I've been invited to an extremely broken game

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:42 am

They use "the best option from 3.0, 3.5, or 4e (i think)," they generate stats with 5d6, reroll 1s and 2s, drop two lowest.

My friend, who is running it, says the party currently contains the most broken wizard, rogue and samurai he's ever seen (I'm wondering just how broken of a wizard he's ever seen).

I currently have a handful of ideas for characters (fifth level game)
*Diabolan Paladin
*Diopsid Paladin
*Goblin ...something influenced in personality by Max of Sam and Max.

The downside with the first two is level adjustment, but only +1, so, not a huge deal.

My question is, how do I cheese this to have a reasonable expectation of keeping up, using as little 3rd party stuff (to avoid having to run things by him) as possible.

Archmage · Post by **Archmage** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:46 am

So by extremely broken, you mean non-functional, right? Because I'm not really sure how you combine 3.x and 4e material, not that most 3.x classes would want access to 4e powers except for a small handful.

Anyway, I'm not really sure how overpowered his PCs supposedly are, they just apparently have higher-than-average stats. If you're looking to contribute to or up the ante on the broken, playing a paladin isn't the best option ever.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:52 am

I'm not sure on whether, or how much, he's using 4e, I figured if anything is used from 4e, it's feats.

He said the samurai regularly rolls 23 dice, implying damage dice, each round.

The paladin ideas are just because that's what I'm kind of feeling like playing. Especially since I can pull some otherwise rather absurd things (he's abolished alignment). EG, play the Max goblin as a CN Paladin with detect crime and worships Asmodeus.

Zinegata · Post by **Zinegata** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:06 am

Playing a game where everybody plays what looks to be the equivalent Dragon Ball Z character while the opposition consists of ordinary goblins does sound fun once in a while.

But 23 damage dice? Seriously? What the fuck?!

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:11 am

Zinegata wrote:Playing a game where everybody plays what looks to be the equivalent Dragon Ball Z character while the opposition consists of ordinary goblins does sound fun once in a while.

But 23 damage dice? Seriously? What the fuck?!

level six character (from a previous campaign, or something) which somehow has 7 attacks.

...JE? You move to Sacramento recently?

Juton · Post by **Juton** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:19 am

I don't think the 5d6, drop the lowest 2 really breaks the game, PCs really need good stats. It sounds like the Samurai is using Iajutsu Focus to get a bunch of extra d6s, that shows a level of optimization that is above average but not necessarily game breaking either (unless the player sucks at addition). I bet the Wizard isn't even firing on all cylinders.

If you really want to play a Pally go Prestige Paladin, starting as a cleric, which actually gets you domains and shit, you can also use divine metamagic : persist to help keep up.

Echoes · Post by **Echoes** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:20 am

Zinegata wrote:Playing a game where everybody plays what looks to be the equivalent Dragon Ball Z character while the opposition consists of ordinary goblins does sound fun once in a while.

But 23 damage dice? Seriously? What the fuck?!

Probably some kind of TWF iaijutsu focus crap. You can get to +6d6 per attack at level 5 fairly easily. You pretty much can't do anything else, and you blow goats if you can't do your thing, but it's achievable.

As to what to play, you should totally go for something super simple. Straight Wizard, or Druid or something. Just to spite their ridiculously over-the-top approach in "power-gaming".

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:40 am

Personally I like the ideas proposed in this thread.

Krakatoa · Post by **Krakatoa** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:06 am

What setting are they running? If they allow Eberron or Points of Light stuff then you be a Warforged Fighter/Cleric with 4e Powers and 3.x feat chains.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:07 am

Hm, what would be appropriate domains for a cleric of Badassery?

Psychic Robot · Post by **Psychic Robot** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 5:46 am

Play a 4e fighter. Laugh as they whine about how fighters are totally broken.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 5:49 am

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, but I'm really not sure if 4e is being used at all, and even if it is, I'd rather not use anything from, as it's new shit to learn, and I can't be arsed.

Krakatoa · Post by **Krakatoa** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:09 am

I was just trying to think of the most broken melee build possible when mashing really incompatible editions together. If I were actually in your position I'd probably just run, run away!

For Valor · Post by **For Valor** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:19 am

Run The Word. Do it.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:26 am

Krakatoa wrote:I was just trying to think of the most broken melee build possible when mashing really incompatible editions together. If I were actually in your position I'd probably just run, run away!

Neh, I'm a game slut, and I don't get to play actual D&D enough. And the MC, at least, is a good guy. Playing with "whatever 3.x material we like best" is something a lot of my friends do, so it doesn't worry me. I'm also very curious to see how broken these characters are.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:27 am

I'd go for a Book Bomb, myself.

Wait, they have a wizard...

Okay, Cleric them. Or Druid them.

Divine Metamagic Persist Divine Power and then build up from there. For shits and giggles, call your character a Paladin and do stuff like drop Flamestikes on people.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:36 am

Maxus wrote:I'd go for a Book Bomb, myself.

Wait, they have a wizard...

Okay, Cleric them. Or Druid them.

Divine Metamagic Persist Divine Power and then build up from there. For shits and giggles, call your character a Paladin and do stuff like drop Flamestikes on people.

That'd actually be rather fun. And I've been thinking cleric for two reasons, one, they seem to need someone to be medic, and two, it'd just be fucking fun.

...now I have to figure out my character's psychology given that I want to use this as a bit of a guiding influence for playing a goblin.

edit: ok, new question. How do "chosen diety" PrC/feat requirements work for cause clerics? What if the character's "cause" is "himself"?

Vebyast · Post by **Vebyast** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:15 am

Find an animal with a metric crap-tonne of arms (Squid? Octopus? Girallon?), then go were-whatever. Burn the extra animal HD by fighting something that gives negative levels, and eat the LA+2. Take the Multiattack chain and go to town. Since keeping yourself supplied with that many flasks will be difficult at fifth level, I'd recommend getting an item of Telekinetic Boomerang (Masters of the Wild or something; Psion 3), which works like the Returning enchantment but plays nice with iterative attacks. Buy a fullblade or something equally ludicrous and have fun with your (2d8+str)*(10+) damage per round.

I originally built this as a Warblade, but it might be good to try it as a Rogue or a Cleric Thrower. I'm also winging the description five years after I last looked at it, so I'm probably either remembering it wrong or it's all been errata'd.

Murtak · Post by **Murtak** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:38 am

Straight human druid. Select a new spell or ability to abuse at each level.

1) Look at me, I got a tripping dog of doom.
2) Omen of Peril. What do you mean, clerics get that spell 6 levels after me?
3) I've got briar webs. Bleed and die.
4) Kelpstrand. Now you are a grappler. At range.
5) I've got a +30 to hide checks, I'm inviiiiisible.
6) What looks like a bird, has a +30 to hide checks and calls Lightning from the sky? You of course!
7) Say hello to Mister Crocodile. Go play with Mister Crocodile.
8) Look ma, I'm a combat monster.
9) Unicorns, with me. Heals, charges, cures, bodyguards, annoys people endlessly.
10) Rejuvenation Cocoon. It's a heal. It's a damage absorber. It's a save-or-timeout.
11) Aaaaw, that squirrel has berries for me. Cute - wait, WTF, 8d8+88 points of fire damage?
12) Blink Dog, Blink Dog, blinking all day long.

Basically druids get a lot of cruft, with a decent amount of OMG-what-where-they-thinking spells hidden in various books. You also get some crazy, crazy feats, wildshaping, an animal companion that can be quite useful, a couple of abuseable class features and on top of that you get to be a d8 HD class with two good saves (and heals to cover the third), five dump stats and the skill points and list to cover spot and listen. Diplomacy too, if you want to. You will never have, for example, the sheer with of battlefield control options a wizard has, but you do get some of the very best of them. The same goes for heals, divinations, transportation, scouting, save-or-dies, summons and nukes. You can literally do it all, without depending on a single prestige class or feat, except for Natural Spell.

TheFlatline · Post by **TheFlatline** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:42 pm

Play Pun-Pun.

I want to see *one* game where Pun-Pun is allowed as a PC.

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:59 pm

TheFlatline wrote:Play Pun-Pun.

I want to see *one* game where Pun-Pun is allowed as a PC.

There's no such thing as 'playing' Punpun. You create a bullshit kobold character, take a few actions, and then depending on the game the world ends or you're stuck playing a regular old kobold psion.

TheFlatline · Post by **TheFlatline** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 9:33 pm

CatharzGodfoot wrote:
TheFlatline wrote:Play Pun-Pun.

I want to see *one* game where Pun-Pun is allowed as a PC.
There's no such thing as 'playing' Punpun. You create a bullshit kobold character, take a few actions, and then depending on the game the world ends or you're stuck playing a regular old kobold psion.

Yeah but what a ride.

It's my default answer to severely broken games.

Molochio · Post by **Molochio** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 11:29 am

The suggestions which end in you playing as an over powered cleric or druid are most fitting for this scenario.
There is no need to deviate from these given solutions.

Cynic · Post by **Cynic** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:02 pm

Five words
"Roland, bear of the north."

Character Name: Roland, Bear of the North

The necromancer spat a curse from blackened, shrivelled lips. "The accursed Witchfinder draws closer," he snarled. "My minions have failed. No matter; he will not stand against my magic."

A booming crash echoed down the hall, followed by another. The ornate, carved door to the inner sanctum blew off its hinges, sundered by a mighty blow. The figure who strode into the room, contemptuously casting aside the mangled remains of one of the undead guardians, was a formidable sight. Eight and a half feet tall, he had the body of a mighty warrior and the head of a fearsome bear. There was nobility in the countenance of that bear, rather than savagery--but there was also a will as iron and implacable as the gleaming blade the figure held in his right hand. He glowed with an inner radiance that was painful for the necromancer to look upon as he levelled his blade and spoke in a voice like thunder.

"You stand in taint of crimes against the Crown, the Church, humanity, and nature. Surrender now, or fall where you stand. Either way, justice shall be done."

The necromancer sneered, hands curling, pulsing with dark power. "We shall see, Bear of the North..."

Class/Level: Cleric 1/Paladin 2/Fighter 2/Chameleon 10/Witch Slayer 5
Race:Human

Ability Scores:
Str: 22 [12 Base +4 Inherent+6 enhancement] (4)
Dex: 14 [8 Base +6 enhancement] (0)
Con: 26 [16 Base +4 inherent+6 enhancement] (10)
Int: 18 [12 Base +6 enhancement] (4)
Wis: 18 [12 Base +6 enhancement] (4)
Cha: 38 [16 Base +5 level+5 inherent+6 enhancement+6 ability focus] (10);

Str: 44 [12 Base+4 inherent+16 enhancement+4 size+4 unnamed +4 sacred]
Dex: 14 [8 Base+6 enhancement]
Con: 30 [16 Base+4 inherent+8 enhancement+2 size]
Int: 18 [12 Base+6 enhancement]
Wis: 18 [12 base+6 enhancement]
Cha: 42 [16 base +5 level+5 inherent+6 enhancement+6 ability focus+4 sacred]

BUFFS ACTIVE: Extended Persistent Bite of the Werebear, Extended Persistent Righteous Might, Extended Persistent Sirine’s Grace, Extended Persistent Righteous Fury, Extended Persistent Evard’s Menacing Tentacles, Extended Persistent Swift Haste, Extended Girallon’s Blessing, Extended Fuse Arms, Extended Righteous Aura

Tactical Statistics:
Hit points = 194 AMF, 254 unbuffed, 344 buffed
Initiative: +2 [0 Bonuses +2 Dex]
Move Speeds: 60 ft
AC: 61, touch 29, flat-footed 59 [10 +13 armor +2 dex +7 shield +12 natural +16 deflection +1 dodge]
Conditional Modifiers to AC: +5 dodge (Combat Expertise)
Completely Buffed AC: 61/29/59
Base Attack/Grapple:+16/+11/+6/+1

Large Longsword +47/+47/+42/+37/+32. 2d6+26, 10’ reach
Tentacles (2): +41/+41. 1d8+17, 10’ reach
Average Damage/Round (no power attack, assuming all attacks hit and no criticals): 207

Saves:
Fort: +55[15 Base +10 ability +16 charisma+6 resistance+4 Combat Focus+4 Divine Focus]
Conditional Modifiers: Unbuffed save: +36 AMF save: +28
Ref: +28 [4 Base +2 ability +16 charisma +6 resistance]
Conditional Modifiers: Unbuffed Save: +20 AMF Save: +7
Will: +40[9 Base +4 ability +16 charisma +6 resistance+4 Divine Focus+1 Mage Slayer]
Conditional Modifiers: Unbuffed Save: +32 AMF Save: +15

Special Qualities: Mettle, Slippery Mind, Divine Grace,

Usually running buff spells:
Extended Persistent Sirine's Grace, Extended Persistent Bite of the Werebear, Extended Persistent Swift Haste, Extended Persistent Righteous Fury, Extended Persistent Evard’s Menacing Tentacles, Extended Persistent Righteous Might
Normal:
Extended Greater Magic Weapon, Magic Vestment (twice,) Extended Righteous Aura, Superior Resistance, Extended Girallon’s Blessing, Extended Fuse Arms, Create Magic Tattoo (+2 competence to attack, +1 luck to attack, +1 caster level,) Scales of the Sealord

(A word of explanation: Roland casts half of his Extended Persistent spells on odd days, and the other half on even days. On the days where he needs to cast Bite of the Werebear, he uses his floating feat from Chameleon to take Sudden Extend, thus enabling him to make the spell both Extended and Persistent.) Buffs are typically cast at a caster level of 29, thanks to Create Magic Tattoo, Adept Spirit, Hymn of Praise, and magic items.

Progression:

[ list=1]
[ *]Cleric 1: Able Learner, (Extend Spell), (MWP: Longsword), (WF: Longsword), [Domains: Trickery, War, Turn Undead]
[ *]Paladin 1 [Aura of Good, detect evil, smite evil 1/day]
[ *]Paladin 2: Persistent Spell, [Divine Grace, Lay on Hands]
[ *]Fighter 1: (Power Attack)
[ *]Fighter 2: (Combat Expertise)
[ *]Chameleon 1: Divine Metamagic (Persistent), [Aptitude Focus 1/day (+2)]
[ *]Chameleon 2: [Floating bonus feat]
[ *]Chameleon 3: [Mimic Class Feature 1/day]
[ *]Chameleon 4: Mage Slayer
[ *]Chameleon 5: [Aptitude Focus 2/day (+4)]
[ *]Chameleon 6: [Mimic Class Feature 2/day]
[ *]Chameleon 7: Divine Might, [Ability Boon +4, Double Aptitude]
[ *]Chameleon 8: [Rapid Refocus]
[ *]Chameleon 9: [Mimic class feature 3/day]
[ *]Witch Slayer 1: Leap Attack, [Smite Spirit Shaper]
[ *]Witch Slayer 2: [Mettle]
[ *]Witch Slayer 3: [Locate Possession]
[ *]Witch Slayer 4: Practiced Spellcaster, [Slippery Mind]
[ *]Witch Slayer 5: [Momentary Disjunction]
[ *]Chameleon 10: [Aptitude Focus 3/day (+4,) Ability Boon (+6)]
[ /list ]

Bonus feats are italicized and are in ().
Normal feats are italicized
Notable Class Abilities are in []
Comments are preceded with a /* and end with a */

Class Abilities of note: Momentary Disjunction (30' range, target must make a DC 36 Will save or be affected as if by Antimagic Field for one round, usable every five rounds.) Floating bonus feat (Normally used to take Pierce Magical Protection; caster level is 20 when this feat is "off" and 16 when it's "on.") Mettle and Slippery Mind. Divine Grace (typically +16 to saves.) Turn Undead (19/day) Domains: Trickery, War, Smite Evil 1/day (+16 to attack, +4 to damage.) Mimic Class Feature 3/day (normally used for Smite Evil (+16 to hit/+10 damage,) extra turn attempts, or Evasion.)

Skills of note:
Concentration 10 (+20)
Gather Information 10 (+26)
Sense Motive 10 (+14)
Bluff 8 (+24)
Knowledge (arcana) 5 (+9)
Spellcraft 14 (+20)
Use Magic Device 23 (+39)
Disguise 8 (+24)
Knowledge (Religion) 5 (+9)
Diplomacy 10 (+30)
Listen 8 (+12)
Spot 8 (+12)
Search 5 (+9)
Disable Device 2 (+6)

Total Number of Skillpoints: 126

Spellcasting:
Spells of Note: In addition to the buffs listed above, Roland frequently uses the following spells:

Divine Favor (Cleric 1)
Friendly Face (Bard 1)
Instant Locksmith (Sor/Wiz 1)
Instant Search (Sor/Wiz 1)
Improvisation (Bard 1)
Nerveskitter (Sor/Wiz 1)
Shock and Awe (Bard 1)
Create Magic Tattoo (Sor/Wiz 2)
Heroics (Sor/Wiz 2)
Adept Spirit (Sor/Wiz 3)
Find the Gap (Paladin 3)
Hymn of Praise (Bard 3)
Scales of the Sealord (Druid 3)
Ruin Delver’s Fortune (Bard 4)
Voice of the Dragon (Bard 4)
Bigby’s Clenched Fist (Dusk 5)
Polar Ray (Dusk 5)
Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (Cleric 5)
Valiant Fury (Courage 5)

Items of Note:
Tome of Leadership and Influence +5 (137,500)
Tomes of Strength and Constitution +4 (220,000)
Belt of Magnificence +6 (200,000)
Mithril Full Plate +1 (11,650)
Twilight Mithril Large Shield +1 of Heavy Fortification (50,170)
Twilight Mithril Chain Shirt +1 (5,100)
Orange Ioun Stone (30,000)
Bead of Karma (20,000)

Books Tome of Magic, Complete Divine, Complete Arcane, Races of Destiny, Spell Compendium, Player’s Handbook 2, Miniatures Handbook, Magic of Incarnum

Why is this character the ultimate Gish?
Roland is the ultimate Gish for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he’s an honest-to-goodness Gish…that is to say, someone who combines combat ability and magical ability, rather than a spellcaster who relies entirely on magic for his fighting prowess. There’s certainly nothing wrong with becoming a dominant combatant through magic, but when the magic goes away, it leaves you in a precarious situation…and taking away his opponent’s magic is exactly what Roland does best.

Roland is also extremely versatile. Whereas a normal Gish build will do combat and magic well and falter on other tasks, Roland is capable of handling almost any situation. Given a bit of preparation, he can be a diplomat par excellence, an expert trapsmith capable of disarming the most fiendish devices, or a canny wilderness tracker. His M.O. is to research his quarry beforehand, and given the huge number of spells and skills he has access to in doing this research, he will almost surely be well-prepared for the situation at hand.

Finally, Roland is usable in almost any campaign. While very powerful, he is balanced—strong in many areas, rather than overwhelmingly strong in one or two and weak in all others. He makes no use of setting-specific material that might have to be removed.

Note that this is by no means the most powerful the character COULD be. Many choices have been made for stylistic and thematic reasons. Polymorph and Persistent Wraithstrike are now banned, as per the contest rules, and Roland makes no use of them; likewise, I'm steering clear of the AMF/Extraordinary Spell Aim combo, as I consider it to be overpowered. These would be options for his enemies in many campaigns, however, and I have tried to build the character in such a way that he can deal with opponents using such tactics.

Aberrations/Magical Beasts etc: When buffed, there are very few critters in this category who can seriously threaten Roland, thanks to his extremely high saves and AC--and his raw offensive potential is more than enough to cut them down to size.
Constructs: Magically resistant, you say? Well, then, it's fortunate that Roland's not reliant on flinging spell after spell at enemies, like the reprobates he hunts! Again, high AC plus high damage potential renders most golems' defenses moot.
Dragons: Ooo, NOW we're talking! Against dragons, Roland is a bit more cautious--he's confident, but not cocky. Research beforehand, possibly with the aid of magical divinations, will allow him to select appropriate defensive spells (such as Energy Immunity vs. the dragon's breath type.) Against dragons, Roland will attempt to use his Momentary Disjunction to shut down spellcasting, then close to melee. Once within melee range, the advantage is his—when he pulls 5 off of his base attack with Combat Expertise, even a Great Wyrm red dragon doesn't have much chance of hitting him, whereas he can hit it easily and consistently.
Elementals/Outsiders: This is a very broad category. Most elementals are really no problem; certain demons and devils might well require more planning and foresight. The Smite Evils will definitely be coming out against such opponents!
Undead: Oh, c'mon--this is what Roland does best, next to killing spellcasters! And if it's a spellcasting undead, so much the better!
Traps: Like most Gishes, Roland is not a master trapsmith. Unlike most Gishes, he CAN be a master trapsmith. If he has reason to believe he'll be hunting his quarry in a heavily-trapped area, Roland's standard tactic is to swap his combat focus for stealth focus, granting him trapfinding and a +4 bonus to his thief skills and reflex saves. He can augment this with spells like Understand Device (granting him a +15 insight bonus to Disable Device and Open Locks) or Improvisation (granting him up to a +10 luck bonus to four different skill checks.) If speed is of the essence, he will also Persist Instant Search and/or Instant Locksmith, enabling him to search for and disable traps as a free action...making him, arguably, better at dealing with traps than a master rogue.
Political Intrigue: Roland has the social skills to do quite well in the political arena, thanks to Able Learner. His Diplomacy and Bluff modifiers are extremely high, thanks to his extremely high Charisma score. His Sense Motive is also quite good for a Gish. Finally, having access to every single divination spell of sixth level or below ensures that Roland will be well-informed when he ventures into the political arena.
Diplomatic Maneuvers: See above. +30 Diplomacy may not seem like much next to a Diplomancer, but it's nothing to sneeze at...and he can always enhance it with spells like Friendly Face and Voice of the Dragon.
A BBEG/ Mastermind/ Warlord: Roland confronts such enemies where they're weakest. Against a purely physical threat, he makes good use of his spells to achieve tactical superiority; against a spellcaster, he makes use of his usual Momentary Disjunction/Charge/Pierce Magical Protection/kill kill kill approach. See below for added tactics used to deal with specific types of BBEG threats.
Mobs: Unless they're mobs of extremely nasty critters, really not a problem. Generally speaking, Roland will use Freedom of Movement to avoid being grappled. He doesn't particularly LIKE fighting mobs; it's not his style, it feels vaguely like being a bully, and it takes a long time.
Overwhelming Odds: Err...he's a Paladin who typically walks around glowing like a small star and ready to explode in a burst of holy fire if he dies. Retreat? What's that mean?
AMF: I added this one in because, to me, it's an important way to differentiate a Gish from a plain old buffed-up spellcaster. Does the character cringe in terror when he or she sees an AMF, and avoid it at all costs? Roland's response to an AMF is to drop an AMF of his own, and then charge. Indeed, Roland will sometimes make this his opening gambit against a powerful mage. If the opponent is relying on Extraordinary Spell Aim to maintain large numbers of buffs, Roland's AMF will shut them down; if not, he's still no worse off than he would have been in the opponent's AMF to begin with. Even in an AMF, Roland is still a heavily-armored, Power Attacking fighter with +10 to hit and damage, capable of Raging or even Smiting the opponent. (The Chameleon's Smite ability, unlike all others, is (Ex,) not (Su.) If Roland knows in advance that he's going up against such an opponent, he may well shift his Ability Focus to Strength rather than Charisma, raising his overall unbuffed combat bonus to +13 to hit and damage...before Smite.
Polymorph/Shapechange:The ubiquitous spellcaster's answer to melee power. Polymorph/Shapechange is an amazingly powerful tactic; Roland would use it himself, in a campaign where it was permitted. However, he doesn't NEED it...a key difference between the Gish and the pseudo-Gish. Against Shapechanging opponents, Roland is truly in his element, and the enemy is in for a very nasty surprise. All Roland needs to do is hit the enemy once, and the fight is essentially over. This is because Pierce Magical Protection automatically dispels "all spells and spell effects that grant a bonus to Armor Class." Unless the enemy has, for some reason, selected a Shapechange form that has no natural armor bonus, this WILL include Shapechange. Once the spell is dispelled, the mage ISN'T casting it again, thanks to Mage Slayer.

Melee Damage or Non-Magical Ranged Damage Capability: Unbuffed, Roland hits hard; buffed, he hits cripplingly hard. It's what he's best at...nothing fancy, just big old power attacking, bone-crunching blows. With his typical buffs in place, Roland meets the 200-damage benchmark consistently every round—and that’s before Power Attack, Leap Attack, Smite, or any of his short term combat buffs like Valiant Fury, Greater Heroism, or Divine Favor.
Defensive Capability: Roland's a tank. He wades into combat wearing heavy armor, typically augmented by an obscene natural armor bonus (from Bite of the Werebear,) and an even more disgusting Deflection bonus (from Sirine's Grace.) Most things just plain can't hit him except on a natural 20. His saves are high enough that he laughs at the DCs of most effects, and he has Mettle, Slippery Mind, and Evasion, should he need them. If even THAT isn’t enough, he can always use Ruin Delver’s Fortune to boost any of his saves by yet another 16 points….meaning that even on Reflex, by far his weakest save, he can muster an impressive +44. His hit points are quite solid even while unbuffed, and his rock-solid caster level (29 under normal circumstances!) ensures that dispelling his spells won't be an easy task. All in all, he's a very tough nut to crack. Indeed, many of the builds here would be thwarted simply by being unable to hit him, even while buffed--ten attacks at +40 to hit for monstrous amounts of damage is well and good, but not so impressive when a natural 20 is needed to connect! Roland’s high Armor Class easily meets the “40 AC” benchmark.
Magical Offensive Capability: Roland is a Gish, not a pure spellcaster. He has sixth level arcane and divine spells, and can choose them from any spell list. With a CL of 20, he's a solid secondary caster. Hey, if he needs to, though, he can lob an Empowered Orb of Force with a CL of 20--he's no slouch at blasting if he really really WANTS to do it.
Here, again, Roland’s versatility comes into play. While under normal circumstances, he casts arcane buffs at the start of the day, then switches to divine spells and armor too heavy for ASF-free casting, he also maintains a lighter set of armor. If the situation calls for him to be more of an arcane caster than a front-line fighter, he can do it, thus meeting the “No ASF” benchmark. While he can’t match the ninth level spells of some builds, he does meet the “6th-level spells” benchmark—and his ability to choose these from any spell list provides him with a huge advantage, and access to many spells that would, in fact, be eighth or ninth level for a typical caster.
Tactical Advantage: While Roland is normally set up to do one thing very well--kill spellcasters--his flexibility is his greatest strength. Judicious use of his floating feat and the Heroics spell can result in a fighter who's good in just about any combat style. Want a Manyshotting archer? Roland can be one. How about a tripping spiked chain wielder? He can do that, too. A raging, power attacking Sugliin wielder? Well, if you really want, he can do THAT. All he needs it a little bit of forewarning and set-up time, and given his penchant for researching his quarry with divination before he goes after it, he should have that.
Party Benefit: Roland is to a party what a bard is, and then some: the ultimate backup. He's a solid tank fighter, a good utility mage, and a good healer. If need be, he can be a more than competent trapsmith, or the party face. While he can't fill every role all at once, there's really no role he can't fill, given a little preparation time.
Sub-Goals:
High Initiative: This is Roland's weak point; his base initiative is only +4. The use of spells such as Nerveskitter or Shock and Awe can ameliorate this minor weakness.
Skills: Spellcasters and warriors tend not to be particularly skilled; Roland is the exception, with a wide range of skills. He's fairly perceptive, with good Spot, Listen, and Search scores; he's diplomatic and persuasive, with solid Diplomacy, Bluff, and Sense Motive; he's good at Concentration and Spellcraft and great at Use Magic Device (as if he needed more versatility,) and he has some knowledges to round things out.
Playable: For the first five levels, Roland is a straight fighter, no less potent than any other Paladin-type. Once he gets into his Chameleon levels, he augments this with spellcasting; he can start Persisting spells right away, and the bonus feat at second level helps him stay competitive despite his lack of fighter feats at these levels. Once he hits 10th level or thereabouts, he's completely comfortable in his chosen role, and only gets stronger from there.
Minimal Buffs: Without buffs, without items, without assistance of ANY kind, Roland still swings at +10 to hit and damage, with four attacks per round--right up there with the biggest and burliest of 20th level Half-Orc barbarians. Even in an AMF, he can rage and smite enemies, and he's still armored like a tank. His Fortitude and Will saves remain quite solid even in an AMF, although his Reflex save becomes disappointing...but how many truly dangerous Reflex saves is someone in an AMF going to have to make?

The great Bear of the North is fast becoming a figure of legend—a source of hope and wonder to those he defends, a target of fear and hatred to those he hunts. Little is known about him, though much is speculated. He appears, seemingly out of nowhere, to track down the most vile and powerful of evil spellcasters. It would take a brave opponent indeed not to quail inwardly at the sight of him: a massive, bear-headed figure, clad in white and silver and shimmering with holy energy. Some who have seen him claim that this aura of energy fights for him, lashing out with tentacles of pure white radiance. It is said by various witnesses that he is a Paladin, a mighty Cleric, a worker of powerful arcane magics. It is not unusual to hear one “expert” in a tavern spin a tale of the peerless warrior who defeated the Great White Wyrm of Dead Man’s Glacier, only to be followed by another who tells the story of the canny and cunning trapsmith who defeated the Maze of the Black Enigma.
Of course, most dismiss these tales as exaggerations, for what hero could be all of the things that the stories claim?
In this case, though, the stories are true. The Bear of the North was forged through intensive and unconventional training to be a potent weapon against evil. The boy Roland’s first memories are of training—relentless, grueling training. He had many teachers, all demanding, all unwilling to accept anything less than perfection. In most cases, these teachers came and went without Roland ever learning so much as their names. His teaching was always guided, however, by a small, ageless-seeming man who Roland knew only as Ash. As time progressed, and the boy grew to manhood, Ash was always there—guiding, advising, forever bringing out new potential when Roland thought he had reached his limits. In many ways, the teacher became the closest thing to a father that Roland would ever know.
Finally, Ash deemed his protégé ready. Armed with potent magic and formidable skill, Roland ventured into battle for the first time. Though Ash provided him with the general details of his target—his capabilities, his general location, the evils he had committed, it was Roland who tracked down the lich and slew him in single combat.
This pattern would be repeated many times over the next several years. Ash would point Roland in the right direction, and Roland would relentlessly track down and dispatch the evil so named. With each victory, his fame grew; every time he vanished, declining reward or glory, he became more respected. Truly, it seemed, the kingdom finally had a hero worthy of the name.
Of course, nothing is ever exactly what it seems. What Roland did not know during all the long years of his training—what he still does not know—is that his transformation into the Bear of the North was mandated by dark and shadowy powers. The unconventional training which allows him his great versatility comes from a reclusive and mysterious order of assassins with an agenda of domination. This order had long been faced with a dilemma: how to ascend to power without revealing themselves, in a kingdom filled with spellcasters who can sniff out evil?
Their answer: create an agent so secret that he doesn’t realize he IS an agent, and so pure that his motives remain unquestioned by even the most suspicious. Train him from childhood, establish him as a beloved hero of the people, and, eventually, rule through him.
In all the time he has hunted evil as the Bear of the North, Roland has unwittingly served the agenda of this shadow council. His targets, while undeniably evil and corrupt, were also all potential rivals for power who refused to work with the guild, and were thus targeted for elimination.
Lately, Roland has come to be troubled by faint, nagging questions. Where does Ash get his information and equipment? Why has Roland never been told more than the vaguest details of the Order he supposedly serves? To date, he has pushed these questions aside as unimportant; he battles evil, and other concerns are unimportant and potentially dangerous distractions. Eventually, though, Roland will have to confront those questions, and their answers...and, on that day, someone will surely die. Ash still watches his protégé closely…and, formidable as Roland is, it is Ash who taught him all he knows…

That is one massive copypasta from an old thread. So beware.

Judging__Eagle · Post by **Judging__Eagle** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:50 pm

Hahaha, yes, Roland. I started playing one once. Even the early four levels were pretty damned decent, full BaB, heavy armour, sheild, martial weapons; high saves, and like 4 feats in four levels.

In any case, you basically play a TV or Movie action character. Eventually getting Strength enough to say "yeah, I do it" (a la Hulk), and Charisma enough to say "I can convince them by asking to reconsider" (a la Kung Pao!). Saves, and other stuff get awesome; and being able to cast level 2 Ranger or Paladin spells at level 6 is pretty awesome. Rangers and Paladins are better at the magical aspects of rangering or paladining, if they are instead Chameleons.