Iron Chef Optimisation Challenge in the Playground XCVII

[Zaq]

There's no wrong way to play, really, but my second dishes tend to be based on something that I wanted to stick in my first dish but had to cut for reasons of space or incompatibility. I only rarely have two completely independent ideas, though I do my best to differentiate between them pretty well.

[daremetoidareyo]

There's no wrong way to play, really, but my second dishes tend to be based on something that I wanted to stick in my first dish but had to cut for reasons of space or incompatibility. I only rarely have two completely independent ideas, though I do my best to differentiate between them pretty well.

I just get mad sidetracked. Those sidetracks get their own Google sheet name. Sometimes I grab a sidetrack from months ago if it seems compatible.

[jdizzlean]

more often than not, if i'm doing a second build, it's a different way to do the same thing. during research for the initial idea, i might come across something i hadn't thought of, then i go off on that tangent. depending on how far down the rabbit hole that goes, determines which build i do. i also tend to go for flavor over power, so it could be 2 different themes for doing the same thing.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Is the deadline a.m. or p.m.? I have to say, I'm stoked about seeing what other people came up with. And of course to see how mine stacks up.

[jdizzlean]

am, but it depends on where you live as to how GMT comes across to you +/- hours

[KrimsonNekros]

Woo build in! Can't wait to see what else got cooked up for this.

[Heliomance]

Before the reveal, you can just send an update. I think it's better to resend the entire thing, rather than just the bit that needs adding, so that the chairperson can just copy-paste in your updated entry, rather than having to do some formatting to paste entry and update together.

Yes, this - I far prefer getting a new entire entry over a message that says "Please add this in after the paragraph about 5th level and also fix this typo in the second to last paragraph"!

I'm pleasantly surprised it's only two days after the closing date - I closed my GitP tab last week and only just remembered to come back, so had a mild panic about how overdue I'd be! Hopefully I'll do the reveal later this afternoon, but it depends on my workload today

[DeTess]

So anyone want to take a stab at how many builds there'll be? Given this ones apparent popularity, I'll say 11.

[Heliomance]

So anyone want to take a stab at how many builds there'll be? Given this ones apparent popularity, I'll say 11.

I haven't checked yet, but I apparently have 15 unread notifications...

[KrimsonNekros]

I haven't checked yet, but I apparently have 15 unread notifications...

*Begins praying to the Vizzini*

[Heliomance]

Entry number 1:

Spoiler: Fear has it's place in battle

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Yun looked over at his travelling companions. They were pleasant fellows, good company and accepting of someone who tended to look less like a man and more like some sort of goose-person hybrid. Of course, the truth was he was more of a crane, but those details really only got more apparent when he actually was a crane. Regardless, he smiled over at them.

"And what's got you in such a good mood, eh?" John, a dark-haired baker in his early twenties with a broad nose and narrow eyes, gave Yun a poke to the ribs, "Has my dashing countenance caught your eye? If you need help with the ladies, of course, I could always-"

"-Butt out, because you'd only do more harm'n 'elp fer that'un," a female voice from behind John cut in, not immediately visible but familiar to Yun regardless. She wasn't visible from behind John because her dwarven stature tended to leave him towering over her, although the sheer bulk of her muscle could still be seen. Her name was Patricia, and while she seemed gruff, she was about the best healer a man could want. An interesting choice of career, many would suppose, given her drow lineage, but Yun never did care for the idea that blood made the man--Or woman, in this case.

For a while, Yun simply listened to the banter between the two of them, bemused and glad they'd had an uneventful journey. The path between Yuskamora and Linwood was oftentimes waylaid with bandits, or prone to wolves wandering in packs--A fact that the local patrols did nothing to remedy.

They continued on the roads until the sun went down, lighting a fire and making camp beneath a tall oak whose branches were close enough together to provide ample shelter. Generally, campfires weren't a great idea in this region, but between Patricia and Yun were both experienced adventurers, and John had picked up a thing or two himself, so they were feeling confident. A watch was set up--Yun first, then Patricia, then John.

The night seemed to pass uneventfully, until Yun heard the clattering of armor and murmuring of voices. Curious, but forged by years of ambushes, Yun quietly donned his armor, grabbed his spear, and got into position. He shaped himself into his half-crane form and burst through the entrance of the tent. Several dark figures fired arrows at him as he exploded outward, and a few even found their mark, but he immediately retaliated with a strike to each, with enough force to knock the men down.

But even as they were getting up, and Patricia stumped out already making gestures to set up a defense for them, he could see many more men with more bows readying to strike them down. Yun saw all this, and knew their odds. He knew how likely they were to survive...

...And he ran. He ran as fast as his wings would take him--Further than these humans could see him--And let them focus on Patricia. He could not help like this, after all. He was just one Hengeyokai.

Patricia threw up her hands, and a dome of stone encased her just in time to be peppered with arrows. It would only be a matter of time before her defenses were breached, and the only experienced ally she had left had fled. Soon, the remaining brigands would stand, and she couldn't hold out like this forever. Perhaps, she thought, this is why Yun was known as the Coward of War.

In the silence of her dome, Patricia waited for death to come.

Yun stopped well outside the perimeter, and looked back to the campfire. He sucked in his breath, silenced his doubts, and prepared. He started by closing his eyes, and focusing. He needed to be more than a Crane. He needed power beyond what a natural being could give. He needed...His wings expanded. His white feathers flowed over his clothes, over his face, over everything and molded to fur. A snout exploded from his face, along with ears, and his arms and legs cracked as they popped into place, becoming four powerful legs ending in equally powerful paws. The wings, however, not only remained but grew, and with energy beyond what he had before, Yun bounded through the sky back toward the men. He struck the first with a great, white paw, and let out a resounding roar that sent many of them running--But not before he swept at them, too. Several were sent flying, some into each-other, and all into the ground.

Tonight, Yun was the sole guardian of Patricia, even as she resigned herself to death.

And when, in the morning, she finally relented and released her stony shield, ready to give herself up, she was met with fifteen mounds, and one Yun, preparing stew. He looked over at her, and gave her a sad smile. "Sorry," He said, "John didn't make it. Arrow to the throat...It was clean, though."

She simply gave him a confused stare, "I thought you ran!"

Yun nodded, "I did. And I came back. They never expect it."

Spoiler: Stats

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Initial:
Str:13
Dex:13
Con:10
Int:12
Wis:8
Cha:18
There's no elaborate tricks for increasing stats here, just turn into
whatever flying creature has good strength for the moment, so just pump
Charisma for that ending fear effect, and for the diplomacy and early intimidation.
Ending:
Str:13
Dex:13
Con:10
Int:12
Wis:8
Cha:22

Spoiler: Build Table

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Fighter 1	+1	+2	+0	+0	Class: Intimidate: 4 Swim: 4 Handle Animal: 4	Expeditious Dodge, Mobility	--
2nd	Fighter	+2	+3	+0	+0	Class: Intimidate:(+1) 5 Swim:(+1) 5 Handle Animal:(+1) 5	--	Dungeoncrasher
3rd	Aerial Avenger	+2	+3	+2	+0	Class: Intimidate: 5 Swim: 5 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: (+6) 6 Perform(Singing):(+1) 1	Flyby Attack, Alertness	Flyby Attack
4th	Aerial Avenger	+3	+3	+4	+0	Class: Intimidate: 5 Swim: 5 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration:(+1) 7 Perform(Singing):(+6)7	--	Momentum +1, power dive
5th	Aerial Avenger	+3	+3	+4	+1	Class: Intimidate: 5 Swim: 5 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration:(+1) 8 Perform(Singing):(+1)8 Survival:(+5): 5	--	Maneuverability increase, speed +10 feet
6th	Aerial Avenger	+9	+10	+12	+5	Class: Intimidate: 5 Swim:(+1) 6 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration:(+1) 9 Perform(Singing):(+1) 9 Survival:(+4) 9	Endurance	Death from above +1, range increase
7th	Aerial Avenger	+9	+10	+12	+5	Class: Intimidate: 5 Swim:(+4) 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration:(+1) 10 Perform(Singing):(+1) 10 Survival:(+1) 10	--	Momentum +2
8th	Shapeshifter 1	+3	+5	+6	+3	Class: Intimidate: 5 Persuasion:(+5) 5 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing): 10 Survival:10	--	Wild shape (3/day), extra shifting
9th	Master of Many Forms	+3	+7	+8	+3	Class: Intimidate: 5 Persuasion:(+5) 10 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing): 10 Survival:10	Power Attack	Shifter's speech, improved wild shape (humanoid)
10th	Master of Many Forms	+4	+8	+9	+3	Class: Intimidate: 5 Persuasion:(+3) 13 Animal Empathy:(+2) 2 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing): 10 Survival:10	--	Improved wild shape (giant; Large)
11th	Master of Many Forms	+5	+8	+9	+4	Class: Intimidate: 5 Persuasion:(+1) 14 Animal Empathy:(+4) 6 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing): 10 Survival:10	--	Fast wild shape, improved wild shape (monstrous humanoid)
12th	Master of Many Forms	+6	+9	+10	+4	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion:(+1) 15 Animal Empathy:(+4) 10 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing): 10 Survival:10	Improved Bull Rush	Improved wild shape (fey; Tiny)
13th	Master of Many Forms	+6	+9	+10	+4	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion:(+1) 16 Animal Empathy:(+4) 14 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing): 10 Survival:10	--	Improved wild shape (vermin)
14th	Master of Many Forms	+7	+10	+11	+5	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion:(+1) 17 Animal Empathy:(+3) 17 Knowledge(Nature): (+1) 1 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing): 10 Survival:10	--	Improved wild shape (aberration; Huge)
15th	Master of Many Forms	+8	+10	+11	+5	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion:(+1) 18 Animal Empathy:(+1) 18 Knowledge(Nature): (+3) 4 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing): 10 Survival:10	Knock Down	Extraordinary wild shape, improved wild shape (plant)
16th	Aerial Avenger	+10	+11	+13	+6	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion: 18 Animal Empathy: 18 Knowledge(Nature): 4 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing):(+7) 17 Survival:10	--	Swoop
17th	Aerial Avenger	+11	+11	+13	+6	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion: 18 Animal Empathy: 18 Knowledge(Nature): 4 Swim: 10 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing):(+1) 18 Survival:(+6) 16	--	Maneuverability increase, speed +10 feet
18th	Aerial Avenger	+12	+11	+14	+6	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion: 18 Animal Empathy: 18 Knowledge(Nature): 4 Swim(+3): 13 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing):(+1) 19 Survival:(+3) 19	Shock Trooper	Momentum +3
19th	Aerial Avenger	+12	+12	+15	+7	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion: 18 Animal Empathy: 18 Knowledge(Nature): 4 Swim:(+1) 14 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing):(+3) 22 Survival:(+3) 22	--	Death from above +2
20th	Aerial Avenger	+13	+12	+16	+7	Intimidate: 5 Persuasion: 18 Animal Empathy: 18 Knowledge(Nature): 4 Swim:(+5) 19 Handle Animal: 5 Concentration: 10 Perform(Singing):(+1) 23 Survival:(+1) 23	--	Terrifying shriek

Spoiler: Gameplay

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Levels 1-5

He's mostly good at being a body on the front-line for this stage. He can turn into a Crane, which doesn't deal great damage, but is fairly solid defensively, and with the combination of Dodge and flight, he can generally keep himself from getting splatted. Worst case scenario, 70 ft. Fly speed at this point is pretty danged good, and he can rely on flyby attack to get in damage when he isn't willing to risk himself.

Levels 6-10

Aerial Avenger is strong at this point, still needs some time to simmer down, but that's okay--Those two levels give us some interesting stuff to work with! Most notably, a really large range increase. Normally, this wouldn't mean much--After all, you can't really hold anything like that in Crane form, and your Hybrid form is essentially just a Template...
...Buut, we also start to see some shapeshifting utility through Shapeshifter and Master of Many Forms, in addition to a small bump in power. You see, you can now turn into a humanoid. That might not seem like much, but remember--All stages of a werebeast are humanoid, a type you can now take. Have fun with your buffed flying form, complete with actual hands! You can also take a variety of humanoid forms to try and pass off as 'one of the guys,' and thanks to that level in Master of Many Shapes, you even have some Diplomacy! You might be able to shapeshift into the aggressor's forms and convince them that violence isn't the way.
So right now, your job becomes a combination of okay sniper to still-frontliner, where you more or less can still hold the lines and pepper the enemy with a crossbow from long range.
Again, when push comes to shove, you can do skirmishing. Better yet, if you really need to, you can shapechange into something durable and scary--You've got giants choose from, now--to keep the baddies off of your friends. On your own, however, you're definitely trying to keep people happy, use your animal form wherever you can to avoid confrontation, and generally try and ply your social skills wherever possible.

Levels 11-15

So, we're diverging a bit here from our Aerial Avenger schtick, admittedly, and in return things are really, really starting to look our way. First of all, we've just opened up, oh, everything with 8 HD that isn't a Dragon or Outsider. I realize that Polymorph could do that, but this is more reliable. At 10 Shapechanges for the day, and at least an hour for each, you could spend the entire day shaped into anything you might please, without the use of metamagic. This is important for you, as now your build is starting to actually solidify. Namely, you are now a rusher. You have the ability to gain Pounce and flight at the same time--It's a rare combination, but yes, it does exist within the types given, Leskylor's at least are capable and well within the limits--And you have Power Attack and Improved Bull Rush. It's time to push Dungeoncrasher to good use. You can now Bullrush a guy into the ground with a dive attack and hit him with two big ol' paws dealing twice their damage. For funsies, if you wanted, you could then go ahead and grapple him while you're at it, but heck, why do that when you could instead fly back up and do it all over again?
Right now, your area control isn't quite online yet, but oh, it's coming. It's coming. In the mean-time you'll have to make do with knowing you always have a form for the job, and that you can play basketball with your opponents while in the air.
16+ This is where things start getting interesting. Swoop finally comes online, letting you turn your best, most damaging single melee attack into a strafing-run style strike, knocking everyone into the ground and dealing lots of damage for the privilege. Shocktrooper comes after, turning those natural attacks into deadly gambles where you're levying your ability to stay out of range against your opponent's ability to survive your swoops and pounces. Finally, your capstone comes online, and suddenly you're the best fear-based crowd control out there. Not only do you hit and dribble everything, but you're panicking them and out of range before their friends can react!

I'd say for me the highlight would probably be levels 14-17. It's in that range where you have almost all your options. You've got pounce, you've got knockdown, you've got swoop, and all your forms are at their most relevant.

Spoiler: Reference

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Oriental Adventure| Hengeyokai, Shapeshifter
Dragon Magazine #318| The LA+0 update to Hengeyokai
Dungeonscape| Dungeoncrasher Fighter ACF
Races of the Wild| Expeditious Dodge
Complete Adventurer| Master of Many Forms
Sword and Fist| Knockdown
Complete Warrior| Shocktrooper

[Heliomance]

Entry number 2:

Gnash Bandicoot

Spoiler: Stub, and then some

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CE to NE Yeenoghu-Blooded Unseelie Fey Gnoll 4/Rogue 1/Battle Dancer 1/Aerial Avenger 2/Avenger 3/AA +2/Rogue +1/Avenger+2/AA+2/Avenger+2

Unseelie Fey Template: Dragon Compendium 223 LA +0
Bat/Bird/Butterfly/Dragon/Insect like wings, flight at twice land speed (average). Choose 1 Su ability: Winter’s Chill: living, non-fey w/in 5ft morale penalty on saves equal to CHA (minimum 1). DR by HD: 4-7 5/cold iron, 8-11 10/cold iron, 12+ 15/cold iron. Iron vulnerability, iron/steel does an automatic 1 damage, hits by weapon deal an automatic +1d6, DR applies. Vision based on % roll, most have lowlight. -2 STR/CON +2 DEX/CHA, +4 Intimidate, must be evil.
Feats:
14 Air heritage (PlH 37) flight speed increases 30ft
20 born Flyer RoTW 148) +4 on saves while in the air,
17 Diving Charge (RotW 150) bonus damage based on speed 30-90 2d6, 90+ 3d6
8 Imp Flyby (SS 26) move including charge and any other partial action during move including attack, no AoO
11 Imp Flight (RoTW 151) improve maneuverability by 1 step (finishes build at perfect)


God Blooded (MMV 67) template for Yeenoghu-Blooded (MUST be a gnoll) for LA +1: gain DR 10/-, can turn on/off freely, once soaks 40 damage, lose god blooded. Gain 2ndary 1d6 bite attack. Rot Fangs (Ex) 1/day as swift, imbue bite w/ necrotic energy, next bite that hits forces FORT 10+1/2HD+CON or take 1d6 CON. Gore Stench (Su): Living w/in 10 feet FORT 10+1/2HD+CON or sickened for 1 min

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/gnoll.htm
STR +4, CON +2, INT/CHA -2
Medium Humanoid, 30 feet, Darkvision 60ft
2d8 HD, BAB +1, FORT 3, REF/WILL 0
5x2+INT skills (listen, spot), 1x Feat
+1 NA
LA +1

STR 8 DEX 11 CON 10 INT 16 WIS 12 CHA 17
Racial/Template
STR 10 DEX 13 CON 10 INT 14 WIS 12 CHA 17
all points into CHA

Spoiler: Story time

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Gnash, both a name and a lifestyle. Wreck, rend, destroy and tear enemies to pieces. This was both thought and action. No other course attempted nor made. Enemies were repulsed by Gnash's mere presence, allowing him to attack them physically and mentally, sowing chaos in his wake. Flying into battle often surprising his foe by attacking from unexpected angles, and armored by his ego made him a force on the field of conflict.

Clearly he was meant for greater things, and became a champion of his people. Leading the way, soaring into the fight as the tip of the massed fighters. Gnash would target the battle leader of their foes, any who were stupid enough to single themselves out as an officer. Many such fell under his onslaught. In time, Gnash came to a new set of beliefs. He still appreciated the very chaos that war brings out, but saw that there was a purpose to his fight, and a reason for his actions.

Doubly so a leader now, he sought to avenge all those set on destroying his people, both on land and in the sky. Often at the onset of a fight, he would swoop through an enemy position, rattling an entire line of attackers, who were then torn asunder by his troops. Any who would dare attack the lands under his protection, would learn to their folly, how poor their decision was in the first place.

Spoiler: Build

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
4th	Yeenoghu-Blooded Unseelie Fey Gnoll	1	3	0	0	cc-Disguise 2, cc-Hide 2, cc-Move Silent 2, cc-Tumble 2, Spot 4	Expeditious Dodge	God Blooded, Fey Stuff
5th	Rogue	1	3	2	0	Disguise 4, Hide 5, Move 5, Tumble 4	Mobility	SA +1d6, Trapfinding
6th	Battle Dancer	2	3	4	0	Hide 7, Move 7, Tumble 6	-	AC Bonus (CHA), Unarmed Strike
7th	Aerial Avenger	2	3	6	0	Conc 4, Hide 8, Move 8, Tumblel 8	(B)Flyby Attack	-
8th	Aerial Avenger 2	3	3	7	0	Conc 9, Hide 9, Move 9, Tumble 9	Improved Flyby Attack	Momentum +1, Power Dive
9th	Avenger	3	3	9	0	Hide 10, Move 10, Spot 5, Tumble 10, UMD 2	-	SA +1D6, Death Attack, Poison Use, Spells
10th	Avenger 2	4	3	10	0	Hide 11, Move 11, Spot 6, Tumble 11, UMD 4	(B)Uncanny Dodge	+1 saves vs poison
11th	Avenger 3	5	3	10	1	Hide 12, Move 12, Spot 7, Tumble 12, UMD 5	Improved Flight	SA +1D6
12th	Aerial Avenger 3	6	4	10	2	Conc 10, Hide 13, Move 13, Spot 8, Tumble 13, UMD 6	-	Maneuver Increase, Speed +10
13th	Aerial Avenger 4	7	4	11	2	Conc 11, Hide 14, Move 14, Spot 9, Tumble 14, UMD 7	-	Death From Above, Range Increase
14th	Rogue 2	8	4	12	2	Hide 15, Intimidate 3, Move 15, Spot 10, Tumble 15, UMD 10	Air Heritage	Evasion
15th	Avenger 4	9	4	13	2	Hide 16, Intim 6, Move 16, Spot 11	-	+2 Save vs poison
16th	Avenger 5	9	4	13	2	Hide 17, Intim 9, Move 17, Spot 12	(B)Improved Uncanny Dodge	SA +1D6
17th	Aerial Avenger 5	9	4	13	2	Conc 14, Hide 18, Move 18, Tumble 16	Diving Charge	Momentum +2
18th	Aerial Avenger 6	10	5	14	3	Conc 17, Hide 19, Move 19, Tumble 17	-	Swoop
19th	Avenger 6	11	6	14	4	Hide 20, Intim 10, Move 20, UMD 13	-	+3 Save vs poison
20th	Avenger 7	12	6	14	4	Intim 14, UMD 15	Born Flyer	SA +1d6

Rogue: SA +1d6, Trapfinding, Evasion
Battle Dancer: Cha to AC
Avenger: SA +4d6, 3rd lvl Spells, +3 saves vs poison, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Death Attack
Aerial Avenger: Flyby Attack, +2 attack bonus when airborne, +1d6 on aerial charge, Good flight maneuverability, Speed +10, increase ranged distance by 50%, charge through opponents w/o taking AoO.

Spoiler: Spells

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Spells per Day/Spells Known

Level	0lvl	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
9th	-	1/2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10th	-	2/3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11th	-	3/3	1/2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15th	-	4/4	2/3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
16th	-	4/4	3/3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
19th	-	4/4	4/4	1/3	-	-	-	-	-	-
20th	-	4/4	4/4	2/3	-	-	-	-	-	-

Spells Known:
1- Feather Fall, Obscuring Mist, Sleep, True Strike
2- Alter Self, Darkness, Invisibility, Undetectable Alignment
3- Magic Circle against Good, Deeper Darkness, Misdirection

Spoiler: Snaps

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5- as a god blooded gnoll rogue with wings, his mere presence next to a foe results first in the application of winter's chill (a -3 to save attempts for now) which would effectively boost his gore stench/rot fangs save dc's, which would then apply the sickened penalties to all in the area. A tactic he'll use the rest of his career. With a flight speed of 60, sneak attack damage, and a CON inducing bite attack, he has a few options already at this rank.

10- Battle dancer stacks his CHA bonus into his AC. Aerial Avenger takes advantage of his natural flight speed, and stacks flyby and improved flyby on for better mobility. a slew of attack bonus's coming online, as well as power dive and another stack of sneak attack damage. Death attack's 3 round countdown can be done while airborne, stacking another source of damage onto an attack, who's saves are also boosted thanks to the tactic above.

15- Improved flight and a maneuver increase in this block make for Perfect maneuverability. the speed increase doesn't specifically state it's solely a flight speed increase even though that is probably RAI. Meaning our land speed is now 40, making our flight speed 80 (perfect), and air heritage makes that 110 (perfect). With bonus's to attack and damage while airborne.

20- Diving Charge now takes advantage of the flight speed, and pairs with swoop and the other aerial feats to apply even more bonus damage each round. born flyer grants a flat +4 bonus to all saves made to maintain maneuverabilty in the air or stay aloft, pretty much anything you'd need to make a save for.

with 13 ranks in "Avenger" out of a possible 10, clearly there is a lot of Avengering going on in this build. Several class, racial and feat abilities are taken to build on, mimic or replace levels of the SI. I suppose a sweet spot might be 5 or 12.

Spoiler: Sources

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Dragon Compendium: Aerial Avenger, Battle Dancer, Unseelie Fey Template
Monster Manual V: God Blooded
Player’s Handbook: Rogue, Feats
Races of the Wild: Expeditious Dodge
http://archive.wizards.com/default.a.../prc/20070401a Avenger
SRD: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/gnoll.htm Gnoll
Slippers of Battledancing, 33,750gp, DMG2: would be a good item to get to stack on some CHA utility, requiring only a minor skills rework for Perform 5, and the constant movement in this build, would grant +2 to Initiative as well as CHA to attack/dmg instead of STR/DEX

[Heliomance]

Entry number 3:

Hank, the Highly Endangered Northwest Pacific Tree Octopus

Amphibious Anthropomorphic Giant Octopus Barbarian 2/Totemist 6/Aerial Avenger 10
STR 17 (19) CON 16 (14) DEX 12 (16) INT 12 WIS 8 (12) CHA 9 (5)

The highly endangered northwest pacific tree octopodes (or octopi or octopuses if you prefer) are notoriously elusive. The typical explanation for this is that they are in fact a hoax, or perhaps that they have excellent camouflage. While these are both true, the primary reason is that they are no mere octopodes: they are sentient, anthropomorphic octopodes!

A typical highly endangered northwest pacific tree octopus learns to navigate the temperate rainforests of their home via the Brachiation feat, swinging between trees and branches that are close enough together. Hank is different. He dreams of flying, of soaring between the trees and even over the rest of the world. To this end, he studies and learns from other animals, first the mundane animals through the path of the totem barbarian, then the magical animals that totemists channel for their soul-based powers. He balances his own obsession with flight with his people’s need for capable warriors to fight off their natural predators (eagles and sasquatches).

Hank is a terrifying opponent to face even before you take into account his terrifying shriek. With seven natural attacks and pounce, he charges into battle no matter the terrain. Heart of fire and dread carapace give each attack enough bonus damage to activate Knock Down, which grants a free trip attack at +4 (+8 to resist being tripped in turn), which grants a free additional attack. All of these attacks also grant a free grapple check, which activates your Constrict ability (2d8+6? 2d8+1+Str?) and any opponent grappled at the end of the turn takes heart of fire damage again. Against opponents susceptible to fear the swoop attack is capable of hitting several enemies – especially in corridors and similarly confined spaces – by flying over them so he is out of their range but they are within his.


Levels 1-5:

Hank dreams of flying, but for now he’ll settle for 7 natural attacks (6 of which have reach), pounce, and improved trip. The mobility feat allows him to more easily charge into the heart of an enemy group so he can reach as many foes as possible, using Improved Trip and his natural Improved Improved Grab/Constrict to leave his foes both flat on the ground and wrapped in his crushing grip. His first level of totemist grants him the Pegasus cloak to let him feather fall to the forest floor (which can be used to escape or to ambush) and the dread carapace improves his damage, though he can bind neither. Of course, if he knows what he’ll be up against later in the day he can specialize his meldshapings to deal with it.


Levels 6-10:

His brothers and sisters laughed at him for refusing to learn brachiation as a poor substitute for flying, but now that he can bind Pegasus cloak… they still chuckle, because feathered wings look pretty silly on a humanoid octopus. Their effectiveness is undeniable, though, the short bursts of flight allowing him to flit easily between the trees of his forest home. Even in excursions to different terrains, they grant him greatly enhanced mobility. This is further improved by binding the dread carapace to his feet, giving him a truly massive speed boost once per minute, whether he’s running, climbing, swimming, or flying. Shaping the behir gorget protects him in case a foe beats his trip attempt and tries to counter-trip him. His typical strategy works best against large numbers of relatively weak enemies, but against a small number of stronger enemies Elusive Target gives him more options.


Levels 11-15:

Hank is living the dream, becoming the world’s most terrifying (and only) para-octopus. Even as he specializes in flying, gaining bonuses to attack/damage and the ability to attack and withdraw in the same turn, he continues to unlock his chakras, allowing him true permanent flight. Even better, this frees up his totem chakra for binding heart of fire. While this costs him the speed boost from binding dread carapace, it massively increases his damage, and what could be scarier than a flying octopus man that is also on fire? This also makes Knock-Down far more viable, potentially giving him an additional attack with each natural weapon. At this point, Hank’s main weakness is enemies large enough to shrug off his trips and grapples, but he should be able to easily outmaneuver most enemies this size in the air. He is also incredibly stealthy, making drop-down ambushes very viable, and has enough ranks in Tumble to easily maneuver around and through foes to reach advantageous positions. If I had to choose a sweet spot for the build, it would be level 15.

Hanks four ‘standard’ melds for any given day of adventuring are dread carapace (shaped on feet), heart of fire (shaped on waist, bound to totem), Pegasus cloak (shaped on and bound to shoulders), and one flex soulmeld depending on party and expected challenges (by default, behir gorget shaped on throat).


Levels 16-20:

Remember when I rhetorically asked what could be scarier than Hank in the last level bracket? That was a trick question. The real answer is a ninja flying octopus man who is on fire and also screeching like a banshee. The swoop attack on its own is situationally useful, allowing Hank to hit enemies that are too spread out to reach with one full-attack by flying over their heads (most likely out of their reach the whole time, too, but if not that’s why we’ve got Tumble maxed), but the capstone panic effect makes this ability… well, terrifying. The save DC isn’t fantastic, but it doesn’t grant immunity on a failed save, and the panicked condition completely removes an enemy from the fight. Using the Listen to This skill trick, Hank can mimic previously panicked foes to lure their comrades into a trap. Against foes immune to fear, there’s always the classic hit, grapple, constrict, knockdown, bonus attack shebang! to fall back on, more effective now than ever thanks to the increased bonuses from Aerial Avenger. Combat Reflexes makes you even more effective at lock-down. And as your Essentia Capacity increases, the speed bonuses reduce the need to invest your precious essentia in keeping your flight speed up (though should you need to go fast it’s only a swift action away).


Secret Ingredient Breakdown:

BAB – we only get up to +15 BAB, but since we’re using natural weapons anyway (and adding a weapon to the mix would seriously reduce both odds of hitting and total damage, since we’re a totemist with 6 primary natural attacks) we don’t actually lose any attacks because of that one point. This only really impacts ranged attacks and Dread Carapace; more on both later.

Flyby Attack – This one’s situational, but against an opponent dangerous enough that charging for maximum damage is less important than not being next to them at the start of their turn (e.g. when soloing a dragon), this in conjunction with your superior maneuverability in the air will let you stay out of their way while plinking away at their health.

Momentum, Death From Above, & Power Dive – with our plethora of attacks (and pounce) these help us more than just about any other character. 1d6+3 damage is normally small change at high-level, but 7d6+21 is quite respectable – and if we get the free attacks from Improved Trip it can rise up to 14d6+42. It also helps overcome damage resistance (to bludgeoning or fire, for instance) to ensure we get proc Knock Down (10 damage). The bonus to attack helps make up for both our medium BAB and the penalty to our attack from Dread Carapace (essentially Power Attack for natural weapons).

Maneuverability Increase & Speed – These are obviously useful to a flying character. Speed also lets us safely transfer more of our essentia out of Pegasus cloak into heart of fire and dread carapace once we’ve gotten into melee range.

Range Increase – not gonna lie, this one probably won’t see much use. Hank is very much a melee character. That said, there are times when this will come in handy, such as ambushes, fast fleeing enemies, when you don’t want to leave your party undefended, or when you’ve had your movement speed reduced.

Swoop – This one is also surprisingly situational until you unlock Terrifying Shriek. We already get oodles of attacks with movement via pounce. But if the enemies are spread out in a rough line (e.g. a dungeon corridor) this can be a better choice than charging, especially if there are a lot of low AC enemies. Hank is largely a lock-down build, so the more foes hit the better.

Terrifying Shriek – … now Swoop is going to see more use. As discussed above, panic removes enemies from a fight, and because the ability doesn’t confer immunity on a failed save this is totally spam-able. Sure there are a lot of enemies immune to fear, but there are also a lot that aren’t.


Sources:
Complete Champion – Lion Totem Barbarian ( 46)
Complete Scoundrel – Skill Tricks (85 & 87). Honestly, these are just in here because I had extra skill points in the last two levels.
Dragon Compendium – Secret Ingredient (67)
Magic of Incarnum – Totemist (29), Midnight Dodge (39), Open Lesser Chakra (40), Behir Gorget (60), Dread Carapace (64), Heart of Fire (69), Pegasus Cloak (81).
Player’s Hand Book – Barbarian (24), Improved Trip (96), Mobility
Savage Species – Anthropomorphic Animals (214-215), Anthropomorphic Giant Octopus (216-217)
Stormwrack – Amphibious Creature template (136)
Sword and Fist: A Guidebook to Fighters and Monks – Knock-Down (7)
Unearthed Arcana / d20 SRD – Wolf Totem Barbarian (49 in UA)
 

Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Anthropomorphic Giant Octopus 1	+1	+0	+2	+2	Climb 2, Hide 4, Listen 2, Tumble 1	Midnight Dodge	6 tentacles (primary, reach, 1d3), Bite (secondary, 1d6), Amphibious, Constrict, Darkvision 60ft, Improved Grab, Ink Cloud, Jet, +3 nat. armor, +4 to Hide, +8 to Swim
2nd	Anthropomorphic Giant Octopus 2	+2	+0	+3	+3	Climb 2, Hide 5, Listen 2, Tumble 2
3rd	Barbarian 1	+3	+2	+3	+3	Climb 4, Hide 5, Listen 3, Tumble 3	Mobility	Illiteracy, Pounce, Rage 1/day
4th	Barbarian 2	+4	+3	+3	+3	Climb 5, Hide 6, Listen 4, Tumble 3.5	Improved Trip (B)	Improved Trip
5th	Totemist 1	+4	+5	+5	+3	Climb 5, Hide 6, Knowledge (nature) 4, Listen 4, Tumble 4		Meldshaping, Wild Empathy
6th	Totemist 2	+5	+6	+6	+3	Climb 5, Hide 7, Knowledge (nature) 5, Listen 6, Tumble 4	Elusive Target	Totem Chakra Bind (+1 capacity)
7th	Totemist 3	+6	+6	+6	+4	Climb 5, Hide 7, Knowledge (nature) 5, Listen 9, Tumble 5		Totem’s Protection
8th	Totemist 4	+7	+7	+7	+4	Climb 5, Hide 8, Knowledge (nature) 6, Listen 11, Tumble 5
9th	Totemist 5	+7	+7	+7	+4	Climb 5, Hide 9, Knowledge (nature) 6, Listen 12, Tumble 6	Bonus Essentia	Chakra Binds (crown, feet, hands)
10th	Totemist 6	+8	+8	+8	+5	Climb 5, Hide 10, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 13, Tumble 6		Totem Chakra Bind (+1 meldshaper level)
11th	Aerial Avenger 1	+8	+8	+10	+5	Climb 5, Hide 10, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 13, Tumble 13	Flyby Attack (B)	Flyby Attack, Literacy
12th	Aerial Avenger 2	+9	+8	+11	+5	Climb 5, Hide 10, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 13, Move Silently 5, Tumble 15	Open Lesser Chakra	Momentum +1, Power Dive
13th	Aerial Avenger 3	+10	+9	+11	+6	Climb 5, Hide 10, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 13, Move Silently 11, Tumble 16		Maneuverability Increase, Speed +10ft
14th	Aerial Avenger 4	+11	+9	+12	+6	Climb 5, Hide 12, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 13, Move Silently 15, Tumble 17		Death From Above +1, Range Increase
15th	Aerial Avenger 5	+11	+9	+12	+6	Climb 7, Hide 14, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 15, Move Silently 16, Tumble 18	Knockdown	Momentum +2
16th	Aerial Avenger 6	+12	+10	+13	+7	Climb 7, Hide 16, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 17, Move Silently 18, Tumble 19		Swoop
17th	Aerial Avenger 7	+13x	+10	+13	+7	Climb 5, Hide 18, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 19, Move Silently 20, Tumble 20		Maneuverability Increase, Speed +10ft
18th	Aerial Avenger 8	+14	+10	+14	+7	Climb 5, Hide 21, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 21, Move Silently 21, Tumble 21	Combat Reflexes	Momentum +3
19th	Aerial Avenger 9	+14	+11	+14	+8	Climb 5, Escape Artist 1, Hide 22, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 22, Move Silently 22, Tumble 22, Back on Your Feet (skill trick)		Death From Above +2
20th	Aerial Avenger 10	+15	+11	+15	+8	Climb 5, Escape Artist 2, Hide 23, Knowledge (nature) 7, Listen 23, Move Silently 23, Survival 23, Tumble 23, Back on Your Feet (skill trick), Listen to This (skill trick)		Terrifying Shriek

[Heliomance]

Entry number 4:

Spoiler: Duke Herambald Chedzarius the Third, Lord of the Drifting Lands

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Spoiler: The Glorious Histories of our Most Esteemed Travelling Lord, Duke Herambald Chedzarius the Third, Tyr Protect His Most Blessed Head and May Evil Quake From His Righteous Fury

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A massive, brightly colored, burly man, entirely bald save for a magnificent mustache flies through the sky, with a broad, barreled multicolored chest bared for all the world to see. He holds his arms out to both his sides, as if to present himself and say 'look upon me! GAZE upon my brilliance' and says, less with his mouth and more through sheer mental prowess, "Look upon me! GAZE upon my brilliance!" Except there's nobody there to do so. Nobody save for a family of grizzlies, who do take a moment to look up at him, staring until he passes before going back to foraging for berries. He actually doesn't wear much of anything--His form is indistinct, but somehow has to it a sense of poise and grandeur.

This man, is the one known as Duke Herambald Chedzarius. He proclaims himself as the Lord of the Drifting Lands, but most people simply know him as the Babarial Avenger. One might be inclined to ask why, and indeed, if that person is a law-abiding citizen, it is unlikely they will ever know. A murderer or their ilk, however, would be quick to learn of his righteous fury--And his resulting transformation to a bear. In truth, while Herambald believes himself to be a Duke, or to have the name Herambald, none of these are verifiable truths--Herambald woke in the lands of Rashaman, amid a massive battlefield, with no memories and a colorful body. It took years of him wandering the lands to learn what battle he'd even participated in, and years more to learn the details therewithin.

Apparently, the battlesite he'd died upon had been one of a defensive war, between a Lord in Shining armor and the local berserkers. He'd been looking to establish his own kingdom upon the lands of Rashaman, an action known to be quite foolish, and ultimately had lost. His name had been Lord Herambald, and he'd been thwarted through the heroic efforts of a single Berserker who, mid-battle, had sacrificed his life to charge through the ranks of the knights, taking into his own body the lances of countless soldiers and plowing further into their ranks, leading the Berserkers through in a glorious battle that saved the local Rashemi people. Since, when Harembald awoke, all the other spirits seemed to be reverent of him, and he was so colorful, it only made sense that he must have been this glorious Lord, and so he gave himself a fittingly Lordlike name and traveled through the lands.
However, he felt significant guilt for the damage "he" had done to the Rashemi people. He vowed to never again try to conquer an indigenous people and, in fact, to serve those people--And better yet, he disavowed himself of lands! And worldly possessions! And since he still had to be a Lord of something, he claimed the 'Drifting Lands!' And so, a legend was born--A legend of an incredibly stupid savior, one who was both grand and deluded at the same time.

Spoiler: Character stats

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Race: Living Construct Telthor Warforged Saint
Racial bonuses: +4 Con, +2 Cha
Str: -- | | -- | --
Dex: 18 | +4/+8| 30| +10
Con: 18 | +4 | 22 | +6
Wis: 12 | +2 | 14| +2
Cha: 16 | +4 | 20 | +5
Int: 8 | | 8 | -1

Spoiler: Levels

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Fighter	+1	+2	+0	+0	Class Skills: Handle Animal:(+4) 4 Intimidate:(+1) 1	Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Flaw: Vulnerable, Flaw: Shaky, Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty, Nymph's Kiss	Bonus Feat(Dodge)
2nd	Fighter	+2	+3	+0	+0	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 4 Intimidate: 1 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble(+1): 1	Mobility, Nimbus of Light	Bonus Feat: Mobility
3rd	Barbarian	+3	+5	+0	+0	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate:(+1) 2 Survival:(+3) 3 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble: 1	Great Fortitude	(Spiritual Totem ACF)Pounce, Whirling Frenzy 1/day
4th	Barbarian	+4	+6	+0	+0	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate:(+1) 3 Survival:(+1) 4 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble:(+1) 2	Righteous Wrath	+2 Intimidate(Ape Totem ACF)
5th	Barbarian	+5	+6	+1	+1	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate:(+2) 5 Survival: 4 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble: 2 Spellcraft:(+1) 1	--
6th	Fist of the Forest	+6	+8	+3	+1	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 5 Survival: 4 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble: 2 Spellcraft:(+1) 2	Mageslayer, Sanctify Natural Attack	Feral Trance, Con to AC, Fast Movement, Primal Living
7th	Fist of the Forest	+7	+9	+4	+1	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate:(+2) 7 Survival: 4 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble: 2 Spellcraft: 2	--	Uncanny Dodge, Untamed Strike
8th	Fist of the Forest	+8	+9	+4	+2	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 7 Survival: 4 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble:(+1) 3 Spellcraft: 2	Touch of Golden Ice	Scent, Feral Trance 2/day
9th	Berserk	+8	+11	+4	+2	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 7 Survival: 4 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble:(+1) 4 Spellcraft: 2	Pierce Magical Protection	Battle Fury 1/day, +10ft. Movement speed
10th	Berserk	+9	+12	+4	+2	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 7 Survival: 4 Cross-Class Skills: Tumble:(+1) 5 Spellcraft: 2	Holy Radiance	Damage Reduction 1/-
11th	Aerial Avenger	+9	+12	+6	+2	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate:(+3) 10 Survival: 4 Tumble: 5 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2	Flyby Attack	Gain Flyby Attack
12th	Aerial Avenger	+10	+12	+7	+2	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 10 Survival: 4 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+2) 2 Listen:(+2) 2 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick Acquired: Never Outnumbered	Combat Reflexes, Stigmata	Momentum +1, Power Dive
13th	Aerial Avenger	+11	+13	+7	+3	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 10 Survival: 4 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+3) 5 Listen:(+3) 5 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered	--	Maneuverability increase, speed +10 feet
14th	Aerial Avenger	+12	+13	+8	+3	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 10 Survival: 4 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+3) 8 Listen:(+3) 8 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered	Liira's Blessing	Death from Above +1, Range Increase
15th	Aerial Avenger	+12	+13	+8	+3	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 10 Survival: 4 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+3) 11 Listen:(+3) 11 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered	Karmic Strike	Momentum +2
16th	Aerial Avenger	+13	+14	+9	+4	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 10 Survival: 4 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+3) 14 Listen:(+3) 14 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered	Favored of the Companions	Swoop
17th	Aerial Avenger	+14	+14	+9	+4	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 10 Survival: 4 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+3) 17 Listen:(+3) 17 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered	--	Maneuverability Increase, Speed +10 feet
18th	Aerial Avenger	+15	+15	+10	+5	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 10 Survival: 4 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+3) 20 Listen:(+3) 20 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered	Improved Disarm, Knight of Tyr's Holy Judgement	Momentum +3
19th	Aerial Avenger	+15	+16/td] [td]+10	+6	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate: 10 Survival:(+2) 6 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+2) 22 Listen:(+2) 22 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered	--	Death from Above +2
20th	Terrifying Shriek	+16	+16	+11	+6	Class Skills: Handle Animal: 5 Intimidate:(+1) 11 Survival:(+2) 8 Tumble: 5 Hide:(+1) 23 Listen:(+1) 23 Cross-Class: Spellcraft: 2 Skill Trick: Never Outnumbered	Gift of Discernment	Terrifying Shriek

Spoiler: Piloting the Barbarial Avenger

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Levels 1-5

Duke Herambald is a big, clunky fighter/Barbarian, with the typical tools for the job. He's got some defensive options, what with his many immunities and resistances, along with a double-powered Protection from Evil and Spell Defense, along with an AC of 27(!!!). He's got plenty of offensive options, including power-attack, whirling frenzy, and pounce, to make sure that enemies are strongly punished for attempting to circumvent him.
In addition, he has a couple of survival-oriented skills, and he can probably talk bears out of attacking people. Given that he's incorporeal, he's capable of scouting out areas and seeing what's coming next, and with a lack of a need to sleep, he makes for a good watch-guard. His flight at this time gives him enhanced tactical options, and his miss-chance adds on to the fact that it will be a rare day indeed before an opponent can strike him. While his lack of social skills might hurt a bit, it's made up for with a high Charisma and Nymph's Kiss.
Now for the thing you might be wondering: Isn't he a Telthor? How's he going to leave his homeland? Well, quite simple. He heals fifty times faster than he takes damage.

Levels 6-10

Welcome to Painville, population Herambald. His combat options are not only still solid, but now the fear escalation his begun. He's scary to evil, dangerous to evil, his intimidate game has begun, he's got multiple different sources of rage, magic users rightfully fear him, and invisibility doesn't work against him without a ninth level spell or a feat investment--For reasons that maybe don't quite make sense.(How do ghosts smell, again?)
His defenses are as solid as ever, though perhaps becoming a little less relevant with the introduction of more powerful spells. Fortunately, the incorporeal subtype steps up here to provide a further layer of defense--Magic has a 50% chance of whiffing. And Herambald has Mobility, so there's only one person who'll be on his mind once he catches sight of magic.
His skills have, however, become less spread out due to the fact that none of his classes actually had tumble as a class skill, which required a costly 5-skill extra investment.

Levels 11-15

Some interesting defense-offense mechanics have now come online, and in good time, too! You see, Herambald is about to have to start dealing with ghost-touch weapons and enemies that might have multidimensional spell. To that end, he now has a variety of tools at his disposal--First and foremost, He has all the basic components necessary to punish an opponent for hitting him in combat. He did get that fancy Pierce Magical Protection ability a while back, so he's pretty much guaranteed a touch attack--And so those counterattacks are pretty much guaranteed to hit. He does a respectable amount of damage to evildoers, and he has two separate mass intimidation options.
He's also developed a knack for stealth. This is doubly effective for Herambald, as he can easily blend into the environment and makes no noise as he moves. This, combined with his solid listen checks, makes him a respectable backup scout, and a good choice for sending through dungeon walls to inspect for traps. No, he might not be a trained professional, but the column of cogs and gears is a pretty good indicator.
Finally, at this stage he's gotten an increase in maneuverability which makes it all the more likely that he can dive in with those claws.

Levels 16-20

We've finally rounded out those skills, and now we have three different fear effects, all working off of a respectable 20 Charisma! Two of them are getting a +2 to their DCs thanks to the Saint Template, bumping them up to a DC 27 save--Big enough that even other 20th level creatures have a significant chance of failing--And he's got combat prowess to back it up! Armed enemies become quickly disarmed. Big enemies get quickly pummeled. Undead get fried. Much fun is had. He's weak against will saves, though, so as always, handle with care--There'll be situations where it'll be as low as +9. Take those spellcasters out first! Fortunately, the Saint comes in handy here, with a lot of SLAs that help to boost those saves.

I'd say my highlight would probably be levels 9-14. You see just about everything coming online in that area, spells aren't quite at the level where you need to be afraid at all times about whether or not they've prepared Enervation, your hits hurt a lot more, and your physical defenses still matter.

Spoiler: Chef's Comments

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I'll admit, this dish is probably as elegant as mashed potatoes and gravy, but lemme tell ya this--I LIKE this mashed potatoes and gravy. I am a former robot-ghost-saint on a mission to cleanse the world of EVIL, and I do it by getting MAD! I'm not strong(In fact, technically, the guy has a flat 8 in strength if he were to ever not be incorporeal) but I'm tough as nails, and charming to boot! This one was so much fun to compose!

Spoiler: Sources

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Book of Exalted Deeds| Saint Template, Vow of Poverty, Sacred Vow, Nymph's Kiss, Nimbus of Light, Righteous Wrath, Sanctify Natural Attack, Touch of Golden Ice, Holy Radiance, Stigmata, Liira's Blessing, Favored of the Companions, Knight of Tyr's Holy Judgement, Gift of Discernment
Complete Champion|Spiritual Totem Barbarian ACF, Fist of the Forest
Dragon Compendium| Aerial Avenger
Deities and Demigods| Berserk
Complete Warrior|Karmic Strike
Unearthed Arcana|Ape Totem Barbarian ACF, Whirling Frenzy Barbarian ACF
Savage Species|Incarnate Construct
Eberron Setting|Warforged
Unapproachable East| Telthor

[Heliomance]

Entry number 5:

BLACKHAWK D'OUN, STEALTH GUNSHIP

A Raptoran Mercenary for Hire, Blackhawk is a battlefield controller/blaster, soaring above conflicts and mowing down enemies beneath him.

Please note, the token expired while I was writing this and I lost all the formatting and putting it back together is making me want to cry so it could be screwed up or have mistakes in the build and for some reason my picture now won't work anymore.

Spoiler: Stat Block

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Please note, due to the limitations of this build I am only presenting a level 20 build because it doesn't really come together (as much as it ever comes together) until like, 18. At lower levels he functions as a Fighter of unimpressive optimization. Once he gets to bloodstorm blade he's a bit more fun to play. Unfortunately the requirement to spend feats on dodge and mobility in a fighter based character as well as the feat and attribute tax for improved trip(int 13, combat expertise) make him questionable at best at lower levels.

Raptoran Dungeoncrasher Fighter 6/Warblade 2/Bloodstorm Blade 6/ Aerial Avenger 6
Size Large (permanent Enlarge Person)
HD 6d10+8d12+6d8+20 (136 HP)
Speed 30', Fly 50' (Good)
AC: Not impressive enough to be worth calculating, honestly
BAB: +18
Attack: +5 Adamantine Keen Spellblade Greatsword (see items) +36
Damage: 3d6+28 17-20 (if the damage seems wrong don't forget momentum from the ingredient, same for Dungeoncrasher below)
Special Attacks: Swoop Bullrush Trip Dungeoncrash 8d6+41(see "what he does" section)
Saves: Fort +21 Ref +15 Will +11
Ability Scores: Str 36 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 10 Cha 8 (all stat bumps went to strength)
Feats:Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Shock Trooper, Knockback Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Dodge, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Throw Anything, Flyby Attack
Skills Spot +23 Hide +23(+43 see items) Move Silent +22 Tumble +6 Balance +9 Others who cares

Stance: Punishing Stance
Maneuvers: Iron Heart Surge, none of the others really matter for this build
Notable Items:
+5 Adamanatine Keen Greatsword, Spellblade x2 (Dispel Magic, Greater Dispel Magic, he REALLY doesn't want his enlarge person dispelled, or his invis)
Belt of Giant Strength +6
Cloak of Resistance +5
Manual of Strength +5
Ring of Invisibility
Ring of Improved Invisibility (custom item, Greater Invis 3/day)
Boots of Speed
Honestly at this point I'm too lazy to fully optimize level 20 WBL

Spoiler: Build

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Warblade	+1	+2	+0	+0	Tumble 4, Balance 4, Spot 2, Hide 2, Move Silently 2	Power Attack	Maneuvers, Battle Clarity, Weapon Aptitude
2nd	Warblade	+2	+3	+0	+0	Tumble 5, Balance 5, Jump 3		Uncanny Dodge
3rd	Dungeoncrasher Fighter	+3	+5	+0	+0	Balance 6	Improved Bull Rush, Point Blank Shot	Bonus Feat
4th	Dungeoncrasher Fighter	+4	+6	+0	+0	Hide 3		Dungeoncrasher ACF
5th	Dungeoncrasher Fighter	+5	+6	+1	+1	Balance 7
6th	Dungeoncrasher Fighter	+6	+7	+1	+1	Balance 8	Shock Trooper, Combat Expertise	Bonus Feat
7th	Dungeoncrasher Fighter	+7	+7	+1	+1	Hide 4
8th	Dungeoncrasher Fighter	+8	+8	+2	+2	Move Silently 4		Dungeoncrasher ACF
9th	Bloodstorm Blade	+9	+10	+2	+2	Spot 7	Improved Trip Throw Anything	Throw Anything, Returning Attacks, Weapon Aptitude
10th	Bloodstorm Blade	+10	+11	+2	+2	Spot 12		Martial Throw, Thunderous Throw
11th	Bloodstorm Blade	+11	+11	+3	+3	Spot 15, Hide 5	Dodge	Bonus Feat
12th	Bloodstorm Blade	+12	+12	+3	+3	Hide 7	Mobility	Lightning Ricochet
13th	Aerial Avenger	+12	+12	+5	+3	Hide 14	Flyby Attack	Flyby Attack
14th	Aerial Avenger	+13	+12	+6	+3	Hide 17, Move Silently 8		Momentum +1, Power Dive
15th	Aerial Avenger	+14	+13	+6	+4	Move Silently 15	Knockback	Maneuverability increase, speed +10 feet
16th	Aerial Avenger	+15	+13	+7	+4	Hide 19, Move Silently 19, Listen 1		Death From Above, Range Increase
17th	Aerial Avenger	+15	+13	+7	+4	Hide 20, Move Silently 20, Listen 6		Momentum +2
18th	Aerial Avenger	+16	+14	+8	+5	Hide 21, Move Silently 21, Listen 11	Cleave	Swoop
19th	Bloodstorm Blade	+17	+14	+8	+5	Spot 20		Blood Wind Ricochet
20th	Bloodstorm Blade	+18	+15	+9	+6	Spot 23, Hide 22	Great Cleave	Bonus Feat

Spoiler: What he does and how I got there

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So, looking at this class I determined it really only had 2 abilities that were meaningful to possibly build around, Swoop and Terrifying Shriek. After a little looking, I didn't find anything to make terrifying shriek interesting other than just spamming stuff to increase the save DC which I thought was boring, so I settled on swoop.

This build uses the bloodstorm blade ability to make melee attacks at range to exercise battlefield control over a large area. When he swoops, he can make a melee attack against anyone in an are aprroximately 10 squares long and 7 squares wide (16 squares long if he activates his boots of speed), he can increase the width by 6 squares however he takes a -1 to hit anyone outside the initial area. This can continue to be expanded, taking more penalties the further out enemies are. When he hits, he can use knockback to bullrush people, with his high strength and size and feats his bull rush bonus is +21 to the opposed strength check. Once he bull rushes you, he has two options

1) If there is no other enemy anywhere near you, he can, since he is flying above you, bull rush you into the ground using the directed bull rush feature of his shock trooper feat, doing an additional 8d6+39 damage. He can also of course bull rush you into walls or obstacles if those are available. However, where he can shine is option 2

2) If there are multiple enemies in an area, he can bullrush one enemy into another, using domino rush to trip them both and then get an extra attack on both of them. Since there is no limit on uses of knockback, he can use this additional attack to bullrush them again, into the ground to do the extra dungeoncrasher damage. Since he gets a Swoop attack on both of them he can then hit the second one, and since there is technically no rule against tripping someone who is already prone he can throw them back into the first one and repeat the whole process. This allows him to hit each of them three times and Dungeoncrash each of them into the ground twice, for a total of, if successful, 25d6+166 damage, I think. Oh wait I forgot he also has punishing stance up so that makes it 28d6+166 (average 264). If there are more than 2 people near each other he can instead use the bonus attack from improved trip to bull rush both of the first two into a third one, creating even more iterative trips, attacks, bull rushes and Dungeon crashes, adding up to amounts of damage which I can only describe as "probably enough".

Because he can choose to take his attack for swoop from any point along his path as long as he has the proper range, he can generally finagle his directed bull rush in the direction he needs.

He can also bull rush additional people into anyone who survives the first set of attacks to get additional attacks on them. With Cleave and Great Cleave he can get more attacks if he kills anyone, each time repeating the process described above.

He will generally scout an area with his ring of invis up, figure out the right place to start his attack run, activate ring of improved invis and go to town. His invisibility helps to mitigate the attack penalty he will take from swoop.

BONUS ALTERNATE BUILD: By switching out Cleave and Great Cleave for Improved Sunder and Combat Brute, you can do everything decribed above but also sunder everyone's weapons first. However, since an opponent strong enough to survive the above described damage may very well have valuable magic weapons, I chose not to go that route.

[Heliomance]

Entry number 6:

Shred Furlong
CN Silverbrow Human Totemist 2/Aerial Avenger 10/Incarnate 1/Unarmed Swordsage 1/Warblade 6

To Primitivity, And Beyond!

Spoiler

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Ability Scores
16 Str, 12 Dex, 16 Con, 10 Int, 10 Wis, 12 Cha
Increase Con at 4th and 8th level, and Str at all opportunities thereafter.

Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Totemist 1	+0	+2	+2	+0	Tumble 4, Listen 4, Balance 2cc, Jump 2cc	Midnight Dodge, Mobility	Wild Empathy, Illiteracy, Skilled City-Dweller (Ride for Tumble)
2nd	Totemist 2	+1	+3	+3	+0	Tumble 5, Listen 5, Balance 2, Jump 2, Spot 2	-	Totem Chakra Bind (+1 Capacity)
3rd	Aerial Avenger 1	+1	+3	+5	+0	Tumble 5, Listen 5, Balance 5, Jump 5, Spot 2	Roofwalker, Flyby Attack	-
4th	Aerial Avenger 2	+2	+3	+6	+0	Tumble 7, Listen 5, Balance 7, Jump 7, Spot 2	-	Momentum +1, Power Dive
5th	Aerial Avenger 3	+3	+4	+6	+1	Tumble 8, Listen 8, Balance 8, Jump 8, Spot 2	-	Maneuverability Increase, Speed +10 ft
6th	Aerial Avenger 4	+4	+4	+7	+1	Tumble 9, Listen 9, Balance 9, Jump 9, Spot 2, Listen to This	Roof-Jumper	Death From Above +1, Range Increase
7th	Aerial Avenger 5	+4	+4	+7	+1	Tumble 10, Listen 10, Balance 10, Jump 10, Spot 2, Listen to This, Twisted Charge	-	Momentum +2
8th	Aerial Avenger 6	+5	+5	+8	+2	Tumble 11, Listen 11, Balance 10, Jump 11, Spot 2, Concentration 3, Listen to This, Twisted Charge	-	Swoop
9th	Aerial Avenger 7	+6	+5	+8	+2	Tumble 12, Listen 12, Balance 10, Jump 12, Spot 2, Concentration 4, Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	Open Least Chakra (Hands)	Maneuverability Increase, Speed +10 ft
10th	Aerial Avenger 8	+7	+5	+9	+2	Tumble 13, Listen 13, Balance 10, Jump 13, Spot 2, Concentration 7, Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	-	Momentum +3
11th	Aerial Avenger 9	+7	+6	+9	+3	Tumble 14, Listen 14, Balance 10, Jump 14, Spot 2, Concentration 10 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	-	Death From Above +2
12th	Aerial Avenger 10	+8	+6	+10	+3	Tumble 15, Listen 15, Balance 10, Jump 15, Spot 2, Concentration 13 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	Multiattack	Terrifying Shriek
13th	Unarmed Swordsage 1	+8	+6	+12	+5	Tumble 16, Listen 16, Balance 11, Jump 16, Spot 2, Concentration 15 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (Tiger Claw)	Quick to Act +1, Unarmed Strike
14th	Incarnate 1	+8	+8	+12	+7	Tumble 16, Listen 16, Balance 11, Jump 16, Spot 2, Concentration 17 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	-	Aura, Detect Opposition
15th	Warblade 1	+9	+10	+12	+7	Tumble 18, Listen 16, Balance 11, Jump 17, Spot 2, Concentration 18 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	Improved Multiattack	Battle Clarity (Reflex Saves), Weapon Aptitude
16th	Warblade 2	+10	+11	+12	+7	Tumble 19, Listen 16, Balance 11, Jump 19, Spot 2, Concentration 19 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	-	Uncanny Dodge
17th	Warblade 3	+11	+11	+13	+8	Tumble 20, Listen 16.5cc, Balance 11, Jump 20, Spot 2, Concentration 20 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	-	Battle Ardor (Critical Confirmation)
18th	Warblade 4	+12	+12	+13	+8	Tumble 21, Listen 17cc, Balance 11, Jump 21, Spot 2, Concentration 21 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	Open Greater Chakra (Waist)	-
19th	Warblade 5	+13	+12	+13	+8	Tumble 22, Listen 17.5cc, Balance 11, Jump 22, Spot 2, Concentration 22 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	Combat Reflexes	-
20th	Warblade 6	+14	+13	+14	+9	Tumble 23, Listen 18cc, Balance 11, Jump 23, Spot 2, Concentration 23 Listen to This, Twisted Charge, Back on Your Feet	-	Improved Uncanny Dodge

Meldshaping

Level	Soulmelds	Essentia	Chakra Binds
1	2	2	0
2	3	3	1
9	3	3	1+1
14	3+2	4	1+1
18	3+2	4	1+2

Maneuvers

Level	Maneuvers Readied	Maneuvers Known	Stances Known
13	4	Claw at the Moon, Sudden Leap, Shadow Jaunt, Moment of the Perfect Mind, Mind Over Body, Mountain Hammer	Child of Shadow
15	4/3	Claw at the Moon, Sudden Leap, Shadow Jaunt, Moment of the Perfect Mind, Mind Over Body, Mountain Hammer, Wall of Blades, Iron Heart Surge, White Raven Tactics	Child of Shadow, Leading the Charge
16	4/3	Claw at the Moon, Sudden Leap, Shadow Jaunt, Moment of the Perfect Mind, Mind Over Body, Mountain Hammer, Wall of Blades, Iron Heart Surge, White Raven Tactics, Dancing Mongoose	Child of Shadow, Leading the Charge
17	4/3	Claw at the Moon, Sudden Leap, Shadow Jaunt, Moment of the Perfect Mind, Mind Over Body, Mountain Hammer, Wall of Blades, Iron Heart Surge, White Raven Tactics, Dancing Mongoose, Dazing Strike	Child of Shadow, Leading the Charge
18	4/4	Claw at the Moon, Sudden Leap, Shadow Jaunt, Moment of the Perfect Mind, Mind Over Body, Mountain Hammer, Wall of Blades, Iron Heart Surge, White Raven Tactics, Dancing Mongoose, Dazing Strike, Manticore Parry	Child of Shadow, Leading the Charge, Dancing Blade Form
19	4/4	Claw at the Moon, Sudden Leap, Shadow Jaunt, Moment of the Perfect Mind, Mind Over Body, Mountain Hammer, Iron Heart Surge, White Raven Tactics, Dancing Mongoose, Dazing Strike, Manticore Parry, Moment of Alacrity	Child of Shadow, Leading the Charge, Dancing Blade Form
20	4/4	Claw at the Moon, Sudden Leap, Shadow Jaunt, Moment of the Perfect Mind, Mind Over Body, Mountain Hammer, Iron Heart Surge, White Raven Tactics, Dancing Mongoose, Dazing Strike, Manticore Parry, Moment of Alacrity, Quicksilver Motion	Child of Shadow, Leading the Charge, Dancing Blade Form

Blue denotes Swordsage maneuvers.
Red denotes Warblade maneuvers.

Mauling With Style

Spoiler

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Spoiler

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Such a strange place. A huge pile of stones with so many people bustle about it. Perplexing. That they could look at me like I’m the weird one beggars belief. They’ve even sent someone to question me. He’s got a dog following him around and the general look of a ranger, so maybe he’ll talk some sense…

Or maybe not. To hear this ‘Woodley’ talk, we’re all little more than children’s playthings, and have nothing to offer beyond staying in our lane and doing our part for the ‘city.’ He even mocked my flying – said I was just “falling, with style.”

Level 6

Spoiler

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Between having a good Ref save, Ride as a class skill to trade for Tumble with Skilled City-Dweller, and limited Flight via the Pegasus Cloak Totem Bind, Totemist 2 gets us into Aerial Avenger at the earliest possible level. Being an Incarnum user also allows us to substitute Dodge with Midnight Dodge, and pick up a point of essentia which will generally be more useful than +1 to AC. Having Balance on Aerial Avenger’s skill list actually ends up being useful in meeting the skill prereqs for Roofwalker and Roof-Jumper, which allows us to build off the SI’s Dodge and Mobility requirements even as we pick up a superior version of Spring Attack by way of Flyby Attack. Pegasus Cloak’s flight causes Shred to fall if his turn ends not on solid ground, but as he’s doing it deliberately, he can turn that fall into a Roof-Jumper charge, which is still boosted by Momentum, Death From Above, and Power Dive. The Dragonblood subtype also grants us access to the Claws of the Wyrm and Dragon Tail soulmelds, which can make up for the lost Totem Bind slot.

Level 12

Spoiler

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We finish up the SI nice and early. The average maneuverability flight from the Pegasus Cloak is now up to perfect, but most of the time he’ll probably just Swoop in a straight line, complete with Terrifying Shriek, then fall into a Roof-Jumper charge, now with Pounce thanks to the Sphinx Claws hand bind. Needing to free up a meld slot for Sphinx Claws means dropping the Dragon Tail from Shred’s loadout for the moment being, but an extra claw attack from Claws of the Wyrm is still nice, and we’ll fill out the full attack routine in the next few levels.

Level 20

Spoiler

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Being able to complete the SI early allows us to backload initiator levels for higher level maneuvers. Unarmed Swordsage adds an extra natural weapon with iteratives to the Sphinx Claws Pounce routine. Incarnate adds a few more soulmeld slots, one of which can be used to get the Dragon Tail back, and the other of which can either go to some situational choice of meld for a given day, or to the Airstep Sandals, which have flight similar to that granted by the Pegasus Cloak and can free up the Totem Bind for something else. Dancing Blade Form and the Dragon Tail Waist bind expand reach to 15 ft, which allows Swoop to reach more targets while still positioning for the Roof-Jumper fall. We also now have a few useful options for the swift action that’s free after a Swoop, including moving essentia around, switching into the Leading the Charge stance, moving an ally’s turn up with White Raven Tactics, juicing the upcoming full attack with Dancing Mongoose, or taking an extra move for positioning or height with Quicksilver Motion.

Spoiler

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Some behemoth is slamming against the gates and it has friends coming over the wall faster than the town guard can put them down. Woodley’s darting around putting some hurt on the big one, but the gate won’t last much longer. I launch from a rooftop, my tail spiraling around to smack down some of the fliers, and loop into my dive, battering the beast into the dirt.

I’m sore from the landing, but it seems we’ve won. Woodley is rushing up to me in his excitement. “Wow! Now that was some flying.”

I can’t help but laugh. “That was falling. With style.”

Spoiler

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Cityscape: Roofwalker, Roof-Jumper
Cityscape Web Enhancement: Skilled City-Dweller
Complete Scoundrel: Skill Tricks
Draconomicon: Improved Multiattack
Dragon Compendium: Aerial Avenger
Dragon Magic: Draconic Soulmelds, Silverbrow Human
Magic of Incarnum: Totemist, Incarnate, Midnight Dodge, Open Least Chakra, Open Greater Chakra, Soulmelds
Monster Manual V: Flyby Attack, Multiattack
Player’s Handbook: Mobility, Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus
Tome of Battle: Swordsage, Warblade, Maneuvers

[Heliomance]

Entry number 7:

Peregrine
Swiftwing/Gorebrute Shifter Dungeon Crasher Fighter 6/Warshaper 2/Weretouched Master (tiger) 4/Warshaper +1/Aerial Avenger 7

People typically think of birds of prey as striking with their claws. While that’s true to an extent, the fastest birds rely far more upon the impact of their strike to stun or kill their hapless prey. Peregrine is a shifter skirmisher who has taken that principle to heart

Spoiler: Build

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Fighter	+1	+2	+0	+0	Jump 4, Tumble 2	Gorebrute Elite, Power Attack (B)	Bonus Feat
2nd	Fighter 2	+2	+3	+0	+0	Jump 5, Tumble 2		Dungeon Crasher ACF
3rd	Fighter 3	+3	+3	+1	+1	Jump 6, Tumble 3	Improved Bull Rush
4th	Fighter 4	+4	+4	+1	+1	Jump 7, Tumble 3.5	Dodge (B)	Bonus Feat
5th	Fighter 5	+5	+4	+1	+1	Jump 8, Tumble 4
6th	Fighter 6	+6	+5	+2	+2	Jump 9, Tumble 4.5	Ragewild Fighting	Dungeon Crasher ACF 2
7th	Warshaper 1	+6	+7	+2	+2	Jump 10, Tumble 5		Morphic Immunities, Morphic Weapons
8th	Warshaper 2	+7	+8	+2	+2	Climb 2, Jump 10, Tumble 5		Morphic Body
9th	Weretouched Master 1	+7	+10	+4	+2	Climb 4, Jump 10, Tumble 5	Improved Natural Attack (gore)	Weretouched I (tiger, 2 claws d6)
10th	Weretouched Master 2	+8	+11	+5	+2	Climb 5, Jump 11, Tumble 5	Extra Shifter Trait (swiftwing) (B)	Bonus Shifter Feat, Wild Empathy
11th	Weretouched Master 3	+9	+11	+5	+3	Climb 6, Jump 12, Tumble 5		Scent, Weretouched II (tiger, Pounce)
12th	Weretouched Master 4	+10	+12	+6	+3	Climb 7, Jump 13, Tumble 5	Mobility, Shifter Defense (B)	Bonus Shifter Feat, Frightful Shifting
13th	Warshaper 3	+11	+12	+7	+4	Climb 8, Jump 14, Tumble 5		Morphic Reach
14th	Aerial Avenger 1	+11	+12	+9	+4	Climb 9, Jump 16, Tumble 7	Flyby Attack (B)	Flyby Attack
15th	Aerial Avenger 2	+12	+12	+10	+4	Climb 10, Jump 18, Tumble 9	Leap Attack	Momentum +1, Power Dive
16th	Aerial Avenger 3	+13	+13	+12	+5	Climb 11, Jump 19, Tumble 12		Maneuverability Increase (good), Speed +10ft (30ft)
17th	Aerial Avenger 4	+14	+13	+13	+5	Climb 12, Jump 20, Tumble 15		Death From Above +1, Range Increase
18th	Aerial Avenger 5	+14	+13	+13	+5	Climb 13, Jump 21, Tumble 18	Knock-Back	Momentum +2
19th	Aerial Avenger 6	+15	+14	+14	+6	Climb 14, Jump 22, Tumble 21		Swoop
20th	Aerial Avenger 7	+16	+14	+14	+6	Climb 16, Jump 23, Tumble 22		Maneuverability Increase (perfect), Speed +10ft (40ft)

Levels 1-5:

“Peregrine sure likes to run.”
“Poor lad wishes he was a swiftwing, but was born without wings. Still, you have to admit he makes the best of his momentum.”

At these levels Peregrine is a pretty standard charger, with the additional tricks of flinging enemies into hard objects to damage them and (while shifting) knocking them over (note that enemies do not get a size bonus against this). Bull rushing and the Dungeon Crasher ACF let him continue dishing out damage pretty effectively once he’s closed to melee range.


Levels 6-10:

“Dammit, we need that mage dealt with! Peregrine, can you deal with him and his escort?”
“Haha! No problem, I’m on it sir!”

Peregrine continues to pick up tricks to supplement his core strategy of crushing foes with his momentum. Levels in Warshaper make him stronger and more durable while shifting, and let him shrug off precision damage and critical hits. If he has a free move action, he can use it to grow an additional natural weapon. Speaking of natural weapons, Weretouched Master – using tiger, which as a pouncing beast with claws is most similar to a bird of prey – gives him two claws that (due to the wording) also benefit from his Improved Natural Weapon feat. Whenever he fails a will save against a spell (very likely, his will save is not great), Ragewild Fighting gives him an immediate action to attack (not necessarily the caster, either), giving him a use for his otherwise unused swift actions. It also allows him to inflict the dazed condition on his foes, either every time he spends two round fighting an opponent or in the first two rounds of combat, depending on how you read the ability. Finally, if the game is using action points, Peregrine can use one after charging to add some extra damage.

Last but not least, Peregrine finally has his wings.


Levels 11-15:

“I heard that the Peregrine is attached to the opposing forces in this region. Do – do you think he’ll end up hunting us?”
“Oh come on, he’s just one man. There’s no way he’s as terrifying as the rumors say. I mean, a half-man half-eagle that pounces from the trees on unwary sentries? That’s not an intelligence report; that’s a campfire story!”
“Y-yeah. You’re probably right.”
Peregrine smiled as he felt his muscles and bones sliding around in preparation for combat. Normally a small group like this would be beneath his attention. While that was still true from a literal standpoint, crouched as he was on a tree branch forty feet above them, these scouts could very well spot the main body of the army and sound the alarm prematurely. And, he had to admit, a conversation like that was too perfect an entrance to pass up.

Pounce and reach make Peregrine vastly more effective, among other things letting him use the Rattle the Weakling option of Ragewild Fighting on multiple enemies at once. All the melee benefits of Aerial Avenger work with Shock Trooper, and apply to every attack he makes while pouncing. Shock Trooper is also vital because while flying Peregrine cannot attack with claws or weapons, but Shock Trooper lets him attack from above without flying (presumably while still shifted, though). To make up for his impermanent flight speed, Peregrine keeps plenty of ranks in climb and jump (later, he’ll be able to take advantage of his increased range increments from these high vantage points). Tumble lets him charge past enemies to the center of a group (the better to take advantage of his reach) without provoking opportunity attacks. Frightful Shifting performs a similar thematic role to the abandoned Terrifying Shriek; while it can’t be retried against a target that succeeded on the save, it can be used alongside an ordinary charge, which is far more useful. Finally, the utility of increased movement speed and maneuverability to a flying character is obvious.


Levels 16-20:

“Momentum. If you take nothing else away from this class, take away the knowledge that momentum is the single most important factor for a warrior. With momentum you can strike harder, travel further, and force your opponents to the ground. There is also nothing else in this earth as exhilarating.” – Peregrine

Knock-Back is arguably the single best part of this build. I’ve delayed it to this point because by now Peregrine has absolutely no excuse to not have a way to increase his size to qualify for the feat. Should he acquire such a means earlier, absolutely take this feat earlier (Improved Natural Attack is probably the best and easiest feat to kick back to level 18, perhaps pushing forward Mobility as well to take Knock-Back at L9 or L12, but pushing back Leap Attack would also work). While charging foes from above, now in addition to attacking multiple foes and adding damage from Power Attack, Momentum, and Power Dive (and possibly Morphic Weapons), Peregrine can bull-rush each opponent hit into the ground for the extra 8d6+3xStr from Dungeon Crasher. What was previously two exclusive options for an attack is now one deadly whole. Against more spread out opponents (or highly numerous opponents with low AC), Peregrine can pull the same trick by using Swoop to fly over their heads and attack from above, though this loses the bonus damage from charging. We make it up to +16 BAB, though note that you cannot for the most part use weapons with any of these natural weapons or while flying. And once again bonus speed and maneuverability is very useful.

While it stings to lose three levels of the SI, I think it’s fair to say that Terrifying Shriek is by far the most useful part of those three levels, and Terrifying Shriek is not worth losing three levels of this build. The second Dungeon Crasher ACF is incredibly important to the build in conjunction with Knock-Back, and taking off the three levels from Warshaper and/or Weretouched Master would mean losing abilities like Pounce, Morphic Immunities (essentially 100% Fortification), a big stat boost in the form of Morphic Body, and/or Frightful Shifting – which itself does a fair job of filling the hole left by Terrifying Shriek.


Sources:

Complete Adventurer – Leap Attack (110)
Complete Warrior – Warshaper (89)
Dragon Compendium – Aerial Avenger (67)
Dungeonscape – Dungeon Crasher Fighter ACF (10)
Eberron Campaign Setting – Shifters (18), Extra Shifter Trait (53), Improved Natural Attack (55), Weretouched Master (85)
Player’s Handbook 3.5 – Fighter (37), Dodge (93), Improved Bull Rush (95), Mobility (98), Power Attack (98)
Races of Eberron – Shifters (25), Gorebrute Elite (114)
Races of Stone – Knockback (142)

[Heliomance]

Entry number 8:

Ven Jance

Silverbrow Human Scout 1/Wizard 1/Rogue 1/Aerial Avenger 10/Avenging Executioner 5/Dread Commando 1/Ninja 1

Chaotic Neutral

Languages:
Common
Draconic
Auran

Spoiler: Story

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Nerd.
Runt.
Dork.

At a young age, the name-calling started. School children can be cruel. Even as a young boy, Ven had thought he'd heard them all.
But then he'd started changing. The bloodline of wyrms had awoken in him.
And the names got worse.

Impure.
Tainted.
Freak.

Ven took the razzing, the teasing, the torment. The wounds stung. The scars lasted. But through it all, Ven reminded himself, internally, that things could be worse.
He hadn't realized just how right he was.

His eyes bulged, bugging out to the point that even his own eyelids seemed unwilling to hug them completely.

Mutant.

His arms stretched to preposterous proportions, showcasing clearly, to anyone who hadn't bothered to notice before, his aberrant nature.

Abomination.
Devil-spawn.

It wasn't just the school children that could be cruel. Adults shied away from him. Teachers couldn't hide their nerves. Priests called for his condemnation even as they demanded his exorcism.

Through it all, day in and day out, Ven clung to one thing. His desire to live with integrity. But each day, as the sharp barbs of hatred dug deeper into him, driving scars beyond flesh, into his psyche, into his soul, Ven's grip on that desire slipped, just a bit, little by little.

And here Ven stands, a devil on one shoulder crying out for retaliation; an angel on the other calling for forgiveness. Ven leans and tilts, one way one day; the other the next. Just how much will it take to push him, permanently, to either side?

Spoiler: Stats

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Str 10
Con 14
Dex 14
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 16

Increases:
4-20: Cha

Spoiler: Build Table

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Scout 1	+0	+0	+2	+0	4 Craft(as) 4 4 Disable Device 4 4 Hide 4 4 Intimidate 2 4 Listen 4 4 Move Silently 4 2 Open Lock 1 4 Search 4 1 SL: Abyssal 1 SL: Celestial 4 Spot 4 4 Tumble 4	1st: Aberration Blood (Bulging Eyes); H: Inhuman Reach	Skirmish +1d6; Trapfinding
2nd	(Martial) Wizard 1	+0	+0	+2	+2	- Craft(as) 4 - Disable Device 4 - Hide 4 - Intimidate 2 - Listen 4 - Move Silently 4 - Open Lock 1 - Search 4 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial 4 Spellcraft 4 - Spot 4 - Tumble 4	B: Dodge	Summon Familiar
3rd	(Martial) (Mimic) Rogue 1	+0	+0	+4	+2	- Craft(as) 4 2 Disable Device 6 - Hide 4 4 Intimidate 6 - Listen 4 - Move Silently 4 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 6 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 1 Spot 5 1 Tumble 5	3rd: Starspawn; B: Mobility	Disguise Self 1/day
4th	Aerial Avenger 1	+0	+0	+6	+2	2 Craft(as) 6 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 5 - Intimidate 6 2 Listen 6 2 Move Silently 6 - Open Lock 1 - Search 6 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 - Spot 5 1 Tumble 6	B: Flyby Attack	--
5th	Aerial Avenger 2	+1	+0	+7	+2	- Craft(as) 6 - Disable Device 6 2 Hide 7 - Intimidate 6 2 Listen 8 2 Move Silently 8 - Open Lock 1 - Search 6 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 - Spot 5 2 Tumble 8	--	Momentum +1; Power Dive
6th	Aerial Avenger 3	+2	+1	+7	+3	1 Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 2 Hide 9 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 9 1 Move Silently 9 - Open Lock 1 - Search 6 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 6 1 Tumble 9	6th: Dragonfire Strike	Maneuverability Increase; Speed +10 ft.
7th	Aerial Avenger 4	+3	+1	+8	+3	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 10 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 10 1 Move Silently 10 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 7 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 7 1 Tumble 10	--	Death From Above; Range Increase
8th	Aerial Avenger 5	+3	+1	+8	+3	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 11 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 11 1 Move Silently 11 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 8 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 8 1 Tumble 11	--	Momentum +2
9th	Aerial Avenger 6	+4	+2	+9	+4	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 12 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 12 1 Move Silently 12 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 9 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 9 1 Tumble 12	9th: Craft Magic Arms and Armor	Swoop
10th	Aerial Avenger 7	+5	+2	+9	+4	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 13 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 13 1 Move Silently 13 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 10 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 10 1 Tumble 13	--	Maneuverability Increase; Speed +10 ft.
11th	Aerial Avenger 8	+6/1	+2	+10	+4	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 14 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 14 1 Move Silently 14 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 11 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 11 1 Tumble 14	--	Momentum +3
12th	Aerial Avenger 9	+6/1	+3	+10	+5	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 15 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 15 1 Move Silently 15 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 12 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 12 1 Tumble 15	12th: Quick Reconnoiter	Death From Above +2
13th	Aerial Avenger 10	+7/2	+3	+11	+5	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 16 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 16 1 Move Silently 16 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 13 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 13 1 Tumble 16	--	Terrifying Shriek
14th	Avenging Executioner 1	+7/2	+3	+13	+7	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 17 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 17 1 Move Silently 17 - Open Lock 1 - Search 13 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 1 Spot 14 2 Tumble 17 2 ST: Acrobatic Backstab	--	Bloody Blade; Sudden Strike +1d6
15th	Avenging Executioner 2	+8/3	+3	+14	+8	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 18 - Intimidate 6 1 Listen 18 1 Move Silently 18 - Open Lock 1 - Search 13 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 3 Spot 17 2 Tumble 18 - ST: Acrobatic Backstab	15: Craven	Rapid Intimidation
16th	Avenging Executioner 3	+9/4	+4	+14	+8	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 19 1 Intimidate 7 1 Listen 19 1 Move Silently 19 - Open Lock 1 - Search 13 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 2 Spot 19 2 Tumble 19 - ST: Acrobatic Backstab	--	Sudden Strike +2d6
17th	Avenging Executioner 4	+10/5	+4	+15	+9	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 20 - Intimidate 7 1 Listen 20 1 Move Silently 20 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 14 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 1 Spot 20 2 Tumble 20 - ST: Acrobatic Backstab	--	Dread Blade
18th	Avenging Executioner 5	+10/5	+4	+15	+9	- Craft(as) 7 - Disable Device 6 1 Hide 21 - Intimidate 7 1 Listen 21 1 Move Silently 21 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 15 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 1 Spot 21 2 Tumble 21 - ST: Acrobatic Backstab	18: Keen-Eared Scout	Bloody Murder; Sudden Strike +3d6
19th	Dread Commando 1	+11/6/1	+4	+17	+9	- Craft(as) 7 1 Disable Device 7 1 Hide 22 - Intimidate 7 1 Listen 22 1 Move Silently 22 - Open Lock 1 1 Search 16 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 1 Spot 22 2 Tumble 22 - ST: Acrobatic Backstab	--	Sudden Strike +4d6; Team Initiative Bonus
20th	Ninja 1	+11/6/1	+4	+19	+9	- Craft(as) 7 1 Disable Device 8 1 Hide 23 - Intimidate 7 1 Listen 23 1 Move Silently 23 - Open Lock 1 2 Search 18 - SL: Abyssal - SL: Celestial - Spellcraft 4 1 Spot 23 1 Tumble 23 - ST: Acrobatic Backstab	--	Ki Power; Sudden Strike +5d6; Trapfinding

Spoiler: Spell Table

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Okay, so there's no table here. You won't need one. It's this simple:
Level 1: nothing
Levels 2-20: First level wizard casting. (3 0th-level slots/1 1st-level slot)
Spells in spellbook: All 0th-level wizard spells; Blade of Blood (PHB2); Blades of Fire (SpC); Chill Touch (PHB); Spontaneous Search (SpC); Summon Monster I (PHB); and any other 1st-level wizard spell found.

Spoiler: 1-3 levels

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1st: Scout
Craft armorsmithing is going to let you build your own armor (more on that later.)

Aberration Blood (Bulging Eyes) is going to help out some with the scouting role.

Inhuman Reach follows AB(BE) for reach. If you're in melee, it can certainly help, but at this point, I would still advise you to find a bow stay out of melee when possible.

One rank in Open Lock lets you try it. At this level, it'll work more often than not, if you take 20.

Learning Abyssal and Celestial is a reflection of the internal struggle between good and evil in this neutral character.

2nd: Wizard
Martial wizard gives you one of the feats you'll need for the SI.

A four rank investment into Spellcraft will let you hit a DC of 16 (4ranks + 2int + take 10), which just so happens to be the DC needed to write a 1st level spell into your spellbook.

The spellcasting (and subsequent wand use) will come in handy later.

3rd: Rogue
Martial rogue gives you that other needed feat.
Mimic rogue because...well, because you already have trapfinding. Disguise Self may very well be useful later on.

Starspawn gives you the flight you need.

Spoiler: 4-8

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Early entry to the Aerial Avenger levels.

Flyby Attack is useful, of course, for a skirmisher. But now, using it, you can fly 10 feet, attack in melee from 10 feet away, then finish your move by easing that last 5 feet backward. Thus finishing 15 feet away from your foe, which is far better than being right in his/her face. You still might prefer a bow, though.

On the other hand, at second level, dive attacks get more powerful. If you can set yourself up for it: With a reach weapon (say a longspear), you can charge to the nearest square from which you can attack, and use charge bonuses + the dive bonus + Power Dive bonus + Skirmish and stay reasonably well away from retaliation attacks on your opponent's turn. You just have to move along the diagonal. (Read all about it in the PHB p.149-150.)

Come level 6, you can add Dragonfire Strike to the above charge/dive. Or not, depending on the foe. The speed bonus is nice, of course. (Which, noteably, does not refer solely to a flight speed!) The bump to good maneuverability will be, I think, more appreciated, though.

Spoiler: Character level 9 is key in this build

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"Where is Craft Magic Arms and Armor coming from?" I hear you ask. "First level wizards don't qualify for that!" True. But 9th level Silverbrow Humans do. (Actually, 6th level silverbrow humans do.) Mwaa-ha-ha.

So, what to do with CMA&A?
The first thing you'll want to do is make a Spectral Dagger. It's in the Magic Item Compendium p.59-60. You'll note that its creation requires Chill Touch (Hey! You have that!) and that the cost to create does not include an added cost for a masterwork aspect. Which means that you don't actually need to make a craft check for anything. Just pick up an old bone lying around somewhere and create your 'dagger'.
And now, all of those Swoop attacks you make (at -1 per foe you attack) are made with melee touch attacks.
It doesn't have an enhancement bonus (and can never get one), so you won't be able to stack more +x Price abilities onto it. You can, however, add flat cost abilities. Consider Shadowstrike (MIC p.43), Slow Burst (MIC p.43), and Vanishing (MIC p.45).

You will, of course, also be able to craft armor. For that, you're going to need to make a craft armorsmithing check. DC 20 gets you the masterwork element. You have (7 ranks + 2int + 2 from masterwork tools) 11 for your skill. Taking 10 gets you to 21. Let your familiar aid you (or try to). Given the funds, resources, and time, you should be able to bang out a functional suit of armor to wear. Aim for something protective enough without being hampering that won't break your budget. (Your mileage will vary from campaign to campaign, of course.) Of note will be the Landing property (MIC p.12) and the Anti-Impact property (Complete Warrior p.133). (Each of which requires Feather Fall. You have that!) Consult your DM about what happens when you fall on top of foes from a great height. (Can you make a charge/dive attack in freefall?) With a wand of Bear's Endurance, you can also add the Easy Travel property (MIC p.10), which would make flying around sooo much easier.

But don't stop there. Remember that your Spectral Dagger will be a relatively weak weapon to use against non-living foes. (Constructs, I'm looking at you!) So, have a backup. Add armor spikes to your armor. And enchant them. The Bane property (SRD) and Fiercebane (MIC) both require Summon Monster I (and you wondered why I included that in the spellbook, didn't you?) Spellstrike (MIC) requires Resistance (you have that, too!) and would be good for a backup weapon.

But wait, there's more. Remember that CMA&A also lets you make Armor and Weapon Augment Crystals (MIC).

Feel free to play around with whichever enhancement bonuses/weapon and armor properties/crystal combinations will be most beneficial to your campaign. Some you'll be able to make all on your own. Others, you'll need a wand or scroll to make. Still others will require another caster to help you out (your party does have a cleric or a paladin or something in it, doesn't it?) But it really shouldn't take too much effort to make it all happen.

Spoiler: 10-13

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There's not a whole lot happening here. You're finishing off the SI, which really shouldn't be a 10-level class.

Maneuverability kicks up to perfect, which is certainly nice. (If you don't know why, the Rules Compendium (and probably the DMG?) has a nice chart showing what you can and can't do in flight at each maneuverability step.)

Quick Reconnoiter is a magnificent feat for any scout-type character.

Terrifying Shriek will actually come in handy later on. Stay tuned.

Spoiler: 14-18

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You're adding Sudden Strike to the mix. (Consult with your DM about whether Dragonfire Strike applies twice to an attack that deals both skirmish and sudden strike damage.)

Acrobatic Backstab lets you use SS when you tumble through an enemy's space. The Swoop class feature lets you attack everyone on the field of battle, but only if you move in a straight line. This could very well mean that you'll have to tumble through occupied spaces to move through the path you'll want to travel. The DC is 25 (which increases with the number of occupied spaces you'll want to move through.) At level 14, you'll be at 17 ranks + 2dex + 2 aid (from your familiar) = 21. So a roll of 4 will get you through the first enemy. (Which will only get easier as you level.) Then **SWOOP**, right in the back!

Craven at level 15 is...well...ouch when it happens.

At 17th level, you'll get Dread Blade. (Remember when I said that Terrifying Shriek would come in handy?) Unlike most fear effects, Terrifying Shriek will work on creatures regardless of their HD. Everyone within 50' of your first Swoop attack will have to make a save. Low level mooks will freak out. Higher level creatures may or may not. Those that do are getting sudden striked. (Uhmm...struck?) (Might I take this moment to remind you that the Fearsome armor property (MIC p.11) is something you can make on your own if you can manage to find a wand. You may also want to consider adding a form of stunning to a weapon, as well. Perhaps Stunning or Stunning Surge (both in MIC p.44) or somesuch.)

Keen-eared Scout does plenty of fun things for someone taking on the scout role of a party. Especially comboed with Quick Reconnoiter.

Spoiler: 19-20

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These are both, frankly, just shameless grabs at more Sudden Strike to round out the build.

Spoiler: Non-Core Sources

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Silverbrow Human -- Dragon Magic p.6
Scout -- Complete Adventurer p.10
Aberration Blood feat -- Lords of Madness p.178
Inhuman Reach feat -- Lords of Madness p.180
Mimic Rogue ACF -- Exemplars of Evil p.21
Starspawn feat -- Lords of Madness p.181
Dragonfire Strike feat -- Dragon Magic p.18
Quick Reconnoiter feat -- Complete Adventurer p.112
Avenging Executioner -- Complete Scoundrel p.24
Acrobatic Backstab -- Complete Scoundrel p.
Craven feat -- Champions of Ruin p.17
Keen-eared Scout feat -- Player's Handbook 2 p.80
Dread Commando -- Heroes of Battle p.103
Ninja -- Complete Adventurer p.5

[Heliomance]

Entry number 9:

Chook Min, Screaming Master of Silent Death

N Sparrow Hengeyokai Unarmed Swordsage 3/Aerial Avenger 10/Unarmed Swordsage 10

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Stats (with racial adjustments)

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Str 10
Dex 16 (18)
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 16 (14)
Cha 10

Build

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Unarmed Swordsage 1	+0	+0	+2	+2	Concentration 4, Hide 4, Jump 4, Move Silently 4, Sense Motive 4, Tumble 4	Midnight Dodge, (B)Improved Unarmed Strike, (B)Weapon Focus (Shadow Hand)	Quick to Act +1, Discipline focus (weapon focus: Shadow Hand), Unarmed Damage 1d6
2nd	Swordsage 2	+1	+0	+3	+3	Concentration 5, Hide 5, Jump 5, Move Silently 5, Sense Motive 5, Tumble 5		AC Bonus
3rd	Swordsage 3	+2	+1	+3	+3	Concentration 6, Hide 6, Jump 6, Move Silently 6, Sense Motive 6, Tumble 6	Mobility
4th	Aerial Avenger 1	+2	+1	+5	+3	Concentration 7, Hide 7, Jump 7, Move Silently 7, Sense Motive 7, Tumble 7	(B)Flyby Attack	Flyby Attack, Skilled City Dweller
5th	Aerial Avenger 2	+3	+1	+6	+3	Concentration 8, Hide 8, Jump 8, Move Silently 8, Sense Motive 8, Tumble 8		Momentum +1, Power Dive
6th	Aerial Avenger 3	+4	+2	+6	+4	Concentration 9, Hide 9, Jump 9, Move Silently 9, Sense Motive 9, Tumble 9	Weapon Finesse	Maneuverability (good), Speed +10 feet
7th	Aerial Avenger 4	+5	+2	+7	+4	Concentration 10, Hide 10, Jump 10, Move Silently 10, Sense Motive 10, Tumble 10		Death from above +1, range increase
8th	Aerial Avenger 5	+5	+2	+7	+4	Concentration 11, Hide 11, Jump 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 11, Tumble 11		Momentum +2
9th	Aerial Avenger 6	+6/+1	+3	+8	+5	Concentration 12, Hide 12, Jump 12, Move Silently 12, Sense Motive 12, Tumble 12	Shadow Blade	Swoop
10th	Aerial Avenger 7	+7/+2	+3	+8	+5	Concentration 13, Hide 13, Jump 13, Move Silently 13, Sense Motive 13, Tumble 13		Maneuverability (perfect), speed +20 feet
11th	Aerial Avenger 8	+8/+3	+3	+9	+5	Concentration 14, Hide 14, Jump 14, Move Silently 14, Sense Motive 14, Tumble 14		Momentum +3
12th	Aerial Avenger 9	+8/+3	+4	+9	+6	Concentration 15, Hide 15, Jump 15, Move Silently 15, Sense Motive 15, Tumble 15	Shape Soulmeld (Gloves of the Poisoned Soul)	Death from above +2
13th	Aerial Avenger 10	+9/+4	+4	+10	+6	Concentration 16, Hide 16, Jump 16, Move Silently 16, Sense Motive 16, Tumble 16		Terrifying shriek
14th	Swordsage 4	+10/+5	+4	+11	+7	Concentration 17, Hide 17, Jump 17, Move Silently 17, Sense Motive 17, Tumble 17		Discipline Focus (Insightful Strikes: Desert Wind), Unarmed Damage 1d8
15th	Swordsage 5	+10/+5	+4	+11	+7	Concentration 18, Hide 18, Jump 18, Move Silently 18, Sense Motive 18, Tumble 18	Adaptive Style	Quick to act +2
16th	Swordsage 6	+11/+6/+1	+5	+12	+8	Concentation 19, Hide 19, Jump 19, Move Silently 19, Sense Motive 19, Tumble 19
17th	Swordsage 7	+12/+7/+2	+5	+12	+8	Concentration 20, Hide 20, Jump 20, Move Silently 20, Sense Motive 20, Tumble 20		Sense Magic
18th	Swordsage 8	+13/+8/+3	+5	+13	+9	Concentration 21, Hide 21, Jump 21, Move Silently 21, Sense Motive 21, Tumble 21	Martial Study (Greater Insightful Strike)	Discipline focus (defensive stance: Shadow Hand), Unarmed Damage 1d10
19th	Swordsage 9	+13/+8/+3	+6	+13	+9	Concentration 22, Hide 22, Jump 22, Move Silently 22, Sense Motive 22, Tumble 22		Evasion
20th	Swordsage 10	+14/+9/+4	+6	+14	+10	Concentration 23, Hide 23, Jump 23, Move Silently 23, Sense Motive 23, Tumble 23		Quick to act +3

Maneuvers

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1st: Burning Blade, Distracting Ember, Moment of Perfect Mind, Sapphire Nightmare Blade Blade, Shadow Blade Technique, Sudden Leap, Wolf Fang Strike
2nd: Burning Brand, Action Before Thought
3rd: Mind Over Body, Shadow Garrote
4th: Ruby Nightmare Blade (at 14),
5th: Searing Charge (at 16)
6th: Moment of Alacrity, Stalker in the Night, Greater Insightful Strike
7th: Shadow Blink, Salamander Charge (at 18)
8th: One with Shadow, Diamond Nightmare Blade (at 20)
Stances Known: Child of Shadow, Flame’s Blessing, Hearing the Air, Assassin’s Stance

Backstory

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There are many schools of martial arts, and quite a number are named after animals. Many people have of course heard of crane school, but I’m a student of the rare and deadly sparrow school. My people invented it generations ago, but we have not found other creatures worthy of learning our techniques. What? Of course it’s a real school! I’m practically a master of it! I’ve killed bigger guys than you with one hand tied behind my back before I’ve even had breakfast. Hand, wing, what’s the difference? The point is I’m a force to be reckoned with, and if you don’t wise up you’ll figure that out yourself. No I’m not cute! I’m terrifying! Fear me! Stop laughing!

Level 5

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Welcome to the insanity. We begin with Hengeyokai, specifically the Sparrow variety. The bonus to Dex only applies when in hybrid form, but hybrid should be your default form so you can keep qualifying for the SI. When you assume sparrow form your physical ability scores change and you become Fine. You have a laughable 1ft land speed, so fly when you’re a sparrow. Your flight maneuverability is average as given by the errata. You are limited in how many times per day you can change forms, but you have no limits in how long you can stay in a form. As explained in the dragon magazine update, Hengeyokai are Humanoid (shapechanger) with LA of +0. Midnight dodge works the same as dodge, but gives us an essentia we’ll be using later. You might wonder why not Desert Wind Dodge. The reason is that due to feats going before class features, I cannot take it at level one. Seems silly, but that’s RAW. Feel free to take it instead if your DM agrees it’s silly. The list of Shadow Hand weapons includes unarmed strike, which is your default means of attack, so enjoy the +1.

Swordsage will help us enter the SI, and also provide some helpful combat maneuvers early on. Sudden Leap is a tactical teleport that remains useful due to the SI giving us jump of all skills. Flame’s Blessing rewards us for our tumble investment as increasing protection from fire. Child of Shadow gives us concealment when you move 10 feet, which you will be doing a lot with the highly mobile combination of SI and swordsage. The unarmed variant provides us with IUS, which will especially come in use when you are in sparrow form. It has no natural attacks, so unarmed strike will allow you to still attack with sweet bird kung fu. It does still deal damage, so you can use it as a vehicle for your strikes. The +8 to attack from being fine goes a long way at this point, as does your 24 AC (26 with Wis). Remember that being fine gives you an unfair +16 to Hide.

The SI allows us to enter very early, so we’re going to take full advantage. It adds on ranged martial weapons, so you can use bows when flying around as you wish. Its skill list may not make much sense, but it happens to line up perfectly with swordsage once we use the skilled city dweller ACF. We can use our continued tumble ranks to protect ourselves when using flyby attack, and momentum helps us with damage output. Power remains a helpful boost as a number of our maneuvers are charges.

Level 10

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Deeper in the SI things are really coming together. Your maneuverability has now gone up to perfect, which means you can hover, reverse instantly, and move in all 3 directions with essentially no restrictions. It should be assumed from this point on that your feet are never touching the ground except to sleep. Your fly speed is now 30 feet in hybrid, 60 in sparrow. Death from above combined with your high bonus to hit means it’s nearly impossible for you to miss opponents. The range increase is helpful for outshooting opponents in a bowfight. Given that they will increase the range of spells, it would also follow that it would increase the range of ranged maneuvers, more specifically Shadow Garrote when you pick it up.

Weapon Finesse and Shadow Blade mean you can bring your ferocious sparrow dexterity to bear when using your sweet bird kung fu. Child of Shadow is a reliable stance to be in for combat, and once again unarmed strikes are Shadow Hand weapons, so you should be getting Dex to damage as a default. Swoop presents a solution to a dilemma we have when fighting in sparrow form. We want to beat everyone up with our sweet bird kung fu, but we have to move into someone’s square to attack them normally. Flyby attack helped somewhat, but now we can attack multiple targets and don’t provoke any AoOs for doing so. It is becoming increasingly attractive to stay in sparrow form for combat. It flies faster, and your mobile fighting style makes up for your lack of reach. You can use burning brand to gain reach for attacking adjacent squares, or for extending further in hybrid form.

Level 15

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Finish up the SI, and then we can return to swordsage to pump up our maneuvers. Terrifying shriek is free, so there’s no reason not to do it all the time, and a successful save does not give protection from further shrieks. There’s also the very funny mental image that you can hide, and then panic your enemies when swooping unseen, then they all run in terror from something, though they don’t know what. It’s common for martial artists to intimidate their foes with a kiai shout or Bruce Lee-style scream, but it becomes utterly hilarious when it’s the twittering of birdsong that strikes fear in the hearts of enemies. Note that this isn’t considered mind affecting, so no one is safe.

Swordsage brings in a number of new maneuvers to threaten your enemies with. Strikethroughs indicate the maneuver is traded away, and parenthetical about level indicates a maneuver was gained by trading. Your saves can all be replaced with your maxed concentration skill. Shadow Garrote gives you options at range even when a sparrow, and Ruby Nightmare Blade weaponizes your concentration score. It’s a very lucky thing the SI has Concentration. Hearing the Air gives us a stance to be in when scouting around, to make sure that you get the drop on enemies and not the other way around.

Adaptive Style helps us by fixing swordsage’s problem of poor renewal of maneuvers. Shape soulmeld gives us another option for fighting. Gloves of the poisoned soul allows you to make a touch attack to deal wisdom damage. You can invest your essentia for more damage, and when you slap on momentum, you have the ability to hit enemies for 5 Wisdom, and then they take another 5 a minute later. We’re able to do this because momentum just applies to damage, not to damage rolls. I believe you can use it to deliver strikes, but even if you can’t it’s another tool in your box. In case anyone was wondering “hey can you shape something to your hand chakra if you don’t have hands as a sparrow?” the answer is “wow someone is really harshing on my sweet bird kung fu, but also yes” MoI page 169 tells us that wings will count as hands, so you function like humanoids.

Level 20

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We’ll wrap things up with a final dose of swordsage, and more maneuvers that go with it. Use moment of alacrity to gain an extra turn by gaming the initiative system. Stalker in the Night lets you move and attack while still being hidden. Greater Insightful strike and Diamond Nightmare Blade give you big damage strikes. If you can use Diamond Nightmare Blade to strike with Gloves of the Poisoned soul, you could knock someone out cold with the Wis damage. Shadow blink is fast teleportation, and One with Shadow can help you phase through walls as an incorporeal creature. Salamander Charge lets you charge so fast that you leave a trail of fire behind you to damage your enemies, and yes it’s a charge, so power dive applies.
Assassin’s stance provides another alternative for dealing damage and making use of all your sneaking, and lets us keep shadow blade’s benefits. You can learn this before Hearing the Air if you prefer. Remember that at this point Flame’s blessing renders you immune to fire.

Sources

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Oriental Adventures, Oriental adventures update: Hengeyokai
Tome of Battle: Swordsage, Shadow Blade, Adaptive Style, Martial Study
Magic of Incarnum: Midnight Dodge, Shape Soulmeld, gloves of the poisoned soul
Skilled City Dweller: Cityscape Web Enhancement
srd: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus, Weapon Finesse

[Heliomance]

Entry number 10:

The Vashairian

Spoiler: Image

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Spoiler: Story

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All they saw was a somewhat freakish looking woman. That was their first and last error on this earth. I savor the looks of surprise and terror on their faces as my claws rip the life-force from their bodies and send them into the afterlife.

All life is pain, and anyone who would tell you otherwise is trying to sell you something. You are conceived, born, live, and die in pain. My own existence has mirrored this as well. My mother somehow drew the ill attention of some demon princeling, and paid for it with my birth, which in turn ended her suffering, or so the telling goes. Clearly I am different, but just as clearly I am stronger as well.

There are two goals worth seeking in this life. The first is survival, and the second is the eradication of the so called Gods. They think themselves above us, but soon they shall learn the folly of that line of thought. That will be a glorious day.

Enough talk, the arena calls. It is time to send another fool to their rightful place.

Spoiler: Racial stuff

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CE Vashar Half-Fiend (Aspect of Bel) Totemist2/Fighter1/Aerial Avenger 7/Thayan Gladiator 6

Outsider (extraplanar), speed 30/fly 30 (average)
NA +5, STR +6, CON +4, DEX/INT/CHA +2
Full attack: 2x claw 1d4, 2x Wings 1d4, bite 1d6, tail 1d6
1/day Smite Good (HD damage in melee attack)

SLAs by HD if INT or WIS 8+, CL=HD: (can replace* w/ thematic same combat usefulness spells)
1-2 Darkness 3/day
3-4 Darkbolt*
5-6 Unholy Blight
7-8 Poison 3/day
9-10 Dispel Magic*
11-12 Teleport*
13-14 Unholy Aura 3/day
15-16 Horrid Wilting

Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, Immunity to Poison, Acid/Cold/Fire/Elec resist 10, DR 5/good >11HD, DR 10/good <12HD. Natural weapons treated as magic to overcome DR. SR=Racial HD+10 (11)
Skills: at 1st by class as well as all skills for Bel as class skills.
LA +4

------------------------
STR 16, DEX 12, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 12, CHA 14
Half-Fiend
STR 22, DEX 14, CON 18, INT 12, WIS 12, CHA 16
All points into STR

9d8+1d10+6d12+64

Elder Evil Devotion - Pandorym: 1 vile feat at creation, and 1 vile feat per 5HD

Spoiler: Build

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
5th	Half-Fiend Totemist	0	2	2	0	Conc 4, Know-Planes 4, Listen 4, Spot 4, Surv 4, Tumble 4	Multiattack, (B) Evil Brand, (B) Evil's Blessing	Wild Empathy, Illiteracy, Soulmelds, Skilled City Dweller ACF (Ride/Tumble)
6th	Totemist 2	1	3	3	0	Conc 5, Know 5, Listen 5, SPot 5, Surv 5, Tumble 5	-	Totem Chakra Bind +1
7th	Fighter	2	5	3	0	Intim 4	Expeditious Dodge, (B) Mobility	-
8th	Aerial Avenger	2	5	5	0	cc-Know 6, Balance 1, Conc 6, Escape 1, Listen 6, Tumble 7	(B)Flyby Attack	-
9th	Aerial Avenger 2	3	5	6	0	cc-Spot 6, Balance 3, Conc 7, Escape 2, Listen 7, Tumble 8	(B) Blood War Conscript	Momentum +1, Power Dive
10th	Aerial Avenger 3	4	6	6	1	cc-Know 7, Balance 5, Conc 8, Escape 3, Listen 8, Tumble 9	Weapon Focus (Claw)	Maneuverability Increase (good), Speed +10
11th	Aerial Avenger 4	5	6	7	1	cc-Spot 7, cc-Intim 5, Conc 9, Escape 5, Tumble 10	-	Death From Above +1, Range Increase
12th	Aerial Avenger 5	5	6	7	1	cc-Know 8, cc-Intim 6, Conc 10, Escape 7, Tumble 11	-	Momentum +2
13th	Aerial Avenger 6	6	7	8	2	cc-Spot 8, cc-Intim 7, Conc 11, Escape 9, Tumble 12	Azure Toughness	Swoop
14th	Aerial Avenger 7	7	7	8	2	cc-Know 9, Conc 12, Escape 11, Listen 10, Tumble 13	(B)Hellsworn	Maneuver Increase (perfect), Speed +10
15th	Thayan Gladiator	8	9	8	2	Bluff 1, Intim 8, Sense 1, Spot 9	(B)Improved Natural Attack (Claw)	Study Opponent
16th	Thayan Gladiator 2	9	10	8	2	Bluff 2, Intim 9, Sense 2, Spot 10	Rapid Assault	Improved Critical (Claw), NA +1
17th	Thayan Gladiator 3	10	10	9	3	Bluff 3, Intim 10, Sense 3, Spot 11	-	Stunning Critical, Silver Strike
18th	Thayan Gladiator 4	11	11	9	3	Bluff 4, Intim 11, Sense 4, Spot 12	-	Natural Weapon Focus
19th	Thayan Gladiator 5	12	11	9	3	Bluff 5, Intim 12, Spot the Weak Point	Iron Will (B) Vile Martial Strike	Imbue Natural Weapon (Shock), NA +2
20th	Thayan Gladiator 6	13	12	11	4	Intim 13, Sense 6, Spot 13	-	Adamantine Strike

Spoiler: Melds/Feats

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Soulmelds (3 w/ 3 essentia total):
Girallon Arms: Totem bind (arms) +2 Climb and Grapple checks and +2 to each per essenita invested, 4 extra claws, +1 attack/dmg per essential invested
Manticore Belt: Totem bind (waist), +2 Jump/Spot and +2 to each per essentia invested. Standard action, snap tail to fire spines equal to essentia invested each doing 1d6+1/2 STR at 30/150ft range
Threefold Mask of the Chimera: Totem bind (crown or soul), can’t be flanked, shaping only

Vile Feats:
Blood War Conscript – vs lawful or good, gain +1 attack/damage
Evil Brand - +2 Diplo/Intim vs Evil
Evil’s Blessing – standard action to activate, for 5 rounds, CHA to saves, if deal damage to a Good target during any round, Double CHA to saves for duration
Vile Martial Strike – Each hit w/ Weapon Focus weapon (claw) does an extra 1 vile damage
Hellsworn – extraplanar subtype, (Hell’s Fury) 1/round as free action, designate a foe, all melee/ranged attacks for weapon you have Weapon Focus for do an extra 1d6 Unholy damage.

Feats:
Multiattack – secondary natural attacks at only -2
Expeditious Dodge - +2 to AC vs 1 opponent
Mobility - +4 AC vs AoO
Flyby Attack – attack as part of movement
Weapon Focus (Claw) - +1 to attacks w/ claws
Azure Toughness – Gain 1 essentia, can invest into feat, each essentia equals 3 temp HP
Improved Natural Attacks (Claw) – all claw attacks one step higher in dmg
Improved Critical (Claw) – double threat range
Rapid Assault – all attacks in first round of combat do +1d6 damage
Iron Will - +2 to the abysmal will save

Spoiler: Levels

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V: Just 1 HD, but SR/DR and resistances on top of a high Natural Armor bonus, and 3/day Darkness help keep you alive. Multiattack really helps out a 0 BAB. With a STR mod of 6, that's still claw +4/claw +2/wing +2/wing +2/bite +2/tail +2, all doing +6 extra damage. Likely only shaping the Chimera mask at this point for flanking immunity. Evil's Blessing takes a little planning, but is either a +3 or +6 to all saves for a few rounds.

X: Pick up 4 more claw attacks, and finally some BAB. With essentia in Girallon Arms, each claw (6) now has a +13 to hit for the primary, and +11 for all secondary attacks. Each claw does 9-10 extra damage, and moved up a step in the die damage. Flyby attack is used with Manticore Belt (which gets the full to hit for each spine), which also benefits from blood war and momentum for 2 extra damage per spine. Full attack is now claw+13/claw+11/claw+11/claw+11/claw+11/claw+11/wing+11/wing+11/bite+11/tail+11.

XV: Things are getting crazy now. BAB +8, Str +7, Death from above +1, B. War +1, Weap Focus +1, Study +1 means a to hit of 19 for claws, only 1 less for the others. Hellsworn gives another 1d6 Unholy damage to all 6 claw attacks, which also are doing Str +7, Momentum +2, B. War +1 in damage if airborne, only losing out on momentum if you're on the ground. Full attack is now claw+19,+14/claw +17/claw+17/claw+17/claw+17/claw+17/wing+17/wing+17/bite+17/tail+17. Perfect maneuverability means you can now hover in place and still attack from the air.

XX: This block is all about improving the massive pile of natural attacks available. Improved Critical (claw), Vile Martial Strike (claw), Silver and adamantine strike for the claws, as well as stunning critical. BAB +13, Str +8, Weap Focus +1, B. War +1, Death +1, Study +1 means the claws now are hitting at +25/+23 each. Rapid strike adds a d6 to every attack made in the first round of combat, meaning each claw is doing 1d6+1d6(RS)+1d6 Unholy+1d6 shock+8 str+1 vile+2 momentum in the first round, and only 1d6 shock less otherwise. Assuming all attacks hit in the first round, you'd be doing 6x claws for 24d6+48+6 vile+12, 2x wings 2d4+2d6+2 vile +16 Str+4, and a wing and bite at both 2d6+1 vile+8str+2 for a total of around 30d6+2d4+82+10 vile +20 as either silvered, adamantium, or magical weapons.

I forgot about Natural Weapon Focus from T. Gladiator until all these other numbers were added up. from 18th on, you now have an additional claw attack from all 6 claws at -5 to hit, so that'd be something like +25/+20/+20 main hand, and +23/+18 for each of the 5 other claws in your attack pattern, so now you're doing 17 attacks a round for all the pain.

It's hard to pick a sweet spot, but let's go w/ 13 when swoop can be massively abused.

SLA's are doing:
Darkness: 3/day for 160 mins
Darkbolt: 5d8 (half cold, half untyped) and range increased to 90ft thanks to Aerial Avenger
Unholy Blight: 5d8 or 10d6 vs good outsiders
Poison 3/day 1d10 CON/1d10 CON
Dispel: duh
Teleport: 1600 mile range
Unholy Aura: 3/day for 16 rounds, +4 AC/saves, SR to 25, immunity to possession/influence, and 1d6 STR damage to any good creature that hits you in melee
Horrid Wilting: 16d6 or 16d8 vs plants/water elementals in a 60ft diameter burst

Spoiler: General Playstyle

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Manticore belt and SLA's provide ranged combat options. Flyby attack and Giralon Arms makes for either 1 powerful attack, or a flyby grappling. Once maneuverability gets up to perfect, you can hover in place and apply all the things to the natural attacks, granting you 11 per round. Act as a harrier in the air, poking at the flanks (or swooping through the ranks), or drop into the maelstrom and become a whirlwind of death. With such a high to hit mod, means you could attack say 15 opponents all at +10 to hit for max damage on your claw of 1d6+1d6 Unholy+1d6 rapid strike+1d6 shock+1 vile+8 STR +2 momentum w/o provoking AoO, and can do this every single round, only losing out on rapid strike damage.

Target down the buffed up tank charging you w/ dispel magic, or run away with teleport should the fight go south.

Unfortunately there's no ACF's for dumping Wild Empathy from the Totemist. With DM approval, Voice of the City(druid acf) might be thematic allowing you to communicate with others who speak a language you don't. Or even better, Celesital Slayer (ranger acf) for more hate on good stuff.

Spoiler: Sources

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Book of Vile Darkness: Vashar p12, Vile Martial Strike p50
Champions of Ruin: Thayan Gladiator p64
Dragon Compendium: Aerial Avenger p67
Elder Evils: Evil’s Blessing p13, Serving Elder Evils p10, Pandorym p80
Exemplars of Evil: Evil Brand p24, Hellsworn (Hell’s Fury) p24
Fiendish Codex I: Blood War Conscript p83
Fiendish Codex II: Aspect of Bel p142
Magic of Incarnum: Azure Toughness p35, Girallon Arms p68, Manticore Belt p77, Threefold Mask of the Chimera p89, Totemist p29
Player’s Handbook: Fighter p37, Feats p90-91
Tome of Battle: Rapid Assault p32

fiend http://archive.wizards.com/default.a...d/we/20060630a
city dweller http://archive.wizards.com/default.a...d/we/20070228a

[Heliomance]

Entry number 11:

Arya, Stalker of the Sky
NG Lesser Tiefling Ranger 6/Scout 7/Aerial Avenger 7

The bandits all spoke in hushed whispers. They were safe here in the den, but that was no reason to be careless. The fear that even speaking could draw in the ire of that mysterious figure. No one ever saw where they came from only a pair of bat like wings against the moon if you were lucky, and then the arrows would begin to fall. Only a few had ever escaped the monsters ire, the rest were turned into pincushions or slain with precise shots through the heart or neck. If you heard the flapping of wings, you ran. That was the rule.

This was what the young bandit had been told as the crept through the underbrush. A wagon train was coming through loaded with enough wealth for them to live like kings. That was the rumor, but he didn’t care about that. He’d only turned to this path out of a desperate need to put food on the table. Now they lay in wait. The creaking of wagons could be heard in the distance. As the train drew in close their leader stepped forth signaling the start of the ambush.

It seemed as soon as they charged the arrows began to fall . Three struck home in their leader’s chest first then they just seemed to be an endless rain. He turned to run back. This wasn’t worth dying. Even as others joined him in running they were struck down. Some times only one arrow, sometimes two or three. And then in his panic he tripped. As the others continued to run. He threw his weapon aside and held his hands up hoping for a merciful death among the screams, but it didn’t come.

When all fell silent he looked up and saw her standing there, her bat like wings unfurled, red eyes staring at him, and two arrows nocked on her bow. The bow lowered to the ground and he continued to stare in wide eyed terror.

“This is your first time isn’t it boy?” Her voice wasn’t as harsh as he’d imagined. It was almost sympathetic sounding. He swallowed hard and nodded. There was faint thud as a bad landed between his legs. “You don’t seem like the bad sort. There’s good coin there if you want to return to honest work. You won’t live a second time.” With that her wings pushed hard against the air and she disappeared. The youth grabbed the bag and did the same.

Spoiler: Attributes

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Attributes	Strength	Dexterity	Constitution	Intelligence	Wisdom	Charisma
Point Buy	14	15	10	14	14	12
Racial Adjustment	14	17	10	16	14	10
4th	14	18	10	16	14	10
8th	14	19	10	16	14	10
12th	14	20	10	16	14	10
16th	14	21	10	16	14	10
20th	14	22	10	16	14	10

Spoiler: Build

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Reflex Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Ranger	+1	+2	+2	+0	Balance (Dex) 0 Hide (Dex) 2 Jump (Str) 4 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 2 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 1 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 2 Listen (Wis) 4 Move Silently (Dex) 4 Search (Int) 4 Spellcraft (Int) 1 Spot (Wis) 2 Survival (Wis) 3 Tumble (Dex) 2	Track, Dodge	Favored Enemy(Arcanist) +2, Wild Empathy
2nd	Ranger	+2	+3	+3	+0	Balance (Dex) 0 Hide (Dex) 3 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 2.5 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 1 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 3 Listen (Wis) 5 Move Silently (Dex) 5 Search (Int) 5 Spellcraft (Int) 1 Spot (Wis) 3 Survival (Wis) 4 Tumble (Dex) 2	Rapid Shot	Combat Style(Archery)
3rd	Scout	+2	+3	+5	+0	Balance (Dex) 2 Hide (Dex) 3 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 3 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 2 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 4 Listen (Wis) 6 Move Silently (Dex) 6 Search (Int) 6 Spellcraft (Int) 1.5 Spot (Wis) 3 Survival (Wis) 4 Tumble (Dex) 4	Point Blank Shot	Skirmish (+1d6), Trapfinding
4th	Scout	+3	+3	+6	+0	Balance (Dex) 4 Hide (Dex) 4 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 3.5 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 2 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 5 Listen (Wis) 7 Move Silently (Dex) 7 Search (Int) 7 Spellcraft (Int) 1.5 Spot (Wis) 4 Survival (Wis) 5 Tumble (Dex) 5	-	Battle Fortitude +1, Uncanny Dodge
5th	Ranger	+4	+3	+6	+1	Balance (Dex) 4 Hide (Dex) 4 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 4 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 3 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 6 Listen (Wis) 8 Move Silently (Dex) 8 Search (Int) 8 Spellcraft (Int) 2 Spot (Wis) 5 Survival (Wis) 6 Tumble (Dex) 5	Endurance	-
6th	Scout	+5	+4	+6	+2	Balance (Dex) 5 Hide (Dex) 5 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 4.5 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 4 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 7 Listen (Wis) 9 Move Silently (Dex) 9 Search (Int) 9 Spellcraft (Int) 2.5 Spot (Wis) 5 Survival (Wis) 6 Tumble (Dex) 7	Fiendish Bloodline	Fast Movement +10', Skirmish (+1d6/+1AC), Trackless Step
7th	Ranger	+6/+1	+5	+7	+2	Balance (Dex) 5 Hide (Dex) 5 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 5 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 4 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 8 Listen (Wis) 10 Move Silently (Dex) 10 Search (Int) 10 Spellcraft (Int) 3 Spot (Wis) 7 Survival (Wis) 7 Tumble (Dex) 7	Precise Shot	Distracting Shot
8th	Scout	+7/+2	+5	+8	+2	Balance (Dex) 6 Hide (Dex) 6 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 5.5 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 4 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 9 Listen (Wis) 11 Move Silently (Dex) 11 Search (Int) 11 Spellcraft (Int) 3.5 Spot (Wis) 8 Survival (Wis) 7 Tumble (Dex) 9	Mobility	-
9th	Ranger	+8/+3	+5	+8	+2	Balance (Dex) 6 Hide (Dex) 6 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 6 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 5 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 10 Listen (Wis) 12 Move Silently (Dex) 12 Search (Int) 12 Spellcraft (Int) 4.5 Spot (Wis) 9 Survival (Wis) 7 Tumble (Dex) 9	Outsider Wings	Favored Enemy (Arcanist+4, Construct+2)
10th	Aerial Avenger	+8/+3	+5	+10	+2	Balance (Dex) 7 Hide (Dex) 7 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 6.5 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 5 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 10 Listen (Wis) 13 Move Silently (Dex) 13 Search (Int) 12 Spellcraft (Int) 4.5 Spot (Wis) 9 Survival (Wis) 9 Tumble (Dex) 11	Flyby Attack	-
11th	Aerial Avenger	+9/+4	+5	+11	+2	Balance (Dex) 8 Hide (Dex) 8 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 5 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 11 Listen (Wis) 14 Move Silently (Dex) 14 Search (Int) 12 Spellcraft (Int) 5 Spot (Wis) 9 Survival (Wis) 9 Tumble (Dex) 12	-	Momentum+1, Power Dive
12th	Aerial Avenger	+9/+4	+6	+11	+3	Balance (Dex) 9 Hide (Dex) 9 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 5 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 11 Listen (Wis) 15 Move Silently (Dex) 15 Search (Int) 12 Spellcraft (Int) 6 Spot (Wis) 9 Survival (Wis) 11 Tumble (Dex) 13	Swift Hunter	Manueverability Increase, Speed +10', Skirmish (+3d6/+2AC)
13th	Aerial Avenger	+11/+6/+1	+6	+12	+3	Balance (Dex) 10 Hide (Dex) 10 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 5 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 12 Listen (Wis) 16 Move Silently (Dex) 16 Search (Int) 12 Spellcraft (Int) 7 Spot (Wis) 9 Survival (Wis) 11 Tumble (Dex) 14	-	Death From Above, Range Increase
14th	Scout	+11/+6/+1	+6	+12	+3	Balance (Dex) 11 Hide (Dex) 11 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 6 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 13 Listen (Wis) 17 Move Silently (Dex) 17 Search (Int) 14 Spellcraft (Int) 7 Spot (Wis) 10 Survival (Wis) 12 Tumble (Dex) 15	-	Favored Enemy (Arcanist+4, Construct+4, Oozes +2), Evasion
15th	Scout	+12/+7/+2	+7	+13	+4	Balance (Dex) 12 Hide (Dex) 12 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 6 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 14 Listen (Wis) 18 Move Silently (Dex) 18 Search (Int) 15 Spellcraft (Int) 7.5 Spot (Wis) 12 Survival (Wis) 13 Tumble (Dex) 16	Improved Precise Shot	Flawless Stride, Skirmish (+3d6/+3AC)
16th	Ranger	+13/+8/+3	+8	+14	+5	Balance (Dex) 12 Hide (Dex) 13 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 15 Listen (Wis) 19 Move Silently (Dex) 19 Search (Int) 15 Spellcraft (Int) 8 Spot (Wis) 14 Survival (Wis) 14 Tumble (Dex) 16	Manyshot	Improved Combat Style
17th	Scout	+14/+9/+4	+8	+14	+5	Balance (Dex) 13 Hide (Dex) 14 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 16 Listen (Wis) 20 Move Silently (Dex) 20 Search (Int) 15 Spellcraft (Int) 9 Spot (Wis) 16 Survival (Wis) 14 Tumble (Dex) 18	-	Skirmish (+4d6/+3AC)
18th	Aerial Avenger	+14/+9/+4	+8	+14	+5	Balance (Dex) 14 Hide (Dex) 15 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 8 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 16 Listen (Wis) 21 Move Silently (Dex) 21 Search (Int) 15 Spellcraft (Int) 9 Spot (Wis) 16 Survival (Wis) 16 Tumble (Dex) 19	Greater Manyshot	Momentum +2
19th	Aerial Avenger	+15/+10/+5	+9	+15	+6	Balance (Dex) 15 Hide (Dex) 16 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 8 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 17 Listen (Wis) 22 Move Silently (Dex) 22 Search (Int) 15 Spellcraft (Int) 9 Spot (Wis) 17 Survival (Wis) 16 Tumble (Dex) 20	-	Swoop
20th	Aerial Avenger	+16/+11/+6/+1	+9	+15	+6	Balance (Dex) 16 Hide (Dex) 17 Jump (Str) 5 Knowledge {Arcana} (Int) 7 Knowledge {Dungeoneering} (Int) 9 Knowledge {Nature} (Int) 17 Listen (Wis) 23 Move Silently (Dex) 23 Search (Int) 15 Spellcraft (Int) 9 Spot (Wis) 17 Survival (Wis) 17 Tumble (Dex) 21	-	Manueverability Increase, Speed +10'

Spoiler: Summation

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Spoiler: Qualifying

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Qualifying for the Aerial Avenger is largely a simple task. Scout give us the option of Mobility as a bonus freeing up a slot for other uses and allowing us to jump into the class a few levels sooner than would be otherwise possible. It also features Tumble as a class skill. This leaves us with one major hurdle, and that is the ability to fly. Instead of dipping into casting which neither synergizes with the scout nor is progressed by the SI, we instead look to our other main source which is as a racial ability. The Tiefling doesn’t have flying by default, however Races of Faerun provides the ability for planetouched individuals to get wings and an average flight speed for two feats. This method does delay our entry into the prestige class by a couple levels, but provides what will hopefully be a fairly unique means of qualification this round.

Spoiler: Synergy

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Scout naturally wants to work with this ingredient well since the focus on ranged combat and the Scout’s Skirmish meld well together especially when Flyby Attack is handed out as a bonus feat first level. To help with strengthening the scout which is a decent utility class we augment it by taking levels in Ranger. With the Swift Avenger feat Ranger provides several handy boosts to the class overall by allowing us to apply Skirmish’s precision damage to our favored enemies and providing full BAB to increase our number of attacks and the likelihood of us hitting our targets.
Ranger also helps us out by providing access to several bonus feats to help overcome our limited attack options when using Skirmish and later Flyby Attack. The first is Rapid Shot which gives us an extra attack even on a standard attack for a -2 modifier. This serves as the workhorse for getting us a decent amount of damage in until later levels. By taking Champion of the Wild we can also trade out our spellcasting which doesn’t ever build to anything particularly useful for another bonus feat, in this case Precise Shot which helps make it easier to shoot into melee. The last feat it grants us is Manyshot which lets us get off our full iterative attacks as a standard actions, albeit with a substantial penalty.

Spoiler: Level 20

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At level 20 we have a fairly solid dish that while not striking out as overpowering in any particularly area is a competent scout and ranged combatant. With a Base Attack of +16 we have our full barrage of iterative attacks. Swift Hunter gives us 3 Favored Enemies and a total of +4d6 damage to our attacks. Our choice of FE is largely influenced by trying to get the most use of Swift Hunter as possible. Constructs and Oozes are two of the creature types that are typically immune to precision damage. The other two are Plants and the Undead. By taking Arcanist first level we actually mange to ensnare several of the higher level undead as well as several other monsters since it just looks for anything that casts spells which includes racially granted spells. Depending on campaign plant could be chosen instead.
Our high dexterity modifier helps offset the penalty from Greater Manyshot and leaves us free to utilize it to our hearts content as part of a Flyby attack. Greater Manyshot also allows us to apply our precision damage to each arrow we fire instead of only one. Improved Precise Shot overcomes anything short of full cover and concealment making easier for us to hit anything we’re aiming for in addition to Precise Shot negating the attack penalty for shooting into melee. Finally with Darkvision and our high spot and listen checks we should be able to spot most anything coming, especially from the air, before it becomes a problem for us or our party.
Our only real problem is our abysmal will save which we’ll need to rely on the party or magic items to shore us up against.

Spoiler: Sweetspot

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Level 16 is the sweet spot for this build. At this point we have all of our required feats and the best of the SI’s abilities to mix in with our Swift Hunter. While the SI does continue to build well it doesn’t add anything new after the first four levels and there is very little point taking it past level 7. As a result we break out at level 4 to finish grabbing our goodies from Scout and Ranger before returning to finish up. At level 16 we have a total of 3 Favored enemies, +3d6/+3AC from our skirmish, the ability to make all of our attacks from Manyshot, good flight maneuverability, increased range, and a minor boost to damage. All in all this gives us a fairly solid character that can contribute in a couple different ways.

Spoiler: Sources

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Arcane Hunter - Complete Mage p.32
Champion of the Wild - Complete Champion p.50
Distracting Shot - PHB2 p.55
Scout - Complete Adventurer p.10
Fiendish Bloodline - Races of Faerun p.163
Outsider Wings - Races of Faerun p.167
Swift Hunter - Complete Scoundrel p.81
Greater Manyshot - XPH p.47

[Heliomance]

That's all! Randuir gets to feel smug - there were indeed 11 entries. Judges, you've got a lot of entries to look at - good luck all!

[The Viscount]

Vizzini must have gotten to us all that we didn't see a Cobra Strike Monk. I definitely thought about it as a means of entry, but decided against because I was sure it was too obvious. I guess it was after all.

[KrimsonNekros]

Yun caught me off guard with his level 3 entry though.

[Thedez]

God. I thought I'd made a good bit, but the Tree Octopus got me. It freakin' got me, man. I actually laughed. My girlfriend can barely do that. My friends can barely do that. But that god-forsaken Tree Octopus, that one did it for me.
Also taking some notes for formatting, now...

[WhamBamSam]

Vizzini must have gotten to us all that we didn't see a Cobra Strike Monk. I definitely thought about it as a means of entry, but decided against because I was sure it was too obvious. I guess it was after all.

My reasons for dismissing Cobra Strike Monk would probably tip my hand too much for which entry is mine, but I did consider it.

Yun caught me off guard with his level 3 entry though.

There's at least one other level 3 entry and one level 4 entry. I thought about a level 4 entry using a Dragonwrought Kobold with Improved Dragon Wings auto-qualification, but since my main schtick was going to be Defensive Rebuke+Draconic Rite Ghostly Tail, which meant being a Crusader, it was just too glaring how unfavorably Swoop compares against Great Flyby Attack+Aura of Perfect Order in a very similar build without Aerial Avenger (or the Feat Rogue/Cobra Strike Monk levels required to qualify by 4th level).

[Thurbane]

My build was looking like Rogue 1/Cloistered Cleric 5/Aerial Avenger 10/Elemental Warrior (air) 4, not in that order.

Able Learner for skillmonkeying, Travel domain to meet AA Fly reqs, and swapping out Travel Domain for Travel Devotion once I got at will flying through EW.

But yeah, I felt this build was useful in spite of the SI, so I gave up on it. Also wanted to not have to dip Rogue, but couldn't figure a way to meet Ref save reqs using only a 5th level casting class.

[KrimsonNekros]

I had a fun idea of trying to use Great Rift Skyguard to meet the flight requirements since it does actually give you a flight speed with the drogue wing, but it fell apart once I saw i needed 9 levels Of GRS to get that requirement.

[Inevitability]

The build I made used levels in the ghost template to get:

-A fly speed (duh)
-Incorporeality (which is kind of broken with flyby attack, just zip in and out of walls for free)
-A draining touch (which, arguably, all the nifty dive and momentum damage boosts applied to, as well as the extra attacks)
-Telekinesis (which aside from being incredibly broken at low levels also synergizes well with range boosts and such)
-A reason to make the character charisma-SAD (touch attacks remove the need for much dexterity, incorporeal AC boost is nifty)

The build would be strongheart halfling battle dancer 2/ghost template class 4/aerial avenger 10/master of the unseen hand 4, and would end up with charisma in the high twenties before magic items, as well as a crazy powerful Terrifying Swoop, an insanely powerful draining touch, some good ol' CL 20 telekinesis and the ability to fly out of a wall, tag a bunch of foes with some nice constitution drain, and disappear again.

[DeTess]

One of the things I toyed with was a Raptoran with as many stormtalon levels as possible in addition to the ingredient, but on closer inspection of that PRC, it appeared to be a very good Iron Chef ingredient (and an absolutely terrible PRC).