Is Ancestor Oracle Archetype as crippling as I think?

[StarlingSweeter]

My group is currently converting from Dnd 5e to PF2e and since we are a smaller group we are starting with the Free Archetype Variant.

One of my friends is looking at builds using the Oracle Archetype as their free one. Overall a solid archetype but the problem we are running into is that their character would heavily fit into the Ancestor Mystery.

The character in question is a 5th level paladin champion with her main stat being strength (19) with a decent splash into charisma (16).

Are the drawbacks that this archetype gives you as insane as I think they are? In combat (triggered when you use the focus spell) you begin to roll every turn for what ancestor is in control of you. There is a 50% chance you roll Skills or Spellcasting meaning that whenever this martial character tries to make a strike (including for her reaction) she needs to make a DC 4 flat check to actually follow through. Given the amount of strikes she is making per turn that DC 4 can add up.

I feel like you could work around it if the focus spell was good enough to pay off but Ancestral Touch feels like a worse demoralize (with all the negatives that its curse brings with it that is).

I do realize that she doesn't need to get First Revelation (the feat that grants access to the focus spell and curse at all) but if we are just going to ignore the most flavorful part of the mystery then why choose that mystery at all over something that could benefit her mechanically.

Currently she moved to Battle Mystery and chosen basic mystery (Domain Acumen) for an extra focus point (pretty nice on a paladin) and she will probably continue on with basic spell casting in the near levels.

It would be great to know if Ancestor Mystery is a good viable option for her lore and flavor and we are just over reacting. Or if Battle mystery is the better path.

Thanks for Reading
Cheers!

[Kyrone]

Ancestors is something that is better as main Oracle because it gives benefits when you are on the curse and build around having a flexible turn (like good skill actions and a decent strike).

Oracle MC it is usually for specific builds that take advantage of the focus spell, like Tempest Touch Sorcerer Burst or Incendiary Aura Dragon Barbarian.

Maybe use Psychopomp Sorcerer and reflavor the mask as the face of the ancestors?

[HumbleGamer]

I wouldn't go for the oracle archetype as a champion.

To begin with, you can't go past the minor curse effects as an oracle would do, which means the champion would be always flat footed ( not the best deal for a frontline characters meant to take hits ) if he uses a cursebound spell twice.

Quote:

Casting this spell progresses your curse. Use the minor curse from your mystery, but when you progress it again, instead of your mystery's moderate curse effect, you become flat-footed in addition to the effects of the minor curse.

If you don't have one, you gain a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You can Refocus by reconciling the conflicting nature of your mystery, which also reduces your curse to minor

Remember also the bold part, which means that once you have uses your curse once, it will remains "minor" until your daily preparations. Which means that even one cast would give you the perma flat footed condition.

Using cursebound stuff on a melee is not worth it, maybe apart from few of them, which might give you some balance ( but I think the only one which could provide some help ( and remember that the provided effects would better only then the champion is flanking, because in this 2e it is better to have higher AC than some sort of DR ) is the Bone Oracles, with its Armor of Bones

Quote:

Mystery bones

Cast Single Action somatic
Duration 1 minute

You ossify your physical form, mimicking the durability of bone. You gain resistance 3 to cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing damage.

Heightened (+1) Increase the resistance by 1./Quote]

Anyway, if you plan on being flanked 100% of the time, consider even taking oracle feats.

[StarlingSweeter]

Kyrone wrote:

Ancestors is something that is better as main Oracle because it gives benefits when you are on the curse and build around having a flexible turn (like good skill actions and a decent strike).

Oracle MC it is usually for specific builds that take advantage of the focus spell, like Tempest Touch Sorcerer Burst or Incendiary Aura Dragon Barbarian.

Maybe use Psychopomp Sorcerer and reflavor the mask as the face of the ancestors?

Ah that makes a lot of sense. The psychopomp sorcerer is a novel idea. I think we will keep that in our back pocket if the Oracle Archetype starts feeling bad.

Thanks!