Pathfinder Pathfinder: Kingmaker Builds and Strats Thread

[Desiderius]

OK so I understood the undead elf had a lot of good perks. And she can even touch herself with negative energy to heal herself.
Now, how do I make her into the main tank?
Do I just stick with Inquisitor or multi her into something else?
And I don't quite get the distinction between channel energy to heal undead and channel energy to damage living.
Why can't both effect be under a single action?

On another note... how do you guys use Harrim the boring cleric?

Good Clerics channel positive energy, which heals living and harms undead, Evil channels negative, which does opposite. Neutral can choose which one they prefer.

If you make Jaethal a Cleric she can heal herself spontaneously (transform any memorized spell into a healing spell for her) or use her negative channeling to heal which makes her much more convenient to deal with. Can also use her negative channel then to nuke groups of living things, like Swarms (she’s immune from their stat drain).

There’s a unique item that only she can use to boost her INT if you want to make her a Necromancer.

If you want to tank with her she can make a solid TSS, but straight up Inquisitor ends up being pretty damn good because everything snowballs in that class based on level. WIS to initiative might be the strongest ability in the game.

 

[RK47]

Lemme rewrite the question:

Why do I have to pick between channeling to heal undead and damage living creatures?
Why can't I just have Jaethal do both in one channeling, thereby damaging creatures around her and heal herself?

 

[Efe]

you already do that.
shes damaging living and healing herself (and other undead) at same time.

you dont choose shit because shes evil and can only channel negative.

 

[axedice]

New playthrough with with TB this time. I'd like to try some kits haven't seen before, so party may include:

1) Vital Strike Sword Saint Going the Haplo way has been something I wanted to try, so this will be the main.

2) Fauchard Tripper custom npc. I assume they would work well together? Or is it overkill maybe?
3) Freebooter / barb , amiri perhaps? I'm torn on progression though. Greater beast totem for pounce first or freebooter bonuses first Desiderius ?

Are there too many frontliners with this setup? All those yuuge AoO's from trip seem like they'd do well together.

4) Scroll wizard as a swiss knife. Regardsless of the last two companions, party will always have the proper counters.

Rest can fluctuate based on companion quests etc. but I'll definetly go with feyspeaker Val. And try to tank with pure inq jaethal instead of TSS dips.

 

[Joseph Stalin]

OK so I understood the undead elf had a lot of good perks. And she can even touch herself with negative energy to heal herself.
Now, how do I make her into the main tank?
Do I just stick with Inquisitor or multi her into something else?
And I don't quite get the distinction between channel energy to heal undead and channel energy to damage living.
Why can't both effect be under a single action?

On another note... how do you guys use Harrim the boring cleric?

I have a Jaethal build on my Steam page

What's the "Lonely Barrow trick" you mention in your guide?

 

[Yosharian]

OK so I understood the undead elf had a lot of good perks. And she can even touch herself with negative energy to heal herself.
Now, how do I make her into the main tank?
Do I just stick with Inquisitor or multi her into something else?
And I don't quite get the distinction between channel energy to heal undead and channel energy to damage living.
Why can't both effect be under a single action?

On another note... how do you guys use Harrim the boring cleric?

I have a Jaethal build on my Steam page

What's the "Lonely Barrow trick" you mention in your guide?

Spoiler

You use the spell Dimension Door to teleport into and out of the area without unlocking the door, you also use Stealth and Trickery to obtain the items without alerting the enemies here. You can only obtain the items from the chest, the lich (I think he's a lich) is carrying some items too so you can't get those until you deal with him.

 

[Yosharian]

Lemme rewrite the question:

Why do I have to pick between channeling to heal undead and damage living creatures?
Why can't I just have Jaethal do both in one channeling, thereby damaging creatures around her and heal herself?

Because the implementation of Channel Energy in this game is fucking dumb

 

[oldmanpaco]

Lemme rewrite the question:

Why do I have to pick between channeling to heal undead and damage living creatures?
Why can't I just have Jaethal do both in one channeling, thereby damaging creatures around her and heal herself?

Because the implementation of Channel Energy in this game is fucking dumb

How is it done on table top? Can you choose each time you channel?

 

[LannTheStupid]

How is it done on table top? Can you choose each time you channel?

A good cleric (or a neutral cleric who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures. An evil cleric (or a neutral cleric who worships an evil deity) channels negative energy and can choose to deal damage to living creatures or to heal undead creatures.

From Channel Energy (Su).

So by the rules an evil cleric cannot heal himself and damage living in one Channel Energy.

 

[Desiderius]

New playthrough with with TB this time. I'd like to try some kits haven't seen before, so party may include:

1) Vital Strike Sword Saint Going the Haplo way has been something I wanted to try, so this will be the main.

2) Fauchard Tripper custom npc. I assume they would work well together? Or is it overkill maybe?
3) Freebooter / barb , amiri perhaps? I'm torn on progression though. Greater beast totem for pounce first or freebooter bonuses first Desiderius ?

Are there too many frontliners with this setup? All those yuuge AoO's from trip seem like they'd do well together.

4) Scroll wizard as a swiss knife. Regardsless of the last two companions, party will always have the proper counters.

Rest can fluctuate based on companion quests etc. but I'll definetly go with feyspeaker Val. And try to tank with pure inq jaethal instead of TSS dips.

Freebooter 4 is the big thing, but 5 and 6 are very nice too. I usually get Barb2 after Booter6 for the Uncanny Dodge then up to Booter 10 for the last Combat Style feat, the +3/+3 Bane, and the third level spell.

 

[Yosharian]

Lemme rewrite the question:

Why do I have to pick between channeling to heal undead and damage living creatures?
Why can't I just have Jaethal do both in one channeling, thereby damaging creatures around her and heal herself?

Because the implementation of Channel Energy in this game is fucking dumb

How is it done on table top? Can you choose each time you channel?

You simply channel positive or negative energy, and creatures are affected depending on whether or not they are Undead.

 

[NJClaw]

Lemme rewrite the question:

Why do I have to pick between channeling to heal undead and damage living creatures?
Why can't I just have Jaethal do both in one channeling, thereby damaging creatures around her and heal herself?

Because the implementation of Channel Energy in this game is fucking dumb

How is it done on table top? Can you choose each time you channel?

You simply channel positive or negative energy, and creatures are affected depending on whether or not they are Undead.

Regardless of alignment, any cleric can release a wave of energy by channeling the power of her faith through her holy (or unholy) symbol. This energy can be used to cause or heal damage, depending on the type of energy channeled and the creatures targeted.

A good cleric (or a neutral cleric who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures. An evil cleric (or a neutral cleric who worships an evil deity) channels negative energy and can choose to deal damage to living creatures or to heal undead creatures. A neutral cleric of a neutral deity (or one who is not devoted to a particular deity) must choose whether she channels positive or negative energy. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed. This decision also determines whether the cleric can cast spontaneous cure or inflict spells (see spontaneous casting).

Channeling energy causes a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the cleric. The amount of damage dealt or healed is equal to 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage for every two cleric levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the cleric’s level + the cleric’s Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by channel energy cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost. A cleric may channel energy a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A cleric can choose whether or not to include herself in this effect.

A cleric must be able to present her holy symbol to use this ability.

 

[Yosharian]

Oh. My bad. I read it wrong. Well, I don't like that. I don't think it makes sense for a Cleric to release a burst of positive energy and it doesn't even affect Undead around her.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Melee Cleric w/ reach vs Ecclesitheurge w/ Longbow? Which is better and why?

 

[RK47]

Better at what?

TBH if you run Cleric you have to have the STR to wear armor + shield at least.
But if you are Ecclesitheurge you don't even have armor. Better to just cast spells than firing longbows IMO.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Better at what?

TBH if you run Cleric you have to have the STR to wear armor + shield at least.
But if you are Ecclesitheurge you don't even have armor. Better to just cast spells than firing longbows IMO.

Better at life of course.

Anyway IDK. You are not going to cast spells every round so... Suppose it depends on your party and someone has to use the troll killing bow.

 

[RK47]

Better at what?

TBH if you run Cleric you have to have the STR to wear armor + shield at least.
But if you are Ecclesitheurge you don't even have armor. Better to just cast spells than firing longbows IMO.

Better at life of course.

Anyway IDK. You are not going to cast spells every round so... Suppose it depends on your party and someone has to use the troll killing bow.

Tristian can just go around giving this buff to your heavy hitter:

Blessing of the Faithful (Su) As a standard action, the ecclesitheurge can bless one ally within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels). A blessed ally gains a +2 sacred or profane bonus (depending on whether the ecclesitheurge channels positive or negative energy) on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, or saving throws or to AC until the ecclesitheurge's next turn. The ecclesitheurge can expend 1 use of channel energy when activating this ability to increase the duration to a number of rounds equal to the number of dice of his channel energy.

Since it's a sacred bonus it stacks to everything else, so it's a really good standard action IMO.
It's a really amazing buff that made Tristian physically attacking anyone at low level seem not worthwhile.

 

[Delterius]

I wish Tristian could auto cast his ranged bless thing.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Yeah I did a stock npc run already. Going for a merc run for unfair (while still doing the companion quests of course).

fake edit: Cannot imagine Amari getting the good ending on unfair. Unless there is some exploit she is going to get massacred by Armag.

 

[Desiderius]

Better at what?

TBH if you run Cleric you have to have the STR to wear armor + shield at least.
But if you are Ecclesitheurge you don't even have armor. Better to just cast spells than firing longbows IMO.

Can do both, but then you're out of range of your Archon's Aura.

 

[Desiderius]

Yeah I did a stock npc run already. Going for a merc run for unfair (while still doing the companion quests of course).

fake edit: Cannot imagine Amari getting the good ending on unfair. Unless there is some exploit she is going to get massacred by Armag.

(a) mercs suck

(b) Hap and I both beat Armag on Unfair. Just need Image + Displacement and/or pet.

 

[Desiderius]

a really amazing buff that made Tristian physically attacking anyone at low level seem not worthwhile.

You can do better, but it is also better than it looks if used strategically on a pure caster build where you use all feats to beat saves and resistances. Autocast wouldn't do much.

Here he's casting Prayer while getting random AoOs in with Serpent Prince's reach:

 

[Desiderius]

Early on just use Harrim since he gets +4 AC vs Trolls.

 

[Haplo]

Yeah I did a stock npc run already. Going for a merc run for unfair (while still doing the companion quests of course).

fake edit: Cannot imagine Amari getting the good ending on unfair. Unless there is some exploit she is going to get massacred by Armag.

(a) mercs suck

(b) Hap and I both beat Armag on Unfair. Just need Image + Displacement and/or pet.

To be honest, I don't think I did. Then again, my buffed Amiri absolutely butchered him on Hard, without him landing even 1 hit on her (seriously, even when she was cutscene paralyzed, he still missed his 4-5 swings at her), so it can't be that difficult...

1. Learn some UMD (like 8-10 points)
2. Have a stash of scrolls. At least 1 Mirror Image would be very helpful (so visit the scroll merchant for that, as I think its pretty rare otherwise). Plus Displacement/Imp. Invisibility. And Haste. I think I buffed her to the teeth with most scrolls I had, including Angelic Aspect.
3. Profit.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Can do both, but then you're out of range of your Archon's Aura.

Now I remember (played a while ago) that was the reason I was thinking going melee. Last time I had Tristan using a bow and had to movie him in so AA would get everyone.

To be honest, I don't think I did. Then again, my buffed Amiri absolutely butchered him on Hard, without him landing even 1 hit on her (seriously, even when she was cutscene paralyzed, he still missed his 4-5 swings at her), so it can't be that difficult...

1. Learn some UMD (like 8-10 points)
2. Have a stash of scrolls. At least 1 Mirror Image would be very helpful (so visit the scroll merchant for that, as I think its pretty rare otherwise). Plus Displacement/Imp. Invisibility. And Haste. I think I buffed her to the teeth with most scrolls I had, including Angelic Aspect.
3. Profit.

Yeah I don't think I ever saw a MI scroll last time I played. Probably missed it from the merchant list.

(a) mercs suck

Not if you up their point buy to equal a PC.

I suppose using a respc mod on the regular NPCs would have the same effect though.