Pathfinder Pathfinder: Kingmaker Builds and Strats Thread

[Lawntoilet]

I see a lot of people mentioning Cornugon Smash for damage dealers to debuff a little. It sounds good, assuming that most enemies aren't immune to those effects.

What would be a recommended combat ability for a tank? I've never made a character that went the defender prestige class route and it seems like you'd want something for them to do in addition to being sturdy. (ie. Trip, Grapple, Taunt, etc.)

Improved Bull Rush is good because it provokes AoOs. Sunder Armor is decent for when you actually fight armored enemies but that's not that common so far.

I gave Cornugon Smash to Valerie and it doesn't seem like there are a ton of immune enemies. It's been quite good so far.

Any reason to avoid trip?

Oh I misread that, Trip is quite good actually. You can sort of get it with Amiri if you take the Rage power that gives her a bite attack and then have her wear the Winter Wolf cloak.

 

[Haplo]

I wonder about using an Alchemist with Feral Mutagen with the cloak. Does anyone know if the trip triggered by the cloak will use all your feat bonuses (Greater Trip, Fury's Fall, Tandem Trip)?

Kinda sucks that you need to basically hug an enemy in order to bite him (makes sense, but doesn't work that well with an enlarged polearm cleave user).
Although I guess you could make some sacrifices when there's an enemy you actually want to trip a lot.

 

[Haplo]

So about Feral Mutagen being a bad idea due to mundane damage....
I'm in Chapter 1 and found an amulat which provides a +1 enchantment to unarmed and natural attacks...

I'm more and more tempted to go this way... particularly having read about the cloak that provides free trips on bite attack.

 

[aweigh]

You can dual-wield shields in elminage. It's also a really good loadout for caster-types in the post-game of elminage: gothic but you gotta get creative with the enchantment ores and cursed shields in order to find two good ones that you can un-curse and enchant for the character's class and race usage.

 

[Yosharian]

I've always wanted to have a character in a game like this that used two shields. Does anyone know if the armor bonuses from two shields would stack? I feel like they should, but wouldn't.

Never mind, you can't even equip two bucklers.

So in PnP Pathfinder you can definitely dual-wield shields, you only get to apply the one of the shields' Shield AC bonuses though. You also need some feats like Shield Master to really do it properly.

 

[Yosharian]

I decided to ditch my Invulnerable Rager build in favour of an Eldritch Knight. Casters are simply better than everyone else. Will update the builds page soon if anyone is curious.

 

[Cael]

You can dual-wield shields in elminage. It's also a really good loadout for caster-types in the post-game of elminage: gothic but you gotta get creative with the enchantment ores and cursed shields in order to find two good ones that you can un-curse and enchant for the character's class and race usage.

Before it was clarified, a large spiked shield with the bashing enchantment was thought to do 2d6 damage (1d6 spiked large shield + 2 size up for bashing enchantment = 2d6). Using 2 large spiked shields in TWF with improved shield bash was a viable build.

Then they changed/clarified that the bashing enchantment could only work with the basic shield and not spiked shield. The excuse was that shield spikes was considered a different part of the shield...

 

[Gregz]

I decided to ditch my Invulnerable Rager build in favour of an Eldritch Knight. Casters are simply better than everyone else. Will update the builds page soon if anyone is curious.

I've read the exact opposite of this on Steam. One guy was so pissed at how high saving throws were inflated that he said he quit the game, because casters were outmatched by martial classes.

 

[Yosharian]

I decided to ditch my Invulnerable Rager build in favour of an Eldritch Knight. Casters are simply better than everyone else. Will update the builds page soon if anyone is curious.

I've read the exact opposite of this on Steam. One guy was so pissed at how high saving throws were inflated that he said he quit the game, because casters were outmatched by martial classes.

1) If you're playing on anything higher than core rules, then yes. Solution: don't play with inflated saving throws. It doesn't make any sense to build around save-or-suck and then turn up enemy saving throws... and then complain that your save-or-sucks aren't working.

2) When the caster class has access to a million buffs that make him better than the martial class anyway, the point is moot.

 

[Yosharian]

Ok, new build is up. Will add an overview section later. Need to decide on one more feat, too.

Getting ridiculous with all the Paladins now, lmao

 

[Cael]

Ok, new build is up. Will add an overview section later. Need to decide on one more feat, too.

Getting ridiculous with all the Paladins now, lmao

 

[Shadenuat]

What do you make of this Linzi build? https://fextralife.com/pathfinder-kingmaker-builds-linzi-the-bard/

Just turn her into Sylvan sorc, she is a girl and girls like their cats, so give her a cute cat
Mage Armor, Hurricane Arrow & Sense Vitals, Magic Missile with Maximize Magic Wand, Empower Magic Wand, Spell focus Enchant x2, Spell Focus Conjuration, Augment Summoning > +1 Summon per Die; Enchanter's Cape, Maya's Charm, Trickster Armor/Mage Robe +5
Buff fuck out of your pet, summon meatwalls and hard CC everything (never forget Color Spray).

Ok, new build is up

The Scion looks interesting for Valerie.

Fighter 1 > Scion (Gold Dragon for larp), Shield, True Strike, Acid Touch (lot more handy due to enemy resists in this game, golems trolls etc.), level until you can wear medium armor without penalty for Mithral Breastplate +2, Extended spells: Shield, etc.
Dump her shield, grab Bastard Sword in right hand > Flaming bastard +1, cast Shield, buff her CHA, grab magus feats +CHA to attack & ignore enemy DEX, Enlarge, Bull strength, Dragon gives you Natural armor so no real need for Vivisectionist. High CHA also means moar UMD and stuff like Wand of Lead Blades (sadly I think you can't recharge it).

At about levels 12-15 (sadly late game yes) you suddenly get

Spoiler

monk robes +5 - at least 1 good, 1 evil and I THINK there is Lawful one (if not, just wear armor), that is the point you might want to grab 1 level monk, dump armor, put on yourself +6 to cha/wis band and monk robe.

Alternatively if you hate micro and clicking on stuff, somewhere at that point you get +5 two-handed weapon

Spoiler

Shelyn's Petal, which is I think fauchard or glaive +5, +2d6 sonic damage and axiomatic or some such

so might just press your awesome magus buttons, Haste and hit stuff.

I am beginning to slide into "just give them all arcane spells/turn into sorcerers" mentality, huh.

You can also turn Linzi into BARBARIAN

Spoiler

I mean, she has enough DEX for TWF & Finesse right and there are enough Agile weapons in game to use.

 

[Yosharian]

I am beginning to slide into "just give them all arcane spells/turn into sorcerers" mentality, huh.

Innit, every single one of my party is a caster now

 

[vazha]

Same here and I'm finding dipping into a lvl of vivisectionist for each melee person rather tempting. Sneak Glaiving FTW

 

[J1M]

Same here and I'm finding dipping into a lvl of vivisectionist for each melee person rather tempting. Sneak Glaiving FTW

Why wouldn't you take a second level to increase mutagen duration and pick up the combat feat?

 

[Shadenuat]

I feel like vivi dip is 50/50. It's supah early game, but long term I prefer extra spell level/bab level probably. Probably depends on the build. I am not going dipping my Scion Valerie into it for example since I have other milestones to achieve.

 

[Haplo]

Well with 2 levels you can also get feral mutagen. The 3 full bonus attacks are great early and the bite will be useful troughout, I imagine. Particularly with the free trip on bite cloak, I guess.

 

[vazha]

Well with 2 levels you can also get feral mutagen. The 3 full bonus attacks are great early and the bite will be useful troughout, I imagine. Particularly with the free trip on bite cloak, I guess.

Is there any use to feral mutagen if you don't fight unarmed? Also cann't understand how the bite thing works - does it replace one of my attacks or is it a free bonus attack for which I should be hugging the enemy, which I, as a reach glass cannon, would rather not do?

 

[Shadenuat]

Bite is free bonus attack

Alchemist is far from glass cannon, you can make dem tanky too

 

[Haplo]

Well early on its better then any weapon: 3 attacks per round instead of just 1. At least 2 of them at full bonus too (regular iterative attacks are at - 5/-10 and so on). Bite is unlisted in the GUI, but it's there (if you hug an enemy). It works with equipped weapons too, but it's a secondary attack at - 5.
I guess it's not as great for a reach oriented char, but would still be useful when you focus someone (like a caster). Particularly with the free trip, I suppose.

 

[TT1]

Any good magus archer build?

 

[Elex]

I decided to ditch my Invulnerable Rager build in favour of an Eldritch Knight. Casters are simply better than everyone else. Will update the builds page soon if anyone is curious.

I've read the exact opposite of this on Steam. One guy was so pissed at how high saving throws were inflated that he said he quit the game, because casters were outmatched by martial classes.

keyword: steam

in difficulty where saves are inflated AC is inflated too.

that mean caster are still better: casters have powerfull buffs and some spell don’t allow save or can ignore armor class.

 

[Yosharian]

Any good magus archer build?

Check my sig.

 

[Raghar]

Since there seems to be no love for the inquisitor, I went for this which, I think, is close to what I used in the beta.

Any thoughts? Am I setting up myself for some glorious butthurt?

Well, you get some decent one as fourth party member.

 

[vazha]

Alchemist is far from glass cannon, you can make dem tanky too

Well... I went for 7 con build. I know. I know.