Yeah, all the feats should be back further (no hidden paragon) and 6 should be a Cleric feat.
Two handed strength investigator! You still use Devise a Stratagem, but you attack with strength and rely on big weapon dice and enhancing feats when you know you're going to hit.
Take Mauler archetype, use a two handed weapon with a shifting rune to swap between reach or d12 as needed.
Feats you want via Mauler:
Power Attack: +1-3 weapon dice to make up for missing precision damage.
Improved Knockback: You hit and apply a critical trip automatically.
You may also want some Sentinel for heavy armor and specialization.
Do I think this is better than the standard rapier? No, but if you want a different flavor and some weapon crit effects I think it works just fine on the damage front, you just need a good reaction.
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Xenocrat wrote: Two handed strength investigator! You still use Devise a Stratagem, but you attack with strength and rely on big weapon dice and enhancing feats when you know you're going to hit.
Take Mauler archetype, use a two handed weapon with a shifting rune to swap between reach or d12 as needed.
Feats you want via Mauler:
Power Attack: +1-3 weapon dice to make up for missing precision damage.
Improved Knockback: You hit and apply a critical trip automatically.
You may also want some Sentinel for heavy armor and specialization.
Do I think this is better than the standard rapier? No, but if you want a different flavor and some weapon crit effects I think it works just fine on the damage front, you just need a good reaction.
I made a post on Reddit with a similar build (Investigator + Mauler).There’s only two weapons that work with this if you want to use Intelligence: the Elven Curve Blade and Spiked Chain. I went with Curve Blade in my build.
Ventnor wrote: Xenocrat wrote: Two handed strength investigator! You still use Devise a Stratagem, but you attack with strength and rely on big weapon dice and enhancing feats when you know you're going to hit.
Take Mauler archetype, use a two handed weapon with a shifting rune to swap between reach or d12 as needed.
Feats you want via Mauler:
Power Attack: +1-3 weapon dice to make up for missing precision damage.
Improved Knockback: You hit and apply a critical trip automatically.
You may also want some Sentinel for heavy armor and specialization.
Do I think this is better than the standard rapier? No, but if you want a different flavor and some weapon crit effects I think it works just fine on the damage front, you just need a good reaction.
I made a post on Reddit with a similar build (Investigator + Mauler).There’s only two weapons that work with this if you want to use Intelligence: the Elven Curve Blade and Spiked Chain. I went with Curve Blade in my build. Huh, I hadn't thought about doing both precision damage/int AND the two hand feat benefits. Yikes.
If you're going d12 full bore smash I guess you're better off picking up investigator MC as a fighter and doing some really gross stuff with that preroll and known frequent crits to choose which attack you use.
Please forgive any mistakes, while I have played TTRPGs for years, this is my first go at Pathfinder. I used Pathbuilder to build my character. I tend to roleplay for story, and while I certainly don't want to nerf my character, I don't look to inherently min/max. I welcome any and all feedback, should you be so inclined. Thanks in advance.
Concept: Dwarven Heavy Cavalry, also FIRE (Field Improvised, Reverse Engineered) field medic and field veterinarian
Class: Champion - Liberator
Archetype: Cavalier (I think...)
Ancestry: Anvil Dwarf
God of Choice: Trudd (Might Domain, Warhammer for Weapon)
Str: 18/+$
Dex: 12/+1
Con: 16/+3
Int: 10/-
Wis: 14/+2
Cha: 8/-1
Feats (Starting): Battle Medicine, Raise Shield, Athletic Rush, Lay On Hands, Domain Initiate (Might - Azata)
Possible Future Feats (Champion): Unimpeded Step, Fiendsbane, Steed Ally, Liberating Stride, Divine Reflexes, Celestial Form, Celestial Mount
Feats from Cavalier Dedication: Impressive Mount (and all other Mount Improvements), Mounted Shield, Trampling Charge, Specialized Mount.
Starting Skills from Ancestry and Class: Crafting, Dwarven Lore, Warfare Lore, Religion
Other skills from Build: Athletics, Crafting, Medicine, Nature, Occultism (Will explain below), Society, Survival.
Occultism and Society are important not necessarily for the character, but because of where he's born: Taggun Hold in Cheliax. Some years earlier, Taggun Hold was attacked, and as a young field medic, he found the ability to heal in addition to his family's natural love for forge work. Upon seeing how Cheliax, Goblinoids, and Duergar took slaves, he became dedicated to the cause of Freedom and Nobility, and sees the Steed as his path to not only his own freedom, but to ending slavery. He isn't as clannish or hidebound as most dwarves, and he lacks for any particular wit or charm. But he's seen war, pain, slavery and he is determined to fight it.
He's thinking of joining the Steel Falcons, if he can find his way out of Cheliax.
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I Am Skill (Free Archetype Variant)
Class: Rogue (Mastermind)
Ancestry: Halfling (no real reason)
Initial Stats: 8/16/10/18/14/10
Initial Skills - Yes (12 from Ancestry, 2 from background, 2 from racket = all 16 skills)
1-You're Next
2-Clever Gambit / Acrobat Dedication
4-Quick Draw (Contortionist)
6-Analyze Weakness / Graceful Dodge
8-Predictive Purchase / Loremaster Dedication
10-Methodical Debilitations / Assured Knowledge
12-Preparation / Enigma's Knowledge
14-Skill Mastery / Investigator Dedication
16-Blank Slate / Skill Mastery
18-Implausible Purchase / Skill Mastery
20-Skill Mastery / Skill Mastery
Final Stats: 8/20/12/24/20/18
Final tally (no item/status/circumstance bonuses):
Perception (L)-33
Acrobatics (L)-33
Arcana (L)-35
Athletics (M)-26
Crafting (M)-33
Deception (M)-30
Diplomacy (M)-30
Intimidation (M)-30
Medicine (M)-31
Nature (L)-33
Occultism (L)-35
Performance (T)-26
Religion (L)-32
Society (M)-33
Stealth (L)-33
Survival (T)-27
Thievery (T)-27
Background Lore (T)-29
Loremaster Lore (E)-31
You always have the the right item on hand and if it can be known, you know it.
Reactionist!
Quote: Human Champion ( Paladin )
1- Ranged Reprisal
2- Bastion dedication
3- Everstand Stance ( Natural Ambition )
4- Disarming Block
6- Shield Warden
8- Quick Block
10- Shield of Reckoning
12- Quick Shield Block
14- Divine Reflexes
Randomoracle!
Quote: Catfolk Oracle ( Ancestors )
2- Staff Acrobat Dedication
4- Bullying Staff
6- Staff Sweep
8- Monk Dedication
10- Monastic Weaponry
12- Flurry of Blows
Frontline Cleric
Quote: Human Cleric ( Warpriest )
2- Champion Dedication
4- Ranged Reprisal
6- Champion Reaction
8- Bastion Dedication
10- Quick Shield Block
12- Flurry of Blows
13- Domain initiate ( You could take this before )
14- Advanced Domain
Dancing Bears
Class: Druid (Animal)
Ancestry: Human
Initial Stats: 10/14/12/10/18/14
1-Reach Spell
1-Animal Companion
2-Beastmaster Dedication
4-Mature Beastmaster Companion (Beastmaster)
6-Beastmaster Trance
8-Incredible Companion (Beastmaster)
9-Bard Dedication (Multitalented)
10-Inspire Courage
12-Lingering Composition
14-Specialized Companion
16-Inspire Heroics
18-Lead the Pack
20-Effortless Concentration
Idea: Two animal companions + summons. You spend your first turns summoning until you have two animal companions and 2 summons. Then you go Sustain a Spell (free) + Sustain a Spell (>) + Command an Animal (>) + Inspire Heroics (free) + Inspire Courage (>).
As far as summons go, the best per spell level for Striking are:
1-Viper
2-Cave Scorpion
3-Yellow Musk Brute
4-Ankhrav
5-Living Landslide
6-Hill Giant
7-Deinosuchus
8-Elemental Inferno
9-Storm Giant
10-Uthul
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An Oracular Archer
Class: Oracle (Tempest/Hanspur)
Ancestry: Elf (Ancient)
Elf Feats: Elven Weapon Familiarity, Elemental Wrath
1-Ranger Dedication
2-Divine Aegis
4-Bespell Weapon
6-Divine Access (hydraulic push, aqueous orb, solid fog)
8-Quick Draw (Ranger)
10-Gravity Weapon (Ranger)
12-Eldritch Archer Dedication
14-Mysterious Repertoire (Disintegrate)
16-Quickened Casting
18-Seeker Arrow
20-Oracular Providence
Final Stats:18/22/18/16/10/22
Another 'ole Eldritch Archer build. This ones shtick is that it dips heavily out of the Divine tree for Solid Fog and Disintegrate and using the Tempest mystery to see through all forms of fog and mist.
The problem with this is simple: obscuring mist and solid fog aren't divine spells and obscuring mist isn't offered as a cleric spell by any god. So before level 8, the only way to take advantage of your mystery naturally is to be setup by allies, spend 5 actions using Trick Magic Item on a wand, or best of all use a Horn of Fog if allowed by your GM.
But once we get up to 14, the fun really begins. Before the fight, we buff up with Heroism and Foresight. Upon entering combat, We first set-up with Quickened Casting>Solid Fog, then cast Gravity Weapon. The following turn, we begin unleashing Bespell Weapon>Eldritch Shot turn after turn.
This isn't really much more damaging than any other Eldritch Shot build (+36 for 4d8+12+5d6+20d10 disintegrate), it's unique thing is the safety of shooting from inside a Solid Fog. Early on, you can approximate this with Horn of Fog+Quick Draw into Spell>Bespell Weapon>Strike.
manbearscientist wrote: it's unique thing is the safety of shooting from inside a Solid Fog. Storm Order Druid/EA has a shorter path to that gimmick with Storm Born as their default level 1 feat and the Primal spell list.
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Reticent wrote: manbearscientist wrote: it's unique thing is the safety of shooting from inside a Solid Fog. Storm Order Druid/EA has a shorter path to that gimmick with Storm Born as their default level 1 feat and the Primal spell list. While it is quicker, it does significantly less damage by the end (no Disintegrate access, no Heroism to hit). It also has some unfortunate wording; a GM might rule that magical fog such as Obscuring Mist isn't 'weather'. Tempest Oracle is much more direct.
However, Storm-born is probably something that should make it in the build to ignore higher stages of curse. I'd probably suggest switching around the Ranger dedication to Druid.
manbearscientist wrote: It also has some unfortunate wording; a GM might rule that magical fog such as Obscuring Mist isn't 'weather'. Tempest Oracle is much more direct. I don't think anybody would have too hard of a time arguing that fog is weather. And if magical fire is 'fire', then magical weather is 'weather' (or insert a score of similar equivalencies).
But yeah, I don't see a way for a base Druid to quite reach that same lofty end damage without Disintegrate.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
manbearscientist wrote: Class Rogue (Eldritch Trickster-Cleric)
Ancestry: Human (Half-Elf)
God: Elvish Pantheon
Initial Stats: 12/16/12/10/18/10
1-Nimble Dodge (NA)
1-Trap Finder
2-Magical Trickster
4-Domain Initiate (Moon)
6-Poison Weapon
8-Eldritch Archer Dedication (Ray of Frost)
10-Improved Poison Weapon
12-Deadly Poison Weapon
14-Expanded Domain Initiate (Magic)
16-Advanced Domain (Moon)
18-Arrow of Death
20-Hidden Paragon
Final Stats
18/22/18/10/22/16
(Note: Pick up a wand of Heroism)
Explanation: Big ole Moonbeam Eldritch Shots/Arrow of Death. Eventually you hit the following on Eldritch Shot (assuming Heroism):
+38/+36/+28 (deadly d10): 4d6+10 P + 4d6 (energy runes) + 4d6 (sneak attack) + 10d6 (Moonbeam) + 4d4 (deadly poison)
That's 97 damage per hit. Moonbeam is also pretty beneficial to throw out at all levels; it inflicts dazzled, letting you Hide from the creature you hit thanks to the concealed from dazzled. Alternatively, any fire domain god does even more damage (2d6, rather than 1d6).
Also, if you like going first, getting incredible initiative on a Wisdom key-stat class with legendary proficiency in perception is a good way to do it.
You can't pick up the Eldritch Archer dedication until you've picked up a third cleric archetype feat.
Was trying to figure out the best way to use Drakeheart Mutagen and decided on what I think is a pretty cool melee Investigator build:
Class: Investigator (Alchemical Sciences)
Ancestry: Elf
Stats: 14 STR / 14 DEX / 12 CON / 18 INT / 10 WIS / 10 CHA
1: That's Odd (Doesn't matter)
2: Martial Artist Dedication
4: Tiger Stance
6: Alchemical Discoveries
8: Tiger Slash
10: Suspect of Opportunity
12: Foresee Danger
This character is an Elf mostly for the ancestry innate spell feat, any other ancestry that can get a cantrip with the same ease should be fine. I'd go with Produce Flame just for the flexible melee/ranged option. You want to use your Quick Tinctures on Drakeheart Mutagens; with it you're plenty durable to stick around on the front lines using Devise a Stratagem-boosted Tiger Slashes. Might be worth it to use the later feats to pick up Wizard Dedication to advance your spellcasting proficiency.
Arachnofiend wrote: Was trying to figure out the best way to use Drakeheart Mutagen and decided on what I think is a pretty cool melee Investigator build:
Class: Investigator (Alchemical Sciences)
Ancestry: Elf
Stats: 14 STR / 14 DEX / 12 CON / 18 INT / 10 WIS / 10 CHA
1: That's Odd (Doesn't matter)
2: Martial Artist Dedication
4: Tiger Stance
6: Alchemical Discoveries
8: Tiger Slash
10: Suspect of Opportunity
12: Foresee Danger
This character is an Elf mostly for the ancestry innate spell feat, any other ancestry that can get a cantrip with the same ease should be fine. I'd go with Produce Flame just for the flexible melee/ranged option. You want to use your Quick Tinctures on Drakeheart Mutagens; with it you're plenty durable to stick around on the front lines using Devise a Stratagem-boosted Tiger Slashes. Might be worth it to use the later feats to pick up Wizard Dedication to advance your spellcasting proficiency.
So far I've played 2 one-shots with Drakeheart.
One with a "tank" mutagenist with gorilla stance, and one with Melee Investigator, and i have to say that i wasn't giving it as much credit as it's due and also i was giving it too much credit for other things:
For solo use, alongside shield use, it really made both characters tankier than i thought it would, it was a very pleasant surpise. (although, as expected from the Alchemist, even though he was tanky, his direct contribution was lagging behind due to lack of offensive options)
On the downsides, i don't know if it was bad luck or something, but the party composition in both cases ended up in such a way that it was never more than a +1 to AC in the best case scenario for any other party member. If the other party members don't have exactly 14 Dex, the party-wide usability falls a lot. And due to sentinel and etc, medium armor seems to have fallen out of favor and you either see high dex or no dex builds floating around who don't really benefit from it.
Yeah, I think the main purpose of Drakeheart is characters that don't fit into good armor - my first thought was a Monk with Alchemist dedication but the lagging advanced alchemy progression limits the long-term usefulness of that. Investigator isn't making enough elixirs to share anyways so there's no pressure to get party buff value out of it.
Shoony, with Tiefling Versatile heritage, Swashbuckler. Braggart style.
Nicknamed Devil Dog of the Inner Seas.
My current Extinction Curse character: The Dragon Knight (Free archetype variant, started at level 2 (RIP Swip)).
Ancestry and heritage: Black Dragonscaled Kobold
Background: Dragon Scholar
Class: Gymnast Swashbuckler
STR 16
DEX 18
CON 12
WIS 8
INT 8
CHA 14
Main weapon: spiked chain (sweet sweet trip and disarm from a mount)
Level 1: Disarming flair (trip and disarm Pachache)
Level 2 Archetype: Cavalier (Riding drake mount)
Be a black Dragonscaled Kobold, riding a black dragon. Trade swashbuckler mobility for a slick drake that you ride while tripping and knocking the weapons from your foes hands, before sweeping down on them with a finisher.
AvalonRellen wrote: My current Extinction Curse character: The Dragon Knight (Free archetype variant, started at level 2 (RIP Swip)).
Ancestry and heritage: Black Dragonscaled Kobold
Background: Dragon Scholar
Class: Gymnast Swashbuckler
STR 16
DEX 18
CON 12
WIS 8
INT 8
CHA 14
Main weapon: spiked chain (sweet sweet trip and disarm from a mount)
Level 1: Disarming flair (trip and disarm Pachache)
Level 2 Archetype: Cavalier (Riding drake mount)
Be a black Dragonscaled Kobold, riding a black dragon. Trade swashbuckler mobility for a slick drake that you ride while tripping and knocking the weapons from your foes hands, before sweeping down on them with a finisher.
Neat build!
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Melee Toxicologist:
Build Synopsis: Tanky build (drakeheart+shield) designed around delivering 1 attack per round with Flank+Poison while keeping survivability to do so.
Half-elf Alchemist (toxicologist)
16/12/12/18/10/10
Level 1: Quick Block (ancestry), Familiar
Level 2: Bastion Archetype
At these levels there's no reason yet to use your poisons. Better off using Drakeheart+Shield for a good AC and use the rest of your elixirs for Healing people around, giving flank, and etc.
Level 3: Elven weapon familiarity
Now it starts to get a bit better. We finally have a good weapon (longsword probably being the best option since we cant count for criticals as an alchemist) and now we can craft more poisons/ingredient
We still cant apply poisons midcombat due to hands issues, but at least we should have enough to cover all of our ally weapons with for the 1st strike of each combat.
Level 4: Disarming Block
Level 5: Dex 14 means we now cap our AC with Drakeheart and Str 18 helps with attacks. Everyone else gets expert with weapons though, so we're still 2 points behind in attack rolls, so getting flank is almost mandatory still.
Level 6: Nimble Shield Hand
That's a major shift in our gameplay. Now we can poison midcombat without sacrifing survivability.
With Indipendent and valet on our familiar, it gets to fish out and give us a poison in our shield hand, and we use an Interact action to apply it.
In general, we should Poison->stride to flank/raise shield->Strike depending on our position. And if we have poison on our weapon or not.
Level 8: Pinpoint Poisoner. Flanking goes from really good to mandatory. -2 to saves is something we need for our poisons to have any realiable chance to be applied (like 50% vs level appropriate)
Level 9: Haste from Ancestry. We usually attack with simple Strikes. So that makes it so that we can both Stride and Raise shield on rounds we have to apply poison.
Level 10: Familiar Master
2 Extra abilities for our pet. I would probably go with Indipendent, Manual dexterity, Innate surge (2nd haste), and Lab assistant/Valet. Lab assistant is nice because it opens our quick alchemy that was blocked so far due to our Shield. It does make it so that it only give us a poison on hand every 2nd round round though unless we ditch Surge to take both (if 2nd Haste is better than poison every turn is dependent on wher you are, what you fight, how many fights you expect per day, and etc).
Level 12: Incredible Familiar
2 more familiar abilities means both Valet+Assistant+Surge, and leaves 1 more for utility. Tough, Skilled, Fly, Shared senses, lifelink, speed, are all nice to have so choose what you like more.
Level 14/16/18: Extend, Eternal, Improbable
Potions, 2hour mutagens, permanent fly/haste/mistform (depending on level), etc
manbearscientist wrote: An Oracular Archer
Class: Oracle (Tempest/Hanspur)
Ancestry: Elf (Ancient)
Elf Feats: Elven Weapon Familiarity, Elemental Wrath
1-Ranger Dedication
2-Divine Aegis
4-Bespell Weapon
6-Divine Access (hydraulic push, aqueous orb, solid fog)
8-Quick Draw (Ranger)
10-Gravity Weapon (Ranger)
12-Eldritch Archer Dedication
14-Mysterious Repertoire (Disintegrate)
16-Quickened Casting
18-Seeker Arrow
20-Oracular Providence
Final Stats:18/22/18/16/10/22
Another 'ole Eldritch Archer build. This ones shtick is that it dips heavily out of the Divine tree for Solid Fog and Disintegrate and using the Tempest mystery to see through all forms of fog and mist.
The problem with this is simple: obscuring mist and solid fog aren't divine spells and obscuring mist isn't offered as a cleric spell by any god. So before level 8, the only way to take advantage of your mystery naturally is to be setup by allies, spend 5 actions using Trick Magic Item on a wand, or best of all use a Horn of Fog if allowed by your GM.
But once we get up to 14, the fun really begins. Before the fight, we buff up with Heroism and Foresight. Upon entering combat, We first set-up with Quickened Casting>Solid Fog, then cast Gravity Weapon. The following turn, we begin unleashing Bespell Weapon>Eldritch Shot turn after turn.
This isn't really much more damaging than any other Eldritch Shot build (+36 for 4d8+12+5d6+20d10 disintegrate), it's unique thing is the safety of shooting from inside a Solid Fog. Early on, you can approximate this with Horn of Fog+Quick Draw into Spell>Bespell Weapon>Strike.
I liked this build so much.
WHat about the spell repertoire? Wich spells do you recommmed from 1st to 10th?
SirPeter wrote: manbearscientist wrote: An Oracular Archer
Class: Oracle (Tempest/Hanspur)
Ancestry: Elf (Ancient)
Elf Feats: Elven Weapon Familiarity, Elemental Wrath
1-Ranger Dedication
2-Divine Aegis
4-Bespell Weapon
6-Divine Access (hydraulic push, aqueous orb, solid fog)
8-Quick Draw (Ranger)
10-Gravity Weapon (Ranger)
12-Eldritch Archer Dedication
14-Mysterious Repertoire (Disintegrate)
16-Quickened Casting
18-Seeker Arrow
20-Oracular Providence
Final Stats:18/22/18/16/10/22
Another 'ole Eldritch Archer build. This ones shtick is that it dips heavily out of the Divine tree for Solid Fog and Disintegrate and using the Tempest mystery to see through all forms of fog and mist.
The problem with this is simple: obscuring mist and solid fog aren't divine spells and obscuring mist isn't offered as a cleric spell by any god. So before level 8, the only way to take advantage of your mystery naturally is to be setup by allies, spend 5 actions using Trick Magic Item on a wand, or best of all use a Horn of Fog if allowed by your GM.
But once we get up to 14, the fun really begins. Before the fight, we buff up with Heroism and Foresight. Upon entering combat, We first set-up with Quickened Casting>Solid Fog, then cast Gravity Weapon. The following turn, we begin unleashing Bespell Weapon>Eldritch Shot turn after turn.
This isn't really much more damaging than any other Eldritch Shot build (+36 for 4d8+12+5d6+20d10 disintegrate), it's unique thing is the safety of shooting from inside a Solid Fog. Early on, you can approximate this with Horn of Fog+Quick Draw into Spell>Bespell Weapon>Strike.
I liked this build so much.
WHat about the spell repertoire? Wich spells do you recommmed from 1st to 10th? If you could suggest general and skill feats too, it would be awesome! :)
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