Advice for first time PFS character~

[Vitarri_Tyrim]

I have just recently started reading into the PFS and this character profile is my first attempt at one and honestly I want to do it right.

Any advice is appreciated!

I have downloaded the Additional Resources and PFS guide and am looking for anything else that would be helpful in character building.

I was trying to do a Cleric of Gorum Build but it is also my first attempt. Hehe.

Again thanks for any help that is provided!

[Drogos]

You need to increase your CON to a 14 minimum if you want to be in Melee. With a d8 hit die and a 12 CON you are far too squishy to be in melee. One crit will put you down and likely perm you. I'd suggest dropping either STR or WIS by 1 and lower INT to an 8 and put those points into CON. That Buckler is also not helping you out with your Greatsword, just giving you a -1 to hit.

And be aware, to play a Plumekith in PFS you need to have Blood of Angels (hardback or PDF).

[Vitarri_Tyrim]

I will definitely look at changing a few things, I only have two skill points atm so I didn't want to drop my int more but I see your point. =/ I am Pretty squishy still that was why I stuck with the buckler for an extra AC despite losing 1 to attack.

@Plumkith comment I do own the book or do you mean I also need to earn the option through PFS?

[RainyDayNinja]

You need to have the book with you at the game (either a hard copy, a printout of the relevant pages, or a PDF), but otherwise Aasimars are open for everyone.

Your stats are awfully spread out right now. Are you wanting to focus more on melee or casting? If melee, you can tone down your Wis quite a bit, since your spells will be focused more on buffing and support, and not need high DCs. Also, you should probably forget about investing in channeling, unless you want to dump Int; you just have too many other important stats. For that, I'd recommend a spread more like 16/14/14/10/14/11, and swap out Selective Channel for Toughness. Definitely drop the buckler too. And if you want to go melee, I'd strongly consider the Fate's Favored trait from Ultimate Campaign; it increases all luck bonuses (such as from divine favor) by 1, so for the cost of a 1st level spell, you're getting +2 to hit and damage.

If you want to focus more on casting control and save-or-suck spells, you should instead tone down that Strength to free up more points in Wis and maybe Cha.

[rorek55]

actually, you CANNOT play any of the advanced races in PFS legally. Which saddens me greatly.

May I ask why you want to play a cleric?

[Imbicatus]

rorek55 wrote:

actually, you CANNOT play any of the advanced races in PFS legally. Which saddens me greatly.

May I ask why you want to play a cleric?

This is not true. You can play Aasimar, Tieflings, and Tengu without a boon in PFS. Several other races are available if you have the boon.

[RainyDayNinja]

rorek55 wrote:

actually, you CANNOT play any of the advanced races in PFS legally. Which saddens me greatly.

What do you mean by "advanced races"? The Additional Resources page clearly says that Aasimars are legal, as are the variant heritages from Blood of Angels.

[Vitarri_Tyrim]

@RainyDayNinja

Oh, I gotcha, I should have said this was for PFS PbP, my bad there. So used to playing online only anymore. =/

Understood on the stat's I was trying to build a hitter but your points make some major sense and I am spreading myself too thin. Trying to do too much will make me quite useless overall. The higher Wisdom was so I could cast higher lvls when the time came but I can get magical items to boost stats eventually. :)

Thanks for the help guys! :D

[Vitarri_Tyrim]

@Rorek55

I usually play a support character of some sort as most people take to the Damage dealing or frontline classes. I just wanted to try my hand at a Cleric of Gorum just to have a more martial cleric, however being new to PFS I thought Cleric would be a safer choice and more useful to a fledgling party.

[Imbicatus]

14 WIS is plenty for a Melee Cleric. Also, are you absolutely committed to the greatsword? It's a nice weapon, but for clerics and other spellcasters, I really like reach weapons.

[Vitarri_Tyrim]

Imbicatus Just trying to hold to the theme, he is a cleric of Gorum and utilizing the deities chosen weapon is prudent I thought? ;)

I still have some GP left so I can load up on another weapon to round him out. What Reach weapon do you suggest?

[BigNorseWolf]

If your int is 8 on a cleric theres' no reason not to go for a 7. 1 skill point is 1 skill point either way.

[rorek55]

reach weapons are nice with the trip special

[Imbicatus]

Longspear is the default unless you are willing to burn a feat or switch to a deity with Glaive(Sheyln) or Ranseur(a few Empreyal Lords and Infernal Dukes).

[My PFS Lavode De'Morcaine]

First:
WELCOME TO PFS ! ! !

Second:
The Aasimar sub-races are legal if you own the appropriate book (Blood of Angels). It is allowed on the additional resources page.

Third:
The build isn't horrible, but it doesn't look like you have decided what you want to do with the characters. have you looked in any of the build guides? If not, it is worth everyone's time to check them out.
Guide to the Guides
Check out one or more relating to cleric builds.

In some ways PFS is like a home game, but it does have some differences in emphasis.

Like a character for any home game it helps to decide what you want to be doing.
Personally I don’t like all those odd numbers. If I have to have a 13 to qualify for eldritch heritage, ok. But even then I will almost always bump it up to a 14 to give me a +2 on the skill checks. Sometimes I will have the primary stat that I will be raising at 4th level an odd number. You seem to be trying to keep 5 out of 6 abilities very good. That just really isn’t possible.

Some of the most typical party roles for a cleric in any game are:

Heal/Buff Bot - I don't actually recommend this unless you really really like it. Most people find it boring. Some few people find it wondrous. It can be done and it can be effective. But like I said, most people don't like it.

Melee Battle Cleric or Tank - A few self buffs and wade into melee with a big weapon. Use a wand of CLW after the battle. (Your domains, feat, and gear make it look like you are going for this.)

Offensive Caster - The cleric list does have some truly nasty offensive spells (though not as many as the wizard). Leave that low brow weapons work to the common riffraff. Raise your wisdom as high as possible. Take spell focus necromancy or enchantment. Then SoS the opposition into the mud beneath you boots. Plus you have some great buffs to keep the meat shields between you and the threats.

Channel Master - (This is Especially possible with the Assimar race specific force channel feats.) Pump charisma as high as you can afford, and the other stats are just high enough to function. Take selective channel, improved channel, force channel, quicken channel, outsider channel, etc...

There are other roles, but those are the most typical.

I also always recommend someone pick one or two secondary roles you want to be able to perform even if it is not your specialty.

In some ways PFS is different from a home game.

Most of the introductory scenarios for new PC's are relatively easy. Don't try too hard to max out your specific gear for your very first session. Go for a breadth of capability. I usually recommend hide armor, large wooden shield, morningstar, and javelins (or sling). Yes, you will eventually want the breastplate, elven curved blade, and strength rated masterwork composite long bow. But you don’t really need it yet.
Save some of the other money for things like acid splash, alchemist fire, holy water, potion of CLW, caltrops, oil, tanglefoot bag, thunder stone, anti-toxin, anti-plague, scroll of a level 1 buff or utility spell, etc… Wait until you hear the mission briefing. You almost always have time to go buy something at that point before the mission starts. If the VC says you are going in see what happened to the cleric running the catacombs, buy all the holy water you can afford. If says you are going to see why all the caravans are getting lost in the swamp, buy a swarm suit and all the acid you can afford. Etc… Consumables tend to be more important and useful in PFS than in most home games. Especially in the early levels.
You make quite a bit of money pretty fast to start getting the better gear.

Don’t over specialize. Can’t count on who will be at the table. In PFS you don’t know that you will have all the standard roles filled like is normally the case at a home game. So I vastly prefer to not optimize a character too much. If there is no one who is a real ‘face’ character at the table on a given day, you might want to have a few ranks in things like diplomacy and sense motive. If you don’t have a scout, you might need some ranks in perception (at least you have a decent wisdom). If there is no wizard or bard around, you may need some ranks in knowledge religion, knowledge planes, knowledge arcane, and/or spellcraft. I hate dumping intelligence. The mission might be sneak into a party to steal the X from the office without raising a ruckus. If all you can do is wear heavy armor and swing a big stick, you might be in trouble.

Don’t try to do everything. I saw a guy recently who had 4 different classes so he could shoot, cast spells, find traps, engage in melee, and handle diplomatic negotiations. Consequently, he couldn’t do anything decently. He actually got through the first few levels providing some useful capabilities. At about 4th level he was struggling to just survive. He really wasn’t helping much if at all. Although you can’t tell what will be going on the mission with you, you still have to assume your allies will provide some needed capabilities.

I would suggest you decide what primary and secondary roles you want to fulfill, the feats you intend to select as you level, and the strategies you were planning to use. When we have a better idea of where you are wanting to go, we can give you more specific advice on how to get there.

[Vitarri_Tyrim]

I will go melee battle cleric and tank, I will also check out the guides as well. Again appreciate all the help guys and gals! :D

[rorek55]

may I suggest paladin? it may suit you better than a battle cleric. Just an option.

[Morrolan de'Morcaine]

You might also consider the inquisitor. Many people like it better for the divine caster melee/tank roles.

This avatar has a similar character concept that I am currently using.

Also remember for PFS you are really only planning through about level 11. Most PC's are pretty much retired at level 12. There a few adventures for after that, but not many. So they are hard to get into and advance.

Since you are saying melee/tank not offensive caster, you are not worried about the save DC of the spells you are casting. Since they will mostly be buff spells on yourself. Most people would say drop your wisdom to 14. By level 11, you can assume you will have been able to afford and purchase a headband of wisdom +2. That will allow you to cast all your spell levels.

[Jiggy]

Vitarri_Tyrim wrote:

I am Pretty squishy still that was why I stuck with the buckler for an extra AC despite losing 1 to attack.

Not sure if anyone's addressed this, but if you make an attack using the arm that's wearing the buckler (such as by using a greatsword), you lose the buckler's AC bonus for a round. So you're not trading an attack penalty for an AC boost, you're just eating a penalty for no real benefit.

[My PFS Lavode De'Morcaine]

rorek55 wrote:

may I suggest paladin? it may suit you better than a battle cleric. Just an option.

I would be careful of this. Especially for your first character. Many people at my local just seem to assume that any paladin is going to be played Lawful Stupid. Plus since you could have an undead animating necromancer or a bunch of CN murder hobos at the table, you may find it difficult to play a paladin and stay to the code.

The couple guys I know that have paladin PC's have it as a their second or third PC. They check out the table entries. If it is mostly good characters and no necromancers then they play the paladin. Other wise, one of the others.

Jiggy wrote:

Vitarri_Tyrim wrote:

I am Pretty squishy still that was why I stuck with the buckler for an extra AC despite losing 1 to attack.

Not sure if anyone's addressed this, but if you make an attack using the arm that's wearing the buckler (such as by using a greatsword), you lose the buckler's AC bonus for a round. So you're not trading an attack penalty for an AC boost, you're just eating a penalty for no real benefit.

Yeah, I missed that up above.

The only real way you could make use of the buckler is to have a 1-handed melee weapon like a longsword. Then you could wield it 2-handed for the damage bonus from 2-handed strength and take the -1 to hit. Then if you are getting beat up you could wield the longsword with 1 hand and the buckler with the other. You would then lose the hit penalty and extra damage to gain a +1 to AC.

But I wouldn't really recommend it.

[Jiggy]

My PFS Lavode De'Morcaine wrote:

Jiggy wrote:

Vitarri_Tyrim wrote:

I am Pretty squishy still that was why I stuck with the buckler for an extra AC despite losing 1 to attack.

Not sure if anyone's addressed this, but if you make an attack using the arm that's wearing the buckler (such as by using a greatsword), you lose the buckler's AC bonus for a round. So you're not trading an attack penalty for an AC boost, you're just eating a penalty for no real benefit.

Yeah, I missed that up above.

The only real way you could make use of the buckler is to have a 1-handed melee weapon like a longsword. Then you could wield it 2-handed for the damage bonus from 2-handed strength and take the -1 to hit. Then if you are getting beat up you could wield the longsword with 1 hand and the buckler with the other. You would then lose the hit penalty and extra damage to gain a +1 to AC.

But I wouldn't really recommend it.

Actually, this is (part of) why my cleric of Iomedae has a buckler. In practice, though, I can't think of the last time I swung two-handed.

[rorek55]

also, can someone reference where assimar's and the other races are usable for PFS?

[Jiggy]

Did you try the Additional Resources page, seeing as it's the official listing of what is and is not legal for PFS?

[RainyDayNinja]

rorek55 wrote:

also, can someone reference where assimar's and the other races are usable for PFS?

The list of legal races is in the Guide to Organized Play.

[Takhisis]

While Battle clerics are great I'll just give you yet another option to consider in the battle oracle. Melee clerics work fine, but battle Oracles can also be loads of fun and benefit from both increased spells per-day and mysteries, the latter of which are highly useful. While the melee cleric can be fine warrior, Oracle mysteries allow the battle Oracle to outshine the battle cleric on the melee front in many ways. They can get better weapons and armor through their mystery and also can get other powerful boons related to melee combat through their mystery that a battle cleric just won't be able to obtain easily.

However, the downside to Oracles is that they are more specialized then clerics and while they can cast more have limited spells known. Thus, a battle Oracle will be the more powerful melee fighter when compared to a battle cleric but the battle cleric will be able to do many, many things that the Oracle cannot while still being decent at melee. If don't mind that specialized nature than the Oracle is at least an option to consider. Also, if you are interested in the melee Oracle the best mystery choices for it would be Battle or Metal. Battle is powerful but a bit bland fluff-wise while Metal is just as powerful and has both more interesting but also more specific fluff. I'd suggest taking a look at both those mysteries if the Melee Oracle interests you and see which one you prefer. Ancestor is also a nice mystery for melee, but less powerful an option then either Battle or Metal..so take that for what you will.

[Imbicatus]

I actually like Wood more than Battle or Metal for melee oracles. Wood Bond is great for anyone in combat as it makes you effecivly a full BAB class with lower iterative attacks. Also, you get access to Shillelagh, Barkskin, and Wood Armor to further boost your combat abilites and save you cash on buying armor.

[Takhisis]

Yeah, also, while it may not be great at low levels for melee, the Life Oracle can actually go into the Holy Vindicator prestige class and once they hit that they become very potent at melee combat. They lose quite a bit of spellcasting, though, but gain some very powerful abilities for melee so thats another option to throw on the table as well...provided the OP is not adverse to taking prestige classes.

[Jiggy]

One thing to note about melee oracles is that, unlike clerics, they have a poor Fort save. Fort is fairly important in melee, so keep that in mind.

[Takhisis]

Holy Vindicator life Oracle mitigates that some with it's PrC, but it's still an issue IMO. Spells and items can help quite a bit, though, as will having a good con. Either way you should have no less then 14 con as a battle oracle to begain with, so you'll at least have that helping you. Battle Oracles also can also afford to dump int more then clerics can since they get 4+ Int skill points. In fact, if you go human(which you should for the spells known favored class bonus) you can dump int to 7 and still have 3 skill points which is the same as a non-human cleric with 12 int. So between both wis and int being able to -potentially- be dumped you could get quite good strength and con right off the bat and the con would help with fort saves. Just like the battle cleric you only need a 14 in your casting stat with a battle oracle, so charisma can be raised to 14 and left alone while the rest of your points are focused on str and con. Just be sure to get a cha-boosting item when you get access to higher level spells and you'll be good. Dex is also a luxury, honestly, and can be sacrificed a bit for more strength and con. You shouldn't dump it, mind you, but you can live with 10 dex if you really are worried about not having enough str and con. However, if you do this mind your reflex save.

My personal stat layout for a battle Oracle would be : Str: 18, Dex: 12, Con: 14, Int : 8, Wis 10(Swap with int if you don't want to RP a moron and/or value skills highly and don't mind the will save and perception hit), Cha: 14. For a battle cleric, use the following layout.. Str: 18, Dex: 10, Con: 14, Int: 12, Wis: 14, Cha : 8(swap with Int if you care about channeling in any way. If you care about channeling and don't want to be a moron lower int by 2 and raise cha by 2.) Both these are assuming human and assuming you put the +2 into Str.

[Tangaroa]

Okay, so (as I often like to do) I made something completely different, but still playable. I did a little stat dumping to make it work (sad face), but it could be loads of fun.

Plus, I think it's way more in line with your character backstory (I'm still confused on why you are a pathfinder - how did you fall in with the Pathfinders?)

The basic idea is you take the Divine Strategist archetype and forgo all channeling (you can still do spontaneous curing, though). You take one domain: Tactics. With the combination of master tactician and seize the initiative you assure your party goes slightly faster, and one guy (probably a rogue) rolls twice for initiative in every combat. Meanwhile, you always go in the surprise round and get a progressively higher initiative.

You then take dodge (level 1), power attack (level 3 or 5), heavy armor proficiency (level 5 or 3), and combat expertise (level 7) as you level. Why? Because then you open up a world of options with the war domain "weapon master" ability. (Heavy Armor Proficiency is just for the better armor, of course!)

At level 8, the feats (dodge, power attack and combat expertise), weapon master tactics domain ability, and maybe a few skill ranks give you access to the following abilities:

Feat list:

Amateur Gunslinger
Blade Binder
Blind-Fight
Bloody Assault
Bloody Vengeance
Bludgeoner
Bull Rush, Improved
Catch Off-Guard
Charge of the Righteous
Cleave
Combat Medic
Combat Reflexes
Coordinated Defense
Coordinated Maneuvers
Critical, Improved
Dazzling Display
Deadly Aim
Death from Above
Death or Glory
Defensive Combat Training
Defensive Weapon Training
Demon Hunter
Desperate Battler
Dirty Trick, Improved
Disarm, Improved
Distance Thrower
Drag, Improved
Enforcer
Equipment Trick
Exotic Weapon Proficiency
Feint, Improved
Firebrand
Flanking Foil
Focused Discipline
Fortified Armor Training
Furious Focus
Gang Up
Hammer the Gap
Improved Initiative
Intimidating Prowess
Jaguar Pounce
Large Target
Lookout
Lunge
Martial Weapon Proficiency
Measured Response
Mobility
Mounted Combat
Opening Volley
Outflank
Overrun, Improved
Paired Opportunists
Performance Weapon Mastery
Point-Blank Shot
Precise Strike
Prone Slinger
Pushing Assault
Quick Draw
Reposition, Improved
Saving Shield
Second Chance
Shadow Strike
Shield Bash, Improved
Shield Focus
Shield of Swings
Shield Wall
Sliding Axe Throw
Stance of the Xorn
Steal, Improved
Step Up
Sunder, Improved
Swap Places
Throw Anything
Tower Shield Proficiency
Trip, Improved
Two-Handed Thrower
Unarmed Strike, Improved
Vital Strike
Weapon Finesse
Weapon Focus
Whip Slinger

Almost a feat for every occasion.

The 8th level tactical expertise ability from divine strategist is nice, too.

As an added bonus, you have a good intelligence and actual skills!

Anyways, just a thought :)

Divine Strategist Build:

Vitarri Tyrim the Tactician
Male Aasimar (plumekith) cleric 1
CN Medium outsider (native)
Init +2, Senses darkvision (60 ft.); Perception +2
Aura aura of chaos
Deity Gorum
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DEFENSE
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AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 11 ((1d8)+3)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +4
Resistances acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5
=================================================
OFFENSE
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee greatsword +3 (2d6+4/19-20)
Ranged javelin +1 (1d6+3)
Spell-Like Abilities see invisible (1/day)
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3)
1st-bless, divine favor, magic weapon*
0th-guidance, resistance, stabilize
* Domain spell; Domains War (Tactics subdomain)
=================================================
STATISTICS
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Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 13
Feats Armor Proficiency (light, medium, shield), Dodge, Weapon Proficiency (simple, greatsword)
Skills Acrobatics +1, Fly +1, Heal +6 (+8 with healer's kit), Knowledge (History) +6, Knowledge (Religion) +6, Sense Motive +6; ACP -2
Traits Armor Expert, Veteran of Battle
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal
Archetypes Divine Strategist
SQ aura of chaos, celestial language, celestial resistance, darkvision, domains, master tactician, orisons, seize the initiative (5/day), scion of humanity, skilled, spell-like ability, spontaneous casting, weapon and armor proficiency
Combat Gear Healer's Kit (10 charges), sunrod (2)
Other Gear greatsword, uniform (soldier's), kikko armor, healer's kit, belt pouch, flint and steel, backpack, common, bedroll, grappling hook, common, rope (hemp/50 ft.), holy symbol (wooden), javelin (5), rations (trail/per day) (2), 2.9 gp
=================================================
SPECIAL ABILITIES
=================================================
Armor Expert When you wear armor of any sort, reduce that suit's armor check penalty by 1, to a minimum check penalty of 0.
Aura of Chaos (Ex) You project a faint chaotic aura.
Caster Support (Su) A divine strategist can use the aid another action to assist another divine spellcaster, granting a +2 circumstance bonus on caster level checks and concentration checks until the beginning of the divine strategist's next turn. This bonus increases by +1 at 4th level and every four levels thereafter (to a maximum of +7 at 20th level). The allied caster must remain adjacent to the divine strategist to gain this benefit. Caster support can be used to assist arcane spellcasters or characters using magical items, but they gain only half the normal bonus.
Celestial Resistance (Ex) Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5.
Darkvision (Ex) Range 60 ft.; Darkvision is the extraordinary ability to see with no light source at all, out to a range specified for the creature. Darkvision is black and white only (colors cannot be discerned). It does not allow characters to see anything that they could not see otherwise-invisible objects are still invisible, and illusions are still visible as what they seem to be. Likewise, darkvision subjects a creature to gaze attacks normally. The presence of light does not spoil darkvision.
Domains A divine strategist gains only a single domain.
Master Tactician (Ex) A divine strategist can always act in a surprise round even if she fails to make a Perception check to notice enemies, though she is considered flat-footed until she acts. In addition, the divine strategist gains a bonus on initiative checks equal to 1/2 her cleric level. At 20th level, a divine strategist's initiative roll is automatically a natural 20. Allies able to see and hear the divine strategist gain a bonus on initiative checks equal to 1/4 the divine strategist's level. This is a language-dependent ability. This ability replaces channel energy.
Orisons You can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells. These spells are cast like any other spells, but they are not expended when used and may be used again.
Seize the Initiative (Su) Whenever you and your allies roll for initiative, you can grant one ally within 30 feet the ability to roll twice and take either result. This decision is made before results are revealed. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Skilled (Ex) Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Fly checks.
Spell-Like Ability (Sp) Aasimar (plumekith) can use see invisible 1/day as a spell-like ability.
Spontaneous Casting You can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that you did not prepare ahead of time.
Veteran of Battle (Gorum) You have fought in several battles, and each time felt the presence of Gorum guiding your sword-arm, making you ready to act at a moment's notice. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Initiative checks, and if you are able to act during a surprise round, you may a draw a weapon (but not a potion or magic item) as a free action during that round.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency Clerics are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Clerics are also proficient with the favored weapon of their deity

[Vitarri_Tyrim]

It is true that it would be strange for a battle seeking cleric to join the society and that is a concept I am trying to improve upon.

More or less like the Red Wizards in Forgotten realms, even society members need bodyguards from time to time or muscle to crack open that last tomb slab.

I really appreciate the help and I making a lot of good notes on your guys points. The divine strategist looks really interesting and is an angle I haven't thought of honestly.

[haruhiko88]

Battle Cleric of Gorum: Str 13, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 14. As a human take the feats Channel Smite (and channel negative so you can smack people with it) and Guided Hands. It lets you use Wisdom instead of strength with a greatsword and with a str of 13 you qualify for power attack at level 3. If you are willing to eat a spell every spell level the crusader archetype works perfectly for the combat cleric giving you weapon focus or heavy weapon proficiency at level 1. If you are dead set on aasimar then the str heavy builds are what you want.

[Tangaroa]

On some level, a Divine Strategist is going to end up a bit like some Oracle of Battle builds; still, I like the concept of handling out initiative bonuses and modifiers, which an oracle couldn't - and this archetype seems like it was built for a cleric of Gorum; they aren't healers/channelers, they are warriors!

Oh, a couple of comments:
*Keep in mind that you'll only be able to use enlarge person on yourself if you take the Scion of Humanity racial trait; it has a target of humanoid, and the base Aasimar (or plumekith) isn't humanoid. Of course, it works both ways... if you stay just an outsider, charm and dominate person does nothing on you.

*I don't think it's wise to take the base Destruction domain; if you go the route of your original build, take the rage subdomain instead. I say this because the 8th level power is way too dangerous - Destructive Aura can work out very, very badly for your party when used (you do not want monsters auto-confirming their criticals with a bonus to damage).

The Rage ability of the Rage subdomain, on the other hand, is a fun if situational power. Once you buff, you can rage for a bit, but it does keep you from casting spells while you rage.

[Tangaroa]

haruhiko88 wrote:

Battle Cleric of Gorum: Str 13, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 14. As a human take the feats Channel Smite (and channel negative so you can smack people with it) and Guided Hands. It lets you use Wisdom instead of strength with a greatsword and with a str of 13 you qualify for power attack at level 3. If you are willing to eat a spell every spell level the crusader archetype works perfectly for the combat cleric giving you weapon focus or heavy weapon proficiency at level 1. If you are dead set on aasimar then the str heavy builds are what you want.

Yeah, I was considering suggesting a build along these lines as well. This would certainly make it a more "single ability dependent" class.

Crusader does give you a few extra nice feats, but the penalties for it are *so* high. I also find their legion's blessing an interesting if mixed bag; as far as I can tell, it's only really good for a very few spells (shielf of faith, aid, and maybe bulls/bears/eagles spells)

[rorek55]

if your a melee char, you don't need the CHA, drop cha is 10, maybe even 8, and up Str to 16 or 15 and dex to 12.

[Takhisis]

Tangaroa's build dosen't use Str for to-hit though, only damage. It uses Guided Hands to get wisdom instead of str for attack rolls so they only need str for damage and are using channel negative + channel smite to boost damage as well. However, even with channel negative + channel smite having some strength for damage would be advisable. I'd say that 14 would be best. Int can be dumped down to 8 to make this possible on his build. Likewise, wisdom could be dropped to 16 to up str to 14 and it won't hurt THAT much, if you value the int and skills.

[Slacker2010]

I realize there is alot of flavor in the Divine Strategist archtype, but for the first time PFS character I think he is giving up to much. Wait until you understand the limits of PFS and how comps are random before playing a character that gives up so much to specialize.

Also consider looking at the warpriest new class. I think it fits great with you concept.

[Takhisis]

I would have suggested warpriest but it won't be legal in PF society until the official sourcebook for it comes out in the late spring-early summer. The only reason people are playing them now is because they where legal during the playtest period and if you made one at that point you, of course, get to keep your character after the period ended. However, since that playtest period has ended no new warpriest characters(as well as new characters of any of the playtest classes) will be allowed to be made until the official book is printed.

[Kydeem de'Morcaine]

When did the playtest end? I thought it was still going for a while? I was just getting ready to start a hunter.

[Imbicatus]

Kydeem de'Morcaine wrote:

When did the playtest end? I thought it was still going for a while? I was just getting ready to start a hunter.

It's still showing as legal per the Additional Resources page, but I still wouldn't play one until the book drops, because I expect there to be some major changes between the playtest version and the release. Warpriest specifically seems too powerful when compares to other classes.

[Slacker2010]

Takhisis wrote:

The only reason people are playing them now is because they where legal during the playtest period and if you made one at that point you, of course, get to keep your character after the period ended. However, since that playtest period has ended no new warpriest characters(as well as new characters of any of the playtest classes) will be allowed to be made until the official book is printed.

Can you cite the source for this?

[Kydeem de'Morcaine]

Slacker2010 wrote:

... but for the first time PFS character I think he is giving up to much. Wait until you understand the limits of PFS and how comps are random before playing a character that gives up so much to specialize...

bing bing bing

I agree. You don't need to specialize that much to be making a successful contribution in PFS.
It is very good to have more capabilities rather than just take the thing you are already good at and pump it up to the clouds. It isn't necessary to do umpteen dozen points of damage every strike.

A basic melee/tank-ish cleric or inquisitor build will accomplish his primary goal. Plus allow him to have other spells, skills, and capabilities when needed.

Once he has a better idea of how PFS plays out and what types of PC's typically show up at his local, he can get more creative with the second character.

[Takhisis]

These forums where my source. I was interested in making an arcanist as my first PF society character and was told I had to make it before a certain date that was the "end" of the playtest or else the class would no longer be a legal class choice. Likewise, I for some reason remember seeing a bunch of red information in additional resources with the playtest material that I believe(but don't remember for sure, so don't take my word for it.) confirmed this cut off date at the time. However, this was a long while back and the red print on additional resources has been removed so I think that if there was a cut off date originally they may have done away with it. So, in that case warpriest is still legal for PF society play and would probably be a good option for the OP if he's interested. He should know however that his warpriest will almost definetly have to dump int, which I know makes some people uncomfortable. There is absolutly no way for him to have an int score above 8 on a warpriest as dex is not a good stat to dumb and he needs every stat except dex and int...

[ezrider23]

Still available.

As per the Additional Resources page.

Quoted:

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide Playtest
All ten classes (Arcanist, Bloodrager, Brawler, Hunter, Investigator, Shaman, Skald, Slayer, Swashbuckler, and Warpriest), as they are released, are legal for play so long as you have a print or PDF version of the playtest document. We reserve the right to change, alter, modify, or outright disallow various functions of these classes, especially during the playtest, and players using these playtest options are expected to frequently monitor the Pathfinder Society messageboards for changes while playing these classes during the playtest. You will be forced to update your character—adjusting only the features that have changed, not rebuilding entirely—once the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide is released. We strongly encourage you to use your play experience to report on what works and doesn't work with the playtest classes on their specific messageboards on paizo.com. For retraining purposes, if a hybrid class notes one of the two base classes that form the hybrid, it is a retraining costs of 5pp per level.

[Tangaroa]

Takhisis wrote:

Tangaroa's build...

haruhiko88 build ;) credit where credit is due.

[Takhisis]

I am so distracted right now. I apologize for the mistake.

[ezrider23]

Takhisis wrote:

There is absolutly no way for him to have an int score above 8 on a warpriest as dex is not a good stat to dumb and he needs every stat except dex and int...

Well if DEX and INT are the least needed stats for the WarPriest the OP could go with...

Garuda Blooded Aasimar
STR- 16
DEX- 10 (8+2)
CON- 14
INT- 10
WIS- 16 (14+2)
CHA- 12
OR
STR- 16
DEX- 12 (10+2)
CON- 14
INT- 10
WIS- 15 (13+2)
CHA- 12

To the OP
I don't know how much Charisma the Warpriest needs. Some, i think, but not a ton. At later stages of game play and item should help to boost WIS/CHA. Raise Wisdom to a 16 @4th. That 16 in Strength will give a decent enough attack stat. WarPriest gives Heavy Armor so having a +1(or 0 mod.) in Dexterity isn't that big of a deal. Big Honkin Sword and Power Attack at first and lay waste to enemies. 2 or 3 SP(I would go for Favored Class: Skill Points) are tough but doable. Diplomacy and Knowledge Religion. I don't know if you are settled on a God but Abadar with the trait of Eyes and Ears of the City will get you Perception as a class skill. Otherwise i would look into another trait for Perception. After that look to boost your Reflex and/or initiative.

Just my 2 coppers.

[Takhisis]

Warpriests need a lot of charisma. Thats why he can't get int over 8. One of their main class features is based on charisma, so I'd see them of needing a 14 in the stat, personally. No more then 14 would be needed, mind you, but less would also hurt. Also, with items you don't need the 16 wisdom, as I believe warpriests only get up to level 6 spellcasting meaning you only need at max 16 wisdom. Therefore, just go Str 16, Dex (8+2 racial) 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wisdom 14(12 +2 racial), Cha 14. Focus on spells without saves, buffs and healing and you should be fine. As stated, you can boost wisdom with an item, so 14 is fine for starting wis on a warpriest.

[Tangaroa]

Slacker2010 wrote:

I realize there is alot of flavor in the Divine Strategist archtype, but for the first time PFS character I think he is giving up to much. Wait until you understand the limits of PFS and how comps are random before playing a character that gives up so much to specialize.

You're probably right, but I just thought it was too fun not to make. I don't think giving up channeling is that big of a deal, for a battle cleric. Giving up the 2nd domain might be more significant.

Casting cleric, battle cleric, channeling cleric... definitely difficult to do all three well. Managing two of the three is probably most realistic.

[ezrider23]

Okay.
16/8+2/14/10/12+2/14.
Use stat bumps where you want. Strength if Melee focused or Wisdom if Caster focused. Headband of something to boost WIS/CHA and Belt to boost STR/CON.

Choosing a different Aasimar (WIS/CON) could help but is not a deal breaker.