I checked out Nanite Bloodline in the guide -- looks OK, except that the title is not a link (unlike all the other Bloodlines that I have checked this on in there, including Ghoul), and Nanite is still in the ToDo list.
Just had a thought: I wonder if it would be worth putting in separate VMC notes for the case in which your primary class is Sorcerer and you VMC something else that synergizes with it, such as Magus.
Well, to start with, if you're crazy enough to go melee, you're already set up to make good use of Spellstrike (VMC Magus level 11) because you are setting up for being a melee Sorcerer (although as a 1/2 BAB character you are going to need some additional work to make this come out well). So just using the quick-and-dirty method if seeing what you listed as being Blue or Green for melee, this would be good with Abyssal (or better yet Aberrant/Abyssal Crossbooded), Boreal/Rime-Blooded, Draconic/Linnorm, Efreeti, Sylvan(*), Ghoul, Pit-Touched(*), Nanite, Oni, Orc (or better yet Aberrant/Orc Crossblooded), Pestilence, and Serpentine.
(*)caution: Rules As Written, no Crossblooding on Wildblooded Bloodlines.
Using a similar method to what I did above, but for blasting, VMC Wizard (Evoker:Admixturer) would be good for Arcane/Sage (not listed as for blasting, but good for everything), Djinni, Draconic/Linnorm, Efreeti, Elemental/Primal (especially Primal if you aren't Crossblooding), Ghoul, Orc, Starsoul, and Stormborn.
Just a note, that alot of the commentary re: "obseleted by PC WBL", "age effects not standard PC fare" etc, should really properly be recast as "great for NPCs". I see Guides like this as MOST useful for GMs designing NPCs, they have alot more characters to design, and the rest of the game to prepare, and most people can't be "experts" on EVERY class out there (yet want to have a wide variety of NPC classes), so having a quick "go to" guide is great for designing interesting/impressive NPCs without having to worry about major number crunching, it makes it easier to achieve a baseline of power without the time investment that optimizing PCs put into it. But most commentary you see on this boards, for "rules options" that PCs "could" take, tends to 100% focus on PC characters, even though more NPCs than PCs end up being created, given # of NPCs in a game. Just a thought.
^Of course, if something is good for an NPC but "obsoleted by PC WBL", it might also be good for a PC who CAN'T GET WBL . . . .
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@Quandary: While I certainly agree that some of these things could be useful for NPCs, I really wrote the guide from the perspective of a player trying to optimize their PC, so I don't think it'd be a good use of my time to go back and add NPC percpectives to each one. I might add a quick blurb toward the top about this though.
So is this guide gonna get an update for the newly released Ectoplasm and Psychic bloodlines?
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Just a note on the Ghoul bloodline: It is PFS Legal, so you can remove that from the final thought.
Interesting... is that a recent addition? I feel like there's a reason I would have said it's not useful for PFS, given how much PFS I play...
To answer the other question, yes I definitely plan to update for the Ectoplasm and Psychic bloodlines and any others that have come out recently. I'm hoping I can find some time to do so in the next week or so. If any of you have suggestions on what these bloodlines would be good/bad at to help me along with the guide, i'd be glad to take your suggestions to heart!
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Speaking of those other bloodlines... wow I hadn't seen the Psychic one until now... there might be no better way to play an armored sorcerer than that. All your spells count as Psychic instead of Arcane?? WOWZA! The only real negative is that your bonus Eschew Materials feat is wasted.
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Speaking of those other bloodlines... wow I hadn't seen the Psychic one until now... there might be no better way to play an armored sorcerer than that. All your spells count as Psychic instead of Arcane?? WOWZA! The only real negative is that your bonus Eschew Materials feat is wasted.
So play a Seeker or Tattooed Sorcerer and trade it out.
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Speaking of those other bloodlines... wow I hadn't seen the Psychic one until now... there might be no better way to play an armored sorcerer than that. All your spells count as Psychic instead of Arcane?? WOWZA! The only real negative is that your bonus Eschew Materials feat is wasted.So play a Seeker or Tattooed Sorcerer and trade it out.
Seeker is an option, but you definitely wouldn't want to do Tattooed Sorcerer... you'd miss out on the best bloodline power, the 9th level Undercasting Prodigy!
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I've added the Psychic and Ectoplasm bloodlines to the guide! I'm not extremely familiar with the spells from Occult Adventures, so if you think I've rated one too high or not high enough, send me a quick PM with your reasoning and I'll get it changed. Thanks for reading, guys!
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I haven't had time to do a real review of recent books, so I was wondering if there are any other new bloodlines out there that I don't have in my guide yet? I really appreciate new bloodlines being pointed out when I have other projects taking my attention. :)
Edit: after a quick perusal of d20pfsrd, the only one I could find that I haven't covered in the guide yet is the Possessed bloodline. I'll try to attack that one today. Any others would be appreciated.
Two things come to mind off the top of my head after skimming your guide:
The Expanded Draconic Bloodlines (From Legacy of Dragons) are variants on the Draconic bloodline with different energy types and bloodline arcana.
The Bloodline Mutations are "free" tradeouts for all bloodlines that switch bloodline powers for different abilities. They've really expanded the utility of bloodlines with previously anemic bloodline powers and I think they're worth considering when judging the value of all of the bloodlines you've already covered. Especially useful for blasters is the Blood Havoc mutation, since it allows people to get to +2 damage per dice without having to go Orc/Draconic crossblooded.
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Two things come to mind off the top of my head after skimming your guide:
The Expanded Draconic Bloodlines (From Legacy of Dragons) are variants on the Draconic bloodline with different energy types and bloodline arcana.
The Bloodline Mutations are "free" tradeouts for all bloodlines that switch bloodline powers for different abilities. They've really expanded the utility of bloodlines with previously anemic bloodline powers and I think they're worth considering when judging the value of all of the bloodlines you've already covered. Especially useful for blasters is the Blood Havoc mutation, since it allows people to get to +2 damage per dice without having to go Orc/Draconic crossblooded.
Wow, I had missed those completely! This is exactly the type of stuff I was looking for, thanks so much!
I'm going to add a little "To-Do List" at the top of the guide right now and put those things there, along with the Possessed bloodline. I'll work hard to get them incorporated ASAP.
EDIT: Apparently there's also a Naga Bloodline! That's going on the list as well!
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@Cellion: After reading the Bloodline Mutations, I'm going to have to go back and suggest replacements for several other less-exciting bloodline powers with these, cuz HOLY CRAP ARE THEY GOOD. Replacing claws (BLECH) with +1 damage per die with damaging spells?? Intensified Spell without the annoying 5 dice cap???? WOW!
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Okay, so I added the Naga and Possessed bloodlines as well as the Expanded Draconic bloodlines. I also put a note at the end of my long intro about the Bloodline Mutations and peppered them throughout the guide as suggestions to replace low-rated powers, as well.
I'll attack the Shapechanger bloodline soon, as I happened to pick up a copy of Legacy of the First World at PaizoCon last week. :)
So, while you say on the guide that the Esoteric dragon alternate bloodline's Arcana allows you to cast spells as psychic spells.... it doesn't. That's that Psychic bloodline's attraction. Rather, Esoteric lets you select a few spells from the Psychic spell list and cast them as psychic spells. It's valuable because you can grab a few cross-class spells, but not that great altogether, as they still count for your spells known, and they can't be on the Sorcerer spell list originally.
Or at least, that's how I read it.
@cartmanbeck Glad to have helped. I noticed though that you're recommending to replace Wildblooded powers (like Arcane Bolt for the Sage sorcerer) with the new bloodline mutations. Unfortunately, it looks like that isn't possible.
(...) a bloodrager or sorcerer cannot swap a bloodline power that she has altered or replaced with an archetype for a bloodline mutation.
Since Wildblooded is an archetype, its a no go.
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Ultimate Wilderness just came out with a feat called Exotic Heritage; it not only works as a replacement for skill focus as a pre-req for eldritch heritage, but it allows the user to pick wildblooded bloodline abilities!
I will have to look at that one! I think I noticed it on my first perusal of UW but didn't look closely at it.
I took a quick look and only a few stood out:
Bedrock 9th level power for DR 10/Adamantine as a swift action rounds/level per day.
Pit-touched 9th level power for +6 inherent Con bonus.
Sylvan for animal companion.
The Shapechanger Bloodline is amazing on a Half-Elf Magus. This includes the greatly maligned 9th level Bloodline Power, whose text looks to me like you could use it as a pseudo-Whirlwind-Attack AoE Spellstrike with a multi-charge spell (and does a fair amount of damage in its own right, and works even if you are not a Half-Elf).
The 3rd level Shapechanger Bloodline Power is crazy good on anyone who can cast Paragon Surge -- eventually use the insanely extended Paragon Surge to get an essentially all day Combat Feat that you can change once per day, or use the same thing to get an Item Crafting feat that you can change once per day, or even some other feat that last essentially all day and you can change once per day. These benefits of the 3rd level power also work for anyone who can get their hands on them and who can cast Paragon Surge -- mostly Half-Elves, but Clerics with the Self-Realization Subdomain get it as a Domain spell without having to be Half-Elves.
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missing bloodlines...
Mutated Dark Fey (People of the Rivers)
Mutated Lifewater (Blood of the Elements)
Mutated Retribution (People of the Rivers)
Mutated Shahzada (Blood of the Elements)
Salamander (Elemental Master's Handbook)
Scorpion (Potions and Poisons)
Solar (Qadira, Jewel of the East)
Necromancy is actually not a bad thing here -- these days, it would be possible (and not hugely difficult for just Sorcerer, but more work for Bloodrager) to finish this thing out.
Necro-bump?
^See zook1shoe's post above my 2 posts. In addition, the guide itself lists some things remaining to be done, notably Bloodrager Bloodlines.
Cartmanbeck's apparently running something partly on the PbP boards here, you can probably get hold of them if you try a PM.
is there a different guide other than in the OP that’s more updated? OP one is missing a lot, e.g. Naga Nanite Phoenix Possessed Psychic etc in the Ns/Ps^See zook1shoe's post above my 2 posts. In addition, the guide itself lists some things remaining to be done, notably Bloodrager Bloodlines.
The OP one says it's not being updated and links to another copy which is, here.
Cartmanbeck's apparently running something partly on the PbP boards here, you can probably get hold of them if you try a PM.
Good point. Initiated.