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TheMindSlayer wrote:

I'd like one if it isn't too late.

Yep, and we've got two more to throw out! We'll close this offer July 2nd, by the way.

In that case, I would like a copy as well.

My and I are running through Skull & Shackles with Damiel and Lirianne. Enjoying it so far. We also have a second group consisting of Oloch and Ranzak. The goal is to get both groups to the same point, and then make a super-group!

@thefortier - your review gives no star rating? I see you give it 4.5 in the text...

Sorry. Corrected.

I just posted a review, beating Endzeitgeist to it.

But I'm really looking forward to what he has to say...

I just posted a review, beating Endzeitgeist to it.

Here's an idea for a Tiefling Sorcerer that I've been working on for the last little while.

Tielfing (Pit-born) Crossblooded Sorcerer [Abyssal and Shadow bloodlines] 20

Attributes (20 point buy): Str 12, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 16
After racial modifiers: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 18.

Favoured class: +1 round for claws abyssal bloodline power

Alternate racial traits: Maw (gain a primary bite attack), Beguiling Liar (+4 to Bluff checks when telling lies)

Feats: Improved Fiendish Sorcery (if you have Shadow bloodline, your Charisma counts as two higher for class abilities). [Paired up with fiendish sorcery racial trait, this means your Charisma counts as 4 higher for sorcerer class abilities.]

Take the Shadow bloodline bonus spells, but the Abyssal bloodline powers. Shadow bloodline has some of the best spells (shadow conj/evoc), while the Abyssal bloodline has some of the best powers.

I like using the claws for a weapon should you get into melee. You know, if meat shields fail. Your strength should be high enough with Strengh of the Abyss to deal some consistent melee damage. And you'll have three melee attacks (bite and two flaming claws). This is all back-up to your high DC spells.

So you can summon and bring the pain with save or die, save or suck.

Your high Charisma will mean good Bluff, and Intimidate scores, so you can go demoralizing route. Bluff your way out of anything.

Get a headband of Charisma +6 as soon as you can afford it. All stat increases into Charisma. Your save DC will be through the roof.

Summon monsters and then debuff enemies.

Feats: Improved Fiendish Sorcery, Spell Focus (conjuration), Augment Summoning, Superior Summons.

What more do you need?

Hellknights, to me, have always seen an oppressive law-enforcement agency. Alignment is usually between LN and LE, due to their consorting with devils.
The issue I have, is not with the whole paladin/hellknight; it's with the paladin of Sarenrae that I see the conflict. Serenrae is about redemption and mercy, not vengeance and punishment (that's more of an Iomedae thing).
As far as orders go, The Order of the Nail can work. The quelling of savage races is similar (but to a super-extreme) to the "civilizing" of the savages done by the British in Imperial times.
The only way I can see a paladin hellknight work, is if the character embraces the idealism of bringing order to what is perceived as chaos, and as the character adventures, grows in experience, and rises within the organization, begins to see things as they really are, seeing the unmerited violence and oppression within the Order, thus creating an inner conflict between what is deemed good by Sarenrae (whom I would change to Iomedae) and what is considered 'good' by the Hellknights.
This conflict could eventually lead to disobedience, or just becoming dead inside. Could be fun!

So here's a build that could be fun. Maybe not powerful, but fun.

Tiefling bladebound fiendslayer hexcrafter spellblade staff magus.

Never be without a weapon. Black blade, fiend blade, spell athame. Only have to buy a staff (preferably find the staff of power! for a +5 weapon).

Dual wield in all sorts of ways!

Staff and black blade.
Staff and fiend blade.
Staff and spell blade.
Black blade and fiend blade.
Black blade and spell blade.
Fiendblade and spell blade.

Held captive? Summon your black blade to you. Summon a spellblade. Summon your fiend blade.
No armour? Grab a staff, and boom! Armour bonus!

Makes sense, Darkwolf. I shall run with that ruling until someone else says something else.

I'm thinking about making a blood god disciple in an unspecified upcoming adventure path (currently DMing Serpent's Skull).

I have a question though. At levels 11 and 15, the BDG can select a rage power. Do summoner levels count as barbarian levels for these powers, or will they always remain at 1st level power?

Half-Drow Paragon is from the Advanced Race Guide. Allows you to be counted as a drow for the purpose of effects (including feats).

I sorta found a way around it, using a Magus Arcana found on d20pfsrd.com from Rite Publishing. Eldritch Athame. Spend an arcane point and transform your blackblade into a blackstaff.

I plan on making a half-drow bladebound hexcrafter spellblade staff magus (load up on the archetypes) using the Half-Drow Paragon feat and the Drow Nobility line of feats. Could be interesting....

Use Pool Strike to add to weapon strikes, Vampiric Thirst coupled with Vampiric Touch to regain lost hit points, Eldritch Athame to turn Black Blade into Black Staff, and Charge of the Magi and Song of Arcane Triumph to add to damage as needed.

Use darkness spell-like, and faerie fire, as needed to battlefield control, etc. Misfortune hex to add damage as needed. Slumber hex for coup-de-grace attempts.

Should be fun.

I think they reason they made the two incompatible is because of the Staff Magus' Quarterstaff Defense class feature. With the enhancement of the black blade coupled with enhancement from Arcane Pool, you can get a +10 shield bonus to your AC at level 17ish. I think the designers found that to be too powerful, so ensured it couldn't be done.

I like using to summon a kolyarut inevitable. Enervation and vampiric touch at will. Decent combat abilities. Typical use would be ranged debuff via evnergy drain and protection should my wizard ever require it. Frees up the protect the wizard task. My wizard is a god wizard a la Treantmonk style play, so having two debuffers is very handy.

Beastmorph Alchemist 10/ Master Chymist 10. For the beast power mutagens and then the full out mutation power. Just for the whole pathos of becoming that which you hunt.

@Drejk: While I do thank you for your input, and it is being considered; it is not enitrely relevant to the discussion. I have, in a previous post, mentioned the boundaries within which I am working.

With regards to the Totem Warrior archetype, I tried to nerf the build as much as possible while still remaining within the archetypes boundaries. That is to say, "Totem Warriors can have multimple :) totems", but must select their rage powers from the totem powers and the complementary list. Seems more balanced than gain awesome for nothing. The powergamer in me wants awesome for nothing (and the chicks for free), but the developing Johnny in me is looking for balance.

and

That being said, working within the framework that the build is legal, what do we think?

I do admit that, as it stands, the Totem Warrior is very confusing. I have attempted to capture (with my nerf) the intention of the Totem Warrior. One thing to note, Totem Warriors (as I have interpreted/nerfed) cannot select the Dragon Totem rage powers, as they do not have access to Intimidating Glare.

So the question is not: Is the build legal? The question is: Assuming the build is legal, is it viable?

With regards to the Totem Warrior archetype, I tried to nerf the build as much as possible while still remaining within the archetypes boundaries. That is to say, "Totem Warriors can have multimple :) totems", but must select their rage powers from the totem powers and the complementary list. Seems more balanced than gain awesome for nothing. The powergamer in me wants awesome for nothing (and the chicks for free), but the developing Johnny in me is looking for balance.

I agree it is confusing, and that the whole legality of the build sits on a decidedly shaky foundation, but I believe Udinaas to be correct in his interpretation; especially once one regards the notion of party balance.

That being said, working within the framework that the build is legal, what do we think?

I thought about the Toothy idea, but I wanted the Hive Totem powers, as I find them better than the dragon totem powers (which are not viable due to intimidating glare not being on the Complement List of Powers), as well as better than the Chaos Totem powers. And wanting only rage powers that were legal with the above mentioned interpretational parameters, hive beats chaos, especially with the poison and the bonuses to CMD.

Interesting Fun Fact!

The first people to be branded atheists were Christians by the Romans because they didn't worship the Roman pantheon.

This is a barbarian build I'm thinking of playing in an upcoming Adventure Path (not sure which one -- currently DMing Serpent's Skull).

While I love optimized characters, I also enjoyed themed characters. The barbarian build below is a fusion of the two. Decent in the number crunch, but also very flavourful.

The theme is totem rage powers, getting as many as I can. Here it is:

Buthrakaur the Pale, Half-Orc Totem Warrior Invulnerable Rager Barbarian

Starting Attributes (using 20-point buy):
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 13.

Favoured Class: Barbarian (+1 rage point per level)
Alternate Racial Trait: Scavenger (replaces Intimidating)
Traits: Dump Salvager (+3 to Perception to notice concealed things)

Level-by-level breakdown:

Barbarian 1 - Fast movement, rage
Feats: Skill Focus (Survival)
Barbarian 2 - Rage power (animal fury), invulnerability
Barbarian 3 - Extreme endurance (cold) +1
Feat: Eldritch Heritage (orc - touch of rage)
Barbarian 4 - Rage power (lesser beast totem)
+1 to Cha
Barbarian 5 -
Feat: Extra Rage Power (lesser fiend totem)
Barbarian 6 - Extreme endurance +2, rage power (hive totem)
Barbarian 7 -
Feat: Extra Rage Power (fiend totem)
Barbarian 8 - Rage power (beast totem)
+1 to Cha
Barbarian 9 - Extreme endurance +3
Feat: Extra Rage Power (hive totem resilience)
Barbarian 10 - Rage power (greater beast totem)
Barbarian 11 - Greater Rage
Feat: Improved Eldritch Heritage (orc - strength of the beast)
Barbarian 12 - Extreme endurance +4, rage power (hive totem toxicity)
+1 to Cha
Barbarian 13 -
Feat: Extra Rage Power (lesser spirit totem)
Barbarian 14 - Indomitable will, rage power (world serpent totem)
Barbarian 15 - Extreme endurance +5
Feat: Extra Rage Power (world serpent spirit)
Barbarian 16 - Damage reduction 4/-, rage power (world serpent totem unity)
+1 to Cha
Barbarian 17 - Tireless rage
Feat: Greater Eldritch Heritage (orc - power of giants)
Barbarian 18 - Extreme endurance +6, rage power (spirit totem)
Barbarian 19 -
Feat: Extra Rage Power (greater spirit totem)
Barbarian 20 - Mighty rage, rage power (lesser chaos totem)
+1 to Cha

Desired Weapons: (furious flaming great)sword of the planes, oathbow
Desired Armour: +5 rhino hide armour (+9 AC)
Desired Magical Gear: ring of protection +5, belt of physical prowess (Strength/Constitution) +6, boots of striding and springing, cloak of the bat, efficient quiver, helm of fearsome mien, raven bracers, snakeskin tunic, amulet of mighty fists (+3)

Totem Power Breakdown:
Animal Fury: bite that deals 1d4 + half Str modifier damage; attack at -5 if part of a full attack.
Beast Totem, Lesser: two claw attacks that deal 1d6 slashing + Str modifier. Primary attacks.
Beast Totem: +1 natural armour bonus. Increases by +1 for every 4 levels attained.
Beast Totem, Greater: Gain pounce. Claw damage increases to 1d8/x3.
Chaos Totem, Lesser: +1 deflection bonus to AC against the attacks of lawful creatures and +1 resistance bonus on saving throw against confusion, insanity, polymorph, and effects with lawful descriptor. Increases by +1 for every chaos totem power.
Fiend Totem, Lesser: horns that deal 1d8 piercing + Str modifier . Primary.
Fiend Totem: dozens of wicked barbs from body. Anyone striking with a melee weapon, an unarmed strike, or natural weapon takes 1d6 piercing damage.
Hive Totem: half damage from swarms of vermin. +1 bonus on Strength ability checks and to CMD against bull rush, drag, and trip attempts for every four barbarian levels.
Hive Totem Resilience: No damage from swarms of vermin, +1 on combat maneuver checks and to CMD when grappling for every four barbarian levels.
Hive Totem Toxicity: Animal fury bite damage increases by one step and decreases penalty on attack rolls with bite to -2. Injury toxin (once per round for four rounds, deals 1d3 Con, cure of one save. DC 10 + 1/2 barbarian level + Con modifier.)
Spirit Totem, Lesser: Spirit wisps attack adjacent foe. Slam attack that deals 1d4 + Cha modifier negative energy damage.
Spirit Totem: 20% miss chance by foes not adjacent.
Spirit Totem, Greater: Adjacent living enemies take 1d8 negative energy damage. Spirit wisps can attack up to 15 ft. away and deal 1d6 points of negative energy damage.
World Serpent Totem: +1 insight bonus to AC against outsiders and aberrations. Increases by one for every World Serpent rage power, excluding this one.
World Serpent Spirit: weapons considered chaotic-, evil-, good-, lawful-aligned for overcoming damage reduction. +1 resistance bonus on saving throws against spells with alignment descriptors or come from outsiders or aberrations. Increases by one for every World Serpent rage power, excluding this one.
World Serpent Totem Unity: doubles fast movement and cannot be knocked prone. Doubles insight bonus to AC against attack rolls made by an aberration or outsider to confirm a critical.

Commentary: I went with a high Charisma, and by putting all the level increases into Charisma, was able to qualify for the Eldritch Heritage (orc bloodline) feat line. This nets me a +6 inherent bonus to Strength at level 17, as well as the super-nifty Power of Giants ability. This ability allows Buthrakaur to grow to Large size, with a +6 size bonus to Strength, -2 to Dex, +4 to Constitution, and +4 natural armour.

Strength while enlarged and raging is 44 (18 base + 6 inherent + 8 morale + 6 enhancement + 6 size), for a whopping +17 to damage.

The idea is to pounce around the battlefield, dealing full attacks to targets within 80ft. Each of these attacks is +2d6 because of rhino armour. And just bounce back and forth between two or more enemies, laying into them with 5 attacks (poisonous bite, 2 claws, gore, spirit wisp), relying on AC 35 and DR 10/- to withstand attacks of opportunity. And if anyone does hit, they take damage from fiend totem's wicked barbs.

Hive Totem grants bonuses to CMD in case someone makes an attack of opportunity with a trip or grapple or something, while World Serpent Totem Unity ensures I can't be knocked prone. The end result is a high-damage, decent AC pouncer with multiple attacks that bypass a good portion of CR, and can take a hit or two.

Attacks (rage): <- I think the math is correct
bite +38 (1d6+10 plus poison plus 2d6 charge)
claw +40 (1d8+18 plus 2d6 charge)
claw +40 (1d8+18 plus 2d6 charge)
gore +40 (1d8+18 plus 2d6 charge)
spirit wisp +24 (1d6+4)

Any thoughts?

To get around the mount issue, you can take the Horse Master feat from Ultimate Combat. It allows to count your character level as druid levels for determining your mount's abilities.

121) Empty the archer's quiver of arrows
122) Use a dagger to slice the archer's bowstring
123) Make the judge's powdered wig float off his head in the middle of trial
124) Lift the judge's robes as he's walking down the aisle
125) Make the cleric's light mace look like "something else" rod-shaped...
126) Chill the wineksin before you drink
127) Anti-fur rallies

The Skinsaw Murders from Rise of the Runelords.

Ghoul scarecrows and a freaky haunted house.

Dancing with invisble women who sap your strength.

Being possessed into slitting your own throat with a jagged piece of wood.

Having a scarf try to choke you.

Being so overcome with guilt that you jump out of a high-level window (and promptly impaling yourself on a weathervane).

It was freaky!

I'm currently playing in a Rise of the Rune Lords campaign using 3.5 rules. We're currently at 9th-10th level. Should my current PC die, I was thinking of using the following character. Need some help tweaking, as well as some rules lawyering. No setting spewcific books (i.e. Eberron or Forgotten Realms) allowed.

Gnome Beguiler 1 (with Practiced Spellcaster)/Spellthief 1/Focused Illusionist 3(using variants from UA and racial substitution levels from RoS)/Ultimate Magus 4/Shadowcraft Mage 1.

Using the following feats: Practiced Spellcaster (beguiler), Earth Sense, Earth Spell, Heighten Spell, Master Spellthief (stacks caster levels, allows me to use light armour), Residual Metamagic [tactical]...

campaign goes to 14-15th level, so continuing Shadowcraft Mage to 3rd, and then continuing Ultimate Magus.

At 14th, will be a Beguiler 1/Spellthief 1/Ultimate Magus 6/Shadowcraft Mage 3.

Is this a viable build?

With regards to rules, Illusion Mastery (UA) states that I lose bonus spells for being a specialist wizard. Does this include the extra spells for being a Focused Illusionist (PHB2)?

Thanks.

With regards to the whole cleric thing, I'm currently playing my first cleric ever in a Rise of the Runelords campaign.
For the first session, whenever the party meat shield got hit for like 5 points, he'd call out for the medic. My solution was to just ignore him until he was pretty badly beat-up (5-10 hit points left) while doing my own thing. Typically buffing myself up, bringing the hurt to the enemy, or summoning something to bring the hurt for/with me.
Currently, I'm a cleric 3/church inquisitor 2/malconvoker 4, specializing in summoning evil creatures, and being a self-righteous, slightly pompous bugger. If you can walk, you can fight mentality.
After a few sessions, the meat shield is no longer crying for spells, trusting that I will do my best to keep the party alive, but not at the expense of everything else. And it's worked out super so far.
(Spoiler Alert) Defending Fort Rannik, our party dwarf warmage got dropped by a hulking ogre type on the top of the Fort's walls. In one round, I updrafted myself to the ramparts where the action was going down, used close wounds on the nearly dead dwarf (his hp was -9 I think), and killed the ogre boss. Not bad if I do say so myself...and my summoned voor yugoloth tore a couple ogres apart down below.

All in all, I think it's more a question of your gaming groups perceptions of 1) your ability to play D&D, and 2) their perceptions of what a cleric is supposed to do. I ain't no heal-bot, but I do keep the party alive...after defending justice of course.

Do I like my cleric, yes. Would I play a cleric again, yes. Would I play a heal-bot? No. My next cleric will follow Wee Jas or something, and use inflict spells. But the cleric has many options available. You define the cleric's role.

I love summoners, and find that they can make a super rough battle manageable.

I'm currently playing in Rise of the Rune Lords, with a Cleric 3/Church Inquisitor 2/Malconvoker 4. His domains are Good and War (he's a worshipper of Iomedae). I find him to be both equally good at summoning good and evil creatures (due to +1 CL to good spells, and Malconvoker abilities). Using Rapid Spell and Divine Metamagic, with Extra Turning, I can cast all my summons as standard actions, which is pretty sweet. Tore a skrag apart with a summoned Voor Yugoloth in one round. Yeah, it's sweet.

Anyhow, I find him to be preety tough, but check out this build:

Druid 3/Focused Conjurer 3/Mystic Theurge 2/Arcane Heirophant 10/Mystic Theurge +2. Using the rapid summon variant, the enhanced summoning variant (both in UA), and the Rapid Spell/Metamagic School Focus (conjuration) combo (add Rapid Spell for a +0 modifier), you can cast every summon spell in the game, and spontaneously summon nature's ally!

This means, that you can use conjure ice beast I - IX, summon deseret ally I -IX, summon monster I -IX, summon nature's ally I - IX.

Plus you get a super though companion to follow you around, and if you take the Obtain familiar feat, you get a Companion Familiar. Yes, you to can have a talking, self-thinking, Dire Bear....with Improved Evasion! And you get Wild Shape!

You'll also be able to cast 9th level druid and wizard spells. Drop enchantment, necromancy, and evocation as your forbidden schools. You'll be amaster of conjuration and transmutation. Who needs finger of death?