It’s a build based on shapeshifting and combat maneuvers (Trip and others), i plan to use it for my unfair run later when most of the bugs will be fixed, i already tried it in beta and it work well in the actual hardest difficulty.
i will also talk about builds you can make for some companions :Camellia, Seelah and lann to maximise things.
Race : Tiefling
Background : Oblate : martial discipline
STR : 20 (+4 lvl8 to 20)
DEX : 17 (+1 lvl4)
CON : 7 (the build can reach high amount of CON, don’t worry)
INT : 14 (it will be increase by +4 int. item to be able to cast up to lvl8 spell then +2 at the end from DD)
WIS : 10 (we don’t want to reduce too much our will saves)
CHA : 5 (we’ll don’t use arcanist exploits with DC, and 1 Consume spell per day is enough to fill our arcanist reservoir)
level 1 : BFT : (brown fur transmutter), martial weapon proficiency, arcanist exploit : wooden flesh.
MWP is needed to become eldrich knight later and it will allow us to use good reach weapons during the early game to deal massive damage, and a +2 natural armor buff for 1 min per arcanist level who stack with everything is always good, because it’s an abilty and not a spell, we can use it while shapeshifted.
level 2 BFT.
level 3 : BFT : combat expertise (don’t activate it, it’s just needed for trip).
at level 3 we get “Powerful Change” when we spend 1 arcanist magical energy before a transmutation spell who give a bonus to one or more ability, it increase the bonus by 2, now enlarge person give +4 STR, reduce person +4 DEX (+3 AC in total with the size bonus), when we shapeshift, only the 3 physical stats are affected, let’s say we take a form who give us +4 polymorph bonus to STR, -2 to DEX and 0 to CON, if we use it with Powerful Change, we’ll get +6 STR , 0 DEX, +2 CON polymorph bonus. Mental stats are not affected.
level 4 : BFT
now we get our +4 stats spells boost who will give +6 with Powerful change, a bull’s strength and a enlarge person can give someone +10 STR. (+4 size bonus, +6 enhancement bonus)
level 5 : BFT : Trip, arcanist exploit : dimentionnal slide, it’s basicaly a teleport ability we can use while shapeshifted for 1 magical energy as a move action. Situationnal but can be very useful sometimes.
level 6 : BFT
now we get our level 3 spells and Beast Shape I (wolf form),normally it give +2/0/0, with powerful change, that’s +4/+2/+2, we can now reach 36 str (20+ 6 enhancement with bull strength + 4 size with enlarge person + 4 polymorph with beast shape I + 2 moral with rage spell)
Wolf have a free trip attempt each time he hit with his bite.
we’ll get our first mythic hero level, demon is the best path for our build, but no need to take the first demon power, gore attack is useless while shapeshifted and it’s not mandatory to become a demon.
we will choose instead :
mirror image like ability who can be used while shapeshifted is nice.
for the mythic ability we take enduring spells.
level 7 : EK (Eldrich Knight) : fury’s fall (+DEX to CMB when using trip), Combat reflexe.
With martial weapons and level 3 spells, it’s time to increase our BAB, we’ll need it to get some important feats.
level 8 : EK : mythic feat : extra mythic ability : Greater enduring spell
we’ll get our 2nd mytic level around level 8, and now all our buffs with 1 or 10 min per level last 24H, it’s a huge upgrade it make everything easier after that.
level 9 : EK : Greater trip
we just reached 6 BAB to get it. we also get our lvl4 spells, reduce person and enlarge person, mass are nice.
level 10 : EK
we also gain our third mythic level and choose demon and “brutality incarnate” who bypass damage resistance for your naturals weapons.
level 11 : EK : pummeling style, improved initiative
level 5 spells, we get metamorphose spell who can transform allies into leopard or small elemental.
animal growth who give a big buff to pets (+10 STR, + 6 CON with powerful change and +1 size)
level 12 EK :
at this time we’ll get our level 4 mythic level and can take extra mythic ability :
on top of the base polymorph bonus of each shapeshifted form, we get now +6 to STR, DEX, and CON with this feat and Powerful Change, i could have taken that earlier and brutality incarnate now, i’m not sure what’s is best. and our first aspect during demon rage, the most important one :
level 13 EK : pummeling bully who give us a free trip attempt each round
we don’t need wolf form now than we have another source of trip and can take the strongest form available at each level, smilodon for pounce and 5 attacks, earth elemental for bonus to maneuvers
other form with built-in other maneuvers, etc
we also get our level 6 spells including 24H +6 stats party buff.
then it’s time to go dragon disciple for extra stats, i will not detail from here, the only mandatory mythic feat is mythic trip, finaly there is room to take different routes from here, another maneuver for the creatures who are immune to trip maybe, mythic mage armor for extra AC, etc
Don’t forget Demon get spells included demon form I to V each allow you to choose between 2 or 3 demon form and some of them are nice and maneuvers oriented.
at level 7 spell you’ve got legendary proportions who give +8 str +2 dex +6 con and+6 natural armor for 24 hours as a size bonus instead of enlarge person. greater polimorph to change allies into smilodons, dragon I or large elementals, etc
For the companions
Lann will be amazing as a Drovier druid who can share his aspects with the group instead of his ability to shapeshift, but we can shapeshift him at level 11, his high str and dex allow him to be very good at trip too and a dog as a pet who can trip too. the aspect of gorilla at level 4 give +4 to all maneuvers check to everyone.
Seelah who will be built as a tank for the first part of the game can become a battle sion at level 2, a skald who can share not only his rage powers but can choose a teamwork feat to share instead of a rage power if she want, it’s very good, this way she can share coordinated maneuvers, outflank, seize the moment, etc with her good STR, she can be efficient for later with some maneuvers.
Camelia can take another level of shaman to get iceplant (+4 natural armor with an item you’ll find quickly in the game ) then go bloodrager primalist with serpentine bloodline and she can take the crane style route, this way she’ll be able to take the first bloodline power at lvl4 (+1 natural armor which increase by 1 every 4 levels) then at level 8, 2 rages powers instead of bloodline power to get small and medium beast totem (to get +1 armor at first primalist level then +1 at level 4 and each 4 level after).
Because she can cast mage armor on herself, she can use mage armor mythic ability to get extra armor.
She will get also a mythic feat a her level 8 (2 sham + 6 primalist) mythic finesse who give dex to damage with every type of attack (weapons, natural attack, touch etc).
She can take master shapeshifter too, this way at level 11, the transmuter can turn her into a air or fire elemental with massive dex and natural armor bonus. and she’ll become an amazing tank. (thanks to improved uncanny dodge, never flat footed)
As bonus feat, she can acces to trip, combat expertise (who give also more armor same scaling as beast totem if needed but that’s unlikely, that’s 3 things who can give +1 AC every 4 levels), improved initiative, etc
1 level of kinetist knight will give her the prerequisite for trip, this way she can gain it with her bonus feats and will be very good at it.
you can take at level 12 primalist reckless stance and inspired ferocity instead of bloodline feat, to give everyone up to +5 hit but with a -5 malus to AC, but it’s not a big deal, because of the insane AC scaling on Camelia once you start to shapeshift her. Don’t forget all bonus to attack all apply to maneuvers too.
at level 16 she’ll gain an hydra form, with 5 attack / turn + pounce.
one last thing, Nenio can use this spell :
the save only affect the part where the creature fall prone at the end of the bull rush. For the bull rush it’s just a maneuver roll where you can have a big bonus with the extra projectiles, if you take the blood rush feats, they work with the spell, and generate opportunity attack with greater bull rush from the melee around the target . you can’t get imp. bull rush before level 12 (need 6 BAB), but it’s very powerful then because at level 13, you can get 3 projectile. force damage cannot be reduced by resistance to damage, another good thing, and of course buff to attack and maneuvers such as aspect of gorilla, inspire ferocity, hope etc will still apply to it.
in conjonction with any of the pits spells
you can see that the reflex roll is denied when the creature is bull rushed into the pit, it only work on large max creatures but it’s extremely good on thoses. spell resistance doesn’t work against pits.
