Advice: Front liner for a small party

[Javaed]

Hi all,

I'm going to be playing in a new game soon where the party may only be 3 people. The other players are going for a Sorcerer and a Rogue, so I figured I should have a front liner planned out in case we don't pick up any more players. I'm just having a tough time deciding what to pick up.

Campaign Specific Info:

The game will be Final Fantasy themed, set in Spira (FFX). We're using a 15 point buy, but pretty much any source book that's already published is allowed. The only restrictions are to avoid anything that doesn't mesh with the theme of the game.

I'm thinking of playing a Ronso which have the follow racial attributes:
+2 Str -2 Dex +2 Wis
Darkvision 60
Ferocity
Stubborn
1d4 Bite Attack

Note: I can pick up Catfolk specific feats & gear with a Ronso.

With the small party, I'm debating whether I should just go for a Barbarian build and just wreck things, or if I should go for a martial character with an animal companion.

I'd appreciate any thoughts y'all have.

[MurphysParadox]

Oracle of Metal! Those guys are pretty awesome! Alternatively, you could go with something like a Paladin or Inquisitor. The -2 dex already sets you up for something in heavy armor, so any of these would work. You also have to be able to cast cure spells or you might as well tell the other two to start planning a second party.

[Reynard_the_fox]

A battle cleric would probably be a great idea here. There's a guide in the stickied threads to the Reach Cleric - it goes something like this:

Step 1: Be a Cleric with a domain like Plants (Growth) that grants Enlarge Person.

Step 2: Take Combat Reflexes (and have at least 12-14 Dex).

Step 3: Grab a longspear or other reach weapon.

Step 4: Stand in front of the party. On your turn, cast spells. Smack anyone that comes closer with an AoO.

You guys are going to want some divine magic in the party, less you be screwed when the need for a Lesser Restoration or even just some plane-jane healing comes up. IMO, as the only divine caster in the party, Cleric beats out Oracle because you're never more than a day away from the particular spell you need.

Alternately, playing a Paladin would really let you take on a whole army by yourself - you'd have the armor, HP, and saves to just keep trucking, and at least some access to divine magic.

Either way, I would see if you can get the Sorcerer to keep up with the latest Summon Monster spell - having a few more bodies to bolster your front line and help the Rogue get flanking will undoubtedly come in useful. You may want to see if your GM will let you take the Mount feature of Divine Bond and use it more as an animal companion than a mount.

[Jaime Sommers]

I think a full BAB class would be a good idea. Consider Paladin or Ranger.

[Javaed]

Mount with something other than a Horse would work fine. After all, this is FF so we'd have Chocobos (Axebeak stats?).

Thanks for the ideas guys! I'm looking at various options and should come up with something good.

[bfobar]

I'd throw in my recommendation for paladin since you have full BAB, full armor, and can lay on hands for some out of combat healing, or in combat on yourself if you're getting pummeled.

[vorpaljesus]

I'll recommend a lunar oracle. Take the animal companion, then gift of tooth and claw. Probably utilize summon monsters spells for utility and extra melee fighters. Use scrolls and wands for curative spells like lesser restoration an obviously clw. Take the trait fates favored If you can, to add another +1 to your divine favor and divine power. Take the revelation that allows you to add charisma to ac instead of dex. Actually I might make this character now that I think about it.

Or, do what others said and play a paladin, flavor goes really well with ronso IMO.

[Imbicatus]

Bite but no gore? With Ronsos being a race of people who look like Beast from x-men with unicorn horns? Ok...

That said, the reach cleric is a really good build. Otherwise, a Melee focus wild shaping druid is nice. Both can do a great job being front-line while still bringing support magic and healing to the team.

Inquisitor fits Ronso flavor and can be an effective combatant and a better skill/caster than a paladin. They also have more freedom in how they act, which can be handy if you are dealing with Yevonites.

I really like the catfolk nimble guardian monk, but I can't recommend a monk of any kind with a 15 point buy.

I'd stay away from Oracle because the stats suck for it, and 15 point buy really limits options.

[Vorpal Laugh]

Battle Cleric, paladin, or oracle are all good choices. Lunar oracles are pretty bad-ass but there is a paladin in the group who the main front liner. I would look at Battle or metal oracles as options too. For all those choices, Eldritch Heritage is very tempting, especially if you are going human or half-elf.

A last minute idea, what about the War Priest from the
playtest?

[vorpaljesus]

The stats aren't that bad for an oracle focused on melee. CHA doesn't need to be obscene because he wouldn't be focused on save DCs. Of course he would want a good CHA to help his armor class and bonus spells, etc. WIS is never bad to have, the DEX hit isn't horrible since he's using CHA to AC. The STR bonus is gravy.
At first level with fate's favored and share spells, he and his tiger are both getting +2 on attack and damage from divine favor. His rogue always has a flanking buddy. He can focus on buffing those two and providing some combat support as well.
I may consider a one level monk dip for IUS and stunning fist, then taking feral combat training, dragon style, dragon ferocity. The form of the beast revelation at 7th level will last most of the adventuring day so he can take advantage of the natural attacks provided by that, which get even beastlier at 9th level when he can acquire pounce from the animal forms.
And through all this he's still a full divine caster with spontaneous cure spells and able to use wands and scrolls to take care of crappy status conditions, spells to buff and for utility.

I'm not saying it's the BEST option but I think it would be very fun and versatile. A paladin may be strictly better for this scenario.

[Javaed]

Vorpaljesus, a Lunar Oracle looks amazing! Lower BAB, but if I pick up the Catfolk Exemplar feat I can use Gift of Claw and Horn to add a Gore Attack. Gore, Bite and Claw x2 seems like a pretty good combo if I go with a Natural attack build.

This nets me a decent AC, 4 attacks per rounds, some healing & buffing spells and an animal companion.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Good Choice would be a Paladin, Battle focused Cleric, War priest, or battle Oracle.

I highly recommend the Paladin. You can heal yourself as a swift action with Lay on Hands. You can use wands of Cure light wounds and a hand full of scrolls. Your party will have to rely on Use magic Device for the Bigger scrolls of Resurrection. But for a rogue to be effective they need a flanking buddy and a paladin can take a beating.

[Rageling]

I have three main ideas to suggest, but the more I think about them the more I realize they might be rough on a 15 point-buy... But then again, if DEX would be lower anyways, heavy armor could compensate.

So the suggestions...

Fighter -- possibly Armor Master archetype:

Suggested Stats before mods at 1st level:
STR: 15 -- DEX: 13 -- CON: 15 -- INT: 10 -- WIS: 8 -- CHA: 10
After traits
STR: 17 -- DEX: 11 -- CON: 15 -- INT: 10 -- WIS 10 -- CHA: 10

Fighter gets a lot of grief, but it could work out good here.
Armor Master trades out Bravery, Weapon Training and Weapon Mastery but amps your defense in return. At 2nd level it allows you to use some or all of your shield bonus for Touch AC, and 5th level you have DR 3/- in heavy armor (which becomes 12/- at 19th ... and can specifically stack with Adamantine Heavy for 6/- or 15/- respectively). You get Light Fortification at 9th level, Moderate Fortification at 13th level, and total immunity to Crits/Sneak Attack at 20th along with sunder-impervious armor. Then you get a feat each and every level on top of this, thanks to odds and class bonus.

If you wanted more offensive capabilities, you could go entirely without an archetype and use feat to tailor your results, but I'm trying to minimize incoming damage for you, considering the group's general lack of a healer. Then again, this is Final Fantasy style, so healing potions might be crazy abundant! Heh.

On chance healing potions aren't common as water, I have 2 others;

Paladin -- Sacred Shield & Warrior of the Holy Light:

Suggested Stats before mods at 1st level:
STR: 14 -- DEX: 10 -- CON: 15 -- INT: 10 -- WIS: 8 -- CHA: 14
After traits
STR: 16 -- DEX: 8 -- CON: 15 -- INT: 10 -- WIS 10 -- CHA: 14

Paladin morality can be tough to deal with, but the Final Fantasy series has certainly had strongly justice-minded character in its history, well beyond the actual original Paladin - good 'ol Cecil. I suggest those two Archetypes, as they mesh together and can make for a great defensive setup. Paladin gains additional survivability in Lay on Hands, and in a pinch could use it to heal their party in or after encounters, with bonus uses from the archetypes, as well as possibly feats.

I'm actually running a paladin right now with these archetypes, and damn if I can't keep my allies alive. Bastion of Good is crazy good for saving allies, and I built into the "In Harm's Way" feat (which might not be as good with a DEX penalty, but is still very useful for this - sorta like the Cover ability from FF's history).

My other suggestion is 100% on availability and GM discretion:
If you have access to Play Test docs - and your GM is OK with its use...

Warpriest -- (comments based on Advanced Class Guild v0.2 test docs):

Stats are a hard here, as STR/CON/WIS/CHA are all relevant for this purpose.
I mention it here, despite limited access, because in a group of three it can handle well the role of meat-shield AND healer with respectable results. This does rely on a willingness of a GM to let it fly, and access to the docs for reference.

Why would it be good? Full Simple/Martial proficiency, full armor proficiency (minus tower shields), two high saves (Fort/Will), free Weapon Focus, full attack bonus with deity/cause's chosen weapon (and any other weapon you have Focus for - with damage that increases as you do), spells (up to 6th level like a Magus), a Cleric's abort to cure/inflict, and a blessing power (see below)... and that's all just at first level. At second, you start getting the real show stopper - a lay-on-hands-like ability (Fervor) you can spend uses of to cast, as a swift action, nearly any of your spells on yourself (buff/cure/etc), usable 1/2 level + Cha mod times a day.

Blessings are 3 +1/2 level a day uses. The healing one's minor (Lv.1) allows you to swift-cast cure spells on yourself without burning a use of Fervor. The major (Lv.10) gives a touched creature fast healing 3 for 1min. The protection blessing can augment your saves and armor bonuses (minor), or grand allies within 30ft deflection bonuses and energy res - including sonic (major).

Then there's the ability to augment your weapons AND armor like a Magus does, and a bonus combat feat every 3 levels, and it isn't alignment restricted to Lawful Good... It's like this class exists exclusively for your current situation, stat division difficulties aside.

If this isn't an option, I apologize for the ramble, but I felt it could fill your need nicely. It's bound to change a little in its final release (August I think?), which might require a touch-up when it does if you did use it.

Those are the best I can think of.
One stone-solid and mostly simple tank type, and two versatile.

I hope at least some of this was helpful.

EDIT: Added spoiler tags to cap my text flood.

[Discomancer]

With only 15 points and the noted ability score increases/decreases, I think playing a Druid is a solid choice. You lose the full BAB that most martial classes enjoy, as well as better armor/weapons early on, but you gain helpful battlefield control spells (Obscuring Mist, Entangle, etc.) as well as a powerful companion that you can (DM permitting) freely swap out at different levels to ensure the most bang for your buck. Having that extra melee fighter on your team (albeit a bit weaker) will do wonders for your Rogue who loves flanking and for protecting your Wizard.

Keep in mind also that Druids have a (relatively) easy way to 'domesticate' almost any animal permanently. So long as you have time and extra food, you can pick up wild animals to add to your party in case you need the extra man power (well, animal power in this case, I suppose).

[Magda Luckbender]

I've been playing a Reach Cleric with terrible random rolls, equal to an 8 point build with no dumping. The other five players rolled high stats but did not optimize (Wizard, Rogue/Fighter, Druid/Rogue, Fighter, Monk). The lousy-stat reach Cleric is a sturdy front-liner who does great melee damage, casts a lot of spells, and is the main healer.

A 5th level Cleric with just 14 STR and a normal longspear buff into Clericzilla to get multiple attacks for 2d8+16 damage or so, while still casting a spell each round.

For your small 3-PC group I'd instead go for a Paladin, unless LG alignment is a problem. As the only front liner the paladin's extra durability will be helpful.

Regardless, consider using a big reach weapon that will give your Sorcerer shelter from the storm and give your Rogue a flank.