Phaxi's sandbox

[Phaxi]

A simple list of builds that i'd like to try out someday (probably wont cause of lack of time but anyway...)

These builds are not in any way supposed to be game breakers, and focus is not to be as optimized as possible abusing game weaknesses, they're supposed to be fun to play

Feel free to comment and suggestions/critique..




########### CATFOLK MONK/SORCERER/ENLIGHTENED FIST #############

catfolk LA
1 monk 1: improved unarmed strike, stunning fist, combat casting
2 monk 2: combat reflexes
3 sorcerer 1: practiced spellcaster
4 sorcerer 2:
5 sorcerer 3:
6 enlightened fist 1: catfolk pounce
7 enlightened fist 2:
8 enlightened fist 3:
9 enlightened fist 4: ascetic mage
10 enlightened fist 5:
11 enlightened fist 6:
12 enlightened fist 7: arcane strike/power attack

our campaigns seldom go further than this.. ^^

some spells...
0th: Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue, Prestidigitation
1st: Shocking Grasp, Chill Touch, Mage Armor, Feather Fall, Identify
2nd: Wraithstrike, False Life , Dispelling Touch
3rd: Vampiric Touch, Haste
4th: Enervation

catfolk: +4 dex, +2 cha
3 level boosts in charisma

str   dex   con   int   wis   cha
14   18   14   10   10   23 (+2 from cloak of charisma)

BAB: +7/+2
AC: 26 (10+1 natural (catfolk) +2 deflection (ring of protection) +6 (charisma) +4 (dexterity) +2 (monk bonus) +1 (monk's belt) = 26 (+4 if mage armor active)

Melee: Unarmed strike 2d6+3 +10/+5
Movement speed: 70 ft. (40 ft (base) + 30 ft (monk)

familiar: Rat (you're a cat after all): +2 to fortitude saves

items:
Necklace of Natural Attacks [+1 Blurstrike (RoW), Sure Striking (PGtF)  and Shattermantle (MIC)] (+5 equivalent) (50,600)
Monk's Belt (13,000)
Cloak of Charisma +2 (4,000)
Ring of Protection +2 (8,000)
Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows (12,000) (Dragon #314) (cha to damage)
400 GP left

88,000 gp total wealth

Tactics/tricks:
Use blurstrike enchantment to flat-footen and full attack at the end of the charge with catfolk pounce feat, and delivering a touch spell as part of the full attack. Shattermantle enchantment to bring down the SR since I  dont have feat space for any spell penetration... Sure striking to overcome DR, which is hopeless for low-level monks.

False life (cat's got nine lives right?), vampiric touch, mage armor and arcane rejuvunation (in emergencies) for increased survivability. 30 AC buffed.







########### SPELLTHIEF ###########

Human
1 spellthief1: Able Learner, Craven
2 wizard1: Scribe Scroll
3 wizard2: Earth Sense
4 wizard3:
5 wizard4:
6 unseen seer1: Master Spellthief
7 unseen seer2: Silent Spell, Advanced Knowledge (Hunter's Eye, Rgr 2, PHB2)
8 earth dreamer1:
9 earth dreamer2: Practiced Spellcaster (Wizard)
10 earth dreamer3:
11 earth dreamer4:
12 earth dreamer5: Heighten Spell
13 wizard 5: Earth Spell

continue with arcane trickster?

2d6+4d6 (Hunter's Eye) sneak attack
Spell Stealing up to 4th level spells
Cast spells in light armor


items:

Bracers of the Hunter (Secrets of Xen'drik, 8,500 gp) +5 competence bonus on Hide checks, +2 competence bonus on initiative checks and +1d6 damage to sneak attack or sudden strike.

Circlet of Rapid Casting MIC, Head, 15.000: Sort of rod of quicken, but with some modifications and nearly half the price.

Belt of Battle MIC, Waist, 12.000: Wow, this has great applications! It will help you cast a full-round action spell and move, or quicken a spell, or even cast two full-round action spells in a single round. As an icing on the cake you get a +2 competence bonus to your initiative checks, which is great for wizards anyway.

Rogue's Vest MIC, Torso, 18.000: Gain minor bonuses to move silently and hide and a competence bonus to reflex saves. Additionally boost your sneak attack or similar ability by 1d6.

[Phaxi]

reserved

[littha]

I would probably replace the Monk levels with Battle Dancer (Dragon Compendium), it will cost you Combat Reflexes and Stunning Fist (which you then need to take separately) but the better BAB and the AC bonus is Cha based rather than Wis for better synergy with Sorcerer.

That said Battle Dancer 1/Wizard 4/Enlightened fist 1+ is even better on virtue of bonus feats and better casting and not losing even more caster levels. It should still match the concept and while better is still a lot weaker than a strait Wizard.

[Phaxi]

I would probably replace the Monk levels with Battle Dancer (Dragon Compendium), it will cost you Combat Reflexes and Stunning Fist (which you then need to take separately) but the better BAB and the AC bonus is Cha based rather than Wis for better synergy with Sorcerer.

That said Battle Dancer 1/Wizard 4/Enlightened fist 1+ is even better on virtue of bonus feats and better casting and not losing even more caster levels. It should still match the concept and while better is still a lot weaker than a strait Wizard.

I dont have the Dragon Compendium here, but you dont qualify for Enlightened fist without stunning fist, and the feat requires +8 BAB. Ascetic mage already makes the WIS AC bonus CHA based.

Wizard 4 dont get any bonus feats, exept for scribe scroll. I know that a straight wizard is probably better in 99% of the cases, but thats true to almost every single build out there.

[littha]

Forgot about the BAB on stunning fist, forgive me. In any case, scribe scroll isn't that bad (though there is an ACF that lets you swap it for a fighter feat in the SRD which helps)

The choice is between
Monk 2/Sorcerer 3/Enlightened Fist 7
and
Monk 1/Wizard 4/Enlightened Fist 7

The first casts as an 8th level sorcerer, 4th level spells. The second casts as a 9th level wizard for 5th level spells which is a big increase in power. Depending on whether you are using fractional BAB or not both builds are either BAB 7 or 8 so all you are gaining from the second level of monk is evasion and Combat Reflexes (Which if you needed it you could take with the ACF mentioned above).

Personally if I was trying to do this concept I would do:
Monk 1/Wizard 4/Enlightened Fist 5/Abjurant Champion 2
Which gets 10th level casting for 5th level spells but also has 7 BAB or 8 BAB.

[Phaxi]

Forgot about the BAB on stunning fist, forgive me. In any case, scribe scroll isn't that bad (though there is an ACF that lets you swap it for a fighter feat in the SRD which helps)

The choice is between
Monk 2/Sorcerer 3/Enlightened Fist 7
and
Monk 1/Wizard 4/Enlightened Fist 7

The first casts as an 8th level sorcerer, 4th level spells. The second casts as a 9th level wizard for 5th level spells which is a big increase in power. Depending on whether you are using fractional BAB or not both builds are either BAB 7 or 8 so all you are gaining from the second level of monk is evasion and Combat Reflexes (Which if you needed it you could take with the ACF mentioned above).

Personally if I was trying to do this concept I would do:
Monk 1/Wizard 4/Enlightened Fist 5/Abjurant Champion 2
Which gets 10th level casting for 5th level spells but also has 7 BAB or 8 BAB.

I agree that its more powerful but I like to make SAD (or at least try to reduce MAD) characters ^^ starting stats would be 14/14/14/10/10/18. And I was looking to build a character thats not human/strongheart halfling, and thought catfolk looked cool

Thanks for the input

[littha]

If you are trying to do SAD characters then monk might not be the best choice. There is also the Carmendine Monk feat in Champions of Valour that does basically the same thing as Ascetic mage but for Int rather than Charisma which would really reduce your MAD considering Monks want Int for their skillpoints anyway.

I didn't say anything about changing race, personally I would avoid catfolk on a caster for obvious reasons but then I go around building Succubus characters (6HD + 6 LA) when I want to do interesting races so I am not one to talk. Using Wizard is still probably better than sorcerer even with 2 points less in your main casting stat (which ammounts to +1 save DC and possibly a bonus spell here and there)