1. I am looking for ways to prevent enemies from running away. I would prefer if it was doable by a non-casting class.
Things I have thought of:
-Standstill: my cmb is trash so it wont work
-Tripping as an AoO: same problem as above but harder DCs and it provokes AoOs
-Pin Down: I am not a fighter and the feat does not apply to the run action.
-Anchoring weapon: I'm not sure how this works exactly but I know it would at least deny me a full attack if they can still move 10 ft.
-Stunning assault/dazing assault: attack penalties are too high
-Ask allies to use wall of force or similar spells: I would rather let them do their own thing.
-Wands with movement stopping spells: my umd is trash
2. Also, does a phase locking weapon bypass spell resistance? I assume so.
What are you? Some sort of dex-based character from the sound of it.
I mean, there's means from the No Escape rage power to the Step Up feat to using a familiar (yes, there are ways for non-casters) to scatter caltrops. And more. But without knowing what you have already there's no way of knowing which way to go.
Possibly look at:
Stunning Fist and
Dirty Trick
If you can stomach one standard action that will reduce movement for multiple rounds, check out Scorpion Style.
Not doing this for sure but the plan is pretty cheesy. Combining cornugon smash and/or enforcer with soulless gaze for frightened/panicked with no save. Great debuffs but the enemy could just outrun me/teleport, heal up and/or grab allies, and come back. If I could keep them from running away somehow, a panicked opponent would just cower. Struggling to find good options. Phase locking takes care of teleporting but I still need to full attack an enemy thats trying to run.
What are you? Some sort of dex-based character from the sound of it.
I mean, there's means from the No Escape rage power to the Step Up feat to using a familiar (yes, there are ways for non-casters) to scatter caltrops. And more. But without knowing what you have already there's no way of knowing which way to go.
I will add I am probably going antipaladin since it fits so well thematically but I am open to any melee-oriented class that can use this strategy.
Enforcer, non-caster, and probably dex-based. Sounds like an unchained rogue - they can at least stop people 5' stepping away with their debilitating strike: hamper. The thug archetype would help intimidate to the point where you might not need soulless gaze.
Assuming something like the above, you might get hamstring strike from a rogue talent, and/or a familiar from an advanced rogue talent then get improved familiar - the familiar can then throw tanglefoot bags as required.
A couple of levels in urban barbarian could get you rage adding to dex and a rage power like No Escape as mentioned above.
Edit: as an antipaladin the rogue talents aren't options of course. There's nothing stopping you having a decent CMB as an antipalading tho', and you can cast spells like Barbed Chains to trip as well or Shadow Trap to directly stop movement.
If I did go antipaladin, from what I can tell there's no way to boost my cmb high enough to use standstill or trip consistently. I would rather go with the noncaster archetype also. If I went this route, do you have any ideas? I'm trying to craft some theories. Maybe getting a summoned monster (via the anti-divine bond class feature) to use some sort of entangling item? Perhaps I could have it ready an action to stop movement somehow in the event of an opponent running?
Edit: Perhaps I should give up on this and just have it as a backup plan in the event I am about to lose, restarting the fight when the enemy's fear duration ends, after I have healed/buffed/etc.
An antipaladin has full BAB for a start, which isn't terrible. If you're taking the dread vanguard archetype you get a small morale bonus to attack, which should apply to combat maneuvers too. The first kind of fiendish boon can increase the enhancement bonus of your weapon, and trip is performed with a weapon. Trip can suck up a lot of feats but it does pay off in a high CMB if you pay up.
If you instead summon a dretch with the fiendish boon they can throw tanglefoot bags or caltrop beads just fine and honestly you wouldn't want it to do anything which got it closer to the action. Likewise a babau at level 9, and a succubus at level 11 could do that or use her suggestions to taunt enemies into staying around.
An antipaladin has full BAB for a start, which isn't terrible. If you're taking the dread vanguard archetype you get a small morale bonus to attack, which should apply to combat maneuvers too. The first kind of fiendish boon can increase the enhancement bonus of your weapon, and trip is performed with a weapon. Trip can suck up a lot of feats but it does pay off in a high CMB if you pay up.
If you instead summon a dretch with the fiendish boon they can throw tanglefoot bags or caltrop beads just fine and honestly you wouldn't want it to do anything which got it closer to the action. Likewise a babau at level 9, and a succubus at level 11 could do that or use her suggestions to taunt enemies into staying around.
I really appreciate the advice and research you did to help me. You seem to know a lot about pathfinder. After looking into your suggestions, digging through similar threads, and straining to come up with ideas, I've concluded that there's really no way to make my frightened/panicked strategy very good.
I would like your opinion of a similar demoralize build I may run in its place, if you could. (Other opinions/suggestions welcome, too!)
-enforcer and mock gladiator trait: long duration shaken with minimal investment in intimidate skill
- hurtful: extra attack at full bab
- cruel weapon and innocent blood: great defensively and lowers their saves. With these and enforcer, the enemy's d20 rolls are all -6, with a -2 to damage rolls as well
-power attack: No explanation needed
- fey foundling?: there are some ways i could use anti-lay on hands to heal, and this pumps it by ~40%
- signature skill (intimidate): if campaign reaches level 15, enemies may cower. That means no running or teleporting. It would require a lot of investment in pumping intimidate, but by level 15 that should be easy.
- conductive weapon : to potentially cause nausea at level 9 or paralysis/stun at level 12.
Intimidate builds perform pretty well, just beware creatures immune to mind affecting. Sure an antipaladin can negate immunity to fear but undead, constructs etc. have the more general mind-affecting immunity which they can't negate.
If you're willing to pile even more feats on to your latter plan you might consider dazzling display and shatter defences.
I've just posted an Intimidate antipaladin build on another thread. Reposting just in case you are interested (it uses a 3pp archetype but it can be done without it and it might even work better, the player picked it for fluff):
The Antipaladin I mentioned:
Tyrant Lord of Darkness Antipaladin. Level 11 at this time.
Lord of Darkness is a 3pp archetype from Way of the Wicked.
He replaces Aura of Cowardice for Aura of Obedience which grants a +4 to Intimidate and allows to use Command as as a free action if he demoralizes an opponent by 10 or more on his check.Skills: Maxed intimidate, always.
Feats:
Power Attack
Hurtful for an extra attack as a swift action
Cornugon Smash for intimidating as a free action when he Power Attacks
Intimidating Prowess for a bonus on IntimidateHe combines his aura of Despair for a -2 to saving throws for all opponents near him with demoralizing for an additional -2 to most checks.
For enemies with fear immunity he uses Draconic Malice as a spell, as he doesn't have the aura that removes fear immunity that other Antipaladins have.
If he needs to Intimidate many enemies he has picked Unsanctioned Knowledge (technically it's for Paladins but I allowed it as I thought it made sense) to have access to spells from other lists and he has learned Blistering Invective.
So the result: He can get a -4 to all saves to benefit himself (for Command and his cruelties, he usually uses Cursed, next level he'll go for Paralyzed), the Witch also gets benefit from it for her SoS so she rarely does the debuffing herself, and the rogue uses his sneak attack thanks to Shatter Defenses. So they make a great combo.
In definitive I like how his build works as it is pretty solid. He deals good damage and has some neat options with Intimidate. And all the group benefits from them one way or another.
Is there a particular reason you want to stop things running away? Does your DM repeatedly make things run away with loot or was it a one off.
Nice! I'll post the full build I've come up with so far as well. Looking pretty nasty.
Dhampir (healed by touch of corruption, kewl race, moroiborn for +2 str and +2 cha)
Dread Vanguard Archetype. From research I have done, seems like this is better than the spells class feature. Could be wrong, though.
Traits: ancestral weapon (aka weapon focus), adopted (for fiery glare, to take 10 on intimidate checks)
Feat Progression:
1-fey foundling
3-power attack
5-undecided
7-cornugon smash, retrain undecided feat to hurtful
9-innocent blood
11-dreadful carnage
13-shatter defenses
15-signature skill (intimidate), retrain shatter to intimidating prowess
17-shatter defenses again
19-improved critical (ran out of ideas)
Equipment: nodachi (cruel, conductive), full plate or o-yoroi depending on dex, the big six magic items, boots of speed, masterwork tool (intimidate), maidens helm, gravelly tonic, elixer of the thundering voice
Cruelties:
3-doesnt matter
6-doesnt matter, sickened as a prereq if i havent chosen it already
9-nauseated
12-stunned
15-paralyzed
18-doesnt matter
Decided against the enforcer and mock gladiator combo. Mock gladiator competes with fiery glare. Demoralizing via cornugon smash lasts more than long enough, especially with fiery glare, and I don't have to worry about nonlethal immunity (or about how silly it is for an antipaladin to do nonlethal damage lol). Cornsmash also qualifies me for dreadful carnage, which doesnt trigger off nonlethal damage anyway.
Is there a particular reason you want to stop things running away? Does your DM repeatedly make things run away with loot or was it a one off.
Read the descriptions of frightened and panicked (there is a second set of definitions in the glossary, under fear). The GM has to make the opponents flee, in a way that depends on their interpretations of frightened and panicked.
the rogue uses his sneak attack thanks to Shatter Defenses. So they make a great combo.
Hate to spoil the fun but technically shatter defenses only makes enemies flat-footed to your attacks so no sneak attacks for your rogue buddy.
the rogue uses his sneak attack thanks to Shatter Defenses. So they make a great combo.Hate to spoil the fun but technically shatter defenses only makes enemies flat-footed to your attacks so no sneak attacks for your rogue buddy.
The rogue is the one who has the feat.
He picked all the feat line so he could benefit from the Antipaladin intimidating.Shatter defenses doesn't care about who intimidated the enemies so it works.
EDIT: forgot that feats have prerequisites.
Feat progression (post-retraining) would be more like:
1-fey foundling
3-power attack
5-hurtful
7-cornugon smash
9-innocent blood
11-furious focus
13-dreadful carnage
15-signature skill (intimidate)
17-intimidating prowess
19-improved critical