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Organized Play Member. 306 posts. 1 review. No lists. No wishlists. 2 Organized Play characters.




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Hello everybody,

A couple of weekends ago I began work on a comprehensive guide to the Fighter as it has been quite awhile since the last one was written. While Rogue Eidolon's insights are quite good (Paizo did hire him after all) his guide sadly is Core only and the additional guides are pretty specific to particular builds. So, I've undertaken the mammoth task of working through everything available to the fighter.

One thing to note, I'm combining the sections on Combat Tricks and Combat Feats for the sake of efficiency. I try to make sure I describe what each Combat Trick does along with the descriptions of their corresponding feats and provide some evaluation for them as well. This is going to take awhile to complete so for now consider all evaluations preliminary.

I appreciate all feedback but as I'm actively working on the document I have disabled comments for now.

Click Here for the Google Doc

Status:
I currently have all archetypes save the race-specific ones evaluated. Additionally I have provided thoughts on Alternate Weapon Training options (they're mostly awesome) and am working through every combat feat, though I'll probably miss a few here or there.


I'm about to start running The Wormwood Mutiny in a few weeks for a six person party and would. As I'm working through my organization now I would like some advice from people who have already run the game. My party consists of the following:

Wizard - Focusing on Shadow, Light and Illusion spells. I'm allowing spell research and select third party spells as the concept is very interesting.
Bard - Focused on buffing and using the Fascinate performance. Playing a customized mermaid.
Gunslinger/Alchemist - Going for a Grenadier build with some switch hitting.
Unchained Monk - Going to be using a lot of crow control techniques.
Unchained Rogue - TWF build
Kineticist - Will be using air blasts for long range sniping.

I have two big concerns out of the box. The first is the lack of healing, which I can handle via treasure rewards. The second is that they'll have a lot of abilities that let them engage in effective combat without much gear. I'm a bit worried about the party trying to mutiny too early.

Any advice for somebody who's never run the campaign before?


I'm about to GM a game where one of my players will have a Primal Companion Hunter with a T-Rex. That's a pretty powerful baseline, but I want to clarify just how his evolution choices will interact with the base-line abilities of his animal companion.

My current question is, do the features that an Animal Companion has naturally qualify it for evolutions which rely on specific features?

As an example, the T-Rex has a pretty big tail already, does this qualify it for Tail Slap? Or would you have to pick up the Tail Evolution first, growing a second tail and then only get Tail Slap with that one?

I'm inclined to rule that each Animal Companion has a reasonable number of evolutions already, based on the physical form of the animal. I'm just curious if there is any official clarification on how this should work.


I'm playing in a Final Fantasy themed game and need to find some miniatures that will work for an Adamantoise as an Animal Companion. I've been looking at a ton of options and it looks like I'll have to do some customization no matter what, but I'm hoping I can find a decent base.

I've been looking at various Anklyosaurus & Glyptodon minis but if you know of a mini you really like please share! I'm looking for Medium & Large sized models.


Hi all,

I'm going to be playing in a new game soon where the party may only be 3 people. The other players are going for a Sorcerer and a Rogue, so I figured I should have a front liner planned out in case we don't pick up any more players. I'm just having a tough time deciding what to pick up.

Campaign Specific Info:

The game will be Final Fantasy themed, set in Spira (FFX). We're using a 15 point buy, but pretty much any source book that's already published is allowed. The only restrictions are to avoid anything that doesn't mesh with the theme of the game.

I'm thinking of playing a Ronso which have the follow racial attributes:
+2 Str -2 Dex +2 Wis
Darkvision 60
Ferocity
Stubborn
1d4 Bite Attack

Note: I can pick up Catfolk specific feats & gear with a Ronso.

With the small party, I'm debating whether I should just go for a Barbarian build and just wreck things, or if I should go for a martial character with an animal companion.

I'd appreciate any thoughts y'all have.


So I'm playing in a Legends of Zelda inspired game, and I over-optimized a bit on my first character. I've swapped him out for a new character who is much more fun and fits the level of optimization of the party better, but I'm really having trouble find a good miniature to even use as a foundation for a mod job.

So, anybody have suggestions for a Gorron Monk, themed after Hulk Hogan? =D

Keep in mind, Gorrons are large, sumo wrestler sized guys that kinda look like they are made out of stone. They also have no females, so they call everybody they meet "Brother". I'm trying to find a bug bulky guy with a face that would be easy to add Hogan's mustache on to.


2 people marked this as FAQ candidate. 1 person marked this as a favorite.

So the Errata states: "Page 51—In the Pistolero archetype, in the Deeds class feature, in the Up Close and Deadly deed, delete the
third sentence."

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that be "This is precision damage and is not multiplied if the attack is a critical hit."

If so this would be a really odd change. The very next sentence specifically refers to "This precision damage" as does the one after that.


I'm getting ready to play my first character for PFS and I'm thinking of playing an Inquisitor of Sarenrae that focuses on Intimidation tactics to get people to back down when possible.

I was hoping some of ya'll would take a quick look at my level 1 build and let me know if it can be improved or if anything needs to be tweaked for PFS.

Expand for Build Info:

Chal
Oni-Spawn Tiefling Inquisitor 1
CG Medium Outsider (native)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 9 (1d8+1); judgement of sacred healing 1
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +5
Defensive Abilities judgement of sacred protection +1; DR judgement of sacred resiliency 1: magic; Resist fire 5, judgement of sacred purity +1, judgement of sacred resistance 2 (fire)
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 20 ft.
Melee Bite (Maw or Claw (Bite)) -2 (1d6+1/x2) and
Scimitar +3 (1d6+4/18-20/x2)
Special Attacks judgement of sacred destruction +1, judgement of sacred justice +1, judgement of sacred piercing +1, judgement of sacred smiting (magic)
Inquisitor Spells Known (CL 1):
1 (2/day) Divine Favor, Protection from Evil
0 (at will) Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Guidance, Sift
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 17, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Enforcer
Traits Bad Reputation, Blade of Mercy
Skills Acrobatics -3 (-7 jump), Bluff +7, Climb -2, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +0, Escape Artist -3, Fly -3, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (nature) +5 (+8 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Knowledge (planes) +5 (+8 to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures), Perception +7, Ride -3, Sense Motive +4, Stealth -3, Survival +7, Swim -2 Modifiers monster lore
Languages Common, Infernal, Varisian
SQ domains (conversion inquisition), judgement (1/day), prehensile tail
Other Gear Four-mirror armor, Scimitar, 90 GP
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Blade of Mercy: No penalty when inflicting nonlethal damage with a slashing weapon, +1 to nonlethal damage inflicted with a slashing weapon.
Damage Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Damage Resistance against Fire attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Enforcer If you deal nonlethal damage with a melee weapon, make a free Intimidate check to demoralize.
Inquisitor Domain (Conversion Inquisition) Deities: Any deity.

Granted Powers: You are a powerful persuader. A honeyed tongue empowered by divine argumentation sways the indifferent and adversarial to your side.
Monster Lore +3 (Ex) +3 to Knowledge checks when identifying the weaknessess of creatures.

Prehensile Tail Your tail can retrieve small objects on your person as a swift action.


I have an idea for a character and would like some thoughts on how effective it would be and how it should be built.

The idea is to start with a Ninja, adding the Bandit archetype, and go to level 4. I then take at lest two levels as Paladin with the Sword of Valor archetype.

By level 6 I'll be able to choose to have surprise rounds at the start of fights, and will be able to take all actions I'd like. This seems pretty cool, but I'm not sure how effective it will be. What do ya'll think?


So, I'm also looking at an Oracle of Flames build and am having trouble deciding on which race to play. Currently I'm looking at either Gnome or Elf. The campaign is going to feature a lot of undead and evil outsiders, along with the mortal lackeys of the evil outsiders.

With the Gnome I could start with 19 Cha, pick up the Pyromaniac trait with Varisian Tattoo and Spell Specialization I'd be looking at +4 caster level on my blaster spells as early as level 5. This would also net me slightly higher DRs and extra damage during the first few levels. I would take the Blackened Curse with this build, so outside of blasting my options would be limited.

With an Elf I can pick the Ancient Lorekeeper archetype for more versatility in spell selection. I could go with Lightbringer for a total of +4 caster level to Light spells and focus heavily on Spear of Purity, mixing in some debuffing spells along with my offensive ones. I also have the option of using a curse other than Blackened and use my bow offensively or go Weapon Finesse in Elemental form.


I'm working on an Order of the Cockatrice Cavalier who will be taking the Squire feat at level 3 and I was hoping for some advice as to tactics.

Background Info and House Rules:
I'm loosely basing the personality of this character off of Zapp Brannigan from Futurama and am bringing in a Squire so that I'll have a Kif Kroaker to play off of. To be clear, these aren't going to be the exact characters from the show, but I'm taking elements of their personalities as well those from similar duo's (The Lone Ranger & Tonto as well as Don Quixote & Sancho Panza). The squire may even be the DMPC for RP purposes, as he loves the idea of these characters.

My Cavalier is going to be Order of the Cockatrice and is using a house archetype that gives up Heavy Armor and my mount for EWP in a Blade, the ability to pick Fighter specific feats that select a specified weapon type and bonus combat feats every 3 levels instead of every 6. Additionally, for my Squire I can select from additional classes, but he still needs to be a somewhat martial character. He's going to be a custom race with a -2 to Str and a +2 to Dex and Chr.

So, the idea I'm toying with is a Cavalier who focuses on Feint & Intimidate tactics and a Ninja Squire (allowed by a house rule) picks up Butterfly Sting. The idea would be for my Cavalier to Feint the target, causing it to lose its Dex to AC, setting it up for Sneak Attack damage. When my Squire crits, he uses Butterfly sting to pass the crit on to the Cavalier, who will get an immediate AoO starting at level 8 (thanks to Steal Glory).

Some questions:
1) Does Greater Feint result in the target losing his Dex bonus to AC against all attackers, or just the against all attacks made by the person who Feints?

2) Can I combine Power Attack & Vital Strike?

3) Would it be worth going down the 2-Weapon Fighting route for my squire, keeping in mind that it will be 2-3 levels behind the rest of the party?

4) My Cavalier doesn't have to use an Exotic Weapon, just a sword of some kind. Since the plan is for him to be Vital Striking fairly often, would it be best to just stick with a Great Sword? Or should I maybe go with a Dex build, maybe with an Aldori Dueling sword.


I'm looking for some clarification regarding the Stone Servent, as there are some details that aren't really spelled out clearly.

Stone Servent:
At 5th level, a stonelord may call a Small earth elemental to her side, as a paladin calls her mount. This earth elemental is Lawful Good in alignment and possesses the celestial template, and it increases in size as the stonelord gains levels, becoming Medium at 8th level, Large at 11th level, Huge at 14th level, Greater at 17th level, and Elder at 20th level.

This ability replaces divine bond.

When I review the Divine Bond rules, I read the following:

The second type of bond allows a paladin to gain the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her crusade against evil. This mount is usually a heavy horse (for a Medium paladin) or a pony (for a Small paladin), although more exotic mounts, such as a boar, camel, or dog are also suitable. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using the paladin's level as her effective druid level. Bonded mounts have an Intelligence of at least 6.

RAW it seems to me that the elemental would have Druid Companion levels, but it could be that listed size progression was meant to replace those levels. I'd appreciate some clarification.


I'll be playing an evil character in an upcoming game where I'll have the opportunity to make use of long-term effects normally used by NPCs or villains. The concept I have in mind is a character who is able to infiltrate the upper tiers of various societies to cause havoc. Subtle mental manipulations, seduction, rumor mongering, and the occasional assassination, these will be the tools of my trade.

I'm just having a tough time settling on a class to use, and would like some advice. I'm thinking of playing a Kitsune and picking up the feat Realistic Likeness as I really like the idea of being able to constantly change my apperance, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Right now I'm looking at builds as a Sorcerer (Enchantment focused), a Witch or maybe a Rogue/Ninja as those seem like the best starting points for what I want to build. I also need to worry about being able to have some utility in combat. I don't mind not being the most optimized damage dealer, I just don't want to be completely useless.


I'm looking for advice on how to build out a Gravewalker. We'll start at level 1 and max out at level 15, using a 20 point buy for character creation and 2 traits. Everybody in the party will have Negative Energy Affinity. Some of the races are being reworked, but generally this is achieved by players trading 5 RP worth of racial traits for the Half Undead racial type from the ARG. I'd appreciate some advice on the following:

1) What Patron should I take? Note that due to the Gravewalker archetype I'll only get my leves 2, 8 and 10 spells.

2) Which race would you use? Elf is a powerful choice, but with this archetype it wouldn't be a bad idea to boost up Dex and Chr as well as Int.

3) Would it a good idea to go the route of Spell Focus: Necromancy and just focus on that? The idea is appealing as I'll be able to pick spells for debuffing, dealing damage and healing the party.

4) Is there any way I could boost my CL by 3, so as to qualify for Split Major Hex at level 15? Orange Ioun stone gets me +1


I have a quick question about the Stonelord's Stone Servant. Is the summoned Earth Elemental a permanent companion / pet?

It replaces your Divine Bond with a weapon or mount, so it would make sense mechanically if it were permanently following you. It just seems like it would be far too powerful at higher levels, let alone hard to use in battle.


I'm looking for some advice on creating a Strix Fighter. I'm trying to find the best way to leverage my character's 60' Fly Speed, while still dealing a hefty amount of damage. I have a 20 point buy, and the max level I might reach is 15. I'm open to any suggestions ya'll might have, but I'd also like some thoughts on the following:

I'm having difficulty picking out an archetype. I like idea of going Two Handed Fighter, wielding a polearm but losing out on Armor training is going to hurt my Fly Skill by a fair amount. Is there another archetype that can give me comparable damage bonuses though?

I know most people don't recommend Vital Strike, but what about using it as part of a Flyby Attack? Flyby Attack specifically states that you can make 1 Standard Action during a move action, so it seems to me that works around the issues of Charge and Spring Attack being full round actions. Working with a 60 foot fly speed and a reach weapon, what do ya'll think of strafing Flybys? Also, can Vital Strike be combined with Power Attack?

How does armor encumbrance interact with flight speed? Do I need to think about forgoing heavy armor if I'm want to make frequent use of my ability to fly?

Is it worth it spend a feat for Exotic Weapon Prof: Fauchard? It's a 1D10 reach weapon with an 18-20 crit range and Trip. I really like the idea of playing around with a polearm, and the Fauchard seems pretty powerful.


I've been looking at the Spellslinger for an upcoming game and I'm looking for some advice and some clarification on rules. I'm going for a character with a good mix of skills and combat ability, using my spell casting abilities as "mage bullets" which deal damage and provide a little bit of crow control.

I'm planning my levels as follows: 8 Wizard (Spellslinger), 2 Fighter (Cad), 10 Eldritch Knight. I'll be playing an Elf, with 7 Str, 17 Dex, 10 Con, 18 Int, 8 Wis and 12 Chr. I'm taking Magical Knack as one of my traits, so I'll wind up with 19 Wizard levels for spell casting and 12 Figher Levels for Feats. I'll be using Words of Power to create the bullet spells I want to use.

I have a few questions. First off, if I take any item creation feats, can I use Words of Power to meet requirements for specific effects? If I can, how does that work exactly?

Second, I'm going to have plenty of feats, but I'm having trouble deciding on a few options. Is Amateur Gunslinger worth picking up for the Quick Clear deed? I'll be picking up Spell Focus & Greater Spell Focus, but should I also grab Spell Penetration? If I take Rapid Reload for a Revolver, can I sacrifice my 5-foot step to reload and still make a full round attack?