Sources of strength bonuses?

[wulfster42]

Working on a eldrich knight..who is pretty awesome. Starting str was 16, all level up stats into it (except 1). Only need an 18 int long term (so +4 item before resting, then switch out for fox's).

I got bulls + legendary for +10 strength right there (Size and enhancement), also get +2 from transmutation focus (Level 1 and 5 wizard).

I know if I shapeshift (spells) I can get a bonus that way (Though I think they may be size bonuses anyway).....but that won't work with my Faulchard build anyway.

Are there other types of strength bonuses that stack? Trying to calculate my end game strength.

Looking like it will end up at 20 base + 12 (from above). I think rage spell could give me 2 more, and I'm pretty sure there will be higher then 4 enhancement bonuses on eq etc. Not sure if there is another way to get moral bonuses, luck bonuses etc to strength or not.

Would like to get up to about 40 strength if that is possible (42 would be ideal...since that is +24 damage a pop). Goign with the x3 faulchard (18-20 base, 15-20 with improved crit). I'm playing solo, so i'll hit 20 very early and have that sweet spell crit ability, along with level 8 wizard spells.

3d6 sneak attack (one from feat, 4 rogue levels, 1 fighter level, 5 wizard, 10 eldrich).

Anyway, just curious, I'm sure it'll work, but more strength = better (more AB + more damage).

Should qualify for both weapon spec and greater weapon spec as well (not sure if i'll want both/get both though).

With size bonus on weapon + sneak attack + strength bonus, + enchant bonus on weapon + power attack, should be really sick damage per hit. Think it's 2d10 + 3d6 + 1d6 (corrosive) + 24 + 3+ 6 = 6-44 + 33 damage or so (with haste going shoud get 15+15+10+5+0 attacks (but with like +30 AB as well). Long as one of those crits (not to mention the extra/s I get if I kill anything) I can then always cast a quickened spell next round as well.

[Mork]

ring of circumstance +2 (stack with everything)
Item +8
Bokken master piece +2 all stat permanant

Also Transformation spell level6 for max BAB

[dwarner]

Bull’s strength is enhancement so doesn’t stack with most items.

If you want to do max damage look up Haplo’s builds. I think he’s hit 1,000.

[wulfster42]

Wow at Haplo's, I'll look that up.

YEah I just used Bulls in case I didn't get a good item, figured I'd get more.

Awesome on ring of circumstance and bokken master piece. Transformation stops me from being able to cats spells so it won't work sadly (since I am using crits to cast quickened spells).

Legendary (early on enlarge), gives me a nice size bonus though, greater reach (wider then weapon by itself) and higher base weapon damage as well.

So need 1 ring slot for circumstance, a +8 strength item of some kind, and bokken and I ...should be able to get 22 base + 6 size + 8 enhancement + 2 ring + 2 bokken which is 40 strength total. Just need to get 2 more from somewhere to hit 42 (which is what I really want to hit.

Could not boost con (lose out on 1 hp a level) and pump all 5 into strength then would only need 1 more strength from somewhere to hit 42.

Ain't gonna be 1000 damage, but should be over 60 damage per hit easy at that point, with a 30% chance to crit for 3x most of it. If all 5 attacks hit....and even just 1 enemy dies (cleave finish bonus) that gives 2 average crits as well for over 100 damage each, and a total damage (as long as there are at least 2 enemies in range to hit) of about 500 or so.

With the reach though, if the enemies have less then 100 hp, and greater final cleave, I could in theory wipe them all out lolz. That at least is what I'm aiming for (forget a group of 8 characters (including pets), I'll have 1 character that not only can destroy groups of enemies in melee with insane damage (still will have a good initiative as well, in fact probably will grab the inititive familiar now that I think about it, as stealth isn't as important (it'll still be maxed) since I can cast invisibility/vanish etc, and I move at full speed in stealth). So with the inititive feat and familiar that is +8 inititive and my dex with spell (even with negative from size), will add another 6 or so....so +14 inititive...I should get to go first, even if you stealth doesn't work out/I get spotted).

[Mork]

There are some late game food that give you + 4 stat at random. The only other way i see is strength mutagen.You could change rogue for vivisectionist?

[wulfster42]

I am playing solo, so I really need uncanny dodge (Even if I should normally be killing everything), also need trickery as a class feat, but I'll look into vivi (kinda need/want the bonus feats from rogue as well, NEED the full speed sneak (since my plan is to sneak up till all enemies are in range then hopefully kill them all with 1 attack).

I looked up the high damage builds and they are pretty awesome, but not a combined spell class with all buffs etc, nor nearly as much defense (from spells etc). Because of Crit spells, I can recast mirror image at will for instance, running in with greater invisibility going + mirror images + stealth.

Should be a pretty defensive build all together (needed for solo), trick is to just kill everything so fast it doesn't get a chance to hit me (at least weed out the masses that way, so only a few enemies are left). Long as I get even 1 crit, I can then cast a combat spell next turn quickened (as a swift action, so still attack and move). I can choose the spell based on what is needed, more then likely won't need mirror image (should by end game hit the full 8 images most of the time).

AC won't be great but greater invis = 50% concelment + mirror image should make me really hard to hit. I get evasion as well (to prevent all damage from many AoE spells as long as I save). My reflex save isn't going to be incredible though...but i'll do what I can with that.

Anyway I'll check on food options......and keep my eye out for other bonuses as well, I know rage would work but....that stops spellcasting again (so no go). I'm gonna go check vivisectionist, but I don't think it'll give me the full speed stealth which I need.

[wulfster42]

Well blah, the transmutation bonuses are enhancement....so worthless (completely), so I switched to diviniation. Means I only need to hit 38 strength (since wont' get to 42 without another +4 somewhere now), making that no longer an issue. Tons of other sources of damage anyway and 38 is still +21 damage from strength.

Because of diviniation (Still insane bonus to my inititive btw), I was able to go with the +2 reflex save familiar instead, which will help with my evasion saves. I'm not sure if the bonus from divination will go up with eldritch knight levels (as it boosts wizard level for spells), or stick at just +3 (wiz level/2 rounded up), but even +3 along with +4 from feat and bonus from dex etc is gonna put me ahead of most everything (+8 to dex from belt and +2 from ring (possibly +2 more to initiative as well) -2 from legendary...should net me a 24 dex or +7 initiative.

So should be (if I have it right) 7+3+4+2= +16 intititive...even if the divination bonus doesn't go up. If it does, that is +7 instead of +3 eventually...giving me +20 inititive (yeah, I'll go first).

Reflex save is the tricky one, which is why I went with that familiar......should get 7 from dex, 7 base, 8 from item, 4 from greater heroism and probably a bit more from other stuff. Should hit 26-30 which will hopefully be enough. Still can fail on a 1 no matter what though (so if tons of spells coming in, could be in trouble, but hopefully stealth + super high damage will take care of that.

Extend and quicken are the free metamagic feats I'm taking btw, long term I should get free quicken through spell crit, but that isn't till 20....and being able to cast mirror image instantly while still getting full attacks etc.....will be nice in a pinch till then. Extend is just to make my life easier with buffs (and to let me cast important buffs twice as much (like haste).

I don't see any luck, alchemy, moral etc bonuses to strength anywhere. Early on I could cast rage for +2 more strength (at the lost of casting spells). Seems you can still stealth while raged lol.

Oh well, so much for 42 strength, but this is probably better over all, really want the over the top inititive to ensure I always get first attack. Haste + greater invisibility means I can run wherever I want to start combat. Higher reflex save will probably help more long term since a few more damage isn't going to make that much difference when i'm already putting out so much per hit.

Off to go keep testing it out, so far I'm obliterating everything of course. I went rogue/rogue/wizard btw, getting fauchard at 3 (and extend not that I can use it yet). I got speed stealth with my free rogue 2 feet already (going to save my 4th rogue level feat and fighter level feat for later when I have more options to use them.

Next up will probably be critical finish, although, I'm tempted to go with great cleave first (since I won't get a second normal attack for awhile and cleave finisher only works once till I can get the greater version. Great cleave is a req for great cleave finisher (What I eventually want) so it doesn't hurt to get and with Fauchard + enlarge I can probably get most enemies in my attack range. As long as I one shot them all, Great cleave can kill a whole group, cleave finisher just lets me kill 1 extra (and doesn't seem to work well with cleave, since it happens right away when you kill the first enemy. I tested it and you don't get to kill 3 with cleave + finisher, just 2..which is dumb.

So probably go great cleave next, might even take fighter 1 next level to get it right away.

That would let me stealth into a group, great cleave em all, and move on lolz. Just very spread out groups would be annoying at that point.

[wulfster42]

I can eek out a bit more strength with another build, I give up some things, but add others.

So I get mutagen and 6 strength by going sorc, and abyssmal (so +10 str total).

Lets me get a bigger size bonus (10) as well.

Levels are 2 scaled fist monk (Evasion, 2 feats)/1 vivi (2d6 sneak attack + mutagen)/17 sorc.

17 str base + 5 = 22 base +8 enhancement + 4 mutagen + 10 size (dragon 3) + 2 ring +2 bokken

That gives me a 48 strength while still being able to cast spells (Even in beast forms with the feat).

Rage would add 2 more for 50, but then no spells (but most of my spells are all pre-buffs anyway and I can't crit spell anymore.

I go with the ferocious dragon form that gives 2x str bonus on first hit, and 1.5x on all other hits.

50 str gives +20 normally, so + 40 damage on first hit, and + 30 on all other hits.

Dragon gets alot of hits, all at full BAB. I am not sure if Haste lets you get the first hit bonus twice or not...but it might. Even if not that is 7 attacks per round at full BAB (wonder if flurry works with dragon form?).

I miss out on uncanny dodge which is gonna hurt, and...worst yet, no fast sneak *cry*...I will miss that even more then eventually getting crit spells, but.....I'll be a pretty awesome dragon hehe with 50 strength (usually 48 though cause I wanna use those spells hehe).

Mirror image with quicken for instance will be awesome, stone skin as needed etc (although with greater invis's perma displacement, and cha going to AC as well as dex...I probably won't get hit much!).

Not sure if mutagen is really worth it......it'll only last 10 minutes, but I really like being able to get my strength to 50!!! It also gives me 2d6 sneak attack damage and I don't really lose much for that at all (and I get more enlarge person spells early on:)