The Shadow's Breath (somewhat playable levels 1-40, but very weak until levels 30-40, PvM/PvP)
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Here's a sort of alternative to the Kobold shifter, a Druid-based sneaker which takes advantage of the newly functional shifted Weapon Finesse feat, using the Air Elemental form to deliver its sneak attacks.
Saves: Fortitude: 23 (+7 vs. spells) Reflex: 24 (+7 vs. spells, +2 vs. traps) Will: 34 (+7 vs. spells, +2 vs. fear, +2 vs. mind-affecting)
Sneak Attack Damage: 7-35 + 2 Str damage
Stunning Fist DC: 41 (10x per day)
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Shifted/Buffed Stats:
AB: +36/+33/+30/+27/+24 (+2 in wilderness areas) +2 from Aura of Vitality Buffed AB: +38/+35/+32/+29/+26 (+2 in wilderness areas)
Damage: 8-22 +1 (at least) from Bull’s Strength +1 from Blood Frenzy +2 from Aura of Vitality Buffed Damage: 12-26
AC: 52 -1 from Blood Frenzy +2 from Aura of Vitality +5 from Owl’s Insight +5 from Barkskin Buffed AC: 63
Max HP: 494 +40 from Blood Frenzy +80 from Aura of Vitality Buffed Max HP: 614
Saves: Fortitude: 27 (+7 vs. spells) Reflex: 34 (+7 vs. spells, +2 vs. traps) Will: 34 (+7 vs. spells, +2 vs. fear, +2 vs. mind-affecting) +1 to Will from Blood Frenzy +1 to all from Resistance +2 to Fortitude from Aura of Vitality +2 to Reflex from Aura of Vitality +5 to Will from Owl’s Insight Buffed Saves: Fortitude: 30 (+7 vs. spells) Reflex: 37 (+7 vs. spells, +2 vs. traps) Will: 41 (+7 vs. spells, +2 vs. fear, +2 vs. mind-affecting)
Sneak Attack Damage: 7-35 + 2 Str damage
Stunning Fist DC: 41 (10x per day) +5 from Owl’s Insight Buffed Stunning Fist DC: 46 (10x per day)
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Spellbook: 0: Cure Minor Wounds x3, Resistance x3 1: Ultravision x1, Camouflage x1, Cure Light Wounds x6 2: Barkskin x1, Bull’s Strength x1, One With The Land x1, Blood Frenzy x5 3: Greater Magic Fang x1, Cure Moderate Wounds x7 4: Mass Camouflage x1, Freedom of Movement x1, Cure Serious Wounds x5 5: Death Ward x1, Spell Resistance x1, Owl’s Insight x1, Cure Critical Wounds x4 6: Greater Stoneskin x1, Energy Buffer x1, Regenerate x4 7: True Seeing x1, Heal x1, Aura of Vitality x4 8: Premonition x1, Nature’s Balance x2, Finger of Death x2 9: Elemental Swarm x1, Shapechange x1, Mass Heal x3
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Strengths: -Excellent stealth (96 hide, 76 MS, +4 in wilderness areas) -Great AC -5 APR -Good HP, great for a sneaker -Good saves -Effective Stunning Fist
Weaknesses: -No HiPS -Low sneak damage -Mediocre AB -Merges armor only -Elemental Shapes 3/day, not infinite -20% xp penalty from level 34 on
Added XP penalty to weaknesses list - Kail Pendragon
Edited By Kail Pendragon on 07/10/06 07:24
Drop SF:hide for "toughness"
Edited By winterworlds on 07/09/06 21:21
He already took Toughness at level 18...
Hmmmm, those skill focuses aren't really that useful, +3 on checks is very little, only to be taken when there's nothing else... I'd drop at least 1 for Empowered Spell, the other for Extended spell, to get a longer use of Aura of Vitality. Epic Skill Focus does give a good boost, so keeping those is ok.
I'd start with more INT and less DEX... your skills can still get use of the boost, at least I see Spellcraft not full... besides the base DEX won't matter after shifting, so it's +40 skills with no real penalty.
I've always liked druid shifters, so I like this build, makes Crippling on Elder Air Elemental, which should go fantastic, and the Stunning Fist DC is not really bad.
Spellcraft isn't full because I took my last level of Druid (the only class with SC as a class skill) at level 30 in order to maintain some slight semblance of playability. I don't think I really have too much use for more skill points, but if there's something you want them for (heal is important on some servers), it's easy to go dex 10 or dex 12 / con 8 and get 43 more out of the build.
As for the metamagic, certainly good advice on the Extend Spell, I should have put that in the build. What are you planning on Empowering, though? Bull's Strength? If that's it, it doesn't seem like it's worth much...not that the SFs are worth much, either.
Thanks for the advice.
Edited By Nimueh_Leafbow on 07/09/06 23:56
Sorry for double post, but it's too late to edit.
I forgot to mention in the weaknesses section a 20% xp penalty from level 34 on.
I'd start with more INT and less DEX... your skills can still get use of the boost, at least I see Spellcraft not full... besides the base DEX won't matter after shifting, so it's +40 skills with no real penalty.
Well, you've made the mistake in numerous threads, so I'm going to have to take you to the learning tree. Because you get x4 skill points at level one, raising INT modifier gives +1 * 4 +1 * 39 = 43 skill points per mod. _________________ "With Europe liberated, the people of the world turned their attention to that old devil, the United States of America [...] We taught that monster of old the true meaning of freedom." Star Wreck
Quote: As for the metamagic, certainly good advice on the Extend Spell, I should have put that in the build. What are you planning on Empowering, though? Bull's Strength? If that's it, it doesn't seem like it's worth much...not that the SFs are worth much, either.
Well, that's one, of course, but Druids are neat casters too, which makes them quite versatile... or it's just me using casting druids... anyway, thing is, after your buffs, which extended last pretty much, only Aura of Vitality and Blood Frenzy will keep low durations, so you'll get plenty of unoccupied slots where more buffs will get useless, empowered offensive casting is very nice, for example, with your 20 druid levels you deal max power empowered Fire Storm, although the DC will get lowish, but you could also use empowered Ice storm...
Offensive casting also gives range to your attacks, but of course, you can take Empowered back if it doesn't suits you.
Quote: Well, you've made the mistake in numerous threads, so I'm going to have to take you to the learning tree. Because you get x4 skill points at level one, raising INT modifier gives +1 * 4 +1 * 39 = 43 skill points per mod.
*sigh, thanks Finn...
Edited By Thaxll'ssyllia on 07/11/06 15:43
My only real objection to this build is that you put a lot into WIS when the build's strength seems to be more on the dex-melee side. Maybe you should drop that a bit and stock more into DEX. From what I can tell, that allows for Epic Dodge too, which is nothing to sneeze at. And I'd take Maximize Spell over your skill focuses.
Less Dex and more Int initialy is good, but you won't gain much because of the point trade off. Perhaps if you have 1 odd point remaining, you should spend it on STR so that when you run around unshifted you will not be burdened (as much).
Extend Spell for Shifted folks is key. Maximize spell is also highly usefull since you want the most bang for your buck.
Might I also suggest that you "layer" your protection spells too (different from stacking since they won't actually stack). Layering is casting more than one elemental protection spell of different levels on yourself. When the first one absorbs to much damage and drops, you'll have your second spell on you to absorb damage the next round.
If you take Assasin as your third class rather than Rogue, you can avoid the XP penalty. You will also gain the Assasin spell like feats that you can use while shifted. (Ghostly Visage, Improved Invisibility, Darkness). They CAN be cast while shifted! Your level arrangement will be a bit different, you won't get Crippling Strike, but it's worth thinking about.
Quote: Posted 01/28/07 22:13 (GMT) -- Bromium
If you take Assasin as your third class rather than Rogue, you can avoid the XP penalty. You will also gain the Assasin spell like feats that you can use while shifted. (Ghostly Visage, Improved Invisibility, Darkness). They CAN be cast while shifted! Your level arrangement will be a bit different, you won't get Crippling Strike, but it's worth thinking about.
But you'd be trading an experience penalty for an alignment shift, which would at least have to be disclosed. Can't have a druid monk assassin because you can't be lawful, neutral, and evil at the same time.
Ithacan
Edited By Ithacan on 01/29/07 23:57
Well, Bromium, I'd like you to know that Empowered Spell is always better at buffing than Maximized, why? simple, although the same spell will not stack to itself it will be added whenever casted, so even if you're at a roll, say bull's STR, which is the usual one, you can cast it several times until the good one works and it will work over the low rolls, I've done it, just cast Empowered Bull's over and over and you'll notice that the full roll replaces the others, works fine as it gives 50% more and a Druid can fully cap STR with it.
Now Ithacan, although the shift is an annoying deal, it can be done and it has been done, in fact I made an Assassin dragon a while back, works good, yet I find Crippling Strike a good idea on Nimueh Leafbow's build, not to be tampered with if you want Assassin you need to go heavy on it for Death Attack's DC.
Slight thread necromancy here, but I didn't notice that this thing had been brought back from the dead this year.
My only real objection to this build is that you put a lot into WIS when the build's strength seems to be more on the dex-melee side. Maybe you should drop that a bit and stock more into DEX. From what I can tell, that allows for Epic Dodge too, which is nothing to sneeze at. And I'd take Maximize Spell over your skill focuses.
The whole point of using the Druid shifted forms in a build like this is that they override your physical stats (in this case most importantly your Dex), freeing up stat points to pour into places like Wis, which lets you double up your attribute bonus to AC, and gets you excellent saves. If you poured all that into Dex, you'd essentially be wasting it, because once you shifted into Air Elemental shape, you'd still have exactly the same Dex value as this build, the one assigned by the shape.
If you are going to pour that much into Dex, you might as well not waste 20 levels of Druid to get good shifting, and just be a Dex-based sneaker of some sort. That's a good build, but it has nothing to do with this one.
Quote: Posted 01/28/07 22:13 (GMT) -- Bromium
If you take Assasin as your third class rather than Rogue, you can avoid the XP penalty. You will also gain the Assasin spell like feats that you can use while shifted. (Ghostly Visage, Improved Invisibility, Darkness). They CAN be cast while shifted! Your level arrangement will be a bit different, you won't get Crippling Strike, but it's worth thinking about.
I think a -20% xp penalty for 6 levels (not including 40, when it doesn't matter) is less irritating in most places than an alignment shift. Also, like Thax said, Assassin isn't really worth it most of the time unless you pour the levels and Int into it to get your Death Attack DC nice and high. Of course, you could stack Int instead of Wis...but that's a different build; I remember Thax's dragon assassin, and it was a beast.
if you want Assassin you need to go heavy on it for Death Attack's DC.
Slight thread necromancy here, but I didn't notice that this thing had been brought back from the dead this year.