Iron Chef E6 Appetizer Edition, Round XLVIII

[Venger]

Hello, all, from your new Chair. Welcome back to the Iron Chef Optimization Challenge E6 Appetizer Edition! It's time for round forty eight: let's put our faces on and show off our very finest forms

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 Thursday, March 28, 2024. 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:
SHAPESHIFTING


One of the most versatile types of magic around. If you can change yourself into at least two forms besides your normal one, showcase your versatility: stealth, combat, utility, or something I haven't thought of. Sky's the limit.

For the purposes of this competition, lycanthropy's hybrid and animal forms counts as one. In the interest of a more diverse entry pool, lycanthropes are certainly allowed, but you need access to at least one other method of changing your entire body into something else.

Allez Optimizer!

The Builds:
Coming soon!

Spoiler: Contest History

Show

Round 4: Knight
Round 5: Ninja
Round 6: Racial Paragon Classes
Round 7: Hexblade
Round 8: Shugenja
Round 9: Swashbuckler
Round 10: Crusader
Round 11: Soulknife
Round 12: Factotum
Round 13: Prestige Classes
Round 14: Mountebank
Round 15: Sorcerer
Round 16: Dragon Shaman
Round 17: Lurk
Round 18: Paladin
Round 19: Scout
Round 20: Incarnate
Round 21: Shadowcaster
Round 22: Dragonmarks
Round 23: Fighter
Round 24: Pets
Round 25: Warlock
Round 26: Monsters
Round 27: Ardent (exhibition round)
Round 28: Rogue
Round 29: Signature Spells
Round 30: Any Prior Ingredient
Round 31: Ranger
Round 32: Tanking
Round 33: Psychic Warrior
Round 34: Flight
Round 35: Binder
Round 36: Skill tricks
Round 37: Barbarian
Round 38: Fire
Round 39: Bard
Round 40: Poison
Round 41: Light and Darkness
Round 42: Let's Move
Round 43: Plants
Round 44: Illusions
Round 45: Unusual Weapons
Round 46: Crafted Henchmen
Round 47: Enchantments

Spoiler: Way Old Stuff (2012 and earlier; Amechra's run as Chair)

Show

Round 1: Divine Mind
Round 2: Monk
Round 3: Marshal

[Venger]

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?

[Inevitability]

I have a question about a very confusing part of the OP:

For the purposes of this competition, lycanthropy's hybrid and animal forms counts as one. In the interest of a more diverse entry pool, lycanthropes are certainly allowed, but you need access to at least one other method of changing your entire body into something else.

As far as I can tell, Lycanthropes were always going to come with LA, so they're automatically banned from the competition. What prompted this paragraph, which discusses them as if they're a commonly used E6 option? What does 'lycanthropes are certainly allowed' even mean, when general contest rules seem to very unambiguously ban them?

[Venger]

No, you're right. Amended accordingly, Apologies for the confusion. The takeaway I meant to convey is you need more than one alt mode but didn't want to tip anyone's hand. Hope that clears things up.

[Rebel7284]

Do high level spells exist in this version of E6?
Using an example unrelated to this competition, an early entry Jaunter can use Dimension door, teleport, plane shift
Can those SLAs work in E6?

[RaiKirah]

I have some (admittedly pretty bad) ideas, here's hoping I can find the time to Cook!

[Venger]

Do high level spells exist in this version of E6?
Using an example unrelated to this competition, an early entry Jaunter can use Dimension door, teleport, plane shift
Can those SLAs work in E6?

Good question! From the OP:

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.

[Rebel7284]

I would like an extension. A few day at least, maybe a week if possible.

[Venger]

Apologies for the delay, I've had trouble accessing the forums. Is anyone else still cooking? That's fine by me giving an extra couple of days.

[Rebel7284]

Should be done later tonight. Thanks for your patience everyone!

edit: Submitted. Please check both messages.

[Rebel7284]

some updates submitted as well.

[Venger]

Thank you to everyone for your patience. I'm able to post here for the time being so it's time for the reveal! Please refrain from posting until I give the all clear.

[Venger]

Take a look at yourself and make a change.

Ray Ruin, The Spellshapeshifter
Master of infiltration, misdirection, and yes, blending in


CE (CN leanings) Lesser Fey'ri Cloistered Cleric of Erevan Ilesere 5 / Spellwarp Sniper 1

Spoiler: Stats, languages, alignment note

Show

Ability Scores:
8 -> 8 STR
14 -> 16 DEX
16 -> 14 CON
10 -> 12 INT
15 -> 15 WIS
14 -> 14 CHA
ASI in wisdom.

Languages:
Common and Elvish, idk what bonus languages fey'ri get but we're owed one. Also I think in faerun you automatically know a regional language?

Alignment:
CE. Ray would probably be CN if not for his constant willful use of [Evil] spells and ability-damaging poison.

Spoiler: Backstory

Show

You ever seen someone with a real punchable face? Those smug-looking stuck-up nitwits, who think they're oh-so-great and powerful. Good or evil doesn't have much to do with it - demons fall victim to it as often as paladins. And the worst part is that sometimes it works: how they keep people slaved to their stupid little schemes just because nobody is bold enough to step up and point out how the emperor's been naked this whole time.

My family was like that. House Dlardrageth, 'shining jewel of sun elf nobility'. Big load of bull, of course. A strong and prosperous house doesn't need to start inbreeding with demons, now does it? Every day, I'd be forced to listen to some elder blather on, talking about how this-or-that plan would finally deliver them mastery over the Great King Forest, over Arcorar, over all of Faerun! Nonsense, all of it: even without heroes foiling them every step of the way, there's no way those schemes would ever work. It was plain to see that sooner or later, their hubris would bring death to us all.

So I left. Wrecked enough stuff back home to make them too busy to stop my escape - but also angry enough to start chasing after me the moment they could, so I had to keep moving. Changing shape helps a lot while laying low, but it's not perfect, and after more than a decade of cat-and-mouse I found myself all the way in the forests of Tethir, pinned down with the demonfey closing in on me.

Which is when I was saved by my god. Most of the elf pantheon had never wanted anything to do with me: but Erevan, the Chameleon, who brings ruin to the rich and shame to the strong? Yeah, he could appreciate what I'd been up to - and he was morally flexible enough to overlook my less savory deeds. He asked for my service, and I agreed; mostly because he was the only god who didn't seem perpetually high on his own greatness.

Truth be told, it's been an alright life. The church leaves me free to roam; and whenever I run into some overly self-important stuffed suit (which isn't hard: this world runs over with them) I teach 'em a lesson. Beat their ass in front of their students, ruin their carefully laid plans, or just leak their sensitive secrets - I don't exactly have trouble getting into places I'm not supposed to be in.

So the next time you find yourself getting a bit conceited, don't. Go outside, find a busy street or plaza, and go people-watching. Tell yourself that everyone who passes by is the protagonist of their own story, with the same rich inner world you possess, not a pawn, not a resource to be used but a person. Tell yourself that these people are your equals, that you are their equal - and that they should be treated with respect.

I could be any of them, after all.

Spoiler: Table

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Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Cloistered Cleric 1	+0	+2	+0	+2	28: Bluff +4, Concentration +4, Disguise +4, Hide +4, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (History) +1, Knowledge (Religion) +1, Knowledge (the Planes) +1, Speak Language 4 (Draconic, Dwarven, Orc, Undercommon) Spellcraft +4	Swift and Silent, Point-Blank ShotB	Domains (Elf, Knowledge, Trickery), Lore, Rebuke Undead, Fey'ri traits (Charm Person, Clairaudience, Detect Thoughts, Suggestion)
2nd	Cloistered Cleric 2	+1	+3	+0	+3	7: Bluff +1 (5), Concentration +1 (5), Disguise +1 (5), Hide +1 (5), Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (History) 1, Knowledge (Nature) +1 (1), Knowledge (Religion) 1, Knowledge (the Planes) 1, Speak Language +1 (Goblin), Spellcraft +1 (5)	-	-
3rd	Cloistered Cleric 3	+1	+3	+1	+3	7: Bluff +1 (6), Concentration +1 (6), Disguise +1 (6), Hide +1 (6), Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +1 (1), Knowledge (History) 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Religion) 1, Knowledge (the Planes) 1, Speak Language +1 (Halfling), Spellcraft +1 (6)	Darkstalker	-
4th	Cloistered Cleric 4	+2	+4	+1	+4	7: Bluff +1 (7), Concentration +1 (7), Disguise +1 (7), Hide +1 (7), Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (History) 1, Knowledge (Local) +1 (1), Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Religion) 1, Knowledge (the Planes) 1, Speak Language +1 (Gnome), Spellcraft +1 (7)	-	-
5th	Cloistered Cleric 5	+2	+4	+1	+4	7: Bluff 7, Concentration +1 (8), Disguise 7, Hide 7, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (History) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Religion) 1, Knowledge (the Planes) 1, Speak Language +1 (Giant), Sleight of Hand +2cc (1), Spellcraft +1 (8), Assume Quirk skill trick +2	Knowledge DevotionB	Trade out Knowledge domain
6th	Spellwarp Sniper 1	+2	+4	+1	+6	5: Bluff 7, Concentration 8, Disguise 7, Hide 7, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (History) 1, Knowledge (Local) 1, Knowledge (Nature) 1, Knowledge (Religion) 1, Knowledge (the Planes) 1, Move Silently +3 (3), Sleight of Hand 1, Spellcraft 8, Assume Quirk, Second Impression skill trick +2	Precise Shot	Spellwarp

EPIC FEATS:
-Bend Spell
-Sanctum Spell
-Split Ray
-Divine Metamagic (Split Ray)
-Extra Turning
-Weapon Focus (Ray)
-Ranged Recall
-Improved Diversion
-Shape Soulmeld (Kruthik Claws)
-Able Sniper

Spoiler: Spells

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ECL 1: 3//2+1
ECL 2: 4//3+1
ECL 3: 4//3+1//2+1
ECL 4: 5//4+1//3+1
ECL 5: 5//4+1//3+1//2+1
ECL 6: 5//4+1//4+1//3+1

Typical final prepared:
0: Create Water, Cure Light Wounds (2), Detect Magic, Purify Food and Drink
1: Dispel Ward, Grave Strike, Obscuring Mist, Protection from Law (Disguise Elf)
2: Divine Insight, Silence, Sanctum Frost Breath (2) (Invisibility)
3: Darkfire, Dispel Magic, Sanctum Bent Dance of Ruin (Nondetection)

Spoiler: Spotlights

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ECL 1
Let's talk about lesser fey'ri. In addition to their wings, racial skill bonuses to Bluff/Disguise/Senses, and plethora of selectable SLAs (I considered one as an entry in the enchantment round, using Magic in the Blood to get 3 Suggestions and 3 Charm Persons from first level on), these demonic elves have Change Shape, allowing them to take on the shape (and natural weapons, and size, and movement, and extraordinary special attacks) of any humanoid. The infiltration potential of this is considerable, and we'll be maximizing it by learning a wide variety of languages, investing in Bluff and Disguise, and having Lore to cover random things our impersonation targets would be expected to know.

Some interesting choices:
-Hornhead Saurials from the Serpent Kingdoms Web Enhancement are Large and have two claw attacks as well as a tail with reach. Tail damage can be upped with a tail scythe from that same book (this also lets you deliver poison on anyone entering your reach).
-Varag (Monster Manual IV) boast a 60 ft. land speed
-Avariel (Races of Faerun) have a fly speed of 50 ft.
-Selkies (Fiend Folio) bring a swim speed of 90 ft., and you don't get their aquatic subtype and can thus keep breathing air. (wait, why do they have the aquatic subtype? seals breathe air too)
-Greensnake Nagas (Oriental Adventures, not updated to monstrous humanoid in D318) can poison any weapon they hold with an 1d3/1d3 constitution damaging poison (DC 12). It's free poison, and 1d3 con damage isn't insignificant, so use it to load up the entire party between fights.
-Tren (Serpent Kingdoms) have Stench, which can be an AoE debuff if the party wizard would really like one (Sleep and Deep Slumber are fun followups for him to drop - you're immune!). A respectable swim speed (again, you don't get the aquatic subtype) grant them a leg up over troglodytes.
-Earth Mephlings (Planar Handbook) have a 10 ft. burrow speed, which isn't much but it can get you into some places.
-Air Mephlings have a laughably slow 10 ft. fly speed, but it's (perfect) and they're small, so use this to ascend narrow chimneys or twisting tunnels.
-And last but not least, Fiend Folio's Dark Ones. Dark Creepers are small and have 2d6 sneak attack, while Dark Stalkers are medium, have Poison Use, and have 3d6 sneak attack.

This makes our early game strategy very easy. Use the excellent mobility your forms afford you to get past any barrier that can't be bluffed, use your top-notch disguises to get past those that can, and once you're in position turn into a dark stalker and fling around the sneak attack of a rogue four levels your senior. Point-blank shot means that even a piddly thrown knife or crossbow still has +4 to hit, and any level-appropriate foe will almost certainly fall to 1d8+1+3d6 damage. If need be, sneak around some with Swift and Silent to regain sneak attack.

If you absolutely can't carry weapons for a disguise to work, Secrets of Sarlona's Steel Flute can't be recognized as a weapon unless someone studies you with Sense Motive (DC 20 or your Bluff check, whichever is higher), and Dragon Compendium's Disguised Dagger is kind of pricey but has a whopping +7 bonus to conceal it (though we won't have the Sleight of Hand to do so ourselves for a few more levels). Or you could just move into a flanking position and land a spontaneously cast 1+3d6 Inflict Minor Wounds - we're good at making our cantrips count!

Other than all that... we're a cleric! We can cast spells and stuff. Grave Strike deserves mention as a way to leverage your sneak attack against undead, No Light is great versus anything without darkvision (and if you're shapechanged into something that normally doesn't have darkvision, your enemies might wrongly assume you're hampered more than you are), and Healer's Vision will boost your heals and sneak attacks both. Your fey'ri SLAs will help with infiltration; Clairvoyance notably prevents the awkward moment of walking into a room disguised as someone who's already there, and Detect Thoughts can be used to learn passphrases or

ECL 6
More cleric spells, whooh! Divine Insight is a great one-off +11 bonus that can be cast hours in advance, Find Traps lets you do even more moonlighting as the rogue (and Summon Monster, Dispel Ward and Dispel Magic together get around the lack of disable device), Silence makes you feel less bad about having no Move Silently. Plus, as a cleric, you can prepare whatever niche spell you're going to need this day.

But much more importantly, we can use the sneak attack dice that being a Dark Stalker grant us to enter Spellwarp Sniper, which is otherwise near-impossible in E6! A DM might argue that you lose the class features if you ever change shape away from a dark one, but we're fine with that, actually! Remember, we use our forms for two purposes. The first is mobility and utility (and being unable to spellwarp while poisoning weapons as a naga or running around as a varag doesn't really matter), and the second is disguises. Now, say we want to imitate a human official but retain spellwarp capability: what's stopping us from turning into a dark stalker with the human's skin tone, hair color, facial structure etc? As far as I can tell, we take a -2 penalty on our disguise check for 'disguising ourselves as a member of a different race' but are otherwise fine. If we need to impersonate a Small creature, we can again just become a weird-looking Dark Creeper and work from there.

Also, Knowledge Devotion is granting us at least +1, possibly +2, on all attack and damage rolls, because our scattered knowledge ranks should cover every creature type out there.

So what does Spellwarp Sniper grant us? At the moment, not all that much, though we appreciate getting a few Move Silently ranks. But just stay tuned until...

Epic
A few feats are all it takes for us to unlock the craziness of spellwarp sniper. With Bend Ray, our rays ignore any less-than-total cover. With Divine Metamagic (Split Ray) we can double up on rays three times per day. And with Sanctum Spell, we're casting 2nd-level spells as 1st-level spells, which makes them eligible to be spellwarped (the DC is reduced - good thing spellwarping removes reflex saves).

So by expending a single 3rd-level slot, we can cast a Sanctum Bent Split Spellwarped Dance of Ruin, which launches two rays that both hit for 2d20+3d6+2 damage, no save (it's a full-round action, so the volley rule does not apply). That's about 68 total damage - anything that's not a slow-moving blob of HD dies to that. Being undead doesn't save you thanks to Grave Strike (so any undead with less than 10 HD is probably dead if both rays hit), being behind cover doesn't save you, and being dextrous doesn't save you if we're attacking from a hiding spot. Stack up on deflection bonuses, I guess? Except we're still a CL 6 caster, so really even the strongest magical protection you could bring has only about a fifty-fifty chance of standing up against our Dispel.

Or, if we want a slightly more subtle approach, Frost Breath hits for 3d4 (+3d6) cold damage and dazes the target for one round, no save. If we don't necessarily want to spellwarp, clerics offer some nice sneak attack carriers in Sun Bolt (reflex save vs blindness), Lesser Shivering Touch (debuffs dex, SA becomes negative energy damage), Alicorn Lance (applies no-save Faerie Fire), and Darkfire (3rd-level, but lasts all battle).

Also note the possibility of using a domain slot to get the Elf Domain's Snare, and relying on a changed shape to lure enemies into the trap, or protecting yourself from shape-revealing divinations with the Trickery Domain's Nondetection. Cloistered Clerics get Tongues as a 3rd-level spell, which is nice if some obscure language you didn't bother learning becomes relevant.

Anyway, let's talk about our last few feats. Weapon Focus makes our rays more accurate. Ranged Recall makes them much more accurate by giving 3 daily rerolls. Shape Soulmeld ups our stealth skills by 4 both, and Able Sniper makes us even better at sniping. Improved Diversion lets us use a move action to distract onlookers, 5 ft. step behind cover and make a Hide check, and then use our standard action to attack. If that all feels like it's getting away from our shapechanging theme, remember that they're two sides of the same infiltration efforts: you can't sneak your way past a stone wall, or disguise yourself mid-fight: the skillsets complement each other even if they do different things!

We end up with a Hide check of +20 (+3 dex, +7 ranks, +4 able sniper, +4 competence, +2 racial) before boosts, with another possible +4 if we go for a Small shape, and a Move Silently of +10 (+3 dex, +3 ranks, +4 competence). Our Bluff is a solid +11 (+2 cha, +7 ranks, +2 racial), or Disguise a great +19 (+2 cha, +7 ranks, +10 change shape), and our ranged attack rolls have a to-hit of +10 (+2 BAB, +3 dex, +1 point-blank, +2 able sniper, +1 weapon focus, +1 knowledge devotion): basically guaranteed hits, given that they will ideally target flat-footed touch AC, but a small-sized form again boosts that to-hit up by a point.

All things considered, we make really broad use of Change Shape and tailor our entire build towards supporting it and the PrC it grants us access to, then double down on the shapeshifting theme by messing with the shapes of the spells we cast - all as part of our overarching devotion to Chaos and upheaval. A thematic, powerful, and original build, if only I say so myself.

Spoiler: Sources

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Fey'ri: Races of Faerun
Lesser planetouched: Player's Guide to Faerun
Cloistered Cleric: Unearthed Arcana
Spellwarp Sniper: Complete Scoundrel

Erevan Ilesere: Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Elf domain: Spell Compendium

Swift and Silent: Player's Guide to Faerun
Darkstalker: Lords of Madness
Knowledge Devotion: Complete Champion
Bend Spell: Dragon Compendium
Sanctum Spell, Split Ray: Complete Arcane
Divine Metamagic: Complete Divine
Able Sniper: Races of the Wild
Improved Diversion: Complete Adventurer
Ranged Recall: Complete Mage
Shape Soulmeld: Magic of Incarnum

Dance of Ruin: BoVD
Alicorn Lance: Silver Marches
Lesser Shivering Touch, Frost Breath: Frostburn
Sun Bolt: Shining South
Dispel Ward, Divine Insight, Grave Strike: Spell Compendium

[Venger]

"All the best mirrors have some silver inside of them."

Yettindi H. Fett, the shadow in the mirror



CN -> CE Tarnished Dragonborn Changeling Domain Access Stalwart Battle Dragonblood Sorcerer 5 / Escalation Mage 1

Spoiler: The Trial

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"All rise for the honorable judge Kavay!"

The sound of shifting boots and cloaks filled the courtroom as the order was followed by its occupants: the state barrister, a hirsute dwarf with comically small glasses, the small gnomish scribe seated to the side; the half-dozen of guards, the magewright observer, and the spectators: journalists and spectacle-seekers, neatly lined up in the back.

Only a single soul remained seated: an elvish woman, features sharp, eyes and hair jet black, hands shackled together, her expression one of vague disinterest. The judge, a brown-haired human, stared daggers at the defendant as he walked to his seat. In response, her face melted and twisted; seconds later, it looked like an old man's, spotted and hairless. "Excuse me, dear judge," croaked an aged voice. "but ever since I lost the use of my left knee defending our proud nation, I've found it impossible to stand. After all my heroic deeds, is this how my country repays me?"

Indeed, the old man's chest suddenly gleamed with tarnished medals: the Brelish Square of Service, the Vanguard of Dol Dorn Badge, the Silver Griffinclaw... "Illusion magic, not particularly powerful, no threat to proceedings', muttered the magewright as his amulet buzzed with the information.

The judge ignored the impromptu speech, took the final few steps to his chair, glared one last time, and then put on the mask of impartiality his profession demanded.

"Accused one," the judge began, employing the little-used title designed for defendants whose gender or name were unknown. "Is your defense present?"

"I'll be representing myself, thank you very much," a half-orc woman (the defendant's shape had shifted again, though the medals lingered) spoke in a deep voice. A few of the journalists leaned in a bit closer: trials where people said that inevitably made for the best stories. The judge's face was a mask.

"You stand trial for charges of fraud, unlawful use of magic, membership in a criminal organization, impersonation of a public figure, impersonation of a government official, possession of forged documents, possession of illegal substances, conspiracy to harm a city official, conspiracy to steal government property, and espionage. Should you be found guilty, the Code of Galifar demands a fine of the eight order, paid in coin or hard labor. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty" replied the defendant, shape now changed to that of a smug-looking teenaged dwarf. "By the way, what happened to the high treason charge; couldn't make that one stick?"

"And will you be asserting your right to a jury?" continued the judge, eager to get through the script as quickly as possible.

"No need to bother nine upstanding citizens when they're going to vote me into the mines anyway," came the response. "I'd rather hope for one miraculous change of heart than five."

The judge's thunder-stern expression made his own thoughts on the likelihood of that clear enough. "Very well. In that case, let us proceed with the opening statements..."

Spoiler: Backstory

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"Your honor, my life has been one of difficulty and toil. From my earliest days, toiling away on a Lhazaar pirate ship as a lowly cabin boy, I was forced to steal and cheat to-"

"Motion to dismiss." interjected the prosecutor. "The defendant has provided seven statements while awaiting trial, each contradicting all the others. This line of questioning will not provide us with useful information."

"Could the prosecution illustrate this with some examples?"

The prosecutor flipped through some documents. "Defendant claims to have been the creation of exiled transmuter Mordain the Fleshweaver. Defendant claims to be a triple-classified deep cover agent of the Brelish crown, raised from birth in service to the king. Defendant claims to be Dannel ir'Wynarn, late queen of Cyre, warped and given shapeshifting powers by the Mourning. Defendant claims to be a survivor of the lost Demon Wastes settlement known as Desolate. Defendant claims to hail from Argonessen, descendant from and emissary to a silver dragon known as Lightkeeper Dolarashynach..."

"All the best mirrors have some silver inside of them, as I like to say," grinned a fanged shifter from the defendant's bench.

"...surely, after one or two statements you would simply have the defendant confess atop an Eye of Aureon?"

"All these statements were taken atop an Eye of Aureon, your honor. The interrogators switched rooms after the third, just in case the fault lied with the Eye itself, to no avail. We must simply assume the defendant could be lying at any time."

"Motion to dismiss granted" muttered the judge, clearly unhappy with this development. "Moving on..."

Spoiler: Build

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"Let us recall the indisputable fact," so the prosecutor began, "that society is based on trust. Trust in each other. Trust in the monarchy. But most of all trust in our institutions, in the fact that we are a civilized people, who try the guilty fairly, who pay for honest work with honest coin, who know that any in a guard's uniform have our best interests at heart. What crime could be greater than to shake these very foundations of our nation?"

The battle-scarred hobgoblin before the judge rolled his eyes and muttered something in orcish. Fortunately, none in attendance spoke the language.

"The defendant imperils this trust to an extent few others can muster. Already we have touched upon their resistance to magical lie detection and information-gathering spells. Still, the means by which we may tell an ordinary changeling's disguises are many: their inability to change their garments or learn their target's trade, their perpetually darkness unfit-eyes, the quirks they fail to adopt. But know this! The one before this court lacks such tells entirely; it is only from the testimony of those who witnessed the shifting that we know we deal with a shapechanger at all. When such a being betrays a willingness to break the law, we must be as wary as when a man draws a blade in the midst of a crowded tavern. We must understand the danger posed by one who can, and will, slip into the guises of commanders and officials to abuse the trust of our citizenry, and we must punish such depravities swiftly and harshly.

Indeed, I do not even consider it of the greatest import to convince you of the defendant's guilt: that, I believe, our witnesses will prove beyond a doubt. Rather, what I mean to convince you of is the sheer magnitude of the defendant's abilities, and the size of the public danger so created."


ABILITY SCORES:
STR 10, DEX 12, CON 14, INT 14, WIS 14, CHA 15
ASI at level 4 in charisma.

LANGUAGES:
Common, Dwarven, Goblin

DEITY:
Before level 4: Bahamut (nominally)
Afterwards: The Shadow (wholeheartedly)

BUILD TABLE:

Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	Dragonblood Stalwart Battle (SB) Sorcerer 1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Bluff +4cc (2), Concentration +4 (4), Disguise +4 (4), Knowledge (Arcana) +4 (4)	Hidden Talent (Call Armor), Draconic Heritage (Silver), Weapon Focus (Longsword)	Dragonborn traits, Arcane Insight +2, Weapon Proficiency (Longsword, Warhammer)
2nd	SB Sorcerer 2	+1	+0	+0	+3	Bluff 2, Concentration +1 (5), Disguise +1 (5), Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Assume Quirk Skill Trick +2	-	-
3rd	SB Sorcerer 3	+2	+1	+1	+3	Bluff +2cc (3), Concentration +1 (6), Disguise 5, Knowledge (Arcana) +1 (5), Assume Quirk	Still Spell	-
4th	Dragonblood SB Sorcerer 4	+3	+1	+1	+4	Bluff 3, Concentration +1 (7), Disguise +1 (6), Knowledge (Arcana) +2 (7), Assume Quirk	-	Arcane Insight +4, Spell-Like Ability
5th	Domain Access SB Sorcerer 5	+3	+1	+1	+4	Bluff +2cc (4), Concentration +1 (8), Disguise 6, Knowledge (Arcana) +1 (8), Assume Quirk	-	Lose dragonborn traits, alignment shift, Domain Access (Mind Domain)
6th	Escalation Mage 1	+3	+3	+1	+4	Bluff +4 (8), Concentration 8, Disguise 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 8, Assume Quirk	Dragontouched	Spell-Like Ability (Baleful Transposition), The Shade Within (+4 HP)

EPIC:
1 - Silver Dragon Lineage
2 - Persona Immersion
3 - Jack of All Trades
4 - Quick Change
5 - Touch of Captivation
6 - Steady Concentration
7 - Martial Study (Moment of Perfect Mind)
8 - Perfect Reflection
9 - Draconic Senses
10 - Smatterings

Spoiler: Spells

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"And I swear before this court of law, that this shapechanger, in plain sight-" began witness number seven.

"Hey, not to interrupt anything," a towering drow called out from the defendant's seat. "But it looks like I've got some stuff here that I'm pretty sure is illegal to bring into a courtroom, would anyone mind taking it away from me?"

Indeed: strapped to the drow's back were two long and sharp knives. The witness paused, somewhat frightened, and the judge gestured frantically for a guard to solve the issue already. The guard walked over and reached out for the weapons, but only raked her fingers through empty air. She looked back at the judge, unsure what to do next.

"Ah, let me help you there", the drow muttered. The knives disappeared in a puff of nothingness, as did the colorful garment that covered the drow. In its place was a rough prisoner's gown, ill-fitting, the front carefully painted with the chunky gruel that Sharn's jails served as breakfast. In clumsy letters, it declared "DOWN WITH KING BORE-ANEL".

Something inside the judge's mouth crunched.

"Five... five minute recess! Get the defendant new clothes while I... step out for a moment."

"I hope you'll be able to find something that fits me!" squawked the defendant, already shifted into the form of a much-shortened kenku. "My size is all over the place".


SPELLS PER DAY:

Level	0lvl	1st	2nd	3rd
1st	4	3	-	-
2nd	5	4	-	-
3rd	5	5	-	-
4th	5	6	3	-
5th	5	6	4	-
6th	5	6	4	2

SPELLS KNOWN:
0: Detect Magic, Servant's Guise, Prestidigitation, Ghost Sound, Launch Item, No Light
1: Lesser Orb of Acid
2: Alter Self
3: Nondetection
Note: Battle Sorcerer specifies the minimum of spells known at any level as 1.

NOT QUITE SPELLS KNOWN:
3/day Baleful Transposition as SLA
Can cast Comprehend Languages (1st-level), Detect Thoughts (2nd-level), or Lesser Telepathic Bond (3rd-level) once per day each.

Spoiler: Overview

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"And you believed this individual to be the Honorable Lord ir'Clarn?"

"As Aureon's my witness, sir, yes I did."

"The disguise was perfect?"

"Had the lord been born a twin, I still would have not assumed the one in front of me was any other than he himself. His build, his eyes, his armor, unique in the realm - everything matched."

"And when he moved, you heard that armor clank? Not once or twice, but consistently?"

"Loud and clear as the Fury's footsteps, from the moment he walked in to when he left the bank. I even touched it when I reached out to hand him lord ir'Clarn's money."

"Are you aware the defendant was captured right on your doorstep, and the arrest report only mentioned regular clothes covered by illusionary armor?"

"I'm sure there's a good reason for that, sir, but I heard what I heard."

"Honorable judge, here you have it: a witness, compelled to truthfulness, whose claims prove that our defendant's disguises are real enough to fool even ear and hand. In your many years, how many magical would-be fraudsters have been discovered by the simple fact that glamers don't stand up to touch? How much worse off would we all be if we lived in a world whe-"

"Why, these are some excellent points," interjected a voice from the defendant's bench. "In fact, I think I'm ready to settle the case." The judge's brown hair, his voice, even his jet-black cloak - all perfectly imitated by the changeling seated there. "But before I start verding, could someone undo these manacles? They're chafing my wrists, it's really no way to treat a legal professional."

The real judge let slip a swear, called for a ten-minute recess, and stormed out.


Premise
What's the most iconic shapechanging trick? Mimicking someone and deceiving their friends, of course. You saw it in The Thing, you saw it in Terminator II, you saw it in more Star Trek episodes than you can shake a spacefuture turbostick at.

Of course, it's worth noting that in all of the above examples, mimicry doesn't get the shapeshifter all that far. Once people figure out you might be a shapeshifter (say, by the real guy showing up), it's typically not too hard to confirm who's who. And in eberron, where there's a one-in-thirty chance any random passerby might be able to change shape at-will, it'll be one of the first possibilities people consider. Plausible deniability is not on our side here.

So we weaponize that. We make a build that can't just take people's faces, but disguise its own equipment, stand up to casual inspection, and most importantly execute the switch in plain sight. At which point all that inertia and magic-awareness comes to work in your favor - if you accept shapechangers as a fact of daily life, that also means that under the right circumstances, you'll dismiss a desperately begging person who looks exactly like your friend as a shapechanger - we just make sure that this someone isn't us.

Let's put it like this: at most tables, having a really really high bluff check doesn't change the fact that some things are just ridiculous. You're never going to convince someone they're actually a wallaby. You're never going to convince someone they swore a blood oath of servitude to you and then forgot about it. And you're never going to convince someone that the guy who's been standing right next to them all this time is actually the impostor, and the weird changeling who morphed right in front of everyone is their longtime friend.

Unfortunate, then, when that's exactly what happened.


Build capabilities:
So what's up with the whole ex-dragonborn thing? Essentially, we need to qualify for dragonblood sorcerer at level 1 as a changeling, but we need to use our first-level feat on Hidden Talent, so Dragontouched is not an option. Instead, we start off as a dragonborn of Bahamut (who is a legal Eberron deity, see Dragons of Eberron) and take the substitution levels that way. Before reaching level 5, we abandon Bahamut in favor of the Shadow and become evil, losing our subtype and regaining our changeling features. And at level 6, we get the dragonblood subtype back with Dragontouched, right in time to switch our SLA over to Baleful Transposition. We never take or use anything we aren't qualifying for, we avoid having to take a flaw, and we work a nice note of betrayal and temptation into our backstory. What's there for a DM to object to?

We boast a magnificent Disguise of +26 (+10 Minor Change Shape, +5 Servant's Guise, +6 ranks, +3 charisma, +2 synergy) with another +6 if our target is present (and disguise checks are made once per hour, so if your target is present when you first make the disguise it's good for a while even if he then leaves). Assume Quirk eliminates the Spot bonus for familiarity, so unless we roll extremely poorly against a lucky, perceptive individual, nobody is piercing our disguises.

Normally, it's worth arguing over whether something like Minor Change Shape stacks with Disguise Self. But Servant's Guise only affects equipment, while Minor Change Shape only affects physical form, so the sources of the bonuses do not overlap at all and I see no reason why they wouldn't stack. Servant's Guise is pretty great in general: it's a cantrip, Somatic-only, and lasts for an hour, so we can spam a bunch of Still Servant Guises if we absolutely need to keep our equipment glamored while enduring up to twelve hours of close scrutiny. Nondetection lasts for six hours per casting and demands an impressive DC 21 caster level check to passively catch us with Detect Magic and the like.

Our Bluff is a great +15 (+8 ranks, +3 charisma, +2 changeling, +2 mind domain) with another +6 if we're acting to impersonate someone who's actually present in the scene. Recall that the average person has maybe +1 Sense Motive and we got things set up so our lies are always at least somewhat plausible.

Some other skills worth noting are +7 Diplomacy (+3 charisma, +2 synergy, +2 mind domain), +8 sense motive (+2 wisdom, +2 synergy, +2 changeling, +2 mind domain), and +7 intimidate (+3 charisma, +2 changeling, +2 synergy) that we can up to +11 by Alter Selfing into a Hornhead Saurial. Knowledge (Arcana) is by far the most useful single lore skill and we have +14 (8 ranks, +2 intelligence, +4 dragonblood sorcerer) to it. All of our senses are much sharper than you'd expect, too, thanks to Draconic Senses and its +3 bonus to Listen, Spot, and Search.

We can wield warhammers and longswords, the most common martial weapons, with proficiency and an okay +3/+4 attack bonus, and we can impersonate any slashing or bludgeoning weapon by using Servant's Guise to make a longsword/warhammer look different. Something like a greatspear can replicate reach weapons, while a dagger and club take care of most light ones.

We don't have a lot of spells known, but Lesser Orb of Acid is an okay standby and Silver Dragon Lineage gives us a very strong save-or-suck to channel spell slots into (paralysis = free CDGs for the rogue and fighter). Unlike regular sorcerers we have light armor and stellar HP (8+2+2+4d8+8+8+1d4+2+4+1 is 55-56 on average) and can walk into melee range quite comfortably. We can use Alter Self to further shore up our melee ability or access lots of mobile forms. This spell is also helpful when imitating a race that possesses observable physical characteristics Minor Change Shape doesn't cover, like a troglodyte's stench or a sahuagin's swim speed.

Our other spells are Nondetection for general divination resistance (providing a defense against spells like Discern Shapechanger), and Lesser Orb of Acid as solid offensive option. Note how Still Lesser Orb of Acid is a great tool to get out of manacles - one standard action should melt even masterwork manacles (3d8 damage vs 10 HP). Sharn: City of Towers introduces extra-strong Wizard's Manacles that can't be taken off without alerting the creator... but even those will still melt in two quick hits. We might not be able to melt bulkier restraints (like a pillory), but given that we are not 'carrying' them anymore at that point, Baleful Transposition doesn't take them along and we can just teleport out!

A lot of tiny details that might break a changeling's disguise just aren't an issue for us. Smatterings makes us at least somewhat knowledgeable about any language we get exposed to, and Jack of All Trades lets us cover for trained-only skills our target is expected to possess (like Handle Animal, or any Knowledge or Profession skill). Hidden Talent can call any type of armor (which takes care of iron, but also chain, leather, cloth, and even mud coverings) to our body with a thought, solving the textbook limitation of Disguise Self being defeated by sound or touch (we can always make the check to suppress the manifestation's display). If we take the shape of a dwarf, orc, goblinoid, or other darkness-dweller, we can see normally thanks to Draconic Senses (this also plays nice with No Light).

If we suddenly need to show an object our target is expected to possess, we can create it unobtrusively with our Prestidigitation SLA, which explicitly can 'create small objects [that] look crude and artificial'. Servant's Guise takes care of their appearance, so we should be able to present physical objects that pass casual inspection. If all else fails, Touch of Captivation also gives us unobtrusive Charm Person and Daze SLAs; useful for swaying a single doubter when everyone else buys your lies.

We've got Detect Thoughts and Comprehend Languages via the Mind domain, which further helps reinforce disguises. Additionally, we can use Lesser Telepathic Bond to invisibly communicate with an ally while in deep cover otherwise. Speaking of spells, Persona Immersion means we get to straight-up lie to any spell or power we save against (well, any 3rd-level or lower spell, but this is E6), and the combination of Moment of Perfect Mind and Steady Concentration means that we can do that versus about every divination out there (Sharn: City of Towers describes a magic item that emanates a Zone of Truth, explicitly present in every courtroom - it has a DC of 20, which we can always beat, and in E6 any NPC's DC will be less than that).

Being able to auto-roll 20 on Concentration checks is of course great from a defensive casting perspective as well, notably allowing us to cast while undergoing extremely violent motion or using a Still spell while grappled (or using our Baleful Transposition SLA to swap someone else into our grappler's loving embrace).

Basically, anything that quickly comes to mind as a way to spot changelings (PGtE lists some), we have some sort of highly reliable undetectable answer for. This all then combines beautifully in our core combat trick: we can run into someone we've never seen before, spend one round using Servant's Guise and Minor Change Shape, then Baleful Transposition on the next to exchange places unnoticeably. At that point, just lead his buddies into beating him to a pulp, then either stay undercover to do some espionage or blast your clustered unwitting victims with a paralyzing AoE.

Spoiler: Epilogue

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The judge cleared his throat. "With no further witnesses and the defense's statement so, ahem, unique..."

"It was a moving appeal to the greatness of shared humanoid spirit! Reciting it in anything but the original Goblin would've been an unacceptable compromise of my artistic vision!" It was jarring to see the franctic words pour out of the judge's own mouth, but the prolific shapeshifter's form had stayed stable over the last half-hour. A few journalists were already whispering among each other, speculating on the 'why' - some limit on magical disguises per day?

"...I believe that I have reached my verdict. Of the charges brought before me, bar none, I find the defendant guilty. In addition, I believe the record will support my decision to add a perjury charge..."

"Name one thing I said that was demonstrably a lie, I dare you!"

"...as well as several counts of contempt of court. I sentence the defendant to the payment of one million golden galifars. Any portion of this fine not paid in coin will be recompensed through hard labor in service of the Crown, for a maximum period of twenty-seven thousand three hundred seventy-nine years and thirty-four days. Guards, please escort the defendant back to jail."

The guards, as eager as everyone else to get this farce over with at last, moved forward. There was a final moment of tension as the prisoner was unshackled from the bench - but nothing happened. There now seemed to be actual fear on the prisoner's face, as if this outcome was a surprise and not an inevitable consequence of willful rebellion. Rapidly, roughly, the guards marched off with their charge, who cast one desperate look backwards...

And immediately, with great panic, began to thrash about. All eyes turned towards the guards, who grasped at the prisoner in a tangle of gauntlets. Whatever escape attempt had occured was clearly foiled now, but still the condemned screamed.

"No! Wait! This is- I don't know! What's happening? I'm not the prisoner! I'm not!"

The judge, already halfway through leaving the chamber, turned around. The mask of professionalism had slipped now - there was only fury, plainly identifiable as the anger of a man who had been pushed to the limit and was now free at last to give in.

"ACCUSED ONE! You have made a mockery of my courtroom, you have insulted the very face of Brelish law, you have stolen my shape as if it is yours to take. The least you can do is accept the verdict with grace. I will not dignify your inane antics any longer. Guards, make a note of this insubordination, and let your commander know I highly recommend putting this man in solitary. Brief the jailers, too, make sure they won't let anything trick them."

"No! Wait! It's you! You did this, somehow! I'm the judge! I'm the real judge! Someone! Believe me!"

Slowly, growing ever more franctic, the screams faded away. A few of the courtroom's attendants sighed deeply. The journalists were workshopping titles for their pieces: LORD OF LIES LAID LOW! JUDGE KAVAY DOES NOT DALLY, CONDEMNS CHARLATAN. SUSPECTED TYRANTS KINGPIN FUMBLES DEFENSE!

And in a room behind the courthall, plots were hatched by a victorious changeling. The Tyrants connection, yes, that one seemed best to play up. Tonight, judge Kavay would head home - tomorrow, his house would be found ransacked, the judge himself missing, an obvious and tragic victim of mob vengeance. There'd be a nice funeral, lots of important people - a great place to find a new impersonation target, perhaps? As for the real judge, his 'refusal' to take on another form would be seen as deliberate mockery - he'd be shipped off to some remote corner of the kingdom and put to work there; in time, people would forget about him entirely.

Maybe it'd be fun to pay him a visit a few years from now?

Spoiler: Sources

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Changeling - Races of Eberron
The Shadow, Escalation Mage - Faiths of Eberron
Bahamut - Races of the Dragon
Dragonblood Sorcerer - Races of the Dragon
Mind Domain - Spell Compendium

Hidden Talent - Expanded Psionics Handbook
Dragontouched, Draconic Heritage, Draconic Senses, Silver Dragon Lineage - Dragon Magic
Jack of All Trades - Complete Adventurer
Persona Immersion, Quick Change - Races of Eberron
Touch of Captivation, Perfect Reflection - Player's Guide to Eberron
Steady Concentration - Races of Stone
Martial Study - Tome of Battle
Smatterings - Races of Destiny

Assume Quirk skill trick - Complete Scoundrel

Call Armor - Expanded Psionics Handbook
Servant's Guise - Part of the Pack: New Magic Spells and Items (as opposed to nonmagic spells?)
No Light - BoVD
Baleful Transposition, Lesser Orb of Acid, Launch Item - Spell Compendium

Lots of useful information about the Brelish legal system - Sharn: City of Towers

-------

Still here?

Well, I suppose that it's time to kill the mystery: what's Yettindi's real backstory? The way I envision it, the changeling really was part of the Lyrandar-backed expedition to Desolate, perhaps kept hidden by parents of the passer philosophy. When the settlement was destroyed, the concealed child survived, was found by a curious silver dragon, and was raised in service to Bahamut; igniting sorcerous powers in the process. Over time, however, Yettindi grew selfish and amoral (or tempted by the Shadow's whispers?), culminating in a renunciation of Bahamut and a painful but very survivable Tarnishing (1d8+2+3 HP per level, baby!). Newly in touch with a changeling heritage, Yettindi sought passage to Sharn, eager to exploit this rich city for all it's worth.

[Venger]

Change must come from within.

Rune Blackwood

Spoiler: Build stub

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Human -> Kalashtar
Lawful neutral. Membership in a heroic organization (cityscape p. 99) and the church of Moradin
Archivist 3/Church Inquisitor 1/Shaper of Form 2

1. Favored
H. Primary Contact
3. Spell Focus Transmutation
D: Great Fortitude
6. Kalashtar Mindlink

Spoiler: Stats

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32 Pointbuy

Str 8
Dex 8
Con 14 + 1 at 4th level
Int 18
Wis 16
Cha 8

Spoiler: Backstory

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Growing up as the fourth son in an aristocrat's family, Rune had more freedom than his elder brothers. From a young age, he was fascinated with learning and making things. The craftspeople on Blackwood's estate did not mind a precocious child following them around and asking questions. The local alchemist even showed young Rune how to make miniature thunderstones, something Rune greatly enjoyed!
He was also fascinated with his father's armor. A dwarvencraft full plate, it shined so bright and looked nothing like other items on the estate. As he grew older, Rune asked to apprentice to the local blacksmith to try to learn to make armor like his father's. While his family did not approve of his choice to focus on manual labor they did not stop him. In his spare time, Rune continued reading voraciously, eventually learning basic magic.

Wanting to help others with his knowledge and magic, Rune joined the Brotherhood of the Fat Grouse, a local organization encompassing several nearby towns and specializing in restorative justice and community support.

Over time, Rune grew restless. The blacksmith taught him all about armorsmithing that he knew and yet Rune was not nearly good enough to replicate dwarven craftsmanship. His magic education also stalled as he already learned all that he could from the estate's library. Learning of this, one of the leaders of the Grouse offered to write a letter of recommendation to a well respected dwarf blacksmith, Gotlin Krakentamer (Primary Contact), that worked in the temple of Moradin in a large dwarven city far in the mountains. Ecstatic at this opportunity, Rune agreed, and with a letter and a scroll of Silverbeard, he set off to the dwarven city. Arriving at the dwarven city, after many adventures, Rune found the dwarven smith and convinced him to take Rune on as an apprentice.

The first thing that Rune learned about crafting like a dwarf is that it involved reciting prayers to Moradin and drawing inspiration from the Dwarffather. Learning the prayers and feeling the metal come alive under his hammer, Rune soon became a dedicated worshiper, accepting Moradin as his god and joining the church as a full member. He also continued his magical education, the temple library proving to be a veritable treasure trove!

One day, Rune overheard some junior priests talking about beards not being holy to Moradin. Deeply distubed, he brought this up to one of the higher ranking priests who investigated this heresy and the heretics were expelled.

Desiring the fortitude of a dwarf to keep working into the night, Rune found a way to use the spell Substitute Domain(Dwarf) to grant himself some dwarven resilience (Great Fortitude).

As Rune slept one night, spirits of form spoke to him. Impressed by his learning and craftsmanship, they offered him the ability to change the forms of both objects and creatures as easily as quicksilver flows and to communicate in any form. He agreed.

Waking up, Rune felt different, the spirits kept their word. He could now link minds with others and communicate without speaking. Touching a table he closed his eyes and imagined a bookshelf. When he opened his eyes, the able was gone and the bookshelf stood there.

It took time and practice, but eventually Rune was able to temporarily transform himself and other living creatures into different forms.

With his new powers of transformation and improved knowledge of armorsmithing, Rune was finally able to craft himself mithral full plate armor of a quality that he was happy with.

His childhood crafting goal complete, Rune focused on using his magic to help his church and his community, going on many incredible adventures.

Spoiler: Build

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Level	Class	BAB	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills**	Feats	Class Features
1st	Archivist	+0	+2	+0	+2	Concentration 4, Craft (Alchemy) 4, Craft (Armorsmithing) 5, Diplomacy 4*, Know(Arc) 4, Know (Dung) 1, Know (Local) 1, Know(Nat) 1, Know(Planes) 1, Know(Rel) 4, Search 4 , Spellcraft 4	Favored, Primary Contact (+1 Craft Armorsmithing) (Human)*, Scribe Scroll(Bonus)	Dark knowledge (tactics) 3/day
2nd	Archivist	+1	+3	+0	+3	Concentration 5(+1), Craft (Alchemy) 5(+1), Craft (Armorsmithing) 6(+1), Diplomacy 5(+1), Know(Arc) 5(+1), Know (Dung) 1, Know (Local) 1, Know(Nat) 2(+1), Know(Planes) 1, Know(Rel) 5(+1), Search 5(+1) , Spellcraft 5(+1)		Lore mastery (+2 Decipher Script and Know(Rel))
3rd	Archivist	+1	+3	+1	+3	Concentration 6(+1), Craft (Alchemy) 6(+1), Craft (Armorsmithing) 7(+1), Diplomacy 6(+1), Know(Arc) 6(+1), Know (Dung) 2(+1), Know (Local) 1, Know(Nat) 2, Know(Planes) 1, Know(Rel) 6(+1), Search 6(+1) , Spellcraft 6(+1)	Spell Focus(Transmutation)	Dark knowledge 4/day
4th	Church Inquisitor	+1	+3	+1	+5	Concentration 7(+1), Craft (Alchemy) 6, Craft (Armorsmithing) 8(+2CC), Diplomacy 7(+1), Know(Arc) 7(+1), Know (Dung) 2, Know (Local) 1, Know(Nat) 2, Know(Planes) 2(+1), Know(Rel) 7(+1), Search 7(+1), Spellcraft 7(+1)		Detect evil, Inquisition domain
5th	Shaper of Form	+1	+5	+1	+7	Concentration 8(+1), Craft (Alchemy) 8(+2), Craft (Armorsmithing) 8(+1) (lose feat bonus), Know(Arc) 8(+1), Know (Dung) 2, Know (Local) 1, Know(Nat) 2, Know(Planes) 2, Know(Rel) 7, Search 7, Spellcraft 8(+1)		Like begets like, modify self (Kalashtar)
6th	Shaper of Form	+2	+6	+1	+8	Concentration 9(+1), Craft (Alchemy) 9(+1), Craft (Armorsmithing) 9(+1), Disable Device 1(+1), Know(Arc) 9(+1), Know (Dung) 2, Know (Local) 1, Know(Nat) 2, Know(Planes) 2, Know(Rel) 7, Search 7, Spellcraft 9(+1)	Kalashtar Mindlink	Fortify item, polymorph (1/day),

* Crossed out feat and skills are lost when the race changes from Human to Kalashtar
** Skill rank from Primary Contact is included in list of skills

Epic
1. Metamorphic Transfer
2. Great Fortitude
3. Sudden Extend
4. Sudden Maximize
5. Sudden Silent
6. Sudden Still
7. Sudden Empower
8. Quicken Spell
9. Sudden Quicken
10. Metamorphic Transfer (again)

Spoiler: Spells

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Archivists can learn a TON of spells, and their availability is somewhat DM dependent (outside of the few cleric spells learned at level up).
Because of this, I will only list spells I think are either important to the build or that I find interesting.

Caster level 5.

1. Enlarge Person - Helpful for combat AND affecting larger objects with Like begets like [Transformation Domain (Races of Eberron) or Strength Domain]
1. Silverbeard (SpC) - Important for storyline reasons
1. Sleep - Good early spell[Adept/Dream Domain(SpC)]

2. Alter Self - More shapechanging [Transformation Domain (Races of Eberron)]
2. Close Wounds(SpC) - Swift action healing is important
2. Guidance of the Avatar(Web) - +20 to any skill!
2. Substitute Domain(CC) - Required to get Great Fortitude from Dwarf Domain
2. Zone of truth - Required for Church Inquisitor

3. Blade Storm(SpC) - 1. Turn into a Grell(Lords of Madness) 2. Pick up 10 Silverspears 3 (Lords of Madness). Attack EACH opponent in melee 10 times.
3. Evard's Black Tentacles - Nifty battlefield control! [Blackwater Domain (Storm)]
3. Devil's Ego (FC2) - Primarily used to turn into an outsider for Polymorph and Alter Self* [Diabolic domain(FC2)]
3. Freedom of Movement - Nentyar Hunter (Unapproachable East)

*Devil's Ego + Alter Self into Dwarf Ancestor (MM4) = +18 Natural Armor. Great and fitting form!

Polymorph SLA 1/day
Caster level for the SLA is not specified, so I assume it's equal to HD (6)

Spoiler: Mechanics and level breakdown

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1. Rune has access to some of the best level 1 spells such as Sleep/Entangle. Dark Knowledge + ranks in all monster identifying skills is nice too. Medium armor helps stay alive, but as most level 1 casters, staying away from the front line is likely optimal.
3. Second level spells are great, especially if you have access to Adept spells for Scorching Ray/Invisibility/Mirror Image/See Invisibility. Alter Self allows for early form changing.
4. Church Inquisitor adds Detect Evil at will, which can be useful. While the Inquisition Domain granted power can be very useful later (Dispel as a 9th level caster? In E6?) for now it gets swapped for Dwarf Domain to meet the prerequisite for Shaper of Form which helps Runes saves too.
5. Race changes to Kalashtar which makes Rune lose a feat (Primary Contact). However you no longer need it as you can self-qualify by putting a skill point into Craft(Armorsmithing). Since Kalashtar are pretty much humans with a diluted outsider influence, Rune's base appearance doesn't even have to change much.
Like begets like is a VERY good ability. Enlarge Person allows Rune to change any object up to large size, and the ability to increase value is VERY easy to abuse (gems?)

Spoiler: Primary Contact loss

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As Rune focuses on adventuring rather than making armor, it fits to downgrade the relationship with Gotlin Krakentamer to a regular contact, rather than a primary one.

6. Sadly a lost caster level, however, Rune gets Polymorph! In E6! Amazing utility right out of the box! Kalashtar Mindlink feat boosts the manifester level of Mindlink PLA to 6 (and also makes it usable more often)

Epic.
With Rune having manifester level 6, Metamorphic transfer is obvious to get supernatural abilities of forms taken with Polymorph.
Next Great Fortitude is taken as a feat to avoid having to use Substitute Domain.
Next Rune takes the whole feat chain to get Sudden Quicken. Normally, this is not the best idea, however, E6 epic feats gives the character many more feats to work with, and the capstone ability is a SLA which sudden feats explicitly work with. Rune now has access to things like Empowered + Maximized Lightning Bolt (Adept) for some serious blasting or Still + Silent spells to cast in a grapple. Of course ultimately, a quickened (possibly extended) Polymorph is a real kicker!
Second instance of Metamorphic transfer allows getting two Supernatural abilities at a time. This is only relevant for a few forms, but still nice to have.

Spoiler: Using Polymorph with Metamorphic Transfer

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Spoiler: Polymorph types

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Aberration ✔
Animal ✔
Construct ✖
Dragon ✔
Elemental ✖
Fey ✔
Giant ✔
Humanoid ✔
Magical Beast ✔
Monstrous Humanoid ✔
Ooze ✔
Outsider * Only when using Devil's Ego (FC2)
Plant ✔
Undead ✖
Vermin ✔

Creature	Abilities
Choker	quickness - Extra actions
Gauth	Eye rays - Multiple different spells
Blink Dog	Blink, Dimension Door as _Free_ actions
Ethereal Filcher/Phase Spider	Ethereal Jaunt
Formian Taskmaster(Outsider)	Dominate Monster
Nightmare (Outsider)	astral projection, etherealness
Movanic Deva (Outsider) [Fiend Folio]	Change Shape, Heavenly Deflection, Protective Aura: double-strength magic circle against evil + minor globe of invulnerability
Myrlochar (Outsider)[Monsters of Faurun]	Hit Point Drain - Permanently drain HP (infinite HP?)

Spoiler: Sources

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Cityscape: Favored, Primary Contact
Complete Arcane: Sudden * Feats
Complete Divine: Church Inquisitor, Inquisition Domain
Dragon Compendium: Shaper of Form
Expanded Psionics Handbook: Metamorphic Transfer
Heroes of Horror: Archivist
Races of Eberron: Kalashtar
Secrets of Sarlona: Kalashtar Mindlink
Spell Compendium: Dwarf Domain
https://web.archive.org/web/20210126...sb/sb20010504a : Guidance of the Avatar

[Venger]

It's never too late to learn new things.

Miyake, Kamako

Spoiler: Build stub

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Neutral Middle Aged Scorpion Clan Human -> Dragonborn
Arcane Hunter + Spiritual Guide + Champion of the Wild + Predator Ranger 5/Chameleon 1
1. Able Learner
H. City Slicker
3. Delay Potion
4. Combat Expertise->Aberation Blood
6. Aberration Wildshape

Spoiler: Stats

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	STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
32 Point Buy	8	8	18	12	14	14
Middle Age	7	7	17	13	15	15
Level 4 Bonus	7	7	18	13	15	15
Dragonborn	8	6	21	12	14	14

Spoiler: Backstory

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After some run-ins with the yakuza, the Miyake family were forced to leave the scorpion clan when Kamako was a small child. Traveling far, first by ship and then with a caravan, they settled in a small town of Ravengate.

Kamako was strange but precocious child, learning to read when many in town did not, he read voraciously whenever he could get access to any book or scroll. He would also often be found rocking strangely and would sometimes laugh at things that others found disturbing or grotesque. Seeing this strange behavior from an outsider, many local children bullied Kamako relentlessly.

Trying to fit in and stay safe, Kamako learned to hide, lie, and carefully gauge the motives of those interacting with him. One day, overhearing that the local healer had some books detailing creatures from a far away land, he snuck into the healer's house and stole some of them.

When his father later found out about the theft, he was furious. He brought his family thousands of miles away from home to escape criminality, and now his own son was growing up to be a criminal!? What shame on the Miyake house! After some thought, he remembered that the local forest warden living a few towns away mentioned wanting an apprentice to teach as he was getting older. Would studying to protect the forest be a better path for Kamako and keep him away from the criminal world?

It did.

Under the tutelage of the warden, Kamako learned many things about life in the wilderness. He learned to identify and follow tracks. How to move stealthily through the forest. How to fight to keep the forest safe from wandering monsters and poachers, with special attention given to fighting off the most dangerous types of poachers, those possessing arcane magic.
Local temples would sometimes send magic potions to help with protecting the forest, and the warden also taught Kamako how to use those efficiently, delaying their effects right until they were needed.
As Kamako grew up and proved to be a reliable defender of the forest in his own right, the old warden taught him the deepest secrets he knew; how to find wisdom by communing with nature itself and how to change into the various creatures of the forest.

As an adult, while some townsfolk still found Kamako strange, his acts of service and deep knowledge of the forest endeared him to many and Kamako became a well liked and respected member of the community.

This went on for many years, Kamako reached middle age and the old warden grew ancient. Then, one day, a green dragon moved into the forest. A cruel beast, killing animals for fun while terrifying everyone in town. While the old warden has given Kamako some training in dragon combat, this was the first time such a large beast has been spotted nearby in Kamako's lifetime!
Working together, Kamako and the old warden set a trap for the dragon, but the beast was too smart! Breaking out, it killed the old warden and left Kamako for dead his body and armor heavily corroded with acid.

Grieving for the man that was like a second father to him, Kamako swore an oath to avenge him. Traveling to a temple of Bahamut he sought out guidance on killing the dragon, and seeing his dedication to this purpose, the clergy taught him how to perform the ritual of rebirth to become dragonborn and promised to train him in dragon slaying magic.

The ritual of rebirth seems to have gone slightly wrong, as rather than the perfect image of draconic glory, Kamako came out with arms and legs that seemed a little too long and a little too flexible. Yet, as his dedication was unchanged, the temple clergy kept their word and trained him. Kamako was a fast learner and was able to easily pick up magic, both arcane and divine. As Kamako's training neared completion, he discovered something unexpected - in addition to becoming an animal, he could now turn into aberrations - the very creatures whose strange forms appealed to him so much as a child!

Returning home, Kamako slayed the green dragon and went back to protecting the forest with his newfound powers.

Spoiler: Build

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Level	Class	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Skills**	Feats	Class Features
1st	Ranger 1	+1	+2	+2	+0	Bluff 4, Disguise 4, Hide 4, Know(Nat) 4, Know(Arc) 1, Move Silently 4, Sense Motive 2, Spellcraft 2, Survival 2, UMD 1, Listen 4	Able Learner, City Slicker(H), Track(R)	Favored Enemy(Arcanists) +2, Wild Empathy, Fast Movement(+10)
2nd	Ranger 2	+2	+3	+3	+0	Bluff 5(+1), Concentration 2, Disguise 5(+1), Hide 5(+1), Know(Arc) 1, Know(Nat) 4, Move Silently 5(+1), Sense Motive 2, Spellcraft 2, Survival 3(+1), UMD 1, Listen 5(+1)
3rd	Ranger 3	+3	+3	+3	+1	Bluff 6(+1), Concentration 3(+1), Disguise 6(+1), Hide 5, Know(Arc) 1, Know(Nat) 4, Move Silently 5, Sense Motive 3(+1), Spellcraft 3(+1), Survival 5(+2), UMD 1, Listen 6(+1)	Delay Potion, Endurance(R)
4th	Ranger 4	+4	+4	+4	+1	Bluff 7(+1), Concentration 4(+1), Disguise 7(+1), Hide 6(+1), Know(Arc) 1, Know (Dung) 2, Know(Nat) 4, Move Silently 6(+1), Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 3, Survival 5, UMD 1, Listen 7(+1)	Combat Expertise(R)	Commune with nature 1/day SLA CL = Ranger Level +1 Handle Animal, Know(Nat), Listen, Search, Spot, Survival (lost if area > hamlet)
5th	Ranger 5	+5	+4	+4	+1	Bluff 8(+1), Concentration 4, Disguise 8(+1), Hide 7(+1), Know(Arc) 1, Know(Dung) 2, Know (Nat) 5(+1), Move Silently 7(+1), Sense Motive 4(+1), Spellcraft 4(+1), Survival 5, UMD 1, Listen 8(+1)	Aberation Blood(Flexible limbs)	Favored Enemy(Dragon) +2, Favored Enemy(Arcanists) +4, Wildshape (Small/Medium) Dragonborn - Mind: immunity to paralysis and magic sleep. Darkvision 30 + LLV Lose City Slicker, trade Combat Expertise for Aberation Blood (+2 Grapple) +2 Listen, Search, and Spot
6th	Chameleon 1	+5	+4	+4	+1	Bluff 8, Concentration 7(+3), Disguise 8, Hide 7, Know(Arc) 1, Know(Dung) 2, Know (Nat) 5, Move Silently 7, Sense Motive 5(+1), Spellcraft 5(+1), Survival 5, UMD 1	Aberration Wildshape	Aptitude focus 1/day (+2). Darkvision 60 (Dragonborn)

* Crossed out feats and skills are lost after the ritual of rebirth
** You take a –1 penalty on Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, and wild empathy checks for every aberrant feat you posses

EPIC
1. Natural Spell
2. Extra Wild Shape (Complete Divine, p. 81)
3. Practiced Spellcaster(Chameleon) (Complete Arcane, p. 82)
4. Brew Potion
5. Improved Natural Attack(Tentacle)
6. Darkstalker (Lords of Madness, p. 179)
7. Open Least Chakra(Crown) +1 insight bonus on Will saves (Magic of Incarnum, p. 39)
8. Shape Soulmeld(Shedu Crown) (Magic of Incarnum)
9. Mindsight (Lords of Madness, p. 126)
10. Extra Wild Shape (Complete Divine, p. 81)

Spoiler: mechanics and level breakdown

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Level 1,2: For the first two levels, Kamako is mostly a face and a scout as the low strength and dex make combat difficult. With that said, high Con and speed, help survivability a lot due to extra HP/Fort and ability to run away. Throwing some flasks could be a viable combat style here and would dovetail nicely into the potion-based later levels.

Level 3: Delay potion is nifty. With Kamako's high CON, he has more flexibility when using this ability, and the ability to activate buff spells (or healing) as a swift action is fairly strong, even if it's likely once per combat. No ability to make potions YET.

<Middle Age no later than here>

Level 4: Combat Expertise adds some helpful defenses, helping Kamako survive into the later levels. Commune with Nature is a good divination spell (SLA bypassing casting time). Having a non-Chameleon caster level is also very helpful for taking Brew Potion later.

Level 5: Wildshape comes online, replacing the bad physical stats with much better stats of the animal forms. Note that since Wildshape doesn't change your type, you can do things like turn into a Fleshraker and delay a potion of Enlarge Person, then activate that potion right before Leaping Pounce a few hour later. +4 Attack against arcane spellcasters is VERY welcome here as well.

Dragonborn Transformation: The ritual of rebirth makes you come back as an adult regardless of your original age. Since it doesn't specify otherwise, it stands to reason that this resets your aging bonuses and penalties. This means that Kamako no longer qualifies for Combat Expertise as a direct result of the ritual, allowing him to chose a different feat. He also needs to lose a feat to balance out the human bonus feat and chooses City Slicker as that is no longer needed (if for some reason, your DM rules that this impacts previously invested skill points (it shouldn't), you also have the option of losing Endurance.) Flexible Limbs is chosen for the Aberration Blood bonus since the +2 Grapple has great synergy with a number of wildshape forms. Skill ranks in listen are lost as Mindsight will be coming later, making listen checks to detect enemies less important.

Level 6: Note that Kamako needs a +2 Int item to get second level arcane spells from Chameleon. While arcane focus opens up some interesting combos, Divine Focus is VERY good too and you can use that until you can find that +2 Item. Both versions of the focus help shore up Kamako's Will save, which is helpful!
Access to Aberration Wildshape which opens up nifty forms such as Grell with 10 tentacle attacks.
Level 6 is also where the combo that inspired this built comes online.
1. Quick Potion spell->Bloodwind
2. Delay Potion
3. Wildshape into Grell
4. Activate Bloodwind and full attack with 20 foot range increment (up to 200 feet away or even further with certain spells)

Spoiler: Spellcasting

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Note that while your Chameleon caster level is only 2 at the beginning, Practiced Spellcaster in Epic brings it to 6.

Notable spells

Arcane
Virtually all Trapsmith(Dungeonscape) level 1 and 2 spells are great! Most notably Dispel Magic,Haste,Dimention Door, and Lesser Globe of Invulnerability

Level	Spell	Note
1	Blood Wind(SpC)	Key spell for attacking at range
1	Enlarge Person	Good for potions or otherwise
1	Hawkeye (Spc)	Increase range increment (for Blood Wind)
1	Invisibility (Telflamar Shadowlord, Unapproachable East)	Stealth good
1	Cure Light Wounds (Bard)	You can heal with Arcane Focus too.
2	Quick Potion(SpC)	Kamako can create potions to use with Delay Potion!
2	Wraithstrike(SpC)	Touch attacks are nice!
2	Alter Self	More shapeshifting magic
2	Heroics(SpC)	Pick up combat (fighter) feats on the fly

Divine

Level	Spell	Note
1	Cure Moderate Wounds (Runescarred Beserker, Unapproachable East)	Good healing from a level 1 slot
2	Hunter's Eye(PHB2)	Most useful once Kamako get practiced spellcaster and in a form with many attacks
2	Protection from energy (Ranger)	Helps beat that dragon
2	Bladebane (Paladin)(Unapproachable East)	Bane weapons are very thematically nice for a ranger (when choosing to use weapons)

Arcane or Divine

Level	Spell	Note
1	Guided Shot(SpC)	Remove ranged penalties. Needs minor rod of extend spell
2	Extend Tentacles(SpC)	Very helpful when fighting with tentacles in melee. Stacks with Enlarge Person

Epic.
Epic feats offer a steady improvements to Kamako's abilities.
1. Natural Spell - The first epic feat that Kamako takes is Natural Spell, allowing normal casting in wildshape, rather than relying mainly on potions.
2. Extra Wild Shape - Kamako can now stay wildshaped most of the day and/or change forms as needed.
3. Practiced Spellcaster(Chameleon) - Kamako's spells grow more powerful
4. Brew Potion - Kamako can now craft permanent potions rather than relying on Quick Potion spell.
5. Improved Natural Attack(Tentacle) - Kamako's favorite forms get more deadly.
6. Darkstalker - Being hard to detect is important to someone stealthy like Kamako.
7. Open Least Chakra(Crown) - +1 Will Saves is helpful but it becomes much more important with the next feat.
8. Shape Soulmeld(Shedu Crown) - Binding Shedu crown gives Kamako telepathy, which is nifty for communicating while wildshaped.
9. Mindsight - Telepathy can now be used to pinpoint creatures with a mind, greatly boosting Kamako's ability to scout
10. Extra Wild Shape - MOAR Wildshape!

Spoiler: Sources

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Complete Champion: Spiritual Guide Ranger, Champion of the Wild Ranger
Complete Mage: Arcane Hunter Ranger, Delay Potion
Lords of Madness: Aberration Blood, Aberration Wildshape
Oriental Adventures: Scorpion Clan
Races of Destiny: Chameleon, Able learner, City Slicker
Races of the Dragon: Dragonborn
Unearthed Arcana: Predator ranger

[Venger]

And that's our round! Judges, do your thing.

[Inevitability]

My main idea I didn't end up working out was based on changeling wizard, whose 5th-level substitution feature lets you change your familiar into any other familiar as a full-round action. I didn't have any particularly interesting direction to take that, though.

Also, I toyed with the idea of entering Master of Flies early via Primary Contact so I could get 1/day Swarm Shape, but flavorful as it might be it was most certainly not particularly strong. Maaaybe I could've used the 'this is equivalent to wild shape' line to get Extra Wild Shape and get more uses that way, but I figured I needn't take the risk when I had better ideas.

[loky1109]

Table!

#	Name	Alignment / Race	Class Levels	Chef	Total	Place
1	Ray Ruin	CE Lesser Fey'ri	Cloistered Cleric of Erevan Ilesere 5/Spellwarp Sniper 1
2	Yettindi H. Fett	CN→CE Dragonborn→Changeling	Stalwart Battle Dragonblood Domain Access Sorcerer 5/Escalation Mage 1
3	Rune Blackwood	LN Human→Kalashtar	Archivist 3/Church Inquisitor 1/Shaper of Form 2
4	Miyake, Kamako	NN Scorpion Clan Human→Dragonborn	Arcane Hunter Spiritual Guide Champion of the Wild Wild Shape Ranger 5/Chameleon 1

I'm in to judge.

[loky1109]

I remember about judging. Just don't have free time.