Skarx

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17 posts. Alias of Grenouillebleue.


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I agree about the arcane bomber uselessness.
I'm wondering whether going sorcerer 1 is worth it, though. Sure, if it were a one-shot, i would see only benefits to dipping. But since we'll be playing (hopefully) from 10 to 20, I wonder if the lost spellcasting level wouldn't hurt.

On another subject, is there any prc you would recommend ?


Coridan wrote:
You can't prohibit Divination. Enchantment and Illusion are your best choices though.

I think that was in 3.5. In pathfinder, divination is a legit choice. Hopefully.


Biggest problem with going admixture is getting two opposite schools.

What would you take ? Divination and enchantment ?


Why would elf be better ? I keep hearing that and I don't get it.
+2 SP = human feat, so no advantage here.
+2 int vs +2 int (human), no avantage here.
+2 dex vs -2 con is just horrible. IMHO, a mage doesn't need that much AC - but he certainly needs more HP.


Wouldn't it hurt to lose one spellcasting level ?
But yeah, that sounds like a nice deal ^^

However, I lose the level 10 bonus feat, and I'm feat-starved as is.
So far I had:

Traits:
Magical Lineage (Fireball)
Resilient

Human: Toughness
1: Spell focus (evocation)
3: Intensify spell
5: Spell specialization (fireball)
5 bonus: Empower spell
7: Spell Penetration
9: Varisian Tatoo (evocation)
10: Greater spell specialization (fireball)

That would allow me to throw an empowered intensified fireball (level 5 slot) as CSL 13. If I'm not mistaken, that would be 19d6.

Edit: Would that make 19d6+38 with one level of crossblooded ?


Hello,

First of all, I know a blaster wizard might not be the best way to use a wizard, and some might advise me to go sorcerer if I want to nuke.

However, the group has many high-Cha characters (paladin, oracle and cleric) and no brains. Which means I'm dead-set on playing a wizard. Furthermore, the controlling part is handled by the oracle, and they're expecting me to deal damage. We'll be level 10.

So here's my dilemna: what school would you take for a blaster ? I'm torn between Admixture or Fire.

The way I see it:

Admixture:
+ Can switch elements without meta feats, so less resistance problems.
+ Small but ok bonus to damage (+5 at level 10)
- Two opposition schools hurt
- The level 8 power seems pretty meh.

Fire:
+ Free selective spell 5/day for fire spells seem awesome
+ Free resist fire 10 can come handy
+ Only one opposition school that will penalize neither offense nor defense (loss of sleet storm hurts, though)
- Against fire-resistant mobs, i'm much weaker

Of course, I'm also thinking about teleport school (yeah, it's THAT powerful) but it won't help me deal damage.

So, did I forget something ? What would you do ? Is there a school I should pick if my goal were to deal damage ?


Thanks for those answers. It basically boils down to whether the world we play in is magic-happy or low-magic. I knew something was fishy here ;)

Speaking of cheese, is there a size limit on Force Bomb ? Anyone touched by a direct hit has to make a reflex save or fall prone. It's not a trip, so there's no size bonus and trip-immune creatures have no bonuses as well.

This confuses the hell out of me. This would mean even the Tarasque would fall prone on a failed reflex save (this being an exageration to prove my point) ?


Thalin wrote:
Well, the time is 6 hours 40 mins for 20th level 10 min / lvl spells, and I don't believe magic vestment works (it's an oil applied to armor, so can't be drunk) but you have 99% of it right. Most GMs wouldn't allow 20th level potions; which still makes it an insanely diverse 2nd level spells (keeping potions of flight, water breathing, etc). In fact, it's hard to suggest memorizing anything else as a 2nd or 3rd level slot. With the 20th level potion, you end up with the 5th level vivisector with +5 weapons (greater magic fang) and heroism "usually up during the adventure day".

It's 3 hours 20 minutes base, x2 for Amplify Elixir, x2 for Extend Potion so 13 hours 20 minutes.

I see your point with Magic Vestment, though.


Let's say I'm a level 8 alchemist (with 33k gold according to the wealth tables).

Can I buy:
- 1 potion of Magic Vestment CL 20 (3000 gold)
- 1 potion of Heroism CL 20 (2000 gold)
- 1 potion of Barkskin CL 20 (2000 gold)

And use Alchemical allocation with it ?

With the extend potion discovery, the alchemist could start his day by going:

- Cast Amplify Elixir (8 rounds of double length for potions).
- Cast AA, drink Magic Vestment (2 rounds)
- Cast AA, drink Heroism (2 rounds)
- Cast AA, drink Barkskin (2 rounds).

Now Amplify Elixir doesn't work on Magic Vestment. However, this still nets:

- +5 bonus on armor for 40 hours.
- +2 to hit and saves for 13 hours and 20 minutes
- + 5 natural armor for 13 hours and 20 minutes.

Basically, at the cost of 3 level 2 extracts, the alchemist will have these awesome buffs for the whole day.

Did I get something wrong ? Seems too good to be true.


Sadly, I cannot. I am stuck with PG, APG, UC and UM.

My feats and discoveries so far (half-orc):

1: Point-Blank Shot
2D: Precise Bomb
3: Precise Shot
4D: Tanglefoot Bomb
5: Rapid Shot
6D: Wings
7: Toughness
8D: Force bomb

I suppose I could have made better choices, but what's done is done.
What does the dusty rose ioun stone do ?


Hello everybody,

I reached level 8 yesterday with my mindchemist, and it has been tons of fun so far. I'm certainly not the most powerful character around the table (Paladin, Cleric of Iomedae and Sorcerer being the 3 others) but I absolutely love it.

However, I'm left with loads of cash and still wondering what to do with it. The Paladin got his weapon enchanted, the sorcerer got a metamagic rod, the cleric got a phylactery of positive channeling and... well, I don't know, I don't see anything really attractive around.

I already have a +2 chain shirt, +2 cloak of resistance, +1 ring of protection, + 1 amulet of natural armor and +2 headband of intellect. I also have around 12k gold in cash that I don't know what to do with.

I would love to increase my bombs damage or utility, since this is my primary contribution in combat, but got no luck so far. Did I miss something obvious ?


I'd like to build something like the bladesinger of 3.5. The magus class looks very appealing to me, but the fact that they have their spells on INT and have to prepare them doesn't fit with the carefree spirit I wanted to have. Plus CHA would be my only dump stat.

Hence my question: I know bards can be effective controllers, effective jack of all trades, effective party faces.

Can they actually be built for damage, or is it a fool's errand ?


I don't understand the way this tier system is working. I just read the definition, and it seems to be widely accepted that a wizard, for instance, will be leagues away from a fighter in terms of both power and versatility.

If you look at the raw datas, that's totally correct. A wizard can fly, become invisible, turn into powerful monsters and even stop time.

However, if we're excluding the last levels and epic campaigns (which are a different subject altogether), it seems to me that almost every single magic aspect can be emulated by magic items.

While the wizard spends his hard-earned gold in scrolls and powerful robes, the fighter can quite cheaply (if we're talking from midgame perspective) get the following abilities from potions: fly, invisibility,

He can also get true seeing from a gem, teleportation from boots or helm, spell resistance from a cloak, and even planeshift if he wants to.

Of course, he won't be able to do absolutely everything. But a high-level non-wizard usually has means to fly, for instance, if only from a potion.

So here are the three situations that arise when people talk about tiers:

Quote:

Situation 1: A Black Dragon has been plaguing an area, and he lives in a trap filled cave. Deal with him.

Situation 2: You have been tasked by a nearby country with making contact with the leader of the underground slave resistance of an evil tyranical city state, and get him to trust you.

Situation 3: A huge army of Orcs is approaching the city, and should be here in a week or so. Help the city prepare

Situation 1: Potion of fly and/or invisibility. Get to dragon, kill him.

Situation 2: Circlet of diplomacy, knight's pennon, scroll of charm person with UMD level 21

Situation 3: The high-level fighter can probably deal with 1000+ orcs all by himself.

Are you less flexible than a wizard ? Probably. Are you more efficient than him in some situations ? Probably. Are you able to deal with your shortcomings with potions, items and scrolls ? Probably.


fasthd97 wrote:
Check out thunderstriker,rondelero duelist, and shielded fighter they all can be very effective shield basher.I am going to try out a thunderstriker with bastard sword as my next pc in a korvosa game.

Yeah, shielded fighter is an interesting option.

Thunderstriker and rondolero duelist are a mystery to me. Could you perhaps explain their abilities ? I don't really understand their worth.

For Thunderstriker:
- Strapped shield allows me to have a buckler and use a 2H weapon without penalty to offense, right ? How is that helpful ? I don't get the shield bonus, so...
- As for his other abilities, what's the point ? It only puts the buckler on par with a regular shield. Is it so you can dual-wield a buckler and a Greatsword ? I'm really confused.

For rondolero:
- Same thing, what's the point of using a buckler anyway ?
- You use falcata, it's not even a 2h weapon, why not use a light shield ?

I don't understand a damn thing.


Jaxom: Thanks for your build. From a pure optimizing standpoint, I guess my question would be: what if you had taken dodge and power attack instead of Improved shield bash and TWF ?

You would get 2 more AC (which is a lot at low level) and your attack would be +7 for 1d8+7 instead of +6 (1d8+5) +4 (1d4+2).

Assuming a mob with 16 AC, the average damage of non-TWF would be 60% x 11,5 or 6,9 damage per round.

The average damage of TWF would be 55% of 9,5 + 45% of 4,5 which is an average of 7,2 damage per round.

If you cannot make a full-attack, the non-TWF flat-out wins.
So, apart from taking pleasure in throwing many dice (and I do realize it's part of the fun ^^), isn't it a weaker build as a whole ?

Dracomancer: How do you fare against monsters with DR ? How much more did it cost you to enchant both your weapons ? Could you perhaps post your feats ?

Still trying to decide which route to go.


Erikkerik wrote:
I don't think there's anything stopping you from using a large shield and a light 2nd weapon. Btw. yes go for TWF if you want to use a shield, the ac alone is not worth it. Also pick this: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo---fig hter-archetypes/two-weapon-warrior archetype

You mean I can use a heavy shield as my main weapon and a short sword in my other hand ?

Does that work by RAW ? That would solve most of my problems.


I'll be shortly playing the Kingmaker campaign and wish to play a S&B fighter.

However, I'm torn between choosing TWF at first level (or even at later levels). It seemed like the obvious choice... until I noticed that a heavy shield counts as a heavy weapon, thus giving huge penalties.

It seems to me that TWF as S&B gives me a bit more Oomph, at the cost of:
- Several feats (although the fighter is not feat-starved, TWF with a shield needs a whole lot of them to be useful)
- Not getting weapon focus/spe for both hands
- Lower AC (since I have to use a light shield)
- Lower attack rolls (even with a light shield, it's still -2/-2)

A human fighter level 4 has 6 feats. He could either go

TWF path
Two-weapon fighting, double slice, imp shield bash, shield focus, weapon focus (scimitar), weapon spe (scimitar)

Regular path
Dodge, shield focus, weapon focus (scimitar), weapon spe (scimitar), power attack, cleave (or iron will, or whatever).

First scenario, my full-round is (with 18 str)
+7 (4 bab + 4 str + 1 focus - 2 twf) for 1d6+6 damage
+6 (4 bab + 4 str - 2twf) for 1d4+4 damage

Second scenario, I can power attack for 2 (in order to have the same to-hit)
+7 (4 bab + 4 str + 1 focus - 2 PA) for 1d6+10 damage
I also have 2 more AC (from dodge and bigger shield) and can choose not to power attack against deft dodgers. I also win when I don't have a full-round.

So please, please, tell me I'm wrong, tell me you can build an effective fighter who bashes stuff with his shield. I know things get better after level 11, but I don't want to feel useless through half of Kingmaker.