Help with Warblade Seph. parody

[Skjaldbakka]

I am wanting to build an ECL 16 Sephiroth rip-off/parody. ECL 16 because that is what I get with Leadership at 18th level.

I was thinking human, with the half-celestial and dark templates (to get the black feathered wings thing going). I'm assuming elite array, but cohorts may be 32 pt. buy in this game. I was thinking about going straight warblade.

I have plenty of buffs from the actual character, who is a level 18 cleric persistent spell abuser. The goal is to mostly play as the cohort, especially since the cleric is also abusing the True Submissive feat, via concealed spellcasting shenanigans.

Aside from being a Seph. knock-off, I would like to crack out this warblade as much as possible. This is of course limited by my taking templates with LA, but what does a cracked-out warblade do?

Also worth noting, this game is likely to hit the mid 20s, so Seph. is going to be hitting the high teens (after LA).

[ZeroNumerous]

Actually no, he won't. He'll be stuck at level 13 for eternity unless you take Epic Leadership. I highly suggest doing so, since it will help make up for the crippling +4 LA from half-celestial. Alternatively, you could just make him a winged elf(Races of Faerun) for only +3 LA.

Just buy the Dark Template through that umbral item from Tome of Magic(I don't recall the name).

Sephiroth uses a nodachi as a main weapon, so a masterwork greatsword could replicate that.

Straight warblade isn't too great, but with that LA you don't really have alot to work with. Personally, I'd focus on Iron Heart and Diamond Mind since you only have one weapon.

[Nerd-o-rama]

No reason you can't just have an evil half-celestial with black wings. Fits the overly angsty feel. Or to save on LA, you could take the Winged template from Savage Species. I believe that's Flight, +6 Dex, +2 Wis, and +2 LA. Makes a hell of an archer, for reference. Not so much of a swordfighter, but eh.

Remember though, and this is important, he only has one actual wing.

Anyway, if you're willing to put up with a wasted feat, a Monkey Gripped Large Falchion/Greatsword is probably the way to go for a weapon. Actually, Seph uses his sword one-handed, so it really should be a bastard sword, but that's too many wasted feats (and wasted damage potential) there, in my opinion.

I don't have experience optimizing Warblades. I can tell you that some White Raven moves will come in handy even if you're already buffed out (White Raven Tactics? Yes plz.) Iron Heart has the flashy-but-effective swordplay, and Diamond Mind gets a lot of useful assorted bonus abilities, and a few good strikes as well.

Oh, and he should have the power to blow up the sun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLnejSsa7_k).

[Xefas]

Sephiroth is a lot more like a Sorcerer than a Warblade. After all, he does have almost every materia maxed out in FF7, and shapechanges, and destroys the same solar system about 8 times in one fight.

Unless we're talking about Kingdom Hearts Sephiroth, where he'd be a lot more like a Warblade (though he still rains down meteors, calls up columns of fire, and insta-deaths you).

Other than that, just get the Winged Template instead of Half Celestial and Dark. I'm pretty sure that template lets you customize the look of your wings, is only LA +2 (I think), and doesn't have all the extra stuff you don't need (like Dark giving you Hide in Plain Sight?).

[Nerd-o-rama]

Hey, Seph has Hide in Plain Sight. Remember the Aeris cutscene? He was right friggin' there!

[Skjaldbakka]

Sephiroth is a lot more like a Sorcerer than a Warblade. After all, he does have almost every materia maxed out in FF7, and shapechanges, and destroys the same solar system about 8 times in one fight.

Unless we're talking about Kingdom Hearts Sephiroth, where he'd be a lot more like a Warblade (though he still rains down meteors, calls up columns of fire, and insta-deaths you).

Other than that, just get the Winged Template instead of Half Celestial and Dark. I'm pretty sure that template lets you customize the look of your wings, is only LA +2 (I think), and doesn't have all the extra stuff you don't need (like Dark giving you Hide in Plain Sight?).

Swordsage then? That way he has a more sorcerous feel, and gets use from HIPS. I'd build him for a martial adept/caster gish class, except they are all good-aligned. :smallsigh:


Oh, and he should have the power to blow up the sun.

So I should make him a vampire, so that Iron Heart Surge can end the effect of the sun? :smallwink:

[Xefas]

Hey, Seph has Hide in Plain Sight. Remember the Aeris cutscene? He was right friggin' there!

Invisibility, because he's a Sorcerer. Ever wonder why he was up so high to begin with? Fly.

EDIT:



Swordsage then? That way he has a more sorcerous feel...

I'd like an explanation for this logic, personally.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Supernatural maneuvers. Lighting swords on fire and such.

Duskblade, maybe? Most of his spells are damage spells anyway...

[Skjaldbakka]

I'd like an explanation for this logic, personally.

Because swordsage has lots of strikes available that are very magicy? Mostly from Desert Wind and Shadow Hand? Especially Desert Wind.

[Xefas]

Supernatural maneuvers. Lighting swords on fire and such.

Duskblade, maybe? Most of his spells are damage spells anyway...

Ah, I always thought that that was rather swordsagey, more than sorcerous. I know the adjective doesn't flow quite as smoothly, but what can you do?

Duskblade might not be a bad idea, though.


Because swordsage has lots of strikes available that are very magicy? Mostly from Desert Wind and Shadow Hand? Especially Desert Wind.

I disagree. Not that they're more magicy, because they are...sorta. But, they certainly don't make you look like a sorcerer in my opinion.

Now, if you could somehow convince your DM that the Arcane variant Swordsage isn't the most broken thing since Pun-Pun, THEN, you'd have a Sephiroth (or close).