Help me find a class


Advice


Hi, I'm about to start dming a new campaign and my friend is looking for what class to play. His requirements:

Preferably martial, he doesn't like the low hit dice of the wizard and sorcerer and hates divine casting, he also has an issue on the limited number of spells per day at low levels.

Multiple combat options, he gets really bored with the standard move and full attack and doesn't want to rely on one weapon

Out of combat ability, he was to be valid out of combat, so preferably 4 ranks, or even better 6 per level

Any ideas?

Sovereign Court

The epitome of multiple combat options without any spellcasting would probably be the brawler. Depending upon the situation, he can grab a variety of different feat trees temperarily, though they do tend to focus on one manuver a bit.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Full-BAB
Slayer
Good skill set and skill points. No magic in the fluff which is a plus for some concepts.
Ranger.
Excellent skill set and skill points, limited spell casting.
Though locked into one primary style the class is functional with secondary weapons.
Bloodrager.
Decent skill set/skill points. Barbarian with some arcane casting and sorcerer bloodline flavor.

3/4 BAB
Bard.
King of skills. Tons of options for a more controller type (Thundercaller), martial self-buff focus (Dawnflower Dervish). Or excels as a core class.
Inquisitor.
2/3 casting ability mixed with martial prowess. Superb bonuses to some skills.
Alchemist.
Lots of options if interested in pumping martial prowess in addition to casting (2/3) and throwing bombs.

Not sure what exactly you mean by "move and full attack." A martial character usually needs to move into position (unless you are playing an archer) and is at his or her maximum combat effectiveness with a full attack. If you mean he doesn't want to make a martial attack...then he needs to consider another class.


Consider the swashbuckler. Panache gives him a lot of options for derring-do.

Grand Lodge

I would recomend the Magus for you. You will be mixing magic and attack well for in combat but you can also pick to do one over the other in some combats. While most time you would focus on 1 wepon to make it realy good you do not have to. As to skill points you get 2 per level but since you are Int caster you are likly to have a higher int so can easly get 4 or more a level.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I was going to recommend the magus except it's a 2 skill class. Though granted being int-based it's effectively a 4 or 6 depending so yeah on second thought I second that recommendation. :)

And with say the Hexcrafter archetype you have even more combat options.

Just be advised that the class is a bit on the complex side. You have martial combat, spell-casting, Spell-combat, Spellstrike, Su abilities...and with archetypes even more.

Some archetypes:
Kensai: reduced spell casting, bonuses on the martial side.
Bladebound: personal magic weapon. Useful in low-wealth games. Effectiveness tapers off at high level.
Hexcrafter: Oh boy, all this and hexes too.

Even without archetypes your magus can choose to:
Cast a spell.
Swing.
Cast a spell and swing.
Go for a shape-changing focus via Alter Self, Monstrous Form spells.
...and more.


yazo wrote:

Hi, I'm about to start dming a new campaign and my friend is looking for what class to play. His requirements:

Preferably martial, he doesn't like the low hit dice of the wizard and sorcerer and hates divine casting, he also has an issue on the limited number of spells per day at low levels.

Multiple combat options, he gets really bored with the standard move and full attack and doesn't want to rely on one weapon

Out of combat ability, he was to be valid out of combat, so preferably 4 ranks, or even better 6 per level

Any ideas?

Magus will have 6/level after int. It fits the best.


The old switch hitter ranger build. Use a bow until things get close. Then you switch to power two-handing a big weapon. They also have decent skills.

Lore warden has decent skills and enough feats to be pretty good at several types of combat including trip/disarm builds.

Bloodrager with aberrant bloodline, rage, can be area denial (can add trip), and gets a bit of spell casting.


A monk has a few extra options but gains a lot of versatility later. It will give him something other than I "swing my sword" not much at first level but an interesting enough non-caster martial with some cool options in combat. However monks are a little on the weak side so if your group is a bunch of optimizers PRIORITIZE HIM for items if not treat him equal to everyone else.


Skirmisher Ranger is a 6+ skill point martial class with no spellcasting.

Edit - that said, Brawler sounds better.


yazo wrote:

Hi, I'm about to start dming a new campaign and my friend is looking for what class to play. His requirements:

Preferably martial, he doesn't like the low hit dice of the wizard and sorcerer and hates divine casting, he also has an issue on the limited number of spells per day at low levels.

So probably a magus, rogue, or full-BAB class.

yazo wrote:
Multiple combat options, he gets really bored with the standard move and full attack and doesn't want to rely on one weapon

So perhaps a switch-hitter of some kind.

yazo wrote:

Out of combat ability, he was to be valid out of combat, so preferably 4 ranks, or even better 6 per level

Any ideas?

Ranger (or Slayer) - excellent skills for out-of-combat ability limited magic (but still has some), and you can make a switch-hitter quite well, or a character who doesn't need to worry about having a favourite weapon. This is probably your best option.

Swashbuckler - decent skills, panache gives him some options, and the dex-based theme makes him a decent archer too.


If 3PP is allowed, look at Dreamscarred Press's Path of War stuff. It's precisely what you want, as far as I can tell.


Ranger is the simplest answer for your effort. An urban barbarian based on dex would be an effective switch hitter and can be customized to great effect with rage powers and all the while has a good skill list. Finally, an archeologist bard would be awesome in his desires as archeologists Luck makes up for a lot and mirror image means your not easy to kill.

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