Making a level 10 gestalt character. One class is Occultist Arcanist. Will have 20 INT and CHA, so I can summon monster 5, using my points, about six times a day. With School Understanding (Prophecy Divination), I always act in the surprise round, which means I could Summon and Inspire, before combat really starts. I know I want the other class to be bard, but there are a ton of archetypes, and I'm not sure where I'd be best served. Bardic Knowledge, Lore Master, and Versatile performance are things I know I want to keep.
Anyone have any archetype ideas for me? Bonus points for general build ideas, also, but I feel I have an okay grasp on it.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but I don’t think school understanding works how you want it to work.
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Please note that the 'Prophecy School' actually loses the 'always act in the surprise round' ability: Source
PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 80
Forewarned (Su): You can always act in the surprise round even if you fail to make a Perception roll to notice a foe, but you are still considered flat-footed until you take an action. In addition, you receive a bonus on initiative checks equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum +1). At 20th level, anytime you roll initiative, assume the roll resulted in a natural 20.
Diviner's Fortune (Sp): When you activate this school power, you can touch any creature as a standard action to give it an insight bonus on all of its attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum +1) for 1 round. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier.
Scrying Adept (Su): At 8th level, you are always aware when you are being observed via magic, as if you had a permanent detect scrying. In addition, whenever you scry on a subject, treat the subject as one step more familiar to you. Very familiar subjects get a –10 penalty on their save to avoid your scrying attempts.
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Prophecy School
Source Disciple's Doctrine pg. 10
Prophets who specialize in arcane magic often claim specialty in manipulating the powers of luck to their advantage.
Associated School: Divination.
Replacement Powers: The following replace the forewarned and scrying adept powers of the divination school.
Inspiring Prediction (Su): A number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier, you can predict an ally’s success, bolstering others’ resolve. As a swift action, you can shout an inspiring prediction, granting each ally within 50 feet who can hear you a +4 luck bonus on her next attack roll, saving throw, or skill check.
In Accordance with the Prophecy (Su): A number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier, you can publicly declare that your next spell is guided by prophecy. When you do, the next spell you cast has a 20% chance of fizzling (1–20 on a d%). If the spell does not fail, treat the spell as if it had been modified by the Empower Spell feat, even if you do not have that feat. At 12th level, the chance that the spell fizzles is reduced to 15% (1–15 on a d%). At 16th level, the chance is reduced to 10% (1–10 on a d%)
Oof, I didn't see that it swapped that. So, if I don't do Prophecy school, I can have "always act in the surprise round"....correct?
You mention starting inspire courage, so obviously you also want to keep at least some performances. What other performances do you want to keep? Bards don’t actually have that many class features. They get Bardic Knowledge, Bardic Performances, Spells, Versatile Performance Well Versed Jack of all trades and Lore master. You want to keep Bardic Knowledge, Versatile Performance, and Lore Master, plus at least Inspire Courage. That leaves Spells, Well Versed, Jack of all trades and Individual performances you can trade away. Spells don’t really seem like something you would want to trade away so that does not leave you with a lot to trade.
You might be better off with a vanilla bard instead of an archetype. Archetypes don’t make you more powerful they simply trade one ability for another. The main reason to take them is if they offer something you want the class does not have, or to swap a class feature you are not going to use for something more useful.
Instead of bard, you may want to look at spell warrior skald for the Enhance Weapons weapon song (to make the rest of the PCs' weapons and all of the summoned creatures' natural attacks magical/'+2 equivalent', tailored to the encounter*) and the counterspelling boosts.
*- defending to boost AC; flaming, frost, or shock to add damage/exploit a weakness; ghost touch vs. incorporeal
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Oof, I didn't see that it swapped that. So, if I don't do Prophecy school, I can have "always act in the surprise round"....correct?Yep, looks like the 'can act in the surprise round' should work 8 times per day at least, but the bonus to your initiative check will probably only be +1 (depending on how your GM rules on Swift actions being taken while rolling initiative):
Advanced Class Guide pg. 11 Strength NormalSource
The arcanist can select one arcane school from any of the schools available to a character with the arcane school wizard class feature, but does not have to select any opposition schools. The arcanist gains one ability of that arcane school as though she were a 1st-level wizard, using her Charisma modifier in place of her Intelligence modifier for this ability. The ability must be one gained at 1st level and is limited in its use per day to 3 + the arcanist’s Charisma modifier. As a swift action, the arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to bolster her understanding, allowing her to treat her arcanist level as her wizard level for the purpose of using this ability for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). During this time, she also gains use of the other ability gained at 1st level for her selected school. She does not gain any other abilities when using this exploit in this way, such as those gained at 8th level.
If the arcanist already has an arcane school (or gains one later), taking this exploit instead allows her arcanist levels to stack with the levels of the class that granted the arcane school when determining the powers and abilities of her arcane school.