Using tools for combat, a semi optimizing question

[Spore]

Greetings playground,

say you want to create a character portraying the difference between swords and plowshares by avoiding combat or lethal conflict while using a tool as their way of fighting. I feel a more mundane T3 to T5 character feels more relatable in that way.

Let's take a shovel for example (because I have played Shovel Knight recently but I feel a Cavalier with a Monk's Spade is an solution too easy).

Would you employ Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Shovel) or would you rather use Catch Off-Guard to increase your range of potential tools used as weapons (to avoid the weird illusion of "This is my +3 combat shovel that I always use for combat, but I abhor actual conflict. Honestly!")

How would you create a character who abhors violence, does use as few magic as possible and has a few downtime benefits? Bard scribing scrolls and creating items, supporting with the voice of his words playing around with various circus items? Fighter specialising in nonlethal combat? Tranquil Guardian Paladin or Monk of the Lotus?

I realize PF/D&D is a dungeon and combat simulator at heart but it should be visible that the character tries everything in her might to avoid casualties.

[Forrestfire]

Well, increasing the magical enchantment adds to hit points and hardness of the object, doesn't it? It also makes it cut through things more easily... And think of how useful a shovel that ignores hardness would be. Personally, I'd likely ask the DM to let me refluff an axe of some sort, then when I get magic enchantments or special materials, emphasize the fact that the improvements make it super awesome at being a tool, and that the combat applications are mostly just extra.

[Coidzor]

Well, I'd probably go with this if I was going to not want to kill people despite always ending up in fights because, y'know, adventurer. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/religion-traits/blade-of-mercy-goddess-of-dawn)

Yes, yes, I know your PC didn't choose the adventuring life, the adventuring life chose them.

[JusticeZero]

say you want to create a character portraying the difference between swords and plowshares by avoiding combat or lethal conflict while using a tool as their way of fighting...
...avoid the weird illusion of "This is my +3 combat shovel that I always use for combat, but I abhor actual conflict. Honestly!"You're optimizing a character for combat with farm tools; that "weird illusion" sailed long ago. At this point you're just debating what kind of bunny ears your character who intensively trains for battle with shovels and rakes has.
Take a look at the Akashic Guru - IIRC, a DPS character who dishes out buckets of nonlethal damage. There's no claim of pacifism there, but maybe one of being able to wake them up later.

[Spore]

Let's just say I wanted to play a relatively simple guy (I guess Dwarven miner is a decent background) with his magical +2 Adamantine Shovel minding his business when goblins attack his digging site. I wanted to combine this with a peaceful approach to combat humanoids but I guess those two quirks mix together into a sea of dishonesty.

And yet I can see him or her not wanting to bludgeon another dwarf, human or elf to death with his simple digging tool; aggressive monsters aside. Maybe not such a pronounced pacifism but just a PC that isn't mental and kills everything in its path for once. Like I wouldn't stab and kill some guy on the street because he stole my wallet. But I could certainly see me defending myself from a uncontrolled attacking dog until the thing is dead.

But then again why should a Miner go on adventuring unless you want to play the comedic version of a 1800s gold rush dwarf.

[Fouredged Sword]

I can do this pretty well with a half orc.

Ok, so you want to go rogue. Pick up the trait Rough and Ready to remove the improvised weapon penalty. A trait and a skill rank in profession (farmer) is the lowest cost I can find, and it grants a +1 on top of the penalty removal. Your weapons of choice are a shovel (improvised great club) and a large radish (improvised sap). The sap is used early on as a cheap non-lethal B type weapon to trigger sap adept and stay in character. You later want a masterwork +1 merciful shovel to trigger sap master with a two handed weapon and turn all those doubled sneak attack dice into d8's.

Now, you want to be a rogue with the skulking slayer and scout archetypes.

Now, you want to focus on getting sap master and surprise follow through as soon as possible. With Skulking slayer's ability to take surprise follow through as a rogue talent, you should be able to fit it all in by level 8.

Now, your focus is to charge into combat and hit things with a shovel. You are fast, with the ability to move and hit multiple targets for heavy damage. Scout triggers sneak attack for your first target and surprise follow through triggers it for the second (though not sap adept/master). You defend yourself with offensive defense providing high dodge bonuses vs anything you hit. You roll 2x normal sneak attack dice, so generally if you hit something you get your HD as a dodge bonus on top of dealing HDx(1d8+2) sneak attack damage.

Focus your build of Str / Con / Dex / Int / Wiz = Cha. Your favored class bonus should be HP to make up for the low class HD. You play like a light armor fighter, rushing in and dealing massive damage. You have stealth, but don't NEED it to function. Acrobatics is useful for avoiding AOO's while moving in combat.

TLDR

You can play a half-orc who knocks people unconscious with a large blunt improvised weapon without too much trouble. Tier 4ish.

Here is a sheet (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1085655). I made it for a game that I didn't get into, feel free to steal the build.

[Coidzor]

Let's just say I wanted to play a relatively simple guy (I guess Dwarven miner is a decent background) with his magical +2 Adamantine Shovel minding his business when goblins attack his digging site. I wanted to combine this with a peaceful approach to combat humanoids but I guess those two quirks mix together into a sea of dishonesty.

And yet I can see him or her not wanting to bludgeon another dwarf, human or elf to death with his simple digging tool; aggressive monsters aside. Maybe not such a pronounced pacifism but just a PC that isn't mental and kills everything in its path for once. Like I wouldn't stab and kill some guy on the street because he stole my wallet. But I could certainly see me defending myself from a uncontrolled attacking dog until the thing is dead.

It, uh, it sounds like you want a(n) (b)everyman diplomancer who draws the lines at beasties and monsters. :smallconfused:

Maybe even a Dwarven Dionysus.


But then again why should a Miner go on adventuring unless you want to play the comedic version of a 1800s gold rush dwarf.

That or they're scouting out a new site for a Dwarf Fortress and just happened to draw the short straw.