D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 core 3 tripper build help optimization

[Genesist]

One thing to note is that a hybrid brown bear gives me large size, with enlarge person that is a huge size. Which is a huge increase for tirpping.

Human fighter 1/LA 2/wereape 4 is an option. Gives a nice strength bonus, and due to scent I will be okay at night.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I understand the viablitiy of wizard tripper and will look more closely at it, but prefer to not be a caster. I would rather be the werewolf hunter, or the barbarian vampire tracker archetype. I will do the calcs for going brown bear. Will I have trouble staying in hybrid form as an afflicted lycanthrope?

One thing to note is that a hybrid brown bear gives me large size, with enlarge person that is a huge size. Which is a huge increase for tirpping.

Yeah, I liked the idea of enalrge person with hybrid brown bear for 15 ft natural reach and +8 size bonus to tripping alone, let alone the strength. But if that's not possible, Polymorph is probably the next best bet for sheer size and str. The skill DCs to control your form aren't very high, though you can't afford a great Wis even with hte racial +2. With 5 HD and 2 LA, you could probably have a +10 mod starting out, so the DCs might be a little tough.

As for the casting option... if you stick to spamming the same buff spells each day, you don't even need to feel like a caster, more like a supernatural killing machine. Until you get more spells slots level 4+, though, you will need a plan for when you can't be polymorphed. I'd suggest just picking up some buff spells for allies and minor battlefield control. Haste, Grease, etc... can get a lot of mileage out of a single casting. Some forms with 7 HD or less you could polymorph into: Annis Hag (Str 25, Large, lots of natural attacks as options when you don't need to trip), Ogre (Str 21, Large, handy aquatic version for water encounters), Troll (Str 23, Large, natural attack options, and an aquatic cousin), or Treant (Str 29, Huge size, can't use a manufactured reach weapon, though).

 

[Genesist]

You'd be a huge size, so woudln't the chain have a 20 ft reach assuming I carry a large one? It will enlarge to huge with the spell. Thus 20ft, which is pretty sick. Can I enlarge myself when polymorphed? I like the polymorph idea more but wouldn't my HP be slightly anemic?

 

[Genesist]

Ape would give me 10 str, 4 con and 4 dex. Not as good as a bear, but unluckily that is not an option. Let's assume a 16 base str. +2 for enlarge, +10 for bear, +4 from magical whatchamagigits. That is a 32 strength. or an 11 inherit bonus to trip. +8 from huge size and +4 from improved trip, that nets you a +23 to trip at ECL 7. Not too shabby? 20 ft range, and scent so you can't be easily snuck up on. This mean that against an opponent of medium size with 56 dex or str, you still have a 50% chance on hit to trip them.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

That's why you'd need to have a great Con score (you really would need to be a Dwarf or Gnome for race, I recommend Dwarf). But yes, you will absolutely be a glass cannon. You'll be relying on superior reach, tripping, and combat reflexes to keep things from hurting you much.

Polymorph spell says: "The subject’s creature type and subtype (if any) change to match the new form." So no, you can't stack enlarge person on top of it. It's still pretty good anyway, at least.

Reach weapons actually double your natural reach. +5 ft is the 3.0 rule, it changed in 3.5. Note the "halo" that you can't attack (unless it's a spiked chain) is also doubled. So a large creature w/ 10 ft reach using a Guisarme threatens 15 and 20 ft away, but not 5 and 10 ft away. And I'm not sure treant counts as having functional "hands" to use a weapon, so you may not be able to use them in that form. So i'd use Treant at the game's start, then use Annis Hag once you take the Fighter level and actually have a trip weapon with reach (Guisarme or spiked chain).

 

[Genesist]

So what are would a huge creature with an appropriately sized spiked chain threaten?

As a wizard it would nice to be able to support the party a bit. DM is not allowing cleric's apparently they're all dead or something so we will be relying on a druid for heals.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Not all creatures of the same size have the same reach. But a generally tall bipedal Huge creature threatens 15 ft. So 30 ft with a spiked chain. Yes, that's kinda crazy. I prefer 3.0's reach weapon rules where it was just a flat +5 ft reach.

I've also rethought things, and...hile dwarf is a better race, I think you should do Forest Gnome! They get all of the regular gnome stuff (except for Common as a starting language, be sure to pick that up) plus a few extra abilities. Best of all, they can be as little as 2 ft tall. I just think playing a wimpy, timid 2 ft tall "fairy" type of character that turns into a giant hulking monster would be fun.

 

[Genesist]

Problem is we are limited to the core 3, I'm not familiar with that type of gnome, I'm guessing it isn't from the core 3? A were-ape with a 30 foot reach hunting vampires does sound pretty tantalizing.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Forest gnome is from the Monster Manual, it's just a slight tweak of gnome. If you can't have that, regular gnome or dwarf still works fine.

EDIT: In any case, I'd need rolls to build a sample with stats. But dwarf or gnome, you'd want a min. 15 in Int, a min. 16 in Con (before racial +2), and beyond that, whatever you can get, order of importance is Dex>Wis>Cha=Str. put your level 4 point in Int and get a +2 headband and you'll be at 18 for level 7.

 

[Genesist]

If forest gnome isn't allowed then I'd likely go dwarf for that nice con bonus. All three of my builds sound pretty nice right now. I'll calculate the three out next to eachother soon. In the end I will likely submit the 3 assuming average rolls to my DM and ask which if not all he's okay with. The only one he might question is the wereape one, not because it breaks any rules, just because it isn't "normal". When polymorphed can I cast spells? I'm sure that is a basic question, but I don't normally play casters.

The wereape enlarged could threaten a 900 foot room, I think I'd use that by standing at the center of my glass cannons and screwing up anything that came remotely near them.