Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Durik_ke_Mendeyr Sep 14, 2009 15:02:33	After the Dragon article with LFR domains came out and no domain access was granted to worshippers of exarchs or primoridal I decided to look into ways around that.  It turns out Changelings have access to the Fickle Servant feat which allows them to choose domains not associated with their deity.  So this opens up a great number of possibilities, but none have really grabbed me yet.  Does anyone have suggestions for a good concept for an exarch or primordial worshipping divine changeling with Fickle Servant?
#2 Dragon9 Sep 14, 2009 17:59:13	We'll need a bit more information to go on.  Who does your PC worship?  Are you looking for something thematic?  Or are you looking for something "strong?"
#3 Durik_ke_Mendeyr Sep 19, 2009 17:12:35	Well in narrowing down possibilities I am looking at a Changeling Paladin of Labelas Enoreth.  The life domain and Luruar as a home region should both work.  The big issue I am having is what weapon?  While a long sword and shield combo is basic and effective it doesn't seem quite right.  A quarterstaff is the deity's favored weapon, but it has a lot of mechanical drawbacks.
#4 Dragon9 Sep 19, 2009 22:54:44	I'd just stick with Sword and Board.
#5 Cailte Sep 22, 2009 10:32:59	If you really want to go with the staff, that is ok - Staff Fighting is a feat you should take however if you do so - getting the defensive property on your staff helps with the AC thing. Str 14, Con 14, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14. can get you Str 19, Con 19, Dex 14, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 24. with Chosen or Demigod and thus acccess to: Level 1: Staff Fighting Level 11: Two-Weapon Fighting Level 12: Two-Weapon Defense Level 14: Two-Weapon Opening Level 21: Bludgeon Mastery It is a pretty nice concept and not entirely mechanically unsound - Focussed Expertise (Staff) will sort out attack bonus deficiency when combined with the AV2 staff that works as a Holy Symbol.
#6 Durik_ke_Mendeyr Sep 28, 2009 15:15:05	I think I will go with the quarterstaff as more or less a backup weapon, walking stick, lever, and prop.  Sword and board will be my primary weapon setup.  There are too many other feats that fit the concept better then spending feats to make quarterstaff work.  The focus will be on life and history.  The skill powers from PHB 3 that have been previewed in Dragon will really help with playing up the historian aspect as will a home region of Luruar.  Lay on hands, the life domain feat, and several other Paladin feats look to be useful for focusing on healing or life. While it would definitely fit the concept, would it be overkill to take History skill utility powers for each utility slot that I can fill with them?
#7 Cailte Sep 30, 2009 20:23:19	For the History Skill Powers, not really, just make sure you are not sacrificing your role to much to take the History stuff. That said over the course of the characters levels you should easily be able to balance the Role with the History stuff and get all the History utilities. As to the staff putting 5 feats into your weapon and AC isn't a bad thing when you get so many of them. It takes 0 feats to make the staff work, it just takes 5 to make it optimal. Consider the Following progression: Level 1: Staff Fighting Level 2: Fickle Servant Level 4: Pulse of Life Level 6: Skill Focus (History) Level 8: Divine Channeler (Cleric) - Healer's Mercy Level 10: Power of Life Level 11: Two-Weapon Fighting Level 12: Two-Weapon Defense Level 14: Two-Weapon Opening Level 16: Healer's Implement Level 18: Pick any Feat you like Level 20: Pick any Feat you like Level 21: Bludgeon Mastery Level 22,24,26,28,30: Pick any Feat you like That gives you plenty of healing power, and boosts your History, and you still get to optimise the Satff.
#8 Dragon9 Oct 01, 2009 8:12:11	See, i see that as a problem.  5 feats is almost all your heroic tier feats just to make one weapon useable.  Yeah, if you really want touse it for thematic reasons, than I suppose it's worth it, but still that leaves one open feat slot in Heroic to take something unrelated to your weapon.
#9 Cailte Oct 01, 2009 10:32:42	Ah it's 1 feat in Heroic, 3 in Paragon (often the weakest feat area), and 1 in Epic, and frankly all 3 Paragon feats are optional. They are the "optimise the weapon" feats because they are "Two-Weapon" ones. So in this case they increase your damage, increase your AC, and if you get a crit with the staff let you make an extra melee basic (oh wait Paladins have an At Will that works as Melee Basic). The other two feats increase your crit range and increase your AC (stacking with the TWo-Weapon Defense boost). So not just "making the weapon useable"... It is also less than the 6 feats dedicated to the specific themes of History and Life mentioned (given that 1 of them is history and the rest are Life related), and there is still 2 Paragon feats and all but the 1 Epic feat to play with.