Author Topic: TOB themed builds (D2 assassin & swashbuckler)  (Read 1783 times)

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Unbeliever

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TOB themed builds (D2 assassin & swashbuckler)
« on: April 09, 2010, 01:17:45 PM »
Hi all, I have 2 builds that I'm working out for some upcoming games.  One I'm pretty happy w/, but the second one is a variation on it and I'm a little stumped.  Here are the game rules in effect:
[spoiler]
  • Game is roughly 9th level
  • All 3.5 sources open, some 3.0 upon approval
  • Racial requirements generally ignored, reflavoring very much allowed
  • Practical optimization, e.g., a well-built blaster mage would be fine in this type of campaign
[/spoiler]

Build #1:  the Diablo Assassin
This is for a one-shottish game in the setting of the Diablo 2 video game, which we all loved so well.  And, it's obviously based on their Assassin class, which for those of you who don't know (youngins!) it's a cestus-wielding agile melee mage-slayer. 

Race:  human

Build:  monk 2/swordsage 5/shadowsun ninja 2
- monks use Fighter bonus feats, Invisible Fist ACF (Exemplars of Evil), Decisive Strike ACF

Feats:  jotunbrud, imp. natural attack (unarmed strike), mageslayer, combat expertise, knockdown*, snap kick, combat reflexes
*this feat will probably be houseruled to not stack w/ or require Imp. Trip and grant a +4 to trip checks

Essential Gear:  battlefist (reflavored to cestus), ectoplasmic fist shard, monk's belt, possibly a greater mighty wallop cast by the party arcanist

The basics of the build are pretty straightforward -- jack up unarmed damage to impressive levels (the 6d8/8d6 area should be plenty), run in and use strikes and snap kicks that knock down your opponent down.  Then punish them when they stand up or if they try to use spells/spell-likes around you.  Combine that w/ some Setting Sun, notably Shifting Defense and some other defensive maneuvers and you can survive in the fray.  And, I really like shadow sun ninja's touch of the Shadow Sun for increasing survivability -- 8d6+ healing on a touch attack in a round where you still get snap kick is pretty good.

I might have to drop jotunbrud for adaptive style, but this build still works pretty well in a long fight.  Decisive strike + snap kick + tripping and mageslayer is a pretty solid combo. 

Build #2:  the Swashbuckler variant, Warblade?
I am pretty happy w/ that overall, although I'm sure I'm forgetting something so any suggestions would be welcome.  I've been considering a variant on it, though, and that's where I'm stumped.  I'd like to do something in the swashbuckler theme along those lines:  an agile warrior who can sit in the middle of the fray, using maneuvers to block attacks, etc. 

I could just take that build and reflavor it somewhat and go w/ that, turn the battlefist into a sword, etc.  But I was trying to vary it a bit.  Ideally, I'd like to figure out a way to do it w/ Warblade -- I'd really love to get some Iron Heart in there.  You really don't need much in the way of monk-type levels to get your unarmed damage up, especially w/ a greater mighty wallop available.  A monk's belt + improved unarmed strike (and maybe a dip into monk) gives you 1d10 base damage, which w/ the size increasers brings you into the 8d6 sweet spot I'm looking for.

Any ideas?  One possibility would be to go twf and take advantage of some Tiger Claw, but it wasn't coming together for me. 

Thanks.

Unbeliever

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Re: TOB themed builds (D2 assassin & swashbuckler)
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2010, 09:14:45 PM »
BUMP

no suggestions?  I pretty much assumed I had forgotten something crucial. 

Perhaps I should ask a more general question:  how would you all go about building a swashbuckler or duelist/fencer themed warblade? 

Saxony

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Re: TOB themed builds (D2 assassin & swashbuckler)
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2010, 09:51:15 PM »
It would probably be best to do the opposite of playing a warblade trying to be a swashbuckler type. Be a Swordsage who dips Warblade to gain iron heart maneuvers and such. There's more swashbuckler in Swordsage (Entire setting sun school) than there is awesome stuff in Warblade (Mostly just two maneuvers: Iron Heart Surge, White Raven Tactics).

In case you forgot, there's an unarmed SwordSage variant which (I believe) gives the unarmed damage progression of a Monk. Also, there's a feat in Tome of Battle which increases your unarmed damage as if your monk level was 4 levels higher (which can boost your base damage so that you use d8's instead of d6's when combined with Improved Natural Attack). So you can drop the Monk levels if all you wanted was unarmed damage.

In case you do want be a warblade trying to be a swashbuckler:
I believe Manticore Parry is a Warblade maneuver. I know it redirects attacks, not sure how. I think Setting Sun has better versions of it. (And Setting Sun has a stance which auto-redirects attacks when someone misses you due to concealment, which Swordsage grants). Supreme Blade Parry is a high level stance which grants DR 5/-.
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