Making Riddick

[enderrocksonall]

Pretty much as the title, but I don't mean the character. I just want a character who can do the kind-o-stuff that Riddick does with a dagger.

I guess the thread should really be titled "build a knife-fighter" but I wanted a better way to describe the complete mastery of the knife. Also I didn't want to limit it to being simply a fighter.

So the goal is simple: using the below criteria, create the best all-around dagger user you can. Damage is preferable to AC, but a high AC is definitely a good thing. Dont neglect ranged combat, but again, focus on daggers when doing so. Please make the character playable at early levels as well.

Please include a breakdown of levels, cost of items, and the books where you got feats and items and spells from.

Without further ado, here are the rules.

Version: 3.5
Level 20 character level.
Class:Any
All core races, plus the tieflings and aasimar. No templates, or psionic races please.

Books: Core+complete series+Spell Compendium+PHB2+ask me. No Psionics or setting-specific books such as Stormwrack.

Alignment: Non-evil is preferred but do what you have to.

32 point-buy No stats under 6 (before racial mods) please. You can trade 3 points for a feat at 1st level, you may do this twice.

Flaws are in use, you may have up to 2.

Gold: 760,000 Note: This is purely off the WBL chart. Our campaign tend to be much poorer than WBL, so extra points if your build uses less than 380,000

House Rules:Power attack has been nerfed. When used, it simply adds 1d4 to light weapons, 1d6 to one-handed weapons, and 1d8 to 2-handed weapons. Also it is only usable BAB times per day.


There you have it. I will edit the rules as issues come up.

Thank you all, and good luck!!!

[JackMage666]

What happened to your power attack! That is a horrible house rule.

Sounds like a Invisible Blade/Master Thrower build, with some base classes thrown in for feats and stuff (maybe Scout for mobility).

[Dhavaer]

House Rules:Power attack has been nerfed. When used, it simply adds 1d4 to light weapons, 1d6 to one-handed weapons, and 1d8 to 2-handed weapons. Also it is only usable BAB times per day.

How much of a penalty do you take?

[enderrocksonall]

JackMage: I completely agree about the Power attack, but the DM is under the impression that a +20 to damage at level 20 is game-breaking. BTW love your sig!!

Dhavaer: There is no penalty to the attack, you just get nerfed on the damage and you can only do it BAB times per day. Basically it becomes a watered down, and increasingly depressing as you level up, Smite opponent.

[Skjaldbakka]

Riddick- isn't he just a generic action flick main character with darkvision?

[Mikeavelli]

Levels of Scout, Thief-Acrobat, and maybe some Barbarian thrown in for fun. Be sure to go Lion totem for Pounce and you're all set!

[Nerd-o-rama]

JackMage: I completely agree about the Power attack, but the DM is under the impression that a +20 to damage at level 20 is game-breaking. BTW love your sig!!

Dhavaer: There is no penalty to the attack, you just get nerfed on the damage and you can only do it BAB times per day. Basically it becomes a watered down, and increasingly depressing as you level up, Smite opponent.

Your DM is a moron (I can say that because he's not a board member, right?)

Anyway, look into the Invisible Blade and Master Thrower classes. The former is especially great for getting lots of sneak attack without relying on a flanking partner.

Rogue/Invisible Blade/Master Thrower is probably the way to go, maybe with a level or two of Barbarian (Lion Totem, for broken-tasticness) or Fighter if you need to fit in an extra feat. Feats to watch for are Improved Feint, Brutal throw (but not Power Throw if it follows the same rules as Power Attack), Two-Weapon Fighting (not sure if Riddick does this, but you'll want to). With daggers, you generally want a high Dex, low Strength, and Weapon Finesse, but that doesn't particularly suit Riddick. Still, your Dex should probably be higher than your Str, making Finesse probably worth it. Just don't dump Strength if you want your guy to look like Vin Diesel is all.

[Talic]

Master Thrower and Invisible blade are good options with a rogue... (CWar) The former can get you touch attacks, double the blades in the air, and several other tricks that'll nicely match the theme. A really good thrower has a lot of strong options. While it works better with shuriken (+1 flaming returning shurikens), daggers could be well used with it as well.

[Grynning]

Strength/Int based knife-fighter:
Barbarian 7, Swashbuckler 3, Rogue 3, Fighter 2, Invisible Blade 5.
May need some tweaking, but it's a decent start.
Swashbuckler and Invisible Blade give you Int Synergy for AC and Damage.
Rogue adds more sneak attack/stealthiness.
Barbarian adds the brutality that Riddick displays and higher HP
Keep Int and Strength high - Dex may only need to be middle of the road. Remember, just because you use CAN use Dex bonus for finesse weapons doesn't mean you HAVE to, so just use your strength bonus to hit with if you want to stay focused on strength.
Take some grappling and trip feats (Riddick uses grapples and throws heavily in his fighting style). Daggers and Kukris can be used in grapples, so grappling someone and then stabbing them to death could be a very effective (and cool) tactic.
You could even nix invisible blade from the build completely if you wanted to (pre-req feats are throwing based, which the Riddick does little of). Add in some other 5 level PrC, like that fear/sneak attack based one from Complete Scoundrel (can't remember what it's called...)

[Learnedguy]

Pure scout.

Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Improved initiative, Combat reflexes, Improved Skirmish
Two-weapon fighting, Two-weapon defense.

Fill out with T-W fighing and defense with your spare feats. You could also look into feats like toughness and diehard to get the right feel of badassness

If you want to actually specialize in daggers, consider dipping into fighter. You'll lose blindsight though...

[Segial]

Human, High Dex, High Int, good stats in Strength and Constitution

Fighter 4/Swaschbuckler 3/ Ranger 3/ Invisible Blade 10

Fighter for Weapon Focus (Dagger), Weapon Specialisation (Dagger), good HP and a good Fort Save.

Ranger gives you Track, Endurance and Two-Weapon-Fighting, Favored Enemy (Human), a bunch of skillpoints as well as two good saves.

Swashbuckler for Weapon Finess, INT-based Damage, and access to bluff and sense motive for the Invisible Blade class.

Invisible Blade for free feints and overall superior dagger pwnage.

Use the remaining feats for dagger and/or two-weapon fighting feats.

That build give you at least half a dozen attacks with a full round attack with a BAB of 20, free feints, nasty dagger sneak damage, good hitpoints, good AC and good fort and excellent reflex saves. Happy? :)

[DraPrime]

Riddick- isn't he just a generic action flick main character with darkvision?

Nope. He's a cool antihero who originated in the movie Pitch Black (sci-fi, not action), but got ruined in the sequel, Chronicles of Riddick.

[Partysan]

I once made a prestige class for a friend of mine that likes to make D&D material out of movies. It is based mostly on Riddick. Probably your DM won't allow it anyway, but it was something like that (scrapped together from my mind):
(ability names are obviously jokes, I can't remember the right ones anymore)

Knife Brawler
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+2

|

+0

|it's pointy; with body weight

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+3

|

+0

|hard 'n quick; dirty fighting

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+3

|

+0

|to the haft!

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|with momentum!

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|precise work[/table]

A KB is the opposite to a knight is shining armor. He does not have a codex of honor, nor does he own a ruby sword. He was never taught how to fight. He just learned it out of need, using every piece of crap to defend himself, every dirty trick to kill, every lie to survive. Normally KBs do not have one powerful weapon but fight with anything they can find. If they survive long enough, they learn how to use crap more effective, soon equalling or maybe even surpassing those with fine weapons.

The KB cannot use his abilities wearing heavy armor or a heavy load.
(at least) It's pointy (Ex): The KB can use any improvised weapon without penalty, as long as it is light and its base damage dice do not exceed 1d6.
With Body Weight (Ex): An KB learns to put his full body weight behind a strike. He can use Power Attack with light weapons. At 5th lvl he may treat light weapons with a base damage not higher than 1d6 as natural weapons.
hard 'n quick (Ex): When wielding handy weapons with little weight the KB moves fast, yet with power. With light weapons of a base damage not higher than 1d6 the KB does get his Dex modifier to his attack rolls, additional to the strength modifier. If he is using weapon finesse, he gets his strength modifier, additional to his dex modifier.
dirty fighting (Ex:) The KB uses dirty tricks to gain an advantage over his opponents. He may use a light weapon in a grapple without penalties.
to the haft! (Ex): The KB learns how to use every inch of a blade and to hurt with every move, be it pulling it out of the wound. He treats enemy DR lower for a number of points equal to his strength modifier.
with momentum (Ex): Advancing his arts, the KB learns to put so much force behind his light attacks, that they equal big weapons in power. Any attack he makes with a light weapon with a base damage dice not higher than 1d6 is considered two-handed.
precise work (Ex): A KB has the eye for weak spots. He learns how to place a strike behind a segment or how to circumvent a shield. When a KB makes a single melee attack as a full round action, this is considered a touch attack.

At least similar to that. However we never playtested it, could be overpowered.
I had problems finding the right english words for the descriptions, as I had used a quite complicated language for them in german. Hope you can read it.

EDIT: forgot those:
Prereqs: BAB +5; Power Attack; Deadly Defense (I think)
HD: d8; SP: 4+int
Class skills: balance, bluff, climb, escape artist, hide, intimidate, jump, move silently, sleight of hand, spot, swim, tumble

[Dullyanna]

I can't say I like that PA houserule, but it doesn't really pertain to your character anyway, since he's using light weapons.

On topic: Do you want him to be proficient with skullduggery (Riddick's pretty capable at that, if I remember correctly), ? Personally, I'd go fof a human w/ levels in rogue (Not scout: you don't want to run all over the battlefield to do damage with a dagger, do you?) and the thug fighter variant, which gets you more skills + skill points, at the cost of one bonus feat and proficiency in light armor alone. Then go for invisible blade, since it focuses on unencumbered knife combat. It's a shame you don't have TOB, since that would most likely give you a lot more options than the PHB2.