| Jugulum |
I'm a newbie to Pathfinder, with only a single prior D&D experience under my belt. I'm joining an in-progress campaign of mostly-experienced players, who need a cleric-type who can do healing. Based on some RP reasons, the existing combat dynamic of the group, and my basic inclinations, I've decided on a Human Haunted Oracle of the Ancestor mystery. ("Life" would have made sense, but feels too boring.) I’m starting at level 6, I've rolled my stats, and I could use advice on feats & spells. I'm also toying with the idea of being an Aasimar (Scion of Humanity).
I'll sketch my ideas, and then ask more specifically for advice. (Correction: I’ll describe my ideas in a semi-ridiculous level of detail.)
My core backstory: The group is headed into Ogre-occupied, human-enslaved territory. My character was a freedom-fighter-type, when something went Horribly Wrong™--probably due to my own recklessness (or I prioritized hurting the Ogres over watching out for my oppressed fellow humans). Probably, I accidentally caused the deaths of some innocents or a large number of fellow fighters. I had some kind of vision, seeming to "cross over", and then was “sent back”. Now I'm Haunted, both literally and figuratively. Literally: Those I killed are haunting me (or at least, that’s what I think is happening--maybe it’s really just mischievous spirits). Figuratively: My experiences gave me an aversion to battle & killing; at the rational level, I know it's sometimes necessary, but I want to avoid it. So I mostly buff my party, when I can avoid direct combat. When pressed, I’ll engage in combat, preferably with spiritual weapon. (For RP, maybe one of my haunting spirits is controlling the weapon.) It’s a bit ethically confused, but it’s where my conflicted character is at.
The flavor is sort of a mix of Malcolm Reynolds and Shepherd Book, from Firefly.
Party makeup: It’s melee-heavy right now. The party also already has a caster who's fantastic at "control"-type magic, stunning people & whatnot. (Otherwise I would have chosen the Heavens mystery, with Stunning Display and Lure of the Heavens.) So in combat, enabler/buff/debuff is likely to be my focus.
Sketch of combat:
Round 1: Prayer
Round 2: Bless? OR situationally, Protection from Evil for the party
Round 3: Spiritual weapon OR situationally, additional buffs/debuffs
Round 4+: Ancestral weapon (probably bow, usually) OR situationally, additional buffs/debuffs
By the way, I’m checking with the DM to find out if he’s OK with my oracle using cha instead of wis for spiritual weapon.
Stats: 16, 14, 14, 12, 11, 9
HP: 12+9+8=29 + Con bonus
I’m thinking to use the 16 on charisma, 14 on con, and 14 on dex (since ranged attack). I’ll dump the 9 into wis. Then I’m not sure how to distribute the 12 & 11 into int and str.
Spells:
Since I’m starting at level 6, I get 7/4/2/1 spells (in the 0th/1st/2nd/3rd levels). I’m thinking to choose the following.
0th-level spells (given): Mage hand, Ghost sound
0th-level spells (chosen): Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Light, Mending, Stabilize
1st-level spells (given): Unseen servant, Cure light wounds
1st-level spells (chosen): Bless, Burning Disarm, Obscuring mist, Remove fear. (Maybe add Shield of faith next.)
2nd-level spells (given): Spiritual weapon, Levitate, Minor image, Cure moderate wounds
2nd-level spells (chosen): Protection from Evil (communal), either Hold person OR Lesser Restoration
3rd-level spells (given): Heroism, Cure serious wounds
3rd-level spells (chosen): Prayer. (The next would either be Resist energy (communal), Summon monster III, or Dispel magic)
Mystery & Revelations: Like I said, I’m going with Ancestor. To start with, I’ll probably choose Ancestral Weapon and Wisdom of the Ancestors.
Finally, on my race: I was going to do Human (+2 cha), both for RP reasons and for the cha bonus and the Favored Class bonus of +1 spell. But then I discovered Aasimar (Scion of Humanity), which would give me +2 cha, +2 wis. It still fits my RP, and for Favored Class, I could choose one revelation (Ancestral Weapon) in which I effectively get an extra +1/2 level. And I love the way Haunted, Ancestor, and Scion of Humanity interact thematically. I’d say that the “discovering my powers”/”getting haunted”/having-a-vision event also involved discovering my ancestry. If the DM is OK with the RP of all that, I’m inclined to do it--but I might stick with Human if there’s a compelling reason in how well the options for human Traits would benefit my party role.
Note: I would also have fun with Summon Monster, but I’m not sure that makes sense with my character & role.
So, finally, the questions:
1.) What do you think of the spell list?
2.) What skills & feats & traits would help with my party role? (Craft wands? And the party could use Craft magical arms and armor, apparently.)
3.) What do you think of the Aasimar (Scion of Humanity) option?
4.) Based on all that, what would a good stat distribution be?
| Jugulum |
P.S. If I go the Aasimar route, since I'm starting at level 6, I thought I might use 2 of my levels to bump my Ancestral Weapon up to level 7 (giving it an extra +1 enhancement bonus).
Then I'd either distribute the other 4 elsewhere (HP?), or dump it all into Ancestral Weapon so that I can get it to level 15 by the time I'm level 10.
| sunbeam |
I really would prefer the human bonus spells known over the Aasimar bonus.
That said, the Aasimar's bonus can be really good. I don't think Ancestral Weapon is a good one to use that bonus on though.
If I were playing an Aasimar with this mystery I would apply my racial bonus to Spirit Shield or Storm of Souls.
If your dm lets you use Magic Vestment on the Spirit Shield, it can be really amazing. There is a school of thought that the flavor blurb on some of this fairly common revelation for mysteries disqualifies some from using Magic Vestment. Things like the Bones or Wood revelation clearly refer to a physical thing. Whereas Winds sounds like it is... wind.
Storm of Souls could be interesting. If you somehow made it to 20, and applied the bonus every level you could do 15d8 to non-undead, and 30d8 to undead with that one. Plus you can do it twice more per day. Interesting it is "physical" damage, so other than spell resistance or saving there is no way to reduce it. It is a fort save, and most undead have crappy ones there.
| Caimbuel |
The Aasimar bonus is nice if you know you wont be going any where near 20. Like for PFS planning out that bonus can be a lot of help. The human bonus gets a ton better the higher you go, at 6th it is MEH IMO. However at 15th it is a huge boon. YMMV
I find half elf with Paragon Surge and Eldritch heritage combo is probably even better then the 2 above if you are mostly caster. Even with the new FAQ it adds alot to versatility.
Either way good luck with that Oracle, looks fun to play.
EDIT: Ancient Lorekeeper is another VERY stong option, you need to be an Elf but you get to cherry pick arcane spells. Lets you play the true caster.