Author Topic: Iron Heroes  (Read 2406 times)

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CannibalSmith

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Iron Heroes
« on: February 11, 2009, 11:34:53 AM »
Anyone have any experience with this 3e derivative? I'm looking for general advice, but also how to optimize the Arcanist class.

Magic in this system weak and unreliable - there are only a couple of spells, and you have about 20% chance to explode every time you cast a spell. As far as I've read, the most powerful schools are Transmutation because of Polymorph and Necromancy because there are no material components to making undead, and the mishap is mild. The spells of other schools have mishaps that are too severe for the potential benefit. There seems to be no way to optimize the mishap chance away.

The Challenges and Stunts system largely ignores magic for you can use them only in melee.

Tactics of the Mind is a must have for any arcanist for it allows you to use your Int on attack rolls with your Eldritch Dart (the other aspects of power are mostly nonsense).

Silent Wayfarer

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2009, 11:45:55 AM »
Hmm. I'd say magic is still pretty damn powerful in this setting, just that, like you said, it's not very reliable and horribly limited. Enchantment, for instance, will let you mindrape hostile gangs of people into friendlies into one cast and there's almost no mental defenses in this game. There's an amusing trick where the level 1 Aspect of Power that lets you gain +20 to jump checks can be combined with a Jump skill challenge to deny your opponent his active defense bonus every round. Can you say, neverending sneak attacks? :D

I built a ToTM Berserker 1 / Man At Arms 11 / Arcanist 7 / WM 1 who used a combination of Weapon Bond, Tactics of the Mind and the Cleave feat tree to basically kill everyone and everything in an 80 foot line every round. Styled him as a dead-eyes berserker who was also a brilliant tactician when he wasn't Carving the Crimson Road through his enemies.

CannibalSmith

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2009, 04:49:49 AM »
Executioner 1 / Arcanist 1

Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 20, Cha 10

Traits:
Weapon Bond (dagger, Wis)
Wise

Mastery Feats:
Razor Fiend 1
Two-Weapon Fighting 1
Weapon Focus (dagger) 1

Aspects of Power:
Bounding Step

Skills:
Concentration 5
Jump 5

Every Round of Combat:
1. Activate Bounding Step: +20 to Jump
2. Activate Vertical Strike (see Jump skill): target loses active defense against you
3. Sneak attack for massive damage: +6 or +4/+4 or +2/+2/+2 melee (1d4+5+1d6)

Bell

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2009, 01:41:13 PM »
Traits:
Weapon Bond (dagger, Wis)
...
Weapon Focus (dagger) 1
I realize this isn't really D&D, so maybe weapon Focus Dagger is better in this game, or more appropriate, but I can't help thinking, "I'll take Weapon Focus (Dagger) on my wizard because his dad gave him this dagger and said go fight with it, son."   :D

-I don't mean to imply that your making a mistake, because like I said, I don't know the system, and that build actually looks relatively solid if I had to judge it.  It just reminded me of that.

Silent Wayfarer

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2009, 02:53:50 PM »
Weapon Focus in IH is essentially a combination of the WF/WS/GWF/GWS feats in regular D&D. You can't really go wrong by taking it for your favored / Weapon Bonded weapon, though you might want the feats to huck into the other fighting styles. There's also no restriction on who can take it.

Bell

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2009, 02:56:08 PM »
Weapon Focus in IH is essentially a combination of the WF/WS/GWF/GWS feats in regular D&D. You can't really go wrong by taking it for your favored / Weapon Bonded weapon, though you might want the feats to huck into the other fighting styles. There's also no restriction on who can take it.

I figured it was something like that... I've just got a D&D mindset for these sort of things...

CannibalSmith

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2009, 03:24:47 PM »
My DM just pointed out that the 10 ft. vertical jump Vertical Strike requires requires a Move Action to execute. Back to the drawing board.

Silent Wayfarer

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2009, 10:34:04 PM »
You can also try the Terrorist, who stacks the Daunting Visage Aspect of Power and Infernal Glower from the Shadow Born background to get +9 to Intimidate checks before skills et al.

Then you scare the living shit out of everyone in your way. Drop him to frightened and you win.

InnaBinder

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2009, 11:24:51 PM »
Have you tried the Iron Heroes forum?  http://okayyourturn.yuku.com/forums/9
Winning an argument on the internet is like winning in the Special Olympics.  You won, but you're still retarded.

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CannibalSmith

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2009, 07:22:05 AM »
Arcanist 1 / Thief 1

Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 20

Traits:
Charismatic
Shadow Born (Infernal Glower)

Feats:
Skill Focus (Intimidate)
Overwhelming Presence 1
Devious Manipulator 1

Aspects of Power:
Daunting Visage

Skills:
Bluff 7
Concentration 7
Intimidate 7

Total Intimidate:
7 ranks + 5 Cha + 2 synergy + 3 skill focus + 4 infernal glower + 5 daunting visage = +26

Silent Wayfarer

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2009, 09:09:03 AM »
Watch them try to beat 1d20+26 with an Intimidate check/BAB check/Will save at level 2. Mind you, it only applies to ONE guy at a time.

CannibalSmith

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2009, 02:57:59 PM »
Mass Intimidate skill challenge fixes that.

Also:

Str 20, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10

Harrier 1 / Arcanist 1

Traits:
Strong

Feats:
Run
Skill Focus (Jump)

Aspects of Power:
Bounding Step

Skills:
Concentration 5
Jump 5
Tumble 5

Total Jump:
5 ranks + 5 Str + 2 synergy + 3 skill focus + 4 jump + 20 bounding step + 4 speed = +43 (+39 for high jumps)

Silent Wayfarer

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2009, 07:35:20 PM »
Not by much. The DC ramps up quickly (+2 per extra guy). So yeah.

CannibalSmith

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Re: Iron Heroes
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2009, 06:37:23 AM »
Now, for my actual build:

Arcanist 20
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 20, Wis 8, Cha 12
Traits: Intelligent, Shadow Born (Arcane Nature)
H: Skill Focus (Concentration)
1st: Tactics of the Mind 1 (Int instead of Str or Dex to attack)
2nd: Beast Mastery 1 (+1 to attack and damage against nonhumanids)
3rd: Beast Mastery 3 (increase saves against special attacks from nonhumanoids)
4th: Venom Mastery 1 (1d2 ability damage, DC 10+Int)
6th: Venom Mastery 2 (increase DC)
7th: Venom Mastery 5 (paralysis instead of ability damage)
8th:
10th: Tactics of the Mind 5 (+Int to AC)
12th:
13th: Venom Mastery 8 (increase DC)
14th:
16th: Tactics of the Mind 9 (+Int to damage)
17th:
18th:
20th:
Schools: Transmutation pirmary, Necromancy secondary, Illusion tertiary
Aspects of Power: Eldritch Dart, Bounding Step, Wound Mending, Greater Eldritch Dart, Greater Wound Mending

It seems Venom Mastery 5 is all I need from that tree. Paralysis is a save or die, which is positively better than, say, 1d6 Con damage. With the exception of dragons, all the creatures in the SRD that are immune to paralysis are immune to poison altogether.

What other feat tree should I pick up?