So I'm playing a Hunter with the Verminous Companion Archetype and decided to build my Mantis companion as a debuffer. Eye for Talent gets my bug a +2 Int so I don't lack Tricks and bonus for level goes into Int to open feats.
Currently I can:
Cast Vine Strike on Mantis (+1d6 damage, Ref or entangle on hit)
Skirmisher Trick: Upending Strike (Free Trip on hit)
Mantis: Grab (Free Grapple on hit)
Power Attack -> Cornugon Smash (Free Intimidate on Power Attack Hit)
Amulet of Mighty Fists: Cruel (Sicken when striking a Shaken foe)
Hurtful (Free attack on Demoralize)
Getting a foe Prone, Grappled, Shaken, Sickened and possible Entangled all on one turn is really nice, but I'm curious if there are options I'm not seeing to add more to this.
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Things to think about:
You still provoke when tripping so consider building those feats into you plan.
There is a skirmisher trick that sicken no save free action called rattling strike.
Add in resinous skin when you get it. It's ten min per level it gives +2 to maintain grapples, weapons stick to you so you debuff by "disarming" opponents and you get DR.
Things to think about:
You still provoke when tripping so consider building those feats into you plan.
Really? I had always played it similar to the Trip special ability... seems kinda dumb to have a limited resource trip attempt that also provokes.
It's not going to be a huge issue I don't think. Between reach and Mantis' having Lunge, I can be out of AoO reach often enough.
Bodyguard isn't exactly a debuff, but it can have a similar effect by making your PC harder to hit (perhaps the PC would return the favor with Mounted Combat)
Broken Wing Gambit + Paired Opportunists (perhaps shared via magic saddle) could be fairly strong and might give you a fun way to punish foes who try to make an AoO on the animal during Upending Strike.
Bodyguard isn't exactly a debuff, but it can have a similar effect by making your PC harder to hit (perhaps the PC would return the favor with Mounted Combat)
Broken Wing Gambit + Paired Opportunists (perhaps shared via magic saddle) could be fairly strong and might give you a fun way to punish foes who try to make an AoO on the animal during Upending Strike.
The Skirmisher Trick Vengeful Strike (which I have) is a tad better than BWG as I don't provoke extra attacks and the resulting attack isn't and AoO so it can be used while Grappling. Super fun part though is that with Grab, if they hit my PC, I get a chance to lock them down.
Hunter by default already shares all of it's Teamwork feats with it's animal companion so the saddle is unnecessary.
Yes but hunter trick can be use 1/2 animal hit die plus wisdom. At level 10 that's 5 times. Some rounds you may use 2 or 3 as a lot are free actions or immediate actions. Bodyguard, aid another, Broken Wing Gambit, Paired Opportunists are all day.
At 10 for me it's more like 7 time as my group uses Automatic Bonus Progression and rule it applies to companions. I'm already a bit feat strapped with Cornugen and company so I feel, at the moment at least, that I'm doing rather well.
It looks like Vengeance Strike triggers when an ally is HIT rather than when an ally is just attacked (and hopefully missed). Being an AoO also lets BWG work with Paired Opportunists, so you and the companion would both get the free attack. Since the AoOs resolve before the enemy's attack there's a good change you can kill or otherwise disable the foe before the attack completes.