Evain McKinney
Female Human Barbarian (Armored Hulk Archetype) 4
Lawful Good (Alignment restrictions not involving Paladins are unnessesary)
Campaign Setting and Era: Dragonlance (Pathfinder ruleset), Modern Era
Background: Evain McKinney is a young warrior who hails from the city
of Kalaman. Born to a prostitute 19 years ago, Evain was nought but an
unwanted nuisance to her mother. Fascinated at an early age by tales
of knightly exploits, she spent her childhood playing the brave
vassal, and eagerly dreamed of someday becoming a member of an order.
As a young teenager, she began training with the local milita, hoping
to gain the necessary skill at arms. A couple years later, she saw her first battle as a sellsword in government employ, and quickly proved herself an inordinately ferocious warrior, fighting with sheer ferocity more than practiced forms. This strength and courage has earned her much recognition in local military circles, and, while the Knights of Solamnia see her as a bit too wild, many individual nobles are considering sponsering her as a personal vassal. She is considering such offers at the moment, but has yet to decide which to accept.
She is a woman of average height and build, with long hazelnut hair, green eyes, and a smattering of freckles. She possesses an openly friendly demeanor, with a loud voice and a good sense of humor. Though she can be a bit of a loudmouth, she does try not to be disrespectful without a good reason, and doesn't have any major problems with authority or playing nice with others. She can, however, be a bit (or a lot) of a hothead when angered. She has a very deep and sincere desire to be helpful to people, and it sometimes gets her in over her head, though she's generally lucky, skilled, and ferocious enough to get herself back out.
Stats:
Str 17
Dex 12
Con 16
Int 11
Wis 12
Cha 14
Hit Points: 53
Fort: +7
Ref: +2
Will: +2
CMB: +7
CMD: +18
BAB: +4
-Melee: +7
-Ranged: +5
AC 24
-FF 23
-Touch 11
Init: +1
Speed: 25 FT
Feats:
Improved Shield Bash
Extra Rage
Power Attack
Skill Ranks:
Diplomacy 4
Intimidate 4
Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) 4
Knowledge (Local) 4
Sense Motive 4
Perception 4
Equipment:
Longsword +1
Masterwork Silver Dagger
Masterwork Light Crossbow
Heavy Steel Shield +1
Full Plate Armor +1
Rage Powers:
Reckless Abandon
Powerful Blow
Class Abilities:
Fast Movement
Rage 18 rounds/day
Armored Swiftness
Resiliance of Steel
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Mechanically, you're better off skipping the shield and associated Feat for a two-handed weapon
If you really want to keep the shield, grab Two-Weapon Fighting to actually make use of the Improved Shield Bash. Probably instead of Extra Rage, actually. And if doing that, drop it to a light shield, probably with Masterwork Shield Spikes.
Rage Power-wise, I'd skip Powerful Blow for Superstition, Beast Totem, or something else significantly cooler.
Thematically, looks fun. :)
So, it's okay for you to be Lawful and keep your rage?
You're averaging 13 hp/level. That's, ah, pretty good. Rolling 10's?
You're a human barbarian and not going with Superstitious? The +1 to your AC from Heavy armor is very outweighed by +15 to your Speed and +13 to your saves over time.
Improved Shield Bash isn't very useful without TWF unless it is your primary weapon. You'll need full attacks to actually use it.
Is this point buy or rolled stats? looks like a 35 point buy...and Cha higher then Dex? On a barbarian? Well, I can see it from the standpoint of doing nothing for you in heavy armor...but if you were in breastplate, you'd basically have the same AC, +5 Move with a 14 Dex, better Reflex save and initiative.
I'm not sure why you are taking this Archetype...it does almost nothing for the Barbarian, and certainly does not play to the strengths of the class. You can do similar things with flavor and end up with a much stronger character...if you want a plate wearing character that can actually function really well, I'd direct you to the Two handed Fighter archetype...now THERE is a beast in full armor!
If you must use a shield, I'd recommend you actually play a paladin, and call her smite a 'divine rage'.
==Aelryinth
Beast Totem might make sense if it were something knightly like a lion or a falcon.
I could go with Str 16, Dex 15, Con 14 and maybe get TWF. Don't want a two handed weapon or a light or spiked shield. A large, smooth shield is just too flavorful for a knight to pass up.
Thematically, I was itching to try out both an aristocratic barbarian and a loud, fun knight.
Telling everyone you're a barbarian and burning smites and calling them 'rage' or 'divine fury' would do both at once. Take the archetype that lets you burn channels for extra smites!
:)
If you up the Dex to 14, downgrade to Medium Armor (breastplate). You only need the 14...eventually you'll have a +6 Dex booster and Mithral BP that allows a 20 Dex to max out AC, which is perfect for you...you'll also get back the barbarian 40' move.
==Aelryinth
So, it's okay for you to be Lawful and keep your rage?
Yes. It wasn't really a rule that brought much to the game, anyway.
You're averaging 13 hp/level. That's, ah, pretty good. Rolling 10's?
No clue, actually. I used a character generator.
You're a human barbarian and not going with Superstitious? The +1 to your AC from Heavy armor is very outweighed by +15 to your Speed and +13 to your saves over time.
I could consider switching out a rage power for superstitious.
Improved Shield Bash isn't very useful without TWF unless it is your primary weapon. You'll need full attacks to actually use it.
I might pick up TWF instead of Extra Rage if I dip Con to 14 and Str to 16. Or I could just lose Improved Shield Bash altogether.
Is this point buy or rolled stats? looks like a 35 point buy...
Really? I should probably review that, then. It was supposed to be 25 point buy, but I did the math through a generator.
and Cha higher then Dex? On a barbarian?
She's the party face, so she needs good Cha.
Well, I can see it from the standpoint of doing nothing for you in heavy armor...
Yep. I have a max Dex of +1.
but if you were in breastplate, you'd basically have the same AC, +5 Move with a 14 Dex, better Reflex save and initiative.
Dpesn't fit the character concept. I'm a heavily armored knight.
I'm not sure why you are taking this Archetype...it does almost nothing for the Barbarian, and certainly does not play to the strengths of the class. You can do similar things with flavor and end up with a much stronger character...if you want a plate wearing character that can actually function really well, I'd direct you to the Two handed Fighter archetype...now THERE is a beast in full armor!
If you must use a shield, I'd recommend you actually play a paladin, and call her smite a 'divine rage'.
==Aelryinth
I'm building a knightly Barbarian, so Fighter and Paladin are off limits, and I do want the shield.
Telling everyone you're a barbarian and burning smites and calling them 'rage' or 'divine fury' would do both at once. Take the archetype that lets you burn channels for extra smites!
:)
If you up the Dex to 14, downgrade to Medium Armor (breastplate). You only need the 14...eventually you'll have a +6 Dex booster and Mithral BP that allows a 20 Dex to max out AC, which is perfect for you...you'll also get back the barbarian 40' move.
==Aelryinth
The problem is, the flavor of the concept relies on full plate armor and a big shield, and I want some rage powers. Falcon or lion Beast totem plus, say, superstition instead of what I have now? Could actually be pretty cool.
Then I'd look at multi-classing, switching off with Fighter so you get more enhanced move and AC while in heavy armor.
You'd also get more feats to work your shield-use concept.
Alternately, the Ranger Shield user build gets Shield Mastery VERY early and ranger is strong, too.
Mechanically, you're going to have to go to another class to get the most out of heavy armor and shield use. It's just the way it is.
Note that unless going straight barbarian you won't be able to boost Superstitious that high.
==Aelryinth
I don't really lose that much for taking Armored Hulk. Just move speed, uncanny dodge, and trap sense, none of which I value. I get rage powers, which I want. I'm fine with full Barbarian. I might want to pick up Beast Totem in a knightly animal (can I take Griffon?) and Superstition as my rage powers and lose my Improved Shield Bash, but I balk at the idea of multi-classing this particular build unless it's into Knight of the Crown or another Knight of Solamnia PRC.
I double checked the ability scores, and they do add up to 25 point buy. They are valid. As for HP, I must have gotten lucky.
How does powerful blow fit in with the story?
I like how you have tailored the build to fit the story.
Powerful blow just seemed like something a notoriously ferocious warrior might have.
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Okay, my advice:
Skip trying to Shield Bash, it only works with smaller shields and TWF.
So, just have a shield. Grab Furious Focus instead and be good to go. Your damage will lag behind a two-handed Barbarian, but eh.
And yeah, go Gryphon Beast Totem (you can take anything as a totem) plus Superstition. They're both good, appropriate, lines of Rage powers.
Stats I'd go with (25 point buy):
Str 18
Dex 12
Con 16
Int 12
Wis 12
Chr 12
Wis 14, Dex 14, dumped Chr and Int would be better mechanically, but probably not as fun, at least if it were me. And, BTW, with your 4th level point, you're quite right about your first stat array being legal at 25 pts.
If you're using Traits, grab one to make Diplomacy and/or Sense Motive class skills to add that essential +3 to both of those. If you aren't using Traits, maybe grab the Cosmopolitan feat and make them Class skils anyway.
And have fun being the highest AC Barbarian ever, who's also pretty good at social skills.
Is it optimized? No. Is it good enough to be the primary melee damage dealer in the group? Yep. So have fun with it.
Wait, what?
1) what is the fury enchantment? It's not on d20pfsrd
2) what is improved damage reduction? It's not on d20pfsrd
3) you suggest not taking cleave because you later get "more than one attack" but cleave is pretty much a tactic used to get more than one attack after a move action, enhanced later with the mighty cleaving enchantment.
4) dumping your AC completely is one way of doing it, but I've only seen it result in the death of the character who does this. Most of the APs contain monsters who will outdamage you, yet have many more hitpoints.
EDIT:
5) Lunge only works during your attack action, you wont be able to use it to get AOOs.
Furious Focus is extremely useful during the many, many occasions you only get a single attack per round. It is NOT a trap, it's almost a necessity.
If you always got a full attack, probably not so useful.
Note it can be used at the same time as a Vital Strike and WILL do more damage then that feat, but it won't stack. Effectively, Furious Focus is the Vital Strike line without paying 3 feats for it.
Remember that Power Attack damage, unlike Vital Strike damage, fully multiplies on a crit, as well.
==Aelryinth
She's not playing an invulnerable character, she's playing an armored tank.
I agree on Cleave. Not worth taking unless all you do is fight mooks, and on standard actions...two strikes against it.
again, Furious Focus is a scaling Vital Strike without having to take the extra feats. There is no better feat for getting off a single blow and doing lots of extra damage...and still hitting. Take it instead of Vital Strike, and for laying the beat down on a charge...and still not missing.
==Aelryinth
I think I want to take beast totem. Furious combat would interfere with my sword, and invulnerable rager interferes with armored hulk.
I am not designing a tank.
I think a lion, dragon, or griffon would be nice for my totem. Which sounds most flavorful for an aspiring knight haining from Solamnia?
Are you thinking about Cornugon Smash as a feat? Perhaps intimidating prowess? Also I suggest switching dex with cha. You're going to notice the +1 to ac, init, and reflex saves more than the +1 bonus to social skills. I'm not telling you to dump cha though because that's what you sort of want to do. Also why does a knight need a shield to be a knight? Going 2 handed actually helps you protect your allies more so than going sword and board. I say that because you're more likely to pull aggro off of your allies if you're doing more damage. Also a dead enemy is a someone that can't hurt your allies.