User:Franken Kesey/Hermes (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Author: Franken Kesey (talk) Date Created: 5/18/10 Status: started Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Introduction

The god of Speed - nothing less!

References

Balanced Character Wealth by Level (3.5e Variant Rule)

Game Rule Components

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): Str8, Dex15, Con10, Int13, Wis12, Cha14

Sprightling/Denizen of Limbo:(added +1LA)

Starting Traits and Flaws:

• Traits:

1. Aggressive: +2 bonus on initiative checks. -1 penalty to Armor Class.
2. Quick: Your base land speed increases by 10 feet. -1 hit points gained at each level.

• Flaws:

1. Shaky: −2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls.

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Class Features	Feats	Special
									Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Race merger	4	27	6	13	10	14	+0					Variant Weapon Focus (3.5e Feat)(Ezurian Saber), Power Attack, Exotic Weapon Proficiency	Start with a Ezurian Saber
2nd	Tenken 1	4	28	6	13	10	15	+1
3rd	Tenken 2	5	29	7	14	11	16	+2					Quick Draw
4th	Tenken 3	5	30	7	14	11	17	+3
5th	Tenken 4	5	30	7	14	11	17	+4
6th	Tenken 5	6	32	8	15	12	19	+5					Improved Initiative
7th	Tenken 6	6	32	8	15	12	19	+6/+1
8th	Iaijutsu Master 1	6	33	8	15	12	20	+6/+1				Blade Artist, Defensive Sheathe, Iaijutsu Focus, Iaijutsu Strike, Weapon Bond
9th	Iaijutsu Master 2	7	34	9	16	13	21	+7/+2				Flowing Blade	Spring Attack
10th	Iaijutsu Master 3	7	35	10	16	13	22	+8/+3				Sheathe Unbloodied, Shunpo
11th	Iaijutsu Master 4	7	35	10	16	13	22	+9/+4				Dance of Blades
12th	Iaijutsu Master 5	8	37	12	17	14	24	+9/+4				One Strike, Two Cuts	Cleave
13th	Jumper 1	8	37	12	17	14	24	+9/+4
14th	Jumper 2	8	38	12	17	14	25	+10/+5
15th	Jumper 3	9	39	13	18	15	26	+11/+6/+1					Reckless Offense
16th	Jumper 4	9	40	13	18	15	27	+12/+7/+2
17th	Iaijutsu Master 6	9	40	13	18	15	27	+13/+8/+3				Strike from the Void
18th	Iaijutsu Master 7	10	41	14	19	16	29	+14/+9/+4				Razor Wind, Sharpened Reflexes	Great Cleave
19th	Iaijutsu Master 8	10	41	14	19	16	29	+15/+10/+5
20th	Iaijutsu Master 9	10	42	14	19	16	30	+15/+10/+5
21th	Iaijutsu Master 10	11	43	15	20	17	32	+16/+11/+6/+1					Epic Weapon Focus

Class Features of Note

Tenken

Shukuchi (Ex): When unarmored, a tenken may strike with the shukuchi—a flurry of ridiculously fast strikes—at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Shukuchi Attack Bonus column on Table: The Tenken. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the tenken might make before his next action. When a tenken reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 9th level it disappears. A tenken must use a full attack action to strike with the shukuchi, and the technique can only be used when he is wielding a single melee slashing weapon. The shukuchi may only be used with a primary weapon. As such, the shukuchi cannot be used when fighting with two weapons or a double weapon.

The tenken's ability to use the shukuchi improves at 11th level. In addition to the standard extra attack he receives, he also gains another extra attack at his highest base attack bonus.

AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the tenken adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his Armor Class. In addition, he gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five tenken levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the tenken is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. The Wisdom bonus also does not stack with any other class that offers a Wisdom bonus to AC (such as the monk).

Fast Movement (Ex): A tenken is fast. Very fast. He gains a bonus to his speed, as shown on Table: The Tenken. A tenken in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

Superior Finesse: A tenken automatically gains the Weapon Finesse feat with any weapon that is considered a one-handed slashing weapon for him in addition to any normal weapons to which Weapon Finesse can be applied. If another feat (such as Exotic Weapon Proficiency) is required to wield the weapon in one hand, then that feat must be taken first.

A tenken compensates for his lack of physical strength by striking a target’s vital areas with amazing quickness, wielding his weapon with the precision of a scalpel. A tenken can choose to add his Dexterity modifier to his damage rolls instead of his Strength modifier. If he uses his weapon in two hands (which is permissable so long as he is able to wield the weapon normally in one hand) he deals one and a half times his Dexterity modifier in damage.

This ability does not stack with any other ability that adds the characters Dexterity modifier to attack or damage rolls.

Iaijutsu Master

Iaijutsu Focus: After drawing a weapon, the iaijutsu master gains an extraordinary focus as all his attention descends upon the target of his strike. At first level upon drawing his weapon, the iaijutsu master gains a number of Iaijutsu Points equal to 1d4 + his Charisma or Wisdom modifier divided by four + his class level. He may use these to power his various abilities, but they only apply to the next melee attack he makes which gains a +1 bonus to attack. This bonus increases by one every three class levels hence (at levels 4, 7, and to a maximum of +4 at level 10). Any leftover Iaijutsu Points disappear at the end of his turn. Iaijutsu Points may only be spent on an attack which uses the iaijutsu master's bonded weapon.

Iaijutsu Strike (Ex): Faster than the eye can see, the Iaijutsu Master whips out his weapon and coats it with the blood of his opponents in attacks of truly superhuman speed. At first level after drawing his weapon, the iaijutsu master may spend a number of Iaijutsu Points up to his class level + 2. He adds an extra 1d6 damage to the attack immediately made after drawing the weapon for each Iaijutsu Point spent.

One Strike, Two Cuts (Ex): The draw, a single slash, and the sheathe--and yet two slices appear from where only one strike occured! At fifth level, after drawing his bonded weapon, the iaijutsu master's may make a second attack after his first. Any effects that affected the first strike (including any effects from Iaijutsu Strike, Flowing Blade, or any other abilities he possesses from other classes, feats, or equipment) affect the second attack as well. This second attack does not have to be against the same target as the first.

Strike from the Void (Ex): The void begins to fill the iaijutsu master as he draws the blade, allowing him to cut deeper into his enemies with barely a thought; in fact, few thoughts cross his mind as he watches blood spray before the blade crawls back into its sheathe, almost by instinct. At sixth level, the iaijutsu master may add his Charisma or Wisdom modifier to every die of damage done with Iaijutsu Focus.

Razor Wind (Su): A strain of the blade--and suddenly it's free, letting loose a blinding wind that flies free to rend the flesh of its foes even beyond the material weapon's reach. At seventh level, the attack with which the iaijutsu master gains iaijutsu focus with can reach opponents as far away as 100' from the Iaijutsu Master as long as it's made with his bonded weapon, though every 10' the attack roll takes a penalty of -1 (for a maximum of -10 at 100' range). Apart from the extended reach, this attack still counts as a melee attack for all intents and purposes.

Sharpened Reflexes (Ex): As the movements become more instinctual, the iaijutsu begins to act without thinking, allowing his body to move on its own. At seventh level, the iaijutsu master cannot be surprised and may roll initiative even during surprise rounds during which he would normally be surprised.

Flowing Water (Ex): Men can offer the resistance of cornstalks against the iaijutsu master's movement as he flows between them leaving only sprays of blood in his wake. At level nine, the iaijtusu master may move up to twice his speed as a full-round action and make a single attack against every foe he threatens during his movement, though only once per foe. He gains a +4 dodge bonus against attacks of opportunity provoked by his movement when using this ability.

Strike with no Thought (Ex): The iaijutsu master's body has reached such heights that at times it moves as though it were seperate from him--its own living thing. Once per encounter at level ten, the iaijutsu master may take an immediate action to immediately take a turn. While his initiative doesn't actually change, he gains a full round's worth of actions at that point

Jumper

Nimble Strike: Jumpers are unbelievably fast, and, upon the battlefield, it is extremely difficult to dodge their attacks. As long as a jumper moves more than 15 feet in a round, they deal an extra 1d6 on any attack they make before the beginning of their next round. Additionally, any attack that the jumper makes after moving 15 feet in a single round denies the target its Dex mod (and only its Dex mod) to its AC. A jumper cannot use sneak attack or similar abilities with these attacks unless the target of the attack is denied their Dex mod to their AC via another source. The extra damage dealt by this class feature increase by an extra 1d6 every 3 levels after first (4^th, 7^th, 10^th, etc.). A jumper who uses the jump class feature during a round counts as having moved 10 feet for the purposes of these attacks, no matter how what distance they actually teleported across.

Jump (Ex): The signature mark of a jumper, is the ability to seemingly teleport from one place to another without so much as a thought. This ability is actually gained due to the jumper's inherent ability to move into a fourth spacial dimension. At second level, a jumper gains the ability to travel between two places instantaneously. The jumper may teleport from his current location to any other location with 10 feet of his original location that he can see, as a swift action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A jumper can move both before and after the jump, provided that his total distance moved is not greater than his speed. A jumper can also bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed his maximum load. A jumper can bring along other living creatures too, as long as their total weight doesn’t exceed his maximum load. Additionally, a jumper can jump with unwilling creature as long as that creature is in a grapple with the jumper, though, even then, an unwilling creature is allowed a Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + half the jumper's HD + the jumper's Dexterity modifier) to avoid being taken along with the jumper. A jumper cannot teleport to a location that is occupied by another creature or an object, nor can he jump if he is immobilized. The distance a jumper can jump across increase by 10 feet every even level after second (4^th, 6^th, 8^th, 10^th, etc.). Jump is not hampered by dimensional lock or similar spells. Take note that this ability is not derived from magical abilities and therefore works fine in an antimagic field.

At level 20: Tenken 6/ Iaijutsu Master 10/ Jumper 4

Highlights

At level 21:

• Ability Scores: Str 11, Dex 43, Con 15, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha 32
• HP: 20d8+61(132)
• AC: 51 = 10(Base) +16(Dex), +7(Shielded in Life) +10(Natural - +10variant (5 armor enhancement)) +8(Dodge - 5variant, +1dodge, +2mobility), +1(Armoured in Life) -1(Traits/Flaws - -1aggressive), +1tenk -4reckless offense.
• Speed: 110' (40' base, +10' Quick, +30' Tenken, +30' Iaijutsu Master)
• Initiative +20:
• BAB: +16/+11/+6/+1 (+42)
  • Attack rolls(with Speedy -Keen- Flaming- Frost- Shock Ezurian Saber): +68/+68/+63/+58/+53 (+4weapon focus variant, +2reckless offense, +2epic weapon focus, +7weapon enhancement, +16Dex, +1size, +10 average roll)
• Saves: fort+6, ref+16, will+13

Average DPR, of 3 rounds Vs. AC 40=1408 (see below)

Tactics

Attack routine: Vs. AC 40.

Round 1:

• One Strike, Two Cuts-Flowing Blade(Stunning-Iaijutsu Strike(from the Void), with Speedy -Flaming-Frost-Shock-Shock-Ezurian Saber, and a 10 power attack swap - 2/2 hit(no crits)=793 (2x((2d8+24(dex)+2(tree), +3d6+7(enhancments), +50power attack) +12d6+132iaijutsu strike(from the void) +120power attack).
• Shukuchi - 4/4 hit(2 crits)=615 ((2d8+24(dex)+2(tree), +3d6+7(enhancments) +50)x6).

Average DPR=1408

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Round 2:

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Round 3:

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Round 4: repeat

Average DPR=1707 (of 3 rounds)

Side Notes

This build rolls over at 2nd, synergysing at 8th, becoming optimal at about 9th level.

Absolutely nothing in thing build is wizard, and it uses only 1 homebrew feat.

Limitations

Tricks for the DM (ordered by least to most of a detriment)

1.Fight fire with fire (i.e. use monsters with high manoeuvrability, and spread out)

Spreads him thin

1 monster could get away to summon more.

2.Low HP - but hight AC.

3.Ridiculously high AC monsters:

AC 52-62: halves damage.

AC above 68: build is destroyed! (he in fact cannot hit anything at all!)

---- {{3.5e Optimized Character Builds Breadcrumb}} [[Category:3.5e]] [[Category:User]] [[Category:Optimized Character Build]]