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This weekend, I will be pitting my mythic party against some of these folks. Right now, it will likely be composed of Bloodragers, Slayers, and Shamen.
Here's the Bloodragers they'll face
Half-orc Bloodrager 7 (CR6)
Array: 17,12,14,8,10,14 in order after racials and increases
Build:
1- [Toughness], Aberrant Bloodline
3- [Power Attack]
4- +CON
5- [Cleave]
6- [Improved Grapple]
7- [Vital Strike]
Tactics:
DPS Mooks with reach (15' after enlarging) to harrass party
Mythic Half-orc Bloodrager 8 (CR8/MR2)
Array: 18,12,16,8,10,14 (+2 CON from MR2)
Build:
As above execpt
1- Arcane Bloodline
6- [Disruptive]
8- +STR
Mythic Abilities:
Competent Caster, Immovable, Extra Mythic Feat (Mythic Power Attack)
Mythic Feats:
Mythic Toughness
Tactics:
Rage and primary DPS using the defensive abilities gained in Arcane Bloodline (Likely Blur and Haste)
Creation Feedback
Other than previously mentioned items in the class discussion threads, nothing exceptional popped out making these guys. DR1/- is epically useless, but that's always been a fact. Many bloodline abilities are hit & miss, with Arcane sticking out as the best bloodline to use for an enemy combatant. I would hope to see an archtype that would allow a wider spell selection, perhaps replacing the DR increases with a spell from the sor/wiz spell list of an appropriate level? That would have made the arcane build a bit more attractive.
I'll reply here with my slayer and shaman enemies once I finish working them out.
OH, also, one of my players has rebuilt as a Bloodrager/Dragon Disciple, so I'll be getting some data from him as well.
Thank you for your playtest feedback! We're looking forward to what else you find. :)
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Here is the Shaman that will grace the battle lines
Half-orc Shaman 6 (CR5)
Array: 10,14,14,12,17,8
Build:
1- [Toughness], Battle Spirit
2- Battle Ward Hex
3- [Extend Spell]
4- +CON, Wandering Spirit (Nature)
5- [Dodge]
6- Wandering Hex (Entangling Curse)
Tactics:
Debuff/Buff in early rounds, heal in mid rounds, open caster focusing on status control. Half of spells are prepared cures, with choice spells like Invisibility Purge, Dispel and Extended Doom filling out the versatility
Creation Feedback
Pretty generic divine caster. The hexes are a nice touch, though. The class abilities using 3+CHA is out of frame with the casting stat being WIS, and the Battle Spirit power was ambiguous regarding maximization. Feels like a cleric with something better than channel energy, and doesn't really mechanically feel different on creation. Thematically appropriate (especially for these half-orcs), and not cursed like an oracle; however they just don't seem to be that unique.
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And finally the Slayer
Half-orc Slayer 6 (CR5) Ranged
Array: 14,18,13,10,12,8
Build:
1- [PBS]
2- Deadly Range
3- [Precise Shot]
4- +DEX, Weapon Training (Longbow)
5- [Skill Focus(Stealth)]
6- Combat Trick (Deadly Aim)
Tactics:
Stealth and study, shoot and sneak attack. Rinse, repeat.
Creation Feedback
Feels like a good combo between Ranger and Rogue, and frankly seems to seamlessly build without seeming too much like the other. D10, full bab, and 2 good saves make it essentially a ranger with rogue talents, however. Leaving it a d8 may help mesh the theme a bit better (and monks and rogues do OK on the front line with d8's anyway) without leaning it too far toward one of the underlying classes. The execution of the build felt much more like building a fighter, with combat applicable goodies to pick at each level. Deadly Aim's progression is just barely above the progression for Favored Target, so much of the penalty for Deadly Aim (and subsequently power attack) is cancelled out by Favored Target, but this is also the case with Favored Enemy and Fighter Weapon Training. Conclusion: a fun build that felt fighter-y but unique enough.
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Party Composition
Avg 45 point buy, WBL close to expected, Effective APL ~8
Half-Giant Ftr 6 / Champion (Dual Guardian) 2
Half-Giant Bloodrager 5, Dragon Disciple 1 / Champion (Dual Archmage) 2
Catfolk Rng 6 / Champion (Dual Guardian) 2
Human Pal 6 / Marshal 2 (Cohort H/ling Clr 4)
Encounter 1
4 Bloodrager 7's
1 Bloodrager 8/2
2 Shaman 6
2 Slayer 6
This fight gave a good idea of what the Bloodragers can do. Arcane really shined as more viable than the other two bloodlines in play. The Draconic (PC) probably came in 2nd, with the Aberrant guys falling behind a bit. The Abberant guys utilized their 15' reach, and the Arcane his mobility. They didn't hold up too long against my very optimized party.
The Shamen felt very generic, and even though the few hexes make them operate differently from a cleric, their hexes could easily be considered domain powers and they wouldn't feel different in any way but AC and what spells they spontaneously converted. As this class is, it would be the same as adding an archtype to cleric that gave hexes instead of domain powers.
The Slayer, however, felt very good, if a bit underwhelming. To be fair, they were APL-3 creatures, but they really could only reliably hit an unbuffed bloodrager and the ranger PC's. The two move actions to designate both favored targets really ate into their action economy, and since they were only 6HD were sadly left out of the Vital Strike potential. Class seems very balanced in its abilities, however the +10' to sneak attack is an ability tax for any ranged character, and I'm hoping there are some archtypes that come in the book to give them some distinct advantages to focusing on either melee or ranged.
End of Combat: 8 Dead, 1 Surrendered, 2 PC's below 25% health, some resources burned
Encounter 2
6 Bloodrager 7's
1 Bloodrager 8/2
2 Shaman 6's
2 Slayer 6's
This is essentially the last fight plus 2 scouts.
The bloodragers shined a bit better in this fight, with their spells making more of a difference. Shamen continued to be clerics, but the slayers did a bit better. Sneak attack for the ranged slayer continues to be as problematic as it is for the rogue, eating up valuable move actions, and in the case of the Slayer, results in a full round of doing nothing from having to designate and hide in the same round.
End of Combat: 11 Dead, 1 PC below 10% health (Bloodrager), 1 PC near 50% health, more resources burned (especially cures)
Conclusions
Bloodrager is nowhere near as combat effective as a Paladin or Ranger, of which they're supposed to model. Its just missing that special something that makes it pop in the combat zone, and rage just isn't that. The Magus spell list is very limiting, and my group feels that the Bloodrager's spell theme should be much less focused on the same theme as the Magus. In combat, it tends to function very little differently that its base Barbarian, which isn't a good thing when 2 other PC's in the group are more effective Melee as a Pal and a Ftr. Of the three bloodlines played, Arcane stands hands above the others as a logical choice. I really would like to see the same mechanic on the other bloodlines, but with the auto-spells themed toward that bloodline, and ideally with spells outside of the Bloodrager spell list. Survivability is somewhat concerning, but only in the same vein as a Barbarian; both classes will eat your healing reserves out of house and home.
The Shaman, as said above, feels little more than a cleric, and not in any way unique. Its background theme fits its missing niche, but in combat, or as used as an antagonist, replacing it with the combat superior cleric would result in a better enemy in 80% of the class's functions.
The Slayer is probably the most ready of these three, with its major problems being a total lack of action economy. Much of this is alleviated at level 10 with the swift action. The Slayer talents help out some by giving them some expansion, but like the Rogue, the inability to take some more than once (Combat Trick, specifically). Perhaps adding in someway for their base combat abilities to expand would help even out some of the blandness plaguing the class. Archtypes will be key for this one, just like the Fighter, so that the class can focus itself into its theme.