In last days i tried to build an occultist for a S&S campaign.( we use 25 poiints build and hero points- i choose to take a feat and no heropoints)
I pick the half elf for race( with child of the sea and fey toughts)
For stat i use
STR: 14 DEX: 14 CON: 14 INT: 19( +2 is here) WIS: 11 CHA: 7
Feat: skill focus( linguistic) - bonus - orator - 1st lv - amateur investigator - heropoints -
trait: Vagabond Child, Pragmatic Activator
skill: linguistic, profession( sailor), swim, sense motive, UMD( only to odds lv), 1 rank in knowledge( any level a different one) are the top ones.
One of the implements is divination, the other one i don't konw and i'd like you help me to choose.
My suggestion -
Make your strength a 16, drop Int to at least 17, honestly Int isn't going to be that great for you unless you want blasts/etc but being. 6th Level spells...
The most effective occultist I've seen (in fairness I've seen 3, none above level 12)
Was a melee focused one.
Back on topic I'd make Str your 18(17, really) take transmutation implement and make it your weapon. (take the alt. Racial trait for exotic weapon prof, grab a two handed weapon)
Now you put enough points into transmutation implement to get +2 str, you have a constant 20 str, just keep one point in your weapon. You can give your family heirloom weapon +1 and make it magic at level one.
Take spells that don't rely on saves, (IE buffs, utility)
Wait to get Divination implement until Level 3, (this is when the best part starts to come online, the vision boosts)
Abjuration is a good first Level implement for +1 saves,
And conjuration isn't to shabby either.
Please excuse any typos, posting from phone.
I agree with the idea that you need to change your stats. I strongly suggest that your Attacking stat is an 18 after racial adjustment. And that int, while useful, doesn't need to be SUPER high. Like swap STR and INT and you'd be good.
Here's the breakdown.
int 14 vs 18 +2 to int skills and 2 skill points. +2 mental focus.
str 14 vs 18 +2 to hit and +3 damage.
with 1 feat, extra focus you get back the 2 mental focus you lost. Plus as a half-elf you can take the elf FCB to get 1/2 a mental focus per level. That means in 4 levels you're back to the same amount of focus as you started.
to get the attack stats it's weapon focus and fighter only: greater weapon focus, weapon specialization and half of greater specialization. or it's having your weapon be +2 higher than normal for your level. Or it's having a 16000 belt of str that stacks with a belt of str.
the transmutation powers are for letting you keep up with a martial, not to catch up to your starting values.
Now if you feel the higher int is worth it, go for it. I just know I see a lot of people post on here for help cause their character is bad in combat and it's cause their stats aren't good for combat.
What do you want out of your character?
Do you know what your team likely will be?
I've made a fairly effective ranged combatant with the transmutation thing.
but I've also made a pretty decent rapier dex based one.
They also make pretty decent intimidators as well, more so with the skill unlock intimidate.
but most of all just depends. What kind of character are you hoping for?
My necrocculist in a home game is working wonderfully. Level 12 mythic 1, so take this with a grain of salt but I was able to have both a high int and str, boosted by a transmutation implement. Wade into melee with a falchion and enjoy. Abjuration is a great school to stay alive in melee, necromancy is better than people give it credit for (excellent save or suck), trans to hit harder and get around the battlefield. I also took evocation because we didn't have an arcane caster. Main point is occultist can do whatever you want it to, just place your mental focus carefully. I made an incredibly versatile character for my party's odd needs, but I'm loving the class.
Davic The Grey wrote: My necrocculist in a home game is working wonderfully. Level 12 mythic 1, so take this with a grain of salt but I was able to have both a high int and str, boosted by a transmutation implement. Wade into melee with a falchion and enjoy. Abjuration is a great school to stay alive in melee, necromancy is better than people give it credit for (excellent save or suck), trans to hit harder and get around the battlefield. I also took evocation because we didn't have an arcane caster. Main point is occultist can do whatever you want it to, just place your mental focus carefully. I made an incredibly versatile character for my party's odd needs, but I'm loving the class. ^this, i want to be the utility character, the fill all the roles. In my group there are a barbarian a Fighter and a rogue
Any of them ranged inclined?
If not,
I'd suggest carrying a rapier for close encounters, but picking up a bow, and mostly bow feats and or spells.
I have one that is very INT focused, with little str, little charisma, pretty base wisdom, that has Dex as their combat feat.
I started up higher level though-which made it easier.
He carried a rapier *eventually ended up dipping Inspiried Swashbuckler, and a crossbow (long bow works better mind you, I just like crossbows). Picked up ranged feats for the most part, but went the Vital Strike pathway with a heavy crossbow (would've done Minotaur and crossbow mastery had minotaur double crossbows existed in my game). Given the option though.. I wish I had dipped into Inspired swash, and one of the gunslingers. Then pure occultist. That woudl've worked far better.
I basically became artiliary, with crossbow and fireballs (or lightning) with my divination I could cast darkness to give me a bit of cover or cover my allies (Etheric Shards made a terribly useful and hilarious trap for making a killing grounds with fireball). When I needed to I could pull out a rapier and weaponfinesse occasionally throwing a burning hands with intensified burning hands. WIth Shaping Mastery I was able to carpet bomb my friends fairly easily.
HOnestly in the end, I rarely used any schools but evocation, divination and transmuation. I was a tome eater (cause.. love it), had great skills and had a lot of out of fighting utility. I wasn't amazing at anything but I sure as hell filled the empty spaces in my group (we had tanky and a crazy dpr ranged) the only thing I couldn't do was trap finding for my group (trait wasn't allowed and dip was too costly for so little).
Metamagic rods got a lot of play for me though, due to being a 6th level caster, the feats are pointless. but with the right set up the rods are useful. Intesnified burning hands was surprisingly fun. Though damage isn't amazing... Though if I wanted to be a true blaster I guess that annoying dip into sorc for +2 per die would've been the thing to do. Just not a fan of dipping for such a little reason (though.. did dip into inspired swashbuckler in the end)
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If you aren't into that sorta idea. A whip, with lunge, and intimidate build isn't terribly bad. Its not amazing mind you. But I"ve had a lot of fun with that build. Enforcer and trips, dropping fireballs here and there..
There are better ideas of course. Mine are more than half flavor stuff.. but yeah you can seriously build a "fill most things well) occultist easily and change things well.
I suppose, focusing on INT and DEX the most, with weapon finesse, and magic would probably provide the most "everything" for you.
Inspired Swash 1, getting rapier grace. Basically gives you all the melee you might need (for a non primary melee person i mean).
Occultist, with transmutation, divination, evocation, (and whatever else. conjuration is good usually. But I like Abjuration for defense occasionally and I really like specific spells they get) gets you a long way. the transmutation gives yougood bonus to dex. while you spend the belt on Con. You can use stuff like flaming sphere relatively well on smaller fodder. If you take knowledge checks your elemental shot from evocation isn't the worst. Not the best.. but if you align the elements well it goes further than usually would think. the 30range sucks b##%~+~s though.
The rest of your feats, you could either pick up some ranged ones, or pick up buffs for your combat spells.
While its true your a 6 level caster, and your DC's are not going to be the same as others, you can still manage it alright. Just know you're not going to be an end all blaster-but you'll contribute (in my experience anyway. Someone else might have a different example).
With fairly broad choices. you can "respec" as needed really, thanks to how the schools work.
if you don't want to build a melee focused occultist, you can easily go for ranged,
the issue with the occultist is you are NOT going to cover the spell area well because of the extremely limited amount of spells you know.
They won't fill the "magic for any answer" magic role well. but they can certainly do "specific magic for these set of questions" pretty well and suppliment with skill abilities. They're closer to Sorcerer(sorta) or bard or magus in that regards. They're not built to answer everything with magic. But within their domain they're suparb. Just need to chose that domain of influence correctly.
Considering the group is already all physical, it shouldn't be too much of a problem for not being able to do evertything magic wise.. Since the group wasn't relying on this concept in the first place. So could fill a specific magical role to an extent, but it will be very focused.
they end up with a prett fair number of spells per day, just very limited selection indeed. If the game was relying on magical solutions an occultist coudlnt' fill the genrealized (though good with umd, and learning things) but I'm willing to assume this game isn't related to that genre. given the current crew's classes. Utterly non magical.
I never said they couldn't specialize, I was only stating that if he wanted to play an occultist as a general arcane caster/bard effect it would likely not fulfill his intended role.
I wasn't denying your statement, I was adding an adendum to the topic of casting for Op; concerning the role they could fill.
Zwordsman wrote: Any of them ranged inclined?
If not,
I'd suggest carrying a rapier for close encounters, but picking up a bow, and mostly bow feats and or spells.
I m thinking a lot for going ranged, but i don t think is the best way to combat underwater, and i'm afrajd in S&S there are some parts underwater.
Chelios wrote: Zwordsman wrote: Any of them ranged inclined?
If not,
I'd suggest carrying a rapier for close encounters, but picking up a bow, and mostly bow feats and or spells.
I m thinking a lot for going ranged, but i don t think is the best way to combat underwater, and i'm afrajd in S&S there are some parts underwater. Yeah. that can sure be a problem. Although there are underwater crossbows.. Granted pretty harsh range increment (20? i think underwater but can fire normally).
I'm told fireballs are rather nasty in that kinda game though. For turning incoming ships into pyres of doom. I would imagine a fair number of people would have a solution for that though.
I don't know of anyway, other than a few spells (though their names slip from my mind) that can help with ranged under water though.
And there is something to be sad about having dimensional door, and rapier with your teammates.
Hard choice; although it sucks to be onesidedly hit by ranged attacks from another ship, that is outrunning your ship so you can't escape nor catch them close enough to board.
Zwordsman wrote:
Yeah. that can sure be a problem. Although there are underwater crossbows.. Granted pretty harsh range increment (20? i think underwater but can fire normally).
I'm told fireballs are rather nasty in that kinda game though. For turning incoming ships into pyres of doom. I would imagine a fair number of people would have a solution for that though.
I don't know of anyway, other than a few spells (though their names slip from my mind) that can help with ranged under water though.
And there is something to be sad about having dimensional door, and rapier with your teammates.
Hard choice; although it sucks to be onesidedly hit by ranged attacks from another ship, that is outrunning your ship so you can't escape nor catch them close enough to board.
STR: 9 DEX: 16 CON: 12 INT: 17( +2 goes here) WIS: 14 CHA: 7
something like:
occultist trasmutation/evocation/divination 2/ inspired blade 1/ occultist x
That looks a bit like mine, although I had a 12 in str, 14 in Con and 9 in Wisdom.
Mostly for carry weight (Implements can weigh up your character), Will saves are important though, so not a bad call. I'm just big on safe HP amounts for switch hitter styule.
Should work fairly well for filling in a lot of spaces. The impliments will go nicely far.
Know what implement abilities you're aiming for you think?
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