Scimerang Slinger (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

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

References

• Tome of Battle (Swordsage 15, Warblade 20, Bloodstorm Blade 100, Aptitude 148)
• Complete Warrior (Master Thrower 58, Roundabout Kick 105, Lightning Mace 113)
• Champions of Ruin (Chakram Ricochet 17)
• Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (Chakram 97)
• Player's Guide to Faerûn (Favor of Ilmater 102)

Optional References

• Races of Eberron (Boomerang Daze, Boomerang Ricochet 108)
• Eberron Campaign Setting (Boomerangs 120)

Game Rule Components

Feats

Two with One Blow does not mean anything as written, because a Master Thrower can't get the ability to attack two adjacent foes from the Master Thrower class. It can be interpreted to mean she is granted this ability, but a much simpler solution is to insert the words "one of" before "two opponents" in the first sentence to read, "If a master thrower with this ability uses a thrown weapon to attack one of two opponents adjacent to each other,...". There is no known errata or FAQ on this, and this functions in almost exactly the same way as granting the ability, but doesn't completely disregard the structure of how the text was written.

Items

• A progression of +1 aptitude and +1 aptitude keen 18-20 one-handed and light weapons like scimitars and kukris
• Wands of Favor of Ilmater (21,000 gp)

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): Str 17, Dex 18, Con 8, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 8 (32 point buy, halfling) or Str 18, Dex 15 (human)

Race (Templates): Strongheart Halfling or Human

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	Power Attack, 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	Roundabout Kick, Combat Reflexes	Evasion
4th	Paladin 1	+3	+7	+3	+3		Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/Day		Dex +1
5th	Swordsage 1	+3	+7	+5	+5	Weapon Focus (Desert Wind)3	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	Point Blank Shot, 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/+1	+10	+6	+6	Precise Shot			Dex +1
9th	Bloodstorm Blade 4	+7/+2	+11	+6	+6	Lightning Mace	Lightning ricochet		Your thrown weapons return instantly. You're barely able to afford a +1 aptitude keen weapon.
10th	Master Thrower 1	+8/+3	+11	+8	+6	Quick Draw		Two with One Blow	Build starts to work, pick up a wand of Favor of Ilmater
11th	Master Thrower 2	+9/+4	+11	+9	+6		Improved evasion
12th	Master Thrower 3	+10/+5	+12	+9	+7	Optional Feat4		Optional thrown weapon trick	Dex +1
13th	Master Thrower 4	+11/+6/+1	+12	+10	+7		Snatch arrows
14th	Master Thrower 5	+12/+7/+2	+12	+10	+7		Critical throw	Weak Spot	Hit on touch attacks, no longer need keen weapons
15th	Bloodstorm Blade 55	+13/+8/+3	+12	+10	+7	Optional Feat4	Blood wind ricochet
16th	Bloodstorm Blade 6	+14/+9/+4	+13	+11	+8	Optional Fighter Feat4			Dex +1
17th	Bloodstorm Blade 7	+15/+10/+5	+13	+11	+8		Eye of the storm
18th	Bloodstorm Blade 8	+16/+11/+6/+1	+14	+11	+8	Optional Feat4	Blood rain
19th	Bloodstorm Blade 9	+17/+12/+7/+2	+14	+12	+9	Optional Fighter Feat4
20th	Bloodstorm Blade 10	+18/+13/+8/+3	+15	+12	+9		Blade storm		Dex +1. 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. 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 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

Level 1

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 an extra d6 of damage.

Level 7

Throw your aptitude weapon if you have one and two foes are adjacent. If the initial attack hits 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. You can use Steely Strike to get +4 to attack at the expense of essentially -4 AC. If you happen to critical, and have an extra weapon around, you can throw it too.

Level 9

Same as level 7, but you get extra attacks off of threats as well as confirmed criticals and your threat range is doubled from a shiny new keen weapon.

Level 10+

With Two with One Blow, you can make a thrown attack against two adjacent foes at -4 when you would have attacked one. Favor of Ilmater makes you or an ally immune to nonlethal damage for seven minutes. At the beginning of each fight, cast Favor on yourself or on an ally that will be adjacent to opponents on your turn. If necessary, position yourself next to an enemy. Choose to do nonlethal damage with improved unarmed strike and throw your weapon with Two with One Blow at both the enemy and your Favored ally. For each target you hit with Two with One Blow, you get a Chakram Ricochet at -2 against another target within 5'. For each threat made and for each confirmed critical you get to start over with another original Two with One Blow attack at the same bonus. You can hit your opponent and your Favored ally up to two times per attack if you hit consistently. Your ally should be hit virtually every time either by being a willing target, having a deliberately low AC, having a low touch AC combined with Weak Spot (requires level 14), or by being denied any dexterity bonus to AC. Your threats and criticals off of your nonlethal immune ally are frequently enough to diverge, averaging an infinite number of attacks and an infinite bonus to attack and damage from Blood in the Water.

Level 10 Combo Performance vs Critical Immune Foe

Average Performance
Attack - AC	-18-	-17	-16	-15	-14	-13	-12	-11	-10	-9	-8	-7	-6	-5	-4	-3	-2	-1	0	1	2+
Attacks Returned	0.61	0.61	0.61	0.64	0.67	0.70	0.73	0.76	0.79	0.82	0.85	0.88	0.91	0.94	0.97	0.99	1.02	1.05	1.08	1.11	1.14
Enemy Hits / Attack	0.10	0.14	0.19	0.29	0.39	0.48	0.58	0.68	0.78	0.88	0.97	1.07	1.17	1.26	1.36	1.46	1.56	1.66	1.75	1.80	1.85
Hits / Original Attack1	2.59	2.59	2.59	2.81	3.06	3.36	3.72	4.18	4.76	5.52	6.59	8.16	10.72	15.63	28.78	181.82	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞
Performance Quantiles, Enemy Hits / Original Attack2
10%	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	2
20%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2
30%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2
40%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2
50%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
60%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	3	3	4	5	6	6	6
70%	1	1	1	1	2	2	1	1	2	2	3	3	4	5	6	6	9	10	11	13	16
80%	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	4	5	6	8	10	13	16	21	32	35	47	60	79
90%	2	2	2	2	3	4	7	11	15	26	37	86	207	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+
This does not include the bonuses gained from Blood in the Water. When they are included the average hits per original attack becomes ∞ regardless of attack advantage due to the extremely small chance of earning enough advantage from Blood in the Water to reach a state with divergent average behaviour. From a rollout of 10,000 attack sequences

Level 10 Combo Performance vs Critical Vulnerable Foe

Average Performance
Attack - AC	-18-	-17	-16	-15	-14	-13	-12	-11	-10	-9	-8	-7	-6	-5	-4	-3	-2	-1	0	1	2+
Attacks Returned	0.66	0.72	0.78	0.87	0.97	1.07	1.12	1.16	1.20	1.25	1.29	1.33	1.38	1.42	1.46	1.51	1.55	1.59	1.64	1.67	1.70
Enemy Hits / Attack	0.10	0.14	0.19	0.29	0.39	0.48	0.58	0.68	0.78	0.88	0.97	1.07	1.17	1.26	1.36	1.46	1.56	1.66	1.75	1.80	1.85
Hits / Original Attack1	2.98	3.56	4.51	7.78	32.92	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞	∞
Performance Quantiles, Enemy Hits / Original Attack2
10%	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	2
20%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2
30%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	2
40%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	4	5	6
50%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	3	4	5	7	17	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+
60%	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	4	5	9	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+
70%	1	2	1	1	1	2	4	10	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+
80%	2	2	2	2	3	12	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+
90%	2	2	2	5	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+
This does not include the bonuses gained from Blood in the Water. When they are included the average hits per original attack becomes ∞ regardless of attack advantage due to the extremely small chance of earning enough advantage from Blood in the Water to reach a state with divergent average behaviour. From a rollout of 10,000 attack sequences

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

• Get Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Boomerang) and Boomerang Ricochet to get in more chances to threat and crit
• Stop provoking AOs when attacking. The Defensive Throw trick can do this at level 12.
• 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 attack bonus or attacks per round. Crank up that dex with extra attribute points, an inherent bonus, and Gloves of Dexterity.
• Pick up Boomerang Daze or other similar feats that let you add other effects to your attacks.
• Get Power Critical for more critical confirmations
• Become more resistant to enemy attacks.
• 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.
• Use Martial Strike to grab some extra mid-level power from any discipline.
• If using Favor of Ilmater on an ally, 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.
• Gain more control over throwing to work around allies and obstacles. Improved Precise Shot can do some of this.

Side Notes

Limitations

DM Counters:

• Dispelling
• Cover and Concealment
• Antimagic Field
• 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
• Not having foes adjacent to each other greatly reduces the power of this build

Variants

• Stunning Strike could be traded for improved grapple to try to escape grapples more easily
• Fighter levels can be used instead of monk levels. You lose Stunning Fist, Evasion, and 3 reflex and will saves and gain BAB +1.
• 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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