I wonder how many people are going to click this link and immediatly go to respond with ZOMG L2pathfinder... I am desinging an Easter themed monk like character. I am using the term Samurai as what he would call him self. Depending on the time period Samurai were more administrator/servants to their Daimyo(Feudal Lord) than warriors.
In no way am I claimimng to be an expert in Japanese history/culutre just a student of it. The monk part is since he is a lore warden he cant wear anything more than light armor anyways, I want him to look like a traveling monk with nothing but a quarterstaff.
Stats:
Human Fighter (lore warden) Level 2
Str 18 (+2 racial)
Dex 15
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 8
AC: 16/T12/FF14
Melee: +7 D6+6(PA +6 D6+9) or +5/+5 D6+4/D6+2)
CMB +6(8 disarm)
CMD 18
Traits: Acrobatics class trait(?)
Indomitable Faith (+1 will save)
Feats:
1- Two Weapon Fighting
H- Weapon Focus(Quarter Staff)
1B- Power Attack
2B- Imp Disarm
Skills: 4+1 5/level
Acrobatics
Perception
Knowledge planes/religion/arcane
Class:
Combat Expertise
I am looking for advice on this character. He is a simple fighter duel weilding a quarter staff. The lorewarden is going to help me with my skills and CMBs. This isnt suppose to be a super optimized character, just a fun concept of a traveling monk doing his duty.
Also he is a character that is being made with GM credits, he wont see play till atleast level 2 maybe 3. I statted him out for level 2 just incase i get to play him Sunday.
personally, i'd think about taking levels in monk [weapon adept]... maybe even only monk levels... the skills are much more in line with what it sounds like you want, you (effectively) get 2wf for free (from flurry), you still get wf/spec (again for free), and you get perfect strike (which can be used with staves) instead of stunning fist. if you wanted to, you could dip 2-3 levels of lore warden for CE and maneuver bonus, or weapon master for weapon training. monk would also set you up for the crane style feats and deflect arrows, which Quarterstaff Master will let you take advantage of (and still be able to take AoOs). you would, certainly, be more MAD (but you said this wasn't about optimization).
If you want to go fighter, consider the two-weapon warrior archetype for the benefits that provides for fighting with double weapons. However I also suggest that you go with a weapon adept monk, it is both flavorful and mechanically strong, since you do not need to take the twf feats and when you flurry you add bonus damage equal to your full Str to every attack.
With only 10 Int, you don't qualify for Improved Disarm. You could either cut Con down to 12, or Str down to 17 to get to 13 Int. If you took Toughness and put your FCB into HP, you probably wouldn't miss the 14 Con, so I'd go that route.
If you're interested in a wandering monk flavor, have you looked at the Wanderer monk archetype for humans in the ARG? At the very list, I'd keep Linguistics maxed out to get lots of languages known; it seems to fit the theme you're going for.
I am currently using it in a Curse of the Crimson Throne game, and this guy wielding a katana, or any weapon really, gives the perfect wandering swordsman theme that I think you may be looking for.
EDIT: My mistake, I completely missed the PFS in title somehow. Well, it's a good archetype still, even though it doesn't qualify. :-D
Never Noticed that one. Thanks for the idea guys.
I will look into it, but my armor will be going down for a while at least. Plus I don't own Ultimate Combat yet, so I wouldn't be able to take the crane feat chain yet. Food for thought though.
With only 10 Int, you don't qualify for Improved Disarm. You could either cut Con down to 12, or Str down to 17 to get to 13 Int. If you took Toughness and put your FCB into HP, you probably wouldn't miss the 14 Con, so I'd go that route.
If you're interested in a wandering monk flavor, have you looked at the Wanderer monk archetype for humans in the ARG? At the very list, I'd keep Linguistics maxed out to get lots of languages known; it seems to fit the theme you're going for.
Lorewarden give you Combat Expertise for free at level 2 even if you don't qualify. As far as I know Imp disarm just says you need CE.
At 2nd lvl, when you will possibly begin to play, just flurry shurickens until they get nera you, then flurry with the quarterstaff. After quarterstaff master you can utilize crane wing and riposte. The fighter lvls are there after lvl12 so that you take fast DImentional Dervish and be able to swift action teleport and then flurry. Late game you should have a ki focus quarterstaff and use it to deliver stunning fist. ALso with the 3rd lvl of fighter you take weapon training and you can buy gloves of dueling.
I did not take barkskin with the qinggong powers because you will buy an amulet of natural armor early in the game and their bonuses do not stack. If you like however feel free to take it at 4 lvl and Scorching Ray at 5 lvl.
Skills: max acrobatics and perception and stealth, high UMD, 1 point in swim and sence motives
I will look into it, but my armor will be going down for a while at least. Plus I don't own Ultimate Combat yet, so I wouldn't be able to take the crane feat chain yet. Food for thought though.
With only 10 Int, you don't qualify for Improved Disarm. You could either cut Con down to 12, or Str down to 17 to get to 13 Int. If you took Toughness and put your FCB into HP, you probably wouldn't miss the 14 Con, so I'd go that route.
If you're interested in a wandering monk flavor, have you looked at the Wanderer monk archetype for humans in the ARG? At the very list, I'd keep Linguistics maxed out to get lots of languages known; it seems to fit the theme you're going for.
Lorewarden give you Combat Expertise for free at level 2 even if you don't qualify. As far as I know Imp disarm just says you need CE.
With only 10 Int, you don't qualify for Improved Disarm. You could either cut Con down to 12, or Str down to 17 to get to 13 Int. If you took Toughness and put your FCB into HP, you probably wouldn't miss the 14 Con, so I'd go that route.
If you're interested in a wandering monk flavor, have you looked at the Wanderer monk archetype for humans in the ARG? At the very list, I'd keep Linguistics maxed out to get lots of languages known; it seems to fit the theme you're going for.
Lorewarden give you Combat Expertise for free at level 2 even if you don't qualify. As far as I know Imp disarm just says you need CE.
Afraid not; I double checked.
It still needs 13 Int.
Just saw PFS tag, well the weapon adept is perfectly fine for PFS too, I would suggest though to take barkskin as you first qinggong power.
At 2nd lvl, when you will possibly begin to play, just flurry shurickens until they get nera you, then flurry with the quarterstaff. After quarterstaff master you can utilize crane wing and riposte. The fighter lvls are there after lvl12 so that you take fast Dimentional Dervish and be able to swift action teleport and then flurry. Late game you should have a ki focus quarterstaff and use it to deliver stunning fist. ALso with the 3rd lvl of fighter you take weapon training and you can buy gloves of dueling.
I did not take barkskin with the qinggong powers because you will buy an amulet of natural armor early in the game and their bonuses do not stack. If you like however feel free to take it at 4 lvl and Scorching Ray at 5 lvl.
Skills: max acrobatics and perception and stealth, high UMD, 1 point in swim and sence motives
Vows of Cleanliness and Truth
I corrected the stats and added Barkskin, seeing that it is a PFS build.
Skills: max acrobatics and perception and stealth, high UMD, 1 point in swim and sence motives
Vows of Cleanliness and Truth.
At 2nd lvl, when you will possibly begin to play, just flurry shurickens until they get near you, then flurry with the quarterstaff. After quarterstaff master you can utilize crane wing and riposte.
I choosed to trade Abundant Step because without at least Dimentional Agility its combat use is limited to running away. I guess you could say it "tactical withdrawing" :).
Instead Restoration never gets out of fashion. In addition, it is more flavorful with the more mundane concept for your samurai (scorching ray does not help there though, but you can always change it with something less flashy like True Strike).
I'm seeing a beefcake PFS fighter with a CHA of 8 screaming to get dumped to 7 to free up another 2 build points.
Man of Steel 84 wrote:
....The monk part is since he is a lore warden he cant wear anything more than light armor anyways...
You'll have fun for the first level or two. Then that human WIS of 10 in a fighter archetype locking you into mediocre AC and a two-weapon emphasis in a musclehead begging for 2hPA....is seriously going to eat into your fun quotient the moment the opposition starts casting spells or rolling above 23ish to hit routinely.
IMO you'd be better off playing an actual samurai archetype with Order of the Warrior (lots of rerolls for those saves). ...my PFS samurai was a DEX-meister, but there's no reason you couldn't 2hPA those sweet extended-threat Japanese weapons in a STR build (don't forget your elevation bonus while mounted!). That Challange bonus racks up the damage on crits like crazy. And with an INT of 7, you'd get as many skills points/level as a INT 10 fighter. Keep your CHA up for Ki and for Dangerously Curious (hands down the best trait in the game, IMO, at least for PFS).
Just a note on Deflect Arrows. It requires two hands, which means you'd have to release one hand from your quarterstaff at the end of the turn. That means you have to choose whether you want to be able to Delfect Arrows or make an attack of opportunity. However, I took Deflect Arrows on my PFS monk, and all the way through level 9, I used it in one or two fights total. Just not worth it.
Just a note on Deflect Arrows. It requires two hands, which means you'd have to release one hand from your quarterstaff at the end of the turn. That means you have to choose whether you want to be able to Delfect Arrows or make an attack of opportunity. However, I took Deflect Arrows on my PFS monk, and all the way through level 9, I used it in one or two fights total. Just not worth it.
After Quarterstaff Master there will be no longer such a need. Until then he will have to choose though yes. Usually it is an easy choice, if you see enemy archers you leave it, if you don't see you don't. It is not like you cannot make an unarmed attack of opportunity anyway. And the other choices are not any better. An argument could be made about Improved Grappling but you are not there to grapple. Combat reflexes will see even less use because you do not have a reliable way to generate AoOs.
