I'm making a concept character who is extremely stealthy, acrobatic, and uses a "spiked aspergillum" on the end of a chain that I would swing around similar to a flying blade or a rope dart(think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLCQA197rwc&t=36s). I developed a custom weapon for this guy with 12 design points. I plan on being a bit of a chemist for a hobby/profession, and I would place alchemist's fire, holy water, or acid in my "aspergillum" and start forcefully negotiating with my enemies :)
Design Points:
3dp: weapon finesse
3dp: 19/20 crit range
3dp: x3 multiplier
-1dp: fragile
4dp: 2d4 dmg
I want to extremely stealthy, and when I show up I sneak attack some poor fool and become a whirlwind of death and destruction, so that's why I'm taking cleave all the way up to Imp Cleaving Finish. I plan on getting some boots of haste and using Lightning Feint to Swift-action Feint and get lots of Sneak Attacks on single targets.
Lvl1 Weapon Finesse Human Bonus feat: Skill Focus: Stealth
Lvl2 Ranger Combat Style: Cleave
Lvl3 Piranha Strike
Lvl4 Rogue Talent: Fast Stealth
Lvl5 Cleaving Finish
Lvl6 Ranger Combat Style: Great Cleave & FCB1/6 Defensive Study
Lvl7 Combat Expertise (Feat-Tax for Imp Feint)
Lvl8 Canny Feint (Improved Feint)
Lvl9 Greater Feint
Lvl10 Lightning Feint
Lvl11 Improved Cleaving Finish
Lvl12 Twist the Knife & FCB1/6 Feat: Weapon Focus: Flying Spiked Aspergillum
Lvl13 Critical Focus
Lvl14 Hunter's Surprise
Lvl15 Blinding Critical
Lvl16 Rogue Talents: Evasion
Lvl17 Hellcat Stealth
Lvl18 Opportunist & FCB1/6 Assassinate
Lvl19 Hellcat Pounce
Lvl20
I'm also doing Dangerously Curious and Reactionary Traits. I want to have UMD for wands (Cat's Grace, Invisibility, etc.)
Is there anything I'm forgetting or should be doing differently? Different Feats? Items that would help this build/concept?
1. Are you getting dex to damage with this build?
2. Is your custom weapon light, one handed or two handed?
3. Based on your title it sounds like you are planning on wielding 2 handed, if at all possible get to 13 str and get power attack instead of piranha strike assuming the weapon is one handed or two handed as you will get a greater benefit and piranha strike is only for light weapons.
1. Are you getting dex to damage with this build?
Yes, I'll be getting an Agile Enchant asap.
2. Is your custom weapon light, one handed or two handed?
It's Two-handed
3. Based on your title it sounds like you are planning on wielding 2 handed, if at all possible get to 13 str and get power attack instead of piranha strike assuming the weapon is one handed or two handed as you will get a greater benefit and piranha strike is only for light weapons.
My DM is allowing me to use Piranha Strike with this weapon because it's such a dexterous weapon and it slightly resembles a spiked chain. I know Power Attack would be better because of the extra 50% dmg... so I might change that up a bit. I don't want to sacrifice starting the game with a 20 dex though.
I'm using a 25 PB, 10 str, 20 dex (+2), 12 con, 14 int, 10 wis, 11 Cha (for Fey Magic trait in place of human Skilled trait)
It seems as if you've made some mistakes when designing your weapon. your weapon is currently at 14 Design Points, not 12.
The number of Design Points a weapon receives is determined by whether it is simple (4 DP), martial (5 DP), or exotic (6 DP).
and the base number of Design Points of two-handed weapons increases by 3.
Increase the weapon’s available Design Points by 1 and its gp price by 15. This quality can be selected twice for one-handed weapons and ranged weapons, or three times for two-handed weapons.
12 Design Points.
Finesse (3 DP): The weapon can be used with Weapon Finesse as if it were a light weapon. Only one-handed and exotic melee weapons can have this quality.
9 Design Points left.
Fragile (–1 DP): The weapon gains the fragile special weapon feature.
10 Design Points left.
Improved Critical Threat Range (Varies): Increase the weapon’s critical threat range by 1. This quality can be selected twice. It costs 3 DP the first time it is selected and 7 DP the second.
19-20/x2 crit range.
7 Design Points left.
Improved Critical Multiplier (Varies): Increase the weapon’s critical multiplier by 1. This quality can be selected twice. It costs 3 DP the first time it is selected, and 6 DP the second time. It can be selected only once if the weapon has the improved critical threat range quality, in which case the Design Point cost is doubled.
19-20/x3 crit range.
1 Design Point left.
Improved Damage (1 DP): Increase the weapon’s damage dice by one step (1d3 to 1d4, 1d4 to 1d6, 1d6 to 1d8 or 2d4, 1d8 to 1d10, or 1d10 to 2d6 or 1d12). This quality can be selected three times for light weapons, four times for one-handed weapons and ranged weapons, and five times for two-handed weapons. Among weapons sized for Medium characters, the maximum damage is 1d6 for light weapons, 1d8 for one-handed weapons (1d10 if exotic), 1d12 or 2d6 for two-handed weapons, and 1d10 for ranged weapons (1d6 if used or thrown one-handed).
1d3->1d4, 1d4->1d6, 1d6->2d4 (3 dp)
-2 Design Points left.
Instead of taking the Improved Critical Multiplier Quality (which costs you 6 DP), you could pick up the Reach Quality (1 DP), Spring-Loaded (2 DP), and either gain 0.5 more dmg on average (2d4->1d10, 1 DP) or take the Attached quality (1 DP) so you can't get disarmed.
Reach can be very useful since Cleaving Finish only triggers if you drop a target below 0 HP and there's another opponent within reach.
And if you can, I'd consider picking up Blood Reader to easier set up the Cleaving Finish extra attacks.
Good catch, and good call with Cleave/Reach and Blood Reader too. That would be pretty handy. What about this:
Design Points:
3dp: weapon finesse
3dp: 19-20 crit range
-1dp: fragile
5dp: 2d6 dmg
1dp: Reach
1dp: Trip
Actually, reach and trip would be 1 DP and 3 DP, so I'm going to do this instead.
Design Points:
3dp: weapon finesse
3dp: 19-20 crit range
5dp: 2d6 dmg
1dp: Reach
Take 3 levels of UnRogue for 1.5x dex on THF-Finesse-Weapons.
@The Sideromancer
It's probably the first, rather than the latter. It makes no sense to restrict that quality to one-handed exotic weapons when we know that the rapier exists. Basically, what that restriction tells us is that the weapon needs to be exotic if you want a two-handed finesse weapon.
And I'm guessing this character isn't for a society game, since Ryze is making their own weapon. Maybe the GM is giving out Exotic Weapon Proficiency for free? Otherwise, he could always buy the proficiency for 1,500 gp.
Cracked: The stone grants the wearer weapon familiarity with the keyed weapon (it is treated as a martial weapon for him). Price: 1,500 gp.
I ended up changing the whole thing around based on the input here, so thanks all :)
15pt buy - Human Slayer
Str 13
Dex 18 (+2)
Con 12
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 10
Weapon is:
3dp: weapon finesse
3dp: 19-20 crit
3dp: 2d4 dmg
1dp: reach
2dp: spring loaded
My DM is letting me start with Exotic weapon proficiency in my designed weapon. I’m taking Focused Study instead of Skilled (free Skill Focus at 1st, 8th, 16th)
Lvl1 Weapon Finesse, Human Bonus feat: Skill Focus: Stealth
Lvl2 Ranger Combat Style: Cleave
Lvl3 Power Attack
Lvl4 Rogue Talent: Weapon Focus (Flying Spiked Aspergillum)
Lvl5 Cleaving Finish
Lvl6 Ranger Combat Style: Great Cleave & FCB1/6 Defensive Study
Lvl7 Improved Cleaving Finish
Lvl8 Combat Trick: Dazzling Display, Human bonus feat: Skill Focus: Intimidate
Lvl9 Shatter Defenses
Lvl10 Advanced Rogue Feat: Cornugon Smash
Lvl11 Hellcat Stealth
Lvl12 Twist the Knife & FCB1/6 Hellcat Pounce
Lvl13 Critical Focus
Lvl14 Hunter's Surprise
Lvl15 Blinding Critical
Lvl16 Rogue Talents: Evasion, Skill Focus: Perception
Lvl17
Lvl18 Opportunist & FCB1/6 Assassinate
Lvl19
Lvl20
Cleave builds are the ghost stories that GM's tell their kids. And I have a swift action spring loaded weapon so I threaten 5-10ft.
Enchants:
Cruel (+1)
Culling (+2)
Skills:
Intimidate (Max)
Spells/Items: I’m getting Dangerously Curious for UMD so I can use wands and scrolls
Enlarge Person
Invisibility
Cat’s Grace
Scenario example: if I had all this going for me, and lets assume I am large, I threaten 10-15ft, cause 2d6+ xx dmg (large weapon), +2d6dmg (Culling), +Free Intimidate Check + Sicken (If successful Intimidate) for a -4 to Attack/Saves/Skills/Ability Checks and a -2 to Dmg (with Shaken/Sicken combo), and this affects everything I hit. And with Shatter Defenses/Corgunon Smash, I can cause them all to be flat-footed, so I cause Sneak Attack damage to everything too, and at lvl 10 Slayer, that’s 3d6 Sneak Attack.
So, at lvl 10, I would have Great Cleave with Imp Cleaving Finish, Corgunon Smash + Shatter Defenses, and Skill Focus in both Stealth and Intimidate.
With no buffs from Enlarge, Invisibility or Cat's Grace, or any buffs from my party, this is just stock at lvl 10:
Hit: 10BAB, 5dex, -3PA, +1 WeapFocus, +3 Enchantment = +16 to hit (+3 Studied Target)
Dmg: 2d4 +6 PA, +3 PA (2h), +3 Enchantment = 2d4+12 (+3 Studied Target)
AC: 10 + 5dex + 3 Studded Leather (+3 enchantment) + 1 Buckler (+3 Enchantment) = 25 AC (+3 Studied Target)
Stealth: 5dex + 10SkillRanks + 3ClassSkill + 6SkillFocus + 1to4 ChildOfTheMoon Trait = 25-28 Stealth (+3 Studied Target)
Intimidate: 0Cha + 10SkillRanks + 3ClassSkill + 6SkillFocus = 19 Intimidate
At any point in time, I can have up to 3 Studied Targets. I can Study Target as a Swift or a Move Action, or I can Study Target as an Immediate Action if I cause Sneak Attack dmg to a target as well.
Every time I hit + successful Intimidate, it's a -4 Attack/Saves/Skills/Abil Checks & -2 Dmg, and they become Flat-Footed (Shaken/Sicken/ShatterDefenses)
And vs. FF opponents while Cleaving, I cause 2d4+12, +2d6Culling, +3d6 Sneak Attack, and if any of them die, I get a free attack.
2.5x2 + 12 (weap), 3.5x2 (Cull), 3.5x3 (SnA)
So that's 17 + 7 + 9.5 = 32.5 (35.5 dmg vs Studied Targets) average dmg per opponent I can Great Cleave and/or Imp Cleaving Finish per round, within a reach of 5-10ft.
And vs opponents that are not yet Flat-footed, I cause 17 + 7 dmg on average, so 24 average dmg per opponent (27 dmg vs Studied Targets).
The garish downside to a build like this is that my perception and will saves will be severely low. At lvl 10, I would only have a +10 Perception and +3 Will Save. If I get Mind Controlled, that's a TPK.