Thoughts on building Samus Aran?

[NineThePuma]

I've been thinking about building a Samus-Like heavily armored ranged-weapon wielder, but I'm not sure exactly how to go about this, in part due to only a little interaction with 3.5's min-maxing set up.

So I turn to GITP, and ask.

I want Full Plate. I want a primary focus to be ranged weaponry (preferably something like a Hand Crossbow). And I want Human. Beyond that, I don't really know what to take or how to look at it, and am more than willing to accept anyone's thoughts on it.

[Morph Bark]

How much homebrew is acceptable?

[Kylarra]

An archer-cleric actually fits the bill rather well. Since you can key your ranged attacks off Wis, you can wear full armor if you so choose, and domains, spells, and devotion feats can make up the rest of her special abilities.

[gallagher]

my initial reaction was to make it a warlock, but i dont know how you would get full plate on that.

all the other toys and the technology in the armor can be replicated with your invocations

[arguskos]

How much homebrew is acceptable?

If homebrew IS acceptable, then my man Holocron Coder has you covered, with the Battle Armor of Aran.

[NineThePuma]

Home brew is acceptable, but I'd rather keep it from being a collection of artifacts. While completely awesome, I'd like it to be a character that could, theoretically, be built. Ergo, homebrew can't be ridiculous, and it can't be a specific class built to emulate Samus (I found one of those. It was kinda lame, actually x3;;; )

[oookler]

i went through the same proses making an iron man-like charictor and i found that the easyest way to do it was to make an artificer and slowly biuld a custom suit of armor depending what is allowed in ur game u should look at the power classes atificer his mechamagical ability and the wat he casts spells fits the flavor and is the cheapest cost on xp also going with the building your own suit consept fits the flover perectly

[Prime32]

What about a warforged warlock with access to the DFA's Humanoid Shape invocation?

And Leaps and Bounds of course, as well as Devil's Sight, etc.

[Tengu_temp]

I can think of several ways of making this character:

1. Warlock, grab Armored Spellcaster and wear a mithral plate.
2. Fighter/Soulknife/Soulbow. Take Zen Archery and the only stat you really need is wisdom, and Soulbow is actually a very good prestige class.
3. Artificer, craft wands and use them to fire blasts of energy at enemies. I'm not sure how armor works with this class, though.

What about a warforged warlock with access to the DFA's humanoid shape invocation?

That's not a human in armor. That's a robot who sometimes pretends to be a human.

[Teln]

i went through the same proses making an iron man-like charictor and i found that the easyest way to do it was to make an artificer and slowly biuld a custom suit of armor depending what is allowed in ur game u should look at the power classes atificer his mechamagical ability and the wat he casts spells fits the flavor and is the cheapest cost on xp also going with the building your own suit consept fits the flover perectly

GAAAAAH! MY EYES, THEY BURN!

[Knaight]

Home brew is acceptable, but I'd rather keep it from being a collection of artifacts. While completely awesome, I'd like it to be a character that could, theoretically, be built. Ergo, homebrew can't be ridiculous, and it can't be a specific class built to emulate Samus (I found one of those. It was kinda lame, actually x3;;; )

So, a warlock prestige class that allows heavy armor would be fine? That about covers it, sure, you lack some of the Samus style tricks (morphball), but the warlock has some firepower, and is mobile.

[Kurald Galain]

I'm kind of curious how you would transform into a little ball. That strikes me as Samus's prime iconic ability.

...Polymorph? Reduce self?

[Eldan]

my initial reaction was to make it a warlock, but i dont know how you would get full plate on that.

all the other toys and the technology in the armor can be replicated with your invocations

Warlock? Mithral Plate and the feat that allows you to wear heavier armour while casting. Done.

[Prime32]

So, a warlock prestige class that allows heavy armor would be fine? That about covers it, sure, you lack some of the Samus style tricks (morphball), but the warlock has some firepower, and is mobile.

Humanoid Shape covers morphball, as well as letting a warforged "take off the suit". Alternatively, try lycanthropy - maybe a weredog.

And why do you want to give heavy armour to a character who is clearly unrestrained by their armour? There's the psychoactive skin of ectoplasmic armour I suppose. (it's in MIC and basically a suit of full plate which doesn't restrict your movement - the basic rules for psychoactive skins are here)

[Kylarra]

I'm kind of curious how you would transform into a little ball. That strikes me as Samus's prime iconic ability.

...Polymorph? Reduce self?

Monk + hideaway amulet?

[Jack_Simth]

Cleric.

Relevant feats:
Heighten Spell
Invisible Needle (Complete Mage - Reserve feat: Blaster)
Born Aloft (Complete Mage - Reserve feat: High Jump)
Full Plate.

You're... mostly there, depending on *which* Samus. Is there a specific set of abilities you're after?

[NineThePuma]

i went through the same proses making an iron man-like charictor and i found that the easyest way to do it was to make an artificer and slowly biuld a custom suit of armor depending what is allowed in ur game u should look at the power classes atificer his mechamagical ability and the wat he casts spells fits the flavor and is the cheapest cost on xp also going with the building your own suit consept fits the flover perectly

Attempting to translate...

I went through the same process making an Iron Man like character and found that the easiest way to do it was to make an Artificer and slowly build a custom suit of armor. Depending on what is allowed in your game you should look at the power classes Artificer; his MechaMagical ability and the way he casts spells fits the flavor and is the cheapest in terms of XP costs. Also, going with the building your own suit concept fits the flavor perfectly.

(Anyone questioning this translation can try THEIR hand.)

I consider Artificer, but Artificer doesn't have fighting prowess I would want, nor would I start with the armor creating abilities... AND it's incompatible with the Full Plate I want.


[hr]

Soulbow looks good, but I'm wary of the Soulknife class in general, without using a homebrewed remake.

[hr]

I'd like to avoid direct magic classes (and yes, the Full Plate is needed. It wouldn't be Samus if there wasn't armor) and instead focus on the prowess. While an artificer could BUILD the armor, I'm not sure that an Artificer could USE it. ... Does that make any sense? |3

<hr>

EDIT

The abilities I'm after are intended to be a heavily armored ranged weapon user who can take loads of damage.

[Jack_Simth]

While an artificer could BUILD the armor, I'm not sure that an Artificer could USE it. ... Does that make any sense?

Three feats solve that problem easily.

The abilities I'm after are intended to be a heavily armored ranged weapon user who can take loads of damage.

So... a fullplate fighter with a bow qualifies?

[NineThePuma]

Three feats solve that problem easily.

So... a fullplate fighter with a bow qualifies?

A full plate fighter with a bow would qualify, but I'm trying to optimize the concept.
... And yes, those feets do it, but I meant that as a more "I'm not sure an Artificer in the armor would be effective."

[grarrrg]

And I want Human.

Human? She's halfish-Chozo.
Is there a "half-Kenku" template or something lying around somewhere?

[Coidzor]

Three feats solve that problem easily.So... a fullplate fighter with a bow qualifies?

Artificers automatically have at least Light, so... no need for that one. IIRC they get medium too.

[NineThePuma]

She got a chozo blood transfusion. That doesn't make her a half bird thing.



They have up to medium, but I want a character who kicks ass and takes names without being a spellcaster in and of herself.

[Mando Knight]

Human? She's halfish-Chozo.
Is there a "half-Kenku" template or something lying around somewhere?

She's not half-Chozo. She's got an infusion of Chozo blood combined with gene therapy. She's more of an augmented human, with a boosted Dex score and Fort save.

Really, though, she's only actually able to be accurately portrayed by a WotC d20 system if you use SW SAGA. Medium armor (possibly beskar'gam), with multiple attachments and such (including shielding)... the only things you can't do by making her a Soldier/Scout/Bounty Hunter/Elite Trooper are possibly Morph Ball and her suit's ability to rapidly reconfigure itself to and from the Zero Suit state. Space Jump (and possibly Speed Booster) are covered by a jetpack, and her Arm Cannon would be a mounted Blaster Rifle (possibly homebrewed to have a charge function similar to the Bryar Rifle from the TFU guide). Grappling Beam is an ascension gun, and the Visors are mostly just an application of integrating a computer system with the Helmet Package.

[ArcanistSupreme]

I personally thought that this homebrew was pretty freakin' sweet. Hopefully it isn't the one that you didn't like.

[Wings of Peace]

Warforged Component: Hank's Energy Bow? There's either a graft or symbiont in the Fiend Folio that could turn it into a natural weapon as well I believe but I forget which it is.

This method also works for Mega Man reconstructions.

[NineThePuma]

@Mando Knight: Building Boba was gonna be my next thread XP

@AS: That was NOT it, but I'll look that over for awesome.

@WoP: Aiming for Human tho =O

[Wings of Peace]

@WoP: Aiming for Human tho =O

Graft/Symbiont then. I'm afb but I'll check later to make sure that it's legal.

[Zaydos]

I have to third that warlock with Battle Caster feat and Mithril Full-Plate works, take Leaps and Bounds invocation to do super jumps, and plenty of blast shapes and eldritch essence invocations. Doesn't get morph ball unfortunately.

[NineThePuma]

Morphball would be hard to emulate under D20 rules without cheating a bit. I'll consider warlock. Where might that feat be found? (Battle Caster, I mean)

[Tengu_temp]

Soulbow looks good, but I'm wary of the Soulknife class in general, without using a homebrewed remake.

2-4 levels in Soulknife won't hurt you too much: it's medium BAB and free weapon focus so your attack bonus doesn't suffer in comparison to a fighter, you get two high saves, a D10 hit die, good skill points and access to psionic combat feats. And you can use Psychic Strike to represent a charged shot.