For background, I've never played any oracle, but I have a friend who plays dual cursed oracles all the time. He's really good and insists it's the only way to play oracles. I don't want him to get on me for playing a DC oracle in a way that he thinks is suboptimal; also, I'm bored of DC oracles now that he's done it infinity times. So! I'm here to ask for a fun/good oracle that doesn't follow the obviously optimal path of DC.
I had thought I might try the heavens oracle as a gnome. With a CHA score of 20, I would cast color sprays that would have a DC of 17 and pretty much render even bosses unconscious. That would certainly impress my friend! However, then I realized that it would drive everyone nuts -- I would rob the team of fights. I would pre-empt everything they did, and shut down all combat. My friends will not like me for this.
So... I wonder... what are the coolest oracles that are more team-oriented, or have cool flavor, or are super-useful? What's fun?
If it helps, my team is a spiritualist, occultist (tank), paladin, and alchemist/gunslinger (ranged). I feel like a bard would go well there, or something that buffs, but most buffs are boring. Still, there must be some cool options. I know many of you have played a ton of these characters. What is your expert suggestion?
Some people like buffing, some people like disabling... what do you want to do in combat? Do you like rolling attacks? Do you like spells?
I could tell you what I find cool, but that doesn't mean you'll like that yourself!
Read The Blockbuster Wizard guide, and then go Oracle of Flame(*). You will want to invest in Metamagic feats, but as a substitute for Elemental Spell (which requires you to take it once for each Energy type you want to substitute in), consider going VMC Wizard (Evocation:Admixture). It costs 5 feats, but gets you a Familiar at 3rd level, the ability to change a spell to any Elemental Energy type you want at 7th level without increasing the casting time or spell slot level needed(**), a Cantrip at 11th level(***), a Wizard Bonus Feat or Discovery at 15th level, and the ability to transform somebody else's Energy attack to a different Energy type at 19th level. (Note that it won't get you an Evocation Wizard's Intense Spells passive ability, but eventually you will be blasting for debuffing purposes with Dazing Spell, so the few bonus points of damage are less critical.)
(*)Note: You DON'T want to take the Blackened Curse unless you are Dual-Cursed, and then only if it your secondary Curse, because it gives you some of the same spells as the Flame Mystery gives you. You also don't want to take the Lame Curse, because it is incompatible with Cinder Dance.
(**)The number of uses of this per day will still depend upon Intelligence, as it does for a Wizard, so actually invest in a modicum of Intelligence, and then you can be your party's knowledge monkey.
(***)Bleah, but given how good the other levels are, it's worth it, and you might even find some use for the Cantrip.
Note that the party that you listed DOESN'T have an arcane caster (Occultist is the closest thing), so you will be filling in for this, even if you decide upon another Mystery and strategy (such as Dark Tapestry for battlefield control, or if you decide to go Heavens for this purpose after all).
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The most fun-looking Oracle build I've personally seen, by the way, is this:
- Human
- Waves Mystery
- Elementalist Oracle
- Freezing Spells revelation
- Water Sight revelation
- Improved Unarmed Strike
1. Walks into combat.
2. Drops Obscuring Mist/Solid Fog/etc.
3. Buffs with Elemental Touch.
4. Punches enemies, triggering Elemental Touch, and, if they fail the save, they trigger Freezing Spells.
5. Enemies can't see s+&# but they are now fatigued and staggered and some dude is punching their faces in the mist.
6. Calls himself Sub Zero.
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Spirit Guide oracles are immensely flexible because they can get a new hex, spirit power, and list of spirit spells known every day. They're not compatible with the Dual Cursed archetype.
Thanks everyone!
Some people like buffing, some people like disabling... what do you want to do in combat?
Mostly not step on everyone else's toes. The spiritualist is working mostly like a summoner with an eidolon, and the occultist is working mostly like a magus, and the paladin is a paladin. So between the 3 of them, they should do some mid-range pounding on the enemies, so I don't need to. The alchemist is ranged artillery, so I don't need to do that either.
So that's why I'm looking for funky oracle builds. I don't need to contribute in combat at all, pretty much. I can contribute in conversation, research, being the "face" of the party, doing skills, investigations, divinations, buffs, being a "force multiplier," and so on. But I've never played an oracle, so I don't know what that looks like. I could also contribute as a healer, but I'm not taking the life mystery. That's too much of being a band-aid for me. I'll take CLW as a spell, and ding people with a wand, and hopefully that should be enough. So I'm left looking at what else an oracle can offer.
Right now, I've got the heavens oracle as a way to shut down fights almost guaranteed, and the lunar oracle looks fun because it can blind enemies and that kind of thing is always helpful. But I otherwise don't like the flavor of the lunar oracle (don't care about werewolves). So... with so many mysteries and so many archetypes, there's gotta be some cool stuff out there.
EDIT: looking up Spirit Guide oracles now, thanks.
A wind oracle can be an amazing spy, between wind sight, gaseous form and invisibility. A few typical cleric buffs can give you a combat role; nobody turns down blessing of fervor, ever.
The ancient lorekeeper archetype has the best bonus spells - and is incompatible with dual-cursed. Remember half-elves qualify for elf options too.
Psychic searcher makes you the master of skills, though the bonus spells mostly suck. Also incompatible with dual-cursed. It might be fun to combine this with the spellscar mystery and play with wild primal magic.
You don't need to spend a spell known on cure light wounds. All oracles pick to know either all cure spells or inflict spells for free.
In addition to the spells gained by oracles as they gain levels, each oracle also adds all of either the cure spells or the inflict spells to her list of spells known (cure spells include all spells with “cure” in the name, inflict spells include all spells with “inflict” in the name). These spells are added as soon as the oracle is capable of casting them. This choice is made when the oracle gains her first level and cannot be changed.
I've always preferred the deaf Oracle of Battle.
Throw up a buff or two and wade into battle wearing full plate, swinging a two-handed weapon. Healing is mostly out-of-combat.
Focus on strength, with just enough Charisma to cast your spells. A starting Charisma of 14 is usually sufficient for this kind of build.
Kitsune with Wrecking Mystecism curse gets some cool off-list spells. If you go all-in, spending the first four feats and bonus spells, you can get the complete set of tails at level 8. That's eight SLAs useable 2/day on top of your Oracle spells! (Including Dominate Person a level before a Wizard.) Your enchantment DCs get a small boost, so tossing Command around will be fun. It can give allies AoOs or easier hits or keep someone out of combat for two round (running away and running back). It plays nicer with the party all around.
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For background, I've never played any oracle, but I have a friend who plays dual cursed oracles all the time. He's really good and insists it's the only way to play oracles. I don't want him to get on me for playing a DC oracle in a way that he thinks is suboptimal; also, I'm bored of DC oracles now that he's done it infinity times. So! I'm here to ask for a fun/good oracle that doesn't follow the obviously optimal path of DC.
I had thought I might try the heavens oracle as a gnome. With a CHA score of 20, I would cast color sprays that would have a DC of 17 and pretty much render even bosses unconscious. That would certainly impress my friend! However, then I realized that it would drive everyone nuts -- I would rob the team of fights. I would pre-empt everything they did, and shut down all combat. My friends will not like me for this.
So... I wonder... what are the coolest oracles that are more team-oriented, or have cool flavor, or are super-useful? What's fun?
If it helps, my team is a spiritualist, occultist (tank), paladin, and alchemist/gunslinger (ranged). I feel like a bard would go well there, or something that buffs, but most buffs are boring. Still, there must be some cool options. I know many of you have played a ton of these characters. What is your expert suggestion?
you know what is fun?
Oracles are based off Cha.Cha is used for Spell DC's, cha skills, etc etc.
You know what is a race that gets +cha? Kitsune.
There is an oracle curse called "wrecking Mysticism"
It allows you to take the Magical Tail Feat whenever you would get a mystery spell.
Just for your reference here are the powers you get 2/day for every tail that you have:
1. disguise self
2. charm person
3. misdirection
4. invisibility
5. suggestion
6. displacement
7. confusion
8. dominate person.
Some good mysteries if you just went FULL Cha, would be Lunar/Nature/Lore. These mysteries have a revelation that instead of Dex to AC you add Cha.
Lore is actually quite fun, as you can use Cha for all knowledge checks. However the rest of the revelations are just ok.
Another decent pick for a mystery is the Solar mystery, as some revelations completely cancel out the negative side effects of the curse.
All in all, It looks like a fun build, you are super useful outside of combat. And you would be hard to hit in combat.
Not to mention the "Realistic Likeness" feat that lets you look like ANYONE.
As for the Dual Cursed Oracle: All archetypes come with a price. In the case of the Dual Cursed Oracle, that cost includes the bonus skills and the first three bonus spells granted by your mystery. That cost is high enough to me that I have never played that archetype yet.
And what do you get as a positive benefit? Two extra revelations, the first of which you do not gain until 5th level. I have generally found that the Extra Revelation feat is good enough for gaining more revelations than the class would normally grant.
OK, that Kitsune Magical Tail idea is exactly the kind of off-the-beaten-path thinking I was hoping for. Thank you all very much for that!
Is 3 PP allowed? What Resources can be used? Is it for PFS?
No 3rd party, official Paizo books for players OK (not modules/adventure paths), any official race with RP 13 or lower OK (but no custom-built races).
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It's campaign specific, but in Carrion Crown I'm currently playing an aasimar Oracle of Pharasma (Life mystery) who has the channeling revelation, is taking the aasimar-only channeling feats, and gets the favored class bonus that gives him an extra +1/2 effective channeling level per class level. He also has the Blackened curse, which will soon allow him to create Walls of Fire that his channeling feats will be able to blast or pull undead into. He's pretty fun.
It's campaign specific, but in Carrion Crown I'm currently playing an aasimar Oracle of Pharasma (Life mystery) who has the channeling revelation, is taking the aasimar-only channeling feats, and gets the favored class bonus that gives him an extra +1/2 effective channeling level per class level. He also has the Blackened curse, which will soon allow him to create Walls of Fire that his channeling feats will be able to blast or pull undead into. He's pretty fun.
You mean the favored class bonus that was errata'd to +1/6 level?
Awwww. Well, heck. Would have still been a possibly worthwhile bonus at +1/3, but 1/6 is just insulting. I'll keep the PC, but favored class bonus is definitely going to change.
I've always preferred the deaf Oracle of Battle.
Throw up a buff or two and wade into battle wearing full plate, swinging a two-handed weapon. Healing is mostly out-of-combat.
Focus on strength, with just enough Charisma to cast your spells. A starting Charisma of 14 is usually sufficient for this kind of build.
This is a fun one. Don't forget to cast Silence on yourself, then use Grace to move within range of enemy spellcasters.
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Lyric the Singing Paladin is a deaf oradin, and casts silence all the time to disrupt spellcasters. At level 3 I took out a level 6 demon by myself between the smite and a scroll of silence. She's also Sprit Guide Archetype, which allows for some interesting flexibility in the spell list.
My lunar oracle, Bobbi, is a psychic searcher oracle and has been an awesome skill monkey with the inspiration dice. You can have an animal buddy, be good in melee, and be great at skills. Yes the spells you get aren't great as a psychic searcher, but in PFS there are so many knowledge and diplomacy checks that having an inspiration dice keeps you competitive and is great for survival. Add fate's favored and use divine favor and a spear, and you can contribute every combat as well.
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I have a Nine-Tailed Kitsune Oracle I play. I gave him a bit of a mystic samurai flavor but you can build it differently to taste.
Warsighted Oracle
1 Feat Tail
2 Tail
3 Feat Tail Rev Wind: Invisibility
4 Tail
5 Feat Power Attack
6 Tail
7 Feat Extra rev: Wings of Air
8 Tail
9 Feat Spell Focus Enchantment
10 Mystery Spell
11 Feat G.Spell Focus Enchantment
Ring of Rev: Weapon Mastery Weapon Focus + Improved Crit
4 FCB: Exotic Weapon Prof Katana
Traits: Fates Favored, Nine-Tailed Scion
stats: 15 10 14 8 7 18
Use your Martial Flexibility to grow the last couple tails as needed or gain additional combat feats. Casting spells such as silence on yourself is great in combat and you can use your SLAs still inside its area.
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Quenly is an Elven dark tapestry ancient lorekeeper oracle whose main trick is to be able to cast most of his spells by will alone in any shape. He's deaf and uses the many forms revelation. He has silent spell (free), still spell and eschew materials although the latter is hardly needed given that oracles don't need a divine focus. If I picked different spells I wouldn't need it at all.
Quenly can do melee, buffing, and party face. He is also reasonably stealthy with silence, vanish and cloak of darkness.
The fcb nerf was annoying :/
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I have a Nine-Tailed Kitsune Oracle I play. I gave him a bit of a mystic samurai flavor but you can build it differently to taste.
Warsighted Oracle
1 Feat Tail
2 Tail
3 Feat Tail Rev Wind: Invisibility
4 Tail
5 Feat Power Attack
6 Tail
7 Feat Extra rev: Wings of Air
8 Tail
9 Feat Spell Focus Enchantment
10 Mystery Spell
11 Feat G.Spell Focus EnchantmentRing of Rev: Weapon Mastery Weapon Focus + Improved Crit
4 FCB: Exotic Weapon Prof Katana
Traits: Fates Favored, Nine-Tailed Scion
stats: 15 10 14 8 7 18Use your Martial Flexibility to grow the last couple tails as needed or gain additional combat feats. Casting spells such as silence on yourself is great in combat and you can use your SLAs still inside its area.
Are you Using 3rd Party Kitsune Compendium Archetype?
The OP doesn't want 3PP material or I would have pitched my Maximized Channel life oracle with option of Oradin if you prefer. Only thing that is 3PP in my build is the Positive energy Elemental.
The reverse works with a Gluttony or Necromancy wizard. Getting higher Command channels and maximized Enervations. Just need Improved Familiar and Access to a Small Negative energy Elemental.
But sadly those are 3PP. But for those who can use 3PP it is a pretty sweet trick.
As others have said, ancient lorekeeper oracle archetype gives access to a few sorc/wizard spells of your choice which is nice. Mine is a Time Oracle Half elf as it fits thematically with the ancient lorekeeper and it has some really nice abilities, including rolling 2xd20 for initiative. I will use paragon surge also and I took eldritch heritage to get a familiar, which really builds on the wizard aspects of the archetype. She also has a pretty melee heavy party like yours and contributes well without stepping on the toes of our damage dealers by healing and buffing instead of wading into combat too much. Really have enjoyed the character.
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Dirty Tactics Toolbox, Melee Tactics Toolbox, and Ranged Tactics Toolbox are excellent player companions, and with Weapon Masters Handbook are part of why this year has been the best thing to happen to martials since Ultimate Combat.
I'd highly recommend picking them up.
I no longer play PFS so I just grab from the internet. I may pick them up at some point but my need to own them is not as high....But reading the book does allow me to grasp more stuff I would miss until it is mentioned or explored through just searching.
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Use your Martial Flexibility to grow the last couple tails as needed or gain additional combat feats. Casting spells such as silence on yourself is great in combat and you can use your SLAs still inside its area.You can't use Martial Flexibility for the Magical Tail Feat.
Martial Flexibility allows you to select a Combat Feat you don't already have. Magical Tail is not a Combat Feat.
"Martial Flexibility (Ex): At 1st level, a warsighted can use a move action to gain the benefit of a combat feat she doesn’t possess."
Nine-tailed Scion doesn't change this, as Martial Flexibility is not "a bonus bloodline feat, combat feat, or metamagic feat;" it is a class ability that grants temporary use of a Feat.
a warsighted can use a move action to gain the benefit of a combat feat
, combat feat,
I disagree.
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There are clearly commas denoting the subjects of the list one of which is "combat feat". It doesn't say bonus combat feat so I'm going to continue to disagree.
Then you'd expect to see "bonus bloodline feat, bonus combat feat or bonus metamagic feat" I take it. That's redundant parsing. And word count is a thing.
But if your table is fine with it, then more power to you.
The psychic searcher archetype is an excellent choice for a "face" character and has some interesting options in Psychic Talent. The haunted curse (extra spells known) and Lore mystery could work well with the archetype.
Otherwise, a standard Ancestors mystery oracle that focuses on buff spells (bless, etc.) before acting as a secondary combatant isn't bad.
^Or, if you want to Burninate as I posted above, you can get a similar effect by being an Oracle with the Flame Mystery or Spirit Oracle with the Flame Spirit, with the Gaze of Flames Revelation or Hex (both versions have this, and it works on fog as well as on smoke). You can also get faster movement and then Nimble Moves and eventually Acrobatic Steps prerequisite-free by taking the Cinder Dance Revelation or Hex (again, both versions have this -- just make sure that you don't take the Lame Curse, which is incompatible with it -- Rules As Written, only incompatible with the Revelation version, but that's probably an oversight and should be expected to get Errata'd if it is ever officially noticed). Cinder Dance will help you with your positioning for doing Reach tactics.
I remember a build a little while back dubbed "The Jargonaut". You take a wordcasting battle oracle, use a reach weapon, standard actions are either reanimating with the undeath word or summoning, and you grab combat reflexes for multiple attacks of opportunity.
Insults and stuff.Yeah but the word bonus is a noun.
That's just the word category.
In function, in the case of "bonus feat", it's a complement, like "power" in "power play" or "water" in "water park".
Life Oracle is one of the best healers in the game, and a Bones Oracle is pretty much the 3.5 Dread Necromancer incarnate.
Its one class that can be both an angelic being of pure light that gives life to all around her, and a foul necromancer capable of raising legions of undead as they suck your soul out of your body and feast on it in front of your very eyes.
Seriously, every Mystery is pretty much an entirely new class.
Character I'm wanting to build at the moment is a female Bones mystery Oracle with the 3PP Child curse.
I want the "adult stuck in a child's body" bit like Claudia from Interview With A Vampire or Babette from Skyrim that pulls the helpless little girl routine to throw people off.
Already got in the back of my head that she hangs out in bad parts of town at night playing the vulnerable little girl card until some scumbag tries to take advantage of her then uses them for "research" and "spare parts".
Helps dodge the morality aspect if she's raising sickos instead of innocent people.
^I know this thread is about Oracle concepts, but the above sounds just perfect for a Gravewalker Witch (either VMC Oracle to get the Child Curse and some other useful stuff, or be a Halfling with the Childlike feat (optionally also Pass for Human, although that's getting awfully expensive) and the Halfling Jinx alternate racial trait (and be sure to build on that) -- this definitely has advantages of its own.
^I know this thread is about Oracle concepts, but the above sounds just perfect for a Gravewalker Witch (either VMC Oracle to get the Child Curse and some other useful stuff, or be a Halfling with the Childlike feat (optionally also Pass for Human, although that's getting awfully expensive) and the Halfling Jinx alternate racial trait (and be sure to build on that) -- this definitely has advantages of its own.
Aww dammit, so much for being an Oracle!
Gravewalker gets the animate/control/command spells at the same time Bones Oracle does, her own little unholy aura, and she can carry around an evil little teddy bear as a class feature!
And the Childlike Halfling sounds like an even better option than the Child curse...
I need to make a thread for this and stop hijacking OP's thread now that its officially no longer an example of what he was looking for. :)