So it's fairly easy to make a character who melts faces, and it's really easy to make a character who makes other people melt faces, but what about duo's that are stronger then the sum of there parts? I've seen a few flanking duo's posted in the forums, and I've seen some talk about a martial riding the druid, but I'm interested in some of the cool duo's that folks have come up with.
It's probably different at different levels. One tactic I used to use to great effect was a druid/ranger combo where the druid would entangle a group of enemies and the ranger would mow down the entangled ones while the animal companion and wildshaped druid would mangle the ones who got free. But that probably loses it's effectiveness after level 5 or so...
Spellcasters who remove dex bonuses from targets work well with sneak attackers.
Our current party has a nice dynamic going with a cleric with the fire domain and resist fire buffs teamed up with a fireball casting sorcerer.
Bards tag teaming Lullaby & Sleep (later Deep Slumber) plus High Crit Multiplier weapons on Coup de Grace. Not the most goodly of team ups, but mighty effective.
Beyond that I think you are looking at tactical combinations that can be done for a number of class mixes and feats.
This is where Teamwork feats would really shine.
Tandem Trip + Greater Trip = Party
Improved Feint Partner + pair of Rogues = thank you for playing.
Rogue with Dastardly Finish and partner capable of handing our temporary Stun or Cower effects. (Stunning Fist Monk, Castigate casting Inquisitor, Sound burst Bard/Cleric/Oracle)
just off the top of my head
A paladin with the Fatigue Mercy can easily rid a barbarian from the negative after-effects of raging.
Anyone with the Improved Trip feats + anyone with Combat Reflexes = lots of attacks of opportunity.
A fighter character with the intimidation feats would work great with a rogue.
Furious Focus
Cornugan Smash
Intimidating Prowess
Dazzling Display
Shatter Defenses
Deadly Stroke
Dreadful Carnage
A bunch of riders with lances and that teamwork feat where if one of you charges, all charge as well. It's a stupid good combo that's situational but kinda funny.
Any other combo + Lookout + Diviner (or similar) dip. Nothing like starting out with an automatic full-round action in the surprise round.
Order of the Dragon cavalier
bodyguard archtype
Scythe w/ trip, swift aid and flanking teamwork feats
Two weapon fighting Rogue
Knifemaster
Kukri's w/ butterfly sting, improved critical, two weapon fight tree, assault leader and opportunist rogue talents
the rogue needs no str and has no need to actually crit since the cavalier will be providing a flanking buddy as well as teamwork feats to increase hits and attacks doing +Xd8 sneak attack damage, if he misses he gives the cavalier a free trip attack. When he scores a crit chance he donates it to the cavalier to confirm with his challenge damage bonus x4, if the targets not dead the rogue gets another attack...
The cavalier can buff his buddys defenses with swift aid and uses his teamwork feats/tactics and trip attacks to make the rogues life easier and grant extra attacks, the target of his challenge is also easier for the rogue to hit and his order abilities let them both close gaps.
Multi class up the rogue enabler or umd battlemind link to make them even more deadly, rings or shielding spells etc.
For best results add a diviner with a strong selection of support and control spells to breeze through pre written content as a three man group, cavalier teamworks lookout > div wins init > div splits battlefield > cav moves everyone in > rog full attacks > target dies. Also get your gm to dial it up to eleven for maximum splatter.
If you must add a fourth get an archer bard for happy stick usage and buffs, get a longbow and improved snap shot, use the rogues free crits now and again so the cav doesn't have all the fun making monsters disappear in a puff of red mist.
Edit: after some thought a twf ninja with ki points and butterfly sting would probably be a better enabler, would do slightly less damage of its own but would keep the trapfinding ability. If we're going eastern a hooked lance on an order of the dragon cavalier would work better than the scythe being a reach weapon as well.
Any other combo + Lookout + Diviner (or similar) dip. Nothing like starting out with an automatic full-round action in the surprise round.
taking on this. Cavalier with Lookout + Sohei+rest of party (hopefully also mounted or fast)
What better surprise round than a surprise round of a charging stampede?
I had been thinking about a Sohei riding a druid, so the lookout+Sohei+Cavalier idea is pretty cool.
1. Barbarian: Rage -> Furious Finish.
2. Paladin: Lay on Hands with Fatigue Mercy
3. Back to step 1.
4. ...
5. All enemies in large pieces all over the floor.
A monk and a summoner, we destroy worlds together.
Witch and any SoS spell, a little misfortune then flesh to stone or whatever you prefer.
At a high enough level, I like savage skald bard + invulnerable rager barbarian.
Bard round one- swift action haste (rod), move action inspire courage, standard action shadow bard that sings the DR raising song
Barbarian round one- RAGELANCEPOUNCE
For extra fun the Bard could use moment of greatness to double the Barbarian's Rage bonus to Strength as that is a morale bonus.