Im struggling to finalize a build for an upcoming War for the Crown campaign. My character concept is the first son (with an older sister) of a very minor house. He's young and inexperienced but very well trained. Their only claim to fame is having an unbroken line of respected bannerman who have always fought bravely for the empire. I want to be a frontliner up in the mix. (My campaign trait will be Taldor Patriot, thusly)
I don't like the banner mechanic on cavaliers because it's boring and sucks. Plus, I dont want a mount. My DM has allowed me to attach a Flag for the Flagbearer feat to a spear or polearm of appropriate length, if I take the feat Catch Off-Guard.
I'm struggling mightily with the build. I do not want a bard. I want to be a strength based martial ideally with inspire courage and flagbearer. Eventually I'll want to use a polearm + Banner of the Ancient Kings. I feel feat starved playing a Paladin of the People's Council. It's definitely durable but will have very few skills, feats, or options in combat (Move, power attack, move power attack). I'm contemplating an Exemplar Brawler. My issue is that I need so many proficiencies that I have to dip which feels... bad. My current brainstorm:
First level Urban Bloodrager (For martial proficiency and medium armor proficiency, some extra speed, Arcane bloodline for like a 1/2 disruptive)
Every level afterwards Exemplar. I use a Monk's Spade with Medium armor. If i get Bracing Shield or Unhindering Shield I'll have decent AC.
Am I making a mistake dipping just for the proficiencies? I hate waiting like.. 4 levels before a build "comes online" but at the same time, I have to spread stats really thin and as a frontliner I've seen a lot of heroes die unless they stay vigilant with AC and CON (or toughness or whatever).
15+2 (human) str
14 dex
13 con
10 int
8 Wis
15 CHA
Irrepressible and Taldor Patriot traits.
Ideas? Thoughts?
Skald?
Battle Herald Prestige class?
Freebooter Ranger?
Swashbuckler with bladed brush feat?
A monk's spade seems like a weapon from a place where commoners aren't allowed weapons so weapons must be concealed. A bannerman isn't a commoner in that sense I would have thought? And if it's about damage types weapon versatility is a feat you can flex into as a brawler.
If you want a single weapon proficiency a trait can do it (heirloom weapon seems entirely appropriate) and armor expert is a trait which will allow you medium armor once you can afford mithral. A dip for two traits effectively seems poor.
Quote: I'm struggling mightily with the build. I do not want a bard. I want to be a strength based martial ideally with inspire courage and flagbearer There's a Paladin archetype for exactly that.
EDIT: JUST RE-READ. YOU'RE ALREADY PLAYING IT. Just don't use a polearm, man. See below.
STR-based, CHA-based martial. Has Inspire Courage. Can use a polearm just fine. Catch Off-Guard is a silly requirement, but it'll be fine, I think.
But what if you didn't use a polearm? What if you used a Buckler and held a flag in that hand? You'd still get shield bonus to AC, making you a little tougher, and you'd be able to one-hand a weapon of your choice in the other hand. AND you wouldn't need the Catch Off-Guard feat.
Flag + buckler + longsword + that archetype + flagbearer = perhaps not as mighty as a two-handing warrior type, but surely will hold the line fine and make your allies happy.
Also: once you get access to the Banner of the Ancient Kings, your GM shouldn't tell you it can't go on a Longspear without a feat. It says it can go on a longspear in the item description. And a longspear is a good weapon - 1d8 x3 reach.
So, stick with Oath of the People's Council. Go sword-and-buckler for now, flag in buckler hand. Switch to longspear + power attack at high levels (when you get the banner). Fixed.
EDIT: As far as things to do as a Paladin...
- Inspire
- Power Attack, yes
- Move, yes
- Cast spells
- Activate divine bond with weapon to do cool stuff
- Did I mention paladin spells are actually really good?
- Lay on Hands
- Channel Energy
Skills will be lacking, yes, but you'll be a Human I presume (to get Flagbearer at level 1 and another feat). That'll help with skill point deficiencies. You also get Inspire Competence, which helps you make the people who do actual skillmonkey stuff better.
Assuming your group uses Background Skills, that's 2 skill points from background skills, 2 from paladin, 1 from human, and then your INT bonus (which I would NOT have higher than 12, and you could even dump it if you really wished safely).
One more post before I head to bed:
If you want to be full BAB and still get a song and you DON'T want to be a paladin, your options are practically non-existent. Exemplar Brawler is an option, yes, and you don't need to dip for any silly proficiencies.
At low levels you can use similar tactics to the paladin tactics above: Buckler, melee weapon from close group, flag. Buckler hand holds flag. Your weapon hand could be a cestus, say, which is not a bad weapon at all.
If your GM allows, at high levels just use a longspear and use the Versatile Design weapon modification to make it count as part of the Close weapon group so you can flurry with it.
Elsewise, I ALSO think Skald makes a terrific option. It's not a bard, though it feels similar, and Spell Kenning is a beautiful thing to behold.
If none of those work for you, you could always ask the GM if you're allowed to use VMC rules. VMC bard is kind of "meh," but you can put it on anything, and it makes a good skillmonkey addition.
A dip into standard bearer cavalier with one of the alternate banners could add more variety to the buffs you are laying out without comprimising your bab.
I wouldn't do bloodrager just because of theme. Dip avenger vigilante instead and blow off the whole "two different identities" thing. The avenger will give you skill points, the proficiencies you need, full BAB, and a social talent that will play into being part of the nobility. Then go exemplar all the way up. If you feel like it you can bounce back and forth occasionally between the two to up your social standing without harming your combat ability too much.
Surprised no one here recommended Martyr Paladin.
With this type of character, you can do many performances, you can Channel Energy, you can attack, you can cast spells...
If Spells aren't your thing, you can mix and match it with the Tempered Champion archetype for more combat feats too.
It keeps full BAB, full levels of Bard for performance...
If you go Human and start off with the Cunning feat, you can have 4+ skills per level easy.
The reason I didn't mention Martyr Paladin is that I feel like it pales in comparison to the OotPC Paladin.
But yes, that's an option - it works well enough.
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