Book of Vile Darkness? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Book of Vile Darkness? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JarradJL
12-17-03, 07:15 AM Don't think I've really seen many builds using PrCs from the BoVD...does anyone know of any good ones that can be used to create some really interesting villains?
Snow Savant
12-17-03, 01:18 PM Ur-Priest/MysticTheurge/TrueNecromancer builds are uber-strong and broken to the Nth degree.

For a non-spellcaster, you can get into the way broken Thrall of Juiblex PrC on your 4th level. You want at least 8 levels of ToJ - 10 if you're really smart. You'll be *real* hard to kill and you'll look and smell disgusting.

If you want a BBEG who has pierced nipples, check out the Demonologist (especially his picture). Very cool, very painful. :devil:

Snow.
Eagle Prince
12-17-03, 02:57 PM Demonologist is alright. They cast as sorcerers but get all the spells on their spell list and cast summoning spells at three times their normal level or something. You could probably combine that with Nar Demonbinder somehow for a really kick butt summoner.
RabidWeasel
12-17-03, 03:28 PM IIRC there's a fighter PrC that gives polymorph at will, grab that and some levels of warshaper and you are basically invincible and extremely powerful.

Good BAB, amazing stats, powerful natural weapons, immunity to criticals, fast healing, lots of reach, and more.
Snow Savant
12-17-03, 03:33 PM Well, I did not mean to imply Demonologist is a good PrC (it really isn't, it's just cool in concept.

LordShade, Otto the Bugbear and I finagled a few interesting summoner-based Demonologist/NarDemonbinder builds about a year ago. All the builds were cool, and no set "perfect" combination of core class and PrC's came about from the exercise. Surprisingly, Wizard was better in the prefix than Sorc even though Sorc shares the same spellcasting stat as Demo & NarD. Now that there are more core classes & PrC's to play with, I'll probably fiddle around again soon with making a good Demo Summoner. The key is getting Mastery of Summoning +3 (Demo level 6). Which really pumps your Summon Monster spells through the roof. And in a good build, you'll get your highest level SM spells casting as 10th level SM spells ... meaning you can somehow apply free low-level metamagic feats to your SM spells for basically free.

XO,
Snow
blix_the_drow
12-17-03, 08:34 PM What is PrC? Prestige Class?
JarradJL
12-18-03, 06:24 AM Snow, any chance of elaborating on the builds you mentioned? I'm really interested in learning what makes them so good, and exactly how to make them, since I'm starting up a campaign soon and I really want to use the Book of Vile Darkness and all its goodies.
Funny Slaughter
12-18-03, 07:07 AM What is PrC? Prestige Class?

yep

elaborating on the builds you mentioned

they should float around here eventually.

The key is getting Mastery of Summoning +3 (Demo level 6). Which really pumps your Summon Monster spells through the roof

thats the key :eek:

summoning lets you fight indirectly, you can stay invisble etc.

be sure to get leadership and a cohort with the right levels like this one (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=145908)
it can also stay invisible while strengthening your creatures greatly.

gs
Funny
Cornholio
12-18-03, 03:34 PM Don't have the book in front of me, but I do recall that the "Unholy Warrior" was a very strong PrC. No really nasty combintions per se, but a very solid addition to any evil fighter or fighter/mage build.
Kratilim Valqui
12-18-03, 04:32 PM Some of the Prc's in that book are fun to play to... like the vermin lord... I have no idea if it has any good build purposes but it's fun to play either way... though I don't really like the flavour of the thralls and the disciples....
X105_Strike
12-19-03, 02:54 AM Originally posted by Snow Savant
Ur-Priest/MysticTheurge/TrueNecromancer builds are uber-strong and broken to the Nth degree.

You would be an epic character before you can get all of the benefits. How would you go about building this? Just wondering.
PhaedrusXY
12-19-03, 03:03 AM Rng1/Wiz6/Spellsword1/Nar1/UrPriest2/MyTh8/TrueNecromancer1
BAB +10, Saves are good

MyTh Caster levels: 6 arcane to Nar, other 2 arcane to Wiz. All Divine to Ur Priest.
True Necro to Wiz.

Wiz caster level = 10
Nar Caster level = 7+10 = 17
(if you could figure out some way to use your Ur Priest caster level to add onto Nar Demonbinder it would be even more insane, but I can't. The Nar and UrP caster levels would both depend on each other then.)

Ur Priest Caster level = 10 + 1/2 all other caster levels = 23

Inimical Casting: Can convert Blasphemy (and other spells) into their counterparts for the other alignments.

So with a level of True Necro, you cast [Evil] and [Death] spells at a caster level of 50 at 20th level.

Throw in a Karma bead and an Orange Ioun stone for 5 more divine caster levels, and using Inimical casting and the Holy Word series, you can outright slay anything with your HD+25 or less with no save.

Too bad it's not legal. True Necromancer requires that you have the Death domain, and Ur Priests don't have domains.

Nar= Nar Demonbinder from the Unapproachable East, Rng= ranger, MyTh= Mystic Theurge

Edit: I know this isn't as fully optimized as you could go with this type of build, and I didn't bother with showing feat progression, but I think it will work.
Lord Likk
12-19-03, 03:05 AM if you want to see how it's done, you should try searching these boards and the old boards for stuff like "9th lvl arcane and divine spells", "30+ nec caster lvl", or "mystic theurge"
Lord Likk
12-19-03, 03:18 AM and bring up an interesting problem with it that i've never even seen mentioned.
RabidWeasel
12-19-03, 05:41 AM Originally posted by PhaedrusXY

Too bad it's not legal. True Necromancer requires that you have the Death domain, and Ur Priests don't have domains.

Take a level of MOS? I think you only need to be able to cast spells from one of the domains it grants to enter, of which some are on the normal cleric spell list.
Vodalen
12-20-03, 01:41 AM One of my favorite PrCs from BoVD is the thrall of grazz't(spelling may be off). You get what are effectively sneak attack dice to spells that deal damage, and not just ones that are rays or touch attacks. 5d6 at 10th level. You also do extra damage with spells when casting on something threatened by your allies. But I don't think I've ever seen it used here in a build.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JarradJL 12-17-03, 07:15 AM	Don't think I've really seen many builds using PrCs from the BoVD...does anyone know of any good ones that can be used to create some really interesting villains?
Snow Savant 12-17-03, 01:18 PM	Ur-Priest/MysticTheurge/TrueNecromancer builds are uber-strong and broken to the Nth degree. For a non-spellcaster, you can get into the way broken Thrall of Juiblex PrC on your 4th level. You want at least 8 levels of ToJ - 10 if you're really smart. You'll be real hard to kill and you'll look and smell disgusting. If you want a BBEG who has pierced nipples, check out the Demonologist (especially his picture). Very cool, very painful. :devil: Snow.
Eagle Prince 12-17-03, 02:57 PM	Demonologist is alright. They cast as sorcerers but get all the spells on their spell list and cast summoning spells at three times their normal level or something. You could probably combine that with Nar Demonbinder somehow for a really kick butt summoner.
RabidWeasel 12-17-03, 03:28 PM	IIRC there's a fighter PrC that gives polymorph at will, grab that and some levels of warshaper and you are basically invincible and extremely powerful. Good BAB, amazing stats, powerful natural weapons, immunity to criticals, fast healing, lots of reach, and more.
Snow Savant 12-17-03, 03:33 PM	Well, I did not mean to imply Demonologist is a good PrC (it really isn't, it's just cool in concept. LordShade, Otto the Bugbear and I finagled a few interesting summoner-based Demonologist/NarDemonbinder builds about a year ago. All the builds were cool, and no set "perfect" combination of core class and PrC's came about from the exercise. Surprisingly, Wizard was better in the prefix than Sorc even though Sorc shares the same spellcasting stat as Demo & NarD. Now that there are more core classes & PrC's to play with, I'll probably fiddle around again soon with making a good Demo Summoner. The key is getting Mastery of Summoning +3 (Demo level 6). Which really pumps your Summon Monster spells through the roof. And in a good build, you'll get your highest level SM spells casting as 10th level SM spells ... meaning you can somehow apply free low-level metamagic feats to your SM spells for basically free. XO, Snow
blix_the_drow 12-17-03, 08:34 PM	What is PrC? Prestige Class?
JarradJL 12-18-03, 06:24 AM	Snow, any chance of elaborating on the builds you mentioned? I'm really interested in learning what makes them so good, and exactly how to make them, since I'm starting up a campaign soon and I really want to use the Book of Vile Darkness and all its goodies.
Funny Slaughter 12-18-03, 07:07 AM	What is PrC? Prestige Class? yep elaborating on the builds you mentioned they should float around here eventually. The key is getting Mastery of Summoning +3 (Demo level 6). Which really pumps your Summon Monster spells through the roof thats the key :eek: summoning lets you fight indirectly, you can stay invisble etc. be sure to get leadership and a cohort with the right levels like this one (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=145908) it can also stay invisible while strengthening your creatures greatly. gs Funny
Cornholio 12-18-03, 03:34 PM	Don't have the book in front of me, but I do recall that the "Unholy Warrior" was a very strong PrC. No really nasty combintions per se, but a very solid addition to any evil fighter or fighter/mage build.
Kratilim Valqui 12-18-03, 04:32 PM	Some of the Prc's in that book are fun to play to... like the vermin lord... I have no idea if it has any good build purposes but it's fun to play either way... though I don't really like the flavour of the thralls and the disciples....
X105_Strike 12-19-03, 02:54 AM	Originally posted by Snow Savant Ur-Priest/MysticTheurge/TrueNecromancer builds are uber-strong and broken to the Nth degree. You would be an epic character before you can get all of the benefits. How would you go about building this? Just wondering.
PhaedrusXY 12-19-03, 03:03 AM	Rng1/Wiz6/Spellsword1/Nar1/UrPriest2/MyTh8/TrueNecromancer1 BAB +10, Saves are good MyTh Caster levels: 6 arcane to Nar, other 2 arcane to Wiz. All Divine to Ur Priest. True Necro to Wiz. Wiz caster level = 10 Nar Caster level = 7+10 = 17 (if you could figure out some way to use your Ur Priest caster level to add onto Nar Demonbinder it would be even more insane, but I can't. The Nar and UrP caster levels would both depend on each other then.) Ur Priest Caster level = 10 + 1/2 all other caster levels = 23 Inimical Casting: Can convert Blasphemy (and other spells) into their counterparts for the other alignments. So with a level of True Necro, you cast [Evil] and [Death] spells at a caster level of 50 at 20th level. Throw in a Karma bead and an Orange Ioun stone for 5 more divine caster levels, and using Inimical casting and the Holy Word series, you can outright slay anything with your HD+25 or less with no save. Too bad it's not legal. True Necromancer requires that you have the Death domain, and Ur Priests don't have domains. Nar= Nar Demonbinder from the Unapproachable East, Rng= ranger, MyTh= Mystic Theurge Edit: I know this isn't as fully optimized as you could go with this type of build, and I didn't bother with showing feat progression, but I think it will work.
Lord Likk 12-19-03, 03:05 AM	if you want to see how it's done, you should try searching these boards and the old boards for stuff like "9th lvl arcane and divine spells", "30+ nec caster lvl", or "mystic theurge"
Lord Likk 12-19-03, 03:18 AM	and bring up an interesting problem with it that i've never even seen mentioned.
RabidWeasel 12-19-03, 05:41 AM	Originally posted by PhaedrusXY Too bad it's not legal. True Necromancer requires that you have the Death domain, and Ur Priests don't have domains. Take a level of MOS? I think you only need to be able to cast spells from one of the domains it grants to enter, of which some are on the normal cleric spell list.
Vodalen 12-20-03, 01:41 AM	One of my favorite PrCs from BoVD is the thrall of grazz't(spelling may be off). You get what are effectively sneak attack dice to spells that deal damage, and not just ones that are rays or touch attacks. 5d6 at 10th level. You also do extra damage with spells when casting on something threatened by your allies. But I don't think I've ever seen it used here in a build.