Hit point sponge isn't really the point, though it is the most obvious choice. Really just the base ubarb would do what I want well. I just like making weird combinations. I find it's one of the more entertaining aspects of pathfinder character creation.
To each their own, but tiny character builds are a big hell no for me. They are way to much exploiting the flaws in the system and making something that makes absolutely no sense.
Though talking about that makes me wonder how far you could go the other way. What options are there to make yourself really really big?
Actual size huge
Effective damage size colossal+
Polymorph spells, wild shape, abyssal bloodrager, form of the beast revelation, plant/growth subdomain or just enlarge person potion addict; any of these work and none of them stack. Pick your poison if you want to be big. Possession spells could stack with one of the above but they tend to be inconveniently high level.
There are also ways to wield big weapons and to treat your attacks as a size or two larger as Ryan refers to, and other tricks to increase reach if you like that sort of thing. Those do stack with being bigger in most cases.
Yeah something like a Tiefling Goliath Druid with a dip in Titan Mauler and an Impact weappn probably gets you to Colossal damage.
And suddenly, the party finds themselves fighting indoors, underground, and in places with confining ovehead cover. Diviner Wizards operating ballistas in every tower on every wall. Vexing Mousers and swarms of tiny Doom Songbirds. Kobold lairs where medium people have to squeeze...
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
then how about 5th Martial Artist (monk) for immunity to Fatigue and then a Improved Stalwart, Bolstered Resilience build?
keep your AC reasonable and really pump that DR every turn
|
then how about 5th Martial Artist (monk) for immunity to Fatigue and then a Improved Stalwart, Bolstered Resilience build?
keep your AC reasonable and really pump that DR every turn
I like that idea, though it'd be an extremely mad character with needing a 13 int added to monk. Something to try in a high point buy game.
I like that idea, though it'd be an extremely mad character with needing a 13 int added to monk. Something to try in a high point buy game.then how about 5th Martial Artist (monk) for immunity to Fatigue and then a Improved Stalwart, Bolstered Resilience build?
keep your AC reasonable and really pump that DR every turn
You can get around the INT requirement by taking a level in Brawler, probaboy some other classes or archetypes too. (Swashbuckler I think? Been a while since I looked at that.)
There's obviously some overlap with Brawler and Monk, but the Exemplar archetype keeps Martial Training and Martial Flexibility, and gives a pretty unique group-buff at level 1.
Swashbuckler - cha
Brawler - free parking
Kinetic knight - con
Vigilante - talent
Probably some more but those are the standouts
I like that idea, though it'd be an extremely mad character with needing a 13 int added to monk. Something to try in a high point buy game.then how about 5th Martial Artist (monk) for immunity to Fatigue and then a Improved Stalwart, Bolstered Resilience build?
keep your AC reasonable and really pump that DR every turn
you talking for Combat Expertise? I'd just fight defensively instead and maybe pick up Crane Style
Remember, Dirty Fighting does NOT count as Combat Expertise for everything. Only Combat Maneuver feats.
Relevant text from feat:
This feat counts as having Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, and Improved Unarmed Strike for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites of the various improved combat maneuver feats, as well as feats that require those improved combat maneuver feats as prerequisites.
I think in this case Combat Expertise is actually being taken for the Dodge bonus to AC, so that it can be converted into DR by Stalwart.
With that in mind Crane Style accomplishes the same thing only more efficiently. The only downside is that Crane Style costs more feats, but if you're getting one of them (Unarmed Strike) from class features it lessens the cost.
There's a trait that gives yoh +1 dodge when you fight defensively - I forget the name - but with Crane Style and 3 ranks in Acrobatics that puts you at -2 to hit for +5 AC. This is the most that actually henefits Stalwart(/Improved) so you end up at -2 to hit for DR:10/-, which is a pretty gokd trade most of the time.
would the damage reduction from Stalwart count for qualifying for Bolstered Resistance?
Otherwise that's the one sticking point for getting this combo online relatively fast
so Martial Artist 5, Invulnerable Rager 2, Human
1st Endurance
Human Diehard
Monk 1st Dodge
Monk 2nd Deflect Arrows
3rd Stalwart
5th Crane Style
7th Bolstered Resilience
between raging temp hit points, diehard and DR 10, you should be pretty tanky in a non-standard way and still have good hit and damage, again thanks to rage
There's an ioun stone which converts fatigued to sickened (flawed scarlet & green cabochon). A potion of lesser restoration can remove the fatigued condition.
VMC Oracle, Lame Curse...? This build would probably be too feat intensive to consider VMC, though.
Oracle curses level at half speed with non-oracle class levels, so Oracle-1/Monk-8 counts as Oracle-5 as far as the curse is concerned. It's level 9 to get fatigue immunity but it's something.
Another way would be Paladin-3 for the Fatigue Mercy. It's not immunity but it's a swift-action to remove Fatogue a few times per day. It'd come online earlier but a 3 level dip and an alignment restriction might be a bit steep.
And suddenly, the party finds themselves fighting indoors, underground, and in places with confining ovehead cover. Diviner Wizards operating ballistas in every tower on every wall. Vexing Mousers and swarms of tiny Doom Songbirds. Kobold lairs where medium people have to squeeze...
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
I totally missed this yeaterday, but 2 things:
1. Playing with that GM WOULD be a stupid game. If you as a GM have a problem with a character concept/build you should talk to the player, not "play stupid games".
2. You're a Druid. If you can't grow giant and smash face with your 24d6 Vital Strike remember you're still a 9th level caster.
Another way would be Paladin-3 for the Fatigue Mercy. It's not immunity but it's a swift-action to remove Fatogue a few times per day. It'd come online earlier but a 3 level dip and an alignment restriction might be a bit steep.
the only reason we need to get rid of fatigue is Bolstered Resilience, what level would we be able to go with that build if you went paladin? Also, we still need Invulnerable Rager 2nd for the DR unless the DR provided by Stalwart meets the prereq. So if not, that means we can't take Paladin.
Otherwise a Stalwart Paladin build is also pretty good, you'll probably not be getting the higher DR for awhile, but the heavier armor and healing abilities probably make up for that.
I think Stalwart counts for Bolstered Resliliance, but even if it doesn't a Stalwart Paladin would be pretty hard to beat.
Here's my Stalwart Paladin build that I've posted a couple of times (never played it, but it'd be pretty hard to kill).
Paladin-4/U-Monk-2/Fighter-1/Paladin-4 (HOSPITALER/SCALED-FIST/UNBREAKABLE archetypes).
My stats at level 1 were: S+17 (15+2), D-14, C-14, I-7, W-12, C-15. Level up CHA at 4, then STR at 8 (then more STR as you level up).
Feats:
1. Fey Foundling (Human), Power Attack
2.
3. Greater Mercy
4.
5. Unarmed Strike (Monk), Dodge (Monk), Crane Style
6. Combat Reflexes (Monk)
7. Endurance (Fighter), Diehard (Fighter), Stalwart
8.
9. Ultimate Mercy Bolstered Resliliance
10.
11. Improved Stalwart.
The dips are for feats, but if unarmoured you also get CHA-to-AC, Flurry-of-Blows and Evasion. The Unarmoured AC Bonus also affects your Touch AC, Flat-Footed AC and your CMD.
So with Crane Style, Aldori Caution and 3 ranks in Acrobatics when you fight defensively it's -2 to hit for +5 AC, and with Improved Stalwart you can swap that AC for DR:10/-.
With the Hospitaler archetype you get 3+CHA Channels per day, which is nice and all, but with a single MEDITATION CRYSTAL you can turn all those Channels into extra Lay on Hands uses, so you're at 2×CHA + Half your level + 3 LoH per day (13/day, 15 with a +2CHA Headband).
With Fey Foundling, Greater Mercy and some BRACERS OF THE MERCIFUL KNIGHT your LoH sbould be healing you for 7d6+14 (~38.5) hitpoints as a swift action, and the Bracers bring you up to 15/day (17 with a +2 Headband), for a total of ~577hp/day (~654 with the headband).
If Bolstered Resilience works then you've got DR:20/- vs 1 attack per round, but since it takes your immediate action you wouldn't be able to LoH for a round so you'd be fatigued for 1 round. I'm not sure I think this feat's worth it, but you could take a 1 level dip in Oracle at level 9 (when you get Bolstered Resiliance) and you'd be immune to fatigue. Personally I just wouldn't bother with this feat.
Also the Human FCB for Paladin gives you Energy Resistance 1 for an energy type, so by level 4 you have Energy Resistance 1 in Acid/Cold/Electricity/Fire, and with the Unscathed trait that becomes ER:3 each (I put another point in each so it's ER:4 vs each by level 11).
You're not a super high DPR character, but you can Smite (2/day) and use a Divine Bond weapon (+2, 1/day) to increase your damage output for important fights.
Without any gear at all this character has AC:15, CMD:30 and saves of F-16, R-10, W-10 (and Evasion, and immunity to Fatigue/Disease/Charm effects). With a +2 CHA headband and a +3 Cloak those go up to F-20, R-14, W-14. With the headband and a +3 Ring of Protection your CMD is 34.
I feel like I've forgotten some detail, but that'll do for now =P
EDIT: I messed up my point buy I think, either DEX or WIS would be a little lower, your choice I guess.
This is a lot of moving around different items and classes for something that fulfills all the goals in one class. Kinetic knight does all of this and self-removes fatigue via having access to the samurai's resolve ability.
Yeah the Kinetic Knight looked pretty good, I'm just not familiar with the Kineticist.
Alas, APs fall short in this aspect, and instead tend to throw an easily swarmable single kaiju at the party...
Had an archer built played flak against a great old wyrm with +500hp... the dragon died 500ft away from the party within round no. 2.
Swarming is not necessary with offensively built pathfinder chars :)