Vazt's page

Here is my opinion, for what it's worth.

I think that, when you take inspire courage away from a bard to focus on his own melee ability, there are better class options. Inspiring your group is the main ability the bard brings to a group (unless they are the better rogue option). That's why people cheer when one person shows up with a bard, because you are going to make them awesome. I wouldn't get rid of it, personally. If it is just you and one other melee and the rest are casters, maybe it makes sense at higher level play but, at 1st level through mid-levels, it helps those casters have crossbow options when their small load of spells are spent. Those actions add up until the casters start taking care of you in later levels.

Arcane duelist and savage skald could be built for melee and support. Half Orc savage skald power attacking with a falchion in melee, inspiring his comrades, extra buffing on crits, and making the other melee guy rage at critical fights could be fun. Cha can be lower with the half Orc racial option for +1 round of performance per level.

Another option might be arcane duelist 3 / order of the cockatrice cavalier 2 then into battle herald. Then you really inspire the group, debuff the enemy, and have a better bab progression. Plus you are laying tactician down with your other melee buddy.

Like Tarzan, you yodel and they come, after you yodel for 24 hours.

I spent some time with the new swashbuckler rules today and came to the same conclusions that I see others have posted regarding the interplay of dervish dance and the class. It will be a huge blunder, in my opinion, if the most effective weapon for a swashbuckler isn't a rapier/cutlass.

I agree with Malachi that a swashbuckler weapon group is an excellent option that would allow for future feats to key off of the group. This would also focus the base class so that it represents the iconic light blade-wielding combatant. From that base, archetypes can tease out variations with other weapons, florentine-style, sword and pistol, etc.

Dex bonus to damage for this weapon group does square the class up with str fighters and I could see removing Nimble to compensate for the increase to ac and reflex that the focus on dex brings.

Aside from this, I am really happy with this version of the class.

I could see poison use working if there were some poisons that had more interesting effects. I would love to see some poisons that give some conditions, vs. ability damage, used by this class. They could mimic the dirty trick mechanic but last Int mod rounds, save DC based off Int. or just use the Alchemical Weapon ability from the Grenadier archetype.

If you want to max melee damage, grab a two-hander from deity favored weapon or ancestral arms, pump str, and pick power attack at 3rd level. Choose spells as if you were a battle cleric, buff up and go to town. Your stats seem fine for this, though some folks will suggest dumping a stat, I don't usually go that route as a personal choice. You can make good use of your teamwork feats up on the frontline with the fighter-type. If they take a good teamwork feat, you can both get the benefit and you can always change out when you are not partnering with them. If you want your inquisition to boost social, I prefer heresy to conversion. For melee, I like persistence for step up.

For a switch build, boost dex, go Sarenrae, weapon finesse at 1, dervish dance at 3rd.

Everyone you meet is your tool to achieve some end, now or later. An anti paladin is a hammer who feels best hammering things. Help them hammer exactly what you want them to and everyone wins.

Don't expect others to be you, they can't possibly hope to live up to that. They will likely work towards some petty evils without focus and you should let them so long as it serves your ends.

The foundation of society is not the illusion of good and evil, but the structure of masters and servants. Being a master, support the structures of other masters, after all, one day you may take their place and you want a well run ship.

Don't try to be evil, just be you. You will be nice to common people. You will strike deals with masters of varying moral outlooks. You will be trustworthy and loyal. All of these things are tools to manifest your destiny, just like public displays of your displeasure, sending in the hounds of war, and twisting the words of a poorly conceived agreement.

Never forget that you are right. A divinity speaks through you because he knows you are right. Not everyoneis cut out to be a master and they know it. Be bold and act. Every bold focused action is the hammer shaping your destiny.

Nice write up! I think you have done the hard work of considering motivations, history, and relationship with his god. The first thing I think is supremely calm and understated. The kind of calm that comes from such thorough confidence that he is in control of a given situation that there is no reason not to be at ease. You are the rock that the waves of lessers break themselves against. Not only are you just that good at everything you do, but you are also secure in the knowledge that you will stop at nothing to get what you want. You are an agent of order in that you make the rules that bring order... Your order. No need to try to be evil. You simply pursue your own ends without regard for anything but those ends.

You can be delightful, sincere, and charming when you are getting what you want or in pursuit of what you want. You just get what you want at whatever cost by whatever means. You might prefer means that are socially acceptable, if time and your mood allows, but sometimes you might prefer to be very direct and cut through pretense that there might be some other way than your way.

And woe to those that are present when you lose control, when you legitimately think that you might not get what you want. Then, you quickly and violently put things right. No fuss. Still calm, but vicious to the extreme.

Maybe examine several characters played by Gary Oldman.

Inquisitors are great for the investigating and monster hunting of CC. What if you were striving for your own redemption from your heritage and were an inquisitor of Sarenrae? You get scimitar and with your dex could go dervish dance for decent melee capability. Maybe Toughness to increase survivability.

If the alternate bloodlines are allowed, maybe your moroi father was a great vampire warlord and you serve Gorum, quietly stirring up conflicts to lead to glorious battle. Or you view undead as the unvanquished, mockeries of the glorious deaths all warriors deserve, and you seek to put them down. Two-handed sword str build with persistence inquisition.

Maybe you are a different kind of hunter, an Order of the Cockatrice Huntmaster Cavalier with a huge black hound. Str and intimidate build to use your heritage to scare the crap out of people before a fight.

In my games, all the classes seem pretty balanced and fun.

I don't really track monster hit points. They die when it is cinematic for them to.

I'm running a 4e module with pathfinder classes in a 3.5 setting with Battletech mech rules and it is pretty cool.

I am running The Dragon's Demand with my 7year old and it is pretty age-appropriate. I have down-played a few scenes where they find bodies but, other than that, there have been no issues. There are several points where potential conflicts can be turned into relationships that help the group and lots of trap/environment challenges that aren't just about fighting. The quick xp track also let's the players experience a range of levels and abilities in a short span.

How about a Caller in Darkness from Psionics Unleashed?

The townsfolk tortured and killed a nomad accused of a minor crime who then became a caller in darkness. Now, they appease it to save the majority of the populace. They keep it secret out of shame, for the act itself and the thing they created. It is incorporeal and has subtle, yet horrific, attacks so you could do the Hitchcock thing (which is a great idea). It has vulnerability to sunlight so there could be a cinematic sunrise respite followed by a day dreading sunset.

For a Lovecraft twist, they don't have the power to kill it, but could neutralize it temporarily. Or they bring the torturers to justice and appease it.