RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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And if that doesn't work, I'll just play a half-elf and take the Ancestral Arms alternate racial trait.
I just need to find a non-combat trait that gives +2 initiative so I can take Armor Expert.
I believe both Elves and Half-elves have a Race Trait equivalent to Reactionary.
Also, as has been mentioned, your first ninja trick/rogue talent could be "Combat Trick", which lets you pick a combat feat (such as EWP).
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And if that doesn't work, I'll just play a half-elf and take the Ancestral Arms alternate racial trait.
I just need to find a non-combat trait that gives +2 initiative so I can take Armor Expert.
I believe both Elves and Half-elves have a Race Trait equivalent to Reactionary.
Also, as has been mentioned, your first ninja trick/rogue talent could be "Combat Trick", which lets you pick a combat feat (such as EWP).
Elf: Warrior of Old
Half Elf: Elven Reflexes
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I don't want to use Two-Weapon Fighting and I want to be a Dex ninja. I suppose I could just use a single wakizashi and get it enchanted with the Agile property and take Piranha Strike. But Piranha Strike doesn't make sense because you can't two-hand a light weapon.
So I figured, let's use an Elven Curve Blade. It adds 2 average damage over the wakizashi, you can two-hand it so you get the 1.5x bonus from Power Attack, and I can still put an Agile enchantment on it.
And I wasn't talking about the Adopted race trait. I was talking about the human Adoptive Parentage alternative racial trait. Adoptive Parentage sacrifices the bonus feat and in exchange you get to pick a race and get their weapon familiarity. If I chose elves as the race, I treat anything with "Elven" in the name as a martial weapon and then the Heirloom Weapon equipment trait would get me proficiency with it.
And if that doesn't work, I'll just play a half-elf and take the Ancestral Arms alternate racial trait.
I just need to find a non-combat trait that gives +2 initiative so I can take Armor Expert.
Two-handing something with Pirahna Strike doesn't do the 1.5 anyways.
Regardless, it is obvious you are just going for maximum optimization (cheese), so I'm not going to participate in this thread any longer.
This thread would be better on the advice forums, rather than the PFS forums.
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You aren't just optimizing though Bigdaddyjug.
I have a somewhat optimized fighter/rogue who uses fighting fans for fun and flavor.
I have a somewhat optimized oracle/barbarian/rage prophet who is really good at tripping and disarming, yet his bonuses aren't as high as they can possibly go.
Both characters are fairly versatile.
You can make an optimized Ninja without trying to find absolutely the most powerful option available.
Optimizing Ninja with a Wakizashi is doable. There is no reason to go with the Elven Curved Blade except for cheese (or you have some flavor that makes sense being an Elven Ninja or whatever.)
Taking a less that "most powerful options available" does not make your Ninja suck. It just means he's only optimized rather than cheesed out to all get-out.
If that's how you have fun, have at it. But I won't be a party to helping you do so.
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Actually, The elven curve blade is a waste of time at the levels PFS plays at. The only time when the elven curve blade pulls ahead of other options for damage is in the higher levels. It takes a bunch of feats and a lot of static damage before the crit based weapons pull ahead. Before then there are easier options to use unless you are using the elven curve blade for flavor/roleplaying aspects.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
It seems that people have different definitions of the term "optimize".
At its root, it means to take the optimal choices, the best choices, for a particular purpose. In that sense, "over-optimization" doesn't make any more sense than over-winning a foot race.
Other people think that "optimization" means to find the optimum equilibrium among different factors. Over-balancing in favor of AC, or damage on a hit, or any other single factor, is "over-optimal" in one direction.
"Cheese" is just derogatory. It means "I don't like that."
--+--
Bigdaddyjug, we've identified some ways to get the Elven curveblade at 2nd level that don't involve a lot of weird edge-rules. So far, and I admit I might have missed it, I haven't seen any posts from you explaining why that's unsatisfactory.
There are a lot of concept builds that take a level or two to get going. First and second-level Zen Archers aren't much to write home about. First-level blade-bound magi don't have access to their crazy black blades. Does it seem plausible to have a ninja that needs a level or two before he can master the curve blade he was given by the subterranean elves of Tian Xia?
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And if that doesn't work, I'll just play a half-elf and take the Ancestral Arms alternate racial trait.
I just need to find a non-combat trait that gives +2 initiative so I can take Armor Expert.
I believe both Elves and Half-elves have a Race Trait equivalent to Reactionary.
Also, as has been mentioned, your first ninja trick/rogue talent could be "Combat Trick", which lets you pick a combat feat (such as EWP).
Elf: Warrior of Old
Half Elf: Elven Reflexes
For all Initiative-increasing traits:
Combat Traits:
Excitable (Gnome) - Pathfinder Companion: Gnomes of Golarion
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on all Initiative checks.
Reactionary - Advanced Player's Guide
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks
Tracker of the Society (Ranger) - Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Initiative checks and a +2 trait bonus on Survival skill checks made while traveling through any of your favored terrains. This is in addition to any bonuses you receive from your Favored Terrain class ability.
Race Traits:
Elven Reflexes (Half-Elf) - Advanced Player's Guide
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Ekujae Reflexes (Half-Elf) - Pathfinder Companion: Legacy of Fire Player’s Guide
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Harrow Born (Varisian) - Pathfinder Companion: Humans of Golarion
Benefit: You start play with a harrow deck passed down from a relative. Because of your skill with fortune-telling, you gain a +1 trait bonus on initiative checks.
Rapscallion (Gnome) - Advanced Player's Guide
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Escape Artist checks and a +1 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Spirits in the Stone (Human; Mwangi) - Pathfinder Companion: Legacy of Fire Player’s Guide
Benefit: Whenever you’re in ruins, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks and a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against traps and natural hazards.
Tunnel Fighter (Dwarf) - Pathfinder Companion: Dwarves of Golarion
Benefit: While underground, you receive a +2 trait bonus to initiative checks and a +1 trait bonus on weapon damage rolls for critical hits (this damage is multiplied on a critical hit).
Warrior of Old (Elf) - Advanced Player's Guide
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Regional Traits:
Absalom Hotspur (Absalom) - Pathfinder Companion: Inner Sea Primer
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Initiative checks and Knowledge (local) checks.
Hermean Paragon (the Steaming Sea) - Pathfinder Companion: Inner Sea Primer
Benefit: Whatever the case, you are quicker than normal members of your race, and gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Narrows Survivor (Taldor) - Pathfinder Companion: Taldor, Echoes of Glory
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Initiative and Sense Motive checks. Sense Motive is always a class skill for you.
Survivor - Pathfinder Companion: Taldor, Echoes of Glory
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to initiative and Sense Motive checks. Sense Motive is always a class skill for you.
Watching Taldor (Qadira) - Pathfinder Companion: Qadira, Gateway to the East
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Initiative checks, and if you are able to act during the surprise round of an encounter, you can draw a weapon (but not a potion or magic item) as a free action during that round.
Whisper Woods Hunter (Whisper Woods) - Pathfinder Companion: Cheliax, Empire of Devils
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Survival checks to track evil outsiders and a +2 trait bonus on initiative checks when you know your opponent is an evil outsider.
Religion Traits:
Veteran of Battle (Gorum) - Advanced Player's Guide
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Initiative checks, and if you are able to act during a surprise round, you may a draw a weapon (but not a potion or magic item) as a free action during that round.
So what is this thread about now?
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Bigdaddyjug, we've identified some ways to get the Elven curveblade at 2nd level that don't involve a lot of weird edge-rules. So far, and I admit I might have missed it, I haven't seen any posts from you explaining why that's unsatisfactory.I said somewhere in the middle of the first page that I would just play a half-elf so I can get proficiency at level 1. I'm not a particular fan of half-elves, but it's better than having to wait until level 3 to get ECB proficiency.
Since I made that statement, I found out about the Heirloom Weapon trait and was wondering if that would work in combination with the human alternate racial trait Adoptive Parentage. I have been told that wouldn't work, so I will just plan on playing a half-elf.
What's wrong with the other EWP-at-2nd-level option that's been mentioned multiple times?
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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the only way a ninja with an ECB makes sense is if you are all or part elf.
Pish posh.
Your best friend for three years at the Pathfinder Academy was this elf, training to be a ranger. You guys trained togther, helped each other through the trials the Pathfinder Society subjected you to, and became blood brothers.
Three months before being graduated to full Pathfinder Agent status, your friend's legs were crushed down at the waterfront, caught between the docks and a swiftly-moving boat. When he recovered, he realized that he would never make it as an agent, and "Legless" as everybody calls him now, bequeathed his elven curve blade to you, asking you to carry it forth in battle, so that you may give it the honor it deserves.
You felt uncomfortable about this whole "honor" thing, but he is your best friend. So you promised to do your best.
At first level, you haven't yet trained in its use. But next level ...
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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Yeah, I probably could have come up with a nice backstory that made it make sense. I don't seem to have any problem with that sort of thing.
Coming up with decent character names, on the other hand...
I think it's easier if you pick out a theme. All of my characters are named after chemistry stuff. For instance, Butyl Ithyomsson, my raised-by-Dwarves Aasimar cleric of Torag, and Friedel Crafts and her mighty steed Aryl.
Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Martinsville
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A word on adopted...
I would clarify that you can get racial Traits, like those in the trait hand out and in the various race companion books (Blanks of Golorian). You have to choose one that is not a Social Racial Trait (Like Etymologist) so one must look at the pathfinder OGL to make sure if they don't have the companion books. Adopted is a social trait itself and within PFS play, it has been stated that any trait taken with Adopted counts Adopted as a part of the taken trait catigories. (So the traits that make the most sense to take with Adopted you can't take with it.)
It is something of a sore spot with me.
It does not have anything to do with the racial Abilities, which are called traits in the race entries. I can't believe anyone would confuse the two.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Martinsville
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There is a feat that would allow one to take any racial trait or feat, but I forget what it is called. There are others that are narrowed to specific races also.
Someone else mentioned adopted, and Traits vs. Abilities was getting confused again in a couple of posts above.
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There is a feat that would allow one to take any racial trait or feat, but I forget what it is called. There are others that are narrowed to specific races also.
Someone else mentioned adopted, and Traits vs. Abilities was getting confused again in a couple of posts above.
No, the problem is defining the difference between Race Traits and Racial Traits.
The problem is in the similarity in names and terminology. They are called traits. They use Race or Racial, depending on type of modifier.
Adopted, which is a Social trait, allows the use of Race Traits.
Some people get that confused with Racial Traits.
Hopefully, Pathfinder 2.0 will fix some of the language issues, although I don't hold out high hopes, since the issues with level are still around, for muiltiple editions and publishers of the basic gaming system started.
What level is your character now?
What level of the dungeon are you on?
What level spell are you casting?
Is that a level playing field?
What caster level is that wand set at?
I prefer the term "Racial Aspects" instead of Racial Traits.
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I know this may not be the best thread to ask this on, but I'm a bit of a noob and was wondering: In the Advanced Race Guide, It says that an alternate racial trait I want to give my Aasimar replaces dark vision, but angelkin don't have dark vision. So am I able to replace one of angelkin's traits with it, or am I just out of luck?
The angelkin has darkvision. All aasimar come with it. The angelkin only lists modifications off of the standard aasimar, not everything they have.