Help me build my dex+reach melee


Advice


I’m currently redesigning my Dex Reach melee. He’ll be built around the bladed brush feat. Instead of TWF he’ll get a level of UC Monk and crusaders flurry. Due to the adventure we’re playing I don’t expect that trip will be a preferred route.

Which additional feats / levels would you suggest for this build?

1 Cleric of Shelyn, Crusader Archetype, bonus feat Weapon focus Glaive, Feat Bladed Brush

2 UC Rogue, Finess (works at our table)

3 UC Monk Flurry, Bonus Feat Combat reflexes, Feat Crusaders flurry

4 UC Rogue 2 Rogue Trick, undecided what to take

5 UC Rogue 3 Dex to dmg, FEAT undecided what to take

6+7 Slayer Slayer talent Power attack, FEAT undecided what to take, either of lvl 5 or 7 will be deific obedience

8-10 Sentinel Prestige class FEAT + bonus FEAT at lvl 9 undecided what to take

So quite a number of feats still open.

Also curious about archetypes which would be beneficial

Not much planned beyond lvl 10, might be some more levels of Sentinel and/or slayer but also open to suggestions


Slayer is the better class for a melee dex build due to full BAB.

Agile glaive means you don't need the level 3 rogue power (although it would give you *1.5 dex to damage with a glaive and a 3 level dip only makes you lose 1 bab and 3 HP.)


To me it seems that taking one level in a 3/4 BAB class actually allows you to take the next three 3/4 BAB levels without further loss. So the block of 1 lvl cleric and three levels UC rogue only cost me one point of BAB.

Grand Lodge

The problem with reach dex builds is that enlarge person gives a penalty to dex and you still need str. 13 for power attack.


I'm aweful, first asking for advice and then contradicting it, if I get advised, sorry for this.

My take on Power Attack is that as Slayer or Ranger you can get it at level 2 as part of a fighting style without needing to meet any prerequisites.

As for enlarge person,that is a bit of a bummer. Reduce person is a totally different story though. +1 to hit and AC and +2 dex due to being small. it doesn't give you extra reach as enlarge but you get a solid +2 to hit and with 2H the smaller damage dice is offset by the extra dex to dmg. +2 AC and +1 ref saves.


Christopk-K wrote:
To me it seems that taking one level in a 3/4 BAB class actually allows you to take the next three 3/4 BAB levels without further loss. So the block of 1 lvl cleric and three levels UC rogue only cost me one point of BAB.

While that is a very reasonable houserule, it is not however RAW.

If you took 3 levels of UC rogue and 1 level of cleric your bab would be 2, same as a wizard.


We're using the fractional calculations from PF unchained for BAB and saves.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/unchained/classes/index.html


I'd be happy about sime suggestions about the parts I haven't figured out yet.

Scarab Sages

Agile on a Glaive is potentially House rule territory, as a glaive by default can’t be used with Finesse. A class ability or feat to let you do so doesn’t change the base weapon. Otherwise any weapon could have agile, because a fighter can Finesse any weapon that is in a weapon group through advanced weapon training. But you could ask your GM how they interpret it.

Unchained Rogue gives 1 1/2x Dex when two-handing and Agile doesn’t, so there is an advantage to getting Dex to Damage that way.

Slayers do not need to meet the prereqs of their bonus feats, so taking Power Attack that way is fine.

By the base rules, you won’t have +1 BAB until 3rd Level with this build, so that does hurt. If your GM is using the BAB progression from Unchained or letting you stack 3/4 BAB classes for the calculation, you would only be down 1 BAB, but that’s not how the base rule works. EDIT: Just saw your email using the Unchained calculations. Yeah, in that case you’re good.

Other than the BAB issue, this build looks good to me. Rogue two-handing a Finesse Weapon is a strong combination. I’m playing an Unchained rogue using an Elven Branched Spear through Emerald Spire, and I deal good Damage even when I don’t get sneak attack. I’m somewhere around +16 or +17 to Damage with Power Attack at Level 9, which isn’t amazing or anything, but better than being about half that like I normally would.

Scarab Sages

Rogue Trick Combat Trick Phalanx Formation is good on a Reach Rogue. Attack over allies for no penalty.

I went with combat Expertise->Gang Up so I get lots of flanking/sneak without having to move around. That would help with getting more flurries as well.


You can't get weapon focus at first level. Crusader allows you to bypass level and class based requirements, but does not have a clause that allows you to bypass +1BAB.

Scarab Sages

It's on the 1st level list. I'm pretty sure it's intended it can be taken. Thankfully for the OP, this is not a PFS game, so they can just ask their GM if it's ok and don't have to worry about table variation.

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