So been trying to get my 3rd PFS character going and attempting to avoid going finesse or archery this time around. I played a occultist for the first game and I really love the class...the biggest problem is I feel the accuracy is lacking, with pfs outlawing trapping of the warrior kinda kills that idea. I was really looking at doing a kinetic knight but honestly burn scares me :P Then I was looking at doing a summoner arcanist but since I only play once in awhile I am afraid to do a complex character that I'll need to remember my summoning list. Mind you this isnt complaining, just explaining my thought process.
I've toyed with going with the skald with a one level dip into bloodrager to gain a familiar and go with the +8 str/con by level 2 (or 3) The whole variation of interpretation to skald vigor kinda worries me though. (really wish there was a faq on this) So amplified rage followed by either skald vigor or power attack would put him pretty far...but after level 5 not sure where to go...that and there doesn't seem to be much love for the skald. So besides this where would you go with the character and has anyone ever heard of a faq towards skald vigor with riders?
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I like diefic obedience irori, or breadth of knowledge.
Arcane strike is ok.
Combat reflexes is good. Spend the 1500 gold to get the ioun stone so you can use a fauchard. Reach and high crit range is great with bloodsong weapon enchanment.
Lay of Scholar-King can make you a better skill monkey.
Skill focus is unnecessary but if you want to be a crazy good face you can consider it.
You can expand the spells you can access through spell kenning.
Agreed diefic obedience is up there...especially since it feels like the skald has limited skill points. One thing I need to clarify is does a skald also count as a bard in relation to specific gear? (Since it is a parent class) I'll admit I'm looking at Forger's list and using the "accidental" overlap. Bracers of the glib entertainer is downright amazing (+5 to all perform!? yes please) along with a circlet of persuasion?
Wow wasnt going to do a reach weapon but bloodsong is really nice
A skald does not count as a bard, but raging song does contain language allowing it to count as bardic performance, which covers most or all of what you would want to count as a bard for.
I just want to point out that the occultist shouldn't have an accuracy problem.
20 str from transmutation resonance at lv1 = +5 same as bab 1+str 18
at lv 2/3 when you buy a magic weapon you're now able to add bane to your weapon, that's another +2 right there. making you 3 over bab via class.
then at 6 your str enhancement and weapon enhancement goes up for another +2 for +5, but effectively only +4 cause people have str belt now.
since you're okay with dipping dipping 1 level of barb gets you rage for +2.
so lv1 is booth rage class so they are equal at +2 with rage.
at lv 3 skald has +4 via amplified rage, occultist has +5 via bane and resonance.
at 7 skald has heroism for +6, occultist has resonance increase countering the str belt of skald, and legacy weapon giving more for +6. also the occultist is bringing more damage per hit.
now there are reasons to play a skald over occultists, so play the one you want. Just wanting to make sure you were aware that this skald is "just as inaccurate" as the occultist.
skald stuff, I built a bloodrager skald trying for the combo, it really wasn't for me, having to standard action to get AoE rage that most often no one else excepted was bothersome. at bloodrager 1 skald 3 I retrained out of skald.
And there's no consensus or FAQ stating how skalds vigor works. Safest bet is to have it run off the number in the table.
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My +1 furious bloodsong weapon is amazing. With encouraging heroism my skald is a terrior.
I took the braces of glib entertainer but I don't know how they interact with the a circlet of persuasion so I got a lore needle instead. It really helps with the knowledge checks you did not invest in.
I know a lot of people have had chess pwn's problem with the skald. I have not but I do take a bit of time to explain the way it works and have t little cards for other players.
The worse thing for me is when you get someone that refuses in because they don't want to lose 1 ac but then they die because they dumped wisdom and have crappy saves. I could have bumped that up and given you a reroll I guess it's too late now.
The only race that gets any cool stuff as a scald is half orc. Special feats and options.
It's my understanding that PFS is full of people playing frontliners right? If so, a Skald is a great choice and the "Make everybody else good at combat maneuvers" skald might be particularly hilarious.
Take Strength Surge, Savage Dirty Trick, and Unexpected Strike and your entire party can make a CMB + Level dirty trick on an AoO (once per rage, so rage cycle your pals). If want you can do trips, or disarms, or other combat maneuvers but dirty tricks are fairly universal, but the "Flexible Fury" spell can swap maneuvers as needed. If you want to take animal fury + savage jaw, I'm not going to say not to.
So to compare the two (occultist and skald) AT level 6 with no gear, since both could buy similar items. The Occultist would have a big advantage in gear spending points in transmutation(6) and abjuration (4) and 2 in divination.. I would get a effective +4 str belt and a +2 cloak of resist for free and (wish I had more points) diviniation would give me a floating eye to scout around or a chance to increase a attack to +3 (but only 2 points) Assuming at least a +1 weapon he would be able to spend a standard action for bane so he would be at +12 to hit...really not bad but really feeling the pain of mental focus points. Also would need to figure out what gear to buy but honestly not as bad as I thought.
The skald (assuming heroism is in effect since it is a decent duration) Would have +14 to hit ...but he would also be giving the party +2 to str and the rage power superstition +3 vs spells...which you could drop out of the song without penalty to receive a buff..later on getting witch hunter increased dr as well as improved skald's vigor. I have the advantage of knowing at least one person other than myself will benfit from these..
Sorry for the ramble was building and comparing. Chespwn think you can only gain bane once you can grant a magic item +2 but could be wrong
So to compare the two (occultist and skald) AT level 6 with no gear, since both could buy similar items. The Occultist would have a big advantage in gear spending points in transmutation(6) and abjuration (4) and 2 in divination.. I would get a effective +4 str belt and a +2 cloak of resist for free and (wish I had more points) diviniation would give me a floating eye to scout around or a chance to increase a attack to +3 (but only 2 points) Assuming at least a +1 weapon he would be able to spend a standard action for bane so he would be at +12 to hit...really not bad but really feeling the pain of mental focus points. Also would need to figure out what gear to buy but honestly not as bad as I thought.
The skald (assuming heroism is in effect since it is a decent duration) Would have +14 to hit ...but he would also be giving the party +2 to str and the rage power superstition +3 vs spells...which you could drop out of the song without penalty to receive a buff..later on getting witch hunter increased dr as well as improved skald's vigor. I have the advantage of knowing at least one person other than myself will benfit from these..
Sorry for the ramble was building and comparing. Chespwn think you can only gain bane once you can grant a magic item +2 but could be wrong
Bane can be added if the weapon is already a +1. But at lv6 you add +1 and bane to that already +1 weapon. Bane is a +1 cost enhancement.
And is your level 6 skald factoring in the bloodrager level? Cause the occultist can take a barb/bloodrager level and the extra rage feat and have lots of rage to use.
SO yes, if your area has lots of melee and would love skald's buffs go for it, there's plenty of reason to play a skald.
Ah went back and read legacy, that is pretty nice. I wouldn't multiclass the occultist, I'm not a big fan of the dip for rage. Only reason to do it with the skald is for the boost in raging song and the familiar. Still it's a closer call than I originally thought. The ability to bypass great is nice and I think the skald will need quite a bit of gear