Miscellania

[Ebiris]

Alicia is going to take on the prisoners that surrendered to her in the terror cube, yes. I'll make a post over in the Sylica thread about her plans there, since it'll affect the existing demon prisoners and any future captives as well.

[Anastasia]

Okay. In a related story, Antenora was going to use fundage from Natara's armor and contributing it to Sylica and Alicia's discretion to improve some of her friend's gear. Is there anything Marie wants?

Yes, she's just a little pixie-fairy but damned if Antenora wants her going out there without the right amount of protection!

[Ebiris]

Alicia will gently suggest that Antenora not sell Natara's armour, because it serves as an excellent trophy/symbol of our recent victory, and is also an exceptionally well made piece of armour from which Latha and our other artisans can learn valuable lessons to put to use in making equipment for Sylica's army.

[Anastasia]

Antenora will abide by Alicia's will then, of course.

[Anastasia]

Could you add the armor to the vault or somewhere else so it's not forgotten about, Alicia?

[Corwin]

1. Yes, I'll grab Eudard and Kresset and we'll go on it.

3. Yeah. Since it's been used before and it's not some evil death spell, it's okay, right? Likewise for Horrid Wilting?

[Anastasia]

Using this as a scratchpad for ideas for NPC's next level, been meaning to work a couple of these out in depth for awhile.

Donald:

Donald wants to diversify a bit. Boosting his general abilities would be nice, as well as a save bump.

Fighter 1: +1 bab, +2 fort, bonus feat. This could be useful depending on what epic feats he wants to grab, haven't really decided there. It's not terrible by any means but you should have an idea of what you're getting for it.

Rogue 1: A bump to reflex which he would like and +1d6 SA isn't too bad for him. He'd want to look into an ACF for trapfinding, that could make or break the idea. The skill pool would be nice, too.

Dragon Disciple 1: The flavor fits with Seira, and at this point why not? He's becoming as bastardized as he used to joke she is.  It adds a lot of nice little bonuses all over, and having a bite secondary melee option wouldn't hurt.

Fortune's Friend 1(CS): If Donald invests in luck feats he'd be well advised to take some levels in this. It's a nice boost for anyone who invests in those feats and it bumps his reflex save too. If he goes this route it's worth considering, worthless otherwise.

Antenora:

Antenora's growth is fairly set; it's a matter between paladin and hellreaver for her. For reference, she's an 8th level hellreaver and a 2nd level paladin. The question is how exactly does she choose to grow. I'm going to analyze each of the next 3 levels for paladin and hellreaver to see how they stack up. Saves are irrelevant since she's reached epic.

Hellreaver 9: Improved divine resolve and shield. She can spend 2 holy fury points instead of 1 and gain a +4 save or AC bonus instead of +2.  The save bonus is pointless for her, the AC bonus is more useful. It's not a great level at all, she very rarely bothers with either of those abilities.

Hellreaver 10: Furious Strike rises to +8/+4d6, which is worth the price of admission alone. Then there's the matter of the capstone: It's death or 10d6 damage for Divine Retribution. My instinct is to translate to that 20d6/10d6 on a save and have the blinding effect happen if she slays the target with that attack. No matter what, as long as I don't butcher the capstone, this is a superb level. Awesome all around and worth the trouble.

Hellreaver 11: Divine Succor rises to 40 points of healing. Solid enough, not spectacular, but solid.

Paladin 3: Aura of Courage is okay, but was mostly covered in battle by Holy Fury and her ridiculous saves. Divine Health is useful when it comes up, but doesn't come up that often. So-so level, doesn't do a lot for Antenora.

Paladin 4: Turn undead opens up the wide world of divine feats as well as giving Antenora more healing juice. That alone would make a worthy level, the beginnings of paladin casting are purely extra vittles. Divine Favor isn't a bad buff for her to have on hand before a fight, but it's nothing earth shattering. Great level, not quite as good as Hellreaver 10, but still great.

Paladin 5: Smite evil 2/day(This ignores celestial smiting a moment, see below) is awesome for her resources, and while special mount isn't much, the charging smite ACF is. +2 per paladin level to smite damage and a missed smite isn't used, both when you charge. The synergy with her build is outstanding, on par with Hellreaver 10, maybe even better than it.

Other things to factor:

Celestial Smiting is an epic feat that requires paladin 3. It allows Antenora to count her racial HD as paladin levels for smiting, which drastically increases the potency of her smites as well as giving her more of them.

Epic Hellreaver feats are available to her now. She doesn't need any more levels in Hellreaver to use most of them; they're decent but need a bit of tweaking I think.

Both paladin 3 and hellreaver 9 aren't too great for Antenora, stepping stones and little else. Paladin 3 has the advantage of opening up celestial smiting for her level 21 feat, though.

Paladin 4 is a great level, hellreaver 10 is an outstanding one.  However, with Antenora's feat situation as it is, she can't get any divine feats for some time. Hellreaver 10 is the clear winner here and should be gotten before paladin 4 unless charging smite becomes paramount.

Paladin 5 is better than hellreaver 11.  No real contest here, even if celestial smiting would remove the smite from that level.

Eudard:

Main desire is to finish Eudard's paladin casting while getting some goodies on the side.

Paladin 7: +1 bab and +1 casting, that's it. Dead level, not really interested.

Fighter 3: +1 bab, +1 ref/will, no casting. A different shade of a dead level.

Contemplative 1 (CD): He can make the requirements right now, the last is a special but he's met enough to qualify I think, Deme could possibly qualify for that. Poor BAB and only will as a good save, so he'd have to get a good ability to make it worthwhile. Divine Health is redundant, but +1 casting isn't bad and he gets a bonus domain. This gives the granted power for sure, and debateably gives him domain slots with his paladin casting. This is kind of a skewed-eyed reading of it but it's not implausible. If I read it like that it makes a worthwhile dip. That said the flavor for it sorta works, but it's a slight reach all around.

Triadic Knight 1 (CoV): The requirements would take some adaptation to sub Helm for Torm but this is reasonable in this campaign. The first level is actually underwhelming, with just +1 bab, +2 fort and two relatively useless add on abilities. Level 2 has an awesome ability and is worth the price of admittance, shield other isn't terrible and the level 4 ability is shiny too. This is more of an investment than a dip, but immunity to sicken/nauseated/blinded/dazzled is hard to come by.

Knight of the Chalice 1 (CW): Could work if I adapt it's paladin-esque casting to continuing paladin progression like Pious Templar. Fiendslaying +1/+1d6 isn't a bad pickup at all. Censure demon isn't bad if he kept at it, but the low DC makes it fishing for a 1 at best.

[Anastasia]

Re: Dire Charge. I've been avoiding this since I haven't come up with a version of it that makes me happy. With Antenora about to reach 21 and probably not taking Celestial Smiting until 24, this is more relevant. My thoughts:

Use original version: Yuck. Not a fan of it.
Use previously houseruled version: Meh.
Have it add a 2x multiplier to charge attacks: Eh.
Something else: ???

Suggestions?

[Corwin]

What exactly do you not like about Dire Charge? The prerequisites? It's hard to suggest variations when I don't know that.

[Anastasia]

Wham-dart effect, Cor. See pounce problems; mobile overkill.

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Posted a revised rapidstrike/improved rapidstrike. I end up using this feat gallons since 2 slams or the like don't cut it as an epic attack routine and the old version has some features I don't agree with.

[Corwin]

In that case, why not saddle the feat with prerequisites? Basically, fighting types in D&D that want to trip or grapple better than others usually sink a couple feats into it and take a prc to aid them along, right? If to get to the point where you full attack on a charge you give up other options, mundane and epic, which you could've used to make your strike Holy, Bane or do that epic improved crit thing, it now becomes more an issue of you trading overkill via other means into this.

[Anastasia]

Entirely beta, but I was fucking around with legendary dreadnought. Thoughts? (No idea if it's anywhere near balanced!)

Legendary Dreadnought

Requirements:

Base Attack Bonus+21

Feats

Great Strength, Damage Reduction.

Take this epic class if: You want to be unstoppable like the Juggernaut.

Hit Die: d12

Skill points per level: 2 + int modifier.

Base Attack Bonus: Good.

Class Features

Unstoppable (Ex)

At 1st level, the legendary dreadnought can concentrate his  power, gaining a +20 bonus on his Strength check to break or burst a door or item once per day, plus one additional time per day every four levels thereafter. As a special use of this ability, the legendary dreadnought can attempt to break a wall of force or other force effect (Strength DC 30 + effect level, and the character applies his or her unstoppable bonus to this check as well). Alternatively, the legendary dreadnought can apply the +20 bonus to a single attack roll.

Unmovable (Ex)

At 2nd level, the legendary dreadnought can concentrate his or her power, making him or herself unmovable once per day, plus one additional time per day every four levels thereafter. This power grants the character a +20 bonus on any one of the following:

A grapple check made to avoid being grabbed with the improved grab ability.

A Strength check to avoid the effects of a bull rush, trip attempt, or similar effect.

A Strength check against any effect that would move the character either physically or magically.

Any one saving throw. If an effect that would move the character either physically or magically does not normally allow a saving throw, the legendary dreadnought can use this ability to gain a Will saving throw. He or she still gains the +20 bonus on the saving throw in such a case.

Unkillable (Ex)

At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter, the legendary dreadnought gains damage reduction 3/-. This stacks with permanent effects, the damage reduction feat and other permanent sources, but not temporary effects.

Unensorcable (Ex)

At 5th level, the legendary dreadnought gains spell resistance equal to 10 + it's total hit dice. Once per day at 5th level and once more every five levels, the legendary dreadnought may apply it's spell resistance to all magical effects in a round, even if they would not normally allow spell resistance. This is a free action that can be taken on it's turn.

Invincible (Ex)

At 10th level the legendary dreadnought becomes invincible. Once per day, and once more every five levels, the legendary dreadnought may become invincible for one round as a swift action. During this time they cannot be harmed by any means, physical or magical.

Bonus feats

At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the legendary dreadnought gains an epic bonus feat from the following list: (Use fighter list for now, it's close enough.)

[Anastasia]

Posted Marigold, Gulpan's next. Hopefully he'll be done tonight or tomorrow, he's shaping up to be a scout 10 in the same mold as Kresset.

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The appendix of Complete Adventurer has an improved skirmish feat. I forget if you've seen it, Cor. Heads up if you haven't. It's a bit wonky in execution.

[Anastasia]

Skills? What are those? Marigold doesn't know!

Ajsklgdj;lksdjglksdjg;lkxonrxornxornxornxorn I'll fix it in the morning.

[Anastasia]

Gulpan's up.