Most versatile and powerful character Level 4-7


Advice


Dear all,

With your help, I build my bard for the new Paizo adventure module starting today.
In case my bard dies very quickly (which I hope will not happen), I would like to have something in reserve. Can you help me in finding the, or ONE of the most versatile yet powerful/useful characters at level 4 with the additional restriction that this build should stay versatile/powerful until at least Level 7?
Unfortunately I have very little time at the moment for extensive char-option research so I would greatly appreciate your help.

Thank you!

Best regards

Brakiri

PS: Restrictions:
20 point buy, only PAIZO-stuff and NOT the "occult"-books.

Dark Archive

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Hunter.

Or you can never go wrong with a Druid.

Grand Lodge

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Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Druid all the way. You're picking up wildshape right at the start, have your animal companion, and all the spells you need. Without even leaving the CRB.


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Menhir Savant Druid is very good. Master Summoner is very good. A hangover/evangelist cleric is good and great for parties.

With a couple of carefully chosen traits, a vanilla, urban or invulnerable rager barbarian would be a powerful choice.

Ranged Paladins are strong at that level set.

I'd say that with select traits and races:
1.) The druid can do the most stuff.
2.) The master summoner would control opponents and environments the most.
3.) The barbarian is the most straightforward.
4.) The paladin, depending on race, could be immune to nearly everything but damage and falling.


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Arcanist with Quick Study is very versatile.


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Sanctified Slayer Inquisitor is a bit bard, a bit rogue, and a bit cleric, if you're interested.


Really? No Master Summoner yet? I mean they get haste at level 4 before even the Wizard, can spam long duration summons (super versatile!) and have a skill eidolon that puts the skill classes to shame at this level.


(Pssst, Anzyr: three posts above yours, fourth post over-all.)


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Cleric and wizard. You'll have plenty of spells. With cleric 3/4 bab and buffs and power attack you'll be an absurd melee combatant AND versatile caster. Wizard always works and will get progressively better until 7.


Occultist arcanist. A full caster, the perfect mix between prepared and spontaneous, who can swap around their spell slots when needed with Quick Study and can burn arcane pool points for minute/level summons. It's hard to get more versatile than that.


(Pssst, Avoron: no "occult"-books.)


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The occultist arcanist archetype is not from an "occult" book, and it has nothing to do with the occultist class or psychic spellcasting in general. It's simply an archetype for the arcanist, from the advanced class guide, that swaps out a few exploits for access to some useful spells and spell-like abilities. The only occult thing about it is its name.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

The occultist arcanist is actually in the Advanced Class Guide. :P


Another option: the Avenger Vigilante

  • Full BAB
  • Good Proficiency
  • Skilled, with multiple significant buffs to skills.
  • A host of Unique, (mostly) well-oiled combat abilities.
  • UMD for all your UMD needs.
  • Easily remains viable through 12th level and higher.

    Overall, makes a decent martial, good face, and semi-good skill monkey.

  • RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

    I played an elf druid archer that was super versatile. Summoning and wild shape makes you very versatile. I went with Point Blank Shot and Rapid Shot, and Natural Spell at 5th, naturally. Rapid Shot works with produce flame, which is super fun at 8th level when you get 3 ranged touch spell per round doing 1d6+6 per hit. I'm not sure it would be worth investing Magical Lineage & Intensify Spells, but I'm not not sure it isn't. 1d6+9 x3.


    Theologian cleric of Ra. Use variant rulership channeling and the best burning hands metamagic you can cram in. If you like the bardic knowledge then a cloistered cleric could channel but skill be a strong skill/knowledge monkey. Or heck, be an evangelist.

    You literally have more options on your build and how you use this in game for me to tell you all of them but here are the main variables....

    1) channel ray vs selective channel
    2) burning hands vs fireball. You can enhance one but not both in your allowed levels. Making use of metamagic and traits like wayang spell hunter turn you into a foe to be feared at these levels.
    3) versatile channel or not to versatile channel.
    4) what are your level 3 spells?


    Half-Elf Ancient Lorekeeper Oracle of Lore, Haunted Curse.

    Traits - Fate's Favored, Magical Lineage: Hideous Laughter

    16/18, 8, 14, 10, 10, 15(+1)

    1. *Revelation: Sidestep Secret* / +Half-Elf Ancestral Arms: Nodachi / Noble Scion: of War
    3. *Revelation: Lore Keeper* / Great Fortitude
    5. Power Attack
    7. *Revelation: Focused Trance* / Persistent Spell

    Ancient Lorekeeper and Haunted Bonus Spells: 1 - Mage Hand, Ghost Sound. 2 - Prestidigitation. 4 - Shield. 5 - Levitate, Minor Image. 6 - Hideous Laughter. 8 - Heroism.

    Sidestep Secret and Noble Scion of War mean that you use your high charisma instead of dexterity for dodge AC, reflex saves, and initiative.

    High strength + Divine Favor + Fate's Favored + Nodachi + Shield for combat, and + Heroism at level 8.

    High charisma for spellcasting, including Hideous Laughter as a level 3 spell by 6 and then Persistent Hideous Laughter as a level 4 spell by 8.

    The Lore Keeper Revelation lets you base all knowledge checks off of your high charisma, and then Focused Trance allows you make special +20 knowledge checks.


    Hi all,

    thank you for the input.
    Played the bard and while he was super-effective as a face (convinced unfriendly orcs not to take toll or attack us but instead to invite us to play for their warchief ;) ), his combat usability was a bit lackluster. Our DM has a magic die so my DC 16 Glitterdust was no match for his rolled 17s and 19s ;)
    Maybe i can pimp up his ranged abilities with Arcane Strike and a few ranged feats, but with Dex 14 and 3/4 BAB he will never be a good damage dealer.

    For me, a well rounded char is important because you are not in combat all the time. A fighter with no skills would be extremly boring for me to play.

    This threat is bookmarked in case i need a change of character.

    Thanks again, and please..keep it coming :)

    Best regards

    Brakiri


    My input: Arcane bloodrager, pick up an archetype if you want. but they get all the goodies of barbarians and a few other nice things.
    They can choose to pick upa familiar in place of their 1st level power
    They get an AWESOME 4th level ability (against ranged? chose deflect, need to climb? spider climb, anything else? go for the other option)
    At 4th level they start gaining spells, nd nothing says versatile like spells.
    plus they shouldnt dump cha because of their spells, so they wont suck horribly at talking.

    An archetype i'd recommend is urban bloodrager, because they are alot more versatile in their rages, and can choose which stat to boost based on the current situation. The dex bonus can be useful if you invest points into dex based skills too. (love the idea of getting angrier to better pick a lock or disable a device.)

    Its a good starting point to build just about any character from, ad you can refluff the flavor with ease or have just about any personality type, blaming magic blood for your ability to bloodrage.


    If you also want out of combat versatility, then investigator/empiricist is really good – from 4th level also in melee.


    Hi folks,

    thank you all very much for your input.
    My bard is still alive, but as soon as i see that my "talking out of stuff" is not working any longer, i will get back to this thread and use some of your advice. :)

    Thanks again and have a nice and sunny week!

    Best regards

    Brakiri

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