Giantslayer and Occult Classes

[Diaz Ex Machina]

Hello everybody and thank you for your time.

Sometime in the future I'm going to GM the Giantslayer AP for my gaming group, and I was wondering whether I should give my players the option to choose the occult classes for their characters. Do you think those classes would fit into such campaign? Aren't they too overpowered compared too standard classes?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

[Mr. Shiny]

Diaz Ex Machina wrote:

Hello everybody and thank you for your time.

Sometime in the future I'm going to GM the Giantslayer AP for my gaming group, and I was wondering whether I should give my players the option to choose the occult classes for their characters. Do you think those classes would fit into such campaign? Aren't they too overpowered compared too standard classes?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

We've got a geokineticist and medium (relic hunter) in our group; there was a spiritualist at the start of Book 1, but she was killed in the attack on Trunau.

There hasn't been any trouble integrating them into the AP - the relic hunter is especially good for working in a lot of the background fluff on the magic items (lots of fun in book 3)

[Dragonchess Player]

Mr. Shiny wrote:

We've got a geokineticist and medium (relic hunter) in our group

I think you mean "medium (relic channeler)." Relic hunter is an inquisitor archetype.

For the most part, occult classes are usually fairly easy to integrate; or as easy to integrate as any other class.

The medium (base class, plus the kami medium and reanimated medium) can be the most troublesome, unless using an archetype that doesn't rely on specific seance locations (relic channeler, spirit dancer, or storyteller).

[cavernshark]

Diaz Ex Machina wrote:

Hello everybody and thank you for your time.

Sometime in the future I'm going to GM the Giantslayer AP for my gaming group, and I was wondering whether I should give my players the option to choose the occult classes for their characters. Do you think those classes would fit into such campaign? Aren't they too overpowered compared too standard classes?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

I am GMing Giantslayer but have a Psychic and a Mesmerist in PFS. A lot of psychic magic is mind affecting. This means that your psychic spell casters will probably get some extra mileage against giants who often have bad will saves and count as humanoid. I doubt they will be any more powerful than comparable bards, enchanters, or fey sorcerers though. Book 2 has a bit of prologue and suggestions for how to deal with that problem in general if your players abuse that vulnerability to much.

Psychic classes also have a lot of divination spells and abilities, many of which you could use to help advance story (e.g. occultist object reading on artifacts, detect psychic significance to get back story on some opponents that might otherwise be missed).

[swoosh]

Diaz Ex Machina wrote:

Aren't they too overpowered compared too standard classes?

Why would you assume that?

[Diaz Ex Machina]

swoosh wrote:

Diaz Ex Machina wrote:

Aren't they too overpowered compared too standard classes?

Why would you assume that?

I've read somewhere that the occult classes were very overpowered, especially the kineticist. Can't remember if it was a thread here on the messageboards or some forum, I can't recall.

[taks]

Dunno if they are overpowered in general (they may be, I've never seen them played), but anything that uses will saves will be above and beyond other classes in Giantslayer. That, and Rangers with favorite enemy giant all the way. Oh the humanity.

That said, I tried to convince my guys to include a mesmerist in the Hell's Rebels campaign we never managed to start with no luck. That would be a good thematic fit for several of the occult classes. One guy did settle on the vigilante, also a good fit.

[Dragonchess Player]

Diaz Ex Machina wrote:

swoosh wrote:

Diaz Ex Machina wrote:

Aren't they too overpowered compared too standard classes?

Why would you assume that?

I've read somewhere that the occult classes were very overpowered, especially the kineticist. Can't remember if it was a thread here on the messageboards or some forum, I can't recall.

I doubt it was here. The majority seem to feel that the kineticist is underpowered, at least compared to a dedicated archer for damage per round; basically, it comes down to +3/4 BAB, single blasts (the Flurry of Blasts infusion limits damage "as if your kineticist level were 1st (effects or abilities that increase your kinetic blast's damage don't apply)"), elemental resistances/immunities, and lack of ways to add damage bonuses to the blasts.