Morning/Afternoon/Evening fellow forumites!
After looking over the new inclusion of geniekin for Season 8 PFS, I have decided to make an ifrit bard (Flame Dancer) and want to really work on the support aspects as opposed to active combatant. I'm going to focus on trying to maintain Inspire Courage as much as possible (Lingering Performance) and then aid the group with spells and debuffs on my turns in between Bardic Performance cycling. I found this lovely little trait (Fiery Glare) that I think will work wonderfully with this concept... I'd like to see what you all think?
Stats: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 18 (4th and 8th level stat bonuses into Cha and then 12th will go into Int)
Racial Traits: Dropping Energy Resistance for Wildfire Heart (+4 initiative) and Fire Affinity for Hypnotic.
Traits: Charming (+1 Bluff/Diplo), Fiery Glare (Can Take 10 on Intimidate, evening in combat!)
Feats: 1st - Lingering Performance, 3rd - Weapon Focus (Whip), 5th - Dazzling Display, 7th - Deific Obedience (Calistria, +4 to all Cha check and Cha-based skills to those who could be sexually attracted), 9th - Flagbearer? (Or something else, if someone could give a better suggestion?), and 11th - Discordant Voice.
So the basic idea is to keep Bardic Performance cycling w/ Lingering Performance, and then debuff enemies by utilizing Intimidate in combat with relatively consistent results due to Fiery Glare. At 1st level I'll be able to constantly pop off an Intimidate result of 18 (which will work on most enemies), and then by the time I pick up Dazzling Display at 5th level I'll be looking at a result of 22 w/ Take 10. And then when I can finally swing 7th level and pick up Deific Obedience for Calistria, it just keeps getting better.
I'd love any suggestions that might help make this better? Or point out any glaring issues/concerns you might see with this build?
I'd avoid Dazzling Display and Whips... Being so close to the frontlines with 12 CON seems a little bit suicidal, and Dazzling Display is easily replaced by casting Blistering Invective.
I'd use your those two free feats to pick up PBS and Precise Shot, and then Rapid Shot at 9th. You can't always trust mind affecting solutions to help out, so these might be a good idea.
Fiery Glare isn't too hot in my opinion (lolzzzz) simply by virtue that you have Versatile Performance, so you'd rarely actually roll an Intimidate check.
Seconding Blistering Invective--it might be one of the sweetest bard spells of it's level.
Also, have you checked out Horror Adventures? It has a sweet feat called Disconcerting Knowledge...bards can attempt to Intimidate with a Knowledge check!
I'm not really interested in sinking combat feats with this character though, which is why I'm looking to get the most out of social skills in combat (Intimidate). As far as Versatile Performance, the only Perform skills that work with Intimidate are not any that I'm interested in investing with this PC. Blistering Invective is a very cool option that shall be added into the mix. I'm not totally dependent on whip, just a thematic choice due to deity choice and I think whips make great weapons to demoralize enemies.
In regards to Flagbearer, that is sort what I figured with it coming so late that it wouldn't be very noticeable. I also forgot that Goodhope provides Morale bonus, so I think Flagbearer is going to the wayside. Any suggestions for feats that would help compliment this build?
*EDIT*
Fourshadow, I have and completely forgot about that feat!! Thank you for reminding me, I think that will be my replacement for Flagbearer!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The spell Thundering Drums is unique to Bard and very cool with a little metamagic, though within PFS levels it has it's limits. Intensified Thundering Drums is just fantastic stuff - up to 10d8(sonic)(!) and knockdown (!) - and with a metamagic trait it's still a level 3. Hammering foes to the ground with the sound of war-drums is pretty thematic for a fire-and-fear character, especially if you're lightning them up with a Blazing Invective that gimps their saves and then bashing them down with sonic thunder.
The spell Thundering Drums is unique to Bard and very cool with a little metamagic, though within PFS levels it has it's limits. Intensified Thundering Drums is just fantastic stuff - up to 10d8(sonic)(!) and knockdown (!) - and with a metamagic trait it's still a level 3. Hammering foes to the ground with the sound of war-drums is pretty thematic for a fire-and-fear character, especially if you're lightning them up with a Blazing Invective that gimps their saves and then bashing them down with sonic thunder.
I absolutely love this spell! It works a little better with a lesser intensified metamagic rod if you have the gp. If you have Arcane Concordance up, you can Enlarge it to make it a 30' cone rather than 15'.
Very thematic and can be rather traumatic for your foes...you can rock them like a hurricane, right?
Those are all very good suggestions! Thank you everyone. I like the idea of swapping out Burning Hands option for Enlarge Person as I will eventually add it to my spell list anyway.
Another quick question... Is there any reason not to select the Almost Human alternate racial trait for the geniekin? The only thing you lose is a language. The only downside I see is being vulnerable to charm person and those sort of things. As a support character I'm not sure being vulnerable to that would even be a downside as most PCs likely to be charmed would be casters or melee monsters I would think.
Also, when selecting that trait, does it affect your starting ages??