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Shang Tsung Build?

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Had a TPK during last session, so working on some new characters. Wanted some advice on a build for a friends character. He said he wanted to play Shang Tsung. He is looking for something more mage-y, rather than kungfu-y; specifically something kind of blasty. If we could also fit in some minor shapechanging (maybe just disguise self or alter self) and some soul stealing, that would help round out the character. Actual kungfu-ness is not needed, but is a plus.

Thoughts or ideas?

import the shifter race from eberron and monk 1-3 lvl plus arcanist 4-20 lvl or gestalt monk/arcanist

I might head for Empyreal Sorceror/Monk, or possibly Ninja/any kind of sorcerer.

Remember, most of the kung-fu you need will come from skills, plus one feat (Imp. Unarmed Strike). So, you're pretty much a primary caster with a one-level dip in either ninja or monk for cool factor.

There's plenty of advice already for blasty sorcerer, so just take a look over there for ideas.

And use your sorcerer skill points to keep up with Acrobatics.
Scarab Sages

An Eldritch Scrapper Sorcerer seems like a good fit.

If I can get our DM to approve it, how good does this prestige class look?

Souleater

Dot.

Souleater, if you can get the DM to approve it, is a VERY fun prestige class. Used it on one of my witch characters along with the 'cook people' hex. By the end of the adventure, I had tribal types either worshiping me as a new god, or running in fear when my name was mentioned.

Hungry Ghost Monk might be an appropriate archetype.

Hungry Ghost with Qinggong for scorching Ray and dragon Breath, later cold ice strike.

Really no need for sorcerer perse. You could also do Magus and grab Improved UIS.

I have also considered an unarmed Eldritch Knight build.
Scarab Sages
Rambear wrote:

Hungry Ghost with Qinggong for scorching Ray and dragon Breath, later cold ice strike.

Don't forget Blood Crow Strike. It's a flurry at 200 ft.

Yet that does nothing for stealing the soul. Though one could easily fluff it that way.

Hungry Ghost get ki leech, seems to fit the soul sucking trope pretty well.

Sure, it is life energy not actual souls, but it comes darn close fluff-wise.

Yeah, the Hungry Ghost Qinggong seemed like a good way to do it if I wanted a martial artist who throws fireballs, but the player currently seems more interested in a caster who can throw a punch. Also, Souleater seems like a waste for a non-caster (which suprisingly enough would still qualify for it). Sadly, a Monk can't go into Souleater due to alignment issues, though I think there is a variant or an archetype that I'm forgetting that removes the alignment issue. Though then Hungry Ghost might not be an option.

What would really help this build is some sort of hybrid class or maybe prestige class that combines Monk with a spellcaster.

Another option I thought of was Druid. They even have the Thousand Faces ability which would cover the shapeshifting, though that isn't until 13th.

Some of the Sorcerer Bloodlines include Alter Self as one of the abilities for a few minutes a day, which would work for the shapeshifting aspect. I think just taking IUS is enough for the martial artist side of the character, since that seems like the least important aspect to the player.
Scarab Sages

If you go druid, Nature Fang works best. They get rid of wild shape in exchange for Slayer Talents, which you can use for the Irori Faithful combat style to give you free Monastic Legacy for improved unarmed strike damage. They still keep a thousand faces, and they also get studied target

Of course, the Irori Faithful combat locks out Soul eater too. You really don't want to multiclass Druid though, your class abilities are better than anything you get from a PrC, and you don't want to lose caster level.

Unarmed fighter archetype 2/sorcerer 4 (or Wizard 3)/Souleater X/Eldritch Knight 4/5.

You'd end with decent CL (14), buckets of fluff and decent BAB (13). Could drop unarmed fighter/EK but I remain a sucker for gish-builds.

Alternatively, Eldritch Scrapper looks fun and could fit.

Ok. Ran everything by the player, and I think I'm closer to a decision. He definitely wants a magey, blaster character. He likes the idea of the Souleater prestige class, so I'm running that by the GM, and awaiting a response.

For base class, I'm considering either Arcanist or Sorcerer. If I go Arcanist, I'm looking at the Emberkin Aasimar, for the +2 Int, +2 Cha, and will likely go Blood Arcanist, to get one of the bloodlines with the Alter Self at 3rd level. One thing to keep in mind is that, if I get approval for Souleater, I won't get any other benefits from the base class other than spells, so, with that in mind, which base class is recommended to combine with Soul Eater, and which is suggested if not going with Soul Eater? Other caster classes are also acceptable; the blastier, the better.

These are plenty blasty builds on the forums, surely you could find one to suit your needs.

I'd drop Aasimar though, except for the stats it does not fit the fluff at all. Like, why even Aasimar? Dual Talented human might be better If you really need bonusses to two stats.

I'm thinking Human Sorcerer 5/Souleater 10 (then more Sorcerer if the campaign goes that far). The character will be level 5 to start, so just Sorcerer 5 for now.

For bloodlines, I want Oni as one, for the Alter Self at level 3, and am considering doing Cross-Blooded for a damage enhancing one since this will be a blaster. Am thinking Orc, since it's a flat bonus, rather than an elemental specific one.

Human feat will be Improved Unarmed Strike, which will likely be the extent of his "monkness". Feats beyond that will likely be Metamagic feats, since metamagic is so crucial to an effective blaster.

Magical Lineage looks like a good trait. Isn't there another one that is similar, that stacks?

For equipment, will look into some rods mainly and then look into other things after that.

Anything else that I'm missing?

Stacking magical lineage with Wayang Spellhunter would work. However, Souleater lose Caster levels, which to me means you should get Magical Knack.

Decide on which blast to focus, fireballs make sense from optimisation standpoint.

Daze, Quicken, Intensify, Empower, Maximize are all worth considering, as are spell specialisation, spell focus, penetration and perfection. Rods are your friends though.

Darn, losing casterlevels reallllly sucks!

Still, shame about the loss of martial arts. Consider at least grabbing transformation and some other cool martial effect spells, Shang Tsung was soooooo much more than Just a puny caster!

Yeah, but the player was looking more for a caster-type inspired by shang tsung, so this won't be a pure Shang Tsung clone build

McDaygo13 casts raise the dead!

To bring this back; how would you build an accurate Shang Tsung for a enemy vs. a PC. Ghost Monk, Spells, shapeshifting (humanoids only), stealing souls. Only rule no gesault.
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