Can the Green Star Adept be salvaged? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can the Green Star Adept be salvaged? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tealgorthian
06-29-05, 01:47 AM Okay, here's the idea. I want to try and play a Green Star Adept. I've tossed out the idea that it is a caster PrC, and I am running with the idea that it is a tank.

Goals of the build: Get to Large size. Smash things. Really really smash things. Tank.

Books allowed: Anything 3.5, and not FR.

House rules: Green Star can be used with any mineral. (Cost remains unchanged). It gets Full BAB. Any transformation PrCs have to be taken to max level.

Personal Requests: I want to make my Adept from some black mineral (BAsalt?) and use a Scythe.

My ideas: Start with Hexblade to get caster level.
Go Sorcerer/Barbarian
Go Fighter/Sorcerer
Go Hexblade/Fighter

Anything else?
necrosnoop110
06-29-05, 02:04 AM House rules: Green Star can be used with any mineral. (Cost remains unchanged).
Could you be made out of Aurorum (BoED, pg 38)? Could you be made out of Metaline? Cold Iron that kind of thing?
catharz
06-29-05, 02:29 AM Sickstone 8)
batstek
06-29-05, 02:52 AM Not sure if Coal is a mineral, but it'd be kinda funny to see a Black Star Adept that burst into a lasting flame every time an enemy caster dropped a fireball on the group..

Then, you could have reduce cast on yourself and become a Diamond Adept because of the compression.. (not really, but it'd be cool to chip off a part of your body and try to pay for something with it)

//Edit

Oh yeah, being useful to the original poster.

Hexblade 4 could, in theory, qualify you for the class.

Fighter 2 / Bard 3 would get you there one level later, but you'd have better feat selection along the way and a much better skill selection thanks to bard having all knowledges as class skills.

Bard 2 / Rogue 2 / Fighter 2 gets you there further one level later, but you'd end up with better feats compared to going Hexblade 4, and you'd add in Evasion and some nice boost to your reflex save (which is the only save the Star Adept really seems to lack).
Mist of Shadows
06-29-05, 03:43 AM Cause of the strange way that they gain caster levels as an ex. Couldn't you use practiced spell caster to boost as well while taking this class? My question is this. wizard 5 and Green 4 is caster level 5 then the special adds your level in green star adept. But it doesn't advance in it as a part of the class per say. Just as an Ex ability. That's the only class I saw in that book that did that. So could you super charge your caster level?
Mommy was an Orc
06-29-05, 12:37 PM Well, I'd deal with the idea that your Con is eventually going bye-bye. Green Star Adept isn't that bad if you don't have to progress the whole thing. 4 levels is almost a variation on 4 levels of Dragon Disciple.

But, I'd focus the build on being able to survive with an 8 Con. That way, you get a bonus at the end of the build. In that context, Hexblade isn't that great, because it forces you to take 4 levels of it and 9th level caster isn't that hot. But Warlock on the other hand allows you a lot of leeway - also, you can pick up invocations which will help you avoid damage - and you can also survive with a charisma of 8. Bard is good also for the skill points gained.

I'd go something like this:
Wood Elf Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Warlock 3/Green Star Adept X
Wood Elf Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Bard 1/Green Star Adept X
Ulthain
06-29-05, 12:58 PM How does a warlock survive with a charisma of 8?
Vorlir
06-29-05, 01:02 PM By not using invocations that require saves. Its easy enough to just blast away and buff yourself. Charisma isnt required for that.
Mommy was an Orc
06-29-05, 01:15 PM If you don't pick any invocations with saves, then there's no problem - as your Warlock 'level' will only be 8 at 17th level, that's not too difficult. There's no requirement to have a high charisma to use invocations.

How does a warlock survive with a charisma of 8?
Tealgorthian
06-29-05, 02:15 PM Could you be made out of Aurorum (BoED, pg 38)? Could you be made out of Metaline? Cold Iron that kind of thing?

Metalline is a weapon enhancement, isnt it?

And yes, I could. But I wouldnt get any benifits from it, other than what the class gets. I tried that already ;p

Mommy, I definately like this build: Wood Elf Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Warlock 3/Green Star Adept X.

I agree that having to take the whole thing is kind of a bummer, but as the DM says "If the point of a transformational class is to TRANSFORM, then dont you think you should have to actully finish it out?" I kinda agree on that point. He's pretty easy about dipping elsewhere though.
Mommy was an Orc
06-29-05, 02:38 PM Doesn't that assume your character knows all the risks at the beginning of the build? And Green Star Adept is a special case - you can't advance in levels unless you do the ritual.

With Dragon Disciple(as an example), it could be argued that once the ritual starts, there's no way to end it. But a Green Star Adept could simply refuse to advance.

A 28 point buy could easily do the following stats:
Str 18, Dex 17, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8 - then you can make it into Green Star Adept by 6th level, taking the last 2 levels of Warlock afterwards. At level 16, you'd likely have the following physical stats: Str 28, Dex 14, Con --. It shouldn't be too improbable that you eventually end up with a Str of 40 at 20th level, given magic items. And with the Warlock levels, you should be able to do UMD well enough to use Wands of repair damage.

One of the things I'd get immediately is the Improved Toughness Feat. That will compensate somewhat for the reduced Con.

Mommy, I definately like this build: Wood Elf Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Warlock 3/Green Star Adept X.

I agree that having to take the whole thing is kind of a bummer, but as the DM says "If the point of a transformational class is to TRANSFORM, then dont you think you should have to actully finish it out?" I kinda agree on that point. He's pretty easy about dipping elsewhere though.
Urnsk
06-29-05, 03:06 PM Geologically speaking, Basalt is a rock (igneous), not a mineral. Coal is also a rock, though sedimentary not igneous.

Some black-colored minerals:

Hornblende
Anatase
Argenite
Biotite (a personal favorite of mine)
Cassiterite
Chalcocite
Chromite
Ferrocolumbite (aka niobite, columbate, or columbite)
Spinel

This list is by no means complete; there are over 4,000 minerals out there. Biotite is a relatively common mineral, and has some really fun properties; Ferrocolumbite is less common, but also has some really neat innate properties. Go go gadget Geology class!
Yare
06-29-05, 03:21 PM Hematite

http://www.moonlightmysteries.com/spheres/details/hematite.jpg
Tealgorthian
06-29-05, 04:00 PM I mostly agree Mommy, but he points rules that the level ritual advancement is part of the ritual, not a seperate ritual.

I think I might go with Hematite, it looks pretty, thanks for the list/pictures :)

What is an easy way for me to get Large size of more of a hitpoint boost? I'm looking for Large Size that cant be dispelled.
Impeesa
06-29-05, 07:28 PM Easiest way to get large while retaining the benefits of your base race is to use the half-minotaur or half-ogre templates from Dragon #313. Huge Str bonuses, too - a bargain at +1 LA.

--Impeesa--
Sithobi1
06-29-05, 07:37 PM The half-ogre was reprinted in Races of Destiny, and now has a LA of +2. And the half-minotaur is terribly broken; many DMs will not allow it.
Part-Human2
06-30-05, 01:44 AM Here's some ideas.

Convert it to a Psionic PrC (for PsyWar perhaps) and call it the Deep Crystal Adept or the Ectoplasm Adept.

Be undead (Necropolitan, LM) before becoming a Construct therefore you get d12 for HD, making up somewhat for lost CON. Nearly impossible to work Unholy Toughness (CHA to hp) into the build though.

Since LM has Corrupt Wild Shape for Undead, there could be a Construct Wild Shape feat allowing Wild Shape into Construct Animal Forms.

Back to Psionics again and the Metamorphosis power. You can use it to take the form of any Construct up to 15 HD. The Skin of the Proteus is the easiest way of doing this.

Improved Toughness feat will help a little.
Impeesa
06-30-05, 08:33 AM The half-ogre was reprinted in Races of Destiny, and now has a LA of +2. And the half-minotaur is terribly broken; many DMs will not allow it.

The RoD half-ogre is an update of the one in Savage Species, and is a race of its own. It has nothing in common with the half-ogre template from Dragon beyond the name and flavor. And we all know the half-ogre and half-minotaur templates are way too strong to be LA +1, but by and large this board concerns itself with taking the best available choices as they are printed, so that's what I recommended.

--Impeesa--
Sithobi1
06-30-05, 10:38 AM Oh, I see. Thanks for the correction.
Eidolon Faer
06-30-05, 05:08 PM You forgot Pitchblende. Go for the whole radioactivity thing. It's full of munchkiny goodness.
Eidolon Faer
06-30-05, 05:10 PM Oh...and invest in a Ring of Regeneration and a good-quality cold chisel. You can then break off and smelt down limbs, regrowing them later. It'll quickly repay your cash investment in the PrC.
Masked Thespian
06-30-05, 07:47 PM Convert it to a Psionic PrC and call it the Deep Crystal Adept

May your deity help you the first time you come across a Folugub... :ghosted:
AlienFromBeyond
06-30-05, 08:06 PM May I suggest looking at my Slamfest 2005! (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=456424) thread? I use Green Star Adept in it, and fufills the tank roll nicely. 6d8+5d10+6d12 HD, and lots of damage. Plus, it was inspired by this thread ;).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tealgorthian 06-29-05, 01:47 AM	Okay, here's the idea. I want to try and play a Green Star Adept. I've tossed out the idea that it is a caster PrC, and I am running with the idea that it is a tank. Goals of the build: Get to Large size. Smash things. Really really smash things. Tank. Books allowed: Anything 3.5, and not FR. House rules: Green Star can be used with any mineral. (Cost remains unchanged). It gets Full BAB. Any transformation PrCs have to be taken to max level. Personal Requests: I want to make my Adept from some black mineral (BAsalt?) and use a Scythe. My ideas: Start with Hexblade to get caster level. Go Sorcerer/Barbarian Go Fighter/Sorcerer Go Hexblade/Fighter Anything else?
necrosnoop110 06-29-05, 02:04 AM	House rules: Green Star can be used with any mineral. (Cost remains unchanged). Could you be made out of Aurorum (BoED, pg 38)? Could you be made out of Metaline? Cold Iron that kind of thing?
catharz 06-29-05, 02:29 AM	Sickstone 8)
batstek 06-29-05, 02:52 AM	Not sure if Coal is a mineral, but it'd be kinda funny to see a Black Star Adept that burst into a lasting flame every time an enemy caster dropped a fireball on the group.. Then, you could have reduce cast on yourself and become a Diamond Adept because of the compression.. (not really, but it'd be cool to chip off a part of your body and try to pay for something with it) //Edit Oh yeah, being useful to the original poster. Hexblade 4 could, in theory, qualify you for the class. Fighter 2 / Bard 3 would get you there one level later, but you'd have better feat selection along the way and a much better skill selection thanks to bard having all knowledges as class skills. Bard 2 / Rogue 2 / Fighter 2 gets you there further one level later, but you'd end up with better feats compared to going Hexblade 4, and you'd add in Evasion and some nice boost to your reflex save (which is the only save the Star Adept really seems to lack).
Mist of Shadows 06-29-05, 03:43 AM	Cause of the strange way that they gain caster levels as an ex. Couldn't you use practiced spell caster to boost as well while taking this class? My question is this. wizard 5 and Green 4 is caster level 5 then the special adds your level in green star adept. But it doesn't advance in it as a part of the class per say. Just as an Ex ability. That's the only class I saw in that book that did that. So could you super charge your caster level?
Mommy was an Orc 06-29-05, 12:37 PM	Well, I'd deal with the idea that your Con is eventually going bye-bye. Green Star Adept isn't that bad if you don't have to progress the whole thing. 4 levels is almost a variation on 4 levels of Dragon Disciple. But, I'd focus the build on being able to survive with an 8 Con. That way, you get a bonus at the end of the build. In that context, Hexblade isn't that great, because it forces you to take 4 levels of it and 9th level caster isn't that hot. But Warlock on the other hand allows you a lot of leeway - also, you can pick up invocations which will help you avoid damage - and you can also survive with a charisma of 8. Bard is good also for the skill points gained. I'd go something like this: Wood Elf Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Warlock 3/Green Star Adept X Wood Elf Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Bard 1/Green Star Adept X
Ulthain 06-29-05, 12:58 PM	How does a warlock survive with a charisma of 8?
Vorlir 06-29-05, 01:02 PM	By not using invocations that require saves. Its easy enough to just blast away and buff yourself. Charisma isnt required for that.
Mommy was an Orc 06-29-05, 01:15 PM	If you don't pick any invocations with saves, then there's no problem - as your Warlock 'level' will only be 8 at 17th level, that's not too difficult. There's no requirement to have a high charisma to use invocations. How does a warlock survive with a charisma of 8?
Tealgorthian 06-29-05, 02:15 PM	Could you be made out of Aurorum (BoED, pg 38)? Could you be made out of Metaline? Cold Iron that kind of thing? Metalline is a weapon enhancement, isnt it? And yes, I could. But I wouldnt get any benifits from it, other than what the class gets. I tried that already ;p Mommy, I definately like this build: Wood Elf Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Warlock 3/Green Star Adept X. I agree that having to take the whole thing is kind of a bummer, but as the DM says "If the point of a transformational class is to TRANSFORM, then dont you think you should have to actully finish it out?" I kinda agree on that point. He's pretty easy about dipping elsewhere though.
Mommy was an Orc 06-29-05, 02:38 PM	Doesn't that assume your character knows all the risks at the beginning of the build? And Green Star Adept is a special case - you can't advance in levels unless you do the ritual. With Dragon Disciple(as an example), it could be argued that once the ritual starts, there's no way to end it. But a Green Star Adept could simply refuse to advance. A 28 point buy could easily do the following stats: Str 18, Dex 17, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8 - then you can make it into Green Star Adept by 6th level, taking the last 2 levels of Warlock afterwards. At level 16, you'd likely have the following physical stats: Str 28, Dex 14, Con --. It shouldn't be too improbable that you eventually end up with a Str of 40 at 20th level, given magic items. And with the Warlock levels, you should be able to do UMD well enough to use Wands of repair damage. One of the things I'd get immediately is the Improved Toughness Feat. That will compensate somewhat for the reduced Con. Mommy, I definately like this build: Wood Elf Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Warlock 3/Green Star Adept X. I agree that having to take the whole thing is kind of a bummer, but as the DM says "If the point of a transformational class is to TRANSFORM, then dont you think you should have to actully finish it out?" I kinda agree on that point. He's pretty easy about dipping elsewhere though.
Urnsk 06-29-05, 03:06 PM	Geologically speaking, Basalt is a rock (igneous), not a mineral. Coal is also a rock, though sedimentary not igneous. Some black-colored minerals: Hornblende Anatase Argenite Biotite (a personal favorite of mine) Cassiterite Chalcocite Chromite Ferrocolumbite (aka niobite, columbate, or columbite) Spinel This list is by no means complete; there are over 4,000 minerals out there. Biotite is a relatively common mineral, and has some really fun properties; Ferrocolumbite is less common, but also has some really neat innate properties. Go go gadget Geology class!
Yare 06-29-05, 03:21 PM	Hematite http://www.moonlightmysteries.com/spheres/details/hematite.jpg
Tealgorthian 06-29-05, 04:00 PM	I mostly agree Mommy, but he points rules that the level ritual advancement is part of the ritual, not a seperate ritual. I think I might go with Hematite, it looks pretty, thanks for the list/pictures :) What is an easy way for me to get Large size of more of a hitpoint boost? I'm looking for Large Size that cant be dispelled.
Impeesa 06-29-05, 07:28 PM	Easiest way to get large while retaining the benefits of your base race is to use the half-minotaur or half-ogre templates from Dragon #313. Huge Str bonuses, too - a bargain at +1 LA. --Impeesa--
Sithobi1 06-29-05, 07:37 PM	The half-ogre was reprinted in Races of Destiny, and now has a LA of +2. And the half-minotaur is terribly broken; many DMs will not allow it.
Part-Human2 06-30-05, 01:44 AM	Here's some ideas. Convert it to a Psionic PrC (for PsyWar perhaps) and call it the Deep Crystal Adept or the Ectoplasm Adept. Be undead (Necropolitan, LM) before becoming a Construct therefore you get d12 for HD, making up somewhat for lost CON. Nearly impossible to work Unholy Toughness (CHA to hp) into the build though. Since LM has Corrupt Wild Shape for Undead, there could be a Construct Wild Shape feat allowing Wild Shape into Construct Animal Forms. Back to Psionics again and the Metamorphosis power. You can use it to take the form of any Construct up to 15 HD. The Skin of the Proteus is the easiest way of doing this. Improved Toughness feat will help a little.
Impeesa 06-30-05, 08:33 AM	The half-ogre was reprinted in Races of Destiny, and now has a LA of +2. And the half-minotaur is terribly broken; many DMs will not allow it. The RoD half-ogre is an update of the one in Savage Species, and is a race of its own. It has nothing in common with the half-ogre template from Dragon beyond the name and flavor. And we all know the half-ogre and half-minotaur templates are way too strong to be LA +1, but by and large this board concerns itself with taking the best available choices as they are printed, so that's what I recommended. --Impeesa--
Sithobi1 06-30-05, 10:38 AM	Oh, I see. Thanks for the correction.
Eidolon Faer 06-30-05, 05:08 PM	You forgot Pitchblende. Go for the whole radioactivity thing. It's full of munchkiny goodness.
Eidolon Faer 06-30-05, 05:10 PM	Oh...and invest in a Ring of Regeneration and a good-quality cold chisel. You can then break off and smelt down limbs, regrowing them later. It'll quickly repay your cash investment in the PrC.
Masked Thespian 06-30-05, 07:47 PM	Convert it to a Psionic PrC and call it the Deep Crystal Adept May your deity help you the first time you come across a Folugub... :ghosted:
AlienFromBeyond 06-30-05, 08:06 PM	May I suggest looking at my Slamfest 2005! (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=456424) thread? I use Green Star Adept in it, and fufills the tank roll nicely. 6d8+5d10+6d12 HD, and lots of damage. Plus, it was inspired by this thread ;).