(Pathfinder) Deadly Dealer

[Baroncognito]

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/deadly-dealer

How would you go about making a character who fights with Harrow cards?

Magus or Bard? (Only go Staff Magus if you're going to name yourself Remy?)

[avr]

Well - the only advantage of harrow cards over an ordinary missile weapon is that they're concealable or an unexpected weapon. Therefore, I'd go rogue/wizard aiming for arcane trickster or rogue / assassin as some sort of sneaky character.

[Certified]

While I wouldn't call it the most powerful of builds a Kensai (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/archetypes/paizo---magus-archetypes/kensai) (Magus) could be a fun build for this.

Wearing light armour and carrying no weapons after 6th Level only a few Harrow decks the character might pass them off as a traveling fortune teller. This wold give the deck a host of possible strange tricks and functions as needed in a fight.

To really focus on the power of the Harrow Deck the character may also pick up the Harrow Born (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/race-traits/harrow-born-varisian) Trait, and the Feats Harrow Chosen (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/harrow-chosen-varisia), and Harrowed (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/harrowed).

If the character wanted to trade out martial ability with their cards they might also pick up levels of the Harrower (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/harrower)Prestige Class. Adding the Spirit Deck ability to the list of tricks. Combined with the Magus ability to enchant their weapons the character could be fairly effective as a nutcracker. Facing down well protected foes the character swaps their attack style from martial, to magic, to Spirit Deck, whichever method is most effective in bypassing the foes resistances.

[Ryulin18]

I'd highly recommend the Myrmidarch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/archetypes/paizo---magus-archetypes/myrmidarch). The ability to add their spells to any ranged attack with a touch spell, their high damage spells and suitability to keep fast would be a huge boon.

The down side is that they lose quite a bit of nice stuff (spell recall, in particular)

[Ryulin18]

So 1st-3rd level, you are going to have to go melee because of limitations. I'd off set these first few levels by taking weapon finesse and keeping your dex up, dropping strength to 10.

Stats should be something like strength/charisma to 8, con/wis to 12, int/dex to 16 and throw your race ability wherever you'd like it.

Then at 4th, you should have the feats and ability to start whupping ass at range with a slim chance or missing.

[Baroncognito]

Well - the only advantage of harrow cards over an ordinary missile weapon is that they're concealable or an unexpected weapon. Therefore, I'd go rogue/wizard aiming for arcane trickster or rogue / assassin as some sort of sneaky character.
That's not the only advantage.

Three darts (a reasonable amount for a full attack) would weigh 1.5 pounds.
A quiver of 20 arrows weighs three pounds.
Five Shuriken weigh half a pound.
A deck of 54 Harrow Cards weighs one pound.

If you've got a low carrying capacity, it's light ammunition.

I looked at Kensei, but I thought that the abilities only functioned with a melee weapon. On closer reading, I see that it doesn't assert that. This could indeed be a viable option. Thank you.

Myrmidarch could be interesting, but, concept wise, going around throwing playing cards doesn't mesh with wearing full plate armour. I suppose that's what glamoured armour is for.

[doko239]

I'd try to persuade the GM to allow the Harrow cards to be used as Shuriken, then go for Magus (Myrmidarch) 7/Ninja 3/Arcane Trickster 10.

A little MAD (requires high Int and Dex, as well as at least middling Cha), but should be effective.

This gets you:

Medium Armor
Sneak Attack 7d6
Magus CL17
BAB +14
Arcane Pool and Ki Pool

[Baroncognito]

I'd try to persuade the GM to allow the Harrow cards to be used as Shuriken, then go for Magus (Myrmidarch) 7/Ninja 3/Arcane Trickster 10.

Shuriken do 1d2 damage and have a range increment of 10
Darts do 1d4 damage and have a range increment of 20

Why would I want the cards to be Shuriken instead of darts?

[doko239]

Shuriken do 1d2 damage and have a range increment of 10
Darts do 1d4 damage and have a range increment of 20

Why would I want the cards to be Shuriken instead of darts?

Because then you can spend a Ki point to throw an extra two in a full attack, using the Flurry of Stars ninja trick.