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Message: <blockquote data-quote="iskurthi" data-source="post: 4029101" data-attributes="member: 59736">The stat blocks! They burn!---------------------Commander   CR10Human Marshall2/Fighter4/Tactical Soldier4Languages: Common, OrcishInit +4BAB +9HP 2d8+4d10+4d10+20 (81)AC 22Att +14/+9 +1 glaive 1d10+5Fort +12 (+13)Ref  +4 (+5)Will +8 (+9)28 point buySTR 14   (16)DEX 13+1 (14)CON 14INT 12WIS 10CHA 13+1 (14)Skills: Listen 5, Diplomacy 5(10), Spot 5, Sense Motive 12, Intimidate 5(8), Survival 5, Knowledge (Geography) 5(8), Balance 5(9)Feats: Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Power Attack, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, WF: Glaive, Hold The Line, Vexing Flanker (PHB2), Endurance, Steadfast Determination (PHB2), Strong Will, SidestepAbilities: Minor Aura Motivate Dexterity, Major Aura Resilient Troops, Flanker, Interpose, Defensive ShieldEquipment: +2 full plate of Command, +1 amulet of natural armor, +1 glaive, Sending Stones (MIC), gauntlets of ogre power------------------I know the challenge wasn't to ME, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I took about 15 minutes to think about what might work well and find where my books were, 15 minutes to actually crunch numbers (mind you, I used NONE of the many electronic tools which would have sped this up), and then about 10 or so looking through the Magic Item Compendium for the Sending Stones (sending 1/day) to fill in the last part of the puzzle. The commander is, for a fighter type, a surprisingly diplomatic (in both the normal and orcish senses) and perceptive leader, capable of inspiring trust in his followers - for good reason, as everyone within hearing range gets +2 on initiative and +2 on saves (from his aura and the Commander enchantment on his armor). He has a surprisingly strong will for a fighter, thanks to two feats (Strong Will and Steadfast Determination, which add +2 to his will and let him use con instead of wisdom - thus if he gets bears endurance cast on him his will AND fort increase). He also has Endurance (the Steadfast prereq), which doesn't do him much good in combat but how are you going to lead orcs if you can't demonstrate stamina?Tactically he is not about dealing damage directly, but the flanking abilities of Tactical Soldier and Hold The Line paired with a reach weapon make him reasonably effective at battlefield control. If the casters stick close behind him, he can try and use Interpose to take hits that would normally affect them. He is not beefy enough to stand up to a hard pounding alone, but buffs are what his backup are for...A good synergy of staff would be a Wiz5/Warweaver5 for his mage (the ability to put Anticipate Teleport on each of them with one casting lets you cover the entire base within Anticipate Teleport, and Quiescent Weaving lets them pop a nasty surprise on anyone trying to use SBT) (plus if you're going for an enchanter type or a "power behind the leader" how can you resist having someone whose casting metaphor is literally pulling people's strings), and a Clr5/Rog3 (buffs and flanking synergy, esp. with elusive target) and a Warmage 8 (blasty blasty). This would be a (8+8=10, 10+10+10=13) CR 13 encounter, with a possible +1 CR modification if your players aren't using anything broken.I wanted to give him a Mindvault or something else specifically against mental domination, but with NPC gold there's just no way to pull that off without gimping him in other areas. I had to settle for making his will save as high as I could manage. Having a will almost as high as your level isn't bad for a fighter!I've now managed to take twice as much time writing about the NPC than it took to actually stat him up.</blockquote>

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