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LO AND BEHOLD, YE MORTALS, FOR PAIZO HAS CREATED YET ANOTHER WAY TO GET UNRESTRICTED DEX-TO-DAMAGE.
Yes, you heard me right - the old and grizzled may have told you about the Dervish Dance Magus winter, some of you have withstood the coming and going and coming again of Slashing Grace... but it all has built up to this.
Physical Enhancement (Su): The implement enhances its bearer’s body. When you invest mental focus in the implement, select a physical ability score. The implement grants a +2 temporary enhancement bonus to that physical ability score for every 3 points of mental focus invested in the implement (to a maximum of +2 at 1st level, plus an additional 2 for every 6 occultist levels you possess).
Legacy Weapon (Su): As a standard action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus and touch a weapon to grant it an enhancement bonus. The bonus is equal to 1 + 1 for every 6 occultist levels you possess (to a maximum of +4 at 18th level). Enhancement bonuses gained by this ability stack with those of the weapon, to a maximum of +5. You can also imbue the weapon with any one weapon special ability with an equivalent enhancement bonus less than or equal to your maximum bonus by reducing the granted enhancement bonus by the appropriate amount. The item must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 (from the item itself or from legacy weapon) to gain a weapon special
ability. In either case, these bonuses last for 1 minute.
Put all points into the Transmutation Implement, get massive Dexterity boost, use Legacy Weapon to give the agile quality to whatever weapons without paying a dime.
Some people will combine it with the Battle Host archetype to have enough feats to TWF and also to get a +4 DEX insight bonus to boot.
You have my interest. I haven't had a chance to check out the occultist yet.
It's pretty fun, from what I see. Compensates for not having battle abilities by having resonant powers that allow you to save money that you'd have otherwise spent on items.
Wait, was slashing grace changed again because of the outcry afterwards?
Wait, was slashing grace changed again because of the outcry afterwards?
Oh, I just meant that at first people thought it worked with light weapons, then it didn't, now it does again. Slashing Grace is in a weird spot.
Wait, was slashing grace changed again because of the outcry afterwards?Oh, I just meant that at first people thought it worked with light weapons, then it didn't, now it does again. Slashing Grace is in a weird spot.
Along with being restricted from working with pretty much anything happening in your other hand (physical or metaphorical) except bucklers. And the little token item thing meant for swashbucklers.
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If you choose battle host, you should really be using a gun. Immunity to misfire is too nice.
If you choose battle host, you should really be using a gun. Immunity to misfire is too nice.
That is a really cool side-effect. Noted for future reference.
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This now takes a standard action to work for 1 minute (ie, one combat). Hardly something you're going to want to do all the time.
Slashing grace and a buckler though , along with your dex belt, and you're good.
If you choose battle host, you should really be using a gun. Immunity to misfire is too nice.
Immune to broken also means that Effort Lace on it can't be destroyed unless it's dispelled. ;) The weapon doesn't say it has to be your size so you can have a large weapon. Large estoc!
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Flashforward to next year's errata: "Panoply Bond cannot prevent a weapon from being broken by the actions of the Occultist (such as misfiring) and the Occultist must choose a weapon of his size."
Flashforward to next year's forum posts: "PAIZO ZOMG MY BUILD WAS TOTALLY BALANCED WHY DONT YOU LET ME HAVE FUN, MY COUSIN KNOWS PRESIDENT TRUMP HE'LL GET YOUR CEO FIRED"
I wouldn't be surprised to see appropriate size errata. Broken protection is basically required though, as it's your one and only focus forever. A more likely nerf would be no firearms in the first place.
Also, there should be text saying no special materials, otherwise there will be a lot of adamantite suddenly.
Don't forget that they'll nerf the Dex boost or whatever else to oblivion because that's not the one and only way they want you to play Occultist despite giving you the option of doing otherwise.
Looking at the class i'm not sure how you're "supposed" to play it. For the test i made the exact "horror" this thread was worried about but a standard action at the start of every comobat is way too precious to give up for his dex Kurki. He's going to have to get slashing grace or something similar.
a standard action at the start of every comobat is way too precious to give up
Are you high? How is one standard action per combat an unforgivable tradeoff? Not winning the DPR race? Whoopie-doo.
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Are you high?
Mortorist stops out front of a funny farm to change a flat tire. Another car goes by and scatters the bolts into the ditch. After half an hour looking he can't find them. Someone comes out of the funny farm and suggests taking one bolt off of his other 3 tires and using those. Motorist asks the guy if he's a resident or a doctor. Guy replies "does it really matter?"
Points stand on their own. They're not reliant on the person making them. Attacking other people is not only incredibly rude but pointlessly silly.
How is one standard action per combat an unforgivable tradeoff? Not winning the DPR race? Whoopie-doo.
The OP seems convinced that these things would win the DPR race. In that respect one standard action from combat WILL keep you out of olympic DPR gold. I did not say that it made the character useless, or it was unforgivable, just that it keeps the build from being the one build to rule them all that the OP seems to think they are.
I was looking at Bane on everything starting at level 1 by casting Magic Weapon first. Given that you can cast psychic spells while stealthed, you could be firing a 1d8+2d6+3 light crossbow or longbow straight out the gate for some encounters.
Agile is pretty cool, too, though.
Play elf, get a nice +1 elven curved blade, cast lead blades and enlarge 3d8 +dex 18-20 crit!
The OP seems convinced that these things would win the DPR race. In that respect one standard action from combat WILL keep you out of olympic DPR gold. I did not say that it made the character useless, or it was unforgivable, just that it keeps the build from being the one build to rule them all that the OP seems to think they are.
That ain't me.
People flock to easy Dexterity to damage. Just saying people will like this.
The OP seems convinced that these things would win the DPR race. In that respect one standard action from combat WILL keep you out of olympic DPR gold. I did not say that it made the character useless, or it was unforgivable, just that it keeps the build from being the one build to rule them all that the OP seems to think they are.
That ain't me.
People flock to easy Dexterity to damage. Just saying people will like this.
Characters who's concepts don't work are usually a self correcting problem.
I considered that for my Occultist, however I prefer the idea of using Legacy Weapon to grant Bane to my bow and using Focused Shot. Not gonna compete in the DPR olympics for sure, but it will be nice to have my knowledge oriented occultist be combat viable.
If you choose battle host, you should really be using a gun. Immunity to misfire is too nice.
PFS Warning: This will likely not be a valid option in PFS. In PFS the Wizard's Arcane Bond (which Panoply Bond is very similar to) explicitly only allows items that are Always Available; expect that the Battle Host's Panoply Bond will function similarly (without the ability to change the Bond later by spending 200gp.) It's legal for now, but use at your own risk.
I'll admit that as soon as I read the Battle Host that I immediately went there, but misfire and the threat of destroying your weapon are the largest limiting factors for Firearms. Not having to worry about damaging your firearm through misfire is a bit... broken.
As for Dex-Based Transmutation Occultists, they'll likely be a popular option, but probably not game breaking. It's one of the more accessible Occult Adventures character concepts and the Elf Favored Class Bonus is pretty strong, so people that picked up the book and were thinking "What looks fun to play?" will likely gravitate to it. However, the Warpriest's ability to enhance their weapon as a Swift Action is more powerful from an Action Economy standpoint, and they didn't break the game.
Forsaking firearms, the battle host still makes a great archer. Invincible bowstrings.
Forsaking firearms, the battle host still makes a great archer. Invincible bowstrings.
They certainly do make great archers. I'm not sure if the bow is invincible, however. It's immune to the Broken Condition, but I'm not sure if it can be Destroyed.
That'd make one kick butt snag net...