Ideas for a well-rounded warpriest?


Advice


Hello everyone,

I have a crazy idea for a character that I’d like to see how I can best work out, so I thought I’d ask for second and third opinions. It’s not quite an optimization question, except to the extent of my wondering if there’s a way to make this work without too much trouble for a casual gamer.

Alternatively, I guess I could deal with thinking of this as an optimization problem with severe constraints. These include being an elf, a warpriest of Calistria, a 20-point buy, and having enough skills to represent social graces, a priestly education, and some sneaky stuff.

I’m trying to avoid too much book-keeping, so at the moment I’m thinking of trying to make the best of the “Cult Leader” archetype, and I’m wondering if such a character could aim for feats like Dazzling Display and Slashing Grace and still dabble in some two-weapon fighting. Thoughts on this, or ideas for which feats to take in general, would be welcome.

I am open to multiclassing suggestions that might occur to people – I’m thinking of taking a level in swashbuckler early on to get Weapon Finesse without spending a proper feat, especially since I doubt the campaign for this character will get to really high levels very quickly.

Thanks!

-Q.

Grand Lodge

Why would a Warpriest dip another class? Sounds very un-optimized, although I could be wrong ...

Two Weapon Fighting is a weak style, so why would you want it on an optimized fighter? Warpriests tend to be feat-starved, so you might want to be careful how you use your feats. You don't get many.

Is your goal to make an agile flurry of blades guy who is a mishmash of several classes, or to optimize?

Please explain what is your goal with this character, and perhaps we can offer you helpful advice.


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Calistrian warpriest, and you're not building toward using a whip for Whirlwind Attack?


Sacred fist warpriests dip for proficiencies. For example, a sacred fist of Cayden Cailean may appreciate a dip of swashbuckler to use with crusaders flurry.


Dennis Deadsky wrote:

Why would a Warpriest dip another class? Sounds very un-optimized, although I could be wrong ...

Two Weapon Fighting is a weak style, so why would you want it on an optimized fighter? Warpriests tend to be feat-starved, so you might want to be careful how you use your feats. You don't get many.

Is your goal to make an agile flurry of blades guy who is a mishmash of several classes, or to optimize?

Please explain what is your goal with this character, and perhaps we can offer you helpful advice.

I suppose I should have put more emphasis on just how loosely or tongue-in-cheek I was referring to "optimization," by which I meant, what's the best I can make this work, though the limits I'm imposing may make the character, by a more strictly gamist definition, phenomenally non-optimal. I should have stressed wanting more skills, too: 2+Int skill points seems a bit tough for a campaign with as many social encounters as the one I'm expecting to play in with this character, especially if she wants to do anything else with skills.

The Cult Leader archetype gives me a couple more skill points to work with, and also sneak attack, and eventually Hide in Plain Sight, so I thought two weapons might work for that perfect moment when my character might get the drop on the bad guys. I've read that that might work for rogues, but maybe this archetype isn't as sneaky as I thought.

TL;DR version - I would like this character to have ranks left over from taking Diplomacy, Knowledge (religion), and possibly Intimidate. Cult Leader offers that, but I'm not sure where that archetype nudges my character for other choices.

RumpinRufus wrote:
Calistrian warpriest, and you're not building toward using a whip for Whirlwind Attack?

I'm new here. :)

More seriously, I hadn't thought of that, but if I do end up with a Cult Leader, and want Whip Mastery, I'm not sure I would get Whirlwind Attack at a point that I would have much fun with it, given the number of prerequisites.

Silver Crusade

Dex based warpriest, be human-
Weapon focus free, weapon finesse, slashing grace. Grav augmented summoning and everything else is gravy

Get-
High ac
High to hit
High damage
Still use shield.
God tier summons
Self healing


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Qunnessaa wrote:
RumpinRufus wrote:
Calistrian warpriest, and you're not building toward using a whip for Whirlwind Attack?

I'm new here. :)

More seriously, I hadn't thought of that, but if I do end up with a Cult Leader, and want Whip Mastery, I'm not sure I would get Whirlwind Attack at a point that I would have much fun with it, given the number of prerequisites.

It's actually surprisingly manageable for a human warpriest, you'll have Whirlwind Attack by level 6 if you use your favored class bonuses. You'll even have an extra feat you can do with as you please.

1: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (free), Weapon Focus (whip), Dodge, feat of choice (Power Attack would be a good one)
3: Whip Mastery, Mobility
5: Combat Expertise
6: Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack (human FCB)
7: Improved Whip Mastery
9: Combat Reflexes, Weapon Specialization

Your sacred weapon causes the whip damage to be unusually high, then you can buff yourself with Weapon of Awe and Divine Favor and all those other nice buffs as swift actions through your Fervor. And attack the entire battlefield every round.

Grand Lodge

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Quote:

It's actually surprisingly manageable for a human warpriest, you'll have Whirlwind Attack by level 6 if you use your favored class bonuses. You'll even have an extra feat you can do with as you please.

1: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (free), Weapon Focus (whip), Dodge, feat of choice (Power Attack would be a good one)
3: Whip Mastery, Mobility
5: Combat Expertise
6: Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack (human FCB)
7: Improved Whip Mastery
9: Combat Reflexes, Weapon Specialization

Your sacred weapon causes the whip damage to be unusually high, then you can buff yourself with Weapon of Awe and Divine Favor and all those other nice buffs as swift actions through your Fervor. And attack the entire battlefield every round.

I love it. Might I suggest accelerated drinker to that. Chug Truestrike Potions as a move action and standard action do a ranged Trip or Disarm. Taking away a Big Stupid Fighter's Stick is always a solid move. I would recommend Potion Glutton but you don't meet the Prerequisite. But hey using truestrike you never have to take a Combat maneuver feat.

Also Enforcer + a cruel whip is pretty nasty in the de-buffing department. If you are into intimidate.


You can't make potions of True Strike, unfortunately, as it's a personal spell. I do like the Enforcer + cruel whip idea, especially for a worshipper of Calistria.

Grand Lodge

Ahh forgot it was a personal spell. Hmm other than UMD how we get it on this guy. Even 1/day would be a powerful option.


There's always the Touched by Divinity trait. Gives a domain spell as a SLA 1/day, and since Calistria has the Luck domain, True Strike is one of the spells available.

With a slightly flexible GM I guess you could even stretch out its usage by casting the L1 spell "Recharge Innate Magic" - replenishes L0 & L1 racial SLA's, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to allow it to extend to other L1 SLA's instead.

Grand Lodge

That might be worth looking into if you skip fate's favored as your Religion trait.

I know I'd consider it on a whip user. True strike is awesome.


Play a fat dwarf? That ought to be pretty round :P


Touched by Divinity is a campaign trait, so you could still get Fate's Favored if you so desire - but since it is from the campaign Wrath of the Righteous, you might want to get it clarified with your GM if traits are fair game, or if they are more restricted. Might be worth a shot though?


Thanks, folks. If anyone's still around, what do people think about the Evangelist prestige class from Inner Sea Gods? I think that would get the skills I want without trading bonus feats for sneak attack. I would still love to dabble in swashbuckling, but losing two caster levels is a bit steep.

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