Gnome & Goat Artillery Team Build

[Elykscorch]

I have an idea for a build that I think would be pretty fun but I'd like to make sure it actually works. The idea is to take the feat Artillery Team and take a goat familiar with shared training through the Eldritch Guardian fighter archetype. I'd eventually have a large sized heavy repeating crossbow that I'd essentially be firing from my goat's back. I'd be a gnome and take the racial trait Utilitarian Magic to gain Unseen Servant to reload the crossbow for me. That's the basics.

Now, I wanted to double down on the goat theme and get a little magical since I'm a gnome. I took a level of wizard to get the illusion arcane school and made my goat the School Familiar archetype so he can concentrate for me. I also took the feat Effortless Trickery so I can concentrate as a swift action as well. Since I'm a wizard I'll be able to learn (not actually cast) the spell Major Image. Then I can make scrolls of it to use with the Scribe Scroll feat I'll get for free from wizard. With this I'll have two goat-men illusions potentially with halberds or something (think diablo 2 cow level) zoning for me.

Also with a level of wizard I'll be able to grab a wand of unseen servant to help with reloading. I'll also grab a wand of Gravity Bow.

I plan on taking a Wayfinder and Opalescent White Pyramid to help me with proficiency and weapon focus. I also took undersized mount for the fun of it.

Here is the build:

12 Fighter (Eldritch Guardian) / 1 Wizard, Gnome
STR: 5 DEX: 17 CON: 16 INT: 14, WIS: 14, CHA: 9

1) Artillery Team
3) Point Blank Shot
3W) Scribe Scroll
5) Precise Shot
5F) Rapid Shot
7) Vital Strike
7F) Undersized Mount
8) Advanced Armor Training - Armor Specialization
9) Effortless Trickery
9F) Deadly Aim
10) Advanced Weapon Training - Warrior Spirit
11) Clustered Shots
11F) Greater Weapon Focus
13) Improved Precise Shot
13F) Improved Vital Strike

Thoughts? Improvements? Does this actually work with a goat?

[Firebug]

Issue 1: Scribe Scroll

Creating Scrolls wrote:

Creating Scrolls:The creator must have prepared the spell to be scribed (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any material component or focus the spell requires.

You can't scribe Major Image if you don't have it memorized as a Wizard, and since it's a 3rd level spell and you only have 1st level spell slots, that's not going to happen.

Issue 2: You may have issues getting the GM to approve a goat being able to use a crossbow/artillery team.

Eldritch Guardian's Share Training wrote:

Eldritch Guardian's Share Training: The familiar doesn’t have to meet the feat’s prerequisites, but at the GM’s discretion may be precluded from using certain combat feats due to its physical form. For example, an eldritch guardian’s pig familiar with access to Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain) would not gain the ability to use spiked chains, since it doesn’t have any limbs capable of properly handling them.

Issue 3: If your Goat can use Artillery Team and you are planning on being mounted on the goat, you will have other issues. Specifically, you can't "trace a line from your space to the target’s space in such a way that the line passes through the ally’s space" since it's the same space.

Issue 4: Artillery Training doesn't apply to a Heavy Repeating Crossbow. Light Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow and Musket only. Unlike weapons like a Scorpion Whip or Orc Hornbow, the Repeating line of crossbows don't have special rules saying that you can treat them as regular crossbows.

There are other ways to get Unseen Servant besides a Wizard level. Ushabti of the Willing Servant(unlimited, 3,900 gp) is probably the simplest and cheapest. Or you could reload via Shadowshooting.

[Elykscorch]

Firebug wrote:

Issue 1: Scribe Scroll

Creating Scrolls wrote:

Creating Scrolls:The creator must have prepared the spell to be scribed (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any material component or focus the spell requires.

You can't scribe Major Image if you don't have it memorized as a Wizard, and since it's a 3rd level spell and you only have 1st level spell slots, that's not going to happen.

Issue 2: You may have issues getting the GM to approve a goat being able to use a crossbow/artillery team.

Eldritch Guardian's Share Training wrote:

Eldritch Guardian's Share Training: The familiar doesn’t have to meet the feat’s prerequisites, but at the GM’s discretion may be precluded from using certain combat feats due to its physical form. For example, an eldritch guardian’s pig familiar with access to Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain) would not gain the ability to use spiked chains, since it doesn’t have any limbs capable of properly handling them.

Issue 3: If your Goat can use Artillery Team and you are planning on being mounted on the goat, you will have other issues. Specifically, you can't "trace a line from your space to the target’s space in such a way that the line passes through the ally’s space" since it's the same space.

Issue 4: Artillery Training doesn't apply to a Heavy Repeating Crossbow. Light Crossbow, Heavy Crossbow and Musket only. Unlike weapons like a Scorpion Whip or Orc Hornbow, the Repeating line of crossbows don't have special rules saying that you can treat them as regular...

Thanks for the reply! I knew there would be issues.

1) I guess I'll just have to buy them. Did not see this part on d20pfsrd anywhere.

2) I was hoping my GM would allow it considering the unseen servant will be the one loading it instead of the goat. Perhaps I'll have to take one of my alternative routes. Figment familiar with limbs evolution or get a monkey and make it small somehow.

3) I do not plan on mounting the goat as well as using it for artillery feat at the same time.

4) I think that is a small enough of a distinction that my GM shouldn't have a problem allowing it.

[avr]

I don't see anything giving you proficiency with a heavy repeating crossbow. This could be an issue. Also with Str 5 you're going to have difficulty wearing armor and carrying a weapon for the times something gets close - illusions don't actually stop people usually.

[Firebug]

avr wrote:

I don't see anything giving you proficiency with a heavy repeating crossbow. This could be an issue. Also with Str 5 you're going to have difficulty wearing armor and carrying a weapon for the times something gets close - illusions don't actually stop people usually.

Elykscorch wrote:

I plan on taking a Wayfinder and Opalescent White Pyramid to help me with proficiency and weapon focus.

1)Magic Item Creation on D20pfsrd, scroll down to the "Creating Scrolls" section, third paragraph.

2)My point was it doesn't get the feat, because it doesn't have limbs capable of using a crossbow. Since it doesn't have the feat, you are fulfilling the teamwork requirement of using the feat.
3) fair, just keep in mind that the Goat at Str 12 quadruped has a carry capacity of 43 or less(Light), 44-86(medium), 87-130(heavy). If you are riding, it is carrying you and everything you are wearing. Just the repeating heavy crossbow(12 lbs) and the minimum weight for a gnome (35lbs) you are already in medium load... before ammo.
4) Small enough of a distinction ... that it is a completely different weapon, sure. Compare to Underwater Heavy Crossbow that is the same proficiency, same stats (including weight and reload) and has text stating that it counts as a heavy crossbow for certain purposes.

[avr]

Personal carrying capacity does matter because being encumbered gives you a max dex to AC limit (whether you're riding or not), and because they're not going to be riding the goat when firing the crossbow - and getting back onboard in a tight spot might take actions you don't have.

Archers often have difficulty when enemies catch up to them but this gnome seems to have more than most. No weapon finesse and 5 Str and no point blank master means they're helpless in melee; 15' or 20' move means they can't run away; and their AC is not looking to be amazing so they can't just take it.

I missed the ioun stone for proficiency bit at first reading though. OK, that works. I suspect that performing as a mobile rest for the crossbow is something the goat actually can do which means artillery team might work for them.

Using a heavy repeating crossbow with artillery team is an ask-your-GM thing. You presumably know them and what they'll accept better than I do.

[Luagsharpshank]

I love everything about this.

Build a custom saddle for the goat with a pintle mount for the weapon you can slot it into.

Inner Sea Races said wrote:

Firing such a weapon this way requires your ally to support the barrel or bow of the weapon

This really doesn't seem like something that is beyond the ability of a preternaturally intelligent goat.

I also think that that even if you ride the square you share will count as being in a line you can cross to the target, there is never any suggestion that you have to be adjacent.

You might consider the valet archetype to grant teamwork feats if you can give up the school one. That eliminates the need for the eldritch gaurdian dip.

The racial unseen servant will help until you can get the ushutabi, but it will only cover you for a few hours, that worries me for the reloading.

You could also consider the promethean alchemist to use it's homunculous as your team using its feat to take the teamwork feat(they would need the cracked ioun stone too sadly) throw in a goat tumor familiar while your at it and be extra weird.

Or a hunter, or a solo tactics inquisitor(or better yet, a sacred huntsmaster)

If your DM is as hyped by this as I am, you should go far.

[Firebug]

Luagsharpshank wrote:

Inner Sea Races said wrote:

Firing such a weapon this way requires your ally to support the barrel or bow of the weapon

This really doesn't seem like something that is beyond the ability of a preternaturally intelligent goat.

My point was it doesn't even get to that point, because the goat doesn't get the feat because it doesn't have appropriate limbs, per Eldritch Guardian.

Luagsharpshank wrote:

I also think that that even if you ride the square you share will count as being in a line you can cross to the target, there is never any suggestion that you have to be adjacent.

Artillery Team wrote:

When you’re adjacent to an ally who also has this feat..

Missed that, did ya? There is some rules about adjacency when mounted, but the OP said they weren't going to be using the crossbow while mounted regardless.

Luagsharpshank wrote:

You might consider the valet archetype to grant teamwork feats if you can give up the school one. That eliminates the need for the eldritch gaurdian dip.

*Notes that 12 of the 13 levels listed by the OP are for Eldritch Guardian*

What do you mean dip?!?!