If youve read my posts before I still have the same problem since I started playing Pathfinder. The problem is I want Caster characters to play with better equipment options. A Sorcerer with a longbow or a Cleric with a Nodachi WITHOUT wasting feats or multiclassing for the proficiencies to use the equipment temporarily(until casting becomes useful).
Is that actually possible? In another more modern RPG it would be like asking if your Medic or Technician could use an Assault Rifle instead of a handgun.
single level of fighter.
cheapest way to get everything.
Racial weapon proficiencies are one option.
Clerics are proficient with their deity's favored weapon.
I know it's not much help.
Race and alternate racial trait selections can help here. Elves are proficient with bows by default, for example. Half-elves can trade in Adaptability (a free Skill Focus feat) for weapon proficiencies. Humans can trade in their racial bonus feat for proficiency with two weapons. Only the last of these options is giving up a freely selectable feat.
You could house rule it.
I mean, if the desire is so dire I shouldn't see why one feat would be so bad.
Check the advanced class guide... the skald is a warrior bard, and the warpriest has reduced spellcasting abilities, but is a better fighter (martial weapon proficiency, plus his deity's sacred weapon, and some nice bonuses with that one)... maybe you could be satisfied with that.
but if you really want a sorcerer with a longbow or a nodachi wielding cleric, I'm afraid that is going to have to be a matter of house rules between you, your DM and your group.
Gnomes can get an alt racial trait to be proficient with any weapon they make personally. They're a decent choice of race for a sorcerer.
The heirloom weapon trait gives you proficiency in one inherited weapon (but not any others of the same kind that you might get your hands on).
If you plan to use the weapon only for the first few levels, spend the damn feat on martial weapon proficiency and retrain it when it is no longer important.
Giving a sorcerer enough Craft: Weaponsmithing ranks for him to actually make his own weaponry would likely severely deplete the character's already rare skill points, esp since sorcerers often treat INT as a dump stat.
If youve read my posts before I still have the same problem since I started playing Pathfinder. The problem is I want Caster characters to play with better equipment options. A Sorcerer with a longbow or a Cleric with a Nodachi WITHOUT wasting feats or multiclassing for the proficiencies to use the equipment temporarily(until casting becomes useful).
Is that actually possible? In another more modern RPG it would be like asking if your Medic or Technician could use an Assault Rifle instead of a handgun.
Be an Elf. You get full elven proficiency with sword and bow.
& one more: the right ioun stone can give you proficiency for the price of 3 000 gp.
Giving a sorcerer enough Craft: Weaponsmithing ranks for him to actually make his own weaponry would likely severely deplete the character's already rare skill points, esp since sorcerers often treat INT as a dump stat.
Obviously there'll be some cost somewhere for a weapon proficiency. The cost in the gnome crafting their own weapons case is the ability to get a +5 total in a skill (assuming a martial weapon or composite bow.) 1 rank, +3 class skill, +2 obsessive gnome racial trait, +2 masterwork tools ... this is doable easily.
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Traits;
Arms Master & Quick Learner - Each reduce non-proficiency penalties by 2. If your GM allows them to stack you could use ANY weapon with no proficiency penalty.
Heirloom Weapon - Allows proficiency with a specific simple or martial weapon.
Shoanti Tattoo - Grants proficiency with earth breakers, klars, and Shoanti bolas.
Varisian Tattoo - Grants proficiency with bladed scarves and starknives.
I like Half-Elf because you can trade Skill Focus for a Martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency. Pretty much get you whatever you want.
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The problem with giving casters free martial weapon proficiency is that you're taking something away from martials to do it. And in order to balance the scales, you would have to give martials something like exotic proficiency, which would...
...
Actually, why not give martials exotic proficiency?
There are ways to become proficient with weapons you're not normally proficient with.
As a worst case scenario, spend a feat on it. If your group allows retraining rules, retrain the feat later to something more useful to your later character.
I'm against "giving" casters more anything for free.
Let me get this straight: You want to give casters martial proficiency? Do you want to expand the Caster/Martial Disparity even more or something?
Anyway if you want the proficiency, dip Fighter. That's the simplest option. It's how just about all Wizards get into Eldritch Knight typically anyway.
The problem with giving casters free martial weapon proficiency is that you're taking something away from martials to do it. And in order to balance the scales, you would have to give martials something like exotic proficiency, which would...
Actually, why not give martials exotic proficiency?
All martials get free Power Attack, Weapon Focus and EWP at level 1. Sounds like a solid houserule.
Actually, why not give martials exotic proficiency?
They already have the option to take the according feat at level 1. Classes with 3/4 or 1/2 BAB usually have to wait till level 3 - which is a long time if you consider this specific weapon central for your character.
But I totally agree on your point about reducing the gap between casters and martials. There should be a clear distinction when it comes to available weaponry.
Finally casters do have easier access to a certain kind of weapons: Natural weapons.
You can get proficiency through a trait, racial feature (half-elf can get anything), class feature (Oracle or Cleric), some favored class bonuses, a dip, or a feat. Probably a spell too, but that's temporary.
Racial proficiency are some of the easiest methods. Half-elves and humans can get literally any weapon as a proficiency. Other races get selective weapons as a proficiency.
Clerics, Inquisitors and Warpriests can get their gods favored weapon (and Warpriests can even get free Weapon Focus with it, or any weapon of their choosing with which they make their chosen weapon).
Sword Binder wizards can take any sword as their arcane bond and gain proficiency with it. This includes exotic weapons.
Oracles of Battle and I think Ancestor can get all martial weapons through revelations. They can even get heavy armor proficiency on top for Battle.
Sorcerer has...near no options? As far as I am aware?
Blade Adept can get an intelligent piercing or slashing melee weapon and can gain proficiency with it, if it is a simple or martial weapon.
Racial proficiency are some of the easiest methods. Half-elves and humans can get literally any weapon as a proficiency. and can gain proficiency with it, if it is a simple or martial weapon.
How? I don't any equivalent to what elves get.
Racial proficiency are some of the easiest methods. Half-elves and humans can get literally any weapon as a proficiency. and can gain proficiency with it, if it is a simple or martial weapon.How? I don't any equivalent to what elves get.
Sorry, should have said with alternative racial traits.
For half-elves
For humans
My bad, I thought I had stipulated that. Lots of other races can use alternative racial traits to get proficiencies as well.
Just because you have supernatural powers doesnt mean you should never learn to use a gun, or in this case use of standardized weapons like a sword and bow.
In a regular Pathfinder Campaign I would use the retraining rules to start out a character as a powerless class like a Fighter and gradually work it towards a class with powers like a Druid. From a gameplay and a roleplaying perspective it would be the character realizing that having no powers while fight monsters and supernatural threats is doomed to failure.
The problem is that characters "forget" any proficiencies as they are tied to class levels, nothing to do with character development. So the Master Golaith Druid of the Schwarzwald forest forgot how to swing his/her Zweihander sword because of game mechanics.
In gameplay its petty as you would just be stuck with a multiclass until you no longer find you use you bow compared to Disintegrating your enemies.
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There are a lot of things in the game that are bound by the games internal balance (however 'balanced' you actually perceive that to be) rather than the narrative of your story. Proficiency with weapons is one of those things. Just because you have a cool concept/idea/backstory doesn't permit you to avoid that balance.
And everything has a price, if you are not prepared to pay that price don't complain about the limitations of not having that thing you want. If you want to learn to use that gun, use a feat or multiclass.
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If youve read my posts before I still have the same problem since I started playing Pathfinder. The problem is I want Caster characters to play with better equipment options. A Sorcerer with a longbow or a Cleric with a Nodachi WITHOUT wasting feats or multiclassing for the proficiencies to use the equipment temporarily(until casting becomes useful).
Is that actually possible? In another more modern RPG it would be like asking if your Medic or Technician could use an Assault Rifle instead of a handgun.
I might be able to help you get what you want, if you can help me understand why you want your caster to start off as a weapon-user. Explain what it is that such capability would get you, and I might be able to come up with an easier/more satisfying way to give you that same thing. :)