Any advice for a couple of prospective Society characters?


Advice


My girlfriend and I have been looking to play Pathfinder Society campaigns at our local game store, and also at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, and I was looking for advice for our prospective characters. Since Society play only goes up to twelve, character planning is a little congested and I feel making the characters she and I want will require at least a little planning.

She wants to play a Half-Elf Alchemist that eventually takes a few levels in Rogue. I've been trying to help her out in planning what would be the most mutually useful tools to make taking those Rogue levels worthwhile for her Alchemist.

As far as I can tell, poisons seem to be the way to go, since the rules, strangely enough, do actually allow alchemical item creation. I'm sort of curious as to how that actually works in society play, but considering it is legal I imagine it is not entirely stifled. Poisons aren't the only alchemical items that she is planning on eventually making, but advice would be helpful on what actually would be the most useful things to try to make. Flash Powder looks like a great choice, but most other things in the Core and APG books seem pretty situational. Cool alchemical items from other Society legal books would be nice.

She wants to keep bombs (so no Vivisectionist probably). It's unfortunate that you can't sneak attack with a bomb, but I imagine it's not all that bad. It seems there is a time for bombs and a time for sneak attacks and both of those attacks are different enough so as to not outclass each other. It is our hope that the added variety doesn't nullify the usefulness of either (especially with the poisons on the sneak attacks). We have been looking at what would be good for her and a lot of the ones that look really nice are either banned (simulacrum) or mid-level (blinding bombs, bottled ooze). Regardless, sticky poison is the one extremely obvious choice. I've told her to consider the extra arms also, though she is unsure of them flavor wise. Maybe they'll grow on her. *heh*

We also don't want to entirely skimp on the purely Alchemist stuff. She wants the Rogue levels to be an additional thing, not the culmination of her character. We're not sure when she should begin taking levels in rogue, or how many. To be honest, we're still not exactly sure what kind of Rogue she wants to become, but I'm pretty sure she just wants to eventually be sneaking around and stabbing things in the kidney in addition to the cool Alchemist stuff.

As far as Extracts go, all we really know we need is invisibility as early as possible, and the general combat magic. Mutagens seem like they should be easy to incorporate into the rogue like also.

The feats we've been looking at are Master Alchemist (because if she's going to be making stuff, she's going to be good at it) and the TWF tree. I figure TWF is the best choice of combat style here, to get the most poison off in one go, as well as to perhaps occasionally have a bomb in one hand and a short sword in the other. I'm not sure of what else though.

We realize her character concept isn't super optimal, but that isn't really the point. She wants it to work and to be a good combination of skills with nice versatility.

I haven't put as much thought into my character. I know I want some sort of worshiper of Zon Kuthon running around with a spiked chain and utilizing darkness like some sort of lame gothy superhero. I want the spiked chain part to be pretty integral (I know this is the silly wannabe munchkin's weapon of choice, but I just think it's cool okay?).

I've considered both Cleric and Inquisitor, and both have their cool points. I like Inquisitor because it seems like a class more inclined to physical combat. Honestly though, I can't help looking at the Night Subdomain ability (invisible in dim light except vs. darkvision) and the darkness alternate channeling ability to lower the light level in the surrounding area by one step (so I'm guessing usually dim or darker) to basically channel invisibility, like a bad ass. I almost want to take Shadowdancer for a few levels so I can get some silly abilities out of that, but I'm not sure about it.

I don't even know what race, but Dwarf, Human, and Half-Orc all look good.

Any help is greatly appreciated!


CasMat wrote:

My girlfriend and I have been looking to play Pathfinder Society campaigns at our local game store, and also at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, and I was looking for advice for our prospective characters.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

My first suggestion/advice is to work on exactly what it is that each of you want.

Many times people will get hung up on a name rather than the idea.

For example: when your girlfriend says that she wants to take a few levels in rogue. Why? What does she want her character to have from it? Inside the game there is not going to be a table tent giving class breakdowns.. the mechanics isn't going to matter.

I played a 'warmage' that anyone listening to would call a rogue and people out of character would ask me how many rogue levels he had. The answer was zero. Likewise I recall a friend playing a 'shaman' that was a blast to be at the same table with.. it sounds so much nicer than 'sorcerer' doesn't it?

Next realize that you can't always get everything that you want. If you want to do 'everything' then honestly you'll likely wind up with something that can do nothing well.

You've got some nice starts along this direction, but I think that you need to flesh it out a bit more.

-James


For the GF, I might create a character that specialized in hurling alchemical junk at opponents in combat, and was otherwise very skilled with locks, traps, alchemy, and other ways to protect ancient treasure.

Grab acrobatics too, and eventually evasion, to keep yourself out of the way.

This being the reason the Pathfinder Society suggested that they join.

Take point blank and precise shot early on, a level of alchemist, and throw alchemist's fire at everyone. When you need it, throw a bomb. Get deadly aim and rapid shot and quickdraw when you can.

At higher levels (like 2nd) spend your money to increase your throwing repertoire (after all, some are fireproof). In addition to the standard poisoned dagger, remember that holy water and tanglefoot bags are useful too.

Silver Crusade

This doesn't really relate to your original question, but I have learned not to devalue odd-numbered attribute scores. For my first characters, I always made my ability scores even, but was sorry at 4th level when I could increase an ability score and realized that the increase made little or no difference.

And I agree with rkraus that you want point-blank and precise shot. Being able to shoot into melee without penalty has helped me often.

EDIT: My rogue character depends on Acrobatics to get into flanking position without provoking. Almost every character (except perhaps toe-to-toe fighters) will want Acrobatics to help get out of the way.

(GASP! I AGREE WITH A CHELAXIAN!)

Silver Crusade

I don't like alchemist so I have no idea where to start with your GF character.

Have you though of Oracle of battle for your character? If your going spiked chain you can take manuver mastery trip. It will give you your level in place of your BAB for trip CMB. Improved Trip level 7, Greater Trip level 11. With out needing combat expertes and a 13 Int. And with weapon master spiked chain. You will pick up weapon focus, improved critical 8th level, Greater Weapon Focus 12th level. And thats with just 2 of the revelations. Along with skill at arms given you all martal weapons. War Sigh roll 2 dice for initi. keap the best one. 7th act in the supprise round. 11th roll 3 dice for initi keap the best one. Oracle requires Str, Con, Cha.

If you going with a spiked chain cleric is not a good choice becous of needing Str, Con, Int(Combat Expertise: Improved & Greater Trip) Wis, Cha.

That leaves us with Inquisitor. They will need Str, Con, Int(Combat Expertise: Improved & Greater Trip) Wis. So over all a much better pick vs. cleric. They have more over all ability to incress there damage so they do a better job in melee then most divine casters. What they lose is spell casting.

What it comes down to is.
Divine Caster:
Melee Damage: Inquisitor
Combat Manuvers: Oracle
Divine Casting: Oracle
Special Abilitys: Inquisitor out of combat / Oracle in combat

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