AlexxF's page

"Featuring tons of never-before-seen rules options..."

So FINALLY we'll get non-swashbuckler finesse love??? That would be really nice.

Anyway, I'll gladly jump in to see what new cool stuff is inside this Companion.

Maybe fire is a suboptimal choice for energy damage, but there's an awesome feel with pyrokineticist since I can basically build up a Prince Zuko clone and be just as badass. I absolutely love the Avatar-ish potential in this class.

There is one (kind of) legal way to accomplish this: Swashbuckler Finesse.

Since you can wield it one-handed when you're riding your mount, then technically you could use this benefit. Keep in mind that this ability is playtest material, and as such it's subject to your GM's call.

I absolutely love the Slayer's concept but I also feel it kind of short in a lot of aspects, but most of them were already addressed in this thread. Anyway, after testing the class (from a mere solo fighter combat perspective) at levels 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20, these are my suggestions:

HD: being at d10 was a must, so I'm glad dev team revised this.
Class skills: the class NEEDS bluff, really. Maybe Diplomacy would be a nice addition to the list, Heal on the other hand, I don't think it's that necessary.
Skill ranks per level: 6 ranks/level would be nice, but if the class were to mantain skills at 4/level, then we better get something better to do with INT than wait for capstone abilities (more on this below).
Weapon and armor proficiencies: I get Slayer has inherited shield proficiency from the Ranger, but it's not mandatory and may be taken away, same with medium armor proficiency. Instead, Canny Defense would fit perfectly (I think), from mechanic and flavor perspective.
Favored target: It should count as Favored Enemy for feat prerequisites.
Slayer talents and advanced talents: All combat-oriented rougue talents and advanced talents, maybe?
Sneak Attack: Since SA is situational anyway, having it as a normal Rogue, up to 10d6 wouldn't be that overpowered, even with full BAB progression. Seriously, 40% less SA than an average per attack when the class is meant to kill things is not good. Even if you get SA with all your attacks as a full-round action, your final SA damage output would be 80% of a normal rogue (also, addressing the Investigator SA issue, why not switching both classes SA?).

Here are other assorted goodies that could improve the class a lot, maybe taken as talents:
+INT bonus to AC, either as Canny Defense or otherwise.
+INT bonus to Initiative.
+INT bonus to Will saves.
+INT bonus to CMB and/or CMD against Favored targets.
+INT bonus to Attacks of Opportunity Attack and/or Damage rolls against Favored targets.
+INT bonus to number of Attacks of Opportunity per round.
+INT bonus to critical confirmation rolls.
+INT bonus as bleed damage on a critical hit.
+Sneak Attack damage when scoring a critical hit, 1/2 class levels + INT bonus times per day.
Feinting as a swift action 1/2 class levels + INT bonus times per day.
Bonus Combat feats, either as Combat Style feats or free to pick from a list.
Bonus Teamwork feats, specially if + Solo tactics (yes, it's unique to Inquisitors but Slayers would get awesome benefits of it, and also bonus points on badassery).

Since you're getting Ancestral Arms goodness, I would suggest you to take the Elven Curve Blade instead of the Falcata. True, it's a two-handed weapon and pretty much defeats the Tower Shield Proficency stuff, but as you've marked, you seldom use it.

Also, Brilliant Energy weapons at level 6 are kind of an outrage, and in the hands of a Paladin are kind of useless, too. Sure, you can pretty much pwnish the sh*t out of every evil mook around, but you couldn't hurt a pitty zombie, and that's just shameful for a Paladin.

My sugestions (if you can rrebuild that much your character):
Change Ancestral Arms: Falcata for Ancestral Arms: Elven Curve Blade.
Change Tower Shield Proficiency feat for Power Attack Feat (you NEED this).
Change Toughness feat for Furious Focus feat (now your Power Attack is better and you can Lay on Hands yourself as a swift action anyway).

Regarding to Vital Strike, if you're ever going into Mythical, this feat's mythic version becomes RIGHTEOUS STRIKE OF AWESOMENESS for a Paley since you get to multiply your Smite Evil damage whenever you happen to use them together (read: everytime you could). In non-mythic games it loses a bit of its edge, but remains fairly decent. However, if you're more focused in becoming an Intimidomancer (which is pretty viable for a Paladin), perhaps you'd like to switch your Inspired trait for Princess trait and get Intimidate as a class skill (don't worry, it's not a gender-specific and you can get it), and change your Vital Strike feat for Cornugon Smash feat and get free Intimidate checks everytime you hit someone with Power Attack.

Finally, if you were to take my suggestions, get rid of your Brilliant Energy Falcata and get, for the same +4 enhancement cost, a +1 Grayflame, Impact Elven Curve Blade and Divine Bond it to make it Keen too. a 2d8 weapon with 15-20 x2 critical range and extra enhancement and damage bonus as needed, will soak lots of more damage than your current Falcata. OR you may keep a mere +1 Grayflame (or whatever +1 bonus you like) and Divine Bond it for keen; a 1d10, 15-20/x2 is still a pretty good weapon, and you could get that extra cash invested in extra equipment like a Headband of Alluring Charisma, a Full Plate armor and some Boots of Striding and Spinning to keep your speed while in heavy armor.

According to the test I'd be:

Lawful Good Human Wizard (4th Level)

Strength- 12
Dexterity- 12
Constitution- 14
Intelligence- 18
Wisdom- 14
Charisma- 14

These are some nice stats for a Wizard, but even if I like them and I like Wizards a lot, I'd preffer to be either a Magus or a Witch. With those stats it'd be nice to be a Sage Wildblooded Sorcerer and walk the way of the transmuter, turning everything I find into Earth's goods and stuff.

The only issue I find with ToB is the lack of Concentration for Diamond Mind maneuvers, but either Sense Motive or Perception are okay, and still get the flavor of the discipline. Yes, those two are powerful skills, but since every Warblade has enough extra skill points to spare it's not like you won't be using them in Perception(or Sense Motive for a more social oriented Warblade, which perfoms quite good too) anyway.

About the maneuvers, if nerfing the recharge mechanics is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY (which most of time it is not), the Swordsage mechanics are good enough nerf. Further, even if ToB characters have theoretically infinite maneuvers per day those aren't nearly as powerful as most spells, and only in terms of combat effectiveness the three classes are roughly as powerful as a Paladin or a Magus (except a minmaxed Magus who'd win against any of the three classes pwntastically every time).

On a side and almost unrelated note, I also love ToB but hate mindlessly 4E.

Just out of curiosity has there been any ideas and/or thoughts about mythic two-weapon fighting feats?

I've been thinkin about it too and my best bet is something a la Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting in that old ELH, but instead that long list of prerequisites it could be something like this:

Mythic Two-Weapon Fighting [Mythic]

Prerequisites
Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting.
Benefit: You take no penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons. Attacks made with your off-hand are made at the same base attack bonus as your primary hand, and use your full strenght modifier instead just the half. If you later get the Improved or Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feats, those extra attacks with your off-hand only get the normal -5 or -10 penalty.
Normal: If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. When fighting in this way you suffer a –6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a –10 penalty to the attack with your off hand. If your off-hand weapon is light, the penalties are reduced by 2 each. An unarmed strike is always considered light.

And I think the normal -5 or -10 penalty could be eliminated too by using the Precision Champion Path Ability.