Unoptimized Rage Prophet - am I viable?

[Scrynor]

I know this character is anything but optimized - I just want the flavor... but I also don't want to be totally useless so I figured I'd ask advice from the more informed.

Here's what I have figured:
- I want to be a dwarf, lame metal rage prophet who only ever does 1 thing a round
- Recover some speed and get heavy armor with revelations
- Aim to always either cast or drop big ole vital strikes with my lead blades, oversized dwarven waraxe
- Debating barb archetypes but I kinda like the idea of drunken brute elemtenal kin because it helps extend rage, everything little thing makes him angrier, and being a drunk fits the backstory

So questions:
- Will I actually be able to hit anything? Sure I'm always at full BaB but I'm also taking on an inherent -2 from the oversized weapon and don't have full BaB progression
- If hitting is a problem is furious focus a good idea or is it a waste because there are other ways to deal with these issues?
- Will I ever actually be able to drink alcohol in combat? Sure, my move action is just kind of lying around because I'm always using vital strike but how does it drinking work with a two-handed weapon? Do wine bottles on a should sling exist in pathfinder?
- What barb/oracle split should I do? I know I need at least 2-2 but after that I can't decide
- Do I really need more than a starting cha of 12 that I boost as I go? There's no real reason to have more cha than what I need to cast my highest level spell right?
- Any general advice on stuff to take?

[blackbloodtroll]

Titan Mauler Barbarian.

[Angra Mainyu]

Scrynor wrote:

...

Here's what I have figured:
- I want to be a dwarf, lame metal rage prophet who only ever does 1 thing a round
- Recover some speed and get heavy armor with revelations
...
So questions:
- Will I actually be able to hit anything? Sure I'm always at full BaB but I'm also taking on an inherent -2 from the oversized weapon and don't have full BaB progression
- If hitting is a problem is furious focus a good idea or is it a waste because there are other ways to deal with these issues?
...
- What barb/oracle split should I do? I know I need at least 2-2 but after that I can't decide
- Do I really need more than a starting cha of 12 that I boost as I go? There's no real reason to have more cha than what I need to cast my highest level spell right?
- Any general advice on stuff to take?

Lame on a dwarf is going to hurt really bad. You will only be moving 15ft and the benefits are already given to you by being a dwarf. You would get +10 movement from being a barbarian, but you dont get that in heavy armor.

CRB wrote:

This benefit applies only when she is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor, and not carrying a heavy load

You could take "Dance of Blades" and "Skill at Arms", though your burning a feat (Extra Revelation) for one of them. The problem with this is that with the Lame curse, your base speed just jumped to 30ft and that means your going to lose 10ft of movement, so your back to 20ft again.

I recommend sticking with medium armor. You could get your dwarf up to 30ft movement with the lame curse which is pretty nice to have. You would also save a feat by not having to buy a second revelation.

Since your going the the route of power attack/vital strike and a two hander, I do recommend furious focus. You are going to want as much attack bonus as you can get early on. It doesnt hurt later when your taking a -2 or more on your first swing. Some people do think its a waste though later on when you get more than one attack. I lean towards higher attack bonus is better.

I wouldnt bother going any farther than 2 in oracle. Its benefits dont show until you get to 4 with 2nd level spells. Spell casting doesnt seem to be what your looking for. If your going to go with an oversized weapon and 2 hand it, I also recommend the Titan Mauler. It replaces your fast movement, which doesnt matter if you stick with heavy armor. If you do go with the titan mauler, you may want 6 levels of it so you negate that -2 for oversized weapons. 3 levels of titan mauler would work too and it would get you into Rage Prophet at 6.

A 12 in charisma at level 1 should be fine. You wont need more than that until after level 12. This can be solved by putting your 4,8,or 12 stat adjustment into charisma or getting a headband of charisma. I prefer the stat adjustment route myself.

[Scrynor]

Man, dwarf is an awful choice. I didn't realize how lame and base speed played together. Ah well, dwarves aren't known for how easy their life is...

I don't ever intend to swing twice in a round even once I have a BaB of 6+. 1 swing only with vital strike. That's why I'm so unsure about being able to hit stuff. I thought about titan mauler but giving up every single low level barb power just to clear a -1 to hit (maybe way late the second -1)? Same with furious focus. Is it worth it for my feat starved character? Or will I be just fine using buff spells and rage-cycling guidance? Am I better off taking surprise accuracy or reckless abandon with that feat and rage-cycling that too? How much trouble will I really have hitting with my 3/4 BaB and -2?

So you'd take a move speed of 30 and medium armor over move 20 and heavy armor? I suppose I could also do armored hulk to get to 30 by barb 5, and do oracle 2, barb 5, enter RP at 8, although then I wouldn't get 2nd lvl spells till 10...

People generally think the extra rage rounds, 1 rage power, and whatever else barbs get is worth sacrificing the 2 caster levels (no BaB hurt until I take oracle 5)?

You don't think I'll have trouble with the number or rage rounds available to me? That's why I was thinking I might need drunken brute or elemental kin - to supplement my rage rounds.

Thanks for the replies!

[Angra Mainyu]

I like the dwarf for your idea. Just not with the lame curse. I would probably recommend legalistic out of Blood of Fiends. It comes with no draw backs basically and you wont get enough levels in oracle to ever get benefits of a curse.

I wouldnt say your feat starved by any means. You only need 3 feats: Power Attack, Furious Focus, and Vital Strike. You still have a floater at level 5. You can save one feat (Improved Critical) by getting keen on your weapon as well.

As a dwarf, you can move full speed in heavy armor, you just dont get the speed increase from barbarian. If you take the Dance of Blades revelation you would still get 30 feet. If you go with Armored Hulk and get profenciency you wouldnt have to take the Skill at Arms revelation which frees it up for Dance of Blades. Sounds like a nice combination. Later with the Armored Hulk bonuses, you would definatly be quick in fullplate.

With multiclassing in barbarian, you have to be very careful with your rage rounds. At the end of each rage your fatigued for 2 rounds for every 1 round of rage. So, you have to conserve so you dont run out mid fight and become an exhaused lump. Pretty much, you just rage after getting to the bad boy of the group and not when attacking mooks.

When it comes to your casting ability, you have to make a choice of how important its going to be to you. Either have more melee ability or more casting. Everyone is going to be preferenced to one or the other. There really isnt a middle ground or set method to pick.