Warlord of the Damned
Horned Harbinger is from Faiths and Pantheons.
Name: Warlord of the Damned
Race: Human
Build: Crusader 5/ Horned Harbinger 2/ Crusader +1/ Horned Harbinger +2/ Crusader +1/ Horned Harbinger +2/ Crusader +7
Feats:
1. Stone Power, (Education)
3. Extra Granted Maneuver
6. Divine Shield
9. Divine Might, (Leadership: Undead cohorts only)
10. (Extra Turning)
12. Extra Smiting
15. Divine Vigor
18. free
Initiator Level: 17
Maneuvers known/readied (granted): 11/6 (4)
Known (at level 20): Covering Strike (WR 4), Foehammer (DS 2), White Raven Tactics (WR 3), Flanking Maneuver (WR 5), Rallying Strike (DS 6), Order Forged from Chaos (WR 6), Swarming Assault (WR 7), Clarion Call (WR 7), Shield Counter (DS 7), White Raven Hammer (WR 8), War Master's Charge (WR 9)
Stances:
1. Martial Spirit (DS 1)
2. Leading the Charge (WR 1)
14. Tactics of the Wolf (WR 3)
20. Swarm Tactics (WR 8)
Maneuver Progression:
1. Crusader's Strike (DS 1), Vanguard Strike (WR 1), Charging Minotaur (SD 1), Stone Bones (SD 1), Douse the Flames (WR 1)
3. Foehammer (DS 2)
4. Charging Minotaur -> Battle Leader's Charge (WR 2)
5. White Raven Tactics (WR 3)
8. Douse the Flames -> Covering Strike (WR 4)
11. Flanking Maneuver (WR 5)
14. Crusader's Strike -> Rallying Strike (DS 6)
15. Order Forged from Chaos (WR 6)
16. Stone Bones -> Swarming Assault (WR 7)
17. Clarion Call (WR 7)
18. Vanguard Strike -> White Raven Hammer (WR 8)
19. Shield Counter (DS 7)
20. Battle Leader's Charge ->War Master's Charge (WR 9)
Design Notes:
1. I did not bother with Leading the Attack (WR 1) or Lion's Roar (WR 3), because Undead are immune to morale effects.
2. Devoted Spirit healing maneuvers are, by RAW, not a positive energy effect (unlike cure spells, which specifecally state that they use positive energy). Therefore, they should still heal Undead. If your dm doesn't like this however, remove Rallying Strike and replace it with something else.
Notable Features:
Animate Dead SLA 2/day- caster level equals 6+CHA mod
Create Undead SLA 1/day-same CL as Animate Dead
Captain of Undeath- control limit equals 5xCL (same CL as above)
Tactics:
Level 5:
Crusader 5
Initiator lvl 5
Stances: Martial Spirit (DS 1), Leading the Charge (WR 1)
Maneuvers ready/granted: 5/3
Maneuvers Known (7): Crusader's Strike (DS 1), Vanguard Strike (WR 1), Stone Bones (SD 1), Douse the Flames (WR 1), Foehammer (DS 2), Battle Leader's Charge (WR 2), White Raven Tactics (WR 3)
This build is a rather undistinguished low-level Crusader. Tanking is what the Crusader is good at, and at low level, this build is no exception. It also works well alongside a secondary combatent (like a rogue).
Level 10:
Crusader 5/ HH 2/ Crusader+1/ HH+2
Initiator Level: 8
Stances: Martial Spirit (DS 1), Leading the Charge (WR 1)
Maneuvers ready/granted: 5/3
Maneuvers Known (7): Crusader's Strike (DS 1), Vanguard Strike (DS 1), Stone Bones (SD 1), Foehammer (DS 2), Battle Leader's Charge (WR 2), White Raven Tactics (WR 3), Covering Strike (WR 4)
Here is where this build differentiates itself from the typical Crusader build. The Animate Dead SLA (cl 4+CHA) allows for the creation of disposable Undead allies to fight alongside you for free. This build has begun to distance itself from the old role of defensive tank due to the lack of Steely Resove increases, Revitalizing Strike, or various Bone strikes from Stone Dragon (though Divine Shield gives it a respectable AC). However, the aquisition of undead minions allows the Warlord to take full advantage of Vanguard Strike, White Raven Tactics, Covering Strike, and the Leading the Charge stance. It may seem a bit wierd that some of the White Raven maneuvers work with mindless undead, but it works by RAW and is not unexplainable ("ultra-precise commands"- for example). Basically, your playing chess (DnD Minis) with you undead minions. Specific tactics will vary depending on the corpses that you have animated (hydras are very useful with White Raven Tactics and flanking- for example).
Level 15:
Crusader 5/HH 2/Crusader+1/HH+2/Crusader+1/HH+2/Crusader+1/HH+2/Crusader+2
Initiator lvl: 12
Stances: Martial Spirit (WR 1), Leading the Attack (WR 1), Tactics of the Wolf (WR 3)
Maneuvers ready/granted: 5/3
Maneuvers known (9): Vanguard Strike (DS 1), Stone Bones (SD 1), Foehammer (DS 2), Battle Leader's Charge (WR 2), White Raven Tactics (WR 3), Covering Strike (WR 4), Flanking Maneuver (WR 5), Rallying Strike (DS 6), Order Forged from Chaos (WR 6)
Level 15, like level 10, is about the Undead Minions+White Raven school synergy. New to the scene are Flanking Maneuver, Rallying Strike, and Order Forged from Chaos. The stance that this build will want to be in while in the thick of melee is Tactics of the Wolf (which you collection of shambling bodies makes particuarly lethal. Note that the stance's bonus is not a morale bonus). However, prior to combat, it is best to be in Leading the Charge stance so that any undead that charge in the first round or two get a juicy +12 to damage (before switching stances). Order Forged from Chaos is highly useful for zombies. You also have Create Undead as a SLA (though undead choices are usually poor for high levels), and have an increased control cap.
Level 20:
The cumulation of the last 10 lvls gives the Warlord yet more horde-abusing potential. Clarion Call and Swarming Assault give our minions bonus attacks/move actions. With enough undead, this can be frightingly effective. Shield Counter is a handy way to protect a hard-to-find corpse type while remaining fully in the midst of combat. The preferred method of entering combat is the Leading the Charge stance with the strike War Master's Charge to bring some of your horde with you. The new stance, Swarm Tactics, is really only used when confronting high-AC opponents that you minions have trouble connecting with.
Combos:
Hydra Zombie + Tactics of the Wolf (WR 3)- The hydra's large number of natural attacks works wonderfully with the bonus damage from Tactics of the Wolf. Spice it up with maneuvers such as White Raven Tactics (WR 3) and Swarming Assault (WR 7) for maximum flanking advantage.
Leading the Charge (WR 1) + War Master's Charge (WR 9) + Undead horde + Belt of Battle (MiC, 12,000 gp) + Flanking Maneuver (WR 5) OR Swarming Assault (WR 7)- Start off in Leading the Charge stance. Use a full-round action to initiate War Master's Charge, bringing multiple undead allies along for the ride and into position adjacent to an opponent (as well as dealing 17+War Master's Charge bonus bonus dmg with each attack. Then use your swift action to use Belt of Battle to grant you an extra Standard action OR full-round. Follow up with either Flanking Maneuver or Swarming Assault (depending on which is granted) to give each of the Undead near your (hopefully stunned) opponent(s) due to the charge a bonus attack. (As an aside, if you gave yourself a full-round action with a Belt of Battle, the remaining move action could be used to initiate Order Forged from Chaos in order to reposition your troops. Not really necessary though. OR it could be used to activate Divine Shield) You can use a swift action next round to switch into Tactics of the Wolf Stance and procede to tear your flanked opponent to ribbons alongside your minions (or use White Raven Hammer for a second round of stunning while minions do the tearing).
Recommended Items:
Rod of Undead Mastery (LM)- 10,000gp (double hd cap)
Mightly Smiting Weapon (MiC)- +1 enhancement
Nightsticks (LM)- 7,500gp (more rebuke attempts for divine feat usage)
Darkskull- gives desecrate
Reliquary Holy Symbol (MiC)- 1,000gp (extra turning attempts)
Spiked Heavy Shield (enhanced to taste)- For Divine Shield and Shield Counter (DS 7)
Belt of Battle (MiC)- 12,000gp (Extra actions)
Enveloping Pit (MiC)- 3.600gp (50ft deep Portable Hole for minion storage)
Recommended Undead Minions:
Hydra Zombie- Can attack with all its natural weapons as a standard action, negating one of the weaknesses of zombies. Maneuvers such as Order Forged form Chaos, White Raven Tactics, and Clarion Call help with zombie mobility. A hydra zombie is a very effective flanking partner for you due to its large # of attacks (all benefitting from Tactics of the Wolf stance).
Remorhaz Skeleton: Heat is an EX. special quality that improves the creatures attacks, so they retain it in skeleton form. Remorhaz are just plain rediculous at 7hd (also have CR 7, meaning that you may actually encounter them in your travels when they're still effective).
Titan Skeleton: These are massive behemoths with a STR score of 43. Will grind the bones of your enemy into dust with brute force.
Dragon Zombie: Using the rules for such creatures found in Draconomicon, you get to keep a half-strength breath weapon, as well as exceed the max HD cap (also, no doubling of HD). This will give you a very large, very meaty tank with a useful breath weapon (non-damaging breath effects are full strength, such as the Shadow Dragon's).
Shadow: Catch one of these with your rebuking ability since some higher-CR encounters can't even harm incorporial undead.
Necropolitan Artificer 18: You cohort (Alternatly, A Necropolitan Dread Necro would give you a literal undead ARMY to command).
Edit: Maneuver progression added. Also staggered Horned Harbinger and Crusader levels for increased effectiveness. Anyone know of some smaller, yet effective skeleton/zombies that would be able to swarm around an opponent?
