Playing a level 5 underground Chemist/scout rogue.
What are some of the more useful alchemical items to craft? (I've currently got a +16 craft: alchemy.)
Also, any tips, trucks, build advice in general are appreciated. (Feat wise, I have point blank shot, throw anything, concentrated Splash, and charging Hurler.)
Since they are battery based, Overcharge can be used on them. Operative's trick attack damage cannot be applied to any sniper.
Pretty sure this makes the Mechanic the go to class as the archetypal, one shot high damage, sniper... Should they invest in Sniper weapons, either via an extra feat as an Exocortex Mechanic, or a dip in Soldier.
Dwarf or Human (used human for ability point spread)
STR 16>>> level increases and mk3 augment
DEX 14>>> level increases and mk1 augment
CON 10>>> level increases and mk2 augment
Int 13>>> level increases
WIS 10
CHA 10
Feats:
1 Advanced Melee Weapons (Skip if Dwarf)
1 Quick Draw
3 Versatile Specialization (Weapon Focus if Dwarf)
5 Technomantic Dabbler
7 Improved Initiative
9 Toughness
11 Deflect Projectiles
13 Iron Will
15 Lunge
17 ??
19 ??
Mechanic Tricks
2 Overcharge
4 Overclocking
6 Visual Data Processor
8 Improved Overcharge
10 Hyperclocking
12 Invisibility Bypass Processor
14 Superior Overcharge
16 Superior Overcharge (+5d6)
18 Superior Overcharge (+6d6)
20 Superior Overcharge (+7d6)
Equipment:
Jump Jet armor mod ASAP. (at the very least, it allows you to move as fast as if you weren't wearing Heavy Armor, and to jump over obstacles and avoid rough terrain. Might actually add extra movement to your move action.)
Powered Advanced Melee Weapon.
Any energy rifle you want.
A backup energy pistol
Dwarf is by far the best racial choice: Free Advanced Melee Proficiency and Specialization.
Human is next best, since they have an extra feat to burn. You COULD also dip a level of Blitz Soldier, if you don't mind delaying your Mechanic abilities by a level.
Why melee at all with a mechanic?
1.) My experience playing an Exocortex Mechanic that was purely ranged was that i didn't actually have enough strength for heavy armor, a rifle, lots of batteries, and any back up weapons. Which is kind of the point of the Exocrtex Mechanic.
2.) Also, lets look at a couple L20 weapons:
Zenith Laser Rifle deals 11d6 damage, an average of 38.5. A Mach III Swoop Hammer deals 14d10, and average of 77. Add in a high Strength bonus, maxed out at +9, we have 86. this is before we add in Specialization bonuses, or the 7d6 from Overcharge, or the 4d6 from Supercharge Weapon, and an extra +2 from Miracle Worker... at level 20, this together leads to 99 damage average with the laser rifle, but 146.5 with the Swoop Hammer. (weapon damage, specialization bonus, strength bonus, Overcharge damage, Miracle Worker damage, and Supercharge weapon damage.) This is about 46% increase in damage. This is important when you are making a single attack in a round.
3.) With Combat Tracking and Miracle Worker, you are the most accurate character in the game. (Albeit against 1-4 opponents, depending on level.)
4.) You are also wearing Heavy Armor, and with Hyperclocking and maybe Miracle Worker, you likely have the highest AC in the party besides one or two Soldier builds.
Since Overcharge is a standard action, and your primary damage dealing ability, you have no real reason to ever full attack. You don't get extra attacks like the Soldier, Solarian, or Operative.
Combat Strategy:
Start at range. Move action, Overcharge an allies weapon for extra damage. As a standard action, fire your own Overcharge attack. Use of weapons with the Reach property will likely be useful against other melee characters.
If an enemy is closing into melee range, fire, drop your weapon, and draw your melee weapon. Move closer so you are within range of their charge. They take a -2 to AC and attack, and typically only get a single attack. ON your turn, you will attack with Overcharge, and use a guarded five foot step back. They will typically be forced to use a move action to follow, thus being unable to full attack.
For ranged opponents, either use standard firing actions (Move action stand from prone, standard Overcharge attack, Swift action drop to prone, preferably behind cover), or move closer and engage in melee. Since they have to take a guarded 5ft step back to attack without taking an AoO, you are denying them a full attack. Step forward, and hit them with Overcharge.
Use your Jump Jet mod to move faster than you would be while wearing heavy armor. Use it to jump over obstacles, move over rough terrain,
and in general outmaneuver you melee opponents. Use them to get behind ranged enemies, destroying their use of cover.
IF you end up in melee with a tougher than expected opponent, use a swift action to switch your melee weapon to a one handed grip (if you are using a two handed melee weapon), Jump Jet out of there and draw a pistol during your move. This is just a backup weapon, but with Overcharge it should do enough damage to deter a melee follower, especially if you can jump Jet onto higher ground, such as a building, balcony, roof, etc.
You can craft any item as long as you have skill ranks equal to it's level in the appropriate skill. Say, engineering for weapons. It costs the same in materials as buying the item.
But it most settlements, you can find any item of your level +1 or +2.
Since you can only have skill ranks equal to your level, you can only ever craft items equal to your level.
Why craft anything, if you can buy a higher level item and almost any point?
An exocortex mechanic has two class abilities that provide extra damage: overcharge trick and miracle worker.
Overcharge is available at lvl 2, and increases any battery powered weapon by 1d6 damage, at the cost of three times the charge usage. At level 8, improved overcharge does +2d6 damage. At level 14, superior overcharge provides +4d6 damage. This can be increased by 1d6 damage every mechanic trick after that, to a max of +7d6 at lvl 20. This is a standard action if you use iton yourself AND attack once. It's a move action if you use it on an ally's weapon. It appears you can use this on a friend, and again on yourself in the same round, giving you a single attack.
Miracle Worker, obtained at lvl 7, gives a bonus of +2 to AC, or +2 attack and damage, for one minute. It is a move action, pretty self explanatory.
Speaking of increases to attack, the Exocortex Mechanic can use Combat Tracking as a move action. This provides you a bonus to attack equal to the difference between your BAB, and your mechanic level. (I.e, at level 20, and BAB of +15, you'd have combat tracking +5.) This starts against a single target, and eventually can be used against 4 targets at once.
Mechanic is also a prime candidate for Technomantic Dabbler. 15 intelligence is easily had by lvl 5, and this gives you Supercharge Weapon. As a standard action, your next attack with your weapon adds +4d6 damage on your next attack, as long as that attack made by the end of your next turn.
At lvl 8 (when you can get improved overcharge, have miracle worker) your bonus to attack and damage on your first attack will be +4 attack, +6d6+2 damage. (Admittedly, this is once a day.)
Every standard attack after the first would be +4 attack, +2d6+2 damage. (So just combat tracking and overcharge, -Supercharge Weapon.)
After one minute, when miracle worker ends, you are still getting +2 attack, +2d6 damage on standard attacks. (Combat Tracking, and Overcharge as a standard attack.)
Overclocking gives us +2 initiative and reflex.
Energy Shield gives us level+Intelligence temporary hp.
You can wear heavy armor and use longarms.
An exocortex mechanic gets a drone mod at lvl 7.
So what? Let's use human as a baseline.
Ability Scores:
Lvl 5
STR 14(+2 racial) 16> 18
DEX 11 +1 theme) 12 > 14
CON 12. > 14
INT 13. > 15
WIS 10
CHA 10
You can move a couple points from Con into Dex if you like.
Strategy: your standard attack (especially in melee) is more damaging and accurate than any other standard attack in the game, as far as I can tell. A soldier (say, sharpshooter) will do more damage only IF they can make a full attack.
Stay at range initially. As enemies close, drop your rifle, quick draw your melee weapon, still leaving a move action for positioning or triggering Miracle Worker or combat tracking.
If you are in melee against a melee creature, take a guarded step back. The enemy must close the five feet... To attack once. (Use a reach weapon if you like).
You can use Jump Jets at level 7, which gives you 30ft move in any direction, vertical or horizontal. This is likely better than your movement in heavy armor... Likely better than most heavy armor wearing melee enemies. If using a one handed weapon, you could jump to a height with Jump Jets, and quick draw a pistol with overcharge, still likely doing competent damage with a standard attack.
You can use a charge (full round) against ranged characters. If they take a guarded five foot step back and fire once... That's okay. You'll take a move forward, and use overcharge with a melee weapon.
Basically, don't let anyone full attack, and your standard attack will be more damaging than anyone else's if you're in melee.
You'll always out damage ranged characters.
You're always pretty good with ranged weapons too. Only a couple Dex points behind a dedicated ranged character in attack points, dealing more damage on a standard attack, (move stand up, standard attack, Swift drop prone. +4 AC against ranged attacks, possibly concealment if behind cover) and wearing heavy armor (+1 insight for hyperclock trick). Add a boosted weapon for most first attack of the fight damage.
I dunno. A well skilled character that can fight in melee and ranged better than most. It seems like an similar idea. Am I missing something?
So toying with a human melee exocortex mechanic. Advanced melee weapons is must, obviously.
Is it worth taking a level of blitz soldier for +4 initiative, +10 speed, +2 to fort, will, and advanced melee weapons, but at the cost of delayed mechanic stuff?
Or, should I spend my human bonus feat on advanced melee weapon, and stay pure mechanic?
Thinking of making a Ysoki Hit and Run Soldier with blast weapons. Scatterguns don't seem to be very good, and the Brutal Blast gear boost also seems to be awful.
In the entry for Apostae, there are references to arches that are portals to most of the planets in the system. Are they any other references to these portals? What worlds have them? How big are they? How many people can pass through at once?
So I recently changed my combat drone to a hover drone. My combat drone rarely hit an enemy at range, and it was quite disappointing.
With my combat drone, I would often use movement and positioning to get soft cover (+4 AC) from it, or provide cover for my drone if it was heavily damaged. However, since the combat drone rarely hit enemies (+5 attack at level 5), this ended up be self defeating.
I have had success using Overcharge on the party Soldier as a move action, and then using a standard action to use it on myself and fire. an extra 2d6 damage a round certainly helps.
Since my hover drone is tiny, can it share a square with me? Basically, perch on my shoulder and fire its weapon? While I use Overcharge on the soldier, and then myself. Or, should it just be used as a mini turret while i use Overcharge on us?
As far as I can tell, a mechanic can use a move action to use Overcharge on an adjacent ally's weapon, then use a standard action to use it on their weapon, and fire it. I see nothing that says you can only use it once a round.
Just making a back up character for my game. WBL is a little higher than normal. Everything look about right? Always open to suggestions for feats and spells, especially.
Mystic level 5:
Mystic Mindbreaker (Outlaw) human lv 5
HP:38 Stamina:35 Resolve Points: 9
STR 10
DEX 16 ... 18
CON 10 ... 12
INT 10 ... 12
WIS 16 ... 18(22)
CHA 10
So Riding Saddle makes your Drone capable of being ridden as a combat trained mount.
By using your custom rig, you can direct your mount with a move action. Thus, your drone has a move, and a standard action, leaving you with your standard action.
The drone can move, attack, and you can also attack... Correct?
OR, as per Survival, I can make a DC 10 check as a swift action to fight from my mount, and allow it to also make any attacks it normally has.
So... Do I actually need any ranks in Survival? Or, alternatively, Does having survival give me an extra move action?
I fell like i would want Survival anyway, to use the Cover action. But I'm still not certain if I need to be rolling a Survival check every round just so both my drone and I can shoot.
I have an exocortex Mechanic with 10 Strength. I gain Heavy Armor Proficiency. Can I still use Heavy Armor, though I lack the required 13 Strength that is normally required to gain that feat?
1.) Can you use a full attack action while dual-wielding both a ranged weapon and a melee weapon? In this case, say a Needler Pistol and a Dueling sword.
So I'm designing a level 1 Ranger, Sorcerer X (Psychic Bloodline).
I have an 8 in Wisdom. Can I still use spell trigger items from the ranger list, even though my wisdom would never be high enough to actually cast any spells?
At 1st level, the freebooter can, as a move action, indicate an enemy in combat and rally her allies to focus on that target. The freebooter and her allies gain a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against the target. This ability applies only to allies who can see or hear the freebooter and who are within 30 feet of the freebooter at the time she activates this ability. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the bonus increases by 1. The freebooter’s bane lasts until the target dies or the freebooter selects a new target.
This special ability can only be placed on ranged weapons or ammunition. Each time a ranged weapon or ammunition with this ability hits a creature, its magic designates the target. Allies gain a +4 morale bonus on melee attack rolls and a +6 morale bonus on melee damage rolls against the designated target for 1 round. Multiple successful shots fired at the same target do not increase the bonuses or their duration."
MEANS: with a move actions, granting the Freebooter Bane, plus a standard action with a ranged weapon enchanted with Greater Designating, you could have a max +9 attack and +11 damage in melee.
Say you have two melee party members. One, a dual wielding fighter, the other, a dual wielder barbarian.
Say you dip gunslinger, and are making that standard attack with a firearm like a musket; thus getting touch AC within the first range increment. Ranger 6 could get you Improved Precise Shot. Freebooters Bane works for all allies within 30 feet WHEN you trigger the ability, and last until the enemy is dead or you designate a new one. Designating weapons appear to have no limit of effect beyond the one round.
By level 7 (Ranger 6, Gunslinger 1) (assuming you can get the party to pitch for a +1 Designating Musket Axe)
You could grant +4 to hit, +4 to damage to any ally in melee. -2 for two weapon fighting, -2 for power attack... Youre looking at +0 to hit, +8 damage to any melee weapon attack for any party member that begins combat within 30 feet of your position.
The Ranger would have Improved Precise Shot, and would be easily able to hit any enemy within the touch AC range of said musket axe.
On top of which, you could still make an somewhat effective switch hitter, based on some of my previous ideas: Ranger/Gunslnger
Been thinking about a more subtle, socially adept adventurer that is able to root out and kill his enemies, specifically spellcasters. The barbarian has excellent saves due to various rage powers, but I am not as adept with barbarians.
I am trying for a focused (Controlled Rage) Barbarian with light or medium armor, two handing a longsword or somesuch.
I am getting the chance to play with a somewhat large group of players, several of whom are new to the game. Most of them are playing martial characters. Since i am the most experienced player, I want to make a build that helps the others. Since they look to me as a de facto leader, I figured I would play to it and make a character that also fits that role.
Basically, what Bard build makes the most out of Inspire Courage? How high can I get my Inspire Courage, and what is the msot effective way to do so?
Has anyone tried this? it seems like a really fun way to make a skilled, but still combat effective rogue-like character. Its an easy PrC to get into, and i really like the Bardic Knowledge, Master Explorer, and Left for Dead abilities on a party Fighter.
Seems like Vanilla Fighter, Lore Warden, or maybe Weapon Master could get some interesting usage out of it.
I'm really liking the idea of a two handed, power attacking fighter with 5 levels of this, wearing light or medium armor...
Any suggestions, advice, whatever, is much appreciated!
Half Elf is generally considered the way to go here, considering the +1 rounds of Performance/level.
However, an Archer needs a lot of feats early on. With a Half Elf, this is hard to pull off. For example:
1 Point Blank Shot
3 Precise Shot
5 Rapid Shot
7 Arcane Strike
\
Is a fighter level 1 dip worth it, or should you wait until Rogue Talent at level 4, for Combat Trick? Example:
1 point blank shot
3 Precise Shot
(4)Rapid Shot
5 Arcane Strike
7 Deadly Aim
I've recently been trying to decide which Bard archetype is best for this build. I like vanilla, Archaeologist is really fun, Arcane Duelist is great but you waste a lot of the bonus feats you get on ranged combat...
Anyway. If you are taking one level of vanilla gunslinger, whats your favorite flavor of Bard to go with it, and why?
I'd like to make a wizard or Sage sorcerer who uses their spells almost entirely on utility spells, with the aim to entirely replace a rogue, and then some. I'd also like to enter into a PrC with a martial focus; such as Eldritch Knight.
Had an idea for a Magus that uses less traditional (optimized) weapons. Thanks to the high INT of the Magus and the open skill system of Pathfinder, there are plenty of skill points to be used.
Ergo, i would like to make a "roguish" Magus using concealed weapons and investing into rogue skills. Since Dervish Dance isn't an option, it seems like a STR build would be best to maintain damage levels.
Anyone try this, or have ideas how to make it work well?
The idea here is to get a versatile Ranger with an alchemist dip for Mutagen abilities. Since most enemies by mid levels are large creatures with reach, a bardiche makes the most sense, tactically. Basically... the best monster hunter one can make, is the goal.
I wouldn't mind giving up the Ranged aspect of this build... but level 2 of Ranger (3, of the build total) would be waiting too long for Power Attack, a la Two Handed combat style...
Equipment: O-Yoroi Armor (+8 AC, Max DEX +2), Bardiche, No-Dachi, many daggers, spiked gauntlet. wrist sheaths for wands/daggers.
The goal here is to make a well rounded adventurer, capable of dealing in most any situation. Pure Rogue is a waste, pure fighter lacks skills and utility. Trying to find a middle ground, with Arcane Strike as a damage booster to make up for less Fighter.
[spoiler-BACKSTORY]:Knowing there is demon blood in his veins, he sets out to find and destroy the progenitor of his line. This inevitably leads him to the East as a mercenary, where he kills a samurai and takes his armor and sword. He grudgingly works with a team to fulfill his dreams of vengeance; it suits his talents and goals: A lone adventurer is a dead adventurer.[/spoiler]
How does it look? Functional? As optimized as a Rogue can get?
Trying to build a knife fighter that isn't a Knife Master/Scout Rogue with a Weapon Master dip.
Obviously want to go STR based TWF Ranger for maximum damage potential. Ranger is great for the utility and versatility the class brings. Freebooter is attractive for the move action buff against any single opponent. it also goes well with the River Rat trait, a must for any serious dagger wielder.
I've been considering this build to add to my big book of builds.
Since armor max DEX only applies to DEX to AC, and otherwise DEX stays uninhibited for other statistics, like reflex save, initiative, ranged attack bonus, etc., I have been considering an Alchemist with a dip into Fighter for Heavy Armor and a feat.
between defensive extracts like Shield, Blur, Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, etc. and heavy armor and a buckler, I feel a bomber alchemist (grenadier) with a back up ranged weapon could be quite beefy.
Anyone played an Alchemist like this? Any thoughts? Suggestions?
Trying to design "the perfect" monster slaying Ranger. To achieve this goal, I am trying to use reach weapons against typically large or larger foes. IN a world of horrible, much larger monsters, it seems polearms are under utilized.
I am also investing in Craft: Alchemy. A lot of the alchemical creations look VERY useful, especially for a magic-lite monster hunter.
As in, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In this case, we are going for a theme. Last game was a TPK, so we are beefing up.
Lawful Evil, scary, quiet, not charismatic. Likes to behead people/critters with his axe. Might hang onto them as a grisly trophy. Down with nature. Wears green armor. Probably going to two hand a battleaxe, but carry a heavy shield... just in case.
For this, ranger sounds pretty right. however, I don't really want to deal with an animal companion.
Always been partial to a caster dip for my martial characters.
What are your favorite domains/deities to pick for your Cleric dips and why?
EDIT: IF the spell is on your domain list, but is not otherwise a Cleric spell (Fire Domain, Fireball, for example) can you still cast from wands and scrolls as if it were a divine spell completion/trigger item?
Freebooter Ranger has an interesting ability, Freebooter's Bane. +1-5 to hit and damage over the course of 20 levels. Kind of makes for a Bard lite.
Anyway, it has an additional limitation of the similar Inspire Courage. That being you are limited to a 30 foot range. Ergo, you need a build that is fine with close range archery, and can do with being 30 or so feet away from the enemy instead of 70 or more.
