Dema_89's page

Hi folks,
i'm in trouble.

I've to build a Full Caster Oracle (8th Level) for a Player of mine who has a great Background Story concept but little Game Knowledge.

Right now what we have is a Dual Cursed - Haunted/Tongues - Dark Tapestry Oracle with the following Stat Array:

11 (1) -> 11 (Mostly for encumbrance)
12 (2) -> 12
12 (2) -> 14 (+2 Belt)
12 (2) -> 12
10 (0) -> 10
17 (13) -> 23 (+2 Human, +2 Headband)

The problem i'm facing is that the Oracle spell list, which is great in terms of versatility, seems to me lacking options to be of use during combat situation exept for very few spells wich are SaveOrDie mostly.

There are a lot of Threads about Caster Oracle (and Guide also), but i can't really see how they could work out in combat situation. So i'm here asking for suggetions to avoid building up a character wich spend most of his in combat time doing sub-optimal things.

Thanks in advance.

R.D.

Hi guys.

Here building a Pally and asking myself. What if i take UMD (maybe with the +3 of the Focused Study human alternative trait)?

It seems a good skill to take in terms of versatility, considering also the high CHA of the class, but maybe is not so strong for a 2 handed melee character.

What do you think?

Thanks in advance!

Hi guys.

Simple but not so obvious question (for me at least). Can i combine the following things?

Taunt

Prerequisites: Cha 13, Small size or smaller.

Benefit: You can demoralize opponents using Bluff rather than Intimidate (see the Intimidate skill description for details) and take no skill check penalty for being smaller than your target.

Bravado’s Blade (Ex)

When a rake hits an opponent and deals sneak attack damage, she can forgo 1d6 points of that damage and make a free Intimidate check to demoralize the foe. For every additional 1d6 points of sneak attack damage she forgoes, she receives a +5 circumstance bonus on this check.

This ability replaces trapfinding.

Thanks in advance

Hi guys,
a question comes to my mind after reading the sound striker bard archetype from Ultimate Magic.

In particular i'm wondering about the Workstrike ability:

Wordstrike (Su): At 3rd level, the sound striker bard can spend 1 round of bardic performance as a standard action to direct a burst of sonically charged words at a creature or object. This performance deals 1d4 points of damage plus the bard’s level to an object, or half this damage to a living creature.

This performance replaces inspire competence.

The question is if it is possible or not direct the damage towards a weapon (or shield) an enemy is holding?

Thanks in advance

R.D.

Hi guys,

just wondering if the Iconic Characters that are presented at the end of a Pathfinder Module, are able to run it from the beginning to the end. Obviously i know they're not optimized so it would be easier to do that with a well composed party, but i'd like to know how much hard could be to play as them.

Thanks in advance.

R.

Hi guys.

I've read tons of thread about rogue building,rogue issues and so on but i've found a lot theorycrafting and not that much personal experience.

The goal of this post is to collect some real play tips, like for instances, the trouble you found in your adventure with a certain build (i.e. "TWFighting i found myself in trouble after reaching level X due to ..." or "I think is a good idea spend some skill points in Y because ..." or again "Having an Improved Maneuver is a good/bad idea after/before ..." and so on).

I think it could really be useful to learn wich tactics are good to apply, wich enemies cause the biggest problem, wich stats/skills/feats are handy to have and other things like that.

That because the large majority of the threads i read seems to think that to be good as a rogue you must have an optimized build (and the general consensus is also that there isn't such a build for a class like the one we're talking about). With this thread i hope we could group suggestions and tips&tricks to show that play a rogue could be viable, fun and revarding, even though they're not a strong class.

Hi guys,
sorry to bother you but i've a simple but not so obvious question.

I know that the TWF Feats-Chain is inferior to the standard way "Power Attack with one big weapon" because of the damage output.

But, theoretically, with a Rogue we can make TWF viable thanks to Sneak Attack and maybe the use of Slashing Grace (with Shortsword).

Let's build a simple rogue (level 7)

BAB: 5
Dexterity: 20 (+5)
2x Shortsword +1
Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus

Melee: (not flanking) +12 or +10/+10 - (flanking) +14 or +12/+12

Damage (no SA): 1d6 (shortsword) + 1 (enhancement bonus) + 5 (dexterity) for each attack and each weapon = 9.5

Damage (with SA): 1d6 (shortsword) + 1 (enhancement bonus) + 5 (dexterity) + 4d6 (sneack attack) for each attack and each weapon = 23.5

Ok now, without considering all the issues about getting sneack attack, i'm wondering if the TWF route is viable not only on the paper, cause it has two great problem:

1) Getting full attack: obviously is quite hard getting full attack in the right position, and without full attacking we lose a lot. Despite that we still are able doing some decent damage thanks to Slashin Grace even with just one attack (assuming SA).

2) Hitting: this is my biggest problem. Reading in the forum peaple say it will be to hard to sustain the penalty of TWF with a class with 3/4 BAB and no way of improving the "to hit" roll. We can only use Weapon Focus and the weapon enhancement bonus (flanking is conditional as feinting) and i don't know if it will be enough.

So i'd like to know your experiences about the hitting problem with TWF, cause by now i'm quite confused and don't know if it will be a bad choice follow the TWF route (starting at lvl. 7).

Thanks in advance.

Hi folks,
i'm still here because i need some advice for the rogue i'm building.
I'll start at 7th level with a 15 point buy and no traits and by now i've done something like that:

Half-Elf Knife Master Rogue

STR: 10
DEX: 20 (15 +2 Racial + 1 Level 4 + 2 Belt of Dexterity)
CON: 14
INT: 14 (13 + 1 Headb. of Intellect)
WIS: 10
CHA: 10

HP: 49

INIT: 9 (5 Dex +4 Improved Init)

AC: 21 (10 +5 Dex +6 Mithral Chain Shirt +2)

FORT: 6 (2 + 2 CON + 2 Cloack of Res)
REFL: 12 (5 + 5 DEX + 2 Cloack of Res)
WISD: 6 (2 + 2 Dual-Minded Half-Elf + 2 Cloack of Res)

Feats:

1 - Improved Initiative
3 - Two-Weapon Fighting
5 - Shadow Strike
7 - ?

Rogue Talents:

2 - Finesse Rogue
4 - Weapon Training (Dagger)
6 - Fast Stealth
6 (Human Favoured Class Bonus) - ?

Attacks:

Dagger +1: +12 | +10 (if using Two-Weapon) : 1d4 +1 +4d8 (if Sneak Attack)

Now i'm a bit stuck in my build since i was looking at the Scout Archetype, wich i like a lot especially for the Skirmisher ability.

At 8th level, whenever a scout moves more than 10 feet in a round and makes an attack action, the attack deals sneak attack damage as if the target was flat-footed. If the scout makes more than one attack this turn, this ability only applies to the first attack. Foes with uncanny dodge are immune to this ability.

This ability replaces improved uncanny dodge.

So i was thinking if it could be worth following the "Step Up", "Following Step" and "Step Up and Strike" feat tree, so that if an enemy would move 5 feet away from me i can follow him (moving 10 feet) and Sneak-Attack him thanks to the Skirmisher ability.

The problem is that at 9th level i'd like to pick also Improved TWF, so to achieve both of them i need to give away Improved Initiative and do something like that:

1 - TWF
3 - Shadow Strike
5 - Step Up
7 - Following Step
8 - Rogue Talent, Combat Trick: Step Up and Strike
9 - Improved TWF

So i'm here to know if you think it's worth. I'm not looking to optimize the character to his extreme, but if it is a waste feat tree i'll avoid it :)

The other question is about the "Dispelling Attack" Advanced Rogue Talent:

Opponents that are dealt sneak attack damage by a rogue with this ability are affected by a targeted dispel magic, targeting the lowest-level spell effect active on the target. The caster level for this ability is equal to the rogue's level.

The prerequisites are Minor and Major Magic, so it's another tree of talents i've to take. Do you think this could be worth (maybe getting "Arcane Strike" as a feat after Minor Magic) or it's better to leave the dispel-thing to casters?

Thanks in advance and have a nice day.

Hi folks.

I'm here to ask you a clarification about how the "Quick Draw" feat work.

Quick Draw (Combat)

You can draw weapons faster than most.

Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You can draw a weapon as a free action instead of as a move action. You can draw a hidden weapon (see the Sleight of Hand skill) as a move action.

A character who has selected this feat may throw weapons at his full normal rate of attacks (much like a character with a bow).

Alchemical items, potions, scrolls, and wands cannot be drawn quickly using this feat.

Normal: Without this feat, you may draw a weapon as a move action, or (if your base attack bonus is +1 or higher) as a free action as part of movement. Without this feat, you can draw a hidden weapon as a standard action.

I'm wandering if, with it, i can draw an hidden weapon as part of a movement or charge. I think the answer is no because it doesn't say that explicitly, but i'd like to be sure about it.

Thanks in advance

Hi there,
i'm currently building a Barbarian (level 6) for an upcoming campaign.

The character idea is to build an Half-Elf Barbarian that has been trained by Elves thus not feeling himself part of them and hating their addiction to spells or magic in general.

The party is composed by:

Melee Paladin
Ranged Grenadier Alchemist
Offensive DPS Sorcerer

So the build i came up is the following (15 point buy):

Half-Elf Invulnerable Rager 6

STR: 18 (14 Base, +2 Half-Elf bonus, +2 Belt of STR)
DEX: 14 (13 Base, +1 at 4th level)
CON: 14 (14 Base)
INT: 10
WIS: 12 (12 Base)
CHA: 10

HP: 56
DR: 3/-

AC: 19 (+2 Dex, +7 Mithral Breastplate +1) // 12 // 17

Fort: 9 (+5 Base, +2 Con, +2 Cloack of Res)
Refl: 6 (+2 Base, +2 Dex, +2 Cloack of Res)
Will: 7 (+2 Base, +1 Wis, +2 Dual Minded (Half-Elf), +2 Cloack of Res)

While Raging: +5 for Superstition (with the Human favoured class bonus)

[I talked with my GM if i can take the +1/3 bonus at level 1 thus not having yet Superstiotion, and he gave me the "ok"]

Weapons: +1 Greatsword (+11/+6 - 2d6 + 13)
MWK Comp, Longbow (+9/+4 - 1d8 +4)

Feats: Improved Initiative
Power Attack
Improved Sunder

Rage Powers: Superstition
Witch-Hunter
Spell-Sunder

Skills: Acrobatics (6 Ranks)
Perception (6 Ranks)
Survival (6 Ranks)
Know. Nature (6 Ranks) // Use Magic Device (6 Ranks)

So, here are my questions:

1) Do you think that 18 STR (with the belt) is too low? I can get a 20 lowering INT, CHA or WIS, but i was trying to build a balanced character. If 20 is better i'll change it.

2) My Feat/Rage-Powers progression will be:

7: Extra Rage: Reckless Abandon
8: Lesser Beast Totem
9: Extra Rage: Beast Totem
10: Greater, Beast Totem

So basically i can't get "Raging Vitality". Do you think it is a big deal? I Like the feat but i can't find space for it (maybe sacrificating Improved Sunder or Reckless Abandon, but i'm not sure about it).

3) Skills:

I know Survival isn't that great if we don't track, but it seem a cool ability for a Barb. The real question is about UMD if it is worth or not. I can use it telling i've been trained by Elven so it won't be out of background, but i don't know if it's worth not being a class skill.
The same i was wandering about Knowledge Nature, it seems cool for a feral Barb but maybe not as good as UMD. What do you suggest?

I'm not going to build an optimized character, but i don't want either to build an ineffective one :)

Thanks in advance

Hi guys,
a simple question about the Human's Alternate Favored Class Bonuses (Barbarian):

Add a +1/2 bonus to trap sense or +1/3 to the bonus from the superstition rage power.

Can i start taking the +1/3 bonus to superstition even if i still don't have that rage power?

Example, Human Barbarian:

1st Level // +1/3 Favored Class Bonus
2nd Level // Pick Superstition Rage Power // +1/3 Favored Class Bonus
3rd Level // +1/3 Favored Class Bonus => +1 to Superstition Rage Power

Or i've to do:

1st Level // +1 HP Favored Class Bonus
2nd Level // Pick Superstition Rage Power // +1/3 Favored Class Bonus
3rd Level // +1/3 Favored Class Bonus
4th Level // +1/3 Favored Class Bonus => +1 to Superstition Rage Power

Thanks in advance

Hi everyone.

If a Neutral Wizard (or any arcane caster) cast a spell with the [Evil] or [Good] description, does his alignment change in that direction or, it affects only divine casters?

And if the same Neutral Wizard decide to cast an [Evil] spell, how does a Paladin React?

Thanks in advance.

R.

Hi everyone,
just a simple question (maybe a silly one), to be sure about how initiative order works.

Let's suppose we have a Fighter (F), a Wizard (W), the Wizard's Improved Familiar (WF) and an ugly and terrible monster (M).

Rolling for initiative would result in a W > M > WF > F.

My question is, can the Wizard decide to delay his turn and act for instance in the following order: M - F - WF - W, or once the order is rolled it is unchangable?

Thx in advance.

R.

Hi everyone.

I'm here because in the last few sessions that i'm mastering, i've encountered some trouble with the eidolon of one of our party member.

The problem is that they're at lvl.6 and the Eidolon is just too powerful, meaning the other party members usually just wait for him to get rid of enemies (getting tired and nervous).

It is a quadruped Eidolon:

HP: 39
AC: 22
TS: 6/8/1

BAB: 5

STR: 20
DEX: 18
CON: 14
WIS: 10

Feats:

Improved Initiative
Power Attack
Cleave

Evolution (with 2 extra evolution):

Claw (1p)
Improved N.Armor (1p)
Pounce (1p)
Tail (1p)
Sting (1p)
Ability Increase STR (2p)
Ability Increase DEX (2p)
Energy Attacks (2p)

Items:
Belt of STR +2

Attacks:

Bite: 5 (BAB) + 5 (STR) + 2 (Charge) - 2 (P.Atck): +10
Claws (x2): 5 + 5 + 2 - 2: +10
Sting: 5 + 5 + 2 - 2: +10

Damage:

Bite: 1d6 + 5 (STR) + 4 (P.Atck) + 1d6 (Energy Atck): 16
Claws (x2): 1d4 + 5 + 4 + 1d6: 30
Sting: 1d6 + 5 + 4 + 1d6: 16

Tot: 62 Damage when charging.

What should i do to conciliate the power thirst of our Summoner with the Balance desire of the others party members (Wizard, Cleric, Fighter)?

Thx in advance, and sorry for my english :)

Hi everyone,
as the title suggest, i'm planning to build a lvl4 melee bard with a 15 point buy for stats.

The problem is that i'd like to go for weapon finesse and dump strenght (i just don't like the idea of a bard who is as strong as beautiful).

Is there a way to be useful without going for D.Dancer or D.Dervish or just using STR?

Thanks in advance

Hello everyone.

I was reading the Gravewalker archetype when i sudden find a statement that i can't comprehend.

Spell Poppet:
"[...] The gravewalker must commune with her poppet each day to prepare her spells and cannot prepare spells that are not stored in the poppet. This ability (spell poppet) replaces familiar. The following familiar ability works differently for a gravewalker:

Deliver Touch Spells (Su): At 3rd level or higher, a gravewalker can use her poppet to deliver touch spells. [...]."

I don't understand if it means that choosing the archetype i'll lose the familiar and all his ability (alertness, ...) except the deliver touch spells, or that i lose the familiar but not his ability except that deliver touch spells work in a different way.

I'm a bit confused right now.

Thanks.

Hello.
I'm going to create a new character to begin a new PF campaign.

I'd like to build a rogue and i was wondering between the classic TWF build or the Spring Attack/Scout one.

Until now, i was sure the first one would be the best, but then i read a lot of posts about the poor chance to hit at high level witch cause the damage output to be not as amazing as it could seems.

So i was thinking about changing into the Spring Attack version because it seems at least fun to play (not a Brute one however).

The party is composed by a Destined Sorcerer, a Cleric (Heal/Fire) and a Summoner.

What do you think about it (any other suggestion as "rogue sucks" would be appreciated ^^).

Thanks in advance

Hello, i've a question about the sentences from the core book that states:

"Starting at 3rd level, you gain a +1 luck bonus
on all of your saving throws and to your AC during surprise
rounds (see Chapter 8) and when you are otherwise unaware
of an attack."

The wording is ambiguous as to when the bonus to saves applies.

Should the Fated power be read as:

"During surprise rounds and when you are unaware of an attack, you gain a luck bonus to your saves and to your AC"

or as:

"you gain a luck bonus to your saves and, during surprise rounds or when you are unaware of an attack, to your AC"?

Thanks

Hello, sorry for my terrible english, but i'm an outlander.

Yesterdey, during the last session, we find ourselves in trouble with the witch of our group.

She has a Parrot (instead of the Raven) and usually use it to cast spells from a wand with a UMD check.

The problem is with the pharese from the APG that states;

"Starting at 1st level, a witch’s familiar stores all of the spells that the witch knows.

This does not allow the familiar to cast these spells or use spell-trigger or spell completion magic items."

The bolded phrase means only that the Raven must do the UMD check also if it knows the spells or that it can't use any magical device?

Thank in advance.