Building a Battle Herald


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


Never played a Bard OR a Cavalier, and Battle Herald seems to be a combination of both and may fill a role in our party later on, also being different enough from the class Im currently playing to peak my interest.

Given that Ive never played either of the two classes combining into the prestige class (I love doing new things), what would you, the general forum populace suggest for a build for the thing lol


no suggestions?


Does your GM allow third party stuff? (I think I've seen you in some 3pp threads, but just making sure)


buddahcjcc wrote:

Never played a Bard OR a Cavalier, and Battle Herald seems to be a combination of both and may fill a role in our party later on, also being different enough from the class Im currently playing to peak my interest.

Given that Ive never played either of the two classes combining into the prestige class (I love doing new things), what would you, the general forum populace suggest for a build for the thing lol

Try a buffer battle herald build I've posted quite some time ago: The passive buffer. It allows you to substitute cleric with the evangelist archetype for the bard side of things. Opens your options a bit more.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

My Battle Herald PC was more by accident (I wasn't really going for a BH. I wanted to focus on Cavalier, but the group needed more of a 'team buff').
That said, I would recommend the Standard Bearer Cavalier Archetype. Why the Standard Bearer archetype, you ask? Because it switches out the class feature you will have the least use for as a Battle Herald (Mount), for one you will have much more use for (Banner). This is important because every level you take in Bard & Battle Herald is a level where your Mount isn't advancing in effectiveness, but your Banner is...
At least as long as you have the Banner class feature, which the vanilla Cavalier doesn't get until 5th level. Since I recommend aiming for Battle Herald at the earliest possible opportunity, the vanilla Cavalier wouldn't get it until they pick it up from Battle Herald.
Otherwise, a big question is are you going to be a buffer who fights or a fighter who buffs; because that affects which of the two requisite classes I would recommend you focus on. If you are planning on 'buffing' primarily, I would focus mostly Bard, with just the one level dip into Cavalier, this has the further advantage that if you selected Versatile Performance: Oratory, you didn't need to put the 5 ranks in Diplomacy that the PrC normally requires.
Obviously if you are going more martial, I would recommend Cavalier with just the one level dip into Bard. I will say that in a lot of ways the Bard/Cavalier/Battle Herald seems to work better than Cavalier/Bard/Battle Herald, at least to me.


Cheapy wrote:
Does your GM allow third party stuff? (I think I've seen you in some 3pp threads, but just making sure)

He doesnt even allow some Paizo stuff (witch alchemist gunslinger) because he seems them as irrideemably broken -.- IE past players have screwed it up for the rest of us

Sczarni

I would recommend at least a few levels in Bard, to make the skills requirements for BH a little less arduous. Plus, you'll get a few more spells per day that way-- Battle Herald doesn't get spellcaster levels.

I second the suggestion of Standard Bearer, unless you want to be doing mounted combat. If not, then go SB and don't take more than four levels in it-- go bard and BH all the rest of the way. That way you'll never get a mount, which you wouldn't have used anyway. If you DO want a mount, go Human and take the Eye for Talent alternate racial trait, then pick up Boon Companion as soon as you start multiclassing out of Cavalier.

If you don't want a mount but DO want more than four levels of Cavalier, you have two options-- Sword Saint Samurai or Musketeer Cavalier. One gives you a pretty nice way to open the fight but costs you your banner, the other gives you a firearm even though your challenge doesn't work with ranged attacks. Your choice.

Also you should take Extra Performance. A LOT.


no firearms allowed in the game

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