Deinonychus and Eldritch Heritage (Ghoul Bloodline)

[Xomenin]

Hello there, I'm playing as a Druid Saurian Shaman with monk dip, I want to optimize my Deinonychus (Animal Companion). As so, I want to remember he has 14 CHA, and I'm willing to do this build based on Eldritch Heritage in Ghoul bloodline to him:

QUESTIONS

1. Is it possible and alright?
2. How does Ghoulish Claws would work with Deinonychus natural attacks?
3. Opinions? Another optimal options?

DEINONYCHUS BUILD:

Starting Statistics

Ability Scores Str 11, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 14

1. Light Armour Proficiency
2. Skill Focus (Stealth)
3. -
4. Ability Score increase (INT +1 = 3)
5. Eldritch Heritage (Ghoul Bloodline)
6. -
7. -
8. Power Attack
9. Ability Score increase (CHA +1 = 15)
10. Some Feat I havent decided yet.
11.
12.
13. Improved Eldritch Heritage (Ghoul Bloodline)

Ghoulish Claws:

Ghoulish Claws (Su) Starting at 1st level, you can grow claws as a free action. These claws are treated as natural weapons, allowing you to make two claw attacks as a full attack using your full base attack bonus. Each of these attacks deals 1d4 points of damage + your Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small). At 5th level, creatures damaged with your claw attack are paralyzed for 1 round, as the ghoul ability (Fort negates). At 7th level, the duration of the paralysis increases to 1d4+1 rounds, and the claws are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR. You can use your claws for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. These rounds do not need to be consecutive. If you're a ghoul with this bloodline, instead of gaining this ability, your levels in sorcerer stack with your racial Hit Dice when determining the DC of your paralysis and disease special abilities.

For more info about the bloodline go to "Ghoul Bloodline"

[Azten]

He will need an Intelligence of 3 before he can pick the feats up.

He will gain 2 claw attacks. However, that will not give him 2 more claw attacks as he does not have the required 2 extra limbs.

[Xomenin]

Azten wrote:

He will need an Intelligence of 3 before he can pick the feats up.

He will gain 2 claw attacks. However, that will not give him 2 more claw attacks as he does not have the required 2 extra limbs.

He will in fact get 3 int at level 4, before taking the feat.

I was thinking about it, a lvl 7 Deinonychus has 2 talons (1d8), 1 bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4). It wouldnt make more sense if Ghoulish Claws substitute those dinosaur 2 claws (1d4) to ghoul 2 claws (1d4) + bonus effect? So the final result would be:

Level 7 Deinonychus Attack:

2 talons (1d8) 1 bite (1d6) 2 ghoul claws (1d4 + ghoul bonus effect)

[Suthainn]

Seems like it should work fine ruleswise.

The only thing I would caution is to bear in mind he can only use the claws for 3+cha mod rounds per day, so 5 rounds with that build. Useful, but not necessarily worth the 2-3 feats it's going to take to get it all possibly.

[Xomenin]

Suthainn wrote:

Seems like it should work fine ruleswise.

The only thing I would caution is to bear in mind he can only use the claws for 3+cha mod rounds per day, so 5 rounds with that build. Useful, but not necessarily worth the 2-3 feats it's going to take to get it all possibly.

That's not all. With those 3 feats I dont only get 2 claws with paralysis chance. Those 2 features come in the way, making it all worth:

Leathery Skin (Ex):

At 3rd level, you gain cold resistance 5 and a +1 natural armor bonus to AC. At 9th level, your cold resistance increases to 10 and natural armor bonus increases to +2. At 15th level, your natural armor bonus increases to +4.

Ravenous Frenzy (Ex):

At 9th level, you gain the benefits of haste for a number of rounds per day equal to your sorcerer level. These rounds don't need to be consecutive. Each time you hit a creature with two or more claw attacks during a full attack while affected by this ability, that creature takes 1d4 points of bleed damage.

WITH 3 FEATS

1. I get 2 times in each of 5 rounds to paralyze an enemy per day. This is a high chance to make someone helpless, which means vulnerable to Coup de grace (instakill), or any other attack.
2. Scaling bonus natural armor to AC with scaling bonus cold resistance (which is superior to spending one entire feat in Improve Natural Armor).
3. Benefitting from haste would make my Deynonichus hit a 6th attack a number of times equal to his level -2, which is a high power boost.

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong. Supposing that Deinonychus would have effective character level.

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

As mentioned in another thread, it's not completely clear that the "character level 3rd" prereq of Eldritch Heritage is satisfied by a creature having 3 HD. PFS might care.

What kind of light armor do you plan to give him? It may be easier to stick to 0-ACP stuff, like leather, mwk studded leather, or mithral kikko, and save yourself the proficiency feat.

[Xomenin]

Fuzzy-Wuzzy wrote:

As mentioned in another thread, it's not completely clear that the "character level 3rd" prereq of Eldritch Heritage is satisfied by a creature having 3 HD. PFS might care.

What kind of light armor do you plan to give him? It may be easier to stick to 0-ACP stuff, like leather, mwk studded leather, or mithral kikko, and save yourself the proficiency feat.

Thanks for the advice about PFS not being completely clear. I think this is gray area, which makes the last decision to DM hands.

You got a big point, I wasn't thinking about 0-ACP stuff. I could use his first feat with something else and use quite well Mithral Kikko. But now it makes me wonder, is it worth to consider: Medium Armour Proficiency and Heavy Armour Proficiency?

[Suthainn]

With Improved Eldritch Heritage you get either the 3rd or 9th level ability, not both of them.

As to the character level, an Animal Companion absolutely does not meet these requirements, but in a home game most GMs will probably be willing to allow it if you ask I suspect.

Quote:

The total level of the character, which is the sum of all class levels held by that character.

In which case I'd imagine they would allow HD to count in place of character level, giving it an effective Sorcerer level of HD-2.

[xDemoquinx]

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