Fear optimization - help with build for a returning player [3.5]

[true_shinken]

One of my old players is coming back. He is an experienced player, but he doesn't speak english and he doesn't want to be restricted to D&D material translated to portuguese (our games would probably be funny to hear to a native english speaker, with the mixing of portuguese structure and english words).
He wants a character with three main shticks:

1. Has an aura of fear
2. Does a lot of damage
3. Has a dragon mount

His first thought was a Paladin, but it doesn't get everything he needs (and everytime someone becomes a paladin just for mechanical benefit with no RP purposes I die a little inside).
So far, I'm thinking X 6/Avenging Executioner 5 with the Frightful Crest graft from Races of Dragon (someone suggested the crest in the other threads; it's everything I wanted) and the Dragon Cohort feat. I want options to show him and ideas on what 'x 6' could be.
This character is a member of a rebel group trying to beat an usurper king, btw, if that makes any difference. ECL 11, standard WBL.
Thanks everyone in advance. ^^

[gbprime]

Well the easiest way to qualify for Avenging Executioner is with Ranger/Fighter or Ranger/Barbarian. You can do it in 5 levels. Or you could use Rogue instead of Ranger, but then you need 6 levels to meet the BAB 5 qualification.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'd go for Urban Ranger 2/ Warblade 3/ Avenging Executioner 5/ Warblade+. Use the Strong-Arm combat style for Ranger from Dragon 326 which grants Power Attack at 2nd level. Pick the usurper king's soldiers and minions as his favored enemy.

The character will have to be small size to be able to ride a dragon starting out. I'd use Whisper Gnome in Races of Stone, and give him the Extra Silence and Silencing Strike feats from that same book. He'll have to have a nongood alignment for Avenging Executioner, so that may interfere with what type of dragon cohort he recruits. At level 11 he can have a cohort of up to ECL 9, or a dragon cohort of up to ECL 12, so if he gets an ECL 10 or 11 dragon you can add additional hit dice. When advancing dragons they go 3 HD per age category, so adding two HD is just more HP, BAB, etc., and the third extra HD added puts it at the next age category and often increases its level adjustment as well.

He's probably going to want to ride his dragon from the start, so only medium-size choices should be considered. That means probably a Red or Gold dragon, but looking at the table on page 144 of the Draconomicon, I'd say go with a Tarterian dragon because they're just so cool. Its Freedom of Movement ability means it's impossible to disrupt its flight, and it can use its debuffing breath attack to make his character's fear effects more likely to succeed. Be sure you give it the elite array for ability scores, and I'd give it Improved Flight from Races of the Wild. Recover Breath is another good option.

[true_shinken]

Player told me he wanted Dread Witch 4, to dodge immunity, but he wants a melee frontliner build as well.
Ways to get Scare as a Duskblade? (even spell-like abilities count)

[Amphetryon]

This is relatively old, but might be useful:
Fear Handbook.

[Keld Denar]

Oh gosh, I was at a book store the other day, and I found book called Helm and Hammer, a 3rd party book devoted to dwarves. There was a 2 feat combo that gave you a fear aura, and I remember thinking "dang, thats schiggity schiggity schweet!". Might be worth a peak if you don't mind. You had to be a dragonblooded dwarf though, but thats easily adapted...

[Greenish]

This is relatively old, but might be useful:
Fear Handbook.

Looking at the handbook, a barbarian base seems to work for your specifications. Intimidating Rage, Dreadful Wrath and Imperious Command, with Never Outnumbered, should get a bunch of enemies to cower for the whole fight.

[mootoall]

Using fractional BAB you might want to stick in a level of DFA if you can. Frightful presence invocation (I think it's a least invocation ...), Dragonblooded as a bonus feat and a weak, but still cool, breath weapon. I like to use it to frighten commoners, and most non-enemies will back off if you have flames constantly licking your lips.

[Keld Denar]

Unfortunately, Frightful Presence kinda sucks. It only works on things that have fewer HD than you, which is generally not 95% of solo monster encounters, and even probably not 60% of duo and trio monster encounters. Not until the number of monsters is equal to or greater than the number of PCs will EL be diluted enough that monsters MAY have fewer HD than the PCs, and then only with certain creature types that scale 1 HD/CR, like outsiders or humanoids with class levels.

[true_shinken]

I currently stand at human Duskblade 5/Avenging Executioner 2/Dread Witch 4, with Martial Study (Devoted Spirit) to get intimidate, Lesser Aberrant Dragonmark (scare, to qualify for Dread Witch), Imperious Command and Fell Frighten (deadly deadly cantrips!).
Add Frightful Crest and Never Outnumbered and this guy is really good at stacking fear effects. Sounds good?
Unfortunatelly, not enough feat slots for a dragon mount.

[Forged Fury]

I currently stand at human Duskblade 5/Avenging Executioner 2/Dread Witch 4

I wonder if the character would be eligible to enter Nightmare Spinner from Complete Mage after that. The BAB and HP hits suck, but adding nonlethal damage anytime you generate any level fear effect, no matter the source, is kind of fun. Particularly if your fights tend to involve lots of low-level mooks.

[Elric VIII]

Wearer of Purple is a full casting PrC that allows riding dragon mounts and gains Frightful Presence at its 7th level. It can be entered easily by Duskblade, too.

EDIT: The class is from Faiths and Pantheons.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Fear Auras suck because they are limited in what you can affect, generally by HD.

Look in my sig at Takahashi no Onisan for an example of locking down with Fear effects.

Basically, because of the armor, he can intimidate as a move action. Thanks to Mass Staredown class ability, that affects everyone within 30'. This basically locks everything down with an unbeatable DC, unless it is explicitly mindless or immune to Fear effects.

[JaronK]

The best fear aura in existence is actually a Bard 1 substitution in Dragon Magic, called Inspire Awe. As long as you keep it going (and you can keep it going all day if you want) everyone around must save vs your perform check (which you can pump up to obscene levels) or be shaken. There's no HD limit, and with the Requiem feat it works on undead too... while with Haunting Melody, it sends them to Frightened right away.

Plus, the duration is as long as you're close enough and they can hear, so due to fear stacking rules all you have to do is get them to cowering (hi there, Imperious Command) and they're perma-screwed.

So, as a thought here, consider the Divine Bard (UA) with a one level dip into Cleric, the go into PrC Paladin of Freedom (also UA, and this way you can be chaotic) and then take the Holy Mount feat (which makes Divine Bard stack with Paladin for mount levels) and Dragon Steed (which makes your mount a dragon). Consider taking some flaws. You can finish out with a bunch more Cleric or with more Divine Bard.

Basic feats would be Mounted Combat, Ride By Attack, Spirited Charge, Holy Mount, Dragon Steed, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Imperious Command and Shock Trooper. Use a Valorous Lance and Riding Boots, along with various things that boost Intimidate (Admiral's Bicorn is an amazing one).

JaronK