Great introduction, nice supporting cast and good magic system, 10/10 can’t wait for the anime to air in the west !
Spoiler: Spoiler for manga-only readers
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The gelatinous cube is the best girl


Quote Originally Posted by Shogosu
I'm so sorry for this cursed joke entry but I couldn't not build it.

Spoiler
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I was reincarnated as a gibbering mouther after being executed, and now I must rend evil for great justice???

ꙮ Shogo-su ꙮ



CG Aggressive Quick Advanced Gibbering Mouther (Past Life: Rogue) Unarmed Swordsage 8 / Bloodclaw Master 2

Spoiler: Story
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"For crimes of murder, assault, carrying a deadly weapon on holy ground, intimidation, vand-" the guard droned on. Shogo tuned him out, as well as he could. No sense in spending the last few minutes of your life listening to some stuck-up officer explain to you that yes, it was a crime when you killed a couple thugs for coin. He supposed it was fine: thirty-five years was more than some got, more than he himself would've gotten, if he'd stuck to the straight and narrow. His family would miss him, but over the years enough ill-gotten gains had made their way to them that he couldn't say he was worried for them. All in all, it'd been a life well-lived, if you disregarded the whole killing people thing. Maybe if he could do things over, he'd try to do better, but he couldn't.

"-nd resisting arrest, the Holy Crown of Meyagard condemns you to be hanged until you die. Pray to what few gods would still have your worship, and may the crows grow fat on your flesh." At this point, Shogo had learned, protocol dictated a thirty-second gap, a time for the aforementioned prayers and final contemplations. The guard chose to ignore that, striding over to the lever the moment he was finished.

In his last moments, Shogo found himself wryly amused by the guard's utter lack of patie-

...

...

With a start, Shogo opened his eyes. And his eyes. And his eyes. And his eyes. And his eyes. Between the fifth and sixth pair, there was a moment of disorientation, as Shogo's brain caught up to what his body was showing him, then eyes resumed blinking open.

The perspective was all off. What should've been a straight hallway was a crooked tunnel, each part appearing from many different angles, constantly shifting relative to the others. Straight lines were nauseating geometric impossibilities: right angles a nightmarish kaleidoscope of twists. Shogo tried to sort himself out and brought a hand towards his head, only to find out he no longer possessed either.

"What's going on?" Shogo muttered, or rather, tried to mutter, as what came out was a cacaphony of sounds, dozens of voices speaking dozens of phrases, some variants on his intent, some nonsensical words, some meaningless sounds. An eye, wildly spinning in its calloused socket, granted a brief glimpse of himself, and the shock nearly drove him to madness.

A formless, semisolid mass of flesh, shifting like runny mud or thick soup, covered in disparate eyes at seemingly random places. Teeth jutted out of the flesh without rhyme or reason, turned outward, sideways, or even inward, rows of teeth tightly gripping flesh, folding the body in on itself, skin and muscles arranged like a grotesque charcuterie board. Shogo's mind, or what little remained of it, collapsed in horror, risen only from its agony by a distant scream.

"Help! Someone, please help!"

Something within Shogo dimly recognized he had to do something. His body moved, surged forward, wet chunks of flesh lubricating the cobblestone in front of him, so that the bulk might pass over it more easily. Cavities of teeth mindlessly tore at the stones as they passed, accomplishing nothing. The eyes not in Shogo's direction of travel showed a pinkish, gooey trail, glistening with newly-shed skin, but Shogo paid them no mind. His body rounded a corner, not turning, but simply ceasing to move in one direction and starting in another. Five of Shogo's eyes focused on the scene in front of him, the others providing useless views of the walls, ceiling, and neighbouring passages.

A woman was being menaced by an armed man: that much was clear. Part of Shogo questioned some small details: the woman's pointed ears, the strange staff she held despite seeming able-bodied, her strange, useless armor, seemingly designed to appeal rather than protect. But another part of him (a metaphorical expression that, perhaps, could be taken literally now) took command, flexed muscles to their limits, tore stretches of tissue in strategic places, and prepared for a mighty feat of strength.

...

Graknar the orc chieftan was having a good day. He'd killed some adventurers, got a sweet magic axe off of one, and his useless men had even managed to keep their cleric alive, out of spells, and utterly powerless. She'd be a liability by tomorrow, of course, but there was plenty he could do befo-

Eighteen hundred pounds of meat, blood, and mucus slammed into Graknar teeth-first. Strands of flesh covered in eyes and teeth encircled him, searching for weaknesses, tearing through skin like it wasn't there. A tendril forced its way down his nostril, sprouting teeth as it did so, then retracted suddenly. Graknar, for his part, had died on impact, blissfully unaware as Shogo tore into him. Shogo swallowed a choice bit of trachea, fixed a cluster of eyes on the cleric, and gibbered some words of reassurance.

----

As for the elven cleric, she, of course, would be but the first of Shogo's many attractive, young, female companions, each masterfully crafted to appeal to a different demographic, each predisposed to getting into wacky pseudo-romantic hijinks in a way that'd easily take twenty or thirty books to resolve, none of them quite strong enough to ever take the spotlight away from our story's hero. Their story, still unfolding, was sure to be a light and novel one.




Spoiler: Ability scores and modifiers
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Base array:

STR: 16
DEX: 13
CON: 13
INT: 10
WIS: 16
CHA: 8

Mouther modifiers:

STR: 16
DEX: 15
CON: 25
INT: 4
WIS: 18
CHA: 10

Size increase:

STR: 24
DEX: 13
CON: 29
INT: 4
WIS: 18
CHA: 10

Ability score increases (8 HD, 12 HD):

STR: 24
DEX: 14
CON: 30
INT: 4
WIS: 18
CHA: 10


Spoiler: Class table
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Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
7th Advanced Gibbering Mouther (5 RHD) +3 +1 +1 +4 Spot 8 Strength Devotion, Improved Initiative Large size, Gibbering, Spittle, Improved Grab, Blood Drain, Swallow Whole, Ground Manipulation, Amorphous, DR 5/Bludgeoning, Darkvision (60 ft.), Quick trait, Aggressive trait
10th Past Life: Rogue +3 +1 +1 +4 - - Sneak Attack +6d6, +2 on attacks, saving throws, skills
11th Unarmed Swordsage 1 +3 +1 +3 +6 Jump 3 Ability Focus (Spittle), Improved Unarmed Strike(B) Monk Unarmed Strike Progression (1d8), Quick To Act +1, Discipline Focus I (Tiger Claw), Martial Maneuvers, Martial Stances
12th Unarmed Swordsage 2 +4 +1 +4 +7 Jump 6 - AC bonus
13th Unarmed Swordsage 3 +5 +2 +4 +7 Jump 9 - -
14th Unarmed Swordsage 4 +6/+1 +2 +5 +8 Jump 12 Multiattack Discipline Focus (Insightful Strike: Desert Wind), Monk Unarmed Strike (2d6)
15th Bloodclaw Master 1 +6/+1 +4 +7 +8 Jump 13 - Shifting 1/day, claws of the beast
16th Bloodclaw Master 2 +7/+2 +5 +8 +8 Jump 14 - Superior Two-Weapon Fighting, Tiger Claw Synergy (stance)
17th Unarmed Swordsage 5 +7/+2 +5 +8 +8 Jump 15, Tumble 2 Staggering Strike Quick To Act +2
18th Unarmed Swordsage 6 +8/+3 +6 +9 +9 Jump 16, Tumble 4 - -
19th Unarmed Swordsage 7 +9/+4 +6 +9 +9 Jump 17, Tumble 6 - Sense Magic
20th Unarmed Swordsage 8 +10/+5 +6 +10 +10 Jump 18, Tumble 8 Snap Kick Discipline focus (Defensive Stance: Shadow Hand), Monk Unarmed Strike (2d8)


Spoiler: Maneuvers and stances
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Maneuvers:
Burning Blade (Swordsage 1) (DW)
Sudden Leap (Swordsage 1) (TC)
Stone Vise (Swordsage 1) (SD)
Burning Brand (Swordsage 1) (DW)
Flashing Sun (Swordsage 1) (DW)
Cloak of Deception (Swordsage 1) (SH)
Shadow Jaunt (Swordsage 2) (SH)
Strength Draining Strike (Swordsage 3) (SH)
Soaring Raptor Strike (Swordsage 4) (TC)
Death From Above (Bloodclaw Master 1) (TC)
Searing Blade (Swordsage 5) (DW)
Leaping Flame (Swordsage 6) (DW)
Pouncing Charge (Swordsage 7) (TC)
Dancing Mongoose (Swordsage 8) (TC)

Stances:
Island of Blades (Swordsage 1) (SH)
Blood In The Water (Swordsage 2) (TC)
Assassin's Stance (Swordsage 5) (SH)

Retrains:
Swordsage 4: replace Stone Vise with Bonecrusher.
Swordsage 8: replace Shadow Jaunt with Obscuring Shadow Veil


Spoiler: Spotlights
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ECL 10The core gameplan is simple: either set up shop at a chokepoint and begin grappling/confusing enemies, or blind them with Spittle and unleash six bites with 6d6 sneak attack tacked on. Improved Initiative helps with quickly getting into position and possibly getting a quick sneak attack. Note the Quick trait which helps bring Shogosu's speed, if not to human levels, at least high enough to keep up with the party's halflings, dwarves, and heavily armored fighters. Strength Devotion is a bit of a wonky feat (see the 'unclear rules' section) but in any case should help shore up nova damage and mitigate the effects of DR.

While sneak attack immune foes are a problem, note that six 1d2+7 hits (plus, say, Burning Blade's buff) still add up to a respectable level of damage (probably more than the party rogue could manage against such foes).

Though high-LA characters have a reputation for being frail, Shogosu is by no means a glass cannon. +10 natural armor, DR 5/bludgeoning, and a sky-high constitution score leave him with overall bulk compared to a frontline martial. (8+4*4.5 + 5*9 = 71 HP, compare to a level 10 paladin with 16 con who has slightly more HP (10+9*5.5 + 10*3 = 90) but worse AC and no DR). Saves are similarly solid, with the +2 boost from Past Life and the high constitution/wisdom making up for lackluster base bonuses (reflex is on the low side, but it's the least important of the three and additionally compensated through high constitution). Skills are one notable area where Shogosu fails to measure up to other PCs: nearly all available ranks are required for combat-only skills like Tumble and Jump. That said, with great wisdom, the multiocular boost, and early-game ranks invested, you're also the party's spotter, which is an undervalued role that will be useful nearly every session (if not every encounter).

While it's an issue for many monstrous PCs, communication is not a problem for Shogo, as gibbering mouthers natively speak common.

ECL 15
Unarmed Swordsage is the perfect class for this build, accommodating our unconventional fighting style while adding various goodies, and a quick dip into Bloodclaw Master gives us another two claw attacks to add to the flurry. Unarmed Strikes are another welcome addition to the arsenal (I guess Shogosu kinda extends pedipalps?), and the AC bonus granted by swordsage is basically free. We're up to a nova flurry of spittle, six bites, two unarmed strikes, two claws, and a slam, for twelve attacks total, plus whatever maneuvers give us.

Maneuvers help us set up sneak attack (Island of Blades, Cloak of Deception), improve mobility (Shadow Jaunt, Sudden Leap), avoid DR (Burning Brand), add more attacks (Flashing Sun) or simply pile on per-attack damage bonuses on our flurries (Burning Blade). There's a few powerful single-target attacks, mostly intended against creatures that are somehow immune to sneak attacks.

ECL 20
With Snap Kick we're up yet another attack, and Assassin's Stance boosts the sneak attacks we were going to make anyway. Staggering Strike is incredibly good at denying opponents their full attacks, and with the number of attacks we're making even enemies with sky-high fortitude saves need to be concerned about rolling an 1.

Searing Blade is another very potent damage booster, and Dancing Mongoose throws in additional attacks: Pouncing Charge and Leaping Flame both improve battlefield mobility in more offensive manners.

We've been boosting Jump throughout, so our base modifier is now +27, before adding in items, ability boosts, masterwork tools (somewhat straining the bounds of realism, I admit), or whatever else adds to the check, meaning that a decent roll on Sudden Leap more than makes up for our lackluster speed.

A final note on attack rolls, for those who're nervous about having essentially half-progression BAB. Shogo's high strength makes up for a lot of the difference, and unlike regular rogues he has access to multiple swift-action ways to deny targets their dexterity bonus. The plethora of attacks should make up for most of the remaining difference.



Spoiler: Inspiration and discussion
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When looking for a monster chassis, I realized that gibbering mouthers are exceptionally well-suited to sneak attack, possessing multiple incapacitating abilities (both spittle and improved grab deny a target its dexterity bonus), and additionally having many natural bite attacks. However, the low intelligence makes rogue unappealing, and most prestige classes that grant sneak attack have heavy skill requirements. Salvation came in the form of the DMG2's special abilities, one of which (Past Life: Rogue) grants 6d6 sneak attack for a mere 3 LA. From there, the idea of making an isekai parody was pretty straightforward, and it let me playfully lampshade the animeness (animosity?) of ToB classes.

I think Shogosu is a fine flurry sneak attacker, with the obvious caveat that he is a flurry sneak attacker. Undead, constructs, oozes, and high-DR foes are always going to be a problem, just like problems you cannot just stab, as they are for most such builds. That said, maneuvers like Burning Brand and Death From Above expand options against troublesome foes somewhat.


Spoiler: Unclear rules
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Spittle
Judging by the gibbering mouther's stat block, it's supposed to use spittle during full attacks, implying that the ability does not provoke AoOs. Furthermore, there's the implication that spittle, being an (Ex) ability, does not provoke AoOs [Those extraordinary abilities that are actions are usually standard actions that cannot be disrupted, do not require concentration, and do not provoke attacks of opportunity]. If spittle is ruled to provoke attacks of opportunity anyway, it can still used through clever use of reach and positioning, making a Sudden Leap to close distance, or simply grabbing all foes that threaten you before making a ranged attack. Secondarily, it's not clear whether spittle's damage scales with the size increase, which would depend on its status as a natural weapon.

Strength Devotion
The slam attack granted by strength devotion may or may not be permanent, rather than contingent on the 1/day minute-long hardness-overcoming ability, with RAI suggesting the second and RAW suggesting the first. Furthermore, the text 'If you already have a natural weapon, use whichever damage value is higher. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on any damage rolls you make with that weapon.' is highly ambiguous and suggests you get a +2 damage bonus to all natural weapons, or at least one type of natural weapon you already possess (in our case, bites). It might even suggest that by RAW all your natural weapons use either the listed die or their original one, but I don't want to go that far.

Strength Devotion is a worthwhile feat if it were to perform either or both of the two main functions (granting a permanent slam or granting +2 damage on natural weapons/bites). If your DM rules that neither of these bonuses persistently apply, I suggest swapping it out for Combat Reflexes.

Unarmed Swordsage
The second-level AC bonus of swordsages does formally not work with the unarmed swordsage variant, as it requires light armor. Given how it's strange in the first place that an AC bonus would work with lightly armored but not unarmored characters, and the fact that unarmed swordsages don't even get the proficiency it supposedly requires, I think it's fair to say any reasonable DM would rule it to work for unarmed swordsages.

Searing Blade
Searing Blade is almost certainly meant to be a swift action, rather than the listed standard action, given that its effects boost melee attacks and the duration wears off at the end of your turn. This build assumes it's actually usable.

Sudden Leap
Sudden Leap is commonly assumed to waive the double-DC penalty associated with standing jumps. This would be convenient for this build, but not required for functionality.

Craven
Every sneak attacker wants craven, and we're no different, but barring a one-level dip into certain classes (which seems both unoriginal and inelegant) we don't technically qualify. If your DM is lenient enough to rule that template-based sneak attack (flavorfully linked to the rogue class, even) counts as the 'sneak attack class feature' that Craven requires, drop Ability Focus or Improved Initiative and get it (alternatively, in an environment without elegance penalties just drop a level of bloodclaw master for sneak attack fighter).