[3.5] Help me build a Mech Rider

[Grushvak]

I got this idea from another thread. This is just a silly little CharOp challenge, and I doubt I'll ever use it in a game. I just want to see if it can be done, and how viable such a thing would be.

Here are the rules:

1. You start with only one character. Cohorts, constructs, familiars, etc. are all fair game.
2. Effective level of your character must be of 10
3. All books are allowed, but bonus points for making this inside of RAW. Eberron Campaign Setting might be unavoidable.

And some general pointers:

• Synergy is a must! Both the Rider and the Mech must be able to fight to the best of their ability, or close to it, even as they are sharing the same space!
• The rider must be protected. Not to say that he can't ever be hit, but the purpose is to have the Mech character take the brunt of the damage.
• The two of them together must be stronger than any one character alone. Obviously, I wouldn't expect them to hold their ground against Pun-Pun or a Planar Shepherd, but I want them to rival a Tier 1 class, or go beyond that power level if there is already a Tier 1 class in the combo.

First thing I thought of was a Jermlaine Cleric living inside a Warforged Warblade's chest compartment. I'm sure you guys can come up with something better though.

[Person_Man]

Is homebrew material on the table?

[Grushvak]

Is homebrew material on the table?

No, it's not, otherwise there's nothing preventing someone from just whipping out a Mech Rider PrC.

I want to see creative use of RAW.

[Fax Celestis]

Somewhere, there is a warforged component (PGtE) that lets you put a wand inside your arm as a warforged component. I believe it's called "Wand Sheath".

Play an intelligent wand. Maybe one of something like charm person. Charm the warforged whose arm you reside within. Carry about your beezneez.

[Grushvak]

Somewhere, there is a warforged component (PGtE) that lets you put a wand inside your arm as a warforged component. I believe it's called "Wand Sheath".

Play an intelligent wand. Maybe one of something like charm person. Charm the warforged whose arm you reside within. Carry about your beezneez.

It's an interesting solution, but it really does not make for a more powerful character than the warforged would be on its own. I see no synergy between the two creatures here, unless I'm missing something.

[Fax Celestis]

It's an interesting solution, but it really does not make for a more powerful character than the warforged would be on its own. I see no synergy between the two creatures here, unless I'm missing something.

You're an intelligent item. Take Artificer class levels or get yourself unique intelligent item powers that buff targets.

[Grushvak]

You're an intelligent item. Take Artificer class levels or get yourself unique intelligent item powers that buff targets.

Is it even possible for a player to play an intelligent item? Is it possible for a wand to be an artificer? I feel like this is all working against the concept somewhat.

[Fax Celestis]

Yes and yes in both instances. The requirement for class levels is "having an Intelligence score". Intelligent items have an Intelligence score by definition, so yes, they can have class levels. An intelligent item Artificer is not only viable, but interesting. You buff yourself with infusions, and before you were turned into an intelligent item, you were a master craftsman. Some sort of accident happened, and now you're part of one of your crafted items.

[Grushvak]

That's a strange character concept if I ever heard one. Do you have charges? What about LA?

I'm not sure this really fits the intent behind the Mech Rider concept but I'm intrigued nonetheless.

[Deth Muncher]

This may not be in the spirit of this thread, but Goodman Games made Dragonmech, which has the Mech Jockey class which does just this.

[Inhuman Bot]

Mind clarifying what you mean by "Mech Rider?"

Warforged are machines.

Warforged are medium.

Warforged can be taken as cohorts, with the leadership feat.

Halflings are small.

Small creatures can ride medium creatures.

Get a saddle for a humanoid creature.

Put it on the warforged.

The halfling then rides the warforged.

Synergy: The halfling is an artifcer, the warforged a knight/WF juggernaut.
Protection: The WF has a tower shield to give cover.
Strength: Well, I'd say an artificer and a knight are stronger then just an artificer.

[Fluffles]

Warforged Charger cohort, and be a Warforged guy. Then you'll be a double mech!

[FMArthur]

Does the mech have to be a character or living being? What about Clockwork Armor or Apparatus of the Crab? Those actually suck pretty badly, but maybe some other sourcebook has expanded upon the Apparatus of the Crab idea and built a good one. The point is, is your only goal here to just be able to use a warforged as a living shield?

[elliott20]

I say we expand this challenge to: "build DEVASTATOR"

[Asbestos]

I say we expand this challenge to: "build DEVASTATOR"

The one from the cartoon that kicked butt or the one from the movie that can't even destroy two little chumps and gets taken out in one hit?

Also, someone beat me to the Dragonmech suggestion.

[Darrin]

Hmm.

1. Start with an air goblin (why? I dunno... kobold was taken), Cleric 10. Planning Domain, Undeath Domain, Persistent Spell, DMM, etc.

2. Cast Summon Mirror Mephit (Clr 2 spell, Expedition to the Demonweb Pits).

3. Direct Mirror Mephit to create a Simulacrum of a Slaughterstone Eviscerator. (Here's an interesting little quirk to SLAs... casting time becomes 1 standard action, and no material components required. So a mirror mephit can create a simulacrum of *any* creature up to 16 HD.) 7 HD construct made out of ice.

4. Buy a scroll or pay for a casting of Awaken Construct (Savage Species). Use Guidance of the Avatar for +20 UMD if need be.

5. Buy a scroll or pay for a casting of Clone. New creature is no longer a simulacrum, and can be advanced or raised as any other intelligent/living construct. Goes down to 6HD, but still has all the (Ex) abilities of a typical Slaughterstone Eviscerator.

6. Leadership to take the Eviscerator as a Cohort. (Use repeat Clones as necessary to get the correct ECL... no idea what the LA on an awakened Eviscerator would be... +4 maybe?)

7. Cast a Persistent Meld Into Ice (Frostburn) to climb into your "mech".

8. Equip some ring of counterspells, Spellblades, and some persistent Spell Immunities so that some jerkwad 3rd level druid can't save-or-die you with a Thaw spell.

9. Eviscerate something.

10. Go to 9.

[Deth Muncher]

Hmm.

1. Start with an air goblin (why? I dunno... kobold was taken), Cleric 10. Planning Domain, Undeath Domain, Persistent Spell, DMM, etc.

2. Cast Summon Mirror Mephit (Clr 2 spell, Expedition to the Demonweb Pits).

3. Direct Mirror Mephit to create a Simulacrum of a Slaughterstone Eviscerator. (Here's an interesting little quirk to SLAs... casting time becomes 1 standard action, and no material components required. So a mirror mephit can create a simulacrum of *any* creature up to 16 HD.) 7 HD construct made out of ice.

4. Buy a scroll or pay for a casting of Awaken Construct (Savage Species). Use Guidance of the Avatar for +20 UMD if need be.

5. Buy a scroll or pay for a casting of Clone. New creature is no longer a simulacrum, and can be advanced or raised as any other intelligent/living construct. Goes down to 6HD, but still has all the (Ex) abilities of a typical Slaughterstone Eviscerator.

6. Cast a Persistent Meld Into Ice (Frostburn) to climb into your "mech".

7. Equip some ring of counterspells, Spellblades, and some persistent Spell Immunities so that some jerkwad 3rd level druid can't save-or-die you with a Thaw spell.

8. Eviscerate something.

9. Go to 8.

Oh noes infinite loooooooooooooooop!

[Fan]

I give you. The Machine with it's Companions dreams etched upon it's body. That will turn the Infinite Darkness into Light! Chougina! Gurren. Lagaan!

and it's all 3.5 legal!

There's also a Mech Pilot class in the same book (Dragon Mech Campign Setting.)

Requires the Land Lord feat, and some double castings of polymorph object on the nearest moon.

[-Baldur-]

You're an intelligent item. Take Artificer class levels or get yourself unique intelligent item powers that buff targets.

Fax, could you be a Wand of Polymorph (Is there such a thing as Wand of Polymorph any object?) With infinite charges (due to how much you're missing out on not being a normal PC) and then when your Construct gets in trouble, he whips out the Wand (which causes him to fail to function) then you polymorph into something bad ass and save him?

Ohhhh intriguing.

Fax I believe you should assist in actually designing that character concept. I've seen your work. You my friend are top notch. Anyway, that does indeed fit the Mech Rider concept you were after. Admittedly you don't have too much mobility being a wand. But that's why I suggested the Polymorph option!

[Faleldir]

You could turn an Apparatus Of The Crab into an embedded component, but it wouldn't do anything useful.

[Fan]

I give you. The Machine with it's Companions dreams etched upon it's body. That will turn the Infinite Darkness into Light! Chougina! Gurren. Lagaan!

and it's all 3.5 legal!

There's also a Mech Pilot class in the same book (Dragon Mech Campign Setting.)

Requires the Land Lord feat, and some double castings of polymorph object on the nearest moon.

Did I mention that it's immune to disentergrate, and too big for AMF to matter? Which makes it literally invulnerable, able to break through time and space with it's drill, and if they do miraculously hurt you, you can heal the damage as a free action?

[Darrin]

Oh noes infinite loooooooooooooooop!

Forgot the Cohort thing. Also, there should be a Medallion of Thoughts or a Persisted Telepathic Bond in there somewhere.

[Dusk Eclipse]

1) Be a warforged scout (Race not class) from MM 3 be an artificer with the first three racial sub level and have your cohort be another Artificer.

2)Build a Warforged Titan (Eberron Campaing Setting). It is a Huge (IIRC) construct
3) Add some modifications such as a cabin, some arrow slits (for actual arrows or wands). Pilot your mecha from inside. If followers can get UMD as a class skill make them maximize it and they will be your gunners.

4) Craft some Homuncullus to act as repair crew (using improved humunculus to give them the infusion storing ability) and as suplemental Gunners (there are some "live" crossbow in some eberron book.

6)?????

5) Profit

[Prime32]

Use a siege crab. It's in MM2 or 3.

It's basically a giant hollow enemy crab that doesn't block line of sight or line of effect for spells cast by people inside it.

[Oslecamo]

Did I mention that it's immune to disentergrate, and too big for AMF to matter? Which makes it literally invulnerable, able to break through time and space with it's drill, and if they do miraculously hurt you, you can heal the damage as a free action?

Just what class did you use to create that madness? Or is it just a giant base built with arms and equipment guide?

[Faleldir]

Use a siege crab. It's in MM2 or 3.

It's basically a giant hollow enemy crab that doesn't block line of sight or line of effect for spells cast by people inside it.

Then you add the Effigy template.

[Melamoto]

Did I mention that it's immune to disentergrate, and too big for AMF to matter? Which makes it literally invulnerable, able to break through time and space with it's drill, and if they do miraculously hurt you, you can heal the damage as a free action?

On the other hand, it's ECL is a little bit high. And what is this campaign setting you refer to?

[Fan]

Just what class did you use to create that madness? Or is it just a giant base built with arms and equipment guide?

Actually, with Polymorph any Object, a necklace of adaptation, a greater tele to the moon from a mountain, and a **** ton of ranks in various crafts (which is easy given the int/dex focus of a pilot.) it's price is a measely 100,526 Gp for the Clockwork Engine, the drills, and the amplifiers which run on burning spirit. The rest is covered by the dual castings of PAO on the moon to turn it into a working mech made out of Riverine. (requires a dc 45 craft check, does not req exp as it's all mundane, but a drill item familiar can handle that at level 10.)

The book is the Dragon mech campign setting.

[Hunter Noventa]

Actually, with Polymorph any Object, a necklace of adaptation, a greater tele to the moon from a mountain, and a **** ton of ranks in various crafts (which is easy given the int/dex focus of a pilot.) it's price is a measely 100,526 Gp for the Clockwork Engine, the drills, and the amplifiers which run on burning spirit. The rest is covered by the dual castings of PAO on the moon to turn it into a working mech made out of Riverine. (requires a dc 45 craft check, does not req exp as it's all mundane, but a drill item familiar can handle that at level 10.)

The book is the Dragon mech campign setting.

I don't know whether to hug you or kick you to the curb. It's a conundrum.

[Fan]

I don't know whether to hug you or kick you to the curb. It's a conundrum.

Why not kick logic to the curb, and do the impossible instead?

That is after all, how Team Dai Gurren rolls.

By the way does anyone think a thread for the above monster, detailing it's Creation, and such would be appropriate?

Also, give it a casting of awaken construct, and then we have some REAL issues as it would get feats, and a BAB of it's own. (which would be inane.)