Tsutsuku |
So this is a set of 2 characters for PFS, both have been GM blobbed to level 3 already. The general idea is for the two of them to blow enemies up quickly with melee attacks of opportunity. I'm only listing build-relevant stuff gained at each level
Stats: Str 14, Dex 17 (18 at 4th), Con 14, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 15 (16 at 8th)
Traits: Defensive Strategist (Religion), Fencer (Combat)
Level 1 (Lore Warden Fighter): Skill Focus (engineering) - halfelf, TWF, Combat Reflexes - fighter
Level 2 (LWF): Combat Expertise - archetype, Weapon Focus (Retrained at 3 to Imp. Trip) - fighter
Level 3 (Whirling Dervish Swashbuckler): Weapon Finesse - swashbuckler, Eldritch Heritage (Nanite), Cha -> Int for prereqs, Parry&Riposte
Level 4 (Holy Tactician Paladin): Weal's Champion
Level 5 (HTP): Outflank, Divine Grace
Level 6 (HTP): Battle Presence, Lookout - archetype
Level 7 (Mutagenic Brawler): Dex Mutagen, Improved TWF
Level 8 (Brawler): Improved Critical - brawler
Level 9 (Swash): Greater Trip
Level 10 (Swash): Swash Initiative, icing
Level 11 (Swash): Imp. Eldritch Heritage, Coordinated Charge - swash, Dex to damage
---
Required Gear: Cracked Opalescent White Pyramid Ioun Stone (wakizashi), +1 Menacing Wakizashi, +1 Answering Wakizashi, "Core 6" stuff
Stats: Str 17 (18 at 4th), Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 13 (14 at 8th), Cha 14
Traits: Reactionary (Combat), Temple Guardian (Regional)
Deity: Kurgess
Level 1 (Holy Tactician Paladin): Weal's Champion, Combat Reflexes
Level 2 (HTP): Divine Grace
Level 3 (HTP): Battle Presence, Paired Opportunists - archetype, Toughness (retrain at 4 to Boon Companion)
Level 4 (Sacred Huntsmaster Inquisitor): Animal Companion, Luck Domain, spells, Monster Lore
Level 5 (Inquis): Outflank, Cunning Initiative
Level 6 (Inquis): Hunter's Tactics, Floating Teamwork Feat (Escape Route -> Pack Flanking)
Level 7 (Brawler): Martial Flexibility, kicking things, Brawler's Cunning, Combat Expertise
Level 8 (Inquis): Animal Focus, lv 2 spells
Level 9 (Inquis): Bane, Branded for Retribution
Level 10 (Inquis): 2nd Domain Power, Escape Route
Level 11 (Inquis): lv 3 spells, Totem Beast
-----
Required Gear: +1 Keen Fauchard, AoMF +1 (pet), Bane Baldric (for Greater Bane), "Core 6"
-----
Animal Companion is a typical Allosaurus pounce build
Player 2 auto-flanks with his pet and moves his pet to flank with Player 1 as well. Any crits scored by him or his pet cause an AoO from everyone threatening. Both have decent armor for tanking and decent saves from Divine Favor, and Player 1 has the option of parrying any critical threats to himself with a +34 to parry and riposte specifically.
After the surprise round, Player 1 can make a full attack - +23/+23/+18/+18/+13 at 15-20 crit range. Any criticals provoke from everyone, including himself. If he's feeling really sadistic he can add poison to all of the strikes via his bloodline, but he probably wants to delay until after Player 2 if possible, because...
Player 2 has two good options. For boss battles, he can spend 3 of his 12 rounds of Greater Bane as a melee touch attack through his weapon and let everyone else's attacks be treated as if having Greater Bane for the rest of the round. Between his Allosaurus and Player 1, that's at least 8 attacks benefiting.
His second option is to touch Player 1 with the Luck Domain power and watch him crit forever. He can do this 5 times per day, so its quite reasonable to do once or twice per fight. Allosaurus just eats everything because that's what they do.
Things that are crit-immune kind of make them sad until they realize that the Greater Bane trick still works as long as someone can identify their type/subtype. Things that fly...well, that's what potions are for.
As for skill-dependent levels...they're actually still not too badly off because of high Cha, high Dex, and decent Wis.
My main thoughts on this are that I'm not sure whether Player 1 would benefit more from turning the last 3 levels of Swashbuckler into something else. Fighter could give him +2 CMB/CMD, Coordinated Charge a level early, and Weapon Training. Even 1 level of Paladin gives him Paladin spells, an extra Weal, and channeling. Brawler gives less of a bonus but makes his mutagen last longer and give him bonus move speed. A well-timed level or two of Cavalier could give him Coordinated Charge, challenge, and an order ability and he can always trade out the mount. Heck, he could even go Bloodrager for a level and get his raging criticals to debilitate people.
Gohaken |
At first glance it's a nice slick team of builds here. Kudos.
Point of note: You invested at least 2 feats into Trip with Player 1. I strongly recommend you make sure it will stay relevant into high level play, as follows:
1. Snowstrider trait (either by swapping fencer, or taking a Drawback to gain a 3rd trait, or taking Additional Traits feat which ain't a bad idea so you can also snag Fate's Favored.) This fixes some size problems without needing Ki Throw and unarmed trips.
2. Buy a Dragoncatch Guisarme as a backup weapon for this guy. Still has reach for AOO / reach cleric style tactics. But most importantly you can now use Trip against 2/3rds of all flying enemies (that is, anyone using actual wings to fly.)
Optionally, consider 3. Fury's Fall feat once you're high enough level to have wealth to boost your Str some, not just your Dex/Con or whatever. Yes, I know he's a Weapon Finesse fighter. But Weapon Finesse doesn't -force- you to use Dex, it allows you to do it. So when you trip, you could do Str+Dex on your Trip checks instead of just dex. I think it's worthit at high level play when enemy CMD's get huge, and you have enough cash to pop +4 Str on your +6 Dex belt or whatever. That would net you a Str 18 so a +4 bonus on all your Trip checks, which is significant.
Optionally, consider 4. Add "Titanic" to your armor. It's expensive (a +3 bonus), but dammit anyway it's great for combat maneuvers, at least at end-game levels when enemies get _B_I_G_.
-----
Regarding your last few levels question, I cast my vote for more Lore Warden, hands down.
This is because of similar reasoning as above: you're already investing in Trip, and so extra CMB hoo-rah, and, Weapon Training 1 (plus some 15k Gloves to make it bump up Weapon Training 3) is worth ANOTHER +3 CMB on Trips and on normal attack rolls as well... and damage, just saying...
.
'Cause when you committed to tripping a Collosal Dragon, or maybe even Achaekek the Mantis God CR 30, you will want to have a maximized CMB, Snowstrider trait to be able to trip 2 sizes above (or Titan Fighter level 5, ok, ok bro...), the Titanic enhancement on your armor to count as Large, have quaff'd an Enlarge Person to now count as Huge, have gotten True Strike'd from a wand or Deific Obedience SLA or whatever, and...
...a Dragoncatch Guisarme to knock them the f_ck out of the sky! And stay down! ;-)
.
...and anyway it's not like Lore Warden is losing you Skill Points or something, you still get 4/level cause of the awesome-sauce bonus points for the archetype.