I've been trying to get the "swashtigator" (or however it is spelled) to click for me but honestly its been kinda hit and miss...probably in the damage department. Part of it too is at level 4 (3 investigator) I'm just missing all the good stuff. So I spoke to the gm and trying to maybe reconfigure the character...with preferably the main vibe and with PFS rules. Part of me is thinking maybe switching to str and lose skill focus (UMD) for exotic bastard sword and kinda flavor the character after the witcher...any ideas?
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STR is the way to go.
EX: Bastard Sword is a bit too much, particularly because it doesn't add anything too great.
The typical feat arrangement you want is:
LV1 F. Medium armor prof
LV3 F. Heavy armor prof
LV3 IT. Expanded Inspiration
LV5 F. Power Attack
LV5 IT. Quick Study
LV7 F. Great Fortitude
LV7 IT. Amazing Inspiration
And so on and so forth.
There are several neat archetypes for this build like the Lamplighter, which boosts your Initiative well.
If you go Human, use your extra Feat and replace it for Martial Tradition to get proficiency with, dunno, Falcatas and Bows.
If you go with another race, it's nice to go with races that have innate martial weapon proficiencies, like Half-Orcs with greatswords or Dwarves with battleaxes.
I'm locked into half elf and empiricist. I was debating on getting med armor (hopefully get mithril) The character is basically the "skills" guy Just trying to figure if there is a way to get the damage up mainly. Currently with the rapier I do about 1D6+5 with mutagen I can get it to 1D6+7 but I am +9/+11 hit respectively. At level 5 I could finally get my studied combat and thinking about power attack. So I could increase my damage to 1D6+11... A random question..with the extract it is a standard action...does that mean enlarge person is a standard cast or a round?
I'm locked into half elf and empiricist. I was debating on getting med armor (hopefully get mithril) The character is basically the "skills" guy Just trying to figure if there is a way to get the damage up mainly. Currently with the rapier I do about 1D6+5 with mutagen I can get it to 1D6+7 but I am +9/+11 hit respectively. At level 5 I could finally get my studied combat and thinking about power attack. So I could increase my damage to 1D6+11... A random question..with the extract it is a standard action...does that mean enlarge person is a standard cast or a round?
Extracts are always a standard action.
Don't worry about mithral armor. 10 ft. speed is not important to Investigators, because with Monstrous Physique you eventually get Pounce and start charging all over the place. And you have a ton of extracts for different bonus speeds.
If you are a Half-Elf, certainly go for:
1. Ancestral Weapon alternate racial. Get proficiency in something like the Estoc, Falcata, etc.
2. Blended View to replace Multitalented which is otherwise useless.
After you get Studied Combat, you can choose between using Power Attack and high attack rolls, or using Inspired Strike in combination with high accuracy.
I prefer going with both. I usually recommend Inspired Strike at level 9.
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OP what is your stat array? thing is, at lv3 you should have picked up mutagen, which gives you a bit more accuracy and damage, and you're 1 level away from studied combat getting 2 more accuracy and damage. SO you're at the tail end of when the swashtigator gets their damage, so you've gotten through most of the hard levels.
As a str based I went with a longspear, light armor is fine, with mutagen and barkskin and armor your AC is really good.
By build was
combat reflexes, power attack, for feats and mutagen at lv3.
EDIT:
The reason for stat array is that if you want to do any damage in combat your combat stat should be your highest stat of at least 16 and preferably 18. If your dex is only 14 cause of a super high int and moderate wis and cha then of course your combat is no good.
Right now str is 13, dex 18, con 12, int 16, wis 12 and cha 7... 1 level swash and 3 investigator. Gm is ok switching things up slightly. Normally I keep heightened awareness when possible and long arm. Estoc might be a good idea (either the estoc or the +4 to UMD which is tough)
and your swash level is the inspired blade archetype right?
And your first feat was fencing grace right?
the point of swashtigators is to be decent at combat to be worth attacking because you quickly pull off dex to damage at lv1, it'll never pull off numbers a str based build can get. but you should be at +10 to hit for 1d6+6/7 damage now and next level it will go to +13 for 1d6+8/9 and if you have power attack, since you have the str for it, you could be at +9 1d6+8/9 now and +12 1d6+10/11
Do these number seems like what you have? and are these really not acceptable?
A str build with 18 str would have
+10 1d8+9/10 and power attack is 1d8+12/13 so compared to a str build your damage is 3 points behind, 4 when power attacking.
But your AC should be super high, 6 dex from mithral chain, 4 armor, 2 natural, and 1 buckler gives 23ac and that's with non magic gear and not including +2 you get from barkskin next level. you could be looking at AC of 25 now and 27 next level, this is great AC levels.
Str would have 2 dex, 6 mithral kikko+1, 2 natural for an AC of 20 going to 22 with barkskin which the str build already has access to. So you could get a breastplate for +1 Ac. But Your AC is going to scale as barkskin scales. Helping you maintain a good AC.
At level 3 still dont have level two extracts (swash put me behind) As I mentioned before I'm on average +9 hit and 1D6+5... my hit is usually decent but I seem to keep getting dragged down with dr...then the rapier just isnt doing a whole lot. As I mentioned maybe it is because I'm a level away from things clicking in (aka level 4 investigator 1 swash) That and 30 mins mutagen means I'm holding out to use it (btw does mutagen have the limitation of once per day or just the hour to prep it?)
AC for STR builds is high too – full plate, 12 DEX, mithral buckler and 2 natural is 23 AC as well... AND you add 1.5x STR to damage.
At level 3 still dont have level two extracts (swash put me behind) As I mentioned before I'm on average +9 hit and 1D6+5... my hit is usually decent but I seem to keep getting dragged down with dr...then the rapier just isnt doing a whole lot. As I mentioned maybe it is because I'm a level away from things clicking in (aka level 4 investigator 1 swash) That and 30 mins mutagen means I'm holding out to use it (btw does mutagen have the limitation of once per day or just the hour to prep it?)
mutagen is just 1 hour to prep, no limits. But 30 minutes should mean it's pretty easy to have up before a fight. And if you didn't take power attack at lv3 that is basically saying that you're okay with lower damage.
AC for STR builds is high too – full plate, 12 DEX, mithral buckler and 2 natural is 23 AC as well... AND you add 1.5x STR to damage.
you are suggesting just wearing the buckler to get -1 to attack rolls to have +1 AC before you start attacking right?
And you're spending 2 feats to get 3 AC and a reduced movespeed, and that means you don't have power attack yet for damage. Sure it's possible, but I hardly feel throwing 2 feats for that is worth it.
Original idea was since i was using long arm I would take combat reflexes honestly it doesn't seem to come up as much as i'd hope. So maybe it might be a simple thing to switch power attack with combat reflexes until level 5 and at 6 take swift study. But it goes back to the monstrous physique...is dex able to utilize it or is it really a game changer? I do like the swashbuckler concept but I know str has some appeal...not to mention that one level dip keeps smacking me in the face. Think I'll hit level 5 after this next game coming up. I was debating on going med armor and a bastard (estoc) mainly for flavor and a bit of a damage boost but (@chess pwn) you are saying the damage really isnt significant?
Thanks I'll probably just switch out combat reflexes for power attack and see where i go at level 5
So thought atm is power attack at 3 then at level 5 it becomes a tad rough... I could take combat reflexes but I'm starting to wonder if it is worth it... I could spend a feat to get quick study at 5...but then at level 6 I would have a bunch of options, maybe not combat related...but honestly pretty useful..ie trap spotter, sapping offense or expanded inspiration are big contenders. I plan to use reduce person in combat even though my armor check prevents any more AC from dex I would still get +2 to hit, +1 damage and +1 ac size bonus.
and a reduced weapon damage dice, and less CMD so you'll get tripped, grappled and disarmed...
power attack and quick study with a mutagen and you're set. Yes str builds have more damage, +4 per hit now, but your AC is higher, that's the point of dex and sword and shield, damage traded for AC.
you X offensive skill should be sickening, it's so good.
I personally didn't use monstrous physique on my strengthigator and did fine. put inspired on that rapier and wait for the big damage spike of lv 9.
Agreed secret on the downside... But how often do you run into CMD? Still though increase to dex negates the -1 for size penalty along with gaining a static +1 damage to going from weapon damage 1D6 vs 1d4...no penalty to speed and you still get +2 to hit and +1 ac. So reduced and with mutagen I would hit at +12 and do 1D4+10... next level will give me studied target for 3 rounds. Ac would be 25 but i keep a wand of shield in a wrist sheathe just in case...so 28 in a serious fight
I'm thinking of getting keen and then inspired for the rapier.