View source for Consolidated Binder Handbook (3.5e Guide)

{{author
|url=http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=137.0
|author_name=jameswilliamogle
|date_created=May 16, 2008
|status=Transferring
|isnotuser=isnotuser
}}

{{Tocright}}{{#set:Summary=The no-nonsense guide to playing Binders.}}

== Table of Contents ==

*[[/Introduction|Introduction]]
**[[/Introduction#The Binder’s Role|The Binder's Role]]
**[[/Introduction#Introduction to Pact Magic|Introduction to Pact Magic]]

*[[/Vestiges|Vestiges]]
**[[/Vestiges#Vestiges and Granted Abilities|Vestiges and Granted Abilities]]
**[[/Vestiges#Vestiges by Level|Vestiges by Level]]
**[[/Vestiges#List by Type of Ability|List by Type of Ability]]

*[[/Low Levels|Low-level Binder Advancement]]

*[[/Feats|Feat Progression Suggestions for Generic Binders]]
*[[/Classes|Options for Multiclassing and Prestige Classing]]
*[[/Equipment|Magic Items of Note]]
*[[/Combos|Combos]]
**[[/Combos#Combat|Combat Combos]]
**[[/Combos#Caster-Related Combos|Caster-like Combos]]
**[[/Combos#Miscellaneous Combos|Miscellaneous Combos]]

*[[/Tips and Tricks|Tips and Tricks]]
**[[/Tips and Tricks#Tips and Tricks|Tips and Tricks]]
**[[/Tips and Tricks#Maximizing Save DC’s|Maximizing Save DC’s]]
**[[/Tips and Tricks#Customer Service Quotes for Convenience|Customer Service Quotes for Convenience]]

*Reports from the Trenches: Binder in Action (Unmoved yet..)

== Credits and Information ==

The purpose of this thread is to have one source for all a Binder’s needs, be they basic information, builds, combos, or anything else.  This is a copy for these boards from the CharOp boards basically because I don't think I'll be around the CharOp boards much longer, what with the fairly ridiculous changes occurring over there.

T_G and Gerdreg, being the original authors of the two main Binder sourcebooks, both approve of the compilation here, and both have been really busy lately.  This is likely to happen to me, too, so I’ve created a new profile and password that is completely public, so that users may edit the information as they see fit.  Here it is:
I've had to remove the public option as I've had problems with it before.  Shrug.

If you think something is in error, or you’d like to add some combos, please post it first, just so the community has a chance to digest it and to verify its legality.

I’ve formatted the text such that “fluff” would all be in sblocks, which I hope doesn’t insult anybody, and the “meat” such as vestige power lists and combos, which the CO community thrives on, would be readily viewable on the second post.

Much of the work here was done by T_G and Gerdreg, I’ve just been the organizer of some of the more recent developments, and their works (and that's a mountain of data to process, in and of itself).  With that, I hope you enjoy, and that it isn’t a wasted effort!

Links to the original threads / handbooks:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=605415
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=607826

-jameswilliamogle

==Small List Items, Feat Suggestions, Multiclass Suggestions, and Other Miscellanea==

*Pact Augmentations and Immunities
**Soul Guardian and other Immunities
***Soul Guardian Level 6 - Immunity to Fear
***Soul Guardian Level 9 - Slippery Mind
***Soul Guardian Level 13 - Immunity to Energy Drain and Negative Levels
***Soul Guardian Level 19 - Immunity to Mind-affecting Spells and Abilities
**Acererak - Immunity to Cold and Electricity
**Agares - Immunity to Fear
**Buer - Immunity to Poisons and Disease
**Dahlver-Nar - Immunity to Wisdom damage, Wisdom drain, Madness, Insanity, and Confusion
**Haagenti - Immunity to Transformation
**Haures - Immunity to Mind-affecting Spells and Abilities
**Paimon - Uncanny Dodge
**Shax - Immunity to Electricity
**Kas – Immune to critical hits from undead
**Low-Level Binder Advancement, Racial Suggestions, Skills, low-level equipment

== Reports from the Trenches: Binder in Action ==

=== Real Game Experiences from a Binder Player ===
by jameswilliamogle

Here’s the rundown of how my Binder is working out in the Savage Tides adventure Path, modified for Eberron (I believe its normally LG).  For those who don’t know, this is a heavily-aquatic themed series with a diverse array of opportunities and adventure (though there is also a strong central theme as well).  I’m enjoying the campaign quite a bit.  There probably will be some spoiling, but I will try to focus on the mechanical aspects of how things are working out.  So far, I’m following my own advice above, Low-Level Binder Advancement, pretty closely.

The DM was encouraging non-standard classes, and hasn’t really restricted anything yet.  The other players are: a Beguiler, a Spellthief, a Psion, a Cleric/Psion (more Psion, now), a Warforged Fighter, and an Elven Blaster Wizard (taking UA options, he’s focusing on fire).  The DM has given “Rule 0” power to the players as well as keeping it himself: if a clear majority think a feat, spell, power, etc. is too strong, then its restricted (Shock Trooper and Leap Attack have both been restricted already, for example).

I went with Human.  I rolled ridiculously high for stats (4d6, drop the lowest):
Str 15, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 17
Since we started at 1st, I took Improved Binding and Expel Vestige (I wasn’t sure if Expel Vestige was really necessary, but I’m very glad I took it).  The DM allowed swapping of 2 class skills: I swapped Gather Info and Kn: Planes for Hide and Move Silently (UMD would've been better, but oh well).  For my bonus languages, I took Giant (for Haagenti) and Aquan (since I knew it was an aquatic themed campaign).

====1st level====
I started bound to Naberius, but quickly switched to Malphus as we were sent on a search-and-rescue type mission.  Malphus’s Bird’s-Eye-Viewing, coupled with a sunstick that the bird carried, ensured that the party wasn’t surprised at all.  Sudden Strike only came into play when I attacked a grappling enemy (mostly undead).  With Studded Leather and a Heavy Shield, I had an 18 AC, which was enough to keep most attacks off of me.  I downed quite a few enemies w/ my Morningstar, which was quite rewarding.  I tried to expel Malphus, but failed.  After resting, I felt that we could use some more melee-oriented characters, and I bound Aym.  Unbeknownst to us, we cleared all the enemies away already, and Aym actually was a bad choice: I made a bad pact, and since we had a ton of coinage, and also had to swim to get it ashore, I chose to role-play it out, and refused to leave any coins behind.  We got a bunch of coinage, a few wands, and an Earth Elemental Gem that saved are butts.

====2nd level====
In between sessions, I used Naberius a lot, and disguised myself as a local nobleman.  I bought a bunch of stuff on credit, and then dumped it on a fence, making some money that way.  Once the session started, I bound Dahlver-Nar, and bought a MW Buckler, but didn’t have enough cash for a MW Chain Shirt (almost all our loot is tied up in magic items, which really sucks, as the Wizard is holding it all, and we’re overdue for some upgrades).  I was putting Pact Augmentation to HP.  Binding DN, I found, makes your first 1-2 rounds of combat almost completely defensive: you have Shield Self on one of your allies (preferably the Cleric), then target an enemy as you stand near the front, and hope they don’t kill you.  Although this reduces your damage output, it really, really helps your HP totals (DR / 50% is awesome).  The damage the enemy takes isn’t anything that you really can rely on: its almost strictly a defensive vestige.  At AC 19, DN allowed a lot of tanking.  I went below 0 once, and only for a few rounds (remember: Shield Self only goes away when the target dies, so I still had it active on the unconscious BBEG’s, which saved me from certain death).  After working over some more bad guys, we fought a poorly defended humanoid.  It almost assuredly is a recurring villain, as it drank a Gaseous Form potion after HP’s ran really low.  Only the unconscious WF Fighter actually had magical weapons (from feats), and it was getting away.  It took me a round to realize it, but then I targeted her with Shield Self, and following it, had the Spellthief and the Cleric follow me, backstabbing and healing me as we whittled down her HP until it stopped moving.  This was a LOT of fun, and we got some fat loot from defeating it at this time (a 5 charge wand of animate dead, for example, and a +1 Rapier that came in VERY handy).  The next day in the city, we had several random encounters, including some raptors (eating people).  I (stupidly) forgot how strong Raptors were, and charged one that I could flank.  Full attacks suck…  Anyways, I was still conscious, but very hurt (<5 HP).  I used the Maddening Moan ability of DN to make all the enemies Dazed (dinosaurs are known for lots of things: Will save isn’t one of them); all 3 Dinos that were on me failed the Will save, as well as the Spellthief and Fighter, who happened to be in range, and I moved 30’ without taking any AoO’s (the MM ability seems to be strictly for getting out of melee when things go bad).  The cleric healed me a bit w/ a happy stick, and I targeted a Dino attacking our flank w/ Shield Self, and went in after the Spellthief engaged it.  The Wizard busted open the Earth Elemental, and that finished combat rapidly.  He also animated the raptors w/ the wand, right afterwards (much to the annoyance of the DM Big Grin).

====3rd level====
I took Improved Initiative, still not knowing where to focus my Binder (as I have to leave the campaign in May, I’m not sure how many levels I’ll reach, and trying to take immediate benefit feats instead).  I also started binding Paimon, and put Pact Augmentation into Initiative, for a +11 Initiative modifier.  That +1 Magic Rapier put my attack bonus at +8, and damage at a paultry d6+3.  AC became a 20, thanks to MW Chain Shirt and Dex bump from Paimon.  Combat against mobs was very smooth for the most part: winning initiative means you get to Dance of Death round 1 before the enemy attacks, almost every time, and +8 to hit gives you some pretty good odds (better than the straight fighter, in this campaign).  After that, they tend to surround you, but your good AC keeps things from hitting you most of the time, and giving you a great opportunity to use Whirlwind Attack on the following round.  Against tough opponents, I found that using Dance of Death like Spring Attack (using the tumbling bonus from Paimon) kept me from taking too much damage, and the skeleton raptors were wicked-good at this level.  I got taken down by a Raptor-thing, and actually hit -9 HP before my party killed him.  We had almost spent our Happy Stick, and was only at 13 HP, so I used Expel Vestige (successfully) and then bound Focolor, suppressing the Aura of Sadness, and putting Pact Aug into HP.  We had a few more encounters, but they were pretty easy: I stayed behind whoever was tanking, and zapped the badguys like a bug.  Net result: Paimon is great for mobs of weaklings, but don’t expect to have a huge impact against the tougher BBEG’s, but you can make a difference in every combat with Focolor.  Along the way, I took some ability damage, so bound Naberius while we returned home.  We got a fight starting next session, and haven't had a chance to level yet (since we haven't rested).

The next session we encountered a couple of thugs, that tried to pick a fight.  We beat them easily, and I used Naberius (taking 10 on diplomacy) to convince the city guards that it was their fault with a 22 check ("These aren't the droids you're looking for").  We then encountered 6 low-level Rogues and a BBEG leading them in the city; they surprised us getting sneak attack on the warforged with alchemist fire, dropping him immediately.  Then the BBEG went around the side of a building out of sight, and the Beguiler cast Obscurring Mist, to prevent more SA.  I went around the opposite side of the building (had only 17 HP at this point, about 70%), and used Disguise Self as a standard action to make myself look like the BBEG (they were familiar w/ her, granting them +6 to spot it, but I had a +13 mod: +10 for Disguise Self, +3 Cha, +2 Bluff, -2 different sex); I then went around and told them that the person they were with was a Changeling, and they needed to attack it now (they believed me, but instead of attacking the other one, just were confused).  This gave the Wizard enough time to repair the Warforged, and the Beguiler managed to charm the BBEG, and the others got into position.  We then wiped out the group, but not until the Wizard got into negative HP territory.  

We then got immediately into ANOTHER battle, but started in it by trying to use Diplomacy.  By this time, I was at 1 HP, so I disguised myself as a peasant.  The tank, beguiler, and spellthief went up a few floors into a building, trying to talk someone into letting someone else go [trying not to spoil the adventure].  When we went into initiative, I went around the building, disguising myself as one of the minor bad guys.  I then went into the building, without anyone taking AoO's against me, until I got to the top floor where half the party was (the other half fighting on the first floor).  I bluffed and said the badguys needed to go downstairs to rescue one of the evil-coworkers (on the second floor, the Wizard had commanded two raptor skeletons to guard the stairs, after I had gone up).  Half of them went down (all the minor bad guys) got flayed alive.  The tougher badguys dropped a Tank, Cleric, Beguiler, and Gnome w/in a round (I drank a CLW potion then).  I walked down the stairs, disguised myself as the same badguy that I had pretended was downstairs, and walked into the room where the evil do-ers were tieing up my party.  I told them that I had escaped, and needed help defeating the rest of the ones downstairs, again taking 10 and getting a 20 bluff check.  They went downstairs, as I said "I need to heal myself", drank another potion of CLW, then went into the room.  I poured the last CLW on the beguiler, as the evil do-ers were working on the raptors.  The beguiler in turn repaired the warforged.  I jumped out of the window with the Gnome Spellthief, and landed prone, but only took 8 damage or so.  The party downstairs were all < 0 HP.  The party upstairs was running low.  Anyways, it was a VERY harrowing fight, but I was dropped at that point w/ non-lethal damage.  We won, but one of the bad guys was convinced to leave (Charm Person from the Beguiler, natural 1 on the save), and every party member, all the undead we had made, all of the consumable healing resources all got used up, only the Beguiler surviving at 4 HP.

If I hadn't had Naberius bound, we all would've died (or at least been captured), but the extra time that I was able to grant the party really, really helped out a lot.  The DM may have even been nerfing the NPC reactions, but just slowing them down was good enough for me.  Having Naberius bound you don't even need to try to optimize for a diplomonster build, and still be ridiculously good at it; what's really, really nice is the take 10 on the bluff check (in this campaign, you can even action point it after taking 10, for some ridiculous numbers, since its Eberron).

====Level 4====
We decided that retraining for non-power plays would be ok, so I retrained my Improved Binding feat to be in the 4th level bonus feat, and retrained the 1st level feat as Combat Expertise (planning on taking Deadly Defense at 6th).  I put the stat bump into Cha, for a 16 DC save vs. my vestige abilities that allow saves.  This is (more or less) where we ended on Sunday.  More to follow as the campaign continues.  Not much outside of standard skill checks occured through the rest of this level... I used Naberius a lot.  Don't really remember much else (and the bit I did remember would spoil some of the adventure, too).

====Level 5====
I started by binding Andras, but as we were going to do some more dungeon crawling, quickly switched back to Paimon.  Using Deadly Defense and fighting defensively, I had a +7 to hit w/ a +1 Rapier.  Using Dance of Death I managed to crit against 3 opponents... I ended up doing 79 damage in one round, getting initiative, and walked back to behind the (other) main tank (my AC was a 23 throughout this whole delve).  I nicknamed this "turning on the blender", and there were many jokes about my recharge meter filling up between uses, me charging up like dragonball, etc.  Afterwards, I  found out I was diseased, and I managed to expel vestige and bind Buer... ending that.

====Levels 6 and 7====
Just sucked; the Binder starts to fall behind straight casters and melee types at this point.  The Medium BAB really hurt the whole concept of a finesse fighter.  Our melee characters started failing Will saves, which really strained the Binder.  It became obvious that it wasn't strong enough in melee to continue melee'ing.  I was binding lots of different types of vestiges, too, most of which were mediocre.  Eurynome sucks, as does Agares (as I thought it would).  Buer proved ridiculously useful, but it still isn't a prime choice.  Paimon and Andras were still the strongest choices at this level.  7th level, having no new access at all, really felt dead: I almost delayed leveling to get more XP from the remaining encounters.

====Level 8====
Looking forward to combining Otiax's Air Blast w/ Combat Expertise and Sneak Attack Big Grin.

====Theory matches Play====

The Binder can melee with the best of them, but then has tons of other options to fall back on.  I would NOT recomend this class for an inexperienced player, as the options can be a bit overwhelming, even with only one vestige to bind at a time.

==Builds, Concepts, et al==

===Melee - Charging focused Binder Build===
by jameswilliamogle
Human, Str 16 (+2 levels), Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 14 (+3 levels, at least a +1 book) (32 PB)
Binder 12 (1-7, 13-17) / Knight of the Sacred Seal 5 (8-12) / Scion of Dantalion 3 (18-20)

Class features and Feats
1 Soul Binding; Feats: Improved Binding, Feat: Power Attack (useful considering the final stats)
2 Pact Augmentation +1 (to hit bonus), Suppress Sign
3 Feat: WF: Spear (prereq)
4 Bonus Feat: Expel Vestige (standard for most Binders)
5 Pact Augmentation +2 (to hit bonus still)
6 Immunity to Fear; Feat: Improved Bull Rush (prereq)
7 no new abilities
8 Aligned Strike, Patron Vestige (Dahlver-Nar), Bind 2 Vestiges
9 Vestige Protection; Feat: Shock Trooper (THE charging feat)
10 Protection Aura
11 Vestige Power
12 Apotheosis, DR 10/magic; Feat: Leap Attack (more charging goodness)
13 no new abilities
14 Slippery Mind, Bind 3 Vestiges
15 Pact Augmentation +3 (still +to hit); Feat: Improved Sunder (prereq)
16 Bonus Feat: Sudden Ability Focus (to amplify shield self, mainly)
17 no new abilities
18 Reroll a Knowledge check 1/day/SoD level; Feat: Combat Brute (more charging goodness)
19 3rd round of Read Thoughts first round, Dantalion's Awe as Swift action
20 Daze a Read Thoughts target (DC 24 w/o items, d4 rounds), Bind 4 Vestiges

BAB 16; F 17, R 8, W 11 (post mods, no items)
HP: 145 (we use the 1/2+1 method)
AC: 28 (assumes Savnok + Andras, no shield) and DR 10/magic and DR 5/magic&piercing
Final attack routine w/ the Melee Vestiges (Chupoclops, Andras) (pre-item, w/o the +2 Str for 1 round): +26 / +21 / +17 / +12 w/ a Spear, & pounce & Shock Trooper & Leap Attack... damn that's hot (+52 damage per hit w/ a Spear).

2 levels of Totemist, and the Defensive Strike feat (CS) would be one way to update this build.  I believe the character could get, using all sources, around 5-6 natural attacks per round, and all of them would do an extra d6 if fighting defensively, plus the 4 normal attacks.

===Paimon based Swordsage Multiclass===
by LucRivNor
Ape 2/Binder 2/ Sword sage 2/Binder +1(3)/ Knight of the sacred seal 5/...

Key feat :
Improved Binding at level 3
Shadow Hand at level 6

Note Weapon focus is get at Sword Sage 1 and Weapon finesse via Paimon Binding.  The rest of the feats and levels are open.  Ape gets good saves and +2 BAB.

===Possesion Obsession===
by Gerdreg

Knight of the Sacred Seal 5 + Shape Soulmeld: Planar Chausible = Will Save +5 + Outsider Type + Evil Subtype = Fiend of Possession.  You STILL need an alignment subtype to make this work...

An example build (I'll call it the "Master of Souls") would be...
Binder 6/ KotSS 5/ Fiend of Possession 6/ Binder 7-9

EBL 14 (16 with feat) will allow access to 7th level Vestiges
BAB +14
All the FoP goodies (Ethereal at will, Possession, ect.)
Cha Synergy (all the FoP abilities are Cha based Supernatural Abilities)

Skills: Hide 6 (Cross-class), Knowledge: Arcana 6
Feats: Improved Binding, Weapon Focus, Shape Soulmeld (Planar Chausible), Expel Vestige, Rapid Pact Making, Ability Focus (Possession), Split Chakra, Ignore Special Requirements, Sudden Ability Focus

How to maximize your Possess Creature save DC...

Base Possession save DC = 10 + FoP level + Cha Bonus = 28
<Cha bonus = +12 (18 base Cha + 5 level bonus + 6 enhancement bonus item + 5 inherent bonus tome)>

Veil of Allure (+2) [14k gp Sandstorm]
Ability Focus: Possession (+2)
Sudden Ability Focus (+2)
Chupoclops's Aura of Despair (-2 to other's saves when Chupoclops is bound)
Focalor's Aura of Sadness (-2 to other's saves when Focalor is bound)

For a total effective Possess Creature save DC of 36 (38 once per day)

===Battlefield Controller, Melee Focus (Core + ToM, only)===
by jameswilliamogle

This was a recent request from a guy that only had Core + ToM access.  I think this is a neat concept...

Binder 15 / KoSS (Chupoclops) 5

1,b Improved Initiative, Combat Expertise
3 Improved Disarm
4 Ignore Special Requirement
6 Improved Trip
9 Weapon Focus: Unarmed Strike
12 TWF
15 iTWF
18 gTWF

The idea here is that you use Ronove, unarmed, and disarm opponents (which puts the opponent's weapon in your hands to wield with the Two-Weapon fighting the same round, which is hilarious), or trip them if they aren't armed. TWF and iTWF are to use w/ your unarmed strikes (which I believe works, from the FAQ, but even if it doesn't, just arm yourself, make normal attacks from your unarmed strike, then off-hand attacks w/ your weapons). You can bind Chupoclops for pounce, bite, and ethereal watcher, Zagan for >improved grapple and aversion (never, ever, underestimate the aversion power of Zagan: its wicked powerful). You can become a good battlefield controller by targeting the meat w/ aversion, then grappling the softies: deadly.

edit: Deadly Defense (CS) is a GREAT addition to this build, as it'll add +d6 damage with ALL natural attacks when using Combat Expertise for 2, which you can do while grappling.  Earth's Embrace adds a lot, too.

===Complete Gish Entry===

From [http://"http//boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=11481311&postcount=27%22]

1 Binder 1 Improved Binding, Supernatural Crusader
2 Binder 2
3 Binder 3 Weapon Focus (Heavy mace)
4 Binder 4 Extend Supernatural Ability (B)
5 Binder 5
6 Binder 6 Defense Against the Supernatural
7 Binder 7
8 Binder 8
9 Binder 9 Skilled Pact Making
10 Binder 10
11 Binder 11 Sudden Ability Focus
12 Binder 12 Improved Critical (Melee Touch Attack)
13 Binder 13
14 Binder 14
15 Binder 15 Supernatural Opportunist
16 Binder 15/ KtoSS 1
17 Binder 15/ KtoSS 2
18 Binder 15/ KtoSS 3 Sudden Ability Focus
19 Binder 15/ KtoSS 4
20 Binder 15/ KtoSS 5

Orthos, Otiax, Tenebrous, Shax: crazy damage touch attacks is the main schtick, here.

===The Boltthrower (From Yogo)===

Strongheart Halfling Warblade 1/Binder 3/Scout 16

4W6 Skirmish / +4(6)AC
BaB 15
40 ft. Movement
Stats(32 Point Buy):

Str: 15
Dex: 16 +4 Level +5 Tome or Wishes(inherent bonuses are limited to +5 to any score dm's guide page 21) + 4 Paimon + 2 Race + 6 Item = 37
Con: 15 +1 Level
Int: 8
Wis: 10
Cha: 12

Attack Bonus:
15(BaB) + 13(Dex) +1(Small) +1(WF) +5(GMW) = 38

Damage: 1w3+13 with GMW

Feats:
Bonus: Improved Binding
Scout5: Point Blank Shot
Scout8: Precise Shot
Scout12: Ranged Disarm
Scout16: Penetrating Shot
1:EWP (Hand Crossbow)
3:WF(Hand Crossbow)
6:Rapid Reload (Not needed if you have Quick Loading Hand Crossbows) - Good Choice would be Improved Skirmish
9:Crossbow Sniper
12:Two Weapon Fighting
15:Improved Two Weapon Fighting
18:Greater Two Weapon Fighting

Weapons of Choice:
2 +1 Quick Loading Splitting Hand Crossbows

Initiator Level 10 (Level 5 Maneuvers)

Vestige Bound: Paimon
Key Maneuvers:
Press the Advantage (Stance - 10ft Step instead of 5ft step.)
Absolute Steel Stance (Stance - +10ft Movement, +2 Skirmish AC)
Fill your Maneuvers with nice Boots and Counters.

This Build aims for (at least) 6 ranged Skirmishes each round (without magic), since via Press the Advantage you can move 10ft per round and still make a Full attack.
Paimon gives nice Bonuses for this build, +4 Dex is always good,uncanny dodge too and Dance of Death (by RAW nothing prevents you from using it with ranged weapons) lets you shoot every enemy we run past every 5 rounds.
Per Crossbos Sniper we add half of our Dex-Bonus to Damage and can Skirmish for 4d6 up to 60 ft range.
We also ignore difficult Terrain, so the 10ft. step is almost guaranteed.

==== Damage Methods ====

Basically, we have in the end several options of dealing damage:

1. Dance of Death + Absolute Steel Stance
Running past Enemys using our good movement, we can skirmish everyone we run past. Very good vs. many Targets that are not too far away.
2. Press the Advantage + Full Attack
6 Attacks without Speed/Haste/Splitting, all + 4d6 skirmish. Nice vs. few Enemies
3. Penetrating Shot
I don't exaclty know if you can do that twice a round with two hand crossbows.
Nevertheless, in circumstances where a lot of enemies stand in 1(2) line(es), use it.
4.Ranged Disarm
Use with any tactic above if needed.

If pressed into melee, grab two Short Swords, with GTWF and Weapon Finesse(Paimon) you will still hit something.

+a lot of skill points and scouting potential (Small, Skills)

===Two builds which exploit the heck out of Bloodlines by Phoenix00===
Race: Illuminan
Books open any

Class Breakdown:
Cloistered Cleric 1/
Bloodline 3/
Binder 1/
Chameleon 10/
Knight of Sacred Seal 1/
Scion of Dantalion 1/
Reflavoed Tenebrous Apostate 1 which now simulate Andromalius as per the Tenebrous Apostate adaption
Knight of Sacred Seal 2 (for a total of 3)

Domains are Trickery and Planning

Feats
1 Able Learner
1 (flaw) Two Weapon Fighting
1 (flaw) Persist Spell
3 Weapon Focus Daggers or Something
6
9
12
15 Improved Two Weapon Fighting
18
Planning Domain gives you Extend Spell
With Heroics get the other Two Weapon Fighting Feats
Don’t forget the floating feat from Chameleon.
Naenhoon thingy to get the ability to persist draconic polymorph and polymorph into a Kelvezu. Also persist Wraithstrike, Improved Blink is also nice.
On divine the only necessary ones are Hunter’s Eye and Divine Power for Full BAB

Bloodlines stack with the Chameleon Caster level giving a bonus of six caster levels.
Bloodlines stack with Binder Levels and anything with Soulbinding thus dramatically increasing your Effective Binding Level, which determines your eligable vestiges, the amount of vestiges you can bind, and the powers of your vestiges.

In the end you have full chameleon with a caster level of 26 (30 with beads of karma), can persist arcane and divine spells And
an effective binder level of 17. Thus 3 vestiges up to 8th level.

Sneak Attack
10d6 from Hunter's Eye
8d6 from Draconic Polymorph into a Kelvezu (using Zceryl pseudonatural bind to become an outsider while bound and then persistent draconic polymorph)
4d6 from Andromalius
If I remember there are two +1 weapon enchantments that both give you +1d6 sneak attack damage and stack (source? one was a web enhancement).

At lvl 12
Binds as a 17th lvl Binder (1+3)+(6+3)+(1+3)=17 EBL
Spells Known as a 10th lvl Sorcerer. 1 Base+2 LoreDrake+1 Draconic Rite of Passage+6 Anima Mage=10
Caster Level of 16. 1+3 Base+2 LoreDrake+1 Draconic Rite of Passage+6+3 Anima Mage=16 Caster Level

My Knight of the Sacred Seal vestige be Zceryll

Feats
1 Dragonwrought Kobold
1 Precocious Apprentice
1 Extend Spell
3 Dragon Reservoir Feat
6 Persist Spell
9 Weapon Focus Touch Attack
12 Favored Vestige Zceryll (retrain this as Ability Focus Zceryll’s Bolt of Madness after level 12)
15 Open
18 Open

====Vestiges in order of binding preference====

* Zceryll for outsider, daze for 3 rounds, as well as an ability to summon monsters from the summon monster I-IX list.
* Ashardalon. Change the fear spell to the ability to breath a cone of fire with damage equal to your effective binder level*d6 and range of effective binder level*5 feet.
* Orthos for the breath weapon and his ability to simulate something similar to greater blink
* Primus from Dragon 341 for the command ability, also for damage reduction. Save or lose with no mind affecting or language component.

====Spells====
Spells
From a flavor perspective, all spells such have one of these themes

* Eventually extend life related/immortality related (such as magic jar may eventually allow me to steal bodies)
* Dragon Related
* Defensive Related/Good buff in general (mage armor, remember I only have 9 hd, etc)
* Ray spells

=====1st=====

* Mage Armor, spell research this, every 3 additional sps increase the armor bonus by 1.
* Magic Missile, spell research this, every 2 additional sps increase the number of missiles by 1 with no cap
* Grease, Research each 2 sp invested increases the save by 1, Flavor wise I spit the grease on the floor like a breath weapon
* Ray of Clumsiness
* Nerveskitter

=====2nd=====

* Wings of Cover
* Alter Self (picking an outsider form to look like a human, such as an angel, wings are tentacle like things due to Zceryll, similar to Tyrael from Diablo 2 Hide his tentacles underneath a cloak)
* Heart of Air
* Ray of Stupidity
* Available at lvl 13 Create Magical Tattoo

=====3rd=====

* Frost Breath, Spell research this no damage cap
* Heart of Water
* Ray of Exhaustion
* Open, Available at lvl 13

=====4th=====

* Dominate Person, Research to turn this into psionic Dominate except minimum cost is 8 instead of 7
* Greater Mirror Image, Persist this
* Globe of Invulnerability, since this doesn’t folly me around I won’t persist this, Research every additional 3 sp invested increases the spells levels affected by 1. Available at lvl 13
* Open, Available at lvl 15

=====5th=====

* Magic Jar, use this to assume the form of a more powerful dragon I had dominated for a polymorph like effect
* Open, Available at lvl 13
* Open, Available at lvl 15

=====6th=====

* Open, Available at lvl 14
* Open, Available at lvl 15

=====7th=====

* Open, Available at lvl 16


=====The spells I am persisting with Anima Mage=====

* Greater Mirror Image at 10, DM will allow me to suppress the images but I can unsupress them as a free action but it doesn’t affect people until their next turn.
* Open second spell I want to persist at lvl 13
* Open third spell I want to persist at lvl 15[/SBLOCK]

=== Iconic Early-entry Anima Mage by many different folks ===
Human Sorcerer 2 / Binder 1 / Anima Mage 10 / any full casting PrC 7
1 Extend Spell, Precocious Apprentice
3 Improved Binding
6 Persistant Spell
9, 12, 15, 18 more or less free

You get CL 19, spells known as a 19th level sorcerer, can bind up to L6 vestiges, and can persist up to 3 spells per day. 

====An Apostate of the Green Lady / Anima Mage of potential interest====
Dread Necromancer 2 / Binder 1 / Anima Mage 10 / Apostate of the Green Lady 1 / Shadowcraft Mage 6
feats as above, plus the prereqs

Basically, you get the ability to use the Apostate ability to heal your undead within 30' of 12d6 damage every 5 rounds.  Also, has wicked saves, and casts as a L19 Dread Necro.  Apostate isn't officially WotC, but its pretty damn close.

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Identifier	3.5e Guide +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Summary	The no-nonsense guide to playing Binders. +
Title	Consolidated Binder Handbook +