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For the PFS Core Campaign, which only uses the CRB, I'm considering a Dragon Disciple as I've never played one before.
My current inclination is a beatstick Paladin 4/Sorcerer 1/DD X, primarily for the CHA to saves, 2 smites and CHA synergy.
I'm also considering Barbarian 4/Sorcerer 1/DD X for the sheer "moar str plz" aspect.
Both options would use a 2H weapon, although I'm not sure if going reach would be advised.
Thoughts?
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I am considering a Paladin/Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple core build as well.
Here is what mine looks like, maybe we can bounce ideas off one another.
Paladin 2/Sorcerer 3/Dragon Disciple 6
Stats:
Str - 18 (16 + 2)
Dex - 10
Con - 14
Int - 7
Wis - 7
Cha - 17
Traits: Unknown As of Now, Probably Reactionary and Indominable Faith
Human - Power Attack
1 - (Who Knows)
3 - Arcane Strike
5 - Arcane Armor training
7 - Intimidating Prowess
9 - (Who Knows)
11 - Arcane Armor Mastery
Bloodline Feats:
8 - Toughness
11 - Blindfight
Hard to pick good feats when just limited to core, results in me picking up Arcane Armor feat line.
Barbarian and Paladin are generally the best options for Dragon Disciple.
Paladin gives a bit of versatility, but personally I like Barbarian better.
Barbarian gets more HP (11/12 levels of d12), and combined with Rage gives you a better Rage than Greater Rage (you also get another free round of Rage by having a static +2 to Con at 6th level).
Basically, it works out like this:
Lv12 Barbarian - Rage +6 Str / +6 Con / AC -2 / Will +7
Lv4 Barbarian/Lv1 Sorcerer/Lv7 Dragon Disciple - Rage +8 Str / +6 Con / AC +1 / Will +9
The Natural Armor increase offsets the AC loss from Raging by level 4; by level 7, you have Nat Arm +3, so while Raging it's virtually +1 higher.
And your Will Save is actually HIGHER because you're getting +2 added to a static +7 (+1 from Barbarian, +2 from Sorcerer, and +4 from Dragon Disciple).
Every time you take Extra Rage, as well, it's like having taken 3 levels of Barbarian just for the extra rounds of Rage, as well, so take Extra Rage 3 times and it's like you never left Barbarian (I don't actually suggest this - it's enough to take it once and be done, honestly; any more and you're just denying yourself useful Feats).
Another option is going fighter 5 and get weapon training natural attacks.
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@skyler, this is what I was thinking
Str - 18 (16 + 2)
Dex - 11
Con - 14
Int - 7
Wis - 8
Cha - 16
Traits:
Reactionary
Indomitable Faith
L1 Power Attack, Human: Weapon Focus-Falchion
L3 Toughness
L5 Arcane Strike
L7 (burner feat), DD: Improved Initiative
L8 Retrain Burner to Arcane Armor Training
L9 Lunge
L10 DD: Blind Fight
L11 Improved Critical-Falchion
I'm willing to live with 15% arcane spell failure (mithral full plate + Arcane Armor Training) as I would try to use somatic-less spells in-combat or buff spells pre-combat.
@chbgraphicarts: my big concern is the lack of Raging Vitality in Core and SBDS (Sudden Barbarian Death Syndrome), which pretty much mandates going 1/2 orc.
@chbgraphicarts: my big concern is the lack of Raging Vitality in Core and SBDS (Sudden Barbarian Death Syndrome), which pretty much mandates going 1/2 orc.
Except that you're forgetting that your saves as a Dragon Disciple will be be just as strong as a Paladins.
A Paladin's saves will be +8 Fort / +3 Ref / +10 Will
A Barbarian's saves, without Raging will be: +8 Fort / +3 Ref / +7 Will
A Barbarian's saves, while Raging will be (including the Con bonus): +11 Fort / +3 Ref / +9 Will
There aren't "Save or Die" effects before you get into Dragon Disciple, and once you do get into it, you start getting a very good Will save.
If you're concerned with dropping under 0 HP, bear in mind that you could always just NOT put yourself into a situation where you're going to bite the big one.
As has been pointed out by more than one person elsewhere, Barbarians don't HAVE to actually be Melee combatants.
It SEEMS like they do, because they have massive bonuses to Str, but honestly they make disturbingly strong Ranged Combatants.
You have full BAB, and Composite Bows are a thing - just make sure to get one who's Strength Rating is equal to what your Str will be when you Rage.
And if you DO want to wade into melee (which is understandable - Strength and Con boost and all), then you can just dip out of Barbarian for a level.
If you go Barbarian 3/Fighter 1/Sorcerer 1/Dragon Disciple 7, grabbing Endurace & Diehard from a single level dip into Fighter (assuming you take it at an odd level, like level 1), you avoid SBDS without affecting your Saves, BAB, and only 1HP loss.
Not sure if it's recommendable, but my highest level PFS character is a Human (Sorcerer 4, Fighter 1, Dragon Disciple 2) with a two-weapon fighting scheme using kukri, though he often fights with his falcata. I know it's not core, but really, he almost is. Surprisingly little that he has isn't legal in PFS Core Campaign:
Weapon -> +1 Falcata
Armor -> Haramaki
Trait -> Desert Child
Spell -> Warding Weapon
Everything else he has is Core legal, including the Additional Traits feat. I took that at 7th to grab Magical Knack to bring my casting up to par.
He's focused on agility using things like 18 DEX, Deft Dodger trait for more Ref, Captain's Blade to make Acrobatics a class skill, and the Dodge feat for a little more AC.
Because of this, however, he is fragile. Base 10 CON (first character, didn't realize how important it was) means few hit points until DD, though a Belt of Mighty Constitution +2 and the Toughness feat help somewhat.
He's not optimized, but he is fun to play. He once jumped off a horse to avoid a fireball, stuck the landing and held of the demon responsible by himself in obscuring mist while his party rescued some captured soldiers. That said, stupid ideas and unfortunate circumstances have lead him to die twice, once by a bearded devil in a small room where I was the only frontliner and our pregen cleric couldn't overcome the infernal wounds, and once by splitting the party underwater and getting hit by a suffocation spell once he got on the ship. He's also been turned into chalk once and his formerly golden eyes are now permanently grey.
Human (Gold Dragon Sorcerer 4, Fighter 1, Dragon Disciple 2)
STR-12 (+2 from DD = 14)
DEX-18
CON-10 (+2 from BoMC = 12)
INT-13 (+1 @ 4th level = 14)
WIS-10
CHA-14
Deft Dodger, Desert Child, Magical Knack, Captain's Blade
Weapon Finesse, Two-Weapon Fighting, Eschew Materials, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Falcata), Dodge, Weapon Focus (Falcata), Additional Traits, Toughness
Still, it's a different take on the melee Dragon Disciple, and worth a mention.
If you go Barbarian 3/Fighter 1/Sorcerer 1/Dragon Disciple 7, grabbing Endurace & Diehard from a single level dip into Fighter (assuming you take it at an odd level, like level 1), you avoid SBDS without affecting your Saves, BAB, and only 1HP loss.
Except that Endurance and Diehard are not Combat feats.
If you go Barbarian 3/Fighter 1/Sorcerer 1/Dragon Disciple 7, grabbing Endurace & Diehard from a single level dip into Fighter (assuming you take it at an odd level, like level 1), you avoid SBDS without affecting your Saves, BAB, and only 1HP loss.Except that Endurance and Diehard are not Combat feats.
Once again, I've been spoiled by Archetypes (Unbreakable Fighter)
