| StygianRose |
Hello fellow pathfinder players! I was hoping someone could make a suggestion for me about something.
I really like the thematic of Vermin Rider and Empty Caste, and I wanted to know if there was a way to combine the two of them suitably without too much hassle?
My first instinct was a two to four level dip in Empty Caste paired with Vermin Rider, getting some sneak attack and one or two ninja tricks. Boon Companion should be able to bring me back up for the mount progression and the extra dice would likely outweigh the dipping cost to cavalier challenge.
Empty Caste (Ninja)
Every dromite is born into one of the castes, determining part of their abilities and resistances, and to some degree also what possibilities open up to the individual. Yet, the Queen has the ability to manipulate her offspring, giving birth to dromites with no caste, born to serve none but the Queen herself. Called the “empty caste” amongst those who have heard of them, they are the true weapons of the Queen. Bound to a life of honor and loyalty towards their hive, they strike like invisible daggers into the hearts of those that would hurt the hive.
Special: An empty caste must take its first character level as an empty caste.
All and None: Instead of choosing a single energy to gain resistance against and dictate the energy ray racial psi-like ability, the empty caste uses its active energy type. If the empty caste does not have an energy ray racial psi-like ability or racial energy resistance, this ability provides no benefit. Regardless, the empty caste’s chitin changes color to match its current active energy type, red for fire, blue for cold, white for sonic, and green for electricity.
Charged Weapon: An empty caste of 2nd level can expend a use of its racial energy ray psi-like ability to charge a single melee or thrown weapon for 1 minute. During that time, the charged weapon deals +1d6 damage of the empty caste’s currently active energy type. This ability replaces the ninja trick normally gained at 2nd level, but counts as having a ninja trick for prerequisites.
Ki Pool: In addition to the other abilities of using ki, the empty caste can spend a ki point as a swift action to regain one daily use of its racial energy ray psi-like ability.
Cloud Mind: At 8th level, the empty caste gains the cloud mind ninja trick even though it does not meet the prerequisites. This ability replaces the ninja trick normally gained at 8th level.
Cloud Mind (Ps): As a standard action, the ninja can expend a ki point to manifest cloud mind as a psi-like ability with a manifester level equal to her ninja level. The ninja must be at least 10th level to select this ninja trick.
Code of Conduct
An empty caste must be of lawful alignment and loses all class features except proficiencies if it ever willingly commits an act that threatens its hive or queen.
Additionally, an empty caste’s code requires that it respect its hive and queen, defend them, help them when in need and do whatever is necessary to secure the safety of the hive and queen.
Associates: While the empty caste may adventure with allies, it avoids working with characters that are a threat to its hive and queen or with anyone who consistently offends its moral code.
Raised in a hive, the vermin rider has a natural connection to insects and spiders, a connection that becomes even more intense as rider and mount are joined together with a bond similar to that which ones bound the Hives. Vermin riders often patrol the outskirts
of the hive, both above ground and underground, defending their home and hearth.
Mount: The vermin rider can only choose a Giant Wasp, Giant Scorpion or Giant Mantis for his mount.
Bound Vermin (Su): The vermin rider and his mount are under the permanent effects of mindlink. While bound to each other, the mount gains the same energy resistances as those of the vermin rider from his dromite’s chitin. This ability replaces tactician.
Energized Mount (Su): At 9th level, the vermin rider can expend his psionic focus as a swift action to allow his mount to deal an additional +1d6 points of energy damage with its natural attacks until the end of the vermin rider’s next turn. The energy type is that of the energy type for the vermin rider’s chitin. This ability replaces greater tactician.
Eternal Bond (Su): At 17th level, a vermin rider’s life becomes linked to his mount’s. As long as the mount is alive, the vermin rider is protected from harm. Damage in excess of that which would reduce the vermin rider to fewer than 0 hit points is instead transferred to the mount. This damage is transferred 1 point at a time, meaning that as soon as the mount is reduced to a number of negative hit points equal to its Constitution score, all excess damage remains with the vermin rider. Effects that cause death but not damage are unaffected by this ability. This ability does not affect spells like baleful polymorph, flesh to stone, or imprisonment, or other effect that do not cause actual damage. This ability replaces Master Tactician
The Dromite Race can be found here.
Cloud Mind is here.
I planned on using Pack Flanking and Pack Tactics to get Sneak Attack on a charge.
If anyone has played WoW, this character is largely based on the Klaxxi and I am excited to attempt playing him.
Most of all besides general advice, I was hoping someone could suggest a Cha-based order besides Cockatrice.
Is the Giant Scorpion noticeably better on a charge than a Mantis? I wanted to play with Mantis because I find them fascinating as bugs and the fly speed meant that I could avoid our parties issues with no room in Melee for people; flying ABOVE the target and using the lance's reach and ability to initiate my attack from any point in my mount's square to stab people in the head before retreating into the shadows.