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I'm building a character for a campaign and want to see if there is any advice or issues with what I'm trying to do. Some of this is a little murky to me, Coming in at level 12. I appreciate any insight, general advice, rules problems with what I'm doing, or clarifications.

Human Warpriest (Arsenal Chaplain) Level 12
Dual-wielding a heavy steel shield in one hand, and a buckler in the other hand. FCB going towards more feats.

Campaign Notes
We are getting bonus teamwork feats in addition to below, but I'm not as concerned with this right now as it will depend on rest of party.
Campaign rule that weapon specific feats apply to all weapons in fighter group.
Probably going to be a tougher campaign with craziness (one player's got a super juiced up Eidolon). Myself and the Eidolon are going to be serving on the front line.

My thoughts were to use the Dual Enhancement feat to enchant the weapon side of both shields at once, and then throw that bonus to Guardian and Defending every round.
Then use Shield Master to attack with the shield side of the shields. Add things like Holy to one of the shields as needed to bypass DR.

Starting Stats (post racial):[/b]
14/17/14/12/14/7
Str/Dex/Con/Int/Wis/Cha
Level ups all go into Dexterity (20 dex base at 12).

Traits
Fate's Favored (Faith)
Shield Bearer (Race)

Feats (F indicates the fighter feats)
1) Improved Shield Bash
1) Weapon Focus Shields
1) Two-Weapon Fighting
3) Upsetting Shield Style
3F) Advanced Weapon Training (Trained Grace) (Retrained into at level 5)
5) Combat Reflexes
6) Upsetting Strike
6F) Advanced Weapon Training (Focused Weapon)
7) Upsetting Vengeance
7) Quicken Blessing (Archetype)
9) Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
9F) Advanced Weapon Training (Fighter Tactics) (Retrained into at 11th level?)
11) Dual Enhancement
12) Shield Slam
12F) Shield Master

Possible Future Feats:
Shield Focus & Stumbling Bash
Divine Interference

Noteworthy Potential Equipment (available wealth is currently unknown)
Gloves of Dueling
Ring of Tactical Precision
Mithral Heavy Steel Shield (+3 Shield side, +1 Defending Weapon)
Adamantine Buckler (+2 Shield side, +1 Guardian Weapon)
Mithral Nimble Full-Plate
Big 6 items (Belt of Physical Perfection +2), baubles, and scrolls

Some general questions/concerns/confusion I have
1) I'm not super clear on shield being double enchanted, at one point I was under the impression that I needed the armor spikes to get the weapon also, but then I've seen posts which seem to suggest that you don't need weapon spikes to enchant a shield both ways (this matters both from a cost stand point and for the buckler).

2) Either way, if I wanted to, I could enchant one of the shields to be a +10 shield and a +10 weapon (+5 enhancement/+5 abilities in both cases) if I really wanted to, is that correct?

3) Also not sure if it makes sense to add either shield spikes or the Bashing property to the heavy steel shield? Original thought was maybe shield spikes, but not sure if this is worth it?

4) If I shield bash with the heavy steel shield using Shield Master, but put holy on the weapon side of it, does the shield bash count as benefiting from the enchantment?

Thank you in advance.

I was thinking that the ability of Adamantine Weapons to bypass hardness applied to objects and creatures. I was looking at adamantine today and noticed it only specified objects.

Was I just initially mistaken?

Edit: I was specifically curious about adamantine and construct hardness.

Mined from rocks that fell from the heavens, this ultrahard metal adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor. Weapons fashioned from adamantine have a natural ability to bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 20. Armor made from adamantine grants its wearer damage reduction of 1/— if it's light armor, 2/— if it's medium armor, and 3/— if it's heavy armor. Adamantine is so costly that weapons and armor made from it are always of masterwork quality; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below. Thus, adamantine weapons and ammunition have a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls, and the armor check penalty of adamantine armor is lessened by 1 compared to ordinary armor of its type. Items without metal parts cannot be made from adamantine. An arrow could be made of adamantine, but a quarterstaff could not.

Weapons and armor normally made of steel that are made of adamantine have one-third more hit points than normal. Adamantine has 40 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 20.

I am curious if anyone happens to know what the highest DR (numerically speaking) found in any of the bestiaries is?

As a bonus question, I'd like to open the question up to any official NPC/Monster stat block published by Paizo.

Thanks!

So I'm playing in the Iron Gods AP, we just beat book 2 and are starting book 3 tonight. We have a new guy who is joining that really likes Arcane Casters so I'm retiring my Wizard (this was an offer I made) and building a barbarian, I've never played one before but we are playing tonight and I won't have a lot of time to make him after work. So looking for quick suggestions

(Sorry if this is streamlined, I'm at work and on phone.)

Originally I thought about going with the Savage Technogist archetype but the whole duel wielding thug just doesn't do it for me. So I've decided to go with an Invulnerable Rager. Here are the basic build ideas:

1)Half-Orc
Taking the Sacred Tattoo and Endurance feat alternate racial traits.

2) Rage Powers
Superstition (pumping favored class into it)
The one which gives you a bite.
Intimidating Glare
Dragon Totem Line
Come and Get Me

3)Feats:
Power Attack
Combat Reflexes
Extra Rage Power (for intimidating. Glare)
Any ideas for cool technology proficiencies?

4) Traits:
Robot Slayer
Fates Favored

5)Other
Str>Con=Dex>Wis>Int>cha (15 buy)
Will generally use Two-Handed weapon. Might adapt per tech drops.

I'm curious what energy resistance people would recommend for Dragon Totem for Iron Gods. I was thinking Electricity or Fire, but im not super familiar with tech to know good energy types.

Thanks!

I'm playing in a game right now with a Magus, we just hit level 5. The game will likely go to high levels (possibly 20) so I'm trying to get a decent build down to keep him relevant. As such I'm looking for basically everything I posted in the title (and more!).

Feel free to post on anything in the build, something you see that is week (unnecessary), etc. The game I'm playing in is easy now, but from what the GM tells me, once we hit mid-levels the sort of encounters we will be facing are going to be quite difficult (from what I understand, encounters with several CR appropriate and above monsters, like easily 10 at a time with occasional epic monsters mixed in). So I want to do what I can to try and keep up in Combat and Remain viable out of combat.

I'm going to spoiler some things to make it look neater. At the end I will include some specific questions I hope to have addressed.

Feats:
1) Extra Arcane Pool
3) Extra Arcana: Arcane Deed (Precise Strike)
5) Heighten Spell
5) Preferred Spell (Shocking Grasp)
7) Intensified Spell
9) Improved Familiar (Faerie Dragon: for Action-Economy, Utility, Wand+UMD Usage)
11) Elemental Spell
11) Spell Penetration
13) Maximize/Empower Spell
15) Spell Perfection: Shocking Grasp/Vampiric Touch
17) Craft Wondrous Item?
17) Greater Spell Penetration
19) Extra Arcane Pool/Weapon Focus/Extra Arcana: Arcane Deed*

Arcana
3) Flamboyant Arcana
3) Precise Strike (Talked with my DM, got the "OK" for it working with Spell Combat and using Magus levels.)
6) Familiar
6) Arcane Accuracy
9) Accurate Strike
12) Maximized Magic/Devoted Blade/Ghost Blade/Dispelling Strike
12/13) Spell Blending
15) Bane Blade
18) Reflection
18/19) Quickened Magic/Maximized Magic/Arcane Deed for Stunning Stab
19) Cheat Death* If I take Extra Arcana

So this is the current layout that I have going, definitely not set in stone.

A few, specific, questions I had:
1) Ideas for Spells for Spell Blending. A few ideas that came to mind are Enervation, Resist Energy Communal, False Life, Heroism.

2) My feat choices for 17-19 are kind of up in the air. I would like to grab Craft Wondrous but 17 seems a little late for it to really be useful.

3) Maximized Spell vs Empowered Spell. I know Empowered is generally considered better, but the main purpose of grabbing either at 13 is for sticking it on spell perfection. Do you think Empower still holds out better for the marginal damage difference and greater versatility?

4) Thoughts on the other Level 12 Arcana.

Thanks for the help, feel free to bring the heat. ^_^

I have seen other threads but they are dated and I want to get what the modern school of thought is on such matter's (along with clarification). I'm playing a Saurian Druid and I want to make sure I'm understanding how things work during Dinosaur Time.

For the following questions, assume this:
"I have successfully grappled someone, they didn't escape during their turn. I then successfully make my grapple check to hold the grapple during my turn."

My questions are as follows:

1) When does rake activate, is it a free action to take the rake action immediately upon the successful check to maintain the grapple or do I have to do another action first?

2) If it activates during one of the grapple actions (damage, move, pin, tie up) does it have to be the damage action or does something like moving trigger it too?

3) Does the rake ability do automatic damage when using it or is it an attack(s)?

4) If it is an attack do the grapple penalties apply on the attack roll?

Okay, think that's it for rake. Now for Grab:
5) If I successfully grapple someone on the first attack of a full-round attack, can I continue to make all of my attacks for the round, with the penalties of the grappled condition?

6) Upon successfully maintaining the grapple, does the grab ability automatically deal the natural attack's damage?

7) Could I, with both rake and grab, deal: grab damage + rake damage + "damage action" damage?

To better illustrate my questions (and train of thought), here is my current reading of things (assume the grab and rake abilities):
-If you successfully maintain the grapple you automatically deal the grab damage from the natural attack used to make the grapple.

-Then as a free action (requiring no more conditions) you can make a rake attack(s) against them, these are free attack actions that incur the grapple penalties.

-Then you can choose to follow up with using the "damage action" to deal the damage of the natural attack or do something else, like move them towards your friends.

Don't feel like you have to answer each individual question, holistic responses are appreciated too.

Thanks in advance!
-Jim

Hello!

This is my first post, so please bare with me. As my post title suggests, I'm building a Saurian Shaman Druid (level 6) for a campaign I'm in. I'm hoping to focus on being a Battle Druid.

My primary goal with this character is to try and be a melee combatant, split focus on damage and control, letting the Inquisitor focus on pure damage. Using summons to help get the extra damage, take up space, and eat attacks. Mostly I just want to make sure that our party will be competent in combat without a full martial (obviously we have enough utility to do other things well).

I'm looking for whatever advice or critique people have for anything I post. I have read Trentmonk's and Peterrco's guides.

Current Party:
Alchemist (Mad Bomber sort of build, will have some buffing and debuffing focus as well, only one to not change characters)
Druid (Me)
Inquisitor (Melee Focused, probably going for a 2-handed weapon)
Wizard (Divination School, focus on buffing and battlefield control, splashed with some damage).
Zen Archer (Player may or may not be continuing, looking like a no.)

Race=Human
Bond= Animal Companion or Feather w/ Boon Companion

Stats:
Our GM gave us set stats, no buying or rolling, with freedom to assign them how we please. Currently I'm debating between two different arrays. Any help on which would be better would be appreciated, currently I'm leaning towards the 14 dex build.

Strength= 16+2
16+2
Dexterity= 13+1
13
Constitution= 14
14
Intelligence= 12
12
Wisdom= 15
15+1
Charisma= 12
12

Feats
1) Spell Focus Conjuration
1) Augment Summons
3) Superior Summoning
5) ?
7) Natural Spell (the pain of not getting Wild Shape till level 6)
9) Powerful Shape
9) Vital Strike/Power Attack
11) Planar Wildshape

Right now I'm trying to really figure out what to do with my 5th feat slot. I was originally going to go with Craft:Wondrous Item, but the GM said there probably wouldn't be a whole lot of downtime to do it so I'm considering other things. My other contenders are Power Attack, Toughness, Heavy Armor Proficiency, or Boon Companion (in this case taking feather domain instead of AC).

What are people's thought's on the value of the perception bonus and spells for the feather domain route?

Do you think the summoning feats will be viable instead of other more combat orientated feats?

I've also considered just dropping the extra feat (and just moving everything up one space, removing my woes over my 5th slot) for a +2 strength to my Animal Companion.

Traits
1) Reactionary/Dirty Fighter
2) Not Sure

Animal Companion
I had a tough time with this choice, my initial considerations were Allosaurus, Velociraptor, Stegosaurus (the Spinosaurus's fin creeps me out O_o). I ended up deciding on the Allosaurus. The reason for this was that I feel it offers a nice balance between striking (3 attacks+pounce) and control (reach+grab). Plus it seem's sort of BA (conceptually) to have an Allosaurus fighting alongside you. It was hard to resist the temptation to get a female Velociraptor and make "clever girl" jokes all day.

I'm putting the level 4 attribute into it's intelligence.

Allosaurus Feats
1) Toughness
2) Weapon Focus Claws
5) Unarmed Strike
8) Improved Grapple
10) Greater Grapple

I'm hoping the GM will let me drop the Multiattack and let me replace it with something like "weapon focus: bite", but I don't mind if not.

Essentially I'm trying to build him towards being a decent striker (to help with our martial woes) along with being good at making use of his grab attack. Does anyone know if an Allosaurus AC get's grab on all of it's attacks? The way it's written it looks like it to me.

Equipment
I'm a little lost on this one. Not having "Wild" will hurt, but hopefully that option will eventually come up.

For Me:
-Scimitar, Light Wooden Quickdraw Shield, Sling
-Either +1 Stoneplate or +1 Dragonhide Breastplate (depending on feats).
-Some sort of barded armor (hide?) for a huge allosaurus.
-MWK Backpack

Allosaurus Equipment:
-Amulet of Mighty Fists (+1 or Shocking/Corrosive)
-Medium Barded Leather (for level 6 and could still be usable for any medium bipedal forms I take later)
-Large Barded +1, Mithral, Kikko Armor (for when he grows into it)
-Training Harness
-Pack Saddle

I admit, I'm a little lost on how I should prioritize my purchases, having to buy for 2, with the expectation of my buddy getting large in a level has made this a tough bit for me. Definitely an area I'm looking for advice on.

I figure that Ant Haul will be my friend for level 6.

One last question (I know this isn't rules, but any thoughts are appreciated), under the Totem Transformation section for a Saurian Shaman it lists that you can gain a Bite and 2 claw attacks, then has a bit about a bonus to grapple and rake. I'm just wondering if the claws are something you only get while grappling (for rakes) or if you can use the claws whenever?

That's pretty much it. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Sorry if this was somewhat long.

Thanks!