name: Gendarme (Human)
concept: >
  Pure Human STR Gendarme 20 with a Longspear: the reddit one-hit charge build. A mounted Spirited Charge multiplies
  the whole hit after the crit, so the Trickster crit chain (Improved Critical II-IV and the mythic feat, x5) times
  the charge multiplier is the nuke. Sustained DPR is a plain full attack; the charge is reported beside it.
  Ported from the user's Gemini build (2026-10-02).
open_questions:
  - "Source build listed 'Mythic Charge (Feat)' (no such feat; Weapon Focus (Mythic) moved here) and 'Rupturing Storm' (not in the mythic catalog; Mythical Beast took the slot, user 2026-10-02)."
  - "Source bonus-feat levels (1, 5, 9, 13, 17) don't match Gendarme's (1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 20); remapped."
  - "Improved Critical II needs Perception rank 2 (mythic rank 5, level 15), so the chain is 15/17/19, not 13/15/17."
mythic_path: Trickster
mythic_rank: 10
size: medium
attack_ability: STR
race: Human
race_ability_choice: [STR]
weapon:
  - {level: 1, weapon: "Longspear"}
  - {level: 18, weapon: "Fabled Hero's Lance", why: "Laughing Caves, Act 5: 8d6 more on a charge and +2 attack and damage mounted; the mounted charge gains 14% (536 to 611 at 18) for -5% in full attacks on foot (Oversized -2). A charge build takes it."}
setup:
  - {level: 1, main_hand: "Longspear", why: "Counts as a lance for Spirited Charge in game (user, 2026-10-02)."}
  - {level: 18, main_hand: "Fabled Hero's Lance"}
level_up_stats: [STR, STR, STR, STR, STR]
abilities:
  str_: 18
  dex: 13
  con: 14
  int_: 10
  wis: 12
  cha: 14
levels: [Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme, Gendarme]
armor:
  - {level: 1, armor: "Half Plate", why: "Heavy armor from the start (user, 2026-10-09)."}
  - {level: 4, armor: "Full Plate"}
  - {level: 6, armor: "Mithral Full Plate", why: "Counts as medium once worn, so the medium Armor Focus feats apply; level assumed (Act 2 vendors). Kept over Carapace, whose fixed +2 is 1-3 AC below the common +X from 10 (its riposte isn't counted)."}
equipment:
  - armor_enhancement
  - amulet_of_natural_armor
  - ring_of_protection
  - weapon_enhancement
  - belt_of_physical_perfection
  - headband_of_mental_perfection
animal_companion: gendarme_horse
fights_mounted: true
mount:
  feats:
    - {level: 1, choice: Dodge}
    - {level: 3, choice: Improved Unarmed Strike, why: "Crane Style's prerequisite."}
    - {level: 5, choice: Crane Style, why: "Fighting defensively at -2: +4 dodge AC with Mobility 3."}
    - {level: 7, choice: Outflank}
  armor: [Chainshirt Barding, Leather Barding, Bracers of Armor +9]
  equipment: [belt_of_physical_perfection]
  spells: [Mage Armor, Barkskin, Magic Vestment, Animal Growth]
  items:
    - {name: "Half of the Pair", level: 12, why: "The other half of the rider's pendant: a mount and its rider are always within 10 feet (user, 2026-10-22)."}
picks:
  cavalier_order:
    - {level: 1, choice: "Order of the Sword", why: "Mounted Mastery (8): CHA to damage on a mounted charge, inside the crit."}
  general_feat:
    - {level: 1, choice: "Mounted Combat"}
    - {level: 3, choice: "Outflank"}
    - {level: 5, choice: "Weapon Focus:Longspear"}
    - {level: 7, choice: "Dazzling Display"}
    - {level: 9, choice: "Shatter Defenses"}
    - {level: 11, choice: "Improved Critical:Longspear"}
    - {level: 13, choice: "Combat Reflexes"}
    - {level: 15, choice: "Improved Critical II:Longspear"}
    - {level: 17, choice: "Improved Critical III:Longspear"}
    - {level: 19, choice: "Improved Critical IV:Longspear"}
  bonus_feat:
    - {level: 1, choice: "Spirited Charge", why: "Human's extra 1st-level feat: the charge multiplier."}
    - {level: 1, choice: "Power Attack"}
    - {level: 3, choice: "Cleave"}
    - {level: 6, choice: "Great Cleave"}
    - {level: 9, choice: "Indomitable Mount"}
    - {level: 12, choice: "Mounted Shield"}
    - {level: 15, choice: "Critical Focus", why: "+4 to confirm crits; the nuke needs the confirm."}
    - {level: 18, choice: "Dodge"}
    - {level: 20, choice: "Toughness"}
  mythic_hero:
    - {level: 5, choice: Close to the Abyss, mythic_rank: 1}
  mythic_ability:
    - {level: 5, choice: "Mythic Charge", mythic_rank: 1, why: "+1d6 divine per mythic rank on a charge, multiplied by the charge."}
    - {level: 11, choice: "Mythical Beast", mythic_rank: 3, why: "The mount gets + (half mythic rank + 1) STR, DEX and CON."}
    - {level: 15, choice: "Ever Ready", mythic_rank: 5}
    - {level: 18, choice: "Last Stand", mythic_rank: 7}
    - {level: 18, choice: "Leading Strike", mythic_rank: 9}
  mythic_feat:
    - {level: 8, choice: "Weapon Focus (Mythic):Longspear", mythic_rank: 2}
    - {level: 12, choice: "Improved Critical (Mythic):Longspear", mythic_rank: 4, why: "+1 crit multiplier."}
    - {level: 17, choice: "Power Attack (Mythic)", mythic_rank: 6}
    - {level: 18, choice: "Critical Focus (Mythic)", mythic_rank: 8, why: "Auto-confirms crits: every threat on the charge is a x5 crit."}
    - {level: 20, choice: "Flawless Attacks", mythic_rank: 10}
  mythic_trick:
    - {level: 11, choice: "Perception 1", mythic_rank: 3}
    - {level: 15, choice: "Improved Mythic Trick: Perception (Rank 2)", mythic_rank: 5, why: "Unlocks Improved Critical II-IV."}
items:
  - {name: "Engraved Lucky Bracers", level: 1, until_level: 17, why: "+1 luck AC in the free wrist slot."}
  - {name: "Half of the Pair", level: 12, why: "Act 3, Drezen (Arsinoe) and Artisan's Tower (Devarra), around the Ivory Sanctum, about level 12 (user, 2026-10-22): one half on the rider, the other on the horse, always within 10 feet while mounted, so both get +2 circumstance attack and AC (user, 2026-10-22). It takes the neck from the natural armor amulet."}
  - {name: "Embroidered Gloves", level: 18, why: "+3 luck AC in the free hands slot (replaces the bracers' +1 luck)."}