Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 dreamweaver Aug 04, 2009 13:33:23	So, general explanation, this post was created due to a request to see this casually suggested build that I had since it peaked a board member's interest. The point was to build a beating machine that could almost never be hit, could pound things into oblivion, and could heal themselves should they get sufficiently separated from the healing abilities of the party. He's not exceptionally bright but he is sort of a "point and destroy" character. :D -------------+1racial -- 4 -- 8 -- 12 -- 16 -- 19 Str - 8 -- 15 - 17 ----- 19 - 21 ------- 27 -- 32 Dex - 8 -- 8 -- 8 ------ 8 ------- 10 --------19 Con - 8 - 18 - 22 ----- 25 - 30 -- 33 - 38 ---43 Int - 8 -- 12 - 10 ----- 10 ----------------- 10 Wis - 8 -- 8 -- 6 ------ 6 ------------------- 6 Cha - 8 -- 8 -- 6 ------ 6 ------------------- 6 -----28 -- 0 Con gets the stat bump at 4, 8, 12, and 16. ECL 1-20: LA +1/Ranger 2/Fighter 1/Stoneblessed 3/Fighter +1/Fist of the Forest 1/Barbarian 1/Deepwarden 2/Warshaper 4/Frenzy Berserker 4 Feats: 1) Track (Ranger 1st), Endurance (1st) 2) TWF (Ranger 2nd) 3) Steadfast Determination (3rd), Power Attack (Fighter 1st) 6) Great Fortitude (6th) 7) Improved Unarmed Strike (Fighter 2st) 9) Cleave (9th) 12) Destructive Rage (12th) 15) Intimidating Rage (15th) 18) Leap Attack (18th) Skills: 1) Appraise 2, Craft (Stonework) 4, Survival 4, Heal 4, Concentration 4, Dwarven, Terran, Elven, Draconic 2) C.(S.) 5, Survival 5, Heal 5, Conc. 5, Handle Animal 2 3) H.A. 3, Intimidate 1 4) Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, I 2 5) K.(D.) 2, I 3 6) K.(D.) 3, I 4 7) H.A. 4, I 5 8) K.(D.) 3.5, I 6 9) K.(D.) 5, I 7 10) Jump 5, Conc. 6 11) Jump 8, Conc. 9 12) Conc. 11 13) Conc. 13 14) Conc. 15 15) Conc. 17 16) I 9 17) I 11 18) I 13 19) I 15 Favored Class: Rogue Shapeshifter w/ earth subtype. Lvl 7th Equivalent: LA +1/Ranger 2/Fighter 1/Stoneblessed 3 Hps: 76 = 8 +5 +6 +15 +42 (assumes half HD +1 from class hp gains plus total for all levels from Con modifier at the end) BAB: +5 TAB: +9 Dam: Greatsword: 2d6+6 AC: 16 = 10 +4(chain shirt) -1(dex) +3 (nat. armor) Touch: 9; Flat-Footed: 16 F: +17 = +3 +2 +3 +7 +2 R: +3 = +3 +0 +1 -1 W: +8 = +0 +0 +1 +7 Assumes at this point: +2 items for Str and Con, Ring of Sustenance, and a Chain Shirt and Great Sword. Lvl 9th Equivalent: LA+1/Ranger2/Fighter 1/Stoneblessed 3/Fighter +1/Fist of the Forest 1 Hps: 126 = 34 +6 +6 +80 BAB: +7/+2 TAB: +12/+7 Dam: Main: 2d6+7 AC: 28 = 10 +4(armor) -1(dex) +10(con) +3(nat. armor) +2(defl.) Touch: 21; Flat-Footed: 28 F: +23 = +3 +3 +3 +2 +10 +2 R: +5 = +3 +0 +1 +2 -1 W: +11 = +0 +0 +1 +0 +10 Assumes at this point: +4 items for Str and Con, Ring of Sustenance, and a Chain Shirt and Great Sword. Lvl 13th Equivalent: LA+1/Ranger 2/Fighter 1/Stoneblessed 3/Fighter +1/Fist of the Forest 1/ Barbarian 1/Deepwarden 2/Warshaper 1 Hps: 204 = 46 +7 +14 +5 +132 BAB: +10/+5 TAB: +15/+10 Boots: +16/+16/+11 Dam: Main: 2d6+7 AC: 40(41, 45) = 10 +3(armor) +11(con replace dex) +11(con) +3(nat. armor) +2(defl.) (+1(boots), +4 vs. giants) Touch: 34; Flat-Footed: 29 F: +31 = +3 +3 +3 +2 +2 +3 +2 +11 +2 R: +6 = +3 +0 +1 +2 +0 +0 +0 +0 W: +15 = +0 +0 +1 +0 +0 +3 +0 +11 Assumes at this point: +4 item for Str, +6 item for Con, +2 item for Dex, Ring of Sustenance, Boots of Speed, Bracers of Armor +3, and a Great Sword. At 20th: Hps: 419 = 72 +15 +28 +304 BAB: +17/+12/+7/+2 TAB: +28/+23/+18/+13 Boots of Speed: +29/+29/+24/+19/+14 +Weap. Enhanc.: +34/+34/+29/+24/+19 +Charge: +36/+36/+31/+26/+21 Full Pwr. Att.: +19/+19/+14/+9/+4 Dam: Main: 2d6+21 Full Pwr. Att.: 2d6+21 +51 = 2d6+72 Crit: 4d6+144 AC: 63 = 10 +8(bracers of armor) +32(con) +8(enhanced nat) +5(defl) Touch: 47; Flat-Footed: 47 F: +42 = +3 +3 +3 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +16 +2 R: +12 = +3 +0 +1 +2 +0 +0 +1 +1 +4 W: +22 = +0 +0 +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 +1 +16 Assumes at this point: +6 items for Str, Con, and Dex; Ring of Sustenance; Boots of Speed; Bracers of Armor +8; Amulet of Nautral Armor +5; Ring of Protection +5; item to activate for Righteous Might at minimum caster level; a +5 Great Sword; and the use of 3 tomes of +5 for Str, Con, and Dex. Also assumes we are always somehow different from our normal form via our Changeling racial ability so we always get the +4 Str and Con bonus from Warshaper. So at 20th, can be modified via Rage, Frenzy, and Righteous Might: Rage + Frenzy: Hps: 457 = 419 +38 Main: 2d6+29 Full Pwr. Att.: 2d6+29 +51 = 2d6+80 Crit: 4d6+160 On Charge: +41/+41/+36/+31/+26 Full Pwr. Att.: +24/+24/+19/+14/+9 AC: 61 = 63 -6(rage+frenzy) +4 (con increase) Touch: 45; F-F: 43 Full Pwr. Att. on Charge: AC: 59; T: 43; F-F: 41 F: +44 W: +26 Add Righteous Might: Hps: 476 = 457 +19 Main: 3d6+32 Full Pwr. Att.: 3d6+32 +51 = 3d6+83 Crit: 6d6+166 On Charge: +42/+42/+37/+32/+27 Full Pwr. Att.: +25/+25/+20/+15/+10 AC: 62 = 61 -1(size) +2 Touch: 46; F-F: 43 Full Pwr. Att. on Charge: AC: 60; T: 44; F-F: 41 F: +45 W: +27 As an added fun, for me, rp aspect, I sort of roleplay him like Ichigo from Bleach. Obviously he isn't Mr. Speed or agility, but I use the Changeling ability to give my character the Hollow Mask Ichigo sometimes uses. My character is a little more demented though so the "modification from the norm" to give him the +4 Str and Con at all times from Warshaper is from the fact that he ALWAYS wears the Hollow Mask. ;) Plus, with the Deathless Frenzy, like Ichigo, he never gives up once he gets going. And since he usually combines Rage with Frenzy, he can go like that for 22 rounds with Righteous Might up and running also. That's a long time especially towards the higher levels where combats are usually decided in a few rounds. I'd love to have a DM run a super tough big final face off between the party and the big baddie where non-stop action, combat, and blood shed occurs for longer than 22 rounds! That would be one funky crazy battle at that point! And this guy might even die once his Rage/Frenzy/Righteous Might combo ends! Woot! :D
#2 dark_and_stormy Aug 04, 2009 21:20:25	I have no idea who this 'Ichigo' is. Regardless, if you're not married to the Berker, consider dropping Barbarian and Frenzied, and getting 5 levels of Kensai instead. You can make a concentration check for +8 STR (iirc), which maintains your beatdown abilities, and at level 5, you can make a concentration check instead of reflex saves, which, as a skill, can't fail on a one. Further, consider if you do so a Ring of Evasion - not hard to move your slots around a bit if you have Magic Item Compendium. Also, you get a magic weapon, which can be a natural weapon, if you want.
#3 dreamweaver Aug 05, 2009 12:38:54	Interesting idea. I'd need to get Combat Expertise and Weapon Focus [any]. Could do that if I don't need Destructive Rage or Intimidating Rage, but minor problem: don't believe I have the Int prereq for Combat Expertise. Additional problem: don't think I can grab the Diplomacy 5 skill prereq. Maybe if I cut back on my Concentration skill bumps, but then, that destroys the idea of the +8 Str bump by making a move action to Concentrate to make a DC 15 check. Additionally, the +8 Str bump would last 1/2 Class level (I assume that means Kensai class level and not character level, otherwise it would've said that). That means that awesome +8 Str bump would last 2 rounds, one of which would be the round in which I made the move action to get it. I guess I could continue to make Concentration checks every 2 rounds, but each one after the first in a 24 hour period has the DC increased by 5 over the last one. So my 2nd would be 20, 3rd would be 25, etc... Meanwhile, I could possibly do this multiple times per day where my Rage+Frenzy could only be activated once per day with just Frenzy being able to activate at least twice per day. However, even Frenzy by itself, which only adds +6 Str on its own, would last for 19 rounds at least. If I mix in Rage, now I get the +10 to Str, +4 to Con, and it would last (without Righteous Might in there) 21 rounds. Then there is the idea of a reflex save using a Concentration check, but only at level 5 of Kensai. Well, I actually love this idea. Especially as you note that a Concentration check doesn't auto fail on a 1, and with my +16 modifier from Con, dang, awesome! Like you said, mix in a Ring of Evasion, and I'm practically guaranteed to make my Reflex saves. That is truly the best part of your suggested switch over. Me likey! :D Then there is the magical weapon. Not sure how much I can enchant it considering I'd only have 5 levels in Kensai, but to be honest, the Kensai ability to enchant their special weapon and the Concentration check to make me "speedier" in my Reflex saves definitely goes with the Ichigo fellow (from the anime Bleach). Draw back is the inability to mimic his "I keep fighting because I can't stop until I win", and, I sort of like the Barbarian for the alternate class feature of Pounce for the full attack at the end of a charge. Now, I'm not saying I'm stuck hard on the Frenzied Berserker, but it did seem to be a strong addition to the character. Kensai would be great if I could get its special ability from 5th level at 4th instead so I could keep the Barbarian charge. In addition, if the +8 Str bump lasted for at least my total class level in Kensai instead of 1/2, I'd strongly consider it for sure. Shoot, my Con bonus alone, let alone the number of ranks I could pour into it, would probably let me make those DC checks at least 4 or 5 times a 24 hour period without even breaking a sweat! Interesting suggestion, but I'm gonna have to go with my current listed levels just due to greater Str gain, longer lasting periods for gains, and Deathless Frenzy FTW. However, any more suggestions? Really, if the last 4 levels (Frenzied Berserker) are up for grabs, that also frees up 2 feats I had to take to get into that PrC.