Okay, I'm trying to come up with something cool to submit for
pfooti's game, and what I've decided I'd like to do is make a vagabond type of character, an outcast from society who lives in the sewers/tunnels/alleys/rooftops, hunting for prey amid the darkened twists and turns. But he's much more than your average beggar...
I'd like him to be a Shifter for a nice "semi-feral" feel to it, and then primarily Totemist for his classes (mechanically this will also open up Shifter Savagery for later: 2 size increases and double threat range on all natural weapons is gonna be very good).
The basic trick I envisage is using the Phase Cloak soulmeld and some Slippers of Spider Climbing to make him a really good climber (later on I might dip Swordsage 1 and then grab some Shadow Hand Gloves for the Spider Climb stance), combined with good stealth, so that he can sneak along roofs/ceilings before dropping onto his prey (activating Shifting and Rage as he does so), and tears them to pieces.
Ideal for that would be Battle Jump. Pfooti has said no campaign specific stuff tho, so what I'm instead looking at it is the Roof Jumper tatctical feat from Cityscape. It fits the flavour superbly and is actually pretty cool (and once I get Sphinx Claws bound to my hands I can full-attack when I drop down).
In case anyone is too lazy to follow links, here's the abilities in question:
[spoiler]
FerocityWhere most barbarians define themselves by nigh-unstoppable rage, a few streetfighters and urban warriors have mastered different techniques. By working up a surge of adrenaline, they hit just as hard, and substantially faster, than their counterparts, while dodging the inevitable counterattack.
Class: Barbarian.
Level: 1st.
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain rage, or any later improvements to that class feature, nor do you gain indomitable will.
Benefit: Once per day, the barbarian can enter a state of adrenaline-fueled fury, increasing both his physical might and his reaction time. He temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength and a +4 bonus to Dexterity, but he takes a -2 penalty on ranged attack rolls beyond short range (30 feet).
He can enter this state as an immediate action, even when flat-footed at the start of combat, so he may apply the enhanced Dexterity modifier to his initiative check.
While in a state of ferocity, the barbarian cannot use any Charisma- or Intelligence-based skills (except for Intimidate), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except item creation feats and metamagic feats. Ferocity lasts for a number of rounds equal to 4 + his Constitution modifier (if positive). The barbarian may prematurely end his state of ferocity. At the end of ferocity, he loses the ferocity modifiers and restrictions and become sickened (-2 on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks) for the duration of the current encounter (unless he is a 17th-level barbarian, at which point this limitation no longer applies). Abilities that normally render him immune to being sickened (such as the Strong Stomach feat, Cityscape 64) reduce the penalties to -1, but do not remove them entirely.
The barbarian can invoke ferocity only once per encounter. At 1st level he can use this ability once per day. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, he can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of six times per day at 20th level).
Greater Ferocity: At 11th level, his bonuses to Strength and Dexterity during ferocity each increase to +6. In addition, the duration of his ferocity increases to 5 + your Constitution modifier (if positive).
Shifting Stance: At 14th level, while in a state of ferocity, he gains a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class and Reflex saves.
In addition, while in a state of ferocity, the barbarian can stand from prone as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If a foe that threatens him has a base attack bonus that is 4 points or more higher than his barbarian level, however, she gains an attack of opportunity as normal. (These abilities replace indomitable will.)
Relentless Ferocity: At 17th level, the duration of his ferocity increases to 6 + his Constitution modifier (if positive), and he no longer become sickened at the end of his ferocity. In addition, the dodge bonus granted by his shifting stance ability becomes +2.
Unstoppable Ferocity: At 20th level, the barbarian's bonuses to Strength and Dexterity during ferocity each increase to +8.
Roof-DwellerThose who grow up on the streets of the city are often equally at home above the streets, where the rooftops provide an unseen highway.
Class: Barbarian.
Level: 1st.
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain fast movement.
Benefit: The barbarian gains Roofwalker (Cityscape 63) as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Additionally, as of 6th level, he need not meet the prerequisites for the Roof-Jumper feat (Cityscape 62) if he chooses to take it, though it is not a bonus feat; the barbarian must still spend a feat slot to acquire it.
Skilled City-DwellerThe various wilderness-oriented skills are valuable indeed, but make less sense -- and may prove less useful -- for an urban character.
Class: Any class that has one or more of the "skills replaced," as listed below, on its list of class skills.
Level: 1st.
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the "skills replaced" as listed below.
Benefit: The skilled city-dweller gains one or more skills as class skills, at the expense of other skills. If she does not have the proper skill to lose, she cannot gain the skill it grants as an urban benefit.
Note that she need not swap out all these skills. A skilled city-dweller may pick and choose, but she cannot later change her mind.
Skilled City-DwellerSkill Gained Skill Replaced
Gather Information Handle Animal
Knowledge (local) Knowledge (nature)
Sense Motive Survival
Tumble Ride
[/spoiler]
So, my first idea is:
Shifter (Longtooth)
Barbarian 1 Cobalt Rage, Extra Rage, Longtooth Elite, Roofwalker (B)
(Ferocity, Roofdweller and Skilled City Dweller variants from
Cityscape WE)
Totemist 1
Totemist 2 Multiattack
Totemist 3
Totemist 4
------------------------------------------------
Totemist 5 Roof-Jumper
Totemist 6
Totem Rager 1
Totem Rager 2 Shifter Savagery
Totem Rager 3
Totem Rager 4
Totem Rager 5 Shifter Multiattack (retrain normal multiattack to Healing Factor)
Totem Rager 6
Totem Rager 7
Totem Rager 8 Feat?
Totem Rager 9
Totem Rager 10
Totemist 7 Feat?
Totemist 8
Totemist 9
@ pfooti1. Shifters appear in MM3, so they're core. However, could I use a couple of things from Races of Eberron as well? (Namely, the Longtooth Elite and Shifter Savagery feats)
2. Can I use the
Ferocity and Roof-Dweller Barbarian Variants (and count it as Rage for feat/PrC prereqs?)? Note that it means no Lion Totem (tho I will be shaping Sphinx Claws for pounce later on).
3. Does the Death from Above use of the Roof-Jumper feat require an action in your opinion? The text doesn't state it does, but I'm not sure if that's an oversight (be warned, if it just triggers whenever I drop down then I can use Blink Shirt to teleport myself 20 ft. upwards and then drop straight down
).
If the material is okay then I quite like the character tbh
What I'm looking for:1. General comments/suggestions? I'm quite open to changes.
2. Suggestions for melds to shape/bind? I'm pretty new to Incarnum, everything I know about it is theoretical. So far I'm thinking of starting with Phase Cloak (for the climb bonuses) and Blink Shirt (to get me up into high places), otherwise I'm not sure - once I get Sphinx Claws bound for pounce I'll need to start shaping as many natural attacks as possible, but until then I can happily use a normal weapon.
3. Anyway to get more feats? With some more Shifter feats to play with I can do some cool natural weapon stuff, and also get more shifts per day.
4. Any other way to get a climb speed? Spider Climb ideally. The Slippers will use up almost half my wealth. Warlock for Spider Walk one option, but I don't like the idea of losing meldshaping levels.
5. Anyway to get some stealth onto this? I'm considering a level of Monk (Wis to AC and Hide/MS as class skills). I really want him to be sneaky, but I also want maxed out Meldshaper level...
I really REALLY like the concept, and I think it would be great fun to play, but the climb speed and stealth are causing me difficulty, so now I throw myself at the mercy of my brethren for help improving this.
EDIT - if needs be Potions of Spider Climb would serve me pretty well. So it's mostly stealth issues I'm hitting a wall with.