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It seems to me that it is pretty easy to improve your to-hit chance, AC, damage output, and so on. But I haven`t seen a lot of ways that characters can change their combat maneuver stats aside from boosting their ability scores. How does one go about improving their CMB and CMD? Any suggestions? Thanks,
Assume a polymorph effect like enlarge person. This takes the 1-square medium creature and turns him into a 4-square large creature. What of one of the three new squares he now occupies is threatened by an enemy. Does this provoke an attack of opportunity as if he had moved into the square? What about if one of the squares is occupied by an enemy? Does this provoke? And is the enemy pushed away, or do they remain overlapping the the same square? One final thing, does the growing creature get to decide which squares he expands into (assuming they are not blocked by walls, etc)? It hasn`t specifically come up but I envision using enlarge person a fair bit in an upcoming game. Peet
OK, it is sounding like the helpful halfling is a viable guy in melee. He fights defensively with Cautious Defense, and with weapon finesse he can still hit AC 10 reliably at low level. Or would you ditch WF? I'm on the fence there. I`m guessing a fighter dip at second level just to get an extra feat, but rather than WF, maybe combat expertise, to get butterfly`s sting later. But at range against flying guys I can still envision a problem. You can only aid another in melee, not at range. Mind you, he will have a decent DEX and will be carrying a ranged weapon, but with the feats spent on defense there won't be time to build an archer. So what would your solutions be for dealing with flying enemies or other situations where you are forced to operate at range? Also, here`s a question: if you cast a spell with a range of touch, can it be considered an attack even if you are using it on an ally? Fighting Defensively will likely be the option at all times with this guy, and I`d hate to lose the AC when doing that. Peet
If you are playing an elf wizard with an arcane bond, you can normally start with a masterwork weapon as your bond, and you don't have to pay for it. It sounds like your GM might no allow that, but if he does I would take a crossbow as your item. You could also go longbow, but I think having 7 STR is a problem for that. At low levels a wizard kind of needs some backup plan to casting spells. Personally I like playing spellcasters who don't have to cast spells to be useful. I agree with the suggestion about raising CON, though you could also dump WIS by one more point to get two of the buy points you need.
I would still have to say that the animal companion is a better deal. You get a lot out of one and in particular it allows the companion to do one thing while you do another. The other Hunter's Bond power, on the other hand, is kind of neat, but it costs an action to use, so you will be sacrificing the attacks you could have made that round, and most of the damage bonus for the other players will not make up for the loss of damage that you are already getting. Plus, you don't have a companion, who also does damage every round if it can reach the enemy. I am just saying that Hunter's Bond can be good if you have the right kind of party. But it's still not awesome. Meanwhile the animal companion is almost always useful. Don't forget that having an extra body on the field can be good for the party overall, too. Your companion can do things like help set up flanks and take attacks of opportunity to help control the battlefield. Your party rogue will be grateful when your panther runs around behind the bad guy, and your wizard will be grateful when your bear steps between him and the big threatening monster. So don't feel like you are being selfish if you take a companion.
It's clear that the bear companion is not intended to get to large. So if you really want to ride one take a small character. Like I said there's no need to change that. Though I am inclined to agree with the OP that it seems very weird that the bear starts as small, since bear cubs only a few months old still get to be big enough to be called medium. They don't remain small for very long.
Multiple rangers would also likely have either manyshot or two-weapon fighting, which means that they will be getting multiple attacks, which is the ideal circumstance for this ability, since the more attacks = the more times it gets used each round.
If you were going to get the boon companion feat (or the companion via the level in druid) then you definitely want the companion. If so the Boon companion feat is really worth it. The other hunter's bond ability (which doesn't have a distinct name, and it really should), can be good but partly depends on the makeup of your party. If you have anyone else who is a two weapon fighter or multishot archer then then it can get quite good. If you have a lot of casters though it isn't as good. Most people who get it do so because they don't want the bookkeeping headache of the companion, which is practically an extra character. But the companion is usually worth it.
Obviously the most sensible thing is to take one level in every class. Even if this requires an alignment shift that eliminates some abilities of a previous class that you have had. :P
If this is for PFS then you will just have to go with the existing rules. In order to provide a level playing field for everyone they adhere very strictly to existing rules. That much being said, if this were for a home game I don't think it is a huge deal to allow your bear to start at Medium sise at level 1 with the same stats. The difference between small and medium is pretty well balanced. After all, you'd gain:
But you would lose:
I think the kicker is when the bear gets bigger. The bear probably starts at small to make sure that he isn't large at 4th level. If I was going this route as a GM I would allow your bear to start at medium but at 4th level he would not get bigger; he would just get the improved stats.
Bodyguard is a bit weird, though... it says you can use an AoO to aid another on an ally... but the enemy's attack on your ally does not necessarily provoke an AoO, right? So the enemy basically has to charge or otherwise move into your threatened area.With Bodyguard, the act of attacking your allies is what provokes an attack of opportunity, so they don't need to do something else to provoke. The only difficulty is being adjacent to an ally while still threatening the opponent in question. Reach weapons help a lot with this, though. I don't see that the enemy attacking grants an AoO from the wording of the feat. It just says that when the enemy attacks you may use an AoO to aid your ally. You still need to get an AoO somehow. Peet
I agree with Rufus, that's my reading of it too. Not that it's a huge problem, becuase with a swift action you are still getting an extra +1. Not a bad trade for a swift action if you don't need it. But of course, there are other abilities that modify the aid another action too, particularly the Order of the Dragon ability. In both cases they change the aid another action to a fixed amount, so I think the wording is intentional to prevent exploits. Peet
Swift aid is not benefited by the helpful trait, but you could use the swift aid action as a swift action and then the regular aid action as a standard action, so the bonuses would stack. Multiple Aid attempts do stack. But no, I'm not sure I would spend a feat to be able to do this, since it would only be an extra +1 and I'm already getting +4. BTW, PFS maxes out around level 13.
And at 4rth level, would you go with the boon compainion or an animal compainion? Is there away to improve off the list that is given? Or would it be best to go with badger or wolf? What are the preferences and why? OK, there seems to be some confusion here about what a "Boon Companion" is. Boon companion is a feat that modifies your animal companion or your familiar, making it a higher level. You can't have a boon companion without an animal companion or a familiar, and between druids and rangers you can't get a familiar, so it could only affect your animal companion. So you don't get one or the other. You either get a plain animal companion or you get the animal companion and then enhance your companion with the Boon Companion feat. If you went all druid then boon companion would do nothing, since it increases the level of your companion to a maximum level equal to that of a druid of your hit dice. But if you are taking ranger levels, the first three ranger levels don't count towards your animal companion's abilities, so boon companion compensates for this. Bumping your companion up by three levels gives it the following
If you are taking one level of Druid first and then Ranger levels, I would get the Boon Companion feat at level 1. That way your companion will level up with you as if you were always a Druid. Alternately you could wait until level 3, so during your second level your companion would still be level 1 but would jump to 3 when you did. Peet
1. Search http://www.d20pfsrd.com/ for the stuff you are missing. At the bottom of each page there will be a little thing that tells you what sourcebook it is from, if you want to grab them. 2. If you have the chance find out from the GM if the campaign will have a theme. If not, I would just pick something that you feel comfortable with. Just don't pick things that you will likely only encounter at low levels (like goblins), because later on even if you run into them you will do more than enough damage. Eventually you will have access to the instant enemy spell and then you can grant this bonus to any enemy at the cost of a spell. 3. You already get a lot of skills, so HP are probably better. Look to see what your race's optional favoured class bonus is though just in case. 4. Boon companion is a feat that improves your animal companion. As to which one to choose, there are so many it's hard to narrow it down. Do you want a combat monster? A mount? A creature with a useful move type? You have a few levels before you have to decide.
How are we maintaining armor class with these builds? I assume some light armor is being used but without any proficiency you really have to stick to armor that doesn't have a check penalty. Are we assuming mage armor/shield at all times during combat?
Actually, it has occurred to me that in this circumstance I would ask the GM to point to a rule in any rulebook that gives effects for not going to the toilet. There aren't any. I would then accuse him of invoking a house rule without informing the players, and declare that clearly since there is no reference to such things in the rulebooks that people on Golarion (or wherever) do not have the same toilet needs that we do on Earth, for whatever reason (call it magic if you will). :P
Mr. Bacon, thanks for the advice, particularly with the feats. Street Performer is pretty neat because it's basically a sanctuary at will as a bardic performance. Also Cha as a casting stat is ideal for a halfling. However, I lose the animal companion, which is a downer. Those halfling defensive feats are great, though. Feats are expensive as an inquisitor, but it is a good plan to fight defensively while you use the aid another action, so feats that work with that atr nice. Bodyguard is a bit weird, though... it says you can use an AoO to aid another on an ally... but the enemy's attack on your ally does not necessarily provoke an AoO, right? So the enemy basically has to charge or otherwise move into your threatened area. I had thought about cavalier but I think I want the ability to cast divine spells. Besides, the Order of the Dragon's ability does not stack with the helpful trait (as far as I can tell). Likewise for fighters, though the feats would be helpful. Might dip to fighter for a level or two for them, and that allows more armor & weapons too. Oh, and MacGurcules, I was actually thinking of the feather domain, and taking a giant chicken companion (an axe beak). But the cow is a good idea. The other idea I had was a donkey (same stats as a pony, so I assume that's kosher). Peet
Yeah, the Inquisitor class looks like it might be good too. I'd miss having the channels since they give you a lot of noncombat healing, but there are always wands. Lend Judgement is good spell for a "helper" too. I also might go for the preacher archetype because of the warning ability. Then just take a trait to get Handle Animal in class. I wouldn't mind seeing a halfling version of Inquisitor that swapped intimidate out of Stern Gaze in exchange for maybe bluff or diplomacy. Also I wouldn't need to go so high on INT if I played an Inquisitor. I could perhaps swap it for CON. Well prepared is neat but if it was for an inquisitor I would have to get a GM to permit Survival to be used instead of Sleight-of-Hand. Is that legal for PFS?
One thing I think that is worth mentioning in a guide for new 1st level players: If you aren't sure what to play, remember that you can always try playing one of the pre-generated characters that are available to use. In most sessions I've seen the basic four (Ezren the Wizard, Kyra the Cleric, Merisiel the Rogue, and Valeros the Fighter) were available, but technically all the iconic characters from the NPC codex are allowed at 1st level. You can even wait to see what others are bringing to the table before you choose. The pregenerated characters are not especially great, but then again, if they die you haven't really lost anything. If you still aren't sure which one to choose, I would go with Kyra, as she has decent low level healing with her channels, and your party will appreciate it.
Rangers are good because they can fight just about as well as fighters but they also get a big skill list and lots of skill ranks. Another one worth looking at if you're interested in trying something new is the Inquisitor. They get lots of skills like bards and rangers, and they get divine spellcasting at 1st level. They aren't quite as effective as a fighter or ranger but their judgement and solo tactics abilities allow them to tailor their needs in a fight, so they are more flexible. The only think I don't care for with inquisitors is their lack of bonus feats. I would happily trade away their teamwork stuff in exchange for bonus feats, but that's life. Overall they are a very good class, and not as "fruity" as bards.
I am looking at making a PFS character based around the Helpful race trait. I am imagining a character who has a decent AC and basically does things to help others in combat rather than actually attacking people, so he will seem non-threatening. I am thinking at the moment that he will be a cleric, possibly with the luck domain, but maybe he doesn't need it if he is just using Aid Another. Sanctuary will be a good spell for him to use, though for it to be effective he will need a decent Wisdom. Since he won't be great in a fight an animal companion might be in order too, so possibly the Feather subdomain. Maybe take the growth domain so I can cast enlarge person, which I know everyone likes. I kind of envision him as a farmer. Maybe he will take catch-off-guard as his first feat and use a pitchfork in combat. It would be kind of dumb but fun. The other route would be to dump str entirely, get weapon finesse (for unarmed attacks, etc.) and use a crossbow when I have to attack someone directly. The Weapon Finesse will be useful because to aid another you still need to score a hit against AC 10 which at first level will only work 50% of the time. I could go that way and dump strength entirely. Possibly I would take a dip into Druid or Ranger to get some flavour skills into class (like ride and handle animal) but I don't think a druid or ranger is necessarily how I want to go overall. Bards is an option but I'm not particularly keen on bardic performance. Right now I am looking at either: STR 12 (-2 racial=10)
Or dump STR completely: STR 07 (-2 racial=05)
What do you guys think? Peet
The other thing about detect magic is that the concentration effect means that you can't use it while doing anything strenuous or moving quickly. So detect magic is good, but not nearly as good as arcane sight, which does the same thing only faster and easier.
Don't worry too much about stepping on the rogue's toes. There are many types of rogue, and if your friend is playing one type you can always play a different one. Is he a trapfinding rogue? A social rogue? Even with all the skill ranks rogues get there are even more rogue skills, and you can only concentrate on so many. So you could look at the skills that he has and pick something else. That much being said, if you are using the APG you might want to consider a cavalier. They get an animal companion (their mount) and their other abilities are interesting. A halfling or gnome cavalier can actually work quite well, since their mount is medium and can fit in places the party goes.
There's also the problem with the size of the weapon itself. Let me explain: a normal one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder. So if you went for a tiefling Titan Mauler, you would use a weapon for a huge creature, so as a medium creature you would be wielding a weapon that is size large. If you are enlarged then you end up being large with a gargantuan weapon. Now consider how much space a large object takes up. You would not be able to use this object in a 5' wide passage, because it is ten feet long. It can become difficult to get it around corners or through narrow spaces. Obviously since your strategy is to become enlarged, you will do well in wide open spaces, but you will really be hosed in narrow passages.
Actually, it occurred to me that if you want Dervish Dance you could use the heirloom weapon trait to get proficiency in scimitar...
Heirloom weapon trait? Of course, you better not lose it... Edit: actually, heirloom weapon does not apply to exotic weapons, so never mind.
The only problem with a Scizore is that it includes a sleeve in which your arm goes, so I don't see how you could use it two-handed. I don't know if there are rules on the subject but your GM might disallow that.
Oh, BTW, I like the idea of the kung fu goblin, but remember that writing and reading is taboo for goblins. Every goblin knows that it takes words out of your head and you can't get them back. So a goblin that uses scrolls would be a little unusual for Golarion.
You would think that elf would be a good race to start with because of their racial weapons. Make Weapon Finesse your first feat. Use a Rapier. Also a mithral buckler has no arcane spell failure chance, and you can gesture with the same hand (though you lose the AC bonus if you cast a spell with that hand). Too bad there's no race that grants scimitar as a racial weapon; otherwise I'd say that Dervish Dance would be the way to go. It's a shame to have to burn a feat just to get scimitar proficiency.
Thanks. Also, I didn't realize that circumstance bonuses could stack. Still, is there noting in the Core Rulebook on it? I've been looking through it and am still having trouble finding anything. Peet
The feather domain grants a racial bonus to Perception, but many races already get the keen senses +2 racial bonus to Perception. Do these bonuses stack? Normally I would assume no but racial bonuses might be an exception to the stacking rules, since you don't normally get two racial bonuses to the same thing. BTW, where are the rules about stacking mods anyway? I went to the index of the core rulebook and looked under stacking, bonus, racial, and modifier and there's no entry in the index for any of those. Thanks, Peet
Remember also that you can get a wand of lesser restoration for 750 gp if you buy it as a 1st level paladin spell instead of a 2nd level cleric spell. I'd probably put that on the list.
A scroll of alter self can be very useful, since it works as a disguise and also a way of gaining extra senses. It can also help stealth if you choose a small creature, and it gives an attribute bonus based on size. For the record, if you need the scent ability to detect an invisible creature, Sasquatch or Charau-Ka are options for medium and small creatures. Since it is a personal spell I don't think it's available as a potion, sadly.
It is sounding like getting armor will be difficult. This gets in the way of designing a decent tank. With that in mind I might be inclined to go with a Dwarf Barbarian and add the toughness feat. You could start with around 19 hit points, including your favoured class bonus. Also, the save bonuses dwarves get will be helpful. The barbarian's fast movement combines well with a dwarf. Also, the STR bonus from raging is huge in a 10-point game. I'd go 14 STR 16 CON 12 DEX 10 INT 14 WIS 5 CHA (with racial modifiers). Another way to go would be a Dwarven cleric, again with the toughness feat. Your HP will not be as great, probably 14 or so, but your healing abilities will make up for it. I'd take the travel domain, again for the move bonus. Sadly clerics are a MAD class which makes it tricky for a 10-point buy. I'd go 12 STR 16 CON 9 DEX 10 INT 14 WIS 10 CHA (with racial modifiers). You could tone down the CON a bit if you wanted to put more points into CHA for channeling or to buy off that DEX penalty and add 2 points to INT for an extra skill rank. This is a much weaker character than the barbarian of course, but the healing abilities might make up for it. Your skills will be very poor with this kind of character. Mind you, since you already have a cleric in your party this may be moot. Peet
The GM need not intervene but he should remind the players that Pathfinder adventures are balanced on a basis that assumes that all party members will have approximately the same amount of wealth invested in magic items. Thus if one player has significantly more wealth than everyone else it destabilizes the game. That much being said, I do like the N+1 system, and consumable things like potions and wands ought to be seen as "party treasure" rather than individual items, unless circumstances are unusual. Peet
Is this for PFS or for a home game? If it's for a home game, talk to your GM about whether he will allow these feats. Particularly the multiclass/favoured feats. They are designed for multiclassing and allow you to "catch up" in levels at the expense of feat slots. It is very expensive for casters but not so bad for non-casters. Peet
Grandreaper, a 21 AC at first level is fine if you are trying to be the party tank. And it sounds like that is what you want. Remember that your 21 AC can be used to support other party members. Remember that the point of a tank is to draw enemy fire. Make sure you are moving into the thick of the enemy in order to draw those attacks of opportunity that your allies need to avoid to get into position. Meanwhile you get into a position so that your party rogue can flank. And you still get an attack at the end of your move. If you can do these things then your AC is helping the party instead of just you. They will be quite happy that you have maxed your AC. Peet
Yes, I picked up Princes of Darkness last week, hoping there would be enough stuff there to allow me to play a character dedicated to Feronia, but sadly there is only a single comment in the article on Dispater, and it gives no details aside from the fact that she is a fire goddess and the connection with her son. Not enough to let you play a Divine Caster dedicated to her. I'm sold. That is cool: I'm going to ask JJ about it. Great! Please post whatever response you get.
Real-life or in-game?
For real life, go and watch the movie Fight Club. For in-game I expect that you are talking about enemies of the player-characters. Even if the members of the cult are highly religious, remember that most of them will not be priests. Therefore the classes of the lay membership will correspond to the kind of people the cult has been recruiting, and what they have been recruiting for. If it is secret a cult of spies and assassins then a lot of members will have rogue levels. Rogue levels actually work well for most cults since rogues are good at operating in secret, which most cults are. The cult of a warrior god will have lots of fighters and similar classes. The Inquisitor class is another good one for secret cults because he has a good skill set including bluff, intimidate, and stealth. Many of the members of any cult will simply have NPC classes; adept, expert, commoner, warrior. Peet
One of the benefits of playing a sorcerer is not having to constantly look up spell descriptions. Since you only know a few, you learn them pretty good and it is much easier to make printouts of all the spells you know. For this reason I would have to say that playing a sorcerer is much better for a player new to the game. Overall I would have to say that once you know how to play to the strengths and weaknesses of your class, sorcerers and wizards are about equal. They work differently, that's all. The only thing that is think is slightly unfair to sorcerers is that they get new spell levels one level later than wizards. I really don't think that this impediment was necessary and is a bit of a hindrance as sorcerers get access to the same spells one level later than wizards. Since adventures are often written under the assumption that one of the players will be able to cast X spell at Y level, playing a sorcerer throws this off a bit.
Create a new undead creature that is basically a swarm of disembodied dead feet, and have it chase the party around. Kind of like the crawling hand, but a swarm. :P I recall a book I read a long time ago where some vengeful ghosts terrorized a country because someone had stolen their skulls, and only when the body parts were returned to their graves could the ghosts rest. You could work something like that in. Peet
Yes, the Bastard Sword as a sacred weapon is quite nice. For a class like Inquisitor the sacred weapon is pretty important. There are other deities that give exotic weapons like the Katana and Urumi, but there aren't a whole lot to choose from. Meanwhile there are way too many deities that have a simple weapon as your sacred weapon, which is a real waste. If I see another god that has dagger as their sacred weapon I don't know what I will do. But also, it seems to me that considering the layout of the planes, there ought to be more deities likme Feronia; neutral-aligned gods from the elemental planes. Gods that exist for their own sake rather than as an embodiment of a human ideal. Where are they all? Meanwhile, look at Feronia's domains: Fire, destruction, sure. But also Liberation and Protection. I really like the fact that Feronia is not one-dimensional like most of the gods of the Golarion pantheon. She has differing sides to her. She was the consort of Dispater for a while, but their son became one of the Empyreal Lords. Cool story. This ought to be a big part of any fire-themed deity. Fire is destructive, but it is also the element associated with civilization; fire is the first discovery that separated man from the beasts, and I can see a bit of the Prometheus myth peeking out here. Also, Vesta, the goddess of the hearth; the Vestal virgins were once tasked with keeping the sacred fire lit. Feronia is the goddess of the sacred fire, so this fits too. So yes, Feronia is a really cool idea for a Golarion Deity, and it's a shame that she isn't an "official" one. Peet
So she's not in Pathfinder Player Companion: Faiths of Balance (PFRPG)?
I find that most of the Pathfinder deities aren't especially interesting. This one seemed like a welcome change. Peet
I found this little entry on the demigoddess Feronia on the Pathfinder Wiki:
Now I am interested in playing a cleric or inquisitor of Feronia in PFS. Trouble is, if I am going to use any non-core material I need to have the book, and I have no idea which book she is from. I picked up Princes of Darkness, which is credited in the article, but that only has one brief reference to her. Can anyone help? What book do I need to get? Thanks,
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