View source for User:Cedges/Disciple of Criticals (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

{{author
|author_name=Cedges
|date_created=6/6/2010
|status=Draft
}}

== Introduction ==

Uses an increased critical threat range to do tremendous amounts of damage in 3.5.
== References ==

* Book of Vile Darkness (3.0) (Disciple of Dispater 60) 
* Tome of Battle (Warblade 20, Martial Study 31, Aptitude weapons)
* Dragon Magazine 353 (Whip Dagger 28)

== Game Rule Components ==

=== Spells, Powers, Soulmelds, Stances, etc... ===

Distracting Ember, Blood in the Water

=== Items ===

Needed weapons:
* Two Light Maces, graduate to
* +1 Aptitude 18-20 one-handed and possibly off-hand as soon as affordable. Graduate to
* +1 Aptitude Keen 18-20 one-handed weapon as soon as it is affordable, and possibly a similar off-hand weapon. By Disciple of Dispater 8, graduate to
* +1 Aptitude Cold-Iron 18-20 one-handed weapon

Also pick up a whip-dagger or two (19-20 crit, threatens 5-15', 1d6 slashing damage, does damage to armored foes, otherwise a whip, including for feats) at some point:
* +1 Aptitude Cold-Iron Whip Dagger

=== Progression ===

'''Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments):''' 15+ str, 15+ dex, 13+ int

'''Race (Templates):''' Human. Stongheart Halfling would require 17 str, which is more expensive to point buy.

{| class="d20" style="text-align: left;" {{#vardefine: odd|0}}
|- style="text-align: center;"
! rowspan="2" | ECL
! rowspan="2" | Class/HD/LA
! rowspan="2" | [[BAB|Base<br/>Attack Bonus]]
! colspan="3" | [[SRD:Saving Throw|Saving Throw]]s
! rowspan="2" | Feats
! rowspan="2" | Class<br/>Features
! rowspan="2" | Special
! colspan="2" | No-Sweep
! colspan="2" | Sweep w/ Ember
|- style="text-align: center;"
! [[SRD:Saving Throw#Fortitude|Fort]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Reflex|Ref]] || [[SRD:Saving Throw#Will|Will]] || Crit Immune || Critable || Crit Immune || Critable
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 1st || Warblade 1 || + || + || + || + || Weapon Focus, Two-Weapon Fighting, Combat Reflexes<sup>1</sup>, Lightning Mace<sup>1</sup> || Weapon aptitude, Blood in the Water ||  Lightning mace gives you a measly 1.05 attacks/attack || 1 || 1.05 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 2nd || Fighter 1 || + || + || + || + || Power Attack ||  || || 1 || 1.05 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 3rd || Psychic Warrior 1 || + || + || + || + || Improved Unarmed Strike, Roundabout Kick || || You're almost as good unarmed as with maces || 1 || 1.05 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 4th || Psychic Warrior 2 || + || + || + || + || Combat Expertise || ||  || 1 || 1.05 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 5th || Psychic Warrior 3 || + || + || + || + ||  ||  ||  || 1 || 1.05 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 6th || War Mind 1 || + || + || + || + || Martial Study (Distracting Ember) ||  || || 1 || 1.05 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 7th || War Mind 2 || + || + || + || + || || || You should be able to afford a pair of +1 aptitude 18-20 weapons. You do 1.17 attacks/attack. || 1.18 || 1.41 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 8th || War Mind 3 || + || + || + || + || || || || 1.18 || 1.41 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 9th || War Mind 4 || + || + || + || + || Disciple of Darkness || || You're barely able to afford a +1 aptitude keen weapon. || 1.43 || 2.41 || N/A || N/A 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 10th || War Mind 5 || + || + || + || + || || Sweeping Strike || Build starts to work in many situations || 1.43<sup>2</sup> || 2.41<sup>2</sup> || 8.7<sup>2</sup> || Diverges<sup>2</sup> 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 11th || Disciple of Dispater 1 || + || + || + || + || || || || 1.43 || 2.41 || 8.7 || Diverges 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 12th || Disciple of Dispater 2 || + || + || + || + || Optional Feat || || || 1.43 || 2.41 || 8.7 || Diverges 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 13th || Disciple of Dispater 3 || + || + || + || + || || || || 1.43 || 2.41 || 8.7 || Diverges 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 14th || Disciple of Dispater 4 || + || + || + || + || || || || 1.43 || 2.41 || 8.7 || Diverges 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 15th || Disciple of Dispater 5 || + || + || + || + || Optional Feat || || || 1.43 || 2.41 || 8.7 || Diverges 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 16th || Disciple of Dispater 6 || + || + || + || + || || || || 1.43 || 2.41 || 8.7 || Diverges 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 17th || Disciple of Dispater 7 || + || + || + || + || || || || 1.43 || 2.41 || 8.7 || Diverges 
|- class="{{Odd-Even}}"
| 18th || Disciple of Dispater 8 || + || + || + || + || Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip) || || Finally, triple threat range || 1.82 || 8.16 || Diverges || Diverges 
|- 
| colspan="13" |
# Requires two flaws: shaky and one other
# This is a threat range of 15-20, so it's also the behaviour of a whip-dagger after reaching Disciple of Dispater 8. Without triple threat range, a keen whip-dagger would be 1.25 / 1.64 / 2.44 / 4.55.
|}

=== Other Components ===

<- anything not covered by the previous sections ->

== Highlights ==

<- How and why this build works, also a place to show off just what the build can do ->

=== Tactics ===

If there aren't two opponents next to each other, summon a distracting ember next to one, and sweep both enemies or an enemy and an ember with an attack. Do non-lethal damage so you don't kill your ember. You slaughter creatures occupying two squares.

=== Further Optimization ===

* Increase attack bonus or number of attacks in a full round attack to get started more easily.
* Become large to threaten more squares
* Find a way to move as a free or immediate action without moving or add attacks that prevent opponents from moving.
* Convince your DM to let Disciple of Dispater's expanded threat range and 3.5 Improved Critical stack even though they don't, get a 12-20 critical, and diverge against non-critical immune foes without needing a sweep or an ember, and diverge against crit-immune foes even using a whip and ember.

== Side Notes ==


=== Limitations ===

DM Counters:

* Movement. Sweeping Strike can't be used if the war mind has moved more than 10' since the end of his last turn. This can be overcome a little bit by a 5' step, a 15' reach, and perhaps picking up another 5' of free movement somewhere, like Stalking Shadow. Movement+critical immunity is very bad for the war mind.
* One square wide halls with no space to summon ember. This is overcome eventually using a whip-dagger, but not if the foe is immune to criticals.
* Arenas or pits of exactly two adjacent five-foot squares.
* Immunity to non-lethal damage. This is overcome eventually
* Immunity to critical hits. This is eventually overcome using an ember, but not if there is no space to put one. Blood in the Water never gets a bonus from the Ember, so immune foes actually completely prevent bonus acquisition.
* Anything that counters melee

=== Variants ===

* Take warblade later to get slightly better maneuver options and 2 fewer hitpoints.
* Drop 8 levels of Disciple of Dispater for 7 of [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827d Psychic Weapon Master]. Requires a tremendous number of feats, has a smaller threat range of 8 instead of 9, and only has an expanded threat range on a single weapon, so no whip daggers.

=== Miscellaneous ===



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