No first level feats?


Advice

Scarab Sages

So I've come up with a fun character concept for Pathfinder society. The idea being that a paralegal from pathfinder's 'legal team' (a.k.a. the guys who try and smooth things over with governments after the agents come in and roflstomp everything) has been 'accidentally' classified as a field agent by Drengle Dreng.

Ben is a warpriest of Abdar who's favored weapon is the iron brush (his pen.) He doesn't really want to go into fights, but he keeps finding himself in these situations. He's naturally strong, but insists that he doesn't train to fight (but that Abdar 'guides his hand' when things get messy.)

The problem is that I can't really find any good first level feats for him. I mean, Power attack requires +1 BAB, as does quick draw, he's going to be a melee fighter (he wears a shield and armor because Anbrus Valsin told him to 'or he'd die.') Shield focus requires +1 BAB . . . I imagine the guy as kinda a doof and not particularly nimble so I don't want dodge or anything requiring him to be nimble . . . I want a guy who kinda doesn't know his own strength, right?

So far, the only thing I can think of is to give him
1) Toughness and Improved Init, but he's not supposed to be particularly fast.

2)A trait that gives him linguistics, and then Skill Focus Linguistics+Orator (but I already have another character that does that.)

3)Toughness and something else, like Skill Focus: profession-Paralegal.

Any thoughts?

EDIT:
Stuff to keep in mind
Level 1 stats (as I have him now)
Human Warpriest 1 (Law and Travel domains)
Str:16
Dex:12
Con:14
Int:14
Wis:14
Chr:8

Skills: Climb, Knowledge-Religion, Knowledge-Local, Profession-Paralegal, Spellcraft


Heavy Armor Proficiency. Noble Scion (Scion of Peace) wouldn't be too bad, either.


Can never go wrong with Improved Initiative

Also depends how battle-focused you wanna be

You can always retrain feats later

Scarab Sages

My Self wrote:
Heavy Armor Proficiency. Noble Scion (Scion of Peace) wouldn't be too bad, either.

His charisma is quite low, and I plan to eventually get mithral breastplate in order to get a 30 foot move speed . . . (unless I can GM one certain 3-7 scenario and get a special armor boon, hmmmm . . .)


Character like this feels like more of a runner or a flank buddy. How about fleet? Extra 5ft of move is often very helpful.


Combat Expertise, perhaps?


If he's not supposed to be truly combat-focused in his early career, then I'd suggest Skill Focus: Knowledge Local. As a paralegal, it would be his job to research local laws and customs when the Society is trying to smooth things over.

Silver Crusade

Low charisma eh...How about Skill focus: diplomacy

Scarab Sages

The more I think about it, the more I think I'm going to do:

Trait: Weathered Emissary

Alternate Racial: Focused Study-Linguistics
First Level feat: Orator

I have already done something similar with my archanist, but this lets me do all I want with the character. He can Diplomacy with linguistics (but not find information), and he'll have the linguistics skill for deciphering complicated legalistic jargon. As much as I hate repeating things I've done on other characters, I think this one is really my best option.


Don't you kind of need Catch Off Guard to even function?


Extra Traits?


Alertness? It's kind of handy for an office type to notice lots of stuff.


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alexd1976 wrote:
Extra Traits?

That would be "Additional Traits" if you actually want to look that one up.

I would also give serious consideration to Cosmopolitan -- it gives you two extra languages and two extra class skills.


David knott 242 wrote:
alexd1976 wrote:
Extra Traits?

That would be "Additional Traits" if you actually want to look that one up.

I would also give serious consideration to Cosmopolitan -- it gives you two extra languages and two extra class skills.

My bad. You got what I meant though.

I'm currently contemplating Additional Traits for my 3rd level character, it seems... worthwhile.

I have always been a fan of Dodge and Toughness, if they fit the character...

Fleet can be solid, if you use lighter armor. You don't have to outrun the Troll, just outrun the slowest member of the party... :D

Scarab Sages

Rynjin wrote:
Don't you kind of need Catch Off Guard to even function?
Ultimate Equipment wrote:


Iron Brush
Price 2 gp
Type martial
This is an iron-handled version of a scholar's brush with a sharpened handle. Though it does little damage, it is easily concealed (you gain a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal an iron brush on your body) and can be thrown short distances, or used to jab at key nerve clusters and acupuncture points to surprisingly devastating effect.

This actually wouldn't work if iron brush wasn't an official weapon, as you can't take weapon focus (or enchant) an improvised weapon.


Skill Focus (linguistics) so you can work your way into Orator.

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Be aware that, if you use the retraining rules from Ultimate Combat, you're explicitly allowed to retrain a feat slot into a feat you wouldn't have qualified for when you took the original feat.

The relevant FAQ even uses the +1 BAB prereq as an example (a rogue retraining Improved Initiative into Weapon Focus after attaining +1 BAB).

So if you wanted to start at 1st level with Toughness (not a bad idea, honestly), you would have the option—once you have the PP/gold to pay for it—of swapping it out for Weapon Focus or any of the other feats you were wishing you could take.

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