Character Build.

[SSuser]

My first Pathfinder Society character will be a Lore Warden. I don't love fighters, but I really like this class. I prefer playing humans, but I'm thinking about playing an elf so that I'll be able to take Breadth of Expertise. Theses stats are after the elf template. I plan on using a heavy flail.

STR-12
DEX-17
CON-13
INT-14
WIS-12
CHA-10


1. Dodge, Agile Maneuvers
2. Combat Expertise (FREE), Improved Disarm
3. Improved Trip
4. Breadth of Expertise (DEX Raise)
5. Mobility
6. Greater Disarm
7. Greater Trip
8. Spring Attack (CON Raise)
9. Disarming Strike
10. Tripping Strike
11. Whirlwind Attack

Please let me know what you think about the feats. I'd like some suggestions for traits. I have not chosen a faction yet, not sure which one to pick. Thank you for any advice.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Can you link to Lore Warden on d20pfsrd or something? I have no idea what that is.

 

[acorania]

The Lore Warden is a archetype from the Pathfinder Society Field Guide. Not a product I have access to yet, so unfortunately I can't help out to much.

 

[SSuser]

Now I'm thinking these feats, and maybe these traits.

1. Dodge, Agile Maneuvers
2. Combat Expertise (FREE), Improved Trip
3. Breadth of Expertise
4. Combat Reflexes (DEX Raise)
5. Armor Proficiency, Medium
6. Greater Trip
7. Mobility
8. Combat Patrol (CON Raise)
9. Tripping Strike
10. Spring Attack
11. Whirlwind Attack

Warrior of Old: As a child, you put in long hours in
combat drills, and though time has made this training a
dim memory, you still have a knack for quickly responding
to trouble. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.

Defender of the Society (Fighter, Pathfinder Society):
Your time spent fighting and studying the greatest
warriors of the Society has taught you new defensive skills
while wearing armor. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Armor
Class when wearing medium or heavy armor.


Here is the class.

Scholastic (Ex): Lore wardens gain 2 additional skill ranks each level. These ranks must be spent on Intelligence-based skills. All Intelligence-based skills are class skills for lore wardens. This ability replaces the lore warden’s proficiency with medium armor, heavy armor, and shields.

Expertise (Ex): At 2nd level, a lore warden gains Combat Expertise as a bonus feat, even if he would not normally qualify for this feat. This ability replaces bravery 1.

Maneuver Mastery (Ex): At 3rd level, a lore warden gains a +2 bonus on all CMB checks and to his CMD. This bonus increases to +4 at 7th level, +6 at 11th level, and +8 at 15th level. This ability replaces armor training 1.

Know Thy Enemy (Ex): At 7th level, a lore warden can take a standard action to study a specific target in sight. He must make a Knowledge check to determine the target’s abilities and weaknesses as part of this standard action. If successful, the lore warden not only notes the appropriate abilities and weaknesses, as detailed under the Knowledge skill on page 100 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, but also gains a +2 competence bonus on all attack rolls and weapon damage rolls made against that enemy. Note that this bonus on attack and damage rolls applies only to that specific creature. This bonus lasts for the duration
of an encounter, or until the lore warden attempts a new Knowledge check to use this ability on a different target. This ability replaces armor training 2.

Hair’s Breadth (Ex): At 11th level, a lore warden can attempt an Acrobatics check as an immediate action to negate a confirmation role for a critical hit. The critical
hit confirmation is negated (though the attack still hits and deals normal damage) if the Acrobatics check is greater than the opponent’s confirmation roll. This ability replaces armor training 3.

Swift Lore (Ex): At 14th level, a lore warden can use his Know Thy Enemy ability as a swift action. This ability replaces armor training 4.

Know Weakness (Ex): At 19th level, a lore warden can automatically conf irm a critical hit once per round when he threatens a critical hit. This ability replaces
armor mastery.

 

[Systole]

So basically, it's a bard, but with 2 fewer skills points/level, no performance, no bardic knowledge, and no spells? Yuck.

I suppose you do get more feats, full BAB, and martial weapon proficiency. Still ... yuck.

 

[Mad Hamish]

It's hardly a bard, it's a fighter who trades off some ability with armour for skills and special abilities with skill.
Given the number of feats a fighter gets you can get armour proficiency easily enough so you're trading armour mastery for some nice abilities for most of the campaign.

 

[SSuser]

So basically, it's a bard.

It still gets Weapon Training which stacks with Maneuver Mastery.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

It's a decent archetype. My main complaint is the class itself gets absolutely nothing int-based (other than class skills, but if those count then bard is an "int-based class," too) until level 7, when it suddenly gets a minor combat boon out of knowledge checks. And I'm skeptical how often it'll be worth a standard action to do that, rather than hitting the person. It gets much more usable at level 14, but by then +2 is kinda small potatoes, and PFS play ends at level 12 anyway, I'm told.