Bounty Hunter Concept. Help? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bounty Hunter Concept. Help? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kavu Monarch
09-08-05, 09:59 PM Alright, I am trying to come up with a Bounty Hunter concept utilizing the Monk and Paladin, eventually leading into the Justicar Prestige Class. The main focal point for this character is going to be unarmed combat. Ultimately I want the character to be able to get full use out of the Justicar's Improved Hog-tie ability.

I am stuck on what to do first? Monk or Paladin? And how far should I go in each?

Thank you for the help and advice in advance.

Kavu.
Kavu Monarch
09-08-05, 10:04 PM Alright after doing a little research (Using the SRD) I'm thinking to start with 4 levels in Monk, them move into Paladin for 3 levels, Then into Justicar. This will net you alot of benefits, without any spellcasting involved. As for what Race? I was thinking Aasimar.

What do you think?

Kavu.
20goingon1232
09-08-05, 11:06 PM The bounty hunter I used was a pure 12th level Dwarf Ranger with favoured enemies in Human, Half-Elf, Elf.
Callista
09-08-05, 11:16 PM Hmm, interesting idea... why not Ranger/Justiciar?
20goingon1232
09-08-05, 11:24 PM Hmm, interesting idea... why not Ranger/Justiciar?
I told my players to use Core and SRD only for the campaign (which is still on-going). It wouldn't be fair on my players if I suddenly started throwing out the non-Core, non-SRD stuff, so I don't do it.

But in terms of the Tracking, Hide, Move Silent, etc. abilities, few classes beat the Ranger at being a bounty hunter (mainly because they can also fight if need be, unlike the Rogue).
Blackguard1001
09-09-05, 10:24 AM "But in terms of the Tracking, Hide, Move Silent, etc. abilities, few classes beat the Ranger at being a bounty hunter (mainly because they can also fight if need be, unlike the Rogue)."

I would strongly disagree.

Basically Rogues don't have the combat power of full martial classes (fighters,paladins,rangers,barbarians) they still have moderate fighting abilities comparable to clerics,druids,bards,etc. even without sneak attack.

IMO rogues could also be bounty hunters with the right build. Just more skill and less combat oriented ones. But could still do moderately well if they are in combat.
eudas
09-09-05, 10:36 AM For a while, I was thinking of trying to build a Rogue/Consecrated Harrier build, but the "must announce presence to target" code of conduct thingy ruined it for me. That was when I noticed the "can freely multiclass with paladin" thing, and realized it was a Ranger/Paladin PRC, and kinda gave up the idea.

I mean, in the end, it wouldn't stop a Rogue/Consecrated Harrier from being successful (you can sneak attack the target's band of mooks all you want, and whittle them down until it's just them), but it does make their job harder for the techniques that a rogue would want to naturally employ.

But, a rogue could be a good bounty hunter nevertheless; take them out one at a time, drive them in fear, make them fight amongst themselves, let them do your work for you. Very psychological warfare. :) Then, at their weakest, clean up the mess and face down the target.

eudas
Kavu Monarch
09-09-05, 09:55 PM Hmmm... Rogue, Ranger, Nobody comments on my Monk/Paladin! ;)

Kavu.
20goingon1232
09-12-05, 07:52 AM "But in terms of the Tracking, Hide, Move Silent, etc. abilities, few classes beat the Ranger at being a bounty hunter (mainly because they can also fight if need be, unlike the Rogue)."

I would strongly disagree.

Basically Rogues don't have the combat power of full martial classes (fighters,paladins,rangers,barbarians) they still have moderate fighting abilities comparable to clerics,druids,bards,etc. even without sneak attack.

IMO rogues could also be bounty hunters with the right build. Just more skill and less combat oriented ones. But could still do moderately well if they are in combat.
I would disagree. Clerics and druids buff to the nines. Bards can do that too or just use Glibness to devastating effect. A bounty hunter needs to be able to fight if things go south and the jaw-jaw didn't work. Rangers are good at that and their favoured enemies play right into the bounty hunter role. Rogues can talk the talk, but they have a harder time walking the walk. I am not saying they are terrible at it. I am saying they are not as good as some classes.

My second choice in Core would be the monk. Then it would be a toss up between bard or rogue, but I am leaning towards bard simply because of their inherent magical abilities (fascinate before snapping on the handcuffs, anyone?).
Torack
09-12-05, 09:30 AM While the idea of a monk/paladin is interesting, I'd like to point out that IIRC taking levels in either class will prevent many of the abilities of the other.

Personally I'd consider looking into the Bloodhound PrC too as its almost the same as the Justiciar in terms of abilities.
Iver Gearsham
09-12-05, 04:30 PM Look in to Bolas and lasso's as weapons and if your Dm isn't hung up on all poision is EVIL foolishness. A Paralitic or DEX damaging poision can keep you from killing them in a fight after all they may not be guilty of anything and how would your Paladin feel about being tricked into murder?
Kavu Monarch
09-12-05, 04:59 PM Forgotten Realms.

There are Monastic and Paladin orders that allow the combination of both without the penalties.

Kavu.
TheErsatzFacsimileOfMe
09-12-05, 05:28 PM As a rule of thumb, I don't multiclass pallys and monks.

That being said, I'd go for a Ranger/Rogue combo.

You'd get Track, and all that other good stuff rangery stuff...and you'd get sneak attack, which can actually be applied to non-lethal damage. (Sap or Unarmed Strike)

So, as a level 4 PC, Rogue 2/Ranger 2, you'd have:
Track
1d6 SA
Evasion
1st Favored enemy (I'd pick a non-human race so you can pick human)
a "not so bad" BAB
and enough HP to survive toe-to-toe if needed.
and SKILLS GALORE....So, I'd go with the stealth and social skills.
Plus you'll have an animal companion (I'd pick something with "Scent"
AND! at higher levels you can cast Divine spells. :smirk:
but that's just icing on the cake.
Doopliss
09-12-05, 06:08 PM Monk/Paladin sounds good, though it doesn't leave much for steal/tracking. Ranger is really helpful for that. :devil: Though I'd try the bloodhound prestige class for complete adventurer if you have it. It gives plenty of bonuses on nonlethal attacks and tracking.
psionichamster
09-12-05, 06:25 PM monk/paladin, with high int/wis/cha in my game has saves like 12/11/12 or something like that at lvl 5

wis is golden, as spot and listen (very important skills for a bounty hunter) need to be near maxed, as should survival (for tracking)

for a more urban-style character, diplomacy/intimidate/know:local/gather info should be the more realistic approach

this capitalizes on your high Cha stat (necessary to really get the effect of the scary, self-healing, all but unkillable implacable hunter)

aasimar is nice, but human or dwarf would likely suit you better (LA +1 is not insurmountable, but not great if you are multi-classing)

i would recommend stunning fist, imp grapple, combat expertise, imp trip as your base-package (2nd lvl human monk can pull this off?...maybe higher)

with your high wis, the stun has a chance of working, you can heal readily, and dodge spells like a ...well, a monk should.

as stated above, look to the esoteric weapons...like Sai (bludgeoning, disarming daggers, basically) and shuriken (although not as nasty without poison) and the whip/net/tanglefoot bag route.

post the build to see more specific suggestions, or hit the CharOp boards

namaste'
the hamster
Jaime_Wolf
09-12-05, 08:00 PM My suggestion: Take a look at options other than just "find target, hit target until he's unconscious, turn target in."

Personally I prefer the flavour of the Justiciar, but the bloodhound (Complete Adventurer) is a good choice as well. I'd also like to tell you to at least LOOK at the Vigilate (Complete Adventurer as well). It gets a nifty assortment of spells as well as crime fighting power.
Nuntius128
09-12-05, 08:19 PM Another good possibility, is just going straight Barbarian/Rogue, without Justicar. It feels a lot more like Bounty Hunter than Monk/Paladin does, and while not as traditional as Ranger is, Barb still has Survival as a skill, and can take the Track feat.
barret3b
09-13-05, 01:53 AM wrong place >_>
Red_Ninja
09-19-05, 12:59 PM Paladin will prevent you from "being shady" many effective bounty hunters are successful because they "bend the rules" to get results...the paladin aspect of the character might not let you do that...depending on how strict your DM is with the application of the paladin rules...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kavu Monarch 09-08-05, 09:59 PM	Alright, I am trying to come up with a Bounty Hunter concept utilizing the Monk and Paladin, eventually leading into the Justicar Prestige Class. The main focal point for this character is going to be unarmed combat. Ultimately I want the character to be able to get full use out of the Justicar's Improved Hog-tie ability. I am stuck on what to do first? Monk or Paladin? And how far should I go in each? Thank you for the help and advice in advance. Kavu.
Kavu Monarch 09-08-05, 10:04 PM	Alright after doing a little research (Using the SRD) I'm thinking to start with 4 levels in Monk, them move into Paladin for 3 levels, Then into Justicar. This will net you alot of benefits, without any spellcasting involved. As for what Race? I was thinking Aasimar. What do you think? Kavu.
20goingon1232 09-08-05, 11:06 PM	The bounty hunter I used was a pure 12th level Dwarf Ranger with favoured enemies in Human, Half-Elf, Elf.
Callista 09-08-05, 11:16 PM	Hmm, interesting idea... why not Ranger/Justiciar?
20goingon1232 09-08-05, 11:24 PM	Hmm, interesting idea... why not Ranger/Justiciar? I told my players to use Core and SRD only for the campaign (which is still on-going). It wouldn't be fair on my players if I suddenly started throwing out the non-Core, non-SRD stuff, so I don't do it. But in terms of the Tracking, Hide, Move Silent, etc. abilities, few classes beat the Ranger at being a bounty hunter (mainly because they can also fight if need be, unlike the Rogue).
Blackguard1001 09-09-05, 10:24 AM	"But in terms of the Tracking, Hide, Move Silent, etc. abilities, few classes beat the Ranger at being a bounty hunter (mainly because they can also fight if need be, unlike the Rogue)." I would strongly disagree. Basically Rogues don't have the combat power of full martial classes (fighters,paladins,rangers,barbarians) they still have moderate fighting abilities comparable to clerics,druids,bards,etc. even without sneak attack. IMO rogues could also be bounty hunters with the right build. Just more skill and less combat oriented ones. But could still do moderately well if they are in combat.
eudas 09-09-05, 10:36 AM	For a while, I was thinking of trying to build a Rogue/Consecrated Harrier build, but the "must announce presence to target" code of conduct thingy ruined it for me. That was when I noticed the "can freely multiclass with paladin" thing, and realized it was a Ranger/Paladin PRC, and kinda gave up the idea. I mean, in the end, it wouldn't stop a Rogue/Consecrated Harrier from being successful (you can sneak attack the target's band of mooks all you want, and whittle them down until it's just them), but it does make their job harder for the techniques that a rogue would want to naturally employ. But, a rogue could be a good bounty hunter nevertheless; take them out one at a time, drive them in fear, make them fight amongst themselves, let them do your work for you. Very psychological warfare. :) Then, at their weakest, clean up the mess and face down the target. eudas
Kavu Monarch 09-09-05, 09:55 PM	Hmmm... Rogue, Ranger, Nobody comments on my Monk/Paladin! ;) Kavu.
20goingon1232 09-12-05, 07:52 AM	"But in terms of the Tracking, Hide, Move Silent, etc. abilities, few classes beat the Ranger at being a bounty hunter (mainly because they can also fight if need be, unlike the Rogue)." I would strongly disagree. Basically Rogues don't have the combat power of full martial classes (fighters,paladins,rangers,barbarians) they still have moderate fighting abilities comparable to clerics,druids,bards,etc. even without sneak attack. IMO rogues could also be bounty hunters with the right build. Just more skill and less combat oriented ones. But could still do moderately well if they are in combat. I would disagree. Clerics and druids buff to the nines. Bards can do that too or just use Glibness to devastating effect. A bounty hunter needs to be able to fight if things go south and the jaw-jaw didn't work. Rangers are good at that and their favoured enemies play right into the bounty hunter role. Rogues can talk the talk, but they have a harder time walking the walk. I am not saying they are terrible at it. I am saying they are not as good as some classes. My second choice in Core would be the monk. Then it would be a toss up between bard or rogue, but I am leaning towards bard simply because of their inherent magical abilities (fascinate before snapping on the handcuffs, anyone?).
Torack 09-12-05, 09:30 AM	While the idea of a monk/paladin is interesting, I'd like to point out that IIRC taking levels in either class will prevent many of the abilities of the other. Personally I'd consider looking into the Bloodhound PrC too as its almost the same as the Justiciar in terms of abilities.
Iver Gearsham 09-12-05, 04:30 PM	Look in to Bolas and lasso's as weapons and if your Dm isn't hung up on all poision is EVIL foolishness. A Paralitic or DEX damaging poision can keep you from killing them in a fight after all they may not be guilty of anything and how would your Paladin feel about being tricked into murder?
Kavu Monarch 09-12-05, 04:59 PM	Forgotten Realms. There are Monastic and Paladin orders that allow the combination of both without the penalties. Kavu.
TheErsatzFacsimileOfMe 09-12-05, 05:28 PM	As a rule of thumb, I don't multiclass pallys and monks. That being said, I'd go for a Ranger/Rogue combo. You'd get Track, and all that other good stuff rangery stuff...and you'd get sneak attack, which can actually be applied to non-lethal damage. (Sap or Unarmed Strike) So, as a level 4 PC, Rogue 2/Ranger 2, you'd have: Track 1d6 SA Evasion 1st Favored enemy (I'd pick a non-human race so you can pick human) a "not so bad" BAB and enough HP to survive toe-to-toe if needed. and SKILLS GALORE....So, I'd go with the stealth and social skills. Plus you'll have an animal companion (I'd pick something with "Scent" AND! at higher levels you can cast Divine spells. :smirk: but that's just icing on the cake.
Doopliss 09-12-05, 06:08 PM	Monk/Paladin sounds good, though it doesn't leave much for steal/tracking. Ranger is really helpful for that. :devil: Though I'd try the bloodhound prestige class for complete adventurer if you have it. It gives plenty of bonuses on nonlethal attacks and tracking.
psionichamster 09-12-05, 06:25 PM	monk/paladin, with high int/wis/cha in my game has saves like 12/11/12 or something like that at lvl 5 wis is golden, as spot and listen (very important skills for a bounty hunter) need to be near maxed, as should survival (for tracking) for a more urban-style character, diplomacy/intimidate/know:local/gather info should be the more realistic approach this capitalizes on your high Cha stat (necessary to really get the effect of the scary, self-healing, all but unkillable implacable hunter) aasimar is nice, but human or dwarf would likely suit you better (LA +1 is not insurmountable, but not great if you are multi-classing) i would recommend stunning fist, imp grapple, combat expertise, imp trip as your base-package (2nd lvl human monk can pull this off?...maybe higher) with your high wis, the stun has a chance of working, you can heal readily, and dodge spells like a ...well, a monk should. as stated above, look to the esoteric weapons...like Sai (bludgeoning, disarming daggers, basically) and shuriken (although not as nasty without poison) and the whip/net/tanglefoot bag route. post the build to see more specific suggestions, or hit the CharOp boards namaste' the hamster
Jaime_Wolf 09-12-05, 08:00 PM	My suggestion: Take a look at options other than just "find target, hit target until he's unconscious, turn target in." Personally I prefer the flavour of the Justiciar, but the bloodhound (Complete Adventurer) is a good choice as well. I'd also like to tell you to at least LOOK at the Vigilate (Complete Adventurer as well). It gets a nifty assortment of spells as well as crime fighting power.
Nuntius128 09-12-05, 08:19 PM	Another good possibility, is just going straight Barbarian/Rogue, without Justicar. It feels a lot more like Bounty Hunter than Monk/Paladin does, and while not as traditional as Ranger is, Barb still has Survival as a skill, and can take the Track feat.
barret3b 09-13-05, 01:53 AM	wrong place >_>
Red_Ninja 09-19-05, 12:59 PM	Paladin will prevent you from "being shady" many effective bounty hunters are successful because they "bend the rules" to get results...the paladin aspect of the character might not let you do that...depending on how strict your DM is with the application of the paladin rules...