continued...
A better build might be:
HumanParagon3/FallenPalladin1/Blackguard10/NarDemonbinder2/Spellsword1/EldritchKnight3
Levels 1-12: Palladin 1-11 with one level of Human Paragon stuck in there somewhere (probably at 2nd level). Then turn Blackguard.
Progression
1 Power Attack, Cleave
3 Improved Sunder
6 Iron Will
9 Spell Focus: Conjuration
12 Divine Might
13 NarD1
14 HP2 Arcane Disciple (or Mother Cyst) (b)
15 HP3 Arcane Strike* (or Practiced Spellcaster)
16 Spellsword1
17 EK1 Mounted Combat* (b)
18 NarD2 Leadership
The Human Paragon levels let you avoid taking the Education feat, and also net you another bonus feat, a +2 to one stat, and let you customize your skill list.
Apply Adaptive Learning to Use Magic Device, and give your Imp familiar some staves, and he can just stay out of combat and blast people, or heal you, or whatever else you need. Use staves to be more effective at buffing yourself and your allies, also. You can pick any domain you want for the Arcane Disciple feat. Its primary purpose is to grant the character 2nd and 3rd level Arcane spells so that it legally qualifies for Spellsword and Eldritch Knight.
If you go with Practiced Spellcaster, and get a Karma bead, and the DM lets it apply to your Arcane spells (according to RAW this works), then your Nar Demonbinder CL would be 24, making for some nasty Blasphemy spells. You lose a point of BAB with this build, but I think gaining a feat and UMD as a class skill make up for it. Your saves are a bit better overall, also.
*Good alternative feats would be Improved Buckler Defense, Resounding Blow, Improved Critical, and Combat Brute.
The Dwarven "Answerer"
Ranger3/PsychicWarrior2/Deepwarden2/Warmind10/DwarvenDefender3
(or Rng3/PW2/WM7/DW2/DD6)
Feats: Toughness (1), TWF (Rng2), Combat Reflexes (3), Endurance (Rng3), Dodge (PW1), Combat Expertise (PW2), Karmic Strike (6), Improved TWF, (9), Double Hit (12), the rest are open
Defensive Stance + Chain of Defensive Posture + Chain of Personal Superiority =+10 AC (including con boost)
Deepwarden = Con mod to AC
Karmic Strike = -4 AC
So... you should have a massive AC, even when using Karmic Strike, thanks to your defensive class abilities. When anyone hits you, you get to attack them twice thanks to Karmic Strike and Double Hit. Thanks to Sweeping Strike, every attack you makes hits all the enemies in two adjacent squares (including your "Reflexive" Karmic Strikes, and "Double Hits"). I'd suggest using an Urgosh, so you can use it as a 2-handed weapon for your normal attacks, but still benefit from Double Hit for Attacks of Opportunity.
Thanks to Lord Kiwi's great thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=416752) for the idea of combining Karmic Strike, Double Hit, and Sweeping Strike. There are more things that would certainly be of use to this build, and you have several feats left. One that comes to mind is Defensive Throw, so you get to make attacks on them even if they miss you...
The biggest weakness is that you'll need a high Dex so you can take advantage of all the potential Attacks of Opportunity you'll be getting. You could take the Prowess Psywarrior power to help with this somewhat. I'd also take some kind of Dimensional travel ability, like Dimension Swap, etc.
This build would work great when paired with some kind of "Uber-charger". Then, every round the Ubercharger would pile into the enemies dealing out massive damage, and before they could reply with their own attacks, this Dwarven "Answerer" would Dimension Swap with the charger, and dish out his own pain to them via Attacks of Opportunity.
The Answerer was the name of a build originally by Sisyfos (I think) that also used attacks generated via Karmic Strike. I don't remember the details, but I liked the name and concept. I think overall you're better off to finish Warmind rather than taking Dwarven Defender to 6th, but Improved Uncanny Dodge would be pretty handy for the build, since you want to be surrounded. Elusive Target would be a very good investment, also.
Half-orc Paragon Monks
Holy Raging Tactical Half-Orc
HalfOrcParagon3/Monk3/Ftr2/ShouDisciple5/ShintaoMonk4/?3
Racial Ability Mods: Str +4, Int&Cha-2
At 17th level, BAB +15, Saves: F17, R12, W9
Feats: Imp. Grapple (m1), Combat Reflexes (m2), Dodge (F1), Wpn Focus: Unarmed (F2), Power Attack (1), Extra Rage (3), Wolf Berzerker (6), Improved Trip (Shou2), Mobility (Shou4), Elusive Target (9), Improved Bull Rush (12), Shock Trooper (15), Close Quarters Fighting (18), Defensive Throw (ShinM1), Great Throw (ShinM3)
Special Benefits: Evasion; Still Mind; Rage 3/day; Greater Flurry with any weapon; immune to stunning, sleep, and slow effects; Detect Evil at will; Smite Evil 1/day; Detect Magic 1/day; Light 1/day (self); unarmed damage 2d6
Use a guisarme.
Psychic Raging Tactical Half-Orc
HalfOrcParagon3/Monk4/ShouDisciple5/PsionicFist8
Racial Ability Mods: Str +4, Int&Cha-2
BAB +17, Base Saves: F13, R15, W12, Movement 80
Str: 18+4race+5level+5inherent+6enh+4AugExpansion+4Rage = 46
Grapple: 17BAB+8size+4GripOfIron+4ImpGrapple+18Str = 51
Trip: 18Str+8size+8feats = 34
Unarmed Damage w/belt&FangedRing after Augmented Expansion = 8d8
Feats: Stunning Fist (m1), Combat Reflexes (m2), Dodge (1), Wpn Focus: Unarmed (3), Wolf Berzerker (6), Improved Trip (Shou2), Improved Grapple (Shou4), Wild Talent (9), Sun School (12), Extra Rage (15), Power Attack (18), Quicken Power (PF5)
Special Benefits: Evasion; Still Mind; Ki Strike: Magic, Slow Fall 10ft; Rage 3/day; Flurry with any weapon; unarmed damage 2d10 (w/monk's belt); Wis +3 to AC.
Powers: 1st: Expansion, Grip of Iron; 2nd: Strength of My Enemy, Psionic Lion's Charge; 3rd: Claws of the Vampire, Ubiquitous Vision; 4th: Dimension Door, True Venom
When he is fully buffed and hits someone, he does 8d8+18 +1 (or 2) Str drain (which he gets) + 1d8 Con damage. He is healed for half the base damage he does. He can Dimension Door to his target and make one attack via Sun School. His movement is 80 and he can full attack on a charge.
Shadowlord Assassin
I have an NPC based on this build (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=4078961) in a game I run. Even characters with good Fort saves are likely to die to her death attack, and even if they don't they are likely to die from the damage she dishes out unless they're immune to crits and/or have Uncanny Dodge. Against targets that are crit immune, or have Uncanny Dodge.... well with an Int of 36, she can afford to max alot of skills, including Use Magic Device.
Edit: Here's the actual stats for the NPC. She's the leader of the Teflemmar Shadowlords in the game I DM. The Death Attack is a bit lower, but overall it's a stronger build I think. Throw in some scrolls of Scry and whatever else she needs. She has a bit of money left over for a 20th level character. (But alot more than for a normal NPC, heh.)
Grandmaster of Shadows Keshna Finlothleer
Human Shadow Walker RokuganNinja4/Swashbuckler3/Assn8/TeflS6
Hit Dice: 18d6+3d10+147 (229)
Initiative: +19
Speed: 30 ft. (70 hasted Xill)
Armor Class: 29 (37 hasted Xill form) (10+7AC+2Defl+2Nat+8Dex), Touch 22, Immobilized 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +17/+19
Attack: +32 hasted Kusari-gama 1d6+16/15 (+6d6 Sneak Attack)
Full Attack: Hasted TWF Kusari-gama +30/30/30/25/25/20/20/15 (1d6+16/15) (+6d6 Sneak Attack) (Avg 18.5 or 39.5 Sneak Attack)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10ft. as two-handed weapon)
Special Attacks: Death Attack: Fort DC 37
Special Qualities: Shadowvision 60 ft., light sensitivity
Saves: Fort +20, Refl +28, Will +15 (Hasted)
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 26, Con 24, Int 34, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: (325 skill points, factored using Int 26) Maxed Skills: Bluff26, Hide36, Move Silently32, Sense Motive25, Spot25, Listen25, Use Magic Device26, GatherInfo26, Disguise26, Disable Device36, Tumble32, Diplomacy30. Other Skills: Sleight of Hand20, Search*25, Appraise20, Spellcraft15.
Feats: Dodge (Ninja1), Weapon Finesse (bonus), Combat Reflexes (h), Mobility (1), Blindfight (3), Spring Attack (6), TWF (9), ITWF (12), GTWF (15), Spellcasting Harrier* (18), Quicken Spell-like Ability: Dimension Door (21)
Challenge Rating: 22
Alignment: neutral evil
Level Adjustment: +1
Benefits: Improved Uncanny Dodge, Int mod to damage and Initiative, Poison Use, HiPS, Shadow Pounce, Shadow Disincorporation, Shadow Jump (120ft), Shadow Blur, and +6d6 sneak attack. *Used a Wish to gain the ability to Search for traps like a rogue.
Death attack DC = 10+8+6+12+1 = 37
Items: +5 Int Tome, +6 Int Item, weapon, +1 Str Tome, +2 Str Item, +6 Dex Item, +4 Dex Tome, +6 Con Item, +4 Con Tome, +2 Nat Armor (8k), +2 Ring Prot (8k), Leather Armor +5 w/Max Dex +8 (25k+), +2 spellstoring ghost touch Kusari-gama (chain side) (32k), Assassin's Dagger* (18k), Boots of Speed (12k), 3 Clairvoyance/Clairaudience scrolls, Gem of Seeing (75k), Cloak of Resistance +5 (25k), lightproof belt pouch with 3 daggers with Deeper Darkness on them. Has or can gain access to any non-artifact item via her guild. Usually has either Vampiric Touch or Blindness in the spellstoring end of her weapon.
*Kama side functions as an Assassin's Dagger
Spent: Tomes 384.5k, Stat Items 112k, Other 205k. Total 706.5k.
Spell-like Abilities (CL 21): Shadow Mask 3/day, Dimension Door 3/day, Darkness 3/day, Shadow Spray 3/day, Displacement 2/day, Evard's Black Tentacles 1/day, Shadow Walk 4/day
Assassin Spells (DC 22+level):
1st(6)- Obscuring Mist, True Strike, Feather Fall, Ghost Sound
2nd(6)- Alter Self, Undetectable Alignment, Pass Without Trace, Invisibility
3rd(6)- Misdirection, Magic Circle vs. Good, Deeper Darkness, Nondetection
4th(4)- Modify Memory, Greater Invisibility, Dimension Door
TSL Spells (DC 22+level):
1st(5)- Knock, Blindness/Deafness
2nd(5)- Vampiric Touch, Air Walk
3rd(4)- Confusion
*House-ruled feat that I use instead of Mage Slayer.
HERE IS THE ECL 20 VERSION THAT USES ROGUE INSTEAD OF NINJA!!
Rogue3/Swashbuckler3/Assassin8/TeflemmarShadlowlord6. You get: BAB +15, +6d6 Sneak Attack, a death attack with a high save DC, Hide in Plain Sight, Int to damage, Int based spells from two PrCs, free Weapon Finesse, and all the cool TeflS abilities.
To maximize your Death Attack DC, be a grey elf (or sun elf) and put an 18 into your Int. Put all your leveling points into Int, and get a +5 Tome and a +6 Headband of Intellect. Also, take Ability Focus: Death Attack. In all, the Fort Save to survive your death attack comes out to:
Starting Int 20 +5 Tome +6 Item +5 leveling = 36 Int (+13 bonus). Could get more from aging
Death attack DC = 10+8+6+13+2 = 39
Not many wizards are going to have good odds of making a DC 39 Fort save. And even if they do, you should be able to get a full attack of all sneak attacks during the surprize round (via Shadow Pounce) and a second full attack of sneak attacks if you win initiative. And of course, all of these attacks will get your Int modifier added to their damage, thanks to Swashbuckler.
For feats: Dodge (free if you use Ninja1 instead of rogue3), Mobility, Spring Attack, Blindfight, Weapon Finesse (free w/Swashb3), Ability Focus: Death Attack, TWF, ITWF
Teflemmar Shadowlord is in the Unapproachable East book. Swashbuckler is in the Complete Warrior, and the Ninja I briefly mentioned is the Rokugan Ninja from the Rokugan Campaign Setting (the Ninja is available online for free).
The Hunter
Elan Rogue2/Ranger1/Ftr1/Psion(Egoist)2/Elocater7/Slayer7
Manifester Level 13 (17 w/PrM)
BAB +16Base Saves: Fort +8, Reflex +12, Will +13 (can also add: +2 Fort. psicrystal, +4 Elan Resistance)
Progression and feats
1 Rogue1 Dodge (1), [+1d6 SA]
2 Ftr1 Mobility (b)
3 Psion1 Point Blank Shot (Psicrystal Containment), Psionic Shot (Psicrystal Affinity) (b)
4 Psion2
5 Rogue2 [Evasion]
6 Ranger1 Track(b), Spring Attack
7 Elocater1 Sidestep Charge (b), [Scorn Earth]
9 El3 Practiced Manifester
12 El6 Craft Power Stone (Empower), [transporter]
13 El7 [Capricious Step]
14 Slayer1 [Favored Enemy, Enemy Sense]
15 Slayer2 Metamorphic Transfer, [Brain Nausea]
16 [Lucid Buffer]
17 [Favored Enemy +4]
18 Slayer5 Split Psionic Ray (or Overchannel)
19 [Cerebral Blind]
20 Slayer7(Feats in parenthesis are to be picked up later using Psychic Reformation.)
[Class abilities are in brackets]
Powers:
1st: Crystal Shard, Entangling Ectoplasm, Vigor, Energy Ray, Body Adjustment
2nd: Share Pain, Animal Affinity, Ego Whip, Energy Adaptation: Specified
3rd: Dispel Psionics, Touchsight, Time Hop, Body Adjustment, Plane Shift, Teleport
4th: Metamorphosis, Correspond, Divination, Wall of Ectoplasm (Psychic Reformation originally), Trace Teleport (or Intellect Fortress)
5th: Psionic Revivify, Power Resistance, Psychofeedback, (took 4th)
6th: Disintegrate, Temporal Acceleration, Contingency
7th: Fission
Items:
Gloves of Object Reading, Third Eye of Remote Viewing
Tactics: The psicrystal is there to use Share Pain on, to use Aid Another, and to make separate skill checks. If you start at low levels you're better off taking Psionic Shot instead, and then Psychic Reforming it away at 7th level, if you think you can get access to the power.
In the low levels, you're basically just the party "trapmonkey"/scout. You won't be doing alot of damage, and you'll be kind of vulnerable. With Psionic Shot + Sneak Attack on a Crystal Shard, you'll at least be able to do a bit of damage.
At level 7, you get access to 2nd level powers. If you can get your hands on it, use Psychic Reformation to exchange Point Blank Shot and Psionic Shot for Psicrystal Affinity and something else (Mage Slayer?). Use Share Pain on your Psicrystal, and you will become much more durable, and can start risking melee. Conveniently, you just got two feats to help you there, proficiency with all Martial Weapons, and the ability to "fly".
At level 12+, turn into a Hydra and use Capricious Step to move up, bite with all your heads, and move back again. Do this while hovering over your enemies head, and use your reach to stay out of theirs, if possible. You should be able to dish out quite alot of damage.
You can also share Metamorphosis with your Psicrystal, if you want. You'll be able to dish out even more damage, but will be more vulnerable defensively because your Psicrystal could easily die (and not be sharing your pain anymore).
At level 13, get Psychic Reformation and use it as discussed earlier, if you haven't already. Make yourself a Power Stone of it, then get rid of the feat and the power. Your feats should look like the ones in parenthesis at this point. This option is really only here for campaigns in which you couldn't do this at level 7.
At level 15+, you'll have alot more tools thanks to Metamorphic Transfer.
At level 20, you can use Fission to double all of this, if you want.
I've made several different cleric caster builds that focused on possessing powerful creatures and buffing up for combat. I had a thread called "The Possessor" based around that theme quite some time back, before 3.5 came out. Here is a link to the character sheet of a more up to date character based on that theme, a 14th level Ur-Priest that I would say is quite overpowered... I don't have a version typed up for the boards atm.
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=46160
If you can use the Stranger with the Burning Eyes PrC, from Frank and K's Tome of Necromancy, it can be really fun. It is a fairly difficult PrC to qualify for as an Ur-Priest though.
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=46916
Here is the PrC:
Stranger with the Burning Eyes
One of the greatest necromantic mysteries is the ability to move souls from one body to another, and to use this trick to inhabit the flesh of a stranger, gaining a twisted and parasitic form of immortality. Usually this art is as dangerous as it is powerful, but for the Stranger with the Burning Eyes the experience is a way of life. They have abandoned their true form and now only move from body to body like a virus, taking with them knowledge and power, working their way through the world using the bodies of others as proxies.
When they transfer to a new body, their eyes glow with the fires of their souls, as they have fanned the flames of their spirits until they can survive without a material form. They are the consummate strangers in strange land, and often acquire habits from the many unusual body forms they have inhabited. One thing is certain: they have little regard for the people they inhabit.
Prerequisites:
Feats: Still Spell, Silent Spell
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 9 ranks, Concentration 9 ranks
Spellcasting: Must be able to spontaneously cast 5th level spells, and the spell magic jar.
Special: Your true body must have been destroyed.
Special You cannot be good.
Hit Die: d4
BAB/Saves: BAB: Good (as Fighter); Fort: Poor; Reflex: Poor; Will: Good
Class Skills: The Stranger with the Burning Eyes’ class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide(Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skills/Level: 2 + Intelligence Bonus
Level, Abilities:
1 Burning Soul, Consume, +1 Spellcaster Level
2 Token, +1 Spellcaster Level
3 Firewall of the Soul, +1 Spellcaster Level
4 Explosive Reaction, +1 Spellcaster Level
5 Inferno, +1 Spellcaster Level
6 Lore of the Burning Flame, +1 Spellcaster Level
7 Slow Burn, +1 Spellcaster Level
8 Wildfire, +1 Spellcaster Level
9 Conflagration, +1 Spellcaster Level
10 Hellfire, +1 Spellcaster Level
Burning Soul (Su):At 1st level, the Stranger with the Burning Eyes has mastered the ability to move between bodies. He may use magic jar at will as a Supernatural ability with an indefinite duration. For the purposes of this spell, any body he is possessing also counts as a receptacle, so he may use the senses granted by being in a magic jar receptacle and possess new bodies from this form, and he returns to the last body he possessed if his current body is killed, if it is within range(it gets a save as usual). If it is not within range, he is killed. Since bodies count as receptacles for this effect, the Stranger does not need line of effect to possess a new body.
The Stranger with the Burning Eyes no longer ages, though bodies he is possessing will age.
Token: At 1st level, the Stranger with the Burning Eyes is magically followed by a token whenever he changes bodies. This is a simple piece of jewelry worth at least 1,000 gp, and it can be enchanted with any enchantment suitable for rings, rods, wonderous items, and armor (but it cannot be intelligent). This item is a tiny object with hardness 20 and 20 hp, and if removed from a body the Stranger with the Burning eyes is possessing he is immediately forced to possess a new body (he cannot possess that body ever again). If he cannot possess a new body, he dies. (Note: if the victim of the Stranger’s possession attack is ever given a second Will save to resist his possession from an effect like Slippery Mind, a successful save means the victim removes the token).
The token is magically recreated or moved each time the Stranger possesses a new body, so as long as he lives it continues to exist.
Consume(Su) At second level, the Stranger with the Burning Eyes may “lose” a prepared spell or spell slot to perform a Wisdom draining touch attack as a standard action. The touch attack does as much Wisdom drain as the spell level that is lost, and a successful Will save halves this drain.
Firewall of the Soul: At 3rd level, the Stranger with the burning Eyes is immune to any effect that moves his soul or would end his possession of a body (other than removing his token). Any effect that traps his soul in his current body still works, and he will die if such an effect is cast on him and the body he is possessing dies. The Stranger may also remain in a body if he is in an antimagic field or other magic destroying effect, though he is effectively trapped in that body until he can leave that effect.
Explosive Reaction(Su): At 4th level, when the Stranger with a Burning Soul is in a body that is killed, he may take an immediate action to possess a new body (or return to his last body, as usual).
Inferno(Su): While in a possessed body, the Stranger may use any of its feats once he has attained 5th level.
Lore of the Burning Flame: While in a possessed body, the Stranger may use any of its skills or personal knowledge once he has attained 6th level.
Slow Burn(Su): Once the Stranger with the Burning Eyes has achieved 7th level, if he is in a body that is killed, and he cannot successfully possess any body, his soul is instead transferred into his Token and it counts as a receptacle. Should the Token be destroyed while it holds the soul of the Stranger, he immediately dies without a chance to possess new bodies.
Wildfire(Su): At 8th level, the Stranger with the Burning Eyes may use his magic jar ability a number of times a round equal to his Charisma modifier as a full round action. This enable to make possession attempts very quickly and even travel large distances in heavily populated areas.
Conflagration(Su): As a standard action, a 9th level Stranger with the Burning Eyes can combine a use of his Consume ability with his magic jar ability. The person he attempts to possess is affected by the Consume ability as if he had been successfully touched. The Consume effect uses spells or spell slots as normal.
Hellfire: Should the Stranger with the Burning Eyes ever he killed once he has achieved 10th level, he returns to life with his soul in his Token one year later (it is recreated 1d4 miles from the location of his death). He does not lose a level from this return from the dead.
This was originally for this contest, hence all the specific tactical suggestions, and also why the build is only level 11. I am also playing an ECL 12 half-fey version of it in a PbP game. Here is a level 3 entry version that can emulate level 9 spells by ECL 6.
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
The Shadow Gnome
Forest Gnome Cloistered Cleric 5/Shadowcrafter2/Shadowcraft Mage 4
(Alignment NG, worships Baravar Cloakshadow, or could worship Cyric if you want to be evil)
Code:
Level Class Level Feat(s)
1 Cloistered Cleric 1 Spell Focus (illusion), Heighten Spell, Divine Metamagic (Heighten Spell)
[Illusion, Knowledge, and Trickery domains; Domain Spontaneity (Illusion) PHB2]
2 Cloistered Cleric 2
3 Cloistered Cleric 3 Greater Spell Focus (illusion)
4 Cloistered Cleric 4
5 Cloistered Cleric 5
6 Shadowcrafter 1 Earth Sense
7 Shadowcrafter 2 [+10% reality to Shadow Conjurations]
8 Shadowcraft Mage 1
9 Shadowcraft Mage 2 Earth Spell [Silent Illusion]
10 Shadowcraft Mage 3 [Shadow Illusion]
11 Shadowcraft Mage 4 [Extended Illusion]
Ability scores
Str 5 [8-3 (0)]
Dex 16 [15-1+2 (8)]
Con 18 [15-1+2+2 (8)]
Int 12 [11+1 (3)]
Wis 20 [15+1+2+2 (8)]
Cha 18 [15+1+2 (8)]
Middle aged (+1 mental, -1 physical stats), gnome +2 con -2 str, +2 wis from leveling. +2 enhancement bonuses to con, dex, wis and cha
Items (total less than 52,000 gp): Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis (10,800, Tome of Magic), Scroll of Planar Bubble (11,375, Spell Compendium), Ring of Darkhidden (2,000, MiC), a Reliquary Holy Symbol (1,000 gp, gives you 1-3 more Turns per day, MiC), Nightstick (Libris Mortis, +4 Turn Attempts, ~10,000 gp), items to grant +2 bonuses to Con, Dex, Wis, and Cha (16,000). MW chain shirt, darkwood heavy shield, light x-bow and a club. Buff these with Magic Vestment and Greater Magic Weapon (you shouldn't need them, but just to make it a complete character)
Flaws: You need two. Pick whatever.
The tricks:
0: Heighten the spell Dark Way (SC) to 4th level to qualify for Shadowcraft Mage.
1a You can spend Turn attempts to Heighten spells, up to 10th level (thanks to Earth Spell).
1b You can turn a Heightened Silent Image (which you can cast spontaneously from the Illusion domain) into any Conjuration (Creation or Summoning) or Evocation spell on the wizard spell list of one level lower.
1c Therefore, you can spend 9 Turn attempts to turn a Silent Image into any 9th level wizard Evocation or Conjuration spell... A good choice is Summon Elemental Monolith from CArc. The Air Monolith is nasty.
2a Turn on your Collar. Now you're a native of the Shadow Plane*.
2b Use your scroll of Planar Bubble. Now you're in the Shadow Plane.
2c Shadow magic is powered up there, as follows:
Quote from: SCM handbook
Enhanced magic. Spells with the shadow descriptor are enhanced on the Plane of Shadow. Such spells are cast as though they were prepared with the Maximize Spell feat, though they don't require the higher spell slots.
Furthermore, specific spells become more powerful on the Plane of Shadow. Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation spells are 30% as powerful as the conjurations and evocations they mimic (as opposed to 20%). Greater Shadow Conjuration and Greater Shadow Evocation are 70% as powerful (not 60%), and a Shades spell conjures at 90% of the power of the original (not 80%).
Light spells are also impeded, but you don't care.
*Along with all this stuff:
+8 Hide, +6 Move Silently, +10 ft move speed (all unnamed), cold resistance 10, superior low light vision, and Darkvision 60ft, and the ex. ability to Hide In Plain Sight.
Spells: Precast a Contingency (via trick 1). I'd suggest using Trick 1 to emulate an Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, and have it trigger to appear around you as soon as the Elemental Monolith is summoned. Earth Spell boosts your CL also, so getting the Contingency to a high CL is easy. Just concentrate from within your bubble while the monolith smashes everyone to bits. Look through this and this for more ideas. You can use the cantrip No Light (BoVD) + the Ring of Darkhidden to be invisible to anyone who doesn't have True Seeing.
Other decent spells this guy can cast spontaneously even without the DMM cheese:
Books required: Underdark for Shadowcrafter. Tome of Magic for the Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis. Races of Stone for Shadowcraft Mage. Unearthed Arcana (and hypertext SRD) for Cloistered Cleric. PGtF for Illusion domain (I think). Magic Item Compendium and Spell Compendium. Libris Mortis for Consumptive Field is nice, but not necessary (you'll need to use a lower level spell in your Contingency, though).
If the DM says a 2nd level spell Heightened to 4th won't qualify for SCM, you'll need to exchange the Trickery domain for the Shadow domain from the Eberron Campaign Setting book. There is also a 4th level Shadow spell called Skull of Secrets that is listed in the Player's Guide to Faerun as an Initiate of Cyric spell. So you could take the feat and get that if you're restricted to Faerun material. Cyric also has both the Illusion and Trickery domains, conveniently.
You should have a great Hide check (+4 race, +4 size, +4 more racial if in wooded areas, +8 template, and its a class skill for everything), and HiPS from the Collar, so start out hiding if possible. If all you do is summon a monolith and hide in a contingent Resilient Sphere, trick 2 isn't necessary at all. You won't be casting any other spells.
Here is a link to a similiar character (minus the DMM cheese) that you can use to add more details if you want.
Here is one I'm playing in Alastar's PbP "Way of the Wizard" on this board: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=4524.msg186556#msg186556
Copied and pasted from here: Low level warforged shaper fun. Will touch it up later. I'm not playing this character at the moment. Just adding the build to this.
I'm playing another Warforged Shaper, and having fun with it. He is currently only level 2, and I'm thinking about how to progress him in the future.
The party is fairly large, but not very optimized. In the last game, we had two snow elves: a rogue/swashbuckler, and a druid; a human cleric of pelor, a half-elven ranger (archer), and a human monk. The monk and rogue both have low strength, and the monk's con is even worse, and the cleric had to spend her time running around healing people last time. So we don't really have a "tank", except for an NPC currently with us. There is also a bard that will show up occasionally, but he is our "benefactor", and is really only good for Inspire Courage. They are all level 2 or 3.
It is a homebrew world, and warforged are quite rare. They are basically expensive wizard toys, much like other golems/constructs. My 'forged spent the first 50 years of his life guarding a tomb/prison. However, he has now been freed from that, and due to the "progressive thinking" master that inherited him, freed of his indentured servitude. He still disguises himself to avoid stirring up trouble from ignorant "fleshies" while he is in civilized areas (He basically just wears a hooded cloak).
My character looks like this at the moment:
Warforged Psion (Shaper) 2
AL: LN
Str 14 (6)
Dex 14 (6)
Con 16 (6)
Int 16 (10)
Wis 8 (2)
Cha 8 (2)
AC: 20 (10+8armor+1shield+1dex)
HP: 14
Move: 20
Attacks: +3 slam (1d4+2), +3 dagger (1d4+2), +2 light x-bow (1d8), +4 MW shortspear (1d6+2)
Saves: F +3, R -1, W +2
Feats: Adamantine Body (1), Overchannel (Psion1), Talented (flaw1), Psicrystal Affinity (flaw2)
Flaws: Inattentive, Poor Reflexes
Trait: Focused (+1 Conc, -1 Spot and Listen)
Skills: Craft (Sculpting) +13, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) +8, Craft (Poison) +13, Concentration +11, Disguise +6, Spot & Listen -6
Languages: Common, Elven, Celestial, Infernal
Equipment: MW shortspear, MW buckler, MW sculpting tool, MW Concentration tool, MW Craft Poison tool, lots of Caltrops, disguise kit, weapons listed under attacks.
Power Points: 9
Powers Known: Astral Construct, Psionic Minor Creation, Vigor, Entangling Ectoplasm, Crystal Shard
Psicrystal (Artiste, +3 Craft)
Str 1*, Dex 15*, Con Ø, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 10
HP 6
AC 16
Attack: -1 melee
Saves: F +0, R +2, W +2
Init: +2
Skills: Climb +14*, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Search +2, Spot +6, Hide +18, Move Silently +2
Feats: Alertness
Special Abilities: Alertness (owner), improved evasion, personality, self-propulsion, share powers, sighted, telepathic link, Hardness 8
Tricks/Tactics: Use Minor Creation to make chains of "poison grenades": thin, hollow spheres of amber filled with contact poison (Sassone Leaf Residue is a good low level one). Coat his weapons, fists, and his psicrystal in poison, also. The DM has already ok'd the use of Psionic Minor Creation to make poisons.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the first game, we were ambushed by four Dracotaurs (CR 3 draconic centaurs, with two natural attacks and spears). I summoned a couple of Overchanneled Astral Constructs (I messed up, and made them both level 2, forgetting I'd already blown my focus), and hit a couple of enemies with Entangling Ectoplasm. The Constructs could take a ton of punishment, but had a hard time hitting. The Entangling Ectoplasm was a huge help, causing the enemies to miss several times with what could have been lethal attacks, and causing several potential misses by the party to become hits. For a single power point, this is a fantastic ability.
Since we don't have a real "tank", I am thinking of taking Share Pain and Psionic Repair Damage, so I can soak up some damage when needed. Last game, the monk got dropped to below 0 twice, and the druid once, and the druid's animal companion was killed. The DM seems quite willing to kill PCs. Share Pain might also be useful to mitigate damage from the other PCs to their horses.
Alternate future progressions I'm considering:
Alt Prog1 (Constructor): Psion 6/Constructor 10/Psion +4
Feats: Psionic Body (3), Extend Power (5), Boost Construct (6), Psicrystal Containment (9), Expanded Knowledge: Schism (12), (3 more)?
Alt Prog2 (Tank): Psion 10/Slayer 10
Feats: Psionic Body (3), Extend Power (5), Track (6), Expanded Knowledge: Metamorphosis (9), Expanded Knowledge: Schism (10), Quicken Power (12), Psicrystal Containment (15), ?
Alt Prog3 (Crafter): Psion 20 (assumes DM will let me craft normal, non-psionic constructs)
Feats: Craft Universal Item (3), Craft Arms and Armor (5), Craft Construct (6), Boost Construct (9), Expanded Knowledge: Schism (10), Psicrystal Containment (12), Quicken Power (15), ?
Alt Prog4 (Tattoo Master): Psion 20
Feats: Craft Dorje (3), Craft Psionic Tattoo (5), Tattoo Mastery (6), Dorje Mastery (9), Boost Construct (10), ?
For this one, I think I'd "abuse" Psychic Reformation and Expanded Knowledge. I'd take Expanded Knowledge, craft a reusable tattoo of the new power, and then Psychic Reform it to something else. Rinse and repeat. I'd also use this to make some reusable tatoos for my partymates. I'm leaning strongly towards this one. The DM has encouraged me to go this route, also.
Alt Prog5: If the online alternative class features will be allowed, I think I will take this: I'll probably take Scribe Tattoo at 3rd, and Tattoo Mastery at 6th with this, and drop Craft Dorje, even though Craft Dorje would probably be more useful.
A later post about how the character was performing and developing:
I just made 5th level last night. The most useful powers so far have been Entangling Ectoplasm and Psionic Minor Creation. The DM has been fairly lenient on what he lets me make with Minor Creation, and as a result, it is insanely useful when I have time to manifest it.
I usually make a bunch of "grenades" of Sassone Leaf Residue. This is just the plant poison encased in a thin shell of amber, so that it breaks if you throw it on someone. At the low levels, these things are very lethal, doing 2d12 damage on a failed save (DC 16). We've also been coating everyone's weapons with the poison by breaking one or two of these "grenades" into our quivers, and dipping our other weapons into it. However, I'm starting to see the power of this dropping off a bit, since the really tough enemies Fort saves are getting higher. I might need to "upgrade" the type of poison I make with this in the future.
In one game, we knew we were going to be facing trolls, so I made a bunch of "grenades" of flamable plant oil encased in amber instead. Yes, that's right, our party of level 4s and 5s fought 4 trolls and won. Most of the party climbed trees. Our cleric did die in this fight, though. The player made another cleric for the next game, very similiar in theme, but more optimized. We decided next time that I'd include cotton fuses on them, so we wouldn't have to bother lighting the oil after it hits.
I've also been making liberal use of caltrops, ringing our campsite with them every night, and having my psicrystal collect them while we're breaking camp and preparing spells in the morning.
The DM has house-ruled away the XP cost for crafting magic items, and is pretty liberal on what kind of items he lets us create. We've also had decent cash. So I took Craft Universal Item at 3rd, and have worked with the other spellcasters to craft one time per day items of several buff spells.
I took Craft Arms and Armor at 5th, and plan to take Craft Construct at 6th.
Our party has formed a company that does crafting for people, and retrieves items for commissions. My guy is basically the party crafter, and I plan to make a bunch of minor constructs that can continue making things while I'm out adventuring.
So far for powers I have:
1st: Entangling Ectoplasm, Astral Construct, Crystal Shard, Vigor, Psionic Minor Creation
2nd: Share Pain, Psionic Repair Damage, Levitate, Identify
3rd: Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Energy Bolt
My feats, flaws, and trait are:
Feats: Adamantine Body (1), Overchannel (Psion1), Talented (flaw1), Psicrystal Affinity (flaw2), Craft Universal Item (3), Craft Arms and Armor (5)
Flaws: Inattentive, Poor Reflexes
Trait: Focused (+1 Conc, -1 Spot and Listen)
I'm debating on choosing Energy Bolt power. We don't have a party wizard or sorcerer, and noone really has a decent area affect spell. And we also have been in several fights where we encountered fairly large numbers of creatures that were all bunched together. I was screaming inside for a Fireball-like power, but didn't have one. However, I think Telekinetic Thrust, or something else, might be more useful, since Energy Bolt is a line, and will be harder to catch multiple enemies at once with. We also travel with a wagon, so I could fill it up with a bunch of greatswords (covered in poison) to thrust at enemies with no problem.
Another guy made a warforged fighter, and I helped him with his feat choices. He is using a guisarme, and has Adamantine Body, Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, and Cleave. Last night I put Share Pain on him, and was using my Psicrystal to deliver Psionic Repair Damage to him during a tough fight, which worked quite well, but costs alot of power points. Overall, I think it was more efficient than buffing myself and cranking out Astral Constructs that couldn't hit anything, though.
We have a bard and cleric who casts bless at the beginning of the fight, and the DM lets Bless stack with Inspire Courage. So the party "fighters" have signifigantly higher to-hit bonuses than my constructs do. The constructs are still very handy in some fights, but for high AC enemies, I'm better off just buffing and healing the warforged fighter, and tossing out Entangling Ectoplasms, I think.
Another update. This was unfortunately as far as I got. The campaign fell apart due to RL reasons.
Made it to 6th level. Added Time Hop and Touchsight to his powers known. I took the feat Craft (Psionic) Construct. I plan to make some Dedicated Wrights, and set them to crafting Effigies and other things. The DM is fine with using Transparency like this (I don't know, maybe it is totally legal. I don't own the MiC).
I tried using Crystal Shard for the first time... and missed... with an overchanneled 7 power point shard. Our party of 5 took out about 15 orcs which seemed to have about 4-5 class levels each last game, and I didn't have any poison made before the fight. They ambushed us, also. It was quite tough.
I plan to make poison first thing in the morning with an Extended Minor Creation, and then make some more when that runs out. That will keep me supplied 24/7 for 4 power points, which is less than 10% of my max now. Well worth it. I can throw a bunch of them at once with Telekinetic Thrust in tough fights, too.
I might swap out Touchsight for Damp Power. I forgot about Damp Power, and I haven't used Touchsight yet. We don't fight spellcasters that often, though. Or at least, we haven't so far.
I had played another character similiar to this at 9th level. The original thread has since been archived. The DM wound up banning Polymorph, so the build I went with wound up being pretty different from the original idea posted below.
You, Me, and Everyone We Know (aka The Toolkit)
Warforged Shaper 10
Feats: Psicrystal Affinity (Psi1), Overchannel (1), Talented (3), Metamorphic Transfer (Psi5), Boost Construct (or EK: Dimension Swap) (6), EK: Metamorphosis (9), EK: Schism (Psi10)
Skills: max Use Psionic Device
Equipment: an item that gives a bonus on Use Psionic Device, if allowed, and an Orange Ioun Stone (if you can afford it).
Benefits:
Via Metamorphosis and Metamorphic Transfer, you can turn into just about anything (including inanimate objects, like wrenches :rofl:) and gain whatever ability that you need. This would be alot of fun to roleplay as the "sidekick" to a rogue or artificer. "Bob, wrench now!" "Yessir!"
You can heal yourself and your psicrystal.
You can disguise yourself as one of your summoned astral constructs.
Your constructs are quite powerful (7th level, if you can get the Ioun Stone, and they have an extra ability).
You can effectively summon two per round (via your psicrystal using UPD). Of course, this isn't free...
You're a full psion, so you can have plenty of "other" powers.
Fun stuff: Manifest Metamorphosis and share it with your Psicrystal to turn both of you into an Astral Constructs. Give your Psicrystal some power stones (or a Dorje) of Astral Construct. Manifest Schism, and both of you start using your standard actions every round to manifest Astral Construct. Use your Schism action every round to ready an action to escape any attackers that come after you via Dimension Swap (with a summoned construct) or Dimension Door (if you can afford the Ioun Stone). Share this with your Psicrystal.
This is what I actually wound up playing:
Warforged Shaper 9
Ability Scores: (28 pt. buy) Str 8 (0), Dex 16 (14+2enh) (6), Con 20 (16+2enh+2race) (6), Int 20 (16+2enh+2levels) (10), Wis 12 (6), Cha 6 (0)
Hit Points: 86
AC: 25 (10+8armor+4shield+2dex+1defl) (+1-3insight and/or +4 defl. sometimes), Touch 12, Flat-footed 25
Saves: Fort +10, Refl +8, Will +8 (+1-3insight sometimes)
Initiative: +3
Movement: 30'
Attack: +8 MW Light Crossbow (1d8), +7 Ranged Touch, +3 Slam (1d4-1)
Feats: Psionic Body (1), Psicrystal Affinity (Psi1), Quicken Power (3), Overchannel (Psi5), Expanded Knowledge: Empathic Transfer (6), EK: Schism (9).
Extra Feats: Empower Power, EK: Control Body
Skills: Craft: Sculpting 10, Psicraft 8, Knowledge: Psionics 10, Concentration 12, Use Psionic Device 12, Knowledge: Architecture and Engineering 10
Powers Known: [Level (number known)] +2 free powers
1st (5): Vigor, Energy Ray, Precognition: Defensive, Grease, Crystal Shard, Astral Construct
2nd (4): Empathic Transfer, Share Pain, Ego Whip, Levitate, Energy Adaptation: Specified, Psionic Repair Damage
3rd (4): Energy Wall, Dispel Psionics, Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Solicit Psicrystal, Mental Barrier
4th (4): Fabricate, Dimension Door, Intellect Fortress, Schism, Control Body
5th (2): Hail of Crystal, True Seeing
Power Points: 94
Equipment: Power Stones of Psychic Reformation (950 gp, contains 50 XP), Trace Teleport (700 gp), Body Purification (2 stones, 150 gp each (PsiW), ML4), Object Reading (2 stones, 150 gp each, ML3), Clairvoyant Sense (3 stones, 150 gp each, ML3), and Psionic Revivify (1,125 gp, did not include XP since both pay it, ML9); Psicrystal (Single-Minded, +3 Concentration), +2 Darkwood Heavy Shield (+4 AC, 0 ACP, 15% ASF, 4,257 gp), Amulet of Health +2 (4,000 gp), Headband of Intellect +2 (4,000 gp), Heward's Handy Haversack (2000 gp), Dagger (2 gp), Gloves of Dexterity +2 (worn, 4,000 gp), Warforged Component: equivalent of Skin Ectoplasmic of Armor (3,000), Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000 gp), Ring of Protection +1 (2,000 gp), MW Crossbow (335 gp), Circlet of Persuasion (4,500 gp, on Psicrystal), Stone of Alarm (2,700 gp). 39,567 used.
My comments on the build, and why it is the way it is.
The DM asked me not to take Metamorphosis, but let me have a couple of extra powers and extra feats (all the PCs have stuff like this). He had an NPC that is a psiwarrior, and he asked me not to take a couple of things that duplicated some of that guys abilities and items. (Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Entangling Ectoplasm and a Psychosomatic Skin... Spiderman/Venom inspired...). He let me take the Skin of Ectoplasmic Armor as a Warforged component, though, which was nice.
First, the character is alot of fun. He has quite alot of hit points, and by using Share Pain, he can actually take quite a bit more damage than the "tank" of the party (a Knight, has 120 max hit points), and his AC is actually better by 1 point (party isn't all that optimized). And it is ridiculously easy to heal himself by sharing the minimum 3 power point Psionic Repair Damage with his Psicrytal. 3 power points heals each of them on average 21 points, so basically the Psion can heal himself for 42 damage with 3 power points. I think dropping Talented was a good decision. The 3d8 damage for Overchanneling is inconsequential, really.
On the taking damage front, the main thing you have to be careful about is getting your Psicrystal (with Share Pain on it) caught in an area affect spell that also hits the main character. It would be really easy to lose a Psicrystal like this. The Improved Evasion + Hardness helps moderate this alot, however.
The other thing that was obvious was that it is REALLY easy to just blow all of your power points and be left useless. I started out kind of gung-ho and fired off a couple of Overchanneled Augmented Empowered powers (Energy Ray and Crystal Shard), and failed Power Resistance on the first, and rolled a 1 on the Ranged Touch Attack for the other. Then I had to heal myself for the Overchannel damage... Made me feel kind of silly and ineffective... In what seemed no time, I was down to 1/3 of my power points, and I didn't even use any of my power point intensive strategies to increase my actions per round (Shared Quickened Schism + Astral Construct, then firing off a bunch of Control Body powers, and passing their control off via Solicit Psicrystal).
I realize that with the setup I have, it would be extremely easy to blow pretty much all of my power points on one encounter. It would also be very silly... and might not even be that effective. All it would take is a few bad rolls, and alot of those power points could be entirely wasted. Playing a psion is all about learning to restrain yourself, it seems. Overall, I enjoy the character, but it plays quite a bit differently than any other I've had before.
Dwarf Ftr1/Wiz4/Runesmith2/Loremaster2/Spellsword1/Archmage 2/Eldritch Knight 8
CL 18, BAB 15
Variants: Martial Wizard (Improved Initiative instead of Scribe Scroll)
Feats: Improved Familiar (Imp), Power Attack, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative
Skills: Maxed Use Magic Device
Class abilities: Mastery of Shaping
Gear: A large guisarme
Permanent effects: Arcane Sight, See Invisible, ?
Shapes an AMF on himself with a 5' hole in the middle.
His familiar uses wands/staves/etc.
Per the Rules Compendium, AMF does not block Line of Effect. So he can actually cast spells on his opponent through the AMF. He doesn't need to though.
He precasts Contingency (via Greater Shadow Evocation) to trigger X if the fighter actually goes before him.
If he wins initiative (likely), he casts a Maximized (via MM Rod) Time Stop, and shares it with his familiar.
He uses a scroll of Divine Power on himself, Polymorphs into a Firbolg, casts a bunch of other buffs (Ironguard, etc, and his familiar can buff him via wands/staves/etc), and walks over to the fighter. He then proceeds to cast Wraith Strike and Power Attack the hell out of him every round until he is dead. If the fighter tries to flee, he trips him. The familiar readies an action to Disintegrate (with a staff) any obstacles that appear to block Line of Effect between the "fighter" and the wizard's Antimagic Field.
If the "fighter" has a spellcasting cohort, the wizard kills him first.
Alternate strategy:
Use the Time Stop to make a bunch of Walls of Force (via Greater Shadow Evocation), and fill the resulting "cage" with lava (I am pretty sure there is a spell that turns rocks to lava). The wizard makes himself immune to the damage via a buff, and stands next to the fighter and pounds him while he burns.
