Hey all,
This is my first post on here so go easy on me. I've been out of the game for a couple years and looking to get back into it. I have 2 character ideas im struggling with currently.
#1 being a half orc monk/oracle. Im not set on the classes but the idea i had behind the character was a dominant grapple focused combatant with magical support either through buffs like DR and save boosts or touch spells thatd compliment his combat style like burning hands etc.
#2 being a half orc ranger/druid whose primary focuses are 2h melee combat with magical support to amplify survivability similar to above.
Im fairly set on the half orc template so anything thatd play to its strengths is a bonus. The only classes im confident i dont want to dip into are barb/pal/and *spell prep* casters.
Thanks in advance!
druid and ranger are both spell prep casters...
Monk/Oracle doesn't have stat synergy.
Ranger druid has a bit more synergy stat wise.
Neither multiclassing options are really a good idea. If you don't take many levels of the casting class then you're buffs aren't all that good.
I suggest Hunter, or Inquisitor. Or full monk for grapple build.
Hey, if you've been out of the game for a couple years you might not know about the Advanced Class guide which has released a couple of really neat classes.
The Hunter is a combination of the Druid and the Ranger who specializes in buffs and fighting with their animal companion. It really fits your second option rather nicely, additionally as a singular class it doesn't suffer the penalties of multiclassing AND it gets both Druid and Ranger spells (at the lowest level the spell is available!).
For instance you could go half-orc, ride your horse, and wield a Greatsword:
Half Orc Hunter
1: Power Attack
2: Outflank
3: Combat Expertise, Pack Flanking
Pack Flanking is a new teamwork feat exclusive to the Hunter [due to prerequisites] that allows you to always be flanking as long as you are riding your AC. Combined with Level 2 outflank you'd have +4 to hit as long as you can squeeze your horse into areas.
As for the Monk/Oracle, that isn't a terribly good combination, but the Advanced Class Guide has you there too. The Bloodrager is a barbarian who gets magical powers and self-buffing spells. It can easily support a grapple build.
Give them a look, you can find them at: www.d20pfsrd.com
I guess i ment more specifically the *sit down, stare at spellbook every morning* versions. It doesnt sit well imo a half orc combatant having patience for that routine daily lol
Hey, if you've been out of the game for a couple years you might not know about the Advanced Class guide which has released a couple of really neat classes.
The Hunter is a combination of the Druid and the Ranger who specializes in buffs and fighting with their animal companion. It really fits your second option rather nicely, additionally as a singular class it doesn't suffer the penalties of multiclassing AND it gets both Druid and Ranger spells (at the lowest level the spell is available!).
For instance you could go half-orc, ride your horse, and wield a Greatsword:
Half Orc Hunter
1: Power Attack
2: Outflank
3: Combat Expertise, Pack FlankingPack Flanking is a new teamwork feat exclusive to the Hunter [due to prerequisites] that allows you to always be flanking as long as you are riding your AC. Combined with Level 2 outflank you'd have +4 to hit as long as you can squeeze your horse into areas.
As for the Monk/Oracle, that isn't a terribly good combination, but the Advanced Class Guide has you there too. The Bloodrager is a barbarian who gets magical powers and self-buffing spells. It can easily support a grapple build.
Give them a look, you can find them at: www.d20pfsrd.com
I've briefly glanced over them but I'll have to take a more in depth look at those classes. The hunter sounds like a lot of fun but I don't know how I feel about a mount based class knowing how much my local group likes dungeon delving.
But they are patient enough to pray, be in a trance-like meditation on the mysteries of nature, or sit in quite contemplation for an hour?
Like I don't see how they don't have patience for an hour of reading but they do for an hour of basically the same thing.
For the grappler oracle, take a look at the warsigbted oracle arcbetype from ACG, quite nice for a warrior oracle build.
I strongly endorse the hunter for your second idea. The base class is largely built around your companion, and using teamwork with it. If you don't like pets, the feral hunter might be interesting to you.
Hunter isn't a mounted class. It's just a pet class, like druid. You can go just fine with it being on foot with whatever pet you want.
But they are patient enough to pray, be in a trance-like meditation on the mysteries of nature, or sit in quite contemplation for an hour?
Like I don't see how they don't have patience for an hour of reading but they do for an hour of basically the same thing.
Maybe its just my personal idea/concept of orcs but I can imagine them praying to a higher power for guidance or strength or what have you like a primal shaman etc but I don't especially see them as being highly literate, interested in reading/writing and thus having the patience to do it daily?
As a Hunter you can eventually get Reduce Animal or Carry Companion as spells to allow them to fit through narrow spaces in a dungeon. Still it does suck to not have access to your AC if you decide to play mounted. Though as chess pwn said you don't need to play Mounted, its just easier.
As a note about Pack Flanking, it also works while adjacent to your AC so if you wanted to go for a small/medium creature you could and you would still be able to dungeon crawl. However, both of you need to be threatening the opponent so it requires more positioning than simply riding your AC does.
As for a grappling build, I'd still say go for an Abarent Bloodrager. The Bloody Knuckle Rowdy isn't the greatest archetype out there but it will get you what you need to be a solid grappler. IUS for free at level one, Monk fist damage at level 3. You give up a lot of it but that is improved grapple at level 1 and 10ft of reach at level 4.
I've briefly glanced over them but I'll have to take a more in depth look at those classes. The hunter sounds like a lot of fun but I don't know how I feel about a mount based class knowing how much my local group likes dungeon delving.Hey, if you've been out of the game for a couple years you might not know about the Advanced Class guide which has released a couple of really neat classes.
The Hunter is a combination of the Druid and the Ranger who specializes in buffs and fighting with their animal companion. It really fits your second option rather nicely, additionally as a singular class it doesn't suffer the penalties of multiclassing AND it gets both Druid and Ranger spells (at the lowest level the spell is available!).
For instance you could go half-orc, ride your horse, and wield a Greatsword:
Half Orc Hunter
1: Power Attack
2: Outflank
3: Combat Expertise, Pack FlankingPack Flanking is a new teamwork feat exclusive to the Hunter [due to prerequisites] that allows you to always be flanking as long as you are riding your AC. Combined with Level 2 outflank you'd have +4 to hit as long as you can squeeze your horse into areas.
As for the Monk/Oracle, that isn't a terribly good combination, but the Advanced Class Guide has you there too. The Bloodrager is a barbarian who gets magical powers and self-buffing spells. It can easily support a grapple build.
Give them a look, you can find them at: www.d20pfsrd.com
Worth noting that Hunter doesn't need to be mount-based, so much as animal companion-based (and as Java Man suggested, that can even be swapped out via the Feral Hunter archetype). In case ShroudedInLight's post may have been misleading, it is worth noting that Pack Flanking works fine with adjacent non-mount companions.
So you could get a wolf, for example.
And to allay your concerns about bring a companion into dungeons, even a medium-sized companion that later turns large-sized (such as a wolf) can be accommodated into dungeons via the Narrow Frame feat.
Monk/Oracle doesn't have stat synergy.
They do if you take the Scaled Disciple archetype of the Monk from Legacy of Dragons.
I don't know a lot about Oracles, but I do know a lot about Grappling.
I posted extensively about Grappling here,
Advice for a Halfling Grappler
And what I said should be helpful for your Grapple build.
There I gave advice on how to use Grappling to Tie Up opponents. My advice there to use the Protector Familiar for Attacks of Opportunity was recently made obsolete by a recent FAQ.
Another use for Grappling is to boost Damage. If you wear Armor Spikes, every successful Grapple Attack also does damage, not a lot for starters, but since it is a separate attack, it also benefits from modifiers such as Strength bonuses, Power Attack, and Sneak Attack Damage. For a build like this Attacks with the Grab Ability such as Tentacles and Witches' White Hair are very nice. Any Piercing Weapon gets free Grapples if you have the Hamatula Strike Feat, and there are other ways.
After glancing over this "im still at work, don't tell anyone" It raised the question for me how does grappling interact with spells such as thorn skin etc? would I be able to do additional damage stacked with spiked armor and base grapple dmg etc? got my wheels turning in other directions now lol
Riding is just easier than constantly fiddling your positioning around, especially since you get that delicious +1 to hit vs opponents smaller than your mount due to high ground.
Also enables glorious lance shenanigans, and in games where your GM doesn't let your AC and you move on the same initiative unless you are mounted then you lose half the benefit of the feat...going Mounted is just easier IMO.
Anyway, I did correct the notion on Pack Flanking in my post above. Just wanted to explain my reasoning for suggesting the mounted route.
Riding is just easier than constantly fiddling your positioning around, especially since you get that delicious +1 to hit vs opponents smaller than your mount due to high ground.
Also enables glorious lance shenanigans, and in games where your GM doesn't let your AC and you move on the same initiative unless you are mounted then you lose half the benefit of the feat...going Mounted is just easier IMO.
Anyway, I did correct the notion on Pack Flanking in my post above. Just wanted to explain my reasoning for suggesting the mounted route.
Yeah, fair arguments for sure, though I think the initiative thing can be alleviated somewhat by having one or the other delay their action. I mostly just wanted to ensure the OP understood that it wasn't a mount-specific thing.
Happy gaming!
Riding is just easier than constantly fiddling your positioning around, especially since you get that delicious +1 to hit vs opponents smaller than your mount due to high ground.
Also enables glorious lance shenanigans, and in games where your GM doesn't let your AC and you move on the same initiative unless you are mounted then you lose half the benefit of the feat...going Mounted is just easier IMO.
Anyway, I did correct the notion on Pack Flanking in my post above. Just wanted to explain my reasoning for suggesting the mounted route.
I understand where your coming from on all accounts. I think I like the beast master esque idea but Im still conflicted with the idea of a standalone self-sufficient character I had in my head prior to the suggestion. I'll have to read more on the feral hunter to see if it closer fits the original concept I had in mind.
For the grappler oracle, take a look at the warsigbted oracle arcbetype from ACG, quite nice for a warrior oracle build.
As for a grappling build, I'd still say go for an Abarent Bloodrager. The Bloody Knuckle Rowdy isn't the greatest archetype out there but it will get you what you need to be a solid grappler. IUS for free at level one, Monk fist damage at level 3. You give up a lot of it but that is improved grapple at level 1 and 10ft of reach at level 4.
For some reason I cant pull these up on my work computer. How would you compare the two?
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/oracle/archetypes/paizo---orac le-archetypes/warsighted
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/bloodrager/archetypes/paizo- --bloodrager-archetypes/bloody-knuckled-rowdy-bloodrager-archetype
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/oracle/archetypes/paizo---orac le-archetypes/warsighted
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/bloodrager/archetypes/paizo- --bloodrager-archetypes/bloody-knuckled-rowdy-bloodrager-archetype
warsighted
bloody knuckled rowdy
Awesome that worked tyvm, not sure why I couldn't get to the url when clicking on the direct d20pfsrd links, wierd. Thank you everyone for all the suggestions and guidance, I appreciate it!