Zaeron
2011-11-23, 01:55 PM
Hey guys,
So my third level ranger just died, horribly, in the final battle of our module. Level 5 rogue with an item that forces flat footed critted on me - instagibbed. So, I was faced with some major issues:
1) This is a wilderness adventure. Survival is a skill someone needs, and nobody else in the party has it at ALL.
2) I was a switch-hitter ranger, following Treantmonk's excellent guide, which meant I was generally a front line fighter. I put out a LOT of damage (2d6+9 generally, when powerattacking) with an excellent to hit. Our other characters aren't very optimized, or else are optimized but not to deal damage - and this module is VERY difficult. I'm concerned about party damage output.
3) Our other front line melee fighter doesn't always show (his work schedule is hectic), which means a lot of times it was just the rogue and my ranger in melee.
So based on those things, I need 3 things from my new character: Front line capability, survival as a class skill, and high damage output. I don't want to play a Barbarian or another Ranger, since I was essentially playing my Ranger a lot like a Barbarian (throwing axes and a two handed beatstick with power attack). So I narrowed it down to the following options:
1) Melee alchemist focused on strength/con and using mutagens for combat.
2) Druid focused on wild shape (we leveled to 4, so I'd be starting with wild shape, which helps a lot).
3) A summoner.
Based off that, I worked up the following summoner (note that I made a few minor non-optimized choices, such as the weapon choice for the Eidolon, mostly because I used a Greatsword last time and didn't want to use the exact same weapon).
Half-Elf Summoner, 4th Level, 18 point buy
Strength 7 (-2), Dexterity 12 (+1), Consitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 12 (+1), Wisdom 10 (0), Charisma 20 (+5) [17 base, +2 human, +1 4th level]
HP 28, AC 15 (+4 Chain Shirt, +1 Dex)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4
Skills / Ranks / Total Modifier
Spellcraft 4 = 11 (Half elf skill focus went here for crafting)
Use Magic Device 4 = 12 (Woo! Charisma. LOL.)
Bluff 1 = 6
Diplomacy 1 = 6
Perception 2 = 2
Feats:
1) Spell Focus: Conjuration
2) Craft: Wonderous Item
Favored Class Bonus: All 4 levels went to 1/4th evolution point per level, total of +1 evolution point.
Spells Known
Spells – Level One, 4 Known (DC16, 17 for Conjuration*) - 5/day
Grease*
Mage Armor (1hr/level)
Protection From Evil
Enlarge Person
Spells – Level Two, 2 Known (DC17, 18 for Conjuration*) - 2/day
Haste
Glitterdust*
My Eidolon
Strength 19 +4 / Dexterity 13 +1 / Con 13 +1
Int 7 -2 / Wis 10 / Cha 11
HP 18, AC 17[21] (4 natural armor base, +2 natural armor from evolutions, +1 dex, [mage armor +4])
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +3
Class skills: Bluff, Craft, Knowledge (Planes), Ride, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival, Acrobatics
Skills / Ranks = Total Modifier (skills with a * next to total modifier have the Skilled evolution applied)
Knowledge (Planes) / 1 = 2
Ride / 3 = 7
Perception / 3 = 14*
Stealth / 2 = 6
Survival / 1 = 12
Acrobatics / 1 = 12
Evolutions (8 points for evolutions, see: Half Elf favored class bonus)
Natural Armor +2
Reach
Ability Increase, Strength, +2
Skilled - Perception, Survival, Acrobatics
Feats:
1 - Exotic Weapon Prof: Earth Breaker
3 - Power Attack
Attack: Masterwork Earthbreaker, +8 Melee, Reach 10ft, 2d6+6 (+7, 2d6+9 w/ PA)
Fully Buffed (Haste, Enlarge Person): +10/+10 Melee, Reach 15ft, 2d6+9 (2d6+12 w/ PA)
Equipment: Has a Heavy Warhorse, for the black rider imagery! Can't ride the horse when buffed. :(
Comments on the build: First off, should I ditch my own ranks in perception, since this dude is a perception monster? Secondly, this build includes only about 800g worth of gear, in total. I'm not exactly sure what my WBL will be, but I know my first 3k gold goes to a Rod of Lesser Extend. What else should I get if I have more?
Second, I have two traits I haven't spent yet. Suggestions?
Third: Is crafting a bad idea? It means I have to take Skill Focus: Spellcraft instead of taking the alternative half-elf trait for +2 Will, which I reallllly wanted to take. On the other hand, craft wonderous item is amazing, and craft arms and armor will be helpful for my party and my eidolon. We're pretty far from any magic item shops, and the module treasure drops aren't always amazing. Is this worth the feats?
Fourth: General optimization commentary? Is this a bad build? I figure with a 40+ hit point pool between me and my eidolon, he's a pretty good front line fighter. Especially with his stupidly high AC. (21 will put him highest in the party by a solid margin, and at 5 I can take another level of natural armor). Are the extra evolution points worth it from half-elf, or should I go human for the feat, the extra skill ranks, and the always nice +1hp favored bonus for my eidolon instead? It kind of seems like the evo points are better, since I could just spend 2 of them on +2 CON for the eidolon and instantly have basically as many hp as 15 levels of favored class, PLUS 3 more to play with.
Finally: Will this build fall off as I level? We all see this campaign going for a while, and this guy doesn't seem as likely to die as my ranger was. I don't want to end up playing a useless guy at level 12, just because my party needed me at level 4.
Last question: Is there any way to pick up bluff/diplomacy as class skills? It seems a shame not to have them when my CHA is so high.
Thanks in advance guys. Sorry, I know this was a lot to wade through lol.
So my third level ranger just died, horribly, in the final battle of our module. Level 5 rogue with an item that forces flat footed critted on me - instagibbed. So, I was faced with some major issues:
1) This is a wilderness adventure. Survival is a skill someone needs, and nobody else in the party has it at ALL.
2) I was a switch-hitter ranger, following Treantmonk's excellent guide, which meant I was generally a front line fighter. I put out a LOT of damage (2d6+9 generally, when powerattacking) with an excellent to hit. Our other characters aren't very optimized, or else are optimized but not to deal damage - and this module is VERY difficult. I'm concerned about party damage output.
3) Our other front line melee fighter doesn't always show (his work schedule is hectic), which means a lot of times it was just the rogue and my ranger in melee.
So based on those things, I need 3 things from my new character: Front line capability, survival as a class skill, and high damage output. I don't want to play a Barbarian or another Ranger, since I was essentially playing my Ranger a lot like a Barbarian (throwing axes and a two handed beatstick with power attack). So I narrowed it down to the following options:
1) Melee alchemist focused on strength/con and using mutagens for combat.
2) Druid focused on wild shape (we leveled to 4, so I'd be starting with wild shape, which helps a lot).
3) A summoner.
Based off that, I worked up the following summoner (note that I made a few minor non-optimized choices, such as the weapon choice for the Eidolon, mostly because I used a Greatsword last time and didn't want to use the exact same weapon).
Half-Elf Summoner, 4th Level, 18 point buy
Strength 7 (-2), Dexterity 12 (+1), Consitution 14 (+2)
Intelligence 12 (+1), Wisdom 10 (0), Charisma 20 (+5) [17 base, +2 human, +1 4th level]
HP 28, AC 15 (+4 Chain Shirt, +1 Dex)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4
Skills / Ranks / Total Modifier
Spellcraft 4 = 11 (Half elf skill focus went here for crafting)
Use Magic Device 4 = 12 (Woo! Charisma. LOL.)
Bluff 1 = 6
Diplomacy 1 = 6
Perception 2 = 2
Feats:
1) Spell Focus: Conjuration
2) Craft: Wonderous Item
Favored Class Bonus: All 4 levels went to 1/4th evolution point per level, total of +1 evolution point.
Spells Known
Spells – Level One, 4 Known (DC16, 17 for Conjuration*) - 5/day
Grease*
Mage Armor (1hr/level)
Protection From Evil
Enlarge Person
Spells – Level Two, 2 Known (DC17, 18 for Conjuration*) - 2/day
Haste
Glitterdust*
My Eidolon
Strength 19 +4 / Dexterity 13 +1 / Con 13 +1
Int 7 -2 / Wis 10 / Cha 11
HP 18, AC 17[21] (4 natural armor base, +2 natural armor from evolutions, +1 dex, [mage armor +4])
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +3
Class skills: Bluff, Craft, Knowledge (Planes), Ride, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival, Acrobatics
Skills / Ranks = Total Modifier (skills with a * next to total modifier have the Skilled evolution applied)
Knowledge (Planes) / 1 = 2
Ride / 3 = 7
Perception / 3 = 14*
Stealth / 2 = 6
Survival / 1 = 12
Acrobatics / 1 = 12
Evolutions (8 points for evolutions, see: Half Elf favored class bonus)
Natural Armor +2
Reach
Ability Increase, Strength, +2
Skilled - Perception, Survival, Acrobatics
Feats:
1 - Exotic Weapon Prof: Earth Breaker
3 - Power Attack
Attack: Masterwork Earthbreaker, +8 Melee, Reach 10ft, 2d6+6 (+7, 2d6+9 w/ PA)
Fully Buffed (Haste, Enlarge Person): +10/+10 Melee, Reach 15ft, 2d6+9 (2d6+12 w/ PA)
Equipment: Has a Heavy Warhorse, for the black rider imagery! Can't ride the horse when buffed. :(
Comments on the build: First off, should I ditch my own ranks in perception, since this dude is a perception monster? Secondly, this build includes only about 800g worth of gear, in total. I'm not exactly sure what my WBL will be, but I know my first 3k gold goes to a Rod of Lesser Extend. What else should I get if I have more?
Second, I have two traits I haven't spent yet. Suggestions?
Third: Is crafting a bad idea? It means I have to take Skill Focus: Spellcraft instead of taking the alternative half-elf trait for +2 Will, which I reallllly wanted to take. On the other hand, craft wonderous item is amazing, and craft arms and armor will be helpful for my party and my eidolon. We're pretty far from any magic item shops, and the module treasure drops aren't always amazing. Is this worth the feats?
Fourth: General optimization commentary? Is this a bad build? I figure with a 40+ hit point pool between me and my eidolon, he's a pretty good front line fighter. Especially with his stupidly high AC. (21 will put him highest in the party by a solid margin, and at 5 I can take another level of natural armor). Are the extra evolution points worth it from half-elf, or should I go human for the feat, the extra skill ranks, and the always nice +1hp favored bonus for my eidolon instead? It kind of seems like the evo points are better, since I could just spend 2 of them on +2 CON for the eidolon and instantly have basically as many hp as 15 levels of favored class, PLUS 3 more to play with.
Finally: Will this build fall off as I level? We all see this campaign going for a while, and this guy doesn't seem as likely to die as my ranger was. I don't want to end up playing a useless guy at level 12, just because my party needed me at level 4.
Last question: Is there any way to pick up bluff/diplomacy as class skills? It seems a shame not to have them when my CHA is so high.
Thanks in advance guys. Sorry, I know this was a lot to wade through lol.