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I want to make a character (preferably a bloodrager) who instead of throwing a fireball from a long distance away, runs up to their target and smashes a fireball right into them from point blank range. I was wondering if there were any archetypes (bloodrager or not), feats, or game mechanics that would make a playstyle like this viable. Essentially turning spells with a range component into touch spells, or something similar.

These are all great suggestions, thank you all very much! I had never heard of Mortal Usher till now, and I had forgotten that spirit totem and tentacle cloak existed.

I was wondering if there were any wondrous items or any other gameplay mechanics that could replicate Slave Knight Gael's cape from Dark Souls 3. For those who are unfamiliar, Slave Knight Gael's cape is sort of a living cape of souls that lashes out at Gael's opponents without him needing to do anything, it is also capable of unleashing a torrent of lost souls that seek out living targets. Slave Knight Gael.

Does anyone know of any pathfinder books that details the primal inevitables’ physical appearances, specifically Kerkamoth? Kerkamoth deity page

I am looking for a way to maximize damage and debuffs over time to enemies that are near you. I've come up with a Phoenix Bloodrager who has the level 20 bloodline power Phoenix Fire, which does 4d6 points of fire damage every round to enemies who are within 20 ft. Also using the spell Elemental Aura, which does another 2d6 damage to enemies adjacent to you. Also taking the primalist archetype to get the rage power Aryzul’s Curse which causes enemies to loose strength every turn that they are within 10ft. All in all, I'm looking to build a fairly durable melee front liner who has tons of debilitating and damaging aura's going on around him, making it an absolute nightmare to get into melee range with him. I'd appreciate any other suggestions of feats, magic items, and/or spells that can add on more damage and negative effects. Also if you think you have a better class/idea for this kind of build I'd love to hear any suggestions.

If you can arrange for an enemy to charge you the juke feat could do it. Clambering escape works too tho' it's even more restricted.

Alternately there's the reposition maneuver. You'd have to do it twice (and move somehow) so that's tricky. Repositioning strike could help, maybe with overrun and something like spiked destroyer in the mix to trigger it. Or just move into an opponent's space and wait for them to leave it - mouser swashbuckler or monkey shine feat or vexing dodger rogue.
Edit: probably one of those last 3 then use the reposition maneuver to steer the opponent back into your space is the most reliable.

I'm actually looking for a way to do it from as far away as possible. Hostile Juxtaposition has a 25 foot range plus 5 feet per two spellcaster levels. Reposition if I'm not mistaken requires you to be right up in the enemy's face which is not exactly what I'm looking for.

I was wondering if there was anything in the game that would allow a martial character to switch places with an enemy. The only thing that I could find was Hostile Juxtaposition, but that is a 5th level spell. It is also obtainable from the Space witch patron. So I was wondering if there's any way to gain consistent access to this spell as a fighter or something. Maybe there is a way to get a witch patron as a non witch, or there may be something entirely different from Hostile Juxtaposition that I'm missing.

So the feats that the phantom gains are effectively just bonus feats for the spiritualist?

Also another thing, if the amulet of mighty strikes applies to the phantom and the spiritualist, would things like a belt of giant’s strength buff the phantom’s strength and the spiritualist’s? That seems kind of broken right? Or I guess you’re saying things that offer hit bonuses would apply to both?

Alright, so the weird thing to keep in mind is that it is still the spiritualist making the attacks. The only difference is that you use the Attack Bonus and Damage Dice of the phantom.

So taking Power Attack won't work because the extra damage is still dependent on the spiritualist, but Improved Natural Attack works fine. You'd still add things like Flanking Bonuses, the Enhancement bonus from your Amulet of Mighty Fists, and spell buffs like Heroism to the attack bonus, though.

Unless your phantom has the Anger or Hatred focus, you'll want to start out with Weapon Finesse. Improved Natural Attack should be your 3rd or 4th phantom feat (but not for the Anger focus), and the rest could be accuracy increases like those you've mentioned.
Unfortunately the phantom is incapable of taking actions, so the list of useful feats is very short. You could let the phantom get a familiar through Eldritch Heritage or Improved Familiar Bond, and add the Mascot archetype so it basically becomes the spiritualist's familiar.

I'd also keep in mind that if you attack with the ectoplasmic tendrils before your own attack routine, you could hold off on using Power Attack/Piranha Strike if you feel your accuracy is too low. Considering that most of the slam damage is from your ability modifier, enhancement bonus, and the damage dice, it might not be worth using it.

Okay, so let me get this straight so that I’m not screwing anything up lol. The phantom can attack twice with it’s tendrils as a swift action, and the spiritualist can still make a full round attack if he so wished right? If I took the anger phantom, who gains power attack on it’s own, would it’s power attack and my attacks be different? Like if it power attacked, would my attacks also suffer the penalty to hit? I’m glad to hear amulet of mighty strikes buffs both the phantom and the spiritualist. Also, is there any kind of feat where if you hit you lower someone’s ac or make them flat footed etc.? Because I thought it would be cool if my phantom attacked first and made the target more vulnerable for me.

Considering that the Excitation ability given at level 2 refers to the Bonded Manifestation ability I'd say that's not the case.

Bonded Manifestation may require the phantom to be in your consciousness, but it isn't a benefit of having the phantom in your consciousness.

What is affected is the Skill Focus feats, the bonus vs Mind-Affecting, and technically the bonus feat some emotional focus grants you.

Okay, thank you for clearing that up. I have another question, what feats would you recommend giving a phantom who is permanently bonded? I was thinking weapon focus (slam) and possessed hand to help out it's bonus to hit. I know in a post prior, you said I should be utilizing the tendril's ability to manipulate objects more than the slams, but I want to at least attempt a front line melee build with this archetype.

I have a question about the exciter spiritualist's rapture ability. So the ability says: "An exciter gains the ability to enter an ecstatic state in which he’s consumed and overwhelmed by his passions and driven into a fighting fury. This functions similarly to a bloodrager’s bloodrage, treating his spiritualist level as his bloodrager level, though he doesn’t qualify for feats or other elements that require rage or bloodrage. When entering a rapture, the exciter loses all other benefits from having his phantom confined in his consciousness (such as the Skill Focus feats and bonus against mind-affecting effects), but he can choose to exchange the normal +4 morale bonus to his Strength and Constitution scores normally gained from bloodrage for a +4 morale bonus to his Dexterity and Charisma scores or a +2 morale bonus to his Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma scores. In addition to the fatigue for ending a bloodrage, an exciter can’t enter a rapture again for 1 minute after ending his last rapture." When it says that the exciter loses ALL benefits, does he also lose "She gains a +4 shield bonus to Armor Class, the spiritualist also sprouts a pair of ectoplasmic tendrils from her body, and This grants the spiritualist a +6 armor bonus to AC without imposing an armor check penalty?"

Not by taking One-Inch Punch. Adding half your strength mod in place of every attack you forgo, being in a situation where you could full-attack, is a very poor idea.

Considering that there's apparently some disagreement on the number of attacks multiple arms would give you, natural attacks seems like the way to go.

Yeah, that does make sense. Do you know which damage dice the claw attacks from the Phantom Limb spell are? It doesn’t list the damage. I know the tendrils from the spiritualist’s phantom have slam attacks that scale with level. Which natural attacks would you suggest for the character’s two actual arms? Also is there a spiritualist archetype that is particularly good for a build like this? I’ve never played an occult class, and I took a look but couldn’t find anything particularly promising.

The Two-Weapon Fighting feat does not grant any extra attacks. The option to gain an additional attack comes from the TWF rules in the combat section of the CRB, pg. 202 (that's what you quoted). All the TWF feat does is reduce penalties, just like Multiweapon Fighting feat!

Note that Multiweapon Fighting is a monster feat, it was never intended for PCs, and thus it doesn't have to have any use for PCs.

Look, I kinda understand your confusion, because it's basically a hole in the rules. Multiweapon Fighting's normal section references the TWF rules, but those rules don't make any mention of more than two weapons (which is exactly why that's not allowed). Plus, having the rule option and the feat have the exact same name is pure stupidity. But still, the feat's benefit section says "Penalties for fighting with multiple weapons are reduced by –2 with the primary hand and by –6 with off hands." - that's it. Penalties are reduces, that's all the feat does. Dito for the TWF feat.

Indeed, multiarmed monsters that are shown with multiple weapons aren't actually covered by the rules. It's one of the problem with the ridiculously anthropocentric writing of the CRB.

Oh, I see what you’re saying. That is like astronomically dumb that the rules for it and the feat have identical names. I’m still kind of bummed, because I know the idea of “more arms = more attacks” might be super unbalanced and break the game, but like how do you even make a character like General Grievous who uses four manufactured weapons rather than natural attacks? Sure he could hold four, but not necessarily able to utilize them all.

Flurry and TWF don't stack, so flurry and multiweapon fighting won't either.

Pummeling style is probably going to work better for you than one-inch punch. It also leads to pummeling charge.

A means of having multiple arms not mentioned above is to play a race which has them. If allowed, a kasatha monk with one of the archetypes which loses flurry of blows & with multiweapon fighting would work for you from level 1. I'm not sure what level you're starting at, or what other restrictions there might be.

I know they wouldn’t stack, I’m just saying to get it because it’s a prerequisite for One-Inch Punch.

Quote it. Quote where it says you get more attacks. The only thing in that direction is "One hand is considered its primary hand; all others are considered off hands." Do you see the word "attack" there? because I don't. Just like the Multiweapon Fighting feat, it's only modifying the penalties, not granting you additional abitilies.

You're confusing rules here - you think "off hand" is inextricably linked with additional attacks, but that is not true. You use the off-hand rules anytime you attack with more than one manufactured weapon/unarmed strike, even if you don't gain any extra attacks from TWF. The first attack you make is the primary hand, attacks with other weapons are made as off-hand weapons, and you only get half strength bonus. The TWF rules build upon the off hand rules, not the other way around - if you wield a weapon in the/an off hand, you can use the TWF rules.

So all that sentence in the Kasatha description does is say that if you use multiple weapons (which you can do independent of TWF or anything similar), all but one only gain half strength bonus on damage rolls.

I guess it’s just confusing, since TWF says, “ You can make one extra attack each round with the secondary weapon.” So it’s like what even is the point of multiweapon fighting? Sure it reduces the penalties, but is that it’s only function? It also states, “ This feat replaces the Two-Weapon Fighting feat for creatures with more than two arms.” so it leads me to believe that it would give you at least one extra attack because it’s supposed to be a replacement for TWF.

So here’s another question, which should probably be in the advice forum. But how would one make a viable unarmed strike build with multiple arms? Was thinking maybe summoner with Multiweapon Fighting and Monastic Legacy. Perhaps throwing two levels in brawler to get brawler’s flurry and pick up One-Inch Punch, converting all the additional attacks from the arms into one devastating blow (if it even works like that).

I was wondering if there was any mechanic or item or something that gave someone like “Zen arms” like Zenyatta Reference Picture or God Staff Jax Reference Picture . I believe it’s from the Hindu religion and I think the concept is really cool. I guess you could just re-flavor the Arms of Marilith, but was just wondering if there was something already in the game like this.

There's a story feat called Champion that gives you +1 to attack and dodge AC as a swift action against a single person, assuming no one else interferes.

The Friendly Rivalry combat/teamwork feat sorta fits that bill but not exactly.

Champion actually looks pretty promising for this purpose, since it says if ANYONE interferes, meaning other foes as well as allies. It's not perfect, but it's as close as I think I'm going to get. Thanks.

I think the playstyle can be well done with something like a Pinning build, with stuff like Pinning Knockout or Throat Slicer combined with Charging Stag Style. Stealth into position, pounce, trip, grapple, pin and execute.

What class/archetype do you think would be the best for this? I was looking at the strangler brawler maybe. Also I saw the rogue talent, Ambuscading Grapple, so maybe a rogue or slayer would do this well, like kidnapper rogue or bounty hunter slayer? Also the strangler and deadly grappler combat feats look promising.

There are some concepts that this system was not modeled to address, or was just not envisioned. Action economy already favors the party when facing an isolated enemy.

I see, I suppose that makes sense, so you’re saying that isolated enemies are already at such a massive disadvantage anyways, so there probably isn’t a mechanic in the game that does what I’m asking about?

I uh I don't think so??????

I'm as surprised as the next guy tbh.

I know right? I searched up and down archives of nethys looking for something, but nothing came up.

There's a couple of feats, steadfast slayer and desperate battler. Or, when grappling an enemy it's often better to not be within stabbing range of other enemies. Or, there are optional rules for one on one duels and a feat called call out which can force an enemy to start a duel - this offers defensive benefits.

Well, all the feats you listed take effect when YOU are alone, I was wondering if there were any that take effect when your target was isolated from their allies. Granted, I suppose if you were to bullrush an enemy off to the side, you would be the only one threatening him at that point, but if one of your allies come to help you fight him, then you lose all your bonuses, because you’re not the only one threatening them.

I was wondering if there was any feat, class feature, item, or just anything really that gave an advantage for engaging on an enemy who was by themselves? For people who play league of legends, I’m kind of looking for like what Kha’zix does where he deals more damage to isolated foes. So for example if there was anything in pathfinder that was like: if you attack an enemy who doesn’t have any allies within 30 feet deal bonus damage, or stun, or anything that gives an advantage. If anyone can find something like this, I was thinking of a build where I bullrush one enemy away from the rest of it’s group and single it out. I couldn’t find anything, so if anyone has any luck with this please let me know, thank you.