Hi folks, I've got a little analysis paralysis and thought I'd ask for a little guidance. I'm part of a group of 7 players getting ready to start a Shackled City game and though I've got my class narrowed down to oracle, I'm not sure which mystery to go with. Things are still slightly in flux but for the most part the rest of the party looks to be:
Paladin
Ranger (probably Urban Ranger)
Wizard (Spellslinger, plans to take some Gunslinger levels too)
Bard (Arcane Duelist)
Bard (probably Archivist, possibly a ranged build)
Cleric (Abadar worshipper, taking the Protection variant channel)
Here's the other rules/considerations in effect for character building:
No reach builds
No animal companions/familiars/mounts
No summoning
Sources limited to Core, APG, ARG, UM, UC, Ultimate Campaign, Inner Sea Guide
Largely urban setting
With my character backstory, several mysteries could work. She was originally going to be a Life oracle but with the cleric also in the group, the GM suggested we each pick a 'thing' that we focus on and more or less put the healing secondary so neither of us is forced to be a heal bot. I see her more as a support/caster oracle and her stats/background reflect this, but that's about as far as I've gotten. Lore fits her background fairly well and a couple of the other players seemed in favor of it, but I'm not sure if it would be a little too redundant with having two bards in the group. Would Flame or Heavens work well with a group like this?
Bonus Question: What would be the best way to handle my spell selection with a cleric around? Usually I don't see both classes in the same group, so I'm not really sure what would work best :)
*Note* I'm not looking for suggestions or advice to pass on to my fellow party members regarding their characters - just advice on how best to work with the above setup. That is all :)
You want Dark Tapestry. It'll pick up the slack from your wizard utterly wasting their potential by making a Spellslinger.
I wouldn't pick flame, that's for blasting only and between the Paladin, Ranger, and Bard you've got plenty of damage already.
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Dark Tapestry is an excellent mystery. Note that you don't have to be a worshipper of the outer gods (or any gods) as an oracle. Quenly here is CG, and believes himself a paragon of Elven virtues and a chosen instrument of "the ancient gods of my people". Of course, to keep up the unwitting agent theme he has a lowish Wisdom and minimal knowledge (religion).
Your Spell choices may depend on what the other casters in the party plan on. Buffs are probably covered between two bards and a cleric of Abadar. Debuffing and control maybe? Dark Tapestry has some mysteries that can help there. Quenly is a Many Forms shapeshifter so a lot of his spells are buffs to enhance his altered forms for melee combat.
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I have a Heavens oracle and find she is a great support character. With discoveries like the moonlight bridge (no drowning Paladins) and call of the void, she does some significant helping. She's also got illusion spells, so it could pick up from some of your spells slinger counterpart. I've played her at many tables and everyone is always amazed at her ability to have something for almost every situation.
I've also begun plotting to make a Nature oracle. The constructs being eroded away by a touch is a very enticing discovery.
I agree about a Flames oracle, it seems everything has fire resistance or immunity. That makes it difficult to do what your character was intended to do. And Lore would probably not be worth it with 2 bards.
Consider taking the spirit guide archetype for a great boost in flexibility. You get get less revelations overall but having one permanent and one floating mystery more than makes up for that.
I enjoy my spirit guide oracle a lot. He's dark tapestry and usually takes heavens for his wandering spirit. I focus mainly on debuffing and control though I can still heal as needed. I've gotten a ton of mileage out of Heaven's Leap and I look forward to gaining access to channeling from the life spirit at level 7.
Thanks for the great suggestions/observations everyone! Let me pop in to address some of them really quickly.
*Re: Ancient Lorekeeper archetype - I knew I forgot to include something in my original post. Character race is a halfling, but I do like the archetype and will keep it in mind for a future character perhaps!
*Re: Spirit Guide archetype - I've heard nothing but good things about this one and since I have a shaman PC in a game here, I've got some experience with the wandering spirit mechanic. Unfortunately, the ACG isn't one of the approved sources for this particular game (otherwise the party makeup would've looked much different).
*Re: Outer Rifts mystery - Also in a book that isn't an allowed source, sadly.
It's looking like either Dark Tapestry or Heavens would be the way to go. I know Dark Tapestry has some great mystery spells, but I think Heavens might fit the character background and the campaign setting a little better, while also having a pretty decent spell list and some revelations that I think would probably see more use than the ones from the Dark Tapestry.
Regarding spell selection, control is certainly an option since you're right that our current group has a lot of self-support and damage capability but not a lot to otherwise hinder bad guys!
As always, thanks for the suggestions and feel free to offer any additional ones if there's something I've overlooked :)
(Did I mention I love the oracle class? So versatile!)
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The nice thing about oracles is that all the mysteries have 2-3 strong revelations. I also like Heavens Oracle. Without an archetype, it has strong skills and some lovely revelations.
Too bad ACG is not blessed. Spirit Guide and Psychic Searcher are my two favorite oracle archetypes!
Enjoy your starry starry night! Will you worship Desna with her?
Hmm
PS Out of curiosity, why no reach builds? What's disruptive about reach builds?
*waves at the familiar face*
Long story short, the character currently pays respects to both Yondalla (Erastil) and Pelor (Sarenrae). The first because that's what she was raised with and the second because not all deities have a temple in Cauldron and of the ones that do (Abadar, Gorum, Sarenrae, Calistria, and a Nethys/Pharasma amalgamation), Sarenrae speaks to her the most.
(Shackled City was originally set in the Greyhawk universe, so we're using Golarion deities with Greyhawk names.)
Though I technically guess that reach weapons aren't forbidden, the 'no reach builds' is because the GM finds keeping a handle on all the AoOs a pain in a PbP format.
I second the recommendation of the Dual Cursed Oracle, perhaps with the Time mystery. Letting your teammates re-roll with the Misfortune revelation is a great way to support them. And it is an immediate action, which helps with your action economy.
I love the Lore mystery, but agree it is less useful with two bards in the group.
Dual cursed heavens with a dip in sorc.
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Though I technically guess that reach weapons aren't forbidden, the 'no reach builds' is because the GM finds keeping a handle on all the AoOs a pain in a PbP format.
I hadn't thought of that, but along the same lines one house rule that I have seen in a PbP for the same reason was the changing of the Fortune and Misfortune Revelations of Dual-Cursed Oracles from Immediate Action interrupts (which likewise tend to bog down PbPs) into duplicates of the Witch (and Shaman, but that wasn't out yet) Hexes of the same name.
With respect to Reach builds, those by far aren't the only ones that use Attacks of Opportunity.
With respect to the Flame Mystery, you could get around Fire Immunity or High Fire Resistance by using Elemental Spell (possibly on a Metamagic Rod, but for this, probably better to have the feat yourself). VMC Wizard (Evocation:Admixture) would be better for this, except that Pathfinder Unchained doesn't seem to be on your list of allowed books (lucky nobody in your party chose Rogue). One problem with Flame, though, is that most cities burn -- often easily. You don't want to get blamed for a major conflagration. You might instead want the Waves or Winter Mystery if you want to blast and don't have access to VMC Wizard -- both of these offer the Freezing Spells (quasi-Rime-Spell but stacks with actual Rime Spell), Blizzard (what it says on the tin), and Wintry Touch (eventually make your weapons Frost weapons) Revelations; the Water Sight Revelation that Waves offers is more generally usable than the Snow Sight Revelation that Winter offers unless the city you are in is in a really snowbound climate (although Snow Sight will work better with your Blizzard Revelation and similar spells); Winter has the better blasting Mystery Spells, but Waves has Wall of Ice to give you some battlefield control. The other 2 (or 3) elemental Mysteries (Stone and Wind, and Wood if you count that as Eastern elemental) are more utility oriented but worth a look.
