Scimerang Slinger (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

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Author: Cedges (talk) Date Created: 6/08/2010 Status: Done Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Introduction

The Scimerang Slinger abuses Aptitude weapons with the critical abilities of Lightning Mace, Roundabout Kick, and the attack duplicating abilities of Boomerang Ricochet and the Master Thrower's two with one blow.

References

• Tome of Battle (Swordsage 15, Warblade 20, Martial Study 31, Bloodstorm Blade 100, Aptitude 148)
• Complete Warrior (Master Thrower 58, Roundabout Kick 105, Lightning Mace 113)
• Races of Eberron (Boomerang Daze, Boomerang Ricochet 108)

Game Rule Components

Items

A progression of +1 aptitude and +1 aptitude keen 18-20 one-handed and light weapons like scimitars and kukris

Progression

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

Race (Templates): Human, or Strongheart Halfling if you can afford the 17 strength.

Starting Racial Traits:

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Maneuvers, Stances, and Tricks	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Warblade 1	+1	+2	+0	+0	Martial Study (Distracting Ember), Two-Weapon Fighting, Power Attack1, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Any)1,2,3	Battle clarity (reflex saves), weapon aptitude	Punishing Stance, Steel Wind, Steely Strike, one other maneuver
2nd	Monk 1	+1	+4	+2	+2	Stunning Fist, Improved Unarmed Strike	AC bonus +0, flurry of blows -0/-0, unarmed strike damage 1d6
3rd	Monk 2	+2	+5	+3	+3	Roundabout Kick, Combat Reflexes	Evasion
4th	Fighter 1	+3	+7	+3	+3	Point Blank Shot
5th	Swordsage 1	+3	+7	+5	+5	Weapon Focus (Any)4	Quick to act +1	One of Claw at the Moon, Wolf Fang Strike or Rabid Wolf Strike, Blood in the Water, 5 more maneuvers.
6th	Bloodstorm Blade 1	+4	+9	+5	+5	Boomerang Ricochet3, Throw Anything	Returning attacks
7th	Bloodstorm Blade 2	+5	+10	+5	+5		Martial throw, thunderous throw		You should be able to afford at least one +1 aptitude 18-20 weapon.
8th	Bloodstorm Blade 3	+6	+10	+6	+6	Precise Shot
9th	Bloodstorm Blade 4	+7	+11	+6	+6	Lightning Mace4	Lightning ricochet		Your thrown weapons return instantly, build starts to work. You're barely able to afford a +1 aptitude keen weapon. If you can you become disgustingly powerful.
10th	Bloodstorm Blade 5	+8	+11	+6	+6		Blood wind ricochet
11th	Bloodstorm Blade 6	+9	+12	+7	+7	Weapon Focus (Boomerang)
12th	Master Thrower 1	+10	+12	+9	+7	Optional Feat5, Quick Draw		Two with One Blow	Each hit can hit two adjacent creatures, roundabout kicking independently for each, but -4 attack. Diverges even against critical immunity.
13th	Master Thrower 2	+11	+12	+10	+7		Improved evasion
14th	Master Thrower 3	+12	+13	+10	+8			Optional thrown weapon trick
15th	Master Thrower 4	+13	+13	+11	+8	Optional Feat5	Snatch arrows
16th	Master Thrower 5	+14	+13	+11	+8		Critical throw	Weak Spot	Hit on touch attacks, no longer need keen weapons
17th	Bloodstorm Blade 76	+15	+13	+11	+8		Eye of the storm
18th	Bloodstorm Blade 8	+16	+14	+11	+8	Optional Feat5	Blood rain
19th	Bloodstorm Blade 9	+17	+14	+12	+9	Optional Fighter Feat5
20th	Bloodstorm Blade 10	+18	+15	+12	+9		Blade storm		You can attack everything in range once as a full-round attack.
This requires two flaws. Exotic weapon proficiency would be unnecessary if the warblade's weapon aptitude allows him to exchange the monk's exotic weapon proficiencies for other proficiencies; this would be the case if weapon and armor proficiencies given by classes were the same as being granted the feats. Exotic weapon proficiency is changed to Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Talenta Boomerang) or Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Xen’drik Boomerang) to meet the proficiency requirement of Boomerang Ricochet before level 6. The swordage's weapon focus is changed to light mace to meet the prerequisite for lightning mace at level 9. Lots of good feats to choose from, including those that make ranged attacking better by avoiding AOs, shooting into grapples, or increasing range, or Boomerang Daze Continuing in Bloodstorm Blade is optional, though Blade storm is a nice capstone.

Highlights

Tactics

In the first few levels play as an about-average fighter/monk type character using either exciting exotic weapons or unarmed strike two-weapon fighting. Use Distracting Ember liberally to get flanking bonuses. Throw up Punishing Stance and slaughter things.

At level 6 to 8 continue fighting melee or throw boomerangs for a few levels for variety. You could also pick up some +1 aptitude weapons, or +1 aptitude keen ammunition like shurikens or skiprocks and throw some of those for a while.

At level 9 the build really starts to work because your thrown weapons come back to you instantly. Pick up the nicest +1 aptitude, if possible keen, 18-20 weapon you can, like a scimitar. Toss a light mace in your left hand if necessary. Get more +1 aptitude keen weapons as soon as possible, and keep them all so you have backups if one of yours gets snatched out of the air. Here's what to do:

1. Start using Blood in the Water all of the time. Every time you confirm a critical you get a cumulative +1 attack, damage bonus
2. If two opponents aren't standing next to each other, summon a small fire elemental next to one with Distracting Ember.
3. Throw your scimitar at one of them, ricocheting off to hit the other one. If you summoned a fire elemental do non-lethal damage with no penalty due to aptitude and improved unarmed strike. With a 15-20 crit range it will critical 6/20ths of the time on each target, and when either criticals you are granted almost two new attacks assuming your attack bonus is high enough to auto-confirm. You can make these new attacks with your back-in-your-hand scimitar.
4. Go back to step 3 with your new attacks. This very likely diverges, granting a mean of unlimited attacks and limitless bonus to attack and damage from Blood in the Water. If you didn't summon a fire elemental, keep this up until one enemy is dead, and then unload into the second for as long as possible. If you did summon a fire elemental keep doing this until your opponent is unconscious and helpless and you have more stored extra attacks and more attack and damage bonus than you think are necessary to kill it. Switch to lethal damage, slaying your ember buddy and then slaying your opponent.
5. On your next turn, if two opponents are next to each other, go to step 3. If not, recharge all your warblade maneuvers, including distracting ember, and make as many regular attacks as possible. These kill things like crazy if your attacks diverged and you got a virtually unlimited attack and damage bonus. Go to step 2.

If you have only an 18-20 aptitude weapon, you get two chances to get two extra attacks 3/20ths of the time, and make about two and a half attacks for each attack, netting yourself on average a +1 bonus every three rounds.

With a 15-20 weapon vs. a critical immune foe you get one chance at two extra attacks 6/20th of the time, and one chance at one extra attack 6/20ths of the time, and average 8.7 attacks per attack.

At 12th level you stop worrying about critical immune foes. You hit both your ember and the foe with each attack and each ricochet by using Two With One Blow. Although the attack rolls are only made once, and thus can only trigger lightning mace once, the criticals are confirmed separately. This gives you two 6/20th chances to lightning mace and two almost 6/20 chances to critical with the roundabout kick on the ember. This diverges almost as frequently as at level 9 without critical immune foes.

Additionally, your non-keen aptitude weapons start to do more damage if you're forced to use them. You get two 3/20ths chances at 3 new attacks, and do about 7.7 attacks per attack, and about a +1 bonus per round.

At 16th level you hit on touch attacks, making it much easier to start a cascade of damage. All of your aptitude weapons have double crit range because you are treated as having Improved Critical (Boomerangs) due to having the weapon focus and Critical throw.

Other Powers

• Once you get an aptitude weapon you can Stunning Fist with it.
• Blood wind ricochet lets you ignore some cover and concealment by attacking targets from a previous target in a full round attack
• At level 20 you can attack every target in range as a full round attack with Blade Storm. It uses one Iron Heart strike each time you do.

Further Optimization

• Stop provoking AOs when attacking. The Defensive Throw trick can do this at level 14.
• Increase range by picking up Far Shot. You could also switch your thrown weapon focus to a slashing thrown weapon, pick up SRD:Weapon Specialization in the same weapon, and grab Ranged Weapon Mastery – Slashing (PHB II, p82) for +2 attack, damage, and +20' range increment.
• Increase attack bonus or attacks per round. Crank up that dex with extra attribute points, an inherent bonus, and Gloves of Dexterity.
• Gain more control over throwing to work around allies and obstacles. Improved Precise Shot can do some of this.
• Become more resistant to enemy attacks.
• Find a way to do only fire damage.
• Get freedom of movement to avoid being grappled, and combat acrobat (PHB II) or Lightning Reflexes and prone attack (Complete Warrior) to avoid being tripped or recover quickly from it.

Side Notes

Limitations

DM Counters:

• Dispelling
• Cover and Concealment
• High dex, overcome partially by touch attacks, and then in a few rounds by critting off the ember
• Snatch Arrows, overcome by having lots of extra weapons
• Limitless AOs, overcome by taking Defensive Thow
• Critical Immunity, overcome at 12 by criticaling enough off the ember
• Nonlethal Immunity, overcome by divergence
• No-save surprise spellcasting, other perceive or die situations

Variants

• Stunning Strike could be traded for improved grapple to try to escape grapples more easily
• Fighter or Psychic Warrior levels can be used instead of monk levels
• There are other possible orders to take the first few classes and feats in, including taking warblade later to get better abilities but fewer hitpoints.

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