Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LordAries 06-11-07, 02:20 AM	Ok, I plan on playing my first RPGA game on saturday... I've been playing D&D for years and I have pretty much every source material. I read through the stuff to make a character for Xen and I want to make sure I've done it right, BEFORE the game this weekend. I will post generally what I did with my character and ask if anyone would verify that I didn't screw up? We are from the Cabal of Shadows or somthing like that... so duskblade was unlocked for me. Human, Chaotic Good; Level 4 Duskblade Stats: Str 14 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 14 Cha 8 25 point buy with a +1 stat bump from being level 4. Feats I took exotic weapon proficiency: Spiked Chain, Combat Expertise, and battle caster (I used 2 expansion slots to unlock this) and I get combat casting for free from my class I took 7 ranks in concentration, 7 ranks in spell craft, 7 ranks in know Arcane, 4 ranks in Know Religion, 4 ranks in Know Planes, and 2 ranks in Know Dungeoneering I used my expansion slots to get consumables healing (1st and 2nd) and battle caster (3rd and 4th) Equipment: +1 spiked full plate Explorers outfit Spiked chain Composite Longbow [+1 str] 20 arrows (paid x5) Spell Component Pouch Everburning torch Bedroll Winter Blanket 4 empty sacks Flint and Steel 50ft Silk Rope 2 Rations (paid x5) Backpack Cloak of Resistance +1 9x Potions of Cure light (cost me double not x5 because of consumables healing expansion) That’s mostly it… let me know what you think. I’ll be kind of tough, with a decent AC and be able to deal out some Damage if we need it. I’m slow and not very mobile thanks to being a steel can. But I’m knowledgeable about most encounters and monsters I hope. I just hope my low HPs don’t stop me from tanking too much
Magicstar 06-11-07, 03:26 AM	Nice to see more people starting eberron / Xen'drik every day. I'm not very familiar with Duskblade so nothing on the class but something about your expansion slots. To take the consumable packages you have to have a Cha of at least 12. So you wont be allowed to take them with 8 Cha. You might want to consider some other way of healing. Take a look at the healing belt in the MiC, it's quite decent on lower level.
Timlagor 06-11-07, 05:14 AM	1) Your 4th level stat Bump should be worth at least 2 build points unless you have a really good reason for it not to. 2) You probably don't need that much Wisdom (I may have missed something) 3) In the Cabal of Shadows you are going seriously against the grain to be Good (to the point of unplayability). It's the only faction in which you can be Evil and you may get missions like "Kill X, Y and Z". 4) Get at least one 10-charge wand of CLW. There will probably be someone who can use it and it's a lot cheaper (but this being the Cabal a few potions is a good idea too). 5) While Battle Caster is nice Spiked Cheese really needs Combat Reflexes and Improved Trip asap to be truly worthwhile. Do you really want to be using the Chain? Guisarme + Armour Spikes saves you a precious Feat. You could well be looking at Mithral Fullplate ni the long run anyway which makes the BC Feat a waste of three very valuable slots (FEat +2xES -only the Feat can be retooled). 6) Get a GRappling Hook 7) Look at the Armbands of Might for an ESlot. 8) For 100gp more your bow really ought to be +2 Str. 9) Spare Component Pouch 10) Second Spare Component Pouch 11) Backup Melee weapon 12-16) Slashing/Cold Iron/ Silver/ Bludgeoning Weapons 17) Virtually every module seems to have a Cloak of Resistance +1 in it but that doesn't make it a bad buy. 18) You will want Arcane Strike at 9th level (I don't think Rapid Metamagic is quite good enough to beat it out). 19) You may well not want a PrC and I don't think there are any Spells you can add so knock yourself out on the MIC items. 20) You probably want Empower Spell but I'm not familiar enough with Duskblade to be certain. Well some of that should be helpful ;)
LordAries 06-11-07, 11:57 AM	2. I plan on taking the feat from complete divine that lets me add a domain to my list of spells known... since I don't get many spells known... I could even go for healing domain! 3. I'm chaotic good, in an evil way. I think of myself as Lawful Good, except I am willing to get whatever I need done to acheive my goals... its kinda like Bush... I will wiretap your ass illegally to stop so called terrorists from bombing us. In my mind I'm doing whats right, in reality I might be doing things quite wrong... 5. All of those things really require good dex, which I don't and will not have. I won't go mithral because I don't need the max dex from it, and i won't go combat relfexes cause I don't have the dex either... I'm taking a different kind of Spiked Cheese... THere is an ability that the Duskblade gets that lets him apply a spell to everyone he hits in one round, so I might go whirlwind attack instead and use the chain for hitting people close and far. I can get a spell, or an item, or a feat that gives me +10 feet of reach.. then I can cast true strike as a swift action, and then whirlwind attack to hit EVERYONE within 20ft of me, with a +20 to hit for 2d4+3 +unamed spell of my choice... Even with just shocking grasp I have a +5d6 damage. 6-11 Some of those items would fit in well, I realized i Have more money that I thought I would. So I will get some more mundane items. I was going to use Armor Spikes as a back up weapon, but spiked chains aren't that expensive just heavy... I'm trying to keep my wieght below a heavy load. 18. I won't want arcane Strike at 9th level... its not as good for a duskblade. 19. You would be right... 20. Also correct...
lseelba 06-11-07, 08:49 PM	2. I plan on taking the feat from complete divine that lets me add a domain to my list of spells known... since I don't get many spells known... I could even go for healing domain! 3. I'm chaotic good, in an evil way. I think of myself as Lawful Good, except I am willing to get whatever I need done to acheive my goals... its kinda like Bush... I will wiretap your ass illegally to stop so called terrorists from bombing us. In my mind I'm doing whats right, in reality I might be doing things quite wrong... 5. All of those things really require good dex, which I don't and will not have. I won't go mithral because I don't need the max dex from it, and i won't go combat relfexes cause I don't have the dex either... I'm taking a different kind of Spiked Cheese... THere is an ability that the Duskblade gets that lets him apply a spell to everyone he hits in one round, so I might go whirlwind attack instead and use the chain for hitting people close and far. I can get a spell, or an item, or a feat that gives me +10 feet of reach.. then I can cast true strike as a swift action, and then whirlwind attack to hit EVERYONE within 20ft of me, with a +20 to hit for 2d4+3 +unamed spell of my choice... Even with just shocking grasp I have a +5d6 damage. 6-11 Some of those items would fit in well, I realized i Have more money that I thought I would. So I will get some more mundane items. I was going to use Armor Spikes as a back up weapon, but spiked chains aren't that expensive just heavy... I'm trying to keep my wieght below a heavy load. 18. I won't want arcane Strike at 9th level... its not as good for a duskblade. 19. You would be right... 20. Also correct... 1) Your stats are all...average. You probably want to make one stat 15, and use the level 4 bump to make it 16. 2) It sounds like to me that you are using spike chain just for controlling space, rather than its other awesome trip and disarm synergies. I really don't think its worth the feat for you just to control space. A 5' step will work for you 95% of the time. Guisarme and armor spikes really is the way to go. 3) Also, whirlwind is probably the worst feat in the PHB in terms of looking awesome, but being really bad for you character's ability to be effective in most combat situations. If you really want extra attacks on multiple enemies, get cleave...although I'm not a big fan of that feat either. 4) It's your character, so be CG if you want. However, don't be surprised if somewhere along the way a DM forces an alignment shift to CN. 5) If you want to threaten more squares, enlarge yourself. There are tons of ways to do it, but buying scrolls and handing them to an arcane caster is probably your best bet. Extending your weapons reach by other ways can be done pretty easily...if you are psionic. If there are spells that can do it I don't know of them (doesn't mean they are not out there). 6) Personally I think Quicken is an invaluable metamagic feat for a duskblade.
Timlagor 06-12-07, 02:04 AM	5) 12 Dex gives you 2 AoOs with Reflexes which is enough to be useful. Just being able to take AoOs while flat-footed is very useful. When you can get the Mithral Plate you can also get the +4 Dex gloves. That spell better be very good to ever be worth it (though tripping and delivering the spell with the touch attack would be interesting if by some miracle you actually have enough enemies to make it worthwhile at all).
lseelba 06-12-07, 02:41 AM	Arcane Disciple. That at least lets us know why he set his Wisdom to 12... That makes the possibility of an alignment shift even worse for your character, as if your alignment shifts to CN you would lose the use of your Arcane Disciple feat. Paying for atonement spells would fix this, but the cost of such spells are permanently deducted from your EV, and there may be XP loss involved. As for the feat itself, it only allows you to prepare or use one spell of each spell level per day from that domain (similar to a cleric preparing a domain spell). Its great for a utility caster, but for a blaster (which I consider duskblade to be more of) its not as good. Also, with WIS 12, you'd only get the level 1 and level 2 domain spells.
Timlagor 06-12-07, 06:50 AM	You already have high demands on both Attributes and Feats. I would seriously recommend that you abort this plan.