesting with disarming and painful strike – you mention them in your snapshots, but you always have way better options than disarm, and you didn’t invest any resources in making it better. You also don’t do anything too interesting with kid gloves or special dispensation. Scent compliments your spot and listen score and skill tricks to make you very good at identifying threats, but you don’t have the survival score and the track feat to get full use out of it.

You benefit expectedly from the scourge’s passive bonuses, and immovable heart, with rage, helps making you less vulnerable to mind affecting attacks.

Overall, this is a build that enjoys most of what the SI has to offer, and makes full use of the SI’s two standout abilities. Well done.

Score: 4.15 points.

Total score: 16.8 points. I really liked this build, and I was glad to be able to give it a good score. Very well done!
Originality: I liked you going for a bodyguard build. It was certainly unexpected on a class that’s supposedly a bounty hunter, but it works quite well – the class’s abilities are a good fit for that chassis. Your fighting style is fun and unique, especially from level 12 onward, when grappling block comes around. You also get credit for doing it without monk levels.

Otherwise, human is no surprise, and urban ranger was the most expected entry. I did not see a psionic entry coming, though I clearly should have. I don’t know where you pulled devoted defender from, but it’s a great way to tank damage for a single person, which works phenomenally well for your build.

Overall, a fresh and creative approach to the SI, even if done through a few very expected means.

Score: 3.5 points.

Power: I’m going to be upfront: this is a terrible category for you. I’m sorry.

A couple of positive notes, before approaching the meat of the build: first, you’ve got a nice array of powers helping you at levels 1-5, and you pick up a few good options later as well. Second, as it is not really a core part of the build you should get full credit for, your “item recommendations” section is a good place to put your Shriver mention. It’s a very good find – I also like the fact you put some though into the way you’d get through it.

Tank builds usually kind of rely on the other people they defend to get the work done, and your “other people” is one person. One person you can defend very effectively, without spending actions, granted. But by yourself, you don’t achieve too much, especially against monsters with no need for weaponry. Your main trick can be very useful, especially given the fact you can benefit from size while your opponent can. However, it is extremely situational, especially considering how comparatively late it comes along. You strong-arm the action economy very successfully to allow you to pull off some tricks that would be extremely implausible otherwise, but those tricks are still not great. What you’re left with beside your main shtick is a low-cost shaken effect through hustle-threaten, good urban tracking, good spot, and a couple of good defensive options. Faced with many of the other entries in this competition, you’d be torn apart.

My main complaint in this category, however, has less to do with what you don’t do, but with what you do attempt to do. That is, “Blocking with your face”.

You have no way to optimize AC, you don’t even take inertial armor or shield, and you have 10 Con.

Ten. Con.

You can’t get away with that, not without crazy good AC. Vigor is a good thought, and it’s nice at the early levels, but it won’t stay relevant forever – and even at early levels, you’re still behind a standard melee character, not to mention a real tank. I know you’re mad, but damn, that’s way, WAY too low.

You block things with your face, but at the level you get Harm’s way, you have 38 HP, assuming full HP at 1st level. A human wizard running 32 PB and putting 18 in Int could still have 33 HP, or 26 if they’re prioritizing Dex over Con, which I’d say is inadvisable. That’s a damn wizard – could you imagine what you’d look like next to other melee types?

Until level 12, blocking with your face is generally a bad idea. After level 12, it’s occasionally not a bad idea. It’s your thing, and you’re too squishy to do it. Why do you have 11 Cha? For real, I can’t figure it out. I went through your entire feat list 2 extra times to make sure I didn’t miss a Cha requirement. I get that it’s nice not to take a -1 hit to your intimidation check, but Con should have been your first priority, and you’ve made it your dump stat.

Overall, you’ve put a lot of thought into allowing this build to pull off a few impressive tricks, but they’re not very good tricks and the build is anti-optimized for its role.

Score: 1.85 points.

Elegance:: I like a lot of what you have here. The entry is extremely synergic, and all those synergies serve its main purpose, which you supported in your fluff. A lot of thought and care obviously went into the build, and everything harmonizes very well.

On the not-so-bright-side, your table is pretty messy, going back and forth between classes, with 2 single level dips. I’m not as oppose to dipping as other judges have historically been, but this is still not really peak elegance. You also have a typing error in your skills column: you should have had 2 points in autohypnosis at level 2, not 3. The mistake doesn’t carry over, so 0 penalty for that one. What you do get a penalty for, on the other hand, is failing to qualify for practiced manifester. It’s an easy fix, and I definitely empathize - “Oh, crap, I forgot spellcraft” is definitely a thought I’ve had before, regarding a sister-feat. Still, a penalty is in order.

Your table is very easy to follow, your sources are clearly listed, and your snapshots are well written and informative.

Overall, a very synergic build, hampered in this category by a jumpy table and one error. Well done!

Score: 3.75 points.

Use of the Special Ingredient: You’ve kept out the expected 2/4 prerequisite skills. Despite straying away from the common theme of the scourge, you still have fluff supporting the need for kid gloves and special dispensation, a use which is obvious for bounty hunter entries.

Swift tracker is as useful as it should be, with full investment in gather information. The improved disarm + painful strike combo gets a lot of attention, with the build essentially being built around it. Threaten gets invested in through skill ranks, but mainly through hustle, allowing for it to be paid for by PP rather than an action toll. Deadened hide doesn’t get any internal support, but you gave it thought through your item recommendations list. You don’t have track or survival, but scent still complements your high spot rank and the relevant skill trick. Your ability to focus on readied actions more than usual also works well with threaten and the initiative bonus. Immovable heart helps your only weak save.

Overall, a build built around the things Crimson Scourge has to offer, and a very good use of the SI.

Score: 4.5 points.

Total score: 13.6 points. Though I had my contentions with some of the decisions made here, this is a very bold and a very clever build. Well done!
Originality: Well, I truly can’t say I saw this one coming. Human? Yes. Fighter? Also yes, though straight-9-levels fighter? No, though swift demoralization has been used before in this contest. And symbiotic-whatever-in-god’s-name-else thingamajig? No, didn’t see this one coming at all, though a couple of these templates are quite common when creating monsters as DMs, with concern only for challenge and not for LA – a similar situation to the one you’re apparently in.

Other elements of it were not so surprising – I expected to maybe see a dungeoncrasher, though I expected to see it on a high Str entry. Zhentarim soldier shows up when a fear-related full BaB chassis comes along– it’s a substitution with no costs, which is why just as many avoid it, but this is your last concern when it comes to cheese. Besides your bonkers templates work and the still unusual choice to go straight fighter, I’m not seeing anything too surprising here – but what I am seeing is pretty surprising as is.

Your fluff and stylistic approach doesn’t even acknowledge the SI’s existence. I give no penalty for bad fluff, but that should be mentioned, I think.

Score: 3.75 points.

Power: To my huge surprise, you’re actually not that powerful.

I mean, sure, early levels look really good for you, and you can pull off a ton of bull****, but when one see someone stray that deep into the fountain of cheese, they expect result. You do all of the things you know we’ll talk about in elegance, and you use them to do… what, exactly?

Dungeouncrash enemies from above with a bad Str score?

Use fear tactics slightly faster and slightly more effectively than someone not doing anything beyond the expected?

Besides being invulnerable (which, yeah, is big) what else are you doing at level 20, and why should my mind be blown by it?

To quote from the competition’s op: “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.”

Anyway, while this build is certainly very powerful, it’s not balls-to-the-wall-obvious-autamatic-5 powerful.

You still get a good score here, though. My bitterness over elegance may be spilling into these discussions, but it won’t influence the actual scoring.

Score: 4.85 points.

Elegance:: OH BOY

See, I think I get how this happened. I think there were good intentions somewhere in the beginning, and an idea that just snowballed its way into hell. If I had to guess, I’d say you wanted to do a Zen-soldier entry and get regeneration for invulnerability. 1 LA for regeneration, 9 fighter levels for swift demoralization, 10 Crimson Scourge levels to seal the deal. Simple, clean, powerful. Uses the two stand-out abilities fully, and has plenty of feats to pick up a fighting style complementary to the SI.

But you didn’t find 1 LA regen, did you? Instead, you found Wendigo. So beautiful, so powerful, but you couldn’t afford it. You kept looking for 1 LA regen, but you couldn’t stop thinking about wendigo. It kept you up at night, whispering mockeries. Stinging, cold, maddening whispers.

And so began the path to insanity.

You thought symbiotic creature would allow you to get it for 1 LA. But if so, why not more? Why not better mental stats, why not early game power, why not more, and more, and more cheese?

I’m not going to go down every single issue I have with this build. We both know what you did, and I think we both know why you did it. I am, however, going to go through a few archetypal and/or important pointers.

There are no rules to age magic beasts. Dedicating to an elder evil is 5 feats for nothing when not engaging in real play, and is a dirty move to pull – especially on a non-thematic SI/entry. Dark chaos shuffle is ugly, and using it to shuffle bonus feats is even uglier.

The symbiotic template is horribly written and is extremely cheesy, but there’s absolutely no reason to think it allows you to get free LA. Why would you even think that? Because you use the host’s HD? Hell, at that point, why not give Colly 20 levels of each class in the game? You’d get plenty of feats, skills, special attacks and special qualities, and it wouldn’t count towards your own progression, right?
The symbiotic creature is explicitly one creature. Its templates apply to it normally.

You didn’t list your sources. You knowingly used illegal material – if it isn’t legal, and it isn’t in the OP or the FAQ, don’t use it. You didn’t complete the build (which is an approach I really dislike.) If you couldn’t care enough to figure out which feat would be useful and complement what you were doing, why should I? Just as a counter-example, if ANYONE in recent rounds had the right to say “It doesn’t matter”, it was Valendino Starchild, in the primeval round. That build had arbitrarily high Str, Dex, Con and Wis at level 15, but he put thought into ways to make that even more useful. You were bragging about your feats not mattering anymore when you were doing Fear + Low-Str dungeouncrasher on aoo.

I usually limit myself to a minimal score of 1, unless an entry is (on top of being very inelegant) either incomplete or blatantly illegal. This is both.

Score: 0 points.

Use of the Special Ingredient: You maintain the expected 2/4 skill ranks. You get use out of swift tracker and immovable heart. You use the two standout abilities, though you don’t have the Str investment to make that aspect of threaten really shine, and you make the move action aspect obsolete 4 levels after you get it. You put thought into painful strike, which means you (barely) care about kid’s gloves.

You have nothing to support scent, you couldn’t care less about it.

You traded away a class feature. This is really a cardinal sin in my view, and I’m amazed it made sense to you. It carries a hefty punishment.

Which really cements the point that what shines in this build is not the crimson scourge, it is the incredible power of not reading symbiotic creature correctly.

Still, what you did use you mostly used efficiently and with thought, so it’s not nearly as bad as it could have been.

Score: 2.5 points.

Total score: 11.1 points. I can see the beautiful acorn from which grew this corrupted oak, and I mourn it never seeing the light of day. I really hope my harsh judgement didn’t demoralize you from participating in the next rounds of the competition, but this is an approach I’d really like not to see again.
Originality: Another day, another human. And our first proper bounty hunter!

Binder is certainly a boost as far as originality goes, and Andras would not be my go-to guess. Once you did go binder, however, knight of the seal was an obvious continuation, so you did not further surprise me there. Urban ranger, as mentioned before, was the most obvious entry, and a two level ranger dip is far from uncommon – though high-Str twf pulled off well is always fun. Your combat style, as a whole, is quite unique and original.

I liked your fluff, which was short and sweet, and I appreciate the way the unique feel of your build is supported by its crunch – the hunched over figure moving quickly, and what appears as an urge to avoid confrontation, despite it being the end goal.

Overall, this is the expected “Human ranger bounty hunter”, with a couple of very neat surprises tucked in.

Score: 3.25 points.

Power: This one sneaks up on you. It took me a couple of times going through the build to fully appreciate some of its aspects. Just a couple of notes so I don’t forget: First, kid gloves references weapons, not spells. I don’t think it’s either RAW or RAI for it to interact with blade barrier. Even though as a DM I’d allow it, it would be because of the rule of cool, which doesn’t really apply to Iron Chef.

Second pointer, you mentioned in your ECL 15 oxidation section that you’re aided by a +4 critical confirmation from Andras. Now, binding is not really where I shine, so I could be missing something, but I don’t believe you get that benefit, which is explicitly a boon for weapons with which you already have improved critical.

With that out of the way, this build is still flexible and powerful throughout your career. Binders can get a lot done early on and power attack is a decent pick for early levels, and is always a relevant option against certain enemies – while it’s not your specialty, being able to pull out a falchion or a scythe (with improved critical!) and start hacking away is always a good option to have. You keep up very well, with a lot of possibilities and a powerful and clever main fighting style.

While I don’t belong to the school of thought calling intimidation a dead practice in late levels, level 18 is very, very late for imperious command. It should (and could) have come online at 9. You also don’t get full credit for blade barrier, as it does depend on a lot besides your own abilities.

Overall, this is a deceptively powerful and flexible entry. Very well done!

Score: 4.35 points.

Elegance:: This build is wicked smart. Clever synergies all over the place. The table is messy, but things come online exactly when they should. You use everything you have, and nothing goes to waste.

Unfortunaetly, there are other aspects of the build that hurt it in this category, besides the jumpy table. There’s the small issue of you missing skill points at levels 3 and 4, and making a typing error at level 14 – it should say +2 to tumble.

Way more seriously, you don’t meet the Dex prerequisite for two weapon pounce. I see what you were going for, with getting it and twisted charge at the same level, but even if you did qualify, level 9 was your perfect imperious command level (as I said in power). I’m surprised to see such a meticulous build missing a prerequisite, and letting imperious command come so late when it wasn’t necessary for the entry’s core, but that stuff happens. You’re only pinged for missing a prerequisite here, as the priorities issue was already addressed.

You also get a slap on the wrist for not having your full skill array anywhere. Every time I look at a level, I have to go back and make sure you have all the skills and skill tricks I think you do, and no more.

You do fully list your sources, and your snapshots are excellent.

Overall, a very smart and well thought out build, that could have gotten a better score here with a bit more attention to the more mundane elements of submission.

Edit: you do qualify for TWP, that was my bad.

Score: 3.15 3.65 points.

Use of the Special Ingredient: Great category for you. You efficiently put effort into improved disarm and painful strike, you get the appropriate mileage out of threaten, you have the GI and spot skill ranks (and trick) to get appropriate use out of swift tracker and scent, you have more reasons to want to go first than most. You get way more mileage out of kid’s gloves than just “bringing them back alive”, through an ingenious feat choice that ALSO USES RANKS IN HEAL! You are the only (judged) entry to invest more than the bare minimum in this skill, and you found actual mechanical use for it. It’s just 2 more ranks, but it counts.

You don’t do anything special or interesting with deadened hide, though I applaud the thought behind your blade barrier mention. Still, it’s always useful on a melee, and what you did achieve is enough.

Overall, this build feels like a classic crimson scourge, but it does a way better job using its benefits than a more obvious entry would. To me, this is what a 5 looks like. Very well done!

Score: 5 points.

Total score: 15.75 16.25 points. Though there were aspects of Rusty I was not a fan of, he really grew on me. And even though mistakes were made, it still is an incredibly complicated and layered entry that manages to both be very thoughtful and synergic, and to be built fully around what the SI has to offer. Extremely well done! Edit: Score adjusted due to dispute.
Originality: Well, can’t say I saw any of this coming.

Well, I did. I did see human coming, and I did see regeneration coming.

That’s it though.

An urban druid MoMF entry was not anywhere near my notes, and exalted feats were also obviously off the list. It’s a… unique approach. I don’t see any of the feats and focuses one expected to see. This category treats you well.

Score: 4.25 points.

Power: Unlike in a previous case, this is an easy 5. Early game druid, mid game MoMF, and a whole heaping pile of… stuff… put on top. MoMF VOP is not a super high OP build, but it can still blow most everything here clear out of the water when it’s impervious to most damage. You’ve built it competently enough to utilize that power even with 8 levels not advancing your wildshape.

Score: 5 points.

Elegance:: This is a very tiring discussion to have, but I guess I should have it nonetheless.

To begin with, here are things you possibly assumed I’d take issue with, but I don’t: You taking power attack without the appropriate Str score. I think that’s fine. Just like with, say, multiattack, I think there’s nothing stopping you from taking feats that you only qualify for in wildshape, and so they (and their feat chains) only apply when in the appropriate wildshape. Wildshape is a central class feature for those who have it, and using it to qualify for power attack is very different than, say, drinking a potion of bull’s strength or similar means. If you would’ve tried to qualify for a PRC with PA, we would have a problem, but as is we’re fine.

I also actually agree that assume Su ability would allow you to assume sacred vow if applicable (more on that in a second.) I’d still call it cheesy, but yeah, it’s legal, and not inelegant unto itself.

To move on, here are a couple of things that slightly hurt your elegance you may have missed:

You gave yourself the wrong Cha score in your spells per day section – it’s base 16, not 18. This results in lst first level spells, though if I’m reading you correctly you also screwed yourself out of 1 spell per day of 2nd and 3rd level. This connects to another point about your ability scores – you’re living that sweet 36 PB life. Your Str and Dex score should be at 0.

There’s also nowhere to look at your full skill list, and the items you do and don’t bold seem completely random. Similarly, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for you adding (+4p) and the like or not. These issues make your skill table a headache to deal with. That’s a slap on the wrist for you.

Now, for the part you probably knew I’d have problems with:

I disagree with your ruling that referencing alternate form means you can choose a specific creature. “No longer referencing something explicitly saying you can’t” is not good enough. It’s not blatantly illegal, but I absolutely disagree with your reading philosophy here.

I disagree with your reading of what “original form” means, just the way I disagree wth people claiming you can perma-morph anything into anything with PAO by casting it twice. “Original” is a strong word, and the RAI here is very obvious, IMO.

I disagree with your assumption that you can stack human bonus feats. You already have a human bonus feat, and you’re not losing it just because you wildshaped, and you can’t stack benefits from the same source. By your interpretation, combined with my previous original form grievance, could I perhaps turn into 7 different humans through the day, gaining 7 bonus feats? Or, if you turn into a disciple 5 times a day, why not a new disciple each time?

I also don’t like alignment shenanigans, and while yours are done better than most, and make more sense, they are EXTREME. Still, this is the sort of thing you can expect from TO.

I also obviously really dislike the unfailing endurance cheese, and I’m unsure as to what to do with the extra skill ranks from nymph’s kiss – though you were probably correct in ignoring them.

Other than… everything, it’s actually a pretty elegant submission. Your sources are clearly listed, your snapshots are expansive and informative, and your level layout is clean. Your build does have some slack, with feats that are just there and not doing anything interesting, but it has got decent synergy overall. So, despite everything terrible, you did to my surprise manage to pull ahead with more than the minimal score here.

Edit: I misunderstood your skill column logic, and your view on original form deserves more credit than I gave it.

Score: 1.15 1.5 points.

Use of the Special Ingredient:
“The reason why this is TO is because I recently discovered the true potential of ‘Master of Many Forms’. “

I mean, it feels like you should have seen this one coming, chief.

If the explicit raison d’etre of your build is to showcase the potential of a PRC that is not the SI, you should figure out that you done messed up.

Your build barely cares about the SI, and the power the SI brings is completely negligible. You do get a lot of benefit from deadened hide, but if you would have submitted this guy to the MoMF round (his rightful place) or to another competition, you wouldn’t even consider taking crimson scourge. You have way better things to do with 8 levels of "Evil guy gets VoP". It also only comes along at level 20.

Using vow of nonviolence+peace for painful strike synergy was a good idea. These are your saving graces, as well as keeping up GI and (for some unknowable reason) intimidate.

You don’t complete the SI. It’s obvious why, but still, a slap on the wrist (0.1) for each missed level.

Overall, you feel nothing like the SI, your main ingredient is MoMF, but you paid enough attention to cater to a couple of the SI’s strengths.

Edit: you did need kid's gloves, I misremembered vow of nonviolence.

Score: 1.6 1.85 points.

Total score: 12 12.6 points. I’m really not a fan of this kind of TO, and I’m sorry to say I did not like this build’s approach to the competition – but you still put a lot of thought and creativity into it, and the scoring metric means your power and originality prevented you from getting an actually bad score. Even if this is not ,my style, it's certainly well done. Edit: score adjusted due to dispute.
(Please await part 2 (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24904055&postcount=171))

H_H_F_F

2021-01-28, 09:32 AM

continuing:

Originality: First thing first, I’d like to say I really enjoyed your fluff. Though I’m not a huge fan of the story-telling style you’ve picked, you use it well enough, and your concept is exceedingly fun and intriguing. I also enjoy the “Huge guy who’s very book-smart” trope.

Said hugeness connects to another important point: While quite a few of the other entries are more than “Just” humans, you’re the only judged entry to be of a non-human race. Not only that, the race is half giant, which isn’t seen a lot – mostly due to the LA, I imagine.

Factorum (and therefore, an Int-based entry) was also something I was not anticipating at all. Historically, it has certainly been popular in the Iron Chef, but it’s still a surprise on such a martial oriented SI. Warblade, on the other hand, I was anticipating to pop up everywhere – initiators strikes feel like such a natural fit to a full-bab class with a potent move action debuff.

Overall, this is a very original approach to the SI, and a refreshing change of pace compared to other entries.

Score: 4.6 points.

Power: You’re quite good at what you do. Your fear tactics work very well – imperious command doesn’t come around too late in the build, and your +4 to intimidation from size a very nice boost. Knowledge devotion is very useful to you, with your high int, though I would like to see a couple more points invested in some of the relevant skills. However, given the expected adventures of a horseman-librarian crimson scourge, local and nature are certainly the most important. Combined with Iajitsu focus and a good allocation of resources, he can do quite well in combat. Not as well as you think he can, mind you (see elegance), but well nonetheless – quickrazor+Iajutsu+knowledge devotion is slightly cheesy, but it gets the job done, especially with low level maneuvers (moment of perfect mind!) and cunning surge to back it up. When adding that to his immense skill list, his many useful skill tricks, and his other out of combat options, he’s certainly a very capable entry – though he somewhat stagnates in his later levels.

Overall, this is a diverse and effective build, utilizing its resources to the fullest – even if it doesn’t manage to truly shine in any specific task.

Score: 4.1 points.

Elegance::

On the one hand, quite a simple build, still hiding a few clever synergies underneath the surface. The factorum – magical knack synergy, for example, while not very powerful on its own, is very cute and shows attention to detail. I also like how relatively SAD you manage to be, given your jack of all trades approach.

On the other hand, I do have quite a few issues:

First thing first, multiclassing penalties. Nobody likes them, many ignore them, but they exist, and are not to be ignored. You live with them from ECL 5-20, which is a penalty. My condolences.

Speaking of the warblade dip, it’s in the wrong level, making your choice of disarming strike illegal. Your initiator level at that point is 2, not 3. I assume you messed up because of your LA, but it should have been a 5th level dip, not 4th. It’s fixable, so the punishment isn’t huge, but it’s a punishment nonetheless. It’s also still a single level dip, and while I’m not as opposed to (sensible) dippig as many judges have historically been, a single level dip is still a slap on the wrist.

Other than that, I think one of us misunderstands how factorum works. There’s a real chance it’s at least partially me, and if so, you’re welcome to table a dispute. You note that you often ready heroics twice, and I don’t think that’s legal. The factorum entry clearly states: “You cannot prepare the same spell multiple times to use it more than once during the same day.”

In the same vein, I also partially disagree with your reading of brain over brawn. While I agree you get your Int bonus on initiative, trip, and bullrush, you shouldn’t get it on disarm or grapple. Neither of those are a Dex or Str ability checks. They’re both attack rolls. That’s a very significant difference in your fabled disarm check. At ECL 16, it’s not 27 but a mere 20 – less than equivalent to the average full-bab character. Your inspiration can still make you competitive, but not as overwhelming as you thought you were.

Your snapshots are expansive and informative, and you fully list your sources (though you misattribute the half giant to complete psionic instead of the expanded psionics handbook. I believe you did make a few mistakes on your “check” modifiers in the skill list (at least, I can’t tell why your ability modifier to Cha based skills is 3 and not 2.) Your check is, however “Bonus information” not normally required, so no penalty.

Overall, this is a reasonably elegant build that unfortunately messed up on quite a few fronts.

Score: 2.4 points.

Use of the Special Ingredient: You keep up the usual 2/4 skills. I appreciate you giving thought to handle animal, even if you did not keep investing in it after meeting the prerequisite. This is also a good place to commend you on your high investment in K. (local). It fits the SI very well, and maintaining it maxed a good call.

I’m not sure why you entered the SI so late. This normally isn’t something I’m too concerned with, but it’s bugging me in your case. You already dipped out of factorum (and as we agreed, it legally needs to be a 5th level dip for your build to work) so you could have just reshuffled your feats and you could go straight to the SI from there. The main reason for not doing that seems to be the power factorum can bring you, which… yeah, but that’s not the point of this competition is it?

You don’t do anything too special with kid’s gloves mechanically, though it’s still useful of course, both thematically and in conjunction with painful strike. I like the fluff implication of special dispensation, though I don’t think it actually works that way.

Disarm (and therefore, painful strike) get a lot of thought and investment put into them, though again – not as much as you seem to think. Immovable heart is not as useful to you as to most, given your moment of perfect mind. With maxed concentration, it’s a power score boost all by itself, but you pay for it here. You support swift tracker with the appropriate investment in gather information.

Threaten gets invested in, though your (relatively) god aweful Str score keeps it somewhat less useful than it could have been. You certainly make up for it by having a lot of standard-action reliance, though.

I’m not seeing any investment in deadened hide, though it is of course always useful. You also don’t have anything to back up scent, but going first is somewhat more important to you than to most other entries, so you get a tiny boost for the initiative section of smell of blood.

Overall, good synergy with most of what the SI has to offer, and a job well done.

Score: 3.95 points.

Total score: 15.05 points. A very creative entry. I’m a fan.
Originality: Somehow, I never find myself thinking “Someone’s about to go incarnum up in this *****”, and someone always does. And a straight totemist, no less!

Humans have been absolutely dominant this round, though we’ve yet to see someone go silverbrow. SO, slightly better than the straight-humans in this worth, though not as good as the templated ones. Just as a note, she’s also the only girl out of the judged entries.

I greatly enjoyed your fluff. It was excellently written, and though it was pretty obvious where it was going (probably at least partially because I knew Annette was a crimson scourge) it was still fun and suspenseful, and I had a big silly grin on my face when the professor voluntarily jumped off the airship, and “We were here first dammit” is a powerful line. It was also a very cool take on the SI – nature’s deadly emissary to civilization works great, and you already know I’m a sucker for fluff and feel harmonizing with crunch.

Aside from that, none of your choices seem too surprising – I don’t see any weird soulmelds or tactics mentioned in your snapshots. “Natural attack totemist” is pretty obvious once “totemist” has been established.

Still, overall this is an entry with great fluff, a pretty surprising base class, and a slightly less “boring” race pick, and it gets you a decent score here.

Score: 3.85 points.

Power: Totemist gives you some nice flexibility early on, and stacking natural weapons is a tried and true method for combat prowess. Leap attack + sphinx claws works, and having access to two handed weapon on top of that makes sure your damage stays consistently high. Stacking bonus damage on top, when applicable, certainly helps. The waist chakra gives you some very useful options, even though it only comes around at level 18 (not that it could have realistically come sooner.)

I’m not sure about your choice of cobalt charge. You usually should have better things to pour your essentia into, and an extra feat could have done wonders for your build. It’s still an ok choice though. Your fear tactics are also decently good.

You have excellent perception with the appropriate skill tricks, but you’re one of the least skilled entries overall. With a +3 gather information, you’re going to need a lot of help finding your opponents.

I always feel weird rating power for entries like this one. It’s like “yeah, totemists *are* pretty good, huh?”

Score: 4 points.

Elegance:: First thing first, this is one clean table. Can’t not give you credit for it. 10/10 is always worth mentioning, when it is actually done well.

I usually use this part to look at synergies other than those with specific parts of the SI, but the aforementioned 10/10 makes that a bit difficult, so we’ll talk about synergy mainly in the next section.

You fully list your sources, you have no qualification issues, and no math issues. On a less positive note, I do wish (as with others) that there was some way for me to not have to dig through the table every time I’m looking for your full skill ranks and tricks at 20. Like with others, this is a minor point.

I also wish your snapshots were more elaborate. I know that when there are so many options, there’s temptation to just handwave it all away. Hell, I’ve done it myself last round, with Ur-priest 9th level casting - But as many options as there are for a totemist, it’s still far from being as overwhelming as prepared spellcasting, and I would have liked you to be a bit more elaborate with your tactics and your usual meld choices.

Overall, this build embodies the concept of “elegance in simplicity”, and it flows exceedingly well.

Score: 4.65 points.

Use of the Special Ingredient: Well, you get a lot of juice out of martial weapons proficiency, which isn’t something I saw coming.

You keep up 2/4 skills, though not the expected ones. Letting GI sag behind also means you get no use for swift tracker. I appreciate anyone who keeps up handle animal, even though I feel there’s a tinge of thematic disharmony with your build. Not enough to penalize you anywhere, obviously, but it’s there.

Out of all entries this round, you’re tied with the ghost pirate when it comes to barely caring about kid’s gloves. Your only mechanical benefit to using it comes in-class, and fluff-wise it seems like you have no business going around doing non-lethal damage. You also get a tie with the infraggable double agent when it comes to special dispensation being pretty much useless to you.

You could get the most out of anybody on this field from painful strike. This ability is the heart of your choice of the class, and it works. I don’t feel like you have enough investment in disarming to make it work consistently, but decent BaB and high Str can still often get the job done. You can also get your enemies to drop it more often once your brow chakra comes online, which is also why you get decent credit for threaten – though level 19 is very late for a shaken effect. You also have the correct perception investment to get a serious kick out of scent, and immovable heart is as useful to you as to anyone. Like many others, you have no exceptional use for deadened hide.

Your main issue in this category is the nabbing feeling that you could have just… stayed a totemist. You’re built a lot like a standard totemist build, except you begrudgingly waste a feat on urban tracking. Some ingredients will be less powerful than the base classes you’d want to use to enter them, and that’s ok – but when you’re going 10/10, you’re also making the comparison much harder to gloss over.

Overall, you make some decent use out of some of the SI’s abilities, but they seem more like dressing for your totemist than the other way around.

Score: 2.4 points.

Total score: 14.9 points. I liked Annette a whole lot, but though her simplicity is certainly elegant, I wish her build had more spice. Still, great work!
Originality: Well, can’t say I was anticipating a lot of LG paladins coming in this time of year. Your other classes were surprising as well. I kind of wanted to bash you here for the lack of thematic cohesion, but honestly, SA fighter to pally to gray guard makes sense, and I can see how that chassis works in conjunction with the class – though I don’t think it’s as smooth as most entries have been so far. I will say, however, that I don’t think that idea meshes well with the church of Ilmater. You tried hard to make it work with your fluff, but there stays this air of… dissonance.

Otherwise, you’re a human, yes, but you also take some definitely creative feats and the noble heart substitution level.

Overall, this is clearly an unexpected entry, and it deserves a very good score in this category.

Score: 4.5 points.

Power: Hard category to judge, mainly for a reason that’s also very relevant to UoSI. Let’s dive right in.

On the one hand, as I said in Owen Austin’s judgement, I think “item recommendations” and the like are the right place for the Shriver. It’s not really a part of the actual build, and it’s kind of Otyugh Hole-y, y’know? Owen got a friendly boost (0.1) for mentioning it.

On the other hand, I can’t ignore the fact that you did much more than just mention it. You invested not only thought, but a significant amount of character resources. It’s not you telling your wizard friend “Hey, could you please tell me about the Shriver in-character? Thanks.”

You have devoted plural feats and many skill ranks in being able to learn about the Shriver, learn how to get to it, and even acquiring the means for possibly getting to it independently – which is pretty damn impressive and very rare on a non-caster entry.

However, it’s still not something you can actually do on your own, you know? I feel like giving you the same credit I gave the other “immortals” would be somewhat unfair. I’ve decided to give you partial credit here, and full credit in UoSI.

Other than that… you’ve got excellent saves and you roll d10s, so you’re decently tanky, but I don’t think the damage output is there. SA thug fighter gives you a decently strong level 1, but craven is a terrible feat for you. You lose access to its benefit at level 3 due to aura of courage, and only regain it whenever you lose 9 levels worth of class abilities. So, outside of the first 3 levels, level 10, and presumably other short periods of time, your damage is pretty bad. 12 Str and no PA means you suck pretty hard when it comes to actually damaging enemies, and you don’t have any serious debuffs (except fear) or other alternatives. You made a lot of thematic choices, which were very useful in originality, but you pay for it here.

However, you’ve got potent fear tactics with your high Cha, you’ve got the best tracking of anyone in this competition by far, and you’ve got a few half—decent combat options through your paladin and gray guard levels.

Overall, you’re an unfortunately weak entry, but with partial credit for late level invulnerability and a few tricks up your sleeve, you manage to salvage yourself from a truly abysmal score here.
Score: 2.2 points.

Elegance:: I’ll start with the positives:

You fully list your sources (in a somewhat unconventional but very accessible way), your table is easy to navigate, and you’ve got no qualification issues and no math errors. You’ve got good synergy going between classes, lots of feats where one leads to another, and your table generally flows naturally, with every choice being mindful and tying into the next. So far so good.

Cumberous will on a paladin is pretty cheesy but extremely synergic, so much so that I’m astounded I haven’t seen it discussed before. Unlike craven, it doesn’t require a lack of fear immunity, which essentially makes it a +6 to will for free. Cheesy, but innovative (to my knowledge), and synergic so it nets a small bonus here.

That is not the case, however, with craven. SA dip + craven is very well known cheese, and there’s a good reason the absolute majority of entries in this competition avoid it, even on rounds where a rogue dip is very common. The fact that you failed to consider aura of courage doesn’t help you here – it’s still cheese, and the fact that it didn’t work as intended doesn’t change that.

Speaking of the fighter dip, I am generally much more lenient towards dips than other judges have been, but a single level dip is still a slap on the wrist from me.

My biggest disagreement with this entry, however, comes down to the alignment shenanigans. I’m never a fan of alignment shenanigans, but this crosses a line for me. You aren’t trying to make monk and bard work in the same entry: you’re going into a nongood SI with an LG entry, and all you have to say for yourself is “I dipped out for a millisecond, so that’s fine”. It’s not a clever subversion of expectations, because it’s not clever. When I saw Paladin, I was waiting for a trick up your sleeve. Are you going to go Blackguard? Have you found a way around the nongood prerequisite? Apparently, no. Well, gray guard helps mitigate that slightly, but it’s still very inelegant, in my view.

Overall, an elegant entry on most levels, hampered by one cheesy choice and the inherent inelegance of its being.

Score: 3.5 points.

Use of the Special Ingredient: You keep up the expected 2/4 skills, and both get their use. You do enter the SI quite late though, when you could have entered it at 6, or very reasonably entered after 1 level of gray guard. It would have made your table jumpier, but it would be better from the POV of centering around the SI.
Kid’s gloves gets more thematic use than it otherwise would have when we’ve got a strong LG entry. Special dispensation no more meaningful to you than to most, but you get the expected use out of swift tracker, and the other aspects of your build harmonize well with it.

Painful strike helps you get the damage you so severely lack, but you don’t any effort into disarming, and you wouldn’t be good at it. Immovable heart is another bonus to your great will save (why not?), and you put the appropriate effort into threaten and a LOT of effort into deadened hide. While you’re not a scout, you are a tracker, and so smell of blood works wonders for you.

Overall, This entry is heavily built around the SI’s two standout abilities, and only really ignores a couple of the others. Well done.

Score: 4.25 points.

Total score: 14.45 points. Nameel was a surprising entry for sure, and though I was not initially a fan of him using an outside resource so extensively, and remained upset at his disregard for the SI’s alignment, I nevertheless appreciate his dedication to his theme and story, and I will always applaud builds sacrificing power for thematic choices.
Originality: I –

Jesus ****ing Christ.

Well, I expected humans, though I would never expect a human dragonborn. As I’ve said before, I didn’t see psionics coming though I clearly should have. Soulbond is very thematic, but doesn’t usually get much use. So good job on that part.

But this is just me wasting time and virtual space. You know that you’d have to have very expected elements to not get a 5 here, and you don’t.

Score: 5 points.

Power: So, using a trebuchet as a weapon you could easily carry and quickly use is very, very, powerful. That’s granted. Using it nonlethally is bonkers. You’d still be very hard pressed to do anything impressive from a closer range, though. Enemies getting the jump on you would tear you apart.

That is, until you fly 10 feet up and drop the damn thing on their heads.

At later levels, exhaltation of the bronze dragon as an immediate action is a big + for that scenario as well.

I’m really unsure about how psychokinetic weapon would work. Like, yeah, the trebuchet could attack on its own, but what about loading? Other than that, and the fact I’m not totally clear on why you chose synesthete, all of your powers make sense and make you even more powerful.

The reason I’m having a hard time is you’d be completely useless in any enclosed space too narrow for summoning a catapult. That’s… a lot of D&D you can’t participate in, but on the other hand, this is a cityscape bounty hunter. Enclosed spaces would be building, not dungeons, and you can simply bomb those.

Overall, I can’t in good conscious give this build a 5. You have no flexibility, you can’t always count on your crew to be there when you need them (though in many situations you don’t really need them), and you’re way too vulnerable. But you did very, very well.

Score: 4.7 points.

Elegance:: On the one hand, you fully list your sources, you qualify for everything*, and your snapshots are succinct and informative. Your only math errors are having 1 too few skill points at level 7, and 1 too many at 17. Due to able learner, it works out fine. No penalty. Your trick with swapping out able learner and point blank shot due to the wording of rebirth mechanism is very clever, and warrants a small boost.

Your entire build is focused around a singular goal, and nearly every choice you make is made to advance that goal. You’ve put thought into every aspect of maneuvering your trebuchet, and even if not all of it can always work, you mitigate the downsides of the build in a wondrous fashion. You’re a 10/10 submission with a very reasonable point of entry into the SI. Your table is very accessible, and includes easy references to different powers and rules. You do get a slap on the wrist for having your full skill array accessible nowhere, but that’s minor.

On the other hand…

First thing first, you use low class background. That system, as I had to mention in the Disciple of Mammon round, is explicitly optional, and explicitly should not be allowed use if other players don’t get to use it. That makes it patently unfair to use in the context of this competition. In that round, I gave it a worse penalty than a flaw, because it addressed a problem that could have been taken care of by a flaw, but opted not to. That seemed to me very much like a copout – trying to slither your way out of the flaw penalty is, to me, not very good sportsmanship.

This case is somewhat different, since there’s (to my knowledge) no feat you could have taken to gain handle animal as a class skill. That does not excuse the choice to use an unfair optional rule: it merely means the penalty is somewhat less severe, though severe it remains. You also get the teeniest-tiniest reduction in your penalty, because it does come from the same book as the SI, and it’s slightly more plausible the SI was designed with that system in mind.

My second serious issue is with you trying to qualify for penetrating shot by casting bull’s strength. It’s an extremely cheap shot, and even at the most generous possible reading, it only works when your Str is 15. I agree that it’s a powerful move, but with your loading time, if you’re within 60 ft of your opponents, you’ve got a problem with or without it. I don’t really get why you went that way – you must have known this was an elegance penalty waiting to happen, and you surely had no reason to think your elegance was so bad that you might as well tank it. This is a hefty penalty.

Using the paragnostic assembly for knowledge is also something I’m not the iggest fan of, though that has actual downsides (wbl, mainly), so it’s no more than a slap on the wrist.

Overall, this could have been a 5 but you playin’.

Score: 3.7 points.

Use of the Special Ingredient: Not a great category for you. Let’s dive in.

Immovable heart is nice. Full BaB is nice. You put some (hilarious) effort into threaten by being the crimson scourge of the seas. I never thought about just using scourge of the seas in a pub or something – and using forgery to make your target a captain is the best kind of ludicrous. You use swift tracker appropriately.

You keep up the 2 expected skills for most of the build, and you throw handle animal 2 points of love too, though I genuinely have no clue as to why.

You get 0 use out of painful strike. You get 0 use out of improved disarm. You get 0 use out of deadened hide. You get very little from smell of blood.

Now, obviously, your build is entirely reliant on kid’s gloves, and on its unique wording – similar abilities are restricted to melee weapons. You are also the only one to get massive, massive use out of special dispensation. This feat is cute fluff that would get ignored in 99.9% of campaigns, and you’ve made it crucial to your build. That’s extremely cool. Your build would be impossible without Crimson Scourge.

But it only needs the first level.

If you were building Jonny Goldpiece for an optimization showcase, you wouldn’t be caught dead with more than 2 levels of the class, and in all probability you’d go for one. That’s an issue. It’s not a “your power comes from somewhere else’ issue, but it’s an issue nonetheless.

The less important aspects to your build I mentioned later do help you here – within the confines of your theme, you do your best to incorporate some of the SI’s other abilities. You also do stick through to the end – any other exit point besides 1,2 and 10 would have been really hard to justify.

I’m going to make a comparison to the last build I judged with a similar issue, Morgan Stanley in the DoM round. When making the comparison, it’s clear that your ability came at level 1, which matters IMO, and that it’s less unique and less absolutely crucial (though it still is). On the other hand, you did lean into the SI’s other strengths in ways she never did. You do invest feats and skill ranks in helping “other stuff” the SI does, even if your focus is clearly somewhere else.

You also made a magnificent pun.

Overall, there are strong forces pulling both sides here – very clever use of some SI features, while not caring about 8 or 9 out of the 10 levels on the other.

Score: 3.35 points.

Total score: 16.75 points. I’ll admit, I have a weakness to joke builds and to creative one trick ponies, and this is very much both. It’s a brilliant build, and though due to its issues in UoSI I don’t think it deserves the win, it’s my favorite submission this round.
As instructed, this is not a full judgement, just a few notes about your build, chairman. I appreciate the reduction in workload, by the way.

First off, I’m a big fan of your take of the class fluff-wise, though I think it really stretches the “PG rating” of the competition. Besides, any non-human entry is a real treat this round – so a spiker is radically out of what I would’ve expected.

Same goes for soulborn, of course. When I started learning about incarnum I really tried to think of something interesting to do with the soulborn, but it’s just soooo bad. Even so, while simplicity has its advantages, it really feels like 2 crusader levels would have done the build a lot of good – and you could easily easily net more essentia that way. Then again, if you’re starting to get rid of soulborn levels you’d probably never stop, so I get where you were coming from. Do you think you’d have the courage to submit this build if you were competing, and not chairing?

Other than that, I liked that you put points in heal, and took a feat with a heal rank prerequisite – even though it should be said that even given the low, low bar this build has set power wise, this feat SUCKS. It’s an interesting approach – shutting down your own power so hard to score high in originality and elegance, and maybe make the SI shine enough to sneak away with a medal. It’s funny, that’s for sure, which matches the silly fluff.

I’m also at a disagreement with your assessment of the lady as CE. I know soulborn have to take an alignment “corner”, but a dominatrix for hire who pays her client’s tab really feels like an embodiment of LN, and in general LE would have felt much more natural.

My only point other than that is that I greatly appreciate getting track and survival to use scent and complement urban tracking.

Overall, a very fresh approach and a very fun entry. Well done!

From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank everyone for participating! Even if I didn’t give you a very good score, or if you disagree with my judgement, or even if I disliked your build - please know that I really appreciate your effort and participation. Every single one of you!

daremetoidareyo

2021-01-28, 01:10 PM

Thanks for the judgments. They’re very well articulated. No disputes here.

Piggy Knowles

2021-01-28, 01:14 PM

Excellent job as always! No disputes from here as well. Thanks so much for judging.

WhamBamSam

2021-01-28, 01:45 PM

Updated Table

Build
AvatarVecna
H_H_F_F
Total

Santo "Claws"
18.00
16.8
34.80

Jonny Goldpiece
17.00
16.75
33.75

Rusty
16.50
16.25
32.75

Annette
17.00
14.9
31.90

Booker
16.25
15.05
31.3

Nameel
16.75
14.45
31.2

Owen Austin
17.00
13.6
30.60

Double Agent
14.25
12.6
26.85

The Ghost Pirate
13.00
11.1
24.10

Venger

2021-01-28, 03:52 PM

Thanks for judging. No disputes here.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-28, 04:25 PM

You're welcome, everyone :smallsmile:

Are we awaiting more judges, or will we give a couple of days for disputes and move on to the next SI once they're settled?

The Viscount

2021-01-28, 11:30 PM

I think you two were the only judges, so the plan is to use these next couple days for the dispute process and then do the reveal as scheduled.

Thanks for your feedback on my dish, H_H_F_F. I'll take the opportunity to talk about the dish and my process. Again, like with Insidious Corruptor we have a class that's dedicated to putting you in a box, and that makes me want to kick out and rebel all the more, so I did. I'm glad you liked it, and that I was able to get the concept across.
I can't tell you how many times I've looked at spiker when choosing a race, trying to make it do... something. I kind of did something with it here aesthetically at least, so I'll count it as at least kind of done.

Soulborn is wretched. It has almost the worst meldshaping, but it's still better at it than spinemeld warrior. It has 3 unique melds. The mauling gauntlets are useless, the fearsome mask is fine, and the thunderstep boots are great. There's very little reason to ever take soulborn. Pretty much the only one you ever see is cheese involving CE Soulborn's Str penalty on a Tibbit or something. As to your question, I doubt I would have made this if I were competing and not chairing. I chose soulborn partially because I knew I wasn't trying to win. The other reason is due to the different perspective from cooking as Chair. I have greater protection from Vizzini'ing myself, but it's not absolute, because it takes me a while to make a build so I have to start before I have all the other builds in. Like with building with a Shugenja last round, this is taking a class that I know almost nobody uses. The build I probably would have made if I were a normal chef would involve Scourge Maiden, which I initially toyed with using its stunning attacks, since stunned opponents drop weapons and are thus unarmed. Ultimately I dropped it when someone asked a question early on that made me suspect they were doing it, and I saw that the only way to enter the class is with 5 levels of cleric.

Healing Soul ain't great, but there's not a lot of better stuff as far as Incarnum feats go. I treat basically all of them as a primary effect of +1 essentia, then forget about them. Soulsight's ok, but I couldn't afford the Wis. I think they're there as someone's attempt to fix soulborn's pathetically small essentia pool after the table was already made. Every time I look at it I curse the designers for not putting bonus essentia on the list.

Funny you mentioned alignment, because when I initially planned out the build I picked LE because it's conceptually a better fit. Then the time came to buy skills with Soulborn's 2+int points, and I couldn't resist the temptation of Intimidate as a class skill to more easily fill prereqs. Mechanically easier, but I agree the cohesive build is weaker for it.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-29, 04:43 AM

Thanks for the insight, Viscount. Interesting read.

WhamBamSam

2021-01-29, 06:06 AM

I actually quite like Mauling Gauntlets (I've used them in IC in the past on harpoon throwers) though I agree that they're not likely to be very useful for a Crimson Scourge.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-29, 07:18 AM

I actually quite like Mauling Gauntlets (I've used them in IC in the past on harpoon throwers) though I agree that they're not likely to be very useful for a Crimson Scourge.

You made Big Blue Isaac? I LOVED that build! It was my favourite that round, and that round was excellent.

Hiro Quester

2021-01-29, 08:15 AM

No disputes from me on your judging, H_H_F_F. Very fair and exceedingly meticulous and thorough. Thanks for the immense amount of time and effort you put into judging!

WhamBamSam

2021-01-29, 09:24 AM

You made Big Blue Isaac? I LOVED that build! It was my favourite that round, and that round was excellent.Yeah, that was me. Glad you liked him. I also made a harpoon thrower back in Dwarven Defender who also used Mauling Gauntlets to buff the check. There’s just something about really terrible classes that gets me humming a whaling tune.

The Viscount

2021-01-29, 08:28 PM

One dispute for you, H_H_F_F.

__________________________________________________

The Infraggable Double Agent

Elegance::

...

To move on, here are a couple of things that slightly hurt your elegance you may have missed:

You gave yourself the wrong Cha score in your spells per day section – it’s base 16, not 18. This results in lst first level spells, though if I’m reading you correctly you also screwed yourself out of 1 spell per day of 2nd and 3rd level. This connects to another point about your ability scores – you’re living that sweet 36 PB life. Your Str and Dex score should be at 0.

I'm sorry and that was not my intention. I guess it was the lack of concentration while editing the post.. I fully take responsibility for that.. The ability scores should have been WIS: 14 and CHA: 16 to hit the 32P limit.

There’s also nowhere to look at your full skill list, and the items you do and don’t bold seem completely random. Similarly, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for you adding (+4p) and the like or not. These issues make your skill table a headache to deal with. That’s a slap on the wrist for you.

Skills section title is "Skills (B = max ranks for this build)". I thought that it would be obvious that the bold parts are the maximum amount of ranks put in that skill with this build (the skill doesn't get more points after this point). Maybe I should point that out in a complete sentence the next time.
And the "(+X p.)" is always there when more than a single point is invested into that skill at that lvl. Again I thought that it would be obvious, but I'll try to make that more clear the next time. No dispute here from my side.

Now, for the part you probably knew I’d have problems with:

I disagree with your ruling that referencing alternate form means you can choose a specific creature. “No longer referencing something explicitly saying you can’t” is not good enough. It’s not blatantly illegal, but I absolutely disagree with your reading philosophy here.

By RAW, the reference ain't a part of the Wild Shape ability anymore. And regular Wild Shape doesn't profit that much from this (if at all?) since the forms it can access only have fix stats and aren't as flexible as humans. Urban Shapes Humanoid Form can only profit from the Stat changes and if the class lvls provide any Special Attacks that are done with a specific part of the body (there aren't that many IIRC). It's sole MOMF 7th lvl that gets the real deal with the ERRATA.
If you would theoretically disallow this, it would be imho a houserule to cut off the power that the ERRATA intended for MOMF 7.
But since it is the elegance category, I'm fine with any point reduction here ;)

I disagree with your reading of what “original form” means, just the way I disagree wth people claiming you can perma-morph anything into anything with PAO by casting it twice. “Original” is a strong word, and the RAI here is very obvious, IMO.

And I have to disagree with your reading of what "original form" means. The terms you are looking for in 3.5 is not "original form", it is "natural form/true form".
Alternate Form says: "A true seeing spell or ability reveals the creature’s natural form."
True Seeing spell says: "sees the true form of polymorphed, changed, or transmuted things."
Alter Self says: "Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its true form."
Polymorph says: "... a creature with the shapechanger subtype can revert to its natural form."
"Original" ain't as strong as "natural/true". Imho original refers to the last state, before the ability to alter the form was activated.

Imho "Original Form" only refers to the form before this instance of form change has applied. Otherwise it would cause dysfunctions when a later applied short duration form change expires and you change back into your "original form", while a long duration form change has still remaining duration left. This way you could cancel unwanted form changes (e.g. Baleful Polymorph) with a short duration form change ability and this is not intended.

I disagree with your assumption that you can stack human bonus feats. You already have a human bonus feat, and you’re not losing it just because you wildshaped, and you can’t stack benefits from the same source. By your interpretation, combined with my previous original form grievance, could I perhaps turn into 7 different humans through the day, gaining 7 bonus feats? Or, if you turn into a disciple 5 times a day, why not a new disciple each time?

"Fighter Bonus Feats" and "Monk Bonus feat" aren't stack either. The classes just provide rules that you get multiple instances of em. I did the same thing by providing rules that give me multiple instances of "Human Bonus Feat" (Humanoid shape as MMOF 7). If the two mentioned sources for Bonus feats can work that way, I should be legally able to do the same if I can copy the same process of rules for Human Bonus feat (which I did).

I also don’t like alignment shenanigans, and while yours are done better than most, and make more sense, they are EXTREME. Still, this is the sort of thing you can expect from TO.
Imho it is elegant if you can bypass unnecessary alignment restrictions. The alignment restriction here makes as much sense as for e.g. Assassins (which caused so much debates that WOTC released the Avenger..^^). From my point of view a good aligned Crimson Scourge is very elegant, but I can see that opinions and tastes may vary here.

I also obviously really dislike the unfailing endurance cheese, and I’m unsure as to what to do with the extra skill ranks from nymph’s kiss – though you were probably correct in ignoring them.
Meeting the requirements only temporary can be viewed like a ritual to gain power or to set a new path in life. I kinda enjoy these kind of concepts I have to admit here..^^
Nymph's Kiss was only chosen as filler exalted feat and I didn't find anything else really useful. And yeah, I forgot about the skillpoints, my bad. No dispute here, just wanted to clear up the situation.

Use of the Special Ingredient:
I mean, it feels like you should have seen this one coming, chief.

If the explicit raison d’etre of your build is to showcase the potential of a PRC that is not the SI, you should figure out that you done messed up.

Your build barely cares about the SI, and the power the SI brings is completely negligible. You do get a lot of benefit from deadened hide, but if you would have submitted this guy to the MoMF round (his rightful place) or to another competition, you wouldn’t even consider taking crimson scourge. You have way better things to do with 8 levels of "Evil guy gets VoP". It also only comes along at level 20.

Using vow of nonviolence+peace for painful strike synergy was a good idea. These are your saving graces, as well as keeping up GI and (for some unknowable reason) intimidate.

You don’t complete the SI. It’s obvious why, but still, a slap on the wrist (0.1) for each missed level.

Overall, you feel nothing like the SI, your main ingredient is MoMF, but you paid enough attention to cater to a couple of the SI’s strengths.

Score: 1.6 points.

I'm wounder why I get so much complains (also from the first judge) that I don't feel like a SI at all. Or that I don't make use of it that much. I agree that the SI is only a cornerstone and comes late. Further I haven't taken all 10 lvls. But to my defense I would like to point out the following things:

Imho I qualify for the 2 different alignment versions of the fluff part. I try to become a merchant CS for the evil trading company (around lvl13). Later the build is more a lawful good CS on the side of the Apostle of Peace. He still hunts down people alive (those who disturb the peace).

Further I make use of most abilities the CS provides or gives bonuses to:
1. GI has max ranks and is further boosted by City Sense and Favored City
2. Intimidate has max ranks to use the "Threaten" ability of CS. It's another ability to reduce the odds of enemies trying to solve conflicts by force. It adds to the Vow of Peace thematic and thus again helps the CS to solve things without any causalities.
3. Urban Tracking relies on GI (see 1.) and the build makes use of it.
4. Kids Glove is used for the natural attacks of the War-Troll form and combos well with Vow of Peace
5. Swift Tracker (see GI)
6. Painful Strike is a nice to have ability. But imho it was obvious that it will get overshadowed by most other dmg options in the game. I still make full use of it.
7. Immovable Heart helps with enchantment spells that pass the SR of the build. Thus, it further helps the build to become an unstoppable force.
8. Improved Disarm profits from the large size of War-Troll (+4). Being unarmed is a penalty (-4) and a gain (enemy weapon/item in your hand at not at the ground) at the same time. Vow of Peace further accompanies us well when we try to disarm previously hostile creatures.
9. Threaten (already covered by 2.) Further, War-Troll gives you a unmodified STR score of 31 (results to +10 STR modifier). Wild Shape doesn't give modifiers to your original scores, it exchanges the entire score. This results in a 10 round duration for the ability.
10. Deadened Hide is a nice cornerstone ability for lvl 20 that finishes the build well. It comes late, but it is at it is.
11&12. Finally I maxed bluff and diplomacy to further increase the odds of a nonviolent encounter solution (which again fits the CS fluff imho).

Compared to that, I only left the following things unused in the build:
1. Handle Animal has only the required ranks and the build doesn't show any use of it.
2. Heal also only have the required minimum ranks. This is because the build has access to heal spells which overshadow the heal skill. There aren't many things that really rely on heal skill ranks as sole option.
3. Special Dispensation ain't much of a benefit for a Vow of Poverty character. You could try to stretch it to magic use (spells, wild shape), but other than that, the build doesn't make any use of the ability.
4. LVL 9 & 10 of the SI and the abilities for those levels.

I didn't expect to hit max points here, but I genuinely didn't expect such a low score either. Besides from the missing 2 levels, the build makes good use of most abilities (~75%) and the fluff of the SI imho. I'm really curious what is missing/lacking here, so that I can improve for the next time.

Overall I'm very happy with your way of judging, so don't get the wrong idea here. I'm not begging for more point, I just wanna make sure you didn't missed anything and wanted to clear a few things up. I was a bit buffed because of all the SI complains and would like to know how I can improve, that's all ;)

PS: I hope rest of the readers don't get to annoyed by the lil disputes here, since I did expect this to some degree with an TO entry..^^
(To be honest, I did expect much more disputes. As H_H_F_F said, I had concerns about things which the judges didn't see as problematic as I assumed^^).

The Viscount

2021-01-30, 11:12 AM

Make that two disputes for you.

Just one small dispute H_H_F_F.

Way more seriously, you don’t meet the Dex prerequisite for two weapon pounce
Special
A fighter can select Two-Weapon Pounce as one of his fighter bonus feats. A ranger who has chosen the two-weapon combat style can select Two-Weapon Pounce as long as he has a base attack bonus of +6 and is wearing light armor or no armor.Emphasis mine. Rusty is exempted from meeting the Dex requirement by virtue of being a Ranger with the TWF Combat Style.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-30, 12:32 PM

Dispute responses coming soon.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-30, 01:17 PM

Answering the 2 disputes:

First thing first, you have every right to dispute whenever you feel an aspect of your entry was misjudged, and no one is (or should be) angry with you for that. No worries there.

Now, to the meat of it:

I misunderstood your skill column, as it is not a form I was familiar with. Still, the info is clearly there and manageable. It’s still not my favorite way to show that information (I like it better when each row in the table includes everything) but missing it is on me, and you get a refund for the slap on the wrist there.

Regarding the reading of the alternate form rule, I stand by my call. As I said, it’s not blatantly illegal, but I don’t see it as a fair reading of the ability.

Original form is a more interesting point to make, especially given your baleful polymorph example. It’s a good point. Now I still think the foundation of saying “My previous wildshape is my original form” is not solid, as the wild shape is over once you use it again. Baleful polymorph could be described as an “underlying condition”, a deeper layer, and I don’t think that works for different instances of the same ability. Still, a good point to make, and though I still don’t think that flies, I’ll somewhat adjust your score here.

As for the bonus feat issue, I disagree. “Human bonus feat” is not as neutral as “fighter bonus feat”, as it is an Ex ability unto itself. Not just the feat, the very existence of the bonus feat. That’s what your build is relying on, after all – And you can’t have 1 Ex ability twice, I don’t think. You can say, “I have 4 fighter bonus feats”, but you can’t say “I have the Ex ability human bonus feat, and also the Ex ability human bonus feat, as well as the Ex ability human bonus feat.” I get where you’re coming from, but I stand by my reading on this issue.

Our view on alignment elegance differs, but “Mind raped into being retroactively good” is alignment shenanigans, no matter how you view it. I’m not saying it’s illegal or “wrong”, just that it’s shenanigans.

I understood the way you saw the endurance requirement, but regardless of me not seeing it that way, it’s a slippery slope. You could use heroics, a second level spell, to ignore a ton of requirements. It’s not an elegant way to do thing, IMO.

As for UoSI:

First thing first, the “feels like the SI” portion. If I had to describe your build by saying the name of 1 class, I’d say MoMf, and it wouldn’t even be close. The most dominant aspect of your character’s story, feel, and motivation is being a MoMF. The crimson scourge is a bounty hunter / slave catcher, and you don’t evoke anything in the neighborhood of that.

As for the more technical part:

I’d like to start by talking about parts of my general approach to UoSI. Since you mentioned AvatarVecna’s judgment in your dispute, I’ll clarify that I don’t speak for him; AV and I have very different approaches when it comes to judging. From my experience, if you want to dispute his judgement, your best case would be showing you used abilities he didn’t give you credit for. His judgement works on a very strict metric. You missed 2 levels of the SI, so you’re 0.75 below someone who took every level, and nothing in the world can change that. If you started the SI after a level he decided was the baseline, you’ll get 0.25 points off, and again, nothing can change that.

My approach is less strict and more amorphous. You can see that as a good thing or a bad thing, but I’ll award a different amount to someone who used a ability based on how well they used that ability, and sometimes how difficult that ability is to put to use. I’ll also often consider things like the build’s “obvious alternatives” (as mentioned in Annette’s case and The Viscount’s Lady of Spines) and the importance of a certain ability to the build. That is to say, you could be super optimized to do disarming well, but if you can cast wish as a free action 10 times a day, you won’t get credit for disarming in UoSI. Either you have no reason to disarm, or disarming is a very unimportant part of what you do. The question is not only “How well can the PC use what the SI does”, it’s also “Where is he build’s focus, and where does it’s power come from.”

So, with that in mind, let’s look at your disputes one by one:

I noticed city sense synergy, it was part of my “Pretty elegant submission” statement. You got credit for GI synergy, but UoSI doesn’t change because of a +2 modifier to a skill check.

You kept Intimidate up, but you exude a calm eotions sphere all around you. Scoring remained.

I know you kept GI up and use it that was addressed.

I thought vow of nonviolence gave you melee nonlethal damage, probably because I’ve only ever used it on monks. I was wrong. Scoring adjusted.

Swift tracker – addressed by talking about GI.

Painful strike was addressed.

Not really needing a good will save as much as most characters is the definition of not really using Immoveable heart. See my comment on Booker and moment of perfect mind. It connects to my approach as I explained it – SR here is your “10 free action wishes” from the example. Having it makes immovable heart less important than it would be for 99.9% of entries.

Threaten – again, this is a very bad synergy with Vow Of peace.

Deadened hide was addressed.

Bluff and diplomacy – is not in my view an important part of the SI’s identity.

What really screwed you here wasn’t not having handle animal, or even counter-acting threaten and intimidate. It’s mainly about what I mentioned earlier – your Scourge powers are negligible next to those you get from MoMF, your focus is on being a shapechanger with VoP, and your obvious continuation (MoMF ) wwould have granted you more power. Again, your focus is on MoMF (remember the sentence of yours I quoted?) and it shows. If it helps, think about a cleric 15/Crimson scourge 5 who has spells to support kid’s gloves, disarm, whatever. The obvious thing to ask him would be “Why are you even in this class”, and that would get punishment in UoSI. That guy would get 1 point; you manage to get a better score because you still had saving graces, but again – the core reason for your bad score here is your build being mainly about something else entirely.

I hope you now have an understanding (even if not an appreciation) to my view on UoSI. I’m sorry if my response here has disappointed you.

Still, I did have to acknowledge a couple of issues here. Score will be adjusted momentarily.

Oh man, I shouldn’t have trusted myself. I remembered what the feat does, so I only looked at the table to make sure I was right about it requiring Dex. I’m embarrassed to have made this mistake, but I’m happy to be able to increase Rusty’s elegance.

Score will be adjusted momentarily.

WhamBamSam

2021-01-30, 03:14 PM

Updated the table accordingly.

eversilentone

2021-01-30, 09:15 PM

Just to confirm that there's no dispute from me. I thought about it, but a) I don't think it would change my ranking, b) I agree with the judgements and would really be disputing the impact on my score, which feels nitpicky and unnecessary. I really enjoyed reading both sets of judgement and have learned a lot for my next entry. Thank you both so much for taking the time to judge this round!

The Viscount

2021-01-31, 12:25 AM

One last note for you, H_H_F_F. Nothing that will alter scores.

A thank you and clarification for H_H_F_F, on behalf of Booker

On the other hand, I do have quite a few issues:

First thing first, multiclassing penalties. Nobody likes them, many ignore them, but they exist, and are not to be ignored. You live with them from ECL 5-20, which is a penalty. My condolences.

Confession: I have just never understood why they are a thing. We have never paid attention to them in games I play, and I did just not even consider them here too. Mostly because I have never figured out if they are something to mitigate or just something that particular race/class combinations have to live with. I think it’s the latter. So be it.

Speaking of the warblade dip, it’s in the wrong level, making your choice of disarming strike illegal. Your initiator level at that point is 2, not 3. I assume you messed up because of your LA, but it should have been a 5th level dip, not 4th. It’s fixable, so the punishment isn’t huge, but it’s a punishment nonetheless. It’s also still a single level dip, and while I’m not as opposed to (sensible) dippig as many judges have historically been, a single level dip is still a slap on the wrist.

You understood this right. I had it at 5, but then thought it’s better to have maneuvers early, “why is it not right after getting Brains over Brawn?” And I completely blanked on my original reason for putting it at 5: the fact that IL 2 isn’t enough for second-level maneuvers.

Other than that, I think one of us misunderstands how factorum works. There’s a real chance it’s at least partially me, and if so, you’re welcome to table a dispute. You note that you often ready heroics twice, and I don’t think that’s legal. The factorum entry clearly states: “You cannot prepare the same spell multiple times to use it more than once during the same day.”

Would you look at that. Huh. It does say that and I just never noticed. This is tacked on the end of the paragraph about refreshing spells, and the paragraph before, about preparing spells does not mention it. (Don’t tell the students to whom I teach close reading of texts IRL.). Color me embarrassed.

In the same vein, I also partially disagree with your reading of brain over brawn. While I agree you get your Int bonus on initiative, trip, and bullrush, you shouldn’t get it on disarm or grapple. Neither of those are a Dex or Str ability checks. They’re both attack rolls. That’s a very significant difference in your fabled disarm check. At ECL 16, it’s not 27 but a mere 20 – less than equivalent to the average full-bab character. Your inspiration can still make you competitive, but not as overwhelming as you thought you were.

Now I read this closely, too, I see it. I’m just mistaken and misreading about disarming. But I was confused about grapples. And I played a grapple heavy character for a few years of a campaign, too. But I always thought of the grapple check, made after a touch attack, as a strength-based skill check that is like an attack roll, but not actually an attack. No dispute here. I’m just plain mistaken.

Your snapshots are expansive and informative, and you fully list your sources (though you misattribute the half giant to complete psionic instead of the expanded psionics handbook. I believe you did make a few mistakes on your “check” modifiers in the skill list (at least, I can’t tell why your ability modifier to Cha based skills is 3 and not 2.) Your check is, however “Bonus information” not normally required, so no penalty.

That’s just I attention on my part. I re-jigged the abilities to get him a touch more strength, dropping CHA from 16 to 15, and just forgot to adjust that score on the spreadsheet I use to make that table.

Apologies for that too. Sloppiness. Comes from doing the final adjustments in the wee small hours of the morning.

I’m not sure why you entered the SI so late. This normally isn’t something I’m too concerned with, but it’s bugging me in your case.

It’s what you thought. The 8th level factotum ability to spend inspiration for an extra standard action, just seemed so gosh-dram useful, that it seemed good to delay factotum to get that laid in.

And I figured it would be cleaner and more elegant to not go back and forth between factotum and CS, but change careers at a defined (if later than it could be) point.

So no disputes here. You are completely correct in your judgments, and I’m feeling embarrassed for these relatively unnecessary mistakes. Thanks for teaching me things I really should have known.

H_H_F_F

2021-01-31, 05:53 AM

General response to Booker:

First of, no worries, and no need to be embarrassed. These things happen, we all miss stuff.

The points I wanted to address were multiclassing penalties. Not all judges penalise those, but I do. Sometimes they're unavoidable - if dipping warblade is important to your Primordial factorum, there's no way around it. Sometimes, though, you can wiggle out of them by shifting a class level or two in a way that doesn't harm your build, so I think it's good to keep those rules in mind. Don't let them kill a build, but don't neglect them either. Also, keep in mind that at least when I judge, the punishment scales with the XP penalty. So avoid thinking about it as "oh well, I'm already screwed, so..."

Second point I wanted to address was the entry point to the SI. There's definitely something to be said for ending one career before starting another, but this can become an issue of sacrificing elegance on one hand and UoSI on the other. The reason I specifically pointed you out was that you already got out of factorum for a time, so you were "getting back into factorun" one way or another. If you would have gone for 8 straight levels of factorum, I'd question the decision less, even if I would penalise it.

If you have any more general question about my approach to judgement, feel free to ask / personal message me after the reveal!

AvatarVecna

2021-02-01, 04:39 PM

Intention was to get dispute responses up over the weekend. Ill have em up within 24 hours, as well as updates based on other judge findings.

EDIT: Working on them now, sorry life's just been really agh this week. >.<

AvatarVecna

2021-02-02, 06:09 PM

The point made about your AC and HP is something I kinda missed, and it's not inaccurate. I think Vigor is doing you fine in the early levels, although I will say that some of your later-level power scores were built assuming you had regeneration for full-blown damage immunity, and it turns out that's location dependent - and you're not putting nearly as much work into being able to know about it/reach it in-universe as another build did, so you're getting marked down a bit for it. I'm of the opinion that a tank can expect some defensive buffs to come their way in a party, and while your focus on defending a particular important person rather than one of many party members will make that harder, there's some obvious defensive buffs that make your more problematic aspects less problematic, and I'm judging based on this being a PC in a party, not a solo character, and powers are doing you a lot of good.

Power -0.50 (Mid-High -0.25/High -0.25)

I have no problem with the point reduction for elegance itself, to make that clear. That can stay as it is, since I can fully understand when somebody says that it kills the elegance. But I have a problem if he implies that it is not within the designers intend. We have proof (DD) against that argument.

The existence of the feat prereq rules, and the PrC prereq rules as presented in some other books, could be said to show designer intent much more strongly. The existence of Dragon Disciple in conjunction with these lines of text does not make it 100% obvious designer intent that every single prestige class ever only requires you to qualify at the time you enter the class. Far more likely is that the designers were about done with the DMG, realized that dragon disciple invalidates itself, and wrote the rules that you only need to qualify when you enter...and just didn't consider the possibility of later rules that would allow a character to change around their mechanics in such a way that they no longer qualified for some other. Between the idea that the designers were fully aware of how this rule could be abused and left it in as a deliberate optimization tool, and that it's a line of rules text with massive charop implications that they didn't see coming because the book it was in wouldn't allow for such shenanigans...I think we can both agree that one of those has a great deal of precedent in the system as a whole. The fact that the rules being otherwise would make DD dysfunctional doesn't mean that that's the only way the rules could be - there are plenty of ways in which the rules are dysfunctional, one more doesn't ruin the system's integrity.

Holding up one rule and saying "why would they write it this way unless they intended for us to abuse it" doesn't automatically make it designer intent. And I'm pretty sure you're fully aware of that. That makes this argument...something. Can't recall exactly what at the moment.

As far as "things the other judge brought up", I didn't notice the attribute issue of 36 pb, so that's an easy quarter-point to take off. I don't dislike the alignment shenanigans as much as they do, although that's at least partially cuz a lot of the tables I've played at (even with really stingy DMs) tend to think of alignment restrictions as kinda dumb and ignore them, so I don't feel the potential for causing an argument is so intense that it requires a penalty, especially since you're going to great lengths to justify it.

Elegance -0.25

If it's far from expected, it's surprising that you gave zero points for using Factotum to enter. You did award 0.25-0.5 originality points to other entries for relatively unexpected entry classes (Totemist, Psychic Warrior, Binder, Urban Druid, Paladin and even Barbarian).

Or perhaps this was a typo, and you meant that it was a far from unexpected entry? Even so, it doesn't seem much more unexpected that Urban Druid or Barbarian.

Long story short, typo. The originality of a given ingredient is both "how expected it is for this contest" and "how expected it is in general", the latter of which is more or less a measure of optimization. I can't necessarily claim I'm as consistent about this as I'd like to be, but for this particular case, Factotum is in the same wheelhouse as ranger/rogue/scout, making it...not expected entry, but in a similar ballpark. And while it's not the same kind of power or versatility as a caster, Factotum is one of those classes that can be built to be okay at more or less anything.

Originality +0.00

Unfortunately for you, the other judge pointed out a thing I missed: you have multiclassing penalties. I must've been thinking Human when I checked for that, since basically everybody was Human this time around...and my particular rubric is a bit harsh on those, in part due to my experience with IRL DMs being stingy about it. I also noticed that your highlight and your table seemed to disagree on when you took the warblade dip. You don't immediately qualify for that particular maneuver, but you qualify for it shortly after, so that's just a quarter-point off.

Elegance -0.50 (Multiclassing Penalties -0.50/Eventually qualify for thing -0.25)

I just want to confirm that you are not underestimating those tricks. One might argue that being able to spend his 6/day inspiration points to add +5 to any attack, damage roll or saving throw, and to AC for a round, as well as a passive always-on +5 to initiative, and +5 to Iaijutsu checks, isn't that pathetic.

Plus he's adding his intelligence bonus (+5) to grapple, disarm, and has a +4 size bonus to those and to trip attacks vs medium creatures.

And at level 3 he has a +13 to intimidate checks to make a bully back down from initiating a fight to begin with (and can spend inspiration to add +5 to that).

You also didn't say anything about the use of Iaijutsu, adding an increasing number of d6s of damage to any attack against a flat-footed foe (and having a few ways of making opponents flat-footed).

Even at low levels, with +9 to the Iaijutsu check, and another +5 with an inspiration point, the check of +14 adding 2-5d6 to such an attack (a cumulative d6 for each multiple of 5 on the d20 roll).

So the low level power, isn't completely unimpressive.

Why yes, I do happen to be aware of the basic capabilities of a factotum, thank you very much. And yes, I have heard of Iaijutsu Focus before as well! Shocking, I know.

At ECL 4, you have LA 1 and Factotum 3. You have 3d8+6 HP (avg 19.5) at a level when frontliners will generally have 4d10+8 (avg 30) and wizards will have 4d4+4 (avg 14). You're far closer to the latter than the former, and you have neither the Dexterity nor the armor proficiency to consistently keep from getting hit. +5 to AC is all well and good when you can get it, but you've only got so many points, and you're going to be burning through them. This is, I'm fairly sure, why bonuses are everywhere in this early highlight, but the actual final numbers are nowhere to be seen:

At ECL 4, you have +3 to-hit (+5 with a flank, which tbh is fair). You deal 2d6+1/4d6+2 damage per hit/crit, without accounting for Iaijutsu Focus. You have AC 8 naked, and AC 12 in armor. You can spend 1 point to make this +10 to-hit for a single attack, 1 point to make this 2d6+6/4d6+12 damage for a single hit/crit, and 1 point to make this AC 17 for a single round. You have 6 points and you recharge them at a rate of 1 per minute (which btw does mean you were wrong about their frequency - they're not 6 per day, they're closer to 6 per fight, except even that's not 100% accurate and doesn't account for how you can generate them in noncombat encounters too). Over the course of an average six-round combat, you're going to be struggling to keep both your accuracy and your AC high enough to remain relevant, and the easiest way to do so is to keep off the front lines. Even your damage is a bit behind what an equal-level fighter will be contributing (to say nothing of an equal-level rogue), but your damage is at least passable without spending points.

As far as Iaijutsu Focus is concerned, there's a few hurdles that you're tripping over. Iaijutsu Focus triggers when you draw a weapon and attack a flat-footed enemy. At ECL 4, you have no method of rendering an opponent flat-footed that isn't available to literally everybody - namely, surprise, winning initiative, hiding mid-combat, and feinting. The additional hurdle is that you no way to either draw or sheathe a weapon as a free action, only the ability to do so as a move action, or the benefit of a +1 BAB character to draw a weapon as part of a regular move (note: not as part of any move action, just as a regular move, so the action spent sheathing a weapon can't be used to then draw the weapon as a free action). These combine into a problematic one-two punch: during a surprise round, you only get a move or a standard, so you can either attack an adjacent foe with a weapon you already had out, or you can move to a foe and not attack them (you could optionally draw your weapon, but depending on how thirsty you are for Iaijutsu Focus dice, you might want to hold off).

Winning initiative is something you can do pretty reliably against enemies thanks to Brains Over Brawn, so provided you didn't start the combat adjacent to a foe you don't wanna give an AoO, that first round you should be able to depend on getting to move+draw+attack for IF damage. After that point, you're going to have a tough time on your hands: you've got a +4 to Bluff and Hide, and you're strapped for points keeping your accuracy up, so it's up in the air whether or not you can reliably pull those off. Either way, it's eating into your action economy, eating up a move (Hide) or a standard (feint). So your second round of combat will be spent sheathing your weapon (move) and either moving into a hiding spot (move) or taunting the enemy into leaving themselves open (feint). This sets you up to move+draw+attack with IF damage in the third round, and later the fifth, and so on.

Assuming the Bluff/Hide checks succeeds every time, and that you're not dropping points on damage or IF checks because you need AC/Atk to be kept up, you're looking at averaging 13.5d6+3 damage over a 6 round combat (avg 50.25 damage), compared with a rogue who's just putting out 18d6+24 (avg 87 damage). And rogue's going to have comparable AC to you. Their accuracy will be a bit worse than yours since that's where points are going on your build, but also they don't need to make the bluff/hide check to get their damage good, so we can call those changes to DPR a wash, as far as they compare to each other.

Your animal sidekicks might be able to help make up a bit of the difference, but their own attack bonuses won't be great either, and you can't boost them the way you can your own (short of using them as flanking buddies to their benefit and yours, which is why even as a solo character i'm assuming you'll have the flank bonus). But if you wanna know why your low-level power is, that's the gist of it: in a contest featuring more than a couple casters, you are a rogue with worse damage and some neat tricks. There's a number of neat tricks, and you're surprisingly comparable to an equal-ECL rogue, but at the end of the day you end up suffering for that.

Naturally, at Low-Mid Power, this goes away entirely: by ECL 8, the missing HD doesn't matter as much, especially since you've been adding d12s. I'm not sure why you think Warblade adds +1 AC (I think that's a swordsage thing you were thinking of?), but it does introduce medium armor proficiency, so that's definitely a boon to your defenses. The addition of Knowledge Devotion and Collector Of Stories is a dependable boost to accuracy and damage that doesn't cost you inspiration points. You also get an ability letting you make a Concentration check to render an opponent flat-footed as part of the same action spent to make the attack they're flat-footed against, which you can do up to three times before having to spend a round resetting. Unfortunately, you don't get Brains Over Brawn to Con checks, but you've still got a good bonus here that'll hit AC more often than not. This gives you the theoretical ability to do IF attacks four rounds in a row, were it not for that "with a weapon you just drew" clause. That being said, there's some minor ways around this: you can drop a weapon as a free action, and draw one as part of a move action to move, so you could still make IF attacks four rounds in a row as long as you had four Large Greatswords that you draw one at a time. In any case, a Factotum 6/Warblade 1 has a lot more going for it than the Factotum 3 did, enough so that you've gone from being mildly bad to being exceedingly effective in low-mid level combats. Hence why you've been rated as you have.

Power +0.00

The other judge is correct that Kid's Gloves and Special Dispensation aren't doing much for you at all, which for some reason I thought you had use for. Probably the half-truths about your patron just confused my tired mind lol.

UotSI -0.50 (2 fewer features used)

Once more, mentioning that I've got very little issue with alignment shenanigans, even if yours are a bit more pronounced than the previous ones.

Elegance +0.00

The loss of craven from lvls 3-9 is hurting your lvl 5-8 power rating a great deal, and I really should've accounted for that rather than handwaving it in Elegance. A tank with bad damage isn't particularly good.

Power -1.00 (Low -0.25/Low-Mid -0.50/Mid -0.25

I missed how you were qualifying for something with a spell that temporarily boosts your stats. I've already gotten on other people's cases for that, so you're getting the same penalty they got.

Elegance -0.75 (temporary prereq argument)

I've gotta handle an errand before it gets too late so if somebody else could update the table to reflect these changes that'd be great.