Re: stalker vigilante
The Cunning Feint and Sniper talents, plus the Ranged Feint feat, allows the character to deal Sneak Attack (sorry, "Hidden Strike") damage on (nearly) all their attacks with a ranged weapon, at any range, almost at will after 8th level...
Let's talk interesting magical armor and weapons.
Diviner's Blight (unique armor): Very cool! This is what Saddam Hussein would have used on his decoys. Makes all divination show the wearer as a specified other individual. Only 8th level spells can penetrate it, so even a True Seeing would show the wearer as who he is imitating, all scrying finds the armor wearer, not the real individual, etc. Every head of state or super rich merchant should have someone in disguise wearing this, and it makes a great trick to pull after an assassination. Let the PCs investigate the murder, only to (eventually) find out the target isn't even dead, just in hiding...
Liberating (+2 weapon enchantment): It gives you a bonus on Sense Motive, but you really want it for its ability to break enchantments. I like to imagine squads subject to frequent enchantment spells giving someone in the back one of these so he can go around stabbing his friends to give them extra saves.
Slithering (+1 weapon enchantment): Incredibly situational and weird bend-it-like-Beckham abilities. But that name. A++
Truthful (+2 weapon enchantment): Ignore all miss changes from illusion-based concealment (blur, invisibility, displacement) and Mirror Images. Very good for a mage killer build. Also a chance to dispel figments and shadow conjurations you hit.
Umbral (+3 weapon enchantment): Darkvision 30' and the ability to lower light levels by one step within 20' radius. Very cool concept, but I'm not sure it's worth a +3 when you only lower the level by one step, and it only counts as 2nd level effect so Daylight shuts it down. Near miss.
Unseen (+2 weapon enchantment): Your weapon (and its sheath) is invisible, so you can smuggle it in. Plus your first attack denies Dexterity bonus to AC. Good concept, I'm not sure how useful it is in practice. Another one I think is overpriced.
Mind's Eye Blade (unique weapon): Pull one question (ala Mind Probe) from your target's mind when you CDG or sneak attack someone. Seems amazing (stab the guard to learn the password!), but the DC is 16 and they can attempt a DC 21 Bluff check, so not super reliable. But it's a lot faster than Mind Probe and actually workable in combat, so at least worth trying. Seems to be priced as a +1 ability if you want to enchant it on a different/better weapon.
Prying Star (unique weapon): Now this is clever. Throw a shuriken at an unaware target and instead of taking damage they carry around an invisible but otherwise undetectable scrying sensor for 9 minutes. Tag a guard from stealth, then observe him make his rounds. Alas, the price is only 646 GP, which means this is per item, not per 50.
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What is the metamorph alchemist like? What does it lose and what does it gain? I've been interested in playing a shapeshifter for many years but I hate the way the PF Druid works. Very intrigued by a shapeshifter archetype for the alchemist.
With metamorph, it is best to pretend it isn't alchemist, and that it is just a new noncasting melee class.
This class would have two different stat boosting abilities taht bring it fairly close to par to martial classes despite 3/4 BAB.
It would have discoveries, 2 good saves, 4 skill points, and its stat booster also gives it a variety of abilities like pounce or regeneration.
So once you divorce it from its ostensible origins, it is perfectly fine. It is a martial class where you think "maybe I feeling like flying, or using tremor sense". It has enough tricks to keep it relevant, and when you get up in level you should have enough extra transformations that you can spend 1-2 on a specific situation.
That, and the fact that it keeps its armors and weapons no matter what... fairly strong. It will easily be able to reach builds, whether you use reach weapons or not.
It has occurred to me that some of the options in Ultimate Intrigue may accidentally allow me to build some character concepts that I had in the back of my mind but that previously had no Pathfinder mechanics support.
For instance, a Falconine Wildsoul Vigilante could be a path for a Tiefling derived from a winged Outsider, or even for a de-powered Outsider (either way, examples would be Deva/Balisse Angel, Erinyes Devil, or Succubus Demon, possibly resulting from unfettering of an Eidolon when the Summoner dies or suffers Golarions equivalent of Interscission), as well as something (not sure what the equivalent term would be) derived from a winged Monstrous Humanoid (for example, a Harpy). Still more constricting than I'd like, but we're definitely moving in the right direction here.
Speaking of wildsoul Vigilante, right now it only has a few options, but seems ripe to get more -- both more Animal-based and perhaps some non-Animal-based.
I was going to post another concept potentially enabled by Ultimate Intrigue, but right now it's stuck in the back of my mind and I can't pull it up (although I do remember that it has something to do with a non-optimal but functional and very thematic build related to Succubus in a Grapple), so what are some of your other ideas? (Along those lines, congratulations to the inventor of the Manbearpig Build!)
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I'm not sure it's unintended, but I'm super pleased with the Phantom Thief's ability to create a 'PC level' Aristocrat or Expert.
I'm also really pleased that Vigilantes can have Inspiration, which is super fun and thematic (Psychometrist + Inspiration lets you be Batman!), though again I think that it might be intended.
Another really neat build that came to me (though I'll never play it since it's a Full Caster, and I don't enjoy playing those as a rule) is Rogue (Snoop) 1/Wizard 3/Arcane Trickster X to make an actual skill-monkey full caster. Which is just a super neat idea, IMO.
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Brilliant Spell Preparation is another useful tool for building the 'caster who can produce ANY spell effect on short notice'.
However, the build I have always wanted to make is the same concept for all the incredibly situational feats in the game. Quick Study lets you swap one combat feat... but it takes 8 hours of practice. The Inquisitor and Hunter ability to swap their most recent feat as a standard action is MUCH better, but limited to teamwork feats. Brawler has Martial Flexibility, but limited to combat feats and by times per day. Et cetera. So... still no way to quickly swap in 'Measure Foe' or 'City Sprinter' when the situation warrants, but Quick Study is another small step in that direction.
UI has some cool stuff, but I think my favorites are the Mesmerist archetypes - especially the Eyebiter archetype. I can't see myself using it in a serious game, but if you give your eye tumor the Mauler familiar archetype (I'm pretty sure it qualifies), your eye gets STR bonuses and the ability to transform into a medium version of itself. If you are a small character, this culminates in other people watching you pull your eye out of your face and throw it on the ground. They then see the eye grow to be larger than you are, followed by you jumping on your giant eye and flying away.
You may have to jump though a few hoops, but I think it's possible and definitely worth it.
UI has some cool stuff, but I think my favorites are the Mesmerist archetypes - especially the Eyebiter archetype. I can't see myself using it in a serious game, but if you give your eye tumor the Mauler familiar archetype (I'm pretty sure it qualifies), your eye gets STR bonuses and the ability to transform into a medium version of itself.Alas, it seems to qualify for the archetype, but it doesn't do it much good other than your gimmick:
It has a fly speed of 20 feet (perfect maneuverability) and no physical attacks (though it can still deliver touch spells once the eyebiter has reached 3rd level).
I do find a lot of amusement at imaging a gnome float into the air and very slowly drift away while his pursuers calmly walk along below him. I guess you can try to lose them by going over a terrain feature that stops them, but on flat ground you can't land until they get bored.
You could take Evolved Familiar to snag a natural attack, though, probably...
Regretfully, the archetype states that the familiar will never qualify for improved familiar
And hey, if you get high enough, you'll probably stack up enough of a penalty on their Perception check so that they can't see you anymore.
Ha. See? It is a viable strategy!
As I said, I don't think I'll ever use it in a serious game. The Eyebiter archetype really isn't that bad (it has its niche, and I could see myself using it without the Mauler archetype sometime), it's just that the eye familiar isn't designed in any way to do the things the Mauler is supposed to do, so the archetype's main gimmick is being wasted.
The main attraction is the idea of flying around on your eye that is larger than you are - I just find it hilarious.
Ooh, fancy. Stil definetly not optimized (the familiar has a STR of 6, give or take, at 7th level) but an evolution point would help make your familiar more useful in general.
Is there any ways to get familiars DEX to damage?
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Not exactly a first impression, but after thinking long and hard and trying out a few different builds, I've decided I really like the Vigilante. It gives you a lot of options you don't normally find on martial characters, like AoEs and control type effects, and the Vigilante Talents are generally strong enough that they easily make up for the situational and somewhat limited nature of the social talents. I do think the Avenger makes out a bit better than the Stalker, since the Stalker tends to require more set up and successful skill checks to reach full effectiveness, but both classes seem to fill their roles very well.
I do wish the archetypes for all the classes were a bit better overall. Some of them are good, some of them miss the mark in embodying the concepts they seem to be inspired by, and some of them, like the Brute, are so bad that I'd hesitate to use them even as NPC material.
The feats are one of my least favorite parts of the book; a lot of the options presented as feats seem more like things that should have been presented as expanded skill use options and not things characters should be paying class resources for, and some of them are just a little odd, like the Owl Style chain (who is this combat style aimed at? Fighters?). I was also really amused to see several feats for the Fighter hinging off Bravery, a couple of which are almost word for word identical to feats I wrote and published over a year ago. Guess they must have been a good idea :)
Thanks for the suggestions :) I think they just pounded home the how silly it'd be to get the familiar dex to damage, and told me I should just be happy with my medium-sized flying eyeball mount.
In other news, the Enigma mesmerist archetype could be a fun dip for many builds. Their invisibility has limited usefulness, but could definitely allow for quite a bit of fun.
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I'm also really pleased that Vigilantes can have Inspiration, which is super fun and thematic (Psychometrist + Inspiration lets you be Batman!), though again I think that it might be intended.
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I just had an idea: Do the above build, but as a Ratfolk, and you take the Torchbearer feat at 5th level (and upgrade it to Leadership later) and get a Rogue (several archetypes are good for this) for your Torchbearer (eventually Cohort), who (apart from the Torch Handling feat tax) concentrates on Skills, especially rapidly yet expertly sewing together whatever bizarre requirement you have for clothing. Then your 2 character team will be . . .
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I'm not sure it's unintended, but I'm super pleased with the Phantom Thief's ability to create a 'PC level' Aristocrat or Expert.
I'm also really pleased that Vigilantes can have Inspiration, which is super fun and thematic (Psychometrist + Inspiration lets you be Batman!), though again I think that it might be intended.
Another really neat build that came to me (though I'll never play it since it's a Full Caster, and I don't enjoy playing those as a rule) is Rogue (Snoop) 1/Wizard 3/Arcane Trickster X to make an actual skill-monkey full caster. Which is just a super neat idea, IMO.
Not unintentional. Ech, double-negative!
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I've got at least two lady thieves planned for PFS. It's one of my favorite archetypes from the book. ^_^
One is a Cheliax-born kitsune using the Nine-Tailed Scion trait to load up on tails, while the other is an aasimar bartender from Pezzack using Cayden Cailean's Divine Fighting Style and the Heavenly Radiance line.
I just finished making a wayang oracle of intrigue, using assumed form to escape her race (and serve Calistria). I'm glad to finally have a serviceable oracle of passion...
I just yesterday got copy of Ultimate intrigue in my hands
I browsed and told my gf of the magical child archetype before reading it throughly
We looked to it together and seriously... I never was this underwhelmed by an archetype before.
We had a pathfinder break and it will continue because of this archetype alone...
I browsed and told my gf of the magical child archetype before reading it throughly
We looked to it together and seriously... I never was this underwhelmed by an archetype before.Magical Child rocks!
Far and away the best 'familiar class' in the game.
I think that leaves the score at 56 opposed, 3 in favor of how this archetype turned out.
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I think it sucks
No unique abilities
Many abilities of the original class that either can't be used or don't fit
The spellist is horrible
And...wow you have a glorified pet that is slightly more useful then the usual familiars...
Which are nice to have but barely somthing I would build a class around
I think that leaves the score at 56 opposed, 3 in favor of how this archetype turned out.
That makes 3 people I don't understand