You're not a min maxed, but you're taking this barbarian into self buff enlarge person mode?
Ah, I wouldnt do that...
You should really rearrange stats too.
Rage prophet will up your ability to cast oracle spells and you will get bonus spells at certain levels. Take more Cha than intelligence.
Make him:
Str 18
Dex 16
Con 18
Int 13
wis 13
Cha 16
what fighting style does the fighter do? Pick something he doesn't do. But I would suggest TWF, with something like a two-bladed sword.
IF you go two hander and enlarge person you will walk all over the fighter, don't do it.
Go oracle at level 2, so barbarian 1/Oracle 1.
with stats like those I would stay away from anything that would max out.
If you didnt want to TWF I would:
Str 18
Dex 14
Con 20
Int 13
wis 13
Cha 16
And fight using a shield a lot.
With this party and those stats, go Life oracle, you can channel pos energy for the group and focus some on healing.
Pros: Uh? Flavor, I guess?
Cons: You waste levels dividing your focus between casting and rage powers instead of picking one and being actually powerful.
That said, I recommend a single level of Oracle with the Lame curse for all Barbarians. At level 9, you become immune to fatigue, so you can Rage Cycle 8 levels earlier than normal.
Ya know;
you could not be a barbarian at all.
You already have a fighter and a ranger.
You could just go Cleric.
Str 18
dex 13
con 16
int 13
wis 18
cha 16
You could play a half elf, human, or half orc and find an easy way to get a two handed weapon. and smash stuff as well as be a full caster.
OR an elf cleric
Str 13
Dex 16
Con 14
Int 15
Wis 18
Cha 18
You can TWF and use a Bow, and Full Cast, and Channel.
Level 4 bump in Str, Level 8 bump in Dex, will keep you relative.
At level 1 with chain mail and a shield fighting with a longsword your AC is 20
you could flip some stats around to get a higher str if you needed it, but you would make one outstanding cleric.
I don't really like the Rage Prophet for a number of reasons:
1. You lose several levels of casting, including one right at level 1. That hurts if you care at all about your oracle spells - and if you don't, you probably just need to dip oracle and stick to barbarian.
2. You don't gain new rounds of Rage, Greater Rage, etc. Yes, your Rage Powers advance, but they would if you went full Barb anyway. On the upside, your revelations advance, but you don't get new ones, and chances are you only have two by the time you gain entry.
3. Medium BAB on what should be a melee class (though you get d10 HP).
4. There are a few neat abilities in there, but they aren't all as great as it seems. For example, Raging Healer lets you cast healing spells on yourself while raging without having to blow your Moment of Clarity, but if you're able to rage cycle (more on that below) then this isn't really a big deal. Ragecaster lets you add your Barbarian level to your caster level, but this wouldn't have been a problem if you just went straight Oracle. Etc, etc.
So, let's look at the rage prophet compared to being either a full member of either class. Compared to the barbarian you have lower HD, worse BAB, no more rounds of rage, no greater rage, no new rage powers, and you're forced to take Moment of Clarity whether you want it or not. In exchange you get partial advancement of oracle spells, advancement of your one or two rage powers and one or two revelations, and some very minor other abilities. Feels like a bad trade to me.
Compared to the oracle, the rage prophet loses 3 spellcasting levels, gains no new revelations, in exchange for advancement of existing revelations and rage powers, and a few minor abilities. Again, feels like a bad trade.
About rage cycling: You likely already know the drill, but if you get into Oracle and take the Lame curse, you eventually become immune to fatigue. This means you can start a new rage every round without penalty (just watch your HP), which allows you to use "once per rage" powers every round. Your curse abilities advance even when you take levels in another class, such as Barbarian, albeit at a slower rate. Still, you'll get there eventually, so dipping oracle is a great bet.
So, basically, I suggest you go ahead and take a level of oracle. You can decide later if you want to take Rage Prophet (you may dig it more than I do, or you or someone else may see something in it that I don't) while resting assured that your oracle levels were a good investment either way.
... To rage cycle like a true barbarian, get a cord of stubborn resolve. It's a +2 str belt that also makes you immune to fatigue. Downside is you take 1d6 no lethal damage. Not a big deal for DR/- barbarians.
Heart of the Fields make you immune to fatigue 1/day. It's good, but not rage-cycling all by itself.
Rage-cycling makes rage prophets terrifying as in later levels when using moment of clarity which is 1/rage he adds his con to the save dc and his barb level to the casting level,
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... To rage cycle like a true barbarian, get a cord of stubborn resolve. It's a +2 str belt that also makes you immune to fatigue. Downside is you take 1d6 no lethal damage. Not a big deal for DR/- barbarians.
It's +2 Con. But you're right, otherwise.
Long story short, OP, anything you would want to do as a Rage Prophet, you could do better just being a Barbarian/Oracle.
Rage cycling is actually best for his rage powers. Spell sunder, strength surge, and any ther ' 1/rage powers' are now 'once a round' powers. It makes them that more effective.
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Pretty much the main advantage of the rage prophet is the Savage Seer class feature improving both rage powers and oracle revelations simultaneously. However, not every rage power or oracle revelation can take advantage of it and many of the ones that do require higher levels in the respective base class (since Savage Seer doesn't help the character meet the requirements).
Rage powers that benefit: Beast Totem (+1 natural armor, +1 for every four barbarian levels; min. barbarian 6), Bleeding Blow (bleed damage equal to extra damage from Powerful Blow; min. barbarian 8), Crippling Blow (deal 1 pt Str or Dex ability damage for every four barbarian levels instead of extra damage from Powerful Blow, Fort save 10 + 1/2 barbarian level + Str mod for half; min. barbarian 8), Deadly Accuracy (double Surprise Accuracy bonus to confirm a critical), Energy Resistance (resistance vs. one energy type equal to 1/2 barbarian level), Ghost Rager (morale bonus to touch AC equal to save bonus from Superstition; min. barbarian 6), Greater Chaos Totem (DR/lawful equal to 1/2 barbarian level; min. barbarian 10), Greater Guarded Life (convert an additional 1 hp/barbarian level of lethal damage to non-lethal damage; min. barbarian 6), Guarded Life (convert 1 hp/barbarian level of lethal damage to non-lethal damage when below 0 hp), Guarded Stance (+1 dodge AC vs. melee attacks, +1 for every six barbarian levels), Hive Totem Resilience (+1 on combat maneuver checks/CMD while grappling for every four barbarian levels; min. barbarian 6), Hive Totem Toxicity (one bite attack that hits can deliver an injury poison, Fort save 10 + 1/2 barbarian level + Con mod; min. barbarian 8), Lesser Hurling (Ref save 10 + 1/2 barbarian level + Str mod to halve damage), Powerful Blow (+1 on one damage roll, +1 for every for barbarian levels), Primal Scent (add 1/2 barbarian level to Survival/Perception checks to track by scent or pinpoint location of unseen creatures; min. barbarian 8), Raging Climber/Leaper/Swimmer (+ barbarian level on respective skill checks), Reckless Abandon (-1 AC/+1 attack rolls, -1/+1 for every four barbarian levels), Reflexive Dodge (can apply Rolling Dodge bonus to Reflex saves; min. barbarian 6), Regenerative Vigor (gain fast healing 1 for every six barbarian levels after using Renewed Vigor; min. barbarian 6), Renewed Life (ignore the effects of one temporary negative level per four barbarian levels; min. barbarian 6), Renewed Vigor (heal 1d8 + Con mod, +1d8 for every four barbarian levels above 4th), Renewed Vitality (ignore the effects of 1 pt ability damage for every two barbarian levels; min. barbarian 4), Rolling Dodge (+1 dodge AC vs. ranged attacks, +1 for every six barbarian levels), Spirit Steed (mount gains DR/magic equal to 1/2 barbarian level; min. barbarian 6), Strength Surge (add barbarian level to one Str/combat maneuver check or CMD to resist one maneuver), Superstition (+2 on saves against spells/spell-like abilities/supernatural abilities, +1 for every four barbarian levels), Surprise Accuracy (+1 on one attack roll, +1 for every four barbarian levels), Terrifying Howl (Will save 10 + 1/2 barbarian level + Str mod or shaken enemies in 30 ft become panicked; min. barbarian 8), Witch Hunter (+1 damage vs. opponents with spells/spell-like abilities, +1 for every four barbarian levels)
Oracle revelations that benefit: Ancestor Mystery - Ancestral Weapon (masterwork at oracle 3, +1 at oracle 7, ghost touch at oracle 11, +2 at oracle 15, +3 at oracle 19, 1 min/oracle level per day), Blood of Heroes (bonus increases to +2 at oracle 7 and +3 at oracle 17, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Phantom Touch (cause shaken condition for 1/2 oracle level rounds), Spirit Shield (AC bonus increases by +2 at oracle 7 and every four oracle levels after, 50% miss chance to incoming arrows/rays/other ranged attacks at oracle 13, duration 1 hr/oracle level), Storm of Souls (1d8 damage per two oracle levels or 1d8 damage/oracle level vs. undead, Fort save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod for half, 1x/day + 1x/day for every four oracle levels after 7th; min. oracle 7), Voice of the Grave (speak with dead for rounds/day equal to oracle level, -2 save penalty for every five oracle levels), Wisdom of the Ancestors (divination with 90% effectiveness at oracle 5, commune without material components at oracle 8)
Battle mystery - Battlecry (+1 morale bonus to attack rolls/skill checks/saving throws, increases to +2 at oracle 10; 1x/day +1x/day for every five oracle levels), Battlefield Clarity (additional uses per day at oracle 7 and oracle 15), Combat Healer (additional uses per day every four oracle levels above 7th; min. oracle 7), Resiliency (gain Diehard as a bonus feat at oracle 7 without meeting prerequisites, do not lose hp for taking a standard action while disabled), War Sight (always act in the surprise round at oracle 7, roll initiative three times and take any one result at oracle 11), Weapon Mastery (Improved Critical at oracle 8 and Greater Weapon Focus at oracle 12 without meeting prerequisites)
Bones mystery - Armor of Bones (AC bonus increases by +2 at oracle 7 and every four oracle levels after, gain DR 5/bludgeoning at oracle 13, duration 1 hr/oracle level), Bleeding Wounds (+1 additional bleed damage for every five oracle levels), Death's Touch (1d6 + 1/2 oracle level negative energy), Near Death (save bonus applies to death effects/sleep effects/stunning at oracle 7, bonus increases to +4 at oracle 11), Raise the Dead (undead HD equal to oracle level, summon bloody skeleton or fast zombie at oracle 7, use one more time per day at oracle 10, summon advanced skeleton or zombie at oracle 15), Resist Life (gain +2 channel resistance at oracle 7, increasing to +4 at oracle 11 and +6 at oracle 15), Soul Siphon (extra use per day at oracle 11 and every four four oracle levels after; min. oracle 7), Undead Servitude (Command Undead with effective cleric level equal to oracle level), Voice of the Grave (speak with dead for rounds/day equal to oracle level, -2 save penalty for every five oracle levels)
Dark Tapestry - Brain Drain (1d4 damage/oracle level, Will save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod to negate, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Cloak of Darkness (AC and Stealth bonuses increase by +2 at oracle 7 and every four oracle levels after, duration 1 hr/oracle level), Gift of Madness (confusion lasts 1 round/oracle level at oracle 7), Interstellar Void (1d6 damage/oracle level, Fort save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod, extra use per day and failed save causes fatigue at oracle 10, failed save causes exhaustion and stunning at oracle 15), Many Forms (Small or Medium animal at oracle 7, Small or Medium magical beast at oracle 11, a variety of forms as greater polymorph at oracle 15, 1 min/oracle level; min. oracle 3), Pierce the Darkness (see in any darkness at oracle 11), Touch of the Void (1d6 + 1/2 oracle level damage, Fort save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod or be fatigued at oracle 7), Wings of Darkness (1 min/oracle level per day, can be used as if overland flight with 1 hr/oracle level duration instead at oracle 11; min. oracle 7)
Flame mystery - Cinder Dance (Nimble Moves at oracle 5 and Acrobatic Steps at oracle 10 without meeting prerequisites), Fire Breath (1d4 damage/oracle level, Ref save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod for half, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Form of Flame (Medium fire elemental at oracle 9, Large fire elemental at oracle 11, Huge fire elemental at oracle 13, duration 1 hr/oracle level; min. oracle 7), Gaze of Flames (use any source of flame within 10 ft/oracle level as a sensor as if using clairvoyance for 1 round/oracle level per day at oracle 7), Heat Aura (1d4 damage per two oracle levels to all in 10 ft/20% concealment until next turn, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Molten Skin (fire resistance increases to 10 at oracle 5 and 20 at oracle 11, gain immunity to fire at oracle 17), Touch of Flame (1d6 + 1/2 oracle level fire damage, any weapon becomes flaming at oracle 11), Wings of Fire (1 min/oracle level per day)
Heavens mystery - Coat of Many Stars (AC bonus increases by +2 at oracle 7 and every four oracle levels after, gain DR 5/slashing at oracle 13, duration 1 hr/oracle level), Interstellar Void (1d6 damage/oracle level, Fort save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod, extra use per day and failed save causes fatigue at oracle 10, failed save causes exhaustion and stunning at oracle 15), Lure of the Heavens (hover up to 6 in above ground/surface at oracle 5, fly 1 min/oracle level per day at oracle 10), Mantle of Moonlight (force rage effect by touch at 5th level 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Moonlight Bridge (10 ft/oracle level in length), Spray of Shooting Stars (1d4 damage/oracle level, Ref save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels)
Life mystery - Channel (channel positive energy with effective cleric level equal to oracle level), Combat Healer (additional uses per day every four oracle levels above 7th; min. oracle 7), Delay Affliction (extra use per day at oracle 7 and oracle 15), Energy Body (1d6 + 1/oracle level damage/healing, duration 1 round/oracle level per day), Enhanced Cures (hp healed by cure spells based on oracle level instead of spell maximum), Life Link (one active bond per oracle level), Spirit Boost (excess healing up to oracle level from healing spells transformed into temporary hit points)
Lore mystery - Automatic Writing (divination with 90% effectiveness at oracle 5, commune without material components at oracle 8), Brain Drain (1d4 damage/oracle level, Will save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod to negate, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Mental Acuity (+1 inherent bonus to Int, +1 for every three oracle levels after 7th; min. oracle 7), Whirlwind Lesson (allow another character to benefit at oracle 7, allow characters equal to oracle level to benefit at oracle 15)
Metal mystery - Armor Mastery (reduce armor check penalty by 1 and increase maximum Dex bonus by 1 at oracle 5, by 2 at oracle 10, by 3 at oracle 15), Dance of the Blades (increase bonus by +1 at oracle 11 and every four oracle levels after, create 20% miss chance for incoming non-incorporeal melee or ranged attacks at oracle 11), Iron Constitution (bonus increases to +2 at oracle 7 and +3 at oracle 14), Iron Weapon (cold iron at oracle 3, +1 at oracle 7, adamantine at oracle 11, +2 at oracle 15, +3 at oracle 19), Rusting Grasp (1x/day + 1x/day for every four oracle levels after 7th; min. oracle 7), Steel Scarf (1d8 + 1/2 oracle level damage), Vision in Iron (1 round/oracle level per day, as greater scrying at oracle 15)
Nature mystery - Bonded Mount (as animal companion with effective druid level equal to oracle level), Erosion Touch (1d6 damage/oracle level, 1x/day + 1x/day for every three oracle levels), Life Leech (1d6 damage per two oracle levels, Fort save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod for half, 1x/day + 1x/day for every four oracle levels after 7th; min. oracle 7), Natural Divination (1x/day + 1x/day for every four oracle levels), Speak with Animals (one additional type of animal for every three oracle levels), Spirit of Nature (gain fast healing 1 for 1d4 rounds when reduced to negative hit points at oracle 5, ability works everywhere at oracle 10, gain fast healing 3 for 1d4 rounds at oracle 15), Transcendental Bond (communicate 1 round/oracle level per day, cast touch spell through bond at oracle 10)
Stone mystery - Acid Skin (acid resistance increases to 10 at oracle 5 and 20 at oracle 11, gain immunity to acid at oracle 17), Crystal Sight (see through 1 ft/oracle level of stone/earth/sand or 1 in/oracle level through metal, 1 round/oracle level per day), Earth Glide (1 min/oracle level per day; min. oracle 7), Mighty Pebble (1d6 damage per two oracle levels, +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage for every four oracle levels, adjacent creatures take half damage or no damage on Ref save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Shard Explosion (1d6 damage per two oracle levels in 10 ft burst, Ref save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod for half, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Steelbreaker Skin (damage equal to oracle level to weapons striking character, duration 1 round/oracle level, ignore first 10 points of hardness at oracle 15; min. oracle 7), Stone Stability (Improved Trip at oracle 5 and Greater Trip at oracle 10 without meeting prerequisites), Touch of Acid (1d6 + 1/2 oracle level acid damage, any weapon becomes corrosive at oracle 11)
Time mystery - Aging Touch (1 pt Str damage per two oracle levels or 1d6 damage/oracle level vs. objects and constructs, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Erase from Time (Fort save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod or vanish for 1 round per every two oracle levels, extra use per day at oracle 11), Momentary Glimpse (1x/day + 1x/day for every four oracle levels after 1st), Rewind Time (1x/day + 1x/day for every four oracle levels after 7th; min. oracle 7), Speed or Slow Time (extra use per day at oracle 12 and oracle 17; min. oracle 7), Temporal Celerity (always act in the surprise round at oracle 7, roll initiative three times and take any one result at oracle 11), Time Flicker (1 min/oracle level, can treat as blink at 1 round/oracle level at oracle 7; min. oracle 3), Time Hop (10 ft/oracle level per day; min. oracle 7)
Waves mystery - Fluid Nature (gain Dodge at oracle 5 without meeting prerequisites), Fluid Travel (gain swim speed of 60 ft and water breathing at oracle 7, duration 1 hr/oracle level), Ice Armor (AC bonus increases by +2 at oracle 7 and every four oracle levels after, gain DR 5/piercing at oracle 13, duration 1 hr/oracle level), Icy Skin (cold resistance increases to 10 at oracle 5 and 20 at oracle 11, gain immunity to cold at oracle 17)
Wind mystery - Air Barrier (AC bonus increases by +2 at oracle 7 and every four oracle levels after, 50% miss chance to incoming arrows/rays/other ranged attacks at oracle 13, duration 10 min/oracle level), Gaseous Form (1 min/oracle level per day; min. oracle 7), Invisibility (1 min/oracle level per day, treat as greater invisibility at 1 round/oracle level at oracle 9; min. oracle 3), Lightning Breath (1d4 damage/oracle level, Ref save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod for half, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Spark Skin (electricity resistance increases to 10 at oracle 5 and 20 at oracle 11, gain immunity to electricity at oracle 17), Thunderburst (1d6 damage/oracle level, Fort save 10 + 1/2 oracle level + Cha mod for half, failure causes deafness, 1x/day + 1x/day for every four levels after 7th; min. oracle 7), Touch of Electricity (1d6 + 1/2 oracle level electricity damage, any weapon becomes shock at oracle 11), Wind Sight (can see and hear as with clairvoyance and clairaudience into any area within 100 ft as long as there is an unobstructed path for air to travel not requiring line of effect, 1 round/oracle level per day), Wings of Air (1 min/oracle level, increases to 90 ft/perfect at oracle 10; min. oracle 7)
Wood mystery - Bend the Grain (extra uses per day at oracle 7 and oracle 14, can use as repel wood at oracle 11), Thorn Burst (1d6 damage per two oracle levels in 10 ft burst, 1x/day + 1x/day for every five oracle levels), Tree Form (Small or Medium plant creature at oracle 9, Large plant creature at oracle 11, Huge plant creature at oracle 13, duration 1 hr/oracle level; min. oracle 3), Wood Armor (AC bonus increases by +2 at oracle 7 and every four oracle levels after, gain DR 5/slashing at oracle 13, duration 1 hr/oracle level), Wood Bond (bonus increases by +1 for every five oracle levels), Wood Sight (see through 1 ft/oracle level of wood at oracle 7, 1 round/oracle level per day), Wooden Weapon (masterwork at oracle 3, +1 at oracle 7, keen even if bludgeoning at oracle 11, +2 at oracle 15, +3 at oracle 19)
I'm currently working on a rage prophet guide. Contrary to common belief, you can male an extremely powerful character with a RP.
Mucho Rage Prophet stuff
Whew! I've got a lot to read! Thank you, Dragonchess Player, I haven't read the entirety of your post, yet, but that looks...complete.
there are more rage powers with class level pre-reqs than oracle revelations,
and because you need rage rounds to rage and you can't convert spells into rage rounds until rather deep into the RP PrC,
(which is the most egregious failure of the PrC IMHO, making it unviable for 1/2 of the possible entrants)
i find it makes more sense to go with a heavy Barb build with only 1 oracle level,
with a strong base of barbarian levels, you have 'enough' rage rounds to get by, if not an excess.
picking up 8 levels of barbarian (not necessarily before entering RP, you can dip in and out)
lets you get some very nice level-pre-req rage powers...
even though your casting is not super advanced, you still can cast several spell levels,
and will have a high caster level which is useful for many things (duration, scaling effects, concentration/dispel/SR checks)
and the CON to DC aspect will even give you decent DCs on these, albeit with low level spells.
(another weak point, the CON to DC should also apply to oracle class abilities, since your casting will likely suck)
trying to go the other way, oracle heavy, barb light, has issues with rage rounds,
which you can buy via feat, but that is just horribly inefficient and sub-par...
i have seen somebody here talk about their character that was a caster-focused Rage Prophet,
basically it revolved around the CON to DC aspect to boost DCs for their spells while losing a few Caster Levels.
(still has the problem of few Rage Rounds, so they can only do that a limted amount each day when they want the uber DC, while they are stuck with the downsides all the time... rather inefficient approach)
once you are in RP, you DO want to consider spending feats to get extra rage powers/revelations.
you should get your mystery spells known as well as the rage prophet specific spells known, which helps.
i tend to like battle and life oracle (for energy body and channel) the most for rage prophet.
though several other mysteries do have nice AoE attack class abilities,
which is definitely filling in on a niche where pure melee types have difficulty (e.g. swarms),
and the CHA to AC/CMD abilities are convenient because they mean you are less Multi Attribute Dependent,
since you can relatively dump DEX without affecting AC...
also, don't overlook the scaling spirit guide ability, it has very nice bonuses - rage cycle compatable :-)
as well as the ghost touch weapon/armor thing (IMMMEDIATE ACTION eventually!) is nice as well...
i really wish they either just gave you moment of clarity at 1st level of the PrC, or just removed it as a pre-req, it's just a pain in the ass requirement that doesn't really let you do much, certainly not if you can pull off any rage cycle strategy... several of the RP abilities only kick in when using that ability, but either giving it to you for free, or letting you choose to pick it up when you choose to gain the benefit of those abilities, would be so much more palatable.
as-is, qualifying for the PrC you are gimping your own abilities by selecting such a marginal Rage Power, when especially the early levels of the PrC are just so awkwardly under powered.
Q, on that note, how do you feel about Barb 2/Oracle 4/Barb+?
You never get the cool RP (Roleplaying, in this case, hereby RlPl) stuff from RP (Rage Prophet, hereby RgPr) or the minor (?) mechanical aspects, but the application of the level 5 bump to the Lame curse at level 6 (immune to fatigue, for those not paying attention), while countering the movement penalty and maximizing spellcasting to BAB can be pretty sweet for a "RgPr" even without, in my example, ever entering the PrC.
Don't get me wrong- I really like the RlPl aspect of the RgPr and the mechanical additions, but I don't know if they can outweigh a Barb/Oracle without RgPr.
Thoughts?
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There are two common entry points to Rage Prophet. You can go Barbarian 4 / Oracle 2 or Oracle 4 / Barbarian 2. My PFS character followed the latter route and that may be the better approach for the rest of your group. You're much more of a casting character and I don't think that is as hampered by rage prophet, although I will never take the second missed caster level due to the level 12 limit of PFS.
also, don't overlook the scaling spirit guide ability, it has very nice bonuses - rage cycle compatable :-)
as well as the ghost touch weapon/armor thing (IMMMEDIATE ACTION eventually!) is nice as well...i really wish they either just gave you moment of clarity at 1st level of the PrC, or just removed it as a pre-req, it's just a pain in the ass requirement that doesn't really let you do much, certainly not if you can pull off any rage cycle strategy... several of the RP abilities only kick in when using that ability, but either giving it to you for free, or letting you choose to pick it up when you choose to gain the benefit of those abilities, would be so much more palatable.
as-is, qualifying for the PrC you are gimping your own abilities by selecting such a marginal Rage Power, when especially the early levels of the PrC are just so awkwardly under powered.
Ghost touch-iness is sweet. It's one of those mechanical bits that I really do like about RgPr. It's hard to give up both a rage power and a bunch of BAB for 7/10 caster level, though.
I'm perfectly willing to be convinced to go RgPr, btw. I'm just having a hard time convincing myself.
There are two common entry points to Rage Prophet. You can go Barbarian 4 / Oracle 2 or Oracle 4 / Barbarian 2. My PFS character followed the latter route and that may be the better approach for the rest of your group. You're much more of a casting character and I don't think that is as hampered by rage prophet, although I will never take the second missed caster level due to the level 12 limit of PFS.
Siel, you can play to as high as 18, if I'm not mistaken, with some serious planning and cooperation from GMs. Alas, I'm looking into this for my most recent PFS character, for whom I want to use this awesome mini. I have resigned myself to not taking the Thunder and Fang feat (too feat intensive for a barbarian, IMO) but a Barb/Orcl seems like a strong option with a big Earth-breaker.
@Quandary: Rage prophet is a bit of a departure for many people who are expecting it to be a "primary caster" PrC (or as a divine/melee version of arcane archer). It really seems to work best with 4-8 (total) levels of barbarian, which in a +3/4 BAB and +3/4 spell progression PrC causes them to dismiss it as "gimped."
What they miss are the potential synergies between barbarian rage powers and oracle mysteries (both of which which Savage Seer allows to improve) and that the PrC is somewhat class feature heavy. For instance, a mounted fury barbarian (with the Ferocious Mount and Spirit Steed rage powers) 6/nature mystery oracle (with the Bonded Mount revelation) 4/rage prophet 10 (end state) can be a nasty mounted combatant (especially with the Boon Companion feat), counting access to spells like barkskin, divine favor/divine power, etc. and the rage prophet class features.
What they miss are the potential synergies between barbarian rage powers and oracle mysteries (both of which which Savage Seer allows to improve) and that the PrC is somewhat class feature heavy. For instance, a mounted fury barbarian (with the Ferocious Mount and Spirit Steed rage powers) 6/nature mystery oracle (with the Bonded Mount revelation) 4/rage prophet 10 (end state) can be a nasty mounted combatant (especially with the Boon Companion feat), counting access to spells like barkskin, divine favor/divine power, etc. and the rage prophet class features.
It's neat on paper, but this doesn't really get you anything that simply multiclassing between Barbarian and Oracle would get you. For example, having the Rage rounds of only a 6th level Barbarian means that you and your mount can only rage together for about 9 rounds a day. After ~9 rounds your rage powers all shut down and now you're an oracle with half the revelations and spells.
This is what I find so frustrating about the Rage Prophet. People will come up with really neat builds like this, but the prestige class just doesn't give them enough to make it worthwhile, nor does it hand out any powers that make it unique to simply multiclassing.
Re-read Spirit Steed. Then add Lesser Beast Totem and Beast Totem rage powers (the second from the feat Extra Rage Power) and the Nature's Whispers and Spirit of Nature revelations (one of them from the Extra Revelation feat or a ring of revelation) and tell me again that "this really doesn't get you anything that simply multiclassing between Barbarian and Oracle would get you."
+5 natural armor while raging (plus the enhancement bonus from barkskin), Cha bonus to AC instead of Dex, fast healing 1 in any environment if reduced to negative hit points, mount gains rage bonuses and DR 8/magic when the character rages (and natural weapons count as magic to overcome DR). You can't get all of that and spellcasting by "simply multiclassing between Barbarian and Oracle."
9 rounds of rage is about three combats if the party is on their game (with one round of spells/ranged/movement into position). The Extra Rage feat adds 6 rounds of rage (3 if the mount rages too), which gets you up to the "four combats per day" threshold.
there are more rage powers with class level pre-reqs than oracle revelations,
and because you need rage rounds to rage and you can't convert spells into rage rounds until rather deep into the RP PrC,
(which is the most egregious failure of the PrC IMHO, making it unviable for 1/2 of the possible entrants)
i find it makes more sense to go with a heavy Barb build with only 1 oracle level,
with a strong base of barbarian levels, you have 'enough' rage rounds to get by, if not an excess.picking up 8 levels of barbarian (not necessarily before entering RP, you can dip in and out)
lets you get some very nice level-pre-req rage powers...
even though your casting is not super advanced, you still can cast several spell levels,
and will have a high caster level which is useful for many things (duration, scaling effects, concentration/dispel/SR checks)
and the CON to DC aspect will even give you decent DCs on these, albeit with low level spells.
(another weak point, the CON to DC should also apply to oracle class abilities, since your casting will likely suck)trying to go the other way, oracle heavy, barb light, has issues with rage rounds,
which you can buy via feat, but that is just horribly inefficient and sub-par...
i have seen somebody here talk about their character that was a caster-focused Rage Prophet,
basically it revolved around the CON to DC aspect to boost DCs for their spells while losing a few Caster Levels.
(still has the problem of few Rage Rounds, so they can only do that a limted amount each day when they want the uber DC, while they are stuck with the downsides all the time... rather inefficient approach)once you are in RP, you DO want to consider spending feats to get extra rage powers/revelations.
you should get your mystery spells known as well as the rage prophet specific spells known, which helps.
You do not get your mystery spells known as well as the RP spells known, as unlike cleric domain spells the mystery spells known are not part of the spells feature of oracle, which is advanced by the prestige class, and aren't part of the revelations, so RAW nothing would cause you to get them.
The extra rage feat gives 6 extra rage rounds, as much as 3 levels of barbarian, so I don't think it's inefficient at all. 4 levels of oracle is so much more powerful than 4 levels of barbarian that oracle4/barb2 is by far the better choice. An extra revelation is much more powerful than an extra rage power, since none of the level-restricted ones are on the table. You presumably have a good con, and will be buying a belt soon, so 2 levels of barb should get you something in the neighborhood of 6-8 rage rounds, along with 1 extra rage feat, should be enough to see you through. I think giving up a revelation, a mystery bonus spell, and 2 spellcaster levels to get 4 more rounds of rage is just silly. You're telling me you wouldn't trade a feat for a revelation, a spell known, and 2 spellcasting levels?
barb4/oracle2 or even barb5/oracle1 still has trouble with rage rounds. Either way you'll have to take the feat if you want to be raging consistently.
Re-read Spirit Steed. Then add Lesser Beast Totem and Beast Totem rage powers (the second from the feat Extra Rage Power) and the Nature's Whispers and Spirit of Nature revelations (one of them from the Extra Revelation feat or a ring of revelation) and tell me again that "this really doesn't get you anything that simply multiclassing between Barbarian and Oracle would get you."
+5 natural armor while raging (plus the enhancement bonus from barkskin), Cha bonus to AC instead of Dex, fast healing 1 in any environment if reduced to negative hit points, mount gains rage bonuses and DR 8/magic when the character rages (and natural weapons count as magic to overcome DR). You can't get all of that and spellcasting by "simply multiclassing between Barbarian and Oracle."
9 rounds of rage is about three combats if the party is on their game (with one round of spells/ranged/movement into position). The Extra Rage feat adds 6 rounds of rage (3 if the mount rages too), which gets you up to the "four combats per day" threshold.
You can still get those powers as a multiclass barbarian/oracle. Granted, they won't be quite as high level (your build has the rage powers of a level 16 barbarian and the revelations of a level 14 oracle, which isn't that much higher than a flat Barbarian 10/ Oracle 10) but you're spending several feats in the process.
Since you asked, I'll say it again: this really doesn't get you anything that simply multiclassing between Barbarian and Oracle would get you. You're literally just taking feats to gain powers that a Barbarian/Oracle would ordinarily get, but which a Rage Prophet otherwise wouldn't.
Basically, you're doing a better job of selling the Extra Rage Power and Extra Revelation feats than you are of selling the Rage Prophet.
You're tougher, your mount is tougher, and you're a better caster (especially with Ragecaster) as a rage prophet. Nope, it doesn't really get you anything... [/sarcasm]
I think RP is quite decent as a prestige class.
You get static boosts to saves, lots of new options including casting and do not lose too much BAB. I think you profit much more out of rage and out of combat, but at least for me that's fine.
One player at our table just took his first levels in this class, I'll be curious how it turns out. Knowing him I think it will be quite effective, though :-P
Also consider the other curses besides lame curse. Though they may not allow you rage cycling, you may still build cool and versatile characters this way, e.g. an emissary barbarian (understands and speaks every language thanks to tongues curse), a sentinel type barbarian (vision curse, see and hear almost everything eventually) etc.
Anyway, you might want to consider putting more into charisma.