Hello all,
My group is currently at level 12, and we're getting towards the end of the current arc. My paladin Rodric (Holy Tactician / Warrior of the Holy Light) will likely a) summon up a final holy beat down against the villain who destroyed everything he knew or b) fall to darker temptations and become an antipaladin to destroy said villain. Either way I'm looking at a new character.
Rest of the party is as follows:
Swashbuckler (tends to jump headlong into danger)
Kineticist (Cold/Earth combo)
Cleric (Fire Theologian, blasty type)
And the final member is usually a Rogue, but the character has a large extended family that guest star (currently another paladin with a raging Pegasus follower, though we've also had a bow ranger with a pet dire bat.)
Could use advice as to a good class and archetypes for a new pc that fits party needs. I've been leaning towards either a witch or a magus, but I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks in advance!
I mean, you could just be unkillable.
But it looks like your party is short on arcane support. In that, yeah. Go for a witch or a magus (or a wizard, sorcerer, bard, arcanist, summoner....). The real question is, what do you want to play? Do you want to be more combat-oriented, swinging a sword on the front lines, or holding back and absolutely demolishing your enemies' saves, hindering their options, and otherwise making their (very short) lives miserable?
Shaman? You can use Wandering Spirit and Wandering Hex to compliment the final member, who seems to be a bit of a wild card.
I had fun with a dwarf barbarian 1/magus X. I used a dwarven waraxe, so I could swing it two-handed when raging and Power Attacking, or one-handed when using Spell Combat and Spell Strike. It was very versatile. I could pre-buff with enlarge person then rage and swing a giant hammer, or close into melee and use short-range blasts like burning hands, or use Intensified shocking grasps to go nova and Spell Strike.
A warpriest or inquisitor might be fun. It's another flavor of divine caster warrior. Familiar, but different.
Druids are fun and versatile, and the animal companion could do the melee role if decide to do something else, like spell cast or do some archery. Or you can be a Small druid and ride your animal companion into battle. Maybe dip a level in cavalier or fighter for the armor and weapon proficiencies and a bonus feat.
If the front line is usually a swashbuckler and a rogue then they could do with something more there. A magus or a summoner would be a good call IMO.
I should clarify that it's still very possible that Rodric lives, I just see this final confrontation with the man who burned his city to ash and killed pretty much everyone he knew as a fitting end to his story. But I very much appreciate the advice so far!
For witch: what patrons do people like?
For magus: Anyone ever tried a Staff Magus / Hexcrafter combo?
I'd rather not go sorcerer as I've played one before, and I'm the type of player who wants to try everything.
Party probably will suit brawler-exemplar.
As avr said you could do with some Arcane and Melee support so a Magus would be good
You could also fill that gap with one of the psychic classes, particularly the Occultist, although you might like the Spiritualist too.
If you prefer to go full arcane I'mma throw the Silksworn occultist hat of divination into the ring. By level 12 you've well and truly skipped their slow start. There thing is they're 6th level casters but their class features boost the power and number of times they can cast the spell they know .. a lot. They also get some nifty supernatural abilities which are often like stronger versions of other spells.
They end up making powerful functional arcane casters whilst avoiding 7th, 8th and 9th level spells.
For witch: what patrons do people like?
At level 12? Trickery for defence and illusions, Recovery for healing, Ancestors or Time for buffs. Debuffs come naturally to a witch, there's no need to take a patron for that, and to make them a blaster you probably need the Winter Witch prestige class.
For magus: Anyone ever tried a Staff Magus / Hexcrafter combo?
Not me, but Kurald has I think. See his magus guide here or his discussion thread (very much active) here.
The only thing I can see that's really missing in your party is battlefield control/debuffs. Witch would fit that bill quite perfectly. Avr covered patrons quite well. Alternatively how about a wizard or arcanist that specializes in conjuration spells. You can't debuff quite as well as witch but the battlefield would be yours to shape. In 3 levels you have access to spell perfection so I would definitely consider that in your build if your going to 15+. Wall of stone, enervation, and chain lightning are my favorites
Starting at high level is a perfect place for an Eldritch Knight. By that level, they can throw a nasty control spell one round and scythe through something the next. The Magus' schtick is starting to look more shabby at those levels, since multiple attacks are rendering one-handed spell combat far less relevant and their spell progression is falling behind.
You can run a Strength Patron Witch or Pact Wizard based Eldritch Knight with a lot of power at those levels; Dimensional Dervish is a possibility. And an Eldritch Knight based on Synergist Witch can bond with an improved familiar for flight and pounce. There are also nasty spell tricks available for combat purposes when you've got a deep supply of spell power, like Quickened Color Spray, Persistent Dazzling Blade, Dazing Shadow Weapon and so on.
A powerful build using the pact wizard? I simply don't believe it!
EDIT: I will say you're moving perilously close to being able to cast Beast shape IV turn into a Coral Capuchin and do some amazing Dex based things with a inspired blade swashbuckler dip and either a wizard or a Sorc.
With a Wizard you can do this from level 13, 14 for Sorcs. Either works with the inspired blade because you get Panache from both int and cha, which is nice.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Here's a very martial-sided Dimensional Dervish concept:
Elven Astral Dervish
Elf: 13STR, 15/17+1DEX, 14\12CON, 16/18+2INT, 7WIS, 9CHA
Traits: Magical Knack, Warrior of Old
Fighter 1/ Foresight School Wizard 6/ Eldritch Knight 5
1F. +Weapon Finesse / Power Attack
2W.
3W. Combat Reflexes
4W. [+1DEX]
5W. Combat Expertise *OR* Dirty Fighting
6W. +Discovery: Knowledge is Power
7EK. RETRAINED / +Improved Trip
8EK. [+1INT] / RETRAINING: Dimensional Agility
9EK. Dimensional Assault
10EK.
11EK. Dimensional Dervish / +Greater Trip
12W. [+1INT]
Arcane Bond: Agile, Fortuitous Elven Curved Blade (self-crafted with bond)
With a cheap rod of lesser Extend, you can have Blade Tutor's Spirit and whatever other min/level spells you like (like Mirror Image) up for 24 minutes. Combined with Divination scouting - like Arcane Eye - you should typically be able to know what's coming. With high DEX, Divination and Warrior of Old, you've got towering initiative.
Blade Tutor's Spirit completely removes Power Attack penalty, Heroism grants a flat +2 attack, and Overland Flight means basically always having height advantage, so accuracy is very good. Knowledge is Power adds INT to trip attacks and Foresight basically allows pre-re-roll. So put all together with the other usual CMB stuff like Gauntlets of the Skilled Maneuver, you should be able to trip with serious confidence.
So with Dimensional Dervish, you can teleport around the battlefield making trip attacks and scoring trip AoO's off of them with a full attack action - with Haste, you can trip up to three spaced-out targets and score four attacks on them. Damage-wise, two-handed Power Attack with an Agile Elven Curved Blade does solid damage.
And of course, there's plenty of standard casting power as well if you want to start a battle with a powerful control spell.