Hey everyone!
I'm planning a character build as much for theorycrafting than for efficiency and I need some advice on things that I may be missing or whatnot. I'm only doing Paizo stuff, so no 3pp. The campaign is Hell's Vengeance and this would be a backup character if my necromancer dies.
So, the basics, I was drawn by the Unconquerable feat (when you use of resolve, grants you temporary hp equal to [number of times you took the feat]x[your number of HD]), the Brawling Blademaster archetype(TWF without dexterity requirement and other cool features) and the Order of the Flame as Samuraïs can take Cavalier's orders.
The idea is a character TWF-ing a Katana and its body (unarmed strikes scaling in damage like monk with archetype), stacking up the challenges to re-gain uses of resolves and whenever needed using resolve to gain temporary hp (which disappear first if wounded).
I don't want to change classes, I have considered the Kinetic knight archetype for kineticist but I want more from the Samuraï aspect that just a big scaling blade of energy or matter.
The build would be something like that:
Human (+2STR) / FCB: hp
Stats: 18+2/14/15/7/14/7
Feats:
human bonus: Unconquerable resolve(1)
lvl.1 : Unconquerable resolve(2)
lvl.3 : Unconquerable resolve(3)
Brawling Blademaster bonus lvl.3: TWF
lvl.4 : +1CONS
lvl.5 : Unconquerable resolve(4)
Samuraï bonus feat lvl.6 : Improved TWF
With a Katana and unarmed strike (from level 3), I think that issuing challenges on challenges will rapidly remove the need for Power attack and spike very fast if I can survive.
At 6th level without specific gear, we get:
Offensive (assuming constant glorious challenge)
Katana +11/+6, d8+11+2X(STR+glorious challenge(X)+challenge)
Unarmed +11/+6, d8+8+2X(same but with only half strength on off-hand attack)
Defensive:
HP: 54 (if average instead of rolling)
AC: 18 (dex+light armor+nimble) (which goes down very fast after a few challenges)
Unconquerable resolve: 3+glorious challenge/day for 24 temporary hp each time. That means about 24 hp per killed enemy.
The trick here is that you can't chain-challenge and resolve in the same turn as they're both (at best) immediate actions and you have to be in critical situation (fort or will save, or reduced to few hps).
So here are my doubts and questions:
-As I bet on challenge damages, changing the human race for dwarf (fcb is scaling challenge damage, +2CON and +2WIS helping with the saves and starting hp, alternate racial trait for Toughness and will saves improvements)?
A dwarf would have:
'At 6th level without specific gear, we get:
Offensive (assuming constant glorious challenge)
Katana +10/+5, d8+13+2X(STR+glorious challenge(X)+challenge+dwarf fcb)
Unarmed +10/+5, d8+11+2X(same but with only half strength on off-hand attack)
Defensive:
HP: 60 (if average instead of rolling)
AC: 18 (dex+light armor+nimble) (which goes down very fast after a few challenges)
Unconquerable resolve: 3+glorious challenge/day for 18 temporary hp each time. That means about 18 hp per killed enemy.
Better FORT and WILL saves.'
-How many Unconquerable resolves will I need in a competitive setting?
-One of my party mate is very good at making very strong characters (DPR and strategy wise), I need to keep my damages up (hence the Order of the Flame), but maybe there's a better order?
-What feats to take instead of some of the unconquerable resolves if any?
-The Brawling blademaster has a 5th level feature, "Perfect clarity", that removes the AC penalty for the challenges. Does it apply for the Order of the Flame's challenge penalty or just the regular -2? (I'd vote for the -2 only)
-If no, with light armor, 14 dex and Nimble class feature (from archetype), is that any worth to invest in AC? The Order of the Flame is gonna let me be very reachable.
Thanks for reading me and your help!
Narcage.
