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For a warpriest who plans to dual wield kukris, and a 20pt buy, what is the best option?
Option 1
Str (17) Dex (15) Con (14) Int (10) Wis (14) Cha (7)
Option 2
Str (18) Dex (15) Con (12) Int (10) Wis (14) Cha (7)
Option 3
Str (18) Dex (15) Con (14) Int (7) Wis (14) Cha (7)
Can't quite decide. Any suggestions before I hit the table with him this Saturday?
Dual Talent Human makes it a lot easier to have high STR and DEX. Is this PFS?
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Yup it's for PFS.
Sure, a human could start off with higher stats...but half orcs get dark vision and a luck bonus to all saves. Plus everyone plays a human...
...if sticking to half-Orc which is the best point buy? Option 3 is technically a 19 point buy, but it gives a 14, 14, 15, 18 in the needed stats. And I suppose 1 skill point isn't that different to 2...
Any advice?
I dunno... from what I've seen around here lately, Sacred Tattoo Half-Orc is all anyone seems to do - at least on builds where saves are actually an issue.
Anyhow, stat-buy pretty much comes down to personal choice. A Warpriest isn't going to be crippled by not starting with 18STR, so it's up to you how much you want to stat-dump. I tend to cringe at the thought of having to play a character who's both socially awkward and slow in the head, and only getting 1/level skills can be irritating; but plenty of people don't care and just run with it.
Option 1
I'd say Option 3 but only if you take Human-Raised and/or Skilled as alternate racials.
EDIT: Actually, I'd switch STR and DEX around and get Weapon Finesse.
Yep. I'd also replace Ferocity and Weapon Familiarity for Human-Raised. Sacred Tattoo doesn't do that much for a Warpriest who already has great saves.
However, Option 3 is a bit extreme. I'd see about switching that to 17 STR and 16 DEX.
Is the plan to reach 17DEX with a +2STR/+2DEX belt?
Well, you still keep Intimidating, which you can replace for Unflinching Valor, Shaman's Apprentice or Shadowplay to great effect.
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Sadly, I didn't get to use the character over the weekend as the lvl1 table was full. However, it does give me one more week to think about this.
Option 3 seems like the best result to me. Get all of the important skills maxed out, and only lose 1 skill point for the loss. With that said...
...someone please smack me on the head for this idiocy, but I can't help but think that a 1 level dip into inquisitor would be worth it.
Archetypes: Sanctified Slayer/Heretic
(1) Conversion Inquisition (use Wis for Diplomacy, Intimidate and Bluff)
(2) 6 skill points per level. Drops down to 4...but it does let him pick up Stealth, Perception, Bluff and Sense Motive.
(3) Sanctified Slayer gives him studied target, for a further +1 to hit, +1 damage, +1 bluff
(4) Heretic gives +2 on all stealth tests...which is like getting an extra 2 skill points in it. Makes up for the lost skill points due to low intelligence.
So I think that this 1 level dip would come at lvl2. Gets him the social skills he lacks.
Benefit 1: Alot more skills
lvl 1 warpriest:
* Intimidate: +4 (+8 with blessing)
* Profession: +6
lvl 2 (warpriest 1 and inquisitor 1)
* Intimidate: +9 (+13 with blessing)
* Profession: +6
* Diplomacy: +6
* Bluff: +6 (+7 with studied target)
* Stealth: +8
* Perception: +6
Benefit 2: Inquisitor Spells
* Persuasive Goad (1d6 nonleathal damage, +4 intimidate)
* Vocal Alteration (Disguise a target's voice)
- Both have great RP potential. That, and the +4 intimidate would push his intimidate up to +17, which at level 2 is kind of crazy.
Benefit 3: Saving throws
* The 1 level dip gives +2 Fort and +2 Will, which is better than what the warpriest gets leveling up
Drawbacks: Slowed Warpriest Progression
* Get to lvl 2+ spells a level later. That hurts, as bear's strength with fervor is +4 strength, which is like urban raging.
* Doesn't get +1 BaB (Instead gets studied target, which doesn't completely make up for the loss)
* Get to fervor a level later (a big loss! Can't cast divine favor as a swift action until lvl3)
* Daggers increase in damage a level later
* Get the bonus feat at lvl4 instead of 3
My Thoughts
It seems...worth it? He gets to be much, much better outside of combat. He becomes a party face, and infact is something of an intimidation expert. Waste a feat for intimidating prowess, and when intimidating a prisoner whom you can cast persuasive goad on, the intimidate goes up to +21. At lvl 2, getting +17 to intimidate is as close to an auto succeed as you can get. Throwing in stealth and perception make him much more relevant as well.
At the same time though, the idea of multi-classing two 1/2 BaB 1/2 caster classes does seem to be insanity...
Nothing is worth having more fervor and spells.
It's not 'insanity', but it's essentially a -1BAB and a one-level loss on all your Warpriest class features. Wrecking CHA and INT for a tiny increase in combat ability and then diminishing your combat ability and class features by multiclassing to try to make up for having no skills and a crappy social modifier does seem a little absurd. The difference two points of strength makes on a TWF character is 1 attack and 1 damage, and a TWF Warpriest shouldn't have an issue with either. If you care that much about your skills, just start with a 16STR and invest in them properly.
Study Target is useless unless you're using actions to activate it, and using move actions to activate a +1 is a complete waste of time.
