Vangalius
2014-03-12, 10:17 AM
I’ve just started playing my Alchemist Beastmorph/Vivisectionist, and I’m wondering what the best way to optimize him is.
Quick background: former naval officer who falls prey to a pirate curse that turns him into a rampaging aquatic monster during the high tides. He’s a self-taught alchemist who has discovered a way to keep the transformation at bay, and also ways to selectively bring out aspects of the creature to augment combat.
Race I’m playing is the Scaleheart (were-croc seemed to fit the flavor well) Skinwalker with a 15 point buy. Str > Int > Con > Dex > Wis > Cha
This if for a Skulls & Shackles adventure path.
I’ve read the guides available, but it seems like there are still a lot of good options, so trying to nail down what’s ideal is proving challenging.
1. Class – it seems going two levels in Master Chymist for Furious Muragen will be a good damage buff, as well as two levels in Barbarian for the extra (gore) natural attack. Are those the best dips to make? If so, at what level? I’m thinking staying Alchemist to at least 10 to get pounce is the best strategy. After that, is there some other must have ability or extract that’s going to redefine play? Giant Form seems pretty amazing to get fast healing 5, but is it worth staying Alchemist until 16 to get it ASAP vs. the benefits of the class dips?
2. Feats – some are clearly vital, like Power Attack. I’m also thinking Iron Will and Improved Iron Will are important to shoring up a primary weakness. After that, what’s most important? Should I focus on a combat maneuver chain, like trip feats? Intimidate stuff to use Shatter Defenses to help ensure sneak attack? Since pounce is in his future, standard action improvers like the Vital Strike and Cleave trees aren’t worth it, right? I was also thinking Multiattack would be important once BAB is high enough to warrant trying to mix iteratives and natural attacks.
3. Discoveries – not having bombs makes these choices a lot easier, but there are still options. Besides feral, greater, grand, etc. for mutagen, I was thinking of going spontaneous healing and mummification to bolster defenses. Infusion, tumor familiar, and combine extract to minimize in-battle buff time. The tentacle and arms seem fairly useless, unless I’m missing something. Wings seem good, but it doesn’t fit the RP concept, so I’m going to hold off on that unless the party seems incapable of handling encounters with hard to reach enemies.
Quick background: former naval officer who falls prey to a pirate curse that turns him into a rampaging aquatic monster during the high tides. He’s a self-taught alchemist who has discovered a way to keep the transformation at bay, and also ways to selectively bring out aspects of the creature to augment combat.
Race I’m playing is the Scaleheart (were-croc seemed to fit the flavor well) Skinwalker with a 15 point buy. Str > Int > Con > Dex > Wis > Cha
This if for a Skulls & Shackles adventure path.
I’ve read the guides available, but it seems like there are still a lot of good options, so trying to nail down what’s ideal is proving challenging.
1. Class – it seems going two levels in Master Chymist for Furious Muragen will be a good damage buff, as well as two levels in Barbarian for the extra (gore) natural attack. Are those the best dips to make? If so, at what level? I’m thinking staying Alchemist to at least 10 to get pounce is the best strategy. After that, is there some other must have ability or extract that’s going to redefine play? Giant Form seems pretty amazing to get fast healing 5, but is it worth staying Alchemist until 16 to get it ASAP vs. the benefits of the class dips?
2. Feats – some are clearly vital, like Power Attack. I’m also thinking Iron Will and Improved Iron Will are important to shoring up a primary weakness. After that, what’s most important? Should I focus on a combat maneuver chain, like trip feats? Intimidate stuff to use Shatter Defenses to help ensure sneak attack? Since pounce is in his future, standard action improvers like the Vital Strike and Cleave trees aren’t worth it, right? I was also thinking Multiattack would be important once BAB is high enough to warrant trying to mix iteratives and natural attacks.
3. Discoveries – not having bombs makes these choices a lot easier, but there are still options. Besides feral, greater, grand, etc. for mutagen, I was thinking of going spontaneous healing and mummification to bolster defenses. Infusion, tumor familiar, and combine extract to minimize in-battle buff time. The tentacle and arms seem fairly useless, unless I’m missing something. Wings seem good, but it doesn’t fit the RP concept, so I’m going to hold off on that unless the party seems incapable of handling encounters with hard to reach enemies.