Author Topic: EBUMPS (Elan Beholder Ultimate Magus Planar Shepherd) - Because My Friend Asked  (Read 4479 times)

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Endarire

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NOTE:  This build requires a very liberal interpretation of polymorph any object and a DM willing to see how far you can push the system.  The fact that you're subconsciously considering this build right now means you probably aren't able to play it.  Thowwy!

Be an Elan or another LA0 creature of the Aberration type.  Take 1 level in any class you want, though I recommend Conjurer for Abrupt Jaunt or Druid because you're durable, you have an animal companion, and it saves you a level later in the build.  Plus, you can heal yourself.  Rar.

Take 2 flaws.  I normally take Murky-Eyed and Noncombatant.  This lets you take the Assume Supernatural Ability feat.  Take Assume Supernatural Ability twice; once each for a Beholder's Antimagic Eye and its other eyebeams.  You'll probably need Mercantile Background (Player's Guide to Faerun) so you get +300G to spend.

Before hitting level 2, amass 1200 gold.  Beg, steal, borrow, or create the money.  Mercantile Background helps.

Go to a major metropolitan center like Sharn or Waterdeep.  Pay 1200 gold and find someone to cast polymorph any object on you.  Turn into a Beholder, or an Elder Orb (Lords of Madness 41) or something that passes for a True Beholder.  Thank the DM.

Become a Beholder Mage (Lords of Madness 42).  You're now an X1/Beholder Mage1.  Woohoo!  Take a moment, if you wish, to marvel at this accomplishment.  Disintegrate a support pillar in joy if you'd like.

Go X1/Beholder Mage4.  Ensure you have at least one metamagic feat.  Any metamagic feat will do.  You'll also need 4 ranks inKnowledge: Arcana and 8 ranks in Spellcraft.

Become an Ultimate Magus (Complete MageGreensinger Initiate.  Before you enter Planar Shepherd (Faiths of Eberron 105), you need 4 ranks in Knowledge: Planes, 8 ranks in Knowledge: Nature, and the Wild Shape "class feature."

After you have Druid5 (or Divine Minion or Wild Shape from another means), enter Planar Shepherd.  Ideally, you're a Planar Shepherd of Xoriat which gives you 60 (!) rounds of You Time for every round of Their Time.   If you wanted to be slightly gentler, go Dal Quor for a 10:1 turn ratio.

Get at least 5 Planar Shepherd levels for Planar Bubble.  Enjoy playing the game as if you're in Braid World 6.

After that, assuming you can fit it into 20 levels, Initiate of Mystra (cast in an antimagic field) or Dweomerkeeper4 (Supernatural Spell 1/day).

This may be the most powerful character that doesn't rely on infinite or nearly infinite loops.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2010, 12:07:24 AM 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?"

Bauglir

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Quote

How's this work? Ultimate Magus 1 is required to add to X, and you only have two levels to add to Beholder Mage, so you end up with only 6th level spells.

EDIT: Or 7th level spells, if you were a Druid. Although Ultimate Magus in that case has some caster level increases that can't add to anything, but oh well.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2010, 12:28:53 AM by Bauglir »
So you end up stuck in an endless loop, unable to act, forever.

In retrospect, much like Keanu Reeves.

X-Codes

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Just once will you please post one of these obnoxious things in the TO forum where it belongs?

OblivionSmurf83

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Also, it's easier to just be a Planar Shepherd/Hathran 1 with a dip into Archivist or Chameleon for all divine or arcane spells, respectively.

Endarire

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At certain levels, Ultimate Magus progresses both prepared and spontanous arcane casting.  Beholder Mage is both, and gets 2 levels in 1 UM level.
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?"

Bauglir

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At certain levels, Ultimate Magus progresses both prepared and spontanous arcane casting.  Beholder Mage is both, and gets 2 levels in 1 UM level.

How is it prepared? You don't prepare spells.
So you end up stuck in an endless loop, unable to act, forever.

In retrospect, much like Keanu Reeves.

OblivionSmurf83

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At certain levels, Ultimate Magus progresses both prepared and spontanous arcane casting.  Beholder Mage is both, and gets 2 levels in 1 UM level.

How is it prepared? You don't prepare spells.

Also, even with a feat allowing you to prepare spells, you don't prepare them using a Spellbook, which is what UM requires, IIRC

Endarire

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Oops.
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?"

Rebel7284

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Xoriat also works in the wrong direction.  It's 60 rounds on the material plane to one of yours. :)
Negative level on a chicken would make it a wight the next day.  Chicken the other wight meat. -borg286

Mixster

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You are still a beholder mage at level 2. Which is probably one of the most dangerous things you can be at that character level, short of Pun-Pun.
And you are likely going to have a wisdom of 18 and a cha of 16 (since you don't need any high stats in a point buy, you'll be shifting form after first level), as well as beholder stats. 10 Str, 14 dex, 18 con, 17 int.

Even without the UM trick, you still are probably the most powerful character around these parts, simply because you have the special abilities of a CR 13 monster.

If your DM allows you to play this, chances are he'll allow Pun-Pun or, mr. I have Thralls with Thralls with Thralls as well, and compared to that, the build is pretty weak.
Monks are pretty much the best designed class ever.

JaronK

Meep Meep - Mixster out

McPoyo

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At level 2, you'll be dumping every spell you can cast in a day in one round.

Then what?
[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...
Best metaphor I have seen in a long time.  I give you much fu.
Three Errata for the Mage-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Barbarian-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Monks doomed to die,
One for the Wizard on his dark throne
In the Land of Charop where the Shadows lie.
[/spoiler]

OblivionSmurf83

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McPoyo, is that criticism directed specifically at the Beholder Mage character, or any level 2 spellcaster?

McPoyo

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The level 2 beholder mage character.
[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...
Best metaphor I have seen in a long time.  I give you much fu.
Three Errata for the Mage-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Barbarian-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Monks doomed to die,
One for the Wizard on his dark throne
In the Land of Charop where the Shadows lie.
[/spoiler]

OblivionSmurf83

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But why would it dump every spell it knows in one round? It has 6 cantrips and 3 level 1 spells per round. That's not including the spells from X 1. Conversely, a Wizard 2 has 4/2. A Sorcerer has 6/4. The Beholder Mage is exactly in the middle of the pack, and is higher if you factor in the first class.

OblivionSmurf83

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Also, at level 2, it's still got 9 working eye stalks left. It's no slouch, even if it does run out of spells.

McPoyo

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That's no different than being "any class X 2" and paying for the polymorph, though, is my point.
[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...
Best metaphor I have seen in a long time.  I give you much fu.
Three Errata for the Mage-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Barbarian-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Monks doomed to die,
One for the Wizard on his dark throne
In the Land of Charop where the Shadows lie.
[/spoiler]

OblivionSmurf83

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That's true, but even restricted to spells it's got more than a Wizard of equivalent level. So, why the concern about its spellcasting ability?

Endarire

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Would the feat Arcane Preparation (Complete Arcane 73) qualify me for Ultimate Magus?
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?"

OblivionSmurf83

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Would the feat Arcane Preparation (Complete Arcane 73) qualify me for Ultimate Magus?

This is a tricky one. Arcane Preparation lets you prepare like a Wizard, but it doesn't say you prepare from a spellbook. You need some quote equating 'prepare like a Wizard' to 'memorise spells from a spellbook'. However, a Beholder Mage can already 'learn new spells as a wizard' (LoM). The question is, does this mean they learn them with a Spellbook? If so, then you're all good. If not, then Arcane Preparation won't help you.