MWF Thri-Keen (NPC Idea)

[goken04]

This is a fun little ECL 12 build for a Multiweapon Fighting character. I don't know that it's terribly playable as a PC (at low-levels, anyways), but it would be a great NPC encounter for a party. I'm putting it here to show off, to get some input and fun additions and, mostly, for other DMs to use as an NPC. I'm thinking he would be a great bounty-hunter type character to sic on the party. It only requires Savage Species and Complete Warrior!

Insectoid (SS 121) Thri-Keen (Nonpsionic, SS 222)
Fighter 3/Dervish 3/Fighter 1

Abilities (I rolled for these, but I'll include racial adjustments in parenthesis if you prefer point-buy):
STR 22(+2)
DEX 21 (+8)
CON 13 (+0)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 15 (+4)
CHA 6 (-3, as per Monster Abilities from SRD)

HP: 60 (2d8/7d10 +9)
AC: 27 (+5 Nat, +5 Mithral Shirt, +1 Def, +1 Misc) He gains an additional +2(AC 29) in any round he moves 40 or more feet.
Speed: 45 (Climb 45)
Fort: 6
Ref: 12
Will: 9
BAB: 9

Tactics: Jump into melee (perhaps literally!) and Dervish Dance your little heart out! For those not in the know, this character can, using a dervish dance, move up to its full movement every round while still taking a full attack, provided it moves at least 5 feet between attacks. This dance can last up to 6 rounds for this character, after which it is fatigued. Additionally, at Dervish 3, you get a +2 to attack and damage while dancing.

Attacks
First Hand: +16/+11 (Scimitar 1d6+8, Crit: 15-20 x2)
Second Hand: +16/+11 (Scimitar 1d6+5, Crit: 15-20 x2)
Third Hand: +16/+11 (Scimitar 1d6+5, Crit: 15-20 x2)
Fourth Hand: +16/+11 (Scimitar 1d6+5, Crit: 15-20 x2)
Fifth Hand: +16/+11 (Scimitar 1d6+5, Crit: 15-20 x2)
Sixth Hand: +16/+11 (Scimitar 1d6+5, Crit: 15-20 x2)

That's a total of 12 attacks at ECL 12 (and CR 9). If it can manage to hit on all attacks (it's lowest attack is a 21 on average), it does an average damage of 108 damage spread over up to 12 different targets! And he can get to quite a few targets with 45 feet of movement. Of course, he can just as easily dance around a single target.

Skills: Balance 7, Hide 7*, Jump 44, Perform (Dance) 10, Spot 8, Tumble 11
*=Gain an additional +4 to Hide in sandy/arid environments

Feats:
Deflect Arrows, Multiweapon Fighting, Combat Expertise, Expeditious Dodge (RotW), Weapon Focus (Scimitar), Mobility, Improved Critical (Scimitar), Improved Multiweapon Fighting

Special Abilities:
Poison (Bite 1d4, Fort Save 11, 2d6 minutes of paralysis), Immune to Sleep, Leap (+30 to Jump checks, jump not limited by height), Darkvision 60, Climb Speed (equal to normal Speed), Tremor Sense 60, Wide Vision (+4 to Spot, can't be flanked), Movement Mastery (take 10 on Jump, Perform [Dance], Tumble), Dervish Dance 2/day, Slashing Blades (treat scimitar as light weapon), Fast Movement +5, Spring Attack

Equipment: I think the rule is he gets WBL of a 7th level character. I didn't really feel like giving him equip, so I just assumed Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Mithral Shirt, and Ring of Protection +1. And six scimitars, of course :D. Feel free to adjust as desired.

Level Adjustment: +3
Challenge Rating: 9
Critting 3/10 times with 12 attacks per round: Priceless.

[playswithfire]

One thing to consider is that even with the 5 ft increase from dervish, your land speed is 45 feet/round, which allows you to only make 10 of your attacks per round; actually 11 with a 5 foot step between two of the attacks but you need to boost your speed at least 5 more feet to get all of your attacks while dervish dancing. You can, of course, get them all while not dancing.

Maybe drop fighter 3 and 4, take a flaw (probably Shaky) and add some barbarian levels; something like Fighter 1/Barbarian 2/Dervish 3/Fighter 2 so your speed will be 55 and let you get all of them in while dancing; not all that important though

[Fax Celestis]

Er, why does he have six weapons? He has four arms.

[goken04]

Er, why does he have six weapons? He has four arms.

+2 from the Insectoid template

[Fax Celestis]

+2 from the Insectoid template

*adds that to his list of ways to get more arms.*

[Gralamin]

+2 from the Insectoid template

Using Insectoid from Savage Species to make the insect-like thri-kreen more insecty? No sane DM would allow a player to use that. _{NPCs on the other hand...}

[Kaerou]

Using insectoid template on an insect? No sane DM would allow that.. thats like.. making a tauric centaur or a half red-dragon red-dragon or.. half elf elf.

[goken04]

Using insectoid template on an insect? No sane DM would allow that.. thats like.. making a tauric centaur or a half red-dragon red-dragon or.. half elf elf.

Not quite, given that the Thri-Keen is a Monstrous Humanoid and meets the Template's requirements. PLUS the template has absolutely 0 overlap w/ the abilities of the Thri-Keen, except Darkvision. It's more like giving a Kobold a Half-Dragon template, except this template is much better.

Idk, like I said, it's a better NPC (since 12 attacks is more impressive for a CR 9 critter than a 12th level pc). Consider yourselves lucky, since I considered adding the Multiheaded AND Feral templates, haha.

[Kaerou]

I'm not taking rules wordings, i'm more referring to the common sense of it. They are insects, regardless of book wording.

[goken04]

I'm not taking rules wordings, i'm more referring to the common sense of it. They are insects, regardless of book wording.

Which, I'm sayin', they aren't any more insects than Kobolds (or Spellscales, for example) are dragons that can't get the Half-Dragon template. Think of it as an exceptional Thri-Keen, born with a greater connection to its insect (arachnid?) ancestry than others.

Or, just call it an Arachnid template and have it done with. It doesn't exactly require a great deal extra of disbelief suspended.

[Armads]

Kobold's can't actually get the half-dragon template, unless you use Draconomicon rules.

[ZeroNumerous]

Kobold's can't actually get the half-dragon template, unless you use Draconomicon rules.

Actually, they can.

Any living, corporeal being.

Half-Dragon Zombie Kobold is possible as long as it's applied in the order it's read in.

[Armads]

Eh, that's strange. I could've sworn they prevented Dragons from taking Half-Dragon in the PHB.

[Draz74]

Nope, apparently they wanted to encourage half-color hybrids. You're probably thinking of how you can't take levels in Dragon Disciple if you're already a Dragon Type.

Not that it matters for Kobolds, anyway. Kobolds are Humanoid (Reptilian) type, not Dragon.

[ZeroNumerous]

Eh, that's strange. I could've sworn they prevented Dragons from taking Half-Dragon in the PHB.

Only Dragonwrought Kobolds have the Dragon Type.