dunelord3001's page

dunelord3001 wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Thinking that something being fictional therefore it can't be racist is the issue.

No, it is that people can't address what I say so they make up random stuff they can argue with.

Yes, fictional things can be racist. Because duh. No, orcs aren't that. If anything they are lately a parody of soccer hooligans from the 40k influence.

Orcs are many things. 40K orcs aren't Pathfinder orcs aren't Tolkien's orcs.

If fictional things can be racist, then why can't some fictional version of orcs? Or even some particular GM's use of them in a PF game?

I never said they couldn't I said they aren't.

Thinking that something being fictional therefore it can't be racist is the issue.

No, it is that people can't address what I say so they make up random stuff they can argue with.

There's common ground here, but I think dunelord's hackles have gotten a bit riled.

There are subtle racists, and unfortunately some of them may have even taken a pass at writing.

However, if (generic) you see racial parralels in a fictitious race, take them in a negative context, and then apply your negative conclusions to the author, it's more likely that it is your own thinking that is racist.

Simple example. People who called Jar Jar Binks a racist portrayal, so George Lucas must be. Jar Jar scan alien, from an alien world and culture. If you hate the character because you think he's stupid or poorly written, fair enough. If you insist that he's representative of some real world ethnic group, that's racist on your part.

It isn't so much that my hackles are up as the evidence shows that the things people have been doing for a very long time are NOT working and there is a insane urge to do them more.

There have been protests for what 60 years? Diminishing results at best.

People complaining online/attacking things that people like aren't new and aren't working.

And people keep acting like I'm pro Hitler for saying, "Maybe a few decades of this failing means it doesn't work."

The thing is it doesn't matter if the rest of the party buys in. It doesn't matter if the DM buys in. It doesn't matter if you are going for game type. If you are paying ANYTHING close to attention to the rules about dying from HP lose this PC dies early and harsh. Even a DM cheating is going to forget for a second and say, "Yeah that is 17 HP." "Oh wow, I'm flat out dead."

Unless the DM goes easy this PC is not playable. Assuming max HP on die and toughness and FCB and the race upping it to 5 and you raise your con at 4th you're one critical with average damage on a long bow from dead away from dead. You have to put all of your resources in to have enough hit points 2 not be instantly good and you'll still end up dead from lack of hit points or so.

Wasn't there a whole WHOLE SERIES OF BOOKS written about a CHARACTER WITH 3 CON?

Most write ups have him as a Con of 10.

dunelord3001 wrote:

Overall a non-issue. Unless you're doing something really crazy like making a Monster based off of racial stereotype or something it's just a case of you can't please everybody all the time.

The problem there is that racial stereotypes are pretty generic. The default racist stereotype has: bad teeth, tiny eyes, poor hygiene, is oddly hairy, technologically backward, weak, lazy, and wears a funny hat or hair style. If you want that collection of features, you better make them naked.

Honestly, if you take the Paizo goblin and slap an ethnically unique costume on him, he's going to look like a racist caricature.

If you look at an inhuman monster and know that in context it is an inhuman monster and you start thinking how that means somebody is a racist you're the one with the problem.

Ninjas and Slayers. Hunters?

Slayers can only pick from a limited list, which is the root of the question really.

PLEASE NO 3PP OR HOUSE RULES ANSWERS.

Are there any strictly RAW ways to get the Sneaky Maneuvers Rogue Talent without being a Rogue? Gear, feats, traits, anything like that?

Overall a non-issue. Unless you're doing something really crazy like making a Monster based off of racial stereotype or something it's just a case of you can't please everybody all the time.

Tell the other PCS quit holding back. Make everything much harder. Maybe let the fighter we build his character if he feels that things are too hard on them.

Also Dragons. If they aren't the answer to the question it was probably a stupid thing to ask.

dunelord3001 wrote:

Also how come you're not taking the Jaguar talents?

This might work. I was only taking Combat expertise as a Preq for Felling Smash AND quick Dirty Trick.

So if I forget Combat exp for Jaguars Grace at 5.
Then I could take Jaguars Pounce at 7.
(I am now Auto trip attempt every round I SA as an immediate action)

8-Slayer Talent-Rogue Trick(Combat Trick) Combat Expertise instead of Slow Reactions.
9-Greater Trip
10-Oppurtunist
11-Quick Dirty Trick
12-Greater Dirty Trick.

So he loses Slow Reactions and Felling Smash.

Slow Reactions is nice but I don't draw alot of AOO's as a melee char via smart positioning, withdrawing and wearing a Cestus that can't be disarmed. So gaining Skill with Subdual =/=

Felling Smash is limited to Standard attacks (free action). Vs Jaguar Pounce which allows a trip attempt once per round when using SA as an immediate action.

This I am not so sure about.
Plus- Jaguars Pounce comes online 5 levels earlier, before Tripping loses alot of Value. Buut it cost your swift for the next round.

A besides the Initial check to get studied target on, do Slayers need alot of Swift's?

Otherwise we might be good.
Opinions?

Depends on the build.

Rogue Talent: Underhanded Trick (Dirty Trick) is not on the list of Rogue talents a Slayer can take.

Also how come you're not taking the Jaguar talents?

There are like four broken synthesisist builds and 200 that are fine. You know this guy better than we do what's he going to pick?

I truly miss the days of Save or Die spells. So many of the spells in Pathfinder have been neutered to the point they're hardly worth using. I personally loved the goosebump-raising feeling of danger when the bad guy was getting ready to cast a spell. A lot of my players do, too. Thus, I have no problem throwing death at them.

I was there for those days. They were incredibly boring. You got to a certain point and it just didn't matter what you did it was just rocket tag.

Whell unicorn sparklefarts Im obvously bad, wrong, unfun.

In a word yeah. It is a rules heavy game. If you want to make up new stuff that is more a improv group, not PF1. It's like you showed up to a rugby game with a baseball bat.

Sounds more like a HellKnight

Dragons.

Opinions will vary, just as games and play styles will vary.

Personally, nothing should or shouldn't be PC or NPC only. The longer you play the game, the more things you're going to want to try. It's all just tools to tell a fun story. If a GM finds using PC builds works for his supporting cast of characters, no problem. Others like to work from bestiaries; and some mix and match. Similarly, a player may see an NPC do something that really makes an impression on them and want to build a character to do the same thing. As long as the character can contribute to the game in a fun way, no big deal. Some material has broad application for nearly any game, and other stuff is designed to be more niche. This is where "level 0" conversations or sessions come back into play.

Wanting to try is not a great reason to let people try.

I think a better question might be how often should a spell come up in a way that has no counter? It seems like a abolth lung is usually only going to be cast near water. Having to spend the rest of the combat in nearby water and being almost useless it's pretty bad but it's not the same as you're just dead.

Volkard Abendroth wrote:

Before 3rd level, just play like a wizard with a limited spell selection. Stick to the rear and spam Acid Splash.

I'm sure that both a wizard and a Magus can do much better than ping from the rear for a piddly 1d3 damage per round :)

For instance, cast Shield to get your AC up, then engage. Or spell combat for Daze, 5' to attack the enemy you just dazed, and it can't counterattack since it's dazed now. Lots of characters don't have all their abilities at level 1 yet; that doesn't mean you go hide in the corner.

dunelord3001 wrote:

Mechanically a kensei is going to get a huge bonus from a one level dip in a class with armor proficiency.

To avoid a 20% spell failure chance, a nice dip is any class that can cast Mage Armor. Or get a wand for 750 gp, or a pearl of power if a teammate is willing to cast it on you.

Quote:

take the 5% chance to not get off spells until you can have the feat to get around it.

I would really not recommend a feat that requires a swift action every round. You have a lot of competition on your swift actions already.

Shrug. Yeah, but at low levels you don't have the spell slots or the duration to keep Mage armor up all day. It's a lot better to have something dependable and maybe not get the most possible optimization out of your Swift actions and not die. That's the problem with most Theory crafting. You'll be crazy powerful at level eight or 13 or whatever but most of the time you won't make it there.

VoodistMonk wrote:

Why shouldn't NPC's be built like playable characters?

I very much like to build and equip NPC's like playable characters, personally.

Building NPC's like playable characters is an easy way for me to explore classes, combinations, and concepts that I would otherwise never see. I have gained tremendous insight into classes and prestige classes that I previously had absolutely no clue about because I, personally, don't desire to play as one. However, I find it enjoyable to build characters.

I have dozens of different characters and concepts that are 90% complete 1-20 builds... just fill in the last few feats to add whatever flavor you want. Some gestalt, some multiclass, some prestige classes, monsters that have been combined in a sort of gestalt without classes (just monster abilities and features). Builds that gestalt 5-10 levels, then go into a prestige class. Lol.

Because it blurs the line between player characters and everything else?

PCs are suppose to be special. Potential heroes that blossom and become the legends of their generation. In a world full of Commoners, Experts, Adepts, Warriors and Nobles being a Fighter, Rogue, Wizard or Cleric is a big deal. NPC classes were made to be a second fiddle to player classes.

Making the Monsters be player classes takes away the mystique of the monsters. Now the 'monsters' are doing what you can do. They lose the whole idea of wacky abilities that PCs just can't get. Also builds that focus on facing medium humanoid enemies all of a sudden get a lot of longevity. Trip builds normally have a lifespan of 8-12 levels before you run into the wall of growing CR that makes things you can trip a rare commodity at high level play.

And the other thing that dumping PC-built monsters into a campaign is it highlights gear. PCs without PC level gear don't tend to be a challenge. Giving monsters PC level gear quickly causes inflation. There are ways to solve that, but it means you're monsters with classes aren't build...

I don't necessarily think you're wrong, but that's not what I was talking about.

A fourth level expert who is supposed to represent a non-magical but highly competent naturalist might have skill focus knowledge nature, skill focus survival, and endurance. And it totally makes sense for the Crunch and the flavor the mash-up like that, it was the guy overcome the problems they have in game. That can even be relevant to the game, because an urban party might need to hire this guy.

It's not a good situation for that combination of feats to almost ever be taken by a player character.

I have played/ran a few Kensei, several other magi.

Mechanically a kensei is going to get a huge bonus from a one level dip in a class with armor proficiency. More so if it's a D12 and you take it at first level. Brawling Blademaster Samurai can be neat, so can barbarian.

For first level Feats you might want to be looking real hard at the stuff out of the core book. Lightning reflexes, toughness, and traits/fcb that up your hp or reflex save. The theoretical ability to pull something flashy off a few levels early is not worth dying.

Go with the strength or the DEX Build, wear armor with low Arcane Spell failure, take the 5% chance to not get off spells until you can have the feat to get around it. The armor will stack with intell to AC. If you have time to buff you'll be crazy tough to hit.

To be prepared you can take Extend Spell. Maybe get some rods too. Buff yourself with all the hour per level spells. At higher level you can get a few 10 minute per level in there too. Maybe pearls of power.

Dwarf, or to beat ultra technical any race with a bonus to con and wisdom, is going to help out (assuming you're on a point buy) because it will be relatively safe to make wisdom a dump stat when you have a good will save. It will also give you more hit points so you'll be less fragile. It gives a lot of circumstantial bonuses which may or may not be helpful depending on the style of gameplay. Plus darkvision.

You're right, i'm not sure about what i want, the only thing i know is the flavor of the PC: I want other PCs to think my PC is mad/dumb because he obeys voices only he can hear (the sword).

You might be out of luck on that one, in character every PC in the party is going to know that's a thing that happens. Maybe not exactly what a Black Blade is pretty much everybody is going to know that you might be legit.

Why shouldn't NPC's be built like playable characters?

I very much like to build and equip NPC's like playable characters, personally.

Building NPC's like playable characters is an easy way for me to explore classes, combinations, and concepts that I would otherwise never see. I have gained tremendous insight into classes and prestige classes that I previously had absolutely no clue about because I, personally, don't desire to play as one. However, I find it enjoyable to build characters.

I have dozens of different characters and concepts that are 90% complete 1-20 builds... just fill in the last few feats to add whatever flavor you want. Some gestalt, some multiclass, some prestige classes, monsters that have been combined in a sort of gestalt without classes (just monster abilities and features). Builds that gestalt 5-10 levels, then go into a prestige class. Lol.

Because some material does not work well for player characters.

I would have loved for these things to be clearly marked.

Oh, Site-Bound Oracle... You're so funny, but so impossible to use.

In their defense that was never presented as a player option.

If I was making a half-dragon, I would turn it up to 11. Scales instead of skin if I can get away with it. Reptilian eyes, for sure. Sharp teeth, even if I don't have a bite attack. Forked tongue. Claws, even if I don't get Claw attacks. A tail, even if it has absolutely no mechanical benefit.

I would be as much dragon as possible... the human half would be represented by my humanoid shape, and that's it if I can get away with it. But that's just me. The idea of hiding the heritage, yet reaping all its benefits, doesn't sit right with me.

If you want to hide the wings, cut slots in a backpack and stuff them in there.

Shrug. Takes all kinds.

Goes out of way to acquire wings... then hides wings in shame. I love this game.

I really want this awesome mechanical benefit of being half dragon, but what do you mean people don't treat me like a normal person?

Let put a napkin over top of my majestic wings... that's better... now you just nevermind my chromatic scalely skin, the reptilian slit pupils of my eyes, and the smoke I exhale from my nose when I speak.

I know they are drawn that way, but most of the changes besides wings are either not list in crunch or fluff/much harder to notice.

I AM NOT DISCUSSING THINGS YOU THINK ARE OVERPOWERED.

What are some things that generally don't seem like they make a good addition to the party? Either for mechanical or waiver reasons.

The example that comes to mind to me the most is the Cleaner archetype for Slayer. It just seems like the kind of thing that should be for NPCs or require DM permission since it has a lot of abilities that probably won't come up in most games.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/slayer/archetypes/paizo-sla yer-archetypes/cleaner/

I think the presence of magic items is a deterrent.

I think regular thieves will follow the path of least resistance.

I especially think that if an adventurer is walking around with proper leveled equipment, that your average thief will right stay away. And your experienced thieves are guaranteed to stay away (unless it is a GM designed thief involved in some dastardly plot to mess with the PC's gear).

Rogues don't get to see the sun rise on their next level if they make a habit of messing with PC's that sleep in their armor and can call their +1 greataxe named Mistress from anywhere on the same plane to chop you into bits with.

And I'm very strongly of the mindset that even if they do it's not going to be oh I took the item that's 40% of your wealth, it's going to be I could have swore that I had 83 platinum and now I have 79.

LordKailas wrote:

Kimera757 wrote:

I agree with you, but do low-level thieves know at what level a wizard can talk to her familiar? (What is the skill and DC required for this?)

sounds like my low level character needs to buy a pet mouse and talk to it incessantly in order to keep the thieves away......

Many years ago, back in 2e D&D, I did this as a PC to the other players :)

I was a rogue 1/wizard 1 but never cast spells publicly. I wielded two daggers (did not dual-wield, one dagger was held just for show) and put green stuff on the daggers so they would appear to be poisoned (obviously, they weren't). I found out after the game ended that the other PCs were all terrified of my PC. :D

In a game I was in, another PC had a pet skunk. We were all powerful but all terrified of the skunk. A skunk familiar should give an extreme bonus to Intimidation to anything with a sense of smell, with said checks occurring without requiring an action on the part of the skunk holder, or even knowledge of someone observing them.

I don't know if a bonus to intimidate is the right term. Maybe a bonus to anything that's going to get you to go away.

Also... what kind of games are folks running when every time a PC strips out of their gear they're attacked and nearly killed? I haven't played/run a lot of APs; is that a staple of Pathfinder? I run mostly homebrews and out of the 7 campaigns I've really gotten going in PF1 I can only name one with enough intrigue and darkness that PCs couldn't relax their guard ever.

If a player feels they NEED their character to walk around town, or into the noble's hall, or to a meeting with a friend up the road, or whatever, wearing every piece of armament and ordnance they own, maybe the game is a tad too scary?

Now on the other hand, I DO try to run games with at least a little bit of reality to them. By that I mean that my games aren't video games where the "skin" of the main character never changes; they level into their Godly Plate of the Whale armor and then come back from the dungeon wearing it... and for the next 2 days, wandering around town dealing with merchants they are just wearing Godly Plate of the Whale the entire time.

If PCs in my game don't take a Trait, Feat or Spell that lets them sleep in their armor... they're NOT sleeping in their armor. When they walk around a town with a lot of laws and a standing guard/military presence, they're not openly carrying glowing swords and brandishing acid-dripping crossbows. If they want a fair deal with local merchants, best not to float in on golden wings.

If nothing else, at least when it comes to PCs buying/selling things, just put it to the players in capitalist terms. If a merchant sees some uber-powered megalomaniac, dripping with money, levitating around the market, they MAY be tempted to raise their prices. On the other hand if a highly powerful PC shows up wearing sensible but stylish clothes they may be treated a bit more fairly.

It's a staple of bad running. It's what I call the you have to and then it's ridiculously hard Style. You have to take off your armor and weapons to talk to the king and then you get robbed. You have to go talk to this one random NPC and they happen to be the one and only person your PC ever got into an argument with. The basic game philosophy is if it can go wrong it already did and if it can't go wrong we're working on it. Nothing makes sense, nothing's ever easy. You often find it with the same people who fudge rules rules so every single fight is really difficult and slow and no fun and almost but not quite fatal.

Do people in game never have a change clothes, do they never clean them self, are they go to the Lord party dressed like to goin to war.

Thief Analyze first the target to check for opportunity

Thug appeal to strength to steal you so they don't use their brains.

Since every time a PC takes off their War gear they get robbed or jumped why would they ever do that?

A literal reading of disguise self (& so hat of disguise) limits you to the same creature type; this might be a problem for half-dragons. I suggest asking the GM to not read that literally because it's silly, but be aware it's a potential issue.

I wouldn't call limiting a half dragon silly.

Dropping a link and inviting people to read an entire AP with nothing more than a title is a big ask. Can you say a bit more about the AP to entice people to read it? Themes? Setting? Length? Any non-standard rules in use?

He did write thepost likeit was aimed at people who knew the project.

I have seen people have a lot more luck with in what I call invitations than I have with trying to make things comfortable for the players.

Say something like I'm inviting you to please a game that's going to be about X doing Y. Pirates becoming werewolves, Kings building up their Kingdom, murder hobos finally getting a permanent address. Three or four of those and most of the time people know what they're getting into and if it's not a great fit for them they can bow out of the game or tell you privately. Throw in a few basic rules - you can't just decide someone's your rival you have to have the players permission, don't bring up sex crimes cuz you think it's funny, basically the stuff that you think should not have to be said because horror stories always come from assuming it doesn't.

Dumbledore makes a lot more sense now.

I mean it at least explains his deterioration in fashionable clothing.

So it seems like high level characters will scare of thieves in general because of the same theory in Kenichi where the visibly dangerous guy gets in fewer fights than the more powerful weak looking fellow. However if they do get into a fight then its more likely to be a group/organization either (a) powerful enough or desperate enough to take the risk or (b) a plot hook for their next adventure.

Actually in the setting I think the thing that would make the most sense is to remember the scale.

If you're going to rob Warren Buffett you don't want to try to take ownership of Berkshire Hathaway. He's going to notice and he's going to do something about it. It might take him a minute to figure out that one of his personal accounts that was 8.9 million is now 7.9 million, and he's probably not going to dedicate all of his time to getting it back. Same way I didn't swear Vengeance when someone stole a comic that was worth $2.

So if I was going to rob an adventure I would go for like their Backup Plus one weapon, hopefully put in a similar Masterwork weapons so it takes him a couple days to notice.

The thieves will presumably know which classes are Wisdom-based and/or have Perception and Sense Motive as class skills. Avoid anyone who looks like that. Fighters, sorcerers, summoners, witches and wizards are fair game. Paladins probably wouldn't have the skill points to spare so should be OK (and they'll be nice even if they do catch you. Which they won't, because heavy armour).

I don't buy pretty much any part of that.

You might know that certain people are going to be harder to sneak up on than others okay. But anyone with a detect at-will spell you might not know why sometimes they know instantly something is up they do. Clerics are going to be such a grab bag of domain powers that it's probably just not worth it. Plus the hundreds of archtypes.

I'm playing through a somewhat redone Reign of Winter. My PC is Half Orc Ankou’s Shadow Slayer 2/Excited Spiritualist 1. The game is pretty deadly. We had one near TPK that we lived through dumb luck and the NPCs being cowards. We had another avoided by me getting very lucky. Several near PC deaths (outside of the near TPK), a few on each party member. One PC death. Doing a LITTLE better.

The other PCs are a heal focused aasimar oracle, a Sor focused on fire/electric damage, and a full blood orc fighter with a bad will save. I'm not sure in or out of character of their details. I don't THINK I'm supposed to know for plot reasons or something. Not sure.

I need a build that is tough at all levels with no glaring weak spots. It isn't going to work to take off at 5th level because I'll be dead by then. I was told not to worry about it making sense, just live. My plan is to force the NPCs to make as many saves/add as many conditions as possible while at the same time using my shadow to get several sneak attacks per round.

My build play looks like this, but I'm not married to it. I'm looking to find anything to make it a little better.

Around 9th level I am planning/hoping to take get the swords modified for Tactically Adapted, one trip and one disarm. If that doesn't look pragmatic for plot reasons I'll take Opportunist Fighter at 9th and the Jaguar tree at 11th.

(point buy is a bit odd)
STR 19

DEX 14

CON 13

WIS 12

INT 12

CHA 7

Half Orc with the Traits Fate's Favored, Tusked, Trustworthy, and Northern Ancestry and the Umbral Unmasking Drawback.

Gear - Cloak of the Yeti and generic stuff.

Level 01 Ankou's Shadow Slayer 1 Track, Shadow Double, Feat (Power Attack),

Level 02 Spiritualist Exciter 1 (with dedication phantom) Rapture, a few spells, +4 VS mind effecting, +10 speed, Bonus feats (Iron Will, Skill Focus Intimidate, Skill Focus Diplomacy)

Level 03 Slayer AS02 Talent (RCS 2WF), Weapon Focus Orc Double Ax
ABOVE ALREADY TAKEN

Level 04 Slayer AS03 Sneak A. 1d6, up STR

Level 05 Slayer AS04 Talent (Slowing Strike), Feat (Dazzling Display)

Level 06 Slayer AS05 Shadow Double

Level 07 Slayer AS06 Talent (RCS I2WF), Sneak A. 2d6, Talent from FCB (Combat Trick Shatter Defence), Feat (Cornugon Smash)

Level 08 Slayer AS07 Ankou’s Vision (see Invis min per level per day), up CHA

Level 09 Slayer Talent Jaguar’s Grace, AS08 Feat Extra Talent Jaguar Pounce

Level 10 Slayer AS09 Sneak A. 3d6

Level 11 Opportunist Fighter 1 - Duplicitous (Improved Dirty Fighting Ignore prerequisites), Feat (Quick Dirty Fighting)

Level 12 Slayer AS10 Advanced Talent, Talent (Feat Signature Skill Intimidate), Shadow Double x 2, up CON

Level 13 Slayer AS11 Swift tracker, Feat (Intimidating Prowess)

Level 14 Slayer AS12 Talent (RCS I2WF), Sneak A. 4d6, Talent from FCB (Safe Poison Use)

Level 15 Slayer AS13 Slayer’s advance 1/day, Feat (Quick Draw)

Level 16 Slayer AS14 Talent (Hunter’s Surprise), Shadow Prey, Shadow Double x 3, up ?

Level 17 Slayer AS15 Sneak A. 5d6

Level 18 Slayer AS16 Talent (Slow Reactions), Feat (Lasting Poison)

Level 19 Slayer AS17 Slayer’s advance 2/day, Talent from FCB ()

Level 20 Slayer AS18 Feat (), Talent(), Sneak A. 6d6, up ?

Without Detect Magic I suspect it may be difficult to spot quite how tooled-up a character rerally is.

That actually is going to be a bit more straightforward. People mostly wear clothing that matches at least a bit. Whatever the fantasy setting version of suit with tie or jeans with t-shirt is. And that goes out the window with magic items. You'll wear the purple with green polka dot cloak of resistance +4 because dying sucks, and not hesitate to put on the neon green ring of protection, etc. So if someone is wearing very expensive but garishly mismatched gear odds are they are powerful.

Interesting thoughts and it puts me in mind of Slayers friendly but dopey acomponied by Lina who even dragons avoid because of her tendency to blow up cities.

At that level of wealth it might be easier to just ask for some gold. The risk is low, the reward is likely to be a normal week's work.

I'm playing through a somewhat redone Reign of Winter. My PC is Half Orc Ankou’s Shadow Slayer 2/Excited Spiritualist 1. The game is pretty deadly. We had one near TPK that we lived through dumb luck and the NPCs being cowards. We had another avoided by me getting very lucky. Several near PC deaths (outside of the near TPK), a few on each party member. One PC death. Doing a LITTLE better.

The other PCs are a heal focused aasimar oracle, a Sor focused on fire/electric damage, and a full blood orc fighter with a bad will save. I'm not sure in or out of character of their details. I don't THINK I'm supposed to know for plot reasons or something. Not sure.

I need a build that is tough at all levels with no glaring weak spots. It isn't going to work to take off at 5th level because I'll be dead by then. I was told not to worry about it making sense, just live. My plan is to force the NPCs to make as many saves/add as many conditions as possible while at the same time using my shadow to get several sneak attacks per round.

My build play looks like this, but I'm not married to it. I'm looking to find anything to make it a little better.

Around 9th level I am planning/hoping to take get the swords modified for Tactically Adapted, one trip and one disarm.

(point buy is a bit odd)
STR 19

DEX 14

CON 13

WIS 12

INT 12

CHA 7

Half Orc with Fey Thoughts and Sacred Tattoo and Northern Ancestry.

Gear - Cloak of the Yeti and generic stuff.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/core-races/half-orc/

Ankou's Shadow

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/slayer/archetypes/paizo-sla yer-archetypes/ankous-shadow-slayer-archetype/

Level 01 Slayer AS01 Feat (Power Attack), Track, Shadow Double, Traits (Fates Favored, Tusked, Trustworthy, and Northern Ancestry with the Umbral Unmasking Drawback)

Level 02 Spiritualist Exciter (with dedication phantom) 1 Iron Will, Skill Focus Intimidate, Skill Focus Diplomacy, Rapture, a few spells, +4 VS mind effecting, +10 speed

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/drawbacks/shadow-scarred/

Level 03 Slayer AS02 Talent (RCS 2WF), Weapon Focus Orc Double Ax
ALREADY TAKEN

Level 04 Slayer AS03 Sneak A. 1d6, up STR

Level 05 Slayer AS04 Talent (Slowing Strike), Feat (Dazzling Display)

Level 06 Slayer AS05 Shadow Double

Level 07 Slayer AS06 Talent (RCS I2WF), Sneak A. 2d6, Talent from FCB (Combat Trick Shatter Defence), Feat (Cornugon Smash)

Level 08 Slayer AS07 Ankou’s Vision (see Invis min per level per day), up CHA

Level 09 Slayer Talent Jaguar’s Grace, AS08 Feat Extra Talent Jaguar Pounce

Level 10 Slayer AS09 Sneak A. 3d6

Level 11 Opportunist Fighter 1 - Duplicitous (Improved Dirty Fighting Ignore prerequisites), Feat (Quick Dirty Fighting)

Level 12 Slayer AS10 Advanced Talent, Talent (Feat Signature Skill Intimidate), Shadow Double x 2, up CON

Level 13 Slayer AS11 Swift tracker, Feat (Intimidating Prowess)

Level 14 Slayer AS12 Talent (RCS I2WF), Sneak A. 4d6, Talent from FCB (Safe Poison Use)

Level 15 Slayer AS13 Slayer’s advance 1/day, Feat (Quick Draw)

Level 16 Slayer AS14 Talent (Hunter’s Surprise), Shadow Prey, Shadow Double x 3, up ?

Level 17 Slayer AS15 Sneak A. 5d6

Level 18 Slayer AS16 Talent (Slow Reactions), Feat (Lasting Poison)

Level 19 Slayer AS17 Slayer’s advance 2/day, Talent from FCB ()

Level 20 Slayer AS18 Feat (), Talent(), Sneak A. 6d6, up ?

Probably a little bit of both. You don't see a lot of pickpockets trying to break into Fort Knox. At the same time braver/crazier/more talented criminals rob banks because that is where the money is.

A dhampire can take improved familiar and get an incorporeal creature with a negative energy touch. Effectively free fast healing 2d6 from a creature inside you

this thing

Is that an actual rule someplace or is it left vague? Because negative energy doesn't always heal Undead creatures, i.e. Channel energy.

Absolutely not. To me it's odd that you would even ask.

Anything that improves the efficiency of your move action.

From a flavor perspective I view this as really bad because there's no way that the other PCS would bring along a defenseless old man who hasn't learned how to do anything effectively his whole life.

I don't think they were intended to work together, but I think the Beastmorph Alchemist works particularly well with the Master Chymist (they're both about buffing Mutagens).

I know it's weird but I don't actually think that those are types are meant to be used with those PrCs.

It also depends a lot on which one you take and what your problems are. If you take one that is going to help you not die/ otherwise helps you avoid derailing the game it's a lot different than if you take one that gives you a + 3 in a skill you don't think you're ever going to use.

Every example of a creature/player with more than two arm that I'm aware of specifically says/has it in the stat block if it can be used for extra attacks or not. Is there an exception?