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2013-07-21, 11:28 PM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Well, I finally had a second idea, but it's well past the deadline, so that's a pity. But now I have two build ideas to share after the reveal!
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2013-07-22, 08:03 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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- Apr 2011
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
So sorry about the lateness - my motherboard fried last Thursday, and I've been limited to public access computers since then. Not to fear, as I'm picking up a replacement tonight.
On that note, please refrain from posting until I can get all of the entires up. Thank you.Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 08:07 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
He's gonna get you
Originally Posted by The Grasping Mist
Last edited by Kuulvheysoon; 2013-07-22 at 10:22 AM.
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 08:10 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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- Apr 2011
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
He goes on the Hunt alone
Originally Posted by Talsum
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 08:12 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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- Apr 2011
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Although he's no Initiate,the Faerie hold no Mysteries for him.
Originally Posted by Khair Ostern
Khair Ostern
LN Human – Cloistered Cleric of Aureon 3/Monk 2/Church Inquisitor 2/Sacred Fist 2/Shiba Protector 1/Cold Iron Warrior 10
Prologue
Spoiler
Khair Ostren was born in Bluevine in Aundair while Last War was still ravaging around. It was year 976 YK and life was though especially in village so close to ever-moving borders of Thrane and Eldeen Reaches. As he was growing up, he saw few of his older siblings go to war. Still, his mother and father maintained the family and the house in proper condition and his youth was good. But when he turned 7 years old, everything changed.
One night, he was sleeping soundly with his family, when he woke up because of strange noise coming out of the kitchen. Barefooted he sneaked closer to see what is going on and he saw it. Small person, even smaller then he was, rummaging through the pots holding a lantern. When she saw him, she immediately charmed him. He went to play with her, to make his new friend happy, and they did play for some time. However while playing he hasn’t noticed, that the lantern the fey was carrying was knocked over and set a part of the house on fire. It took some time before the fire and smoke broke him away from his games. He screamed in horror as the fey ran away. He immediately ran to his parents to wake them up. Smoke was everywhere and before he got to them, big part of the house was already covered in flames. He was quickly sent out as his parents went for other kids to get them out. However they never made it. As Khair was standing outside, he saw the house collapse and trap everyone inside. No one could help his parents and siblings anymore. Villagers who were woken up by the sound of fire tried to help, but it was too late. Khair as only survivor and orphan was sent to monastery nearby, so that monks could take care of him…
Ability scores
SpoilerStr: 13/+1 (+1 at 4th lvl)
Dex: 14/+2
Con: 14/+2
Int: 13/+1
Wis: 16/+3 (+1 at 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th lvl)
Cha: 8/-1
Build
Spoiler
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features
1st|Cloistered Cleric 1|+0|+2|+0|+2|Spellcraft 4, Kn (Nature) 4, Kn (Religion) 4, Kn (Arcana) 4, Diplomacy 4, Concentration 4, Sense Motive (cc) 2 (4), Spot (cc) 2 (4) |Combat Casting, Iron Will (human) |Domains: Law (traded for Law Devotion), Knowledge (traded for Knowledge Devotion, Kn (Nature) as class skill), Magic; Turn Undead, Spontaneous Casting (cure spells), Lore
2nd|Monk 1|+0|+4|+2|+4|Kn (Religion) +1, Sense Motive +1, Spot +1, Diplomacy +1, Concentration +1 |Stunning Fist (b), Improved Unarmed Strike (b) |Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike, AC bonus
3rd|Monk 2|+1|+5|+3|+5|Kn (Religion) +1, Concentration +1, Sense Motive +1, Spot +1, Diplomacy +1, Tumble +1 |Combat Reflexes (b), Extra Turning |Evasion
4th|Cloistered Cleric 2 |+2|+6|+3|+6|Spellcraft +3, Kn (Nature) +3, Kn (Religion) +1, Diplomacy +1|- |-
5th| Cloistered Cleric 3 |+2|+6|+4|+6|Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Kn (Religion) +1, Diplomacy +1, Sense motive +1 (2), Spot +1 (2) |- |-
6th| Church Inquisitor 1|+2|+6|+4|+8|Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Kn (Religion) +1, Diplomacy +1, Sense motive +1, Spot +1, Kn (Planes) +1 |Alertness |Detect Evil, Inquisition Domain
7th| Church Inquisitor 2|+3|+6|+4|+9|Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Kn (Religion) +1, Diplomacy +1, Sense motive +1, Spot +1, Kn (Planes) +1 |- |Immune to Charms
8th|Sacred Fist 1|+4|+8|+6|+9|Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +4 |- |AC bonus, Unarmed Damage
9th| Sacred Fist 2|+5|+9|+7|+9|Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +2, Kn (Local)(cc) +1 (2) |Combat Expertise |-
10th|Shiba Protector 1|+5|+11|+7|+11| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Diplomacy +2 |- |No Thought
11th|Cold Iron Warrior 1|+6|+11|+7|+13| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +1, Diplomacy +1 (2) |- | Smite Fey (1/day)
12th| Cold Iron Warrior 2|+7|+11|+7|+13| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +2, Spot +1, Diplomacy +0 (1) | Divine Defiance | Detect Fey, Iron Mind +2
13th|Cold Iron Warrior 3|+8|+12|+8|+14| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +2, Diplomacy +1 (1) |- | Dispel Magic (1/day)
14th|Cold Iron Warrior 4|+9|+12|+8|+15| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +2, Diplomacy +0 (1) |- | Mind Over Magic (1/day)
15th|Cold Iron Warrior 5|+10|+12|+8|+15| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +2, Diplomacy +1 (1) | Practiced spellcaster (cleric) | Unmake Magic
16th|Cold Iron Warrior 6|+11|+13|+9|+16| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +1, Kn (Dungeoneering) +1(2) |- | Dispel Magic (2/day)
17th|Cold Iron Warrior 7|+12|+13|+9|+16| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +1, Diplomacy +1(2) |- |Cold Iron Strike
18th|Cold Iron Warrior 8|+13|+13|+9|+17| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +1, Sense Motive +1(2) |Improved Natural Attack (Unarmed Strike) |Iron Mind +4, Mind Over Magic (2/day)
19th|Cold Iron Warrior 9|+14|+14|+10|+17| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +1, Diplomacy +1(2) |- |Dispel Magic (3/day)
20th|Cold Iron Warrior 10|+15|+14|+10|+18| Spellcraft +1, Kn (Nature) +1, Concentration +1, Spot +1, Sense Motive +1(2) |- | Slippery Mind, Smite Fey (3/day) [/table]
Spells per day – Cleric*
Spoiler{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th
1st|3|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|3|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|3|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|4|2+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|4|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|5|3+1|2+1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|5|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-|-
8th|5|3+1|3+1|2+1|-|-|-|-|-|-
9th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
10th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
11th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
12th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
13th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
14th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
15th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
16th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
17th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
18th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
19th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|-
20th|6|4+1|3+1|2+1|1+1|-|-|-|-|- [/table]
Spells per day – Cold Iron Warrior*
Spoiler{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th
1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
8th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
9th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
10th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
11th|-|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
12th|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
13th|-|2|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
14th|-|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
15th|-|3|2|0|-|-|-|-|-|-
16th|-|3|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-
17th|-|3|3|2|0|-|-|-|-|-
18th|-|3|3|3|1|-|-|-|-|-
19th|-|3|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-
20th|-|3|3|3|3|-|-|-|-|-[/table]
*Without bonus spells for high wisdom score
Highlights
Spoiler
This build is getting good stuff late in its life, so the highlight is lvl 15. At that time, Khair should be competent combatant thanks to his good unarmed damage progression and Shiba Protector’s No Thought ability. Also, at this level he gains Unmake Magic ability, which lets him be really good at counterspelling/dispelling. Adding wisdom, his main attribute, to dispel is real blessing. With Inquisition domain power and Dispelling cord he should be able to get rid of magic quite quickly. Should he need more fighting power, he can always use his lvl 4 slot for divine power and 1st lvl slot for devastating smite alongside with his Law devotion bonus and Knowledge devotion bonuses to bring pain to any fey that stands in his way.
Tactics
Spoiler
For first few levels, Khair is just standard cloistered cleric. He stands in the back row, supports others with spells or plinks his crossbow here or there. If it is needed, he punches someone to face too, but he generally tries to stay out of harms way at this time.
In his mid levels he starts moving closer to melee combat. He is changing more to the role of skirmisher. His unarmed damage is getting better thanks to Sacred Fist levels and Shiba Protector No Thought ability. Stunning fist, while usually not so great, should work fine against fey who tend to have low fort saves. Also at that time he should be able to afford monks belt and enhance either his battle fist or necklace of natural attacks should the battle fist be considered weapon and thus unusable to him (because of Sacred Fist).
At higher levels he should be spending most of his wealth on his combat ability. He’s still a monk after all, and he is very gear dependent. Should everything go right though, he should be doing fine. He won’t be powerhouse but he should be able to stand on his own for a while.
That being said, his role isn’t only fighter/skirmisher. He has spells to buff and support himself and his allies or make enemies life a bit harder. Later on he should be quite good at dispelling, thanks to Cold Iron Warrior’s Unmake Magic ability. Combined with bit of gear, good spellcraft and Battlemagic perception spell he should be able to dispel/counterspell quite a lot of things. He also has some skills that he can use out of battle, be it his knowledge, diplomacy, spot or sense motive. Also thanks to his magic domain power, he can use quite a wide selection of wands.
Khair’s Story
Spoiler
After what happened to him, Khair vowed to himself he would never fall under influence of any fey ever again. Life in monastery was harsh, but in turn it was keeping him fit both mentally and physically. It was however monastery of the Host and it was populated mostly by priests of Aureon, so knowledge was at first place before anything else. Khair didn’t mind it though, he valued knowledge and wisdom of others and was learning very quickly, especially about nature and fey. He never forgot what happened that night thought he later realized it was unfortunate accident and found his peace with it. Still, he never trusted fey since then and he studied them extensively so he could fight them if needed.
When group of adventures passed the monastery mentioning they are hunting down troublesome fey in this area, he pleaded his master if he could go with them to gain experience from the travels. It took some effort, but he was eventually free to join them. He then traveled the countryside, giving some advices about it to the adventures as he lived there his whole life. He quickly became friends with them, even though his rigid adhesion to laws was bothersome sometimes. Travelling with them he learned new tricks and his knowledge was really paying off. He lost most of his companions to two trolls they fought when they thought they finally found the lair of the elusive troublemaking fey. He almost died in the fight as well, when he was cornered by remaining troll, with no magic left. He swung his back with remaining alchemist fire inside, hoping to hit the troll and kill him in this last attempt. He hit, the fire spread both over the troll and over his arms. This desperate attack was enough to kill the wounded troll, but in return his hands were badly burned and left unusable. Not that he cared at that time as he was unconscious because of the pain. He was found by group of Silver Flame knights who thought that by helping local community they could sway them to join the Silver Flame religion or even Thrane. They saved him, as he was innocent person after all and brought him back to his monastery.
Later on, after he was given new warforged-like arms and learned how to manipulate them, he resumed travelling again. He went to Thrane, to thank the knights of Silver Flame who saved him after his encounter with the trolls. He remained within their church and learned a bit about their ways and found out, that they have much in common. Still, he remained loyal to the Host and after some time went back to the monastery where he lived. When he returned though, he found out that many people from his old village of Bluevine were missing. He took it as his mission and started searching for them, questioning the villagers and everyone who might have some knowledge about what happened. Soon he found out that many fey frequent the local woods. He talked to them, even though he found it disgusting to do so, and find out that Thelanis manifested in the forest a while ago. He tried his diplomatic skills to send the fey back to their world and when world failed him or were not listened to at all he used his fists and magic.
Doing this was however only temporal solution. Fey were chaotic and if they were persuaded to go back home, the usually got back very soon. Khair made research on how to close the manifesting zone but had to admit this is something he couldn’t make alone even though he was already well known through Khorvaire. He banded together a group of adventures and they traveled through the continent to find rare ingredients and powerful artifacts so they could try a ritual to close the manifesting zone. When they finally got what they needed, after paying the price in sweat and blood, the last thing had to be done. Khair went through the manifesting zone to the Thelanis and searched the court of fey king where he had to finish the ritual and thus trapping himself in that realm. However he feared not and the rest of the party witnessed how the manifesting zone closed. They brought the news to local lords saying that the fey invasion, while not so flashy as invasion by daelkyrs, was stopped because of his sacrifice.
What really happened to Khair, who hated the fey so much, is unknown. Some people say he found peace with them and lives with them in their court. Others say they saw him in the Khorvair, passing through some villages, seeking something. However, only Khair knows the truth of his fate.
Recommended Items
SpoilerDispelling cord (1000 gp), MIC pg. 94
Ring of spell-battle (12000 gp), MIC pg. 127
Monk‘s belt (13000 gp), DMG pg. 128
Bracers of armor +8 (64000 gp), DMG pg. 250
Mighty arms graft (1000 gp), FoE pg. 158
Battle fist (2300 gp + enh.) ECS pg. 268 / Necklace of natural attacks (600 + enh.) SS or http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fc/20060707a
Belt of magnificence (200000 gp), MH pg. 42 (Miniatures handbook)
Anklets of translocation (1400 gp), MIC pg. 71
Phoenix cloak/Wings of flying (50000/54000 gp) MIC pg. 210/DMG pg. 268 (no weapons means this guy needs flight badly)
Tome of clear thought +4 (110 000 gp), DMG pg. 268
Monks tattoo (80000 gp), Magic of Faerûn
Options and comments
Spoiler
This build is based on monk/cleric combo and thus is very MAD. He is very gear depended and not fit for high power play. He has options to do lot of things, but won’t be great at them, just like monk. There are also some problems, which are for DM to decide:
- does Monk’s Tattoo and Monk’s belt stack? If yes, it’s good for player, as it will keep Khairs unarmed damage quite usable.
-
- is battle fist weapon or not? Battle fist is poorly written and while it mentions being weapon in first sentence, it never states what proficiency is need or, well, anything. It just increases unarmed/slam damage and can be enhanced as normal weapon does. If it is not judged as weapon (and thus doesn’t violate Sacred Fist’s code) it’s good again. If it isn’t allowed, the player will have to fall back on Necklace of Natural Attacks which is 3.0 material. If you are not using battle fist you might as well drop the Might Arms graft which is needed for their use.
Also, this build is quite feat intensive. Flaws are usually frown upon, and otyugh hole is not used by all DMs. Still, if those things were allowed, you could try to shuffle feats around and few more, like: Snap Kick (ToB), Superior Unarmed Strike (ToB), Power Attack (as prereq for next feat), Awesome Smite, Extra Smite or Improved Trip. You might find other feats useful as well, but these were the feats I was thinking about when making this build.
Last thing that I’m not really fan of (and which will reduce my scoring somewhat) is Shiba Protector. It fits well, it helps the build being centered on wisdom, but it doesn’t feel quite right. It’s from Oriental Adventures which is totally different setting and it is 3.0 as well. I only wish I had found something that would help this build and fit in more. I tried to stay in Eberron settings as much as I could, Shiba Protector and Monk’s Tattoo should be only things from different settings iirc.
Sources
SpoilerPlayer‘s Handbook (Monk, Cleric, feats and stuff)
Dungeon Master Guide (items)
Fiendish Codex II (Divine Defiance feat)
Eberron Campaign Petting (Battle fist, deity)
Faiths of Eberron (Mighty arms graft)
The Forge of War (Devastating Smite spell)
Heroes of Battle (Battlemagic perception spell)
Complete Divine (Church Inquisitor pg. 26, Sacred Fist pg. 59)
Complete Champion (devotion feats)
Magic Item Compendium (items)
Oriental Adventures (Shiba Protector pg. 222)
Tome of Battle (feats)
Miniatures Handbook (Belt of Magnificence)
Savage Species (Necklace of natural attacks)
Magic of Faerûn (Monk’s tattoo)
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fey/20040507a (for Secret Ingredient)
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/cl...oisteredCleric (for Cloistered Cleric variant)
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fc/20060707a (alternative source for Necklace of natural attacks)
Last edited by Kuulvheysoon; 2013-07-22 at 08:13 AM.
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 08:17 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
It's a Blight on both Nature and the Fae.
Originally Posted by Calista Ecanus
Last edited by Kuulvheysoon; 2013-07-22 at 11:35 AM.
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:14 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
The Flying
FaeFist
Originally Posted by Shoure
Last edited by Kuulvheysoon; 2013-07-22 at 11:37 AM.
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:17 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
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- The Great White North
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
I... I honestly have no idea what to say.
Originally Posted by Al'laab Tuhump
Last edited by Kuulvheysoon; 2013-07-22 at 09:17 AM.
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:18 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- The Great White North
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
"Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away!"
Originally Posted by Captain Fraxinus
Captain Fraxinus, Hound of Titania
Killoren Champion of the Wild(CC) Spirit Guide(CC) Wildshape Ranger(UA) 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Dread Commando 5
Background
SpoilerThe general paced around a finely crafted table which held an intricately detailed map of the countryside surrounding the keep. No, he mused, it doesn't look any better from this angle either. They had been laying siege to Duke Sivris for nearly a day, and it was only a matter of time before the Unseelie court sent aid. If that happened, all they had fought for here would be lost. They needed to break the Duke's lines, but every offensive they mounted had been pushed back by the Duke's not insubstantial magical support. There were only a few sorcerers in the Duke's employ, but they knew the terrain, and stayed incredibly mobile. Trying to pin them down had proved difficult thus far, and while his forces had managed to trap and kill two of them, it had been costly in both time and manpower. The general had requested additional support, of course, but Titania's forces were spread thin across multiple fronts, and word had not yet come to him in response to his request. His continued pacing drew fitful glances from the numerous aides in the room.
The general sighed and rubbed his eyes, gazing again at the map before him as its illusory terrain shifted to reflect the known positions of enemy forces. As he watched, a familiar image appeared out of nowhere on the left flank. The Duke's sorcerers are back, thrice damn them, he thought. He barked out orders to the staff in the room, "Issue a sending to Lieutenant Rivetus, tell him to prepare for an incoming magical assault from the copse of trees to his left! Get a cavalry unit over there to drive away those mages! You there, tell..."
The general was interrupted by a high pitched note that pierced the din. He spun on the source of the noise, only to find a Satyr dressed in Seelie court finery, holding his pan pipes at his lips.
Unable to contain his irritation, the general scowled, "What do you want, courtier?" Wordlessly, the Satyr simply smiled and tossed a message tube to the general. The tube bore Titania's seal. The general uncapped the tube and pulled out the scroll inside. As he did so, a little blue mote of light drifted over the map, and pooled into an image of a hound's head. The image floated just behind the same copse of trees that held the Duke's magical artillery. As he read the note and looked at the map, he smiled. He rolled up the scroll, and let out a hearty laugh. "Well, well, the queen has seen fit to send us the aid of some of her personal Hounds!" The room filled with cheers as the tension melted out of it. He tossed the scroll to a nearby aide, "Issue a sending to Captain Fraxinus! Tell him that I want those mages silenced, and that as of this moment, he and his fellow Hounds are off the leash!"
Build
SpoilerCaptain Fraxinus
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features
1st|Ranger 1|+1|+2|+2|+0|Concentration 4, Hide 4, Knowledge(Nature) 4, Listen 4, Move Silently 4, Spot 4, Survival 4|Iron Will, Track(B)|1st Favored Enemy(Fey +2), Track, Wild Empathy, Fast Movement (+10)
2nd|Ranger 2|+2|+3|+3|+0|Concentration 5, Hide 5, Knowledge(Nature) 5, Listen 5, Move Silently 5, Spot 5, Survival 5| |
3rd|Ranger 3|+3|+3|+3|+1|Concentration 6, Hide 6, Knowledge(Nature) 6, Listen 6, Move Silently 6, Spot 6, Survival 6|Darkstalker, Endurance(B)|Endurance
4th|Ranger 4|+4|+4|+4|+1|Concentration 7, Hide 7, Knowledge(Nature) 7, Listen 7, Move Silently 7, Spot 7, Survival 7|Improved Favored Enemy(B)|Champion of the Wild Bonus Feat, Spiritual Guide
5th|Ranger 5|+5|+4|+4|+1|Concentration 8, Hide 8, Knowledge(Nature) 8, Listen 8, Move Silently 8, Spot 8, Survival 8| |2nd Favored Enemy(Fey +4, Outsiders(Evil) +2), Wildshape (Small and Medium Animals only)
6th|Cold Iron Warrior 1|+6|+4|+4|+3|Concentration 9, Hide 9, Knowledge(Nature) 9, Listen 9, Move Silently 9|Power Attack|Smite Fey (1/day), Spells
7th|Cold Iron Warrior 2|+7|+4|+4|+4|Concentration 10, Hide 10, Knowledge(Nature) 10, Move Silently 10, Spot 9| |Detect Fey, Iron Mind +2
8th|Cold Iron Warrior 3|+8|+5|+5|+4|Concentration 11, Hide 11, Listen 10, Move Silently 11, Spot 10| |Dispel Magic (1/day)
9th|Cold Iron Warrior 4|+9|+5|+5|+5|Concentration 12, Hide 12, Listen 11, Move Silently 12, Spot 11|Extra Smiting|Mind Over Magic (1/day)
10th|Cold Iron Warrior 5|+10|+5|+5|+5|Concentration 13, Hide 13, Knowledge(Nature) 11, Listen 12, Move Silently 13| |Smite Fey (2/day), Unmaking Magic
11th|Cold Iron Warrior 6|+11|+6|+6|+6|Concentration 14, Hide 14, Knowledge(Nature) 12, Move Silently 14, Spot 12| |Dispel Magic (2/day)
12th|Cold Iron Warrior 7|+12|+6|+6|+6|Concentration 15, Hide 15, Knowledge(Nature) 13, Listen 13, Move Silently 15|Dodge|Cold Iron Strike
13th|Cold Iron Warrior 8|+13|+6|+6|+7|Concentration 16, Hide 16, Knowledge(Nature) 14, Move Silently 16, Spot 13| |Iron Mind +4, Mind Over Magic (2/day)
14th|Cold Iron Warrior 9|+14|+7|+7|+7|Concentration 17, Hide 17, Knowledge(Nature) 15, Listen 14, Move Silently 17| |Dispel Magic (3/day)
15th|Cold Iron Warrior 10|+15|+7|+7|+8|Concentration 18, Hide 18, Listen 15, Move Silently 18, Spot 14|Mobility|Slippery Mind, Smite Fey (3/day)
16th|Dread Commando 1|+16|+7|+9|+8|Hide 19, Listen 16, Move Silently 19, Spot 16, Spot the Weak Point| |Sudden Strike +1d6, Team Initiative Bonus (+1)
17th|Dread Commando 2|+17|+7|+10|+8|Hide 20, Listen 19, Move Silently 20, Spot 18| |Armored Ease 2, Team Initiative Bonus (+2)
18th|Dread Commando 3|+18|+8|+10|+9|Hide 21, Listen 21, Move Silently 21, Spot 21|Magic Disruption|Sudden Strike +2d6, Team Initiative Bonus (+3)
19th|Dread Commando 4|+19|+8|+11|+9|Hide 22, Move Silently 22, Spot 22, Survival (9), Clarity of Vision| |Armored Ease 4, Stealthy Movement, Team Initiative Bonus (+4)
20th|Dread Commando 5|+20|+8|+11|+9|Hide 23, Listen 23, Move Silently 23, Spot 23, Survival (10)| |Sudden Strike +3d6, Team Initiative Bonus (+5)[/table]
Racial Abilities:
Medium Fey
Speed: 30ft.
Low-Light Vision
Immunity to magic sleep effects
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects
+2 racial bonus on handle animal and survival
Cold Iron Anathema(Su)
Manifest Nature's Might(Su)
Languages: Common, Sylvan
Alternate Class Features:
Champion of the Wild - Ranger, replaces Ranger spellcasting.
- Grants bonus feats at the following Ranger levels: 4th, 8th, 11th, and 14th
Spiritual Guide - Ranger, replaces Animal Companion
- In natural surroundings, grants a divine bonus of 1/4 Ranger level to the following skills: Handle Animal, Knowledge(Nature), Listen, Search, Spot, Survival.
- Can use Commune With Nature, as the spell, 1/day (caster level equals Ranger level).
Wildshape Ranger - Ranger, replaces Combat Style and Improved Combat Style
- Grants Wildshape (as a Druid, small and medium animals only)
- Grants Fast Movement (as a Barbarian)
Stats
Spoiler
Starting Ability Scores:
Str - 12
Dex - 14
Con - 14
Int - 12
Wis - 14
Cha - 14
Final Ability Scores:
Str - 13 (+1 4th level)
Dex - 14
Con - 14
Int - 12
Wis - 14
Cha - 18 (+4 remaining levels)
Spells/Day
Spoiler
Spells/Day
{table=head]Level|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th
1st|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
4th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
5th|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
6th|-|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
7th|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
8th|-|2|0|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
9th|-|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
10th|-|3|2|0|-|-|-|-|-|-
11th|-|3|3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-
12th|-|3|3|2|0|-|-|-|-|-
13th|-|3|3|3|1|-|-|-|-|-
14th|-|3|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-
15th|-|3|3|3|3|-|-|-|-|-
16th|-|3|3|3|3|-|-|-|-|-
17th|-|3|3|3|3|-|-|-|-|-
18th|-|3|3|3|3|-|-|-|-|-
19th|-|3|3|3|3|-|-|-|-|-
20th|-|3|3|3|3|-|-|-|-|-[/table]
Spell-Like Abilities:
Commune With Nature (CL 5) 1/day, Detect Fey (at will), Dispel Magic 3/day
Level Breakdown
Spoiler
Level 1
At this level, Fraxinus is a fairly standard Ranger. He functions well as a scout, sneak, or front-line combatant. His alternate class features will start to kick in over the next few levels, but for now he grabs the biggest two-handed weapon he is proficient with and goes to town. His racial type and abilities give him immunity to things that target humanoids, and he has a few options for minor benefits from his race that he can change daily. Each day he can choose to manifest a specific Aspect. [i]Aspect of the Ancient[/b] gives him a boost to Knowledge(Nature) and enhances his resitance against enchantment spells and effects. Aspect of the Destroyer gives him a racial smite ability once per hour against Aberrations, Constructs, Humanoids, Oozes, Outsiders, and Undead. Aspect of the Hunter gives him a +2 bonus to several useful skills (Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot), and a nice +2 to initiative. For general utility purposes, Fraxinus usually manifests Aspect of the Hunter. If he knows the kind of foe he will be facing and has the chance to prepare, then he will manifest whichever one of the other two Aspects will be most helpful. This remains true throughout the build. Because of his expertise and experience in dealing with his kind, he selects Fey as his Favored Enemy.
Level 5
By this level, all of his alternate class features have come online, and Fraxinus if ready to enter the SI. He's got some nice utility with his wildshape forms, enhanced speed to chase down his foes, the bonus Improved Favored Enemy makes him a more lethal threat to his foes, and his Spiritual Guide gives him a minor boost to his scouting, Knowledge(Nature) and tracking skills. All of these features replace something that Fraxinus has little to no use for (he will pick up spellcasting from Cold Iron Warrior, he doesn't use either combat style, and his animal companion, while potentially useful, comes online far too late to be anything more than a speedbump). He selects Evil Outsiders as his second favored enemy, as they are another likely foe he will face when combating the Unseelie fey in Arborea. He also picks up the Darkstalker feat, ensuring that his sneaking ability is world-class.
Level 10
At this point, a few new abilities have come online. Detect Fey, Detect Snares and Pits, Darkvision and See Invisibility all give Fraxinus a solid boost to his scouting abilities. Smite Fey is highly useful with his good Charisma, and his Extra Smiting feat gives him more daily uses of it. He gets good mileage out of Power Attack, as he has full BAB and he can afford to dump as much as possible into his attacks thanks to his good Charisma bonus and True Strike. Dispel Magic, Mind Over Magic, and Unmaking Magic all give him a decent chance (1d20+7 for Dispel, before Wisdom boosting items) to successfully dispel and counter magical effects. Iron Mind sees some use by combining the bonuses it grants with his built in racial bonuses. A somewhat subtle boost that Fraxinus gets when he enters Cold Iron Warrior is that he can now wear medium or heavy armor. Given that he will lose his Fast Movement if he is wearing anything heavier than medium, that means Fraxinus can suit up in Breastplate, and when he can afford it, Mithril Fullplate (which will slow him down to 30ft, but the added defense is an acceptable tradeoff, especially when he enters Dread Commando in a few levels). The heavier armor helps him stay relevant as a frontline fighter.
Level 15
The big boost here is Cold Iron Strike. Killoren have a racial drawback called Cold Iron Anathema. This ability gives them penalties when using Cold Iron weapons, even if they are only partially made of Cold Iron. Thanks to this ability, Fraxinus can overcome the DR of his main favored enemy without suffering penalties himself. This, coupled with a True Strike fueled Smiting Power Attack can put a serious hurt on an even CR fey creature in a single hit, due to many fey creatures having a low Con score. Slippery Mind and Spell Immunity further enhance his defenses, and True Seeing gives a final solid boost to his scouting ability.
Level 20 "Sweet Spot"
After finishing the SI, Fraxinus is an excellent front-line fighter, is well defended against magic, and has numerous options for versatility. But he is also a capable ambusher, and he needs to be able to take advantage of both his sneaking skills, and his ability to wear Mithril Fullplate. So he enters a nice little 5 level Prestige Class that hits all these points mechanically and thematically, Dread Commando. Dread Commando enhances his already impressive ability to ambush his foes, as the Sudden Strike damage can attest to. Not only that, but he gets access to the Armored Ease ability, which ultimately lets him ignore up to 4 points worth of Armor Check penalty (which means ACP 0 in Mithril Fullplate), so he can be as stealthy in full armor as he can be without it, and with Stealthy Movement, he can do so quickly. The icing on the cake here is the Team Initiative Bonus, which means that not only can Fraxinus ambush his foes, but so can his squad, as he and all his allies within 30 feet of him gain a +5 untyped bonus to their initiative. The last thing of note is the Magic Disruption reserve feat, which comes online at 18th level. While not over the top powerful, this feat does give an extra way to enhance the "magic countering" nature of the SI. He can sit in a small animal form in the enemy camp and disrupt magical healing, communication, and divinations. Against higher level spellcasters, the ability is less useful, but this feat really shines against spell-like abilities, especially on any creatures that don't normally have a good reason for having ranks in Concentration (none of the fey creatures in the Monster Manual have Concentration except for the Nymph, who also has spellcasting).
Use of the Secret Ingredient
Spoiler
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Thanks to the armor proficiencies granted by Cold Iron Warrior, Fraxinus can now wear Breastplate (or Mithral Full Plate) around the battlefield for added protection.
Spellcasting: The spell selection from Cold Iron Warrior gives some nice counters to enemy spellcasters. Not only that, but Fraxinus uses them to power his Magic Disruption reserve feat, meaning that anyone casting a spell within 30 ft. will likely have to succeed on a DC 18-19 Concentration check or have their DC and Caster Level for the spell reduced by 2 (this also serves as a "disrupting the magical supply lines" tactic when combined with his wildshape ability in a small animal form). The spells also help him fulfill his scouting role. And lastly, True Strike lets him open a combat with a full Power Attack (and Sudden Strike damage).
Iron Mind
The Killoren race encroaches on this ability a little bit by already having this ability built in. However, the bonuses vs. Enchantment spells and effects is untyped, and comes from two different sources, so they stack (giving Fraxinus +4 and later +6). If he is manifesting the Aspect of the Ancient, that improves by a further +2. This racial boost also increases the effectiveness of the Cold Iron Warrior's Slippery Mind ability.
Mind Over Magic: Due to the wording of this ability, it looks like it needs to be used before know what the spell is. However, if he has an immediate action, Fraxinus will always use his Magic Disruption reserve feat to try and weaken the spell. Fraxinus will always use Mind Over Magic as a defensive measure, especially if the spellcasting foe has already shown the ability to cast reflectable spells (or his knowledge check tells him the foe is capable of casting such spells).
Smite Fey: Given that he is likely to commonly face fey enemies, Fraxinus has Extra Smiting to get more mileage out of this ability. If he wants to have a smite available for non-fey foes, he can manifest his racial Aspect of the Destroyer. The wording of Extra Smiting is a bit unclear, but it is possible that it can apply to either Smite Fey, or his Racial smite, or both. It's a bit of a GM call, but for this entry I just applied it to Smite Fey.
Cold Iron Strike: This is one of the big ticket items for Fraxinus from the SI. As a fey warrior for the Seelie court, Fraxinus comes up against other fey quite often. Because of his Cold Iron Anathema racial drawback, he can't wield a Cold Iron weapon, so being able to treat any weapon he wields as Cold Iron for purposes of overcoming the DR of his most commonly faced foe is a sizeable advantage.
Sources
Spoiler
Player's Handbook (Class: Ranger, Feats: Iron Will, Track, Endurance, Power Attack, Dodge, Mobility)
Complete Warrior (Feats: Improved Favored Enemy, Extra Smiting)
Lords of Madness (Feats: Darkstalker)
Complete Mage (Feats: Magic Disruption)
Races of the Wild (Race: Killoren)
Complete Scoundrel (Skill Tricks: Spot the Weak Point, Clarity of Vision)
Heroes of Battle (Class: Dread Commando)
Unearthed Arcana (ACF: Wildshape Ranger)
Complete Champion (ACF: Champion of the Wild, Spiritual Guide)
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
-
2013-07-22, 09:20 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- The Great White North
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
He's every mother's worst nightmare
Originally Posted by Ourevel Moonshadow
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
-
2013-07-22, 09:26 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- The Great White North
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Who ya gonna call?
Originally Posted by Jasper
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
-
2013-07-22, 09:28 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- The Great White North
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
He's menacing, he's strong, and he is Law Incarnate. He also happens to be 6 inches tall.
Originally Posted by James (TSBTWAROI) Ferrifer
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
-
2013-07-22, 09:30 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- The Great White North
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
He's everyone's anyone.
Originally Posted by Gilles de Rais-Loquart
Class level breakdown
I came here to hunt witches.- Gilles de Rais-Loquart.Spoiler
LE Human warblade 5/cold iron warrior 2/zhentarim spy 5/ cold iron warrior 8
abilities:Spoilerstr 14 dex 12 con 14 int 16 wis 14 cha 8 (boosts to wis)
Gilles de Rais-LoquartSpoiler
{table=head]Level|Class|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Skills|Feats|Class Features
1st|Warblade 1|+1|+2|+0|+0|balance 4, concentration 4, disguise 4, forgery 4, gather info 4, jump 4, know (nature) 4, tumble 4 |City Slicker, Education|Battle clarity (reflex saves), weapon aptitude
2nd|Warblade 2|+2|+3|+0|+0|balance 1 (5), bluff 1 (0.5), concentration 1 (5) disguise 1 (5), forgery 1 (5), gather info 1 (5), jump 1 (5), tumble 1 (5)| |uncanny dodge
3rd|Warblade 3|+3|+3|+1|+1|bluff 1 (1), craft (written composition) 4, concentration 1 (6), disguise 1 (6), tumble 1 (6)|Power Attack|Battle ardor (critical confirmation)
4th|Warblade 4|+4|+4|+1|+1|bluff 2 (2) craft (written composition) 3 (7), concentration 1 (7) disguise 1 (7), tumble 1 (7)| |
5th|Warblade 5|+5|+4|+1|+1|bluff 4 (4), craft (written composition) 1 (8), concentration 1 (8) disguise 1 (8), tumble 1 (8)| |Bonus feat (Iron Will)
6th|Cold Iron Warrior 1|+6/+1|+4|+1|+3|bluff 1 (4.5), craft (poisonmaking) 3, craft (written composition) 1 (9), concentration 1 (9), disguise 1 (9), know (nature) 1 (5)|Deceitful|Smite fey (1/day)
7th|Cold Iron Warrior 2|+7/+2|+4|+1|+4|bluff 1 (5),craft (poisonmaking) 5 (8), craft (written composition) 1 (10), concentration 1 (10)| |Detect fey, iron mind +2
8th|Zhentarim Spy 1|+7/+2|+4|+3|+6|bluff 1 (6), UMD 9| |Cover identity
9th|Zhentarim Spy 2|+8/+3|+4|+4|+7|bluff 6 (12), disguise 1 (10), UMD 3 (12)|Ironheart Aura|Sneak attack +1d6, undetectable alignment
10th|Zhentarim Spy 3|+9/+4|+5|+4|+7|bluff 1 (13), disguise 3 (13), tumble 3 (11), UMD 1 (13), second impression| |Poison use, unlikely cover
11th|Zhentarim Spy 4|+10/+5|+5|+5|+8|bluff 1 (14), disguise 1 (14), sense motive 3, tumble 2 (13), UMD 1 (14), assume quirk | |Slippery mind, sneak attack +2d6
12th|Zhentarim Spy 5|+10/+5|+5|+5|+8|bluff 1 (15), disguise 1 (15), sense motive 7 (10), UMD 1 (15)|Stormguard Warrior|Deep cover
13th|Cold Iron Warrior 3|+11/+6/+1|+6|+6|+8|concentration 1 (11), craft (written composition) 6 (16), disguise 1 (16| |Dispel magic (1/day)
14th|Cold Iron Warrior 4|+12/+7/+2|+6|+6|+9|concentration 6 (17) craft (written composition) 1 (17), disguise 1 (17)| |Mind over magic
15th|Cold Iron Warrior 5|+13/+8/+3|+6|+6|+9|concentration 1 (18), craft (written composition) 1 (18) craft (poison making) 5 (13), disguise 1 (18)|Martial study (rapid counter)|Smite fey (2/day), unmaking magic
16th|Cold Iron Warrior 6|+14/+9/+4|+7|+7|+10|concentration 1 (19), craft (poisonmaking) 5 (18), craft (written composition) 1 (19), disguise 1 (19)| |Dispel magic (2/day)
17th|Cold Iron Warrior 7|+15/+10/+5|+7|+7|+10|concentration 1 (20), craft (poisonmaking) 2 (20), craft (written composition) 1 (20), disguise 1 (20), sense motive 1 (11)| |Cold iron strike
18th|Cold Iron Warrior 8|+16/+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+11| concentration 1 (21), craft (poisonmaking) 1 (21), craft (written composition) 1 (21), sense motive 5 (16)|Martial study (moment of alacrity)|Iron mind +4, mind over magic
19th|Cold Iron Warrior 9|+17/+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+11|concentration 1 (22), craft (poisonmaking) 1 (22), craft (written composition) 1 (22), know (nature) 3 (7), sense motive 2 (18)| |Dispel magic (3/day)
20th|Cold Iron Warrior 10|+18/+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+12|concentration 1 (23), disguise 2 (22), know (nature) 4 (11), sense motive 1 (19)| |Slippery mind, smite fey (3/day)[/table]
ButcherSpoiler
Sam enjoyed a position of some good renown in town. After all, everyone had to eat, whether they stayed for a day, a week, or if they were one of the locals. As a result, he got to know almost everyone straight away, if not firsthand then through gossip as people waited in line. There were certain privileges to being the town's only butcher.
This was how he came to learn of an interloper in the city. While Glenbrook had its fair share of visitors, this was one rare instance where a traveler's reputation had preceded him. Loquart was a name that many knew, but there were curiously few who had met him firsthand. Tales of his bravery were regular fare in the tavern. There were many would-be bards who tried their hand at singing one of his ballads, some penned by his own hand.
His triumph over the Northhollow nightshade was legendary. He had apparently moved it to tears with a song from his heart, like Orpheus of days long since past. Sam dimly recalled the tale of the Silverbow selkie but couldn't remember how it had ended. He did often wonder if Loquart found towns with just the right names or if they changed them afterwards. He supposed now he could simply ask.
A snap from an impatient customer roused him from his reverie and he handed Josiah his meat. He muttered an apology and got a curt nod of the head in return. There would be time for his questions later, he thought, and got back to work.
BakerSpoiler
Josiah was many things, but he had never been accused of being a pleasant man. He was under no particular illusions that people spoke to him on a daily basis for any other reason than they needed their bread. By the sweat of his brow would they eat it, he often thought to himself as he toiled at his ovens.
Effey asked him whether he had overheard anything at Sam's. He told her what he had learned and it seemed to please her greatly. While he had never shared the thirst for rumors some nursed, he couldn't say he didn't understand it. She asked him with that look if he could let her know if Loquart stopped by, and he said he didn't see why not.
UndertakerSpoiler
If Loquart was in town, business was sure to be good. Undertakers were supposed to be named Mort or Barry or something else clever and somber, but Winston could never cozy up to the stereotype of death warmed over. In his philosophy, it was a dirty job and someone had to do it, so why not enjoy it? He had heard tales of what some would regard as ill-repute, but to him meant work. There had been several casualties when Loquart crossed swords with the Vanderbilt vampire, but it wasn't as though it had been Loquart's fault.
He had heard Effey saying Loquart would be by Josiah's later. Business was slow, so he could afford to wait. Perhaps he would make a memorable first impression and see if Loquart's next tale featured a cheerful undertaker in the background. Winston sat on the bench outside Josiah's and anticipated Loquart's arrival.
Mover-shakerSpoiler
At long last, Loquart arrived. By the time he rode into town, there was a crowd awaiting his presence, as he'd grown accustomed to as of late. He hopped off his carriage and saw a man leaning on a pine box he must have spent ages arranging just so in order to appear relaxed but not so relaxed as to have his handiwork topple over.
"Your size, I think? Never interred a celebrity before, but I'm sure you're like the rest," said the man who was presumably the undertaker.
"How ever am I like the rest?" Loquart said with a deliberate indifference that had taken him months to master.
"Go down easy."
Loquart smiled, but didn't laugh.
"What kind of freak are you here to fight?" grunted a large, clean man in a white apron. Crusted, red-brown handprints meandered across his chest and stomach. Either a butcher or Loquart's work was done already. He hoped for the former since the chase was half the fun.
He tugged off his kid gloves and drummed his shell-pink fingernails on the hilt of his sword, subtly drawing the crowd's attention to the filigree on its scabbard.
"Were I to tell you, would it not defeat the purpose entirely?" he said loud enough to be heard over the oohs and ahhs the crowd was making over his outfit. Nothing but the best for day one. An elaborate cursive G was emblazoned on his codpiece, a golden half-cape hanging lazily on his shoulder like some debonair specter of opulence.
"Huh?" said the butcher. Loquart had not found his quarry.
"Surely you remember the Dundas doppelgänger?" he said with a quirk of his eyebrow.
His vacant expression answered Loquart more eloquently than he could ever hope to.
"Had I tipped my hand earlier than had been my intention, he would never have been snared in my web in time. So suffice it to say that I am indeed here to catch some wrongdoer, the specifics of which are best left undisclosed for the time being."
While he unspooled the metaphor, Loquart turned to the nearest female.
"My good Madame, might I inquire as to where I might find accommodations for my stay here?"
The woman in front of him blushed, as he'd expected her to, and pointed to a building down the street as she tried to choke out a few words and failed.
"Thank you. Now, there will be plenty of time for me to answer your questions after my job has been done, and he's, I would be happy to sign whatever it is you wish me to later, sir," he directed this comment at a young man towards the back of the crowd looking hopeful and clutching a quill in his hand, "after I have concluded my business."
HeartbreakerSpoiler
Madame Sans-Merci was used to travelers staying at her inn, and used to discretion, but what the man in front of her was asking was a bit much even for her considerable talents.
"I'm not sure how you expect me to cope with this, monsieur…" she reached for his name, pretending not to know who and what he was.
"Loquart," he said, clearly unfamiliar with her mother tongue and trying (and failing) to pretend otherwise. "And I'm sure you'll find a way. After all, I'm sure you like to keep to yourself as well." He directed a glance downward and she dutifully feigned indignation.
His gaze fell squarely on her lap. She was sitting down, as she always was due to the twist of fate that had not seen fit to gift her with legs like the other women in town. Since she could hardly walk down the street on what she was born with, she had to make do with a wheeled chair that some of her girls had fashioned for her.
"What I mean is, I'm sure there are times you'd rather not be bothered. Whatever excuses you make for yourself, I'm sure they'll suffice for me as well," he said, not feeling at all as bad as he was supposed to after she had made her angry face.
"Shall I tell them you're servicing a gentleman caller upstairs?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
"What you tell them is immaterial. Despite what you and your ilk may believe, I kill monsters first and endure my worshippers afterwards, not the other way round."
"I'm surprised to hear you speak so plainly. What makes you think I won't just pass this on to the rest of the town?"
He smiled and she felt her grip around the arm of her chair growing tighter.
"What indeed," he said, and with that went up the stairs to his room where he knew she could not follow.
Just as she was debating delivering some choice words after him, there was a knock at the door. She rolled to answer it and found it was Sam the butcher delivering her groceries, as he did every week.
"Have I missed anything else interesting in town today?" she said pleasantly enough to mask the anger boiling inside her breast.
"Not much. There was an apothecary in the square earlier. Looked to be selling potions and the like, but no one seemed interested. We asked her to leave before Loquart got here and she did. Said she'd be back late tonight if you needed any diseases removed or the like. Should I go look for her?"
Madame Sans-Merci shook her head. "No, thank you. I'll be off to bed soon. I was just asking. It isn't every day we get a celebrity visiting." She flicked her eyes behind her towards the staircase and saw a look of childlike awe fill Sam's face that made her very annoyed.
She bid him good night and wheeled herself into her room. Once she was quite sure her girls and patrons were down for the night, she began to gather her thoughts.
Loquart was dangerous. There was no question of that. The only thing she remained unsure of was whether it was too soon to strike. While she was sure that some of his adventures were exaggerated, she felt it imprudent to dismiss all of it as fabrication. While he may not sleep only one hour a night after training for years with githzerai monks, she was certain he was the type to sleep with an iron knife under his pillow. An apothecary may be just what she needed.
Madame Sans-Merci drew the blanket off her legs, the air feeling cold on them since they were so infrequently uncovered. She opened the trunk at the foot of her bed and reached for a cloak that brushed the floor, keeping her covered. She tugged a hood over her face and grabbed a pouch of money, stuffing a wad of cotton into it so she didn't jingle as she walked, a little unsteady on her feet. It had been a while since she needed to venture out of her manor.
Mercifully, she didn't see anyone from town on her way into the square. That would have complicated things. The only person's blood she wanted on her hands for now was Loquart's. The apothecary was sitting at the helm of a creaky old carriage. The large, elaborate letters snaked across its sides extolling the virtues of her wares had grown faded with the passage of time. Little flakes of paint fell from the cart an drifted through the night sky with every gust of wind. Madame Sans-Merci drew her cloak tightly around herself. The last thing she needed was to expose herself to this hedge witch.
She knocked on the cart when it became clear its driver was asleep.
"Eh? Oh, a customer! What can I do for you, dear?" said the apothecary who, if the side of her cart could be believed, was called Old Lace. Madame Sans-Merci wasn't used to being called "dear" and bristled a little at the woman's words.
"I require poison," she said in as deep a voice she could affect without straining herself.
"Oh, got lots of that. What did you have in mind?"
"Something strong and hard to detect."
Old Lace bustled in the back of her cart, muttering to herself.
"Here we are!" she chirped. She sat back on the bench at the front of the cart and proffered a clear vial. Madame Sans-Merci paid the asked price and appraised it dubiously.
"How much will I need to get the job done?" she asked, giving it a little shake. It hardly looked dangerous, but, she had to remind herself, this wasn't always a guarantee something was safe.
"Depends what you're using it on."
Madame Sans-Merci narrowed her eyes. "Rats."
"How big are they?"
"Man-sized rats."
"Ah." Old Lace rubbed at her warty chin. "The bottle should do then. Just put it in his cup. Or whatever you lay your traps with," she said with a wink.
Madame Sans-Merci turned to begin her trek back, limping uphill to her house.
"Oh, you're the woman who lives up there then?" Old Lace called out after her.
Madame Sans-Merci looked at the footprints she had left leading from her manor to the cart. Would this woman make things complicated? She reached as calmly as she could for the knife she'd worn up her sleeve.
"Have a safe journey," Old Lace said and gave a tug at her horse's reins. With that, she was off. Be thankful for small mercies, Madame Sans-Merci thought to herself as she took her hand off her dagger.
She got home in relative short order and was able to get to her room without any troublesome questions by her girls. She didn't dare sleep tonight, in case Loquart had designs of his own. She locked the door to her bedroom. Not that it would stop him, but should he pick the lock, she would be able to hear him in time. With some difficulty, she sat at the edge of her bed, her legs aching with effort.
The night passed uneventfully for her. When she heard the rooster crow outside her window to herald the new dawn breaking, she went to the kitchen to help her girls prepare Loquart's breakfast. She made her own surreptitious addition to his cup without detection and waited in the kitchen for the girl's scream to let her know her work was done.
She came flying into the kitchen and said, as Madame Sans-Merci expected her to, that Loquart was dead. Madame Sans-Merci told her to go to her room and lock the door, and that everything would be taken care of.
Once she heard the door shut and lock, she rose from the bed, feeling surer of herself with every step she took. She walked carefully up the stairs until she came to Loquart's room. She drew it open carefully and saw Loquart slumped on his desk, his face in a plate of scrambled eggs.
Unfortunately, it meant his blood was spoiled. She would hardly drink the poison herself. No matter. The blood of heroes was the same as in any man's veins. It was no big loss. She stood behind him and put her hands under his arms. Though she may have pretended otherwise, it was a trivial matter for her to lift Loquart's corpse.
She grunted a little and braced herself on the floor, her knees shaking a little as she pulled him from his chair. She was caught off guard when his head snapped back and he head butted her in the nose.
"Surprise!" Loquart shouted. Madame Sans-Merci's ears rang as she tried to steady herself. Loquart pulled himself free from her grasp and hopped to his feet. He looked none the worse for the wear, though his cup was empty.
"How?" she snarled, no longer bothering to hide her teeth as she spoke, their points glistening in dawn's early light.
"How indeed," Loquart said with a wink, "dear." His voice changed to become the one of the old apothecary from the night before.
He lunged forward and swept at the ground with his leg, knocking Madame Sans-Merci's cloven hooves from beneath her. She pounced forward and clawed at Loquart's face, trying to grab for his neck.
He had drawn his sword by now, a blood red diamond glistening in its hilt, and carelessly batted her hands away.
"It was a simple enough matter to determine there was something amiss. Those handprints on that man-ape of a butcher's smock were far too fine to belong to him. So it must have been someone else. Someone he wouldn't mind spilling his blood for willingly." She smelled the tang of magic in the air as he spoke and dodged at his sword strokes even as they became more rapid, darting around his side as he buried his blade in the desk.
"I thought at first that a vampire was the culprit. A reclusive woman in the house on top of a hill, occupying a position of power if not of prestige over the men in the town. But I can see now that I was wrong." He tried to yank it from the wood and made little progress.
She braced herself against the floor and kicked him backwards, causing him to release his grip on the handle. She wrapped her hands around it and screamed as it burned her skin, releasing a puff of foul-smelling white smoke.
"I name you as a glaistig of the fair folk, and I have come here to kill you." He made no move towards his sword, his hands balled into fists.
She narrowed her eyes towards him and dropped her glamour, having no further use for it. Her moonbeam white hair shone blindingly bright in the sunlight, her eyes deep and full with the energy of Sam's blood. She spoke, her voice thick and syrupy sweet with magic.
"If you've deduced that I'm feeding on these mortals willingly, what's the harm in it? Why not just leave me be?" she sang, her words unspooling and weaving an invisible web in the witch hunter's mind.
Loquart clawed at the air, shredding the fibers of magic as soon as she had spun them.
"Hasn't it ever occurred to you that I don't do this because I care about the welfare of your cattle?"
Her words having no power, she threw down a fog, but Loquart dispersed it with a gesture of his hand.
"Why then?" she snarled.
"The same reason you prey on them in the first place. Their love, their praise, their adulation. Why do you think I bother with this oafish disguise?"
Loquart talked too much. She grabbed onto his shoulders and kneed him in the groin hard enough to dent his codpiece. Her eyes widened when Loquart didn't fall to the ground writhing in pain.
"You're-"
"Of course. No one would bother repeating the tale of Gillian de Raisx. It would be a minor curiosity, not a tale to last the ages. And besides, any monster a woman could kill couldn't possibly be a credible threat in the eyes of the audience. That's why I wear this mask. In order to gain the cattle's respect, you need to become one of them in whatever way you can, no matter how distasteful it may be. That's what your kind will never understand. It's why I can always sniff you out."
Loquart's eyes flicked down to Madame Sans-Merci's neck, the small shimmer of gold catching the light.
"And that's how you've been able to stray so far from your river," Loquart said with a note of dull interest. "Well then, it appears my work here is done."
"No, don't-"
With another lazy wave of the hand, Loquart tore the magic of Madame Sans-Merci's acorn asunder, and she began to gasp for breath. She wrapped her hands around Loquart's neck and sunk her teeth into his flesh, her tongue brushing against where his adam's apple should have lain, but she had no strength in her jaws as blackness crept in around her field of vision. Loquart made no motion to stop her, hugging her limp form to her chest.
"Goodbye, Glenbrook glaistig," said Loquart, or whoever she was. "While I can't promise you'll be missed, I can at least guarantee that you'll be remembered."
She supposed, as Loquart's blood trickled down her throat, the last she would ever taste, that if she had to die, at least it was in the arms of a kindred spirit.
ManeuversSpoiler
1: moment perfect mind (diamond) , douse the flames (raven), steel wind (iron)
2: steely strike (iron)
3: wall of blades (iron)
4: nothing (replace steely strike mountain hammer)
5: IHS (iron)
15: sudden counter (diamond)
18: moment of alacrity (diamond)
stances
1: punishing stance
4: leading the charge
Suggested play tipsSpoiler
5Spoiler
At this point, Gillian is an iron heart focused warblade with some somewhat unorthodox choices regarding her skills in order to qualify for cold iron warrior. Education supplies knowledge, and city slicker provides a wealth of other fun skills. this is a time of prereqs being met with a somewhat unusual emphasis on craft.
Zhentarim spy, the twist that makes this build unique, has its definitive class features dependent on craft which, in its infinite wisdom, it did not see fit to grant as a class skill, so it's important that Gillian put ranks in it now.
Written composition, a very fun craft skill in races of stone, will enable her to write epics about Loquart's adventures and disseminate them to the gullible masses in order to grow his fame and repute, and make quite a tidy sum of money, as well. The skill can be applied to a variety of different media (poems, songs, etc) so play around a little and build your identity however seems fitting. Your imagination's the limit.
Power attack's here because of reasons. All melee characters need it and you do too. It'll be a real windfall later on.
Warblade helpfully aids Gillian in paying the feat tax for cold iron warrior with iron will. It's a prereq feat and getting it early is nice since your saves can use a little shoring up at this point. Your high wis (especially for a warblade) also helps, as does moment of perfect mind in case you are caught off guard. Gillian keeps concentration maxed, and it's easy as pie to have a sky-high concentration check as opposed to a sky-high save.
Pummel your enemies into the ground and enjoy the defensive powers your maneuvers offer you. douse the flames lets you stop enemy aoos, steel wind helps against multiple foes, steely strike helps to-hit early on until it can be swapped for mountain hammer to avoid DR, wall of blades lets you sub your AC for an attack roll as an immediate (pretty awesome at all levels, especially low ones) and iron heart surge is a counter to just about anything you can imagine (though if you don't want your dm to cry himself to sleep at night, don't get too nuts about it.)
10Spoiler
Congrats, you're in the SI! It took blood, sweat, tears, and a handful of cc ranks in bluff (which is unreasonably difficult to get as a class skill short of apprenticeship) but you managed to get in. You also managed to get into… zhentarim spy?
Your eyes do not deceive you, and yes, it sort of is the betamax to spymaster's VHS. The reason you should care is that it's two levels shorter (allowing you to complete it and the SI), gives its bonuses faster, has a scaling bonus to its bluff/disguise/gather info checks, and has no cap on how many cover IDs you can employ.
You've got a ridiculous amount of skill points to bandy about for your spy levels, so enjoy it. UMD will be of assistance to you since cold iron warrior's spell list (especially at the beginning) is kind of puny. Beefing up with other social/utility spells from lists like the assassin, hexblade, and blackguard can help you build your versatility.
Now the question you're probably more interested in:
What exactly is the point of zhentarim spy?
If you're to be fighting fey, you need to be prepared for their magic and spell-like abilities. If your plan is to get close to them in an attempt to pierce through their disguises and reveal them for what they truly are, you have to make sure that they don't expose you first.
Your mundane disguise check (along with bluff) is through the roof for your cover IDs, at level 10 being an 18 for disguise (along with 2 from synergy and if you're clever, +5 for minor details only in your non-unlikely cover identity making for an outstanding 25) which is fairly difficult to overcome at this level especially with second impression giving you another chance if you screw up (usable 1/day, unlike most other skill tricks) but that's often all you need, and assume quirk denies familiar viewers a bonus against you.
poison making from earlier is still as useful a method of making money as ever as per complete adventurer page 97, and is notable for only requiring 1/6 the base gp in raw materials rather than 1/3, letting you rake in the dough more quickly. zhentarim spy teaches you proper safety techniques and you cn no longer poison yourself by mistake.
remember that disguise checks explicitly trump effects like true seeing, which you'll start seeing around this level from fey that are spell casters (many are) or from normal enemies you want to get the drop on as well. your check is so high that it's unlikely they'll have anything to really fall back on, especially since the group who can cast true seeing doesn't have much overlap with the one that has spot as a class skill.
sneak around, sniff out the enemy with detect fey, enjoy your bonus against enchantment from iron mind, and enjoy using disguises to hide in plain sight, and strike when the time is right
15 (sweet spot)Spoiler
Oh yeah, this is the stuff. You've got deep cover now which means that divination effects can no longer penetrate your amazing spy training at all. People trying to surveil you only learn what you want them to know about your cover identity. All at level 12.
Stormguard warrior is also up and running. it's a tactical feat (which I love) and gives you some nice options.
channel the storm: when enemies provoke AoOs from you and you don't take them, you gain +4 atk/dmg against them next turn per AoO ignored (they stack)
combat rhythm: make melee touch attacks for no damage against your enemies and gain a cumulative +5 to hit per melee touch attack that hits applied to your damage in the next round
fight the horde isn't that useful since you don't have combat expertise (and won't fight defensively that much) but the other two work well with your existing abilities.
you aren't structured around AoOs, and there isn't a real cap to this. while it's not that common for an enemy to provoke more than one AoO in a round, it's definitely possible, and this gives you the option in case you're saving an AoO for later (such as saving it for sudden counter)
sudden counter works really well in tandem with this, because you can use sudden counter to attack while still letting your "real" AoO pass to power channel the storm.
combat rhythm is pretty cool overall but works best when fighting a single high AC foe like a dinosaur or golem. you can bonk him with your highest iterative, and when you're looking at your second with despair, instead of whiffing, you can do something productive with it to bide your time, since enemies with high AC normally have awful touch ACs.
your funky mind over magic and unmaking magic abilities are online, giving you more ways to say "nope!" to your adversaries. when you can't iron heart surge it away, dispel magic as a sla or using one of your spell slots will help do the job as well.
20Spoiler
All good things must come to an end and that includes cold iron warrior. moment of alacrity's up, letting you go first in initiative by adding 20 to your current score and applying it from the next round to the end of the combat. this can let you do all kinds of things with your cold iron warrior abilities, dispelling, unmaking, and mind over magicking all over the place. when you've used up your mind over magic uses per day, don't forget about the humble moment of perfect mind, a similar effect. you've been putting points in concentration ever since for a reason. will's the most important save, and it doesn't hurt to take some extra steps to protect it.
you keep up ranks in your crafts, disguise and bluff. just because divination can't foil your deep cover doesn't mean a spot can't. keep those ranks up in case someone tries to sneak a guidance of the avatar or a pair of keen eye lenses past you. you'll be ready for them.
sourcesSpoiler
tome of battle: warblade, iron heart aura, storm guard warrior, martial study
srd: power attack, deceitful
races of destiny: city slicker
player's guide to faerun: zhentarim spy, education
complete adventurer: poison making rules
races of stone: craft (written composition)Last edited by Kuulvheysoon; 2013-07-22 at 09:37 AM.
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:33 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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- Apr 2011
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Seventh time's the charm?
Originally Posted by Project 7a
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:36 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
He's calling out the Fae - not one, but all of them.
Originally Posted by Sir Broderick
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:38 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
She's a traitortoher own kind
Originally Posted by Jillian Feykiller
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:42 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Mithral Hall's Municipal Code, 213: Willfull destruction of property, that's two years. Code 310: Illegal possession of assault weapons, five years. Code 457: Resisting arrest, TWENTY years!
Originally Posted by Bitterbeard
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:44 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Now, why am I looking for a Cold Days-era Dresden?
Originally Posted by The Phouka
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:46 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
He ain't got no book-learnin', but he don't need it to kick your ass.
Originally Posted by Atmos Fear
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:47 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
What broke the camel’s back
Originally Posted by The White Tiger
Last edited by Kuulvheysoon; 2013-07-25 at 09:17 PM.
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:48 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
...And that should be all.
There's one more entry coming in (The White Tiger), but there are some...minor formatting issues that I'll clear up before releasing it. Expect it (probably) later today or tomorrow.Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 09:55 AM (ISO 8601)Orc in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
I think i counted 18 entries. As always some pretty interesting / funny stuff but need a closer look at many of them.
Avatar by the amazing Cuthalion.
Natural 1 on every attack role since 2003.
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2013-07-22, 10:00 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
I had two ideas that didn't make the grade/cut. The first was similar to another entry here, in that I was going to focus on the "Must have fought a fey" requirement, and go with a human barbarian girl whose tribe was decimated by unseelie court fey. She comes back as a vengeful ghost who focuses on draining away a fey's beauty (Charisma Drain) before slaying it.
The other one that I didn't get the time to put together was a Centaur Paladin 4/SI 10. He'd focus on using the Centaur Trample and Smiting Power feats, and generally be a goody-goody slayer of evil type character. It felt a little generic, and I had already missed the deadline by that point, so yeah.
But there are quite a few entries here, and several of them are very similar. I'm curious to see how the judges evaluate them.
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2013-07-22, 10:02 AM (ISO 8601)Dwarf in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
I love how diverse a lot of these entries are! I doubt I'd have ever come up with a were-camel for this. Oh and I give a tip of my imaginary hat to The Grasping Mist for including explosive runes in his explanation.
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2013-07-22, 10:12 AM (ISO 8601)Bugbear in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
I think the ethereal filcher link for The Grasping Mist meant to link here.
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2013-07-22, 10:22 AM (ISO 8601)Ogre in the Playground
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- Sep 2012
Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Hellreaver is a neat class. There's a lot off odd classes coming out of the woodwork to be combined with CIW.
Is the Ethereal Filcher somewhere on the CIW web enhancement page and I missed it or was that an error in the links?
The use of blighter was fun, but I thought Ourevel Moonshadow's use of abjurant champion was pretty clever.
All the fey-killing fey were funny too. Lots of knowledge devotion rangers & paladins running around.No longer have time to participate in games. I apologize.
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2013-07-22, 10:23 AM (ISO 8601)Troll in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Fixed, thanks. Originally Posted by 123456789blaaa
Error in the links- fixed now. Originally Posted by Mishkov
Spoiler: Trophies
Avatar by Iron Penguin.
The Power of the Orient: A Wu Jen Handbook
Originally Posted by Paul S. Kemp
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2013-07-22, 11:05 AM (ISO 8601)Firbolg in the Playground
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Entries
- The Grasping Mist: Ethereal Filcher 5/Rogue 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10
- Talsum the Dark Hunter: Human(?) Duskblade 4/Rogue 3/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Assassin 3
- Khair Ostern: Human Cleric 3/Monk 2/Church Inquisitor 2/Sacred Fist 2/Shiba Protector 1/Cold Iron Warrior 10
- Calista Ecanus: Lesser Aasimar Druid 5/Ranger 1/Blighter 4/Cold Iron Warrior 10
- Shoure: Dragonborn Wood Elf Paladin 4/Monk 2/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Argent Fist 2/Cleric 2
- Al'laab Tuhump: Human Were-Camel Barbarian 1/Fighter 2/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Warshaper 2
- Captain Fraxinus: Killoren Ranger 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Dread Commando 5
- Ourevel Moonshadow: Star Elf Hexblade 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Abjurant Champion 5
- Jasper: Ghost Human Paragon 2/Crusader 4/Cold Iron Warrior 9
- James Ferrifer: Pixie Paladin 6/Cold Iron Warrior 10
- Gilles de Rais-Loquart: Human Warblade 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Zhentarim Spy 5
- Project 7a: Warforged Ranger 5/Stalker of Kharash 2/Cold Iron Warrior 8/Witch Slayer 5
- Sir Broderick: Azurin Knight 5/Cold Iron Warrior 9/Vengeance Knight 3/Iron Mind 3
- Jillian Feykiller: Fey-Bloodline Half-Fey Human Wildshape Ranger 5/Cold Iron Warrior 9/Fighter 1
- Judge Bitterbeard: Dwarf Ranger 3/Barbarian 2/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Battlesmith 1/Hammer of Moradin 4
- The Phouka: Killoren Wildshape Ranger 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Hellreaver 5
- Atmos Fear: Mongrelfolk Totemist 8/Witchborn Hunter 2/Cold Iron Warrior 10
- The White Tiger: Human Warblade 5/Scout 7/Cold Iron Warrior 8
Part of me is really glad that we've had a consistently large crop of entries for the past few rounds, but the part of me that's judging finds it a little daunting. Anyone actually care what I was cooking up? If so, I can include the stub when I post my judging.
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2013-07-22, 11:17 AM (ISO 8601)Bugbear in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Handy Reference Chart of Our Entries
{table=head]Name|Descripttion
Grasping Mist|CE ethereal filcher Rogue 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10
Talsum the Dark Hunter|human Duskblade 4/Rogue 3/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Assassin3
Khair Ostern|LN human Cloistered Cleric 3/Monk 2/Church Inquisitor 2/Sacred Fist 2/Shiba Protector 1/Cold Iron Warrior 10
Calista Ecanus|lesser aasimar Druid 5/Ranger 1/Blighter 4/Cold Iron Warrior 10
Shoure|LG dragonborn wood elf Paladin 4/Monk 2/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Argent Fist 2/Cleric 2
Al'laab Tuhump|N human afflicted were-camel Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Fighter 2/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Warshaper 2
Captain Fraxinus|killoren Champion of the Wild Spirit Guide Wildshape Ranger 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Dread Commando 5
Ourevel Moonshadow|CN star elf Hexblade 5/ Cold Iron Warrior 10 /Abjurant Champion 5
Jasper|LN human ghost Human Paragon 2/Crusader 4/Cold Iron Warrior 9
James Ferrifer|LG Pixie Paladin 6/Cold Iron Warrior 10
Gilles de Rais-Loquart|LE human Warblade 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Zhentarim Spy 5
Project 7a|NG warforged Ranger 5/Stalker of Karrash 2/Cold Iron Warrior 8/Witch Slayer 5
Sir Broderick|LE male azurin Knight 5/Cold Iron Warrior 9/Vengeance Knight 3/Iron Mind 3
Jillian Feykiller|NE half fey human major fey bloodline Wildshape Ranger 5/Cold Iron Warrior 9/Fighter 1
Bitterbeard|NG dwarf Ranger 3/Barbarian 2/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Battlesmith 1/Hammer of Moradin 4
The Phouka|NG killoren Wildshape Planar Ranger 5/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Hellreaver 5
Atmos Fear|NG male mongrelfolk Totemist 8/Cold Iron Warrior 10/Witchborn Binder 2
White Tiger|human Warblade 5/Scout 7/Cold Iron Warrior 8[/table]
My apologies to those entries with loooooong titles/names. I wanted to fit this chart on the page
Edit: swordsaged by OMG PoniesLast edited by dysprosium; 2013-07-25 at 09:30 PM.
Chairman emeritus for Zinc Saucier.
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2013-07-22, 11:23 AM (ISO 8601)Firbolg in the Playground
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Re: Iron Chef Optimization Challenge in the Playground XLVII
Yeah, I think there was a secret side competition this round Originally Posted by dysprosium
My apologies to those entries with loooooong titles/names. I wanted to fit this chart on the page
.
Nah, bro, I'm more of a factotum/warblade with Moment of Alacrity and Improved Initiative Originally Posted by dysprosium
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