Author Topic: Dwarfy Goodness help requested  (Read 6117 times)

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Vidar

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Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« on: August 06, 2008, 05:14:39 PM »
 So in a few months a new campaign begins. People who know me, know how obsessed I am about dwarfs, yet due to party-duties not filled up, or a very slippery mind, I never played one, eventhough there's so much dwarfyness I'd like to see in play. Thus I have decided to make the dwarfiest dwarf to ever dwarf the world.
I prayed to the dice gods when I rolled my 5d6 streak to give me good stats so I can make any dwarf build work. The Dice Gods favored me, as I threw 18/18/18/17/16/16, my Friend Gawain promptly asked me to roll his too, but he ain't playing a dwarf :pout .
I feel like playing something NOT reach/battlefield control, as my two latest characters already do that.
I have been thinking about something like Barb5/battlerager5/reaping mauler5/deepwarden2, maybe  Swordsage 2 (unarmed strike and wis which I need for will saves and reaping mauler) and very maybe bloodclaw master.

My DM allowed for barbarian as favored class (she even forced it, after a while), any books and flaws. But then again, I don't feel like "breaking the game" (not that I will with the build so far) since it's her first.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

EDIT: Ok, another option crossed my mind since we finally started looking into incarnum. How do I rolled a totemist?
I totally have no experience with the totemist what so ever, but I'm looking into it. Could I get some advice from people with a little more idea about the mechanics?
« Last Edit: December 27, 2008, 08:46:30 PM by Vidar »

Cyrocloud

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2008, 05:32:54 PM »
First things first Reaping Mauler is a trap and should be avoided with a 10 ft pole at all possible times (this is due to the fact that it actually makes you worse at grappleing.).

So now is time for basic questions what books do you have, what level are you starting at, are you specifically looking to be a grappler or just avoiding the battlefield control thing?

If you want to be a grapple monkey switching out reaping mauler with bear warrior or FB would help.  I'm not to fammiliar on battlerager, so I'll check some stuff up and get you some more accurate help.

Vidar

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #2 on: August 06, 2008, 05:46:53 PM »
Well, I thought the Reaping Mauler seemed fluffy enough to get in there, but I'll take your word for it.
No, I'm not THAT specifically looking for a grappler and yes, I am just avoiding BF control.  :D

Battlerager is a dwarf PRC from players guide to faerun: 5 levels with rage progression (+3/day), some grappling feats and nothing spectacular extra, but still fun (as in flavor).

I have acces to most books, I can't name any I haven't access to.

archangel.arcanis

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2008, 06:03:05 PM »
well this is what i did just for silliness in a game i was in.

4D

Dwarf Ftr4 (or any full bab melee class you want really)/Sorc 1/Dragon Deciple (must take 1st lvl of Dw.D before lvl 10 here)10/Dwarven Defender 5+

you need a decent int or a base class with good skillpionts to get it all in. Use Dr.D. to get a better str and extra castings of some utility spell. Dw.D. gets you more stat boosts but you cant move until you get into epic.  It is by no means optimized but can be very fun to play and gives you some good stat boosts. You can easily have a str in the 30s with no magic items or wishes by upper levels.

Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

AndyJames

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2008, 06:13:15 PM »
You might as well be Wildshape Ranger 1/Duskblade 1/Fighter 2/Barbarian 1/DD 10/Bear Warrior x or Duskblade 5/DD10/Battlerager x for the simplest.

Wildshape Ranger gives you +10ft unnamed bonus to movement. Barbarian gives you another +10ft.
Fighter gives you 2 feats.
Barbarian gives you Rage, which is a prerequisite for BW.
Duskblade gives you the spontaneous spellcasting prerequisite for DD.
BW gives you bear form for tasty +Str-ness.

Vidar

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2008, 06:13:40 PM »
Sadly, the dwarven defender is a defensive build without mobility, so the only way to get into combat is having reach, which is a nono. Maybe a dwarf dervish...  :P But that doesn't look dwarfy, does it?

Flash_Plasma

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #6 on: August 06, 2008, 06:34:14 PM »
Earth Dwarf nets you +2 Str and Con to boost your 2 18s, and -2 Dex and Cha won't hurt at all. Add dragonborn and that's +4 con. The only thing you really lose is the +2 saves vs spells and spell-like effects as an Earth dwarf, though dragonborn would strip everything else and give nice bonuses in return. Hell add the Feral template and you've got the dwarven equivalent of a barrel full of razorwire and railroad spikes with thirteen sticks of TNT strapped to it.

Survivor from savage species as a PrC might be interesting, over 5 levels you get improved evasion/uncanny dodge and DR 5/- at level 5 which can be bumped to 6/- with the greater resiliency feat, add that to dwarven defender for DR 12/-.

Vidar

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2008, 08:38:40 PM »
Earth Dwarf nets you +2 Str and Con to boost your 2 18s, and -2 Dex and Cha won't hurt at all. Add dragonborn and that's +4 con. The only thing you really lose is the +2 saves vs spells and spell-like effects as an Earth dwarf, though dragonborn would strip everything else and give nice bonuses in return. Hell add the Feral template and you've got the dwarven equivalent of a barrel full of razorwire and railroad spikes with thirteen sticks of TNT strapped to it.

Survivor from savage species as a PrC might be interesting, over 5 levels you get improved evasion/uncanny dodge and DR 5/- at level 5 which can be bumped to 6/- with the greater resiliency feat, add that to dwarven defender for DR 12/-.
Great advise, all in all, but again: the DwDef doesn't allow for much movement, since his key ability forces you to stay at one position, and if you don't occupy 10x10 or 15x15 ft, with somewhere between 10-50 ft range, the opponents will easily ignore me and slaughter that which I'm supposed to defend.

I'll ask if I'm allowed to go for feral though, since the idea of a feral earth dwarf pleases me very much.

Edit: I've checked survivor out. Imp uncanny is nice, but I think it's easy to get it without this class, so it's actually two things less worth it. d6: doesn't bother me THAT much, but still, that's potentially alot less hp.
0 BaB: that's scary... Maybe I'm not seeing what you had in mind with it, so do tell.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2008, 08:45:10 PM by Vidar »

Flash_Plasma

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2008, 09:25:39 PM »
Survivor issues: this is what comes of not paying close enough attention to the class :D

If you're allowed the feral template you may want to pick up an amulet of mighty fists and focus on claw attacks what with all the rake/rend/rapidstrike nastiness



AndyJames

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #9 on: August 06, 2008, 09:30:02 PM »
Rapid Strike has type restrictions. Dwarves (even Feral Dwarves) can't get it, I think.

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2008, 12:20:46 AM »
You seemed to like unarmed striking and barbarian:

Level 1 Lion Totem Cityscape Whirling Frenzy Barbarian
Level 2 Wolf Totem Cityscape Whirling Frenzy Barbarian

That would give you:
Imp Unarmed Strike
TWF: Unarmed only
Pounce
Imp. Trip (always fun and you don't have to take Combat Expertise! Don't forget to use the Muscle-Bound trait from UA.)

Go into FotF for all of its goodies and then Deepwarden for the same. Fill in the rest with whatever you want to do, but this is a decent set up. Trance + Whirling Frenzy will give you some nice in-combat stat boosts and you could build around mobility and massing swings/upping unarmed damage. Grab a Monk's Belt, etc. Dwarves punch people...



« Last Edit: August 07, 2008, 12:25:38 AM by MFLABIAS »
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Blade2718

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2008, 12:48:04 AM »
You're playing the tank?  Ranger 8/Deepwarden 2/Hammer of Moradin 10.

carnivore

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #12 on: August 07, 2008, 08:13:13 AM »
You're playing the tank?  Ranger 8/Deepwarden 2/Hammer of Moradin 10.
excellent, but i would adjust like this:

Ranger 4/ Cleric 4/ Fist of the Forest 1/ Deepwarden 2/ Hammer of Moradin 9

Domains:Dwarf,Wrath or Earth








 :D

AndyJames

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #13 on: August 07, 2008, 08:27:24 AM »
Does FotF lose the Con to AC thing in armour?

carnivore

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #14 on: August 07, 2008, 08:41:24 AM »
Does FotF lose the Con to AC thing in armour?
yes.... but with Bracers of Armor, and a Monks Belt... he is ready to go

he gains:

Wis to AC ..... Monk Belt
2x Con to AC .... FoF, Deepwarden
Armor bonus from Bracers

with Wis 14 and Con 18 ...... and +4 bracers of Armor ...... he gets AC 24.... while appearing Unarmored .... this is only a modest amount, but when optimized..... can easily get AC 35+ by 10th lvl

 :D

Vidar

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #15 on: August 07, 2008, 09:47:22 AM »
Does FotF lose the Con to AC thing in armour?
yes.... but with Bracers of Armor, and a Monks Belt... he is ready to go

he gains:

Wis to AC ..... Monk Belt
2x Con to AC .... FoF, Deepwarden
Armor bonus from Bracers

with Wis 14 and Con 18 ...... and +4 bracers of Armor ...... he gets AC 24.... while appearing Unarmored .... this is only a modest amount, but when optimized..... can easily get AC 35+ by 10th lvl

 :D

I doubt that you get wis to ac because of the belt, our gaming group rules otherwise, anyway.
I could very well play the tank, but not the 'tank that enlarges and takes a reach weapon to stop everything that even tries to scratch his butt.' I would like the gruff attitude, though.

AndyJames

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #16 on: August 07, 2008, 09:56:41 AM »
That is just not right. If you are not allowed to take Wis +1 to AC for Monk's Belt, then I'd got for a super Str build and just hammer things into the ground.

Earth Dwarf Wildshape Ranger 1/Lion Totem Barbarian 1/Duskblade 1/Fighter 2/Dragon Disciple 10/Greenstar Adept 4/Bear Warrior 1

Your Will save would be respectable. Your Fort save is in the order of insane. Your Ref save would suck, but that is what base Con of 22 is for.

Str 18 +2 racial +10 class (or 12, I can't recall if GSA gives +2 or +4 at level 4) = 30
Dex 18 -2 racial -2 class = 14
Con 17 +2 racial +2 class = 22
Int 16 +2 class = 18
Wis 18
Cha 16 -2 racial +2 class = 16

You'd have Rage, Pounce, +20ft movement, bear shape, 2 bonus feats, +4 natural AC, 3 natural attacks, fly speed, immunity to 1 energy type of your choice, immunity to paralysis and sleep, low-light vision, darkvision (120ft?) and DR 4/adamantine.

This is not even vaguely optimised, but it would be fun.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2008, 10:01:28 AM by AndyJames »

Vidar

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #17 on: August 07, 2008, 11:03:54 AM »
 How about Swordsage2/barb4/deepwarden2/Battlerager5/Bloodclaw Master5/FoF1-3 ?
Feral earth dwarf, ofcourse. I'm not certain about the stub, of even if there's a faster way to get into a prc. Maybe bearwarrior 1 or 2!

Silly me, that's an unarmored build, and Battleragers use armor spikes and what not. Any ideas if this class is still useable as such?
« Last Edit: August 07, 2008, 11:35:28 AM by Vidar »

Vidar

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #18 on: August 07, 2008, 12:45:18 PM »
Feral Dwarf
Str 18+4=22
dex 17-2=15
con 18+4=22
int 16-4=12
wis 18+2=20
cha 16-2=14
1.Swordsage 1, unarmed variant: Improved unarmed Strike, greater fortitude, Weapon Focus(unarmed), flaw:TWF
2.Barbarian 1
3.Bbn2: Power Attack
4.BBn3
5.SS2
6.Fist ot Forest1: Endurance
7.Bloodclaw Master1
8.BCM2
9.BCM3: Cleave
10.BCM4
11.Deepwarden1: Track
12.Deepwarden2: imp. natural?
13.Bearwarrior1
14.Battlerager1
15.BR2:close quarter fighting, feat?
16.BR3:Improved unarmed->retrain?
17.BR4:great cleave, reckless offensive
18.BR5:feat?
19.?
20.?

This is what I have so far, SS for the first lvl for some skills, I'll have to cross class knowledge dungeoneering, so it takes a while before I'll get into Deepwarden. I didn't take earth dwarf, that way my dex won't fall under 15 and I'll be able to take TWF for the bloodclaw master.

GawainBS

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Re: Dwarfy Goodness help requested
« Reply #19 on: August 07, 2008, 12:50:38 PM »
You can't retrain Improved Unarmed, since it's a bonus feat. Maybe if you brown-nose a lot with our DM, you might pull it off. :p
Depending on your levels of SS, taking Superior Unarmed Strike could be better than Improved Natural Attack. Both, however, is certainly doable.