Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 2793128" data-attributes="member: 3146">Dish out damage and take it, huh... Is taking damage a must? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />9th level is 36,000gp by the book guidelines. You've already had a defensively oriented suggestion, so here are some offensively oriented ones:1. Half-orc Barbarian 5/Fighter 4Str 20 (16+2 race +1 at lvl 4 and 6)Dex 14Con 15Int 11Wis 13Cha 9Base attacks: +18/+13 2d6+12 +1d6 cold or +20/+15 2d6+15 +1d6 cold when ragingBase AC: 22 (easily increased by magic vestment (if you go for the animated shield), magic circle vs. evil, and/or barkskin).Base hit points: 5d12+4d10+27 (with amulet). At 50%+1 method, that's 91 hp normally, 109 when raging.Skills: Handle Animal +11 (12 ranks), Listen +9 (8 ranks), Ride +16 (12 ranks), Survival 9 (8 ranks)Feats: Power Attack 1, Cleave 3, Combat Brute 6, Improved Critical: Greatsword: 9, Weapon Focus: Greatsword F1, Weapon Specialization: Greatsword F4, Improved Sunder F2Equipment: +1 frost greatsword, +3 cloak of resistance, +2 amulet of health, +2 gloves of dexterity, +3 breastplate with masterwork cold iron armor spikes (or an ordinary breastplate and +1 animated shield if you don't think animated shields are cheesy), masterwork mighty [+6] composite longbow, 20 arrows, backpack, cold weather gear.You end up with 2 rages per day, and improved uncanny dodge so you can charge in and not worry too much about being flanked.If we want, we could cheese that out a bit more:Barbarian 2/Fighter 2/Ranger 1/Pious Templar 3 (god with favored weapon: bastard sword)/Exotic Weapon Master 1Stats as above.Feats: Weapon Focus: bastard sword, True Believer, Power Attack, Cleave, Track, Combat Brute, Improved Bull Rush, Shock Trooper, Weapon Specialization (Pious Templar bonus feat).You lose out on improved uncanny dodge and can only rage once per day, but your fort save is much better and your will save is one point better. You also pick up Shock Trooper which lets you take a penalty to your AC instead of your attack bonus if you use power attack when charging. You also get a couple of paladin (or blackguard I guess) spells. (Divine Sacrifice and bless weapon are the ones to watch for). With the exotic weapon master level, you take the Uncanny blows trick and deal double your strength bonus in damage when wielding it two-handed (instead of 1.5x). So your attacks do 2d6+15 +1d6 cold and 2d6+19 +1d6 cold.One last option: "Give me one round and I'm ready"HumanClr 9 of St. CuthbertStr 15Dex 13Con 14Int 11Wis 16 (18 with level bumps)Cha 13Feats: Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Quicken Spell, Extra Smiting, Combat Brute(It sounds like you want to use Combat Brute, but if you don't drop Improved Sunder and Combat Brute for Divine Spellpower and another Extra Smiting or Divine Spellpower and Cleave).Spells: 1. enlarge person, Shield of Faith, remove fear 2. align weapon, delay poison, lesser restoration, remove paralysis, resist energy; 3. magic vestment, magic vestment, and magic circle vs. evil or chaos, maybe a searing light if you feel fancy; 4. Divine Power, Divine power, freedom of movement, Spell Immunity; 5th. Quickened divine favor x2, righteous might Equipment: +2 cloak of resistance (vest if the DM likes complete arcane), +2 periapt of wisdom, +2 ioun stone for constitution, rose prism ioun stone (+1 insight to AC), lesser rod of extend spell, +1 vicious adamantine heavy mace, cold iron spiked gauntlet, silver spiked gauntlet, masterwork fullplate, masterwork buckler, pearl of power (lvl 1), potions, a wand of cure light wounds, etc.If you have access to anything from the mini handbook, try for bracers of the quick strike, the belt of one mighty blow, boots of charging, and the cape of elemental protection. They're all very good items that look like they would fit into your strategy pretty well.Tactics: Use the rod to put an extended magic vestment on your armor and buckler every morning and do it again before you go to bed (non-extended). If you have divine spellpower, use it with the magic vestment spell until you get caster level 12 for both (this makes them +3 and removes the need to cast it the second time). Keep delay poison active on yourself at all times. When going into a dangerous area, pray for protection (shield of faith).In combat, you will have two one-round prep options and one ready to rumble whenever option:1. Cast Divine power and a quickened divine favor and wade into combat2. Cast righteous might and a quickened divine favor and wade into combat3. Cast a quickened divine favor, activate your strength domain power, full attack, and smite on both attacks. All told, that would give you attacks at+21/+16 (+6/+1 base +7 str +1 weapon +4 smite +3 luck) for 1d8+20 (1 weapon +7 str +9 smite +3 luck) +2d6 vicious. You can only do this for one round per day (well the strength domain bit--with 1 extra smiting, you can still smite one more time), but it's a neat trick when you need to turn things around in round 1.</blockquote>

Verification