Death's Gatekeeper
You do not pass though the gates of death without my persission.
Make your entire party "unkillable" @ level 11 (and somewhat difficult to kill from level 1).
[sblock=the trick]
1) Unnatrual Mantle keeps allies concious while below 0.*
2) Enough bonuses to Death Saving Throws to prevent them from failing (+9 @ lvl 11).
3) Assured Healing let's you bring someone to back from negitives to positives at-will (unless you hit).
4) Plenty of encounter/daily based healing options, for when more then 1 person is below 0, or you hit with astral seal.
5) If no one needs healing, you can grant attacks.
6) Gain Extra minons, err, i mean allies to do your bidding.**
*Note that there's some rule's abiguity on what the "first death save" means. CS has ruled that it means each time you drop below 0. Other readings increase the time your allies spend unconcious, but you should still prevent people from dying.
** More rules issues with how Unnatrual Mantle works with monsters-that-are-allies. I assume it doesn't, but it's possible to read it as game breaking "never die while close to you" minions, since nothing say's monsters make death saves, or die at negitive bloodied.
[/sblock]
Item indepenant, but a bonus/reroll to death saves would is suggested. (you have +7 without items).
Note that you arn't proficenct in plate, but your intentionally taking a penalty to attacks (or at least 1 of them), and the AC is nice.
There are a few open feats for expertise if don't like "lazy" builds, or want to cutomize it a bit.
The theme, assured healing, and your base minors, will likely be enough healing for most parties, (unless they are all defenseless strikers). So there's plenty of room for custimizing powers as well.
[sblock=full build]
Note that at level 6, you take Templar's Domain for Sun Domain (+2 to everone's DST). For some reaons, the builder won't list it.
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Death's Gatekeeper, level 30
Revenant, Ardent/Cleric, Zealous Demagogue, Topaz Crusader
Ardent Mantle (Hybrid) Option: Mantle of Elation (Hybrid)
Hybrid Ardent Option: Hybrid Ardent Fortitude
Hybrid Cleric Option: Healer's Lore
Psionic Augmentation (Hybrid) Option: Hybrid Power Point Option
Bound to Greatness Option: Charisma
Choose your Race in Life: Dwarf
Wandering Duelist (Wandering Duelist Benefit)
Theme: Knight Hospitaler
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
STR 10, CON 22, DEX 14, INT 16, WIS 15, CHA 28
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
STR 8, CON 14, DEX 10, INT 14, WIS 13, CHA 16
AC: 48 Fort: 43 Ref: 37 Will: 46
HP: 179 Surges: 13 Surge Value: 44
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +29, Bluff +29, Insight +24, Intimidate +47
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +15, Athletics +13, Diplomacy +26, Dungeoneering +17, Endurance +21, Heal +19, History +18, Nature +17, Perception +17, Religion +18, Stealth +15, Streetwise +24, Thievery +15
POWERS
Basic Attack: Melee Basic Attack
Basic Attack: Ranged Basic Attack
Knight Hospitaler Utility: Shield of Devotion
Revenant Utility: Dark Reaping
Ardent Feature: Ardent Surge
Cleric Utility: Healing Word
Dwarf Racial Power: Dwarven Resilience
Cleric Attack 1: Astral Seal
Cleric Utility 2: Return from Death's Door
Cleric Attack 5: Servitude in Death
Ardent Utility 6: Mend Wounds
Ardent Attack 7: Forward-Thinking Cut
Cleric Utility 10: Recall Ally
Zealous Demagogue Attack 11: Fanatic Charge
Zealous Demagogue Utility 12: Imperiled Leader
Ardent Utility 16: Mental Rejuvenation
Cleric Attack 17: Life-Stealing Light
Cleric Attack 19: Shackles of the Grave
Zealous Demagogue Attack 20: Sudden Conversion
Cleric Utility 22: Revive
Ardent Attack 23: Revelatory Slash
Topaz Crusader Utility 26: Topaz Corona
FEATS
Level 1: Unnatural Mantle
Level 2: Harbinger of Rebirth
Level 8: Disciple of Death
Level 10: Bardic Ritualist
Level 10: Ritual Caster
Level 11: Assured Healing
Level 12: Widened Mantle
Level 14: Bolstering Wind
Level 16: Past Soul
Level 18: Improved Defenses
Level 20: Mantle of Caution
Level 21: Ghostly Vitality
Level 21: Icon of Hope
Level 22: Death's Blessing
Level 24: Stormhawk's Vengeance
Level 26: Shield the Fallen
Level 28: Skill Focus (Intimidate)
Level 30: Arcane Familiar
ITEMS
Periapt of Recovery +6 x1
Verve Plate Armor +6 x1
Belt of Sonnlinor Righteousness (epic tier) x1
Ritual Book
Kingslayer's Curse - Fearsome Reputation
Ring of Circling Fangs x2
Iron of Spite x1
Chieftain's Trident +1 x1
Boots of Teleportation x1
Battle Standard of Healing
Gloves of the Healer (epic tier) x1
Singing stick of Healing +6 x1
Symbol of Victory +2 x1
Bracers of Mental Might x1
Tattoo of Bloodied Chains (epic tier) x1
====== End ======
[/sblock]
[sblock=heroic breakdown]
STR 8, CON 14, DEX 12, INT 14, WIS 13, CHA 18
You actually have alot of fexibility with the stats since you don't "need" to attack. You only need 13 Cha to have positive Assured Healing, and 13 Wis for Diciple of Death. You also want a to keep either Wis or Str minimum. Depending on weather you want to use Astral Seal, or Recovery Strike. Astral seal has range, but recovery strike is less accurate (vs AC), and let's you pump Wis for healing more effects.
Personally I keep Cha up to use social skills (intimidate), Con for toughness, and a little Int for Bardic Ritualist.
Theme:
Knight Hospitiliter: Normaly interups > reaction. are better, and Wis isn't that much healing. But it's perfect for this build. Someone drops from 10 to -20, then you bump them back to 4.
Powers:
At-Will:
Ire Strike (retrain @ 23) What you do when no one needs healed (
save 1 PP).
Astral Seal / Recovery Strike Not much use till level 11.
Encounter:
Power Points (lvl 1): You need 1 for your mantle to work, so take the PP hybrid option.
Prophetic Guidance (lvl 3, retrain @ 17): A nice set-up power for your allies, but really anything can go here.
Forward Thinking Cut (lvl 7): Augment 2 grants 2 attacks. Possibly let's you charge (
save 1 PP).
Dailies: I'm including both "free attack" (mostly ardent) and "healing*" ones(mostly cleric). You can mix and match depending on your group.
*Moment of Glory (1): "I win" at low levels.
Implant Suggestion (1): Not amazing, you need an ardent power.
*Consecrated Ground (5): "I win" at any level.
Passage of Swords (9): Lot's of extra attacks, if everyone is clumped.
Spacial Anomoly (9): Extra attacks, with easier positioning.
Utility:
Return From Death's Door (lvl 2): 1/day emergency heal. Usefull even at high levels with range 20.
Mend Wounds (lvl 6): An extra surge for someone.
Recall Ally (lvl 10): Helps keep people within 5 of you.
Level 1:
Unnatural Mantle The core feat we abuse (
save 1 PP).
Level 2:
Harbinger of Rebirth The biggest boost to Death Saving Throws we can give.
Level 4:
Superior Will (retrain @21) Gives yourself a chance to keep actions.
Level 6:
Templar's Domain +2 more, for you and your allies.
Level 8:
Diciple of Death Save a bit of your own skin.
Level 10: Bardic Ritualist Cause i want rituals. But really this is open.
[/sblock]
[sblock=paragon breakdown]
PP options:
Zealous Demagogue: +1 to (death) saves, attacks, and defenses. Nice enounter, and utlity too. The daily is a bit lackluster without Wis, but at least it's worth the action. Note that you need to wait for icon of hope to give +9 to death saves (or allies can get +1 on their own).
Voice of Thunder (bard): For the +2 to Death Saves. The AP feature is useful with some of your daily zones, and the daily can be used to kill minions. It's possible to use the encounter as well. The level 16 feature is pretty much useless.
If you can convince your allies to wear a periphat of recovery or verve armor (they don't need both), there are better PP's to take, such as catalyst or divine oracle.
Powers:
Encounter:
Life-Stealing Light (17) You can miss a few enemies at once, thus heal a few allies at once.
Daily:
Servitued in Death (15): More minions = more people to grant attacks to.
*Aura of Astral Radiance: If you want a second "i win" button.
Shackles of the Grave (19): Harder to get the one you want,
but you can heal it.
*Uconquerable/Indombitable Spirit (19): Another mass surgeless heal.
Beacon of Doom (19): One of the few cleric powers to grant attacks.
Reactive Jaunt (19): Grant's YOU attacks, but should happen pretty often.
Utility:
Mental Rejuviation (16): Large area mass surgless heal.
Feats:
Level 11:
Assured Healing Combo with Astral Seal/Recovery Strike for "at-will" surgeless healing.
Level 12:
Widened Mantle Allies within 10 stay up, though they can fail DSTs at that range (encourage them to move closer).
Level 14:
Mantle of Caution Help your allies avoid status effects.
Level 16: Bolstering Wind A burst 10 encounter surgeless heal (well surgless for your allies).
Level 18: Past Soul Combo's with the above, and the reason your a dwarf.
Level 20: Improved Defenses Help avoid some status effects.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Epic breakdown]
ED: Topaz Crusader, taken for the immunity to alot of effects, including daze. The level 30 feature shouldn't come into play much, since you always want to keep 1 PP.
Powers:
At-Will:
Revelatory Strike(23): A range upgrade for Ire Strike.
Daily:
*Bountiful Portent(25): Even more mass surgeless healing, but from your ardent half.
Violent Spark (29): Easier to manage then Passage of Swords.
*Breath of the Stars (29): A final mass surgeless heal.
Util
Revive(22): Cause sometimes a brute will crit a wizard
Level 21:
Ghostly Vitality To ensure you don't die.
Level 21:
Icon of Hope Small bonus, but good range.
Level 22:
Stormhawk's Vengeance Hurt me, i dare you.
Level 24:
Shield the Fallen Good bonus, but small range.
Level 26-30: ??? Open for whatever, like expertise, shared healing, death's blessing or intimidate.
[/sblock]
[sblock=heals]
Astral Seal: Standard, you need to miss.
Healing Word: Surge, heals everyone else with battle standard of healing.
Ardent Surge: Surge, heals everyone else with battle standard of healing.
Second Wind: Surge for yourself, heals everyone in the aura.
Hospitaliter: reaction, to someone dropping below 0.
Hospitaliter: reaction, to someone dropping below 0 (second use).
Life-Stealing Light: Standard, heals for each enemy you miss in the burst.
Return from death's door: Surge, Immidiate.
Mend Wounds: Surge value.
Mental Rejuviation: Surge value for all, or 2x surge value for 1 , standard
Revive: 2xSurge value, standard, works on dead people
Topaz Corona: regen 19 for all.
[/sblock]
[sblock=a few things to encourage your allies to...]
Be a minotaur (free attacks)
Be a dragonborn (+1 to hit)
Be a deva (Potent Rebirth, Upright revival)
Take the Iron Wolf theme (free attacks)
Take agile recovery, or acrobat boots (for the occasional, brief unconciousness).
Take Stormhawk Vengence (free damage)
Take Wrath of Defeat (free attack).
Use Belt of Sonnlinor's Rightouness (awsome resist)
Use a battlecrazed weapon (bonus damage)
Or any other "while bloodied" or "when droped below 0" thing.
[/sblock]
I actually wrote up a background for this one.
[sblock=background]
It's not so much that she's evil (though not entirely good), but she started out as an undertaker and taxadermist, who got into necromancy to help preserve the bodies, or to let someone say a final few words, or to have a favorit pet wag it's tail. This was well recived, and she was happy to help consol people (not upset about the coin she made either). She actually had a few nobles set up arrangements for how they wanted to be when they died. She thought them pompus, but the coin was good, so why not? She spent more time researching and developing her techniques.
Then, one night she awoke to a sudden pain across her throat. Waking up she saw a man holding a razor standing above her. The razor and her neck where covered by something wet and sticky. She could see the emblem of the raven queen tatoo'd on his face and printed on his cloak. As the blood started to soak her shirt, the man smiled, and silently slipped out the window. As panic slowly enveloped her, she scrambled to find a way to survive, but darkness encroached too quickly.
Somewhere in the darkness a door opened, and the raven queen stood behind it, with a cold smile on her face. "You are dead" the queen said coldly "You are mine".
"No". She heared herself say with surprising calm, "I will never be yours", and she slammed the door shut, pressing herself against it to keep it closed.
"You cannot wait forever" the queen said with some annoyance.
"Neither can you" she replied, as she started to worked her magic to animated her body.
"I am the queen of the dead" she laughed "of course i can".
"Then i will remove you from the throne" she fearfully retorted, struggling to keep the small pieces of her body alive, and quickly replacing those that failed.
"You don't have a fraction of the power to do so" the queen said in anger.
"Then i will find someone who can" she replied. Leaving the door and the darkness behind before the queen could reply.
She awoke in her bed, he body cold, and the blood dried. It was near sunset, but day's or even weeks could of passed. Eventually she knew she would be discovered by the raven queens followers again. So she gathered what she could, put someone else corpse in her bed, set fire to her place, and ran.
Her name, is Vecna.
[/sblock]
