Frosty Ace's page

So I'm extremely excited for this game to come out, and given that my favorite class is likely going to be revealed last since, well, it's cared about the least by the community, I think that lack of caring needs to be addressed.

I begrudgingly have to admit that, all in all, Monks are, in fact, too wuxia. It's in the name and the class abilities. You may as well have the word "Shaolin" in front of the word Monk, because that's what the base class is completely based around. There's nothing wrong with Shaolin Monks, or even wanting to play one (Or a derivative) in a PF setting (I practice Shaolin kung Fu and philosophies myself, and have a sense for why they're so damn awesome), but it's too limiting.

You see this is PF1 and how crazy the archetypes got, because the base class itself felt like an archetype that was very lackluster, and while I do like some of the unchained changes, it just made the Monk a better at hitting things. The class itself still felt like a mess.

Let's just look at pretty much any other class by comparison (Specifically the ones already discussed for PF2e). Paladins and Clerics are only as limited as the number of deities, and even then, Paladins have oaths/codes and Clerics their domains/allegiance to a deity. Sorcerers have bloodlines and incredible innate magic, while Wizards have schools and are crazy versatile with magic. Barbarians have totems and rage powers, and Fighters are just custom robos for combat. Even ACG classes like the Cavalier or Oracle feel like the sky is the limit compared to "The Monk," whose identity is limited to punching and being very Shaolin (Unless archetyped to be something that's no longer Shaolin, but then what's the point of the base class?).

TL;DR/My point: The name Monk isn't nearly as nebulous as pretty much any other class, and it feels like a legacy that's inhibiting so much potential.

Proposal: Change the name to Martial Artist. I feel the biggest appeal of the Monk is to kick ass and look good while doing it. A bard is a person of the fine arts, and the name Bard is nebulous enough to encompass anything from playing the ukulele for more courage to break dancing in combat to distract from a Hypnotic Pattern. Basically creating magic through their art.Conversely, a "martial artist" should be able to take their warlike, artistic movements into combat, and make the battlefield their canvas. A perfect example of Martial Arts. Or if that's too wuxia, think of Arya Stark of Game of Thrones fame and her martial artistry.

A Fighter should be the most lethal with weapons. Including their fists. A Martial Artist, however, should be able to push and break the limits of what's possible with weapons. Including their bodies.

Any other opinions on the Monk, and what it should be, I'd love to see. The class has always felt like a problem child, but I think it's a necessary archetype. For all those who wanna make Saitama or Garou. Become a superhuman from hard work, discipline, conviction and courage!

The description of claw blades says it changes the claws from a natural weapon to a light slashing weapon. Would it still count as natural for the purposes of weapon training, or be light blades?

Monks. The classic DnD problem child. Root cause for seemingly endless confusion and controversy. It's a part of why I love them so.

So Monks get bonus feats that ignore prereqs, and certain archetypes get even for bonus stuff. This is a thing for the Far Strike Monk. It can take any Targeting feat as a bonus feat.

Conundrum: Ace Trip and Ace Disarm are Targeting feats. Both of these feats call out the use of the prerequisite feats Ranged Trip and Ranged Disarm.

Query: Would the ace feats just be dead on arrival without the prerequisite ranged version?

Also, slings... aren't thrown, right? I still don't know the answer to that.

So the Armor Master has Deflective Shield. It basically reads as a scaling bonus to touch AC gated by total shield bonus.

Then there is Mobile Fortress, which gives you half of the total shield bonus to AC to touch.

It seems like this allows for a full (tower) shield bonus to touch. Am I reading this right?

P.S. The Deflective Shield ability does have a typo. It should scale up to +5.

So Shield Gauntlet Style allows you to treat a gauntlet as a buckler for purposes of feats and abilities. I assume this obviously includes things like (Greater) Shield Focus, Missile Shield, any Shield Mastery feats, other styles that require a shield or numerous class features invilvong weilding a buckler.

My question is, does a gauntlet attack in the style also count as a shield bash? For example, if your end up with Weapon Style Mastery and Upsetting Shield style, does the gauntlet attack count as a buckler bash? Or for the Shield Mastery feat Stumbling Bash. I suppose this has to assume you can bash with a buckler via class features or feats, or would attacking with the style already count as a bashing gauntlet?

I ask since I really like Shield Gauntlet Style and have been pondering a few more creative combos with it. I looked up sheild bashing and all I got was that it's an off-hand attack with a shield. Dunno of there is something obvious I'm missing. Figured I'd just ask.

As the title suggests, I'm looking for some build advice on an UnMonk I plan to play in an upcoming home game. Overall, I really would like to give it a shot despite my misgivings (And my GM wanting players to only choose the Unchained variants).

The issue lies with my misgivings. Particularly the weaker saves. The PB will likely be 25, and I was thinking of going with a Dwarf to scoff at most saves anyways (+3 to most dangerous things with hardy and a trait, +5 with the Steel Soul feat). My dilemma mainly comes with feat selection.

I figure an unarmed focus would end up being best considering I wanna take Flying Kick asap (Too cool and functional), so Dragon style seems most appropriate, but that's a few feats for the added mobility and equal damage to weapons (We read Dragon Stlye and Ferocity as giving you the good power attack damage) that I could be saving with just using a weapon, though the kick would end up sucking. I like the added mobility of Dragon Style with ignoring a lot of things with more important movement options, but if I took the two Dragon Style feats, what about my only level 1 feat? When do I take Steel Soul? Weapon focus likely isn't worth it, though I wouldn't mind dedicating myself to unarmed (Otherwise I'd just use the Rope Dart for more Flurrys anyways, meaning Weapon Focus and Power attack wouldn't make a difference there). Maybe save Steel Soul/Weapon Focus and just take Power Attack (A feat I honestly am not super in love with to be quite honest. I have always preferred a better to-hit than damage. I enjoy the feel of accuracy, especially when I am not swimming in class-related bonuses).

I'm not dead set on Dwarf, but better defenses is kind of why I like the monk, and one feat for more damage on average doesn't seem worth the loss of a potential +5 to things that just kill you or hurt a looooot.

Don't know what everyone else is planning. We plan on discussing and making characters for a few hours before play even to make the campaign and party more... cohesive, but I figure a mobile striker with good save and middling AC would be welcome.

I have a concept for a character in an upcoming campaign and I really love the idea of a Drunken MoMS, and I want Dragon and Tiger mainly because of background purposes, the only issue is I feel extra mad and I can't get all the feats I want (Particularly the drunken feats)

It's a 25 point buy. Flaws are in play so I effectively can get 4 feats at level 1. Should I just not be a Mom and be a drunk dragon (Just as baller honestly)? Any advice is appreciated.

So I am making an Oracle, and am really interested in the Nature mystery. I don't intend to be too offensive with the character herself, but thought it would be cool to have a mount (Likely a horse) that I ride and demolishes enemies while I support it and my allies. The problem I am having is what do I even do or take (For my character AND mount)?

Aside from bonded mount, I was thinking of taking extra revelation at level 1 to get Nature's Whisper's for good AC, though that could be a bit overkill, especially given I only really care for about 3 revelations. Dual cursed seems good. (Mis)fortune could easily save lives. Given I'd be riding around a lot, the secondary would be lame and the primary would be... deaf? Losing Ride would suck though. Another idea that occured to me would to be Seeker. Help to make up for a lack of a Rogue and add some nice flavor

And the mount... I have no idea where to start or to end. Despite never playing a mounted character, I know that having 6 intelligence gives feat options and flips the bird to handle animal, but what should she take? I doubt the campaign will go to a very high level, but I'd still like her to be able to kill at all times, ya know?

Anywho, any advice? Whatever is welcome.

So I am making a monk character, and I am TRULY interested in the maneuver master archetype (Especially given the recent revelation of size not mattering when it comes to grappling). How I see it is that the MMM (Maneuver master monk) has the ability to scale pretty well with the CMD of enemies later on (Better than most any other class) and is able to debilitate/lockdown and damage at the same time.

My primary concern would be what path should I take, dex-based or str-based. I am allowed pretty much most races I see on d20, and I rolled pretty damn well for stats (18,16,16,14,11,9), all it is now is a question of what to build and how.

For races I am thinking:

Oread - Best pluses, irrelevant minus and darkvision. Speed loss becomes irrelevant. Only downsides would be less synergy for saves and AC, but Str is so much simpler (More feats=more damage).

Undine - Like Oread, but if I want to go dex. This puts me at 19 AC to start and great saves if I don't really care about high strength early on. Most feat intensive. Relies on later gear for damage.

Halfing - Perfect symmetry with underfoot adept, allowing one of the better maneuvers in the game to lose it's limitation.

Human - No real loses and feats. My GM has allowed flaws, so that's 4 feats at level 1. No matter what I pick I'll be beasting out the gate.

My biggest issue with this class is the reliance on grappling, thus constantly taking a hit to AC. I even thought about switching it up and going dirty truck/??? (Though dirty trick is only really worthwhile at Greater DT) but I am too smitten with the idea of an akido/judo character. Perhaps a 1 level dip into White Haired Witch? (Oretty necessary for the dex character, huh?).

Thoughts and insight? Whatever is welcome.

I've been browsing the board for a while now, looking through topics about the best way to go about shield bashing. I have a fun idea for a character. Conceptually I would like her to be a good damaging defender (Mainly of herself). I realize tank-ish things are not the most viable thing (No aggro, limited pull, GMs getting sick of that damn Wizard), and I just really want to play a fighter, so if anything I'd like to just screw over a few baddies here and there and stymie their approach, and I do that by either bulldozing them or... killing them in some other fashion.

This all starts at level 7 with the appropriate gold. Flaws and all alternate traits and whatever the hell else is allowed.

Stats
10
10
12
15
16
17

Brawler Sheila:
I was thinking of using a spiked shield (Probably light) in conjunction with another type of close weapon (Scizore seems pretty fun, but I might just go with a punching dagger) so as to make Weapon Training count for that much more. I would take all the shield feats, so starting off I would be bulldozing and impaling. I'd likely go brawler for this build. Given the money I can just start with Mithral Hellknight and gloves of dueling, almost killing Check penalty entirely and almost guaranteeing my bash n skewer strat to work. I do hate to lose armor training. Less dex for less Ac/touch/saves

For this one, I'd likely take Imp Shield Bash, TWF, IMP TWP, Shield Smash, Spiked Destroyer, and probably the bull rush feats and the iron will feats.

(Hyper) Armored Sheila:
Another build I was thinking of (And this is primarily where I would want helpful advice) would be an Armor Master. Given the class doesn't need gloves of dueling at all, I would just dump (most) my money into adamantium hell knight, giving me DR 6 and (With appropriate feats) crazy AC. This biggest concern I have with this build is the same reason I can even afford that armor: no weapon training. That hurts. Like, a lot. Especially when compared to the brawler. I love the idea of an armor master, but DPR would suffer horrendously given the hits to damage and accuracy.

I have no idea what to do with this guy. Most fighter archetypes (All the ones I can think of right now) keep weapon training in some regard. That's a big pull of the class: Not missing. But here, not hitting (Our GM wants us to min/max for the BS he's going to throw at us. It's the point of the campaign) just does not sound like fun.

So I guess my main questions here are: 1. What to do with the Brawler sheila, and 2. How do I make the armor master more hitty (Or is that ultimately the point of the trade off? Which I can deal with)? And if I cannot, how much does it matter given the survivability in exchange?

First of all, Hi! I am new here and have no idea where the introductory thread is, if there even is one, so I suppose this will have to do. I am, relative to many other players, new to pathfinder. I have been playing for a few months and really enjoy the game. I hope we all can get along.

Now for the topic. A new campaign for the summer is starting up this weekend, which the GM is shamelessly calling "Broken Campaign." If you couldn't tell from the name, the point is to make the cheeziest (I'm talking zesty) characters we can and he tries to kill us. Unfortunately for me, I find min/maxing is cool, but isn't always what I want to play. The only one I would care to make is a reach tripping/dirty tricking Lore Warden (Currently he is retired, sadly).

Recently I have discovered the Learned Duelist, and am madly in love with the flavor and vital strike not being bad nature of the archetype. Here she is so far:

Name: Red - Level 7 Fighter (Learned Duelist)

Stats
12
19(22) (1 from lvl4 2 from Belt)
15
16(18) (2 from headband)
10
10

Trait:
Indomitable Faith, Reactionary(?), Rice runner (Back story and helps makes use of dex)

AC:23 10 + Armor(3) + Dex(6) + Duelist Stance(2) + Dueling Mastery(2)
Flat-footed: 15
Touch: 18

Saves(With Cloak of Resistance):
Fort:8
Ref:9
Will:3 (Haven't factored in traits yet)

Feats:
Exotic Weapon Proficiency [Dueling Sword] (Lvl1)/Weapon Focus [Dueling Sword] (Human)/Weapon Finesse (Flaw - Scrawny)
Quick Draw (Fighter 2)
Dueling Mastery (Lvl3)
Weapon Specialization (Guess which one) (Fighter 4)
??? (Lvl 5)
Vital Strike (Fighter 6)
??? (Lvl 7)
I plan on investing feats into Vital Strike/Devastating Strike since after level 9 that's all I will be doing.

Weapons:
Glassteel(For flavor) Agile Dueling Sword
Bow of some sort

Armor:
Darkleaf Parade Armor

Gear:
Cloak of Resistence+1
Headband of Superior Intellect+2
Belt of Incredible Dexterity+2
Gloves of Dueling (So maybe I can be a little bit cheezy)

I guess my main concern is what to even take for those two feats at levels 5 and 7. I was think the Will feats so that all my saves can be great. I am also willing to give up weapon specialization, but all damage bonuses are kinda needed for this archetype.

Any other suggestions (To the build) I am welcome to.

Keep in mind I already considered a combat maneuver. Although it adds greatly to the flavor, it's too much of an investment. The pay off would be awesome at level 13 (Where I can use my weapon for Dirty Tricks, effectively becoming the best way to use this CM in the game), but it sacrifices hella damage.