Author Topic: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?  (Read 3176 times)

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Endarire

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Intro
I intended to try a divine caster for a new campaign.  Having loved Wizards and, this campaign's DM having seen what I can do, I decided to play a divine caster or psion.  I enjoy casting spells more than fighting physically and my favorite spell types are Battlefield/Crowd Control, Buffs, and Debuffs in approximately that order.  In short, I want to be GOD without the spellbook or prayerbook.

Campaign & Character Constraints
-Stats will be rolled, and as such, I don't know mine yet.  Wealth and gear are standard for ECL1s.

-We begin NAKED and IMPRISONED at ECL1 with no guarantee of getting our pre-imprisonment stuff back.  Loot availability isn't guaranteed, though I'd prefer not to take Vow of Poverty.

-We probably won't get past level 10.

-The campaign will probably be set in Faerun.  If so, I need a patron deity that offers the appropriate domains.  Greyhawk deities are also probably OK.

-No respeccing, rebuilding, or retraining.  Ever.

-Alignments Allowed: True Neutral and any Good.  I may be able to persuade my DM into allowing LN or CN, but I'd prefer not.

-No arcane casting for this character.  In short, no Wizard, Bard, Sorcerer, Wu Jen, Hexblade past 3, Warmage, Dweomerkeeper, or Mystic Theurge.

-No undead PCs.  We can still rebuke, command, and create undead minions.

Source Material
-Anything 3.5 or unupdated 3.0, pending DM approval.  No Tome of Battle because the DM thinks it's unbalanced.  (I mentally rolled my eyes when I heard this.)

Which Class?
Which class and domains keep me closest to my goal of a divine GOD?  Artificer and Archivist are out because of their heavy reliance on item availability.

Druid and Cloistered Cleric remain.  I like Druids because of the animal companion, buffs, and BCs.  I like Clerics because of domain and Divine Metamagic spiffiness.  (Cleric1 for Travel devotion and Time domain in a Druid build is possible, though I'd prefer not.)

Favorite Wizard Spells
For variety's sake, I'm not going arcane.  Still, I can try to nab spells at least similar to these.  Parenthetical notes denote the level a Cleric, Druid, or domain gets a spell.

-=LEGEND=-
LOVE
Adore
Honorable Mention

0: caltrops
1: benign transposition, enlarge person (Strength1, Transformation1), grease (Slime1), silent image (Illusion1)
2: alter self (Transformation2), heroics, glitterdust, invisibility (Trickery2), mirror image, rope trick, see invisibility (Truth3)
3: dispel (C3, D4, Magic3), girallon's blessing (C3, D3), greater magic weapon (C4, Dwarf4), haste (Celerity4, Time3), fly (Travel3), phantom steed (Spider3), slow (Sloth3)
4: assay resistance (C4), celerity, dimension door (Portal4, Travel4), Evard's black tentacles (Blackwater3, Slime5, Vile Darkness5), greater wings of air (D4), polymorph (Transformation5)
5: draconic polymorph, mass fly, teleport (Portal5, Travel5), wall of force (Force5, Vile Darkness6)
6: acid fog (Water7), contingency (Time6), freezing fog, ruby ray of reversal, superior resistance (C6, D6)
7: plane shift (C5), reverse gravity (D8, Sky7), spell turning (Endurance8, Luck7, Magic7, Meditation7, Retribution7), teleport errorlessly (Travel7)
8: dimensional lock (C8, Portal8), mind blank (Liberation8, Mental8, Mind8, Protection8, Trade8), polymorph any object (Commerce9, Renewal8, Transformation8, Trickery8)
9: gate (C9, Drow9, Glory9, Portal9), shapechange (Animal9, D9, Scalykind9), time stop (Celerity9, Planning9, Time9, Trickery9)

Favorite Cleric Spells
Were I to play a magely Cleric, I'd probably prepare these often.

-=LEGEND=-
LOVE
Adore
Honorable Mention

0: cure minor, detect magic
1: bless, detect evil, entropic shield, lesser vigor, sanctuary
2: silence, spiritual weapon, substitute domain
3: dispel, haboob, girallon's blessing, magic vestment, mass lesser vigor
4: death ward, delay death, divine power, freedom of movement, greater magic weapon, spell immunity
5: plane shift, revivify, surge of fortune
6: greater dispel, heal, heroes' feast, superior resistance
7: ethereal jaunt, holy star
8: chain dispel
9: miracle, summon elemental monolith

Favorite Domain Spells
I include only the domains I'm likely to choose.

-=LEGEND=-
LOVE
Adore
Honorable Mention

1: enlarge person (Transformation1)
2: alter self (Transformation2), invisibility (Trickery2)
3: fly (Travel3), haste (Time3)
4: haste (Celerity4)
5: teleport (Travel5)
6: contingency (Time6)
7: spell turning (Luck7), teleport errorlessly (Travel7)
8: polymorph any object (Transformation8, Trickery8)
9: time stop (Celerity9, Planning9, Time9, Trickery9)

Favorite Druid Spells
Were I to play a magely Druid, I'd probably prepare these often.

-=LEGEND=-
LOVE
Adore
Honorable Mention

0: cure minor, detect magic
1: aspect of the wolf, entangle, faerie fire, lesser vigor, obscuring mist
2: acorn of far travel, barkskin, blinding spittle, desiccate, mass snake's swiftness,
3: alter fortune, blindsight, call lightning, greater magic fang, haboob, plant growth, speak with plants, spiritjaws, wind wall
4: boreal wind, enhance wind shape, freedom of movement, flame strike, last breath
5: blizzard, call lightning storm, choking sands, wall of thorns
6: antilife shell, fire seeds, mummify, superior resistance
7: heal, master earth
8: reverse gravity, stormrage, word of recall
9: shambler, shapechange, summon elemental monolith

Favorite Psion Powers
Were I to play a magely Psion, I'd probably know these.  (Out of character, I am least familiar with psionics.)

-=LEGEND=-
LOVE
Adore
Honorable Mention

1: entangling ectoplasm, inertial armor, psionic grease
2: dimension swap, ego whip, psionic levitate
3: time hop
4: ?
5: psionic teleport
6: ?
7: ?
8: ?
9: ?
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

Akalsaris

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2009, 06:50:46 AM »
I'd go for the druid - entangle is pretty much spot-on BC, and the lack of equipment won't make a big difference at higher levels if the GM turns out to be stingy with loot.  Besides, your pet can help control the battlefield with tripping or grappling while you do other stuff.

If you do go cleric, there's a 1st level spell in frostburn that's effectively grease in a 20ft radius, only it's ice.  Gets you one of your favorite spells as a divine caster without giving anything up.


carnivore

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2009, 08:24:22 AM »
even though you will lose a Caster level... you could start like this:

Marshal 1

this way you can direct Crowds with just your voice ...... and it would help your Turning abilities also


ECL 10

Human(NG)
Marshal 1/ Cloistered Cleric 5/ RSoL(Lathander) 4

gets a lot from Cha skills... and Knowledge Skills

 :D

carnivore

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2009, 08:48:31 AM »
another option is:

1/2 Fey Human(LA bought off by 9th lvl)
Marshal 1/ Psion(Telepath) 9

AWESOME Cha abilities... Charm Person at Will, Flight, Great Ability boosts... + Psionics

like this:

1/2 Fey Human(LA bought off by 9th lvl)
Marshal 1/ Psion(Telepath) 9

Attributes(32pt buy)Dex +2, Con -2, Wis +2, Cha +4 :
10 Str(10)
16 Dex(12+2 racial)
12 Con(14- 2 racial)
20 Int(16 +2 lvl +2 Item)
14 Wis(12+ 2 racial)
20 Cha(14 +4 racial +2 item)


Powers known:
1st lvl:
Psi Charm(feat)
Read Thoughts(feat)
Psionic Grease
Entangling Ectoplasm
Telempathic Projection
Vigor
Channel the Psychic Dragon
[spoiler]Channel the Psychic Dragon(Dragon Magic) .. Psion 1/ PW 1
Swift action to manifest
1 min/ML duration

1PP = +5 Competence to Diplomacy Checks, Cold Resistance 5

Augments:
3PP = +5 Competence to Climb Checks, Electricity Resistance 10
5PP = +5 Competence to Balance & Escape Artist Checks, Immune to Magic Missiles, +5 Saves vs Spl/Powers with Force Descriptor
7PP = +5 Competence to Bluff & Sense Motive Checks, Sonic Resistance 20
9PP = +10 Competence to Intimidate & Swim Checks, Cold Resistance 30[/spoiler]

2nd lvl:
Ego Whip
Share pain
Psi Suggestion
Crystal Storm

3rd lvl:
Dispel Psionics(feat)
Psi Dominate(feat)
Hostile Empathic Transfer
Touchsight
Time Hop
Energy Wall

4th lvl:
Schism
Psi Divination
Correspond
Modify Memory

5th lvl:
Mind Probe
Plane Shift



Feats:
Skill focus(Diplomacy)
Psycrystal Affinity
Illithid Heratige
Illithid Compulsion
Illithid Legacy(bonus Powers:Psi Charm,Read Thoughts)
Psi Meditation
Linked Power
Illithid Legacy ,Greater(bonus powers:Dispel Psionics, Psi Dominate)


Skills:

Concentration ..13 ranks
Knowledge (Psionics)......13 ranks
Knowledge (Nob & roy)...5 ranks
Knowledge (Arcana).......1 rank
Knowledge (Religion)......1 rank
Knowledge (Nature).......1 rank
Knowledge (The Planes)....1 rank
Knowledge (Arch & eng)....1 rank
Knowledge (Dungeoneering)..1 rank
Psicraft..13 ranks
Bluff.5 ranks
Diplomacy..13 ranks
Sense Motive..13 ranks


Equipment: 36000 GP
4000gp +2 Headband of Int
4000gp +2 Cloak of Cha
2500gp .........ring of sustenance
2500gp .........Boots of the Winterlands
2000gp.......Handy Haversack


1/2 Fey(+2 LA)
[spoiler]The Half-Fey
Attribute bonuses Dex +2, Con -2, Wis +2, Cha +4

Fey Type: She becomes vulnerable to spells and effects that work on creatures of the fey type but is immune to effects that target her original type. For example, a half-fey/half-human would be subject to the extra damage from a fey bane sword, but she is immune to hold person because that spell affects only humanoids.

Low-Light Vision (Ex): the half-fey gains low-light vision.


Spell-Like Abilities: Starting at 1st level, a half-fey with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 8 or better gains spell-like abilities. The exact abilities gained depend on the half-fey's character level and level in the template class, according to the following table. In each case, the caster level equals the half-fey's character level. Save DCs, where applicable, are Charisma-based (10 + spell level + half-fey's Cha modifier).

Level Spell-Like Abilities Gained:
1st Charm person at will, hypnotism 1/day
1st Faerie fire or glitterdust 1/day
3rd Detect law 3/day
3rd Enthrall or sleep 1/day
5th Protection from law 3/day
7th Confusion or emotion 1/day
9th Eyebite or lesser geas 1/day
11th Dominate person or hold monster 1/day
13th Mass invisibility 1/day
15th Geas/quest or mass suggestion 1/day
17th Insanity or mass charm 1/day
19th Otto's irresistible dance 1/day
The character gains each spell-like ability as soon as she meets both qualifications for it. Spell-like abilities are cumulative, so a half-fey whose character level is 3rd has charm person at will, detect law 3/day, enthrall or sleep 1/day, faerie fire or glitterdust 1/day, hypnotism 1/day.

Immunity to Enchantments (Ex): a half-fey becomes immune to all spells and effects from the Enchantment school.

Wings (Ex): a half-fey grows insectlike wings (usually similar to those of a butterfly) and may use them to fly at up to twice her base land speed with good maneuverability. [/spoiler]
« Last Edit: January 19, 2009, 05:58:36 PM by carnivore »

jameswilliamogle

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2009, 09:17:21 AM »
For the title, the Dragonfire Adept can give awesome BC, right out of the box, and requires no equipment to start rolling. 

But as for Cleric or Psion stuff, the advice given is pretty spot-on. 

I recommend not playing a Cleric to fill this role, though, as you'll be going against the grain of the class, so-to-speak, and will be fighting an uphill battle.

BowenSilverclaw

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2009, 09:20:43 AM »
Druids have some solid options, as do Psions, but I think the DFA might actually be the most fun.

YMMV ofcourse :)
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ErhnamDJ

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2009, 10:21:02 AM »

Cleric could fill the roll, if you could use spell points. That would allow you to cast domain spells more than once per day. Try and use that if you want to go with the cleric option. Any idea what the rest of the party is looking like? Or, you know, you could play the spell to power erudite...

juton

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2009, 11:42:47 AM »
I'd vote Druid if you can choose a new animal companion as you level. Using a Bear for battlefied control isn't really on par with the wizard's options but you have your own casting and wildshape.

If you have access to Spell Compendium it is full of great Druid spells. My two favourites are Listening Lorecall for Blindsense, latter Blindsight and Murderous mist which is like fogcloud except if they fail a reflex save they're permanently blinded.

Midnight_v

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2009, 11:46:30 AM »
What about if we could make him gargantuan? :smirk
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woodenbandman

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2009, 12:15:17 PM »
You know, a knockdown/knockback war hulk with a skillful weapon can be pretty boss. If you make it to level 4 of war hulk you can knock everything in front of you back 20 feet or more, trip them, knock them into their other allies, thusly tripping those allies (with shock trooper), you can bull rush them in different directions, you can disarm and grapple in a pinch, you can use rocks as ranged weapons... You're surprisingly versatile, really. If you can get a skillful weapon, go for full warhulk and get teleported into the center of enemies and whirling storm them all over the battlefield.

You don't have quite as many fun tricks as a spellcaster, but nearly every combat option outside of feinting is viable to you, and you can rock out with intimidate as well. Throw in Dungeoncrasher and you're one of the party's damage dealers, featuring attacks at, like, +45 to hit each dealing 2d6+1-1/2 strength mod, with the option to knock the enemies into the wall as a free action upon finishing your final attack, and deal 6d6 more damage. You can even do this against a single enemy multiple times in a round! Knockback: It solves everything.

It does limit your racial choice to pretty much 2 options: Half-Ogre, and Goliath. If you tried hard you could find some other choices, but none quite so good. Each one of these has a dreaded Level Adjustment, so be prepared for that, but God, this is a really cool build. It's probably one of the most versatile melee builds there is.

McPoyo

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2009, 03:38:53 PM »
Figured I'd chime in with this for anything cleric based. You might want to consider Close Wounds (SpC 48) as an early form of Revivify. Close range, Immediate action level 2 Cleric spell that "prevents" damage that was just dealt to a character from occuring. Including keeping them alive if they would have been taken to -10 or lower. It's a relatively low amount (1d4 + cl, caps at a +5), but it's one of those spells I consider a must-have for clerics who know their party is going into dangerous fights, especially if the DM is stingy with loot/money, since it's saved the cost of a Raise Dead several times in my experiences.

Might be worth looking into, though YMMV.
[Spoiler]
A gygaxian dungeon is like the world's most messed up game show.

Behind door number one: INSTANT DEATH!
Behind door number 2: A magic crown!
Behind door number 3: 4d6 giant bees, and THREE HUNDRED POUNDS OF HONEY!
They don't/haven't, was the point. 3.5 is as dead as people not liking nice tits.

Sometimes, their tits (3.5) get enhancements (houserules), but that doesn't mean people don't like nice tits.

Though sometimes, the surgeon (DM) botches them pretty bad...
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Nine for Mortal Monks doomed to die,
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[/spoiler]

Wih

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2009, 05:32:52 AM »
If you're wanting crowd control, Archivist would probably be the best magic-based bet; allowing you theoretically your pick of all of those lists of spells...but a non-magic idea that could be tried would be combining a Reach Weapon, Combat Reflexes, feats to generate extra aoo's (perhaps Improved Trip, Mage Slayer, Supernatural opportunist, Robilar's Gambit/Karmic Strike etc etc) with the Warmind's Sweeping Strike - the build will, however peak at 10th level once Sweeping Strike is gained. While I'd personally go with Crusader, that's not an option in this case...Knight is another decent bet for melee crowd control.

And I'll second "Close Wounds" - in the last game I GMed the party Cleric//Warblade saved the party a fair amount of Raise Dead/Reincarnate spells with it.
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Endarire

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2009, 05:46:06 AM »
I appreciate y'all's aid.  Close wounds is definitely worth keeping.
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

Endarire

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2009, 06:14:33 AM »
So far, Cloistered Cleric calls to me.  Ice patch and haboob provide crowd control similar to a Wizard for spell levels 1 and 3, but what about CC spells for other levels?

Also, what are your comments on this level plan?  (All domain stats are from here.)

BUILD #1: LG Male Human or Strongheart Halfling Cloistered Cleric of Cyndor (Knowledge, Time, and Travel Domains)7/Divine Disciple (Destiny Domain)5/Contemplative (Travel Devotion & Protection Domain)6/Cloistered Cleric+2

Notes: Eagle's splendor at level 3 grants me 2 brief turning attempts, allowing me to fuel DMM.  I become a native outsider at level 12 which becomes even more uber if someone in my party has polymorph.

-=LEGEND=-
Specific Feat
[Class Feature or Bonus Feat]
{Trait or Flaw}

1: [Domains: Knowledge, Time, Travel], [Domain Spontaneity: Travel], Extend Spell, [Improved Initiative], [Lore], Persistent Spell, [Spontaneous curer], [Turn Undead]
3: Divine Metamagic: Persistent
6: Extra Turning OR Quicken Spell
9: Divine Metamagic: Quicken OR Quicken Spell
11: [Domain: Destiny]
12: Divine Metamagic: Quicken OR Extra Turning, [transcendence]
13: [Devotion: Travel], [Divine Health]
15: Extra Turning
18: [Domain: Protection], Extra Turning

BUILD #2: LG Male Human or Strongheart Halfling Cloistered Cleric of Cyndor (Knowledge, Time, and Travel Domains)4/Church Inquisitor1/Divine Disciple (Destiny Domain)5/Contemplative (Travel Devotion & Protection Domain)10

Notes: Divine Metamagic: Heighten allows me to qualify for Divine Disciple at level 6, and combined with mystic lash (Magic of Faerun 109), I can power Storm Bolt all day.  (I know mystic lash is an {Evil] spell. I don't need to cast it, just have it prepared.  There's nothing against it in the rules, so nyah.)

-=LEGEND=-
Specific Feat
[Class Feature or Bonus Feat]
{Trait or Flaw}

1: Divine Metamagic: Heighten, [Domains: Knowledge, Time, Travel], [Domain Spontaneity: Travel], Heighten Spell, [Improved Initiative], [Lore], [Spontaneous curer], [Turn Undead: Destroy Undead Variant]
3: Extra Turning
5: [Inquisition Domain]
6: Storm Bolt
9: [Domain: Destiny], Quicken Spell
10: [Native Outsiderhood!]
11: [Divine Health], [travel Devotion]
12: Craft Contingent Spell OR Divine Metamagic: Quicken, [Slippery Mind]
15: Craft Contingent Spell OR Divine Metamagic: Quicken, [Poison Immunity]
16: [Domain: Protection]
18: Extra Turning
19: [Timeless Body]

BUILD #3: LG Male Human or Strongheart Halfling Cloistered Cleric of Cyndor (Knowledge, Time, and Travel Domains)4/Church Inquisitor1/Cloistered Cleric+2/Divine Disciple (Destiny Domain)5/Contemplative (Travel Devotion & Protection Domain)6/Cloistered Cleric+2

Notes: Divine Metamagic: Quicken is so I can lay the smack down of two BCs per turn.

I'm leaning toward this build because with an Incantatrix with Persistent Spell in the group, Divine Metamagic: Persistent seems less important.

-=LEGEND=-
Specific Feat
[Class Feature or Bonus Feat]
{Trait or Flaw}

1: [Devotion: Knowledge - Knowledge (planes)], Divine Metamagic: Quicken, [Domains: Time, Travel], [Domain Spontaneity: Travel], [Improved Initiative], [Lore], Quicken Spell, [Spontaneous curer], [Turn Undead: Destroy Undead Variant]
3: Extra Turning OR Yondalla's Sense
5: [Domain: Inquisition]
6: Extra Turning OR Yondalla's Sense
9: Quicken Spell
11: [Domain: Destiny]
12: Craft Contingent Spell OR Extra Turning OR Yondalla's Sense, [Native Outsiderhood!]
13: [Devotion: Travel], [Divine Health]
15: Extra Turning OR Yondalla's Sense, [Poison Immunity]
16: [Domain: Protection]
18: Extra Turning OR Yondalla's Sense

Skills for any Build
-Maxed Concentration - I wish to be cautious.
-Diplomacy 5 - Divine Disciple
-Knowledge (arcana)X - Maxed for Cloistered Cleric
-Knowledge (dungeoneering)1 - For Knowledge Devotion
-Knowledge (nature)X - Maxed for Cloistered Cleric
-Maxed Knowledge (planes) - Summoning
-Maxed Knowledge (religion) - Duh.
-Speak Language {while practical}[spoiler=Languages Learned in this Order]Base: Common, Draconic || SL: Auran, Celestial, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan, Terran, Ignan, Infernal, Abyssal, Aquan[/spoiler]
-Maxed Spellcraft - IDing spells and prereqs
-Survival 5 - Self-sufficiency and synergy
-Tumble 1/2 - So I can use it

Skill Tricks
-Collector of Stories
« Last Edit: January 20, 2009, 06:54:34 PM by Endarire »
Hood - My first answer to all your build questions; past, present, and future.

Speaking of which:
Don't even need TO for this.  Any decent Hood build, especially one with Celerity, one-rounds [Azathoth, the most powerful greater deity from d20 Cthulu].
Does it bug anyone else that we've reached the point where characters who can obliterate a greater deity in one round are considered "decent?"

pfooti

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2009, 04:05:14 PM »
A very nice list, thanks for that EE. I'm starting an Archivist for an upcoming campaign, so having a list of obscure domain and druid spells that help cover the GOD roles is great. My DM is willing to work with me on item availability, as long as I play along with side-quests and keep my diplomacy up to speed, so access to the spells shouldn't be too hard.

One thing I've found in looking at DMM:Persist clerics is that they're usually pretty vulnerable to dispel magic shenanigans. I actually prefer DMM:Quicken for that reason, but it's a very DM-specific thing. Actually, looking at your build goals, I'm not altogether convinced you even want DMM:persist. Crowd-controlling GODs don't really need to persist things, they need to quicken them in order to get them out sooner. The saved feats (and turn attempts) can go to things like extra-useful metamagic feats. Stuff like Fell Drain or Fell Weaken can be pretty neat.

wO-_-OdrOw

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Re: How can I be an effecive crowd controller without arcane spells?
« Reply #15 on: January 20, 2009, 06:48:49 PM »
Taking the Dragonborn of Bahamut (RoD) template, choosing Heart (the breath weapon), and combining it with Entangling Exhalation (RoD), the feat, would give you a nice battlefield control shtick at early levels, and would probably shine in this mysterious imprisonment starting area without items. To be honest, I just skimmed this thread, but Undeath Domain is always nice if you can say you're 'deityless'. Another very useful domain ability is the +4 to Dispel checks. Dispelling things is always useful.
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