2016-04-02 Pen-and-paper role playing: A heavily optimised cleric build

There are different flavours of pen-and-paper role playing games:
from imaginative interactive storytelling, to tactical optimisation board gaming.
I have been playing different kinds, and now I am joining some old friends,
in a tactical/optimised game.
It is fun to create the character, and thus here is the design of mine:

The setup: rules are pathfinder, character level 2,
ability points buy, no summons, non-core rules and races.
(one of the other players is playing a dragon…).

For the group and campaign, a somewhat chaotic/shady
cleric-like character would make good sense,
– and I feel a bit towards a trickster mood … –
so the race will be a Svirfneblin (deep gnome, stoneseer).
The build will be dex-oriented, with str and as dump stats.

The traits of the character will be:

• Second chance– allows re-roll of a save per day, which will probably be useful..
• Clever wordplay – use int instead of cha for dimplomacy
• Heirloom weapon – scimitar – which will be used for the dervish dance, and thus hit hard in spite of no strength
• Drawback: Umbral Unmasking, – distorted shadow…

My long-term plan for level-progression is:

• 1 level of wild-childbrawler,the martial flexibilityopens up for lots of fun battle flavour, and it also has an animal companion which is practical in low levels, and for a mount/pack-mule.
• 4 levels of asceticcleric/divine strategistwith travel domainlevel up with
• child-of-bast prestigeclass gaining liberation domain
• Variant-multiclassing: sorcerer – arcane bloodline– arcane bond and new arcana are extremely valuable for a cleric

The character on level 2 looks like this:

• Ability scores
  • Str: 6 from 8 – 2(race)
  • Dex: 24 from 17 + 2(race) +5(ascetic mind body)
  • Con: 14
  • Int: 14
  • Wis: 20 from 18 + 2(race)
  • Cha: 5 from 9 – 4(race)
• HP: 10 + 1d8 +lvl*2(con) + lvl(toughness)
• AC: 25 from 10 + 7(dex) + 5(wis) + 1(size) + 2(race)
• CMD: 22 from 10 + 1 – 2(str) + 7(dex) – 1(size) + 2(race-dodge-bonus) + 5(ascetic-wis)
• CMB: -2 from 1 – 2 – 1
• Saves: 8/11/9 from 2/7/5(abilities) + 2/2/0(brawler) + 2/0/2(cleric) + 2/2/2(race)
• Lvl1-feat: weapon finesse(natural weapons) (prerequisite for dervish dance)
• No armor and shield as ascetic
• Martial flexibility 4/day: move action gain one combat feat for 1 minute, such as:
  • Agile Maneuvers CMB: 16
  • Amateur Gunslinger – Gunslinger’s Dodge – instant 5feet move on shot at
  • Amateur Swashbuckler – 1d6 to certain skills once
  • Bleeding Attack
  • River Raider bonus to swim/stealth in water
  • Two-Weapon Fighting – boxing, low dmg
  • Blind-Fight useful against invisible
  • Dervish Dance use dex instead of str with scimitar
  • Mounted combat
• Improved Unarmed Strike (from brawler)
• Animal Companion (wild child) Roc
  • 2HD, BAB+1 3/3/0, 1feat:finesse. HP: 8+1d8
  • medium, ac+5natural, 80fly/20walk, atck: 2x1d4+1d6, str12,dex19,con9,int2,wis13,cha11
  • ac: 19, attack: +5 1d4+1, +5 1d4+1, +5 1d6+1, saves 2/7/1
• Toughness (ascetic)
• speed: 30ft (20ft race + 10ft)
• always act in surprise round
• init: 8: 7 + 1(½cleric level ascetic)
• Stonecunning: autocheck with 10ft for traps/secret-doors in stone, perception +2 for this.
• Spell Resistance: 13 (race: 11+lvl)
• Attacks: BAB=1
  • default: natural: +9, 1d4-2
  • alternatively with martial-flex: two-weapon: +7+7, 1d4-2
  • alternatively with martial-flex: Dervish dance scimitar: +10 (BAB + dex+masterwork + size) 1d4+7 (18-20/2x)
• Languages: common, undercommon, gnome
• Skills: (class: acrobatics, climb, diplomacy, heal, knowledge(all), linguistics, perception, profession, sense-motives, stealth, survival, swim, craft, escape-artist, handle animal, intimidata, ride)
  • Acrobatics: 2(rank) + 3(class) + 7(dex) = 12
  • Diplomacy(int!): 1(rank) + 3(class) + 2(int) = 6
  • Knowledge(religion): 2(rank) + 3(class) + 2 (int) = 7
  • Linguistics: 1(rank:common) + 3(class) + 2(int) = 6
  • Perception: 2(rank) + 3(class) + 5(wis) + 2(race) = 12
  • Stealth: 2(rank) + 3(class) + 7(dex) + 4(size) + 2(race, 4underground)= 18(20 underground)
  • Survival: 1(rank) + 3(class) + 5(wis) = 9
  • Ride: 1(rank) + 3(class) + 7(dex) = 11
  • Perform(dance): 2(rank) – 3(cha) = -1
  • Craft(alchemy): 2(race)
• Spells:
  • Racial
    • nondetection-constant, 1/day: magic stone, stone shape, stone tell
  • 3x 0th level DC15
    • Sign-of-discovery
    • 2x (detect magic, ball of smoke, mending, animate tool, create water, light, card-trick, create-ice, discern health, divine mark, simple-bed, sign-of-discovery +2perctp/know/sens self, read magic, guidance +1, canny-effort +2skill, summarize) 15 min preparation
  • 3+1 (1+2)+1 1th level DC16
    • Domain: Longstrider
    • Spontan: endure elements(self)
    • Obscuring mist
    • 2x(comprehend-language, know-the-enemy, obscuring mist, bless,murderous command, command, infernal healing, shield-of-fate) 15 min preparation
• Items
  • Masterwork heirloom scimitar (315GP, add keen later, when we get rich)
    • Hollow pommel (5gp)
  • Exotic military saddle for roc (60GP) +2 ride, 75% stay in saddle unconscious
  • 2x Weapon cord for scimitar (1sp)
  • Scabbard
  • 2x Spring-loaded wrist-sheath (5gp)
  • 2x Camoflage Netting (20gp)
  • Silk rope(10gp)
  • Avian whistle(5gp)
  • 10 Chalk (1cp)
  • string or twine (50ft)
  • gloves
  • pickaxe(15gp)
  • Shovel(2gp)
  • waterskin(1gp)
  • 1 iron holy symbol (1gp)
  • 2 wooden holy symbols (5sp)
  • 2 spell component pouches (5gp)
  • filnt and steel
  • Hammers and chisels
  • Cure light wand with limited charges for remaining money. (ca 20 charges)