Ideas needed for characters

[Talya]

I'm not looking for hard optimization advice per se. I'm looking for mechanical character hooks; ideas to work with.

Two potential campaigns, both in the pathfinder setting (I'd say Golarion, but one of them is on Castrovel -- technically Golarion is just the planet, not the entire setting.)

Character 1 - a member of a criminal syndicate. First important note: She will be a succubus. The full, 8 RHD pathfinder succubus (ECL/CR 7 in pathfinder). I'll probably start at level 8, so she'll get a single level in a class of my choice. I'm thinking either Anti-Paladin or Ninja. Thing is, her role is going to be...fluid. Social, enforcer, wetwork assassin, a little bit of everything.

Character 2 - This one is more vague. It's a much more social role. She's essentially a "pet" to a Lashunta matriarch on Castrovel. The Matriarch collects curiosities, and this unusual character from Golarion got trapped on Castrovel's dangerous environment. I believe the Matriarch will be more of an ally than an antagonist. Achieving freedom is not a goal here. Once again, it must be a charisma-based character. Here I'm torn. I want a charisma based character with either a fey/nature connection, or a holy celestial connection. A simple Paladin or Sylvan-bloodline druid isn't going to do it for me. (Also, is there more information on Castrovel than the one book on the planets?)

[Razanir]

Not sure, how well it'd fit for Character 2, but there IS a build I've always wanted to try. The ORCADIN!

A half-orc Oradin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?257365-PF-Oradin-Mini-Guide-Or-How-to-be-a-Healbot-minus-the-bot) (Oracle/Paladin). Dual-Cursed with Deaf and Wolfscarred Face. Life Mystery, of course. Redeemer archetype (Paladin).

Said half-orc was born deaf to an orc tribe. He was then trained by the local shaman (Oracle), until he received the wolf's curse, and was exiled from the tribe. Then a wandering band of paladins found him and raised him, bringing him onto the path of Lawful Good. (Possibly Lashunta paladins) Finally, as an adult, he works as a healer, trying to protect those races that others would assume are irredeemably evil.

[Talya]

Not sure, how well it'd fit for Character 2, but there IS a build I've always wanted to try. The ORCADIN!

A half-orc Oradin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?257365-PF-Oradin-Mini-Guide-Or-How-to-be-a-Healbot-minus-the-bot) (Oracle/Paladin). Dual-Cursed with Deaf and Wolfscarred Face. Life Mystery, of course. Redeemer archetype (Paladin).

Said half-orc was born deaf to an orc tribe. He was then trained by the local shaman (Oracle), until he received the wolf's curse, and was exiled from the tribe. Then a wandering band of paladins found him and raised him, bringing him onto the path of Lawful Good. (Possibly Lashunta paladins) Finally, as an adult, he works as a healer, trying to protect those races that others would assume are irredeemably evil.

neat concept, but I can't crossdress when playing a character. Never feel right playing a male, and my characters tend to be potential party-face types.

[Razanir]

neat concept, but I can't crossdress when playing a character. Never feel right playing a male, and my characters tend to be potential party-face types.

Make the character a girl, then? And while a high Charisma already goes a long way in diplomacy, you could probably sacrifice a few skill points to be even better at it, seeing as it's not high-op.

[Talya]

Make the character a girl, then? And while a high Charisma already goes a long way in diplomacy, you could probably sacrifice a few skill points to be even better at it, seeing as it's not high-op.

I meant "party face" quite literally. Wolf-scarred would be a somewhat terrifying face. I'm actually not opposed to half-orc -- you can make a female orc pretty enough, give her a bit of a Grace Jones appeal -- but not with that. It all ends up just a bit too "furry" for me. :smallbiggrin:

[Jigawatts]

Roll Half-Elf Oracle of Life with Paragon Surge
???
PROFIT

Elves always have that tenuous nature/fey connection, life oracle has a celestial tint to it, you can take the tongues curse and pick celestial as your language if you wanted. Could throw Eldritch Heritage on there also for S's and G's. And of coarse Paragon Surge is just there for its sheer (probably OP) awesomeness.

[Talya]

Roll Half-Elf Oracle of Life with Paragon Surge
???
PROFIT

Elves always have that tenuous nature/fey connection, life oracle has a celestial tint to it, you can take the tongues curse and pick celestial as your language if you wanted. Could throw Eldritch Heritage on there also for S's and G's. And of coarse Paragon Surge is just there for its sheer (probably OP) awesomeness.

Okay, this is less optimal, but...how about...

Aasimar Musetouched (Azata-blooded) Life Oracle?

I recognize the lack of good favored class bonuses, or paragon surge. Let's pretend those things don't exist. How would you build her? What alternate racial traits, traits, feats and spell selection work thematically?

Then think optimization. Assume race and class are immutable. How would you leverage this combo synergisticly, if at all?

[Coidzor]

Well, your Succubus may want to take levels in Anti-Paladin, yeah. At least for the 3rd level (http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2r5oh?Succubi-Energy-drain-is-the-least-of-your). :smallamused:

[grarrrg]

Aasimar Musetouched (Azata-blooded) Life Oracle?

I recognize the lack of good favored class bonuses

Normally I'd argue with you that getting +1/2 level towards a Revelation is actually pretty sweet. But Life Oracle doesn't really have a great scaling Revelation (scaling: yes. scaling+good: maybe. scaling+great: not so much).
There is always the alt-racial trait Scion of Humanity, you count as a Human, and so are allowed to poach their Favored Class bonus of +1 spell known, in addition to qualifying for Human-only feats and such.

[AvatarVecna]

Bard can work for either of these concepts. Find an archetype you like and roll with it.

[avr]

When I heard pet my first thought was a faerie dragon. Undeniably cute and a good start for a sorcerer even if you slap an LA or two on it.

Anyway, musetouched. You could make that into a mystic theurge quite easily if you were so inclined; oracle 4 / sorc 1 / MT X. The fey bloodline might be handy for certain oracle spells.

If you prefer straight oracle you might apply the favored class bonus to Channel and get feats based around channelling, Fateful Channel or something.

[Spore]

There is always the alt-racial trait Scion of Humanity, you count as a Human, and so are allowed to poach their Favored Class bonus of +1 spell known, in addition to qualifying for Human-only feats and such.

I will always support Scion of Humanity. Not only does it improve your toolbox. It gives your character a quite low profile if he wants to.


Okay, this is less optimal, but...how about...

Aasimar Musetouched (Azata-blooded) Life Oracle?

Honestly? No. You are not a curious pet then but a very weird elven cleric. My ideas:
- Half-Elf Summoner (possibly Wild Caller): She got sucked into a weird fey trap on the (Un)Seelie Court and now she's here. Luckily, her eidolon is always at her side.
- Musetouched Bard (or Archetype) with Eldritch Heritage (Sylvan), Boon Companion and Celestial Servant. You basically perform so good that the gods decided to grant you a celestial pet.
- Aasimar Wood Oracle with Blackened curse: You LOVE wood. You craft things with it, you talk to it, you wear it. It talks to you! But sadly you have been struck with a fire curse that you just can barely keep under control.

[Talya]

There is always the alt-racial trait Scion of Humanity, you count as a Human, and so are allowed to poach their Favored Class bonus of +1 spell known, in addition to qualifying for Human-only feats and such.

That's brilliant.

Then I can take the human only feat "Racial Heritage" - half elf.
Then I can take Paragon Surge.

[NightbringerGGZ]

How about a Kitsune Bard or Ninja? Pick up the Realistic Likeness feat and supporting abilities to help with your transformations. You're now a sneaky, shape shifting spy who can still be an excellent party face. I ran a Kitsune Dawnflower Dervish bard and had a ton of fun.

[Talya]

I am not playing a bard this time. Bard's one of my favorite classes. (And I also play them too often.)

I'm thinking the Succubus is going to multiclass antipaladin and ninja. (One of the rare cases where multiclassing doesn't matter - she's already got so many outsider hit dice that she's gotta cherry-pick abilities that start off great without needing to scale rather than going for scaling ones.)

[rg9000]

One small note, elves live on this planet, according to the source. A half-elf would not be as curious as a human.
My advice: call your character a half-human, not a half elf.

[Talya]

One small note, elves live on this planet, according to the source. A half-elf would not be as curious as a human.
My advice: call your character a half-human, not a half elf.

She's Aasimar now, though.


Going back to the Succubus, I had a brainstorm.

It's...not optimal. But damn it looks fun.

Succubus 8/Aldori Duelist 1 (CR8).
(25 point buy, succubus ability adjustments are +2/+6/+10/+8/+4/+16).
Will probably add 2 levels of antipaladin on at some point for armor profiency and charisma to saves.

[magwaaf]

is character 1 a douchebag? whats the alignment?

[Talya]

is character 1 a douchebag? whats the alignment?

She's a succubus.

[torrasque666]

When I heard pet my first thought was a faerie dragon. Undeniably cute and a good start for a sorcerer even if you slap an LA or two on it.

Anyway, musetouched. You could make that into a mystic theurge quite easily if you were so inclined; oracle 4 / sorc 1 / MT X. The fey bloodline might be handy for certain oracle spells.

If you prefer straight oracle you might apply the favored class bonus to Channel and get feats based around channelling, Fateful Channel or something.

If you're not set on Life Oracle, you can actually get into MT as early as level 4 with an aasimar, unless you stick with basic aasimar. Any other aasimar gets a level 2 arcane spell-like. Wood Oracle gets a level 2 divine spell-like. This means that after 3 levels(skill requirement) you can start into MT. But if deadset on Life, then yeah, have to wait until level 6.