One of the neatest parts of this build is that it used Divine Crusader to get the Magic Domain online in a build that advanced martial prowess. The upswing of that is Antimagic field as soon as your Divine Crusader effective caster level reaches 6 (if you've got a high enough ability bonus anyway). Now... the problem with Antimagic Field (unless you're getting into cheesy spellshaping Antimagic Field tricks) is that it turns off all your own gear, buffs, supernatural and spell-like abilities.
So... what I find myself thinking is to make this trick GOOD what needs to be done is the following.
1) You need to be able to get to your target... this shouldn't be all that hard with the right gear choices unless your opponents REALLY good at not being got.
2) You need to be able to outperform your opponent while under the effects of Antimagic Field. This is the hard part to judge, you see a skinny frail wizard type it should be possible, you see a dragon, DON'T DO IT MAN! That said, a big goal in this build is extroardinary or non-typed (assumed Extroardinary also) abilities that will enhance offense.
3) Your target needs to not readily get away, a few options present here. First the ol' Thicket of Blades/Stand Still/Combat Reflexes move of tripping the **** out of your opponent whenever they try to do basically anything. Secondly, it may be possible to do this through grapping with enough BAB and non-magic fueled grapping bonus's.
4) Another method of fighting. As was mentioned in requirement 2, you can't use this trick on each and every opponent so it's best to prepare to be useful in fights that include opponents it will be less effective against. This may come down to simple "melee character gold tax", have good enhanced abilities and some way of laying the smack down on these monstrous foes just by being a team player.
5) Your team (if you've got one) needs to be able to work around your 10' Radius field of suckage. This may include use of Conjuration (Creation), and Evocation (Force) effects by party casters, possible use of tactics like Telekenetic (Violent) Thrust to affect things NOT within the field. Precision damage dealing allies are the ones that will likely do best with this build hypathetical as a team member.
Although that was nothing compared to the evil campaign where the vampire in the party dominated one of the key NPC's and forced him to tell the party everything. That forced a massive campaign rewrite!
But I digress. This is seems cheaty/fun... Can't wait to see it unfold.
(I sent you a Private Message, by the way.)
I think it may have been a brain dump. Talking to everyone or no one to get the idea off my brain long enough to flesh it out.
So far here's what I've decided, the feat investment's less and the potential for asskicking is better to go with the ol' Stand Still and Thicket of Blades combo.
I guess at this point what I'm looking for is feat and maneuver selection advice. Here's a build stub.
Dread Necro 1/Crusader 7/Divine Crusader 2/Ruby Knight Vindicator 9/Crusader 1
1 Stand Still, 3 Combat Reflexes, 6 Weapon Focus (dagger), 9 EWP (Spinning Sword), 12 Extra Granted Maneuver, 15 Robilar's Gambit, 18 Defensive Sweep
Notes on the feats, Weapon Focus (Dagger) is required for Divine Crusader (Worshiping Wee Jas and all), EWP Spinning Sword is just VASTLY superior, you deal a damage step more damage, have reach and can still use a shield.
This is all open to some suggestion, it's just based on the suggestions I've got already the best I can think of atm. For feat prereqs on 25 point buy Str, Cha, Con and Dex are all 13 or better and prioritized in about that order for non-enhancement increases, they're all worth enhancement increases of course.
Maneuvers and Stances should not be supernatural if possible as those maneuvers switch off in an antimagic field. That said the build needs to function outside of antimagic field so if something's a Crusader "MUST HAVE" then I wouldn't leave it on the table just because. I'll try and keep it to 75% or more Extroardinary abilities for maneuvers.
- I don't see the point of the 2nd level of Divine Crusader
- Cloistered Cleric is a much stronger start than Dread Necro. Perhaps you don't like the flavour or you're tired of that dip, but it needs to be mentioned. Wee Jas has some good domains too: a pick of two among Death / Knowledge / Law Devotion can only make the build stronger.
- there's Grapple in the thread title and I don't see it in there. ;) From your last post, you went for Stand Still instead of it, correct?
- hence I'd propose CC 1/Crusader 8/DC 1/RKV 10.
It gains Thicket of Blades at level 9, and an 8th level stance at level 15 16. I believe this is earlier than in your build, but maybe you timed yours with other maneuvers in mind.
It also lets you swap WF and EWP, so you get the Spinning Sword - and reach - earlier.
- for now I haven't touched the feats, but I'd actually consider introducing some Warblade into the mix to get 1 free feat and thus some more flexibility. I haven't looked at it closely, it may not work.
As far as CC vs DN I had considered that option but liked the long term stealth mode option of going weaponless and using the DN touch attack, as well as the fact that DN is Cha based and CC is Wis based, Wis is a dump stat with DN entry.
You don't really need Wisdom for CC: you use it mostly to get Domain feats and rebuke undead. With Law Devotion & Knowledge Devotion you can (almost) go armour-less and you just need a stick (club) or a knife (dagger) around!
Str 14, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14 (Before any adjustments with 25 Point Buy)
Level 1
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1 Crusader
Feat: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spinning Sword)
Aesh Sigil~
Crusader's Strike, Douse the Flames, Charging Minotaur, Stone Bones, Leading the Attack, (Iron Guard's Glare) IL 1
1 Crusader
Feat: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spinning Sword)
Aesh Sigil~
Crusader's Strike, Douse the Flames, Charging Minotaur, Stone Bones, Leading the Attack, (Iron Guard's Glare) IL 1