Occult Detective

[blksabbath74]

Okay, I wanted to do a build, primarily for RP purposes, but also wanted some small level of optimization to it.

The idea is an occult detective, along the lines of John Constantine, Harry D'amour, Harry Dresden, and many more fictional characters, with a little Connor MacLeod and David Tennant's Doctor Who thrown in.

I've done two versions thus far, which I will post below, but there are problems with both.

I would like to use Wood Elf, to get -track, but am fuzzy on how their stats work. I am obviously okay with a Dex Tank, but think that Strength Tank is probably the better solution. I will be both soloing and in a party support roll. I am okay with sub-optimal casting, and don't mind going low on DC as I plan to be a scroll caster for both mechanical and RP reasons, and I don't expect to have top tier AB, but would like to optimize it as much as possible.


What I want it to be able to do...ideally...

NEEDS

1) Whirlwind Attack in Improved Expertise Mode
2) Use -Investigate and -Track with some degree of usefulness
3) ESF Transmutation for -Create Portal
4) Access to Arcane Tower scrolls
5) Skills: Discipline, Disable Traps, Open Locks, Lore, Search, Spot or Listen, Spellcraft, Tumble, UMD


WANTS

1) Great Cleave/Overpowering Critical
2) ESF Conjuration for -yoink.
3) Epic Mage Armor
4) Skills: Concentration, Taunt


I'll post my two builds thus far below, so you can see what I've done wrong, or what hasn't worked fully. They are both fundamentally non-casters, which was fine except for the lack of access to Epic Spell Foci. I'm thinking some sort of Fighter/Rogue/Wizard combo currently, but am literally open to anything and wanted to put it out here to get some ideas from the experts.

Thanks in advance.

[blksabbath74]

Arelith Hin Kensai

Halfling, Lawful Neutral
Strength 10
Dexterity 17+2 (26)
Constitution 10
Wisdom 14 +2
Intelligence 16
Charisma 8

1) Fighter 1 – Exotic Weapons, Weapon Focus Katana
2) Fighter 2 – Dodge
3) Fighter 3 – Weapon Finesse
4) Fighter 4 – Weapon Specialization
5) Rogue 1
6) Rogue 2 – Mobility [Evasion]
7) Rogue 3
8) Monk 1 – [Cleave]
9) Monk 2 – Expertise
10) Monk 3
11) Monk 4
12) Monk 5 – Spring Attack [Purity of Body]
13) Monk 6 – [Knockdown, Improved Knockdown]
14) Monk 7
15) Monk 8 – Whirlwind Attack
16) Fighter 5
17) Rogue 4
18) Fighter 6 – Improved Critical, Improved Expertise
19) Fighter 7
20) Fighter 8 – Blind Flight
21) Rogue 5 – Epic Weapon Focus
22) Rogue 6
23) Rogue 7
24) Rogue 8 – Blinding Speed
25) Rogue 9 – [Improved Evasion]
26) Monk 9
27) Rogue 10 – Defensive Roll, Epic Dodge
28) Monk 10
29) Monk 11
30) Monk 12 – Improved Whirlwind Attack

Skill Points – 282
Concentration – 26
Disable Traps – 5
Discipline – 33
Healing – 26
Hide – 33
Listen – 33
Move Silently - 33
Open Locks – 10
Search – 5
Spot - 32
Tumble – 30
UMD – 16

[blksabbath74]

Occult Investigator
Human, Neutral
Strength 16+2 (25)
Dexterity 14
Constitution 12
Wisdom 8
Intelligence 16+2
Charisma 8

1) Rogue 1 – Dodge, Expertise
2) Rogue 2
3) Rogue 3 – Mobility
4) Fighter 1 – Improved Expertise
5) Fighter 2 – Spring Attack
6) Fighter 3 – Whirlwind Attack
7) Fighter 4 – Power Attack
8) Fighter 5
9) Fighter 6 – Cleave, Great Cleave
10) Fighter 7
11) Fighter 8 – Improved Critical
12) Bard 1 – SF Transmutation
13) Bard 2
14) Bard 3
15) Fighter 9 – Weapon Focus
16) Fighter 10 – Weapon Specialization
17) Fighter 11
18) Bard 4 – GSF Transmutation
19) Fighter 12 – Blind Fight
20) Rogue 4
21) Rogue 5 – Overwhelming Critical
22) Rogue 6
23) Rogue 7
24) Rogue 8 – Epic Weapon Focus
25) Rogue 9
26) Rogue 10 – Improved Evasion
27) Rogue 11 – Epic Prowess
28) Rogue 12
29) Rogue 13 – Skill Mastery
30) Bard 5 – ESF Discipline

Skills: 333
Concentration - 33
Disable Traps – 25
Discipline – 33
Heal – 25
Listen - 33
Lore – 21 (30)
Open Locks – 25
Search – 26 (30)
Spellcraft – 33
Taunt – 33
Tumble 30
UMD - 16

[blksabbath74]

The Halfling version had no access to Arcane Tower scrolls, and I rapidly grew tired of the 'cute factor' and being talked down to by many players. Also, no -investigate, and some other minor mechanical problems, but I decided to abandon it.

I am currently playing the human Strength based version, and am reasonably happy with it, to be honest. However, not having access to -track is a constant irritation, roleplay-wise, and if it were possible to get ESF Transmutation, that would be great.

[Baron Saturday]

NEEDS

1) Whirlwind Attack in Improved Expertise Mode
2) Use -Investigate and -Track with some degree of usefulness
3) ESF Transmutation for -Create Portal
4) Access to Arcane Tower scrolls
5) Skills: Discipline, Disable Traps, Open Locks, Lore, Search, Spot or Listen, Spellcraft, Tumble, UMD

You can't have all these things. You can't be a skill monkey with advanced melee feats and epic casting. I can tell you know this, because your proposed builds have maybe half of these.

Personally, I would advise a ranger/fighter/rogue. Ranger 21 gets you -track, Bane of Enemies, and up to GSF Transmutation. Fighter 5 or 6 nets you some bonus feats and EWS. Rogue 3 or 4 gets you your skills.

[Sofawiel]

You absolutely want a variation of some sort on the 21/6/3 ranger fighter bard to get ~most of what you are looking for in effectiveness without some of the specific things listed.

Edit: bard over rogue primarily for access to the tower scrolls if you really want that still

[RedGiant]

Are you sure you don't want to maximize the cute factor of an occult detective?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1roy4o4tqQM

[CosmicOrderV]

If it's an 'occult detective' you may enjoy considering Divination as an alternative, or additional spell foci. Greater Divination offers a lot more additional insights into blood stains and destroyed fixtures. Plus you can see Attunements with basic Divination. Great for detective stuff, especially of the occult variety.

[CosmicOrderV]

Looking through your inspirations more, I might offer a few more suggestions.

Rogue 14 gets you holy water grenades, which are fantastic for fighting undead. Fits the harry dresden / john constantine vibe.

That said, 21+ ranger can help make up for this, by virtue of simply having undead as a FE and the feat, Bane of Enemies.

Ranger also can pickup spell foci as bonus feats, in place of FE's, which is useful if you want things like Divination or Transmutation.

My hot take on this concept is that some combination rogue/ranger/paladin, would be well suited. There are some nice Paladin perks, such as CHA to saves, -detect_evil (which benefits from Divination foci), and Aura of Vitality duration increase (+4 to all physical stat's). Plus you could likely squeeze in some Divine Might, for bonus damage. Tracks from Ranger, and Sneak Attack / Skills from Rogue.

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

Bard/HarperScout(Unpathed) would net you the scroll access and tracking - level 1 harper scouts get it at first level, here. Adding in Champion levels/fighter levels would supplement your feat access, but the charisma synergy is lost and you're only going to have 5 rounds of Divine Wrath.

Not that five rounds isn't useful, but it's probably (it's not) as useful as weapon specialization, either. So I'd consider Fighter/Bard/HarperScout. Say 16/11/3?

My idea is probably terrible, though.

[Aodh Lazuli]

Edit: bard over rogue primarily for access to the tower scrolls if you really want that still

Also, ranger now has baked-in evasion. You don't need rogue for it any more. Bard is the better choice on basically every level except 2d6 sneak attack.

[Baron Saturday]

Edit: bard over rogue primarily for access to the tower scrolls if you really want that still

Also, ranger now has baked-in evasion. You don't need rogue for it any more. Bard is the better choice on basically every level except 2d6 sneak attack.

Rogue was primarily for the class skills. That said, the main ones I can think of that rogue gets are open lock & disable trap, and it's not exactly difficult to CC 1 rank into those and supplement with equipment.

[Aodh Lazuli]

Rogue was primarily for the class skills. That said, the main ones I can think of that rogue gets are open lock & disable trap, and it's not exactly difficult to CC 1 rank into those and supplement with equipment.

There's really not much point in taking more than a token investment in either skill, considering you can get +22 in skills alone from carrying around a spare set of gear, more if you throw dex and int onto the same gear.

[Terenfel]

the first think that came to my mind is the devoted tracker build for 3.5. a paladin ranger, but that wont work as well in nwn as it does on the board game.

going for 21 ranger, 4 paladin and 5 rogue might be doable. get Greater Divination instead of Transmutation and you will be good at detecting evil too.

[Jagel]

Harper paragon gets detect evil too ^^

[Alox]

You can not get Epic Spell Focus unless you can cast 9th circle spells.

Being able to cast 1st circle spells allows you to get Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus, which in transmutation allows you to teleport.

GSF:Divination increases the info you get from -investigate and detect evil, so might be of interest for you too.