I am currently making another of my favorite class, the inquisitor, however I am doing it a bit differently this time. This guy is a reach build, and its the first time using this in a serious game for me. Just wondering if this is about as good as I should be at this level.
Dwarven inquisitor of Besmara lvl 6
Persistence inquisition (we house ruled Besmaras inquisitions)
Str:20 (17 start/ +2 belt/ +1 lvl advancement)
Dex:10
Con:14 (12 start/ +2 racial)
Int:9
Wis:20 (16 start/ +2 racial/ +2 headband)
Cha:7
Equipment: Dwarven long hammer, spiked gauntlet, living steel breastplate, heavy crossbow, belt of giant strength+2, head band of wisdom +2, amulets of freedom of movement x3, scabbard of vigor, quick runners shirt, sleeves of many garments
Feats: power attack, steel soul, step up, outflank, pack attack, ???(cant decide on my last feat)
Feedback is appreciated.
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If he is a Reach build back off the Wis point buy and add some Dex. Reach uses AoO and Combat Reflexes to get in more attacks. I think just Dialing back wisdom 1 point in your Point buy will give you what your needing to effectively accomplish reach tactics. Of course the more the better.
Another Option on Feats is Heavy armor Proficiency and/or Toughness. Since your going to be on the front lines the added defense should come in handy regardless which one you pick.
I'd pump all FCB into HP as well. d8 HD only goes so far and the More HP the better when dealing with the front lines. Doing this could swing the feat choice into favor of the Heavy Armor Proficiency if your HP pool is average or better.
Dialing Wis back 2 gives you both 14 wis (enough for 3 AoOs with combat reflexes) and lets you remove the stat dump in int.
Do you really need 20 wis? Are you a primary caster? ARe you relying on your spell DC's as your primary threat? Because otherwise, it is just silly- you barely need 16 wis for all your spells (which can be done with (accomplsihed with 12 wis+2 racial+2 headband). You only get an extra couple spells for that high a casting stat.
The main thing I aim for with reach is to grab a fortuitous weapon. That lets you get in a second AoO for the same AoO drawing action, only it is at BAB-5 and it only does so 1/round. Do you know what that is? That is basically your full attack versus the first fool to try to run up at you. But you need more than the default 1 AoO per round to make that work. You need at least 12 dex. AT LEAST.
Now, for that last feat? Lunge. It is FANTASTIC for reach. No, it doesn't expand the area you threaten for AoOs. But it makes positioning so much easier.
When you attack first with a reach weapon, the enemy only needs to take a 5' step to reach you. They avoid an AoO, and they get their full attack. With lunge, enemies need to move 10' to reach you- that is a move action that draws an AoO, and they probably can't full attack. That means you can act freely, you get more attacks in, and they get less attacks in. Offense and defense, all in a nice little package.
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Dialing Wis back 2 gives you both 14 wis (enough for 3 AoOs with combat reflexes) and lets you remove the stat dump in int.
Do you really need 20 wis? Are you a primary caster? ARe you relying on your spell DC's as your primary threat? Because otherwise, it is just silly- you barely need 16 wis for all your spells (which can be done with (accomplsihed with 12 wis+2 racial+2 headband). You only get an extra couple spells for that high a casting stat.
The main thing I aim for with reach is to grab a fortuitous weapon. That lets you get in a second AoO for the same AoO drawing action, only it is at BAB-5 and it only does so 1/round. Do you know what that is? That is basically your full attack versus the first fool to try to run up at you. But you need more than the default 1 AoO per round to make that work. You need at least 12 dex. AT LEAST.
Now, for that last feat? Lunge. It is FANTASTIC for reach. No, it doesn't expand the area you threaten for AoOs. But it makes positioning so much easier.
When you attack first with a reach weapon, the enemy only needs to take a 5' step to reach you. They avoid an AoO, and they get their full attack. With lunge, enemies need to move 10' to reach you- that is a move action that draws an AoO, and they probably can't full attack. That means you can act freely, you get more attacks in, and they get less attacks in. Offense and defense, all in a nice little package.
Great advice.
Just remember Lunge is a BaB of +6. Level 8+ on an Inquisitor. So Level 9 feat.
But I would advise for it when you qualify.
Thanks for the input so far! dont know why I felt I needed such high wisdom when im running it as a front liner. Lunge was definitely something that I am looking into getting. anymore advice?
Great advice.
Just remember Lunge is a BaB of +6. Level 8+ on an Inquisitor. So Level 9 feat.
But I would advise for it when you qualify.
Whoops- I saw about 5 feats, so I just assumed. Missed that those were the free teamwork feats.
Well then, going in the same line- Pushing assault.
I advise it for reach since it plays a similar role to lunge: it lets you control distance.
When an enemy gets adjacent to you, you can take a 5' step back, and then push them back 5' with pushing assault. Thus, they are in the same sweet spot that lunge hits at. Pushing assault basically lets you reset your reach build so you can keep on getting AoOs turn after turn. Best used with lunge, which would allow you to continue your full attack after pushing the enemy away
Basically, lunge is more 1st turn, pushing assault is more every turn after that with lunge providing backup at that point.
Now, enemies might avoid you if you are so hard to hit with mastery over distance...but that is the same problem that CaGM barbarians experience, and we all know their answer when enemies avoid them: they use their big 2 handed weapons cause they aren't turtled up monks. With reach and lunge, you can full attack in a 45' wide circle, which means that you can full attack fairly easily. Just put yourself between them and the squishy mages (so you are a 25' circle of pain, especially with fortuitous) and keep a high enough DPR that you are still a major target, even if you are a pain in the rear to attack. A smart GM might even add weak mooks in just to eat up your AoOs (which also lets you feel like you are contributing) just to tie you up while the big beefy beasties can get past freely.
I'd highly recommend Sanctified Slayer or Sacred Huntmaster over base inquisitor. Judgments are too infrequent to be useful except when absolutely necessary, and both archetypes replace them with things that are useful 24/7.
This! However if you are starting at level 7 you get 3 uses of Judgement to start with. Also Dwarves can invest their FCB in boosting Judgement effects (you get the best tradeoff on damage) so judgement is still feasible.
Your statline is a bit extreme. Neither STR not WIS are that important for an Inquisitor for you to want to make such poor point buy tradeoffs. Also you haven't factored in your CHA penalty.
For Teamwork feats your not gonna be getting a lot of value out of precise strike with a reach weapon. Pack attack eats your swift action which inquisitors don't have a lot of. I'd look into Lastwall Phalanx or Stick together (and buy a ring of ferocious action).
Also you are not proficient with martial weapons and thus not proficient with the Longhammer.
Edit: As a reach weapon wielder you should always have a plan B) for when soemebody gets into your square and you can't move. Cestus or armor spikes will work.
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I'd highly recommend Sanctified Slayer or Sacred Huntmaster over base inquisitor. Judgments are too infrequent to be useful except when absolutely necessary, and both archetypes replace them with things that are useful 24/7.
YMMV. My group trends to have few combat encounters per day - often just one or two - so Judgments can be used in most fights by level 6.
Also inquisitors actually might prefer the moveaction activation to swift action activation from time to time.
Stats changed in line with advice.
STR:20 (I know that having this high seems a bit much but I am a lvl or two behind the rest of the party due to a death which is why this character is being made.)
Dex:14
Con:14
INT:10
Wis:18(should I lower it a bit more? Cunning initiative is my main init right now)
Cha:5 (corrected)
The dwarves favored class bounus was actually the main draw of the race for me so I don't really like the idea of giving up judgments.
Hm... I suppose I have been playing weapon familiarity all wrong... Thanks for the correction. Long spear it is less there's a better suggestion.
Martial weapon Proficiency Longhammer or Heirloom Weapon Trait will give you a longhammer. I'd argue that +2.5 damage per hit is prolly worth the feat. Then again you also need Combat Reflexes and Power Attack and Steel Soul is such a sweet feat... I assume that Besmara is a plot thing if not there are other deities that provide you with nice reach weapons.
You can leave Wisdom at 18 a 16 in CON wouldn't hurt your character either if you are gonna invest in the Dwarf FCB.
I would disagree with demon as Domain it's a trap as it only provides an enhancement bonus. Destruction also doesn't work with multiple attacks.
Ferocity is nice as you get rage at level 8. Anger inquisition gives you rage at level 6. Prolly your best bet if you're into smashing face.
I was actually having a tough time deciding on which trait to take so heirloom weapon is perfect. The available inquisitions for Besmara (who is in fact my deity for plot reasons) at our table are persistence, valor and black powder. The movement speed, healing and free step up are all really nice looking to me so I went with that.
Persistence is a solid choice. Trickery Domain is also nice.