Author Topic: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest  (Read 3510 times)

Offline ksbsnowowl

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Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« on: June 21, 2012, 10:50:07 PM »
Just playing around with possible future campaign ideas.  The flavor (both from Frostburn & from Norse myth) of Midgard Dwarves strongly suggests that they shun Divine magic because they hate/are at odds with the Norse gods.  This plays perfectly into the concept of Ur-Priests, and due to the non-associated class rules, I could get a Midgard Dwarf 8th level spells for only +4 to its CR (base CR 5).

The only problem is meeting the skill prereq's for Ur-Priest.  Midgard Dwarves have no Knowledge skills as class skills, nor do they have spellcraft as a class skill.

Ur-Priest prereq's:
Alignment: Any evil.
Base Save Bonus: Fort +3, Will +3.
Skills: Bluff 6 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will, Spell Focus (evil).

Midgard Dwarves have a +2 racial Intelligence bonus, so that helps with extra skill points to waste buying things cross-class, but without gaining Kn (Religion) and Spellcraft as class skills somewhere, it'll be 14th HD before the first level of Ur-Priest could be taken.  Wanting to get into Ur-Priest as soon as possible, it's looking like the best bet is for a one or two-level dip into Bard (has all the necessary skills as class skills, and gets a decent number of skill points.)

From the racial HD, you could get to this point before any class levels:
Bluff 6 ranks, Kn (Arcana) 4 ranks, Kn (Planes) 4 ranks, Kn (Religion) 4 ranks, and Spellcraft 4 ranks

With 8 skill points in a level (assuming no more intelligent than an average Midgard Dwarf), one level of Bard only gets us to: Bluff 6 ranks, Kn (Arcana) 5 ranks, Kn (Planes) 5 ranks, Kn (Religion) 8 ranks, and Spellcraft 6 ranks,
meaning that a second level of bard (or something else, like Bard 1/Beguiler 1) would be required.

Are there any other options to do this better?  Maybe ways to save me from blowing so many skill points cross-class?

Still, blowing +1 CR on getting 2 HD to qualify still puts him at 6th level spells by CR 9, and 9th level spells by CR 12 (which is gestalt CR 11, since this is for a gestalt game).

Edit:  There is also a small chance I might look into adding Ur-Priest to a Frost Giant as well, but a giants meager 2 skill points per level makes that a less attractive challenge.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2012, 10:54:04 PM by ksbsnowowl »

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2012, 11:02:25 PM »
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Offline ksbsnowowl

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2012, 11:03:04 PM »
Duh, Knowledge Devotion would be one way to help... except it requires 5 ranks in a Knowledge skill first, so doesn't actually help at all... at least not for meeting the skill requirements.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2012, 11:04:26 PM »
Seriously, just take Educated as the 1HD feat.  Then you get all knowledges as class skills.
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Offline ksbsnowowl

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2012, 11:12:17 PM »
Seriously, just take Educated as the 1HD feat.  Then you get all knowledges as class skills.
I'm an idiot.  That would be the best way.  Thank God it's homebrew (and I'm the DM), and thus I can ignore regional requirements without feeling guilty in the least.

Will still have to dip one level of Beguiler to get Spellcraft, but that could actually be useful.  Still gets me 7th level cleric spells by CR 9 (Gestalt CR 8).  So I can have lots of them running around (my PC's are 10th level right now).  Or have 9th level spells by CR 11.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2012, 11:16:08 PM by ksbsnowowl »

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2012, 11:19:22 PM »
Could also get Spellcraft w/ Keeper of the Forbidden Lore, or taking Martial Study in a homebrew discipline based on Spellcraft (there are a couple).
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Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2012, 04:57:04 PM »
Could go Ardent 2 / NarDemonbinder 1 / Psychic Theurge X.
Just needs a bunch more MLs to boost Ardent power levels.
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Offline ksbsnowowl

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2012, 05:17:29 PM »
I know I didn't state it here, but the game/setting in question doesn't use psionics.

Offline Ithamar

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2012, 06:27:12 PM »
What about the UA Feat Skill Knowledge (Spellcraft)?

Offline Vampireshado

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Re: Midgard Dwarf Ur-Priest
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2012, 07:15:55 PM »
The feat Flexible Mind may be of use:
Quote
FLEXIBLE MIND [ANARCHIC]
You have a special knack for particular skills.
Benefit: Choose two skills you have ranks in. The chosen
skills are always considered class skills for you. In addition,
you receive a +1 bonus on all checks involving these skills.
Dragon Magazine #: 326 (Heroic Feats – Chaos Feats)

It's Dragon Magazine though.
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