Way of the Wicked Solo?

[Glarx]

I'm going to be engaging in a solo campaign for Way of the Wicked, and I'm unable to decide which class to go with. Antipaladin seems good, but so does cleric... and wizard is always a good choice...

Without spoiling anything, does anyone have any advice about which class I should select? It can be one I haven't mentioned, too -- I'm curious about whether there's any particular class that will work well within the confines of the adventure path.

[The Glyphstone]

I have no idea what WotW entails, but for a solo adventure I'd recommend Cleric. You've got heavy armor, self-healing, and with the right domains, the ability to summon meatshields/trap-springer goons.

Also, moved this to the 3.x subforum where it belongs, and where you'll probably get more responses.

[Firest Kathon]

I feel that classes which are able to add an additional creature to the one-man-party are well-suited for a solo campaign, e.g. Druid, summoning Wizard, Summoner, etc. Especially summoner, as you can get a capable fighter in your Eidolon, and as a charisma-based class you will be able to handle social skills.

I have not played the AP, so this is just a general opinion.

[Mystral]

I'm going to be engaging in a solo campaign for Way of the Wicked, and I'm unable to decide which class to go with. Antipaladin seems good, but so does cleric... and wizard is always a good choice...

Without spoiling anything, does anyone have any advice about which class I should select? It can be one I haven't mentioned, too -- I'm curious about whether there's any particular class that will work well within the confines of the adventure path.

If you go into WotW solo, your most important stat is Charisma, and you will need to gather lots of minions to support your evil doings, as well as prove persuasive, deceptive and skillfull. A sorcerer or bard would be ideal for the job.

And I am speaking as someone who HAS played that AP (or at least, the first 2 books).

[Glarx]

I have no idea what WotW entails, but for a solo adventure I'd recommend Cleric. You've got heavy armor, self-healing, and with the right domains, the ability to summon meatshields/trap-springer goons.

Also, moved this to the 3.x subforum where it belongs, and where you'll probably get more responses.Thanks for the suggestion and the move! I couldn't remember if Pathfinder was in other games or 3/3.5/d20. Probably should've realized the d20 encompasses Pathfinder. :smallredface:


I feel that classes which are able to add an additional creature to the one-man-party are well-suited for a solo campaign, e.g. Druid, summoning Wizard, Summoner, etc. Especially summoner, as you can get a capable fighter in your Eidolon, and as a charisma-based class you will be able to handle social skills.

I have not played the AP, so this is just a general opinion.I prefer charisma-based classes in general, and I've never played a summoner before. That could be an interesting change of pace!


If you go into WotW solo, your most important stat is Charisma, and you will need to gather lots of minions to support your evil doings, as well as prove persuasive, deceptive and skillfull. A sorcerer or bard would be ideal for the job.

And I am speaking as someone who HAS played that AP (or at least, the first 2 books).Would you say a sorcerer would be better or worse than a summoner? I've never really played a bard because they're neutered casters and seem to be all about the buffs, which won't help me a lot in a solo game. And would you discount oracles?

[Mystral]

Would you say a sorcerer would be better or worse than a summoner? I've never really played a bard because they're neutered casters and seem to be all about the buffs, which won't help me a lot in a solo game. And would you discount oracles?

Sorcerer would be better.

You can buff your minions. If you play your cards right, you can aquire a powerfull minion fairly quickly (if your GM follows the adventure). Don't worry too much about your fighting abilities, that's not what it's about.

Or you can play an archeologist.

[killem2]

It will prove difficult unless you are set on fast exp and your GM reduces some of the creatures. You will get over ran eventually in book one. Now if you were a very very stealthy class such a rogue with high UMD or a stealthy magic user you might be able to turn a lot of the people against each other. That is assuming you can get passed the "voyage" parts. It would also be very difficult to beat the "vastly populated areas" scene in book 1.

My group I gm has fluctuated from a large group of 7 and has changed down to a group of 5. I run them on slow progression for exp.

A very well built summoner could possibly handle it but again you would have to be out leveling the opposition or your action economy will get over ran. I am finished with book one and read all through book two feel free to ask anything. It is a great AP. I highly suggest people going out and buying it.

There are also a lot of intricacies when you get to "that one city of a smaller population" and have to deal with "a mission that requires a lot of moving parts". If the player has a high diplomacy they could make their own wrecking crew by diplomatically getting a lot of the NPCs you find, on their side.

[Mystral]

Please mind the "no spoilers" part, Killem.

And I guess the GM would reduce the CR of the encounters to be reasonable.

[killem2]

Please mind the "no spoilers" part, Killem.

And I guess the GM would reduce the CR of the encounters to be reasonable.

I haven't spoiled anything. That's is about as generic as I can get with out being completely unhelpful to the GM.

[Nyaa]

I'd recommend using gestalt character unless you want to play cleric or druid. And start at level higher than 1. CR system suggests level 4-5.

[Glarx]

Do you have any suggestions for a sorcerer build, Mystral? I figure the normal sorcerer guidelines and spell selections should work fine, but I figured I'd ask just in case. I haven't gotten too far with a sorcerer in Pathfinder. :smallredface:

[Mystral]

Do you have any suggestions for a sorcerer build, Mystral? I figure the normal sorcerer guidelines and spell selections should work fine, but I figured I'd ask just in case. I haven't gotten too far with a sorcerer in Pathfinder. :smallredface:

I don't know enough about this class to tell you much.

[killem2]

I don't know enough about this class to tell you much.

I would guess that a sorcerer would work, but I would strongly suggest the person either be given a break on diplomacy by the GM or take skills to make sure they are good at it. Because it is a fairly well balanced AP around 4 people leveling up at medium progression. A solo campaign could be a train wreck at certain intervals.

[Mystral]

Why would the sorcerer need to be given a break on diplomacy?

[squab]

Reading between the lines, diplomacy is obviously something very useful in this campaign or at the very least something that you'll need to get by as a solo character.

I haven't actually played this campaign, this is just based off what the other guy is saying.

[killem2]

Reading between the lines, diplomacy is obviously something very useful in this campaign or at the very least something that you'll need to get by as a solo character.

I haven't actually played this campaign, this is just based off what the other guy is saying.

It has a lot to do with the many like minded NPCs you can meet along the way. A solo player who doesn't have diplomacy could use that to their advantage.

[JerichoPenumbra]

For WotW, any class can work as long as you keep in mind that if you live through it all you will be a blight on the land who will (or should, [based on how your options are written in the AP]) have little to no redeeming qualities. Since you're running solo, I'd recommend a class that can do at least a little magic, one that'll have healing, and/or work on getting minions that can fill the needed roles. When I played, I went Magus and eventually wound up as a Vader analogue. Depending on how things go, it might be nice to try Variant Multiclassing (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/character-advancement#TOC-Variant-Multiclassing).

In WotW the whole premise is that you will become a great villain and to that point, my advice is play smart, but be very ambitious. Don't be afraid to reach for an opportunity that may not be there, but don't try to compromise for such if it'll ruin you.

[Glarx]

Thanks for the advice, Jericho! I don't think she'll have any real redeeming qualities. Perhaps she will? But it won't really matter -- when it comes to ambition, she certainly has that in spades. :smallbiggrin:

Here's what I'm leaning towards.

Aasimar sorcerer 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Race Guide 84)
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 7 (1d6+1)
Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2
Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +6)
. . 8/day—laughing touch
Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +6)
. . 1st (5/day)—charm person (DC 16), color spray (DC 16)
. . 0 (at will)—daze (DC 17), detect magic, ghost sound (DC 15), prestidigitation
. . Bloodline Fey
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 8
Dex 14
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 20

Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 11

Feats
Additional Traits
Eschew Materials

Traits
Charming
Extremely fashionable
Reactionary
Sedition

Skills
Bluff +10 (+11 vs. characters who could be attracted to you),
Diplomacy +11 (+12 vs. characters who could be attracted to you)
Intimidate +10
Knowledge (arcana) +6
Perception +2
Sense Motive +1
Spellcraft +6
Use Magic Device +9
Racial Modifiers +2 Diplomacy, +2 Perception

Languages
Celestial
Common
Draconic
Elven

Other Gear
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Aasimar Alternative Trait You gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and effects that would cause you to become dazzled.
Charming +1 Bluff/Diplomacy/save DC for a language-dependent spell vs. targets who could be sexually attracted to you.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Energy Resistance, Acid (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Acid attacks.
Energy Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Cold attacks.
Energy Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Electricity attacks.
Eschew Materials Cast spells without materials, if component cost is 1 gp or less.
Laughing Touch (8/day) (Sp) As a standard action, if melee touch hits, foe can take only move actions for 1 rd.

[Mystral]

Pretty sure CE won't fly when working for Big A.

[Glarx]

Oh, that's a holdover from when I was playing around with antipaladin. She's supposed to be NE.

[killem2]

Oh and make sure you (the dm) check out minion quest. It's the side alternate way of playing some of the parts of the series. It deals with controlling minions.

And I would allow the leadership feat lol.

[JerichoPenumbra]

Depending on how devoted you want to be to Mr. A, you might want to consider the False Priest (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/archetypes/paizo---sorcerer-archetypes/razmiran-priest) archetype. Also there's the Scion of Humanity trait for Aasimars. While you lose some of the benefits of being an outsider, you are treated as being human which means you can take the favored class bonus for sorcerer that humans get. More spells are always helpful.

[Glarx]

Do you think aid and remove disease are worth giving up entangled and hideous laughter? Also, which skill should I give up in return for the +1 spell?

---

I'm leaning towards giving up sense motive since it's only a +1 bonus at the moment, and then converting K:Arcana to K:Religion to qualify for False Focus.

[killem2]

Ooops Glarx are you the DM or the Player? I apologize I thought you were the DM >_<!

[Glarx]

Nope, I'm the player. :smallsmile:

[killem2]

Bard with optimized diplomacy and make lots of friends. :D

[martixy]

The thread title sounds like a Sublime Way discipline bards can use to melt faces.

[JerichoPenumbra]

False priest is more a flavor thing than anything else. While the removal of a low level disable and battlefield control does hurt a little, the extra spells for devoted class bonus should help off set them. Aid can be a nice buff for minions and who knows, remove disease may come in handy. The big thing to look forward to is the replacement for the 9th level bloodline ability. Sure you lose some free rounds of greater invisibility, the option to use almost any divine scroll it wand almost as much as you want seems like a nice trade to me. The only limit is the number of spell slots you have.

I second the loss of sense motive. The +1 won't really help that much and unless you dip into a class that gets it or get a bunch of magic items to boost it, the bonus won't be enough to help you later.

[Nyaa]

Here's what I'm leaning towards.

I must repeat my gestalt and higher level suggestion. My 4th level harbinger|psion almost got killed in the very first "dungeon" when he got hit by three enemies in one round, one of which was a crit. He had 40 HP and 21 AC.

[pilvento]

Im about to finish book 1 of WotW as a LE cleric of asmodeus and 2 friends playing an inquisitor and an antipaladin.

If you play it smart (and start at least lvl 3) you can for sure beat it solo, but you must take special care of every goon you add to your evil army.

WotW is an adventure path by Mountain games and they also made this...

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/alternate-classes/antipaladin/archetypes/fire-mountain-games---antipaladin-archetypes/lord-of-darkness

Thats a LE demon workshiper paladin with some really nice ACF to help you in your path of evil dominance.

If you still wanna go the sorcerer route, I recomend to first be LE and second the infernal bloodline (pit lord) to boost your charm DCs to the roof and have a nice Con socre boost.

Or be like me, a theologian fire cleric of Asmodeus and BLOW **** UP.
noone can know about the doings of your cult till book 3 so... no, you cant blow **** up.
Also you make a "frinend" in the fist 10mins of the adventure, if your DM allows you to take him with you to the first dungeon then there is nothing to worry about.

[Glarx]

Say the DM came back and said "y'know what, maybe you should be gestalt." What should I mix with sorcerer? Part of me says antipaladin, but arcane spell failure sucks. Bard? I'm trying to think of things that benefit from a high charisma.

[pilvento]

Bard/paladin and variant multiclass for bloodline?

Change inspire for SA damage, there is an archetype for that.

[Ezekiul]

Summoner or Oracle could be useful defense wise.

Oracle would give you some healing and the Lunar mystery allows you to use Cha instead of dex for saves/AC.

Summoner Synthesist archetype, iirc, lets you be the eidolon and gives good defensive bonuses.