Premise of this build is a unarmed strike magus using his phantom blade only in it's harbored state (i.e., in his mind). This applies it's weapon enchantments to your unarmed strikes, nets you Weapon Focus since you already have Improved Unarmed Strikes from the UnMonk dip, and gives you the ability to flurry at full BAB for most of your attacks when you have run out of spells. Since you get a scaling weapon enchantment from your blade being harbored, you can add other abilities like Agile/Cruel or Agile/Storing to an Amulet of Mighty Fists in addition to the weapon progression and the always on Ghost Touch.
This is a DEX build to allow for a higher WIS to help with casting. It is also an intimidate build using the Enforcer feat to get free intimidate checks and stack the Agile/Cruel combo to double up on Shakened/Sickened debuffs on a flurry. Let me know if there is anything you might change below. I tried to pick at least one good touch spell at each level to use spell strike with for debuffing.
UnMonk 1 - Spiritualist (Phantom Blade) X
Race
1 - Undine
Alternate Racial Traits:
1 - Acid Breath
2 - Hydrated Vitality
3 - Mostly Human
4 - Water Sense
Traits
1 - Bruising Intellect (Intimidate on INT vs. CHA)
2 - Quain Martial Artist (+1 to unarmed attacks)
Stats (Level 1)
STR - 10 (12 - 2 race)
DEX - 18 (16 + 2 race)
CON - 14
INT - 12
WIS - 16 (14 + 2 race)
CHA - 7
Stats (Level 11)
STR - 10 (12 - 2 race)
DEX - 24 (16 + 2 race + 2 Levelling + 4 Belt)
CON - 16 (14 + 2 Ioun Stone)
INT - 12
WIS - 20 (14 + 2 race + 4 head band)
CHA - 7
Feats
1C - Dodge
1 - Weapon Finesse
2C - Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strikes) - from Weapon of the Mind - From Harboring your Blade in your mind.
3 - Enforcer
4C - Piranha Strike
5 - Jabbing Style
7 - Weapon Specialization (Unarmed Strikes)
9C - Weapon Versatility
9 - Belier's Bite
11 - Greater Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strikes)
Items
+4 WIS Headband
+4 DEX Belt
Lesser Rod of Extend (for Mage Armor)
Cloak of Resistance (+2)
Agile/Cruel or Agile/Storing Amulet of Mighty Fists (Stacks with Blades Weapon Enchantments)
RoP (+2 AC)
Handy Haversack
Eyes of the Eagle (+5 on Perception Checks)
Ring of the Sublime
Runestone of Power (1st level)
Pink Rhomboid Ioun Stone (+2 CON/+1 Reflex)
Travelers Any Tool
Wayfinder
Maiden's Helm (+5 Competence to Intimidate)
Deliquescent Gloves (+1D6 Acid Damage)
Spells
1 - Touch of Gracelessness
1 - Remove Fear
1 - Mage Armor
1 - Remove Sicness
1 - Feather Fall
2 - Ghoul Touch
2 - Resist Energy
2 - Touch of Idiocy
2 - See Invisibility
2 - Blur
3 - Fly
3 - Haste
3 - Vampiric Touch
3 - Force Punch
4 - Dimension Door
4 - Freedom of Movement
Stricken Heart is probably a better touch attack spell than either of those you've chosen at 2nd level. Actually stopping people from casting spells with ToI is iffy and the Fort save & target restriction on Ghoul Touch makes it often not useful.
Remove Fear & remove sickness are not spells I would spend precious spells known on. Shield is something you might find useful to cast with spell combat on the other hand, chill touch if you're running short of spell slots, expeditious retreat for mobility.
Once you have weapon finesse, weapon focus and weapon versatility, slashing grace has to be the next feat surely.
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I really don't see the benefit of the unmonk dip. You can just take IUS with a normal feat, you can't flurry and spell combat at the same time, and you can just wear armor instead of the AC boost. Delaying your spells a level is a real drawback, not to mention your phantom blade progression.
Imbicatus wrote: I really don't see the benefit of the unmonk dip. You can just take IUS with a normal feat, you can't flurry and spell combat at the same time, and you can just wear armor instead of the AC boost. Delaying your spells a level is a real drawback, not to mention your phantom blade progression. +1
Plus work on concentration, as I believe Pyschic spells have a penalty to combat casting right?
This build is a 2/3 Bab with no accuracy boost using uas which is expensive to enchant. Your going to want heroism. If you want to flurry the only spell I see as helping is mindshock. It is much worse than similar spells on other spell lists.
- Greater magic fang may be worth a thought.
- Burst of adrenaline.
- Bestow curse is a very good touch spell.
- Force punch when you need some burst damage.
- I love expeditious retreat on any melee caster.
Bilers's bite could be replaced with jabbing dance so you alway work you way to flank.
Grandlounge wrote: This build is a 2/3 Bab with no accuracy boost using uas which is expensive to enchant.
The Phantom Blade archetype provides enchantment bonuses to the fists from the Black Blade analogue when the blade is hosted in his mind rather than manifested as a weapon. No enchantment costs.
I just read that. Came here for a quick edit. You beat me though. It does let you spend money else where. 18000 saved by level 12. The problem become you are limited on ways to improve accuracy. This money gets you
+1 attack ioun stone.
And a second +2 on a belt.
With with heroism this should be fine should be fine.
Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
James Risner wrote: Imbicatus wrote: I really don't see the benefit of the unmonk dip. You can just take IUS with a normal feat, you can't flurry and spell combat at the same time, and you can just wear armor instead of the AC boost. Delaying your spells a level is a real drawback, not to mention your phantom blade progression. +1
Plus work on concentration, as I believe Pyschic spells have a penalty to combat casting right? At 4th level, they can loose that penalty as a swift action and as a free action at 12th.
A cool thing about the spiritualist list is that you have a couple of 0 level touch spells that you can use with spell combat and spellstrike to have a magus flurry. Resistance and Virtue are both buffs, but they qualify for spellstrike. Who cares if you're giving your opponent a +1 to saves if you're also hitting them more.
The level of UnMonk isn't required but I think it nets you a few nice things, especially early on when your to hit is poor:
- Class Skills: Acrobatics*, Climb, Escape Artist, Perception*, Ride, Stealth*, Swim*(less important with a Undine).
- Flurry instead of Spell Combat. Unlike the Magus their aren't any good touch cantrips (e.g., hexcrafter magus has one that deals damage). But when you use Spell Combat to get another attack you always take a -2/-2 to your attack rolls and the act of casting the spell opens you up to an AoO. A one level dip in UnMonk gives you flurry at no penalty, provides no AoO, gives an additional BAB so you will hit more often and be hit less often. Since the Spiritualist is a spontaneous caster with worse touch spells you can take some utility spells and save some slots for out of combat while still getting your extra attack. I just think the spiritualist will have a harder time lasting in the day, so this gives you a good option. You would only end up using Spell Combat if need be and can still cast a touch spell/hold it in the first round when closing the distance or surprise round.
- Weapon Focus from harboring your blade. While you can take IUS as an extra feat, you'd have to wait until level 4 or 5. The net effect to hit from the flurry, BAB, and WF is a +4 to hit difference from the level dip into UnMonk during early levels when you are flurrying without Spell Combat vs. with Spell Combat. Even at later levels its still a net +3 to hit when you don't have to use Spell Combat.
- WIS to AC. I know you can sit in light/medium armor, but the benefit of this build is that you can leave strength down at 10 and not worry about encumbrance. You could even drop it to 8 if you want because once you have a Handy haversack you are unlikely to hit a medium load. Mithral Breastplate is still 12.5-15 of your ~33 lbs so you'll have to potentially skip out on magic items if you are wearing armor. As well since you have mage armor on your class spell list, you pick up a wand of it for levels 1-6 and grab a lesser rod of extend. At that point you always have the a +4 to armor for the weight of a 1 lb rod. Going DEX based reduces MAD overall and I can act as a switch hitter with a bow if need be (My weapon could even be a longbow so I have a magic bow at my beck and call as required, but I wouldn't be able to use spell combat with it at range).
- Free Feat. In addition to a free WF you also can pick up dodge to up your AC. Dodge is also along the path of the Jabbing Style chain (but you'd have to grab mobility before level 9 to do it).
- Unarmed strike progression. I'm not sure it is clear, but I'd consider the Unmonk level to bump my unarmed strike progression to only -1 from a monk of the same level (may not be RAW though).
- +2 Fort/+2 Reflex - This helps level out your 3 saves to being just over +1/+1/+1 per level so your saves are pretty decent.
Other Comments:
Psychic Casting does have some pros/cons. If there is a thought component then the concentration check is +10, but at level 4 (5 of the build) the Spiritualist can centre themselves as a swift vs. move action to reduce it to the normal concentration check. As well, the ring of sublime suppresses fear effects so it makes it hard to get shut down via intimidate. I do think you are right though. It might be good to swap Jabbing Style with Combat Casting and pick it up later (instead of Beliers Bite?)
As for the slashing grace, I don't really have an intention of taking my weapon out of my mind, except where I have it as a longbow to get ranged attacks (its a full round action to harbour it and at level 4 of the build a swift action to manifest it). Since my DEX to damage is from an Agile AoMF I don't need slashing grace and can use weapon versatility by itself. Keep in mind that my unarmed strikes scale as per a monk -2 or -1 so I get increasing damage dice (just not better crit ranges).
For possible spells, I guess it didn't occur to me that I could grab defensive touch spells. There is the option to grab the Cure/Inflict series. Cure myself then flurry or use it for extra damage against undead. I agree Stricken is probably the best at level 2 since it has no save, but the damage doesn't scale with my level so it is sort of disappointing. I wish there were some better level 1/2 spells to pick from, are there any feats that can net me something from another class list?
As for delaying the phantom blade progression/spells. I don't think it is that big a deal. You're trading it for the AC bonus, two bonus feats, a +4 to hit on a normal flurry vs. spell combat, and valuable class skills. The biggest benefit to the build is being able to double up enchantments on your unarmed strikes, which is normally impossibly expensive for PFS. You may have a 1 level delay in getting the next magic bump, but compared to a normal monk, you have a +1 Ghost Touch, +1 Agile, +1 or +2 magic modifiers for you unarmed strike for the majority of your career. So you are really 2-3 enchantments ahead of what most monks can afford.
Not to mention that you still get to use your Ectoplasmic Pool to great effect to increase your effective enchantment:
Quote: The phantom blade can spend a number of ectoplasmic points to enhance or modify her phantom weapon. As a free action, she can spend 1 point to manifest or harbor her weapon. The spiritualist can also spend 2 ectoplasmic points as a free action to allow attacks made with her phantom weapon to resolve against touch AC for 1 round.
As a swift action, she can spend 2 ectoplasmic points to grant the weapon one of the following weapon special abilities for 1 minute: corrosive, defending, flaming, frost, keen, merciful, shock, or throwing.
Combat Example (Switch Hitter):
Note: you could grab Dead-eye Bowman Train in place of Quain Martial Artist to remove most softcover issues.
Round 1 - Swift to apply +1D6 Energy Effect (2 pool points) to Ectoplasmic longbow, shoot at range, close distance, free action (1 pool point to harbor).
Round 2 - 5 ft Step Flurry or Spell Combat (Free Intimidate, possible Shakened + Sickened with Cruel AoMF, Bleed Damage).
Round 3 - Rinse and repeat Round 2
Combat Example (Unarmed Focus):
Round 1a - Swift to apply +1D6 Energy Effect (2 pool points), Charge (possible free intimidate) or
Round 1b - Swift to apply +1D6 Energy Effect (2 pool points), Cast touch spell or buff like Haste, move into position
Round 2 - Flurry and release touch spell or Spell Combat and 5ft in.
Round 3 - Rinse and repeat Round 2.
By level 10 of the build your unarmed strikes are rocking a +3 Weapon, +1 Ghost Touch, +1 Agile, +1 Cruel, +1 1D6 Energy weapon, +1 +1D6 Acid (Deliquescent Gloves). That is an effective (+7-8 weapon total on unarmed strikes). A +5 AoMF = 100,000 gp so you're more than doubling your WBL.
For things with hardness or flying, pop out your longbow and shoot it with adamantine durable arrows, which still benefit from the +3 and can have the +1D6 energy added to it.
Grandlounge wrote: This build is a 2/3 Bab with no accuracy boost using uas which is expensive to enchant. Your going to want heroism. If you want to flurry the only spell I see as helping is mindshock. It is much worse than similar spells on other spell lists.
- Greater magic fang may be worth a thought.
- Burst of adrenaline.
- Bestow curse is a very good touch spell.
- Force punch when you need some burst damage.
- I love expeditious retreat on any melee caster.
Bilers's bite could be replaced with jabbing dance so you alway work you way to flank.
Build is a 3/4 BAB + 1, 2/3 caster. Accuracy gets boosted by Weapon Focus, focus into Dex to hit, and free upgrading +1 to +3 magic equivalent for unarmed strikes via the phantom blade which is harboured in my head. There is 3rd level heroism to aid in my accuracy, but I dont think there is a big accuracy issue.
If you ever need accuracy, you can also spend ectoplasmic pool points to target touch AC for a round.
If you intend to grab an attack cantrip and make full attacks that way, one idea to modify this build is to use a monk archetype that trades away Flurry of Blows. Master of Many Styles might work, if you're okay with trading 1 BAB for a better will save (on account of MoMS being a Chained Monk only archetype).
I may have over started the accuracy issue I did forget about the free enchancment but here is my rationale.
As for touch AC:
Half her spiritualist level + her Wisdom modifier at level 10 that gives have 9 point. That's 4 rounds per day. This helps but that is still limited and that bars you from using a lot of other abilities.
As for accuracy it sits in the decent range between good and ok according to the BENCH-PRESSING: CHARACTER CREATION BY THE NUMBERS which I have found to be pretty good but a little generous as it calculated for CR=level.
BAB 7 + Dex 6 + 3 Weapon enchantment + 1 Weapon Focus + 1 Ioun Stone = +17
Monk BAB 10 + Str 5 + 2 enchantment + 1 Weapon Focus = +18
Monks are one of the less accurate martial classes but they make up for it by flying kick, Medusa’s Wrath, etc.
I'm not trying to say it is a big issue but if there is an area where there is room for improvement I think this would be it and encouraging heroism is a great way to round out the build.
The build has good versatility, spells, nice static modifiers to damage and lot of utility from all the extra weapon enhancements.
Grandlounge wrote: I may have over started the accuracy issue I did forget about the free enchancment but here is my rationale.
BAB 7 + Dex 6 + 3 Weapon enchantment + 1 Weapon Focus + 1 Ioun Stone = +17
Monk BAB 10 + Str 5 + 2 enchantment + 1 Weapon Focus = +18
At level 10 the build has a Dex of +7 so it is on par with a level 10 UnMonk.
You could move up Greater Weapon Focus, but for a 3/4 BAB class, it is as accurate as a full BAB martial class, although not the most accurate one. But it get's it's flurry at full bonus, gets far more rider effects on the unarmed strikes (dex to damage, cruel,+3 vs. +2 enchantment which allows the fists to act as silver/cold iron for DR). The added debuffs won't help the to hit, but it will mean the enemies can't hit you or your party as often. All while being a 2/3 caster which I think makes you far more versatile than the standard UnMonk.
When I compare that to just the STR based no dip Spirtualist build I think it is far more accurate and ends up with better AC/comparable damage since you won't want to two hand if you want to use Spell Combat.
BAB 7 + STR 5 + 3 Weapon Enchantment + 1 Weapon Focus + 1 Ioun Stone - 2 Spell Combat = 15
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Red Griffyn wrote: Unlike the Magus their aren't any good touch cantrips (e.g., hexcrafter magus has one that deals damage). Two world trait to pick up Brand from the Inquisitor. That's a 1 damage cantrip for the win!
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