Advice for proposed Archaeologist / Urban Barbarian Build


Advice


Proposing to play the below, will be multiclassed to Archaeologist, appreciate any feedback/thoughts.

Half-Elf (Wildborn) Barbarian (Urban Barbarian) 1
CG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +8
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 14 (1d12+2)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will -1; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee chakram +3 (1d8+3) and
dagger +4 (1d4+3/19-20) and
scimitar +4 (1d6+3/18-20) and
unarmed strike +4 (1d3+3 nonlethal)
Special Attacks rage (14 rounds/day)
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16
Feats Additional Traits, Extra Rage, Skill Focus (Perception)
Traits berserker of the society, rich parents, seeking adventure, vagabond child (urban)
Skills Acrobatics +6, Climb +7, Disable Device +7, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +8, Survival -1 (+1 to avoid becoming lost), Swim +7; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Elven, Kelish, Varisian
SQ controlled rage, crowd control, elf blood
Other Gear darkleaf armour, heavy wooden shield, chakram, dagger, scimitar, wayfinder, backpack, bedroll, blanket, canteen, coffee pot, flint and steel, grooming kit, ink, black, inkpen, journal, kahve (per cup) (14), mess kit, thieves' tools, trail rations (4), waterproof bag, whetstone, 3 gp, 3 sp


Rich Parents is a trap. It seems like a big deal, especially at level 1 where you have so little money, but after a level or two, the bonus goes away and you have a dead trait. If you are aiming to multi class to Archaeologist, you should really switch it to Fate's Favored. FF increases any luck bonus you get by one. Your Archaeologist's Luck is a luck bonus. Even if you only dip Archaeologist, you will be doubling the bonus it gives you.

What is your plan for your build?


Despite ur saying what u want to do the how is missing. There are dozens of ways to go about this build. Frankly I think urban barb is good for 1 level dips, ranged combat as primary, or u need to go 11 levels. All combinations of ur desire could benefit from 4 levels of dragon disciple for the +4 strength.

My honest opinion is unless you have something in mind that I did not see you are better off going with archeologists luck over barbarian rage powers WHEN COMBINING the two. Things like superstition rage power and come and get me are awesome but you need to be human and stick with barb to make the most of em. Archeologist luck with fates favored gives more for less effort but will eventually get overshadowed by a pure barb.

For those reasons I strongly urge a dragon disciple build of some kind so that you can combine those two classes into a decent package. The dragon disciple, though having flaws, is pretty much the mechanical answer to what you need to combine those classes. You have most of your casting, barb level HP dice roll, class features that are solid, and respectable BAB and saves.


Sry got too busy talking about Long term....

At level one take power attack as ur feat beyond any doubt. While raging ur at 20 strength so with power attack ur conservatively at +5 to hit and +6 damage (more if two handed). That's almost one hit kill at level 1. Even though your Con is low extra rage isn't needed that early.


If you do dip archaeologist, you would want to grab lingering performance.

This feat allows performances (the luck ability counts as that for feats) to continue for 2 rounds after they stop. If you spend 1 of your rounds, and then not spend any the next 2, you still get the effect of 3 rounds. So it essentially triples your daily round number.

With that and your CHA, you would have 18 effective rounds per day (spent in 3's). Unless you GM is just trying to drain your resources, that is enough to use it once per fight (and most fights do not last more than 4 rounds). And if you took the maestro of the society (assuming you take additional traits after you dip), then you would get another 9 effective rounds (insuring that you would only run out if you go wasting them).

I would also switch my CON and INT...but hey, you will likely mostly go with a good fort class, you will mostly have d12's, and it would only add one more rage round. You decision.


Thankyou, everyone. Very good advice, especially re the Fate's Fortune trait and Lingering Performance feat, neither of which I was aware of!

Bit more information: I was thinking Archaeologist 8 / Barbarian 2 / Eldritch Knight ?, the character is for the Legacy of Fire AP, but I will also check out the Dragon Disciple.

The GM has allowed us 1 bonus Feat for not having Hero Points, which I have allocated to Additional Traits

The attributes are from a 20 point-buy, so I have to make distinct choices, have added the Half-Elf bonus to Strength, Wisdom doesn't seem that important, I went with 14 Intelligence for the skill points, probably be adding all favoured class bonuses to Hit Points


King.Ozymandius wrote:

Thankyou, everyone. Very good advice, especially re the Fate's Fortune trait and Lingering Performance feat, neither of which I was aware of!

Bit more information: I was thinking Archaeologist 8 / Barbarian 2 / Eldritch Knight ?, the character is for the Legacy of Fire AP, but I will also check out the Dragon Disciple.

The attributes are from a 20 point-buy, so I have to make distinct choices, have added the Half-Elf bonus to Strength, Wisdom doesn't seem that important, I went with 14 Intelligence for the skill points, probably be adding all favoured class bonuses to Hit Points

Well, there are certain advantages to that INT. Mostly, it actually could give you the ability to get an instant 20+ total on a all knowledge checks by level 5.

This ability comes from 2 bard abilities (that the archaeologist retains): bardic knowledge and and lore master.

Bardic knowledge gives you 1/2 your bard level on all knowledge checks. While this seems great for getting one big score, you could actually use it to make up for skipped skill points. As in- on level 1, put a point in knowledge local, and on level 2 put that point into knowledge (arcana), for example. That leads to something like this: 50% the normal max skill points(which is equal to your level) + 50% your level in bonus= 100% of you level in that knowledge. With just 5 skill points, you could easily cover each and every knowledge check and still have the same score as anyone putting max skill points into them.

Admittedly, you would only need to devote 2 skill points though, since only 4 of the knowledges are commonly used for identifying monsters- arcana, nature, planes, and religion. The rest tend to just be flavorful/circumstantial.

Lore master further aids your knowledge checks by letting you take 10 (As if you just say you rolled a 10 on it) on them starting at level 5. I will use level 6 though for ease of math-
+3 skill points
+3 bonus from Bardic knowledge
+3 class kill
+2 INT
+10 lore master
=21 on any knowledge
That is pretty much auto success in identifying monsters' abilities and vulnerabilities (most have a DC of 10+CR, and 15+CR for rare ones). And by level 10, you pretty much auto succeed on any question asked of you.


Look into masterpieces like pageant of the peacock. You can use your bluff skill for any intelligence check or skill check effectively reducing all intelligence skills to a single skill roll. No need to keep intelligence high when one skill check works for 15 skills. Effectively gives you every knowledge check that you can make untrained by keeping your bluff up. A single rank in other intelligence skills so you are trained if they require it and you're set on a lot of skills.

Wisdom is very important for will saves, sense motive, and perception checks. Honestly intelligence isn't necessary on a bard.

@Lemeres

Dungeoneering is used for things like aberrations. There's 5 knowledges for monster knowledge checks.

Shadow Lodge

revaar wrote:
Rich Parents is a trap. It seems like a big deal, especially at level 1 where you have so little money, but after a level or two, the bonus goes away and you have a dead trait.

That's fascinating - I've never thought of Rich Parents that way, despite so many people in PFS trying to pick it up before realising it's banned.


Avatar-1 wrote:
revaar wrote:
Rich Parents is a trap. It seems like a big deal, especially at level 1 where you have so little money, but after a level or two, the bonus goes away and you have a dead trait.
That's fascinating - I've never thought of Rich Parents that way, despite so many people in PFS trying to pick it up before realising it's banned.

Society is a different beast. Having 600 gold at level 1 three times in addition other possibilities on top of you getting a mulligan at level 2 is just abusive. In regular games 600 gold won't last long.


Well, have checked out the Dragon Disciple prestige class, and I don't really think it is appropriate to the character origin/concept.

Thanks for the help/advice.

So this is what I have right now after considering all the feedback.

I intend to purchase a Headband of Fortune's Favour if the GM allows that.

At 1st level the character is a little naïve / inexperienced, with low Will save and low Sense Motive, but those issues will be fixed later.

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Half-Elf (Wildborn) Barbarian (Urban Barbarian) 1
CG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +8
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 14 (1d12+2)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will -1; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee chakram +3 (1d8+3) and
dagger +4 (1d4+3/19-20) and
scimitar +4 (1d6+3/18-20) and
unarmed strike +4 (1d3+3 nonlethal)
Special Attacks rage (8 rounds/day)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16
Feats Additional Traits, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)
Traits berserker of the society, fate's favored, seeking adventure, vagabond child (urban)
Skills Acrobatics +6, Climb +7, Disable Device +7, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +8, Survival -1 (+1 to avoid becoming lost), Swim +7; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Elven, Kelish, Varisian
SQ controlled rage, crowd control, elf blood
Other Gear bulette leather, heavy wooden shield, chakram, dagger, scimitar, wayfinder, backpack, bedroll, blanket, canteen, coffee pot, flint and steel, grooming kit, ink, black, inkpen, journal, kahve (per cup) (10), mess kit, thieves' tools, trail rations (10), waterproof bag, whetstone, 11 gp, 3 sp, 8 cp

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