I'm getting ready to launch another new character for PFS, starting at level 1. I decided to focus on speed and vital strike ...
Here is my build, in the format of Amiri:
Cloud-Strife-buffed:
Ifrit Multiclass
TN Large Humanoid (Human) Outsider (Native)
Init +19, Senses Perception +14, Dark vision
Defense:
AC 28, touch 18, flat-footed, 28 (+13 armor, +3 dex, -1 Size, Ring +2, Ioun Stone+1)
hp 110
Fort +25, Ref +11, Will +14
Offense
Speed 60 ft.
Colossal bastard sword +1, Impact +20/+15(6d8+15/19–20)
Special Attacks unchained rage (8 rounds/day), urban Blood rage (6 rounds/days), Feats
Special Defenses Improved Uncanny Dodge
Tactics
During Combat Cloud Strife counts on his high Strength and the sheer size of her blade to defeat foes.
When rolling for initiative, if he rolls an 11 or higher, he can move his base speed (60) as an immediate action. This is usually enough to position himself next to choice enemies.
He moves, vital strikes, furious finishes to kill his enemies. His feats allow him to follow enemies if they move (Step-up, Step up and Strike, No Escape).
He carries around his greensting scorpion, which casts Guidance on him every round.
Statistics
Str 26, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 9
Base Atk +10; CMB +18; CMD 36
Feats Improved Initiative, Following Step, Mounted Combat, Iron Will, Toughness, Vital Strike, Endurance, Furious Finish, Step-up, Combat Reflexes, Step-up-and-Strike, Open, Open, Open (three feats I haven't picked yet -- there are a couple levels where retraining takes place for feats)
SQ fast movement, Emissary Familiar, Enlarge Self 1/day (racial), Enlarge Person 3/day as swift,
1: Urban Bloodrager, Celestial Bloodline, Trading out Bloodline power for Emissary Greensting Scorpion.
2: Unchained Barbarian
3: Titan Fighter
4: Cavalier, Emissary Archetype, Order of Flame, Ability to move in medium armor at full speed.
5: Cavalier, gains ability to move during initiative check
6: Fighter, Vital Strike, Bravery
7: Living Monolith, (swift) Enlarge Person 3/day, toughness
8: Unchained Barbarian, Rage power(No Escape), Uncanny Dodge
9: Cleric, Travel Domain, Inquisition (Persistence), Variant Channeling (Slavery/Tyranny)
10: Monk, Combat Reflexes
11: Monk, Evasion
12: Urban Bloodrager, Improved Uncanny Dodge
Combat Gear:
Huge Bastard Sword +1, Impact
Cracked Opalescent White Pyramid Ioun Stone (weapon familiarity)
Mithril Full Plate+1
Wand of Lead Blades (used prior to adding impact to weapon, after that this wand is no longer useful)
Cloak of Resistance +3
Cracked Scarlet and Green Cabochan Ioun Stone (rage cycling)
3 Cracked Vibrant Purple Prisms (Charge this via wand, use these during combat to remove the UMD check) --
Stone of Good Luck
Wayfinder
Belt of Str+2,Dex+2
Wand of Long Strider (when 60' isn't enough)
Wand of Cure Light wounds (PFS)
Cracked Pale Green Ioun Stone (+1 comp to attack)
Cracked Pale Green Ioun Stone (+1 comp to saves
Cracked Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 init)
Any feedback or advice on how to improve would be appreciated.
I'm not adverse to changing around class orders, templates, classes, etc ... as long as the spirit of the build remains.
titan fighter doesn't work with bastard swords.
Bastard swords are meant as one-handed weapons.
titan fighter lets you use weapons meant as two-handed weapons.
Thus you can go large greatsword with titan fighter, or large bastard sword with the exotic weapon feat. But you can't go larger than those.
ChessPwn: I'm taking Barbarian levels for a couple reasons:
1) Rage Power (No escape)
2) Rage --- everything I am reading says that Rage and BloodRage can stack, as they are different sources affecting different numbers.
3) Even more fast movement.
4) Improved Uncanny Dodge
Thanks for pointing out my mistake with the Bastard Sword ... I was under the impression it was a two handed weapon that you can take a feat to use as one-handed, as opposed to a one-handed that you needed a feat to use one-handedly.
The Colossal sword was as follows:
Bastard sword (medium)
BS wielded in two hands (Large)
Titan Fighter (Huge)
Enlarge Person (Actual size increase)
Impact/Lead Blades (Virtual size increase)
Anger management: If I am in a rage, or an Unchained rage, or a bloodrage, or some similar form of rage, can I stack up as many benefits as possible?
No. When you either activate or are affected by a new form of rage (such as a barbarian’s rage, a skald’s raging song, a bloodrager’s bloodrage, and the rage spell), you can choose whether to keep your current rage or to accept the new rage instead, much like a creature affected by multiple polymorph effects. If you are in the throes of a rage that you could not automatically end on your own, such as a wild rager’s wild rage, you may not choose to replace it with a new rage effect. The exception to this rule is the skald’s master skald ability, which explicitly allows the skald’s raging song to stack with other rage effects.
As Fuzzy-Wuzzy shared, you can't rage and bloodrage.
I'm not sure fast movement stacks.
"A bloodrager's land speed is faster than is normal for his race by 10 feet"
"A barbarian's land speed is faster than the norm for her race by +10 feet."
If your race's normal speed is 30 then both are setting them to 40. Not completely convinced that they don't stack. But I see issues there.
Also since they are abilities with the same name they also might not stack do to same source rule.
Like I said, not sure but maybe.
also, how are you getting large? relying on potions of enlarge or having a one-round cast of enlarge person each fight?
I'd suggest this
go abyssal bloodrager 4, this gets you free enlarge when you rage.
take titan fighter 1 if you're okay with having -4 to attack, otherwise take the exotic weapon feat and only have a -2.
this way your lv 4/5 and have everything you need.
Be CN and worship gorum and take the separatist cleric to get his divine fighting technique for free and still grab the travel speed buff.
An option is to go steelblooded bloodrager, this will let you move faster in heavy armor saving you the price of mithral on your fullplate.
ChessPwn:
Both bloodrager and barbarian say similar things (emphasis mine):
Fast Movement (Ex)
A bloodrager's land speed is faster than is normal for his race by 10 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor, and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the bloodrager's speed due to any armor worn or load carried. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to the bloodrager's land speed.
and from the ACG:
Parent Classes: Each of the following classes draws upon two classes to form the basis of its theme. While a character can multiclass with these parent classes, doing so usually results in redundant abilities. Such abilities don’t stack unless specified. If a class feature allows the character to make a one-time choice (such as a bloodline), that choice must match similar choices made by the parent classes and vice-versa (such as selecting the same bloodline).
Since both say "stacks with any other bonuses" and the book says that if they do, then they do, it seems like they should.
Living Monolith gives me enlarge person as a swift 3/day, the rest of the time (if there is a rest of the time), I can cast enlarge person as a racial 1/day for 1 min/level ... this should be enough.
With the dip into Fighter, cavalier, and living monolith, etc .... hitting level 4 in bloodrager will be quite late in my career. (Cavalier to gain the ability to move during initiative check).
GiantBlooded trait reduces the penalty from Titan Fighter from -4 to -2.
that's the thing. Bloodrager would make it so you wouldn't need the living monolith level. and if you took bloodrager instead of your barb levels then you have an extra level open, which you could take a bloodrager to still have improved uncanny dodge.
The issue isn't "stacking" it's how it's worded. It's like subbing in your race to have it say, "A human bloodrager's land speed is 40ft, which is faster than is normal for his race by 10 feet." and then the barbs says likewise, "A human barbarian's land speed is 40ft, which is faster than the norm for her race by +10 feet."
The contention is that both are referencing "normal for her race" and not just saying, you gain +10ft movespeed. like expeditious retreat, "This spell increases your base land speed by 30 feet"
EDIT: it's kinda like having two abilities that say you can grow claws. having only 2 hands means you can only have 2 claws because they are both targeting your existing hands. So even though they say you'd have 4 claws, since your base doesn't change you only have 2 claws.
re: giant-blooded ... Argh!!! Good catch ChessPwn ... I had seen it in the handbook, looked up in the additional resource guide, and failed to notice that only the earlier traits were PFS legal.
Hmmm ... the more you talk, the more you sound reasonable for the "I am not as fast as I thought I was" camp.
At present, I gain Living Monolith at level 7 (6 if I want to delay Vital Strike/Furious Focus 1 level) ... if I use Bloodrager to turn large, it is level 8 before I enlarge as a free action (unless I give up on the moving during initiative aspect of cavalier).
I also delay getting the divine fighting style mentioned above (thanks deathless one and chesspwn) by a level.
And, I don't see how I can gain the "No Escape" rage power (to really follow people) as a bloodrager -- as primalist doesn't exist.
The feel for the character, is a character so fast that normal rules of motion don't apply -- and he uses a big honking weapon to smack you upside your head. Think Anime.
To implement this concept:
Speed
Initiative ... improved, ifrti racial, familiar, trait, dex = huge init at level 1.
Speed ... 30' base, full speed in medium armor, fast movement, travel domain, etc.
In combat ... step up, no escape, following step, step-up-and-strike.
... there should be no way that enemies can escape, casters can 5' step or withdraw to cast, etc.
Movement on initiative roll ... if everytime the DM says "Roll initiative", you position your mini (basically) anywhere on the map, and are (virtually) guaranteed a charge path or you are next to the squishy ... it's a good day.
Big honking weapon
I had initially thought I could use a bastard sword ... as was pointed out, that doesn't work the way I thought it did, and with the divine fighting style which was shown me, greatsword seems the ultimate choice.
I stacked the effects I could to raise the base damage to try out vital strike.
EDIT: Not wasting the rage from Bloodrager, it can be used to power Furious Finish. The first level of Bloodrager gives me fast movement, the familiar -- bloodrage is just a nice bonus.
EDIT: I also appreciate the collaboration here, it's helped me avoid some pitfalls as well as giving me new ideas.
no escape only works while raging as a barbarian. so if you're bloodraging then you're not having no escape. I don't see a way for you to "use bloodrage to power FF"
no escape only works while raging as a barbarian. so if you're bloodraging then you're not having no escape. I don't see a way for you to "use bloodrage to power FF"
Chess Pwn is correct. You need to have the Primalist archetype in order to use rage powers while in a bloodrage. Bloodrage normally counts a rage for the purposes of taking feats, using feats, interacting with magic items, and spell effects. Rage powers are none of the above.
I'm confused. Oops. It looks like I mistyped the feat furious finish is what I meant. I understand I cannot "no escape" while bloodraging only raging as a barbarian.
so you bloodrage and then furious finish and then start your rage? Then next round you furious finish and then start up rage again? and... your bloodrage would probably be better off as fully barbarian since you're not getting much use from the bloodrage.
If you feel it's worth it then go for it. I'm just saying that I don't see it as worth to have the two classes since the rages don't really work well together.
Ifrit Multiclass
TN Large Humanoid (Human) Outsider (Native)
Init +19, Senses Perception +14, Dark vision
Defense:
AC 28, touch 15, flat-footed, 28 (+13 armor, +3 dex, -1 Size, Ring +2, Ioun Stone+1)
hp 110
Fort +25, Ref +11, Will +12
Offense
Speed 60 ft.
Huge bastard sword +1, Impact +19/+15(6d6+13/19–20)
--listed stats take into account being enlarged and impact
Special Attacks unchained rage (8 rounds/day), urban Blood rage (8 rounds/days), Feats
Special Defenses Improved Uncanny Dodge
Tactics
During Combat Cloud Strife counts on his high Strength and the sheer size of his blade to defeat foes.
When rolling for initiative, if he rolls an 11 or higher, he can move his base speed (60) as an immediate action. This is usually enough to position himself next to choice enemies.
He moves, vital strikes, furious finishes to kill his enemies. His feats allow him to follow enemies if they move (Step-up, Step up and Strike, No Escape).
He uses enlarge person as a swift action for tactical benefits (i.e. charge, ending adjacent, then using enlarge person to provide additional threat ... or using enlarger person before the charge to increase damage)
He carries around his greensting scorpion.
Statistics
Str 26, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 9
Base Atk +10; CMB +19; CMD 36
Feats Step-up-and-Strike, Cleave, Iron Will, Mounted Combat, Furious Finish, Vital Strike, Endurance, Toughness, Flight Mastery, Following step, Step-Up, Divine Fighting Feat, Power Attack, Combat reflexes, Throw Anything, Cleave, Alertness
SQ fast movement, Emissary Familiar, Enlarge Self 1/day (racial), Enlarge Person 3/day as swift, Flight 3/day
1: Urban Bloodrager, Celestial Bloodline, Trading out Bloodline power for Emissary Greensting Scorpion.
2: Titan Fighter
3: Unchained Barbarian
4: Cavalier, Emissary Archetype, Order of Flame, Ability to move in medium armor at full speed.
5: Cavalier, gains ability to move during initiative check
6: Fighter, Feat, Bravery
7: Living Monolith, (swift) Enlarge Person 3/day, toughness
8: Separatist Cleric, Travel Domain, Inquisition (Persistence), Variant Channeling (Slavery/Tyranny), Divine Fighting Form
9: Unchained Barbarian, Rage power(No Escape), Uncanny Dodge
10: Monk,
11: Monk, Evasion
12: Urban Bloodrager, Improved Uncanny Dodge
Combat Gear:
Large Greatsword Sword +1, Impact
Mithril Full Plate+1
Wand of Lead Blades (used prior to adding impact to weapon, after that this wand is no longer useful)
Cloak of Resistance +3
Cracked Scarlet and Green Cabochan Ioun Stone (rage cycling)
3 Cracked Vibrant Purple Prisms (Charge this via wand, use these during combat to remove the UMD check) --
Stone of Good Luck
Wayfinder
Belt of Str+2,Dex+2
Wand of Long Strider (when 60' isn't enough)
Wand of Cure Light wounds (PFS)
Cracked Pale Green Ioun Stone (+1 comp to attack)
Cracked Pale Green Ioun Stone (+1 comp to saves
Cracked Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 init)
Any feedback or advice on how to improve would be appreciated.
I'm not adverse to changing around class orders, templates, classes, etc. ... as long as the spirit of the build remains, but the benefit needs to outweigh what I am giving up (delayed build feature, delayed feat acquisition, etc.).
Taking two levels of blood rager, and two levels of barbarian gives me the following:
1) total of 16 rounds of rage (not one large pool, but for most cases, I can spend bloodrage when there is no possibility of needing "no escape", so effectively it works)
2) Improved Uncanny Dodge
3) +20 foot movement rate (possibly only +10, unsure) - opened a thread to address
4) +4 Init, Guidance 1/rd from familiar, fast healing 1 for 1 rd, twice a day. <-- I retrain the emissary archetype once I have my cracked ioun stones, resulting in Alertness.
5) No escape
Taking four levels of barbarian:
1) total of 12 rounds of rage (one pool so no book-keeping needed to worry about) -- less rounds
2) Uncanny Dodge -- lower ability
3) definitely only +10 movement
4) no familiar (-4 init, -4 perception)
5) "no escape" rage power
6) Second Rage power
Taking four levels of bloodrager:
1) total of 12 rounds of rage (one pool) -- less rounds
2) Uncanny Dodge -- lower ability
3) definitely only +10 movement
4) 4) +4 Init, Guidance 1/rd from familiar, fast healing 1 for 1 rd, twice a day. <-- I retrain the emissary archetype once I have my cracked ioun stones, resulting in Alertness.
5) No "No escape" rage power
6) Bloodline power (energy resistance)
7) Wasted feat, as combat reflexes already comes from monk -- monk provides ref/will save bonuses, which are sorely needed.
Your weapon still calls out a bastard sword. You need to update that to a great sword.
I recommend taking the 4 levels of Bloodrager. The reason is, using the Primalist archetype (stacks with Urban bloodrager), you can trade away those minor elemental resistances for TWO rage powers. You may be a little slower, but you get 1st level spells, notable among those is Cheetah's Sprint.
Your weapon still calls out a bastard sword. You need to update that to a great sword.
I recommend taking the 4 levels of Bloodrager. The reason is, using the Primalist archetype (stacks with Urban bloodrager), you can trade away those minor elemental resistances for TWO rage powers. You may be a little slower, but you get 1st level spells, notable among those is Cheetah's Sprint.
Sorry still newish to this. For some reason, I'm not seeing the edit button on that post to fix the sword entry.
i like cheetahs sprint, and as its swift I can't duplicate that with a wand. But, I lose speed, a feat, "no escape", and 4 rounds of rage, lose one fort, two hit points, gain 1 will/ref, lose improved uncanny dodge. Not sure it's worth it as I need to spend 4K for a once/day spell, 16k for twice per combat, and more for the spontaneous pearls of power.
By the way, I'm quite grateful for the help provided. Once the divine fighting feat / separatist cleric was pointed out (at virtually zero opportunity cost), I grabbed the book and now can fly at level 9.
And, of course the bastard sword sizing issue, giant blooded, etc resolved.
so since you're eating the -4 for large greatsword you'll really want to look for ways to boost your accuracy.
Oh, just noticed, you'll need a wis of 11 to cast the cleric spells.
I don't see your traits, are they there?
A cool note, if you have the right book and are worshiping gorum (which you are for your feat) then lead blades gets added to the cleric list as a lv3 spell, BUT that lets you use the wand with no UMD needed.
Yeah ... I don't actually care about the cleric spells. Gaining 1st level spells at level 8 isn't worth worrying about.
Ignore the "Cleric" title of the class, think of it as legos that gives me +2 Will, +10 speed, Step-Up, and now the Divine Fighting Feat. -- lots of bang for the buck.
Traits are Reckless (+2 init) ... the other was "Giant-Blooded" but that went out the window and I am open for suggestions -- probably fate's favored.
I'm using Stone of Good Luck (luck), Cracked Ioun (comp), first round of combat, they are flatfooted (almost guaranteed), future rounds since I usually move-and-vital strike, I don't need to worry about iteratives. With the sheer volume of rounds of rage, I can basically guarantee max damage each hit ... as each hit (~100) should almost down the enemy, and if not, the AoO they probably will provide will do similar.
I use UMD outside of combat (or have a fellow party member do that) to store in my cracked ioun stones (1 spell level of spell each for 2000 gp)
Ok -- lots of changes to the build's feats over the weekend ... but the base of it is still the same. I dropped a bunch of AC because I decided since I wasn't focusing on it, why bother.
Cloud_Strife:
Ifrit Multiclass
TN Large Humanoid (Human) Outsider (Native)
Init +20, Senses Perception +18, Dark vision
Defense:
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed, 16 (+6 armor, +3 dex, -1 Size, Ring +1)
hp 110
Fort +26, Ref +12, Will +13
Offense
Speed 60 ft.
Huge bastard sword +1, Impact +17/+12(6d6+13/19–20)
--listed stats take into account being enlarged, raging, and impact
Special Attacks unchained rage (8 rounds/day), urban Blood rage (8 rounds/days), Feats
Special Defenses Improved Uncanny Dodge
Tactics
During Combat Cloud Strife counts on his high Strength and the sheer size of his blade to defeat foes.
When rolling for initiative, if he rolls an 11 or higher, he can move his base speed (60) as an immediate action. This is usually enough to position himself next to choice enemies. His sandals of quick reactions then activates, meaning that DURING INITIATIVE, he has moved up to (and possibly killed) the boss. At later levels, just tossing 100+ damage as a AoE on the initiative check, is enough to end fights.
He moves, vital strikes, furious finishes to kill his enemies. His feats allow him to follow enemies if they move (Step-up, Step up and Strike, No Escape).
He uses enlarge person as a swift action for tactical benefits (i.e. charge, ending adjacent, then using enlarge person to provide additional threat ... or using enlarger person before the charge to increase damage)
He carries around his greensting scorpion.
Statistics
Str 26, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 9
Base Atk +10; CMB +15; CMD 34
SQ fast movement, Familiar, Enlarge Self 1/day (racial), Enlarge Person 3/day as swift, Flight 3/day, Lightning bolt (dealing fire damage) 2/day, See Invisible (5/day), Dimensional Door 3/day
1: Urban Bloodrager, Celestial Bloodline, Trading out Bloodline power for Emissary Greensting Scorpion. <-- Retraining to normal scorpion once Ioun Stones are bought.
2: Titan Fighter
3: Unchained Barbarian
4: Cavalier, Emissary Archetype, Order of Flame, Ability to move in medium armor at full speed.
5: Cavalier, gains ability to move during initiative check
6: Fighter, Feat, Bravery
7: Separatist Cleric, Travel Domain, Inquisition (Persistence), Variant Channeling (Slavery/Tyranny), Divine Fighting Form
8: Living Monolith, (swift) Enlarge Person 3/day, toughness
9: Unchained Barbarian, Rage power(No Escape), Uncanny Dodge
10: Monk,
11: Monk, Evasion
12: Urban Bloodrager, Improved Uncanny Dodge
Combat Gear:
Large Greatsword Sword +1, Impact
Sandals of Quick Reaction
Ring of Protection +1
Mammoth Hide Armor+2
Wand of Lead Blades (used prior to adding impact to weapon, after that this wand is no longer useful)
Cloak of Resistance +3
Cracked Scarlet and Green Cabochan Ioun Stone (rage cycling)
3 Cracked Vibrant Purple Prisms (Charge this via wand, use these during combat to remove the UMD check) --
Stone of Good Luck
Wayfinder
Belt of Str+2,Dex+2
Wand of Long Strider (when 60' isn't enough)
Wand of Cure Light wounds (PFS)
Cracked Pale Green Ioun Stone (+1 comp to attack)
Cracked Pale Green Ioun Stone (+1 comp to saves
Cracked Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 init)
Swarmbane Clasp (Flight Mastery)
Ioun Torch (Heightened) if needed
Eyes of the Eagle (Vision Mastery)
Hybridization Funnel (Flight / Teleportation Mastery)
Amulet of Quaking Strikes
Level breakdown:
1) Typical Bloodrager, high init
2) Upsizing his sword
3) More speed, another pool of rage.
4) Able to use medium armor at full speed -- upgrade armor from chain shirt to mammoth hide armor (MTT)
5) Able to move during initiative check -- buy sandals of quick reaction
6) Vital Strike with furious focus
7) Vital strike during a charge ... buy ioun stone for rage cycling, flight 2/day
8) Enlarge person as a swift 3/day
9) Uncanny Dodge, dimensional door
10) Nothing much
11) Evasion, see invisibility
Any feedback or advice on how to improve would be appreciated.
I'm not adverse to changing around class orders, templates, classes, etc. ... as long as the spirit of the build remains, but the benefit needs to outweigh what I am giving up (delayed build feature, delayed feat acquisition, etc.).
