Player Resource Consortium
Neverwinter Nights => Character Builds => Topic started by: ebonfowl on May 27, 2022, 01:40:51 PM
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I updated this build to be the strongest possible single-target damage dealer (see The Janitor for the best versus groups). Unlike the original Warcarnate build, this one has a level adjustment, does not get the miss chance, and only can have one necrocarnum zombie. It matches or outperforms the former build in all other areas.
What this build gives you: 16 pre-epic BAB; great attack bonus (Lolth's Meat and Blood in the Water); absolutely enormous damage output - between soulmelds (Necrocarnum Weapon, Incarnate Avatar, Bluesteel Bracers, Bloodwar Gauntlets), feats (Lolth's Meat, Weapon Specialization, Cobalt Power), and maneuvers (Raging Mongoose, Time Stands Still, Blood in the Water) this character can average ~3250 melee damage a round (~4400 if you begin combat with a pounce) and ~1130 on a single pouncing charge***; the damage caused by this build is persistent and not constrained by abilities limited to times/day; you also get one decent necrocarnum zombies (Necrocarnum Circlet) that you can summon at-will to serve as a meat shield to keep the enemies off you; good SR (Curst); immunity to almost all status effects (Curst); the best saving throw boost there is (Diamond Defense); infinite essentia at level 8 (Harvest Soul) so your melds will always be maxed out; the ability to heal once per minute when recovering maneuvers (Vital Recovery); the ability to adapt to the best weapons you find (Weapon Aptitude); INT to reflex saves, crit confirmation, combat maneuvers, and damage against flat-footed enemies; the ability to instantly clear status effects (Ironheart Surge); uncanny dodge
Weakpoints: not the best AC (Curst helps with this) or base saves (though Lolth's Meat mitigates this short-coming after a few kills and Curst/Diamond Defense make this unimportant) - get equipment to boost AC; you lose a small amount of damage output against non-living opponents (Necrocarnum Weapon), but the difference is small and won't slow you down
Build Name: Warcarnate 2.0
Race: Half-Drow
Alignment: Neutral Evil
STR 16
DEX 16
CON 10
WIS 14
INT 10
CHA 8
Lvl Class
1 Incarnate 1: Lolth's Meat, Spellcraft 4, Lore 4
2 IC 2: Spellcraft 5, Lore 5
3 IC 3: Necrocarnate Acolyte, Concentration 1, Spellcraft 6
4 Warblade 1: Maneuvers: Sudden Leap, Disarming Strike, Iron Heart Surge, Stance: Blood in the Water, STR 17, Concentration 5
5 WB 2: Maneuver: Saphire Nightmare Blade
6 WB 3: Two-Weapon Fighting, Maneuver: Emerald Razor, Save 2 unused skill points
7 IC 4: Spellcraft 10
8 Necrcarnate 1: DEX 17
9 NC 2: Undead Meldshaper, Curst Template (take Curst right before level up)
10 NC 3
11 NC 4
12 WB 4: Improved Critical (Aptitude Weapon), Stance: Pearl of Black Doubt, DEX 18
13 WB 5: Maneuver: Pouncing Charge, Bonus Feat: Vital Recovery
14 WB 6
15 WB 7: Improved TWF, Maneuver: Dancing Mongoose
16 WB 8: DEX 19
17 WB 9: B: Iron Will, Maneuver: Avalanche of Blades
18 WB 10: Weapon Focus (Aptitude Weapon), Stance: Prey on the Weak
19 WB 11: Maneuver: Raging Mongoose
20 WB 12: STR 18
21 WB 13: Weapon Specialization (Aptitude Weapon), Maneuver: Diamond Defense
22 IC 5
23 IC 6
24 WB 14: Epic Weapon Focus (Aptitude Weapon), STR 19
25 IC 7
26 IC 8
27 WB 15: Epic Weapon Specialization (Aptitude Weapon), Maneuver: Time Stands Still
28 IC 9: STR 20
29 IC 10
30 IC 11: Greater TWF
31 IC 12
32 IC 13: STR 21
33 IC 14: Double Chakra (Arms)
34 IC 15
35 NC 5
36 NC 6: Power Attack, STR 22
37 NC 7
38 NC 8
39 NC 9: Cobalt Power
40 NC 10: WIS 15
Recommended Martial Maneuvers: Pouncing Charge, Dancing Mongoose/Avalanche of Blades, Raging Mongoose, Iron Heart Surge, Diamond Defense, Time Stands Still, Blood in the Water (Stance) for more damage or Prey on the Weak (Stance) for more attacks - I recommend Prey on the Weak.
Recommended Soul Melds: Necrocarnum Weapon, Incarnate Avatar, Bluesteel Bracers, Bloodwar Gauntlets (double arms), Necrocarnum Circlet (bound)
Notes: you can buy off the level adjustment from Curst at 9, 15, and 18 - I recommend buying off at least one LA, but probably the other 2 as well if you are going to level 40. As a general strategy, this build should begin combat by charging the strongest opponent, initiate raging mongoose as soon as possible, then initiate Time Stands Still as soon as Raging Mongoose hits, then recover maneuvers, repeat. Always make sure to recover your maneuvers immediately at/near the end of each combat - otherwise you will have to wait a full minute while they recover.
***Damage calculations updated after the scripted combat system was updated to pull in all the damage boosts. They assume max level, enemies that are alive and not crit-immune, that the player took the advice in the recommended maneuvers section and picked up Time Stands Still, and +20 damage from Lolth's Meat (which seems like a good average that I am doing in combat-heavy modules).
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Note: There are a few problems with this build. As posted, it is not possible to take Necrocarnate Acolyte at lvl 3 with 10 Con. The listed maneuvers at lvl 4 are also not available at that level. Suggest sticking with ebonfowl's original Warcarnate build for something similar.
Thanks to Garasou on the discord for pointing this out.