Hello, esteemed Paizoites.
A few months ago I fielded a tedious series of questions about general player paranoia, but at the moment the original catalyst for my worries--a Curse of the Crimson Throne game--is finally inching toward reality.
Without spoiling anything campaign-sensitive for a player, how might a shaman be built to fit into the mechanics and theme a CotCT game? Party makeup is unknown at this time, except for the possibility that one other player may either make a kineticist, or a Small mounted character.
The only thing that is definite about my character so far is that they are a conditionally-exiled Shoanti and former apprentice to one of the tribes' mystics. (Essentially, they repeatedly voiced the highly unpopular opinion that they should foster more peaceful contact with the southerners in Varisia for their mutual benefit, and eventually someone significant enough within the tribe got annoyed enough to have them exiled, to return only on the condition that they forge exactly that sort of bond of alliance/goodwill on the tribe's behalf with someplace like Korvosa. Of course it was intended to be an impossible condition to fulfill, but the shaman hasn't given up yet.)
We are building characters at 2nd level using a modified 20 Point Buy, with no negative modifiers before racial adjustments and a free +2 to any ability score not already benefiting from a racial bonus.
At the moment my shaman's stats look like:
11 Str
16 (14+2) Dex
14 Con
10 Int
17 (15+2) Wis
12 Cha
Traits: Shoanti Steed (Racial), Outcast's Intuition (Magic)
Feats: Scribe Scroll, [Undecided]
Obviously those stats preclude being a frontline fighter, and I was always intending to go a casting route. But beyond that, I don't know what to do.
Standard buffing/debuffing in combat is probably simple to build for, but outside of combat I don't know what this fish out of water would be good for, other than grabbing some Int skills which can be keyed off of Wisdom with a Hex.
Is there a diplomancer shaman build hiding somewhere out there which I haven't found yet?
Item crafting will also be allowed in the game and I could take advantage of Scribe Scroll and the Fetish Hex to start making Wondrous Items early, but it'd be my first time making or budgeting to make magic items, and I don't know how often the Adventure Path's pace allows for one to sit down and work for a few days.
Finally, I've looked over the Slums spirit a few times, and while I love the theme, I don't think my Shoanti could plausibly possess it as anything less than a Wandering Spirit, since they'd only have just arrived in the city at the beginning of the game.
Any other ideas I haven't laid a wet blanket over would be greatly appreciated.
Ok so I've recently spent WAY too many hours considering every option for shaman that I can think of or read about, so I think I can help.
Here's some questions first:
Do you want a familiar? They're insanely useful but you can swap em out in order to snatch some Oracle powers if you want.
Do you want to :
Control (debuff/battlefield)
Kill (pure damage)
Support (buffs and heals
If you tell us that I think we can help you
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Shamans have a wide range of utility spells, which can be very useful out of combat. I like to leave one spell slot of each level open, to memorize something specific as needed.
Diplomacy is a class skill, so you can be decent, but not great at it, by maximizing your skill ranks.
Are there going to be any other party members with a good amount of healing magic? If not, Healing Hex would be a good pick early.
Do you want a familiar? They're insanely useful but you can swap em out in order to snatch some Oracle powers if you want.
Do you want to :
Control (debuff/battlefield)
Kill (pure damage)
Support (buffs and heals
I am normally leery of taking a familiar because I'm afraid of it dying, but in this particular case I am much more open to it. In the interest of character theme, since the shaman would be from Shriikirri-quah (The Hawk Clan), they would get a Hawk spirit animal.
By Oracle powers, I bet you're referring to the Speaker for the Past archetype, which I have looked at before. I was initially leaning toward Speaker, back when I was planning to gain as many Int skills as I could, but I didn't pay as much attention to the mysteries as a result.
I want the shaman to have an equal ability to Control and Support, if possible. I know that they'll eventually take the Chant hex, partly because I'll fluff the actual chant as Alaskan Throat-Singing for funsies.
Shamans have a wide range of utility spells, which can be very useful out of combat. I like to leave one spell slot of each level open, to memorize something specific as needed.
Diplomacy is a class skill, so you can be decent, but not great at it, by maximizing your skill ranks.
Are there going to be any other party members with a good amount of healing magic? If not, Healing Hex would be a good pick early.
You know, I always forget about the slot left open trick, thanks for reminding me of that.
It's still early to say anything definite about party composition, but I think my shaman would likely be the only healer.
Obtaining a Wand of Cure Light Wounds might be possible with WBL, however.
Ok well if you want a more well rounded shaman I'd stay base class shaman.
For low level utility snatching spiritual guardian and toppling spell can net you some pretty good spiritual weapons , although you'll probably retrain that around 9.
As far as base spirits go I like the wave spirit, some of the hexes in there combo really well with shaman spells and can make you a really strong controler.
Plus fluide magic allows you to take arcane enlightenment with your wandering hex or spirit talker and learn all wizard spells as normal spell slots.
Pretty tight.
Plus fluide magic allows you to take arcane enlightenment with your wandering hex or spirit talker and learn all wizard spells as normal spell slots.
It sounds like you're saying normal Arcane Enlightenment only allows you to cast using Spirit Magic slots. This is not the case.
You are entirely correct and I apologise for my misdirection.
Fluid magic is a cool hex, but you don't need it to fill your spellbook with arcane spells.
You are entirely correct and I apologise for my misdirection.
Fluid magic is a cool hex, but you don't need it to fill your spellbook with arcane spells.
Just a small side note for OP because of how you worded it.
While Shaman can yoink some spells from Wizard/Sorcerer, they become Divine based not Arcane. This probably means very little at most tables but the change could actually matter.