My group is getting ready to run an evil campaign. I'm not really used to playing evil characters and don't really know what or how to build what I want (curse of indecision).
I think i've settled on an evil druid, and in my searches for assistance building a necromancer druid I found a thread about a druid/soul eater, so I did some research, and decided I'd like to try that PrC out.
First, I'd like opinions as to what classes I should use to build a soul eater, advice for utilization of their tool kit (they don't appear overly powerful and so I don't feel guilty trying to optimize them into being effective.). Which patron should I choose?
I was playing with druid 9, ranger 1, soul eater 10. As I haven't settled on anything, fluff advice is appreciated.
Can soul drain ability be used with conductive weapons? And is there any wayto get that quality while wildshaped?
To your last question: What if you had a Conductive Amulet of Mighty Fists? I think that would work, but I don't know for sure.
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Conductive does work with the Soul Drain ability, but there is an errata that sets the precedent for you not getting the Conductive effect for every natural attack if you put it on an AoMF.
If your DM decides that Conductive does not apply to every attack on an AoMF, then Wildshape suddenly has much less synergy with Soul Drain. If you were attached to Druid it could still work but it would be less than ideal. This may not be exactly what you are looking for, but here are a few concepts I thought of that would be interesting with Soul Drinker.
1. One idea I tossed around was going with Ranger TWFer and then Soul Eater 6 so that you could work to maximize the number of negative levels per round while still having a decent BAB. I was thinking use two double weapons with the Conductive on all four ends andCalled on one end of each. That way you could get in two Conductive hits with 1 weapon, free action drop it, swift call the one with unused Conductive for the round, and continue your attack rotation for a maximum of four Soul Drains in one round... that's expensive but you could take craft feats (and a race with a SLA to qualify for the CL) to enchant them yourself.
2. A "bad touch" caster with a Conductive gauntlet could also be interesting; all of your touch attacks would get Soul Drain as a rider.
3. Hexcrafter Magus with Hex Strike. Have a Conductive 18-20 crit range weapon for Spell Strike and a Conductive AoMF. Unarmed strike (1d4+str+ apply Hex Strike Hex + Soul Drain) as your first attack in Spell Combat and then Spell Strike with Scimitar for your normal Shocking Grasp + Soul Drain.
For Patron I think Charon gives the best rewards overall; immunity to Str and Con penalties, Vampiric Touch (also can be used through Conductive because its an SLA), and some badass self healing if you decide to go to 10.
While the druid can use the soul drain once through AoMF, they aren't really going to utilize it to the full extend. Using weapons rather than natural weapons grants you more eligable attacks and a higher crit range.
I think Chaoseffect's dual double weapon idea is interesting. Yet, you are probably getting somewhat the same outcome of going two 18-20 crit weapons.
For patrons, Charon is indeed nice. If you expect to play in the high levels for a while, then I think Szuriel is nice as well. The greater magic weapon, including different special abilities to choose from, is really nice for someone using more than one weapon.
Chaos mentions a "bad touch" caster, assuming we aren't going druids due to AoMF constraint, what caster would synergize well?
And wouldn't hexcrafter take a major hit on its hexes if we multiclassed? I do, however, like the idea of a scimitar wielder. Possibly weapon finesse and dervish dance, but does magus still meet requirement of empty off hand for dervish dance?
Class suggestions:
Cleric or Oracle: They've got some great buff spells and wears armor to make them efficient in melee.
The nature oracle could set the flavour in line with the druid idea.
Ranger: You can make an efficient TWF'er, utilizing those negative levels. Your spell casting is going to be virtually none though, so it does seem what you are looking for.
I think Chaoseffect's dual double weapon idea is interesting. Yet, you are probably getting somewhat the same outcome of going two 18-20 crit weapons.
I originally thought high crit weapon would be the way to go too, but after asking on the boards I don't think you can crit with Soul Drain through Conductive because you declare you are using Conductive after the roll.
As for Magus, I forgot about Hex scaling. That is a pretty big issue. Besides that if you're using your fist in one hand and a scimitar and the other that still means you have an empty hand. For going "bad touch" I'm not sure. That was never really a path that seemed great to me as a straight caster (I think neg levels on top of whatever would be cool though), but it is one that I've heard brought up fairly regularly. The usual suspect there seemed to be Cleric, perhaps because of the Inflict line of spells.
Just did a smidge of research, according to srd, conductive : This weapon special ability can only be used once per round,and only works with magical abilities of the same type as the weapon (melee or ranged).
Does this mean that regardless of build, you can only get 1 drain soul off a round? If so, then I suppose just a high crit range weapon is really the only concern now. :P please say i'm wrong.
Conductive is once per round per weapon with the property (or just once per round depending on GM if on AoMF). That's why I came up the convoluted two double weapon concept in the first place to try to get the most Conductive hits as possible in a round (short of having a ton of +1 Conductive weapons that you Quick Draw and then drop). Also I don't think the ability you use through Conductive can crit if you use it through Conductive because you are activating it after the roll has already happened, so a high crit range on a weapon wouldn't help for maximizing negative levels.
Alright, so original idea:
1 Druid (Blight Druid archetype) Undead subdomain (shade of the woodlands)
2 Ranger Favored Enemy: Human
3-5 Druid (x+Natural Spell)
6-10 Souleater:
7 Planar Wild Shape
9 Shaping Focus
11-12 Druid
11 Shapeshifting Hunter
13-18 Souleater
13 Powerful Shape
19-20 Druid
BUT, now i'm debating between witch, magus and oracle..
If I go hexblade Magus, how would accused critical do, on top of soul drain and a spellstrike? I may go Bastard sword, falcata, or scimitar.
Alas, I think I am just going to build either a bladebound kensei fiendflayer tiefling magus just so I can list off all my archetypes, or a hexcrafter bladebound magus.
As I play with souleater more and more, it seems less and less appealing, it has 1/2 BAB but melee abilities, which... As a witch could be applied with hair. I could have Dread Locks of Dread? =P
Hit to spellcasting and their abilities (as you mentioned Soul) make it almost not worth it.
Two weapon fighting fighter who takes level in SD just to get the level drain. You're still durable, and your BAB won't be terrible.
All other features will suck. Haha, but at least your Cacaodaemon can give you Fast Healing 2 for a few rounds?