D&D 4E Building Odysseus.... not challenging enough.

OK the problem might be that the Warlord or even closer the Archer Warlord was basically designed for the character so generally speaking you should be able to just build an out of the box Warlord and Kaching.. HOWEVER for me that means I have to get even pickier and that might mean some of that there reading (bummer).

Noble Background, Theme Mariner, Str, Int, Cha Tactical Archer Warlord. With that light armor the Greeks like so much.




He needs broad amounts of skill for his out of combat activities like planning a Siege with History, and Bluff skill up the Wazoo for a certain Trojan horse and Blinding of Cyclops, That solo adventuring probably resulted in Endurance Training, Diplomacy and probably Intimidation AND I may be putting my martial practices to some use as well.



Abilities that are not 100 percent team will be OK BUT also definitely managed some adventuring as part of a Heroic Team of similarly scaled individuals
... yes they had them that far back ...


The above is mostly from memory. Here is an interesting modern translation.

Homer (c.750 BC) - The Odyssey: In translation.

Wow the Art sort of ATE that post

Some artwork above is from the upcoming Assassins Creed game.

A race for Greek Heroes

So in the quest to be picky I am considering the perfect race for this Greek Godling.

Attribute wise we have Strength and Charisma these are almost definite even though Odysseus is the most intellectual of the heroes of Greek Myth said to be a match mentally for Zeus and is favorite of Athena it is still very much identified as Strength being the test which identifies his status.

Considering this while one could go all flash like in Xena. Where the divine power could manifest demonstrably as Lightning ability including hurling it in combat. Recent Hercules movies also gave us a lightning lash in the hand of that other hero. So in that regards Dragonborn with Strength and Charisma and Lightning as their "breath weapon" would be not far from a Greek god race. Skill bonuses to History and Intimidation work even.

The above would be very D&D high fantasy interpretation AND would again take very little work. Just a bit of reflavoring.

Arguably honed more close to Odysseus we could go with a Genasi this giving us Both the Strength and that Int that Tactlords like... but in addition the racial ability unless explicitly developed is much more subtle and represents more of a knack with lightning and less innate tossing it about willy nilly get his hands on a lightning weapon like certain magical javelins and sure.

So we really have a couple fairly direct races we could drop into place and reflavor with gusto.

Practices for Odysseus

• Hospitality (Common among nobility AND used actively in the Stories - he was given a ship at one point)
• Influence of Rank (ditto)
• Marshalling Troops aka Oath of Fealty (A must for good commander generals)
• Method Acting - assuming alternate identities ultra convincingly.
• Inspired Recuperation (useful for when you are high level questing with other heroes)

I think the problem with Odysseus is the same as with most heroes, he's got everything. I mean, think about it. In the Iliad he basically out thinks and manages to trick pretty much anyone he puts his mind to. This seems like superior intellect, but maybe its more WIS/CHA than INT (he seems pretty smart, but he doesn't come across as being a super-genius in the 'book smart' category, more in the areas of wiliness and diplomacy both). Later on, in the Odyssey, he's shown to be the strongest as well. So this guy has AT LEAST 3 'primary' stats, and there's no reason to think he's not at least above average in every other stat too! I mean, maybe his DEX is just 12 or something, but his CON and INT are certainly at least in that range, and his INT is likely higher too.

You can't do these hero types using stat arrays. Writers simply don't work that way, nor do myths. Heroes are larger than life and kind of inevitably excel pretty much across the board.

Anyway, I'd call Old Oddy a taclord

AbdulAlhazred said:

I think the problem with Odysseus is the same as with most heroes, he's got everything. I mean, think about it. In the Iliad he basically out thinks and manages to trick pretty much anyone he puts his mind to. This seems like superior intellect, but maybe its more WIS/CHA than INT (he seems pretty smart, but he doesn't come across as being a super-genius in the 'book smart' category, more in the areas of wiliness and diplomacy both). Later on, in the Odyssey, he's shown to be the strongest as well. So this guy has AT LEAST 3 'primary' stats, and there's no reason to think he's not at least above average in every other stat too! I mean, maybe his DEX is just 12 or something, but his CON and INT are certainly at least in that range, and his INT is likely higher too.

You can't do these hero types using stat arrays. Writers simply don't work that way, nor do myths. Heroes are larger than life and kind of inevitably excel pretty much across the board.

Click to expand...

One thought is to make NPCs average 8 so a soldier is not 15 its 13 and similar things (everything is in comparison and the DM governs the NPCs )

AbdulAlhazred said:

Anyway, I'd call Old Oddy a taclord

Click to expand...

Yeh my fondness for Taclords wins out too. --> "Noble Background, Theme Mariner, Str, Int, Cha Tactical Archer Warlord. With that light armor the Greeks like so much. "

Here is how I built Odysseus
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Odysseus, level 23
Genasi, Warlord, Battle Captain, Champion of Prophecy
Build: Tactical Warlord
Archer Warlord Optional Choice: Archer Warlord
Warlord: Combat Leader
Commanding Presence: Tactical Presence
Warlord Style: Inspiring
Prophetic Blessing: Prophetic Blessing Strength
Prophetic Blessing: Prophetic Blessing Intelligence
Elemental Manifestation: Stormsoul
Background: Auspicious Birth (Auspicious Birth Benefit)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 26, Con 13, Dex 12, Int 26, Wis 10, Cha 15.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 13.

AC: 35 Fort: 35 Reflex: 32 Will: 27
HP: 163 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 40

TRAINED SKILLS
Heal +16, Athletics +23, Diplomacy +20, Insight +18, History +26

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +11, Arcana +19, Bluff +13, Dungeoneering +11, Endurance +13, Intimidate +13, Nature +13, Perception +11, Religion +19, Stealth +14, Streetwise +13, Thievery +11, Engineering +19

FEATS
Warlord: Martial Artistry
Level 1: Formation Fighting
Level 2: Archer Captain
Level 4: Toughness
Level 6: Inspirational Attacker
Level 8: War Ready
Level 10: Martial Ploy
Level 11: Tactical Assault
Level 12: Rapid Artistry
Level 14: Combat Commander
Level 16: Tactical Feint
Level 18: Lend Strength
Level 20: Disciple of Strength
Level 21: Nusemnee's Atonement
Level 22: Echoes of Thunder

POWERS
Warlord at-will 1: Inevitable Wave
Warlord at-will 1: Fog of War
Warlord encounter 1: Warlord's Favor
Warlord daily 1: Lead the Attack
Warlord daily 1 Spellbook: Create a Target
Warlord utility 2: Aid the Injured
Warlord utility 2 Spellbook: Knight's Move
Warlord encounter 3: Hold the Line
Warlord daily 5: Impressive Strike
Warlord daily 5 Spellbook: Villain's Nightmare
Warlord utility 6: Guide the Charge
Warlord utility 6 Spellbook: Back to Back
Warlord encounter 7: Surprise Attack
Warlord daily 9: Iron Dragon Charge
Warlord daily 9 Spellbook: Denying Mark
Warlord utility 10: Tactical Shift
Warlord utility 10 Spellbook: Strength of Conviction
Warlord encounter 13: Impromptu Attack (replaces Warlord's Favor)
Warlord daily 15: Band of Fellows (replaces Lead the Attack)
Warlord daily 15 Spellbook: Renew the Troops
Warlord utility 16: Strength Against Strength
Warlord utility 16 Spellbook: Pincer Formation
Warlord encounter 17: Forced Respect (replaces Impromptu Attack)
Warlord daily 19: Exhorted Counterattack (replaces Band of Fellows)
Warlord daily 19 Spellbook: Dance on Their Graves
Warlord utility 22: Avenge Me
Warlord utility 22 Spellbook: Heart of the Titan
Warlord encounter 23: Critical Misfire (replaces Forced Respect)

ITEMS
Strategy Book, Dynamic Longsword +4, Cloak of the Stalking Shadow +3, Adventurer's Kit, Longsword, Forceful Longbow +4, Deathcut Earthhide Armor +3, Medic's Amulet +3
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

What motivated the Stormsoul Genasi and why particularly the build at Level 23? I mean, sure, Oddessy Oddyseus seems like an Epic kind of guy, I'm just curious about why that specific level?

AbdulAlhazred said:

What motivated the Stormsoul Genasi and why particularly the build at Level 23? I mean, sure, Oddessy Oddyseus seems like an Epic kind of guy, I'm just curious about why that specific level?

Click to expand...

Level 23 was really really arbitrary low epic is my best excuse.

Stormsoul I have a bit of reason for I was thinking I wanted a race to reflect the knacks of divine heritage all the Heroes of Greek myth partook either directly or posthumously of Divine Blood and ... Athena the brainy child of the God who throws lightning is Odysseus major heroic sponsor at minimum though I seem to recall him called out as bloodline Zeus. Note also the Genasi abilities with lightning/thunder are often talent rather than abilities directly. Its a story decision rather than a to get this power decision, and more subtle because of that I suppose.