More Steam Attachments Pt. 3

Here is the third installment of my fresh batch of homebrewed Steam Powered Weapon Attachments.

*****

Second String Level 1 360gp
This bow has been outfitted with a second
string which can fire an additional projectile at
the enemy.
Weapon: Bows, Crossbows
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
make an attack. If the attack hits, you fire an
additional arrow or bolt and apply that arrow or bolts
effect to the target. If the arrow or bolt does not have
a magical effect, then you deal 1d4 additional damage.

*****

Pull Assistant Level 1 360gp
This bow has been outfitted with a series of steam
powered springs and pulleys which allows the bow to
grant even more power out of a single attack.
Weapon: Bows
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
make an attack with a bow. If the attack hits, you deal
damage as though the the bow was one size larger than
normal.

*****

Shredder Blade Level 1 360gp
This blade has been outfitted with a set of
Additional motorized teeth that tear into a
foe when triggered.
Weapon: Axes, Heavy Blades
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
make an attack with this weapon. The weapon gains
Brutal 2 for the attack; if the weapon already had a source
of brutal damage, increase the amount of Brutal damage
by 2. I.E. a Brutal 1 weapon becomes Brutal 3 for the
attack.

*****

Concussion Piston Level 1 360gp
This heavy weapon has been fitted with several pistons
that deliver a devastating blow that is capable of knocking
foes flying.
Weapon: Hammers, Picks
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
make an attack with this weapon. If the attack hits, you
push the target one square, or extend the range of any
push effect by one square. If the attack was a critical
hit, you knock the opponent prone.

Okay! That is all for this batch. What do you think?

More Steam Attachments Pt. 2

Here are some more of those attachments I have been talking about. This is part 2 of 3 for the current load.

*****

Auto Reloader Level 1 360gp
This quick steam arm affixed to a crossbow or
to a firearm allows you to reload your weapon
with incredible speed.
Weapon: Crossbows, Firearms
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points in order
to reload your weapon as a free action.

*****

Bullet Shield Expander Level 1 360gp
Several piston loaded metal plates extend out
from your shield providing you with cover from
projectile attacks.
Shields: Light Shield, Heavy Shield
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points in order
to gain cover from projectile attacks until the
start of your next turn.

*****

Roto-Buckler Level 1 360gp
This light shield is fitted with several steam
powered motors allowing it to spin and deflect
blows more accurately.
Shields: Light Shield
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points in order
to increase your shields AC Bonus by 1 until the
start of your next turn.

*****

Reflex Xcelerators Level 1 360gp
The steam pistons equipped to this set of
armor allows is to help improve your reflexes
for a short period of time.
Armor: Leather, Hide, Chainmail
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points in order
to gain a +1 Power Bonus to Reflex until the
start of your next turn.


More coming soon. You will have to wait. Come back tomorrow.

More Steam Attachments Pt. 1

OK, so here are some more of the Steam Attachments that I have developed for my setting. Some of the basics for these were suggested by various individuals accross a number of forums. Thank you for your ideas and contributions.

*****

Friction Dampeners Level 1 360gp
You feel your armor move more smoothly as if
all the joints had been simultaneously greased.
Armor: Plate, Scale, or Chainmail
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Immediate Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Point to decrease
either the armor check penalty or the speed reduction
caused by your armor to 0 until the end of your turn.

*****

Power Reach Level 1 360gp
The Steam powered springs fire a powerful
thrust of energy which allows you to reach
foes beyond your grasp.
Weapon: Spear, Polearm
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Heavy P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Point to increase
the reach of your weapon by 1 square for a single
attack.

*****

Magnetic Xcelerator Level 1 360gp
Several magnets affixed to this suit of
armor, and then affixed through actuators
allow it to provide a burst of speed.
Armor: Leather, Hide, Chainmail
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend any number of Steam
Point to increase your speed for a single movement
by the number of Steam Points Spent.

*****

Quick Strike Valve Level 1 360gp
This blade is fitted so that it can automatically
deliver an additional blow under certain circumstances.
Weapon: Light Blade, Heavy Blade
Supported Engines: P.S.P.G., Light P.S.P.G.
Power:
Free Action * At-Will
Trigger: You may spend 1 Steam Points when you
score a critical hit against an enemy in order to make
a basic attack against that enemy, with this weaponas a free action.

More will be on their way soon. Have patience. Lots of Homebrew coming

More Personal Steam Engines

I had a very good response to my post about the Personal Steam Power Generator, so, here are a couple more which will have attachments supporting different types of characters. Attachments are still coming.

P.S.P.G. Level 4+
The Engine lets out a steady hum of gears turning, excess
steam and smoke pours from its smokestacks.
Lvl 4 +1 840 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Weight: 50 lbs.
Property: At the beginning of an encounter, the P.S.P.G.
generates 1 Steam Point +1 Steam Point for each point
of its enhancement bonus. These points can be used to
augment attacks of attachments equipped to the character's
weapons or armor.

*****

P.S.P.G. Light Level 3+
This small steam power generator is perfectly suited for
the stealthy mobile fighter or ranger.
Lvl 3 +1 680 gp Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp
Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp
Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp

Weight: 25 lbs
Property: At the beginning of an encounter, the P.S.P.G.
generates 1 Steam Point for each point of its enhancement
bonus. These points can be used to augment attacks of
attachments equipped to the character's weapons or armor.

*****

P.S.P.G. Heavy Level 5+
The heavy duty model of the personal steam power
generator makes heavy duty fighting an ease.
Lvl 5 +1 1000 gp Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp
Lvl 10 +2 5,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Weight: 100 lbs.
Property: At the beginning of an encounter, the P.S.P.G.
generates 2 Steam Point +1 Steam Point for each point
of its enhancement bonus. These points can be used to
augment attacks of attachments equipped to the character's
weapons or armor.

Steam Weapons and Steam Attachments Pt. 1

I have been toying around with 2 different ways for implementing steam power into my world and I believe that I want to pursue both of them. I think this presents the possibility to build more interesting and varied characters. I will explain both of these options below.

Steam Weapons – Re-flavoring Magic Items

The first, and by far the easiest way, of dealing with steam powered items is to simply re-flavor existing magic items to fit into the Steam flavored world. Of course this does cause some problems, especially with anti-magic zones, but I haven’t really come across many of those as of yet in 4e. Maybe this is safe. Some items of course simply wouldn’t be able to make the change into steam power, but it is safe to say that most magical weapons and many magic armors could easily be converted using a flavor shift.

Steam Attachments – Just a little something something

I have been toying with the idea of adding weapon attachments into 4e Dungeons and Dragons. I feel like attachments are vastly lacking in the game, up until this point, but really shouldn’t be. So I guess I should first explain what an attachment is, in my mind.

To me, an attachment is a non-magical item, of low level, which can be attached to either a weapon or armor in order to gain some static, permanent, benefit. These benefits may be small or highly situational, but they would add flavor and character to a person’s fighting style.

I’ll give a fairly obvious example of a weapon attachment from past versions of D&D: The Armor Spike – this is something that can be attached to a suit of armor and really adds flavor to both that suit of armor and to the character that is wielding it. I love this little spikey bits. Who doesn’t? They make for a great addition to a menacing character in order to really give the look that one is trying to accomplish.

Now, as for my game, what kind of attachments am I thinking of adding to make the game more interesting? One example of a requested attachment came up from one of my player’s in our last session. He is new to the game, but is very much enjoying it. He is one of the few players which is really taking advantage of my homebrew setting. He is playing a Revenant Half-Elf Ranger styling himself after a Sniper of sorts. We often compare his character to a prettier zombier version of Irvine from Final Fantasy VIII.



As I mentioned earlier, black powder weapons are available in this setting for purchase and use, so, our sniper is using a long-rifle for his weapon of choice. But, getting back to the point, in our last game, he asked if he could get a bi-pod for his rife that he could use when he is prone. I thought this was a great idea. Why not? Being prone has its downsides, but it would be interesting to have a character who lies in the bushes with a rifle shooting at combatants from the sidelines. So, I thought I would make him a bi-pod (rules for this will be coming soon).

So, with the idea of attachments now firmly in your mind, I will continue this post in part 2 and explain how Steam Attachment will work in 4e D&D and the link they have to psionics. Have I got your attention now?

Steampunk and Klockwerks: The Black Powder Baseline

Fighting Your Way Through a Big and Changing World Part 1

Where would Steampunk be without its toys, and by toys I mean GUNS! The weapons of the steam powered era got a whole lot more deadly as soon as your average thug could pick up a one shot pistol and have your shiny new brass pocket-watch before you had a chance to offer him your wind up dog instead. Thus begins a battle of escalation… if the pick-pocket is carrying a one shot pistol, you better be carrying a steam powered, rotary gatling gun (no joke, there are lots of these in Steampunk).
Gunpowder had already been a part of the technological timeline for over two hundred years at least by the time Steampunk had its dawn, so the technology behind firearms had already been well established, it just meant that now, things could get more serious when you put Steam power behind it.
For the most part, nobody carries a bow and arrow around anymore, maybe a steam powered bow with a grappling hook and a scope, but probably not your run of the mill, powered by muscles, stereotypical elf-wielded longbow. Guns are this ages bread and butter. If you wanted to put guns into your Steampunk world, it wouldn’t take more than a little reflavoring to get things working really, since most things in the world scale when you add in these elements.
If you want a good starting point to make your own Steampunk era guns, try using the 3.5 Dungeon Master’s Guide. In it, there are several guns all laid out for you to use in your variant historical setting. I used these as basis for some of my early games before I took a crack at developing my own gats.


Now on to these fine pieces of death…
First, since we’re developing new weapons that don’t exist in the current setup of 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons, we’ve got to give them a weapon group.

Weapon Group – Guns: Steam or black-powder powered weapons which have explosive and random tendencies.

Now, since the era is one where guns have spread like wildfire and are not something out of the ordinary, there isn’t any reason for them all being superior weapons. In standard fantasy era games, bows and crossbows are iconic weapons of the era, but variations on them may be easier or more difficult to use; the same holds true for guns. So, breaking them down by category seems like a good thing to do.

Thinking about how guns work in comparison to crossbows is a good place to start. The damage is probably higher on a gun, bullets tend to do more damage when they lodge themselves inside of something and move around inside the body then standard crossbow bolts which remain static and can easily be removed. The time it takes to load is also different; standard black-powder guns took a fairly long time to load. I would say that the standard load time would be about equivalent to a move action. This would still give you time to load and fire in the same round, but it makes sense from the perspective that basic pistols and rifles didn’t have the capability to do rapid fire in a single round. Skilled players can take feats to reduce these load times, just like a skilled player can take feats to reduce the load time on a crossbow.

So with these thoughts in mind, here are some guns for your viewing and using pleasure (note I’ve left out the prices because this really varies the most because it is almost entirely world based):

The Basics

Simple Ranged, One Handed
Pistol
Proficiency +2
Damage 1d8
Range 10 / 20
Weight 2 Pounds
Properties: Versatile, High Crit, Load Move, Bullets

This is the iconic pistol of pirates and swashbucklers. It is muzzle loaded and fires a spherical bullet. It can be used one handed, but because of its significant size can also be wielded two-handed for better lethality.

Simple Ranged, Two Handed
Musket
Proficiency +2
Damage 1d10
Range 20 / 40
Weight 6 Pounds
Properties: High Crit, Load Move, Bullets

This gun is fired from the shoulder, has a long iron barrel, and is loaded from the muzzle. It is effective at long range, but isn’t as accurate as some other firearms. It fires round iron bullets, the same as those fired by the pistol.

Blunderbuss
Proficiency +2
Damage 1d8
Range: 5 / -
Weight 10 Pounds
Properties: High Crit, Load Standard, Spread 2

This gun is fired from the waist and is useless at anything but close range. It does however pack a serious punch and because it fires a spread of small shots, the blast is very powerful and deadly to multiple enemies. The Blunderbuss uses gundpoweder but can be loaded with various types of ammunition, from gravel, to metal shavings to sand, all of which are effective.


Military Ranged, One Handed
Suicide Pistol
Proficiency +2
Damage 1d6
Range 5/10
Weight .5 Pounds
Properties: Off-hand, Load Minor, 2 Shots, Shells

This tiny pistol can easily be concealed do to its size. It has a pair of barrels which can each hold a single small encased bullet which makes reloading easier. Due to its size, the Suicide Pistol doesn’t deal as much damage as a normal gun.

Hand-Cannon
Proficiency +2
Damage 1d6
Range 4 / -
Weight 4 Pounds
Properties: High Crit, Versatile, Load Standard, Spread 1

Similar to the Blunderbuss in construction, this small single handed version of the weapon can be used two-handed for better efficiency. What is sacrficies in power and spread, it makes up for with its size and weight.

Military Ranged, Two-Handed
Rifle
Proficiency +3
Damage 1d10
Range 20 / 40
Weight 5 Pounds
Properties: High Crit, Load Minor, Shells

This improved version of the musket fires bullets incased in shells which are pre-loaded with gunpowder, similar to those of the suicide pistol. It’s lighter weight makes it harder to use, but it is more accurate and still effective at the same range.

Shotgun
Proficiency +2
Damage 2d6
Range 7 / -
Weight: 5
Properties: High Crit, Load Move, Shells, Spread 1

This improved version of the blunderbuss fires a more concentrated burst but with higher damage and effective range.


Superior Ranged, Two Handed
Long-Rifle
Proficiency +3
Damage 1d12
Range 25 / 50
Weight 6 Pounds
Properties: High Crit, Load Move

This version of the rifle has a greater effective range and also deals slightly more damage than a standard rifle, but its length makes it unwieldy and more specialized to use.

New Keywords
Spread: This weapon fires a spray of bullets which travel up to their maximum effective range and can hit anyone in line of sight. Add squares next to the target up the spread value then draw line of site to these squares as well as the intended target. Roll to hit anyone that is in line of sight to any of these squares.


*****

That concludes the first part Steampunk firearms, the black powder goodness. In the next part of my Steampunk series, I’ll go into making them more… how should I say… steamy??? The weapons have to get beefed up somehow and there are plenty more specialized superior weapons to be had.

Guide to the Khopesh: The Versatile Crit Master

Guide to the Khopesh: The Versatile Crit Master

--Taken from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Khopesh.jpg

History, Description, and Use of the Khopesh
“A typical khopesh is 50-60cm in length (though smaller examples also exist) and is composed of three main parts: the hilt, a straight and unsharpened section of blade finishing in a curved crescent shape with the sharpened edge. The khopesh evolved from the epsilon or similar crescent shaped axes that were used in warfare. This makes the khopesh not a true sword (which evolved from daggers), but a specialized battle-axe. However, unlike an axe, the khopesh did not make push-cuts, but rather slashes. The khopesh went out of use around 1300BC.

The khopesh was initially used against the Egyptians in war, but as the kingdom of Egypt improved trade relations with other kingdoms, eventually it adopted the khopesh. It seemed to have been most popular during the New Kingdom under the united Egypt.[citation needed] Various pharaohs are depicted with a khopesh, and some have been found in royal graves, such as the two examples found with Tutankhamun.

Although some examples are clearly sharpened, many examples have dull edges which apparently were never intended to be sharp. It may therefore be possible that some khopeshes found in high status graves were ceremonial variants.

Later the Khopesh was slowly developed into what is known as the Falcata. This variant was adopted by Alexander the Great for its effectiveness.”
--Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khopesh



I’ve spent the last month playing around with the fighter and the various builds that you can do with him as well as browsing through the character optimization forums through different guides; I have decided to write one of my own. Also, after looking over the various weapon builds are out there: polearm builds, axe builds, heavy blade builds, flail builds, etc., I really haven’t found any builds out there for the khopesh, a weapon I think deserves much more attention.

First, lets take a look at the Khopesh in D&D terms:

Well, first, it’s a military weapon and therefore the fighter comes proficient with it to begin with and thus frees up a feat slot for things other than a weapon proficiency feat. The weapon only gives you a +2 prof bonus, but that’s just fine. The damage on the khopesh also isn’t that great, only 1d8, the same damage as the longsword. But, the fun part comes when you look at the abilities on this thing. It is a versatile weapon, probably putting it among some of the least damage dealing of all the versatile weapons out there. It is a brutal 1 weapon giving it an ability reserved for most hammers. But, the real prize of the khopesh is the fact that it is both an axe and a heavy blade. The fact that it is a one handed weapon that has two different weapon classifications, both of which are extremely powerful, but are never joined except in this one weapon.

Getting the Most out of your Khopesh:

Build Options
Although the khopesh is a versatile weapon and therefore can be used two-handed, its really not that great for that. There are definitely better two handed weapons out there, the mordenkrand comes to mind. The strength of the khopesh is in allowing you to dual wield these suckers and stack the attacks and damage on critical hits.

Because the khopesh is both an axe and a heavy blade, it is viable for both the one handed weapon talent, battlerager, and tempest builds. The weapon allows you to play it in several ways, more of an axe, more of a sword, or a lot of both. The feats you take with the weapon will be virtually all the same save for the few build or race specific feats that you take to fill out the feat progression. The major difference in how you play the weapon comes in whether you want to put more points into constitution or into wisdom. With the battlerager you get more constitution and the temporary hit points to stay on the front line longer and take lots of damage. With the tempest wisdom build, you get increased damage and lots more OA’s.

As far as Paragon Paths go, the +THP granted with the ability to roll more attacks from the ravager makes it an ideal choice. If you go with the increased wisdom and focus on number of attacks, than the Blade Dancer is the way to go, access to which is granted through your ranger multiclass.

The two Epic Destinies that work with this build are the Punisher of the Gods and the Demigod. The Punisher of the Gods, which works well in many builds is absolutely at home with this build. The immortal curse ability allows you to deal max damage on all crits and get an action point every time you crit the target of your immortal curse. This makes this Epic Destiny perfect for both of the builds I describe in this guide. The Demigod is also a fantastic choice for both of these builds (if not a little bit bland since so many builds from every class use this one over all the others); the Demigod helps fill in to the stats that you need to take advantage of in a build where you have to spread your points thin and Divine Recover and Divine Miracle are awesome as well. If you do take Demigod under the Battlerager build then it is worth looking at the invigorating exploit at level 30 to take with cruel reaper and then use it every round.

Feat Choices

Heroic Tier
The first thing you have to do in order to make this build viable is to multiclass Two-Blade Warrior so that you can wield one in each hand. The following is your feat progression for the critical parts of this build.

2 Weapon Expertise (Axe or Heavy Blade doesn’t matter which)
4 Weapon Focus (Axe of Heavy Blade doesn’t matter which)
6 Two Weapon Fighting (since you’re wielding two weapons why not)
8 Two Weapon Defense (to make up for not wearing a shield if you go battlerager) / Blade Opportunist (since you already have Two Weapon Defense), or a racial feat (Anger Unleashed, Markings of the Victor, Action Surge etc.)
10 Two Weapon Threat (Bonus Damage on OA’s is great)

Paragon Tier
11 Reckless Attacker (One of the main points of this build)
12 Two Weapon Opening (One of the other main points of this build)
14 Heavy Blade Opportunity (A critical part of this build)
16 Deadly Axe (Now the khopesh is brutal, high crit and versatile as well as being both a heavy blade and an axe)
18 Devastating Critical (As this is a crit build, best to deal more damage when you get one)
20 Mighty Battlerage / Agile Tempest / Racial Paragon Feat (Strength from Pain, Unyielding Stone

Epic Tier
21 Axe Mastery or Heavy Blade Mastery
22 Two Weapon Flurry (More attacks means more crits)
24 Knockback Swing (Lets you push the opponent when you attack), Epic Resurgence or Ferocious Assault if you’re a half-orc (and then taking Epic Resurgence at level 30)
26 Mobile Warrior (lets you move into the space of the guy you just pushed to push him across the battlefield and follow him along)
28 Rending Tempest (More damage on extra action attacks and on opportunity attacks)
30 Channeled Battlerage or Invigorating Exploit (taken with cruel reaper if you go with Demi-god epic destiny over Punisher of the Gods so that every round you only use this power) , Epic Resurgence

Power Choices

At first level you’re going to take dual strike and then either brash strike or crushing surge based on whether you want to go with a tempest or battlerager build. Funneling flurry should be your first encounter power allowing you to stay mobile and mark more targets as well as get off more attacks and thus hopefully more crits. At second level and beyond you want to maximize the amount of either hit points that you get back on non dual strike attacks or you want to maximize the number of attacks you can get by taking encounter and daily powers with either the invigorating keyword or that grand you lots of attacks.

Gear Choices

The most obvious choice of gear you’re making in these builds is your weapon…dum dum, da, dum… the KHOPESH! In terms of magic enhancements for it, the obvious one and the one you will be using for the entirety of your khopesh wielding character’s life is rending. Rending is without a doubt the best thing for these as it allows you to make another attack whenever you roll a critical hit which is a big part of this build, the compounding critical hits. As far as other magic items and armor are considered, you will be wearing chain mail in both of the builds that I have provided below. I have provided below a wish list of items that you may or may not want and that provide direct benefits for this build in granting more attacks, increasing the effectiveness of either your hits or your crits, or increasing mobility and defenses

Arm Slot
Heroic Tier

Level 2 – Bracers of Mighty Striking
Level 3 – Flame Bracers
Level 4 – Countersrike Guards
Level 5 – Quickhit Braces


Paragon Tier
Level 12 – Bracers of Mighty Striking
Level 13 – Flame Bracers
Level 14 – Counterstrike Guards
Level 15 – Quickhit Bracers, Couters of Second Chances, Rapidstrike Bracers

Epic Tier
Level 22 – Bracers of Mighty Striking
Level 23 – Flame Bracers
Level 24 – Counterstrike Guards
Level 25 – Quickhit Bracers, Couters of Second Chances,


Feet Slot
Heroic Tier
Level 6 – Boots of Free Movement
Level 8 – Quickling Boots
Level 9 – Boots of Eagerness, Boots of Furious Speed

Paragon Tier
Level 12 – Assault Boots (Awesome for more crit power)

Epic Tier
Level 22 – Boots of Speed
Level 25 – Sandals of Avandra
Level 28 – Boots of Teleportation


Hands Slot
Heroic Tier
Level 3 – Gloves of Piercing
Level 5 – Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Level 6 – Breaching Gauntlets, Lucklender Gloves
Level 9 – Gloves of Storing
Level 10 – Strikebacks, Dwarven Throwers

Paragon Tier
Level 11 – Gauntlets of Blinding Strikes
Level 16 – Breaching Gauntlets
Level 19 – Lightning Reflex Gloves

Epic Tier
Level 26 – Breaching Gauntlets

Head Slot
Heroic Tier
Level 4 – Helm of Opportunity
Level 6 – Horned Helm
Level 9 – Helm of Battle

Paragon Tier
Level 14 – Helm of Opportunity
Level 16 – Crown of Eyes (So that when you get in the mix you’re not getting pounded as badly), Horned Helm
Level 18 – Helm of Swift Punishment (Awesome, viable for this build until 30)
Level 19 – Helm of Battle

Epic Tier
Level 24 – Helm of Opportunity
Level 26 – Horned Helm
Level 28 – Ioun Stone of True Sight
Level 29 – Helm of Battle

Neck Slot
Heroic Tier
Level 5 – Cape of the Mountebank
Level 9 – Amulet of False Life, Cloak of the Walking Wounded
Level 10 – Cape of the Mountebank

Paragon Tier
Level 12 – Cloak of Resistance
Level 14 – Amulet of False Life, Amulet of Attenuation, Cloak of Distortion
Level 15 – Cape of the Mountebank
Level 20 – Amulet of Aranea

Epic Tier
Level 22 – Cloak of Resistance
Level 23 – Amulet of Scales
Level 24 – Amulet of False Life, Cloak of the Walking Wounded
Level 25 – Cape of the Mountebank, Life Charm, Amulet of Aranea
Level 27 – Cloak of Resistance
Level 28 – Amulet of Scales
Level 29 – Amulet of False Life, Amulet of Attenuation, Cloak of Distortion, Amulet of the Unbroken
Level 30 – Cloak of the Phoenix, Scarab of Invulnerability

Rings
Paragon Tier
Level 14 - Ring of Fury x2
Level 16 – War Ring


Epic Tier
Level 24 – Ring of Regeneration
Level 25 – Sorrowsworn Ring
Level 27 – Ring of the Phoenix
Level 30 – Nullifying Ring

Waist Slot
Heroic Tier
Level 6 – Stalwart Belt, Cincture of the Dragon Spirit
Level 8 – Belt of Lucky Strikes

Paragon Tier
Level 15 – Belt of Giant Strength
Level 16 – Stalwart Belt


Epic Tier
Level 25 – Belt of Titan Strength
Level 26 – Stalwart Belt

Wondrous Items
Heroic Tier
Level 3 – Battle Standard of Healing
Level 4 – Battle Standard of Might
Level 5 – Ruby Scabard
Level 6 – Solitaire Cinnabar
Level 7 – Long Battle Tattoo, Tattoo of the Wolverine
Level 9 – Backlash Tattoo

Paragon Tier
Level 15 – Sapphire Scabbard
Level 16 – Solitaire Aquamarine
Level 17 – Tattoo of the Wolverine
Level 18 – Battle Standard of the Stalwart
Level 20 – Battle Standard of the Vanguard

Epic Tier
Level 21 – Solitaire Cerulean
Level 25 – Diamond Scabbard
Level 27 – Tattoo of the Wolverine
Level 28 – Charm of Abundant Action
Basic Tactics and Math:

This build makes use of the axe to get rending and deadly axe and the sword to get heavy blade opportunity so that you can use them both in conjunction to get a massive quantity of attacks.

At Level 30 you will be wielding:

+6 Rending Khopesh x2
Prof +2
Damage 1d8 (1d10 if they are large)
Versatile, Brutal 1, High Crit
Axe, Heavy Blade
+6 on attacks and damage
+1d6 on critical hit and make another basic attack roll

What happens when you crit:

As this build is a crit build, it might be hard to keep track of what happens when you actually do crit. If you’re in Epic Tier, you’re going to hit on a 19-20 not just a 20 increasing your percent chance to get a crit by 5%. When you crit, which you will, the following is what pops:

Always Gained:
Max Weapon Damage on the Attack to which you rolled the critical, 8 damage (10 for large) per W
1d10 for Devastating Critical
1d6 for Magical Weapon Property
3d8 for High Crit (3d10 if weapon is large) from Deadly Axe
Make one basic attack as a free action, but take -2 to AC for the turn from Reckless Attacker

Build or Target Dependant:
If the critical hit was with your main hand, make an attack with your off-hand at the same target from Two Weapon Opening.
Gain 1 special action point for the turn if the target is marked by your immortal curse from the Punisher of the Gods Epic Destiny.
Gain back one encounter power if you took Swordmaster PP
Gain back one encounter power if it’s the first time you rolled a critical hit this encounter.
+4 attack and damage till the end of your next turn from Ferocious Critical

The Following are Item Dependant:
Stalwart Belt - Gain 3 times your constitution modifier as THP
Assault Boots - The opponent is knocked prone.
Bracers of Flame - 2d6 fire damage

Solitairs:
1 solitaire /encounter – Solitaire: Aquamarine: 1/ encounter gain 1 extra basic attack on same target
1 solitaire /encounter – Solitaire: Cinnabar: 1/ encounter roll a saving throw on something you can make a saving throw on
1 solitaire /encounter – Solitaire: Citrine: 1/ encounter spend a healing surge
1 solitaire /encounter – Solitaire: Aquamarine: 1/ encounter roll a save on every thing that you can make a save against
1 solitaire /encounter – Solitaire: Violet: 1/ encounter gain 1 action point that you must spend by the end of the turn and can be used in addition to other action points that you can spend this turn.




The entire problem with getting the critical hits you need is that you can only get them on a roll of a 20, which means that you are only going to be getting a critical hit 5% of the time until you get the mastery feat and can double this percentage to 10% chances. So, in order to get more critical hits, you are going to need a greater quantity of attacks. The following sources grant you extra attacks as well as opportunity attacks.


Bonus Attacks:
Ravager Stuff:
Ravager’s Action – Spend an action point to make an attack against every adjacent enemy with +con to damage.
Marauding Fury – 1/round when you miss with an attack while bloodied, make a melee base attack.
Blade Dancer:
Dual Blade Action – Spend 1 AP gain 1 main and 1 off hand attack with +wis damage

Opportunity Attacks:
Heavy Blade Opportunity – Make Every Opportunity Attack using dual strike rather than your normal base attack.
Two Weapon Flurry – When you make OA with you main hand, you get another with your off hand at -5 penalty. This may or may not allow you to make another dual strike attack starting with your off hand, or it may simply let you make a third attack at a -5 penalty.


Item Dependant:
Ring of Fury – When you are first bloodied make 2 melee basic attacks (4 total if wearing two rings)
Helm of Swift Punishment – Lets you make 2 melee basic attacks instead of 1; compounding this with heavy blade opportunity it lets you do dual strike twice and then with the possibility of Two Weapon Flurry allows you to make between 5 and 6 opportunity attacks for every opportunity attack you make.
Strikebacks - When an opponent hits you, make a melee basic attack against him,
Quickhit Braces – 1/day When you hit with both weapons make a melee basic attack with your off-hand weapon.



You can do a lot of the math yourself, if you really need to. Just from looking at the above tables, one should get a pretty good idea of the massive damage this beast can dish out. The second table is also in addition to the extra attacks granted from the previous table when you get a critical hit.
Sample Khopesh Fighter Builds
Below are two of the builds which I have built using the guide that I have set up above. Snapshots are given for them at 1st, 11th, 21st, and 30th levels.

Vox Bugbear Battlerager / Ravager / Punisher of the Gods

Vox was raised in captivity. He grew up fighting in the pits as a gladiator. As he began to excel, his lust to inflict the greatest damage possible on his enemies drove him to craft a pair of Khopesh, which he saw being worn by the legionairs, using the primitive facilities that availed him as a simple gladiator; but, his skill on the anvil combined with his skill in the arena earned him a growing fandom. Eventually Vox left the arena as a free beast after winning his 500th match. Now, Vox rises to challenge Kord and nothing will stand in his way.

Level 1 Snapshot
Race: Bugbear
Class: Fighter

Stats (with racial bonuses):
Strength 18
Constitution 16
Dexterity 15
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 11
Charisma 8

Initiative +3
Hit Points 30 Bloodied 15 Surge Value 7 Surges 1`
Defenses:
AC 16 Fort 16 Ref 13 Will 10
Speed 5
Passive Insight 10 Passive Perception 10

Khopesh Basic Attack +6 vs AC 1d10+4 damage

Feats:
Two Blade Warrior, Two Weapon Defense
Powers:
At-Will: Crushing Surge, Dual Strike
Encounter: Furious Assault, Funneling Fury
Daily: Tempest Dance

Skill Training: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Gear: Large Khopesh x2, ChainmailLevel 11 Snapshot
Race: Bugbear
Class: Fighter
Paragon Path: Ravager

Stats (with racial bonuses):
Strength 21
Constitution 17
Dexterity 18
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 12
Charisma 9

Initiative +9
Hit Points 92 Bloodied 46 Surge Value 23 Surges 12
Defenses:
AC 25 Fort 24 Ref 22 Will 18
Speed 5
Passive Insight 16 Passive Perception 16

Khopesh Basic Attack +15 vs AC 1d10+10 damage

Feats:
Two Blade Warrior, Two Weapon Defense, Weapon Expertise (Axe), Weapon Expertise (Axe), Two-Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Threat, Reckless Attacker
Powers:
At-Will: Brash Strike, Dual Strike
Encounter: Predatory Eye, Funneling Fury, Blinding Smash, Savage Parry, Driven Before You
Daily: Tempest Dance, Bedeviling Assault, Terrifying Impact
Utility: Boundless Endurance, Unbreakable, Into the Fray

Skill Training: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Gear: Agile Finemail +2, Quickhit Braces, Boots of Furious Speed, Strikebacks, Helm of Opportunity, Cape of the Mountebank +2, Large Rending Khopesh +2, Belt of Lucky Strikes


Level 21 Snapshot
Race: Bugbear
Class: Fighter
Paragon Path: Ravager
Epic Destiny: Punisher of the Gods

Stats (with racial bonuses):
Strength 24
Constitution 20
Dexterity 19
Intelligence 12
Wisdom 13
Charisma 10

Initiative +14
Hit Points 155 Bloodied 77 Surge Value 38 Surges 14
Defenses:
AC 34 Fort 33 Ref 29 Will 25
Speed 5
Passive Insight 21 Passive Perception 21

Khopesh Basic Attack +25 vs AC 2d10+15 damage

Feats:
Two Blade Warrior, Two Weapon Defense, Weapon Expertise (Axe), Weapon Expertise (Axe), Two-Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Threat, Reckless Attacker, Two Blade Opening, Heavy Blade Opportunity, Deadly Axe, Devastating Critical, Mighty Battlerage, Axe Mastery
Powers:
At-Will: Crushing Surge, Dual Strike
Encounter: Predatory Eye, Funneling Flurry, Driven Before You, Crumpling Slam, Vorpal Tornado, Immortals Curse
Daily: Terrifying Impact, Marked Savagery, Dragon’s Fangs, Devastation’s Wake
Utility: Boundless Endurance, Unbreakable, Into the Fray, Blood Soaked Fury, Regnant Shout

Skill Training: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Gear: Agile Forgemail Armor +4, Quickhit Braces, Assault Boots, Strikebacks, Helm of Swift Punishment, Cape of the Mountebank +3, Rending Khopesh +4, Belt of Lucky Strikes, Ring of Fury x2
Level 30 Snapshot
Race: Bugbear
Class: Fighter
Paragon Path: Ravager
Epic Destiny: Punisher of the Gods

Stats (with racial bonuses):
Strength 26
Constitution 22
Dexterity 19
Intelligence 12
Wisdom 13
Charisma 10

Initiative +19
Hit Points 211 Bloodied 105 Surge Value 52 Surges 15
Defenses:
AC 43 Fort 41 Ref 36 Will 34
Speed 5
Passive Insight 30 Passive Perception 30

Khopesh Basic Attack +34 vs AC 2d10+18 damage

Feats:
Two Blade Warrior, Two Weapon Defense, Weapon Expertise (Axe), Weapon Expertise (Axe), Two-Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Threat, Reckless Attacker, Two Blade Opening, Heavy Blade Opportunity, Deadly Axe, Devastating Critical, Mighty Battlerage, Axe Mastery, Knock-Back Swing, Mobile Warrior, Two Weapon Flurry, Rending Tempest, Channeled Battlerage
Powers:
Powers:
At-Will: Crushing Surge, Dual Strike
Encounter: Predatory Eye, Vorpal Tornado, Driven Before You, Cruel Reaper, Warior’s Urging, Immortals Curse
Daily: Earthquake Smash, Marked Savagery, Force the Battle, Devastation’s Wake
Utility: Boundless Endurance, Unbreakable, Into the Fray, Blood Soaked Fury, Regnant Shout, Repel Legions, Howl of Defiance

Skill Training: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Gear: Agile Forgemail Armor +6, Quickhit Braces, Assault Boots, Strikebacks, Helm of Swift Punishment, Cape of the Mountebank +6, Rending Khopesh +6, Belt of Lucky Strikes, Ring of Fury x2



Targus Half-Orc Tempest Fighter / Blade Dancer / Punisher of the Gods

At an early age, Targus joined the ranks of the Mummy Guard, a group of individuals sworn to protect the mummies of the ancient dessert inside their massive tomb-castles. Tagus’s skill with the Mummy Guard’s traditional weapon, the Khopesh allowed him to move quickly up within the ranks of the Mummy Guard before gaining the highest favor of the mummy lords he served After Targus took over the Mummy Guard’s care, he single handedly fought off the Undead Dragon Army that sought to overthrow the Mummy Lords from power; his feats of bravery reached the ears of the gods and he ascended into their ranks where he continued to seek out and destroy anything that might challenge the power of his or the power of his mummy lords’ powers.

Level 1 Snapshot
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Fighter

Stats (with racial bonuses):
Strength 18
Constitution 13
Dexterity 16
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 14
Charisma 8

Initiative +3
Hit Points 28 Bloodied 14 Surge Value 7 Surges 10
Defenses:
AC 13 Fort 16 Ref 13 Will 12
Speed 6
Passive Insight 12 Passive Perception 12

Khopesh Basic Attack +6 vs AC 1d8+5 damage

Feats:
Two Blade Warrior, Two Weapon Defense
Powers:
At-Will: Brash Strike, Dual Strike
Encounter: Furious Assault, Funneling Fury
Daily: Tempest Dance

Skill Training: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Gear: Khopesh x2, ChainmailLevel 11 Snapshot
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Fighter
Paragon Path: Blade Dancer

Stats (with racial bonuses):
Strength 21
Constitution 14
Dexterity 18
Intelligence 11
Wisdom 16
Charisma 9

Initiative +9
Hit Points 89 Bloodied 44 Surge Value 22 Surges 11
Defenses:
AC 19 Fort 22 Ref 19 Will 18
Speed 5
Passive Insight 18 Passive Perception 18

Khopesh Basic Attack +15 vs AC 1d8+9 damage

Feats:
Two Blade Warrior, Two Weapon Defense, Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade), Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade), Two-Weapon Fighting, Anger Unleashed, Two Weapon Threat, Reckless Attacker
Powers:
At-Will: Brash Strike, Dual Strike
Encounter: Furious Assault, Funneling Fury, Dance of Steel, Savage Parry, Cross Body Parry,
Daily: Tempest Dance, Bedeviling Assault, Stop Thrust
Utility: Pass Forward, Agile Approach, Into the Fray

Skill Training: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Gear: Agile Drakescale Armor +2, Quickhit Braces, Boots of Furious Speed, Strikebacks, Helm of Opportunity, Cape of the Mountebank +2, Rending Khopesh +2, Belt of Lucky Strikes


Level 21 Snapshot
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Fighter
Paragon Path: Blade Dancer
Epic Destiny: Punisher of the Gods

Stats (with racial bonuses):
Strength 24
Constitution 15
Dexterity 19
Intelligence 12
Wisdom 19
Charisma 10

Initiative +14
Hit Points 150 Bloodied 75 Surge Value 37 Surges 11
Defenses:
AC 35 Fort 32 Ref 28 Will 27
Speed 5
Passive Insight 24 Passive Perception 24

Khopesh Basic Attack +25 vs AC 2d8+18 damage

Feats:
Two Blade Warrior, Two Weapon Defense, Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade), Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade), Two-Weapon Fighting, Anger Unleashed, Two Weapon Threat, Reckless Attacker, Two Blade Opening, Heavy Blade Opportunity, Deadly Axe, Devastating Critical, Agile Tempest, Heavy Blade Mastery
Powers:
At-Will: Brash Strike, Dual Strike
Encounter: Furious Assault, Funneling Fury, Dance of Blades, Vorpal Tornado, Cross Body Parry, Immortal Curse
Daily: Blade Dance, Dragon’s Fangs, Stop Thrust, Devastation’s Wake
Utility: Pass Forward, Agile Approach, Into the Fray, Misleading Bladework, Regnant Shout

Skill Training: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Gear: Agile Forgemail Armor +4, Quickhit Braces, Assault Boots, Strikebacks, Helm of Swift Punishment, Cape of the Mountebank +3, Rending Khopesh +4, Belt of Lucky Strikes, Ring of Fury x2
Level 30 Snapshot
Race: Half-Orc
Class: Fighter
Paragon Path: Blade Dancer
Epic Destiny: Punisher of the Gods

Stats (with racial bonuses):
Strength 26
Constitution 15
Dexterity 20
Intelligence 12
Wisdom 20
Charisma 10

Initiative +20
Hit Points 204 Bloodied 102 Surge Value 51 Surges 11
Defenses:
AC 44 Fort 41 Ref 37 Will 38
Speed 5
Passive Insight 30 Passive Perception 30

Khopesh Basic Attack +34 vs AC 2d8+21 damage

Feats:
Two Blade Warrior, Two Weapon Defense, Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade), Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade), Two-Weapon Fighting, Anger Unleashed, Two Weapon Threat, Reckless Attacker, Two Blade Opening, Heavy Blade Opportunity, Deadly Axe, Devastating Critical, Agile Tempest, Heavy Blade Mastery, Epic Resurgence, Ferocious Critical, Two Weapon Flurry, Rending Tempest, Mobile Warrior
Powers:
At-Will: Brash Strike, Dual Strike
Encounter: Furious Assault, Funneling Fury, Dance of Blades, Vorpal Tornado, Cross Body Parry, Immortal Curse, Warrior’s Urging, Cruel Reaper
Daily: Blade Dance, Earthquake Smash, Force the Battle, Devastation’s Wake
Utility: Pass Forward, Agile Approach, Into the Fray, Misleading Bladework, Regnant Shout, Repel Legions, Howl of Defiance

Skill Training: Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Gear: Agile Forgemail Armor +6, Quickhit Braces, Assault Boots, Strikebacks, Helm of Swift Punishment, Cape of the Mountebank +6, Rending Khopesh +6, Belt of Lucky Strikes, Ring of Fury x2
Wrapping Up

That about covers it for this guide. It’s my first time trying to write one when it comes to min / maxing, but I hope that I did a good and comprehensive job. I’d appreciate all the feedback that you can giving me regarding this guide and how to best improve it if I missed something.

I’d like to thank:



Also, if anyone decides to play one of these builds, post your results. I’d love to hear about exactly how far you can get in terms of the longest set of critical chain rolls. Enjoy, Happy Gaming!