Spell: Tenser's Transformation

[chad878262]

If you are willing to drop the ASoC levels you would do quite well with a STR based W10/DS10/EK10. This would be BAB25 and you could go with STR ~18, DEX 14 and Max INT (26 would be ideal to hit 30 w/ helm of +4 INT). The idea would be to use STR for AB, but get Combat Insight in Epics for damage. Feats will be a bit of an issue so you'll need to make some choices between gish vs. DC. CL will be 29 which is perfectly fine and still hits max epic DC bonus to spells outside of spellpower high arcana or other PRC increases. My opinion is that for a drow the DEX route is better, but that doesn't mean STR won't work and still be effective.

You also could reduce Wizard to 5 and EK to 5 and take Archmage 10 if you wanted to, but consider taking a reserve feat and dropping archmage if the primary reason was to get Arcane Fire... Arcane Fire using conversion of a 1st level spell is 11d6, but costs a 9th level slot plus losing the spell you convert. With Fiery Burst you can fill one of your 9th level spell slots with Meteor Swarm and do 9d6 fire damage (save for half) an infinite number of times per day without losing any further spells. While Arcane Fire does Magic damage and more damage, you lose an additional spell every time and you had to spend way more feats to get Archmage, you lose BAB (W5/EK5/DS10/AM10 = BAB 22) and your damage will likely be lower (less ability to take any feats to increase damage)...Your DC is also likely to be lower since you can't afford needed feats, you might not even be able to get Epic Focus: Necromancy without sacrificing an epic feat for Greater Focus:Necro. Fiery Burst or one of the other reserve spells might accomplish most of what you would get from Arcane Fire with a MUCH lower cost.

[K'yon Oblodra]

Kinda considering the Dragonslayer PrC. The Deathsinger has pretty steep requirements and seems to offer, well maybe not little but not really what I like. It also requires weapon focus longsword or rapier which would be wasted if I am using a two-hander.

The ability to wear armor kind of goes away from the Castertype K'yon is supposed to embody. The imbuing of a spell is neat though admittedly but not really a must have.

Dragonslayer I think I could actually tie in with K'yon's already existing RP if a certain DM would be willing to help me with it -
Also the bonuses for Damage Resistances look very sexy, it would save me from having to take martial weapons also, the spell penetration and greater penetration a nice addition too.

[chad878262]

Only reason I suggested it is the synergy with INT, 30 INT giving +5 AC, being used for DC's while also being used for damage with combat insight. Dragon Slayer can work the same way if you still focus on INT, except you wouldn't get the +5 AC, but in exchange can wear Mithral Full Plate instead of Mithral Chainmail.

[K'yon Oblodra]

Seems like DS would be slightly less feat starved or am I overlooking something?

[Steve]

BUT BLADESINGER/DEATHSINGER HAS TO BE AN ELF!!! BOOOOOOOOOOO!

[K'yon Oblodra]

Lol I meant dragon slayer not deathsinger .

Btw Steve thanks for your post I really liked it and I totally agree that a challenge is a good thing .

[chad878262]

BUT BLADESINGER/DEATHSINGER HAS TO BE AN ELF!!! BOOOOOOOOOOO!

K'yon is a Drow...

The only issue with Dragon Slayer is a leveling thing. If you want to save as many feats as possible you take W10, then you can qualify for DragonSlayer (BAB +5) which gives you martial Weapon Proficiency, saving you a feat. However, if you go ahead and take martial proficiency, you can take EK at level 6, saving W10 for epics to gain an epic feat.

Decisions, decisions...

[K'yon Oblodra]

This is something I came up with with Wizard/Dragon Slayer/EK



Not sure what to do with that last feat...

Also needing to have Combat Expertise for Combat Insight kinda makes Deathsinger less of a bad option than I thought...

Edit: any build I save I can only access if I want to edit it... otherwise they are impossible to look at

Edit: Checked on Deathsinger but all it's abilities really want you to use a one handed weapon so that really doesn't fit with my sword...

[chad878262]

First, lower INT to 19, STR to 16 and gain a point that you can add to either DEX or CHA, whichever you prefer... CON is actually the best option since Abyssal Might gives +3 DEX, CON and STR. Then at level 4 put that point in INT instead of STR, you end with the same STR/INT stats, but you just added a point to some other stat. You could lower INT ANOTHER point to 18, take great INT on your last epic Feat to end at the same 26 final stat and increase STR to 17, which would work well with Abyssal Might (17 STR, 13 DEX, 9 CON after Abyssal Might would be 20, 16, 12 with one spell that lasts for 10 min/level).

[K'yon Oblodra]

Abyssal might? I was thinking tensers again that grants +4 to all... Guess the two again wouldn't stack?

The builder says my CL would cap at 28 is that correct? Cause that would be bad wouldn't it?

[Aspect of Sorrow]

You generally want to strive for 30+ but 28 isn't "bad" either.

[chad878262]

It is a question of spell efficiency. Abyssal Might is 1 3rd level spell that gives +3 to the three stats you want for when you are going to be in melee. It also lasts 10 min/level (i.e. it lasts until dispelled/breached or rest). Without it you either have to be in Tenser to melee or you need to cast (extended) Bulls, Bears, and cats to get those for 28 minutes (vs. 280).

Tenser's still gives you +5 to your AB, but you won't always need it since BAB 25 + 5(GMW) + 5 (STR 20) + 4 (Gr. Heroism) = 39 which is good enough for most mobs. You'll only need to hit Tenser's on occasions where you get slammed with too many mobs and need to kill them faster or to take on bosses when you don't want to or can't kill them with spells. This saves you spell slots for other buffs as well as any DC spells you might want to memorize (extended tensers is the same spell level as finger of death, one of your primary DC necromancy spells).

Yes, with a 10/10/10 split your CL will be 28, but that is not so bad. Greater Dispel will have a 10% to dispel each ward, but greater dispel is not overly common, especially in the Underdark. If you are overly concerned you can drop DS to 7 and increase Wizard to 13 for CL30, but I think AB 37 is going to be a bit too low. 39 is barely passable, but still ok since you can hit 44 when needed. Hitting 42 when needed is going to be a bit rough. I would rather go CL28 with the higher Attack Bonus in my opinion, but others might have a different view.

FYI, this is why most players either go full Gish or full DC caster... Trying to be competent at both leads to frustration when trying to maximize ability to either melee or make your spell slots the most effective. A DC Caster will buff up a summon to handle mobs and then try to kill a boss in as few spells as possible. If you want to be a Gish who is also going to reach passable DC's (and barely at that, you have to be very smart and learn what enemies have high fort saves vs. high will saves. Some will be too high for you regardless) you are going to have to accept that you are not great at either.

EDIT: I have a level 21 Drow that is kind of like a Gish (Fighter/Mage/Thief archetype) and I have never once been hit with dispel mobs that caused me issues. At level 21 his Caster level is only ~19 and at max level it will only be 25...but he will have HiPS at level 25 so there is that.

[K'yon Oblodra]

What I have currently been doing was buffing up a summon AND my character but my character currently being much more caster focused hurt the damage my character did compared to my very potent summon.