Iron Chef Optimisation Challenge in the Playground XCIX

[DeTess]

If no one is working on judging at all by the end of the week, I'll withdraw my entry and judge instead.

I'd make that offer as well (actually, I'd have made it a month or so ago), but I'm too busy to commit to judging. If piggy does end up doing this, I'll try to do a judge-style critique of their build at least.

[Quentinas]

I can try to judge .... It would be my first time and i have to read the SI because i never used that but i can try (i don't know how much time i will use)

[WhamBamSam]

I can try to judge .... It would be my first time and i have to read the SI because i never used that but i can try (i don't know how much time i will use)

Give it a try! Clearly the contest would benefit from a broader pool of judges and I've found that you get a lot out of judging even if it tends to be quite a bit of work.

We'll probably be fairly gentle. I doubt anyone remembers their build well enough to dispute too strenuously.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I've started judging, but it's slow going, since my main free time is also when I have no/limited access to internet. Makes it hard to reference what class features/feats actually do/require.

[Quentinas]

Maybe for the next Tuesday you will have my judgement for now i have done 2 builds and one is at half but this weekend i will not write basically

[Quentinas]

Update probably i will post by Wednesday because some build are more complicated to judge than i have think and i have taken a tendinitis to my right hand

[DeTess]

Update probably i will post by Wednesday because some build are more complicated to judge than i have think and i have taken a tendinitis to my right hand

Don't worry about taking a bit longer. We all get how real life can slow stuff down once in a while.

[Quentinas]

I have done 7 of 9 build so it should not take me so much now

[PoeticallyPsyco]

I have done 7 of 9 build so it should not take me so much now

Welp, you're finishing before me, that's for sure. Looking forward to seeing them!

[Quentinas]

So i tried to judge , and i'm not a english native one but let's see about these builds maybe there will be some error this is my first judgement so i hope that is good

Spoiler: Hunger 13

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Spoiler: Originality 3.25

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One warforged who eat life? That is strange, and i would not expected a dragonborn with this Secret Ingredient , but as race is quite standard (+0). There are so many dips and only the SI as prestige class but let's analyze them . Barbarian+ lion totem + girallon arm already seen (-0.25), a dip of crusader and swordsage i have not think about that with this secret ingredient and generally one take only one level to take the maneveur you want (-0.25) , warforged and poison and hidden talent to create poison already seen as combination as you are immune and can create without problem (-0.25) but surprisly your base is totemist something that i would not expected or seen in many build (is taken as a dip to gain girallon arm as far as i know) (+0.5) and i would never have expected the binder as dip (+0.5)

Spoiler: Power 4.5

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So you have listed for each level while one could ask fro som point so thanks it can helps . Your melee setup is good among the number of attacks and the sneak attack , and you don’t put all your damage on that so even
against creatures that are immune to critical you can do , and you will bestow negative level with each sneak attack +1 Each of your dips add something to the attack routine and while the damage doesn’t boost until sneak attack come online is still good even only for the numbers that there are here. Your BAB is penalized from so many dips many of them who doesn’t have full BAB but at the end you are in mid between a 1 /2 BAB character and a 3 /4 BAB character which can be good (+0) The soulmeld are good you don’t have so much essentia but you use them as a bonus so you can expend essentia in other things as for example midnight dodge. They are for all day , not like the maneuvers or minor creation. The first has the problem that the main one are not usable for more than 1 time for encounter each one, and the second will last only for one hour (if you can create the poisons note below) (-0.25) They are only a bonus to your damage at the end (you can still make sneak attack easily)
On the defensive side your saves are not so bad the worst reflex if you don’t use shedu crown which is good , your fortitude saves are good thanks to the boost of constitution but with a low dexterity i’m not sure how much AC will you have and as HP 147 seems a little low with your constitution modifier but with hide in plain sight you hope that you are not hit and you still have the warforged traits +0
On the utility side you have various form of movement, you have mindsight and you can hide and move silently without many problems you can try to help the face and to know something about the religions, the real gem is mindsight for the utility so all summed +1.25 One fact that I note is that you don’t have any ranks to craft poison , so if they are listed as complex items (and I think they are ) you could not craft them (-0.25) You could exchange the ranks in armorcrafting you have but you did not say anything about that
You take very late darkstalker and sadly this is something that the SI require to be used well (-0.25)
With your charisma mod is not easy to intimidate the enemies so I don’t see how you can fear stack but at least you can try(+0)

Spoiler: Elegance 1.75

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You finished the secret ingredient but waited until the last opportunity to end that but at least you finished him. Sorry but one could argue that you can't take multiattack because you don't have each time the required arms to take that ,so while many DM will accept that i'm not so sure that is legal all the time but is a little thing and the same is applied to shedu crown for mindsight (-0.25) You used midnight dodge rather than normal dodge to qualify and that is neat because you have your essentia that can boost that but you will not invest so much (+0.25)
You suffer multiclass penalties you know that right? Even if in many games they are not used they exists and you suffer them in an heavy way and is inelegant to have so many classes (-0.5)
You listed improved unarmed attack as a bonus but you did not say me that you used the unarmed swordsage in the table but in the crunchy bits level by level yes and is obvious what you have taken so -0.25 because the table is the primary thing one go to see.
As note your stat after racial modifier are wrong you still have 12 of intelligence (and your skill point for that are correct)
At level 13 you overspent one skill point and from level 18 to level 20 you overspent 1 skill point for level you know… life eater doesn’t have craft as skill (and I don’t know why you put point in craft) (-0.5)
In your backstory you didn’t tell about this but I think you will exchange patron from Bahamut to Baphomet but is not something that I will penalize

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 3.5

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So you have all level of the SI (+1), you use in a good way three abilities of the SI Many things that help you come from out the SI ( all of your attack for example ), the poison use without poison use thanks to the warforged, and the maneuvers which shine as bright like the SI… So you gain something from that but you mimic that from the various base classes so it shine less (the better thing is the negative level on the sneak attack)(-0.5) basically you could have progressed the other classes to gain near the same things

Spoiler: Oroba 15

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Spoiler: Originality 3.75

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I would have expected the lesser tiefling , thematically was good with this SI (-0.25) , but I would not expected another incarnum class, especially the incarnate because the alignment restriction and the necrocarnum is so good as theme with the life eater for me (+1) As for the feats nothing so special to be worth a bonus here

Spoiler: Power 3.5

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On the utility side you have a good hide and move silently you have some knowledge that you can try to use, arcana and religion and plane with the second very good and the other two acceptable, your social interaction are good even with the malus to charisma (you can bluff easily and you can intimidate if you want) and with mindsight and deathwatch you can pin many enemies easily and darkstalker took maybe a little too late but before HiPS so all summed +1.25
On the attack side I’m unsure because as noted in elegance is not clear which meldshape you will use but at least you say your attacking one and sadly while is only a standard action will beated easily as damage and sure is a touch attack but only against living creature. And you don’t have any feat to improve ranged damage, so with a weapon you can do something more so you are more melee than anything but you are something more than a low bab class who fight in melee (-0.75) You arrive at having the third attack from BAB even if you use classes that have a low BAB so it’s acceptable +0 . Many things are at single use for day (or something more) but the meldshape are for all day long so that is good . It seems that you are a melee character from the stats
On the defensive side your saves are not so high but with the meldshape I’m sure that you can boost them , and for Hp you are around 135 on the average, thanks to the constitution that is boosted +0

Spoiler: Elegance 3.5

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You don’t say me how many essentia points you have or what will be your setup for the meldshape which necrocarnum meldshape will you use for example or how you will expend essentia and this is not good to make a valuation (-0.25) The fact that you have taken midnight dodge is good and with a good amount I can think that you can put the maximum in that +0.25. Ordered chaos is an elegant way for me to qualify for life eater while using another alignment so is a bonus for you +0.5. The rest seems all legal even if you don’t say anything abouth Baphomet and your fluff is a little strange to explain your character but I can’t penalize for that and is a good reading

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 4.25

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Thanks to the SI you arrived at having the third attack , and you finished in time (even if you take that at the last) , but from the SI what do you use? Hide in plain sight, deathwatch combined with necrocarnum and mindsight , the sneak attack ,and maybe the wound that they provokes but you don’t explain with it is needed to be a life eater all what you use can be gained by other prestige so +1 because you finished the SI, +0.25 thanks to deatwatch , mindsight and necrocarnum that have a synergy as theme and is different enough from the base classes to add something

Spoiler: Sybil Soule 14.25

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Spoiler: Originality 4.25

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A strange race , unseelie fey is known as cheese and I think at that reading the SI (-0.5) but personally I would not have think at the jerren (but for example at a whisper gnome as race) +0.5 the Ghost template is strong and not so much used , like the eidolon claases +1. Your feats are strange and I think that one so much focused on touch attack is rare +0.25

Spoiler: Power 4.5

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So let’s put down this your incorporeality is fantastic as a defensive means but depends on the campaign because if Ghostwalk is used you wll have more enemies even at the start but is a great means as a defense, and for the equipment it can be a problem but not so much +0.5
Your saves are not so bad counting that the incorporeality will prevent you from many obstacles ,so fortitude even if it is low is not so a problem, that will could be +0.25 Out of combat you have a very good hide and spot and you could move within object , but no darkstalker so i’m unsure if you can move in each place avoiding to be spotted +0.25 You can try knowledge religion and to be an help as face with your high charisma so you will not be useless but it’s not your main focus +0.25
In combat well you have many uses of your touch but you can’t combine them is written in the feats that each touch can only have only one damage or effect from the path of the corruptor, other than you will have serious problem against creature immune to critical and immune to ability damage. You will do many negative levels and in the case that is ruled that they do negative damage as bonus (see in elegance) enervating touch will give 2 negative level + sneak attack negative damage at the time , but you still have the problem with creatures immune to critical and ability damage and that is a serious thing especially at high level +0
Why the last level as swordsage? A full bab class would have been better considering that you would have gained the last attack so more damage.
Note I have considered that fatiguing touch, chill touch, and the various touch doesn’t stack on the single touch but it is unclear for the touch outside the corruptor path

Spoiler: Elegance 2

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I think you know this but your point buy is illegal because you can’t put a stat under 8 so if I put strength to 9 you are expending 33 points ( you could resolve removing one point from wisdom) (-0.5) Then you are using the templates and while by RAW they can be taken the unseelie fey is something dodgy because it doesn’t say except in the example character level adjustment +0 so -0.25 because not all the DM judge that legal
A particular that you have missed the spell sense ACF required 1 rank in knowledge arcana and you doesn’t have that (-0.25)
You have talked about the sneak attack on the touch that do ability damage and this is dodgy on one hand I give you reason because it is never said anything about supernatural abilities that do ability damage and sneak attack but on the other hand there is the ruling from the complete arcane and from this link that talk about spell and sneak attack and spell which do ability damage deal negative energy damage so it is unclear what happens with supernatural abilities so -0.5 because it is unclear (it is awesome but it’s not clear)
All of the rest is mechanically legal from what I see

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 3.5

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Here is the problem with this build...is strong surely but why enter in the life eater? For the sneak attack? Other rogue level would have been better, for the negative level on the sneak attack? You have enervating attack, for chill touch? You end with many touch attacks, for the SLA? For hide in plain sight without darkstalker(considering some particular place? Is strong it benefits from the SI in some way but not so much for me… You have entered it at the earliest but it lacks for me the explanation on what give you that you could not have (maybe at the start is useful for the infinite touch but at the end no) So +1 for have finished that +0.5 for using some of the lesser aspect of the build which were not use , -1 for the lack of evident synergies at the end of the build (being stronger at the early so it’s half of the penalty I would give for the total lack of the use of the SI and it includes that many sweet point are before or after the SI basically)

Spoiler: Qua’tro 14.00

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Spoiler: Originality 4

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That was really unexpected as race who love racial hit dice and level adjustment at the end? (+0.75) The other things was more or less thinkable (barbarian and the fighter especially) while ninja no +0.5 . The lion totem is the classical while the feats are something particular so at the end -0.25

Spoiler: Power 3.25

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You are quite a melee beast when it come to do damage similar to an ubercharger as power you can do so much damage during the charge with all your arms with so many attacks that if something doesn’t hit is not a so big problem … The problem is that these attack will do not so much as sneak attack they will surely put negative levels but it will be more a problem to kill the enemy quick if one between sneak attack and sudden strike there isn’t +1 Now the bad things about this build . First the limited resource not having adaptative style is bad and having only 9 use of ghost step is bad as thing, is mitigated by swordsage maneuvers but you could run out of things quickly if there is even only an uncanny dodge on the field.(-0.25) Same for the rage but you don’t base yourself on that. On the defensive side you have a not so high fortitude , a good reflexes, and a good will save (if you have ki uses that remains) , so one of the most important there is the other no, as abilities you can be the scout who doesn’t know how listen, you can intimidate the enemies (but you lose her for the charisma) you can try knowledge religion… and you don’t have darkstalker bad very bad (-0.5) considered how much focus you put on invisibility with the ninja. . You can try to bleed out the opponent but is more important to finish the combat early than trying to take that out to let the enemy die from bleed Your touch AC is good and your normal AC not so much if compared to other melee classes but at high level the touch AC is more important

Spoiler: Elegance 2.75

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You suffer multiclass penalties because thri keen hav favored class ranger ,they are not so much used but they exists -0.25. The rest seems legal the only note I want to do that with racial hit dice I would have separated them. A note some DM could say that you can’t create a reserve of thri keen poison but i’m unsure so no penalty

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 4.00

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All your arms helps you at doing more sneak attack especially with the negative level that can be given and while you have hide in plain sight without darkstalker that is not so good , you finished the secret ingredient, and you don’t use the various touch that is given not that is easy

Spoiler: Huntsman 13.5

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I have chosen to ignore each of your suggestion about equipment because the other builds that I have judged did not include any equipment

Spoiler: Originality 2.25

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[Human with able learner something that I could have seen very easily . You add to the dish ranger , fighter and chameleon and while the 2° was obvious as dip, the 3° less obvious ( but with able learner as feat yes) , the first was a little unexpected. To boost all the silverbrown human another choice seen many times in the contest but so many levels of fighter were not so expected

Spoiler: Power 4.25

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I’m sad to say this but deathwatch is not the radar you think or better it will individuate people near death, construct and undead but not each single creature that for example have all life and there is another big problem in your tactics you want to use various spell as grave strike , guided shot and sniper shot on your turn but you only have a swift action so for example an undead with concealment would block you for that turn. But you know how do damage if they are not with these conditions as difference with other contestants. +0 Another problem is how many spells you will have because considering even a magic item that give you +6 of wisdom you end with 6 level 1 slot 5 level 2 and 2 level 3 slot which considering that many spell do you need are level one is not an help for all the day -0.5. You have full bab and that is fantastic considering how many arrow you will use and that each one will have sneak attack and a negative level maybe +1.5 You have urban tracking but do nothing with that but outside of combat you can intimidate very well and bluff but you could not spot your target with no rank in that +0. You have a very high hide and that is an help considering that you have taken darkstalker at the first level which is a bonus +0.25 Your saves are not so high ,and your HP are not so high without feed but you can hide to be not spotted so it’s a form of defense You have some spells and that is good but your caster level is not so high but is better than nothing

Spoiler: Elegance 3.00

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You doesn’t suffer multiclass penalties but the presence of chameleon make this character theme something strange, not so strong , but it can work (the absence of a more detailed fluff doesn’t help) if one think about a city adventure. You have done something wrong because after you have taken the zhentarim soldier level you did not consider that bluff is a class skill only for these level so you can’t put 4 ranks in bluff at the next level. Probably it can be worked around in someway but not without losing something at the first level (replacing skill point from hide to bluff for example) is still a good level but you have calculated in the wrong manner something important -0.25 . About that level while it’s not a prerequisite written in a clear way I’m unsure that a chaotic character can be a member of the Zhentarim because loyalty is important for them but no penalty here
You have taken expeditious dodge rather than the normal dodge and used some feats to gain knowledge religion and avoided other multiclass with that , using fighter to gain bonus feat and intimidate +0.25

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 4

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This is difficult you have seen that you can use deathwatch in some way, the sneak attack are good as the conditions that are given as bonus, but chill touch and fatiguing touch are not used basically and the Spell like abilities are good but they are not your main option. You benefit from hide in plain sight maybe too late but better than nothing

Spoiler: Sounds &Silence 12.75

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For this build I ruled that the meldshape apply to each dvati as they were separated character

Spoiler: Originality 3

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Dvati! Something that sometimes appear in these contests but not so common +0.5 . Never heard of disciple of Mephistopheles before now +0.5 but the other ingredients of this dish are expected Barbarian and totemist were taken many times especially as a dip -0.5 Rogue was for me one of the expected classes that could go in the Life Eater especially for Penetrating Strike but it was not taken so much -0.5 for the Martial rogue. Is a strange combination of feats but the focus on the natural weapon was expected

Spoiler: Power 4.25

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Being a Dvati is useful but is a risk because each twin will have less than 80 hp and you fight in melee so it a bit risky . Your will save is very low and mind affecting abilities on the dvati are a problem . Your attack setup is good with many attacks and a possibilities to flank each time using sneak attack to do much damage even without having problem with the classical monsters not affected by sneak attack . You are a glass cannon basically because you will easily kill many enemies (focusing on one enemy for one character) and thanks to the SI you will be able to bestow negative levels. Until level 18 is all okay but then you took the disciple of Mephistopheles why? To have a full bab class without multiclass penalties? Your attack power is high even with these level which I don’t know why you have taken(+1.25). On the defensive side being a Dvati doesn’t help because you will be attacked more time -0.25. On the utility side you don’t have darkstalker and that is very but very bad (-0.5) on the other hand you have many knowledge and even if they are not so high is good as thing so +0.25. You can intimidate in a good way and you have disciple of darkness to help in general ,and you have evasion which is good always with a minor resistance to fire (+0.25)

Spoiler: Elegance 1.5

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Pledging himself to an elder evil is known cheese and it is inelegant -0.5 in your case even more because you are allying yourself with three force of evil so much different (An elder Evil , Mephistopheles for Disciple of Darkness and the last prestige class and Baphomet for the SI ) and the second is a devil and Baphomet is a demon so it quite not standard as thing and probably not easy as doing in a game -0.5. Your alignment maybe is a reflection of this but is required to be Chaotic Evil for the Life Eater so -0.25 for this even if it can be adjusted but you write another alignment. You doesn’t suffer multiclass penalties thanks to a clever distribution of the levels and that is good. Sorry but one could argue that you can't take multiattack (at the level when you have taken that) because you don't have each time the required natural attack to take that ,so while many DM will accept that i'm not so sure that is legal all the time but is a little thing and if one rule that the girallon arms appear only on one dvati the other one could not take the feats (-0.25) You don’t say what do you choice from aberration blood. Note i’m not sure about the first rank in knowledge religion , in the E6 competition there is an house rule that permit that, here I don’t know so no penalty

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 4

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You have concentrated yourself on the sneak attacks with the penalties that the SI give on who is affected on them, using dvati to flank in a better way, with a wound condition which is good for an hit and run but without darkstalker. The other attributes of the SI are not used with feed which is thematically strange (one twin eat and the two benefits from that ?)

Spoiler: Ana Piranha 12.5

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Spoiler: Originality 3.5

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When I have seen so many skill points I was intimidated , and factotum was a neat way to enter in the SI because of the Skill class : All that he has. (+0.5) An aquatic character not something that I ever used but the race (not considering the aquatic) was expected -0.5 As for the feats something that I have never seen , and a fresh character on all (and quite simple except to be read for the skill point) +0.5

Spoiler: Power 4

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This is a build which use most of the main features not so many times for day. Arcane dilettante for example have only 4 spell (and I know only one of the spell which will you use in combat, and your first trick (the one described in level 6 spoiler) can be made one for encounter. To use at the full extension your feats you will not made many attack for round, basically only one, surely hiding each round with darkstalker which was taken at the first level, probably putting poison, but is crippling themselves as you can’t hide from anything and you don’t have full attack possibilities if you use sahuagin flip. Inspiration is good for each encounter you should have enough point I think but i’m not so sure how much she will be able to fight with many things for day somewhat will do but then she will be less useful (+0.75) On the utility side you have so many , but so many skill, that was a problem for me read them all , and you have putted one rank in many skill only to try them right ? With these skill you will do something surely but you shine few skill but good (to scout you have various skill, to face you have intimidate and bluff, to know you have all knowledge skill , and for the combat you have concentration and iajutsu focus (+0.5) But on the defensive side you are not so much good , your saves are somewhat low , and with your constitution modifier and only d6 as hit dice you will not have many hp (-0.25)

Spoiler: Elegance 2.5

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You have forgotten to spend the points from level 9 to level 10 (they are the same points so 11 ), and you have overspent from level 16 to level 17 (33 point spent in one level if I have counted well so 21 overspent) You overspent one point from level 13 to level 14 (at that level you have 6 (class)+4 (int 19 ) +1 (human) skill point for level) you did not spent one point from level 18 to level 19 So on the total you overspent 10 points (and if even it was 0 as count it would not have been a good sign) (-0.5). You used expeditious dodge but until you take sahuagin flip you will use that not so many times so no bonus but no penalty . Putting together Baphomet and an aquatic campaign for which this character is made is not easy as Baphomet don’t have a true relations with deeps or with the sea but you are not the only that have made an aquatic character

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 2.5

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It is a nice build… but I have to ask why go in the life eater? The best thing that was boosted were the saves, as the sneak attack could be taken with another prestige class, and by your style of fighting (swim hit and swim) skirmish for example would have been better . Hide in plain in sight is useful but i’m totally unsure how this prestige class help you at doing your work even if in some way it boost you so is not so bad but other prestige class would have been better probably

Spoiler: Old Johnny Blackspine 15.75

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Spoiler: Originality 5

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An unused race, a monk start, use of other prestige class, a very strange to detect the enemies and all combined… I have not to much to say about this , would never have expected something similar even if the feats would be something that I have seen (it’s absurd even if I have already seen some similar feats)

Spoiler: Power 4

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Your attack is not so bad but because your main idea is to move and attack you will do mainly only one attack for round, but if you don’t use spring attack you could do a good attack hiding in the water. Your build is good but i’m not sure how much three feats do for you. Because monk and scaled horror give a bonus to grapple you tried to use that to take the enemy with the sneak attack but you end with a +23 for the grapple check without using items.. a valor that could be beated even by a fighter 20 with your valor of strength. Good as idea but it lack the number to be good -0.25 and you could grab after the attack only the enemy of your size Outside this you can still attack from hidden and then hide again thanks to darkstalker which is took at the right level not after hide in plain sight. Your attack except the grab is good with strength which is the higher stat +0.5 . Your idea to use wounding sneak attack, scent and track is fantastic (+0.5 ) but tracking in the water is not so easy if is an enemy that you wound maybe yes for the time that have passed is not so much but if is another creature would be not so easy. You did not think at the pressure damage so probably you will not go in the deep water as the name says (no penalty for this because is not so common . Outside of combat you have some utility from jaunter even if is not so much but is something. Your abilities are not so bad but if is needed a face you can at maximum intimidate, and as knowledge you have only religion. +0 The saves you have a good fortitude , a good reflex but a poor will so +0 Is a good build but focusing on the grapple seems not so easy

Spoiler: Elegance 2.5

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A radical change of alignment in one level is not something that I like, not to the point to give a big penalty but a penalty yes (-0.25), using monk was neat to gain dodge and to gain knowledge religion , escape artist and hide, and even using skarn substitution level to gain intimidate. You remembered that intimidate was class skill only for level 1 and level 5 . I like the timing you have used to enter the Scaled horror and how you have recycled the dodge feat to use spring attack and the jaunter (+0.25) But you have to explain how these prestige class mesh together for the fluff nothing impossible but I would have liked to see that as they could be seen as extremely separated without a fluff that explain (mechanically you have mixed well) (-0.25) You have an equipment dependency on the use of the wand of deep breath without that you could fight well in surface but many tricks would not work (-0.25)

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 4.25

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You have taken the SI as first as you could , and you used the wounding sneak attack in a clever way, using hide in plain sight in a good way, but not using so much the other abilities of the SI In the end is good enough to justify to doesn’t take any other levels of the other prestige class or of the monk .

Spoiler: Maldred 9.75

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Note I judged power as he has written, even if in elegance I said that for me that is incorrect

Spoiler: Originality 3.25

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I expected the human race, but not paladin hexblade or the champion (+0.25) But your feats are the traditional tripping build even if with the SI that would not be expected (+0)

Spoiler: Power 4

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So what we have here? One melee fighter which is a tripper with the spiked chain especially with the trip… but that can only do one attack per round because he doesn’t have combat reflexes so it will trip mainly during his round to gain more attack reaching a good number of attack and that is good surely (+1) If you are hidden or invisible you could do even the sneak attack but you don’t have darkstalker so the best bet is using the familiar for flanking the enemy risking his life that is not so good for your experience points but is awarding to do the sneak attack (-0.25) Out of combat you can try to use intimidate with your charisma and can be good, and using light armor for the hexblade you can sneak around good except that you are misssing Darkstalker . You can try knowledge religion but is not your main focus (-0.25) On the save you are good on the most important but you are not good on reflex which is the least important among them (+0.25) You have some spell and you can use wand from the two list of the paladin and of the Hexblade, and with the spell you found this is good(+0.25)

Spoiler: Elegance 1

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Well this could be expected but you did not pay your feat taxes… Where is your dodge for the Life Eater? It was required to all character and you did not have taken that (or did not you say that you would have retrained in some way this is BAD) (-0.5) And you could expect even this but I’m sure that the increase of the caster level for classes like hexblade or paladin doesn’t work as you said for two motivation . First it would be an absurd for build like paladin 10 / prestige class that boost the caster level 10 (it would finish at caster level 30 by level 20 by your method without spell to learn) and the second (more RAW) by the text you have quoted

Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an abjurant champion, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

The piece that I put in bold say how the caster level increase like if you had gained a level so at each level it boost the caster level of the hexblade like it had taken a level in the hexblade so you doesn’t arrive at gaining the level 4 spell as you said (sadly) and even if the DM would buy your argument it would be quite inelegant (-1 this include the shift of power that would be) Probably your build was the last that was submitted but it lacks completely the source list and a good formatting with the spoilers that are not so good made The formatting is not so a big problem but the source list yes (-0.5) You overspent 2 point at level 6 (knowledge religion is cross class for the hexblade) you spent one point less at level 8 (-0.25)

Spoiler: Use of Secret Ingredient 1.5

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This is the build that for me used in the worst manner because his focus is not on the SI , but more on the Abjurant Champion, you have a big problem at doing sneak attack and you don’t talk about the other SI abilities, you don’t gain feed which is the capstone of the SI (is more a money saver than anything else but is the capstone) you use a style of combat that is more difficult to use with the sneak attack from many other that I know … at the end the Life Eater for this build doesn’t do so much

[WhamBamSam]

Thanks for judging!

[The Viscount]

Thank you Quentinas, your efforts are appreciated!
I have no disputes.

[Venger]

Thanks for judging. No disputes.

[Efrate]

No disputes. Thanks for the judge. Who is ready for shining blade of heironious?

[Venger]

My body is ready.

[DeTess]

No dusputes here either. And I'm really looking forward to discovering just how bad the shining blade is.

[The Viscount]

We don't know that it's shining blade, though, do we?
Oh no now I'm considering what could be worse than Shining Blade.

[Efrate]

We do not, but hard to think of something worse. Anyone?

[WhamBamSam]

No disputes. Thanks for the judge. Who is ready for shining blade of heironious?

I knew this day would come.

[Heliomance]

Do we want to wait for PoeticallyPsyco to finish judging, or call it there?

Also, could one of you lovely people knock up a table for me? That would be wonderful!

Mnrg. I kinda do want to drop Shining Blade on you now, but no, I'll stick with my original plan. Hope you won't be too disappointed

[DeTess]

Do we want to wait for PoeticallyPsyco to finish judging, or call it there?

Of PoeticallyPsyco has already started judging I see no reason why we shouldn't let them have their say too.

[Quentinas]

Well i hope that my judgement was not so bad
But here is a table including PoeticallyPsico Judgment if needed

Namel	Race/ALignment	Stub	Quentinas judgement	PoeticallyPsico judgement	Average	Position	Chef
Old Jhonny Blackspine	LE>CE Skarn	Cobra Strike Monk 5/Life Eater 5/Scaled Horror 2/Jaunter3/Life Eater 10	15.75	???	15.75	First	???
Oroba	NE lesser tiefling	Incarnate 7/ Necrocarnate 3/Life Eater 10	15	???	15	Second	???
Sybil Soule	CE Unseelie Fey Jerren Ghost	Rogue 3/Eidolon6/Life Eater 10/Swordsage 1	14.25	???	14.25	Third	???
Qua'tro	CE (non-psionic) Thri-Keen	fighter 1/barbarian 1/ninja 2/life eater 10/sword-sage 1/ninja+2	14	???	14	Fourth	???
Huntsman	CE Silverbrow Human	Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Chameleon 4/Life Eater 10	13.5	???	13.5	Fifth	???
Hunger	Dragonborn Warforged (wings) CN -> CE	Crusader 1/Barbarian 1/Totemist 6/Binder 1/Swordsage 1/Life Eater 10	13	???	13	Sixth	???
Sound&Silence	NE Dvati	Rogue 2 / Totemist 2 / Barb 2 / Rogue +1 / Life Eater 10 / Disciple of Mephistopheles 2	12.75	???	12.75	Seventh	???
Ana Piranha	CE Aquatic Human	Factotum 10/Life Eater 10	12.5	???	12.5	Eighth	???
Maldred	CE Human	Paladin of Slaughter 2/Hexblade 4/Abjurant Champion 5/Life Eater 9	9.75	???	9.75	Ninth	???

As for the next Secret Ingredient... Heliomance did not say something about Spinemeld Warrior some time ago?

[Efrate]

Awww. I have 2 stubs for shining blade that I kind of want to flesh out. Oh well.

[Venger]

Do we want to wait for PoeticallyPsyco to finish judging, or call it there?

Also, could one of you lovely people knock up a table for me? That would be wonderful!

Mnrg. I kinda do want to drop Shining Blade on you now, but no, I'll stick with my original plan. Hope you won't be too disappointed

I would like to call it here if that's okay with PoeticallyPsyco.

Not shining blade? You are too kind.

[WhamBamSam]

Do we want to wait for PoeticallyPsyco to finish judging, or call it there?

Also, could one of you lovely people knock up a table for me? That would be wonderful!

Mnrg. I kinda do want to drop Shining Blade on you now, but no, I'll stick with my original plan. Hope you won't be too disappointed

I'm with Venger. I'd say call it here unless PoeticallyPsycho really wants to finish or is very close.

The Shining Blade stubs return to the emergency bunker for another round. Looking forward to whatever you've got planned.

[Zaq]

My only ask is that we get a nice long cooking period that ideally includes the week of the 14th, since I have a small break from school then and I REALLY want to participate in round 100.

[KellKheraptis]

I would be interested in entering the next round, if possible, as well.

[Venger]

My only ask is that we get a nice long cooking period that ideally includes the week of the 14th, since I have a small break from school then and I REALLY want to participate in round 100.

I can't wait to see what you come up with.

I would be interested in entering the next round, if possible, as well.

You are certainly welcome. Best of luck to you.

What do you think the next round will be? thrall to eltab?

[Efrate]

Soulborn 20 xD

[Venger]

Soulborn 20 xD

some lines cannot be crossed