[PF+3.X] Interesting warrior concepts

[Darius Kane]

By "warrior" I don't mean just mundane fighters, BTW.
I'm going to do an arena type of game and I want the NPC gladiators to be interesting and fairly distinct from each other with their combat styles and tactics. Please, give me ideas for concepts. Maybe you know a prc with interesting combat abilities, or a feat combo, or a spell combo, or something. Build suggestions are welcome, but I'll make it work whatever you'll suggest, so do not worry about that.
Casters are allowed, but they're slightly nerfed in my games and because there will be multiple fights in one day they won't be able to replenish spells so they're gonna need to spread their spells throughout multiple level appropriate encounters which they'll fight solo. The tournament's rules are kinda not in caster favor, but not biased against them, so they're manageable I think.
The gladiators can only have mundane weapons and armor.
Fights are either against monsters (multiple or one big one) or 1 on 1 against other gladiators.
Animal companions, special mounts, familiars or other help that comes from their class features is allowed (but no Leadership or buying trained animals or hirelings, obviously)
To give you an idea of what I'm asking, here are the concepts I already have:
War Hulk Hulking Hurler - extremely strong and tough, likes to throw big heavy stuff.
Shapeshifter - can change into almost anything, big or small.
Shadowlord - teleporting grinding machine.
Master Thrower - ranged specialist.
Sneaky Assassin - if you'll see him, you're already dead.

I'm sure I forgot some important parts, so fell free to ask.

[Doorhandle]

I'm going to be focusing almost enteielry on pathfidner stuff: be advised.

*Maybe a guy who focuses on called shots to the exclusion of all else? Pathfinder has a few nice feats for those: may even make vital strike worthwhile...

*Spell-sunder barbarian, sent against the casters. Break walls of force with your face. Then break their magic items too.

*Master of Many styles monk with dervish dance and possibly combat expertise. Focusing on snake style, crane style, and panther parry: triggers as many A.O.O of all kinds as possible, in order to dodge them and counterattack.

* A pathfinder Magus. Any Magus. Why full attack OR cast spells when you can do both at once!

edit: * A gunslinger would be nice too. Crowds love explosions.

[avr]

An archer who stays out of melee. Maybe by flying, maybe by moving fast, probably on the back of a fast horse - which is viable (if either) depends on the size and shape of the arena.

The quintessential armoured knight; spirited charge is a viable damage dealing technique.

The cheater; someone who sabotages weapons or other equipment before the match, and/or smuggles magic equipment in. A gnome prankster (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/core-races/gnome/prankster-bard-gnome) might be able to do this.

[Darius Kane]

*Maybe a guy who focuses on called shots to the exclusion of all else?
I don't use those. Unless they became Core rules when I wasn't looking? :smallconfused:


*Spell-sunder barbarian, sent against the casters. Break walls of force with your face. Then break their magic items too.

*Master of Many styles monk with dervish dance and possibly combat expertise. Focusing on snake style, crane style, and panther parry: triggers as many A.O.O of all kinds as possible, in order to dodge them and counterattack.

* A pathfinder Magus. Any Magus. Why full attack OR cast spells when you can do both at once!

edit: * A gunslinger would be nice too. Crowds love explosions.
Nice ideas.


An archer who stays out of melee. Maybe by flying, maybe by moving fast, probably on the back of a fast horse - which is viable (if either) depends on the size and shape of the arena.
Arenas are quite big. The terrain will be varied, might be an empty plane or ruins or a forest or urban, etc.


The quintessential armoured knight; spirited charge is a viable damage dealing technique.
One-Trick-Pony-ish, but nice.


The cheater; someone who sabotages weapons or other equipment before the match, and/or smuggles magic equipment in. A gnome prankster might be able to do this.
Nah, there will be no cheating.

[Occasional Sage]

You may be interested in the Dervish Dancer bard archetype from Ultimate Combat. They are whirling, dancing death with a scimitar.

[Darius Kane]

And with the Dervish prc he will be a whirlwind of deadly blades.

[Darius Kane]

Anything more?

[Dusk Eclipse]

A trip-monkey, large sized and wielding something similar to 3.5 spiked chain... I am sure I saw one weapon like that in PF.

[Slipperychicken]

Synthesist with the right fluff can be pretty damn epic. Spends a minute raving and whipping himself into a rage, after which it looks like there's a mini-Balor superimposed on him. Nicknamed "the demon". Even more fun if he's normally meek and unassuming, maybe a Gnome.

Huge burly melee Alchemist, correctly accused of doping for fights. Very angry, very aggressive. Somehow the accusations didn't stick, so he's in.

Orc Sorcerer "fire-nuker". Crossblooded Dragon (adds 1 per die of fire) and Orc (adds damage 1 per die), with Orc favored class bonus (+0.5/level to fire dmg). Havoc of the Society trait (+1 to each spells' damage). Clearly insane, with a brutal mix of pyromania and sadism. Will kill you with fire. Damage should go from Xd6 to [Xd6 + 2X + 0.5X + 1], all of it fire. Turn down the damage as desired by swapping out various options. Against ill-prepared melee, he might cast Levitate and Flaming Sphere to conserve spells. With access to 3.5 spells, use No-save, SR: No, [fire]. He takes Searing Spell to get around puny things like "immunity". Empower spell boosts damage output even higher. Quicken (with whatever feat is required to benefit from it in 3.5) for when he really needs to nuke (i.e. gets desperate).

Vanilla Summoner. A squishy little dude hiding behind a big scary monster. Pops Invisibility and maybe Levitate so he's harder to target and there's little choice but to fight the Eidolon, which the Summoner is buffing. Summoner also casts generic summon monster to make flank buddies. When the Eidolon doesn't look so good, Summoner invisibly puts out more summons until the enemy is dead. He dismisses the Eidolon before it "dies", of course, so it can continue the fight next round after liberal application of a CLW wand.


You never said what level participants were supposed to be, btw. Without much magical gear, muggles will have a very hard time fighting invisible fliers. "Levitate" can be interchanged with the most expedient Flight option for the level.

[Darius Kane]

Up to 20th. I could have sworn I said it, hm. Maybe I did in a different thread.
Remember that the casters will have to preserve spells for later matches, so some of the normal tactics might not apply.

[Pechvarry]

9 ToB characters. Complete discipline devotees.