Pathfinder Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition - now with turn-based combat

[Yosharian]

Look I'm very tired right now

 

[Grunker]

it's odd that a crit would be resolved that way though

It’s not. It’s fun to roll dice, more dice go more brrrrrr

 

[Serus]

Horse is unique - it starts Large, so classes built around Mounted Combat could ride it from lvl 1, and does not grow one step bigger at lvl 4, when it gets stat increases like all pets.
I think biggest mechanical point of this guide - looking at the size, like Small/Medium/Large, or even at pet model could be misleading, it is all about the size of the green selection circle. So even if numbers themselves could turn out not to be applicable to Kingmaker, it has solid idea about what you should look at to compare them properly.

If you ask me the whole thing is nonsensical. People able to ride on wolfs or dogs - and not just halflings but adult men. And horses being of the size category said dogs. Have the devs even saw a horse in real life? Again, it might be p&p rules but if dogs or wolves are of the size of horses then they are not dogs/wolves anymore but some other, dog/wolf-like, entities. It's fantasy, call them Hot Dogs or whatever. But they are fantastic creatures.

*this should be in WotR thread, oh well.

 

[Desiderius]

Horse is unique - it starts Large, so classes built around Mounted Combat could ride it from lvl 1, and does not grow one step bigger at lvl 4, when it gets stat increases like all pets.
I think biggest mechanical point of this guide - looking at the size, like Small/Medium/Large, or even at pet model could be misleading, it is all about the size of the green selection circle. So even if numbers themselves could turn out not to be applicable to Kingmaker, it has solid idea about what you should look at to compare them properly.

If you ask me the whole thing is nonsensical. People able to ride on wolfs or dogs - and not just halflings but adult men. And horses being of the size category said dogs. Have the devs even saw a horse in real life? Again, it might be p&p rules but if dogs or wolves are of the size of horses then they are not dogs/wolves anymore but some other, dog/wolf-like, entities. It's fantasy, call them Hot Dogs or whatever. But they are fantastic creatures.

*this should be in WotR thread, oh well.

Wargs

 

[FriendlyMerchant]

I just made this pact wizard.

Spoiler

Spoiler

For fun.

 

[Average Manatee]

Anyone know what the effects of improved blind fight are without having blind fight? I don't trust the devs to have fully duplicated the effects from blind fight onto the improved version. Also normal blind fight says it gives immunity to gaze attacks but the improved one doesn't.

 

[Serus]

Anyone know what the effects of improved blind fight are without having blind fight? I don't trust the devs to have fully duplicated the effects from blind fight onto the improved version. Also normal blind fight says it gives immunity to gaze attacks but the improved one doesn't.

 

[Sarathiour]

Anyone know what the effects of improved blind fight are without having blind fight? I don't trust the devs to have fully duplicated the effects from blind fight onto the improved version. Also normal blind fight says it gives immunity to gaze attacks but the improved one doesn't.

If it helps, I tested skipping chain of feat whith dragon feat in wotr, you end up with nothing working.

 

[Yosharian]

Anyone know what the effects of improved blind fight are without having blind fight? I don't trust the devs to have fully duplicated the effects from blind fight onto the improved version. Also normal blind fight says it gives immunity to gaze attacks but the improved one doesn't.

Spawn a Wild Hunt Monarch using Bag of Tricks and see if you can ignore his Wild Gaze

 

[Average Manatee]

Spawn a Wild Hunt Monarch using Bag of Tricks and see if you can ignore his Wild Gaze

Nope.

 

[Average Manatee]

Is there anything that explains how Casting Defensively actually fucking works?

From what I can tell, there's no check at all for casting spells in melee. There is a check for using attack spells like Acid Splash in melee, which provokes an attack of opportunity even when it succeeds. My guess is that the AoO is for using a ranged attack in melee and the casting defensively check is actually broken and should be called a concentration check. Though, it works like a casting defensively check in that the DC is = 15 + spell level, rather than caring about the amount of damage you take in the AoO (and you make the casting defensively check even if you aren't hit). What the fuck is up? Is combat casting completely worthless?

EDIT: Although Harrim using touch of chaos did make a casting defensively check, did provoke an AoO when he failed and did not provoke an AoO when he succeeded. Yet my sorcerer can cast glitterdust all day next to the same enemy with nary a cast defensively or AoO. And Harrim doesn't get them when casting other spells.

EDIT2: Oh, I guess it makes sense then. Normal spells = never provoke AoOs and never get a cast defensively check for some reason. Ranged touch attacks = always provoke AoOs because its counted as a ranged attack (maybe point blank master would let you avoid that?) and have a fake casting defensively check that does nothing, melee touch attacks = actually work as all spells should, having a cast defensively check that allows you to avoid provoking an AoO if you succeed.

 

[The_Mask]

I'll be completely honest, other than Regongar, I just use a "reach" weapon, so I don't have to deal with that crap. And even with Reg, I always have him big or any plus size, so he gains reach, so I won't have to deal with that crap.
And I don't cast in melee unless I absolutely have to, and then I just pray to God that whatever Russian math P:K has won't get me bonked.

 

[Average Manatee]

Don't worry, it seems casting in melee is just fine unless using attack spells. And Regongar is probably fine by mid level, the check is DC 15 + spell level x 2 (so Vamp touch would be DC 21). But your concentration is d20 + caster level + casting modifier, so Regongar with a +6 charisma headband (therefor +6 cha modifier) would only need to be level 14 to have 100% chance of casting defensively successfully. Combat casting would reduce that to level 10. At least, assuming everything in my test actually holds out during gameplay. I tested both in turn based and RTwP and it seemed to be as I stated.

Also good to know that Harrim using Touch of Chaos is pretty safe while doing so. You know, aside from the danger of having Harrim in melee.

EDIT: What's funny is that Eldritch Scion at level 20 gets the ability to avoid casting defensively checks entirely while using spell combat. But a level 20 eldritch scion already have 24 base concentration + casting modifier, and the max DC you could have for casting a level 6 spell is 27. You need 16 Charisma to cast a level 6 spell in the first place, so... you already have 27 concentration and can't fail that casting defensively check. This isn't even a problem with Kingmaker's implementation of Pathfinder rules as far as I can tell, Pathfinder PnP designers just didn't do the math themselves.

 

[Desiderius]

If you just play Harrim against (Zombie) Giants and Trolls (where he gets +4 AC) there’s little danger in melee.

It’s what he’s for, especially ToC vs bosses. Best tank in the game for Trobold and VTomb.

If the guy in Heavy Armor and Shield is having trouble staying alive you may have missed a thing or two.

Here you can see in the first pic the importance of boosting Harrim's initiative so that he can establish Fighting Defensively and Touch of Chaos (makes the target re-roll all Saves and Attax), in the second how the Touch Attack of Touch of Chaos is important to overcome the malus from Fighting Defensively, in the third the value of Fighting Defensively and the AC bonus vs Giants for tanking in VTomb, and in the last how making him a Necromancer lets him attack Will Saves against Giants and Trolls who have weak will. Can even do it with Undeath to Death vs Zombies and Ghosts.

 

[Desiderius]

Here you can see Harrim's other Domain ability boosting everyone's damage in the first pic, and automatically confirming all crits in the second.

 

[Desiderius]

Here's a case where he failed a Casting Defensively check but there was no AoO and Touch went ahead. Pretty sure I've run into other cases where there was or spell failed.

 

[Correct_Carlo]

I started playing this on the hardest difficulty not being at all familiar with Pathfinder, nor having any idea what I'm doing, and fuck, it's insanely hard. I was already having to use every single spell and special ability just to survive the tutorial. It's possible my build is completely fucked (playing as a Ranger with longbow specialty), but no one in my party can hit jack shit, so battles are a nightmare of RNG (although, I have learned that using the special abilities that increase attack even just slightly can make a massive difference).

I also fucking hate (in fact, loathe), RTWP, which is utter shit because you really have no idea when the masked turns begin or end, and with a game this RNG focused, you kind of need to know that to be successful. I haven't tried turn based mode yet.

Anyhow, I made it to the first village after 2 hours of trial and error. I am very stubborn, love challenges, and always play everything on the hardest difficulty, but ya'll need to let me know if a vanilla Ranger is fine for the hardest difficulty, or if I should restart. My stats are: STR 8, DEX 20, CON 10, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 8. I took humans for my enemy type perk and the Long Bow specialty perk.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

Is there any good character guides for people who aren’t autistic and want to start this game without fucking them selves over late game?

 

[Yosharian]

Is there any good character guides for people who aren’t autistic and want to start this game without fucking them selves over late game?

*Points at sig*

 

[Desiderius]

I started playing this on the hardest difficulty not being at all familiar with Pathfinder, nor having any idea what I'm doing, and fuck, it's insanely hard. I was already having to use every single spell and special ability just to survive the tutorial. It's possible my build is completely fucked (playing as a Ranger with longbow specialty), but no one in my party can hit jack shit, so battles are a nightmare of RNG (although, I have learned that using the special abilities that increase attack even just slightly can make a massive difference).

I also fucking hate (in fact, loathe), RTWP, which is utter shit because you really have no idea when the masked turns begin or end, and with a game this RNG focused, you kind of need to know that to be successful. I haven't tried turn based mode yet.

Anyhow, I made it to the first village after 2 hours of trial and error. I am very stubborn, love challenges, and always play everything on the hardest difficulty, but ya'll need to let me know if a vanilla Ranger is fine for the hardest difficulty, or if I should restart. My stats are: STR 8, DEX 20, CON 10, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 8. I took humans for my enemy type perk and the Long Bow specialty perk.

Don't start on the hardest difficulty.

It isn't a bullshit phone game.

 

[Desiderius]

Is there any good character guides for people who aren’t autistic and want to start this game without fucking them selves over late game?

Play the classes, read your abilities, use them. You don't need to do all the 3.5 dips and splashes to be successful (PF was designed to obviate that) but there's no shame in starting on normal and kicking things up as you learn to play.

Bonuses of the same type don't stack so seek out bonuses of different types (Enhancement, Morale, Competence, Sacred, Luck, Circumstance, etc...). Bards are good (once the song is established it doesn't use any actions to maintain, so you can cast, attack, whatever while singing). Play the Bard you're given.

 

[Desiderius]

This is where I started if you need ideas. They can be improved upon as you learn, which is fun:

https://af.gog.com/forum/pathfinder_kingmaker/companion_builds/post1?as=1649904300

https://af.gog.com/forum/pathfinder_kingmaker/roahins_main_character_builds/page1?as=1649904300

Yosh's guide is harder to improve upon so if you're into the tactics more than the building you can start there.

 

[Cryomancer]

Is there any good character guides for people who aren’t autistic and want to start this game without fucking them selves over late game?

Play what you like to play. I finished the game IN UNFAIR with a PURE ROLE PLAY NECROMANCER build, without multiclassing and using arguably the worst wizard subclass. Here is my run >> https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads...-thassilonian-necromancer-with-videos.140352/

Here is a video of chapter 3 fights.



Even if you are really bad, you can finish in normal with any "vanilla" build. Unless you try to run something atrocious like a low INT wiz.

 

[Haplo]

I started playing this on the hardest difficulty not being at all familiar with Pathfinder, nor having any idea what I'm doing, and fuck, it's insanely hard. I was already having to use every single spell and special ability just to survive the tutorial. It's possible my build is completely fucked (playing as a Ranger with longbow specialty), but no one in my party can hit jack shit, so battles are a nightmare of RNG (although, I have learned that using the special abilities that increase attack even just slightly can make a massive difference).

I also fucking hate (in fact, loathe), RTWP, which is utter shit because you really have no idea when the masked turns begin or end, and with a game this RNG focused, you kind of need to know that to be successful. I haven't tried turn based mode yet.

Anyhow, I made it to the first village after 2 hours of trial and error. I am very stubborn, love challenges, and always play everything on the hardest difficulty, but ya'll need to let me know if a vanilla Ranger is fine for the hardest difficulty, or if I should restart. My stats are: STR 8, DEX 20, CON 10, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 8. I took humans for my enemy type perk and the Long Bow specialty perk.

Don't play Unfair if you're not proficient with the systems. In fact, don't play Unfair untill you know the areas, what enemies to expect and what are their weaknesses. Plus know all possible party synergies, party-wide buffing and debuffing options and stacking rules. In short, don't start with Unfair. It really is... Unfair.
You want a big challenge while not being proficient with the systems? You can try Hard. But it will be HARD. DO NOT START ON UNFAIR.

One problem I can see with your ranged build is that you've dumped Strenght. Ranged weapons do use Dexterity to hit stuff - but Composite Bows still use Strenght to increase the damage per shot (non-composite bows don't scale their damage from any stat). So you should have at least about 14 Str at start.
And no, I don't recommend ranged builds for high difficulty settings. They do have the advantage of getting full attacks on enemies most of the time - because they don't need to move to engage the enemies. But their accuracy is sub-par. Most importantly they don't benefit from Flanking. And that is +2 Attack Bonus at base, +4 Attack with Outflank (which all martials should get ASAP) and +6 AB with Outflank and Freebooter's Bond (unlimited use buff from Freebooter Ranger). A 6 point AB gap is really challenging to close. Even moreso on highest difficulty settings, where enemy Armor Class is bloated.

 

[Yosharian]

I started playing this on the hardest difficulty not being at all familiar with Pathfinder, nor having any idea what I'm doing, and fuck, it's insanely hard. I was already having to use every single spell and special ability just to survive the tutorial. It's possible my build is completely fucked (playing as a Ranger with longbow specialty), but no one in my party can hit jack shit, so battles are a nightmare of RNG (although, I have learned that using the special abilities that increase attack even just slightly can make a massive difference).

I also fucking hate (in fact, loathe), RTWP, which is utter shit because you really have no idea when the masked turns begin or end, and with a game this RNG focused, you kind of need to know that to be successful. I haven't tried turn based mode yet.

Anyhow, I made it to the first village after 2 hours of trial and error. I am very stubborn, love challenges, and always play everything on the hardest difficulty, but ya'll need to let me know if a vanilla Ranger is fine for the hardest difficulty, or if I should restart. My stats are: STR 8, DEX 20, CON 10, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 8. I took humans for my enemy type perk and the Long Bow specialty perk.

You should play with the mods in my recommended list