I'm running a mythic campaign right now and of course the antagonists are mythic as well. Unfortunately, it isn't exactly clear how some abilities interact when it comes to determining if someone provokes an attack of opportunity. I've been specifically having issues with Defensive Move and Slow Reactions vs. Cage Enemies and Unexpected Strike.
Defensive Move:
Once per round, you can designate one opponent. Unless you attempt to move through that opponent's space, your movement (including standing up from a prone position) doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity from that opponent. If you move through the opponent's space, you can still attempt an Acrobatics check to do so without provoking an attack of opportunity. You can take this ability more than once. Each additional time you select it, you can designate one additional opponent when you move.
Slow Reactions:
Opponents damaged by the rogue's sneak attack can't make attacks of opportunity for 1 round.
Cage Enemy:
You can pin enemies foolish enough to face you. As an immediate action, you can expend one use of mythic power to hinder opponents until the end of your next turn. When this ability is active, any creature moving out of one of your threatened squares, even when making a 5-foot step or using a form of movement that doesn't usually provoke attacks of opportunity, provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your attack of opportunity hits and deals damage, the creature remains in its current space and its movement ends. Alternatively, you can expend one use of mythic power as part of a charge. If the charge attack hits, the target can't move itself from its space until the beginning of your next turn (though others can move the creature).
Unexpected Strike:
The barbarian can make an attack of opportunity against a foe that moves into any square threatened by the barbarian, regardless of whether or not that movement would normally provoke an attack of opportunity. This power can only be used once per rage. A barbarian must be at least 8th level before selecting this power.
So the question is, in what circumstances would the AoO go off and in what circumstances would it be avoided?
Without using any specific spoilers, myself and two of my friends tried to play Bonekeep about a year ago. We were completely unprepared for the difficulty level and nearly got TPK'd in our third encounter before fleeing the dungeon with one player permadead. Now that we have a bit more experience with the game and PFS in general (and all earned a replay), we're going back for revenge.
I'm trying to help design a 3 person party that can destroy Bonekeep as hard as it destroyed us before. Maximum level is 7 for the first two modules and 9 for the third, so that's the level I want to optimize for.
One of my friends has already decided on his build - looks something like this:
HUMAN BRAWLER 1/PALADIN 6 (Divine Guardian/Sacred Shield)
STR 14, DEX 13, CON 14, INT 7, WIS 10, CHA 20 (not including magic items)
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike (brawler free), Shield Focus (1), Combat Expertise (1), Archon Style (3), Archon Diversion (5), Missile Shield (archetype free), Bodyguard/In Harm's Way (archetype free conditional)
The general idea is that through his archetypes he can grant massive bonuses to our AC and his Archon Style can divert attacks that would hit one of us onto him and his stupid-high AC, plus he can pick up combat maneuvers with Martial Flexibility if he wants to. The downside is he doesn't do much damage, so my other friend and I need to find a way to deal enough to make up for it. I was thinking that using Paired Opportunists would work well with Archon Style, but it would require both of us to have melee-viable characters so we wouldn't have any full casting.
So this is a set of 2 characters for PFS, both have been GM blobbed to level 3 already. The general idea is for the two of them to blow enemies up quickly with melee attacks of opportunity. I'm only listing build-relevant stuff gained at each level
Player 1:
Vanilla Half-Elf
Stats: Str 14, Dex 17 (18 at 4th), Con 14, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 15 (16 at 8th)
Traits: Defensive Strategist (Religion), Fencer (Combat)
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Required Gear: Cracked Opalescent White Pyramid Ioun Stone (wakizashi), +1 Menacing Wakizashi, +1 Answering Wakizashi, "Core 6" stuff
Player 2:
Dual-Minded Half Elf
Stats: Str 17 (18 at 4th), Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 13 (14 at 8th), Cha 14
Traits: Reactionary (Combat), Temple Guardian (Regional)
Deity: Kurgess
Player 1 has Lookout in Battle Presence and Player 2 has Paired Opportunists. Combat begins and Lookout probably triggers, due to high investment in perception and multiple people rolling. Player 1 has bonkers high initiative mod for going towards the front and swift-action changes Lookout to Coordinated Charge, then charges, bringing anyone else who wants melee with him at the cost of their swift actions. Player 1 cannot get a full attack, but he will Greater Trip if plausible to get an extra attack for everyone.
Player 2 auto-flanks with his pet and moves his pet to flank with Player 1 as well. Any crits scored by him or his pet cause an AoO from everyone threatening. Both have decent armor for tanking and decent saves from Divine Favor, and Player 1 has the option of parrying any critical threats to himself with a +34 to parry and riposte specifically.
After the surprise round, Player 1 can make a full attack - +23/+23/+18/+18/+13 at 15-20 crit range. Any criticals provoke from everyone, including himself. If he's feeling really sadistic he can add poison to all of the strikes via his bloodline, but he probably wants to delay until after Player 2 if possible, because...
Player 2 has two good options. For boss battles, he can spend 3 of his 12 rounds of Greater Bane as a melee touch attack through his weapon and let everyone else's attacks be treated as if having Greater Bane for the rest of the round. Between his Allosaurus and Player 1, that's at least 8 attacks benefiting.
His second option is to touch Player 1 with the Luck Domain power and watch him crit forever. He can do this 5 times per day, so its quite reasonable to do once or twice per fight. Allosaurus just eats everything because that's what they do.
Things that are crit-immune kind of make them sad until they realize that the Greater Bane trick still works as long as someone can identify their type/subtype. Things that fly...well, that's what potions are for.
As for skill-dependent levels...they're actually still not too badly off because of high Cha, high Dex, and decent Wis.
My main thoughts on this are that I'm not sure whether Player 1 would benefit more from turning the last 3 levels of Swashbuckler into something else. Fighter could give him +2 CMB/CMD, Coordinated Charge a level early, and Weapon Training. Even 1 level of Paladin gives him Paladin spells, an extra Weal, and channeling. Brawler gives less of a bonus but makes his mutagen last longer and give him bonus move speed. A well-timed level or two of Cavalier could give him Coordinated Charge, challenge, and an order ability and he can always trade out the mount. Heck, he could even go Bloodrager for a level and get his raging criticals to debilitate people.
I've been running a campaign that kind of walks the thin line between gestalt and mythic - basically, in addition to giving my players a feat every odd level as usual, I'm also giving them a special ability, chosen by them and theoretically balanced by me, every even level. These abilities range anywhere from gaining a single basic class ability from another class (like mutagen or slow-progression sneak attack a la VMC) to allowing an aligned class with a similar prestige class (monk with Champion of Irori) and a few other odds and ends that are not as strong but full of flavor (a battle-oriented cleric using her fist as her holy symbol). A couple of players have also taken tier 1 mythic abilities for their choices.
The problem is that my players are now level 8 and they've been tearing through some CR 11 encounters like appetizers. Two of the players are min-maxers playing fairly optimized characters, and the other two are playing fairly average but still enjoying themselves. I also think that part of the problem is an NPC cleric one of them got through leadership that's been channeling healing during combat with a phylactery one of them crafted for him.
When I have managed to throw challenging encounters at them that actually feel like the right CR, its generally not because the monsters are actually tougher but because they've taken out one of the min-maxers and/or the cleric early on, but this usually results in near-tpk. I'd like some help figuring out a middle ground that's exciting for them and me, but doesn't almost kill everyone involved.
So I don't usually play beatstick characters. I'm trying to make a half-orc Inquisitor with a greatsword that focuses on melee with a little bit of face as well. My first level is Fighter for proficiencies and Power Attack.
Race: Half-Orc (Sacred Tattoo, Fey Thoughts: Bluff, Sleight of Hand)
Stats: Str 17->18 (4th), Dex 14, Con 13->14 (8th), Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 12
Deity: Calistria (mansluts are hilarious)
Domain: Trickery - Deception (for 1st level power and mirror image)
I thought about getting Swift Judgment but I'm starved for immediate actions already between my domain, Hurtful, bane, and judgment, so I didn't think it would help. Any advice on my level 9 and 11 feats and my level 10 teamwork feat?
I just finished making my first-ever guide. The topic is abusing attacks of opportunity. If you have any feedback/advice it would be much appreciated :) I just wanted to give back to the community a little bit after spending so much time poring over everyone else's guides and I felt like AoOs were a little-discussed subject that could benefit a lot of builds.
With the Improved Familiar feat, one of your choices is a creature called the Pooka. Pooka has the following ability.
Poison (Su)
As a standard action, a pooka can blow across her palm and create a 5-foot-diameter cloud of intoxicating dust. The pooka decides when she uses this ability whether the dust acts as an inhaled poison or a mild intoxicant (equivalent to 1–2 glasses of beer).
Does the Pooka's poison, when used as a mild intoxicant, count as an alcoholic beverage for the purpose of the rage power Good for what Ails you?
On a side note, how does it interact with drunken ki and other effects that require alcoholic beverages?
