I'm building a Changeling/Abyssal Bloodrager for Giantslayer...
Bumping AC and/or DR is proving far too little pay off to be worth the investment...but I'm still looking for ways to increase my survivability, especially at lower/mid level.
My current feat choices have been primarily built around getting attack and damage up as high as possible at low levels....
1st: Tribal scars (for the bump to HP and +1 Will save)
3rd level: Mothers gift, for +1 attack and damage with claws.
5th level: Weapon focus (claw)
7th level: Rending claws (increased damage if both claw attacks land)
I have been looking at the Spelleater Archetype, and paired with the Fast Healer feat...I can get a descent fast healing rate by mid levels...but that would require me dumping most of my lower level attack buffing feats to take Endurance and diehard, to qualify for Fast Healing....can't decide if I think it's really worth it ???
Opinions ?
Have you thought about a level dip into Unbreakable Fighter? They get endurance and diehard at first level, in place of their usual fighter bonus feat. It won't hurt your BAB, it will only set you back a level on Bloodrager abilities.
I don't know as I'd consider it worth it myself, but it's a viable option. I think you'd need at least an 18 Con to make it worthwhile...and even then it's only two extra HP when you heal. At least if you buff up with a Bear's endurance it'll grant an extra 1 HP per heal as a side bonus.
Unless your enemies are hittin you pretty softly, your fast heals won't out pace your damage intake, unless your DR is really good.
What level are you and what's your ac look like?
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I go with a half orc for my build. Endurance comes from shaman's apprentance and i take the diehard feat tax.
I dislike dips into fighter...it kills caster level.
I've posted my build several times on the forums. Search Carl jr and my name together and you will find a few postings of it.
In giantslayer i would take the feat big game hunter instead of weapon focus
I dislike natural attack builds myself especially fighting things with natural reach. I would havechosen a reach weapon and used enlarge+longarm.
Also you had to take spelleater prior to level 2. Looks like your pretty far in.
You should invest in raging vitality feat for surviving. Especially when paired with fast healing spelleater. It allows for +2 con and fast healing to continue to work while unconscious. Meaning auto stabilize. Fast healing also is a great defense for bleed.
Part of why arcane is the best bloodline is that 50% miss chance from displacement. Those layer defenses are the best route to go when front lining. Free action layered defenses are premium.
I go with a half orc for my build. Endurance comes from shaman's apprentance and i take the diehard feat tax.
I dislike dips into fighter...it kills caster level.
I've posted my build several times on the forums. Search Carl jr and my name together and you will find a few postings of it.
In giantslayer i would take the feat big game hunter instead of weapon focus
I dislike natural attack builds myself especially fighting things with natural reach. I would havechosen a reach weapon and used enlarge+longarm.
Also you had to take spelleater prior to level 2. Looks like your pretty far in.
You should invest in raging vitality feat for surviving. Especially when paired with fast healing spelleater. It allows for +2 con and fast healing to continue to work while unconscious. Meaning auto stabilize. Fast healing also is a great defense for bleed.
Part of why arcane is the best bloodline is that 50% miss chance from displacement. Those layer defenses are the best route to go when front lining. Free action layered defenses are premium.
ooooooh thats right!... concealment>dr for damage mitigation, so long as the baddies aren't sporting blindsight or echolocation
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With my fast healing build my frontliner runs the 50% concelment, decent ac, jingasa critical negation, supersitious (primalist stacks with spelleater), and uses UMD for other buffs. I like both resin skin and defending bone for a little DR and bestow grace on my CG bloodrager. Nets 2-3s extra in saves.
Unless your enemies are hittin you pretty softly, your fast heals won't out pace your damage intake, unless your DR is really good.
What level are you and what's your ac look like?
We will be starting at 1st level...
At 1st my AC is 17...DR from bloodrager doesn't even kick in till 7th level, and it scales pretty slowly. There are a few options to increase it, like going Primalist and taking Increased DR...but that still won't come even close to out pacing a Giants damage.
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If you are going the fast healing route, look into ablative barrier for the two for one healing aspect.
I've posted my build several times on the forums. Search Carl jr and my name together and you will find a few postings of it.
Found it...your relevant starting abilities are almost mirror image of mine...Str 17, Dex 15, Con 16 ;)
In giantslayer i would take the feat big game hunter instead of weapon focus
Had that on my list of "feats of interest" just swapped it for weapon focus at 5th level...good catch ;)
I dislike natural attack builds myself especially fighting things with natural reach. I would have chosen a reach weapon and used enlarge+longarm.
While raging, she will be large sized which help with the reach, and will be carrying a Horsechopper...however my claw damage, especially at low levels is far superior to anything I could do with a weapon.
As it sits now (not switching feats to take advantage of Fast healer)At 4th level, I'm looking at Large size, an attack bonus of +10, and 1D8+11 for each of my two claw attacks.
You should invest in raging vitality feat for surviving. Especially when paired with fast healing spelleater. It allows for +2 con and fast healing to continue to work while unconscious. Meaning auto stabilize. Fast healing also is a great defense for bleed.
I have that feat on my "feats of interest" list as well...just hadn't figured out where it was going to fit in yet ;)
Fruian....do you find that the investement in pumping the fast healing is worth the lower attack and damage output ?
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While raging, she will be large sized which help with the reach, and will be carrying a Horsechopper...however my claw damage, especially at low levels is far superior to anything I could do with a weapon.
As it sits now (not switching feats to take advantage of Fast healer)
At 4th level, I'm looking at Large size, an attack bonus of +10, and 1D8+11 for each of my two claw attacks.
Natural attacks do tend to do more damage until you meet any DR. What I dislike the most about Natural attacks is 2 fold: It has a hard time overcoming DR more than Magical and Alignment. (arcane strike or Bless weapon potion) And the Amulet of Mighty fists takes up an AC item and is MORE expensive than a weapon. Once you go to a +2 AoMF the difference is staggering. Especially since you're a Bloodrager with Greater magic weapon and a full CL. I'd rather just buy an adamantine weapon +1 Furious, Spell storing and buy a rod of lesser extend. Almost all day I will have a badass weapon for a lot less gold investment.
Fruian....do you find that the investement in pumping the fast healing is worth the lower attack and damage output ?
If you doing +10/+10 for 1d8+11 you're doing fine on the damage department for front lines. Lets not forget it is hard to ignore the Big raging monster of a man running at you. So thinking you need more damage to hold the loose DM fickled Threat might be holding you back when your being such an aggressive in your face type.
I would focus on surviving the low levels and then picking up damage after you have a solid defensive foundation laid. Carl J.R. doesn't take power attack till 6 when he gains it through Bloodline. I didn't have problems with damage before then. Most the time people come across a +2 str belt by level 5. So you will get minor boosts to damage till you can take that feat tax called power attack. Arcane strike works as well but I like BOTH of them in the same builds lol.
The bloodline allows the claws to penetrate DR/Magic...but your right, the alignment based DR's will be a problem...although I'm not sure how many giants actually have alignment based DR...:(
I may just delay some of the attack/damage boosting feats...and get the Fast Healer into play with the Spelleater as quickly as possible...
That seems like the best way to ensure survivability, especially at lower levels....