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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Julix" data-source="post: 6269830" data-attributes="member: 6775081">Rambling. Paladin?Thanks! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />It's kind of a long story. Short answer, cause of strange interaction between what the GM wants and what I love.Full story (with spoiler so you know not to feel obliged to read it. [SPOILER]I went for a swashbuckler, then cavalier, then was told core race+class. I mentioned the child template and got that approved (due to the crazy attribute penalties, maybe GM just wanted to see if I *could* pull it off). -- His story is based on having people that are distant offsprings of the original heroes of the Valley (which included a rogue) hear a magical calling and meet to protect the valley for the next 100 years. So I have to fulfill the rogue function, and since I already was chosen for the rogue position I have to have those abilities from the get go. In core, the rogue is the only person with the ability of disarming magical traps. The valley magic chooses the right person for the task even if it's not obvious. It's fairly low magic campaign, and roleplay heavy, with a spontaneous GM, so I'm not too worried about being under-optimized. He'd just adjust encounters appropriately, methinks. It doesn't have to be over-powered, just functional. And fun. In my case fun means outside of the box, original, creative and strange... pull of something (even if just barely) that doesn't seem like it would work, but does. Game is biweekly, and I'm an overthinker, so I have plenty of time to test builds between games, test feasability... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I think backwards sometimes, looking at strange mechanics and then inventing the fluff for it afterwards, and then going back to change mechanics based on the fluff. I saw the Armor Expert trait, and how it can combine with mithral breast plate for 0 APC light armor with 6 AC, 5 max dex bonus... good stuff. Then I saw the Sword Scion and realized how cool that is. Then I realized it would be overpowered. I thought about who would have that sort of thing and came up with my noble rogue idea. I thought about if I start with heavy armor, no one is going to look at it strangely when later I wear light versions of heavy armor. I intended to dump it soon (and not sell it because that would be way too much money for first level character - and I don't ever want to use a GM's approval for cool ideas for anything but making the game better). But I roleplayed the child as heroic and stubborn and the others characters sofar haven't talked him out of it yet. Also while the ranger was beating the child (for a whole mintue!) to make a point, I realized out of character that heavy armor actually does protect you... And I get fairly attached to my characters. Also I'll get +5 to hit otherwise from dex alone, and that seems overpowered for first level. Once I started reducing my to hit chance a little it got out of hand fast and I realized I'm now never going to hit. If I just never even tried to hit anything, how could I still help in combat?And then I saw the bodyguard feat as a comment to the helpful trait in the trait guide, so I looked it up, and it seems almost feasible. Especially if the armor penalties don't count against my attacks, so I considered fighter again, and remembered that I only got the armor for roleplay reasons and because it doesn't threaten balance. If I go first level fighter and keep the armor it would be unfair for example to the Dwarven first level fighter. -- If I use the armor in combat and roleplay training with it and take a level in fighter that seems much less unfair, but it still is a little. I like gaming rules if it leads to make me so far superior that I can then throw all kinds of penalties on myself to come out awesomely average in a new strange way, ideally as enabler. If as fighter feat I took whip proficiency and get an exotic whip I could interfere with physical attacks in quite a range around me.[/SPOILER] I really like the Samurai archetype you posted... maybe later in the game I won't be forced into core (once the GM trusts me that I'm playing for awesomeness not raw over-power-ness).I guess I'm not looking for a proper build as much as little ways in which I can make the character I've got feasible.For example, the "Student of Philosophy" trait would help this build get from -2 (charisma) to +2 (intelligence) based Diplomacy (except for rolling for info gathering, but I could roll to change attitude first and then just ask) and Bluffing for lying (i.e. not feinting). +8 effective and useful skill points for half-a-feat? This seems like a good match for the build.Maybe even for the party. We'll also have a sorcerer with high charisma who can bluff, but I don't know the player yet. and just for between player actions I've been relying on diplomacy checks a fair bit, when we were arguing about the armor and such. Note I'm not using the dice instead of roleplay but for guiding the conversation. I'd make others roll to see how much what they're saying is influencing the child. Worked great sofar. - Low charisma but high diplomacy makes sense of the child being sort of annoying but making good points and what not. One of the reasons I'm happy I'm not playing a fighter is because of all that skill monkey business. However for most things that I want to be good at (say ride) I get a lot of bonuses, so having lots of skills early on and spreading them wide, and few ranks later to get really good at a few things could work perfectly. Diplomacy isn't affected by the armor penalty, nor are intelligence checks. With this I could be half a face. The other half would be the rest of the party's sense motive checks, and them telling me if the person we're talking to is being dishonest, and the Sorcerer's bluff if we ever need to lie. If he lies well (wisdom 7, I might not notice) I'll chip in "Oh that makes so much sense because" and rationalize it somehow in a way that combined with the child's naivete of the lie (using intelligence->aid-another->bluff) and Adopted(Halfling)->Helpful(Halfling) would increase their roll by +4!Traps are dangerous, and at low levels my child will fail seeing them a lot. The ranger can be the scout, if I help the party surely they'll help me in and out of my armor and then we'll deal with the actual traps (if we can't just avoid them). I was looking at some piecemeal armors (breast plate and legs with leather arms) for less AC but also less ACP. Since it makes sense I think the GM might allow it, [unless I try something overpowered like this: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JEFZetixyj8iUgQr1kGxsiZv2qIK7bA77GrbDM-87TE/edit  for a 7500 gp Mithral "medium" armor with AC 9, ACP -1, and <10 lb weight for the small creature he is.] Then I won't have to slow down the game (ingame time only) by taking off armor every time for disarming. But he's smart. So we might just trigger the traps instead if possible. [The level ups will be given as appropriate so we don't have to go kill things for XP or deal with traps in a certain way to get maximum benefit out of it, or other silliness.]I'm not all that attached to the Sword Scion trait anymore. When I saw it I thought - puuuure powaaa - but to him it's basically a fancy long sword (due to lack of dueling sword proficiency) and one size too big on top of that. For a +1 to hit with a weapon type he can't use well? Though I could reforge or buy a new one later... still I didn't realize proficiency with the weapon does not come with the trait (obviously, that would be much too powerful). - I might keep the sword for when I don't have to hit anything, but make it so hard to draw from his back then most of the time he'll just pull the dagger from his belt instead. Dump the trait and keep the fluff?For my dip I could become a instead of fighter. Better saves, but no feat, but good aura and it's within the alignment... and it's fairly original... a rogue with an aura of good... -- I'd have to be careful in my choice of God though. What's the least lawful God (domains like: compassion, courage, community-service, cunning creativity, ...) that he could become a Paladin of?Wow this got long fast. Clearly I'm to tired to be writing concisely right now... I apologize for writing anyways.EDIT: There's a Rogue Talent called Sacred Sneak Attack! That seems awesome for the paladin idea... if we're going to be fighting undead and stuff... - we do have a cleric too, making the appearance of such slightly more likely <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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