Ask a Simple Question: Losing the Game Edition

[weenog]

Can you simply get the Apprentice feat? There's one that gives Perform as a class skill for all your classes.

Possibly, though if it's doable I'd rather avoid burning one of my feats in a game I'll start at level 5 and finish at level 10 or 12, just to make the first few levels easier.  DM's not really very okay with retraining, and I'd rather avoid that battle since it's probably going to be an uphill struggle just to get him to acknowledge that rebuke-based command of undead is permanent.


I wonder if I'm not going in the wrong direction entirely, though.  DM's thinking about running Red Hand of Doom, and while he's not giving out much in the way of spoilers (nor do I really want them), he has mentioned "goblinoids, armies, and dragons" and that the game should start at level 5 and end at level 10-12.  I'm thinking start with an X 1/cleric 2/master of shrouds 2, kill a few enemy grunts with my shadows, rebuke and keep their spawn permanently to go through the rest of the grunts like a hot knife through butter, and severely weaken any dragons that show up.  Anyone familiar with RHoD, is this a viable way to tackle this adventure?

[Agita]

I wonder if I'm not going in the wrong direction entirely, though.  DM's thinking about running Red Hand of Doom, and while he's not giving out much in the way of spoilers (nor do I really want them), he has mentioned "goblinoids, armies, and dragons" and that the game should start at level 5 and end at level 10-12.  I'm thinking start with an X 1/cleric 2/master of shrouds 2, kill a few enemy grunts with my shadows, rebuke and keep their spawn permanently to go through the rest of the grunts like a hot knife through butter, and severely weaken any dragons that show up.  Anyone familiar with RHoD, is this a viable way to tackle this adventure?

We've played through two encounters in a RHoD campaign on this very site so far, and I can say that those shadows would probably be more or less unstoppable by most of the grunts. Any dragons or casters might gib them with spells or turn/rebuke them, though.

That said, Expert is a good idea if you really want Perform. I didn't even think of that at first.

[Maat_Mons]

Q 98:  Is there any base class other than Bard or Monk that has a strong Will progression, and Perform on its list of class skills?  Making good use of Wis and/or Cha is a plus.

Are you going to be human?  Human paragon 1 can get you +2 will and perform as a class skill forever. 

[The_Mad_Linguist]

dfa with the right draconic heritage, maybe?

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

Q99: How do racial SLAs  interact with PrC casting prereqs (non warlock invocations)?

[snakeman830]

Q99: How do racial SLAs  interact with PrC casting prereqs (non warlock invocations)?

If it's "Caster level X" or "ability to cast X spell", then yes.  otherwise, no.

[Agita]

Q99: How do racial SLAs  interact with PrC casting prereqs (non warlock invocations)?

The same as any other SLA or Warlock Invocation. If something requires a specific spell, having that spell as an SLA works. If something requires a CL, you can use your CL with that SLA. You can't, however, qualify for something that requires the ability to cast spells of a specific level, such as 3rd-level spells, even if you have a SLA of that level.

[weenog]

I looked into Factotum, it's got a weak will save.  Human Paragon is a possibility, as is Expert, with Expert looking a little more likely because I don't necessarily want to be tied down to human.  None of the Draconic Heritage versions, nor Dragon Shaman totems, get Perform onto a class skill list.

Unfortunately, I may wind up having to abandon the idea entirely, but I'll keep the answers in mind if not.

[Ithamar]

Battle Dragon heritage gives Perform as a class skill actually.

[McPoyo]

I looked into Factotum, it's got a weak will save.  Human Paragon is a possibility, as is Expert, with Expert looking a little more likely because I don't necessarily want to be tied down to human.  None of the Draconic Heritage versions, nor Dragon Shaman totems, get Perform onto a class skill list.

Unfortunately, I may wind up having to abandon the idea entirely, but I'll keep the answers in mind if not.

[weenog]

You are incorrect on the Heritage, btw: Both Battle and Song get Perform.

Oh, hell.  I was looking at Draconic Heritage as listed in Dragon Magic. 

[McPoyo]

You are incorrect on the Heritage, btw: Both Battle and Song get Perform.

Oh, hell.  I was looking at Draconic Heritage as listed in Dragon Magic. 

I always reference both, since some of the types change what they apply to

[Maat_Mons]

Human Paragon is a possibility, as is Expert, with Expert looking a little more likely because I don't necessarily want to be tied down to human.

Starting at level 5, a non-human will spend every feat on qualifying for master of shrouds.  A human not only gets a bonus feat, but can go human paragon 1 / cleric 1 / human paragon +1 / master of shrouds 2 for an additional bonus feat with no additional loss of casting.  Proficiency with a martial weapon isn't bad either. 

The Oriental Adventures version of samurai gets good fort and ref saves and perform as a class skill. 

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

Q100: Does this allow druids to wildshape into any vermin or magical beast (as long as you add the fiendish template) even if you didn't have that ability before??

[Ithamar]

That feat is pure awesome if it actually works like that!

Edit:  Oh, wait a second...  That feat is for 3.0, isn't it?  Back in 3.0 "Beast" was a separate type, but pretty much got combined into [Animal] for 3.5.  Dinosaurs and other large animals were given the [Beast] type.  So it gets pretty grey about whether or not that actually works.

[Amechra]

Q 101: What are some good ways to get a high Assassin spell level?

[weenog]

Starting at level 5, a non-human will spend every feat on qualifying for master of shrouds.

Not necessarily.  Dragon Below domain grants the Augment Summoning feat as its domain power.

A human not only gets a bonus feat, but can go human paragon 1 / cleric 1 / human paragon +1 / master of shrouds 2 for an additional bonus feat with no additional loss of casting.  Proficiency with a martial weapon isn't bad either. 

True, but it winds up behind an effective cleric level for purposes of how powerful an undead it can rebuke, and how many HD of undead it can keep under its command at a time.   I meant to use commanded spawn of my summoned undead as my weapons.

The Oriental Adventures version of samurai gets good fort and ref saves and perform as a class skill. 

Think you meant good Fort and Will saves.  Hate the fluff on those guys, but the crunch works fine for a dip.

[kevin_video]

Q 102 Looking for a source. Does anyone know where Lesserbane and Greaterbane are from?

Greaterbane: A greaterbane weapon has all of the properties of a lesserbane weapon, plus it bypasses the damage reduction of the designated creature as if its enhancement bonus were a +4 more than its actual value (this modified enhancement bonus can exceed the normal +5 limit of magic weapons).

A lesserbane weapon can be crafted into a greaterbane weapon as if adding another +1 ability. For example, a +1 lesserbane longsword (8,315 gp, cost to create 4,315 gp + 320 XP) could be made into a +1 greaterbane longsword (18,315 gp, cost to create 9,315 gp + 720 XP) for a cost of 5,000 gp and 320 XP (the difference between the cost to create of the two weapons).

Caster Level: 8th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, summon monster I; Market Price: +2 bonus.

[PhaedrusXY]

Starting at level 5, a non-human will spend every feat on qualifying for master of shrouds.

Not necessarily.  Dragon Below domain grants the Augment Summoning feat as its domain power.

A human not only gets a bonus feat, but can go human paragon 1 / cleric 1 / human paragon +1 / master of shrouds 2 for an additional bonus feat with no additional loss of casting.  Proficiency with a martial weapon isn't bad either. 

True, but it winds up behind an effective cleric level for purposes of how powerful an undead it can rebuke, and how many HD of undead it can keep under its command at a time.   I meant to use commanded spawn of my summoned undead as my weapons.

Hmm... HP/cleric with the Dragon Below domain sounds like an awesome MoS entry. Don't forget that anything that lowers Turn Resistance can also help you command those spawn, and since it presumably is only checked when you make the Rebuking check, even temporary effects will work.

[Sobolev]

Q96: What are some good Cleric spells that require concentration to maintain?

Good spells don't require concentration to maintain.

Asking so as to pair something with the skill trick swift concentration.

Bump.