So I was over at Living Pathfinder and I was musing over the kind of character I'd like to play. Then I saw that they allowed access to Merfolk.
Ok, so Merfolk take a no-nonsense approach to racial stats. +2 Dex/Con/Cha, +2 Natural Armor, a swim speed, low-light vision, and a crippling 5 ft land speed.
I'd rather not get into an argument about whether or not the race is overpowered. Instead I'd like to explore ways to increase this horrendous land speed to something that a group of adventurers would find acceptable.
Being a "living" setting, they allow no homebrew and only allow access to the Core Rulebook, Advanced Players guide, and the Adventure Armory. Characters start at 1st level, 150gp, and 2 traits. Ways I know to get an improved movement speed so far are:
- Barbarian's Fast Movement (+10ft): 1st level, medium armor or less. Nonlawful only.
- Monk's Fast Movement(+10ft and up): Scaling, beginning at 3rd level. Unarmored only.
- Travel Domain(+10ft): 1st level, untyped. Accessible to Clerics & Inquisitors only.
- Fleet feat (+5ft): Light armor or less.
- Plains Druid's Run Like the Wind (+10ft): 3rd level, light armor or less.
- Longstrider spell (+10ft): 1 hour per level, Druid 1/Ranger 1.
Is there anything I'm missing? My goal is to simply gain at least a 15' movement speed- the same as a small character in heavy armor.
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You've pretty much exhausted the options there. The only things you are missing right now are these four:
* Flight, via a class ability or spell. Eagle Shaman, the Flight Hex and spellcasting all apply here.
* Getting a nice magic item to do the job. A carpet of flying or a pair of boots of springin and striding or perhaps a cauldron of flying would all be pretty costly, but definitely available. They'd also be a constant option.
* Using a mount to subvert your speed. Easiest ways to go about this are of course cavalier, ranger, oracle(nature) and druid. I think the last three are the most viable, since you don't have to worry about melee combat necessarily and losing the mount won't cripple your battle abilities much 'cos of spells and/or archery.
* Third option is wildshaping into something nice or using the alter shelf spell. Urban Druid gets it at-will only a few levels in, so that's pretty viable.
Maybe consider making an Absalomite merfolk who is also a smashing urbanite? The druid would fit.
hahaha. Merfolk Monk floppin around like a fish.
alter shelf
Awesome typo!
I'd say a mount is your best bet. If you pick something aquatic it would be more realistic.
Yeah, cauldron of flying! Get it made out of transparent aluminum or whatever and fill it with water; you've got your own flying fishbowl.
Be a witch and take Fleet at first and third level. Octopus familiar, naturally, with the Agility or maybe Transformation Patron. Then pick up the flight hex for when you need to maneuver quickly. Take Craft Wondrous Items to eventually make your cauldron.
Of course the merfolk stats don't really scream witch, so maybe you'd prefer a sorcerer. Either take mount as one of your first level spells or have a wand or scrolls of it around until you can get fly.
To take advantage of the CON and CHA boosts, maybe start play as a barbarian, multiclass into oracle, and become a rage prophet.
The merfolk seems like it could be a fun challenge. Let us know what direction you go in.
In a 3.5 game we had a GMPC that was a merfolk transmuter. She basically used "alter self" a lot, which by about fourth level meant a couple of lvl 1 spells a day, no big deal.
... except "alter self" has a duration in minutes. That really shouldn't have worked. Hm.
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alter shelfAwesome typo!
Alter shelf is of course for transforming your mundane cupboard interiors into smashing new marble shelves! How nice of you to spot it!
Ehm, considering the points made in this thread, a mount is probably the most efficient option, that choice just isn't sufficient when tackling dungeons. Unless you happen to hit upon mergiant ruins or something equally vast. I remember in RotRL, our party could have fit several coursers and a race track into some of the underground environments, so a large mount might work. We had few problems fitting a huge wolf companion into several boss fights and just about every skirmish. Just make sure your GM knows about it beforehand and discuss the viability of it before you introduce one.
Alter self got hit with a nerf so hard it left a crater in the moon.
It was 10 minutes/level in 3.5, and granted buckets of racial abilities including natural armour and stuff. It was too good.
Now it's 1 minute/level and gives some minor bits that can be better accomplished by lower level or better spells most of the time.
It is of limited use, but it's there.
Yeah, I wouldn't even suggest the thing, if Urban Druids did not exist.
By the way, does it grant natural attacks if the form, say, a lizardman, has any? Because that could make Urban Druids scarier.
You do gain the natural weapons. Two claws and a bite, all primary at 1d4 damage. That's not terrible. A regular druid can do much better for combat, but this form can at least still cast and talk and use items.
a pair of boots of springin and striding
HA! HA!
Flying Carpet?
As an alternative to Cinder Dance...
Go Barbarian 1 (for the +10ft speed) and then Oracle of the Heavens. Take Lure of the Heavens as your first revelation.
Yes, you're only going at 15' base speed - but st 5th level, you float up to six inches over the ground. So you can /swim through the air/ towards your enemies. Especially hilarious at 10th level when you can expand this to true flight.
Maybe not as /effective/ as Cinder Dance, but hella cool looking.
Inquisitor can also get the travel domain powers as can a level 4 sacred servant paladin
Clerics with the travel domains also get longstrider as a domain spell for a total of +20 move, as does the sacred servant paladin at lvl 4.
hahaha. Merfolk Monk floppin around like a fish.
Your Way of the Crane Technique is no match for my Salmon Fin of Wet Fury!
Flying Carpet?
Reverse Scuba Suit!
Fish bowl in a chariot?
Fish tank palaquin?
I'm getting images of the old school Dune naviagators/Johnny Mnemonic dolphin tank.
Maybe a wagon/barrel pulled by trained dogs? I just re-read the 150 gp limit....
What kind of character do you want your merfolk to be? Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, or Rogue???
Looks like they might make decent archer bards or paladins, maybe sorcerer or oracle. Basically, IMMOBILE artillery.
I really like the heavens oracle just in concept alone. It just feels wanderlust, doesn't it? As far as what I'd like to be, I'm torn between cleric type & wizard type.
Just a note, as a GM, I'd rule the +10 ft for a Barbarian would increase the swim speed of an aquatic race, not the land speed. Same for most of those feats and class abilities that boost movement rate.