Please help me OP an Epic Devoted Defender

[sealofnoob]

Thank you in advance for taking time out to read this:

My DM is a long-time friend of 20 years or so.  He's pretty much always been DM.  He's getting deployed to Afghanistan soon and wants to do some huge level 36 game before he goes.  I had three characters in his campaign, all around level 20, but he said I couldn't use a psion.  I attempted to build a wizard, but he doesn't want epic magic, is critical of many feats that are overpowered for mages, and is just being too frustrating for me to want to bother with a spell casting class.

One of my characters was a fighter/somethingoranother/devoted defender.  I specifically remember annoying the crap out of him with a two handed, heavy hitting devoted defender that would just float around and guard the wizard.  However, it looks like around this level, a wizard just isn't going to need much protecting.  We will, however, have another fighter type, so I figured i would set him as my charge and stay with him in close combat.

I need to be the ultimate defensive bulwark of annoyingness.  I remember having this character set up to take an attack of opportunity for pretty much anything someone could do through feats.  He could attack of opportunity (aoo) for trying to grapple him or his charge, for casting too close to him (even if they were casting defensively), attack of opportunity if they hit him (or missed him).

I want him to hit *hard* and hit *everything*.  I need to be able to burn through those immunities with an epic weapon of sorts.  I need to have some incredible defenses, through high health, great saves, good armor, and some sort of spell absorption and resistance.  Hopefully my wizard (who will be a level 35 erudite power to spell psion) can take care of anything we would need 'god' for. 

I need to be highly mobile, able to fly with good manuverability, to reach those pesky flyers.  I don't have a DMG handy, but the gold limit I have should be determined somewhere in there...maybe around page 28?  can't exactly remember. 

Finally, I'm going to need to pump my size up (and down for tight places), and have range to get off attacks. Even possibly the ability to take multiple full attacks in the same round (or as many attacks as possible).

I will mainly need help with:

1.  items.
2.  feats.
3.  ways to boost my stats.



I can use 3.0 official printed WoTC books if there are no official 3.5 books for it (i.e. devoted defender is 3.0 only).

Please help me!

[sealofnoob]

Also, I should note that I am allowed to take barbarian classes with the devoted defender (even though they have constricting alignment issues) AND I can use an AEG book called Feats or the "book of broken feats"

[sealofnoob]

Another note:  Is there any way I can contingency a teleport to my charge in case they are attacked?

[sealofnoob]

Things I have so far:

Robilar's Gambit -- Attack of opportunity when hit
Riposte--Attack of Opportunity when they miss (I think)
Hold the Line--Attack of opportunity if I'm charged
Close Quarters Combat--Attack of opportunity if I'm attempted to be grappled.
Combat Reflexes--

[sirpercival]

Craft Contingent Spell.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

You might want to go look up a Lockdown build. That will probably help with your focus on AoOs.

[Maat Mons]

Finally, I'm going to need to pump my size up (and down for tight places), and have range to get off attacks.

If you want to be able to change sizes easily, the master of many forms prestige class (Complete Adventurer) fits the bill.  Epic level Handbook has feats to get you all the way to fine and colossal.  I'm not sure what the best form is, since threads about wild shape don't go this high, but mountain giant (Monster Manual II) looks nice. 

[sealofnoob]

I don't think the wild shape is going to help me here.  I don't have any way to change my weapon sizes with this so I will lose my equipment.  I also don't want to sacrifice full BAB.

[sealofnoob]

DM has given the OK for pathfinder fighter levels, but I still need to use the 3.5 system for grapples, trips, etc...

[Unbeliever]

I second lockdown.  Get crazy reach -- 40 feet is easy at epic levels, see if you can get more -- and the Thicket of Blades and Mage Slayer and go to town.  I'd probably combine it with a Decisive Strike Monk for double damage and a little bit of Crusader.  Pretty standard stuff. 

Maybe check out PersonMan's melee combos, too:  http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7044122

Really, though, that idea is to sit somewhere and stop people from doing anything between Stand Still and Mage Slayer.  I'd get some more spell disruption abilities and also try and focus on being able to absorb the shots (which will assuredly come, especially if he's annoyingly stopping the epic monster from doing anything). 

[sealofnoob]

Hmm, so Fighter 20/Devoted Defender 15 (feats!!)

Feats I'm liking:
Mage Slayers (aoo vs casters even with defensive casting)
Robilar's Gambit
Riposte
Hold the Line
Close Quarters Combat
Karmic Strike
Continue the Fight (incredibly broken feat out of AEG feats book that lets you take 1d4 damage a round for an additional standard act)
Epic "Charge" (DM allowed me to take this to assign multiple charges for my Devoted Defender class)
Blood of the Mountain (another overpowered feat I'm able to take that gives 3 hp per level.  Can't pass on 105 hp@ lv35)
Deflect Arrows-->Exceptional Deflection-->Infinite Deflection-->Reflect Arrows (I can reflect ranged attacks made against my allies and myself)

I still have a crapload of feats that I can take though, since I'm getting the Pathfinder build, which means more feats per level

I wasn't sure if I should go all the way up to Epic Weapon Focus/Specialization or not.  I think this is the class setup I'm going to go with since the game is going to be about 8 hours from now.  I really need some help putting together magical items to make it all awesome.  I have 9 million gold to spend, and can't spend more than 4 million on any one item.

[sealofnoob]

Does mage slayer work if the mage is casting a quickened spell?

[sealofnoob]

Also, I love some of the ideas, but unfortunately, I have to stay true to what the character was built as many years ago when we started this campaign. 

I don't have the original character, but I remember that he had some devoted defender stufff.  I could stop the DD@ level 4 and have all of the class abilities.  The only thing I gain from more DD levels is the ability to select more charges, more ac bonus and better bonuses to the abilities

[sealofnoob]

Size issues:  Make a magic item with the wujen "Giant Size" spell with a high caster level.  Maybe spit more gold into it to allow me to choose between large and colossal when I activate it.  DM will allow this.  This takes care of reach and gives str bonuses for grappling/tripping etc...

[phaedrusxy]

Does mage slayer work if the mage is casting a quickened spell?

No, because Quickened spells don't draw attacks of opportunity in the first place. So there is no need to cast them defensively.

[Jackinthegreen]

I don't think the wild shape is going to help me here.  I don't have any way to change my weapon sizes with this so I will lose my equipment.  I also don't want to sacrifice full BAB.

Weapon size change is trivial.  Get the Sizing enhancement from MiC page 43 and you're in business.  It's also quite nice to put on weapons with per pound cost, because you can craft them at small (or smaller) then just size them as you see fit without paying the extra cost.

Also, you might be able to get something out of the Martial GOD guide.  I realize you probably can't change your class levels around much, but there is definitely some stuff in there you'll want to think about.

[Jackinthegreen]

Does mage slayer work if the mage is casting a quickened spell?

No, because Quickened spells don't draw attacks of opportunity in the first place. So there is no need to cast them defensively.

Until you get into other feats which make casting any spell in threatened range provoke an AoO, including swift.  Let me see if I can dig that one up.

Edit: Feat is called Occult Opportunist.  http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/featbox.pl?feat=Occult_Opportunist

[sealofnoob]

Does mage slayer work if the mage is casting a quickened spell?

No, because Quickened spells don't draw attacks of opportunity in the first place. So there is no need to cast them defensively.

Until you get into other feats which make casting any spell in threatened range provoke an AoO, including swift and immediate.  Let me see if I can dig that one up.

Would be much appreciated if you could find that one for me. 

[sealofnoob]

I don't think the wild shape is going to help me here.  I don't have any way to change my weapon sizes with this so I will lose my equipment.  I also don't want to sacrifice full BAB.

Weapon size change is trivial.  Get the Sizing enhancement from MiC page 43 and you're in business.  It's also quite nice to put on weapons with per pound cost, because you can craft them at small (or smaller) then just size them as you see fit without paying the extra cost.

Also, you might be able to get something out of the Martial GOD guide.  I realize you probably can't change your class levels around much, but there is definitely some stuff in there you'll want to think about.

We actually have a wujen in the party, so it could justify me making a magic item with Giant Size spell built into it.  That should take me up to colossal and give me much better scaling bonuses (i.e. +32 str)

[Unbeliever]

Does mage slayer work if the mage is casting a quickened spell?

No, because Quickened spells don't draw attacks of opportunity in the first place. So there is no need to cast them defensively.

Until you get into other feats which make casting any spell in threatened range provoke an AoO, including swift.  Let me see if I can dig that one up.

Edit: Feat is called Occult Opportunist.  http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/featbox.pl?feat=Occult_Opportunist

There's also Supernatural Opportunist (I think that's what it's called) from Tome of Magic.  It triggers AoOs from supernatural abilities.  You can't interrupt them like you can spells, but it's more punishment, especially if you can crank up your single attack damage really high. 

Hell, if you can manage that (which can't be all that hard at epic levels), I'd also suggest nabbing great cleave.  That way you can credibly murder entire armies given your crazy reach.