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Burley
2008-02-07, 12:13 PM
The purpose of this thread is to give builds, ideas, cheeses or whatever to make it almost impossible for your character to miss an attack.

The one I've been thinking of lately is for my Warlock:
Feint with my huge Bluff bonus: Makes them Flat-Footed for the next round
Eldritch Glaive (With Weapon Finesse): Two melee reach touch attacks as a full round action
I'm level nine, which means that (with my 18 Dex) my attack bonus is
+10/+5, and as long as my target doesn't have deflection bonuses, I'll hit with a 2/5. 5d6 each time...x3 on each if I happen to crit...

Okay, hook me up with something else I can say in front of my group to make me look smart.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-02-07, 12:16 PM
An oldie but a goodie, Sword of True Strike (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trueStrike.htm). 1st level spell, so the enhancement is cheap, and it's usually guaranteed.

Shishnarfne
2008-02-07, 12:21 PM
An oldie but a goodie, Sword of True Strike (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trueStrike.htm). 1st level spell, so the enhancement is cheap, and it's usually guaranteed.

Actually, usually this is an example of an item that will be houseruled to have roughly the following cost: base price of item x (bonus)squared

So, as this would yield a +20 bonus, even assuming a 1000gp base, we would be looking at 400,000gp cost. Sword of True Strike should NOT be cheap, even though it is a 1st level spell, otherwise wizards would get terribly rich just making versions of this...

I think there was a Sage or FAQ entry somewhere that listed something like this.

thorgrim29
2008-02-07, 12:24 PM
Sure, but any dm worth his salt will make it count at least as +5... Surefire? 6th level Duskblade with quick cast, true strike, then power attack for a lot while channeling a big damage spell (scorching ray?). You do a lot of damage, and will usually hit with +14+your normal bonus.

Zincorium
2008-02-07, 12:27 PM
An oldie but a goodie, Sword of True Strike (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trueStrike.htm). 1st level spell, so the enhancement is cheap, and it's usually guaranteed.

If you're talking about a sword that give the effect of true strike (a +20 bonus) on every hit, no, it is not cheap. You go by the actual bonus rather than the spell level. A by-RAW permanent true strike sword would be usable once, as it is then considered discharged.

A sword which allows you to use true strike as an activated ability is very doable, but you have to spend the action to activate it before every attack.

Remember, the magic item creation guidelines are just that, and a requirement for each item is that you compare it to existing items and adjust the price based on that.

Burley
2008-02-07, 12:39 PM
I threw the True Blade in a post on the forums when I was but a wee forum dibbun. It didn't take long for the verbal smack-down to begin, and the thread never made it's way back to the original topic.
So, True Strike as a spell: Great Idea.
As a weapon with an enchantment: Not so much.
However, 1st level potions are cheap, yes? And, I know that the Blood Magus and something else have the ability to delay a potion's for quite some time...
Is there a feat or anything that could do that?

Nerd-o-rama
2008-02-07, 12:58 PM
Can't make potions of Range: Personal spells. You could make a Wondrous Item of cast-true-strike-on-yourself, but again, that's subject to a lot of DM critique on the cost (probably less than a sword of +20 attack though).

Anyway, the best ways to dramatically increase your hit chance are to either:

a) Boost your attack (which True Strike is by far the best spell for) or
b) Reduce their AC (through feinting to make them flatfooted or making Touch Attacks).

For the first, True Strike is useful all around, but has a duration of basically zero and takes a standard action to cast. You want to use it Quickened, and by far the earliest way you can manage to do that is to play a Duskblade and use their Swift Cast class feature. (Duskblades also have the benefit of a full BAB and lots and lots of damage potential).

For the second, you have feinting to make the enemy flat-footed. This is useful for all characters in melee, but especially Rogues, Ninja, and Beguilers, all of whom get additional bonuses against flatfooted opponents. To hit Touch AC, you've got touch attacks (most spells requiring an attack roll, Eldritch X,) and a couple more spells to make your regular attacks into touch attacks: Wraith Strike and Finding the Gap. The former of which is much more generally useful; even though it's a one-round duration, it's a Swift casting and applies to all attacks in that round, rather than just the first one. Finding the Gap is good for classes that rely on mobility and single attacks, like charger-built Paladins (who can generally kill things in one attack) and Duskblades (with Extra Spell).

To summarize, if you absolutely positively must hit something, due two or three of the following:
1) Cast True Strike
2) Feint
3) Use a Touch Attack, or buff yourself with Wraithstrike or Finding the Gap.

Starbuck_II
2008-02-07, 02:45 PM
For the first, True Strike is useful all around, but has a duration of basically zero and takes a standard action to cast. You want to use it Quickened, and by far the earliest way you can manage to do that is to play a Duskblade and use their Swift Cast class feature. (Duskblades also have the benefit of a full BAB and lots and lots of damage potential).

Has a duration of next turn actually.
So technically, it has a duration of 2 rounds (but this is explicit as it says end of next turn or until used).


To summarize, if you absolutely positively must hit something, due two or three of the following:
1) Cast True Strike
2) Feint
3) Use a Touch Attack, or buff yourself with Wraithstrike or Finding the Gap.

Or let a Spectral Hand do the Touch attack (safer that way).

RTGoodman
2008-02-07, 04:47 PM
There's also a 1st level Ranger spell in Spell Compendium called hunter's mercy that (I think) gives you an auto-hit and auto-critical threat.

Complete Champion has surge of fortune, a 5th level Cleric spell that gives you some bonuses and allows you to discharge it to treat your next attack roll, saving throw, skill check, ability check, or spell penetration check as if you'd rolled a natural 20.

Voyager_I
2008-02-07, 04:51 PM
Complete Champion has surge of fortune, a 5th level Cleric spell that gives you some bonuses and allows you to discharge it to treat your next attack roll, saving throw, skill check, ability check, or spell penetration check as if you'd rolled a natural 20.

Which was just asking to be broken.

Human Paragon 3
2008-02-07, 05:05 PM
Deft Strike allows you to make a spot check as a standard action vs. your oppoennts AC. If yo succeed, your next attack ignores all their armor, incuding any magical bonuses. Combine with a feint and an attack bonus of at least +8, and you can't miss.

CASTLEMIKE
2008-02-07, 05:21 PM
I threw the True Blade in a post on the forums when I was but a wee forum dibbun. It didn't take long for the verbal smack-down to begin, and the thread never made it's way back to the original topic.
So, True Strike as a spell: Great Idea.
As a weapon with an enchantment: Not so much.
However, 1st level potions are cheap, yes? And, I know that the Blood Magus and something else have the ability to delay a potion's for quite some time...
Is there a feat or anything that could do that?


Enchant the weapon based on the Faith Token mechanic Level 1 spell usable 1/day multiplied by five for 1,500 gp market reversing the limited daily use mechanic since that is cheaper than the Drow House Insignia at 360 gp 1/day both using Craft Wondrous Item. Acknowledge it is probaby not an option in all games.

Another option is to have a +1 intelligent weapon crafted swapping out True Strike for Bless 3/day at +1,000 gp. Edit Magic base weapon cost + intelligence cost + lesser power cost.

P.S. the ECS/UA/SRD Action Points can also help.

Frosty
2008-02-07, 05:29 PM
surge of fortune + Vorpal = profit?

Starbuck_II
2008-02-07, 05:44 PM
surge of fortune + Vorpal = profit?

Still need to confirm, but otherwise in the words of Tony the Tiger, " Their Great!!"

Person_Man
2008-02-07, 06:52 PM
Hit your enemy 95% of the time, every time (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51489).

Basically any combination of touch attacks, denying your enemy its Dex bonus, and a modestly good To Hit modifier will work. All three are easy to get via a variety of means (including core only games). But players rarely put them together and use them, because doing so would necessitate the DM using equally powerful enemies.

Touch Attacks: Flame Blade, Pyrokineticist Fire Lash, Master Thrower, Wraithstrike, Spectral Weapon, various spells, psionics, and Tome of Battle maneuvers.

Deny your enemy its Dex bonus: Greater Invisibility, Ninja Invisibility, Ring of Blinking, Master Thrower, Invisible Blade with Surprising Riposte, Armor Lock, various other spells, psionics, and Tome of Battle maneuvers.

Reasonable To-Hit: Be a full BAB class and rely on your friends. Buy your friends wand or invest in UMD. Buff yourself. Wildshape. Etc.

Icewalker
2008-02-07, 07:19 PM
If you're talking about a sword that give the effect of true strike (a +20 bonus) on every hit, no, it is not cheap. You go by the actual bonus rather than the spell level. A by-RAW permanent true strike sword would be usable once, as it is then considered discharged.

A sword which allows you to use true strike as an activated ability is very doable, but you have to spend the action to activate it before every attack.

Remember, the magic item creation guidelines are just that, and a requirement for each item is that you compare it to existing items and adjust the price based on that.

So this means that the 'true strike sword' wouldn't work because you would have to activate it as a standard action every time?

Well I can beat that, I think: would there be a restriction stopping you from enchanting it with a activated ability of a quickened true strike? :smallbiggrin:

The_Snark
2008-02-07, 07:33 PM
So this means that the 'true strike sword' wouldn't work because you would have to activate it as a standard action every time?

Well I can beat that, I think: would there be a restriction stopping you from enchanting it with a activated ability of a quickened true strike? :smallbiggrin:

Yes, actually... There are no rules for quickened spells coming from items; some items presented in the books have free action (boots of Haste) or swift action (lots of things from the Magic Item Compendium) activations, but there are no rules for making your own currently in place.

In other words, you would have to ask your DM for rules on how you could craft a quickened True Strike item.

Fizban
2008-02-07, 11:31 PM
How has no one mentioned Wraithstrike yet? Swift action lv2 spell that makes all your melee attacks touch attacks for one round.

Also: Flame Blade, Flame dagger, Decastave, and also Shadow Weapon (that name might be wrong) all give you a "weapon" that strikes as a melee touch attack. And with wraithstrike or any of the others (except the dagger) you can power attack just fine.

Nerd-o-rama
2008-02-08, 01:13 AM
How has no one mentioned Wraithstrike yet? Swift action lv2 spell that makes all your melee attacks touch attacks for one round.I totally did. Original misspelling corrected manually because I just noticed it.

To summarize, if you absolutely positively must hit something, do two or three of the following:
1) Cast True Strike
2) Feint
3) Use a Touch Attack, or buff yourself with Wraithstrike or Finding the Gap.

AtomicKitKat
2008-02-08, 07:41 AM
To avoid further threadomancy, I have some questions about the older combo.


Put it all together, and when you attack you ignore Armor, Shields, Natural Armor, Dex bonus, Dodge bonus, and magical concealment, including the 20% miss chance you have due to your own Ring of Blinking.

How are you avoiding each part? More specifically, I know how to bypass most of them except Dodge bonus to AC.

Blade of Pain and Fear from Libris Mortis(Spell Compendium?) will bypass all except Dex and Dodge bonus to AC I think(Dex can be covered via the same tactic that you outlined, naturally). It doesn't let you use Strength bonus, but it will scare the opponent.

Burley
2008-02-08, 09:17 AM
To avoid further threadomancy, I have some questions about the older combo.

How are you avoiding each part? More specifically, I know how to bypass most of them except Dodge bonus to AC.

Blade of Pain and Fear from Libris Mortis(Spell Compendium?) will bypass all except Dex and Dodge bonus to AC I think(Dex can be covered via the same tactic that you outlined, naturally). It doesn't let you use Strength bonus, but it will scare the opponent.

Well...I dunno how other people are doing it, but you lose your dodge whenever you lose your bonus to AC from Dex. So, flanking or flat-footing them would get rid of any of their move-y type stuffs. Feinting is a great way to do this if you're alone, since most monsters won't have ranks in sense motive, and you can have great ranks in Bluff.

its_all_ogre
2008-02-08, 09:41 AM
you do not lose dex bonus from being flanked.
best way is becoming invisible, though this does not work against imp uncanny dodge.

Person_Man
2008-02-08, 10:27 AM
How are you avoiding each part? More specifically, I know how to bypass most of them except Dodge bonus to AC.

From the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm):


A dodge bonus improves Armor Class (and sometimes Reflex saves) resulting from physical skill at avoiding blows and other ill effects. Dodge bonuses are never granted by spells or magic items. Any situation or effect (except wearing armor) that negates a character's Dexterity bonus also negates any dodge bonuses the character may have. Dodge bonuses stack with all other bonuses to AC, even other dodge bonuses. Dodge bonuses apply against touch attacks.

My 95% combo deals with Dex, dodge, armor, natural armor, shield, and enhancement bonuses, plus any bonus or miss chance provided by magic. These bonuses generally account for the majority of AC for most PCs and enemies.

It does not overcome alchemical, circumstance, competence, deflection, insight, luck, morale, profane, racial, sacred, size, and unnamed bonuses, and it does not bypass some psionic protections. Most of these bonuses don't stack, and you can invest in certain powers to overcome the psionic issue. But you still need a respectable To-Hit modifier if you want to ensure your ability to 95% of the time.

Burley
2008-02-08, 10:41 AM
From the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm):



My 95% combo deals with Dex, dodge, armor, natural armor, shield, and enhancement bonuses, plus any bonus or miss chance provided by magic. These bonuses generally account for the majority of AC for most PCs and enemies.

It does not overcome alchemical, circumstance, competence, deflection, insight, luck, morale, profane, racial, sacred, size, and unnamed bonuses, and it does not bypass some psionic protections. Most of these bonuses don't stack, and you can invest in certain powers to overcome the psionic issue. But you still need a respectable To-Hit modifier if you want to ensure your ability to 95% of the time.

See my original post for my build. Just like activating the Blink Ring and all the spells and stuff, you'll need to use a round to feint... But, I get a solid hit if I don't roll a 1, which means 95%!

playswithfire
2008-02-08, 11:02 AM
I realize it may be unnecessary, but would it be worth working in one or more* levels of Crusader to get the Aura of Perfect Order stance, so that you always roll 11s? Chance of failure becomes 0 then, right? Rather than 5%?

*with one level, also need to take Martial Stance feat

AtomicKitKat
2008-02-08, 11:28 AM
Yeah, I looked up the SRD about Dodge bonuses. Totally forgot about that. I guess BoPF would be the Wizard-ish way to do it(Assassins get it as a 2nd level spell, while Blackguards get it as a 1st level spell, just out of interest. If one were to give it to Hexblades, probably the same as for Blackguards). If you want to negate size bonuses, shrinking yourself generally works. Few things beat Deflection(nothing beats unnamed, of course). Circumstancial bonuses can be negated by negating the circumstances granting them.

Fizban
2008-02-08, 05:26 PM
I totally did. Original misspelling corrected manually because I just noticed it.

I maintain that that must have been a huge misspelling, but you can have it anyway.

Now that we've found out there's been a new ruling that swift action spells in wands are swift actions, we change that to a wand of wraithstrike in a wand chambered weapon. Similarly, a wand of flame blade is great, as it lasts for 3 minutes. At 50 charges you should be able to get at least 3 levels out of either at 1 use per fight, and if you're piling on the power attack you shouldn't need much more. Needless to say UMD will be useful, but there's a forgotten realms feat that lets you use spell trigger items as if you had one class's spell on your list, so if you don't have the ranks you can do that.

gunsnammo
2008-02-09, 03:51 PM
I have a "lucky" character I play. He is a cleric that worships the concept of luck and fate. He carries around his "lucky" coin. The coin is his item familiar. It has True Strike 3/day as one of its abilities.

He casts Surge of Fortune and Dolorous blow. That gives him 3 almost guaranteed hits (the item casts True Strike for him so no action), and one guaranteed Critical (expend the Surge of Fortune for a nat 20 and dolorous blow auto confirms it). I win.

Almost like cheating isn't it? But that's the whole point of messing with Luck and Fate. :wink: