Feat Selection, Kitsune Sorcerer

[golentan]

Hi guys. So, my regular tabletop in person group yesterday decided we're gonna do Pathfinder Society at least sometimes going forward. We've been putting together our starting characters as per standard rules: 1st level to start, 20 point buy, all the rules and restrictions of the Year of the Snake pathfinder society booklet.

I'm making a Kitsune Sorcerer, Celestial bloodline (I know it's not quite optimal for spamming Enchantments and all, but I wanted the ranged healing bolt since it's an all good party and I really like the idea of a celestial shapeshifting trickster mage). Strength is my dumpstat, having landed at 5, but everything else has at least a +1 modifier, Charisma landed at 18 (I really wanted that 20, but I'd have had to give up too much to make it work).

For my traits, I went with Fashionable (gaining Diplomacy) and Sun Blessed (Because in a sense we're going an all-white mage party, we've got a paladin, myself, a bard, and an oracle of life, and so I should have abundant sources of temporary hitpoints that may help me survive to second level)

Cantrips I went with Daze, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost, and Mage Hand.
My 1st level spells are Charm Person and Summon Monster I

As I advance, I tend to rely more on buffs, debuffs, and especially mind-affecting effects, but to start I felt I needed a couple sources of damage that might remain useful, and summoning is one of my plans for a secondary source of effectiveness because I always love summoning.

I'm currently waffling between a couple of possible feats. Spell Focus Enchantment will give me an immediate boost to Daze and Charm Person, which I can use to end or prevent a fight without death, and since Pathfinder Society (IMO wisely) advances characters by completing scenarios rather than how many doodz you killed, I like the idea of playing a more pacifist character than I normally manage when playing DnD. Long term, it will also synergize with my favored class bonus.

Combat Casting is good in general, but I'm hoping to avoid needing it, if you follow.

Being the likely party face a couple separate ways, I'm considering also considering just going with Magical Tail, as one of the things available only to Kitsune which I always loved. Disguise Self to start may help with infiltration, bluffing, lying, and otherwise misdirecting... Charm Person being available as a spell like ability down the line...

I'm open to suggestions from elsewhere as well. I'm not trying to optimize overmuch, just avoid gimping myself unduly, while playing cooly thematic where I may.

[Arutema]

What are your skills looking like? If you're invested at all in bluff, Realistic Likeness can completely break social situations.

[Roadie]

What are your skills looking like? If you're invested at all in bluff, Realistic Likeness can completely break social situations.

Not to mention the general shenanigans you can get up to with it.

"I, the king, hereby decree everyone shall wear polka dots! Under pain of death!"

[Geddy2112]

I second realistic likeness; combined with disguise self(which you could get as a normal spell or magical tail) you are looking at near impossible to beat disguise checks.

I would normally not be all that impressed with summoning for a sorcerer, but your bloodline does it well. It also fits the pacifist theme. You might want spell focus(conjuration) and augment summons if you plan on picking up higher level summoning spells. Spell focus enchantment and greater are also good. Improved initiative is always a good feat, and leadership is broken if your DM has not banned it.

For your bloodline, none of the feats are great but iron will and dodge are probably the most useful to you. Weapon finesse is okay if you plan on picking up any touch spells.

[Spore]

While I second summoning on a sorcerer as my previous posters I severely dislike SM I and summoning a monster for a single round. SM I offers no utility, the summon takes forever to jump out and then is only active for a single round. I would start with summoning on 4th level. First level has so many good utility spells. Grease, Silent Image or Hypnotism are fun alternatives.

[golentan]

What are your skills looking like? If you're invested at all in bluff, Realistic Likeness can completely break social situations.

I've got Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge Arcana and UMD. I know spellcraft is a must going forward, but I was told I needed a knowledge skill to start and I did want to immediately start pumping my Charisma skills.

Realistic likeness... OH. Oh, that's good, I'd forgotten that... Yeah, going with that for the feat, thanks.

His faction is the Sovereign Court, he's lawful good, he's probably not gonna impersonate the king too often... But he's very "who watches the watchers" for his personal outlook, trying to make sure that abusers of power get what's coming to them and those who use it for the benefits of other people get to move up the ranks.

I'll reconsider Summon Monster... I was just worried about him not having enough damage options, and at the same time planning in theme...

[Roadie]

But he's very "who watches the watchers" for his personal outlook, trying to make sure that abusers of power get what's coming to them and those who use it for the benefits of other people get to move up the ranks.
With that and Realistic Likeness, you may want to take some inspirations from episodes of the show The Pretender.


I'll reconsider Summon Monster... I was just worried about him not having enough damage options, and at the same time planning in theme...
The basic problem with summon monster when starting out is that at low levels, you'll run out of monster time before it can even really get set up to do anything, plus the casting time is a bother ("full round" in the context of spells actually means "it takes until the start of your next turn", which is when the monster actually shows up).

[golentan]

Yep. Consulted a friend and swapped it for Color Spray.