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Kill 'Em All: A Slayer's Guide (by lordduskblade)
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<blockquote data-quote="LightWarden" data-source="post: 6998611" data-attributes="member: 6803540"><p>Kill 'Em All: A Slayer's Guide</p><p></p><p><img src="http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/329/e/7/the_wild_hunt_by_genzoman-d33kxt7.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><em>To the last: kill them all.</em> -Space Marine Chaplain, <em>Dawn of War</em></p><p></p><p>So I hear you greenhorns have come to me because you want to learn how to kill. I'll tell you right now, though: killing's not easy, and it's not pretty, either. There's a reason the people who are good at it get all the glory: you won't find many creatures that will just stand there and let you kill 'em, you've gotta earn it! And that means I'll be toughening your raw hides up until you can face creatures everyone else fears and put their heads on your trophy case! Are you in, or out? Thought so. Now listen here...</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><strong>Selling Points: Why You Would Want To Play A Slayer</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p>There are many different sorts of Strikers out there, so the Slayer has to bring something new and interesting to the table in order to stand out and carve out a niche. Here are some things I consider that are perks to life as a Slayer:</p><p></p><p><strong>Slayers are tough </strong>- Most Strikers can bring the pain, but not all are equipped to handle pain coming in their direction all that well. The Slayer is not one of those Strikers. Strong armor proficiencies combined with Defender hit points combine to make bringing you down quite a bit of work. If you like being able to take it as well as dish it out, give the Slayer a look.</p><p></p><p><strong>Slayers are reliable </strong>- Slayers can be accurate pretty much out of the box, and have some neat ways to buff themselves, as well as a host of Utility powers and class features to keep them in fights they probably were supposed to be out of. If you like being mentioned in the same breath as death and taxes, you'll be well served here.</p><p></p><p><strong>Slayers hit hard at a moment's notice</strong> - Don't the let their seemingly simpler class design fool you - Slayers have some tricks up their sleeves, and one of them is bringing the pain to the enemy hard and fast. If you like laying down the lumber before your opponent even realizes that he's in a fight, the Slayer has something for you.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><strong>This Handbook will use the following system for ratings: </strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Red</strong></span> - Garbage, or completely overshadowed by another option.</p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Purple</strong></span> - Situationally useful, but overall pretty meh.</p><p><strong>Black</strong> - OK. You could do worse than pick this.</p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Blue</strong></span> - Good stuff. You probably want this.</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Sky Blue</strong></span> - You want this. Period.</p><p><span style="color: #ff9900"><strong>Gold</strong></span> - Why haven't you taken this yet? A defining choice for a build, or even the whole class.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><strong>This Handbook covers the following sources:</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p>AP - Arcane Power</p><p>AV - Adventurer's Vault</p><p>AV 2 - Adventurer's Vault 2</p><p><strong>BoVD</strong> - Book of Vile Darkness</p><p>D XXX - Dragon Magazine, issue XXX</p><p>DMA 2009 - Dragon Magazine Annual 2009</p><p><strong><strong>DN</strong></strong></p><p><strong>XXX</strong> - Dungeon Magazine, issue XXX</p><p><strong>DP</strong> - Divine Power<strong>DSCS</strong> - Dark Sun Campaign Setting</p><p><strong>DSG</strong> - Dungeon Survival Guide</p><p><strong>EPG</strong> - Eberron Player's Guide</p><p>FRPG - Forgotten Realms Player's Guide</p><p><strong>HoS</strong> - Heroes of Shadow<strong></strong></p><p><strong><strong>HotEC</strong></strong> - Heroes of the Elemental Chaos<strong></strong></p><p><strong>HotFK</strong> - Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms</p><p>HotFL - Heroes of the Fallen Lands</p><p><strong>HotFw</strong> - Heroes of the Feywild</p><p>MM - Monster Manual</p><p>MM 2 - Monster Manual 2</p><p><strong>MME</strong> - Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium</p><p>MOTP - Manual of the Planes</p><p>MP - Martial Power</p><p>MP 2 - Martial Power 2</p><p><strong>NCS</strong> - Neverwinter Campaign Setting</p><p>PHB - Player's Handbook</p><p>PHB 2 - Player's Handbook 2</p><p>PHB 3 - Player's Handbook 3</p><p><strong>PHR: DB</strong> - Player's Handbook Races: Dragonborn</p><p><strong>PHR: TF</strong> - Player's Handbook Races: TieflingsPHH 1 - Player's Handbook Heroes: Series 1</p><p>PHH 2 - Player's Handbook Heroes: Series 2</p><p>PrP - Primal Power</p><p><strong>PsP</strong> - Psionic Power</p><p>SAC - Seekers of the Ashen Crown Adventure Module</p><p></p><p><strong>Glossary</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong>AP</strong> - Action point.</p><p></p><p><strong>BBEG</strong> - Big bad evil guy.</p><p></p><p><strong>Burst/Nova/Spike Damage</strong> - Generally understood to mean the highest amount of damage a character can inflict in the space of a single round. Usually, calculations for this allow 1 round of setup before the actual damage.</p><p></p><p><strong>CA</strong> - Combat advantage.</p><p></p><p><strong>DPR</strong> - Damage per round, which is generally meant to mean the character's expected damage value using At-Will powers against a standard enemy of the same level (eloquently described by Adslahnit as the Official CharOp Inanimate Block of TofuTM).</p><p></p><p><strong>E-class</strong> - Refers to the class design for Martial characters introduced in the Essentials product line, which usually focuses on basic attacks and has limited options for Encounter or Daily resources.</p><p></p><p><strong>ED</strong> - Epic destiny.</p><p></p><p><strong>HP</strong> - Hit points.</p><p></p><p><strong>LX</strong> - Level X.</p><p></p><p><strong>MAD</strong> - Multiple attribute dependency, which is defined as needing 3 or more ability scores for a given build.</p><p></p><p><strong>MBA</strong> - Melee basic attack.</p><p></p><p><strong>MC</strong> - Multiclass or multiclassing.</p><p></p><p><strong>NAD</strong> - Non-AC defense.</p><p></p><p><strong>OA</strong> - Opportunity attack.</p><p> </p><p><strong>PP</strong> - Paragon path.</p><p></p><p><strong>RBA</strong> - Ranged basic attack.</p><p></p><p><strong>SAD</strong> - Single attribute dependency, which is defined as a build that really only needs 1 ability score.</p><p></p><p><strong>THP</strong> - Temporary hit points.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><em>The Fighter's Handbook</em>(x), by me:</p><p><em>Spiked Chain Slayer</em>(x), by d20danko:</p><p><em>The Human Slayer (Makes it Rain)</em>(x), by undeadpool:</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong><strong>Props to:</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p>Everyone posting, and, of course...</p><p></p><p><img src="http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg81/REHCTELF/Slayer_logo.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Power Source and Role: Why You're Expected to Kill</strong></p><p></p><p>A Slayer is unique among the builds of Fighter in that its role is that of a <strong>Martial Striker</strong>, not a <strong>Martial Defender</strong>. This means that, as the build name implies, your job is to bring monsters down. This is something that you're well suited to, thanks to some pretty neat features for extra damage and the ability to grab some of the Fighter's excellent damage support. Here's how the Slayer measures up on the parameters expected of a Striker:</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Burst/Spike/Nova Damage</strong></span> - Also known as the most damage you can come up with on short notice, this is a particular point of pride for Slayers, due to being able to load up a lot of damage dice on charges, as well as pick up a variety of multiple-attack Encounter powers from the Fighter class. Depending on the build, however, you can go from being <strong>rather uninspiring</strong> all the way to being <span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>just plain awesome</strong></span> at this.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Damage Per Round (DPR)</strong></span> - Commonly known as the round-by-round expected damage you can put out, and needless to say you're pretty good at it, since a lot of your class features and the like are geared toward making this better, by giving you a combination of accurate and damaging attacks.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Debilitating Effects</strong></span> - While you might not be able to slap on a variety of different status effects, the fact that (if you choose the proper weapon) all of your Encounter powers will have the effect will save you from rock bottom. That said, you're still not very good at this, unless you go out of your way to pick up powers from your parent class that impose effects, in which case <strong>you'll be a bit better</strong>.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Survivability</strong></span> - Not only do you have access to most heavy armor, Defender-level hit points, and a ton of base surges, but you also have a Utility power list that is stellar at keeping you up and running. Toss in some useful class features toward this end and you'll find that a Slayer is extremely hard to drop.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Targeting Capacity</strong></span> - A propensity for charging right into combat combined with a built-in damage bonus to all of your powers, and even the occasional feature for mitigating the consequences of zipping about the battlefield combine to show that a Slayer will rarely find reaching and taking out his chosen target to be a hassle.</p><p></p><p><strong>Secondary Role Effectiveness</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Controller</strong></span> - Hahahaha... No. You have few ways to impose effects on and otherwise mess with your enemies, and you can forget about multi-targeting right now. Not your secondary of choice at all.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Defender</strong></span> - Given what your base class is, is it really any surprise at all you can do this well? Grab some marking powers if you should ever need additional disuassion from enemies attacking your squishier party-mates.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>Leader</strong></span> - Yet another role you're probably not going to be filling very well. You mostly are the beneficiary of setup and support, not the provider.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Baseline Mechanics: How You Kill</strong></p><p></p><p>Your class design is distinctive to the other Martial classes in the Essentials product line in that you don't have all that many powers, but you do get a bunch of different class features. As such, your identity is pretty well-defined as a tough and reliable Striker.</p><p></p><p>As far as the features themselves, you'll find there's a pretty nice bag of features to be had here, starting off with your above-average HP and surges all the way up to the L29 feature.</p><p></p><p><strong>Game Mechanics</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Hit Points</strong></span> - 15 + Con score at level 1, and 6 at each level thereafter. You get some good HP, especially considering that you're a Striker by trade.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Healing Surges</strong></span> - 9 + Con modifier. Standard fare for Defenders, which means it's well above what a Striker normally expects to have. Double-digit surges even in the early part of your career is trivially easy to achieve for a Slayer.</p><p></p><p><strong>Defenses</strong> - You only get a bonus to Fortitude, but at least it's a +2 bonus.</p><p></p><p><strong>Proficiencies</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Armor</strong></span> - Scale armor is real nice to have right out of the gate, though you don't get access to Shields (not that you'll want or need them).</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Weapons</strong></span> - Military melee + military ranged is about as good as it's going to get on default proficiencies.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Class Features</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong>L1 - </strong><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Heroic Slayer</strong></span> - Adding your Dexterity modifier to damage on all weapon attacks just because you can is pretty awesome. The fact that the damage gets bigger over time (Mighty Slayer at L5, Paragon Slayer at L15, Epic Slayer at L25) isn't too shabby, either. One of the better Striker mechanics in the business.</p><p></p><p><strong>L1 - Power Strike </strong>- While it's not exactly the flashiest thing in the world, extra damage is neat to have, and applying it after you score a hit is a nice perk. Its being changed to a No Action attack power also makes it not conflict with any other goodies you may pick up, which is good.</p><p></p><p><strong>L1 - </strong><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Weapon Talent</strong></span> - +1 to hit on all weapon attacks just for being a member of the class is a nice door prize for anybody. </p><p></p><p><strong>L4 - <span style="color: #0000ff">Quick Swap</span></strong> - This feature is pretty darn useful (at the very least, it makes switching from Melee to Ranged a bit less of a hassle), since drawing or stowing once a round without interrupting your normal action is bound be critical to a character at some point.</p><p></p><p><strong>L7 - Weapon Specialization</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Brutal Axe</strong></span><strong> (HotFL)</strong> - The ability to knock prone this regularly (3 or 4 times per encounter, depending on your choice of Paragon Path) can be harnessed for some pretty sweet overall boosts from other pieces of support, as well as some decent off-tanking potential.</p><p></p><p><strong>Rapid Quarterstaff (D 391)</strong> - A bit of splash damage when you use Power Strike with a staff. Not a bad side of minion-munching to go with your main damage dish.</p><p></p><p><strong>Sweeping Sword (HotFL)</strong> - A mass slide 1 on a Power Strike can't be all that bad, even if it is more limited in its use than the alternative.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>L9 - Inexorable Slayer</strong> - A bonus to saving throws can help keep you up and running, despite adverse effects designed to keep you down. This feature gets <span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>better</strong></span> if you invest a bit more on saving throws.</p><p></p><p><strong>L19 - <span style="color: #0000ff">Armored Mobility</span></strong> - A hefty piece of resist all against opportunity attacks will help you get where you need to go, no questions asked.</p><p></p><p><strong>L23 - <span style="color: #00ccff">Relentless Slayer</span></strong> - Immunity to one of the more annoying status effects for you is pretty darn cool.</p><p></p><p><strong>L24 - Unfettered Slayer</strong> - Ignoring the speed penalty on heavy armor is something most of you could likely do already, but it's nice to have for those who don't.</p><p></p><p><strong>L29 - <span style="color: #00ccff">Spirit of War</span></strong> - Oh wow. An extra save at the beginning of your turn just because you can? This is one heck of a capstone feature, especially for a Striker.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Skills: What You Do (Other Than Kill)</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p></p><p>This is an area where you really got the short end of the stick: 3 skills is very much on the low side compared to most other characters (though it is right at what is expected for a Fighter), and the list isn't exactly varied. Still, the ones that are there are useful to you, so it's not a total waste.</p><p></p><p><strong>Class Skills</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Athletics</strong></span> - The majority of Slayers will have Strength as their highest ability score, and this skill is plenty useful for moving around.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Endurance</strong></span> - It's kind of hard to bill yourself as a tough guy if you can't keep yourself from catching filth fever or choking to death in a swamp. Plus, you should be giving a bit of lip service to Constitution anyway.</p><p></p><p><strong>Heal</strong> - Your tertiary stats are very much up in the air, so if you have the Wisdom to make this something other than a waste, you won't be bad off by taking it.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Intimidate</strong></span> - A skill that aligns very well with the Slayer thematically, it also opens up a handful of powers that can be rather useful to you, and that's the reason why it gets the nod over the other two.</p><p></p><p><strong>Streetwise</strong> - If you want to be a tough-talking mercenary type with some less-than-reputable connections, this skill will help you do it. How often that turns out to be useful varies.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Recommended Non-Class Skills</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Acrobatics</strong></span> - Pretty much every Slayer will have the Dexterity for this to be worth using, and this movement-related skill is a good complement to Athletics.</p><p></p><p><strong>Perception</strong> - One of the most useful skills in the game, and it can help turn you into a decent scout when complemented with Stealth.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Stealth</strong></span> - Another useful skill that keys off Dexterity, this can help add scouting to your repertoire.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Thievery</strong></span> - While not exactly a conceptual slam dunk, the fact of the matter is that you can be good at this and it can be useful.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Ability Scores: What it Takes to Kill</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p></p><p>A very interesting feature of the Slayer's dependence on basic attacks is that given the advent of the Melee Training feat, you could potentially key most of your attack rolls off of any of the six ability scores. However, one thing is constant, and that is that <span style="color: #ff9900"><strong>Dexterity</strong></span> must be high for a Slayer (<strong>16-18 before racial adjustments</strong>).</p><p></p><p>Given that the Strength-primary Slayer has access to the most DPR and burst damage buttons and doesn't give up anything to get his Weapon Mastery feats, I consider <span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Strength</strong></span> to be my primary attack stat of choice (<strong>16-18 before racial adjustments</strong>). However, if you find a build that can replicate Strength's damage potential, or at least come close while bringing something else to the table, you could conceivably make the switch.</p><p></p><p>Of course, regardless of the build, you should also pay a bit of lip service to <strong>Constitution</strong>, and to <strong>Wisdom</strong> or <strong>Charisma</strong> (at least a <strong>10-12 before racial adjustments</strong>). <span style="color: #800080"><strong>Intelligence</strong></span> is unlikely to be useful to you, since it's redundant with Dexterity defensively, which in turn reduces the appeal to branch out for it.</p><p></p><p><strong>Races: Born to Kill</strong></p><p></p><p>As noted above, the flexibility implied in the Slayer's composition because of its basic attack-centric nature means that it's pretty hard to find that a race that is actively <span style="color: #ff0000"><strong>bad</strong></span> at it. However, some races are definitely more advantaged than others.</p><p></p><p><strong>Races - Player's Handbook</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Dragonborn</strong></span> - There's some tasty feat support to be had here (namely Draconic Arrogance), and while Dragon Breath doesn't pack the "wow" factor it does for a traditional Fighter, Dragonfear is a perfectly acceptable substitute. A really good race for a Slayer.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Dwarf</strong></span> - Getting the Strength bonus is important for a traditional Slayer, and a Constitution bonus makes getting Plate easier (and second wind as a minor can be good, I've heard). Losing the speed kind of stinks for a Striker that likes to zip to and fro, but the feat support compensates for it just fine. A very good choice.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Eladrin</strong></span> - A Dexterity bonus is solid, and the racial bonus to Will defense can help patch up what is a bit of a weak point for Slayers. The feat support can work well for you, too.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Elf</strong></span> - A Dexterity bonus and higher-than-average move speed are major perks (as is Elven Accuracy), and Wisdom can help supplement the lower Will defense. Pretty similar to Eladrin overall, which is actually a good thing.</p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Half-Elf</strong> - Dilettante opens up some nice possibilities to steal an At-Will from another class, but unfortunately that puts you behind on feats and costs you some ability score power. While certainly not a bad alternative, it's only my choice if I'm going for a more unconventional sort of Slayer.</p><p></p><p><strong>Halfling</strong> - Being Small hurts a lot for the typically two-handed-weapon-wielding Slayer, but you can scrounge up a viable build using Light Blade support and the right Paragon Path. Serviceable.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Human</strong></span> - The ability to take an At-Will from the Fighter's list can lead to some great things on a Slayer (and you won't be bad off if you chose Heroic Effort, either), and a bonus feat can help put a build together that much faster. This is a very nice choice.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Tiefling</strong></span> - Charisma can be useful to patch up your Will defense, but Intelligence is as niche as it gets for a Slayer. While the racial features can be of some use, some of the racial support that made them acceptable as old-school Fighters is nowhere to be found, so it's not the best idea.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Races - Player's Handbook 2</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Deva</strong></span> - Intelligence and Wisdom are frankly marginal ability score bumps, and while the racial goodies are nice, they're not nice enough to justify this choice.</p><p></p><p><strong>Gnome </strong>- Getting Dexterity helps, but being small and slow isn't doing you any favors in this line of work.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Goliath</strong></span> - The bonus to Strength and the propensity for wielding large weapons line right up with what you want to do, plus a racial power to resist all certainly comes in handy.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Half-Orc</strong></span> - Simply put, a front-runner. It's one of the few races with the ideal ability score bonuses, and its proclivities toward charging and piling on extra damage are nothing short of beautiful. A prime pick.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Shifter, Longtooth</strong></span> - A Strength bonus certainly helps the cause, Wisdom can pitch in for a Slayer trying to swipe some Polearm goodies, and regeneration will keep you upright like few things can. A good choice.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Shifter, Razorclaw</strong></span> - Dexterity and Wisdom can see a bit of use on the average Slayer, and a boost to AC and speed once your HP dips below half is nothing to sneeze at, either. Solid enough.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Races - Player's Handbook 3</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Githzerai</strong></span> - A bonus to Dexterity works out solidly, and the feat support lends itself to what you want to do. Not a bad pick at all.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Minotaur</strong></span> - The Strength bonus is there, and either of the secondary ability scores will help you out. The racial power is not all that great, but there's a useful feat or two to be found in the racial support.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Shardmind</strong></span> - The emphasis on mental stats is frankly unnecessary on a Slayer, and the rest of the racial goodies are not oriented toward your sort of character. I wouldn't.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Wilden</strong></span> - A bonus to Dexterity is fairy solid, but the racial powers are the real draw here. Aspect of the Destroyer and the Hunter can do some cool stuff for you.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Races - Other Rulebooks</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong>Bladeling (MOTP)</strong> - The ability bonuses could be worse, but plenty of people have those already, and their racial powers are better.</p><p></p><p><strong>Changeling (EPG)</strong> - A Dexterity bonus is a fairly good start, and the ability to manufacture your own combat advantage is not all that bad.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Drow</span> (EPG)</strong> - It boosts Dexterity, and it has some very nice powers, namely Cloud of Darkness. You could definitely do worse than pick this.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Genasi</span> (MOTP)</strong> - A Strength bump is sweet, though Intelligence doesn't do much for you. The manifestations can do some cool stuff for you, though, especially aggressive ones like Stormsoul. It can be a very good choice.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000">Gold Dwarf</span> (NCS)</strong> - Normal Dwarves get better bonuses.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Hamadryad</span> (HotFw)</strong> - The racial power and a bonuses to saves against daze and dominate keep it from being outright terrible, but that doesn't mean it's very good at it, either.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Kalashtar</span> (EPG)</strong> - The ability score bonuses don't do much for you, and the racial abilities are not much better. Not my thing.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Kobold</span> (DSG)</strong> - Being small hurts, and the racial features do little to compensate. Not my race of choice.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #3366ff">Llewyrr Elf</span> (NCS)</strong> - Can't say the changes as compared to an Eladrin make any difference for you.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #3366ff">Moon Elf</span> (NCS)</strong> - Not much different from a typical Eladrin.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Mul</span> (DSCS)</strong> - Very similar to the Dwarf, and can in fact take feats from the Dwarf's support. Incredible Toughness is one heck of a power, too.</p><p></p><p><strong>Pixie (HotFw)</strong> - Tiny does not exactly work well in tandem with a class that loves Strength and two-handed weapons, though at least you get Dexterity.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Revenant</span> (HoS)</strong> - Bumps to Dexterity and Constitution, and the ability to steal another race's goodies. Can be pretty good at this.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #3366ff">Satyr</span> (HotFw)</strong> - It gets Dexterity, and its racial power virtually guarantees a free charge every encounter. Not as bad as it looks at first glance.</p><p></p><p><strong>Shade (HoS)</strong> - Decent ability scores, and a free skill training (much appreciated on a Slayer), but losing a surge for no good reason doesn't help this race any.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Shield Dwarf</span> (NCS)</strong> - Free shield proficiency is something you don't have, though how often you use it is the quesiton.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Sun Elf</span> (NCS)</strong> - I guess implement proficiency could be nice, though it probably require some fairly wacky tricks in order to work.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Svirfneblin</span> (DSG)</strong> - Being small and slow hurts, but the Strength bump salvages this race as a choice in a big way. You could do worse.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Thri-Kreen</span> (DSCS)</strong> - Another race with the perfect ability score bonuses, it also has some quick-swapping goodies and a minor action racial power, which is pretty darn good.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Vryloka</span> (HoS)</strong> - The dip in surge value while bloodied is annoying, but nearly everything else about the race is beautiful on a Slayer. A good pick.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Warforged</span> (EPG)</strong> - Strong and tough, and some racial powers for still more survivability. A very good pick for this sort of thing, especially consdering the native charge love it gets.</p><p></p><p><strong>Wild Elf (NCS)</strong> - I'm all for shift + charging, but there's no denying that power isn't quite as good as a re-roll. Not a terrible choice, but not quite as good as its parent race.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000">Wood Elf</span> (NCS)</strong> - Perception for initiative isn't a clear-cut benefit in your case, which makes this just a watered-down version of the normal Elf. I wouldn't.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Races - Dragon Magazine</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Gnoll</span> (D 367)</strong> - Bonuses to Dexterity and Constitution are solid enough, and the charging focus is preaching to the choir. A pretty good choice.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Hengeyokai</span> (D 404)</strong> - It gets Dexterity, a bonus to saves that hinder your movement, and the animal transformations might prove to be useful in niche situations. Pretty nice.</p><p></p><p><strong>Shadar-Kai (D 372)</strong> - Dexterity is cool, Intelligence is marginal, and the teleport can help out a bit. Solid enough.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Races - Monster Manuals</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Bugbear</span> (MM)</strong> - Both the racial bonuses you want, AND Oversized?! Amazing if you can get away with it.</p><p></p><p><strong>Bullywug (MM 2)</strong> - The ability bonuses are just OK, and the features are marginal. Rather average.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Doppelganger</span> (MM)</strong> - Yet another race that pushes being actively bad for you.</p><p></p><p><strong>Duergar (MM 2)</strong> - The ability scores are solid, but unexceptional, and you don't have the true Dwarf support to make up for it.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Githyanki</span> (MM)</strong> - Not the ability scores I'd want, and though an initiative bump and the power are nothing to cry about, I wouldn't throw a parade for them either.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Goblin</span> (MM)</strong> - The bonuses to Dexterity and Charisma make it average, but the inability to wield Large weapons is certainly a point against it, especially without the racial support to compensate.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Hobgoblin</span> (MM)</strong> - Bonuses to Constitution and Charisma aren't exactly the most widely applicable things out there, and while the racial power is nice it's not a world-beater either. I wouldn't.</p><p></p><p><strong>Kenku (MM 2)</strong> - Dexterity and Charisma are OK, and an extra bonus to hit while flanking makes it fairly respectable overall.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Orc</span> (MM)</strong> - Strength, Constitution, and self-healing at least count for something.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>Backgrounds and Themes: Impetus for the Kill</p><p></p><p>In this section, I'll be discussing which backgrounds and themes would benefit a Ranger the most. Since there is a wide selection of them, I'll be sticking to the ones which are <strong>Black</strong> or better.<span style="color: #00ccff"></span></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"></span></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"></span><strong>Recommended Backgrounds</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong>Akanul (FRPG)</strong> - A minor resistance to common types of elemental damage is actually a fairly nice pick.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Auspicious Birth/Born Under a Bad Sign</span></strong><strong> (D 366)</strong> - The vast majority of Slayers won't be investing heavily in Constitution, so getting HP for what amounts to no investment is a pretty good deal if you ask me.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Chessenta</span> (FRPG)</strong> - A minor benefit when you AP. Since it applies to both attack and damage rolls, you can potentially get some mileage out of it.</p><p></p><p><strong>Detective/Missing Master (D 366)</strong> - The important part here is that it opens access to taking Insight as a class skill, which in turn allows for some nice Skill powers to be taken.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p><strong>Recommended Themes</strong></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Bloodsworn</span> (DSG)</strong> - A bit conditional, but an Encounter re-roll is pretty good stuff.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Elemental Initiate</span> (HotEC)</strong> - You get a counter-swing against an enemy who misses you, and a couple of nice peripheral benefits, including access to a ki focus and a Will bump. Nice to have.</p><p></p><p><strong>Fey Beast Tamer (HotFw)</strong> - If you're really into having a companion, this is a better way to do it than having the Beastmaster path.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Guardian</span> (D 399)</strong> - A great counter move that can help expand your general utility as well as help pile on a bit more damage.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Infernal Prince</span> (D 406)</strong> - If you see yourself doing a lot of fire attacks, this theme will serve you very well, provided it's legal where you play.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Ironwrought</span> (HotEC)</strong> - It offers extra damage and another chance to crit, and it can even buff your attack sequence at higher levels, with no prep time of any kind. I'm on board with that.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Noble Adept</span> (DSCS)</strong> - Adding a bonus to an attack after the roll can help keep an attack chain going.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Sarifal Feywarden</span> (D 405)</strong> - A one-shot dose of vulnerability can turn out to be quite the effective damage boost, though you need to have elemental damage to make it work.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #00ccff">Sohei</span> (D 404)</strong> - It gives you an attack you can use as a minor action. Nothing more need be said.</p><p></p><p><strong>Tuathan (HotFw)</strong> - While its shapechanging abilities may or may not be useful, there's no denying that a couple of its power-swaps are.</p><p></p><p><strong>Underdark Outcast (DSG)</strong> - Conditional effects, but they can be of some use.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Yakuza</span> (D 404)</strong> - Not much aligns with you as far as the features go, but the power-swaps are simply too good to be ignored.</p><p>[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LightWarden, post: 6998611, member: 6803540"] Kill 'Em All: A Slayer's Guide [IMG]http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/329/e/7/the_wild_hunt_by_genzoman-d33kxt7.jpg[/IMG] [I]To the last: kill them all.[/I] -Space Marine Chaplain, [I]Dawn of War[/I] So I hear you greenhorns have come to me because you want to learn how to kill. I'll tell you right now, though: killing's not easy, and it's not pretty, either. There's a reason the people who are good at it get all the glory: you won't find many creatures that will just stand there and let you kill 'em, you've gotta earn it! And that means I'll be toughening your raw hides up until you can face creatures everyone else fears and put their heads on your trophy case! Are you in, or out? Thought so. Now listen here... [CENTER][SIZE=4][B][B]Selling Points: Why You Would Want To Play A Slayer[/B][/B][/SIZE][/CENTER] There are many different sorts of Strikers out there, so the Slayer has to bring something new and interesting to the table in order to stand out and carve out a niche. Here are some things I consider that are perks to life as a Slayer: [B]Slayers are tough [/B]- Most Strikers can bring the pain, but not all are equipped to handle pain coming in their direction all that well. The Slayer is not one of those Strikers. Strong armor proficiencies combined with Defender hit points combine to make bringing you down quite a bit of work. If you like being able to take it as well as dish it out, give the Slayer a look. [B]Slayers are reliable [/B]- Slayers can be accurate pretty much out of the box, and have some neat ways to buff themselves, as well as a host of Utility powers and class features to keep them in fights they probably were supposed to be out of. If you like being mentioned in the same breath as death and taxes, you'll be well served here. [B]Slayers hit hard at a moment's notice[/B] - Don't the let their seemingly simpler class design fool you - Slayers have some tricks up their sleeves, and one of them is bringing the pain to the enemy hard and fast. If you like laying down the lumber before your opponent even realizes that he's in a fight, the Slayer has something for you. [SIZE=4][B][B]This Handbook will use the following system for ratings: [/B][/B][/SIZE] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Red[/B][/COLOR] - Garbage, or completely overshadowed by another option. [COLOR=#800080][B]Purple[/B][/COLOR] - Situationally useful, but overall pretty meh. [B]Black[/B] - OK. You could do worse than pick this. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Blue[/B][/COLOR] - Good stuff. You probably want this. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Sky Blue[/B][/COLOR] - You want this. Period. [COLOR=#ff9900][B]Gold[/B][/COLOR] - Why haven't you taken this yet? A defining choice for a build, or even the whole class. [SIZE=4][B][B]This Handbook covers the following sources:[/B][/B][/SIZE] AP - Arcane Power AV - Adventurer's Vault AV 2 - Adventurer's Vault 2 [B]BoVD[/B] - Book of Vile Darkness D XXX - Dragon Magazine, issue XXX DMA 2009 - Dragon Magazine Annual 2009 [B][B]DN[/B][/B] [B]XXX[/B] - Dungeon Magazine, issue XXX [B]DP[/B] - Divine Power[B]DSCS[/B] - Dark Sun Campaign Setting [B]DSG[/B] - Dungeon Survival Guide [B]EPG[/B] - Eberron Player's Guide FRPG - Forgotten Realms Player's Guide [B]HoS[/B] - Heroes of Shadow[B] [B]HotEC[/B][/B] - Heroes of the Elemental Chaos[B] HotFK[/B] - Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms HotFL - Heroes of the Fallen Lands [B]HotFw[/B] - Heroes of the Feywild MM - Monster Manual MM 2 - Monster Manual 2 [B]MME[/B] - Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium MOTP - Manual of the Planes MP - Martial Power MP 2 - Martial Power 2 [B]NCS[/B] - Neverwinter Campaign Setting PHB - Player's Handbook PHB 2 - Player's Handbook 2 PHB 3 - Player's Handbook 3 [B]PHR: DB[/B] - Player's Handbook Races: Dragonborn [B]PHR: TF[/B] - Player's Handbook Races: TieflingsPHH 1 - Player's Handbook Heroes: Series 1 PHH 2 - Player's Handbook Heroes: Series 2 PrP - Primal Power [B]PsP[/B] - Psionic Power SAC - Seekers of the Ashen Crown Adventure Module [B]Glossary[/B] [sblock] [B]AP[/B] - Action point. [B]BBEG[/B] - Big bad evil guy. [B]Burst/Nova/Spike Damage[/B] - Generally understood to mean the highest amount of damage a character can inflict in the space of a single round. Usually, calculations for this allow 1 round of setup before the actual damage. [B]CA[/B] - Combat advantage. [B]DPR[/B] - Damage per round, which is generally meant to mean the character's expected damage value using At-Will powers against a standard enemy of the same level (eloquently described by Adslahnit as the Official CharOp Inanimate Block of TofuTM). [B]E-class[/B] - Refers to the class design for Martial characters introduced in the Essentials product line, which usually focuses on basic attacks and has limited options for Encounter or Daily resources. [B]ED[/B] - Epic destiny. [B]HP[/B] - Hit points. [B]LX[/B] - Level X. [B]MAD[/B] - Multiple attribute dependency, which is defined as needing 3 or more ability scores for a given build. [B]MBA[/B] - Melee basic attack. [B]MC[/B] - Multiclass or multiclassing. [B]NAD[/B] - Non-AC defense. [B]OA[/B] - Opportunity attack. [B]PP[/B] - Paragon path. [B]RBA[/B] - Ranged basic attack. [B]SAD[/B] - Single attribute dependency, which is defined as a build that really only needs 1 ability score. [B]THP[/B] - Temporary hit points. [/sblock] [B]References[/B] [sblock] [I]The Fighter's Handbook[/I](x), by me: [I]Spiked Chain Slayer[/I](x), by d20danko: [I]The Human Slayer (Makes it Rain)[/I](x), by undeadpool: [/sblock] [SIZE=4][B][B]Props to:[/B][/B][/SIZE] Everyone posting, and, of course... [IMG]http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg81/REHCTELF/Slayer_logo.jpg[/IMG] [B]Power Source and Role: Why You're Expected to Kill[/B] A Slayer is unique among the builds of Fighter in that its role is that of a [B]Martial Striker[/B], not a [B]Martial Defender[/B]. This means that, as the build name implies, your job is to bring monsters down. This is something that you're well suited to, thanks to some pretty neat features for extra damage and the ability to grab some of the Fighter's excellent damage support. Here's how the Slayer measures up on the parameters expected of a Striker: [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Burst/Spike/Nova Damage[/B][/COLOR] - Also known as the most damage you can come up with on short notice, this is a particular point of pride for Slayers, due to being able to load up a lot of damage dice on charges, as well as pick up a variety of multiple-attack Encounter powers from the Fighter class. Depending on the build, however, you can go from being [B]rather uninspiring[/B] all the way to being [COLOR=#00ccff][B]just plain awesome[/B][/COLOR] at this. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Damage Per Round (DPR)[/B][/COLOR] - Commonly known as the round-by-round expected damage you can put out, and needless to say you're pretty good at it, since a lot of your class features and the like are geared toward making this better, by giving you a combination of accurate and damaging attacks. [COLOR=#800080][B]Debilitating Effects[/B][/COLOR] - While you might not be able to slap on a variety of different status effects, the fact that (if you choose the proper weapon) all of your Encounter powers will have the effect will save you from rock bottom. That said, you're still not very good at this, unless you go out of your way to pick up powers from your parent class that impose effects, in which case [B]you'll be a bit better[/B]. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Survivability[/B][/COLOR] - Not only do you have access to most heavy armor, Defender-level hit points, and a ton of base surges, but you also have a Utility power list that is stellar at keeping you up and running. Toss in some useful class features toward this end and you'll find that a Slayer is extremely hard to drop. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Targeting Capacity[/B][/COLOR] - A propensity for charging right into combat combined with a built-in damage bonus to all of your powers, and even the occasional feature for mitigating the consequences of zipping about the battlefield combine to show that a Slayer will rarely find reaching and taking out his chosen target to be a hassle. [B]Secondary Role Effectiveness[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Controller[/B][/COLOR] - Hahahaha... No. You have few ways to impose effects on and otherwise mess with your enemies, and you can forget about multi-targeting right now. Not your secondary of choice at all. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Defender[/B][/COLOR] - Given what your base class is, is it really any surprise at all you can do this well? Grab some marking powers if you should ever need additional disuassion from enemies attacking your squishier party-mates. [COLOR=#ff0000][B]Leader[/B][/COLOR] - Yet another role you're probably not going to be filling very well. You mostly are the beneficiary of setup and support, not the provider. [/sblock] [B]Baseline Mechanics: How You Kill[/B] Your class design is distinctive to the other Martial classes in the Essentials product line in that you don't have all that many powers, but you do get a bunch of different class features. As such, your identity is pretty well-defined as a tough and reliable Striker. As far as the features themselves, you'll find there's a pretty nice bag of features to be had here, starting off with your above-average HP and surges all the way up to the L29 feature. [B]Game Mechanics[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Hit Points[/B][/COLOR] - 15 + Con score at level 1, and 6 at each level thereafter. You get some good HP, especially considering that you're a Striker by trade. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Healing Surges[/B][/COLOR] - 9 + Con modifier. Standard fare for Defenders, which means it's well above what a Striker normally expects to have. Double-digit surges even in the early part of your career is trivially easy to achieve for a Slayer. [B]Defenses[/B] - You only get a bonus to Fortitude, but at least it's a +2 bonus. [B]Proficiencies[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Armor[/B][/COLOR] - Scale armor is real nice to have right out of the gate, though you don't get access to Shields (not that you'll want or need them). [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Weapons[/B][/COLOR] - Military melee + military ranged is about as good as it's going to get on default proficiencies. [/sblock] [/sblock] [B]Class Features[/B] [sblock] [B]L1 - [/B][COLOR=#00ccff][B]Heroic Slayer[/B][/COLOR] - Adding your Dexterity modifier to damage on all weapon attacks just because you can is pretty awesome. The fact that the damage gets bigger over time (Mighty Slayer at L5, Paragon Slayer at L15, Epic Slayer at L25) isn't too shabby, either. One of the better Striker mechanics in the business. [B]L1 - Power Strike [/B]- While it's not exactly the flashiest thing in the world, extra damage is neat to have, and applying it after you score a hit is a nice perk. Its being changed to a No Action attack power also makes it not conflict with any other goodies you may pick up, which is good. [B]L1 - [/B][COLOR=#0000ff][B]Weapon Talent[/B][/COLOR] - +1 to hit on all weapon attacks just for being a member of the class is a nice door prize for anybody. [B]L4 - [COLOR=#0000ff]Quick Swap[/COLOR][/B] - This feature is pretty darn useful (at the very least, it makes switching from Melee to Ranged a bit less of a hassle), since drawing or stowing once a round without interrupting your normal action is bound be critical to a character at some point. [B]L7 - Weapon Specialization[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Brutal Axe[/B][/COLOR][B] (HotFL)[/B] - The ability to knock prone this regularly (3 or 4 times per encounter, depending on your choice of Paragon Path) can be harnessed for some pretty sweet overall boosts from other pieces of support, as well as some decent off-tanking potential. [B]Rapid Quarterstaff (D 391)[/B] - A bit of splash damage when you use Power Strike with a staff. Not a bad side of minion-munching to go with your main damage dish. [B]Sweeping Sword (HotFL)[/B] - A mass slide 1 on a Power Strike can't be all that bad, even if it is more limited in its use than the alternative. [/sblock] [B]L9 - Inexorable Slayer[/B] - A bonus to saving throws can help keep you up and running, despite adverse effects designed to keep you down. This feature gets [COLOR=#0000ff][B]better[/B][/COLOR] if you invest a bit more on saving throws. [B]L19 - [COLOR=#0000ff]Armored Mobility[/COLOR][/B] - A hefty piece of resist all against opportunity attacks will help you get where you need to go, no questions asked. [B]L23 - [COLOR=#00ccff]Relentless Slayer[/COLOR][/B] - Immunity to one of the more annoying status effects for you is pretty darn cool. [B]L24 - Unfettered Slayer[/B] - Ignoring the speed penalty on heavy armor is something most of you could likely do already, but it's nice to have for those who don't. [B]L29 - [COLOR=#00ccff]Spirit of War[/COLOR][/B] - Oh wow. An extra save at the beginning of your turn just because you can? This is one heck of a capstone feature, especially for a Striker. [/sblock] [B]Skills: What You Do (Other Than Kill) [/B] This is an area where you really got the short end of the stick: 3 skills is very much on the low side compared to most other characters (though it is right at what is expected for a Fighter), and the list isn't exactly varied. Still, the ones that are there are useful to you, so it's not a total waste. [B]Class Skills[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Athletics[/B][/COLOR] - The majority of Slayers will have Strength as their highest ability score, and this skill is plenty useful for moving around. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Endurance[/B][/COLOR] - It's kind of hard to bill yourself as a tough guy if you can't keep yourself from catching filth fever or choking to death in a swamp. Plus, you should be giving a bit of lip service to Constitution anyway. [B]Heal[/B] - Your tertiary stats are very much up in the air, so if you have the Wisdom to make this something other than a waste, you won't be bad off by taking it. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Intimidate[/B][/COLOR] - A skill that aligns very well with the Slayer thematically, it also opens up a handful of powers that can be rather useful to you, and that's the reason why it gets the nod over the other two. [B]Streetwise[/B] - If you want to be a tough-talking mercenary type with some less-than-reputable connections, this skill will help you do it. How often that turns out to be useful varies. [/sblock] [B]Recommended Non-Class Skills[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Acrobatics[/B][/COLOR] - Pretty much every Slayer will have the Dexterity for this to be worth using, and this movement-related skill is a good complement to Athletics. [B]Perception[/B] - One of the most useful skills in the game, and it can help turn you into a decent scout when complemented with Stealth. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Stealth[/B][/COLOR] - Another useful skill that keys off Dexterity, this can help add scouting to your repertoire. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Thievery[/B][/COLOR] - While not exactly a conceptual slam dunk, the fact of the matter is that you can be good at this and it can be useful. [/sblock] [B]Ability Scores: What it Takes to Kill [/B] A very interesting feature of the Slayer's dependence on basic attacks is that given the advent of the Melee Training feat, you could potentially key most of your attack rolls off of any of the six ability scores. However, one thing is constant, and that is that [COLOR=#ff9900][B]Dexterity[/B][/COLOR] must be high for a Slayer ([B]16-18 before racial adjustments[/B]). Given that the Strength-primary Slayer has access to the most DPR and burst damage buttons and doesn't give up anything to get his Weapon Mastery feats, I consider [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Strength[/B][/COLOR] to be my primary attack stat of choice ([B]16-18 before racial adjustments[/B]). However, if you find a build that can replicate Strength's damage potential, or at least come close while bringing something else to the table, you could conceivably make the switch. Of course, regardless of the build, you should also pay a bit of lip service to [B]Constitution[/B], and to [B]Wisdom[/B] or [B]Charisma[/B] (at least a [B]10-12 before racial adjustments[/B]). [COLOR=#800080][B]Intelligence[/B][/COLOR] is unlikely to be useful to you, since it's redundant with Dexterity defensively, which in turn reduces the appeal to branch out for it. [B]Races: Born to Kill[/B] As noted above, the flexibility implied in the Slayer's composition because of its basic attack-centric nature means that it's pretty hard to find that a race that is actively [COLOR=#ff0000][B]bad[/B][/COLOR] at it. However, some races are definitely more advantaged than others. [B]Races - Player's Handbook[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Dragonborn[/B][/COLOR] - There's some tasty feat support to be had here (namely Draconic Arrogance), and while Dragon Breath doesn't pack the "wow" factor it does for a traditional Fighter, Dragonfear is a perfectly acceptable substitute. A really good race for a Slayer. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Dwarf[/B][/COLOR] - Getting the Strength bonus is important for a traditional Slayer, and a Constitution bonus makes getting Plate easier (and second wind as a minor can be good, I've heard). Losing the speed kind of stinks for a Striker that likes to zip to and fro, but the feat support compensates for it just fine. A very good choice. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Eladrin[/B][/COLOR] - A Dexterity bonus is solid, and the racial bonus to Will defense can help patch up what is a bit of a weak point for Slayers. The feat support can work well for you, too. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Elf[/B][/COLOR] - A Dexterity bonus and higher-than-average move speed are major perks (as is Elven Accuracy), and Wisdom can help supplement the lower Will defense. Pretty similar to Eladrin overall, which is actually a good thing. [B] Half-Elf[/B] - Dilettante opens up some nice possibilities to steal an At-Will from another class, but unfortunately that puts you behind on feats and costs you some ability score power. While certainly not a bad alternative, it's only my choice if I'm going for a more unconventional sort of Slayer. [B]Halfling[/B] - Being Small hurts a lot for the typically two-handed-weapon-wielding Slayer, but you can scrounge up a viable build using Light Blade support and the right Paragon Path. Serviceable. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Human[/B][/COLOR] - The ability to take an At-Will from the Fighter's list can lead to some great things on a Slayer (and you won't be bad off if you chose Heroic Effort, either), and a bonus feat can help put a build together that much faster. This is a very nice choice. [COLOR=#800080][B]Tiefling[/B][/COLOR] - Charisma can be useful to patch up your Will defense, but Intelligence is as niche as it gets for a Slayer. While the racial features can be of some use, some of the racial support that made them acceptable as old-school Fighters is nowhere to be found, so it's not the best idea. [/sblock] [B]Races - Player's Handbook 2[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#800080][B]Deva[/B][/COLOR] - Intelligence and Wisdom are frankly marginal ability score bumps, and while the racial goodies are nice, they're not nice enough to justify this choice. [B]Gnome [/B]- Getting Dexterity helps, but being small and slow isn't doing you any favors in this line of work. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Goliath[/B][/COLOR] - The bonus to Strength and the propensity for wielding large weapons line right up with what you want to do, plus a racial power to resist all certainly comes in handy. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Half-Orc[/B][/COLOR] - Simply put, a front-runner. It's one of the few races with the ideal ability score bonuses, and its proclivities toward charging and piling on extra damage are nothing short of beautiful. A prime pick. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Shifter, Longtooth[/B][/COLOR] - A Strength bonus certainly helps the cause, Wisdom can pitch in for a Slayer trying to swipe some Polearm goodies, and regeneration will keep you upright like few things can. A good choice. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Shifter, Razorclaw[/B][/COLOR] - Dexterity and Wisdom can see a bit of use on the average Slayer, and a boost to AC and speed once your HP dips below half is nothing to sneeze at, either. Solid enough. [/sblock] [B]Races - Player's Handbook 3[/B] [sblock] [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Githzerai[/B][/COLOR] - A bonus to Dexterity works out solidly, and the feat support lends itself to what you want to do. Not a bad pick at all. [COLOR=#00ccff][B]Minotaur[/B][/COLOR] - The Strength bonus is there, and either of the secondary ability scores will help you out. The racial power is not all that great, but there's a useful feat or two to be found in the racial support. [COLOR=#800080][B]Shardmind[/B][/COLOR] - The emphasis on mental stats is frankly unnecessary on a Slayer, and the rest of the racial goodies are not oriented toward your sort of character. I wouldn't. [COLOR=#0000ff][B]Wilden[/B][/COLOR] - A bonus to Dexterity is fairy solid, but the racial powers are the real draw here. Aspect of the Destroyer and the Hunter can do some cool stuff for you. [/sblock] [B]Races - Other Rulebooks[/B] [sblock] [B]Bladeling (MOTP)[/B] - The ability bonuses could be worse, but plenty of people have those already, and their racial powers are better. [B]Changeling (EPG)[/B] - A Dexterity bonus is a fairly good start, and the ability to manufacture your own combat advantage is not all that bad. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Drow[/COLOR] (EPG)[/B] - It boosts Dexterity, and it has some very nice powers, namely Cloud of Darkness. You could definitely do worse than pick this. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Genasi[/COLOR] (MOTP)[/B] - A Strength bump is sweet, though Intelligence doesn't do much for you. The manifestations can do some cool stuff for you, though, especially aggressive ones like Stormsoul. It can be a very good choice. [B][COLOR=#ff0000]Gold Dwarf[/COLOR] (NCS)[/B] - Normal Dwarves get better bonuses. [B][COLOR=#800080]Hamadryad[/COLOR] (HotFw)[/B] - The racial power and a bonuses to saves against daze and dominate keep it from being outright terrible, but that doesn't mean it's very good at it, either. [B][COLOR=#800080]Kalashtar[/COLOR] (EPG)[/B] - The ability score bonuses don't do much for you, and the racial abilities are not much better. Not my thing. [B][COLOR=#800080]Kobold[/COLOR] (DSG)[/B] - Being small hurts, and the racial features do little to compensate. Not my race of choice. [B][COLOR=#3366ff]Llewyrr Elf[/COLOR] (NCS)[/B] - Can't say the changes as compared to an Eladrin make any difference for you. [B][COLOR=#3366ff]Moon Elf[/COLOR] (NCS)[/B] - Not much different from a typical Eladrin. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Mul[/COLOR] (DSCS)[/B] - Very similar to the Dwarf, and can in fact take feats from the Dwarf's support. Incredible Toughness is one heck of a power, too. [B]Pixie (HotFw)[/B] - Tiny does not exactly work well in tandem with a class that loves Strength and two-handed weapons, though at least you get Dexterity. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Revenant[/COLOR] (HoS)[/B] - Bumps to Dexterity and Constitution, and the ability to steal another race's goodies. Can be pretty good at this. [B][COLOR=#3366ff]Satyr[/COLOR] (HotFw)[/B] - It gets Dexterity, and its racial power virtually guarantees a free charge every encounter. Not as bad as it looks at first glance. [B]Shade (HoS)[/B] - Decent ability scores, and a free skill training (much appreciated on a Slayer), but losing a surge for no good reason doesn't help this race any. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Shield Dwarf[/COLOR] (NCS)[/B] - Free shield proficiency is something you don't have, though how often you use it is the quesiton. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Sun Elf[/COLOR] (NCS)[/B] - I guess implement proficiency could be nice, though it probably require some fairly wacky tricks in order to work. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Svirfneblin[/COLOR] (DSG)[/B] - Being small and slow hurts, but the Strength bump salvages this race as a choice in a big way. You could do worse. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Thri-Kreen[/COLOR] (DSCS)[/B] - Another race with the perfect ability score bonuses, it also has some quick-swapping goodies and a minor action racial power, which is pretty darn good. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Vryloka[/COLOR] (HoS)[/B] - The dip in surge value while bloodied is annoying, but nearly everything else about the race is beautiful on a Slayer. A good pick. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Warforged[/COLOR] (EPG)[/B] - Strong and tough, and some racial powers for still more survivability. A very good pick for this sort of thing, especially consdering the native charge love it gets. [B]Wild Elf (NCS)[/B] - I'm all for shift + charging, but there's no denying that power isn't quite as good as a re-roll. Not a terrible choice, but not quite as good as its parent race. [B][COLOR=#ff0000]Wood Elf[/COLOR] (NCS)[/B] - Perception for initiative isn't a clear-cut benefit in your case, which makes this just a watered-down version of the normal Elf. I wouldn't. [/sblock] [B]Races - Dragon Magazine[/B] [sblock] [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Gnoll[/COLOR] (D 367)[/B] - Bonuses to Dexterity and Constitution are solid enough, and the charging focus is preaching to the choir. A pretty good choice. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Hengeyokai[/COLOR] (D 404)[/B] - It gets Dexterity, a bonus to saves that hinder your movement, and the animal transformations might prove to be useful in niche situations. Pretty nice. [B]Shadar-Kai (D 372)[/B] - Dexterity is cool, Intelligence is marginal, and the teleport can help out a bit. Solid enough. [/sblock] [B]Races - Monster Manuals[/B] [sblock] [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Bugbear[/COLOR] (MM)[/B] - Both the racial bonuses you want, AND Oversized?! Amazing if you can get away with it. [B]Bullywug (MM 2)[/B] - The ability bonuses are just OK, and the features are marginal. Rather average. [B][COLOR=#800080]Doppelganger[/COLOR] (MM)[/B] - Yet another race that pushes being actively bad for you. [B]Duergar (MM 2)[/B] - The ability scores are solid, but unexceptional, and you don't have the true Dwarf support to make up for it. [B][COLOR=#800080]Githyanki[/COLOR] (MM)[/B] - Not the ability scores I'd want, and though an initiative bump and the power are nothing to cry about, I wouldn't throw a parade for them either. [B][COLOR=#800080]Goblin[/COLOR] (MM)[/B] - The bonuses to Dexterity and Charisma make it average, but the inability to wield Large weapons is certainly a point against it, especially without the racial support to compensate. [B][COLOR=#800080]Hobgoblin[/COLOR] (MM)[/B] - Bonuses to Constitution and Charisma aren't exactly the most widely applicable things out there, and while the racial power is nice it's not a world-beater either. I wouldn't. [B]Kenku (MM 2)[/B] - Dexterity and Charisma are OK, and an extra bonus to hit while flanking makes it fairly respectable overall. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Orc[/COLOR] (MM)[/B] - Strength, Constitution, and self-healing at least count for something. [/sblock] Backgrounds and Themes: Impetus for the Kill In this section, I'll be discussing which backgrounds and themes would benefit a Ranger the most. Since there is a wide selection of them, I'll be sticking to the ones which are [B]Black[/B] or better.[COLOR=#00ccff] [/COLOR][B]Recommended Backgrounds[/B] [sblock] [B]Akanul (FRPG)[/B] - A minor resistance to common types of elemental damage is actually a fairly nice pick. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Auspicious Birth/Born Under a Bad Sign[/COLOR][/B][B] (D 366)[/B] - The vast majority of Slayers won't be investing heavily in Constitution, so getting HP for what amounts to no investment is a pretty good deal if you ask me. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Chessenta[/COLOR] (FRPG)[/B] - A minor benefit when you AP. Since it applies to both attack and damage rolls, you can potentially get some mileage out of it. [B]Detective/Missing Master (D 366)[/B] - The important part here is that it opens access to taking Insight as a class skill, which in turn allows for some nice Skill powers to be taken. [/sblock] [B]Recommended Themes[/B] [sblock] [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Bloodsworn[/COLOR] (DSG)[/B] - A bit conditional, but an Encounter re-roll is pretty good stuff. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Elemental Initiate[/COLOR] (HotEC)[/B] - You get a counter-swing against an enemy who misses you, and a couple of nice peripheral benefits, including access to a ki focus and a Will bump. Nice to have. [B]Fey Beast Tamer (HotFw)[/B] - If you're really into having a companion, this is a better way to do it than having the Beastmaster path. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Guardian[/COLOR] (D 399)[/B] - A great counter move that can help expand your general utility as well as help pile on a bit more damage. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Infernal Prince[/COLOR] (D 406)[/B] - If you see yourself doing a lot of fire attacks, this theme will serve you very well, provided it's legal where you play. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Ironwrought[/COLOR] (HotEC)[/B] - It offers extra damage and another chance to crit, and it can even buff your attack sequence at higher levels, with no prep time of any kind. I'm on board with that. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Noble Adept[/COLOR] (DSCS)[/B] - Adding a bonus to an attack after the roll can help keep an attack chain going. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Sarifal Feywarden[/COLOR] (D 405)[/B] - A one-shot dose of vulnerability can turn out to be quite the effective damage boost, though you need to have elemental damage to make it work. [B][COLOR=#00ccff]Sohei[/COLOR] (D 404)[/B] - It gives you an attack you can use as a minor action. Nothing more need be said. [B]Tuathan (HotFw)[/B] - While its shapechanging abilities may or may not be useful, there's no denying that a couple of its power-swaps are. [B]Underdark Outcast (DSG)[/B] - Conditional effects, but they can be of some use. [B][COLOR=#0000ff]Yakuza[/COLOR] (D 404)[/B] - Not much aligns with you as far as the features go, but the power-swaps are simply too good to be ignored. [/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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Kill 'Em All: A Slayer's Guide (by lordduskblade)
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