HM's Carrion Crown AP - OOC

[perrinmiller]

I also added Firvin's Level 5 adjustments in a spoiler block in the RG thread.
However, it was after 1:30am when I finished, so it definitely needs a second set of eyes.

 

[Satin Knights]

Mowgli: Here are a few comments. I have never played the rogue or inquisitor, so these comments may be a bit generic.
A) Put one rank in Appraise. 3.5 had a "untrained appraise" is an auto-miss by 50%. I didn't see it in PF, but it might be there somewhere. Raven familiars give a +3 bonus. What do you get as an oversized raven?
B) Strip a few points out of survival and spread them around more. A failed survival roll means you didn't find food for the night usually. Not critical.
C) Add at least 1 point in Escape Artist (usable against grapples), Sleight of Hand and Ride.
D) Once you learn a spell, it is pretty much locked. Resistance is worthless once you pick up a Cloak of Resistance for 1,000 gp because it does not stack. And most of the time if you can pause to cast it, you can find a better way to face the danger. Replace that with Read Magic. Then you don't have to UMD just to identify scrolls.
E) You can replace Light with 110 gp. Pick a different spell. Stabilize looks good.
F) Drop Sacred Touch. Stabilize is a close range (25'+) standard action, and Sacred Touch is a touch standard action. Now you have a trait slot open. Dirty Fighter if you want +1 damage when flanking. Birthmark for the +2 vs Charm is another good possibility.
G) 2nd level spells: Those are good. But, I would do Invisibility, Spiritual Weapon, and Consecrate. I would say take the Cure * Wounds spells every other level. You are so limited in the spells you can cast, they have to be usable every day. Spiritual Weapon is a nice first round spell. It's to hit is BAB+WIS, and it is a force weapon usable against incorporeal foes.
H) That armor looks sweet, but I think the price tag is coming in at 5,400 gp or just over half of your WBL.
I) "Master Work" thieves tools. That +2 will be needed.
J) The sawtooth sabre and wrist sheaths are from the Adv Armory. I forgot. Is that book is on the approved list? Check with HM. Should be yes. All the stuff in the book is cool small items.
K) If yes, grab the skeleton key from the same book. It is one extra attempt when we need it.
L) And if yes, Consecrated Weapons look real nice. I can charge them up with unused channels nightly, and then in the next 24 hours, a hit can release a channel smite against undead.
M) Lookout would require others to take it as well. So skip it. If you act too fast in initiative, your flanking friends will not get a chance to move into their flanking positions. But, if you get there while they are flat footed, it is a win. Quick Draw looks ok. So, a tossup between Imp Init and Quick Draw.
N) Trap Spotter rogue talent is missing. With your perception, it is a prime choice. Without it, you should be declaring every time you are checking for traps. That is very tedious. It is worth losing a feat to get it. Buy the "Eyes of the Eagle" early. Pushes your perception up to +17. You miss spotting most traps on a 2. And you generally see the opponent before they see you. General rule in an open field, your bonus - their bonus x 10'. Seeing the enemy on average 120' before they notice you is a huge tatical advantage. Buy the other glasses that aide disable device too. Leave your weapons at masterwork a bit longer to pay for the glasses.
O) Load that haversack up with mundane stuff. Grappling hook, drill, tent, hammock, water skin, wine skin, etc. If it is only carrying 8.5 lbs, it was a waste of money.
P) Spend about 500 gp on scrolls of spells you can cast. Tireless Pursuit, Magic Weapon, Comp Languages, CLW, Delay Poison, Lesser Restoration, See Invis, Ghostbane Dirge. All are critical when you need them, but not worthy of daily use.
Q) It looks like you are taking a straight rogue. Take a look at the Scout archetype. If you can give up Uncanny Dodge, you get sneak attack dice more often.

Well, that was a good list. Almost all were little tweaks. Trap Spotter is the only "must have" in my opinion. You realize you are walking point, right?

I am going to go have dinner, and then I will look at Firvin.

 

[Satin Knights]

Firvin's turn.
A) Identify: Absolutely not. To identify a magic item requires a spellcraft check of 15+caster level. You have +10 already, and as an elf you get an additional +2. So, you identify a cure light wounds potion on a die roll of a 3. And four party members get a shot at doing it. Identify is a spell you buy on a scroll once and carry as a backup incase you roll a 1 some time.
B) Sleep is another dead spell after just a couple of levels. And it takes a full round to cast. Drop it too.
C) If you drop Sleep, drop Lullaby. Replace Lullaby with Open/Close.
D) Spells known are precious. Taking the Cure * Wounds every other level is enough. So, drop the Cure Mod. If you burn all your first level spells, you can use second level spell slots to cast 1st level spells.
E) Heroism: +2 Morale bonus for 1 person. Does not stack with the +2 Morale bonus for all with Inspire Courage. The only thing it has going for it is the 10 minutes/level. Probably drop.

Replacement Spells:
F) Saving Finale: End a bard song as an immediate action to allow one of the party members to reroll a save. 20%
G) Timely Inspiration: If a party member misses a roll by 1, you can cast as an immediate action outside your normal initiative to give them the +1 to succeed. 30%
H) Vanish: 1st level invisibility. 70%
I) Silent Image: long range illusion that has a duration of concentration and a large area. 60%
J) Blindness/Deafness: medium range save or suck at DC16 fortitude. Hit casters with it for 75% chance of success. 80%
K) Silence is a keeper. Long range save or suck.
L) Rage, The second level spell: medium range buff for your party that is concentration + CL in rounds. 70%
M) Gallant Inspiration: "I missed by 3", roll 2d4=4, "No you didn't". Another wonderful immediate spell that you can cast on another person's turn so they succeed. Although, that spell has to be the bane of GMs. 90%
N) Alter Self: Shape of Mermaid. Shape of half-orc. Wonderful utility spell. 50%
O) Blur: 20% miss chance is nice. But it is a pick up at later levels spell.

The percentages are weighting as to what I would take first over another spell. The higher the better.

Feats: Combat Casting should be your third or fifth level feat. Definitely pick it up by seventh.

Except for the Identify, these are just suggestions. I kind of tired out as it is 3:45 am, but it is a good start.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

Thanks, SK - a lot to look over!

The only thing that jumped out at me is the Lookout - the only thing that really made me consider it was the Inquisitor ability that allows Inquisitors to gain the teamwork bonuses as though their allies have them as well. Being able to get in a full round of actions rather than one action would be nice. But as I said I'm on the fence with that one anyway.

I'll look at the rest and will doubtless be modifying my build somewhat.

 

[perrinmiller]

Thanks mate.

I will look over the spells. I think after this, the players that suffer under my DM thumb are going to hate any casters I build from scratch.

One question though, Combat Casting. From NWN, I have an impression that it is not that great or necessary. With 5ft steps, tactically I think casting defensively won't be needed that much. But what do I know.

Why do I need by 7th level, though? Is there a particular reason for that?

 

[perrinmiller]

Questions, SK:
Bard 1st Level: Vanish vs. Expeditious Retreat.
I think I can still take Sleep at start as a situational crowd control. I can change it at level 4 to something else.

Sorc 2nd Level: What about Stone Call? AoE with no saving throw allowed.

 

[Satin Knights]

Concentration Checks: There are several situations that require them, and you are a caster/caster. So you will be required to make more of them than the battle cleric. At fifth level, you are CL 5 + Cha 4 + trait 2 + d20 vs a 15 + double the spell level for most checks. So that is 11+d20 vs 17 to get a first level spell off. With Combat Casting, that moves to 15+d20 vs 17 or near automatic. Second level spells are 15 vs 19 and still relatively easy. If you take damage, you have to make the concentration check at 10 + the damage taken + the level of the spell. If grappled, it is (DC 10 + the grappler’s CMB + the level of the spell you’re casting) or lose the spell. So, that dimension door out of a grapple (at later levels) is still tricky. Actually, Grease on your self is the better course usually. And there will be times you are surrounded or against a wall and the 5' step is going to not get you out of the threatened area.

By seventh level: Crowds and teleport/dimension door are going to be tactics of the enemies by then. If your concentration check isn't good by then, you are the mouse and they are the cat.

I thought of this after I went to bed. The first wand you buy is Cure Light Wounds. That pretty much goes for everyone. Two fights back to back could exhaust our casting resources for the day. The wand is the backup we go to as long as we can survive. (even unconscious, the orcs was a perfect example. Just need one person awake.) We need to keep two of the CLW wands in the party at all times. I have had PFS modules where I have used an entire wand after combat to heal back up.

Stone Call: Good spell. You already had four good sorc spells, so I didn't pull any others for suggestions. The Darkvision can be moved to a couple of scrolls at 150 gp each. Actually before that, Rope Trick! Being able to sleep without night watches and encounters is amazingly helpful. And you are the only one who can cast the spell for us.

Sleep is a trap. Buy three scrolls. I bet you won't use all three by fourth level. With the exception of orcs, if they only have 4 HD in their party, we will walk through them in the first round. Orcs are special with ferocity making them 3 HD each before they fall. A lone bard in the woods could try to sneak and use sleep. You have 3 melees in front of you.

Feats: Lingering Song (1st), Combat Casting (3rd), Expanded Arcana (5th) (take two first level spells)
Your spell list is all over the place school wise. So, the Spell Focus is not as useful. Expanded Arcana is a feat you probably want to take multiple times in your career, and always go for the two spells at lower option.

Definitely Vanish. Expeditious Retreat is a good scroll candidate. As the summoner, an unfetter followed by exp retreat could make Toddy a 70' charging machine. Without the unfetter, he could outrun his lifeline leash in less than a round and fall to 1/2 hit points. In the time to cast both spells, much of the battle would already be finished though. Vanish also means you are not taking Invisibility at second level, and open up the slot for other good spells.

 

[Satin Knights]

The only thing that jumped out at me is the Lookout - the only thing that really made me consider it was the Inquisitor ability that allows Inquisitors to gain the teamwork bonuses as though their allies have them as well. Being able to get in a full round of actions rather than one action would be nice. But as I said I'm on the fence with that one anyway.

I reread it again. Far to situational. You may get a benefit one out of 10 fights. You have the highest perception, so it will be rare for your adjacent ally to beat you in order to give you a benefit. And you should be walking point 10-15' ahead of the party. Weapon Focus(Sawtooth Sabre) will be usable every swing. That is a ~50 to 1 usability advantage. There are probably a dozen other feats I would suggest before Lookout.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

Gotcha. I'll work on both the 1st and 5th level builds - some of those suggestions need to be started early.

 

[perrinmiller]

OOC: Frakkin earthquake hit Japan! I was in a Skyscraper at the time and it was NOT fun. Internet is spotty and you can imagine we schedule is going to FUBAR'd. It is after 11pm on a Friday night and I am stuck at my office because the commuter trains are all stopped until tomorrow at least. Excuse me if I am slow to respond.

Thanks for the tips, SK. I will try to check over the weekend.