Help with: Halfling Mouser-Swashbuckler build & level dip of Sorcerer.

[Matt2VK]

Looking to build a Halfling Mouser-Swashbuckler build with a level dip of Sorcerer.

Reason I'm grabbing a caster is I'm interested in getting the Reduce Person and Shield spell.

Need opinions -
Do I grab the level dip in Sorcerer or pick up a level of the new CHA based Magus Archetype found in the ACG?

If I go with a level dip in the Sorcerer, what Bloodline should I grab?

At moment, I'm leaning towards the CHA Magus Archetypes for the saves, slightly better HP, and (very) limited spell casting. Plan on using wands to pick up my lack of spells.
My problem is, I really don't know Sorcerers and I don't know if the bloodline powers would make up the difference.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

To be honest the magus would be fine if those are the 2 spells your wanting. The only issue isthat those spells will last 1 minute. You might as well just get the trait dDangerously curious and use scrolls/wands.

Lastly the thing arcanist and magus have going for them is the ability to enhance your weapon. But is it worth such little spell casting and drop of BAB and HD?

[Matt2VK]

I thought about the Dangerously Curious. Only problem is I'd need to be around 7+ levels to be sure I was able to get the wand to work consistently.
Kind of hard to pre-buff with the wand with only a duration of 10 rounds.

What's nice about the Magus CHA archetype is while I do loose a BAB and some health. I do gain a +2 Fort/Will to my saves and a limited number of rounds of a bloodragers rage power.

...but I know nothing about the sorcerers bloodline powers and I've heard even a one level dip in them can give some builds a big advantage. Just don't know if it would help the Mouser-Swashbuckler archetype.

[Chess Pwn]

So I'm not seeing your need for these spells, but oh well.

since you're planning on using wands.I'd say magus for the saves and anything else you can get lv1. Just know that their powers run of swift actions, something that swashbuckler also uses between swift and immediate.

The bloodlines for sorcerer really just effect spellcasting. Their Bloodline Arcana effects all spells not just sorcerer, so that's why a dip there can help. For you, not so much. Also their 1st level powers aren't that useful if you'll be hitting things most often. They are there to give them an option other than cantrips when they are out of spells.

[Nikomis]

Chess Pwn wrote:

So I'm not seeing your need for these spells, but oh well.

Shield is probably purely AC boost, but Reduce Person is due to Mouser's requirement of "enemies larger than you" for its main level 1 deed. Reduce Person lets you use it more often (as otherwise, a Halfling can't use it on another Halfling, or Goblin, etc.)

[Martin Sheaffer]

Something to remember, a reduced halfling will be tiny which means he will have no reach and will have to enter the opponents square (taking an AOO). Unless you are using a reach weapon this could be a major problem.

[RumpinRufus]

There's the new wizard archetype that lets you cast once/day at +4 CL. That's 5 min of reduce or shield, or a 5d6 shocking grasp.

[Matt2VK]

The mouser deed allows you to move 5' into the targets square. It also allows you to be considered flanking for any allies adjacent to your target.

This makes being tiny in size a great thing.

I'm just hoping I remembered this right. :-)

[Martin Sheaffer]

Matt2VK wrote:

The mouser deed allows you to move 5' into the targets square. It also allows you to be considered flanking for any allies adjacent to your target.

This makes being tiny in size a great thing.

I'm just hoping I remembered this right. :-)

Cool, in that case I withdraw my warning. :)

[RumpinRufus]

I think the specific advantage of being Tiny for a Mouser is that normally the mouser would have to use a panache point to move into an opponent's square (after being missed by a melee attack.) The Tiny mouser, however, can also simply move or 5-foot step into the opponent's square (provoking) and then get the advantages of Underfoot Assault (flanking, -4 penalties on the enemies attacks against your friends, and an AoO if they try to move.)

[Mr.Nightray]

But what are you going to do once you get there? tiny weapons are yet another reduction in damage. I could see the bad guy wants to hit you so he doesn't take the minus 4. So i would perhaps concentrate on that. You know trying to give them as many minuses to hit as you can. Reduce person is on the witch's list as well, and Hex's don't cause attacks of op. I want to build a Mouser real bad as well, But loosing opportune parry and riposte just STINKS!!

[Mr.Nightray]

Hawktitan from another thread has your solution. Flamboyant Arcana from the magus gets you your reduce person and as a bright cherry on top you get opportune parry and riposte back.

[Imbicatus]

Small>tiny weapons is only -0.5 average damage As a swashbuckler, your damage is coming from the static modifers of your Dex and Precise Strike, which doesn't care about size.

Being tiny is a buff for a mouser.

[Mr.Nightray]

Yea, i was just looking into that, trying to see if i could get some sneak attack luvn going too since Underfoot assault gives some funky flank bonuses.

[nicholas storm]

You could get reduce person from potions and either accelerated drinker or potion glutton. You can't get shield this way, but avoids having to dip.

[Dave Justus]

Alchemist is a much better choice. Reduce person is a full round casting, drinking an extract is just a standard action. In addition, going vivisectionist gives you a bit of sneak attack.

[LoneKnave]

Why not Alchemist or Investigator instead? You can get mutagen as well as reduce person, and you can still wear armor. Much better than Sorcerer.

[Anonymous Visitor 163 576]

Don't forget to invest in escape artist. You're vulnerable to being grappled.

Cloak of the Hedge wizard might be worth a look as well. You can get another use of shield, for example.

[shroudb]

tiny creatures use their dex for cmb instead of str by default too.

and while yeah, you have finesse for some maneuvers, getting that dex bonus for other things like grapples and such is useful sometimes

and being tiny, also makes you able to use risky striker halfing feat against medium sized atrgets which is awesome