Post/Author/DateTime	Post
dagger 01-05-07, 08:46 PM	Okay, here is the story: I had a 4th level Warmage, he died. The party found a blunt wooden longsword we thought was non magical. It has turned out to be pretty powerful and it is part of the main campaign plot hook. The party says that the character I bring in will get this sword, since no one else is an effective fighter. :cool: Here is the swords power: It has no plus to Attacks/Damage (or any other power), but it bypasses all Damage Reduction of any type. It cannot be sundered but can never be further enchanted. Any ideas on a character built around the blunt wooden longsword? :) 36 point buy Any Completes, FR and Core only. Any FR race. Oh yea, THANK YOU!
ChristopherGroves 01-05-07, 08:49 PM	Cleric using spikes/brambles and divine metamagiced quicken or persistent spells. Spikes and Brambles only work on wooden weapons. Grab proficiency w/ either the war domain or a racial perk. Does the "can't be further enchanted" mean spells like magic weapon / greater magic weapon won't work either?
jstorrie 01-05-07, 08:54 PM	If it bypasses all damage reduction it doesn't really need to be enchanted, anyway. Spikes and brambles will be key here; also consider Weapon of Earth and Greater Mighty Whallop.
ChristopherGroves 01-05-07, 09:06 PM	bonus to hit is nice ... but yeah, wooden weapon to me always screams spikes/brambles.
dagger 01-05-07, 09:16 PM	Does the "can't be further enchanted" mean spells like magic weapon / greater magic weapon won't work either? Bascially nothing that could be added with Craft Arms and Armor, so spell effects are no problem.
PhoenixInferno 01-05-07, 09:24 PM	UNLABORED FLAWLESSNESS!?!?!? YOU MUST UNLOCK ITS AWESOME POWER!!!! Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox, in case you're wondering... I'd use a Warblade or Swordsage. Nothing says ultimate fighting master like Tome of Battle.
dagger 01-05-07, 10:00 PM	UNLABORED FLAWLESSNESS!?!?!? YOU MUST UNLOCK ITS AWESOME POWER!!!! Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox, in case you're wondering... I'd use a Warblade or Swordsage. Nothing says ultimate fighting master like Tome of Battle. I would, but: 36 point buy Any Completes, FR and Core only. Any FR race
Phoenix00 01-05-07, 10:33 PM	Spikes (Complete Divine) is a touch spell that enchants the bludgeoning wooden weapon 1 hour per lvl, clr 3 and druid 3 gets it. Thus even if you can't cast the spell get your clr/druid to do so. It is the upgraded version of brambles which lasts round per lvl. Greater Mighty Wallop (Races of Dragon) is a touch spell that enchants a bludgeoning weapon, making it do damage as if it increased in size but it doesn't really increase in size. 1 hour per lvl, wiz/sorc 3 gets it, size increase is caster lvl/4 up to 5 size increases or the effective size is colossal. Thing is this doesn't answer what he should be. A party divine and arcane casters can easily cast there spells on the weapon and he would be good for several hours/day.
VoxPVoxD 01-05-07, 10:40 PM	I thought Spikes and Brambles didn't stack any more since Spell Compendium? as to your question, maybe a monk/dervish or something with martial flurry?
Phoenix00 01-05-07, 10:57 PM	I thought Spikes and Brambles didn't stack any more since Spell Compendium? as to your question, maybe a monk/dervish or something with martial flurry? They didn't stack in Complete Divine or the Spell Compedium. In fact the text for the Spikes says as Brambles except the spell duration is changed, its +2 enhancement bonus, and you double the weapons crit range (as equilvalent to improved critical feat in the Spell Compedium version, so it doesn't stack with improved crit or keen)
Phoenix00 01-05-07, 10:59 PM	See if your DM will allow you to do a custom feat similar to Whirling Steel Strike. Whirling steel strike allows you to flurry with a longsword, Double Steel Strike with a two bladed sword and Serpent Strike with a longspear. All three feats are located in eberron. That or Shou Disciple.
dagger 01-05-07, 10:59 PM	I honestly don't have a theme at all; a monk/dervish or something might be interesting. Sorry I am being so vague; I just honestly don't have any ideas at all this time. I usually can come up with character concepts pretty fast. Basing an entire character around a single magic item is not something I normally attempt. ;)
VoxPVoxD 01-05-07, 11:00 PM	the damage was untyped in Complete Divine. It's enhancement in the Spell Compendium, isn't it?
Phoenix00 01-05-07, 11:02 PM	the damage was untyped in Complete Divine. It's enhancement in the Spell Compendium, isn't it? Looks at his books again...Correct
dagger 01-05-07, 11:32 PM	Maybe a duskblade, I think he is allowing PHBII.
dagger 01-06-07, 12:26 AM	Also just found out he is treating the sword as a normal longsword, and thus slashing.
Darhelion 01-06-07, 02:48 AM	If he is allowing PHBII, fighter might actually be a decently flavorful thing - look at all the 'be spectacular with this weapon' feats just for fighters in PHBII, including the level 18 Weapon Supremacy. Pity -nothing- can perma-enchant it further; Kensai is a great class for someone specializing in one specific weapon. And something about a character built to use the McGuffin weapon makes me envision the noble, idealistic, devoted type that makes a good Kensai. Paladin could be interesting - the paladin weapon-enhancing spells might be nice. Maybe a single level of Monk for Wis-to-Armor if you want to keep armor to a minimum for a nice, rustic look. ("How cute, the peasent has a toy sword OH GODS IT HURTS AND STINGS!") Probably not a good idea, but my random brainstorming to see if I could come up with any other optimizeable concepts that flavored around a wooden sword of deceptive power for some reason came up with this: a ghost fighter-type going for Master of the Unseen Hand. But I suspect that, even if the other bad idea parts were set aside, the +5 LA would be prohibitive. If psionics are allowed, psychic warriors have some interesting potential with weapon-enhancing powers. Finally, a rogue with access to the 'sneak attack the unsneakable' spells (whether via splashing a level each of three classes or via Chameleon) and a DR-ignoring weapon could be extremely formiddable. I fear these ideas are more rambling than helpful, so I'll stop here and go to bed. It's a neat opportunity you've got here - the flavor and RP potential of a wooden sword of hidden powers is neat, and it's always fun to wield the plot McGuffin in a game. Good luck, and enjoy it!
UMiskatonic 01-06-07, 05:13 AM	If it's -really- treated as a normal sword, build a monk with Vow of Poverty. Can't own anything valuable, no sir. I don't even have a real sword, just this chunk of lumber. Hmm hm hmm
dagger 01-06-07, 03:23 PM	Page 2 bump. Book of Exalted Deeds is out..
kegdrainer 01-06-07, 10:18 PM	Here are a batch of questions to narrow things down. What level are you going to be? (Guessing 4th but wanted to check) Gold? Any alignment/gender preference? For FR, are you saying any FR book or just the FRCS? What are the level/classes of the other party members? Any funky house rules? Not sure on the plot line but it might be a sword that you earned as a gladiator a few centuries earlier. You got reincarnated a few times and now found it after hearing of the warmages death. Over the years it became a relic for the oppressed and can cut any bonds. (But the magic requires user to only use their own abilities, not the sword)
dagger 01-07-07, 10:38 PM	Ok. Any FR book for PrC classes. Level - 7th Races - only FR races out of FRCS. Prefer Human, but does not matter. Gender - Male Alignment - Any Money - As 5th level character Party has everything covered. -Elf Evoker CG -Human Marshal LN -Human Cleric TN -Human Rogue CG -Dwarf Fighter C? Thanks for the help!
SageBahamut 01-07-07, 11:38 PM	maybe it's just my perverse inclination, but, Fighter2/Warlock5, take Weapon Focus and Power Attack, focus on using Hideous Blow. You'll have 5 BAB, which isn't too bad - on par with the cleric and rising if you switch to a fighting class. Otherwise Duskblade5/AbjurantChampion2. Maybe even pure Duskblade. again it may just be silly but they both seem both potent enough and flavorful enough.
kegdrainer 01-07-07, 11:59 PM	The group you have is well rounded and I am guessing that the Dwarf is the tank. One option might be to go with Warrior Skald from Races of Faerun. It will help boost the party like the marshal, along with the bard abilities. Since it uses poetry, you do not need to play an instrument and can use whatever weapon style you like. The hard part is getting the 9 ranks of perform needed in poetry and any other. So you might alternate Rogue with Ranger and get 2d6 SA, Evasion, Track, along with twf/rapid shot and Endurance. Since it uses power attack, you might carry a big weapon and keep the wooden sword as a back up. The Artist feat (Pgtf) would help the build along with Versitile performer from CV. Human (Lesser Planetouched Air Genasi might be an option) Rogue 1 Power Attack, Cleave, 1d6 SA Ranger 1 (Track) Rogue 2 Versitile Performer (Evasion) Ranger 2 (TWF/Rapid Shot) Rogue 3 2d6 SA Ranger 3 (Favored Power attack?) Warrrior Skald 1 (Allows you to use bardic abilities 4/day) (If he is allowing Duskblade, that would be better than Ranger)
soulslost 01-08-07, 12:42 AM	the ardent from complete psioniic would be pretty sweeet.........
Iry 01-08-07, 01:20 AM	The Warblade ability to deal a set amount of damage based on a concentration check could be right up your ally. If you want extra style points, then go into the Bloodstorm Blade prestige class to LAUNCH your wooden sword at groups of people. For even more style points, specialize in SUNDERING enemy weapons and pick up Combat Brute, letting you use Bloodstorm Blade to sunder vast quantities of enemy weapons and armor followed up by attacks upon them. You could splash a few levels of Binder for Aym, allowing you to deal double damage to unattended objects. There's something hilarious about a wooden sword hacking easily through a solid granite collumn. Custom speaking, talk to your DM about allowing the wooden sword to count as a two handed weapon, and maybe get it to be able to count as a Maul of the Titans.
DocSpartan 01-08-07, 01:37 AM	Wow, How quickly you guys forget he can't use Tome of Battle or Tome of Magic... The main question you have to ask yourself is what kind of combatant you want to play. It's basically an indestructable longsword that can cut through any defense right? That leaves you open to basically any combat niche that involves using a longsword, which is a lot of options. Now I am not anything close to an expert in Rules-fu but I'd suggest either looking for a combat niche that isn't being filled in the group (or isn't being filled well) or maybe choosing a class that you haven't played before.
Iry 01-08-07, 02:23 AM	Wow, How quickly you guys forget he can't use Tome of Battle or Tome of Magic... Or a subtle nudge that he should heartily encourage his DM to get with the times ;D
progresslevel9 01-08-07, 04:19 AM	Or a subtle nudge that he should heartily encourage his DM to get with the times ;D Hey, beyond Core, there can be as much feces as platinum. I know when I start up a campaign, and I just want to get the hang of DMing, I might restrict a few things, just so I dont have to keep track of everything. Also, a less exotic campaign can feel a little more...homey. Plus, when you venture into ToB territory, I feel like you have to do more optimization on your enemy npcs, just to keep them up to snuff. Then again, I've never seen a 'basic' ToB build, only optimized ones. (well, and the ones in the book) but, opinions, opinions. AS for warrior skald, keep in mind, if it's a longsword equiv, he can just weild it in two hands. If PHB2 is in, I might suggest building a karmic striker off of the monk flurry switch-out, decisive strike. Monk 2/fighter 4/ something? Could be feasible, as anybody who attacks you gets a double damage smack back. again, you'd have to get the thing to count as a monk weapon. Maybe see if he'll allow Unearthed Arcana varients, and go for Druidic Avenger or something? Idunno.
Fingers Boggis 01-08-07, 09:20 AM	If the dwarf is a solid heavy tank it might be good to have a light fighter to go with that. Some sort of scout/dervish combo maybe. If you're cutting through any damage reduction you can go for lots of attacks rather than one big huge damage one. Maybe open with Scout and Ranger (using the multiclass feat from complete scoundrel if you can) to grab two weapon fighting and skirmish and favoured enemy bonuses to damage. Fingers
dagger 01-08-07, 12:07 PM	Thanks for everyones help! Apparently the party has hired several sages to find out more inforomation on the sword. Here are some more powers: It can crit anything it can hit (even undead and constructs). It ignores the 50% miss chance on things like ghosts and wraiths.
SageBahamut 01-08-07, 12:20 PM	If it can crit anything it can hit, can it Sneak Attack anything it can hit? Now you've just cracked open the realm of precision-based damage, which is... well... so vast a landscape I'll leave it to those more experienced to show it to you, but... yeah. Now I'm thinking Rogue/Scout/Dervish or some sort of sneak attack happy pouncer.
jameswilliamogle 01-08-07, 12:20 PM	I think the Monk / Shou Disciple idea was cool. Maybe doing Monk 2 / Fighter 2 / xyz = any full BAB 1 (or maybe Duskblade 3???) / Shou Disciple 2 (take to 5) / any full bab class. Some Rogue levels could get you into Nightsong Enforcer pretty easily, for full BAB and additional Sneak Attack. This would definitely be a glass cannon, but it might be a lot of fun to play. Mineral Warrior template is from Underdark, and is legal. That would help w/ the glass cannon aspect a lot (at the cost of 1 LA). edit: filling it out; you don't need any Rogue for Nightsong Enforcer, apparantly. Mineral Warrior Human (see if the DM will allow LA buyoff rules from UA) Monk 2 / Fighter 2 / Ranger 1 / Shou Disciple 5 / Nightsong Enforcer 9. +16 BAB, good saves, and tons of abilities. Lots of bonus feats that can make the prereqs of the PrCs. Ranger 1 could easily be turned into any other full BAB 1 like duskblade.
JaronK 01-08-07, 02:29 PM	How about Human Scout 1/Swashbuckler 3/Fighter 1 headed into Dervish? If it can crit anything, that should mean precision damage works against anything too, making this a very useful combo. JaronK