Hi,
as we are going to start our new Pathfinder E6 campaign very soon, I`m currently trying to build my character. The campaign is low magic (very few magic items besides scrolls, potions and wands), pointbuy 15 and will consist of almost only humans as a race.
However, I´m torn between some differant concepts.
The party will probably consist oft a ranged ranger, a melee/ranged rogue and a melee bard (arcane duelist) (or maybe inquisitor, player hasn´t decided yet).
I was thinking of playing a gish, but I´m not sure which class to use best.
For all of you who don´t know E6. E6 caps at level 6. We will have 2 feats to increase CL by 1 and Bab by 1. Both can be taken twice.
The following are my ideas:
Magus 6:
pros: many spells, spell pool, good combination of casting and fighting, bab 6 reachable
cons: skills are not that good (I love perception), no lvl 3 spells
Magus 5/Ranger 1:
pros: all the skills I like, +2 vs humans, only 1 spell short compared to magus 6, bab 6 reachable
cons: 1 missing magus arcana
Witch 5/Ranger 1: more caster centric
pros: hexes, good skill selection, +2 vs humans, lvl 3 spells, fly hex
cons: not that high hex dcs (probably only 15 due to int 16), damage not that high, bab 6 not reachable
Witch 6:
pros: full casting, full hexes
cons: skills, need to take martial weapon prof, caster in melee range, not that high saves due to MAD, bab 6 not reachable
Wizard 5/Ranger 1:
pros: lvl 3 spells, 1 wizard special (diviner maybe), more spells due to arcane school
cons: bab 6 not reachable, no hexes
Or do you have any other suggestions which classes to use?
Or should I maybe ditch to complete gish concept and just take witch 6 with caster centric stats and feats?
Thanks in adance for helping me decide what to play ;)
Ok, so it all hinges on the answer to this question: Do you want to cast offensively?
E6/E8 (the two most common variations) holds a hidden beauty of knowing exactly when the game will "end." Specifically, it allows you to plan your build all the way through so that it goes off without a hitch. E6 allows a maximum of 3rd level spells, with perhaps a few 4th level spells with custom feats. That means that a 13/14 in your casting stat will grant you access to all the boons of spellcasting, and you can rest easy.
So it boils down to if you want to cast spells offensively. If you want spells as a melee/ranged accent, go ahead and start with a 12/13 in your casting stat and pick one of the combinations that allows you access to BAB 6 (I personally recommend Bard). Spellcasting will be a fun augment to your weapon skills, perhaps providing out of party utility with divinations & abjurations.
If you do want to cast spells offensively, buckle up. E6 is rough on casters, but rightfully so- you never quite pass that point at which evocations become useless. A fireball is still a decent option, burning hands is surprisingly effective, and shocking grasp comes off as oddly overpowered. You'll need to spend the majority of you point buy getting your casting stat as high as possible. Monster saves don't scale as quickly as they would normally, but you'll find that a passed save will ruin a good portion of your expendable resources.
For offensive casting, I recommend the witch for staying power, sorcerer for a bounty of spells per day (augmented with the human's bonus spells known), or one of the wizard specializations that offers a 3+int times per day attack. Your spells remain a narrow resource, so you need something beyond your cantrips to fall back on.
For a hybrid build, capable of casting offensively but backing it up with strong weapon support, go either Bard or Magus. Focus on two primary stats, [casting] and dexterity since you won't have many points to work with and stick to ranged combat. You won't be able to get your constitution or strength up high enough to be worth wading into melee. Taking a 15 (+1 at 4th level) in one and 14 (+2 racial) in the other will net you a very balanced character. Don't neglect spell/weapon focus, as you'll need the boosts. For this type of build, Magus leans more towards weapons and Bard leans more towards casting.
You know that the magus doesn't have full BAB, right? I'm confused by the "+6 BAB reachable" comments.
(EDIT: I missed the bit about taking the +1 BAB feat twice. Oops.)
Have you thought about a summoner or a druid?