Unusual Bar / Cl / Ft / Ro / Duellist Build. Advice please.


Rules Questions


I'm new to Pathfinder (converting from AD&D!, God I'm old!) building a Duelist character with 12-14 total levels. I already figured out that Ft 4/Ro 3/Duelist was a good way to go. Rolled Stats are St 14, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 16, Wis 11, Cha 16, probably take Half Elf with +2 Dex, Preferred Classes Ft and Ro, Skill Focus Acrobatics.Most skill points to go into acrobatics, bluff, sense motive etc.

I want this character to be fast so Fleet I and II look good, then I looked at Will saves which are terrible and it got me thinking about taking Iron will and Improved Iron Will. Then I didn't have enough feats left for Fleet I and II!

So then I looked at taking a single level of Barbarian at 1st (also good if you use max HP at 1st rule) to sort the speed problem in one easy hit. Then I looked at taking a single cleric level with the travel domain (another +10 speed), +2 Will, and the use of the longstrider spell.

So I end up with Bar 1/Cl 1/Ft 4/Ro 3/Duelist 3+ with base speed 50 (60 for 1 hour) and improved Will saves.

Is this build mad, or even legal?


gwolf wrote:

I'm new to Pathfinder (converting from AD&D!, God I'm old!) building a Duelist character with 12-14 total levels. I already figured out that Ft 4/Ro 3/Duelist was a good way to go. Rolled Stats are St 14, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 16, Wis 11, Cha 16, probably take Half Elf with +2 Dex, Preferred Classes Ft and Ro, Skill Focus Acrobatics.Most skill points to go into acrobatics, bluff, sense motive etc.

I want this character to be fast so Fleet I and II look good, then I looked at Will saves which are terrible and it got me thinking about taking Iron will and Improved Iron Will. Then I didn't have enough feats left for Fleet I and II!

So then I looked at taking a single level of Barbarian at 1st (also good if you use max HP at 1st rule) to sort the speed problem in one easy hit. Then I looked at taking a single cleric level with the travel domain (another +10 speed), +2 Will, and the use of the longstrider spell.

So I end up with Bar 1/Cl 1/Ft 4/Ro 3/Duelist 3+ with base speed 50 (60 for 1 hour) and improved Will saves.

Is this build mad, or even legal?

It sounds like it could be fun, but you'll have a lot to keep track of. It also depends on how your DM rules on multiclassing, but in my book, if you can get the feats necessary, describe how the build works with your charachter's story (Class levels represent a whole person, they don't define them), and enjoy it, then go for it! My greatest piece of advice would be to know what you want to have your character really shine at, and make sure your build accomodates that, rather than get in the way of it.

Scarab Sages

Looks cool to me. It's a legal build.
I love making fast characters.
Can you work in Skill Focus-Acrobatics? I would swap out a Fleet to get that, you'd have a +6 to your skill roll.


Thanks both for the useful comments. I have decided to ditch the barbarian class on the grounds of role playing implausibility. 40 base speed and 50 occasionally is enough.

I'll take skill focus acrobatics but noticed that there is also an acrobat feat which I may take instead of Improved Iron Will - thanks for the tip Fray.

Sovereign Court

If you take 4 levels in Rogue, take Minor then Major Magic, and then you can have Expeditious Retreat 2/day for 4 mins each. 40/70 without dipping.

But you will always suck at will saves.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

It is worth pointing out that the net, average, effect on saving throws of taking 1 level of cleric is +1.67 Fort, -.5 Ref, +1.67 Will because of slowdown on your Duelist saves.


Or you could forego the cleric level and just get some boots of Striding and Springing to get the +10 speed. They also give a +5 to Acrobatics when jumping. And only have a cost of 5,500gp.

Not sure the dip into cleric is worth the BAB hit, especially combined with the rogue's BAB. Fourth lvl rogue would be better I think, especially since it would give uncanny dodge and another rogue talent, which could go to another feet.

Although cleric of Cayden Cailean would fit well enough.

I certainly understand the desires for extra speed, but theres plenty of ways to get that without diluting character levels, or spending precious precious feats on them. Especially since you'll probably want Spring Attack which is a feat heavy choice to begin with--and otherwise why worry about boosting speed if not for Spring Attack?

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

Father Dale wrote:

Or you could forego the cleric level and just get some boots of Striding and Springing to get the +10 speed. They also give a +5 to Acrobatics when jumping. And only have a cost of 5,500gp.

Not sure the dip into cleric is worth the BAB hit, especially combined with the rogue's BAB. Fourth lvl rogue would be better I think, especially since it would give uncanny dodge and another rogue talent, which could go to another feet.

Although cleric of Cayden Cailean would fit well enough.

I certainly understand the desires for extra speed, but theres plenty of ways to get that without diluting character levels, or spending precious precious feats on them. Especially since you'll probably want Spring Attack which is a feat heavy choice to begin with--and otherwise why worry about boosting speed if not for Spring Attack?

Father Dale speaks wisely. And as both Fighter and Rogue levels can give you extra combat feats (via Fighter bonus feats and Rogue talents) your "normal" feats can be spent on Fleet once or twice while still giving you wiggle room to build your necessary combat feats for your Duelist build.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I have nothing to add to the conversation but an observation on the thread title: You mean, as opposed to the ordinary, run-of-the-mill Bar/Cl/Ft/Ro/Duelist builds out there?

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