tussock wrote:Are we still doing builds in here?
So you want to be a Str-Ninja. You're a light fighter who gets sneak attacks, it's all about the damage, damage, and damage. As with everything d20, you start with a 20, so your actual attacks get +5 to hit. I notice you've given yourself some Wisdom: don't do that, you have no Wisdom-based anything. 20/14/14/10/7/12 seems reasonable, if you can really think of an 8th and 9th skill you need. Otherwise 20/14/14/7/7/14.
Now, you wanted TWFing to get synergies on the sneak, which is sort of overkill, but either way you'll want to invest in a nice double weapon, one of the d8/d8 types. Don't worry about trips and such, just kill things with damage. Feat-wise, all your tricks may as well be feats, you want more attacks, more speed, more reach, more attacks while moving, a charge that doesn't suck, and automatic sneak attacks all the time. Get the casters to focus on holding your enemies in place with AC penalties so you can wail on them. Improved Init is always good.
Get hit bonuses where you can, strength boosts, spells, and masterwork early on, you're missing around 50% of the time at low levels otherwise, poor form. Temporary stuff though, to scrap it later for more attacks.
Now, can you kill a giant? 140 hit points at 7th level is 1d8+10+4d6 for 5 hits to kill, which you can do with a charge and one more round if they all hit. So probably not, you'll need to avoid things like that and have some sort of backup shoot-n-scoot missile tactic for when the casters fail on their lockdowns.
Enjoy your jumped-up Fighter, consider seppuku if the game ever gets past 10th level.
I statted up a level 8 str-based Ninja. Here's some stuff. I took some of the advice here to make it get more deeps. Also, the DCK was ruled to be full-attackable (non-TWF) from range, whether or not that's how it works because the description is weird.
Human (dual talent for double +2s) Ninja level 8
BAB +6/+1
Stats
Str: 22
Dex: 17
Con: 14
Int: 7
Wis: 12
Cha: 14
HP: 55 (.5)
Defenses: AC 19 touch 14 flat footed 16
Traits give +1 fort and +2 init.
Fort: +7
Ref: +11
Will: +5
Ki pool: 6
Hit bonuses: BAB (+6) Str (+6) Weap focus (+1) Masterwork/magic weapon (+1)
Basic attack: (10 ft, +14 1d6+10)
Full attack 5ft: +12(1d6+7)/+7(1d6+7)/+12(1d6+6)/+12(1d6+6)/+7(1d6+6)
Full attack 10ft: +14(1d6+9)/+14(1d6+9)/+9(1d6+9)
Avg damage of nova round (sneak attack, all hits + ki point bonus attack) = 144 damage
Avg damage of full attack w/sneak, all hits= 120 damage
DPR with full attack (sneak) vs target AC of 20 [no crits]= 59.7
DPR with nova full attack w/sneak vs target AC of 20 [no crits] = 74.4
DPR (full attack w/sneak) with +2/+2 instead of speed/+1 vs AC 20: 53.75
DPR full attack with no sneak attack vs AC 20: 24.7 (not so bad I guess)
Special: Sneak attack +4d6
Can use 1 ki point during a full attack for a bonus attack of +12(1d6+7) damage
Ninja Tricks:
Vanishing Trick
Weapon training
Combat trick (bonus for favored class level 6)
Pressure Points
Shadow Clone
Feats: Two Weapon Fighting
Combat Reflexes
Weapon Focus (dck) (bonus from trick)
Double Slice (bonus from trick)
Improved Init
Improved TWF
Items: Double chained Kama (Wyroot speed/ Wyroot +1) (19,000 + 3,000) [22,000]
Belt of strength +2 (4,000)
Cloak of resistance +2 (4,000)
Ring of protection +1 (2,000)
+1 Chain Shirt (1,000)
I know the items are poorly thought out. I should really not get a speed weapon because the DPR loss is pretty low and the savings are incredible. A realistic item build would be Wyroot +1 on each end of the DCK and then rock a belt of str +4 while spending everything else on getting my defenses to be less shitty. It lets me put over 10k more gold into defensive spending, and both my saves and AC are terrible so I need that.
I'm also considering the rogue trick for +1 dodge to AC per SA die rolled whenever I SA a fool, because the only time I'm worried about getting hit is when I stop being invisible and start stabbing things (plus uncanny dodge means I won't lose the bonus).
Ditching shadow clone is definitely looking like an option, especially if you can use a swift action after a full attack so I can pop invis if there are a lot of mean monsters near me after I stab things.
Any ideas on things to change? Rules are only 1 stat can be dumped and I'm using the DCK. I want to figure out how to MAXIMIZE THE DEEPS and NOT DIE IMMEDIATELY.
Also, about seppuku past 10th level, that's when you take the rogue talent crippling strike and deal 3 str damage (in addition to normal damage) every attack with SA. Anybody who isn't immune to SA/melee in general is going to be rendered useless or unconscious after just one round of that. It's kind of cheesy though, and when maximizing damage that's really what should be killing things...
As a side note, you may be able to tell I don't know how weapon enhancements work. Can you have something like a Speed Wyroot end of a double weapon, or does it need to be a +1 speed Wyroot end?
Oh, and the Wyroot property is 1000 gold and makes it so when you crit the weapon stores a ki point. You can then use a swift action to get that ki point from your weapon at any point in the future. It's free bonus ki and it's cheap, so why not. The only rule is the weapon needs a wooden handle, and kamas are all over that.
Christ that took forever. I'd argue against having to RP as a buffoon, after all, social skills are all CHA based. I'm sure low Int can be written off as "is terrible at remembering things/doesn't learn quickly/is basically ADD."
A character with an Int of 5 can be super charming and have a conversation that sways the favor of gods, I don't think a buffoon can do that. Nor do I think the diplomacy rules are good, but there you go.
The real question is, can you swift action after a full attack?
