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Im looking for a DPR melee class build that is simple and out of the box type of character that doesnt require a ton of research to play.

I have a good friend in our PFS who is struggling to find his role in our group.

1.) He has played a invulnerable rager barbarian previously (last 2 years) but we all started new characters post-ACG and he wants to do something different. And Im a Skald so barbarian is out (and also a bloodrager for that matter).
2.) He attempted to play a new Hunter with bad results getting schizo between melee, ranged and animal companion with hunter tricks.
3.) He has also wants to do something no else is doing so Magus is out as well.
4.) And he has no interest in a Paladin or Samurai.

He loves rolling huge damage rounds hence the thread title.

Can any suggest something that fit the bill?

Im thinking TWF Fighter with paired Wakizashis.

Markov,
In addition to the traits, what rage powers were you thinking of?

thanks

Markov,

One last thing, would you take an archetype on the dip of Bloodrager? Im not sure how steelbooded (heavy armor use) would conflict with Skald spell casting though.

Also, what traits and weapon would go for with a Fated Champion type build? The traditional +1 Keen Falchion? Beserker of Society? Finish the Fight?

thanks
Skald Padawan

I started off asking for a simple Skald build and Markov produced the equivalent "Brief History of Time" Stephen Hawkings variant...bravo

I always wondered about them. I figured that since co-operative crafting was banned, you couldn't take it, but I guess all it does is give you valet familiar without that feat?

To be adjacent, so it detaches and moves to a square beside you?

I think adjacent can also be same square so no detachment needed. Amplified rage doesnt specify "adjacent square" only adjacent to...

But I will let the 'Good Will Hunting of Skald builds' comment.

Valet Familiar

Okay you get free beers if I ever meet you at a Con.

I don't believe fast healing from multiple sources stacks.

How is the familiar getting the teamwork feat?

Actually it's fast healing from exactly 1 source: Skald Vigor. What I think he is proposing is to buff the heck out of this source so that by level 8 you are sitting on a +10 Strength.

I think the Valet Archetype of the Tumor Familiar auto gives the teamwork feat to the lil tumory bundle flesh! I figured out!!

You need to be adjacent to a raging ally (with the feat) to activate Amplified Rage. The Tumor Familiar gets all of your Teamwork feats, and is always adjacent, and gets your Inspired Rage. So he's your adjacent, raging ally.

I'd initially been thinking of getting him Evolved Famliar for reach (or a Small familiar from a different class, since Tumor arguably can't be Small), since he's potentially a legitimate fighter with that much Str/Con bonus.

Gotcha. Okay I think Im following you:

1.) Amplified rage requires an adjacent ally with amplified rage to get +4
2.) Bloodrager gives you a tumor familiar who essentially is always adjacent
3.) Your amplified rage is somehow also picked by a familiar? This is where Im lost. How is the familiar also getting amplified rage?

thanks I really want to understand this.

:)

Not quite. The Tumor Familiar doesn't do much until you get Amplified Rage. And your fast healing is the amount of Str bonus you're getting, so you would need Skald's Vigor and the Courageous AoMF to get Fast Healing 5.

Without doing anything tricky with the Tumor Familiar, you could go:
Skald 1/Bloodrager 1/Skald X
1. Skald's Vigor (Fast Healing 2 while you're Inspired Raging, up to 4 at 2nd level.)
3. Ferocious Resolve.

That would be Fast Healing 4, +4 Str/Con, and Ferocity (act until you're dead) at level 3. Ferocity covers a lot of potential problems with Rage, and makes Fast Healing that much better.
Buy your Courageous Amulet of Mighty Fists at 4th, to bump to +5/5 (Fast Healing 5.)
Amplified Rage at 5 and a Ring of Tactical Precision (which you should be able to afford around then) will get you and an ally another +4/4 (Arguably, +5/+5, the wording on the Ring is a little unclear.)
At 7, you can pick up the Tumor Familiar, keep the ring, and bump you to +10/10 (Fast Healing 10.)

Ah the Skald Vigor is giving fast healing to me, the tumor familiar is doing what exactly then?

Im not following you.

Im seeing: Skald Vigor giving me Fast Healing = Srength Bonus from song

Rage +2, Amplified Rage (teamwork) +4, Courageous enhancement on any weapon Im carrying (AoM not necessary right?)another +1, Ring of TP another +1, Inspired Rage2 +1 and Inspired Rage3 (finally at 8th) +1 for a total of Fast Healing of 10 at level 8.

I guess Im confused what the tumor is bringing to the table.

Actually, Im confused in general what the Bloodrager dip is doing for you. Is that required for Amplified rage? Does the Skald not meet the requirement on its own?

I've been wanting to to a Half-Orc Skald built around Amplified Rage and Skald's Vigor. You really need a Valet Familiar (or Ring of Tactical Precision, or regular Teamwork partner) to make it work, though.

I was going to go Totemic Skald instead of Fated Champion, although they're both fine. Some of the Animal Focus's can be quite strong when applied to the whole party (I was thinking Evasion.)

Something like:
Bloodrager (Aberrant) 1/Skald X

Str 15
Dex 10
Con 15
Int 10
Wis 7
Cha 16+2

1. Tumor Familiar
3. Skald's Vigor
5. Amplified Rage
7. Ferocious Resolve
9. ??
11. Improved Skald's Vigor

Pick up a Courageous Amulet of Mighty Fists when you get the chance. That will bump you to +9 Str/Con and Fast Healing 9 while raging.

I might like Tumor Familiars too much, though. :)

Haha teamwork raging and skald, that is awesome.

Oh Lordy, you are a PF genius...with 1 dip in Bloodrager+Aberrant+Tumor familiar, I am healing 5 dmg per round?!

You full on blew my mind with that build!

(After putting this in the wrong forum...)

Need help in building a PFS Skald. I have chosen the Fated Champion archetype because that seems like the obvious max but looking for the rest. Im even stuck on the attribute distribution. Dont need a full guide but would appreciate attribute pt distribution, race, feat and trait recommendations up to say level 8 or so.

Thanks.

Need help in building a PFS Skald. I have chosen the Fated Champion archetype because that seems like the obvious max but looking for the rest. Im even stuck on the attribute distribution. Dont need a full guide but would appreciate attribute pt distribution, race, feat and trait recommendations up to say level 8 or so.

Thanks.

They function as "on the spot" for all casters. The rods also give you access to the feat as if you actually had it.

PS: Sorcerers don't memorize spells. <----somewhat off-topic but related.

thanks does this mean a wizard casting spell with a carried metamagic rod requires a full round action rather than a standard action to cast a typical spell like fireball?

This would make the feat far better than the item.

I use the most updated herolab files to create characters as I often identify gaps in my knowledge of the rules when I realize I cant do something in Herolab or it gives a red error message.

My character for background: Elven Wizard 7/Crossblooded Tatto'd Sorcerer 1 (Gold Dragon/Orc blood lines)with Spell focus/Greater SF Evocation, Varisian Tattoo Evocation, Magical Lineage: Fireball, Empower Spell and Spell Focus: Fireball. Int: respectable 26.

1.) When I create an Empowered Fireball with magical lineage, it becomes a level 4 spell but the DC is wonky. The DC of the empowered Fireball is only 22 but a standard level 3 FB is DC23. Is this a glitch or some ability I have not stacking with the metamagic version of the spell?

From carefully reading the rules, the Empowered metamagic version of a spell has the same DC as the base spell so I would assume both are DC:23.

2.) (realized the answer to the original question here but have follow on question) If I use a metamagic rod, lesser Elemental type on an Empowered Fireball that I have that is currently occupying a level 4 spell slot (due to magical lineage), does the rod work? It says a lesser rod only works on spells of level 3 or lower and the metamagic feat says that altering the spell with metamagic does NOT actually change the spell level only the slot it occupies for book keeping purposes so I would assume an Empowered FB can be used along with a carried lesser Elemental rod 3/day.

Is this the correct interpretation?

THANKS!

Level 6 druid with animal companion Ape.
druid wildshapes into dire tiger form but has wild speech and can talk normally

Now our group MAY have been playing this incorrectly, does an AC trained already in the Fighting group tricks need the druid to make a handle animal check at DC10 to attack what the druid attacks? Or is this an automatic free action to communicate to the AC "Hey big ape, hit what Im hitting!"

When does handle animal come into play for a druid+his AC?

Im confused how pounce and rake work.

Specifically dire tiger: This animal has one bite doing 2d6 and 2 claws with the rake rule that do 2d4.

The rake rule says that animal gets the 2 claw attacks when it begins the turn grappled via the grab special rule.

Pounce allows you to get your full attacks on the charge.

That is clear. BUT how is pounce useful if the claw attacks only come into play if it begins the turn grappling?

OR does the Dire tiger get the 2xclaws AND if it begins it turn grappling get another 2 free attacks?

Meaning that in a pounce, a dire tiger has 3 total attacks (bite and 2 claws)?

As the thread title says. Can you alter the starting ability scores in a similar fashion as you can PCs with animal companions? ie- subtract 1-2 from stat X to buff strength etc.

The Herolab software lets you do it but am unsure this is intended or a bug.

THANKS!