I have a low level (5-7ish) game coming up and I want to craft a character that uses improvised weapons for melee. I have settled on Inquisitor (Sanctified Slayer) because his back story is that of a former adventurer turned gravedigger, and for his improvised weapon to be his shovel.
Here's where it gets fun. I need Catch Off Guard (no improvised weapon penalty) and Surprise Weapon (+2 atk with improvised weapons) to mitigate the improvised weapon penalties. But then I want to go with the set of Shikigami feats (Shikigami Style / Shikigami Mimicry / Shikigami Manipulation) and have my shovel be a traveler's all-tool. This would increase the damage output of the shovel considerably, and allow me to use the Caster Level of the all-tool (CL9) to give it an enhancement bonus from Shikigami Manipulation. Add in my inquisitor's bane class feature and the studied target from the sanctified slayer (not all in the same round, I know) and he should be a pretty kick-ass melee option. Then I can use my spells and scrolls as mostly support, healing and AoE damage.
I plan on going human so I can get Catch Off Guard early on, but I think it's worthwhile to do the Shikigami feats instead of feats like Improvised Focus or Makeshift Maneuvers or even Extra Bane because they will always be on as soon as I enter my combat style.
Am I missing anything obvious that I need? Am I missing some rule that might limit how this might work?
Yeah, the fact that a Gravedigger Occultist is much cooler???
Yeah, the fact that a Gravedigger Occultist is much cooler???
Fair point. And I did look into it. But for purely aesthetic reasons, I was interested in having this person be less of an occult detective and more divine caster religious type. More "Let the dead rest in sacred sleep' then "I'll exhumed the body and do an autopsy." But if the party does not need a divine caster and does need a pseudo rogue skills monkey, then I would definitely go that direction.
"Am I missing some rule that might limit how this might work?"
Well, your GM might go "oh god, no".
*shrugs*
Hoping for a reaction like "How the heck is your damage as good as the tank with just a shovel?!?"
A traveler's anytool is 2 pounds in weight and might not qualify as a two-handed improvised weapon. If it gets ruled as a one-handed improvised weapon (one-handed can still be wielded in 2 hands, it just doesn't have to be) then you're looking at a base 3d6 damage at 7th level rather than 4d6.
Hoping for a reaction like "How the heck is your damage as good as the tank with just a shovel?!?""Am I missing some rule that might limit how this might work?"
Well, your GM might go "oh god, no".
*shrugs*
for improvised weapon class. specially if you take inquisitor i would actuly pick living grimoire he is built for improvised weapon, uses a book (which technically can also be a magical book so crafter level can go very high) and saves you on feats like this. (and since he is proficient he can take feats like weapon focus and such)
also the size increase of the shikigami might stack with the weapon damage increase of the warpriest sacred weapon chart you get to use on your book. AND you can also enchant the book like a magical weapon. all in all very nice combination
The style being free material budget way over what it should really cost in requirement is part of the reason I ban it from my home games. There were huge disagreements about it in the PFS section of the forums, that shows that style has to be taken with a grain of salt.Hoping for a reaction like "How the heck is your damage as good as the tank with just a shovel?!?""Am I missing some rule that might limit how this might work?"
Well, your GM might go "oh god, no".
*shrugs*
Yep, it's not good design at all.
That being said, stuff like Ascetic Style and Handwraps also warp economy but they belie the fact that some parts of the magic item system are not working well in the first place.
Thanks everyone. All good feedback.
As far as the weight of the any-tool is concerned, it does call out that it can become tools ranging from hammers and shovels (not a spade) to scissors. And it's a described as a 12 inch iron rod. Iron is heavy (.28lbs per square inch), so even that description seems questionable. So I would assume that the weight is adjusted magically? <shrugs>
I like the living grimoire idea, but I do want to stick with the gravedigger concept for now. And yeah, not gonna go for broke with rods or glue. Pretty sure I'd get the stink eye from the GM at that point.
I really liked the idea of the all-tool because I wanted to ensure it wouldn't get broken easily. And getting the enhancement bonus after all three of the style feats is really fun.
I am starting to agree that the feats might be a little overpowered at the low levels. A 1d8 two-handed weapon (which many two hand weapons, including spears are) cranking out 4d6 damage by level 5 seems excessive. Maybe I'll just voluntarily accept that the shovel should be a base 1d6. That makes three steps up 3d6. A decent investment for three feats but by itself averaging only 10.5 damage based on the weapon itself. That's above average, but with three feat investment does not seem excessive.
Definitely seeing this guy leveling off at around level 7, but for a few quick games between levels 5 and 7, it should be really fun. Hoping to thread the needle between "That's stupid/broken" and "Wow, I never knew you could do a PC effectively with improvised weapons."
Question related, where does the idea that metamagic rods count as +5 weapons come from? I've heard that before specifically related to Merciful rods, but I can't find a reference for it.
Question related, where does the idea that metamagic rods count as +5 weapons come from? I've heard that before specifically related to Merciful rods, but I can't find a reference for it.
+4 actually. Shikigami Manipulation grants an enhancement bonus equal to one quarter the caster level (rounded down as usual in Pathfinder), and all metamagic rods have a caster level of 17. It doesn't have to be merciful, but obviously, +0 level increase metamagic feats have the cheapest rods (at 1500gp for a lesser rod). That's Brisk, Eclipsed, Fleeting, Tenebrous, or well, Merciful.
Question related, where does the idea that metamagic rods count as +5 weapons come from? I've heard that before specifically related to Merciful rods, but I can't find a reference for it.
Shikigami Manipulation says that you can take any magic item that you are using as an improvised weapon and treat it as it if has an enhancement bonus equal to its CL divided by 4. Metamagic rods happen to be both relatively inexpensive (for the lesser ones), have a very high CL (17+) and come across as a improvised weapon (not quite a club but close). So in theory, you could get a lesser metamagic rod (still spell) for 3k, pick up all the Shikigami style feats by level 5, and treat your rod as an improvised weapon that has a +4 enhancement bonus on it. That is probably not a well balanced option, but RAW, it works.