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Imagine a 2' tall, 30 pound frog scaling the walls and gliding from rooftop to rooftop in the middle of the night. Not unlike Batman, but a frog.
Now, he scampers down the wall, 10-15' above his unsuspecting prey. With a flick of his tongue, the target drops... paralyzed. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, he climbs down the wall, and proceeds to drain the victim of its blood...
This all started with me reading the Vampire Template and it saying a swim speed removes one of the weaknesses. I thought, hey Grippli get a swim speed as their FCB for Ranger.
Grippli Vampire Ranger CR ~21?
Dandy Ranger 15/
Agent of the Grave 5/
VMC Sorcerer
Grippli
30' base speed, 20' climb speed
(15' swim speed @ 8)
... Jumper replaces Camouflage;
...... always considered to have a running start to jump
... Glider replaces Swamp Stride;
...... half vertical distance fallen to horizontal movement
1. Favored Nation
... +2
1. Rumor Empathy
1. Track
1(VMC): Bloodline
... Arcane
1(level): Weapon Finesse
1(FCB): +1 Swim
2(class): Aspect of the Beast
... Claws 1D3
2(FCB): +2 Swim
3. Favored Terrain
... Urban +2
3(VMC): Bloodline Power
... Arcane Bond
3(class): Endurance
3(FCB): +3 Swim
4. Stat Bump: Dex +1 (18)
4. Hobnob
4. Dandy Spells
4(FCB): +4 Swim
5. Favored Nation
... +4
... +2
5(level): Fiendish Obedience (Kabriri)
5(FCB): +5 Swim
6(class): Weapon Focus Claws
6(FCB): +6 Swim
7. Party Crasher
7(VMC): Bloodline Power
... Metamagic Adept
7(FCB): +7 Swim
8. Stat Bump: Cha +1 (17)
8. Favored Terrain
... Urban +4
8. Swift Tracker
8(FCB): +8 Swim, 15' swim speed
9. Evasion
9(level): Diverse Obedience
9(FCB): +1 HP
10. Favored Nation
... +6
... +4
... +2
10(class): Rending Claws 1D6
10(1st Evangelist boon): Shadow of Death
... Chill Touch 3/day, or
... Gentle Repose 2/day, or
... Assume Appearance 1/day
10(FCB): +2 HP
11. Quarry
11(VMC): Bloodline Feat
... Still Spell
11(FCB): +3 HP
12. Stat Bump: Cha +1 (18)
12. Camouflage
12(FCB): +4 HP
13. Favored Terrain
... Urban +6
13(level): Silent Spell
13(FCB): +5 HP
14(class): Improved Natural Attack
... Claws 1D4
14(2nd Sentinel boon): Ghoulish Hungers
... Bite 1D4 + Filth Fever
(DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha)
14(FCB): +6 HP
15. Favored Nation
... +8
... +6
... +4
... +2
15(VMC): Bloodline Power
... New Arcana
...... 2nd-level; Ghoul Touch
...... 4th-level; Animate Dead
...... 4th-level (@17):
15(FCB): +7 HP
Agent of the Grave
16. Stat Bump: Cha +1 (19)
16. Inspired Necromancy
16. Lich's Touch (5D6, 3+Cha/day)
16. Unholy Fortitude
17. Undead Manipulator
17(level): Agile Tongue
18. Negative Energy Conduit
18(3rd Evangelist boon): Lore of the Countless Dead
... Once per day as a standard action, you can cast any spell of 7th level or lower, as if using wish to cast another spell. This is the equivalent of a 9th-level spell, and any DCs and other effects are calculated as a 9th-level spell, regardless of the spell’s normal level.
19. Death's Shroud
19. Negative Energy Affinity
19(VMC): Bloodline Power
... School Power +2 (Necromancy)
20. Stat Bump: Cha +1 (20)
20. Secrets of Death
... 1st-level; Chill Touch
... 3rd-level; Vampiric Touch
20. Undeath Initiate
20(VMC): Bloodline Power
... Arcane Apothesis
At 20:
BAB +17
Base Saves +12/+11/+8
Base HP 15D10 + 5D8 + 7(FCB) = 112
Bard Spells (Medium's spell progression) :
CL 16, 4th level spells
4th-level; 5 known, 2+2/day
3rd-level; 6 known, 3+2/day
2nd-level; 6 known, 3+3/day
1st-level; 6 known, 4+3/day
0-level; 6 known, at will
Feats:
Agile Tongue, Alertness*, Aspect of the Beast, Combat Reflexes*, Diverse Obedience, Dodge*, Endurance, Fiendish Obedience, Improved Initiative*, Improved Natural Attack, Lightning Reflexes*, Rending Claws, Silent Spell, Still Spell, Toughness*, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus
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A few problems:
1. SHOW STOPPER:
New Arcana does not allow you to use a spell that isn't on your spell list; and Mediums do not have animate dead on their list. This means that you aren't qualifying for your prestige class.
New Spells Known: If I gain the ability to add a spell that is not on my spell list to my list of spells known, without adding it to my spell list, can I cast it?
No. Adding a spell to your list of spells known does not add it to the spell list of that class unless they are added by a class feature of that same class. For example, sorcerers add their bloodline spells to their sorcerer spell list and oracles add their mystery spells to their oracle spell list. The spell slots of a class can only be used to cast spells that appear on the spell list of that class.
2. Slight error: You don't get arcane apotheosis; VMC doesn't give the sub-class's capstone, just the five features listed.
I could also wax pedantic about Diverse Obedience requiring Deific Obedience (but not allowing the requirement of other Obedience feats), but Damned Disciple is an alternate route into the build. (It just wouldn't accelerate your boons.)
----
Potential fixes, from Obediences that actually give animate dead SLAs and therefore no problem with qualifying for your PrC:
Fiendish / demonic obedience (Orcus) has 1x/day animate dead SLA as an Evangelist first boon. (You can also get Power Word Kill this way - and it counts as a necromancy (death) spell, not an enchantment (mind-affecting compulsion).)
Deific obedience (Urgathoa) causes no pedantic problem for Diverse Obedience, and gives you 1x/day animate dead SLA as an Exalted first boon.
Both of these are particularly thematic for a vampire character seeking to become an agent of the Whispering Way.
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New Arcana says to specifically add Sorcerer/Wizard spells... Dandy Rangers cast Bard Spells at a Medium's spell progression. And I get to add Sorcerer/Wizard to this list... like Animate Dead.
Also, Arcane Apothesis replaces Metamagic Adept, and you treat your total character level as your Sorcerer level for your VMC Bloodline Powers... thus level 20 character means you are a level 20 Sorcerer for the purpose of Metamagic Adept/Arcane Apothesis. Yay! Fun with VMC...
But yes, Diverse Obedience with Fiendish Obedience probably doesn't work. But it's an NPC, and I was going for a specific flavor... I want Evangelist and Sentinel boons, which is not an option with Damned Disciple or Damned Soldier... so I said screw it and gave him Diverse Obedience, and quit beating myself up over it.
It's a frog vampire that is also a Ranger Necromancer. It's hilarious.
As for switching deities... no way. Having a 1/day 7th level spell of my choice, as a Ranger!!!
Vampires have a Slam attack. No bite. None bites? Neither do Grippli, but I got him a Bite the has filth fever and negative levels, Claws with Rend, and a tongue that can deliver Ghoul Touch/Lich's Touch/Vampiric Touch from 15' away.
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New Arcana says to specifically add Sorcerer/Wizard spells... Dandy Rangers cast Bard Spells at a Medium's spell progression. And I get to add Sorcerer/Wizard to this list... like Animate Dead.
I'll admit being wrong as to which spells a Dandy gets to cast - but this is where I point out that bards don't have Animate Dead either. As such, New Arcana still doesn't work, per this FAQ:
Also, Arcane Apothesis replaces Metamagic Adept, and you treat your total character level as your Sorcerer level for your VMC Bloodline Powers... thus level 20 character means you are a level 20 Sorcerer for the purpose of Metamagic Adept/Arcane Apothesis. Yay! Fun with VMC...
So then, a semi-related question:
If a non-arcane sorcerer trades their capstone for Unique Bloodline (arcane), would they suddenly have Arcane Apotheosis? Unique Bloodline replaces your capstone with the arcana, 1, 3, and 9 powers of another bloodline, with the powers operating at 20th - so it runs into the same question as with Eldritch Heritage and VMC.
But yes, Diverse Obedience with Fiendish Obedience probably doesn't work. But it's an NPC, and I was going for a specific flavor... I want Evangelist and Sentinel boons, which is not an option with Damned Disciple or Damned Soldier... so I said screw it and gave him Diverse Obedience, and quit beating myself up over it.
Yeah, the Damned feats split them. And yeah, if it's an NPC, you can just house-rule that all Obedience feats (deific, fey, fiendish, demonic, etc) can be used to qualify for Diverse, so that gets around that one nicely :D
It's a frog vampire that is also a Ranger Necromancer. It's hilarious.
That part, I absolutely love. (: