Walking Wall of Awesome Blows In Ogre Form

javcs · Aug 23, 2006

This is essentially supposed to be a meat shield cohort to major opponent enemy spellcasters and archvillians. I picked an ogre because it was a low HD way to get the necessary Strength score and size to get Awesome Blow
The value of his gear is somewhat more than the suggested value in the DMG for his RAW CR, but properly played, I think would be a more difficult opponent than the CR would suggest, and I'm assuming that he wouldn't be on his own and would probably be the second-in-command for a major NPC villian.

Let me know what you think or any suggestions you might have.

Tactics:
Generally speaking, he'll melee, but, he hammers opponents who close to melee with him with an Awesome Blow, smacking them straight out, opponents trying to get past him get hit with Hold the Line - from the middle of his space, he can hit anything within 50ft using his +1 keen spiked chain, which would significantly slow down any opponent trying to get past him. Opponents on the edges of his reach, he'll smack upwards with an Awesome Blow to add to the damage. The average DC for the awesome blow is 23 and with a +21 (+17 with Awesome Blow) he's got excellent chances of hitting anyone within his reach with the chain.

He's wearing a chain shirt and dastana (dastana is from the Arms and Equipment Guide) to get the most use out of his Dex bonus and get the best Armor bonus to AC possible.

Code:

Walking Wall of Awesome Blows In Ogre Form

Type: Giant(ogre)	Size: Large	Alignment: Usually Any Evil
Languages: Giant, Common, 2 others
Class: Ogre 4, Fighter 8	CR: 11	ECL: 14
Height: 10ft	Weight: 600lb	Reach: 10ft	Speed: 40ft
HD: 4d8+24 + 8d10+48	HP: 134
Ability		Score	Mod
Strength	28	+9
Constitution	22	+6
Dexterity	19	+4
Intelligence	14	+2
Wisdom	18	+4
Charisma	14	+2
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Awesome Blow, Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Spiked Chain), Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip, Stand Still, Weapon Focus(Spiked Chain), Weapon Specialization (Spiked Chain), Hold the Line
Skills: 		(2+2)*15 = 60	15
Skill			Total	Abmod	Ranks	Syn	Rac	Other	Armor Check
Climb(Str)		+14	+9	5	+	+	+	-3
Craft(Int)		+2	+2	0	+	+	+	
Handle Animal(Cha)	+2	+2	0	+	+	+	
Intimidate(Cha)		+17	+2	15	+	+	+	
Jump(Str)		+18	+9	5	+	+	+4	-3
Listen(Wis)		+19	+4	15	+	+	+	
Ride(Dex)		+4	+4	0	+	+	+	
Spot(Wis)		+19	+4	15	+	+	+	
Swim(Str)		+14	+9	5	+	+	+	-6

Special Qualities:
	Darkvision 60ft
	Lowlight vision

AC: 23	Touch: 13	Flat-footed: 19
Base: 10	Natural: +5	Dexterity: +4	Armor: +5	Shield: +0	Size: -1	Other: +0
BAB: +11/+6/+1		Grapple: +24
Attacks:
	BAB: +11	Str: +9	Size: -1	Reach: 10ft
	Feats: Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Hold the Line, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Trip, Stand Still
	spiked chain	atk+21/+16/+11 melee 2d6+16	19-20/x2	dmg avg 23		20ft reach
	longbow		atk+15/+10/+5 ranged 2d6+9	20/x3		dmg avg 16		135ft range increment

Saves
Save	Total	Abmod	Base	
Fort	+14	+6	+8
Ref	+8	+4	+4
Will	+8	+4	+4

Carrying Capacity: 	Strength 28
light load	800lb or less	overload lift	4,800lb
medium load	801-1,600lb	drag		9,600lb
heavy load	1,601-2,400lb
Current encumberment: 	light
Gear:		9,850	gp value
Item				Weight	Cost		Stats/info
mwk spiked chain		20lb	8,350gp		+1 keen, 20ft reach
mwk (+9) composite longbow	6lb	1,300gp
chain shirt			50lb	200gp
dastana				10lb	30gp		from Arms+Equipment

Updates:
Swapped Cleave and Great Cleave out for Improved Trip and Stand Still

Pinotage · Aug 24, 2006

I'm not sure you can use Awesome Blow as part of an attack of opportunity. It's not a normal 'melee' attack, but a special standard action.

Pinotage

Nail · Aug 24, 2006

Right.

SRD said:
AWESOME BLOW [GENERAL, FIGHTER]
Prerequisites: Str 25, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, size Large or larger.

Benefit: As a standard action,.....

Frankly, a trip monkey would be better against PCs. And this ogre's AC...err...sucks. The PC archer will take him apart.

AuraSeer · Aug 24, 2006

javcs said:
[...]opponents trying to get past him get hit with Hold the Line[...]

I believe Hold The Line only works against opponents trying to charge you-- not against people moving or charging past you.

I know it's appeared in multiple books, though, so perhaps I'm just looking at a different version of the feat.

Nail · Aug 24, 2006

Hold the Line's latest version FAIK, is in Complete Warrior. In that version, the feat holder gains an AoO against anyone who charges through his threatened area.

For a large creature, Hold the Line is a great feat, as it effectively gives the creature 2 AoOs: one from "reach", one from the feat.

javcs · Aug 24, 2006

Yeah, the AC was something that I knew needed help. Though, what sort of NPC archvillian wouldn't have something to help boost the AC of his more important minions, even if it's only lesser minions casting shield or some similar spell on them or other magical effects, such as AC boosting potions .. invisibility or greater invisibility would help him too. Also, if positioned in such a way to reduce the spread that he could be hit from, such as on the side of an entry way, his abysmally low AC wouldn't him hurt as much, it being sorta hard to shoot around corners and all, though, a couple area effect spells would rip him up pretty well too ..

I was more assuming that he'd Awesome Blow PCs who were within his reach on his turn, while tripping up PCs trying to get past him. Trip the PC trying to get past him to get at the NPC archers/spellcasters with the AoO(s) then Awesome Blow the PC back out the door (or into a pit trap) on his turn.

He could probably be tweaked for a higher AC and higher stats in general with some templates, such as fiendish/half-fiend, half-dragon, or half-golem, depending on who his master is.

I was using the CWar version of Hold the Line.

Nail · Aug 24, 2006

If he's going to trip, you'll want him to have the feat Impr. Trip. Accept no substitutes!

starwed · Aug 24, 2006

The Stand Still feat would also stop those trying to move in on him, but he won't do any damage to them:

When a foe’s movement out of a square you threaten grants you an attack of opportunity, you can give up that attack and instead attempt to stop your foe in his tracks. Make your attack of opportunity normally. If you hit your foe, he must succeed on a Reflex save against a DC of 10 + your damage roll (the opponent does not actually take damage), or immediately halt as if he had used up his move actions for the round.

Tripping is still probably the best way to go in most cases, but this feat would give him another option for controlling the battlefield. And it'll have a better chance of success in some cases, such as vs. dwarven fighters. (On average a DC 33 Reflex save)

For an NPC villian's cohort, how often do you think he'll use Cleave or Great Cleave? Those would be good feats to swap out to get Improved Trip.

I picked an ogre because it was a low HD way to get the necessary Strength score and size to get Awesome Blow

You could also probably go with the Half-Ogre. And I think there's a note in Races of Stone that the Goliath's powerful build allows it to qualify for feats needing largeness... but then you wouldn't get the reach that's half the point of this guy. So never mind. ^_^

javcs · Aug 25, 2006

Good point, starwed ..
I think I'll swap out Cleave and Great Cleave for Improved Trip and Stand Still.
If there were a way to increase the save DC for the Clouting weapon ability from CArc, I'd go with it, 'cause it also knocks opponents 10ft back on a failed save, though it's a Fort save, so the DC'd have to go up for it to be useful, as written it's Fort DC19 and on a failed initial save it's another DC19 Fort save to avoid stunning, but at CR11, the PC beaters would have better than even odds of dodging the whole effect, and they'd be getting hit with it most often.

Walking Wall of Awesome Blows In Ogre Form

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