So I'm new to Pathfinder but my group is planning on starting into it soon. My wife has asked me to help her build a character. So far out of all of the ideas I've mentioned to her the only one that's really caught her interest has been a Stonelord Paladin (her eyes lit up when I told her she could become a dwarf made out of living rock, she loves dwarves).
I've been looking at giving her a Dorn Durgar and taking Darting Viper so she can have an extended range of battlefield control even if she's using Defensive Stance. She likes the idea of using this in conjunction with Trip or Sunder, but I'm a little bit unsure of exactly how those mechanics work or if they can be used with this weapon so any advice there would be great. Also if there is a way to make/trigger AoO using the reach of the weapon that would be great to know also.
I've come across two skills that appear to be taunts and wondered if they were worth taking or not: Antagonize and Call Out. Of the two Call Out seems more useful (since it locks them into attacking you for multiple rounds instead of just one attack like Antagonize) unless I'm missing something?
Some of the feats I'm looking at are: darting viper, lunge, shield of swings, combat patrol, felling smash (though the 13int requirement might be steep), combat reflexes, call out or antagonize, power attack, and steel soul.
I'd advise a Dwarven Boulder Helm as a backup weapon for such a character. It is thematic and means you can attack enemies within your reach if your swift action is unavailable. I'd ditch Shield of Swings in favor of using an actual shield, and take Pushing Assault instead. Use call out to make an enemy attack you, and then push them to the edge of your reach to make them provoke when they move in to attack next round.
I'd also advise getting access to Enlarge Person as often as possible to increase reach. Potions are the best single class way, though an allied caster with a wand or the stonelord taking a few levels of the thematically appropriate living monolith prestige class are also decent options.
Also, since a Stonelord's channeling is changed to Elemental Channel it is worth considering variant-channeling:
Earth: Heal—Creatures gain a DR 1/adamantine until the end of your next turn. This DR improves by 1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This does not allow recipients to overcome DR/adamantine with their own attacks. Harm—All squares in the area are treated as difficult terrain for 1 minute.
The ability to summon up a huge swath (30' radius) of difficult terrain out of nowhere can be very handy when you need to lock down your opponents.
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Also, since a Stonelord's channeling is changed to Elemental Channel it is worth considering variant-channeling:
Earth: Heal—Creatures gain a DR 1/adamantine until the end of your next turn. This DR improves by 1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This does not allow recipients to overcome DR/adamantine with their own attacks. Harm—All squares in the area are treated as difficult terrain for 1 minute.The ability to summon up a huge swath (30' radius) of difficult terrain out of nowhere can be very handy when you need to lock down your opponents.
Paladins only channel positive energy, so co could not choose the harm option
There is a feat that allows you (if allowed to take these kinds of feats) to increase natural armour by 1. You can take it several times.
While normally reserved for monsters with thick hides, it's entirely theme appropriate to do this with a dwarf turning to living rock.
Dwarves also get access to the feat Ironhide for another appropriate source for natural armor.
I'd ditch Shield of Swings in favor of using an actual shield, and take Pushing Assault instead. Use call out to make an enemy attack you, and then push them to the edge of your reach to make them provoke when they move in to attack next round.
I'd also advise getting access to Enlarge Person as often as possible to increase reach. Potions are the best single class way, though an allied caster with a wand or the stonelord taking a few levels of the thematically appropriate living monolith prestige class are also decent options.
So I hadn't seen that feat yet, but is it useable in this situation? the dorn derger is a 2handed weapon, can you use it and a shield at the same time? I am a bit bummed out that this feat requires you push them into a safe space, otherwise I could see much fun from pushing people off cliffs or into pits.
I plan on playing a Hobgolbin Alchemist so I should reliably be able to create Potions of Enlarge Person, or use my Extracts on her if I take Infusion.
Paladins only channel positive energy, so co could not choose the harm optionAlso, since a Stonelord's channeling is changed to Elemental Channel it is worth considering variant-channeling:
Earth: Heal—Creatures gain a DR 1/adamantine until the end of your next turn. This DR improves by 1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This does not allow recipients to overcome DR/adamantine with their own attacks. Harm—All squares in the area are treated as difficult terrain for 1 minute.The ability to summon up a huge swath (30' radius) of difficult terrain out of nowhere can be very handy when you need to lock down your opponents.
Oh I hadn't seen that ability, that is very intriguing. Question: Is this a feat that adds to your ability, or is it more like an Archtype where you choose to have that ability work differently?
Now I will admit I have rules lawyer tendencies (Im a lawyer IRL so it comes naturally) so I would argue that a Stonelord could use either the heal or harm version because:
-Base paladin gets channel positive energy ability (so a base paladin could only use the heal option)
-Stonelord gets Earth Channel which *replaces* channel positive energy. This replacement ability doesnt mention a restriction of only channeling positive energy.
-The old restriction wouldn't carry over because its not modifying the ability, it is replacing it with a new one.
-Plus the Eath Channel ability specifically gives you the option of using the negative effect "you can choose to have your ability to channel energy heal or harm outsiders of your chosen elemental subtype".
Is that argument missing something? As I said I'm very new to PF so I could just be ignoring something obvious out of ignorance. Even if I'm ruled against - being able to give the elemental an increasing DR would seem to be useful since everyone says that elemental is squishy anyways right?
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Hmmm.
Good point.
After reviewing everything, here's the conundrum, and this is nitpicky:
Earth Channel (Su)
At 4th level, a stonelord gains Elemental Channel (earth) as a bonus feat, which she may activate by spending two uses of her lay on hands ability, using her paladin level as her effective cleric level.
This ability replaces channel positive energy.
When you create a cleric character, decide whether she uses the standard form of channel energy or a variant presented here based on one aspect of her deity’s portfolio. Once this choice is made, it cannot be altered. Variant channeling has the same area of effect, save DCs, uses per day, and other rules relating to channeling energy. Feats and abilities that modify or present alternative uses for channeled energy (such as Command Undead and Turn Undead) work normally with these variant channeling abilities.
The problem is that Stonelords replace the base ability of Channel Energy (instead granting Earth Channel), so you technically never get to make the decision about choosing variant channeling as you don't get CE.
A cursory glance at the boards basically boils down to Table Variation/Ask your GM.
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I Build Myself A Stonelord and Several Tipps:
Darting Viper is Mostly a Trap and not really needed. Just draw a Different Weapon and drop is after its done(Wield the Don in the offhand) or just Buy Spiked Gauntlets.
Combat Patrol isn't really good because of the Feat requirements (and you don't have many).
Lunge is Top Priority!
If this will be a High level Adventure (Till level 12 at least) I highly HIGHLY urge you to into the Living Monolith Archtype:
Living Monolith.
The Prequisites are high but the gains huge and you should go into this archtype at Level 7 after u have the fatigue mercy (and enough BAB for Lunge at LvL 7/power Attack - Iron Will - Endurance -Lunge)
First you gain Enlarge Person as swift Action 3/Day which is brutally strong cause its 1min/level. Toughness as Bonus Feat. You gain DR/- (Ask GM if it will stack cause its like an upgrade to Stonelord).
Deathwatch and detect undead at Will and the most Powerfull thing at 5th Level:
Rightous Might instead of Enlarge Person. You are Huge now: This means 20 Foot reach and Brutal Damage and several other Boni as a freakin swift Action
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I just realized that you are not Huge as I thought.
I played it wrong but well the boni are still crazy and with lunge you still have 20 foot reach.
If you have this much Reach: Phalanx Formation allows you to ignore Cover from allies
I'm getting the idea that the variant channel thing will end up being a judgment call for the DM. Im good with that, its pretty minor and doesnt look like it will effect the build very much (although I am assuming that creating difficult terrain would be of benefit to a reach based AoO build).
More importantly, Antagonize vs Call Out.
It's a tradeoff, actually. Call Out locks you into a duel with the target - this has the advantage of the target being forced to attack you, and potentially lasting multiple rounds, but also comes with a few disadvantages, one of which is fairly major, especially to an AoO build like it sounds like you're proposing; you can only attack the target in turn. This means no healing your allies, no AoO's for when facing multiple foes.
Hm ok so Duels mean neither of you can attack anyone else, that should have been pretty obvious but I didnt think about it. Then yea I think Antagonize would be a far better choice for this build. Is it important enough to spend a feat on (since it looks like this will be feat poor) or can it be safely skipped?
Trip and Sunder are combat maneuvers - both can be made with any type of melee weapons, including reach weapons, no worries.
Trip is way better than sunder. Both of them usually only work on humanoids - beasts have high CMDs and no weaponry.
Does the Stonelords ability to make his weapon Adamantine and ignore hardness of less than 20 on sunder checks change the calculation of Trip being better than Sunder?
Am I reading Greater Trip correctly? It seems like you would be able to attack and cause a trip, then attack again immediately with an AoA because they fell (plus possibly other people getting an attack here also). Then either attacking them on the ground next turn, or they have to spend time standing up. Seems pretty useful.
Darting Viper is Mostly a Trap and not really needed. Just draw a Different Weapon and drop is after its done(Wield the Don in the offhand) or just Buy Spiked Gauntlets.
Combat Patrol isn't really good because of the Feat requirements (and you don't have many).
Lunge is Top Priority!
A lot of people suggest the Dwarven Boulder Helm for this. I might rethink Darting Viper, but it seems like that is giving up on one of the benefits of the weapon (in which case why not just take a Guisarme or a Glaive).
I think you are right on Combat Patrol. Too much cost for too little gain.