Pathfinder Pathfinder: Kingmaker Builds and Strats Thread

[Yosharian]

Agile Rapier should be finessable. Not sure about stacking these two for 2x damage, though...

 

[oldmanpaco]

Why are there patches released twice a week for this game? Is it still that buggy?

 

[Haplo]

Agile Rapier should be finessable. Not sure about stacking these two for 2x damage, though...

Yes, the game likes throwing those at you. The sidekick of the boss of the first chapter uses one and immediately at the start of Chapter 2 you can buy a +2 version.

 

[Shadenuat]

and even with low amount of scrolls

Are they really that limited? I like my archmages pokemon style: gotta have 'em all; a wizard with limited spell selection just doesn't feel like one. And I even found a nice necromancer portrait.

Learn level 1-3 scrolls
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>
>>...

buy 9 level and learn 9 level scrolls.

exceptions exist but this is how it goes more or less.

 

[Haplo]

Agile Rapier should be finessable. Not sure about stacking these two for 2x damage, though...

I see three ways of adding Dex to damage: Slashing/Fencing grace, Agile weapons or Rogue 3. I wonder which is the optimum option. Also, Sword saints get too few spells per rest. It is sad. Eldritch Scion is too powerful with a dex2dam build I think compared. What is going on for Sword Saints is the free weapon focus.

And Int to AC (they have the potential to be best tanks). And the Critical feats. And the initiative.

 

[ArchAngel]

and even with low amount of scrolls

Are they really that limited? I like my archmages pokemon style: gotta have 'em all; a wizard with limited spell selection just doesn't feel like one. And I even found a nice necromancer portrait.

Learn level 1-3 scrolls
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>
>>...

buy 9 level and learn 9 level scrolls.

exceptions exist but this is how it goes more or less.

In ToEE when I had two wizards I would pick completely different spells, then scribe scrolls and exchange them between them. But this game does not have even that. We could do this trick with Octavia.

 

[Haplo]

Agile Rapier should be finessable. Not sure about stacking these two for 2x damage, though...

I see three ways of adding Dex to damage: Slashing/Fencing grace, Agile weapons or Rogue 3. I wonder which is the optimum option. Also, Sword saints get too few spells per rest. It is sad. Eldritch Scion is too powerful with a dex2dam build I think compared. What is going on for Sword Saints is the free weapon focus.

And Int to AC (they have the potential to be best tanks). And the Critical feats. And the initiative.

Remember that this is at the cost of losing the Armour. If there are great armours in the game then it is not the best way. Also, all this costs a lot of feats and loses some magic flexibility in the way.

That doesn't stop him from being a top AC character - if you decide to build him this way. Sure, it costs a lot.

 

[hell bovine]

and even with low amount of scrolls

Are they really that limited? I like my archmages pokemon style: gotta have 'em all; a wizard with limited spell selection just doesn't feel like one. And I even found a nice necromancer portrait.

Learn level 1-3 scrolls
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>
>>...

buy 9 level and learn 9 level scrolls.

exceptions exist but this is how it goes more or less.

All it would take is adding one arcane merchant to your barony. Less blood, more merchants dlc!

 

[ArchAngel]

and even with low amount of scrolls

Are they really that limited? I like my archmages pokemon style: gotta have 'em all; a wizard with limited spell selection just doesn't feel like one. And I even found a nice necromancer portrait.

Learn level 1-3 scrolls
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>
>>...

buy 9 level and learn 9 level scrolls.

exceptions exist but this is how it goes more or less.

All it would take is adding one arcane merchant to your barony. Less blood, more merchants dlc!

Who knows, we might get one by the time game releases.

 

[Haplo]

That doesn't stop him from being a top AC character - if you decide to build him this way. Sure, it costs a lot.

true. But the Scion also gets +5 to natural armour, a bonus that will stack with everything when patches fix the bugs. To add to that a dip into the scaled fist will pile on top Cha to AC as well.

I think it's rather less then that. If you pick Draconic Bloodline +4 max I think, if they follow Pathfinder rules. And at level 15 at that, which is apparently almost end-game territory. Before that its a measly +2.
I think it may be even capped at +3 in Kingmaker. A Sword Saint gets way more (like +6-9, depending on Int score).

And you keep ignoring the critical and initiative abilities, which seem pretty cool also.

 

[Shadenuat]

and even with low amount of scrolls

Are they really that limited? I like my archmages pokemon style: gotta have 'em all; a wizard with limited spell selection just doesn't feel like one. And I even found a nice necromancer portrait.

Learn level 1-3 scrolls
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>
>>...

buy 9 level and learn 9 level scrolls.

exceptions exist but this is how it goes more or less.

All it would take is adding one arcane merchant to your barony. Less blood, more merchants dlc!

Who knows, we might get one by the time game releases.

Well there is that Irlene Artisan but you know them bugged lazy shits

 

[Zero Credibility]

I think vanilla magus is better than scion or saint, at least when it comes to spells. Vanilla magus has spell recall.

 

[Lawntoilet]

A question about Slashing grace. How does it interact with Agile weapons?

Overlaps? Unless you dual-wield, then slashing grace should be off.

Hmm. I am planning a sword saint build and need to choose a weapon. Is there a finessable weapon in the game that is agile?

There are a whole bunch of rapiers (as mentioned), a few daggers, at least 2 dueling swords (one of which is the best endgame Agile weapon as far as I've seen), and at least 1 (but probably more) estoc that are Agile. The earliest Agile weapon you'll be able to find is the light pick at Old Sycamore.

 

[Zero Credibility]

Agile weapon is not really a necessity, unlike in the P&P, Slashing & Fencing Grace work for a magus here.

 

[Lawntoilet]

Agile weapon is not really a necessity, unlike in the P&P, Slashing & Fencing Grace work for a magus here.

Yeah. The question is which is better.

There are really good scimitars, so Slashing Grace (Scimitar) is definitely strong for a Magus. However, there are enough good Agile weapons (mostly rapiers, but also that awesome endgame dueling sword) that this probably equally viable.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

For the record that whole stuff with AT not adding their levels to damage dice of spells is not true, at least not for all spells, in my game Octavia does add her W and AT lvls for damage spells like fireball for instance. It doesn't work with her Telekinetic Fist though, there apparently only her W levels count.

 

[ga♥]

So, considering the high enemy encounter rate and all the reasons to not rest often, is a full caster even worth it? I'm rolling with an Enchanter and I'm pretty much just loading up on wands, spells are way too valuable.

My Necromancer does well in my run. For some combats I just pew pew with a cantrip and let the fighters deal with stuff but when times comes to shine my character can do stuff others cannot.
Also game does not have a full sorcerer, wizard or druid companion so it is useful to be one of those.

I am in chap IV, at lvl12. I have a conjurer as main char plus Octavia. Tbqh it feels like Octavia is pretty much enough, and probably earlier I would have suffered less if instead of Octavia (or my main char) had Black Man Archer.
Magic is usefull, but that's it. Just useful, not central like in BG2.
I am keeping Octavia mostly for the trickery atm.

I have no idea if things change later on, but I suspect they won't.

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

Agile weapon is not really a necessity, unlike in the P&P, Slashing & Fencing Grace work for a magus here.

Yeah. The question is which is better.

Depends on the magus. If you're playing a sword saint you need fencing/slashing grace at level 1 or else you'll be gimped for nearly the whole first chapter.

If you're playing a normal magus or an eldritch scion, there is no good answer because you'll have moments where you feel like an idiot either way. I took fencing grace for estoc (not a great idea since there aren't that many of them) and I kick myself every time I find an agile weapon. On the other hand, if I hadn't taken fencing grace, I'd be kicking myself every time I found a cool non-agile rapier or estoc or scimitar. FOMO is inexorable.

 

[panda]

Octavia becomes really strong when she gets AT lvl 10.

 

[sebas]

I have no idea if things change later on, but I suspect they won't.

Yeah, I'm just going to start over with some sort of Magus build. There's just way too much meat for the grinder to put up with dragging a wander around just for some help in hard fights. If only you could scribe scrolls. Or at least find more of them. Hell, I'd even go Scroll Savant then.

Anyway, back to the drawing board for a new build.

 

[Elex]

All it would take is adding one arcane merchant to your barony. Less blood, more merchants dlc!

maybe the scrolls are only bugged.
scrolls are not the only strange lacking items, many weapons barely appear in the game, at some point you find a javelin +2 later a dart +5 some weapon appear barely one time in the looots/merchants.

game have toons of weapon but 90% are focus feat traps.
game need real crafting.

 

[ArchAngel]

Octavia becomes really strong when she gets AT lvl 10.

AT is broken at the moment. Take PC via the Eldritch archer, Rogue/Vivi -> AT path and do ridiculous damage.

It doesn't work with her Telekinetic Fist though, there apparently only her W levels count.

That is in fact the correct implementation.

Agile weapon is not really a necessity, unlike in the P&P, Slashing & Fencing Grace work for a magus here.

Yeah. The question is which is better.

Depends on the magus. If you're playing a sword saint you need fencing/slashing grace at level 1 or else you'll be gimped for nearly the whole first chapter.

If you're playing a normal magus or an eldritch scion, there is no good answer because you'll have moments where you feel like an idiot either way. I took fencing grace for estoc (not a great idea since there aren't that many of them) and I kick myself every time I find an agile weapon. On the other hand, if I hadn't taken fencing grace, I'd be kicking myself every time I found a cool non-agile rapier or estoc or scimitar. FOMO is inexorable.

This means the correct answer is Slashing grace. good. thanks.

Better to make a fire bloodline sorcerer and then sneak attack with Scorching Rays and later with Hellfire rays.

 

[Haplo]

Agile weapon is not really a necessity, unlike in the P&P, Slashing & Fencing Grace work for a magus here.

Yeah. The question is which is better.

There are really good scimitars, so Slashing Grace (Scimitar) is definitely strong for a Magus. However, there are enough good Agile weapons (mostly rapiers, but also that awesome endgame dueling sword) that this probably equally viable.

But Scimitars are supposed to not be finessable, right?

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

Agile weapon is not really a necessity, unlike in the P&P, Slashing & Fencing Grace work for a magus here.

Yeah. The question is which is better.

There are really good scimitars, so Slashing Grace (Scimitar) is definitely strong for a Magus. However, there are enough good Agile weapons (mostly rapiers, but also that awesome endgame dueling sword) that this probably equally viable.

But Scimitars are supposed to not be finessable, right?

in p&p, the dervish dance feat makes them finessable. they don't have dervish dance in this game, though, so it got folded into slashing grace. weapon finesse --> weapon focus scimitar --> slashing grace scimitar and you get DEX to both attack and damage.

 

[Yosharian]

Weapon Finesse, Slashing Grace, etc: this whole line of thinking is really a trap. You gain at the most 1-2 points of AC/to-hit/damage over just going strength instead.

And you lose:

• feats that you could spend on other things
• the ability to pick and choose among whatever weapons you have, and adapt your weapon according to your enemy (e.g. use a construct bane weapon whenever you're fighting constructs
• carrying capacity