I am currently playing a level eight drow noble haunted bone oracle (sounds like a bad horror movie title) in a twenty point buy hack-n-slash style campaign. Exposition aside I am feeling somewhat lost what to do with the character in terms of feats and class abilities. As of now my character is a bit of every role being the healer, tank, and support damage.
Attributes are:
STR 10
DEX 18 (20 +2 from belt)
CON 12 (14 +2 from belt)
INT 14
WIS 12
CHA 19 (21 +2 from headband)
HP: 57 (7 points under average every favored class has been HP)
AC: 34, Touch: 20, Flat Footed: 29
Using a +13/+8, +2 Keen Grudge Blade (specific rapier from Cheliax Supplement) and buckler in combat.
My feats thus far have been:
1st Weapon Finesse
3rd Craft Wondrous Item
5th Craft Magical Arms and Armors
7th Forge Ring
The character is filthy rich surviving a few near party wipes and charging party members for making magical items.
Keeping to theme I went negative energy and have selected mostly necromancy spells. My selected revelations are: Death’s Touch, Near Death, and Undead Servitude. Aside from those three, none of the remaining seems that useful except perhaps Spirit Walk. I am curious if anyone has any input what other revelations are worthwhile.
I have no experience playing a character in the teen ranges as I am this group’s DM the majority of the time. Should I be focusing on melee feats like vital strike or forgo melee in favor of spell casting feats? DM allows any Pathfinder material to be used but no 3.5 books.
You can't go wrong with Armor of Bones; it lasts for hours and offers a +8 bonus at level 11, plus DR later on.
Edit: Also, grab one of the Planar Ally spells.
I guess I do not understand the various armor revelations. Is the DR 5 / Bludgeoning worth the tradeoff of a few points of enchantment bonus AC in comparison to an enchanted breastplate/chainmail? Should I be doing this in conjunction with bracers of armor?
I am currently playing a level eight drow noble haunted bone oracle (sounds like a bad horror movie title)
sounds like a really cool horror movie to me
I guess I do not understand the various armor revelations. Is the DR 5 / Bludgeoning worth the tradeoff of a few points of enchantment bonus AC in comparison to an enchanted breastplate/chainmail? Should I be doing this in conjunction with bracers of armor?
Well, I always tend to think in terms of "what if I lost my gear?" If you don't think your GM go that route, then by all means skip it. The revelation offers a maximum of +12 armor bonus at level 19, and that's without any penalties. Just keep it mind.
Bleeding Wounds is great unless you're going up against a lot of critters immune to bleed effects. Spirit Walk is not a bad choice, but also consider Resist Life (esp. if you're often stepping into melee with your minions); Mass Inflict is even better when it's healing you. Sure you might get hit with positive channels, but (if you're running a drow character I'm assuming the campaign is in the Darklands) how often will that really happen?
Well, I always tend to think in terms of "what if I lost my gear?" If you don't think your GM go that route, then by all means skip it. The revelation offers a maximum of +12 armor bonus at level 19, and that's without any penalties. Just keep it mind.
Bleeding Wounds is great unless you're going up against a lot of critters immune to bleed effects. Spirit Walk is not a bad choice, but also consider Resist Life (esp. if you're often stepping into melee with your minions); Mass Inflict is even better when it's healing you. Sure you might get hit with positive channels, but (if you're running a drow character I'm assuming the campaign is in the Darklands) how often will that really happen?
That is a good point, I am not sure if my DM would or would not do something like that. Even at 19th where you can walk around in it all day and have a one higher ac than medium you are still missing out on armor enchantments like fortification. In combat it will take me a large amount of time to remove my breastplate to use the revelation. I guess it is like you said it is good back up armor. I am not expecting the revelation to be instantly better than any armor every forged just wanting a little more out of it.
For bleeding wounds most monsters we have been facing have had about 100hp or so hp. Since bleed does not stack with itself I am not sure what one point of hp bleed or two points of hp bleed will do for me in combat.
Did not consider Resist Life being used with the mass inflict series. That is a nice combination.
Thanks for the ideas gives me something to tinker with.
In comparison to other mysteries Bone just seems kind of flat. Death’s Touch does not give a bonus weapon enchant unlike fire/water/wind. Few of the bonus spells are very meh.
What's awesome about this is I currently have a haunted noble drow bone oracle in my second darkness game :D
Nice, on board with team Zura?
In comparison to other mysteries Bone just seems kind of flat. Death’s Touch does not give a bonus weapon enchant unlike fire/water/wind. Few of the bonus spells are very meh.
The Bone mystery has a nice skill set (bluff, disguise, intimidate, stealth) offering options you wouldn't normally get out of a 9th-range caster. Don't forget that you also get several minion-oriented revelations; no other mystery has "army-of-darkness potential" like Bone.
In normal campaigns (non hack-n-slash) Bone Oracles can smooth talk their way through the usual social barriers, create an army of undead and hide them somewhere inconspicous (like buried in the enemy's garden outside his manor) for future amusement, summon outsiders as spies/assassins/elite troops (planar ally + high CHA == cheap "fees"), and wade into melee wearing only in robes and bones.
Each Oracle's worth their text-space; remember the limitations but keep your eyes on their potential.
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Regarding Armor of Bones, is there any reason you couldn't cast Magic Vestment on your summoned armor to give it an enhancement bonus?
It lasts an hour per level, just like your Armor of Bones (assuming you don't dismiss it, and recall it later). At 12th level, it would be a +3 enhancement bonus on top of the +8 armor bonus you'd have by that level.
Still, if you've invested a feat in Craft Magic Arms & Armor already, it sounds like Armor of Bones would be kind of a waste for you. Better to craft your own, and not waste one of your precious spells known on Magic Vestment.
Regarding Armor of Bones, is there any reason you couldn't cast Magic Vestment on your summoned armor to give it an enhancement bonus?
It lasts an hour per level, just like your Armor of Bones (assuming you don't dismiss it, and recall it later). At 12th level, it would be a +3 enhancement bonus on top of the +8 armor bonus you'd have by that level.
Still, if you've invested a feat in Craft Magic Arms & Armor already, it sounds like Armor of Bones would be kind of a waste for you. Better to craft your own, and not waste one of your precious spells known on Magic Vestment.
Don't see why it wouldn't work. The revelation says you 'conjure armor made from bones'. It doesn't say it's a suit, but it doesn't say it isn't either. So that puts it in the GMs purview. I'd allow it, as it's not broken.
As to fortification with armor of bones, bracers of armor work well for flat armor abilities, and aren't too expensive if you are just getting a couple of enhancements. Honestly, by 5th or 6th level, your bone armor is going to be your best bet.
Another advantage which wasn't listed is sleeping. How many people either get endurance to sleep in medium armor, or get caught with their armor in their backpack when attacked at night?
What the hell is wrong with your DM that he/she let you place a Drow Noble as a PC?
What the hell is wrong with your DM that he/she let you place a Drow Noble as a PC?
Why does there have to be something wrong with the DM?
Is there a reason why my really old thread being bumped?
Why is something wrong with my DM? We are playing a high powered campaign (20 point buy), the DM said we can be a monster race if we wished. I made a bet with the DM my drow oracle had a 1 in 20 chance of being noble born like the description in the Bestiary states and I won the bet.
Because the Drow Noble is clearly not intended for PCs, it is extremely over powered and requires level adjustments that there is not currently a system for to be used as a PC, any DM worth their weight in geldings would disallow the Drow Noble as a player race without MAJOR adjustments, and again there is not currently a system by which to scale those adjustments thereby making the race basically brokenz
Edit: The fact that you already have a high point buy, is more of a reason to not play a Drow Noble, not an excuse to squeeze even more power in. I Would not all be happy if another player at my table had such ridiculously over powered stat adjustments
I am going to be “extremely over powered” well lets see.
As a Drow Noble
STR 10
DEX 18
CON 11
INT 14
WIS 12
CHA 18
As a Drow
STR 10
DEX 16
CON 11
INT 12
WIS 10
CHA 16
Oh yes this makes a world of difference I see the light that the character is horribly over powered.
No class benefits from having all the drow noble’s stat lines at most you are getting two or three, the rest are just flavor attributes to fill out the character. The at-will spell like abilities drow nobles gain is incredibly situational and the ones that are more useful are limited to once per day. The only real benefit to playing the drow noble is the strong spell resistance and even then by the time it starts to come into play the other players can afford spell resistance items of their own. It is for sure a strong race but there are much worst things a player can be out of the Bestiary with a minor amount of racial hit dice (such as an orc bloody skeleton archer champion).
Please stop regurgitating the drow nobles are bad thread in the general forum.
I Would not all be happy if another player at my table had such ridiculously over powered stat adjustments
I am guessing that ntin does not play at your table. Though, my group does not, as a rule, play monster races (or allow monster races) if their group has fun with it, that in no way makes anything "wrong" with the DM. With all the different races/PrC's that have come about since 3.x, my guess, based on so many splats and different threads on this and other forums, is that MANY groups allow monster races (incl drow nobles).
@ ntin Back on topic, how has that oracle of yours been doing? What selections did you end up going with? Could you drop us a critique of how they worked out for you?
Greg
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Because the Drow Noble is clearly not intended for PCs, it is extremely over powered and requires level adjustments that there is not currently a system for to be used as a PC, any DM worth their weight in geldings would disallow the Drow Noble as a player race without MAJOR adjustments, and again there is not currently a system by which to scale those adjustments thereby making the race basically brokenz
Edit: The fact that you already have a high point buy, is more of a reason to not play a Drow Noble, not an excuse to squeeze even more power in. I Would not all be happy if another player at my table had such ridiculously over powered stat adjustments
Thanks for your insights and contributions to a Bone Oracle thread, karl.
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Ntin, as a fellow Bone Oracle player, I too would be interested in a critique of the revelations you have taken.
I have taken Undead Servitude, Raise the Dead, and Death's Touch. I am lvl 4 (took extra revelation as a feat).
I guess my biggest issue with this choice of revelation is the animate dead spell. I was really really looking forward to controlling an animated skeleton/zombie, but I guess thats kind of not that good for the most part.
I play in the PFS, and I have been told how to make the creatures using templates, but because they do not stay around past the end of each session, its a long complicated process. Also, by 6th level, a 1hd skeleton, burning and bloody as it may well be is kind of weak as a companion.
Anyhow, I'd appreciate an update on how the bone oracle at mid-higher levels is functioning and what choices you made to help determine if I am going to continue playing my character.
Thanks!
What I find disappointed in a way about bone oracle is the revelations and bonus spells lack the synergy that some of the other mystery’s enjoy. Bone oracle seems to focus more danger close spell casting and touch attacks. If you have enough quality corpses to keep your undead army going that is great but even my DM became more conscious about what he tosses at us after my fast zombie giant slug or a bloody adult green dragon skeleton. It sort of becomes a one trick pony. I tried to shy away from physical combat but eventually I became sucked back in as that is the kind of spell casting we get, self-buffs (divine power, false life, et cetra) or touch attacks (harm, bestow curse, and so on). I think going dex/cha is a safe route for bone oracle, it allows you to get some extra AC / Ref save, you can finesse your touch attacks and get some sort of finesse high crit range weapon to make up for your low str score.
The character what I envisioned at level 1 was a divine wizard but I have become this blood crazed sword maiden with 10 str. The character’s stats, feats, and even attributes are pretty poor for what my character is doing but not ever character has to be optimized or min/maxed. Craft series feats are not a bad investment as you can pick what you want to make or better yet give your party members a slight discount off market price, you can pocket the money, and make yourself more items.
@Greg Wasson
Well long story short my bone oracle became a rage prophet (8 Oracle / 2 Barbarian / 3 Rage Prophet for now) so I never took another revelation since 7th level of Oracle staying with: Death’s Touch, Undead Servitude, and Near Death. I cannot say enough about the Near Death revelation in the low teen level range because of my poor con the +2 bonus (+4 now) has saved me a few times. We encountered a banshee from the Bestiary 2 and Near Death revelation and Death Ward spell is what kept me alive that fight.
My plan eventually for the character is to become some sort of undead creature being a bone oracle (shooting for a vampire because Zura is my demon patron). There is a lot of synergy with undead type, oracles, and rage prophet as the 7th level Rage Caster ability adds con bonus to spell DCs, undead use Cha for spell DCs, so you get double your Cha for spell DCs while raging. I am not going to get 9th school spells but my base DCs by guesstimation to be 30’ish which is not too shabby.
If I had went full 20 oracle the plan was to pick up Resist Life at 11th since I was getting access to the “mass inflict x” series spells I could heal myself and my undead minions at the same time or harm living foes. At 15th Spirit Walk as it is useful but once per day at 11th is kind of meh, you at least get two a day at 15th. Finishing off with Armor of Bones at 19th, my character has enough Dex in theory Armor of Bones would be the best armor I could obtain and the DR/5 bludgeoning would be helpful too.
@Bomanz
The Raise the Dead revelation the best thing I can see to do with it is to raise a plague zombie to use as an undead grenade. I still think the duration for the revelation is too short to make it that useful, it would had been better if the revelation granted you a kind of undead companion like nature Oracles can get with their animal companion.
For animate dead spell there are two kinds of minions that I use. Humanoids make great fodder skeletons to help out flanking or just to take up space in battle, blood skeletons are ever better because they recycle themselves after an hour. I really have no expectations of them doing anything other than that. You can also raise lots of them at once. The other are “boss” monsters like dragons or outsiders, things with a lot of racial hit die make great fast zombies. Bigger zombies also get bonus hit die so they can get a pretty good attack bonus allowing them to contribute to combat.
Either case try using the HeroLab software to make your minions, I find it to be a lot quicker than trying to do it all by hand.
Raging as an undead will be near useless since you do not have a constitution to increase and are immune to morale effects.. which is about all the benefit from rage.
As I understood it you cant actually rage and cast even as a rage prophet, except healing spells and once per rage moment of prescience.. which kinda hits your spell dc with a big nerf stick.
Moment of Clarity.
yes that one ^^ didnt have my book ;)
seems a little weak to do that for just one spell though, healing spells arent that great for you either, not without some significant DM adjustments to the class and / or undead synergy.
Sure, sure, but an undead creature can end the rage and not be fatigued. So the process would be like:
Rage
Moment of Clarity
Cast spell X
End Rage
Repeat.
So my oracle could have by teens Cha 33 (18 base + 4 from leveling [one of my attributes went into con] + 6 from headband + 5 from book)or a +11 modifier. Plus another 4 Cha from vampire or 2 Cha from lich (will go with vampire for this) for 37 cha or a +13 modifier. So the DC would be 10 + cha + rage caster (cha again), for +36 plus spell level for DC. Casting Destruction (7th level spell) would be a +43 fort save a pit fiend would need a roll 19 up to save.
I'd have to say I'd never allow it in the current shape it is, but I am a whole different DM / player, not so much hack n slash, though I enjoy well planned combat encounters.
Also I am of the opinion there has to be at least one round between rages, rage 1 round, last till the start of your next round.. makes sense especially since it gives an ac penalty. I'd also not allow you to end and start it again immediately either, since in effect you have not spent a single second without rage.
Can't really find anything bad with it otherwise, enjoy ^_^
Thanks for your insights and contributions to a Bone Oracle thread, karl.Because the Drow Noble is clearly not intended for PCs, it is extremely over powered and requires level adjustments that there is not currently a system for to be used as a PC, any DM worth their weight in geldings would disallow the Drow Noble as a player race without MAJOR adjustments, and again there is not currently a system by which to scale those adjustments thereby making the race basically brokenz
Edit: The fact that you already have a high point buy, is more of a reason to not play a Drow Noble, not an excuse to squeeze even more power in. I Would not all be happy if another player at my table had such ridiculously over powered stat adjustments
Your welcome. I am glad to have finally broken the barrier and become the first poster to post off-topic from an OP's discussion on these boards! Even if my comment was still semi-related it counts right?!