I'm working on a Fighter that potentially could A.) perhaps make it into an online game, or B.) become a replacement for my current table-top PC (should he ever pass into the great beyond.)
Sir Boranon Leifson was severely disfigured when he was a young man and he didn't adjust well at first. He went through quite a phase of anger and outrage over his plight and told his family that he wished he was dead. In response he was taken to a temple of Pharasma, perhaps as a visual way to scare to him. It had the opposite effect on him; he actually listened to one of the clerics as he spoke to some new acolytes. It became clear to Boranon that had Pharasma wanted him, he wouldn't be here now. It also occurred to him that he owed this God and the only way he could pay was with fresh souls.
The Hound of Pharasma
Sir Boranon Leifson - LN, Hu-mon Fighter 12
Str 24 (+7)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con 16 (+3)
Int 9 (-1)
Wis 12 (+1)
Cha 7 (-2)
Traits: Ease of Faith, Rostlander
Feats: Dodge, Weapon Focus: Bastard Sword, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword, Power Attack, Shield Focus, Weapon Specialization: Bastard Sword, Iron Will, Vital Strike, Improved Iron Will, Greater Weapon Focus: Bastard Sword, Toughness, Greater Shield Focus, Improved Vital Strike, Greater Weapon Specialization: Bastard Sword
Skills (ranked): Climb 10, Diplomacy 12, Handle Animal 6, Linguistics 0, Perception 6, Ride 9, Sense Motive 6, Survival 7, Swim 10
The Hound's main tactic is to use his superior AC (37) to move up to the front of the party and run interference for the artillery section. Due to starting wealth restrictions, he only had 54k to spend on items. That money was spent mainly on armor and magic defense.
Belt of Physical Might (STR/DEX) +2, 10000
Full-plate +3, 10500
Heavy Darkwood Shield +3, 9107
Ring of Protection +2, 8000
Ring of Natural Armor +2, 8000
Bastard Sword +1, 2670
Cloak of Protection +2, 4000
So what are some thoughts on this guy? My only concern is that he really isn't that dynamic of a combatant, but then that's not really his job.
/Note: I have considered going the Paly route so thoughts and suggestions regarding that class are very welcome.
Hmm, I rolled up a 20th level character with a similar concept, but he forwent his name and took the title Reaper.
Hmm, I rolled up a 20th level character with a similar concept, but he forwent his name and took the title Reaper.
Dude, two things; nice use of Google Docs and that 48 AC is simply stunning. Okay, another thing - nice shield bash. I did that with a previous Fighter and he was quite mean. He was a TWF'er so he just never ran out of attacks. It got to be obscene in the end.
Here's the Hound's sheet.
The Hound of Pharasma
The deadliest aspect of Reaper is not the Shield Bash (which he almost never uses) it's that his Scythe has a x5 crit multiplier. He deals 2d4 + 48 damage on a power attack, that would be 10d4 + 240 damage on a 19 and he auto-confirms, and his sword is vorpal so on a natural 20, he cuts your head off. I rolled this up as a thought experiment, showed it to my friends, and made the joke that on a 19, he kills you, on a 20, he cuts your head off.
The best part about this build is that he's entirely Core Rulebook. No Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, Advanced Player's Guide. With the exception of his two traits anyway.
Also, for his full Hero Labs PDF sheet, click here.
The best part about this build is that he's entirely Core Rulebook. No Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, Advanced Player's Guide. With the exception of his two traits anyway.
That's true of The Hound as well, although Devastating Strike from UC is in his future.
I didn't necessarily build The Hound to be the best damage dealer that he could (although he should be formidable once the magic money start rolling in), rather I was going for the best overall "chassis" that I could. The character's real strength is in the way his stats are arrayed. I front-loaded STR and now I just need to make the right magic item choices and everything else falls in line.
If there was one thing I would change, it would be to have better CON. But the general idea is to have such a high AC that it isn't really necessary.
Argh, not letting me edit.
Totally forgot to comment on your character :P
I notice you have a lot of weapons, if your GM allows abilities from 3.5, you might consider the Trasmuting property from the Magic Item Compendium.
TRANSMUTING
Price: +2 bonus
Property: Weapon
Caster Level: 13th
Aura: Strong; (DC 21) transmutation
Activation: —
This odd-looking weapon has both sharp and blunt sections. Its pommel or grip is set with a diamond, a piece of jet, a sapphire, and a ruby. In addition, it is inlaid with both adamantine and silver.When you score a successful hit with a transmuting weapon against a creature that has damage reduction, that attack is resolved normally. At the start of your next turn, however, the weapon transforms, taking on the properties required to overcome that creature’s damage reduction. Once so changed, the weapon overcomes the designated type of damage reduction for 10 rounds, or until you strike a creature that has a different type of damage reduction. In this case, the weapon transforms in the same manner to overcome that damage reduction instead. If the target has multiple types of damage reduction, the weapon overcomes all of them. If the creature gains a new type of damage reduction after initially being struck (from changing its form, for example), the weapon must change again before it can overcome the new type. A transmuting weapon does not gain any other benefit of the properties it takes on, and it always deals normal damage.
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fabricate. Cost to Create: Varies.
Hmm, I notice you don't have Quick Draw to switch between weapons, be careful with that as I believe you'll be provoking AoO when switching and it will be all you do that round to sheathe, and draw your weapon.
Also, you'll need Two Weapon Fighting because Shield Bashing is another attack and you take penalties on it as per TWF. If you pick up Shield Master, it will make that penalty disappear, but TWF is a prerequisite.
if your GM allows abilities from 3.5, you might consider the Trasmuting property from the Magic Item Compendium.
We're Pathfinder only, typically anyway.
Hmm, I notice you don't have Quick Draw to switch between weapons, be careful with that as I believe you'll be provoking AoO when switching and it will be all you do that round to sheathe, and draw your weapon.
The bastard sword is pretty much the only tool in Leifson's tool box. If he draws the bow or pulls the warhammer, it's (usually) at the start of the encounter. He can drop the BS and pull whatever he needs as a Move action.
Also, you'll need Two Weapon Fighting because Shield Bashing is another attack and you take penalties on it as per TWF. If you pick up Shield...
I had considered the TWF'er/Shield Basher route, but in the end I think I'm just going to stat up a normal (meanining non-TWF) shield bash attack for him. What that means is, in the heat of battle, if the sword isn't doing the job, he can just start using the shied as a bashing weapon instead. Since PF doesn't utilize Ambidexterity, I don't think there are in penalties for doing that.
The other benefit from Shield Master is that it allows you to use the Shields AC Enhancement as an attack Enhancement. Otherwise, you have to enchant the shield separately. For example, if you want to magically enhance your shield bash, you need to have a +1 AC/+1 Attack shield. If you have Shield Master, you can stick to the +1 AC shield bonus and it also applies on your attacks. If I were to redo Reaper, I'd probably take this route, as I didn't know about it when I first made him up some 2 years ago.
The Antagonise feat would be usefull, considering your tactics.
The Antagonise feat would be usefull, considering your tactics.
I'd have to add Intimidate to my limited bag of skills (Diplomacy works, but I like the effects of Intimidate better.) Thanks for the suggestion, I need to play around with working that Feat in. I think in order to get it, I'd have to evaluate the loss Dodge or Toughness.
You'll definitely piss off the GM or PCs if you use Antagonize. It's a mind-affecting, non-magical feat that forces those that succumb to the Antagonization to try and melee attack the one intimidating. Even though it is, in a way, mind-effecting, people and creatures that have bonuses vs mind-affecting effects do not get them with Antagonize.
If you think about it, say, an enemy Hound, uses Antagonize on the PC wizard, the PC wizard now must charge the Antagonizer, putting the squishy into his melee range.
If you were to use Reaper as an example, vs a 20 level wizard, the DC would be 30. He has +28 on his Intimidate check for Antagonize (he gains another +2 because he uses his swift action to gain an insight bonus), and if I were to have designed him with Antagonize in mind, it would be significantly higher. The DC for Antagonize will only be, slightly, difficult at very low-levels as the intimidate bonus won't be so high as to auto-win. As more levels are gained, this slight difficulty practically vanishes.
Intimidating Prowess is quite usefull, adding your strength to your charisma on intimidate rolls (an extra +8 may make all the difference). Although skill focus can net you an extra +6 bonus from 10th level onwards. You can really crank up your modifier on this, depending on how much you want to invest.
The other benefit from Shield Master is that it allows you to use the Shields AC Enhancement as an attack Enhancement.
That’s something I hadn’t realized. My Fighter who had it never utilized that way. I feel cheated. heh
You'll definitely piss off the GM or PCs if you use Antagonize. It's a mind-affecting, non-magical feat that forces those that succumb to the Antagonization to try and melee attack the one intimidating. Even though it is, in a way, mind-effecting, people and creatures that have bonuses vs mind-affecting effects do not get them with Antagonize.
Our group is pretty good about this sort of thing and Antagonize really works to The Hound’s advantage. It plays into his shtick so well.
Intimidating Prowess is quite usefull, adding your strength to your charisma on intimidate rolls (an extra +8 may make all the difference). Although skill focus can net you an extra +6 bonus from 10th level onwards. You can really crank up your modifier on this, depending on how much you want to invest.
I’m trying to figure out how to work both Antagonize and Intimidating Prowess into my Feat chain. I’m okay with losing Dodge (sort of) but the lack of Toughness gives me pause. I guess I have to go back to what I already said about CON; if my AC is high enough, I’m not getting hit by typical melee attacks anyway.
/note: Will and Improved Will are critical, can't lose 'em.
Your magic item head slot isn't spoken for, you could always get a circlet of persuasion (+3 all charisma based checks).
Dodge will not make much of a difference at that level anyway, and you lose it if you are flat-footed. Better than it used to be though, was only versus one combatant in 3rd edition.
Now I think he really is capable of holding the front-line, which is precisely what he was built for. A frontal ground assault will be met with much resistance.
With a well-built team surrounding him, Leifson could succeed nicely.
Hmm, a 126 hp at 12th level is exactly average, which I'm assuming is your intent. That combined with his good AC will keep him fairly safe. Another thing to keep in mind is I notice you've placed your skill points a little bit of everywhere. With so few skill points, attempting to be a Jack of All Trades isn't really a viable option, I tend to go along the lines of specializing in a few areas instead. You could pull the points from Handle Animal and Ride if you want to keep a good Diplomacy and Intimidate. Short of frequent mounted combat, I've never really seen the need for putting points into Ride, as I've only ever used the Ride skill in 1 campaign that was largely centered around horses. But you do have the Rostlander trait, so I'm assuming you're playing Kingmaker, and/or the Hound is from Brevoy-specifically Rostland, and from a character background, and roleplaying perspective, I see why you chose those traits.
You may simply need to forgot Greater Spec. and Imp. Vital to take Antagonize and Intimidating Prowess.
Hmm, a 126 hp at 12th level is exactly average, which I'm assuming is your intent. That combined with his good AC will keep him fairly safe. Another thing to keep in mind is I notice you've placed your skill points a little bit of everywhere. With so few skill points, attempting to be a Jack of All Trades isn't really a viable option, I tend to go along the lines of specializing in a few areas instead. You could pull the points from Handle Animal and Ride if you want to keep a good Diplomacy and Intimidate. Short of frequent mounted combat, I've never really seen the need for putting points into Ride, as I've only ever used the Ride skill in 1 campaign that was largely centered around horses. But you do have the Rostlander trait, so I'm assuming you're playing Kingmaker, and/or the Hound is from Brevoy-specifically Rostland, and from a character background, and roleplaying perspective, I see why you chose those traits.
You may simply need to forgot Greater Spec. and Imp. Vital to take Antagonize and Intimidating Prowess.
I removed Dodge and Toughness from the Feat chain, which resulted in 12 less hit points and 1 less AC. As much as I want to keep AC "maxed", I also want the extra damage that comes with GWS and Imp. VS. It's a tough call, y'know? :)
Yes - The Hound could show up in our Kingmaker campaign.
Skills don't need to be maxed necessarily but I am feeling the loss of Perception and Sense Motive. They were sacrificed for 12 ranks of Intimidate.
I think it's a good sign that I'm getting down to difficult decisions for this PC. I think it means I'm doing something right.
You didn't really have a high enough Perception to matter when it comes to Perception vs Stealth. Hopefully, you'll have another character in the group with a good Perception, if you don't expect to be murdered by Rogue-types.
The most notable loss of Sense Motive comes when a Rogue is feinting for sneak attacks, but you still have a DC of 23, which isn't too bad, considering if you had a maxed Sense, it would be a DC 21 intimidate check, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
I figured you'd be taking out those two feats, I was simply trying to find other options. Keep in mind, you can't use Vital Strike in a full attack action as Vital Strike is itself a standard action. So only use it when you move and attack.
Stat dumping is something I hate doing and try to avoid for any reason what-so-ever. Unfortunately, to get your character to where he needs to be, dumping is required :(
You didn't really have a high enough Perception to matter when it comes to Perception vs Stealth.
Perception is one those skills that does benefit from maxing out. I was never going to have the resources to do that and Intimidate becomes vital with the addition of Antagonize. Basically, Perception just plain got voted off the island.
I figured you'd be taking out those two feats, I was simply trying to find other options. Keep in mind, you can't use Vital Strike in a full attack action as Vital Strike is itself a standard action. So only use it when you move and attack.
In our campaign, the DM has ruled that the Vital dice are only applied to the 1st attack and not the remaining iterative attacks. It's a house rule, I know.
Stat dumping is something I hate doing and try to avoid for any reason what-so-ever. Unfortunately, to get your character to where he needs to be, dumping is required :(
I don't count the 9 INT as stat-dumping per se, but 7 CHA is most certainly a dump. The saving grace on that is the whole disfigured/Pharasma thing.
Your magic item head slot isn't spoken for, you could always get a circlet of persuasion (+3 all charisma based checks).
That circlet is on the shopping list. I'm trying to work out where to place *Skill Focus: Intimidate right now.
/ *I'm also wondering if that shouldn't be Diplomacy...
Yeah, I made that house rule only once. It worked fine, then I got an Arcane Archer in the group.
"House rule? I don't remember a house rule..."
Yeah, I made that house rule only once. It worked fine, then I got an Arcane Archer in the group.
"House rule? I don't remember a house rule..."
What it means to my current PC is that, with Manyshot in the mix, I launch 2 arrows on the first attack that are: 3d8+X and 1d8+X. I think he'll rue the day I acquire Clustered Shot...
Back to The Hound - I could lose Imp. VS in favor of Skill Focus. But ugh, that's damage, man! Damage!
Hmm, you seem focused on a 12th level build, are you doing a Society game?
Hmm, you seem focused on a 12th level build, are you doing a Society game?
No, it's just where our campaign is at right now. It is quite likely that we will make 13th level long before anything happens to my current PC. So I really should be making this guy for 13th minimum.
/ Leifson only enters the game if the party refuses to Resurrect the Elf. If they go cut-rate and bring him back with a Reincarnate, he'll suicide if his new body is anything other than Elf. For real, Yo. :)
You ever thought of taking a Dwarven version, or multiclassing into Stalwart Defender? 20th level Stalwart I managed to get AC up to around 52ish. I forgot to save the build, so I don't have it anymore. But he was 10th level fighter, 10th level Defender.
You ever thought of taking a Dwarven version
I had, kind of. I'll have to play with the stats and examine Dwarven Defender while I'm at it.
One reason I defaulted to Hu-mon is because we are playing Kingmaker and the current Duke seems fragile at times. It would be nice to challenge for that Role, which something I didn't do with my Elf. With a Dwarf, again, I think I wouldn't want to be King.
Stalwart Defender, not Dwarven Defender. Any race can take the class now :P
So I read up on Dwarfen Defender For Everybody and while I like it, I'm not keen to multi-class. We're gonna go straight Hu-mon Fighter, antagonistic-man. What I am gonna do is read up on Combat Patrol (which I think makes it harder to get past you.)
Combat Patrol (Combat)
You range across the battlefield, dealing with threats wherever they arise.
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Mobility, base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you may set up a combat patrol, increasing your threatened area by 5 feet for every 5 points of your base attack bonus. Until the beginning of your next turn, you may make attacks of opportunity against any opponent in this threatened area that provokes attacks of opportunity. You may move as part of these attacks, provided your total movement before your next turn does not exceed your speed. Any movement you make provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.
I'm wondering if CP is worth the prereqs. My gut instinct is that it is not, at least as it pertains to the Hound. Combat Reflexes could be useful but it would require some stat juggling that I'm not keen on doing.
Thoughts?
Actually, CP isn't really that good of a feat. You are foregoing you turn, to set up an area that allows you to make attacks of opportunity, IF someone provokes one. It doesn't prevent people from moving through the area, or casting spells, or anything else. Hound should be someone that gets in the other persons face, and sends them packing to Pharasma. Combat Patrol doesn't really let you do that.
Hound should be someone that gets in the other persons face, and sends them packing to Pharasma.
^ this for the win. You perfectly distilled the concept down to its core. Once/if The Hound enters play, my priority will be to pick up a pair of Gloves of Dueling and to start modding his sword. If I had the full WBL to work with, he'd be insane at this level.
/ because customizing a PC's magic items is a major advantage, our group halves WBL for new characters.