Pathfinder - Question 2 Options

[Machiavelli]

Maybe i am too stubborn, maybe i am simply too focused on SR and too old to open up my mind for another game concept, but there is something i don´t get and I hope you can help me with.

Like I pointed out, I want to be a mage because I like magic. But I dislike that I cannot heal. If i understood it right, every class I am interested in (wizard, druid, cleric), has a limited number of spells per day. But if I multiclass e.g. a druid and a wizard, do I really have the number of spells of the wizard for common magic AND the number of spells for divine magic from the druid?

I also read how bad multiclassing is, but I really don´t get it why. Is it really that much of a drawback, if I am a mage level 3 and multiclass as druid level 1 while the other characters are level 4 in one single class? The one level I “miss” as a mage is giving me that much of an disadvantage? So that would mean, that every char. in the group need to have the same class to be efficient? How bad is it, if you target enemies with a level or 2 above yours? Is it like the guys with the skull in borderlands, that you simply do not hit and do no damage?

Half-elves get a bonus class from character creation. So this one is for free. My feeling says to me, that e.g. becoming fighter as “side-class” would be interesting, but do I see that right? Gives that any advantage for me? Can I fight better? Do I have to split my skills and talents or do I get the double amount?

We haven´t played up to now and so I don´t know what results my decisions may cause. I don´t want to “miss-skill” my char. right from the beginning, because I don´t think the gamemaster will give me a free respect. ^^

[Shortstraw]

Ok. On the Fighter side when you take a level of wizard you lose a point of base attack bonus every 2 levels which means you get extra attacks in melee combat. Imagine if in SR if you put all your points into combat skills you could attack 4 times per IP rather than twice in addition to the extra dice you get to hit. On the mage side imagine you can only start with magic 1 but with every 2 levels of wizard gives you 1 more magic (and since you can just cast more spells you get 1 extra drain resist dice per wizard level). Fighter levels give you nothing. Cleric/druid levels give you resonance instead of magic every 2.

There are ways to get around these issues but they are mainly through what are called prestige classes which are more specialized options than the core classes. So mystic theurge gets 1 magic AND resonance every 2 levels and the eldritch knight gets all the attacks of the combat guy and only gives up 1 magic.

Note: Action economy is important and the mystic theurge gets the ability to cast two spells with one action so is rather good.

Another thought is just to play a cleric as they still get a lot of blasty/utility spells plus they get their channel energy for healing and can wear armour and still cast (and it keeps it simple for a first character).

[Machiavelli]

Ok, this seems approbriate. Thank you. Also i will have a look on the prestige classes. As long as i meet the requirements, i can get such a class theoreticall right from the start, isn´t it?

[Shortstraw]

Technically yes, but most prestige classes require BAB +5 or ability to cast level 2 spells etc so you would need to already have 5 warrior levels or 3 caster levels respectively.

Also I didn't see the comment about the half elf bonus. What it does is give you an extra favored class. During character creation you choose a favored class p31(or two for half elves). "Whenever a character gains a level
in his favored class, he receives either + 1 hit point or + 1 skill rank." So if you were going to play a rogue but decided you wanted the alchemists ability to use poisons, a half elf could pick bot classes and get the extra skill/hp per level but another race would have to pick one and only get the benefit for those levels.

Note: prestige classes cannot be favored classes.

[Machiavelli]

Actually i am thinking about a mage/cleric mixture. But what you said means, that if i get the prestige classes right away, i will not get the skill or HP-bonus at all? So from which point on does a prestige class make sense?

[Shortstraw]

Higher caster level is what you want most so you want level 3 wizard/ level 3 cleric/ mystic theurge 10. So you would be a level 16 that casts as a lvl 13 wizard and 13 cleric (level 7 spells) and can cast one of each per round.

[Starmage21]

Maybe i am too stubborn, maybe i am simply too focused on SR and too old to open up my mind for another game concept, but there is something i don´t get and I hope you can help me with.

Like I pointed out, I want to be a mage because I like magic. But I dislike that I cannot heal. If i understood it right, every class I am interested in (wizard, druid, cleric), has a limited number of spells per day. But if I multiclass e.g. a druid and a wizard, do I really have the number of spells of the wizard for common magic AND the number of spells for divine magic from the druid?

I also read how bad multiclassing is, but I really don´t get it why. Is it really that much of a drawback, if I am a mage level 3 and multiclass as druid level 1 while the other characters are level 4 in one single class? The one level I “miss” as a mage is giving me that much of an disadvantage? So that would mean, that every char. in the group need to have the same class to be efficient? How bad is it, if you target enemies with a level or 2 above yours? Is it like the guys with the skull in borderlands, that you simply do not hit and do no damage?

Half-elves get a bonus class from character creation. So this one is for free. My feeling says to me, that e.g. becoming fighter as “side-class” would be interesting, but do I see that right? Gives that any advantage for me? Can I fight better? Do I have to split my skills and talents or do I get the double amount?

We haven´t played up to now and so I don´t know what results my decisions may cause. I don´t want to “miss-skill” my char. right from the beginning, because I don´t think the gamemaster will give me a free respect. ^^

Multiclassing is generally a good thing, but realize in Pathfinder they put a lot of effort into removing "dead levels" and such to seriously incentivize playing a single class all the way to level 20. Full casters have the MOST incentive to never, ever deviate to any class that does not continue to advance their casting. Full casters are the most powerful and most versatile character classes there are. As a wizard, if you are not relying on spells, you are flat out doing it wrong. Your advancement is somewhat quadratic and not linear, and every time you deviate from casting advancement for something else, you are giving up a big chunk of power.

[Tiralee]

Shoving my oar in here...

Pathfinder is 3.5 without the suck - there, now that's said, I'll cover a few other salient points.

All species, all classes in Pathfinder are designed, playtested and shaped not to suck. You can play a dwarf sorcerer and still be good at it.
There' no "oh, god, someone's playing X species or Y class, or WYQ multiclass (unless they want to go into seriously weird prestige classes...which I found were the less-balanced of all the pathfinder fun.)

So play what you want, if you want not to get out of the comfort zone of the Elf wizard (Wizard needs food badly, Wizard is about to die) that's up to you, but do have a look at what else is on offer.
And Pathfinder is online - all of it.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/

This is the meat without the pretty text, but 4 seconds of google could have got you the same thing.

If you likey the spelly, why not try an Alchemist, tosses bombs, makes elixers, gets to hulk up (if they wish) and has a good range of spells (Ok, identical spell-like effects) and can brew healing stuff....and make their bombs into AOE heal zones:).

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advance.../alchemist.html

Anyhow - just have fun, it's easier to do cinematic stuff and really RP your inner fantasy pink-mohawk without screwing up the rest of the party:)

-Tir:)

[KarmaInferno]

I recently started a Pathfinder character that engages the manly art of fisticuffs using... his mustache.

Yes. It can be that kind of game.



-k

[Tiralee]

Our Druid's animal companion (Mr Wuffles) has had more "screen time" and character development than the majority of our 7-member party - the table joke of "it's not a Druid, it's a dire badger with a druid translator and personal assistant" has come true, horribly.

Still, I've dropped the team into a mine now haunted by wights (team is level...oooh, 3?) and expect to see them survive and thrive.

Don't look at me that way - they wanted the "hard mode" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


-Tir:)

[Starmage21]

Our Druid's animal companion (Mr Wuffles) has had more "screen time" and character development than the majority of our 7-member party - the table joke of "it's not a Druid, it's a dire badger with a druid translator and personal assistant" has come true, horribly.

Still, I've dropped the team into a mine now haunted by wights (team is level...oooh, 3?) and expect to see them survive and thrive.

Don't look at me that way - they wanted the "hard mode" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


-Tir:)

Wights are survivable at their level if there arent too many of them. They will feel those Negative Levels.