I'm trying to develop a character build to go alongside my fiancee, and I wanted to get it down on (virtual) paper. We'll both be playing Kitsune archers, and hers will be a Hooded Champion/Trapper. Here's an oracle that I'm considering playing with her:
Kitsune oracle (Warsighted, Wood mystery, lame curse)
10/17/12/12/12/16
Traits: Fate's Favored, Reactionary
FCB: -1 non-proficiency penalty (longbow)/hp
1: Point-Blank Shot, martial flexibility
2:
3: Precise Shot, wood bond
4: MWP (longbow), +1 Dex
5: Rapid Shot
6:
7: Deadly Aim, martial flexibility (2 feats)
...and so on and so forth, picking up the various archery feats.
Martial flexibility from the Warsighted archetype helps make up for the lack of bonus feats, and Wood Bond and divine favor make up for low BAB and Strength.
Any thoughts or suggestions? Are there any good group buffs before prayer that I can use to help out my fiancee's archer?
I'm assuing that the 4th level longbow proficency is coming from the oracle favored class bonus? Plus you can get the feats that you're missing on a temporary basis via martial flexibility...
This is actually a pretty well thought out build, and I'm going to have to think about running one of these at some point.
The only suggestion I can think of is if possible you may want to see if you can somehow get your strength up to a 14. It will help a lot with composite longbows. If you do that, you could also substitute the lame curse for the legalistic curse. Legalistic fits kitsune pretty well if you are into the old japanese lore about them.
If you aren't concerned about an additional 2 points of damage, then your current build should work pretty well.
I'm assuing that the 4th level longbow proficency is coming from the oracle favored class bonus? Plus you can get the feats that you're missing on a temporary basis via martial flexibility...
This is actually a pretty well thought out build, and I'm going to have to think about running one of these at some point.
The only suggestion I can think of is if possible you may want to see if you can somehow get your strength up to a 14. It will help a lot with composite longbows. If you do that, you could also substitute the lame curse for the legalistic curse. Legalistic fits kitsune pretty well if you are into the old japanese lore about them.
If you aren't concerned about an additional 2 points of damage, then your current build should work pretty well.
Yes, the proficiency comes from the FCB. I'll be using a crossbow until level 3 or 4.
Kitsune have that Str penalty, so I'm not getting Strength to 14, but I could push it up to 12 if I trim off my other stats. I can probably drop Wis down to 10 and Cha to 15 (giving me 12/17/13/12/10/15). Assuming I get a +2 headband before level 6, that lets me put my +1 at 8th level into Cha, just in time to get a bonus 4th level spell. I'll probably upgrade my Dex belt to +2 Dex/Str eventually instead of +4 Dex, which will get my damage just a little bit higher.
Bump.
Since you are using the FCB for proficiency, why not go with a repeating heavy crossbow? The increased damage die will make up for the lack of str bonus from being kitsune, and I prefer a 19-20 crit range to a /x3.
I could, but once I start using Rapid Shot, I'll have to stop to reload the cartridge, costing me entire turns. Plus, there's something to be said for the aesthetics of both of us using longbows.
I could, but once I start using Rapid Shot, I'll have to stop to reload the cartridge, costing me entire turns. Plus, there's something to be said for the aesthetics of both of us using longbows.Since you are using the FCB for proficiency, why not go with a repeating heavy crossbow? The increased damage die will make up for the lack of str bonus from being kitsune, and I prefer a 19-20 crit range to a /x3.
Not if you budget Crossbow Mastery into your feat selections.
Crossbow Mastery is a two-feat tree though; you need rapid reload first. That's nasty when you're an Oracle.
|
Not if you budget Crossbow Mastery into your feat selections.I could, but once I start using Rapid Shot, I'll have to stop to reload the cartridge, costing me entire turns. Plus, there's something to be said for the aesthetics of both of us using longbows.Since you are using the FCB for proficiency, why not go with a repeating heavy crossbow? The increased damage die will make up for the lack of str bonus from being kitsune, and I prefer a 19-20 crit range to a /x3.
Or if you cast Abundant Ammunition on the ammo case.
Or if you cast Abundant Ammunition on the ammo case.Not if you budget Crossbow Mastery into your feat selections.I could, but once I start using Rapid Shot, I'll have to stop to reload the cartridge, costing me entire turns. Plus, there's something to be said for the aesthetics of both of us using longbows.Since you are using the FCB for proficiency, why not go with a repeating heavy crossbow? The increased damage die will make up for the lack of str bonus from being kitsune, and I prefer a 19-20 crit range to a /x3.
Eh, that means I've got two rounds of buffing (divine favor and abundant ammunition) before I can even take a shot. Not really worth it, I don't think.
Eh, that means I've got two rounds of buffing (divine favor and abundant ammunition) before I can even take a shot. Not really worth it, I don't think.Or if you cast Abundant Ammunition on the ammo case.Not if you budget Crossbow Mastery into your feat selections.I could, but once I start using Rapid Shot, I'll have to stop to reload the cartridge, costing me entire turns. Plus, there's something to be said for the aesthetics of both of us using longbows.Since you are using the FCB for proficiency, why not go with a repeating heavy crossbow? The increased damage die will make up for the lack of str bonus from being kitsune, and I prefer a 19-20 crit range to a /x3.
Not really. An ammunition case can hold five shots, and even if you have Rapid Shot you're not going to be taking more than two shots per turn until 8th level (when you have BAB +6). This means you could full attack for two rounds before you absolutely need the spell.
Additionally, you could take Still Spell and Magical Lineage: Abundant Ammunition. That way, you could cast the spell without putting the crossbow down. You could also grab a glove of storing and stick a lesser rod of quickened spell in it. Abundant Ammunition is a low-enough level spell that the lesser rod would let you cast it as a swift action three times per day.
(If you're starting at level 4 or higher, feel free to skip this post.)
With your current build, you're starting out at -8 to hit until 3rd level. Unless you're starting at 3rd of 4th level, that is going to just cripple your character. Even if you use Martial Flexibility to pick up Precise Shot, you're still going to be hurting at -4 until 4th level.
If you can afford the level dip, consider taking your first level as Fighter (pretty much any archetype that doesn't trade the bonus feat--I like Lore Warden for dex-based characters), Zen Archer Monk, or Divine Hunter Paladin. Those give you automatic proficiency and Precise Shot at 1st level (for fighter and monk, you have to take it as your bonus feat). Fighter and Paladin both give you all martial weapons, so if you find something useful along the way, you can actually use it.
Ranged characters are really not effective until they have Precise Shot. It sucks, but it's true. With your particular build, once you have Precise Shot, you have a lot more freedom with your martial flexibility, which should make ability much more useful to you.
He also has to spend a known oracle spell on abundant ammunition though. They don't get that many. Is that worth the small bonus to damage?
And I'd advise against a dip. Waiting until level 5 for 2nd level spells means you'll suck even worse in the early levels.
(If you're starting at level 4 or higher, feel free to skip this post.)
With your current build, you're starting out at -8 to hit until 3rd level. Unless you're starting at 3rd of 4th level, that is going to just cripple your character. Even if you use Martial Flexibility to pick up Precise Shot, you're still going to be hurting at -4 until 4th level.
If you can afford the level dip, consider taking your first level as Fighter (pretty much any archetype that doesn't trade the bonus feat--I like Lore Warden for dex-based characters), Zen Archer Monk, or Divine Hunter Paladin. Those give you automatic proficiency and Precise Shot at 1st level (for fighter and monk, you have to take it as your bonus feat). Fighter and Paladin both give you all martial weapons, so if you find something useful along the way, you can actually use it.
Ranged characters are really not effective until they have Precise Shot. It sucks, but it's true. With your particular build, once you have Precise Shot, you have a lot more freedom with your martial flexibility, which should make ability much more useful to you.
I should be starting at level 2. But keep in mind that the FCB reduces the non-proficiency penalty, so at level 2, I'll only be taking a -2. With divine favor running for +2/+2, that gives me a +5 attack bonus for 1d8+2 damage. Not great, but not that terrible. I can boost it by using a crossbow until level 3 to dodge that penalty, at which I can go straight to the +1 longbow.
Bumping this because I haven't started it yet, and I'm considering adding the Psychic Searcher archetype. That replaces my level 3 revelation, meaning I get no revelations until level 19, and my bonus spells except for level 10 and 14.
That means I could either:
A) Stick with Wood mystery, and save up for a Ring of Revelation to get Wood Bond (+(1+1/5 levels) competence to attack rolls with wooden weapons).
B) Switch to Time mystery to pick up juicy class skills like Perception and UMD, and use a Cracked Pale Green Prism Ioun stone (+1 competence to all attack rolls) to partially make up for the loss of Wood Bond.
In exchange, I get a meager inspiration pool (I'm pretty MAD at this point, and can't afford more than a 12 Wisdom to fuel it), but free inspiration on a few Knowledges, as well as Diplomacy and Sense Motive. At 3rd level I can pick up the Hard to Fool rogue talent to become a Sense Motive monster when I need it. At level 7, depending on how it plays, I could pick up Extra Inspiration or Extra Investigator Talent (do I qualify for that, since my class feature is called "Psychic Talent" instead?).
Thoughts?
|
|
Well, if you moved to a shortbow, you could pick up Inspired on the weapon, allowing you to use your limited inspiration pool to hit when you really needed to. Not sure on if you qualify for Extra Inspiration or Extra Investigator Talent. I think RAW, no, but RAI yes. I would let you in a home game, but I'm not sure for PFS.
I don't really think an inspired weapon is worth it. Comparing a +1 inspired shortbow to a +2 longbow, I'm essentially taking -1 attack and -2 damage for the ability to get ~+3.5 on an attack roll just a few times per day.
I know I definitely qualify for Extra Inspiration, but I'm not sure about the Extra Investigator Talent. Based on this FAQ, I'm inclined to say yes, because it says I gain an investigator talent, rather than just duplicating the effect.
Yeah, it's a bit annoying that I can't use either Charisma (since it's my casting stat) or Intelligence (so I can invest in more skill points at the same time), but whatever. I'll probably only use it for the free bonuses and emergency saves.
Perhaps it wasn't a mechanical decision as much as fluff... wisdom to tell the voices of the spirits that are useful from those that are just trying to tell you something irrelevant.
Intuition to deal with those spirits?
Anyways, what ended up happening? What build did you take and are you happy with it?