Hey all,
I'm going to be playing through Dragon's Demand later this week (no spoilers, please!) and I'm looking for advice on how to fill out our party. I'm not really looking for opinions on how to be effective in this module specifically, but just how to fill out this party.
Currently we have:
Half-Elf Two-Weapon Fighter
Halfling Ninja
Half-Orc Flame Oracle
I'm no stranger to arcane spellcasting, as I play a wizard in my usual group and I normally enjoy it.
Having said that, I really don't want to play a wizard in this game, too.
The party is four people, with a 15-point buy. Non-Paizo sources are not allowed. I may be able to coerce the GM into allowing the Advanced Class Guide playtest.
I had originally considered Witch with the Ancestors domain, so I could focus on buffing and debuffing since our divine caster is really blasty.
I eventually got the jitters about this idea, since the party is only four people. I feel like a witch abusing Fortune and Cackle would shine in a larger group, but maybe not this one.
I'd love to hear your opinions - thanks in advance for your time.
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Well, then you have either Bard, magus or Sorcerer.
I like the Starsoul bloodline, since you dont need a blaster.
The Magician Bard could be fun.
Sorcerer - Fey Bloodline
with CHA +4 you get a DC of 16 on DAZE thanks to the +2 on compulsion spells.
Alternatively you could go Witch, Evil Eye, Misfortune and Crackle, it's still gonna rock even in a small group.
You could also look in to "Word Casting".
Thanks everyone for the replies thus far!
Arcanist from ACG playtest looks really cool. Summoner is worth considering, but might hog the spotlight a little. If you want something a little (or actually a lot) different, Samsaran summoner with mystic past life and spells from either sorcerer/wizard or bard spell list- the eidolon is a lot weaker and better for ranged support, and you can buff or do some battlefield control. I believe the Arcana bloodline for sorcerer lets you use Int for spellcasting, which would give more skill points (and gives one knowledge skill as a class skill).
The Summoner is actually the one arcane class I've never given a second glance - but given the size of the party, another body on the field could be really useful. I'll take a look.
I suggest a Strength-focused Magus with a two-handed weapon.
I would totally do this, except I think we're a bit melee-heavy as it is, and I'm hoping to tend towards the support side of things. I have been itching to try the Magus, though.
Sorcerer - Fey Bloodline
with CHA +4 you get a DC of 16 on DAZE thanks to the +2 on compulsion spells.
Alternatively you could go Witch, Evil Eye, Misfortune and Crackle, it's still gonna rock even in a small group.
You could also look in to "Word Casting".
Fey does look pretty neat, and I've never looked at word casting.
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I suggest avoiding Fey Sorcerer, especially in a low-level module.
It's a favorite class of mine, but I can't recommend it unless the player has a very specific reason to play one.
You spend a lot of time scrambling at low levels trying to stay useful in combat. Few spells known and few spells per day really hurts before you reach 9th level.
Enchantment is very powerful in certain circumstances. The class starts out strong with Sleep, but fades out almost completely between level 3 and level 9 (when you get 4th level spells).
Having played DD, I can doubly recommend not taking this class. It will be frustrating, and not because of whatever enemies you will face during the adventure. It's just too weak at low levels.
If you want to fill out your party, I think a Wizard would do well.
Any of the standard schools are good, but take a look at elemental schools just to do/be something different.
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I quite like the idea of a Bard too, DrDeth, though I like unarchetyped. You're not a full caster, but if you've got a ninja and a two-weapon fighter then I'm sure Inspire Courage and other buffs would be very welcome.
15 point buy is pretty restrictive, but works just fine for an Archer Bard. If you work with the Ninja you can pretty much cover every face/scouting skill and a good deal of the knowledge ones too.
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I would totally do this, except I think we're a bit melee-heavy as it is, and I'm hoping to tend towards the support side of things. I have been itching to try the Magus, though.
If you're melee-heavy and want to support, there is little that can compare to the force-multiplying power of bardic performance.
a one-level dip into bard to buff your summoner minions? McAwesome!
Although Summoner is effective at what they do, they are specialists. Read through some of the guides and pay attention to what they can't do. They are great for putting additional bodies on the field, but not so great at battle field control.
If you have a way to pick up wands and such, I would suggest Sorcerer. Gives you a lot of flexibility and you buy scrolls or wands for those spells that are seldom needed but vital when you need them.
You can never really go wrong with a Conjuration (Teleport specialist) Wizard in my opinion. It's doubly good since Wizards are one of the best classes at buffing parties aside from the Bard, Haste anyone?
if you want to buff and debuff i'd suggest the witch... you can get pretty decent buffs with your spells and probably the best debuffs in the game from a resource management perspective in hexes (since they can be used 1+/target), plus both class features work off Int so you're pretty SAD.
if you're okay with focusing on just buffing i'd suggest a bard- you could add some helpful ranged damage if you build as an archer, the bonuses from bardic performance and your buff spells will go a long way with 2 melee guys (and an archer), you'll bring a lot of skill support (including knowledges and UMD which both appear to be lacking), and you can even provide backup healing... the only real downside is that in a 15 point buy you won't be able to afford the Cha you need for debuffing.
You can never really go wrong with a Conjuration (Teleport specialist) Wizard in my opinion. It's doubly good since Wizards are one of the best classes at buffing parties aside from the Bard, Haste anyone?
I would likely do this if I wasn't already playing one in my weekly game.
If you're melee-heavy and want to support, there is little that can compare to the force-multiplying power of bardic performance.
I've never been a huge fan of bards, though I do not doubt their effectiveness. I'll have to see if there's an archetype that appeals to me.
Does anyone have experience with the Advanced Class Guide's Skald?