Hey guys. So I'm rolling up Damian the Transmuter, a 1st level tiefling wizard who is going Eldritch Knight (without any dips, since outsiders are already proficient with all martial weapons). Once I get to 5th level and get access to beast shape I, I'm going to spend all of my combat time polymorphed into various forms, usually monstrous humanoid, dragon, giant, undead, or whatever else I can change into that does not lose spellcasting.
However, until I get to that level, I need to stay alive while I'm in melee. So I'm trying to figure out exactly how to use reach weapons to do that.
My ability score array is:
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 15 (+1 from Transmuter), Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 5.
I took Toughness as my 1st level feat, so my hit points are 13. (6+3 toughness +3 Con +1 favored class).
My restricted schools are illusion and necromancy.
So my question is this: If I take a two-handed reach weapon, can I also wear some spiked gauntlets and use them to attack people who are adjacent to me, just so I can use the reach weapon to keep everyone off my case? I don't have Combat Reflexes, but I can still AoO someone for 1d12+4 damage if they try to come up and attack me, and when they do get within 5' I can hit them for 1d4+3 without needing to step back or adjust my position.
How does this sound to you guys? Am I doing it right, or is my wizard simply doomed to die in melee at 1st level?
Can you hold a two handed weapon and still attack with the spiked gauntlet?
Why not Magus? It's Eldritch Knight from level one.
It's...really not. The Eldritch Knight is a wizard/fighter hybrid. The magus is more akin to the 3.5 duskblade, a class that involves attacking with touch spells and the like.
I'm not interested in flashy blasting. I'm interested in polymorphing and buffing. The magus does not get a polymorph spell until level 7, while the wizard gets it at level 5.
Incorrect. Only Outsiders with Outsider Racial Hit dice have that kind of martial proficiency. Tieflings which have no racial hit dice are entirely dependent on class for their weapon skills or lack of same.
I...no? Tieflings have the Outsider type. They don't need racial hit dice to gain the benefits of the Outsider type. That's like saying you need racial hit dice as a Giant to get Perception as a class skill (you don't).
The only difference between a tiefling and a devil is that the devil can't be resurrected and the tiefling has to eat, sleep and breathe. Being a native outsider doesn't affect your type proficiencies.
Can you hold a two handed weapon and still attack with the spiked gauntlet?
That's what I'm asking, really. I'm unclear about it. I'm pretty sure you can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand (like a quarterstaff), you just need both hands to actually attack with it. So it's like, you can shift your two-handed weapon to one hand as a free action, then punch someone in the face, then either leave your spiked gauntlet ready for AoOs or put your hand back on the two-handed weapon as another free action (I think).
I...no? Tieflings have the Outsider type. They don't need racial hit dice to gain the benefits of the Outsider type. That's like saying you need racial hit dice as a Giant to get Perception as a class skill (you don't).
The only difference between a tiefling and a devil is that the devil can't be resurrected and the tiefling has to eat, sleep and breathe. Being a native outsider doesn't affect your type proficiencies.
I have to disagree. From the SRD: Bolded my point
Traits: An outsider possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
Tiefling Characters
Tieflings are defined by their class levels—they do not possess racial HD. They have the following racial traits.
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: Tieflings are quick in body and mind, but are inherently strange.
Darkvision: Tieflings see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Skilled: Tieflings have a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Stealth checks.
Spell-Like Ability: Tieflings can use darkness once per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this ability equals the tiefling's class level.
Fiendish Resistance: Tieflings have cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.
Fiendish Sorcery: Tiefling sorcerers with the Abyssal or Infernal bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer class abilities.
Languages: Tieflings begin play speaking Common and either Abyssal or Infernal. Tieflings with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Infernal, and Orc.
Easier to survive as a Magus to level 7 than on a wizard built for melee to level 5.
Just my 2 cents.
Lazar is correct about the tiefling. It is a 0 HD race. It does not get access to all martial weapons just for being a tiefling. It only gets whats listed under it's entry for 'tieflings as characters'.
Armor spikes. Don't dilly-dally with spiked gauntlets.
Armor spikes? ...Huh. I thought they were only for grapple, but it looks like you can use them as an attack. That's weird. So I can hold a reach weapon in both hands, and then when someone gets close I can basically chest bump them for 1d6+Str damage?
Can you hold a two handed weapon and still attack with the spiked gauntlet?That's what I'm asking, really. I'm unclear about it. I'm pretty sure you can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand (like a quarterstaff), you just need both hands to actually attack with it. So it's like, you can shift your two-handed weapon to one hand as a free action, then punch someone in the face, then either leave your spiked gauntlet ready for AoOs or put your hand back on the two-handed weapon as another free action (I think).
I think your right about this... I just couldn't find a rule for it.
Easier to survive as a Magus to level 7 than on a wizard built for melee to level 5.
Just my 2 cents.
Lazar is correct about the tiefling. It is a 0 HD race. It does not get access to all martial weapons just for being a tiefling. It only gets whats listed under it's entry for 'tieflings as characters'.
It's a PbP game, I don't know how long it's going to go on, but I'm pretty sure it will be a very long time before we reach level 5, let alone level 7. I'd rather get my polymorphing in the first six months if I can help it.
And alright...I guess I'll just go ahead and take my first level as a fighter then. Wearing armor will make all of this a lot easier.
Why not Magus? It's Eldritch Knight from level one.It's...really not. The Eldritch Knight is a wizard/fighter hybrid. The magus is more akin to the 3.5 duskblade, a class that involves attacking with touch spells and the like.
I'm not interested in flashy blasting. I'm interested in polymorphing and buffing. The magus does not get a polymorph spell until level 7, while the wizard gets it at level 5.
Incorrect. Only Outsiders with Outsider Racial Hit dice have that kind of martial proficiency. Tieflings which have no racial hit dice are entirely dependent on class for their weapon skills or lack of same.I...no? Tieflings have the Outsider type. They don't need racial hit dice to gain the benefits of the Outsider type. That's like saying you need racial hit dice as a Giant to get Perception as a class skill (you don't).
The only difference between a tiefling and a devil is that the devil can't be resurrected and the tiefling has to eat, sleep and breathe. Being a native outsider doesn't affect your type proficiencies.
It has been established time and time again that creatures without hit dice do not gain the proficiencies and class skills of their type. You can search for it. It comes up a lot.
Why not Magus? It's Eldritch Knight from level one.It's...really not. The Eldritch Knight is a wizard/fighter hybrid. The magus is more akin to the 3.5 duskblade, a class that involves attacking with touch spells and the like.
I'm not interested in flashy blasting. I'm interested in polymorphing and buffing. The magus does not get a polymorph spell until level 7, while the wizard gets it at level 5.
Incorrect. Only Outsiders with Outsider Racial Hit dice have that kind of martial proficiency. Tieflings which have no racial hit dice are entirely dependent on class for their weapon skills or lack of same.I...no? Tieflings have the Outsider type. They don't need racial hit dice to gain the benefits of the Outsider type. That's like saying you need racial hit dice as a Giant to get Perception as a class skill (you don't).
The only difference between a tiefling and a devil is that the devil can't be resurrected and the tiefling has to eat, sleep and breathe. Being a native outsider doesn't affect your type proficiencies.
James Jacobs on weapon proficiencies for native outsiders
compare it to the humanod type :
"A humanoid has the following features (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
d8 Hit Die, or by character class.
Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (medium progression).
One good save, usually Reflex.
Skill points equal to 2 + Int modifier (minimum 1) per Hit Die or by character class. The following are class skills for humanoids without a character class: Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Profession, Ride, and Survival. Humanoids with both a character class and racial HD add these skills to their list of class skills.
Traits: A humanoid possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
Proficient with all simple weapons, or by character class.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, or by character class. If a humanoid does not have a class and wears armor, it is proficient with that type of armor and all lighter types. Humanoids not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Humanoids are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep."
Not all characters are proficient with simple weapons (wizards)
niether do they gain all the mentioned class skills.
As others have pointed out, tieflings do not have outsider weapons proficiencies.
Your giant example proves nothing either way, as giants never substitute racial hit dice for class levels.
As others have pointed out, tieflings do not have outsider weapons proficiencies.
Your giant example proves nothing either way, as giants never substitute racial hit dice for class levels.
Yes, I have conceded the point, and have decided to go ahead and take fighter as my 1st level so I can get all the proficiencies I need.
So now I guess the question is...which is the best reach weapon for the job? I have 150 gp and 16 Dex, so if I want to get some good armor and put spikes on it, what weapon would be the best one? What reach weapon do you guys recommend?
Easier to survive as a Magus to level 7 than on a wizard built for melee to level 5.
Just my 2 cents.
Lazar is correct about the tiefling. It is a 0 HD race. It does not get access to all martial weapons just for being a tiefling. It only gets whats listed under it's entry for 'tieflings as characters'.It's a PbP game, I don't know how long it's going to go on, but I'm pretty sure it will be a very long time before we reach level 5, let alone level 7. I'd rather get my polymorphing in the first six months if I can help it.
And alright...I guess I'll just go ahead and take my first level as a fighter then. Wearing armor will make all of this a lot easier.
If you rather go Eldritch Knight than Magus, perhaps look into fighter archetypes to drop armor proficiency since you will likely not end up wearing heavy armor.
ou do not have to pick fighter, Gunslingers might be a good option if you like that sort of thing, there is a wizard archetype that you can take with it (gun mage ?)
If you rather go Eldritch Knight than Magus, perhaps look into fighter archetypes to drop armor proficiency since you will likely not end up wearing heavy armor.
Nah, I'll probably wear armor until level 6 when I get beast shape I. Until then, I'm not planning to cast any spells while I'm in combat.
ou do not have to pick fighter, Gunslingers might be a good option if you like that sort of thing, there is a wizard archetype that you can take with it (gun mage ?)
Gunslinger is not allowed by the DM.
The other options (ranger, paladin, barbarian, cavalier, magus) do not appeal to me for various reasons. Fighter is probably the best bet.
Eh...never mind. Now that I think about it, 5 levels of PBPing before you can even start doing what your character is based on doing is a bit much. I'd better save this concept for a tabletop game instead.
I appreciate everyone's help, and I'll keep the info about type proficiencies in mind from now on.
Sorry, Damian. Your concept seems a fun one, but will take time to get there.