Howdy! I like Pathfinder gnomes. I like the cause of grandeur for Champions. Factor in Razzle Dazzle and a divine Energized Font, and I think we can have a pretty good time! Of the most common gnome gods, I’m most interested in Desna by far. As such, I’d like some help bringing all these factors together for a fun and flavorful build.
The main things I’m wondering about include: starting stats, choice of weapon(s), blessing of the devoted, and early-game class feats. I’m thinking about maybe going for a Dex-based switch-hit style with a starknife, or a Str-based ancestral style with a gnome weapon… but those are really the only ideas I have, and I’m not sure if they’re even actually decent :/
If anyone has some advice for a first timer regarding what I’ve discussed, please let me know! Thx :)
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Gnome Weapon Familiarity for the good old Flickmace, a shield and you have a pretty good character - with a few choices left.
Defensive Advance and Lay on Hands would be a good start.
Desna has some interesting domains, Deity's Domain at lvl 2 for Moon with Moonbeam and a magic option, or Dreams with Sweet Dreams for an interesting buff.
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The Flickmace is a great weapon, and leaves a hand free for shield or something else. Flickmace + Shield is a strong front liner as you've got reach and strong defensive options. It even has a good critical specialization.
Starting stats are based on that, really. If you're using the Flickmace, you want full STR and heavy armor. If you want to throw the Starknife as a regular thing, you'll need more DEX. This is about how you intend to play the character and is an impactful decision. As a first time player, my advice is the Flickmace + Shield because it's going to do reasonable damage and leaves you able to take a hit. Carrying a ranged weapon (like some Starknives to throw!) is a good idea for cases where you can't close to melee, but as a Champion you want to be near enemies to use your reactions anyway. This is a class that shines on the front line.
Note that ancestries can always ignore their ancestral boosts/flaws and just get two boosts with no flaw. So you can take that option to get a STR boost and no flaw.
Beyond that you have a bunch of options, really. CON is good because it's HP and a save, and you're a front liner. Will is good because it's a save and perception/initiative. DEX is a save, but you can get away without it if you're in armor like full plate. INT/CHA are useful if you want to be using skills that rely on them.
Gnome has lots of fun feats and they can work pretty well no matter what you're doing. Note that if you get an offensive cantrip, it will use CHA as its casting stat, so if you intend to use something like that you'll want some CHA. If you take something without a save/attack roll then it doesn't really matter.
If you have Diplomacy, Empathetic Plea is really funny if you're not going first. Gnome Obsession is fun to know about stuff, and Gnome Polyglot gives you a LOT of languages. But if you're using the Flick Mace, Gnomish Weapon familiarity is your first pick.
I think the blessed armaments all have their place. This is my favorite ones in order:
1. Shield is great if you want to focus on shields, as it lets you block more damage with your shield and opens up very powerful ally protection options like Shield of Reckoning.
2. Weapon/armament is more offensive, and obviously better if you don't have a shield. The extra rune can be really useful if you know what you're doing that day.
3. Swiftness helps you keep up with faster allies, but as a status bonus it doesn't stack with some other ways to get speed boosts later. I think it's taken less for that reason. It's got its uses, though.
For devotion spells, Shield of the Spirit and Lay on Hands are both good. One gives your allies a defensive buff, the other is healing.
Don't stress too much about getting it perfect! If you've got a good weapon, a shield, heavy armor, and high STR, you're going to do fine.
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Note that if you opt for the Starknife, it's the favored weapon of Desna. That means you get 1d6 of damage, instead of 1d4.
For extra whimsy, get a shifting rune on the weapon. Then it can go back and forth from flickmace to starknife! :D
No, that only applies to simple weapons and some unarmed attacks. The Starknife is a martial weapon, so it remains a d4.
If you're new to the system, I'd reccomend a strength based build with one of the gnome weapons. Dexterity based champions can be frustrating since you don't have an additional source of damage, so you often have turns where you don't do a lot even if you hit, there are ways arouns this, but that requires some specific build choices.
The flickmace is definitely very strong, but none of the gnomish weapons are bad, so the Switchscythe or Hooked Hammer would also be fine choices.