[3.5] (Prestige) Class for Epic Level Dwarven Warblade

[dresdenphile]

I'm currently a Warblade 20/Deepwarden 2, Chaotic Neutral Dwarf in the game I'm in. I'm not used to being in campaigns where we didn't get a TPK from a random encounter at level 8, so I didn't really think I'd ever get to this point, so I need some help on what to pick for another class or prestige class when I hit 23.

Current Feats (again, I'm sure this is supremely under-optimized, but who knew he'd live this long?)


Power Attack
Improved Bull Rush
Quick Draw
Shock Trooper
Endurance
Steadfast Determination
Close Quarters Fighting
Track
Unnerving Calm
Perfect Clarity of Mind and Body
Leadership
Lightning Reflexes
Martial Study: Supreme Blade Parry

Every PRC I've seen so far, seems to be for Lawful/Good/Different race than dwarf, or require something other than just "good with a greataxe." In another life, I'd have gone with an Elf and worked toward Eternal Blade, but alas, here we are.

Any help would be appreciated!

[Anthrowhale]

A couple thoughts:

1) Hanseath is a CN dwarven deity favoring the Great Axe with domains chaos, strength, travel, and war. You could retrain a feat for Weapon Focus[Great Axe], and then take a level of Divine Crusader to start picking up spell casting ability. Travel looks the most complementary, but once you get any spellcasting it becomes possible to access other spells via feats like master staff/wand or channel charge if you have use magic device.

2) Retrain a feat for Point Blank Shot and start taking levels in Bloodstorm Blade. This class has a relatively unique ability to make melee attacks operate at range making your Great Axe more useful.

[RNightstalker]

What disciplines/maneuvers did your character take? That can prohibit some of the PrC options. You've already got the feat and race prerequisites for Deepstone Sentinel. Depending on your skill and maneuver choices, you could go directly into it next level. If Bloodstorm Blade is more your character's style, a simple one-level fighter dip will net the feat needed to qualify for that. Depending on how long the campaign continues, you might be able to do both.

On a quick side note, you said you usually got TPK'd by level 8. Is this character you're requesting help on with the same group/DM?

[Maat Mons]

If you can track down a copy of the Epic Insights articles, I’m fond of Void Incarnate. That class gives you Improved Mettle, Improved Evasion, and continuous Mind Blank and Freedom of Movement. To qualify, I’d suggest a few levels of Feat Rogue.

You could throw a level into Cleric, then start taking Bone Knight for some immunities. If you can wait 10 levels before starting to gain immunities, you could throw a level into whatever casting class, take 10 levels of Renegade Mastermaker, and then go for Warforged juggernaut.

The Survivor PrC is the sort of thing you just fall into the prerequisites for.

If you can snag a way to change sizes, there’s War Hulk. I don’t suppose you’re a duergar? No, probably not.

[Biggus]

Epic levels in Warblade is worth considering, bonus epic feats are always good. There are guidelines in the ELH and 3.5 DMG for creating epic progressions for classes which don't have them provided.


If you can track down a copy of the Epic Insights articles, I’m fond of Void Incarnate.

The 3.5 version is here: https://web.archive.org/web/20161101074118/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ei/20030810a

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Get Enlarge Person + Permanency and take War Hulk maybe? Or Hire an NPC Psion (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spell) to use Mind Switch, True (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mindSwitchTrue.htm) three times: 1. Swap himself into a big, strong monster; 2. Swap you into the monster and take your body; 3. Swap back into his own body, leaving the monster in yours. The xp cost alone would be 150k gp at standard rates, and you'll want to charm/dominate the monster into accepting the spell ahead of time so there's no risk of it making the saving throw. A War Troll is probably the best candidate for this, they hire out as mercenaries so getting one wouldn't be difficult either.


If you can track down a copy of the Epic Insights articles, I’m fond of Void Incarnate. That class gives you Improved Mettle, Improved Evasion, and continuous Mind Blank and Freedom of Movement. To qualify, I’d suggest a few levels of Feat Rogue.

I found Void Incarnate (https://web.archive.org/web/20161101073934/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ei/20030418a) on the wayback machine.

It requires Evasion and Slippery Mind, which you can get from a Ring of Evasion (DMG, 25k gp) and the Slippery Mind armor property (DMG2, +45k gp). Keep in mind if you lose the effect of either item (armor is taken off, AMF, dispelled/disjoined, etc.) you'll lose the prerequisites and all the features of the PrC. Otherwise, Cleric 1/ Contemplative 2/ Feat Rogue (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogue) 2 is probably the fastest way to get it with class levels. If you're doing multiclassing xp penalties, Fighter is a Dwarf's favored class and Warblade gets to be counted as Fighter for certain features.

For the skill/feat requirements, you can gain Iron Will from the Otyugh Hole in CS by spending 3k gp during downtime to just say you did it. Hire an NPC Psion (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#spell) for a Psychic Reformation (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicReformation.htm) and you can repick your feats and skill ranks, even going all the way back to level 1.

[Rebel7284]

Divine Crusader is indeed a good idea as spells are kinda important, especially once you get to these high levels.
Another idea could be shapechanging. Master of Many forms is very nifty, for example.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Hmm, maybe dip into a meldshaping class for some utility (e.g., Totemist 1 for at-will but short-range teleportation), then straight into Ironsoul Forgemaster?

Progresses your meldshaping, free item creation feats, boosts to your weapons and armor, and all it requires is: dwarf (check), nonevil (check), skills (easy enough), and meldshaping (one-level dip). You probably already have an Animated Shield to benefit from Shield Bond, but if not, it's worth picking one up anyway, or crafting it yourself once you hit Ironsoul Forgemaster 2.

The possible dips:

Totemist 1 - Lots of good magical-animal-themed soulmelds, my favorite of which is probably Blink Shirt, which lets you teleport a short distance as a standard action, at-will. Better skills than Incarnate, too.
Totemist 2 - Now you also get the Totem Chakra unlocked, which (unlike other chakras) plays nicely with magical item slots (normally you need a special property on the item for it to share a slot with a bound chakra).
Incarnate 1 - I'm not as familiar with Incarnates as I am with Totemists, but some quick googling suggests that you can use their soulmelds to boost your saving throws quite nicely, among other perks. Being Chaotic Neutral means you already meet the alignment requirement.
Incarnate 2 - Not as good as Totemist 2, because the chakra you get is Brow, which will interfere with any head-slot magic items you have/want.

[RSGA]

There are two ways around the Bind conflict. One is to get somebody to make whatever magic item you've got on your head into also being an Incarnuum Circlet. You can also get the Split Chakra feat choosing the Crown chakra. The feat is also part of the requirements to make Incarnum Focus items, so it might be worth it to get the feat also if your group has item crafting ability beyond what Ironsoul Forgemaster would give.