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This is my Nagaji Oracle of Battle who is level 8 in PFS. Throughout his career, he has mostly functioned as a hard to take down melee character that deals moderate damage. Lower levels were awesome, he was just as a good as a fighter and cast spells to boot. The problem I'm having is that I feel like his combat capability is starting to really fall off as he levels.
I would like to know a couple of things:
Is this in my head? My other primary character is a level 10 Barbarian, so the comparison may be short changing the build in my mind.
How can I improve his melee combat abilities?
What spells/scrolls/etc. would make him better overall as he moves into more serious high tier play?
Other comments on his build? Suggestions of any kind? Other Questions?
This is the difference between low level and high level. For two first-level characters, the difference between the wizard and the barbarian is mostly the roll.
At higher levels, there are feats, bab, hp, and equipment, all of which push the two farther apart in terms of combat effectiveness.
The forum could provide more help if we knew what you had for feats and gear and spells already.
You won't outdamage the barbarian, but you might be more versatile, and therefore still contributing. That's how you'll compete.
For example, the barbarian gets sidelined by a flying opponent, but you have air walk. Or the barbarian has to use hit points to protect vs. lightning, but you can use resist energy.
Look for spells that last a long time, like greater magic weapon. Have them rolling before the fight begins, you should generally cast one buff spell and then move into melee position.
how about some weapon enchantments? holy is pretty broadly applied for an extra 2d6.
I'm playing a battle oracle in Hells Rebels currently at level 8. The warpriest 2WF and the zen archer are doing more damage than me mostly. I'm focused on tripping. I've enchanted my polearm and use enlarge person liberaly. My AC is decent when buffed. Some of the revelations take a while to come online but i'm happier with the character than I though I would be at earlier levels. He's very well rounded. Full caster, average damage output(1d10+9 normal +2d6vs evil), +13-20 to trip, 15' reach when enlarged, 3 AOO/round. I'll be adding the impacting and quaking enchantments to my moringstar in the future.
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Retrain a feat to additional traits. Take magic linkage and fates favoured. Level 9 take quicken spell. Get some boots of speed.
With surprise charge, always acting in the surprise round, now +4 to attack and damage with a swift, free action haste for movement and attack. Grace to move about freely, and for big fights righteous might, the ability to cast align weapon you will be fine.
Battle oracle have to be played smart. You can pounce a flatfooted target a couple times a day, move and attack in a surprise round get past Dr all of these thing help your damage over your counter parts.
You're kind of lacking in offensive combat buffs. Enlarge Person, Divine Favor, Align Weapon; a 4th level oracle could have all of these. It's not that Wall of Fire or Daylight etc. are bad spells, but if your aim is to hit things hard you might want some higher level buffs e.g. Divine Power or Blessing of Fervor.
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At that level you can outshine any barbarian just with your spells. Blessing of fervor, prayer and Terrible remorse are some of them.
Shure you are melee but having that spell list you can mix them a little. First buff you and your party, and then go melee. Terrible remorse is broken on anything that isnt inmune to that.
I dont know whts your mistery but if its battle at lvl 8 you shuld have things like improved critical (weapon mastery revelation) and two surprising charge per day (full attack at round one).
Dont try to overrun a straight mele character in damage, he may be hitting harder but you have more tools that just a big stupid hammer to put a combat in your favor.
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I plan on retraining as much as possible so keep the ideas coming!
I'll plan on switching out air walk with Blessing of Fervor. This was the first character with spells I made in PFS, so the whole prestige for consumables hadn't really sunk in then. Air walk can be mostly replaced by a couple potions of fly.
Same thing with Daylight, he went through Wounded Wisp and there is a nice pseudo daylight item on there that can cover that base. Not to mention an oil of daylight. I can grab a 3rd level buff spell in exchange.
Battle is my mystery, which is why he has wall of fire. I'll look to retrain a revelation for surprising charge. Didn't realize the extent of the action economy it brought me, especially in combination with a pair of boots of speed. Very clever.
As far as traits go, he has fates favored and veteran of battle (+1 initiative and can draw a weapon as a free action). I just put together the fact that steadfast personality was nerfed, so that is on the chopping block for another feat. Could easily be additional traits for magical lineage (divine favor) and dangerously curious for umd as a class skill. Any other feats to consider?
Weapon enchantments are a good idea and as money comes, so will they! Holy is a good one for damage, are there any secret synergies with the oracle class and weapon enchantments (ie furious for someone with rage)?
These suggestions are making me want to play him again, I really appreciate the help everyone!
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The spell name I left out to go with fates favoured and magical linage was divine favour but you figured that out. That's the spell to quicken. Umd is good but you don't need it just buy scrolls and wands on your list.
I would just get to +3 weapon before putting anything else on it. If it's adamantine and you keep a scroll of align weapon around you will be covered fully for dr.
Your going to want to build a library of scrolls. Go through any of the guides on look for situational spells and buy them. Resist, protection align, daylight, invisibility purge, communal versions of spells.
Honestly, the quicken spell, better weapon, boots of speed (for haste) will give you the action economy you need. My battle oracle goes toe to toe with barbarians.
I like surprising charge over combat healer.
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Not with weapons but the trait "fate´s favored" has sinergy with some oracle/cleric spells. Just cast prayer for +2 to almost all, also work with divine favor at lower levels.
You can get "aditional traits" feat to get this and "wayang spellhunter" to let you cast a quick self buff earlier (-1 to metamagic).
At 10 level you get righteous might, that gives you a huge advantage over barbarian
divine power is a great buff if you don't have haste often.
Divine favor is a great buff if you do have haste often.
1 level of a rage class and furious weapon is a big boost.
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how about some weapon enchantments? holy is pretty broadly applied for an extra 2d6.
It's also prohibitively expensive for an 8th level pfs character. A +1 holy weapon is over 18,000 gp. I do second the advice of taking fate's favored for nice boost to all of your spells that give you a luck bonus like divine favor, prayer, and divine power.
You'll want a scroll of all the fix it spells, like lesser restoration, delay poison, remove curse, etc.
And a potion of remove blindness, in case you're the guy who gets blinded.