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    Titan in the Playground
     
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    Default Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII


    Hello, all, from your new Chair. Welcome back to the Iron Chef Optimization Challenge E6 Appetizer Edition! It's time for round forty two: show me your best get up and go.

    The form of this challenge is to take a particular D&D 3.5 game element (our "secret ingredient," or SI) and turn it into a functional E6 build, which must feature the SI as heavily as possible. (The only hard rule about this is that you must take at least one level—where applicable—in the SI, though judges are encouraged to look favorably on builds that take as many levels as possible in said SI or that otherwise use it as heavily as possible.) Your final build submission should consist of your 6 regular levels and your first 10 epic bonus feats, though providing a snapshot at earlier points through the progression is heartily encouraged. Entries are to be PM'd to the Chair (that would be me!), and they will be posted anonymously; our volunteer judges will then grade each build on a 1-5 point scale in four categories: Originality, Power, Elegance, and Use of the Secret Ingredient. The builds with the highest three scores will be awarded medals, with the Honorable Mention award going to the non-medaling build that the Chair likes best and/or that receives the most votes for HM in this thread. (HM may not always be awarded, particularly if the number of builds is very small.) And then we all have cake!*

    *Note: You must provide your own cake.

    This is basically like the regular Iron Chef, and let's be brutally honest with ourselves here: this isn't a gargantuan community, and we basically all know what we're talking about at this point. Make the builds, send 'em in, post some scores, and have fun. If you've got questions, lemme know. Still, let's lay out a few rules!
    • Cooking Time: Builds must be submitted via PM to the Chair by 4:59 PM GMT - 9 on Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 (1:59 AM GMT on Saturday, March 25). The reveal shall be on the first evening the Chair has free following the cooking deadline, which is hoped to be that evening or the immediately subsequent one—I'll do my best, anyway. Judging is then encouraged to go as quickly as possible; if multiple judges volunteer, we'll set about a two-week window, but if we only get one judge, we'll try to wrap up as soon as possible after that judge presents scores. (I will admit that the deadline time may not be an exact science, but don't hide from me and we'll probably be cool.)
    • Kitchen: Let's break this one down a bit.

      Spoiler: Let's talk about sources
      Show

      • ALLOWED: Almost all D&D 3.5 material published by WotC: Core, Completes, monster books, Races Of books, alternate power source books (Expanded Psionics Handbook, Magic of Incarnum, Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic, etc.), Spell Compendium, Book of Exalted Deeds, Book of Vile Darkness, Eberron material, Forgotten Realms material, and other WotC-published 3.5 material. (This list is NOT exhaustive and there are many other legal books that I did not mention by name!)
      • ALLOWED: Material from the 3.5 archives of the Wizards of the Coast website (including, but not limited to, the Mind's Eye articles). If you use it, link it.
      • ALLOWED: Official errata from WotC. If you're relying on this in a material fashion, it's a good idea to link it and to discuss it.
      • NOT ALLOWED: Unofficial errata, including "class fixes" (regardless of the source, including from the original author if not published in a WotC book) or fan-created content.
      • ALLOWED: Unupdated WotC-published 3.0 material (e.g., Sword and Fist, Masters of the Wild, etc.) except for 3.0 psionics. No 3.0 psionics allowed. If you are using 3.0 material, use the general-purpose skill updates (Wilderness Lore becomes Survival, Innuendo becomes Bluff, etc.) and the general-purpose rules updates (spells with a casting time of "1 action" become "1 standard action," etc.) when appropriate.
      • NOT ALLOWED: 3.0 material for which a direct 3.5 update exists. Use the updated material instead.
      • ALLOWED: Dragon Compendium and its errata.
      • NOT ALLOWED: Content from Dragon Magazine and/or Dungeon Magazine unless said content appears in an otherwise allowed source.
      • ALLOWED: Oriental Adventures, including the 3.5 update to Oriental Adventures from Dragon Magazine #318. This is a specific exception to the "no Dragon" rule!
      • NOT ALLOWED: Pathfinder content, regardless of whether it is "D&D 3.5 OGL" or not. If it didn't come from WotC, we don't want it.
      • ALLOWED: From Unearthed Arcana: racial paragon classes, alternate class features/variant classes, spelltouched feats, and variant races. (Traits and flaws are technically legal, but traits warrant a -0.5 point penalty in Elegance, and flaws warrant a -1 penalty in Elegance.)
      • NOT ALLOWED: Other Unearthed Arcana content, including (but not limited to) bloodlines, LA buyoff, fractional BAB/saves, alternate casting systems, alternate skill systems, item familiars, prestigious character classes, generic classes, gestalt, etc. When you're wondering if UA content is allowed, err on the side of caution and don't mess around with it.
      • NOT ALLOWED: Leadership, regardless of source. Game elements functionally equivalent to Leadership (including, but not limited to, Dragon Cohort, Undead Leadership, and Thrallherd) are similarly banned. (Familiars, Improved Familiar, animal companions, Wild Cohort, psicrystals, elemental envoys, and similar game elements are allowed, and they are not considered to be "Leadership." If the difference isn't obvious, feel free to contact the Chair with specific questions.)
      • NOT ALLOWED: Third-party content, homebrew, or other non-WotC content.
      • NOT ALLOWED: Epic feats from the Epic Level Handbook. Just because you're "epic" in E6 after 6th level doesn't mean that you're that kind of epic.
      • NOT ALLOWED: Any race or template with a level adjustment other than +0. (Or any other source of LA other than a race or template, if any such things exist.) However, as a specific exception for round 26, see below.
      • NOT ALLOWED: For our judges: penalizing solely based on legal sources used, regardless of whether those sources are plentiful, sparse, common, obscure, or something in between. If the material is legal, then it doesn't matter how many or how few books it came out of.
      • ALLOWED: Also for our judges: penalizing for using a source (other than material in Core; don't be vindictive about genuinely obvious stuff) that isn't listed in the build writeup. The chef may choose to present the sources in-line with the text, in a consolidated source list, or somewhere else, but if the source is listed (and is otherwise legal), it counts. If the source is not listed, you may choose to penalize for that.

      If you have questions about anything in this section (or hell, in this ruleset), feel free to ask the Chair.
    • Character Creation: 32 point buy is assumed. For the purposes of this contest, Level Adjustment greater than +0 is banned. (This may be revised at a later point, but I don't feel that the E6 LA rules are conducive to fun in the context of this contest.) No more than two entries per chef per contest, please; if you submit two builds and somehow are so overcome with inspiration for a third that you can't help yourself, PM me and tell me which two you care about the most.
    • Highlighted because of past issues: It is not enough for your build to end with a level adjustment of +0. You must be +0 from start to finish. No using ANY build elements with a level adjustment above +0, even if they then get mitigated or reduced somehow. However, note that a special exception is in place for round 26...
    • Speculation: Please do not post any form of speculation before the reveal. Just don't do it, guys. It's not cool. This means NOT posting any of the following or anything substantially similar: what you think is going to be common, significant elements of your planned build or of other potential builds, or anything else that could directly influence someone else's build choices for good or for ill. (It's acceptable to ask for rules clarifications as appropriate, but try to avoid tipping your hand too much.) Speculation is bad because it can discourage people from posting builds and can also "taint the judging pool" when it comes to Originality, so please just try to be aware of how other people might react to your speculation.
    • E6: Here's how E6 works for the purposes of this contest. Build your character normally for the first six levels. After you reach level 6, you stop gaining levels and start gaining bonus feats every time you would gain 5,000 XP. Since we aren't actually tracking XP, you'll basically list your first ten epic bonus feats in the order that you take them, and we think of them as being kind of like levels. We will not use the LA-equals-reduced-point-buy rules, instead preferring to just ban races with LA, at least for now. We will not use the "capstone feats"; all feats that you take must be normal legal 3.5 feats, not homebrew E6 ones. You may not use the Epic feats from the Epic Level Handbook, though if for some reason there are non-Epic feats from the ELH that you qualify for, you may take those. (I don't think there are any, but I'm sure someone will prove me wrong.) It is up to the discretion of each judge whether this is a "hard E6" (magic above 3rd level spells is simply beyond mortal reach, items that have a listed CL above 6th are just plain not available, etc.) or a "soft E6" (if you can somehow get the magic on your character, it's yours, regardless of level), though I honestly don't expect it to come up. Don't go crazy with making assumptions about items and we probably won't have to find out.
    • Presentation: Please use the table found below in the spoiler. List your epic bonus feats (in clear order) after the table. If you find a clever way of formatting that that isn't annoying and that doesn't break anything, have fun; if it's portable, I may steal it for the next round. When sending your build or any disputes to the Chair, clearly include your build's name in the subject of the PM, and please present your build exactly as you want the Chair to copy and paste it into the thread.
      If you're using a picture, cite the source and follow any relevant citation rules. Because we have had issues with this in the past, when listing your skills, please make it very clear how many ranks you have at each level. There are multiple ways to do this and we do not wish to cramp anyone's individual style by dictating exactly how this must look, but make sure that somewhere in your entry there's an explanation of how many actual skill ranks you have. It's still fine to list total skill bonuses, if that's your style, but don't only list bonuses; make sure that there is a clear listing somewhere of your ranks alone. You are allowed, but not required, to use this extremely spiffy tool that mattie_p cooked up (thanks, mattie_p!).
      Spoiler
      Show
      Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
      1st New Class Level +x +x +x +x Skills Feats New Class Abilities
      2nd New Class Level +x +x +x +x Skills Feats New Class Abilities
      3rd New Class Level +x +x +x +x Skills Feats New Class Abilities
      4th New Class Level +x +x +x +x Skills Feats New Class Abilities
      5th New Class Level +x +x +x +x Skills Feats New Class Abilities
      6th New Class Level +x +x +x +x Skills Feats New Class Abilities
      Code for the table:
      Spoiler
      Show
      [TABLE="class: head alt1 alt2"]
      [TR]
      [TH][B]Level[/B][/TH]
      [TH][B]Class[/B][/TH]
      [TH][B]Base Attack Bonus[/B][/TH]
      [TH][B]Fort Save[/B][/TH]
      [TH][B]Ref Save[/B][/TH]
      [TH][B]Will Save[/B][/TH]
      [TH][B]Skills[/B][/TH]
      [TH][B]Feats[/B][/TH]
      [TH][B]Class Features[/B][/TH]
      [/TR]
      [TR]
      [TD]1st[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Level[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]Skills[/TD]
      [TD]Feats[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Abilities[/TD]
      [/TR]
      [TR]
      [TD]2nd[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Level[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]Skills[/TD]
      [TD]Feats[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Abilities[/TD]
      [/TR]
      [TR]
      [TD]3rd[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Level[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]Skills[/TD]
      [TD]Feats[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Abilities[/TD]
      [/TR]
      [TR]
      [TD]4th[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Level[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]Skills[/TD]
      [TD]Feats[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Abilities[/TD]
      [/TR]
      [TR]
      [TD]5th[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Level[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]Skills[/TD]
      [TD]Feats[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Abilities[/TD]
      [/TR]
      [TR]
      [TD]6th[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Level[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]+x[/TD]
      [TD]Skills[/TD]
      [TD]Feats[/TD]
      [TD]New Class Abilities[/TD]
      [/TR]
      [/TABLE]
    • Contest houserules: Nearly the same as the main contest's rules here: all creatures are proficient with natural weapons they have or may acquire, bonus feats that are explicitly granted without meeting prereqs are usable even without those prereqs, and feats that affect which skills are class skills for you and/or how you spend your skill points (Able Learner, Martial Study, Truename Training, Apprentice, etc.) apply immediately at the level at which you take them (even though you normally spend skill points before taking a feat). When taking Open Minded as an epic feat, any skill that has ever been a class skill for you (including through your class, your race, your feats, or similar game elements, though please don't muck around with retroactively making something stop being a class skill for some stupid reason) is a class skill when determining how the 5 granted skill points may be spent. All usual rules about HD-related skill caps apply. When taking Open Minded as a non-epic feat, treat it as normal; the class skills of the class you took at the level you gained Open Minded (plus race, feats, etc.) are your class skills for those skill points, similar to if Open Minded's skill points came straight from your class.
    • Judging guidelines: The minimum score in a category is 1, and the maximum is 5 (except in high-Originality rounds, wherein the maximum in Originality is 10). Judges are expected to be fair, consistent, and open-minded, and they are expected to make a good-faith effort to engage with any reasonable disputes that arise, especially when RAW is in question. That said, contestants are asked to not dispute more than necessary; let's do everything in good faith and really only dispute when a judge is being inconsistent, being unfair, or is otherwise grossly misinterpreting a build.
      Judges may not penalize Originality solely because a build is a tribute or homage to an existing creative work (in or out of D&D canon; note that this is not the same thing as penalizing Originality for using well-known optimization tactics), nor may judges penalize based solely on sources used (whether those sources are plentiful, sparse, common, obscure, or something in between, you should judge the build elements and how they work together rather than what book or what books they came out of, as long as those books are legal for this contest and are cited in the entry).
      As with the main contest, we will follow the "One Mistake, One Penalty" guideline, and it is very important that the judges adhere to it. I'm going to directly copy and paste this from the main thread, and hopefully the original author won't mind too much:
      Spoiler
      Show
      Judges are only allowed to penalise once for a given mistake. If someone messes up their skills and doesn't qualify for a PrC, ding them as hard as you like. Once. In one category. You don't then get to declare that because they didn't qualify for that PrC, they don't get those levels, and thus don't qualify for anything else. If Ranger is a common ingredient, ding them for Originality. Once. Don't also take off points for Two-Weapon-Fighting being a common ingredient.

      Non-exhaustive list of examples:

      Skills
      Allowed:
      • Giving a penalty for miscalculating the number of skill points gained
      • Giving a penalty for not having enough ranks to meet a prerequisite
      • Increasing the harshness of a skill miscalculation penalty if it affects critical skills including prereqs


      Not allowed:
      • Giving separate penalties for miscalculating skill points and for non-qualification where the non-qualification is solely caused by the miscalculation

      Prereqs
      Allowed:
      • Giving a penalty for not meeting prereqs
      • Scaling the penalty depending on how important the item that the build failed to qualify for is
      • Giving minimum score in UotSI for not qualifying for the SI
      • Not giving credit for (note: not the same as penalising for) tactics using feats or classes other than the SI that were not qualified for (but see below)


      Not Allowed:
      • "Cascading" failures to qualify - declaring that because a build doesn't qualify for a feat, for example, it also doesn't qualify for anything using that feat as a prereq
      • Treating a build as having fewer levels than it does because of FtQ for classes

      Other general things that are no longer allowed:
      • Penalising because someone has chosen to build a tribute to an existing creative work
      • Deciding that a backstory has not met a fluff prerequisite well enough, or because its method of meeting it is "unrealistic". You may penalise if a fluff prereq is not addressed at all, but not for how well it is addressed.


      Note that these are protections, not licenses. Deliberately taking a feat that you know you don't qualify for hoping to just suck up the judging penalty for a feat that you couldn't normally take is not okay, and may lead to your build being disqualified.
    • Dispute guidelines (NEW, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION): Disputing is long, annoying, and emotional. It's also sometimes necessary, but it's often not actually something that makes everyone have more fun. Let's go into a little more detail here.
      Spoiler
      Show
      • Do NOT dispute to make an argument that goes fundamentally beyond what's in your write-up. It is the responsibility of the chef to make sure that the write-up is complete and contains their best arguments for what the build does and why it's awesome. If you didn't explain your tactics well or didn't spell out something that a judge misses, just do better next time. Don't drag it out after the fact.
      • Do NOT dispute just to be clever or witty or cheeky. Please. We're all adults here and so I assume you know what that means. Don't treat the build as a setup and your oh-so-clever dispute as the punchline. It's not as funny as it is in your head. Trust me. I've been down that road.
      • Do NOT dispute just to say "oh yeah, my bad, I missed that" or some equivalent. If you're not directly challenging the judge, save the commentary until after the reveal. I 100% get that the urge to respond to commentary is very strong, but type it out and sit on it for a while if you've gotta.
      • Do NOT dispute just to try to wheedle more points out of the judge. Note that this is different from saying that the judge is being truly unfair or is being truly wrong by black-and-white RAW. A dispute is NOT the place to try to scrape together a few last quarter-points. If you didn't put it in your write-up, that's on you. This also means that a dispute is really not the place to have long back-and-forth tit-for-tat arguments. That's a surefire way to get people grumpy. It's a contest on a D&D board, guys, not the results of a federal election.
      • Do NOT dispute to tear down another build. That's just plain not cool. If you entered the contest, it's not on you to judge the other builds.
      • DO dispute if the judge is being blatantly biased by giving you a substantially different ruling on a build element compared to another chef who used the same build element in nearly the same way. (Note that position in a build may affect if you're using that element in "nearly the same way" or not.) Please reserve this for the truly blatant examples. I mean it. Remember, it's the contestant's responsibility to make their best argument in the original write-up.
      • DO dispute if the judge is actively going against the contest rules. Note that there are relatively few ways in which a judge can go against contest rules (we intentionally give very wide discretion to our judges), but examples include truly breaking One Mistake One Penalty, penalizing just because of number of sources of (legal) material, and so on.
      • DO dispute if the judge is clearly ignoring unambiguous RAW. Note that this is for unambiguous RAW; if the RAW is shady and you're making an argument that isn't completely clear and that it wouldn't be strange for a GM to frown on, the judge has every right to frown on it as well. (You generally know when you're indulging in shady RAW. Be mature about this.) But if the judge is saying you didn't hit a prereq that you clearly did hit (and included in your write-up!), saying you can't do something that the plain text of the ability says you can do, or anything like that, by all means, call 'em out.
      • Do NOT dispute if the judge doesn't agree with your interpretation of ambiguous RAW. Yes, this is a retread of the previous bullet point; this is that important. If you're relying on ambiguous RAW, it's on you to lay out clearly why it should work the way you want it to work. Again, be mature and act in good faith: you really know when you're pushing things like this. If they don't like it, they don't like it. Move on.


      Disputing is a privilege, not a right. In the Chair's sole discretion, disputes that do not meet these guidelines and/or that do not seem to be offered in good faith may be suppressed. The Chair reserves the right to choose to post all, some, or none of a dispute if appropriate.

    • Other bits and bobs: If there's something major and relevant I haven't mentioned, assume that the way I handle it will probably be the same as the main contest unless stated otherwise or unless doing so would be an obviously absurd result. If you've got questions, I'll give you answers.



    This round's secret ingredient:
    LET'S MOVE!


    Your dish must use and showcase one or more inventive means of movement. This can mean features to gain extra movement speed, move in a different way than normal, or use one or more extra movement types. The sky (and whatever else you can think of) is the limit. What that means is largely up to you, but please be as clear as possible about how you are utilizing these elements in your entry.


    Allez Optimizer!




    The Builds:
    Coming soon!


    Last edited by Venger; 2023-04-05 at 10:46 PM.
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Venger's Avatar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Here's a few gentle recommendations that are intended to improve scores and make things easier for the judges. As always, THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS POST ARE NOT RULES. Judges and contestants are free to honor them or ignore them; my intent here is only to help, and NONE of what I'm saying here is required. (That said, did you see the new dispute guidelines? Those ARE rules, so please go read them. And I'm even going to be better about enforcing them this time.)

    Recommendations:
    • Double-check ALL of your prereqs. Every. Single. One. Feats, PrCs, whatever. You might even go so far as to spell out when you meet each one, but again, that's not a requirement. But one of the single biggest causes of point loss is failure to meet prereqs.
    • Tell the judges what's cool about your build! You spent hours or days on this (y'know, probably) and know it inside and out, but the judges are getting a whole bunch of these dishes all at once and don't know the build history of each one. You're significantly more likely to score well if you spell out exactly what makes you awesome than if you try to just let it stand on its own.
    • Make it easy to read! Skill tables are awful, though they're an incredibly necessary evil. Full Monster Manual-style statblocks are occasionally useful but are also insanely dense if not formatted well. Judges are very likely to miss something if you aren't careful with how you present your info. Remember that judging takes a lot of time, energy, and focus, so don't rely on the judge being willing/able to decode something in order to see what makes you interesting!
    • Be memorable. Remember that we've all seen these ingredients used at least once before. What makes you different?
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    I maybe shall have time to make something.
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    I've used a lot of my best ideas for this already. I'll have to take a look and see if I can come up with something.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Okay, I think I have an idea and I think I'll manage to put it together.
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    WhiteWizardGirl

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Unfortunate that I've already used some of my better movement ideas in past rounds.

    I think I might have a new idea, so count me in to cook.

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    Titan in the Playground
     
    Inevitability's Avatar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    I have an idea, working it out at the moment.
    Creator of the LA-assignment thread.

    A new Junkyard Wars round is up! Come join Weapon Bond + Weapon Specialization - Fighter!

    Interested in judging a build competition on the 3.5 forums but not sure where to begin? Check out the judging handbook!

    Extended signature!

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    ElfWarriorGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    I am inspired and may cook for this round.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    I ask three day extension.
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Venger's Avatar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Granted. ten characters
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Had internet issue yesterday. Ask about another one day.

    I'll try to do quicker, but can't be sure.


    I actually managed to make it on time.
    Last edited by loky1109; 2023-03-28 at 08:15 AM.
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    EvilClericGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    I had an idea. It ain't comin' together, and it ain't sparkin' joy. So I'm out.

    Are there enough entries for a contest?
    I have a blog; come see what I've created: https://thewhiteminotaur.wordpress.com/
    -The 2024 Character Creation Challenge (#charactercreationchallenge):
    https://thewhiteminotaur.wordpress.c...tionchallenge/

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    Planetar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Ah, why do I always find out about the fun contests after the deadline?

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    RogueGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    depending on the entry quantity, im sure venger could give you a couple days if you wanted to enter

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    Venger's Avatar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Beaten to the punch. In the interest of having a full round to post, I would be amenable to an extension of a couple days if you want to enter, Goldlizard.
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

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    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    If we talking about this I actually need one extra day. I was hurry and made some mistakes in my entry.
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Venger's Avatar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Ok. ten characters
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Quote Originally Posted by Venger View Post
    Ok. ten characters
    Done.
    ten characters
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Planetar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Also done, I'm just not sure how to format it

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    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Quote Originally Posted by Goldlizard View Post
    Also done, I'm just not sure how to format it
    There is good tool: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...#gid=401538143
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

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    WhiteWizardGirl

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    My idea just isn't coming together, sorry. I'll have to sit this one out.

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    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Hm...
    Venger has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.
    ten characters
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

  23. - Top - End - #23
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    Venger's Avatar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    I cleared space, go ahead and resend.
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DrowGuy

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Quote Originally Posted by Venger View Post
    I cleared space, go ahead and resend.
    Thanks. Done.
    If you could make anything and everything welcome to the Zinc Saucier XLV: Figaro

    My competition's medals.

    Spoiler: For purposes of clarity
    Show
    1109 is September, 11 - my birthday.

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    Venger's Avatar

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Time for the reveal! Please refrain from posting until I give the all clear:

    This Peregrine doesn't run:
    Quote Originally Posted by Hum Ingbird, the Pint-Sized Peregrine
    Hum Ingbird, the Pint-Sized Peregrine

    NG Desert Kobold Fangshields Ranger 2 / Fangshields Barbarian 3 / Berserk 1

    Spoiler: Ability Scores
    Show
    Point buy: 17/14/14/10/12/9
    Racial adjustments (-4 str, +2 dex, -2 wis): 13/16/14/10/10/9
    Level 4 increase in strength


    Spoiler: Hum speaks
    Show
    I've had to work hard to get where I am today, y'know? Dispel a lot of stereotypes, challenge a lot of assumptions. Even had trouble joining the fangshields; they told me they were a monsters-only club, no kobolds allowed. Like people don't treat me as a monster wherever I go! Thankfully they let me in after I gave them a piece of my mind on the whole matter.

    But having to prove my skill at arms all the time is probably the worst. See, all my life people say 'you are tiny, Hum, you are not a warrior, Hum, you do not even know the basics of combat'. And perhaps that's true! But the ways I figure it, a pointy stick is a pointy stick, and the faster you're going when you plunge it in someone, the more that's gonna hurt. I always figure that's basic physics, and the faster you go the harder you hit, but for some reason it never seems to work that way for other people!



    Spoiler: Build Table
    Show
    Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
    1st Kobold Ranger 1 +1 +2 +2 +0 Hide 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Religion) 1cc, Listen 3, Move Silently 4, Speak Language (Common) 1cc, Spot 3, Survival 4 Dragonwrought, TrackB Kobold Favored Enemy (Humanoid (Human)), Track, Spiritual Connection
    2nd Barbarian 1 +2 +4 +2 +0 Handle Animal 2, Listen +1 (4), Survival +1 (5) - Rage 1/day, Spiritual Lion Totem
    3rd Fangshields Ranger 2 +3 +5 +3 +0 Hide +2 (6), Move Silently +2 (6), Spot +2 (5) Dragon Wings, MultiattackB Combat Style (Natural Weapons)
    4th Barbarian 2 +4 +6 +3 +0 Handle Animal +2 (4), Listen +1 (5), Survival +1 (6), - Uncanny Dodge
    5th Fangshields Barbarian 3 +5 +6 +4 +1 Handle Animal +1 (5), Listen +1 (6), Survival +2 (8) - Fast Charge (+10 ft.)
    6th Berserk 1 +5 +8 +4 +1 Spot +1 (6), Survival +1 (9) Improved Dragon Wings Battle Fury, Movement Bonus

    Epic feats:
    1: Diving Charge
    2: Flyby Attack
    3: Air Heritage
    4: Improved Speed
    5: Wingover
    6: Adroit Flyby Attack
    7: Improved Maneuverability
    8: Extra Rage
    9: Martial Study (Shadow Jaunt)
    10: Martial Stance (Child of Shadow)


    Spoiler: Spotlights
    Show
    Early game:
    I'm gonna be honest: this build was not made for low-level play. You can talk to plants and animals, you heavily invest in all the scout skills, you can squeeze in very small spaces, you got Track and a racial bonus to survival, but in combat you're simply a small-sized warrior with disappointingly low strength. Humans ought to be pretty common in most campaigns, and you get +2 on the perception and stealth skills versus them. Try to charge in and full attack for three hits that all get bonus damage, and you shouldn't be too bad of a combatant. You can also Rage 1/day, which helps out with survivability and damage.

    ECL 6:
    At this level, we can fly functionally indefinitely by alternating our 2 turns of consecutive flight with a round of gliding. Don't underestimate the number of CR 6 monsters that simply die to a flying PC with a ranged weapon. Our fly speed is 40 ft., so we're even faster than a number of humanoids employing 'fly speed equal to your land speed' type effects, and we have Berserk's Battle Fury for a risky but quite potent buff that we can draw upon 1/day. Note that both it and Rage extend our flying rounds, which helps compensate for our so-so endurance.

    Flight makes us slightly more of a threat in melee, as we can now perform dive attacks to attack with a claw/claw/bite (or claw/trident/bite) routine, dealing double damage on each hit as they're piercing weapons. This also multiplies the favored enemy boost, so if there's any humans on the field (and often, there will be), focus on those. The classic setup of 'human caster behind a wall of zombies/goblins/constructs' is something you do very well against, thanks to your ability to fly over the flunkies and tear into their big boss.

    Early epic:
    Flyby Attack and Diving Charge form the core of this build. Diving Charge adds damage to our charging hits depending on our fly speed, and with 30 base, +30 from Air Heritage, +20 from Improved Speed, +10 from Berserk, and the temporary +10 from Fangshield Barbarian's Fast Charge, we hit 100 feet of flight and add 3d6 to all our hits. Wingover and Improved Maneuverability expand our movement options some. Note that flyby attack specifically says it can be used with dives! Our land speed is meanwhile up to 50, thanks to benefitting from some of the boosts we chiefly take to increase our fly speed, which directly complements our scout role: if anything spots us, we can at least run back to the party (note how we cover 200 feet per round while running; it takes a heavy horse or a catfolk with the run feat to match that, and we fit in spaces those don't).

    If we don't feel like taking AoOs, we can also simply end our flight after hitting the opponent. Ideally though, 4d3+2d8+9d6+8 (more when raging) proves sufficient to kill our foe, letting us keep flying without taking a hit. Even when an AoO is inevitable, consider it an acceptable price to pay for putting ourselves out of reach of full attacks, touch spells, or short-range breath weapons.

    Flying foes will usually be slower and less maneuverable than we are, meaning we can wear them down with quick skirmishing charges. Remember, even something with (average) maneuverability still needs two turns to reverse direction, and dragons/chimeras/manticores/whatever all have worse than that; you can do it by expending a few feet of movement.

    Late epic:
    Adroit Flyby Attack now lets us swoop in, attack, and retreat without provoking AoOs, massively reducing the defensive downsides of charging. Extra Rage similarly helps with survivability, sustaining flight, and damage, and Improved Maneuverability lets us turn in place by expending a very small amount of movement, giving us the ability to charge the same foe each turn for as long as necessary.

    Shadow Jaunt lets us easily and reliably ascend during combat and provides utility teleports outside of it, while Child of Shadow meshes with our combat style in a way that essentially offers us permanent concealment. Even our touch AC, normally an achilles' heel of melee warriors everywhere, is pretty high between our size bonus, decent dexterity, and dodge bonus!

    The end result is a blazing fast hard-to-hit charger who can zip around the battlefield with ease, dealing very solid amounts of damage and performing well out of combat as a scout and tracker, while having ways around some pitfalls of low-level melee like difficult terrain, save-or-sucks, summoned meatwalls, or flying enemies. Not bad for a kobold barbarian!


    Spoiler: Sources
    Show
    Kobold: RotD web enhancement
    Desert Kobold: UA

    Kobold Ranger - RotD
    Spiritual Connection Ranger - CChamp
    Fangshields Ranger, Fangshields Barbarian: CoV
    Berserk: DD

    Dragonwrought, Dragon Wings, Improved Dragon Wings: RotD
    Diving Charge, Expeditious Dodge: RotW
    Air Heritage: PlH
    Improved Speed, Adroit Flyby Attack: Drac
    Improved Maneuverability: CAdv
    Extra Rage: CWar
    Mad Foam Rager: PHB2
    Martial Study, Martial Stance: ToB

    Last edited by Venger; 2023-03-30 at 06:31 PM.
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    (muffled "Ram Jam" playing in distance)
    Quote Originally Posted by Monkey


    Learning to Brachiate via Simplified Model Imitation

    You do not need trees outside if you let the tree in your heart.

    NE Lesser Zenythri Druidic Avenger 3/Fighter 2/Elocater 1

    Spoiler: Stats
    Show
    Abilities Initial Race/Template 4th Total
    STR 12 2 14
    DEX 14 2 16
    CON 15 0 1 16
    INT 12 0 12
    WIS 12 2 14
    CHA 14 -2 12


    Spoiler: Biuld
    Show
    Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
    1st Druidic Avenger 1 0 2 0 2 20: {+4} Concentration: 4; {+4} Spellcraft: 4; {+4} Spot: 4; {+4} Survival: 4; {+4} Tumble: 4*; Hidden Talent (Burst) (1) "Fast movement, nature sense, rage 1/day, wild empathy
    True strike, electricity, fire and sonic resistance 5"
    2nd Druidic Avenger 2 1 3 0 3 5: {+1} Concentration: 5; {+1} Intimidate: 1; Spellcraft: 4; {+1} Spot: 5; {+1} Survival: 5; {+1} Tumble: 5*; Woodland stride
    3rd Fighter 1 2 5 0 3 3: Concentration: 5; {+1} Intimidate: 2; {+1} Jump: 1; Spellcraft: 4; Spot: 5; Survival: 5; {+1} Tumble: 6*; Expeditious Dodge (3), Mobility (B) Bonus feat
    4th Druidic Avenger 3 3 5 1 3 5: {+2} Concentration: 7; {+1} Intimidate: 3; Jump: 1; Spellcraft: 4; {+1} Spot: 6; Survival: 5; {+1} Tumble: 7*; Trackless step
    5th Fighter 2 4 6 1 3 3: {+2 CC} Concentration: 8; Intimidate: 3; Jump: 1; Spellcraft: 4; Spot: 6; Survival: 5; {+1} Tumble: 8*; Spring Attack (B) Bonus feat
    6th Elocater 1 4 6 3 5 7: {+1} Autohypnosis: 1; Concentration: 8; Intimidate: 3; Jump: 1; {+1} Open Lock: 1; Spellcraft: 4; {+3} Spot: 9; Survival: 5; {+1} Tumble: 9; {+1} Use Psionic Device: 1; Speed of Thought (6), Sidestep Charge (B) Scorn earth, Sidestep Charge
    * - Skilled City Dweller Ride to Tumble trade.

    # Epic Feats
    E1 EWP (Footbow)
    E2 Practiced Spellcaster (Druid)
    E3 Mountain Warrior
    E4 Willing Deformity
    E5 Deformity (Tall)
    E6 Aberration Blood (Bulging eyes)
    E7 Inhuman Reach
    E8 Deepspawn
    E9 Extended Reach
    E10 Psionic Dodge


    Spoiler: Spells
    Show
    Level Class 0th 1st 2nd
    1st Druid 3 1+1
    2nd Druid 4 2+1
    4th Druid 4 2+1 1+1

    Level Class 0th 1st 2nd
    1st Druid Guidance; Detect Magic; Cure Minor Wounds Branch to Branch; Branch to Branch
    2nd Druid Guidance; Detect Magic; Cure Minor Wounds; Cure Minor Wounds Branch to Branch; Branch to Branch; Branch to Branch
    4th Druid Guidance; Detect Magic; Cure Minor Wounds; Cure Minor Wounds Branch to Branch; Branch to Branch; Branch to Branch Earthbind; Earthbind/Acorn of Far Travel


    I have no good story about this Zenythri.
    I think he is sorta an environmental extremist who loves monkeys very much. At the beginning he tried to fight for nature with more or less conventional methods, but the deeper into the forest the darker the daylight. He found conventional methods aren't enough and started to make his own new way. The way changed him in return.

    Spoiler: Build explanation
    Show
    Monkey is about one main trick. This trick is a combo of two spells: Branch to Branch and Acorn of Far Travel.
    Quote Originally Posted by Branch to Branch
    As long as you remain at least 10 feet above the ground, you can brachiate (swing by branches and vines) in medium or dense forest
    Quote Originally Posted by Acorn of Far Travel
    As long as you carry the acorn, you are considered to be standing under that oak tree's canopy (and thus within an area of forested terrain).
    You see? Only problem was "10 feet above the ground". My first idea was a Primordial giant template. It gives at-will Levitate, but... There are no +0 LA Giants in the 3.5. Okay, I thought, Highborn drow! One another way to get Levitate SLA. But... It's too limited. Even with possible Levitate spells/powers from other sources. And after that I'm here with Elocater. It's PrC with a messy prereqs, but its 1st level gives me all I want.

    While I'm airborne, but not fly, I have some benefits. First of all, maneuverability doesn't matter for me, but I could do almost anything that could do perfect flyers. Second, conventional methods against flyers don't work against me.

    Main idea in a fight is to attack from a safe distance. I have 20 ft reach plus Spring Attack with 60 ft speed and specific ranged weapon for this purpose.


    Spoiler: Source
    Show
    Type Name Book Page
    Race Zenythri Monster Manual II 170
    Race Lesser Player’s Guide to Faerun 191
    Class Druid Players Handbook 33
    Class Fighter Players Handbook 37
    Prestige Class Elocater Expanded Psionics Handbook 142
    Class variant Druidic Avenger Unearthed Arcana 51
    Class variant Skilled City Dweller Cityscape WE link
    Feat Hidden Talent Expanded Psionics Handbook 67
    Feat Expeditious Dodge Races of the Wild 150
    Feat Mobility Players Handbook 98
    Feat Spring Attack Players Handbook 100
    Feat Speed of Thought Expanded Psionics Handbook 51
    Feat Sidestep Charge Expanded Psionics Handbook 51
    Feat Exotic Weapon Proficiency Players Handbook 94
    Feat Practiced Spellcaster Complete Divine 82
    Feat Aberration Blood Lords of Madness 178
    Feat Inhuman Reach Lords of Madness 180
    Feat Deepspawn Lords of Madness 179
    Feat Extended Reach Savage Species 34
    Feat Mountain Warrior Races of Stone 142
    Feat Willing Deformity Heroes of Horror 121
    Feat Deformity (Tall) Heroes of Horror 125
    Feat Psionic Dodge Expanded Psionics Handbook 50
    Weapon Footbow Races of the Wild 164
    Spell Branch to Branch Spell Compendium 38
    Spell Earthbind Spell Compendium 76
    Spell Acorn of Far Travel Spells of the Woodlands link
    Spell Others Players Handbook Varies
    Last edited by Venger; 2023-03-30 at 06:31 PM.
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

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    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Aerial combos were a mistake
    Quote Originally Posted by Ja’dee, The Juggling Air-Strike of Talos

    NE Raptoran Druid 5/Stormlord 1

    Spoiler: introduction
    Show

    Once upon a time, a young raptoran was positively incensed about something, Living in the mountaintop homes of the raptorans, he was… unsatisfied, with ruling over the sky. He was unsatisfied with not being able to fly without a special rite. This young raptoran would find a way.

    And so he studied the air currents. Those who had followed the Way of the Four Winds had mastered the use of their wings, yes, but he would do better than them. He could glide upon his wings like the mighty eagles, soaring above the air for a limited time. No matter, he could find a way to gain altitude.

    Watching the folk in the deserts below their mountain home, Ja’dee mastered the use of many tools that he found strange- particularly, the Javelin. Though he quickly adapted to it’s use, and turned it indeed into a rapid hail of death from above, where he belonged.

    And it was by watching the air-currents that he first learned the simplest of spells- the power to induce the winds to carry him up, to blow him higher so that his wings could flourish. But still, he had no way to hold his newfound height, no way to keep himself on the air once his wings had found the height

    The answer came when he looked again at the eagles- one of them, following him around, was helpful enough. After intense training and practice, he could perform a trick they had learned from observing human circuses- as much as the ground-dwellers disgusted him- and the eagle could just muster the strength needed to push him up a few feet. It was barely anything, but he could glide farther with it’s help.

    As his mastery of magic and experience with his eagle grew- he met a roadblock. A lightning strike, sent by some kind of priest intending to invade their land. They quickly fell to his Javelins, but the experience was… interesting. The god of storms and thunder? What could be better for a professed master of the skies? This “Talos” grew increasingly prominent in his dreams, until he could feel the stormlord’s vibrating rage in each and every Javelin that left his talons.

    A second eagle was found and quickly trained- now he could glide fast, as fast as his peers could fly. With his magic, his eagles, and his Javelins in hand, Ja’dee was ready to scourge the surface


    Spoiler: ”The Build”
    Show

    Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
    1st Druid (Deadly Hunter, Wasteland Druid) =+0 =+2 =+0 =+2 Concentration 4, Handle Animal 4, Survival 4, spot 4 Great Fortitude, Track (B), Animal companion, nature sense, wild empathy, AC bonus, Swift Movement, Swift Tracker, Favored Enemy (Humanoid: Human)
    2nd Druid =+0 =+3 =+0 =+3 Concentration 5, Handle Animal 5, Survival 5, Spot 5 Sand Skimmer (B)
    3rd Druid =+1 =+3 =+1 =+3 Concentration 6, Handle Animal 6, Survival 6, Spot 6 Weapon Focus (Javelin) Trackless Step
    4th Druid =+2 =+4 =+1 =+4 Concentration 7, Handle Animal 7, Survival 7, Spot 7 Heat Endurance (B)
    5th Druid =+3 =+4 =+1 =+4 Concentration 8, Handle Animal 8, Survival 8, Spot 8
    6th Stormlord =+3 =+6 =+1 =+6 Concentration 9, Handle Animal 9, Survival 8, Spot 8 Endurance Enhanced Javelins (+1), Resistance to Electricity 5

    Epic Feats
    Zen Archery
    Point Blank Shot
    Far Shot
    Wild Cohort
    Dead Eye
    Plunging Shot
    Quick draw
    Wild Talent
    Psionic Shot
    Psionic Meditation



    Spoiler: Level 1:
    Show
    You're a Druid! Your companion is an Eagle and you have a permanent (Average maneuverability) 20 foot flight. Allow me to explain:

    Raptorians glide at 20/ per 5 feet fallen. Cast the spell Updraft at the start of the day- have your Eagle companion attack you, shove attack. Let it hit, fail the shove, get pushed 5 feet up (ensure your Eagle is below you). Glide 20 feet, repeat. You are now gliding everywhere, congrats! Your AC isn’t horrible without armor and you have some other minor benefits, but everyone at low levels is kinda sucky.


    Spoiler: Level 2-4:
    Show

    Your caster level has increased and you have more Druid spells. Whoop de do, this level doesn’t have a ton of changes
    3: Pick up Javelins! Buy darkwood Javelins if you can, and cast brambles on them for more damage
    4:remarkably similar to level 2: not very much changes, you just get a bit better at a variety of things because Druid casting is good.


    Spoiler: level 5:
    Show
    Several things exploded in the background, here. You just got actual flight, but who cares when you can glide everywhere at a rate of 20 feet? You have just gained Call Lightning, which you will use as much as you can because it’s an awesome and thematic spell. Other Druid third level spells exist, but I’m not sure why you’d take any of them when call lightning exists


    Spoiler: level 6:
    Show
    Welcome to stormlord! All your Javelins get +1 enhancement bonuses, and you get better Druid casting, which is great. Your Javelins are surprisingly accurate for your abhorrent BaB, which is good! Because the damage is about to explode.


    Spoiler: Feats; Zen Archery, Point Blank shot, Far Shot
    Show
    These three feats just generally empower your Javelins. Zen archery gives you a +2 to hit, far shot means you can be higher in the sky, and Point Blank shot gives you a bonus for staying close to the ground. also, they’re prerequisites for a bunch of stuff


    Spoiler: Wild Cohort: Eagle
    Show
    Another Eagle to follow you around and shove attack you 10 feet in the air each round between you. I’m reasonably sure this allows you to move 40 feet per turn now, and if you could already do that because glide doesn’t require you to drop 10 feet, you can now control your altitude without needing Updraft!


    Spoiler: Dead Eye, Plunging Shot, Quick Draw:
    Show
    Gliding does not require a move action, but you’ll want that for the next feat section. Quick draw frees up your move action. Plunging shot is a given, it just helps you deal damage (and better damage than point blank shot) dead eye just increases your damage again- which you’ll need.


    Spoiler: Wild Talent, Psionic Shot, Psionic Meditation:
    Show
    Move action focus, expend focus to deal extra damage. Simple, quick, and a load of extra damage. Overall, you’re hitting at +9 and dealing 3d6+7 damage if you attack from 30 feet above someone with all these feats, which isn’t bad when you have infinite 40 feet flight and 6th level druid casting


    Spoiler: Sources
    Show

    Raporan, Plunging Shot: Races of the Wild
    Wild Cohort: Web
    Huntsman: Unearthed Arcana
    Wasteland Druid: Sandstorm
    Updraft: Spell Compendium
    Brambles/Spikes: Complete Divine
    Dead Eye: Dragon Compendium
    Zen Archery: Complete Warrior
    All else: SRD content
    Last edited by Venger; 2023-03-30 at 06:45 PM.
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Venger's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Texas
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    And that's the entrants! Judges, start your engines.
    I've got a new fantasy TTRPG about running your own fencing school in a 3 musketeers pastiche setting. Book coming soon.

    Check out my NEW sci-fi TTRPG about first contact. Cool alien races, murderous AIs, and more. New expansion featuring rules for ships! New book here NOW!

    Quote Originally Posted by weckar View Post
    Venger, can you be my full-time memory aid please?
    Iron Chef Medals!
    Amazing Princess Mononoke avatar by Dispozition

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    Edit: Nvm, that would reveal which is mine
    Last edited by Goldlizard; 2023-03-30 at 06:36 PM.

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Barbarian in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2013

    Default Re: Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLII

    I'll judge, but it would be really great if I wasn't the only one.

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