What class should I multiclass into Harrower?


Advice


I have seen quite a few Harrower threads pop up recently. Either that or I'm just noticing them more because I am trying to build one. I am having trouble deciding what class to multiclass into Harrower, so I need help deciding. Here are some of the pros and cons I have for a few choices, but the more I read them the less I can make a choice. Help please!!

  • Bard: Charisma based like Harrower, 3/4 BAB, arcane magic, buffer, flavor of a performer works well with flavor of a fortune teller, no known archetype that goes with Harrower, Harrower at level 7
  • Magus: Inteligence based unlike Harrower, 3/4 BAB, arcane magic, melee and spellcasting, flavor doesn't work extremely well with fortune telling and divination, card caster archetype is a pretty cool and unique mechanic, Harrower at level 7
  • Oracle: Charisma based like Harrower, 3/4 BAB, divine magic, spellcasting class, flavor of oracle works very well with that of a fortune teller, no known archetype suitable for Harrower, Harrower at level 6
  • Sorcerer: Charisma based like Harrower, 1/2 BAB, arcane magic, spellcasting class, flavor works well enough although a typical or generic choice IMHO, Harrow Bloodline available for transitioning to Harrower, Harrower at level 6
  • Witch: Intelligence based unlike Harrower, 1/2 BAB, arcane magic, debuffer, flavor of quirky witch works well with that of a fortune teller, Cartomancer archetype available for throwing cards for ranged touch attacks, Harrower at level 5
  • Wizard: Intelligence based unlike Harrower, 1/2 BAB, arcane magic, spellcasting class, flavor works well enough although a typical or generic choice IMHO, Divination school of magic closest available for something Harrowing related, Harrower at level 5

there are of course other options not mentioned above ...


look into the Varisia birth place of legends their is some archetype builds for harrows there, especally for the bard as well as traits that go well with it.


there are three books to help you
as stated before Varisia Birthplace of legends
But also Inner Sea World guide
and Harrow hand book

all have good resources for building harrow based characters
there are archetypes galore, as well as traits, feats, and in some cases extra goodies that benefit those that what to use the Harrow.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Cleric of Desna works well too, thematically and mechanically. You can also alternate with Spherewalker.


Thanks for the recommendation. Yes I have actually referenced the Harrow Handbook and the Inner Sea world guide, but not Varisia: Birthplace of Legends.

I have a short list of traits and Feats that I would make use of, including:

* Deadly Dealer,
* Arcane Strike,
* Fortune Teller,
* Harrow Chosen ...

I don't believe my trouble is lack of options or lack of knowing what my options are, rather, I cannot make a case for a class to be a more suitable choice over another. I need advice on which class to pick, either for flavor, or what is mechanically better, or just for fun. What would you choose and why?


it depends on what type of harrow character you want to be, if you want to be the best diviner that you can be. I went Brd/Rog but took Fortune teller and Harrow chosen like you but I also grabbed Harrowed. all together it makes you a 4th level divination caster


I have at level 1 PC all but the level requirements for the prestige class. The 5 ranks in skills, and the third level spell. Other than that I have everything as a 1rst level brd.


I would avoid the magus. The Card Caster is a fun and flavorful archetype -- you get to play Gambit from the X-Men -- but a magus doesn't combine well with PrCs generally, because you give up Arcane Pool points and other class-specific benefits. If you start Harrower ASAP you will lose Magus Arcanas, Improved Spell Recall, and eventually heavy armor proficiency, and you really don't get anything worth while in return. So a Card Caster Magus / Harrower would be very flavorful, but distinctly underpowered.

Here's a thing: the Harrower is underpowered to begin with. I like it, I'll play it, but it's definitely a PrC where you're trading crunch for chrome. Spirit Deck, for instance, is a cool visual but mechanically it's close to useless -- it's like a magic missile, except with a shorter range and less damage. Divination as a SLA once/day? Not exactly overwhelming, given that you'll be 11th or 12th level when you get it. And so forth.

The Harrowed feat gives you a random +2 boost to one roll per day, while the Blessing of the Harrow gives a random group buff to the party, which is nice. The Tower of Strength ability (3rd level Harrower) gives you +1 damage per die for each card you draw from the suit of Strength. The Tower of Charisma (4th level) gives you +1 on the save DC for each card you draw from Charisma. So, a midlevel harrower build would reasonably concentrate on damage-dealing save-or-suck spells -- your classic Fireball and Lightning Bolt, and the like -- because these leverage your abilities. After all, you have about a 40% chance of getting an extra point on each die every time you cast, and about that same 40% chance of getting +1 DC on the save. That works out to, on average, about 10% more damage from blasty spells with d6es. Not huge, but nothing to sneeze at either.

Harrowers are not intended to be specialists, but make perfectly good utility casters -- they work best as sort of hybrid God/Blasters. So you want a mix of blasts and save-or-sucks. This points towards classes that have access to more and more blasty spells, like the sorceror and wizard.

TLDR: go with the sorceror.

Doug M.

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