Glaive of the Dungeon Crasher (3.5e Optimized Character Build)
Author's Note: "People always seem to run into walls whenever I'm around. Stop that. You're just hurting yourself."
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
Rate this article Discuss this article |
Contents
Introduction[edit]
Using the Dungeon Crasher variant from Dungeonscape along with the Eldritch Glaive invocation from Dragon Magic and Large and In Charge from Races of the Dragon you can have a great hybrid defender/striker who combines damage with zone control.
References[edit]
- Flaws (Unearthed Arcana)
- LA Buyoff (Unearthed Arcana)
- Complete Psionic
- Complete Champion
- Complete Arcane
- Dragon Magic
- Draconomicon
- Races of Stone
- Tome of Battle
- Player's Handbook II
- Magic of Incarnum
- Expanded Psionics Handbook
- Fiendish Codex II
Game Rule Components[edit]
Spells, Powers, Soulmelds, Stances, etc...[edit]
- Expansion from the Warmind levels to get big for a boost to Large and In Charge, Bull Rushes, and a bigger threat area.
- Get Eldritch Glaive from Dragon Magic.
Items[edit]
- Armbands of Might from Magic Item Compendium will raise your damage by another 2
- A Nightstick from Libris Mortis will let you use Travel Devotion a few more times per day. No need for the cheese of multiple Nightsticks, since one use of Turn Undead will last you a whole encounter.
Progression[edit]
Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): (Assuming 32 Point Buy) 16 14 15 10 14 8
Race (Templates): Goliath (or Human, see Variants)
Starting Racial Traits: +4 Strength, -2 Dex, +2 Constitution, Powerful Build, +1 Natural Armor
ECL | Class/HD/LA | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Feats | Class Features |
Special | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fort | Ref | Will | ||||||
1st | Ardent 1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Combat Reflexes , Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Knockback (Races of Stone) | ||
2nd | Fighter 1 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Weapon Focus (Eldritch Blast) | Dungeon Crasher variant from Dungeonscape | |
3rd | Cleric 1 | +1 | +4 | +0 | +4 | Travel Devotion (Complete Champion) | Turn Undead | Travel domain and any other you like |
4th | Fighter 2 | +2 | +5 | +0 | +4 | Dungeon Crasher | ||
5th | Warlock 1 | +2 | +5 | +0 | +6 | Elritch Blast | ||
6th | Warmind 1 | +3 | +7 | +2 | +6 | Large and In Charge (Draconomicon) | Chain of Personal Superiority +2 | Pick up Expansion here |
7th | Warmind 2 | +4 | +8 | +3 | +6 | Chain of Defensive Posture +2 | ||
8th | Warmind 3 | +5 | +8 | +3 | +7 | Enduring Body I | ||
9th | Crusader 1 | +6 | +10 | +3 | +7 | Martial Stance: Thicket of Blades (Tome of Battle) | Pick up the prerequisites required for Thicket of Blades, and another good maneuver would be White Raven Tactics | |
10th | Warmind 4 | +7 | +11 | +4 | +7 | Strength of My Enemy might be a good power to take here | ||
11th | Fighter 3 | +8 | +11 | +4 | +8 | |||
12th | Fighter 4 | +9 | +12 | +4 | +8 | Weapon Specialization (Eldritch Blast), Melee Weapon Mastery (Player's Handbook 2) | ||
13th | Warmind 5 | +10 | +12 | +4 | +8 | Sweeping Strike | Now you can hit 2 enemies with every attack | |
14th | Hellfire Warlock 1 | +10 | +12 | +4 | +10 | Hellfire Blast +2d6 | ||
15th | Hellfire Warlock 2 | +11 | +12 | +4 | +11 | Shape Soulmeld (Strongheart Vest) (Magic of Incarnum) | Hellfire Blast +4d6, Hellfire Infusion, Fire Resistance 10 | Now you can use Hellfire Blast without worrying about Con damage |
16th | Hellfire Warlock 3 | +12 | +13 | +5 | +11 | Hellfire Blast +6d6, Hellfire Shield | ||
17th | Fighter 5 | +13 | +13 | +5 | +11 | |||
18th | Fighter 6 | +14 | +14 | +6 | +12 | Practiced Manifester | Improved Dungeon Crasher | You have now reached the pinnacle of the build, able to expand to Huge, act Gargantuan, and add 8d6+str x4 to every attack when pinning your enemy against a wall |
19th | Warmind 6 | +15 | +15 | +7 | +13 | Enduring Body II | ||
20th | Warmind 7 | +16 | +15 | +7 | +13 | Chain of Personal Superiority +4 |
At level 20: Ardent 1 / Cleric 1 / Fighter 6 / Crusader 1 / Warlock 1 / Warmind 7 / Hellfire Warlock 3
Other Components[edit]
For your ardent mantles, pick up Conflict for Weapon Focus: Eldritch Blade and Force for Force Screen to boost your AC at lower levels.
Highlights[edit]
Hit things against a wall with your Eldritch Glaive while power attacking freely due to using touch attacks. Use Thicket of Blades combined with Large and In Charge to stop enemies in their tracks, and use Travel Devotion to move around freely while still being able to use Eldritch Glaive (which requires a full-round action).
Assuming 20 starting strength after racial mods, your strength will be 20 + 4 (level) + 4 (tome) + 6 (item) +4 (Chain of Personal Superiority) = 38 at level 20. Full attack (every attack is a touch attack) will be 14 (Str) + 16 (BAB) - 16 (Power Attack) + 1 (Weapon Focus) + 2 (Melee Weapon Mastery) = +17/+12/+7/+2, with damage (assuming you're bashing them against a wall with the Knockback feat) being 7d6 (Eldritch Glaive + Hellfire Blast) + 21 (Two-Handed Weapon Strength) + 8d6+42 (Dungeon Crasher) + 2 (Weapon Specialization) + 2 (Melee Weapon Mastery) + 32 (Power Attack with a two-handed weapon) = 15d6+99 or 151.5 on average, all the while keeping the target locked down. Should all attacks hit, that comes out to 606 damage per round on average.
Use Sweeping Strike to deal this damage twice if two enemies are adjacent to each other, as well as to punish two enemies at the same time if only one moves, AoOing both of them.
Further Optimization[edit]
Find a way to fly (such as Winged Boots, or a 5' by 5' Carpet of Flying) and fly above your opponent, considering the ground as a "wall" with which to bash them into.
Limitations[edit]
Due to being kept at Light armor, your armor class might suffer which could be a problem before you pick up Thicket of Blades.
Also, Spell Resistance can completely cripple this build due to the low caster level for Warlock.
DM Counters[edit]
Add creatures that can teleport as a swift action, ranged attacks and AoE spells that do damage.
Spell Resistance. 'Nuff said.
Miscellaneous[edit]
This build assumes that the retarded multiclass xp penalty rules are not used.
Variants[edit]
If using the multiclass xp penalty rules, go Human and take the Jotunbrud feat from Races of Faerun to effectively give yourself Powerful Build.
An alternative to Large and In Charge is Stand Still from the Expanded Psionics Handbook.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Character Optimization
Ghostwheelv |
---|
Article Balance | High + |
Author | Ghostwheel + |
Final Class Progression | Ardent 1 / Cleric 1 / Fighter 6 / Crusader 1 / Warlock 1 / Warmind 7 / Hellfire Warlock 3 + |
Identifier | 3.5e Optimized Character Build + |
Race | Goliath (or Human, see Variants) + |
Rating | Unrated + |
Summary | Using the Dungeon Crasher variant from Dungeonscape along with the Eldritch Glaive invocation from Dragon Magic and Large and In Charge from Races of the Dragon you can have a great hybrid defender/striker who combines damage with zone control. + |
Title | Glaive of the Dungeon Crasher + |