Help with sword and board.

[Corwin_of_Amber]

I'd like some help putting together a sword & board character for an upcoming game. Based on what I have read, I think Slayer is the best fit since he can get all the TWF skills without a dex investment and he gets some bonus damage from his studied target and SA abilities. I will be taking the obvious feats of Imp Shield Bash, Shield Slam, and Shield Master. I just need some help rounding out the chararacter.

First of all, are there any PrCs that advance/stack with studied target? I'm not dead set on going into a PrC, but it's nice to have options.

Is there any feat that removes/lowers the armor penalty to the stealth or acrobatics skills?

Is there a feat like pack flanking that works with allies?

What can give me options other than hitting stuff? Useful combat maneuvers, maybe something that builds on Shield Slam's free bull rush?

[VexingFool]

Armor Expert trait would lower ACP by 1.

Spiked Destroyer would give you another attack as a swift action when you succeed on a Bull rush.

[avr]

If you dip a level of barbarian, the Raging Throw feat makes your bull rushes more fun.

Gang Up is similar to Pack Flanking. You need two allies threatening the enemy, but at least it's not a teamwork feat so they don't have to also have it. Unwitting Ally (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/rogue-talents/paizo---rogue-advanced-talents/unwitting-ally-ex) is a slayer talent which makes your enemies flank for you.

For the ACP look into special materials or enchantments rather than feats. There's a bunch of specific magic armors with reduced ACP and at least one item. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/steelbone-frame)

[Arc_knight25]

Bull Rush Line: Greater Bull Rush provokes AoO from Allies.

Vital Strike Line helps with big hits if your willing to give up number of attacks.

Sheild Master and Spiked Destroyer mean that you just need Enchant your Spikes and Shield for they will be your weapons of choice.

Bull Rush really is complemented well with a caster that doesn't mind throwing down walls and such so you can bash them into them and keep them down.

Titanic Armour enchantment is good for the CMB check. But it then adds its Enchantment bonus as a penalty to ACP so not what your looking for but, may be worth mentioning.

Fighter is a great way to get the feats you need, add to hit and damage, and lower ACP. Your still a one trick pony and lack the skills of the Slayer, but feat intensive wise it will be easier for you. Again just mentioning.

[Corwin_of_Amber]

Gang up does look useful, but I really hate that ever-present combat expertise requirement. It's like that feat is so bad that they have to make it a tax, otherwise no one would ever take it.

As for fighter, I can get the same amount of feats minus one as a slayer, since combat trick is one of the rogue talent options. Plus, shield mastery at level 6 is a pretty big selling point.

Spiked Destroyer seems like a nice feat, but does it work if I TWF with a shield/weapon? It seems that spiked armor specifically prevents that.

[Arc_knight25]

So Spiked Destroyer would kick in so long as your Bull rush succeeded. You just need a swift action to do so.

Armour spikes can't be used if you have already used another off hand weapon as an attack.

You would use your shield as your main hand weapon and the spikes as your off hand, while having a one handed weapon in your free hand to make it look like you use it, or just keep it free so you can get things with it.

For the one handed weapon all you would do is make it plus one and put defensive enchantments on it.

As for the Fighter v.s Slayer aspect the Fighter does get an additional +4 to hit and damage on their first Weapon Training group. Note that shield and spiked armour are in the same grouping. The damage part is eh, its the additional +4 to your CMB for Bull Rushes is what I'm looking at.

I haven't looked into slayer that much, but if they can get that many feats then it would be a good option.

[Elric VIII]

So Spiked Destroyer would kick in so long as your Bull rush succeeded. You just need a swift action to do so.

Armour spikes can't be used if you have already used another off hand weapon as an attack.

You would use your shield as your main hand weapon and the spikes as your off hand, while having a one handed weapon in your free hand to make it look like you use it, or just keep it free so you can get things with it.

For the one handed weapon all you would do is make it plus one and put defensive enchantments on it.

As for the Fighter v.s Slayer aspect the Fighter does get an additional +4 to hit and damage on their first Weapon Training group. Note that shield and spiked armour are in the same grouping. The damage part is eh, its the additional +4 to your CMB for Bull Rushes is what I'm looking at.

I haven't looked into slayer that much, but if they can get that many feats then it would be a good option.

I'd have to agree with the OP. Slayer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/slayer) gets 90% of what a fighter gets, plus extras. Studied target gives the slayer +1-5 on attack, damage, DCs, bluff, knowledge, perception, intimidate, sense motive, stealth, disguise, and survival on up to 5 opponents at a time. All it costs is a move action at level 1-6 or a swift at level 7+ or when you sneak attack.


To the OP: you can actually get an animal companion for the pack flanking feat by taking animal ally (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/animal-ally), which could end up being very useful if you don't have enough melee allies that can threaten.

[upho]

I'd have to agree with the OP. Slayer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/slayer) gets 90% of what a fighter gets, plus extras. Studied target gives the slayer +1-5 on attack, damage, DCs, bluff, knowledge, perception, intimidate, sense motive, stealth, disguise, and survival on up to 5 opponents at a time. All it costs is a move action at level 1-6 or a swift at level 7+ or when you sneak attack.


To the OP: you can actually get an animal companion for the pack flanking feat by taking animal ally (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/animal-ally), which could end up being very useful if you don't have enough melee allies that can threaten.Totally agree about slayer being a superior choice to vanilla fighter (in virtually every regard). But regarding the Pack Flanking (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/pack-flanking-teamwork) feat, unless there's some errata/faq about it, it's actually impossible to live up to the prerequisites AFAICT - according to RAW, both you and your animal companion must have Int 13 and Combat Expertise, and, here comes the funniest part, the ability to require an animal companion! So you need a very intelligent animal companion that also has an animal companion...? :smallconfused: Maybe, if your animal companion is awakened and becomes your cohort via the Leadership feat or something? Wait, that would mean they're not an animal companion anymore... No, as written, this feat is simply not gonna happen. Ever. :smallmad:

If your DM is at least somewhat sane, he should naturally change the requirements to only apply to you, not your animal companion. Which may not necessarily make it that much more attractive to your slayer build, considering the damn silly ever-present Int and CE feat tax.

On another note, check out the Maelstrom Shield (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-armor/specific-magic-shields/maelstrom-shield) if you haven't already. Pretty damn neat and cheap. I'd say it even makes it worth considering an Int 13 and CE just to get the Trip feat line to go with this. Otherwise, the Tempest Shield (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-armor/specific-magic-shields/tempest-shield) is also rather good, albeit a bit more expensive and not nearly as powerful in most situations. Don't forget to combine with the Pauldrons of the Bull (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/m-p/pauldrons-of-the-bull) and later Juggernaut's Pauldrons (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/m-p/pauldrons-juggernaut-s) when you can afford them. And if worshipping an evil god would be OK with your slayer, Merciless Rush (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/merciless-rush-combat) is a very good damage option.

Lastly, at least consider wielding two shields instead of going sword'n'board. Yes, I know it may look cheesy/stupid, but it seems to actually have some real-world precedence (like many other cheesy/stupid things, I confess). More importantly, unless you're intending to wield some very special kind of one-handed weapon in your non-shield hand for some very kind of special purpose (whip?), it's so very much worth it to go for two shields instead of one, especially since you'll get Shield Master at 6th. Unless maybe if you have dedicated crafter in the party, you probably will find it hard to keep the enhancements on one shield, your other weapon AND your spikes up to par.

[Kurald Galain]

Totally agree about slayer being a superior choice to vanilla fighter (in virtually every regard). But regarding the Pack Flanking (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/pack-flanking-teamwork) feat, unless there's some errata/faq about it, it's actually impossible to live up to the prerequisites AFAICT
Not entirely. If you play a Hunter, then your animal companion automatically gains your teamwork feats, without having to meet their prerequisites.

[upho]

Not entirely. If you play a Hunter, then your animal companion automatically gains your teamwork feats, without having to meet their prerequisites.Ahh, of course! Thanks! Felt kinda odd, I must say, to have it written like that by "mistake".