I'm playing through a modified Strange Aeons campaign, just hit level 7 and am a little stuck on what direction to go from here.
The party is made up of:
-Life Oracle with channel and Life Link (more on this later)
-Some sort of pouncing, multi-attacking amalgam of stuff that has solid AC, with 5 attacks that do decent damage
-Mesmerist (I think?) that can affect undead, heavily focused on enchantments
-Alchemist bomber
Items have been fairly hard to come by (magical or otherwise), but we're starting to gear up a little.
I'm playing a barbarian w/ a fighter dip focused on being tough as hell to take down, while providing some solid offense.
Half-Orc Invulnerable Rager Barbarian 6/Unarmed Fighter 1
Str 21 (19+2 belt)
Dex 12
Con 16
Int 10
Wis 12
Cha 7
Racial Traits: Sacred Tattoo, Shaman's Apprentice (Endurance feat), Pariah, Skilled
Traits: Fate's Favored, Cautious Warrior, Pugnacious
1. Fighter - Power Attack, Improved Unarmed Strike, Crane Style
2. Barbarian
3. Barbarian - Die Hard; Rage Power: Reckless Abandon
4. Barbarian
5. Barbarian - Stalwart; Rage Power: Celestial Totem, Lesser
6. Barbarian
7. Barbarian - ???; Rage Power: ???
Lesser Celestial Totem has been RIDICULOUS along with Life Link. In the last encounter we had, I must have taken around 120 damage (my raging HP is 76), and never dropped to 0.
When fighting defensively, DR at level 7 will be 8/--, or 11/-- vs nonlethal. That's been big so far, especially when I ended up fighting a gibbering mouther and his burly friend solo...but close enough to still have Life Link up.
My main weapon has been a bardiche for the reach.
So, now I'm weighing not only which feats and rage powers to pick up at 7, but also what the plan will be for the coming levels.
Feats I'm considering:
7:
--Combat Reflexes (although I've only had 2 or 3 instances where I could have taken an AoO but didn't have an extra)
--Fortified Armor Training (would try to buy a wand of Make Whole, but would be more excited for this if there was clarification on negating additional crits before it's repaired)
--Resilient Brute
--Raging Vitality
--Extra Rage Power
9:
--Improved Critical
--One of the lvl 7 options
--Lunge
11: Improved Stalwart
13:
--Raging Brutality
--Dazing Assault
Rage Powers I'm considering:
7:
--Superstition (have failed some big saves, and not actually getting friendly spells with any regularity during combat, so the downside hasn't been the issue I thought it would be)
--Savage Dirty Trick (not sure how this would work with a reach weapon)
--Knockback
--Witch Hunter (assuming Extra Rage Power)
--Ghost Rager (assuming ERP; haven't fought many incorporeal, but expect there will be more, and the touch AC bonus may be useful)
--Elemental Rage, Lesser
9:
--Witch Hunter or Ghost Rager
--Elemental Rage
--Clear Mind
--Unexpected Strike
11:
--One of the lvl 9 options
--Eater of Magic
--Spell Sunder
13:
--Come And Get Me
Could use some advice on what to pick from among those, or if there are some choices I'm missing here that would be worthwhile.
Thanks
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If you plan on getting enlarge frequently (and you should with a reach weapon) then combat reflexes is less relevant with only 12 in dex. The quick reflexes rage power is better.
Unexpected strike is also great. Consider a fortious enchantment on your bardiche.
Strength Surge is great and fantastic with rage cycling.
Pushing Assault and Lunge is great on reach weapon wielders.
Raging vitality is really good on any barbarian.
Superstition rage powers seems the best.
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The other benefit of Combat Reflexes is that it lets you take AoOs while flat-footed, so even if you lose initiative you can still whack anyone who tries to close with you. Having said that, Uncanny Dodge does the same thing, so provided you haven't traded that out the Quick Reflexes rage power is probably better. If since you have traded it out then maybe Combat Reflexes will be better, even with a 12 DEX .
For rage powers, I've been playing with Strength Surge for about 5 levels (8-12) and I've loved it. It really makes me feel like the strongest guy in the room. Between busting down doors that nobody else could hope to dent, and being the combat-maneuver-king it's basically as good as advertised. Having said that, if you've already failed some important will-saves the Superstitious power might be better. You can take Strength Surge next level, but you can't take Superstitious later if you don't survive to level up .
If your game includes actually dangerous combats (by the book adventure paths don't in all cases; I don't know Strange Aeons) raging vitality will prove its worth eventually. The gap between unconscious and dead is slim in PF1 anyway but it vanishes entirely for you by 8th level unless you get that feat. Raging vitality also, separately, gives you +2 Con in a rage which is like toughness and a trait to boost fort saves.
You don't Need Raging Vitality if you have Diehard, since both protect you from Sudden Raging Death Syndrome, but I would definitely plan it into my build.
Diehard keeps you conscious while below 0HP, so you cam continue your Rage The problem is that enemies are going to feel much more threatened by a Raging Barbarian than a sleeping one, so they're more likely to target you to death. Sometimes lying helpless on the ground at your enemy's feet is the safest place to be.
If you plan on getting enlarge frequently (and you should with a reach weapon) then combat reflexes is less relevant with only 12 in dex. The quick reflexes rage power is better.
Unexpected strike is also great. Consider a fortious enchantment on your bardiche.
Strength Surge is great and fantastic with rage cycling.
Pushing Assault and Lunge is great on reach weapon wielders.
Raging vitality is really good on any barbarian.
Superstition rage powers seems the best.
Doubtful that I'll be enlarged often. None of the casters are giving it out, and we have rarely been able to prep for an encounter.
Pushing Assault is very interesting. Looks better than the Knockback rage power.
Raging Vitality I feel covers the same space as Die Hard mostly. Right now, between the high HP, DR, and Life Link + Lesser Celestial Totem, he's feeling very sturdy. My big worry from a defensive standpoint now is big burst damage, like crits.
Offensively, I feel I could use a little more, but not sure what.
Yeah crits are a worry.
Fortification armour is something you'll probably get eventually, and if you can get some form of reliable concealment it helps to offset crits.
My bloodrager has light fortification armour and a Minor Cloak of Resistance . An enemy has to confirm the crit, pass the concealment and get past the fortification armour. Even though he has ludicrously low AC this all adds up to a 57% chance to confirm a crit against him at best .
You probably don't want to give up your Cloak of Resistance for a Cloak of Concealment though, saves are more important. If you have an ally who can cast Blur, Displacement or even Darkness it'll really help you save those crits.
I would assume that you are not going to get many occassions where you can but that much magic. Don't want to spoiler it but the more self-sufficient your build the better.
That's the impression I'm getting. No one had a resistance item yet, and other items have been sparse.
Not relying on magic items too much.
Yeah crits are a worry.
Fortification armour is something you'll probably get eventually, and if you can get some form of reliable concealment it helps to offset crits.
My bloodrager has light fortification armour and a Minor Cloak of Resistance . An enemy has to confirm the crit, pass the concealment and get past the fortification armour. Even though he has ludicrously low AC this all adds up to a 57% chance to confirm a crit against him at best .
You probably don't want to give up your Cloak of Resistance for a Cloak of Concealment though, saves are more important. If you have an ally who can cast Blur, Displacement or even Darkness it'll really help you save those crits.
Unlikely to get buffs like that. Fortification armor is on my wish list, but whether I can acquire it remains to be seen.
Pushing Assault is very interesting. Looks better than the Knockback rage power.Just beaware, that you can't push adjacent opponents with a two-handed reach with pushing assault. You need to 5ft. step back first.
That's what Improved Unarmed Strike is for
--Fortified Armor Training (would try to buy a wand of Make Whole, but would be more excited for this if there was clarification on negating additional crits before it's repaired
According to the Battle Host FAQ you can't use FAT with an item that is already broken. "As usual, you can’t use an effect that breaks a weapon if it already has the broken condition." I have looked into some ways to make the feat better, starting with the archetypes that grants you items immune to the broken condition. But Paizo ruled that immune doesn't mean "immune" for these abilities. So that doesn't work.
One kinda strange idea I had was to use the Protective Ruff (1,000 GP): When an effect would damage an item worn in your item slots the damage is instead redirected to the Ruff. Armor and Shields are actually worn in the Armor and Shield Slots, so they qualify. Now how is this relevant for Fortified Armor Training?
From this 2011 post we get the sole designer input (AFAIK) on how effects that inflict the broken condition work. "If a weapon gains the broken condition from an effect, it takes damage equal to half its hit points +1."
So if you're wearing a Buckler (5 HP) by using FAT it takes three damage. With the Protective Ruff the three points of damage would be redirected, then negated by the Ruff's Hardness 5. So you could ignore multiple critical hits in the same round and not actually damage the buckler at all.
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That's what Improved Unarmed Strike is forPushing Assault is very interesting. Looks better than the Knockback rage power.Just beaware, that you can't push adjacent opponents with a two-handed reach with pushing assault. You need to 5ft. step back first.
Yes, but improved unarmed strike does not work with pushing assault.
Yes, but improved unarmed strike does not work with pushing assault.That's what Improved Unarmed Strike is forPushing Assault is very interesting. Looks better than the Knockback rage power.Just beaware, that you can't push adjacent opponents with a two-handed reach with pushing assault. You need to 5ft. step back first.
Oh, true. "...two-handed weapon..."
Oh, true. "...two-handed weapon..."Yes, but improved unarmed strike does not work with pushing assault.That's what Improved Unarmed Strike is forPushing Assault is very interesting. Looks better than the Knockback rage power.Just beaware, that you can't push adjacent opponents with a two-handed reach with pushing assault. You need to 5ft. step back first.
Pushing Assault plus Reach Weapon plus Lunge.
Enemy starts the turn adjacent to you
- 5-foot-step
- First attack: Push enemy 5 feet back
- Second attack: Profit
So the question is which is better, Pushing Assault or Knockback?
I feel like, on the one hand Pushing Assault targets AC, doesn't care about CMD modifiers, and does a little more damage (base weapon, effects, Str, etc... just no PA damage), but can only push around medium or smaller creatures most of the time, and is only ever pushing 5 ft. On the other hand, Knockback cares about CMD, and deals less damage (only Str mod), but has the potential to push around bigger targets, or push targets back further, and can be used with an unarmed strike.
Pushing Assault is probably better for the smaller damage loss, but it seems like a bit of a toss up.
If you go with Knockback you're also gonna want Strength Surge.
Pushing Assault is more flexible, but you'll probably want to be enlarged for it.