Atar
2020-11-22, 04:58 PM
Hi there,
I have a character concept I am working on and I am looking for some input.
The idea is to make a mad scientist, either a kobold or a ratfolk. He'd have two lives and be on the move constantly, carrying his alchemical lab inside a portable hole, wherever he goes. His main aim in life is to explore and expand the limits of the body, through grafts, magic items and alchemy. He has two completely separate identities. One for every day social life and one where he shows off his rather gruesome trade. I would RP him as obsessed with learning, at all costs but with no moral conviction to do this for good or evil, just for the advancement of his science. In the long term he would take the Fiendish Obedience feat, with Andirifkhu as his deity. She has an obedience that requires him to torture a living creature to death, this fits in nicely with his research as a Vivisectionist and gives an especially useful second boon.
On the ground before you is a metal circle, in the middle of this circle you see the face of a dragon carved into the metal plate. Its mouth is open and a dim light is shining through. Shigran hands you a potion and says, "If you are serious about getting this new arm, you are going to have to drink this." He grins at you as you drink the potion. Your body feels a bit weird and you shrink to his height.
"Alright then, follow me!" he says, and drinks a potion of his own. As he does so his body seems to become a little looser and flabby. His light brown Kobold scales seem to be made out of jello and he sits himself down in front of the dragon image mouth. "I find it easier to go feet first, but its up to you really." He sticks one leg in, and then the next, and without much effort at all seems to squeeze his whole body through a hole that it was never meant to fit. As you follow him through your body seems to ripple a bit as it forms and reforms to fit a hole no larger than half a dinner plate.
Once inside you are stunned to find a very small circular room, it is 6 feet in diameter and 4,5 feet high, if you were still medium sized you would have to stoop to stand. All the way along the circular wall are floor to ceiling book cases, filled with books, alchemical ingredients, bits of scrap paper and half-finished drawings. In front of these book cases, at ground level, is a circle of work tables, filled with vials, stills, other alchemical apparatus. There are glass pots filled with eye-balls and others with what seem to be pickled hands. In the center of room there is enough space for a medium sized person to lie down. Different light sources, clamps, tubes and pumps hang down from the ceiling.
But perhaps the most astounding thing is that everything is tiny sized. Just as you remark the size of these work benches and tools, does Shigran walk back up from what seems to be a basement level. He has shrunk in size as well! From his normal kobold self to the height of a small cat. In fact a cat could almost serve him for a mount right now. He skitter towards you and says "Aaah yes, there you are... Please take a seat!" And motions for a small sized stool that seems to also be a tiny sized dining table.
He keeps on running from one side of the room to the other as he gathers some things and says: "So before when we spoke, you mentioned that you want to get yourself a new arm. I have all sorts stored away, some are perfectly legal, others... hrmm... maybe not so much. I could regrow your old arm or replace it with something new. Maybe something a bit stronger like a lizardfolk? Or perhaps something with a bit more spice, like a demon? It all depends on what you want to do with it after we finish really. So, any ideas?"
----
I can give more details on this alchemical lab, but I want to focus on the character for now.
----
The build:
Rogue 2 / Vigilante 2 / Vivisectionist 16
** is unsure
Feats:
1 Sap Adept
2 Rogue Talent: Underhanded (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/rogue-talents/paizo-rogue-talents/underhanded-ex/)
3 **Craft Wondrous Items
5 **Master Craftsman
7 Sap Master (This and the previous could be switched for earlier combat effectiveness)
9 Fiendish Obedience
10 Vigilante Social Talent: Always Prepared (Ex) (To be extra useful to my party)
11 ** Fleshwarper - Vigilante Talent: Sure-Footed (full speed acrobatics and stealth, but I'm unsure if I should even take this level)
13 Diverse Obedience (For +2 HD and the ability to take Evangelist boons)
15 **Quick Draw (He will be using different kinds of (thrown) weapons and chugging potions)
17 **Extra Rogue Talent: Snap Shot
19 ??
I am thinking to go Str with this little guy. I plan on being in melee, after level 9 I will be able to cast my first Monstrous Physique spell, which I will use to get useful combat forms. Belt of Mighty Hurling would allow me to throw stuff. My low BAB will be fixed by Mutagens, my own magic items and size increases. I can craft my own Amulet of Might Fists with Merciful, which will allow me to be in my combat form and still use Sap Master if I can get my targets flatfooted.
So yeah I have a few questions:
1) If you were my DM, would you allow me to play such a character? Good party rogue/striker, possible Party Face and buff specialist by day (CG). Near-evil scientist by trade at night (CN, moving towards CE. Mostly for RP reasons).
2) I don't really know what I am doing with the feats or their order. I don't want combat feats that lock me into one attack form because of Monstrous Physique. I could be over specializing on that surprise round. But Underhanded in combination with Sap Master and Snap Shot is just too good to be true!
If I know the fight is coming I will end up having 23d6 SA dice, so 46d6 maximised = 264 + 46 (Sap Adept) = 310 Nonlethal damage in one shot. Just from SA damage (Sense Vitals and Halfling Vengeance + 2d6 from my deity).
3) Any other reliable ways to get enemies flatfooted (NOT denied their dex)? I am thinking maybe Grease?
Last question:
Andirifkhu gives a boon that allows me to sneak attack without my target becoming aware of me.
2: Subtle Razor (Ex) You gain sneak attack +2d6; this stacks with any sneak attack damage you can already deal from class levels and other sources. In addition, whenever you deal sneak attack damage, you can have all damage dealt by the attack become nonlethal damage. If you deal nonlethal damage this way to a creature that is unaware of your presence, the creature is unaware it has been attacked or has taken damage (instead experiencing a sense of unexplained weariness or weakness).[/b]
4) If my targets never become aware of me, would that mean their flat-footed status never goes away? Or does it end when they first get to act? If I use Imp Invis, could I sneak attack on a full attack without them even becoming aware of me?
Kind regards,
Bram
I have a character concept I am working on and I am looking for some input.
The idea is to make a mad scientist, either a kobold or a ratfolk. He'd have two lives and be on the move constantly, carrying his alchemical lab inside a portable hole, wherever he goes. His main aim in life is to explore and expand the limits of the body, through grafts, magic items and alchemy. He has two completely separate identities. One for every day social life and one where he shows off his rather gruesome trade. I would RP him as obsessed with learning, at all costs but with no moral conviction to do this for good or evil, just for the advancement of his science. In the long term he would take the Fiendish Obedience feat, with Andirifkhu as his deity. She has an obedience that requires him to torture a living creature to death, this fits in nicely with his research as a Vivisectionist and gives an especially useful second boon.
On the ground before you is a metal circle, in the middle of this circle you see the face of a dragon carved into the metal plate. Its mouth is open and a dim light is shining through. Shigran hands you a potion and says, "If you are serious about getting this new arm, you are going to have to drink this." He grins at you as you drink the potion. Your body feels a bit weird and you shrink to his height.
"Alright then, follow me!" he says, and drinks a potion of his own. As he does so his body seems to become a little looser and flabby. His light brown Kobold scales seem to be made out of jello and he sits himself down in front of the dragon image mouth. "I find it easier to go feet first, but its up to you really." He sticks one leg in, and then the next, and without much effort at all seems to squeeze his whole body through a hole that it was never meant to fit. As you follow him through your body seems to ripple a bit as it forms and reforms to fit a hole no larger than half a dinner plate.
Once inside you are stunned to find a very small circular room, it is 6 feet in diameter and 4,5 feet high, if you were still medium sized you would have to stoop to stand. All the way along the circular wall are floor to ceiling book cases, filled with books, alchemical ingredients, bits of scrap paper and half-finished drawings. In front of these book cases, at ground level, is a circle of work tables, filled with vials, stills, other alchemical apparatus. There are glass pots filled with eye-balls and others with what seem to be pickled hands. In the center of room there is enough space for a medium sized person to lie down. Different light sources, clamps, tubes and pumps hang down from the ceiling.
But perhaps the most astounding thing is that everything is tiny sized. Just as you remark the size of these work benches and tools, does Shigran walk back up from what seems to be a basement level. He has shrunk in size as well! From his normal kobold self to the height of a small cat. In fact a cat could almost serve him for a mount right now. He skitter towards you and says "Aaah yes, there you are... Please take a seat!" And motions for a small sized stool that seems to also be a tiny sized dining table.
He keeps on running from one side of the room to the other as he gathers some things and says: "So before when we spoke, you mentioned that you want to get yourself a new arm. I have all sorts stored away, some are perfectly legal, others... hrmm... maybe not so much. I could regrow your old arm or replace it with something new. Maybe something a bit stronger like a lizardfolk? Or perhaps something with a bit more spice, like a demon? It all depends on what you want to do with it after we finish really. So, any ideas?"
----
I can give more details on this alchemical lab, but I want to focus on the character for now.
----
The build:
Rogue 2 / Vigilante 2 / Vivisectionist 16
** is unsure
Feats:
1 Sap Adept
2 Rogue Talent: Underhanded (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/rogue-talents/paizo-rogue-talents/underhanded-ex/)
3 **Craft Wondrous Items
5 **Master Craftsman
7 Sap Master (This and the previous could be switched for earlier combat effectiveness)
9 Fiendish Obedience
10 Vigilante Social Talent: Always Prepared (Ex) (To be extra useful to my party)
11 ** Fleshwarper - Vigilante Talent: Sure-Footed (full speed acrobatics and stealth, but I'm unsure if I should even take this level)
13 Diverse Obedience (For +2 HD and the ability to take Evangelist boons)
15 **Quick Draw (He will be using different kinds of (thrown) weapons and chugging potions)
17 **Extra Rogue Talent: Snap Shot
19 ??
I am thinking to go Str with this little guy. I plan on being in melee, after level 9 I will be able to cast my first Monstrous Physique spell, which I will use to get useful combat forms. Belt of Mighty Hurling would allow me to throw stuff. My low BAB will be fixed by Mutagens, my own magic items and size increases. I can craft my own Amulet of Might Fists with Merciful, which will allow me to be in my combat form and still use Sap Master if I can get my targets flatfooted.
So yeah I have a few questions:
1) If you were my DM, would you allow me to play such a character? Good party rogue/striker, possible Party Face and buff specialist by day (CG). Near-evil scientist by trade at night (CN, moving towards CE. Mostly for RP reasons).
2) I don't really know what I am doing with the feats or their order. I don't want combat feats that lock me into one attack form because of Monstrous Physique. I could be over specializing on that surprise round. But Underhanded in combination with Sap Master and Snap Shot is just too good to be true!
If I know the fight is coming I will end up having 23d6 SA dice, so 46d6 maximised = 264 + 46 (Sap Adept) = 310 Nonlethal damage in one shot. Just from SA damage (Sense Vitals and Halfling Vengeance + 2d6 from my deity).
3) Any other reliable ways to get enemies flatfooted (NOT denied their dex)? I am thinking maybe Grease?
Last question:
Andirifkhu gives a boon that allows me to sneak attack without my target becoming aware of me.
2: Subtle Razor (Ex) You gain sneak attack +2d6; this stacks with any sneak attack damage you can already deal from class levels and other sources. In addition, whenever you deal sneak attack damage, you can have all damage dealt by the attack become nonlethal damage. If you deal nonlethal damage this way to a creature that is unaware of your presence, the creature is unaware it has been attacked or has taken damage (instead experiencing a sense of unexplained weariness or weakness).[/b]
4) If my targets never become aware of me, would that mean their flat-footed status never goes away? Or does it end when they first get to act? If I use Imp Invis, could I sneak attack on a full attack without them even becoming aware of me?
Kind regards,
Bram