Mjolnir Bloodstorm - Thor (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

Introduction

Thor throws his mighty greathammer dealing godly (300 hp) damage.

This character was inspired by the Thor movie. The power of this character revolves around a thrown greathammer. The Bloodstorm Blade is the basis of this build, which allows a thrown weapon to immediately return and thus make itterative attacks at range. A combination of Power Attack and Heedless Charge maximizes the damage, but minimizes the AC.

References

• Complete Champion: Spiritual Totem
• Complete Warrior: Master Thrower, Shock Trooper, Throw Anything
• Players Handbook: Barbarian, Fighter, Rapid Shot, Quick Draw, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization
• Players Handbook II: Ranged Weapon Mastery
• Magic of Faerum: Heavy Weapon
• Tome of Battle: Crusader, Bloodstorm Blade, Warblade
• Races of the Dragon: Dragonborn
• Unearthed Arcana: Flaws, Water Orc

Game Rule Components

Stances & Maneuvers

• Punishing Stance: +1d6 damage
• Wall of Blades: Replace AC with attack roll result
• Moment of Perfect Mind: Use concentration check in place of Will save
• Action Before Thought: Use concentration check in place of Reflex save

Items

• Large +5 Heavy goliath greathammer: Two handed 4d6 (20x4 critical)
• Crystal Of Energy Assault (1d6 electrical)
• Strongarm bracers
• +6 Strength Item
• Gauntlets of extended range

Progression

Starting Ability Scores (Before Racial Adjustments): Str: 18 Dex: 14 Con: 14 Int: 12 Wis: 8 Cha: 8 (32pt buy)

Race (Templates): Dragonborn Water Orc)

Starting Racial Traits: +4 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, -2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha

Flaws (Templates): Inattentive, Poor Reflexes

Alternate Class Features: Barbarian Spiritual Totem (Lion)

ECL	Class/HD/LA	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Feats	Class Features	Special
			Fort	Ref	Will
1st	Warblade 1	+1	+2	+0	+0	Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Greathammer), Weapon Focus, Power Attack	Stances
2nd	Fighter 1	+2	+4	+0	+0		Weapon Specialization
3rd	Fighter 2	+3	+5	+0	+0	Shock Trooper	Point Blank Shot
4th	Barbarian 1	+4	+7	+0	+0		Pounce
5th	Crusader 1	+5	+9	+0	+0		Stances
6th	Bloodstorm Blade 1	+6	+11	+0	+0	Precise Shot	Returning attacks, Throw Anything
7th	Bloodstorm Blade 2	+7	+12	+0	+0		Martial Throw
8th	Bloodstorm Blade 3	+8	+12	+1	+1		Rapid Shot
9th	Bloodstorm Blade 4	+9	+13	+1	+1	Ranged Weapon Mastery	Lightning ricochet
10th	Master Thrower 1	+10	+13	+3	+1		Quick Draw, Deadeye Shot
11th	Master Thrower 2	+11	+13	+4	+1		Evasion
12th	Master Thrower 3	+12	+14	+4	+2	Feat	Palm Throw
13th	Master Thrower 4	+13	+14	+5	+2		Snatch Arrows
14th	Master Thrower 5	+14	+14	+5	+2		Critical throw, Weak Spot
15th	Warblade 2	+15	+15	+5	+2	Feat
16th	Warblade 3	+16	+15	+6	+3
17th	Warblade 4	+17	+16	+6	+3
18th	Warblade 5	+18	+16	+6	+3	Feat	Bonus feat
19th	Warblade 6	+19	+17	+7	+4
20th	Warblade 7	+20	+17	+7	+4

At level 20: Warblade 7 / Crusader 1 / Barbarian 1 / Bloodstorm Blade 4/ Master Thrower 5

Highlights

Use any charge maneuver to move at least 10 feet, the pounce ability allows for a full attack even though most charge maneuvers suggest it is just a single attack. Don't move more than you have to, since you will likely want to charge again next round. Pick a charge maneuver such as Radiant Charge that addes an extra 6d6 damage.

Use rapid shot to get an extra attack during the charge. You throw your greathammer (60 ft range increment) and thanks to Lightning Ricochet it immediatly returns to you allowing for all your attacks to be made with a single weapon.

Since you charged you can use Shock Troopers Heedless Charge to subtract 20 points of power attack from your AC instead of your to hit. Since you are using a two handed weapon your 20 points of power attack is applied at 40 extra points of damage. So at level 20 your attack is +35/+35/+30/+25/+20 doing 4d6+62 points of bludgening damage, plus 1d6 electrical, plus 1d6 for Punishing Stance, with a 19-20x5 critical. The average damage verses an AC50 foe is 289 points of damage in one round. The average damage verses an AC30 foe is 413 points of damage in one round. Your damage will vary somewhat depeding on the specifics of your build.

The downside is Headless Charge floors your AC to the point where a lowely commoner could hit you. However taking the wings option from Dragonborn keeps you relativly safe. You also have Wall of Blades that you can use to block a single incomming attack. Normally ranged damage is significantly less than melee damage, and you have enough HP to outlast most foes under these conditions. Your weak reflex and will saves are offset by Action Before Thought and Moment of Perfect Mind, which allow you to use your concentration check in place of a save. Again only once. These maneuvers can be recharged each round if necessary.

So you can one shot most foes, if not your fellow party members can probably finish them off. The best defense is a good offense, and this guy has a HUGE offense.

For mirror image, you simply use the Master Thrower ability Weak Spot combined with Palm Throw and 10 of your cheapest daggers. You should be able to eliminate the mirror image with touch attacks of +29/+29/+24/+19/+14 with an additional +29/+29/+24/+19/+14. You deal a paltry 1d6 points of damage per hit, but the mirror image should be gone.

Munchkin-Size Me

• Enlarge for a 10 ft reach and a larger weapon. Need sizing or build the greathammer as huge to begin with.

• Take the Fighter Dungeon Crasher alternate class feature + Knockback feat to deal an extra 4d6 damage. Your flying and technically the ground is a solid surface. The downside is that once your foe is prone your get a -4 tohit adjustment from a thrown weapon.

• Take Hurling Charge feat for an extra attack.

• Robilar's Gambit and/or Combat Rhythm feats.

• Take 1 level of Exotic Weapon Master for Close-Quarters Ranged Combat stunt.

• If your 5th attack misses most of the time, convert it to a touch attack using Weak Spot

• Take an extra Crusader level to get more charge maneuvers. Can't take more than 1 because of the XP penalties.

• I selected a greathammer for the "Thor" theme, however a Jovar or other exotic weapon might do more damage with a better critical range.

Side Notes

• A DM may rule that you can't pounce with a charge maneuver. This reduces the damage, but the build still works well.
• A DM may rule that you can't charge with a thrown weapon. Technically you can charge and make a melee attack, which the Bloodstone Blade provides. If the DM rules against this, then the build needs to drop Heedless Charge and likely Power Attack. Under these conditions you will do about half the damage stated above.

DM Counters

• Indoor settings may limit the flying ability, making your lack of AC more of a problem. Indoor settings may also limit your ability to charge 10 ft.
• Flying foes that end their turn adjacent to you can be a problem. You can't charge, you can't use rapid shot (with out an AOO), and your AC becomes important to you.
• Antimagic is only a minor hinderence. Most of your abilities are class, feat, or race abilities and are unaffected by antimagic fields.
• Usual defences against meleers (distance, illusions, concealment, etc)
  • Your greathammer has a 60ft range increment, with a x5 maximum increment. This means you can only throw it 300 ft. Anything farther and you will have to break out a bow, severly limiting your damage.
  • You have crappy will saves for illusions (Get a Scout's Headband)
• Multiple reflex/will saves. You can only use your concentration check in place of a reflex/will save once a round. Beholders and the like can become a serious problem. So can a group of mid level casters chucking out fireballs + quicked fireballs.

Miscellaneous

I only played this character for one session at level 14. I one shotted most foes, the ones I didn't my party finished off. I critted a CR 16 demon and did 500+ hp of damage, which killed it (of course). The biggest problem I had was with a huge earth elemental, he was able to reach up 30 ft and sunder my shield. Next round I flew up higher and it wasn't an issue anymore. Kept me busy but still put it down in 3 rounds.

At the end of the session the DM recalled me to Valhalla, my ancestral home to fight in a planer battle. One the side he told me my character (and any anything similar) was banned. The character was a blast to play, but WAY overpowered, even for our optimized party. The monsters just aren't built to take 300 points of damage in 1 round, it just broke the game.

I've read about other builds that can do 1000+ hp of damage in one round, so this isn't the highest damage build around, nor the most broken.

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