3.P DMM Oracle

[MukkTB]

I'm putting together an Oracle using the DMM Persist setup. I have a few questions about the character build. I'll outline the build, then stick them at the end. Rules for the group are all 3.5 and PF material, 20 point buy.

An oracle with the life mystery (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/oracle/mysteries/paizo---oracle-mysteries/life) can select channeling as a revelation. Then the feat investment is Turn Undead (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/turn-undead--final), Extend Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/extend-spell-metamagic---final), Persistent Spell (http://dndtools.eu/feats/complete-arcane--55/persistent-spell--2140/), and Divine Meta Magic (http://dndtools.eu/feats/complete-divine--56/divine-metamagic--660/) itself.

Right now I'm human and looking at a stat array of Str 18 Dex 10 Con 12 Int 12 Wis 7 Cha 16. In combat I'll two hand a Morningstar and whack people when I'm not being a caster.

I'll take the haunted curse and roleplay it as the character attracting and being aware of lesser spirits. He may have learned to handle positive energy from his association with them.

Traits are seeker, dangerously curious, noble, with the meticulous drawback. I'm using them to play the son of a wizard nobleman who has some natural magic but can't measure up by following the family profession of wizardly arcane magic. 12 int is just not good enough for the family mantle. The character will start the game attempting to conceal his divine magic. Mostly he'll just look like an overly strong guy trying to study wizardry by sticking some skillpoints into knowledge arcana, and being good with use magic device. A failure of sorts.

Now questions:
#1 Is there a better option available to me than noble (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/issian-noble-regional-brevoy) for being a scion of the aristocracy? Lesser Noble (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/ustalavic-noble-regional-ustalav) isn't quite the goal, being a family that's lost its power, and prince/princess (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/social-traits/princess-female) seems a bit too high up the totem pole.

#2 Can someone point me in the direction of a good guide describing what can be done with DMM. I understand self buffing and being a fighter is one option, but I've heard other playstyles can also be accommodated.

#2B If someone wants to pitch a different approach to combat than hitting things with a pointy stick I'd be interested in hearing about it. I'm more wedded to the RP aspect of a 'positive energy caster with family issues' than the pointy stick combat option.

#3 Turn Undead is an extra feat tax for me over a 3.5 caster. I'm selecting it because I want to be as RAW as possible. For a thing that trumpets 'backwards compatibility' Pathfinder makes no effort to provide a RAW framework for using 3.5 material. An argument could be made that channel energy is sufficient. How does this look?

#4 I don't get 3rd level spells until level 6. Should I rush to DMM at level 5 or pick it up at 7? I could pick up power attack at level 3 if I had went for DMM at 7.

#5 Is there anything I'm missing?

[avr]

re #4: PF insists that channel energy from separate classes forms separate pools rather than stacking levels or some such. For this reason I'd suggest a one-level dip into cleric, and so you might as well leave getting DMM until level 7.

#3: Ask your DM, it's really a matter of interpretation.

#2B: There's plenty of ways to create a workable divine spellcaster in PF/3.P without DMM. In PF I like an oracle with the heavens mystery, or a cleric aiming for the veiled illusionist PrC, but those are hardly the only ways to play one.

#1: One of these traits might suit you
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/social-traits/rich-parents
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/equipment-traits/heirloom-weapon
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/crusader-tactician-regional
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/campaign-traits/kingmaker/bastard
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/aspiring-hellknight-regional-cheliax
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/gallant-imposter
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/social-traits/hellknight-ancestry

[Psyren]

#2 Can someone point me in the direction of a good guide describing what can be done with DMM. I understand self buffing and being a fighter is one option, but I've heard other playstyles can also be accommodated.

Aside from DMM Persist, the other main use is DMM Quicken. Since casters love actions, and have lots of useful spells competing for their standard, being able to switch some of those to their swift for free boosts their power by an order of magnitude.



#3 Turn Undead is an extra feat tax for me over a 3.5 caster. I'm selecting it because I want to be as RAW as possible. For a thing that trumpets 'backwards compatibility' Pathfinder makes no effort to provide a RAW framework for using 3.5 material. An argument could be made that channel energy is sufficient. How does this look?

You're fine even with the feat tax. Not only do you get more feats in Pathfinder to begin with, full casters don't need the help.

[navar100]

If the DM insists on having Pathfinder's Turn Undead Feat be a prerequisite for Divine Metamagic, oh well, but regardless of one's feelings about Divine Metamagic it's not the feat's fault Pathfinder changed the cleric's Turn Undead to Channel Energy. The same is true for all of 3E's Divine Feats that has you spend Turn Undead uses for stuff. It is more fair to adapt those feats by spending uses of Channel Energy or Lay On Hands instead. It's necessary to add in Lay On Hands because Pathfinder paladins have to spend two uses of Lay On Hands to Channel Energy and to demand that cost from Paladins means they get less use out of the Divine Feats than in 3E. That is not fair because it's not the paladin's fault Pathfinder changed Turn Undead to Channel Energy requiring two uses of Lay On Hands.

I don't blame Pathfinder changing Turn Undead to Channel Energy. It was not a bad thing to do. It just means if you want to port in 3E's Divine Feats then I think it's only fair to change them to Channel Energy or Lay On Hands uses.

[MukkTB]

If you wanted to keep the paladin's access to turn undead stuff the same as before you'd probably require the channel energy class feature but allow lay on hands charges instead of the channel energy. If you just require lay on hands then the paladin gets in 2 levels earlier than in 3.5.

Is it really worth a 1 level dip into cleric? That gives enough charges to power out another persist, but none of the other things gained from a dip seem worth it. Less skillpoints, domain powers and spells dependent on wisdom, my one dump stat, a loss out on BAB because 1 dip into cleric nets 0 BAB, and 1 level lost on the main casting class. It feels like I'd be better off picking up 2 more nightsticks.

[Psyren]

To be clear, I'm not saying that divine feats in 3.P shouldn't be modified to use Channel Energy uses. I'm just saying you don't actually have Turn Undead (and thus can't use them) until you pick up the Turn Undead feat. So yes, it's a feat tax, but featwise PF clerics come out ahead anyway (not to mention the much better array of domain powers.)

[avr]

If multiple nightsticks are OK in this game, then don't get a cleric dip, no.