Investigator build with potion glutton


Advice


I want to play a java obsessed investigator who cannot work a case without a cup of coffee and all his alchemy involves pouring the stuff into his coffee.

Spoiler:
Investigator Empiricist

Skilled: Second- and third-generation half-orcs often favor their human heritage more than their orc heritage. Half-orcs with this trait gain 1 additional skill rank per level. This racial trait replaces darkvision.

Intimidating: Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks due to their fearsome nature.

Orc Blood: Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.

Toothy: Some half-orcs' tusks are large and sharp, granting a bite attack. This is a primary natural attack that deals 1d4 points of piercing damage. This racial trait replaces orc ferocity.

Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs are proficient with greataxes and falchions and treat any weapon with the word "orc" in its name as a martial weapon.

Diplomacy (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perception (Int), Sense Motive (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex).

STR: 18
DEX: 12
CON: 12
INT: 16
WIS: 10
CHA: 7
Traits
1) Student of Philosophy
2) Reactionary(reflavored to be wired)

Talents
3) Mutagen
5) Quick Study
5 EX) Alchemist Infusion
7) Sickening Offensive
7 EX) Amazing Inspiration
9) Combat Inpsiration
11)
13) Tenacious Inspiration

Feats
1) Potion Glutton
3) Power Attack
5) Extra Discovery Infusion
7) Extra Discovery Amazing Inspiration
9) Extra Discovery
11)
13)

Potion glutton has already been approved by the GM and been divorsed from urgotha as long as the god I worship indulges in excess, so I said Cayden and he's like "That's perfect."

My only problem? Feats. I'm clueless beyond PG and PA. Extra discovery is good but beyond that I have no clue. We're headed to 14-16 from level 1. I'll be using a falchion and bite attack to do some good damage with STR.

I could also use help on skills. I'd love to be more rogueish without giving up too much and I'd like good abilities that go with investigator but honestly I'm at a loss. Most guides are for dex oriented rapiers not str oriented 2 handers.


It is a unique play style. I would recommend vital strike, as that's perfect for falchions. Also improved critical gives a bit more power. I wouldn't go all out on extra discoveries before taking a look at your weaknesses. I have a feeling your AC is gonna tank, as you can only wear light armor, and your will saves aren't looking too good. I would grab the iron will and greater iron will feats to help out, and dodge is always a simple quick fix. Going through all this, consider how a typical fight will go. It kind've seems like you're trying to play this as a fighter. For an unlimited bonus to an attack rather than inspiration, a slayer's studied strike might work better. Using a combination of feats you could make a fighter with consistent bonuses. There is also the mutation warrior archetype for fighter. It's a normal fighter except with mutagens. That wouldn't exactly be rogueish but this current build is quite vulnerable. The investigator may not be able to endure what you want it to.


I'd consider building around longspear personally, longarm and enlarge person both fit in a 3rd level extract, and 20' reach is an exceptional level of control. Plus longspears can be enchanted with inspired.


Ok, first lets sure up the weaknesses you're going to have 3 weak save. small or no stat bonus to your strong saves and a small stat bonus to your weak save. The best option is Sacred Tattoo Fate's favored trait. If not that look into the feat Iron Will and the trait Lessons of Chaldira.

Next your have an HP problem I would not run a d8 hit die character on the front line without 14 con. Often toughness and/or favored class bonus go with that. Get more HP. Pick the way you like but get more hp.

For skill improvement Expanded Inspiration is better than amazing inspiration. I would pick that up. I would also give up on Slight of Hand and Stealth. Bluff and UMD are stronger. I know you want to be rogueish but wands can make you better at that than skills ever will. Also you can use a wand of Heightened Awareness to be smarter. If you want to boost knowledge Deific Obedience Irori is a great choice.

Also I would improve your AC medium armor prof maybe heavy armor prof would be good.

Finally I would re-flavor Clear Ear and Blood-boiling pills a Espresso and green coffee bean extract. This improves Knowledges, Perception, and Initiative.

Liberty's Edge

For Feats, my rather similar Investigator is grabbing Medium and maybe eventually Heavy Armor Proficiency. There's no reason not to with low-ish Dex and no spell failure.

I, too, would grab Sacred Tattoo and ditch Reactionary for Fate's Favored. +2 to all Saves is great.

Beyond that...I'm not sure I'd ever run out of Talents to grab with the Extra Investigator Talent Feat. Expanded and Underworld Inspiration, for example, are super nice. Combine Extracts isn't bad either (though less necessary with Potion Glutton), nor are Empathy or Perceptive Tracking.


Seconding Medium armor prof. Also while falchions are nice, longspears are very nice, and by level 9 when you got an Inspired enchantment on the longspear with combat inspiration, I think you'll be pleased with the longspear. No reason you can't hold onto both weapons either for different circumstances.

Also seconding the Fate's Favored/Sacred Tattoo wombo combo. It's just one of the best options in the game.

Personally I'd recommend against Infusion but if there is really no one else in the party capable of providing buffs then it's an option certainly. Keep in mind things like Haste as an extract/infusion only affects the drinker.


You have good points. The only issue is this I am playing half orc solely for the tusked Racial trait. So sacred tattoo is unfortunately out. I just needed another attack to make up for the low BAB.

There's no way to get potion glutton, Power attack, and the requisite combat reflexes by level 3 and that would rule out me sharing my alchemy with anyone else. The long spear build is great if you aren't allowed to use potion glutton but as it stands I'm not sure it's better than either racial weapon.

Inspired weapon looks great!


Undone wrote:
You have good points. The only issue is this I am playing half orc solely for the tusked Racial trait. So sacred tattoo is unfortunately out...

Do you mean Toothy? Toothy is the racial trait and Tusked is the race trait. Tusked could be taken in place of reactionary or better yet grab Additional Traits.

I would do this:

Traits
- Reactionary (combat)
- Tusked (race)
- Fate's Favored (religion)
- Student of Philosophy (social)

With Sacred Tattoo racial trait. This sures up most of the weaknesses of the build.

For 1 feat you kept everything you already had and gained +2 to all saves. In addition you gain a greater benefit from Prayer, Jingasa (you need the extra AC) and other luck based bonuses.

Scarab Sages

You can wait on Potion Glutton until 3rd if you want. You aren't going to have that many extracts at 1st or 2nd level anyway.

Sacred Tattoo is indeed powerful. Especially since you're a Half-Orc already and don't have to change race. It's worth pointing out that there is an item now for 6800gp that will give you the +1 luck bonus to all saves. The Lucky Horseshoe out of Occult Adventures. That makes Sacred Tattoo less of a must take for me now.

Expanded Inspiration is great. Free Inspiration on Perception is worth a feat by itself. Getting Diplomacy, Sense Motive, etc. makes it amazing. Since you've got the intimidate bonus already, Underworld Inspiration would give you free Inspiration on that. Eventually taking Cornagon Smash would let you debuff with your attacks.

There are lots of different ways you can go with an Investigator. It can struggle a little offensively before 4th level, but once you have studied combat and 2nd level extracts, the Investigator can boost accuracy to amazing levels. Having Mutagen at 3rd and being strength based will get you decent earlier.

The additional traits suggestion was a good one. I'd consider moving Potion Glutton to 3rd or 5th. Or if your GM allows Hurtful you could build for that.

1) Potion Glutton
3) Power Attack
5) Hurtful
7) Cornugon Smash
9) Intimidating Prowess (if you even need this)

Talents
3) Mutagen
5) Quick Study
7) Underworld Inspiration

So at 7th level you'd get a free intimidate check when you hit with power attack, then you can use a swift action for an extra attack (assuming you haven't used your swift to study or for potion glutton)

The downside to the build is that you have fewer feats for Extra talents, and you have a lot of competition for swift actions. But an extra attack at full bonus on the rounds you don't need your swift action is pretty nice. It depends on the GM allowing Hurtful, though. PFS banned it.


If you want to combine what Ferious Thune and I have suggested. Consider replacing Student of Philosophy with the trait Bruising Intellect, that is if you want to really pump your Intimidate.

You may also want Keen or Improved Crit with a falchion. I have a crit based Investigator and because of their accuracy I find them to be very good a confirming crits, especially with inspiration.

Sovereign Court

Okay, I've played an Investigator to L9 in PFS (so far, and going onwards) and have enjoyed Potion Glutton since L7. So I'll bite.

The Investigator may not look like it on the surface, but it's a brutally efficient combat class. The ingredients you need: Combat Reflexes, a Longspear, good Strength and passable Dexterity. Intelligence "just enough" to keep going.

Quick Study talent (L5 or so) and Studied Combat will effectively put your to-hit in the 5/4 BAB bracket; just like all the other full BAB classes on average. Studied Combat is amazing.

(Strength) Mutagen is great. During the "kill them all, let Gorum sort them out" phase of dungeoncrawling you'll be fine with an Int of 12-14.

Feats: Combat Reflexes is amazing. It'll often earn you additional attacks at the start of combat from enemies trying to close (just be sure to always carry a longspear). Free attacks are pure gold. But it gets better when you start to increase your Reach and you start determining what part of the battlefield enemies can operate on and which ones are yours.

Power Attack is nice. With the accuracy boost from Studied Combat, it's something you can afford.

Another golden one is Phalanx Formation. Though that depends on your party; ideally you'll have some other PC who's happy to be right at the front line. Taking all the hits. With this feat you can let him, and don't take any penalty for not being the one people are attacking.

Finally, let's talk about why Potion Glutton is amazing. It lets you buff up while also attacking. Imagine that you're trooping through a dungeon, longspear in hand. A combat breaks out. Some goons run around and you make some AoOs. With your decent Strength and Power Attack you do some damage. Then it's your turn. You take a step back, Move to draw an extract, Swift to drink it, and Standard to make yet another attack. Essentially, you can keep on buffing while also attacking. There are only two other classes than can do that: the War Priest (fervor) and the Magus (spell combat). You get it for the price of a feat and not full attacking. Okay, at some point not full attacking starts to actually be a sacrifice, because your accuracy is so high that your iterative attacks have a better than even chance of hitting, even with power attack. (And we're talking L8 here, around the time you actually GET iterative attacks..) But still, it's extremely good. You know what would make it even more amazing?

Combine Extracts. This is a great talent to take at level 7. Combat starts? In one round you get two of the following: Shield, Longarm and Enlarge Person. That's a Standard action. Or, with Potion Glutton, a Move and Swift. Still got your Standard to attack, but now with a lot more reach...

So that's the thing. Combine Extracts and Potion Glutton enable an Investigator to go from 0 to 100 in record time. It's a class that buffs up extremely fast once combat breaks out. And that's powerful.

--

Oh, and as a side comment: toothy is cute. But for the brutal melee investigator, ultimately redundant. Your ideal combat form is based on what you can turn into with Monstrous Physique - the shapechaning spell that lets you keep your cool equipment. (I know it'll be cool because you don't need to waste money on boring crap like an Amulet of Natural Armor; you have Barkskin which progresses much faster.) The ideal form from L7 is a gargoyle which already has a bite (and gore, and claws). At L10 you get the voivre, which is special...

Even so, you don't turn into a monster every fight. For the ones where you don't, consider donning a mithral cestus. It's quite cheap (slightly over 500gp) but it'll give you options if people get inside the dead zone of your longspear. I've had a lot of fun with my "combat rolex".

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