Spell Combat: ◈◈ (Two-Action Activity)
Your training as Magus has taught you to wield steel and spell in a synergistic manner. Cast a targeted Spell with a Somatic Component and Strike. The Strike takes a -2 circumstance penalty to hit unless you strike the target of your spell.
Improved Spell Combat: ◈◈ (Two-Action Activity)
Your training as Magus has taught you to wield steel and spell in a synergistic manner. Cast a targeted Spell with a Somatic Component and Strike. The Strike takes a -1 circumstance penalty to hit unless you strike the target of your spell. If you strike the target of your spell, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to hit.
Greater Spell Combat: ◈◈ (Two-Action Activity)
Your training as Magus has taught you to wield steel and spell in a synergistic manner. Cast a targeted Spell with a Somatic Component and Strike. If you strike the target of your spell, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to hit.
Spellstrike will likely be modeled after Spellstrike Ammunition; you can "charge" a weapon with a spell in 10 minutes / 1 minute / 3 actions / 1 action
at trained/expert/master/legendary casting proficiency; and the spell naturally uses your spellcasting DC instead of a fixed value.
Arcane Strike will be a Flourish Strike that uses Spell Attack instead of Weapon Proficiency and adds +1/+2/+3/+4 damage depending on your arcane spellcasting proficiency
Critical Clarity will recover 1 Focus upon a Weapon Crit.
Spell Recall will allow you to expend Focus to recover a spent "Spellstrike" spell to your weapon.
True Magus will increase spellcasting to legendary and allow you to treat your weapon as Staff of the Magi, except it can be any Weapon.
Mixed Maneuver is an ability that allows you to ignore MAP. This can be very valuable.
Flurry of Maneuvers with Assurance(Athletics) can be a useful third action after Mixed Maneuver; and Whirling Throw also ignores MAP and can be a useful third action after Mixed Maneuver.
So I want to get into specifics here and talk about classic builds that aren't realizable under 2e.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. A swashbuckling/dex-based fighter:
Pathfinder 1e CRB: This was possible as a build, particularly when considering rapier, as it gave you the best critical range and could be finessed without a significant loss to damage.
A dex-based Fighter in PF 1 had TERRIBLE damage compared to a 2-Handed Powerattacking strength-based Fighter who likely used Reach and Combat Reflexes.
At least with the CRB only. Stuff like Dervish Dance, Slashing/Fencing/Starry Grace (=> Feats to enable "Dex-to-Damage", Piranha Strike, Trained Grace AWT) are all later additions; and furthermore cost many resources.
In PF1, even with all the options, a FIGHTER was much better when using a 2-Handed Strength-Based Style.
A Swashbuckler, Unchained Rogue, Magus or Dawnflower Dervish Bard was a good dex-based combatant, but all of those had extra damage via class features:
Swashbuckler via Precise Strike
Rogue via Sneak Attack
Magus via Spellstrike & Spellcombat
Dawnflower Dervish via Battle Dance
Comparing Dex-Based and Str-Based Fighters in PF2, I think the gap is significantly smaller than in PF1 (even including all available options far beyond the PF1 CRB).
--------------------------------------------------------------
I might edit this post to analyze further comparisons and I have no experience with DND 5E, so I can't comment on that.
Assisting in reverse(aiming for a critical failure) is an interesting strategy that can also be used to "buff" an ally...with a +2 to hit
Hmm...this would work best with a low-attack option....
So a Wizard who is UNTRAINED(-4 proficiency penalty) in the fist(-2 circumstance penalty)
and suffers from sufficient MAP (-10) could attack at -16, fishing for a critical failure to Assist while mentally switching "enemy" and "ally" for the desired mechanical benefit.
How to achieve -10 MAP?
An offensive Spell will offer -5 MAP(so -11 penalty for the reverse assist attempt...)
Recently, I've read a nice thread that introduced me to the idea of "Reverse Gating", e.g. the ability of a sufficiently skilled character to "automatically" succeed at low-difficulty challenges.
And it seems to be an quite lovely idea.
Similarly, the Assurance feat (intended to replace the "Take 10/20" mechanics from PF1?) may attempt to do this.
How about we simply remove Assurance and graft this "Reverse Gating" mechanic into the UTEML-system itself?
While the success-percentages are just guesstimates and can be ignored entirely, the "no chance" and "success" entries are the essence of this proposal.
IMO, an expert shouldn't need to roll for trivial tasks, a master shouldn't roll for low tasks, and someone legendary shouldn't roll for hard tasks.
I've recently encountered an interesting reply on reddit within another Paladin dilemma thread; it was very awesome.
Allow me to quote it here:
/u/john_stuart_kill, Ethics PHD wrote:
[Preceding question: Is it time to get rid of the gotcha quests for paladins?]
Totally. Full disclosure: I'm a PhD in ethics, and I think all the time about morality in Pathfinder. Not surprisingly, my first character ever was a paladin, and it remains a favourite class of mine.
Anyway...it is absolutely bananas that people interpret the paladin alignment restriction in such a way as to even make this a possibility. Granted, the RAW on paladin alignment restriction is rather ambiguous (big surprise: most conceptual issues which involve morality tend to be at least somewhat complex)...but this interpretation is extremely uncharitable in the least.
Paladins receive their powers, and the ensuing alignment restriction, from their devotion to a deity and that deity's code of conduct (outside Golarion, this can of course be to an abstract concept and not necessarily to a deity...but for simplicity's sake, let's just talk about it with regard to deities; everything I'm going to say will basically apply to abstract concept devotion anyway).
Now, it's not like everybody's born a paladin and most just eventually lose their abilities; only the most dedicated and devout and strong-willed ever become even 1st-level paladins. These are people who are exceptional enough to have been more or less hand-picked by their deities for paladinhood, primarily due to their uprightness and dedication to the right and the good, to crib a bit from W.D. Ross. And it's not like these folks, once they become paladins, just put their feet up and rest on their laurels. By their nature, and motivated by the favour shown by their god, paladins will, for the most part, continue to strive to do good, to better themselves and the world around them. This is neither a coincidence nor a contingent fact; this is part of what it means to be a paladin.
Of course, some paladins fall: they lose their faith, or are genuinely corrupted, or just can't maintain their commitment, or somehow fall otherwise. They are mortal; they are fallible, even though they are selected largely because they are less fallible than most. Some might fall by way of terrible trauma, some by irresistible greed or ambition or other temptation, some by hubris, some by simple world-weariness. For whatever reason, fallen paladins no longer show the dedication and discipline and strength of character that made them paladins in the first place. In such cases, one can only imagine the disappointment felt by their gods, who put such trust in these mortals, only to see it betrayed...
Now, with all that in mind...we're supposed to believe that a god would strip a paladin of her powers for some kind of "gotcha" technicality, some immoral act committed in an impossible scenario? That's nonsense. There's not some obtuse contract full of legalese and surprise clauses in place: a paladin is so by virtue of her own virtue, her character, and not just her actions. A god cannot (and would not, since gods aren't stupid petty children) expect a paladin to control the whole world, such that she would never get herself into a morally difficult or troublesome situation; indeed, if anything, a god should expect that its paladins would deliberately put themselves into such situations, since it's these circumstances which most call for a paladin. And when difficult struggles like these don't turn out to be as clean and perfect and neatly tied up as we would want (another big surprise: that's life), forcing the paladin into a difficult choice, we're supposed to believe that a god would punish its paladins for making the attempt?
Because, of course, that's the real test: making the attempt. What a god can and should expect of its paladins (and, of course, since we're talking about paladins, we're talking about lawful/good gods, it should go without saying) is that they struggle with morality, that they strive to be better, that they constantly examine their consciences and their codes of conduct and do their very best to live by those tenets, while also championing law and goodness in a world which can be very messy indeed. Such people don't go around never feeling guilt and never doing anything difficult; quite the opposite! The best paladins will always be wondering how they could have done more, been better, shone brighter!
As a result of all of that, whenever a paladin (not a fallen one, of course) finds herself in a moral dilemma (following a good order from a tyrant; killing one person to save ten from a passive death; freeing an unfairly-tried-but-probably-guilty prisoner from justice, knowing that he will likely kill again; etc.), she will do her absolute very best to make the right decision, and whatever she decides, she will likely wrack her soul for days (maybe the rest of her life?), wondering if she did the right thing, or how she might do better next time. It is patently absurd to think that her god, witnessing this difficulty and the ensuing internal struggle, will just say "Sorry! Turns out that the right thing to do was to keep that unfairly-tried killer in prison, because utilitarianism is the right normative theory and what you did was consistent with deontology but not utilitarianism! No more Smite Evil for you!" It is the struggle and the commitment which defines the paladin. If anything, any responsible deity will be more likely to punish the "paladin" who always happens to act rightly while never seriously questioning her own actions or intending to do right, than the one who does her best to make difficult choices with careful reflection and consideration, even if she might sometimes have bad moral luck.
What lesson should you take from this wall of text, GMs? It's very simple: stop punishing paladins for being good paladins who try their best to fight evil! A paladin should only fall because she has stopped being the kind of person who becomes a paladin in the first place. The paladin who, in the heat of battle, kills the innocent farmer because he happened to be possessed by a demon, and then feels guilt for her actions and reflects upon what she might have done wrong (and how she might improve next time), every bit deserves the name "paladin". But, if the paladin in your game is always self-righteous and dogmatic, never questions her own actions or "righteousness", and never even risks getting into difficult situations because of the possibility of moral messiness...well, that person lacks moral courage and discipline and virtue, and that person might be due for a couple of days without paladin powers, just to learn a little humility and get a chance to atone for and correct her ways, if for nothing else...
Even though I do not have a PHD in Ethics, this sums up my views on paladins and I cannot help but agree fully with the above.
Err, Blightburn paste has no text that mentions it is "used up" at any point - alchemist's fire, antitoxin, antiplague etc are pretty obviously "used up" if you throw/drink them, for example. As such, I suppose it falls to GM adjucation wether Blightburn paste is actually an "consumable alchemical item".
Single bosses CAN work, but you should be careful to build them more defensively(so they don't instakill your characters and are not killed instantly) and grant them extra actions - the agile mythic template + the feat Hero's fortune are a good start.
Human alternate racial trait: Focused Study(Skill focus at 1st, 8th, 15th instead of Bonus feat)
Traits: Indomitable Faith(+1 Will), Cosmopolitan(+1 linguistics, linguistics as class skill)
FCB: +1/6 of "Extra Wild Talent"
Stats:
10 STR (0)
16 DEX (10)
18 CON (10+2 racial)
12 INT (2)
12 WIS (2)
07 CHA (-4)
01: Infusion(Extended Range); Skill Focus(Linguistics), Orator
02: Utility Talent(Air's Reach)
03: Infusion(Kinetic Blade), Iron Will
04: Utility Talent(Air's Leap)
05: Infusion(Thundering), Kinetic Leap
06: Utility Talents(Wings of Air, Elemental Whispers)
07: Expanded Element(Void - pick negative energy blast to gain an energy composite blast), Extra Wild Talent(Air Shroud)
08: Utility Talent(Windsight)
09: Infusion(Torrent or Snake), Extra Wild Talent(Eyes of the Void)
10: Utility Talent(Greater Windsight)
11: Infusion(Snake or Torrent), Extra Wild Talent(Greater Eyes of the Void)
12: Utility Talent(Suffocate, Spark of Life)
-----------------------
You have +9 linguistics at 1st level, and can use it for most social purposes. There's your "social skills" covered.
With Air's reach and Extended range, you can attack from 240', which should be enough for most cases.
Kinetic Blade allows you flexibility for melee; kinetic Leap + Air's leap offers you crazy jump checks; wings of air allows you early flight, Void offers you a negative energy blast and "darkness-infused lightning" for special evil points as composite blast.
Elemental whispers allows you to summon talking, expendable scouts(Ravens) or trap-testers/flankers(goats).
Windsight can be combo'd with Wands of Obscuring mist for one-sided Fog of War; check with your party if this strategy is viable.
Similarly, (Greater) Eyes of the Void can be used with Deeper Darkness(Via Scroll?) for one-sided vision.
(Greater) Windsight allows you to see around corners, Snake Infusion allows you to shoot around corners.
Suffocate for the evil touch...
Kinetic Leap and the "Extra Wild Talent" feats are non-essential, feel free to change those; furthermore, the expanded element is also non-essential.
"Rage-cycle" your allies, let them use Unexpected Strike for sudden AoOs and +Level CMB Dirty Tricks with damage + additional effects and sunder spells.
You can also use Flexible Fury to switch to Impelling Disarm, Knockdown, Animal Fury+Savage Jaw (optinally: Body Bludgeon).
The Succor Mystery from Healer's Handbook has a revelation called "Perfect Aid".
It offers a scaling (+1-+5) bonus to the bonus granted by Aid Another, a free "Bodyguard" feat and lets you skip the Combat Expertise prereq for Swift Aid.
While such an Oracle would lack the Teamwork tricks of your build above, it could provide +5 AC/skills/+6 atk at level one.
It would lack the boosts from Gloves of Arcane striking, however...
In Response to the OP, here's my reading of the rules:
Readying an Action
You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, anytime before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character's activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.
You can take a 5-foot step as part of your readied action, but only if you don't otherwise move any distance during the round.
1) First, as part of readying an action, you have to "specify" what exactly you will do. If you intend to include a 5'-step, you have to include that while readying the action.
Concerning the scenario presented:
"how" did the opponent 'move adjacent and attack'?
IF he used a move action to move, then a standard action to attack - your readied ation to strike and step away works - if he doesn't have more reach, the lunge feat, etc.
IF he decided to charge instead...you're out of luck. A charge is a single action, and your readied action triggers before the action that triggers it.
So, the opponent is 15ft away and wants to charge you. Your action triggers, you cannot hit your opponent unless you have 15' reach or a ranged weapon, you 5'step away.
Now your opponent charges 20' and hits you.
So...your trick works, but only if you predict your opponent accurately enough.
This spell is interesting, but its main drawback is the action cost:
You spend 1 standard action to cast the spell. Now you have a buff which allows you to spend another standard action to spit a tanglefoot bag with slightly better DC's.
This means the effect is delayed, and not instantaneously available.
4)Plan a build roughly like this:
Kobold Gunslinger(Bushwhacker, Pistolero)
Traits: Smoke Resistant, -Open-
1st Rapid Reload(Pistol)
2nd
3rd Point Blank Shot
4th
5th Precise Shot
6th
7th Deadly Aim
8th
9th Kobold Sniper
10th
11th Signature Deed: Up Close and Deadly OR Long range Shifty Shot
12th
13th Kobold Ambusher
14th
15th Skillfocus(Stealth)
16th
17th Stealthy
18th
19th Improved Initiative
20th
5)At low levels, just shoot stuff with your pistol.
At level 3, you get bonus damage if you shoot flat-footed targets:
Time to use Smokesticks to hide, while you can see just fine because of your smoke-resistant trait, then you can shoot your targets for bonus damage.
At lvl 4, your bonus damage improves.
At lvl 5, you get dex to damage: Now you can shoot things for decent damage without using smokesticks.
----------
With Long range shifty shot, you can "snipe" at 60'; dealing decent damage.
Use a double-barreled pistol for more attacks and damage.
Another option:
Half-orc Crossblooded Orc/Draconic(Silver) Sorcerer
Feat: False Focus
Cast Ray of Frost while using a Holy symbol of at least 40gp value(holy symbol as tatoo for 100gp is very good; can't be disarmed/stolen/lost).
Emulate Liquid Ice as material component.
Now your Ray deals 1d3(normal spell) cold damage
+1d3 piercing damage +1 cold damage(Bonus from Liquid Ice)
+2 damage per die rolled(Orc&Draconic Bloodlines)
->2d3+5 damage(1d3+2 piercing, subject to DR, 1d3+3 cold, subject to Energy resistance)
Add the Havoc of the Society trait, and you can deal 2d3+6 damage, at will, at first level.
Half-orc doesn't provide any damage bonuses, but is nice for +2 bonus to saves with Fate's favored and Sacred Tattoo.
For maximum damage, be Human instead and pick up PBS for 2d3+7 damage at +1 to hit
L1: Monk(Master of Many Styles, Sohei, Monk of the Sacred Mountain Archetypes)
Take Dodge and Crane Style with your normal feats, take Crane Wing as Bonus feat from MoMS. Starting at Level 1, you are an unusual swordfighter who can Deflect 1 melee attack/turn and fight defensively for -2/+3.
The only bad thing about this build is the low starting gold of Monks.
L2: Sohei grants +1 init, Sacred Mountain gives Toughness and +1 NA for evasion, you pick up Crane Riposte with your Bonus feat.
Now you can fight defensively for -1/+3, deflect 1/turn, riposte 1/turn.
L3: Fighter(Aldori Sword Lord Archetype):
Pick up Mobility and Combat Expertise. You can now Fight defensively for -1/+4, and use Combat Expertise at no penalty(Threatening Defender) for another +1 AC.
L4: Fighter
Pick up EWP-Aldori dueling Sword(Two-handed grip for bonus damage, lets you take Weapon Focus and Specialization later)
L5: Fighter
Take Spring Attack. You gain Defensive Parry at this level, which is triggered by Spring Attack.
Combat Expertise+Fighting Defensively+Defensive Parry offers -2/+7 at this point.
L6+:
Continue taking levels of Fighter, tweaking the character as you see fit.
