With some friends we decided to try something new in our group during character creation for our next AP (Iron Gods):
Each player picked a blanked card, writing down a race.
Next phase each player picked 2 others blanked cards and wrote a class in each of them with eventually a specification (i.e. Oracle: Flame).
The DM then secretly looked at all the cards, and then added 4 more races, and 8 more classes with a specific archetype.
Finally we shuffled all the cards in 3 decks (races, classes with eventual specifications, classes with archetype) and everybody drew one card for each deck.
I got respectively "Android", "Kineticist Air" and "Investigator: Psychic Detective".
Using one of the combination, with 20 buy-points and being able to use all Paizo books (no 3rd Party), we have now to create our 4 PCs.
Here is where I need all possible advice.
Thanks for any help you could provide.
I want to say it wasn't fully decided (someone correct me if I'm wrong on this) but I remember reading that, since Androids are emotionless, they shouldn't be able to provide the Emotion component to Psychic spells, which would cut the Psychic Detective archetype out.
Sooo that would leave just the Aerokineticist, which are pretty cool anyway.
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I would run away from the psychic detective. Getting 6 levels from a 9-level spellcasting class is poor enough as-is, but the focus on mind-affecting stuff will be rather lame in an AP where mind-immune constructs are poster child monsters.
Air Kineticists on the other hand could be quite interesting. Robots don't do well against lighting after all. Just don't become a one-trick pony in case you run into lighting-proof enemies. (The AP is fairly varied in enemies, it's not all robots. But obviously they're important. Your PC should be fun in combats against the main theme enemies.)
Emotionless for Androids isn't emotionless by definition, they just get penalties on sense motive checks (at lease by RAW). However they do have the Constructed trait that says they are immune to emotion based effects (like the spell "rage"), so a GM might press that onto the class.
I would still vote for Aerokineticist as they are wicked fun, and you can literally shoot lightning from your fingertips all day (not to mention being able to have constant "Fly" at level 6). But if your party is hurting for skill points, then Investigator might be the best bet (but check with your GM on how they'd rule the Constructed Trait in terms of psychic stuff).
An Android that shoots electricity sounds awesome for Iron Gods.
Are you required to go Air again at level 7 or can you do something else? Air/Air is workable, though you don't have a great elemental defense to put burn into after breakfast to cap your elemental overflow.
They'd be pretty terrible buffers - haste would either cost them all their actions or some burn, i.e. hit points, magnetic infusion is better but mainly of use when you're facing one BBEG. Their defence talent is asking you to go ranged damage really.
As an android, aerokineticist is the clear choice, here, considering:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rn8x?General-Discussion-Spells-and-Magic#47
An android can cast spells with an emotion component, but they need to take the Empathy feat first or use Logical Spell metamagic. The issue isn't so much the Emotionless racial trait, but the last part of the Constructed racial trait: "Androids can never gain morale bonuses, and are immune to fear effects and all emotion-based effects."
IMO, psychic detective investigator is strong enough that starting with 13 Cha (7 points out of the 20 for point buy) and the Empathy feat at 1st level is an acceptable sacrifice (the +2 Dex and Int help lessen the pain). Note that a psychic detective investigator can take psi-tech discoveries with Phrenic Dabbler and one of their Investigator Talents (like Force Field, Laser Blast, Psychic Battery, and Techsmith).
Thank you all for the help!
An Android that shoots electricity sounds awesome for Iron Gods.
Are you required to go Air again at level 7 or can you do something else? Air/Air is workable, though you don't have a great elemental defense to put burn into after breakfast to cap your elemental overflow.
I've asked the GM and he said I could pick another element at 7th, that the limitation to Air is only for the primary one.
I'm currently oriented to a Ranged Aerokineticist build, and the idea of an android focusing on electricity seems cool.
I have to admit that I'm also tempted by Dragonchess's idea of Psi-Tech discoveries, but the Empathy tax feat is scaring me a little bit.
I still have not idea what the other players will come out with their cards.
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I just think that getting only 6 out of 9 levels of psychic magic in the time you'd normally get 9/9 or 6/6 depending on class, makes the psychic detective very unattractive. You'll be getting every spell later than it was balanced for.
And the focus on mind-magic makes it an even poorer fit in the AP.
I just think that getting only 6 out of 9 levels of psychic magic in the time you'd normally get 9/9 or 6/6 depending on class, makes the psychic detective very unattractive. You'll be getting every spell later than it was balanced for.
And the focus on mind-magic makes it an even poorer fit in the AP.
1) The psychic spell list is pretty strong, even with the slightly slower spell-level access as a 6/9 caster.
2) You don't have to take the mind-affecting spells (and it's not like you'll be fighting robots all the time in the AP; you'll have plenty of opportunities to use anticipate thoughts, mind thrust, etc.). There are other good choices: telekinetic projectile, burst of adrenaline, ear-piercing scream, enlarge person, magic missile, true strike, vanish, alter self, bullet shield, false life (if not taking Force Field), ghost whip, mirror image, pilfering hand, resist energy, see invisibility, silence*, sonic scream*, etc.
3) The investigator is, in general, a stronger chassis than kineticist. Adding actual spells in place of extracts makes it more versatile than a kineticist, as well.
*- as a psychic caster, using thought components instead of verbal components, the psychic detective can still cast other spells
I have to admit that I'm also tempted by Dragonchess's idea of Psi-Tech discoveries, but the Empathy tax feat is scaring me a little bit.
Starting with 13 Str, 16 Dex (+2 race), 12 Con, 15 Int (+2 race), 10 Wis, 13 Cha (-2 race), Empathy, then taking +1 Int at 4th level, sill makes for a pretty good investigator (the psychic detective still gets Inspiration, and later Studied Combat/Studied Strike).
false life (if not taking Force Field)
Different sources of temporary HP stack.
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@Dragonchess: maybe it's just my experiences with an Empiricisist talking. I wouldn't quickly give away the native Investigator spell list.
I'm not convinced the 1-6 spells of the psychich list synergize with the investigator chassis the way, say, the 1-6 cleric spells synergize with the war priest.
And yeah, I wrote before that it's not all constructs and mind-immunes, but they do figure prominently in the iconic encounters of the AP.
I'd really be much happier with the regular investigator. That class is actually excellent for the AP.
@Dragonchess: maybe it's just my experiences with an Empiricisist talking. I wouldn't quickly give away the native Investigator spell list.
Actually, the psychic spell list makes for a better investigator (in the "find stuff out" sense) than the alchemist extract list. The alchemist list is better with healing and transformations.
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@Dragonchess: maybe it's just my experiences with an Empiricisist talking. I wouldn't quickly give away the native Investigator spell list.Actually, the psychic spell list makes for a better investigator (in the "find stuff out" sense) than the alchemist extract list. The alchemist list is better with healing and transformations.
That's true, although I dunno if it's really necessary. You've got a lot of skills and some alchemy that get you through any investigatory scenario designed to be solvable by barbarians.
In my experience the difficulty in an investigation scenario depends far more on the writer's ability to put in good clues and avenues of questioning, and the players being able to find them, than on abilities.
In fact, too many scenarios actually "break" when exposed to too much investigation/divination magic.
Here I am, back on the internet after a few technical problems.
I've to say that Dragonchess almost convinced me for the Psychic Detective option. I've also found here a list of Psychic Verbal (Thought) Only Component Spells that is very intriguing... just in case of being shaken by something out there.
I'll start building mine PC in this way, at least up to level 10/11. If you can provide me some assistance in it, I'll be very grateful.
However, since I'm still not knowing what the others players will create, I think I could try to build even an Aerokineticist build too. That will be only in case the Party will have not "ranged damage" at all. I'm also thinking of having Earth as the second Element, to later gain access to the Earth Defense too.