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 and the attack duplicating abilities of Boomerang Ricochet, Chakram Ricochet and the Master Thrower's two with one blow to do potentially limitless attacks.

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)
• Champions of Ruin (Chakram Ricochet 17)
• Eberron Campaign Setting (Boomerangs 120)
• Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (Chakram 97)

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): Dex 18

Race (Templates): Strongheart Halfling

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, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Chakram)1,2, Chakram Ricochet1	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	Point Blank Shot, Combat Reflexes	Evasion
4th	Fighter 1	+3	+7	+3	+3	Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Any)2,3
5th	Swordsage 1	+3	+7	+5	+5	Weapon Focus (Desert Wind)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 Mace	Lightning ricochet		Your thrown weapons return instantly, build starts to work. You're barely able to afford a +1 aptitude keen weapon.
10th	Master Thrower 1	+8	+11	+8	+6	Quick Draw		Two with One Blow
11th	Master Thrower 2	+9	+11	+9	+6		Improved evasion
12th	Master Thrower 3	+10	+12	+9	+7	Optional Feat5		Optional thrown weapon trick
13th	Master Thrower 4	+11	+12	+10	+7		Snatch arrows
14th	Master Thrower 5	+12	+12	+10	+7		Critical throw	Weak Spot	Hit on touch attacks, no longer need keen weapons
15th	Bloodstorm Blade 5	+13	+12	+10	+7	Optional Feat5	Blood wind ricochet
16th	Bloodstorm Blade 6	+14	+13	+11	+8	Optional Fighter Feat5
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. Desert Wind includes Scimitar, Light Mace, Light Pick, Spear and Falchion 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.

Much of the build is prerequisites; the goals are in bold-face.

Skills

• Balance 8 is required before level 6.
• Slight of Hand 4 (cross class) is required before level 10.

Highlights

Tactics

In levels 1-6 enjoy having no clear plan and convincing your DM and fellow players that this character was a bad idea and that you're crazy. You can leave off Chakram Ricochet till level 3 and mess around with exotic weapons for a while, or two-weapon flurry of blows with flanking bonuses and an extra d6 of damage.

Level 7

Throw you aptitude weapon. Two things happen if the initial attack hits. First it generates a second attack from Chakram Ricochet which can strike any foe within 5' of the original target at -2. This attack gets any extra sneak-attack damage if any. Second, it spawns an extra adjacent attack at -2 from Boomerang Ricochet, this one without sneak-attack damage. If the Boomerang Ricochet hits, it ricochets again from Chakram Ricochet at an additional -2, and hits another foe within 5'. You can throw out your distracting ember to be the target of a ricochet to bounce the second Chakram Ricochet back if necessary. You can use Steely Strike to get +4 to attack at the expense of -4 AC.

Level 9

Lightning Mace, Lightning Ricochet and Keen weapons. Each of your throws or ricochets that hits threatens 6/20ths of the time, generating an extra attack. On rounds with a distracting ember, throw your attack at it with both Boomerang and Chakram ricochets directed at your opponent, with the Chakram Ricochet off the Boomerang Ricochet directed back at the ember. To keep your ember alive to try to do unlimited damage choose to use non-lethal damage first.

Level 10

With Two with One Blow, you can make a thrown attack against two adjacent foes at -4. Toss out an ember and attack it and the enemy next to it. You use only one attack roll, but roll critical confirmations separately. Chakram Ricochet causes a ricochet at -6 within 5' for each one you hit. If you hit either, you get a Boomerang Ricochet (-6) at something adjacent to one you hit. If the Boomerang Ricochet hits, you get another Chakram Ricochet at a total of -8. For each threat made you get to start over with another Two with One Blow attack.

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

• It might be possible to get more attacks out of Two with One Blow and the ricochets. Ricochets, especially Chakram ricochets, might be able to TwOB again; TwOB is badly written.
• Stop provoking AOs when attacking. The Defensive Throw trick can do this at level 14.
• Find a way to deny Dex bonuses to AC. The Sneaky Shot trick can do that, but slight of hand is a cross-class skill for the other classes.
• Increase range by picking up Far Shot. You could also specialize in throwing slashing weapons, pick up Weapon Specialization in a slashing ranged weapon (your scimitar with Throw Anything might qualify), and grab Ranged Weapon Mastery – Slashing (PHB II, p82) for +2 attack, damage, and +20' range increment. Or you could start throwing aptitude rapiers instead using your existing piercing thrown weapon focus in spear.
• 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.
• Pick up Versatile Unarmed Strike (PHB II p85) and permanently change damage type of a weapon between bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing as a swift action.
• Get Roundabout Kick and force your DM to use only critical immune enemies.

Side Notes

Limitations

DM Counters:

• Dispelling
• Cover and Concealment
• Summoned creature counters like Antimagic Field
• Critical Immunity stops Blood in the Water.
• Critical Immunity + Damage Reduction
• High dex defense
• High defense, overcome by Weak spot
• Snatch Arrows, overcome by having lots of extra weapons
• Limitless AOs, overcome by taking Defensive Thow
• 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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