Advice for an odd oracle build

[RavensLand]

I'm playing in a RotRL game and have been using it to play around with an idea of been playing with for an oracle that was kidnapped by a cult in an attempt to make him a vessel for the king in yellow. I don't care so much about totally optimizing the build but would like some input on things I might be missing or want to consider.

First level with a 25 point buy and I have this

Half elf, only change from vanilla was trading adaptibility for ancestral arms for bastard sword proficiency

Str 16/Dex 13/Con 14/Int 12/Wis 8/Cha 18(+2 racial bonus)

Dark tapestry mystery and wasting curse.

My desire was to create this Ghoulish and knightly/regal image. The low wisdom was a flavor choice to go with his fractured mental state from what's happened to him. The dark tapestry is to represent some success in the rituals while the waste curse is the toll it took on his body.

Now combat wise I'm working toward a front line sword and board with spells mostly for control and self buffs, focusing on enchantments and necromancy.

Eventually I plan to enchant the bastard sword with impact to make it a one handed 2d8 weapon and use power attack and vital strike to get the most bang I can out of one hit.

Spells are basic cures to keep me going, inflicts for touch attacks and eventual zombie heals, hold person and murderous command for control, and death knell and animate dead for buffs and disposable flank buddies.

Thanks for checking this out, suggestions, comments, and criticisms welcomed and appreciated.

[Geddy2112]

For sword and board, you won't be able to cast spells holding a shield and sword in your hands. You can go with a buckler, and then 2 hand the weapon otherwise.

But otherwise, yeah, looks like you have a really solid build. For revelations, consider gift of madness right out the gate-confusion as an SLA at level 1 is fantastic, and it scales well with level plus you don't get it on your spell list. Pierce the veil is good because you don't have racial darkvision. Read the tapestry is awful, as contact other plane is garbage. Just learn commune.

The question is, have YOU seen the yellow sign?

[RavensLand]

Yeah I've been going back and forth over the shield. I like the visual and ability to shield bash but I can't convince myself it would be worth taking quick draw for when I need to cast. The buckler is definitely simpler and let's me two hand my sword which will be great once I get power attack and death knell to buff my strength.

I decided to go with pierce the girl first because I have the highest stealth bonus. This way I can scout some and not worry about lighting.

[Lormador]

With Strength 16, the increased damage from using 2 hands isn't much, just 1 point. Once you hit 18 the boost is 2 points and far more worthy of your attention.

You can hold things in the same hand that has a light shield equipped, but you can't use them, so it should be possible to switch the blade to the shield hand to cast a quick spell, then shift it back. I wouldn't try that in melee, but it shouldn't cost more than a move-equivalent action. In melee forget it, you'd draw tons of AoO even on top of the usual dangers.

Your buffs and control spells aren't the type of thing you'd want to cast in melee anyway. A level 2 character doesn't have a ton of spells in the first place.

I'd try and get away with the shield for a level or two, then switch to 2-handed plus buckler as the build matures.

[RavensLand]

I'm considering a two level dip into fighter later on for extra feats. The magical knack trait would keep my spell casting on my oral level even if I lose out a bit on spells per day. Probably first level at 3 and the second around 7/9 when I qualify for vital strike.

Example to level 5
1 oracle spell focus necromancy
2 oracle
3 fighter power attack and greater spell focus
4 oracle
5 oracle extend spell

[Geddy2112]

Second lormador in going sword and board until you have 18 str; the extra AC will be more important at low levels and you won't be leaving as much damage on the table, even more so if you are waiting till level 3 for your fighter dip.

I'm considering a two level dip into fighter later on for extra feats. The magical knack trait would keep my spell casting on my oral level even if I lose out a bit on spells per day. Probably first level at 3 and the second around 7/9 when I qualify for vital strike.

Example to level 5
1 oracle spell focus necromancy
2 oracle
3 fighter power attack and greater spell focus
4 oracle
5 oracle extend spell
A lone fighter dip is good for the bonus feat, martial prof and heavy armor prof. I don't think the second will be needed. Since you are going to dip fighter, you might want to keep adaptability(you can go skill focus in a knowledge to qualify for eldritch heritage and a familiar, among other things) or get something else besides bastard sword prof.

I strongly question going a second level in fighter just for a feat-higher level spells are more important.

[Arbane]

I'm considering a two level dip into fighter later on for extra feats. The magical knack trait would keep my spell casting on my oral level even if I lose out a bit on spells per day. Probably first level at 3 and the second around 7/9 when I qualify for vital strike.


I'd argue it's probably not worth it - Oracles are already behind a spell-level compared to Clerics, and this makes it worse.
What mystery did you have in mind?

[RavensLand]

Second lormador in going sword and board until you have 18 str; the extra AC will be more important at low levels and you won't be leaving as much damage on the table, even more so if you are waiting till level 3 for your fighter dip.

A lone fighter dip is good for the bonus feat, martial prof and heavy armor prof. I don't think the second will be needed. Since you are going to dip fighter, you might want to keep adaptability(you can go skill focus in a knowledge to qualify for eldritch heritage and a familiar, among other things) or get something else besides bastard sword prof.

I strongly question going a second level in fighter just for a feat-higher level spells are more important.

I haven't played with eldritch heritage before, do you usually get a lot of mileage out of it or is the ability to grab a familiar the main draw?

But yeah, that second fight level is more a "what if", especially now that I think about it I can possibly pick up paragon surge and fill in for feats if needed.


I'd argue it's probably not worth it - Oracles are already behind a spell-level compared to Clerics, and this makes it worse.
What mystery did you have in mind?

I'm not too concerned with losing spell levels as this build wasn't intended to be great at it, just enough to focus in some areas and be annoying and make me more reliable in melee.

And I'm going dark tapestry

[Geddy2112]

I haven't played with eldritch heritage before, do you usually get a lot of mileage out of it or is the ability to grab a familiar the main draw?
But yeah, that second fight level is more a "what if", especially now that I think about it I can possibly pick up paragon surge and fill in for feats if needed.

It depends. Obviously getting the familiar is the most powerful option, with the sylvan wildblood getting a companion being a close second. You can take the boon companion feat to mitigate the 2 level loss of your familiar/companion from eldritch heritage.

Any of the 1st level bloodline powers that give a ray attack are garbage. Some of them give claws, which gives options for natural attack builds. For face builds, the rakshasha build gives you mini glibness 3/day+cha which can be nice, and the 9th level constant nondetection supernatural ability is worth improved heritage for a stealthy character. The improved and greater powers are usually niche, and for a full caster they will rarely give you something you were not capable of doing anyways.

Better to race your level to get paragon surge and just cast it into a second feat than another fighter level, the 1st gives you all you need. Extra cheese to paragon surge into eldritch heritage for a temp familiar or bloodline power

[Duskwolf]

If allowed, Dreamscarred press, zealot is synergistic with Oracle, recovers maneuvers as a move action where you can aid another yourself, gains heavy armor or as a better fighter replacement, fiend bound warder, gain a one handed reach weapon claw with grab.