blangel |
Hello everyone, I write here because I want some advice on my character and how to improve it.
I play a lvl 4 human inquisitor (monster tactican archetype) focused on ranged combat who worhsip a good godess of nature (we don't use pathfinder pantheon).
- My stats are 12 Str / 18 Dex / 12 Con / 10 Int / 14 Wis / 8 Cha
I fight with a composite longbow and a morgenstern as secondary weapon. My feats are point blank shot, quick draw and precise shot. I plan to take rapid shot level 5 and many shot level 9. I'd like to take augmented summon but I can't take it before level 11, I don't even know if we are going to play this far ...
- My team is only composed of ranged : alchemist (specialize in throwing bomb), wizzard (evocation) and gunslinger (dual pistol). We try to take advantage of this and plan fight where we stay out of melee, but it don't always work (rarely work in fact :o) And I often have to ditch in melee because the enemy catch me or to save the wizzard or the gunslinger.
This is a big issue because my character is not made for melee fight and I don't want to. But I don't really know how to avoid this situation (I try to do battlefield control with my summoned monster but it's not enough). My summoned monster often get one or two shooted and I don't know how to change that.
- For my skill, I focused on a "party face" with conversion inquisition (use Wis for social skill) and some thief/scout skill.
I maxed intimidate, bluff and stealth and put lot of point in diplomacy, survival and sense motive.
- For my spell list I'll take some must-have buff (divin favor, shield of faith) cure light wound and then utility spell. Mostly for stealth or investigation situation (invisibility, darkness, alarm, bloodhound, disguise self, ...)
- For the roleplay, I serve the godess of the nature (good alignement) but i'm neutral because I often have to do the dirty work. My main goal is to track and destroy the corruption or the evil in the nature. My secondary goal is to protect the nature from some bad humans.
If we encounter some cultist doing evil ritual, some of my teamates want to kill them to loot their magical item, some want to stop them to save the nearest village, some just don't want to take risk and avoid them. I just want to kill. All of them. And i'll try to force my team to help my, using lies or bluff if necessary.
If an enemie flee, i'm going to chase him down and force my team to follow me, or even go alone if necessary.
I also have a strong survival instinct and I don't like to take useless risk. I'll try to avoid danger if possible and can flee from a fight if necessary (to come back stronger and more prepared and finish what I started). The only time where I take risk is for task which serve my godess. The reason for the little "cowardice" is simple : Maybe I could have done a little more good by taking risk, but a dead inquisitor can't serve his diety at all. The longer I stay alive, the more bad guys I can kick out of this world.
So, I'll take any advice, specially on how to avoid enemy to come in melee range of our team or what item I should buy. I know for the big 6 but we are really short in gold, on my list there is the handy havresac, cure light wound wand, + strenght and + Wis item and of course magical bow. Also, any advice on level 7 feat ? (it's going to be spell focus(conjuration) if I want augment summoning level 11 ...) Maybe I can try to talk my GM to change my level 3 feat (quick draw) if necessary, but I often need to change weapon ...
An other important point is that everyone in my party have night vision (and one have darkvision and another one a kind of blindsense abilitie). We often act during night so I can be a big dead weight, I know there is a 3 level spell for this but what are the other option before that ? Permanent darkvision item is too expensive, and potion can became too expensive too if I use a lot of them.
beda |
I know your frustration.
try to read this. It may improve your group organisation. IMO 3 ranged dd is fine when you are in open combat on plains, deserts,... But when you are ambushed, you are in trouble. So you really need close combatant.
If your GM give you a permition to hire a group of npc. It can solve your problems
blangel |
If your GM give you a permition to hire a group of npc. It can solve your problems
Based on my other game with the GM i'd say that we could probably hire some NPC for a specific task or quest, but not just for "following everywhere and protect us". And it's going to cost a lot.
But he is open to the leadership feat, maybe i should consider this ...
blangel |
If your GM allows, you can change into the Sacred Huntsmaster archetype and get an animal companion to frontline for your party.
We are too far in the game to make a change like this. I had considered this possibility when choosing my class but prefered monster tactician for roleplay reason.
blangel |
The other big point is the item to buy, there is a lot of things in my wishlist and i can't really decide on the priority ...
- Longbow with conserving enchantment, and magic quiver + lot of different magic arrows.
I love the flavor of a hawkeye-like character with ton of special arrow for every situations, but it's probably going to cost a lot in the long run even with the conserving enchantment (a lot worst without I think) ...
- Morgenstern with anchoring enchantement.
Also mostly for flavor and because immovable rod are awesome, but pretty usefull when the enemy come in melee. But 18k gold for a secondary weapon is probably too much ...
- Special dagguer for assassination (I don't really know exactly, but not something expensive because it's a tertiary weapon)
- Google of night (see first post, I'm the only character without special vision)
- Metamagic rod, silent
As I said i'm oriented thief/scout, so it's a must have and I can probably cut the cost in half with the wizzard
- And of course the other big 5
Cleru |
What is your traits? You can get low-light vision with a Blood of Dragon race trait. But it's probably easier to buy ioun stone or cast light on your gears.
If you can convince your GM to allow you to change feats, I thinks you should get Augment Summoning first. It helps with your melee issue. At your current level, Augmented Small Earth Elemental's Slam will be +8 (1d6+11). This will also makes your creatures a bit more durable.
I feels like a lots of your character concept could benefit from utilizing your Summon Monster. Being a spell-like ability, it doesn't have verbal component, so it's like a silent spell. It's also a perfect tools for assassination, Summon Monster doesn't break your invisibility and there will be no evidence left when you send your creature back to the other planes.
blangel |
What is your traits? You can get low-light vision with a Blood of Dragon race trait. But it's probably easier to buy ioun stone or cast light on your gears.
We don't use traits in this campaign :'( I already cast light every time I need it, but the issue is when stealth is needed and my teammate can move in the dark whithout light but I cannot.
If you can convince your GM to allow you to change feats, I thinks you should get Augment Summoning first. It helps with your melee issue. It makes your summon more durable and it gives you a better detection (tremorsense).
So remove quick draw or precise shot (or both, because augment summoning need spell focus(conjuration)) ? I didn't plan to get quick draw when I first build my character, but in all our first fight I'd really need it :( And I used it a lot since level 3.
For precise shot I didn't use it a lot, only some times when my summons are in melee.Cleru |
I'm not sure what do you needs Quick Draw for at the current level, since you don't have iterative attack. Are you using your moving action for something? Drawing a weapon without Quick Draw is a move action that doesn't provoke AoO. You could also invest in Spiked Gauntlet or Cestus, They do 2 less average damage than the Morningstar but it's always on your hand.
For the vision issue... What about Nightdrops? It's 250gp for 5 uses of 1 hour long low-light vision.
blangel |
I'm not sure what do you needs Quick Draw for at the current level, since you don't have iterative attack. Are you using your moving action for something? Drawing a weapon without Quick Draw is a move action that doesn't provoke AoO. You could also invest in Spiked Gauntlet or Cestus, They do 2 less average damage than the Morningstar but it's always on your hand.
I mostly use it to switch between ranged and melee weapon.
For the vision issue... What about Nightdrops? It's 250gp for 5 uses of 1 hourlong low-light vision.
Nice item I didn't know it, thanks !
tkul |
Summary up top - You and the wizard need to switch roles.
Unfortunately stopping them from getting to close combat isn't really in the cards unless your wizard wants to take over the battlefield control role. Inquisitors make lousy controllers with their spell list and archers are great at pumping out damage but not so hot at making people stay where they are. You could try picking up the Ranged Trip feat to at least prolong the inevitable, it takes a full round action to make the trip attempt at range but you can potentially knock them down and do damage, but that only hurts the Gunslinger's chance to deal with the guy since he's know shooting at a prone target.
You may want to try using your summons as a screen rather than a front line combatant. Summon them up at least 10ft away from the enemy but in the charge lanes so the enemies need to waste a full turn dealing with them or risk attacks of opportunity. As much as possibly you want to remove the ability to take full attacks on whatever you're summoning, I'd recommend earth elementals for this role most the time, so they have a better chance of sticking around a little longer. In the same vein if you want to focus on using your summons you're going to need to go the summoner route, take spell focus conjuration into Augment Summon to make them a little beefier but there again the Wizard will be a better choice. They get more access to conjuration spells that can use that Spell Focus and they get high level summon monsters to actually benefit from Augment summon.
blangel |
Summary up top - You and the wizard need to switch roles.
Unfortunately stopping them from getting to close combat isn't really in the cards unless your wizard wants to take over the battlefield control role. Inquisitors make lousy controllers with their spell list and archers are great at pumping out damage but not so hot at making people stay where they are. You could try picking up the Ranged Trip feat to at least prolong the inevitable, it takes a full round action to make the trip attempt at range but you can potentially knock them down and do damage, but that only hurts the Gunslinger's chance to deal with the guy since he's know shooting at a prone target.
Totaly agree with the fact that the wizzard should be better at battlefield control than an inquisitor. But sadly not with my wizzard's current spell list. I'll try to influence her future choice (he didn't choose for level 4 yet).
Ranged trip look nice, but I can't take it before level 7 (rapid shot at level 5 is mandatory I think) and I have to switch quick draw with deadly aim. The -2 to CMB (and -4 if more than 30feet) hurt a lot I think, as I'm only a 3/4 bab and don't have any CMB bonus ?
You may want to try using your summons as a screen rather than a front line combatant. Summon them up at least 10ft away from the enemy but in the charge lanes so the enemies need to waste a full turn dealing with them or risk attacks of opportunity. As much as possibly you want to remove the ability to take full attacks on whatever you're summoning, I'd recommend earth elementals for this role most the time, so they have a better chance of sticking around a little longer. In the same vein if you want to focus on using your summons you're going to need to go the summoner route, take spell focus conjuration into Augment Summon to make them a little beefier but there again the Wizard will be a better choice. They get more access to conjuration spells that can use that Spell Focus and they get high level summon monsters to actually benefit from Augment summon.
Yes I already try to use them as screen when possible but exept the earth elemental with it's 17 AC, the other can't last more than one round if focused and even with augment summoning i'm not sure that +4 CON (+4 hp for my current summons) change it a lot because the AC stay the same.
Then again, I don't have any spare feat slot so if I take augment summoning I can't take deadly aim / ranged trip. (I only plan up to level 10, not sure if we are going to play after this).Derek Dalton |
The specialization of ranged attackers is a problem. The most common problem is attacks of opportunity when in melee. You say you don't want to be melee that's fine although you and the Alchemist are the best for that role considering what your party consists of. Granted with enough feats you can remove that problem but sometimes it's nice to have someone be able to get close and melee. While I have heard a lot of people say summoning monsters is the way to go consider this. Most don't stack with higher level encounters. Two the duration without feats is short unless feats or specialized class abilities. A problem is long combats and they happen for a variety of reasons.
blangel |
The specialization of ranged attackers is a problem. The most common problem is attacks of opportunity when in melee. You say you don't want to be melee that's fine although you and the Alchemist are the best for that role considering what your party consists of. Granted with enough feats you can remove that problem but sometimes it's nice to have someone be able to get close and melee.
Are you talking about feat to avoid being in melee (like ranged trip) or feat to be more usefull with a bow in melee (like snapshot or point blank master ) ?
I know that sometime I have to go in melee. I need to be prepared for this and that's why I should have a decent melee weapon. That's also why I took quick draw, but I didn't want to invest in other melee feat.
While I have heard a lot of people say summoning monsters is the way to go consider this. Most don't stack with higher level encounters. Two the duration without feats is short unless feats or specialized class abilities. A problem is long combats and they happen for a variety of reasons.
As a monster tactician my summons spell are in min/lvl (instead or round/lvl) and I have 3+Wis uses per day. So it's enough for all the fight.
I'm agree that it dosen't stack well at high level, but as I said I only plan up to level 10. And I think the peak of power is around summons monster 3-4 (probably 5 too).