Playable 1-40 in PvE

******

Either nobody noticed, or could believe, the helmeted head of one of the town's guardsmen come rolling onto the village green between the stalls of produce from the surrounding farms. When it was followed by his mangled body, however, the bustling market was shocked into silence that lasted all of two seconds before it erupted into full-blown chaos. Farmers and villagers ran in every direction as a monstrously winged figure followed the guard's body, a huge, blood-dripping blade in its hands.

Those who were nearest to the man - if such a thing could be called a man - were chilled to their core by what they heard. He was... singing.

This fact only had seconds to register before he took a deep breath, then exhaled a plume of fire that burned the hapless peasants before him to ash and set the town ablaze all across its center. The fire didn't seem to touch him as he strode through it, systematically putting any wounded survivors to the sword. The town guard had already been slaughtered in a short, ugly fight near the gates and now the town was his to do with as he pleased.

In truth, he hadn't intended to destroy this pitiful excuse for a village. It wasn't worth his attention and effort. But the town guard had recognized him and tried to arrest him, and he'd decided there was nothing to it but to put these primitive screwheads back in their place. Besides, a fight, even a pathetic fight like those guards had offered, always stirred his blood. "Must be the Dragon in me," he thought with a smirk, and so he sang a bawdy bar tune as he ran his sword through anyone unlucky enough to cross his path, spreading fire and death through the main streets of the town.

He was snapped out of his casual rampage when an arrow whistled past him, a near-miss. "In the name of Justice and Honor, surrender or we shall destroy you, devil!" Four would-be heroes faced off with the dark figure from across an intersection in the the road. He could see an archer, two swordsmen, and one who was likely a magic-user.

"It is you who should surrender, worthless whelplings, though I'll have no mercy for you either way!" He snarled, taunting the obviously inexperienced group. Maybe this town would provide him with some worthwhile amusement afterall.

The swordsmen charged him, and closed the distance quickly but not quickly enough. Mouthing a spell he darkened the intersection with magic, effectively blinding his opponents. His own magically enhanced draconic senses, and his experience fighting inside just such magical darknesses, however, showed him clearly where they were. He passed right between the swordsmen, unnoticed, and ran his blade through the victim he'd thought was the greatest threat - the wizard.

For her part, Jiallen the Splendiforous was deep in spellcasting when the sword passed easily through her enchanted robes... and through her frail body. She'd intended to smite the evildoer with a bolt of lightning, and the spell completed with her dying breaths, thundering into the darkness, a magic that would have ended the life of many foes but that seemed to deflect around the dragon-man's supernatural defenses. Before she finished bleeding out, she heard her archer companion Feslack's death cry, over and above the confused and panicked shouts of her other partymates. Then silence broken only by her gasping, desperate attempt to stay conscious.

Jiallen knew she would soon be dead, and knew her friends were all dead or dying, and cursed into the darkness, "Damn you, fiend, am I to die without ever knowing by whom I met my fate?"

To her surprise the answer came from nearby her. The killer was sitting on a box, watching her last moments, letting her die slowly, sounding amuse. "I am Zarkhal the Dragonborn. Maybe you've heard of me." And he started singing, as the life left the young mage.

******

Human, Neutral Evil or Chaotic Evil

Str 15
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 14

1 bard (1): power attack, curse song*
2 bard (2):
3 bard (3): cleave
4 bard (4): +1 str
5 bard (5):
6 rdd (1): knockdown*
7 rdd (2):
8 rdd (3): +1 str
9 rdd (4): toughness*
10 bg (1):
11 bg (2):
12 bg (3): +1 str, weapon focus (greatsword)
13 bg (4):
14 bg (5):
15 bg (6): improved knockdown**
16 bg (7): +1 str
17 bg (8):
18 bg (9): great cleave**
19 bg (10):
20 bard (6): +1 str

21 rdd (5): epic weapon focus (greatsword)
22 rdd (6):
23 rdd (7):
24 rdd (8): +1 str, blind-fight*
25 rdd (9):
26 rdd (10):
27 bg (11): divine shield*
28 bard (7): +1 str
29 bg (12):
30 bg (13): great charisma 1, epic prowess+
31 bg (14):
32 bg (15): +1 cha
33 bg (16): great charisma 2, armor skin+
34 bg (17):
35 bg (18):
36 bg (19): +1 cha, divine might**, epic toughness 1+
37 bg (20):
38 bg (21):
39 bg (22): great charisma 3, epic toughness 2+
30 bard (8): +1 cha

* optional but strongly recommended feat
** optional feat that can easily be changed for something else
+ blackguard epic bonus feat

Skills - max discipline, tumble, spellcraft, UMD, taunt. 9 perform +6 cha bonus = 15 for level 8 bardsong.

Spells - Whatever you want from level 1. Protection from Alignment is a good spell. Ultravision, Darkness, Bull's Strength, Eagle's Spleandor from level 2 are good for the build. Keen Edge, Haste, possibly magic circle against alignment from level 3.

Ending Vitals:
30 str
16 con
16 int
22 cha

+41 AB with nonmagic greatsword, +15 damage from str
+6 divine might
+7d6 sneak attack

542 max hp (if I calculated RDD levels right)
32 AC in nonmagic plate
+6 divine shield

F 32, R 25, W 28
+8 vs spells (spellcraft)

Level 8 bard/curse song. +/- 2 AB, 2 damage, 1 all saves, 8 hp, 1 skill checks.

The FAQ:

Q: Why no Dev Crit? Or at least Overwhelming Crit? Heck you don't even have improved crit!
A: I felt that since this build can get reliable 7d6 sneak attacks off, anything that's not immune to them is going to be getting pounded badly enough that spending feats on crit-based offense would be overkill. If you like crits and want dev crit, it's very easy to adapt this build to it. The way I would do it is as follows:

Step 1 - Change Improved Knockdown to Improved Critical
Step 2 - Change Epic Prowess and Armor Skin to Overwhelming and Devestating Critical
Step 3 - Change Epic Toughness 1 and 2 to Epic Prowess and Armor Skin.

Q: Why did you split your stat focus between Str and Cha?
A: Because it provides a solid balance between offense and defense in the context of a blackguard character. He gets his cha bonus to saving throws and can get it to AC - I view divine shield as more important than divine might in this build. Rather than only being good at chopping people up, this character will make most of his saving throws and can get a very good AC for someone using a two handed weapon (thus leveraging the 150% strength bonus as well).

Q: Why didn't you take Epic Fiendish Servant?
A: It didn't fit my concept of the build, which was someone who enjoys doing his own dirty work. I also question the value of most summons in epic levels, though I think the epic fiend is one of the top three.

Q: Why not start with 12 int and 12 dex instead of 10 dex and 14 int?
A: You can do this, it will cost you some skillpoints and you might not be able to completely max all the skills you want, but it will net you 1 additional AC point so it could be a very good tradeoff depending on your environment. I didn't because the build doesn't have uncanny dodge, and I wanted to be fully certain that I had skillpoints at the end for everything.

Q: Why not go sword-and-board instead of two handed?
A: Because you've got a good AC potential with divine shield, and the ability to use scrolls of improved invisibility (or even take the displacement spell if you really want). The two handed weapon leverages your strength bonus for offense against sneak-immune enemies (which you can buff pretty nicely with stacking bg/bard bull strength spells). However if you plan on being a primary tank or are in an environment where higher AC is more important, it's certainly an option just change weapon focuses.

You can also combine going sword and board with changing to overwhelming or devestating criticals, and focusing in scimitar or rapier for additional threat.
_________________
Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.

Edited By griphook on 10/30/05 22:48

Great build, I love it! I was thinking of something along these lines and here it comes fully developed
I'd probably get the epic fiendish servant but that's all I would change in the build
_________________
Dilegua notte
Tramontate stelle
Tramontate stelle
All'alba vinceṛ
Vinceṛ
Vinceṛ I'm a Blackguard fan, and I appreciate a well-thought out BG build. Well done, Xylo. And I especially apreciate the Charisma slant he develops. It does, indeed, provide for a balanced bad-guy, which is all too missing these days.

Quote: Posted 10/17/05 21:22:33 (GMT) -- Xylophone

Q: Why didn't you take Epic Fiendish Servant?
A: It didn't fit my concept of the build, which was someone who enjoys doing his own dirty work. I also question the value of most summons in epic levels, though I think the epic fiend is one of the top three
Indeed, with the exception of the Palemaster's Demi-lich, and whatever an Epic Ranger summons as his Stalwart companion, I am hardpressed to pick anything better than the Epic Vrock. Casting a Concealment spell with a Bulls Strength on him makes him twice as deadly. But I understand your rationale, and your character maintains enough balance both offensively and defensively to help mitigate his loss.

Too bad you can't get Extra Turning to really benefit from all the divine feats.
_________________
Got Hommlet? World of Greyhawk Action Server
(with 1/2 price ales on Mondays!)

Ariel, Ookla, RIDE! Great build, great write-up, and great story.

My only complaint is your use of the word 'screwhead' in the story. It threw me out of the story :/

Kaliban
_________________
What I'm reading now:
The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer.
Quote: Posted 10/18/05 02:22:56 (GMT) -- Kaliban99

Great build, great write-up, and great story.

My only complaint is your use of the word 'screwhead' in the story. It threw me out of the story :/

Kaliban

Indeed. Perhaps a bit anachronistic, though I could think of much worse.
_________________
Got Hommlet? World of Greyhawk Action Server
(with 1/2 price ales on Mondays!)

Ariel, Ookla, RIDE! Hehe I put it in as a homage to Army of Darkness. "Now listen up, you primitive screwheads! THIS... is my... BOOOM STICK!"

I've become quite a blackguard fan myself, and this build is probably my favorite blackguard build. I like how it synergizes with Bard and RDD in all respects - offense, defense, utility, and skills.

I guess the only reason I didn't take the epic fiend summon is because level 33 is the earliest you can get him with this build, and by that point in this build you'd be tanking for him, not having him tank for you. However having him adds a capability you otherwise wouldn't have and you can easily sub him in at any of the blackguard bonus feat slots.

Edit - PS, I was thinking epic PM Demilich, epic SD Shadowlord, and and epic BG Vrock as the best three epic summons. But still, there are many ways to have them unsummoned on you and with your UMD you can summon anything you want from a scroll (heck, cast your protection from alignment spell, then use a scroll to Gate in a Balor, he'll use firestorm and implosion for you).
_________________
Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.

Edited By Xylophone on 10/18/05 03:49

A blackguard. Cool. And getting nice strength and CHA to. I have a Dwarf build here with these classes, but he is very different.
Nice story.
As for the epic fiend, he delivers distractions for you, so you can deliver sneak attacks!!

And one more thing that I always end up mentioning: He cam Smite Good. SMITE GOOD!!! SMITE GOOD!!!
Thats what all nice Blackguards must do to get presents for christmas you know! Kick Goody-Two-Shoes to the other end of eternity. I know. I have been playing Blackguard quite some time.

They very often turn out to be characters with quite a few approaches om how to deal with different situations. Good catch, this guy can smite good at +6 ab and +22 damage.

I figure with the darkness/ultravision and IKD options, anything you still need a pet to generate sneak attacks against is probably immune anyway (dragon, undead, construct, etc).
_________________
Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience. Cool, cool. Nice work. I have a build with the same classes but a different focus. Well actually I have two of these

I think your HP should be 568. And isn't Imroved Sneak Attack supposed to work with Blackguard? I don't think picking Epic Toughnesses is that useful - go for Overwhelming/Devastating Critical since you have Great Cleave anyway, or pick Improved Sneak Attacks.

The story was good aswell.
_________________
Now is my day's work done;
I'll take good breath:
Rest, sword; thou hast thy fill of
blood and death. It's not that it works or doesn't work, it's that it needs 8d6 base sneak attack to be taken. Blackguard's sneak attack is different from the Rogue's (progresses every 3 levels after level 4 BG rather than every 2 levels from level 1) and they don't stack for that feat but they do for damage. I think you need BG 25 at least to take Imp. Sneak so he can't get it.

BTW, I really like this build .
_________________
.:\_/:. Only those who have known darkness in
(OvO) their hearts will see the shadows in life...
(|__|)
..".."..

Edited By Jennalee on 10/18/05 14:37

Quote: Posted 10/18/05 14:35:44 (GMT) -- Jennalee

It's not that it works or doesn't work, it's that it needs 8d6 base sneak attack to be taken. Blackguard's sneak attack is different from the Rogue's (progresses every 3 levels after level 4 BG rather than every 2 levels from level 1) and they don't stack for that feat but they do for damage. I think you need BG 25 at least to take Imp. Sneak so he can't get it.

BTW, I really like this build .
Ah, I had missed that.

I guess it's Devastating Critical then, eh?
_________________
Now is my day's work done;
I'll take good breath:
Rest, sword; thou hast thy fill of
blood and death. heard a story about Imp. Sneak Attack feats only registering if you have rogue levels in the build... but then again I may have misheard.

Either way there is rumoured to be something in the next update regarding it, or maybe not!! No, you need at least 1 dice of sneak attack for it to work, that means it doesn't work for the assassins death attack. It works for Blackies and Rogues.
Complete solution: You must have at least 1 rogue or 4 Blackie for it to work properly. Yes he doesn't get enough sneak dice to qualify for improved SA. Overwhelming Crit and Dev crit show up as BG bonus feats, however, so you can put them in there if you'd like. Of course, the best save DC you can get is 41, so while it's certainly going to be useful in PvP and against cannon fodder style creature, I doubt it will land often on a PW where it's allowed and epic enemies are probably set up with high fort saves as a result.

Although that brings up an interesting point... if a PW balances against dev crit by giving its high end creatures very high fortitude saves, such that they only fail on a 1 even against a character with 40 base strength, then getting your save DC up doesn't matter - DC 50 or DC 27 you still only connect on a 1.
_________________
Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.