Theorycraft

While I'm not an RM, I am a berserker, and AFAIk we are affected by the augment cap unless we have marauder. (Wrath removes the cap). Therefore I think it was at least implied that an augment cap is in place for berserker rage. That may adversely change how your damage is calculated for the berserker druid.

Well shoot.
Okay, here is a revised version that obeys the augment cap, costs the same as Matt's list, and has 11 build to spare on whatever is wanted.
20 Damage list
Ogre Berserker Cleric
Ogre Wrath 10 (Str +1)
Monstrous Body 10 (Str +1)
Berserker (free)
Strength +3 45
Berserker Rage 5
Cleric (of Aguara or brazen)10
Lore Divinity 1
Clerics Weapon (2HE Blunt) 2
Sacrament Domain (0)
War Domain (0)
Prowess 1
1 FP free from opening the class
84 build, leaving 11 for what ever you want (as 95 is required for berserker rage)

Some fun, silly builds/scenarios:

Ogre Warrior Monk/Acrobat/Daredevil:
Soak=1 (ogre racial)+ 3 (iron body)+1 (defensive fighting)+4 (expert reflexes)+3 (expert agility)=12 while not wearing armor.

5 Vanguards in shield wall, each with hero's stance. For 30 seconds there is only one person in that shield wall capable of taking non-superior damage; the rest heal 50 body. Go team cheese grater!

You can only get 5 soak from non-armor non-rune sources (unless it's against a specific source), so most of that is moot.

Still, soak of 8 without having any hinderence ain't bad. Pick up warrior and it can go to 9 soak.

I've been thinking about this and everyone seems to be using mostly warrior and rogue classes. How about we switch this up?

Sylph Mage: Free class
Sphere of Influence: Fire (Free)
Lore: Magic (1)
Absorb Magic: (10)
Fire Strike: (1)
Rank 1 Fire Spell: (1)
Fireball: (2)
Magic Points: 30
(Staff, Small Weapon, Literacy and Adv. take the remaining 5 build)
50 build and I can consistently deal 25 30 (with the update) fire damage while still having enough build to read and fight with basic weapons. Absorb magic gets me 10 more uses (or 9 if I use Fire Strike to trigger it)
(Casting fire strike twice takes two mana and allows me to absorb magic. Please tell me if I'm not supposed to be eating my own fire.)

Challenge:

What is the least expensive way (build wise, no runes) to deal 20 damage with a melee weapon?

Show your work!

Technically, I am dealing 20 damage in this build and have a melee weapon in it.

Either way, a good attempt. Any build after that is going towards weaponcast, MP, or Incinerate.

A bit of thread necromancy here.

What's the best "bartender" build, playing into the trope that the bartender is an absolute monster in a fight, but only fights when someone messes with his bar. Extra points if the build somehow gives the ability to be privy to information that most wouldn't have access to.

Father Ridigan wrote: A bit of thread necromancy here.

What's the best "bartender" build, playing into the trope that the bartender is an absolute monster in a fight, but only fights when someone messes with his bar. Extra points if the build somehow gives the ability to be privy to information that most wouldn't have access to.

Dwarf Gambler/Alchemist.

Run games in the back, serve up "Brews" That function as potions. And when someone gets out of line, you use slight of hand to administer this into their drink:

Secret Recipe: Insidious Poison
Ingestible. 1 hour after consumption the victim drops to the last minute of the Critical Stage of their death count. Upon death the poison dissipates into the body and cannot be detected by any means.
"Odorless. Tasteless. Dissolves instantly in liquid. And has claimed more life tags than Steve Oros."



....Don't look at me like that. I totally haven't been planning on bringing in this character for over a year.

Hey Tom,

Sounds to me like the majority of your challenge could be accomplished with equal parts good rp and time, mixed together and poured into a glass of solid attentiveness. A friendly and helpful demeanor will always get you more info than using skills ever will.

As for the combat side of things, it depends on what style of combat you're looking for. If you are looking to be lethal, Drew's suggestion is a fantastic one, though a bit more of a covert method of combat. Alternatively, a Berserker could be a monster in a fight, but it doesn't mean that they are relatively good at killing an opponent; it takes a huge amount of time to fight someone down to 0 and then killing blow compared to poisoning them or quickbinding+kbing. That's going to be something you want to think over and decide fits the playstyle more.

If you're dead set though on being lethal and having the ability to get more info out of people through the use of skills, psion can provide you with a nice toolset. It will have some weaknesses- specifically your health- but being behind a bar will help you get a little breathing space to fire off your attacks.

Hope that gives you some food for thought. Good luck with the character concept designing!

My personal build for best fighting bartender would be Satyr Alchemist (or Healer) and Buccaneer. Buccaneer may sound like a strange choice but it offers three things of importance to this build:
1: The Pirate Accent.
2: Tolerance.
3: Intimidate.

Tolerance is best because of a Satyr's alcoholic endurance in terms of having drinking games with rowdy patrons and Intimidate should help with the ones who can't handle that.

As for potions, I'd start with the rank 1 and 2 healing recipes, ingested poison, Fire Bomb (because pirate) a rank 1 hermetic of choice and itching powder (for fun.)

Intimidate and Treasure Sense are good for being privy to unusual information, as is poison (if used correctly) and itching powder (if used excessively.)

As for combat, Get a sword, get a knife, get waylay and get Subdue.

I'd say that gives you a good start, but oh the things you could do with Pioneer Bartender Alchemist...

Something I'd like to see is the Battle Bard. Bonus points if you use a 1HB guitar as your weapon. Even more bonus points if you don't use any of the 'Warrior' Classes, such as Cav. Chaos Warrior, or even Swashbuckler.

Brawler, Bard, scholar, racketeer. The ultimate self buffer. When properly prepared, this Bard build has scrolls available for any situation. Even better when they bring friends.

Either way, you'll want to go heroic scholar for the tome. You can either go heroic Bard, brawler, or racketeer, depending on play style.

That build is not good for defenses. Swap out Brute for Warrior monk and it's amazing however.

Scholar is for the defenses. All of those latent spells, druicics, bardics, and prayers, cast from scrolls.

Hmmm. Iron Body would be helpful, but being a Brute has the damage. Then again, Warrior Monks don't have 1HB for lute-fighting...hmmm, tough call.

Father Ridigan wrote: Scholar is for the defenses. All of those latent spells, druicics, bardics, and prayers, cast from scrolls.

But Tom, what are you gonna do about my OTHER cleave? :)

Plus one piercing attack and you're kinda done for.

Remember, the Battle Bard isn't just about fighting him. It's about fighting him, and all of his friends that he has buffed.

As far as piercing, that's what master plan is for. Also, most things that have the piercing trait are superior. That's what master rogue is for.

The roleplay aspect amuses me the most, especially with Heroic Warrior Monk

"My pupil, today you have almost defeated me, he who has taught you everything you know. But there is one thing I have not taught you...

"...The way ofThe Music Man!"

(The above would be followed by a Nocturne of Recovery on the lute and Fanfare of Victory delivered verbally, alongside whatever scrolls you want to come next.)

You know, since a few people (myself included) seem to be enjoying making various mixups of professions and races, I'm going to list a few concepts that I think will be amusing to play, and let's see which character would come out on top:

The Perfect Paladin (What is the minimum amount of build required to become one of the Holiest of the Holy?)
Necromancer Cavalier of The Light Gods! What is the least amount of build necessary to have an army of resurrected Knights by your side?

The Muscle Wizard/Priest/Druid (unarmed combat and weaponcasting. Challenge: No combat proficiencies)
The Wall (The One Man you can't break, Challenge: even if he can't do anything else)
The Paratrooper (Oh, I'm just an Acrobat...nothing special)
The Gentlemonk (A Monk who follows and ancient monastic code...of etiquette)
The Artillery (Every available 'Gun' combined with whatever else you define as artillery)

Terzak wrote: The Perfect Paladin (What is the minimum amount of build required to become one of the Holiest of the Holy?)

I think Matt White's exact words were: "Don't call us, we'll call you."