The idea is being useful in combat, hitting things with the Greatsword and calling down Judgments in the bigger fights. On top of that, I'd like to flesh out his knowledge as he levels, which are always useful for in and out of combat.
Out of combat, thanks to the Conversion Inquisition, he'd be a competent face. Lying and threatening people as needed, which is what you want to see with a Tiefling. (a chunky +12 Intimidate and +11 to Lie at level 1)
I really just need to know if I'm missing anything obvious here.
PFS build rules, looking to build a bad ass demon slayer.
I really like the flavour that Hellknights offer and I'm considering Paladin onto Hellknight. How would you build a Hellknight? If there are other options out there, I'm open to them!
I have a boon that opens up Nagaji, Wayang and Kitsune, if that affects anything.
Take Skill Focus: Knowledge:Arcana from the Half Elf at creation.
At level 3 take Eldritch Heritage: Arcane. (Bonded Item for a floating extra spell slot)
With this, at level 6 I can cast Paragon Surge, and select the feat "Expanded Arcana" and open up a choice of any of the Cleric/Oracle on the fly.
At level 11 when I cast Paragon Surge again and instead of Expanded Arcana, I opt for Improved Eldritch Heritage. Which lets me choose one spell from the Sorcerer / Wizard spell list and put it on mine.
Have I found a back door into Arcane & Divine casting or does it not work?
Finally playing through Rise of the Runelords for the first time (no spoilers please!) and finally playing a full caster. I *think* I'm doing something clever here. But if history has taught me anything, it's when I think I'm being clever I should probably consult advice.
CN Half Elf
STR 10
DEX 14
CON 12
INT 10
WIS 10
CHA 17(+2)
Dual Cursed: Haunted and Consumed(doesn't improve).
Dark Tapestry
Longspear as my weapon of choice, using Aid Another a lot to help out melee.
Is there a better first level feat for me?
First level Spells: Murderous Command, Bless, Haze of Dreams
Here's the plan:
Progress as usual (probably doing the healing) in the lower levels.
Take Skill Focus: Knowledge:Arcana from the Half Elf at creation.
At level 3 take Eldritch Heritage: Arcane. (Bonded Item for a floating extra spell slot)
With this, at level 6 I can cast Paragon Surge, and select the feat "Expanded Arcana" and open up a choice of any of the Cleric/Oracle on the fly.
It gets even more interesting at level 11 when I cast Paragon Surge again and instead of Expanded Arcana, I opt for Improved Eldritch Heritage. Which lets me choose one spell from the Sorcerer / Wizard spell list and put it on mine.
What I hope this does is make my character more useful by being able to pull those incredibly situational spells out of the bag when needs arise. Reduce the "oh, I would sell our bard for a scroll of X" moments.
Going to be playing the Shattered Star AP soon and want to build play as a a Dragon Disciple. I'm not looking to be the big hitter but I wouldn't mind playing a versatile character.
After the first 5 levels, I'm going to go straight Dragon Disciple, up to 15. I don't know what level the AP goes up to but that should be enough, right?
Attack:
+6 to hit +4 damage. Not sure about what weapon to take yet.
Defense:
AC: 20 (10 +6 from Armor, +3 from Charisma, +1 Natural)
Saves: Fort 5, Reflex 5, Will 7
Resistances: acid, cold, electricity, fire resistance; 5
Feats: Really drawing a blank here. I'm not going to be useless in a fight but is Power Attack going to be worth it? I'll have a very limited +2 BAB until level 7. Maybe Skill Focus: Knowledge Planes and get the Abyssal Powers as I level?
So is this going to be okay? The group I'm going to be playing with optimise quite a bit so I don't want to be left behind.
I too am interested in this, have I just missed the boat?
Edit: I should say, I'd like to play an Aasimar Oracle of Lore and try and fill the roles of Healer / Encylopedia. I like the idea that an Outsider has come to see what happened to this plane.
I ran this at the higher tier for one of the tables at our monthly PFS: Ireland event and my group had a blast. They really cottoned on to the fact that it was timed and a question of finesse rather than batter down the door so tried not to waste time.
First time I was at the hard cap which was a bit difficult but not too bad.
Firstly, they split the group, two of the stealthiest (Ninja and Urban Ranger with an invisibility potion) were able to simply make their way across the foyer. (In fact the Urban Ranger had a partly charged wand of invisibility but only realised it too late).
With a larger group and the timer in consideration, I got into a rythmn of making sure everyone was aware they should be doing something and not standing there watching what others are doing. There was a lot of 'we're doing X while they're doing that' which, to be honest, is hard to keep track of time wise in game but I muddled through pretty much guessing at time. I used the time tracker supplied in this discussion (huge help by the way, thanks!!) but even with that, keeping time is really problematic with a big group and a split group. Be wary of that if you're going to run it!
So the party split two ways, they get across to the Preparation Room with lots of servants going to and fro. The Wizard has an outside the box idea and summons some rats to scare people away. I liked the idea because it was original and plausible but I then borrowed the mechanic for being conscripted into work from the south corridor. Two ended up having to stay behind and deal with the rats while the others got their bluff checks to fit into the fleeing servants group.
The other guys 'shepherded' the summoned rats into the servants quarters' corridor and both groups eventually met up at the end of that corridor with the Ninja and Urban Ranger.
I just had to cut up what people did and effectively 'pause' their sub-groups. The hardest was with the Ninja and Urban Ranger. I had to get them to do very little (Two perception checks) without feeling that they're not getting to play in a game that should be purpose built for them.
The first fight was rather amusing from a GM perspective. After all the jumping through hoops, finally here was something they can hit!
First, bot devils appeared with 4 people around them. First one goes (1d4 to decide which direction he was facing when summoned). The Ninja! The guy who helps run the place.. our host.. Natural 20. "If you confirm this, you're banned".Confirmed. We all laugh at his expense. His character takes a big hit but is still standing. "Oh wait, higher tier, meaner bad guys, he gets two attacks." I roll the die. Natural 20. "Oh you %&^hole", I roll again and confirm. He's down. Everyone's sides are splitting. Then he says "I think I'm dead.. as in dead, dead". Now it's less funny. I ask to take a look at his sheet. There was bad news.. turns out he's an idiot. He had been playing all the way up to level 4 without putting into account either CON or Favoured Class Bonus when it came to HP. Numpty.
What he didn't know is that the weapon damage rolls were very low. The first crit rolled two 1s on the d10, second all rolled under 5. He would have been 'dead, dead' if those rolled average. I didn't notice the low HP and high CON when I looked over his sheet (by this level I concentrate on passive abilities, class features and maybe the odd magic item). Turns out two other players at my table didn't know about Favoured Class Bonuses either.. jeez guys, making my slaughter easy for me.
Anyway, in this one encounter something funny happened. I racked up 7 natural 20s. I always use this dice and I've made one (maybe two or three) natural 20s with it the entire time, it's definitely not weighted or skewed. They just got 'lucky' However, it was given to me as a gift by my Venture Captain. Talk of 'curses' were happening around the table. (I got to play a game in the evening with a Gunslinger. Same die. Natural 20s: 0. Misfires: 2.)
Everything else went well, especially once they dispatched the chairs rather quickly (I rolled my 8th natural 20 here, no-one even batted an eyelid. I had them broken.) They really then really hunkered down and tried to solve the cypher in this room and got back between 60 and 65 minutes. They even remembered to not be wearing their disguises in the room. With such a big group, I resolved the high Bluff roll simply. I had the Ambassador walk in and asked "Just where the hell have you all been?" First person that talked made the roll. It was their Ninja!
So after teasing him, the group depended on him for this for his lie and his bluff roll. Ninja, high CHA, class skill, ranks invested and high roll.
Ninja sneaked through, thought he was dead, survived and saved the day.
Great scenario, can be a bit long, especially if the party splits. We were over the 4 hour mark by quite a bit. However would definitely recommend it more balanced players and characters that enjoy more than the 'hit it with a stick' adventures.
If you go here, http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/pfsproducts/sanctionedModules , you can scroll through and read in the blurb of each scenario which level it's for. A character can be one level either side of the level it was written for.
From what I see, you have a choice of:
Curse of the Riven Sky (Level 10)
The Harrowing (Level 9)
Ruby Phoenix Tournament (Level 11)
I'm trying to build a PFS character that's brilliant with blade and book. The fluff being he's a the son of a noble Elven family that finally let the guy out of the library and adventure off on his own. He's not sheltered, he's just the kid who's parents were a bit too overprotective.
What I've come up with so far:
Elf, Lore Warden.
STR 10
DEX 16
CON 12
INT 16
WIS 12
CHA 13
Traits: Scholar of The Great Beyond, Anatomist
Feats
1. Weapon Finesse, Noble Scion (of Lore)
2. Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
3. Breadth of Knowledge
4.
5. Improved Unarmed Strike
6. Kirin Style
7. Greater Trip
8.
9. Kirin Strike
10.
11.
12. Kirin Path
The idea being a secondary combat guy, identifying the weaknesses of enemies and (in later levels) exploiting them.. all the time wielding a traditional Elven Curve Blade, of course.
As you can probably guess, I'm going for a more rounded character than optimised.
I'm just reluctant to use Feat slots that could be used for something under 'General' that could help identifying creatures. I know there's Scholar but can you take that more than once?
I have an idea: Give them a reward that's two or three levels higher than the average for their 'starter' quest. They go and do that for a few sessions, job done, get awesome rewards!
Then, have that stuff stolen from them. Another group of adventurers saw an easy mark (them) and took their stuff in the dead of the night. Now they have a choice to get their stuff back and 'send a message' that they're not to be stolen from (otherwise every lvl 1 rogue and his dog will see them as a soft target).
Then you have something pretty cool to design! Investigation! Rival Party! Their hideout! (Their hideouts?) Are they part of a larger guild?
As they adventure through, give them average amounts of loot, side quests if they want help from NPC's in helping them along the trail etc. This way, by the time they get their 'high level reward' back, they'll actually be breaking even.
Dip one level in Wizard, school of Foresight, take a Initiative boosting familiar.
You get:
* +5 to initiative
* 3+INT/Day: ability to roll a d20 at the start of your go and use in place of any d20 result you get (good for those 'I really need you not to misfire' shots)
* You always act on a surprise round, even if you fail a perception check.
This means, at the start of most combat, aside from any horrible rolls: you're going first with a beastly +14 Initiative modifier (+5 from dex, +1 forewarned, +4 familiar, +2 trait, +2 Gunslinger's initiative) and you're then only hitting 10+ Size modifier + Deflection AC.
You also get access to spells, which means wands are suddenly useful. But what's particularly useful for you is that you get Perfect Strike which is a +20 to next attack. Perfect strike has no somatic components!
You should have a look at Classic Horrors Revisited, they have cool variations on the 'Walking Dead'.
I've just ordered this and Undead Revisited to make the Carrion Crown campaign I want to run a bit more interesting for some of my players who have been 'round the block a bit, so to speak.
I made this in Photoshop and posted it on Reddit a while back. Clearly the most feared cryptid of all. I may just buy Mystery Monsters and glue it in on the back.
And before it's pointed out, yes I'm aware it's Dex should be 14 rather than 13.
100 for Composite Bow
300 for Masterwork Quality
300 for 3 'Strength points'
700 total!
Yeah, you can make a composite bow as strong as you like but if you're not strong enough to pull the string properly, you suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls.
So, assuming you're a medium sized character, you'll be doing 1d8+3 damage. Remember, because it's masterwork, you also get a +1 to your attack rolls!
I'd disagree. Knowledge Local is knowing who to ask whereas you need Diplomacy to know how to ask.
Also in a general sense, Knowledge Local is the knowledge of a town's local laws, customs and traditions. It's knowing that in Villageton, there's always been an enforced curfew, knowing that theft is punishable by death in this region or that people wear silver ear-rings because long ago there was a Werewolf problem.
Why would a lawful character know all of these things? Because their god / own village has laws in place as well? I wouldn't think so. They know their own edicts but not others.
Very recently had this debate because I took the heirloom weapon trait to make me proficient with a Black Blade Bastard Sword.
Basically, if you want to have an Exotic Weapon as a Black Blade, you're gonna need to get proficiency for it from somewhere and you don't get it from being a BB Magus automatically. So feats or traits, really.
I have a Venture Captain and a Venture Lieutenant in my group. Once, every now and then, they lock all doors and hold us at gun point to play Master of the Fallen Fortress again.
One of us tried to make a break and run once. Once.
If anyone gets this message, please send help. Oh god, I hear them. They're coming, no no nonooo-
You might take spellslinger or make Divination a focus school, with evocation on the side... If you went the cleric route and has wisdom instead of DEX you might want to have higher wisdom.
Divination focus is the plan. I considered the Cleric route but most of the good Grit abilities are passive rather than 'spend a point to' so I have 14, 1 for my 'never spend for passives' and another 'just in case' grit point. Plus then I'd lose AC and Gun Training at 5th level (6th if I take a Wizard dip) adds my Dex Bonus to attacks with the Musket.
A wizard dip would also allow the use of some pretty nifty wands (true strike, shield, infernal healing, protection from evil being at the top of my list), and cantrips are always worthwhile (just keep rolling armor failure until they work). You could even take a greensting scorpion or compsognathus for even more initiative.
The familiar's already figured into the +14 initiative but I hadn't thought about the wands. Wand of Infernal Healing is always useful in-between encounters. They're PFS legal aren't they?
If you take a dip into Cleric of Cixyron, you can use Wisdom for attack rolls with Muskets.
Guided Hand feat makes this possible.
I considered this but Dex also helps me greatly with reflex saves and AC. In theory, I could just use medium armour but then I would also lose the Gunslinger's Nimble ability (which adds AC as well) and knock down my movement by 10ft which I wouldn't be very keen on in case a melee character manages to get past our front line and try to chew me up.
Considering your Dex, I don't think a +1BAB will make any difference. At 5th level get Arcane Armor Training, because as a wizard you might run into trouble in that area.
I was actually thinking of just a single level dip to get those abilities and go straight back on the Gunslinger path. To me, those abilities look crappy for a Wizard but awesome for a Gunslinger. Quickest gun in the west and all that.
I'm still relatively new to Pathfinder and just wanted to get some advice before committing.
So I rolled up a new 1st level character for PFS to play a Thornkeep module (it was awesome). I rolled up a Gunslinger (Musket Master) and had a huge amount of fun with it and I think I want to make this my primary PFS character.
Stats:
Str 10
Dex 19
Con 10
Int 12
Wis 14
Cha 10
Human
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot.
Traits: Reactionary and Vagabond Child
My thinking was to bring it up to level 3 This would mean by then I'd have reloading as a free action and rapid shot.
Then at level 4 take a dip into Wizard, specifically Foresight school. This grants a +1 on initiative, always being able to act in a surprise round and that neat Prescience ability (for important, 'lord, please don't let my gun jam now' shots). That would bring my initiative up to a monstrous +14 (+5 dex, +1 forewarned, +4 familiar, +2 trait +2 Gunslinger Initiative) I would also get true strike as a spell (which also conveniently has no somatic components).
What I'm hoping with this build is that at the start of the round, I'll always be able to get two shots off which are essentially always just need to hit 10+size+deflection.
First question: Is it really worth losing the +1 BAB and being a level behind? Secondly, does the crunch all add up?
