I got the idea for this build from Clangeddin's Savage Harper to create a Barbarian/WM with terrifying rage since It was pointed out that your character level, not barbarian level, affects terrifying rage. Looking through the builds the closest I saw was Kail's Master of the Wild Axe this build picks up some AB, a higher fortitude save, and devastating critical, in exchange for some hit points, EDR and WS/EWS. Different builds for different circumstances. The build can be fun for clearing away those pesky underlings on your way to the boss, just rage and dev crit. them while they run. But other than that, it is a bit of a gimmick build. It is a good solid melee build, but the AC limits its tanking ability, though the ability to shrug off a devastating critical should not be overlooked in a tank. This build should do best in a low to mid magic setting. It isn't particularly uber, but it is fun to play.
Advantages -Good AB. A 45 AB with a mundane scimitar. -Devastating critical with a 13-20 x3 weapon. If you're going to use devastating critical, might as well get as many critical hits as you can. Thanks to the weapon master increased multiplier, he does pretty good damage with a critical hit if his opponent makes the 38 DC save. -Good HP. 552 is a pretty good HP total, he can take a beating. -37 Fortitude Save (40 while raging). He can make saving throws against devastating critical with ease. -Terrifying Rage. While not too useful against characters of his own level, it's great against characters of lower level. Instill fear in them then wipe them out with devastating critical before they recover. -Good taunt total. With a 52 taunt, he should get some benefit from taunting.
Disadvantages -Low AC. Even with a tower shield it isn't great. He can't wear heavy armor, so a chain shirt is the best armor he can get. The high hitpoints help, but this is his greatest weakness. -Low will save. It is 26 (29 while raging) vs. spells, so unless a mage is focused in enchantment he will make his saving throws vs. mind spells. He does have to worry about fear auras, and other non spell based will saving throws. -Melee is his only form of offense. He can't cast spells or use traps, so if he can't hit it he can't hurt it.
Steel and Fury
Race Human
Alignment NG, CG, TN or CN
Base Attributes STR 16 DEX 14 CON 15 INT 14 WIS 8 CHA 8
Attribute Bonuses All 10 bonuses go to Strength
Final Level Distribution Barbarian 16 Champion of Torm 8 Weapon Master 16
Ehh? Doesn't Terrifying Rage require at least 16 Barbarian levels?
Quote: Posted 05/22/06 18:54:39 (GMT) -- jockeb
Ehh? Doesn't Terrifying Rage require at least 16 Barbarian levels?
No, it requires Greater Rage i.e. level 15. _________________
Quote: Posted 04/26/06 12:05:52 (GMT) -- Ithacan
[...]Harper Scout, the only class so powerful it's capped at five. [...]
nice Barb and will be difficult to match, but the Will save even with Rage bonus is a worry.
Personally I'd go the non-Dev Crit route with this one, just to improve the playability:
14: CoT 6 Improved Knockdown - Drop Power Attack 21: CoT 7 Great Strength - Drop EWF: Scimitar 22: CoT 8 EWF: Scimitar - Drop Epic Prowess 27: WM 4 Great Strength - Drop Cleave 33: WM 10 Epic Skill Focus: Intimidate - Drop Great Cleave 36: WM 13 Epic Prowess - Drop Over Crit: Scimitar 37: WM 16 Armor Skin or Epic Will - Dev Crit: Scimitar
Significant changes:
+1 AB +1 Damage +10 Intimidate (good with Terrifying Rage) Improved Knockdown +2 AC or +4 Will Save
It's a toss up really, but essentially determined on the environment you play in.
Either way it's a solid melee build.
Edited By I...Samphus on 05/22/06 21:18
Mith: nice melee build. Just an observation: at level 22, and again at 24, you've got epic prowess -- learn something new here everday it seems, as I wasn't aware that you could take this twice (multi-classing allows for this? geez, what have I (and all those "purists" been missing!!! lol).
Just an idea - your fort is excellent, but your will is low. I know you want DevCrit (I get it, I do, I do *grin*), but the will save is low. I also get the necessity of AB 45 (yep, drilled in; used to think that AB 41+ was good; you folks really do take it up a notch (also cool). Anyway, with your fort so high, perhaps you might consider exchanging one of those epic prowess' to epic will for a +4 boost; I know, your character can't boost AB per se, and I get the 45; just a thought.
Another thought: he has not only rage buffs, but also the divine power of the COT. As such, back pre-epic, might consider changing your great fort feat with the iron will feat, to gain a boost of at least +2, which could make a difference, especially when raging.
Tyr
I like it, Barbarians/WMs ain't bad at all No WS/EWS but saves get some improvement. Will save being low is normal for such builds, a guiding light belt at least or mind immunity is what you need.
It's a pity the crit feats come in so late, not much you can do about it though. Personally I'd change ESF: Taunt for ESF: Intimidate or actually go the non dev crit route as I...Samphus points out.
I got the idea for this build from Clangeddin's Savage Harper to create a Barbarian/WM with terrifying rage since It was pointed out that your character level, not barbarian level, affects terrifying rage...
It's nice to see that even such an experienced builder like you still has some new tricks to learn
Kudos to Steel and Fury!
Cheers, Kail _________________ To hear the sound of Freedom, many gave their lives They fought for you and me Those memories will always live inside us, and now it's our time to be free
Kail: about the learning, that's what makes this guild so wonderful - everyone sharing thoughts, brain-storming. Just as in real life, one brain is nice, but a team all looking at things, with fresh eyes and bringing their own knowledge to bear on the issue, well, that's even better. And that's why, in the best places, doctors and lawyers travel in teams: no different here! Barbarians, the same-travel at least in pairs!!
Now, looking at this character, he's nice for an arena challenge, where it's one-on-one, typically melee combat, which will be his speciality that's for sure. Will is an issue but, true, there's magic out there that will fill in the holes. That said, even in an arena (where, yes, he's gonna force crits with his little scimitar, the weapon's wider threat range overcoming your STR26/DC issue; his biggest "strength" is that his Fort's high, the idea being he can make his rolls (if not cursed, etc., but we're talking pure melee combatants here, who don't tend to have such abilities -- so, bring on the barbarians!, who eventually, all things being equal, are gonna autofail. Bigger, tougher, stronger guys falling to a scimitar -Like it!
But you've still a problem with the AC issue; in order to force a save, you gotta hit (AB 45, fine); but, chances are, your opponent has that too, naturally, or via a unique ability to buff (especially if they've refined their character here If the opponent's AC is higher, this might present a problem as he'll hit you more than you him, all things once again being equal. Ah, but the scimitar - a tough barbarian raging with a wee little scimitar - love it; that might just do the trick and even the odds a bit more, if only to balance out the AC issue - unless of course your opponent boosts his/her fort with magic (which you know they're gonna do, right? If they've the heavy armor feat, they've more slots to maneuver in terms of slots to place equipment than do you)-still, ...
Keep that fort high and ignore prior comment about will, since it's your fort's that is gonna count (will's so low, +2 would be nice, but really won't make much of a difference in an arena scenario, where fort is key, and that your character's got!).
In the arena, two combatants going at it, dredging it out in the hopes of forcing the DevCrits, no other magic to boost it, with the WM adding damage to that wee little scimitar; in full combat dress where, in the end, there can only be one, -- Now, that's a battle, and all things being equal, it's gonna be quite interesting (and indeed fun to watch). In this corner, coming in with a scimitar, is Steel and Fury!
Bring on the barbarians (and the lions, too)! (yeah, he'll be fun)
Tyr
Edited By Robert Tyr on 05/23/06 19:22
Terrifying rage is an awesome ability.
I second taking the ESF in intimidate instead of taunt, or in a version that drops dev crit.
The will save is something you can cope with to a limited degree by using Clarity potions if they're available. Luckily most death magic uses Fort saves, not Will saves. _________________ Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.
Terrifying Rage: While the barbarian is raging, any enemy that comes close to him must make a *WILL* save opposed by the barbarian’s Intimidate check, or becomes panicked for 1d6 rounds…
Totallly agree, Xylo: Intimidate, and Belt! (ie., reason why I suggested feat/will boost, ie., in case comes up against another epic brbn with this same feat...a feat will boost, would be nice, but . . belt, definitely, and potions to a degree, (though, strength belts tend to be easier to come by than str rings; not a lot of slots due to AC issue, then....
but with esf intimidate, this requires no selection (as compared to ie taunt), it's automatically put into rage when going into rage mode: with it, steel&fury's going to have such raging power (but the will save, might terrify himself
Still, brbn and scimitar -- love it! (this is a fun and cool build)! And, luckily, most brbn's typically don't have high will save, and likewise hampered by the AC issue (unless they take ftr-class); then, you've your fort. Would definitely be interesting (can we place bets?)
Edited By Robert Tyr on 05/23/06 22:24
Terrifying rage doesn't terrify the user A low will save is relatively easy to work around with items, what makes it an important save is because lots of monsters have fear auras at higher levels and many creatures have mind-affecting abilities of some sort.
So if you're plugging a hole in your will save with clarity potions, it can get pretty expensive, and if you're forgetful about restocking them it will be ugly. But as far as a saving throw achilles heel goes, it's a lot easier to find clarity potions than it is to find immunity to death magic or immunity to sneak attack or bonus feat: improved evasion or so forth. _________________ Experience is the mother of good judgement; bad judgement is the father of experience.
sheesh, must work on me humor (or go back to writing bard songs....tee hee).. NICE!!!
true, re: potions; with devcrit, doesn't allow for a lot of feat-maneuverability, re: to get will saves up; then, most brbns tend to have the same problem, all things being equal. What we got here, with steel/fury, is a nice arena character (boost will for sure - the expense with devcrit does not seem avoidable); to a nice degree, can hold his/her own against spell-slingers (yep, fort; run over,with brbn speed,and land those hits; what would be interesting is, as you suggest, ESF intimidate and . . what spell slinger? wasn't there one here a second ago . . . oh, there it is . . . running away terrified (what's this guy's AB ranged btw? might need to bring along a bow As for dragons, well, that's what Pally's/Knights are for (or, brbns with the right equip't of course
All puns, jokes and fun aside, this is a neat build. Has it's limitations with devcrit, for sure; but I think Mith should keep the devcrit, sounds like fun - sure, could drop it in preference for gaining a whole other bunch of feats; but a brbn with a scimitar! (can't you see it? the enemy won't even suspect what's coming
Err... Yes, that should be terrifying rage.
nice Barb and will be difficult to match, but the Will save even with Rage bonus is a worry.
