Following the unfortunate demise of my previous PFS character, I am in need of a new one. I'm looking for ideas for a melee-oriented character with decent skills and high survivability, ability to heal would be nice but not necessary. Ideas I've been considering are a pole-arm wielding lore warden gunning for whirlwind attack, an elven curve blade finessing urban barbarian/alchemist, and maybe a samurai or inquisitor.
Well if you want to heal but want someone who can wade into melee what about an Oracle with the Mystery of Battle?
Skill at Arms with Weapon Mastery revelations will give you heavy armor and some weapon feats as you level with any non exotic weapon of your choice. Some swift action healing with Combat Healer. Focus on Str and Cha. Skills aren't too bad 5-6 per level if you are a human with 10 int.
Well if you want to heal but want someone who can wade into melee what about an Oracle with the Mystery of Battle?
It's actually more of PFS being what it is, being able to heal/use a wand of CLW or infernal healing myself guarantees that any party I join will have healing. An oracle would be a nice change of pace from my previous two characters where I dumped Cha to 8, then took a trait to make diplomacy a class skill, just so I could be party face if everyone else played 5 Cha dwarves or tieflings.
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I'm looking for ideas for a melee-oriented character with decent skills and high survivability, ability to heal would be nice but not necessary.
Magus? That class has Infernal Healing on it's spell list.
I would suggest a battle Cleric or Oracle. But I'm bias to divine casters.
Or what about a shape-shifting melee druid? They can heal too.
Perhaps I should rephrase my aim: after having two characters die in melee combat, I'd like to play something reasonably tanky with a high "not dead yet" factor and decent damage, while maintaining enough versatility (skills, maybe healing) that I don't need to worry about fellow Pathfinders not having said.
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The easy choice is Paladin. You get everything you could hope for AND amazing saves...which you OBVIOUSLY need in PFS. ;)
Can you give us a tad more details on what kind of melee you'd like to play? Sword and Board? Reach Weapon? 2H Damage Dealer? We can help if we get a tad more details than "melee that can heal"...there are LOTS of ways to make that work in all reality.
The easy choice is Paladin. You get everything you could hope for AND amazing saves...which you OBVIOUSLY need in PFS. ;)
The only problem I see with playing a paladin (besides 2+int skills) is that it would just worsen my tendency to try to fight loosing battles for a round or two longer than is good for my characters' general health and well-being. LoH would certainly help in that regard, though.
Can you give us a tad more details on what kind of melee you'd like to play? Sword and Board? Reach Weapon? 2H Damage Dealer? We can help if we get a tad more details than "melee that can heal"...there are LOTS of ways to make that work in all reality.
I'd like to play a front-liner who doesn't die until he has enough money/fame/prestige to be raised, while not twiddling his thumbs in the non-combat portions of the adventure. The only options off the table are Magus (I don't own UM) and 2H Greatsword-wielding Ranger (I'd rather not play a clone of a previous character).
Perhaps I should just play a more cowardly character. ;)
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Play a Dwarf Paladin with these 2 feats:
Steel Soul - for a +4 vs Spells and SLA
Breath of experience - You gain a +2 to all Knowledge and Profession checks and can make them untrained! (You are now a placebo bard, low skills problem solved.)
And pick up other feats like diehard to make yourself even more un-killable!.
Maybe even try out the Stonelord archetype?
AND grab a tower shield and a boulder helmet for extra "tankishness"! :)
Play a Dwarf Paladin with these 2 feats:
Steel Soul - for a +4 vs Spells and SLA
Breath of experience - You gain a +2 to all Knowledge and Profession checks and can make them untrained! (You are now a placebo bard, low skills problem solved.)
And pick up other feats like diehard to make yourself even more un-killable!.
Maybe even try out the Stonelord archetype?
AND grab a tower shield and a boulder helmet for extra "tankishness"! :)
Thanks for reminding me about Breadth of experience. I've always thought it would be fun to play a mounted gnomish paladin, but PFS isn't known for being very charge friendly (for much of the same reasons I'd rather not be an archer/bomber: enemies usually start close enough that unless you roll really well on initiative, somebody has closed with somebody else by your turn, making your life complicated).
My two strongest characters (by far) are pretty conventional, build-wise.
Countess Violetta d'Armand du Plessis: Fey-bloodline sorcerer 12, with spell focus/gtr spell focus in both enchantment and necromancy. ALL the major (and most of the minor) enemies in PFS are humanoid (well, there are very few exceptions), and there's not much a DC 28 Dominate Person (persistent) or a DC 26 Suffocation (persistent) can't take care of. In, combat, she's flying and greater-invisible, which is sufficient defense in 95% of encounters - it's very, very rare that she takes even a point of damage in a scenario. Add to that spectral hand for delivering touch spells (like DC 25 Bestow Curse and DC 25 Poison), and liberal applications of persistent Blindness... well, she's good. My most fun-to-play character, she'll be doing the retirement arc (where she'll get good use out of having a couple of mnemonic vestments on hand...)
Knight Captain Kyrian Solonor: Ranger 10. Favored enemy human (and evil outsiders and undead) with a human-bane bow... again, he shreds 90% of PFS bad guys (especially Aspis agents, who are all human). With +33 Perception (before adding for favored terrain and favored enemy), excellent stealth, and +14 or so initiative, he pretty much always acts in the surprise round, first, and first in the actual line of initiative, so usually he has eliminated the big enemy spellcaster before it can get off a single spell (6d8+96+12d6 damage will do that). He's fun, partly because of his comically high perception (I rolled a 71 in his most recent mission, The Flesh Collector), and ranger spells are *amazing* (instant enemy FTW). He's not as tactically interesting as Violetta (he's almost too deadly), though.
Basically, the *best* PFS characters (without really defining what "best" means) are probably those which can eliminate human opponents quickly and efficiently.
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If you are willing to lean away form just a melee character a bow ranger is amazing. High damage output, and in my experience the ranged characters aren't attacked too much with a good front liner. But if you really want to be the melee tank go human sword and board paladin. They are extremely survivable. At first level you can easily have a 20+ AC with near average dex. And LoH is just amazing. S are their spells. Hero's defiance is literally a life saver.
If you are willing to lean away form just a melee character a bow ranger is amazing. High damage output, and in my experience the ranged characters aren't attacked too much with a good front liner.
But with the semi-random nature of PFS party composition, the only way to make sure that there will be a good front liner is to be that guy.
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Well nothing beats a Paladin with the Hospitaler and Warrior of the Holy Light archetypes for front line combat with heals.
Otherwise id advise a Magus (Kensai) 1/ Rogue 3/ Master Spy prestige class 1/ Fighter (Lore Warden) 15. Focus on using a whip wich u will get free from Magus. Feats u get for free are Weapon Focus and combat expertise. Feats i suggest to pick up are Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack, Lunge, Improved Trip, Greater Trip, Whip Mastery, Improved Whip Mastery, Greater Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Specialization, Weapon Finesse, Combat Reflexes, Intimidating Prowess, Dazzling Display, and finally Shatter Defenses. The class and feat combos will make u the most deadly melee combantant on the field. As a full round attack u will be able to intimidate all enemies in a 30ft radius using both str and cha that will grant the noral demorilize effects that all allies get to take advabtage of but it also make them all flat footed to u aswell. U will b then able to make a 20ft aoe whirlwind attack with ur whip that will aply sneak attack damage. On single or few numbwer of target u will b able to do 7, 9 if both whips have the speed enchant, trip attacks that will provoke an AoO for u and any allies that are standing near them when they fall prone as well when they get back up. Also performing the trips on enemies means the less attacks they get off since it take a move action to stand up leaving them only a standard and swift action to take advantage of. O btw pz do read the Whip Mastery and Improved Whip Mastery feats. U may wet ur self if u do lol.
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Paladin/Rogue/Fighter
Paladin 3
Smite Evil 1/day
Divine Grace
Divine Health
Aura of Courage
Skill Points 6
BAB 3
Fort 3
Ref 1
Will 3
Rogue 3
Sneak Attack 2D6
Trap finding
Rogue Talent
Skill Points 24
BAB 2
Fort 1
Ref 3
Will 1
Fighter (Lore Warden) 6
Schlastic (Ex) 12 Skill Points for Int only skills.
Bonus Feet's 4
Combat Expertise
Maneuver Mastery +2 to CMB, & CMD
Skill Points 12
BAB 6
Fort 5
Ref 2
Will 2
Total
BAB 11
Fort 9+Con Mod+Cha Mod+Resistance
Ref 6+Dex Mod+Cha Mod+Resistance
Will 6+Wis Mod+Cha Mod+Resistance
Skill points 32. Plus 12 for Int only skill's.
It's actually more of PFS being what it is, being able to heal/use a wand of CLW or infernal healing myself guarantees that any party I join will have healing.
Don't assume infernal healing will be available. In the last game I played, the GM stated that he considered the spell to be an evil act, and therefore it was banned at the table.
Dunno how legal that is, but there it is.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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It's actually more of PFS being what it is, being able to heal/use a wand of CLW or infernal healing myself guarantees that any party I join will have healing.Don't assume infernal healing will be available. In the last game I played, the GM stated that he considered the spell to be an evil act, and therefore it was banned at the table.
Dunno how legal that is, but there it is.
Next time, bring two things to the table:
1) The most recent (currently 4.2) version of the Guide to Organized Play, wherein it says that messageboard clarifications from campaign leadership are binding once the GM is aware of them.2) A printout of this post from the campaign coordinator.
Obviously, present this politely. If, however, the GM refuses to run the game in compliance with the Guide and the binding clarification, get his PFS# (it will be on your chronicle sheet at the end, if you still want to play) and bring the matter to your local VC. If your local VC is the GM in question or is in favor of ignoring the Guide and campaign coordinator, bring the issue directly to Mike Brock.