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What is the best class for the campaign 'Skulls and Shackles'? All I want to be able to do is have the best chance of being successful and staying alive. When I say successful I mean like wealthy/powerful/highest level/ect... Thank you!
- Spencealot
P.S. We have to use 15 point buy.
P.P.S. What should I put my points into including the class.
bard
One of the party members is a bard. Is it still a good idea?
Nobody is leader yet, so technically I could still come in and take that spot right?
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Most roleplaying games like Pathfinder and DnD are about teamwork, not "leadership". You don't get to tell other people how to handle a situation or what their character's choices are. There isn't a "leader" spot in the team roles.
Nobody is leader yet, so technically I could still come in and take that spot right?You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Most roleplaying games like Pathfinder and DnD are about teamwork, not "leadership". You don't get to tell other people how to handle a situation or what their character's choices are.
Yes I know our party is a democracy but still in the beginning we will have a slight leader for making some choices.
Yes I know our party is a democracy but still in the beginning we will have a slight leader for making some choices.
Depends on whether the other players are willing to give you that power. Most groups I've played in don't allow someone else to run the group. They start with equal input on decisions.
Fine ok I will just ask for the best class to play during the campaign
One person in the AP has to be the ship Captain IIRC. That person should be the face of the group so a class like bard would be great. Also classes like Inquisitor or archetypes of other classes that have some skills would be good. Frankly many classes would fill that role, can you specify what kind of character you want? Martial class, archer, divine or arcane magic user etc.
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Bloodrager or Magus works really well in this campaign.
The Group I'm in book 3 with consists of:
Halfling Shark Shaman Druid- Commodore (we have more than 1 ship)
Half Orc Primalist Spelleater Arcane Bloodrager- Captain (of the 2nd ship) & Master of Arms
Half Orc Bard- Quartermaster of the Fleet and Infamy Booster
Merfolk Wave Warden Ranger- First mate to the Commodore
We have about every skill in the game covered one way or another which is huge in this style campaign. Our Commodore (Captain) is Wisdom based class and maxed skills of Perception and Profession sailor. He usually crushes the checks and when sailing he has control over the weather/seas. We decided against the Face being the Captain as the Captain makes the sailing checks and perception checks. People might argue that the Capt. needs CHA to keep the crew inline...but No one wants to cross our Master of Arms. It is called Greatsword diplomacy. First NPC who says the words mutiny is cleaved in half and it's heart eaten on the spot to the crew's horror.
The Ship to Ship has gotten boring as either the Druid + Bard can take any encounter and (myself) the bloodrager can solo most Combat encounters.
I also played the First book years ago in a 2 man group. Played as a Magus with a Mystic Theurge party mate. We did really well with that combo but the GM did adjust everything for a 2 man group.
All in all this is a heavy RP and Skills campaign. Combat is rather tame unless you make a mistake as a player and fight more than you should have at 1 time.
Good character types for S&S
Outdoor based characters
Skill monkey characters
Social skill characters
Morally flexible characters
Cooperative characters
Bad character types
Mounted combatants
Highly lawful characters
"I'm only here for the combat" characters
My party's alchemist is indeed incredibly effective. His only drawback is that being a monster (charisma dumped tiefling with added tail) he is useless in the diplomatic sections of the AP, of which there are many.
We made it through the campaign with:
Ranger with freebooter archetype
Inquisitor
Rogue
Summoner
We felt a bit short on long-range capability - the ranger and inquisitor were built for melee combat, the summoner's spells are fairly short in range, so our long range was largely the rogue's crossbow and skill she picked up leading a ballista team.
That said, none of the choices were bad for the campaign. There are lots of uses for skills in this campaign so the rogue's large number of skill points won't feel wasted at all. Summoners get good access to haste and water breathing spells - both of which you can expect to be very useful in a nautical campaign about piracy. A ranger with the freebooter's bond ability suddenly turns most of your boarding party into expert flankers. And having an inquisitor at your side (or as yourself) is great for when other captain lie through their teeth to you.
There are lots of great options.
I'm currently running Skulls and Shackles. We're on book 4. Skill-based characters can be quite useful - particularly diplomacy, bluff, survival, and profession (sailor). Characters which buff are great (but you guys already have a bard so check with him to see what he's planning to do).
A positive-energy channeling cleric would be useful. Maybe a cleric of Cayden Cailean or Besmara or Calistria.
We had a LOT of fun with a goblin party-member. They make incredibly fun alchemists and gunslingers.
One character that's really been effective has been a dedicated necromancer. There's enough undead floating around that he really dominates some encounters.
A sorcerer or bard (archaeologist) specializing in enchantment would be incredibly useful.
A magus or swashbuckler can have the, well, swashbuckling pirate feel.
Oh, and a properly constructed kineticist can wreck shop in some of the encounters.
Profession Sailor is important. You're going to want this regardless of class.
High charisma characters are useful for running a ship/naval combat that will take place in later books. However, you already have a bard, it isn't really necessary for the success of the party that you also run a charisma based character. However, if you want to try to be the center of attention, you could do it (instead of letting the bard).
Almost any class can be successful in this campaign, but some classes have it harder or easier than others. I wouldn't play a paladin, you're only asking for trouble. I wouldn't play anything based on mounted charges, you wont have the room. Virtually anything else can be made to work.
Personally, you're going to want something with some ability to breath and operate under water. Whether it be through spell casting or playing a Undine.
By the way, wealth and level are independent things you will have no control of. Without knowing any house rules your group might use, your entire party should be equal level with an equal distribution of wealth.
My personal recommendations for classes are in general:
6th level progression spell casters with 3/4 BAB or
4th level progression spell casters with full BAB
These tend to have a good mix of magical and martial abilities that will help you overcome a lot of challenges (like breathing underwater).