New to PF

[PF_Noob]

Hey everyone! So in a couple weeks I'm gonna be joining my first PF game and I don't know what to play. The GM is very experienced with many game systems, is very creative and is very open to PF's backwards compatibility. As far as printed material goes almost anything 3.X is acceptable and he'll help with conversions if necessary.

The group has a fighter, barbarian, wizard(necromancer), inquisitor, cleric, alchemist and a blue mage (GM's creation based off the FF class) at the moment. I've been told the campaign is gonna be taking a "good sky pirates" type angle.

I've always wanted to play an Arcane Hierophant and combine aspects of Treantmonk's guide to being a God with the support healing, blast spells and utility of a druid while flying around safely in the air as a small sized bird. All the while bringing an animal companion as a nice beat stick and Summon Monster spells to help take hits and deal damage.

The alternative is playing a straight bard, but I don't know what direction I should go with it. I'd like to take advantage of the Bardic Knowledge ability and Knowledge Devotion Feat. I was thinking staying safely back and doing ranged dps with a bow, and bringing Dragonfire Inspiration with IC boosts to the table all the while being the party's heart, soul, and face and spitting out support spells as needed. But with IC's duration limited to rounds, is Dragonfire Inspiration and the two other feats needed to make it sonic damage still worth it?

I'm a woman divided! I really like both ideas and I really wanna try both, but how to decide? D= What do you guys would fit in better with the group? Any experiences and opinions of playing either?

 

[Friend of the Dork]

Hey everyone! So in a couple weeks I'm gonna be joining my first PF game and I don't know what to play. The GM is very experienced with many game systems, is very creative and is very open to PF's backwards compatibility. As far as printed material goes almost anything 3.X is acceptable and he'll help with conversions if necessary.

The group has a fighter, barbarian, wizard(necromancer), inquisitor, cleric, alchemist and a blue mage (GM's creation based off the FF class) at the moment. I've been told the campaign is gonna be taking a "good sky pirates" type angle.

I've always wanted to play an Arcane Hierophant and combine aspects of Treantmonk's guide to being a God with the support healing, blast spells and utility of a druid while flying around safely in the air as a small sized bird. All the while bringing an animal companion as a nice beat stick and Summon Monster spells to help take hits and deal damage.

The alternative is playing a straight bard, but I don't know what direction I should go with it. I'd like to take advantage of the Bardic Knowledge ability and Knowledge Devotion Feat. I was thinking staying safely back and doing ranged dps with a bow, and bringing Dragonfire Inspiration with IC boosts to the table all the while being the party's heart, soul, and face and spitting out support spells as needed. But with IC's duration limited to rounds, is Dragonfire Inspiration and the two other feats needed to make it sonic damage still worth it?

I'm a woman divided! I really like both ideas and I really wanna try both, but how to decide? D= What do you guys would fit in better with the group? Any experiences and opinions of playing either?

Damn that's a large party!

Looks like you got all bases covered, except perhaps Rogue. In that case, yeah go Bard, you can be really useful to the group as a social type, support the party with bardic music and useful spells, and still be an ok secondary archer. Or, if you want to be more Rogue-like, you can take the Archeologist archtype and get the rogue's ability to detect and disable traps, boost yourself with Luck, and complement your Spells with Rogue talents. Indiana Jones anyone?

In the end you should play what you LIKE and with such a large group you're not squuezed into a particular role, although you may find your character underwhelming in the damage compartment. At high levels you can still be alot more useful and flexible than the fighter because of your spells and skills.

 

[PF_Noob]

Any thoughts on Dragontouched > Dragon Heritage > Dragonfire Inspiration (sonic dmg) being worth it? Even if it isn't I'm still thinking of taking Words of Creation though.

Edit: No one has an opinion on these feats and their role in PF?

 

[Epametheus]

They aren't standard PF feats. I can't even find the other two on the website Dragonfire Inspiration comes from. So I have no idea if the prerequisites hurt you badly or not.

Dragonfire Inspiration looks pretty strong, but don't write off the accuracy boost from a normal Inspire Courage.

With the sheer number of people in that party, bardic support will be amazing. The duration being in rounds won't be a problem - everything will die well before you run out of bardsong.

 

[IronWolf]

I think a bard would work well for the large party you described above. If it were me and I was just getting into a Pathfinder I would probably stick with the core rulebook and APG for option (maybe Ultimate Magic and Combat as well). Blending other sources and such can just get messy. Just my opinion though, in the end you need to play what makes you happy and brings you the most fun.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

The bigger the party the more a bard brings to the table. With eight players... oh, yeah.

The Auld Grump

 

[Walking Dad]

... The GM is very experienced with many game systems, is very creative and is very open to PF's backwards compatibility. As far as printed material goes almost anything 3.X is acceptable and he'll help with conversions if necessary....

Ask your DM for houserules. "Very experienced" "creative" and "open" DMs usually have some. They can totally change my possible advises.
What is a "blue Mage's" shtick?

 

[PF_Noob]

Wow, strong support for the Bard. : ) That's nice to see. I have kinda taken a look at Treantmonk's guide to PF Bards but even at the start of the guide he says if 3.X backwards compatibility is allowed then to read no farther as the various splatbooks offer more than Core PF can for bards.
I do plan on going straight PF Bard though, no PrC's. It's just feat options are so much more plentiful in 3.5 and it's splatbooks. Especially the splatbooks, where Bard got most of the love from in that edition.

Also, not sure about the Blue Mage. The jist that the DM told me is that that's what the player asked if he could play and he said he can make it happen. Blue Mage in FF if I recall could 'absorb' or learn spells if they were cast on him so I'm taking a wild guess and saying a primary spontaneous caster that learns not from a spellbook, but from other casters/spellcraft. *shrug*

Dragontouched (Dragon Magic p 18)
Pre-req: Cha 11
You gain dragon sub-type. You gain 1 hit point, a +1 bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks, and a +1 bonus on saving throws against paralysis and sleep effects. In addition, you can select draconic feats as if you were a sorcerer of your character level.

Draconic Heritage (Comp. Arcane p 77)
Pre-req: Sorc lvl 1
Choose one dragon and gain a related skill as a class skill. Gain a bonus on saving throws vs sleep and paralysis, as well as spells and abilities with the energy type of your draconic heritage.

So Dragontouched allows you to take Draconic Heritage and if you choose a dragon type that has a sonic ability/breath weapon Dragonfire Inspiration uses that damage type instead of the standard fire damage. People used to stack optimized Inspire Courage and Dragonfire Inspiration bonuses, getting numbers like +12 to hit and +12+12d6 sonic damage.

Edit: With the number of BM uses being reduced to rounds and with more good choices to use BM for, I can't see stacking the two being a viable option anymore. It'll be a choice of either +X to hit and dam or +Xd6 sonic dam, so the question is which is better and if +Xd6 sonic damage is worth 3 feats?

 

[PF_Noob]

So, I decided against the dragonfire inspiration, as it's spending 3 feats just to get one outcome/effect. Listed below are the feats that I think I might be taking, not in any particular order. What do you guys think?

Words of Creation - 3.5 BoED - Doubles effects of certain BM abilities
Nymph's Kiss - 3.5 BoED - +2 to cha based checks, + 1 to saves vs spells, 1 extra skill point/lvl
Knowledge Devotion - 3.5 Comp. Champion - make knowledge check to gain an insight bonus to att and dmg vs creatures
Extend Spell - Core PF
Lingering Song - 3.5 Comp. Adventurer - Inspire Courage, greatness and heroics effects last for 1 min after an ally stops hearing you play
Point Blank Shot - Core PF
Precise Shot - Core PF
Arcane Strike - Core PF
Deadly Aim - Core PF
Rapid Shot - Core PF

I was also considering one of these two but I don't know what I'd swap out.

Sound of Silence - 3.5 Comp Scoundrel - 2 BM uses to deafen a sinlge target for 3 rounds, will save (DC=Perform check) negates the effect
Haunting Melody - 3.5 HoH - when you use a perform skill enemies make a will save (DC 10+1/2 lvl+cha mod) or be shaken

Edit: Also, Collector of Stories skill trick from Comp. Scoundrel + Bardic Knowledge + Knowledge Devotion = awesome synergy.

 

[Dingo333]

so kinda basic question: What level?

Aslo, most of those feats are fine, the only one I would recomend against is Arcane Strike, +1 dmg/5 levels and you have to use a swift action is not too good, especially when you are starting a performance as a swift at 13