It's Time to Duel!

[Vhaidara]

Okay, so I was just thinking, and I kind of want to build Yugi Moto from Yugioh. I'm thinking a three prong build stlye: Standard PF, Gestalt, and Tristalt.

Allowed Sources: Anything on the PFSRD.

In standard, I was thinking some kind of Deadly Dealer build, which, by my understanding, means your base is Magus.

In Gestalt, I was thinking I would add Summoner. The choice here is do I go normal (for summoning the monsters on the cards) or do I go with Synthesist (Spirit of the Puzzle).

In Tristalt, since this is getting silly already (it's tristalt), I would definitely have Magus//Summoner, with the third option probably being Occultist/Updated Knight of the Sacred Seal, using a custom spirit to represent the Spirit of the Puzzle.

Anyone have thoughts on these three idea paths? I would probably be the GM in the tristalt option, so a lot more modifications can be allowed there, but ideally Standard and Gestalt should rely on as little homebrew as possible.

[(Un)Inspired]

I'm not terribly familiar with the show but wouldn't he be an expert with ranks in Profession: card gamer?

[atemu1234]

I'm not terribly familiar with the show but wouldn't he be an expert with ranks in Profession: card gamer?

Ranks in Knowledge (Heart of the Cards)?

[Vhaidara]

Funny :smalltongue:

I'm going for a character based on him. Throwing cards out, summoning the monsters on them, and being possessed by an ancient spirit with incredible power

[Hiro Protagonest]

Funny :smalltongue:

I'm going for a character based on him. Throwing cards out, summoning the monsters on them, and being possessed by an ancient spirit with incredible power

...Binder with that overpowered vestige from online that lets you use Summon Monster?

[(Un)Inspired]

Funny :smalltongue:

I'm going for a character based on him. Throwing cards out, summoning the monsters on them, and being possessed by an ancient spirit with incredible power

That sounds pretty cool. Do you want the card thing do just be fluff for how your character summons monsters or do you want it to be integral to the build?

Doesn't deadly dealer allow you to throw cards at people to hurt them? That's not how yugioh fought right? Summoner sounds like the best fit. Maybe the eidolon is his favorite card monster?

[atemu1234]

Definitely thematic spellcasting, then.

[Vhaidara]

I was thinking I would try to find a way to combine Summon Monster and Spellstrike with Deadly Dealer. I suppose that a Summoner who throws a card is actually more fitting for the single class version.

I would do that for the eidolon, if it weren't for the fact that if you have the eidolon out, you can't use other summons, and if you don't have the eidolon out, it takes time to summon it. I know there's Summon Eidolon to fix the second, but it doesn't really fix the first. And Master Summoner results in a weak eidolon, which doesn't fit with the Dark Magician (originally like the second strongest monster in the game barring fusion)

[Ssalarn]

I can't recall the name, but in The Harrow Handbook splatbook from Paizo, there was a Summoner archetype that conjured up a different eidolon depending on what card(s) he drew from his Harrow deck; that might fit what you're looking for. I've got the book at home, I'll see if I can find that archetype when I get back home.

[Fallenreality]

Easiest thing to do for the single class would be a summoner. Master summoner would work for summoning a bunch of monsters, while still having an Eidolon to represent the Dark Magician or whatnot...

If you can use 3rd party, the Spirit Caller Archetype would let you bind a spirit to yourself. You can either find one that gives summoning spells (There's a fiend that gives you demon summoning and a lion, I think he's a 2nd level spirit). If you can use a tiny bit of homebrew, you could make your own vestige that gives you the sort of thing you would be looking for. Then just make the vestigial companion a dark magician or a god card or something. You still have summoner casting so you could still use summon monster spells, they just won't last as long.


I can't recall the name, but in The Harrow Handbook splatbook from Paizo, there was a Summoner archetype that conjured up a different eidolon depending on what card(s) he drew from his Harrow deck; that might fit what you're looking for. I've got the book at home, I'll see if I can find that archetype when I get back home.

You're thinking of Story Summoner http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner/archetypes/paizo---summoner-archetypes/story-summoner-summoner-archetype That would work as well actually.

Edit: One thing you could do with Master Summoner is make the actual summoner part of you the Dark Magician and have you roleplay the Eidolon as the duelist. Then the Dark Magician would be casting spells, while you can easily roleplay the summoning to the duelist end of things. Sort of like what I told you I was doing for Excalibard.

[Forrestfire]

Honestly, my first thought is to pull in some more 3rd-party and refluff the the onmyoji (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/archetypes/rite-publishing---wizard-archetypes/onmyoji) wizard archetype. They already prepare their spells on slips of folded paper, so it's quite simple to turn those to cards.

Next, you should max Profession (Gambler) or possible Profession (Gamer) if it's an option, and ask the DM if you can import the Cards Over Swords feat from 3.5 (which is amazing for the theme, but not strictly necessary). Another 3.5 thing to possibly import is the Cheat spell, since "the heart of the cards" is basically glorified cheating through magical reshuffling of the deck by the Puzzle's power...

I think the most important spells to get, even over summons and the like, are Bestow Curse and Bestow Greater Curse. Shadow Games are something Yugi was always really good at, even if he stopped doing them after a while.

[(Un)Inspired]

I was thinking I would try to find a way to combine Summon Monster and Spellstrike with Deadly Dealer. I suppose that a Summoner who throws a card is actually more fitting for the single class version.

I would do that for the eidolon, if it weren't for the fact that if you have the eidolon out, you can't use other summons, and if you don't have the eidolon out, it takes time to summon it. I know there's Summon Eidolon to fix the second, but it doesn't really fix the first. And Master Summoner results in a weak eidolon, which doesn't fit with the Dark Magician (originally like the second strongest monster in the game barring fusion)

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe summoners are free to summon monsters with their eidolon out. They just can't uses their SM SLA. They cast still cast the actual summon monster spells and activate scrolls ( refluffed as cards perhaps?) that summon monsters.

[Vhaidara]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe summoners are free to summon monsters with their eidolon out. They just can't uses their SM SLA. They cast still cast the actual summon monster spells and activate scrolls ( refluffed as cards perhaps?) that summon monsters.

I always felt it was kind of a waste to spend spells known on SM. To the point where I forgot you could actually do that.

[Ssalarn]

I always felt it was kind of a waste to spend spells known on SM. To the point where I forgot you could actually do that.

There's also the fact that as a 6 level caster, Summon spells cast from your spell list instead of using your SLA are pretty much always going to be substantially weaker than the situation calls for. Unlike spells like haste that are largely unaffected by reduced casting level, or even reduced spell level, you really need the newest shiniest version of SM if you want to use it reliably for anything other than utility.

**EDIT**

Realized this isn't technically true; there are a couple levels over the course of the Summoner's life where, thanks to skipping an instance of SM, he actually has access to the relevant level of SM spell at the right time.

[(Un)Inspired]

I always felt it was kind of a waste to spend spells known on SM. To the point where I forgot you could actually do that.

Its worth it for that very reason. Don't grab every single one; just the best like SM III and SM VII.

You're character's whole schtick is summoning monsters right? Dive in head first.

If you really can't stomach learning the spells the use my scrolls idea.

[Vhaidara]

Its worth it for that very reason. Don't grab every single one; just the best like SM III and SM VII.

Actually, SMIII isn't on the Summoner list. They go I, II, IV, V, VII, VIII.

[Ssalarn]

Its worth it for that very reason. Don't grab every single one; just the best like SM III and SM VII.

You're character's whole schtick is summoning monsters right? Dive in head first.

If you really can't stomach learning the spells the use my scrolls idea.

Interestingly, Summoners can't learn SM III.... Or SM VI or IX.

**EDIT**

You're really killing me with your ninja skills today Keledrath...

[(Un)Inspired]

Actually, SMIII isn't on the Summoner list. They go I, II, IV, V, VII, VIII.
No SMIII? That's sad, it's my second favorite. Well, SM VII is still the business.

[Vhaidara]

Also, you can still summon multiples of SMIII creatures with SMIV, can't you?


You're really killing me with your ninja skills today Keledrath...

What is that, 3 times today? Also, I was going to make a Stalker comment, since that's the new swordsage, but decided that saying I keep Stalkering you could be taken the wrong way :shifty:

[Renen]

You also absolutely need this spell card emulated:

Flipping the table
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/yugioh/images/b/b9/FlippingtheTable-GX02-VG.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width/300?cb=20090813185928

Once per turn, you can destroy all other cards you control, then destroy cards your opponent controls, up to the number of your cards destroyed by this effect. You cannot Summon a monster the turn you activate this effect.

[Ssalarn]

What is that, 3 times today? Also, I was going to make a Stalker comment, since that's the new swordsage, but decided that saying I keep Stalkering you could be taken the wrong way :shifty:

Yeaaaahhhh.... Probably best you didn't go there. :smalltongue:

[Extra Anchovies]

Seconding all the Summoner ideas. Maybe the Eidolon could be one of the monsters that requires sacrifices (e.g. Blue-Eyes White Dragon), represented by dismissing your other summons?

For Dark Magician, get a Wizard cohort and have him hide in a Portable Hole until summoned.

[Fallenreality]

For Dark Magician, get a Wizard cohort and have him hide in a Portable Hole until summoned.

This, just because it's funny.

[Seerow]

...Binder with that overpowered vestige from online that lets you use Summon Monster?

This actually sounds so perfect I wish I had thought of it earlier. Too bad the OP is using pfsrd material, and neither Binder nor WotC online material is on the pfsrd.

[Fallenreality]

This actually sounds so perfect I wish I had thought of it earlier. Too bad the OP is using pfsrd material, and neither Binder nor WotC online material is on the pfsrd.

There is the 3rd party Occultist which is a rather good port of the class.

[Vhaidara]

Seconding all the Summoner ideas. Maybe the Eidolon could be one of the monsters that requires sacrifices (e.g. Blue-Eyes White Dragon), represented by dismissing your other summons?

Damn, this gave me hope. There's an archetype in Into the Breach (a book on summoners) that gets multiple eidolons that you can switch between. Sadly, it gives up SM.

Wait. There are no gestalt rules for PF, right? So, hypothetically, you could gestalt 2 archetypes of the same class? I'm thinking Eidolon Master Summoner with Spirit Caller: Bind the Spirit of the Puzzle, summon using Spirit Caller then dismiss to summon a big ole monster.


For Dark Magician, get a Wizard cohort and have him hide in a Portable Hole until summoned.

Beautiful, but I would use the upcoming Medium class. It's Paizo making a Binder, it looks awesome, and the capstone of one of the spirits lets you basically use Magical Hats (Shell game it up)

[gorfnab]

If you can open up to some 3.5 here is an E6 version of Yugi Moto (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=12281.0)