Author Topic: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds  (Read 17806 times)

Offline zook1shoe

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #20 on: May 10, 2012, 09:03:39 PM »
I'd do something like Abjurer 3/Master Specialist 4/IotSV 7/Master Specialist 5-10. Good synergy, good shared feat prereqs, Master Specialist grants Skill Focus (Spellcraft) and Greater Spell Focus (Abjuration)... just a good build.

Seconded. Not horribly complicated, but very, very powerful, gains a ton of good abilities, and virtually untouchable. Be sure to read up on Treantmonk's Wizard guide.

I have to be another one to jump on the bandwagon for this build.  Not only is it strong, but it feels complete, what with going through two complete prestige classes.  There's also a lot of thematic support:  there's a spell that deals with colors/prisms at nearly every level, there's the Seven Veil set of magical items from the MIC, the Prismatic Dragon is the strongest there is when it comes to dragons...be the Rainbow Warrior!

If you're insistent on wearing real armor eventually, my favorite combination is a Mithral Githcraft Shirt with Thistledown padding.  +4 armor bonus with no ACP, no spell failure, and a +1 bonus to Concentration checks is just gravy.  Add Mithral Githcraft Dastana/Buckler/Chahar-Aina for extra cheese, and you've got a +7 armor bonus to AC and an +4 unnamed bonus to Concentration checks.

That build sounds really solid

Adding the dastana/chahar-aina cheese is always great and cheap for what you get while freeing up spell slots. You can even get 3 armor crystals for a single body slot, which are some minor static useful abilities for cheap also

I've always been partial towards the Shadow Adept, and using invisible spell.
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Offline Endarire

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If you're dead-set on being a Veil, it's a long time before you get there.  The soonest you can enter is L10.

If you want to be someone who basically says, "Now I am invincible!" then consider this build:

Build
Build Notes: I have you take Iron Will as a feat instead of getting it via the Otyugh Hole (Complete Scoundrel 151).  The hole is worth 3000G, but no guarantees you'll find it when you need it.

-Incantatrix is from Player's Guide to Faerun 61.  Its key features are Cooperative Metamagic and Metamagic Effect.
-Master Specialist is from Complete Mage 70.  Its key feature is Skill Focus: Spellcraft at level 1.
-Spellguard of Silverymoon is from Player's Guide to Faerun 76.  Its key features are more metamagic feats (yay!) and Selective Spell.  (See my guide on Selective Spell.)

Since Pathfinder Wizards get more goodies, I advocate being a Pathfinder Wizard instead.  Go, go infinite cantrips and longer summons and a weak acid dart attack!  (If you feel even more teleport-happy, take the Teleport subschool replacement power called Shift.  Go ahead and use both as needed!)

Non-Evil Dragonborn Fire Elf Wizard (Conjurer)5/Incantatrix3/Master Specialist1/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil7/Spellguard of Silverymoon4

1: {Aggressive}, {Murky-Eyed}, {Noncombatant}
1: [Abrupt Jaunt (traded in your familiar for it - Player's Handbook II 68, 70)], [Improved Initiative (traded in Scribe Scroll for it)], [Oppose Enchantment & Necromancy using Pathfinder's rules]
1: Iron Will, Reserves of Strength (Dragonlance Campaign Setting 86), Spell Focus: Conjuration
3: Extend Spell
5: [Domain Granted Power: Travel Domain] (Complete Champion 52 for Domain Granted Power)
6: [Oppose Divination using Pathfinder's rules], [Persistent Spell using 3.5's rules] (Complete Arcane 81), Spell Focus: Abjuration
7: [Cooperative Metamagic!]
8: [METAMAGIC EFFECT!]
9: Greater Spell Focus: Abjuration, [Skill Focus: Spellcraft]
10: [Unimpeachable Abjuration], [Veil: Red], [Warding 1/day]
11: [Unanswerable Strike +2], [Veil: Orange]
12: [Veil: Yellow], [Warding 2/day], -=FEAT=- OR Ocular Spell
13: [REACTIVE WARDING!], [Veil: Green]
14: [Veil: Blue], [Warding 3/day]
15: [Double Veil!], [Unanswerable Strike +4], [Veil: Indigo], Combat Casting
16: [Kaleidoscopic Doom], [Warding 4/day], [Veil: Purple]
17: [Flavor Stuff]
18: [Chain Spell], Magic of the Land (if you can reliably use an acorn of far travel) or -=FEAT=-
19: [Selective Spell]
20: [@METAMAGIC FEAT@], [Spellguard]

What This Build Should Do
You buff, you control crowds, and you lay down the Wizard smack with 2 of the most powerful Wizard PrCs there are, Veil and Incantatrix.  Metamagic Effect and Cooperative Metamagic allow you to make certain party buffs last 24 or 48 hours.  Ocular Spell lets you Persist non-Personal spells, Chain Spell lets you spread the buffs to your party, and Spellguard (your L20 ability) lets you cast most Personal spells as touch.  An Acorn of Far Travel (gotten via the spell of the same name) lets you turn any Personal spell into a touch spell via Spellguard.  (Go, go HP restoration!)

At level 1, you can use Abrupt Jaunt to avoid danger or teleport up to 10' through walls as an immediate action.  Is someone about to hit with a targeted effect?  Jaunt out of the way!  Area effect about to burn you up?  Jaunt out of the way?  Want to scout ahead past that wall, preferably while invisible?  Jaunt there!  This is so good that even non-casters dip Conjurer1 so they can do this!

Spell-wise, focus on Conjurations and Transmutations.  If your GM lets you, wreack havoc with Illusions!

Debatably, your Warding is a Personal effect that provides some defensive benefit.  It may qualify for Spellguard, meaning spread the veils around!  (Your Warding is a spell-like ability that functions as prismatic wall, an arcane spell, except as noted.  Also, a spell-like ability normally functions as a spell of the same name, and the Spellguard ability says, "the Spellguard of Silverymoon may cast any personal-range defensive arcane spell on another character with a touch.")

So by level 20, while you hide behind your dual veils (I prefer Indigo and one other using the Personal Warding) with your party being shapechanged into Chronotyryns (Fiend Folio 33) for dual turns, preferably with the feat Craft Contingent Spell (Complete Arcane 77 & 139) and the chain contingency and hide life spells, you can cackle manically that no one will be able to kill you.  Ever.

PS: Add astral projection from a private demiplane (created via genesis to taste.

Offline Soft Insanity

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #22 on: May 12, 2012, 01:48:48 AM »

At level 1, you can use Abrupt Jaunt to avoid danger or teleport up to 10' through walls as an immediate action.  Is someone about to hit with a targeted effect?  Jaunt out of the way!  Area effect about to burn you up?  Jaunt out of the way?  Want to scout ahead past that wall, preferably while invisible?  Jaunt there!  This is so good that even non-casters dip Conjurer1 so they can do this!

As somebody who plays and DMs this "Open World", we have this in droves already.

Spell-wise, focus on Conjurations and Transmutations.  If your GM lets you, wreack havoc with Illusions!

He probably doesn't want to step on the shadowcraft mage's toes too much with this.  Shadowcraft mage being the best thing ever with Pathfinder traits being cheeserfic.

Debatably, your Warding is a Personal effect that provides some defensive benefit.  It may qualify for Spellguard, meaning spread the veils around!  (Your Warding is a spell-like ability that functions as prismatic wall, an arcane spell, except as noted.  Also, a spell-like ability normally functions as a spell of the same name, and the Spellguard ability says, "the Spellguard of Silverymoon may cast any personal-range defensive arcane spell on another character with a touch.")

So by level 20, while you hide behind your dual veils (I prefer Indigo and one other using the Personal Warding) with your party being shapechanged into Chronotyryns (Fiend Folio 33) for dual turns, preferably with the feat Craft Contingent Spell (Complete Arcane 77 & 139) and the chain contingency and hide life spells, you can cackle manically that no one will be able to kill you.  Ever.

I was pretty much humbly asked to retire my character(accused of cheating) when I used the old Chronotyryn trick to one-shot a boss.  DM said to prepare...so I did.  I don't think this is going to fly if the entire party is changed into them.

PS: Add astral projection from a private demiplane (created via genesis to taste.

We use create demiplane exclusively instead at this time, but a very nice suggestion.  I'm pretty much the only player with characters with demiplanes....not sure why.  Anyway, Xanola asked me for imput, but Endarire's build is my suggestion.  It's unique enough to be it's own and well suited to the level of play.  For armor, we have some houserule stuff that's wacky....my light armor is +9, 0 ACP before magic (tho I didn't need the extra concentration which Xanola should do).  As I'm playing my character exclusively with house rules dealing with E6, Xanola should just copy my armor and add more bonuses to it.

Btw, easiest way to just be invincible in that game?  Psi-art 11 with hero-point shenanigans.  It's the single strongest class we have available imho.  Also was asked to not play a dragonspawn abomination white kobold with the high virtual sorcerer levels....I wonder why?

Offline Endarire

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #23 on: May 14, 2012, 02:00:57 AM »
The Pathfinder Elf grants even more bonuses than a Fire Elf or Gray Elf.  Use that instead if you can.

Offline Soft Insanity

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #24 on: May 14, 2012, 02:02:52 AM »
The Pathfinder Elf grants even more bonuses than a Fire Elf or Gray Elf.  Use that instead if you can.

I believe we can dark chaos shuffle elves, so if this is better for that, then by all means.

Offline Endarire

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #25 on: May 14, 2012, 02:12:32 AM »
Xanola: What parts of my build work best for you?  What else do you plan to change?


Also, high level Veil mini-log.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2012, 02:23:52 AM by Endarire »

Offline Xanola

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #26 on: May 15, 2012, 12:17:06 AM »
Xanola: What parts of my build work best for you?  What else do you plan to change?


Also, high level Veil mini-log.

it all looks good, but leaves me scratching my head as to what order I should level in class-wise, as well as ability score distribution.. yes, I know I'm basically asking for a character built for me here, but I REEAALLY don't wanna mess this up, and I'll flavor the character's personality to my taste even if I don't the mechanics myself.

Also, Epic!
« Last Edit: May 15, 2012, 01:01:15 AM by Xanola »
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Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #27 on: May 15, 2012, 02:13:12 AM »
You need Sorcerer!

Hell everyone else is like omg use this, omg use that. Seriously, Iof7FV is another one of those hack PrCs on my list of sucks balls and why do people even talk about that shitty class. "Looky, I'm ECL 13 and I'm just now finally getting the ability to deal 80 damage as in Intimidate Action abit this huge limitation of twice per day. Hold on for a few more levels and I can dug up hearsay on a forum poster saying a book author said that indigo doesn't block your spells"

So yeah. You need more Sorcerer. At least then I could tell you how to get a 50ish DC save-or-die as a free action and you don't need to see the target I mean, 20 points or so higher DC wise, no limits per day, no real action to use, kills ninja rogues, why not kill/blind (yes you can do both) a caster instead of 'hoping' to Indigo up some defense for the party. Funny how one damn spell is better than everything Iot7FV tries to be. I mean, it's like Contingency isn't already doing a better job right?

Offline Xanola

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #28 on: May 15, 2012, 02:43:56 AM »
You need Sorcerer!

Hell everyone else is like omg use this, omg use that. Seriously, Iof7FV is another one of those hack PrCs on my list of sucks balls and why do people even talk about that shitty class. "Looky, I'm ECL 13 and I'm just now finally getting the ability to deal 80 damage as in Intimidate Action abit this huge limitation of twice per day. Hold on for a few more levels and I can dug up hearsay on a forum poster saying a book author said that indigo doesn't block your spells"

So yeah. You need more Sorcerer. At least then I could tell you how to get a 50ish DC save-or-die as a free action and you don't need to see the target I mean, 20 points or so higher DC wise, no limits per day, no real action to use, kills ninja rogues, why not kill/blind (yes you can do both) a caster instead of 'hoping' to Indigo up some defense for the party. Funny how one damn spell is better than everything Iot7FV tries to be. I mean, it's like Contingency isn't already doing a better job right?

A Boom Boom save or die is great, but fulfills a different role in a party than an "I never die" person... there are places for both. Rather than bashing other builds, or simply alluding to better ones, why don't you suggest a build of your own that way I could make an informed decision? Simply saying 'more sorcerer' doesn't help much, as I've tried just about every base class out there and haven't managed to work the suck out, which was the entire point of this post.

Also, I am not trying to attack your post, merely requesting that you make it a bit more constructive.
If we shadows have offended/ Think but this and all is mended:
That you have but slumber'd here/Whilst these visions did appear
And this weak and idle theme/No more yielding but a dream
~A Midsummer Night's Dream
~William Shakespeare

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #29 on: May 15, 2012, 01:04:12 PM »
A Boom Boom save or die is great, but fulfills a different role in a party than an "I never die" person... there are places for both. Rather than bashing other builds, or simply alluding to better ones, why don't you suggest a build of your own that way I could make an informed decision? Simply saying 'more sorcerer' doesn't help much, as I've tried just about every base class out there and haven't managed to work the suck out, which was the entire point of this post.

Also, I am not trying to attack your post, merely requesting that you make it a bit more constructive.
Hi welcome, I can be pretty mean at times and rarely say everything in one post unless I'm murdering something before it has a chance to grow.

Sometimes it really helps to know where I'm coming from, like Shiver/Favor of the Martyr via Wand gives near HP damage immunity, Rod of Absorption negates any none-area spell used against you but flavor points for Friendly Fire's reflect any ranged attack. Two items and a magical location later I've got a buildless spellcaster than eats your spells to shoot them back at you and laughs manically against pretty much any non-trollbane using mundane while they attempt to wail on them.

FoM, Third Eye (conceal), Contingency, Deathward-like effects, Protection from Good/Evil/Law/Chaos, Empyreal Ecstasy/Mind Blank, and Cunning all provide blanket immunities and counters build free. And seriously, the choice between a 4/day attempt to turtle using Indigo Veils vs you seen me DIE! is pretty binary, pick the one that defends you by killing them. Two birds, one stone.

So here I am, buildless, double surprise rounds for me & twenty actions per *your* round from an 8 hour Shapechange & Planar Bubble up with the final end all catching [Chain] Contingency to flee the heck away rather than die. Again, we're not talking build, I haven't tossed a single level of awesome away so I can hold the block button.

If you want powerful, go powerful. Incantatrix is the goto and theres 15/16 levels of your build. Mindbender and Shadowcraft Mage are some other holy crap PrCs that fit in there, if your really looking at Sorcerer for Save DCs then I'd even suggest a dip into Prestigious Bard to pick up a couple awesome spells. Wizard is more versatile and ultimately more powerful. But honestly, even these two classes are not the ones to look at if you wants teh uber. Spell to Power Erudite is what you need. So where is your line? At which point are you going to stand back and say "that's too much"? Because by Pelor, I will attempt to find it before I ever suggest something like Iot7FV.

You need a build? I need information. Like, what do you define as broken? What do you define as high-powered optimized? A board request for a very powerful spellcaster is a board request. Last spellcaster I worked on could hit 74 Charis without PAO using my own version of a rule set (no homebrew, just stances on revisions), DC 48+ spells, 11(?) Persists, Incantatrix, and yes it had everything from the above. If I had to give one, I'd go with that then hope someone posts a Wizard based alternative that's even better. So where is that line?

Offline Captnq

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #30 on: May 15, 2012, 01:43:28 PM »
A Boom Boom save or die is great, but fulfills a different role in a party than an "I never die" person... there are places for both. Rather than bashing other builds, or simply alluding to better ones, why don't you suggest a build of your own that way I could make an informed decision? Simply saying 'more sorcerer' doesn't help much, as I've tried just about every base class out there and haven't managed to work the suck out, which was the entire point of this post.

Also, I am not trying to attack your post, merely requesting that you make it a bit more constructive.

As my ex once said, "The one consistent thing in all your failed relationships is you."

Have you considered maybe you suck at playing the game?

I'm the DM and I never play a PC, so I play many different classes of all sorts of levels. They all have one thing in common, me. They fail, they succeed, they are loved and hated, but they all at least are interesting. If the players don't like the NPC, I only have myself to blame. It sounds like to me you want to 'win' the game. You don't win. You succeed or fail.

Step One: Define your goals.

If you don't have the goal you want, you can't succeed. Are you trying to have fun? What is Fun? Why are you having fun? Is fun slaughtering Millions and a throne of skulls? Is fun Being the unsung martyr who heals everyone and Role-plays a quiet sort of honor and grace? Is fun raw unbridled power? Would you even know what to DO with the raw unbridled power?

Step Two: Define how your goal can be achieved.

You need to figure out what conditions are success and failure. List them. Figure out the order of importance then the cost of each condition.

Step Three: Make a plan.

Make it a series of steps and work it out. Here. This guy says it better then me.

If you have questions about 3.5 D&D, you might want to look at the:
Encyclopedia Vinculum Draconis

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Offline Xanola

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #31 on: May 16, 2012, 12:37:17 AM »
A Boom Boom save or die is great, but fulfills a different role in a party than an "I never die" person... there are places for both. Rather than bashing other builds, or simply alluding to better ones, why don't you suggest a build of your own that way I could make an informed decision? Simply saying 'more sorcerer' doesn't help much, as I've tried just about every base class out there and haven't managed to work the suck out, which was the entire point of this post.

Also, I am not trying to attack your post, merely requesting that you make it a bit more constructive.

As my ex once said, "The one consistent thing in all your failed relationships is you."

Have you considered maybe you suck at playing the game?

I'm the DM and I never play a PC, so I play many different classes of all sorts of levels. They all have one thing in common, me. They fail, they succeed, they are loved and hated, but they all at least are interesting. If the players don't like the NPC, I only have myself to blame. It sounds like to me you want to 'win' the game. You don't win. You succeed or fail.

Step One: Define your goals.

If you don't have the goal you want, you can't succeed. Are you trying to have fun? What is Fun? Why are you having fun? Is fun slaughtering Millions and a throne of skulls? Is fun Being the unsung martyr who heals everyone and Role-plays a quiet sort of honor and grace? Is fun raw unbridled power? Would you even know what to DO with the raw unbridled power?

Step Two: Define how your goal can be achieved.

You need to figure out what conditions are success and failure. List them. Figure out the order of importance then the cost of each condition.

Step Three: Make a plan.

Make it a series of steps and work it out. Here. This guy says it better then me.


First, I know the problem is me... that is why I am asking for help, and I am not looking to 'win' the game, only to be useful in a party I am in... something that, especially as I level, I fall behind on... as far as interesting goes... the RP side of the house I've never had issues with.

Step One: I was a bit unclear I guess, but honestly I don't have any specific role in mindjust something I can adequately be a contributing member of a high powered party with

Step 2 and 3: that's what I'm here for help with.
If we shadows have offended/ Think but this and all is mended:
That you have but slumber'd here/Whilst these visions did appear
And this weak and idle theme/No more yielding but a dream
~A Midsummer Night's Dream
~William Shakespeare

Offline Xanola

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #32 on: May 16, 2012, 12:42:58 AM »
A Boom Boom save or die is great, but fulfills a different role in a party than an "I never die" person... there are places for both. Rather than bashing other builds, or simply alluding to better ones, why don't you suggest a build of your own that way I could make an informed decision? Simply saying 'more sorcerer' doesn't help much, as I've tried just about every base class out there and haven't managed to work the suck out, which was the entire point of this post.

Also, I am not trying to attack your post, merely requesting that you make it a bit more constructive.
Hi welcome, I can be pretty mean at times and rarely say everything in one post unless I'm murdering something before it has a chance to grow.

~~Truncated~~

You need a build? I need information. Like, what do you define as broken? What do you define as high-powered optimized? A board request for a very powerful spellcaster is a board request. Last spellcaster I worked on could hit 74 Charis without PAO using my own version of a rule set (no homebrew, just stances on revisions), DC 48+ spells, 11(?) Persists, Incantatrix, and yes it had everything from the above. If I had to give one, I'd go with that then hope someone posts a Wizard based alternative that's even better. So where is that line?

First off, hi, and thanks for the welcome... I too apologize if I came off a bit harsh.

This is difficult for me to answer... the line is, for me, blurry, since I have never been in the high bracket of power. I guess my request IS a little vague to fill, but I just don't know how to define it any better. Also, thank you for the other advice you offered... it was constructive and appreciated.
If we shadows have offended/ Think but this and all is mended:
That you have but slumber'd here/Whilst these visions did appear
And this weak and idle theme/No more yielding but a dream
~A Midsummer Night's Dream
~William Shakespeare

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #33 on: May 16, 2012, 02:35:08 AM »
This is difficult for me to answer... the line is, for me, blurry, since I have never been in the high bracket of power. I guess my request IS a little vague to fill, but I just don't know how to define it any better. Also, thank you for the other advice you offered... it was constructive and appreciated.
I can give you a base line which in no way is me hijacking your thread for advice to polish off my sorcerer build, totally.  0:)

(click to show/hide)

I made it that far then I got bored. If it's too powerful, aim for something weaker. If it's too weak, order it covered in cheese (dirty trick handbooks still online?). Also, good luck figuring out what half that crap does :p

Offline betrayor

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #34 on: May 16, 2012, 03:37:14 AM »
Another good option is to go Druid and then Planar Shepherd,
if you want to be really cheesy choose a plane that time runs differently from the material and you can break the action economy to pieces....
If you think this is too powerful choose a plane that has strong creatures with useful abilities(for example a good aligned plane so you can wildshape into archons and angels).....

Offline Xanola

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #35 on: May 16, 2012, 03:58:52 AM »
This is difficult for me to answer... the line is, for me, blurry, since I have never been in the high bracket of power. I guess my request IS a little vague to fill, but I just don't know how to define it any better. Also, thank you for the other advice you offered... it was constructive and appreciated.
I can give you a base line which in no way is me hijacking your thread for advice to polish off my sorcerer build, totally.  0:)

~~Truncated again~~


I made it that far then I got bored. If it's too powerful, aim for something weaker. If it's too weak, order it covered in cheese (dirty trick handbooks still online?). Also, good luck figuring out what half that crap does :p

Wow! Thanks! And yeah, finding what half that crap does is gonna take me a while.
If we shadows have offended/ Think but this and all is mended:
That you have but slumber'd here/Whilst these visions did appear
And this weak and idle theme/No more yielding but a dream
~A Midsummer Night's Dream
~William Shakespeare

Offline Unbeliever

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #36 on: May 16, 2012, 08:30:18 AM »
...

First, I know the problem is me... that is why I am asking for help, and I am not looking to 'win' the game, only to be useful in a party I am in... something that, especially as I level, I fall behind on... as far as interesting goes... the RP side of the house I've never had issues with.

Step One: I was a bit unclear I guess, but honestly I don't have any specific role in mindjust something I can adequately be a contributing member of a high powered party with

Step 2 and 3: that's what I'm here for help with.
My suggestion is come up with a concept or a style of play you want to go with.  And, then ask us to optimize the hell out of it or direct you to places where it has been done.  And, adjust for your table's play style.  If you're unsure, give us benchmarks ("my friend is playing X Y Z and that's about right for our power level, how does this build compare?"). 

For example, if your unsure of your tactical acumen, of picking the right spell or ability at the right time for maximum effect, then maybe a God BFC Wizard isn't the best route.  Similarly, I sometimes am just too lazy to want to think that much about my actions.  In that case maybe an uber-buffer or an uber-debuffer would be more fun.  Likewise, I find gods of melee combat, which aren't all that hard to build, to be incredibly enjoyable and quite powerful.  The trick with them, unlike the God BFC Wizard, is more at the build level -- making sure you have good tactics and synergies, as well as counters to all the things that will get thrown at you, on your sheet.

The thing is, we can give you a hit parade of the most powerful and broken builds in 3.5 D&D.  We can even give you a primer on why they're totally badass.  But, I don't know if that's going to help you reach your goal.  Pick a concept, role, or play style, and then we can build it to madness.

Offline Alexei

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #37 on: May 16, 2012, 09:55:25 AM »
Another good option is to go Druid and then Planar Shepherd,
if you want to be really cheesy choose a plane that time runs differently from the material and you can break the action economy to pieces....
If you think this is too powerful choose a plane that has strong creatures with useful abilities(for example a good aligned plane so you can wildshape into archons and angels).....
You forgot to mention Efreeti  :bash
Planar Shepherd is meant to be abused if, and only if, the whole party is ridiculously powerful already. Having 10 turns of action for each one from your enemies, free wishes and all that is asking to be shot down by the DM in real life.
Although, if that's your party, Xanola, feel free to abuse whatever you need to keep up with the rest of the party.

@Soro: the lesser half-giant, which book is it from? I am building a Warlock/Wiz/Eldritch Theurge and this looks really abusable...
And for dirty tricks, is this what you wanted?:
- http://tome-of-optimization.wikispaces.com/Dirty+Tricks
- http://tome-of-optimization.wikispaces.com/Dirty+Tricks+2

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #38 on: May 16, 2012, 01:05:58 PM »
@Soro: the lesser half-giant, which book is it from? I am building a Warlock/Wiz/Eldritch Theurge and this looks really abusable...
And for dirty tricks, is this what you wanted?:
- http://tome-of-optimization.wikispaces.com/Dirty+Tricks
- http://tome-of-optimization.wikispaces.com/Dirty+Tricks+2
A. Complete Psionic. See Also Q/A Thread that went over like a lead balloon.

Ahh yes those. Didn't know the old thread got copied to a website :)
Also there are some newer tricks. Like sub Spellaim for Selective Spell and ensure Geas is on the spell list, Standard Action enslavery. Heck, even Unearthly Beauty's Free Action Save-Or-Die states nothing about immunity gained (like a real gaze attack), spam those free actions until they finally look away. Even Planar Bubble up some extra time, you know, those cheap easy tricks that were kind of more recently realized. Probably should start a new broken trick list, specially since Genesis is debunked.



Offline Soft Insanity

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Re: Experienced player needing help breaking away from crappy builds
« Reply #39 on: May 16, 2012, 02:41:29 PM »
To gauge power of the group, this is what we got and how people see it:

1. Beguilar/Shadowcraft mage "perfect build" - as in he dipped for mindsight, and those 3 free feats.  This is by far the strongest character since the pro-artificer left.  The player underplays him however.

2.  Iaijutsu master - another very well dipped class, his damage output (thanks in part to race template abuse), is near 1000 per turn on a full attack (yes we have house rules to let him sheath his weapon).

3.  BSF - This guy has every mundane abuse possible and got a strange monkeygrip houseruled in that makes him a ranged character with a massive spike chain?  I tried to get it fixed, but that didn't work.  Anyway, his damage exceeds the iaijutsu master under the right conditions due in part to buying magic items from my psi-art that he...looks up himself (nobody else does that).

4  The Psionic Guy - This guy knows how to break your basic psionic class and just does so.  He solo'd an elder evil at CL 9 with the help of an underwhelming gunslinger.(verdict is still out on that tho)  His characters are always the strongest of the group imho due to psionic system mastery.

5.  Factotum/incarnate gestalt E6 - with limited cunning surge and a boat-load of fonts, this is my character that everybody loves to hate on.  I still make a huge impact in level 13 party average play thanks in part to my creative use of wands.  If you can't do better than a perpetually level 6 character who can't have items with magical value over 11k, then I pity you.  I pity alot of the players.

6.  Paladins, Gunslingers (completely rebuilt version), etc - this is the rest of the group who are ineffective if they don't take advantage of the fact that my other character, a psi-art, is running a huge magical item/mundane discount shop.  Characters who bother to take advantage on average get 8x wealth by level equivalent due to my being a reseller as well.

Now, what people didn't like: Artificers with items that make them invincible, Chronotyrrn surging factotums, Factotums who take 30 standards and always go first.  Things that people didn't mind but should have: Greenbound summoning druids who talk with plants to use the greenbound correctly, psionic tricks involving link power, Mindsight not being beatable by stealth, etc.  Pretty much anything messing with the action economy or that can't be countered in some way.  This is why planar shepherd for time traits isn't gonna fly, we have a max double time trait that characters can take advantage of.   Even with that planar shepherd will be overpowered for the group.

Anyway, under this particular setting, if you just copy the items from my character and the BSF, you can play a commoner who specializes in use magic device (transparency upd) and be very competent.  All thanks to that psi-art.  The problem isn't with the builds, it's with the lack of proper race selection (very liberal), and proper magic item selection imho.