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I'm working on a human Deaf Wood Oracle for PFS play. My goal is for him to be competent in melee with a quarterstaff, in addition to being able to buff himself and the rest of the party. He would get a scaling bonus to hit from Wood Bond, and by using shillelagh he would get damage boosts to both ends of the quarter staff. I'd like him to use both ends when he can get in a full attack, so I'll need some TWF feats.
I'm aware this isn't optimal for a battle oracle or for a melee character in general, but I want to try to make it work.
Now, from his back story, he would have started off at level 1 in a forest village or tribe, as a simple fighter-type character. Fighter, ranger, or barbarian would work. I would love your advice on which of these would be most useful for that single, level 1 dip before he becomes an oracle at level 2. Are there any archetypes that would be particularly good?
I've looked over the TWF feat tree. Aside from TWF and ImpTWF, the rest seems unnecessary or inapplicable for a 3/4 BAB PFS character, but please let me know if there is anything vital that I'm missing.
Thanks for the help!
If you are only looking for a level dip, barbarian should work fine, gives you rage and you can recover from fatigue cause by it. Also gives you +10 movement speed. So you can charge in for a better hit if you don't mind losing AC.
Fighter would give you a bonus feat so you can get two weapon fighting earlier, but really not much it can offer with a single level. Most fighters only get their usefulness at level 3.
Ranger for single level dip doesn't give you much in terms of using quarterstaff. So barbarian and fighter would be better.
However, I would like to say. Full oracle often works better than dipping one level on other class, choose wisely.
Fighter might be better if you plan to wear Heavy Armor. Otherwise, barbarian.
Fighter might be better if you plan to wear Heavy Armor. Otherwise, barbarian.
Totally agree with you. However, personally I would prefer barbarian because low level, you will hardly get to wear fully plate unless your GM spoil you a lot or your team fund you, which would be very rare since hardly any players realize that fighter with full-plate rocks(when they reach level 9).
For fighter, if you wear heavy armor for one level dip, you can't move normal speed, you have to suffer the armor panelties and the reduce dex, the extra + 3 AC might not worth it if you have more than 1 dex. Which you should because you are an Oracle, you reflex save isn't so good. Otherwise, yes, it's awesome.
For Barbarian, you get two things, +10 movement speed which allow you to move normal speed with medium armor, and rage. Rage is useful if you use it wisely at the right time. It gives you more str, con, will saves with the price of 2 AC. If you have 3 dex, you will have 2 less AC compare to dipping fighter with full armor, but you will have the same AC when you are not raging. When your friend is getting kill by a monster that is only one hit away from dying, you will be able to reach him when 1 dip fighter couldn't as charge gives you 20 ft in difference.
Those are my point of view, so hope they are helpful.
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Thanks, that's a really solid analysis. I see what you mean about the disadvantage to raging as a caster, although the movement speed is very appealing. Ranger access to skills, favored enemy and an expanded spell list for wands is tempting as well.
Cavalier and gunslinger really wouldn't work for this fella, not his style. And I may end up sticking with the 'was a generic level 0 dude' idea.
I'd go with Fighter. You need the bonus feat for the TWF chain, as well as other feats like Quarterstaff Mastery and Weapon Specialization. Barbarian doesn't get you anything but a speed boost and a handful of rounds of rage.
Think about staff magus, too.
You get quaterstaff master for free, may take weapon specialization, can offset your missing bab with arcane pool and get some additional spellcasting.
I probably wouldn't dip. Assuming Human and Battle.
1. Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse; Rev: Weapon Mastery(QuarterStaff)
From there you're on your way. Assuming you're sticking with that Quarterstaff, I see no reason to dip.
If you worry about raging and casting. Urban Rager might better work better than normal barbarian for you. However, personally, I would not go ranger because it means you can get any bonus if you are fighting against anything that is not your favored enemies or wild animals.
If you pick fighter, you get to take bonus feat, awesome, but you don't deal enough damage and the rouge can just poison you to death.
If you have problems raging, means you rage in the wrong time. You don't rage whenever there is an encounter, you should wait for the right moment then you know casting spells won't do you any good. You can also rage when you have no spells and need to end the encounter with the extra damage you can put in. I would recommend using quarterstaff as two handed weapon because your low BAB, however, it's up to you to decide.
Key of single level dipping is you choose a class that can boost you in way that either help you more than going full in one class(which is rare), or help your weakness (which is your fort, reflex, damage and to hit, also slow movement if you are wearing medium armor.) If a monk of 40 movement speed poking you with a reach weapon, you will never be able to reach him because you can only move 40 fts even if you charge. Trust me, nothing is more annoying than being poke and can do anything back. You try to cast spell on him, but he can reach you, try to cast defensively but it's not that easy. By the time you did cast something, their good saves make your spells like nothing. That's what I think barbarian is better for your character.
However, like Havoq said, you probably don't want to dip.
Honestly, wood oracles make good combatants without a dip, especially with shilleligh and wood bond.
I'd give it a few levels as a straight oracle, then if you find you still think it's needed, take a martial class level.
And how committed are you to the quarterstaff? Because even though it would mean taking EWP, greatclub+wood bond+shilleliegh can be a big help at lower levels.
And how committed are you to the quarterstaff? Because even though it would mean taking EWP, greatclub+wood bond+shilleliegh can be a big help at lower levels.
Some GMs don't allow greatclub + shilleliegh because the spell states quaterstaff or club, not quaterstaff and all kinds of club. Or in other words it tells you which specific weapons it works with not weapon groups.
You could use an oversized club. But that gives you pentalties to hit.