Greetings and Salutations. I am trying to design an ECL 20 character for a player versus player arena-type game. I've never built a character for PvP (or above level 12) before, so this is somewhat difficult. Any and all advice would be appreciated.
I've read the Cleric Handbook, the "PvP builds" thread in this forum, and I'm working my way through the list of save-or-die spells. But they seem more geared towards team play (the horror!). It's so -weird- designing a character who doesn't have "mass" in front of his main spells!
First, house rules:
Stats are based on a 30 point buy.
Character is built with 200,000XP (level 20+10,000) and 760,000gp
Character -must- have ECL 20 when all is said and done. For this reason, only the first level of LA can be bought off if using an LA+2 template. But LA buyoff is allowed.
Use fractional saves/BAB.
All official WotC sources/material are allowed except for the following: Spell Compendium, Magic Item Compendium, Mineral Warrior, Anthropomorphic Animals, Anti-magic (and its dependencies and psionic equivalents). Spell immunity and such are fine, but no anti-magic.
The Leadership feat reduces your ECL cap by 1/4 of the cohort's level.
Hit dice are maximized at all levels.
Next, Arena rules:
Fights are one-one one and last a maximum of 100 rounds.
Characters get 3 rounds before the fight starts to do what they want. Buffs cast before those three rounds start (i.e., in the morning) only carry into the round if their duration is 12 hours or more.
Your opponent can be defeated by killing them, knocking them out of the ring, getting them to surrender (i.e. Dominate Monster) or otherwise incapacitating them. This also means that if you leave the arena (i.e. Plane Shift) you forfeit. Teleporting around the arena is allowed however, as is co-terminus planes within reason (this allows for ghosts, but camping in the Shadow Plane is not allowed).
In between fights there is a one day "rest" and full healing.
The fights are set in one of several random arenas where characters begin anywhere from 40' to 120' apart. All of the arenas resemble cities and are covered by a non-dispel-able pseudo-daylight spell (in other words, we can see, but vampires don't die automatically).
Special things to note:
The GM has already approved the Saint template for my character. That right there should tell you something about what he expects characters to be like in this arena.
And... *wrings hands* Here's my character so far. When commenting, keep in mind that I have never. made. a. character. at. this. level. before. That means that I don't recognize common abbreviations for 9th-level spells, I don't know what 'everybody knows...' Heck, I can't even decide which spells to pick for Greater Spell Immunity.
If you're willing to work with someone like that, great! Any help would be appreciated, any help at all.
If possible, I'd also like advice on what to do-- that is, what spells to cast in the morning, how best to make use of those three free rounds, etc. I've started work on that (it's right after the character sheet), but I've got a long way to go.
This is essentially a copy/paste of my character sheet so far; the source citations and explanations are in no way an insult to this forum's intelligence! Speaking of which, if you mention something outside the SRD, please cite it. It saves so much time.
-Events that happen before the game:
Study the manual and tome
Cast Renewal Pact
Charge Ring of Counterspells with Greater Dispel Magic
Bond with sword using Ritual of Magic [DMGII, page 234]
Aaron S. Geisel
Human Saint
Cloistered Cleric 4
Ordained Champion 5
Bone Knight 10
Current experience: 10,000-5,000(buyoff)-3168(Ritual of Magic for bond)=1832
Str 27 (20 base+5 inherent+2 Enhancement)
Dex 12 (10 base+2 Enhancement)
Con 18 (14 base+2 template+2 enhancement)
Int 10 (8 base+2 enhancement)
Wis 24 (15 base+2 template+5 inherent+2 enhancement)
Cha 20 (14 base+4 template+2 enhancement)
LET'S CALCULATE FRACTIONAL BAB AND SAVES! I hope.
4*Cloistered: BAB:0.5 Fort:0.5 Ref:0.33 Will:0.5
5*Champion: BAB:1 Fort:0.5 Ref:0.33 Will:0.5
10*Bone: BAB:0.75 Fort:0.5 Ref:0.33 Will:0.33
CC: BAB2 Fort2+2 Ref4/3 Will2+2
Champ: BAB5 Fort2.5 Ref5/3 Will2.5
Bone: BAB7.5 Fort5 Ref10/3 Will10/3
Total: BAB14.5 Fort11.5 Ref19/3 Will6.5+3+1/3
Hit Points: 4d6 + 5d8 + 5d10 + 19*3(Con)=171
AC 39 (10 base +8 armor +4 shield +1 Dex +5 Deflection +11 Insight)
Touch 27, Flat 38
Init +1 (+1 Dex)
BAB +14.5, Grap +21.5
Speed 20ft (base 30ft, light load, heavy armor)
Fort +16 (+11.5 base +4 Con +0 resistance)
Ref +7 (+6.33 base +1 Dex +0 resistance)
Will +16 (+8.83 base +7 Wis +0 resistance)
+24 Melee, Longsword with a long name, 1d8+12 17-20/x2 [We all know there are going to be a ton of buffs changing this. After my spell list is finished and approved, I'll add a "typical attack." But this is what he gets without any magic. So glad you've banned antimagic field!]
Medium, Lawful Good
Skill points: 7*6(Cloistered Cleric)+5*2(Ordained Champion)+10*2(Bone Knight)+22*1(Human)+19*1(Nymph's Kiss)=113
Note that all of these modifiers will probably be different in an actual battle because of temporary modifiers. +6 Craft:Armorsmithing (6) (+Int)
+6 Craft:Weaponsmithing (6) (+Int)
+7 Ride (6) (+Dex)
+7 Knowledge:Religion (7) (+Int)
+24 Spellcraft (22) (+Int) (+Synergy)
+26 Concentration (22) (+Con)
+9 Knowledge:Arcana (9) (+Int)
+1 Knowledge:The Planes (1) (+Int)
+1 Knowledge:Nature (1) (+Int)
+1 Knowledge:Dungeoneering (1) (+Int)
+29 Bluff (22) (+Cha) (+2 Circumstance-- feat)
+7 Listen (0) (+Wis)
+7 Spot (0) (+Wis)
ACP of -14 (-5,-9) is applied to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble
Skill Tricks: (at 2 points each)
Swift Concentration (As a Swift Action, you may maintain concentration on a spell, etc.)
False Theurgy (As a Swift Action, disguise one spell you are casting as another of the same level)
Distracting Taunt (As an Attack of Opportunity or a Readied Action, you may attempt to disrupt a spellcaster within 20’. The spellcaster must make a Concentration check vs. DC (10 + your Bluff modifier + spell level) to cast the spell.)
Ecstatic Fervor (If you take damage while casting or maintaining a spell, only half the damage applies to DC of the Concentration check. In the case of continuous damage, only one quarter applies.)
Collector of Stories (+5 Competence on Knowledge checks to "remember" creatures/special abilities/vulnerabilities)
Synergies:
Bluff-- Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, Sleight of Hand
Craft-- (related) Appraise
Knowledge:Arcana-- Spellcraft
Knowledge:Religion-- Turn Checks
Spellcraft-- Use Magic Device (involving scrolls)
Feats
FLAW: Shaky (-2 on Ranged Attack rolls)
FLAW: Inattentive (-4 on Listen and Spot)
Flw1 -Practiced Spellcaster [+4 to caster level, but not about HD] [I'm at 19HD and 16 caster level, so this gives me +3]
Flw2 -Trickery Devotion [As Standard action, create a duplicate of yourself for one minute each day. It has...a looong description in Complete Champion]
RHum -Nymph's Kiss [+2 Circumstance on Charisma-related checks, +1 to saves vs spells/like, +1 skill point per level]
Cha 1-Sanctify Martial Strike: Longsword [Longswords deal +1 damage to evil creatures and +1d4to evil outsiders. All count as good-aligned vs damage reduction]
WarD -Martial Weapon Prof: Longsword (since I have 3 different things granting me proficiency, do I unlock the super-proficiency bonus?
)
WarD -Weapon Focus: Longsword [+1 to all rolls with Longsword]
Cha 3-Gift of Faith [+2 to saves versus fear, despair, "similar"]
Cha6 -Extend Spell [+1 to spell level to double its duration]
OrdC -Improved Critical: Longsword [double threat range of Longswords]
OrdC -Diehard [Act as if disabled while at negative HP. Automatically stabilize.]
Cha9 -Twin Spell [+4 to spell level to double it]
Cha12 -Divine Metamagic:Twin Spell [Enables Divine Metamgic for Twin Spells]
Cha15 -Power Attack [Take a penalty to BAB to gain an equal bonus to damage. Bonus is doubled if you're wielding your weapon with two hands.]
Cha18 -Holy Warrior [Add the level of your highest available War Domain spell to damage] [This is so cool combined with Ordained Champion!]
Human Saint Traits
- Medium size, 30' move
- Bonus feat at first level
- Bonus skill point at every level (*4 at first level)
- Auto language: Common (any as bonus)
- Favored Class: Any
- LA +2; must have 3 Exalted feats and Good alignment
- Becomes a ‘Outsider (native)’
- Immune to Acid, Cold, Electricity, & Petrifaction
- Fire Resistance 10
- +4 Racial bonus vs. Poison
- Low-Light Vision
- Darkvision 60’
- +2 DC to all special attacks, spells, supernatural, spelllike, & extraordinary abilities.
- Con +2, Wis +2, Cha +4
- Tongues, always on.
- Gain an Insight bonus to AC equal to the Saint’s Wisdom modifier
- Holy Touch: the Saint’s melee attacks do +1d6 Holy damage vs. Evil creatures (or +1d8 vs. Evil Undead or Evil Outsiders). Any Evil creature that attacks the Saint with a Natural Attack takes the same amount of damage.
- Able to cast Guidance, Resistance, Virtue, and Bless at will at Character level.
- Gain Fast Healing (HD/2).
- Protective Aura: 20’ radius nimbus of light that can be activated as a Free Action. Acts as a double strength Magic Circle against Evil and a Less Globe of Invulnerability.
- Damage Reduction 10/evil
Cloistered Cleric Abilities
-Divine Caster (channels positive energy)
-Domains (War and Inquisition) [War gives some weapon feats; Inquisition adds +4 to level for dispel checks]
-Bonus Domain: Knowledge (and various knowledge-themed, irrelevant spells added to spell list) [Knowledge makes all Knowledge Skills class skills]
-Turn Undead 3+Cha times per day
-Poor BAB; Fort and Will are good saves; Reflex is a bad save; d6 hp
-6+Int skill points
Ordained Champion Abilities
-Bonus Domain (Trickery-- bluff, disguise, and hide become class skills)
-Lose Knowledge Domain granted ability to gain Improved Critical:Longsword
-OC levels add to effective level for turning and other domain-granted powers
-Lose spontaneous Cure ability; gain ability to trade prepared spells for War domain spells of equal or lower level
-Diehard feat for free
-Smite (Su): Spend one Turn attempt to add Cha to attack and Turn Level to damage
-Channel Spell (Sp): As a move action, channel spell into weapon. A hit casts that spell on the struck target. Effect expires in 8 hours.
-Divine Bulwark (sp): As a swift action, sacrifice a prepared spell to gain damage reduction [1+spell level]/chaotic for [Ordained Champion level] rounds. Does not stack.
-Fist of the Gods (sp): Swift action to sacrifice prepared spell for [1+Spell level] damage bonus for [OC Level] rounds.
-Rapid Spontaneous Casting (Ex): Spontaneously casting War Domain spells is a swift action (if normal is a standard action) or a standard action (if normal is a full-round action). Spontaneous spells with metamagic attached require (only) their normal casting times.
-Holy Warrior (Sp): Spend a Turn Attempt as a Swift Action to replace Str with Wis on attack/damage rolls.
-War Caster(Ex): +2 bonus to caster level for War Domain spells
-Full BAB; Fort and Will are good saves; Ref is bad; d8 HD
-2+Int Skill points
-+3 to existing divine casting class (over the course of 5 levels)
Bone Knight Abilities
-Bonecraft Armor (Ex): Distinctive set of armor (based on Full Plate, but NOT subject to abilities that target metal) which grants +4 to Intimidate and damage resistance 2/bludgeoning. Can be improved (masterwork, etc).
-Some Paladin-only stuff
-Rebuke Undead (Su): Lose the ability to turn; gain rebuke, Bone Knight levels add to cleric for this purpose.
-Spellcasting: +9 to existing divine casting class (over the course of 10 levels)
-Various abilities designed to command and bolster large numbers of undead raised by friendly necromancers
-Summon Skeletal Steed (Sp): Heavy Warhorse with Skeleton template; acts like a Paladin's mount in all other respects. Cannot be turned while its owner rides it.
-Improved Bonecraft Armor(Ex): DR increases by 3; immune to stunning, nonlethal damage, critical hits, and sneak attacks. Act and fight without penalty while disabled/dying.
-Fill the Ranks(Sp): Once per day,
animate dead on target corpse to make it Karrnathi skeleton or zombie; counts against maximum controllable undead.
-Bonecraft Weapon(Ex): Include shards of bone to give a weapon +1d6 damage vs living enemies
-Exoskeleton of Undeath(Ex): Armor fuses permanently to body (removal is fatal); immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, disease, death, fatigue,
exhaustion, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, and "death from massive damage."
-Death Strike (Su): Once per day, struck living target must make a Fort save (DC: 10+Bone Knight level+Cha modifier) or die. "This is a
Necromantic Death effect."
-Medium BAB (+7 over 10 levels), Fort is a good save, Will and Reflex are bad, d10 HD
-2+Int skill points-
Other Traits:
Ritual of Magic-- +1 on caster level checks while carrying the bonded item (his Longsword)
Special
[This is where I'd normally put his mount. But let's be honest, if I want to spend a full round summoning something during the fight, I'm going to summon a massive Outsider or something, not a skeletal heavy warhorse.]
Equipment: maximum of 760,000gp
99,600 - Longsword (Breakdown below)
567 - Bone Armor (breakdown below)
8,000 - Enhancements to armor spikes
18,000 - +1 Animated Tower Shield (SRD)
4,000 - Gauntlets of War (Complete Champion)
4,000 - Ring of Counterspells (DMG)
107,600 - Ring of Spell-Battle and Protection +5 (Complete Arcane; 67,600+50,000)
20,000 - Bead of Karma (SRD) [1/day +4 to caster level for 10 minutes]
137,500 - Tome of Understanding +5 (DMG)
137,500 - Manual of Gainful Exercise +5 (DMG)
60,000 - Ankh of Ascension (Races of Faerun) [+4 to caster level]
30,000 - Orange Ioun Stone (SRD) [+1 to caster level]
24,000 - Minor Cloak of Displacement (DMG) [Opponents always have a 20% miss chance]
25,000 - Daazzix's Vest (DMGII) [+5 to existing spell resistance]
8,400 - Candle of Invocation (SRD) [+2 levels for four hours.]
24,500 - Greater Rod of Metamagic:Extend
25,000 - Belt of Magnificence +2
Total cost: 733,667
Gp left: 26,333gp
Breakdown of weapons and armor:
Sword-- 99,600 gp
Masterwork Longsword [Craft for (15+300)/3=105-- SRD][1d8 19-20/x2 Slashing]
Bone [Add for free to weapons made by Bone Knights] [Adds 1d6 damage when striking a living creature-- Five Nations]
Souldrinking [Costs a +4 Enhancement][Bestows negative level when dealing damage (two if critical hit is scored)-- Book of Vile Darkness]
Sudden Stunning [Costs 2000][After successful melee attacks, wielder can use a swift action so that target must make a reflex save (DC 10+1/2*wielder's level+wielder's Charisma modifier or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds--Dungeon Master's Guide II]
Greater Dispelling [Costs 79,200, achieved through the Bond so instead it cost 29600gp and 3168XP][After successful melee attacks, 3/day Greater Dispel as a free action-- Player's Guide to Faerun]
Spellblade [Costs 6000] [When targeted with the spell Energy Drain, absorb the spell-- Player's guide to Faerun]
+5 total Enhancement Bonus [50,000gp--SRD]
Full name: +1 Souldrinking Bone Spellblade Longsword of Sudden Stunning and Greater Dispelling
Say that five times fast!
Armor-- 567
Spiked Bone Armor (Masterwork Full Plate) (Crafted for 1700/3=567gp) [+8 AC, max Dex +1, -6 Armor Check Penalty, move reduced from 30' to 20'-- SRD]
Full name: Bone Armor
Armor Spikes--8000 gp
(The basic spikes are purchased above with the full plate)
Defending [costs a +1 enhancement bonus][Allows an enhancement bonus on the weapon to become an unnamed bonus to AC (only enhances the weapon or
AC, not both)-- DMG]
+2 total enhancement bonus [8,000gp--SRD]
Full name: +1 Defending Armor Spikes
When Aaron wakes up in the morning, he takes the following steps:
Burn Candle of Invocation for +2 divine caster level for four hours (so while preparing spells and doing the rest of this list). So for all of this, his effective caster level is 28.
Cast Magic Vestment on his armor. +5 enhancement bonus.
Cast Magic Vestment on his shield. +5 enhancement bonus.
Cast Greater Magic Weapon on his sword. +5 enhancement bonus.
Cast Greater Magic Weapon on his armor spikes. +5 enhancement bonus.
Cast Superior Resistance on himself. +6 resistance to all saves.
Cast Energy Immunity: Sonic on himself.
Cast Energy Immunity: Fire on himself.
During preparation rounds:
Round 2:
Standard Action: Cast Sonorous Hum (Savage Species)
Move Action: Channel Polymorph Any Object (SRD, Trickery) into sword
Swift Action: Spontaneously cast Divine Power (SRD) on self
Round 3:
Full-round action: Using Divine Metamagic:Twin Spell and the Greater Rod of Metamagic:Extend, cast Twin Extended Summon Elemental Monolith (Complete Arcane). Summon a fire and an air monolith. (or would earth be better?)
