Jervis
2021-01-27, 02:49 AM
Mettle is one of the many weird class features that people just don't use that often. I know that fort/will negates are more common than partial or halfs, but i've been looking into making a gimmicky save pumping build that uses Shaman 8/ Witch Hunter 2/ and PrC Paladin 2 to give me three staking instances of Charisma to Saves (Or wisdom to saves with serenity PrC paladin). Add on Divine Oracle or a ring of evasion to make Ref saves trivial and you have something decent that works as a divine caster melee.
That brings me to Mettle. I figure, if i'm going to do this, might as well do it right. So i started looking for ways to get mettle and found a few... OK options, but nothing ideal. Here are a few i found. Keep in mind ill be assuming that all of these work as written from the method you get it and ill be judging the acordingly.
Pius Templar: CD
Pros: Available at level 1 of the class. Some first level paladin spells. It's fairly thematic.
Cons: Doesn't advance spellcasting so you loose a CL. 1st level paladin spells lul. Worse variant of mettle
This is the most common version of the feature and, in my opinion, one of the worst. It only works on spells so SU abilities and anything nonmagical still works.
Witch Slayer: ToM
Pros: Available at Lv 2 of the PRC. Very thematic for this character specifically. Witch Slayer and Hunter being on the same character amuses me.
Cons: No spellcasting. Very Specific RP requirements.
This is the second version of Mettle, one that works on all magical sources of saves. So just about anything with a generous interpretation. For our purposes ill assume it means anything that isn't a EX ability, disease, trap, etc. So SU abilities and spells or spell likes.
Hexblade: CW
Pros: Has its own "Grace" ability that gives charisma to saves against spells and spell likes specifically. No pre-reqs.
Cons: Takes 3 full lost CL. Resistance only works on spells unlike the grace effects. Annoying alignment restrictions
Best version of mettle bar none. It works on everything. The ideal
Mettle of the Mountain: RoS Goliath rogue substitution level
Pros: Works on non-magical sources.
Cons: Requires goliath and 2 levels of rogue. With LA buyoff you have a suboptimal race and 2 missing CL, without its effectively 3.
This would be the best version of the feature if it didn't only work on Fort saves, meaning it does nothing for will.
Kinslayer: DotU
Pros: Level 1 of the PrC.
Cons: Heavy feat tax. Requires Drow. Vile Feats mean you need to be evil (Though i believe there is a work around.)
Second best Mettle, same as witch slayer.
Sohei: OA
Pros:
Cons: Level 9.
HellReaver: FCII
Pros: Thematic. Charisma synergy
Cons: No casting. Doesn't give mettle until 4.
Spell only mettle.
Tabard of Valor:
Pros: Item. Can give improved Mettle.
Cons: Only works when HP>50%
This is the spell only version of mettle and only works when you're on low HP. Unless your DM lets you hack it with UMD, its not a reliable source. Good for upgrading a existing mettle, though.
Wand of Confounding Resistene: ToM
Pros: Item. Gives Mettle AND Evasion.
Cons: Limited Uses. TRUENAMERS!!!
In theory this is the best, gives the best version of mettle and a buffed evasion. BUT it lasts 5 rounds by default, meaning its useless unless you have a familiar to make a UMD (Or god forbid, truename) check. In theory you could persist it with a schema of a artificer infusion, assuming it works because this is a truename utterance. If that doesn't work then this is pretty bad. You also need to comisssion a wand with a truename check high enough that youll never level out of it.
That was everything ive found. I would like to hear of any i missed and which one you think would work best for the hypothetical character i mentioned.
That brings me to Mettle. I figure, if i'm going to do this, might as well do it right. So i started looking for ways to get mettle and found a few... OK options, but nothing ideal. Here are a few i found. Keep in mind ill be assuming that all of these work as written from the method you get it and ill be judging the acordingly.
Pius Templar: CD
Pros: Available at level 1 of the class. Some first level paladin spells. It's fairly thematic.
Cons: Doesn't advance spellcasting so you loose a CL. 1st level paladin spells lul. Worse variant of mettle
This is the most common version of the feature and, in my opinion, one of the worst. It only works on spells so SU abilities and anything nonmagical still works.
Witch Slayer: ToM
Pros: Available at Lv 2 of the PRC. Very thematic for this character specifically. Witch Slayer and Hunter being on the same character amuses me.
Cons: No spellcasting. Very Specific RP requirements.
This is the second version of Mettle, one that works on all magical sources of saves. So just about anything with a generous interpretation. For our purposes ill assume it means anything that isn't a EX ability, disease, trap, etc. So SU abilities and spells or spell likes.
Hexblade: CW
Pros: Has its own "Grace" ability that gives charisma to saves against spells and spell likes specifically. No pre-reqs.
Cons: Takes 3 full lost CL. Resistance only works on spells unlike the grace effects. Annoying alignment restrictions
Best version of mettle bar none. It works on everything. The ideal
Mettle of the Mountain: RoS Goliath rogue substitution level
Pros: Works on non-magical sources.
Cons: Requires goliath and 2 levels of rogue. With LA buyoff you have a suboptimal race and 2 missing CL, without its effectively 3.
This would be the best version of the feature if it didn't only work on Fort saves, meaning it does nothing for will.
Kinslayer: DotU
Pros: Level 1 of the PrC.
Cons: Heavy feat tax. Requires Drow. Vile Feats mean you need to be evil (Though i believe there is a work around.)
Second best Mettle, same as witch slayer.
Sohei: OA
Pros:
Cons: Level 9.
HellReaver: FCII
Pros: Thematic. Charisma synergy
Cons: No casting. Doesn't give mettle until 4.
Spell only mettle.
Tabard of Valor:
Pros: Item. Can give improved Mettle.
Cons: Only works when HP>50%
This is the spell only version of mettle and only works when you're on low HP. Unless your DM lets you hack it with UMD, its not a reliable source. Good for upgrading a existing mettle, though.
Wand of Confounding Resistene: ToM
Pros: Item. Gives Mettle AND Evasion.
Cons: Limited Uses. TRUENAMERS!!!
In theory this is the best, gives the best version of mettle and a buffed evasion. BUT it lasts 5 rounds by default, meaning its useless unless you have a familiar to make a UMD (Or god forbid, truename) check. In theory you could persist it with a schema of a artificer infusion, assuming it works because this is a truename utterance. If that doesn't work then this is pretty bad. You also need to comisssion a wand with a truename check high enough that youll never level out of it.
That was everything ive found. I would like to hear of any i missed and which one you think would work best for the hypothetical character i mentioned.