Halfling Paragon

[cartejos]

Is +2 Damage worthwhile for a 2-level dip?

Pros: can be taken before other prestige classes (no prereq).+2 Damage, +1 all saves, +1 climb/jump/move silently

Cons: 3/4 bab, d6 hd, 2 level sink min.

[pabelfly]

Most likely not. What's your build look like?

[Frostmoon]

Ah, it's a damage boost to slings and thrown weapons in particular. This could potentially be useful if you're planning on seriously focusing down on those, but it's probably not worthwhile otherwise.

[Venger]

Thrown weapons and slings are not very good and hard to build around. What is your destination?

[cartejos]

Destination/Goal:

The other PCs have agreed that it'd be cool if all of the characters were "Paragons of their race"
This entails taking paragon classes, substitution levels, prestige classes, and items that are flavorful for their races
We have an Elf Wizard, a Human Bard, and a Dwarven melee character who is not fully decided on their base class.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

If you want a sling you can build around, check out the gnome calculus, from the Arms & Equipment Guide. Basically an oversized sling that uses vials of various substances as ammunition. That includes potion vials, alchemical items, and mundane but still highly useful items like pouches of flour or containers of extremely flammable pine pitch. Or even nasty exotic stuff like brown mold.

There are threads about it here on Giantitp, even.

[Anthrowhale]

For a Halfling ranged attacker, maybe use Rogue 1/Exoticist Fighter 1/Rogue 2/Ranger 2/Master Thrower 5/Whisperknife 9

Take the Halfling Rogue 1 ACF that makes ranged sneak attack do an extra 1d6 and melee sneak attack do 1d6 less. Add in the Lightbringer Rogue penetrating strike ACF at level 3 so you deal damage to the sneak attack immune.
Exoticist Fighter is from Dragon #310.

In terms of feats:
Strongheart Halfling: Point Blank Shot //prereq, but +1 to hit and +1 to damage is nice.
1. Precise Shot //prereq, but +4 to hit is nice.
Exoticist 1: Exotic Weapon Proficiency[Talenta Boomerang] //our specialty
Exoticist 1: Exotic Weapon Proficiency[Warsling] //Races of the Wild, Halfling flavor
Exoticist 1: Exotic Weapon Proficiency[Skiprock] //Races of the Wild, Halfling flavor
Exoticist 1: Exotic Weapon Proficiency[??]
Exoticist 1: Weapon Focus[Talenta Boomerang] // prereq
3. Craven //+level sneak attack damage
Ranger 2: Two-Weapon Fighting //prereq, but +1 attack/round is nice.
6. Boomerang Daze //Races of Eberron, nasty save or daze
Master Thrower 1: Quickdraw
9. Weapon Finesse //prereq, pure tax
Master Thrower 4: Snatch Arrows
Master Thrower 5: Improved Critical[Talenta Boomerang]
12. Windup // Dragon #304. Power attack for thrown weapons.
15. Boomerang Ricochet // Races of Eberron, extra attack.
18.

W.r.t. Master Thrower 5, pick up Weak Spot at level 5 to make all of your thrown weapon attacks touch attacks. It looks like Trip Shot and Two With One Blow are also good abilities.

At level 1, you deal 2d6 on a ranged sneak attack.
At level 2, You can use a halfling warsling to deal 1d8+sneak damage and attack a second opponent with a ricochet.
At level 3, You add <level> sneak attack damage.
At level 4, you add a d6 to sneak damage.
At level 6, you get can offhand attack and deliver a daze with boomerang hits.
At level 7, you can Quickdraw, pick up an iterative, and hit two adjacent creature with a boomerang.
At level 9, you also trip when hitting with the boomerang.
At level 11, you use touch AC for any creature size small or larger.
At level 12, you can trade BAB for damage with thrown weapons and pick up Rapid Shot. You have 3 iteratives, 1 offhand attack (with -2 to all attacks), and 1 rapid shot attack (with -2 to all attacks). Each of these can hit 2 adjacent opponents (with a -4 penalty), so you can deliver 10 instances of damage/round with a -8 penalty.
At level 13, an extra d6 sneak attack.
At level 15, You also get a ricochet, attacking another time at a -2 penalty, although without sneak attack.
At level 16, an extra d6 sneak attack.
At level 19, an extra d6 sneak attack.
By level 20, your base iteratives are 19/14/9/4, with an offhand attack (at -2 to all attacks), a rapid shot attack (at -2 to all attacks). Each of these can hit 2 adjacent opponents (at -4 to hit) and then can ricochet to hit another adjacent opponent at -2 to attack. That's 18 hits at a hefty -10 to hit if opponents arrange themselves conveniently. Luckily, you attack touch AC, and you can use Windup to trade up to 19 hit bonus for 19 damage. Your damage is 1d6 (base)+6d6+20(sneak attack)+up to 19 (windup)+1(point blank shot), with daze and trip riders.

[Troacctid]

I like halfling skiprocks. They can be used as thrown weapons or as sling stones, and they have the semi-unique ability to strike two adjacent enemies in a single attack (shared only by the boomerang, which, incidentally, is another halfling specialty weapon).

Given the context of your game's stipulations, I don't think halfling paragon is entirely unreasonable, although it is somewhat unexciting. I personally would be more inclined to spring for a luck build using auspician or luckstealer. Your party could use a divine caster.

[cartejos]

Related: could you take a Paragon level at first level? There's no prerequisites other than being a member of that race afaik

Edit: yes, you can. My eyes just skipped that sentence in the srd

[Nihilarian]

It's not great and it's a bit boring, like most of the paragon classes. But everyone's taking that hit so you might as well. Your wizard elf buddy probably won't use that weapon focus: longsword and the dwarf gets the ability to intuit north, but only while underground. Human Paragon's not bad though

[Particle_Man]

What character level do you expect to start and finish at in this campaign? Is it the full 1-20?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Suggest that the dwarf carry a bag of sand or dirt and a tarpaulin and four poles around. If your party gets lost, set up the tarp at the top of the poles and spread the dirt out on it. The dwarf can stand under the dirt and learn which way is North -- although it'd probably be easier on most days to just figure out East and West from the position of the sun...

For the elf...? I got nothin'.

[pabelfly]

I'd look at the Talenta Warrior feat (Races of Eberron). It turns a few halfling exotic weapons into martial wepaons and it has some good options, like the Talenta Boomerang (for a Boomerang Daze build) and the Talenta Tangat is a two-handed melee weapon with 18-20 x2 crit range, which is an idea spot to start a critfishing build.

[Troacctid]

Suggest that the dwarf carry a bag of sand or dirt and a tarpaulin and four poles around. If your party gets lost, set up the tarp at the top of the poles and spread the dirt out on it. The dwarf can stand under the dirt and learn which way is North -- although it'd probably be easier on most days to just figure out East and West from the position of the sun...
Or you could just use a compass, Amelia Bedelia. 🙄

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Or you could just use a compass, Amelia Bedelia. 🙄But that costs money AND makes those paragon levels even MORE useless than they already were.

[TristanS]

I think it's worth it as long as you're not a spellcaster sacrificing CL (which you're not) ... May be suboptimal, but that's ok

[Particle_Man]

I wonder if someone will double up with half-elf and elf (or human) or with half-orc and orc (or human).

A half-orc paragon/orc paragon at least gets a double str boost and full bab.

Also is the bard the healer? Would a drow paragon/cleric be usef to the party?

[bean illus]

I wonder if someone will double up with half-elf and elf (or human) or with half-orc and orc (or human).

A half-orc paragon/orc paragon at least gets a double str boost and full bab.

Also is the bard the healer? Would a drow paragon/cleric be usef to the party?

I've looked at those, but ... . ... In a low point buy the half-elf has some potential.

In a 25 point buy, a half-elf paragon could still start with two 16s, and have two 18s at 6th. With more feats than a human, there's an archer, or a theurge.

Or smash that charisma to 22, and build to Divine Metamagic Permanency?

[Phhase]

If you're gonna be getting tons of attacks, maybe. Otherwise, eh. Likely not.


Or you could just use a compass, Amelia Bedelia. 🙄

Incredible reference, bravo. Tenouttaten.