.
In Particular I don't understand how the requirement for 2 ranks in Perform(Dance) works.
You can have up to 1 skill rank in any given skill for each level you have. So if you're level 1, the max skill rank you can have in Perform(Dance) is 1 rank. Likewise, if you're level 10, the max skill rank you can have in Perform(Dance) is 10 ranks. In your case, the earliest you could satisfy this prerequisite is with 2 ranks, therefore you must be 2nd level.
Then I have 4 skill points to distribute but Perform is at -2 initially. What does it mean in the requirements that I have to have 2 ranks in Perform(Dance)? Does it mean the total skill should be +2? Or just that I need to spend to skill points on Perform(Dance)?
You have to have 2 ranks in Perform(Dance) in order to select this feat. It doesn't matter what other modifiers you have to it, such as +3 Cha or a Trait bonus to Perform(Dance), the only thing that matters is that you have 2 skill ranks invested in Perform(Dance), that's it.
Can I spend many skill points on Perform(Dance) at once (on the first level)? Or do I have to do it 1 by 1?
You have 4 skill points that can be put into any skills you want, and at level 1, the max you can have invested in any skill at this point is 1 rank.
Ideally I would add 4 skill points to Perform(Dance) on the first level and get it to +2, and get Weapon Finesse and Dervish Dance as my feats. Can I do that?
You cannot invest 4 skill points into any individual skill until you're level 4. You're going to have to wait until you're level 2 to put the prerequisite 2 skill ranks in Perform(Dance). Also, you cannot pick up Dervish Dance until level 3 because you get your feats at every odd level (unless you have bonus feats from your class-- like Fighter does, but as a Barbarian, you don't).
If no, then it doesn't make sense to go Human, because there's no good feat that I need to get early, so I probably should go for Hobgoblin
You can do that if you want to, but Human is still a really good choice for race. There are other feats that you might want to pick up, like Toughness, Iron Will, Two-Weapon Fighting, etc.
Another consideration is taking Brawler as a Rage Power at level 2 - if I understand correctly I can then do 2 attacks each round - once with the Scimitar and one unarmed strike (which also benefits from Weapon Finesse). But I'm not sure if that's correct. Can Urban Barbarian even get Brawler as a Rage Power?
Yes you can take Brawler as a Rage Power at level 2, but no you wouldn't make 2 attacks in a round unless you have the feat Two-Weapon Fighting.
Any ideas how to optimize this?
Personally, I wouldn't do a build like this. But this is your first character, so you do you and have fun with it.
Human Urban Barbarian
Feats:
Lvl1: Weapon Finesse, Two-Weapon Fighting (Human Free Feat)
Lvl2: Brawler Rage Power
Lvl3: Dervish Dance Feat
Lvl4: Lesser Beast Totem (2 Claw Attacks)
Lvl5: Raging Vitality Feat
Lvl6: Beast Totem Rage Power (Natural Armor)
Lvl7: Extra Rage
Lvl8: Superstition Rage Power (Bonus to Saves)
Lvl9: Improved Critical: Scimitar
Lvl10: Greater Beast Totem (Pounce- Full Attack on a Charge)
Lvl11: Any Feat
Lvl12: Bloody Fist Rage Power
Thank you, that clears everything up. So I'll probably go human and get Dervish at level 3, your build seems nice.
One last question - I've read somewhere that Unarmed Strike is considered a simple weapon. Does this mean that if I have Two-Weapon Fighting and Dervish Dance and I'm using a scimitar in my right hand and offhand Unarmed Strike - then Dervish Dance doesn't work for my scimitar because of the unarmed strike? That would be a boomer.
It's considered Simple for proficiency, but it's actually considered to be a Light weapon. It's minutiae, I know, but there is a difference. Take a look at Weapons and you'll see that there are Simple weapons that are Light, One-handed, Two-handed, and Ranged, and there are Martial weapons that are Light, One-handed, Two-handed, and Ranged, and there are Exotic weapons that are Light, One-handed, Two-handed, and Ranged.
Yes, the Two-Weapon Fighting + Imp Unarmed Strike and Dervish Dance should still work because Dervish Dance requires that you are not "carrying" a weapon or shield in your offhand.
STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA
10/18+2/16/7/7/7Any ideas how to optimize this?
You're going far too hard on your point buy.
Wisdom affects your will saves. The most important saving throw of them all. If you fail a will saving throw then in the best case scenario you're out of the fight. In the worst case you're under a compulsion effect and killing your allies.
Intelligence affects your total amount of skill ranks. Your intelligence modifier is applied as a bonus or penalty to your class-given skill ranks. So a barbarian with 7 intelligence only gets two skill ranks per level.
Charisma isn't that important. Dump it if you want to.
I'd go with 10/16+2/14/12/12/7 for a more well-rounded (human) character if you want to use the scimitar. But two-weapon fighting is something I'd avoid for your build since your unarmed strike has very low damage and the attack penalty from using TWF will result in less damage on average.
I agree with Wonderstell that point buy won’t be fun to play.
Yeah, but this is his first character. Don't spoil his concept with promises of optimized damage output :P
Yeah, but this is his first character. Don't spoil his concept with promises of optimized damage output :P
Well, learning that not every complicated character concept works well in-game is part of the Pathfinder experience. The problem is not the overall power level, but that the player is likely to soon realize that not using part of their build actually makes them better (in this case not using TWF). Finding out that part of their character is now useless and wasted tends to make people feel bad.
Yeah, but this is his first character. Don't spoil his concept with promises of optimized damage output :PWell, learning that not every complicated character concept works well in-game is part of the Pathfinder experience. The problem is not the overall power level, but that the player is likely to soon realize that not using part of their build actually makes them better (in this case not using TWF). Finding out that part of their character is now useless and wasted tends to make people feel bad.
I remember my first character back in 1996 like it was yesterday. He was a TWF Fighter who used Shortswords. The guy who got me into D&D was experienced and said "Dude, you invested so much into TWF, so use Longswords because it's the highest dmg you can do! It's 1d8 damage instead of 1d6 damage!" And then looked at me like I was a complete moron when I said "no I want Shortswords". I had a concept of what I would be and I wasn't going to budge. I would never want to take that naivety or innocence away from a new player, because today, there's no way in hell that I wouldn't munchkin the crap out of my character to eek out 1 additional DPR even if it spent me 100 hours of research and reconfiguring to do it. So new player? Play what you want, I don't care if he does 1.4 DPR, you do you, and have a blast doing it. Once you lose that innocence/naivety, it's lost forever.
Any ideas how to optimize this?
See that? This "innocence/naivety" is already gone. The unarmed strike is not even a part of the character concept, the OP thought it was mechanically beneficial. Since that is a misconception, pointing that fact out is necessary to prevent frustration.
Quite frankly, you were making assumptions instead of going by actual information. You shouldn't criticize people for asking - even if the non-weapon attack with the second hand was an integral part of the concept, a claw attack might completly satisfy that desire.