Optimizing a Succubus

[BenTheJester]

Now that you all cringed at the idea of min/maxing a 6HD 6LA creature, I need some help.



I have been thinking about this for a while, and I have a DM who will let me do it.

I will be using the Succubus class progression from Savage Species(that nets me more SLA than normal Succubus, and I've discussed with my DM to have a few minor upgrades like increasing my claw damage to 1d6 at level 6, 1d8 at level 8, giving me a 1d4 sting(from her tail) level 10 + poison from it at level 12. The poison will probably be something like Injury DC ~16 1d4/2d4 wisdom damage).

I will be Lawful Evil, an alignment change I have explained thoroughly in her background.

I might be using a modified of Vow of Poverty, refluffed "Vow of Vanity", with which I spend all my money on useless luxuries(got the idea from a post at GITP) and getting Vile feats instead of Exalted feats. You optimisers are probably crying by now



I'm planning on going Succubus 12/Monk 2/Hexblade 3/Paladin of Tyranny 3.

That would put my insanely high charisma to good use.
Monk gets me Evasion(and improved grapple)
Hexblade gets me Mettle and Arcane Resistance
Paladin of Tyranny gets me Divine Grace and Aura of Despair

So I would get(amongst other things):
- Incredible AC from VoP and Succubus
- 12/10/12 saves
- +3 to all saving throws from VoP
- Evasion(full save on "reflex half" on a successful save)
- Mettle(full save on "will/fort half" on a successful save)
- Divine Grace(+cha to saves)
- Arcane Resistance(+cha to resist spells/SLA)
- Spell Resistance
- Immunity to lightning/poison
- Resistance to Cold/Acid/Fire 10
- DR 10/good or cold iron


Any thoughts on that, or on how my last 8 levels could be spent?
How about feats?
(Please take note that I only get 3 feats for my first 12 levels(1, 4 and 10)).

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Splash one level of Battle dancer (dragComp) for cha to AC.

[Salt_Crow]

Why don't you fit in a level of Marshal or two? Your party members would love you to death if they haven't already.

Nevertheless, having heavy focus on defence and hardly any ability to quickly dispatch enemies seem too far away from 'optimisation' though Unless of course, it's a gestalt Knight or something then it'd be more viable as a party tank.

[veekie]

If you could get in some spontaneous arcane casting, you could also use Ascetic Mage to add your Cha to AC...

[PhaedrusXY]

Just one level of a psionic class + Practiced Manifester + Metamorphic Transfer can get you Su abilities via items that allow you to cast Alter Self/Polymorph/etc. This will let you turn into any Outsider (or most other creature types) of your HD or less starting as soon as you can take your first non-racial class level, and use the supernatural abilities of these forms three times per day. Most Su abilities have their DCs keyed off Charisma. You could work this in with some of the other suggestions.

Su abilities you can assume also include things like the Nymph's Cha to AC and saves, which last for as long as you stay in that form.

Of course, you could also just UMD a staff of Shapechange later, but this is available sooner and more cheaply.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Also, shouldn't you have DR/good, not DR/evil?

[EjoThims]

Swap Monk for Battledancer, and Hexblade for something that is better. And why 3 Paladin? Just leave it at 2 for the saves, then pick up another level of something else (Feat Rogue would be tasty for skill points).

[ninjarabbit]

I'd actually go marshal8. Really a succbus is too squishy to be a tank, losses too many levels to be a caster, and doesn't get enough skill points to be a skillmonkey. So your only real option is to be a support charcter who stays out of the thick of things.

Feats: Fly-by attack, double draconic aura (marshal major auras count as draconic auras), knowledge devotion, point blank shot, rapid shot

Minor auras: motivate charisma, motivate dexerity (this includes initative checks), motivate intellegence, determined caster

Major auras: motivate attack, motivate ardor

[sonofzeal]

I'd actually go marshal8. Really a succbus is too squishy to be a tank, losses too many levels to be a caster, and doesn't get enough skill points to be a skillmonkey. So your only real option is to be a support charcter who stays out of the thick of things.

Feats: Fly-by attack, double draconic aura (marshal major auras count as draconic auras), knowledge devotion, point blank shot, rapid shot

Minor auras: motivate charisma, motivate dexerity (this includes initative checks), motivate intellegence, determined caster

Major auras: motivate attack, motivate ardor

I'd go Marshal2/Bard1/DivineMind5, with the full Regalia of the Hero if you can afford it.  Then just get yourself a cohort or a magebred warbeast mount, and buff away!

[BenTheJester]

Sorry I didn't listen to most of your advice, but I've settled on Succubus 12/Fiend of Possession 6/Paladin of Tyranny 2.
(Although I might replace Paladin with Marshal 1/Cleric 1, Cleric for the insane amount of turning I get, to fuel Divine Feats)
I'll definately have the Mark of Nessus feat, which forces enemy to succeed a charisma based will save to be able to target me.


My problem now is finding good equipment.
Cloak of Charisma +6, Vest of Resistance, Ring of Evasion are given.
I'll probably have a Stunning Surge weapon too.

I'd need something that conceals my alignment.
Is an amulet of the planes a good buy, being an outsider?

What else do I need?

[Emy]

Sorry I didn't listen to most of your advice, but I've settled on Succubus 12/Fiend of Possession 6/Paladin of Tyranny 2.
(Although I might replace Paladin with Marshal 1/Cleric 1, Cleric for the insane amount of turning I get, to fuel Divine Feats)
I'll definately have the Mark of Nessus feat, which forces enemy to succeed a charisma based will save to be able to target me.


My problem now is finding good equipment.
Cloak of Charisma +6, Vest of Resistance, Ring of Evasion are given.
I'll probably have a Stunning Surge weapon too.

I'd need something that conceals my alignment.
Is an amulet of the planes a good buy, being an outsider?

What else do I need?

A Mask of Lies would give you continuous undetectable alignment, as well as a Bluff bonus that might come in handy as a demon.

[Ivory Knight]

A Ring of Mind shielding(SRD or DMG, 8.000gp) would also conceal your Alignment. Plus it makes immune to detect thoughts and discern lies

BTW: Make that Cleric 1 into Cloistered Cleric 1 and gain: Knowledge Domain or Devotion, 6+Int Skillpoints, some Spells and Lore(Pseudobardic Knowledge^^). You only loose 1-2 Hitpoints(d6 vs. d8) and don't care about BaB-Progression anyways.