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Help me identify underpowered classes, and suggest house rules to mitigate them a bit. Note that I am using the Core Rulebook only. In my experience as a player, Fighter and Rogue are the most underpowered, followed by Monk and Barbarian. This experience is obviously subjective and limited by which classes I have played myself, and how other people at the table have played others, so I accept that it might be wrong. Correct me if that's the case. Good house rules are typically simple to understand, and not too extreme in their implications. One that I frequently use is to give the Fighter 4 skill ranks per level instead of 2. P.S.
TL;DR suggest what kind of material I should buy to run my first campaign -- see the bottom bullet points for some notes Hi! I'm going to be a GM for the first time. I am planning on running through the Beginner Box, since my players will be unfamiliar with PnP RPGs (but familiar with MMORPGs and CRPGs). I will probably also go through the supplemental adventures for the Beginner box. Then I'm going to start a new, full campaign. I only have some vague ideas at this point, which I will list below. My question is: what kind of material should I buy for my campaign? Two notes:
I only own the core rulebook and the Beginner Box. Should I buy a setting? Some adventures? Is there a combined thing where you can get a setting and some adventures to get going, and then roll your own once you're more experienced? Etc. Any help would be much appreciated! Lastly, here are my few assorted ideas for the campaign, so please bear them in mind when suggesting settings/modules/etc.: -Next to no mandatory combat -- I want players to be able to solve everything non-violently.
STR 19 (2 from racial) (+4 while raging)
Human
(two starter) Traits: open for suggestions Skills: open for suggestions Gear:
Saves:
AC 20 (-2 while raging, -2 Reckless Abandon)
Intiative: 3 To hit (greatsword): 6 + 4 STR (6 while raging) + 1 magic (+ 2 Furious while raging) Damage: 2d6 + 6 STR (9 while raging) + 6 Power Attack + 1 magic (+ 2 Furious while raging) Class: Barbarian
Level 1:
Level 2:
Level 3:
Level 4:
Level 5:
Level 6:
Suggestions for improvement? Hopefully superstitious, some trait and rage bonus to will saves will make up for 7 WIS. Having only one skill point per level is pretty LOL, but fits the type of character I want to play (dumb power-hungry brute). My main concern is dying really fast, which is something I'd like to avoid. Actually hitting things would also be nice. I will get Witch Hunter and Spell Sunder ASAP, for the record. Any tips are very much welcome. The intention of the build is obviously to make a character that does a lot of damage. :-)
any ideas on doing something in the vein of this 3E build for NWN? note that I think up to level 20 would be more than enough. also note that I don't think we need to use the exact same classes at all. I just want to see an archer build that focuses on not being hit and seen. the build quoted below is meant more as an insipiration than something that should be converted to PF. I would prefer *not* a sneak attack build, as I did make a sniper build some time ago that had like 70 in stealth and did 22d6 sneak attack on each attack with sap master and so on. I imagine more of a wizard/bard/ranger mixed with shadowdancer type situation. sorry for not being very specific. I guess I don't really know what I want, and would like to see what this forum comes up with. but to sum up: archer that doesn't get hit nor seen and that doesn't rely on sneak attack/sniping. here's the original build: Quote:
I'm starting a 15 point buy campaign and thought I'd give the samurai (no archetype) a go. never played one before, and they fit with the RP I've got in mind. however, I'm not sure I can make one that's actually any useful in a fight. I was contemplating doing two-handed katana fighting, getting improved critical at level 8 (if we ever get that far). but we only start at level 3, and with 3000gp, so I can't afford keen weapons either. so I'm basically looking for any hints on making a two-handed katana samurai that's somewhat efficient. I don't mind him being a one-sided fighting machine. he should also be self-reliant, and have a good-ish wis score. he needs a bunch of str for damage, but then he needs a bunch in both dex (two weapon fighting). and is using two-weapons even worth it prior to getting that feat, given all the penalties? ... any tips? both in terms of feats, how to spend skill points, how to spend ability points, gear, and everything else.
when you Charge, do you move up to the target's adjacent square? and if I cast Enlarge Person to get 10ft reach, and then Charge, may I then Charge so that I am two squares away from the target? furthermore, with Pounce, which grants me a Full-Attack Action, may I then do Flurry of Blows, and then 5-Foot Step away from the target? the rules for Charge dictate that you can't 5-Foot Step, but the rules for Full-Attack Actions specify that you may do a 5-foot step as part of this action, which I interpret as overruling the Charge rule due to the Pounce being a Special Ability, and thus a specific exception to the Charge rules (which also firmly states that you only get one attack). lastly, if I am able to 5-Foot Step, placing me 15ft away from my target, does this mean that if it has to charge me to attack me, I get an Attack of Opportunity at 10ft?
I will be a part of a gestalt campaign in a few weeks, and am looking at concepts for my character. one of which I am thinking of is making a character optimised for speed and acrobatics. high movement speed, be great at tumbling, insane jump checks, etc. [so, uh... a monk? LOL] I'm curious to see just how ridiculous jump checks can be managed, haha. I want a highily mobile attack-of-opportunity-maniac that leaps at his/her enemies (doesn't leap attack exist in PF? haven't found that in either of the books), really. any tips are welcome! [edit: as for weapons, I was thinking a bit about some form of spear, and making the character slightly inspired by Freya from Final Fantasy IX.] INFO ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN SETTING: we are starting as low as level two, but with a somewhat fast-ish level progression (we'll adjust it on-the-fly), so the tips needn't be restricted for level two, as that would be quite boring, obviously. some the gestalt rules/restrictions that I am aware of right now are:
with an attack roll bonus of 14, my current damage output is:
this is a minimum damage output of 12 when I first hit someone who isn't bleeding, and then minimum 8 per attack. the maximum is nice enough, but the minimum stinks. this is at level 8. I am a Sniper, so I only get one attack action when sniping. if I'm not sniping, I get two attacks, so that's a bit better, but I aim to be sniping all of the time. any tips on how I can increase my minimum damage output?
I'm getting 8,000gp. is that right? I am a newbie, and don't really have a proper overview on the creation of magical items. 100 for quilted cloth
furthermore, any tips on armour a character with 7 in DEX mod (and increasing) that might be a better idea and isn't more expensive than ~8.5K are welcome. also - with enchantment bonuses, you only get the highest one, right? i.e. if I had this armour and a Cloak of Elvenkind, only the armour would count?
are there any feats/whatever that can make an alcoholic fun to play? my character has been reincarnated, and from a RP-perspective, alcoholism is a nice direction. (he's not too pleased.) however, I can't seem to justify it game-mechanically. it will just ruin my game sessions... so there is no point in doing it, apart from RP. any tips? I won't do Drunken Master or otherwise change classes (I assume reincarnation doesn't let you re-choose favoured class). my current classes are Barbarian & Ranger (both are favoured). I am also considering becoming reborn, so deities pro alcoholism are something I would love. my character has gone through A LOT of torture (enough to get the Diehard feat for free, actually), so this is a nice time to find God... and the bottle...
so. I have three levels of Barbarian, one of Ranger. my guy was a Half-Elf, and used a magic masterwork scythe. all was well. then I died. then my party opted for Reincarnation. I am now - and I kid not - a female Goblin. this makes my scythe useless, and takes 4 points(!!!) off of my STR. my new abilities: STR 16 +3
and no, the CHA isn't a typo... now - what weapon(s) do I use? I was 100% all out no tactics melee, who just swung his scythe. but now, my STR isn't 20 any more, and I'm a freaking small sized creature! as a Ranger, I get the weapon specialisation thing (don't remember its exact name, but you know what I mean), so I need to decide what I want to do with that, and what weapons to use in general. I was initially thinking ranged into melee. Goblins get +4 Stealth, so I was thinking stealth -> composite shortbow -> melee. but IDK. tips? NOT a sniper, as I'm making one for this very DnD group, since we're doing a two campaigns that eventually meet up into one big campaign thing.
any tips on how to simply make my character more fun to play, without just sabotaging or doing unambiguously stupid stuff? welp... I might actually sort of guilty of that already, but OK. my char has three levels in barbarian, and I'm now going to get three in ranger, then head back to barbarian (if we ever play that long, heh). also, I'm a half-elf, so both are favoured classes. my "story" thus far: 2x fleet and wearing light armour, so I have a base speed of 50. I use a magical masterwork scythe, and when money finds its way in my direction I'm going to add something funky to that. I also have skill focus intimidate. (he's always picking a fight, and my DM lets me use STR on intimidate instead of CHA.) abilities:
3 skill ranks in Climb, Intimidate, Knowledge (Nature), Perception & Survival. planning on getting 2 in Acrobatics with my first ranger level, and increase the others to 4. I also have the Intimidating Glare rage power. so basically I want tips for facepalm or laugh out loud feats (and other fun things) I can do. obscure third party stuff is allowed if it's not overpowered.
hi! I'm making a halfling sniper rogue that uses the shortbow. I essentially want a rogue that will talk its way out of battle if possible. but if not - she can shoot, stealth, shoot, stealth, shoot, stealth... and so on. my halfling gets -10 in the stealth penalty after sniping (via swift as shadows instead of sure-footed), and I aim to take the advanced rogue trait that further eliminates the remaining 10. so... the goal is to never be hit. the character is level 6. we might use level 8. if we do I'll of course be getting the sniper goggles. while my group are playing for RP & fun, so I'm obviously not going 100% all out optimal - ANY tips and hints on how to improve would be greatly appreciated! and keep in mind, I'm a real newbie to Pathfinder and DnD in general. so feel free to swap out feats and rogue talents, recommend armour, whatever! so here is some of what I've come up with (no gear or weapons, but I will use a composite shortbow, and I will pick up the sniper goggles if we start out at level 8) thus far: abilities after levelling and adding racial modifiers
feats:
rogue talents:
fort: 1
I suppose posting skill is a bit unnecessary, especially considering most choices are due to RP, but, here's the ones I put my ranks in (6 in all of them - skill point instead of hp from favoured class):
thanks to everyone who read this far! :-) |