Just wanted to say: this is a great guide. Thanks for making it!
I especially appreciated the discussion of the stamina tricks. I'd always just ignored that component of the rules as a complicated morass. But now that I've read some of your discussion, I'm finding myself getting converted. I think I'm going to introduce the stamina rules into our game, and see how they go.
Can't wait to see your commentary on the options in the Armor Master's Handbook!
Advanced Armor Training options are in there (not sure if they are complete yet -- I don't have AMH myself to check), but the section doesn't have a Table of Contents entry yet (it is after Advanced Weapon Training).
Master Armorer does not open the door for Craft Wondrous Item, various threads will show how Master Craftsman is flawed in that regard. I think you can take it again with regular feats though, and take this option to have both which is something no other class can do.
And I would rate Armor Specialization a lot higher, since you can gain access to higher bonuses through a Sash of the War Champion, if not for the sake of the actual numerical bonus itself, then for the fact that it increases your effective level and allows you to select another option.
Advanced Armor Training options are in there (not sure if they are complete yet -- I don't have AMH myself to check), but the section doesn't have a Table of Contents entry yet (it is after Advanced Weapon Training).
Ah, thanks! I hadn't noticed that update. Nothing on the new AMH feats or stamina tricks yet, though. *Especially* looking forward to that!
Master Craftsman is ALSO a general feat. So, you have to spend a general feat to qualify for making magic items, and then wait two more levels to get the second feat you actually need for the combination.
Extremely flawed. Master Craftsman should read more like: Pick an Item Creation feat. Instead of using spellcraft, you use the relevant skill for making the base item for your check to enchant the item.
This neatly gets rid of the fact you can't create Arms AND Armor, because they use different skills, and your Armorcrafting skill also doesn't let you create magical boots, bracers, helms, gauntlets, or the like, because they are wondrous items, if you use it for making magic armor.
==Aelryinth
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And I would rate Armor Specialization a lot higher, since you can gain access to higher bonuses through a Sash of the War Champion, if not for the sake of the actual numerical bonus itself, then for the fact that it increases your effective level and allows you to select another option.
FWIW, I'm with master marshmallow here. I'd be inclined to make armor specialization at least green.
At the very least, it seems it should be more highly rated than critical deflection. Critical deflection provides a scaling bonus up to +6 to AC for the purposes of seeing whether criticals are confirmed. Armor specialization provides a scaling bonus of up to +4 to AC for *all* purposes, criticals and non criticals alike. Given that, it's hard to see how armor specialization isn't better than critical deflection.
My first run at armor mastery feats is up. I'd appreciate your thoughts.
I think the (pretty cool) stamina trick for Armor Material Mastery is missing?
Checked, although I don't yet have access to Armor Master's Handbook material to check it against. Also looked at most of the Combat Feats you added (see below). One thing I noticed is that the text for your rating of Improved Unarmed Strike seems to be missing something at the end of the non-Stamina part.
I forgot how humongous the set of Feats and especially Combat Feats is -- this is part of the reason that the document is over 100 pages and still growing. Google Docs is starting to give my Firefox trouble fully displaying and scrolling through the document -- you might need to convert it into multiple documents (linked from the Table of Contents) each containing 1 section (or more than 1 for successive short sections). Also would be good to have a line at the top of each document that indicates when it was last updated.
I hadn't realized that this would become one of the most monumental guides. Who says Fighters are no-brainers?
A question: How attractive is the tower shield specialist archetype given the AMH feats like mobile bulwark style and the tower shield specialist feat? It kind of seems like a straight fighter can now get the benefits without losing weapon training.
I noticed that the Relic Master archetype from the WMH is missing, along the Item Mastery feats I guess.
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A question: How attractive is the tower shield specialist archetype given the AMH feats like mobile bulwark style and the tower shield specialist feat? It kind of seems like a straight fighter can now get the benefits without losing weapon training.
Tower Shield Specialist was not attractive in the first place. It's strictly worse now.
Actually, Tower Shield Specialist might be useful for one thing -- but only if the campaign you are in has a use for that one particular thing: Multiclass it with Sacred Shield (preferably also Warrior of the Holy Light) Paladin and potentially some other stuff to make a Tower Shieldadin.
Since I'm emotionally invested in the Item Mastery feats (and Fighters) here is my list of items that activate them. I kept track of which items are the cheapest for each mastery and also if there are other items that you'd probably pick up regardless:
- Hybridization Funnel (200gp), Requires Fabricate (Transmutation 5), Activates Flight and Telekinetic masteries
- Bag of Holding, minor (1000gp), Requires Secret Chest (Conjuration 5), Activates Teleportation mastery
- Traveler's Any Tool (250gp), Requires Major Creation (Conjuration 5), Activates Teleportation mastery
- Gloves of Dueling (15000gp), Requires Greater Magic Weapon (Transmutation 4 if made by a cleric, otherwise 3), Activates Flight and/or Telekinetic masteries, plus you were gonna get it anyway
- Jingasa of the Fortunate Soldier (5000 gp), Requires Divine Favor and Moment of Prescience (Evocation 1, Divination 8), Activates low level Energy mastery and Vision mastery
- Ioun Torch (75gp), Requires Continual Flame (Evocation 3 if made by a cleric, otherwise 2), Cheap option for Energy mastery
- Animated Portrait (500gp), Requires Major Image (Illusion 3), Very unwieldy, but activates Illusion mastery
- Bookmark of Deception (1500gp), Requires Nondetection (Abjuration 3), Activates Dispel Mastery
For Necromancy and Enchantment I wasn't able to locate anything affordable... but there are probably items out there.
I agree with you on the Relic Master archetype. Seems like awful trades no matter what.
Riding a mount allows a fighter to benefit from the death from above feat so long as the mount is larger then your opponent, As such I don't think the feat is as situational as you claim.
Have you seen the new weapon training option in the Magical Tactics Toolbox? It seems to be essentially a limited arcane pool mechanic for fighters. It's looking like a very attractive option for any fighter that gets a particularly cool weapon in the early-mid levels that would otherwise lag behind as they go into mid-high levels.
I'm definitely planning to delay fighter's tactics so that I can take it at ninth level to keep Heartspit relevant as my primary weapon in our giantslayer campaign.
Have you seen the new weapon training option in the Magical Tactics Toolbox? It seems to be essentially a limited arcane pool mechanic for fighters. It's looking like a very attractive option for any fighter that gets a particularly cool weapon in the early-mid levels that would otherwise lag behind as they go into mid-high levels.
I'm definitely planning to delay fighter's tactics so that I can take it at ninth level to keep Heartspit relevant as my primary weapon in our giantslayer campaign.
Yeah, Warrior Spirit seems insane (and as a result it hasn't been approved as legal for PFS :< ). At 9th level with Gloves of Dueling, you're already getting +4/+4 atk/dmg with your weapon group, and now can add +4 enhancement bonus worth of abilities to your weapon on top of that. Plus, if you're VMC'd as a Magus, you have an Arcane pool that grants another +2 enhancement bonus worth of abilities.
Say you start with a normal +2 Greatsword:
At level 9 you can turn that into a +4 Holy Flaming Frost Greatsword in 4 or so separate fights each day. And thats just if you're focusing on damage. Warrior Spirit gives you access to any weapon ability, so you have incredible flexibility at your fingertips.
Or, you can just go with a ranged weapon. A +4 Holy Flaming Frost Longbow is incredibly scary @ level 9.
Yo, Jav, do you want help with this guide?
I could make some builds for the section. It will also help you to jot down the feats I use to maybe recommend them elsewhere.
A fighter with Mobile Bulwark Style can get some crazy defense with really good offense.
Negating ACP - Darkwood Tower Shield (-2) or Noqual (-3), Improved Shield Focus (-1), Tower Shield Specialist (-3, this leads to the following), Armor Training (-1...-4), Armor Expert (-1). Grab Shied Brace and you AC on all fronts is amazing. Combine this with a reach weapon, possibly lunge, and combat reflexes (And power attack, duh) with the weapon trick that makes your threatened two handed full round attack difficult terrain (?), you'll have a very happy blaster caster behind you, and you're too dangerous a combo to ignore.
Also, fun fact I think I've stumbled upon: Armor Master gets a scaling bonus to touch AC, but it isn't from the shield, it's gated by the shield's bonus. Mobile Fortress adds the bonus to touch from the shield itself. Just as well, the bonuses are untyped. As written, I think it stacks, leading up to +10 to touch ac. Basically, your Tower Shield acts against touch at that point.
That's all as written. It's a bit cheesy, I admit. :P
They will likely errata gloves of dueling to only apply to weapon training only at this rate, and not have it apply to advanced stuff. Which is fine I'd still take that warriors spirit one.
Don't give them any ideas. :<
Considering that activating Warrior Spirit is 90% likely a standard action, it seems less insane to me. Still very good though.
Yep, its 100% a standard action unless you have a very lenient GM. If your party is not setting the pace of engagements (ie. you're getting ambushed quite often) its probably pretty underwhelming. Even then, sometimes you can use it to pick up such a strong ability that it's worth the loss of your attack that round. I can imagine spending a standard action to pick up the Cyclonic property in order to defeat an opponent's Windwall or Control Winds spell.
I don't think leaping attack for the mobile fighter deserves a red rating it should at least be orange if not green. Yes, the mobile fighter does lose out on the advanced weapon training (man, miss that def wpn training) but it is otherwise just as good as weapon training. Almost every round a fighter needs to at least make a 5 ft step and most rounds that it doesn't need to it can. Then with the purchase of slippers of feather step, a priority item, the majority of situations where that movement is prevented is removed. Additionally it can be used with any weapon.
This is a very good point. Another thing to consider say the open endedness of the bonus. Let's at you make a Tengu Fighter with two claws and a bite, have taken the AAT for Steel Headbutt, and have Shield Gauntlet Style along with TWF. As long as you move 5 feet, you get a bonus to everything. That's an extreme case, but even just a Half-orc with a falchion, bite and headbutt will like the bonuses on the secondary attacks.
Also, Leaping attack has some nice synergy with Spring-Heeled Style. 10ft and you have +3 at minimum. Actually, the style seems to be made for a Mobile Fighter. At level 11, with rapid shot/twf, the +2 effectively negates the -2 penalty, and the style still has its uses for being able to basically double move past one target you're uninterested in, hitting it, and going after whatever else the hell you want (A potential 140ft move at higher levels with haste/boots of speed). I imagine it'd work well for a character with a double weapon. Half-orc with a orc double axe seems legit.
This guide is great. I wish you keep updating it, Javaed.
Sorry to necro this post but is this guide still being worked on at all? There is still some stuff missing that was said would be added such as the race specific section etc.
When wondering about questions like these I find it useful to click on the OP's name or icon and see the date of their last post. In this case 2016 suggests the answer to you is probably no.