Rise of the Runelords Help Wanted


Advice


I am currently attempting Rise of the Runelords. I am playing a goblin monk of the 4 winds playing with an undine aquatic sorcerer. Our characters are already made and we are fighting Erylium. Since we are only have 2 players I want some advice. Those are the basics and you do not need to read the rest of this paragraph. I do not know if it is a very deadly campaign but I want to minimize the odds of death. We have breezed through all of the encounters up to Erylium. We are having trouble with Erylium as her fast healing and damage reduction are stopping us cold. I want to know how we should try to handle combat throughout the campaign.
So now for the characters-

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Chuffy Toechopper LN Male Goblin Monk of the Four Winds 3
Init +13 Senses Darkvision 60ft, Perception +9
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DEFENSE
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AC 20, Touch 20, Flatfooted 15, (10 base, 5 Dex, 1 size, 1 deflection, 2 insight, 1 dodge)
HP 24 (3d8+6)
Fort +5 Ref +8 Will +5 +2 vs Enchantment
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OFFENSE
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Speed 40ft
Melee Unarmed Strike +5 (1d4+4), Flurry of Blows +7/+7 (1d4+5)
Elemental Fist 3/day 1d6 elemental damage
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Statistics- We rolled for our stats
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Str 14 Dex 20 Con 15 Int 10 Wis 15 Cha 11
Base Atk +2 CMB +4 CMD 22
Feats Improved Initiative, Dodge, Deflect Arrows, Mobility
Skills- Climb +9, Diplomacy +4, Escape Artist +12, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +7, Knowledge History +7, Knowledge Religion +7, Linguistics +4(I needed to speak Common), Perception +9, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +24(I needed only 2 skill ranks there cause I am a goblin), Survival +10
Languages- Goblin, Common
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision 60ft
Elemental Fist 3/Day +1d6 damage
Evasion
Fast Movement
Maneuver Training
Still Mind
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Equipment
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Belt Pouch, Monk Outfit, Cloak, Sack, Masterwork Horsechopper, Trail Rations, Ring of Protection +1, +1 Longsword
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That is all for Chuffy my lil goblin monk :)

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Afzara CG Female Undine Aquatic Sorcerer 2
Init +0 Senses Darkvision 60ft, Perception +5
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Defense
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AC 11, Touch 10, Flatfooted 10, (10 base, +1 Armor)
HP 9 (2d6+0)
Fort +0 Ref +0 Will +4
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Offense
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Speed 30ft
Melee Spear +1 (1d8+1)
Ranged Spear 20ft +1 (1d8+1)
Spells
0 level spells- Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Poison, Dancing Lights, Daze
1st level spells 5/Day- Mage Armor, Magic Missle
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Statistics
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Str 12 Dex 10 Con 11 Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 17
Base Atk +1 CMB +1 CMD 11
Feats- Scribe Scroll
Skills- Diplomacy +7, Disable Device +4, Heal +5, Knowledge Arcana +9, Perception +5, Stealth +4, Survival +5, UMD +10
Languages- Common, Aquan, Gnome, Elven
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Special Abilities
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Hydraulic Push- 1/Day (caster level equals character level)
Energy Resistance- Cold 5
Darkvision 60ft
Dehydrating Touch
Bloodline Arcana
Eschew Materials
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Equipment
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NA

So just to sum things it would be great if I could have a little advice on how to advance my character. Oh and also the other player for playing Rise of the Runelords with 2 players. All I want is some decent survivability with these characters. Also no spoilers please. I will post on how they fare as we andventure further into the campaign. Thxs

-Chuffy
:)

Grand Lodge

Deflect arrows will be wasted most this campaign. Perhaps something else?

The sorcerer choice is bad. Perhaps ask for a summoner. The bloodline is even worst.


With only 2 players, neither of them a healer, you'll need some help and good tactics.

At low levels, the help should involve goons. Get some mercenaries or Sandpoint guards, because otherwise you're likely to get a bit flattened as soon as one of you gets hit by an SoS or decent crit. Afzara is extremely fragile if anything gets her into melee. I'm amazed you've got this far, unless the GM has been halving the opponents.

You appear to have no missile weapons other than throwing a spear. No wonder you're getting nowhere against Erylium. With some proper preparation you'd have known what to bring (crossbows and special material arrows). So do lots of scouting, lots of research and lots of shopping.

Scribe Scroll is pretty useless for a sorcerer, as you can only scribe spells you know. And as you can spam them anyway, scrolls aren't a whole lot of good. For her, Improved Initiative is far better.

You'll need healing. Get a wand of CLW for 750gp and UMD it, if you can't do anything else. And at least 1 potion CLW in case Afzara goes down. Also some potions of Lesser Restoration.

Some numbers seem off. Afzara's melee spear should be at +2. Chuffy's fists should be +5 1d4+2, flurry +4/+4 1d4+2, unless I'm missing something.


That's an... unlikely pairing.

I'd strongly recommend, with two players, that you convince the GM to let you guys go gestalt. Otherwise the odd couple might have a short marriage. As I recall, none of the battles are very difficult before Elyrium, but she's very rough for a party without certain specialized options... and it'll just get tougher when you face what's next. Action economy is going to kill you before the bad guys get a chance to.

Incidentally, if you want a really, really good Goblin-Monk-type, find out if your GM will let you tweak your build a bit and I'll give you a roadmap to follow that was used by one of our PC's in RotRL. He was absolutely devastating in combat and a lot of fun for the player.


@Fruian thxs for the insight I will speak to gm and see if i can swap feat seeing i have not used it
@Mudfoot Thxs about Afzara will tell the person to edit her. Also with his fists dont u add bab to damage. For unarmed strike i believe that I add my bab 2 with my str 2 with the flurry attack bonus 1 that it shows in the core rulebook. Also dont forget i get +1 on attack rolls for being small. Thxs guys for your thoughts.


@Wiggz where can I find the gestalt rules? I am fimiliar with using the pathfinder OCD website but have not seen any gestalt. Thxs that would be great!

Silver Crusade

We are in book 4 of RotRL and I so do not remember that fight.


No need for Gestalt rules just found a link on forums. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm
does that cover all the gestalt rules?
Thxs


This is the Goblin Brawler that was made for our RotRL run... almost. It was run and played before the Crane Wing nerf, but has since been ret-conned without Crane Style so that its legal now as shown. This cat was devastating for us (but he was not a Gestalt).

Goblin 2nd level Monk (Master of Many Styles) / 15th level Fighter (Brawler)
Over-sized Ears racial trait

Attributes: (20 point buy)
STR - 10
DEX - 20 (+1 at 4th, 8th, 12th & 16th level)
CON - 14
INT - 14
WIS - 12
CHA - 5

Traits:
Goblin Foolhardiness (+1 melee attack bonus when no allies are adjacent)
Vagabond Child (+1 Disable Device, Disable Device is a class skill)

Feats:
1st - Weapon Finesse
1st - Two-Weapon Fighting
2nd - Improved Unarmed Strike
2nd - Stunning Fist
2nd - Snake Style
3rd - Snake Fang
3rd - Combat Reflexes
4th - Weapon Focus: Unarmed Strike
5th - Piranha Strike
6th - Weapon Specialization: Unarmed Strike
7th - Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
8th - Disruptive
9th - Agile Maneuvers
10th - Greater Weapon Focus: Unarmed Strike
11th - Stand Still
12th - Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
13th - Improved Critical: Unarmed Strike
14th - Critical Focus
15th - Sickening Critical
15th - Staggering Critical
16th - Critical Mastery
17th - Greater Weapon Specialization: Unarmed Strike

Skills:
Acrobatics* (1-17)
Climb* (2)
Swim* (3)
Survival* (2-3)
Disable Device* (1-17)
Perception* (1-17)
Stealth* (1-17)

To give you an idea, by 4th level, this is what he looked like:

4th level:
HP 30 (2d10+2d8+8), Fort +8, Reflex +8 (w/Evasion), Will +3

Armor Class: 23
10 +5 [Dex] +1 [Small] +5 [Chain Shirt] +2 [Shield]
Attack: +11/+11, Snake Fang w/Combat Reflexes
+3 [BAB] +5 [Dex] +1 [Small] -2 [TWF] +1 [Trait] +2 [Brawling] +1 [Focus]
Damage: 1d6+2
1d6 +2 [Brawling]
Equipment: 6000
Brawling Mithril Chain Shirt +1 (5,000), Mithril Heavy Steel Shield (1,000)

That means that when he flurried he had two attacks per round - but when he was attacked in return, every single time anyone missed him he got an Attack of Opportunity right back. That REALLY begins to add up. Next level he bought an Agile Amulet of Mighty Fists and his damage went through the roof. Down the road he gets some abilities that spell absolute doom for enemy spellcasters...

Silver Crusade

Wiggz, are the levels of fighter necessary to make that build work, or can you go straight monk? I recently built a monk for PFS and I'm trying to figure out what to do with him. Made him a human and went weapon finesse route.

Also, if he was a Master of Many Styles, how did he flurry? Or did you mean TWF?


Thxs looks good. Can I multiclass while gestalting? Do you think cleric would make a good add on for the healing and no spell failure.


Thxs for all the feedback. Does anyone have any advice for Afzara?


Chuffy Toechopper wrote:
Also with his fists dont u add bab to damage. For unarmed strike i believe that I add my bab 2 with my str 2 with the flurry attack bonus 1 that it shows in the core rulebook. Also dont forget i get +1 on attack rolls for being small. Thxs guys for your thoughts.

You don't add BAB to damage, and you don't add the flurry hit bonus to the normal hit bonus. So flurry is just +1/+1 (which is actually +3 full BAB, -2 for TWF equivalent), +2 (Str) +1 (size) = +4/+4.


Oh, now I understand all the talk about free twf feat tree. Thxs for clearing that up I was always a little murky on whether or not I can add bab to damage.


Bigdaddyjug wrote:

Wiggz, are the levels of fighter necessary to make that build work, or can you go straight monk? I recently built a monk for PFS and I'm trying to figure out what to do with him. Made him a human and went weapon finesse route.

Also, if he was a Master of Many Styles, how did he flurry? Or did you mean TWF?

Sorry - should have been TWF.

No, that build is all about the Brawler (Fighter version). The bonus to attack and damage he gets from Close Combat and the way he absolutely shuts down opposing casters in the middle to high levels all comes from Brawler. The two Monk levels come at 2nd and 3rd.

I have a Human version of this build I intend to play in PFS myself - he's not as good but he's still very, very strong. When you're making 6 attacks per round and then another 4-6 attacks of opportunity, you're literally like the Tasmanian Devil out there.


@wiggz could I gestalt that build with cleric for some healing after combat if I need patching up. I do not know if you can gestalt while multiclassing.

-Chuffy

Silver Crusade

How do you get 6 attacks per round in PFS? Or did you mean outside of PFS at high levels?


Maybe Oracle would be better? A few spells in his back pocket for Emergency Buttons? or Magus for the heavy artillary?


Those options sound good but I do not have the ability scores to play them.


Bigdaddyjug wrote:
How do you get 6 attacks per round in PFS? Or did you mean outside of PFS at high levels?

At 12th level, with Greater TWF, this character would have six attacks per round. Assuming you got to play him at that level of course.

A more traditional two-handed fighter would have 6 attacks per round at 11th.


My only concern with going with the brawler is damage reduction. Does it show up very often in ROTRL?


Thank you very much wiggz for the build we are currently fighting the chief after me diplomacying all the gobs into helping me. I left them to play with the goblin dogs as I went off to fight the chief. So far he looks beast!


Chuffy Toechopper wrote:
My only concern with going with the brawler is damage reduction. Does it show up very often in ROTRL?

I just rebuilt this character to include the new Pummeling Style which takes care of all DR concerns and gives you some nice tricks to boot.

Silver Crusade

With only 2 players, I would pick up the leadership feat as soon as possible. Adventure Paths are designed for 4 characters. Maybe pick up a healer and possibly another melee character - maybe a goblin rogue to flank with the goblin monk?

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