Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Balkazar 01-16-07, 02:45 AM	This is my first attempt and its something I am interested in so I figured I would do a Handbook about it :). BLINKDOG HANDBOOK This handbook is just for fun and a time killer. The suggestions in the handbook are what I think would make sense both sense the Blinkdog is a Dog and Role playing. The Blinkdog has an ECL of 6 so the suggestions below are what would fit and would be humerous to do. This is my first attempt at a handbook for a cool race. Hope you enjoy the reading. Blinkdog's live in and around the forest usually in temperate area's so they can raise there Pups and such. Blinkdogs are sometimes taken from there families when they are young to be trained in civilization as guard dogs, mounts, slaves, and sometimes depending on the race LUNCH!. :). Books Used: PHB, PHB2, Mini, Complete Warrior, Complete Arcane, DMG, Tome of Battle. Classes: Theres so many classes and combo's one could do that I dont remember them all, so I will write down the ones I remember. Fighter: Strong class for any race really, its an excellent class with full BAB progression. Tons of feats to add to attack and damage. Its pretty much a straight forward thing. Some go and dip into this class for two levels for the bonus feats. Cleric: Interesting class to combine with the Blinkdog tho it would be interesting. Doesnt have a full BAB. The feat choices are somewhat limited. However, they gain the use of plate armor and are able to cast spells by wiggling there claws or something I suppose. Barbarian: Some Blinkdogs may go feral and go the Barbarian route. Gets full BAB, tho lacks in feats, but gains in wearing medium armor to gain a +10 to base speed. Gains DR, Uncanny dodge and of course Raging. Bard: I dont see the Blinkdog doing this. However, it could be entertaining, able to cast both Divine and Arcane spells. Sorcerer: Natural choice sense theres no spell books to run around with, so a Blinkdog Sorcerer would be ideal. Not to mention Fun. Get a familiar, high wil saves, more spells but is behind the wizard a lil bit. Ranger: Natural choice and its the Favored class for the Blinkdog as well. Light armor, extra abilities, cool feats (Track, being one of the key feats). Nice spell selection at lvl 4. Wizard: Not a good choice for the role playing perspective because of the fact that you would be carrying around books and lord knows what, unless you can take your DM into allowing some medallion to be your spellbook and you recall the spells your amulet knows as a free action. Monk: Monk would be interesting with this class too. The Blinkdog's highest Ability scores play to the Monk's strength. +6 Dex, +2 Wis. No one should pass this up. The Monk's special abilities would be good too. Rogue: Playing a Rogue would definately play to the Blinkdog's strength. Like the Bard and Ranger, you will recieve Hide and Move Silently. This is an awesome thing to do. Not to mention the Skill points are a must. Paladin: Would be interesting for this class, tho I dont see a Blinkdog doing this. Would match for the Blinkdog's Alignment tho. Warlock: Tho some may disagree with this because of the Alignment restriction. (Change whatever you like the Dog's Alignment for instances) But this is interesting idea. Dimension Door to the otherside of the battlefield and let loose Eldritch Blast from your mouth, then move back, rinse and repeat :). But if you dont like the idea then dont go with it. Eldritch Blast is considered Range touch. (Hideous Blow is a Favorite it adds the Eldritch Blast to melee damage) Psychic Warrior: This class is just like the Fighter however its BAB is that of a rogue I believe. Dip into the class 2 lvl's you get access to 2 bonus feats, power points, Psionic feats (Psionic Weapon, Greater Psionic Weapon). As well as some interesting Powers to boot even tho you get only 1st lvl powers they are still quite powerful. Martial Adept's (ToB): This book offers GREAT! advice and advantages if you wish to go the melee type which is somewhat of a forced upon sorta deal, but these Classes would offer great melee oppertunties not normally given from the use of the Fighter class. Gives some nice special abilities depending on which Adept you choose. Summary: Depending on your tactics you can be quite devastating. Go fighter put on Rhino armor and charge in (I think theres a feat that allows you to get full attack after a charge) do massive damage on that one charge, do your attack and sense Dimension door is a free action use it and get out of there. Go ranger and possible be the best mobile scout possible to the party. Act as the parties main way of traveling. Not many people will expect a dog to do all these things and still beable to do massive damage. Just like any other character, the right feats and class combination and tactics will make you lethal. There are other Classes from the many books that are out but I dont have them all memorized with there abilities. Feats: Power Attack: Great feat, I would highly recommend this one as your first feat to take. Drops BAB for Damage. Cleave: This one is also a good one for the fact that you can attack then if you drop a foe you can attack again. Great Cleave: This one is very humerous, just like cleave however your biting doesnt end till you miss one of your attacks. Improved Initiative: Doesnt hurt to go first I suppose. Powerful Charge: Gain a +d8 to damage when you charge an opponent. Greater Powerful Charge: Gain 1 size catagory, 2d6 damage on a charge. Combat Expertise: Trade BAB for AC. Good if you fight defensively. Improved Trip: Very useful here. Keep tripping the enemy down. Specially useful against casters. Improved Disarm: Very useful as well. Disarming a Caster of his wand or handbook is a must. Improved Critical: A 19-20 on your bite is a very good thing. Point Blank Shot: Useful for the Warlock. +1 Attack and Damage if your within 30ft. Precise Shot: Useful if your aiming into combat. Imp. Bull Rush: Could be entertaining rushing in and pushing some guy off the side of a boat. This is for a Charger build (Which im working on). Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus: Gives a +2 to attack. Weapon Specialization, Greater WS: Gives a +4 to Damage. Melee Evasion: Allows you to negate a foes attack. Melee Weapon Mastery: Gives +2 attack and Damage. Not bad Combine it with Greater Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Specializing it gives a +4 to attack and +6 to damage. Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack: Allows you to stay out of dangers way when not able to use Dimension Door. Psionic Body: Gives you 2 HP for every (Psionic) feat you choose. Psionic Weapon, Greater Psionic Weapon: These feats are great, gives a +4d6 Damage. Speed of Thought: While wearing Medium or Light armor get a +10ft to your base land speed. Sidestep Charge: +4 AC against charge attacks. Wild Talent: Gains 2 power points and can take psionic feats. Wounding Attack: Allows 1 point of Con damage with each attack. Prestige Classes: There are to many PrC's out there to really keep up with them. Ill see what I can come up with for this section. Powers: These powers are just suggestions. Psy Warrior 1st: Chameleon, Catfall, Elfsight, Expansion, Force Screen, Inertial Armor. Psy Warrior 2nd: Animal Affinity, Dissolving Touch, Psionic Lions Charge, Strength of My Enemy, Wall Walk. Psy Warrior 3rd: Greater Concealing Amorpha, Duodimensional Claw (Bite), Keen Edge (Psionic). Psy Warrior 4th: Freedom of Movement (Psionic), Inertial Barrier, Steadfast Perception, Truevenom. Psy Warrior 5th: Adapt Body. Psy Warrior 6th: Breath of the Black Dragon, Suspend Life. Equipment and Customize Items: This Equipment is just off the top of my head. Rhino Armor, Collar w/ Greater Magic Fang +5/Intelligent/+20 Hide and MS (Use Camoflage for this), Hewards Handy Haversack (or Saddle bag type) is a must. Item Summary: I dont see dogs wearing alot specially a Blinkdog. They need time to move around so best to put enchantments on a collar instead getting tons of items and load them down.
Valdrax 01-16-07, 03:59 AM	Some points: Any casting build (and really any build that interacts with a party) is going to have to find some way around the fact that blink dogs can't speak and don't have hands. There's a feat in the Planar Handbook that lets you substitute any verbal noise for the verbal component of a spell, but the lack of hands is going to hurt unless you can finagle your DM into allowing you to use Natural Spell. Actual communication with the party may require more effort. A Divine Mind with the Communication mantle or a Psion (Telepath) could get around that. Given that psionic classes are an option, I'd entirely give divine/arcane classes the cold shoulder. A blink dog Rogue or Ninja would be just amazing. Blink dogs blink. Go read the spell and think about what that does for sneak attacks. Scouts using the spring attack/mobility tree and exploiting free dimension door would be frighteningly effective. Blink dogs are available to spellcasters as familiars with a variety of feats (Improved Familiar, Celestial Familiar, etc.) and as animal companions and wild shape forms with Exalted feats. They are also valid special cohorts in the DMG (which is another way to advance them in class levels). (Also, not to be snide, but proofread a little better. Lord knows I'm not perfect, but your confusion of "their/there," the misspelling of "humorous," "don't," and "though;" and several uses of the possessive as a plural ("area's," "blinkdog's," etc.) make this only semi-readable. I've seen worse, but it does detract from an otherwise fun and interesting post. Also, it's "blink dog," not "blinkdog" -- two words, not one. Check the MM entry if you don't believe me.)
Part-Human2 01-17-07, 12:45 AM	BoED has Exalted Wild Shape which allows a Druid to Wild Shape into a Blinkdog (among other things) and grants all of its abilities. Why actually be a blinkdog? The Sun School [Tactical] Feat (CW) Flash of the Sunset maneuver provides a free attack when you Dimension Door next to an opponent.
nobodez 01-17-07, 01:37 AM	I think the Blink-Dog Warlock cohort is probably the coolest. Oh, and since blink dogs do actually speak, they can cast still spells, no problem, though somatic components would prove problematic. Sun School sounds like a good feat, since not only would you get the free attack from the Tactical maneuver, but you'll still get your normal full-attack from the special ability of the Blink Dog. Add in a haste, and that's anywhere from 3 to 7 attacks (flurry of blows), pretty nasty, esp. with INA (unarmed strike), Monk's Belt, and Superior Unarmed Strike (that's 4d8 damage per hit).
Valdrax 01-17-07, 02:16 AM	Oh, and since blink dogs do actually speak, they can cast still spells, no problem, though somatic components would prove problematic. Blink dogs have their own language, a mixture of barks, yap, whines, and growls that can transmit complex information. I'm not sure that counts as speech for purposes of verbal components, but I can see the argument for it. On the other hand, Nonverbal Spell, from the Planar Handbook has the following text that suggests it might be required. This feat is most beneficial to races incapable of speech in the traditional sense, but still capable of communication. That definitely describes blink dogs. Somatic components are the real problem. That's why I say go psionic. Blink dogs just scream Nomad & Elocator, if you ask me. Warlocks only work if the blink dog is a PC. Cohort blink dogs have to be Lawful Good, but blink dogs are only "usually lawful good" in the stat block in the MM and could be anything as a PC. (Hah! Blink dog Paladins!)
runestar 01-17-07, 02:16 AM	BoED has Exalted Wild Shape which allows a Druid to Wild Shape into a Blinkdog (among other things) and grants all of its abilities. Why actually be a blinkdog? Well, after the wild shape errata, you probably won't be able to access all its special abilities anymore...:(
rilem 01-17-07, 11:42 AM	The errata says "except as noted". Exalted Wildshape specifically allows the abilities for those specific forms.
Balkazar 01-17-07, 01:35 PM	I know all about the Exalted Wildshape feat. This Handbook is about actually playing the Blinkdog instead of taking like 9 lvls of druid to get access to Blinkdog. But this Handbook could also be considered useful to those who wish to still play the Druid aspect and get exalted wildshape. I played a Blinkdog back in 3.0 before Exalted wildshape was even thought of and being a innocent looking dog at first was quite appealing to me. But with 3.5 out it gives Blinkdogs more of an edge.
Arismir 01-28-07, 01:39 PM	Where did you find out that Blink Dogs' favored class is Ranger?
Tenken 01-29-07, 05:50 PM	Just wanted to make a comment: this is a really fun guidebook. I love it.:D
Adrian_Crane 01-29-07, 05:59 PM	Just wanted to make a comment: this is a really fun guidebook. I love it.:D Seconded. The idea of making some nice builds for a very very very non-standard race just sounds fun. RP-wise this would be an absolute blast to play. The Halfling's riding dog could be a party member! :eek:
Tenken 01-29-07, 06:16 PM	Yeah, I'd like to see some builds for sure, instead of just listing class outlines :) Hehe.
Archmage 01-29-07, 06:57 PM	Savage Species has a feat called Surrogate Spellcasting. I can't recall exactly what it does, but I think it allowed non-humanoid magic-users to spellcast despite their non-traditional appendages, speech patterns, etc.
Balkazar 01-29-07, 08:09 PM	Thanks guys, there is a revised version here. If you wish to take a gander. Also to address Arismer's question. The Blinkdog being a Ranger it was house ruled. True a blinkdog can be of any class tho they will lack in spell casting. ALSO!, you all know about the Master of the Unseen Hand build, using Wujen. WELL!! I found out that you can pull off the Jean grey thing but you would sacrifice ALOT! of spell casting and you wont get the PrC till ECL 15, Blinkdog 6/Wujen 9/MotUH 5 :). Which is why I suggested a Psion 5 then at ECL 12 you would qualify for the MotUH. :). If theres anyone who wishes to make some build up using the Blinkdog then im more then willing to add them :). Heres the Revised version here. Try to keep the comments to one or the other or else they will get lost and wont be added in. http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=11236513#post11236513