Author Topic: Help with a gestalt BardHexBlade  (Read 2511 times)

Offline Tonymitsu

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 258
  • The Original Distinguished Anarchist
    • View Profile
Help with a gestalt BardHexBlade
« on: March 03, 2014, 04:41:25 PM »
I started off with his build here, but the situation has changed a bit.

I talked with the DM and he is doing 32 point-buy, start at level 4, pretty much everything open subject to DM approval, starting at level 4, and gestalt.
Our normal gestalt rules typically allow for so called "dual-progression" feats and PrCs so long as you are doing different things on either side of the build, e.g., caster class on one side, melee class or partial caster on the other.
I only know of two of the other players for sure and one is doing a Dread Necro//(maybe bard), and the other is doing an Ur-Priest build. Obviously we are being evil.
While I am still interested in having the build from the other thread as a it's own functional build, I also want to change it up a bit for the current situation. A lot of the choices here are based on advice from the previous thread.

So new plan:

Neutral Evil Human
STR 14, DEX 14, CON, 14, INT 12, WIS 10, CHA 15 (all stat bumps to Charisma)
*Possible flaw: Vulnerable, the build assumes this won't be allowed.

1.  Bard 1        // Hexblade 1      Power Attack, Dreadful Wrath
2.  Bard 2        // Hexblade 2
3.  Warblade 1 // Marshal 1         Song of the White Raven, Minor Aura: Motivate Dexterity
4.  Bard 3        // Hexblade 3      Song of the Heart (replace inspire competence)
5.  Bard 4        // Hexblade 4 
6.  Warblade 2 // Hexblade 5       Practice Spellcaster, Spell Focus (enchantment)(B)
7.  Warblade 3 // Hexblade 6
8.  Warblade 4 // Hexblade 7
9.  Warblade 5 // Hexblade 8       Melodic Casting, Improved Initiatve (B)
10. Warblade 6 // Hexblade 9
11. Warblade 7 // Hexblade 10    Spell Penetration (B)
12. Warblade 8 // Hexblade 11    Improved Familiar (imp)
13. Warblade 9 // Hexblade 12    White Raven Defense (B)
14. Warblade 10 // Hexblade 13
15. Warblade 11 // Hexblade 14  Clarion Commander
16. Warblade 12 // Hexblade 15  Greater Spell Focus (enchantment)(B)
17. Warblade 13 // Hexblade 16  Combat Reflexes (B)
18. Warblade 14 // Hexblade 17  Martial Study (Quicksilver Motion)
19. Warblade 15 // Hexblade 18
20. Warblade 16 // Hexblade 19

Skills: Balance 5, Bluff 5, Concentration 23, Diplomacy 23, Intimidate 23, Jump 23, Perform (Sing) 4, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 5, Tumble 23
Skill Tricks: Never Outnumbered, Nimble Stand, Swift Concentration

(click to show/hide)

Hexblade spells:
1st: Augment Familiar, Protection from Good, Charm Person, Expeditious Retreat, Distract Assailant
2: Alter Self, Mirror Image, Whirling Blade, Glitterdust, Pyrotechnics
3: Hound of Doom, Charm Monster, Vampiric Touch, Dispel Magic, Stinking Cloud
4: Polymorph, Enervation, Solid Fog, Dimension Door

Equipment:
+1 Sudden Stunning Bloodstone Guisarme
+1 Fearsome mithril breastplate
Circlet of persuasion, veil of allure, hexbands
badge of valor, vest of legends, steadfast boots, belt of battle

I would love to keep this to be a DFI build, but I think I would sacrifice a lot of potential Hexblade utility trying to grab the Two-Weapon Fighting Feats and such to make that happen, and dropping DFI means I can drop Silverbrow for more skill points.  As it stands, one side is a straight IC with White Raven focus for buffing allies, and the other side is Hexblade for debuffing enemies.  Not relying on Snowflake Wardance also frees up some skill points for more Intimidate.

With the Marshal dip I can add my charisma bonus to the party's dexterity checks and initiative.  I can start battles in Leading the Charge, Inspire as a swift action and charge in.  Once the party is in position I switch to Tactics of the Wolf, use Fearsome armor to demoralize further as a move action, hit with the Hexblade's curse, and pound away with Diamond Nightmare Blade/White Raven Hammer.
With an imp familiar I'll always have a flanking buddy and I can have him spend his actions to further demoralize, aid other, or attack.

All criticism is welcome, any advice or links for optimizing imp familiars would be greatly appreciated.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2014, 08:38:38 AM by Tonymitsu »
"The only thing in the entire universe more dangerous than knowledge is ignorance."
--Lord Volkarion Knightcon

Offline X-Codes

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 2001
  • White, Fuzzy, Sniper Rifle.
    • View Profile
Re: Help with a gestalt BardHexBlade
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2014, 05:04:55 PM »
Dread Necromancer?  Ur-Priest?  Evil?

Better take Requiem if you're going to Bard it up.

In any case, I wouldn't be so keen on Hexblade here.  It's not really giving you much.  The Ur-Priest is going to be performing at a very high level very soon after the game starts, so I'd suggest, instead, grabbing an Intelligence-based caster for the opposite side.  Wizard is the obvious choice, Beguiler and Warmage are both options, and Assassin is good if you don't want to manage a large spell list.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2014, 05:19:18 PM by X-Codes »

Offline Tonymitsu

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 258
  • The Original Distinguished Anarchist
    • View Profile
Re: Help with a gestalt BardHexBlade
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2014, 05:15:51 PM »
Dread Necromancer?  Ur-Priest?  Evil?

Better take Requiem if you're going to Bard it up.

In any case, I wouldn't be so keen on Hexblade here.  It's not really giving you much.  The Ur-Priest is going to be performing at a very high level very soon after the game starts, so I'd suggest, instead, grabbing an Intelligence-based caster for the opposite side.  Wizard is the obvious choice, Beguiler and Warmage are both options, and Assassin is good if you don't want to manage a large spell list.

The flaw is to allow for Requiem. If the DM says no then the party will do without.

And obviously a full caster would be better than Hexblade (and more MAD), but I've already done lots of full casting.  I want to try something different.
I should also note that I"m also going to ask for some of the hexblade fixes listed here.
"The only thing in the entire universe more dangerous than knowledge is ignorance."
--Lord Volkarion Knightcon

Offline X-Codes

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 2001
  • White, Fuzzy, Sniper Rifle.
    • View Profile
Re: Help with a gestalt BardHexBlade
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2014, 05:21:13 PM »
You don't need to be MAD.  Intelligence is generally useful, but honestly I don't see a purpose to Dexterity in this build.  I'd drop it in favor of more Strength and Charisma (16, 8, 14, 12, 10, 16).  The unofficial Hexblade fixes do help the class out a lot, though.

Offline Dictum Mortuum

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 467
    • View Profile
Re: Help with a gestalt BardHexBlade
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2014, 05:53:08 AM »
Maybe I missed something, but you could use five levels of abjurant champion in order to maximize your caster level.
Dictum Mortuum's Handbooks: My personal character optimization blog.

Offline Frogman55

  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 806
  • I'm not very new!
    • View Profile
Re: Help with a gestalt BardHexBlade
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2014, 12:25:08 PM »
This would essentially cost another feat if you still wanted your imp companion, but with hexblades I always love trading in their familiar for their shadow companion. That no-save debuff is always handy, especially if you're trying to get your curse or other debuffs to stick.