Our group has been getting ambushed quite a bit. We have a couple of really clanky heavy armor types that make lots of noise. We also have a couple of pretty sneaky PC's, but they are leery of getting too far ahead of the group and getting caught on their own. Perfectly understandable.
So I'm working on a backup character and thinking about a 'sacrificial' scout. Sneaky, but we don't care very much if it gets whacked. First thought was to be a shadow dancer and have the shadow scout. But when I started to play around with the build I realized that the shadow is actually a terrible scout. A shadow doesn't even have a stealth (or perception) bonus worth mentioning. Plus they never really get better. It is really only useful for flavor and as a flanking buddy.
Looking at familiars, but familiars start getting expensive to constantly replace. Aha! Figment familiars come back the next day automatically.
Now with a figment familiar, I could have it scout a couple hundred feet in front of the group. I'm thinking it needs to be at least decently fast or a flyer to stay in front of the group when we are mounted going cross country. So something like a rat or slug is out. An owl in a cave seems... odd and out of place enough to attract attention. A bat would work except for outside in the daylight.
What animal type do you think would work best?
Can you combine the 'sage' with 'figment' archetypes? If not, I would just need to max stealth and perception. Not a terrible hardship anyway.
Can you combine 'figment' with improved familiars (once I get to that level)? Seems like a few of them can even change shapes. Could be less conspicuous in various circumstances. I think a couple of the evil ones at least have fast healing. So even if I can't do an improved 'figment' familiar, it would still be a bit more survivable. Which improved familiar do you think would make the best scout?
Just a quick recommendation for the spiritualist and having your phantom scout. It can be manifested incorporeally and literally walk through walls to see what's going on without risk. Plus some archetypes can specialise in whatever your group needs.
Aside from sneakiness and advantages in environments (incorporeal etc) dont underestimate pumping perception as a scouting tool. The seeker of enlightenment spiritualist can add their level to two skills based on their phantom, making perception (or stealth if you prefer) super high alongside another skill dependant on phantom choice.
If you plan on increasing your own perception, the best early boost from racials is probably being a Skinwalker (Wereraptor) for +6 (+7 if counting wisdom boost) to perception. Add a skill focus feat to that for good measure and they're pretty much sorted.
If you're going the familiar/animal companion route for your scouting and dont want to risk them dying too easily, being an Aasimar with the Celestial servant feat grants your familiar/animal companion some lovely energy resistance and DR (plus a 1/day smite, which is nice). Aside from that a nycar or arbiter improved familiar get regeneration, so they simply dont die unless that gets turned off.
And no, you cant combine most familiar archetypes with improved familiar, sorry. There are a couple of exceptions i believe, such as the wasp familiar feat, which can get archetypes despite functioning as an imp (albeit without invisibility, which is a shame if you want it for scouting).
Sage + figment does stack. A bat is stealthy enough via size/dex and has blindsense, which is excellent on a scout.
Among improved familiars, a faerie dragon can turn invisible, use wands without UMD, open doors (a shut door is kryptonite to a bat whether it's locked or not), fly and swim. Arbiter inevitables are next to unkillable though taking them prisoner is very possible.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Cast reduce person on your familiar bat to make it size Fine (+16 Stealth). Then use Prestidigitation to give it wonderfull colors like a butterfly and let it gracefully scout ahead in the sunlight without attracting unwanted attention - but look out for swallows and other insecthunters...
Just a quick recommendation for the spiritualist and having your phantom scout. It can be manifested incorporeally and literally walk through walls to see what's going on without risk. Plus some archetypes can specialise in whatever your group needs.
...
Never heard of that one. Will have to give it a look see.
...
If you're going the familiar/animal companion route for your scouting and dont want to risk them dying too easily, being an Aasimar with the Celestial servant feat grants your familiar/animal companion some lovely energy resistance and DR (plus a 1/day smite, which is nice). ...
As I understand it, by the rules, familiars never actually gain Hit Dice. So you are stuck at that 1st level of the abilities, which quickly becomes not so useful.
As I understand it, by the rules, familiars never actually gain Hit Dice. So you are stuck at that 1st level of the abilities, which quickly becomes not so useful.It seems you missed this bit in the familiar rules:
Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal HD total, whichever is higher.
Hungh. I will have to go look at that again.
You could play an OCCULTIST with a Divination Implement for the Mind Eye focus power.
Mind Eye (Sp): As a standard action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to create a mind eye—a magical sensor through which you can see and hear. The mind eye is invisible and its size is Fine, giving it an AC of 18. Any amount of damage to the eye destroys it, but it can be harmed by only spells or magic weapons. The eye moves with a fly speed of 60 feet with perfect maneuverability and can travel up to 1 mile away from you. You must concentrate as a standard action to direct the eye and receive sensory images through it. The mind eye sees as your eyes see, including any additional senses you possess (such as darkvision or see invisibility). The mind eye lasts for 1 minute per occultist level you possess. You must be at least 5th level to select this focus power
^The occultist investing in their divination implement with the power mentioned above is also good, especially if you get to higher levels and your resonant divination power ramps up.
If wanting that route, there are a few archetypes for other classes that also get access to occultist implements, namely psychometrist vigilantes, relic hunter inquisitors and ward spiritualists (whose phantom unfortunately loses the ability to be incorporeal). That being said, the occult is a perfectly good class too, I'm just mentioning those archetypes for the sake of completeness.
The kineticist's elemental whispers power is slightly more expendable familiar. 2 levels of monk:water dancer or kineticist will get you an on demand scout.
I'd recommend the totem spiritualist though, pick one of the smaller sneakier animal companion shapes till you get incorporeal flight, then get a dolphin for that sweet 120ft blindsight.
Mind eye is basically the arcane eye spell (originally wizard eye), and if you're looking at spells for making scouts there's other options (prying eyes, insect spies, seed spies, enter image etc. etc.).