Min/Max Boards

Going to look up the wording on that.

@Vaz: I have all those feats listed for the dire flail smash stuff, but I'll work on putting together a build that showcases it, and I'll work on working in the rest of that material.

Quick, Nobody Move: The Lockdown Handbook:


This handbook is all about ways to prevent enemies from doing the things they want to. There are a few major methods:

Tripping them so they take a -4 to attack and have to waste actions to stand.
Stand still to prevent them from moving.
Bullrushes to prevent them from being where they want to be.
Doing all this on their turn via huge attack of opportunity generation.
Dazing/stunning/fearing.

This option is excellent
This option is good
This option is decent
This option is weak
This option is a trap


The one noticeable thing here is that there are tonnes, and tonnes, and tonnes of interesting options: Feats, Class Abilities, and tricks. Unfortunately, you can't get them all, and many of them are tragically not fighter bonus feats.

There is also an interesting metagame problem here: You can build melee characters well enough to basically instantly negate 100% of melee encounters, resulting in your DM providing you with nothing but archers and casters.

Weapons:
Guisarm and Armour Spikes: This has the advantage of providing reach tripping, 2 handed damage, and not requiring a feat. Unfortunately, you probably can't get 2 handed damage off your armour spikes or spiked gauntlet.
Spiked Chain: Requires an exotic weapon proficiency, but threatens everywhere within reach and is also tripping. Unearthed Arcana has “weapon group proficiencies” which lets you take Flails and Chains and Exotic weapons rather than spending the feat, but you lose out on a lot of other proficiencies.
Kusarigama (DMG pg 145): 1 handed, light, 1d6, otherwise just like a spiked chain (reach, tripping).
Unarmed Strikes: Importantly, you can trip with unarmed strikes. Best with swordsage/monk levels.

Sword and Axe: For the High Sword/Low Axe feat, which provides a free trip attempt when you hit with each.
Dire Flail: You're using the Dire Flail Smash feat. It's a tripping and disarming weapon, but unfortunately, not a reach one.
Morningstar/Heavy Mace/Greatclub:  You're using these for Three Mountains Style, presumably with a bull rush build/intimidate, rather than tripping/aoo/reach.





Stats:
Strength: This is a primary stat, being the provided of most DC's, opposed checks, and damage and to hit. You want high strength
Dexterity: This is a high secondary stat, being relevant for feats, AoO's, armor class and reflex saves, and sometimes opposed checks and DC's.
Constitution: You want some con, people are going to attack you.
Intelligence: You probably need intelligence 13 for combat expertise. Warblades/Swashbucklers get a little more out of this.
Wisdom: You probably don't need wisdom, though your a melee character so you will save will need some help. If you're a psychic warrior you need a bit more of this.
Charisma: You probably don't need charisma, though if you are a crusader you get some mileage out of this.


Races and Templates:
Human: The bonus feat is always golden, as you inevitably want more feats.

Half-Ogre template: (Dragon 313 pages 95-96): If small or medium +1 size category (+10 ft movement), +2 NA, Darkvision 60, Giant Blooded, +4 Str -2 int -2cha, LA +1 if size increase, +0 if not (Pair with Half-Minotaur and get both for LA+1).

Half-Minotaur (Dragon 313 pages 95-96):  If small or medium, +1 Size category (+10 ft movement), +2 NA, Gore Attack (1d6 medium, secondary natural attack), Darkvision 60, +4 to escape mazes, Scent, +2 Listen/Spot/Search, +4 Str/+2 con/-2 int, LA+1. Increasing size provides another +8 str, -2 dex, +4 con and +2 NA

A Half-Ogre, Half-Minotaur Human, for example, provides +16 Str, -2 Dex, +6 Con, -4 int, -2 cha, NA+6, and size: Large for LA+1. Dragon Magazine, what did you expect.

A 32 point buy looks like, if you need to worry about Dex/int 13 for feats: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 9, modified to become: Str 26, Dex 14, Co 20, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 7. For LA+1.


Goliath (Races of Stone): +4 str, +2 con, -2 dex and powerful build for LA+1. This is the reasonable thing that DM's probably won't blink at, since it comes from Races of Stone.

Half-Giant: SRD (here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/halfGiant.htm) Powerful build and a psychic focus. Unfortunately, also LA +1, +2 Str/+2 con -2 dex. Unless you really want 2 power points for free (entering Warmind without psychic warrior), Goliath is probably better; especially with mountain rage.

Dragonborn: Con bonus, dex penalty. You need dex more than most melees for your AoO's, but you might consider this (also, flight)


Everything Else: Templates and races that boost strength/dex/con while penalizing mental stats might not be terrible, but these four really shine, though I'm interested in hearing more if anyone has a favourite race.



Classes:
Fighter: The Bonus Feats matter here, with 4 levels providing 3, 6 levels for 4, 8 for 5, and 10 for 6. Fighter past 10 will probably be better off with mixing in other classes: Cloistered cleric/ordained champion is 2 level for 2 feats, Psychic warrior is 2 levels for 2 feats, as is feat rogue.

Fighter, Dungeoncrasher (DS, p 10) : Trade your 2nd and possibly 6th level bonus feat for the ability to deal damage with bullrushing people into walls (4d6+2* strength at 2, 8d6+3* strength at 6). Combine with things like directed bull rush and shock trooper.

Counter Attack (PHB 2, p 45): Lose bonus feat at 12th. Use a full round action to make an attack, when you're attacked during that round you may attack your attacker as an immediate action. This doesn't seem to be an attack of opportunity (it's never mentioned), so it's like free Robilar's Gambit, but requires you to take slightly less attacks. You can merge it with AoO's, so each time someone attacks you, you can get an immediate attack + an Attack of Opportunity.

Overpowering Attack (PHB 2, p 45): Lose bonus feat at 16th. Make a full round action to make one attack which deals double damage...as do all your attacks of opportunity until the next round. Fighter 16 starts to look remarkably viable.

Zhentarim Figher Substitution Levels (CV, web): is useful for 3rd/5th and 9th level substitutions, which respectively give you skill focus: intimidate, let intimidate last for 24 hours, and let you intimidate as a swift action. Combine with Imperious Command + Intimidating Rage + Never Outnumbered Skilltrick to cause everyone within 10 feet to cower for 24 hours as a swift action (whoops!).

Psychic Warrior: Levels 2 get you 2 bonus feats with only 1 lost BAB (or 0.5 if fractional). The expansion power is an excellent version of Enlarge Person. If you go Psychic Warrior 8, you can dump 8 power points into it, which gives you 2 size increases instead of one --- and is conveniently where the 4th Psychic Warrior Bonus feat is located.

Barbarian: Barbarian itself isn't great, however:
Goliath Barbarians get Mountain Rage (Races of Stone), which gives a size boost while raging.

The Whirling Frenzy variant from Unearthed Arcana is an improvement over typical rage, providing an extra attack.

The Ferocity Rage Variant here boosts your dexterity, which can be good for AoO builds. https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a

Lion Totem from Complete Champion famously trades Fast movement 10 for pounce which allows full attacks on charges.

The Wolf Totem from Unearthed Arcana gives you improved trip at 2nd level without requiring combat expertise, allowing you to have lower intelligence.

Builds with only a few levels of Barbarian + Intimidating rage are also going to want to look at the -Extra Rage (Rage) [CW] Feat: +2 rages/day.

Monk: Monk itself, is, as everyone knows, terrible. Only 2 levels of it, however, provide flurry of blows, improved unarmed strike, wisdom to AC, evasion, and 2 bonus feats. The trick is, of course, trading the feats away using bizarre alternative class features: Monk Variant: Fighting Styles from UA has options you might care about, such as Cobra Strike (Dodge/mobility, great for qualifying for things), Overwhelming Attack (Power attack, improved bull rush, if you were already taking those feats), Passive Way (Combat Expertise and improved trip).

Ranger: Two levels offer two weapon fighting on the cheap, but aside from that, Ranger offers little to lockdown builds.

Rogue: Rogue itself offers little aside from skills and bonus damage, but Feat Rogue 2 (trade sneak attack dice for fighter bonus feat progression) is a great way to grab 2 more fighter feats + evasion + some skill bonuses. Rogue + Staggering Strike + Some way of reliably triggering it on AoO's, however, is excellent.

Factotum (Dungeonscape): Factotum 1 provides int to things (sometimes, as long as you have inspiration points), but Factotum 3 provides int to combat maneuvers. Some synnergy here with Warblade and Swashbuckler 3. Factotum 8 provides the ruinable cunning surge, but that requires a level and feat investment that most lockdowns won't be able to provide.

Knight (PHB2): Knight 3 provides the excellent Bulwark of Defense, which makes all terrain you threaten difficult terrain (IE, no 5 foot steps). Unfortunately, that's about where the class ends --- and most people will get a similar ability via Thicket of Blades with X8/crusader 2.

Swashbuckler(Complete Warrior): Swashbuckler 3 provides Weapon Finesse and Intelligence to damage, which is not terrible, but you probably don't have the stats to make it really work.

Marshall (Miniatures Handbook): Marshall 1 provides an aura which gives charisma to combat maneuvers. Marshall 2 provides an aura +1 to your choice of attack, damage, DR/-, 5 foot movement, saves, AC. That's pretty meh.

Crusader: Crusader is in part designed for lockdown; many of it's maneuvers work specifically to lock down enemies, or hurt them once they're locked down.

Warblade: Warblade isn't quite as lockdown oriented as a crusader, but it's still excellent, with good access to similar tricks. 1 level of warblade lets you turn your Cleric 1 war domain weapon focus into whatever weapon focus you like, so that's convenient for qualifying for pre-requisites.

Swordsage:: Swordsage is the least lockdown oriented, but tome of battle brings a lot of excellent things to the table, as per usual.

Totemist: Based around natural weapons (making reach more troublesome), they do have Worg Pelt, which when bound to hand, gives a free trip with bite attacks. Problem is, knockdown already gives a free trip to all attacks...

Gishing it up
Psionics has some easy options (Psychic Warrior, Warmind) with benefits.

Divine, Cleric8/Crusader2/Ruby Knight Vindicator 10 gets you the standard crusader goodies and casting as a 16th level cleric and BAB18. Cleric9/Crusader1/Ruby Knight Vindicator10 gets 17th cleric casting and 17 BAB.  Just take lockdown focused feats and win.
Go Cleric5/Ordained Champion3/Crusader2/Ruby Knight Vindicator 10 if you want to focus on melee a little more; You have BAB 18 and the option of 2 fighter bonus feats, but only 15th level cleric casting. There are some excellent cleric buffs for melees in general, and Righteous Wrath provides a size boost.

On the Arcane Side, Jade Pheonix Mage Combines the Arcane + Maneuvers, but isn't really focused on the excellent Crusader lockdown maneuvers. Abjurant Champion is excellent, but again, not specifically lockdown useful. But ultimately, lockdown is about 70-80% a feat base combat style, which means it combines well with whatever you like.


Prestige Classes:
Cloistered Cleric 1 (UA) + Ordained Champion 1 (CC): Cloistered Cleric 1 provides knowledge devotion + war domain for weapon focus + 1 other domain. Ordained champion provides a 4th domain, and then you can trade the two domains for 2 fighter bonus feats --- one more level provides Diehard if you wanted it for some reason.

Exotic Weapon Master (Complete Warrior): You can make your exotic weapon of choice a tripping weapon. Unfortunately, there are no reach double weapons, so this doesn't make double hit + reach work, but there are still uses for this. Twin Exotic Weapon Fighting reduces you're TWF penalty by 1, and Flurry of Strikes gives you a typical extra attack (works with Spiked Chain despite not being an exotic double weapon).

Bear Warrior 1 ---> War Shaper 3 (Complete Warrior, both): 4 levels gets you +5 feet of reach, plus +4 Strength +4 constitution and the ability to turn into a raging bear. You probably want to squeeze the extra rage feat in if you enter with Barbarian 1 or 2. If you're going bullrushing style, this is probably a reasonable thing to consider, if you're going traditional spiked chain tripper, you don't get to wield weapons as a giant bear, so Don't do it.

If you can use a mouth pick (LoM+1 enhancement) spiked chain, things get crazy.

War mind (Expanded Psionics Handbook): If you're going psionic, Warmind is an excellent option: It's enterable at 5th with a single level of psychic warrior or a psionic race. With no feat requirements, It provides a decent power progression (basically, psychic warrior) 3/4ths BAB d10, and free action Str/Con bonuses, free action AC bonuses, DR, and the most important 5th level ability: Sweeping Strike.

He can choose squares he threatens that are adjacent to each other, and his attacks apply to creatures in those two squares equally. A war mind can use this ability on any attack, even an attack of opportunity or a cleave attempt.

I'm taking an attack of opportunity to improved trip someone who dared to move...and they're next to an ally, and I also get to trip them? That's incredibly awesome, but it's even more awesome when you work it with Shock Trooper's Directed Bull Rush. Round 1: Bull rush a bunch of people so that they're near each other (knock em back and knock em down). Round 2: Momentum swing all over the place. Use AoO's to keep them close to each other with stand still and improved trip.

Ironforge Soulmaster (Magic of Incarnum): There is a guide here, but at 9th level, your weapon dazes. With 3/4ths BAB, no feat pre-reqs, and incarnum progression, if you want an incarnum lockdown, this is probably a good idea. Unfortunately, I'm far from an expert on the magic of blue, so you'll notice this guide is short on incarnum related tricks. The DC is 10+con+invested essentia. Looking at a totemists essential chart, that could reasonably be 9 invested essentia for a con based DC similar to a 9th level spell --- but this trick wouldn't come online until 14th, unfortunately. See Red Fel's guide here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?344798-Soul-and-Steel-A-Guide-to-the-Ironsoul-Forgemaster-%28WIP-PEACH%29

Invisible Blade: (Complete Warrior): 3 bad feat pre-reqs, the important here is the 5th level ability to feint as a free action once per round. This + Group Fake out + Staggering Strike means your AoO's all trigger staggering strike. With knockdown, you can trip and stagger enemies on AoO's, rendering them entirely useless. Unfortunately, the sneak attack this class provides only triggers with daggers...or an aptitude spiked chain?

Deepstone Sentinel: (Tome of Battle): 4th level gives you Stone Curse: As an immediate action, hit melee makes will save DC 10+1/2 level + Str modifier or movement modes 0 for 1 round (except fly). The immediate action part of it is not great, and you've got a dwarven (not great) prestige class focused around Stone Dragon (not great) maneuvers. Other abilities are also focused around knocking people prone, but they require too large action types (Standard, 1 target, dragons tooth), and Earthquake, which is swift + 60 foot range but only 1 per encounter...you know what, I had this originally coloured as orange, but I think it's an okay option...

Fist of the Forest (Complete Champion): 3 feats, but you might already have IUS + Power attack, depending on which feat chain you're looking at. Great fortitude sucks. Otherwise, full BAB, D10 hit dice, fort/ref saves, and 3 levels of: Con to AC while unarmored, unarmed damage progression (to 1d10), fast movement 10, Feral Trance (Bonus to DEX? Yes!), and scent. This is good for a build that was already going unarmed strike style (probably for defensive throw/tripping adjacent while wielding a guisarm).


Feats:
General Style Feats:
Combat Expertise: [Fighter] It's often an important pre-requisite, and you'll probably never use it.
Power Attack: [Fighter] Bonus damage.
Blindfight: [Fighter] Best picked up via the Darkness domain, and lets you take Pierce Magical Concealment.
Pierce Magical Concealment: (Complete Arcane) Ignoring miss chances to to spells is great.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency: [Fighter] Good for those spiked chains (or whatever).
Snap Kick: (ToB) Arguably works with AoO's. Otherwise, this is weaker in feat starved builds.
Elusive Target: (CWar) With mobility as a prereq (ew), all 3 of the maneuverings are useful: negating power attack, when adjacent to 2 causing the first attack to be rolled against the enemy, and if they miss when you provoke an AoO from moving out of a threatened area, you get to trip them back (not even as an AoO! Just a free trip!)
Steadfast Determination: PHB2: Don't fail fort save on natural 1, use con instead of wis for will saves. It's good for shoring up an important weakness, but non-fighter bonus feats are too damned tight; get items of moment of the perfect mind instead.
Earth Devotion: (CC): Creates difficult terrain. Get thicket of blades instead.
Knowledge Devotion: CC: It's excellent, but it's just bonus attack/damage. You can do so much more with feats; but if you take a cloistered cleric dip, take it for sure.

AoO style Feats:
Combat Reflexes:[Fighter] You're going to be an AoO build regardless of what you do, you need combat reflexes. It's also frequently a pre-requisite.
Mage Slayer: (MM5) You need to be able to AoO casting mages. This lets you.
Karmic Strike: (CWar) It requires the enemy to hit you, not merely to attack you (like Robilar's). On the other hand, it comes online way earlier. On the other hand, it requires combat expertise, which you might otherwise skip by virtue of wolf totem barbarians.
Robilar's Gambit: [Fighter] (PHB2) AoO each time the enemy tries to attack you. It's awesome, but the BAB requirement means it comes on tragically late.
Defensive Sweep: [Fighter] (PHB2) AoO if the enemy is adjacent and doesn't attempt to move. Thicket of Blades + this means a guaranteed AoO on every enemy round. But the BAB requirement is again, tragic.
Defensive Throw: (CWar) With 4 required feats (even if 2 can be gotten at monk1 and 2 you would take anyways), this has steep prereqs. It's basically karmic strike, except it only works on the person you're dodging, they don't get an attack bonus, and you only get to trip them (and get the improved trip attack if you succeed) as an AoO.
Sidestep: (Miniatures Handbook) With steep requirements (dodge, mobility, dex 15 and tumble8), come incredible benefits: a free 5 foot once per turn when you AoO.
Evasive Reflexes: (ToB) This is sidestep, except no once per turn limit and it costs you the AoO. Which is better? This doesn't have pre-requisites...but damn. Sidestep.
Deft Opportunist: (Complete Adventurer) +4 to attacks during AoO's. If you have lots, this matters.
Hold The Line: (CWar) You can AoO a charging opponent who enters a threatened area --- it resolves before the charge attack, so you can stop chargers by tripping them/standstilling them. The downside is it only works for charges, and thicket of blades probably gives you those AoO's already.
Large and In Charge: (Draconomicon) Requires you to be large (or goliath and count as such), and requires natural reach 10ft...but after succeeding on an AoO based on them moving into threatened area, you make an opposed check (strength + 1/5th damage + normal size bonuses for being larger). If you succeed, they stand still. It's like standstill, except you get to damage them.
Stormguard Warrior: (Tome of Battle) A classic; trade AoO's for attack and damage bonuses, or use touch attacks to build up attack and damage bonuses.
Supernatural Opportunist: (Tome of magic): AoO on supernatural abilities, requires a useless feat. Too rare to really matter.
 
Tripping Style Feats:
Improved Trip: [Fighter] It's a good way to stop enemies, and it gets you a bonus attack (at their -4 for being prone armor class!) Awesome.
Stand Still: (Expanded Psionics Handbook) This is good for enemies that are just too big or too many legged to trip (or consistently flying, if your DM rules that way. (Enemies have to make a save DC your damage to keep moving).
Jotenbrud: (Races of Faerun) It treats you as large if it's advantageous, and is only available to humans (from FR regions)...by the time you're getting consistent enlarges it doesn't matter, so the long term viability here is a little low.
Knockdown: (Sword and Fist) When you deal 10 damage+, you get a free trip attempt. This is good for enemies you don't suspect you'll be able to trip; you can attack normally and get the back up trip attempt, rather than try to trip, fail, and get no attack. If your DM rules that you get to use improved trips attack with the free trip attempt here, this goes up to totally awesome, as all your attacks go from “Touch attack, trip, attack” to “Attack, trip, attack again!”
Wolf Beserker: (Unapproachable East) +4 on trips, lets you take trip without the combat expertise prerequisite.

Bull Rushing Style Feats:
Improved Bull Rush: [Fighter] It's good for pushing people around, but is somewhat hard to do. It's not really anyones favourite combat maneuver until you start pairing it with dungeon crasher or other better combos...like
Knockback: (Races of Stone) If you hit with power attack, free bullrush. Bonus on opposed strength check by how much you power attacked by means guaranteed wins. Hint: Combine with Knockdown and Dungeoncrasher, and every attack you make bullrushes people into the floor. Even better? You don't have to follow them. And if you're in thicket of blades, that movement probably provokes an AoO!
Shock Trooper: [Fighter] (CWar) Directed Bull Rush, Domino Rush, and heedless charge. Heedless Charge famously lets you take the penalty for power attack to AC instead of Damage, but Directed Bull Rush here is useful for dungeon crashers, and Domino rush is slick if you have improved trip, at least prior to levels where you get lots of attacks.
Combat Brute: [Fighter] (CWar) Bonus damage after bullrushing people based on the distance you move them, and momentum swing gives you bonus damage after power attacking round 2 after a charge (*3 instead of *2). This is less lockdown and more what you do about it after. The improved Sunder pre-req is bad.
Tiger Blooded: (ToB): 5 foot knockback with Tiger Claw maneuvers, specifically doesn't provoke AoO's.
Commetary Collision: (PHB2) [Fighter]: Ready standard action; enemy charges in range, you counter charge. They can only charge you.  If your DM lets you use steadfast boost from MiC  to constantly be ready against a charge without blowing actions, This is amazing.

Further more, as long as you carry a two-handed weapon, you are treated as if you had readied that weapon against any creature that charges you (and thus it deals double damage if your attack is successful), even if the weapon can't normally be set against a charge.

Weapon Style Feats:
Not a Feat: The Weapon Aptitude Enhancement (+1): From ToB page 148,

A wielder who has feats that affect the use of a particular type of weapon, such as Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, or the like, can apply the benefi ts of those feats to any weapon that has the aptitude quality. In addition, if any of the wielder’s weapon use feats are specifi cally keyed to the aptitude weapon’s type, he gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls.

If this means you can use Weapon Style feats with your guisarm/armor spikes or spiked chain (check with DM), things like High Sword/Low Axe (High Guisarm/low haft?) and Dire Flail Smash (dire spiked chain smash?) both become excellent, fast.

High Sword/Low Axe: (Cwar) Requires two weapon focuses (ouch), but when you hit with both, you get a free trip attempt and that trip attempts attack. It's a good combat style for a lockdown, except that it doesn't help you get reach --- making it interesting and alternative but not excellent. It's great if you can use it with an aptitude spiked chain.
Improved Unarmed Strike [Fighter] + Superior Unarmed Strike: (Tome of Battle) This helps you use your unarmed attacks to trip and deal damage if you're going the guisarm route with monk and swordsage levels, but inevitably, you're not getting enough levels of those to really damage off of these abilities. Probably better off going spiked chain.
Two Weapon Fighting [Fighter] --->Improved Two Weapon Fighting [Fighter] --->Double Hit [Fighter] (Miniatures Handbook): If I can find an exotic double weapon with reach and used exotic weapon master to make this a tripping weapon, it's going to be my new favourite trick Unfortunately, said weapon doesn't seem to exist. Otherwise, two weapon fighting with a lockdown is feat intensive and generally weaker --- though a 15 or 20 ft reach dire flail smash double hit two weapon fighter is still a pretty damn cool build. Try to trip on the first AoO, get a free attack, hit with the second --- tripped and dazed. Oh YEAH! Or just use aptitude weapon and do it with a Spiked Chain.
Dire Flail Smash: [Fighter] (Champions of Ruin) Requires improved Sunder (eww) and weapon focus, and exotic weapon proficiency, but if you hit with both ends, you can daze (fort negates, but the DC is 10+1/2 level+str, so not bad). Dire flails are also tripping weapons, and double hit would let you daze on AoO's (awesome!) but the big downside is the lack of reach here, leaving it, like High Sword/Low Axe, a good combat style for a lockdown, but without reach, merely an interesting and alternative option, but not great. It's great if you can use it with an aptitude spiked chain.
Three Mountains Style: (CWar) 4 feats, 2 of which you're decently likely to have and 1 of which is a frequent pre-requisite. If you hit twice with a heavy mace/morningstar/great club, make a fortitude save versus nauseate (DC 10+str+1/2 char level). The weapons are subpar even if nauseate is a good effect. It's great if you can use it with an aptitude spiked chain.
Boomerang Daze: (Races of Eberron) Dazing 2 targets a round (with Boomerang Ricochet) is cool, but it's not really capable of being the core of a lockdown build.
Shield Style: Improved Shield Bash [Fighter], Shield Charge (Cwar) [Fighter] (free trip when charging with a shield), shield slam (Cwar) [Fighter] (with charge, free Daze, DC 10+1/2 char level+str), and possibly Shield Ward (PHB2) [Fighter] or Agile Shield fighter (PHB2) [Fighter]. While it's a cool style (charge, trip and daze them then hit em again!), it is very, very charge based, and doesn't synnergize wonderfully with traditional AoO lockdowns. Aptitude weapon doesn't solve this problem since it's charging focused.
Staggering Strike: CADv. Unfortunately, you need some sneak attack, but if you deal damage with a melee sneak attack, you stagger (Fort DC DAMAGE dealt). To be clear, that's madness. If you've got good flanking/good ways to render people flat footed (see invisible blade), you can trip and stagger people on the AoO. I put this under combat style because hunting down sneak attack dice/flat footed stuff isn't going to be an option in every build. (Blurstrike tragically doesn't do what you need here). Invisible Blade 5 works, or Clarion Commander (ToB feat), but Clarion Commander requires a tragic standard action to intimidate for 1 minute flanking...though if you can use it with never outnumbered (which is a bluff based skill trick) it might be worth it.
Freezing the Life Blood: (Cwar), [Fighter], huge requirements (BAB10, Wis 17, and IUS+Stunning Fist), lets you use stunning fist to paralyse for 1d4+1 rounds instead --- has to be an unarmed attack. Use with Contagious Paralysis (Libris Mortis) and Directed Bull Rush or Setting Sun throwing maneuvers to push your paralysed enemy into other people, forcing paralysis. DC is 10+1/2 level + wis, unfortunately, so the requirements here are going to guarantee it comes on late.

Intimidating Feats:
Imperious Command: (Drow of the Underdark) If demoralize in combat, cower in fear for 1 round, shaken for next. Use with Zhentarim Fighter 9 (for swift action intimidates that last 24 hours!) and the Never Outnumbered Skill trick.
Intimidating Rage: (Cwar) When entering rage, demoralize 1 foe in 30 feet as free action. Last until rage ends, usable only once per rage. The major downside here is you probably don't have tonnes of rages, but it does work with never outnumbered, so if you have say, 3 rages, and 3 encounters of mobs in 10 feet around you, it works.
Instantaneous Rage: (Cwar): Combine with Imperious Command and Intimidating Rage: rage as an immediate action and ruin everyone elses start of combat.
Intimidating Strike: (PHB2) [Fighter] It's good at lower levels, but your intimidate penalty doesn't grow, and it requires a standard action --- and it can't worsen people past shaken.

Reach Feats
Willing Deformity + Deformity (Tall): (Heroes of Horror), requires evil. +3 Intimidate,  This provides +5 feet of reach, but requires you to be evil and medium size, and -1 ac and -2 hide.
Aberrant Blood + Inhuman Reach: (Lords of Madness) Gain a minor benefit and +5 feet of reach, +2 climb checks, -1 attacks, plus this awesome text:

As described on page 112 of the Player's Handbook, a reach weapon doubles your normal reach

: These 4 feats, +enlarge person/large size, give you a base reach of 20...or a reach of 40 with a reach weapon. That's awesome. You need to go large after you take the Willing Deformity and Deformity (Tall) feats, though.

Skills and Skill Tricks:
Balance: You want 5 ranks.
Bluff: 5 ranks for +2 intimidate.
Concentration: You want some if you're going ToB or Psychic Warrior
Intimidate: Max if going intimidate.
Use Magic Device: Obviously useful
Use Psionic Device: Equally useful.
Tumble: Good for moving around without provoking AoO's.

Skill Tricks: All from Complete Scoundrel.
Back On Your Feat: Stand as immediate action without AoO
Collector of Stories: Great with knowledge devotion
Never Outnumbered: Can hit all enemies within 10 feet of you that can see you, instead of just one, with intimidate to demoralize.
Nimble Charge: Charge over difficult surfaces.
Twisted Charge: 1 90 degree corner in a charge.

Powers:
Overchannel (feat) can help you get there quicker (1 until 8th, then 2 until 15th, then 3 pts)
Psychic Warrior 1: Expansion. For 1pp, enlarge person that lasts 1 round/level. For 3pp, 10 minutes/level. For 7pp, quicken/or gain 2 size categories, for 9pp, quicken/2 size categories + 10 minutes/level. The major downside here is the dex hit, which you want for AoO's.
Psychic Warrior 2: Strength of My Enemy: Weapon steals strength, gives it to you as explicitly stacking enhancement bonus.
Psychic Warrior 2: Reach: +5 reach, swift action, rounds or minutes for augment. Found here:
https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827e

Spells
Enlarge Person: +1 size! Yay!
Alter Self: +1 Size! Yay!
Repelling Shield: Sorc/Wiz 3. Reflex negates; std action, 1 min/level: after attack is resolved (hit or miss), reflex save or be pushed back 5 feet.  Provokes for leaving threatened area. Great lockdown spell.

Maneuvers
Some material copy-pasta from:
http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1073251

Essentially, there are lots of good to very good maneuvers for lockdown builds. The best of them are lower level, as they can be gained with a lower investment in Tome of Battle. Late level entries can gain excellent maneuvers, too, so a standard melee build might look like: X8/Crusader2 (Iron Guards Glare, Defensive Rebuke, Thicket of Blades). X8/Crusader2/X2 gives you IL7 with Warblade or Swordsage for 4th level maneuvers, and X8/Crusader2/X6 gives you IL9 with Warblade or Swordsage for 5th level maneuvers. You can't get 6th level Warblade/Swordsage maneuvers with just 1 level of either of them, though with a Tome of Battle maneuver progressing prestige class, you can (or even better).

Defensive Rebuke, (WR3, B): You hit people. Anytime they someone else in the next round, they provoke. Great for forcing people to attack you, not the squishies.
Iron Guards Glare, (WR1, S): Enemies threatened take -4 to hit allies. Great to make those squishies less squishy.
Thicket of Blades, (WR3, S): The infamous. X8/Crusader 2 gets it at 10 (+Iron Guards Glare and Defensive Rebuke). Provoke AoO's for 5 foot steps. A core expectation in any lockdown build.
Press the Advantage (WR5, S): “While you are in this stance, you can take a second 5-foot step immediately after you take one for the round.” Hilariously, this combos with sidestep or evasive reflexes: On every AoO, choose to move 10 feet with your AoO? Top notch combo. The only downside is not using it with Thicket of Blades. If you have Master of Nine levels, you can dual stance these two. Hilarious.
Rapid Counter (DM5, C): Strike foe that provokes an AoO without wasting an AoO. Or just AoO them twice (or with Double Hit: 3 times.)

The rest of these are good and provide versatility and useful options to a lockdown build, as do many ToB maneuvers not highlighted here. In particular, moment of perfect mind to deal with your will save is a very, very good idea for every melee build.

Boulder Roll (SD4, M): Make overrun at +4 check. Helps make sure you get to where you need to be.
Mountain Avalanche (SD5, M): Make a trample attack against enemy. Helps make sure you get to where you need to be.
Adamantine Hurricane (IH8, M): Make 2 attacks at your highest BAB against each adjacent opponent you threated with a +4 bonus to attack. Use with Warmind's sweeping strike (debatable rules) to attack people adjacent to them as well.
Mithril Tornado (IH4, M): Attack all adjacent foes with a +2 to attack as a std action. As Adamantine Hurricane.
Lighting Recovery (IH4, M): If you miss with a melee attack reroll the attack with a +2 bonus. Obviously awesome.
Step of the Wind (SS1, S): +2 to attacks & +4 to trip/bull rush while you battle those in an area with difficult terrain. If you create difficult terrain (knight, earth devotion, deepstone sentinel), this stance is a free +4 trip. Downside: You want to be in thicket of blades.
Counter Charge (SS1, C): Make an opposed STR or DEX check to force a creature charging you two squares away from you. It's good for foiling charges, but thicket of blades + trip on the charge movement will pull this off later.
Shield Counter (DS7, C): Shield bash stops foe’s attack. If you've somehow screwed up and they're attacking, this can solve that problem.
Manticore Parry (IH6, C): Redirect an attack at you to an adjacent target. If you've some how screwed up and they're attacking, you can help them attack their ally, instead.
Scorpion Parry (SS6, C): Same as manticore parry.
Burning Brand (DW2, M): All melee damage is given the fire type and reach is increased by five feet.  Only works on your turn, unfortunately, so no good for AoO's.
Dancing Blades Form (IH5, S): +5 reach only on your turn. Does not stack with other reach enhancing maneuvers. Still no good for AoO's.
Feigned Opening (SS3, C): When you are the subject of an AoO by a foe, either you gain an AoO in return (if they miss) or your allies gain an AoO (if the foe hits).
Stalking Shadow (SS5, C): Take a 5' step into a square at the same moment a foe leaves it. He'll then provoke an AoO for leaving your threatened space.
Dazing Strike (IH5, M): Strike dazes foe for 1 round, Fort DC (15 + STR).
Disrupting Blow (DM5, M): Target becomes unable to act for 1 round
Comet Throw (SS4, M): Trip your foe with a +4 bonus and then throw him a distance based on your check (min 10 feet) dealing 4d6 damage to him.
Devistating Throw (SS3, M): Trip your foe with a +4 bonus and then throw him a distance based on your check (min 10 feet) dealing 2d6 damage to him.
Mighty Throw (SS1, M): Trip your foe with a +4 bonus and then throw him 10 feet.
Soaring Throw (SS5, M): Trip your foe with a +4 bonus and then throw him a distance based on your check (min 20'), dealing 8d6 damage to him.
Leaping Flame (DW5, C): Teleport next to a foe who just hit you (up to 100' feet away). Good for dealing with archers, which will be more common as a response to all these builds. Good for the metagame.
Wolf Pack Tactics (TC8, S): Take a 5-foot step with every successful attack.
Mirrored Pursuit (SS5, C): You can follow an opponent adjacent to you as an immediate action, up to your speed in distance.
Shifting Defense (SS5, S): If a foe misses you, you may take a 5' step. Doing so consumes one of your available AoOs. Strictly not as good as pairing sidestep with Press the Advantage.
Ghostly Defense (SS8, S): If foes have a miss-chance against you, you can redirect incoming attacks to targets adjacent to you.
White Raven Hammer (WR8, M): Extra Damage, stuns foe with no save.
Iron Heart Focus (IH5, C): re-roll any save, must take second roll.
Iron Heart Surge (IH3, M): End any non-instantaneous condition currently affecting you.
Wall of Blades (IH2, C): Deflect a ranged attack with an opposed attack roll.
Moment of Perfect Mind (DM1, C): Concentration check for Will Save
Action Before Thought (DM2, C): Concentration Check instead of Reflex Save
Mind Over Body (DM3, C): Concentration Check instead of Fortitude Save

Items:
Knockback (+3 Bonus)[MoF]
Sweeping (+1 Bonus)[MoF]
Screaming (+1 Bonus)[MoF]
Fearsome Armor Enhancement. (5000gp)
Aptitude Weapon Enhancement (+1 bonus).
Intercepting Weapon Enhancement (Eberron, Forge of War): Provides free attack when attempt to charge, trip, sunder, or grapple. Great if enemies can do that without provoking AoO's (mostly trip/sunder/grapple, as with thicket of blades charges will provoke AoOs)



Builds







Ambiguous Rulings

Does powerful build let you qualify for feats that require large size?

Powerful Build: The physical stature of a goliath lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever a goliath is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the goliath is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A goliath is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A goliath can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.

It specifically calls out a list of things:
1) Size modifier for opposed check
2) Creatures special attacks
3) Weapon size
4) Space and reach.

None of those are “qualifying for feats.”
That being said, a couple feats specifically call out letting a Goliath with powerful build qualify for them, like Knockback.

Abjurant Champion requires BAB5.

Unless he is starting play at level 19, he will be two levels behind in casting. That is unacceptable. You need level appropriate abilities.

That really, really, really is highly dependent on how a DM runs a game and what monsters a DM chooses to use.

The battle sorcerer got shot down;

What is wrong with your DM?

It sounds like you need things crazily straightforward, so here is core only:

Fighter1/Wizard5/Eldritch Knight10/Wizard+4
BAB 15, casting as level 18 wizard.

If you can get Spellsword 1 from Complete Warrior:

Fighter 1/Wizard4/Spellsword1/Eldritch Knight 10/Wizard +4
BAB16, casting as level 18 wizard

If you can get Abjurant Champion from Complete Mage:
Fighter 1/Wizard4/Spellsword1/Abjurant Champion 5/Eldritch Knight 9
BAB 18, casting as level 18 wizard.

Lovely, thanks for all the help guys! Also, Defensive Rebuke is a 3rd level Devoted Spirit boost that causes enemies who attack others to provoke AoO's.

CR1:
HP:

DMM Persist Cleric, Human, Cleric 1:
Lawful Good.
HP: 8+2+1 = 11

25 point buy
STR: 14 - 6 points
DEX: 12 - 4 points
CON: 14 - 6 points
INT: 8 - 0 points 
Wis: 15 - 8 points
Cha: 9 - 1 point

Domains: Planning, Undeath, Inquisition.
Domain Feat: (Planning) Extend Spell
Domain Feat: (Undeath) Extra Turning
Flaw Feat: Extra Turning
Flaw Feat: Extra Turning
Flaw 1: Shaky
Flaw 2: Murkey-Eyed
Trait: Slow (Speed 15 feet, +1 HP/level)
Trait: -1 Will Save, +1 Fort Save
Level 1 Feat: Persist Spell
Human Feat: DMM Persist Spell

Saves: 5/1/3
Equipment: 200gp:
Morningstar: 8gp (+2, 1d8+2)
Heavy Steel Shield: 20gp
Chain Mail: 150gp
Sling + Sling bullets: negligble. +0, 1d4+2
Total: 178gp
Wand with 1 shot of magic weapon: 15gp
Misc gear: 7gp

Persisted Spells: Divine Favour, Lesser Vigor.
AC: 10+5+2+1 = 18.

CR1: Horrid Rat -- From Eberron
The rat has +4 bite (1d6, + 1d6 acid – basically 2d6), AC 20 (touch 14), 7 hp. It has +3 initiative and a con of 16.
Immune to acid, scent, low light vision. Spot +4, Listen +4

Weighted Average: My init +0, his init +3, he wins init. 65% of the time

I cast magic weapon before moving in.
Round 1:
It moves to door and attacks: +4 bite versus +18 AC = 35% of 7 damage = 2.45 damage
I attack it: +4, 1d8+4 = 20% of an average of 8.5 damage = 1.7 damage
I heal 1 point
Round 2: 4.9 damage, 3.4 damage
I heal 1 point
Round 3: 7.35 damage, 5.1 damage
I heal 1 point
Round 4:  9.8 damage, 6.8 damage
I heal 1 point
Round 5: 12.25 damage, 8.5 damage
I heal 1 point

(Win --- but doesn't happen without magic weapon to benefit from).



2 kobolds, ac 15, hp4, spear +1, 1d6-1.
Orc: AC 13, hp5, Falchion +4, 2d4+4

Round 1: I win initiative, and charge the orc.
I attack the orc: +3, 1d8+3 versus ac 13 = 50% of 7.5 = 3.75 damage
Orc's weighted damage: +4 versus AC 18 = 40% of 9 = 3.6 damage
Kobolds weighted damage, flanking: +3 versus AC 18 = 35% of 2.5 = 1.75

Round 2:
I heal 1 point of damage
I attack the orc: +3, 1d8+3 versus ac 13 = 50% of 7.5 = 3.75 damage
The orc dies
Kobolds weighted damage, flanking: +3 versus AC 17 = 35% of 2.5 = 1.75 damage. I've taken 3.5+3.6 = 8 damage
Round 3: I heal 1 point of damage (5/11hp remaining).
I attack 1 kobold. +3, 1d8+3 versus AC 15 = 45% of 7.5 damage = 3.375 damage.
Kobolds weighted damage, flanking: +3 versus AC 17 = 35% of 2.5 = 1.75 damage.

Round 4: I heal 1 point of damage.
I attack 1 kobold. +3, 1d8+3 versus AC 15 = 45% of 7.5 damage = 3.375 damage. 1 kobold dies.
Kobolds weighted damage, +1 versus AC 17 = 20% of 2.5 = 0.5 damage

It does not overcome my regen. 2 rounds later, the remaining kobold goes down.

If I do not win initiative against the orc, I lose this battle. I think the precarious nature of both successes shows how things are swingy at lower levels.

I think a Greatsword, Punishing Stance, Steel Wind, Steely Strike warblade has a much, much easier time of both these encounters. But this is just working the dmm persist cleric up.



Level to 2:
HP + 4.5 + 2 + 1 = 11 becomes  18.5.
Attack bonus goes up +1
Fort and will save go up +1
Extra first level spell is magic weapon
+900gp lets me switch the morningstar to a masterwork morning star.

HP: 18.5. AC: 18. Saves: 6/1/4.

Equipment: 900gp:
Masterwork Morningstar: 308gp (+2, 1d8+2)
Heavy Steel Shield: 20gp
Chain Mail: 150gp
Sling + Sling bullets: negligble. +0, 1d4+2
Wand of shield of faith (1/50 charges) (15gp)
Wand of magic weapon --- used (15gp)
Wand Chamber from Dungeonscape: +100gp
Wand of Blade of Blood (10/50 charges): 150gp
Total: 758gp


Worg: The worg has +7 bite (1d6+4+trip (+3)), AC 14 (12 touch), 30 hp. It has +2 initiative.

I ask the farmers politely to show me to ~200 feet from the Worg, outside it's range of senses. I cast magic weapon, and then shield of faith, and then ask them to point me in the right direction. At 100 ft, the worg detects me (3 rounds later; shield of faith will last 7 rounds).

Round 1: Worg wins initiative, charges
+9 bite versus AC 20 = 50% of 7.5 damage = 3.75 damage.  I have a +2 against the Worg's +3 to trip, and it has a 50% chance to hit, so I'll say 1/4 trips succeed, and 3/4 trips fail. On a trip it gets an attack of opportunity with +4 as I stand, which means 70% of 7.5 damage = 5.25/4 rounds = +1.312 damage a round. We'll say it deals 3.75 + 1.312 damage each round then; 5.062 damage/round, -1 hp/round for the lesser vigor. 4.062 damage/round means I die at round 5. Do I deal 30 damage in 4 rounds?

I deal 1d8+4 with a +5 bonus. That's 60% of 8.5 damage = 5.1 damage/round. Unfortunately, that's not enough.

Time to work in the Wand Chamber of Blade of Blood which I'm famous for. It adds +1d6 damage per round (+3d6 if I take damage, but I don't think I should here)

Weighting that; it becomes 60% of 8.5 + 3.5 damage/round = 60% of 12 damage = 7.2 damage/round. Even this doesn't get me to 30 damage in 4 rounds.

If I won initiative, it would be enough, or if the Worg was unable or unwilling to charge, providing me with the first strike. In an actual D&D game, this combat would largely be decided by luck on the attack and trip roles in particular. But I'll call this a loss



Level 3: Runehound

Levelling up gives me another extra turning feat, +7.5 hp, attack bonus +1, and more importantly, second level spell slots.

HP: 26. AC: 21. Saves: 6/1/4.

1) Good Morning. I wake up, pray.

Spell Set up: Guidance +1, Moment of Insight +10, the Spell Unseen Crafter (Races of Earth, Owl's Wisdom to Hijack for a +5 and Take 10, Interfaith blessing will give me 1 more. That's too many second level spells, but for craft days, we can put second level in 3rd level slots.

Bonuses: Insight 10, Take 10, Ability Score (Wisdom in place because of spell) competence, moral.
10, 10, 5, 1, 1 = 27.

Full plate: DC 18. 15000 sp. Voluntarily adding 10 - 28 - 840 sp per week = 18 weeks of crafting.
Large Sanctified Shield with Wandchamber: 1600 sp (With Wand Chamber and Sanctified from Dungeonscape) and a DC of 16 (10+2+2+2 for Sanctified and Wand Chamber) - Add 10 to the DC - 780 SP done per week, so 3 weeks of crafting.
Light Crossbow and Bolts: 15, 400 silver: Add 10 - 750 silver - done in 1 week.
Morning Star: 80 silver. DC 12 - Add 10 - 660 silver - done in one week.

Masterwork Fullplate (550 gp)
Large Sanctified Shield (Dungeonsape page 34) with Wand Chamber (53.4 gp)
Light Crossbow + 50 bolts (13.4 gp)
Masterwork Morning Star (102.7 gp)
Silver Dagger (8gp)
Wand of shield of faith --- used (15gp)
Wand of magic weapon --- used (15gp)
Wand of Blade of Blood (6/50 charges): 150gp
Total: 907.5gp
Just shy of 1800gp remaining.

Slots: 2+1d, 3+1d =
2nd level: Persists (2) = Balor Nimbus, Cloud of Knives with a silver dagger (+5 attack, 1d6 damage)
1st level: I probably won't cast these, divine favour, magic weapon, shield of faith, and domain.

I can make a knowledge nature check by cheating with +skills spells, which gets me that it is a runehound. I can then make a gather information, cheating with +skills spells, to find out that it requires silver weapons.

HP: 26. AC: 21. Saves: 6/1/4.

It has blindsense 500, so it doesn't have trouble finding me before I notice it, presumably at 100ft.

It has +8 bite (2d6+5 with 10’ reach even though it is medium sized) and +5 ranged touch vile spew (5d6, DC15 ref for half, or web). DR5/silver, fast healing 3, cannot be flanked, blindsight 500’. AC 16 (touch 12). HP 37. It has initiative +2.
+4 fort/+5 reflex/+5 will.

I don't know anything about it's tactics or movements.

Round 1: It wins initiative
It charges me, +10 versus AC 21 = 50% of 12 = 6 damage.
A silver dagger flies at it, +5 versus AC 16 = 50% of 3.5 damage = 1.75 damage
I take a 5 foot step towards it and attempt to initiate a grapple; I take 50% of 12 damage = 6 damage,
and have a 50% chance to initiate the grapple, so touch attack +2 BAB +2 str = +4, versus AC 12 =  65% chance to deal 6d6 fire damage; 50% * 65% * 21 = 6.825 damage.

I deal 8.575 damage/round to it, it deals 12 damage a round to me. At 3 rounds, I die.

I'll try a tactical rewrite for normal melee (and maybe spend some of that 1800gp), but not sure there is much hope for this one, either. The Persist cleric really comes online with 3rd level spells.

I again suspect a warblade would have a much better shot at these encounters. A wizard might, as well, depending on spell selection; thresholding + enough movement. One of those travel devotion cleric archers would probably have a better shot at these early encounters as well, kiting.

Suffice to say, 1-4 are a DMM persist clerics worst levels.

CR7 Kobold Adventure:

CR 7:

I think the time has come to separate the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, the overpowered from the merely powerful.

This adventure is much more complex than the ones posted so far. It is also much more difficult.
Hide


A tribe of kobolds living in a cave outside of town has kidnapped the local lord’s daughter and is holding her for an outrageous ransom fee. The lord has hired you to bring back his daughter.

The kobolds’ location is well-known, a cave outside of town.

Note: unless specified otherwise, normal doors are Good wooden doors (hardness 5, 15hp, break DC 18). Rooms and hallways, unless specified otherwise, are well-lit with torches in wall brackets.

Hide


The cave entrance opens into a small cavern, approximately circular, 40 feet in diameter and 20 feet high. It appears to be empty, and is full of miscellaneous debris and rocks. (Difficult terrain: land-based movement is halved)

6 Shocker Lizards are hidden on the jagged ceiling of this room (hide check +11). They have been trained by the kobolds to kill any non-kobold that enters. Every action, as long as at least two lizards remain, the entire group produces a lethal shock, which fills the room.

There are no apparent further exits from this room, but groups of kobolds have been seen entering and exiting the cave.

There is a secret door concealed on one of the walls, requiring a search check (DC 15) to locate. There are approximately 240 5-foot squares that contain walls. Assuming that the door is found a quarter of the way through searching the walls, it takes 2 hours to find the door (taking 20 on each search check). Obviously a character with ranks in search could do this much faster.

Hide

The secret door leads down a passage approximately 50 feet before it comes to a wooden door. The door is locked, requiring a DC20 Open Lock check to open. 5 feet behind the door is a second, identical door, similarly locked.

Behind the second door is a square room, 40 feet by 40 feet. On the opposite side of the room are 12 kobolds. (as in MM/SRD, but each has 5 flasks of acid) If both doors were opened quietly, they are surprised, otherwise, they all have moved up to 10 feet from the door and readied actions to hurl flasks of acid at anything that comes through the door.

There is a 60 foot deep pit trap directly in front of the door, just inside the room. Anyone moving over that square must make a DC 20 Reflex save or fall in, taking 6d6 damage. The pit has climb DC of 20. If the invader falls into the pit, the kobolds move up and snipe with crossbows, hurling acid if the target tries to climb out. Otherwise, they simply fight. There is an unlocked door on the other side of the room that leads onwards.

Hide

The hallway extends 150 feet, ending in a wooden door. It is 10 feet wide and approximately 50 feet high. 40 feet up, an inset ledge conceals 6 kobolds (the 50foot elevation makes their hide total +11). When the PC gets to about 75 feet from the door, or takes any offensive actions, one of the kobolds pulls a lever, causing an iron door to slam shut at either end. The kobolds then attack.

Each of the 8 kobolds possesses 2 +1 Spell Storing crossbow bolts and a masterwork crossbow. Each bolt contains a Fireball spell cast by Yik-Yik (CL8, DC20). On their first and second rounds, all kobolds fire one of these bolts at the intruder(s). After that, they fire with normal crossbows.

The kobolds use a rope, stored on the ledge, to ascend and descend. The wall’s climb DC is 25.

Note: This encounter may prove a bit too much for the wuss-of-heart. If you are weak, you may want to change it so that two of the kobolds have one bolt each. Please note clearly whether you are using the full or cop-out version of this encounter. A lever on the ledge can open and close the iron doors.

Hide

The door from the corridor opens into a lavishly appointed circular room about 100 feet in diameter and 60 feet high. 6 heavily armored kobolds stand in a tight group in the center of the room. Another kobold flies near the ceiling. On the opposite wall, a girl dressed in tattered nobles’ garb is chained to the wall.

The kobolds have heard the fighting in the previous room, and are prepared. The 6 Kobold Warriors have drunk their potions of blur and shield of faith. Yik-Yik has casthis Scroll of Fly, as well as Mage Armor and Shield of Faith.

Tactics: The 6 warriors use combat expertise to full and dodge do boost their AC. Yik-Yik has a readied action to use one of his scrolls of dispel magic on any flying creature that enters the room. Yik-Yik then uses Power Word Fatigue twice and an empowered Ray of Clumsiness once on the intruder. He then attacks with Empowered Fireballs, targeting them to hit the enemy but not any of his warriors if possible, although he is willing to inflict some friendly fire if necessary. If a fireball would hit more than two of his allies, he uses empowered scorching rays instead, switching to normal scorching rays once his 3rd level spell slots are expended. If at any point an enemy flies, he uses the other scroll of dispel magic on them. If he is ever attacked, he protects himself by casting Wings of Cover as an immediate action.

Hide

Kobold Sorcerer 6

HP: 16
AC: 22 (+1natural, +4armor, +4shield, +3dex)

(25pt buy)
Str: 4 (-4racial)
Dex: 16 (5pts, +1level, +2racial)
Con: 10 (4pts, -2racial)
Int: 8
Wis: 8
Cha: 20 (16pts, 2enhance)

Ranged attack bonus: +6

Saves:
Fort: +2 Reflex: +5 Will: +4

Feats:
Flaw: Spell Focus (Evocation)
Flaw: Greater Spell Focus (Evocation)
Sorc1 Empower Spell
Sorc3: Easy Metamagic (Empower Spell)
Sorc6: Arcane Thesis (Fireball)

Flaws: Feeble, Noncombatant


Spells Known 4/2/1:
1: Power Word Fatigue(RotD), Shield, Mage Armor, Ray of Clumsiness(SC)
2: Scorching Ray, Wings of Cover(RotD)
3: Fireball

Spells/Day
1: 8
2: 6
3: 4

Spell Save DCs: 15 + spell level, +2 for evocations

Equipment:
Cloak of Charisma +2
Scroll of Fly
Scroll of Dispel Magic (2x)

Races of the Dragon Spell Effects:
Power Word Fatigue: Makes target fatigued. Short range
Wings of Cover: Immediate action cast to stop completely one attack, or gain cover against an area attack (+8AC and +4 to reflex saves).

Hide

Warrior 3

HP: 27
AC: 29 (8armor, 4shield, 1dex, 4dodge, 2deflection)

(25pt buy)
Str: 12 (8pts, 1level, -4racial)
Dex: 12 (2pts, 2racial)
Con: 14 (10pts, -2racial)
Int: 13 (5pts)
Wis: 8
Cha: 8

AB: +2
Damage: 1d6+1

Saves:
Fort: +6, Reflex +2, Will +0

Feats:
1: Combat Expertise
3: Dodge

Gear:
Full Plate Armor
Tower Shield
Small Masterwork Longsword
Potion of Blur (CL3)
Potion of Shield of Faith (CL1)

CR6 Extraplanar adventure:
The set-up: You have discovered information about a pocket dimension that currently has no owners. Centuries ago, the owner/creator was attacked and used the power of the plane, plus his own sacrifice to defeat an interloper.

You've discovered a way to enter the plain, but there are 5 tests that you must complete to gain sole possession of the pocket plane. You have no idea what those tests are.

There is a clue translated from an ancient, and dead, language. By rough estimations, the clue is as follows:

Four realms in one
Four seasons are done
To master this realm
Defeat the twisted one.

You activate the portal, and after a brief moment of vertigo, the portal snaps shut behind you, leaving the smell of ozone in the air. You find yourself in a field of grasses and wildflowers as songbirds flit past overhead. In the distance, you see the boundary of the realm, 1/2 mile distance across a grassy plain with a few rocky outcroppings and some acacia trees. To your left, you see an orchard, though the fruit and leaves have already fallen. To your right, you see a forest, with several small animals moving about. Behind you you notice two things. First is the black basalt building roughly 60 ft. away that appears to be about 100 ft. in diameter. Beyond the building you see snow-covered hills dotted with pine and other evergreens.

The building is roughly 20 ft. tall, and you see two doors from your vantage point.

The entire realm is 1 mile in diameter. Each of the four areas described above are divided by a path that leads near the building.

Exploring the realm reveals no threats or combatants. If you attempt to rest and recover (in order to face the challenge fully prepped), you'll be dumped into a random encounter while sleeping.

The doors to the building have no locks, and each one is a different color.

The Green Door (#1) faces the forest.
The White Door (#2) faces the snow-covered hills.
The Red Door (#3) faces the orchard.
The Blue Door (#4) faces the open plains.

Behind each door is a 'pie-slice' shaped room, except the inside wall is concentric to the outside of the building. Each room has its walls, floor and ceiling painted to match the quadrant of the realm it faces. The far inside wall has a colored door with four locks; one green, one white, one red, one blue.

If you attempt to open the interior door, it fades from your grasp, as does the rest of the room. You find yourself in a wilderness environment similar to the motif of the room, except much more exaggerated and harsh. The forest is a steamy jungle, complete with biting insects and sweltering heat. The snow covered hills are frigid, the snow is 18 inches deep (no balance check required), and the wind howls past. The plains are baking under a glaring sun. The orchard is complete with a cold, drenching fall rain.

Editor's note: I've rolled randomly to determine the length of time after opening an inner door and when the monster attacks. For the purposes of this thread, I'm just going to assign a number of rounds for the monster, while a real campaign might play out differently depending upon the actions of the party of PCs.

Green Door - Jungle: It is day time, 12 rounds after entering...

Make a DC 27 (take 10, +8 Hide, +9 distance) Spot check to notice the 2x Forest Trolls (MM3) hiding 90 ft. away. If you make the check, no surprise round, if not, they throw a javelin on the surprise round. The trolls are standing only 20 ft. apart, and in a position that the undergrowth doesn't hinder their movement, nor yours.
Hide

Medium Giant
HD: 5d8 (47)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
AC: 18
Touch: 13
FF: 15
BAB: +3
Grp: +6
Atk: CLAW +6 (1d4+3 plus poison), claw +6 (1d4+3 + poison), bite +1 (1d4+1
Ranged: Javelin +6 (1d6+3 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
SA: Poison (DC 17, 1d6 Con / 1d6 Con)
SQ: Darkvision 90 ft., LLV, Scent, Fast Healing 5
Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +1
Str 17, Dex 16, Con 21, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 6
Climb +11, Hide +8, Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +5
Improved Initiative, Track


Once defeated, you find a gold key with emeralds set in the head, and the encounter area fades away, revealing the building standing only 60 ft. away. You are back where you first entered the realm.

White Door - Snow-covered hills: It is night time (pitch black), 5 rounds after entering...

You hear a the howl of the wind, but it turns into something more sinister as a Chraal looms out of the night. It notices at 60 ft. away (its darkvision), roll initiative. Ground movement is at half-speed, though you do not need balance checks to move.
Hide

Large Elemental (Cold)
HD: 9d8 (85)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 21
Touch: 13
Flat Footed: 21
BAB: +6
Grp: +15
Attack: CLAW +10 (1d8+5 plus 1d6 cold), claw +10 (1d8+5 plus 1d6 cold), bite +8 (2d6+2 plus 1d6 cold)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.
SA: Breath Weapon (60 ft. cone, 6d6 cold, Ref DC 19 half)
SA: Death Throes (when killed, it explodes in a 30 ft. radius blast of cold that deals 10 piercing plus 10 cold damage)
SA: Freeze (add 1d6 cold damage to any physical attacks)
SQ: DR 5/-
SQ: Darkvision 60 ft.
SQ: deflecting cold (add +4 deflection bonus to AC)
SQ: Elemental Traits
SQ: Immunity to cold
SQ: vulnerability to fire
Fort +11, Ref +3, Will +5
Str 21, Dex 11, Con 20, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 14
Listen +4, Search +3, Spot +4


Once defeated, you find a gold key with diamonds set in the head, and the encounter area fades away, revealing the building standing only 60 ft. away. You are back where you first entered the realm.

Red Door - Orchard: It is in the evening, but it is raining, decreasing visibility to a scant 50 ft., 7 rounds after entering...

You move through one row of trees you and a gaunt figure 10 ft. tall looms out of the downpour and begins to more toward you. The Boneclaw cackles with glee as it moves to end your miserable life.
Hide

Large Undead
HD: 10d12 (105)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 16
Touch: 13
Flat-Footed: 12
BAB: +5
Grapple +14
Attack: CLAW +9 (2d6+5), claw +9 (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. / 20 ft.
SA: Reaching Claws (claw has 20 ft. reach)
SQ: +2 turn resistance
SQ: DR 5 / bludgeoning
SQ: Darkvision 60 ft.
SQ: Immunity to Cold
SQ: Undead Traits
SQ: Unholy Toughness (HD x Cha mod bonus hit points)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +9
Str 21, Dex 18, Con -, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 19
Hide +13, Intimidate +17, Listen +15, Move Silently +17, Search +15, Spot +15
Combat Reflexes, Power Attack


Once defeated, you find a gold key with rubies set in the head, and the encounter area fades away, revealing the building standing only 60 ft. away. You are back where you first entered the realm.

Blue Door - Plains: It is in the morning of a clear, hot day. You are standing a a field of grasses and wildflowers nearly three feet high, 8 rounds after entering...

A cloud of flowers, apparently animate, swarms up from the ground around you.
Hide

Tiny Plant (Extraplanar, Swarm)
HD: 7d8 (45)
Initiative: +3
Speed: fly 60 ft. (good)
AC: 16
Touch: 15
Flat-Footed: 13
BAB: +5
Grapple: -
Attack: Swarm (2d6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. / 0 ft.
SA: Blood Drain (In addition to swarm damage, this deals 1d6 Con damage to any paralyzed or otherwise immobilized creature in its space)
SA: Distraction (Any creature beginning its turn in the dread blossom's spaces is nauseated for 1 round; Fort DC 15 negates the effect. Even after a successful save, spellcaster must make DC 20 concentration check to cast spell or concentrate on a spell.
SA: Poison Pollen (15 ft. radius, creatures must make Fort save (DC 17), or be paralyzed for 1 round)
SQ: Half damage from slashing and piercing
SQ: LLV
SQ: Plant Traits
SQ: Regeration 5 (Fire and Cold deal normal damage)
SQ: Swarm Traits
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
Str 2, Dex 17, Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 3
Hide +11, Listen +2, Spot +2


Once defeated, you find a gold key with sapphires set in the head, and the encounter area fades away, revealing the building standing only 60 ft. away. You are back where you first entered the realm.

Coming tomorrow, the final encounter. Don't forget to account for movement after each encounter to get to the next door. I'd like to see contestants randomly choose the order they open the doors, but that's not likely to happen.

It's important to keep track of your rounds. With all this movement and the delays before the monsters attack, it will become important for buff durations. After each encounter, you are 60 ft. from the building (which is 100 ft. diameter), which will eat up more time.

The boneclaw is only CR 5. I wanted to give it the spellstiched template, but this was kinda spur of the moment.

This is based off a real adventure I'm in the middle of writing, so it'll be interesting to see what happens and what tactics or questions are raised.

Cheers



Extraplanar Adventure:
It's a little twisted, but here it is, the 5th extraplanar CR6 challenge.

You defeat the final challenge, and the landscape begins to fade away. You find yourself back in your original location when you first entered this pocket plane, 60 ft. from the building.

As you approach the building, you can't help but feel that your final test is near at hand, and that the magical forces of this place are driving you onward. (You may take up to 1 minute to prepare for the final encounter.) Once inside the building, you place each key in the corresponding lock. The keys turn easily and the last key clicks into place, unlocking the inner door.

You begin to open the door, and just as the slightest crack might be able to reveal the inside room, you are drawn through the door, no matter how hard to try to pull against it. The floor turns into a beautiful tile mosaic of the entire realm, complete with roads, trees, and every terrain feature of the outside realm depicted in the tiles. It even shows your battle sites.

The room is obviously much larger than the building's inner room could fit. In fact, it appears to be the size of the entire interior of the building (90 ft. diameter) with all the walls removed. You are standing with your back to the wall, and there are no visible doors inside this room, which has a 15 ft. ceiling. The center of the room has a platform 10 ft. in diameter and raised one foot from the remaining floor and obviously represents the building you now find yourself within. The floor of this raised platform is a jumble of colors, and standing upon it is a figure; The final guardian.

This creature is best described as a mad wizard's attempt at creating a new centaur-like race, except using different animals. This creature has the body and legs of a Lion, with the torso and upper body of a lizardfolk. Its muscles are freakishly large, and it glares at you with an otherworldly hatred. It wields a Glaive, though its hands appear to end in claws as well.

Monster of Legend Tauric Lion-Lizardfolk (CR 6)
Large Outsider
Initiative: +10
HD 7d8+49 (81)
Movment: 70 ft.
AC: 28 (+10 natural, +6 dex, +2 armor, +1 dodge, -1 size)
Touch: 16
Flat-Footed: 22
Attacks Large Glaive +18/+18/+13 (2d8+15) plus claw +17 (1d6+5) plus claw +17 (1d6+5) plus bite +16 (1d8+5)
BAB +7
Grp +21
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 5 ft. (10 ft. with Glaive)
Str 31, Dex 23, Con 25, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 14
Fort +14 Ref +13 Will +8
SA: Raging Blood (if hit with slashing or piercing weapon, spray of blood for 1d4 electricity damage, range 5 ft.)
SA: Pounce (make charge and full attack at end of charge)
SA: Rake (if begins turn grappling foe, can make two claw attacks; +17/+17, 1d6+5 each)
SQ: Haste (as the spell, always active)
SQ: Fast Healing 5
SQ: Low Light Vision
SQ: Scent
SQ: Darkvision 60 ft.
SQ: Hold Breath (can hold breath for 100 rounds before risk of drowning)
Feats: Alertness, Run, Weapon Focus Claw, Improved Initiative, Multiattack
Skill Bonuses: +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Swim
Skills: Balance +15/5r, Hide +6, Jump +19/5r, Listen +6/3r, Move Silently +6, Spot +8/5r, Swim +14
Skill Tricks: Nimble Charge

CR 5 adventure:


Rules:

1. You know that it is a crypt and have as much times as you need to prepare.

2. 1 minute between encounters. This accounts for puzzles and times needed to move from place to place.

3. For simplicity each encounter occurs in a room that measures 40 by 40 by 40.

4. You get a clue.

He waits alone.
Guarded by rags.
Dressed in stone.
Patent as death.
The treasure is his alone
Encounter 1


2 bone creatures. (Book of Vile Darkness page 184)

Frack
Bone elf(undead (augmented humanoid)) sorcerer 4 (Cr 5)
HD 4d12 (24)
Str 10 +0
Con -
Dex 18 +4 (+2 +4)
Int 11 +1
Wis 9 -1
Cha 14 +2 (+1)

Attacks
Rapier +7 (+3 Dex, +1 masterwork), 1d8 +1 ( +1 master work)
2 claws +6 1d4
saves: Fort +1 (+0) Ref 5 (+4), Will 3 (-1)
AC 16 (10 + 4 Dex, +2 Natural, +1 bracers, additional +4 with Mage Armor not included)
Skills: Concentration 8, Knowledge Arcana 8
Feats: Draconic Heritage (White), Draconic Breath (Cold), Finesse Weapon: Rapier (3.0 holdover)
Items: Spell Component Pouch, masterwork rapier, Bracers of Armor +1

Spell Per Day, 6, 6, 3 DC 12 + Spell Level
Spells known 0th (6), Resistance, Acid Splash, Daze (?), Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue, Prestidigitation.
1st (3), Grease, Mage Armor, ray of Enfeeblement
2nd (1), Web

Special Qualities

Darkvision 60 feet.
Immunity to cold
1/2 damage from piercing/slashing weapons.
undead traits
+2 vs cold.
Can convert spells into a 30-foot cone that deals 2d6 per spell level, Reflex save for half equal to the spells save.

Tactics: Frack try to nerf you with each Web, or Ray of Enfeeblement. He will also convert spells into cold as Frick is immune he doesn't have to worry about hitting him.


Frick
Bone Human(undead (augmented humanoid)) fighter 3 (Cr 4)
HD 3d10 18 (15 base +3)
Str 14 +2(+1)
Dex 16 +3 (+4)
Con -
Int 11 +0
Wis 10 +0
Cha 9 -1

Attacks
Spiked Chain +7 (+3 Dex, +1 Focus, +1 masterwork), 2d4 +3 (+2 Str, +1 Masterwork)
2 claws +6 1d4 +2
saves: Fort + 3 (+0), Ref 4 (+3), Will +1 (=0)
AC 19 (10 +3 Dex, +2 Natural +4 chain mail,)
Skills: Jump 7, Intimidate 7
Feats: Weapon Finesse: Spiked Chain, Toughness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Chain, Improved Intuitive, Weapon Focus: Spiked Chain
Items: masterwork Spiked Chain, Chain mail

Special Qualities

Darkvision 60 feet.
Immunity to cold
1/2 damage from piercing/slashing weapons.
undead traits

Encounter 2

2 advanced wights


Hit Dice: 6d12 (38 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+3
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Full Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Create spawn, energy drain
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con —, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +8, Listen +7, Move Silently +16, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight

A wight’s appearance is a weird and twisted reflection of the form it had in life. A wight is about the height and weight of a human.
Wights speak Common.
COMBAT
Wights attack by hammering with their fists.
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by a wight becomes a wight in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are under the command of the wight that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a wight’s slam attack gain one negative level. The DC is 14 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the wight gains 5 temporary hit points.
Skills: Wights have a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

Encounter 3

WILL-O’-WISP

Small Aberration (Air)
Hit Dice: 9d8 (40 hp)
Initiative: +13
Speed: Fly 50 ft. (perfect) (10 squares)
Armor Class: 29 (+1 size, +9 Dex, +9 deflection), touch 29, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/–3
Attack: Shock +16 melee touch (2d8 electricity)
Full Attack: Shock +16 melee touch (2d8 electricity)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to magic, natural invisibility
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +12, Will +9
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 29, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 12
Skills: Bluff +13, Diplomacy +3, Disguise +1 (+3 acting), Intimidate +3, Listen +17, Search +14,

Spot +17, Survival +3 (+5 following tracks)
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon FinesseB

Will-o’-wisps can be yellow, white, green, or blue. They are easily mistaken for lanterns, especially in the foggy marshes and swamps where they reside. A will-o’-wisp’s body is a globe of spongy material about 1 foot across and weighing about 3 pounds, and its glowing body sheds as much light as a torch.
Will-o’-wisps speak Common and Auran. They have no vocal apparatus but can vibrate to create a voice with a ghostly sound.
COMBAT
Will-o’-wisps usually avoid combat. They prefer to confuse and bewilder adventurers, luring them into morasses or other hazardous places. When they are forced to fight, they loose small electrical shocks, which act as melee touch attacks.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A will-o’-wisp is immune to most spells or spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance, except magic missile and maze.

Natural Invisibility (Ex): A startled or frightened will-o’-wisp can extinguish its glow, effectively becoming invisible as the spell.

Encounter 4

Advanced MUMMY

Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 10d12+3 (67 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+10 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+11
Attack: Slam +12 melee (1d6+10 plus mummy rot)
Full Attack: Slam +12 melee (1d6+10 plus mummy rot)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Despair, mummy rot
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/–, darkvision 60 ft., undead traits, vulnerability to

fire
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 10, Con —, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +7, Listen +8, Move Silently +7, Spot +8
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Toughness

Mummies are preserved corpses animated through the auspices of dark desert gods best forgotten.
Most mummies are 5 to 6 feet tall and weigh about 120 pounds.
Mummies can speak Common, but seldom bother to do so.
COMBAT
Despair (Su): At the mere sight of a mummy, the viewer must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be paralyzed with fear for 1d4 rounds. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the same mummy’s despair ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Mummy Rot (Su): Supernatural disease—slam, Fortitude DC 16, incubation period 1 minute; damage 1d6 Con and 1d6 Cha. The save DC is Charisma-based. Unlike normal diseases, mummy rot continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies) or is cured as described below.
Mummy rot is a powerful curse, not a natural disease. A character attempting to cast any conjuration (healing) spell on a creature afflicted with mummy rot must succeed on a DC 20 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the afflicted character.
To eliminate mummy rot, the curse must first be broken with break enchantment or remove curse (requiring a DC 20 caster level check for either spell), after which a caster level check is no longer necessary to cast healing spells on the victim, and the mummy rot can be magically cured as any normal disease.
An afflicted creature who dies of mummy rot shrivels away into sand and dust that blow away into nothing at the first wind.

Claim Treasure

In the end of the adventure is a stone sarcophagus.
open

Surprise encounter, if you honestly paid attention to the clue you should have all the time in the world to prepare. If you didn't the occupant gets a surprise round. Sealed within the sarcophagus and unable to leave was a vampire! The sarcophagus acts as a coffin for the vamp.

Blah

Human vampire warblade 5
Undead (augmented Humanoid)

HP 5d12 +5 (35)
Str 22 +6 (+7)
Dex 18 +4 (+4)
Con -
Int 15 +2 (+2)
Wis 14 +2 (+2)
Cha 14 +2 (+4)

Attacks
Slam +13 (+1 focus, +7 Str), 1d6 +7 (=7 Str) and energy drain
Saves: Fort +4 (+0), Ref +7 (+4, +2), Will +3 (+2)
AC 20 (+4 Dex, +6 natural)
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Weapon Focus: Slam, Ability Focus: Dominate, Improved Toughness, Alertness,

Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes
Items: None except cloths, much gold is found in the vampire was stripped of his gear.
Skills: Balance 8, Climb 8, Concentration 8, Diplomacy 8, Jump 8, Tumble 8
Vampires have a +8 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and

Spot checks

maneuvers known
1st Sapphire Nightmare Blade, Steel wind, Stone Bones, Wolf Fang Strike
2nd Emerald Razor, Disarming Strike.

Stances
Punishing Stance, Stance of Clarity

maneuvers readied
Disarming Strike, Stone Bones, Emerald razor, Sapphire Nightmare Blade

Special qualities & attacks.

Special Attacks: A vampire retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains those described below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 vampire’s HD + vampire’s Cha modifier unless noted otherwise.

Blood Drain (Ex): A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.

Children of the Night (Su): Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.

Dominate (Su): A vampire can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.

Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a vampire’s energy drain rises as a vampire spawn (see the Vampire Spawn entry) 1d4 days after burial. If the vampire instead drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or less HD and as a vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time a vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires or vampire spawn. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master vampire can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. A vampire may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a vampire’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the vampire might possess) gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A vampire can use its energy drain ability once per round.

Special Qualities: A vampire retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.

Alternate Form (Su): A vampire can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell cast by a 12th-level character, except that the vampire does not regain hit points for changing form and must choose from among the forms mentioned here. While in its alternate form, the vampire loses its natural slam attack and dominate ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.)

Damage Reduction (Su): A vampire has damage reduction 10/silver and magic. A vampire’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Fast Healing (Ex): A vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in its coffin, a vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.

Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, a vampire can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Resistances (Ex): A vampire has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.

Spider Climb (Ex): A vampire can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A vampire has +4 turn resistance.

CR 5 adventure:
Hydra for the killin' & phat l3wtz, cave to the N of town 15 miles
The entrance is guarded by a powerful shaman riding a celestial lion!! Besides, that cave would take days to venture to the bottom of...*

Goal is hydra kill & return of Amulet of the Hydra-loot

*This information is false, but the locals are drunks and this is as much as they know. Actual avg time through should be about an hour I'd think, though if you can provide adequate explanation of tactics to go faster that can be shaved down. Say, 20 minute minimum.

Hide
Griffon (CR 4) Bugbear (CR 2)
Outside, guarding cave entrance, plains setting, say 250' sight range*, Bugbear riding Griffon to start

*This is you spotting the cave entrance, Griffon spots you at this time. May be possible to hide/sneak at this point, but it is just an open plain.

Hide

Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 5 mechanical, location trigger, manual reset, DC 20 ref. save avoids, 50ft deep (5d6, fall), multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5' squares), search DC 25, disable DC 17
Cave entrance, 15' wide, followed by a chamber 15' x15'x10' ceiling, followed by a corridor 20' long that varies between 15' and 20' wide. Trap around corner.

Hide
3x Shocker Lizard (CR 2 each)
Small room 20'x40'x10' ceiling, 10'x10'x2' deep pool of water to SW corner, doorways at SE (entrance) and NW corner, lizards spread around room, 2 in pool

Hide
Cloaker (CR 5)
Small antechamber before final boss door, 8'x15'x10' ceiling, attempts to surprise while preparing at doorway, or follows and attempts to attack from behind once hydra is killed

Hide
6 Headed Hydra (CR 5)
Large domed* chamber, 40'x70'x40' ceiling, mostly water filled, avg. 1' deep, no deeper than 3', hydra starts at far end of chamber

*It's an oval chamber, it can be a dome. Shut up.