Class advice for upcoming game


Advice


Hey forum folk, not sure this is where I would look for help in this hut here goes.

I'll be joining a game that's currently only a day or two active, looking to be rise of the rune lords. Not PFS, but pathfinder books only. Now I normally play very agile characters, dex based magus, unchained rogue, etc. I'm starting to run dry on ideas and find myself rehashing the same character again and again. Im looking for advice on a build that requires a bit of attention, and mechanics so it can keep my interest. Any PF race or class is good to go, stats are rolled out, so no point buy, but a 25 point by would be equivalent.

The Exchange

Can you rearrange your rolled stats?

Anyway roll your stats out before coming to look for us. Dice are notoriously fickle.

If you can't rearrange your rolled stats, no point asking us to give you advice for a dex based magus, say if you ended up with 14 str, 7 dex, 18 con, 12 int, 17 wis, 17 cha...


Stats are all rearrangeable, but will do on getting them back here.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Do you want Dex-based melee options only?

Or Dex-based ranged options too? What about something totally different?

Swashbuckler, Urban Bloodrager, Unmonk, Vigilante, Slayer, even Hunter, Bard, or Skald might work. Small-sized mounted archer paladin or ranger? Gunslinger and/or alchemist? Investigator?


I'm thinking I want to try mybhand at something other then a dex based combatant. I was checking out divine casters, warpriest or maybe druid but never playing them I wasn't sure how effective they are. Id still like to focus more physical combat then casting. Mainly using casting, if any for versatility, like magus. Not really a fan of mounted combat stuff but animal companion or familiars are fine. range or melee damage dealers preferred, as our Tanky role would be filled out by another player


Cleric with a longspear is an awfully good time. You can use magic for buffing and out of combat healing. Druid is versatile and fun too.

Bloodrager would be a fun option if you want the magic to be in background of your character.

Dark Archive

It kind of depends on what you want to do. IMO the better druid and warpriest builds are both kind of tanky. I personally think that the beastshape druid is the way to go with that class. Summoner is a cool class letting you effectively be a buff caster and a full fighter, and if that all fails you can then summon your own party. But maybe you want to swing the biggest stick and hit the hardest? The good old Barb is the way to go. But wait there is more! Free buff spells and bloodline powers? The bloodrager is here for you! Most classes currently have 2 or 3 practical builds, meaning that most classes are good choices!

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

What levels will you be spending most of your campaign at?

It sounds like you want to play a Strength-based melee combatant with zest (spells and special abilities). Is that right?

Warpriest, reach cleric, inquisitor, investigator, hunter, druid, skald, bloodrager oracle, paladin, and oradin all do that. A barbarian/alchemist might be fun if you focus on mutagens, possibly going into Master Chymist.

Grand Lodge

DO you have a Clue what the rest of the party is playing?

If no one has picked the Arcane Caster this is a Great Campaign to be a Arcane Caster. I recommend the Witch. Slumber Hex will be an MVP of this Campaign. This AP has long adventuring days that an unlimited resource like a Hex will go very very far.

Any Full caster will do well in this Campaign to be honest. Shaman would be a great Divine Class that offers an unlimited resource as well.

If you want to stay on the front lines.

Bloodrager is the T##~! My personal favorite Melee Class at the current moment. Very powerful class. The Arcane Bloodrager will have a Lot of use for those abilities to fight things with Magic.

Another really good Frontline class that will shine in this Campaign is a Paladin. Has great saves which is important and the Ability to swift action remove conditions will be useful in several fights in this campaign.


Rylden wrote:
I'm thinking I want to try mybhand at something other then a dex based combatant. I was checking out divine casters, warpriest or maybe druid but never playing them I wasn't sure how effective they are. Id still like to focus more physical combat then casting. Mainly using casting, if any for versatility, like magus. Not really a fan of mounted combat stuff but animal companion or familiars are fine. range or melee damage dealers preferred, as our Tanky role would be filled out by another player

My friend, it sounds to me like you are in the market for a half-orc inquisitor (fair warning, I recommend the inquisitor a lot cause it's my favorite). You get to murderize your way through the enemies with a big f**k off sword, you get a (smallish) set of spells and a domain ability to provide some batmanesque utility, you get judgments and bane to help you adapt to a fight and ruin that one guys day real bad like, you get bonuses to identifying and tracking monsters, and a big old intimidate bonus for makin your enemies soil their breeches.

Sovereign Court

Rylden wrote:
I'm thinking I want to try mybhand at something other then a dex based combatant. I was checking out divine casters, warpriest

If you want to go with a rather interesting build - I find the whip build warpriest to be pretty cool. They're one of the classes with enough feats to make it work, and they get to jack up the whip's damage dice considerably.

Plus - you get Devo as the performers of your theme song!


Since you are asking for mechanics to keep you interested: I'd either suggest a Barbarian or a casting focused Cleric for you. You seem to have covered the middle ground already, so I think that polarizing is a good goal in this situation.
Go full martial and destruction: Lots of numbers and mechanics to system-master to run an effective Barbarian. Or a no martial and no destruction, just plain spellslinger system-mastery from a full-caster, like the Cleric. You could also go for any other kind of full-caster, really.

I think you're doing the right thing to switch it up, it spices up the game a lot. I usually play the high Int or Wis based character of my group, which means casters. I often fill the utility role. But right now I'm trying something new: A classic knight! Full martial, Str and Cha based, Longsword and Heavy Shield. He has a love interest and he strives to be chivalrous. Really simple. Having great fun so far.


I'd recommend Unchained Monk.

You clearly like characters that are hard-to-hit and are useful both in and out of combat.

UnMonk allows you to do all that with the special take of having a unique set of features and customizable ki powers.

I'd recommend you try to get something like:

S16 D14 C14 I10 W14 CH10 for balance

S16 D12 C14 I14 W15 CH7 for better Knowledge (history) checks -- trust me, someone in the party needs to be that guy in ROTRL

For initial stats. If you go Dual Talent Human, you can get +2 on STR/WIS, which is a pretty good call.

Start off with Dodge as your Bonus Feat and Weapon Focus for a monk weapon of your choice - sansetsukuon, temple sword, nine-ring broadsword, nine-section whip are all pretty good choices. Use it in two hands for extra damage!

At 3rd and 5th levels, get Ascetic Style and Ascetic Form. At 4th, remember to pick up Flying Kick for a Style Strike so you can mini-pounce.

You will naturally progress to be harder and harder to hit. Qinggong Power: Barkskin as a Ki Power a 4th is a pretty good boost to AC if no one in your party can cast it.

From then onwards, you can spend feats and Ki Powers as you see fit, granting you a lot of adaptability. Qinggong Power: Scorching Ray to take down runners, Abundant Step with Dimensional Agility to be the party's scout, Diamond Soul as a big flip off to casters, Elemental Fury to get some extra damage, you name it.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

I usually swap between fast, agile, Dex-based combatants and stolid support characters that can heal, buff, and tank. I think it's a fun way to mix it up.

But that said, RotRL is kind of wizard-based (spoiler alert: Those Rune Lords in the title of the adventure path are wizards!), so being a wizard or other arcane spellcaster can be really useful. Not just for blasting, controlling, and magical utility, but also in exploration and mystery solving. Lots of Arcana checks and other Knowledge checks to do.


Assuming two decent stat rolls and that you want another dex based....

An evangelist cleric of Sarenea who uses the blessed equipment chain along with dervish dance. Or maybe a channel smite build to use "hangover cleric" tactics on a single enemy, plus can use guided weapon if so desired.

Bottom line is that clerics are surprisingly good dex or dex like class. Helps their weak save, gets them out of medium/heavy armor, good flavor, etc. I still recommend evangelist with bless equipment chain for you to try. U get to a point where you sacrafice one turn but then you absolutely murder the Boss.


I´ll say try an alchemist, you can go ranged and one shoot them with granadier+explosive+conductive bow, you can go mele beast with hyde builds, or you can nuke them all with bombs.
Despite the build you will be having a lot of skills thanks to your high int, and a lot of funny only-alchemist "spells".
You have a good skillmonkey with good Ac and some tricks to ensure to not get bored

The Exchange

Dude. Where are your stats?


If you want to "heal, buff and tank" then your best bet is to play a Paladin. Lay on Hands and Channel Energy for HP healing and Mercies for condition removal. Various Auras for party-wide buffs. The ability to wade into melee in full plate with a shield if need be. Even has a more agile dex-based archetype with, "Enlightened Paladin." Everything you want, even spellcasting. None of this even begins to talk about the awesome steroid that is Smite Evil.


Kaouse wrote:
If you want to "heal, buff and tank" then your best bet is to play a Paladin. Lay on Hands and Channel Energy for HP healing and Mercies for condition removal. Various Auras for party-wide buffs. The ability to wade into melee in full plate with a shield if need be. Even has a more agile dex-based archetype with, "Enlightened Paladin." Everything you want, even spellcasting. None of this even begins to talk about the awesome steroid that is Smite Evil.

Actually you want to avoid DEX with the Iroran Paladin. DEX+CHA get added together before armor max DEX, so it's better just to go with CHA and ignore DEX or keep a 12.


Sorry for the long delay folks!

Stats as requested 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, 17, can be reassigned to any stat, in any order.

I want to avoid Dex based builds, as I always play them and I'm looking to mix it up.

Investigator sounds kind of fun, and Druid both seem the most likely for me to try.

Investigator seems like a Batman type super intelligent stat based physical combatant with extracts for buffs or am I completely off base on this? Does studied strike count as sneak attack? If so would Accomplished Sneak Attacker give you 1d6 sneak attack, with taking the feat once, all the time, and an increase on studied strike hits, or just the later?

Question concerning Druids. Is it possible to build a Str based Wild Shaper melee combatant, with spells for versatility or does that spread the build to wide?


With stats like that you can build just about anything you want. Play an Oread with the following stats STR 20, WIS 19, DEX 16, CON 15, INT 14, CHA 11. Bump your WIS up to 20 at 4th level and you will be fine. Usually the reason druids have to focus on combat or spells is because in a normal point buy you simply do not have the needed stats, this is not the case with those stats.


Secret Wizard wrote:
Kaouse wrote:
If you want to "heal, buff and tank" then your best bet is to play a Paladin. Lay on Hands and Channel Energy for HP healing and Mercies for condition removal. Various Auras for party-wide buffs. The ability to wade into melee in full plate with a shield if need be. Even has a more agile dex-based archetype with, "Enlightened Paladin." Everything you want, even spellcasting. None of this even begins to talk about the awesome steroid that is Smite Evil.
Actually you want to avoid DEX with the Iroran Paladin. DEX+CHA get added together before armor max DEX, so it's better just to go with CHA and ignore DEX or keep a 12.

That only matters if you care about armor with a max Dex. Wearing a Haramaki gives you all the benefits of armor with far fewer issues. Besides, DEX based AC is far superior (and cheaper) than armor based AC.


With those stats you could make a rogue look good so I'd say just pick what seems of interest to you and we offer ideas of how to make it more fun or more optimized.


A half-orc Two-Handed Fighter would use those stats decently well.

Str 20
Dex 16
Con 17
Int 14
Wis 15
Cha 13

One bump to Wis nets you another needed point to Will saves, then pump Str to the moon. Don't worry about maneuvers, just grab power attack, an Impact Greatsword, and let loose the fury of your ancestors.

Alternatively, a Phalanx Soldier could be awesome with Two-Weapon Fighting. Grab a glaive or other reach polearm and a nice big shield. Shield bash to push them away, then follow up with your polearm. Then western they move back in to attack, you make an attack of opportunity and bash them again next turn. Maybe grab improved trip for your AoO.

Liberty's Edge

Rylden wrote:

Sorry for the long delay folks!

Stats as requested 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, 17, can be reassigned to any stat, in any order.

Wow. Those are awesome.

Rylden wrote:
I want to avoid Dex based builds, as I always play them and I'm looking to mix it up.

Easily done.

Rylden wrote:

Investigator sounds kind of fun, and Druid both seem the most likely for me to try.

Investigator seems like a Batman type super intelligent stat based physical combatant with extracts for buffs or am I completely off base on this? Does studied strike count as sneak attack? If so would Accomplished Sneak Attacker give you 1d6 sneak attack, with taking the feat once, all the time, and an increase on studied strike hits, or just the later?

It doesn't count as Sneak Attack so that particular trick doesn't work at all.

That said, the rest of your description is quite accurate to who and what Investigators are.

A quick build might look something like this:

Str 18+2
Dex 16
Con 15
Int 17
Wis 14
Cha 13

Feat: Medium Armor Proficiency

I'd probably grab the Empiricist Archetype, but it's way less necessary with those stats than with point-buy.

Rylden wrote:
Question concerning Druids. Is it possible to build a Str based Wild Shaper melee combatant, with spells for versatility or does that spread the build to wide?

What do you mean by 'versatility'? They can certainly do utility and buff spells, but offensive spells are probably usually a bad call...except for those absurd stats. If you want to go Caster/Melee on a Druid those stats let you do a better job than is normally possible.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

With those stats, play the MADdest, most fun class you can find!

It sounds like you want to do Strength-based melee when in combat. What else do you want to do in combat, exploring, and during social encounters?

Druids are really fun. They're 9th level casters, have great skills, great class features (animal companion or domain, wildshape, everything else), decent weapons, two good saves. Some will say they don't have the best spells, but that's actually a benefit if you want to primarily be a melee combatant. You can concentrate on buffing spells and other utility spells. Having a relatively small spell list makes it easier when deciding on what spells to prepare, but you still have access to the whole list, so you can still be versatile and mix it up day to day, as needed.

I would try a half-elf druid, swapping out Skill Focus for Ancestral Weapons and picking up the fauchaud. Then take Combat Reflexes at 1st, Power Attack 3rd, Natural Spell at 5th.

Combat Reflexes and Power Attack when playing at "reach cleric-like druid," and are also really useful when you're eventually a Large-sized beast or elemental with reach and uber-Strength.

EDIT:

Replacing Multi-Talented for Fey Thoughts seems like a no-brainer. I'd add Acrobatics and Stealth to your druid's class skills.


Im thinking I may lean more towards this Batman type build, with the investigator.

Maybe dip a level into Snakebite Striker Brawler and go unarmed combat. Not sure if thats the best of ideas, or not.

My GM has decided to start at lvl 5, with those same stats provided, 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, 17. Any race available, and Wealth to match the level.


If you wanna do Batman, why not the Vigilante? It comes with Unarmed options in-built.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Do you know what the rest of the party will be?

The Exchange

Sacred fist and go punch everyone =)


Not 100% sure on party comp. One never plays anything but fighter with an earth breaker. Another swaps between swashbuckler and range dps rogue, and the 3rd is new to the group, so unsure.

I wasnt sure on vigilante due to the multiple identities and party interaction. Does your entire party get to know who you are? Or am I left trying to play two characters, depending on where I am?

The Exchange

No idea, since I've never vigilanted. I think warpriest is not a bad idea but for your party you might want to just do full cleric for easier condition removal.

At least as a warpriest, you can use that CLW wand...

Sovereign Court

Rylden wrote:
Not 100% sure on party comp. One never plays anything but fighter with an earth breaker. Another swaps between swashbuckler and range dps rogue

That seems boring. I don't think that I've ever played very similar builds twice. Heck - it's rare for me to play the same class twice.

It definitely sounds like you should be at least a 6 level caster, though with those stats the SAD classes are almost a waste.

Investigator would certainly work, and while a druid is more powerful you're more likely to step on the fighter's toes, so Investigator might be the way to go.


Rylden wrote:

Not 100% sure on party comp. One never plays anything but fighter with an earth breaker. Another swaps between swashbuckler and range dps rogue, and the 3rd is new to the group, so unsure.

I wasnt sure on vigilante due to the multiple identities and party interaction. Does your entire party get to know who you are? Or am I left trying to play two characters, depending on where I am?

Vigilantes don't have many options that require that they keep their identities secret. Thus, keeping your identity a secret isn't so much a class requirement as it's a straight benefit. As for telling the party, it'd probably work best to let them in on the secret, but then do most of your adventuring as your Vigilante ID. When it comes time to interact with civilization, go off, switch to your Social ID, and meet with the party in town as old friends meeting by happenstance.

Edit That said, if you're party of four already has a martial and a support-esque martial / rogue, I'd probably pass on vigilantes, and look into a full-caster. Perhaps a Goliath Druid: you've got full access to spells for druids, the schtick of turning yourself into a spell-tossing giant (or spell-tossing dinosaur, whichever) is pretty far removed from your past experience of graceful martial.

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