Author Topic: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?  (Read 6070 times)

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Silent Wayfarer

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Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« on: August 05, 2010, 03:05:16 PM »
I'm playing at level 15, and I had considered a Lion Totem Barb 1 / Fighter 6 (Dungeon Crasher) / Warblade 1 / Bloodstorm Blade 4 / X 3 build with a Goliath.

The core combat mechanic is Knockback, combined with Lightning Ricochet and possibly Storm Trooper as well, with the intention of making every hit a power attacked bull rushing strike with the promise of extra pain if you bull rush them into obstacles or other enemies. To add more attacks, I was thinking of combining Lion Totem Barbarian's pounce with Heedless Charges from Shock Trooper, allowing for multiple potent hits at range and on the move. You add to that with Hurling Charge (minis handbook) and Rapid Shot, possibly even with the Whirling Frenzy rage variant and Haste, so your 3 pounce attack routine suddenly becomes 1 Hurling Charge + (3+1 Rapid Shot +1 Haste + 1 Whirling Fury) = 7 2-handed ranged attacks that not only have the full force of a Leap Attack two-handed PA behind each of them, but which cause huge amounts of knockback and have the potential to tack 8d6+ 3x Strength mod damage onto each of them.

Then, for the piece de resistance, use a 2H harpoon.

Unbeliever

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Re: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2010, 03:38:59 PM »
I've always been attracted to such builds.  I think they're funky enough to be interesting, but still fitting in w/ a lot of fantasy type characters.  

My only reservation has been about how to get enough big sturdy objects to dungeoncrash them into.   I know a while back the suggestion was just to get flight and use the ground, and I can't really argue w/ the elegance of that, but I can imagine a lot of DMs giving you a stern glare if you suggested it.  I guess it depends on the environment -- it's real easy in a dungeon, naturally, and maybe in a forest (trees should count), but elsewhere ... I don't know.  Besides that, I like the notion a lot.  I'd certainly combine it w/ Whirling Frenzy for extra fun.  Stormguard Warrior is fantastic if you can get the dungeoncrash off, so I'd use w/ care.  

EDIT:  I know there are some swift actions that create objects for you to crash things into.  They tend to be touch range, but maybe your allies will cast them from wands for you or something like that.  Also, I think the Shocktrooper works nicely in the build b/c if you can't bull rush them into something to dungeoncrash, you might be able to get off the Domino Rush.  And, Directed Bull Rush is handy, too.  
« Last Edit: August 05, 2010, 03:41:21 PM by Unbeliever »

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2010, 04:47:04 PM »
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nijineko

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Re: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2010, 05:39:57 PM »
Feather token trees once more prove their value.

a personal favorite. =D

this evokes an image of a group of party members using rods of deflection and the dungeon crasher smacking someone into the midst of them... with the temp +20 to ac, chances are the thrown npc will likely miss all of them... i have this image of a pinball machine like effect. ^^
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bearchucks

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Re: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2010, 06:03:12 PM »
Dungeoncrashable things not in a dungeon: Honestly, this one is up to how much you want to press your GM for more detail on your combat map.  Cities are bound to have small enough streets, mountains have rocky crags, forests have trees...unless you're on a bland featureless plain there should be something.  Bloodstorm Blade...honestly, the class is fun in and of itself, but it only gets better when you throw in knockback, dungeoncrasher, bull rush, etc.
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Re: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2010, 06:21:47 PM »
The problem I've run into with similar builds is Knockback is ambiguous on just how far you can move your foe.  It specifically states you do not move with them.  Bull rush rules indicate that if you do not move with your foe, they only move 5'.  DM interpretation is definitely needed.
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skydragonknight

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Re: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2010, 06:27:43 PM »
Do you know anything about the rest of your party? If you have a God Wizard with you, ask him to make the occassional wall for you and then you won't have to plan so much for every possible terrain.
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Silent Wayfarer

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Re: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2010, 09:24:49 PM »
The rest of my party are unoptimized - a dwarven battlerager and a centaur ranger.

I built a Lancer (the original Tempest Stormwing style Dragoon) and ended up outdamaging them by ridiculous amounts.

Silent Wayfarer

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Re: Fun with Bloodstorm Blade?
« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2010, 01:52:43 AM »
Anyway, build. Parameters:

All books allowed
Flaws allowed

Barbarian 1 / Fighter 6 / Warblade 1 / Bloodstorm Blade 4 / Exotic Weapon Master 1 / Master Thrower 1

Flaw 1 - Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Harpoon)
Flaw 2 - Weapon Focus (Harpoon)
Level 1 - Point Blank Shot
Fighter 1 - Power Attack
Level 3 - Leap Attack
Fighter 4 - Improved Bull Rush
Level 6 - Shock Trooper
Level 9 - Knockback
BSB 3 - Hurling Charge
Level 12 - Rapid Shot

Class Abilities:

Barbarian - Lion Totem (pounce), Whirling Frenzy variant
Fighter - Dungeon Crasher (levels 2 and 6)
Exotic Weapon Master - Uncanny Blow
Master Thrower - Two With One Blow

The idea is basically to run around and throw harpoons into fat people. Since it's assumed you're two-handing them, you'll be doing double your ridiculous Str mod in damage even before Power Attack kicks in. Whirling frenzy, hurling charge and rapid shot give you 3 extra attacks on a charge (total routine: X-2/X-2/X-2/X-2/X-7/X-12; better even than a TWFer's attack routine of X-2/X-2/X-7/X-7/X-12/X-12), at range, and with two-handed/Uncanny Blow Str mod, Knockback and Dungeon Crasher tacking on 8d6 x TRIPLE Str mod at the end of that if you can smack them into the scenery. Oh, and since it's a harpoon you do all that damage AGAIN when it lightning ricochets back into your hand. I don't even want to imagine the carnage you can wreak if you put the valorous (+1), explosive (+3 on ranged weapons) and exit wound (+2?) modifiers on your weapon of doom.

Assuming I rolled a Strength of 17, I can have a Strength of 30 (base 17 +3 levels + 6 enhancement +4 racial) minimum which makes my Str mod +10. So your regular harpoon damage is 1d10(2d6?)+21, you can add 56 damage with no attack penalty on a Leap Attack charge, then double it because of Valorous, and it doubles AGAIN (not the pussy D&D-style two doubles = triple, but actual QUAD DAMAGE) when your harpoon comes flying back out through the three guys you just impaled in a row. Also, they explode and fly into walls where their pulverized remains take 8d6+30 damage.

And you can do this 6 times per round, every round. On average, about 1d10+77 x4 damage (350 damage) per hit, not counting dungeon crash damage (58 damage).

I understand that this isn't a terribly huge thing for damage over here, but the beauty of this is that it can do its damage at range - 30ft. away, minimum, and Thunderous Throw counting all ranged attacks as melee allows you to defeat annoying things such as wind wall and the like, while allowing you to combine the strengths of ranged combat (big hit volume) with the strengths of melee combat (titanic single hit damage). This is also an immensely versatile method of combat and it pleases me to use it.

For people who know of Fate/Staynight, I'm imagining this guy as Lancer summoned as a Berserker instead. Think of his harpoon as the Belly Spear and his whirling frenzy as the warp-spasm.

Changes I'd make if LA buyoff were permitted (I'm assuming it isn't) are to get rid of Goliath's LA and complete Bloodstorm Blade; the capstone is absolutely brutal and, with the Distant Throw/Shot epic feat, allows you to slay entire nations in one go, although good fucking luck getting Dex 25 with a racial penalty to it.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2010, 02:07:22 AM by Silent Wayfarer »