|
Concept:
The goal of this build is to create an optimized, or at least pseudo optimized, lunar oracle shape shifter themed character. This is a thought exercise governed by the standard PFS rules. As such, the level caps at 12, the build is based on 20 points, and non-PFS legal choices are simply not allowed.
The Basics:
Race: Aasimar.
Sub-Race: Agathion Blooded (Idylkin).
Not only is the Idylkin the best in terms of statistics bonuses (+2 Cha and Con), but the Agathion Blooded are themed around the wilds and the beasts found therein. Thematically, they are the best choice. Statistically, they are the best choice. Pure win.
Class: Oracle
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: +1/2 to one Revelation (Primal Companion)
Archetype: Dual Cursed.
Mystery: Lunar
Revelation: Primal Companion (Tiger)
The Statistics:
This build will be taking Prophetic Armor, as such Dex is irrelevant to all but Initiative. Although Init is an important feature, it is not so necessary as to require points dumped into the otherwise useless stat.
Str: 14 Dex: 10 Con: 14
Int: 10 Wis: 10 Cha: 19
Strength will be important for to hit and damage we well as grant the ability to actually carry and wear medium armor without penalty.
Dexterity will not govern reflex saves, nor will it govern AC bonuses, thus its value is severely restricted. I do not dump below 10 often, and I see no reason to take an initiative penalty.
Constitution is always important. ALWAYS.
Intelligence governs no saves. It is essential however; as Int governs your skills and you will likely want at least 4 skills. See below.
Wisdom is important as it relates to saves. Although it is not needed for much else, I do hate to dump saves or take penalties to perception checks.
Charisma is the primary casting stat of the oracle. It also governs the second most important skill, Diplomacy. Increase at levels 4, 8, and 12.
The Skills:
Perception: The single most rolled skill in the game. Suck at this, and get used to being the whipping boy during each and every surprise round. If you, for whatever reason, opt to ignore this skill, do yourself a favor and take the Defensive Strategist trait.
Diplomacy: The second most commonly rolled skill. This is a class skill. In addition, this is a Charisma based skill. Max it out!
Handle Animal: You want to get this to a 14 so will never need to roll a handle animal check, ever.
Ride: Your mount will soon be large. May as well learn to ride! You do not have a good Dex, so put the remaining ranks left over from Handle Animal into Ride. In scenarios where you spend almost all of your time underground or in confined quarters, you might not need this. If you don’t need Ride, just amp up your Knowledge skills.
Linguistics: You are Dual-Cursed. You need one rank to Read Lips.
Knowledge (Religion): You will find knowing whether or not creatures are subject to special attacks such as Smite Evil to be very handy. Distribute your remaining ranks left over after taking Linguistics evenly between this skill and Knowledge (Planes).
Knowledge (Planes): You would do well to be able to spot evil outsiders if for no other reason than the use of your companions Smite Evil and handy spells, such as Protection from Evil. See above.
Why Dual Cursed:
Wolf Scarred: This gives you a primary natural attack. Sadly, it also makes your spells have a 20% chance to fail if Somatic components are required. This sounds kind of bad.
Deaf: This incurs a penalty to Perception, and to initiative. Specifically, you automatically fail ALL hearing related perception checks and take a -4 on Initiative and a -4 on all opposed perception checks (think Stealth). You also have yet another 20% spell failure chance. BUT! “You cast all of your spells as if they were modified by the Silent Spell feat. This does not increase their level or casting time.”
In addition, at 5th level, you receive a +3 competence bonus on Perception checks that do not rely upon hearing, and the initiative penalty for being deaf is reduced to –2.
At 10th level, you gain scent and you do not suffer any penalty on initiative checks due to being deaf.
At 15th level, you gain tremorsense out to a range of 30 feet. Sadly this will likely not materialize in a PFS setting.
Revelations:
1st: Primal Companion
3rd: Prophetic Armor
5th: Fortune
7th: Form of the Beast
11th: Touch of the Moon
Feats:
Traits:
Reactionary: A -2 initiative penalty hurts, but a -4 could be a killer. . .
Seeker: Perception a class skill? Yes please.
Other noteworthy considerations:
Lessons of Chaldira: Free rerolls are never bad.
Defenive Strategist: If your Perception sucks AND your initiative sucks, you just die faster than everyone else. Take this if you didn't take the above.
Savannah Child: Handle Animal or Ride as a class skill is basically the same as skill focus for free, before you add the +1 bonus that tags along for free.
1st: Celestial Servant
3rd: Extra Revelation (Misfortune)
5th: Eschew Materials
7th: Still Spell
9th: Improved Initiative
11th: Divine Interference
Other worthwhile thoughts:
Extra Traits: This feat can be worth two uses of Skill Focus so long as you use it to add class skills that would not otherwise be class skills. This also can be used to take two of the three alternate recommended traits listed above. I consider all three of the above listed alternate suggestions to be nearly worth a feat, or worth more than a feat, alone. Extra traits choosing the above is worth far more than a lesser feat. Sadly, the feats above work so well on paper, I have a hard time suggesting taking the Extra Traits feat even though it is so amazing.
Why:
First, you will want to choose to tie your alternate favored class bonus to the Primal Companion. When you are level 12, your companion will be level 18! It will make a superb tank! Throughout, you will see a huge increase in effectiveness based on this one choice.
Prophetic Armor at level three will increase your AC and your Reflex Save by 4 instantly. This will increase to +5 at level 4 and increase again to +6 at level 12. Yay! This is assuming you don’t ever increase Cha with a stat item. . . not a very reasonable assumption.
Misfortune is AMAZING. Someone should write a guide just on this one little revelation. It basically gives every ally a free reroll, and cancels the first crit an enemy rolls.
Fortune is great simply because free rerolls are great.
Form of the Beast is a minor version of Wild Shape. You cannot take this until level 7. It is NOT WILD SHAPE. Thus you CANNOT take the feat Natural Spell. So you will need to find a way to cast spells while in animal form. Animals cannot speak. You need Silent Spell. Lucky you! You get it free from dual cursed status! You need Eschew Materials since your spell component pouch melded with your form when you became a dire tiger, and even if if didn’t you wouldn’t be able to do much since you are not likely to have opposable thumbs. Just in case your GM decides animals cannot make the appropriate movements needed, you took Still Spell at level 7 as well. It is almost like you planned this or something!
Touch of the Moon is just fun! Not sure it is more fun than shooting blinding laser beams (moonbeam), but it offers slightly more versatility. Feel free to swap out for Moonbeam if you like. Pros of Moonbeam: it is an ability not a spell, thus you can use freely while in the Form of the Beast.
“Touch of the Moon (Su): The exact effects of this revelation depend on whether you cast inflict or cure spells. If you cast inflict spells, these spells carry with them the taint of madness. Subjects who take damage from your inflict spells are also subject to confusion, as the spell, except the duration of this effect is a number of rounds equal to the level of the inflict spell. The save DC against this effect is 10 + 1/2 your oracle level + your Charisma modifier. Alternatively, if you cast cure spells, these spells are potentially more effective but entirely in the target's mind. Whenever you cast a cure spell, you can cast it as though it were enhanced with the Empower Spell metamagic feat by expending two spell slots, except these hit points are temporary. This does not increase the level of the spell. Hit points healed this way expire after a number of minutes equal to half your oracle level. You must be at least 7th level to select this revelation.”
Yay! Dual purpose abilities! Confuse your enemies or create modest amounts of temp HP - this, the positive energy version, makes for a sub par buff or a lousy heal. I think this is definitely better as an attack.
Improved Initiative will occur just before you lose all initiative penalties due to deafness! Yay for blind luck! Even with Reactionary, you have not yet ever had a positive initiative modifier. Now you do, for the FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE!!! WOOT!
Divine Interference. Yeah, know how good Misfortune is? Know how it was intended? This is that. Again. You can now do it TWICE (you know, because you have had misfortune for a long while)! How nice is that?
As long as you're trying to make Dex irrelevant, you might consider Noble Scion (War).
For a slightly different approach. Consider the option this oracle has of going mounted spellcaster. For that, The mount could take the feat Narrow Frame for all those times when you walk through 5ft corridors. And the Oracle could take Combat Casting and Uncanny Concentration to never have to worry about the mount's movement. Ever wanted to cast a full round spell and STILL move 80-100 ft per round? This is how. And riding a tiger is just pimp status.
An Oracle riding a Tiger does invoke an image of awe, especially with those stats. Unfortunately, that image is of He-Man. We'd need some kind of Barbarian or Fighter levels involved in this business to pull it off right. Maybe Cavalier.
Why seeker, perception is a class skill
Wow this revelation really is the cheese... Everything Nature's revelation was and so much more...
Getting the animal companion the bodyguard Archetype and granting it and yourself the lookout feat solves the problem of being surprised. Also it allows kitty cat to pounce in the surprise round... every surprise round. I'm pretty sure that beats share spell.
Also you should consider Fate's favored/Divine power if you want to get into melee yourself.
