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I'll be playing in a new campaign sometime next month.
The character I will play is for an E10 campaign set in an intimate world where we are assumed to stay mostly within the same nation, get to know the npc's, and only deal with legitimate monsters if and when we venture into uncivilized lands. The campaign's antagonist is a necromancer who doesn't have to be defeated or interacted with- but that's the target if we choose to take aim. Intelligent enemies are expected to actually be intelligent, and combat circumstances are generated on a multi-tiered table via dice rolls. Enemies are possibly going to have actual builds and instead of feats like toughness and 'proficiency' and power attack they'll instead come with feats designed to let them do interesting things and do them well. Even enemy composition will be designed to maximize their effectiveness as a group and their spells and abilities won't be random but planned much like pc's who hypothetically work together would.
My party composition is unknown, but it is highly probable that the other males at the table will compete very hard to do all of the damage all of the time. We will be sticking close to wbl, so we'll always be broke, though the DM has stated that there will be opportunities for additional wealth. Magic Item Mart will be extremely limited, and hiring crafters and waiting will be a very real factor. But this isn't a low loot setting, just more realistic in its acquisition.
I also have to be a leader IC and direct the group in combat so that they don't die by making really bad tactical mistakes. This has been a feature over the past 5-7 years that the GM and I really wish to steer away from. To that end, I also need some ability to make quality tactical decisions through game mechanics.
I have two characters I am choosing between. I want them both to be related. One is a Cavalier (around 40-50 years old), who is the father, and the other is the somewhat estranged son who is a ranger. I'd like help in deciding which to pick and to be informed if certain build choices are poor or should be moved around.
Also, any thoughts on backstory, motivation, etc, would be welcome. Full disclosure: Because the ranger has been ignored to a very large degree, and only spoken of in the context of the Guide/Freebooter/etc or an archer, I have a strong urge to play one that is not a Guide or archer.
Here are the character builds:
Oh, and traits aren't allowed (at character creation).
Deity: Desna
Gear: Hunter’s Band 11k, Stone of Alliance 5k, Whistle of Calling 6.3k, +1Keen Kukrix2 16k, Commander’s Helm (Broken Wing Gambit) 10k, Armor Ointment, Duelist’s Vambrace 8k, Boots of the Friendly Terrain 2.4k, Beast-Bond Brand (10 uses) 1k, Sun Falcon Pectoral 5.4k, extra money into Cunning property on weapons, Cloak of Boringness, Ring of Necessity, Belt of Requirement, and Armor.
Feats: 1.) Combat Expertise, 1.) Improved Disarm, 2.) Two-Weapon Fighting (Ranger), 3.) Butterfly’s Sting, 5.) Break Guard, 7.) Two-Weapon Defense, 9.) Weapon Trick Two-Handed (Arm Bind), 10.) Two-Weapon Rend (Ranger).
Effective Level 11+ Feats: Totem Beast, Greater Disarm, Improved TWF, Sweeping Disarm, Quick Draw, Equipment Trick (Scabbard), Surge of Success, Critical Focus, Thrill of the Hunt (Some of these can get swapped for feats on the primary list).
Animal Companion: Bird (Elemental Companion Fire maybe?)
Mundane Gear: Bird Training Kit, Falconry Gauntlet, Tiny Cage, Training Whip, Tangleburn Bags, Cytilish Stun Vials, Suffocating Powder, Pellet Grenades, Acid Flasks. Training Harness and Training Sleeve.
Magical Gear: Dire Collar 1k, Cracked Pale Green Prism Ioun Stone 4k, Agile Amulet of Mighty Fists 4k, Rhino Hide 5,165 (Need to adjust my own gear to cover birds gear costs).
Traits: Screaming Leap (If taking Additional Traits).
Feats: Thrill of the Hunt, Share Feature (Track), Weapon Finesse, Death From Above,
1 feat remains, probably from this list: Additional Traits, Tenacious Hunter, Flyby Attack, Improved Natural Attack, Piranha Strike.
I'd love to take Skirmisher but am unsure if the loss of spells is worth it. Uses per day are similar to spells per day, however. The tricks open up some strong debuff options, too.
Am I missing anything crucial? Is there a cooler, flashier, more interesting method to go about doing this? Is it good/cool enough?
For RP I was thinking that this character would be a bounty hunter and a hunter. He used to be in the military but has finished his service and patrols the outskirts of the city in self-imposed exile, keeping it and travelers safe. He was too carefree as a youth and crippled his sister while playing. He joined the military afterwards, realizing his fathers preaching about responsibility and discipline had fallen on deaf ears and he should have listened. His family has long ago forgiven him but he keeps a healthy distance as he wrestles with his inner demons (feeling unworthy of being the pride of the family, believing he is only good at killing). He uses daggers only because they are the least lethal tools and he doesn't trust himself with a weapon of war (that's how he hurt his sister). I was thinking that he often lets the bird do the killing because then it is nature, not him.
At least one favored enemy will be undead (campaign issue), but other ones are unknowns, and his motivation for the favored enemy is on the table. This entire backstory is also just a loose idea. I actually want a character a bit less....self-absorbed and depressed? I couldn't find as many interesting things to do during downtime with this character as I could with the Cavalier. It's a major dilemma.
Classes: Cavalier Honor Guard (Order of the Dragon) 9, Hunter 1?
Race: Human
Alignment: NG.
Gear: Alabaster Trapping (Body) 3.5k, Crashing Boots (Feet) 8.8k, Boots of the Cat (Feet) 1k, Lesser Commander’s Helm (Head) 10k, Vambraces of the Tactician (Wrists) 8k, Quick Runner’s Shirt (Chest) 1k, Arbalest Cloak (Shoulders) 9k, Ioun Gauntlet (Hands) 1.6k, Dusty Rose Prism Cracked 500, Headband of WIsdom/Charisma +2 (Headband) 4k, Ring of Protection +1 (Ring) 2k, Ring of Resistance +1 (Ring) 1.5k, Belt of Mighty Strength +2 (Belt) 4k, ----Perfectionist’s Shavtooth (slotless) 4.5k, Champion’s Banner (Slotless) 8k/Commander’s Banner (Slotless) 10k,
Shield- Lion’s Shield 9,170: Blinding +1, Light Fortification +1
Armor- Rhino Hide 5,165/Mammoth Hide 11,665: Radiant (7.5k), Hosteling (7.5k), Deathless +1, Benevolent +1, Rampaging +2, Spell-Dodging +2, Mind-Butressing +2, Volcanic +2
Weapon- +1 Impact Lance 18k,
Feats: Genie-Touched Companion (Istaheq), Power Attack, Mounted Combat, Ride-By-Attack, Combat Reflexes, Spirited Charge, Chain Challenge.
Undecided Feats: Trick Riding, Swift Aid, Planar Focus, Horse Whisperer, Collector’s Boon (Beastmasters set for Wild Empathy), Fast Empathy, Horn of the Criosphinx, Wheeling Charge, Mounted Skirmisher (if dipping Sohei), Alignment Feat, Trample, Indomitable Mount?
Teamwork Feats: Escape Route, Lookout.
Animal Companion: Horse or Shissah. Bully Breed or Bodyguard
Mundane Gear: Haven't gotten to this yet.
Magical Gear: Horsemaster’s Saddle (Slotless) 12k, Eel Skin Rhino Hide (+1,800 for skin), Horseshoes of the Zephyr 6k, Horseshoes of Speed 3k, Dire Collar/Greater Dire Collar (Neck) 1k/14k, Amulet of Natural Armor +1 (Neck) 2k, Cracked Pale Green Prism Ioun Stone 4k,
Feats: Charge Through?, Power Attack?, Improved Overrun?
Skirmisher Tricks: Hobbling Attack?
Normal Tricks: Combat Trained (Attack, Defend,) I still have yet to pick these.
This guy is supposed to be versatile and capable of changing roles each and every combat, multiple times throughout a fight and fulfilling those roles at a high level of effectiveness. Red Mist Attack (mounted charge) allows for near unparalleled offensive potential, the mount provides lots of mobility and a bonus to hit and a constant source of damage, the Order of the Dragon provides a solid flexible buff once every combat (at 8th level), and the bodyguard feat chain keeps him as a perennial defender. RP-wise I'd like him to be a failed military applicant who became a horse trainer and animal tamer. He's watched all of the knights, cavaliers, and cavalry come and go over the years and has learned a lot by watching and paying attention. His youngest son is a source of great pride as he was able to join the military as a ranger. At the start of the adventure he'll be sent with the party as a chaperone (everyone will be in or fresh out of school/the academy). During downtime he tends animals (prefers horses), breeds horses, jousts, horse races, etc. He's the horse master.
Let's go with Ranger.
Gear: Hunter’s Band 11k, Stone of Alliance 5k, Whistle of Calling 6.3k, +1Keen Kukrix2 16k, Commander’s Helm (Broken Wing Gambit) 10k, Armor Ointment, Duelist’s Vambrace 8k, Boots of the Friendly Terrain 2.4k, Beast-Bond Brand (10 uses) 1k, Sun Falcon Pectoral 5.4k, extra money into Cunning property on weapons, Cloak of Boringness, Ring of Necessity, Belt of Requirement, and Armor.
Enchant the secondary weapon with +1 Training (Improved Critical) instead. Then you won't need 2 Keen weapons.
Feats: 1.) Combat Expertise, 1.) Improved Disarm, 2.) Two-Weapon Fighting (Ranger), 3.) Butterfly’s Sting, 5.) Break Guard, 7.) Two-Weapon Defense, 9.) Weapon Trick Two-Handed (Arm Bind), 10.) Two-Weapon Rend (Ranger).
That's 5 feats spent on your Disarm combo (counting Combat Expertise). That's quite a lot, especially since you haven't invested much into your CMB to make it reliable. I'd reconsider if this gimmick is worth basing your entire build on it.
Am I missing anything crucial? Is there a cooler, flashier, more interesting method to go about doing this? Is it good/cool enough?
Giving an automatic critical threat to your plunging bird of prey that gets a x4 multiplier? Really cool. But the bird simply doesn't deal any dmg.
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I also have to be a leader IC and direct the group in combat so that they don't die by making really bad tactical mistakes. This has been a feature over the past 5-7 years that the GM and I really wish to steer away from. To that end, I also need some ability to make quality tactical decisions through game mechanics.
To be frank, tactical decisions isn't really the forte of Ranger or Cavalier. All those decisions are made during character creation so you won't be able to adapt to what challenges you face. The highest quality tactical decision you could make as a Ranger is to pick up the Craft Wondrous Item feat.
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Enchant the secondary weapon with +1 Training (Improved Critical) instead. Then you won't need 2 Keen weapons.
Oh! I don't know how I missed that but it's a fantastic idea! I really appreciate that. It's exactly the kind of thing I was hoping someone would catch.
Regarding the disarming technique- I feel it is closer to a two feat investment: Weapon Trick, and Two-Weapon Defense. Greater Disarm and Weapon Focus would give me an additional +3 which would be nice, and I could replace Weapon Trick and Two-Weapon Defense with them, but the +2 from Improved Disarm should be enough. I expect CMD to range from 23-34 depending on the enemy. At level 10 my CMB would be 13+Str mod or 11+ str mod when Two-Weapon Fighting. This does, indeed, seem sufficient enough to reliably disarm the bulk of enemies I would face on average. I believe that this is particularly more true since individual enemies likely won't be as strong as a pc (or dedicated martial anyway). While this all discounts flanking, high ground, and other bonuses that we honestly should be employing to our advantage, I believe that your point is relevant and that having more of a bonus to my combat maneuvers will be important. Making financial room for Gauntlets of the Skilled Maneuver at 4k gp, seems worthwhile. Also, I could save up for the +1 Dueling property for my primary weapon and use that instead of Cunning.
Between the two it is an additional +4. Against actual monsters (the few who use weapons), I don't believe players are supposed to successfully perform combat manuevers unless they are something like a truestrike trip magus or the like. :D
Finally, I wanted something visually neat and mechanically varied. I didn't want to just have another damage dealing attack. Being able to tie up an entire limb is thematic, valuable in many more situations than disarming is, and it's kind of cool. If it wasn't this, I would have picked other feats that did something obviously non-standard and flashy, but ideally still of use. When I'm not using the disarm options to control incoming damage and combatants, I can also do that whole crit passing thing.
Giving an automatic critical threat to your plunging bird of prey that gets a x4 multiplier? Really cool. But the bird simply doesn't deal any dmg.
Hmm, maybe. The birds damage is changed to two times it's bite. In this case, that is 2d4 +stat modifierx2 . On a crit the bird dealS 8d4. That's 20 damage. Weapon Finesse and an Agile Amulet of Mighty Fists with 20 dex is 2d4+10 bite and 8d4+40 Swooping Charge. Thrill of the Hunt, Dire Collar, Rhino Hide, and potential Fire damage from archetype aren't counted yet. It still has 1 feat slot open, leaving Piranha Strike on the table. It deals an average of 60 damage which I thought was a relevant amount. Is this now considered very poor by the current standards?
To be frank, tactical decisions isn't really the forte of Ranger or Cavalier.
I don't know. I felt that the teamwork feats (specifically Escape Route), positioning for Aid Another benefits, Ride-By Attack, and the level 8 Order of the Dragon ability were all strong tactical options requiring a group to work together and putting the Cavalier in a clear position to dictate the better course of action for himself and others, more often than not. Am I really that far off the mark? Hmmm. What is it that you are seeing that I am not?
I admit that the ranger isn't as adept in this regard. But scouting ahead (usually with the bird) to gather information, access to tracking, passing critical hits, debuffing with the bird, and disarming enemies seemed flexible and relevant enough to be tactical and strategic in ways that the Cavalier couldn't be and in ways that, quite frankly, most characters I have played with or seen play can't be. Neither of them are like a Bard just handing out +8 to attack and damage with minimal effort.
Regarding the disarming technique- I feel it is closer to a two feat investment: Weapon Trick, and Two-Weapon Defense. Greater Disarm and Weapon Focus would give me an additional +3 which would be nice, and I could replace Weapon Trick and Two-Weapon Defense with them, but the +2 from Improved Disarm should be enough. I expect CMD to range from 23-34 depending on the enemy. At level 10 my CMB would be 13+Str mod or 11+ str mod when Two-Weapon Fighting.
It might just be me being pessimistic. But if we the take the average of that span, 29, and assume a Str mod of 6 then you'd need to roll 12 or higher to succeed when using TWF. But a Locked Gauntlet is dirt cheap, and so are weapon cords. If your enemies learn of your strategy they can very easily prepare for it.
Giving an automatic critical threat to your plunging bird of prey that gets a x4 multiplier? Really cool. But the bird simply doesn't deal any dmg.Hmm, maybe. The birds damage is changed to two times it's bite. In this case, that is 2d4 +stat modifierx2 . On a crit the bird dealS 8d4. That's 20 damage. Weapon Finesse and an Agile Amulet of Mighty Fists with 20 dex is 2d4+10 bite and 8d4+40 Swooping Charge. Thrill of the Hunt, Dire Collar, Rhino Hide, and potential Fire damage from archetype aren't counted yet. It still has 1 feat slot open, leaving Piranha Strike on the table. It deals an average of 60 damage which I thought was a relevant amount. Is this now considered very poor by the current standards?
Complete brainfart, I forgot about the bird's static modifiers. But the bird's damage isn't changed to two times its bite. It's just the dmg dice that is increased from 1d4 to 2d4. So 20 dex grants 2d4+5 for an average of 40 dmg. Decent but could use more dmg. Remember that you share your Favored Enemies, that should give it a punch.
So what I'd do is to first increase its Dex/Con instead of the normal 4th lv Str/Con increase.
"Instead of taking the listed benefit at 4th or 7th level, you can instead choose to increase the companion's Dexterity and Constitution by 2."
And replace the Cracked Pale Green Prism Ioun Stone with a Headband of Intelligence +2. Then it ends up with 22 Dex (which negates the loss of +1 Attack) and 4 Intelligence (qualifying for other feats). The benefit of going with the Headband instead of doing the reverse with a Belt is that raising Intelligence with ABI won't give the bird more skill ranks before you reach Int 10.
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It might just be me being pessimistic. But if we the take the average of that span, 29, and assume a Str mod of 6 then you'd need to roll 12 or higher to succeed when using TWF. But a Locked Gauntlet is dirt cheap, and so are weapon cords. If your enemies learn of your strategy they can very easily prepare for it.
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Yeah, I'll simply not be able to use my entire kit against an enemy in that case, which is fine. The other people in my party also will have things they can do so if enemies are taking time to adapt to me that's a good thing and it is a signal that I am actually doing my job pretty well. The generic ability to just attack an enemy for damage several times and also to pass my critical hits off to more offensively adept allies doesn't change. Nor does the birds full attack become moot, or the bombard trick and the bevy of various debuffs and control effects at our disposal through that attack method. If I were playing a different character in a game where enemies actually played like they wanted to win (not my experience with most games), unless all I did was roll for big damage with a big stick, I'd expect enemies to adapt to some significant measure of my tactics if I was successful with them often enough. Also, Weapon Trick allows me to effectively disarm those with locked gauntlets and magical wards preventing or otherwise protecting their weapons from being removed. I lose the offensive perk of getting an AOO and the action economy debuff of them picking up their dropped weapon, but simply removing the attacking arm from the equation should be similarly effective. At least, that's my hope. :D
Complete brainfart, I forgot about the bird's static modifiers. But the bird's damage isn't changed to two times its bite. It's just the dmg dice that is increased from 1d4 to 2d4. So 20 dex grants 2d4+5 for an average of 40 dmg. Decent but could use more dmg. Remember that you share your Favored Enemies, that...
I never know when to bring up Favored Enemy because no matter what you say, the counter statement always follows (hey don't forget the bonus!, or 'yeah but you'll only very rarely get that bonus). It's such a fine line to walk. LOL. But yes, the Favored Enemy bonus is significant and will go a long way.
Unfortunately, I'm operating purely on WBL as listed in the CRB so 62k gold is honestly not a lot to work with. I'm assuming all of my gear as going to be at the lowest possible+. While neither I or the bird are built for damage, I do believe that with a x4 modifier and taking the bird spending a round to set up, that I should probably be dealing more with it's charge. But my math right now says that with the dire collar, rhino hide, and Thrill of the Hunt active, it's average damage is 62 (assuming we have 22 dex).
Again, I do have 1 free feat undecided on the AC. Piranha Strike is the damage dealing option of choice there, I think. And like you said, the shared Favored Enemy damage is another potential bump. Unfortunately, it only ever gets 9 HD so the very late level 9 ability of the Elemental Companion would only add a single d6 of additional fire damage. I'm not yet decided on it's archetype but that one seemed the most representative of it's purpose- to be a good combatant and have utility aside.
Also, I had intended on increasing it's intelligence with one of the attribute bonuses. I haven't actually worked out where all of the stats are going or where I will make cuts on gear. So there is actually a healthy amount of room for optimizing and refining from here. I'm ok making the Swooping Charge hit for a good deal more damage due to the 1 round set-up time. I also think that I probably need to adjust the build to more reliably disarm opponents by several more points. I think my contribution of sharing crits will always mean I am carrying my weight and helping get things dead quickly enough. But being able to handle an encounter a little more competently is probably the way to go here.
But my math right now says that with the dire collar, rhino hide, and Thrill of the Hunt active, it's average damage is 62 (assuming we have 22 dex).
The Dire Collar increases the dmg dice from 2d4 to 2d6 when activated but it also lowers dexterity by 2 and makes the bird lose the size bonus to attack. So +1 (+2-1) avg dmg but -2 to attack. I'd avoid using it as accuracy is very important.
Unfortunately, I'm operating purely on WBL as listed in the CRB so 62k gold is honestly not a lot to work with.
You might be a bit too generous with your cash. Your original list had spent around 80k and were still missing a lot of essential items. I know it's boring but you should rein in on the utility items you've bought.
Hunter's Band - 11k
Increasing your FE is nice but you're already ahead if you're fighting them. And most importantly, without a +2 Wis Headband you'll likely not reach Wis 16 and won't get any lv 3 bonus spell slots. And at lv 10 that means you won't get a single lv 3 spell slot. Instant Enemy is probably the most talked about Ranger spell.
Stone of Alliance + Whistle of Calling - 11.3k
I understand why you'd want them, but they aren't worth 1/5 of your starting wealth. Maybe wait until the game has started and save up for them then. The same can be said about the Sun Falcon Pectoral.
Commander's Helm - 10k
Good idea. But it's uncertain if the rest of the party can benefit from it. You can only grant Broken Wing Gambit to allies with 5 ranks in Bluff, which is far from a certainty. I don't even think your Bird can afford that since it needs a lot of skill ranks to act as a good scout.
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Oh man, you're about to make me cry. I totally missed the allies needing to meet the prerequisites for the teamwork feat from the Commander's Helm. That's unfortunate. It was sort of the final piece of the puzzle to make the build solid, tactical, and supportive without having some generic easy ability like Inspire Courage or simply casting Heroism or the like.
I actually picked that feat for the rest of my allies, and not the bird. That would have just been a plus. You're right that the bird might be limited on skill, but one element about the campaign that I hate but which may work to my advantage is that the GM stated that they intended to allow skills to count as more than one skill in some capacity. I'd have to check the details and make sure he is still going with that and hasn't changed his mind, but that may be a means of more easily having the party meet the requirement. That said, cutting the item certainly saves me quite a large amount of gold.
I'd take the Training- Improved Critical option you mentioned but that means I am not landing many crits consistently for almost the entirety of the campaign. So, while I really like the idea, I think I have no choice but to ignore it because Improved Critical has a BAB requirement of +8. =/
This is the revised equipment list and it leaves me around 10,000 gold to work with but the remaining gear to be purchased (ring, belt, shoulder, armor enhancements) would be at the minimum possible level, which will simply have to be good enough. If I cut the Vambraces, I can acquire a pair of Gauntlets of the Skillful Maneuver and have 4k remaining for consumables, which is probably the way to go. I could then use any additional gold acquired beyond the pitiable 62k to purchase upgrades on existing gear, pay for any services outside of what is being shared in the consumables 4k allotment, and to purchase the more interesting items removed from my list. I'm happy to forego some typical equipment pieces for novelty because I have been playing for like most of 1st editions lifespan and am tired of being curious about items that see no play because they take up the Big Six slot. If I don't start using those items despite the opportunity cost, I'll literally never use those items and we'll be on Pathfinder 3rd Edition before you know it . :D
Gear: Headband of Wisdom +2 (4k), +1 keen Kukrix2 16k, Armor Ointment, Duelist’s Vambrace 8k, Boots of the Friendly Terrain 2.4k, Beast-Bond Brand (10 uses) 1k.
Bird Magical Gear: Headband of Vast Intelligence +2 4k, Agile Amulet of Mighty Fists 4k, Rhino Hide 5,165
I'd take the Training- Improved Critical option you mentioned but that means I am not landing many crits consistently for almost the entirety of the campaign. So, while I really like the idea, I think I have no choice but to ignore it because Improved Critical has a BAB requirement of +8. =/
Oh. Is this build not starting at lv 10? I got that impression since the gear was listed so extensively which is usually only done if you're starting at that level (since you never know what happens during actual play). In that case buying two keen weapons is simply not feasible with normal WBL. At lv 6 you should only have 16,000 GP and can't afford them. At level 7 you "could" spend 70% of your total wealth on two Keen weapons but I strongly advise against it. And at level 8 you'd qualify for the Training Weapon either way.
Not to dissuade you from your concept, but I think this build takes a long while to show its strengths. Very much so if you'll play it from level 1.
If you're up for it, the Ranger build would benefit from some strategic multiclassing.
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be sure to talk with your gm before picking a training weapon.
as i mentioned in a diffrent thread, this FAQ seem to indicate that the improved critical would only be granted when attacking with the weapon that has training on.
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Two levels of Brawler (Battle Dancer preferably) and one level of Reliquarian Occultist.
Brawler is good because it kickstarts your TWF disarm playstyle. You get (effectively) TWF, Double Slice, another bonus combat feat, and a flexible one.
Additionally you get proficiency with the Waveblade and Tekko-Kagi. Waveblade is a superior Kukri. Tekko-Kagi allows you to disarm without provoking and provides up to a +4 bonus when doing so.
Also, since you're using a single weapon to flurry you can buy that +1 Keen weapon earlier.
Reliquarian would provide a lot of versatility and be very beneficial to your Butterfly's Sting strategy. Through the Transmutation Implement you can apply any +1 weapon ability to any weapon you touch. So you could give out Bane (Undead), Ghost Touch, Training (Whatever combat feat needed), or Keen.
Through some shenanigans with the Luck Domain you could improve your chance of scoring a critical threat up to 51% at level 5 instead of what would have originally have been a 15% chance until lv 8. And extend the 1 round duration to cover a whole fight.
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I like the idea of going Brawler. However, doing so costs me:
10th level Ranger style feat- Two-Weapon Rend, access to third level ranger spells, Evasion. Delays all ranger features by 2 levels.
My companion loses a feat, 2 points of natural armor, 1 point of strength and dex, 1 fewer in all saves and attack bonus, 2 fewer skill ranks, and no multi-attack or second attribute bonus.
I'd gain a good bit of general combat flexibility, a superior attack weapon, trade my 10th level feat for an earlier one that's 'weaker', be able to address my AC somewhat with a shield, an have Martial Flexibility.
I am not enthused whatsoever by the psychic class. They never really caught on for me and their power level seemed a bit more abusive than other abusive classes. In a different setting or campaign, I'd be willing to play one (mesmerist is an exception- I like that class) but everything else is unappealing (kineticist only because it is presented in the most unnecessarily convoluted and tedious way).
Also, I spent much of my early Pathfinder career mixing classes to death. Many of my posts here from 2013-2015 should demonstrate that. At this point I'm much more interested in actually playing a class as it is or close to how it is so that I can get a feel for the class and enjoy it for what it has to offer, so multiclassing automatically detracts from that experience. But the Brawler dip has a lot to offer and doesn't thoroughly take a detour into the most unrelated realms possible like a psychic or technology themed class would. :D
I'd definitely pick the Waveblade over the Tekko Kagi because I need the ability to crit as a primary option and it is much easier to find bonuses to leverage a more successful disarm through tactics or money, than it is to increase the critical hit rate.
I like the idea of going Brawler. However, doing so costs me:
10th level Ranger style feat- Two-Weapon Rend, access to third level ranger spells, Evasion. Delays all ranger features by 2 levels.
My companion loses a feat, 2 points of natural armor, 1 point of strength and dex, 1 fewer in all saves and attack bonus, 2 fewer skill ranks, and no multi-attack or second attribute bonus.I'd gain a good bit of general combat flexibility, a superior attack weapon, trade my 10th level feat for an earlier one that's 'weaker', be able to address my AC somewhat with a shield, an have Martial Flexibility.
It does delay ranger, indeed. Favored Enemy, 3rd level spells, Evasion. But you can always shore up the companion's progression with Boon Companion.
I'd definitely pick the Waveblade over the Tekko Kagi because I need the ability to crit as a primary option and it is much easier to find bonuses to leverage a more successful disarm through tactics or money, than it is to increase the critical hit rate.
No need to pick one or the other. The idea is to use a single Waveblade to flurry and the Tekko-Kagi will provide its AC bonus as a buckler. Then when you want to disarm you simply throw in a Tekko-Kagi attack in the flurry. Its main benefit is providing a Brawler with the option to disarm without having to spend a single feat on it.
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Ah, I see. I'd still need to take all of those disarm feats, though. The added +2 from the Tekko-kagi would help a lot in this case, regarding bringing up the floor of my success chances without expending wealth to do so.
Break Guard, Two-Weapon Rend, and the Weapon Trick- Arm bind, are the characters personal 'flashy' combat tools, followed by the commanding of the bird for Swooping Charge. So I'd still need to take the feats for disarming to do the 'neat stuff'. That's a major draw for even playing the character. With 8 levels of Ranger and 2 in Brawler I'd be replacing Two-Weapon Rend with Boon Companion which is a fairly marked downgrade. Overall, the effect is the loss of a feat for access to a temporary one which is not as good. I don't have to wait as long to get ALL of my feats, however, but do have to wait longer for the bird to mature. I think the real benefits to this dip are the extra damage, +2 to disarm, Additional money saved or at least more effectively spent, and the utility of Martial Flexibility over a fixed (but powerful) permanent feat. I'm not quite sure that those things actually make up for what I lose by the numbers but they are interesting.
Why did you pick the ranger over the cavalier, anyway?
Why did you pick the ranger over the cavalier, anyway?
No reason, really. Going over the Cavalier I would propose the following.
Mount Feats (bumping Int up to 3):
1
3 Power Attack
5 Imp Bull Rush
7 Friendly Switch
9 Rhino Charge
Rhino Charge would help immensely with setting up charges. Especially if you use the first round to activate some standard-action ability. It doesn't matter if your mount starts the turn adjacent to your would-be target or behind total cover. They can simply use their move action to set up a good charging route and standard action charge after that.
And Friendly Switch is an extremely useful ability to have. It would technically allow you to charge through allies, but the real benefit is to shuffle around allies into good positions without them wasting actions. Archer tripped prone in front of two murderous ghouls? Not a problem. Paladin 10 ft away from being able to full attack on their turn? Not a problem.
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Rider Feats (one level Sohei dip at lv 3):
1 Genie-Touched Companion (Istaheq), Power Attack
3 Boon Companion/Huntmaster*, Spirited Charge (B)
5
7 Chain Challenge, Combat Reflexes(B)
9
*In this case you only need to bump it up one level to get your mount on track. Seems a little wasteful but without it you won't get Rhino Charge. By dipping Sohei you're still saving two feats from getting Spirited Charge as a bonus feat and you'll get it four levels earlier.
That leaves you with two feats to fill as you will. Two feat paths you hadn't considered could be:
Planar Heritage->Celestial Servant
Signature Skill (Heal) + Healer's Hands
Apply the Celestial Template to your mount, or get the ability to burst heal multiple times per day. The latter would help out your team more I guess.
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And as you're dipping a level I'd also take the Strategist archetype in addition to Honor Guard. It would give you another use of Tactician.
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Ah, Strategist trades away Expert Trainer and that ability is really cool and an advantage other pet classes actually don't have. Also, because we will be doing at least as much RP as combat, and that RP isn't just social interactions with NPC's but actual activities like pursuing interests, it feels bad to trade that away for just about anything.
There wasn't a whole lot of combat but players either had to have a really good non-mechanical angle to participate in the game with (my stuff just described), or they needed some valuable mechanical aspect relevant to gameplay/downtime (one player was an alchemist and helped run the shop and refine or modify formulas).
I feel like Expert Trainer is the perfect mechanical angle with a clear open-ended RP hook, too. I really am hesitant to trade something that valuable away. But in a fight, it's not going to do much...At least not on the surface.
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Sadly, I did consider Celestial Servant but we cannot play anything outside of the core races and like 3 others and none of the other 3 are outsiders. Furthermore, any race not allowed you also cannot take Racial Heritage or other similar features for. Losing that feat hurt a lot and in my desperate search to have a special snowflake horse of coolness, I found the Genie-touched Companion feat and that's my consolation prize :D
Also, those feats suggested would be at the cost of Mounted Combat and Ride-By Attack. With your dip suggestion it looks like we actually net +1 feat because of the Cavaliers level 6 bonus feat.
Rhino Charge is a bit more complicated to use than described- but you're right, it helps. Also, the complication of use is the tactical challenge I'm definitely not minding whatsoever. Having to plan a tiny bit is good. Friendly Switch is.....fantastic. Oh god. Wow. I wasn't sure how to build the mount as there are a bunch of cool feat combo's but that is simple AND effective. With Mounted Combat even more so! I mean I really like that feat and how effectively it can be used with practice. I believe having additional movement speed on the mount might be valuable and worth considering the Fleet feat for its first level feat choice but that is off the cuff without actually looking at any other options first. Apparently, if I take the Bully Breed archetype, I can use Power Attack to qualify for Improved Trip. Sadly, there is no way to get the horse the ability to take any of its listed feats as its first feat. Hmm, maybe skill focus fly? ^_^
Also, those feats suggested would be at the cost of Mounted Combat and Ride-By Attack. With your dip suggestion it looks like we actually net +1 feat because of the Cavaliers level 6 bonus feat.
Well, are those feats worth taking?
Ride-By Attack prevents your mount from attacking when you charge and is even harder to set up than usual charging.
Mounted Combat is largely unnecessary for your Ishtheq horse that gets another +6 Natural Armor over a normal horse. At level 4 I'd assume you have about a +11 Ride bonus. Your mount would, with MWK Studded Leather barding (doesn't require proficiency), have a total AC of 26. The gap between your Ride bonus and the mount's AC is too wide for the feat to be worthwhile, except against touch attacks. But then again you do have Bodyguard.
And that's without considering that you'd much rather save your Swift/Immediate action for Challenge and Chain Challenge after lv 7.
Friendly Switch is.....fantastic. Oh god. Wow. I wasn't sure how to build the mount as there are a bunch of cool feat combo's but that is simple AND effective. With Mounted Combat even more so! I mean I really like that feat and how effectively it can be used with practice. I believe having additional movement speed on the mount might be valuable and worth considering the Fleet feat for its first level feat choice but that is off the cuff without actually looking at any other options first.
It really is a great feat. I messed up the order of the mount's feats but you can and should take Friendly Switch already at lv 5.
An alternative to the 1st level feat is to ask your GM if you can use the retraining rules once the horse has better intelligence. While the Horsemaster's Saddle will share your teamwork feats it's quite expensive. I wouldn't count on being able to purchase it before your 9th level. So in that case it's a good idea to make the horse take Escape Route as soon as it can.