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faeline
2007-11-22, 12:45 AM
Hi.

I'm currently playing a 3.5 FR campaign based on the current timeline. My character is a level 11 Dervish, and now I'm kinda lost as to what I can do. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Some Character Background
Character Race: Half-Elf (Augmented Humanoid with Chosen of Silvanus)
Character Stats: 22Str, 20Dex, 18Con, 13Int, 15Wis, 10Cha
Character Build: 3 Ranger / 3 Scout / 2 Fighter / 3 Dervish
Current Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Combat Expertise, Weapon Focus (Scimitar), Swift Hunter, Deadly Defense
Class Features: Favored Enemy (Abberation, Undead), 2 Weapon Fighting
Character Deity: Silvanus
Character Alignment: True Neutral
Character Equipment: Celestial Armor, +1 Undead Fierce Bane Scimitar, +1 Mage Bane Evil Outsider Bane Scimitar
Other Information:

From my Chosen template (+LA0), I get +4 level bonus toward Animal Companion and Wild Empathy. I have Woodland Stride and Trackless Step.

I'm currently one of the two melee combatants in our party (the other one is a duskblade). The rest of my party is a monk/cleric, a full cleric, a rogue/wizard, a gish and someone you can just discount as being useful.

Campaign Information
Campaign Setting: Forgotten Realms
Main Home City: Waterdeep
OMG Big Bad Enemy: City of Shades
Current Location: Undermountains

Books Allowed (3.5, or 3.0 converted):
Core: PHB, PHB2, DMG, DMG2, MM1-4
Accessories: Almost every possible source book besides Savage Species and part of Magic Items Compendium (minus away the weapon crystals). Currently, no players are using Book of Exalted Deeds, so minus away Book of Exalted Deeds and Book of Vile Darkness.
Forgotten Realms: All books.

What I am looking for
I am looking at ways to maximise my damage, since I am the only party member in the group that do not make use of magic to boost my damage. We have encountered monsters that are immune to magical effects, and I intend to keep myself as the only non-magic based damage dealer.

For my level 12th feat, I'm intending to go Improved Critical. I'm not looking at using many items to boost my damage, since I will spend the bulk of my gold on my weapons.

Thanks in advanced!

Jannex
2007-11-22, 12:56 AM
I notice you don't have Improved Skirmish yet. I highly recommend it, since as a Scout/Dervish you're likely to move at least 20' in a round. It's in Complete Scoundrel, and the extra +2d6/+2AC is shiny.

Other than that... Tome of Battle is a great source for TWFers, if you want to dip a bit into Swordsage or Warblade (I'm inclined to suggest you more strongly in the direction of Swordsage, despite the 3/4 BAB progression, because Shadow Hand maneuvers are love). It would slow down your Dervish progression, but there are some very shiny things in that book...

ocato
2007-11-22, 12:59 AM
I suggest getting improved skirmish (Complete Scoundrel, +2d6/+2AC if you move 20ft) and two weapon pounce (PH2, use both weapons at the end of a charge, charge +2 and twf -2 cancel each other out). These two will make you very able to combine your two weapons with skirmish in between dances. You charge in, double skirmish, then start dancing around skirmishing more. You may also like to take some levels in Tempest later, for more bonus AC and a negation of the -2 to twf attacks, allowing you to keep up in accuracy as you level. I think either Dervish or Tempest gets spring attack as a bonus feat as well, which might be helpful.

faeline
2007-11-22, 01:08 AM
Thanks for all your suggestions...

My dervish will most likely be very feat intensive as well :smallsigh: I'm definitely looking at Improved Skirmish and TW Pounce. I already have Spring Attack from Dervish, but ignoring bonus feats from other classes, this will already take me to level 18 :smalleek:

Any suggestions on the classes to take? Should I continue my scout for bonus feat and evasion, or move on to another PrC?

Jannex
2007-11-22, 01:13 AM
I suggest getting improved skirmish (Complete Scoundrel, +2d6/+2AC if you move 20ft) and two weapon pounce (PH2, use both weapons at the end of a charge, charge +2 and twf -2 cancel each other out).

Sadly, that's not how Two-Weapon Pounce works (though I think it should, because then it'd be good rather than just necessary); it says, "If you do so [attack with two weapons at the end of a charge], you lose the bonus on attack rolls normally granted by a charge." Irritating, but true.


I think either Dervish or Tempest gets spring attack as a bonus feat as well, which might be helpful.

I know Dervish does, but I forget at what level. Tempest has it as a prerequisite.

faeline
2007-11-22, 01:25 AM
!!! My avatar creator!!! :smallredface:

Gungnir
2007-11-22, 01:52 AM
Well, since you're already on the subject, hows about lending me a hand? I'm making a dervish for a game that hasn't started yet; the trick is I wanted to use a halfling wielding a elven courtblade. I don't have the ToB or Complete Scoundrel. Any ideas?

Jannex
2007-11-22, 02:02 AM
!!! My avatar creator!!! :smallredface:

:smallbiggrin: *waves*

Gungnir: I can tell you straight off that you'll want some form of precision damage. This probably means starting either with Rogue or Scout (though I'm sure other people will have alternate suggestions).

Points in favor of Rogue:
* Sneak Attack scales faster than Skirmish
* Perform (dance) is a class skill, and is a prerequisite for Dervish

Points in favor of Scout:
* Skirmish has somewhat better synergy with Dervish's mobility than Sneak Attack
* Fast Movement is a class feature, and is shiny.

faeline
2007-11-22, 02:12 AM
Well, since you're already on the subject, hows about lending me a hand? I'm making a dervish for a game that hasn't started yet; the trick is I wanted to use a halfling wielding a elven courtblade. I don't have the ToB or Complete Scoundrel. Any ideas?

Hmmm when I was looking at dervish, there were some ideas on Fighter/Swashbuckler/Dervish build, basically by stacking as many precision damage as possible... Basically Feats + Finesse + Int to Damage... Full BAB here...

And well, of course scout, even though it's 3/4 BAB. (Like now, when I meet an evil outsider caster, it's 8d6 per hit :smallbiggrin: 2d6 from Skirmish, 1d6 from Scimitar, 2d6 from E/O bane, 2d6 from Mage bane, 1d6 from Deadly Defense). Mini fireball ftw~

Back to my question... what do you guys think of Highland Stalker?

Iku Rex
2007-11-23, 08:11 AM
If that's all the equipment you have you really need to spend more on basic defensive items and ability score boosters. If you're not planning on getting more two-weapon fighting feats, gloves of the balanced hand (MIC, 8000 gp) provide an extra attack at -5 as if you were using the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat. (Technically it appears as if you get the extra attack even if you're using the actual Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat, but I don't think that's the intent.)

I'd stick with dervish. Why would you want to leave it? You'll get more dervish dances and lots of fancy class abilities. Another level of ranger with the non-spellcasting variant from CChamp would get you a bonus feat (like more two-weapon fighting) and slightly improved skirmish. The wildrunner PrC from Races of the Wild works well with dervish if you can get the skill ranks to qualify. Highland stalker seems like a waste.

As for feats, I'm not sure Improved Critical is your best bet. Other options are more two-weapon fighting feats, Animal Devotion (CCha), Improved Skirmish (CSco), Two-Weapon Rend (PHBII) or Martial Study (ToB, Burning Blades? other?).