So pretty much the title although since the leadership feat is banned in our group i'm only getting a few abilities from cult master (Insidious Personality, Fanatical Stare and probably False Healing, DM/Group ruling Pending) but it's mostly irrelevant to my question about Autohypnotists Wide Stare combining w/ Cult Master's Fanatical Stare to create a somewhat janky Inspire courage type ability.
Wide Stare (Su): At 5th level, whenever an autohypnotist is focusing his stare on a foe, he can broaden his hypnotic stare as a standard action. When he does so, all creatures within 10 feet of his opponent take penalties from the mesmerist’s hypnotic stare and bold stare class features as if he were maintaining his hypnotic stare against each of those creatures, except such creatures treat his hypnotic stare penalty as if it were 2 lower. When the autohypnotist uses this ability, he cannot exclude allies or any other creatures from this effect. If the autohypnotist’s hypnotic stare ends for the focused opponent, this effect ends.
Fanatical Stare (Su): At 1st level, a cult master can turn his gaze on a creature to fill it with fervent belief in the cult master. The target of the gaze gains a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 for every 6 mesmerist levels the cult master possesses, to a maximum of +4 at 18th level. Instead of taking the hypnotic stare’s penalty on Will saves, the target gains a bonus of an equal amount on Will saves. The bonuses don’t apply to attacks against the cult master or on saves against the cult master’s spells or abilities. The cult master can also suppress any penalties inflicted by his stare for the target. This ability replaces painful stare.
By janky I mean some of the wording isnt perfect for this to work but simply put wide stare causes your stare to affect multiple FOES but fanatical stare makes your stare instead affect an ally so stick that together an you get a stare that affects an ALLY than using wide stare it affects ALLYS w/n 10ft unless I'm just completely off my rocker. My group is probably a bit more flexible than most so considering that what do you guys think?
Note: For context I love bards but I've enjoyed playing them too many times so I'm trying to make an unconventional bard-type character preferably leaning closer to the caster side than the martial side. My other thoughts are an Ocean's Echo Oracle (the class is really flexible sadly OC doesn't mix with an other archetypes unless im misreading), Sensei Monk/U-Monk (likely Nornkith or Scaled Fist, maybe Drunken Master or Invested Regent), Evangelist Cleric (again flexible like oracle), Storyteller medium, Paladin (MANY archetypes),Vellemancer+Watcher Witch or maybe Skald is different enough? (Court Poet, Urban Skald, Twilight Speaker, War Painter, Bacchanal, Bold Schemer and/or Red Tongue), Battle Herald is also an option but im not a big fan of teamwork feats.
Oh and here's the very tentative party in case it matters (were doing Mythic Reign of Winter)
1 Gathlain Fire Kineticist (yes a Pyro Tree, its hilarious!! :P)
2 Heavy Armor (w/o prof, he's trying to get his ACP as high as possible cause reasons) Oracle or maybe a cleric
3 Healing Kineticist? Witch? Oradin?
4 Dwarven Goliath Druid
5 ??? (usually plays a melee)
6 Me = Some sort of support caster preferably spontaneous (race wise likely a fey, elf, something like that)
If you're asking whether it works RAW then no, wide stare only spreads penalties around. But you say your group is pretty flexible so whatever.
If you're asking whether it's worthwhile in this group if it does work then yes, a goliath druid and random melee, maybe an oradin and quite possibly yourself (2-4? characters) are enough to make a buffer for weapon users useful. A kineticist or two might enjoy the buff to will saves too.
If you're asking whether the other ideas you have might be better - quite possibly. Though with half a dozen mythic characters it's entirely possible you'll steamroll the opposition anyway.
Technically all 3 so thanks lol :D
1) I appreciate some more opinions on this im reading it as fanatical stare changes penalty > bonus and foe > ally. I prefer not to rely on our groups flexibility too much if i can avoid it (ie. they COULD say no :P)
2) I was a bit worried about supporting a mixed group and who it would actually fit...speaking of which how long does a stare last for i cant find a duration, it says it take concentration but is like like spell concentration or what?
3) I'm just in general having a hard time choosing which will be the most fun to play. The only thing I know is i dont really want to use a weapon/be a blaster but i do want something roughly as ongoing and helpful as inspire courage (and preferably similar)
4) I'm not too worried "wiping the floor" our group tends to make some wacky characters and its not like the module is being left as is (also RoW is known to be a bit brutal as well)
2) All the mesmerist stares are based off hypnotic stare which says
A mesmerist can maintain his stare against only one opponent at a time; it remains in effect until the mesmerist stares at a new target, the opponent dies, the opponent moves farther than 30 feet away, or the mesmerist falls unconscious or dies.
No action is required to maintain it. Your GM may suggest that it stops when the combat music does, but there's nothing in the rules for that.
3) The bonus is a little lower than inspire courage and the area is smaller. It's still in the same ballpark though.