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Basically I've loved the abyssal Bloodline for bloodragers as you can get a +10 to strength and +8 to con if built right.
The problem is your AC gets tanked so hard, that you're effectively going to get hit Every time an enemy swings at you
And you only have 2 Damage reduction which isn't a lot.
So how do we get around this? Only way i can think of is stoneskin are there any other ways?
I'd say just invest in more HP and Boots of the Earth, assuming people are willing to let you stand there for 20 minutes (200 rounds) to heal up after combat from time to time.
Unless you're pushing your AC into the 40s by mid-levels, it's not terribly worth it to go that route. If you wanted additional DR, you could grab an Adamantine Breastplate or carry some granite and diamond dust for Stoneskin under the assumption that others can cast it on you - heck, at 13, you can grab the spell yourself. Prior to that, you can use Resinous Skin for DR 5/piercing and the bonus of potentially stealing the enemy's weapon.
Realistically, though, your best investment is in ending the fight more quickly.
The Str you get by 20th level is +16 due to the +8 from Mighty Bloodrage, the +6 from Abyssal Bloodrage, and the +2 size bonus from Demonic Bulk. And the DR gets up to 5/-.
Adamantine armor grants DR/-; light = 1, medium = 2, heavy = 3. Resinous skin also grants DR 5/piercing, and is a Bloodrager spell.
Otherwise, you may want to invest in a high HP pool, ending fights quickly, temporary HP, or a healer. I also like to recommend, potions of Deadly Juggernaut, which grants a stacking DR 2/- (up to DR 10/-), and a stacking +1 to hit (up to +5 to hit), for each thing you kill of at least your HD-4.
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The Str you get by 20th level is +16 due to the +8 from Mighty Bloodrage, the +6 from Abyssal Bloodrage, and the +2 size bonus from Demonic Bulk. And the DR gets up to 5/-.
Adamantine armor grants DR/-; light = 1, medium = 2, heavy = 3. Resinous skin also grants DR 5/piercing, and is a Bloodrager spell.
Otherwise, you may want to invest in a high HP pool, ending fights quickly, temporary HP, or a healer. I also like to recommend, potions of Deadly Juggernaut, which grants a stacking DR 2/- (up to DR 10/-), and a stacking +1 to hit (up to +5 to hit), for each thing you kill of at least your HD-4.
Wait...does the barbarian DR stack with the one from adamantine armor?
I'd say just invest in more HP and Boots of the Earth, assuming people are willing to let you stand there for 20 minutes (200 rounds) to heal up after combat from time to time.
Unless you're pushing your AC into the 40s by mid-levels, it's not terribly worth it to go that route. If you wanted additional DR, you could grab an Adamantine Breastplate or carry some granite and diamond dust for Stoneskin under the assumption that others can cast it on you - heck, at 13, you can grab the spell yourself. Prior to that, you can use Resinous Skin for DR 5/piercing and the bonus of potentially stealing the enemy's weapon.
Realistically, though, your best investment is in ending the fight more quickly.
40+ AC is definitely possible on one character i have but certainly not this one.
The DR does not stack with adamantine armor.
Have you been playing this as a reach build? You do go naturally large, after all, so playing the distance game would help reduce the amount of hits you take.
Grab the lunge feat. Yes, it is another AC penalty- but the value in positioning makes up for it.
If you are large and using just a normal 2 handed weapon (Greatsword, falchion, etc), then normally, you lose your AoO if you attack first- the enemy ends up close enough that they can just 5' step next to you (they get a full attack, adn you get no AoO).
But if you have lunge, you can attack from 15' away- that is far enough that most creatures have to use an actual move action to get to you... which means no full attack for them and you get an AoO. That means that enemies might deal less damage and you deal more damage (although obviously, avoid this around archers).
Lunge is also nice for the stated benefit- it allows you to attack a wide area. With your large size, lunge, and a 5' step, you can full attack anything in a circle 50' across (20' away to your left, 20' away to your right, and you are the 10' wide center). You can attack at a range where a fullplated halfling can't even reach.
And this goes even further if you use the greater bloodrage's auto cast to put on a long arm spell.
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Have you been playing this as a reach build? You do go naturally large, after all, so playing the distance game would help reduce the amount of hits you take.
Grab the lunge feat. Yes, it is another AC penalty- but the value in positioning makes up for it.
If you are large and using just a normal 2 handed weapon (Greatsword, falchion, etc), then normally, you lose your AoO if you attack first- the enemy ends up close enough that they can just 5' step next to you (they get a full attack, adn you get no AoO).
But if you have lunge, you can attack from 15' away- that is far enough that most creatures have to use an actual move action to get to you... which means no full attack for them and you get an AoO. That means that enemies might deal less damage and you deal more damage (although obviously, avoid this around archers).
Lunge is also nice for the stated benefit- it allows you to attack a wide area. With your large size, lunge, and a 5' step, you can full attack anything in a circle 50' across (20' away to your left, 20' away to your right, and you are the 10' wide center). You can attack at a range where a fullplated halfling can't even reach.
And this goes even further if you use the greater bloodrage's auto cast to put on a long arm spell.
Well I'm kinda throwing ideas around but right now my build looks something like this.
1:Power Attack
3:Weapon Focus(Greatsword)
5:Raging Vitality
Bloodline Feat:Cleave
7:Vital Strike
9:Dazzling Display
Bloodline Feat:Intimidating Prowess
Well I'm kinda throwing ideas around but right now my build looks something like this.
1:Power Attack
3:Weapon Focus(Greatsword)
5:Raging Vitality
Bloodline Feat:Cleave
7:Vital Strike
9:Dazzling Display
Bloodline Feat:Intimidating Prowess
Yeah, you are not going for the reach feats- you need to make enemies FEAR even trying to get near you.
Combat reflexes and lunge are the core feats for a "I just want to smack things" or '2hander+' style reach build (Well, power attack too, but you already have that).
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Well I'm kinda throwing ideas around but right now my build looks something like this.
1:Power Attack
3:Weapon Focus(Greatsword)
5:Raging Vitality
Bloodline Feat:Cleave
7:Vital Strike
9:Dazzling Display
Bloodline Feat:Intimidating ProwessYeah, you are not going for the reach feats- you need to make enemies FEAR even trying to get near you.
Combat reflexes and lunge are the core feats for a "I just want to smack things" or '2hander+' style reach build (Well, power attack too, but you already have that).
It just kind of came to me cause i would think a 15 foot tall half orc with 30+ strength would be something that makes people go "Oh shit im about to get my ass beat aren't i?"
I think going Toughness over Cleave would help with your survival issue. Improved Bull Rush can help knock people off their feet so they can't hit you, though Intimidating Prowess is nice for getting Dazzling Display to work and demoralizing your foes is nice.
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I think going Toughness over Cleave would help with your survival issue. Improved Bull Rush can help knock people off their feet so they can't hit you, though Intimidating Prowess is nice for getting Dazzling Display to work and demoralizing your foes is nice.
unfortunately Bull rush doesn't knock people prone lord know people would be all over it if it did.
So my issues with your build are these, when lv9+ are you going to want to take a full round action to intimidate people?
I see you either wanting to full attack, charge, move and attack, move and ready and attack, or move and cast a buff spell.
What I don't really see is the feeling that intimidating people without moving is better than all of those options.
Also a note, if you go the reach build you're able to get full attacks more often and that means less use of vital strike and cleave. And I feel cleave is already pretty iffy due to the position requirements being so hard to meet, in my experience.
It just kind of came to me cause i would think a 15 foot tall half orc with 30+ strength would be something that makes people go "Oh s@%+ im about to get my ass beat aren't i?"Yeah, you are not going for the reach feats- you need to make enemies FEAR even trying to get near you.
Combat reflexes and lunge are the core feats for a "I just want to smack things" or '2hander+' style reach build (Well, power attack too, but you already have that).
Yeah, but you can really drive it home when that person sees his buddy get smashed loooooooooong before he can even reach your ankles.
There is a joy in having a fortuitous weapon and getting two AoOs against an approaching opponent. And then to force the enemies to decide who will be the first fool to sacrificed to distract you just so the others have a slight chance of getting by. And then it is exhilaration to dash that hope against the rocks as you only need to take a mere step in order to get into full attack range of those lucky few that made it past.
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So my issues with your build are these, when lv9+ are you going to want to take a full round action to intimidate people?
I see you either wanting to full attack, charge, move and attack, move and ready and attack, or move and cast a buff spell.
What I don't really see is the feeling that intimidating people without moving is better than all of those options.Also a note, if you go the reach build you're able to get full attacks more often and that means less use of vital strike and cleave. And I feel cleave is already pretty iffy due to the position requirements being so hard to meet, in my experience.
Honestly I'm just trying to make the most of what there is cause personally. I find that most of the bonus feats abyssal get are total garbage. The only exceptions are power attack which is pretty much gotten at the start and toughness which i'm considering swapping cleave out for.
Everything else is either situational or just plain bad.
Great fortitude:If you need this in any way shape form as a bloodrager something else is wrong.
Cleave was just an idea i was playing around with
Bullrush Meh
sunder meh
Intimidating prowess looked nice cause coupled with Dazzling display
Your rage as a free action get a massive boost to your intimidate and make everyone too scared to really get near you.
There is a joy in having a fortuitous weapon and getting two AoOs against an approaching opponent. And then to force the enemies to decide who will be the first fool to sacrificed to distract you just so the others have a slight chance of getting by. And then it is exhilaration to dash that hope against the rocks as you only need to take a mere step in order to get into full attack range of those lucky few that made it past.
Personally I was planning on getting impact so my greatsword can hit as hard as possible.
I see where I messed up. If I'm not mistaken (as I was) there's a feat or two that allow for Bull rush to knock people down. Either way keeping melee focused enemies away is also quite helpful for surviving.
I used ablative barrier and an adamantine breastplate on a spell eater. Ends up with dr2, and the ablative barrier essentially doubles the fast healing.
Why Dazzling Display instead of Cornugon Smash? I mean, you are already power attacking all the time, may as well intimidate also.
I think he's said it's cause it was a bloodline feat. Or maybe it was to work with the bloodline feat intimidating prowess?
Dazzling Display's not a bloodline feat, and Cornugon Smash works just as well with the bloodline feat (being a free action Intimidate every time you hit with a Power Attack)