MightyK's page

I do have a separate chart showing the standard multiclass spellcasting feats and what they provide. You might find that useful.

Ah yes, that's helpful, thanks! Small tip: I would use the same color-code as in the other tables for easier comparison.

For the Monk and Champion Spell Attack / Spell DC you write "1 Applies only to focus spells" but that is not correct imo.

Champion: "... you are trained in divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs"
and later: "Your proficiency ranks for your champion class DC and for divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs increase to master."

The same for monk although there you have a choice of tradition: "decide whether your ki spells are divine spells or occult spells. You become trained in spell attacks and spell DCs of that tradition and your key spellcasting ability is Wisdom."

And it only activates "When you first gain a ki spell".

It would be nice to include Multiclassing maybe? With Dedication and feats you can get trained Spellcasting at lvl 2, Expert at lvl 12 and master at lvl 18.

BTW that means that Champion and Monk / Caster MCs can get Expert and Master earlier than other MC combinations.

Close range is for rays only. Snowball is not a ray.

Are there so many archetpyes that an additional class skill to the class and coul dbe combined before?

Nice writeup!

I like the idea of an elf/half elf Moonlight stalker Arcane Scion because he can activate +2/+2 with blur "at will".
But its 3 feats...

Maybe the intensified shocking grasp is not the best fighting style for an eldritch scion?

A frostbite build for example could take rime spell at lvl 1 and metafocus at 3,or both at 5.

What about lower levels ? A level 5 character with 18 wis could heal 2x(5+4) =18 hit point. Not stellar, but that's a two hour action...

At level 5 with 5 skill ranks he would heal "hit points as if it had rested for a full day" so 10 HP or 14 HP if you beat the DC of 20 by more than 5 (5 ranks, class skill, +4 = roll of 13+), two times = 20, 24 or 28 HP depending on rolls.

That's like ~2 CLW (CL5) per person, per day @ lvl 5

I agree, not too bad!

Of course depending on the campaign. Certainly NOT for a dungeon crawl or where CLW wands are all over the place.
But if 2 hours rest is thematicaly fitting after a big fight that left you half dead...

I agree, the most important part is "The targeted creature becomes susceptible to a repeat use of your hexes."

This is not a spell that is meant to be put in an item. Maybe you could craft an item that allows for x/day uses of the spell, but a permament effect doesn't make sense.

An Item for witches, that allows to cast hex vulnarability at will, that would make sense and the price can be calculated.

Command Word:
Spell level (1) x caster level (1?) x 1,800 gp
5/day = /1
10/day = /0.5
only usable by witches -30%
slotless = *2

So, a slotless 5/day Hex Vulnerability items, usable by the witch herself would cost ... 1*1800*1*2= 3,600 -30% = 2,400 per CL!
Now you can decide how long the effect should last. 1 round, 5 times per day? 2,4000 gp
3 rounds, 5 times per day? 7,200 gp

So, yeah, maybe just get a wand...

roll 2 D20 take the better is +5 on average. There is a website where you can calculate stuff like this, sadly I forgot what is is called...

[...] but if you're a Staff Magus, you're not using Precise Strike, so you solved one damage-based problem and created a bigger one. [...]

Magi were doing lots of damage before the introduction of the precise strike arcane deed option.

Well not being able to use spellcombat is bad, but it is not that bad.

What does a Magus gain by Spellcombat? An additional, normal Melee attack.
So at lvl 8, with a +3, keen scimitar and STR 22 for example he can do

8d6+9 + 1d6+9 damage at -2 attack via spellcombat, or 8d6+9 without Spell combat.

Of course, without spellcombat he can wield his weapon with both hands to add 1.5 times his STR for 8d6+12 damage and instead of the -2 from spellcombat you could use Power Attack for -2:+6

The difference is:

8d6+9 + 1d6+9 = 49,5 or
8d6+18 = 43

difference is 6,5 damage or ~13% Spellcombat is better, sure. But it's not the end of the world to not have it available.

Well in that FAQ they give a pretty big condition:

However, if something alters the way the parent class feature works, such as a mime archetype that makes all bardic performances completely silent, with only visual components instead of auditory, you can’t take that archetype with an archetype that alters or replaces any of the sub-features.

So in this example one of the archetypes would have to alter the parent class feature of "Magus Arcana".
But they don't. They add "Kapenia Dancer Arcana" and "Hex Arcana" and they never replace or alter the Magus Arcana class feature.

With Aldritch Heritage or VMC Sorcerer a Magus could get:

Long Limbs (Ex): At 3rd level, your reach increases by 5 feet whenever you are making a melee touch attack.

Does this somehow work with Spellstrike?

At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell.

This isn't for PFS, is it? If so, there may be some bad news.

Since both archetypes add new magus arcana to your list, they appear to be no longer compatible. There's a new FAQ.

If this is for a home game, though, don't let us stop you. ^_^

Could you link to this new FAQ? I never can find things like that :(

MightyK wrote:

Well, in my group we have a DEX based TWF Cleric.

He took all his feats to be able to fight with 2 light hammers (not good at it of course) and than stands there summoning monsters and is really hesitant to go into melee... so there is that... [...]

[...] I think when this sort of thing happens, especially if the player's new (I don't know if he is or not), maybe have a talk with them. Just to guide them, don't start dropping elite build guides on them. There's ways to build a summon cleric, and I think someone can build a TWF cleric, but a TWF summoning cleric is a little mixed up. (And light hammers suck.)

He is not really new, but i am not sure he ever bothered to read the rules. We kind of carry him because the rest is quite experienced.

He thinks he knows what he wants to play beforehand, but than ingame he somehow does a 180... its a little funny, and a little frustrating.

The good thing about the cleric is even without any feats, he is still never useless.

Well, in my group we have a DEX based TWF Cleric.
He took all his feats to be able to fight with 2 light hammers (not good at it of course) and than stands there summoning monsters and is really hesitant to go into melee... so there is that...

Now every time I crit and pull good dmg he feels useless... and I play a monk!!

So, my lesson from this is: If you sit around a fire and tell stories, tell whatever you want. If you play a game with a system and rules, and a rule-heavy like PF at that. Dont ignore the system.

Play with it, but dont ignore it.

Excuse the double post, but one more maybe interesting thing about a CHA based Ninja/Magus is a wand of KI LEECH. Use with your high UMD and get back ki every time you crit (often) or kill and refill your arcane pool that way.

Nobody is talking about having an advantage over a normal magus. We are talking about making a certain concept viable.
Reducing MADnes is a key ingredient, that of course comes at a price. But in this case I think it would be worth it and in any case it is possible, that's what I was pointing out.

Well, at level 6 with a CHA of 20 you would have a pool of 13 points, ki and arcane combined.
The 5 point you have over the pure magus can feed your mythical trance over 10 rounds, that's not sooooo bad...

STAT MAD you need INT (spells, arcane pool,& skills), CHA, ( KI, face skills, buff to feint) WIS ( to find traps ) this may be drop to 10, CON ( fort, HP, death door), STR to hit and damage, DEX ( AC, int, range stealth acrobatic) may to hit and damage but that will cost you 3 feats.

You could also go Eldrich Scion to switch from INT to CHA.

With the ki arcana, you add CHA twice to your pool size (1/2 level + CHA*2).

With the Destined Bloodline and the fates favored trait you can get +2 to AC and all Saving Throws at level 4. Lowers the need for DEX some.

Or go Arcane and have blur on all the time "for free" and go moonlight stalker to aid with Attack, damage and later feint.

Or go DEX (2 feats with scimitar) and CHA, and have INT&STR&WIS at 10, rest in CON. Not MAD at all, great initiative, AC, Attack and Damage and be the party face!

Maybe still not optimized to the fullest, but to me it sounds like fun, and viable.

The Spell-Scars Arcana from Pathfinder Player Companion: Blood of the Moon seems interesting and not yet in the guide.
What do you think about it? Is it worth it? Better than simply picking scribe scroll?

Benefit: The magus can use special scar-based tattoos called spell-scars on his skin to cast or prepare spells, much like scrolls. He can cast a spell from a spell-scar exactly like casting from a scroll; the ink and scars vanish when the spell is cast. The magus can also prepare spells from his spell-scars without expending them, similar to a wizard using the Spell Mastery feat.

The magus does not need to be able to see his spell-scar to use it. A magus has room on his skin for 18 total spell levels of spell-scars, which he can create using the rules for scribing scrolls (although they do not require the Scribe Scroll feat).

Have a look at this Halfing-Warpriest-Slinger post.

Battle (surprise) has some awesome revelations for a fighter.

War Sight (Su): Whenever you roll for initiative, you can roll twice and take either result. At 7th (13th) level, you can always act in the surprise round, but if you fail to notice the ambush, you act last, regardless of your initiative result (you act in the normal order in following rounds). At 11th (17th) level, you can roll for initiative three times and take any one of the results.

Battlefield Clarity (Ex): Once per day, as an immediate action, whenever you fail a saving throw that causes you to become blinded, deafened, frightened, panicked, paralyzed, shaken, or stunned, you may attempt that saving throw again, with a +4 insight bonus on the roll. You must take the second result, even if it is worse. At 7th (13th) and 15th (21st) level, you can use this ability one additional time per day.

Then grab the Feat: Arcane Strike - Since your rogue levels now count as caster levels. This will give you a stackable magical enhancement on your weapons, giving you a bonus to hit (very important) and damage.

Arcane Strike only gives +dmg or am I missing something?

Just don't forget that the attribute bonuses are enhancements and thus do not stack with bonuses from items.

I like the Wild Hunter for a switch hitter, because you can swap from DEX to STR when going into melee and take a CON item, or use your WPL for weapons.

Also good are the Bat for darkvision, the Falcon for perception and the Owl for stealth. You fight some Fireball throing Wizard? Mouse for Evasion...
All in all it is more versatile than favored enemy, especially if you fight lots of different stuff or do not fight much at all.

Take the Shield trained Trait if you want to go the TWF route.

Shield-Trained

Benefit(s) Heavy and light shields are considered simple weapons rather than martial weapons for you. Heavy shields are considered light weapons for you.

But how do you get DEX to damage with any of these weapons?
Agile enchantment? Or is there another way?

come on, save us all a click ;)

You count as your own ally unless otherwise stated or if doing so would make no sense or be impossible. Thus, "your allies" almost always means the same as "you and your allies."

"Wisdom describes a character's willpower, common sense, awareness, and intuition."

"Reads people and situations very well, almost without effort" is the d20pfsrd.com editors explanation of WIS 20.

Have a really strong willpower, go with your gut, be emphatic, moderate, don't overthink problems.

google Buddhist or Zen words of wisdom and drop them on your fellow players. They are wise words, but sound borderline nonsense sometimes.

Almost a hundred FAQ marks and still nothing?

Shameless half-necro bump.

So, what is switch hitting then? Just standing in both melee and at range? Is a caster with combat casting also a switch hitter if all he does is sling lightning bolts? In that case any class which specialises and sometimes stands in melee is a switch hitter

To me a simple feat which changes if you threaten while shooting in melee does not change the core of what a switch hitter build does. Hell, if that was the case switch hitters changing weapons was outdated from the start, since you could full-attack with a 5 foot step anyway. Moreover, you could always fire in melee, just need to take the Aro.

No, switch hitting is not optimal, and yes you can use a bow in melee. However, switch hitting is still about switching 'what' you hit with, not switching 'where' you hit from, one potential square close.

Switch hitting was about being able to be good at range and in melee. AND it was about needing and being able to switch weapons to achieve that goal.

If it is about mechanics, people can give advice on how to achieve some goal. The advice was "switch hitting" and now it may be " stick to the bow and take point blank master".

The original switch hitter is from a time where there were no point blank mastery feat. One could argue that switch hitting with actual weapon switching is simply out-dated.

A Divine Tracker Ranger with the Air Blessing can shoot in Melee starting at lvl 4. (Saves a feat, needs a standard action to activate, limited uses per day.)

Zephyr's Gift (minor): At 1st level, you can touch any one ranged weapon and enhance it with the quality of air. For 1 minute, any attacks made with the weapon take no penalties due to range. In addition, making a ranged attack with this weapon doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity.

They are "only" a permanent level 1 spell. The spell is just really good.

I know this is old, but still the only place where the Battle Heralds Inspiring Commands are discussed.

My question: Isn't Inspire Courage (almost) always the best option?

That would make situational commands the only worthwhile, because you just switch to the for a round or so. I am thinking of 'Shake it off' for example.

just noticed:
You say "crusader's flurry" in MASTER TACTICIAN - Alexander-Class, but the class feature is "Brawler's Flurry".
Crusader's flurry is a feat for cleric/monks.

Great post, thanks alot!
I always wanted to lay a battle herald and love the new options wih the hybrid classes!

A reach monk is a good addition. (More so with lots of potions of enlarge person...)

Depending on which level you start, a sohei (lvl6+) or a unarmed fighter 1 / monk X, preferably hungry ghost monk (for punishing kick).

I play a hungry ghost monk with a reach monk weapon.
(double-chained Kama or Kusarigama)
To make this legal I took the first level as unarmed fighter. (Dragon Style for free)

The interesting part to me is the Punishing Kick ability of the Hungry Ghost Monk and the fact that you threaten 5ft pretty well with your unarmed attacks.

First round(s) you can use some Qinggong power (Barkskin, Scorching ray) on your turn, getting some AOOs (trip maybe?) in on their turn.

The beauty of punishing kick is, that the target does not get a save. You just have to hit (and still do damage) to push them 5ft back.
So you can flurry, start with a punishing kick (1.5xSTR Dragon style), and if successful follow up with the reach weapon. Then take a step back to 15ft, setting them up for a move and a AOO.

If you miss the PK, you can simply follow up with more unarmed attacks or maybe try a trip or so...

Later, when you want to crit fish to regain ki, you can quickdraw the awesome Sansetsukon (1D10, 19-20) after getting some AOOs.

This whole concept does only work with a rapier though.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/fencing-grace-combat

Prerequisite(s): Dex 13, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (rapier).

Benefit(s): When wielding a rapier one-handed, you can add your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to that weapon's damage. The rapier must be one appropriate for your size.

Feats:

Arcane Strike (+3 damage)
Bloodied Arcane Strike (Arcane Strike always on, doesn’t need to spend a Swift action)

[...]

I have 3 basic attacks at (Enlarged, with power attack and Reckless Abandon activated) +29/+29/+24, hitting at 3D6+43 damage per hit.

You do 3D6+43 dmg per hit.

A) Unless you're starting at 10ft range you're not going to be able to do that. At 15ft you're spending your 5ft step to get into flurry range, anything further than that you won't get to flurry. Only way that'll happen is if they also have a reach weapon to attack you with, otherwise they'd charge or double move to base you.

B) Definitely an option, just remember that PK'ing to prone a target requires a Fort save which Constructs and other certain creatures are immune to. Fort saves are also usually the hardest to pull off but it's definitely possible. If you're fighting something with a strong full-attack you're better off with the auto 5ft push so you can 5ft back to get out of FA range.

I meant a) if they did not come through because i tripped them with my AOO and b) if I did trip them with the AOO trip attack.

thanks for the input!

Weapon Adept doesn't grant Channel Energy ability. Can't qualify for Crusader's Flurry with that and the only natural flurry reach weapon available would be a Kasurigama (Kyoketsu shoge and Double-chained Kama both would require a feat for proficiency and neither are any better.)

1 level od unarmed fighter (fighter archetype) gets all monk weapon profiencies + 1 Style feat for free. Also you have BAB 1 at first level and can take PA and WF with your 1st lvl feats.

Inquisitions can only be taken by Inquisitors.

"While a cleric or other domain-using class can select an inquisition in place of a domain (if appropriate to the character’s deity), inquisitions do not grant domain spell slots or domain spells, and therefore are much weaker choices for those classes."

Because you dont care about spells, inquisitions can be very good for a for a 1 lvl dip

Just two days ago I posted my idea for a monk build with reach.
So far it has not gained any attention, but maybe you find something interesting there: Hungry Ghost Monk crit / reach build

I am planing a Monk for our new home-brew campaign and I wonder if you think this concept would work "reasonably well" (I know some people think monks are weak no matter what).
(cross post from reddit /r/pathfinder_rpg)

I love the flavor of the Hungry Ghost Monk(HGM) and think it can be quite good with a 19-20 crit weapon.

HGM gets punishing kick (PK) instead of stunning fist, and I think the most interesting bit about it is to me that foes get no save against the 5 feet push.
They only get one if you try to kick them prone.

We start at level 4, but I think he would be fun from lvl 1.

STR focus, with 25pt buy probably 19 14 13 8 16 7 (human)

Now my Idea is this:

lvl 1: unarmed fighter for all monk weapons, BAB1@lvl1, dragon stlye feat (useful with weapon (movement) and PK (1.5 STR))
power attack, weapon focus

lvl 2: Qigong HGM, dodge monk bonus feat, PK

lvl 3: Quick draw, combat reflexes monk nonus feat, evasion

lvl 4: Maneuver Training (Maneuver @full BAB)

I have a Sansetsukon (1d10 - 19–20/×2, monk) for damage and crits
and a Kusarigama (sickle and chain) (1d6 - ×2, reach, trip, monk) for reach.

I would begin battle by getting into position, delaying an attack or later buffing me with barkskin and drawing the Kusarigama.
I have 3 AOOs for approaching enemies and would use those for trip attemps.

The next round(s) depend on the situation, but the possibilites are

a) flurry with reach if none came through, step 5' back so they draw AOOs again.
b) 5'step, draw Sansetsukon and flurry agains a prone target for good damage
c) flurry - PK an adjacent foe away with first attack, if it hits continue with reach flurry, step 5' back afterwards. If PK did not hit continue with unarmed OR (if allowed) draw Sansetsukon (can you use a free action in the middle of a full action?) and continue flurry with it.

For quickdraw to work as a free action I would have to drop the Kusarigama to draw the Sansetsukon, so no easy going back to reach at that point. Of course PK can than be used to kick prone. Even if they make the save, the damage hits and should be ok with Dragon Style.

The trait Martial Manuscript gives +2 crit confirm with monk weapons, that should help with the hungry ghost aspects later on.

Now, my questions are:

- Can you use a free action (or 2) in the middle of a full action? (drop and quick draw a weapon)
- Am I overthinking this and missing something vital?
- Am I spreading myself to thin with 2 weapons regarding enhancements, so that one of the two will be worthless later on?

- Any must have feats? I thought about later getting Improved Trip (monk bonus), imp. Initiative or Toughness, maybe Lunge?, Improved Critical(monk bonus)
Critical Focus, Staggering Critical and Medusa's Wrath?
or the Dimensional Agility chain with Dimensional Assault and Dimensional Dervish?
(Allowed Materials: anything Paizo)

Tl;dr: ... hungry ghost crit/reach build with 2 weapons -> Nice? Fail? any suggestions?

Find a new GM.

!

Cackle+Vital strike=Win

What?

Perhaps you could add some ideas on a way to build an archer that can cast decently, heal without a wand and hit at least 16 BAB. I would honestly like to have your thoughts on the subject. I would like to add that wizards are not exactly my favorite, but I would not be completely opposed to considering one.

Ranged Inquisitors seem to work very well.

Oracle of Wood!

Bonus Spells: shillelagh (2nd), barkskin (4th), minor creation (wood items only) (6th), thorn body (8th), tree stride (10th), ironwood (12th), transmute metal to wood (14th), changestaff (16th), wooden phalanx (18th).

Wood Bond (Ex): Your mystical bond with wood is such that your weapons become an extension of your body. You gain a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls when wielding a weapon made of or mostly consisting of wood (such as a bow, club, quarterstaff, or spear). This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every five levels thereafter.

Wooden Weapon (Su): You can create a wooden club, quarterstaff, longspear, shortspear, or spear that lasts for 1 minute for every oracle level you possess. This weapon is appropriate for your size. You are considered proficient with the weapon. The weapon disappears after 1 round if it leaves your grasp. At 3rd level, the weapon is considered masterwork. At 7th level, 15th level, and 19th level, the weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus. At 11th level, the weapon gains the keen weapon property (or the equivalent increase to its critical threat range, if it is a bludgeoning weapon). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Wood Armor (Su): You can conjure wooden armor around yourself, which grants you a +4 armor bonus. At 7th level, and every four levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +2. At 13th level, this armor grants you DR 5/slashing. You can use this armor for 1 hour per day per oracle level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-hour increments. The armor vanishes if you remove it.

And if you play to high levels... become a treant at level 13!

Tree Form (Sp): As a standard action, you can assume the form of a Large living or dead tree or shrub, as tree shape. At 9th level, you can assume the form of a Small or Medium plant creature, as plant shape I. At 11th level, you can assume the form of a Large plant creature, as plant shape II. At 13th level, you can assume the form of a Huge plant creature, as plant shape III. You can use this ability once per day, but the duration is 1 hour/level. You must be at least 3rd level to select this revelation.

"Huge plant: If the form you take is that of a Huge plant, you gain a +8 size bonus to your Strength, a -2 penalty to your Dexterity, a +4 size bonus to your Constitution, and a +6 natural armor bonus."

hm... nobody?