[PF] How can I get "True Strike" as a Fighter

[darni]

Hi; I'm playing a pathfinder fighter, and I'm looking for ways to get her access to True Strike effects, a few times per day. We're playing with everything in the pathfinder prd, no 3.5 material.

From what I see, potions are not an option (Spells with "personal" range can to be brewed as a potion). Wands would require me to invest my scarce (3/level) skill points for several level to have enough of a UMD check to be useful. I haven't seen magic items providing the True Strike ability, do you know of any?

I also thought about dipping into a caster class, but as I wear heavy armor + shield, ASF will be a problem (maybe I can undon, cast True strike, and redon at the end of every combat to have it at the first round of the next fight, but the rest of the party will hate me :smallsmile: )

Do you have any ideas? I thought also of an alchemist dip; I'm not sure if ASF applies to creation of extracts. Do you think that a level lost in the fighter progression is too expensive for the things I'm gaining.

Bonus points for you if the way you find also gets me access to some other personal or self-targetable 1-st level spells usable in combat (I'm thinking on Expeditious retreat and Enlarge person here)

Let me know your ideas :)

If you're curious, I mostly want it to combine with the Shield Slam Feat to be able to throw opponents far away

[Serafina]

Custom-built race that gets it as a SLA would fit the goal, though that may be hard to get depending on your GM.
Custom-build magic items are another option, though of course also dependent on the GM.

Alchemist would work perfectly - Extracts don't mean you cast spells, using them works like drinking a potion - which doesn't impose ASF.
However, True Strike doesn't have Somatic Components in the first place - so ANY class that gives access would work (though Alchemist is probably still the best choice for a dipper, if you take a few levels for Discoveries).
True Strike can also be used from the Destruction- and Luck-Domains, so Clerics work too.

[sonofzeal]

In 3.5, you could take Aberrant Dragonmark and a pizza to bribe the DM with so they'll forget it's not actually on the list. :smallbiggrin: Shouldn't be a balance issue though, as long as they're open to Eberron content like that.

[watchwood]

I suggest finding a caster with a craft feat to make you an appropriate item for it. There's rules for that in the SRD.

[darni]

Custom-built race that gets it as a SLA would fit the goal, though that may be hard to get depending on your GM.
Custom-build magic items are another option, though of course also dependent on the GM.

Alchemist would work perfectly - Extracts don't mean you cast spells, using them works like drinking a potion - which doesn't impose ASF.
However, True Strike doesn't have Somatic Components in the first place - so ANY class that gives access would work (though Alchemist is probably still the best choice for a dipper, if you take a few levels for Discoveries).
True Strike can also be used from the Destruction- and Luck-Domains, so Clerics work too.

Custom race is not an option; the character has been already playing so a race switch is not possible. I may talk the GM about the custom item (he may throw me a quest to get it).

You gave me the good news of the day confirming that True Strike is verbal only, I forgot to check the material list and assumed it was V,S :smallsmile: that gives me some other options (like sorcerers with a useful low-level bloodline; that gives me more uses per day; I will check)

I will also take a look into domains (but having the domain spell 1/day is probably a poor choice for what I want). Thanks for all the useful info :smallbiggrin:

[Oscredwin]

Dip a caster class. True Strike doesn't have somatic components and thus isn't affected by arcane spell failure.

[LTwerewolf]

Crafting an item for it as an at will isn't overly expensive.

[JerichoPenumbra]

There are a slew of feats in Complete Arcane that give one 1st lvl spell and two 0 lvl spells each once per day as spell like abilities. In most creation guidelines a 0 lvl spell is the equivalent to 1/2 lvl, so you could ask the DM to okay a feat for True Strike 2/day CL 1.

Alternatively, dip into warlock and have True Strike as your invocation. If at first level they can have an at-will Shatter that comes with a Fort save or be dazed to the target, then having a 1st lvl spell at will is completely reasonable.

[Rentaromon]

psionics has a version of true strike that has an additional ability to activate the spell as a swift action for a +5 to hit.

Take a psionic race, maybe half-giant so you can use larger weapons. Gain the feat unlock talent to gain a single lvl 1 psionic spell you can cast (inevitable strike or whatever the psionic version is called). You must have 11 charisma and a psionic race but that's the only limitation. You start with 4 uses, but you can take the feat psionic talent for an additional 3 uses. Take it again for another 4 uses, then 5 then 6......

[GenghisDon]

eh, the multiclass idea works, although I'm not sure why it's so important.

As a command word item it's 1,800 gp for CL1 true strike (5/day most likely)
quickened true strike (quite useful) would be 81,000 gp (CL 9, 5/day most likely)

good for a ring, helmet, bracers or maybe an amulet or even goggles.

[charcoalninja]

A level of magus gives you the spell, an arcane pool to augment your melee, a decent hit die and some save beefing up.

If you take 2 levels you can actually cast true strike as part of your full attack, though you won't be able to 2 hand.

Edit: on the shield front there's an archtype of magus that works with sword and board.

Alternatively alchemist would be your best bet.

[GenghisDon]

Oh, BTW

coward's boots (expeditous retreat, always active CL1) 4,000 gp (or a bit more, this might be too good for many DM's)

girdle of giant size (enlarge person, always active, CL1) 4,000 gp (same deal)

upping the CL to 3 (12,000 gp) might make them more palatable to some.

[Serafina]

Of course those are both spells with a duration during which they are continuously active, rather than a discharging spell like True Strike.
The boni provided are also much more situational - not everyone needs larger size or higher speed - and smaller than True Strike - if everyone can get +20 to hit for such a small amount, why'd you ever need any other boni to hit, ever?

As a GM i'd probably allow an item that needs to be activated with a move-action and high uses per day (or even unlimited). Notable investment for notable benefit. Or the psionic version with +5 and swift-action activate.

[Starbuck_II]

Crafting an item for it as an at will isn't overly expensive.

Yeah, but continous won't work as it discharges.
So you have use an action each time to activate.

[ericgrau]

For enlarge person a pile of potions is affordable. Expeditious retreat can't go in potions and has arcane spell failure though. Only idea I can think of for that would be scrolls of expeditious retreat and any time you get lots of buffing rounds (very rare) you include a pile of scrolls like expeditious retreat to make you uber. Then you can afford it if some scrolls fail due to ASF. Chances are any fight where you can blow that many buffs is going to be well planned out and major, so it'll be worth a couple hundred gp. Who knows, it may prevent a party member death. For your actual spell list if you go to sorc 2 then feather fall also has no ASF and it's very handy. Another option is to use 1st level wands. They have no ASF regardless of the spell. Just make sure it's for a spell you'll use many times.

One simple build is fighter X / sorc 1-2 / dragon disciple Y. It does really well in melee and the spells are just a bonus.

[darni]

I was reading the Skirnir Archetype for Magus (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateCombat/classArchetypes/magus.html) (ultimate Combat), and I read:


At 1st level, skirnirs are proficient with all types of shields, including tower shields, and do not suffer an arcane spell failure chance when casting magus spells while using a shield.

Does this mean that if I have a shield I can cast freely somatic spells, even if I also wear a full plate? Sounds cheesy, but it would be great for my character.

[darni]

@watchwood, @LTWerewolf, @Genghis, @Starbuck_II: Thanks, I will ask the GM if such item is allowed. I have no problem with needing a standard action to activate it and have the ability only a few times/day. My planned use is to use it as a combat opener together with a shield slam+bull rush to tactically reposition foes in a convenient way. So I'll probably have it cast on me all day long, fight, and recast after the end of the combat. Being able to cast it mid combat opens up some additional tactics, but not worth 81000-1800 gp at this moment (specially since I don't have them :)

@serafina: continuous activated True Strike in any form is cheating. Look at my reply to other posters :)

@genghisDon: Thanks for the other items! I'll try to get those, can you point me to their source?

@ericgrau: Yes, I was already thinking in the pile of potions approach for enlarge. True Strike is the hard to get. Rather than scroll I'd use wands, given that my PC is heavily armored. Dragon Disciple sounds good for a gish and I might try it on another character. right now I want to be an "almost plain fighter with a couple of magical tricks under the sleeve"

@JerichoPenumbra: As I said initially, PF only, but thanks

@Rentaromon: Too bad my character is already built and playing, so no way to switch race now.

Thanks all of you guys, I love all the ideas that the playground always provides

[QuidEst]

Well, you take your d20, put it in the oven with the 20 facing up and…

… and that would be wrong.

One level of Alchemist gets you a +4 to Str for ten minutes a day with a +2 bonus natural armor thrown in, though, so I think that would actually be a pretty good trade off for a Figther level. You'll need an Int of 11, though, and an Int of 12 to make it worth it. (Two uses/day.) That'll give you three formulae. Cool thing about it- you only have to spend a single minute to prepare one, meaning you can mix up one, and leave the other option open. (Enlarge Person, Disguise Self, and Expeditious Retreat are all nice choices with at least a minute of duration.)

To get the most out of Alchemist, go with an Internal Alchemist Vivisectionist. It replaces everything you won't use- your woefully limited bombs with 1d6 sneak attack damage (flanking is now just a little nastier), and your ability to throw stuff with the ability to hold your breath for hours on end and go twice as long without food or water.

That's the perfectly RAW route. If you don't want to spend a level, try for the custom item with three per day uses.

[Douglas]

So I'll probably have it cast on me all day long, fight, and recast after the end of the combat.
If you don't use it within 1 round of casting, it goes away. Pre-casting and waiting doesn't work. You pretty much have to cast it in combat, so every non-quickened use of it is one round of being in combat and not attacking.

[SowZ]

Glove of the Master Strategist is basically a glove of storing with a true strike 1/day ability but they are a decent amount cheaper.

[ericgrau]

Wands are ideal but you can only afford so many. You can grab maybe 5 scrolls of personal range spells (others go to potions) for the rare times that you have a lot of time before a fight and nothing better to do. A 50% chance is better than 0%.

[GenghisDon]

@watchwood, @LTWerewolf, @Genghis, @Starbuck_II: Thanks, I will ask the GM if such item is allowed. I have no problem with needing a standard action to activate it and have the ability only a few times/day. My planned use is to use it as a combat opener together with a shield slam+bull rush to tactically reposition foes in a convenient way. So I'll probably have it cast on me all day long, fight, and recast after the end of the combat. Being able to cast it mid combat opens up some additional tactics, but not worth 81000-1800 gp at this moment (specially since I don't have them :)

@serafina: continuous activated True Strike in any form is cheating. Look at my reply to other posters :)

@genghisDon: Thanks for the other items! I'll try to get those, can you point me to their source?

@ericgrau: Yes, I was already thinking in the pile of potions approach for enlarge. True Strike is the hard to get. Rather than scroll I'd use wands, given that my PC is heavily armored. Dragon Disciple sounds good for a gish and I might try it on another character. right now I want to be an "almost plain fighter with a couple of magical tricks under the sleeve"

@JerichoPenumbra: As I said initially, PF only, but thanks

@Rentaromon: Too bad my character is already built and playing, so no way to switch race now.

Thanks all of you guys, I love all the ideas that the playground always provides

you're welcome.

source was me & the DMG item pricing, although I double checked the spell durations to see if they had changed in pathfinder.

[Belril Duskwalk]

I was reading the Skirnir Archetype for Magus (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateCombat/classArchetypes/magus.html) (ultimate Combat), and I read:


At 1st level, skirnirs are proficient with all types of shields, including tower shields, and do not suffer an arcane spell failure chance when casting magus spells while using a shield.

Does this mean that if I have a shield I can cast freely somatic spells, even if I also wear a full plate? Sounds cheesy, but it would be great for my character.

Not quite. By default Magus can cast spells with somatic components while wearing Light Armor. At 7th level they can do the same with Medium Armor. It isn't until 13th level they can wear Heavy Armor and still cast. Skirnir allows shields, but if you want heavy armor you still need to level up.

It's not quite True Striking in Heavy Armor, but True Strike is on the Inquisitor spell list, and Inquisitors are allowed to wear Light or Medium armor and a Shield without any penalty to spell casting.

[QuidEst]

It's not quite True Striking in Heavy Armor, but True Strike is on the Inquisitor spell list, and Inquisitors are allowed to wear Light or Medium armor and a Shield without any penalty to spell casting.

They can wear heavy armor with no penalty to casting, too. :smallsmile: They just don't start with proficiency, which is something that fighter gets. Armor and shields carry an arcane failure chance, but nothing for divine casting.

[Belril Duskwalk]

They can wear heavy armor with no penalty to casting, too. :smallsmile: They just don't start with proficiency, which is something that fighter gets. Armor and shields carry an arcane failure chance, but nothing for divine casting.

Excellent point. Problem Solved. One small dip into Inquisitor will cure all the OP's ills.

[QuidEst]

Excellent point. Problem Solved. One small dip into Inquisitor will cure all the OP's ills.

Alchemist: +4 Str and +2 Natural Armor 1/day for 10 min., two castings of True Strike, 1d6 sneak attack, and some cool breath-holding tricks.
Requires: Int of 12, one level

Inquisitor: +1 to your choice of stuff 1/day for a combat, two castings of True Strike, orisons, an entry-level domain power, and a few skill bonuses.
Requires: Wis of 12, one level, a deity, alignment close to deity's a deity or a cause

Personally, I'd take the Alchemist in a flash.

[Starbuck_II]

Alchemist: +4 Str and +2 Natural Armor 1/day for 10 min., two castings of True Strike, 1d6 sneak attack, and some cool breath-holding tricks.
Requires: Int of 12, one level

Inquisitor: +1 to your choice of stuff 1/day for a combat, two castings of True Strike, orisons, an entry-level domain power, and a few skill bonuses.
Requires: Wis of 12, one level, a deity, alignment close to deity's

Personally, I'd take the Alchemist in a flash.

Actually, on the PF forums, the designers say Inquisitors of a cause are allowed (Clerics, however, can't be a cause in PF world, Golarion dosn't have them officially).

[QuidEst]

Actually, on the PF forums, the designers say Inquisitors of a cause are allowed (Clerics, however, can't be a cause in PF world, Golarion dosn't have them officially).

Ah- even so, I think Alchemist gets nicer crunch.

(The mutagen can actually be used multiple times a day, but at an hour to prep, it's usually not worth it.)

[Paul H]

Hi

Actually the Inquisitor gets some other nice stuff too.

Level dip will grant you a judgement 1/Day, which can be changed each round in combat. (lasts until end of combat).

Examples: Sacred bonus to AC, to attack, to damage, to DR. to Resistances, Fast Healing, etc. All against one foe until end of combat.

Thanks
Paul H