Author Topic: Need Help Optimizing: Monk 3/Hexblade 4/Arcane Duelist 3/Kensai 8/Pally 2  (Read 3554 times)

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Eviltedzies

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Keeping it simple.

Race: Open
Alignment: Lawful Good
Class: Monk 3/Hexblade 4/Arcane Duelist 3/Kensai 8/Paladin 2

Alternate Class Features Used
* Cobra Strike Monk (UA)
* Dark Companion (PHB2)

Note: Using the suggested Hexblade fixes.

Feat Selection (Using no flaws)
1 lvl- Weapon Focus: (Insert chosen weapon here.), Dodge*
2 lvl- Mobility*
3 lvl- Ancestral Relic
6 lvl- Item Familiar
9 lvl- Combat Expertise
12 lvl- Open Feat
15 lvl- Open Feat
18 lvl- Open Feat

Notable Features
* Dex, Wis, & Cha to AC
* Evasion & Mettle
* Cha to saves (x2 Cha vs spells or spell-like effects)
* Potential to create one godly powerful weapon or a powerful magic item familiar and a semi-powerful weapon.

Things that need Fixing or Compensation
* Quite MAD (Can't be helped)
* Feat starved unless you remove Ancestral Relic/Item Familiar
* Reliance on said weapon or item for majority of combat prowess.

Currently stumped as to what feats to further take. Was thinking about going the legacy weapon route but don't quite know how it would work. I need advice on the feats and the general effectiveness of this build.
Light in the Darkness.
Darkness in the Light.
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Yet that is what we have been given.
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The_Mad_Linguist

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You can help MAD a bit by taking Ascetic Mage from CAd (cha to AC instead of wisdom).  Might as well dip battledancer 1 while you're at it (for cha to ac again).  There's a bit of an alignment issue there, I suppose, but you've already got that with hexblade requiring "nongood".

Legacy weapons are always good.
« Last Edit: January 19, 2011, 01:21:57 AM by The_Mad_Linguist »
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ninjarabbit

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Why not go passive way monk instead. You'll get the combat expertise feat you need for kensai and improved trip is actually a useful feat unlike dodge and mobility.

Power attack is a feat you pretty much need to have.

stranglebat

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Has your DM lifted the Alignment restriction for Hexblade?

Eviltedzies

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DM does not enforce alignment restrictions unless it is blatently tied to the class. (Aka Paladin or Blackguard)

So Battledancer would be a viable dip. Taking Ascetic Mage seems only worth it if your charisma score is decent. (Which for this build you have to be.)

The reason I chose Cobra Strike Monk is because it single handedly fullfills every prerequsite of Arcane duelist short of arcane spells and BAB.
2 bonus feats that qualify you for Arcane Duelist OR 1 bonus feat that qualifies for kensai and 1 semi-useful feat. That means I now need to spend 2 of my normal feats to qualify for Arcane Duelist.

So perhaps... Monk 3/Hexblade 4/Arcane Duelist 3/Battledancer 1/Kensai 7/Paladin 2

Taking Ascetic Mage at level 12 nets us...
Dex & 3xCha to AC (I think that is right.)
* 1st from Ascetic Mage
* 2nd from Arcane Duelist
* 3rd from Battledancer

Is that correct?
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lans

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There is a monk variant that gives immediate action invisibility that you might want to look into.
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Eviltedzies

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I hadn't thought of the invisible fist monk varient from Examplars of Evil.

But now that begs the quesiton: Is giving up Evasion worth being able to turn Invisible as an immediate action once ever 4 rounds?
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Havok4

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It really is a question of what worries you more, attacks or area of effect spells. You will have high saving throws already so the damage from most blasting spells will be negligible, and there are few reflex save or suck spells that allow an effect on a successful save. The invisibility will let you avoid targeted spells, which is much more useful as those are what usually will mess you up without a save. So I would say it is worth it.

Sinfire Titan

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CUSTOM Legacy weapons are always good.


Fixed that for you. Never use the pre-Bo9S ones, and even post-Bo9S ones aren't that powerful.

Got a bit of GP to spare? Spend some time in the O. Hole in CS to get Iron Will for dirt-cheap.


[spoiler][/spoiler]

The_Mad_Linguist

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CUSTOM Legacy weapons are always good.
Fixed that for you. Never use the pre-Bo9S ones, and even post-Bo9S ones aren't that powerful.
There are non-custom legacy items?

Next you'll be telling me people actually use Mialee as a playable character.
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Sinfire Titan

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Re: Need Help Optimizing: Monk 3/Hexblade 4/Arcane Duelist 3/Kensai 8/Pally 2
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2011, 09:31:44 PM »
CUSTOM Legacy weapons are always good.
Fixed that for you. Never use the pre-Bo9S ones, and even post-Bo9S ones aren't that powerful.
There are non-custom legacy items?

Next you'll be telling me people actually use Mialee as a playable character.

Do games of cricket count?


[spoiler][/spoiler]

Bozwevial

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Re: Need Help Optimizing: Monk 3/Hexblade 4/Arcane Duelist 3/Kensai 8/Pally 2
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2011, 09:39:45 PM »
There are non-custom legacy items?

Next you'll be telling me people actually use Mialee as a playable character.
Do games of cricket count?
Of course Mialee has a use.

She checks the books and makes sure no one holds out on Krusk.
[spoiler][/spoiler]