Keeper Kensai (3.5)

[Starscream]

Hey all. I'm going to be playing in a 5 person campaign soon that starts at level 20 and will swiftly become Epic. One of the rules for this game is that no core races are allowed. Everyone has to be something exotic and weird. LA Buyoff is allowed. We already have a wizard and either a cleric or druid (player hasn't decided yet), as well as a factotum. So me and the final player are basically going to be the party beatsticks. We don't do too much optimizing, but since the campaign is soon to become epic, we can expect to face a fair amount of broken cheese (CR isn't even a decent ballpark estimate of challenge at such levels).

I was looking for something cool and different to be, and stumbled across the Keeper from Fiend Folio. This is an interesting creature. It's a 4HD outsider with an LA of +3 (which will already be bought off as I begin play) and some weird features, the most neat of which is the ability to turn its arms into any melee weapon it has seen, and use it with proficiency.

I instantly thought that this would have some interesting synergy with the Kensai PrC, which lets you apply magical bonuses and abilities to your natural weapons. The DM has OK'd the use of this with the Keeper's arms, no matter what form they are in, because honestly what difference does it make if I turn my sword into a club to whack some skeletons?.

This seems like a pretty sweet deal. Not super powerful, but fun. Basically instead of being Fighter 5 before entering the PrC I'm going to be a Keeper/Fighter 1. Essentially I'm trading two bonus feats for the following:

*Being an outsider, which means smaller HD but also 3 good saves, better skills, and the ability of the party wizard to polymorph me into some pretty potent forms (which he is more than happy to do).
* +8 str, +6 dex, +4 con, +4 int, -2 wis, -4 cha. Pretty good stats for a martial character.
* 40 foot speed, 20 foot climb speed.
* +4 natural armor
* DR 10/magic (though freaking everything is magic at this level, so it hardly matters)
* Blindsight out to 200 feet (and blindness, Keepers have no eyes)
* The ability to spit nauseating poison every 1d4 rounds.
* Most of the immunities of a construct, though I can still be polymorphed which is nice
* Resistance to acid, fire, cold, electricity and sonic 10
* The aforementioned weapon transformation thing, which even works with reach and exotic weapons.

Downsides:
* Outsiders are hard to raise. We're high enough level to do it, it's just expensive.
* A couple of racial abilities that are useless because they only work when other Keepers are around. So basically worthless to me.
* A rather bizarre weakness: if I'm captured, pinned or helpless I have 10 rounds to get free or I dissolve into a puddle of poison and die. Not sure how much of an issue this will be. Could be a minor nuisance, could be absolutely crippling.

Okay, so here's basically what I'm planning:
Keeper 4 / Fighter 1 / Kensai 10(?). That gives me 5 levels that I'm not sure what to do with. My 1st and 3rd level feats will need to be Combat Expertise and Weapon focus, so I can be a Kensai. After that, I don't know. There are also some skill requirements, but my Outsider HD will give me skills to spare.

I'm currently leaning toward taking Kensai all the way to level 10, to really pimp my shapeshifting weapons, but I'm open to other ideas. I know Kensai isn't too powerful a PrC, but we're not particularly optimized, and I'm doing it as much for the fluff as the crunch. I like the idea of constantly switching weapons during a fight, to make my tactics unpredictable, but at high levels non-magical weapons are nearly useless, and Kensai is the only way I know of to enhance natural attacks like magical weapons.

Pretty much all WoTC sourcebooks are allowed. I'm basically going for an "all around" decent warrior type, without too much focus on a single trick like charging or grappling. Especially not grappling, as the more I grapple the more I risk getting pinned and activating my bizarre racial self-destruct button.

So, any advice? I'm looking for suggestions for feats, equipment, tactics, and classes/prcs to fill my extra levels. I don't need to be super powerful; warrior types rarely are, and we have another martial type in the party.

[OMG PONIES]

I'm AFB right now, so I'm not sure how optimal this would be, but how about some Warshaper if you qualify? I don't know if the Keeper's ability is allowed by RAW, but I would allow it if I were your DM. However, I don't know what it would give you that you don't already have (especially when it comes to construct immunities).

I mean, instead of turning your arms into greataxes, you'd be quickly turning your arms into Large greataxes with reach. So you've got that going for you.

[Ferrin]

Psychic Warrior or War Mind for some Psionic powers? Not much I can say for something as... unorthodox as that. Maybe Soul Eater from BoVD?

[The Cat Goddess]

Crusader or Warblade. At character level 16, your IL will be 8, giving you access to level 4 maneuvers at the start and level 5 maneuvers at level 17.

Edit: Get a Potion of Greater Magic Fang +5 and a Scroll of Permenancy. Then you only need to apply +1 from Kensai and all the other levels can be cool weapon abilities.

[Flickerdart]

Crusader or Warblade. At character level 16, your IL will be 8, giving you access to level 4 maneuvers at the start and level 5 maneuvers at level 17.

Edit: Get a Potion of Greater Magic Fang +5 and a Scroll of Permenancy. Then you only need to apply +1 from Kensai and all the other levels can be cool weapon abilities.

Until you get hit with a pile of dispels. Get a 3rd level Pearl of Power for your Druid or Ranger and have him GMF you instead.

[The Cat Goddess]

Until you get hit with a pile of dispels. Get a 3rd level Pearl of Power for your Druid or Ranger and have him GMF you instead.

And a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend, too... or at least chip in for one.

Edit: Keep remembering stuff... the Druid spell Metal Fang is good for you too.

[Quietus]

I'm AFB right now, so I'm not sure how optimal this would be, but how about some Warshaper if you qualify? I don't know if the Keeper's ability is allowed by RAW, but I would allow it if I were your DM. However, I don't know what it would give you that you don't already have (especially when it comes to construct immunities).

I mean, instead of turning your arms into greataxes, you'd be quickly turning your arms into Large greataxes with reach. So you've got that going for you.

I'll second this. Pure, unadulterated awesome right there.

[Starscream]

Actually, I already can mimic large weapons, although only by fusing my arms, so I can only do one and can't carry a shield.

Oh, and it's 32 point ability buy. I haven't picked my abilities yet, because I'm not sure what my overall plan is. And I have standard level 20 wealth, so I can afford pretty much any gear I need.

[Scipio]

Keepers are one of my favorite monsters. Have you read the ecology article in Dragon #353?

One downside to your idea is how the Mimic Weapon ability works. The weapons are treated as natural attacks instead of manufactured weapons, so you cannot get iterative attacks with them.

[KillianHawkeye]

not grappling, as the more I grapple the more I risk getting pinned and activating my bizarre racial self-destruct button.

Well it seems like you have a +8 racial mod for Escape Artist checks, so I wouldn't worry too much about this. Unfortunately, it's not a class skill for Kensai, but at least you can put in 7 ranks from your initial Outsider HD. With your +6 to Dex, that's a minimum of +18 right there. You can take Improved Grapple for another +4 if you're still worried. Just don't grapple anything really large and you should be fine.

And just in case you're interested in turning your weakness into a strength, check out the Reaping Mauler PrC (also in Complete Warrior). Among its nifty features are the ability to make two checks a round to escape a pin or a grapple and the ability to render a pinned opponent unconscious or even kill them outright (provided they fail a Fort save). And it's only a 5 level class.

EDIT: Also, Reaping Mauler is full BAB and gets Escape Artist as a class skill.

[The Glyphstone]

Keepers are one of my favorite monsters. Have you read the ecology article in Dragon #353?

One downside to your idea is how the Mimic Weapon ability works. The weapons are treated as natural attacks instead of manufactured weapons, so you cannot get iterative attacks with them.

Do Outsiders qualify for Rapidstrike?

[Starscream]

Keepers are one of my favorite monsters. Have you read the ecology article in Dragon #353?

Wasn't aware of that one. Might have to see if I can track it down.

One downside to your idea is how the Mimic Weapon ability works. The weapons are treated as natural attacks instead of manufactured weapons, so you cannot get iterative attacks with them.

Hmmm. Good point. Maybe I can convince the DM to let me use Girallion's Blessing or something like that to make up the difference. Having four arms that turn into weapons and can attack is pretty much the same as one weapon that can attack four times, since they'll all be identical. Also, that just sounds awesome.

[KillianHawkeye]

Maybe I can convince the DM to let me use Girallion's Blessing or something like that to make up the difference. Having four arms that turn into weapons and can attack is pretty much the same as one weapon that can attack four times, since they'll all be identical. Also, that just sounds awesome.

That would actually be significantly better than having 4 attacks with a single weapon, since natural weapons don't take increasing to-hit penalties like iterative weapon attacks.

[Scipio]

Do Outsiders qualify for Rapidstrike?

No that is limited to aberrations, dragons, elementals, magical beasts and plants. I only listed them out, because I never can remember who qualifies either.

[The Glyphstone]

No that is limited to aberrations, dragons, elementals, magical beasts and plants. I only listed them out, because I never can remember who qualifies either.

Lame - though it may be for the better...there's some outsiders with enough natural weapons to make Rapidstrike truly scary.

[strider24seven]

I'm AFB right now, but could you be a Dragonborn of Bahamut to become a Dragon to take Rapidstrike?

I could be very wrong, because I don't remember if you have to be Humanoid to become a Dragonborn, or if Dragonborn gives the Dragon type or the Dragonblood Subtype.

Anyway, +1 for Warshaper. Make sure your Wizard can cast Girallon's Blessing. And make sure to abuse Morphic Weapons to grow new arms. It's only a move action after all.

Firbolg form is ridiculous as far as Polymorph/Shapechange goes.

Crusader will turn you into a mean beatstick. Warblade will make you a killing machine. Both will make you a beatsticky killing machine.

[Starscream]

I suppose I could always take Half Dragon or something. But I'd like to stay Outsider if at all possible, for the fun polymorph options.

[Hendel]

A quick question on the Kensai. Does your DM have an epic progression for it with the ability to add +6 and higher enhancement bonuses to your natural weapons and if so at what XP cost?

The other disadvantage is the BAB of only +7 for the ten levels. Every bit helps!!

[OMG PONIES]

If you can already create large weapons by fusing arms, and your DM lets you take warshaper, you could create a huge Greataxe out of your body! I think Improved Natural Attack would work too, so you can make two arms into a Gargantuan Greataxe! One more, and we can have a COLOSSAL GREATAXE!

I can only imagine your first fight:
Your wizard extols the virtues of full casting, your cleric comes to the frontline all DMM Persisted and ready to go, your factotum burns through a bunch of Inspiration Points, and you just nonchalantly change your arms into a 50 FOOT TALL GREATAXE! You win D&D right then and there.

[Baron Malkar]

This may be a useful recource sience you are auto-proficient. My favorites are Sharktooth Staff/Flind Bar for free Grapple & Constrict/Critical Disarm repectively.

[The Cat Goddess]

I wonder if you can convince your DM to allow Strongarm Bracers to work for you...

[Hendel]

You win D&D right then and there.

I always wonder what people mean by a phrase like this. I have been playing D&D for thirty years and I have won battles and lost battles. Characters have gone onto the great beyond or to immortality. I have never thought of the idea of being able to "win D&D."

Is that like an arms race between the players to see who can have the most jacked up character around the table? Just an old fart asking for some insight...

[Scipio]

I always wonder what people mean by a phrase like this. I have been playing D&D for thirty years and I have won battles and lost battles. Characters have gone onto the great beyond or to immortality. I have never thought of the idea of being able to "win D&D."

Is that like an arms race between the players to see who can have the most jacked up character around the table? Just an old fart asking for some insight...

The idea is you came up with something so ridiculous (but possibly within the rules) that the game ends.

[The Cat Goddess]

I always wonder what people mean by a phrase like this. I have been playing D&D for thirty years and I have won battles and lost battles. Characters have gone onto the great beyond or to immortality. I have never thought of the idea of being able to "win D&D."

Is that like an arms race between the players to see who can have the most jacked up character around the table? Just an old fart asking for some insight...

It's like the phrase "You win the Internet!"

Basically, it means you've done something so awesome that everyone does the "we're not worthy" bow, or "I can't top that!"

[Machiavellian]

I second Warshaper. I remember an old N64 fighting game with a guy who's weaponry was his hands, which he made into blades. His super move was to become a big spiked ball-o-death