I have a friend who I'm DMing for, who has become very taken with the idea of living steel as a material.
His first character had a living steel tower shield and he was spec'd into shield bashing (Before I get comments stating that's an impossible combo, YEAH, we all just found out. Big bummer, I felt bad, he felt worse) and his second try is for a TWF with a living steel katana and wakizashi.
So, how can I help him optimize his character around that material?
He's been keeping to a Strix fighter, and his (second) character concept seems to be a TWF. The party is 3rd level.
There really isn't any way to "optimize" living steel weapons because they're practically steel except for the fact that they can repair themselves. If he had living steel armor, that'd be a different story.
I randomly refresh the page just a minute after your post. 0-0 woah
I don't mind tips for optimizing living steel armor. I'm looking for tips in general.
Aren't there several feats in Ultimate combat that let you intentionally break your gear for benefits?
Three total and two wouldn't apply to your friend. Disposable Weapon, which allows you to break a fragile weapon to confirm a crit, and Splintering Weapon, which lets you break a fragile weapon made of a primitive material to inflict bleed. The other one is Fortified Armor Training, which lets you negate a crit by breaking your armor or shield.
There's also Quillbreaker Defense, which lets you reduce the damage you take on an attack by 5 if you break your armor spikes, or 10 if the spikes are masterwork.
Hmm... the fact that they have to be Fragile is irksome. Do we know of some roundabout way to force a weapon to have the fragile quality?
There's a list of weapons that are automatically fragile, but most of them are primitive weapons. Won't help your friend if he's adamant about katana and wakizashi.
Mmm, and he probably is. I am stumped. Thanks for your help Ashram, I appreciate it.
Might have to brain storm some ideas make up some stuff if your comfortable with home brewed material ill put some thought into it.
I'll probs home brew something myself. to tired tonight though. helps always appreciated.
What about Weapon Sacrifice, as a Fighter Advanced Weapon Training option?
A character in my present campaign uses it (with a katana, coincidentally), but only in really desperate moments, as the fact that it breaks her primary weapon is a major downside. The fact that living steel repairs itself may mitigate that issue somewhat (though the rate of repair is certainly quite slow).
Could use the same sort of approach via Armored Sacrifice with living steel armor or shield (as a fighter Advanced Armor Training option).
The abilities work as follows:
Weapon Sacrifice (Ex) When damage would cause the fighter or an adjacent ally to be knocked unconscious or killed, as a swift or immediate action the fighter can instead direct the damage to a weapon from the associated weapon group that he is wielding. The original target takes no damage, but the weapon receives only half its normal hardness. The fighter can use this option a number of times per day equal to the fighter's weapon training bonus with the associated weapon group. He cannot use this option with unarmed attacks.
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Armored Sacrifice (Ex): When damage would cause the fighter or an adjacent ally to be knocked unconscious or killed, the fighter can instead direct the damage to a suit of armor that he is wearing or a shield he is using as an immediate action. The original target takes no damage, but the armor or shield is treated as if it had only half its normal hardness. The fighter can use this option once per day, plus one additional time each day at 11th level and every 8 fighter levels thereafter, to a maximum of three times per day at 19th level.
Also remember that if you are sad about the tower shield not working, and you're the GM... you can just house rule that the tower shield idea works. You have the power.