Sorry for doing two League builds in a row for those that actually care about the variety, but this is a build that I've wanted to put out for a while ever since I figured out a means of building it. Not too much more to deliberate on, so let's get going. As always, this build is conceptualized entirely in a vacuum, with choices made in an attempt to fit the character. These choices might not hold up in a campaign with different themes and should be adjusted accordingly.
Let's get into the build for Pyke, the Bloodharbor Ripper, from League of Legends!
PYKE, THE BLOODHARBOR RIPPER
CHARACTER Pyke
SOURCE League of Legends
BUILD GOALS
o In life, Pyke was a renowned harpooner upon the slaughter docks of Bilgewater, hauling in sea monsters and the like
o However, he met his death at the fangs of one of these sea monsters known as a Jaull-fish
o He returned from the dead, driven by a desire for vengeance with an ever-changing and ever-expanding list of those involved in his death
o In-game, Pyke fills the role of support but is typed as an assassin and a catcher, who opens up opportunities for their allies
o Pyke’s passive is Gift of the Drowned Ones, causing him to heal a percent of damage when he isn’t visible to enemies
o Bone Skewer causes Pyke to hurl his harpoon towards a target. On a hit, he then drags the target towards him
o With his Ghostwater Dive, Pyke submerges in spectral waters that render him camouflaged and increase his movement speed until he attacks or casts an ability
o Phantom Undertow allows Pyke to dash in a direction and leave behind a phantom at his starting position. After a brief delay, the phantom returns to Pyke and stuns everybody it passes through
o The final ability in Pyke’s arsenal is Death From Below, marking a location with X and then executing low health champions in the area. On a successful execution, Pyke can recast the ability
o Pyke is one of the playable characters in the Ruined King game where his abilities focus on applying debuffs, taking advantage of weakened targets, and diving into stealth
LEVEL 1
Ancestry & Heritage: Undine Human
o Ability Boosts & Flaws: +Strength, +Dexterity
o Ancestry Feat: Unconventional Weaponry – Bladed Scarf
Background: Revenant
o Ability Boosts: +Charisma, +Strength
o Skill Increase: Religion (trained), Boneyard Lore (trained)
Class & Subclass: Ruffian Rogue
o Class Ability Boost: +Strength
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (trained), Athletics (trained), Deception (trained), Intimidation (trained), Nature (trained), Society (trained), Stealth (trained), Survival (trained), Thievery (trained)
o Class Feat: You’re Next
o Skill Feat: Intimidating Glare
Details
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Charisma (Str 18, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 14)
The human ancestry is important to pick up the bladed scarf with Unconventional Weaponry for a weapon to represent his harpoon and its reach with Bone Skewer though we’re not quite there yet. I get that it’s weird but I swear it’ll make sense to everybody eventually. With the undine heritage, Pyke gains an admittedly slow swim speed but more importantly gains the amphibious trait, allowing him to breathe above and below water. His undead state is achieved through the revenant background to give him negative healing and reflect his return from being eaten by a Jaull-fish. Finally, ruffian rogue plays into him being an assassin with certain aspects of it working better with this particular build. You’re Next will actually end up playing into the effects of Death From Below, mostly in reference to his ability to recast it.
LEVEL 2
o Class Feat: Fighter Dedication
o Skill Feat: Underwater Marauder
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (expert), Occultism (trained)
o Gear: psychopomp mask
LEVEL 3
o General Feat: Ancestral Paragon – Aquatic Eyes
o Skill Feat: Intimidating Prowess
o Skill Increase: Stealth (expert)
o Gear: +1 bladed scarf, ring of discretion, psychopomp mask
LEVEL 4
o Class Feat: Dread Striker
o Skill Feat: Terrifying Resistance
o Skill Increase: Athletics (expert)
o Gear: skinsaw mask, +1 bladed scarf, necklace of knives, psychopomp mask
LEVEL 5
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Charisma (Str 19, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16)
o Ancestry Feat: Natural Ambition – Tumble Behind
o Skill Feat: Group Coercion
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (expert)
o Gear: +1 striking bladed scarf, 3, 3, necklace of knives, psychopomp mask, ring of discretion
The initial Fighter Dedication is something of a dead feat although it does at least make him trained in martial weapons. Dread Striker makes any creature frightened also flat-footed to him, allowing him to get his sneak attack off easier and playing slightly into the debuff focused version of Pyke found in the Ruined King game. I looked through what swim speed grants, and it doesn’t appear to mitigate the flat-footed condition while in water, so Underwater Marauder will at least help with that. Intimidating Prowess gives him a slight boost to his Intimidation skill when he can physically menace somebody. The other Intimidation feats don’t relate to anything specific but increase his general effectiveness and ability to use the skill. Picking up Aquatic Eyes allows Pyke to peer through the half-light of his harbor home. With Natural Ambition, Pyke will grab Tumble Behind, which plays into the dash portion of his Phantom Undertow ability.
LEVEL 6
o Class Feat: Basic Maneuver – Dragging Strike
o Skill Feat: Lasting Coercion
o Skill Increase: Survival (expert)
o Gear: +1 studded leather, +1 striking bladed scarf, demon mask, skinsaw mask, Jack’s tattered cape, necklace of knives
LEVEL 7
o General Feat: Fleet
o Skill Feat: Terrified Retreat
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (master)
o Gear: hauling weapon rune, +1 studded leather, goggles of night, +1 striking bladed scarf, bracelet of dashing, skinsaw mask
LEVEL 8
o Class Feat: Opportune Backstab
o Skill Feat: Swift Sneak
o Skill Increase: Stealth (master)
o Gear: boots of bounding, hauling weapon rune, lesser dread armor rune, +1 studded leather, +1 striking bladed scarf, demon mask
LEVEL 9
o Ancestry Feat: Strong Swimmer
o Skill Feat: Battle Cry
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (master)
o Gear: +1 resilient studded leather, boots of bounding, deathless armor rune, hauling weapon rune, goggles of night, +1 striking bladed scarf
LEVEL 10
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Dexterity, +Constitution, +Charisma (Str 20, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 18)
o Class Feat: Gang Up
o Skill Feat: Quiet Allies
o Skill Increase: Athletics (master)
o Gear: mask of the banshee, +1 resilient leather, invisibility armor rune, boots of bounding, hauling weapon rune, +1 striking bladed scarf
The main reason that Pyke even picks up the Fighter Dedication is so that he can get Dragging Strike. With the reach trait of his bladed scarf, he can hit a target at range and then pull them in closer, mimicking the effects of his Bone Skewer. Pyke was designed as a support champion and the feats of Opportune Backstab and Gang Up play into that aspect of working alongside others. In this block, Pyke also gains the Debilitating Strike class feature that fits into the debuffing version of Pyke in the Ruined King. Ghostwater Dive increases Pyke’s movement speed, but the closest I can get to that is the Fleet feat. Swift Sneak plays into Ghostwater Dive as well, allowing Pyke to Sneak at full speed. Quiet Allies further plays into the idea of Pyke supporting his companions.
LEVEL 11
o General Feat: Fast Recovery
o Skill Feat: Titan Wrestler
o Skill Increase: Thievery (expert)
o Gear: +2 striking bladed scarf, mask of the banshee, armbands of athleticism, +1 resilient leather, boots of bounding, deathless armor rune
LEVEL 12
o Class Feat: Critical Debilitation
o Skill Feat: All of the Animal
o Skill Increase: Survival (master)
o Gear: +2 resilient leather, +2 striking bladed scarf, greater demon mask, armbands of athleticism, frost weapon rune, invisibility armor rune
LEVEL 13
o Ancestry Feat: Bounce Back
o Skill Feat: Kip Up
o Skill Increase: Nature (expert)
o Gear: +2 greater striking bladed scarf, +2 resilient leather, greater hauling weapon rune, greater demon mask, armbands of athleticism, greater shadow armor rune
LEVEL 14
o Class Feat: Leave an Opening
o Skill Feat: Terrain Expertise – Aquatic
o Skill Increase: Thievery (master)
o Gear: bag of holding (type IV), +2 greater striking bladed scarf, greater fearsome weapon rune, +2 resilient leather, greater demon mask, cloak of the bat
LEVEL 15
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Constitution, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str 21, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 19)
o General Feat: Toughness
o Skill Feat: Scare to Death
o Skill Increase: Intimidation (legendary)
o Gear: +2 greater resilient leather, bag of holding (type IV), boots of speed, +2 greater striking bladed scarf, greater hauling weapon rune, greater goggles of night
While it requires some difficult confluence of events, Pyke can potentially use Tumble Behind to dash through an enemy and leave the flat-footed to hopefully score a critical hit, which will allow him to trigger his Critical Debilitation and potentially deliver a stun, as per the full effects of his Phantom Undertow. In parties that have allies with the Attack of Opportunity reaction, Leave an Opening further allows Pyke to behave as support, but if building Pyke in a party without an AoO, consider options such as Vicious Debilitations to lay down more debuffs or go for Spring From the Shadows to really get the effect of Ghostwater Dive. All of the Animal is meant to reference Pyke’s work as a harpooner on the Slaughter Docks and the work he did slicing up the animals they hauled in. Given his aquatic environs, Terrain Expertise (Aquatic) seemed an obvious choice. Fast Recovery is meant to mimic the effects of Pyke’s Gift of the Drowned Ones though the healing it provides isn’t quite as fast as that.
LEVEL 16
o Class Feat: Advanced Maneuver – Shatter Defenses
o Skill Feat: Legendary Sneak
o Skill Increase: Stealth (legendary)
o Gear: greater frost weapon rune, +2 greater resilient leather, greater boots of bounding, bag of holding (type IV), +2 greater striking bladed scarf, greater fearsome weapon rune
LEVEL 17
o Ancestry Feat: Aquatic Eyes
o Skill Feat: Survey Wildlife
o Skill Increase: Acrobatics (legendary)
o Gear: +3 greater striking bladed scarf, greater frost weapon rune, dragonscale amulet, +2 greater resilient leather, bag of holding (type IV), boots of speed
LEVEL 18
o Class Feat: Spring From the Shadows
o Skill Feat: Legendary Survivalist
o Skill Increase: Survival (legendary)
o Gear: belt of giant strength, +3 greater striking bladed scarf, speed weapon rune, greater frost weapon rune, +2 greater resilient leather, greater boots of bounding
LEVEL 19
o General Feat: Incredible Initiative
o Skill Feat: Foil Senses
o Skill Increase: Athletics (legendary)
o Gear: +3 greater resilient leather, belt of giant strength, dread blindfold, +3 greater striking bladed scarf, greater frost weapon rune, dragonscale amulet
LEVEL 20
o Ability Boosts: +Strength, +Intelligence, +Wisdom, +Charisma (Str 22, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 20)
o Class Feat: Hidden Paragon
o Skill Feat: Shadow Mark
o Skill Increase: Crafting (trained), Nature (master)
o Gear: +3 major striking bladed scarf, +3 greater resilient leather, titan’s grasp, dread blindfold, greater frost weapon rune, speed weapon rune
Because this build had to make use of the human ancestry for Pyke’s weapon, it couldn’t work in the hobgoblin ancestry with its Remorseless Lash feat. To cover for that, he can pick up Shatter Defenses to keep enemies frightened and therefore flat-footed to him and thus taking his sneak attack damage. For those that took Spring From the Shadows earlier, consider picking up Powerful Sneak instead, allowing Pyke to sneak attack ghosts and other such creatures that are traditionally immune to precision damage. Some might consider taking Enduring Debilitation at 20th level instead of Hidden Paragon and both are good feats for the build. A large gain during this block is gaining the Master Strike free action, which can deliver stuns or even kill foes outright, as per his Death From Below. Another gaining of the Aquatic Eyes ancestry feat gives Pyke full-on darkvision. After going through the various feats, Shadow Mark is maybe a skill feat that Pyke should have picked up earlier to stalk the victims on his list, but it's something I didn't actually think about.
FREE ARCHETYPE SUGGESTIONS: Obviously, the best choice for a free archetype for this build is the Fighter Dedication, which will allow Pyke to pick up some of his fighter feats earlier. Some good fighter feats to pick up outside of those he takes along the way is Intimidating Strike, Knockdown, and Positioning Strike. He will also be able to pick up Shatter Defenses earlier than he would otherwise be able to. He didn’t lose out on many rogue feats with his dip into the fighter archetype, but some options to replace the feats he wouldn’t have to spend include Brutal Beating to gain another way to inflict the frightened condition. Vicious Debilitations is another good option to fill in and is a feat I suggested as an option for others to make use of earlier in the build.
CONCLUSION
To cover his ability to survive and flourish in the depths, I built Pyke as an undine with the revenant heritage capturing his undead nature following his death at the fangs of a Jaull-fish. Ruffian rogue helps to capture the feel of him being an assassin-type character, but to give him a reach weapon that he can sneak attack with and eventually reel people in, as per his Bone Skewer, he’ll need to take Unconventional Weaponry to make use of the bladed scarf. Feats such as Gang Up, Opportune Backstab, Quiet Allies, and Leave an Opening play into his role as a support champion. As for his abilities themselves, the Fast Recovery feat is the closest way to get the effects of Gift of the Drowned. The fighter’s Dragging Strike with his reach weapon allows him to hit and reel in enemies to mimic Bone Skewer and his Ghostwater Dive is accomplished through feats such as Swift Sneak and Spring From the Shadows. Pulling off Phantom Undertow requires some luck on Pyke’s part as while the first part of it can be accomplished with Tumble Behind, he needs to crit so that he can use Critical Debilitation or gain Master Strike to stun the target. Finally, Master Strike serves to cover the execution effect of Death From Below and delivering a kill will trigger You’re Next, allowing him to potentially frighten foes, which will make them flat-footed to him, thanks to Dread Striker. This will allow him to make Master Strikes against the new target, mimicking the recast ability that it has. Somewhat incidentally, I ended up including some abilities to mimic the Ruined King Pyke with his ability to deliver debuffs through his Debilitating Strike.
Be sure to lemme know what you think of the build and who else you might like to see! If you want to join in on the discussion of these builds and the ones I do for monsters or just hang out with a bunch of fellow TTRPG nerd, check out the Discord server. We also have a Twitter where we try to post teasers for the blog and are trying to get some milestones made up for. Next week, I'm still deciding between two builds as for which one I'll exhibit first. Until then, have a fantastic Friday!
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