Hello again wonderful players =) Today I'm enlisting your help with creating a Dragon Disciple.
Race : Nagaji (No eyelids = lots of creepy intimidating moments) leaning towards alternate hypnotic gaze instead of serpant senses + 2 perception. Bloodline is Gold dragon and she is stylized after a Guardian Naga LG. A strong silent type like Teal'c from Stargate.. 'Indeed'
Stats : 17 str 11 dex 14 con 10 int 10 wis 16 cha
I'd like to be balanced between caster/buffer and natural/reach weapons. Worried that might not be doable.
Currently there are so many options in the Oterisk guide, that many look too fun to pass up. with that in mind you have the following:
2 levels of Slayer for perm Claws, lots of HP and skills!
2 levels of Brawler (Mutagenic mauler) more hp, mutagen, flurry
1 level of Sorcerer (Eldritch scrapper) Arcane strike/martial versitility =D
1 level of Skald (spell warrior) bardic knowledge, raging song, ability to cast in meduim armor with a shield
then 6 levels of Dragon Disciple, only for the +2 con which i think i could live without and maybe only take 4 levels and dipping back into Skald.
Magical knack (skald) is i assume the best way to go since sorcerer doesn't seem to net much in the way of buffing spells and I'll already have claws.
Feat wishlist: Weapon focus claws, feral combat training, spit venom
Your thoughts, input, opinions, sample builds, are welcome and appreciated! Also Happy New Year! May the dice roll be ever in your favor ;)
I prefer the idea of K.I.S.S. when planning out characters. I think you'd be better served just going slayer 4/skald 1 or slayer 2/skald 3 before entering DD.
As for DD levels, you either want to go DD4 and back in to one of your parent classes or finish out your pfs career as a DD.
Magical Knack: Skald definitely a good idea.
Weapon Focus: Claws is not bad, but make sure you have ready access to magic fang or an amulet of mighty fists.
I'd skip trying to flurry with claws since you get your dragon bite anyway and just go for power attack.
EDIT: Statswise I'd go Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15 (all level ups here). Your casting won't be as great, but you're going with a DD based on a half-caster so save DCs were never going to be all that good for you anyway. This'll give you the str you need to bash things until your DD str boosts kick in.
EDIT 2: Spit Poison is a neat trick, but I'd be hesitant about taking it due to the full-round action, limited range, and AoO from the ranged touch attack. You pretty much have to be exactly at 10 feet to use it.
Hi this is Oterisk, thanks for reading and promoting my guide. It's always nice to meet a person who likes the Dragon Disciple as much as I do.
PFS is a fun system, but the problem is that you cap out at level 12 (mostly). Most of the advice in my guide helps you get the most bang for your buck in a AP. At most you'll only get 4-7 levels in DD before you hang up your adventuring shoes and go lay down on all your treasure.
The only trouble with the four way dip is that your secondary resources run you way too thin. For instance, 20 minutes of Mutagen is nice, but it's not something you can count on. Rage is good too, but for only so many rounds per day, so you can't add it all up and you'll almost never be at peak performance. Most Modules have enough combat in them that you will likely run out unless you take precautions.
So the Keep It Simple rule is a good one. The raging alchemist is good in theory, but not really in practice. The only double dips I recommend with confidence are the Snakebite Strangler/Thug Rogue for 2d6 sneak with a 2 level investment (also good for arcane trickster) or the Unarmed Fighter/MoMS for intense Style action with 3 levels of investment. Otherwise it's best to go with one of the inevitable classes and one other for a specific boon.
If you want to be balanced as a caster, think of it like this. With one a one level dip before DD, you won't get a second level spell until character level 9. Wizards have 5 levels by then. You aren't a caster at that point, your a fighter with a neat trick or two. If you want to be balanced, take maybe 5 levels of Skald and go right into DD after. You'd get spell Kenning, which helps your versatility right through the endgame, and you get 3rd level spells by level 8, which isn't too bad. Dedicated sorcerers have 4th level by then, and you still can cast in armor. I'd recommending investing mostly into a reach weapon, and use your claws sparingly, for when they get in close, or you get grappled or some such thing.
If you want to do natural attacks and go slayer, stay in for 3-4 levels, (Maybe grab a level of Thug Rogue for 2d6) gain that sneak damage and take a couple levels of skald or sorcerer (depending on which you like). Then run your DD tactically. You should have a reasonable amount of flanking opportunities when you have six in your party.
The problem is that if you want to do everything, you'll probably end up disappointed that you couldn't do anything well. Pick your niche and give it a go. If you have fun, try something different next time and see how it works. I know it can be tough making decisions, but you'll be better off if you plan well. Happy Dragoning!
I prefer the idea of K.I.S.S. when planning out characters. I think you'd be better served just going slayer 4/skald 1 or slayer 2/skald 3 before entering DD.
As for DD levels, you either want to go DD4 and back in to one of your parent classes or finish out your pfs career as a DD.
Magical Knack: Skald definitely a good idea.
Weapon Focus: Claws is not bad, but make sure you have ready access to magic fang or an amulet of mighty fists.
I'd skip trying to flurry with claws since you get your dragon bite anyway and just go for power attack.EDIT: Statswise I'd go Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 15 (all level ups here). Your casting won't be as great, but you're going with a DD based on a half-caster so save DCs were never going to be all that good for you anyway. This'll give you the str you need to bash things until your DD str boosts kick in.
EDIT 2: Spit Poison is a neat trick, but I'd be hesitant about taking it due to the full-round action, limited range, and AoO from the ranged touch attack. You pretty much have to be exactly at 10 feet to use it.
3 levels of slayer would net aspect of the beast and improved natural attack to get claws to 1d6 so i guess that is okay vs feral combat training to up the die with brawler. The reason for flurry is that any move action and lose all but 1 natural attack so I wanted to maximize my attacks per round.
Hi this is Oterisk, thanks for reading and promoting my guide. It's always nice to meet a person who likes the Dragon Disciple as much as I do.
So the Keep It Simple rule is a good one. The raging alchemist is good in theory, but not really in practice. The only double dips I recommend with confidence are the Snakebite Strangler/Thug Rogue for 2d6 sneak with a 2 level investment (also good for arcane trickster) or the Unarmed Fighter/MoMS for intense Style action with 3 levels of investment. Otherwise it's best to go with one of the inevitable classes and one other for a specific boon.
If you want to do natural attacks and go slayer, stay in for 3-4 levels, (Maybe grab a level of Thug Rogue for 2d6) gain that sneak damage and take a couple levels of skald or sorcerer (depending on which you like). Then run your DD tactically. You should have a reasonable amount of flanking opportunities when you have six in your party.
Hi its nice to see a response from you as a fellow Fan of the Prestige Class. I have been making Monk/Sorcerer DD for years in Neverwinter Nights and it was a huge disappointment to learn you can't get wings in PFS.
I Just realized its 4 levels Slayer for the second talent! Doh.Now, I will make a beast build after careful consideration.
I am under the impression that slayer and rogue can not multiclass.
Can hybrids multiclass with one of there parent classes?
I'll be skald for sure, she is a golden cobra that is very possessive of party members and belongings, even structures. Day job:bodyguard. She'd never change into a dragon, having typical naga vanity. I thought about using her hypnotism like an addiction councilor/ self help like J from MiB. I'd do it for free.
Hi this is Oterisk, thanks for reading and promoting my guide. It's always nice to meet a person who likes the Dragon Disciple as much as I do.
PFS is a fun system, but the problem is that you cap out at level 12 (mostly). Most of the advice in my guide helps you get the most bang for your buck in a AP. At most you'll only get 4-7 levels in DD before you hang up your adventuring shoes and go lay down on all your treasure.
The only trouble with the four way dip is that your secondary resources run you way too thin. For instance, 20 minutes of Mutagen is nice, but it's not something you can count on. Rage is good too, but for only so many rounds per day, so you can't add it all up and you'll almost never be at peak performance. Most Modules have enough combat in them that you will likely run out unless you take precautions.
So the Keep It Simple rule is a good one. The raging alchemist is good in theory, but not really in practice. The only double dips I recommend with confidence are the Snakebite Strangler/Thug Rogue for 2d6 sneak with a 2 level investment (also good for arcane trickster) or the Unarmed Fighter/MoMS for intense Style action with 3 levels of investment. Otherwise it's best to go with one of the inevitable classes and one other for a specific boon.
If you want to be balanced as a caster, think of it like this. With one a one level dip before DD, you won't get a second level spell until character level 9. Wizards have 5 levels by then. You aren't a caster at that point, your a fighter with a neat trick or two. If you want to be balanced, take maybe 5 levels of Skald and go right into DD after. You'd get spell Kenning, which helps your versatility right through the endgame, and you get 3rd level spells by level 8, which isn't too bad. Dedicated sorcerers have 4th level by then, and you still can cast in armor. I'd recommending investing mostly into a reach weapon, and use your claws sparingly, for when they get in close, or you get grappled or some such thing....
its been a while and I've changed some ideas and gain a little bit of experience when it comes to making characters. at least how to avoid the major mistakes.
Still going for a beast Nagaji dragon disciple with a couple buffs up her sleeve how does the following look?
2 levels of slayer for natural claws
2 levels of bloodrager
1 level of monk (of many styles)
I can tell you i want to take the dragon style feats. but other than that i don't know how to make her well.. not be terrible.
between bloodrager claws and bloodline claws you really don't need the slayer levels for the natural claws.
I'd recommend 4 levels of bloodrager and 1 of the monk for your build.
The build you most recently mentioned doesn't qualify for DD as it can't cast spells yet.
I've contemplated a half orc build using Amplified Rage + bloodline familiar (valet) from bloodrager 1 + skald 4 to lead into DD. If the goal is to be super strong, you're hitting +8 str/con while using Raging Song. Doesn't really mesh well with your stated concept, though.
PFS can go above 12, although the scenarios you can play are more limited. Instead of the 1-xp scenarios, you're mostly going to be playing modules and adventure path sections, but it's still entirely playable if there are enough people with other high-end characters around to make full tables. If you have a particular character concept, like this one, that requires higher levels to come to complete fruition, I would sound out the nearby community and find out if there are a lot of people with seeker-level characters or who plan to have them, and make plans to play with them when you have your character at that level.
argh i didn't even notice that bloodragers didn't get spells till level 4. It was late at night thank you for pointing that out.
what do you think of 3 levels of skald and 2 of paladin? i'm strongly leaning towards 5 levels of skald once i compared bloodrager and skald with the amount of spells i'm losing out on.