[PF 1e] Tips for a "Mundane mastery" character?

[Draconi Redfir]

long story short, I've got a 5th level fighter in a pirate-themed campaign who distrusts magic. Some things like healing are okay, but she sees things like Bulls Strength or Fireball as cheating, and things like conjuring food and water as unnatural.

Guns are a thing in the campaign, and i don't see her wearing anything more then leather armour, so I'm considering taking one or three levels in gunslinger.

Currently she's got no fighter subtype, An elven curve blade as her primary weapon, Feats are Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Dodge, Combat Stamina (gained for free at character creation due to playing a fighter), Desperate Battler, Great Fortitude, Armour Focus (Leather), and Godless Healing. Traits are Killer and a campaign trait.

Abilities are Str 17, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.

Just as a challenge, I'm trying to avoid taking Power Attack. Just because I've used it in every other martial character I've ever played, and I'd like to try something different.


Any suggestions or tips on classes, items, abilities, or feats that could help out this character without resorting to magic?


Figure it's possible she could take a magic-class in the future, if a particular spirit, deity, or concept catches her eye strong enough, but for now at least she's almost strictly mundane. the only magic item's she uses being healing potions and a magical harpoon that she doesn't realize is magical.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Draconi Redfir
Any suggestions or tips on classes, items, abilities, or feats that could help out this character without resorting to magic?

Maybe a level or two of brawler? Martial flexibility might open up some options for both the ECB and the harpoon.


Originally Posted by Draconi Redfir
…and a magical harpoon that she doesn't realize is magical.

You did say Wis 8. :smalltongue:

[Kurald Galain]

I'd go for the Amateur Investigator feat (to become better at mundane skills), Divine Defiance (resist spells because you don't believe in them), maybe go for Racial Adaptation: dwarf + Steel Soul (same principle), and aim for Smash From The Air (it will take a couple levels, but eventually you'll be able to parry spells with your sword).

I recommend speccing for either melee combat or for (gun-based) ranged, but not both at the same time. I'd also recommend retraining several of your feats for mundane tricks like Blind Fighting, Step Up, and Lunge.

HTH.

[Draconi Redfir]

Maybe a level or two of brawler? Martial flexibility might open up some options for both the ECB and the harpoon.
Not sure if i'll hold onto the harpoon forever, but brawler does look interesting for the first couple of levels.

Are you allowed to take levels in a hybrid class if you already have levels in one of it's parent classes? thought i read that somewhere, but i'm unsure.




You did say Wis 8. :smalltongue:

eeyup. it's main thing is that it's a returning harpoon, but it's also got a wire that trails behind it and stays in her hand. So she's just been tugging on that tether to pull it back to her hand, not realizing she's being magically aided :P


I'd go for the Amateur Investigator feat (to become better at mundane skills),
As starved for skill points as i am, it sounds promising, unfortionately it requires an int of 13, which i don't have. and the Brawler ability only applies to combat feats.



Divine Defiance (resist spells because you don't believe in them),
Could be handy, will add that to the list of potential feats.


maybe go for Racial Adaptation: dwarf + Steel Soul (same principle), and aim for Smash From The Air (it will take a couple levels, but eventually you'll be able to parry spells with your sword).

Smash from the air would be fun, but i'm also trying to avoid power attack just to try and explore avenues i haven't used in other characters. i'm playing a hobgoblin and not a dwarf, so steel soul won't be doable unfortunately.



I recommend speccing for either melee combat or for (gun-based) ranged, but not both at the same time. I'd also recommend retraining several of your feats for mundane tricks like Blind Fighting, Step Up, and Lunge.

HTH.

Figure i'd be mainly sword-based, was only planning on taking at most 3 levels in gunslinger at best. so definitely not going both at the same time. just trying to keep things flexible, like a fighter having a bow and the like.

Don't think i'll retrain anything, but i'll add the feats to the list of future possibilities. thanks!

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Draconi Redfir
Are you allowed to take levels in a hybrid class if you already have levels in one of it's parent classes? thought i read that somewhere, but i'm unsure.

There isn’t an outright ban that I can see, just a note about redundant abilities. From the ACG, p. 8:

“While a character can multiclass with these parent classes, doing so usually results in redundant abilities. Such abilities don’t stack unless specified.”

In the case of the brawler, you’d still get martial flexibility at first level, as well as Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.

[Kurald Galain]

Are you allowed to take levels in a hybrid class if you already have levels in one of it's parent classes? thought i read that somewhere, but i'm unsure.
This limitation was in the playtest of that book, and taken out for the final version. So yes, you can.


Smash from the air would be fun, but i'm also trying to avoid power attack just to try and explore avenues i haven't used in other characters.
Nobody says you have to use power attack. You can just take it as a spare feat and ignore its function.

[Kapow]

How about some (2-4) levels of Barbarian?

The Superstitious Archetype and the Superstitious Rage Power (and its dependent powers) seem to match.

[Draconi Redfir]

How about some (2-4) levels of Barbarian?

The Superstitious Archetype and the Superstitious Rage Power (and its dependent powers) seem to match.

was really hoping to do that so i could go for the archetype that lets me one-hand a two-handed sword, but unfortunately i am lawful. so barring some in-game change, it's not an option :P

[El Dorado]

was really hoping to do that so i could go for the archetype that lets me one-hand a two-handed sword, but unfortunately i am lawful. so barring some in-game change, it's not an option :P

There's a third party feat (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/3rd-party-feats/kobold-press/combat-feats-3rd-party-kobold-press/lighten-weapon-combat/) that might help with one-handing a two-handed weapon. Otherwise, I think a couple levels of unchained rogue could be a nice boost (skill points, evasion, light armor compatible). You could even sink some points into Use Magic Device (unlocked by your character's experience wielding the harpoon, for example).

[Another Handle]

Maybe a level or two of brawler? Martial flexibility might open up some options for both the ECB and the harpoon.


Barroom Brawler (https://www.aonprd.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Barroom%20Brawler) followed by Abundant Tactics (https://www.aonprd.com/AdvWeaponTraining.aspx) is eventually more uses than a brawler dip.

[Maat Mons]

I'm going to suggest a Trench Fighter (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo-fighter-archetypes/trench-fighter) + Martial Master (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo-fighter-archetypes/martial-master) combo, with Piranha Strike (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/piranha-strike-combat/).

[Draconi Redfir]

There's a third party feat (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/3rd-party-feats/kobold-press/combat-feats-3rd-party-kobold-press/lighten-weapon-combat/) that might help with one-handing a two-handed weapon.
Nah, already asked about that one. third party stuff is almost entirely barred. Core only, minus some things like Mythic Adventures, Occult Adventures, Horror Adventures, Ultimate Wilderness and Technology Guide.


Otherwise, I think a couple levels of unchained rogue could be a nice boost (skill points, evasion, light armor compatible). You could even sink some points into Use Magic Device (unlocked by your character's experience wielding the harpoon, for example).

Don't think rogue would fit too well for me. Finesse training would reduce my attack since I've got a higher strength then dex. it's a "maybe" at best, but so far thinking brawler and gunslinger fit better.


Barroom Brawler (https://www.aonprd.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Barroom%20Brawler) followed by Abundant Tactics (https://www.aonprd.com/AdvWeaponTraining.aspx) is eventually more uses than a brawler dip.

Interesting... Brawler does provide some other fun toys with a two-level dip, like having a d6 punch and making my intelligence count as 13 for feats. But this is good to know in case i decide against those two levels.


I'm going to suggest a Trench Fighter (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo-fighter-archetypes/trench-fighter) + Martial Master (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter/archetypes/paizo-fighter-archetypes/martial-master) combo, with Piranha Strike (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/piranha-strike-combat/).

Don't think those'd fit for me unfortunately. Already looked into all the fighter archetypes, and none of them quite worked. Specifically wanted armour training since i knew my AC would be pretty low from just wearing leather. and almost every archetype gets rid of it in some form, Trench fighter included.

Pretty sure i can't adopt an archetype now since I'm already a 5th level base fighter.

[Kurald Galain]

Pretty sure i can't adopt an archetype now since I'm already a 5th level base fighter.

You can adopt any archetype that only modifies your future class abilities and not the abilities you already have.

...that's probably not a whole lot in this case, no. Unless retraining rules are in play, then you can switch to any archetype you like.

[Maat Mons]

The regular version of armor training isn't going to do you much good if you stick with leather armor. You bump up the max Dex bonus, which doesn't matter since the max Dex for leather is laready well in excess of your actual Dexterity bonus. You also decrease the armor check penalty, which doesn't matter because leather already has an armor check penalty of 0.

The Armor Specialization advanced armor master option would help. But even when it caps out at 12th level, you're still only brought leather up to the level of effectiveness of a breastplate.

If you're worried that most armors don't seem very piraty, maybe give some thought to the armored coat. It has a +4 AC bonus, can look like a stylish pirate coat, and can have an armor check penalty of 0 if you make the reinforcing plates out of mithral. In terms of armor that doesn't hinder your swimming, it's about as good as you're gonna get. Plus, you can don it as a move action.

[Draconi Redfir]

The regular version of armor training isn't going to do you much good if you stick with leather armor. You bump up the max Dex bonus, which doesn't matter since the max Dex for leather is laready well in excess of your actual Dexterity bonus. You also decrease the armor check penalty, which doesn't matter because leather already has an armor check penalty of 0.

The first level of armour training is useless yea, but it's mainly the advanced armour training I'm interested in. which can do things like increase AC, or increase the DC for enemies confirming crits against you.