SirGeshko
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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A friend of mine expressed interest in making a bruiser melee character for PFS, so I was on the hunt for a concept that could complement. I ran across Butterfly Sting (When you confirm a critical you can forgo the extra damage to make the next ally who hits that target with a melee attack an automatic critical) and thought it was perfect!
Now how to implement it? I came up with three options:
1) Rogue or Ninja- I'd be using kukri or wakizashi and TWF to gain as many attacks (and possibilities to crit) relying on sneak attack to do damage, while being a skill monkey.
2) Cavalier or Tactician Fighter for the tactician ability. Teamwork feats are awesome if I can give them out. Limited use outside of combat.
3) Holy Tactician Paladin for the battlefield presence ability, giving a teamwork feat to all of my allies as an aura
I don't know how this would work, but would it be feasible to combine concepts 1 and 3? A sneaky Paladin? Here's a temporary build:
Half-Elf Holy Tactician/Ninja of Shizuru from Jinin or Minkai
Anatomist +1 to confirm Criticals
Str 10
Dex 14+2
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 14
1 Paladin 1 Half Elf-Skill Focus (Acrobatics), Combat Expertise
2 Ninja 1 +1d6 sneak attack, using a wakizashi
3 Ninja 2 Combat Trick- Weapon Finesse, Butterfly Sting
4 Paladin 2
5 Paladin 3 Tactical Acumen: Outflank, Two Weapon Fighting paired wakizashis
6 Ninja 3 +2d6 sneak attack
7 Ninja 4 Combat Trick- Combat Reflexes, Gang Up
8 Ninja 5 +3d6 sneak attack
9 Ninja 6 ???
10 Ninja 7 +4d6 sneak attack
11 Ninja 8 Improved Critical
12 Ninja 9 +5d6 sneak
13 Ninja 10 Critical Focus
I realize another level of Paladin (or fighter?) would give me more BAB, which would let me get Improved Critical and Critical Focus a few levels earlier...
Would this build be useless? Any ideas on improvements to make it more effective would be welcomed, including scrapping the multiclass, changing race (human? tengu?) or weapon choice (rapier? aldori dueling sword?)
Many thanks!
kinevon
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The idea is nice, but the build s going to have issues, at least until third level. That Str 10 is going to suck for hitting until you get Weapon Finesse.
I think I would still tend to go Dex-based, but go Lore Warden Fighter for the first couple of levels, instead.
Note: You can only take Combat Trick once.
Same stats, but a few differences.
Traits: Threatening Defender & Indomitable Will
HE: Skill Focus: Acrobatics
L1: Combat Reflexes
F1: Weapon Finesse
LW2: Combat Expertise (free for second level in archetype)
F2: Butterfly's Sting
L3 (N1): Two-weapon Fighting, +1d6 sneak
L4 (N2): Combat Trick: Gang Up
L5 (LW3): CMB/CMD +2, Weapon Focus
L6 (LW4): Weapon Specialization
L7 (N3): +2d6 sneak, +1 No Trace, Improved Feint, Trip or Disarm
L8 (N4): Ninja Trick: Vanishing Trick or Darkvision
L9 (N5): +3d6 sneak, another of the Improved feats, or Greater Trip or Disarm
L10 (N6): Ninja Trick: Darkvision or Vanishing Trick
L11 (N7): +4d6 sneak, Improved Critical
L12 (N8): Ninja Trick: Shadow Clone or Acrobatic Master or Bleeding Attack
That 4th level of Lore Warden is to qualify for Weapon Specialization, more than anything else, you need to have a damage ability that doesn't rely on only sneak attack. Choosing Lore Warden gets you up to Butterfly's Sting at second level, and a bunch of other feats can cascade earlier because of that.
Greater Trip is an ugly route, if you want to go that way. Makes the target easier to hit, and less likely to hit, and they provoke when they stand, and when you trip them. Lots of enemies in PFS are humanoid, so they are vulnerable to tripping, and using one of your weapons for it lets you trip using your Dex instead of Str.
When you can afford it and have the Fame for it, make your weapons +1 Agile, at a minimum. Dex for damage on your attacks is golden for you. You could spend a feat for Piranha Strike, if you wanted, too, which is Power Attack for Dex. Dueling, if you decide to go into some of the combat maneuvers, is a good enhancement, either version, although the version from the Pathfinder Society Field Guide is the one I would tend to get first.
As your initial weapon, go kukri, since you don't get the wakizashi until you take your first level of Ninja.
SirGeshko
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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So its your opinion that the teamwork feats are just not worth it?
Just to clarify, I don't need to do damage. I'm going to be handing all my crits off to a ridiculously high strength x4 raging barbarian. That's all that character will do. I'm there to set up and give the support in combat and cover as many skills as possible.
If I take a 4th level of fighter, I'll be picking up Improved Critical as my 9th level feat.