|
So I'm looking to build a battle oracle for PFS and I'm looking at 2 options. I am curious as to which may be better. Option 1 is just go straight Oracle and option 2 is to dip into fighter (2 levels?). Straight oracle will net me more and higher level spells while the multiclass route will get me a few more hps as well as a couple more feats while sacrificing those spells. Any thoughts?
Angel Blooded Aasimar.
Paladin dip.
Magical Knack trait.
This.
And use your favored class bonus to raise one strong revelation back to full strength and higher.
Unless I had a solid Rage Prophet plan, I'd stay with Oracle all the way. An Oracle of Battle is good enough at front-line fighting to fulfill that role without level dips.
Why the Paladin dip, if you don't mind me asking.Angel Blooded Aasimar.
Paladin dip.
Magical Knack trait.
Oracles are CHA based, and at 2nd level Paladins get to add their CHA bonus to all saves. That makes a 2-level Paladin dip popular for people who want a very defensive build.
|
|
Oracles are CHA based, and at 2nd level Paladins get to add their CHA bonus to all saves. That makes a 2-level Paladin dip popular for people who want a very defensive build.Why the Paladin dip, if you don't mind me asking.Angel Blooded Aasimar.
Paladin dip.
Magical Knack trait.
I figured as much myself. I was just wondering if there was another reason.
|
The big question is what do you want to do with your battle oracle? Do you have specific combat feats you want to take, which would make the fighter dip worthwhile? What type of combat are you thinking of as a specialty?
If you want to specialize in a combat maneuver, go for the Maneuver Mastery revelation. If you just want lots of crits for high damage, Weapon Mastery gets you Improved Crit with your favorite weapon at level 8, which is sooner than you could get it as a feat, plus other bonuses. Other stuff might require feats that aren't available as battle revelations. But to get the more advanced combat feats would require a pretty big investment in fighter levels, which might take too much away from being an oracle.
I have a battle oracle in PFS, and I ended up deciding that Power Attack and Extra Revelation will pretty much be his only feats. I'm just going for ALL the good revelations that the Battle mystery offers, and I'm not bothering to wait on any to take at high level, since PFS doesn't go that high.
So here's my feat/revelation progression (only at level 4 so far, so the rest is tentative):
1 (R): War Sight
1 (F): Extra Revelation: Skill at Arms
3 (R): Surprising Charge
3 (F): Power Attack
5 (F): Extra Revelation: Battlefield Clarity
7 (R): Maneuver Mastery (Grapple)
7 (F): Extra Revelation: Weapon Mastery (Longsword)
9 (F): Extra Revelation: Combat Healer
11 (R): Iron Skin
11 (F): ??? (Maybe Iron Will or Extra Revelation: Battlecry, but I'll see what I feel I need at that point)
|
Oracles are CHA based, and at 2nd level Paladins get to add their CHA bonus to all saves. That makes a 2-level Paladin dip popular for people who want a very defensive build.Why the Paladin dip, if you don't mind me asking.Angel Blooded Aasimar.
Paladin dip.
Magical Knack trait.
My battle Oracle is strength primary, with 14 CON and CHA.
Here's an idea that I probably won't get around to making myself:
Make an Aasimar (angel-kin) Battle Oracle, take the Maneuver Mastery revelation for grapples, and spend all your favored class bonuses to increase your effective level for that revelation. So your BAB for grappling will be 1.5x your level. It'll be insane.
|
|
@Fromper - I don't really have a particular concept in mind. I was just messing around with builds in Hero Lab yesterday. I like the idea of a front liner with the ability to use spell casting to control the battlefield. It sounds like straight Oracle is the way to go. It seems like too much of a sacrifice to dip into another class, especially since their spell progression is already slowed a bit. Your feat/revelation tree is similar to what I had in mind.
Something I love about a battle oracle is how well spontaneous divine casting goes with combat. Sine you'll be spending all your actions in combat attacking, one quality combat spell at each level is more than sufficient for combat purposes, leaving lots of "spells known" available for those cure/remove spells that you never need - until you desperately need to cast it four times in/after a single fight.
Personally, I like picking up swift action spells for combat focused casters. I know more of them for bards than oracles, but Grace is a good one that every oracle should get eventually.
I agree. Swift & immediate spells have been a great help to my Paladin!