Dervish (complete warrior) with a scythe. Suggestions?

[RangerWickett]

Note: I've edited this post a bit in light of comments folks have made.


I'm thinking of possible front-line fighters for my party. We're 9th level, Forgotten Realms, with no Eberron stuff or psionics available. 28-pt. buy. Right now I'm thinking of making a barbarian/fighter/dervish who fights with a scythe. If there was a slashing version of the spiked chain (like a bladed chain), I would use that, and I just might consider wielding a glaive to get reach, though I want to be able to fight people who get close. But I'm drawn to the scythe, because the idea of a raging, dancing dervish reaping his way through a line of enemies is almost too cool.



Dervish (Complete Warrior), if I recall correctly, requires:

Base attack +5
Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Focus (slashing weapon)
Perform (dance) 3 ranks, and Tumble 3 ranks

So what I'm thinking now is human barbarian (whirling frenzy variant from UA) 1/fighter 4/dervish 4.

Str 18
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 8
Cha 8
HP 78 (Greyhawked, +14 barbarian, +32 fighter, +32 dervish)

Skill Ranks:
Barb (28 pt) - Climb 4, Jump 4, Ride 4, Survival 4, Swim 4, Perform (dance) 2, Tumble 2
Fighter (20 pt) - Climb 4, Jump 4, Balance 4, Perform (dance) 1, Tumble 1
Dervish (28 pt) - Balance 10, Jump 4, Perform (dance) 9, Tumble 9

Total skills: Balance +14*, Climb +13, Jump +33*, Perform (dance) +11, Ride +10, Survival +3, Swim* +13, Tumble +16*. *Does not include -1 armor check penalty from breastplate.


Feats: Weapon Focus (scythe), Expeditious Dodge, Mobility, Combat Expertise, Power Attack, Weapon Specialization (scythe), Elusive Target, Melee Weapon Mastery (slashing).

With 36,000 gp, I want to make sure my AC is high, since I'll be in the thick of combat, but also that I'll be able to dish out damage. The GM sets a 1/4 limit, so no more than 9k per item.

I'm thinking:
+2 scythe (8318)
+2 mithril breastplate (8200)
+2 gauntlets of ogre power (4000)
+1 ring of protection (2000)
+1 amulet of natural armor (2000)
+1 dusty rose ioun stone (5000)
Boots of striding and springing (5500)
A pair of masterwork scimitars, just for the hell of it (630)
352 gp to spare.


Total AC 23 (+2 Dex, +7 armor, +1 ring, +1 amulet, +1 ioun stone, +1 class). My attack bonus is +19 (+9 base, +5 strength, +2 weapon, +3 weapon focus and melee weapon mastery), and my base damage is 2d4+13, which is an average of 18. When I dance, that becomes +21 (2d4+15). When I go into a whirling frenzy (barbarian alternate class feature from Unearthed Arcana), my AC becomes 25, and my attack bonus goes up to +21 (2d4+16). Or I can flurry and get +19/+19/+14 (2d4+16).

Unfortunately, I can't frenzy and dance at the same time, it sounds like. The text of dervish explicitly mentions no raging, and I'd guess that frenzying counts too.

My speed is 55 ft., and I will have spring attack. I will end up with 12 ranks in Jump, Perform (dance), and Tumble, with total modifiers of +33 for Jump (12 ranks +5 Str +2 synergy +10 speed +5 boots -1 armor) and +15 for Tumble (12 ranks +2 Dex +2 synergy -1 armor), just enough for me to use the class's ability to Take 10 and always be able to tumble at full speed, or tumble through foes' spaces at half speed. And . . . hehe, I'll have a standing long jump of 20 feet.

I think I will be happy with this. *grin*

Still, any suggestions?

 

[Sithobi1]

There's the Scorpion Chain from Secrets of Xen'drik.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Cool concept (still ).

I'd probably go with the reach weapon myself, then go for whirlwind attack (thematic reasons), and have armour blades (from Underdark, I think) on my armour. Basically those are a slashing version of armour spikes, so you get your dervish bonus damage with them, and you still threathen the space within 5 feet of yourself.

Of note, though... you can't rage or frenzy at the same time as you dervish dance (check the Dervish Dance description). Still, that extra speed from barbarian is nice.

You may want to consider Expeditious Dodge from Races of the Wild also. It can stand in for Dodge when meeting prerequisites, and grants a +2 dodge bonus to AC when you move at least 40 feet (likely, as a barb/dervish).

 

[RangerWickett]

Cool concept (still ).

I'd probably go with the reach weapon myself, then go for whirlwind attack (thematic reasons), and have armour blades (from Underdark, I think) on my armour. Basically those are a slashing version of armour spikes, so you get your dervish bonus damage with them, and you still threathen the space within 5 feet of yourself.

Of note, though... you can't rage or frenzy at the same time as you dervish dance (check the Dervish Dance description). Still, that extra speed from barbarian is nice.

You may want to consider Expeditious Dodge from Races of the Wild also. It can stand in for Dodge when meeting prerequisites, and grants a +2 dodge bonus to AC when you move at least 40 feet (likely, as a barb/dervish).

Ooh, lots of good stuff. I like armor blades, and I'll have to look into Expeditious Dodge, though it would have a weird interaction with Elusive Target, which functions based on who you've chosen as your dodge b*tch. I don't really want whirlwind attack because I want to be moving, though if I could convince the DM to allow the scorpion chain (one of the DMs in our group does Eberron, but this one sadly does not), I would like that. If there way to get skirmish without lowering my base attack bonus, I would want that too.

 

[RangerWickett]

I'm also going to ask about the Whirling Frenzy variant on barbarian rage (from Unearthed Arcana), which grants +4 Str, +2 AC, and the ability to make one extra attack per round while full-attacking, though at a -2 to each, like with flurry of blows. That would go very well with dervish dance.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Ooh, lots of good stuff. I like armor blades, and I'll have to look into Expeditious Dodge, though it would have a weird interaction with Elusive Target, which functions based on who you've chosen as your dodge b*tch. I don't really want whirlwind attack because I want to be moving, though if I could convince the DM to allow the scorpion chain (one of the DMs in our group does Eberron, but this one sadly does not), I would like that. If there way to get skirmish without lowering my base attack bonus, I would want that too.

I'm also going to ask about the Whirling Frenzy variant on barbarian rage (from Unearthed Arcana), which grants +4 Str, +2 AC, and the ability to make one extra attack per round while full-attacking, though at a -2 to each, like with flurry of blows. That would go very well with dervish dance.

Cool.

I mainly liked Whirlwind for the purpose of clearing a path for the times when I couldn't move, although the free Cleaves when dervish dancing certainly help.

Whirling Frenzy would be heaps cool to mix in, though I probably wouldn't allow them both to function at once.

Skirmish...yeah. My last dervish PC was a Scout/Acrobat/Dervish, which was fun. But then, I like skill-based classes, so my focuses were mobility, high AC, and skills. I did decent damage though. My attack bonus was high enough that dervish dance was enough to make up for my lower Base Attack.

For full BAB classes that have skirmish, I've only seen the Highland Stalker, but you need skirmish or sneak attack first as well as decent observation skills and Track. Doesn't sound like it's for you, though. I don't have many of the recent books though, so it's likely I'm missing something.

That Scorpion Chain sure sounds good....

 

[Iku Rex]

Can you use 3.0 books?
Book of Nine Swords?

 

[Darklone]

Hmm, Swash3/Ftr2/Dervish4? ? Race drow and two scimitars...

Oops, wrong build.

Sadly, the nicest thing about your build doesn't work. But I'd still take Whirling Frenzy so you can fight three times per day "like a man"!

Consider the Quick Trait for more speed.

No Leap Attack?

 

[RangerWickett]

Hmm, Swash3/Ftr2/Dervish4? ? Race drow and two scimitars...

Oops, wrong build.

Sadly, the nicest thing about your build doesn't work. But I'd still take Whirling Frenzy so you can fight three times per day "like a man"!

Consider the Quick Trait for more speed.

No Leap Attack?

What 'nicest thing' doesn't work? I don't want to lose HP for the quick trait. Leap Attack only works on a charge, right? And while fun, I think my damage is okay already. I think what I actually need is some ranged power. Right now, a +1 bow gets me +12 (d8+1). Not too impressive. Maybe throw anything? Or just javelins?

 

[Darklone]

I meant the rage+dervish dance at once.

Well, the cutest thing for a Dervish is TWF... and TWF dudes can throw a lot of nice sharp things.

I don't think your ranged attack is so bad, simply get a +1 comp bow (str +4) and you'll have two shots per round with 1d8+5. Not bad for a melee char.

If you pick the chain, get a level Exotic Weapon Master to get that Flurry of Blows.

Leap Attack may work nicely for you because you are likely to end your turn at charging distance to your enemies. If they don't close, you can charge. Again, it's better for a TWF fighter with the TWF charge and Powerful Charge.