Sir Cowdog's page

Cornugon Smash: When you damage an opponent with a Power Attack, you may make an immediate Intimidate check as a free action to attempt to demoralize your opponent.

Hurtful: When you successfully demoralize an opponent within your melee reach with an Intimidate check, you can make a single melee attack against that creature as a swift action.

Felling Smash: If you use the attack action to make a single melee attack at your highest base attack bonus while using Power Attack and you hit an opponent, you can spend a swift action to attempt a trip combat maneuver against that opponent.

The reason I find this a little confusing is because Cornugon Smash and Hurtful are very open ended effects. All you need to do is to damage an opponent with Power Attack. While Felling Smash is just a little more specific in that it refers to an 'attack action' at your highest BaB while Power Attack is on.

My question is this: Can you wait until after you hit before choosing to go with either Felling Smash or the Cornugon Smash + Hurtful combo, as long as the hit in question is done at the highest BaB? Or do you have to declare that you're using Felling Smash before the attack?

I'm about to play in a campaign where characters start at level 7. Stats are rolled instead of purchased, and this will mostly be a Strength-Based character. Here's the build I'm looking at right now:

Human Lore Warden(3)/Thug(4)

Level 1: [Lore Warden] Power Attack(base), Improved Trip(human), Intimidating Prowess(Bonus Fighter Feat)
Level 2: [Lore Warden] Hurtful(Bonus Fighter feat), Combat Expertise(Lore Warden bonus)
Level 3: [Thug] Combat Reflexes(Base), Sneak Attack 1d6
Level 4: [Thug] Weapon Focus(from Rogue Talent: Weapon Training), Evasion
Level 5: [Thug] Dazzling Display(Base)
Level 6: [Thug] Cornugon Smash(from Rogue Talent: Combat Trick), Uncanny Dodge, Sneak Attack 2d6
Level 7: [Lore Warden] Shatter Defenses

From here my level-up plan is:

Level 8: Lore Warden: Greater Trip(Bonus Fighter feat)
Level 9: Lore Warden: Felling Smash(Base)

After that I'm not really sure what direction to take the build. There are a few potential directions to go:

Dodge->Mobility->Combat Patrol/Spring Attack
Cleave->Cleaving Finish
Furious Focus->Dreadful Carnage
Weapon Specialization and Improved Crit

Lore Warden seems key to making this build work by giving Expertise for free and bumping up CMB rolls. The Thug levels synergize well with the feats for Intimidation. Sneak attack damage enhances an already powerful hit from a two-handed weapon and multiple ways to generate extra attacks. Various debuffs(Shaken, Sickened, Prone, Flat-Footed) add offensive versatility. On top of all that the build has MANY skillpoints to work with between rogue, Lore Warden, and human bonus points. Maxing intimidation is the only real requirement, so there's LOTS of flexibility here.

Targets outside of melee range can be addressed by carrying a bow. The good BaB and a moderate dex score should suffice for hitting things regularly, but none of the feats really support it. Targets that get inside the minimum range of the reach weapon can be addressed by tripping them using a gauntlet as a close weapon(clarification: Do you need access to heavy armor to equip a gauntlet as a weapon?)

There are a few main weaknesses that I see:

1)The will save on this character will be on the weak side, with neither class improving it, and no spare feats for Iron Will. Possible remedies include taking Iron Will at a late level, or picking up a trait to bolster it.

2)A relatively low armor class due to light armor and no shields. This build relies STRONGLY on pro-actively disabling and debuffing enemies before they can seriously harm it. Enemy archers and other ranged attackers could pose a serious threat, especially touch attacks. However, uncanny dodge should at least keep you from ever losing what AC you have.

3) Targets which are immune to fear, sneak attacks, or tripping. Oozes and incorporeal undead come to mind. Any target which is immune to any of those three primary methods will weaken the build, but not severely as long as the other avenues of attack still work.

------------------------

Overall it seems like a very powerful build, and I'm curious to actually see it in action. I'd like to know if I've messed up anything mechanically due to bad feat placement or not meeting requirements. I'd also be interesting in suggestions to make it stronger or more versatile.

On a side note:

Obviously if the GM allows it there's no problem, but I'd be curious to know what people's feelings are on using setting-specific feats or classes, like Cornugon Smash and Lore Warden, outside of the official Pathfinder setting/Golarion.

As for roleplaying aspects, I see this build as perfect for an evil alignment character who revels in the pain and suffering of his enemies. But a good or neutral-aligned hardcase would work also.