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I've been wanting a Tiefling so I am making one for pfs.
Tentative details:
Revel, CN Male Tiefling Demonspawn Cleric of Urgathoa. Cleric 8, Fighter 2.
Domains: Undead (Death), Ferocity (Strength).
Feats: Improved Channel, Quick Channel, Selective Channel,
Shatter Resolve, Armor of the Pit, Power Attack, Arcane Strike,
Channel Smite, Extra Channel, Command Undead, Fey Foundling.
Stats: (Don't laugh)
Str 16, Dex 10, Con 13
Int 05, Wis 14, Cha 17.
Skill: Chosen very carefully.
Seriously. You can stop laughing now.
Traits: Sacred Conduit, Defender of the Society.
Equipment:
Phylactery of Negative Channeling
Gloves of Arcane Striking
Shield Cloak +x
Amulet of Natural Armor +x
Pink & Green Sphere Ioun Stone
Lesser Reach Metamagic Rod
Ring of Protection +x
Belt of str/Dex/both +2
+1 Vicious Spellstoring Scythe (may have to cut spellstoring)
Bane Baldric (May cut)
Haunted Shoes, Spider Climb Slippers or Boots of the Cat.
Eyes of the Eagle (but Deathwatch Eyes are much more thematic).
Full Plate +x
Racial Traits:
Prehensile Tail & Vestigial Wings (that or fiendish sprinter, either way it's just for looks).
Backstory- Shunned by society and burdened with the dark urges of his forebearers, Revel follows Urgathoa as she provides some release for those desires. The undeath aspect isn't really his thing but he sees the practicality and is fullness of it insofar as how it pertains to him, personally. He wants to make the most out of every moment in life and there for lives in and for excess. He feels that life is short and will go to great lengths to preserve his own for as long as possible so that he may experience as much as he can, perhaps becoming an undead along the way. Aloof and constantly amused, Revel can be trusted about as far as he can be thrown by a halfling with a bad arm. He works for the society because of their diversity, acceptance and willingness to not be dictated by morality when it comes to satisfying their needs.
Haven't decided on an archetype if any, his last class level, which of the two extra feats to drop or when to take which feats. He does, however, hit extremely hard. I also figured that harder to resist channels were better than more channels.
Urgathoa is NE. Your aligment has to be NE, LE, CE or N
Furthermore, you can't be evil in PFS: thus, your alignment has to be TN for this to work.
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@Lazarx I have no idea what you are referencing by 'not starting with all the goodies' unless you mean, like most characters, not having early or immediate access to all of the feats or class features or spells or magic items you want/need. But that's a given so I am somewhat lost on your meaning.
@Blackmane, I misunderstood the alignment steps. I might have been thinking of 3.5 or misunderstanding that, too. I don't play clerics but this one seemed fun and interesting. So True Netrual he is. I am sure that it doesn't take much personality adjustment to fit the story as written.
I am thinking that Bane Baldric is 10k gp too much. Without spell storing or that his damage should be wonderful.
Quick rundown shows: 2d4+4+3+1 as minimums without anything but arcane strike and powder attack. So 13 damage a hit with a swift action.
With gear and some levels we see 2d4+1+2d6+6+6+2 or +xd6(Channel Smite)instead of +2.
So 27 average damage a hit without buffs much more if using channel smite instead of arcane strike.
With buffs the number should be a little higher. At this point does spell storing and and bane baldric become necessary? Probably not but man, it sure would be nice seeing an extra 2d6+2+stored spell and dropping the channel smite on the boss and seeing how big the numbers get.
At any rate, this just sounds like a Divine Magus.
If this is actually for PFS, you start out at level 1, with 150 gp.
And that's it.
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All my other characters did as well. What's the big deal? I feel maybe like I am missing something that everyone else is aware of and I am not. I will begin at level 1 with the listed stats, though I may lower str and/or charisma or something to boost the int to usable levels.
I will wear starting equipment acquired from the starting gold. I will prepare the normal spells available for me to prepare. When I acquire enough wealth I will purchase better mundane armor. When my level allows, I'll add feats and so on.
Probably start as a cleric and stay that way until 5 or 8. Could go for heavy armor early by taking fighter but I don't know yet. This is all a rough draft that is being refined. If you're seeing some glaring hole or weakness or some critical element I missed let me know. There are a couple of comments that sound like I am missing something super obvious and basic.
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Probably start as a cleric and stay that way until 5 or 8. Could go for heavy armor early by taking fighter but I don't know yet.Why would one work a cleric up to level 5 or 8 and then multi-class? That makes no sense at all.
Because they want the benefits of the other class? There are 11 feats listed and only room for 9. Furthermore, those nine are assuming that two bonus combat feats have been acquired somehow. The build says that fighter is how they were gained. So it stands to reason that the multiclassing out of cleric is for the fighter bonus feats. :D
At low levels it might make sense to multi-class with a full caster, but by middle levels you will regret it.
This assumes that the characters goal is to run around casting spells as his primary function. This assumption is incorrect. The builds focus is to channel energy and slap things around in melee. Spellcasting 4th level and higher spells is utterly incendental. If I could have received more feats and worse spell progression but kept both domains and been able to channel negative energy for harming the living I would have. But cleric seems the only way of acquiring two domains and getting an offensive channel energy. So Revel is a cleric because it is the only way to entertain the concept effectively.
Of course, PFS works fine with (expects?) non-optimized PCs, so you'll do fine either way.
I seriously doubt that the above detailed build would fall flat on its face outside of pfs. Let us assume we go cleric 9, fighter 2.
You are implying that Dc 22 7d6 negative channel which heals me and one other ally for probably the entire fight doing an average of 24.5 DMG, can be done twice in a round, channeled through a weapon and used by a melee character who has a Bab of +8/+3 an 18 str, two-handed weapon with x4 crit multiplier and buff spells to enhance his hit chance and damage, is wearing medium or heavy armor, has a shield when wanted and a feasible armor class aside, access to airial combat spells, power attack, and ferocious strike (another +4 damage) and a either a bane baldric or spell storing weapon for more offensive output, and access to fifth level divine spells is just not good enough to deal with the myriad of threats that might interpose themselves between the character and his objectives.I sorely disagree.
To put this in perspective:
31 damage with ferocious strike and power attack but no arcane strike up.
Add 24.5 to that when smiting. If they save just add 12. So 43-55.5 damage when he wants it. He can still channel for another 12-24.5 on a turn where he hasn't used his move action. This heals him and likely another ally.
This assumes the weapon is not spell storing and that we did not purchase the bane baldric. The numbers climb by a minimum average of 9+spell chosen if we stick to the posted plan.
He has a Bab of +8/+3 which, with str of 18 becomes +12/+7. +13/+8 from the weapon enhancement. We're about 6 points shy of where a full fighter should be on accuracy but we have buffs which should catch us up somewhat ranging from prayer and bless for a +1 to deadly juggernaut (definitely our style) or divine favor.
We can still heal with cure spells (or inflict spells) so in a way we can make up for our inability to channel positive energy for group healing. Of course everyone has a wand but still.
On a confirmed critical hit we deal 91+12 on save or 91+24.5.
I do not think that anybody whose in a party with a cleric who is healing, buffing, removing disease and stat penalties, and dishing out this damage is going to complain. Especially not when he is healing himself and the magus or rogue or whoever while simultaneously dealing damage.
This sounds fun to me and I know he can (and should) still be outshone by dedicated martials. He seems good at what he does and interesting to boot. Just what is this critical flaw that he cannot overcome in a home game/serious challenge?
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Having a little baby negative channeler myself I have to say even with selective channel unless you can select out all your allies it's kind of hard to get to channel negative. And whenever you think you have enough cha out come the animal companions.
Anyway I don't know how much pfs you play or if you have some GM credit to jump start but I always caution people to think long and hard about how quickly their character comes together. Some people can easily spend half their characters life waiting for everything to fall into place but I can't play like that.
You make a good point and a strong start is important. What this means is that with 11 feats and only 9 that can be taken we need to refine our choices, set standards to be met and then determine what is most effective and when.
I had a long post I cut but saved that covered everything. But this is the version people would have read.
Goals:
Channel well
Melee memorably and competently
Remain effective at basic class functions aside.
Top pic feats for channeling: Selective Channel, Shatter Resolve & Command Undead
Top picks for combat: Power Attack, Channel Smite, Arcane Strike
Top picks for defense. Fey Foundling, Quick Channel
8/9
As a channeling build we should focus on that first. The scythe, ferocious strike (and buffs) should keep us relevant aside. Selective channel is really important to us. This is going to have to be a first level feat because we can't channel until we take it.
Fey Foundling is rough. We can't abuse it until 8 but it's largely a tax until then. Shatter Resolve is available anytime but we'll take it at 3. This feat is action economy. Quick Channel cannot be taken until level 5. But we may want Control Undead instead. Both provide action economy and Command undead can win encounters (possibly scenario's) on its own. And at level 7 we can finish up with channeling feats or begin the melee with power Attack or Channel Smite. I would probably finish up channeling.
If we scrap Fey Foundling we could take power attack, arcane strike or Channel smite at first level but we would lose 2 HP healed per channel dice when we channel.
So at level 3 we channel for 2d6, sicken those who fail their saves and exclude allies. Our scythe swings for 2d4+4 and we have our spells. At 5 we channel for 3d6, ferocious strike adds +2 damage when we want it, we can channel twice in a round or start taking control of undead depending on what we pick. The scythe does 2d4+6 (maybe 7) before buffs and we have 3rd level spells.
This feels like we're online and running just fine.
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So I have been thinking:
After some discussion and looking over feats and speaking with my partner in crime, I made a few changes. The first was being a member of the Chelliax faction I took the soul drinker trait. Immediate action to get temp HP from the last for to die for a minute. Basically toughness for a minute as an immediate action once a day. Seems to fit thematically but I am not 100% sure about power-wise because it is only a minute duration.
Changed strength domain to war and took tactics. The first level power is solid. The 8th level power is amazing.
Fey foundling: way cool but it is slowing channeling potency and eating into my feat starved build. As is we're stuck choosing between extra channel and improved channel and at very late in the game. All because of this feat. However, the average HP healed at 8th level is 21 or 33. Trying to determine the better option.
Heal 21 but have either a higher DC or more channels, or heal for noticeably more when channeling. Part of me says this is a Paladins feat but this character channels every combat whether injured or not so it would be relevant. Still, leaning towards dumping this really nice feat.