Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLI

[Amphetryon]

I have been informed my presence is requested/required at a birthday function tomorrow night, round about the time the reveal is scheduled. For that reason, the reveal will be postponed roughly 12 hours, give or take.

[OMG PONIES]

Just lost all my formatting and have company coming from out of town. Talk about a race to the finish!

[Seer_of_Heart]

Oh god, I misread the time that I have left . I can finish at least 1 since I have it 99% planned out but I'm worried about the others.

[Piggy Knowles]

Gah, I expected to have all day tomorrow to put everything together, and all of a sudden the entire day has blown up, and it looks like I may not have time after all...

[GreenSerpent]

Wow! Snow shut down my internet and now I actually have some extra time to work on it! Yaaaay.

[OMG PONIES]

Sorry, Serpent, that sucks. Managed to get my build submitted to the Chairman, warts and all.

[Vaz]

Argh. Workk I hate you. called in with about an hours more work to go on the bake. try and squeeze a break in or else it will have to go in part done and un-stress tested. Damn story!

[Piggy Knowles]

OK, things calmed down somewhat. I think I might have time after all. Luckily I've been tweaking the build and write up in my head for a week, so it's really just a question of getting it down in writing.

[Seer_of_Heart]

, I think I'm only getting one build done :(. At least the one I'm finishing is the one I personally enjoy the most even if it won't have the best odds of winning.

edit: Why does this build have to be so complicated D:, my other ones are simple when compared to this one but my favorite is super complicated

[GreenSerpent]

Almost done! Just working on the formatting now... mine is surprisingly simple. The backstory might be a bit short though.

[Venger]

I realized the picture that a geomancer would paint if he were to take the dog voice, hound scent, cat tail, and cheetah sprint ability thoughts?

[Macabaret]

I did it. I didn't think I'd be able to get everything typed up in time for this one. But its in and sent.
And now my head hurts.

I really need to get into the habit of starting these earlier.

[GreenSerpent]

In. And sent.

AND NOW WE WAIT.

[Seer_of_Heart]

Oh god, it took me so long just to finish one . At least I finished . Now I got to hurry and try and get 2 more done.

[Piggy Knowles]

Annnnd done. That may be the fastest I've ever done the full write-up for an entry. Again, it helped that I had a strong idea of what I wanted it to look like, and I'd already gone over the build for legality and such, but man, I expected I'd be really pushing against the time limit in the end.

I realized the picture that a geomancer would paint if he were to take the dog voice, hound scent, cat tail, and cheetah sprint ability thoughts?

I hadn't given much thought to the dog voice before now, but now that you've mentioned it, I can never think of anything else!

[Vaz]

Managed to get it in. Bleh it'll do for a first toe dip.

[GreenSerpent]

I'd love to submit another, but I'm out of ideas... even the one that included Blighter levels...

[Seer_of_Heart]

Bah, at this rate my second one is not getting done too many problems popping up!

edit: Yeah, its too late Oh well I didn't expect to do well in the first place.

[Venger]

and done! man, that was a hard one

[Piggy Knowles]

And that's time! I know we've got to wait a little longer for the reveal, but I'm super excited to see what everyone's got. As far as I know, this is the first 10/10 casting progression class to get the IC treatment...

[GreenSerpent]

*silently thinking "Please, please, please work."*

[Seer_of_Heart]

And that's time! I know we've got to wait a little longer for the reveal, but I'm super excited to see what everyone's got. As far as I know, this is the first 10/10 casting progression class to get the IC treatment...

To be fair it did have a requirement that likely will cut a decent amount of levels off your build depending on how you built. I'm just a bit upset the one that I put more research into for ACFs didn't get finished in time :(

[Vaz]

Be interesting to see whether people weighted all their spell progression into one class or split it evenly.

Or indeed if anyone went for 3 casting.

[Gotterdammerung]

This is definitely gonna be an interesting round. I got 2 entries in, 1 funny cheesy entry and 1 srs business entry. Good Luck everyone and thanks in advance judges.

[The Viscount]

Mine took forever to finish, but I'm proud of it. A good first entry, I think. The wait is killing me. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.

3 casting?

[Vaz]

Having a third casting class, so Cerebromancer, or Warblade for example on an int based class.

Of course, trying to fit in 4 classes is going to be hard.

[Amphetryon]

And now it's (slightly past) time for the reveal! Please refrain from posting in this thread until I give the all clear. Thanks. Judges, good luck.

[GreenSerpent]

I'm counting this as my first real entry (I entered before, but a massive fluff argument ensued and as such I'm not counting that).

And I think, despite a short-ish backstory which I hope won't get penalised (seeing as some judges tend to equate long backstory = high scores), I've done a half-decent job.

[Amphetryon]

Talk about your mountain man.

There is a saying in Onaako-Thao: "All men must go to the mountain." Not everyone knows what it means; to be sure, the great hillside's towering bulk is a lodestone of men, a destination for mystics' pilgrimages and men of learning from the university alike. But even the children who run in the streets have a sense that there is more to the words.

The corners of the village streets today are dotted with temples to Talos, Chauntea, Helm, and Waukeen, new gods of the west, and humans now outnumber the goliath hillfolk who founded Onaako-Thao nearly two to one. Conjurers and wizards walk the streets openly, peddling their wares and services to those who can pay. Only the old men and women of the village remember the days when the morning's prayer was a hymn to the mountain, and magic a thing to be feared. Only the most ancient of all remember a story told to them by their grandparents and great-grandparents, of a boy who sang to the mountain...and the mountain listened.

The boy was apprenticed to the village's Stonesinger, a respectable calling for a youngest son, and his sweet voice was the talk of the town. When the sun rose over the nearby peak, the high, fluting notes of his hymnal greeting to it rivaled the beauty of the greatest Dawncaller of the wandering tribes. At dusk, when the last rays of daylight lit up the face of the mountain with heavenly fire, orange, yellow, and pink, the sadness in his voice was such that none could doubt the sun would take pity and return the next day. Even when the moon was high in the sky, and wiser folk stayed behind locked doors, he would whistle the stars across the night, and his neighbors said it always seemed the dawn came a little quicker with his melody.

"I am old," his teacher, the Stonesinger, told him one night, "and I can feel in my bones that my time in this world is ending. My voice has gone haggard and ragged, and the sun will not long listen to the pleas of a tired old soul. Your singing is perfect, the purest I have heard in all my years, and you are nearly ready to take my place in Onaako-Thao, but you are still very young. I wish that I had more time to teach you, to tell you what there is to come in a life like ours, but it is not to be. There is one task left that you must do before this mantle can be passed on. You must take me to the mountain to live out my remaining days in contemplation and prayer, and it is there, with a song in my throat and the sky before me, that I must die. All men must go to the mountain."

"All men must go to the mountain," the boy repeated, and he felt tears begin to dim his vision as he asked, "When must we go?"

"Tonight," the Stonesinger said. "It is time."

So they made their rounds, stopping by each house in the village to say their goodbyes. Tears were shed, respects were paid, embraces lingered, and at last the two stood before a huddled crowd in the village square, ready to depart on the old man's last journey.

But the quiet, dignified goodbye he had planned for himself was not to be the Stonesinger's fate, for there are worse things than the creeping dark that roam the hills of Kara-Tur at night, and that was the day that the dead came to Onaako-Thao.

The blacksmith's wife was the first to see the rotting shamblers enter the circle of firelight, first to scream. As old bones rattled and dead hands closed on desperate throats, the villagers began to scatter, some running for doorways or loved ones, other backing against stone walls or cowering where they stood. The Stonesinger's apprentice saw his father disappear behind the reaching claws of a pack of ghouls, lost his master in the chaos, and most terrible of all, a black-robed figure directing the dead, shrouded in a darkness deeper than any night.

The boy's voice rose up in him without any act of will, a desperate sound whose notes spoke of loss, and time, and a rage built up from the very stones of the hills at this unnatural horror. But the chant that issued forth from his throat was not the delicate tones that charmed the sun into the sky every morning; it was the sound of great cliffs, and avalanches, and deep chasms in the rock; the sound of a thousand thousand tons of stone, of every throat of every wolf and bear that roamed the hillside roaring all at once. It was not a song to the mountain; it was the mountain's song, and in response, the mountain itself rose up, sending hails of stone and shards of granite hurtling at the invaders. The necromancer fell, clutching his throat, and the dead crumpled with him, drained of any motive force.

Amidst the fading screams, the Stonesinger's voice was the first to be heard clearly. "Help me," he said, "quickly. This is the death I foresaw, and it is not far off. I must go to the mountain we sing to, and die there like those who came before us. My voice must join with those of the spirits you have called. Hurry!"

And so the boy, supporting his aged and bleeding master, began the long trek up the mountain path, away from the wreckage of home and the few pleas for help that made themselves heard over the screams.

They settled at a small pool fed by a spring, perhaps halfway up the mountain. The Stonesinger nodded in approval as they approached it. "Yes," he murmured, "this is where it was meant to be. Set me down by the brook, fetch me a cupful of the mountain's tears, and sit vigil for me. It will not be long."

The two of them sat in silence as the night wore on, and despite the Stonesinger's premonition, his ragged breathing wore on for some hours. As the Eastern sky began to lighten, though, the boy noticed that the silence had become deeper, and looking over, saw that the old man was perfectly still. As the dawn began to come, he breathed in and began to sing, words of grief, fear, and overwhelming responsibility welling up and demanding to be heard. But as he opened his mouth to let the song pour out, he felt tears trickle down from his eyes, and his voice cracked badly, unable to realize the beauty of the music that resonated throughout his mind.

Dejected, he began his long trek back down the mountainside, the first rays of the morning sun lighting his way. He expected solemn faces on his return, graves to be dug, songs of mourning to be sung; he did not even know if his father was alive. But as he stepped off the last legs of the mountain path and onto the village streets, he noticed something he had not expected: the villagers avoided his gaze, or hurried indoors when they saw him. He was merely confused the first few times he saw this, but as it continued to happen, he grew concerned. Finally, he confronted the town's carpenter, a close friend of his father's, about why the village was avoiding him. The explanation he received was completely beyond his understanding.

"The song you sang last night...it was not the music you have been taught. It was not the miracle of the day you sang for, it was the power of the mountain's heart, it was witchery, forbidden magic. It is not our way to claim the mountain's voice as our own. And then, after branding yourself a witch, you flee the carnage, leave your own father to die, and disappear with our beloved Stonesinger, only to return without him? You have chosen your own path, and it is that of exile. I should not even have acknowledged you to explain it to you; if you did not already understand this, then you were not born to sing for this clan. We shall find another Stonesinger, and until then, the dawn must come on its own time. It is not the first time such a thing has happened here. Goodbye."

After that dismissal, no amount of arguing, no plea that he had saved the village, nor claim that he had been honoring the Stonesinger's own requests, would sway any of the village elders. Instead, they shunned him, turning away or pretending they could not hear him, until finally, weeping, he turned back and began the long trek back up the mountain, away from his home.

In the years after his exile, many rumors and reports of the boy's whereabouts circulated in the streets of Onaako-Thao. Though many men, hunters and pilgrims alike, claimed to have seen him, none of their stories agreed. Some said he had grown lichen and vines, becoming like the stones of the mountain; others said his hands had become like the paws of the beasts who roamed the highland wilds. Still more claimed that he had sprouted great wings, and that he lived in a nest with the eagles who claimed the mountain's peak as their home, or that he could pull game or bandits to himself with magic, just as the mountain was said to call to those whose time had come. Neither could those who met him agree on his motives; some said they had barely escaped his wrath alive, while others told tales of a mysterious stranger rescuing them from the clutches of bandits or goblins.

No-one knows, now, what happened to the boy who sang the mountain's song. But some things are certain: The villagers know that no outside force has threatened Onaako-Thao since the dead attacked it, nearly a hundred years ago. They know that the sun has continued to rise at the appointed time every day since then. And they know that, sometimes, just before dawn, a few notes of a song, deep and powerful, can just barely be heard over the whispering wind.

The boy was named Fuji. So is the mountain, now. No-one knows, anymore, which was named for which. But just wait another hundred years, my friend, and I'm sure no-one will even remember there was ever a difference between the two.
Fuji-san, NG Goliath, Divine Bard 4 / Wu Jen 3 / Geomancer 10 / Wizard 1 / Marshal 1

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{table=head]ECL|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features
1st|Goliath LA|||||Racial: +2 to Sense Motive||Racial: Acclimated, mountain movement, powerful build,
2nd|Divine Bard 1|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|Balance 4, Concentration 4, Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (nature) 4, Perform (sing) 4, Spellcraft 4, Tumble 4, Use Magic Device 4|Improved Unarmed Strike|Bardic music, bardic knack, healing hymn, inspire courage +1, spellbreaker song
3rd|Divine Bard 2|

+1

|

+0

|

+3

|

+3

|Balance 5, Concentration 5, Knowledge (arcana) 5, Knowledge (nature) 5, Perform (sing) 5, Spellcraft 5, Tumble 5, Use Magic Device 5||
4th|Wu Jen 1|

+1

|

+0

|

+3

|

+5

|Concentration 6, Knowledge (arcana) 6, Knowledge (nature) 6, Spellcraft 6|Practiced Spellcaster (Wu Jen), Extend Spell (b)|Watchful Spirit
5th|Wu Jen 2|

+2

|

+0

|

+3

|

+6

|Concentration 7, Knowledge (arcana) 7, Knowledge (nature) 7, Spellcraft 7||
6th|Divine Bard 3|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|

+6

|Concentration 8, Knowledge (arcana) 8, Knowledge (nature) 8, Perform (sing) 6, Spellcraft 8, Use Magic Device 8||Inspire Competence
7th|Divine Bard 4|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|

+7

|Concentration 9, Knowledge (arcana) 9, Knowledge (nature) 9, Spellcraft 9, Tumble 8, Use Magic Device 9|Improved Grapple|
8th|Wu Jen 3|

+4

|

+2

|

+5

|

+8

|Concentration 10, Knowledge (arcana) 10, Knowledge (nature) 10, Spellcraft 10||Spell secret (still spell, whirling blade)
9th|Geomancer 1|

+4

|

+4

|

+5

|

+10

|Concentration 11, Knowledge (arcana) 11, Knowledge (nature) 11, Spellcraft 11, Use Magic Device 10 (cc)||Drift (feathers), spell versatility 0
10th|Geomancer 2|

+5

|

+5

|

+5

|

+11

|Concentration 12, Knowledge (arcana) 12, Knowledge (nature) 12, Spellcraft 12, Use Magic Device 11 (cc)|Arcane Strike|Drift (vines for hair), ley lines (mountains) +1, spell versatility 1
11th|Geomancer 3|

+6

|

+5

|

+6

|

+11

|Concentration 13, Knowledge (arcana) 13, Knowledge (nature) 13, Spellcraft 13, Use Magic Device 12 (cc)||Drift (swift as an elk), spell versatility 2
12th|Geomancer 4|

+7

|

+6

|

+6

|

+12

|Concentration 14, Knowledge (arcana) 14, Knowledge (nature) 14, Spellcraft 14, Use Magic Device 13 (cc)||Drift (sprout leaves), spell versatility 3
13th|Wizard (transmuter) 1|

+7

|

+6

|

+6

|

+14

|Concentration 15, Knowledge (arcana) 15, Knowledge (nature) 15, Spellcraft 15, Use Magic Device 13.5 (cc)|Spell Mastery (Whirling Blade, Alter Self), Martial Study (Mountain Hammer) (b)|Summon familiar, focused specialist (transmuter), combat prowess, banned schools: illusion, enchantment, necromancy
14th|Geomancer 5|

+7

|

+6

|

+6

|

+14

|Concentration 16, Knowledge (arcana) 16, Knowledge (nature) 16, Spellcraft 16, Use Magic Device 15 (cc)||Drift (lionlike claws), spell versatility 4
15th|Geomancer 6|

+8

|

+7

|

+7

|

+15

|Concentration 17, Knowledge (arcana) 17, Knowledge (nature) 17, Spellcraft 17, Use Magic Device 16.5 (cc)||Drift (deer antlers), ley lines (mountains) +2, spell versatility 5
16th|Geomancer 7|

+9

|

+7

|

+7

|

+15

|Concentraiton 18, Knowledge (arcana) 18, Knowledge (nature) 18, Spellcraft 18, Use Magic Device 18 (cc)|Signature Spell (Whirling Blade)|Drift (grab like a bear), spell versatility 6
17th|Geomancer 8|

+10

|

+8

|

+7

|

+16

|Concentration 19, Knowledge (arcana) 19, Knowledge (nature) 19, Spellcraft 19, Tumble 8.5 (cc), Use Magic Device 19 (cc)||Drift (acid stinger), spell versatility 7
18th|Geomancer 9|

+10

|

+8

|

+8

|

+16

|Concentration 20, Knowledge (arcana) 20, Knowledge (nature) 20, Spellcraft 20, Tumble 9 (cc), Use Magic Device 20 (cc)||Drift (feathered wings), spell versatility 8
19th|Geomancer 10|

+11

|

+9

|

+8

|

+17

|Concentration 21, Knowledge (arcana) 21, Knowledge (nature) 21, Spellcraft 21, Tumble 9.5 (cc), Use Magic Device 21 (cc)|Martial Stance (Crushing Weight of the Mountain)|Drift (trip like a wolf), ley lines (mountains) +3, spell versatility 9
20th|Marshal 1|

+11

|

+11

|

+8

|

+19

|Concentration 22 (cc) Knowledge (arcana) 22, Knowledge (nature) 22, Tumble 10 (cc), Use Magic Device 22 (cc)|Skill Focus (diplomacy) (b)|Minor aura (motivate strength)[/table]


Total Skill Ranks:

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Balance: 5
Concentration: 22
Knowledge (arcana): 22
Knowledge (nature): 22
Perform (sing): 6
Spellcraft: 21
Tumble: 10
Use Magic Device: 22

Ability Scores:

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32-point buy

Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14 (includes racial modifiers)

Increase Dex at level 4, then Cha at all other levels.

Final: Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 17

Spells:

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Geomancer advances Wu Jen casting at all levels.

Spells/day do not include ability score bonuses (since those will vary based on gear selection).

Spells known lists are not exhaustive, merely highlights; those which are underlined are particularly important to the build.

Bard

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Spells/Day{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th
1st|2|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|3|0|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|3|0|-|-|-|-|-
4th|3|0|-|-|-|-|-
5th|3|1|-|-|-|-|-
6th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
7th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
8th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
9th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
10th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
11th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
12th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
13th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
14th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
15th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
16th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
17th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
18th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-
19th|3|2|0|-|-|-|-[/table]

Spells Known:{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th
1st|4|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|5|2|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|5|2|-|-|-|-|-
4th|5|2|-|-|-|-|-
5th|6|3|-|-|-|-|-
6th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
7th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
8th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
9th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
10th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
11th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
12th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
13th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
14th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
15th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
16th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
17th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
18th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-
19th|6|3|2|-|-|-|-[/table]

Important spells known:
0 - Prestidigitation
1 - Inspirational Boost, Grease, Sleep
2 - Mirror Image, Whirling Blade

Wu Jen

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Spells/Day{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th
1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|4|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|4|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|4|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|4|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
8th|4|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
9th|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-
10th|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-
11th|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-
12th|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-
13th|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-
14th|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-
15th|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-
16th|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-
17th|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-
18th|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-
19th|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-[/table]

Important spells known:
0 - All cantrips known
1 - Scales of the Lizard, Shield
2 - Alter Self, Heart of Air
3 - Dispel Magic, Fire Wings, Greater Magic Weapon, Heart of Water, Keen Edge, Wreath of Flames
4 - Heart of Earth, Pain, Polymorph, Solid Fog
5 - Heart of Fire, Metal Skin, Teleport
6 - Eyes of the Oracle, Greater Dispel Magic, True Seeing
7 - Giant Size

Wizard

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Spells/Day{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th
1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
8th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
9th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
10th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
11th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
12th|2+3|0+3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
13th|2+3|0+3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
14th|2+3|0+3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
15th|2+3|0+3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
16th|2+3|0+3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
17th|2+3|0+3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
18th|2+3|0+3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
19th|2+3|0+3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-[/table]

Important spells known:
0 - All cantrips known
1 - Blood Wind, Fist of Stone, Mage Armor

Suggested Equipment:

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In addition to the usual stat-boosting equipment (which should focus on Cha, Str, and Con), the following items may prove useful:

• Gloves of Titan's Grip can provide a substantial boost to grapple checks a few times per day.
• Wands of Wraithstrike, Fearsome Grapple, and Divine Power will help out immensely, and can be used thanks to your Wizard level and high UMD.
• Amulet of Mighty Fists will help out your natural attacks.
• A Vest of Legends, along with your Inspirational Boost spell, will raise your Inspire Courage to a somewhat respectable +3.
• A mouthpick slashing weapon, for use with Whirling Blade in non-humanoid forms.

Build Snapshots

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Level 5

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At this level, Fuji-san suffers from many of the problems that often plague would-be theurges at low levels, especially delayed spellcasting progression (he can only cast level 1 spells with both his classes). Fortunately, between his Bardic Music (Inspire Courage and Healing Hymn), ability to use wands of Cure Light Wounds for out-of-combat healing, and the Wu Jen's pretty decent selection of level 1 spells (including stand-outs Sleep, Protection from X, and Hail of Stone, which deals its full 5d4 AoE damage thanks to Practiced Spellcaster), he can still provide pretty decent party support. Thanks to Bardic Knack, along with Inspire Competence and well-rounded ability scores, he can also make a decent back-up skillmonkey, either via the aid another action, or due to having limited expertise in literally everything (so he can do anything the party's real skillmonkey hasn't invested the skill points into).

Level 10

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At level 10, Fuji-san's identity as a grappling gish has started to solidify. Thanks to being a monstrous humanoid, he can Alter Self into the excellent Blackscale Lizardfolk form (+7 natural armor, bite/claw/claw natural attacks, and large size, which stacks with Powerful Build). His grapple check is further improved by his acquisition of the Improved Grapple feat, and unlike most grapplers, his Wu Jen spells (especially Fire Wings) allow him to close reliably with most any opponent. Once opponents are grappled, he can make full attacks against them with his natural attacks, all of which can benefit from the bonus damage dice he gets from Arcane Strike and his Wreath of Flames spell.

Level 15

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At this level, Fuji-san's main trick comes online: Using Whirling Blade (which he can cast spontaneously from any 2nd level or higher Wu Jen spell slot), he becomes capable of striking any target within 60 feet and initiating a grapple with them (as long as they are at least one size category smaller than him, including Powerful Build, thanks to Improved Grab from drift), which if successful will pull them to his square (and is likely to be successful, with a further improved grapple check thanks to Fist of Stone's bonus and his new octopus familiar). Once in a grapple, he can strike with his natural attack progression, which in Blackscale Lizardfolk form (which explicitly doesn't remove natural attacks granted by class levels) has improved to bite/claw/claw/rake/rake/gore/slam, thanks to drift and the wizard spell Fist of Stone.

Fuji-san's defenses have also improved, thanks to now being able to cast the full Heart of X progression (crit immunity); he can double as battlefield control support with Solid Fog; and he has access to Polymorph for yet more ludicrous shapechanging power. Since he has Improved Grab from class levels, he need not select forms that grant it to retain his grappling prowess. Good forms include Hydra (large size, many natural attacks), Sun Giant (huge size, 37 str, retains spellcasting ability), and young gold dragon (many natural attacks, fly speed, retains spellcasting, but only large size).

Level 19 (max)

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At his maximum level, Fuji-san is a complete grappling monstrosity. His grapple check is through the roof with Motivate Strength granting his charisma bonus to it, and he's learned to cast Giant Size, which can increase his size to gargantuan (+24 str) or collosal (+32 str) where he has ley lines. His natural attack routine in gold dragon form (whose merely large size no longer matters due to Giant Size, and which can cast spells, allowing for Whirling Blade with mouthpick weapons) can now be bite/claw/claw/rake/rake/gore/sting/wing/wing/tail/slam plus constrict from the Crushing Weight of the Mountain stance.

Against foes who are can't be grappled (either because they're also freakishly huge and strong, or because your DM has decided to hose you with an unfavorable interpretation of Freedom of Movement), you're still far from useless. There are much worse things to be than a gish with a freakishly large number of natural attacks that all stack with those granted by Polymorph. You can even use your natural attack routine at range a couple times per day thanks to the wizard spell Blood Wind (though it won't trigger a grapple, thanks to counting as a thrown weapon attack). Being extremely large in combat provides you with enormous reach, and you get a free trip attempt whenever you hit with one of your many natural weapons, thanks to your final drift ability. Pick a form like Hydra with Combat Reflexes as a racial bonus feat, and you're an outstanding battlefield-control melee fighter. You can also try to circumvent your FoM-enabled DM hosing with (Greater) Dispel Magic, which you can cast at maximum or near-maximum level, thanks to Practiced Spellcaster and Ley Lines. Finally, as a spellcaster, you remain reasonably useful as party support, able to buff with spells like Greater Magic Weapon and Keen Edge, or assist in transit with Teleport.

Tips and Tricks

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Rules Lawyering

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How can you initiate a grapple at range with Whirling Blade? And how does that pull the target?

The Whirling Blade spell reads, "You make a normal melee attack, just as if you attacked with the weapon in melee, against each foe in the weapon's path...The weapon deals damage just as if you had swung it in melee". The Improved Grab ability reads, "If a creature with this special attack hits with a melee weapon...it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required." It also states, "When a creature gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space." Thus, hitting with Whirling Blade (a melee attack) triggers Improved Grab, and if the grapple check is successful, it pulls the target to your space.

As a cheesy bonus, Improved Grab also states, "The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents." It's somewhat unclear what effect his has if you initiate the grapple with something other than a part of your body (i.e., a manufactured melee weapon), but the Scorpion's Grasp feat from Sandstorm (which grants an ability very similar to Improved Grab which is explicitly for use with armed combat) indicates that opponents grappled in this way are held in the off hand. It's also unclear whether you can be grappling more than one opponent at once in this way (it seems likely that you can, since you explicitly are "not considered grappled"). If your DM rules that this is possible, I like to imagine Fuji-san at his most enormous (the only time he's likely to be winning grapple checks at a -20 penalty), striding around the battlefield with a fistful of comparatively tiny foes, grabbing up more as he goes and taking a bite or a swipe at his handful of enemies whenever he has a spare moment.

How are you making a Bard spell your signature spell, rather than a Wizard spell? Or applying the Wu Jen spell secret to a Bard spell?

These abilities do not specify that the chosen spell must come from the associated class. In the case of Spell Secret, the wording is "one spell known to her." In the case of Spell Mastery, the wording is "a number of spells equal to your Intelligence modifier that you already know." Signature spell merely requires "one spell that you have mastered with the Spell Mastery feat." I argue that these choices are analogous to the widely-accepted fact that a Duskblade can use the Arcane Channeling ability on non-Duskblade spells. The wording of all three abilities stands in contrast to, for example, the Bard's ability to cast spells in light armor, which specifies that, "A bard can cast bard spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance...A multiclass bard still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes."

Are you sure you can attack with all your natural weapons at once when grappling?

Yes. It's explicitly stated in this Rules of the Game article.

Adaptation

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If flaws are allowed, Knowledge Devotion would benefit Fuji-san significantly, since he has all knowledge skills as class skills (thanks to Wu Jen) and two required knowledge skills (for Geomancer). If you do take Knowledge Devotion, it's recommended that you reshuffle skill points a bit to get some ranks in all the monster-identifying knowledge skills. Multiattack would be a good choice for your second flaw.

If flaws and level adjustment buyoff are both allowed, and your DM has a lenient interpretation of Spell Versatility, Fuji-san would love to get his hands on DMM: Persist, to improve his staying power and take even more advantage of the charisma synergy allowed by Spell Versatility. A level of Sacred Exorcist would grant Turn Undead; Extend Spell and Practiced Spellcaster would be moved to the flaw bonus feat; Persistent Spell would be taken as the Wu Jen bonus feat, and the remaining feats would be reshuffled to be taken earlier (with Martial Stance instead of Martial Study as the Wizard bonus feat) to allow for DMM at level 18. DMM-Persisted Giant Size would be pretty cool. As a bonus, you'd get a second level 7 Wu Jen spell per day, allowing you to pick up one of the other excellent choices at this level (I recommend Arcane Spellsurge or Body Outside Body).

If flaws and level adjustment buyoff are both allowed, but your DM doesn't think Spell Versatility lets you use DMM on arcane spells, a level of Soul Eater would provide some serious debuff pain to an evil version of Fuji-san. Altertness could even be picked up from the familiar, allowing you to combine this with the Knowledge Devotion suggestion.

Use of the Secret Ingredient

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Geomancer has 5 features: 10/10 casting, a decent chassis (7/10 BAB and d6 HD), spell versatility, drift, and ley lines. Fuji-san utilizes all five of these features:

• Casting advancement is central to his progression as a gish.
• The chassis allows him to advance his Wu Jen casting while maintaining a decent combat presence.
• Spell versatility allows him to use charisma to determine all of his spell DC's, reducing MAD when spending his WBL and allowing him to use Motivate Charisma to bulk up his grapple modifier without crippling his spellcasting.
• Drift provides the Improved Grab ability, which is required for his main trick (pulling with Whirling Blade) to work. It also provides the bulk of his natural attacks, which are central to his combat style (blendering foes while grappling), along with goodies like (ex) flight and the wolf's trip ability, for use as battlefield control, or against non-grapplable foes.
• Ley Lines bring Fuji-san's caster level up to 20 (from 17 with Practiced Spellcaster) in his favored terrain. Among other benefits, this bumps his size when using Giant Size up to collosal (from a "mere" gargantuan in other terrain).

Sources

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• Complete Divine: Geomancer
• Complete Arcane: Wu Jen (including most spells), Practiced Spellcaster
• Miniatures Handbook: Marshal.
• Races of Stone: Goliath.
• Tome of Battle: Martial Study and Martial Stance.
• Complete Warrior: Arcane Strike.
• Player's Guide to Faerûn: Signature Spell
• Spell Compendium: Various spells.
• SRD: Divine Bard and Combat Prowess ACF.
• Player's Handbook 2: Bardic Knack ACF.
• Complete Champion: Healing Hymn ACF.
• Complete Mage: Spellbreaker Song and Focused Specialist ACF's
• Stormwrack: Octopus familiar

[Amphetryon]

His name is already legendary.

Minor alterations have been made to the following tables to ensure clarity.

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Meepo The Geomancer
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Base Fort Save|Base Ref Save|Base Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features
1st|Hexblade|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|4 Know (Arcana), 2 Know (Nature)|Dragonwrought Kobold|Hexblade's Curse 1/day
2nd|Hexblade|

+2

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|2 Concentration||Arcane Resistance
3rd|Hexblade|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|1 Know (Nature)|Shield Proficiency|Mettle
4th|Hexblade|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|1 Know (Religion)||Dark Companion, Arcane Spellcasting
5th|Hexblade|

+5

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|1 Know (Nature)|Combat Casting|Bonus Feat, Hexblade's Curse 2/day
6th|Hexblade|

+6/+1

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|1 Know (Religion)|Weapon Focus: Rapier|
7th|Hexblade|

+7/+2

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|2 Know (Arcana)||Greater Hexblade's Curse
8th|Hexblade|

+8/+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|2 Spellcraft||
9th|Divine Crusader of Olidammara|

+8/+3

|

+4

|

+2

|

+8

|1 Know (Nature)|Force of Personality|Aura, Divine Spellcasting
10th|Divine Crusader of Olidammara|

+9/+4

|

+5

|

+2

|

+9

|1 Know (Nature)||
11th|Geomancer|

+9/+4

|

+7

|

+2

|

+11

|1 Concentration, 1 Spellcraft, 2 Know (Geography)||Drift 1 (Dog Voice), Spell Versatility 0, +1 Spellcasting Level (Divine Crusader)
12th|Geomancer|

+10/+5

|

+8

|

+2

|

+12

|2 Concentration, 2 Spellcraft|Practiced Spellcaster|Drift 1 (Wilting Touch), Ley Lines +1 (Desert), Spell Versatility 1, +1 Spellcasting Level (Divine Crusader)
13th|Geomancer|

+11/+6/+1

|

+8

|

+3

|

+12

|2 Concentration, 2 Spellcraft||Drift 2 (Photosynthetic), Spell Versatility 2, +1 Spellcasting Level (Divine Crusader)
14th|Geomancer|

+12/+7/+2

|

+9

|

+3

|

+13

|2 Concentration, 2 Spellcraft||Drift 2 (Go without water for 5 days), Spell Versatility 3, +1 Spellcasting Level (Divine Crusader)
15th|Geomancer|

+12/+7/+2

|

+9

|

+3

|

+13

|2 Concentration, 2 Spellcraft|Trickery Devotion|Drift 3 (Weapon Finesse, 2 1d2 Claws), Spell Versatility 4, +1 Spellcasting Level (Divine Crusader)
16th|Geomancer|

+13/+8/+3

|

+10

|

+4

|

+14

|4 Know (Geography)||Drift 3 (1d4 Bite), Ley Lines +2 (Desert), Spell Versatility 5, +1 Spellcasting Level (Divine Crusader)
17th|Geomancer|

+14/+9/+4

|

+10

|

+4

|

+14

|2 Know (Geography), 2 Know (Nature)||Drift 4 (30ft Scent), Spell Versatility 6, +1 Spellcasting Level (Divine Crusader)
18th|Geomancer|

+15/+10/+5

|

+11

|

+4

|

+15

|2 Know (Geography), 2 Know (Nature)|Trickery Devotion|Drift 4 (Free trip on successful natural attack), Spell Versatility 7, +1 Spellcasting Level (Divine Crusader)
19th|Geomancer|

+15/+10/+5

|

+11

|

+5

|

+15

|2 Know (Geography), 2 Know (Arcana)||Drift 5 (60ft Fly), Spell Versatility 8, +1 Spellcasting Level (Hexblade)
20th|Geomancer|

+16/+11/+6/+1

|

+12

|

+7

|

+16

|2 Know (Geography), 2 Know (Arcana)||Drift 5 (+2 Reflex Saves), Ley Lines +3 (Desert), Spell Versatility 9, +1 Spellcasting Level (Hexblade)[/table]
Ability score bonuses have not been applied to saving throws above.

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The following tables do not include bonus spells/day gained from high ability scores.
Hexblade Spells/Day
{table=head]Level|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th|Source
1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Hexblade
2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Hexblade
3rd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Hexblade
4th|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Hexblade
5th|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Hexblade
6th|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Hexblade
7th|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Hexblade
8th|1|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Hexblade
9th|1|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Geomancer
10th|1|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Geomancer[/table]
Hexblade Spells Known
{table=head]Level|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th
1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
8th|4|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
9th|4|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
10th|4|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-[/table]
Hexblade 1st Level Spells: Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Augment Familiar, Disguise Self, Prestidigitation
Hexblade 2nd Level Spells: Alter Self, Bull's Strength, Mirror Image

Divine Crusader Spells/Day
{table=head]Level|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th|Source
1st|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Divine Crusader
2nd|1|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|Divine Crusader
3rd|2|1|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|Geomancer
4th|2|2|1|0|-|-|-|-|-|Geomancer
5th|3|2|2|1|0|-|-|-|-|Geomancer
6th|3|3|2|2|1|0|-|-|-|Geomancer
7th|3|3|3|2|2|1|0|-|-|Geomancer
8th|3|3|3|3|2|2|1|0|-|Geomancer
9th|3|3|3|3|3|2|2|1|0|Geomancer
10th|3|3|3|3|3|3|2|2|1|Geomancer[/table]
The Divine Crusader chooses one domain (Luck) from their deity (Olidammara) and uses the spells of that domain exclusively.

Meepo The Geomancer
Meepo is a Melee Agility He- no, wait. Let me get myself back into shape. Meepo is intended to be a reasonably versatile character who possesses limited, high-level spellcasting while still remaining competent in melee combat. A mischevious spirit of desert dunes and the Scintillant Wasteland, he has gained favour from the trickster god Olidammara for his power and continued devotion to his cause. A master of luck and reasonably talented in spellcasting and melee combat, he serves well as the party's "Fifth Wheel."

He is a Venerable Desert Kobold with the following ability score array, which was created using a 32 Point-Buy:
1: 10/18/16/10/6/19
4: 10/18/16/10/6/20
8: 10/18/16/10/6/21
12: 10/18/16/10/6/22
16: 10/18/16/10/6/23
20: 10/18/16/10/6/24

{(Level 5)}
Hexblade! Not the most optimised class to be sure, but at least you have full BAB and a few tricks up your sleeve. Your curse, Dark Companion (ACF found on page 47 of PHB II, replaces familiar) and resistances should help you survive these early levels. Your Will saves are taking a hit from your horrid Wisdom, but that will change in a few levels when you can spare the feats. With a chain shirt and a rapier, you'll be a competent opponent even if you lack the damage output of the other classes. You fit well as the fifth wheel of a party as a result of your mediocre nature. Shield proficiency isn't of any particular use right now unless you choose to forsake your limited number of (still somewhat useful) spells.

{(Level 10)}
Your first step into divinity. As a scion of Olidammara, your competence with bending luck from the Hexblade base class are enhanced with a small degree of divine spellcasting. It's not much, though, and your spell list is limited to supportive buffs for now - as the fifth wheel of a party, however, you're still competent at what you do. Your hexblade class features are better, but you had to take a somewhat dead level to qualify for the Geomancer prestige class. On the upside, your Hexblade spells are still useful and the Force of Personality feat has changed the attribute for your will saves to your pumped up charisma. Hopefully you've upgraded to at least a mithril chain shirt and obtained a few attribute-boosting items to help with your dependencies on your charisma and physical attributes.

{(Level 15)}
You're starting to head down the path of the beasts here. Olidammara has blessed you with strange powers in recognition of your continued service, however strange they may be, and in return you have trained yourself to embrace Olidammara's Trickery domain in the form of a shadow duplicate. Its competence in battle should help you keep up with the other characters in the party, keeping in mind that many of your spells are still focused on buffing. Your clone can also be used to protect your party's true spellcasters through the ability to cast spells through them and their previously mentioned combat presence. Practiced spellcaster will help you keep up with other spellcasters, though it will become more useful once you obtain Miracle. You also get a nice boost to your To-Hit thanks to Weapon Finesse.

{(Level 20)}
Here we go. This is the big level, the one you've been waiting for. You're borderline epic, if epic is a potential option for you, and your continued service to Olidammara has given you a number of benefits in the form of physical mutations and enhanced spellcasting. In addition to your reasonable hexblade casting, you now have access to Miracle as a divine spell, which will allow you to cast any spell of 7th level of lower. Unless your DM has chosen you to be the team's redshirt, your extended service to Olidammara as a mortal avatar should make him think twice about making this spell backfire through the use of its more advanced effects. Not only does Miracle provide you with a large selection of spells at little personal cost (The experience cost is only if you make a powerful, reality-changing effect), but its versatility almost makes up for your plethora of supportive and protective magic from all the previous levels. The addition of a second clone through another Trickery Devotion feat provides some added flexibility to an already flexible skill, with many of the same benefits as you previously had. Good magic items will ensure that you're still competent in the melee, and with a high charisma you may be able to afford multiple uses of Miracle per day if the need to do so arises. Hopefully Olidammara is so charmed by your charisma that he won't mind being summoned multiple times per day.

As the logical peak of the character's level and the point at which he has all ten levels in the Geomancer prestige class, Level 20 is the most obvious "sweet point" of the build. However, the design of the character leaves him reasonably strong at all levels - he is strong in melee combat early on, and he gains useful spells later on that help him "keep up" with spellcasters as the effectiveness of melee combat diminishes.