Nature’s Dark Avenger (Druid 5/ Shifter 17/Assassin 18)
Not all who follow the druidic way are tree-hugging hippies. Some become fierce defenders of nature against those who would despoil her. Some follow a darker path and exact The Great Mother’s vengeance upon those who have done so. Such a druid is Nature’s Dark Avenger.
This build shares the same classes and a similar level distribution to Emrill’s excellent Shaper of Death build but is both more focused in purpose and much less versatile than that build. The build is not designed for PvP and I would hesitate to call it a good build for PvM as it is slow to mature (like most Shifter builds) and will always find some opponents very tough. It does make a pretty deadly assassin though.
Race: Human Alignment: Neutral Evil
Ability Scores STR 10 DEX 10 CON 14 INT 18/28 WIS 12/14 CHA 08 All ability increases go to INT
Spells Cantrips(5): Cure Minor Wounds x5 1st level(4): Camouflage x3, Ultravision 2nd level(3): Barkskin, Bull’s Strength, One With the Land 3rd level(1): Protection From Elements
STATS AC (Chainmail & Tower Shield): 28 HP (Maxed): 404 AB (Shortsword): +27/+22/+17 Damage: 1-6(Crit 17-20/x2) Fort: 24 Refl: 22 Will: 20 BAB: 23
Not surprisingly she prefers to surprise her foes in Kobold Commando form.
Pros Death Attack with a DC of 37 In Kobold Commando form has HIPS, Improved Evasion and 14D6 Sneak Attack If a Kobold Commando can’t handle it has a variety of other forms including Undead to do the job with If they can’t do it the Avenger is a wiz with traps If all else fails there is always UMD and scrolls, wands etc
Cons AB is mediocre at best as are saves Can’t set traps in Kobold Commando form (even though Kobold Commando gets a bonus to set traps!)
Magic Items Wishlist Haste item of course A good DEX boosting item as this will boost AB and AC in kobold form
Comments and suggestions welcomed
.... .... .... .... griphook ..corrected typo _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
Edited By griphook on 08/20/05 16:11
Excellent. I'm not a shifter player, but you're slowly making a believer of me. A 37 Death Attack DC is quite impressive with only 18levels of Assassin. I'm curious, though, how long does Kobold Commando shape last? _________________ Got Hommlet? World of Greyhawk Action Server (with 1/2 price ales on Mondays!)
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when you get them at Shifter 7 the Humanoid forms are 3 uses a day, last until you change form or rest at Shifter 13 it becomes infinite uses/day so you can just switch back and forth between kobold (or the Drow Warrior if fighting a spellcaster with Truesight) and other forms _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
I believe that should be: 14-18: Assassin(1-5) – Weapon Proficiency: Martial(15), WF: Shortsword(18) 19-27: Shifter (9-17) – Undead Shape(21), GRT WIS I(23)*, IC: Shortsword(24), GRT WIS II(26)*, EWF: Shortsword(27)
quite correct, well-spotted you might not believe this but I did proofreading at polytechnic, it was over 20 years ago though _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
Very close to my build. Click Here
Shifter assassin builds are a lot of fun.
I think you have your INT and WIS backwards maybe as you need 21 WIS for undead shape. _________________ Come visit the Epic Builders Guild for all the character info you could ever want or need: Click Here
Edited By Emrill on 08/18/05 16:54
Quote: Posted 08/18/05 16:51:22 (GMT) -- Emrill
Very close to my build. Click Here
Shifter assassin builds are a lot of fun.
I think you have your INT and WIS backwards maybe as you need 21 WIS for undead shape.
Yes, I mention your build in my intro No WIS requirement for Undead Shape _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
A point of information I'd be interested to check on Is it correct that only rogues can find/remove/pick traps/locks with a DC above 35? if so I should probably redistribute some skill points _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
Not that I am aware of. On pen and paper I think you need the trapfinding class feature for that, but in NWN I think it's strictly skill based. _________________ Come visit the Epic Builders Guild for all the character info you could ever want or need: Click Here
A point of information I'd be interested to check on Is it correct that only rogues can find/remove/pick traps/locks with a DC above 35? if so I should probably redistribute some skill points
Quote: Posted 08/19/05 12:39:10 (GMT) -- Emrill
Not that I am aware of. On pen and paper I think you need the trapfinding class feature for that, but in NWN I think it's strictly skill based.
No, Amazon is correct, only rogues can do DCs above 35 in NWN. It is listed in the skill descriptions.
A point of information I'd be interested to check on Is it correct that only rogues can find/remove/pick traps/locks with a DC above 35? if so I should probably redistribute some skill points
Quote: Posted 08/19/05 12:39:10 (GMT) -- Emrill
Not that I am aware of. On pen and paper I think you need the trapfinding class feature for that, but in NWN I think it's strictly skill based.
No, Amazon is correct, only rogues can do DCs above 35 in NWN. It is listed in the skill descriptions.
Steve
^
It´s not true for open lock at least - good example is the locked door in HotU, chapter 2, maker's island, level 2. The DC is 42 but you don´t need to be a rogue to unlock the door. _________________ Character Build Calculator(works with Excel, Open Office) 2.83: updated to NWN 1.69.
This build shares the same classes and a similar level distribution to Emrill’s excellent Shaper of Death build but is both more focused in purpose and much less versatile than that build.
Spells Cantrips(5): Cure Minor Wounds x5 1st level(4): Camouflage x3, Ultravision 2nd level(3): Barkskin, Bull’s Strength, One With the Land 3rd level(1): Protection From Elements
STATS AC (Chainmail & Tower Shield): 28 HP (Maxed): 404 AB (Shortsword): +27/+22/+17 Damage: 1-6(Crit 17-20/x2) Fort: 24 Refl: 22 Will: 20 BAB: 23
Not surprisingly she prefers to surprise her foes in Kobold Commando form.
If a Kobold Commando can’t handle it has a variety of other forms including Undead to do the job with If they can’t do it the Avenger is a wiz with traps If all else fails there is always UMD and scrolls, wands etc
Not as versatile...but can act as a skillfull rogue, tough crit-immune fighter, and (somewhat limited) spellcaster with UMD (heck, even without UMD you can cast any druid spells from scrolls), use animals along with summoned creatures and animal companion to form a small army, and still holds plenty of interest as a RP char...sounds pretty versatile to me...
very nice indeed.
-c _________________ "Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement."
Edited By christian.schnabel on 08/19/05 17:42
Quote: Posted 08/19/05 17:35:11 (GMT) -- Kamiryn It´s not true for open lock at least - good example is the locked door in HotU, chapter 2, maker's island, level 2. The DC is 42 but you don´t need to be a rogue to unlock the door.
Sorry, I was thinking just about traps and applied it to both. No, there is no limit on locks, but disable trap specifically says you need to be a rogue to disable traps with a DC higher than 35.
Not as versatile...but can act as a skillfull rogue, tough crit-immune fighter, and (somewhat limited) spellcaster with UMD (heck, even without UMD you can cast any druid spells from scrolls), use animals along with summoned creatures and animal companion to form a small army, and still holds plenty of interest as a RP char...sounds pretty versatile to me...
very nice indeed.
-c
ta stand-up fighting is the builds biggest weakness the Risen Lord can handle mobs but AB isn't brilliant _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
Quote: Posted 08/19/05 17:35:11 (GMT) -- Kamiryn It´s not true for open lock at least - good example is the locked door in HotU, chapter 2, maker's island, level 2. The DC is 42 but you don´t need to be a rogue to unlock the door.
Sorry, I was thinking just about traps and applied it to both. No, there is no limit on locks, but disable trap specifically says you need to be a rogue to disable traps with a DC higher than 35.
Steve
thanks for the info in that case I'd drop Disable Traps to 5 and increase Craft Traps to 35 _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
I'd probably take a druid level near the end to max spellcraft, cashing in another +7 to all saves vs spells. I know it would have consequenses, I belive it would be
1 less feat
-1 death atack dc
obviously the skill points will come from somewhere, so less for other skills
Still something to consider.
EDIT: I do love the build tho, I've been playing my rakshasa in kobold form while waiting for outsider shape, and it's a great form.
Edited By pulse cap on 08/22/05 13:58
Spellcraft isn't a big issue with shifter builds. You just go raksasha form or dark elf when fighting a high magic using mob and resist it or be immune to it. _________________ Come visit the Epic Builders Guild for all the character info you could ever want or need: Click Here
I agree but where does it end 3 druid levels pre-epic to preserve BAB 1 at the end for spellcraft no, I prefer the present scheme the builds focus is on making the Kobald Commando as efffective an assassain as possible, sacrifices were made _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
mind you most of Spellcraft was cross-classed so it would only take 7 skill points to have 41 Spellcraft and an extra +4 on all saves vs. spells so if you wanted to it wouldn't alter the build massively _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
The biggest problem to the whole spellcraft idea is that it will cost you on the assassin side. If you do make that shift you may as well do your level split as a druid 7/shifter 17/assassin 16. That will get yo only a loss of 1d6 sneak and will also gain you another level of druid spells. I don't know if it's worth it. All up to the person playing it. _________________ Come visit the Epic Builders Guild for all the character info you could ever want or need: Click Here
I agree but where does it end 3 druid levels pre-epic to preserve BAB 1 at the end for spellcraft no, I prefer the present scheme the builds focus is on making the Kobald Commando as efffective an assassain as possible, sacrifices were made
I decided to answer my own question If I went for more druid levels I'd probably do this
Pros & Cons compared to the Original Lots of minor alterations, just listing the main points IMO Death Attack DC reduced to 33 and Sneak Attack to + 12D6 in Kobold form BAB and AB improved by 2 Loss of 32 HP More spells and a better animal companion Better saves vs. magic _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
HP in Kobold Commando would be 442, not 444 _________________ Teaching men a lesson in combat etiquette.
quite correct, well-spotted