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Occasionally, you find that your character may be slightly overpowered for a particular table of PFS players. Maybe they are new players, maybe they're folks who play infrequently, maybe they're folks who have flavor or concept builds, etc. Regardless, you realize you could overwhelm the table in one or more facets of the game.
Instead of towering over them from atop of min-max mountain, you decide to become their foundation to stand firmly upon and excel. What are things you do to let everyone else get a piece of Pathfinding glory?
Some things I've done:
IN COMBAT*
-Instead of full attacking or one-shotting the boss, I'll purposefully attack a mook.
-Use the Aid Another action for someone else's attack.
-Double move to set up someone else's flank.
-Instead of using an offensive spell on a foe, I might use a buff spell on an ally.
-I'll delay during one round and come off delay the next.
*(all these are with the understanding you are not extending combat more than a round or two and that the party is more than capable of handling the encounter)
OUT OF COMBAT
-Let other people attempt skill checks first and Aid Another on them (even if you could autopass on a Take 10)
Obviously, if the party is in mortal danger or it is a scenario-critical skill check, you flip the killswitch and bring the boom, but otherwise how you would lift your fellow Pathfinders up?
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Big fan! I'm doing a lot of this with my RotRL Halfling Jinxing Witch.
- Cast a battlefield control spell instead of a save-or-die(ish) spell. Looking at you, color spray!
- Combat maneuver! A trip is memorable, but really allows your fellow players a chance to hit harder - and if you're the overpowered one at the table, then you can probably take an AoO.
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Just a note. Even though the eidolon is technically an "other" to the summoner, being a summoner and letting your eidolon shine doesn't quite fit the bill of this post.
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I play a lot of casters. Breaking out the ol' magic missile stick to "save my spells", casting produce flame, playing the healer instead of shutting down everything, buffing people, inspiring courage instead of sound bursting every round (for my thundercaller bard :p), etc. is what I do in those situations.
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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I have a handful of characters that support my allies with a myriad of spells. Some staples are: good hope, haste, prayer, enlarge person, bless, shield other, and barkskin. My personal favorites are: any form of invisibility on the rogue, communal spells, like air walk and protection from energy. Animal growth and strong jaw are ever popular among druids and cavaliers, and who doesn't want to see a gargantuan sized mammoth rider mount?
Another character is a crit passer with Butterfly's Sting. I just trip 'em up and my buddies mow em down. Since he uses a +1 keen wakizashi in one hand and has Improved Unarmed Strike, that menacing amulet of mighty fists gives his flank buddy a +4 instead of a +2 to hit. Sure, it's cool for you to crit and kill a bad guy -- you'll feel awesome. But watching that big grin on your fellow Pathfinder's face as he rolls 9d6 from an enlarged greataxe crit is waaaay more satisfying ;)
Other useful things?
- Moving past not overly-intelligent foes, allowing them to take their AOOs on me instead of my allies. This works well when you have a decent AC or full HP, and you've got some frontliners that need to break off and avoid taking full attacks.
- Casting, then drawing a melee weapon to get flanking for a friend, even though I have a negative bonus to hit most times.
- Reloading an ally's heavy crossbow, or drawing a potion/scroll for them
- At the start of the game, loaning out various magical gear that I might have that other's could benefit from more. "Oh, I don't really need this +1 to AC, why don't you take it for now? You'll be up front a lot more than me!"
Support, whether or not your built in that direction, is always a great way to ensure everyone else at the table is having a good time.
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Spend a minute to listen to the other players. Esp. in character...
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Consider thier suggestions and interact with them. It's amazing how many people DON'T do this.
An alternative look at this: Work out synergies.
Two spellcasters? Coordinate the spells you take. Do you really need both of you able to cast Light?
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Spend a minute to listen to the other players. Esp. in character...
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Consider thier suggestions and interact with them. It's amazing how many people DON'T do this.An alternative look at this: Work out synergies.
Two spellcasters? Coordinate the spells you take. Do you really need both of you able to cast Light?
Character synergy works. Things like Rime Spelling critters to slow them down, summons for flanking buddies, enlarge person/haste, and resistance spells (communal ones for a plus) help as much as spells like burning disarm, force spells like chain of perdition and other ones.
My next metamagic feat is looking to be either selective or merciful spell. Dropping a fireball one the melee types (admixture for fun) and not hitting them sounds fun but so does a 'we need a prisoner spell'
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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I have a cavalier who just survived through Refuge of Time (spending most of the scenario at exactly 0hp). He's built around Aid Another, so I was utilizing my move and swift to aid attack rolls, my AoOs to Bodyguard, my Axebeak was providing Menacing Flanking, my tactician ability had put up Escape Routes so we could all move about however we wanted, and most of the time I was calling-out tactical strategy (that 14 INT on a marital class means something!).
I never caused a single point of damage that game, but helped some of the green-horn under-powered characters make best use of their abilities - I remember an alchemist at our table was unsure what to do on his turn since he couldn't hit one BBEG, another BBEG was immune to his bombs, and the thrid one (the caster) was uninjured: "My tacitcal advice is to disrupt his casting, young lord!" and low & behold the alchemist was so ecstatic when his bombs disrupted a horrible evocation spell that would have wiped us out!
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Two words: Wild Shape.
awww.. no fair! I wanted to spike his milkshake and watch the thought bubble...
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Spend a minute to listen to the other players. Esp. in character...
.
Consider thier suggestions and interact with them. It's amazing how many people DON'T do this.An alternative look at this: Work out synergies.
Two spellcasters? Coordinate the spells you take. Do you really need both of you able to cast Light?
Every time I play a caster, I ask what cantrips the other casters know/prepare.
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My alchemist is working at getting more buff spells to give out. Seeing as it's really easy to hit with bombs anyway, it's not like I need the spells.
I also just found this gem: poisoner's gloves. I can put a good defensive extract infusion into each one and be ready to rescue someone with a touch attack, just like a real spellcaster might. My go-to right now is displacement in one hand and gaseous form in the other, although I could also load up with two true strikes, or be ready as combat medic with two cure serious wounds.