Reach is very, very good. If someone wants to get close to the fighter, he has to eat an AoO from the fighter.
Reach is the big issue. The bonus damage from the added strength is a nice little perk (because it's a size bonus that stacks with other strength bonuses), and the penalty to AC isn't a huge issue. Getting to hit the bad guys before they can get to you on an AoO is nice and getting to hit them at reach is also nice (since a well placed 5-foot step means your opponent is 10 feet away and can't full attack you).
If you have miniatures on the map Reach in incredibly useful.
Plus there aren't many low level enemies that can repel an 'average' hit from a 2d8 weapon with decent strength behind it. Plus if the fighter is primarily 'protecting the casters' in an engagement, the reach for attacks of opportunities is a great way to demotivate the bad guys from even trying to get near the squishies.
And a fighter using a reach weapon to begin with can really lock down a battlefield.
Also, it's more than a one damage increase. A: That strength might bump you two damage if you're using a two handed weapon. B: Your damage dice increase to that of a Large sized weapon.
Did you know: A level one barbarian with starting strength of 18 using a Lucerne Hammer, Rage, and Power Attack does 3d6+13 damage per attack when Enlarged (At an attack bonus of +6...+8 if they can get a masterwork weapon and weapon focus)? If he has 14 Dex and Combat Reflexes he gets 2 AoOs per round when Enlarged (-2 Dex, boo), and he threatens out to 20 feet (make sure to wear armor spikes for maximum effect). That's bigtime.
The -1 to attack rolls is balanced out by the +1 to attack from strength for a net of +0 to attack.
Enlarge summary (for melee):
larger damage dice
No attack penalty (-1size +1from strength balance out)
+1 (or +2 in some 2handed fighter cases) to damage
-2 AC
-1Reflex
Larger threatened area.
A 1st level Strength 16 fighter with a Greatsword gets enlarged. His damage goes from an average of 11 points to an average of 16.5. His AC drops by 2, his reflex saves drop by 1. His reach goes to 10feet.
Ill happily take this any day of the week.
- Gauss
I see a lot of posts on the net saying this is a great beginning level spell to use on say a fighter. My question is what makes it so great? Yes you get 1 extra damage via 2 strength and a d10 damage goes to 2d8. But you lose 2 dex (which equals 1 AC point?), -1 to attack rolls and another -1 to AC. I do see the bonus to reach great for cleave. I was just wondering what am I missing on this spell? There has to be more to it, I would hope. I know a newb question but we just started a pathfinder group. Thanks for any and all help on this.
You don't lose anything on attack rolls. due to the bonus from strength.
Donnovin, Assuming you are first level: your D12+9 weapon goes to 3d6+10. This is a change from 15.5avg to 20.5avg. An increase of 5.5points for a penalty of 2AC.
- Gauss
Reach is very, very good. If someone wants to get close to the fighter, he has to eat an AoO from the fighter.
I think part of the problem is that a lot of GM's - especially those who don't use maps/figures - don't take into account that players provoke AoO's when moving within a foe's reach even if not technically adjacent to them... so the players in turn don't often realize the benefits of their own Reach.
Lunge is a woefully under-utilized feat IMO.
Going from medium to large means you go from being 5x5x5 to being 10x10x10, which is twice the height and 8 times the volume. No need to houserule that, it's simple math.
ok stupid question where is the +9 coming from? Can you give me a breakdown please?
Strength 18 = +4 attack and +6damage for 2handed
Power Attack @1st level = -1 attack and +3damage for 2handedThus, +9damage for 2handed weapon.
Regarding height and weight. You are dealing with the square-cube ratio. When you square a creatures height you are cubing the mass. Thus, a doubling in height (x2) is a factor of x8 on weight (2*2*2 =8). This is a basic function of physics and one of the reasons giantism kills people.
- Gauss
I thought you were a fighter? Precocious Spellcaster cannot benefit you if you cannot cast those spells.
- Gauss
One of my personal favorite traits is heirloom weapon (from adventurer's armory).
- Gauss
The key is in the crunch text.
"Benefit: Select one cantrip and one 1st-level spell; when you cast these spells, they function at one caster level higher than your actual caster level."
If you can't cast spells, you can't use the benefit. It doesn't give you the spells to cast, just improves them when you get them.
Sidenote on Lunge: It only increases your reach during your turn in the round. So it won't help you in getting off AoOs.
Magical Talent gives you an SLA, not a spell, so Precocious Spellcaster doesn't modify it. Magical Lineage doesn't grant you spells.
Why are you wasting time on spellcasting traits on a fighter?
Magical Lineage does not grant you spell capability. It modifies existing spell capability.
Magical Talent DOES grant you spell capability but only a 0 level spell once per day as a spell-like ability. Thus, you cannot modify it with ANYTHING that modifies a spell.
Additionally, you need to follow the trait restrictions. You are only allowed to take ONE trait from any category. You are talking about combining traits from the Magic Trait section. You cannot do this.
- Gauss
Edit: Why do I keep responding when Mauril keeps ninja'ing me? :D
If you want to cast a few spells, multiclass into wizard or sorcerer. Its the simplest method to do so. In fact, if you wanted to you could aim for Eldritch Knight.
- Gauss
In the Core Rulebook there are two feats that allow this. They are called Arcane Armor Training (ignore 10%) and Arcane Armor Mastery (ignore 20%). Combined with mithril and you can eliminate medium armor spell failure and all but 5% of Full Plate.
- Gauss
ok I just read through Edritch Knight. Do they have anything that would help them with casting while wearing armor? Im not seeing anything that would allow them to bypass any of the penalties.
It does get bonus Combat feats, which it can spend on:
Arcane Armor Training (Combat)
You have learned how to cast spells while wearing armor.
Prerequisites: Light Armor Proficiency, caster level 3rd.
Benefit: As a swift action, reduce the arcane spell failure chance due to the armor you are wearing by 10% for any spells you cast this round.Arcane Armor Mastery (Combat)
You have mastered the ability to cast spells while wearing armor.
Prerequisites: Arcane Armor Training, Medium Armor Proficiency, caster level 7th.
Benefit: As a swift action, reduce the arcane spell failure chance due to the armor you are wearing by 20% for any spells you cast this round. This bonus replaces, and does not stack with, the bonus granted by Arcane Armor Training.
Both found in the core rulebook.
When you get to the top of Eldritch Knight, though, you're screwed out of the capstone ability if you use Arcane Armor Mastery.
Sounds like you want to play a magus or a fighter/magus. Magus isn't bad as a dip if all you want is the occasional enlarge person with no failure. Plus, hey, shocking grasp spell combat.
Dip a little further and you get true strike via an arcana. Now rush fighter. It's not bad at all.
Edit: If you're in medium/heavy armor, this doesn't work, of course.
If you just want to do Enlarge Person shenanigans, multiclass into Alchemist and take the Vivisectionist archetype. That gets you Enlarge person and some other good stuff, plus, it doesn't take a full round to cast since it's in potion form...you just drink it. Plus, you get access to mutagens, which are awesome.
Heck, you might even want to throw in a level of Barbarian for the Raging Alcoholic archetype (not the actual name, but close), so you can drink potions you craft up as move actions.
Fighter 1/Alchemist 1/Barbarian 1 is actually beastly right at third level, and for a few combats a day your DM will be angry with you. From there you can just take levels where you want or whatever. (The three level build above has 30 strength at level 3 when all buffed up).
Barring all of this, take a few ranks in UMD and get a wand of enlarge person.
If you want to cast a few spells, multiclass into wizard or sorcerer.
My small son, playing his first Pathfinder campaign ever, is a multiclass halfling Monk 1 / Sorcerer 1. He loves the fact that he can enlarge himself from child size to adult size and pound on monsters with his fists. It's every child's dream... :-)
(Oh, yes, and the burning hands spell, too. It was his number one request: "I want to be able to throw fire with my hands!")
Barring all of this, take a few ranks in UMD and get a wand of enlarge person.
Or a helpful wizard party member who wants to get the most BAMMM for his buck on first level spells.
If you want to cast a few spells, multiclass into wizard or sorcerer.My small son, playing his first Pathfinder campaign ever, is a multiclass halfling Monk 1 / Sorcerer 1. He loves the fact that he can enlarge himself from child size to adult size and pound on monsters with his fists. It's every child's dream... :-)
(Oh, yes, and the burning hands spell, too. It was his number one request: "I want to be able to throw fire with my hands!")
Did you tell him this is badwrongfun and he should be using his spells for the boring Mage Armor? :p
Barring all of this, take a few ranks in UMD and get a wand of enlarge person.Or a helpful wizard party member who wants to get the most BAMMM for his buck on first level spells.
That too. The wand is for when the helpful wizard has other spells to toss (e.g., BBEG fights).
Also, monk dipping sorcerer is goodrightfun as far as I'm concerned. Especially if you get a cool bloodline ability out of it.
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actually a full barbarian with the Drunken Brute archetype and a supply of potions of enlarge person is pretty dangerous, its not limited to potions he crafts himself.
Raging Drunk (Ex): While raging, the drunken brute can drink a potion, or a tankard of ale or similar quantity of alcohol, as a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A potion has its normal effect, while an alcoholic drink allows the barbarian to maintain her rage that round without expending a round of rage for the day (instead of the alcohol's normal effects). For each alcoholic drink consumed while raging, the barbarian is nauseated for 1 round when her rage expires, in addition to the normal fatigue that follows a rage. Tireless rage does not negate this nauseated condition but the internal fortitude rage power does. This ability replaces fast movement.
the Osirian faction book had some stone man prestige class that lets you swift enlarge yourself too.
Now you just need alcoholic potions.