Need help designing a 9th Level combat monster

[Daermon]

Without doing the numbers, I'd lean towards a Fighter 9 or Monk1/Fighter8 with the Kobo feat chain on pgs 60-61 of Way of the Open Hand. The F9 could have the entire chain; the M/F would be one away, I think. Both would have additional feats remaining.

Anything less than a d10 for hit points makes me very nervous in melee combat. There's just nothing for soaking up damage in combat than a big pile of hit points.
Cheers
Nell.

I agree. Need those HD.

Wait.... You can take Kiho feats as Bonus Feats?

 

[Jdvn1]

Well, I am roughly 5 levels below the next lowest PC (I had to miss some sessions). I may be able to squeeze one in.

Okay, probably not. But I can dream.

A gestalt character takes the best aspects of two classes. Like, if you did Fighter/Wizard, you'd have the BAB of a fighter, feats of a fighter, good Fort, good Will, d10 hit points, and Wizard spellcasting. A Monk/Fighter would get a boost in BAB and hp.

 

[Taren Seeker]

ok...Wild Elf Ranger 1/Fighter 4/Wildrunner 2/Champion of Correlon 2
Be a Str based fighter, you get:
Dex to damage
Frenzy ability that gives +2 str +6 dex
Decent skills
Scent
Full BAB
Decent saves
Use a Thinblade and buckler with Improved Buckler Defence and Power Attack.
Wear Mithral Full Plate and move at 30, then once you hti 5 Champion move at 40 and max dex for your armor is increased by 2. Use the bonus feats from Champion to take Elusive Target. Sounds like a great feat to have in your campaign. At 10th take a level of Exotic Weapon Master and choose Uncanny Blow for 2x str damage and 2 for 1 Power Attack all the time.

Wildrunner and Champion of Corellon are in Races of the Wild

Grappler: I made a pretty nasty one with Barbarian/Fighter/Bear Warrior/Warshaper. Make sure you take extra rage as one of your feats. I really wouldn't bank too much on the grappler PrC in CW, I was not impressed with the abilities and especially not the prereqs. Be a Human from the North and Take the Jotunbrud feat from Races of Faerun for the extra +4. An Alternative is to play a Goliath from Races of Stone.

 

[Diirk]

I recently put together a Sor1/Mnk4/Dragon Disciple 4 as a grappler.

Enlarge Person as a Sorcerer spell, focus on Str over Dex. Improved Grapple, Leap Attack, Power Attack, and Flying Kick; you do fairly good two-handed damage with a quarterstaff.

Just so long as you don't take that 10th level in DD

 

[Nellisir]

I agree. Need those HD.

Wait.... You can take Kiho feats as Bonus Feats?

<doh>

Start sweet-talking the DM. _I'd_ probably allow it. You can take Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple as fighter feats, after all. And I'm not sure they even note fighter bonus feats in the Rokugan material -- there aren't any standard fighters, are there?

Cheers,
Nell.

Edit: Trade Heavy Armor (&Medium Armor?) & Shield proficiency for the ability to take kiho bonus feats. It's a "character concept".

 

[Daermon]

<doh>

Start sweet-talking the DM. _I'd_ probably allow it. You can take Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple as fighter feats, after all. And I'm not sure they even note fighter bonus feats in the Rokugan material -- there aren't any standard fighters, are there?

Cheers,
Nell.

Edit: Trade Heavy Armor (&Medium Armor?) & Shield proficiency for the ability to take kiho bonus feats. It's a "character concept".

I'd accept that.

Thanks.

 

[Ballard_Alvar]

Thanks!
9th

Standard random roll. So far I have a 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 10. I haven't assigned them yhet. I've designed three characters off these stats and they're just coming up short (at least in comparison to the other PCs).

Yep. 36,000 GP

I realize that you do not have Races of Stone, however it was on wizards website under previews. excellent choice for survivability. but it is not necessary. Alternatively you your DM said MM is Ok, so why not Orc?<- LA 0. (get a big hat, or sunshades if you are in bright light. otherwise partly cloudy is Aok. if I want to make a character that will take a beating, but more importantly deal it, then I could go “Spiked Vengeance” as I call it.

Abilities

17

13

15

11

10

10

if you go with Goliath switch dex/con I think they have a penalty to dex. +4str –2 dex +2con. If you need the specifics I can email them to you (I have the book at home). Also don’t forget to allocate your ability improvements from 4th and 8th levels.


Exotic Weapon(Spiked chain)

Weapon Focus
Combat Reflexes
Power Attack

Cleave

Great Cleave

Karmic Strike isn’t bad

You can also do

Dodge

Mobility

Spring Attack(they provoke AoO’s when they close

These mostly take levels of fighter, but 1-2 levels of Barbarian help a lot. if you do you can also take Reckless rage (+2str –2 def when raging)



[font=&quot]If this is too much thinking you could always do orc cleric of kord 9 all into righteous might, divine favor, divine power, shield of faith. Keep in mind those don’t all stack so pick one buff for the combat and then get in the fight. Kord’s favored weapon is a greatsword.[/font]

 

[DarkJester]

So you are 9th level and everyone else is 14th+?

It's not as big of a problem as a level 1 character going into a level 6 came, but I can see where dieing comes in. I don't really think it is your character concept that is getting you killed. Trying to be a front line fighting at level 9 vs CR 14+ foes isn't going to work very well, especially if you are going to water down your hp via lower hitdice classes. Having everyone else be a spellcaster just makes it worse as you have no one else to share the brunt of the assault. Does the druid tend to wildshape and head into melee or cast spells? Same for the cleric, does he wade right in?

14+ spell casters are in their prime, you will be hardpressed to match their ability as a level 9 fighter type. Finding a niche is a good idea. Grappling, like you said, could let you fill the role of anti-caster fairly well. I just wouldn't expect to be able to stand up front in melee combat against the big guys for very long.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

First off, I think melee guys substantially below the party level have a tough time staying alive! With that in mind, I think the most survivable archetype is an archer... you hang back from fights and if someone gets close to you, then you're nearly as tough as a melee fighter. Unfortunately that role is already gone.


Anyway, back on topic: Melee guy with grappling in a mage heavy game...

I'd go for: Dwarf Monk 2:Fighter 4:Occult Slayer 3

Stick 17 in Str, 13 in Dex and 15 in Con. Raise Con and Str.

In the way of feats:

Combat Reflexes and Improved Grapple - Monk bonus.
Exotic: Spiked Chain. - this will be nasty.
Focus: Spiked Chain, Improved initiative. - IIRC, these are needed to qualify for occult slayer.
Hold the line - to go with the Combat reflexes.
Power Attack - essential for that spiked chain.
2 of the Mage Slayer feat chain from Complete Arcane. IIRC, one of these means spellcasters can't cast defensively in areas you threaten. One allows you to ignore concealment effects and one lets you ignore magical +'s to AC. Take more of these as you go.

Keep on with the occult slayer: Parrying spells, bonus to saves against magic, bonus to damage magic users and a personal mind blank - all very nice.

For gear, I'd consider:

Boots of springing and striding - for a little extra mobility.
+2 Full Plate - for the AC. - won't slow your dwarfy self down
+1 Ghost touch spiked chain - for all those insubstantial casters.
Cloak of resistance - to boost your saves more. Your saves shouldn't be too bad to begin with.

Whine at your spellcasting friends to get them to buff you nine ways from sunday. Definitely needed.

This build is a little munchy and you'll never be able to cast spells... -8 to your effective caster level from the mage slayer feats. However, you'll be pretty tough, have great effect against spellcasters and be able to grapple.

Apologise if a couple of things aren't quite right - havn't got my books to hand. - mainly I can't quite recall the preqs for the mage slayer feats or the occult slayer. Think they're right.

 

[Thanee]

Well, I am roughly 5 levels below the next lowest PC (I had to miss some sessions).

You should *really* talk to your DM about this!

Since the game is fairly combat-heavy, starting with such a discrepancy in terms of levels is a no-go.

5 levels below means roughly a quarter of actual power.

Where's the point in playing a combat-heavy campaign, if your character cannot (and he won't be able to) stand up to the challenges you face?

In one campaign, we give characters who are not present half the XP, so the others do not get ahead too fast.

Anything more than 2 levels below is no good idea. At all.

Bye
Thanee