Person_Man
2007-12-20, 04:46 PM
I enjoy fear builds. As a DM, its a great way to scatter and toy with PCs without killing them. And as a player, its a great battlefield control tool.
After reading this thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=816095) and this thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=458721), I came up with this build:
Longer explanation:
The most important thing to know about this build is that Fear effects stack. A shaken (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Shaken) character who is made shaken again becomes frightened (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Frightened), and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Panicked) instead. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Cowering).
However, Fear has some major drawbacks. Most Fear effects only work against enemies with fewer hit dice, and allow a Will Save. If they Save, they often become immune to that effect for 24 hours. Its a mind-affecting effect, which tons of monsters are immune to. And its a Fear effect (duh) which Paladins and various PrC are immune to, and it can be dispelled/protected against by various spells and magic items.
So the challenge is clear: To make a Fear build that inflicts Fear powerfully enough so that its effective against most enemies most of the time, that's also capable of doing other things well so that you're not screwed if your enemies are immune or make their Saves.
What's the best way to do this? Previous Fear builds usually focus on the Hexblade, Blackguard,Disciple of the Eye (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060106a&page=2), Avenging Executioner (Comp Scoundrel), Nightmare Spinner (Comp Mage), and similar classes. These builds are usually great at producing Fear effects and sometimes debuffing, but suck at everything else. But I think I've found a way to do even better, while maintaining a huge degree of flexibility.
Kobold Bard 7/ Virtuoso 10/Bard 8-10
Virtuoso levels stack with your Bard levels to determine your music abilities and uses per day. It also gains the ability to make Virtuoso Performances class level times per day (which are basically just additional Bard song effects). And it grants 9/10 caster progression. At high levels, you can attempt to use a Dominate Person effect (which lasts for 1 day per level) on anyone who has been Fascinated by your music, giving you a potentially huge army of minions. Complete Adventurer.
Feats:
Dragonwrought: Your type is dragon rather than humanoid. This opens up some useful feats, and makes you immune to spells that only work on humanoids. You must be a Kobold to take this feat. Races of the Dragon.
Awaken Frightful Presence: This gives you a dragon's frightful presence ability, which takes effect whenever you attack, charge, or fly overhead. This feat is key to your build, because it allows you to essentially force all of your enemies to Save vs. Fear every single round, regardless of what else you're doing. It requires that you have the dragon type. Draconomicon.
Frightful Presence: If you don't want to be a Dragonwrought Kobold, this feat is the slightly weaker non-dragon version that gives you a frightful presence. It only takes effect when you attack or charge, and it has a fixed 30 ft area of effect. Draconomicon and Ghostwalk.
Haunting Melody: Whenever you use the Perform Skill, you can burn a Bardic Music use to make all enemies within 30 feet Save or be Shaken. This is a great feat, because it can be used at the same time as a Bardic Music effects, Virtuoso Performance, and spells that use Perform. Heroes of Horror.
Words of Creation: This doubles the effect of several bardic music abilities, including Inspire Courage. Book of Exalted Deeds.
Dragonfire Inspiration: When you Inspire Courage, you can choose to have your allies gain +1d6 fire damage with their weapons for every point of morale bonus that your Inspire Courage ability would normally apply to the attack roll. If you have a draconic lineage of some other type, it deals energy damage according to that lineage. So if you prefer superior buffing and less effective Fear, you can be something other then Kobold, and pick up the Dragontouched feat at first level. Dragon Magic.
Optional feats:
Doomspeak: Burn a Bardic Music use to target a single enemy. If it fails a Will Save, it takes a -10 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks for 1 round. A great way to screw high level BBEG. Champions of Ruin.
Quicken Spell-Like Ability: Not screwing your enemies fast enough? This feat lets you Quicken one of your spell-like abilities (like many of your music effects) three times per day. So you could theoretically use Frightful Presence, two Bard or Virtuoso music effects, and two Haunting Music effects in one round.
Leadership: This is campaign specific, but you obviously do better with more followers. A Dragontouched Bard cohort with a different energy type then you would also be fun.
Snowflake Wardance: This feat lets you burn a Bardic Music use to gain your Cha to your attack rolls for Perform Skill rounds. A great Bard buff, though this build focuses on Fear and minions, and you'll need most of your Bard Music uses for other things until high levels. Frostburn.
Reactive Counterspell: You can counter spell even if you haven't readied an action (though it uses up your next available action). This is huge for any spontaneous caster with access to Dispel Magic. Unfortunately, it also requires Improved Counterspell and Improved Initiative, so you probably won't pick it up until high levels, if you pick it up at all. Player's Guide to Faerun.
Spells: Cause Fear (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsC.html#cause-fear), Fear (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsFtoG.html#fear), and Eyebite (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsDtoE.html#eyebite) (which is a Fort Save, and not a Will Save like most other things you do), Animate Objects (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsAtoB.html#animate-objects) (which gives you one object per level), various Summon spells, and Invisibility are all on the Bard Spell list. So is Inspirational Boost (Spell Comp), a Swift action spell that increases your Inspire Courage bonus by 1.
Equipment:
Anything that grants the Fly ability: Bards get UMD, so that you should pretty easy. Fly over your enemies to stay out of reach of their melee attacks and invoke your Frightful Presence every round.
Frightful Crest: If your DM doesn't allow you to use material from the Draconomicon, this Draconic Graft will give you a Frightful Presence. Races of the Dragon.
Harmonizing Weapon (+1 enchantment): If you hold a harmonizing weapon when you begin a Bardic Music effect, the weapon can continue the effect for you. One round after you begin a bardic music effect that allows or requires continued use or concentration, the weapon picks up and continues the performance for 10 rounds. I suggest that you enchanting two separate weapons. A good choice would be spiked gauntlets, poison rings, or Fine sized weapons that you can hide in the palm of your hand, so that you can use their Harmonizing qualities without threatening people you might want to Fascinate. Magic Item Compendium.
Badge of Valor: Increases Inspire Courage Ability by +1 three times per day. Magic Item Compendium.
Vest of Legends: +5 bonus on Diplomacy and Perform checks, plus Bard level treated as five higher for purpose of determining the effects of inspire courage. DMG II.
Strategy:
At very low levels, you're basically just a Bard. Great skills, fun to play, mildly useful spells. Stand in back and avoid getting killed.
By ECL 3 you get your Frightful Presence, which is wildly effective against enemies with 4 or fewer hit dice, who become Panicked if they fail their Will Save. You also have Cause Fear as a spell, to target anyone who makes their first Save.
But by ECL 6, you should be able to generate 2 or more Will checks per round against your enemies, from Frightful Presence, Haunting Melody, and your various Fear inducing spells. Again, you can use Haunting Melody whenever you use the Perform Skill, so you can use it with your normal Bard music, Virtuoso performances, and certain spells.
By now you also have access to Invisibility, and hopefully a magic item that grants you the ability to Fly. This build never needs to attack. You just need to fly invisibly over your enemies while your disembodied voice inspires fear and buffs your allies. You can Summon monsters or let your other party member slaughter your enemies as they try to run away.
By ECL 12, you pick up Dragonfire Inspiration, and have all the equipment you need. With the doubling bonus from Words of Creation, you should be able to add 10d6ish fire damage to every allies' weapon damage.
Once you hit ECL 16, you should be able to conquer entire cities. Walk up to enemies (or anybody, really) in an nonthreatening manner. Attempt to Fascinate them. Attempt to Dominate those who are Fascinated. Let your Harmonizing weapon keep singing, and then Inspire Courage on your new allies. Have them slaughter their non-believing friends.
And most of this can be speed up with the use of Flaws, giving you the feat combos you need earlier.
But the best part is its versatility. Your Fear effects will screw over most enemies. If enemies are immune to Fear, you can still buff your friends to ridiculous levels while staying safely away from combat. You're a Skill Monkey, and have phenomenal social abilities. You have a nifty assortment of spells that you can cast spontaneously. And at higher levels you should have a small super buffed army of followers and/or minions.
All suggestions, comments, and critiques are welcome. I'm particularly interested in additional Prestige Classes, spells, or equipment that might be useful for this build.
Discuss.
After reading this thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=816095) and this thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=458721), I came up with this build:
Longer explanation:
The most important thing to know about this build is that Fear effects stack. A shaken (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Shaken) character who is made shaken again becomes frightened (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Frightened), and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Panicked) instead. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Cowering).
However, Fear has some major drawbacks. Most Fear effects only work against enemies with fewer hit dice, and allow a Will Save. If they Save, they often become immune to that effect for 24 hours. Its a mind-affecting effect, which tons of monsters are immune to. And its a Fear effect (duh) which Paladins and various PrC are immune to, and it can be dispelled/protected against by various spells and magic items.
So the challenge is clear: To make a Fear build that inflicts Fear powerfully enough so that its effective against most enemies most of the time, that's also capable of doing other things well so that you're not screwed if your enemies are immune or make their Saves.
What's the best way to do this? Previous Fear builds usually focus on the Hexblade, Blackguard,Disciple of the Eye (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060106a&page=2), Avenging Executioner (Comp Scoundrel), Nightmare Spinner (Comp Mage), and similar classes. These builds are usually great at producing Fear effects and sometimes debuffing, but suck at everything else. But I think I've found a way to do even better, while maintaining a huge degree of flexibility.
Kobold Bard 7/ Virtuoso 10/Bard 8-10
Virtuoso levels stack with your Bard levels to determine your music abilities and uses per day. It also gains the ability to make Virtuoso Performances class level times per day (which are basically just additional Bard song effects). And it grants 9/10 caster progression. At high levels, you can attempt to use a Dominate Person effect (which lasts for 1 day per level) on anyone who has been Fascinated by your music, giving you a potentially huge army of minions. Complete Adventurer.
Feats:
Dragonwrought: Your type is dragon rather than humanoid. This opens up some useful feats, and makes you immune to spells that only work on humanoids. You must be a Kobold to take this feat. Races of the Dragon.
Awaken Frightful Presence: This gives you a dragon's frightful presence ability, which takes effect whenever you attack, charge, or fly overhead. This feat is key to your build, because it allows you to essentially force all of your enemies to Save vs. Fear every single round, regardless of what else you're doing. It requires that you have the dragon type. Draconomicon.
Frightful Presence: If you don't want to be a Dragonwrought Kobold, this feat is the slightly weaker non-dragon version that gives you a frightful presence. It only takes effect when you attack or charge, and it has a fixed 30 ft area of effect. Draconomicon and Ghostwalk.
Haunting Melody: Whenever you use the Perform Skill, you can burn a Bardic Music use to make all enemies within 30 feet Save or be Shaken. This is a great feat, because it can be used at the same time as a Bardic Music effects, Virtuoso Performance, and spells that use Perform. Heroes of Horror.
Words of Creation: This doubles the effect of several bardic music abilities, including Inspire Courage. Book of Exalted Deeds.
Dragonfire Inspiration: When you Inspire Courage, you can choose to have your allies gain +1d6 fire damage with their weapons for every point of morale bonus that your Inspire Courage ability would normally apply to the attack roll. If you have a draconic lineage of some other type, it deals energy damage according to that lineage. So if you prefer superior buffing and less effective Fear, you can be something other then Kobold, and pick up the Dragontouched feat at first level. Dragon Magic.
Optional feats:
Doomspeak: Burn a Bardic Music use to target a single enemy. If it fails a Will Save, it takes a -10 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks for 1 round. A great way to screw high level BBEG. Champions of Ruin.
Quicken Spell-Like Ability: Not screwing your enemies fast enough? This feat lets you Quicken one of your spell-like abilities (like many of your music effects) three times per day. So you could theoretically use Frightful Presence, two Bard or Virtuoso music effects, and two Haunting Music effects in one round.
Leadership: This is campaign specific, but you obviously do better with more followers. A Dragontouched Bard cohort with a different energy type then you would also be fun.
Snowflake Wardance: This feat lets you burn a Bardic Music use to gain your Cha to your attack rolls for Perform Skill rounds. A great Bard buff, though this build focuses on Fear and minions, and you'll need most of your Bard Music uses for other things until high levels. Frostburn.
Reactive Counterspell: You can counter spell even if you haven't readied an action (though it uses up your next available action). This is huge for any spontaneous caster with access to Dispel Magic. Unfortunately, it also requires Improved Counterspell and Improved Initiative, so you probably won't pick it up until high levels, if you pick it up at all. Player's Guide to Faerun.
Spells: Cause Fear (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsC.html#cause-fear), Fear (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsFtoG.html#fear), and Eyebite (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsDtoE.html#eyebite) (which is a Fort Save, and not a Will Save like most other things you do), Animate Objects (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsAtoB.html#animate-objects) (which gives you one object per level), various Summon spells, and Invisibility are all on the Bard Spell list. So is Inspirational Boost (Spell Comp), a Swift action spell that increases your Inspire Courage bonus by 1.
Equipment:
Anything that grants the Fly ability: Bards get UMD, so that you should pretty easy. Fly over your enemies to stay out of reach of their melee attacks and invoke your Frightful Presence every round.
Frightful Crest: If your DM doesn't allow you to use material from the Draconomicon, this Draconic Graft will give you a Frightful Presence. Races of the Dragon.
Harmonizing Weapon (+1 enchantment): If you hold a harmonizing weapon when you begin a Bardic Music effect, the weapon can continue the effect for you. One round after you begin a bardic music effect that allows or requires continued use or concentration, the weapon picks up and continues the performance for 10 rounds. I suggest that you enchanting two separate weapons. A good choice would be spiked gauntlets, poison rings, or Fine sized weapons that you can hide in the palm of your hand, so that you can use their Harmonizing qualities without threatening people you might want to Fascinate. Magic Item Compendium.
Badge of Valor: Increases Inspire Courage Ability by +1 three times per day. Magic Item Compendium.
Vest of Legends: +5 bonus on Diplomacy and Perform checks, plus Bard level treated as five higher for purpose of determining the effects of inspire courage. DMG II.
Strategy:
At very low levels, you're basically just a Bard. Great skills, fun to play, mildly useful spells. Stand in back and avoid getting killed.
By ECL 3 you get your Frightful Presence, which is wildly effective against enemies with 4 or fewer hit dice, who become Panicked if they fail their Will Save. You also have Cause Fear as a spell, to target anyone who makes their first Save.
But by ECL 6, you should be able to generate 2 or more Will checks per round against your enemies, from Frightful Presence, Haunting Melody, and your various Fear inducing spells. Again, you can use Haunting Melody whenever you use the Perform Skill, so you can use it with your normal Bard music, Virtuoso performances, and certain spells.
By now you also have access to Invisibility, and hopefully a magic item that grants you the ability to Fly. This build never needs to attack. You just need to fly invisibly over your enemies while your disembodied voice inspires fear and buffs your allies. You can Summon monsters or let your other party member slaughter your enemies as they try to run away.
By ECL 12, you pick up Dragonfire Inspiration, and have all the equipment you need. With the doubling bonus from Words of Creation, you should be able to add 10d6ish fire damage to every allies' weapon damage.
Once you hit ECL 16, you should be able to conquer entire cities. Walk up to enemies (or anybody, really) in an nonthreatening manner. Attempt to Fascinate them. Attempt to Dominate those who are Fascinated. Let your Harmonizing weapon keep singing, and then Inspire Courage on your new allies. Have them slaughter their non-believing friends.
And most of this can be speed up with the use of Flaws, giving you the feat combos you need earlier.
But the best part is its versatility. Your Fear effects will screw over most enemies. If enemies are immune to Fear, you can still buff your friends to ridiculous levels while staying safely away from combat. You're a Skill Monkey, and have phenomenal social abilities. You have a nifty assortment of spells that you can cast spontaneously. And at higher levels you should have a small super buffed army of followers and/or minions.
All suggestions, comments, and critiques are welcome. I'm particularly interested in additional Prestige Classes, spells, or equipment that might be useful for this build.
Discuss.