Building an alchemist for Carrion Crown and I've decided to go switch-hitter, using bombs/aklys at range and mutagen/poison in melee. Ideas? Recommendations?
Race: Human
Str 14
Dex 15
Con 13
Int 16
Wis 10
Cha 7
Weapons: aklys, morningstar, bombs
Armor: Studded Leather
Feats: Toughness, Extra Bombs, Throw Anything, Brew Potion
Character worships Norgorber, is avenging Prof. Lorrimor's death out of grief and curiosity. Like I said above, gonna use bombs and the aklys at range and switch to the mutagen, morningstar, and eventually poison in melee.
So, my good pathfinders, I ask you this: is my build alright? Will it hurt to be a switch-hitter or should I concentrate my efforts? Party so far is a witch and a crossbow ranger, so we've got ranged covered. Your thoughts?
Building an alchemist for Carrion Crown and I've decided to go switch-hitter, using bombs/aklys at range and mutagen/poison in melee. Ideas? Recommendations?
Race: Human
Str 14
Dex 15
Con 13
Int 16
Wis 10
Cha 7Weapons: aklys, morningstar, bombs
Armor: Studded Leather
Feats: Toughness, Extra Bombs, Throw Anything, Brew Potion
Character worships Norgorber, is avenging Prof. Lorrimor's death out of grief and curiosity. Like I said above, gonna use bombs and the aklys at range and switch to the mutagen, morningstar, and eventually poison in melee.
So, my good pathfinders, I ask you this: is my build alright? Will it hurt to be a switch-hitter or should I concentrate my efforts? Party so far is a witch and a crossbow ranger, so we've got ranged covered. Your thoughts?
Have you checked out 0gre's Alchemist Guide? Lots of good stuff in there.
I can't comment on the switchhitter aspect, since I've only made natural attack using alchemists.
@Cheapy: Yep, I've seen it. I like both of the builds he recommends, but I thought it would be interesting to try the switch-hitter and my party needs the melee. I have a suspicion that the low BAB will come around the bite me in the rear, but I'd say I've got about as good a stat array as can be hoped for.
Well, do you expect more players?
@Name Violations: Might do that at later levels, but it wasn't the direction I was thinking for the character.
@Cheapy: Nope, looks like its gonna be a 3 player party. In Carrion Crown. With no positive energy channeler. We are so dead...
@Name Violations: Might do that at later levels, but it wasn't the direction I was thinking for the character.
@Cheapy: Nope, looks like its gonna be a 3 player party. In Carrion Crown. With no positive energy channeler. We are so dead...
Might want to go melee then :)
The nice thing about the Feral Mutagen is that all 3 attacks are at max BAB. Be a half-orc with tusks, and it's all 4 attacks at full BAB. That might be an option you could look in to.
@Name Violations: Might do that at later levels, but it wasn't the direction I was thinking for the character.
@Cheapy: Nope, looks like its gonna be a 3 player party. In Carrion Crown. With no positive energy channeler. We are so dead...
Might want to go melee then :)
The nice thing about the Feral Mutagen is that all 3 attacks are at max BAB. Be a half-orc with tusks, and it's all 4 attacks at full BAB. That might be an option you could look in to.
I'll probably do that once I get the chance, thanks Cheapy!
@Name Violations: Might do that at later levels, but it wasn't the direction I was thinking for the character.
@Cheapy: Nope, looks like its gonna be a 3 player party. In Carrion Crown. With no positive energy channeler. We are so dead...
Might want to go melee then :)
The nice thing about the Feral Mutagen is that all 3 attacks are at max BAB. Be a half-orc with tusks, and it's all 4 attacks at full BAB. That might be an option you could look in to.
While I've never seen it actually written, from what I've gathered most people seem to agree that you don't get more than 3 attacks this way, since one of the feral mutagen attacks is a bite attack (the understanding being that the feral mutagen bite attack just supplants the half-orc bite attack for the mutagen's duration). I still think this is a nice option, particularly at low levels when your mutagen duration is rather short. I actually just started playing this build myself...
I think the big difficulty with the switch hitter build would be deciding the balance of feats and discoveries between each combat route. I think splash weapon mastery would be pretty essential - far shot for splash weapons, can adjust the splash radius on a miss, and one extra square of splash damage. Precise bombs is generally a go-to for bomber builds, but you could probably do without it, since by the time others are in melee, you should be as well.
I've never tried it out, but two weapon fighting might be an option - it would allow you to throw an extra bomb a round once you get fast bombs (available level 8, I believe), and is less feat intensive than the more conventional rapid shot (though if you want to take point blank shot anyway, the latter works just as well).
Personally, I would switch your stats for Str and Int - I think a 14 Int would do, especially since you're likely to spend more of your total combat in melee rather than bombing.
Just a few thoughts, hope they're helpful.
I'm pretty sure V.A. states that it doesn't add an extra attack - my first thought is that the V.A. would grow a claw as well, but wouldn't provide an additional attack when full attacking.
@Qik: Hmm, not a bad idea switching Str and Int. Thing is, I'm the group's skill monkey so I don't want to sink it too low. Hmm...
@Qik: Hmm, not a bad idea switching Str and Int. Thing is, I'm the group's skill monkey so I don't want to sink it too low. Hmm...
Agreed. However, as a human, you're still getting 7 skill points/level (before favored class bonus, which I would put into HP if you're going to be in melee), so I don't see the switch as being too problematic in that regard. I'd be more worried about the loss of one bomb/day + 1 point of splash damage, but that shouldn't been too much of an issue, since you're likely to be in melee more regularly and you're already planning on taking extra bombs.
@Qik: Hmm, not a bad idea switching Str and Int. Thing is, I'm the group's skill monkey so I don't want to sink it too low. Hmm...
Witches are based on intelligence, and rangers get plenty of skills. Beef is needed, and you can provide. The lower BAB isn't as big a deal when you have a higher str to compensate. One level of Barbarian can also improve things when it comes to a slugfest, but is purely optional.
@Qik and Oterisk: Alright, you're pulling me there, but there's one problem. What would change with a lower int? Less bombs doing less damage. Yeah, I got the Extra Bombs feat, but bombs are too big a part of the class and my intended build to let them slide.
Dipping into barbarian wouldn't be a bad thing. Get more hp, martial weapons, rage, fast movement, and some more skills that would be nice. It would also be reasonable for my character to head in that direction as well, given his back story and how the Ustalavic people treat him.
Your choice is between a +1 to damage and DC for splash damage for the bombs or a +1 to hit and damage for melee.
Since your group needs melee, I would go with the higher str, but that's just me. The +1 to damage isn't going to be as satisfying as the +1 to hit and damage on the melee for you, especially as you will be forced into the role. Especially since touch AC is so easy to hit, and melee is a bit harder. You can still use your bombs when its convenient, but by level 8 you could easily have 12 a day, and that should get you through at least three combats if you napalm the bad guys before you tear them apart.
It wouldn't matter as much if you went to a level of barbarian, but then you would put your damage behind more with the bombs, because it would take longer to reach the extra damage dice. If you are serious about the bomb damage, the half orc's alternate favored trait can give you more damage to your bombs, +1 for every two levels put into it. Sure it will cost you some max HP or skill points, but it is another option.