I need suggestions for building a PFS Hellknight Signifer

[Benn Roe]

I have a few GM certs on a character I have yet to build and I want to put together a Hellknight Signifer. I've always been into mixed martial and magical characters and this class just seems awesome. I've looked into some options and it seems like cleric 5 is the easiest and most effective way to get into the class. Unfortunately, I'm just not that into the idea of playing this as a cleric.

I'm 99% sure I want to go wizard or witch (though feel free to try to change my mind), and the more I've looked into the two options, the more confident I am that wizard is probably the route I want to go. This is for two reasons: 1) I compiled a list of spells without somatic components and/or with swift or immediate action casting times, and the wizard just has the better list than the witch (and these spells seem important additions to the character, so I can attack and cast in the same round, and so I can cast without always having to activate those terrible arcane armour feats); 2) arcane bond just seems the better fit than a familiar (having spontaneous access to one situational spell a day seems useful, and being able to enhance my own weapon in PFS where NOBODY can normally enhance their weapons seems massive).

If I'm going wizard, I want to go teleportation-specialist wizard for the swift dimension door ability, but 15-foot teleporting is a huuuuge step-up from 10-foot teleporting, which makes me want to take 6 levels of wizard. Unfortunately, given that this is PFS, I just can't fathom taking more than 6 levels of anything before I start my prestige levels, so I can actually get decent play-time with the prestige class. And unfortunately, I'd have to take two armour proficiency feats and a weapon proficiency feat to reasonably play the character and qualify for the prestige class. This leads me to think a level of fighter is pretty much a must-have, but again--I don't want to do fighter 1/wizard 6 because that's 7 full levels before I get to start up with the prestige class.

So, what I need is PFS-legal suggestions or ideas for traits, spells, equipment, or anything else that will either allow me to cheat an effective additional wizard-level onto my swift dimension door ability with only five actual levels or ways that I can avoid the fighter level without having to have four terrible feats somehow squeezed into 6 levels.

I also have a wayang boon and was considering using it for this character.

Any help?

[Valdrim Archedrast]

Quote:

Alignment: Any lawful.
Armor Proficiency: Proficient with medium armor.
Feats: Arcane Armor Training or Warrior Priest.
Skills: Intimidate 2 ranks, Knowledge (planes) 5 ranks, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast 3rd-level spells.
Special: The character must slay a devil with Hit Dice greater than his own. This victory must be witnessed by a Hellknight.

You dont need a martial weapon.

I am doing the same thing with this character... for FLAVOUR I took the Heirloom Weapon Trait and proficiency with a Longsword (and later had Masterwork transformation cast on it) but its not needed.

I started with Light Armour Prof... and wore a Lamellar Cuirass for the first 2 levels - sure you get a 5% arcane failure chance but who cares? At level 3 I bought a mithril chainshirt and arcane armour training... I don't care about losing a swift action truth be told.

I need to update the entry but I have him at level 4 now and going strong.

[Helaman]

Also, you can get by with using the wayang boon but I'd save it for something else. You lock yourself in with NO feat choices from levels 1 to 5 with a non human. With a human you at least get one feat to throw elsewhere.

[Benn Roe]

I know I don't actually need a martial weapon. I really like the idea of fighting with a pole-axe of some sort, though. I've just always liked them for this sort of character. I think I might just have to take the level of fighter and choose between 10-foot teleportation and 7 pre-prestige levels sometime when I get closer to 7th level. I'm not married to using the wayang boon for this, but it fits the build pretty well. The boon also has nagaji or kitsune as options and I do like the idea of a nagaji rage prophet too.

Thanks, guys!

[Benly]

Benn Roe wrote:

I know I don't actually need a martial weapon. I really like the idea of fighting with a pole-axe of some sort, though. I've just always liked them for this sort of character. I think I might just have to take the level of fighter and choose between 10-foot teleportation and 7 pre-prestige levels sometime when I get closer to 7th level. I'm not married to using the wayang boon for this, but it fits the build pretty well. The boon also has nagaji or kitsune as options and I do like the idea of a nagaji rage prophet too.

Thanks, guys!

If you want to use a polearm, I would really suggest taking advantage of the bonus proficiency from your Order to get it. The Order Of The Nail is one of the more adventurer-friendly orders and its favored weapon is the halberd, so try to hold out until then. If you absolutely have to have a better weapon, is the Heirloom Weapon trait PFS-legal? If not, maybe play a human or half-elf and get proficiency by spending the bonus feat or using the Ancestral Arms alternate racial trait respectively. Four feats seems like a lot, but I'd rather spend four feats than one feat and a wasted level - most of the benefits you'd be getting from a fighter dip are things that are made redundant or superceded entirely by Signifer benefits, and one of the things that makes Signifer such a strong class is that it can be entered with no caster levels lost.

Also, Arcane Armor Training isn't that bad until you're at a level where you're casting a lot of quickened spells. For a good chunk of your career, you really won't have anything better to do with your swift actions.