I suppose it does require that effective druid levels for the purpose of animal companion count as druid levels when counting the "any" druid levels that combine with totem spiritualist.
There's a possible reading that totem spiritualist doesn't stack with effective druid levels for the purpose of animal companion, but with druid levels regardless of whether or not those druid levels have an animal companion.
Since we're going with literal rather than reasonable readings here with the ironbound sword I think that goes for the totem spiritualist too.
So. Actually breaking the world with a martial character isn't doable, but making a broken character can be done. Why not an archer? It combines well with a mount.
Feats
1: point blank shot
3: precise shot
Fighter 1, 2, 4 (level 4): rapid shot, weapon focus, weapon spec.
5: boon companion
Fighter 6 (level 6): advanced weapon training (warrior spirit)
7: point blank master
Samurai 4 (level 7): mounted archer
Fighter 8 (level 8): manyshot
9: clustered shots
Samurai 6 (level 9): deadly aim
Fighter 10 (level 10): greater weapon focus
Order of the beast (ACG version) gets you a flying mount eventually with no further hassle and helps your mount do any melee fighting required.
Basically it works out as a weapon master fighter with a mount, a cavalier order and a couple of extra feats, and a couple extra skill points at most levels.
Assuming on a "reasonable" reading, what does that clause in the ironbound sword even do? Should it just have left off "class features" since it says what it says.
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Assuming on a "reasonable" reading, what does that clause in the ironbound sword even do? Should it just have left off "class features" since it says what it says.
It looks like the author intended to leave the last part of Weapon Expertise (the samurai ability that Merciful Combatant replaces) relatively intact. Here's the last sentence of Weapon Expertise.
Finally, his samurai levels count as fighter levels and stack with any fighter levels he possesses for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites for feats that specifically select his chosen weapon, such as Weapon Specialization.
But it looks like while deleting the part about "chosen weapon" (which the Ironbound Sword doesn't have) they somehow added in class features.
So the minimum reasonable errata would be:
At 3rd level, an ironbound sword becomes an expert at defeating foes without killing them. An ironbound sword can use any weapon to deal nonlethal damage without taking the normal –4 penalty on attack rolls. Additionally, the ironbound sword gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuvers against a target so long as the last successful attack she made against that target dealt nonlethal damage.Her samurai levels count as fighter levels and stack with fighter levels for the purposes of fighter and samurai prerequisites and class features.Her samurai levels count as fighter levels and stack with any fighter levels she possesses for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites for feats.
Even that interpretation is better than the base samurai ability. It's quite possible the author intended to restrict the feat choices farther - only to feats that related to abilities the Ironbound Sword got - but lacked the language to explain this succinctly. To make a wild guess, there may have been many sentences explaining how to determine whether or not a feat was related to Ironbound Sword "class features" and when editing made its pass we ended up with the published text.
Since we're going with literal rather than reasonable readings here with the ironbound sword I think that goes for the totem spiritualist too.
So. Actually breaking the world with a martial character isn't doable, but making a broken character can be done. Why not an archer? It combines well with a mount.
** spoiler omitted **
I think Ironbound 3/Archer 5/Ironbound X would be better for it
I think Ironbound 3/Archer 5/Ironbound X would be better for itSince we're going with literal rather than reasonable readings here with the ironbound sword I think that goes for the totem spiritualist too.
So. Actually breaking the world with a martial character isn't doable, but making a broken character can be done. Why not an archer? It combines well with a mount.
** spoiler omitted **
The archer fighter archetype is not good. It doesn't get weapon training which means it can't get advanced weapon training and can't use gloves of dueling. This in turn means by level 9 it's 3 attack and 3 damage behind a weapon master, or 5 attack and 2d6+5 damage behind if the weapon master gets a standard action to buff with. Trick shot and hawkeye are nice but not nice enough to make up for it (safe shot = point blank master which I included in the build; the archer saves one feat there I guess).
We haven't discussed Eldritch Guardian. Is there any Samurai combat feats that Shared Training could exploit?
I'd guess that the explanation for what the author thought they were writing is that they simply forgot that "Bonus Feats" is a single class feature of the Fighter class. A one level dip turning into 11 free feats for a 19th level Samurai is the only part of this ability that I'd have a problem with personally, without that this isn't any more problematic than Shapeshifting Hunter / Shaping Focus.
Getting full progression weapon training from a 5 level hiatus in fighter is a lot better than what you'd get from the last 5 levels in Samurai though (literally just true resolve and last stand).
Shaping focus & shapeshifting hunter each advance just one class feature. Shaping focus also has a 4 level limit on how much it can advance its class feature by and it's still 'how to make a druid who crushes CR in their tentacles'.
I still think the most likely way of breaking this "NOT A GESTALT" build is somehow leveraging Unconquerable Resolve. It was never designed to be able to be taken with the amount of feats available to a fighter.
The challenge is, is Resolve Cycling. There isn't anything (as far as I am aware) that makes it as easy as a barbarian who rage cycles. Order of the Warrior - Way of the Samurai looks to be the easiest.
Then there is utilising excess hitpoint for profit. Blood magic isn't really a thing.
All-Consuming Swing is the best candidate in my opinion.
Titan Fighter 5/Ironbound Samurai X
Vital Strike, Cleave, Order of the Warrior
Vicious weapon?
+2d6 weapon damage for +1 cost.
Yep it fits
My build idea is
Order: Way of the Warrior
Titan Fighter 5/Ironbound Samurai X
Feats:
1 (Level) - Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Butchering Axe)
1 (Human) - Power Attack
1 (Class) - Giant Weapon Fighter
2 (Fighter) - Cleave
3 (Level) - Unconquerable Resolve
4 (Fighter) - Great Cleave
5 (Level) - Unconquerable Resolve
6 (Fighter) - Vital Strike
6 (Samurai) - Lunge
7 (Level) - Unconquerable Resolve
8 (Fighteer) - All Consuming Swing
9 (Level) - Iron Will
10 (Fighter) - Unconquerable Resolve
11 (Level) -Improved Vital Strike
12 (Fighter) -
12 (Samurai) -
We haven't discussed Eldritch Guardian. Is there any Samurai combat feats that Shared Training could exploit?
Aether elemental improved familiar with some grapple feats including bushwhack and throat slicer? If you're playing with a DM who rules that TK grapple moves the target adjacent to you, then you have a 600ft bushwhack coup de grace combo as your aether elemental grapples the dude, he flies next to you, gets pinned, and you finish it off.
The samurai nonlethal option combines well with the merciful takedown feat if you'd rather not teleport kill everyone.
Bringing this back for something potentially interesting
How does
At 3rd level, an ironbound sword becomes an expert at defeating foes without killing them. An ironbound sword can use any weapon to deal nonlethal damage without taking the normal –4 penalty on attack rolls. Additionally, the ironbound sword gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuvers against a target so long as the last successful attack she made against that target dealt nonlethal damage. Her samurai levels count as fighter levels and stack with fighter levels for the purposes of fighter and samurai prerequisites and class features.
work with something like the Evangelists
Evangelists come from many different backgrounds, and they show an unusual range of diversity. At 2nd level, the evangelist must choose a class she belonged to before adding the prestige class to be her aligned class. She gains all the class features for this class, essentially adding every evangelist level beyond 1st to her aligned class to determine what class features she gains. She still retains the Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saving throw bonuses, and skill ranks of the prestige class, but gains all other class features of her aligned class as well as those of the evangelist prestige class.
Now I ask this because with certain archetypes you have your last level or 2 with nothing. Evangelist could take one of those "spare" levels and add all of its boon stuff.
That leads onto another question if everything stacks. What would be a good Deity to worship?
Sarenrae is certainly appropriate.
The boon stuff is useful if taken early but if you're taking levels 11-20 as evangelist, their boons don't come any earlier. Also evangelist is 3/4 BAB which would hurt a fighter/samurai.
I am confused by unconquerable resolve. At one point it says the temporary hit points vanish after 1 minute. And later it says they last 24 hours. Which is it?
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I am confused by unconquerable resolve. At one point it says the temporary hit points vanish after 1 minute. And later it says they last 24 hours. Which is it?
no one knows. I've ran it as it lasts 24 hours, but if you take damage the 1 minute timer starts ticking.
That way it can be like a "buff spell" samurai get.
Here is an idea I have been thinking about
Class: Ironbound Samurai/Mobile Fighter
Order: Order of Vengeance
Race: Half-Orc
Character Level - Class - Class Level - Feats
1 - Ironbound Samurai - 1 - Power Attack
2 - Ironbound Samurai - 2
3 - Ironbound Samurai - 3 - Enforcer
4 - Mobile Fighter - 1 - Hurtful & Weapon Focus (Katana) & Dazzling Display
5 - Mobile Fighter - 2 - TBD
6 - Mobile Fighter - 3 - Violent Display
7 - Mobile Fighter - 4 - TBD
8 - Mobile Fighter - 5 - Improved Critical
Order of Vengeance and Half-Orcs Intimidating makes Intimidate checks powerful. Enforcer synergies with Merciful combatant. Then the free Critical focus from OoV synergies with the display feats and Improved Critical. Plus make sure the weapon is 'Cruel'
You also have spare feats for other things
What about Warrior Poet, Order of the Hammer?
1-3. Warrior Poet Samurai
This gets Weapon Finesse to be used with a Katana, Petals to the Wind, Kitsune's Mystique, scaling unarmed strike damage and a free grapple attempt.
4-7. Kidnapper-Scout UnRogue
This provides skills and Reflex saves, Dex-to-Dmg with your Katana, Improved Grapple and Greater Grapple as Rogue Talents, 2D6 Sneak Attack, Sneak Attack on a charge, and you can grab the Strangler and Bushwhack feats to compliment Chokehold (which you get from Order of the Hammer).
8-12. Warrior Poet Samurai
Here you get Uncanny Guidance, Spring Attack, and Chokehold.
13-16. Kidnapper-Scout UnRogue
This gets you up to 4D6 Sneak Attack, Sneak Attack now activates any time you move more than 10'... which is nice with Spring Attack... you get a Rogue's Edge Skill Unlock, your bonus to pin an opponent goes up, you should probably have Throat Slicer and maybe Sap Adept/Master, too.
17-20. Warrior Poet Samurai
For reasons... like we want Vital Strike on our Skirmisher Spring Attacks...
The idea is to get Weapon Finesse/Dex-to-Damage with a Katana pretty much as soon as possible. Nothing is more Samurai than a Katana.
We stick it out for 3 levels, however, to get enough BAB to qualify for Greater Grapple as a Rogue Talent at level 7... anyways, we use the Flourish at level 3 to grab Kitsune's Mystique. This sets us up to dip into Rogue pretty nicely.
At level 8, we have Dex-to-DMG, fient as part of a move, 2D6 Sneak Attack on a charge and on a grapple if you take Strangler, Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, Improved/Greater Grapple to go with the free grapple attempt you get.
By level 16, Skirmisher slaps 4D6 Sneak Attack on top of your Spring Attack, you can pin people and execute them with a coup de grace, which is like the ultimate display of how mighty one is (it's important to your Order that you display how powerful you are).
I also like Warrior Poet VMC Cleric (Desna)... Desna's Shooting Star for Charisma to attack and damage, Deific Obedience for Desna's Exalted boons, Channel Energy keyed to your Charisma, you can get Shot on the Run without prerquisites.
If you are Human with a bonus feat, you could start with Desna's Shooting Star as well as Quickdraw... just to get it out of the way, because it seems underwhelming if/when you take it by itself. You are getting Charisma to attack and damage at this exact same time, so Quickdraw just rides that glory.
An update, a change in Fighter Archetype
Class: Ironbound Samurai/Dragonheir Scion
Order: Order of Vengeance
Race: Half-Orc
Character Level - Class - Class Level - Feats
1 - Ironbound Samurai - 1 - Power Attack
2 - Ironbound Samurai - 2
3 - Ironbound Samurai - 3 - Enforcer
4 - Dragonheir Scion - 1 - Arcane Strike
5 - Dragonheir Scion - 2 - Hurtful & Weapon Focus (Katana)
6 - Dragonheir Scion - 3 -
7 - Dragonheir Scion - 4 - Draconian Strike & TBD
8 - Dragonheir Scion - 5 - Improved Critical
9 - Dragonheir Scion - 6 - Dazzling Display & Violent Display
10 - Dragonheir Scion - 7 - Flickering Step
11 - Dragonheir Scion - 8 - Dimensional Agility
12 - Dragonheir Scion - 9 - Dimensional Assault
13 - Dragonheir Scion - 10 - Dimensional Dervish
Half-Orc Intimidating + Fearful Might + Air Grievances = A lot of Intimidation
Enforcer + Merciful Combatant = Free action Intimidate
Improved Critical + Dazzling and Violent Display = Immediate Mass Intimidation
Hurtful = An extra attack
Cruel Weapon = Added Debuff
Dimensional Feats = Pounce
Level 15 Dragonheir Scion = Flight
I would ideally love to squeeze in Disheartening Display and maybe Deadly Stroke but hey, this is why it is a draft
Accidentally shared a previous version of my update
Class: Ironbound Samurai/Dragonheir Scion
Order: Order of Vengeance
Race: Half-OrcCharacter Level - Class - Class Level - Feats
1 - Ironbound Samurai - 1 - Power Attack
2 - Ironbound Samurai - 2
3 - Ironbound Samurai - 3 - Enforcer
4 - Dragonheir Scion - 1 - Arcane Strike
5 - Dragonheir Scion - 2 - Hurtful & Weapon Focus (Katana)
6 - Dragonheir Scion - 3 -
7 - Dragonheir Scion - 4 - Draconian Strike & TBD
8 - Dragonheir Scion - 5 - Improved Critical
9 - Dragonheir Scion - 6 - Dazzling Display & Violent Display
10 - Ironbound Samurai - 4 - Flickering Step
11 - Ironbound Samurai - 5 - Dimensional Agility
12 - Ironbound Samurai - 6 - Dimensional Assault & Dimensional Dervish & TBD
It may be easier for Dragonheir 6 then Ironbound