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I'm still tinkering with this build. I've added in a couple levels of Sacred Shield Paladin for the Charisma to saves and for the insane Bastion of Good replacement for Smite Evil. Here's a current version (I'm not fully satisfied, but getting close). I've tried to indicate relevant information without putting down everything.
The priorities are the same, but I've de-emphasized Knowledge and social some to put a bit more into buffs / combat utility (via Sacred Shield & Dual-Cursed Oracle). But my priorities remain:
- Knowledge / Gather Info
- Combat Usefulness (Utility, Buff, Etc.)
- Not a priority: dealing damage
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Human Bard 9 / Dual-Cursed Oracle of Lore 1 / Sacred Shield Paladin 2
Focused Study ART [ARG]
Str 11 Dex 7 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 7 Cha 20 [All bonuses to Charisma]
First 5: Oracle, Sacred Shield, Sacred Shield, Bard, Bard
01 Clouded Vision, Blackened [Blood of Angels], Sidestep Secret; Focused Mind, Adopted, Helpful [Halflings of Golarion]; Extra Revelation (Misfortune), Skill Focus (Oratory)
03 Extra Revelation (Focused Trance)
05 Versatile Performance (Oratory); Extra Revelation (Lorekeeper)
07 Spellsong [UM]
08 Skill Focus (Comedy)
09 Versatile Performance (Comedy); Lingering Performance
11 Discordant Voice
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Look at everything Charisma will be doing here! Replaces Dex for AC and Reflex saves via Sidestep Secret, Replaces Int for Knowledge rolls via Lorekeeper, adds a bonus to all saves via the Paladin's Divine Grace ... I'm almost entirely dependent on one score.
A few questions! I'm still fairly new to Pathfinder and haven't got up into high levels with any character yet, so I'd love advance warning if I'm really setting myself up to fail here.
- Charisma: Any way to make Charisma do even more for me?
- Traits: Currently going with Focused Mind and Helpful (via Adopted). But though Aid Another is nice, it's hardly the most useful use of a standard action (bonus to AC or attack only applies to one attack). So I'm not totally sold on Helpful. I'm sure there are a lot of cool traits out there I don't know about. Any suggestions?
- Curse: Blackened doesn't play super well with Aid Another: should I swap it out for something else? (Legalistic was suggested upthread, and it looks pretty good. And I've already abandoned any attempt to keep the number of sourcebooks low ...)
- UMD: How much do I need UMD? I'll have access to Bard, Paladin, and Oracle wands already. But I haven't played a guy with UMD before, so I don't know what all it's good for.
- Fly: How badly do PF characters need the Fly skill? Should I put ranks in it? How many?
- Versatile Performance: For my second Versatile Performance, should I go Comedy (Bluff, Intimidate) or Dance (Acrobatics, Fly). I'm leaning towards Comedy.
- Feats: I'm not especially attached to the last few feats. Currently I've got (07) Spellsong, (09) Lingering Performance, (11) Discordant Voice. Should I swap any out? Potential alternatives: Toughness, Extra Performance, Combat Casting.
- General: Anything else I've missed / should know about / should fix right now 'cause ohmigod it's terrible?
keep lingering performance and lose spellsong for combat casting if you feel like your going to be in melee a lot. Spellsong allows you to use performance to fool targets into thinking your not casting. It does not actually turn a spell into a performance, it just uses a perform check to effectively bluff your target into thinking your a dancing ninny in the midst of combat. I don't see anything in the wording that states that you do not provoke whilst being said ninny.
UMD would not be a good skill choice for you as you already have a good number of both divine and arcane spells.
Versatile performance should be whatever you want so long as you choose three that have no skill overlap.
You should be picking up flight with versatile performance if anything. It's useful when you need to maintain positioning for your buffs in mid flight.
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- Spellsong. Okay, I see the point about Spellsong. Nice flavor and useful in certain situations, but probably not worth a feat slot. And I will be in melee all the time. I'll swap it for Combat Casting. If (whenever I run this guy) I actually make it to 7th level alive, I'll have more information to help the choice.
- Fly. Since I only get two Versatile Performances by level 12, I'm going with Oratory (Diplomacy, Sense Motive) and Comedy (Bluff, Intimidate). Might swap out one for Dance (Acrobatics, Fly), but unsure. I'll plan a few points for Fly if I don't, or maybe pick up a Headband of INT with Fly on it.
- Armor and Max Cha. Current plan: end up with Celestial Armor at +17 AC [= 6 base + 8 Cha + 3 enhancement]. But since "there is no upgrade path to achieve Celestial Armor", I'll have to get by in the meantime. In the meantime, Mithral Chain Shirt at +10 AC [= 4 base + 6 Cha] before enhancement. Mithral Breastplate's a little better, but ups the price by 3000. Anything I'm missing in the armor plan?
If you happen to have a spot open, you can take arms and armor and make your own.
yeah..... paying attention ftw. sorry
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Continuing the blogging-the-build tone of this thread ... (Questions at the end.)
Lysias the Non-Aggressive (and In-Need-Of-A-Real-Epithet-And-Perhaps-A-Better-Name) is coming together nicely. I'm going to test-drive a lvl-4 version (Bard 2/Oracle 1/Sacred Shield 1) in a home game this weekend. The main change from previous build post: I've gone with the Lame curse instead of Legalistic or Blackened. I'll lessen the pain via a Wand of Longstrider.
His Knowledge skills are looking good with a +8 to every Knowledge and Focused Trance 5/day for a +20 boost. He's got Diplomacy and Sense Motive at +15 via Versatile Performance (Oratory) + Skill Focus. Let's look at my planned combat tactics.
Early in adventure:
- buff with Wand of Mage Armor and Wand of Longstrider
As Adventuring:
- have Wand of Cure Light Wounds and Wand of Enlarge Person in spring-loaded wrist sheaths
- have Whip accessible
- hold a Wand of Shield and a Wand of Bless
Combat Tactics:
- Move in and throw on combat-length buffs as needed (Shield, Bless, Enlarge Person [as battlefield control / extra flanking / extra provocation])
- Maintain flank as much as possible. Try to accomplish: (i) buff; (ii) eat AOOs for allies who need the cover; (iii) heal. Movement to maintain flank eats AOOs. Whip to Aid-Another eats AOOs.
- NEVER make an attack roll to deal damage (barring truly desperate situations).
- For BBEGs: a Bastion of Good + Vanish combo: half-damage to my party and you can't find me to kill me.
- Immediate / Swift Actions to assist party: (i) Misfortune; (ii) Saving Finale. Careful of the fact that Bastion of Good and springing a Wrist Sheath both eat my swift action for the round.
Questions
- Is there any way at all to get more uses of Smite Evil (here, Bastion of Good) per day?
- Under what conditions does Bastion of Good end? Smite Evil: "The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability." I assume it also ends when Lysias dies. But notice that this leaves the damage-reduction aura operative if I fall unconscious (not an issue with Smite Evil, obviously), a pretty nice benefit (well, unless the BBEG decides to squish me for it), if it holds up to scrutiny. But I've never played a Paladin before. Anybody know how this would work?
- Obviously useless for ranged combat, since Clouded Vision will prevent me from seeing beyond 30 feet. Should I pick up a Wand of Magic Missile or something else for those times I can't avoid it?
- Does anybody have a handy reference for which types of bonuses do stack with themselves? I know the presumption is against, but don't a few here and there stack? Since Lysias will be throwing around a lot of bonuses, I'd like to have a plain answer on this, but I can't find one. (The bonus types I've run up against: morale, competence, insight, circumstance.)
This guy's going to be fun! :-)
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Trial run went very well. Lysias' bag of tricks managed just the sort of party support I was going for.
The only problem I had was getting all my buffs up at the beginning of combat. Trying to throw on both Shield and Bless at the beginning of combat eats up two Standards right off. A double move or so to get in position and another Standard to begin Inspire Courage ... and the combat's mostly over! Not the worst problem to have with a support character, I guess. The only real problem was Shield: it's something of a failure every time I eat a Standard buffing myself and not the party. Guess I'll have to drop cash on a magic shield earlier than I'd thought.
@TGMaxMaxer: I didn't have any real problems with Clouded Vision. I like how it forces Lysias into melee and flat out makes him useless in certain situations. Yes, the uselessness is intentional. The hard limitation is a fun challenge to work around. Sure, he could end up too useless (the sight limitation on knowledge is something to worry about especially), but preliminary indications are positive. If it's a mistake, it's one I'm currently planning to make. Thanks for the warning, though!