SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
Heather 540 |
So, with the Rage subdomain, I can pick one rage power. The rage power can't have a level requirement. If I don't go with the Dragon Mystery, the ones that give natural attacks might be useful. There's also Powerful Blow that gives +5 to a single damage roll per rage. Lesser Spirit Totem sounds good for melee. And I'll probably only go into a rage if I'm drawn into melee in the first place.
Lesser Fey Blood could be useful since it works on melee and ranged. I'll want to get Keen or Improved Critical to make crits more likely. Ooh, with the War domain, I'll be able to use Improved Critical for 15 rounds a day. That'll save me a feat.
Heather 540 |
Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge religion, Perception, Spellcraft, Stealth? Maybe swap a Charisma skill for Sense Motive or an additional Knowledge?
Most of that is what I put ranks into. Though as an NPC, I doubt he'll need Perception. I put full ranks into Fly, and some into Planes and Arcana.
Heather 540 |
Ok, so clerics and oracles are only proficient with simple weapons. This cleric is also proficient with the greataxe as Rovagug's favored weapon. Now, if I take Battle Mystery, I can get the revelations Skill At Arms and Weapon Mastery. The first will get me proficiency with Martial Weapons and Heavy Armor, and the second will get me Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus, and Improved Critical with a single weapon. Then I can get Slashing Grace for Dex to Damage and only need to use up one feat.
I plan to give everyone Weapon Finesse for free. It just makes no sense. "I can hit a bulls-eye with a bow and arrow from 50 feet away every time, but give me a sword and I can't hit the broad side of a barn right in front of me!"
It's the only feat I'll be giving though.
Lady-J |
slashing grace wont work with a great axe also if your giving your dex martials a free feat you probably should have power attack be a free feat for the str martials its just as much a staple for str builds as weapon finesse is for dex builds, plus it follows the same logic as giving the dex users weapon finesse for free
Heather 540 |
I know it won't work with a greataxe. I was just listing the proficiency. I'll keep that in mind for Power Attack.
I was actually thinking of giving him a longsword. Best damage and crit range in the Martial Weapons that qualify for slashing Grace. Either that or a Battleaxe to keep to the weapon theme. Same base damage with a x3 crit. If I give it Keen, it'll have the same crit range as a longsword without it.
Heather 540 |
I've decided to go with the Battle Mystery. One of the revelations I like for it gives Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus, and Improved Critical as bonus feats. Those don't apply to a natural attack, correct? I'll only be raging when I'm forced into melee and can't use spells without provoking anyway so now I have to choose a build.
Several rage powers give a natural attack and one of my custom race alternate traits also give natural attacks. Do I want to go that way and pick a different revelation, or do I pick a different type of rage power and use a weapon? Or do I use both a weapon and natural attacks? Using a weapon, I can get a bite, gore, tail, and/or single claw attack. Without a weapon, I can get 2 claw attacks as well as the others. The alternate trait gives a bite and 2 claws.
Lady-J |
the revelation feats can be applied to natural attacks (just one type tho so either claws, bite, gore, wings or tail, ect.), with natural attacks you are going to want and str build as opposed to dex tho, also you will want to pick up an amulet of mighty fists to enchant all your natural attacks. if you want a dex build go with manufactured weapon
Heather 540 |
Understood. And understood.
I'll go with a regular weapon then. Here are the other rage powers I'm considering.
Guarded Stance: +3 dodge to AC for rounds equal to Cha.
Powerful Blow: Once per rage, can gain +4 to damage on single hit. Must be used before attack roll is made.
Reckless Abandon: Can take -4 to AC to gain +4 attack.
Lesser Spirit Totem: Spirits make one slam attack against any adjacent foe, full BAB+Cha, 1d4+Cha negative energy damage.
Heather 540 |
Ok, I think I'm going to go with Guarded Stance for my rage power. It'll increase my AC a bit, which I'll probably need more than an extra attack or increase to attack roll or damage.
Now I need to choose my weapon. Do I use the longsword or the battleaxe? They have the same base damage but their crit ranges are different. The longsword threatens on 19-20 with double damage. The battleaxe only crits on a nat 20, but triples the damage.
I get the feat Improved Critical as a bonus from my revelation. Using both it and the Keen enhancement, the longsword threatens on 13-20 while the battleaxe threatens on 17-20.
The question is this, do I want to crit more often or do more damage when a crit happens?
I'm also using the revelations Skill At Arms, Battlecry, and Iron Skill. The last one I like is Maneuver Mastery. But what combat Maneuver should I take it for?
Lady-J |
Understood. And understood.
I'll go with a regular weapon then. Here are the other rage powers I'm considering.
Guarded Stance: +3 dodge to AC for rounds equal to Cha.
Powerful Blow: Once per rage, can gain +4 to damage on single hit. Must be used before attack roll is made.
Reckless Abandon: Can take -4 to AC to gain +4 attack.
Lesser Spirit Totem: Spirits make one slam attack against any adjacent foe, full BAB+Cha, 1d4+Cha negative energy damage.
guarded stance is rounds equal to con not cha(unless your planning on making them undead and just haven't told us?), lesser spirit totem is not really good, reckless abandon is one of my favorites
Lady-J |
Ok, I think I'm going to go with Guarded Stance for my rage power. It'll increase my AC a bit, which I'll probably need more than an extra attack or increase to attack roll or damage.
Now I need to choose my weapon. Do I use the longsword or the battleaxe? They have the same base damage but their crit ranges are different. The longsword threatens on 19-20 with double damage. The battleaxe only crits on a nat 20, but triples the damage.
I get the feat Improved Critical as a bonus from my revelation. Using both it and the Keen enhancement, the longsword threatens on 13-20 while the battleaxe threatens on 17-20.
The question is this, do I want to crit more often or do more damage when a crit happens?
I'm also using the revelations Skill At Arms, Battlecry, and Iron Skill. The last one I like is Maneuver Mastery. But what combat Maneuver should I take it for?
keen and improved critical don't stack, for maneuvers disarm or trip would probably be ok
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
Look at the Magic Traits. Is there a particular spell you plan on using a lot while it is affected by a metamagic feat? Magical Lineage will reduce the level cost by 1.
Also, look at the Combat Traits. Reactionary is a classic for a reason.
Fate's Favored is good if you plan on using Divine Favor and/or other Luck-based effects or spells.
For example, Quickened divine favor would benefit from both Fate's Favored and Magical Lineage. You would cast it as a 4th level spell (instead of 5th), and it would grant a +6 luck bonus to attack and damage rolls.
Or if you choose Magical Lineage cure light/moderate/serious/critical wounds so you can cast Quickened cure spells one level lower than normal to up your survivability.
Lady-J |
fates favored hands down will be one of the best traits you can have because of the oracle/cleric spell list giving a lot of variety on luck bonuses with their buff spells, the other trait will be what you want most i guess, feel like their fort save is to low get the trait that boosts it by 1, will save to low trait that boosts it by one, reflex to low theirs a trait for that, want a skill to be a class skill you gata believe theirs a trait for that, there's also a trait that makes it so you don't need a holy symbol which for a cleric is great because now they can always cast their spells
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
Lady-J |
Hm, luck bonuses don't stack, so the question is this: Do I use up spells for the bonuses or buy an item for a bonus that never runs out? The only items I can find only give a +1. Do the spells give more?
i think you can get up to like +5 or 6 with some spells tho most will be in the 3 or 4 range i think
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
Lady-J |
But what should the other one be.
probably something that shores up a weakness or something that grants a wanted skill as a class skill, i usually go for a + to saves or give perception a +1 and make it a class skill for all characters that dont have it as a class skill and i don't plan on multiclassing
Heather 540 |
Yeah, but don't forget that this is for an NPC rather than a PC. His class skills are Appraise, Craft, Diplomacy, Fly, Heal, Intimidate, Arcana, Engineering, History, Nobility, Planes, Religion, Linguistics, Perception, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, and Spellcraft.
He won't be adventuring with the party, but like the Antipaladin they will meet him a few times before realizing what he's up to. So I chose these ranks:
Bluff - 15
Diplomacy - 10
Fly - 15
Heal - 10
Intimidate - 15
Arcana - 10
Planes - 5
Religion - 15
Sense Motive - 5
Use Magic Device - 5
Also, a level 15 cleric can cast an 8th level spell. Can he use the 9th level domain spell?
Lady-J |
Yeah, but don't forget that this is for an NPC rather than a PC. His class skills are Appraise, Craft, Diplomacy, Fly, Heal, Intimidate, Arcana, Engineering, History, Nobility, Planes, Religion, Linguistics, Perception, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, and Spellcraft.
He won't be adventuring with the party, but like the Antipaladin they will meet him a few times before realizing what he's up to. So I chose these ranks:
Bluff - 15
Diplomacy - 10
Fly - 15
Heal - 10
Intimidate - 15
Arcana - 10
Planes - 5
Religion - 15
Sense Motive - 5
Use Magic Device - 5Also, a level 15 cleric can cast an 8th level spell. Can he use the 9th level domain spell?
even npcs need some perception, and no they wont have access to the 9th level domain spell
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |