Caelic's Build Compendium

[Caelic]

This isn't going to be anything particularly fancy or spectacular--just a collection of favorite builds I've come up with.  They're scattered all over the CO Board, and it might be nice to have them all in one place.

[Caelic]

Guardian of the Weave

The Guardian of the Weave is an Ultimate Magus build I put together a while back.  The underlying philosophy was that, rather than trying to be great at two different types of magic, I would focus on my wizard spellcasting--see how many benefits I could get in exchange for a minimum of Wizard spellcasting lost.  A devotee of Mystra, he is dedicated to mastering the most subtle aspects of magic...a quest which takes him to study the theory of Mythals with the elves.  With knowledge comes the power to defend the Weave.


Human Wizard 6/Ruathar 3/Knight of the Weave 1/Ultimate Magus 10

1. Wizard 1: Scribe Scroll, Summon Familiar, Extend Spell, Improved Initiative
2. Wizard 2
3. Wizard 3: Craft Wondrous Item
4. Wizard 4
5. Wizard 5: Spell Mastery
6. Wizard 6: Empower Spell
7. Ruathar 1: Word of Friendship, Gift of the Elves
8. Ruathar 2: Low-light vision, Elfwise
9. Ruathar 3: Star Blessing, Arvandor's Grace, Quicken Spell
10. Knight of the Weave 1: Detect Magic, Read Magic
11. Ultimate Magus 1: Arcane Spell Power +1
12. Ultimate Magus 2: Expanded Spell Knowledge (1), Signature Spell (Rary's Arcane Conversion)
13. Ultimate Magus 3: Augmented Casting
14. Ultimate Magus 4: Arcane Spell Power +2, Expanded Spell Knowledge (2)
15. Ultimate Magus 5: Persistent Spell, Extraordinary Spell Aim
16. Ultimate Magus 6: Expanded Spell Knowledge (3)
17. Ultimate Magus 7: Arcane Spell Power +3
18. Ultimate Magus 8: Expanded Spell Knowledge (4). Twin Spell
19. Ultimate Magus 9: Craft Contingent Spell
20. Ultimate Magus 10: Arcane Spell Power +4, Expanded Spell Knowledge (5)

BAB: +10/+5
Fort: +8
Ref: +8
Will: +17



Pros:  The Guardian gets a lot of benefits in exchange for a single level of Wizard spellcasting.  He winds up with 10 feats (11 if human,) better saves than a straight wizard, the same BAB, a caster level of 23, and a second set of 1st-6th level spells to fuel his many metamagic feats through Augmented Casting.  His senses are better than a normal member of his race, and he will live half again as long, which means he'll be around to enjoy his power.

Cons:  Apart from having his wizard spellcasting delayed by a level, the Guardian really doesn't have any significant drawbacks.  He does, however, rely on some FR-specific material (the Knight of the Weave and Signature Spell,) and as such, may not be appropriate for some campaigns.


Bibliography:

Complete Mage: Ultimate Magus, Rary's Arcane Conversion
Champions of Valor: Knight of the Weave
Races of the Wild: Ruathar
Player's Guide to Faerun: Signature Spell
Complete Adventurer: Extraordinary Spell Aim
Complete Arcane: Craft Contingent Spell


Credit Where Credit is Due:
The idea for using Signature Spell in conjunction with Rary's Arcane Conversion was originally suggested, I believe, by Tleilaxu Ghola.

[Tshern]

I'll be adding you to the Handy Links when I am not drunk enough to talk about my sex life. Cheers.

[Caelic]

Jimmy Locke, Master Trapsmith

Jimmy Locke is an experiment in adding versatility to a rogue build without giving up on the rogue's core competencies.


1. Rogue 1: Sneak Attack +1d6, Able Learner, Feat
2. Rogue 2: Evasion
3. Rogue 3: Sneak Attack +2d6, Trap Sense +1, Feat
4. Rogue 4: Uncanny Dodge
5. Bard 1: Bardic Music, Bardic Knowledge, Countersong, Inspire Courage +1
6. Trapsmith 1: Booby Traps (simple,) Master Disarmer, Trap Sense +2, Brew Potion
7. Trapsmith 2: Arrow Proof, Quick Fingers
8. Trapsmith 3: Booby Traps (Advanced,) Unweave, Trap Sense +3
9. Trapsmith 4: Dance Through Danger, Spellproof, Craft Wand
10. Trapsmith 5: Avoid Disaster, Trap Sense +4
11. Sublime Chord 1
12. Sublime Chord 2: Song of Arcane Power, Extra Music
13. Unseen Seer 1: Sneak Attack +3d6
14. Unseen Seer 2: Advanced Learning, Silent Spell
15. Unseen Seer 3: Divination Spell Power +1, Practiced Spellcaster (Trapsmith)
16. Unseen Seer 4: Sneak Attack +4d6
17. Unseen Seer 5: Advanced Learning, Guarded Mind
18. Unseen Seer 6: Divination Spell Power +2, Feat
19. Unseen Seer 7: Sneak Attack +5d6
20. Unseen Seer 8: Advanced Learning

BAB: +13
Fort: +4
Reflex: +10
Will: +11
Base Skill Points: 144

Pros: Overall, the character doesn't give up a lot as compared to a base Rogue. He loses 2 BAB, 2 points of Fortitude save, and a total of 16 skill points from the Rogue's base 160.  In exchange, he gains quite a bit: a slew of Trapsmith abilities, minor bardic music capability, the oh-so-nifty Trapsmith spell list (taking Craft Wand and Brew Potion to take advantage of it,) and full Sublime Chord spellcasting.

Cons: Mr. Locke has a really abysmal Fortitude save which will need to be bolstered by magic.  He does give up a substantial amount of sneak attack--5d6--but that can be compensated for through the use of spells like Hunter's Eye, Polymorph, and Nightstalker's Transformation, if sneak attack is important.  A significant number of his skill points are spoken for as entry requirements into Sublime Chord.


Bibliography:

Complete Mage: Unseen Seer
Dungeonscape: Trapsmith
Complete Arcane: Sublime Chord

[Caelic]

The Boogeyman
In all times, in all places, children have their stories of the dark figure who lurks in the shadows, ready to pounce on the unwary and drag them off. He goes by many names in many cultures, but is known to some simply as the Boogeyman. Parents, of course, always dismiss such stories with the same strengthless reassurances--there's no such thing as a Boogeyman, he's not hiding in the closet, and he's not going to eat you. The children know differently, though.

And in the city of Sharn, the children are right. There IS a Boogeyman, and he IS coming to eat your soul.

Nobody knows for sure who this creature is, or how he came to be...but he is undeniably more than childrens' stories. The dregs of the city speak of him in hushed whispers, and there are certain areas of the sewers and the low city which they avoid like the plague. These are the haunts of the Boogeyman, and those who go in do not come out again. He has worn a thousand faces, and will wear a thousand more--usually the faces of those most trusted by his victim. He lives not for the kill, but for the terror in the eyes of his chosen prey. The fear is what adds savor to his meat...and his meat is nothing less than the souls of living beings. The innocent and the wicked alike are his prey, and all who know of him fear him.

The Boogeyman is real. Pray that he's not hiding under your bed when you go to bed tonight.



Feral Changeling Rogue2/Hexblade3/Warshaper3/Soul Eater 9/Blackguard 2

1. Rogue 1: SA +1d6, Trapfinding, Alertness
2. Rogue 2: Evasion
3. Hexblade 1: Hexblade's Curse, 1/day, Power Attack
4. Hexblade 2: Arcane Resistance
5. Hexblade 3: Mettle
6. Warshaper 1: Morphic Weapons, Morphic Immunities, WF: Claw
7. Warshaper 2: Morphic Body
8. Soul Eater 1: Energy Drain 1
9. Warshaper 3: Morphic Reach, Cleave
10. Soul Eater 2: Soul Strength
11. Soul Eater 3: Soul Blast
12. Soul Eater 4: Soul Enhancement, Multiattack
13. Soul Eater 5: Soul Endurance
14. Soul Eater 6: Soul Radiance
15. Soul Eater 7: Energy Drain 2, Improved Sunder
16. Blackguard 1: Aura of Evil, Detect Good, Poison Use
17. Blackguard 2: Dark Blessing, Smite Good 1/day
18. Soul Eater 8: Soul Agility
19. Soul Eater 9: Soul Slave


STATS (28 pt buy)

STR: 10 +4 unnamed +4 enhancement=18
DEX: 10 +4 enhancement=14
CON: 16 +4 unnamed +4 enhancement=24
INT: 10
WIS: 10 +4 inherent +6 enhancement=20
CHA: 16 +5 level +5 inherent +6 enhancement=32


BAB: 18

SAVES:
FORT: 14+7+11=+32 (+43 vs. spells)
REF: 12+2+11=+25 (+36 vs. spells)
WILL: 11+5+11=+26 (+37 vs. spells)


KEY ITEMS: Tome of Charisma +5, Tome of Wisdom +4, Cloak of Charisma +6, Periapt of Wisdom +6

TACTICS: The Boogeyman has created an underground kingdom for himself in the sewers of Sharn, populated by his subjects...the husks of his former victims, now wights under his command. He sends these servants out at night to snatch the unwary, dragging them down to his underground domain to fill his menagerie. Always hungry, he is nonetheless a fussy eater, preferring to feed only upon souls in the uttermost states of terror. While the prisoners in his menagerie serve to slake his thirst for fear and misery on a day to day basis...and occasionally serve as his food in lean times...he prefers to hunt on the surface, selecting victim (preferrably an innocent) and then stalking them relentlessly. With his ability to shift forms, he is able to gather information on his prey with relative ease. When ready to strike, he comes to them in the forms of those they trust the most, terrorizing them before devouring their souls.

In combat, the Boogeyman sprouts claws, fangs, and horrific tentacles. While these weapons do little physical damage, they are nonetheless absolutely deadly, as each strike bestows two negative levels on the target.
Typically, the monster attacks with two claws, a bite, and two tentacles, possibly resulting in ten negative levels per round.