Reign of Winter character help


Advice


As the title says, I am about to enter a Reign of Winter campaign with several players who are still relatively new to the game. We have an unchained rogue, ranger (unsure of his specialization), sorcerer, and a cleric or oracle.

We are in need of a front line fighter and that is where I guess I have to come in. I am okay with playing a front line fighter, but would like to be able to do more than just fight. I can play a fighter or barbarian but is there any other class that could hold there own as the main front line fighter?

Our character creation requirements are core, advanced, and unchained only. No archetypes and all core races. 20 pt buy system. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Warpriest/Paladin's self-heal makes for good tanking.

Though a Ranger could possibly make a fine front-line melee toon.


I thought about a Paladin but I am not a fan of the whole lawful good spectrum as I have a lot of trouble playing that way. Grant it the players are new and I am still trying to help them play their characters instead of what they want to do. Warpriest would be good but I can only be classes from the core, advanced, and unchained.

Also Gunslingers are banned, not that they meet my requirement for a front line fighter lol

Grand Lodge

Bloodrager

Slayer->Horizon Walker is amazing

Magus


Unfortunately I cannot use classes that are not Core or Advanced Players Guide.

I am thinking Paladin, Unchained Monk, Magus, or maybe Inquisitor


That is my bad I forgot that the newer book with Bloodrager and them is called Advanced Class Guide lol.


Inquisitor/Rogue or Inquisitor/Monk to get the trifecta of Evasion and Stalwart.


Surprised that most of the other non-banned Advanced Player's Guide classes that are suitable for the front line haven't gotten much (if any) mention:

Alchemist: Go for a Mr. Hyde build.
Cavalier: Full armor and weapon proficiency. Main downside is that some of the archetypes you would want to consider (for instance, if you didn't want to be mounted) are from later than the APG.
Inquisitor (actually mentioned above). Arguably does a better job of being a Warpriest than a Warpriest, but it's in the APG.
Magus (actually mentioned above): Generally great at tearing stuff up, although in Reign of Winter in particular you might run into problems with targets having resistance and/or immunities.
Oracle (actually mentioned in OP): Revelations in Mysteries that have been around since the APG came out (most obviously Battle, although this isn't the only one) can be pretty good for front line combat and/or a Reach build analogous to Reach Cleric. (Downside: The divine character might choose this over Cleric -- but even then, with diverse Mysteries and limited spells known, you might not be stepping on each other's toes too much.)
Summoner (if you're really crazy): APG didn't have the Synthesist yet (that archetype came later), but it is still possible (although risky) to build a front-line Summoner (or better yet, a Reach Summoner -- apply Reach Cleric concept to Summoner).

Also missing or only slightly mentioned options from the Core Rulebook:

Bard (especially archetypes Arcane Duelist, Savage Skald, and I may have missed some others): Doesn't have the nova capability of the Magus, but can still be built to be competent in melee. Savage Skald lets you semi-preview an ACG class with APG material.
Cleric (actually mentioned in OP): Reach Cleric and Bad Touch Cleric started here. (If the divine player in the group chooses Oracle, this option is open.)
Druid: Can definitely be built for melee -- that's what Wild Shape is for. (But be careful fo trap options among the tempting totems.)
Fighter (actually already mentioned in the OP): (Unfortunately, the good archetypes for doing stuff other than combat require books not in use in your campaign.)
Monk (actually mentioned above): Supposed to be a front-liner unless you are a Zen Archer (which actually is in APG). (However, Unchained Monk doesn't work with any currently available Monk archetypes.)
Druid + Monk multiclass: Look up Way of the Angry Bear on the Zenigh Games Guide to the Guides. (Downside: You are restricted to Lawful Neutral unless you take Enlightened Warrior, which is not available in your campaign because it comes from Blood of Angels.)
Ranger (actually mentioned above): Can certainly be build as a frontliner, or better yet, ranged/frontline switch-hitter. (Downside: Party already has a Ranger. But archetypes Trapper, or better yet Skirmisher, are available in the APG, which trade out spellcasting, thereby reducing the extent to which you step on the other Ranger's toes.)
Sorcerer (if you're really crazy): Reportedly, some weird builds actually go melee. This gets more workable if you transition into Dragon Disciple, but that isn't the only way (reportedly Abyssal works for this -- unfortunately, without Ultimate Magic, you can't go Cross-Blooded Abyssal + Aberrant, or Abyssal + Draconic if you wanted to go Dragon Disciple after all). (Downside: Looks like somebody else in the party is already going to be a Sorcerer; however, with Sorcerers having limited numbers of spells known, you might still not be stepping on each other's toes too much.)
Wizard (if you're really crazy): Look up Wannabe - Orthodox Banjoist's Guide to the Transmuter Wizard on the Zenith Games Guides to the Guides. (I'm not entirely convinced of how viable it is, but it sounds too fun not to mention, even though your party already has a Sorcerer.)

(Edited to add more stuff that was missing or only lightly mentioned.)

In response to the message below, DON'T do Mystic Theurge -- the SLA FAQ nerf of a few months ago hosed it.


Could do the "mystic theurge flinging helicopter blades of death" bit. Wiz 1 (Universalist), Cleric 1 (whatever deity you like that grants the Magic domain), then head towards Mystic Theurge. Keep Wis and Int even to each other. Result: fling (6+Int bonus +Wis bonus) oversized objects/day at something you don't like within 30 ft. Catch Off-Guard and Improvised Weapon Mastery make this absolutely nasty. "If I lifts, I flings." true strike is Your Friend, especially via wand. ;)


Thank you guys for the suggestions, I can use APG but I am not allowed to use archetypes so that really changes some of my options. I thought about the cavalier, but I do not know if my mount will become an issue in the game, I guess I could go small and take a dog or wolf or something similar! I am debating between a Monk or even a small cavalier or the usualy fighter or barbarian but they get so boring to me.


After reading up some more stuff, I have narrowed it down to Monk or Paladin as my main two choices, with a fighter and Barbarian as backups.

My biggest hesitation is I do not want to be useless outside of battles. I wanted to be a halfling Cavalier but I was reading there are a lot of times that I will not get charging lanes so I don't know if they would be a waste of time.


^Actually, a Small Cavalier with a dog or wolf is not a bad idea, so don't give up on it just yet. These mounts can actually fit in most places that the Medium members of your party can fit, and you don't actually have to be mounted on them for them and you to be effective. They can also serve as flanking/tripping partners, allowing you and them to be effective even if you never get a chance to charge (and with d10 and optional Heavy armor, you will be pretty beefy). And the Scent ability that either one has is certainly useful out of combat, and as for your own out-of-combat capabilities, you have more skill ranks than a Fighter or Paladin.

Fortunately, most of the stuff I posted in my previous message doesn't need the archetypes.

By the way, since Unchained is allowed in your campaign, do you get to use Background Skills? This would help with the skill starvation that hurts classes that are not explicit skill monkeys or Int-based casters.

Grand Lodge

Even on a small mount your going to be in a lot of snow.

I'm a huge mounted Halfling player. But this is one of the APs I recommend against it.

Since you clarified what advance stood for I will pitch this:

I recommend Ranger. Be a switch hitter. And go into horizon walker. You will have a blast and its super effective with your limited options. Favored Terrain will be a god send. And the ability to switch from ranged to 2 handed melee will be used a lot.


No archtypes? aw...

I loved playing my Ulfen Invulnerable Rager in this setting. (picked the cold resistance naturally).

Given these options, I would go either a dwarven fighter or an unchained monk.

Edit: Okay, or a barbarian as well. Even a Core barbarian is always fun to play :)


Let me preface this by saying I don't really know this campaign, but I'm making assumptions based on what has been discussed so far.

Paladins are excellent as front line combatants. You only really need strength and charisma, and of course some CON. You can turn that that CHA into a solid party face, though your sorcerer or oracle can as well. Still, Sorcs have crap skill points too, so if you guys plan it you can probably avoid overlap. As a human you can get more skill points and can use your FCB to nab cold resistance, which I imagine would be helpful. You have a teensy amount of casting, too. You'll definitely be better than a fighter out of combat, and a lot more sustainable in combat. Maybe talk to your DM and see how they feel about chaotic good paladins or something?

Unchained Monk gets a couple more skill points per level. Unfortunately, the classes inherent MAD issues mean it may be tricky to get much use out of them. But it has a lot of mobility options in it's ki powers which seem like they could be helpful when dealing with difficult terrain. Flying Kick alone might be a god send. (Of course, 2,000 GP nabs you Feather Step Slippers, which sort of seems to solve that problem.) You can at least be a solid Sense Motive and Perception character, and potentially good for stealth if the Rogue needs back up.

Fighter doesn't bring any noncombat potential to the table, and is the most vulnerable to save or sucks taking you out. Without archetypes, bad. Moving on.

Barbarians remain a solid option. 4 skill points a level isn't nothing, and while most folks like to dump INT or WIS with one, you don't actually have to. I've had some fun with a thinking man's barbarian. A couple rage powers also provide nice utility, like Spell Sunder, flight, or just destroying obstacles.

Finally, at the other end of the spectrum, Inquisitors are absolutely wonderful out of combat, and can also rock in combat as long as they don't run out of bane and judgement. You are sacrificing some health and hitting power for that versatility, but when you really need to nova something you can potentially out damage the above classes.

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

I'm running a Reign of Winter game right now, and I have a player with a barbarian. She took the Superstition and Witch Hunter rage powers, so she gets a bonus on spells, supernatural abilities, and spell-like abilities (which includes witch hexes), as well as a bonus on damage against spellcasters. It's been very effective and lots of fun!


Thank you everybody for your input! I am still trying to figure out, I am torn between Inquisitor, Monk, and Paladin, with my fear for monk is my AC as I will be the most front line fighter that we have. I am hoping that the person making the cleric/oracle will gear him to be slightly a fighter type.


moafnsteel wrote:
Thank you everybody for your input! I am still trying to figure out, I am torn between Inquisitor, Monk, and Paladin, with my fear for monk is my AC as I will be the most front line fighter that we have. I am hoping that the person making the cleric/oracle will gear him to be slightly a fighter type.

Monk's can have really good AC. Especially if your sorcerer has mage armor anyway, and once you reach hit higher levels.

Really, you just need to decide whether you will value being the best possible tank, having the best possible mobility, or having the best utility.


^Also need to decide what flavor you want:

Monk: The ascetic going into the unnatural wilderness to perfect yourself and bring order to a savage land. But without archetypes, even with the Unchained Monk, you may find yourself feeling like the BMX Bandit . . .

Paladin: The Holy Knight going into the unnatural wilderness to bring justic to a savage land. But pretty soon, you may find yourself wondering if you just voted for Cthulhu . . .

Inquisitor: The Holy Rogue going into the unnatural wilderness to hunt down the source of corruption in the blighted land Nobody will be expecting you . . .

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