[3.5] Melee/tank debuffer

[Thurbane]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on a build for a NPC villain in an upcoming campaign. What's a good CR9 melee-based debuffer? I'm thinking something like a Paladin of Tyranny/Knight/Fighter with feats designed to debuff - like Intimidating Strike, Bind Vestige (one of the vestiges provides aura of sadness IIRC) etc.

Most sources are open, barring Bo9S and psionics. I'd like it to be a relatively common race (human, hobgoblin or similar, maybe a troglodyte for it's stench), and to steer clear of caster classes.

Suggestion on classes, feats, items and tactics would be appreciated.

[woodenbandman]

Paladin of Tyranny2/Hexblade 4/ anything. Half Dragon is a good template for this build. it gets its Charisma to saves twice. Give him Mage Slayer and Pierce Magical Concealment/Protection.

[Keld Denar]

Human LE Pally3/Hexblade4/Blackguard2

1 Power Attack, Cleave
3 Imp Sunder (prereq)
6 Bind Vestage (Foclorr) (spelling???)
9 Improved Binding

That'll give -8 to all saves (-2 from Pally, -2 from Blackguard, -2 from Foclorr, -2 from Dark Companion)

then Hex for -10.

[Bang]

I'd probably use Binder 9 for this, grabbing Focalor and Tenebrous.

I'd definitely use it if my players were unfamiliar with the Binder class.

--edit--
^ Do the Paladin of Tyranny and Blackguard "Aura of Despair" abilities stack?

[PinkysBrain]

The only really good debuff is level drain nothing else is really going to stick to the casters (well debuffing their casting stat, but that's hard without being a caster).

[gdiddy]

Give him a spell-storing weapon with bestow curse. Or a custom touch Glitterdust.

[Bang]

Give him a spell-storing weapon with bestow curse. Or a custom touch Glitterdust.

If you're throwing items into the mix, check out the DMG2's Sudden Stunning enhancement. It works very well for high Charisma characters, especially those throwing debuffs around. If you want to make a single melee character scary, it's an excellent way to even the odds a bit. Its Charisma dependence and per-day limit means that it isn't a devastatingly powerful item for a party member either.

[herrhauptmann]

Paladin of Tyranny2/Hexblade 4/ anything. Half Dragon is a good template for this build. it gets its Charisma to saves twice. Give him Mage Slayer and Pierce Magical Concealment/Protection.

Pierce magical concealment requires blindfight as a prereq, but is still awesome. I was actually told "it's broken because the feat tree allows melee to shut down casters" :)

How about a faerunian feat: Jotunbrud. Gives you all the benefits of being large sized during opposed rolls like trip and disarm. You just have to be a human from certain regions.
It keeps trip/disarm chain fighters useful for a longer time. Go to "Drow of Underdark" for feat Vae school (requires a form of sneak attack and imp. trip though).
Paladin slaughter/tyranny 2, fighter 6, ranger 1. Paladin boosts your saves, fighter gives you feats, ranger favored enemy: Arcanists.

Good Feats: Com Exp, Imp Trip, Mageslayer, blind fight, pierce magical conceal/protect, Jotunbrud, knockdown, combat reflexes. Unfortunately this build doesn't get cleave until late, unless you decide you want to drop something else. Mageslayer tree is 4 feats total.


If he has guards who are also melee types, give them vexing/adaptable flanker from phb2. This will allow them to boost the boss in combat, making him far more effective.

[Nohwl]

cleric would work pretty well. focus more on dispel magic, bestow curse, and a few other spells.

[Thurbane]

Most sources are open, barring Bo9S and psionics. I'd like it to be a relatively common race (human, hobgoblin or similar, maybe a troglodyte for it's stench), and to steer clear of caster classes.

I've already got some casters lined up, was looking for this one specifically not to be caster.

[herrhauptmann]

So I'm dying to know, what build did you end up choosing for your bad guy?

[Keld Denar]

Does Blackguard really count as a caster class? It gets double speed paladin casting, which is still pretty crappy, and it doesn't get any of the rawkin pally spells in the SpC.

Aura of Dispair is freakin awesome though...no save -2 to tons of stuff, just for being so awesome.

[Thurbane]

So I'm dying to know, what build did you end up choosing for your bad guy?

Paladin of Tyranny 3/Hexblade 4 (Dark Companion ACF)/Fighter 2

[herrhauptmann]

What's the Dark Champion ACF do? And what book is it in? The name certainly sounds cool :)

[Keld Denar]

Its in the PHBII, it swaps out your familiar for a little shadowy panther thinggy. The panther has your movement speed, and is something akin to incorporial, only better. Its not a real creature...just a place holder, essentially. When it occupies the same square as a creature, it unnerves that creature, causing it to experience a -2 on its AC and saves. There is no save for this effect. Dispel Magic can kill it, but the hexblade can reform it. Its considered one of the best ACFs for Hexblades assuming you are multiclassing out of Hexblade, and even then, since you can always pick a familiar back up with the Obtain Familiar feat in Complete Arcane, its still worth it.

Stacking that, Aura of Dispair, Hex, and some fear effects can make the Save or Die caster in your party VERY VERY VERY happy indeed, as he can get effectively +10 to his DCs with minimal effort from you.

[Thurbane]

The effects this character will have that stack are:

-2 saves (Aura of Despair)
-2 attacks, saves & skill checks (Improved Bind Vestige - Focalor)
-2 AC & saves (Dark Companion)
-2 attacks, saves, skill checks & weapon damage rolls (Hexblade's Curse)
-2 attacks, saves & skill checks (Intimidating Strike)

...assuming they all take effect, that's -10 to saves, -6 to attacks, -2 AC, -2 weapon damage and -6 to skill checks.