|
I have a BRB 1/NIN 2 in PFS and I'm trying to decide how best to spend my ninja trick. My main focus is being a drunken brute and simply raging through any and all combat while drinking like a wildman and five-foot stepping his way into flanks all through the battle (or just straight up burning rounds of rage when he needs to move). My goal with him is to eventually grab Cornugon Smash and just intimidate everything that moves, but that six ranks makes it a bit far off. :(
So, with my second level of Ninja comes a Ninja trick! I've thought of how best to spend it, I could get the Shadow Clone and buff myself in combat, but I honestly think the ki points would be better spent in my case getting free attacks. The idea of a climb speed is incredibly hilarious considering we're talking about a dwarf in full plate, but in the end I just don't know which way to go! I could just grab a combat feat, but ehhhh...
Any advice?
edit: I guess I could just also expand my ki pool with my 3rd level feat and take Power Attack as a bonus combat feat for four free attacks a game...
What are the character's current stats and feats?
What role do you want to fill in the party?
|
|
Power attack and Heavy Armor Proficiency, and I tend to be a trapfinder who finds traps by stepping on them. Mainly I'm a front line fighter but I often end up as the highly intoxicated party diplomat. I'm not talking about a well optimized character at all. Basically I'm a pretty decent frontline fighter and a passable rogue. I still can roll damn well on acrobatics/stealth checks in full plate. :)
STR 16
DEX 14
CON 16
INT 12
WIS 9
CHA 12
Race?
|
Need you ask? He's the beat stick! He bashes things to pudding, and sneakily at that. I've met my match as a munchkin, a friggin Ninja in FULLPLATE! He is actually effectively applying the number 2 rule of anime, the more heavily armored the character, the faster he moves.
Number 1 is that Tokyo is the matchstick city, it burns to the ground in nearly every series. (I will admit, this rule should be amendid, as there are now far more anime where it survives intact than there were in the 90's when the rules of anime first came out.) But I digress. go fore the shadow clones. The only thing more frightening than one spiked armored steel clad angry midget climbing the walls like Spiderman is him and he 5 buddies.
Sorry, missed the "dwarf" bit in the first post.
My first question is if it is too late for you to select the Drunken Brute Barbarian Archetype.
They get this:
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.
Fast movement is nice and all, but you lose that as soon as you put on Full Plate. The good news is that because your a dwarf you don't actually LOSE movement speed regardless of how encumbered or armored you are. With your fast movement no longer benefiting you and Drunken Brute being so right for your build I would definitely recommend it.
A ninja talent I might suggest is to take the rogue talent to gain Strong Impression which gives you Intimidating Prowess as a feat allowing you to add your Str to your intimidate check as well as your Cha. That will help you a lot when you get Cornugan Smash.
Also, even though your speed isn't hurt by wearing heavy armor when your a dwarf, I would suggest investing in Mithril Full Plate as soon as possible as it will help curb those grim negatives your getting to acrobatics.
|
|
Mithril Full Plate is definitely on the menu, but it costs a damn fortune. And oh yeah, I've got Drunken Brute, giving up movement to drink hasn't actually been that bad in the slightest, five foot steps always get me in range of a good fight and my allies are usually willing to five foot their way into a flanking position for me to kick ass and take names.
I thought about Strong Impression but I'm not sure it's worth the +3 to intimidate considering I could, say, gain a climb speed. I do think considering I have low charisma and I'm not getting too many ninja levels then saving the ki points for bonus attacks would be beautiful, hence why I was considering getting extra ki points, four extra attacks with sneak attack and a Dwarven waraxe and power attack is just... wonderful.
Think of it more as a long term investment. You are not likely to raise your Cha. Str is always going to be a focus for a bruiser. The extra attacks are nice, but they are limited and only affect one target. After you get Cornugan Smash you will be using your intimidate all the time and the DCs are only going to get harder as you level. Anyway, just an idea. No reason you can't eventually get both if you intend on staggering your leveling. Do you have any direction about how you'd like to proceed with your character in the future?
It isn't just a plus 3 boost because you are likely going to improve your Str over your character's career. And you don't have to give up anything, you can have both. You will get 2 Ninja Tricks at Ninja 4.
|
|
Okay, so talking it over with another friend I've stumbled across one other option that I hadn't really thought of that kind of abuses the Ninja's ki pool.
This level, take Combat Trick to get an extra combat feat, giving me heavy armor proficiency. For my third level feat I get Extra Ki, bringing my (current) pool up to four (and later 5). This would give me a good number of times a day that I, as a raging drunken hulk in flank, can just haul off for an extra hit with sneak attack and power attack. I'm looking over all the Ninja and Rogue tricks and nothing really stands out as better than just having ki to burn on pulverizing someone harder as a front line fighter.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As foes become larger than you the -4 penalty you get with your intimidate check will become more apparent. Being that you can do this on every attack I'd think the +4 would be worth it. Especially if you want to go with Shatter Defenses which I highly recommend for this build.
When you have a build that uses something as it's bread and butter move then stacking bonuses is never a bad thing. And like I said, it isn't like you can't have both.
Its just a suggestion. /shrug
You need to consider this:
Shatter Defenses (Combat)
Your skill with your chosen weapon leaves opponents unable to defend themselves if you strike them when their defenses are already compromised.
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus, Dazzling Display, base attack bonus +6, proficiency with weapon.
Benefit: Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent hit by you this round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round.
Flat-Footed: A character who has not yet acted during a combat is flat-footed, unable to react normally to the situation. A flat-footed character loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and cannot make attacks of opportunity.
The rogue's attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target.
Look, if a feat allows you a better chance of guaranteeing a sneak attack all the time I think it might be worth considering. What you are talking about is something that you can use 4/day. This you can use on every attack all day long.
|
|
But that was never planned to be my bread and butter, it was just something to pick up that meshed well with the pre-existing skillset. Considering I can't even use that feat for a few levels and this is organized play, it seems like a waste to take it now since it's not going to be particularly useful anytime soon.
edit: I agree I'm looking at a thing of beauty there, but it requires a large feat tree I haven't even touched. Still though, I overlooked that and... frankly it's insane. Still, for it to be viable for me I'd have to get weapon training as a bonus trick this time so that I can get combat trick with my next ninja trick, and I'd have everything by... level 7...
That's totally viable holy crap!
Use the feat to get Dazzling Display so you qualify for Shatter Defenses as soon as it is available then.
I'm glad I could help. :)
Also, you haven't really missed anything since you can't get Shatter Defenses until the same time you can get Cornugon Smash anyway. You definitely have time to pick up the prereq feats and they actually fit fairly well with your build anyway.
It'll be cool to see your build at the end of this though. :)
Lune has some good advice where Cornugon Smash, Shatter Defenses and Intimidating Prowess are concerned.
Who's not afraid of a Raging Drunk who destroys EVERYTHING in his path? :p
I was going to suggest armored hulk. But the drunken route works good too...particularly for your build.
Take a look at some of these rage powers: Boasting Taunt, Good for What Ails You, Liquid Courage, Roaring Drunk and Staggering Drunk.
|
|
So...
Power attack 1
Heavy armour proficiency 3
Generic Ninja Trick (trick) 3
Dazzling Display (5)
Weapon Training (trick) 5
Shatter Defenses (7)
Cornugon Smash (9)
?
But if I shuffled the levels around a bit so I'm getting that last trick after my BAB is >6…
+1 Barb: Power attack 1
+1Ninja: Heavy armour proficiency 3
+2Ninja: Weapon Training (trick) 3
+4 Barb Dazzling Display (5)
+6 Shatter Defenses 7
+6 Cornugon Smash (trick) 7
edit: considering I'm drinking most rounds, there's no reason for me NOT to take Good For What Ales You considering my will saves are in the crapper anyways.
edit 2: Weapon training also has the fun side effect of making my power attack virtually free! :D
Another edit: Oh my goodness, roaring drunk stacks with itself... considering the amount of rage I've drank my way though in PFS can be sometimes measured in minutes, that's a pretty constant +30 or so to intimidate...