hey everyone. I recently got invited to a two-player Jade regent game (dunno how that'll work out, but eh) and am just completely stuck about what to bring to the table.
The other person went full-in with a Kitsune Mesmerist (Vexing Daredevil archetype) so we've got "party face" more than covered, and it seems like he would want a flank buddy with the build.
I know that in a duo game, pretty much anything works as good as the next, but I'd like some pointers, mostly 'cause I've never worked with a mesmerist before and don't know what's "good" as opposed to what's "well, we might not die, I guess maybe."
Any advice on class / archetype / build for a good duo partner, or just something that's really good for the AP would be much appreciated.
A mesmerist is a debuffer and a light fighting type. Not particularly dependent on full attacks given the 1/round painful stare, but not huge damage either, and a bit on the fragile side.
You could play a druid and have your animal companion fill out the front line while the PC shoots up the enemy or does battlefield control, and heals you all afterwards. Or a hunter could work similarly but with more emphasis on shooting up the enemy, or possibly on joining the mesmerist and the AC on the front line.
Or you could play a character who tries to exploit the debuffs which the mesmerist supplies. A magus can finish enemies nicely, and a hexcrafter could have the slumber hex to use on hypnotic stared enemies. An inquisitor could work similarly (if less extremely) and could supply non-social skills and some healing.
Along the lines of the Animal Companion route avr mentions, what about a warpriest with the Divine Commander archetype? You lose Blessings but those are replaced with a combat-trained mount that starts the game with Light Armor Proficiency. Slap the Bodyguard archetype on the mount and you and your AC work together to cover front-line and tanking duties. You 2 soak up damage up front and mete out some decent attacks through use of your Fervor + spells, meanwhile the mesmerist improves your accuracy with debuffs.
On the character side, the warpriest and mesmerist might be part of an elite fighting team or something. Sort of a "holy samurai" and their kitsune charge. For extra shenanigans, take Blade of Mercy to turn all slashing damage non-lethal, then work down the Enforcer feat to Demoralize everyone you fight. You slap them with your sword, they panic, fall victim to the mesmerist and suddenly the fight is over.
Having been in two person campaigns before, on both sides of the screen, I want to jump in with the suggestions for a Animal Companion based class (especially, druid/hunter but that's just because I'm less familiar with warpriests). Having a third body in the mix makes a HUGE difference in most encounters. A full progression animal companion will be a huge boon.
I'd suggest a cavalier of some description. It's just the two of you, so pick a utilitarian teamwork feat like Escape Route or something along those lines, and you'll always know who is gonna be the target of your Tactician ability. Your mount can add a third body to the mix, and you have what's needed to take and give punishment in equal measure.
If not, then maybe consider a druid with a beefy animal companion, or a conjuration-focused wizard. Teleportation subschool of conjuration will let you reposition effectively in fights, mitigating some of the problems with the low amount of party-members, and a good familiar can provide excellent scouting.
Finally, think about (and ask your GM about) investing in some hirelings if a certain part of the adventure looks too rough. 400ish GP for a team of cavalry-men(presented in Ultimate Campaign) is 5 level 3 warriors complete with gear and mounts, fighting loyally, even earning you money. It's a very good purchase at those lower levels, far better than most conventional items of the same price, and viable no matter what class you choose to play =]
Hope it helps.
-Nearyn
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I would go with a summoner and a druid, cleric with nature domain or nature/lunar mistery oracle with double curse.
You have the eidolon and a wolf/tiguer to be in the frontline, a divine spellcaster with lots of usefull spells, a party face, lots of buffs, even rerolls if you go with the oracle and have to make a decisive save.
Summary you want to cover many roles and the way to go is with the eidolon, a cha caster and a wis/int one to the skills or the perception. Also you will want a healer or at least someone who can save your partner if the things are going bad.
I would concur with Summoner. Eidolon is superior to Animal Companion and Summoners have early access to key buffs along with battlefield control. Druid still brings that extra body to the fight and their divine tree is SOLID.
Between a Summoner and a Druid, two players COULD be a party unto themselves.
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Hunter is one of the best solo damage dealing characters. They have a animal companion to help with action economy. They can heal, and remove condition spells. They also cover out door skills that come up a lot in the first few books of Jade Reagent. Druid is a good option as well. However they don't do as much damage. With only two players you will need all the extra damage you can pull out of one character.
I don't recommend summoner. You will need a divine caster with condition removal spells.
Half-orc Paladin with deathless chain: Tank, Survive, Heal mesmerist and self.Bonus points if you can get the Mesmerist to take die-hard as well and use it to auto-stabilize.