Help to Munchkin a Crusader

[Ibenadar]

I am involved in a heavily munchined campain using all the 3.x official rule books. For example we have a half-giant fighter with monkey grip wielding a +2 titan sized full-blade standing in for a tank and my half-giant cleric has a crossbow capable of dealing balistia level damage. The party has 4 players and 8 characters. Despite (well because of) the above mentioned fighter being able to drop 6d6 damage at lvl5 the attrition rate of characters is fairly high with only my cleric healing.

My Dromite Wilder (AC31/HP45) has just bitten the dust due to a very unlucky roll and its time for a new character. This time I think we need another front line dude with healer abilities and due to most of the party being evil and/or chaotic a paladin is straight out. The DM hates Bards and dislikes Druids so they are likely to have a lifespan similar to a mayfly in heat.

I am new to the Book of Nine Swords, but feel that the Crusader may have the legs to last the course (I want to remain standing even if some of the other party members can only be traced to their smoking shoes).

Due to party dynamics the DM has granted a boon to playing LG and this is it - Anthropomorphic Leopard as a race!

Stats - Str=22(16), Dex=26(18), Con=20 (16), Int=16(16), Wis=14 (10), Cha=10 (10)
Feats = Alertness, Weapon Finesse, Improved Grab, Pounce (Can make full attack after a charge), Rake (+6 to hit for melee after successful bite and deemed to be forelegs and thus claws or light weapons count)
Skills bonuses = +8 to Balance, Jump, & Climb, +4 Hide & Move Silently
Class Skills from Race = Balance, Climb, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Spot & Tumble
Armour = +1 natural, padded armour with concealed elbow, foot and knee blades (aka Complete Scoundrel)
Weapons = 2x Kukri, Spiked Chain & Composite Str Longbow
ECL = 6 (2HD as Monstrous Humanoid, +2 ECL, 2 Crusader)

As a flavour to the animalistic nature of "Two-Dogs" I have been told to take Multiweapon Fighting if I want use the concealed blades interchangably with TWF, still only get a max of 1 bite/2 melee no matter which weapons I use.

I have 2 available feats to take and this is a game where skills count heavily as we are living on a knife's edge of survivability. Skill tricks are looking tempting as I already have a jump of over 22 and can "Take 10" at any time with it.

I want to maintain a stealth capability with Two-Dogs as the rogues keep stealing stuff when on point and with a starting H/MS of 17 I dont think this should be too hard. Poisons are very prevalent and we have in-party access to Crafted magical items at CL<=5 (currently) and can buy any item in any official rule book at double cost.

Can you help with creating a path to glory for Crusader Two-Dogs and give a few pointers on equipment?

 

[HoboGod]

Well, if you're going with the pounce approach with high Jump, you might want to do power attack + leap attack, doing vicious damage on your charge. If you can combine that with battle leader's charge, which adds +10 damage on top of that (it doesn't say that it applies to each attack if one were to pounce, but I'm sure your DM will okay it if he/she would allow half-giant to stack with monkey grip and monkey grip/half-giant to stack with full-blade which is generally translated into a size large bastard sword. No DM in my group would say yes to ANY of those things stacking.)

 

[Dandu]

Monkey Grip is a trap.

 

[HoboGod]

Monkey Grip is a trap.

Yeah, I've seen the math, no matter how cool it sounds, power attack beats it every time. *cries* But if you're willing to accept the Savage Species argument on the reach of size large weapons, using monkey grip to go from size medium to size large, it COULD be worth it for a build that relies on AoO as a source of damage.

...However I may have went off topic. *throws a smoke grenade and runs away*

 

[Ibenadar]

Yeah, I've seen the math, no matter how cool it sounds, power attack beats it every time. *cries* But if you're willing to accept the Savage Species argument on the reach of size large weapons, using monkey grip to go from size medium to size large, it COULD be worth it for a build that relies on AoO as a source of damage.

...However I may have went off topic. *throws a smoke grenade and runs away*

Yup, Straight Monkey Grip vs Power Attack not so good.
Large FullBlade > Huge Fullblade (Monkey Grip) > Gargantuan Fullblade (Overpowered Blow) > Collosal Fullblade (Enlarge) + Keen = Very scary spike damage and gargantuan threat area. Strangely the quest is now underground in more confined spaces.

 

[Ibenadar]

Well, if you're going with the pounce approach with high Jump, you might want to do power attack + leap attack, doing vicious damage on your charge. If you can combine that with battle leader's charge, which adds +10 damage on top of that (it doesn't say that it applies to each attack if one were to pounce, but I'm sure your DM will okay it if he/she would allow half-giant to stack with monkey grip and monkey grip/half-giant to stack with full-blade which is generally translated into a size large bastard sword. No DM in my group would say yes to ANY of those things stacking.)

Some of us having be playing this game since year zero and fancied an epic campaign we oodles of Rules-Fu (use the rules as written) So we are Munchkining to our hearts content, but watching the CR climb through the roof


Hmm 2 feats and 1 skill trick (extreme leap),

Gives a range of 11 to 159 feet (259 feet with party boost)
To Hit = +10/+14/+14
Dam = D6+27/D4+24 x 2

Not too shabby for an ECL7 PC!

Thinking of Vow of Poverty because I can dimly remember a feat to use DEX mod as a damage modifier instead of STR, damned if I can remember where though A DEX of 40 at level 20 is sooo tempting

 

[Ibenadar]

Thinking of Vow of Poverty because I can dimly remember a feat to use DEX mod as a damage modifier instead of STR, damned if I can remember where though A DEX of 40 at level 20 is sooo tempting

Hmm, Lords of Madness

If I take a character flaw at 1st (Shaky, -2 ranged)

Aberration Blood - Flexible limbs (+2 grapple checks)
6th lvl - Deepspawn - 2 additional primary natural attacks
9th lvl - Starspawn - Flight and cold res 5

Would give me -

5 attacks with Touch of Golden Ice (d6/2d6 DEX vs evil)
AC +15
Flight for 8 rnds
DR5
plus a whole bunch of saves, skill points, etc

Maybe at 12th lvl - Bestial Hide +2 natural armour or Swift Natural Attack for more attacks on a primary natural weapon type by BAB as if welding a weapon.

ooh, need to throw in a Improved Natural weapons too

 

[Particle_Man]

Not a "trick" as such, but it is worth looking at the Bo9S feat "Extra Granted Maneuver" as that speeds up your "refresh rate" giving you more and quicker access to your Crusader Maneuvers.