tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85830613483925350212024-02-18T20:14:26.026-08:00Jaron's RANTs and RAVEsStuff I want to talk about beyond the first 140 charactersJaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17989690684770719294noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583061348392535021.post-51247853627212455822011-01-19T11:35:00.000-08:002011-01-19T11:36:35.678-08:00[DND] Character Conversion - Street Fighter: Ryu vs. Ken<center><object height="240" width="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OUkZ6fzyOvQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OUkZ6fzyOvQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="360" height="240"></embed></object></center><br />
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Capcom's world-renowned fighting game series <i>Street Fighter</i> is legendary, and the main character duo of <a href="http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Ryu">Ryu</a> and <a href="http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Ken">Ken</a> stand at the top of the ever-growing roster of characters. While my personal favorite is the ninja girl <a href="http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Ibuki">Ibuki</a>, and I wanted to post a D&D character conversion concept post for her first, I felt I would be remiss if I didn't start at the beginning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz82RgWnlBkKP9L9n0n8mL5g7etotetL52KXFwz1vPhgJ8_s_cHwZXXUbTzXpB5B-QKouBrBFbnGRp1Qg5DXIS8j9e9XSZjeSoU0DWsCK4k1_CdiSnXuVyApyn4zUAmh5qNNRrLK3XTZRy/s1600/sf4-ken_ryu-illust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz82RgWnlBkKP9L9n0n8mL5g7etotetL52KXFwz1vPhgJ8_s_cHwZXXUbTzXpB5B-QKouBrBFbnGRp1Qg5DXIS8j9e9XSZjeSoU0DWsCK4k1_CdiSnXuVyApyn4zUAmh5qNNRrLK3XTZRy/s200/sf4-ken_ryu-illust.jpg" width="126" /></a>In the videogame, ever since <i>Street Fighter II</i>, Ryu and Ken have shared the same list of special attacks: the Hadoken fireball, the Shoryuken leaping uppercut, and the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku spinning jump kick. In later versions, the designers and developers kept the "clone characters" feel of the two by keeping their control input the same, but at the same time giving each fighter a different flavor by changing the effects of the attacks. Ryu's Hadoken became larger and stronger with more variation, while Ken's Shoryuken grew more powerful and his Tatsumaki Senpukyaku spun faster.<br />
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In coming up with how to best represent these two iconic heavyweights in D&D terms, I knew I wanted to keep their Power selection identical. Thanks to the 4th Edition system of Builds within Classes, I could make two identical characters feel completely different, just like they do in the videogame. I also wanted to identify a few key themes that would help guide my choices along the way:<br />
<ul><li>powerful martial arts attacks</li>
<li>high-flying athleticism and acrobatics</li>
<li>combination of physical and spiritual strength</li>
<li>emphasis on speed and resilience</li>
<li>no armor, no weapons</li>
</ul>To start, I based both Ryu and Ken on a <b>Human Monk</b>. This race/class combo touches on all of the key themes above, and many of the special Full Discipline movement techniques can help to make the character feel like he stepped right out of a videogame and onto the game table. Rather than selecting an extra At-Will power, I took the new Human racial ability, <b>Heroic Effort</b>, instead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv_KBmLzNHLnkgWLt4fTvb5VP4YQwrqpG2sH9-ybtzEFKh9OtZih9TdBnxaHZqBFqDT4A4EPA_SyI4sTx3DuF_z0xNzye-uoigFnfxuxQblJYIAsQNlvsqYwbBwWX6vY9gnEzKjv59vud/s1600/ryu-001+-+Ryu+Holofoil+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv_KBmLzNHLnkgWLt4fTvb5VP4YQwrqpG2sH9-ybtzEFKh9OtZih9TdBnxaHZqBFqDT4A4EPA_SyI4sTx3DuF_z0xNzye-uoigFnfxuxQblJYIAsQNlvsqYwbBwWX6vY9gnEzKjv59vud/s200/ryu-001+-+Ryu+Holofoil+Cover.jpg" width="130" /></a>I decided to make Ryu the more spiritual and resilient of the two, since his character reflects a more practiced study of self-improvement via martial arts, so he gets the <b>Iron Soul</b> class feature. For his background, I selected <b>Wanderer</b> (+2 Perception) from Psionic Power because he is literally the wandering warrior of the <i>Street Fighter</i> franchise.<br />
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For Ryu's <b>ability scores</b>, I focused on Dexterity first, like all Monks, and Constitution second, for better hit points and healing surges, plus it increases the damage dealt by the Iron Soul Flurry of Blows class feature:<br />
<blockquote><b>STR</b> 12<br />
<b>CON</b> 14<br />
<b>DEX</b> 16 (18)<br />
<b>INT</b> 10<br />
<b>WIS</b> 14<br />
<b>CHA</b> 9</blockquote>The low Charisma score is there to reflect Ryu's aloof and stern personality, as well as his unintentional condescension toward defeated opponents. He's a bit of a dick.<br />
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I chose <b>skill training</b> a bit differently between the two fighters because their characteristics and ability scores favored different skills. For Ryu, I trained:<br />
<blockquote>Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Heal, Perception</blockquote>Nothing fancy, but it's enough to reflect Ryu's wandering ways and self-sufficiency.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMEU_6ZmN9dBoBMCnHECplkK1cZGLEzk2T3-mPyZy5z4VUoRlH7PS-eaTJOwY2Hb59HEToXE4vJLXTTpdyknSSfBr459hT1TOo5EnhvidtmOvNC6euz0bqSpdcQZ5uR28EFFJ8GUU2g9X/s1600/ken-streetfighter_2d_ken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMEU_6ZmN9dBoBMCnHECplkK1cZGLEzk2T3-mPyZy5z4VUoRlH7PS-eaTJOwY2Hb59HEToXE4vJLXTTpdyknSSfBr459hT1TOo5EnhvidtmOvNC6euz0bqSpdcQZ5uR28EFFJ8GUU2g9X/s200/ken-streetfighter_2d_ken.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>Returning focus back to Ken now, I decided that his hot-headed and competitive nature is best represented by the raw power of the Monk's <b>Stone Fist</b> class feature. As the son of a wealthy hotel owner, I gave Ken the <b>Noble</b> (+2 Diplomacy) background from Player's Handbook 2. It was Ken who found Ryu in seclusion after his fight with Sagat, giving Ryu words of encouragement and his now-trademark red headband to snap him out of his funk.<br />
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I wanted Ken's <b>ability scores</b> to make him feel more offensive, so I stacked Dexterity and Strength, but I dropped Wisdom and Constitution a bit to reflect his more impetuous tendencies and his more sheltered urban American lifestyle. This made room for more Charisma (Ken has a hot blonde wife! He's gotta be at least a little likeable).<br />
<blockquote><b>STR</b> 14<br />
<b>CON</b> 13<br />
<b>DEX</b> 16 (18)<br />
<b>INT</b> 10<br />
<b>WIS</b> 11<br />
<b>CHA</b> 12</blockquote>In the <b>skill training</b> department, I stuck pretty close to Ryu's same skills, except for one personality vs. survivability choice:<br />
<blockquote>Acrobatics, Athletics, Diplomacy, Endurance, Perception</blockquote>For these two fighters, I wanted their main differences to be apparent in their class features, their ability scores, and the effects of their identical power selection. With this in mind, I purposely chose rather generic <b>feats</b> that helped both Ryu and Ken with defenses, accuracy, and speed, but did not directly enhance any other specific features. In no particular order, I selected:<br />
<blockquote>Improved Monk Unarmed Strike, Improved Defenses, Improved Initiative, Human Perseverance, Unarmored Agility, Action Surge, Fast Runner</blockquote>And then it came time to choose the <b>powers</b>, and this is what I decided:<br />
<ul><li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Crane's Wings</b> - The leaping kick of this power is highly evocative of the typical jump/kick/sweep combo that Ken and Ryu can do, especially if you Action Point into...</li>
<li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Dragon's Tail</b> - This power's movement technique, which lets you swap places with a prone target, feels a lot like Ken's & Ryu's throw.</li>
<li>(L1, Encounter) <b>Rising Storm</b> - Advantage: Ken. While this attack only targets one creature, it can still damage multiple adjacent enemies, and Ken's higher Strength makes his that much more powerful. The flight technique makes this a good fit for the duo's tatsumaki senpukyaku "hurricane kick" special move.</li>
<li>(L1, Daily) <b>Stunning Palm</b> - Combo, combo, combo, STUN! This attack simulates a rapid assault that leaves the target defenseless with little birdies or skulls floating around his head.</li>
<li>(L2, Daily) <b>Fighting Fury</b> - Advantage: Ken. This utility is good for both fighters, but Ken will find it more potent since he's the more reckless and "furious" fighter.</li>
<li>(L3, Encounter) <b>Enduring Champion</b> - Advantage: Ryu. Extra saving throws always come in handy, but with his higher Wisdom score, Ryu stands a better chance of shaking off debilitating effects with this power -- and he inflicts a few extra points of damage while doing it.</li>
<li>(L5, Daily) <b>Thunderbolt Surge</b> - This is your hadoken!</li>
<li>(L6, Encounter) <b>Iron Heart Endurance</b> - Advantage: Ryu. The more patient of the duo, Ryu's tempered spirit grants him a more substantial temporary boost from this power.</li>
<li>(L7, Encounter) <b>Titan's Step</b> - Advantage: Ken. The movement technique that creates difficult terrain adjacent to where your jump lands paints a powerful image. Ken's Strength makes his attack more violent, but the push effect creates a dramatic finish for both fighters.</li>
<li>(L9, Daily) <b>Immolating Fist</b> - This is your shoryuken!</li>
<li>(L10, Encounter) <b>Confirmation of Spirit</b> - Advantage: Ryu. Again, the more focused and disciplined Ryu aims to outlast his opponent, regaining more hit points with this power than his rash and impetuous counterpart, Ken.</li>
</ul><div>I did not do any <b>magic item</b> shopping for these builds, but I'd recommend the obvious choices of <b>Emerald Flame</b> ki focus or <b>Blazing Arc</b> ki focus for Ken, <b>Iron Body</b> ki focus or maybe <b>Impeding</b> ki focus for Ryu, and the <b>Iron Armbands of Power</b> are always popular among melee strikers.<br />
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Ryu's iplay4e link:<br />
<a href="http://iplay4e.appspot.com/characters/agdpcGxheTRlchQLEgtDaGFyYWN0ZXJWMhjXg_kDDA">http://iplay4e.appspot.com/characters/agdpcGxheTRlchQLEgtDaGFyYWN0ZXJWMhjXg_kDDA</a><br />
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Ken's iplay4e link:<br />
<a href="http://iplay4e.appspot.com/characters/agdpcGxheTRlchQLEgtDaGFyYWN0ZXJWMhjL9foDDA">http://iplay4e.appspot.com/characters/agdpcGxheTRlchQLEgtDaGFyYWN0ZXJWMhjL9foDDA</a></div>Jaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17989690684770719294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583061348392535021.post-56036416118625946362010-04-09T18:54:00.000-07:002010-04-09T18:55:14.746-07:00[DND] PH3-izing Ability ScoresInspired by <a href="http://twitter.com/digitaldraco">@digitaldraco</a>'s <a href="http://twitter.com/digitaldraco/status/11852734480">question</a> on Twitter,<br />
<blockquote>Would it break any rules balance to give other races the same kind of ability score options that PH3 races get?</blockquote>I thought about it, and I don't see how this would affect the rules at all. If one were to start handing out additional +2 bonuses to third and fourth ability scores, sure, that would throw off the balance. Just rearranging the bonus, though? All I can see that "breaking" is the flavor of each race, which has nothing to do with the rules or game balance.<br />
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My second thought was that players might try to take advantage of this and create weird, illogical ability score combinations (like +2 CHA for Dwarves, when pre-4E Dwarves have historically taken a penalty to Charisma). I figured splitting the stats into Physical (STR, CON, DEX) and Non-Physical (INT, WIS, CHA) and only exchanging between them (like giving Elves +2 WIS and the option of +2 DEX or +2 STR because they're both Physical stats) would make sense. I compared the ability score options for the existing PH3 races, and they don't follow this pattern, so I guess we can scrap that idea.<br />
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I looked harder for a pattern in the PH3 races' optional ability scores, and I thought I found one. Some races offer a choice between DEX and INT (Githzerai, Changeling). Not consistent with my "Physical/Non-Physical" idea, but they do affect the Reflex defense and add to Armor Class. Other races offer a choice between WIS and CHA (Shardmind). So I figured, maybe they only offer ability score choices between those that key off the same defense? Then along stomps the Minotaur and Wilden with more inconsistent options: CON or WIS and CON or DEX!<br />
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Based on this, I guess there is no real pattern or precedent for which ability scores can be interchangeable.<br />
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So then I began to wonder: which ability score options would be available to the PH and PH2 races? Here's my opinion.<br />
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<strong>Players Handbook</strong><br />
<ul><li>Dragonborn: +2 CHA, +2 STR or CON (represents a more hardy variety of dragonborn folk)</li>
<li>Dwarf: +2 CON, +2 WIS or STR (for the more physically focused dwarves)</li>
<li>Eladrin: +2 INT, +2 DEX or WIS (to build a more scholarly eladrin)</li>
<li>Elf: +2 WIS, +2 DEX or STR (for the elves who are more athletic than acrobatic)</li>
<li>Half-Elf: +2 CHA, +2 CON or INT (to represent a more educated and worldly half-elf)</li>
<li>Halfling: +2 DEX, +2 CHA or INT (in case you want a more crafty and wiley halfling)</li>
<li>Tiefling: +2 CHA, +2 INT or CON (for the sturdier tieflings, like all those paladins in the WotC art)</li>
</ul><strong>Players Handbook 2</strong><br />
<ul><li>Deva: +2 WIS, +2 INT or CHA (for a deva with a stronger presence)</li>
<li>Gnome: +2 CHA, +2 INT or DEX (to build a more nimble gnome)</li>
<li>Goliath: +2 CON, +2 STR or WIS (for the more spiritually-minded goliaths)</li>
<li>Half-Orc: +2 DEX, +2 STR or CON (to reflect variable traits inherited from the orc parent)</li>
<li>Longtooth Shifter: +2 STR, +2 WIS or CHA (for a more influential shifter)</li>
<li>Razorclaw Shifter: +2 DEX, +2 WIS or CHA (for a more influential shifter)</li>
</ul><strong>Forgotten Realms and Eberron Players Guides</strong><br />
<ul><li>(Changelings already have an ability score option!)</li>
<li>Drow: +2 DEX, +2 CHA or INT (to build a more conniving or knowledgeable drow)</li>
<li>Genasi: +2 STR, +2 INT or CHA (to represent a more commanding genasi)</li>
<li>Kalashtar: +2 CHA, +2 WIS or INT (for a kalashtar trying to be more cerebral than spiritual)</li>
<li>Warforged: +2 CON, +2 STR or WIS (to reflect a warforged seeking meaning to his existence)</li>
</ul>That's how I would do it. Some of these combinations or rationalizations may not even make sense, or you might think they're flat out wrong. How would you handle it differently?Jaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17989690684770719294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583061348392535021.post-53283904974185091992010-03-11T17:42:00.000-08:002010-03-11T18:23:23.779-08:00[DND] Character Concept - WAR D&D: Witch ElfA few weeks ago, I posted <a href="http://jaron95.blogspot.com/2010/02/dnd-character-concept-solomon-kane.html" target="_blank">a blog article</a> about building a character for <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd" target="_blank">4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons</a> based on Robert E. Howard's character, Solomon Kane. As I built the character, I realized that it could also pretty closely simulate a <a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com/armiesofWAR/empire/WitchHunter.php" target="_blank">Witch Hunter</a> from EA Mythic's Warhammer Online (WAR). I had so much fun doing that article that I decided I'd try doing a character concept article for all 24 classes in WAR.<br />
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<div>A little background info first: WAR really only has 12 different classes, but the opposing faction mirrors those 12 classes for a total of 24. In this article, I intend to build a D&D4e character that could feasibly stand in for the Witch Hunter's mirror class: the dark elves' <a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com/armiesofWAR/darkelves/WitchElf.php" target="_blank">Witch Elf</a>.<br />
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</div><div></div><div>From the Witch Elf description page:</div><blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lRBfUqCTWqpsHZvLC0vXtwiu8TjJOWdfbjvYXTupo91r1MkDBG26QQhXf5oWrJ7E6sWMlB3497hBLG5UHXCRTSmUIV4Yr-pu-sTt-vGd3Aix_ZafQx__B7Mx-6mW2ZHRUDzaapznZLl0/s1600-h/witchelf-concept-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lRBfUqCTWqpsHZvLC0vXtwiu8TjJOWdfbjvYXTupo91r1MkDBG26QQhXf5oWrJ7E6sWMlB3497hBLG5UHXCRTSmUIV4Yr-pu-sTt-vGd3Aix_ZafQx__B7Mx-6mW2ZHRUDzaapznZLl0/s200/witchelf-concept-03.jpg" width="127" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Witch Elf can be an unstoppable force of death and destruction under the proper circumstances. By picking their targets carefully, the Witch Elf can win a fight in a short amount of time. A Witch Elf prefers to rapidly close with lightly armored targets, where their wicked poisons can find exposed flesh. Using a combination of rapid attacks, the Witch Elf works herself up into a Frenzy to execute powerful attacks that will stop most opponents dead in their tracks. When facing a heavily armored foe, the Witch Elf relies on her agility to survive long enough to pick apart her opponent's defenses and opening him up to a savage death blow.</span></blockquote><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lightly armored and agile, capable of closing long distances rapidly</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wields long sacrificial daggers coated in deadly poisons</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Armor is adorned with razor sharp hooks, and wickedly barbed metal plates</span></li>
</ul>With this in mind, I decided to focus on these main themes:<br />
<ul><li>lightly armored</li>
<li>long, deadly daggers</li>
<li>speed and agility</li>
<li>strong bursts of damage</li>
<li>poison attacks</li>
</ul><div>Thanks to a little help from <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drfe/20090309" target="_blank">Dragon Magazine issue 373</a>, I think my Witch Elf turned out pretty well. Read on for all the bloody, eviscerated details.</div><br />
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<a name='more'></a>To start out, the race and class combination pretty much chose itself: <b>Drow Rogue</b>. Not much argument there. One little caveat to the Witch Elves though: every single one of them belongs to the female gender. There are no male Witch Elves. The "Brides of Khaine", as some call them, just roll that way. While the D&D dark elf society typically gets depicted as matriarchal, the Warhammer dark elves serve <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malekith" target="_blank">an evil king</a>. However, this king surrounds himself with female warriors and sorceresses because of a prophecy that foretold that he would meet his end at the hands of a sorcerer, implying a male assassin.<br />
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From the Rogue class features, I took <b>Artful Dodger</b> and <b>Rogue Weapon Talent</b> to represent the "lightly armored", "deadly daggers", "speed and agility", and "strong bursts of damage" themes.<br />
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For the <b>background</b>, I chose <b>Drow - Orphan</b> and took the Dungeoneering skill bonus. I did this mainly to synergize with the skill training choices made below, though anything that provides bonuses to Stealth, Thievery, Acrobatics, Athletics, Perception, or even Intimidate or Bluff would do just as well here.<br />
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When it came to <b>ability scores</b>, it's a pretty standard Artful Dodger Rogue array:<br />
<blockquote><b>STR </b>11<br />
<b>CON </b>13<br />
<b>DEX </b>16 (18)<br />
<b>INT </b>10<br />
<b>WIS </b>12<br />
<b>CHA </b>14 (16)</blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFSYtfLRsCt0AQBUmlhIru8tG9oCLVByz_-QA4gGou5Jcs4lu7wRFAR3IEQPPHywof0YgPfvAUsEi68AQtVuBlRI4yOx_hC9iJSoCFDL3A6QOIlZI2Glas4L8i0BlHcXKffKzT61t6MS3/s1600-h/witchelf-look-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFSYtfLRsCt0AQBUmlhIru8tG9oCLVByz_-QA4gGou5Jcs4lu7wRFAR3IEQPPHywof0YgPfvAUsEi68AQtVuBlRI4yOx_hC9iJSoCFDL3A6QOIlZI2Glas4L8i0BlHcXKffKzT61t6MS3/s200/witchelf-look-02.jpg" width="156" /></a>I intended to keep DEX and CHA on the treadmill as the character progressed, increasing them at levels 4 and 8. I didn't really have a true "dump" stat here, since I brought them all up into at least the double digits. If you really wanted to milk it, I'd suggest dropping INT to 8 and boosting CON to 14 for the extra hit points, healing surge, and bonus to Fortitude. If you wanted a bit more non-combat utility from your Witch Elf with slightly better scores in Perception, Insight, and Dungeoneering, you could drop INT to 8, STR to 10, and boost WIS to 14 for an extra modifier bonus there. If you want to set up for the Master of Poisons paragon path, you could drop WIS to 8 and STR to 10 (or vice versa) to get INT to 14.<br />
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As for <b>skills</b> training themselves, we start out with Stealth and Thievery from being a Rogue. In addition to these, I went with:<br />
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<blockquote>Acrobatics, Athletics, Dungeoneering (I'll explain below), Intimidate</blockquote><b>Acrobatics </b>and <b>Athletics</b> explain themselves: for vaulting and somersaulting, running and jumping, and generally fitting in with the "speed and agility" theme. I took <b>Intimidate </b>because I have the CHA and the knives to back it up. <b>Dungeoneering</b>, however, made the list so I could qualify for a specific feat.<br />
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Speaking of <b>feats</b>, I had a real hard time choosing these. I had to make some tough calls between getting all I could out of the game mechanics, and creating a flavorful character that didn't turn out to be "just another rogue". As a result, the Witch Elf concept requires all of these feats in order to work as intended, but right off the bat we need to set precedent with:<br />
<ul><li><b>Weapon Proficiency (Kukri)</b></li>
</ul><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsa_ZQKxJyV8GDcK12HkcPGOkatdcjHmxCiImuRH-yopTtkdKyzd5W2Z6NTDQWAKlQLkBUxZq8Xw0GG2Pg7BHsF6V28GpuNisMa7pcAAn6_QFx_s0QyspA_pOgLhBow-ywKeMh6-PKSvRP/s1600-h/witchelf-concept-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsa_ZQKxJyV8GDcK12HkcPGOkatdcjHmxCiImuRH-yopTtkdKyzd5W2Z6NTDQWAKlQLkBUxZq8Xw0GG2Pg7BHsF6V28GpuNisMa7pcAAn6_QFx_s0QyspA_pOgLhBow-ywKeMh6-PKSvRP/s200/witchelf-concept-05.jpg" width="119" /></a>This sets up the "long, deadly daggers" theme right from the get-go. Although it gives up both accuracy and ranged versatility, the kukri's d6 damage die outclasses the dagger's d4. Plus, the kukri's Brutal property fits the Witch Elf both mechanically and thematically.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Also intrinsic to the concept of this character build: the <b>multiclass feats</b>. Now, we finally get to address the "poison attacks" theme:</div><div><ul><li><b>Poisoner</b></li>
<li><b>Poisoner Novice</b> (level 4)</li>
<li><b>Poisoner Specialist</b> (level 10)</li>
</ul></div>The <b>Poisoner </b>multiclass feat lets our Witch Elf start to penetrate poison resistance, and the prerequisites for this feat include training in the <b>Dungeoneering</b> skill (or Nature, which is not available to Rogues). The <b>Poisoner Novice</b> power swap feat gives the Witch Elf the ability to add the Poison keyword and ongoing 5 poison damage to an at-will attack once per encounter. The <b>Poisoner Specialist</b> power swap feat introduces a daily power with a debilitating poison attack that inflicts ongoing damage and attack penalties on the target, and then blinds them, and then weakens them as long as they continue failing their saving throws.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, poison counts among the most common resistances and immunities that I have seen in D&D4e. The Poisoner feat's ability to overcome resistance should help, but we shouldn't rely on it. That's where the rest of our Heroic tier feats come in:<br />
<ul><li><b>Backstabber</b></li>
<li><b>Slaying Action</b></li>
</ul><div><b>Backstabber </b>has become the de facto no-brainer must-have Rogue feat. Character optimizers will likely chastize you if you try to play a Rogue for any amount of time with the default d6 Sneak Attack dice. Lucky for us, in a concept character build, we don't have to worry about that.</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyONJi5PJY-uJbwe1jAc8mEVI-f2jXMHueZbuUYP8wk40IJb-TEw-Sf8nOcO1N54f2gUg3SzyDSJfHz4aDXCE0u_TWJ9CS8TJ6gm58NQ73aL9zXZy7JVdqBqC88znSQl_YB3MlDGxtlHH/s1600-h/witchelf-concept-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyONJi5PJY-uJbwe1jAc8mEVI-f2jXMHueZbuUYP8wk40IJb-TEw-Sf8nOcO1N54f2gUg3SzyDSJfHz4aDXCE0u_TWJ9CS8TJ6gm58NQ73aL9zXZy7JVdqBqC88znSQl_YB3MlDGxtlHH/s200/witchelf-concept-06.jpg" width="119" /></a>Absolutely key to the "strong bursts of damage" theme, and of paramount importance to this build because of it, <b>Slaying Action</b> lets us deal our Sneak Attack damage twice in the same turn. The feats past level 1 don't necessarily have to be taken in any particular order, except for the level requirements on the multiclass power swap feats, but I would take Slaying Action even before Backstabber in this build. For the Witch Elf concept, the ability to hit with two Sneak Attacks for that extra single-round "burst" damage has higher priority than the larger Sneak Attack dice.</div><div><br />
</div><div>When it came time to choose <b>powers</b> for this character concept build, I had just as much trouble as I did with the feats. Since I had the power swap feats looming on the horizon, I knew I couldn't get too attached to any of the powers I picked because half of them would get replaced soon. I wanted to focus on the themes, though, so I tried to select powers that included extra mobility effects to fit the "speed and agility" theme. I also tried to favor multi-[W] damage attacks to enhance the "deadly daggers" and "strong bursts of damage" themes. The powers I ended up with:</div><div><ul><li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Sly Flourish</b> - The bread-and-butter attack of any Artful Dodger Rogue.</li>
<li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Piercing Strike</b> - Rogues have a lot of great at-wills now, but I can't overlook the ability to target a non-AC defense whenever necessary.</li>
</ul><div>I strongly considered <b>Duelist's Flurry </b>for the extra chances to deal Sneak Attack damage even without combat advantage, but it targets AC just like Sly Flourish and I wanted something that reflected the "pick apart her opponent's defenses" quote from the Witch Elf description. I briefly looked at <b>Riposte Strike</b>, but it won't work in this build due to the fact that the secondary attack keys off of STR, which this build lacks.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>(L1, Encounter) <b>Positioning Strike</b> - Though only 1[W], this could prove invaluable for its ability to get into a flanking position.</li>
<li>(L1, Daily) <b>Handspring Assault</b> - Clocking in at 3[W], this power addresses the "strong bursts of damage" theme, and being able to use it on a charge attack plays to the "speed and agility" theme.</li>
<li>(L2, At-Will) <b>Fast Hands</b> - This at-will utility power turns retrieving items into a free action, super useful for employing poison or other alchemical agents during combat.</li>
<li>(L3, Encounter) <b>Jumping Blade Assault</b> - Decent damage AND knocks the target prone before the hit? Useable in place of a melee basic attack at the end of a charge AND targets Reflex instead of AC? Where do I sign?</li>
<li>(L3, Encounter, retraining) <strong>Improvised Poison</strong> - Directly addressing the "poison attacks" theme at the cost of another cool encounter power. Suggestion: take the power swap feat at 6, then pick up JBA again at 7.</li>
<li>(L5, Daily) <b>Duelist's Demand</b> - I wanted a daily attack that had a longer-lasting effect, and this one looked promising. Free combat advantage as long as you keep the immobilized enemy adjacent to you.</li>
<li>(L6, Encounter) <b>Vexing Flanker</b> - The name of the game: Combat Advantage. This power: key to winning. Also plays to the "speed and agility" theme of the Witch Elf character.</li>
<li>(L7, Encounter) <b>Jumping Blade Assault</b> - We covered this one at level 3, and it makes it reappearance after getting swapped out for Improvised Poison.</li>
<li>(L9, Daily) <b>One Hundred Knives</b> - Multiple attacks makes the Reliable portion of this power a bit less so, but I knew this one was getting retrained soon and looked like fun in the meantime.</li>
<li>(L9, Daily, retraining) <strong>Progressive Toxin</strong> - This power looks like fun, assuming you can get the target to fail enough of its saves for the toxin to fully progress. Look for party synergy with effects that apply saving throw penalties and then let this one rip.</li>
<li>(L10, Encounter) <b>Sneak in the Attack</b> - As a level 2 utility, this power could fit in anywhere along this build, but I felt that the other utility powers fit the concept better so I chose them first. Granting extra damage to allies usually falls within the Leader's realm of responsibility, but strikers can have a little fun with it too.</li>
</ul><div><strong>Magic items</strong> for the Witch Elf are plentiful. Wielding a pair of magical kukris, which have the off-hand property, can provide a lot of combat flexibility because you can choose to use either weapon for any given attack. For example, you could equip a <strong>Subtle Weapon</strong> in one hand and a <strong>Vanguard Weapon</strong> in the other hand, using one for attacking when you have combat advantage and the other for making charge attacks.<br />
<br />
For armor, the <strong>Addergrease </strong>property gives the Witch Elf yet another way to deal "poison attacks". Though I personally prefer items that have constant effect properties, I love the strongly thematic daily power on this one.<br />
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The <strong>alchemical items </strong>list offers lots of helpful goodies for a Witch Elf including, but not limited to: Bloodstinger Poison, Ghoststrike Oil, Slow-Step Oil, Drowsy Dust, Eyesting, Alchemical Silver, and Inferno Oil. Although they add a lot of extra utility and flexibility to the character, these consumables can get expensive. Picking up the <strong>Alchemist</strong> feat and making your own might help cut costs a bit, as well as providing potential hooks for new adventures or side-quests.<strong> </strong><br />
<br />
When it comes to <strong>paragon paths</strong>, the obvious choice for many stops at <strong>Daggermaster</strong>. However, for this build, <strong>Master of Poisons </strong>may actually fit best, though it would require some tweaking to the INT score to make use of the Poison Maven feature. I've found the <strong>Death Dealer</strong> as another good fit for the Witch Elf, with its -2 to saving throw penalty to adjacent enemies, helpful for keeping that ongoing poison damage flowing. For those who prefer the high-flying charge attacks in our Witch Elf build, <strong>Daring Acrobat</strong> gives us a lot more to work with in that theme.<br />
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<br />
So there we have it: my vision of Warhammer Online's Witch Elf translated into the D&D4e rules. Thanks for checking it out, and please drop me a line here or @Jaron95 on Twitter if this ends up inspiring you to try out a Drow Poisoner Rogue of your own.</div><div><div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Images jacked without permission from </span><a href="http://www.warhammeronline.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.warhammeronline.com/</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> and are copyright their respective owners (probably some combination of Games Workshop, Electronic Arts, and EA Mythic).</span><br />
<br />
And now, the Character Builder summary:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></div></div><div><br />
</div><div><div>====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======<br />
<br />
Witch Elf, level 10<br />
Drow, Rogue<br />
Build: Aerialist Rogue<br />
Rogue Tactics: Artful Dodger<br />
Rogue: Rogue Weapon Talent<br />
Darkfire: Darkfire Charisma<br />
Background: Drow - Orphan (+2 to Dungeoneering)<br />
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FINAL ABILITY SCORES<br />
Str 11, Con 13, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16.<br />
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STARTING ABILITY SCORES<br />
Str 11, Con 13, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 14.<br />
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AC: 19 Fort: 16 Reflex: 21 Will: 18<br />
HP: 70 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 17<br />
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TRAINED SKILLS<br />
Stealth +16, Thievery +14, Athletics +10, Intimidate +15, Acrobatics +14, Dungeoneering +13<br />
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UNTRAINED SKILLS<br />
Arcana +5, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +8, Endurance +6, Heal +6, History +5, Insight +6, Nature +6, Perception +6, Religion +5, Streetwise +8<br />
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FEATS<br />
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Kukri)<br />
Level 2: Poisoner<br />
Level 4: Slaying Action<br />
Level 6: Poisoner Novice<br />
Level 8: Backstabber<br />
Level 10: Poisoner Specialist<br />
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POWERS<br />
Rogue at-will 1: Piercing Strike<br />
Rogue at-will 1: Sly Flourish<br />
Rogue encounter 1: Positioning Strike<br />
Rogue daily 1: Handspring Assault<br />
Rogue utility 2: Fast Hands<br />
Rogue encounter 3: Jumping Blade Assault (retrained to Improvised Poison at Poisoner Novice)<br />
Rogue daily 5: Duelist's Demand<br />
Rogue utility 6: Vexing Flanker<br />
Rogue encounter 7: Jumping Blade Assault<br />
Rogue daily 9: One Hundred Knives (retrained to Progressive Toxin at Poisoner Specialist)<br />
Rogue utility 10: Sneak in the Attack<br />
<br />
ITEMS<br />
Leather Armor, Adventurer's Kit, Kukri (2), Bloodstinger Poison (level 3)<br />
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======<br />
<br />
</div></div></div>Jaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17989690684770719294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8583061348392535021.post-10566336106820529002010-02-18T11:48:00.000-08:002010-03-05T02:15:04.226-08:00[DND] Character Concept - Solomon Kane<div>Honestly, I didn't know anything about Robert E. Howard's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Kane" target="_blank">Solomon Kane</a> until last summer at San Diego Comic-Con. I happened to catch the tail end of the Solomon Kane movie preview panel because I wanted to see some other programming happening later on in the same room. When they played <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lalm_kkczVM" target="_blank">the trailer for the film</a> (which apparently never got a distributor for a U.S. release), it enthralled me instantly. <br />
<div></div></div><div><br />
You see, back then, I played more than my fair share of Warhammer Online. The imagery of Solomon Kane in the movie reminded me very much of the <a href="http://mythicmktg.fileburst.com/war/us/home/images/armiesofWAR/empire/WHnt_05.jpg" target="_blank">Witch</a> <a href="http://mythicmktg.fileburst.com/war/us/home/images/newsletter/2007_05/AoW_Concept_Final_WvsZ.jpg" target="_blank">Hunters</a> in that world, which I also found fascinating. Naturally, I immediately want to put such imagery into game terms, so I decided to translate this idea into a D&D character.</div><div></div><br />
<div></div><div>To start off, I wanted to identify a few core themes and characteristics that I deemed most vital to the character:</div><ul><li>devout piety</li>
<li>singular focus on seeking out and punishing evil</li>
<li>expert swordsmanship</li>
<li>flintlock pistols</li>
<li>pimp hats</li>
</ul>In D&D4e terms, the religious aspect of the character led me to the Divine power source, while the swordsmanship and pistol aspects sounded more like a Martial discipline. To get as close to the source character as possible, I decided I would have to build the concept character as either a Multiclass or a Hybrid. I built one of each, and I go into excruciating detail about them below. So let's get down to it.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>For both builds, I started with a <strong>Human</strong>, because both Solomon Kane and the Witch Hunters of Warhammer came from human societies. <br />
<br />
I also began both builds with an <strong>Avenger</strong>. The Avenger class can capably represent both the "devout piety" and the "punisher of evil" themes that Solomon Kane and the Witch Hunters embody. For the Multiclass build, I chose the Censure of Pursuit class feature because I felt that it best represented the source characters' "singular focus" in hunting down and destroying evil. As for the Martial piece of the puzzle, I think that <strong>Rogue</strong> fits the bill for both Kane and the Witch Hunters as well, and it dovetails nicely into the Pursuing Avenger build.<br />
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I prefer to leave character background up to personal preference, or something appropriate to the campaign where you want to play this character, but for these builds I chose <strong>Divinely Inspired</strong> and selected the Insight bonus. The source characters will both say that they do their gods' work in the world, and they both have a keen sense for the truth.<br />
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When it comes to ability scores, I always struggle with keeping the character first and the stats second. After all, combat in D&D more or less boils down to a game of math, and this character still has its role to fill as a damage dealer. I laid out my starting points as follows:<br />
<blockquote><b>STR </b>11 <br />
<b>CON </b>12<br />
<b>DEX </b>15 (17)<br />
<b>INT </b>9<br />
<b>WIS </b>17<br />
<b>CHA </b>10</blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBH59M57oxDrh_yiUijjyuHYC-ShR74Elk8cIQgfT09zQOg6qy2lfeX1pWPH4JS0ezQfa32VmnV20eNKoh1RooayvSCMhbmpvkGJ8dx7M2R_wE0uYTKa_zhScXgvGo3gh1M7bliB1K1MD/s1600-h/witchhunter-concept-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBH59M57oxDrh_yiUijjyuHYC-ShR74Elk8cIQgfT09zQOg6qy2lfeX1pWPH4JS0ezQfa32VmnV20eNKoh1RooayvSCMhbmpvkGJ8dx7M2R_wE0uYTKa_zhScXgvGo3gh1M7bliB1K1MD/s200/witchhunter-concept-01.jpg" width="124" /></a>I put the +2 points from Human into DEX to bring the starting 15 up to a 17. I intended to keep my DEX and WIS equal as the character progressed. I chose INT as the dump stat because I felt that skills like Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Streetwise represented the glib, menacing, and resourceful man-hunter character concept more faithfully than Arcana, History, and Religion. <br />
<br />
Speaking of <b>skills</b>, I chose different training between the two builds.<br />
<ul><li><b>Multiclass:</b> Endurance, Perception, Religion, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery</li>
<li><b>Hybrid:</b> Endurance, Insight, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth, Streetwise</li>
</ul>Both builds included <b>Endurance </b>training to reflect the tenacity that the source characters display when hunting their quarry to the ends of the earth. <b>Perception </b>and <b>Stealth </b>allow the character to track and sneak up on their prey when they close in for the kill. <b>Religion </b>and <b>Thievery </b>skill training in the Multiclass build come from the Avenger and Rogue classes, respectively, but can easily fit to match the character concept. In the Hybrid build, I chose <b>Insight </b>so that it could play into the background benefit that I chose earlier, and <b>Intimidate </b>for that menacing feel.<br />
<br />
When it came to <b>feats</b>, a few of them keyed directly into the concept build, while the rest fleshed out the character's combat ability. I took the key concept feats at level 1 to set the tone of the character right from the start.<br />
<ul><li><strong>Weapon Proficiency (Rapier)</strong></li>
<li><strong>Sneak of Shadows</strong> OR <strong>Two-Fisted Shooter</strong></li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJ1CcE1btNNuFJzkOcxd5HnoKGzLcpT_lAGYN0BQaalMSzqy36e8-m1EOthIjYUe1ajwot3h1qrzGmHz25rNbM3yjRX2RMfb8mt4x9cTSmiIcC1ICcRnpgM-DLf4VR8mWfdEFj8n74Sj9/s1600-h/witchhunter-concept-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJ1CcE1btNNuFJzkOcxd5HnoKGzLcpT_lAGYN0BQaalMSzqy36e8-m1EOthIjYUe1ajwot3h1qrzGmHz25rNbM3yjRX2RMfb8mt4x9cTSmiIcC1ICcRnpgM-DLf4VR8mWfdEFj8n74Sj9/s200/witchhunter-concept-06.jpg" width="128" /></a>D&D4e classifies the <strong>rapier</strong>, the signature blade of both Solomon Kane and the Witch Hunters, as a "superior melee" weapon, and neither the Avenger nor the Rogue get this proficiency for free, so I had to burn a feat to equip it without penalty. I can hear the character optimizers groan even as I type this.<br />
<br />
When Multiclassing, <strong>Sneak of Shadows</strong> at first level will open up the skill training you need right out of the gate, and unlock all the other Rogue feats for second level and beyond. In the Hybrid build, you already have access to all the Rogue and Avenger feats, so you can skip straight to <strong>Two-Fisted Shooter</strong>. <em>Finally, we can address the flintlock pistol characteristic of the character concept!</em> Since we don't have actual pistols in D&D4e, the hand crossbow will suffice in a pinch, and this feat makes hand crossbows awesome! Two-Fisted Shooter not only lets you wield the hand crossbow as an off-hand weapon, it also lets you reload it as a free action <em>in one hand!</em> Oh, it doesn't end there. As long as you hold the hand crossbow in your off-hand, you get a free ranged basic attack whenever you score a critical hit. Yeah. Awesome. Especially for "crit fisherman" Avengers who roll two dice when attacking their Oath of Enmity target!<br />
<br />
I'll list the rest of the feats I chose to round out the character, but I have no recommended order in which to take them.<br />
<ul><li><strong>Avenging Resolution</strong> - Because who doesn't love a minimum damage die roll of 3?</li>
<li><strong>Backstabber</strong> - For obvious reasons (once per encounter if you've Multiclassed, upgrades to must-have in the Hybrid build).</li>
<li><strong>Flash of the Blade</strong> - Fits the concept perfectly, since the source characters typically get portrayed as loners (same caveat as Backstabber).</li>
<li><strong>Hybrid Talent</strong> - To squeeze a bit more "Avenger" out of your Hybrid Avenger. If you do take this one, I recommend "Armor of Faith" over the "Censure" feature because without it you leave yourself a bit too vulnerable in mere cloth armor.</li>
<li><strong>Improved Armor of Faith</strong> - You can't ever have "too much" Armor Class.</li>
<li><strong>Melee Training (Wisdom/Dexterity)</strong> - In case you find yourself making a lot of melee basic attacks, this feat will mitigate the effects of having such a low Strength score.</li>
</ul>Of course, tons of other feats exist that you might find more useful or appropriate for your character or campaign. Any of those will likely work just as well with this Solomon Kane/Witch Hunters character concept as any of these do, as long as you take the key characteristic feats first to set the tone of the character.<br />
<br />
Finally, we come to the <b>power selection</b> stage. The Multiclass build has far fewer Rogue powers than the Hybrid build, obviously, so the two really start to diverge here. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2ElvSFpJZ7UTBZAOf9_wItOjFWlfjIPCsS4c-CxmI040HO1t2SS-rYcVriJdioMXEuEJED_b04UgzjCqLz4DMCkJTClgsM47MNCsIAJNBbDJTxj0rxLp_zU9f6usXONq_MuYrMNhyiKa/s1600-h/witchhunter-look-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2ElvSFpJZ7UTBZAOf9_wItOjFWlfjIPCsS4c-CxmI040HO1t2SS-rYcVriJdioMXEuEJED_b04UgzjCqLz4DMCkJTClgsM47MNCsIAJNBbDJTxj0rxLp_zU9f6usXONq_MuYrMNhyiKa/s200/witchhunter-look-03.jpg" width="200" /></a>Solomon Kane and the Witch Hunters both deal with the supernatural on a fairly regular basis, but they do so with malignant reluctance. With this in mind, I tried to steer clear of the more "magical" or "supernatural" Avenger powers, like the ones that let you teleport or gain phasing. Even though they really do shine in a Pursuing Avenger build, they just didn't fit this character's theme.<br />
<br />
In the Multiclass build, I chose:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>(L1, At-Will)<b> Bond of Pursuit</b> <b>-</b> This power pretty much defines the Pursuing Avenger.</li>
<li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Focused Fury</b> - Good for separating your enemies and keeping them at bay.</li>
<li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Overwhelming Strike </b>- Also good for pulling enemies out of position. </li>
</ul><div>I don't recommend <b>Radiant Vengeance</b> for this build simply because it goes against the character concept of steering clear of magical effects, and because you'll likely have a crossbow handy for making ranged attacks.</div><div><ul><li>(L1, Encounter) <b>Relentless Attack</b> - Fits perfectly with the expert swordsmanship theme and avoids any magical effects.</li>
<li>(L1, Daily) <b>Aspect of Might</b> - The bonuses here represent the boundless wells of strength that Solomon Kane seems to tap into when he needs them the most.</li>
</ul><div>You can find a good alternative for the Level 1 Daily power in <b>Steelsworn Oath</b>. It doesn't have the same "power up" effect that Aspect of Might has, but sometimes you need the ability to exchange your Oath of Enmity target.</div><div><ul><li>(L2, Encounter) <b>Avenger's Resolve</b> - The resistance gained from this power ties in with the "singular focus" theme, where even the wounds inflicted by your target's allies can't distract you.</li>
</ul><div>Some might scream that only one viable Level 2 Utility power exists: <b>Refocus Enmity</b>. To those people, I can only say, "I disagree." My Avenger has done just fine without it. In fact, I find <b>Resonant Escape</b> much more useful, but it doesn't fit this character concept.</div><div><ul><li>(L3, Encounter) <b>Angelic Alacrity</b> - This power comes from the Level 1 list, so you could exchange it with Relentless Attack, but both powers work great with this concept build.</li>
<li>(L5, Daily) <b>Executioner's Cloak</b> - Choosing this power skirts the edge of those magical powers that I tried to avoid in this build. However, you could explain the invisibility as simply darting around the target so quickly that you keep out of its peripheral vision until it succeeds on a saving throw and catches you.</li>
<li>(L6, Daily) <b>Oath of the Relentless Hunter</b> - Absolutely critical to this build! Yes, better powers choices exist, and yes, the primarily non-combat nature of this power make its potential applications limited at best, but how much more perfect for a Solomon Kane/Witch Hunter concept can utility powers get?</li>
<li>(L7, Encounter) <b>Chains of Censure</b> - The flavor text on this power talks about spectral chains, but remember: you have a hand crossbow in your off-hand. You could just as easily reflavor the immobilize effect by saying that you pin down the secondary target with a well-placed crossbow bolt.</li>
<li>(L9, Daily) <b>Oath of Pursuit</b> - Not much to say about this one. Perfect for Pursuing Avengers.</li>
<li>(L10, Encounter) <b>Channel Endurance</b> - Same as the Level 2 power, but doesn't require a trigger.</li>
</ul><div>The Hybrid build focuses a lot more strongly on the swordplay aspect and makes judicious use of the Duelist Rogue powers. For this build's powers, I chose:</div><div><ul><li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Bond of Pursuit</b> <b>-</b> This power pretty much defines the Pursuing Avenger.</li>
<li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Duelist's Flurry</b> - The slide on this power makes it special, and it ties into the expert swordsmanship theme as well.</li>
<li>(L1, At-Will) <b>Overwhelming Strike </b>- Also good for pulling enemies out of position.</li>
</ul><div>I chose not to take <b>Riposte Strike</b> because its secondary attack keys off of Strength, which this build sorely lacks.</div><div><ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXVwr5P0vlLAShDLG6I7DSCTvBjUo4rb8XOAGUpCcOhgZkgS57HkFkS0lCphLjF7mHDGQRLnkvaTpMu9AsNJekW2PnMbkEDDQHjUVBntGnINE9bSiTUGwTptQihaihMuH5UlePUFCFqlG/s1600-h/witchhunter-concept-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXVwr5P0vlLAShDLG6I7DSCTvBjUo4rb8XOAGUpCcOhgZkgS57HkFkS0lCphLjF7mHDGQRLnkvaTpMu9AsNJekW2PnMbkEDDQHjUVBntGnINE9bSiTUGwTptQihaihMuH5UlePUFCFqlG/s200/witchhunter-concept-04.jpg" width="196" /></a>
<li>(L1, Encounter) <b>Relentless Attack</b> - Fits perfectly with the expert swordsmanship theme and avoids any magical effects.</li>
<li>(L1, Daily) <b>Duelist's Prowess</b> - If <a href="http://www.hommlet.com/" target="_blank">Radio Free Hommlet</a> has taught me anything, they've taught me that anytime you can deal damage on another person's turn, then you've done something right.</li>
<li>(L2, At-Will) <b>Fleeting Ghost</b> - Because I hate that I have to slow myself when using Stealth!</li>
<li>(L3, Encounter) <b>Dazing Strike</b> - Low damage, but great effect, and doesn't violate the "no magic" clause!</li>
<li>(L5, Daily) <b>Executioner's Cloak</b> - Choosing this power skirts the edge of those magical powers that I tried to avoid in this build. However, you could explain the invisibility as simply darting around the target so quickly that you keep out of its peripheral vision until it succeeds on a saving throw and catches you.</li>
<li>(L6, Daily) <b>Oath of the Relentless Hunter</b> - Absolutely critical to this build! Yes, better powers choices exist, and yes, the primarily non-combat nature of this power make its potential applications limited at best, but how much more perfect for a Solomon Kane/Witch Hunter concept can utility powers get?</li>
<li>(L7, Encounter) <b>Snap Shot</b> - Let's not forget that we have that hand crossbow in our off-hand. This power will let us fire it <i>as a minor action!</i> How about if we have <i>two hand crossbows</i> and we use one for a ranged basic attack and the other for a Snap Shot? Uh <i>huh!</i></li>
</ul><div>If you want more melee attacks, I'd recommend <b>Circling Predator</b> at Level 7. I<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">t doesn't require any reflavoring like Chains of Censure does, and it matches perfectly with the expert swordmanship theme.</span></i></div><div><ul><li>(L9, Daily) <b>Oath of Pursuit</b> - Not much to say about this one. Perfect for Pursuing Avengers.</li>
<li>(L10, Encounter) <b>Channel Endurance</b> - Same as the Level 2 power, but doesn't require a trigger.</li>
</ul><div>When shopping for <b>magic items</b> for these builds, I would recommend <b>Shimmering Armor</b> so you can make those ranged basic attacks without provoking opportunity attacks. The <b>Swiftshot Weapon</b> lends a great extra ability to the hand crossbow, especially for Shooty Hybrid builds, because its daily power lets you fire it as a minor action.</div><div><br />
</div><div>For <b>Paragon Path</b>, I chose <b>Zealous Assassin</b>, but <b>Relentless Slayer</b>, <b>Master Infiltrator</b>, <b>Shadow Assassin</b>, and <b>Watcher of Vengeance</b> all have their own aspects that can fit the theme of the Solomon Kane character concept.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I'll go ahead and stop typing now... finally. I've had this idea floating around in my head for quite awhile, and I did play a character very similar to the Multiclass build I outlined here up to 8th level, but I love the concept so much I just had to write it up so I could gush over it. I'll post the Character Builder summaries below so you can copy & import them if that's your cup of tea.</div><div><br />
</div><div>If you made it this far, thanks for reading!</div><div><br />
</div><div><div><div>====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======</div><div>SolomonKane-multi, level 10</div><div>Human, Avenger</div><div>Avenger's Censure: Censure of Pursuit</div><div>Background: Divinely Inspired (+2 to Insight)</div><div><br />
</div><div>FINAL ABILITY SCORES</div><div>Str 10, Con 12, Dex 19, Int 9, Wis 19, Cha 10.</div><div><br />
</div><div>STARTING ABILITY SCORES</div><div>Str 10, Con 12, Dex 15, Int 9, Wis 17, Cha 10.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>AC: 23 Fort: 18 Reflex: 21 Will: 21</div><div>HP: 80 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 20</div><div><br />
</div><div>TRAINED SKILLS</div><div>Endurance +11, Religion +9, Streetwise +10, Stealth +14, Perception +14, Thievery +14</div><div><br />
</div><div>UNTRAINED SKILLS</div><div>Acrobatics +9, Arcana +4, Bluff +5, Diplomacy +5, Dungeoneering +9, Heal +9, History +4, Insight +11, Intimidate +5, Nature +9, Athletics +5</div><div><br />
</div><div>FEATS</div><div>Human: Weapon Proficiency (Rapier)</div><div>Level 1: Sneak of Shadows</div><div>Level 2: Two-Fisted Shooter</div><div>Level 4: Avenging Resolution</div><div>Level 6: Backstabber</div><div>Level 8: Flash of the Blade</div><div>Level 10: Improved Armor of Faith</div><div><br />
</div><div>POWERS</div><div>Avenger at-will 1: Bond of Pursuit</div><div>Avenger at-will 1: Focused Fury</div><div>Bonus At-Will Power: Overwhelming Strike</div><div>Avenger encounter 1: Relentless Attack</div><div>Avenger daily 1: Aspect of Might</div><div>Avenger utility 2: Avenger's Resolve</div><div>Avenger encounter 3: Angelic Alacrity</div><div>Avenger daily 5: Executioner's Cloak</div><div>Avenger utility 6: Oath of the Relentless Hunter</div><div>Avenger encounter 7: Chains of Censure</div><div>Avenger daily 9: Oath of Pursuit</div><div>Avenger utility 10: Channel Endurance</div><div><br />
</div><div>ITEMS</div><div>Rapier, Adventurer's Kit, Hand Crossbow, Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing)</div><div>====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======</div><div><br />
</div><div><div>====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======</div><div>SolomonKane-hybrid, level 10</div><div>Human, Avenger|Rogue</div><div>Hybrid Avenger: Hybrid Avenger Fortitude</div><div>Hybrid Talent: Armor of Faith</div><div>Background: Divinely Inspired (+2 to Insight)</div><div><br />
</div><div>FINAL ABILITY SCORES</div><div>Str 10, Con 12, Dex 19, Int 9, Wis 19, Cha 10.</div><div><br />
</div><div>STARTING ABILITY SCORES</div><div>Str 10, Con 12, Dex 15, Int 9, Wis 17, Cha 10.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>AC: 23 Fort: 18 Reflex: 21 Will: 20</div><div>HP: 70 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 17</div><div><br />
</div><div>TRAINED SKILLS</div><div>Intimidate +10, Perception +14, Stealth +14, Endurance +11, Streetwise +10, Insight +16</div><div><br />
</div><div>UNTRAINED SKILLS</div><div>Acrobatics +9, Arcana +4, Bluff +5, Diplomacy +5, Dungeoneering +9, Heal +9, History +4, Nature +9, Religion +4, Thievery +9, Athletics +5</div><div><br />
</div><div>FEATS</div><div>Human: Weapon Proficiency (Rapier)</div><div>Level 1: Two-Fisted Shooter</div><div>Level 2: Flash of the Blade</div><div>Level 4: Hybrid Talent</div><div>Level 6: Backstabber</div><div>Level 8: Avenging Resolution</div><div>Level 10: Improved Armor of Faith</div><div><br />
</div><div>POWERS</div><div>Bonus At-Will Power: Overwhelming Strike</div><div>Hybrid at-will 1: Duelist's Flurry</div><div>Hybrid at-will 1: Bond of Pursuit</div><div>Hybrid encounter 1: Relentless Attack</div><div>Hybrid daily 1: Duelist's Prowess</div><div>Hybrid utility 2: Fleeting Ghost</div><div>Hybrid encounter 3: Dazing Strike</div><div>Hybrid daily 5: Executioner's Cloak</div><div>Hybrid utility 6: Oath of the Relentless Hunter</div><div>Hybrid encounter 7: Snap Shot</div><div>Hybrid daily 9: Oath of Pursuit</div><div>Hybrid utility 10: Channel Endurance</div><div><br />
</div><div>ITEMS</div><div>Rapier, Adventurer's Kit, Hand Crossbow, Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing)</div><div>====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======</div><div><br />
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17989690684770719294noreply@blogger.com0