An interesting character.


Advice


There is a campaign coming and I would like to play something rather interesting. As in a fighter with a giant axe that can also cast some spells and is capable of playing an instrument (Brutal legend, what is that?). I've been thinking of a combination of a fighter and a bard, something that could work from fighting standpoint but also that would be interesting and fun to role play. Any ideas, all help would be nice :D


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Would your GM allow a gestalt character? That is basically where you combine 2 classes. You get all the powers/abilities of the 2 and take the best of mechanical bonuses like skill ranks, HP, BAB and Save Bonuses.

A fighter/bard gestalt then would have access to both classes' class skills, the fighter bonus feat, the bard's spells and song abilities, so on and so forth. He'd have full BAB, 3 Good (+2 at 1st level) saves, d10 HP and 6 +Int Bonus for skill ranks/level.

Otherwise I'd strongly suggest playing a base class instead of a core. Perhaps a Magus (fighting and arcane spellcasting) or an inquisitor (fighting and divine spellcasting). No, you wouldn't get any bard abilities but you'd be diverse. Another way to go might be an oracle for the flavor of the character, but they're not quite a mix of anything.


I think a gestalt character would be a bit too strong, so not sure if he would allow it, sadly. The magus doesnt really fit into a character whos image i have created (basically a power-metal bard that can kick ass in melee) but I'll take that into a concidiration. I was thinking of arcane duelist with a dip into a fighter (for profficiency with giant axes and a bit better BAB) but not sure how would I exactly make that work... I've DM'ed before but I never played pathfinder as a PC, so I'm quite bad at creating fun characters that aren't dead weight during fights.


Would he let you play one of the ACG Playtest classes? Because the Skald is pretty much what you're looking for, except instead of a Bardighter it's a Bardbarian (much cooler, really).


Hm, didn't know about Skalds in pathfinder, thanks :D Gonna read into them for sure.


Rynjin how would such a skald work in terms of stats, feats etc? I'm asking because on d20psfrd there is'nt much, only the differences in bardic performances ;/

Scarab Sages

That's not the right class. There's a bard archetype called skald, and in the advanced class guide there's a new class called skald. They're not directly related, and Rynjin is talking about the latter. SRD only has the archetype because the advanced class guide has not been released yet. You can download the playtest to play it if you want.


Oh, that explains so much, thanks :P

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

the skald on pfsrd is just an archetype... there's a playtest going on right now for a new book called the Advanced Class Guide; in that book there is a new class also called a skald (which seems unfortunately confusing). that new class may be just what you're looking for.

you can download the playtest pdf for free through this website (i don't recall exactly where/how though).


I know, already got it, and yes, it is confusing. ;/ He seems like a bard that can do more with melee but still is kinda focused on spellcasting (maybe I'm just reading it wrong) and I thought of something a bit around, a fighter/barbarian that can cast spells to enchance his fighting.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

There's also the Bloodrager class in the ACG playtest. It gets full BAB and 4-level arcane casting, combining Barbarian and Sorcerer. There are some pretty frickin' sweet bloodlines too (especially Arcane and Celestial).


Hm, a bit of a technical question, when it says that on lvl 1 I have +0 BAB on the table does that mean that I just roll a d20 or do I have a base and something from my strenght? :s

Scarab Sages

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For a melee weapon, your attack bonus is going to be strength bonus (i.e. 12 gets you +1, 14 gets you +2, etc, there's a table near the beginning of the core rulebook) plus your BAB.

When you attack, you roll a d20 and then add that attack bonus to it. If the number is greater than or equal to the armor class of what you're attacking, you hit.

There are lots of other things that can cause additional bonuses or penalties, but cross that bridge when you come to it, no need to muddy the waters where you're at right now.


Brutal Legend? Awesome. Here’s my homage to Eddie.

Four levels of Barbarian--power attack with a big axe will get you pretty far.

One level of Bard--Sound Striker would be the most thematic choice, but Archeologist for luck would be your best choice mechanically. Invigorate and Unseen Servant would be good first spell choices.

Dragon Disciple from there on out, baby. Your strength will soon be in the mid-twenties normally, and the low thirties when raging.

Eventually you’ll be an axe-wielding winged powerhouse who can blast things with sound-related spells and turn into a freaking dragon.

Get the Extra Rage feat, the rage powers Lesser Fiend Totem and Reckless Abandon, and nab Arcane Strike once you get a bard level.

Once you are a Dragon Disciple, get yourself a high crit reach weapon and go to town. If anything gets inside your guard, drop the weapon as a free action, grow claws and jaws as a free action, activate Arcane Strike as a swift action, rage (and so grow horns) as a free action, get lucky as a free action, and shred that fool as a full attack.


Thank You all for help, I'm almost done with my character, after ages of thinking I've came to conclusion that something that would be the best of how I would like this character to play is a very tall arcane duelist with a dip into a figther. Weapon focus, great axe, medium armor, lots of strength, a bit of charisma. Looks all right to me, talked with the GM, everything is set. So, once again, thank all of you, you all were really helpful :D


I would recommend just going arcane duelist to keep it easy.

Dark Archive

Mark Hoover wrote:

Would your GM allow a gestalt character? That is basically where you combine 2 classes. You get all the powers/abilities of the 2 and take the best of mechanical bonuses like skill ranks, HP, BAB and Save Bonuses.

Wow, that is some crazy power gaming. Are people actually combining classes like that, taking the best of each class to create a super hybrid?

Liberty's Edge

Gestalt is a fairly common play style to some people. It is obviously for higher power games but is pretty fun. I have a summoner sorcers gestalt that is awesome to play.


Argus, I agree that gestalt characters are awfully powerful, but they are quite useful in one-on-one gaming or with small parties. As for the Arvius' concept, rock on, brother. I don't know if you could string and amplify your axe, but "you'd be a lot cooler if you did."


Emmit Svenson wrote:
Once you are a Dragon Disciple, get yourself a high crit reach weapon and go to town. If anything gets inside your guard, drop the weapon as a free action, grow claws and jaws as a free action, activate Arcane Strike as a swift action, rage (and so grow horns) as a free action, get lucky as a free action, and shred that fool as a full attack.

You actually play with a DM that allows that many free actions in one turn, WOW. The most any of my DM's , or myself as DM for that matter ever allow is 2 free actions per turn...precisely to eliminate cheezy !@@$ like that. lol.


Arcane duelist works. I'd be tempted by sound striker even with its wonky mechanics, but the bonus feats from AD are probably better. I'd also want to go catch of guard and improvised weapon mastery with an adamantine guitar, maybe bladebound magus with the same instead of bard.. think about dragon disciple after bard 7 or 13, for the battle-mode transformation..


james knowles wrote:


You actually play with a DM that allows that many free actions in one turn, WOW. The most any of my DM's , or myself as DM for that matter ever allow is 2 free actions per turn...precisely to eliminate cheezy !@@$ like that. lol.

Man sure is cheesy to do something you see shapeshifters/weres in pretty much every game/movie/tv show ever at some point.

And it's not like it's super effective or anything.

Also, Archers must be sad at your table.


he has a rebal axe
so does this guy


james knowles wrote:
The most any of my DM's , or myself as DM for that matter ever allow is 2 free actions per turn...precisely to eliminate cheezy !@@$ like that. lol.

Are you incapable of dropping a book, lying down and talking at the same time? According to your house rules, no one could manage three such amazing feats in the same six seconds.

Maybe those house rules need a little rethinking.

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