Pretty straight forward what kind of character would you make to be the best battlefield control character? Wizard? Sorcerer? Something else? 25 point buy all paizo books allowed
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Depends on the rest of the party. Battlefield control isn't a goal in itself, it's a means to an end. It needs to fit what the rest of the party is doing.
If your party is heavy on melee, you want to shut down archers. If you're heavy on range, you want to keep melee enemies at a distance but clearly visible. That's the difference between Sleet Storm and Entangle.
There are two big sorts of battlefield control: with threatened melee areas, and with spells.
For spells, it's hard to beat the conjuration wizard. So many different powerful options. Although witches and druids and sometimes clerics and bards can do well too.
Melee-side, the main thing is projecting a lot of reach. Abyssal/Aberrant bloodragers, alchemists/investigators chugging Enlarge Person, polearms, that sort of thing.
I would say threatening in and of itself doesn't provide battlefield control. Battlefield control is really about minimizing the opposing forces ability to deal damage, and unless hitting them as they run in take them out, threatening areas doesn't do that. Instead it is just another way to damage creatures. A reach-trip build (or any trip build to an extent) is battlefield control though, as it can dramatically reduce the damage opponents can deal (at least of those opponents are subject to trip.)
Bottom line though it is hard to beat the wizard as the best battlefield controller. Other classes can match them in specific ways, but for many it is hard to adapt while the prepared casting of the wizard means if they know what kinds of things they will be facing, they can really customize (and if they don't summon monster is always flexible).
The point about battlefield control needing to be tailored to the party is very valid though. Making sure your minimizing the enemies abilities doesn't also minimize your sides abilities is important.
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I'll add: battlefield control is one of the more subtle things about the PF game. It's hard to start out playing the game as a competent battlefield controller. Playing a lot and seeing people pull tricks in combats, getting experience, that's important. Play with a lot of people (PFS!) and observe what works, and what kind of enemy stunts you really need to use control against.
With that in mind, the wizard is one of the more forgiving classes, because if you discover another spell works better, you just switch to preparing that instead. It's a lot easier to adapt than a tricky martial feat build or a sorcerer that's locked into a narrow selection of spells.
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Wizard IMHO is the best.
Then I would say witch and shaman because hexes are unlimited uses a day and slumber is strong...no question there.
After those I would say Cleric (hangover AoE daze rings the bell) and Arcanist.
The moment these other suggestions start saying "pick any spell off the Wizard list." They are acknowledging who the real King of control really is.
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Almost any arcane caster followed by some divine casters.
Arcanist, Cleric, Druid, Oracle, Shaman, Sorcerer, Summoner, Witch, Wizard.
Then the field is narrowed down to the top three.
Arcanist, Witch, Wizard,
With that I don't recommend battlefield control as the only thing you can do. Almost all battlefield control spells come from two schools of magic. Conjuration, and Transmutation their are some out lying spells from other schools. Never use illusion to do battle field control! Why yes they work great at low level. If your going to be playing a high level game a lot of outsiders have trueseeing constant. Their is no worse feeling then to be useless, because the enemy is virtually immune to you.
Treantmonk has a pretty good build on druid and bard controllers. I like to consider manipulating the positioning of the battle field. Separating groups with walls, even altering the terrain. Just do what you can to make sure the others shine. :) keeping them alive doesn't hurt either.
Ifyouryou're going to be playing a high level game, a lot of outsiders havetrueseeingtrue seeingconstantconstantly.TheirThere is no worse feeling then to be useless,because the enemy is virtually immune to you.
True Seeing doesn't make you immune to all illusion magic. A good chunk of it, yes, but even that only out to 120ft. Patterns still work. Phantasms still work. Semi-real illusions work. All non-visual illusions work.
Illusion is fun.
I found Kitsune with Wrecking Mysticism as an oracle can be fun. Wrecking mysticism lets you replace all your mystery bonus spells with the magical tail feat.
Mostly because Kitsune get a bonus to the DC of enchantment spells.
If you want to be a 100% caster oracle you can also just burn all your feat slots on it as well. So it grants you access to a bunch of enchantment SLAs like Dominate Person (the displacement spell is nice also).
The biggest downside is its alot of enchantment spells are "target humanoid", but stuff like bane works on anything. So it's definitely a setting specific thing as there's alot of stuff you can't get. But at that point you have a cleric's caster list so stock up on buff spells as a backup plan.
Hangover cleric, or admixture wizard with dazing spell. Almost nothing is immune to daze, and these two builds can do it all day.
Just be aware that too much hardcore lockdown might make the game boring for people.
I would say threatening in and of itself doesn't provide battlefield control. Battlefield control is really about minimizing the opposing forces ability to deal damage, and unless hitting them as they run in take them out, threatening areas doesn't do that. Instead it is just another way to damage creatures. A reach-trip build (or any trip build to an extent) is battlefield control though, as it can dramatically reduce the damage opponents can deal (at least of those opponents are subject to trip.)
I don't know. It depends on your equipment.
If you have a fortuitous weapon, the that could definitely be battlefield control. Because it is basically a mini full attack (or the best part of a full attack- the full BAB hit and the BAB-5 hit). Fear of giving an enemy a full attack, and then being close enough for another full attack... it can be threateing. A nice circle 25' across made of PAIN.
It is particularly good with a distance control build using lunge and pushing assault. That allows a reach user to directly engage an enemy while significantly reducing the other side's damage options (since they can push them away far enough that lots of enemies have to spend a full move action to get in- giving AoOs and full attacks to you in the process, while they only get the one attack).
Generally, well done reach is how a melee character can threaten using just their DPR. Good defense, but not some turtled up monk, since they are still 2 handers.
I tend to think the Summoner is a very good battlefield controller...it's in the name. Spam the summons and rule the world--er, battlefield.
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I tend to think the Summoner is a very good battlefield controller...it's in the name. Spam the summons and rule the world--er, battlefield.
You would think...but the downside is Protection from X spell that just says No. Now your left with Glitterdust, a few fog spells, Black tentacles and a few walls. You cap at a very selective list of 6th level spells. (Thinking Unchained Summoner) you lost Maze and other hidden gems among your Spell list. You also have much less casting per day as well as waiting longer (till higher levels) to access the few non summoned control options. Lastly they do not prepare spells and this means they can not adjust to the new days challenges like a wizard can do.
This is why the summoner is not the best Controller/Anvil type. Though he is not bad at it...he does not compare to the options available to a Wizard.
I tend to think the Summoner is a very good battlefield controller...it's in the name. Spam the summons and rule the world--er, battlefield.You would think...but the downside is Protection from X spell that just says No. Now your left with Glitterdust, a few fog spells, Black tentacles and a few walls. You cap at a very selective list of 6th level spells. (Thinking Unchained Summoner) you lost Maze and other hidden gems among your Spell list. You also have much less casting per day as well as waiting longer (till higher levels) to access the few non summoned control options. Lastly they do not prepare spells and this means they can not adjust to the new days challenges like a wizard can do.
This is why the summoner is not the best Controller/Anvil type. Though he is not bad at it...he does not compare to the options available to a Wizard.
Standard actions summons and minute per level are very powerful. Protection from evil only protects against summoned evil creatures, protection from good only from good creatures etc, so it is very unlikely that protection spells will shut down your summon monster coolness.
I think they are Wizard good (prepared spells is powerful) but they are probably as good a controller as a sorcerer.
Bit of a necro but my experience with magus has shown him to be a phenomenal controller.
Trip builds are beyond viable with the maneuver magus arcana and an enhanced weapon. And while reach isn't an option because you use a one hander,there's always lunge. Well, that and BLADED DASH, which is hillarious with spell combat or as a readied action.
And then there are spells like toppling magic missile (with or without magic missile) and ice slick which allow you to control like a wizard. Keep in mind you're using spell combat to trip people on the same tutn.
Magus can make a good controller to a point, but he needs to put himself at risk to do this. My preference would be a spell specialist arcanist. he gets an extra +1 to the DCs of his signature spells and can cheaply manipulate the area of them, so placement isn't as big of an issue. Start with Color Spray, which you will later transition to grease, and then pick other spells as you like. I personally like the create pit line of spells, but you don't want all of those as signature spells, so, just keep the highest one.
The best battlefield controller IMO is multiple characters with battlefield control spells/feats working together. When I played kingmaker a long time ago I experiemented with a stand still fighter who was extremely good at keeping enemies in his threatened area and off our archer(rogue) and wizard(Conjurer).
When our wizard saw what I was doing he complimented my feat usage with low level spells like grease to force enemies into my threatened area. This made things even easier for our Gorum cleric who ended up becoming a trip/disarm specialist
You might want to talk to the other players and work out ideas and tactics together but if you just want to rely on yourself IMO wizards probably the best all around option
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Build 1
I'm going to throw my hat in for the druid.
-They have the second best list of area control spells
- They have spontanious summons which means it's really hard to prep spells incorrectly
- An animal companion gives a whole second set of actions (I will return to this)
- They can access abilities like trip, grab, reach on they fly.
Animal companions especially those that grapple give you a mundane way to shut down other casters so they can not counter control. If the grapple is counter you can also equip them with 2 spell storing ioun stones. One with farie fire the other with obscuring mist to let them cast their own control spells, while you are doing other things. This is a good back up if grab and attack have been countered in some way.
Build 2
My second entry would be a sylvan sorcerer wizard list, spontanious metamagic like persistent, quicken and dazing, has an animal companion, can use piercing bloodline mutation to deal with sr. You don't need the full spell list to be a good controller just control spells. Having a mount makes using metamagic much easier.
Others
9th level caster
Wizards, shaman, heaven oracles, hearald caller cleric.
6th level caster
Alchemist with the right bombs, whip kensai, any of the powerful summoning builds summoner/inquisitor.
Low or no magic.
Combat patrol builds, reach/size stacking builds, eldritch guardians, grapple builds.