So, im playing a fighter of Cayden Cailean in an upcoming campaign, and was hoping to get some advice on good feats/tools to play up the "drunken bravado" shtick.
The stuff I have already found is as follows:
Blade and Tankard Style, as the core of the build.
Courage In a Bottle, to add +2 to bravery bonus when drunk.
Improved Bravery, to add bravery to all mind-effecting saving throws
inspiring bravery, to make this a party buff
the new Bravery in Action and Undaunted Bravery feats to add my bravery bonus to my initiative and intimidate, respectively
Sash of the War champion for another +1 bonus to bravery
Amulet of Courage (from divine anthology) for another +1 bonus to bravery
Tankard of the Drunken Hero for heroism among other benefits
Drunken Brawler, for temp hp, -2 ref, and +2 will and fort
possibly armed bravery advanced weapon training as an alternative to improved bravery
So here's the build im thinking:
Half-orc, 20 pt buy, Shaman's Apprentice and Sacred Tattoo alternate racial traits
Str 16 Con 14 Dex 16 Int 7 Wis 10 Cha 13
Traits: Fortunes Favored, Fortified Drinker
1 Fighter: Endurance (Shamans Apprentice), Two-Weapon Fighting, Blade and Tankard Style (replaces shield prof.), Power Attack
2 Fighter: Bravery +1, Drunken Brawler
3 Fighter: Courage in a Bottle, Armor training 1
4 Fighter: +1 Dex, Bravery in Action
5 Fighter: Weapon Training 1 (rapier), Advanced Weapon Training: Armed Bravery
6 Fighter: Bravery +2, Imp. Two Weapon Fighting
7 Fighter: Advanced Armor Training: either Armor Specialization or Armored Confidence, either Weapon Specialization or Cornudgeon Smash
At this point i'm unsure whether to go for an intimidation focus with Undaunted Bravery and Cornudgeon Smash, or go more for straight damage and AC. Saves should be pretty dang high across the board, with reflex as the lowest. Damage output should be decent, so long as I can get some buffing potions or infusions to chug. I'd really like to get some of the barbarian rage powers that give bonuses for drinking, but the only in-class means is viking which replaces bravery, and VMC Barbarian would both reduce my available feats and not solve the issue till level 11. I also cant really afford the early Strength investment or Racial Heritage feat required for Raging Brute.
So I guess what I want to know is this: are there other alchohol and/or bravery themed options that would be useful, and am I pouring to much into these two to have a functional fighter?
You sure you don't want enough levels in Gunslinger (Bucaneer) to recover 1 grit for every ale guzzled?
He doesn't have any need for grit, though.
If he's gonna dip for drinking benefits, I think Barbarian (Drunken Brute) would be a better choice. That would let him rage for as long as he wants while throwing back the drink.
I'd be tempted to just go with mutation warrior.
You get bravery at lvl 2.
At lvl 3 you get mutagens. This is basically just strong alcohol.
* Take 1 hour to brew your choice alcohol. Drinking it gives you +2 natural AC as you don't feel pain like a sober person would.
* Decide what kind of alcohol you want. Rum (+4 strength, -2 Int), Mead (+4 Dex, -2 Wis), Ale (+4 Con, -2 Cha)
* Anyone who doesn't have this class ability obviously can't handle the potent liquors you are making. So they must take a fort test or become nauseated for one hour if they try to drink your alcohol.
* The effects of your drink last for 10 min per level.
There you go. You're a fighter who drinks his way to victory!
I'd also say go dwarf for this one, as you'd be making your own alcohol. A dwarven warrior who travels the world, looking for new ingredients to make his liquor, is just perfect for RPing.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/STRATEGYMETAL/GW/JosefBugmanScan.jpg
Then just grab the biggest axe/hammer you can find, and power attack your way to victory!
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For added benefit...nothing in the rules say that your mutagen can't be strong alcohol. Hell, take Craft as it is a class skill, to mechanically make it strong liquor.
Then dip one level into Drunken Rager. At 1st level, a drunken rager can drink a unit of ale or other strong alcohol while raging to gain 1 drunken rage point. This replaces fast movement, but it lets you get +20ft movement for 1 round, or get an additional round of raging.
The nice thing about this is that you are now combining the 2 classes into becoming the ultimate drunken dwarf brewmaster. Go into a rage, drink your alcoholic mutagen, and get +8 strength, +4 Con, +1 AC (from mutagen and raging), and -2 Int.
So in short, 3 levels of mutation warrior, 1 level of drunken rager barbarian. Then back to fighter.
Hmm, do you have anything against prestige classes? The Chevalier is essentially designed for that. In 3 levels, you become immune to fear, cannot ever overdrink (immunity to poison) and get some other goodies to boot.
You are supposed to be good, but if you want to be a Caiden Caylean expy, that goes with the territory.
He doesn't have any need for grit, though.
If he's gonna dip for drinking benefits, I think Barbarian (Drunken Brute) would be a better choice. That would let him rage for as long as he wants while throwing back the drink.
As long as I want being until I get alchohol poisoning. Effects that require you to drink every round tend to be p. dang risky in sustained fights.
The mutagen may be a good idea, as it takes nothing away from this build really.