1. Introduction
Hello everyone,
I'm new to pen&paper rpgs. For my first character, I rolled extremely lucky, which made me become attached to this character actually working out.
Right from the start I've put a lot of thought into this, but the more I learn about the rules, the rest of the group and about how I enjoy to play the most, the more complicated it all gets, and the DM allowed me one last chance to change aspects (in ways that don't contradict what already happened).
The next game is Tuesday, and by then I want to be able to give her a final copy of the character sheet that I feel comfortable with. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Julian
2. The Group
is on the brink of reaching level 4 and includes 5 people [though rarely everyone shows up]: a fighter/cleric (melee), druid (with bear; sometimes in melee), ranger (mostly archery), cavalier (his horse is killer); mostly beginners/casual, including the DM.
Since a mage can take over rogue functions (in this case even without offending anyone), they might have benefited more from that, but I went rogue and love it.
NOTE: NO Opportunity of Attack! (as my DM likes things *very* simple).
3. The Character
A. Really Hard facts
- lvl 3 Rogue Knife Master (& Scout)
- Two weapon fighting
- Finesse Rogue and/or STR 16
- Dex 20
- Good liar/bluff; perception
- grew up in a gypsy carnival with circus
- mom is fortune teller
B. Stats/Attributes/Abilities
-Rolls were 18, 16, 16, 14, 12, 10
-Only ways to distribute them
(based on what already happened)
Str 10, 12, 14, 16
Dex 20
Con 14, 16
Int 14, 16
Wis 10, 12, 14
Cha 12, 14, 16
C. What I want from him
- high perception, but low will save (young, inexperienced, naive)
- epically lethal (don't care too much for average dmg / round though, so it can be situational, such as the sneak stab)
- ideally some form of animal cooperation/interaction
- problem solver with diverse interests
- fun talking interactions with NPCs
- nice synergy/team work with the other players
4. What needs optimization?
- Traits & Feats (So many options!)
- Skills & Stats (Skill monkey or extra HP & dmg?
- Animal (and how to get it)
- Class (Shadow Dancer or Ranger? and if so what kind?)
However, all of these are connected deeply and depend on one another... and the complication all has to do with what animal I should get and how - so let's start the debate there.
Options include:
- 3 lvl Shadowdancer for summoning shadow
- 1 lvl Ranger for Handle animal and Wild Empathy and do go it yourself
- Trait Adopted->Animal Friend (Gnome) and just buy one?
Non-options (in hindsight) include
- 1 lvl Falkner (Ranger archetype) for a weak big bird animal companion.
- 2 lvl Sea Singer (Bard a-t) for an exotic monkey or parrot familiar.
- 1 lvl mage for a familiar (probably weasel or owl)
- 4 lvl Ranger for companion
- 1 lvl Druid for companion
though perhaps Wild Rider could work? +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks; Nature Bond, i.e. mount counts as 1 size bigger for riding, 3x 0th such as detect magic or poison, mending, create water, cleanse food, light, stabalize - and 1x 1st Charm animal, keen senses, longstrider, ant haul, Goodberries (might be sweet for training animals ;-) ), and really nice: cure light wounds. Wisdom 10 wouldn't be enough anymore though...
4. Death bringer's little helper
A. Summoned Shadow (via Shadowdancer)
Some facts
-SD build would benefit from high Charisma
-Shadow would benefit from character choosing high Constitution, but less intelligence is okay, as it eliminates need for skills in handle animal.
- it's always an ideal flank buddy.
- does strength damage!
- Replaceable (wait a month), however at risk of losing a level!
Questions
- "serves as a *companion* to the [SD]" -- Does this mean the shadow can gain levels and feats? I doubt it, but was wondering what companion means here...
- "can communicate intelligibly with the [SD]" -- via what means? does it speak languages or telepathically? Can it talk with anyone else, if they bothered to learn it's language?
- "This shadow has a number of hit points equal to half the shadowdancer's total. The shadow uses the [SD]'s base attack bonus and base save bonuses." -- Do these change over time? When SD gains 6 HP, does S gain 3? Or is it at creation? Everything else is retro-active in pathfinder, so I assume this shadow (like your shadow) grows when you do, right?
- It being incorporeal might be awesome at a lower level game, how useful is it later on? Ghost touch armor?
- Fluff: It could be an interesting development for the character, who becomes more and more neutral about the whole killing creatures thing... death as part of life - becoming one with the shadow...
Problems
- being ALMOST level 4, the level 8 (i.e. 5 KM/3 SD) seems really REALLY far away... - who knows *if* my group will exist that long...
- Mobility (1 of 3 necessary feats) isn't worth anything without OoA; though this could be an advantage, if my DM doesn't make me take it.
- Losing out on d8 sneak damage!
Also: what to do with the last 2 levels before Shadowdancing can begin? I researched some Bard options (cause I thought they get familiars, like in Baldur's Gate, but nope!). Other reasons might include sweet illusion magic. Only Umbral and maybe Sandman (for Trapfinding) seem acceptible options, unless I missed something.
BARD for B knowledge, B performance, cantrips, countersong, distraction, fascinate, inspire courage +1
- Arcane Duelist (for making my weapon*s* +1 as a swift action! instead of Bknow)
- Archeologist for 4+CHA rounds/day of +1 on saving throws, skill checks, and weapon damage and attack rolls (instead of b perform)
- Bardic Weapon for 1 Martial proficiency (instead of Bknow)
- Daredevil for +1 Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, and Escape Artist checks (instead of Bknow)
- Dervish Dancer for Kukri (and Scrimitar) proficiency, and battle dance selfish version of B perform
- Detective +1 Knowledge (local), Perception, and Sense Motive and Diplomacy. Careful Teamwork - 3 rounds of performance for 1 h of vigilance (+1 perception, Initiative and Disable Device; and +1 to traps if flat footed) [fluff would work nice with my focus of him being a problem solver]
- Sandman +1 to Bluff, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks + Trapfinding! (instead of Bknow) - and steal spell.
- *Umbral Weaver*: create a shadowy weave and have it hinder his enemies as it subtly restricts the target's movement; Wisp of Dusk (dancing lights) 0th - dim*, shadow snag*; trifling image* (cantrip); silent image (1st) --- This last one is quite amazing for a SD, no? Looks like it offers lots of fluff too! :-)
If I did take it, Magical Knack (this caster level gains a +2 trait bonus) might be useful.
Any fans of Shadowdancer that made it this far, that could convince me the shadow companion is worth the wait?
B. Familiar
Which one would I want?
- Weasel is cool due to "Attach" (which is an automatic grapple with continued damage if it's attack hits) - should be cool for a flanking partner, right? Low-light vision, scent, reflex bonus...
- Monkey and Racoono would be funny for stealing stuff, but probably the weasel could learn that. It might give a nice cover if I get caught with something stolen. I apolgize, diplomacy check, give it back and say my familiar did it. No harm intended... ;-)
- Howl is awesome... crazy stealth, makes it a great scout. Especially if there's good means of communication... not sure though, is there some good means of communications? Raven is pretty cool. A lot wiser than my character, but similarly greedy (appraise bonus... hm... meh)
- Armadillo, exotic. +1 natural armor bonus is sweet, and it has great perception.
How to get it?
I just looked into mages, and I guess the answer is I don't. I'd loose 6 skill points, 2 HP and gain what? some cantrips? Despite some magic in the blood background, it doesn't make sense with the story either... I really did like the weasel idea. :-( I could train me a weasel and an howl eh? :-D
C. Feathered Companion
-1 level of Falconer
-Bird comes at half HP with Distract trick for free...
-but I just realized that it doesn't level unless I keep gaining druid levels... and I don't think Knife Masters do! :-(
-Could exchange share spells for some other feat, for a bonus, but even then it doesn't seem worth losing Wild Empathy (which has other uses) for that.
-Link is nice, to not need handle animal as much, but he's a skill monkey, so what does it matter?
D. Normal animals
First some important questions
- Can normal (trained, but not companion) animals gain levels? If so how?
- Can they gain feats? If not, maybe if I make them smarter?
- Is there an affordable way to awaken them/make them smarter? (We do have access to a soon to be lvl 4 druid after all... which is only another level and 5000 gold worth of components away from awakening, right? - is there a cheaper way? components are oils and stuff... could he go find the components himself perhaps?)
- if I treat the animals with respect, like a friend or any other party member (as an equal, who's here because it wants to be, if it wants to be), it would probably stick around, right?
Ways to get them
I. Acquire an already trained one.
- Buy one. Got about 2500 gold kicking around from character creation, and quite some loot since then.
- Also, I'm a rogue. If someone abuses their pet I could go steal it, free it, and offer food and company, if it so chooses; otherwise repeat? :D The freer of abused pets... starting at the circus I worked at! That would make for a great plot :D
II. find a wild baby and raise it... *cough* that would take a really long time! What do I do with it while I'm raising it? Can't send a puppy wolf into battle, can I?
III. Is there something in between? Maybe train a domesticated animal?
E. Two options for Handling Animals
RANGER
- Guide (Fav enemy->Ranger’s Focus)
- Freebooter (pick an enemy in combat +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls for all that were within 30 ft when you made the choice. just for fluff the picking could also be the cue for any animal (or party member for that matter) to get into flanking position. this might be really useful!)
- Trapper (+1 to perception for finding traps, and disable device, and get Trapfinding) - very useful since that was lost with KM.
- Any others worth wile?
- Hippogriff Rider (gain a hippoG, replaces favored terrain 1 and hunter's bond; neither of which you have at level 1, though the description is clearly you start with a HippoG. "You graduated from the elite hippogriff-riding school of the military academy. Not only can you ride a hippogriff with great skill, you have also formed a close bond with a particular mount." --- Does that mean if you just don't take any more Ranger levels you didn't lose anything at all, and got a hippoG out of it? Sort of like Trapper, who gets something early and loses (magic) only later, since he initially doesn't have it to lose) So is Hippogriff Companion even an option for me? Seems almost unfair! The only way I could justify it fluff wise is if there's one I used to ride in my circus and we go rescue it... :-S That would be a cool plot too. And I don't lose wild empathy!
-Wild Stalker gives low light vision and +1 perception (instead of fav enemy) However fluff wise this one makes even less sense than the hippoG.
All these Ranger options seem nice, considering the shield and martial proficiency, and up to 2 extra HP with some luck.
TRAIT
- Adopted->Animal Friend (Gnome) gives Handle Animal as class skill, but not wild empathy. The 4th level will then be Scout archetype, that allows me to charge sneak-attack (for which I don't really desperately need a pet). Handle animals should be good enough if I just buy a pet.
Also I have no clue what my party member's ranger is capable of! I should find out what her stats are like... maybe she could make an animal friend for me. Or the druid could talk with animal and translate for me, hopefully being aided by my diplomacy check? Wow, just realized how aiding one another could make handling animals a lot easier, and of the 4 chars other than me 3 should already know how to handle animals!
5. Resolution/solution
I. Shadowdancer (Cha=Con>Str) versus not (Cha=Int>Con) or Cha=Str>Con).
II. If not, then Ranger (for Wild Empathy) or Trait, or no handling animlas?
III. or something strange with Magical Knack (like Wild Rider, or Mage, or Sandman or Umbral?)
I put a lot of thought into this, but I'm very new, so I'd love to hear what members of the pathfinder community have to say, that have played the game for longer than a few sessions. Yes, you there. Exactly, you who's reading this! Please feel free to share your thoughts with me.
Sincerely greatful,
Julix
Shadowdancer questions ...
Q - "serves as a *companion* to the [SD]" -- Does this mean the shadow can gain levels and feats? I doubt it, but was wondering what companion means here...
A - Nope. Its powers derive entirely from yours.
Q - "can communicate intelligibly with the [SD]" -- via what means? does it speak languages or telepathically? Can it talk with anyone else, if they bothered to learn it's language?
A - The rules are grey here. Ask your DM's opinion. Personally, I like the idea that the shadow can talk, but only the shadowdancer understands what it says. The shadowdancer talks normally to it. I would allow the use of Perform (Dance) checks to communicate via signs, though. That's not a core answer, however, just my opinion.
Q - "This shadow has a number of hit points equal to half the shadowdancer's total. The shadow uses the [SD]'s base attack bonus and base save bonuses." -- Do these change over time? When SD gains 6 HP, does S gain 3? Or is it at creation? Everything else is retro-active in pathfinder, so I assume this shadow (like your shadow) grows when you do, right?
A - Yes, the shadow gains hit points, attacks, etc as you do.
Q - It being incorporeal might be awesome at a lower level game, how useful is it later on? Ghost touch armor?
A - To me, the best thing about being incorporeal is that at the upper levels, when your shadow is in danger of being offed by area attacks, etc, is that it can as a default stay below floor level, coming out only when the coast is clear. That is, being incorporeal is a great defense. Even if it is 90% in the floor, it gains Improved Cover, +10 stealth and improved evasion.
I just now noticed the last part of the answer! that's amazing! Since it can talk, can I use it to scout ahead through a wall?