My Gm for reasons that escape me and fill me with no small measure of dread has informed us that our next campaign will be based on a 32 point buy. We have never done more then 20 before so I'm a bit out of my depth. He is a notorious optimizer so what ever I build has to be powerful. The campaign is exclusively dungeon crawl so I don't have to worry about social skill and knowledge is only for monster Id. Any advice on builds to take advantage of this high point buy would be appreciated. Lastly the party is going to be evil so take that into account.
High point buy is your chance to try a MAD character. You could build a pretty killer monk (18 str, 15 dex, 14 con, 10 int, 18 wis, 5 cha) as a dwarf. Pick the archetype(s) of your liking. You'll be able to do a lot of damage and still be very tough to hit (even flat-footed or with touch attacks.)
A Wild Shape-focused druid might also be fun.
Regardless of Point-buy, the highest any one stat can be before racial modifiers is 18. To put it simply, MAD characters will be on a more even playing field as SAD characters because of this.
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I use 32 point buy when I run games, It came originally from the RotR AP as that was the PB used for Karzoug, I believe that would be 25 now. I stuck with it when I realized it wasn't making anyone that much more powerful and seemed to make the players have a lot more fun doing thngs and not felling the need to give their characters serious flaws to keep up with an APs difficulty.
Fighter(Two-Weapon Warrior) or some other Non-Ranger Two-Weapon Fighter? that would be my preferred build.
I only know one other players build so far and its a monk so I want to stay away from that(well actually I don't but he called it)...I like the melee builds although I might not end up being able to play a warrior knowing my group.
Call the Warrior before the others?
You could also make a kickass TWF Ninja or Rogue
str 20, dex 16, con 14, int 8, wis 12, cha 10 (cha will be higher if you're a ninja)
Tempting but I usually wait to fill out the party based on what they choose because most of them won't play a character just because it would make sense for the party to have one (I also know the system better then most of them so I can fill wholes others aren't comfortable with) I'm just curious about any casters builds you have in mind especially arcane ones. I know a straight wizard only benefits a little from the extra stats but I could try some sort of Magus or Bard I suppose.
You could make a kickass Battle mystery oracle. Battle mystery is straight-up awesome (roll twice for initiative? heavy armor? martial weapons? swift action healing? DR 10/adamantine? move your speed as an immediate action? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!) You can do some serious damage, be the party healer, and also have very useful spells.
STR-based Kensai Magus? Wield a Bastard Sword or Dwarven Waraxe. Or since you by R.A.W. can wield a Double Weapon with One-Hand Go TWF Kensai Magus using some Double Weapon.
Paladin1/cleric1/monk3/cham of enlightend/Irori X/+paladin 2
Used alot of diffent stats everything adds something to the char - but MAD as hell...
Paladin1/cleric1/monk3/cham of enlightend/Irori X/+paladin 2
Used alot of diffent stats everything adds something to the char - but MAD as hell...
Yowza...
Paladin1/cleric1/monk3/cham of enlightend/Irori X/+paladin 2
Used alot of diffent stats everything adds something to the char - but MAD as hell...
He said it's an evil party, though.
I'd got with an Anti-Paladin for the evil campaign with that really nice point buy. Paladins are able to use quite a few nice stats (Str/Dex/Con/Cha), so it sounds like a match made in ... hell?
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any idea how high your level will get? having fun with a MAD class or combo is the way to go- or else you could be a little bit of an ass...
MAD options:
-a dwarf barb/martial artist could be fun, and could easily start with 18 Con & Wis and still have enough points for good Str & Dex.
-an elf fighter/wizard (on way to eldritch knight) could start with 20 INt and 18 Dex and still afford 12 Str & Con (if you take 8 Cha); pick up weapon finesse and use a curved blade (since it's a martial weapon for you).
-a human barb/archaeologist (on way to dragon disciple) could start with 20 str, 12 dex, 14 con, 8 int, 10 wis, 16 cha; take the Eldritch Heritage feats for the Abyssal bloodline to increase number of rounds for claw/claw/bite and (more importantly) stack on even more strength (at 20th level, if you ever got there, you're strength would be 20+5 from levels+4 from DD+6 from Abyssal+4 when raging+6, potentially, from an item= 45!); fiend totem rage powers could be a nice, thematic, addition too.
-a (disillusioned) aasimar melee cleric could start with 14 str, 12 dex, 14 con, 10 int, 18 wis, 18 cha; take destruction and strength[ferocity] for domains, pick up channel smite and guided hand (for a two-handed, preferably reach, weapon) as fast as possible.
-a dwarven druid that's going to focus on feral combat could start: 16 str, 15 dex, 18 con, 10 int, 16 wis, 8 cha, though you'd need to raise your wisdom eventually for spells...
-a half-orc (or half-elf with ancestral arms) transmuter who plans to polymorph and fight could do a similar build: 18 str, 14 dex, 15 con, 16 int, 12 wis, 8 cha; you'll have proficiency with a decent/good two-hander and the ability to self-buff; mid level weapon won't matter (cause you'll be using animal/elemental/etc forms) but end game you can combine monstrous physique 4 or giant form 2 with transformation...
a little bit of an ass options (ok- possibly a full-blown ass):
- make a human or half-whatever, any melee fighting class- start with 20 str, 17 dex, 17 con, 7 int, 7 wis, 7 cha; or...
-a hobgoblin almost anything with 18 str, 18 dex, 18 con, 7 int, 12 wis, 7 cha (obviously not a wiz/sor/magus/anti-paladin... multi-class cleric or druid could work though).
complete ass option:
-an aasimar synthesist 1/oracle[lore] 1/anti-paladin X...
starting stats: 8 str, 8 dex, 12 con, 10 int, 20 wis, 20 cha
medium quadruped eidolon raises Str & Dex to 14, has 13 con (grants 7 or 11 heal-able temporary HP, depending on how GM determines eidolon hp); take pounce, claws, and improved natural armor. you can charge and make all your normal attack(s) plus claw/claw/bite.
AC will be an issue, but the side-step revelation will help (helps reflex too...)- as will smite, when applicable.
at 1st level take noble scion[war] to add Cha to init.; as early as possible, take channel smite and guided hand.
you won't gain much, at all, from adding more oracle levels, but after 4 levels of anti-paladin, you could add upto 3 more levels of summoner to beef up your eidolon-suit and gain shielded-meld.
(against the target of your smite you'll add Cha mod to Init and reflex, Cha mod x2 to AC, Cha mod + Wis mod to weapon attacks, Cha mod to natural attacks, AP level to all damage; and, smite damage 1/round 3+Cha mod times/day)
i should say- RAW never say a synthesist can't make your normal attacks while merged with a quadruped, but RAI seem to indicate that you'd need to add arms... if your GM takes the more conservative interpretation start with pounce and limbs(arms) instead, then add claws and natural armor as you level.
i also forgot to say that in mid levels if (when) your AC becomes an issue you can pick up a level (or 4) of martial artist. that'll buff your AC and all your saves, plus a bunch of special abilities, stunning fist (with a great DC), and bonus feats.
We are starting at lvl 3...unknown how high we will go(my gm is deployed at the moment so communication is difficult)But judging by previous experience I would say going above 8-10 is unlikely...just played a battle oracle or that probably would have been my choice. Antipaladin is interesting never played one of them before. I haven't played Kensai or any other magus so that could be fun. also really like the elven eldritch knight concept if he says we are going to reach a decent lvl. So many good options. I don't think he'll let me go the synthesist route unfortunately.