How many rage rounds do I really need? (PFS)

[Angel Hunter D]

So I've been toying around with a build for a bloodrager/dragon disciple. I can easily get him up to 20 rage rounds by the time he prestiges, but I don't know how many I need for higher level Society scenarios.

The plan is to use the rage-claws almost exclusively, so what's the longest combat in society I can expect to face? and will I need more than 20 rounds before lvl 10? (or more than 25 after that)

[BigNorseWolf]

That's more than enough. rare to see more than 4 encounters go more than 4 rounds

[Lemmy]

20 rounds is probably enough... The real problem of relying exclusive on rage-granted natural weapons is that even if you're fighting weaklings, you'll have to unnecessarily spend rage rounds.

I suggest grabbing IUS (and possibly Dragon Style), since the enhancement bonus applies to it anyway... This way you can use your fists against easy encounters and save your Rage for combats where you actually need it.

I actually played a pretty nasty TWFing Barbarian focusing on IUS and claws... Even without the house-rules of that game, it was quite powerful.

[Chess Pwn]

I've had 12 rounds be enough for lv 9 and rage most every round of every fight.

[Malkin the Magician]

I have used 16 rounds in one PFS scenario. That is the most I have used. That had 4 fights and one really dragged because of bad strategy.

[Kurald Galain]

I'd say 12 rounds is more than enough for pretty much every scenario printed.

[Markov Spiked Chain]

Modules are the only reason you might need more than 20, unless you're burning them for healing or something. Emerald spire is the only place I've ever been tight on daily resources (it was Skald performance rounds, but same idea.)

[Davor Firetusk]

There's a few specials that can chew through resources pretty well in a sitting.

[Angel Hunter D]

hmmm, good to know. thanks guys, that helps a lot. on weaklings i was planning on using deliquescent gloves and/or the helm of the mammoth lord once I could afford one of them; although i'm having trouble figuring out how using both would work, so if someone could clear that up for me i'd be a happy camper.

[illyume]

Since I've just found the item... if you're okay paying a bit of lip-service to Irori, consider picking one of these up!
Perfectionist Shavtoosh -- 4,461gp instead of a feat for unarmed strike seems pretty good to me.

Helm of the Mammoth Lord and Deliquescent Gloves don't really work together. The gloves would work well for adding 1d6 damage to your claws, but that's about it really.

[Angel Hunter D]

I know the gloves don't enhance the helm's gore, more curious what a full attack with both on would look like.

[illyume]

With both, you'd be looking at something like:
2 claws
hit = BAB+str+misc
dmg = 1d6+str+1d6(acid)+misc

gore
hit = BAB+str+misc
dmg = 1d6+str+misc

[Angel Hunter D]

Sorry, I didn't clarify: I meant when I full attack and am not raging, I understand what it looks like and I am (and I'll be a rageshaper so there'll be another d6 on those claws).

[illyume]

Ah yes, when not raging you'd either have just the gore attack, and thus do a 1d6(orwhatever) plus 1.5x str (single natural attack) or you'd add it as a secondary attack to a weapon attack routine.

[Angel Hunter D]

if i use the gloves for a touch attack they count as a weapon then?

[Driver_325yards]

The community-minded trait will allow you to gain the benefit of your raging via fists attacks without using too much of your rage rounds.

1) First turn on rage and attack,
2) Turn off rage at end of turn, you are fatigued until the start of your next turn (which is not a big deal because you already attacked),
3) Gain the benefits of rage (+4 str, +4 con) without the negatives the next round.
4) Rinse and repeat

This assumes that the rule "you are your own ally" still applies. They may have changed that rule. I have not been keeping up with the topic.

As a second note, if you play a character that has claws naturally, then you don't even need rage to do the claw attacks.

[Driver_325yards]

Correction, based on how you read rage, you are either not fatigued at all because you did not spend a full round raging, or you are fatigued through your next turn (if raging part of a round counts as raging the full round).

Either way it is a viable option to think about. Obviously, one interpretation is more viable than the other.

[Carnithia]

It also depends, for the community minded combo, if there are any abilities you want to use that are tied to rage. If you are counting on extended reach, going large, using claw attacks, you won't be able to since you aren't raging but are just getting the bonus to strength and con. Not bad for a dip in bloodrager or barbarian, but horrible if you want to use any rage power.

[Rysky]

Driver_325yards wrote:

Correction, based on how you read rage, you are either not fatigued at all because you did not spend a full round raging, or you are fatigued through your next turn (if raging part of a round counts as raging the full round).

Either way it is a viable option to think about. Obviously, one interpretation is more viable than the other.

More viable to the point that other being suggested is just silly.

[Driver_325yards]

Those abilities would still be on one round while you attack and off the other round. Depending on your fighting strategy, that does not have to be horrible.

[Rysky]

Driver_325yards wrote:

Those abilities would still be on one round while you attack and off the other round. Depending on your fighting strategy, that does not have to be horrible.

The penalties from 2 rounds of fatigue really don't justify it.

As to Community Minded I'm pretty sure the intent was not to grant that to yourself.

FaQ wrote:

Ally: Do you count as your own ally?

You count as your own ally unless otherwise stated or if doing so would make no sense or be impossible. Thus, "your allies" almost always means the same as "you and your allies."