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I'm giving PFS my first test drive this weekend, and have a couple questions about the Human Inquisitor I'm creating.
While I'm new to PFS, I played a ton of Living Greyhawk. Based on that organized play experience, I liked combat and roleplay situations pretty equally.
So here's my question. I'm creating a Human Inquisitor of the Cheliax faction. I'm torn between using my feats to make him more viable in combat (Combat Expertise and Dodge to increase AC to 19), or through skills (Skill Focus: Intimidate and Alterness) to make him channel the fearsome nature of the inquisition. The feats I select will have a small impact on the traits and spells I choose.
I'm leaning towards the skills approach for RP reasons - but having never played in a PFS game, I'm wondering if I'll find that rewarding (i.e. do the modules provide skill based/RP characters a chance to shine, or would I be better off equiping myself for the tactics of battle).
Thanks for any insight you can provide!
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I think it depends on the module you play through. Some of them are more combat oriented, and some you have many more roleplaying opportunities.
Some roleplay situations can degrade into fights, and some combat encounters can be roleplayed around.
You never want to be completely incompetent in battle though, so may not want to dedicate every resource to roleplay benefits.
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I'm leaning towards the skills approach for RP reasons - but having never played in a PFS game, I'm wondering if I'll find that rewarding (i.e. do the modules provide skill based/RP characters a chance to shine, or would I be better off equiping myself for the tactics of battle).
Thanks for any insight you can provide!
I've been doing this for a while and the best advice I can give is this (which it sounds like you already know):
Build what makes you freakin' happy. Build something that makes you excited to play. Build to have fun.
Both combat and skills are always good, however, even more important is enthusiasm and desire for fun.
As far as building towards combat or skills: you'll have chances for both so emphasize the one you want. You can create opportunities for either.
-Pain
While I'm new to PFS, I played a ton of Living Greyhawk. Based on that organized play experience, I liked combat and roleplay situations pretty equally.
[...]
I'm leaning towards the skills approach for RP reasons - but having never played in a PFS game, I'm wondering if I'll find that rewarding (i.e. do the modules provide skill based/RP characters a chance to shine, or would I be better off equiping myself for the tactics of battle).
Thanks for any insight you can provide!
I'm not the expert on Living Greyhawk, but from my experience (a) PFS combat scenarios are often easier than in LG (e.g. some ex-LG folks think they're "too easy") and (b) there are often more combat encounters than in LG (e.g. 4 or 5 vs. 3). I'm sure some former LG maven will step in and correct me if I'm wrong.
Leaving Living Greyhawk aside, I generally have no problem with characters who aren't optimized to be combat robots. But as noted above, you should have something to contribute in combat, since there tends to be quite a bit of it.
(Note: If you're playing in a home game, all bets are off -- just ask your fellow players instead.)
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godsDMit, Painlord and hogarth - thanks for setting my mind at ease. In the last few years of Living Greyhawk, the arms race to produce challenging modules left less and less room for RP choices in character builds. I find what you're saying refreshing when it comes to PFS providing opportunities for RP and combat.
The character I have in mind should contribute nicely to combat - he's just not maximized for it if I go the skills route. But I think it's through the skills that his 'persona' will be revealed - and I'll have the most fun.
Again - much thanks.
Inquisitors of Zon-Kuthon are quite amazing. free blind fight is amazing and the spiked chain is a fairly awesome weapon. if you can create one that used to be a former worshipper of irori, it can be quite fun.
i have one in weekly william's home game (run at a FLGS) and she is quite the nasty combatant.
the little tian girl started as a follower of irori before a religious experience that caused a conversion in faith. which only made her deadlier. and because of her background with irori. she tends to kick those who grapple her. it may seem like metagaming. but you don't even need to burn a feat to use your feet as a weapon. and you could hold a spiked chain in hand while you kick someone. she uses 25 point buy and a lot of obscure 3.5 sourcebook material as well.
the closest i could get to her while being PFS legal can be found on the alias Yamiko Kurogetsu.
you would probably need to change the gear and traits though.
Just my simple 2 cents. I have a 4th level inquis in PFS. The best best part of iquisitor's is that he can do many classic roles.
For mine I went for the spring attack chain. I have a high wisdom that helps me gain a a bonus spell to heal. I use a one handed weapon and use a heavy shield for ac. At first level I went for dodge and mobility the feat that gives you +4 on Aoo's.
stats str 16 dex 14 int 14 wis 14 con 12 cha 8 I think that is correct. I chose int over charisma, I figured more skill points would help off set the cha penalty to cha skills.
First level spells Protection from Evil and Cure Light wounds. Domains really give the unique flavor to inquisitors. Role play also helps, I am not sure that skill focus on intimidation is really worth it, as inquisitors you end up getting a bonus to the skill, unless you go for dazzling display.
If you want to maximize the intimidate go for a half Orc. With the Favored Class option from the APG you will be adding your level +2 to intimidate. Stern gaze gives you a bonus of half your level. The Half Orc get a +1/2 per level on Intimidate and Knowledge's to indentify creatures. at 12th level your will be +20 to Intimidate without anything else including a CHA bonus.