Started a new campaign recently and I decided to try out an Inquisitor, going for a new kind (to me) of combat style. Buckler and 1-handed weapon. So either good defense and a hand open to cast spells, or two hand for extra damage at a slight penalty. The GM is running a 3.0 module with a huge dungeon. It's not sure how far we go, so any advice for level with double digits isn't going to be helpful. We're very likely to hit 3rd next session, and I don't know what to do as far as feats and such go. The rest of the party is a fetchling rogue, aasimar cleric of sarenrae, and tiefling witch (time patron). Any options not on the PRD will most likely not be allowed.
The character as he is now (20 point buy, 2 traits, hero points):
Inquisitor of Desna 2 (exploration subdomain)
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
fav class option: bonus to knowledge and intimidate
Alt racial abilities: Sacred Tattoo, Chain Fighter
Traits: Reactionary, Birthmark
Feat: Improved Intiative
Skills:
1 rank: Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana, Dungeoneering, Local, Nature, Planes, Religeon), Linguistics
2 ranks: Perception, Spellcraft
Weapons/Armor: Flail, Mwk Heavy Flail, Mwk Longbow, Mwk Breastplate, Buckler
Spells known:
0-Acid Splash, Create Water, Detect Magic, Guidance, Light
1-Cure Light Wounds, Magic Weapon, Protection from Evil
The doorsight ability has come in very handy, I'm not missing the difficult terrain negation too much. I'm using the favored class option, monster lore, and stern gaze abilities to effectively have full ranks in all those skills even with putting only 1 rank every other level. I had forgotten about Cunning Initiative when I picked Reactionary and Improved Init, D'oh! At least they make up for my horrible dice rolls. Planning on swapping Magic Weapon for Divine Favor at 5th and (should he and the game last that long) Protection from Evil for Shield of Faith at 8th after getting Magic Circle. At 4th I plan on putting a point into Dex for a 13 so I can switch the teamwork feat to Precise Strike.
All that being said, any advice on what spells and feats to pick up? I know Power Attack is usually a no brainer, but with only a medium BAB progression that leaves me with almost the same effective BAB as a wizard. It leaves me a little worried. I do plan on picking up Outflank at 6th, but the teamwork feat I get at 3rd I'm unsure on. Was thinking about getting Craft Wand at 5th, but I'm not that heavily invested into it. I also have little idea what spells would be good, I usually play non-casters. Thanks in advance.
Power attack and your judgement of justice and at third level pick up Precise Strike for your teamwork feat
@ Blackbloodtroll: I plan on picking on up as soon as we can get back to town, I didn't have enough funds for it at creation, and we've been in the dungeon since level 1.
And what is this path you speak of? Do you mean throwing?
EDIT: @ Nerdgasm: I don't have the requisite Dex at 3rd, have to wait until 4th and then I can switch to it as a standard action
chain fighter and didnt take spiked chain...interesting.
what about trip feats?
chain fighter and didnt take spiked chain...interesting.
what about trip feats?
I was going for the modified sword and board I mentioned in the op.
Int 10 makes trip feats kinda hard to get doesn't it? Though if it's not too difficult and I'm simply forgetting something then it's an option.
Wait, what is your race?
What books are allowed?
Half-Orc. My bad for not including it in the build. Books allowed are Core, APG, UM, UC, and ARG. aka anything the GM can look up on the PRD, which probably also includes the bestiaries and GMG
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Never mind the Starknife route. You are not built for it.
A Quickdraw shield might be a better choice, as you can two hand your flail, then draw/ready your shield for added AC when it's not your turn.
Power Attack, and then Furious Focus later is a good choice.
You can can use Litany of Sloth and True Strike to make good use of the Disarm and Trip features without investing feats.
Never mind the Starknife route. You are not built for it.
A Quickdraw shield might be a better choice, as you can two hand your flail, then draw/ready your shield for added AC when it's not your turn.
Power Attack, and then Furious Focus later is a good choice.
You can can use Litany of Sloth and True Strike to make good use of the Disarm and Trip features without investing feats.
Wow! Littany of Sloth is good. I don't look at the books beyond Core and APG so I probably would have never found that.
Between eventual Outflank and Judgement do I have enough boosts to make up for the Power Attack penalty to hit?
Alright then, I am convinced on Power Attack.
I don't see how a Quickdraw shield would help me more than a buckler and 1-hander would.
Is craft wand worth it?
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Buckler will lose it's shield bonus to AC the moment you two hand the Flail and attack.
It will be lost for your whole turn, and will only be back for the short time during the beginning of your turn before you attack.
Quickdraw Shield will provide it's bonus the entire time when it's not your turn.
Avoid Craft feats.
Quickdraw shield requires a swift action, so I'm either shielded for a turn with no threatening weapon except the shield bash, or not shielded using a 2-hander and no hand to cast spells.
Buckler if I need the shield bonus or to cast I simply one-hand the flail that turn.
I still don't see the see the benefit of using a swift action to get the same benefit as a nonaction.
Yes, the first time I have an open feat slot is level 7, 5 if I don't take Furious Focus
You're a Half-Orc Inquisitor.
I know I've been singing the praises of intimidating things around these parts, but it's not hard to make your intimidate score truly heinous. Anything that lets you intimidate what you hit (feats like Cornugon Smash, spells like Blistering Invictive) is your friend.
Speaking as somebody playing an admittedly non-optimized Half-Orc Inquisitor of Desna (the Desnian faith's got to have what, two or three of those tops? :) ) intimidating everything in sight has been truly delightful.
You're a Half-Orc Inquisitor.
I know I've been singing the praises of intimidating things around these parts, but it's not hard to make your intimidate score truly heinous. Anything that lets you intimidate what you hit (feats like Cornugon Smash, spells like Blistering Invictive) is your friend.
Speaking as somebody playing an admittedly non-optimized Half-Orc Inquisitor of Desna (the Desnian faith's got to have what, two or three of those tops? :) ) intimidating everything in sight has been truly delightful.
The invective is good once I can cast 2nd level spells, but Smash isn't in a book that's allowed.
Fair. I suppose that doesn't much help you at 3rd.
Weapon Focus might not be a bad plan - if you come to a favorite between your flails. Getting an additional +1 to hit means you can use your Judgement for Destruction (which should be +2 damage at level 3) instead of Justice (which will be stuck at +1 to hit until level 5)
Power attack will be giving you -1 to hit, with +2 damage at this level. Using Justice, it's a flat +2 to damage.
Weapon Focus will be giving you a +1 to hit. Using Destruction, it's +1 to hit, +2 to damage.
Power attack is just less sexy for a 1-handed weapon Inquisitor, at least at this level. Weapon Focus will let you pick up Dazzling Display later, which will let you do the 30 foot intimidate bubble as a full-round action - your build will almost certainly be scaring the **** out of people with that.
/$0.02
Since I'm actually a switch 1/2 hander, I'll stick with Power Attack. I'm definitely sticking to one-handed, but we looted that Mwk Heavy Flail off one of the early encounters and sometimes it's handy to switch to it (thank you door sight).
I'll be selling the Heavy, I was just saying it's been a useful piece of loot so far.
It's cute, and I could get spiked armor to threaten while not 2-handing, but it seems unnecessarily complicated.
Besides, if I wanted 2 handing I would have just made a barbarian.
Spend Feat, Get additional equipment, all to... still have a less damaging threatening weapon if I need more AC or to use a hand to cast.
Which is what I'm doing already, so... why try to reinvent the wheel?
A feat slot and halving my damage instead of losing approximately 1/3 when going defensive. Also potentially the cost of armor spikes.