Bob Genghis's page

Do you need that feat though in order to enchant your buckler as a weapon, or is the existence of it enough to enchant one?

Wow, I did not know that, thank you! Can even a buckler be a weapon?

I really want to get Unhindering Shield for my magus that just turned level 11. The other melee members of the party are an invulnerable rager unchained barbarian, and a rogue/swashbuckler.

I feel like my character is a bit of a glass cannon, and Unhindering Shield would really shore up my AC. I'm a STR/Int magus, with 14 dex.

Here are my feats:
Blind-Fight (from a Wayfinder w/ Incandescent Blue Sphere)
Rime Spell
Combat Expertise
Moonlight Stalker
Outflank (unconventional I guess, but the barb and rogue both have this)
Craft Wondrous Item
Improved Familiar (a Dust Mephit)
Intensified Spell
and one more feat in the air, possibly Dimensional Agility or Craft Magic Weapons & Armor

What would be the best way for me to get Unhindering Shield?

I could spend 3 feats on shield proficiency, Shield Focus, and Unhindering Shield, possibly sacrificing the moonlight stalker chain to do so (including Improved Familiar, which I only had to get Blur cast on me)

Taking a level in fighter, and adding a Sash of the War Champion would give me both shield proficiency, and Armor Training to avoid having to spend a feat on Shield Focus. And of course the bonus feat. I could still sacrifice the moonlight stalker chain here, and just use it for other goodies.

I know everyone says losing a caster level is never worth it, but I think I could use the AC boost. I only have so many actions to cast defensive buffs and still contribute to offense.

edit- I am a hexcrafter. I had considered the Myrmidarch, but I'd rather not lose my existing archetype. Not 100% on this though.

Also, I'd switch the levels of Precise Shot and Boon Companion, to qualify for Enfilading Fire at 6

I've never played a game where the companion got its own seperate initiative, though, eliminating any synergy with Trade Initiative.

It would be especially strange if somehow your companion mount acted on a different turn

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Mounted-Combat

Definitely agree on Coordinated Shot at 3, since you don't have precise shot yet

From the archetype's author

The archetype does not have a required race in its text

For what it's worth, it's not actually restricted to any one race, you can still be a half-orc. And you don't have to use the snake, the companion levels stack once you take Mammoth Rider since that class replaces your existing pet choices

Slim Jim, you can only challenge once a day at lvl 2 cavalier, I don't think it's worth really thinking about as a part of your analysis.

I'd much rather sacrifice a challenge rider via Order of the Seal to instead take Mother's Fang. At level 2 this would net you 2 additional feats over what you have now, and you would get to ignore Int 13 requirements for combat maneuver feats and pack flanking.

I know that feats cannot be taken twice, and certain class features like Magus Arcana cannot be taken twice (unless otherwise noted), but I don't see that restriction on Advanced Armor Talents.

Can a fighter take Armored Master once for a shield mastery feat, then a second time for an armor mastery feat?

I'd also argue that Eye for Talent is not as good as a feat. I'd much rather have the pet take Combat Reflexes at level one, then something like Power Attack at 2 then boost their Int to 3 at level four. Especially since you already get the ability to give an enh bonus to the pet's str or dex

I think Mother's Fang Cavalier is worth mentioning as a great dip within the first four levels.

Heavy armor, a free teamwork feat, exotic weapon proficiency, combat expertise, and ignoring Int 13 for feats that require it (which means a single dip can get you Pack Flanking without any prior investment in prereqs)

Mammoth Rider is also worth mentioning as a good dip, and works when combined with the above class to get your pet level back if you didn't pick the odd snake.

Example, a level 8 hunter/level 1 mother's fang cav has the possibility of having a level 9 snake or a level 8 something else, but Mammoth Rider modifies the existing pet choice, so adding Mammoth Rider at 10 would let you have one of that class's companions at full level.

If your GM is experienced in the game, he has to know that Str 10 for a melee character is just brutal, hopefully he takes pity on you for being new. I would, for sure

You'll be having a hard time with Str 11, how did you determine stats?

You seem to only have 3 feats, battle axe and shield prof are not feats for you, they come as part of the class under "Weapon and Armor Proficiency"

You should have 4, for normal feats at 1, 3, and 5, and a bonus teamwork feat from your class at 1

No, you don't swap out Weapon Training, because Adv Weapon Training is better than most feats

For a reach build, would it just be better to go with Dirty Fighting instead and not dip? You would lose out on Fauchard, I guess

At later levels, if you're worried about sleeping armored, you can sleep in full plate w/ Restful or mithril full plate w/ Comfort

What do you guys think of a Bloodrager with the Arcane bloodline dipping Gendarme Mother's Fang Cavalier for first level?

It would give Power Attack and Combat Expertise as bonus feats, and allow me to qualify for Moonlight Stalker at level 5 if I also take Blind Fight, without having to spend points on Int 13.

This would be the same level that would give me the ability to add Blur to every rage, giving a nice +2 atk/dmg whenever raging

It would also give an exotic weapon proficiency, for whatever that's worth.

Is this worth an early dip?

I think it is when combined with Monstrous Physique since it lets you pounce with Frostbite active

I think the new spell Pouncing Fury is worth a mention. Bladed Dash/Force Hook Charge let you sort of pounce, but casting them cancels whatever held touch spell you have, like Frostbite.

Pouncing Fury is yet another buff you would have to cast before a fight, but if you get the chance I think it's worth the slot, since if you're going to be natural attacking with spell combat, you're likely to be using claws anyway.

It lets you charge in with touch spells, full attack, then next round spell combat to refresh your charges. Turning into something like a tiklabang wouldn't let you do that in round 2 since its attacks don't work with spell combat without heavy feat investment

I guess turning into a deathsnatcher would be even better, but I think turning into a CR 18 creature at level 10 (or 7, without pounce) is sure to attract DM wrath

My bab is +11 when I'm medium size, and for 3 fights a day as a swift action I can enlarge via living monolith and my bab goes up to +12

Thanks, I'll probably do that in a fight once I get a rough guess of enemy ACs

As far as I know, there's no way to remove the -1 to hit for the buckler

Good call on Vicious Stomp! So many feats to get, wish we could get to level 15 instead of only 14

I really wanted tandem trip, I just didn't see how to fit it in. Are you suggesting maybe I retrain deadly aim to it (if I have the time in town)?

I only have Combat Expertise to qualify for Pack Flanking, to flank with my wolf whenever we're threatening an enemy. It was a bonus feat from Mother's Fang Cavalier level 1. I've never used the AC bonus from it.

I've never used a shield or a lance til now, just 2-handing a greatsword most of the time, with a composite longbow and longspear as backups.

I have +3 mithral fullplate (with plans to get an enchant equivalent to +2, but probably won't happen due to money and lack of time in town), +2 amulet of natural armor, a +1 ac ioun stone, and a +1 deflection bonus from my ring. As of now, my AC is 29. I have an enh bonus to dex of +2

I have the budget to either add +1 to my ring, or to get the +4 buckler (I can craft magic armor, but cannot craft cheap wondrous items)

6 classes too many? If I have time to retrain again next level, I'd probably add unchained martial artist monk just for the hell of it, then take combat reflexes as a bonus and train the old combat reflexes to mounted skirmisher, to have 7 classes that are all contributing to my overall character. A better alternative would probably be Mammoth Rider 2, though. Fighter 2 if I can't retrain before the end of the campaign

My attack roll usually sits around +22-24 vs most enemies / +28-30 vs giants (first iterative)

I can only cast level 1 spells. For ranger, I always cast longstrider on my mount, and for iniquisitor I've been casting Heightened Awareness and Divine Favor

How would you rate multiattack? I spend a lot of time polymorphed via Monstrous Physique, and up til now I've been dropping my weapon to use my natural attacks at full bonus.

I think I'm going to start holding on, and taking the -5 to secondary claws

Cool

"Whenever you are raging and adjacent to a raging ally who also has this feat or flanking the same opponent as a raging ally with this feat.."

Even if the familiar has the feat due to archetype, how would a familiar be raging?

Ferocious Mount could work, if he had a way to share feats with a mounted companion.

I assume though that he needs your help at least the early levels

Synthesist Summoner like Iron Man?

I'm currently playing a dwarf ranger 6/sacred huntmaster inquisitor 3/mother's fang cavalier 1/dragoon fighter 1/living monolith 1/mammoth rider 1 in Giant Slayer.

I ride a huge wolf that has combat reflexes and greater trip (qualified via dirty fighting).

Sacred huntmaster lets my companion share Outflank, Paired Opportunist and Pack Flanking with me. It's been really fun, my crits combo nice to help the wolf trip, to give us both yet more opportunity attacks.

Orphaned by Giants stacks nicely with the Giant Hunter dwarf alternate racial trait and favored enemy giants (and defensive training)

Living monolith lets me enlarge as a swift action, then clobber giants with larger weapons and reach 10 or more. Our party has some other ways to enlarge as a standard or full round action, but having the option as a swift that I can do by myself has been great.

Mother's fang cavalier gives 2 bonus feats at level one, lets me ignore armor check penalties to ride, and lets me ignore the Int 13 req on Pack Flanking. It also gives some exotic weapon profs, but I just use martial weapons.

If I did it over again, I think I would have dropped the last 3 ranger levels and gone into mammoth rider all the way as soon as I qualified to take it at level 10.

Even if your buddy has some way of sharing teamwork feats with allies and a familiar, his familiar won't be giving him the bonus since it won't be raging, so I assume you'll need to take a level of something to rage

Are you suggesting that levels in evangelist count as levels in cleric for favoured class bonus?

The favored prestige class feat would let him get skill bonuses as favored class bonuses with evangelist

No, really. You know the current rules on it, and you're ignoring it.

Do you also ignore errata that makes your choices better? Doubt it.

You're also ignoring that reach is illegal for Evolved Companion, regardless of organized play or not

For your build, is the barbarian relying on you to be another raging half-orc for his Amplified Rage to work?

I've been playing a 13th level Ranger/Sacred Huntmaster Inquisitor/Fighter/Mother's Fang Cavalier/Living Monolith/Mammoth Rider in a Giantslayer campaign, with a huge wolf companion.

I'm mostly melee focused, but used to start fights off with ranged combat since they usually started at really long range.

Recently though, I've been mounted with 60 speed, the fights are starting closer, and I'm thinking of retraining a feat into more melee focus.

I have a feat slot open, and I'm considering retraining a 2nd feat if needed

My options are:
Broken Wing Gambit (no retrain necessary)
Shield Focus and Unhindering Shield (with a +4 buckler)
Seize the Moment and Improved Critical (longbow, since both my melee weapons are Keen)

My AC is 29 (33 vs Giants). That seems low for my current level, 13. I almost died to a cyclops critting me (with some help of some other hits in the same round) a few levels ago. I'm getting a buffering cap for sure. I could raise this to 30/34 if I don't go the shield route, 35/39 if I do.

But I've been really focusing on getting crits with my companion, to trigger opportunity attacks, which makes my companion tripping easier. One of the two offense options would aid that.

Here are my feats that I can't/won't retrain (some are bonus feats and locked):
Power Attack
Iron Will
Endurance
Toughness
Combat Reflexes
Combat Expertise

Pack Flanking
Outflank
Paired Opportunist

Boon Companion
Mounted Combat
Skill Focus: Ride
Trick Riding

I could retrain out of one of these:
Rapid Shot (I would probably choose this to retrain out if needed)
Quick Draw
Deadly Aim

Could anyone advise? Whichever route I take will block the others, as we've already been told we're going to gain a max of one more level, and I'll be going fighter 2 to get Mounted Skirmisher.

Evolved companion for reach tail.

Benefit: Select a 1-point evolution other than pounce or reach from those available to a summoner’s eidolon

To the OP, I've been playing in a Giantslayer campaign riding a Huge Wolf with a Mammoth Rider Ranger/Sacred Huntmaster/lots of multiclass.

The wolf has greater trip and combat reflexes, it's been a lot of fun.