Author Topic: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....  (Read 3646 times)

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nijineko

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i have taken a stab at this before, but wasn't satisfied with the results. i am looking for a more effective irritating old man npc to bug the crap out of the pcs from time to time, but be able to survive what they might dish out.

my previous build was built around the survivor class from savage species, taking three base classes with a single high save to enter it by fourth level. i suppose that i could use a commoner to qualify for it faster this time around. after level eight, i took a number of dips in various base classes to get class features and to keep the bab as low as possible, while maximizing saves and defenses. i eventually took chameleon levels so that he could get some energy resistance and the like, and one feat was the touchstone feat linked to a planar location for a free resurrection. he also started at the oldest age for his race.

feats are flexible, flaws are allowed. almost all books, plus dragon/dungeon and web material allowed except for bovd, boed, with a number of other books being case-by-case only: namely the fiendish codexes, elder evils, and champions of ruin/valor. i don't have to stick with the chameleon either, whatever works. oh, and they can't be evil-aligned. other than that, pretty much whatever goes. i would like to keep the survivor, unless there is something better out there that can cover all the dr/energy/save/ect damage types. survivability against all forms of death a priority.

the goal is to make an npc that can survive most anything, while still technically being a character that can be played in someone else's game, so i'd like to avoid the more extreme abuses / iffy rules interpretations. i trying to get the bab to be as low as possible, but all the defenses be as high as possible.

thanks in advance for any help given! =D

« Last Edit: July 22, 2010, 06:03:06 PM by nijineko »
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snakeman830

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2010, 06:11:45 PM »
Hide behind a tower shield 24/7 :p
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]

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Felix Underwood

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2010, 06:50:54 PM »
How about a Good-aligned Ghost?

Check out the Sacred Watcher (BoED, pg 182).

Elusive Target is kinda fun (Comp. Warrior, pg 110).  If attacked, the attack can be redirected towards another PC.  It requires dodge and mobility (both useful in a defensive build).

Survivor provided Evasion, doesn't it?

I'd grab Pious Templar or Hexblade 3 for Mettle.

What CR will this NPC be?

Can the old man wear heavy armor?  (Armor Specialization, PHB2) (Greater/Heavy Armor Optimization, RoS)


I have an annoying as hell Halfling NPC for my game that is hard to hit.

    Ranger 1/ Fighter 4/ Horizon Walker 6/ Master Thrower <X>

It focuses on Dex, so he only wears Padded Armor with the Ghost Ward (MIC) to add the enhancement bonus to his Touch AC.

Shield Specialization and Sheild Ward feats for more Touch AC lovin'.

Horizon Walker 6 provides Dimension Door, once every 1d4 rounds.  DD out of reach, while remaining close enough to be annoying.  Toss in some Quicken Spell-Like Ability.

Solo

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2010, 06:54:48 PM »
Dwarf Monk9/Duelist10/Shadowdancer1

"I am the Black Mage! I cast the spells that makes the peoples fall down!"

The Legend RPG, which I worked on and encourage you to read.

nijineko

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2010, 09:21:34 PM »
tower shield is cute, but i'd still have to watch out for aoe and bull rushing and disarming, i think. and summons, though technically tower shields (and combat) pretty much ignore facing in d&d.

boed is right out. but i can use ghostwalk for the ghost template / classes / feats and so forth.

the character needs to have 16 levels including any la. buyoff is allowed. i wouldn't mind seeing a 20 level build with pointers on strengths and weaknesses.

how would the monk/duelist/shadowdancer obtain sr/dr and so forth? or is that a you can't hit me build? what about auto-hits?


thanks for the suggestions so far!
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Mushroom

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2010, 09:34:04 PM »
Give him a starmantle cloak

nijineko

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2010, 09:45:24 PM »
what does ta starmantle cloak do? and where is it found?

oh, btw, the original idea came from the palladium fantasy system monk class, way back in the day. in case anyone is familiar. ^^
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urarenge

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2010, 09:52:35 PM »
BOED
Basically, non magical weapons can`t hurt you, and you can halve magical weapon damage by a reflex save DC 15

 :D

nijineko

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2010, 10:01:46 PM »
very nice. unfortunately, boed and bovd is out. is it printed anywhere else?
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Mushroom

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2010, 11:18:56 PM »
Amulet of retribution is also a damn good item, it's from MIC I believe

Tethlis

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2010, 03:00:44 AM »
If going up against mainly melee PC's, a frenzied berzerker with a wrathful healing weapon is hard to take down. A form of regeneration and having wrathful healing added on to a cursed sword will have him coming back again and again.

skydragonknight

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2010, 03:03:37 AM »
Vow of Poverty Dwarf Monk9/Duelist10/Shadowdancer1
It always seems like the barrels around here have something in them.

nijineko

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2010, 04:00:17 AM »
which vow of poverty is also from boed, and thus not available. unless it shows up anywhere else?
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carnivore

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #13 on: July 23, 2010, 07:38:27 AM »
for Survivability .... its hard to beat a Ghost(unless the Party can Turn Undead really well) ... the next best thing is a Pixie... very Tough and very irritating

Pixies give the following:

DR 10/Cold Iron
SR 15+ class levels
Flight
Greater Invisibility constantly
awesome stats

at +4 LA you would have 12 class levels to work with .... this might be a lot of fun:

Pixie
Sorceror 2/ Warlock 3/ Eldritch Theurge 7

the DR stacks ... unlimited resources(Warlock abilities) .... annoying spells (Sorceror) ... also reserve feats like Summon Elemental or Dimensional Reach or Shadow Veil or Magic Disruption ... can be very frustrating(although not very damaging)

 :D



Felix Underwood

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #14 on: July 23, 2010, 09:26:54 AM »
Mmmmm, pixie.   :D

nijineko, what kind of irritating activities will this NPC do?  I think that knowing the motivation and desired actions would help direct folks towards a workable build.

nijineko

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #15 on: July 23, 2010, 06:34:41 PM »
hmmm, a pixie ghost?

excellent idea, felix. this character concept was inspired by the palladium fantasy monk class, arguably the most irritating class in the entire palladium (including non-fantasy) system. rifts, tmnt, heroes unlimited, superspies, robotech... this class tops the irritation list. worse than a kender in some views.

the palladium monk is bound by class features to act out the rp vows of non-violence and aggressive pacifism. as in you have to try to stop everyone from fighting and try diplomacy instead. perhaps foreseeing the likely pc/npc response the designers gave the monk a massive ac, resistances or immunities to almost everything and anything that could kill one. a monk is typified as standing between two would-be combatants preaching the perks of a non-violent lifestyle, and would they please consider diplomacy to fighting. while madly dodging. and making the others miss each other.

add in some various anime/manga/other literature sources of irritating old men and their foibles, plus the fun of seeing my pcs (or my dm, when it comes that time) try to squash this character. (assuming dm fiat doesn't finally kill 'im off, that is.)

the irritation is going to rely mostly on rp situations - blowing their cover, leaking information, causing them trouble, and managing to possess items or information necessary to various side quests (i wouldn't make it the main plot... that's just too mean.) think loud, obnoxious, poor personal hygiene, halitosis, no sense of personal space or boundaries, always rummaging through their stuff... some cross of a persistent begger, yoda before luke knew who he was, various old-men-masters in cheesy kung-fu flicks, and a few anime/manga influences minus the apparently obligatory perv-ness.

i imagine this will result in rapidly escalating attempts to capture/kill the offending character/npc. ^^ so he needs high survivability.
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carnivore

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #16 on: July 23, 2010, 06:42:12 PM »
Pixies cant be Ghosts ...they are Fey Type .... however a VOP Pixie 4/ Sorceror 2/ Warlock 3/ Eldritch Theurge 7 ... would have great Survivability and be able to do a lot to annoy the Party ...

Pixie 4/ Marshal 3/ Monk 4/ Apostle of Peace 5 could be a whole lot of fun ... "Enforcing the Peace, Non-Violently"

 :D

nijineko

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #17 on: July 23, 2010, 09:04:41 PM »
that latter does sound fun... i'll have to look up the class features involved to see how that would work.

i still can't use boed though, so no vop... where is apostle of peace from?

i suppose a slightly psionics build built around serenity might also be interesting...
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Felix Underwood

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2010, 10:13:41 PM »
Check out the Feat:  Shape Soulmeld, and use it to grab the Souldmeld:  Planar Ward  (from Magic of Incarnum).

Makes you immune to mind control /possession and enchantment (charm, and compulsion).

Widow

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Re: min-offense / max-defense build for irritating my pcs....
« Reply #19 on: July 24, 2010, 01:55:25 AM »
I might go with a fiend of Possession:

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7518.0

Play a old man that was turned into a Kaori, they get the evil subtype but some retain their original minds (so you can have a neutral alignment).  Then go with level buy off:

2 HD/ Bloodline 1/1 Beguiler/Telepath 1/ Bloodline 1/ FoP 5/ Bloodline 1/ FoP 1/ Telepath 1/ Thrallherd 2

Feats
L1 Open
L3 Open
L5 Inquisitor
L6 Open
L9 Open
L12 Open
L15 Open

Basically use your thrallherd to ride a thrall and show up as a crazy old man every so often.  Every crazy old man can be a different build as necessary to annoy your party.  When your ride is killed, just hang out in his body or some peice of equipment he is carrying until the party leaves.  They will never know you exist unless they put up an antimagic field.  Just give him a good disguise skill, so he can make every old man look alike.  There are other build options in the thread, any old Fiend of Possession will do.