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I'll preface this by saying that I only run games with free archetype. This may be different if my groups had more limited feat choices. My personal list - S: Bard, Cleric, Champion, Fighter, Rogue A: Animist, Barbarian, Commander, Druid, Exemplar, Guardian, Oracle, Sorcerer B: Gunslinger, Kineticist, Monk, Swash, Thaum, Witch C: Alchemist, Magus, Ranger, Summoner, Wizard D: Investigator, Psychic F: Inventor
Exemplar - Additional Ikon It would be nice if there was additional clarification on if Additional Ikon through Advanced Glory Archetype Feats (at 16) could be taken and works to grant a 3rd Ikon, or if it only works if you already have 3 ikons to gain a fourth. There's no restriction, so it could be interpreted as a text oversight.
What I always found weird in Pathfinder 2e specifically when it comes to Thrown weapons is that they have printed the brutal trait specifically for the purpose of using STR to hit with ranged when it makes sense for a monster, but have never actually allowed PCs to get access to it even when it would make perfect sense for them, like making it part of Raging Thrower, or maybe making it a Stance feat. Raging thrower granting Brutal, dont make me drool. It's so weird it exists and was never utilized. There is so much opportunity there for class and species feats, runes, and other items.
Dude I literally did the damage calcs for you. Qi Blast has more average damage if you hit 3 targets that save, Wronged Monks and Unfolding Wind Crash have even more. This only changes if youre making your two -10/-10 strikes with Dragons d10 dice and losing agile. And even then, the dpr is close assuming both those strikes actually hit. Having an AOE and ranged option for most of the game is a good tool to have. It's not competing with casters either, if anything it can ensure eachothers AOEs finish off the mooks while you still have other actions. Monk is never more than 2 behind a caster until 19 if they build for it, and we are doing calcs based on saves anyway. If you're making all your assumptions based on level 18+ where most people will never play. Those aren't great assumptions.
Man, every time I bring up Mountain Stance being a trap. People don't get it. Seems fine until you need to jump, swim, or fly. Or you get teleported, or grabbed by a Roc, swallowed, or thrown. Or you dont go first in initiative and get crit because you didn't get into stance and have -4 AC with no/low Dex. It also forces you to take dex anyway AND take additional feats to actually scale your AC. Heavily pushing Strength monks into a single bad stance is lame. Also counter intuitive to building Strength whose many skill feats focus on "jump good". I am also really sad about the Automaton Reinforced Chassis errata. It is weird to me that all the natural armors except Dragonblood's Scaly Hide are medium. You can be not proficient in your own skin.
I just compared most the levels. But spellcasters are equal to monk DC at 6 +2 at levels 7-8 Equal at 9 +1 at 10-14 +2 at 15-16 (Master Spellcasting) Equal at 17-18 (Master Qi Spells) +2 at 19 (Legendary Spellcasting) And +3 at 20 (Casting Stat +6 at 20) Not including apex, which will show up around 17 and adjust everything up +1 from that point on. Monk spends most of the game only +1 behind casters. Only increasing to +3 or more at 19. It's not that bad.
This is just some level 20 white room math assuming a Dragonblood Scaly Hide Strength Monk that started 4 Str 3 Wis. Strength D8 Stance + Apex + Rainbow Runes 4d8 + 13 + 3d6 (41.5) 2a Qi Blast 30ft Cone 17d6 (59.5) but we are assuming enemies save for half at 29.75 Even if both strikes hit at -8/-10 with an insane amount of team buffs. Double strikes will average 83 damage. If we go a more normal Dex set up with Strength secondary. You lose two damage a strike. For an average for 79. Qi blast only has to hit 3 targets that pass their save for an average of 89.25 to out damage your strikes. Wronged Monks Wrath hits a better save (Reflex). And the 2a Version is doing 7d6 (24.5) + 7d12 (45.5) for an average of 70. Or 35 on save. Dealing 105 on 3 targets that save. Though it is harder to use. Unfolding Wind Crash is hitting for 20d6 (70) average damage, also hitting reflex, and yeeting yourself 120ft at the enemy to Flurry them. At level 20 a Caster will only be +3 DC ahead, or +4 with an Apex. Significant for sure. But not too much more to assume every enemy will critically save. This also isn't something you would want to use on a chunky PL +3 / +4 boss and expect good results. But you can definitely catch the bosses minions in it and expect good damage. Not to mention that for most of the game, Monk spell save DC is at most 1-3 behind casters. And the gap isnt terribly significant until casters get master and legendary spellcasting benefits.
What, Qi Blast doesn't stop you from attacking. You can Flurry + Qi Blast. Even at half damage from a save, the AOE is probably better than taking -8/-10 attacks, unless you're level 20 White Rooming with maxed Heroism wands, Bard Support, and everything else you can muster. It's a decent emergency ranged option or clear the room of minions option. Sure youre not blasting as well as a caster. But it doesn't make it less viable.
Have you considered that Qi Blast and Wronged Monks Wrath are cool? Unfolding Wind Crash from Student of Perfection is one of the most anime abilities in the game. You get to superhero land, deal damage like a fully scaled aoe spell, and still flurry? Heck Yeah. Sometimes you just wanna be a beefy lad that has some halfway decent mystic powers and isn't crit bait. Champion with Vigil Domain loves having a higher spell save too.
It's a fun class that can be taken a lot of directions. It won't outperform many other martials in damage but it can be very flexible in its few actions depending on its Ikons. It's essentially a martial Kinet. Some tables don't like the godling flavor (even though champ, cleric, and sorc exist >>), but it is really easy to reflavor as a dozen other things. Outside of a few stand outs, it doesn't really get any abilities that feel particularly more "godly". A few fun builds I like: Ranged Bow Support Halfling with Starshot, Horn of Plenty, and either Aegis on a buckler or Gaze with Fake Out from Gunslinger Archetype with a Gauntlet Bow and Helpful Halfling. Alchemist or Herbalist are fine too. Take Steel on Steel to alternate AOE damage with full MAP strikes. Unarmed Berserker Lizardfolk with 2 of Titanbreaker Tail, Wildling Bite, Gleaming Blade Claws. Then either Sky Bearers Belt or Horn of Plenty. Steel on Steel on Belt or Horn lets you spam aoe every turn with Wildling. Threads of Fate makes Skybearers much easier to use. Wandering Chef or Wrestler archetype. Twin Star Air Repeaters (or semi auto pistols from sf2e if your GM is rad). Starshot, Gaze, Sandals / Victors Wreath. Gunslinger Archetype for Fake Out, Ten Paces, and Paired Shots. 2h Area Control. D12 Weapon. Stretching Reach from Minotaur or Jotun. Titan Breaker / Gleaming Blade, Fetching Bangles, Scar. Take Steel on Steel on Bangles. Reactive Strike, Raise Island, Vital Ash / Flight, Warped By Rage. Eagle Knight FA for Tactical Reflexes is rad. Intermix 2h Strikes with Aoe Damage. Lizardfolk Terrain Advantage goes hard with Bones of the Earth Epithet.
My point is you dont even need double weapons or double ikons in a single weapon to Transcend for epithets and AOE damage every turn. You can put Steel on Steel on your Horn of Plenty. And Hands of the Wildling on a d8 natural weapon. And swap between them spamming AOE transcendance abilities while making a Strike without MAP every turn and have both your hands free and triggering epithets every time. Steel on Steel Horn and a Starshot? Alternating AOE abilities with MAPless strikes mixed in triggering epithets every turn. You can do the same thing with Steel on Steel and/or Breath of Vital Ash on a non weapon Ikon, and Compliant Gold. Mixing 2h Strikes in with your aoe damage and triggering epithets every turn anyway. There aren't any weapon based aoe Transcendance abilities that use a (2h) weapons damage dice besides Motionless Cutter and Infinite Blades Celestial Arrow. So as far as spamming AOE abilities it's kind of moot what weapon you pick.
I don't think there are that many powerful weapon based Trascendance abilities besides Infinite Blades Celestial Arrow. Steel on Steel available at lvl 4 and not required to be put on a weapon, scales to more average damage than Compliant Gold. 12d4 (30) Cone vs. 6d8 (27) Line at level 12. Compliant Golds reach is also annoying to use and competes with Warped By Rage. Motionless Cutter is fine, but best on a Reach weapon and hard to set up every turn because 3a. Also better with Warped By Rage. And competes with Reactive Strike. Through the Needles Eye? Not good. Binding Serpent Arrow? Also not good. Mated Birds? Not really applicable. Besides Infinite Blades Celestial Arrow, which is amazing but would force you on Unfailing Bow (doodoo garbage) and is available after Rapid Spark anyway, there's not a lot of options that would be worth doubling up on a weapon ikon in my opinion.
Yeah you're not wrong Cabbage. It saves you that third action each turn that you would spend manually moving your back spark too. A lot of Exemplars end up with some Charisma. That's a Demorilize or Feint attempt. The free hand matters for manuevers, battle medicine, activated items, or occasional environmental interactions. But I'm not sure it matters a lot because the best weapon ikons are largely incompatible with eachother (Gleaming Blade, Titan Breaker, Shadow Sheath). Assuming you could put two ikons in a single weapon. It would be best with a Greatsword or Polearm I think. This leaves you with something like Gleaming + Barrows Edge Greatsword. Seems fine? Pick 2 of Barrows Edge / Mortal Harvest / Noble Branch Polearm. Less good, but maybe interesting? Seems fine. Pick 2 of Barrows Edge / Mortal Harvest / Titan Breaker Greataxe. Axe group isnt exciting and reap the field is better on a polearm, cause without reach youre asking to take reactions, but at least it synergizes with sweep. Titan Breaker Barrows Edge is essentially the same as the greatsword above. Also seems fine. I'm not sure any of these combos are worth losing a third Ikon with more interesting utility or abilities, even accounting for the action saving.
So you can use a two handed weapon to Transcend every turn without dealing with handedness issues. Or to keep a free hand for other nonsense while you normally transcend every turn. Having two weapons ikons is fine if you just want to focus on damage over flexibility. Is it particularly strong? Eh. Is it a potential power boost? Maybe slightly. But its not without a large opportunity cost. Even though I think it's fine. I can see how others might not like it.
Weird point of discussion. Lets say I am an Orc with Ganzi Versatile Heritage. I have both fists and a tail weapon. I have Titan Breaker and Hand of the Wildling as Ikons. I have two fists, can I have Titan Breaker in one and Wildling in the other? Or are Fists "one weapon". If I get Stumbling/Goat/Dragon/Whatever Stance. It counts as a seperate attack. RAW Titan Breaker doesn't work with it (at least my understanding of it), and stances fall outside of combat, so you cant move an Ikon to a stance. But should it work? When does common sense beat RAW? Can I suffuse my tail with divine energy to move Titan Breaker to my Tail? If I get an awesome warhammer, can I move Titan Breaker to it? Can I move it back to my fists? If I'm not allowed one in each fist, and have Hands of the Wildling on my fists and Titan Breaker on my Tail, can I swap them? Rules state you have to spend a day per Ikon. If two ikons can't inhabit the same thing, you couldn't swap your natural weapons ikons. Which might be intended, I'm just playing devils advocate.
Shadow Sheath says "Weapon Ikon" right next to it on its entry in the book. I don't understand what the confusion is.
Oops I see a spelling mistake in my post Incendiary* that's what I get for not sleeping. How do you feel about Sister of Golden Erinys? The stance seems great and it gets Fuse Stance at 18. Triple fused Stance? Have you looked at many of the newer Archetypes for monk? Also I heavily disagree on red for Oracle Archetype. Whispers of Weakness, Ocular Warning, Incendiary Aura, Tempest Touch (lol at Upheavel into double Tempest Touch to just delete something), shield, access to some cleric domains. Plus Charisma for Dragon Roar or Stumbling Stance Feint. I'm guessing it's red as a holdover from your previous guide?
Your Rain of Embers Incindiery Aura Oracle Build doesn't start with enough charisma to take Oracle dedication. Another interesting species for the build is Pine Leshy with Pyrophilic Recovery. Has perfect stats for it too.
Reinforced Chassis on Automaton was Errata'd. It now counts as medium armor and I am real sad about it.
Good guide as always! I skimmed through it and agree with just about all of it. Though I was surprised you rated Harmonize Self so high. It's easy for monks to spec into battle medicine and they have the actions for it. Competing with Stand Still is rough. A few things I might touch on: A Str + Wis Statline with Dragonblood Scaly Hide. 4 Str 1-2 Dex 3 Wis is possible and good if you want Qi Blast, Wronged Monks Wrath, Cleric w/Focus Spells, Druid w/ Focus Spells, or Student of Perfection. Wandering Chef is worth considering just for Rainbow Vinegar and Iron Wine. Additional Lore: Cooking covers it so you don't need int. Exemplar for Horn of Plenty for Ascendant Dragon Spirit is good too.
That was a lot of words for what essentially amounts to "cool story bro". Lol. But yes I am generally a permissive GM, and I personally dont see an issue with this or how it's going to break open anything. If it allows a player to have more fun, I would be cool with it. But having a different point of view or being more restrictive isn't necessarily a bad thing, or wrong. Different tables for different people. You do you boo.
I would probably allow them to inhabit the same item and just work like normal with only one active at a time. But in general I am a pretty fun first GM. Tangentially, I think also think it's silly that if you apply an ikon like Titan breaker to your natural weapons / fists. It doesnt count for any stances you might pick up, and that stances don't qualify because they count as seperate attacks.
Another thing I forgot to add to my Gunslinger errata wishlist above. In addition to giving Gunslinger Critical Specialization with the melee portion of Combination weapons and the attached weapons Bayonet and Reinforced stock. Please also grant increased proficiency scaling to the attached weapons Bayonet and Reinforced Stock. And to further discuss my proposed Combination Weapon Errata of completely getting rid of the swap mode mechanic, and allowing free access to both sides of the weapon. So not only did Swap impede on one of the combination weapons niches. (Which I believe is good, easing play by getting rid of small "do nothing" actions is a bonus imo). The increased proficiency to the melee side of combination weapons also made the other niche if combination weapons worse. Namely the "free" Ranged Strike after a melee Strike. The ranged Strike after a melee hit mattered when gunslinger had lower proficiency in the melee side, because it saved you two actions swapping back and forth and essentially gave you a +2 to hit on your second attack. But now there is little benefit besides potentially eating a Reactive strike and using your ammo, forcing you to reload.
It's in the Spring 2026 GM Core Errata "Note that bombs have limitations from the bomb trait and the consumable trait. For example, since the bomb is destroyed after your attack, it won’t return to your hand if you use an ability like the swashbuckler’s Twirling Throw. Similarly, an exemplar with the shadow sheath ikon couldn’t create unlimited copies of an alchemical bomb to get around the restrictions of the consumable trait. Alchemical bombs are unconventional thrown weapons! The GM might rule that some abilities built for thrown weapons have limitations or won’t work with bombs."
Would the dagger pistols you pull out of your shadow sheath come out loaded, assuming the one you put in to copy was loaded?I really really want to play a Rogue Gunslinger with the Exemplar Archetype and Shadow Sheath. Because the Dagger Pistol combination weapon in its melee form is indeed a 1h thrown weapon of Light Bulk. Probably not, but maybe. I looked at this awhile ago because I thought it would be funny to completely bypass reload. I could not find any rules about regular ammunition and the traits it has beyond "Bullets" and "Firearm Ammunition" which have no traits beyond uncommon. Black Powder specifically has consumable, despite firearm ammunition partially consisting of black powder. It was in the last errata bombs do not work because they are consumables, and every magic and leveled alchemical ammo has that trait. So RAW... maybe? on a technicality. RAI, I would say no.
Does it? My reading is that Shadow Sheath requires a 1-handed weapon with the thrown trait, so you can absolutely use daggers and hatchets but not rapiers and short swords. The strongest choice here is probably the chakram, but I confess the one I want to play uses an endless supply of corset knives she pulls out of her hair.Shadow Sheath would be fine if it didn't also apply to finesse based melee weapons. It is written as if that is probably NOT the intent but the words definitely say that it does. There are some 1d6 Melee Weapons that qualify, but none have finesse. All the finesse weapons are 1d4. As far as I'm aware.
What how. Averages dont make sense, not even considering the +1 to accuracy (in this instance of level difference) or ranged damage difference with barbs raging thrower. They're pretty close, but the gap increases as dice increase. And the rogue is likely losing a tool that makes it get hit less (mobility). Shadow Sheath Thief 1d4 (weapon) +1d6 (Sneak) +4 (dex) +3 (shadow sheath) = 13 Dragon Barb 1d12 + 4 + 4 = 14.5
Edit: Adjusting Math cause I did an oopsie. At 5 w striking:
Dragon Barb 2d12 +4 +4 = 21
After Striking and level 7: Thief w/ Shadow Sheath
Dragon Barb 2d12 +4 +8 +2= 27
This also doesnt account for situations where the rogue just can not get off guard or into position for flanking, and it loses 4.5 - 9 damage. Should be rare ideally, but it can happen. But I'm also in the camp of just let players have fun. A few extra damage isnt going to mess anything up, and if it's an important fight, I can adjust if needed.
Kineticist would probably love getting access to more of its low level abilities and an additional element. Witch has a bunch of feats it wants early and it is always starved for. Cauldron, Lesson, Cackle, Familiar, Metamagic Feats for fun. Plus getting access to a spell list. Commander definitely loves it. Officer's Medical Training, Deceptive Tactics, Guiding Shot, Set Up Strike, Tactical Assessment, and on and on. I dont think it's broken. It just allows for more flexibility with your class fantasy. This is something I have thought about and wished for as well.
I'm just going to put this here to try to close out the thread for any wanderers that stumble upon it. From the Spring 2026 Errata: "To add an extra clarification here, a “single effect” includes all the damage, traits, and other characteristics of a Strike or spell. Subordinate actions with their own effects and damage rolls typically get treated separately unless they state otherwise, such as the ranger’s Hunted Shot feat" Depends on if the attacks of the summoned dudes are considered subordinate actions with seperate damage rolls, but my intuition tells me they are not, since Horde reads "attacks", which is not an action. So it probably doesn't work anymore. Remember that it's okay to be wrong sometime
Turns out a line in the recent damage errata I missed likely causes the whole build not to work anyways. Lol. Weaknesses now apparently apply per strike or per instance/sustain of a spell. From the last Errata: "To add an extra clarification here, a “single effect” includes all the damage, traits, and other characteristics of a Strike or spell. Subordinate actions with their own effects and damage rolls typically get treated separately unless they state otherwise, such as the ranger’s Hunted Shot feat" Depends on if the attacks of the summoned dudes are considered subordinate actions with seperate damage rolls, but my intuition tells me it probably doesn't work anymore. If only there was a way to deal Slashing damage when you sustain a spell or when a target takes Spirit damage >:]
A high level Champion can become an outsider. A high level Cleric can get a free pass to go hang out with their god. Not to mention any character with a story active patron, potentially being a spot light hog as a great old power whispers secrets to them and gives them missions as a chosen one. I am totally with you on this, it's partially an exposure issue. I am constantly surprised by the pf2e community and how much debates and decisions always default back to Golarian lore accuracy, golarian rarity, and the inabilty to reflavor anything. Is it because much of the online community primarily plays PFS? I am a homebrew GM, and havent really run into this in other RPG spaces.
Ah I think you got me. The most recent errata damage change that I hadn't read. "Under the revised rules, each weakness and resistance can trigger only once during an effect (such as a single Strike or spell)." I wrote up this build without the rules change knowledge.
Doesn't matter in the least. If it didn't matter, none of the abilities in the game would have that line. Yet Force Barrage and Overwhleming Combo, along with many others, do.
From Blood in the Water: If you deal slashing damage to the target while the spell is active, you automatically Sustain this Spell. If you cast blood in the water while a previous casting of this hex is still in effect, the previous effect ends. --- Horde of Underlings is specifically missing the Combine Damage line that is present in other spells in abilities. --- Horde: Rare, Concentrate, Manipulate You summon six underlings, such as skeletons or kobolds. When you cast this spell, you decide what kind of creatures they are, if they’re Small or Medium, and whether they deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (choose once and applying it to all underlings). Each underling has 1 Hit Point, 5 AC, and automatically fails all saving throws. Each underling appears in an unoccupied square of your choice within the area. The underlings don’t block movement, but they are difficult terrain for creatures other than you. Each underling attacks one enemy adjacent to it (if any), automatically dealing 1d4 damage of the chosen type. The First time you Sustain the spell on each subsequent round, each underling moves 20 feet toward the nearest enemy. If an underling ends its movement adjacent to an enemy, it damages that enemy as described above. Heightened (+1) The number of underlings increases by 2. --- Also you can definitely have multiple weaknesses, only the highest of a single type applies. And I calculated it that way anyways.
Because missing those traits, it is a spell that you control, not another creature that you control, no different to RAW as Floating Flame or Illusory Creature. And as a spell you control, you are the source of the damage Half of why I posted this was because it was a fun write up, the other half was to get it fixed lol.
I also very much dislike that Exemplar has the rare tag. It is so easily to reflavored as anything like a Magic Swordsman, Magical Girl, Artifact User, Pact Holder, ect. But I assume it's akin to Starlit Sentinel in that there's just not a lot out there. Roleplay wise I don't believe it's any more main character than divine sugar babies like Champ or Cleric. Or the other "I have special blood" class, Sorcerer. In terms of mechanics, it's generally less impactful than a Champion or Fighter on a team. In free archetype games, it's follow up feats are fairly weak. Everyone was worried about two flat damage... but Beastmaster adds more average damage, while also being a mount and a free move action, an extra bag of hitpoints, a scout, and a flanking buddy. And there are plenty of archetypes you could argue are mechanically stronger.... like Champion or even Alchemist. In non FA games it adds a small amount of damage that becomes less problematic as dice increase. Or enables cool archetypes through Horn of Plenty or Shadow Sheath. Is it very strong? Yes, but the opportunity cost is pretty significant for most classes. Victory Wreath is strong (even though it got errata'd), but it also is a status bonus with a small area that many teams already cover some other way. I'm just tired of it being treated like some crazy broken class and pointing to the rare tag like that soyjak meme, when it's mostly fine.
I have posted this a few times on reddit, but decided I should post it here for Paizo visibility, hoping they will address some of the stuff in the errata thread, and because it was a fun thought exercise maybe someone here would appreciate. **No sane DM will allow this** !!!Long write up warning!!! Horde of Underlings - How to Break 1k Damage in PF2e. https://pathbuilder2e.com/launch.html?build=1477966 You need to be a Faith's Flamekeeper Witch with Lesson of the Shark - Blood in the Water, Alchemist, and Wylderheart FA. Alchemist can be skipped but you'll need to buy Blood Bombs. You need Vicious Howl from Wylderheart at 8. This can be done without Free Archetype. Horde of Underlings lacks the minion and summoned traits so YOU count as dealing the damage. It also does not combine damage like most other spells, each minion is a seperate instance of damage. At level 6 when we get Blood in the Water a turn looks like this: T1 Blood Bomb, Blood in the Water (2d6 save for half). T2 Cackle Blood, do 2d6 on the sustain (save for half). Cast Horde of Underlings for slashing. Deal 2 (flask) +6d4 autohit (horde) +12d6 (Blood save). Blood in the Water Sustains on each instance of slashing damage! Our damage scales fast: At 7? 2 (flask) +2d6(save) +8d4 Autohit +16d6 (save for half) +2d6(cackle save). At 9? 2 (flask) +4d6 (save) +10d4 Autohit +40d6 (save) +4d6 (cackle save) = Average Damage 195 or 127.8 if we assume 60% damage on Blood in the Water from saves (80% Save rate). Now lets start adding some real damage: Prebuff with Vicious Howl from Wylderheart and EVERY SINGLE DAMAGE ROLL ADDS +4 (circumstance). Stoke the Heart adds +4 Damage at this level to every roll (status). This is a sustained hex, so without Quickened Casting or another trick it doesn't work very well.... yet. Add in a buddy with Shining Symbol at 9? and that's another FLAT 55. If you were hasted (via Cauldron Haste Potion?): you can prebuff Vicious Howl, then Stoke. T1 Sustain Stoke, Strike Blood Bomb, Blood in the Water. T2 Cackle Blood, Strike Inflamation Flask, Let Stoke Drop end of turn, Horde of Underlings 10 (flask) +4d6 (save) +8 (howl+ stoke) +5(symbol) +10d4 +80 Autohit, +44d6 (Save) +88 (howl+ stoke) , +55 (Symbol) = 426 Average or 364.2 accounting for saves. Inflamation Flask adds another 2-3 Slashing Weakness. A Field Propagandist can use Invent Vulnerability for 5 - 13 slashing weakness. Ruffian Rogue Vicious Debilitations can add 5 Slashing Weakness. At 20? Assuming a Huge creature and Greater Shining Symbol with a Ruffian Rogue buddy? t1 same set up, Effortless Concentration Stoke t2 Effortless Concentration Blood, Cackle Blood, Sustain Blood, Quicken Horde. 14 (flask) +8d6 (save) +10 (stoke+howl) +16d4 Autohit +64 (howl) +96 (stoke), +152d6 (save for half) +76 (howl) +116(stoke), +190 Shining Symbol, +80 Vicious Debilitations. Average Damage = Around 1022 (I multiplied the average shark damage by 0.6 to approximate the save for half, or 80% save rate, so this is conservative). Which is enough to kill most monsters in the game near twice over. Even without support our average damage is 735.2 is enough damage to kill even a level 24 Requiem Archdragon at 500 hp. The maximum damage ends up being 1650. You can kill that dragon 3x over. Keep in mind that any physical / slashing resistance, environmental damage, or aura damage messes this whole chain up, no matter how cool it is. It also takes prebuffing + a round or two rounds of set up, and is single target. So good luck using it on high level monsters! Someone smarter than me can probably optimize this further.
Sorry if these had been said, I'm not combing through 7 pages to look. --------- Horde of Underlings Needs the Summoned Trait, Minion Trait, and needs to combine damage. I theory crafted a witch build that has an average damage of near a thousand abusing it. ------- Combination Weapons + Attached Weapons Please give Gunslingers crit spec with the Melee half of combination weapons and attached weapons such as the Reinforced Stock and Bayonet. Please remove the action cost and/or interact trigger to swap forms of Combination Weapons. I do not believe it would hurt to have free access to both sides, getting rid of the swap mechanic all together. Considering both sides are generally much weaker than similar weapons. Gunsword says it is based off the Harmona Gun (bludgeoning), but the ranged side does piercing. Hammer Gun ranged half says it's based on the arquebus and is missing Kickback, adding another viable weapon to Vanguard would be nice. Please change the feat Sword and Pistol to extend protection to combination weapons, or introduce a feat that has a similar effect.
Ah, that's too bad. I'd love it if "Skilled" just added trained to the Familiar. And if it either scaled with level or allowed you to take the ability multiple times in the same skill raise its proficiency level at appropriate times. Or the first "Skilled" for Trained, and the second "Skilled" for scaling. Considering how you'd likely need Manual Dexterity, Independent, and some communication form as a minimum. It would allow familiar skills to be useful into the late game and give familiar holders another meaningful choice to make to fill gaps in the party.
The Familiar Master flavor description says "the clever monkey that picks the lock of the thief's cell", but that monkey can't actually use thievery to pick locks even with the Skilled ability any longer. In the premaster there were rules text saying that a familiar can attempt any Trained skill check with an ability if it added your spellcasting Modifier to that skill. That text was removed in the remaster. Which version is correct? Can familiars still attempt trained skills. Or was the text removed to limit them to untrained skill checks and is Familiar Master's flavor text an oversight? |
