Threads to Convert/Pilfer that aren't on old BG:
Base Class Reference & Tier Information (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=11714.0) with generalist vs specialist ratings too. Compare Class Boosters (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=477.0) for amount of material. For the Base Class Shrinking: 2 Invocations at level 1, 1 every level after, Eldritch Blast every other level with free shapes or essences at 1,5,10,15,20.
Make sure RoC Handbooks are here & copied (http://www.ruleofcool.com/smf/index.php/board,19.0.html) With Ideas Here (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/wildernessWeatherEnvironment.htm)
Compilation of Low Level builds (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19861106/Compilation_of_Low_Level_builds)
reroll on 1 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260600)
Power Attack (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8770)
Rerolls / actually condensed IP proofing suggestions (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=7956)
Indespensible Items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101)
Summoning Handbook (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19864066/Summoning_Handbook)
Optimization By The Numbers (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869122/Optimization_By_The_Numbers)
Add to an Artificer Handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=3959.0)
Melee Combos (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127026) Specifically the links at the end.
Peerless Fencer (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19528894/Peerless_Fencer) is decent Homebrew
Threads of Mine:
Threads to Make Here:
Campaign Difficulty Compendium (http://www.ruleofcool.com/smf/index.php/topic,793.0.html)
Try to feel generous and create a Graft Weapon Handbook.
Ability Source Index
Artificer Infusions Minihandbook
How to Gain Abilities
Arranged by Decreasing Limitations
Form:
Shapechange (http://), Wildshape (http://), Alter self, (http://) Polymorph (http://), etc (http://blacktowerclan.com/forums/index.php?topic=228.0)
Races and their niches (http://) preferably LA+0 (http://) otherwise use the PBMC Balanced ECL Variant (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8770.msg140050#msg140050)
Skills:
Ways to Gain Class skills
Skill tricks
Teamwork benefits (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=4862.0) (1/4HD lowest char, max 8)
ECL:
Races and their niches (http://) preferably LA+0 (http://) but if its more (http://) use the PBMC Balanced ECL Variant (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8770.msg140050#msg140050)
Templates (http://)
Base Classes (http://) possibly with Alternate Class Features (http://) and Prestige Classes (http://Prestige Classes), both of which give skill points (http://skill points)
Gestalt
XP:
LA Buyoff
Permanency
Prestige Race options
Bloodlines
Feats:
precocious apprentice for 2nd level spells
Hidden talent for 1st level powers
Class boosters
planar touchstone sites
Wealth: (usually magic items)
Bunko's bargain list
Carnivore's or my Vow of Poverty analysis
Magical Locations
Grafts Sunfire unless I want to finish it
Bastian's Crafting reduction handbook
Weapons of Legacy list
Templates:
Master Template list
Tier system for Templates
Spells: (usually by spending xp)
Permanency (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=4544.0)
Legitimate instantaneous spells or long duration spells either via items or class features
Dirty trick of abusing RAW on clear typos for instantaneous spells
Wish
Other:
Affiliations:
Diseases (Warp Touch, etc)
Builds to Import:
Maximum Favored Enemies
Dex-based Swift Hunter
Crit-based. Check through: Imp Critical
Power Critical [CompWar]
Overwhelming Crit (all other Crit feats)
Streetfighter Ftr substitution (for half-orc?) grants increase to crit range [Cityscape web enhancement; http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a]
Keen weapon (and one of every other type of crit-expanded weapon, i.e. piercing and bludgeoning) *Note: it is suggested that Imp Crit is better than keen, as it activates better with crit-activated enchantments, such as slowburst and enervating)
Staggering Critical [DrowoftheUnderdark]
Death Blow feat (FPC-FI)
Needle Strike (LotFR-WotN)
Twist the Knife (DnDBIII-LotFR-WotN
Telling Blow [?; deal sneak attack dmg when you score a crit]
Minotaur Greathammer [source? maybe with Greathorn Minotaur, MM?; has high crit multiplier]
Disciple of Dispater [source? 3.0 – might need update on crit stacking rules; gains crit bonus at 4th and 8th]
Dolorous Blow [SC <- what book is this?; grants keen plus auto-confirm crits; spell?]
Kaorti resin weapon [source? prob MM?; increased crit range?; doesn’t stack with magical affects relating to crits]
Sacred scabbard [MIC]
Aptitude Keen Ribbon double scimitar with Lightning Maces?
Psychic Weapon Master PrC [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827d]
see tiger fang [ToB – Weapons of Legacy]
Enchantments that trigger upon successful crit:
Wounding DMG +2 1 Con damage None
MarrowCrushing BoVD +3 1 Con Damage None
Enfeebling BoED +1 1d6+2 Temp Str Damage None
Paralyzing BoED +2 Paralyzed up to 10 rounds Will 17
Roaring BoED +3 Shaken, 2d6 sonic Will 22
Nervewrack D.Uund +1 On Crit Many effects1d4 rounds None
Subjugating Heroes of Battle +2 Shaken/Frightened 5 rounds Will 20
Doom Burst Mini +1 Crit, shaken 5minutes None
Paralytic Burst Mini +2 Crit, Hold Monster None
Weakening Shining South +3 1 Str Damage None
Other Well Known Kick-arse Builds:
PBMC Balanced ECL Variant
ECL = Class levels + Racial & Template LA + if positive[RHD - 2*Racial LA]
Rather than:
RAW ECL = Class levels + Racial & Template LA + RHD
(with common sense restrictions):
0) This variant is done on a character by character basis. Some in the party might use this but, not all must. This is why its a 'variant' and is actually useful.
1) If a race has racial spellcasting related to its racial HD, remove that abilities racial power source up to it's RHD. For instance a psychic Illithid would have no psuedo psion levels but a Spellweaver would still have 2 psuedo sorcerer levels. Remember that this variant is done in a character by character basis allowing a psionic illithid to not use this variant while a spellweaver in the party may chose it.
2) BAB may not exceed ECL and RHD's BAB may not be used for prereqs. This makes the RHD's BAB feel like a "practiced BAB" feat since it adds for future, non-BAB-progressing class levels. This obviously stops BAB from exceeding 20 pre-epic. It turns out this doesn't really matter much even if the 21 and 26th BAB gave more iterations. Astute DM's will notice that the ability to hit things a few more times, or even enter non-caster classes early (as casters already do with reckless abandon) is actually a boon to their game's balance. Even if initially counter-intuitive DMs are encouraged to waive this restriction.
3) Skill points from racial HD do not allow a character to exceed the normal 3+ECL max since the HD no longer count towards the ECL. For most cases, this is surprisingly not that needed of a restriction considering the other RAW ways to exceed this cap. Therefore, DMs are encouraged to waive this restriction
4) Skill points for the first level are not added twice. A character with aberration/construct/elemental/giant/humanoid/magic beast/monstrous humanoid/ooze/plant racial HD and one class level may must use the crappy 4x(2+int) for their starting skill point allotment rather than chose their lovely 4x(8+int) rogue class levels as the starting skill points. DMs are encouraged to waive this restriction
5) The racial HD does not get con bonus to HP as class levels do. DMs are encouraged to waive this restriction if they want PCs with above average amounts of HP since HP is way too low compared to the damage both PCs and Monsters can receive anyways.
6) Natural healing rate is based off of ECL and so is not affected by the free racial HD, though this might seem a bit counter intuitive. If you want the RHD to help, it shouldn't make much of a difference, so DMs are encouraged to waive this restriction for any players not abusing natural healing rates. Heck, even if they are they will still be screwed by SoDs.
7) Per level option of LA or RHD counting towards the required level for buyoff. This makes buyoffs happen a bit earlier, which in turn helps the 99% of monsters with over-inflated LAs become playable. It goes without saying that players who use restoration cheese need a single iteration cap on each buyoff tier's level per LA row in the chart.
Q: Why do this in the first place?
A: Because half there is a large enough body of evidence to suggest that almost half the designers didn't realize that RHD do count towards ECL, RAW. Just like 90% of new players, some of them thought that the ECL was free. This is an adjustment factor for not only some of WotC's failings, but also for the caster divide.
Q: Why are all but two of the common sense restrictions encourged to be ignored? Why write them then?
A: Because these highlight changes a DM would notice upon instituting this variant
Q: Why are DMs actually encouraged to ignore the above restrictions? Wouldn't that make all monsters overpowered?
A: Because by ignoring the restrictions players can play their favorite monsters better. For instance with higher than 20 BaB. Yes it increases their power. But so does a haste spell. No one complains about that even though mechanically haste is superior (and RAW). People are aversed to change. I merely highlighted the fact that healing a bit more (wait, your group has to sleep for heals!?) or having some more HP (what do you mean your character doesn't use vigor+shared pain for +400% hp!?) or a few more skill points won't unbalance anything. Unless you are playing a tier 6 only game. In that case, yes having a +1 to spot from an extra rank might threaten your DM's painfully weak campaign.
Build 1 World Record [Supermount by HD]
Interpretation Warnings: This build uses the interpretation that the Special Mount ability and a paladin's mount are interchangeable. The rationale is that because no other class in core has a special mount besides the paladin class, any abilities/feats/items,etc mentioning special mounts are in fact referencing all paladin-like Special Mount abilities.
It also uses the interpretation that non-LG paladin-like special mount classes (including Paladin of Freedom, Tyranny, etc) should select appropriately aligned dragon mounts, instead of "only a lawful good dragon should be allowed to serve as a paladin's special mount" (Drac 139).
It is clear from Table 3-13 that mounts may gain age categories in lieu of HD and from the advanced dragons rules (http://"http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/dragonAdvanced.htm") that age categories depend on HD whilst time is the usual corollary. I am also going with the conservative estimates on an advanced dragon mounts stats, since I would think the statistics for a great wyrm however are not bonuses.
I also do not play semantics about abilities as class features versus abilities as well I don't know what. Basically abilities that are only available as class features in core are refered to as "the class feature X" or "X class feature" for prerequisites in order to help the player know where to find these abilities. This is basically the same logical as the Special Mount part above.
These are more than reasonable interpretations, I trust. If you disagree, please do not post your reasons as I do not want to derail the thread. I will be more than happy to respond to these by PM and update the opening post if necessary.
Cheese Warning: This build makes heavy use of my Prestige Class Prerequisite Handbook (http://"http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7061.0") and assumes a 'helping' character to make this build possible with no base classes. The character should be a CG warforged x / Warchanter 10 / Heartfire Fanner 1 / x with Words of Creation who follows the character around until just after level 5. After this point the build is self-sufficient. For extra cheese this character could know psychic reformation and save you some money, but my build has assumed this isn't the case. Note that this slipping, Belkar-like character shouldn't do anything very evil in the presence of his helper.
I also assume we don't lose benefits from Animal lord by changing alignment on 1 axis. I don't put this under interpretations because we all know penalizing character evolution is not cool, but abusing it is cheesy. I just would think keeping the PrC's benefits is acceptable cheese.
The Build: CN->CE LA bought off Amphibious Draconic Spiritfolk (bamboo) with a custom Major Bloodline similar to demon or titan (Skin of the Celestial for 6k [MiC169] is preferable to the celestial template)
Animal Lord (Bear) 1 / Waverider 1 / Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Baphomet 1 / Beast Master 1 / Arcane Heirophant 10 / Legacy Champion 6
First 5 levels extremely cramped feats (assumes WBL):1) Magical Training, Endurance (flaw), Skill Knowledge[Handle Animal&Intimidate->Knowledge(Arcana)*] (flaw)
1) Enter 2 Pacts Insidious for Precocious Apprentice & Mounted Combat
1) Serving an Elder Evil gives a vile feat -> Mounted Archery {@ level 2}
1-3, but HD3 feat) Skill Focus (Handle Animal) from Inspire Greatness HD
2) Power Attack Bloodline Feat
{2} Become Necropolitan right before 3 then Psychic Reformation a moderate taint feat 1 into Great Fortitude by paying a Psion 14 for a manifesting and some PP
{2} Psychic Reformation a severe taint feat 2 into Improved Bullrush
3) Thrall to Demon
{3} The Frog God's Fane location Skill Focus feat -> Skill Focus (Handle Animal) [removed for possible TO]
4) Eschew Materials Bloodline Feat
{4} Ritual of Prophecy's Dragon Prophecier feat -> Santuary Spell
{5} Otyugh's Hole's locations' Ironwill feat -> Practiced Caster
{5} Elder Evil vile feat -> Obtain Familiar
{}= use one of three ML1 Psychic Reformations from one of two ML1 Soul Crystals from a twice-paid Psion 14 (70+40*4gp each)
*Just before taking the level of Arcane Hierophant this character will Psychic Reformation the skill knowledge feat to work with Knowledge Arcana instead of Intimidate.
Note that Bamboo Spiritfolk cast speak with animals as a divine spell (the default is druid in this case) which is bumped by santuary spell. Unfortunately the divine casting for Arcane Hierophant advances nothing and the arcane casting only adds for familiar levels via the obtain familiar feat.
The rest of the feats in no particular order:6 Theurgic Mount
9 Theurgic Bond
{10} Natural Bond (buy a Psychic Reformation even without Soul Crystal)
12 Dragon Steed
15 Holy Mount
{15} Devoted Tracker
18 Winter's Mount (the +2con is already added to the stats below)
{20} any
Note: When the helper character ditches, bump each feat up so Winter's Mount is the level 20 reformatted feat and take Skill Focus (Handle Animal) as your current feat.
Why each class level is optimal:0-1 The animal lord buffs Effect Druid Level if you have an animal companion (later) and can be entered at ECL1 (this is very, very hard!)
1-2 Waverider advances an aqautic( = must have swim speed and breathe water) Special Mount by ECL not by class level
2-3 Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Baphomet gives a unique, fiendish animal companion with effective druid level doubled
Note: animal lord and natural bond don't advance the animal companion-giving class, they seperately advance effective druid level - great for rangers, not as good for us.
3-4 Beast Master gives a unique, hefty animal companion buff to our animal companion giving class
4 -14 Arcane Heirophant gives divine and arcane bumps to our Special mount thanks to Holy Mount and Theurgic Mount, gives familiar bonuses which we double dip on our animal companion thanks to the wording of Obtain Familiar combined with Theurgic Bond, and full advances our animal companion-granting class which is doubled because of Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Baphomet. Whoa
14 - 20 Legacy Champion continues 5 more shadow levels of Arcane Hierophant
Critter tracking, or you got a 99HD dragon how?:First the silly animal lord animal thing is opted out of / goes away upon gaining our animal companion
Second our normal-ish aquatic animal companion can die / get rechosen into a dragonel thanks to the Dragon Steed feat. Then once we have enough mount boosts use the Special Mount rules to gain a Young then Juvenile Black dragon as per DracoNOMicon's Table 3-17 (since we are CE, not LG)
We gain a familiar via the Obtain Familiar feat. Since we count as a Wizard 1 from Magical Training we then advance the caster level necessary for the feat through Practiced caster. Our familiar level bumps are based on the sum of our arcane caster level, which gets adding into our animal companion bumps thanks to Theurgic Bond.
Note: I assume that this feat stack twice by first taking the feat for a Familiar/Animal Companion by dumping all the bonuses from the Animal Companion/Familiar into the Familiar/Animal Companion and then get them back again on the Animal Companion/Familiar upon retaking the feat with the Animal Companion/Familiar in mind. It cries unnamed bonus foul. See? I really do take the reasonable interpretation...
Upon taking Arcane Heirophant levels we ditch our Familiar to give its bump gains apply to our Animal Companion. Pretty standard.
Then upon taking the devoted tracker feat we ditch our Animal Companion to give its bump gains apply to our Special Mount. "The mount gains all the benefits of being both your special mount and your animal companion." Since being my animal companion also gave it those lovely familiar bonuses, those carry over too. Pretty standard. Except remember that special mount is a dragon :smallbiggrin:
Total stats of the still aquatic black dragon Special Mount counting as Animal Companion with heavy Familiar bonuses:Arcane Hierophant Gains including Legacy Weapon bumps
15*2+(4+1)*2 AC via familiar from casting
15*2 AC via straight familiar
15*2+3*1 straight AC
15+15mount via feats
Animal Lord = 1*1 AC
demoNOMicon of Iggwilv: Baphomet = 1*2 AC
Waverider = 20 mount (calculated by ECL)
Beast Master = 4*2 AC
3*2 AC from major bloodline
AC = 40+30+33+11 = 120 -> +70HD, +70nat, +35str, +35dex, 36bonus tricks
mount = -17+30 = +13 -> +6HD, +6nat, +3str, above ECL20WR (-17 for black juvenile dragon as mount)
Waverider = +10HD, +8Nat, +7Str
45th level familiar gains = +22nat, 15+12int, 50SR, familiar spell feat
----
+86HD, +119nat, +45Str, +35Dex, 36bonus tricks
What does this make our beefed up dragon look like?:Black dragon juvenile:13HD requires 24hd to be great wyrm (62/3->20 age categories)
20 x Advanced Colossal++ Great wyrm Black dragon 99d12+(643+*99hp) with 15/epic DR and 11 bonus improved spell capacity's
120Str, 45dex, 69con, 47int, 41wis, 40cha, +99BAB/+170Grapple, +154Attack, +80Fort, +68Refl, +66Will, 64d4BW (DC88), 74Fightful Presence
70'land, fly 300'(clumsy), swim 60' +17initiative, 223 201AC (-8 size, +217 195 natural, +17dex), touch 19, flat-footed 206 184, CL 55th, 90SR
Note: I did remember the familiar 50SR, and 27int and +10'. The up to great wyrm additions don't stack for me because I am (again) taking the conservative position, but the advanced bonuses after that do add to this from the familiar gains.
Animal Companion special qualities:Link (unneeded), share spells, Evasion, Devotion, Multiattack, Improved evasion.
Special Mount: Improved Evasion, Share Spells, Empathic Link, share saving throws (uneeded), speak with animals of its kind (uneeded), Fast Movement, Spell Resistance (not as good as familiar's).
Familiar special qualities: Alertness, improved evasion (already has), share spells (already has), empathic link (already has), Deliver touch spells, speak with master & animals of its kind (already has), Spell resistance (stackage mentioned), Scry on familiar.
Adding the Wyrm of War sovereign archetype (DoE32) gives twenty-four bonus fighter or draconic-ability-related feats
Final "You missed one!" note: Sadly in order to maximize HD, I did not include either the mildly questionable but totally awesome fleshgrafter PrC to perhaps gain Colossal++ size
I also know that I did not make the dragon my Cohort so it counts as a "Cohort Aquatic Special Mount Familiar Companion 1337 Rofl Rofl" build through use of the Dragonrider PrC (Dragonlance campaign Setting). Sorry.
Finally I have now 4 versions of this build. The one I haven't mentioned anything about so far was a slightly less HD version which tried Windrider, Dragonrider, Ranger Knight, and Uncanny Tricksterx3 instead of Legacy Champion. Neither that nor Prestigious Paladin were optimal.
Finally if this offends your sense of decency (whilst it should - it has nearly sold its soul and serves an elder evil!) be nice. I revised this a few times and I might have missed something that I did not mention. The parts I did mention (mechanically, the numbers might be off) I trust are correct.
Non-build note:
Worshiping Azor'alq with the mounted feat allows the Sacred Steed feat (Dun Mag 104 108) for +1 Special Mount level, but it doesn't make a difference in the above build.
Please note that the absurdly overpowered zhentanim skymage is not used for this class. With a cohort for heavy DMM-swapped buffs, its possible to get a slightly higher base HD mount but requires some prereq shenanigans (see my handbook on that) and feels wrong. I like the whole "I have one big pet" feel. Finally the real strength of this build is that ZS's can only have set number of 'replacement' mounts if theirs dies. Yes you can cheese out 10 but its still a yucky limitation true animal companions don't have.
An Older, weaker, perhaps more 'acceptable' version I don't keep up anymore:
NG Strongheart Halfling with Aquatic template
[b]The Advancement[/b]
[Spoiler]UA Ranger 1 / Druid 3 / UA Wizard 1 / Windrider 1 / Waverider 1 / Halfling Outrider 1-6 / Dragon Rider 1 / Halfling Outrider 7-10 / Arcane Heirophant 1 / Fleshwarper 1
[Note Bloodlines help absolutely no aspect of this build because none of it has no true calculations, only continued epic advancements and charts. And yes I know there is no Beast Master; at this point a size increase is way cooler than 2 more HD, swap it in if you want]
[color=red]Warning:[/color] the build unfortunately requires some swapped divine power around 6th level. This is not to hard to overcome and is only a temporary hurdle.[/Spoiler]
[b]Feats[/b]
[Spoiler]These slightly out of order (this build has flaws and a legacy weapon): Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery (as the variant wizard's fighter feat), Eschew Materials, Natural Bond, Bonded Familiar, Theurgic Bond, Flesh Grafter (Silthilar), Holy Mount, Winter's Mount, Sanctum Spell [for the arcane heirophant prereq], Devoted Tracker, Theurgic Mount, Dragon Steed
Have your dragon take the Dutiful Guardian & Constant Guardian feats :)[/Spoiler]
[b]The HD boosts[/b]
[Spoiler]Animal Companion Boosts
Base Classes = 3
Halfling Outrider=15
natural bond = 3
Hierophant = 1
Theurgic Bond = 3
---------------------
25
&
Mount Class Boosts:
Wave Runner = 20
-20 Full Dragon Mount (check out the draconomicon if you don't believe me)
Halfling Outrider = 10
Holy Mount = 6
Theurgic Mount = 3
---------------------
19
The Dragon Rider allows a dragon cohort my ECL+3. So the HD boosts are on top of a creature of 23 base Hit Dice.[/Spoiler]
[b]Total Class Advancements to the Mount[/b]
[Spoiler]Wave Runner (19) +8HD, +6Nat, +6Str
Windrider +2HD, +4Nat, +2Str
Dragon Rider +2HD, +2Nat, +1Str
Animal Comp (24) +18HD, +18Nat, +9Str, +3Dex, 10 Tricks
---------------------
+30HD, +30Nat, +18Str, +3Dex, 10 Tricks
for a total of 53HD, a dozen more than a non-advanced Gold Dragon
or if epic dragons are okay: HD23 Wrymling Prismatic Dragon with enough HD to be a Colossal Mature Adult[/spoiler]
[center][u]The Heading into Interpretation Territory[/u][/center]
[b]Step by step how we get our dragon mount-cohort-familiar companion[/b]
[Spoiler]Lost? Okay, we started with a random familiar (lets say a classic rat) and animal companion (classic dog). Then we [b]may[/b] ride a whatever (preferably flying) thing [a griffin is fine temporarily] for windrider, but really don't have to since we will swap it out later. Next we get an aquatic special mount, a normal hippocampus. This brings us to 4 special critter categories.
The Dragon feat would replace our hippocampus with a dragonnel, which is not aquatic. This would be a problem so before you take the feat go ahead and let the hippocamus die since the swapping of mounts might activate the year and a day wait anyways. By a mean DM it means we simply won't have a mount for a while (dragonnel or otherwise). That is fine since our goal is to use that gold dragon again after he's grown up a bit and we have a high enough effective special mount level to use a gold dragon as our waverider mount.
But can we do that? Yes because 1) our mount is a dragon and 2) it has to be aquatic. When we look up the subtype in the SRD it says an aquatic creature is one that breathes water and has a swim speed (Yup that sounds aquatic to me!). So when we look on the Draconomicon's chart the only dragon like for a LG paladin-ish character (as opposed to a evil blackgaurd-ish one) is a gold dragon.
So [i]eventually[/i] we will have a gold dragon as our windrider and waverider special mount, which brings us down to 3 critters since we won't get that hippocamus back. Then we take the devoted tracker feat which makes the special mount count as the animal companion. Though we are still waiting on our a aquatic dragon mount we can ditch our animal companion bringing us to 2 critters.
In between the halflingling outrider level we take a level of Dragon Rider we can have a dragon cohort that is older (this puts the max strain on a paladin's mount level). We ride it and replace the griffon or whatever with the older gold dragon. We also choose that as our aquatic mount+animal companion when the wait time is up.
After the arcane heirophant level we ditch the familiar and make aquatic 'wind ridden' dragon cohort mount that is a companion to be our companion familiar. After a level of fleshwarper the HD stackage is complete and the massive HD boosts use the advancing dragons rules to put our gold dragon cohort mount to colossal size. Since it has 53HD, by the advanced dragon rules that means it becomes Colossal+. Fleshwarper then uses its class ability to bump this up permanently to larger than the largest possible size: Colossal++?[/Spoiler]
[b]What do we end up with?[/b]
[Spoiler][url=http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/dragonAdvanced.htm]The SRD[/url] gives us a:
Great, Great Super-Duper Uber Wrym Gold Dragon (+28 Base Saves)
nat 53
Colossal+
32d10 Fire cone (reflex) or 16 Str Drain (fort) 51DC
SR41 (~19)
300' fly
Str53, con41, int&cha40, Wis41 (-4 it appears), still dex=10
Caster level 41
DR now epic (not down 5 to get that though, right?)
Frightful presence 49 like other advances? Maybe not :(
**Also be sure to have your dragon take the Wyrm of War option (DoE31). It loses access to Cleric Domains but gains a fighter or draconic bonus feat for every 4 Hit Die he possesses! It also gains proficiency with all simple and martial weapons and all armor.[/spoiler]
Note: some people do not consider the familiar companion to gain this ability due to a technicality of trying to decide want counts as a "familiar"... I say a 'familiar' 'companion' is a type of familiar which allows the fleshwarper targeting but I understand if your DM says "eh" to that. In that case bust out a larger monstrosity on him by reworking the fleshwarper level and going beastmaster for a [drum roll] 55 HD Colossal sized mount. Unfortunately this path has no Colossal+ size so I think of it as subpar.[/spoiler]
A final cheese warning if you haven't had enough. Although Arcane Hierophant probably doesn't count by RAW, there is a paladin sub that will let the mount count as a familiar. That allows covering the one weakness of the supermount without the usual, ALWAYS BANNED shenanigans like mind jar, astral seed, and fusion etc. See Dragon Magazine 280p63.
Build 2 The World Record by Default [Triple 9's (9th level Wizard+Cleric+Psion casting/manifesting)]
(Edit: Even years later, I've not found anyone able to make a regular CO triple nines build that had full psion manifesting. Adent simply doesn't.) After much deliberation I finally built a non-rebuilding 999s build. But this isn't just any triple nines. This is a cleric-wizard-psion list one - aka the big kahuna. Yeah, the only one everyone cares about. There are much weaker "ardent-language abuse" 999's that don't require cheese. Also keep in mind that depending on your position on requirements checking, it might be possible to do this much, much easier. However I think I speak for most players when they would (for whatever reason) more or less follow the Stump the Sage ruling of 'rebuilding can't be used to get something not otherwise possible.'
Build Details
Psion 1, Beholder Mage 1, Cerebremancer 9, Ur-Priest, Psychic Theurge 8
You will want to be a quinamentin. You will not want that pesky 2HD. So before you take your first class level simply grab a negative level (fail the save so that the HD loss is permanent). Then take the psion 1 level (you may swap your 1 humanoid HD for this level). Then continue to buyoff the LA. Or you could just be any humanoid and be reincarnated into one (improbable, but possible).
Psychic Theurge can be found here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040925b) and Cerebremancer can be found here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/cerebremancer.htm)
Cheesiness Warning (aka requires some good circumstances)
Legend: Most Cheesy/Most CO, Least Cheesy/Hurts the most
I'll even say the least cheesy is the one I think of, and what I could see actually being used
0. Everyone knows evil does it better but with a bit of cheese you can be of any alignment. Rather than devote yourself to an Elder Evil you could just borrow an Aquamarine of Spell Extending and then soak up a metamagic storm. While the auqamarine requires forbids an interpretational move (the 'benefit' language is unclear, and sometimes I go against the RAW in games to make only 'benefit' items not be allowed for pre-reqs), the metamagic storm could seem a bit TO.
1. It uses either a slightly unkosher purposely gained permanent negative level (available by many methods) or if your DM wants you to actually pay for it you could just be in debt for a reincarnate.
2. Uses the RAW but unnerving Divine Minion template (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050209a) for the Wild Shape ability or if you could just burrow (read have access earlier than can be bought) a Wildshape Amulet, Skin of Kaletor, Mantle of the beast, and ring of the beast and though its a bit steep we can easily later pay it back many, many times [Note the WS route uses the Bloodline level after an arbitrary class level which is sucked away by a permanent level].
3. This build needs one of three options. A) a party member who is four levels up B) a friendly enough NPC to manifest chirurgery with payment later or C) A buy non-standard power stone with psychic chirurgery at manifestor level 1 or 2 (again possible, but strange). Keep in mind this is only for a temporary prereq and in no way effects the end of the build. If the chirurgery were to be undone after level 4, it wouldn't make a difference
All in all these specific circumstances are not unreasonable.
The Full Feat Breakdown
1 aberrant blood, flaw=aberrant wild shape, flaw=Proportionate Wild Shape
psion1=overchannel
2[Absolutely any major bloodline -> Psychic Reformation] assume supernatural ability (Antimagic Cone)
* Borrow Aquamarine of Spell Extending (3.7k) to get a metamagic feat
* Soak up a metamagic storm for Sanctum spell
* Borrow a Torc of Power Preservation to manifest (with overchannel) 2nd level powers at level 2
OR: Serve an elder evil and Psychic Reformation in Practiced manifester rather than burrowing the Torc
Become Necropolitan (possible late in the second level)
Grab Moderate and then severe taint, both of which give a reformable feats that you can pay for at the next level
3 assume supernatural ability (eye rays)
6 iron will
9 malign spell focus
12 x [practiced manifestor seems unneeded]
15 x [can practiced spellcaster even apply? I'm lazy by now]
18 x [practiced spellcaster again?]
Level Summary
Negative level absorbtion or Reincarnate (druid 4 spell with cost of 1280)
Psion 1
Borrow a Wildshape Amulet or take the 1 LA from the Divine Minion Template :hide
Beholder Mage 1
Then mix and match a few of the following:
Borrow a Torc of Power Preservation or take the practiced manifestor feat
Take the versatile spellcaster feat or if going the sanctum spell route Borrow an aquamarine of spell extending or take the feat then soak up a metamagic storm
Take the Skill Knowledge feat (UA81) or be much smarter than me so you can find a way get the educated feat (requires level 1) in this build (note that if you start a different race, an 'other' reinc removes bonus feats)
That last one atleast, requires one of these. I will listed in order of cheese):
Be non-evil and summon a Demon (450gp for an NPC casting) and offer to do enough evil (cast 4 evil spells is enough) to get a feat. This can be done twice
or: Be CE + devoted to an Elder evil for a feat that will need reformating.
or: Become necropolitan, gain moderate and servere taint, and get Psychic Reformations (they cost 485gp +25xp)
psychic chirurgery twice (13060gp, 2000xp) for 2nd level powers
Bloodline level here to allow skill pre-reqs thanks to Skill Knowledge
Cerebremancer 9
Ur-Priest 1
Psychic Theurge 8
Adding any Martial Maneuvers, any Incarnum Chakras, up to 4th Level Bindings, and 2nd level True-Naming!
What? You are greedy for more? Okay, you little munchkin, hold on to your butt. First, take out that extraneous Ceremancer level. It's not like an extra 8th and two extra 9th slots will help all that much.
Maneuvers: You could simply add a level of swordsage for 5th level maneuvers off of the largest list of the three initiator classes. But since you are reading about getting even more than a full tripple nines, that's probably not going to satisfy. Instead, or perhaps in addition buy the Crown of the White Raven (and its variants) for any level maneuver at a cost of only up to 22.5k (and 1.8k xp) a pop to craft. If for some reason you need a bunch of low level maneuvers, you can always get a legacy weapon and armor for some feats and then martial stance / study up to 5th level ones.
Incarnum: Incarnum is like binding. Pick something you really want and work around it. Grab shape soulmeld and the applicable Open least/lesser/greater Chakra and have fun. Remember that you can always Split Chakra a space you need a magic item for. also having lots of incarnum won't make much of a difference unless you find several chakras that all highly benefit from essentia. In this case, Expanded Soulmeld Capacity (5 essentia per chakra now) and Bonus Essentia are a must. It gives 2 and the rest give 1: midnight augmentation, healing soul, incarnum spellshaping, cobalt critical, cobalt charge, cerulean fortitude, cerulean relfexes, cerulean will, azure toughness, azure talent, midnight dodge, midnight metamagic, sapphire springt, soulsight, soultouched spellcasting are all applicable for a caster. Keep in mind most of these simply suck on their own. Aside from essentia needs you can get any of the nifty abilities you want for 2 feats (+1 if u want that magic item slot open and +1 if you want two chakras that are in the same place), then add shape soulmeld for every extra chakra (+5 feats per maxed essenita's chakra). Or you could risk the dispel, the spell or psionic versions will replace the first two feats.
Binding: You could try the sub-par Bind vestige and perhaps with practiced binder. But the list really doesn't have anything a munchkin of your level could (ab)use. This is where a level of binder could actually help, since the feat doesn't allow you to advance your EBL (effective binder level). But thanks to your bloodlines and the improved binder feat just you can bind up to fourth level vestiges. Which is not too shabby. Again let me reiterate that binder abilities are simply not as useful as maneuvers when compared level per level and overall.
True-Naming: Wait I think you are in the wrong section... we should all know how much this magic source blows. First of all don't even think of taking a level in this class. There are ways to boost your feats so you actually have the extra left over to do this. Grab Truenaming Training, Minor Utterance of the Evolving Mind x2 and Utterance of the Evolving Mind. There now you have 2nd level utterances. Also the crafted tool and Perfect map can be used, but there is no second level utterance version. Because the Recitation feats are useless, that's all. See? Didn't that suck? I warned you.
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On the manifesting side you end up with 3 1st level powers and 30 powers of any level (I think). Another 22 and a half percent more doesn't really matter when you already have 280pp, especially when you have nine times your int mod in bonus pp (10x after practiced manifestor if you really want). Full BM casting is yummy: 5 9th levels and 6 of all lower level spells. The last level of ur-priest is almost dead so its really not worth it, since your 9th level divine casting will mainly come from bonus spells (6/5/4/4/4/4/3/2/1/0 rather than 6/5/5/4/4/4/4/3/2/1). Bonus Ninth level spells come with a wisdom score of 28,36,44, etc. It shouldn't be too hard to pick up a few.
Build 11 [Making a Vampire PC that Doesn't Suck - figuratively, of course.]
Note: This build assumes that PC class-level requiring templates that advance by character class have no LA. There is plenty of evidence for this, but it will not be discussed here. If your DM likes throwing Kobold sorcerers equal to your level and take on frenzied berserker to every monster you fight, he won't agree with this deduction. The build is still playable but hardly as powerful or entertaining as a vampire PC is supposed to be.
You will need:
0. Optional Dragonwraught Kobold is more optimal than a Dragonspawn (white) [RBoK44]
1. Savage Progression Vampire template class (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a) (superior to the non-savage progression template)
2. The Savage Vampire variant [LM170] because your DM won't like you basically being a diplomancer to everyone you can merely talk to
3. Kasian Vampire variant [DragMag348 p29] because the nerfs don't apply and help us avoid some TO claims
4. The Vampire Lord template (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20021018a) (notice that although its +CR3, for PCs its listed as by character class -> +LA0)
5. The Swarmform Vampire variant (LM170)
6. A long-arched campaign (will require you age 100 years. Best if between your level 18 and 19
7. Optional Vampiric Dragon Template [Drac195] to compare its capabilities to the above templates
The Vampire Template:
Undead (w/ all d12's) [the above linked savage progression gives cha to anything that used con]
Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4, Nat +6
DR 10/silver and magic. Magic Natural weapons for DR
Fast Healing 5
auto, at will CL5 Gaseous Form but 2 hours 9mi to coffin or destroyed. 1hr before Fast Healing
Res cold & elec 10
Spider Climb (Ex)
+4 Turn Res
+8 racial Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot
Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes (must meet prereqs)
Any familiar should be a Rat Familiar (+2fort)
1d4 slam (small-sized)
1d4con Blood Drain (Ex) after pin -> +5 temp hp
Children of the Night (Su) = 1/day standard word for 1hour 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or 3d6 wolves after 2d6 rounds
Dominate (Su) = 30' standard nongaze Will or domination for 12days. Apparently doesn't work during the day...
Create Spawn (Su) = energy drain or 100% con drain on >5HD (monstrous) humanoids -> vampire spawn 1d4 days after burial or 4HD + 100% con drain -> spawn enslaved until its master’s destruction w/ HD totaling 2*HD. Explicitly allows pyramid schemes.
Energy Drain (Su) = 1/round natural weapon give 2 negative levels -> +5 temp HP
Alternate Form (Su) of bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf until the next sunrise but lose dominate ability during it
Weaknesses: garlic, mirrors & crosses, running water, no invitation, sunlight, water immersion, & stake through the heart + body destruction.
The Half-Vampire template (which helps for later Vampire Lord abilities)
Inherited, vampir-able race, aka (monstrous) humanoid
{nat+2}
magic natural weapons for DR
1 slam attack (d4 if small)
blood drain ["greater", if you will] xor charm gaze (CL = HD but not capped at 12) xor Children of the Night (Su): standard action 1/day 1d4 rat swarms, 1d3 bat swarms, or 1d6 wolves after 2d6rounds which serve for an hour. It
also requires a command word, RAI
DR5/silver OR magic
{+2 Str}
+2 Dex
{+2 cha}
{Faster Healing 1 (if under 50% hp) }
elec res 5
cold res 5
{+2 racial Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silent, Spot}
Improved Initiative feat
Cutting 2nd level's LA out of the Half-Vampire Template:Note that the ability list in the template is cut in half the the empty line. That would be the 'just take the first half of the abilities' method. If you want to get picky, you could maybe count each separate skill bonus and leave all the stat boni on the first LA. Granularly it would be fair, but we won't be using that method anyway. If your DM is feeling really nice, he could even let you DCFS that feat.
A more RAW method would be to match the above with a level in the full Vampire savage progression. You'll note that the gains in {} match the 6th Vampire class level almost exactly (the int rather than cha is frankly just whatever order the authors felt like). If the Faster Healing 1 survivability needs boosting, throw in the electricity and cold resistance too.
The Savage Vampire Breakdown is:
1 +0 Con -2, blood drain (lesser), resistances (lesser), spawn slavery, spider climb, vampire bonus feats (Alertness, Dodge)
2 +0 Str +2, blood drain (moderate), fortification (light), vampire bonus feats (Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes), vampire skills +2
3 +1 Cha +2, Dex +2, coffin sanctuary (lesser), dominate (lesser), gaseous form (lesser), resistances (greater), slam
4 +1 Str +2, alternate form (lesser), blood drain (greater), dominate (moderate), natural armor +2, vampire aversions, vampire skills +4
5 +1 Wis +2, children of the night (lesser), coffin sanctuary (greater) , damage reduction 5/silver and magic, dominate (greater), fortification (moderate), gaseous form (moderate), sunlight & water vulnerability (lesser)
6 +2 Int +2, Str +2, fast healing 1, natural armor +2, vampire skills +6
7 +2 Dex +2, children of the night (greater), create spawn (lesser), dominate (superior), energy drain (lesser), gaseous form (greater), sunlight & water vulnerability (greater), undeath, vampire bonus feat (Combat Reflexes)
8 +2 Cha +2, alternate form (greater), create spawn (greater), damage reduction 10/silver and magic, energy drain (greater), fast healing 5, natural armor +2, turn resistance +4, vampire skills +8
Vampiric Dragon compared to the standard Vampire templateadult or older dragon vs (monstrous) humanoid
LA+5 vs LA+8
+4HP/HD vs +0HP/HD
Lose subtypes vs keep subtypes
Str +4, Dex +6, Int+2, Wis+2, Cha+4, nat+2 vs Str +6, Dex +4, Int+2, Wis+2, Cha+4, nat+6
cold&elec res 20 vs cold&elec res 10
none vs Spider Climb (Ex)
none vs DR10/silver&magic
none vs natural weapons as magic weapons for DR
1 negative level upon claws (no limit) vs 2 negative levels upon slam once per round
Create dragon RAW includes dragons vs Create spawn RAW doesn't include dragons
unlimited spawn, zombie dragons if not adult or vampiric dragons if adult vs spawn totaling 2xHD but those spawn can have spawn
Blood drain 1 size smaller than the dragon or any equal or larger vs Blood drain any
charm monster 30'/Age Category upon full round speaking (no sight needed) vs Nothing
auto 40' (18mi at max 2hr to horde) Gaseous form vs Auto 20' (9mi at max 2hr to coffin) Gaseous form @0HP
No purposeful Gaseous form (Su) vs At will Gaseous form
standard action 30+10'/Age Category gaze as dominate monster CL18 vs standard action 30' gaze as dominate person CL12
none vs bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf form until sunrise but no natural slam attack and dominate ability
none vs (Su) 1/day 1hour 1d6+1rat or 1d4+1bat swarms, 3d6wolves in 2d6rounds
cross, mirror, staking, sunlight slow & direct Age Category rounds vs staking, garlic, cross, mirror, water immersion, sunlight slow & direct = 1 rounded
No reflexion or shadow, invitation vs No reflexion or shadow, cross running water, invitation
The Vampiric Dragon Savage Progression would then look like:1, Str +2, Con -2, spawn slavery, blood drain (moderate, w/ size restrictions), res cold&electric 10, +2 Bluff,Hide,Listen,Move,Search,Sense,Spot, fortification (light), vampire bonus feats (Alertness, Dodge)
2, Cha +2, Dex +2, res cold&electric 20, Horde Sanctuary (lesser), +4 Bluff,Hide,Listen,Move,Search,Sense,Spot, dominate (lesser), vampire bonus feats (Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes)
3, Str +2, Wis +2, fortification (moderate), blood drain (greater w/ size restrictions), Horde Sanctuary (greater), +6 Bluff,Hide,Listen,Move,Search,Sense,Spot, Charm&Dominate 1/day 10', Vampire Aversions (mirror, crosses & private areas) & sunlight vulnerability (lesser)
4, Int +2, Dex +2, natural armor +2, undeath (4+d12's), create spawn (lesser), fast healing 1, Charm&Dominate 3/day 10', turn resistance +4, Slowed sunlight but 3xAge Category rounds to die
5, Dex +2, Cha +2, Create Spawn (vampire or spawn or vampiric dragon or zombie dragon of any HD), fast healing 5, 1 energy drain upon claw (no limit), Charm&Dominate at will 30'+10'/Age Category, vampire bonus feat (Combat Reflexes), Direct sunlight now gives Age Category rounds to die, +8 Bluff,Hide,Listen,Move,Search,Sense,Spot
The idea is to fully buy off the templates through a savage progression:
Buy off your first LA at Half-Vampire 1 / Sorc 3 . Now your are a Sorc 2 short 3k xp with a bought off template. Note the decreased cost compared to a normal template, since you're also losing a class level.
Buy off half an LA+2 at Sorc 4 / Vampiric Dragon Savage Progression 1st & 2nd. Now down 8k xp, you are Sorc4 / DVSP 3rd with 2 free LA.
Buy off the last of that LA+2 at Sorc 8 / DVSP 2nd. Now down by 14k xp, you are Sorc8 with 3 free LA.
Get touched by a vampire once and level drained by 2. It shouldn't be that hard since you have to be bit to become a vampire anyway. Use Fell drain if you must.
Within a caster's CL number of weeks buy off a third of your LA at Sorc 6 / DVSP 3rd,4th,5th. Now down by 22kxp, you are Sorc6 / V 4th,5th
Pay for a Greater Restoration for your previous levels. You are now Sorc 8 / DVSP 4th, 5th
If you are not using the Savage Progression of a Vampiric Dragon after the LA 1 version of the Half-Vampire, your build would look like this right now. Yes I'm aware this version has 1000 less xp debt. You can also follow this train of thought if you wanted a any humanoid+dragonspawn & full half-vampire build. Although it would work the the finest rule lawers among us, I find both the beginning and the end far less elegant.:
Advance to Sorc 10 / V 5th, 6th
Contract lycanthrope from a fractional HD critter. You are now Sorc 10 / V 5th, 6th / Lycanthrope 2
Buy off an LA so that you become Sorc 8 / V 6th / Lycanthrope 2 and down by 32k xp
Eat belladona to cure your lycanthrope. You are now Sorc 8 / V 6th
Buy off an LA at Sorc 13 / V 6th, 7th. Now down by 46k xp, you are a Sorc 13 / V 7th
Buy off an at Sorc 16 / V 7th,8th. Now down by 63k xp, you are a Sorc 16 / V 8th
You don't care about the last 1HD because you'll still have ECL20 WBL, and cast as a 20th level sorcerer thanks to the Greater Draconic Rite of Passage. If you don't want to rock everything as a full caster, thanks to the Savage Species ruling, you could chose a T4 or below class and be entitled to removing that last LA anyway. If doing that, the only difference from the above with the V numbers bumped up by one is that "Sorc 10 / V 5th, 6th / Lycanthrope 2" instead of "T4Class 10 / V 6th, 7th / Lycanthrope 2" becomes "T4Class 10 / V 6th / Lycanthrope 2 / V 7th." That's it.
If your party continues to adventure at ECL20's worth of XP and you have an item familiar, you won't get to 19HD anyway worrying about ECL20 is moot.
Buy off an LA at Sorc 10 / DVSP 4th, 5th. Now down by 33k xp, you are a Sorc 10 / DVSP 5th
Finish off you LA at Sorc 14 / DVSP 5th. Now down by 47k xp, you are a Sorc 14. You'll be at level 17 when your party hits ECL20 and at 18HD before your party heads into epic.
Note that Create Spawn is campaign-breaking if used correctly, so we'll keep an eye out for how to nerf it. If your DM sees that you're trying not to break his game and you play a t4 or below class, he could take pit on you and use the Savage Species rule to remove an LA. This would put you at 19HD with a pre-epic party. That's about as good as you can hope when xp totals & allocation has been balanced to not be a river.
Template Stackage & concerns:
You'll be spawned (by choice) from a Kasian Vampire. Assuming you can be savage vampire by choice (you did almost become a lycanthrope which is mentioned in the fluff), your sire may not even need to be one. RAI, you won't need to slay your sire in order to become a Vampire Lord.
You'll still need to be a vampire for 100 years, have 10HD, created at least 10 vampires, and survived an assassination attempt by one of your subjects. Note that the last prereq is almost impossible RAW, without a being Kasian Vampire. RAW, the Vampire Lord template will overwrite/upgrade the weaker Kasian control over your spawn. DMs are continued to, RAI, ignore the sentence "The new vampire is enslaved to the vampire lord until its master's death, and the willpower of the vampire lord is too strong to allow it to break free of its enslavement" in order to help maintain balance.
The lack of private spaces (invitation requirements) immunity/"fix" in the vampire lord template is noticable. Since garlic immunity was already had, we suggest that you should atleast be able to 'trade' one aversion fix for another, especially considering this was likely an oversight. If your DM is feeling really nice he can give you a swim speed for redundant the water immunity.
The -4stats,saves,skill&attacks on the Vampire Lord Template should instead be what takes the Age Category-1 delay before sunlight has an effect.
We are also assuming that the subtype dropping happens with the type change in the Savage Progression verison of the Draconic version of the Vampire template. That's why we can wait to pay for a Mantle of the Fiery Spirit [NPC cost + 5->10k gp + 2->1kxp cost] casting.
Speaking of paying for a casting, a single DCFS will help with the redundant Improved Initiative feat.
Why is Children of the night worth the Half-Vampire template? It's a really cool ability and the other bonuses are comparable for their one LA. Its one of the few in all of DnD that allow you to sense through multiple creatures at the same time. Yeah. "The vampire lord can sense through the senses of any such commanded creatures." There is no action or restriction on your normal senses. Hello 10 mile perimeter of continuous scouting. Now if only there was some way to permanently (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanency.htm) give those summons magical detection....
Note that the (Su) Children of the Night from the half-vampire template is a nerfed version. Since the nerf should carry over RAI rather than possibly overwrite, we can expect after the Vampire Lord template to only have 4 rat swarms, 3 bat swarms and 6 wolves, see-through-their-senses-able and 10 mile empathically communicating permanent summons. You miss out on 3 rat swarms, 2 bat swarms, and 12 wolves, buts diminishing returns means these last few summons don't help as much. Also this is me assuming that the 'serve until released' clause doesn't simply allow you infinite summons -- similar to how the vampire spawn pyramid actually works RAW. And I'm assuming you can't split the swarms and see with hundreds of lone bats and rats....
The total costs are killing a subordinate vampire, a restoration, probably a mantle of the Fiery spirit casting and a DCFS, 12 days or a limited wish, 47k xp (maybe + 7k xp from the party cleric)
Other Templates Variations:Savage Vampire Variant template:
2 d4 claws or slams (small sized) if you cut off your hands. Claws automatically deal 1 negative level per hit
No dominate (Su) ability
+10Str, +4dex, -2int, +2wis
+8 to the racial Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently and Spot boni
Kasian Vampire Variant:
+2 Str
30 elec res
weapons that deal negative levels also give temp HP
Spawn are geased rather than enslaved
Dominate ability would be Suggestion instead
Fast Heal 10 if holding a Sword of Kas which at full power is a 5,041,500gp epic item/artifact (+10enh [1,000k] str intelligent item with total of 44 mental stats [9k] +6 keen (+1) unholy (+2) vorpal (+5) longsword [3,920k] with 1/day CL10 lightning [60k as per intelligent items], blasphemy [33.6k], & unhallow [16.6k] + 1/7days slay living [2.3k] which adds to an ego of 34). The weakest, Ego 7 version would be 9.3k (+2enh str intelligent item with 34 total mental stats [1k], +1 longsword [2k] with 1/7days slay living [2.3k])
Vampire Lord Template:
+1HP/HD
a further Str +6, Dex +4, Int +2, Wis +2, Cha +4, +6nat
50' fly (perfect)
+5 more DR/silver and magic (in 3.5 terms rather than 3.0 lingo). RAW, sets the DR to 15/magic and silver
+3 more fast healing
+4 more turn resistance
+cha to saves as paladin
+4 Sense Motive checks, and a +8 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
Iron Will and Leadership feats
Telepathy 100' & 1 mile for controlled vampires
Domination off of gaze or voice at normal level without LoS
Children of the Night has 10mile see through them and communicate empathically
Control Weather at will, CL12
Fog Cloud at will, CL12
Telekenesis at will, CL12
at will, move action Alternate Form (Su) into any animal, as per druid 12 Wild Shape without having to reverting into original form. One would think this can be expanded with Wildshaping feats since it works like Wild Shape. Hello Aberrant Wildshape!
Immune to garlic, crosses, mirrors (w/ reflections), running water & its immersion, wooden stakes, sunlight & similar magical effects except can't use (Su)s, -4stats, hit, saves, and skills
Dominated aren't free during daylight hours.
If killed in direct sunlight gaseous form hits at sunset.
True death requires decapitation+separate bodily immolation+scatter body ashes over running water + immerse head ashes in holy water, and bury it in consecrated ground. Can still be recovered, dried, unhallowed, and placed inside place of rest for a week before regeneration.
Swarmform Vampire Variant:
Assume form means swarm version of applicable form instead of nonswarm version
By applying the swarmform variant last, it is arguable that this will allow WSing into any applicable swarm. There doesn't exist any other way to do this that I know of.
Nontemplate Build Considerations:
Attribute priorities are: Cha, Con, str, int, dex, wis or if using my Metacompendium's caster nerf's: wis, cha, con, int, str, dex
Rolled stats of 18,17,16,16,8,4 are assumed unless using the Metacompendium (previously) T2 caster point buy of 22 for 18,15,14,8,6,3
Assuming we are a Earth+Desert (xor Jungle Kobold if using my Metacompendium's caster nerfs): -2str, -2Wis or int
That gives us 14str, 8dex, 17con, 16int, 2wis, 18cha xor a 3e fixed value of 6str, 3dex, 14con, 8int, 18wis, 15cha
Apply the standard charisma and constitution buffing templates & spells. Unfortunately dragonborn is out unless you are going straight vanilla vampire. Worship an elder evil for Willing Deformity and temporarily, Deformity (Obesse) -> (gaunt) for +2 con. If you aren't playing with 3e-balanced SAD casters, to can use Magic-Blooded (Drag Mag 306 p64) for +2cha & -2wis.
By Level 14, our stats would be nice and high. It wouldn't be too hard to afford +6 enh items to both con and cha.
The inherent bonii are worth the XP penalty if you are using my Wish Conglomeration thread (of course its in the Metacompendium). The party will probably expect one of its casters to pay for the XP costs for everyone, so hopefully that won't be you. Maybe the cleric will pity you and spend the .3*5*6=9k xp on you so you don't have to pay an NPC or use sanctum spell.
Prior to undeath: Bloodtouched Rite [PGtE p23] for HP=cha*(Con score-1)*.5. That's means 8*7=56hp or 8*8=64hp (remember that in fixed 3e casters are MAD too)
At undeath, apply the usual tricks. We'll start with the most unlikely.
Your creator is a Dread Necromancer 8: +2hp/HD, +4enh str&dex
Your Creator is a Necromancer specialist Wizard 1 who creates Enhanced Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#enhancedUndead): same as the above for another +2hp/HD
Corpsecrafter (LM)- +4 Enhancement bonus to Str, +2hp/hd
Deadly Chill (LM)- +1d6 cold dmg with natural weapons
Nimble Bones (LM)- +4 Initiative, +10ft to base land speed
Boost Resistance (LM)- +4 Turn Resistance
Desecrate: +1hp/HD
Thanks to the fact that we'll basically be getting Unholy Toughness and +1HP/HD from the Vampire Lord, these tally to (56 or 64) bloodtouched rite + 1d12*HD + [12 each HD]*HD + (8cha*HD), or an average of 488 or 496 @18HD without any additional HP or template charisma buffs.
The TallyThis (all reverse engineered savage progression) Half-Vampire, Savage, Swarm-form, Vampire Lord, Kasian, Vampiric Dragon is fully bought off and can fit into an ECL20 build, given enough xp.
Undead (w/ all d12's) [the above linked savage progression gives cha to anything that used con]
+5HP/HD [from templates, but 12total]
50' fly (perfect) [40'ms]
after 120 years: Str +22, Dex +16, Int +5, Wis +9, Cha+11, nat+8 [w/ items it's base +31str, +27dex, +16int, +20wis, +22cha & +4from HD to 1 stat]
Immune to Fire
DR 10/silver and magic. RAW, set to DR 15/magic and silver
Magic Natural weapons for DR
Fast Healing 13 if holding a 9.3k sword of Kas replica (+2enh str intelligent item with 34 total mental stats [1k], +1 longsword [2k] with 1/7days slay living [2.3k])
Res cold 20 & elec res 30
auto 40' (18mi at max 24hr to any piece of property [RAW still homeland]) Gaseous form. If killed in direct sunlight gaseous form hits at sunset.
+8 Turn Res
+8 racial Bluff, Diplomacy, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot, +4 Sense Motive
Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, (twice so get a DCFS) [w/ another +4], Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will and Leadership (must meet prereqs)
Any familiar should be a Rat Familiar (+2fort)
+cha to saves (similar to paladin) presumably (Ex) & stacks with divine grace
(Su) Telepathy 100' & 1 mile for controlled vampires
3 d4 slams (small-sized) [+1d6 cold]
1d4con Blood Drain (Ex) after pin of foe not less than a size smaller -> +5 temp hp
Children of the Night (Su) = standard action 1/day 1d4 rat swarms, 1d3 bat swarms, or 1d6 wolves after 2d6rounds which serve for an hour. Can see through them and communicate empathically 10 miles away. It also requires a command word, RAI.
~Dominate (Su) = standard action 30+10'/Age Category gaze or voice w/o LoS as suggestion CL18
Create Spawn (Su) = energy drain or 100% con drain on >5HD (monstrous) humanoids -> vampire spawn 1d4 days after burial or 4HD + 100% con drain -> spawn geas'd until its master’s destruction (or RAW until 12hours) w/ HD totaling 2*HD. Explicitly allows pyramid schemes. Adult or older dragons become Vampiric Dragons, younger become zombie dragons. Those dominated aren't free during daylight hours.
Energy Drain (Su) = 2 negative level with 2 d4 claws [+1d6 cold]. Anything that gives negative levels grants +5 temp HP. Take the [Monstrous] feat Wightblade [DragMag348p64] for energy drain through manifactured weapons.
charm monster 30'/Age Category upon full round speaking (no sight needed)
Control Weather (SLA) at will, CL12
Fog Cloud (SLA) at will, CL12
Telekenesis (Su) at will, CL12
at will, move action Alternate Form (Su) into any animal, as per druid 12 Wild Shape without having to reverting into original form. Includes swarm versions of applicable forms.
Weaknesses: sunlight & similar magical effects except can't use (Su)s, -4stats, hit, saves, and skills if spent the last 13 rounds or more in sunlight. RAW invitations are still oddly needed.
True death requires decapitation+separate bodily immolation+scatter body ashes over running water + immerse head ashes in holy water, and bury it in consecrated ground. Can still be recovered, dried, unhallowed, and placed inside place of rest for a week before regeneration.
Build 15: Do you want to have all the powerz+arcane spells but your DM rightly banned StP Erudite? Then step right up and plug in the "Easy Bake Psionics" onto your arcane caster. Enjoy the ride!
ExplainationIt's all about adding (mostly) all Psionics powers to any arcane build. Plug in these 3 ECL+build choices to make your Wizard 17 a (more than) a full theurge without fast casting or dual-progression PrCs!
CAdv20 says the Psithief ACF's "special abilities affect psionic powers only." It does not mean the the abilities only work on psionic creatures. Oh no, that would mean the ACF is a straight up inferior version of the "allow spellthieves to affect both spells and psionic powers" mentioned in the previous sentence. Instead what it is refering to is the psionic-themed spellthief's casting abilities from the stolen spells instead only fuel its psionic powers. Normally this would require a feat with a version similar name... I blame scrunched sidebar text for the lack of clarity, but then again WotC was never very good at explaining the full repercussions of any class adaptation (arcane swordsage, cough, cough). Spell-thieves don't exist, only psi-thieves. Just think UMD -> UPD, etc.
So its not rocket science. Make the spellthief a manifester rather than a caster. It gets powers known rather than spells know, 48sp->pp (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/spellPoints.htm) rather than numbered slots and spell progression rather than casting progression. It would use a crappy psionics up to 4th progression... but that's about to change.
The Trickster ACF (Drag Mag353p85) makes it into the STANDARD up to 6th level spellpower list which, of course means adding the whole bardpsychic warrior list for our spellthiefpsithief. We can steal any power that isn't on the psion or psychic warrior list without using chirurgery. There are very few, but completeness counts. If we wanted to be able to fuel our spells in addition to our powers, we'd have to take the psithiefspellthief feat from Complete Scoundrel (it gives Know(Arc) & Spellcraft instead). There's really no need unless you want to be a stickler about Master SpellPsithief [CS79]. This is the feat that normally breaks the separate CL pools rule. Now it breaks the separate ML pool levels. Oh yeah.
Mantled Erudite (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) allows Magic Mantle for metamagic shenanigans
Substitute Powers ("") allows filling mantles up with 10 powers each (+3 for freedom & +3 for time)
Dips: Ardent 1 (Freedom+Time), Mantled Erudite 1, Psy War 2, Divine Mind 1, Psithief 1 (no steal spell effect and unchanged detect magic), Fighter Feat version Psionic Rogue 2 (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd%2Fpsm%2F20040723b), Hidden Talent ACF (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a) Soulknife 1, subverted psion 1 [HoH63 for max Con table:29-32 -> 111, 33-36 -> 125, so every 4 con allows 14 more PP. Con=132 gives a total of 461 bonus pp. Will save -10 gives us the amount to look on the table for depravity. We can reliably make an DC43=11+18+14 at ECL 10 assuming 38Wis -> another +139pp.)
above 10
Practiced Manifester +4
Overchannel +3
BL 3
= 20 which allows 8th level powers
Psycarnum infusion+Midnight Augmentation= -4pp to augmentation costs. -5with Expanded Soulmend Capacity.
+Azure Talent = 8free pp. 10 free pp with Expanded Soulmend Capacity.
so psycarn the azure talent and gain pp then regain focus as move action
and then psycarn the midnight aug and spend the 10pp+5aug and only spend x
any powers that psy wars get at a lower level... actually don't matter since we have free massive PP
Let's look at the essentials: Erudite for all the powers known we need w/ magic mantle (CL classes count as ML classes) and psithief for master psithief adding all those CL turned ML classes for Psithief. Subverted Psion gives us all the PP we need, which makes Psycarn redundant excluding the high ML augmentation stretches. This build doesn't do that.
Total: 2 ACF'd variant classes, 1 PrC, 1 feat. Takes a caster build and instantly psi-theurges it so it can do whatever with the 600+ powers on the two main lists. The 50ish powers you are missing more than make up for a DM who loves hypercognition, bans 9ths and holds you to the RAW on the repercussions.
Discipline Powers to look out for1
Minor Creation, Psionic: Creates one cloth or wood object.
Precognition: Gain +2 insight bonus on one roll.
4
Dimensional Anchor, Psionic: Bars excradimensional movement.
Dismissal, Psionic: Forces a creature to return to its native plane.
Dominate, Psionic: Control target telepathically.
Schism: Your partitioned mind can manifest lower-level powers.
7
Reddopsi
Fate of One
8
Hypercognition: You can deduce almost anything.
Mass Time Hop (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/timeHopMass.htm)
The Build Trickster (Drag Mag353p85) Psithief [Spellthief variant] 1 / Erudite [Psion Variant] 1 Mantle ACF (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) [Magic Mantle] / arcane casting x 3/ Subverted Psion 1 [4th level power, nongood, taint, Lunatic Insight] / arcane casting x 14
101 SRD Powers KnownKnow Direction and Location
Call to Mind
Float
Synesthete
Inertial Armor
Precognition, Defensive
Precognition, Offensive
Prescience, Offensive
Force Screen
Vigor
Control Light
Far Hand
Crystal Shard
Energy Ray
Grease, Psionic
Conceal Thoughts
Control Object
Astral Construct
Minor Creation, Psionic
Thicken Skin
Charm, Psionic
Biofeedback
Body Equilibrium
Elfsight
Sustenance
Share Pain
Knock, Psionic
Control Sound
Psionic Lock
Ego Whip
Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions
Clairvoyant Sense
Control Air
Animal Affinity
Chameleon
Levitate, Psionic
Dimension Swap
Time Hop
Solicit Psicrystal
Danger Sense
Mental Barrier
Ubiquitous Vision
Energy Bolt
Body Purification
Dispel Psionics
Touchsight
Ectoplasmic Cocoon
Concealing Amorpha, Greater
Energy Cone
Hustle
Divination, Psionic
Aura Sight
Detect Remote Viewing
Trace Teleport
Psychic Reformation
Intellect Fortress
Telekinetic Maneuver
Energy Adaptation
Freedom of Movement, Psionic
Dimensional Anchor, Psionic
Dismissal, Psionic
Quintessence
Inertial Barrier
Control Body
Dominate, Psionic
Schism
Energy Ball
Metamorphosis
Anchored Navigation
Mindlink, Thieving
True Seeing, Psionic
Shatter Mind Blank
Plane Shift, Psionic
Adapt Body
Incarnate
Second Chance
Fiery Discorporation
Psychofeedback
Psionic Revivify
Restore Extremity
Teleport Trigger
Metaconcert
Contingency, Psionic
Overland Flight, Psionic
Temporal Acceleration
Disintegrate, Psionic
Crystallize
Fabricate, Greater Psionic
Null Psionics Field
Dispelling Buffer
Restoration, Psionic
Banishment, Psionic
Precognition, Greater
Moment of Prescience, Psionic
Evade Burst
Mind Blank, Personal
Reddopsi
Fate of One
Shadow Body
True Metabolism
Teleport, Psionic Greater
Costing 7140xp1 21 420
2 16 640
3 13 780
4 20 1600
5 12 1200
6 11 1320
7 5 700
8 3 480
7140xp
I have the above split into downtime vs adventuring powers, as all psions should have their powers listed. But since we don't have pp problems (even without recharge infinite loops!), I don't feel the need to list them.
All the other powers you could know if your DM isn't smart enough to split main caster lists:Non-SRD
Comprehend Languages, Psionic
Speak With Animals, Psionic
SYNCHRONICITY
Alarm, Psionic
Detect Undead, Psionic
STYGIAN DISCERNMENT
Psionic Armor, Lesser
Psionic Weapon, Lesser
Astral Tasker I
Psycholuminescence
Ectoplasmic Repair
Unseen Servant, Psionic
FIrefall
DEFLECTION FIELD
Floating Disk
Channel the Psychic Dragon
ENERGY ARC
SLOW BREATHING
STONE MIND
URBAN STRIDER
Synaptic Shock
Animate Rope, Psionic
Force of Mind
Spirit Mark
Erase, Psionic
Prestidigitation, Psionic
Jump, Psionic
ENDURE ELEMENTS, PSIONIC
Pass Without Trace, Psionic
Remove Fear, Psionic
Psychic Whip
Dimension Slip
Call Item
Time Skip
EIDETIC LOCK
Calm Animals, Psionic
PRIMAL FEAR
Find Traps, Psionic
Helmsman
Skill Knowledge
Prescient Combat, Lesser
Prescient Dodge, Minor
Foretelling
Sense Danger
Psychic Beacon
Waking Dream
Targeted Mind
Astral Tasker II
Ecto Puppet
Ectoplasmic Mist
Lesser Energy Spheres
Amethyst Burst
CRYSTALSTORM
Burning Ray
Saridor's scout
Invisibility
ENERGY EMANATION
ENERGY MISSILE
ENERGY STUN
Claws of the Bear
DAMP POWER
Delay Poison, Psionic
EARTH WALK
Evade Breath
Constrictor's Touch
PSYCHIC SCIMITAR
Reach
STYGIAN RAY
Make Whole, Psionic
Secret Voice
Dimension Slip, Quick
EVADE ATTACK
Bend Space
PSYCHOPORTIVE SHELTER
Glide
LARVAL FLAYERS
Dimension Slip, Flash
Dimensional Shearing, Lesser
Forced Dimension Slip
ELEMENTAL STEWARD
Minor Action
Temporal Blur
Mental Rage
Dream Lock, Psionic
Induce Awe
Animal Messenger, Psionic
SERENITY
Zone of Truth, Psionic
ZONE OF ALERTNESS
Dissonant Touch
Multiply Pain
Prescient Combat
Prescient Dodge, Lesser
Nondetection
REALIZED POTENTIAL
Breath Barrier
Incarnum Fusion
Psionic Armor
Psionic Weapon
Astral Tasker III
Create Food and Water
Project Quori Spirit
Revitalize Legacy, Psionic
GLYPH OF WARDING, PSIONIC
Dream Spirit, Psionic
Vile Mist
Whitefire
Saridor's mount
Helping Hand, Psionic
Negate Psionics
Stun Quori Spirit
TELEKINETIC BOOMERANG
ETHEREAL VOLLEY
ENERGY LANCE
Exploding Stone
Dragon Hearted
Glibness, Psionic
Water-born
MINDFIRE
Bite of the Tiger
Secret Page, Psionic
Shrink Item, Psionic
Secret Script
Astral Steed
Dimensional Rift, Superior
Dimensional Rift
Saridor's minor calling
DIMENSION TWISTER
Major Action
Contrarian Urge
EXHALATION OF THE BRONZE DRAGON
PSYCHIC CONTAINMENT
Forced Dream
Faint Memory
CEREBRAL PHANTASM
Saridor's presence
Thoughtsoothe
EMPATHIC TRANSFER, HOSTILE
Skill Knowledge, Greater
Prescient Dodge
DISCERN LIES, PSIONIC
Darkness Cloak
Mind's Eye
Crystal Lodge
Energy Spheres
ECTOPLASMIC SWARM
BURROWING BONDS
Hellish Mist
Pulverize
Spontaneous Combustion
Gemstone Breath
Amplified Invisibility
Spontaneous Combustion
ENERGY FLASH
Zone of Silence, Psionic
Open Chakra, Psionic
Claw of the Fiend
Bloodletting
PLANAR APOTHEOSIS
Dimensional Shearing
Forced Dimension Slide
SHADOW EFT
Saridor's lesser calling
DIMENSION DOOR, PSIONIC
Dream Lock, Psionic Mass
SUGGESTION, IMPLANTED
Blackwater Mind
Change Fate
ETHEREAL AGENT
Force Fate
Premonition
Astral Tasker IV
Ectoplasmic Armor
DETAIN ECTOPLASM
Unstable Wall of Ectoplasm
Psionic Energy Mantle
Improved Firefall
Intense Whitefire
ENERGY NULLIFICATION FIELD
Matter Rearrangement
TELEKINETIC BUFFER
Brilliant Blast
CELESTIAL CONDUIT
STOMP, GREATER
Power Turning
Suppress Schism
SUPPRESS SCHISM
Burning Blood
Sense of the Dragon, Psionic
CRANIAL DELUGE
STYGIAN DOMINION
Claw of Abomination
Caducity of Flesh
ANTICIPATORY STRIKE
TEMPORAL REITERATION
Dimensional Rift, Improved
Saridor's calling
Suppress Legacy, Psionic
PSYCHOTIC BREAK
Temporary Insanity
Helmsman, True
Psychic Sight
Prescient Dodge, Improved
PSYCHOMETRY
Psionic Armor, Greater
Psionic Weapon, Greater
Hardening, Psionic
Flaming Shroud
Improved Energy Spheres
Saridor's improved scout
Ablating
Negate Psionics, Greater
ENERGY BARRAGE
Energy Trap
MIND OVER ENERGY
Combat Transformation
STYGIAN BOLT
Claw of the Shadow Demon
Breath of the Dragon
Fly, Improved (overland flight?)
Dimensional Shearing, Improved
ETHEREAL ABDUCTION
Forced Dimension Door
Saridor's flight
Saridor's improved calling
INCONSTANT LOCATION
Deepsight
Astral Tasker V
Soul Crystal
Energized Claw
ENERGY CLAW
Crystal Body
Raging Whitefire
EYES OF THE BASILISK
Control Weather, Psionic
Dimensional Rift, Greater
Saridor's greater calling
PLANAR CHAMPION
Foresight
Astral Tasker VI
Energy Spheres, Greater
Saridor's guardian
STYGIAN VEIL
PLANAR EMBRACE
Dimensional Shearing, Greater
Forced Teleport
Saridor's superior calling
Sever Legacy, Psionic
Intensify Manifest Zone, Psionic
Anchor Plane
Temperal Reiteration
The only powers you are missing almost always going to miss areHUNGRY TOUCH
PROTECTION FROM GOOD, PSIONIC
DIMENSION HOP
PROTECTION FROM EVIL, PSIONIC
TOUCH OF HEALTH
DIMENSIONAL POCKET
SENSORY GLOOM
Detect Secret Doors, Psionic
Detect Snares and Pits, Psionic
DEATH KNELL, PSIONIC
FROM THE BRINK
CLAWS OF DARKNESS
SEE INVISIBILITY, PSIONIC
Find Traps, Psionic
MENTAL TURMOIL
BREATHLESS
Stasis Cocoon
SPEAK WITH DEAD, PSIONIC
Microkinesis
DISCERN LIES, PSIONIC
Create Tether Hound
STYGIAN WARD
LIGHT BEAM
ENERGY MANIPULATION
FIENDISH CONDUIT
PROTECTION FROM PSIONICS
Greater Stasis Cocoon
SHADOW WALK, PSIONIC
Feather Weight
CONCUSSIVE DETONATION
MEND WOUNDS
ANALYZE DWEOMER, PSIONIC
POWER THIEF
ANIMATE PLANTS, PSIONIC
CHAOS FISSURE
SPIRIT OF WAR
DARK DESPAIR
GREATER GLORY
LIGHT BURST
PROTECTION FROM SPELLS, PSIONIC
Saridor's breath
Saridor's cognition
Saridor's sight
Saridor's transference
Saridor's true calling
Saridor's wrath
INTELLECT BOMB
EARTHQUAKE, PSIONIC
And the following are Psywar-only, one of which we can snag with our psithief level (arcane bard -> psionic psy war progression): DEADEN BLOW
CALL ARMOR
ADRENALINE BOOST
EXTEND RANGE
MIGHTY SPRING
INSPIRE MOUNT
Call Armor
Bite of the Wolf
Call Weaponry
Claws of the Beast
Compression
Expansion
Grip of Iron
Metaphysical Claw
Metaphysical Weapon
Prevenom
Prevenom Weapon
Stomp
DISTRACTING SHOUT
ETHEREAL VOLLEY
INCITE BRAVERY
EXTEND REACH
MOMENT OF INSIGHT
STYGIAN WEAPON
PERFECT ARCHERY
POWER CLAWS
POWER WEAPON
STYGIAN ERASURE
Vigilance
Power Claws
Power Weapon
Dissolving Touch
Dissolving Weapon
Painful Strike
Prowess
Psionic Lion’s Charge
Psionic Scent
Strength of My Enemy
Wall Walker
Tail of the Dragon
STYGIAN BANE
Claws of the Vampire
Dimension Slide
Duodimensional Claw
Exhalation of the Black Dragon
Graft Weapon
Vampiric Blade
PSYCHOKINETIC WEAPON
STYGIAN DISRUPTION
Blade of Light
Claw of Energy
Immovability
Steadfast Perception
Truevenom
Truevenom Weapon
Weapon of Energy
PERFECT RIPOSTE
EMPOWER WEAPON
LIVING ARROW
Adamant Grasp
BLACKSTONE HAMMER
RAGE OF THE REMORHAZ
STYGIAN TOUCH
Call Cohort
Form of Doom
If you wanted to go 2 psy war, 2 lurk, 2 psy rogue for the 1st level powers, all that would be missing are: Some archery homing
some duskblade-age
a ddoor alternative
an item-able power
an oddball stability power
archery 1st person perspective
a grappling power
an odd petrify power
Do you want to pushing the build further? Taking Practiced Caster (yeah, the feat no one takes) or having a more than a minor bloodline allows you to, with early entry mystic theurge, get decent a divine caster side too! This would make your ML(1+1)+(1+10+4) or ML(1+1+2)+(1+10+2) Something like our above 3ECL+1wizard+1cleric+10MT+5Legacy Champion would grant 8ths from the major lists, still without any fast casting. For a DM who bans 9ths, you've got it all!
Build 18 The Only Truenamer Build You Should Ever Try
Read First:I'm assuming the 3.5e has been fixed as per my sig. I'm not using C8 so that others can easily follow the progression.
Technically, if you want to use it, the Truenamer levels wouldn't condense, just the first PrC which would become 2 levels long.
I originally built the build with some 'dead levels' fillers since Truenamers don't even have the crappy WotC-approved ones. Feel free to discard them. They don't really help the build do much more than it already does.
The tl;dr version of the fixes that immediately apply to truenamers is mostly in the tier-scrunching:
unchanged ToM192 reads DC15+2*(CR/HD/CL) for regular truespeak and Law of Resistance is still +2. Remember that it only applies to the SAME utterance when repeated. Different utterances do NOT add higher DC's to each other by RAW.
The above dead levels help a bit for eeking into t5: Timeless Body @3, +2 synergy per base Knowledge skill with 5 ranks @4, +10' Reach @5, @level 11 Countering Moves: may use a move action to Full Attack upon any AoO's for 1 round. This does not break Ward of Peace if you are within 30' of an ally,
@level 12 Take 20 on truenaming checks, @level16 Replace one Utterance you know with another of up to the highest level you can truespeak, etc
t6 -> ~t5: ToM234's Law of Sequence only applies to harmful utterances or unwilling targets. Saying you can't keep multiple of the same debuff up on different targets (who are fighting you) is one thing, but saying you can't fog/bull's strength a second ally because you have it going on elsewhere is just too much. Even t1 caster's wouldn't stand for that kind of nerf. T5 Warlocks request the same fairness too...
For getting into t4, I'd suggest simply doubling the utterances known and then allowing each utterance to stack with each different utterance even if the stacking rules wouldn't permit it: ie. Word of Nurting Least + Lesser = Fast Heal 4 rather than Fast Heal 3 overriding Fast Heal 1. Two Word of Nurturing Least on the same target would continue to override rather than stack as normal. Warlocks desire this as well. This means temporal twice works with haste, etc to the contrary of its 3.5 reminder text.
t5 -> ~t4: As per page 234, the truename check that a truenamer could beat is now considered a truenamer's effected "caster level" for not just dispelling but for durations as well. Note that RAW, the spells that utterances emulate use straight CL (truenamer level), rather than the ECL (truespeak check) and we aren't changing that. Specificially, page 233's duration should end with: "an utterance will usually run its course unless dismissed. Unless mentioned otherwise, all utterances durations given in rounds per effective truenamer level (which is the total truenamer check)." Therefore Truenamers come out of the box with (5-24+int)5*round durations at level 1, or a maximum of a little over 3min. This is similar to a first level caster using a 1min/CL spell and a CL booster.
The only duration that are an exception to the above are A) the instantaneous utterances: temporal twist, spell rebirth, transmute weapon, Word of Bolstering (normal), Ether Reforge (reverse) but not normal, B) concentration, up to x rounds: Singular Mind (reversed), Ward of Peace (reversed), C) many of the damage or heal uterrances have one-fifth the duration (normal and reversed): the Word of Nurturing series, Energy Negation, D) some keep their normal durations: Greater Temporal Spiral, Ward of Peace (normal) but add to the end: ""that were already in affect, but do not allow those abilities to be attempted if they would harm the target creature." Lastly, remove the duration for Thwart the Traveler so that it uses the spell duration.
Of the non-duration changes, A) Some utterances need to be lowered a level: Seek the Sky, Morale Boost, Greater Knight's Puissance, Energy Negation, and Word of Bolstering. B) A few need their effect range extended: Shield of the Landscape is now 5'/truespeak check and Lore of the World is anywhere on the same plane rather than 1mile. C) Most all utterances are well-written: Strike of Might needs "Your target's single next weapon damage roll" replaced with "Your target's weapon damage rolls", Speed of the Zephyr should read "reduced by 10 feet / truenamer level". D) Some utterances forgot to help truenamers: Cast Lens should add 2 to your truename checks, and Magical Contraction (reversed) should add "or Empower Utterance" + "or utterance DC", Accelerated Attack should read "cast or use utterances" "lose the spell or utterance" "casting spells or using utterances" and "caster or truespeak defensively", Silent Caster should read "any spell or utterance" + "spell or utterance. +5DC is required to avoid the 20% failure chance." and it should read Will Negates (harmless) for the reverse.
E) The recitation feats, however, all need to last 24 hours since they are like personal invocations.