I'm trying to come up with a character.
The original idea was a goblin mouser swashbuckler 1/ slayer(TWF) X. However, I had forgotten that slashing grace will only apply to one-handed slashing weapons not light slashing weapons. I had planned to use dogslicers (or kukris and call them dogslicers) but slashing grace wont work. The only way to make a dex to damage TWF is basically with the Sawtooth Sabres, which eats up another feat. I really wanted to make sneak attack TWF dex based character, but I'm just not seeing how to make it work.
If you have ideas to make that work it would be great. Please don't suggest agile enchant (I don't want to be so dependent on a specific enchant and it would take a while to get access to) or effortless lace.
Then I was considering making a Mouser Swashbuckler 1/Daring Champion Cavalier, But I don't have very good ideas for it. I know between precise strike and challenge you can get a good amount of damage even without sneak attack or Studied Target, though I do worry about to hit bonus.
I realize Goblins are in general a pretty terrible race, but I'm just trying to make the most this idea. I'm working on the RP side of the character separately, and the RP side is why I really want to play him. But I want to make him decently able to contribute to the party. It's no fun playing the incompetent sidekick.
So, all that said...help a brother to optimize this concept.
1,500 gold for a Cracked Opalescent White Pyramid that would allow you to treat Sawtooth Sabres as martial weapons instead of exotic. I know you said you didn't want Agile or Effortless Lace, but this is a bit cheaper so perhaps it fits your requirements. I believe since Sawtooth Sabres can be treated as martial weapons, you can take Weapon Focus and Slashing Grace without true proficiency.
So, we're ruling out effortless lace and agile. Alright. Are you set on TWF?
Are you set on the Daring Champion? I honestly don't know Cavaliers all that well, so I can't advice for that.
One thing I'd seriously consider is Agile Maneuvers + a maneuver-focused build of some sort. Maneuver-focused characters can contribute a lot.
A goblin magus doing typical magus shenanigans would be a melee build that would work fine as well. Scimitar, DEX-to-damage... You get an innate +2 DEX modifier to melee touch attacks with Weapon Finesse and a +1 size bonus.
Goblins are a pretty good race in my honest opinion. You just need to play to their advantages.
I just really hate qualifying for such basic things through items. I mean hate hate hate hate. But I think you are correct, that if I had that ioun stone I could pickup both feats without needing to actually be proficient. I realize it's possible...but when something happens to that item your up sh*t creek. It also means you have to wait for the cash to be able to purchase those items. Which means it's not viable for the character early on. If I were starting at mid levels I might consider it more, but I want to play this character from level 1.
As a side note, for the Daring Champion Mouser I would probably use either a scimitar or rapier...and still just call it a dogslicer.
So, we're ruling out effortless lace and agile. Alright. Are you set on TWF?
Are you set on the Daring Champion? I honestly don't know Cavaliers all that well, so I can't advice for that.
One thing I'd seriously consider is Agile Maneuvers + a maneuver-focused build of some sort. Maneuver-focused characters can contribute a lot.
A goblin magus doing typical magus shenanigans would be a melee build that would work fine as well. Scimitar, DEX-to-damage... You get an innate +2 DEX modifier to melee touch attacks with Weapon Finesse and a +1 size bonus.
Goblins are a pretty good race in my honest opinion. You just need to play to their advantages.
No, I'm not set on TWF. That was what I originally wanted to do, but without relying on "expensive" gear there is no way to really do it.
This is why I came up with the Mouser Daring Champion alternative. Daring Champion is basically more levels of Swashbuckler, but honestly better. I only want Mouser really for the ability to be all up in my opponents square and annoy the crap out of them.
I just really hate qualifying for such basic things through items. I mean hate hate hate hate. But I think you are correct, that if I had that ioun stone I could pickup both feats without needing to actually be proficient. I realize it's possible...but when something happens to that item your up sh*t creek. It also means you have to wait for the cash to be able to purchase those items. Which means it's not viable for the character early on. If I were starting at mid levels I might consider it more, but I want to play this character from level 1.
Rich Parents trait + Chosen Child trait = starting gold of 1800gp. As the ioun stone only costs 1500gp, you can start with it at 1st. ;)
@Lone Knave - How does sacred fist war priest and pummeling charge have anything to do with the current concept of goblin with a knife? I think you may have missed the basis of the concept, though I may have done poorly with explaining it as well.
Graystone - Sure, I guess that's viable. I still don't want to get access through items.
I'm basically focusing on the idea of Mouser Daring Champion at this point because I absolutely do not want to use agile, effortless lace, or use an ioun stone to get proficiency.
A Dervish Dance Goblin would be funny. The character doesn't actually know anything about Sarenrae other than her having "fire" in her profile, which is what's important after all.
Ah, I was merely looking at melee goblin combatant.
Well, Swashbuckler Whirling Dervish gets DEX to damage on all weapons at level 4, if you are not married to mouser.
Getting pounce from somewhere and Roll With It should be number 1 priority for any melee goblin I'd build, but from that point it's up to you.
It's okay. It's a good idea mechanically, just not what I was after. Of course Sacred Fist is just all around a powerful build when combined with pummeling style.
As for Whirling Dervish...4 levels is more than I would care to invest to be able to make a dex based TWF out of a slayer. And while I'm not married to mouser, it is mostly just hilarious to me. Getting pounce would be nice, but plenty of melee builds don't have access to it so it's not a deal breaker.
A Dervish Dance Goblin would be funny. The character doesn't actually know anything about Sarenrae other than her having "fire" in her profile, which is what's important after all.
That was actually what I ended up building ironically enough.
I built a level 5 character just to see how it would come together, with 1 level of swashbuckler mouser and 4 of Daring Champion Cavalier. He was "redeemed" by a paladin of Sarenrae and now thinks he's a paladin too, but doesn't know anything about the religion. He's NN and just goes about saying Sarenrae is the best and trying to pass himself off as a devout follower, but getting it all wrong.
Mechanically, this is what he looks like.