You must be thinking us to be n00bs - or you won’t enumerate the points equivalency of the ability scores. :D Seriously, though, it would be a LOT better if you can give an idea of your character. Preferred race, combat style, weapon, tactics, anything.
A safe bet would be a Dwarf Fighter. Shield and Axe combo, decked up to full-plate armor. Str 17, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10 (without figuring in racial adjustments). I remember Biff posting this build on the 3EBB site: Dwarf Bbn 1/Ftr 2/Hex 2/Occult Slayer 5/Exotic Weapon Master 1/Frenzied Berserker 9. Pretty nice, let me say, ‘coz I’ve used it and it works!
I wasn’t thinking anyone was a noob, just laying it all out. I’ve played in groups where you have a starting value and the points buy 1 for 1 none of the standard scaling business.
I’ve always liked playing humans. And with the way the points are, I can’t rely on any Dex for armor, so going heavy armor and shield will probably be the way to go.
But I hate playing plain old sword and board characters. That’s one reason I came here, just get a feel for some ideas.
I wasn’t thinking anyone was a noob, just laying it all out. I’ve played in groups where you have a starting value and the points buy 1 for 1 none of the standard scaling business.
I knew that. I’m sorry if it sounded serious - I was just kidding (hence the smiley at the end of that comment).
NEwayz, Tome of Battle offers some cool choices, esp. the Warblade basic class. Not that many maneuvers, but you get to regain them all with a single swift action (unlike the others who have complicated recovery methods). One of my pals over here tried a Capt. America-style character, focusing on armor and shield, while using the shield as a thrown weapon. It was more of an experiment, but it was supposed to be Human Warblade 15/Bloodstorm Blade 5.
Or, you could do one of Biff’s power builds (Biff has a lot of those). IIRC, it was Human Psychic Warrior 8/Psychic Weapon Master with a crystal falchion. Choice feats are Deep Impact (EPH) and Spring Attack. Spring in, Power Attack+Deep Impact for maximum effect, spring out. I haven’t actually used this, but Biff says it only begins to shine at 8th level, so you’ll have to take it slow on the first few levels.
Or, you could do one of Biff’s power builds (Biff has a lot of those). IIRC, it was Human Psychic Warrior 8/Psychic Weapon Master with a crystal falchion. Choice feats are Deep Impact (EPH) and Spring Attack. Spring in, Power Attack+Deep Impact for maximum effect, spring out. I haven’t actually used this, but Biff says it only begins to shine at 8th level, so you’ll have to take it slow on the first few levels.
That is a good build, though you need to include one Elocater level between Psychic Warrior and Psychic Weapon Master. The process of making it work includes the feat Psionic Meditation and the power Hustle so you can regain your psionic focus during the same round, as otherwise you’d only be able to use the trick every other round. You’ll only have enough feats to complete this trick at 8th level, so up until that point it is a fairly weak build.
The ultimate low ability score build would have to be either a Polymorpher or a Wild Shaper, as your physical ability scores are irrelevant when in another form. A superb build of this type uses the variant Wild Shape Ranger (UA), going Human Ranger 5/ Master of Many Forms 7/ War Shaper 4/ MoMF 1/ Ranger 1/ MoMF 2. Your only two important ability scores are Wis and Con, and maybe Dex for when you’re in your normal form, plus Str will need to be at least 13. For feats gain Track and Endurance from Ranger and take Alertness (H), Combat Reflexes (1), Power Attack (3), Leap Attack (CV) (6), Frozen Wild Shape (FB) (9), Robilar’s Gambit (PH2) (12), Iron Will or any feat you want at 15, and Sweeping Strike (PH2) (18). If your Dex is lower than 12 you’ll want Power Attack at 1 and Combat Reflexes at 3, but otherwise you should use a Glaive when in your normal form. If you’d be able to use a +1 LA race, the Mulhorandi Divine Minion template (starts halfway down the page) is perfect for this build. Note that the Mulhorandi pantheon is FR specific, but it’s identical to the Phaeroic pantheon from Deities and Demigods which could be used in nearly any setting. That template actually takes this build from amazing to broken though, so using it may not be such a good idea.
Magic items of choice include an Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 (anything higher isn’t worth the cost), a Monk’s Belt (Wis bonus to AC even when shaped), Gloves of Dex (highest bonus reasonably affordable), 1st level Pearls of Power, and any Wands of whatever Ranger spells you think you’ll need, particularly Cure Light Wounds (only 15g per charge). Your only important Ranger spell to prepare is Rhino’s Rush (SC), which is why you’ll want a few Pearls of Power. Note the Complete Adventurer Errata on Leap Attack, it increases your bonus damage from Power Attack by 100% which means it is not a doubling effect, so Leap Attacking with Rhino’s Rush actually ends up adding +2 damage per -1 to hit for Power Attacking one-handed, or +4 per -1 two-handed. Good Wild Shape forms to use would include a Cave Troll and War Troll (MM3), but your best form will be that of a 12-headed Cryohydra thanks to Frozen Wild Shape. You can spend a move-action to take this form and make twelve bites during the same round, you can make twelve bites at the end of a charge with Leap Attack, and using Robilar’s Gambit you can make a twelve bite AoO against anyone who attacks you, every time they attack you. The only drawback is the huge size, which isn’t convenient in most dungeon crawls so using one of the troll forms mentioned would be good for those situations.
Note that with Master of Many Forms 7 you’d gain all of the special qualities of all three of those forms, as all of their special qualities are Extraordinary. (Any DR that cannot be overcome by nonmagical weapons is Supernatural, any DR that can be overcome by nonmagical weapons is Extraordinary.) Also remember that the Wild Shape Ranger’s Fast Movement ability will still apply regardless of form, and that none of the War Shaper’s class features apply in your normal form. Most of this build’s power is gained at level 12, though from 7th level you’ll have some good Wild Shape options such as that of a standard Troll or a Forest Troll (MM3), or at 9th level a Cave Troll or 9-headed Cryohydra.
Magic items of choice include an Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 (anything higher isn’t worth the cost), a Monk’s Belt (Wis bonus to AC even when shaped),
Won’t the Monk’s Belt merge into the form or be dropped (and thus be rendered inactive) if the new form is not able to wear it? This may work if the shapechange involves similar sizes (Medium to Medium) and similar shapes (humanoid to humanoid, in the scientific sense of the word), but if the change is something like Human to Bear, the Belt might merge/fall. Or am I smoking too much crack?
Any creature with a waist or midsection can wear a belt, and magic items apart from weapons and armor always resize to fit the wearer. Any form with forelimbs can wear gloves and bracers, anything can wear boots if similarly equipped with aft appendages. Even a Beholder has just as many magic items spots as a humanoid, as it can wear amulets, belts, bracers, and cloaks around its eyestalks. Generally speaking, there aren’t any widely used Wild Shape forms which cause even a single magic item to cease functioning apart from weapons or armor. Any creature other than oozes and similarly shapeless beings can wear any magic item designed for a humanoid unhindered.
The wording on Wild Shape is pretty clear. All gear worn is absorbed into the new form and ceases to function. Any new gear worn by the new form falls at the druids feet when turning back to human.
Wild Shape (Su)
At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use wild shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night.
Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid’s feet.
Emphasis mine. Alternate Form would function as Biff notes - but Wild Shape specifically mentions what happens to gear, which is different from the AF entry. The italicized texts notes the key phrase - “except as noted here.” And the WS entry for the gear is a noted exception.
Right, I forgot they’d changed that. The current trick is to just assume whatever form you plan on adventuring in, and then equip your magic items afterward. Use leather cords and straps to tie all your items together so if you end up changing back into your normal form, you can pick it all up with one action. Also note that if you’re currently shaped with items equipped, you can reshape into another (npc-friendly) form and the items would meld in as described, but then the second shape can be dismissed so you revert back to your adventuring form with the items once again equipped. Wild Shape (Humanoid) from MoMF is particularly nice for this, especially considering your War Shaper class features would still be active.
That would sure look funny, though. A bear with bracers on forelimbs, boots on hindlimbs, a belt, all strapped safely by leather cords. Gee, what a freak!
