Gallo's page

I'm not having much fun playing my Witch/Druid (2/2) in Serpent's Skull so he is going to retire to the jungle at the end of book 1.....

So as a replacement I was thinking of playing a character who only uses Unarmed Strike in melee - a kind of boxer/wrestler/streetfighter kind of character. My Kingmaker character is a fighter with a heavy-flail so I'd like to try a melee type who doesn't have a big weapon to smack things with, and the challenge of playing a melee type who is unarmoured (or light armour only) appeals.

I like the idea of a few levels of monk (possibly either Master of Many Styles or Martial Artist) and a couple of levels of Fighter (Brawler Archetype for the level 3 weapon training) or perhaps Urban Barbarian for the rage powers (Beast Totem line).

At this stage he/she will only be level 4, but I'd be interested in ideas for progression up to about level 14.

A few considerations:

I don't want to play a single class character, so any combination of classes is fine.

Race - human or half-orc (biting people while grappling is encouraged :)

Point Buy - 20

I'd like to use the Crane Style combat feat chain (for the one attack per round deflection) and possibly Boar style (for the extra damage).

Anyway, there seem so many possible combinations so I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Thanks!

My group is starting Serpent's Skull tonight and I am planning to play a "Witch Doctor" style character, with the aim of taking the Mystic Theurge PrC at level 7. He would not be a "blaster" but do lots of summoning and buffing/utility stuff.

I know MT has some potential power issues but still want to give it a go as much for RP potential as anything else. My DM says I can take the Magical Knack trait twice to boost my caster level of both classes to help compensate for the slower access to higher level spells.

I am starting as a Druid (Saurian Shaman from UM). But I am not sure whether to have my arcane class as a Wizard (Divination or Conjuration) or Witch.

The other members of the party look like being an Elf Alchemist and a TW Fighter or Ranger (not sure of race - though me and the TW player are thinking of having "pygmy" like characters - basically small humans - to fit in with the jungle theme).

A Witch feels more flavoursome, but with an animal companion already I'm not sure a familiar is what I want. Given I'll probably initially only take 3 levels of each class (levels 17+ not really in my thoughts at the moment), what do you think?

A wizard gets scribe scroll and bonded item.
A Witch gets two hexes and a familiar.

With Boon Companion my Triceratops companion will become large at level 7 but not progress beyond that unless I keep taking some levels of Druid (which I probably will do anyway to get basic wildshaping).

I would be interested in your views on a variant to the Cavalier based around a foot soldier. (Noting that a cavalier without a horse would need a different name!)

By way of background, I am playing Kingmaker and have reached the dizzying heights of Fighter 2. As we will apparently be building a kingdom and taking on leadership roles within it, my character is aiming to be a "general" down the track.

Much of the cavalier appeals to me as it seems to be the closest to a military leader in terms of abilities - tactics, banner etc.

My character is modelled roughly on a 15th century European mercenary (sole survivor of a defeated mercenary company [insert random backstory tale of woe here]), such as a Swiss pikeman/halberdier. He wields a halberd and is a "follow me" kind of guy as he launches into battle.

As such I like much of the Cavalier but the riding around on a noble steed doesn't suit (particularly for RP reasons).

I have been chatting with my DM about some modifications, such as....

Charge ability when charging on foot only.

Replace "mount" with man-at-arms. This is the tricky variant. How to make what could effectively be seen as a cohort work when my character is only level 3 (Ftr2/Cav1)? I was thinking of him being more of a standard-bearer who carries my company's banner for me (even if my company is only me, 5 hirelings who guard Oleg's and one (hopefuly) reformed bandit! The rest of the party wouldn't see themselves as part of "my" company) When I get the banner ability at Cav5 (iirc) he would actually have a role rather than just largely be a RP device.

Or could the man-at-arms be more of a "shield-bearer" who covers my flank (ie participates in combat primarily in a defensive role).

Grateful any thoughts or suggestions.

Gallo (aka Joseph Freiherr von Wolfenbuettel, Freikompanie Reislaufer)

I think the rules - both Pathfinder and previous D&D variants - undersell both the damaging power and difficulty of use of the sling.

Historically sling bullets (lead or clay/ceramic) had a greater range and more pentrative power than arrows from simple bows (a short bow in D&D rules). There are various reference for this - try www.slinging.org

Plus the sling is not a "simple" weapon - it takes a lot of practice to be proficient. It should be a martial weapon. At least with a short bow (a martial weapon) you can point in the right direction and hope for the best. With a sling you need to have far more trainig to make sure the bullet heads in the right direction (and not sidewards or backwards!)

So I suggest - as I use in my own "house rules" - that the sling be a martial weapon. Damage using a sling bullet should be 1d4 / 1d6 and range increment 60ft. Damage using a stone should be 1d3/1d4 and range say 40ft.

Then there is the whole damage/range issue of using larger stones - baseball sized - that would have a shorter range if thrown from a hand sling (one with the the appropriately sized "cup") but a longer range if thrown from a staff-sling.