Leandro 'Verbal' Garvel's page

I'm going to get a chance to play through this AP soon, and I'm considering playing an old character with the following ability scores (before race but after 15 point buy and age modifiers):

STR 8, DEX 8, CON 8, INT 16, WIS 16, CHA 16

I'm considering this statline for two reasons:

1) I've always wanted to try playing an old-age character all the way through an adventure path and see if I can be lucky enough with them to survive;

2) We're using the Sanity system in Horror Adventures and having all three of your mental ability scores be as high as possible seems very beneficial for survival in said system.

Anyone got any thematic/appropriate/cool suggestions for races/classes/archetypes to play through Strange Aeons with using these ability scores? Particularly looking for ideas that let me use two or ideally all three mental ability scores well.

I'm playing a Human Wild Mage in a D&D 5e game at the moment, and my second ever Wild Magic Surge de-aged my character 10 years in game to 11 years old.

Whilst my DM and I have reached an agreeable compromise in-game as to the effects of suddenly becoming 11: Small size, mental stat and personality retention - I pointed out he wouldn't give me 10 years of XP instantly if I got older :P - we noticed there aren't any official rules we could find for significantly older or younger characters.

I was wondering: has anyone else here dealt with Wild Magic Surges or other timey-wimey-wibbly-wobbly effects making their characters very young or old, and how did you and your DMs handle it?

I'm considering starting running another Adventure Path, not sure which yet, but I know I'll be levelling the players when the AP suggests rather than using XP.

I'm also considering just giving the characters the difference in gold as per the Wealth by Level table at each level up, and would appreciate advice on if it's a good idea/the implications thereof?

I figure since the story tends to level them up at 'boss fights' with treasure anyway, I'm just handwaving the minutiae of loot splitting...

I am also going to say they sell all non-plot-loot to provide for the automatic wealth I'm giving them, but they can by back items they find with that money anytime (similar to how Pathfinder chronicles handle unique loot).

Good idea?

I can't decide whether I should use the core Monk class or the Unchained Monk class for a Scaled Fist Monk I'm building for a game tonight.

We've all rolled stats using the Heroic rolls and I've rolled pretty well, hence me choosing to go Monk in the first place:

STR 16 DEX 18 CON 15 INT 11 WIS 15 CHA 16 (with a +2 from one of the setting's custom races).

I'll probably combine the core Monk with the Quiggong Monk archetype if I choose it.

I can't decide if the benefits of the Unchained Monk outweigh the disadvantages compared to normal Monk, and would appreciate any advice :)

I wasn't certain if this should go into Suggestions/House Rules/Homebrew, so feel free to flag to move if it's in the wrong place.

I was recently invited to join a game that was rolling ability scores in order from STR to CHA, and came up with this spreadsheet to help me pick a class based on those rolled scores.

The general idea: certain classes need certain ability scores to be at a certain level to function well mechanically, but different classes need different scores and there are a lot of classes.

Hence the need for an easily referenced table to know what to do with the weird array of ability scores you just rolled!

Constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged, destructive criticism will be ignored. Hopefully someone will find this helpful :)

Disclaimer:

You can play and enjoy characters that don't have scores where I indicate on the table they should have, or don't have high scores, or just disagree with the table. All the table is designed to do is tell you that the scores you just rolled would make a good (example class)

I used 15, 14 and 13 for the primary/secondary/tertiary minimums because:
a) they're from the heroic array for NPCs and PCs should be at least as good as NPCs of equal level;
b) they are often a minimum starting score to beat CR appropriate Monster defences with an average amount of optimisation;
c) they are frequently necessary minimums to be able to cast your maximum level of spells as a spellcasting class without magic items or racial bonuses (i.e. just from starting score and your 5 Ability Score Increases over 20 levels).

Specifically:

Would a traditional Wizard 5 entry be better for going into Magaambyan Arcanist or would I be better off taking what appears to be the newly-designed for route of Magaambyan Initiate Arcanist 5?

I can see pros and cons for both routes, but I can't decide between them and would value your collective thoughts - thanks! :)

I really don't like it when I find a cool weapon in an AP but can't use it and typically end up selling it to buy something more generic but useful.

Prime example in Carrion Crown (no spoilers): there's a particular special weapon in book 4 I would have really liked to have had a character capable of using (even if it wasn't mine) but instead we sold it for a gold reward.

With that in mind, are there any cool or unique weapons in Reign of Winter that I should bear in mind when I'm choosing feats like Weapon Focus?

I don't mind spoilers about the weapons themselves, naturally, though I'd prefer to avoid plot spoilers.

I'm joining a new D&D 3.5 game which is based on using the random encounter tables and random dungeon room tables to generate varied dungeon environments.

Party so far is a Dwarf Cleric (sword&board), Half-Orc Barbarian(greataxe), Human Sorcerer (fire spells) and a Human Rogue (sniper using crossbows).

I've rolled a 17, 14, 14, 12, 12, 11 which I can assign how I like, and I'm looking for interesting character ideas.

I'm limited to Player's Handbook I, Monster Manual I and Dungeon Master's Guide I for options (so I'm thinking of multiclassing like crazy, but XP penalties apply).

Any thoughts/ideas?

I'm considering the subject build concept for a Kingmaker game I shall shortly be participating in.

The background idea is that the character is a failed Swordlord (he refused the Swordlord Pact, and besides he's better with a rapier).

But I feel like the Swashbuckler tops out at levels 5-7 in terms of really good class features, and I like the concept of a smart *and* charismatic swordsperson.

I've got 25 point buy, but I haven't got much further than deciding to be Human so I can have Fencing Grace online at level 1...

Anyway, the question I'd like advice on: am I better just sticking with Inspired Blade Swashbuckler, or is prestiging into Duelist a viable option?

Any advice with regards to playing a Swashbuckler, a Duelist, or a character in Kingmaker is also welcome.

As the title says, and thanks for any advice in advance.

I'm playing in a Pathfinder campaign set in a homebrew world, and enjoying it despite losing three characters in three sessions to a combination of bad luck and playing more offensively focused characters.

I've played a Gnome Sorcerer, Elven Investigator and Elven Wizard so far. The first two were glass cannons, I'll admit, but the last was focused on defences and non-combat spells...

I'm looking for advice/brainstorming on builds built to survive using the following character creation criteria:

Level: 3
Ability Scores: 20 point buy
Races: Drow, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Human (Advanced Race Guide versions)
Classes: Any Paizo Pathfinder classes.
Feats: Any Paizo feats.
Equipment: WBL for Level 3, crafting feats allowed.

Current party is a Human Paladin (hammer and shield build), an Elf Ranger (archery combat style) and a homebrew Lizardfolk-style race Shaman (Lore Spirit).

Does Pathfinder Unchained make the Arcane Trickster prestige class better?

Wizard 7/Unchained Rogue 1/Arcane Trickster 10/Wizard 2 seems like quite a good build with the Rogue VMC.

You are a full Wizard for 7 levels and trade 2 feats for Trapfinding and Sneak Attack +1d6, dip 1 level in Rogue for the second Sneak Attack die necessary for Arcane Trickster entry then progress as a Sorcerer in terms of when you get new spell levels (and your Arcane School helps make up for the difference in spells).

Is it worth going Wizard 8 for the 8th level school power, then 2 levels of the Unchained Rogue for Evasion and a Rogue Talent, and using Magical Knack trait to make up the Caster Level gap?

Thoughts?

Which is better: Draconic Bloodrager 20 or Barbarian 9/Sorcerer 1/Dragon Disciple 10?

They seem similar but subtly different, and I am trying to work out the benefits and disadvantages of each build as they both fit thematically with the campaign I may be playing in.

I am interested to read all your opinions on which you would prefer in play from level 1 - level 20, any other advice/suggestions for similar builds, and/or any experiences with either in play.

...This is a knife *sneak-stab*

Misleading title (I'm not building Crocodile Dundee, sorry) aside, I'm building a character for a Pathfinder game set in the world of Eragon, and am as such restricted to human, martially-inclined non-magical classes at least to start with.

I came up with a build for a sneaky knife-wielding agent of the Varden (la resistance of the setting) and was wondering if a) this was the right place on the messageboards to get feedback on it and b) if you lovely forum-goers would be so kind as to do so, if a) = correct.

We're starting play as conscripts in the Empire at level 3, for context's sake, but it's hopefully going to be a long-running, relatively fast levelling campaign. The likely party I'm going to be travelling with is a Human Invulnerable Rager Barbarian from the Hadarac Desert and a Human Order of the Dragon Cavalier (the latter probably going to try and become a Dragon Rider).

20 point buy
Str 10, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12

Levels:

1: Rogue (Knife Master/Scout)
2: Rogue
3: Rogue
4: Rogue
5: Rogue
6: Rogue
7: Rogue
8: Rogue
9: Duelist
10: Duelist
11: Fighter (Gladiator)
12: Duelist
13: Duelist
14: Duelist
15: Duelist
16: Duelist
17: Duelist
18: Duelist
19: Fighter
20: Duelist

1st level: Combat Expertise
Antihero Feat: Pirahna Strike
Human Bonus: Dodge
2nd level Rogue Talent: Finesse Rogue
3rd level: Mobility
4th level Rogue Talent: Weapon Training (Weapon Focus [Dagger])
5th level: Dazzling Display
6th level Rogue Talent: Offensive Defenses
7th level: Spring Attack
8th level Rogue Talent: Combat Trick (Shatter Defenses)
9th level: Whirlwind Attack
11th level: Performing Combatant
11th level Gladiator Bonus Feat: Performance Weapon Mastery
11th level Gladiator Bonus Feat: Hero's Display
13th level: Improved Disarm
15th level: Greater Disarm
17th level: Disarming Strike
19th level: Murderer's Circle
19th level Gladiator Bonus Feat: Masterful Display

The basic plan of the build is to consistently precisely-strike-sneak-stab as many things per round as possible, while thinning out enemies by either one-two frightening them with Hero's Display/Dazzling Display or Shatter Defenses/Whirlwind Attack (sneak-stabbing each affected target 'cause flat-footed from SD) the enemies who don't run away. Disarm is there because it's flavourful, provides another trigger for Performing Combatant, and is hopefully going to very useful against Dragon Riders and the like (given how many magic swords they have in the books...)

I don't know about gear-availability yet - it's a low-magic setting but the GM is altering it to fit Pathfinder better - so any gear suggestions are also welcome. Likewise, skill recommendations would also be helpful, as I haven't decided how to deal with the fluctuating skill points yet.

I'm allowed PRD content, and need approval for anything else (have already got approval for Piranha Strike). Thanks in advance!