So getting a friend into PFS. He is ancient, and did play 1st and 2nd edition DnD. He wants to play a Barbarian, so I was looking to see how to help him with character concept and to get started. So I have two questions really:
1 - Should I even start him with an archtype? While these are more complex than an out the box barbarian I think they could help add to the Role Play value. Which he highly prizes. I was looking at the Armored Hulk, Breaker, (he likes "hulk smash") or possibly the Drunken Brute (cause all raging drunk barbarians are innately funny). I know this isnt optimal but im going having fun. Not being optimized.
2 - What Feats and Rage powers, assuming he makes it to level 2, should I be looking at? The only must have I put down was Power attack. After that i want fun feats that he can use and enjoy. Feats and rage powers that he activates for effects like "Intimidating Glare" , "Knockdown" , possibly stuff with the elements. Cause you know, Hitting someone with a flaming sword is bad a$$.
Anyway any tips would be appreciated. Please nothing like Superstition and other boring feats. I know it wont be optimized, the goal here is butt kicking fun.
Raging Vitality is somewhat of a must have for Barbarians just to prevent death from falling out of rage when they become unconscious.
I personally think the Body Bludgeon rage power is awesome, but it's not available until level 10, unfortunately.
While Raging Vitality is great, I don't think its needed at lower levels. We have a fairly friendly PFS group so I think we can keep him alive. As for the Body Bludgeon rage power, There was a lot of cool powers I saw but most of them had level requirements.
I'm really focused on his first 2 or 3 levels to make sure he enjoys it so he keeps playing. Once he has some levels under his belt we can worry about optimized choices for survivability.
Don't you have a buzzer to call her when you need? With modern day technology there is no need for you to wait....
Joking.
The ancient comment was more of an inside joke cause he is an older guy that hangs around with a younger crowd. He has a son thats older than my Fiance. Anyway he wasn't as lucky as you to stay in the scene so its going to be a big change.
Is this his first game of Pathfinder? His first character? His first implementation of the new (to him, at least) rules?
Keep.
It.
Simple.
Just a standard barbarian, 2-handed weapon, rage and hit things. Let him get a session or two under his belt.
Remember, it's allowable in PFS for (new) players to tweak their characters and make changes until they "lock in" at level 2, so he could essentially play up to three sessions before he decides on what he wants to play further.
I don't play barbarians myself, but I have seen a lot of people positive about invulnerable rager archetype, superstitious rage power. I have heard a lot about Come and Get Me rage power at high (for PFS) level, and building towards it. Beast Totem and its follow-ons are also popular.
Yea I know about all these. I can also find several guides. My question was on advice on "fun" powers like the examples I gave.
Is this his first game of Pathfinder?
No, this will be his second. The first game he played the Female Barbarian PreGen.
Just a standard barbarian, 2-handed weapon, rage and hit things.
Yea, thats what I wanted. I only brought up the Archtypes to give it flavor. I know the Invulnerable Rager is considered the most optimized archtype but I know he will have more fun with a character concept he can really get into. I will just hold off on that until he hits level 2 and "locks" in.
I did have to talk him out of welding two 1-handed axes. Might have been a white lie, but I told him it wasn't feasible without being a fighter due to the feats and Paizo hates two weapon fighting.
Look to the Amiri pregen. She's a basic, but effective, barbarian, especially at the lower levels.
Ask him what he wants. I have a friend, and she wanted to play a demon with a greatsword, raging and bashing things, and also intimidating and diplomatic, and somewhat seductive. Her resulting character is a Demon-Spawn tiefling barbarian, who is now level 4. I suggested Power Attack and Weapon Focus to start out, and she didn't dump charisma (12) and took a trait to make diplomacy a class skill. She absolutely loves the character! It's really fun to watch the Cheliax barbarian be the face of the party.
I'd say if an archetype fits his character, go for it!
So really, listen to what he wants and try to build around it. If there's something he can't do, give him options that allows him to do it.
He'll like his first character a lot more if he gets most of the input, and you deal with the starting rules (helping him out and informing him of how they work, of course).
I'm old school, but I'd play the pregen game one. He might be old school and want every detail inspected and agreed apon but their is a landslide of information that he has to contend with. Different strokes for different folks.
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I am a true recruiter for this system. I expect players to die game one or game two so they are not so attached to their characters.Some players would rather not play then die. Being empathetic, I announce it even if I'm proven wrong. "You guys are going to die!!!!!"
This weekend we played a season three game, Storming the Diamond Gate at 4th level. If I was GMing and not just helping the GM, it would have been a TPK. The party had a Summoner, Hair Witch, Wizard, Fighter, Pregen-Gunslinger, Pregen-Barbarian. At level 7, like the other tables were playing, it's a TPK every time if I was the GM, without question.
The GM misplayed a fatiguing effect in the very beginning which basically made the Barbarian unable to rage the whole game due to heat stroke for two points of subdual damage after missing a save. The fatigue should have only lasted as long as the damage lasted (2 points)and they used a wand of cure the first room in after the desert bamf.
Meat shields to me never work to add any value to a party build, unless the shieldee is cool with it and the tactic is not forced. I think too many Bards and Spellcaster players expect someone stupid to go first. High AC Fighters, Monks with Mage Armor, I get it, but I've seen devastating traps, and readied actions punish this party position over and over again. This was one of those games.
I feel that intelligent players will eventually learn from their mistakes, but to my experience some never do, some would never play the pregens ever, and nostagic players will argue facing rules and feats that have changed so dramatically in PFS, they bad mouth this stuff until they are blue in the face.
PFS is a tournament, Pathfinder Legacy (not PFS), even RAW, is more attuned to the ways the Adventure Paths would feel, camping watches, hunting for game, the way Charm Person might work, getting drunk in a bar scene,etc.
Even death in those days of ole to many, was just as fun. Being a hero was all that mattered, looting the bodies, and buying plate mail armor for 400gp.
After playing for sooooooo sooooo very long. "Being Conan" might be impossible at the HellKnight's Feast, or the Disappered, or The Blackros Matrimony.
I'd tell any wanna-be anything to make ten characters and GM often to reap the benefits of diversity.
Lastly, the flavor of the faction missions was so powerful before this generation of Society, if your friend is confused by the "extra" details presented give him a heads up early that for whatever reason, the faction missions are whatever nowadays.
OK I feel my question got lost, and devolved into general advice on how to make his character. The origional questions were:
1 - Should I even start him with an archtype? ....
2 - What Feats and Rage powers, assuming he makes it to level 2, should I be looking at? ......
What I guess I should have said was:
What Feats and Rage powers did you find the most fun while playing PFS?
bump