Hashiel_Dammit
2013-08-28, 08:37 PM
Hey playground,
So I finally looked at the performance combat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/performance-feats) stuff last night and at first. It kinda sucks. Requires the awful Dazzling Display to get into, then another feat before you can even use your performance feats in regular combat (and it's going to be rare that performance combat is common enough to be worth focussing on), then the feats themsevles (only two of which are any good - but I could see Murderer's circle working well with a Scout Rogue and Wind Stance) and another to be able to use two, then one more to make it a free action. Oh, you also need a high Cha and Perform. What do you get for all of this investment?
+2 to hit and +1d6 to damage. (Sarcastic Slow Clap)
Unless I'm reading Mocking Dance wrong (and I may be, it's a bit confusing) none of this is remotely worth it.
But still, it did get me thinking that there has to be a way to make a fun (if not necessarily optimized) Cha-based melee character. Feats that jump to the top of my mind would be Oslyuth Guile (Cha bonus as dodge bonus against one enemy when fighting defensively), Noble Scion (the feat - use Cha instead of Dex for Initiative). For classes, bard (with Arcane Duelist or either of the Dervisher archetypes) and some of this performance combat stuff. You've also got Deadly Display so Shatter Defenses is there and Deadly Stroke (which is pretty much a slightly improved Vital Strike that can't crit - 1 Con Bleed seems like a death sentence until you realize how easy it is to remove the Bleed Condition).
I would so love to see this work. Can it? I know you can get performance weapon mastery for free with the Gladiator archetype (which is compatible with a lot of others). Can you avoid some of the other feat taxes? Is Mocking Dance actually worth it (it doesn't say you actually have to use a move action, you just move your speed provoking or 5 feet without but it doesn't say 'move action' or '5-foot step'. Without free movement, it looks like a way to add 2 to a performance check. With free movement, it's a godsend to every TWFer out there.
So I finally looked at the performance combat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/performance-feats) stuff last night and at first. It kinda sucks. Requires the awful Dazzling Display to get into, then another feat before you can even use your performance feats in regular combat (and it's going to be rare that performance combat is common enough to be worth focussing on), then the feats themsevles (only two of which are any good - but I could see Murderer's circle working well with a Scout Rogue and Wind Stance) and another to be able to use two, then one more to make it a free action. Oh, you also need a high Cha and Perform. What do you get for all of this investment?
+2 to hit and +1d6 to damage. (Sarcastic Slow Clap)
Unless I'm reading Mocking Dance wrong (and I may be, it's a bit confusing) none of this is remotely worth it.
But still, it did get me thinking that there has to be a way to make a fun (if not necessarily optimized) Cha-based melee character. Feats that jump to the top of my mind would be Oslyuth Guile (Cha bonus as dodge bonus against one enemy when fighting defensively), Noble Scion (the feat - use Cha instead of Dex for Initiative). For classes, bard (with Arcane Duelist or either of the Dervisher archetypes) and some of this performance combat stuff. You've also got Deadly Display so Shatter Defenses is there and Deadly Stroke (which is pretty much a slightly improved Vital Strike that can't crit - 1 Con Bleed seems like a death sentence until you realize how easy it is to remove the Bleed Condition).
I would so love to see this work. Can it? I know you can get performance weapon mastery for free with the Gladiator archetype (which is compatible with a lot of others). Can you avoid some of the other feat taxes? Is Mocking Dance actually worth it (it doesn't say you actually have to use a move action, you just move your speed provoking or 5 feet without but it doesn't say 'move action' or '5-foot step'. Without free movement, it looks like a way to add 2 to a performance check. With free movement, it's a godsend to every TWFer out there.