Rules
PFS
Level 1
Likely to get a lot of GM credit
Absolutely must have spells of some kind (minimum paladin/ranger casting)
Not a druid (I've got one)
I've got no direction on a new character and would like some help. The only other class I've tried was cleric and honestly I just don't like how feat starved they are if I go back to taking heavy armor prof. I've seen the reach cleric but we have a bunch of those. As for other classes I've looked at the summoner, paladin, ranger, wizard, witch, inquisitor, alchemist(Sort of caster), Sorcerer, and Oracle. Excluding the summoner (Which seemed hilariously overpowered) nothing stood out to me as particularly interesting.
Inquisitor or oracle sounds like just what you are looking for. Inquisitors have the variety or cleric domains and they have inquisitions for extra variety. They make perfectly serviceable melee combatants or ranged characters. Oracles have so much variety between mysteries and curses. And you can take a mystery that lets you be a physical fighter, save or die caster, blaster, or a healer.
I'd consider Oracle > Summoner in terms of spell casting. Summoner > Oracle due to action economy shennanigans. But you already have a summoner (Druid, better spells than Summoner though) so I'd probably skip on another summoner.
If you want to go the arcane side instead of divine the Magus is an interesting option to consider.
In terms of raw power though, Oracle is stronger than a Magus.
If you feel feat starved be a wizard they get a bonus feat every fifth level that's two bonus feats for PFS, also as it is a GM credit dump you can skip the I don't have enough spells per day.
Just take into consideration that if you won't be playing at lower levels only get spells that last. Also buy some pearls of power, at low levels its a steal, and it means you can have a grease or two every level.
Wizard is one of those rare occasions where human is not the best option. Elf is with teifling (PFS legal) as a close second.
You make an excellent knowledge monkey (just as good as bard just in different ways), and your spells are useful in a variety of non combat situations.
You may feel the need to optimize, but don't bother you are playing PFS you don't need 20 int to start 18 is plenty. The elf wizard is cliche but there is a reason; it is a good one.
For your stats remember you are a PFS player so you are not always surrounded by reliable teammates. you may want at least 10 con probably 12, but I wouldn't push beyond that. dex is important, even more so if you want to cast ranged touch spells. 14 minimum, ranged focused 16 minimum. If you want to optimise a little you can dump str and cha, you don't need them, if not fine. you should have enough points to boost wis a bit, if you optimize 14 is well within reach.
as for specialization I'd like to recommend an unusual choice: divination. banned charm (its pfs charm is not super useful beyond dominate) and evocation (you aren't a blaster) or if you aren't interested in summoning and aren't afraid ban conjuration instead of evocation.
Your traits will both be going into an interesting combo both reduce the metamagic cost of one spell: true strike. This way quickened true strike is a 3rd level spell, and you can prepare all your school slot spells with it, fun! Then hit them with true struck necromancy spells or evocation spells if you banned conjuration. A true struck disintegration is always fun (but remember there is a save)
Take improved init and maybe additional traits for a +6 to init and your high dex will give you +3, and you add half your diviner level to init... 10 init at lvl 2 you will be going first very often. Use this opportunity to hit the enemies with a nice mass debuff like waves of exhaustion or slow, they will all be together, perfect opportunity. Or something like black tentacles...
If wizard isn't for you think about Sorcerer (gets a bonus feat from a limited selection at lvl 7) or ranger 3 combat style feats by lvl 10 i believe. For these two classes I would recommend human so you are even less feat starved, and for the sorcerer its even better as you get extra spells known.
If you feel feat starved be a wizard they get a bonus feat every fifth level that's two bonus feats for PFS, also as it is a GM credit dump you can skip the I don't have enough spells per day.
Just take into consideration that if you won't be playing at lower levels only get spells that last. Also buy some pearls of power, at low levels its a steal, and it means you can have a grease or two every level.
Wizard is one of those rare occasions where human is not the best option. Elf is with teifling (PFS legal) as a close second.
You make an excellent knowledge monkey (just as good as bard just in different ways), and your spells are useful in a variety of non combat situations.
You may feel the need to optimize, but don't bother you are playing PFS you don't need 20 int to start 18 is plenty. The elf wizard is cliche but there is a reason; it is a good one.
as for specialization I'd like to recommend an unusual choice: divination. banned charm (its pfs charm is not super useful beyond dominate) and evocation (you aren't a blaster) or if you aren't interested in summoning and aren't afraid ban conjuration instead of evocation.
Your traits will both be going into an interesting combo both reduce the metamagic cost of one spell: true strike. This way quickened true strike is a 3rd level spell, and you can prepare all your school slot spells with it, fun! Then hit them with true struck necromancy spells or evocation spells if you banned conjuration. A true struck disintegration is always fun (but remember there is a save)
Take...
I considered very close to the above only specializing in conjuration save or suck with a minor in summoning. The thing about conjuration save or sucks is that they ignore SR (Nearly no conjuration spell has SR:Yes). That said I'm not sure how you reduce the level of metamagic twice but if if I had to have 1 spell quickened it would be invisibility.
Thank you for the direction but I just can't find divination spells to prepare. While initiative is supreme it essentially costs me a spell per level and the very powerful SLA Dim Door at level 8.
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For your stats remember you are a PFS player so you are not always surrounded by reliable teammates. you may want at least 10 con probably 12, but I wouldn't push beyond that. dex is important, even more so if you want to cast ranged touch spells. 14 minimum, ranged focused 16 minimum. If you want to optimise a little you can dump str and cha, you don't need them, if not fine. you should have enough points to boost wis a bit, if you optimize 14 is well within reach.
This is actually the reason I wanted to play a druid. It's effective no matter the table comp. I considered cleric but it just felt... not 3.5ie enough if that makes sense. No heavy armor, Substantially weaker domains (no free weapon focus) Your capabilities vs undead are pathetic (Seriously compare sun domain + war domain 3.5 to travel and another domain in PFS.) compared to before where you looked at a room of undead and pressed your win button. Oracles just seem like worse clerics to me.
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Inquisitor or oracle sounds like just what you are looking for. Inquisitors have the variety or cleric domains and they have inquisitions for extra variety. They make perfectly serviceable melee combatants or ranged characters. Oracles have so much variety between mysteries and curses. And you can take a mystery that lets you be a physical fighter, save or die caster, blaster, or a healer.
Oracle just seemed worse than cleric every single time I took a look at them. Inquisitor also seemed like it's about as good at casting as an alchemist and worse melee/saves. Since I'll get a lot of GM credit with this character OoV allows more smite evil (Which is just better than judgement). People seem to ADORE these classes but whenever I read them I just can't see what people like about them.
I wouldn't say oracles are better or worse than clerics, just different. I'm partial to spontaneous casters, though.
Ah, I hate spont casting. Fewer options all day long, and it doesn't even get more spells than the wizard. (3 + 2 cha vs 1 + 2 int + 1 School + 1 Bonded item)
Oracle just seemed worse than cleric every single time I took a look at them.
From my play experience this is so not true. Clerics are far worse then Oracles most of the time. Oracle will out due a cleric with the same focus. As long as both builds are done well.
Paladin : As long as you don't mind sticking to the code. Makes a really good character for the upcoming season 5 focus.
Ranger : Makes a good over all generalist character. There are ways to tweak a ranger to do much more then most other characters. Due to there full bab, and high skill points.
Bard : I know you did not mention this one. However they are one of the best over all classes to have in most 6 player groups. From personal experience I feel they are PFSP cheat mode for a group. Scenarios are not written to handle a character that can buff the party like a bards do. Along with there social skills, and knowledge. They tend to have a very large impact on the scenarios. They will never have a high kill count or do huge amounts of damage. They will how ever make the GM cringe every time you bring it out.
Witch vs. Wizard : It is all about what you like better. Over all if your going for controller. Witch is much better then wizard. Out side of that role the wizard is better. Both are good it's what role do you see your self in.
I wouldn't say oracles are better or worse than clerics, just different. I'm partial to spontaneous casters, though.
Ah, I hate spont casting. Fewer options all day long, and it doesn't even get more spells than the wizard. (3 + 2 cha vs 1 + 2 int + 1 School + 1 Bonded item)
Except taking a familiar is better in the long run for quite a few reasons, not the least of which is action economy. I would agree that wizards probably work better for PFS just because if you know what's coming in a scenario, you can prepare spells accordingly. With a sorcerer you're stuck with what you know unless you wanna plop down thousands of gold for pages of spell knowledge.
Strength 8
Dexterity 14
Constitution 14
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 12
Charisma 16 (bump up to 18 with human's +2 bonus)
Human Sorcerer
initiative +10
HP: 8
AC: 12
Base attack: 0
CMB: -1
CMD: 11
Skills: Intimidate +8, Spell craft +4, Use Magic Device +8
feats: Improved Initiative, Combat Casting, eschew materials (sorcerers get this for free)
saves: fort +2, ref +2, will +3
spells: Level 0: 5 of your choice
level 1: Grease, Color Spray
bloodline: Arcane
familiar ( green sting scorpion)
note: Take the human's favored class bonus, which gives you an extra spell known of your lowest level. More spells! At the first two level's you're getting an extra 0 level spell, so if you instead want to take the skill point or health, go ahead.Traits are your choice.
There's a basic level 1 human sorcerer build.
Going first = getting spells out faster = combat goes smoother. A well placed color spray and end a lot.
Grease is a helpful debuff, buff, and battlefield control spell.
Alternatively you can swap our grease for magic missile, if you really want some kind of damaging spell. But there's probably going to be someone else in your group that's focusing on damage, so might as well take grease.
you get the familiar from your arcane bloodline
intimidate will help out with some social things. Feel free to invest your skill points into other skills you have though as well.
PFS
Level 1
Likely to get a lot of GM credit
Absolutely must have spells of some kind (minimum paladin/ranger casting)
Not a druid (I've got one)
I've got no direction on a new character and would like some help. The only other class I've tried was cleric and honestly I just don't like how feat starved they are if I go back to taking heavy armor prof.
Oracle just seemed worse than cleric every single time I took a look at them.
From my play experience this is so not true. Clerics are far worse then Oracles most of the time. Oracle will out due a cleric with the same focus. As long as both builds are done well.
Paladin : As long as you don't mind sticking to the code. Makes a really good character for the upcoming season 5 focus.
Ranger : Makes a good over all generalist character. There are ways to tweak a ranger to do much more then most other characters. Due to there full bab, and high skill points.
Bard : I know you did not mention this one. However they are one of the best over all classes to have in most 6 player groups. From personal experience I feel they are PFSP cheat mode for a group. Scenarios are not written to handle a character that can buff the party like a bards do. Along with there social skills, and knowledge. They tend to have a very large impact on the scenarios. They will never have a high kill count or do huge amounts of damage. They will how ever make the GM cringe every time you bring it out.
Witch vs. Wizard : It is all about what you like better. Over all if your going for controller. Witch is much better then wizard. Out side of that role the wizard is better. Both are good it's what role do you see your self in.
Aura (Ex): A cleric of a chaotic, evil, good, or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to the deity's alignment (see the detect evil spell for details).
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Prerequisites: Aura class feature, ability to cast summon monster.
Benefit: When using summon monster to summon creatures whose alignment subtype or subtypes exactly match your aura, you may cast the spell as a standard action instead of with a casting time of 1 round.
Oracle's can't sacred summons which is a huge step down. Not even counting that oracles never get 6th level magic and clerics do. As for witch vs wizard I'd want to play a conjurer more likely than not. Adding in a bonded ring (To craft into a ring of blink for 13,500 late in his career which it appears I can still do in PFS) Wizards are also even more SAD than a sorc. My lean is toward wizard charm person bypasses diplomacy as a skill, color spray is still as good as ever early, web and burst of radiance dominate level 2.
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Time for a gnome bard.
Fun but I've no idea how to do a bard. Undefined combat capabilities. It's the jack of all trades master of none.
Wizards an cast summons as a standard with acadamae graduate too.
But not being able to do that a a standard is not a huge step down at all. Infact i would say a tiny hardly noticable step down. I have never had the urge to summon with my oracle. I would rather use my standard action to use a save or suck spell to remove one or more enemies from the fight altogether. VS summoning and having it take a few rounds to wittle something that still ghas the chance to kill or hurt me.
If I summoned with my heavens oracle people would be happy I did not end the fight in one colorspray.
There is an article going around about a cleric with a reach weapon, looked pretty neat. Get a long spear, and combat reflexes build for high str, and dex. Use buff spells and spells with no saving throws.
There is an article going around about a cleric with a reach weapon, looked pretty neat. Get a long spear, and combat reflexes build for high str, and dex. Use buff spells and spells with no saving throws.
We have 4-5 of these going around. While I like it there's always at least 1 usually 2 at our tables. It's incredibly popular at our tables. While I've got no problem with being similar to other players this is one area where it would be mediocre even as a GM since if I stepped in they'd just gain redundancy.
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Wizards an cast summons as a standard with acadamae graduate too.
But not being able to do that a a standard is not a huge step down at all. Infact i would say a tiny hardly noticable step down. I have never had the urge to summon with my oracle. I would rather use my standard action to use a save or suck spell to remove one or more enemies from the fight altogether. VS summoning and having it take a few rounds to wittle something that still ghas the chance to kill or hurt me.
If I summoned with my heavens oracle people would be happy I did not end the fight in one colorspray.
In terms of effect it's virtually quicken spell for no level adjustment. That's rather big to me. Save or sucks are great when they work which should be ~70% of the time if optimized for it while optimized or not for summoning it's 100% effective 100% of the time and often as powerful as a save or suck if they waste their turn attacking it. Summons also often come with save or sucks built in. While not the most powerful thing you can do it's the most consistent with no SR or saves involved.
Heavens oracles are the masters of save or suck spells. Make a human heavens oracle with the blackened curse. Take Awesome Display as your level 1 revelation and plop some GM credit on the character to get to level 2. Make Spell Focus (illusion) and Greater Spell Focus (illusion) and give yourself 20 Cha and your color spray will have a DC of 18.
Blackened curse is to add a couple of direct damage spells to your list in case you need them.
My save or suck at level 8 is a dc 25 will save you must make 3 times. That percentage is well above 70%. Plus summoning is not 100% You can unsommon/control them and I have played in PFs areas where we could nto summon.
My save or suck at level 8 is a dc 25 will save you must make 3 times. That percentage is well above 70%. Plus summoning is not 100% You can unsommon/control them and I have played in PFs areas where we could nto summon.
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Heavens oracles are the masters of save or suck spells.
Wizard lvl 7 has higher than that only save 2x instead of 3 and he gets it vs whatever save he wants. Reasonably sure the wizard is the king of save or suck (or in some cases no save, just suck). As for not summoning what, excluding random AMF's, stops it? Protection from good? That doesn't do anything against the SLA's. Banishment? That still makes them waste an action and only banishes 1 monster. As for controlling them wouldn't it behoove them to control a player instead? The more experience I get with summoning the more I agree with treatmonk's guides casting a summoned creature is pure win while save or sucks are either great or a wasted turn.
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Look at the Magus.
I will but from what I've seen I doubt it'll be interesting. They seem like arcane inquisitors which I also don't like.
