Fun PF Lvl 15 Builds

[Zubrowka74]

Hey, Playground!

What are the Pathfinder 15th level builds that are the funnest to play? Not in term of raw power, but options + flavors. Of course, optimisation is welcomed but not crucial as long as the build is functionnal.

[Psyren]

Just about anything with spells (or powers, extracts, spirits etc) is fun to play once you get that high up because there are so many directions you can take it and so many challenges/obstacles you can take on. Even the 4th-level casters like Paladins and Bloodragers get fun things to do.

[Zubrowka74]

But you have to do it in style, with a theme! That's what I'm looking for. Or the offbeat stuff, like the STR-centered Sorceror.

[Snowbluff]

Off beat, eh?

I want to see someone do a Blade Adept Arcanist.

Cleric archer, Samsaran.

[Psyren]

Str-centered sorcerer is easy, just do a Dragon Disciple-style gish or a shapeshifter.

Ninja is one of my favorites, as it can be optimized without too badly outshining the less excperienced people in the group. A Catfolk Ninja with the Scout archetype can reliably do some nasty damage. Trapsmith is situationally fun and Bandit can be pretty mean.

[Starmage21]

I'm OK with Rogue 3/Wiz 3/Arcane Trickster 9.

Skill Monkey, Trap Finder, and wizard awesome. Will have 9th level spells at 20.

[Zubrowka74]

Str-centered sorcerer is easy, just do a Dragon Disciple-style gish or a shapeshifter.

I took this as an exemple, there's a build floating around with a level of vivisectionist for mutagen and SA on top of DD. But the dragon theme is pretty overused, IMHO.

[Red Fel]

Kitsune Sorcerer, Rakshasa Bloodline. Take Realistic Likeness.

At level 15, you can Alter Self at will, indefinitely. Alternatively, you can use your racial Change Shape ability with Realistic Likeness to turn into any specific person. You are subject to a constant Nondetection effect, you can use a Glibness-type effect 3+Cha times per day, and Detect Thoughts against a single target 4/day. All this in addition to Sorcerer casting. You are the Man with a Thousand Faces. You are everyone and no-one. When you're done here, they will never see you again.

Heck, you can change it up every single scene. Just for kicks. Show up in one scene with blonde hair. Show up in another with freckles. Show up in another as the opposite gender. Whatever you want!

[Snowbluff]

Heck, you can change it up every single scene. Just for kicks. Show up in one scene with blonde hair. Show up in another with freckles. Show up in another as the opposite gender. Whatever you want!

Play up a Mary Sue aspect by using purple prose that deliberately contradicts itself to describe yourself.

IIRC, Kitsune can crank up their enchantment DCs. Do that.

[Psyren]

I took this as an exemple, there's a build floating around with a level of vivisectionist for mutagen and SA on top of DD. But the dragon theme is pretty overused, IMHO.

You could always refluff or even tweak it. It could easily advance another bloodline like, say, Orc, Then you replace some of the more dragony things like the breath weapon, claws and wings. It could still grant the same ability score and AC buffs.

I could see a whole suite of "X Disciple" paragon-sorcerer-style PrCs being created this way.

[Red Fel]

IIRC, Kitsune can crank up their enchantment DCs. Do that.

If you want to go that route, take the Fey bloodline instead of Rakshasa. Kitsune naturally gain +1 to the DC of Enchantment spells they cast; their favored class option for Sorcerer adds another +1/4 to Enchantment DCs. The Fey bloodline arcana ads +2 to Compulsion spells on top of that. The spells are great, and by Sorc 15, you can turn invisible (as Greater Invisibility) for up to 15 rounds per day, need not be consecutive, which is a fun bonus. Between your Enchantment (Compulsion) spells and your ability to vanish quickly (plus the ability to change shape), people will adore you, and by the time they snap out of it, you'll be gone. Everyone will love and fear you.

[Snowbluff]

You could crossblood the two.

[Drelua]

I haven't had the chance yet, but I'd really like to try a Pathfinder Sorcadin. I'm not sure exactly how I'd do it though. I might try to combine Eldritch Knight and Dragon Disciple, Maybe something like Paladin 2/Sorcerer 3/DD 4/ Eldritch Knight 6 at level 15, finishing off EK then taking one more Sorcerer if I made it to level 20. I'd probably want to be an Angel-Blooded Aasimar for the STR and CHA boost, maybe taking the Crossblooded archetype since I'd be able to afford the hit to my Will, although the lost spells known might hurt. I'd have 17 BAB and 16th level casting, so I'd lose 9th level spells, but still be plenty powerful.

[Zubrowka74]

... maybe taking the Crossblooded archetype since I'd be able to afford the hit to my Will, although the lost spells known might hurt. I'd have 17 BAB and 16th level casting, so I'd lose 9th level spells, but still be plenty powerful.

You can get extra spell known as a favored class bonus now. This might help mitigate the crossblooded hit to spell progression.

[Zubrowka74]

Seeing the racial archetypes there's a Kitsune Trickster for Rogue... Which leads back to the Arcane Trickster mentioned earlier. Bloodline powers would'nt be advanced by the PrC, right? So we burn feats for Eldritch Heritage and forego Crossblooded. I'll but all this together when I'll have access to Hero Lab.

On a side thought, I wonder what effect the 20th level Rakshasa bloodline power on a Kistune...

[grarrrg]

Fun builds at 15?
Could do a Gundolon, Slippery Pete, Naked Dwarf-O-Natural Attacks (technically the non-Dwarf version is more optimized, but Dwarf is more fun), that one build that had about 6 different racial ancestries........

I'm OK with Rogue 1/Wiz 4/Sleepless Detective 1/Arcane Trickster 9.

Skill Monkey, Trap Finder, and wizard awesome. Will have 9th level spells at 19.

Fixed that for you

[Dyllan]

I've always liked the Animal Companion centered builds... or at least I did in 3.5: The druid who's just there to cheer on his pet.

Actually, I just built something like that with a Hunter... and it looks like it'll work SO much better. All my feats will be Teamwork feats so I can give them to my companion... who is going to end up with a ludicrous number of feats. Also, eidolon style evolutions.

Also, I just finished playing the Kitsune Enchanter... added in the trait that gives +1 to saves vs language dependent spells to anyone who could be attracted to you... unfortunately, he just died at level 3, before he even got second level spells to play with.

[Sayt]

Master of Many Style 2/Soulknife (Gifted Blade/Deadly Fist) 13. Is an incredibly fun unarmed build that can get pretty close to WIS SAD (Attack and damage with Focused Offense blade skill, AC from monk, wis-manifesting from gifted blade). Pick up Pummeling Style and Dragon Ferocity, as well as the Deadly Blow blade skill and enhance your unarmed strikes with keen.

Leaves you with 6 attacks at 2d6+(1.5*Wis) at 17-20/x3, and pummeling style means if any of them crit, they all crit!

[Snowbluff]

I just hashed out a PoW build.

Warlord4/Sorc1(crossblood elemental and draconic)/Bladecaster. This gives you so many options for flanking, cha based bonuses, as well as some spells to dish out. For example, you can hit with a strike to give a penalty to a save, then follow up with a swift action bestow curse. Early levels you tumble around to give bonus damage, or shoot rays at foes in melee combat to give an AC penalty. *drools*

[Zrak]

Making Arcane Archer a significantly less terrible PrC also made it a much more fun option. It adds great utility without taking too many caster levels; archery is a reliable source of damage and hands-down the best answer to DR, imbued arrows are useful even outside of combat if you get creative, and the other class features are fun fluff-wise if not particularly useful. Bard/Arcane Archer can be fun, since it plays nicely off the Bard's decent BAB and you'll have a lot of the most enjoyable parts of bard by the time you qualify. Plus, you can insist your bard is playing Looney Toons music as his arrow turns around a corner/explodes when the enemy catches it. Bard 8/AA7 should work. Human is the way to go, since archery burns through feats like they were going out of style; a floating ability modifier and an unbeatable favored class bonus don't hurt, either.

Transmuter 5/Eldritch Knight 6/Arcane Archer 4 is pretty fun, too, since wizard lets you change up your game plan day-to-day if you get bored; imbue arrows to wreak havoc with spells that are supposed to be centered on the caster one day, rely on archery while saving your spells for an epic nova the next day, then focus your spells around non-combat encounters the next. You need to be an outsider to qualify for Eldritch Knight without spending a level to gain proficiency with all martial weapons. Tiefling is probably the best bet since you get ideal ability bonuses and can grab a few nice traits, as well.

[Akal Saris]

Wise Master: Sensei Monk 13/Inquisitor 2 (Inquisitor Archetypes: Infiltrator (trade monster knowledge for adding Wis to bluff & diplomacy; domain = conversion inquisition (use wisdom in place of charisma for bluff, diplomacy, and intimidate). Can also use the Champion of Irori trait to use Wis for 1 physical skill like tumble), as well as a Guided weapon for wis-to-attack and damage. Acts as the party face, party scout, and with Monk of the 4 Winds combined with sensei, you can use a swift action to grant everyone in the party 2 extra standard actions, and/or other cool monk ki abilities (with qinggong monk, you could link the entire party with battlemind link, or, more dubiously, have everyone activate dragon's breath and prepare to dodge books from the DM).

Evil summoning: Abyssal Sorcerer 15 can summon 2 devils rather than 1 each time (and questionably 3 each time with superior summons, through 1 reading of the feat). Could be fun for a summoner type.

Harrowed Caster: Using early entry tricks, an Aasimar Cleric 2/sorcerer 1/Mystic theurge 10/harrower 2 (with the bloodline for sorcerer that swaps casting for Wis), gaining cleric 14 and sorcerer 11 casting at ECL 15, and harrower abilities should work with both classes' spell-casting for some cool minor boosts.

[Zubrowka74]

So I went the Thousand face Kitsune route. The Build is completed but I'm having afterthoughts on minor points.

I've added Destructive Dispel and Spell Perfection (Dispel Magic) for extra fun - Free Quickened Dispel? With possibly dissabling effects? Yes, please.

I also had to choose a third Metamagic feat (I got Empowered for free as a lineage bonus, even though it's pretty much useless) between Still spell and Silent Spell. I initially choose Still so I could cast while impaired, but I'm hesitating as a Silent Dimension Door would have no components at all. Now you see me, now you don't!

What's your take on this?

[Sayt]

You need to be an outsider to qualify for Eldritch Knight without spending a level to gain proficiency with all martial weapons. Tiefling is probably the best bet since you get ideal ability bonuses and can grab a few nice traits, as well.

This doesn't work. You need to have actual Outsider Hit Dice to grant proficiencies, just just the type. Dipping a level of Ranger/Fighter/Whatever isn't going to kill you.

[Serafina]

A Half-Elven Investigator/Swashbuckler with Sleuth and Inspired Blade Archetypes.
You get two rather large pools (half Investigator level + Int modifier for Inspiration) (Charisma modifier x2 + Int modifier for Panache) to play with.
Inspiration basically makes you good at all skills and can be used to defend against spells too.
Panache can be used for Deeds, which you get plenty off. Higher land speeds, acrobatic feats, riposte attacks and evasion. Oh and higher melee reach with the right (not too expensive) magic item.

You should have options in basically every situation.
Spending Inspiration makes you decent at even barely-trained skills, so you can contribute something in almost all situations out of combat.
In combat, you are a highly agile fighter that relies on very precise and nasty strikes.

At level 15, you could attack opponents with 10 foot reach, have +12 BAB combined with a +6 insight bonus to attack rolls and +9 to damage, as well as +5D6 on your studied strike. That makes you a pretty capable combatant, and thanks to the "Make it Count" deed you can inflict various conditions (no AoOs, sickened, free combat maneuvers) with your attacks too.


Flavor-wise, you can of course be a detective that fights with analysis and precision.
Or you could be a young, smart, desperate survivor that goes by on luck, adrenaline and pure skill.
Or an adventure archeologist. Or a dashing swordsman, a bumbling fool with fate on their side etc.

Spoiler: Actual Build

Show

Half-Elf Investigator 13/Swashbuckler 3
At least Intelligence and Charisma 14, Dexterity 16, higher if point-buy allows. Other stats aren't really needed (constitution for hp and to compensate your rather weak fortitude save)
Take the "+1/4 on all Inspiration rolls" option for your favored class bonus. Take Amazing Inspiration, Quick Study and Combat Inspiration. Possibly Extra Inspiration and Focused Inspiration if you want to fit it in.
Take Signature Deed (Make it Count) to basically get all studied combat enhancing talents for free.
Take Piranha Strike (Power Attack for Finesse Weapons) and get an Agile Weapon. If you want to make use of Combat Maneuvers (via studied combat talents), take Agile Maneuvers.

Spend your skills on whatever you want the most - i recommend maximized disable device (you do have trapfinding) and at least 1 rank in every knowledge skill and spellcraft (to get free inspiration rolls on them).

You still have a bunch of feats free, as well as a few talents.

It's no 15th-level spellcaster in regards to flexibility, but being a non-spellcaster can be appealing and you have very good flexibility for a non-caster.

[Dasgovernator]

It's not fancy, or even all that clever, but This is one of my favorite build concepts of all time. The guide helps sell it too.

[emeraldstreak]

In PF? Mountain Druid is very strong post-lvl 12.

[Dayaz]

Be a rogue (pickpocket) 3/brawler (steelbreaker) 12

Take the feats Throw Anything, Defensive Combat, and do Power Throw, and whatever you have to to use improvised weapons.

Sneak up on them and steal their weapon then sa flurry them, and after that defensive fighting while stealing all their stuff in combat while they can't hit you, and use their potions as improvised Power Throw fodder