anarchitect's page

As a Swashbuckler player, I'm really excited about the changes.

I've been playing an All for One build. And the problem was, to do everything I needed to do in a turn, I needed 4 actions. 1 Action spent tumbling through to gain Panache, One action on a Finisher, 1 action to use All for One, and 1 action to use Dueling Parry. So unless one of the spellcasters chose to Haste me, I had to chose between protecting myself or helping someone else succeed. And it always felt silly to Tumble through each turn - that's some swashbuckler's style but I wanted to be a classic fencer.

With the changes, two things have improved my ability to gain Panache. The first is that the fiddly rules about gaining panache from All-for-one have gone away. Now you get panache if you succeed on the aid check, just flat. Combined with the remaster lowering the DC of aid checks, it basically means I cannot fail to gain panache off all-for-one. The other one is extravagant parry providing Panache if an opponent misses me. Not only is this another reliable source of Panache, but it makes parrying feel like it matters even if you don't get an opportune riposte out of it.

Together, this means I'm going to reliably gain panache during the space between turns. Either I use my reaction on All-for-one, which gives me panache, or I use my reaction on Opportune Riposte, which also gives me panache because if opportune riposte is triggered, so is Extravangant Parry.

This eliminates the need to spend my first action on each turn gaining Panache. So I can use a Finisher, followed by all-for-one, followed by Extravagant Parry, and I can reliably count on having panache again by my next turn. I no longer have to choose between helping my allies, protecting myself, and doing damage. I can do everything.

My only complaint is that since Extravagant Parry is not Dueling Parry, it doesn't count for feats that have dueling parry as a prereq like Dueling Dance. But all that did was save me an action a turn, which the changed rules already do, and I had to wait until mid to high levels to get it.

I think *America* can be Captain's God for the purpose of being a champion. Or "Lady Liberty" if one insists on Anthropomorphizing the divine.

Something I'd like to note about the Aldori Duelist dedication as a fighter:
You get proficiency with the Aldori Blade equal to your highest weapon proficiency. So you don't *need* to make swords your specialty. I'd advise going Brawling so your off hand punches are as good as your sword strikes.

My friends and I were discussing what we wanted out of the swashbuckler, and hit on what we think is an interesting mechanical option. Replace Bravery with:

Dashing strike: When you use the attack action, you increase the critical threat range of your weapon by +1 per 4 levels of swashbuckler. This increased threat range is not multiplied by Improved critical or effects such as Keen.

What this means, is when you take a standard action attack, your critical range goes up, which refuels your panache more reliable, as well as adding damage. Combined with the Vital strike line, it will encourage players to use their move actions to set up an attack, either by actually moving (in awesome swaashbuckling style), or using improved feint to set up their attack against a highly agile opponent.

A second, simpler option, would be to have its casting work /mostly/ like a wizard, but give it "Spontaneous Spells" like a Cleric or Druid have, but instead of spontaneously casting Cure/Inflict/Summon, you get to choose what spells you can spontaneously cast as you level up, creating a character who can prepare all sorts of utility spells and then when combat happens say "Screw it, fireball" because they were secretly a sorcerer the whole time.

THIS SOUNDS GREAT.

Seriously. Having a memorized spell list, but being able to drop them for a spontaneous spell of your choice at each level is awesome, keeps the versatility, but is less powerful than full spontaneous. I like it.

Another idea, if you want to nerf it slightly farther, is to have your spontaneous spells be your bloodline spells.

Part of what lets me know they've hit the mark, is that there is absolutely NO consensus on which classes are boring. Everyone says that at least half the classes are boring, flavorless, or superfluous. But when listing which classes fit that description, well, pretty much every class has been labeled "Stupid and pointless" by at least one person, and "Best class ever" by another. None of them are standing out as getting more or less flak than any of the others.

In any set of 10 classes, at least half are going to bore any given player. The fact that it's not the same half for everyone means that the list is about where it should be.

Yeah, but that's solvable. Simply put a line in the Blood rage Power that states that any other class that grants the rage ability has that rage converted to a bloodrage, and stacks levels with Bloodrager to determine how many rounds per day you get. So your Barbarian 5/ Bloodrager 5 only has as many rounds per day as a Bloodrager 10.

It seems weird to me, though, because the Magus is a total fighter/Wizard, and doesn't have this restriction at all.

Basically, the magus was designed well enough that it wasn't an issue. A Magus dipping into fighter or wizard was neither overpowered or stupid, and there was sufficient reason to stay 20 levels of Magus. There's also nothing overpowering about either of those classes dipping Magus. If all the new advanced classes are as well done as the Magus was, I don't think there'd be an issue.

They aren't all that well done currently, but there's time to fix that.

First impressions from an initial read-through here, but for a class in a support role, they really don't seem to play well with others.

Raging song is a morale bonus, as is a regular rage. While this is appropriate enough in a vacuum, it means a barbarian really does not get any from being in a party with a skald, which thematically just seems like the biggest misstep you could possibly make. Not sure what the fix is for that one in particular, but I think there's something to be said for specifically addressing the point. "Treat this bonus as competence instead of morale for characters already under a rage effect" maybe?

Probably better to just state that any character with the Rage ability from another source activates that ability for the duration of the Skald's song. So a barbarian under the effect of the Skald's song gets their full raging bonus, but isn't using their own pool of rage rounds.

I once had a Homunculous familiar invalidate an entire adventure. The thing didn't sleep, had a huge bonus to stealth, a decent disable device, and was smart enough to make maps. The party took a nap to refresh while it explored the dungeon for us. When we woke up, it gave us a nice map with all the good loot marked. We breezed through the many-branched mine strait to the important stuff. Had the GM grumbling for weeks.

Your evil wizard should cast Create Pit first, followed by black tentacles. My wizard calls this "Plan Sarlac."

OK. So it's been pointed out previously that a staff Magus doesn't really need TWF to get an extra attack, thanks to spellstrike and 0th level touch spells. So there's no real point to using TWF on your staff magus.

Naw, I'm joking. The quarterstaff is a double weapon, for pete's sake, and so damn flexible. What I love about the staff is that with quarterstaff master, you can use it as a one handed weapon, a two handed weapon, or a double weapon at will. All we need is a reason to do so.

Here it is: Chill touch and Frostbite. These spells give you a number of touch attack charges equal to your caster level. When you cast this spell the next (CL) in successful hits will be modified. Except that you can't use it with spellstrike and spell combat, because casting another spell will disperse all remaining charges. It will, however, work with TWF. Round one, use the staff one handed and toss down frostbite with spell combat. The following rounds, shift to a double weapon and TWF to get the extra attack. At the end of your round, take a free action to shift to a Two handed stance: That way any attacks of opportunity you make deal 1.5 times your strength bonus.

Really, you can milk a lot out of abusing different grips in different situations. Remember that shifting from a one hand to a two hand grip is a free action.

Helaman: True strike. No somatic component, can be spell-combated to go off the same round, adds +20 to an attack roll or combat maneuver check. Pretty much an instant disarm, unless the opponent has the fighter capstone or Crane wing. A locking Gauntlet levels the playing field slightly but it's still in your favor. No worries about armor check problems, and you still do damage thanks to your Aldoriness. This is your go-to spell for an Aldori Magus.

What it really costs you is you get your Aldori abilities a level later. They're already not coming online until 5th level: do you really want to wait that long to get your key class features? It already sucks waiting that long to get them.

We've all tried it at some point, making an Aldori Duelist. Their setting fluff is just so cool. Sadly, the game mechanics attached to it fall short. How can they be the most skilled swordsmen on Golarion when any standard fighter will have more to hit, more damage, and more tricks up their sleeves?

Well wonder no more, because the Secrets of the swordlords have been revealed! This document, stolen by members of the poisoners guild from the lords of Brevoy themselves, reveal for the first time the exact nature of the Aldori Dueling style, the common lies they spread to hide it's true nature, and why the Aldori sit atop the heap of lesser swordmen

Basically, I've spent the last week working on an Aldori swordlord for a kingmaker game, and I wanted to share what I've learned about making an effective Aldori.

What you really want is Lore Warden 5/Master of Many styles2/Duelist 3

You take the monk levels at level 3 and level 5, respectively. This is important.

At 1st level, take weapon finesse and dodge. You get combat expertise at second for free, and another bonus feat. I suggest mobility, because you need it. At third level you get Crane style as a normal feat and crane wing as your monk bonus feat.

Fourth level is your third of lore warden, so you get bonuses to combat maneuvers. 5th level is where you get Snake style as a normal feat, and snake fang as your bonus feat. Master of many styles lets you ignore the prereqs.

You need to take 2 more levels of Lore warden here, and you get another 2 feats. You'll need combat reflexes, you'll want two weapon fighting. Now you can enter Duelist.

Anyone who attacks you and misses is going to provoke an attack of opportunity with your unarmed strike. Your strike will use weapon finesse, and add the precise strike damage because snake style makes it piercing. Crane wing ups your AC and blocks 1 attack per round, possibly (depending on rules interpretation) provoking snake fang. And your level feat can get you spring attack.

If this was going to go to level 11, I'd skip getting combat reflexes as a fighter feat and get it through duelist. I'd pick up spring attack and whirlwind attack, and Crane Riposte. Now we get attacks of opportunity everywhere, and on our turn get to attack everyone around us. This will clear the mooks out in no time.