Junkyard Wars XXXVIII - NPC + PrC - BC

[Thurbane]

Welcome to Junkyard Stadium! It is in this hallowed pile of miscellaneous parts that we will hold a competition of Practical Optimization with three components. The catch? Competitors may not use the third item in their builds!

Goal: Create a build that showcases the selected ingredients while steering clear of the Forbidden Ingredient.

This competition has two Necessary Components and one Forbidden Component. This round's components are...



Necessary: NPC Class (or classes)
Necessary: Prestige Class (or classes)
Forbidden: Any other base class




Creation: 32 point-buy is the presumed creation method. You may assume that you will have enough exp to reach ECL 20, and that the occasional bit of crafting, use of spells with exp components, or the like won't prevent you from doing so. However, LA buyoff is an alternate rule which is not in play.
Workshop: 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 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. If you use web material, please link it. Dragon Magazine Compendium is allowed, as are Oriental Adventures (and its 3.5 updates in Dragon Magazine) and the Dragonlance Campaign Setting. Alternate rule systems from UA such as generic classes, spontaneous divine casters, gestalt and fractional saves and BAB are not allowed, as they create a different playing field.
Leadership is banned: We're creating one thing, not all of the things. 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.
Speculation: Please don't post or speculate on possible builds until after the reveal in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines. Speculation and stub posting is to be avoided until the reveal is completed.
Disputes: Any scoring disputes should be sent to the Chair via PM. Valid disputes include RAW misreadings, arithmetic errors, things missed that are present in the entry, and inconsistently applied criteria. Invalid disputes include disagreements on matters of opinion, a judge not catching something not explicitly presented in the entry, and the like. Invalid disputes will be responded to via PM by the Chair, but valid disputes will be posted in-thread for the judge to review. When disputing, please indicate the judge the dispute is intended for and provide a quote of the disputed comment or comments. Note: the Chair may edit or paraphrase any disputes in presenting them to the judges.
Presentation: You will need to present a write-up of your build at at least one of the following points: 5th level, 10th level, 15th, 20th, and a "sweet spot" that you feel is the high point of the build, as well as presenting a fully-fleshed out 20-level build in the table below. Please give a rundown of the build's abilities and playability throughout its life. 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. Also for this reason, PLEASE do not include any material that may or may not offend any potential viewers/judges/competitors OR break forum rules. Any builds which violate forum rules WILL be withheld from posting.
Anonymity: if you are submitting multiple entries, please try not to have entries reference each other, or have other obvious "tells" that they are from the same competitor. If it is essential for your concept that entries are somehow linked, that is fine, but otherwise, please try to limit info that will give away who competitors are.



Due to concerns about standardizing entry format, please 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.

mattie_p has also kindly made a Google Document that greatly assists with creating and formatting tables: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BG0-5sq4dL9Ooh7-QfXuyHzO4rXSz-CRcj29t6BeUVE/edit?usp=sharing




Scoring: Each judge is required to provide the criteria by which they are judging the builds. By "criteria," we mean a simple explanation of what the judge is looking for in each of the below categories and what kind of scoring we can expect. If a judge deems a build to be illegal, they may provide a 0 in Elegance but may not refuse to judge any build presented by the Chairman.
The Categories: Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Power, Elegance, Use of Components.


Originality: Is the build unique? Does it deviate from the obvious? Does it forge its own path, or does it fall back on common, established optimization tricks? Some judges score entries for the quality of their concept & backstory as well, though not all do. Providing at least some backstory is heavily encouraged, as it helps the judges figure out who the entry is. Note that the purpose of this category is not to penalize entries that independently came up with the same idea as another entry, but rather to reward entries that explore underutilized and non-obvious areas of optimization, so, judges, try not to base your judging in this category too heavily on what other builds are doing. Multiple entries using the same element may certainly be evidence that the element is unoriginal, but you shouldn't impose anything like a "-1 for each other build using the same class" penalty.
Power: 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: This category was formerly titled "Build Stability." Here, we're essentially measuring how skillfully you put your build together and how you balanced flavor with 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 an automatic loss of one point per flaw in this category. Other things that will cause lost points here are excessive multiclassing (meaning any multiclassing that results in an xp penalty), and classes that don't fit the concept - using Cloistered Cleric in a front-line melee fighter, for example, may lose you points. Rule adherence and legality of sources is scored under this category; additionally, reliance on a questionable, controversial, or ambiguous ruling can and should result in a deduction. Neither the number of sources nor their relative obscurity should be penalized--contestants should feel free to use any books they like. Dipping should not be penalized unless it results in a multiclass xp penalty; if the system won't penalize it, neither should judges.
Use of Components: Was the Forbidden Component avoided? Were the Necessary Components showcased, or simply used because they were necessary?



Note on scoring: if you are going to penalize an entry for something specific, it is strongly recommend that it only be penalized in one of the four categories for this - the one you feel is the most relevant. It is OK to put different penalties for different instances in their own category, but if, say, someone fails to qualify for a PrC, try not to ping them in Elegance and Power, for instance.
Disputes: Any scoring disputes will be posted by the Chairman in-thread after reviewing them privately. Valid disputes include

RAW misreadings,
arithmetic errors,
things missed that are present in the entry,
and inconsistently applied criteria.

Note: only competitors are to raise disputes, and only on their own entry. If you, as a spectator, find an error in judging (or in an entry, for that matter), please hold off on comment until after the final reveal. Thank you.
Invalid disputes include

disagreements on matters of opinion,
a judge not catching something not explicitly presented in the entry,
and the like.

Invalid disputes will be responded to via PM by the Chair, but valid disputes should be responded to by each individual judge. Judges are obligated to respond to disputes to ensure that everyone gets a fair shake. A judge's scores will only be recognized if they have recognized all disputes. In the absence of any other judges, the entries will be judged by the chairman.



Completion Time:

Contestants will have until 23:59 GMT Monday June 6, 2022 to create their builds and PM them to the chairman (note: you are free to submit builds up until I start posting entries, even if this deadline has passed).
Builds will then be posted simultaneously to avoid copying.
Judges will have until 23:59 GMT Monday June 20, 2022 to judge the builds and submit their scores. Judging deadline is subject to extension as required.
As the precedent has been set from Episode 2, should all prospective judges have posted their rulings in a neat, timely fashion and all disputes have been settled satisfactorily (to either judges, contestants, or the Chairperson), the judging period may end prematurely to give way to a new episode. No reason to keep working on a finished building and avoid moving onto the next one.


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 that doesn't gain a medal. Contestants are invited to vote for honorable mention via PM. Everyone else can vote in-thread. Ready? Set? Get to the junkyard and start building!

On the subject of messaging the chair (me), a few guidelines:
- I am not here to give critiques on your build or guess how the judges might score it!
- For entries, please keep the entry to no more than 2 messages, if at all possible.
- For entries, don't expect me to search through your entry and edit in or out material. Entries should be sent to me complete - if there is a later revision, re-submit the full build. PLEASE DON'T INCLUDE TEXT IN YOUR SUBMISSION YOU WANT ME TO EDIT OUT FOR THE POST - SUBMIT IT TO ME EXACTLY HOW I WILL POST THE FINISHED PRODUCT.
- Please make sure the name of your entry is clearly present in the message.



Junkyard Wars in the Playground I: Shadowdancer + Sneak Attack - Rogue (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?337864)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground II: Healing Spells + Ruby Knight Vindicator - Cleric (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?342896)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground III: Dragons + Theurges - Kobolds (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?347412)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground IV: BoED + Undead Type - Completes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?355278)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground V: Dread Witch + Reaping Mauler - Fighter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?360271)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground VI: Wonderworker + Profession Skill - Factotum (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?369604)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground VII: Metamagic Feats + LA - Metamagic Reducers! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?374504)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground VIII: Pounce+Small Size-Barbarian (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388151)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground IX: Earth Dreamer + Ordained Champion - Cleric (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?395791)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground X: Meldshaping + Natural Attacks - Totemist (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?403880)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XI: Magical Darkness + Improved Familiar - Wizard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?409650)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XII: Dragonmark Heirs + Touchstones - Martial Weapons (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?430214)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XIII: Mulhorandi Divine Minion + Monk - Any Other Wildshaping (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?465901)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XIV: Racial Paragon Classes + Spellcasting - Base Classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?479427)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XV: Ruathar + Stoneblessed - Human (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?497904)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XVI: Trapsmith + Combat Trapsmith - Rogue (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?540521)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XVII: Elemental Warrior + Jaunter - Fighter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?552569)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XVIII: Argent Savant + Holy Scourge - Wizard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?555404)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XIX: Incarnum Blade + Exotic Weapon Master - Spiked Chain (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?562523-Junkyard-Wars-XIX-IB-EWM-SC)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XX: Xorvintaal Exarch + The Pact-Bound Adept - Sorcerer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?568541-Junkyard-Wars-XX-XE-PBA(a)-S)
Junkyard Wars in the Playground XXI: Rebuke Undead + Teamwork Benefits - [Divine] feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?572680-Junkyard-Wars-XXI-Halloween-Round!)
Junkyard Wars XXII: Battle Trickster + Magical Trickster - Uncanny Trickster (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?577512-Junkyard-Wars-XXII-Show-Me-Your-Skillz)
Junkyard Wars XXIII: Spellwarp Sniper + Silver Pyromancer - Energy Substitution (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?581736-Junkyard-Wars-XXIII-Ready-Aim-Fire)
Junkyard Wars XXIV: Vow of Peace + Saint - Divine casting (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?585567-Junkyard-Wars-XXIV-VoPe-S-DC)
Junkyard Wars XXV: Silverwood Arcanist + Share Soulmeld - Soulcaster (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?590622-Junkyard-Wars-XXV-SA-SS-S)
Junkyard Wars XXVI: RSL + ACF - PrCs (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?593374-Junkyard-Wars-XXVI-RSL-ACF-PrCs)
Junkyard Wars XXVII: Unholy Scion + Mark - Affiliation (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?598151-Junkyard-Wars-XXVII-US-M-A)
Junkyard Wars XXVII: 1MF + CPA&A - T (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?603826-Junkyard-Wars-XXVIII-1MF-CPA-amp-A-T)
Junkyard Wars XXIX: Social Distancing Edition! (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?610153-Junkyard-Wars-XXIX-Social-Distancing-Edition!)
Junkyard Wars XXX: Something a Little Spicy (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?631758-Junkyard-Wars-XXX-Something-a-Little-Spicy)
Junkyard Wars XXXI: Giddy-Up! (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?633325)
Junkyard Wars XXXII: Theurge Without Theurge (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?634803)
Junkyard Wars XXXIII: LotD + AF - Necropolitan (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?636185)
Junkyard Wars XXXIV: SE + HoS - Soulmelds (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?637670)
Junkyard Wars XXXV: Complete Class + Complete PrC - PHB Classes (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?641168)
Junkyard Wars XXXVI: Vestige Binding + MWP - Binder (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?642413)
Junkyard Wars XXXVII: Bone Collector + Necropotent - ToB (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?644772)

[Thurbane]

Q1. What are the NPC classes?
A1. Adept (including the Eberron variant with a domain), Aristocrat, Commoner, Expert, Magewright and Warrior.

Q2. Do Racial Paragon Classes count as base classes?
A2. For this comp, yes, which means they are forbidden.

Q3. Are Racial Hit Dice Allowed?
A3. Yes, for this comp they are not treated as base classes.

Q4. Are monster classes/savage progression classes allowed?
A4. No, for this comp they are treated as base classes.

Q5. Are the Commoner Flaws allowed?
A5. No, as Dragon Magazine content, they are not in the allowed source materials.

Q6. Does the prestige class requirement mean you must take only one PrC, and complete all of it's levels?
A6. No, the requirement simply means you must have at least one level in a PrC. You can take one or multiple, and you can finish or not finish them. Judges may apply elegance penalties as they see fit, however.

Q7. Are the prestigious classes (Bard, Paladin, Ranger) from UA allowed?
A7. They are not specifically called out as banned in the rules, but since the intention is that they do not exist in a regular game alongside base class Bards, Paladins and Rangers, a judge might ping you for it.

[Beni-Kujaku]

Are April Fool's commoner flaws allowed? Do they incur Elegance penalties as normal?

[Thurbane]

Are April Fool's commoner flaws allowed? Do they incur Elegance penalties as normal?

They are Dragon material, so technically not allowed.

[ciopo]

Does the prestige class ingredient mean we're only allowed one prestige class? (Or that we must finish it before starting a second one, I guess)

To be clear, I like that as a limitation it makes it more interesting to me within the scope of this comp, but I'm not sure that's the intent

[pabelfly]

I am inspired by the set of ingedients on offer, so I'm going to prep an entry for this one.

[Thurbane]

Does the prestige class ingredient mean we're only allowed one prestige class? (Or that we must finish it before starting a second one, I guess)

To be clear, I like that as a limitation it makes it more interesting to me within the scope of this comp, but I'm not sure that's the intent

So long as you have a prestige class, it's fine. Whether it is just the one for all 10 levels, or two or more partially completed, is fine.

Of course judges may apply elegance penalties if you dip too much or don't finish PrCs.


I am inspired by the set of ingedients on offer, so I'm going to prep an entry for this one.

Great to hear. :smallsmile:

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I'm a little confused by how racial HD are allowed but savage progressions aren't. Does this mean that something with RHD>1 and LA +0 is allowed but something with both RHD and LA>0 isn't? What about something with 1 RHD but LA >0 (e.g., Aasimar or Tiefling)?

[Thurbane]

I'm a little confused by how racial HD are allowed but savage progressions aren't. Does this mean that something with RHD>1 and LA +0 is allowed but something with both RHD and LA>0 isn't? What about something with 1 RHD but LA >0 (e.g., Aasimar or Tiefling)?

Any amount of RHD and LA is allowed. So long as the character is les than ECL 21, of course.

What is not allowed is savage progression classes.

If you were to take a Gnoll, for instance, you have to start with two levels of Humanoid, and +1 LA. Meaning you start at ECL 3. When you take your first class level, you are ECL 4.

What you can't do is start at ECL 1 and take levels of the Gnoll monster class presented in RotW p.102.

Does that make it clearer? Sorry if I did a poor job of explaining.

[Analytica]

Huh.

I do have an idea.

On the one hand it feels incredibly cheesy.

On the other hand, it seems literally to be exactly what the options are intended to be used for, with no favourable interpretations needed.

I might try this, will be my first time cooking anything.

[loky1109]

Have some ideas, but don't know are they good or stupid.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Any amount of RHD and LA is allowed. So long as the character is les than ECL 21, of course.

What is not allowed is savage progression classes.

If you were to take a Gnoll, for instance, you have to start with two levels of Humanoid, and +1 LA. Meaning you start at ECL 3. When you take your first class level, you are ECL 4.

What you can't do is start at ECL 1 and take levels of the Gnoll monster class presented in RotW p.102.

Does that make it clearer? Sorry if I did a poor job of explaining.

I might just be splitting hairs here, but no, that didn't really help. In practice, the two are the same. The progression is just a way to start at level 1 instead of getting everything right out the gate.

Now, if the intent is "You can't start a Savage progression without finishing it first," that would make more sense to me. I know most progressions require you finish them before you take any other levels, but a few allow you to dip and dash (e.g., taking the 0th level for various planetouched in order to get the Outsider type).

I think that's the intent of your statement (i.e., if you start a progression that would otherwise allow you to take fewer than the total number of levels it has, you must finish it before taking any other classes), but please correct me if that is not the case.

[H_H_F_F]

I took it to mean that savage progression, which lets you start at level 1, is simply not allowed. If you want to play something with RHD or LA, you simply have to start at the ECL in which it'd start without savage progression.

[AvatarVecna]

Got some ideas for this. One of them even isn't a monster.

[Thurbane]

I took it to mean that savage progression, which lets you start at level 1, is simply not allowed. If you want to play something with RHD or LA, you simply have to start at the ECL in which it'd start without savage progression.

Exactly correct - that's probably a better way of explaining what I was trying to say.

[ciopo]

I'm going to assume that the UA "prestige X" classes are banned too, right? ( prestige paladin, prestige ranger, and so on)

Edit to avoid doubleposting:

I'm tinkering and having fun with the build I have in mind, but I'm finding myself more and more unhappy about.. the wording of stuff.

Like, I'm finding it very fun working around the "no base class" restriction, making it tricky qualifying for this or that *just right*

But, every build I'm coming up it, eveyr time I feel clever for respecting that restriction, I get a little sad that the first bullet point of


Necessary: NPC Class (or classes)
Necessary: Prestige Class (or classes)
Forbidden: Any other base class



is "necessary".. By which I mean, how are we meant to make sense / get uotSI / displaying "the power" of the "NPC class" ingredient?

So far, my feel on the matter has been "ok this is cool, but it would be better with cleric in place of adept", "ok this is cool, but it would be better with fighter in place of warrior", and so on. Only one that get a pass at this feel is expert because of the customizable skill list.


I've been thinking, would it be okay to change the wording like this?


Necessary: Prestige Class (or classes)
Forbidden: Any base class other than NPC classes



it's essentially the same, but for my peace of mind it makes a world of difference. Unless the chair intent is showcasing NPC classes? Because I keep trying to come up reasons for "why am I using the NPC class instead of cleric/wizard/fighter/whatever" and I'm finding myself hard-pressed to answer it with anything else but "because that's what this round requires of us"

[Thurbane]

I'm going to assume that the UA "prestige X" classes are banned too, right? ( prestige paladin, prestige ranger, and so on)


Alternate rule systems from UA such as generic classes, spontaneous divine casters, gestalt and fractional saves and BAB are not allowed, as they create a different playing field.

Prestigious classes (Bard, Paladin, Ranger) aren't specfiically called out, but a judge may ping them for being an alternate system, as they aren't really supposed to exist in a game where regular bards, paladins and rangers exist.

I understand this comp blurs those lines a little, as base classes are banned.


Edit to avoid doubleposting:

I'm tinkering and having fun with the build I have in mind, but I'm finding myself more and more unhappy about.. the wording of stuff.

Like, I'm finding it very fun working around the "no base class" restriction, making it tricky qualifying for this or that *just right*

But, every build I'm coming up it, eveyr time I feel clever for respecting that restriction, I get a little sad that the first bullet point of


Necessary: NPC Class (or classes)
Necessary: Prestige Class (or classes)
Forbidden: Any other base class



is "necessary".. By which I mean, how are we meant to make sense / get uotSI / displaying "the power" of the "NPC class" ingredient?

So far, my feel on the matter has been "ok this is cool, but it would be better with cleric in place of adept", "ok this is cool, but it would be better with fighter in place of warrior", and so on. Only one that get a pass at this feel is expert because of the customizable skill list.


I've been thinking, would it be okay to change the wording like this?


Necessary: Prestige Class (or classes)
Forbidden: Any base class other than NPC classes



it's essentially the same, but for my peace of mind it makes a world of difference. Unless the chair intent is showcasing NPC classes? Because I keep trying to come up reasons for "why am I using the NPC class instead of cleric/wizard/fighter/whatever" and I'm finding myself hard-pressed to answer it with anything else but "because that's what this round requires of us"

Good points, but they are all pretty subjective.

Best answer I can give, is go with your own interpretation, and hope the judging aligns with it.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I don't think I'll have the time to submit a build this go around, but I'm happy to judge!

[ciopo]

Does a Magewright that enter a prestige class that advance spellcasting, gain more spell known/masteries?

The specific wording of Magewright is "SNIP-- exactly as though he had taken the Spell Mastery feat. Every time he gains access to a new spell level, and again at 20th level, he learns a number of new spells equal to his current Intelligence modifier, plus one 0-level spell."

What I am reading is that it's a first level class feature, and so he gains new spell known from prestige classes that advance spellcasting...



Also, i might need an extension, sorry

[Thurbane]

It would really depend on the wording of the PrC, I would imagine, and could be argued either way. I'd say it would fall to the individual judgement.

Happy to extend deadline.

[loky1109]

Happy to extend deadline.
It's great. I may have manage to make my entry before, but now it all became easier.

[ciopo]

Sidenote: anyone wants to collaborate? I got a solid idea I'm workshopping but it needs beutifying :) any aspirant creative writer welcome :D

edit: the weekend is gone and I won't be able to workshop on it the next one anyway, so I don't need the extension anymore

[Thurbane]

Deadline is set for this coming Monday, how are we all looking?

Feel free to PM me if additional time in needed. :smallsmile:

[loky1109]

I'm working on it right now. Should be in time.

[Thurbane]

Time for the reveal: please hold off until I give the all clear.

[Thurbane]

It's the story of a poor academy graduate, possibly with debts, much chagrined at being called "not a real wizard", maybe the butt of many jokes about the correlation between stature and magical power, or made fun of for being a weirdo with strange dreams.

Except, of course, the dreams were real all along, enter the dragon :3

and the closing scene is something something overengineered staff, and/or this halfling with many staves bunch of staves with a halfling porter

NG LesserPGtF p. 191 WisplingFF p. 139, MagewrightEBS p. 256 6 / Mage of the Arcane OrderCA p. 48 4 / Dragon ProphetMoE p. 63 10
statline
STR 12 (8 -2 racial +6 belt), DEX 22 (12 + 4 racial +6 belt), CON 20 (14 +6 belt), INT 36-39 (18 +2 racial +5 level + 6 belt + 5 tome/wish +0-3 aging), WIS 20-23 (14 +6 belt + 0-3 aging), CHA 14-17 (8 +6 belt + 0-3 aging)

HP 4 + 19d4 + 100 (151)

Crafted items:
Belt of magnificenceMH p. 42 for 75000gp
Awesome staff : See tactics
LevelClassBase Attack BonusFort SaveReflex SaveWill SaveSkillsFeatsClass Features1stMagewright 1+0+0+0+228: {+3} Concentration: 3; {+4} Know(Arcana): 4; {+2} Know(Architecture): 2; {+2} Know(Dungeon): 2; {+2} Know(Geography): 2; {+2} Know((History): 2; {+2} Know(Local): 2; {+2} Know(Nature): 2; {+2} Know(Nobility): 2; {+2} Know(Planes): 2; {+2} Know(Religion): 2; {+3} Spellcraft: 3Extend spellSpell Mastery2ndMagewright 2+1+0+0+37: Concentration: 3; {+1} Know(Arcana): 5; Know(Architecture): 2; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 3; Know(Geography): 2; Know((History): 2; {+1} Know(Local): 3; {+1} Know(Nature): 3; Know(Nobility): 2; {+1} Know(Planes): 3; Know(Religion): 2; Spellcraft: 3; {+2} Collector of stories 3rdMagewright 3+1+1+1+37: {+1} Concentration: 4; {+1} Know(Arcana): 6; {+1} Know(Architecture): 3; Know(Dungeon): 3; {+1} Know(Geography): 3; {+1} Know((History): 3; Know(Local): 3; Know(Nature): 3; {+1} Know(Nobility): 3; Know(Planes): 3; {+1} Know(Religion): 3; Spellcraft: 3Cooperative spellCA p. 764thMagewright 4+2+1+1+47: {+1} Concentration: 5; {+1} Know(Arcana): 7; Know(Architecture): 3; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 4; Know(Geography): 3; Know((History): 3; {+1} Know(Local): 4; {+1} Know(Nature): 4; Know(Nobility): 3; {+1} Know(Planes): 4; Know(Religion): 3; {+1} Spellcraft: 4 Spell Mastery5thMagewright 5+2+1+1+47: {+1} Concentration: 6; {+1} Know(Arcana): 8; {+1} Know(Architecture): 4; Know(Dungeon): 4; {+1} Know(Geography): 4; {+1} Know((History): 4; Know(Local): 4; Know(Nature): 4; {+1} Know(Nobility): 4; Know(Planes): 4; {+1} Know(Religion): 4; Spellcraft: 4 6thMage of the arcane order 1+2+1+1+67: Concentration: 6; {+1} Decipher script: 1; {+1} Know(Arcana): 9; Know(Architecture): 4; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 5; Know(Geography): 4; Know((History): 4; {+1} Know(Local): 5; {+1} Know(Nature): 5; Know(Nobility): 4; {+1} Know(Planes): 5; Know(Religion): 4; {+1} Spellcraft: 5Craft wondrous itemGuild member, Spellpool I7thMage of the arcane order 2+3+1+1+77: Concentration: 6; {+1} Decipher script: 2; {+1} Know(Arcana): 10; {+1} Know(Architecture): 5; Know(Dungeon): 5; {+1} Know(Geography): 5; {+1} Know((History): 5; Know(Local): 5; {+1} Know(Nature): 6; {+1} Know(Nobility): 5; Know(Planes): 5; Know(Religion): 4; Spellcraft: 5Invisible spellCs p. 61Bonus feat8thMagewright 6+4+2+2+88: {+1} Concentration: 7; Decipher script: 2; {+1} Know(Arcana): 11; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 6; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 6; {+1} Know(Nature): 7; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 6; {+1} Know(Religion): 5; {+1} Spellcraft: 6 Spell Mastery9thMage of the arcane order 3+4+3+3+88: Concentration: 7; {+1} Decipher script: 3; {+1} Know(Arcana): 12; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 7; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 7; {+1} Know(Nature): 8; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 7; {+1} Know(Religion): 6; {+1} Spellcraft: 7Dragon prophesierMoE p. 46Bonus language(Draconic)10thDragon Prophet 1+4+3+3+1010: Concentration: 7; Decipher script: 3; Know(Arcana): 12; Know(Architecture): 5; Know(Dungeon): 7; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; Know(Local): 7; Know(Nature): 8; Know(Nobility): 5; Know(Planes): 7; Know(Religion): 6; Spellcraft: 7; {+10} Use Magic Device: 10Constellation power(Io)11thDragon Prophet 2+5+3+3+1110: {+1} Concentration: 8; Decipher script: 3; {+2} Know(Arcana): 14; Know(Architecture): 5; Know(Dungeon): 7; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; Know(Local): 7; Know(Nature): 8; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 8; {+1} Know(Religion): 7; {+1} Spellcraft: 8; {+4} UMD: 14 12thDragon Prophet 3+5+4+4+1110: {+2} Concentration: 10; Decipher script: 3; {+1} Know(Arcana): 15; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 8; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 8; {+1} Know(Nature): 9; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 9; {+1} Know(Religion): 8; {+1} Spellcraft: 9; {+1} UMD: 15Wand surgeMoE p. 51, Extraordinary artisanEBS p. 53Constellation power(Aasterinian)13thMage of the arcane order 4+6/+1+4+4+128: {+1} Concentration: 11; {+2} Decipher script: 5; {+1} Know(Arcana): 16; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 9; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 9; Know(Nature): 9; Know(Nobility): 5; Know(Planes): 9; {+1} Know(Religion): 9; {+1} Spellcraft: 10; UMD: 15 Spellpool II14thDragon Prophet 4+7/+2+4+4+1310: {+2} Concentration: 13; Decipher script: 5; {+1} Know(Arcana): 17; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 10; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 10; {+1} Know(Nature): 10; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 10; {+1} Know(Religion): 10; Spellcraft: 10; {+2} UMD: 17Prophecy's heroMoE p. 50Bonus feat15thDragon Prophet 5+7/+2+4+4+1310: {+1} Concentration: 14; Decipher script: 5; {+4} Diplomacy: 4; {+1} Know(Arcana): 18; Know(Architecture): 5; Know(Dungeon): 10; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; Know(Local): 10; Know(Nature): 10; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 11; {+1} Know(Religion): 11; {+1} Spellcraft: 11; {+1} UMD: 18Craft staff, Exceptional artisanEBS p. 52Constellation power(Aasterinian)16thDragon Prophet 6+8/+3+5+5+1411: {+1} Concentration: 15; Decipher script: 5; {+4} Diplomacy: 8; {+1} Know(Arcana): 19; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 11; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 11; {+1} Know(Nature): 11; Know(Nobility): 5; Know(Planes): 11; Know(Religion): 11; {+1} Spellcraft: 12; {+1} UMD: 19 17thDragon Prophet 7+8/+3+5+5+1411: Concentration: 15; Decipher script: 5; {+3} Diplomacy: 11; {+1} Know(Arcana): 20; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 12; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 12; {+1} Know(Nature): 12; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 12; {+1} Know(Religion): 12; {+1} Spellcraft: 13; {+1} UMD: 20Legendary artisanEBS p. 56Constellation power(Aasterinian)18thDragon Prophet 8+9/+3+5+6+1511: {+1} Concentration: 16; Decipher script: 5; {+4} Diplomacy: 15; Know(Arcana): 20; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 13; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 13; {+1} Know(Nature): 13; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 13; {+1} Know(Religion): 13; {+1} Spellcraft: 14; UMD: 20Magical artisan(Craft staff)PGtF p. 41, Prophecy's ArtifexMoE p. 50Bonus feat19thDragon Prophet 9+9/+3+6+6+1511: {+1} Concentration: 17; Decipher script: 5; {+4} Diplomacy: 19; Know(Arcana): 20; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 14; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 14; {+1} Know(Nature): 14; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 14; {+1} Know(Religion): 14; {+1} Spellcraft: 15; UMD: 20 Constellation power(Chronepsis)20thDragon Prophet 10+10/+5+6+6+1611: {+3} Concentration: 20; Decipher script: 5; {+1} Diplomacy: 20; Know(Arcana): 20; Know(Architecture): 5; {+1} Know(Dungeon): 15; Know(Geography): 5; Know((History): 5; {+1} Know(Local): 15; {+1} Know(Nature): 15; Know(Nobility): 5; {+1} Know(Planes): 15; {+1} Know(Religion): 15; Spellcraft: 15; UMD: 20; {+2} Swift concentration Ageless
Lesser: a template that can be applied to planetouched races, removes the outsider type and reduces the LA by 1
Wispling: race of halflings with partial demonic heritage, Other than the different stat adjustment, it has 1/day disguise self at CL 1, and all the same racial bonuses that halflings have
Magewright: wizard without spellbook, more or less
Spell mastery: magewright feature definying how many spell he knows. Gained at 1st level and every time he gains a new spell level
Collector of stories:CS Skill trick giving us +5 competence on identifying creatures
Cooperative spell: +0 metamagic feat tax needed for MotAO, adds 2 to the DC if adjacent to another spellcaster casting the same spell in the same round that also prepared it with cooperative metamagic
Mage of the Arcane Order: PrC whose main feature is allowing you to cast spell you don't know . 10/10 spellcasting progression
Guild member: it's the gym membership fee by another name
Spellpool: let's you leave slots open to full action prepare any spell from the wizard/sorcerer list in the PHB, up to CL/2 "slot level equivalent" per day, but they must be paid back. "I" allows spells of up to 3rd level, "II" of up to 6th level.
Invisible spell: +0 metamagic that makes a spell not have any visual effect, have your buff not be evident yo. Gained as bonus feat of MotAO
Dragon prophesier: full action HD/2+WISMOD times per day, enter a prophetic favor for 3+(arcana ranks)/2 rounds. +1 insight bonus to saves
Dragon prophet: PrC all about the dragon prophecy. 9/10 spellcasting progression
Constellation powers: gain cool tattoos that gives bouns either always active or only while under a prophetic favor

Io: All knowledges as class skills, +1-5 insight bonus to knowledge checks while in a prophetic favor
Aasterinian: Gain one of the artisan feat as a bonus feat
Chronepsis: 1/week commune and +2 insight on sense motive checks

Wand surge: can spend 1 action point instead of a charge when using a wand or staff
Extraordinary artisan: -25% base price when determining gold cost of crafting, gained as bonus feat with the constellation
Prophecy's hero: gain1 temporary action point when you enter a prophetic favor. it is lost at the end of the dream, and the dream ends early if you use the action point. Gained as bonus feat from dragon prophet
Exceptional artisan: -25% to the time needed for crafting, gained as bonus feat with the constellation
Legendary artisan: -25% to the xp cost of crafting, gained as bonus feat with the constellation
Magical artisan: reduces cost by 25% of selected type of crafting, taken with the regular feat
Prophecy's artifex: while in a prophetic favor, wands and staves can be activated as a swift action
Ageless: 4x lifespan, and no more accruing aging penalties
Swift concentration:CS concentrating on a spell is only a swift action

Spellcasting:
+2 int headband crafted or bought at 6th level, deprecated by a +6 belt of magnificence crafted at 13th level
from 10th level onward caster level is one less than character level
slots from high int are included
Eventually at some point from 20th level onward, +5 tome/wish and venerable age
there are also 3 0th level slot
LevelINT1st level slots2nd level slots3rd level slots4th level slots5th level slots1-2203----3204----42141---52142---62343---72354---824542--9-1124543--1225554--13296542-14-15296543-16306654-17306654218-19306654320(early)316655420(late)3977665
New spell known as magewright
at 1st level
Detect magic, Grease, Identify, Tenser's floating disk, Unseen servant
at 4th level
Read magic, Augury, Locate object, Make whole, Misdirection, Whispering wind
at 8th level
Mage hand, Arcane sight, Dispel magic, Glyph of warding, Nondetection, Phantom steed, Tongues

the feel of the time was "I want 9th level spells, that's my whole reason of being from starting out as a "NPC", I want POWER!", original build was Primal scholarSecrets of Xen'drik , doing infinite-slots combo with unfettered heroismRaces of Eberron

Expert 1 / Magewright 4 / Anima mageTome of Magic 7 / VirtuosoComplete Adventurer 1 / Sublime ChordCA 1 / Primal Scholar 5 <-- not in these order, SC casting was at 10/10, anima mage was for persisted unfettered heroism

Magewright 5 / MotAO 4 / Virtuoso 1 / SC 2 / Uncanny tricksterCS 3 / Primal scholar 5. had managed to ssqueeze the first level of uncanny trickster just before virtuoso, thus going "class level 7" for primal scholar shenanigans. I liked how MotAO "fixes" the magewright spell list, and I realized I don't really need to persist unfettered, I can simply cast it again, it's not like I won't have the slot

expert 1 / Magewright 5 / MotAO 7 / Virtuoso 1 / SC 2 / PS 5. I didn't like uncanny trickster all that much, and it was very annoying to qualify for in such a way to have that first level before entering sublime chord, so I happily dropped it for spellpool III

Magewright 6 / MotAO 4 / Dragon prophet 5 / PS 5 : after much soul searching I decided to drop going for 9th level spell, it's a bit "off theme" with the round and I was unhappy with that, on top of being unhappy abotu the hoops I had to jump to qualify for sublime chord. So I went for the other source of temporary action point I knew of (prophecy hero) and built on that. This version was all about spamming Hammer of righteousnessBoED since we had "lots" of slots, and one of the prophecy feat allowed us to empower it for free

Magewright 6 / MotAO 4 / Dragon prophet 10 : I was unhappy about how I had to spend basically 3 feats just to make me "immune" to hammer of righteousness strenght damage, and how sketchy that was since it's a "sacrifice". Plus there were competing interests because I wanted to stay in the prophetic favor, but I had more than one feature ended the favor early. I already had picked the 3 artisans from the constellations anyway because most other 1st level constellation bonuses were kind of useless to me, so i decided to go for artifex instead of shaper (the free empower).

Latest revision was simply re-getting prophecy hero and adding wand surge, since it made it be a coesive whole!
1-5: school life
Our hero gets enrolled to Notswarts, the premiere magical academy, on a scholarship due to his extreme intelligence!
Of course, he faces some hard times due to being of a minority, but overall plotwise, merry go lucky with school-related drama/shenanigans, I'm sure you can filch many-a-plot from whatever slice-of-life shonen manga you like the most, except maybe go for those based on college/university rather than high school.

Skill choices should adeguately reflect an academic life, and you can even pretend cooperative magic is the price to pay for being roped into a fraternity!
We only have first and second level spells, and of those on our list only grease has a combat application
A bit of a silver lining are sanctified spells from BoED, because they can always be prepared by good prepared spellcasters, and Magewright *is* a prepared spellcaster! But at these level, only luminous armor has usefulness, but be careful, because the strength sacrifice is very significant to us, what with our 6 STR score

Example list of prepared slot
3x Detect magic
2x Grease, 1x Unseen servant, 1xTenser's floating disk
1x locate Object, 1X Misdirection

6-10: school life, now with extra drama!
What we thought was just a scammy MLM fraternity turned out to be the real deal (the arcane order)! So we got a meager amount of "real power" instead of just utility
Also, you should play up having weird dreams that seems prophetic in nature, until you capstone with actually meeting a dragon and discovering they ARE prophetic in nature!

Anyway, due to how the spell mastery feature is worded, we might not gain any new spell known when advancing spellcasting with a PrC, so there's that 6th level of magewright at 8th character level, just to make sure we do get that bunch of 3rd level spell known.

Invisible spell is, of course, to better play pranks at school,

Generally speaking, you go from being able to leave one third level slot open at 6th level, to one third and one second at 10th level. and what it could be is "any from the PHB (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spellLists/sorcererWizardSpells.htm)"

Example list of prepared slot
2x Detect magic, 1x Read magic
1x Grease, 1x Unseen servant, 1x Tenser's floating disk, 2x spellpool reserved
1x Augury, 1x Whispering wind, 2x spellpool reserved
1x Dispel magic, 1x Nondetection, 1x spellpool reserved

Of course, meeting your BFF dragon should make for a big nice act 2 climax!

Do remember that we can actually prepare sanctified spells, if you fancy having a hammer of righteousness or two prepared for some old fashioned smiting
11-20: for want of a staff
Your life is hunting/following/trying to understand the dragon prophecy now, so get on with it!

13th level is a watershed moment : you get 4th level slots, so you promply get the 4th level of MotAO then, as it would have been useless before now.
You can make a case that we should swap magewright 6 and MotAO to gain actual 4th level spell known, but honestly they would be mostly placeholder anyway, compared to using the spellpool

The combo here is Prophecy hero+wand surge+prophecy artifex = 15/day you use a spell from your staff ( at your CL and with your DC! ) without using a charge, and without needing to set up the prophetic ahead of time, since artifex make it a swift action activation!

the DMG allows us to improve existing magical items, so slowly expanding the spell list of our uberstaff just takes time and money, until eventually we have "all" wiz/sorc spell of 5th level and below, but baseline, we're at
Staff made at minimum caster level for these 5th level wizard spells ( 9th )
1st (5th level) spell costs 750*5(spell level)*9(caster level)*0.75(magical artisan)*0.75(extraordinary artisan)*0.5(crafting is half the price) 5th level spell Teleport 9492gp
2nd (5th level) spell costs 75% of that, so 7119 gp to add Hold monster
3rd and onward spell cost 50% (0.5) of the formula 750*SL*CL, times our other cost reducers so have this handy dandy little list of costs

4747 gp for each other 5th level spell
3797 gp for each other 4th level spell
2848 gp for each other 3rd level spell
1899 gp for each other 2nd level spell
950 gp for each other 1st level spell

Spells I fancy in no particular order, since eventually we could have the whole sorc/wiz PHB list of spells below 6th level
Fly, Fireball, Polymorph, Confusion, (more laundry list here), I'm going to shorthand it to "whatever spell you used at least once from your spellpool because it fit the situation, you put in the staff whenever you had downtime later"

Eventually, we will also want to craft or buy all the runestaves from the Magic Item Compendium, as this will allow us to make use of our 4th and 5th level slots over the 1/day that spellpool is for those levels.
The big one: crafting and spellpool. Does access to the spellpool account for the prerequisites for casting? If it doesn't, the build fall apart with no recourse :( proposed alternative: replace "Magewright" with "Wizard", adjust spell known and spell slots accordingly *scratches nose cheekily

Constellation, and taking the same one more than once: they don't have any verbiage that says we can't do that, unlike Primal scholar secrets or Loremaster and other such classes with selectable features, so I think this is allowed.If you don't like it, proposed changes : keep only the gold reduction feat from the first Aasterinian, get Chronepsis at 15th level, get Tamara at 17th level (fast healing 1 while in prophetic favor) and Tiamat at 19th level (ready action steal a spell while in prophetic favor)

Bleh, you're mixing Faerun and Eberron content : none of the picked Faerun content is setting specific, but if you don't like the wispling, any one of the generic +2INT race works just as well, time to be a gray elf (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elf.htm) I guess
If you don't like magical artisan, despite being fairly setting agnostic, I guess I'll have something else there. But if I can't even leverage wealth to survive as a NPC, what am I to do!? Best candidate here is Arcane discipleCD, Spell domain from Io, be TN

24998 chars, it's a wrap!

BoED: Book of exalted deeds
Cs: Cityscape
CA: Complete Arcane
CD: Complete Divine
CS: Complete Scoundrel
EBS: Eberron campaign setting
FoE: Faiths of Eberron
FF: Fiend Folio
MoE: Magic of Eberron
MH: Miniature Handbook
PGtF: Player's Guide to Faerun

[Thurbane]

- Good day Sensei, - young man bowed to old whitened by gray fur yakman.
- Good, yes, young Shanaō, - yakfolk sedately nodded back.
- I came to say goodbye, master. I’ll be killed tomorrow, - Shanaō said.
- Nonsense! - ox-headed waved his hand, - Say nonsense who taught you? Not me.
- But, Sensei!..
- Sit down. What happened tell me, - yakman commanded.
- Sensei… There is one of these Lions, Masakado, - the young start telling, - He… He…
- He what? Say me, Bullock.
- He called me a liar! - blurted out Shanaō.
- Don’t die from it you, - Sensei shook his head, - More. Tell all you should.
- He somehow got to the secret about you, master…
- Let it slip you. To a girl suppose I. Doesn’t matter this, continue, - called yakman.
- He said I made it up! Nobody teach me, no one will! Because I'm talentless hack, and even if somebody will become my mentor, he would be a silly man or crazy kinless, who anyway can teach nothing. And he said if I really have a teacher, let me lead him and he and his friends beat that fool, - with every word the young man spoke louder and louder, - I couldn't listen to this, I challenged him to a duel.
- Well… - Sensei stroked his beard, - Right thing you did, but mistake it was.
- Master? How can it be possible?
- Honored impulse your was, for the old teacher stood up you. But honor help to win should, not to die. Provoked you Lion that. Intentionally. To see your dead want. Fool. My apprentice you are, your life and death in my hands only dwell.
- Master, but your oaths… - Shanao looked up, - You told, nobody should see you.
- Worry don’t need you, Bullock, to you give something I. Will see old Gozu-bō nobody, only you will do all should done be. Sit and don’t move now, - an old ox-headed monk put his hands on a young man’s shoulders.

- What if he doesn’t come? - one of the campaign of seven men asked the leader.
- Calm down, Yoshirō, of course he’ll come, such a honest dumb can’t break his word, - ringleader brushed aside the fellow, - Look, there he is. You see, what did I say?
- Good day to die today is, - Shanaō came near and bowed to those waiting for him.
- Yeah, very good for you, hack, but… What is this? How many swords do you bring and what is in your hand?
- Five. Whip in my hand is it.
- Do you think you can beat me with the number of swords and a whip? - the young Lion was laughing and his laughter caught up with the sidekicks.
- Smart with ten swords still smart is. For fool even one too much is, - Shanaō answered.
His opponents looked at each other and laughed again.
- You are funny! You made me and my friends laugh. Well, I can forgive you if you ask me well, - leader said after he'd stopped laughing.
- Call the apprentice an incompetent one and maybe right you are, this matter not… - young man began to speak, but the Lion interrupted him.
- You start to understand who you are. Good! Now get on your knees and beg me for mercy, - he’s openly enjoying what’s happening.
- … but, saying such about his master stupidity great is. Who's foolish, teach those should, - Shanao finished his speech.
- How do you imagine this? - Lion lost his smile, - You are alone, we are seven here.
- Good question! - Shanaō smiled, - The same young apprentice his sensei asked. Some of his wisdom inside apprentice sensei put and now several lessons teach to all of you I.
- I see, you’re out of your mind of fear, - Lion put his hand on the hilt of the sword, - I think we should spare you the misery.
- Lesson one, - Shanaō seemed not to hear what the enemy was saying, - Think you, still conversing we are and fight started not yet. Not think, dead you are already.
Before the enemies could even blink, Shanao dropped the whip, with three steps approached them, faster than biting snake drew his sword and the head of one of them fell to the ground.
- Lesson two, - Shanaō spoke in a calm, measured voice, - Go on death when you, friend invite. Die together you will.
Shanaō quietly sheathed his sword, but in the next twinkling of an eye drew it again and cut twice with a single move. Two bodies with dissected chests dropped dead.
- Lesson three, - Shanaō stood with a sword in his hand drawn back. A one still alive pulled out his sword and threw himself at the foe screaming, - If can’t you hit… - young man dodged the blade easily, - try not. I can, - a short blade concealed in his sleeve suddenly appeared in his hand and stabbed in the attacker’s throat.
The rest of Shanaō’s enemies plucked their swords, too, but they dared not attack. On the contrary, they’re backing off.
- Lesson four, - Shanaō dropped short sword, - More than one blade in one sleeve can be hidden.
One step followed and another short sword from the sleeve penetrated another throat. With a panicked cry, the others attacked him, but failed.
- Lesson five, - Shanaō dropped the second short sword and did circular movement of the katana tip, - Watch closely for my blade you should, then maybe see a strike of mine you can, - katana slightly cut second-last live, - But death your can’t! - Shanaō dropped the katana, drew another and chopped down the head of the cutted.
- Now you, - Shanaō turned to a frozen, terrified leader, - Insulted sensei you and get your lesson now.
- Please have mercy on me! I was wrong, I understood, I swear! - the sword in the hands of the young Lion was shaking about a chō* a second.
- I see, afraid you are seeing me, - Shanaō nodded, - But mistaken you're. Lesson six, the most scared invisible is, - Shanaō disappeared and then on the Lion’s body appeared one after another four gashes.

- Bullock, get up, - voice came to Shanaō as though from afar, - Do it! Hear me apprentice do you?
- Y..yes, master, - the young man could hardly speak, - What happened?
- Enemies of yours not live anymore. Killed by your hands.
- What? How? I remember… nothing! Where are… - Shanaō looked around surprised and saw bodies scattered around and chopped up, - Sensei?... I don’t understand.
- Don’t you of course. Teacher am I, you only student yet. Change this will once. Not today. Today take care of the bodies you have to. To Kuramayama return I shall now. Tomorrow see you, young Shanaō.

*Chō - unit of measurement for length, 357 ft 11 in.

LE Yakfolk Warrior 1/Expert 1/Iaijutsu Master 10/Gladiator 1

Abilities Initial Race/Template Age 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th Total
STR 9 8 -3 14
DEX 15 -3 12
CON 13 4 -3 14
INT 14 4 2 20
WIS 10 4 2 16
CHA 16 4 2 4 26
Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
1st Monstrous Humanoid-1 1 0 2 2 24: {+4 CC} Concentration: 2; {+4} Disguise: 4; {+4 CC} Iaijutsu Focus: 2; {+4 CC} Intimidate: 2; {+4 CC} Sleight of Hand: 2; {+4} Use Magic Device: 4; Power Attack—Iaijutsu, Improved InitiativeB, Martial Weapon Proficiency (Falshion)B Body meld, command genie, darkvision 60 ft., use staff
2nd Monstrous Humanoid-2 2 0 3 3 6: {+1 CC} Concentration: 2.5; {+1} Disguise: 5; {+1 CC} Iaijutsu Focus: 2.5; {+1 CC} Intimidate: 2.5; {+1 CC} Sleight of Hand: 2.5; {+1} Use Magic Device: 5;
3rd Monstrous Humanoid-3 3 1 3 3 6: {+1 CC} Concentration: 3; {+1} Disguise: 6; {+1 CC} Iaijutsu Focus: 3; {+1 CC} Intimidate: 3; {+1 CC} Sleight of Hand: 3; {+1} Use Magic Device: 6; Quick Draw
4th Monstrous Humanoid-4 4 1 4 4 6: {+1 CC} Concentration: 3.5; {+1} Disguise: 7; {+1 CC} Iaijutsu Focus: 3.5; {+1 CC} Intimidate: 3.5; {+1 CC} Sleight of Hand: 3.5; {+1} Use Magic Device: 7;
5th Monstrous Humanoid-5 5 1 4 4 6: {+1 CC} Concentration: 4; {+1} Disguise: 8; {+1 CC} Iaijutsu Focus: 4; {+1 CC} Intimidate: 4; {+1 CC} Sleight of Hand: 4; {+1} Use Magic Device: 8;
7th LA +2 - - - - 0: Concentration: 4; Disguise: 8; Iaijutsu Focus: 4; Intimidate: 4; Sleight of Hand: 4; Use Magic Device: 8;
8th Warrior-1 5 5 4 4 6: Concentration: 4; Disguise: 8; Iaijutsu Focus: 4; {+4} Intimidate: 8; {+2 CC} Sleight of Hand: 5; Use Magic Device: 8; Weapon Focus (Katana)
9th Expert-1 (Middle Age) 6 5 4 6 10: {+2} Concentration: 6; Disguise: 8; {+5} Iaijutsu Focus: 9; Intimidate: 8; {+3} Sleight of Hand: 8; Use Magic Device: 8;
10th Iaijutsu Master-1 7 5 4 7 8: {+2 CC} Concentration: 7; Disguise: 8; {+1} Iaijutsu Focus: 10; Intimidate: 8; {+2} Jump: 2; Sleight of Hand: 8; {+3} Tumble: 3; Use Magic Device: 8; Weapon FinesseB Weapon finesse, canny defense
11th Iaijutsu Master-2 8 5 6 7 8: {+2 CC} Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+1} Iaijutsu Focus: 11; Intimidate: 8; {+2} Jump: 4; {+1 CC} Sleight of Hand: 8.5; {+2} Tumble: 5; Use Magic Device: 8; Martial Study (Cloak of Deception) Lightning blade
12th Gladiator-1 9 7 6 7 8: {+8} Bluff: 8; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; Iaijutsu Focus: 11; Intimidate: 8; Jump: 4; Sleight of Hand: 8.5; Tumble: 5; Use Magic Device: 8; Improved FeintB Improved feint
13th Iaijutsu Master-3 10 8 6 8 9: {+2 CC} Bluff: 9; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+2} Iaijutsu Focus: 13; Intimidate: 8; {+1} Jump: 5; {+2 CC} Sleight of Hand: 9.5; {+2} Tumble: 7; Use Magic Device: 8;
14th Iaijutsu Master-4 11 8 7 8 9: {+2 CC} Bluff: 10; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+1} Iaijutsu Focus: 14; Intimidate: 8; Jump: 5; {+2 CC} Sleight of Hand: 10.5; {+4} Tumble: 11; Use Magic Device: 8; Mercurial Strike, Combat ExpertiseB Bonus feat
15th Iaijutsu Master-5 12 9 7 8 9: {+2 CC} Bluff: 11; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+2} Iaijutsu Focus: 16; Intimidate: 8; Jump: 5; {+2 CC} Sleight of Hand: 11.5; {+3} Tumble: 14; Use Magic Device: 8; Strike from the Void
16th Iaijutsu Master-6 (Old) 13 9 8 9 9: {+4 CC} Bluff: 13; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+1} Iaijutsu Focus: 17; Intimidate: 8; Jump: 5; {+3 CC} Sleight of Hand: 13; {+1} Tumble: 15; Use Magic Device: 8;
17th Iaijutsu Master-7 14 9 8 9 9: {+4 CC} Bluff: 15; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+1} Iaijutsu Focus: 18; Intimidate: 8; Jump: 5; {+1} Sense Motive: 1; Sleight of Hand: 13; {+1} Tumble: 16; Use Magic Device: 8; {+2} Sudden Draw; Surprising Riposte
18th Iaijutsu Master-8 15 9 9 9 9: {+2 CC} Bluff: 16; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+1} Iaijutsu Focus: 19; Intimidate: 8; Jump: 5; {+1} Sense Motive: 2; Sleight of Hand: 13; {+3} Tumble: 19; Use Magic Device: 8; {+2} Hidden Blade, Sudden Draw; One strike, two cuts
19th Iaijutsu Master-9 16 10 9 10 8: {+5 CC} Bluff: 18.5; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+1} Iaijutsu Focus: 20; Intimidate: 8; Jump: 5; Sense Motive: 2; Sleight of Hand: 13; Tumble: 19; Use Magic Device: 8; {+2} Group Fake-Out, Hidden Blade, Sudden Draw; Skill Focus (Iaijutsu Focus)B Bonus feat
20th Iaijutsu Master-10 17 10 10 10 9: {+5 CC} Bluff: 21; Concentration: 8; Disguise: 8; {+1} Iaijutsu Focus: 21; Intimidate: 8; Jump: 5; {+3} Sense Motive: 5; Sleight of Hand: 13; Tumble: 19; Use Magic Device: 8; Group Fake-Out, Hidden Blade, Sudden Draw; Riposte Strike with no thought

https://i.imgur.com/PwDy6n8.png
Young Gozu was an unusual Yakfolk. He still was at most yakfolk, but... he has some connection with the spirit of one dead human, Kakita Rensei. He didn't know why, but it is. Gozu tried to ignore it and thought he succeeded. But one day he looked at himself and saw a skilled swordsman, whose preferred weapon isn't falshion, but katana. He understood at this moment he should no longer resist and accepted his spiritual connection.

Gozu is almost a regular Yakfolk now. A bit less strong, a bit more charismatic and smart, with some unusual feats, but it all isn't big deal.
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/85/88/42/85884244f1609f35664c9b21ac637394.jpg
Wisdom comes to Gozu with age. He saw advantages of his connection with ancient spirit. It was the spirit of the great warrior legendary duelist, and even yikaria had something to learn from him. Gozu upped his skills with katana and iaijutsu. For some time he fought for money in arenas using and checking his skills, but he quickly realized it isn't the way. After that he departed to Kurama Mount where he continued his training in isolation.

One level of the Expert to meet skill Requirements for Iaijutsu Master. Five levels of the Iaijutsu Master and one of the Gladiator. Gozu now is a hazardous duelist and can be a strong enemy in regular fights. Level of Gladiator gives him free Improved Feint and in-class Bluff to use it successfully.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/4/40/Yikaria_2e.png
Gozu-bō grew older in seclusion and with gray in his fur grew his wisdom. He was no longer looking for enemies to test his skill and prowess, but also he no longer hid from everyone, how it was during his first twenty years on the Kurama Mount. From time to time he was certainly seen and became the origin for gossip and legends.
Once Gozu-bō saw a young boy wearing a monk's clothing who tried to train in sword skill with a curve stick. He looked at him for several hours, then saw boy next day and day after next day.
- All wrong you do, Bullok, - said Gozu-bō, - Front foot forward, hands downward, eyes forfard - look at your enemy should, look at your sword not.
- How?.. How did you know my name, master? - the boy was surprised and a bit scared by Gozu-bō's appearance.
- This matter doesn't. Want you what do matter does, - Gozu-bō replied.
- I... I wanna take revenge for my father and my brothers, I need to become strong. Master, I see you are wise and know the way of the sword. Please take me as an apprentice.
- Beyond your years clever you are. But not enough. I’ll take you. Next time ask you somebody what you are asking for find out first. Hard years for you will be it, apprentice.
https://wanibooks-newscrunch.com/mwimgs/5/6/750m/img_560b6877a032ca28ad3c016ec8ab132c274584.jpg

Gozu-bō's mastery reached its peak. With two ripostes, surprising and not, he gets additional tricks to catch up the enemy flat-footed. This is a good addition to Iaijutsu Master's capstone ability Strike with no thought. Now Gozu-bō can use his Iaijutsu Focus every round, sometimes more than once.


Let's look at Gozu-bō tactics by an example of a fight between young Shanaō and his insolents.
Lesson one. It's simple. It just Strike with no thought and charge. Whip? This is more tricky part.
There is this sentence in the ability description:

If an iaijutsu master of 10th level begins combat (not an iaijutsu duel) within melee range of an opponent, she gains a free surprise round, even though her opponents are aware of her presence.
So, Gozu-bō without whip needs to be adjacent (when in medium body) to opponent to use the ability, while with whip he can stars fight on distance up to 15 ft and still be within melee range. Of course he won’t use a whip, drop it immediately when the fight begins and charge with quick drawn katana.
Lesson two. It's slightly more complex. This is One strike, two cuts plus winning initiative due Improved Initiative and Lightning blade.
Lesson three. Riposte and Sudden Draw. Mercurial Strike can be used instead of Sudden Draw.
Lesson four. It's just Hidden Blade.
Lesson five. Improved Feint plus Surprising Riposte plus One strike, two cuts. The sequence is: feint, first strike, drop the sword, draw next, second strike with Iaijutsu Focus.
Lesson six. It's just a Cloak of Deception. With it Gozu-bō even can do full attack all with Iaijutsu Focus. Yeah, he needs enough swords at the waist.

Mention should also be made of the Strike from the Void. With Power Attack—Iaijutsu and good enough Iaijutsu Focus check Gozu-bō can get up to 10d6+80 additional damage to a single strike. Minimum additional damage is 6d6+48 (with one or two on the d20).
It's a good idea to have +1 Focus katana, it's only about 5000 gp. Perfect katana for this purpose is a fine katana. Why fine? You can wear it like an amulet around your neck. You don't need to use Focus weapon to get its +4 bonus to Iaijutsu Focus.

A focus weapon adds a +4 insight bonus to the wielder’s Iaijutsu Focus checks while carrying the weapon, even if the weapon is sheathed.

Gozu-bō is a yak folk and this means he can use his Body Meld spell-like. With smart choice he can get almost any combination of feats he can want.

Type Name Book Page
Race Yakfolk MM2 200
Class Warrior DMG 109
Class Expert DMG 109
Prestige Class Iaijutsu Master OA 41
Prestige Class Gladiator Sword & Fist 21
Skill Iaijutsu Focus OA 58
Feat Power Attack—Iaijutsu OA 64
Feat Improved Initiative PHB 96
Feat Martial Weapon Proficiency PHB 97
Feat Quick Draw PHB 98
Feat Weapon Focus PHB 102
Feat Weapon Finesse PHB 102
Feat Martial Study ToB 31
Feat Improved Feint PHB 95
Feat Mercurial Strike Dragon Compendium 102
Feat Combat Expertise PHB 92
Feat Surprising Riposte Drow of the Underdark 52
Feat Skill Focus PHB 100
Feat Riposte Dragon Compendium 105
Skill Trick Group Fake-Out CS 87
Skill Trick Hidden Blade CS 87
Skill Trick Sudden Draw CS 89
Maneuver Cloak of Deception ToB 76
Weapon Enchantment Focus OA, Dr#318 125, 42

[Thurbane]

"A long time ago, surviving was harsh, Our ancestors didn't have the resources and education we now enjoy, here's a story about one of our heroes..."

TN Longtooth shifter, Expert 1 / Dire wolverine 5 / War mind 7 / Bear warrior 5 / LA 2 (afflicted lycanthrope)

AbilitiesInitialRace / TemplateLevel upsAnimal/Hybrid formRage (1-15)Rage(16-19)Rage(20)TotalSTR141244842DEX1426224CON1484430IN T12-210WIS162422CHA8-26

HP 6 +5d12 + 7d10 +5d8 + 36 (135), + 72 (207) in animal/hybrid form, +72 (279) if raging

naked AC 16 or so (10 +5 DEX -3 size +6 natural -2 rage), but 50% concealment. We want low AC to better enter rage anyway!

naked saves fort 23 reflex 15 will 14

big bad numbers : twice expanded "raging bear wolverine", naked numbers, while shifting and using chain of superiority (shifting and chain are each 3/day, shifting duration 19 or so rounds)
gargantuan size (15ft reach)
STR 52
claw/claw/bite routine, at power attack -5 for rattling tactical manouver : (15BAB+21STR+2ENH-3SIZE-5PA) +30/+30/+25 for 6d6+28 claws (19-20/x2) and 8d6+21 bite (19-20/x3) (+1 CON damage) , if everything hits, average 143 damage
Improved grab rider on the claw attacks.
Each of those can hit two adjacent targets if we didn't move more than 10ft. each of those causes a DC 40 or be dazed effect, except on the first round, if at least one attack hit in the previous round.
We may skedaddle away with hustle after having done our full attack if we so want.

ECL/HDClassBase Attack BonusFort SaveReflex SaveWill SaveSkillsFeatsClass Features1/1Expert 1+0+0+0+224: {+4} Concentration: 4; {+1} Know(Arcana): 1; {+2} Know(History): 2; {+1} Know(Nature): 1; {+1} Know(Local): 1; {+4} Know(Psionics): 4; {+3} Listen: 3; {+4} Psicraft: 4; {+3} Spot: 3; {+1} Tumble: 1; Wild Talent4/2Dire Wolverine 1+0+2+2+22: Concentration: 4; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; {+2 CC} Know(Psionics): 5; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Iron WillAlternate Form, Lycanthropic empathy, Curse of Lycanthropy,Low-light vision, Scent, Damage Reduction 5/silver, +2 Natural armor, Rage5/3Dire Wolverine 2+1+3+3+22: Concentration: 4; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; {+2 CC} Know(Psionics): 6; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Longtooth elite6/4Dire Wolverine 3+2+3+3+32: Concentration: 4; {+2} Control shape: 2; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 6; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; 7/5Dire Wolverine 4+3+4+4+32: Concentration: 4; Control shape: 2; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; {+2 CC} Know(Psionics): 7; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; 8/6Dire Wolverine 5+3+4+4+32: Concentration: 4; Control shape: 2; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; {+2 CC} Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Power attack9/7War mind 1+4+6+6+32: {+1} Concentration: 5; {+1} Control shape: 3; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Chain of personal superiority +210/8War mind 2+5+7+7+32: {+1} Concentration: 6; {+1} Control shape: 4; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Chain of defensive posture +211/9War mind 3+6/+1+7+7+42: {+1} Concentration: 7; {+1} Control shape: 5; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Ragewild fightningEnduring body (DR 1/-)12/10War mind 4+7/+2+8+8+42: {+1} Concentration: 8; {+1} Control shape: 6; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; 13/11War mind 5+8/+3+8+8+42: {+1} Concentration: 9; {+1} Control shape: 7; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Sweeping strike14/12War mind 6+9/+4+9+9+52: {+1} Concentration: 10; {+1} Control shape: 8; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Practiced manifesterEnduring body (DR 2/-)15/13War mind 7+10/+5+9+9+52: {+1} Concentration: 11; {+1} Control shape: 9; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Chain of personal superiority +416/14Bear Warrior 1+11/+6/+1+11+9+54: Concentration: 11; {+4} Control shape: 13; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Bear form (black)17/15Bear Warrior 2+12/+7/+2+12+9+54: Concentration: 11; {+4} Control shape: 17; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; Listen: 3; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Shifter Savagery18/16Bear Warrior 3+13/+8/+3+12+10+64: Concentration: 11; {+2} Control shape: 19; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; {+2} Listen: 5; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Scent19/17Bear Warrior 4+14/+9/+5+13+10+64: Concentration: 11; {+1} Control shape: 20; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; {+3} Listen: 8; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; 20/18Bear Warrior 5+15/+10/+5+13+10+64: Concentration: 11; {+1} Control shape: 21; Know(Arcana): 1; Know(History): 2; Know(Nature): 1; Know(Local): 1; Know(Psionics): 8; {+3} Listen: 11; Psicraft: 4; Spot: 3; Tumble: 1; Great biteBear form (brown)-LA------LA-----
Shifter:ECS p. 23 Race. humanoid(shapechanger). +2DEX -2INT -2CHA, has shifting, also +2 balance, climb, jump
Shifting: free (su) action usable (1+(shifter feats/2 times))/day, similar to rage gains bonuses for 3+CON+(shifter feats count) rounds per use.
Longtooth: shifter trait. +2 STR and gain bite attack while shifting
Expert: NPC class with the versatility of picking any 10 skills as class skills
Wild Talent: (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm) gain a power point reserve and allows to use psionic features
Lycanthrope: (view-source:https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lycanthrope.htm) +2 LA acquired template, gives +2WIS, iron will, alternate form, animal HD and some other little bonuses and maluses
Dire Wolverine: (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/direWolverine.htm) what kind of lycanthrope we have been bit with. per lycanthropy, it's +12 STR, +6 DEX, +8 CON, Rage special attack, +6 natural armor
Longtooth elite:RoE p. 114 Our bite attack also deal 1 point of constitution damage. unclear if it's multiplied on a crit
War mind: (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/warMind.htm) psionic prestige class, full BAB, gish power list
Chain of personal superiority: free action 3/day gain a +2/4 insight bonus to STR and CON for 1 minute
Chain of defensive posture: free action 3/day gain a +2 insight bonus to AC for 1 minute
Ragewild fightning:RoE p. 118 Tactical feat, 3 manouvers: Immediate action make a melee attack after failing a will save; two-round manouver: Power attack causes daze (DC 10+ CHARLEVEL/2 + STRMOD) for 1 round; Action point on charge to deal STRMOD extra damage.
Enduring Body: gain Damage Reduction 1-2/-
Sweeping strike: If we haven't moved more than 10ft in a round, every melee attack we make can hit two adjacent threatened creatures.
Practiced manifester:CP p. 57 +4 to the manifester level
Bear warrior:CW p. 16 Rage related prestige class
Bear form: alterated form of polymorph that triggers on rage, increases rather than substitutes physical ability modifiers, but still gain physical qualities of the (form). substitutes rage bonuses.
Shifter Savagery:RoE p. 115 while shifting and raging, all natural weapon increase their damage die by the equivalent of two sizes, and critical threat range is doubled (19-20)
Great bite:ECS p. 54 fang/bite attack now has a critical multiplier of x3

Power table:ECL/HDManifester levelnaked wisdomPower points (class+wisdom)New Powers known9/71194+2Metaphysical Claw10/82207+5Expansion11/932011+7-12/1042016+10Hustle13/1152022+12-14/126+42130+15(25)Greater Concealing Amorpha15/137+42139+17(27)-18/167+42239+21(33)-
On power points : "class" is per the war mind table, plus 2 from wild talent, "wisdom" is according to the Abilities and manifester (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/index.htm#tableAbilityModifiersandBonusPowerPoints ) table. within (brackets) I listed to power points if your GM rules that practiced manifester doesn't affect power points/day from class, but does affect bonus power point from high manifesting stat.
The reasoning being : bonus power points formula is "key ability modifier × your manifester level ×½", secondary reasoning is "you need to spend more power point to have the same effect that practiced spellcaster does for casters, makes sense that practiced manifester partially gives some power point to fuel it's effect, but not the power point from class level that would be equivalent of gaining new/more spell slots". was listed for completeness, it is not assumed.

Metaphysical claw: (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/metaphysicalClaw.htm) 1 PP minute/level of +1 enhancement bonus to natural attacks. augments 4 PP duration hour/level, 4PP +1 enhancement bonus.
Expansion: (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/expansion.htm) 1PP round/level of +1 size, augment 2 PP duration 10min/level, 6PP +2 size, 6PP swift action
Hustle: (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/hustle.htm) 3PP swift action to gain a move action
Greater Concealing Amorpha: (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/concealingAmorphaGreater.htm) 5 PP round/level of 50% concealment

With a final reserve of 60 PP, realistically in one day we will:
spend 9 PP to have 11 hours of +2 enhancement bonus to natural attacks
1-2 uses of expansion at 9 PP for 110 minutes of +2 size per use
if we assume one use each of hustle and greater conealing amorpha per encounter, that's 8 encounters a day we are covered for, if they happen within two 110 minutes interval

CP: Complete Psionics
CW: Complete Warrior
ECS: Eberron Campaign Setting
RoE: Races of Eberron
This actually started out as adept into moonspeaker, no lycanthrope, I had this idea of using weretouched master II (wolverine) to satisfy the prerequisite of bear warrior, and to combine that with "at least 9 hours of wild shape" for a LONG duration of raging. Add 5 full level of warshaper to have the utility to change wildshape at will, and presto dish done!

Had to drop moonspeaker very early in the tinkering, because the combination of prerequisites and when I'd get wild shape just wasn't working, not with adept

So I went for abolisher for wild shape instead, and it fit somewhat quite well ( warrior 4 / warshaper 3 / weretouched master 3 / abolisher 2 / nature's warrior 1 / bear warrior 5 / warshaper 5 ) (abolisher gave us cha to saves and nature's warrior constrict with our grubby bear paws)

But I was getting more and more unhappy about it, because I was spending two feats and "had to" take 4 levels of warrior just to qualify for weretouched master, whereas I could get that same result with *one level of ranger*, and on top of that weretouched master "natural wepon hit die increase" didn't stack with shfiter savagery :(

I decided then to do a massive pivot away from NPC classes, with a general philosophy of "the best way of using NPC classes is taking the least amount of levels in them as possible" --> dropped abolisher/ wild shape for simply taking lycanthropy. That animal dice saddled with LA brings more to the table than NPC classes really says it all

Anyway, I had this beautiful (in order) warrior 1 / direbadger 3/ warrior 2 / warshaper 4/bear warrior 5 / weretouched master 4 spread, because bear warrior happily helped qualifying for weretouched master and I didn't have to spend feats on prerequisite, momentary happyness!

but, as I was doing some meager writeup, I hated how I was getting scent 3(!) times, how the increase to the dice from weretouched 1 was still bleh in not stacking with shifter savagery, and how "top heavy" the whole build felt. I wasn't much effective at early levels

I got into considering size increases, enter the war mind. at the beginning it was over there at the end, in place of weretouched master, because we can't enter it before 14th level without having knowledge:psionic in class.

I was happier since the numbers were better, but also unhappy because I was still top heavy. I had a passable ECL 11 survivability toon, what with DR 5/silver and fast healing 2 from warshaper. But 2 warrior level UGH and I had nothing at all to do other than beatsticking

That's when I decided to switch things around. drop the 2 warrior levels for 1 expert level, trade dire badger for dire wolverine to have the BAB for war mind early, and just go war mind -> bear warrior instead of the other way around.

We are still a dumb beatsticking, but at least we got that one rank of knowledges to feel useful about :D, I believe it works better that way, as I am moderately effective at early levels too. I'm somewhat happy that I have only have one level of (the most playable) NPC class, which is the best amount of NPC class you can have :D Only 0 levels are better, but that risk disqualification!
How, pray tell, did our hero survive being bit by a weredirewolverine at 1st level?? that's a very fair question, to which I answer the way every player the world over answer when there's some difficult requirements that needs to be dealt with: Handwave it away in the backstory!

Let's see.... Scene setting: prehistoria in Eberron, contemporary classes don't even exists, GM said "no base classes, they don't exists yet. You can use the NPC ones if you want, but what I'm especting is monster with RHD/LA, start at ECL 10", you tinker a bit with this or that monster and come up with going lycan, GM says "sure, but give me a believable way you survived that encounter".
So.... let's say "surviving was harsh for TRIBE NAME at the times, they didn't know any better, but found a semi-workable way of getting MORE POWER: go get bit on purpose by lycanthropes! But that's a very dangerous endeavor. Usually what happened was that 10-15 youngsters, at the time nameless, went out all together for their rite of passage into adulthood. Such rite was going into "the den of the wolver".. and survive, not even thrive. just survive. On a good year, maybe 2 teen gained their adulthood, usually it was 0 survivors." AKA "we got lucky that the wolverine on the claw/claw/bite, did the two claws on two other dudes, and we survived the bite. After being bit, we ran away, because that's the smart thing to do since we totally don't have a silver weapon.
"then the elders of the tribe helped us get better at controlling the power coursing through us"(mechanical : both the control shape, and war mind requirement)
Bear warrior: "In our travels, we found ourselves fascinated by those BIGGER GOONS that the bears are, compared to wolverines

And that's about it about the story.

ECL 10 tactics: The most important thing here to talk about is how lycanthropy works, and control shape. We have awareness of our lycanthropy because the whole point of the tribe sending us younguns to die become adults IS to gain lycanthropy. Other than the very first shifting, where we become an NPC (brownie points with the round theme! :D). For every other changing, voluntary or otherwise, we have the control of the charafter.
Control shape, at this level we have a total modifier of +9. This makes the DC15 to be in hybrid form fairly easy. the DC 20 to go animal form is somewhat harder, but here the game help us : Every time we lose 25% of our HP, that's a DC 25 to prevent going into animal form. that oen we can simply fail on purpose, presto raging wolverine! In humanoid form we have about 55 HP at this ECL, so after 14 damage we would be a wolver in their face, even gaining 32 HP from the increased constitution. But more likely than not we were in hybrid form because there's no reason not to be when there's combat to be had, and we don't need the rage yet.

So, hybrid form, claw/claw/bite routine, we're looking at 26 STR and +12/+12/+7 for claws 1d6+8 and bite 1d8+4 without factoring temporary boosts from war mind features / shifting. They are sad numbers.
But add rage, shifting, chains and powers and it becomes +16/+16/+11 for claws 1d8+13 and bite 2d6+9 (shifting adds HD/4 to bite damage)
Also, 1 CON damage on the bite

ECL 15 tactics: All we have done is finish war mind and gain some feats, how much of an improvement was this?
Well, we got a much bigger PP reserve now, and enough manifester level to do interesting things with it, like for example long duration expansion, so, in the one role we have ( beatsticking), we are : gargantuan size, STR 40, assuming we power attack at -5 to trigger ragewild fightning: +19/+19/+14 for claws 1d8+22 and bite 2d6+17.
Concealment from amorpha and battlefield control from dishing out dazes at DC 31.

ECL 16-20: The bears are here! Now we can beatsticking with EVEN BIGGER NUMBERS!!
Wolverine rage doesn't qualify for bear warrior: Why not? Bear warrior requires "Rage or frenzy ability", not "Rage or frenzy class feature" Compare with FrostragerFrostburn, that says "Rage as class ability"

You can't stack expansion with the size-changing of animal form/bear form: why not? unlike enlarge person, expansion is personal only, and we can use it *after* we changed into a wolverine/bear.

You can't use expansion while in animal/bear form: Yes we can, powers aren't spell, they don't have verbal or somatic components, we can manifest them while in an alternate form

Don't you lose your animal form ability score modifiers when you go bear form? and rage: Debatable and "ask your GM". key difference here is that unlike actual polymorph/alternate forms, we are ADDING the ability score modifiers to our own modifiers, rather than ASSUMING the score modifiers of the wolverine/bear. Bear form is "like (read:similar) polymorph", but not actually polymorph. It doens't say we lose our special attack. It says we gain the size and physical features of a bear, and to exchange the rage ability modifiers with the bear ability modifiers. It doesn't say we lose our special attacks.

Besides, wolverine rage lasts "until his opponent is dead" and it cannot be ended voluntarily. so even if we lose the rage special attack, the rage effect is still on us. Amusingly unlike barbarian rage it doesn't actually limit the kind of actions we can take at all. Stupidly we could have a childhood nemesis that "ran away" from us--> now we're raging "forever" until either us or them are dead.

Gargantuan size modifier is -4, not -3! : That's correct, but expansion parametrizes the extra size malus as a flat -2, because it assumes we go from medium to large I suppose. If you give me the "real" size penalty for gargantuan size, also give me the "real" size modifier change (large to gargantuan) to STR : +16. I will 100% accept it!

[Thurbane]

...and that's it. Three this time around.

Now we await judging.

Also, just for the heckuvit, I'm also putting in a Chair's Entry: this is, of course, not eligible for a placing, and judges are free to score or not score it as they see fit. It's quite bare bones, with no character or backstory notes.

Feel free to use this as a character or NPC in your game, if you feel like it.




https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/avatars/45/45828491291152054d00cb45acbbf4b102cf088c_full.jpg

Ubarin The Deceitful




Stat
Array
4th
8th
12th
16th
18th
20th
Final


Str
9
-
-
-
-
+2
+2
13


Dex
10
-
-
-
-
-
-
10


Con
12
-
-
-
-
-
-
12


Int
12
-
-
-
-
-
-
12


Wis
17
+1
-
+1
-
-
-
19


Cha
15
-
+1
-
+1
-
+1
18






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


1st
Expert 1
0
0
0
2
Bluff 4, Concentration 4, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (religion) 4, Knowledge (the planes) 4, Spellcraft 4, Use Magic Device 4
Able Learner, Iron Will
-


2nd
Expert 2
1
0
0
3
Bluff 5, Concentration 5, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 5, Knowledge (religion) 5, Knowledge (the planes) 5, Spellcraft 5, Use Magic Device 5
-
-


3rd
Expert 3
2
1
1
3
Bluff 6, Concentration 6, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 6, Knowledge (religion) 6, Knowledge (the planes) 6, Sense Motive 1, Spellcraft 6, Use Magic Device 6
Spell Focus (evil)
-


4th
Expert 4
3
1
1
4
Bluff 6, Concentration 7, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Knowledge (religion) 7, Knowledge (the planes) 7, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 7, Use Magic Device 7
-
-


5th
Warrior 1
3
3
1
4
Bluff 6, Concentration 8, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 7, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 8
-
-


6th
Ur-Priest 1
4
3
1
6
Bluff 6, Concentration 9, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 9, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 9
Spell Focus (conjuration)
-


7th
Ur-Priest 2
5
3
1
7
Bluff 6, Concentration 10, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 10
-
Rebuke undead


8th
Ur-Priest 3
6
4
2
7
Bluff 7, Concentration 11, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 11
-
-


9th
Ur-Priest 4
7
4
2
8
Bluff 9, Concentration 12, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 12
Southern Magician
Divine spell resistance 15


10th
Nar Demonbinder 1
7
4
2
10
Bluff 11, Concentration 13, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 13
-
Fiendish familiar, inimical casting


11th
Mystic Theurge 1
7
4
2
12
Bluff 13, Concentration 14, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 14
-
-


12th
Mystic Theurge 2
8
5
3
13
Bluff 15, Concentration 15, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 15
Practised Spellcaster (Ur Priest)
-


13th
Mystic Theurge 3
8
5
3
13
Bluff 16, Concentration 16, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 16
-
-


14th
Mystic Theurge 4
9
6
4
14
Bluff 17, Concentration 17, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 6, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 17
-
-


15th
Mystic Theurge 5
9
6
4
14
Bluff 18, Concentration 18, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 7, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 18
Quicken Spell
-


16th
Mystic Theurge 6
10
7
5
15
Bluff 19, Concentration 19, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 8, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 19
-
-


17th
Dragon Disciple 1
10
9
5
17
Bluff 20, Concentration 20, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 9, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 20
-
Natural armor increase (+1)


18th
Dragon Disciple 2
11
10
5
18
Bluff 21, Concentration 21, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 10, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 21
Divine Metamagic (Quicken Spell)
Ability boost (Str +2), claws and bite


19th
Dragon Disciple 3
12
10
6
18
Bluff 22, Concentration 22, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 11, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 22
-
Breath weapon (2d8)


20th
Dragon Disciple 4
13
11
6
19
Bluff 23, Concentration 23, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (religion) 8, Knowledge (the planes) 10, Sense Motive 12, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 23
-
Ability boost (Str +2), natural armor increase (+2)



Expert skills selected: Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device


Spells/day (Ur Priest / Nar Demonbinder); bonus spells for ability scores & Dragon Disciple shown



Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th

4th
5th
6th
7th
8th


6th
4
2+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-


7th
5
3+1
0+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-


8th
5
3+1
1+1
0+1
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-


9th
6
3+1
2+1
1+1
0+1
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-


10th
6
3+1
2+1
1+1
0+1
-
-
-
-
-

2
1
-
-
-


11th
6
3+1
3+1
2+1
1+1
0
-
-
-
-

2
2
-
-
-


12th
6
3+1
3+1
3+1
2+1
1
0
-
-
-

3
2
1
-
-


13th
6
4+1
3+1
3+1
3+1
2
1
0
-
-

3
3
2
-
-


14th
6
4+1
4+1
3+1
3+1
3
2
1
0
-

3
3
2
1
-


15th
6
5+1
4+1
4+1
4+1
4
3
2
1
0

4
3
3
2
-


16th
6
5+1
5+1
4+1
4+1
4
4
3
2
1

4
4
3
2
1


17th
6
5+1
5+1
4+1
4+1
4
4
3
2
1+1

4
4
3
2
1


18th
6
5+1
5+1
4+1
4+1
4
4
3
2
1+2

4
4
3
2
1


19th
6
5+1
5+1
4+1
4+1
4
4
3
2
1+2

4
4
3
2
1


20th
6
5+1
5+1
4+1
4+1
4
4
3
2
1+3

4+1
4
3
2
1



Nar Demonbinder Spells Known:
4th x4: Beltyn's Burning Blood, Dimensional Anchor, Planar Binding, Lesser, Wall of Fire
5th x4: Dispel Good, Flame Strike, Plane Shift, Summon Monster V
6th x3: Fiendform, Planar Binding, Summon Monster VI
7th x2: Fire Storm, Summon Monster VII
8th x1: Planar Binding, Greater


Notes/Play Tips: Ur Priest is the centre of this build. The casting from Nar Demonbinder is secondary, but obviously nice to have. The Fiendish Familiar (I would recommend an imp) is also very cool, especially since it can use your skill ranks (i.e. UMD). Dragon Disciple adds 3 spell slots over 4 levels, which can to to any of you classes - naturally, it is used to get 3 extra 9th level Ur-Priest slots. Final caster level for Ur-Priest (and Nar Demonbinder, s well) is a little ambiguous: the class says your CL is equal to your class level, plus 1/2 the levels in one other class (i.e. ND). Whether you count the increases of Mystic Theurge to ND in that calculation is somewhat unclear. So your final CL for UP is either 15 (assuming you round the 1 level of ND up, 14 otherwise), or 18. Southern Magician is there to guarantee entry reqs for MT, but can also allow ND spells to be cast as divine, avoiding ASF.
An earlier draft of the build included a dip into Sand Shaper, for Desert Insight to expand the Nar Demonbinder spells. The build was already pretty strapped for feats, so this was dropped in favour of another Dragon Disciple level, and another 9th level spell slot.
In terms of gear, stat boosters would be recommended, of course. Something like Raiment of the Four adds versatility to the Nar Demonbinder casting. Nigh Sticks for Divine Metamagic shenanigans, if allowed. And caster level boosters (Ioun Stone, Prayer Beads etc.) would also be very useful.

[AvatarVecna]

The two builds I was considering were Illithid Savant (using SP illithid race, but not the racial class), and Ur-priest. Didn't end up submitting because neither seemed particularly fun to highlight.

[loky1109]

Name Alignment / Race Class Levels Chef Judge 1 Total Place
Frumzii Rotuiro, Discount artificier (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482746&postcount=26) NG Lesser Wispling Magewright 6/Mage of the Arcane Order 4/Dragon Prophet 10
Gozu-bō (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482749&postcount=27) LE Yakfolk Warrior 1/Expert 1/Iaijutsu Master 10/Gladiator 1
Wolvebear (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482751&postcount=28) TN Weredirewolverine Longtooth Shifter Expert 1/War mind 7/Bear warrior 5
Ubarin The Deceitful (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482758&postcount=29) ?? Human Expert 4/Warrior 1/Ur-Priest 4/Nar Demonbinder 1/Mystic Theurge 6/Dragon Disciple 4 N/A (Chair's Entry)

[Thrice Dead Cat]

The two builds I was considering were Illithid Savant (using SP illithid race, but not the racial class), and Ur-priest. Didn't end up submitting because neither seemed particularly fun to highlight.

I had also considered using an Illithid for a build, but felt that burning the majority of the available levels on RHD+LA was too inelegant to be worthwhile. I didn't want to use Illithid Savant, but had no real direction beyond that either.

As for the contestants, I'll get started on judging later later today.

[loky1109]

I had thought to search some PrC with such skill reqs which I easily can made with aristo, but I didn't inspire enough to start searching.

[Thurbane]

It's interesting so many people were leaning toward entries with RHD...

I had considered Marrulurk for my Chair's Entry, but then I remembered Monstrous Humanoids don't get good Fort save, so wouldn't play well with Expert for entry into Ur Priest.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I'm going to follow my last rubric, which is as follows:



Starts at 3/5. It's the halfway point, so that's what I'll use for almost everything
I'm going to focus more on the narrative and the character you're presenting here than strictly the mechanics. So even a Fighter 20 could score well if you did something interesting with it.
Numerous dips will likely lead to penalties.
"Standard" tricks/builds will also likely be penalized (e.g., Wizard 3/Master Abjurer 10/Iot7V 7 isn't taking home any points here, ignoring the obviously banned class for the moment)





Starts at 3/5. Since everyone is starting as NPC, I may be a little lenient here.
The goal is "What sort of power/flexibility do you bring to your role, and does it achieve the goals of said role?" Essentially, I'm trying to provide some weight to avoid pure caster supremacy.
Still, bigger numbers, more skills, and more tools all count to more power.





Starts at 4/5
Illegal entry deductions apply here
Same goes for ambiguous/debatable interpretations.
Skill point math being off or missed skills also apply here (e.g., Knowledge of a creature where you have zero ranks in the appropriate Knowledge without some other way to know about it via something like Bardic Knowledge/Lore/something like the Jack of All Trades feat for a floating 0.5 skill rank/etc.)
Multiclassing penalties will earn a minor penalty if they apply at all.





You have twenty levels to play with to spend on various base/prestige classes, but even a Required Base Class/Required Prestige Class isn't necessarily enough for 5/5.
Forbidden material will be penalized.



Let's begin!




Your fluff is a little light, but not enough to ding you. Dragon Prophesier is interesting and not something I'd ever really seen before (+0.25). Wispling is interesting but not enough to tip the scales in either direction. Call it an 3.25/5.



For the first few levels, you're a discount wizard or sorcerer. You've got a limited spell list, limited slots, and not much else (+0). That said, you're getting the most out of your limited casting with MotAO, and, most importantly, actual wizard spells for both casting and crafting (+0.5). Sure, they're delayed, but they are there. Those levels also help set you up for Dragon Prophet levels with the free language and extra feat.

You quickly set yourself as a crafter, much like your entry name suggests. I'm going to mention it here but penalize you under elegance, but I do not buy your reading that you can take the same constellation more than once. You even address this yourself, but no text suggests that you can double or triple dip on a given constellation. Even if you could, I would then argue that "Same source bonuses don't stack."

One thing you're missing, and it's something you arguably could pick up from MotAO, would have been access to the Unfettered Heroism spell from Races of Eberron - especially since you even referenced it under one of your spoilers! You get a janky version of the same effect with Prophecy's Hero, but one action point per round that doesn't end the spell is much better than one action point per prophetic fervor. Sure, you have a minimum of 6 uses of fervor at level 9 (14 Wis+4 from HD) up to 16 at level 20, but that's a full-round action over an immediate action. You can still activate a staff with Prophecy's Artifex the round you enter your fervor, so that's not nothing (Call it all together another +0.25 for a finale of 3.75).



I actually don't care about applying multiple settings, especially when Eberron is one of them. It does help that one of the two things you're using from FR is an alternate rule to avoid the LA and the other is a feat that honestly is just as at home in Eberron as anywhere else. I will ding you on taking Constellation power(Aasterinian) more than once, however. Yes, I know, the writers have never been consistent. Loremaster says you can't take things more than once, but then Heirophant and Archmage both have text addressing taking the same option more than once (Arcane/Divine Reach, Heirophant's Spell Power, both Spell-Like Ability class features). (-0.25) I also buy your reading of Spell Mastery.

The way Magewright is worded certainly makes it sound like its tied to your spell slots rather than just your Magewright levels. So no penalties there.

Onto the positives, you've found a way to stick to the spirit and letter of the competition. I would call levels 5-10 a bit of a weak spot since you're a bard with fewer class features or wizard with fewer spells at that point. You only have three different classes total, took one to completion (DP), took enough of another as to be practical (MotAO), and enough levels of your base class as made sense for what you were doing (+0.5 for a total of 4.25).


Like I mentioned under Elegance, you hit the mark. I think there are some growing pains here, as you don't have any way to recoup XP outside of riding the experience river. You also have no way of creating wands, as those aren't covered by CWI. Let's call this 4.5 out of 5.






Although it was a little hard to read, I appreciated the story you wrote (+0.5). Although I expected to see some monsters, I did not expect to see a Yakfolk or the Gladiator PrC from 3.0 (+0.5). That said, using Expert to qualify for the Iaijutsu skill and Iaijutsu Master was expected (-0.25). I was also surprised to see someone advance in age without either ignoring it completely (various Timeless Body like abilities) or by being a spellcaster (+0.25). So that's neat (4.00).



For most of your career, you're essentially a sneak attack/thug fighter. You're down two levels due to the LA but up on stats with Yakfolk. After Iaijustsu Master 5, you don't really get much other than IF as a class skill. There exist a few other prestige classes that can either pick their own class skills or just straight up have everything as a class skill and would have liked to see something else. Gladiator is an odd choice, but Improved Feint does help get you IF checks. Given that you're effectively down a feat due to Power Attack-Iaijutsu not being valued (see below), you could have just spent a feat on this normally (or gone with EWP for the infamous Gnomish Quickrazer).

Level 15 is a big spike in your power. You go from rolling a minimum of +3d6 to now +3d6+15 to even 7d6+35. Those numbers aren't nothing, but even the average of 7d6+35 (59.5) is about on par with what a charging focused Power Attack Fighter could do at this point (15 BAB with Heedless Charge and Leap Attack is at least 45).

You're not losing any points here, but I just feel like you could have done more, y'know?

Your race gives you several unique abilities. I wish you would have written more about using Body Meld on enemies and/or allies, seen something involving staves, and of course the potential abuses with summoning genies! (3.00)



Minor complaint here, but MM2 had an update file for 3.5. That's where the LA is listed, after all . You also technically never qualify for Power Attack-Iaijutsu. That feat has a Clan requirement to it, which means it is restricted to small group of humans. It's not a terribly big deal as you only lose out on 1d6 IF damage, but it is an error in your build [s](-0.25). (3.5 4)



This is a personal taste, but I don't like seeing more than one third of your levels dedicated to your race (-0.25). I don't think you're technically disqualified for listing out the RHD and LA separately, and I'd argue that with the Chairman even if that was the case. You did at least take two separate NPC base classes, but Expert was all but necessary to make IF work and Warrior was there as your Fighter replacement.

Using the Gladiator dip for Improved Feint is weird, too. I know it wasn't updated, but I had to dig through my old archives of the WotC to prove to myself that it hadn't been updated from 3.0. I'm not going to ding you for that, but I would have appreciated at least a comment to that effect in either your writeup or sources. I will ding you for the dip, however (-0.25). (2.5 2.75)






I feel like I've seen Wolverine Shifters into Bear Warrior before. Admittedly, you're doing this with actual animal HD instead of something like Weretouched Master, so that's a plus (+0.25). Expert is all but a given, but I appreciate your write up as to how and why you got there (+0.25). It also is neat to see that my initial comment about Weretouched Master wasn't far off, given how that was in your build at various points. Your fluff is also a little light (-0.25).



Low levels will be rough. Animal HD aren't much to write home about, and you have 5 of them (+2 LA). Given that you looked at badger at one point, I'm a little surprised you didn't go with (dire) badger or just regular Wolverine (3 HD for both regular wolverine, 3 HD for dire badger, only 1 HD for regular badger). I get not wanting to take real NPC class levels, but the 3HD options would have given you a way to 16 BAB with either Warrior levels or other PrCs.

Having DR/silver helps with your survivability at lower levels, like you said (+0.25). You have a stupid amount of Strength adjustments, too, so you're there as a Big Stupid Fighter. I also agree with your interpretation of Bear Warrior's ability score stacking. (+0.25). That said, I do not agree with you that spells =/= powers. That said, I do not buy your argument about being able to rage and use powers. Transparency is the default assumption. Even if it you're not using transparency, manifesting a power explicitly requires concentration, which your rage prohibits. (3.5 total) (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm#manifestingPowers)



You have a solid entry into Bear Warrior and War Mind gives you some extra stat boosts, plus powers when you're not raging. Unfortunately, as I said under "Power," raging does prevent you from manifesting, so about half your build doesn't work at any given time (-0.25). I will grant you the size stacking and stat stacking would work (assuming you had a way around not being able to manifest while raging, such as with a schism. You've also got a decent number of Shifter feats, plus CON damage on all of your bites and a way to have a bite attack all day long (+0.25).



This is a personal taste, but I don't like seeing more than one third of your levels dedicated to your template (-0.25). You also only have a single level of an NPC base class, which feels a little against the spirit of this competition (-0.25).






Expert into Ur-Priest (or another fast-casting PrC) was honestly what I was expecting most out of this competition. That said, I was not expecting to see Mystic Theurge combined with that entry (+0.25). Fluff is non-existent, but this is an "non-qualified" entry anyhow (-1).



Levels 1-5 suck. There's no getting around that with NPC classes. You're either relying on UMD or, well, be honest: you're relying on UMD here (-0.25). Level 6 you finally start getting some magic, but you don't "break even" with a straight caster until 10 when you take your first level in Nar Demonbinder. That said, you've got "full" casting from then on out, Divine Metamagic, and exta slots to burn on binding fiends (+1.5).

Rule typically involve rounding down, but I'd peg your Ur-Priest caster level at 4 (UP levels) + 6 (MT levels) + 4 (Practiced Spellcaster) + 3 (half of your NDb+MT or just MT levels. You always round down, so even if its NDb+Mt, that's still only 3.5->3) or 17. That's not bad at this point. Similarly, your Nar Demonbinder caster level would be 1 (NDb levels) + 6 (MT levels) + 5 (half of UP+MT levels) = 17.



Your classes are feat heavy, but such is life. You could have maybe saved a feat on Iron Will with a visit to the infamous Oytugh Hole. That would have left you room to take Practiced Spellcaster (Nar Demonbinder) or really just about anything else. You also avoid some of the usual theurge problems by taking Quicken Spell and DMM. Even with just Quicken, you can pop off a spell from each class. (+0.25). You also have access to all the same spells that an evil cleric would, in addition to the relatively small NDb list. It's largely focused on getting more minions bound to your service, so it is a good list (+0.25). RAW, there's nothing stopping you from taking Spell Focus when you can't yet cast spells, but it is a little inelegant (-0.25).



You've got 5 levels in NPC classes (+0.25), plus fifteen in PrCs. Ur-Priest segues quite nicely into Nar Demonbinder and then Mystic Theurge (+0.25). Heck, you even managed to make use of Dragon Disciple's extra slots without ruining your casting! (+0.25).

[ciopo]

Thank you for judging, Thrice Dead Cat!

[Analytica]

Oh, I should have finished mine! I wanted to do Ghoul, Aristocrat, Emancipated Spawn to regain 20 levels of Warlock features without Warlock levels and lots and lots of crafting feats, but I found no reason to use Aristocrat over Expert and wasn't sure I could do Ghoul instead of Ghast, and a Ghast Expert was simply not as cool as a Ghoul Aristocrat?

Anyway, great to see the builds! I am surprised no True Dragons, either.

[Thurbane]

Thank you for the judging TDC! :smallsmile:

And FWIW, your judging of my entry is pretty spot on, IMHO.

[loky1109]

Thank you, Thrice Dead Cat!

Name Alignment / Race Class Levels Chef Thrice Dead Cat Total Place
Frumzii Rotuiro, Discount artificier (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482746&postcount=26) NG Lesser Wispling Magewright 6/Mage of the Arcane Order 4/Dragon Prophet 10 15.75 15.75
Gozu-bō (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482749&postcount=27) LE Yakfolk Warrior 1/Expert 1/Iaijutsu Master 10/Gladiator 1 13.75 13.75
Wolvebear (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482751&postcount=28) TN Weredirewolverine Longtooth Shifter Expert 1/War mind 7/Bear warrior 5 13.25 13.25
Ubarin The Deceitful (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482758&postcount=29) ?? Human Expert 4/Warrior 1/Ur-Priest 4/Nar Demonbinder 1/Mystic Theurge 6/Dragon Disciple 4 12.50 12.50 N/A (Chair's Entry)

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I'm always happy to help with these competitions! It's not quite the same as giving homebrew a PEACH, but I love it all the same.


Oh, I should have finished mine! I wanted to do Ghoul, Aristocrat, Emancipated Spawn to regain 20 levels of Warlock features without Warlock levels and lots and lots of crafting feats, but I found no reason to use Aristocrat over Expert and wasn't sure I could do Ghoul instead of Ghast, and a Ghast Expert was simply not as cool as a Ghoul Aristocrat?

Anyway, great to see the builds! I am surprised no True Dragons, either.

First, I'm going to be really honest with you that I would have come down hard on Emancipated Spawn cheese like that. Your hypothetical example isn't as bad as the one where PHB classes were banned and went into Blighter, but I'm still very much of the opinion that those levels in banned classes "count" as part of your stub.

More over, the more levels you have before becoming someone's spawn, the less sense it makes to me, too. Unless the Ghast also has a bucket load of levels, it just does not make sense to me that a 20th level anything would die to one.

All of that aside, I'm with you about the lack of (True) dragons. Heck, even a pseudodragon would have been cool to see!


Thank you for the judging TDC! :smallsmile:

And FWIW, your judging of my entry is pretty spot on, IMHO.

I'm glad I wasn't far off there. I do feel that if this had been a "real" submission, you would have had some actual fluff. That said, I was happy to see another entry without any RHD or LA.

[Thurbane]

If I was going to run Ubarin as a PC in a regular game, I'd swap out the first 5 levels for Duskblade 3 (for channelling)/Bard 2 (for skill reqs), not necessarily in that order.

..and our first dispute:


Thrice Dead Cat, thank you for judging, but I have some disputes and questions.


Although it was a little hard to read, I appreciated the story you wrote (+0.5).
On purpose this done was. )
I apologize for the difficulties, but it came over me. Trying to do Yoda-speak was a challenge of sorts.
I glad you like it. )


That said, using Expert to qualify for the Iaijutsu skill and Iaijutsu Master was expected (-0.25).
I see how you expected Iaijutsu focus skill it's kind of obvious, but was Iaijutsu Master PrC expected, too? I thought it is very obscure option.


or gone with EWP for the infamous Gnomish Quickrazer
Don't name this... weapon!
It's... It's... I have no words! I refuse to accept using Iaijutsu focus with it! It's outrageous! And anyway big part of Iaijutsu Master's abilities works only with katana, so it isn't an option.


Your race gives you several unique abilities. I wish you would have written more about using Body Meld on enemies and/or allies, seen something involving staves, and of course the potential abuses with summoning genies!
Okay, I have several words about it.

First. Body Meld. As you can see background story was built around this ability. But rely on it in combat... It seems some inelegant. I can't decide who I meet, it's in DM's hands. Of course I will be glad to wear some useful body with useful feats and skills, but I can't build my entry on this.
Second, staves. I was trying to make entry without gp-dependence and staves all are very costly. I most likely should have staff or several, but can't based on this, either.
Third...

and of course the potential abuses with summoning genies!
Man... If it was possible...

Once per day, a yak folk can summon and command a janni of evil alignment

Medium Outsider (Native)
Hit Dice: 6d8+6 (33 hp)
...
Special Attacks: Change size, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., elemental endurance, plane shift, resistance to fire 10, telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge Rating: 4
Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—invisibility (self only), speak with animals. Caster level 12th. Once per day a janni can create food and water (caster level 7th) and can use ethereal jaunt (caster level 12th) for 1 hour. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
I don't know what of this can be abusable. Plane shift maybe. And I don't die of starvation.

This ability is a shame. Summoning Native Outsider! It should be Dao!


Minor complaint here, but MM2 had an update file for 3.5. That's where the LA is listed, after all (-0.25).
Did you tell I should mention update booklet in my sources? But... MM2 is unusable in this competitions without update booklet. Everybody knows it exists and I can't see how mention "MM2" can be understood other than "MM2 plus its update booklet of course". I'm confused.


You also technically never qualify for Power Attack-Iaijutsu. That feat has a Clan requirement to it, which means it is restricted to small group of humans.
You're mistaken. Ancestor feats was updated in Dragon #318.

Any character can choose an ancestor feat, but only at 1st level. No character can have more than one ancestor feat.
Yes, I didn't mentioned Dragon #318 for Power Attack-Iaijutsu, but I mentioned it in sources for another object (while many participants just list source's names without pages and without reference to specific objects (I glad this round was an exception)) and it is update for OA, so here works the same principle as with update booklet.


I don't think you're technically disqualified for listing out the RHD and LA separately
Should I? O_o
Why?


Warrior was there as your Fighter replacement.
Warrior gave me Martial Weapon Proficiency so yes, it's discount Fighter.


Using the Gladiator dip for Improved Feint is weird, too.
Why does it weird?

I know it wasn't updated, but I had to dig through my old archives of the WotC to prove to myself that it hadn't been updated from 3.0. I'm not going to ding you for that, but I would have appreciated at least a comment to that effect in either your writeup or sources.
Sorry, I didn't understand you. I pointed out source - Sword & Fist. If it was updated I'll pointed out last version. Or I of course may have been mistaken, but in this case no comments can't be proof.


I will ding you for the dip, however (-0.25). (2.5)
Dip. I went to finish my Iaijutsu Master. My race doesn't grow up at HD. My base classes... Well, I technically could take one level of it, but are you serious? I should dip somewhere.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

On to the first dispute!


Expert was expected and the IM PrC is one of a handful of options that have IF as a class skill. It was less expected, but you didn't just dip in and out of it like what is often the case.

I understand your distaste for the weapon that shall not be named, of course. It's just a shame that it's just about the best way to make the skill work.

Fair points on both Body Meld and Staff Use. I was just hoping to see a "On the off chance you face a valid enemy, you could steal their body" or "Loot permitted, you could make sure of any staff come across."

I'll give you that making use of a Janni. It's there, but less practical.

The penalty on MM2, OA, and S&F is more that I might need to reference multiple sources. Yakfolk received their LA in the update, so I had to check there but Gladiator was never updated, so I went searching for the old web archive list of everything that was or was not updated to 3.5. I essentially penalized you thrice for what amounts to either an error on my part of the same sourcing complaint (once under Elegance, twice under Use of Components).

I will admit that in my haste, I missed the updates on the Ancestor feats. So taken with the above, you're up 0.75 points.

As for the RHD/LA block, that's more a confusion on my end. I believe the intent was to not take any racial class levels, but that's a fuzzy line to compared to just listing the levels one by one like you and Wolvebear did. That's really just my hangup, and it does make it infinitely easier to see if you actually qualify for your various feats and whatnot.

[ciopo]

Thurbane your PM box is full

Anyway no disputes from me

[Thurbane]

Thurbane your PM box is full

Anyway no disputes from me

Apologies, should be clear now.

While we wait to see if there is any further judging, I have an honest question: is there still much interest in this comp? Are there just too many comps here on the forums at the moment? Am I picking bad themes/ingredients?

We can't seem to get more than 3 or 4 entries lately, and it's usually from the same small pool of regular entrants (which I very much appreciate for their efforts and dedication, BTW).

Has this comp run it's course? Do we need a new chair with fresh ideas? Any suggestions for themes/ingredients that might revitalise this comp?

[H_H_F_F]

I don't think this comp has run its course, and I don't think you're picking "bad" components - it's never easy to know what will resonate with people. I can certainly identify with that particular struggle.

That being said: I do think the forum is somewhat over saturated with competitions. I don't have a solution for that, but we have a judging crisis (last round of the Iron Chef took ages, this round of the Villainous competition also has no judge in sight) and as you noted, participation is low and lacks diversity (though I too salute the participants coming back every single round).

I see this as an issue, but I'm not sure how to address it. I'd say we need new blood, but judges are hard to find as is - it'll be even harder with more entries. Just trashing an entire competition because there are too many of them is sad. I don't know, but I do know it's certainly not your fault as a chair.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Apologies, should be clear now.

While we wait to see if there is any further judging, I have an honest question: is there still much interest in this comp? Are there just too many comps here on the forums at the moment? Am I picking bad themes/ingredients?

We can't seem to get more than 3 or 4 entries lately, and it's usually from the same small pool of regular entrants (which I very much appreciate for their efforts and dedication, BTW).

Has this comp run it's course? Do we need a new chair with fresh ideas? Any suggestions for themes/ingredients that might revitalise this comp?

I have to agree with H_H_F_F. This hasn't run its course yet, but there are plenty of competitions with few judges. I also feel like the last few competitions, I found myself with either ideas I didn't much like, couldn't get to a cohesive whole, or were simply me just reinventing the same wheels I've seen before. Plus, this is the only contest where I've ever submitted anything, let alone multiple entries (not counting homebrew "Make a Prestige Class" contests from more than a decade ago!).

That said, I'm always happy to help judging when I don't submit anything, too.


I don't think this comp has run its course, and I don't think you're picking "bad" components - it's never easy to know what will resonate with people. I can certainly identify with that particular struggle.

That being said: I do think the forum is somewhat over saturated with competitions. I don't have a solution for that, but we have a judging crisis (last round of the Iron Chef took ages, this round of the Villainous competition also has no judge in sight) and as you noted, participation is low and lacks diversity (though I too salute the participants coming back every single round).

I see this as an issue, but I'm not sure how to address it. I'd say we need new blood, but judges are hard to find as is - it'll be even harder with more entries. Just trashing an entire competition because there are too many of them is sad. I don't know, but I do know it's certainly not your fault as a chair.

This is an aside, and I know the rules are a little different, but I might be available to judge for the Villainous competition. Judging always takes me a few days, so it might not be ready until the end of the week there.

[loky1109]

I agree with H_H_F_F, too. It's general issue of all competitions now. I don't know how we can solve it.

[pabelfly]

I like Junkyard, and I was interested in the competition, I just couldn't find anything to do with a specific NPC class as a base class that didn't make me feel like I'd rather be using some of the regular classes instead.

[H_H_F_F]

I like Junkyard, and I was interested in the competition, I just couldn't find anything to do with a specific NPC class as a base class that didn't make me feel like I'd rather be using some of the regular classes instead.

Yeah, I also felt like I was defaulting to "npc class because it's the SI".

The only unique thing any of these classes have to offer is familiar on a divine caster from adept, and I couldn't figure out anything interesting to do with that.

[Thurbane]

Thanks for the feedback everyone :smallsmile:

I'll keep plugging away as chair for now then, and hopethe next round might spark some extra entries, and/or new competitors.

[Thurbane]

There's technically almost another full week before judging deadline - anyone else interesting in judging? If no, we could always wrap up and start next round early.

Might also be a good time to shout out some suggestions for future rounds/themes. :smallsmile:

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I'd be interested in something Incarnum focused, maybe even requiring Soulborn as one of the ingredients.

[loky1109]

Maybe...
Weapon Spec + Exotic Weapon - Fighter.
Or
Monk's PrC + ??? - Monk.
Or
3.0 only PrC + PHB only base class - 3.5 PrC.

[Mage keeper]

As secret ingredient the beguiler, the base classe for dragon compendium

[Thurbane]

Looks like no more judging or disputes to come, so here's the final reveal (pretty sure table was updated for the dispute):



Name
Alignment / Race
Class Levels
Chef
Thrice Dead Cat
Total
Place


Frumzii Rotuiro, Discount artificier (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482746&postcount=26)
NG Lesser Wispling
Magewright 6/Mage of the Arcane Order 4/Dragon Prophet 10
ciopo
15.75
15.75
1st


Gozu-bō (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482749&postcount=27)
LE Yakfolk
Warrior 1/Expert 1/Iaijutsu Master 10/Gladiator 1
loky1109
13.75
13.75
2nd


Wolvebear (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482751&postcount=28)
TN Weredirewolverine Longtooth Shifter
Expert 1/War mind 7/Bear warrior 5
ciopo
13.25
13.25
3rd


Ubarin The Deceitful (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482758&postcount=29)
?? Human
Expert 4/Warrior 1/Ur-Priest 4/Nar Demonbinder 1/Mystic Theurge 6/Dragon Disciple 4
Thurbane
12.50
12.50
N/A (Chair's Entry)



Congrats to both entrants.

New round will be up in next day or two (running on a small amount of sleep and work is hectic, so as time permits).

[ciopo]

Thank you for hosting!

Now that we're past reveal. ThriceDwadCat you wrote

"One thing you're missing, and it's something you arguably could pick up from MotAO, would have been access to the Unfettered Heroism spell from Races of Eberron"

Sadly MotAO pool access is SRD only

And on wolvebear

"Low levels will be rough. Animal HD aren't much to write home about, and you have 5 of them (+2 LA). Given that you looked at badger at one point, I'm a little surprised you didn't go with (dire) badger or just regular Wolverine (3 HD for both regular wolverine, 3 HD for dire badger, only 1 HD for regular badger). I get not wanting to take real NPC class levels, but the 3HD options would have given you a way to 16 BAB with either Warrior levels or other PrCs.

Having DR/silver helps with your survivability at lower levels, like you said (+0.25). You have a stupid amount of Strength adjustments, too, so you're there as a Big Stupid Fighter. I also agree with your interpretation of Bear Warrior's ability score stacking. (+0.25). That said, I do not agree with you that spells =/= powers. That said, I do not buy your argument about being able to rage and use powers. Transparency is the default assumption. Even if it you're not using transparency, manifesting a power explicitly requires concentration, which your rage prohibits. (3.5 total)"

Dire wolverine is also large size! That's the other reason I went for it over it's smaller(ha) cousins. And my point about psionic was actually in regard of no verbal/somatic components. Wolverine rage isn't barbarian rage, it doesn't have any written limitation about what we can and can't do while puffed up (that I know of)


I had some other points but by now I forgot them, sorry.

Oh yeah, a joke about "bearstack redux"

[Thurbane]

New round is up: https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?646976