The lore is perfectly compatible with dwarven skinwalkers. But more importantly, so are the rules:
Quote:
Non-Human Skinwalkers
Skinwalkers are found mostly in human populations. However, because of the nature of lycanthropy, skinwalkers can feasibly be of any intelligent humanoid race. So while uncommon, a lycanthropic bloodline can descend through non-humans like halflings, dwarves, orcs, or elves.
Non-human skinwalkers perhaps more closely resemble their non-lycanthropic parent race, but possess the same statistics as human-descended skinwalkers with the exception of size and effects dependent on size, such as the damage die of natural attacks. For example, a gnome skinwalker is Small, but otherwise is statistically identical to the base skinwalker race presented here (unless, of course, the character is descended from an alternate skinwalker heritage, in which case she has the statistics of that heritage).
Regardless, skinwalkers of non-human descent are typically raised in the same culture as their parent race, and thus usually have the same cultural understanding and education that anyone in their community possesses. So while a half-orc skinwalker raised in an orc tribe might not gain automatic proficiency with the orc double-axe, that doesn’t necessarily preclude him from honing his aggressive battle tactics and learning how to fight like an orc.
Further, the entry notes that their defensiveness, hostility, and desire to avoid social groupings where they lack power comes largely from their tendency to be bullied and ostracized due to their heritage and nature. Being from a Barbarian tribe that Venerates Dire Boars, it seems unlikely that the given character would share in those particular hardships.
Very, very good points! And the lines, "Non-human skinwalkers perhaps more closely resemble their non-lycanthropic parent race" and "Regardless, skinwalkers of non-human descent are typically raised in the same culture as their parent race, and thus usually have the same cultural understanding and education that anyone in their community possesses.", this may make things work. Looking like a regular dwarf and being raised among is tribe like any other dwarf. And maybe all the dwarfs in his tribe are Wereboar-kin. I like the latter better. But I'd still play it as the tribe stays away from modern society, and modern society is weary of this barbaric tribe.
I hate to add a second post, but I was giving some thought to cohorts outside of both Bard and Ranger. With you're party not having a Rogue, I thought I'd throw out a few archetypes as well.
But before I do that, let me share two obvious choices for Charisma-based classes. Your party could benefit from the arcane abilities of a Sorcerer. It would help bring balance to your party's attack and give you a character with natural people skills. The Oracle is another choice, though I doubt you are lacking for divine spells with a cleric and druid already in the group. But the Oracle's numerous mysteries/revelations allow for a variety of build avenues. And again, being Charisma based can only help with skills that influence people.
One last thing I want to suggest is that don't simply think about the various classes as alternatives to how this cohort can support your party. It may help to think along the lines of maneuverability or some other aspect of combat. This cohort could ride a mount, which helps him move from teammate-to-teammate as he provides support (whether combat, healing, or buffing). He could be a Halfling riding a dog. The dog being a medium-sized mount means they could still easily move within the tight confines of city streets and alleys. Or maybe this character has wings and can fly around to support the party. Maybe one of his main roles is to have Teleport ready, in case someone needs to get out of trouble. Fly over, cast it and save their life. There's plenty other ideas and combinations of ideas that can be beneficial, and they don't necessarily revolve around one type of class or archetype.
So with that said, let me now turn around and expound on some archetypes from one class: Rogue archetypes. Mind you, I haven't listed out all the Rogue archetypes that I think could be beneficial to your party. That is because I take it your party is a "good" party. If your guild is looking to improve the quality of life in the city, then I'm assuming your party is good-aligned. So I'm leaving out Smuggler, Guild Agent (who has to be a part of the Thieves Guild), and similar archetypes. Of course none of this means your cohort has to be good-aligned. Maybe he's neutral. Anyways, here's some archetypes that may help your party and guild.
Agitator: The Agitator can sway a crowd and even move them towards a common purpose. This could be very beneficial when it comes to accomplishing things within your city.
Interesting enough, the Agitator gets Leadership at level 12. So would your cohort get a cohort? Hahaha! It's a pretty fun idea. Even if this second cohort couldn't participate in active play, maybe he could still be involved in the downtime activities.
Consigliere: A Consigliere is normally an adviser to a crime boss. But this cohort could simply be an adviser to your party's leader. A Consigliere can eventually share his teamwork feats with multiple party members. This is a very cool ability! He could really help out in combat.
Snoop: This class is a little shady. But it's not outright evil or anything. A Snoop can be used to gather information and can even spread rumors. The rumor spreading could be very useful in furthering the goals of your party or guild. This archetype doesn't seem as fun as the other two. And you may not want someone who's a rumor-spreading liar as your right-hand man.
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Sorry for sharing my thoughts so much! It's just the idea of a cohort to not only help in combat, but to be a part of your guild-organization... that seems pretty fun and exciting!
While the Bard is looked at as the Jack-of-All-Trades, which he surely is... I think the Ranger is actually one of the most versatile characters. At least when it comes to the various ways you can build a Ranger. Once you select a Ranger's path, then maybe he cannot specialize in as many things as a Bard. But the numerous Ranger archetypes available do offer many paths with are various benefits.
So I'm going to share several Ranger archetypes that I think would be fun or beneficial or just plain neat for your party to have. And remember that all of these archetypes still get Full BAB and Combat Styles. So this cohort can provide damage himself. And though I'm not 100% sure which weapons your teammates are wielding, at first glance, it looks like you would use some ranged help.
Before I share these archetypes, I know that you mentioned that you'd like this cohort to be good with people. That generally means high Charisma. But it doesn't necessarily have to. It could be beneficial to have a cohort that's good at manipulating a community or an organization. So that's what you'll see in some of these Ranger archetypes.
Guildbreaker: You mentioned that your party runs a guild during downtime. This cohort could help break up and ruin rival guilds who may be competing with you, or hurting your operation, or hurting your town and it's people (thus hurting your business/guild). At the very least he could gather information.
A cohort like this could also add to some neat scenarios from your GM... both for downtime play and active play. Your Guildbreaker could attempt to infiltrate organizations during downtime and information gather or sabotage them in some way. Various rolls could be made to see if he succeeds along the way. If he fails various things could happen. He may even be captured. You'd then either have to ransom him for a large amount of money. Or you could have a scenario where you try to rescue him. Or even a scenario where you kidnap a rival member and have a prisoner swap. If he greatly succeeds the rival guild/organization could be dismantled or even taken over by your party/guild.
Through this archetype-cohort, some really cool scenarios and adventuring could happen both in downtime and in active play.
Dandy: If you want to dip into the world of politics and nobility, you could have a Dandy as your Cohort. This could bring your guild's dealings from the local (city) realm into the wide-spread (national) realm. This could open up some really neat downtime scenarios and make for some really fun roleplaying. If things go well, this could even open up missions from the crown. A whole new realm of adventures in various location could be opened up. And all of this would be mixed with the precarious political world of the noble courts.
Important note, the Dandy gets Bard spells and uses Charisma. This could be a big bonus when it comes to people affecting skills and spells.
Urban Ranger: I don't think this one is as useful, but you did mention it's an urban campaign. This archetype is able to find and disable traps. With your party not having a rogue, this could be helpful. This type of cohort should be able to easily move through the city and gather information for you without getting noticed. But he doesn't seem as fun as the previous two archetypes.
Raven Master: I'm not sure if this idea would work, but with the Raven having 3 Int and able to speak a language, I wonder if you could have him set outside locations/organization and spy. I'm not sure if he has the intellect to then report (or simply regurgitate) the information back to you. I would say the raven would obviously go unnoticed. But it does mention that at level 7 the raven takes on a silvery metallic color. So maybe he'd stand out. I'd also like to think the Raven could help scout ahead for you when you're travelling to help keep your party from being ambushed. This archetype is just an random idea. I'm not sure this will work at all.
Freebooter: A Freebooter seems more at place on a ship with a crew. But maybe your city is a port town, so there's sailor type folks around? Unlike the other archetypes mentioned above, this one actually gives bonuses in combat. But it doesn't really do much else besides that.
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Of course remember that for all of these archetypes, these Rangers are still getting Full BAB and Combat Styles. So in their own right, they should be effective at combat. And with Combat Styles that can be various forms of combat. A Ranger doesn't have to be specialized in ranged combat. He has some really nice combat options available.
Anyways, I hope this helps present some different options. I'm not saying these Ranger archetypes are as optimal as a Bard, but they can certainly open up some neat avenues of play and storytelling.
The Shield Bearer Human Race Trait is something to consider.
Is this a human only race trait? Looking here it doesn't say so. I was hoping to take it on a Dwarf Shielded Fighter.
Speaking of Shielded Fighter, it's never brought up when folks talk about shield bashing characters. Why is that? I mean, I can kind of understand looking at the specs of this archetype. It does really suck that you still have to wait till level 11 for Shield Master. But it does get +1 to attack & damage when shield bashing (per 5 levels). I guess besides this ability, all the others are defensive oriented. It's just kind of weird to see an archetype called Shielded Fighter but it never gets mentioned when it comes to fighting with a shield.
WereBoar-kin Ragebred Skinwalker! Just read up on it. That's pretty cool!
Looking to play (RP) an entire party of Dwarfs. So can't really deviate from that. Wonder if (lore-wise) if only humans are skin walkers. The rules seem to say so. But I can totally see it conceivable that other races could be skin walkers.
But after reading the description on typical WereBoar-kin characters, I'm not sure this will fit the personality I was hoping to play. I was looking to play this calm, quiet drawf who comes from a distant tribe of boar riders. He's confused by some normal social customs and is not comfortable in cities (unless it's a village or smaller, he will not go into it). But his first reaction is not anger or rage. But when it comes to battle... this is where the rage comes in. He's curious about his growing world and though not entirely comfortable, he enjoys studying his fellow dwarf companions (who are well traveled). His connection to the party is through a Ranger he befriend. If not for this Ranger, he would have never connected with such a party. But through his trust in the Ranger, he takes part.
Anyways, not that you needed to know all that. And not that I can't change any of it up. But that's what I was thinking.
When you look at the description of the WereBoar-kin, they seem to tend to be obnoxious and thuggish. They will only take part in a group if they buy, charm, or bully their way into power. They are known for their extreme emotions and drastic mood swings.
For me, I'm not entirely comfortable playing such an obnoxious character who needs power and respect from others. One who's moods wildly shift from one end of the spectrum to the other. I'm sure that's really fun to play. And for some other character down the road, that may be a great idea. But for this character, I'm looking to stick with the description above. He's a nomad tribesman that wearily (but trustfully because of his Ranger friend) and curiously takes part in this party's adventures. Over time he may form a true bond with the party members. This mode of play & RP just doesn't seem consistent with the WereBoar-kin's typical role-playing style.
Now a entire party of skinwalkers who ride mounts that correspond to their animal type... know that would be cool!!!
Anyways, thanks for the idea! I'm definitely going to chew on it!
Many Thanks Blahpers! I believe it all makes sense how. And your right, making sure to pay attention to every little detail, column, and paragraph in the Animal Companion section is definitely needed. Thanks again for the info and help!
One more quick question: When the Mounted Fury receives his feral mount at level 5, is this mount considered combat trained? Or is something that the Mounted Fury has to do (train his mount)?
Sorry for so many questions below. Here's the deal. I'm looking to create a Dwarven Mounted Fury Barbarian. I want to stick pure MF if possible. Backstory and RP are more important than being optimal.
So the backstory is that the character is from a tribe of barbarians that have a tradition when a member comes of age, he must venture out into the wilderness and tame a large wild boar as a mount. He may be out there for months or years before he tames the beast and each for this life-long bond. Once he tames the mount, he returns to the tribe as one of it's warriors. If the boar dies, the dwarf retires from the tribe's warband. Well now the tribe has greatly dwindled and this certain breed of boar are becoming extinct, so this adventure has left the tribe to test himself (and his mount).
I'm RPing that if his mount dies, he leaves the party.
I naturally have questions about getting a regular boar or even a dire boar as a mount. I want to stay with the rules if possible. Not that I'm against a GM granting me special privileges. But if I can avoid them, I'd like to.
So now to the questions:
1) For the Mount Fury, it says that I get a "feral" mount? Anything special to the feral mount besides the +2 Str when I'm raging?
2) Is there any legal way (within the rules) to acquire a Dire Boar as a mount? I don't want to have to constant make checks to keep him tame.
I don't think so. I think it's left up to the GM to allow this. But from the Animals & Animal Gear page says the following:
These feral beasts are all but untamable, and are typically only sought out by violent brawlers or cruel lords, either for brutish protection or to pit against equally vicious creatures in violent animal fights. At the GM’s discretion, PCs who acquire dire animals may be required to attempt wild empathy or Handle Animal checks every day to keep their pets from running away or attacking them and their allies. Dire animals are not generally suitable as mounts, though the GM may make exceptions at her discretion.
It mentions "feral" beast and the Mount Fury gets a feral mount! So hopefully most GM's discretion would allow for this!
3) What would be the stats for a Dire Boar Mount? Would you go off the stats located here. This seems a little strong to be honest.
** If dire boar is too hard to acquire, I'll look to stick with a common boar. But this lead me to some questions as well. **
4) I want to acquire a boar as a mount at level 5 (when I receive a mount). But for this to work, I believe I will have to take Boon Companion as my level 5 feat. I will have also had to take Undersized Mount prior to this (say at level 3). With Mounted Combat taken at level 1, then I'd have to wait till level 7 for Ride-by-attack.
All this to say, it sucks to have to use 2 feats just to get a regular boar to ride a level 5. Which is why I'm wanting a dire boar (don't have to waste a feat with Undersized Mount).
[Any way around all this to acquire a regular boar mount at level 5? Remember I'm want to stay pure Mounted Fury if possible.
5) A regular boar will only take up a single 5 ft square like the character himself. This is advantage. But what are the disadvantages? How bad is the encumbrance?
6) Sorry for this last question, since I've already asked a lot. But can someone explain mount starting stats and how mounts level up to me like a big dummy. I've tried reading about it in both forum post and looking at the rules. I'm just confused.
If I got a regular boar at level 5 with Boon Companion, would he start with stats listed here. Or would his stats be improved since the stats here are for a level 4 boar?
How do mounts level up... with your XP? Can they level up? If not, how do you keep them alive at later levels with such low hp. If yes, do you use the Animal Companion leveling system.
Do they acquire feats at preset levels or only at the GMs discretion? Do they acquire ability scores as they level (like animal companions)?
Sorry for so many questions here. i just want to make sure I've got my bases covered.
Arcane Duelist seems like combat oriented bard, you keep inspire courage and have maguses weapon enchant thingamajig if you need it, as well as armor proficiency at later levels (and ability to cast in armor).
This archetype does look fun... as it allows the character to be STR build as you can use Med armor (lvl 10) and Heavy armor (lvl 16) with no spell failure. And you get some really nice feats to battle spell casters. And with a few feats you can get Missile Shield (13 Dex) and Ray Shield (15 Dex). This would require you to carry a shield, which may take away from your damage slightly. But your survivability in combat would improve significantly.
Though down the road... at level 16 it would be cool to be a bard in Mithril Full Plate and a Heavy Shield... nice AC and blocking the first ranged & ray attacks... while supporting teammates and mixing it up in melee... seems fun!
As several have mentioned, Dervish Dancer Bard will give you Scimitars or Kukris. The nice crit ranges will help provide damage.
But if you are mainly looking to trip and disarm (as you mentioned), I can't help but think a whip is the way to go. And it sure seems fun. For damage you could pick up proficiency in Scorpion Whip. But to me, a better option would be to carry another weapon in your other hand. You don't have to Two-Weapon Fight with them. Use the Whip when you want to trip and disarm. You the other 1-Hand weapon when you need to do damage.
You could also forgo the whip and choose between some pretty cool weapons out there that have trip or disarm. Some may require you to spend a feat for proficiency, but could be worth it and fun to play.
Some to weapons look into. Some that look interesting to me in bold:
Aklys (trip, performance, can trip when thrown, move action to pick up) {Seems neat!}
Swordbreaker Dagger (disarm, sunder)
Spiral Rapier (disarm, blocking)
Hooked Axe (trip)
Flindbar (disarm, trip)
Spiked Chain
(disarm, trip, 2-handed but can use Weapon Finesse) {Interesting weapon}
Nine-section whip (disarm, trip, distracting)
Double Chained Kama (disarm, trip, reach, can use 1-hand to threaten at 5 ft) {Seems so versatile}
Meteor hammer (trip, reach)
I know that's a long list. Each weapon offers something a little differnt. My favorite: the Double Chained Kama gives you disarm, trip, 10 ft attack with reach, but can also wield the kama in-hand for 5 ft attack. And if one of the kamas is disarmed from you, you can retrieve it with a free action. Very neat weapon. The Aklys being able to trip at range seems really cool. And the fact that it can be retrieved with a move action, seem awesome. Interesting weapon for sure. But wouldn't allow you to take a full-attack action like some of the other weapons (since you have to move to retrieve it).
If you are looking into Skald, check out the Fated Champion archetype. The first ability gives you improved initiative. Could be useful as a support character. Allows the strategy to evolve & revolve around the various ways you can support the team before any other characters take action.
Definitely going Combat Expertise, as I just discovered the Threatening Defender trait. I know it only helps attack rolls by 1, but better than nothing. And it certainly makes CE way more valuable than Fighting Defensively. So 13 Int it is!
Curious if other players have found Missile Shield worth it? The benefit seems great. But here's why I'm second guessing it.
From a logical standpoint would an enemy archer shoot at the full-plate armored guy with a shield? Or would he go after the lightly armored guys without a shield? I'd think the latter. Of course every GM will look at it differently. But if a GM is looking to keep things competitive, I could see him easily bypass ranged attacks on the high AC Shielded Fighter with Missile Shield.
I'm also second guessing because you have to take Shield Focus. SF is probably a good feat for a Shielded Fighter to take. But I'm not planning on going the Shield Specialization route. I was looking to be more balanced and take some offensive feats instead.
Nothing's decided. Looking for feedback before I do. Thanks!
The Shielded Fighter's Active Defense feature reads as such:
Quote:
Active Defense (Ex)
At 3rd level, a shielded fighter gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC when wielding a shield and fighting defensively, using Combat Expertise, or using total defense. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 3rd. As a swift action, he may share this bonus with one adjacent ally, or half of the bonus (minimum +0) with all adjacent allies, until the beginning of his next turn.
This ability replaces Armor Training 1, 2, 3, and 4.
If I'm reading it correctly, I have to be using one of the following along with carrying a shield.
Fighting Defensively
Combat Expertise
Total Defense
Looking at these three options, it makes me feel that I need to take Combat Expertise (which requires 13 Int). I wasn't planning on taking Combat Expertise (nor 13 Int), but that seems the best option.
Fighting Defensively really hurts attack with -4 To-Hit. And you only get +2 AC. Of course CE will eventually give a -4 attack, but you'll also get +4 AC.
Total Defense is nice. But then I can't attack or get AoO. As a frontliner, I need to be doing some damage. So unless the situation applies, I can't regularly use Total Defense.
I would love advice telling me otherwise. But it seems like if I don't want this feature to be a total waste or simply go unused, that I should take CE (and 13 Int).
Thanks for the advice guys! Just discovered the Shotel. Seems to be what I'm looking for. Reading real life descriptions of this weapon's historical usage mentions that it was commonly used by both mounted and dismounted warriors. Which fits the Mounted Fury Barbarian character (that's going to use this weapon) perfectly.
Shotels are generally around 40 inches long, so perfect length. With a weapon of this size, I was hoping for a little more damage than a 1d8. But when dismounted and using 2-handed, I'll get the 1.5x bonus from my Barbarian, which should be decent enough. And it has a pretty neat special ability that gives it +1 attack against shields (except tower).
Historical records mention that it was used with hooking techniques. And that it was commonly used to rip cavalry off their mounts. Wish there was a special ability to show this. But alas, you can't have it all. Happy I discovered the Shotel. It should fit in with the character's background and story well.
Here's the deal. I want to play a Ranger that hunts big exotic game. The Trophy Hunter seems perfect right? Wrong, because I don't want to use a firearm. I want to use a Heavy Crossbow. And for all my searching, I don't see another Ranger Archetype that offers features that fit as well as the Trophy Hunter. And as for the Hunter class itself... it seems even less fitting (I personally don't want an animal companion).
So I'm looking for rules advice on if you think the changes described below would be fair. I don't want to make this rework over-powered. I'm actually ok with it being a little under-powered.
Let me share my thoughts and please share your feedback on what you think. Whether this is fair or not. And do you think a DM would likely approve said changes... or are they too far-fetched and over-powered. Obviously all DMs are different. But I'd still like a general consensus on what you guys think.
As a reference, here's the features for the Trophy Hunter with my thoughts on how they would be reworked below:
Trophy Hunter Features:
Quote:
Improved Tracking (Ex)
At 1st level, a trophy hunter gains a +2 bonus on Survival skill checks when following or identifying tracks. When he tracks, he can also attempt a Knowledge (nature) check at DC 15. On a success, the trophy hunter can discern the type and condition of any animals or magical beasts he tracks. By studying their tracks, the trophy hunter is able to identify a rough approximation of their health, maneuverability, and their general behavior as compared to the norm.
This ability replaces wild empathy.
Firearm Style
At 2nd level, a trophy hunter gains the Amateur Gunslinger feat and Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms), and can use any 1st-level gunslinger deed. At every four levels thereafter, the trophy hunter can take a grit feat or select a gunslinger deed of his level or lower, ranger’s choice.
This ability replaces replaces all combat style feats.
Hunter’s Aim (Ex)
At 4th level, a trophy hunter gains a specific understanding of the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of his favored enemies, and his careful study of these enemies reveals the best way to hurt them. When the trophy hunter makes a firearm attack against a favored enemy, he can target touch AC in the first two range increments of his firearm. This ability stacks with other effects that increase the range increments to target touch AC, adding one range increment to the effect.
This ability replaces hunter’s bond.
I would like to keep Improved Tracking since it seems to fit the role of a hunter nicely.
But when it comes to Firearm Style, well I don't want to use a Firearm. This feature replaces all Ranger Combat Style Feats. So my thought is to drop this feature all together and just allow the character to take Combat Style Feats normally. My character would take Crossbow.
Hunter's Aim is the hardest to judge (and where I need the most advice on fairness). I could just drop this feature and keep Hunter's Bond, but then why am I even playing Trophy Hunter (just to have Improved Tracking). So my thought is to keep Hunter's Aim but rework it. I think keeping target touch on the first two range increments is over-powered. But maybe reducing it to the first range increment would be fair. So this is what I'm proposing.
Hunter's Aim would read:
Quote:
At 4th level, a trophy hunter gains a specific understanding of the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of his favored enemies, and his careful study of these enemies reveals the best way to hurt them. When the trophy hunter makes a ranged attack against a favored enemy, he can target touch AC in the first range increment of his ranged weapon. This ability stacks with other effects that increase the range increments to target touch AC, adding one range increment to the effect.
This ability replaces hunter’s bond.
What do you guys think about that? Fair?
If it's too over-powered, could the rule say half of your first range increment? Or maybe it should say if the enemy is within Point Blank range (30 feet). Thoughts please!
Another note, a crossbow ranger can get Pinpoint Targeting at level 10 (which basically does a touch attack). But Pinpoint Targeting is a standard action. Meaning you only get that one attack per round. With this rework of Hunter's Aim you could do a full-attack action. This makes me worry that this rework is over-powered.
Also keep in mind that Hunter's Aim only works with Favored Enemies. So maybe that helps balance it. And Pinpoint may still be useful for attacking non-favored enemies. Also Pinpoint would still work after the first range increment. So maybe it would still be viable sometimes.
Thoughts on this rework please? Whether advice on this rework or on another class that you think fits a Trophy Hunter well. Backstory and the character fitting the class's theme is important to me.
Let me clarify that I'm not looking to use a Khopesh with two hands. I'm looking for a weapon that's bigger than the described Khopesh in the books. A khopesh is described as being 20 to 24 inches long (total length, not just blade). To me that's really short. A sickle could up to 18 inches long. Of course, the khopesh is meant as a one-handed weapon. I'm looking for something a little bigger. Something that would be around 42 inches (3.5 feet) long. Similar to a bastard sword that is described as 4 feet long.
If there a weapon like this that I'm over looking? If not, then I'm looking to create one. But even though I looked over the weapon creation rules... I really have no idea what to do.
To me, the weapon would be exotic. For one, Khopesh is exotic. And two, a bastard sword (being hand & half) is exotic. It could still offer the Trip feature. That's not important to me, but to keep in line with Khopesh.
I guess my main question would be... what would be the base damage of this type of weapon? With it being bigger, thus heavier than a khopesh, I would think it would do more damage than 1d8. So here's what I'm thinking:
1) 2d4 -- Same as a Falchion since they are similarly large, curved slashing weapons.
2) 1d10 -- Same as a Bastard Sword since both are hand & half. Also similar to the Dwarven Waraxe. With the Khopesh's curved blade, probably more similar to the Waraxe.
3) 1d12 -- Same as a Great Axe. The curved blade is more similar to an axe than a sword. Probably not as big and devastating as a Great Axe, but maybe.
4) 2d6 -- Same as a Great Sword, but I think this is too much damage since it's not a dedicated two hand weapon. Nor is it 5 feet long.
I'm actually leaning towards 1d10. With the forward-setting curved blade, the weapon's damage threat is truly more like an axe than a sword. Of course being in the form of a sword give more flexibility with attacks and parries. For me, I'd say 1d10, putting the weapon in line with the Dwraven Waraxe and Bastard Sword.
If it is more like an axe, then it brings up the question of the crit stats. I'm surprised the Khopesh is 19-20 x2 like many swords, and that it's not more like an axe with a crit on 20 x3. Thoughts welcome on crit stats as well.
1) you give up one attack of a full attack, so you can make the rest of your attacks.
2) you only take two weapon fighting penalties if you use two weapons to gain extra attacks.
3)yes
4)yes
5)you can hold the pistol but not use it (including gun feint).
6)apparently you don’t need a free hand to use quick clear, seems odd to me but there’s nothing in the rules about requiring a free hand to use that ability.
Thanks for the clarity! So from what I'm gathering, the answer to every question is a positive one (an advantage for this character).
1) I can keep attacking after Gun Feint if I have the BAB. AWESOME!
2) No Two Weapon penalty for gun feinting with the pistol then attack with my rapier. NOICE!
3) Can use Gun Feint with an empty pistol. OH YEAH!
4) If I have Rapid Reload feat, the Lightning Reload deed will allow me to shoot through my full BAB attacks. ZOMG!
5) Can use Precise Strike with rapier, but still have pistol in my other hand. THE BEST EVER!
6) Can quick clear with a rapier and pistol in my hands. MEH! ;p
But just to make sure I'm clear on the mechanics of #1.
1) I take it that if I have +11 BAB, then the feint takes place of the +11 attack, but I can still use my rapier for the plus +6 and +1 attacks. Correct?
And I take it that I could use the feint for any of those 3 attacks. But if I want the 2nd & 3rd attacks to get the benefit of feint, then obviously I use it as the 1st attack. Correct?
Added a question about Quick Clear. Think I know the answer (that you don't have to have a hand free), but I could be wrong and thought I'd answer along with all the other deed questions.
I can't answer the rest of them, but this one to me makes sense both RAW and RAI. As you say, your opponents have no way of knowing if the pistol is loaded or not. And the deed doesn't specify that you need to have the gun loaded, nor that it uses up a shot. (Compare it to the deed where you put a hot gun barrel against a wound to stop bleeding - which specifies that it does use up ammunition.)
The only way I could see it not count is if you shot at the opponent so they know you are no longer loaded. But even then, in the heat of battle, if someone points a gun at you... you'll likely flinch. If you are good at feinting... you could probably sell (fool) the opponent that he's about to get shot. So maybe it would work even if the pistol is empty. I like it!
I've got a few questions about three Picaroon deeds: Gun Feint, Lightning Reload, and Precise Strike. Sorry for all the questions. But if I'm going to take this archetype, I want to make sure I have the mechanics worked out.
First off, let me start by saying that I know Picaroon isn't optimal, because you can't reload a pistol with another weapon in your hand. But I plan to play as a switch hitter. Engage pistol at distance (which I know is a small range) then go to melee. But I have backstory... and it just seems like a fun character to play. I'm thinking combat will be fun even though it's not that strong of a class.
But this leads me to some major questions about deeds and how they would function. I'll try to group the questions under each of the different deeds.
Gun Feint
1) Gun Feint says that a player can "feint instead of attacking with her firearm as part of a full attack". What does "as part of a full attack" mean? What I'm trying to figure out is, do I still get to attack this round? Or is this action (deed) actually a full attack action and I cannot do anything else? Meaning I cannot attack. I'm think it's the latter and this deed replaces any chance for combat. But if it doesn't that's great and advantageous.
2) In the scenario above, if I do get to attack... and I choose to attack with my melee weapon, is it considered a Two Weapon attack? Normally feinting isn't considered an attack action, so I would think not. Because I use the pistol to feint and the melee weapon (likely rapier) to attack, is this Two Weapon fighting and incurring the penalties that go along with it. The reason this is very important is because duel wielding a rapier and pistol incurs -4 to attack if you Two Weapon attack.
3) Can I perform the Gun Feint deed if my pistol is empty? Don't think the rules require the gun to be loaded. But the spirit of the law may omit this. However, if the opponent never saw me fire the pistol, how would he know it's empty? But maybe I'm missing something and there's a clear ruling on this.
Lightning Reload
I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this one. But want to ask just to make sure.
4) With Lightning reload, I can reload as a free action (will have Rapid Reload). If my BAB is at +11, with means I can make attacks at +11/+6/+1, can I make all 3 attacks with a full-attack action? I would think yes, but want to make sure. Being able to do so would at least even out the pistol getting used way less than the rapier. And being able to fire off multiple shots at range seems really fun!
Precise Strike
This is a major one!!!
5) The Precise Strike deed says "To use this deed, a swashbuckler cannot attack with a weapon in her other hand or use a shield other than a buckler". Does this mean that I simply cannot Two Weapon fight and use the Precise Strike deed. Meaning I can't Precise Strike with my rapier and also attack with my pistol. Or is it saying that I cannot have the pistol in my hand at all? That I must only have a single light/one-hand weapon equipped. This is obviously a pretty major question. Because if it's the latter and I can't even have the pistol in my hand... then it gives me the headache of having to sheath the pistol. Precise Strike seems it would be a major tool if you want to cause decent damage as a Swashbuckler.
Quick Clear
6) To use this deed, do I have to have a hand free? I'm not sure if you have to have a hand free to fix a broken firearm. And if you do, would it apply to this deed.
I think that's about it. Sorry for all the questions. I tried to number them to make it easy for you guys to answer. I appreciate any clarifications, feedback, and help! Thanks!
Thanks for the advice everyone! Glad to clear up how Two Weapon Fighting worked. From what I've read, that's how I thought it should work. As mentioned, if the enemies at a distance or I have frontliners protecting me, I'll just draw the pistol to keep a hand free for reloading. If I feel that melee will happen early in combat, I'll draw both weapons... fire the pistol first then move in for melee... or simply move in for melee, but still have the pistol in hand just in case.
I still have some Gun Feint deed questions, but I'll ask them in another post... since I have like 3 or 4 different questions.
There isn’t really an “off-hand”. You are just as accurate using your left as your right. You can hold your pistol in one hand and your rapier (or whatever) at all times and never have a negative modifier. As long as you don’t try to use them both in the same round.
Drawing a weapon is typically a move action. If you use your standard action to attack with your pistol you can use your move action to draw your sword.
Thanks for the clarifications!
So it seems I have two combat strategies that will work:
If I have frontliners to protect me, I will just draw my pistol by itslef and fire. Then next round (with rapid reoload) I'll take a move action to reload and fire again. Should be able to keep this up while I have protection in front.
If I don't have protection, then I'll draw both weapons. Depending on the situation, if possible, I'll fire the pistol in the first round. Then next round I'll take a move action to actually move and then standard action to melee attack. I'll keep both weapons in my hand, but only attack with the melee weapon. So I will not be two weapon fighting and will not incur penalties.
This seems good enough to me. Maybe not the most optimal. But I like the flexibility.
One more question. If I go Picaroon, I get the Gun Feint deed.
Quote:
Gun Feint (Ex): At 7th level, a picaroon can use the ferocious reputation of firearms to her advantage. A picaroon with at least 1 panache point can feint instead of attacking with her firearm as part of a full attack. She can spend 1 panache point to gain a +5 bonus on this check. This deed replaces superior feint.
Say that I've already shot the pistol so it's empty, but I still have it in hand along with my melee weapon. Can I use Gun Feint with an empty pistol? Also, will feinting with my pistol, then attacking with my melee weapon be considered two weapon fighting?
First post and pretty new to Pathfinder. Looking to build a Switch Hitter Swashbuckler. Something similar to a Picaroon (melee and a pistol). Not sure I'm taking this archetype, but very likely. I know there's issues with reloading and all that (not asking about that). I have backstory and I'm looking to play a swashbuckler that will shot enemies at range and then switch to melee when they close in.
So what I'm looking for advice on is... what's the best way to equip (draw & sheath) these weapons? I'm totally fine with wielding each weapon individually. Meaning, pull out my pistol and fire at enemies, then sheath my pistol and draw my melee weapon. But is this the best route/mechanics for this to work smoothly?
I've read somewhere that you can have a weapon in each hand, but it not count as two weapon fighting as long as you're not attacking with both weapons in a round. If I can avoid it, I do not want to two weapon fight, because I don't want to incur the penalties. So with that said, is there a better way than drawing pistol, firing, sheathing pistol, then draw the melee weapon?
Can I fire the pistol and then draw melee weapon with the pistol still in my hand without incurring penalties on melee attacks? Meaning, it will not count as two weapon fighting. More than likely the melee weapon will be a rapier or short sword. If this scenario works... this begs the question, can I fire my pistol with my off-hand (nothing in my main hand yet) without incurring penalties? Or is an off-hand always a penalty even if main hand is free? The reason I ask is... once the pistol is fired, I would draw my melee weapon in my main hand.
Or maybe another option is... after I fire the pistol, could I switch it to my off-hand as a free action, then draw the melee weapon in my main hand. Is this possible?
Sorry for throwing out so many scenarios. I'm just trying to wrap my head around what works best. When combat first starts, I definitely want the pistol wielded by itself. That way if I need to reload, I can. But once enemies close in, I'm going all melee. So I don't care if the pistol is sheathed or unsheathed. But with sheathing costing an move action and giving AoO, if I can avoid it, I would think that's best. Of course, I should be able to step 5 feet away and still sheath the pistol with a single move action to avoid Attack of Opportunity.
But no matter the route I go, I want to make sure it all works together with out occurring attack penalties. If I have to sheath the pistol to avoid penalties, I will.
Thanks in advance for any advice! I'm sure there's better builds than switch hitting pistol/sword. But as I mentioned, there's backstory. I'm not looking for the most optimal swashbuckler. I prefer to play around story and roleplay over optimal build.
