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

[StreamOfTheSky]

Polymorph references Alter Self, which says:

"If the new form is capable of speech, you can communicate normally. You retain any spellcasting ability you had in your original form, but the new form must be able to speak intelligibly (that is, speak a language) to use verbal components and must have limbs capable of fine manipulation to use somatic or material components."

So as long as you stick to stuff like giants and hags you're set.

How would you threaten a 900 ft room? As a huge creature with a spiked chain, you most are threatening a 30 ft radius. factor in your own 15 ft square area that you occupy, and that's a 75 ft diameter.

And that reminds me, one other good thing about using the polymorphing wizard route...sometimes the room you're in may not be able to fit a huge or even large creature. In those scenarios, I'd just do something besides tripping and not worry about it, but if most of the dungeon is like that, the option to at least take a moderately strong medium sized form is nice.

 

[kitcik]

How would you threaten a 900 ft room? As a huge creature with a spiked chain, you most are threatening a 30 ft radius.

30 x 30 = 900

(so you actually threaten a lot more than that, since, as you pointed out, it's really 75 x 75)

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Oh, square ft! I see. And technically...I'm not sure if you threaten the area you occupy, and certainly it's uncommon to have creatures in that area, grappling excepted.

 

[kitcik]

Oh, square ft! I see. And technically...I'm not sure if you threaten the area you occupy, and certainly it's uncommon to have creatures in that area, grappling excepted.

Interesting. I guess it is 75x75 - 15x15 if you don't threaten your own squares. This would require some DM ruling. For instance, if I jump on the back of a dragon and start casting, do I provoke? or does the dragon not threaten? I would rule it provokes...

 

[Genesist]

Sorry guys, had parents visiting today (moved out for college a month ago). Wouldn't it actually be 15/2=7.5 7.5+30 = 37.5 dimater. 37.5^2 - 7.5^2=1350 square feet? This is pretty insane. Also enlarge self is optional so i could be an effective large character, I believe with my DM's style of large cathedral-like dungeons this would work just fine.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Let me try and think up your spellbook. With this sort of concept, you're not going to be using a lot of different spells, so don't bother saving up for a Blessed Book, and you probably don't need many extra spells beyond the 2 you get each caster level for free.

You need two banned schools. I recommend two of Evocation, Necromancy, and Enchantment. Necromancy's probably the best of those 3, though much of the school is somewhat evil, if that matters.

Sample Spells Known:
Level 0: All (except banned schools)
Level 1: Color Spray, Enlarge Person, Grease, Mage Armor, Ray of Enfeeblement
Level 2: Alter Self, Blur, Bull's Strength, Resist Energy, See Invisibility
Level 3: Fly, Greater Magic Weapon, Haste, Stinking Cloud
Level 4: Dimension Door, Polymorph

Suggested Feats:
1 Scribe Scroll [Wizard]
1 Combat Expertise
3 Improved Trip
5 Create Wondrous Item, Craft Arms/Armor, or Still/Extend/Quicken Spell [Wizard]
6 Combat Reflexes
7 Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain) [Fighter]
8 Power Attack [Eldritch Knight]
9 Flyby Attack

Gear: Save for the Spiked Chain, if you use Greater Magic Weapon, you don't even need to so much as have a masterwork weapon. Wizard weapon selection sucks anyway. Really, I'd just carry scrolls of Magic Weapon (the level 1 spell) to use when facing something with DR /magic. Definitely look towards getting an animated mithral buckler or light shield when you can afford it. You NEED headband of Int +2. If you have the cash, Con +2 wouldn't hurt, and Str +2 would still function in polymorph if the form you take can wear it.

 

[Genesist]

This is very good advice. But, when polymorphed does your armor carry over if it was sized for your original form?

 

[Genesist]

Can I use polymorph to turn into a werebear? The example from player's handbook is 7 HD, and has hands for a chain and some very nice stats.

Also girallon has nice stats and four arms. There has to be some way that having 4 arms is an advantage here.

Don't you need 7 lvls of wizard for the polymorph build?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

It doesn't matter if armor carries over, you have arcane spell failure to worry about. The buckler is animated, so when you get that, it would stick around. For body armor, you use the mage armor spell, and once you can afford +5 or better, switch over to bracers of armor.

You can't polymorph to take the form of templated creatures, and lycanthrope itself IS a template, so...yeah.

Girallon is decent too, yeah. That wasn't an exclusive list, just some nice things I found in a 5 minute skim of the monster index. It does have only 22 str and size large, though. Four arms is nice, but the rules to use them on a weapon for higher str multiplier are in Savage Species, so all those 2 arms are good to you for is some weak secondary claw attacks. Being ape-like, I'm not sure a DM would them wield a weapon for that matter, either.

And yes, you need 7 wizard levels to get polymorph. My build has you starting as dwarf or gnome Transmuter (transmutation specialist wizard) 7. From there, you dip Fighter so you can enter Eldritch Knight. Definitely take Fighter at if you want a spiked chain, you can go into Wizard 8 before Eldritch Knight if you want another CL before going in, Wizard 8 won't hurt your BAB.

 

[Dandu]

I wouldn't bother with the bracers, personally.