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Currently gearing up for a new campaign (home brew, not an AP), and am looking for some advice. All I know is that the game will be in an urban setting (mostly) and with lots of undead. The word the GM used was 'gritty.'
For me I feel that every concept I am coming up with very closely resembles something I have already played. So I tend to talk myself out of an idea before I really invest any real thought into it.
So, using that knowledge of the setting, what would you play and why? Maybe your answers will spark an idea, that I will just outright steal the answer and use it myself. ;)
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Urban Ranger, favored enemy undead? A sort of groundskeeper at the local cemetary who "troubleshoots" when things don't stay dead.
Inquisitor is the first thing that comes to mind for me. They can be good against undead using Bane and divine spells, along w/ having lots of skills useful for a "gritty" urban campaign.
Well, this would be a hard decision for me. Since the DM told me what the major enemy is going to be, my initial reflex would be to play whatever kills undead best, which would be the cleric. Just one problem ...
I *hate* clerics.
That being the case, I'd probably fall back to Oracle.
Oracle and Inquisitor will both do quite well in your scenario. Able to handle undead well and still have the social charms to get around the city. Paladin would also do well if you wish to be more of an "in your face" combatant. If you want to be a skill monkey, I'd go with either ranger as stated above or bard (assuming the right group) but definitely avoid rogue since their SAs will not be effective. You then of course have the usual allotment of arcane casters who can all be effective in this setting. It really just depends on what style you want to play.
Perhaps if you told us what those concepts you've already played (and thus do not wish to repeat) are.
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I've played the myriad of clerics that you can. Right now finishing up second darkness as a cleric/urban barbarian of Gorum.
I've thought about inquisitor it's just that its similar to what I am doing now. I worked up a massive backstory for the archer paladin for jade regent, but we are now doing this instead.
So the paladin is iffy, looked at the non spell casting paladin as a thought.
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Well, this would be a hard decision for me. Since the DM told me what the major enemy is going to be, my initial reflex would be to play whatever kills undead best, which would be the cleric. Just one problem ...
I *hate* clerics.
That being the case, I'd probably fall back to Oracle.
Why do you hate Clerics?
Alchemist could be good. They fit well in urban settings, can deal good damage in a pinch along with a good amount of battlefield control and buffing possible.
The Crypt Breaker gets extra damage vs Undead (1d8 on Bombs instead of 1d6) but 1d4 vs everything else, but it replaces Mutagen too (granting a Mutagen replacement that give Darkvision, Low-Light vision, or Scent but also Light Blindness). It also gets Trap-Finding. I don't like it that much but you might.
The Grenadier archetype is a good option too. Replaces all the poison based abilities (likely to be less useful in an Undead campaign since they're more Disease oriented). Take the Martial Weapon Proficiency in Longbow or something and he can make a good backup ranged/support character who can nova an encounter a few times a day with Bombs.
The other archetypes are neat too depending on your needs.
Internal Alchemist especially if you want something weird. They get Disease Resistance/Immunity equal to their Poison Resistance/Immunity and some very Monk-like abilities.
Why do you hate Clerics?Well, this would be a hard decision for me. Since the DM told me what the major enemy is going to be, my initial reflex would be to play whatever kills undead best, which would be the cleric. Just one problem ...
I *hate* clerics.
That being the case, I'd probably fall back to Oracle.
I hate preparation casters and I hate alignment mechanics.
The others are definitely better than what I'm about to suggest due to their outright focus on killing undead. That being said, I might go fighter who carries not just a great axe (for zombies) but an earth-breaker as well (for skeletons). Two-Handed archetype of course.
The reason I suggest this, is because it'd still be pretty darn useful against undead, yet would still be useful against whatever else that isn't undead (If anything at all).
I am partial to magic though and since I'm not partial to paladins or clerics, even though they can be really good, especially in this particular situation. I might go Inquisitor.
Yet another option that might come to mind may be master summoner. Match numbers against numbers.
I'd play any of these really. If I had to choose one of three, I'd probably go master summoner.
Hell, what might actually be fun (though you seem to not want to play another Cleric) is a Neutral Undead Lord Cleric.
Play him as a "White Necromancer" who takes control of rampaging Undead and makes sure they go to their proper rest...after being put to good use, of course.
A Menhir Savant druid gets 'Spirit Sense', basically a catch-all Detect Undead + Aberrations + a dozen other nasties. Could be extremely handy, and fun.
Rather than choosing a class that pursues undead out of a sense of right, or justice, or a divine mission... I say try playing an alchemist. Have a character that views them as a problem that needs to be eradicated, but that also wants to understand them. There are a few pretty good alchemist pathways that handle undead. Besides, from the sounds of it the party will be low on intelligence based classes.
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Yes its set in Golarion. The GM is going to use Caliphas in Ustalav as the city that we are starting of as city guards in. Whether we stay as guards I don't know.
I guess with character burn-out I should amend that statement by saying that so far in the Pathfinder setting, I have played a vanilla (but utterly devastating fighter), fighter/paladin, multiple clerics (Sarenrae, Desna), cleric/urban barbarian of Gorum, vivisectionist/magus tiefling, elven alchemist for PFS, as well as a lore warden/urban ranger for PFS. There are probably a few more that for some reason I am drawing a blank on.
One of my failings is that I read some of the builds and I see the panning of an archetype or a style of play as sub-optimal and in some ways that clouds my desire to try a class. For example, I really like the idea of the Warrior of the Holy Light (paladin archetype) as an Aasimar (Angel-Blooded). I do not need to stat up WIS since I will not be casting spells, but that particular archetype is regarded as weak. My other hitch there is deciding on a god. My initial gut was Apsu since I rolled (Hair: Metallic) for Aasimar features. Books state no clerics or paladins of Apsu because he does not grant spells, but with WotHL not casting spells I thought it would work.
The other was a dwarven inquisitor with a big axe. But the more I looked into building it, I felt he was becoming a skilled version of my half-orc cleric/urban barbarian of Gorum. 3/4 range BAB with a two-handed weapon, just has way more "face" skills.
So I thought I would essentially seek the Advice section for "creative-juices" really.
Yah, i like the Invulnerable Barbarian iwth Catch Off Guard... kill them undead with that there chair leg. No, no... that crowbar! No, no... rip one of thier arms off and kill the rest with it!
I'm a Concept Stealer. I go and play video games or watch movies and I'll grab bits and pieces of characters and put them together for my concept.
Like I made a SW D20 character based off Altair of Assassin's Creed and Starkiller from Force Unleashed and stole the outfit of a Jedi from the Knights of the Old Republic Comic.
Last game I made a Magus who was a Former Hellknight based off Darius from League of Legends.
And I play a lot of Paladins. A lot. I love charging out front, sword blazing with light and smiting undead. Although, in Ustalav, don't they like undead there like Geb? Or is it more just kinda they have to deal with lots of them because of The Whispering Tyrant's campaign?
I was reading a thread yesterday and people were using Marvel superheroes to create characters, it was pretty awesome.
I also recommend, if you haven't already, look at the Ultimate Campaign backgrounds section, I came up with 20 different concepts.
It sounds like you look at mechanics first, maybe this time you want to look at concept first and find mechanics to fit. Or just find some way to change up your usual process, maybe see what everyone else is planning and just go with it.
I wasn't really excited to start our new campaign with my Battle Cleric of Kelemvor because our last one ended so suddenly, but I found my excitement came from playing the character this time and not so much from designing him like usual. It's kinda funny, I was playing an Aasimar Paladin last game (who I miss dearly!) with golden metallic hair and eyes whose celestial blood came from a gold dragon. He was from Lastwall, so he hated undead and kinda-sorta followed Iomedae, but he really just followed the Lawful Good gods in general and I wanted to work Apsu into the story.
I hope my longwinded response helped.
Gritty
Lots of Undead
Urban
Hmmm...
A Gravewalker Witch with an unhealthy attachment to his/her spell poppet
A Summoner who brings forth an eidolon that bears an disturbing resemblance to his/her dead twin sibling
A pistolero/mysterious stranger Gunslinger who is unswervingly faithful to his/her religion and the erradication of the undead
A Vivisectionist Alchemist who is interested in finding out more about undeath in their quest for understanding life
A Bones Oracle who does not understand why they have the power they do, and is simply looking for an end to being haunted
+1 to the Necromancer idea. Why fight a thing when you can control it and add it's strength to your own (Undead Master feat is good for this!) Negative Energy Clerics with the Command Undead feat works well with this concept too.
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Thanks for all the responses, I am fairly certain that my original idea is going to be how I go at it, just going to tweak it some more.
For me, I always go concept first and then mechanincs, and generally will overlook more powerful abilities to stay within a concept. This time I picked an idea and then found abilities that reinforced it and attached the more powerful abilities and tweaked the concept. I sort of compromised with myself.
Again, thanks!
Martial Artist Monk with Dragon style and the weapon focus tree? Martial Artist eventually get energy drain immunity (late game) and can't tire by 10th.
Celestial Sorcerer? Flavor of channeling arcane holy energy. It seems like you haven't played to many straight up casters.
Master Summoner is fun, if you LOVE summoning.
Also pure paladin or pure magus plays very differently than the multiclass options you have played so far.
Martial Artist Monk with Dragon style and the weapon focus tree? Martial Artist eventually get energy drain immunity (late game) and can't tire by 10th.
I did that for an urban campaign with levels of urban ranger. Favored enemy is great for undead. Dragon style is not only nice for the damage, but also the movement in difficult terrain.
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I'm a Concept Stealer. I go and play video games or watch movies and I'll grab bits and pieces of characters and put them together for my concept.
Oh god, I so support this.
I am an avid advocate of this process.
This how I often start most of my concepts(though they change over time) and how I often get newer players to get excited about Pathfinder, and the fun of creating characters.
