Optimal entry to homebrew prestige class

[rypta]

Hey guys.  I'm building a character for a PbP campaign where the DM is pretty flexible about homebrew material.  I found the Unseelie Knight PrC over on GITP and it fits perfectly with the flavor of character I'm going for (vengeful fey).  Starting level is 8 + 1000 XP.

Its pretty clear that the intended entry was some mix of Swordsage and Druid.  Druid 4/Swordsage 1 works, but I've been exploring other options.  Swordsage isn't really necessary since the Deadly Hunter Druid could be used to give a wisdom bonus to AC (I'm not terribly interested in animal companion or wildshape and they are both going to suck anyway since the PrC does not progress either).  This opens up other martial adept base classes instead of Swordsage, including homebrewed martial variants of traditional non-ToB classes (Sublime Ranger or Marshall or Monk?).  Theres also the option of using Archivist instead of Druid (the DM would almost certainly allow the Fey Blood feat to affect Archivist casting instead of Druid casting).  

What other effective options are there?  What are you thoughts on the optimal way to qualify?

[Maat_Mons]

If you can convince the DM that a creature with the fey type should be able to enter without taking the fey blood feat, you may want to consider a +0 LA fey, such as duskling (Magic of Incarnum 10), faun (Deities and Demigods 133), jermlain (Monster Manual II 131), or killoren (Races of the Wild 102). 

[Saxony]

On first glance, Druid 4/Warblade 1 sounds like a great base.

Definitely better than Druid 4/ Swordsage 1, since Swordsages have a terrible maneuver recovery system and Warblades are much better in that area.

[PhaedrusXY]

That looks like a very cool PrC. I might have to use that sometime. 

[X-Codes]

On first glance, Druid 4/Swordsage 1 sounds like a great qualifying base (and probably the predicted base of the writer).

For the most part I agree, although I think Druid 2/Warblade 1/Druid +2 would be better.  Until you hit PRC level 10, the swordsage readied maneuvers and recovery mechanic really isn't supported all that much by the class.  Further, Wild Shape looks like it'd give some awesome synergy with this class.  Pick up Natural Spell at 9 and Extra Wild Shape at 12.  Use a Wildling Clasp on a Monk's Belt to get Charisma to AC with this class' abilities.

Full level progression:
Entry: Druid 2/Warblade 1/Druid +2
PrC: Unseelie Knight 3/Druid +2/Unseelie Knight +1/Druid +2/Unseelie Knight +6/XXX +1

Delays Wild Shape (Large) until 13th level, which kinda sucks, but oh well.  Also delays 9th-level Druid spells until 20th.  Gets a single 8th-level maneuver.

[archangel.arcanis]

I have to ask why WB in between the druid levels? I'd think that the cost of an extra skill point wouldn't matter compared to picking up 2nd level maneuvers a bit sooner.

actually depending on the DM's reading of the requirements you can't go into it without 2nd level maneuvers. That question comes down to does the ability to use them henge on IL3 or maneuver knowledge. Since if you don't know it you wouldn't be able to use it. though a Crown of the White Raven variant should fix that as well.

[rypta]

I guess I should say that the starting level is 8.

[NeverGetDrunkButStaySober]

For the most part I agree, although I think Druid 2/Warblade 1/Druid +2 would be better.  Until you hit PRC level 10, the swordsage readied maneuvers and recovery mechanic really isn't supported all that much by the class.  Further, Wild Shape looks like it'd give some awesome synergy with this class.  Pick up Natural Spell at 9 and Extra Wild Shape at 12.  Use a Wildling Clasp on a Monk's Belt to get Charisma to AC with this class' abilities.

The Monk's Belt won't interact with Ashen Grace; only class features will. Considering that the OP doesn't care about wildshape, however, the Simple Variant for Druids is not a bad choice.

[Saxony]

On first glance, Druid 4/Swordsage 1 sounds like a great qualifying base (and probably the predicted base of the writer).

For the most part I agree, although I think Druid 2/Warblade 1/Druid +2 would be better.  Until you hit PRC level 10, the swordsage readied maneuvers and recovery mechanic really isn't supported all that much by the class.  Further, Wild Shape looks like it'd give some awesome synergy with this class.  Pick up Natural Spell at 9 and Extra Wild Shape at 12.  Use a Wildling Clasp on a Monk's Belt to get Charisma to AC with this class' abilities.

Full level progression:
Entry: Druid 2/Warblade 1/Druid +2
PrC: Unseelie Knight 3/Druid +2/Unseelie Knight +1/Druid +2/Unseelie Knight +6/XXX +1

Delays Wild Shape (Large) until 13th level, which kinda sucks, but oh well.  Also delays 9th-level Druid spells until 20th.  Gets a single 8th-level maneuver.

I'm not seeing how you're getting 2nd level maneuvers before taking the class.

Unless you're somehow spending a feat at level 5 for Martial Study (Tome of Battle, feat), your suggested qualifying base is impossible.

Druid 4/ Warblade 1 is possible, since Warblades can trade out one of their original schools for Dancing Leaf to qualify. Warblades do get a better recovery mechanic for sure. The better stances and maneuvers of a low level Swordsage might counterbalance that (Child of Shadows (Tome of Battle, stance, Shadow Hand 1) and Cloak of Deception (Tome of Battle, maneuver, Shadow Hand 2)), but those are Shadow Hand and the Unseelie Knight prestige class gives you those. Warblades already get Tiger Claw and Diamond Mind, too, and I'm just not seeing anything from Desert Wind to justify losing the Warblade's superior recovery system.

I'm changing my original post to reflect your insights. Warblade all the way, baby!

[rypta]

What about the Sublime Way Ranger?  It would give me full BAB, 6+int skill points and access to Dancing Leaf (if subbed for Falling Star or Tiger Claw), Shadow Hand, and either Devoted Spirit or Iron Heart (subbed for Tiger Claw or Falling Star) with the Warblade's recovery mechanic.

EDIT:  Theres also the ToB modified core classes found here.  Rogue (trapfinding, 8+int skills, warblade recovery) and Ranger (6+int skills, full BAB, crusader recovery, normal ranger abilities) seem like solid choices, although the Ranger would overlap with the Deadly Hunter Druid since they both give track.  I need the Deadly Hunter Druid if I want to enter Unseelie Knight at level 6 with an AC bonus.  Otherwise, I can enter at level 7 with Druid 4/Ranger 2 taking the Moon-Warded Ranger ACF.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

If you can convince the DM that a creature with the fey type should be able to enter without taking the fey blood feat, you may want to consider a +0 LA fey, such as duskling (Magic of Incarnum 10), faun (Deities and Demigods 133), jermlain (Monster Manual II 131), or killoren (Races of the Wild 102). 

Or LA 0 feytouched,

[CantripN]

A Killoren (Aspect of the Destroyer) Druid 4 (Hunter Variant, Wild Reaper) / Warblade 1 (Dancing Leaf) is a good entry.
Wild Reaper fits perfectly fluff-wise. As does a Killoren.
Archivist 4 / Swordsage 1 is also a great entry.

[rypta]

The Fey Blood feat also makes my druid casting based on charisma so its not necessarily something I want to try to circumvent.  I am, however, going to see if the DM will allow the Unseelie Fey template...   

[rypta]

Heres a WIP character sheet (see Notes section for all the variants used).  As a houserule, we get feats every odd level.  Also, we had to roll to randomly determine a flaw, so if I decide to take one, it has to be Poor Reflexes. 

I keep going back forth on feat selection between melee damage (Shadowblade, Weapon Finesse, Craven, TWF tree) and casting/summoning (Augmented Summoning, Greenbound Summoning, Practiced Spellcaster, Extend Spell).  I was also looking at ways to take advantage of the Unseelie Fey debuff with poison use, but I found myself short of skillpoints.  The fact that he is 2 levels behind in casting seems like it would make summoning less viable because I'll be getting the spells late.

Any advice or suggestions? 

[CantripN]

You could use these, but you lose 2 CHA for it. It's still not a bad option, as you'll get +2 STR and a Natural Weapon from your shifter trait, for example.

Shifter Druid Substitution Levels (RE, p 126): add balance, climb, and jump to class skills
1st level: Beast Spirit (Alertness, Extend Shifting, Reroll Will Saves, +2 STR/DEX/CON), replaces animal companion
4th level: Reckless Nature (+2 initiative checks and reflex saves, -2 to will saves), replaces resist nature's lure

Another option is using these in your build:

Fey Shape (General)
Due to your close blood ties, you may turn yourself into the shape of a fey.
Prerequisites: Fey Blood, wild shape ability (6/day).
Benefit: You may use your wild shape ability to take the shape of a fey creature with which you are familiar. You gain all of the extraordinary and supernatural abilities of the fey, but not the spells or spell-like abilities. You do not gain supernatural abilities that require a specific fey-crafted object or terrain feature (such as a grig's fiddle, a satyr's pipes, or a dryad's tree dependence), and you may only turn into fey whose Hit Dice are no greater than your druid level. You may not change gender as a result of wild shape, so certain single-gender fey (dryads, nymphs, satyrs) will be unavailable as well. Being in fey shape grants a +10 circumstance bonus for Disguise skill checks when pretending to be a fey.

Wow!

Leader of the Pack (General)
Your unique understanding of the effect music has upon animals allows you to inspire your animal friends to greater efficiency.
Prerequisites: Animal companion ability, bardic music ability
Benefit: When you use your bardic music ability to inspire courage, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics in your animal companion, it gains double the normal benefits. For example, a 1st level druid/9th level bard could use inspire courage to grant his animal companion a +4 morale bonus to attack, damage, and saving throws against charm of fear effects, or he could use inspire greatness to grant it +4d10 Hit Dice, a +4 competence bonus to attack and damage, and a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls.

Giving your Animal Companion, +33 Attack, +24 Damage, +24d6 Sonic Damage and +9d10+150 Temp. HP is scary, and yet possible.

[rypta]

The problem with Fey Shape is that I'm not taking enough druid levels to get Wildshape at all, let alone 6/day (level 18?).  As for Leader of the Pack, this character really isn't the 'singing to his animal friend' type.    Its more like 'so you burned down the forest?  I'm going to kill you and everyone who has ever known you.'