Author Topic: Totemist Assistance Please  (Read 2425 times)

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Lunaramblings

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Totemist Assistance Please
« on: February 06, 2010, 08:59:24 PM »
I am working on a Totemist build (for a player of mine, who wants something unique, I am actually the DM this time around.) and am having difficulty figuring out a few things. My initial thoughts are as follows:

Darfallan(Stormwrack) Totemist(MoI) 12
Stats(Generated via Javascript D&D 3.5 Character Generator
Str   18    22 after stat bumps and racial adjust
Dex  17   15 after racial adjust
Con 18    20 after Stat bumps
Int   16
Wis  12
Cha   8
Feats:
  1st:Dragontouched
  3rd:Multiattack
  6th:Improved Multiattack
  9th:Double Chakra Totem
12th:Open Least Chakra: Hands

Meldshaping: 6 melds shaped, 3 binds(Plus an additional Hand bind due to Open Least Chakra), 9 Essentia (cap of 3)
Soulmelds Shaped:
Girallon Arms: Totem and arms.
Claws of The Wyrm: Hands
Lamia Belt:Totem
Wormtail Belt
Pegasus Cloak
Totem Avatar

Attacks: 1 Bite, 8 Claws(4 GA, 2 CotW, 2 Lamia Belt) each attack at 1d8 due to the hands bind on the CotW.

AC: 10 +2 Dex +2 Wormtail NA, + 10 Mithral Breastplate +5 = 24, if I pump Totem Avatar and Wormtail I am at 30 with enough left over to put 1 in each of my binds to give an enhancement to my attacks.

I am debating dropping Open Least Chakra and taking Shield Bash, this would let me benefit from a shield in my mainhand and drops my claws down to 1d6 a piece.

With Shield Bash I would have 2 Shield Bashes, 7 claws, 1 bite. Should add up to more damage, but not sure if I like the flavor as much.

Other options that I have been thinking about:

Change of Race, Multiclass a level or two of Fighter or Monk, or maybe Psychic Warrior.

Please give me any suggestions you may have.

All 3.5 Books are open, no dragon/dungeon aside from the Compendium please. No third party stuff.

I am aware that some argue that the CotW are terribly written, and hence have house ruled them to make the most sense given their wording, as I understand it. They, by my reading create an extra set of draconic arms that I can use to make a two attacks during a full attack. As they are natural weapons, I see no reason that they should not follow the normal Natural Weapon rules and be usable as secondary attacks if I am using a weapon, and nothing stops you from using them as a primary and adding additional natural attacks as secondary. This is different from Dragon Tail which specifies 1 attack per round as a standard action.

Sinfire Titan

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2010, 09:18:52 PM »
Don't use Shield Bash. People who use Shields focus exclusively on the shield itself as a weapon and a defense, and you don't have anywhere near the feats needed to take advantage of that combat option (it pretty much makes you forgo your Totem save for a few soulmelds).


You don't need Open Least Chakra unless you are actually taking it for the Chakra Bind. Since you're the DM, I'm going to inform you that Cust Serv was wrong about those feats; they are intended to give extra Chakra Binds/Day (the Magic Item section of the MoI confirms this).

Claws of the Wyrm are not worth Dragontouched at this level. Instead, take Sphinx Claws and get Pounce.


If you consider the PsiWar dip, may I suggest something a little more optimal with Kalashtar War Mind/Soulmanifester/Legacy Champion? You need to get Knowledge (Psionics), but Knowledge Devotion takes care of that (and it's a good feat anyway). You'd lose the Darfallan's stat bonuses and Bite Attack, but between War Mind's power advancement, Legacy Champion's BAB and class features, and Soulmanifester's dual advancement the character would be a house. May be a bit complex, but if the player understands how to use Incarnum and Psionics he shouldn't have a problem.


[spoiler][/spoiler]

Lunaramblings

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #2 on: February 07, 2010, 01:11:22 AM »
Thanks Sinfire, actually the entire group is pretty new to Incarnum, and the majority find psionics confusing, so if I added the PsiWar, it would mainly be a dip to get expansion. And yes, I am using Open Chakra to get the additional bind for the Dragon claws. I thought that CotW was decent, bigger damage, extra set of attacks (see my readingof the meld). Maybe I should drop Dragontouched and CotW. The player is generally not a fan of charges however, so Sphinx claws, while nice, I don't think would suit his style. Perhaps RageClaws. If I do drop Dragontouched, I could easily replace it with Expanded Soulmeld Capacity, then replace the Open Chakra with Improved Natural Attack: Claw.

Any further suggestions?

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #3 on: February 07, 2010, 01:22:43 AM »
Thanks Sinfire, actually the entire group is pretty new to Incarnum, and the majority find psionics confusing, so if I added the PsiWar, it would mainly be a dip to get expansion. And yes, I am using Open Chakra to get the additional bind for the Dragon claws. I thought that CotW was decent, bigger damage, extra set of attacks (see my readingof the meld). Maybe I should drop Dragontouched and CotW. The player is generally not a fan of charges however, so Sphinx claws, while nice, I don't think would suit his style. Perhaps RageClaws. If I do drop Dragontouched, I could easily replace it with Expanded Soulmeld Capacity, then replace the Open Chakra with Improved Natural Attack: Claw.

Any further suggestions?

Rage Claws, ESC, and INA are all good ideas.


Replace the Pgeasus Cloak and Lamia Belt with Phase Cloak and the Shoulders Bind it gets. It's hard to beat At Will Superior Invisibility even if you don't get it constantly. Any Totemist, melee or otherwise, will appreciate this. Since you do have Double Chakra, bind the Phase Cloak so he has an emergency Poison outlet. If Chakra slots allow it, Bind the Kruthik Claws to his Totem so he gets extra Acid damage on the Girallon Arms (you know, just to add murder to the injury).


[spoiler][/spoiler]

Lunaramblings

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2010, 04:51:16 PM »
Okay, so how does this look?

Feral Darfellan LA 1(Bought off and experience made up)/Totemist 12

Stats:
Str 26, Dex 13, Con 24, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8

Natural Attacks, Naturally, Bite 1d6, 2 Claws, 1d8.

Feats:
Level 1: Multiattack
Level 3: Improved Multiattack
Level 6: Improved Natural Attack: Claw
Level 9: Double Chakra: Totem
Level 12: Open Chakra: Shoulders

Soulmelds:

Totem: Girallon Arms 3 essentia, Ankheg Breast Plate 3 essentia
Arms: Girallon Arms
Shoulder: Phase Cloak
Wormtail Belt 3 essentia
Totem Avatar

BAB: +9

Full Attack: +17 to all attacks except the Girallon Claws which are +3 Enhancement. Primary: 1 Bite 1d6 +9, Secondary: 1 Bite 1d8 + 3d4(acid) + 3, 2 Claws(feral)1d10 +3, 4 Claws 1d6 + 3 + 3 Plus Rend if 2 or more claws hit for double their damage. So, if both Feral Claws hit thats an additional 2d10+6, and another 2d6 + 12 if two or more Girallon Arms hit.

AC: 10 + 10 Mithral BP +5 + 11 Nat. Armor +1 Dex = 32 before miscellaneous items like Rings.

I think this is pretty solid.  Average damage is 74 before rend, if all attacks hit another 36 if both rends are successful.

Debating if a Shifter would actually be better for this? 

What items would be suggested. I am thinking definately a Fanged Ring from I think it was Draconomicon?

Are attacks from Soulmelds considered Magic for overcoming DR? Given that they are a magical effect I would reason yes, however, there is a Draconic Soulmeld that grants you the ability to treat your attacks as Magic for the purpose of overcoming DR. On a similar note, if there is a Necklace of Natural Attacks, is the cost figured as X + 600 x 8, 600 x 4( 2 seperate bites, two sets of claws), or 600 x 2 (claw and bite)? Or some other figure I am missing?

Sinfire Titan

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2010, 11:12:36 AM »
Shifter is a feat-intense race, but well worth it if you have at least one spare feat (the Shifter version of INA is two size categories, not one).

Fanged Ring is in Dragon Magic.

Girallon Arm's claw attacks are considered magic if you invest a point of essentia (+1 Enhancement to Attack/Damage). The Necklace of Natural Attacks's cost is /attack to be modified, not /attack form, so if he has 5 attacks, he's paying a lot.

The Soulmelds that overcome DR/Magic are there for the occasional one that doesn't give a +1 Enhancement bonus.


[spoiler][/spoiler]

Lunaramblings

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2010, 12:38:37 AM »
Thanks Sinfire. So lets see, If I get the Fanged Ring, I can actually add 2 unarmed strikes to the attack routine, and it frees up the feat for INA, which I can replace with Superior Unarmed Strike making my unarmed strikes do 1d10. I am assuming that you are talking about Shifter Savagery, but this requires a level of Barbarian, which in turn means I am going to want to take Extra Rage, which costs yet another feat as you only get the damage increase while Raging and Shifting at the same time. So, if I were to go Shifter I would probably just lose the bite and go for Swiftwing for the Flight speed, plus Swiftwing Elite for good manueverability. Over all, I dont think Shifter is worth it due to lack of chances to shift per day.

Seems like my best options for race, being that I want to exploit as many attacks as possible, is going to be either Skarn, which have the same ability adjustments as Darfellan or sticking with the Darfellan. Can't seem to find other races with a natural attack that I don't already have covered.

EDIT: FANGED RING does not work. Only improves damage of unarmed strikes, not other natural weapons.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2010, 12:55:01 AM by Lunaramblings »

snakeman830

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2010, 03:22:58 PM »
Since Skarn have an additional point of essentia to use, I think they're your best choice for race.  They also move faster on land.
I am constantly amazed by how many DM's ban Tomb of Battle.  The book doesn't even exist!

Quotes:[spoiler]
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hiicantcomeupwithacharacterthatisntaghostwhyisthatamijustretardedorsomething
Why would you even do this? It hurts my eyes and looks like you ate your keyboard before suffering an attack of explosive diarrhea.
[/spoiler]

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Sinfire Titan

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2010, 04:45:46 PM »
Since Skarn have an additional point of essentia to use, I think they're your best choice for race.  They also move faster on land.

You're refering to Dusklings, not Skarn. Skarn just have a Natural Weapon and a +2Str/-2Dex. Dusklings and Azurins are the only ones who gets the bonus essentia.


[spoiler][/spoiler]

snakeman830

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2010, 04:53:56 PM »
Yup.  You're right.

I would still use Skarn over Drafellen, though, just because of the higher move rate.  Obviously, if this is an aquatic campaign, that changes.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2010, 11:00:43 AM by snakeman830 »
I am constantly amazed by how many DM's ban Tomb of Battle.  The book doesn't even exist!

Quotes:[spoiler]
By yes, she means no.
That explains so much about my life.
hiicantcomeupwithacharacterthatisntaghostwhyisthatamijustretardedorsomething
Why would you even do this? It hurts my eyes and looks like you ate your keyboard before suffering an attack of explosive diarrhea.
[/spoiler]

If using Genesis to hide your phylactry, set it at -300 degrees farenheit.  See how do-gooders fare with a liquid atmosphere.

Lunaramblings

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Re: Totemist Assistance Please
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2010, 02:52:51 AM »
OK, so after I have donesome more thinking, I was thinking of maybe using a Half-Minotaur Skarn in place of Feral Darfellan. Here's what I have.
Stats:
Str 18->2Skarn->4Half Minotaur->8Size increase=33
Dex 17->-2Skarn-> -2 Size=13
Con 18->2Minotaur->4size-> 3 levels=27
Int 16-> -2 Minotaur=14
Wis 12->2Minotaur=14
Cha 8
Feats:
Level 1: Multiattack
Level 3: Improved Multiattack
Level 6: Double Chakra: Totem
Level 9: Superior Unarmed Strike
Level 12: Open Chakra: Shoulders

Soulmelds:

Totem: Girallon Arms 3 essentia, Ankheg Breast Plate 3 essentia
Arms: Girallon Arms
Shoulder: Phase Cloak
Wormtail Belt 3 essentia
Totem Avatar

BAB: +9

Full Attack: +20 to all attacks except the Girallon Claws which are +3 Enhancement. Primary: 2 Unarmed Strikes 2d8+11,  Secondary:1 Gore 1d8+5 1 Bite 1d10 + 3d4(acid) + 5, Spines 1d10 +5 4 Claws 1d6 + 5 + 3 Plus Rend for another 2d6 +10 if two or more Girallon Arms hit.

AC: 10+1Dex-1Size+9 NA Minotaur/Wormtail+10BP= 29 AC  HP(averaged) 210(13 per level CON, 4.5 per HD)

Equipment: Fanged Ring, Necklace of Natural Attacks +1, Mithral BP +5 60,150 Spent out of 88000.

Now, does a Monk's Belt stack with the SUS? What other items should I look into for this character?