Shieldbearer build help

[slainebijt]

I want opinions on a shieldbeareer build.
I'm going to play on lower than Normal, I'm quite new to this but I have played tabletop RPG's and other RPG's games.
For the run I'm not using any pets. I have read that pets are the best in this game but I don't want to use them so that I can learn the game. It is difficult enough with all the feats and such.
I also figured with a shieldbearer and Seelah on the frontline that you have enough to attract attention from enemies and hold them back.

The build:

Class: Warpriest - Shieldbearer
Race: Aasimar - Plumekith (Garuda-Blooded) --> +2 Dexterity and Wisdom.
Background: Qadiran Wanderen --> Gives me Perception and Lore (Nature as skill) +
bonus on fatigue and exhaustion checks
Deity: Godclaw
Blessings: Strength and Law
Skills:

• Perception: Max,
  
• Lore (Nature): Max --> or other class skill
  
• Mobility: 10 --> I took Mobility for the checks against attacks of opportunity

Ability Scores:

• Strength: 16 --> 20, increase on levels 4,8,12 and 16
  
• Dexterity: 17 --> 18, increase on level 20
  
• Constitution: 14
  
• Intelligence: 12 --> I want more skill points, this gives me 10 to put in Mobility for instance.
  
• Wisdom: 16
  
• Charisma: 7

Feats: You get 16 feats in total, 10 + 6 bonus combat feats from shieldbearer class

• Level 1: Shield Bash (from class), Weapon Focus Scimitar (from class), Shield Focus
  
• Level 3: Two-Weapon Fighting, Double Slice
  
• Level 5: Dodge
  
• Level 6: Combat Mobility
  
• Level 7: Outflank
  
• Level 9: Missile Shield, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
  
• Level 11: Shield Master
  
• Level 12: Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
  
• Level 13: Bashing Finish
  
• Level 15: Toughness, Improved Critical
  
• Level 17: Critical Focus
  
• Level 18: Hammer the gap
  
• Level 19: Blinding Critical

I can take Shield Master at level 11 because the level is used to calculate Base Attack Bonus for feats instead the real BAB of the character, which is 8 at level 11 for a shieldbearer. I think this is a bug.

For the rest feats can be switched, replaced and such, like take dodge on level 1 and shield focus on level 5 or 6. You need Shield Focus for the Mythic feat you can take at Mythic level 2.
Talking about Mythic, I'm not sure what to take. The only thing that I'm sure of is taking Thundering Blows as mythic ability at Mythic level 1 and take Shield Focus Mythic as feat on Mythic level 2.
If I don't choose Legend then I would take the extra casting abilities.

What are your opinions about this build?
Can I improve it?
Take into account no pets.

[lordgizka]

It actually doesn't matter what you play as on "lower than normal", because even on normal things will just die if you have like three martial characters. As for the build, it's fine. You have your dual wield thing there. Maybe too much dex, I dunno. I suggest you play on daring, for starters. Oh and you want 14 int for more skill points, 12 will give you as many as 10.

[pete3great]

Your stat points are spread too thin. And I'm pretty you have too many of them (like, you have six level boosts instead of five).

Also, I don't know about duel wielding for a build like this, though with the shield bash, I get it. There are four feats I'd drop: Missile shield (always keep anti-missile spells up instead), toughness (meh), critical focus (newb trap feat), blinding critical.

Because you did take combat mobility, I'd throw lunge as a feat in their to replace one of the above, then I would stay enlarged all the time. Because it looks like you're building this to self-buff and not spell-blast, extend spell might be worth considering.

[slainebijt]

Originally posted by pete3great:

Your stat points are spread too thin. And I'm pretty you have too many of them (like, you have six level boosts instead of five).

Also, I don't know about duel wielding for a build like this, though with the shield bash, I get it. There are four feats I'd drop: Missile shield (always keep anti-missile spells up instead), toughness (meh), critical focus (newb trap feat), blinding critical.

Because you did take combat mobility, I'd throw lunge as a feat in their to replace one of the above, then I would stay enlarged all the time. Because it looks like you're building this to self-buff and not spell-blast, extend spell might be worth considering.

Indeed, I have one too many level boost but I didn't calculate it.
Why is 'Critical Focus' a newbie trap feat?

[canuck250]

Here is my alt take on a SB build like yours. (not saying to use mine over yours but might find something you like or at least more understanding on the system).

Dex is needed for twf and adds to ac but your twf weapons of choice are str, meaning dex is less important then str. To get greater twf you need 19 dex, wearing gear counts towards your ability score for feats, meaning that you need at least 13 dex at creation, with a +6 belt (common later in game) you can still get all your twf feats. Having 14 dex is nice for +2 ac but more then that gets 'waisted'. unless wearing light armour but with a build like this, you want str so wearing heavier armour is fine.

Class - SB
Race - Tiefling Hungerseed. Since you took Aasimar, taking this for the +2 str and +2 wis, motherless is nice for a bite attack but has a -2 int and since you want skill points going hungerseed instead (I often dump int so mother works great for that).

Background Acolyte - To change persuasion into wis from cha, since we are dumping that. Perception is great but since every character can roll for it and persuasion checks can be forced to mc.

Skills - rush mobility to 3 otherwise max perception and persuasion as prio. Take a 1~ in UMD for scroll access.

Ability Scores:
Strength: 18 --> 22
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 5

Then you can add 1 more to dex/con/wis then use the level 20 to make it even.

or for more min/max but keeping int
Strength: 20 --> 24
Dexterity: 13 --> 14 @ 20
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 14
Charisma: 5

Deity and blessings - your rp. I like nobility, protection and travel; tho I often have a cleric for nobility/protection.

For feats, I am going to add in estocs as imo a fun combo of the crippling kiss estoc and holemaker heavy spiked shield.

1 - Exotic weapon focus - estoc have to take this asap to take weapon focus - estoc.

3 - power attack, cleave - while we are going shield bash, for the first 4~ levels, using the masterwork glaive found at the start of the maze, the book that gives +1 glaives and the cleave ability is going to be your best dps/maze/act 1 clearer. This isn't really needed, more a tip.

5 - cleaving finish - when we go into shield bash mode, with lunge, this passive really helps clear the trash. Trade both cleave and finish with dodge + if you want better defences.

6 - two-weapon fighting (should be able to take this earlier if wanted, once you get a +2 dex belt)

7 - outflank

9 - Improved Crit - Estoc, Lunge

11 - Shield Master

12 - Bashing Finish

13 - improved twf

15 - Double slice, Imp Crit - Spiked heavy shield bash

17 - Greater twf (can't remember when you get a +6 dex belt so might be able to take earlier if wanted)

18 -
19 -

Last couple spots are anything, blind fight, more ac, weapon spec, weapon focus for main or shield, dazzling display+shatter defense, etc. I personally like toughness as a feat but I often take it on my con focused kines.

I am also not a fan of the critical focus feats, most cases, in a str melee build, if you crit, they die so adding a status after isn't that helpful. Imo strong supports to melee mc is and/or cam/daeran dual wielding rapiers on a pet, they do low damage but crit often, so crit effects could become useful... However they do not have enough feats to really support all of that so meh.

Mythics

1 - master shapeshifter, but I am addicted to it so not really a rec, might want to take last stand for game over protection with a melee kc.

2 - twf or imp crit

3 - Every ready

4 - other choice from 2

5 - abundant casting

6 - imp crit shield bash

7 - imp abund casting

8 - master shape/last stand

9 - Unrelenting assault

10 - weapon spec

mythic feats are very changeable, like if you have a skald I would fit in mythic charge. Many other options. Your best buffs are shorter duration and cap at 6th level so take 2 levels of abundant casting.

Legend is a very strong path, I recently tested it with tortured crusader and that worked well enough but for a much more simple is going mut warrior with it, many other options as well. With legend, starting with trickster mythic can get extra crit feats and completely normal spell work great for shield bearer, esp with my crip kiss/holemaker combo, tho like reasoning for crit focus, this combo is mostly overkill.

[pete3great]

I would probably throw combat mobility in there somewhere. With ever ready, lunge+getbig, no one will get by you without getting wacked. I also don't think that build finishes the cleave line, which I would absolutely do as early as possible before focusing on shield. Once you do have both lines though you will be ridiculous.

[canuck250]

Originally posted by pete3great:

finishes the cleave line, which I would absolutely do as early as possible before focusing on shield. Once you do have both lines though you will be ridiculous.

I wouldn't recommend finishing the cleave line. Even with lunge, as a non reach user, the amount of times greater cleaving will trigger are few and most cases those are trash fights. I over value cleaving finish pre level 8, where using cleave and cleaving finish really help add dmg and attacks in a low action econ (even more so if mc is str, I always use glaives in the first act). Once you start getting multiple attacks and stronger feats, things die too fast to gather up around you to make use of greater cleave or you do not do enough damage to make use of cleaves.

For example, IMO dazzling+shatter is miles on miles ahead of greater cleave+finish. The first 2 feats will help you kill tough enemies/bosses, the latter kills trash faster. Unless fighter/legend where you have an abundance of feats, just so many other better choices.