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Messages - Brains

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1
How could both these PrCs fit into a single build with the most fluidity?

I'm not looking to make a record breaking Telf SL full attacker obviously, but I thought it would be fun to combine these two, if possible.

So far these are a few of my ideas:
1 level dip in wizard for abrupt jaunt.
Battle Jump
Focus of UAS and Natural attacks, maybe just Girallon Arms and some monk progression (FotF?)
Psionics for a Dimension Door ability.

Maybe something like Wizard 1/PsyWar 6/Telflammar Shadowlord 4/Barbarian 1/Black Blood Cultist 8

Teleport above target for two full attacks, then Abrupt Jaunt above them again for another two full attacks, into a grapple for damage with all natural weapons.

This is just musing, so I'd love to hear some more ideas, and maybe some help with making a more fleshed out build using these PrCs.

Also a couple questions..
Shadow pounce seems to be most often optimized by trying to fit in as many teleporting abilities into a single round, essentially filling every action with one (i.e. move, standard, swift...). Why is it accepted that the full attack at the end of a teleporting action is a free action? It seems to me that it would function like a normal pounce attack and would not allow for any standard/move actions afterwards. Is there something I'm missing that allows this full attack to be done outside of the action economy?

Also, Telflammar Shadowlord seems to be used much more often than Crinti Shadow Marauder, and I've seen people say that this is because a CSM can only shadow pounce when riding a mount, yet I'm not seeing this rule anywhere in the description of the class. Again, is there something I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

2
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Bear Warrior size changing
« on: March 26, 2014, 06:34:57 PM »
Those stat increases are only for when size changes due to additional HD, not just anytime you might change size.

Shit really? That would change things.

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Bear Warrior size changing
« on: March 26, 2014, 05:52:08 PM »
medium is assumed, belike.

Maybe, but nothing in the writing suggests so. What is certain is that (1) Brown Bear form gives +16 str +2 dex +8 con, and (2) Brown Bear Form changes size to large, which triggers another physical stat change.

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Min/Max 3.x / Bear Warrior size changing
« on: March 26, 2014, 03:43:37 PM »
Mistakes were made.

5
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Tank build idea
« on: March 25, 2014, 05:55:59 PM »
Yeah and most of the Hellreaver abilities are also pretty bad, considering many of them can only be used on evil outsiders. Divine Succor and Furious Strike are the ones worth using I believe, and one or the other will be used pretty much every round, except those following a saving throw.

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Gaming Advice / Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« on: March 25, 2014, 05:52:48 PM »
Where a person was born is a property of the individual person, not of that person's race or genetics. What if you use racial emulation to emulate a race with multiple homelands (such as humans, who typically live everywhere)?
From another direction: Why does planar bubble make a bubble of Limbo when cast on a githzerai? If githzerai had a racial trait to make them count as native to Limbo, the changeling wouldn't get that trait (also, githzerai don't have such a trait). If planar bubble said "When planar bubble is cast on a githzerai, it creates a bubble of Limbo", then racial emulation would work - but it doesn't have specific language like that. Instead, the spell looks at the creature in question, asks "on what plane was this creature born?", and makes a bubble of that plane. If a particular githzerai happened to be born on the material plane, then casting planar bubble on that githzerai would create a bubble of the material plane.

I disagree with this. In D&D, a race has a native plane, not individuals. Humans are native to the material plane. Githzerai are native to limbo. The Planar Bubble spell works off of this rule.


Quote from: Monster Manual, pg. 130
Githzerai characters possess the following racial traits.
— +6 Dexterity, –2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.
—Medium size.
—A githzerai’s base land speed is 30 feet.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
—Racial Feats: A githzerai gains feats according to its character
class.
—Special Qualities (see above): Psionics, inertial armor, spell
resistance equal to class levels + 5.
—Automatic Languages: Githzerai. Bonus Languages: Common,
Slaad, Undercommon.
—Favored Class: Monk.
—Level adjustment +2.

We know that these are the racial traits for githzerai. We know that githzerai, as a race, are native to limbo. We also know that Racial Emulation makes a changeling considered another race for all purposes except racial traits. This specifically includes "spells keyed to race". Planar Bubble is keyed on where a race is native too, therefore a changeling emulating a githzerai would be considered a githzerai when subject to this spell. I think this is pretty clear.

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Gaming Advice / Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« on: March 25, 2014, 04:55:16 PM »
The changeling is native to wherever he was born (by definition). This is probably the material plane, unless something in your character's backstory says otherwise.

When planar bubble is cast on a githzerai, the bubble mimics Limbo because that's where the githzerai in question, like all other githzerai, was born.

Racial Emulation allows the changeling to count as another race for all purposes. Are you saying this shouldn't include where they are native to?

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Tank build idea
« on: March 25, 2014, 04:49:30 PM »
idk enough about Locks to critique that.

Healing?
So 5 rounds of combat you could heal 100 hp at level 12, for 5 Swifts.
The usual beef, is don't bother with in-combat healing.
And that a Wand of CLW is fine out-of-combat.

Anything with a focus of healing isn't going to be very high-tier obviously, but since it only requires swift actions, it's effectively fast healing 20 that can be applied to any friendly target. If nothing more, that could be fun.

9
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Earliest possible Elemental Wild Shape?
« on: March 25, 2014, 04:43:57 PM »
Interesting.

Ranger can qualify for the PrC 1 level earlier.
Paladin too, needs that AniCom adder feat (hazy).

Druid 1 / Divine Minion +1LA / Master Of Many Forms 9
... with LA buy-off would be 10th level, and on time.

However a middle-aged pun-pun would now be watching you.

MoMF specifically requires Wild Shape to be a class ability to qualify though, so Divine Minion shouldn't work. If there was a way to get 40,000 gold you could buy a Wild Shape Amulet (Magic of Faerun) to wild shape at level 1.

If someone could get into MoMF at level 2, gargantuan wild shape at level 11 would be fun. Roll a venerable Dragonwrought kobold for Epic feats and take Colossal Wild Shape and Improved Elemental Wild Shape to be any colossal elemental you'd like at ECL 11. But that's kind of cheesy.

10
Gaming Advice / Re: Racial emulation and planar bubble
« on: March 25, 2014, 04:33:01 PM »
The Extraplanar Subtype is added to any creature that's not on it's native plane. A Githzerai doesn't Racially actually have the Subtype anymore than an Elf does.

Ah OK. But a changeling with Racial Emulation is still considered a native to limbo when emulating a githzerai, right?

11
Gaming Advice / Racial emulation and planar bubble
« on: March 25, 2014, 03:31:31 PM »
The changeling racial feat Racial Emulation states that when assuming the appearance of a race, you can emulate that race's subtypes and are considered a member of that race for all purposes besides directly receiving traits.  Does this mean that a changeling who has the Planar Bubble spell cast on her while emulating a humanoid (extraplanar) emulates that creatures native plane's characteristics?

For example, a changeling emulates a githzerai, emulating their extraplanar subtype and considered a githzerai for all purposes. When Planar Bubble is cast on that changeling, she receives the benefits a githzerai would for being native to limbo. Is this correct?

12
Min/Max 3.x / Earliest possible Elemental Wild Shape?
« on: March 25, 2014, 02:03:14 AM »
By taking the Wavekeeper class, one can get Elemental Wild Shape at ECL 12. Is this the earliest that Elemental Wild Shape becomes available?

13
Min/Max 3.x / Tank build idea
« on: March 23, 2014, 07:40:14 PM »
Tanks in D&D have never really worked out, but it's still fun to try.

Crusader 1/Fighter 2/Paladin 2/Hellreaver 5/Binder 1/Exemplar 4/Hellreaver +3

Feats
1: PA, Combat Expertise, Martial Study, 2 flaws
2: Improved Trip
3: Knockback, Improved Bull Rush
6:Shock Trooper
9:Skill Focus (concentration)
12: Shape Soulmeld
14: Blind-fight
15: Endurance
16: Track
18: Mage Slayer

Be a dwarf.
+enlarge person
By level 6 you have a decent lock down build going on.

Martial study feat and 2 Diamond Mind rings:  Mind Over Body, Moment of Perfect Mind, and Action Before Thought.

This build has Con and Cha applying to all saves and AC, so defenses will be pretty high.
Every round you can self heal yourself or an ally for 10 (ECL7), 20 (ECL10), 30 (ECL 20) points of damage as a swift action. By around 11-12, this healing, furious strikes, and divine shield can be used as often as you like without having to worry about Holy Fury Points.
Decent, constant healing, high AC and saves and a basic lock-down strategy that kicks in by level 6.

Thoughts?

14
Gaming Advice / Re: Kensai Pyrokineticist
« on: March 16, 2014, 12:51:06 AM »
Perhaps, but it looks like you'd have to hold on to the Fire Lash forever.  It dissipates once you let go, and I don't see any reason to believe that you're summoning the same Fire Lash each time you use your ability.

That's definitely one way to look at it. It could be treated like a natural weapon too, though it's impossible to know.

15
Gaming Advice / Kensai Pyrokineticist
« on: March 15, 2014, 08:23:46 PM »
The Pyrokineticist's Fire Lash ability:
Quote
A pyrokineticist gains the ability to fashion a 15-foot-long whip of fire from unstable ectoplasm as a move-equivalent action. She takes no damage from a fire lash she creates, and if she releases her hold, it immediately dissipates. The lash deals 1d8 points of fire damage to a target within 15 feet on a successful ranged touch attack. A pyro can take Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization (if she otherwise meets the prerequisites) in conjunction with the fire lash, as well as any feats that apply to the use of a standard whip. The whip remains in existence as long as the pyrokineticist holds it.
So a Pyrokineticist can take Weapon Focus (Fire Lash), and the only requirement for a Kensai's signature weapon is that he has Weapon Focus for it. Can a pyrokineticist/kensai therefor choose Fire Lash for his signature weapon? Is this a way in which Fire Lash can be enhanced and imbued?

16
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Ur-Glaivelock build
« on: March 15, 2014, 11:43:20 AM »
I guess I should look things up before citing them. :P The Quicken Spell feat says it can't be used on spontaneously cast spells, because using metamagic on them increases the casting time to one full-round action ("trumping" the effects of the feat). I'd misremembered why the feat didn't work on spontaneous spells...

Since the Astral trait specifically says it allows you to quicken spell-like abilities as with Quicken Spell, and Quicken Spell lets you Quicken spells with up to 1 full-round action, then yes it should work as you'd intended.

Whew, thanks. You had me worried for a moment.

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Ur-Glaivelock build
« on: March 15, 2014, 11:30:28 AM »
Ah OK, now I see. I'd forgotten that you could quicken all SLAs (and spells) in the Astral Plane. However, since it works like Quicken Spell (explicitly), and you also explicitly can't use Quicken Spell on a spell with a full round action casting time (the bane of sorcerers everywhere), then I agree with Empirate that you couldn't Quicken an Eldritch Glaive using this method. The Quicken SLA feat might allow you to skirt this 3x/day as it has its own mechanics spelled out and they do not actually reference the Quicken Spell feat.

Why can't you quicken Full-round spells? The feat says: A spell whose casting time is more than 1 full-round action cannot be quickened. It doesn't say more than or equal to unless there's errata that says so.

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Ur-Glaivelock build
« on: March 15, 2014, 11:10:21 AM »
Can you actually quicken EG even though it's a full-round action? I wouldn't allow it as a DM...
It doesn't seem to be prohibited, though it appears the author of the feat didn't consider spell-like abilities that aren't a standard action to use.

Even if you allow it, it's only 3 times per day.

This build doesn't include Quickened SLA. All the quickened Eldritch Glaives come from an Extended Planar Bubble spell. With a half decent CL this needs only to be refreshed maybe once a day for Quickened spells or SLAs every round.

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Min/Max 3.x / Re: Ur-Glaivelock build
« on: March 15, 2014, 11:07:42 AM »
Three points after a quick read, two minor, one major:

- minor point: the devoted spirt amulet won't give you access to thicket of blades, since you also need to fulfill the prereq of the maneuver. And thicket of blades requires at least 1 other devoted spirit maneuver.

- minor point: the bind vestige feat: usually in builds using hellfire warlock, 1 level of binder is chosen to have access to naberius, to offset the ability damage from hellfire warlock. But the feat 'bind vestige' gives access to only 1 of naberius his abilities, which isn't the faster ability healing.

- major point: the effectiveness of this build varies greatly over the levels. At level 1 (ok, 3, since you'll start with +2LA) you'd be, no offense, the 'waste of space', and over the levels your build evolves to a melee monster that cast 9th level spells as well. Some examples: at level 3, you'd have 1 level warlock. You can either make 1d6 touch attacks, without the needed feats to do so, or go into melee, with you one lonely hit die and 1d6 damage. At that moment the party wizard casts glitterdust, the whirling frenzy barbarian pounces enemies for over 25 damage, the mounted paladin does tripple damage on a mounted charge, etc. At level 7, you'll have 3 BAB, if I see it right, and you can cast lvl 2 divine spells. Your melee damage is 3d6. The party wizard cast evards black tentacles, the crusader makes a melee attack with 8d8 bonus damage, the druid summons a bear, is a bear, and has as animal companion a bear, the whirling frenzy barbarian makes 3 attacks on a charge (with shock trooper and leap attack, if you play in an optimized environment). Even at level 12, when you can using DMM persist, I think you'll lag behind in damage compared to most other classess, and in utility as well compered with at least the full casters. At the high levels, you'll be able to shine.

Given the fact that you use LA buy off, I assume you start before level 6 - unless your DM is giving away +LA for free. If that's so, I'd be careful with playing this build, unless the entire party uses builds that start weak and end very strong (and the DM is aware of this). Else there is the risk that either at the beginning of the campaign your char is too weak and perishes soon, or at high levels becomes much stronger then the rest of the party.

Great points all of them. I realized when posting that Thicket of Blades wouldn't be available because of the prerequisite, but this is easily fixed by getting TWO Amulets of Devoted Spirit and just pay the extra price of having one of them in a different slot.

I completely missed that tidbit about Bind Vestige. Replacing a binder level with the feat is one of the changes I made from my last post to reduce the amount of dips I was making, but it looks like I'll have to put it back in there as I'd rather use the questionable Strongheart Vest.

I'd like to just say that I'm unlikely to actually play any builds I post. I'm either the DM or playing a low-op character in the games I play  because everyone has more fun that way.
Builds like this are ones I make just for the hell of it. It's fun to mess around with whats out there and I learn more about the game while I'm at it.
That being said, the problem you described is one I rarely avoid while making builds like this. I'm terrible at balancing something at all levels and I'd much rather concentrate on end-game, because that's where I can really show synergy with different class abilities.
Lets say that this build would be for a game that started at ECL 6. That would mean warlock 4 and 2 LA, reduced to 1 LA before I take my next level. What changes could I make to this build to reduce the number of dead levels?


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Min/Max 3.x / Ur-Glaivelock build
« on: March 15, 2014, 12:30:50 AM »
I posted a build I was fiddling with quite some time ago that was basically this same idea, but I've since polished it up and made it more streamline so I thought it was worth posting again. Though I'm not sure where it lands in the tier system or even if it's any good, I'm quite happy with it. It's nothing original, and primarily uses basic ideas like the glaivelock and DMM persisting silliness but it works together nicely I believe.

Race: Githyanki (+2 LA, assuming full buyoff by 20)
Warlock 5/Ur-Priest 2/Eldritch Disciple8/Monk 1/Hellfire Warlock 3/x 1 (Mystic maybe)

Here's a level by level build:
(click to show/hide)


Githyanki
Githyanki come from the astral sea, so casting planar bubble on one gives them a free quickened spell every round.

Also subjective directional gravity could be all sorts of fun in a dungeon.

That Monk level
The monk level will be modified with two different ACFs. First, it will be an Invisible Eye monk from UA for Combat Reflexes. Secondly, it will utilize the Decisive Strike ACF from PHBII.
Decisive Strike:
(click to show/hide)

Eldritch Glaive
(click to show/hide)
It's an invocation (an SLA), and can be quickened like a spell. Strength is not added to the damage rolls because it is not a weapon. However it is a melee attack and so Power Attack can be applied to it. Whether or not Power Attack can be applied to the damage rolls is unclear and has long been debated.
(click to show/hide)
Reach for this attack will be 25 ft. with enlarge person and 35 ft. with Righteous Might, but it will have a donut blindspot. With Divine Power persisted, Eldritch Glaive will be operating at a full attack bonus, including iteritives. AoOs can be made within this area and with a Devoted Spirit Amulet to give the Thicket of Blades stance, every movement will provoke one.

Decisive Strike + Eldritch Glaive
A round in combat can go like this if no additional spells/invocations are needed to be cast and no movements need to be made: Hit someone with Decisive Strike as a full round action. Then hit them with a double damage full attack maximized eldritch glaive as a swift action. If anyone moves before your next turn, hit them again with a double damage eldritch blast. Any hellfire damage is maximized and applied to every one of these attacks. Past level 14 eldritch blast will turn into vitriolic blast and bypasses SR, saves, and every attack deals an extra 2d6 acid damage every round. (Some argue that this acid DoT stacks with itself, which if it were true would make those iteritive attacks ridiculously powerful).

Here's some number crunching on EB's damage:
7d6 (base) +6d6 (hellfire) +2d6 (Chasuble) +1-4d6 (Scepter)
Total maximum of 19d6
Maximized: 114
Decisive: 228
Full attack: 912 damage
+228 for every AoO
if Power Attack is ruled as OK, then the full attack will be increased to 1072 damage.

Persistin'
Priority 1: Planar Bubble extended (can't be persisted)
Divine Power
Necrotic Empowerment
Holy Transformation
Greater Visage of the Deity
Shield of the Archons
Righteous Might

Whether all these spells can be persisted every day depends on that last level. If Dragonlance is allowed, Mystic would provide a second turning pool. Extended and persisted spells are also more turn efficient if you can manage to cast them a couple days in advance. If all of these are stacked, the caster will become a beast in combat.

That about covers it. The rest of my feat choices should be pretty self-explanatory but if someone wants I can clarify anything. By level 15 it has 9th level divine spells and a Dark Invocation, and does a much better job at melee than any straight fighter could ever.

Any comments, criticism, questions?

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