Interesting synergies

[Skrayper]

I was wondering if anyone had some interesting player to player synergies they've used or wanted to try out.

This is in relation to a discussion when a player mentioned he would enjoy trying out a fighter (or Warpriest, depending) using Butterfly's Sting, a scythe (2-handed, 2d4, x4 on crit)in conjunction with someone using something like a rapier or other 18-20 crit weapon.

Quote:

Butterfly’s Sting (Critical)

You can forgo a critical hit in order to pass it on to an ally.

Prerequisite: Combat Expertise, worship of the associated deity.

Benefit: When you confirm a critical hit against a creature, you can choose to forgo the effect of the critical hit and grant a critical hit to the next ally who hits the creature with a melee attack before the start of your next turn. Your attack only deals normal damage, and the next ally automatically confirms the hit as a critical.

I pointed out that an Inspired Blade get Improved Crit as early as 5th, but at 11th gets this:

Quote:

Inspired Strike (Ex): At 11th level, an inspired blade can spend 1 panache point when making an attack with a rapier to gain an insight bonus on that attack roll equal to her Intelligence modifier (minimum +1). When an inspired blade hits with an attack augmented by inspired strike, she can spend 1 additional panache point to make the hit a critical threat, though if she does so, she does not regain panache if she confirms that critical threat. The cost of this deed cannot be reduced by abilities such as Signature Deed.

Throw in Corrosive burst and if you're working with a Warpriest, a feat-less attack at 12th is automatically getting (1d10+Str*1.5)*4 - or with just a 22 strength, 4d10+36 - not including any feats, weapon enchantments, etc. Throw in burst and you have an additional 3d10 elemental damage. All for the cost of 2 panache points.

I was just wondering if anyone else had thought of interesting combos to work in with your teammates.

[Darigaaz the Igniter]

Witch with the slumber hex + a teammate with a x3 or x4 crit weapon.

[Oli Ironbar]

Bard paired with Two Weapon melee / flurry Monk or with archer with Rapid Shot. Canceling out the penalty and adding to the damage of each hit is nice.

Skald and Barbarian makes for just about all day permanent rage. Amplified Rage teamwork feat works well for the pairing, Warleader feat for the Skald makes it more practical.

Rogue and monk work well together once the monk's speed picks up to help with flanking.

Life Oracle and someone with a Vicious Weapon is thematically cool and somewhat practical.

Reach fighters with improved/greater trip and combat reflexes have good synergy.

Flame Dancer bard and ray casters. The party can see through smoke and enemies cannot, which means rays are going against flat footed touch AC.

I will think of more.

[Wonderstell]

I did try to make the ultimate caster enabler as a pure martial, but it took too long to come online for the types of games I usually play in. The idea was to be an Eldritch Guardian Fighter with Overwatch Style and Concentrated Fire, using the Weapon Trick that lowers enemy saving throws with readied attacks.

So at level 11 you could theoretically apply a -32 penalty to an enemy's saving throw vs one effect, or spread the penalty out in increments of -8 on multiple effects in a round.

[VoodistMonk]

An Aasimar Lantern Lighter Ranger with the Stunning Light and/or Paralyzing Light class abilities, a Glorious enchanted weapon, and has taken Heavenly Radiance 3 times for extra uses of their Daylight SLA that can also be used for Searing Light, Wandering Star Motes, or Sunbeam.

Oh, and someone to spam Fear the Sun...

[avr]

Color spray and a monkey familiar to run away with the weapons dropped by stunned enemies; a PC could do the familiar's job there better.

While a wizard who can turn invisible may be able to do the rogue's job better, a rogue turned invisible by a wizard may be better still.

Two PCs stacking fear effects can be truly terrifying.

[VoodistMonk]

Yeah, if you get some Signature Skill Intimidate/Dazzlying Display nonsense going, and pair it with someone who has Dastardly Finish... there's a lot of CdG synergy builds in here...

[Firebug]

Ground fighting, Paired Opportunist, and Intrepid Rescuer.

I once did this on an Eldritch Guardian Fighter/Dip Monk. Pretended to be a merfolk/triton and flopping around all the time with a 'playful' familiar that did the same thing in the same square... and had Alien jaws (Evolved Familiar, Reach).

[Ryan Freire]

Wonderstell wrote:

I did try to make the ultimate caster enabler as a pure martial, but it took too long to come online for the types of games I usually play in. The idea was to be an Eldritch Guardian Fighter with Overwatch Style and Concentrated Fire, using the Weapon Trick that lowers enemy saving throws with readied attacks.

So at level 11 you could theoretically apply a -32 penalty to an enemy's saving throw vs one effect, or spread the penalty out in increments of -8 on multiple effects in a round.

I would love to see this build.

[Wonderstell]

relevant feats:

Weapon Trick: Hindering Shot wrote:

(Precise Shot, Snap Shot): You can distract a foe at a crucial moment, making it vulnerable to your allies’ abilities. You can ready an action to make a ranged attack against a foe when an ally forces the foe to attempt a saving throw. If your attack hits the foe and deals damage, the foe takes a –4 penalty on the saving throw that triggered your readied action.

Overwatch Style wrote:

You have learned to wait until your ranged attacks have the greatest effect.

Prerequisites: Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus with the chosen weapon.

Benefit: While using this style, as a full-round action you can ready two ranged attacks with the chosen weapon, each with its own triggering event. You take a –2 penalty on attack rolls made with these readied actions.

Special: A character with this feat and the weapon training (bows, crossbows, or firearms) class feature can use Overwatch Style with any bow, crossbow, or firearm, respectively, in addition to the chosen weapon.

Overwatch Vortex wrote:

You are ready to respond to many more of your foes’ actions.

Prerequisites: Overwatch Style, Overwatch Tactician, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus with the chosen weapon, base attack bonus +11.

Benefit: While using the Overwatch Style, as a full-round action you can ready up to four ranged attacks, each with its own triggering event. You take a –2 penalty on attack rolls made with these readied actions.

Concentrated Fire wrote:

Your simultaneous ranged attacks punch through your foe’s defenses with ease.

Prerequisites: Point-Blank Shot, elf, weapon familiarity racial trait.

Benefit: If you and a single ally who also has this feat both ready an action to each make a ranged attack against the same opponent and choose the same condition for the readied action, when you and the ally make those attacks, each of you can use the highest of the two attack rolls for your attack roll. Furthermore, if you and your ally both hit the target, you can total the damage for both attacks before applying the target’s damage reduction or energy resistance.

***

The base idea is to use the Hindering Shot weapon trick and make several such readied actions with Overwatch Style. A standard build could then make a foe take a -8 penalty to a saving throw if both attacks hit, and with Overwatch Vortex they'd take a -16 penalty if all four attacks hit. To make this idea even better we're taking (at least) two levels of Eldritch Guardian fighter, which grants us a familiar that shares all of our combat feats. So with Overwatch Vortex you and the familiar can together ready eight attacks per round.

Now that sounds good on paper but the familiar will have a significantly lower chance of hitting. Which is why we're letting the familiar piggyback on your attack roll with the Concentrated Fire combat/teamwork/racial feat (available to elves and half-elves as they can both get Weapon Familiarity). Even when the familiar stands nine ranged increments away with a weapon they're not proficient in and their total attack roll is a measly 2, they can still use your attack roll of 28 to hit.

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As for an actual build, here's an example that uses levels of Zen Archer to get it online earlier than otherwise possible. You'll notice the lack of Deadly Aim which can be achieved at this level with another dip, but tri-classing is a bit ugly imo.

Lv 7 Dual Overwatcher:

Half-Elf
Zen Archer Monk 3 / Eldritch Guardian Fighter 4

Racial Traits:
Weapon Familiarity (replaces Adaptability)
Elf Blood
Elven Immunities
Keen Senses
Blended View (replaces Multitalented)

Class Progression and Feats:
Monk 1-3
1 Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot (B) Perfect Strike (B)
2 Rapid Shot (B), Weapon Focus (B)
3 Overwatch Style, Point Blank Master (B)

Eldritch Guardian 1-4
4 Familiar (maybe a monkey?)
5 Concentrated Fire, Share Training
6
7 Snap Shot, Weapon Trick (Ranged) (B)

What's next?
Deadly Aim
Overwatch Tactician
Overwatch Vortext
Improved Precise Shot

Tips
A familiar with the Mauler archetype can wield a medium sized composite bow, which isn't a bad dmg bonus.

With a Cracked Opalescent White Pyramid ioun stone (implanted) you can become proficient with the Orc Hornbow (2d6 dmg) without paying the EWP feat tax.

Your familiar has no need for a good attack bonus, but it certainly wants to stay alive. Keep it far out of reach.

Since Concentrated Fire allows you to total the damage dealt by the two of you before applying DR you effectively add twice the Deadly Aim bonus no matter how weak your familiar is. In situations when accuracy is important you yourself can refrain from using Deadly Aim, but your familiar's bonus should always be active.

At higher levels you want to get the familiar a +1 Seeking weapon to negate any miss chance.

***