spellsword(?) advice


Advice


so...we are about to begin a kingmaker campaign using core classes,prestige classes from core/apg and feats from both core and apg and i was interested in building a melee oriented,sword wielding,spellcaster but...i don't know where to start!!
the party composition would be:
-a sorcerer going into DD as soon as possible
-a rogue (probably TWF)
-my character
-and a forth,yet to be decided, character

i'm asking for advice on how to build through 1-17ish , preferibly using the wizard as the arcane spellcaster

the gm allows for archetipes from apg btw...just in case :D

edited as advised XD

Liberty's Edge

My advice? Don't use the term 'gish' :)


Standard gish would be wizard 5/fighter 1/Eldritch Knight 10 but it's not particularly great.

The lack of valid book resources you have severely limits your possibilities otherwise. Is there a reason for allowing so little?


Heretek wrote:

Standard gish would be wizard 5/fighter 1/Eldritch Knight 10 but it's not particularly great.

The lack of resources you have severely limits your possibilities otherwise. Is there a reason for allowing so little?

i guess it's a matter of limiting the craziness of our builds

or maybe it's for balancing issues (premade adventures are built for core only characters aren't they? )


Trollsaw wrote:
Heretek wrote:

Standard gish would be wizard 5/fighter 1/Eldritch Knight 10 but it's not particularly great.

The lack of resources you have severely limits your possibilities otherwise. Is there a reason for allowing so little?

i guess it's a matter of limiting the craziness of our builds

or maybe it's for balancing issues (premade adventures are built for core only characters aren't they? )

The CRB is the most unbalanced release in PF. Limiting to it is largely a crutch, and accomplishes little. You can make the most absurd broken builds with only the CRB if you want. Plus it has the rogue, probably one of the worst classes next to NPC classes. Speaking of which, that rogue should be begging for the ability to use Unchained Rogue, or at least switching to Ninja.

If we expand things we get a lot more diverse options and possibilities for a gish.

Magus is of course a big one, it's a prebuilt gish, and you can build it in a few ways. Hexcrafter and Kensai both accomplish some nice things depending on your Magus goals.

An alternative to the CRB gish I mentioned in my first post would be the Inspiring Blade Swashbuckler 1/Blade Adept Arcanist 5/ Eldritch Knight 10, or alternatively take the same build, but replace the Swashbuckler with say Fighter or something similar, and go into Hellknight Signifier 10 instead of EK.


Seconding everyone else's statements, being limited to Core and APG only and trying to become a Meleecaster (because 'gish' sounds like the explosion of a water balloon...) is a very difficult goal.

Magus is perhaps the best balance between the two, but unfortunately, the Sorcerer going DD is perhaps the easiest and best way to Meleecaster with Core and APG.

As an aside, consider going Cleric, as you are currently lacking a Divine spellcaster. Clerics are 3/4 BAB, but can easily shore that up with their buffs like Divine Favor, and have other equally useful spells.


Arcane duelist archetype bard. Spells, fighting, party support, skills, lots of value for your party.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Trollsaw wrote:

so...we are about to begin a kingmaker campaign using core classes,prestige classes from core/apg and feats from both core and apg and i was interested in building a melee oriented,sword wielding,spellcaster but...i don't know where to start!!

the party composition would be:
-a sorcerer going into DD as soon as possible
-a rogue (probably TWF)
-my character
-and a forth,yet to be decided, character

i'm asking for advice on how to build through 1-17ish , preferibly using the wizard as the arcane spellcaster

the gm allows for archetipes from apg btw...just in case :D

Using Core/APG for a melee-focused spellcaster based on wizard, I'd prefer something like the following:

Half-orc barbarian 2/bard 1/wizard (Evocation/Admixture; being able to change energy types on the fly is huge) 2/dragon disciple 4 (advance wizard spellcasting, not bard)/eldritch knight 10; hopefully, your GM is using traits (in the back of the APG), so pick Magical Knack (Wizard) and a campaign trait for Kingmaker.
Bbn 1 - If your GM allows the alternate racial traits, take Toothy in place of Orc Ferocity and Power Attack as your feat; if not, take Razortusk
Bbn 2 - Rage Power (Moment of Clarity); critical for being able to cast a spell while using Rage
Brd 1 - Furious Focus (if you took Power Attack at 1st); Power Attack if you took Razortusk at 1st
Wiz 1 - +1 Int
Wiz 2 - Arcane Armor Training, assuming you took Magical Knack (Wizard); wear a mithral chain shirt
DD 2 - Craft Magic Arms and Armor (make a spell storing falchion for yourself ASAP and enhance your mithral chain shirt)
DD 3 - +1 Int
DD 4 - Extend Spell (used mainly on self-buffs)
EK 1 - Bloody Assault
EK 2 - Improved Critical (Falchion)
EK 3 - +1 Int
EK 4 - Extra Rage or Extra Rage Power; Furious Focus if you took Razortusk at 1st
EK 5 - Dreadful Carnage
EK 6 - Quicken Spell; switch from a mithral chain shirt to bracers of armor
EK 7 - +1 Int
EK 8 - Persistent Spell (for battlefield control)
...


+1 to arcane duelist..

You could also go alchemist, half-elf with ancestral arms for a sword proficiency of your choice (I believe there's a strong aldori sword campaign trait too).

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