I thinking about about making around 5 PC’s that are all Tengu. Any familiars, or animal companions will be bird type creatures. Will even try to use birds when summoning or casting aillusions. We will try to play at the same time so it will be a Murder of Crows mobbing the scenario. We intend to make heavy use of teamwork feats to simulate the mobbing.
We’re talking about 5 PC’s because that will easily be more than enough for the majority of PFS scenarios (especially since at least some of these will be pet classes). Plus it will be funny when there is one mundane stuck traveling with the Murder (one guy is already talking about running the one human covered in pigeon/crow poop).
We are perfectly aware that Tengu are not optimal for all party roles. Don’t care. We think we can get more than good enough to function perfectly fine for PFS. What I’d like is some thoughts on what will cover the bases, work well together, and fit the theme. Then maybe some additional help on actual builds.
First thoughts and ideas are:
Tengu more standard sword build
Tengu common unarmed build
Tengu bard sqwaking for music sounds mighty amusing
Tengu summoner could make his eidolon look like a bird-ish thing
Tengu ranger/falconer gets a bird with a few special twists
Tengu wizard/sorc/carnivalist rogue/other with eldritch heritage to get a hawk familiar
Tengu hunter/cavalier/druid/inquisitor with animal domain and an Axebeak companion/mount(after a certain unnamed scenario)
At first I was a bit concerned over all the pet suggestions. However, the birds are not the most optimal combat pets but should be very good for scouting and some will be too big to take some places. So several of those may just be instructed to hide during combat anyway. One of us is likely to be a GM. Plus real life being what it is, I’m quite sure we won’t all always be able to make all the game times. So the pet situation won’t be as bad as it might seem at first.
Personally, I like the concepts that use the hunter, cavalier, and inquisitor since they give free bonus teamwork feats. I think we have to have Broken Wing Gambit just for the name. Just imagine if all of us have things like Shake It Off (huge bonus to all saves), Stealth Synergy (use the best of 5-8 d20 rolls), Allied Caster (SR shouldn’t be a problem), Lookout (someone usually makes the perception check so all can act), Shielded Caster (spells anyplace), Duck and Cover (who cares bout dem balls-o-flame), etc…
Any thoughts on what we should try to include or maybe avoid?
Murder
A Murder of Crows
and I stopped reading after the part about you all pooping on another character
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...
and I stopped reading after the part about you all pooping on another character
Well I doubt we would actually do that (though with some gamers it's difficult to be sure). But if someone has an Oread so that he looks like a statue... All bets are off.
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I actually have a Tengu inquisitor of Norgorber, so he's a crow of murder. You should totally all worship Norgorber.
Swashbuckler (could eldritch heritage)
Sorcerer (Empyreal Bloodline)
Druid
Hunter
Magus (arcana for familiar)
If you all wanted to ride axe-beaks while each being a different classes....
Druid
Hunter
Cavalier
Sorcerer (Sylvan bloodline)
Oracle (Nature)
I never thought of Kin Bond. That is definitely going on the list!
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Here are some ideas for a tengu cleric of the bird god of Rulership, Horus (See last @OP paragraph). Feathered pets may not be totally optimal, but you can do some amazing things with them. For example, here's one way to build a sub-optimal flightless bird ax-beak animal companion into a highly effective combat machine. One can do something similar with a few types of flying birds.
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I actually have a Tengu inquisitor of Norgorber, so he's a crow of murder. You should totally all worship Norgorber.
Unless he's hanging out with 2 Tengu friends, then he's just attempted murder.
Thanks Magda! That sounds perfect.
Don't spoil anything, but any suggestions on scenarios we should try to provide the group?
Things that might have a bird, heights, or flying plot. Or ones that would have have particularly applicable rewards.
If you run Pathfinder #67: The Snows of Summer, there are Witchcrow and Greater Witchcrow. Crows that cast magic and hexes. The even come in Murders (13-30).
/cevah
If you run Pathfinder #67: The Snows of Summer, there are Witchcrow and Greater Witchcrow. Crows that cast magic and hexes. The even come in Murders (13-30).
/cevah
Never heard of those before. Kinda kool.
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look up sloy garak, one of ravingdork's characters. REALLY GOOD SCOUT but no pet tho... maybe taking the feat chain to get an animal companion could work
I tried to do a build like that some time ago. Of course, RD did a better job of it than I did. ;)
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We are perfectly aware that Tengu are not optimal for all party roles. Don’t care. We think we can get more than good enough to function perfectly fine for PFS. What I’d like is some thoughts on what will cover the bases, work well together, and fit the theme. Then maybe some additional help on actual builds.
First thoughts and ideas are:
Tengu more standard sword build
Tengu common unarmed build
Tengu bard sqwaking for music sounds mighty amusing
Tengu summoner could make his eidolon look like a bird-ish thing
Tengu ranger/falconer gets a bird with a few special twists
Tengu wizard/sorc/carnivalist rogue/other with eldritch heritage to get a hawk familiar
Tengu hunter/cavalier/druid/inquisitor with animal domain and an Axebeak companion/mount(after a certain unnamed scenario)
For the Unarmed Build, I'd highly recommend a Sacred Fist/Qinggong(so those monk levels count as caster levels)MoMS-(Monk of the Sacred Mountain, or Terra-Cotta, or Harrow Warden)-Monk/2. They're utterly fantastic. Dex/Wis build is perfect for both the Race and Classes too. If you want an actual build layout, please let me know via PM. The build isn't heavy on teamwork feats, but it has the featspace for it. If you want heavy on teamwork, Inquisitor is where it's at!
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You should check out Soulblighter from Myth: The Fallen Lords for more flavor on the whole "Murder of Crows" thing.
Yes, there's even a chapter called A Murder of Crows, where the PCs must deal with results of a failed attempt to assassinate Soulblighter. Soulblighter is a magically enhanced undead 20th+ level barbarian/fighter/monk on a mission to cleanse the earth of vertebrate life. Early in the story Soulblighter casually slays the PC's commanding officer, and only those who flee survive. He's a Fallen Lord. Sort of like a Death Knight, but far more powerful. He was once the lieutenant of an archmage lich evil overlord, promoted by outliving his master. Before being made undead he was a famous & mighty human hero of law and good named Damas. He can magically transform into a murder of unliving crows (about a dozen) to fly fast and far. Slay one crow in the murder and he is temporarily weakened and vulnerable. He wears no armor, yet arrows and swords skip off his skin. He fights with a glaive.
This is from the early Myth computer games, also detailed in a GURPS supplement. A few hundred people still play and generate content for this antique computer game. The 3rd party Myth plugin 'Mazzarin's Demise' is a graphical realization in software very like the final chapter of Rise of the Rune Lords. It's possible for a cooperative team to defeat the AI archmage and his minions, but without excellent teamwork and tactics the PCs will surely be crushed. Several software game companies have expressed interest in producing a Myth IV, as it would be an almost guaranteed success, but legal issues muddy the waters.
If you run Pathfinder #67: The Snows of Summer, there are Witchcrow and Greater Witchcrow. Crows that cast magic and hexes. The even come in Murders (13-30).
/cevah
Never heard of those before. Kinda kool.
Me neither. I was scanning the Bestiary spreadsheet looking for Simulacrum candidates with an SLA of Teleport, and the Greater Witchcrow popped up. I want one. I have Leadership, but the Cohort spot is already taken. I just got a 4th level slot in the follower section, and followers are the same as cohorts except they cannot level. So I was thinking.... I want one. Anyone have a clue what level cohort they would be? I am hoping for 4th, but 5th is bearable (just need +2 on my score). Blink Dogs have at will SLAs, and come in at 4th.
/cevah
... and followers are the same as cohorts except they cannot level. ...
Wow. I've never seen any GM handle it that way. Almost every GM I've seen that even allows them uses npc classes and same race as you.