Whirling Eater of Souls (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Author: Ghostwheel (talk) Date Created: June 9th, 2009 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Author's Note: "I drained the soul of a monk once. It tasted like chocolate."

Introduction

Combining Soul Eater with numerous natural attacks allows one to quickly reduce enemies to shells of their former selves, all the while maintaining high AC and saves.

References

• Flaws (Unearthed Arcana)
• Complete Psionic
• Expanded Psionics Handbook
• Player's Handbook
• Secrets of Sarlona
• Eberron Campaign Setting
• Lords of Madness
• Monster Manual
• Tome of Battle
• Draconomicon
• Magic of Incarnum
• Book of Vile Darkness

Game Rule Components

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

Substitute powers into melds as found here, as well as substituting Alertness instead of Wild Empathy into the Natural World mantle.

• Tail of the Dragon (Secrets of Sarlona) into Natural World
• Bite of the Wolf (Expanded Psionics Handbook) into Natural World
• Claws of the Beast (Expanded Psionics Handbook) into Natural World
• Expansion (Expanded Psionics Handbook) into Conflict

Powers by level of Ardent taken:

1. Claws of the Beast, Tail of the Dragon
2. Inertial Armor
3. Force Screen
4. Psionic Lion's Charge
5. Bite of the Wolf
6. Expansion
7. Metamorphosis

Grab the Totemist Soulmeld Girallon Arms and bind it to your Totem Chakra. Choose whatever other soulmelds you want.

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): (Assuming 32 Point Buy) 16 14 16 8 14 8

Race (Templates): Elan

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Monk 1	+0	+2	+2	+2	Improved Grapple, Aberration Blood (Flexible Limbs), Inhuman Reach, Multiattack	Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike
2nd	Ardent 1	+0	+2	+2	+4	Alertness	Force and Natural World mantles
3rd	Monk 2	+1	+3	+3	+5	Monastic Training (Ardent), Tashalatora	Evasion
4th	Ardent 2	+2	+3	+3	+6	Weapon Focus (Claws)	Conflict mantle
5th	Ardent 3	+3	+4	+4	+6
6th	Ardent 4	+4	+4	+4	+7	Link Power
7th	Totemist 1	+4	+6	+6	+7		Wild Empathy
8th	Totemist 2	+5	+7	+7	+7		Totem Chakra Bind (+1 capacity)
9th	Ardent 5	+5	+7	+7	+7	Deepspawn	Time Mantle
10th	Soul Eater 1	+6	+9	+9	+9		Energy Drain I	Build becomes truly viable here.
11th	Soul Eater 2	+7	+10	+10	+10		Soul Strength
12th	Soul Eater 3	+8	+10	+10	+10	Improved Natural Attack: Unarmed Strikes	Soul Blast
13th	Soul Eater 4	+9	+11	+11	+11		Soul Enhancement
14th	Soul Eater 5	+10	+11	+11	+11		Soul Endurance
15th	Soul Eater 6	+11	+12	+12	+12	Rapidstrike: Claws	Soul Radiance
16th	Soul Eater 7	+12	+12	+12	+12		Energy Drain II
17th	Ardent 6	+13	+13	+13	+13
18th	Ardent 7	+14	+13	+13	+13	Rapidstrike: Tentacles
19th	Warshaper 1	+14	+15	+13	+13		Morphic Immunities, Morphic Weapons
20th	Warshaper 2	+15	+16	+14	+14		Morphic Body

Note: Bolded feats are granted as bonus feats from flaws or the class taken at that level.

At level twenty: Monk 2 / Ardent 7 / Totemist 2 / Soul Eater 7 / Warshaper 2

Items of Note

• Monk's Belt
• Amulet of Mighty Fists

Highlights

Manifest augmented Expansion, augmented Inertial Armor, Tail of the Dragon, and augmented Claws of the Beast at the start of the day.

Assumed stats at level 20 (Before Metamorphosis):

• Str: 40 (+15) = 16 (Base) + 5 (Level) + 6 (Item) + 5 (Tome) + 4 (Expansion) + 4 (Morphic Body)
• Dex: 16 (+3) = 14 (Base) + 6 (Item) - 4 (Expansion)
• Wis: 20 (+5) = 14 (Base) + 6 (Item)
• AC: 40 = 10 (Base) + 3 (Dex) + 5 (Wis) + 2 (Monk AC Bonus with Monk's Belt) + 8 (Inertial Armor at 9 ML) + 4 (Force Screen) + 5 (Ring of Protection) + 5 (Amulet of Natural Armor) -2 (Size)
• Grapple Check: +52/+47/+42 = 15 (BAB) + 8 (Size) + 15 (Str) + 4 (Improved Grapple) + 2 (Flexible Limbs) + 8 (Girallon Arms with 3 essentia invested)

Full Attack (+5 Amulet of Mighty Fists):

• Unarmed Strike +34/+34/+34/+30/+25 (8d6+20)
• Claws of the Beast +33/+33/+28 (6d6+12)
• Girallon Claws +33/+33/+33/+33 (2d6+12)
• Bite of the Wolf +32 (6d8+12)
• Tail of the Dragon +32 (4d8+12)
• Tentacles +32/+32/+28 (2d6+12)

This totals to 17 attacks per round, for a total maximum of 34 negative levels every round.
Can soak damage with the Elan racial abilities, and boost saves as well.

Combat Sequence

• First round of combat manifest linked Force Screen to Bite of the Wolf while moving closer.
• Second round, full attack if possible, and if not use Psionic Lion's Charge to pounce. Rinse and repeat.

Further Optimization

• Anything that adds damage to each attack (like a bard with Dragonfire Inspiration) will boost the damage on this build immensely.
• Greater Mighty Wallop (spell) will increase the damage of unarmed attacks.
• Chaos Roc's Wings soulmeld from Dragon #350 for another 2 attacks that deal nonlethal damage.
• Pick up a Psionic Tattoo of Strength of My Enemy to drain enemy levels and strength.

Limitations

• Damage being as low as it is per attack, this build can be stopped at most levels by creatures with decent DR.

DM Counters

• Damage Resistance and non-living monsters immune to level drain.
• Dispelling buffs. (Dispel Psionics, Unshape Soulmeld)

Variants

• Trade out a feat (perhaps Improved Natural Attack: Unarmed Strike) for Practiced Manifester for a higher ML.

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