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I'm amazed no one has mentioned the Eldritch Guardian. A fighter! With a familiar! And you share combat feats! There's a handful of combat Improved Familiars and I feel like the Eldritch Guardian is the best way to make use of them. Best thing is it only costs two bonus feats.
Note that the Court Bard's antics only work when the enemy is close enough to hear you and can also understand you. (This basically means that you suffer "ranger-type" predicaments when the GM's encounters don't feature opponents you can affect, and unlike the ranger, the game hasn't given you ten years' worth of splatbooks offering new ways to get around the original limitations. Additionally, all of the items that bolster Inspire Courage won't work for the Court Bard either.)
Then again, convincing the balor that its shoelaces are untied might just be worth it.
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Most of mine remove aspects of classes that I dislike.
Skirmisher and Trapper Ranger (get that spellcasting garbage outta here!)
Sleuth and Star Watcher Investigator (The alchemy always felt like a weird, weird fit- I like the sleuth for a mundane investigator type, and the Star Watcher for tuning into the cosmos...)
Alchemical Sapper and Cryptbreaker Alchemist- I friggin' loathe Mutagen
Sister-in-Arms Cavalier (I just like how they work)
Hexcrafter Magus (I like hexes. I like the Magus.)
Vox Mesmerist (This is just a neat change)
Talisman Crafter and Reliquarian Occultist (In both cases, the "flavor" of the class is, in my opinion, improved)
Warrior of the Holy Light Paladin (Spellcasting? Naaaaaaaaaah.)
Psychic Marauder Psychic (I just like the vibe)
Spell Warrior Skald (I like the alterations to the baseline class)
Bloody Jake and Vanguard Slayers (The former as a GM- they make neat slasher villains, the latter for a slayer who just embraces open battle)
Soul Warden Spiritualists (I don't really like Phantoms. I LOVE Psychopomps)
Seducer and Hedge Witch (Two different takes that put a bit of folkklore under the hood)
Pact Wizard (Haunted Heroes Handbook version) (I like curses on my insanely powerful spellcasters)
Grenadier Alchemist. Though I'll admit, I just enjoy the alchemist as a whole. Especially at low-mid levels when the endless myriad of alchemical items & weapons still have decent effects.
I'm nor sure what "constant tongues" is, but the regular spell Tongues will be quite difficult to deploy offensively against hostiles:
Range: touch
Target: creature touched
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
"Constant" as in "it's always on".
Monster example of constant tongues.
Faceless stalkers don't have to cast tongues--they have it all the time, forever. I don't know if any "playable" races have such an ability.
I've been watching this thread for a while and though few of mine will be different from those already mentioned here it goes.
In no particular order:
Phantom Blade Spiritualist
Archaeologist Bard
Puppet Master Magus
Enlightened Bloodrager (First version, it's been redone and altered in ways I don't like)
Stygian Slayer
Nature Fang Druid
Psychic Detective Investigator
Questioner Investigator
Inspired Blade Swashbuckler
While it's not an archetype per-say I'm a fan of druid herbalism
"Constant" as in "it's always on".
Monster example of constant tongues.
Faceless stalkers don't have to cast tongues--they have it all the time, forever. I don't know if any "playable" races have such an ability.
Are they still required to follow the parameters of the spell (i.e., touching a potentially hostile creature)?
I haven't played much, but the archetype I like best (though I often like base classes better) is definitely the Chirurgeon Alchemist (UM)
Not required, it allows you to speak every language, so knowledge check the target then speak to them in a language they are guaranteed to know. Also would like to add tongues can be made permanent via permanency.Are they still required to follow the parameters of the spell (i.e., touching a potentially hostile creature)?"Constant" as in "it's always on". Monster example of constant tongues.
Faceless stalkers don't have to cast tongues--they have it all the time, forever. I don't know if any "playable" races have such an ability.
Permanency means duration is infinite (normal: 10m/level). Constant means no action is required to cast the spell (normal: standard) and it is always active. Neither waive the mechanics of the spell.
I do not think players should assume that faceless stalkers can even speak the languages native to the medium-sized humanoids they are able to freely transform into unless those particular humanoids are native to the area where the faceless stalker is encountered, or the stalker is encountered in that form. How does any particular faceless stalker learn to speak gnomish, or whatever? The bestiary entry reads "....most ugothols wait until a victim is helpless or asleep before attempting to drink its blood—although the best is when a victim is helpless but conscious during the process, so that the faceless stalker can “play with its food” by having grisly and cruel conversations with it."
In other words, touch-interactions with a helpless victim.
Expulsionist & Sanctified Slayer for Inquisitor - the former for feeling like a real ghost hunter
Daring Champion Cavalier - out swashes the swashbuckler and feels like a real lead from the front type - I can great fun as one of these as a pirate captain in skull and shackles.
Staff magus - for a very different take on wise old guy with a stick
Staff magus - for a very different take on wise old guy with a stick
I alwayse loved this idea, I only wish the Staff Magus got INT to AC like the Kensai so I could properly fool my foes into thinking I'm a defenceless old man.
Staff magus looks interesting indeed, but I never got to playtest a magus, let alone that particular variant.
Staff magus - for a very different take on wise old guy with a stickI alwayse loved this idea, I only wish the Staff Magus got INT to AC like the Kensai so I could properly fool my foes into thinking I'm a defenceless old man.
Combat expertise, improved disarm and improved trip make this great fun, especially when you are fighting people you don't want to kill. Especially when combined with casting true strike or blade lash.
While there are a bunch of other archetypes that I'm considering using in the future, of the few that I've actually gotten to play, I think my favorite would be the Oath of Vengeance archetype for the paladin.
Constant means no action is required to cast the spell (normal: standard) and it is always active.
Constant SLAs are still dispellable, and require a swift action to"recast" if dispelled, so this isn't quite true.
Constant means no action is required to cast the spell (normal: standard) and it is always active.Constant SLAs are still dispellable, and require a swift action to"recast" if dispelled, so this isn't quite true.
I'm inclined to interpret it as something that just automatically happens, due to a faceless stalker's "genetics", whenever they touch someone. I.e., they're not aware of it as "magic", per se, and consciously attempting to "cast". It's simply an ability indigenous to their nature, like a scent.
I am further inclined to assume that the reason that the author chose to tie the ability to a spell is because he didn't intend for the creature to know all languages willy-nilly sans a plausible learning mechanism.
Not required, it allows you to speak every language, so knowledge check the target then speak to them in a language they are guaranteed to know. Also would like to add tongues can be made permanent via permanency.Are they still required to follow the parameters of the spell (i.e., touching a potentially hostile creature)?"Constant" as in "it's always on". Monster example of constant tongues.
Faceless stalkers don't have to cast tongues--they have it all the time, forever. I don't know if any "playable" races have such an ability.Permanency means duration is infinite (normal: 10m/level). Constant means no action is required to cast the spell (normal: standard) and it is always active. Neither waive the mechanics of the spell.
I do not think players should assume that faceless stalkers can even speak the languages native to the medium-sized humanoids they are able to freely transform into unless those particular humanoids are native to the area where the faceless stalker is encountered, or the stalker is encountered in that form. How does any particular faceless stalker learn to speak gnomish, or whatever? The bestiary entry reads "....most ugothols wait until a victim is helpless or asleep before attempting to drink its blood—although the best is when a victim is helpless but conscious during the process, so that the faceless stalker can “play with its food” by having grisly and cruel conversations with it."
In other words, touch-interactions with a helpless victim.
The victim isn't the target of tongues--the faceless stalker is.
This spell grants the creature touched the ability to speak and understand the language of any intelligent creature, whether it is a racial tongue or a regional dialect. The subject can speak only one language at a time, although it may be able to understand several languages. Tongues does not enable the subject to speak with creatures who don’t speak. The subject can make itself understood as far as its voice carries. This spell does not predispose any creature addressed toward the subject in any way.
Most castings of tongues target the caster; it just happens that the spell can also be used to grant someone else the ability to speak and understand languages. A faceless stalker essentially behaves as though it has already cast tongues upon itself with infinite duration.
/we've gone a bit off-topic--sorry for my part in it!
Constant means no action is required to cast the spell (normal: standard) and it is always active.Constant SLAs are still dispellable, and require a swift action to"recast" if dispelled, so this isn't quite true.
This sounds familiar. Any idea where that is in the text?
The Psychodermist Occultist is pretty amazing for flavor and cool abilities. You can harvest parts of an enemy you fight a lot and grant yourself favored enemy bonuses, steal their abilities (and later SLAs), detect and track them, etc.
This sounds familiar. Any idea where that is in the text?Constant means no action is required to cast the spell (normal: standard) and it is always active.Constant SLAs are still dispellable, and require a swift action to"recast" if dispelled, so this isn't quite true.
Under "Spell-Like Abilities", in the Universal Monster Rules:
A constant spell-like ability or one that can be used at will has no use limit; unless otherwise stated, a creature can only use a constant spell-like ability on itself. Reactivating a constant spell-like ability is a swift action.
Kobold Bard AT: Dragon Yapper :3
I annoy or I inspire. But I go down like paper in the wind.
Also Ranger (technically NPC) AT: Groom
Stealth? For me and any mount I'm looking out for? Sure. I can speak to them too? Yes please.
Also if your DM is nice with it, getting rid of 1st Favored Terrain for a 'always on' 'tell me where the nearest first aid station is' seems a.o.k. in my book.
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Chosen One Paladin, having a familar is fun and useful.
Twinned Summoner, Having an Eidolon which you can play misdirection with is awesome and lets you share his evolutions. I wish this had been one of the first Summoner Archetypes because it would encourage a very different play style for the class.
Thug Rogue makes intimidation awesome.
arcane duelist, sound striker, archaeologist bard
invulnerable rager and urban barbarian
menhir savant, storm caller, cave druid
tetori, zen archer, monk of the sacred mountain
oath of vengeance paladin
guide ranger
ninja, scout, swashbuckler, unchained rogue
sage and empyrial wildblooded sorcerers
beastmorph, vivisectionist, chirgugeon alchemists
samurai, daring champion cavalier
synthesist summoner
hexcrafter magus
bolt ace gunslinger
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The Stonelord paladin, it's incredibly flavorful and it basically changes the whole class. I love archetypes that change a lot (hell, i wouldn't even call a Stonelord a paladin, it's just so....different. And interesting!), and this one gives so much bonus flavor with it, as well!
This sounds familiar. Any idea where that is in the text?Constant means no action is required to cast the spell (normal: standard) and it is always active.Constant SLAs are still dispellable, and require a swift action to"recast" if dispelled, so this isn't quite true.Under "Spell-Like Abilities", in the Universal Monster Rules:
A constant spell-like ability or one that can be used at will has no use limit; unless otherwise stated, a creature can only use a constant spell-like ability on itself. Reactivating a constant spell-like ability is a swift action.
No idea how I missed that. Thanks!