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Sharing some of the insights I've found for the companions in the game. I'm not planning on posting any Mercenary or MC builds here, just suggestions on different ways to build or use your Companions. As both a roleplayer and rollplayer, I strive for two standards in each build.

1. It has to be conceptually appropriate. Sure, you could technically make Amiri a Cleric of Erastil for the OP Animal Domain, but canonically she's a follower of Gorum. My builds need to suit the character's concept most of all.

2. They have to be effective. I only post builds that I've personally used on Challenging or harder difficulties and can verify that they pull their weight. I've noticed a LOT of builds get posted out there where the character is a walking liability that contributes nothing until level 15+ when the uber-awesome combo it was building toward takes affect. My builds aim for showing meaningful gain and ability throughout every level.


Build Index
Valerie
Juggernaut Build
Dragonknight Build

Linzi
Iron Halfling
Maximum Support

Amiri
Beast Lord
Barbarian Defender

Harrim
Necrolord
Endbringer

Jaethal
Fell Dragon
Mortis Invicta

Octavia
Arcane Trickster

Regongar
Draconic Guardian

Ekundayo
Perceptive Archer
Sacred Ranger

Tristian
Firelord
Post edited November 20, 2021 by Roahin
high rated
Valerie - Juggernaut Build
End Game: Tower Shield Specialist 8 / Thug 4 / Stalwart Defender 8
Tank Build

Build Notes: This or some variation of this is the most common type of build you'll find for Valerie on gaming websites, YouTube, etc. It's an all-in defensive build mostly about stacking your AC and dropping enemy attack as much as possible. Assuming you have only a set of unenchanted Full Plate, a Tower Shield and no magic gear whatsoever, your AC would be 38(10 Base +2 Dex, +10 Armor, +6 Shield, +3 Stalwart Dodge, +1 Dodge, +2 Defensive Stance, +4 Crane Defensive Fighting) with attack penalty debuffs on her enemy effectively granting another +6 on top of that. As you can imagine, enchanted gear spikes her AC well into the 50's or 60's depending on the quality you find, along with her automatically deflecting one ranged attack per round and reducing 5 points of damage on anything so unlikely as to actually strike her.

Starting Stats
Tower Shield Specialist-1
14 Strength
13 Dexterity
19 Constitution
09 Intelligence
10 Wisdom
15 Charisma
Skills: Athletics 1, Lore (Religion) 1
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard Sword), Toughness, Dodge

Leveling Stats
Level 2 - Thug 1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +2, Persuasion +2, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Weapon Finesse (Free)
Notes: Mobility needs 3 ranks to enhance Fighting Defensively, which should always be turned on, and Persuasion feeds into Dazzling Display, one of the main forms of attacks for this build, with the duration increased by taking Thug levels

Level 3 - Thug 2
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +2
Feats: Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword), Dazzling Display (RT)
Notes: This is the level that Mobility enhances Fighting Defensively. At the start of every combat and every few rounds afterward, Valerie should use Dazzling Display- affected enemies are Shaken and have a -2 to hit, which functionally means Valerie has a +2 AC vs them

Level 4 - Thug 3
Attribute: Intelligence +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Perception +4, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Finesse Training (Choice Doesn't Matter)
Notes: The sooner Intelligence is raised, the more skills you'll ultimately end up with. Like HP and Constitution, you retroactively gain back skills you would've gotten if you raise Intelligence later, but it still means going without and having reduced checks in the meantime.

Level 5 - Thug 4
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Crane Style (RT)
Notes: Rogue 4 is very important because it offers Debilitating Injury, making a target take -4 to hit against Valerie. If he's already Shaken from Dazzling Display, the penalties functionally add up to a +6 AC for her. Also, Crane Style removes much of the penalty for Fighting Defensively while adding another +1 AC.

Level 6 - Tower Shield Specialist 2
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Armor Focus (Heavy)

Level 7 - Tower Shield Specialist 3
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Shield Focus
Notes: The feats for levels 6 and 7 raise AC by +1 each, respectively. Also, Shield Focus says it has a requirement of proficiency with both heavy and light shields. Don't worry, it still applies to Tower Shields too.

Level 8 - Tower Shield Specialist 4
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Intimidating Prowess
Notes: Intimidating Prowess increases the efficacy of Dazzling Display. Since by now you almost certainly have Strength enhancing items, this can amount to as much as +3-+5 to the DC of Dazzling Display, so it's a better choice than Persuasive or Skill Focus. Also, the max Dexterity of Fullplate was raised to +2, so we'll be raising her Dexterity to get the most of that AC immediately and let you save Belts of Dexterity for other more worthy characters and give her Strength and/or Constitution enhancing items.

Level 9 - Stalwart Defender 1
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Shatter Defenses
Notes: Most of the passive AC enhancing / enemy attack debilitating feats are taken and the next few levels will help increase her damage output. Shatter Defenses gives her a significant attack bonus against targets affected by Dazzling Strike, removing their Dexterity bonuses (something that virtually all monsters have a massively inflated amount of in this game). We're also only going to take 1 level of Stalwart Defender for now to get access to the Defensive Stance ability. We need some of the feats in Fighter for the meantime, so we'll revisit this class later.

Level 10 - Tower Shield Specialist 5
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1

Level 11 - Tower Shield Specialist 6
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Improved Critical (Bastard Sword), Weapon Specialization (Bastard Sword)

Level 12 - Tower Shield Specialist 7
Attribute: Constitution +1
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Notes: This is the last level where Tower Shield Specialist offers anything great itself. Your Fullplate will allow you up to a +3 Dex bonus (you should have plenty of physical state enhancing items to take advantage of that by now) and your Armor and Shield penalties should be significantly reduced enough that you can actually see use out of Athletics and Mobility.

Level 13 - Tower Shield Specialist 8
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Greater Shield Focus (Tower), Greater Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword)
Notes: This is where we stop taking Fighter levels. The best of the tanking feats, Greater Shield Focus only require Fighter 8.

Level 14 - Stalwart Defender 2
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Internal Fortitude
Notes: From here on, it's Stalwart Defender levels. She'll get +3 more AC at levels 1, 3 and 7, along with a respectable amount of Damage Reduction. Best of all, the Defender has a d12 Hit Die instead of the Fighter's d10, so it's an all around better choice.

Level 15 - Stalwart Defender 3
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Missile Shield

Level 16 - Stalwart Defender 4
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Fearless Defense
Notes: By now you've noticed that a huge chunk of Valerie's gameplay are you spamming Charisma checks. It's also her last uneven attribute.

Level 17 - Stalwart Defender 5
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Persuasive; Damage Reduction 1/-

Level 18 - Stalwart Defender 6
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Increased Damage Reduction, Damage Reduction 2/- (DP)

Level 19 - Stalwart Defender 7
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Skill Focus - Persuasion; Damage Reduction 4/-
Notes: For me, it's between Skill Focus and Lightning Reflexes at this level. Lightning Reflexes is a bit of a throwaway feat, but by this point, our build is essentially complete. But she does still have Evasion from her Rogue levels, a decent Dexterity and this can only help her chances of avoiding damage. Meanwhile, Iron Will is far too little too late to make a meaningful difference. That said, Skill Focus doubles in strength over 10 ranks, going from +3 to +6 and stacks with the Persuasive feat. You'll find that your Persuasion skill can never be too high for Dazzling Display.

Level 20 - Stalwart Defender 8
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Strength +1; Damage Reduction 5/- (DP)
Notes: All of Valerie's stats are evens and only Strength really benefits mechanically from raising it to an odd level (slightly more carry weight).
Post edited December 01, 2018 by Roahin
high rated
Valerie - Dragonknight Build
End Game: Tower Shield Specialist 1 / Sorcerer 5 / Dragon Disciple 4 / Eldritch Knight 10
Melee Damage / Offtank Build

Build Notes: At the time of this posting, I'm using this build in my current playthrough and have Valerie at level 12. I'm testing out a prime tank build with Amiri and Valerie is (or was supposed to be) offtank and melee damage. It turns out that her buffs let her main tank perfectly well and her damage is outstanding. First time I've had Valerie beat the Federo fight on Challenging+ without having to resort to consumables and prebuffing.
There are Mithral Full Plates available in the game, a +1 version pretty early and the Crusader's +3 Mithral Full Plate a bit later, but with Arcane Armor Mastery the Spell Failure is still at 5%. It's up to you if you're willing to take the 1 in 20 chance of losing a spell. Personally, I found Heart of Valor was enough to carry Valerie through the whole game.
Also, Arcane Armor Mastery will allow you to wear Heart of Valor along with a Light Shield or Buckler and still maintain 0% Spell Failure. The problem is that there aren't many good options. A couple of Light Shield +2's are available in Chapter 2, but even blowing Shield Focus on them, they'd only be just as strong as a single Shield spell. After that, you're looking at Chapter 3-5 before you see anything better in the Buckler and Light Shield territory. Plus, it forces her to use her Bastard Sword one-handed, severely dropping her damage output.
Once Valerie switches from standard tank to gish, her spells should be used to mitigate primarily. Early on, Shield and Mirror Image are great picks. The former for AC, the latter for pure mitigation. Later on things spells Displacement and Stoneskin. Finally, Dragonkind and Transformation will turn her into a near unstoppable beast.

Starting Stats
Tower Shield Specialist-1
14 Strength
13 Dexterity
19 Constitution
09 Intelligence
10 Wisdom
15 Charisma
Skills: Athletics 1, Lore (Religion) 1
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard Sword), Toughness, Dodge

Leveling Stats
Notes: At level 1, there's no difference between a Tower Shield Specialist and a regular Fighter. Though this build doesn't ultimately use a Tower Shield, there aren't any abilities that it gets from the class that are being wasted.

Level 2 - Sorcerer 1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +2, Persuasion +1
Feats: Bloodline (Gold Dragon), Combat Casting
Spells: Shield(1), True Strike(1)
Notes: Any Dragon bloodline works, really. I find that the two most common type of damage you take are Fire and Lightning and I feel like going lightning is a bit too much overlap with Regongar. Also, Gold fits a bit more thematically. We're going to start up Knowledge (Arcana) for Dragon Disciple levels.

Level 3 - Sorcerer 2
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword)
Notes: For the next few levels, ignore your spellcasting. Valerie should be in fullplate and using a shield. The Sorcerer levels will pay dividends later on.

Level 4 - Sorcerer 3
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Persuasion +2
Feats: Natural Armor +1
Spells: Enlarge Person(1)
Notes: Most of the defensive buffs that Valerie gets will be static Natural Armor gains like these. She's going to be staying away from the traditional routes of Crane Style, Shield Focus, etc. Spells are ultimately going to be what she leans on to fill the gap. But again, for the next couple of levels, keep using fullplate and a shield.

Level 5 - Sorcerer 4
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Arcane Armor Training
Spells: Mirror Image(2)

Level 6 - Dragon Disciple 1
Skills: Mobility +3
Feats: Natural Armor +1
Notes: It never hurts to have 3 ranks of Mobility in case you want to fight defensively, even if it's not a major part of this build.

Level 7 - Dragon Disciple 2
Skills: Persuasion +2
Attribute: Strength +2 (DD)
Feats: Arcane Armor Mastery, Power Attack (DD)
Spells: Magic Missile(1), False Life(2)
Notes: Hopefully by this point you have or are near to having the Heart of Valor Mithral Breastplate from the Dwarven Ruins. Once you do, it's time to drop the Full Plate and Shield and unlock your spellcasting ability. Arcane Armor Mastery drops the Spell Failure in Heart of Valor to 0, and the Shield spell is a fine substitute for a shield.

Level 8 - Dragon Disciple 3
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +2
Feats: Natural Armor +1
Spells: Mage Armor(1), Haste(3), Dispel Magic(3)

Level 9 - Dragon Disciple 4
Attribute: Strength +2
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Armor Focus (Medium); Natural Armor +1
Spells: Burning Hands(1), Scorching Ray(2), Displacement(3)
Notes: This is a good cut-off point for Dragon Disciple. Level 5 doesn't increase either BAB or spellcasting, and you won't see another attribute bump until 6, and even then it's only Constitution.

Level 10 - Eldritch Knight 1
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +2
Feats: Cornugon Smash [EK]
Notes: A reflection of core Valerie, instead of Dazzling Strike, her Power Attacks will inflict Shaken on enemies. It might be worth investing in a True Strike here or there to ensure the Cornugon Smash connects.

Level 11 - Eldritch Knight 2
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Improved Critical (Bastard Sword)
Spells: Dragon's Breath(4)

Level 12 - Eldritch Knight 3
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Persuasion +2, Use Magic Device +1
Spells: Burning Arc(2), Fireball(3), Volcanic Storm(4)

Level 13 - Eldritch Knight 4
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Weapon Specialization (Bastard Sword)
Spells: Vampiric Shadow Shield(5)

Level 14 - Eldritch Knight 5
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +2
Feats: Cleave
Spells: Blur(2), Heroism(3), Controlled Fireball(4), Fire Snake(5)

Level 15 - Eldritch Knight 6
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Cleaving Finish
Spells: Transformation(6)

Level 16 - Eldritch Knight 7
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +2
Spells: Greater Invisibility(4), Geniekind(5), Hellfire Ray(6)

Level 17 - Eldritch Knight 8
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Greater Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword)
Spells: Dragonkind II(7)

Level 18 - Eldritch Knight 9
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +2
Feats: Intimidating Prowess[EK]
Spells: Angelic Aspect(5), Dragonkind I(6), Legendary Proportions(7)

Level 19 - Eldritch Knight 10
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Elemental Focus (Fire)
Spells: Dragonkind III(8)

Level 20 - Sorcerer 5
Attribute: Constitution +1
Skills: Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +2
Spells: Firebrand(7), Frightful Aspect(8)
Post edited December 01, 2018 by Roahin
low rated
looks solid enough. not sure about sorc5. it's not like it brings much to the table as you are still stuck with lvl8 spells no matter what there. maybe squeeze in dodge somewhere and get a level of stalwart instead?
high rated
Valerie comes with Dodge and Toughness at level 1, she pretty much auto-qualifies into Stalwart Defender as she levels. When making the build and finding I had a left over level at 20, I toyed around with the different options (not that it matters much at 20). Here's what I came up with and why I went Sorcerer:

Tower Shield Specialist 2: +1 BAB, d10 HP, Fort +1, Burst Barrier, Bonus Fighter Feat
The BAB and HP are nice, but we're really past any useful feats and Burst Barrier is useless without a Tower Shield.

Dragon Disciple 5: d8 HP, Blindsense, Dragon Feat
Objectively worse than the Tower Shield Specialist in every way.

Stalwart Defender 1: +1 BAB, d12HP, Fort +1, Will +1, AC +1, Defensive Stance
Better than both of the above, unquestionably.

Sorcerer 5: d4 HP, Free Bloodline Spell, +1 7th level Spell Known, +1 8th level Spell Known, +1 8th level Spell Slot
Ultimately it came down to Stalwart Defender v. Sorcerer. The HP and defense of Stalwart are obviously very attractive, but I didn't think they were worth sacrificing a 7th and 8th level spell. Defensive Stance just isn't worth Dragonkind III.
Post edited November 29, 2018 by Roahin
high rated
Linzi - Iron Halfling
End Game: Bard 7 / Knife Master 3 / Arcane Trickster 10
Offtank / Buffer-Support Build

Build Notes: You might be aware that Ray and Touch Attack damage spells are in short, non-existent supply for Bards, limiting the seemingly usefulness of a Sneak Attack build. Linzi's role as a buffer and skill monkey are remaining the same, she just now has the ability to tank as well. Her damage output, while enhanced over the usual "auto-attack with crossbow" builds is upped, but not enough to reliably be considered a main damage-dealer. Granted, whenever her auto-attack dagger stabs DO land, they'll do so for 1d3+3+Dexterity Mod+8d8 damage. It's nice seeing little blips of 40-60 damage pop up over her head while she's holding the line.
You'll notice her AC comes out roughly on par with the Valerie "Juggernaut" build AC. With only an unenchanted Studded Leather and her Arcane Defender dagger, her AC is 37 (10 Base, +3 Armor, +1 Armor Focus, +5 Dexterity, +1 Size, +3 Combat Expertise, +2 Fighting Defensively (+1 Mobility Ranks, +1 Crane Style, +2 Cautious, +4 Crane Wing) +1 Dodge, +3 Dagger). With Belts of Dexterity, enchanted armor, rings, amulets, etc. She can easily climb to the 50's and 60's. And moreover, unlike Juggernaut Valerie, she has a full compliment of Bard buffing spells including the greats like Mirror Image and Displacement.

Starting Stats
Bard-1
08 Strength
16 Dexterity
14 Constitution
14 Intelligence
10 Wisdom
16 Charisma
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (World) 1, Persuasion 1, Trickery 1, Use Magic Device 1
Feats: Extra Performance

Leveling Stats
Level 2 - Knife Master 1
Skills: Mobility +2, Trickery +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Weapon Finesse [Rogue Ability]

Level 3 - Knife Master 2
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Perception +2, Persuasion +1
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Dodge[RT]

Level 4- Knife Master 3
Attributes: Dexterity +1
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Finesse Training (Daggers) [Rogue Ability]

Level 5 - Bard 2
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Cautious Fighter, Crane Style [BT]
Spells: Vanish(1)
Notes: This is a great feat that only Halflings like Linzi can take that grants +2 AC when defensive fighting. It stacks with Crane Style. Also, you're probably heading into Act 2 by now. Your first stop and major item for this build is the Arcane Protector dagger. It's a +1 Dagger that grants +3 Dodge AC.

Level 6 - Bard 3
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Unbreakable Heart(1)

Level 7 - Bard 4
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (Dagger)
Spells: Mirror Image(2), Cure Moderate Wounds(2)

Level 8 - Bard 5:
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Blur(2)
Notes: You could actually have already started taking Arcane Tricksters by this level, but we're going to hold off for now until we get Bardic Performance (Move Action) first.

Level 9 - Bard 6
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Crane Wing, Dazzling Display[BT]
Spells: Heroism(2)
Notes: Just like with Juggernaut Valerie, Dazzling Display should be used every few rounds to penalize the attack bonus of enemies by making them Shaken.

Level 10 - Bard 7
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Expeditious Retreat(1), Haste(3), Displacement(3)
Notes: This is a great breaking point for Bards. At this level, they can maintain their Bard Song as a move action and perform other actions as a standard, like attacking or casting spells. The actual buffs to Bard Song from this point on aren't generally great enough to demand remaining single-classed.

Level 11 - Arcane Trickster 1
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Combat Expertise
Spells: Good Hope(3)
Notes: Why Arcane Trickster over say, Eldritch Knight? While EK has more HP and a better BAB progression, we don't really need Fighter feats and we'd need to blow an existing feat on Martial Weapon Proficiency. Plus, it loses a spellcasting level. Meanwhile, Arcane Trickster maintains full spell progression, ultimately tacks on another +5d6 Sneak Attack, and best of all, has more skill points on each level-up, letting Linzi continue to be your resident skill monkey.

Level 12 - Arcane Trickster 2
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Cure Serious Wounds(3)

Level 13 - Arcane Trickster 3
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Armor Focus (Light)
Spells: Invisibility(2), Shield of Dawn(4), Cure Critical Wounds(4)

Level 14 - Arcane Trickster 4
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Feather Step(1), See Invisibility, Communal(4)

Level 15 - Arcane Trickster 5
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Shatter Defenses
Spells: Dimension Door(4)
Notes: At this point, we've taken just about all the AC-enhancing feats that are available leaving some quality of life offensive feats left. Shatter Defenses sort of removes the value of Impromptu Sneak Attack, but that's okay.

Level 16 - Arcane Trickster 6
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Delay Poison, Communal(3), Cure Light Wounds, Mass(5), Heroism, Greater(5)

Level 17 - Arcane Trickster 7
Skills: Stealth +3, Persuasion +1
Feats: Accomplished Sneak Attacker
Spells: Rage(2), Dispel Magic, Greater(5)

Level 18 - Arcane Trickster 8
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Joyful Rapture(5)

Level 19 - Arcane Trickster 9
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Improved Critical (Dagger)
Spells: Greater Invisibility(4), Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass(6), Summon Huge Elemental(6)

Level 20 - Arcane Trickster 10
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Remove Curse(3), Brilliant Inspiration(6)
Notes: All of Linzi's stats are evens and only Strength really benefits mechanically from raising it to an odd level (slightly more carry weight).
Post edited December 01, 2018 by Roahin
high rated
Linzi - Maximum Support
End Game: Bard 20
Skills / Crowd Control / Support Build

Build Notes: This is my take on the "basic" Linzi build. I've noticed that most YouTube, forum and gaming site recommendations have Linzi focusing very heavily on using the Crossbow. For the life of me, I can't figure out the logic behind it. Even if you dump close to a dozen feats on her, her attack bonus will never rise above abysmal and her damage output will never hit more than 20 or so, and that's on an exceptionally good round. No matter how much I buffer her crossbow ability, she was still BY FAR the lowest performer on my team. So I decided to focus on what made her good instead of trying to compensate on what her weakness was.
This Linzi build focuses on three different things.
1) Enchantment spell to debilitiate and remove enemies from the fight. We keep her Charisma maxed out, take all relevant Spell Focus and Penetration feats as early as possible. Bards have a huge variety of unique and powerful Enchantment spells. If you have the preorder necklace that buffs their DC even higher, all the better.
2) Buffing / Healing spells to support the frontline. From Cure spells to Haste and Displacement, Linzi will be augmenting her Bardic Music with as many buffs as possible to increase the efficacy of the frontlines.
3) Skill Monkeying. Linzi comes stacked with a variety of innate skill-enhancing buffs. Sure-Footed for +2 Athletics and Mobility, Size for +4 Stealth, Bardic Knowledge for half her class level in Lore Checks, and Keen Senses for +2 in Perception. Items like the Professor's Hat, Great Dreamer's Smite and Perfection grant +2 to all skills each and if there are no one more suited to wield them really enhance her build. Then spells like Heroism and abilities like Inspire Competence can all easily take the majority of her skills to 40+.

Starting Stats
Bard-1
08 Strength
16 Dexterity
14 Constitution
14 Intelligence
10 Wisdom
16 Charisma
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (World) 1, Persuasion 1, Trickery 1, Use Magic Device 1
Feats: Extra Performance

Leveling Stats
Level 2 - Bard 2
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Canny Observer(BT)
Spells: Hideous Laughter(1)

Level 3 - Bard 3
Skills: Athletics +2, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +2
Feats: Spell Focus (Enchantment)
Spells: Sleep(1)

Level 4 - Bard 4
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +2, Lore (Religion) +2
Spells: Cure Moderate Wounds(2), Heroism(2)

Level 5 - Bard 5
Skills: Athletics +1, Trickery +2, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feat: Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment)
Spells: Hold Person(2)

Level 6 - Bard 6
Skills: Athletics +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feat: Skill Focus (Perception)(BT)
Spells: Cacophonous Call(2)

Level 7 - Bard 7
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feat: Lingering Performance
Spells: Haze of Dreams(1), Cure Serious Wounds(3), Haste(3)
Notes: At this level without any gear or enhancing spells, all of Linzi's skills are at or over +10.

Level 8 - Bard 8
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Lore (Nature) +1
Spells: Confusion(3)

Level 9 - Bard 9
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1
Feats: Spell Penetration
Spells: Dispel Magic(3)

Level 10 - Bard 10
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Skill Focus - Use Magic Device(BT)
Spells: Rage(2), Cure Critical Wounds(4), Serenity(4)
Notes: Linzi gets Jack of all Trades at this level, granting a flat +1 to all skill levels. All of her unbuffed skills should now be at over 13.

Level 11 - Bard 11
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Persuasion +2
Feats: Greater Spell Penetration
Spells: Vanish(1), Dimension Door(4)

Level 12 - Bard 12
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1
Spells: Hold Monster(4)

Level 13 - Bard 13
Skills: Athletics +1, Trickery +1, Perception +2, Persuasion +1
Feats: Stealthy
Spells: Displacement(3), Song of Discord(5), Cloak of Dreams(5)

Level 14 - Bard 14
Skills: Athletics +1, Trickery +1, Perception +1, Use Magic Device +2
Feats: Skill Focus - Persuasion(BT)
Spells: Blur(2), Joyful Rapture(5)
Notes: All of Linzi's skills are at 17+ by this point.

Level 15 - Bard 15
Skills: Athletics +2, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Perception +1
Feats: Deft Hands
Spells: Dispel Magic, Greater(5)

Level 16 - Bard 16
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Mobility +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1
Spells: Freedom of Movement(4), Overwhelming Presence(6), Waves of Ecstasy(6)

Level 17 - Bard 17
Skills: Athletics +2, Mobility +1, Stealth +2
Feats: Persuasive
Spells: Slow(3), Euphoric Tranquility(6)

Level 18 - Bard 18
Skills: Mobility +1, Perception +2, Use Magic Device +2
Feats: Skill Focus - Stealth(BT)
Spells: Brilliant Inspiration(6)
Notes: All of Linzi's skills are at 20+ by this point.

Level 19 - Bard 19
Skills: Trickery +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1
Feats: Skill Focus - Athletics
Spells: Mind Fog(5)

Level 20 - Bard 20
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Perception +1, Persuasion +2, Use Magic Device +2
Spells: See Invisibility, Communal(4), Summon Huge Elemental(6)
Notes: All of Linzi's stats are evens and only Strength really benefits mechanically from raising it to an odd level (slightly more carry weight). Linzi's final unbuffed skills are: Athletics +27, Mobility +23, Trickery +22, Stealth +23, Lore (Arcana) +22, Lore (World) +22, Lore (Nature) +22, Lore (Religion) +22, Perception +23, Persuasion +29, Use Magic Device +29.
Post edited December 01, 2018 by Roahin
high rated
Amiri - Beast Lord
End Game: Barbarian 2 / Sacred Huntsman 6 / Ranger 5 / Two-Handed Fighter 7
Melee Damage Build

Build Notes: The build starts with combining Amiri's so-so early game damage with an Animal Companion to really make her shine. The spells she picks are purely about increasing her damage, we're not going to waste time, feats or abilities in trying to fix her abysmal AC. Between your frontline tanks and her animal companion, she should be moving into melee to engage last anyhow.
Her spells will really help her throughout the game, especially toward the end. Lead Blades makes her already oversized Bastard Sword count as Huge sized. True Strike is THE spell for Vital Strike feats. And of course, external spells like Animal Growth and Enlarge Person only serve to wildly spike up her efficacy.
I've down about 6 different Amiri builds at this point, toying with standard Barbarian / Tanks / spellcasting, and this is by far my most favorite. The build evolves and changes as you play it, but the highlight is that it never lags. She ends up as a top performer the entire game.

Starting Stats
Barbarian-1
16 Strength
13 Dexterity
16 Constitution
10 Intelligence
12 Wisdom
10 Charisma
Skills: Athletics 1, Mobility 1, Lore (Nature) 1, Perception 1
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard Sword), Toughness

Leveling Stats
Level 2 - Sacred Huntsman 1
Deity: Gorum (Domain: Strength)
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Animal Companion (Smilodon)
Spells: Bless(1), Divine Favor(1)
Notes: Normally, I'm not a big fan of the Smilodon. It's too obvious a pick for an Animal Companion and doesn't have interesting combo-able abilities like the Wolf, Centipede or Mammoth. But something about a Sabre Tooth Tiger just seems so damn appropriate for Amiri to me. Also, given most of her personal quests are Amiri hunting monsters in the name of Gorum, Sacred Huntsman couldn't fit her concept more.

Level 3 - Sacred Huntsman 2
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Boon Companion
Spells: True Strike(1)

Level 4 - Sacred Huntsman 3
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Precise Strike
Spells: Expeditious Retreat(1)
Notes: As a Sacred Huntsman, Amiri shares her Teamwork feats with her Smilodon. Precise Strike therefor means his 5 attacks gain a +1d6 additional damage each when flanking with Amiri, which he should always be doing.

Level 5 - Sacred Huntsman 4
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword)
Spells: Aid(2), See Invisibility(2)

Level 6 - Sacred Huntsman 5
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Favored Enemy - Humans +2
Spells: Invisibility(2)

Level 7 - Sacred Huntsman 6
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Power Attack, Outflank
Spells: Lesser Restoration(2)
Notes: This is the level that your Smilodon jumps up to Large Size and really becomes a huge part of your group.

Level 8 - Ranger 1
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Favored Enemy - Magical Beasts +2

Level 9 - Ranger 2
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Cleave(RF), Cleaving Finish
Notes: The Smilodon is still leveling with Ranger levels, even before hitting Ranger 4.

Level 10 - Ranger 3
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Endurance, Favored Terrain - First World
Notes: Favored Terrain bonuses are meh-tier and the game can be inconsistent on what constitutes plains vs highlands. Since First World encounters universally tend to be harder, that's where I put my selection.

Level 11 - Ranger 4
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Animal Companion - Continue, Improved Critical (Bastard Sword)

Level 12 - Ranger 5
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Favored Enemy - Fey +2 (Humans +4)

Level 13 - Two-Handed Fighter 1
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Critical Focus, Sunder Armor
Notes: Ranger 6 really only offers Great Cleave, which isn't much of a feat. It's a shame that Amiri is a generic Barbarian and doesn't have Mad Dog levels so we could keep the Animal Companion gravy train running. But the Smilodon's unbuffed stats are still pretty respectable: Smilodon - Level 10 - HP 125 - Str 29/ Dex 23/ Con 25 - Bite Attack +16, 1d8+16 / Claw Attack +17, 1d6+16 - AC 34 - Fort 17 / Ref 16 / Will 8. Still, at this point she won't be leaning as heavily on the Animal Companion and will be focusing more on her damage.

Level 14 - Two-Handed Fighter 2
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Greater Sunder Armor

Level 15 - Two-Handed Fighter 3
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Vital Strike

Level 16 - Two-Handed Fighter 4
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Weapon Specialization (Bastard Sword)

Level 17 - Two-Handed Fighter 5
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Blinding Critical

Level 18 - Two-Handed Fighter 6
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Greater Vital Strike
Notes: I can't emphasize how good Greater Vital Strike is with True Strike from her Sacred Huntsman levels. You roll 1 attack for x4 damage and with TS, it's at a +20. All of this, of course, synergizes really well with Overhand Chop.

Level 19 - Two-Handed Fighter 7
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Great Cleave

Level 20 - Barbarian 2
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +2, Perception +1
Feats: Lethal Stance
Notes: THF at 8 would've given us another Feat, but honestly, the d12 HD and the bonuses from Lethal Stance just slightly hedge out the feat, particularly since we've cherrypicked through most of the best and it would've just been Greater Weapon Focus or the like.
Post edited December 01, 2018 by Roahin
high rated
Amiri - Barbarian Defender
End Game: Barbarian 10 / Stalwart Defender 10
Tank Build

Build Notes: This is a basic build for a tanking Amiri. First, it avoids Weapon Focus and Improved Critical as feats, allowing you to simply use the best one-handed weapons that become available to her. Second, it avoids overlap with Valerie if you plan on using both simultaneously. Amiri tanks with Heavy Shields and Medium Armor in this build. That does mean that Amiri's AC will lag behind the Juggernaut Valerie build's a little bit, but it's made up for in a couple of different ways.
First, Amiri has a decent damage output. Her Rage ability actually raises her Armor Class, and her Strength is prioritized for attributes. Second, Amiri has a very strong showing of Damage Reduction available to her. Obviously, this would've been better if she could've taken Invulnerable Rager, but c'est la vie.
I've tested this build out on Challenging and it was more than enough for a main tank. Most enemies won't be able to hit her AC (especially if you've acquired decent armor and trinkets) and the ones that can would've hit Valerie's anyhow, so Amiri's damage reduction and superior HP really shines. That said, the build works best, in my opinion, on Hard and Unfair mode where it offtanks for Valerie. Valerie's Dazzling Display works for both of them and really, two tanks are necessary on those difficulties anyhow.

Starting Stats
Barbarian-1
16 Strength
13 Dexterity
16 Constitution
10 Intelligence
12 Wisdom
10 Charisma
Skills: Athletics 1, Mobility 1, Lore (Nature) 1, Perception 1
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard Sword), Toughness

Leveling Stats
Level 2 - Barbarian 2
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Guarded Stance
Notes: By Barbarian 4, Guarded Stance negates the AC penalty for raging, and at 8+ actually increases Amiri's AC while raging.

Level 3 - Barbarian 3
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Dodge

Level 4 - Barbarian 4
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Animal Fury

Level 5 - Barbarian 5
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike
Notes: A painful feat in a drought where there are so many useful ones to take, it's a necessary evil. These builds are ultimately hurt more if you take the lazy way out and drop a Monk level to backdoor in, but with Amiri her alignment removes that as an option entirely.

Level 6 - Barbarian 6
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Reflexive Dodge

Level 7 - Barbarian 7
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Crane Style, Damage Reduction 1/-

Level 8 - Barbarian 8
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Increased Damage Reduction, Overall Damage Reduction 3/-

Level 9 - Stalwart Defender 1
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Shield Focus

Level 10 - Stalwart Defender 2
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Internal Fortitude

Level 11 - Stalwart Defender 3
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Medium Armor Focus
Notes: Breastplate at 6 Armor 3 Max Dex, only lag 1point behind Fullplate's 9 Armor, 1 Max Dex. Finding Heart of Valor (Mithral Breastplate) will let her achieve higher ACs than Fullplate can acquire.

Level 12 - Stalwart Defender 4
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Fearless Defense

Level 13 - Stalwart Defender 5
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Extra Rage Power - Increased Damage Reduction; Overall Damage Reduction 6/-

Level 14 - Stalwart Defender 6
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Increased Damage Reduction; Overall Damage Reduction 7/-

Level 15 - Stalwart Defender 7
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Extra Rage Power - Increased Damage Reduction; Overall Damage Reduction 11/-

Level 16 - Stalwart Defender 8
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Increased Damage Reduction; Overall Damage Reduction 12/-

Level 17 - Stalwart Defender 9
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Missile Shield

Level 18 - Stalwart Defender 10
Skills: Athletics +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Renewed Defense, Overall Damage Reduction 14/-

Level 19 - Barbarian 9
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feat: Extra Rage Power - Protect Vitals

Level 20 - Barbarian 10
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Lore (Nature) +1, Perception +1
Feat: Swift Foot; Overall Damage Reduction 15/-
Post edited December 01, 2018 by Roahin
high rated
Harrim - Necrolord
End Game: Cleric 20
Off Tank / Damage Caster Build

Build Notes: Harrim comes with a 16 Constitution and the Heavy Armor Proficiency feat, telling you the lie that he was meant to be a tank. But his Dexterity is too low to get the Crane feats, his alignment is wrong to backdoor them as a Monk; his Intelligence is too low for Combat Expertise, and his Charisma is too low for Dazzling / Cornugon feats.
Still, his stats don't preclude him so heavily that he can't make a respectable offtank, particularly good for grabbing up enemies that get into your backlines. There are plenty of Dexterity 4+ belts to meet the Max Dex Bonus for Fullplate, and with a few feats, he can get his AC reasonably high. Enough that even if he can't reliable mitigate an enemy's first attack per round, subsequent ones will have a good chance of missing. Also, Act 2 is a great time for him to shine, since he gets a +4 Racial Dodge bonus against all the Trolls in that chapter.
Now, the best part of this build isn't his reasonable tanking, it's his inflated Wisdom, access to some great Necromancy spells and his ability to go full Cleric. Status Necromancy spells like Bestow Curse, Blindness, Plaguestorm, etc. can turn difficult fights with ease. And virtually every level up after a certain point unlocks new instant kill spells and extremely high damaging spells like Boneshaker, Boneshatter, Banshee Blast, Destruction, Horrid Wilting, and so on.

Starting Stats
Cleric-1
14 Strength
08 Dexterity
16 Constitution
10 Intelligence
18 Wisdom
10 Charisma
Skills: Lore (Religion) 1, Perception 1
Feats: Heavy Armor Proficiency

Leveling Stats
Level 2 - Cleric 2
Skills: Mobility +2
Notes: There's just no good reason not to take 3 ranks of Mobility for the Fighting Defensively synergy.

Level 3 - Cleric 3
Skills: Mobility +1, Lore (Religion) +1
Feats: Armor Focus (Heavy)

Level 4 - Cleric 4
Attribute: Wisdom +1
Skills: Perception +2

Level 5 - Cleric 5
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Tower Shield Proficiency
Notes: Although there are some good Heavy Shields in the game, the simple fact is that a Heavy Shield will have to be a +4 to be stronger than a +1 Tower Shield, and you'll find the latter far easier and for longer than the former.

Level 6 - Cleric 6
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 7 - Cleric 7
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Shield Focus
Notes: If you DO find a Heavy Shield stronger than any of your Tower Shields, note that Shield Focus works on all Shields, so you can freely swap them out.

Level 8 - Cleric 8
Attribute: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 9 - Cleric 9
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Spell Focus (Necromancy)

Level 10 - Cleric 10
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 11 - Cleric 11
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy)

Level 12 - Cleric 12
Attribute: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 13 - Cleric 13
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Spell Specialization (Boneshatter)

Level 14 - Cleric 14
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 15 - Cleric 15
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Toughness, Spell Specialization (Destruction)
Notes: Boneshatter caps at CL 15, so there's no point in keeping it at this level for Spell Specialization. That said, Destruction does a flat 10xlevel damage with no cap, whereas most of the spells at this level are 1d6xlevel like Horrid Wilting, so you'll get far more mileage out of riding Destruction out through the rest of his levels.

Level 16 - Cleric 16
Attribute: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 17 - Cleric 17
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Steel Soul

Level 18 - Cleric 18
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 19 - Cleric 19
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Combat Casting

Level 20 - Cleric 20
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Notes: As always, if all Attributes are even-numbered, the only one that really benefits from an uptick to odd numbers is Strength for the bump in carry weight.
high rated
Harrim - Endbringer
End Game: Cleric 20
Melee Damage Build

Build Notes: Although his Strength is a little low for it, Harrim works well as a secondline fighter for the group. Even in Pathfinder over 3.5, Clerics tend to perform very well in melee roles due to their self-buffs. This build, similar to the Amiri Beastlord build doesn't bother trying to give Harrim AC or tanking ability. Instead, he'll be positioned right behind the frontline and poking with reach weapons. First longspears until he acquires the proficiency to move onto superior glaives.
As opposed to the Necrolord build which focused primarily on damage dealing Necromancy spells and debuffs, the Endbringer will focus on combat buffs along with supportive heals for the group. Since Harrim should ideally be out of danger, it's okay to avoid casting needless AC enhancing spells, while buffs like Rage or Righteous Might that might actually cost him defense for big damage gains are exactly what this build are designed for.

Starting Stats
Cleric-1
14 Strength
08 Dexterity
16 Constitution
10 Intelligence
18 Wisdom
10 Charisma
Skills: Lore (Religion) 1, Perception 1
Feats: Heavy Armor Proficiency

Leveling Stats
Level 2 - Cleric 2
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Notes: Out the gate, you're going to want to be using a Longspear until you find a suitable Glaive. There's a +1 Longspear at Nettle's Crossing that's suitable, and a +1 Glaive available in the Stag Lord's Fort.

Level 3 - Cleric 3
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Martial Weapon Proficiency

Level 4 - Cleric 4
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 5 - Cleric 5
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Weapon Focus - Glaive

Level 6 - Cleric 6
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 7 - Cleric 7
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Power Attack
Notes: This represents a pretty good bump in power. The +2 Flaming Glaive is available for beating the Nightmare, with that, the spell Divine Power and Power Attack, Harrim really settles into his own as a backline fighter for the group.

Level 8 - Cleric 8
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 9 - Cleric 9
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Cleave

Level 10 - Cleric 10
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 11 - Cleric 11
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Cleaving Finish

Level 12 - Cleric 12
Attribute: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Notes: We want to make sure we're still getting 9th level spells when the time comes, so a quick investment of Wisdom now pays dividends in the future.

Level 13 - Cleric 13
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Improved Critical (Glaive)

Level 14 - Cleric 14
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 15 - Cleric 15
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Critical Focus

Level 16 - Cleric 16
Attribute: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 17 - Cleric 17
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Great Cleave

Level 18 - Cleric 18
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1

Level 19 - Cleric 19
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Improved Cleaving Finish

Level 20 - Cleric 20
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
high rated
Jaethal - Fell Dragon
End Game: Inquisitor 4 / Sorcerer 1 / Dragon Disciple 4 / Mystic Theurge 3 / Eldritch Knight 8
Melee Damage Build

Build Notes: One of my earliest builds and an attempt to move Jaethal away from the cookie-cutter Teamwork builds that were everywhere online. The build focuses primarily on melee damage output, buffed from spellcasting. Ideally, she'll be wearing the Mithral Breastplate in Act 2 just as soon as it becomes available. Her spells are focused more on mitigating damage than increasing AC - Mirror Image, Displacement, etc. Beyond that, the lion's share work toward enhancing her damage as much as possible - Transformation, Haste, Heroism, etc.
Most of her options and abilities are very situational based on what she's facing. Enemies with high ACs that she can't reliably hit, she should use True Strike + Vital Strike feats. Meanwhile, for tough enemies with lower ACs, Haste and Sense Vitals synergize very well. And of course, her critical hits are game-changers.
Ultimately, this Jaethal performs better than the standard, and has a lot of options available... but it's still a mid-range build. But for conceptual points, it scratches all the right spots.

Starting Stats
Inquisitor-1
16 Strength
14 Dexterity
00 Constitution
14 Intelligence
16 Wisdom
14 Charisma
Skills: Athletics 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Lore (Religion) 1, Perception 1, Persuasion 1
Feats: Toughness

Leveling Stats
Level 2 - Inquisitor 2
Skills: Athletics +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Cure Light Wounds(1)

Level 3 - Inquisitor 3
Skills: Athletics +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (Scythe), Precise Strike
Spells: Bless(1)

Level 4 - Inquisitor 4
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Cure Moderate Wounds(2), Inflict Moderate Wounds(2)

Level 5 - Sorcerer 1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: White Dragon Bloodline, Arcane Armor Training, Combat Casting
Spells: [Sorcerer] True Strike(1), Shield(1)

Level 6 - Dragon Disciple 1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Natural Armor +1

Level 7 - Dragon Disciple 2
Attribute: Strength +2
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Arcane Armor Mastery, Power Attack

Level 8 - Dragon Disciple 3
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Natural Armor +1
Spells: [Sorcerer] Mage Armor(1), Magic Missile(1)

Level 9 - Dragon Disciple 4
Attribute: Strength +2
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Natural Armor +1, Cleave
Spells: [Sorcerer] Mirror Image(2)

Level 10 - Mystic Theurge 1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: [Inquisitor] Lesser Restoration(2); [Sorcerer] Stunning Barrier(1), Blur(2)

Level 11 - Mystic Theurge 2
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Martial Weapon Proficiency
Spells: [Inquisitor] Aid(2); [Sorcerer] Haste(3)

Level 12 - Mystic Theurge 3
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: [Inquisitor] Shield of Faith(1), Cure Serious Wounds(3), Inflict Serious Wounds(3); [Sorcerer] Vanish(1), Sense Vitals(2), Displacement(3)

Level 13 - Eldritch Knight 1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Cleaving Finish, Improved Critical (Scythe)

Level 14 - Eldritch Knight 2
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Greater Invisibility(4)

Level 15 - Eldritch Knight 3
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Vital Strike
Spells: False Life(2), Heroism(3), Dimension Door(4)

Level 16 - Eldritch Knight 4
Attribute: Charisma +1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Vampiric Shadow Shield(5)

Level 17 - Eldritch Knight 5
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Improved Vital Strike, Weapon Specialization (Scythe)
Spells: Protection From Arrows(2), Dispel Magic(3), Ice Storm(4), Cone of Cold(5)

Level 18 - Eldritch Knight 6
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Transformation(6)

Level 19 - Eldritch Knight 7
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Elemental Focus (Cold)
Spells: Dragon's Breath(4), Icy Prism(5), Dragonkind I(6)

Level 20 - Eldritch Knight 8
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Dragonkind II(7)
low rated
Hello masters builds!
WDYT on Valery build warrior 1/kinetist *?
Does it make sence at all, at lvl 10+
I'd like her to be a rdd, not a kinetist blader. Do I want something weird, or is this a viable build way?
@OP:

Both your posts and the other guy's are interesting to study for ideas; kudos for the time put in.

For what it's worth, I appreciate the builds on this thread much more than the theory crafting on the other guy's (which seem to require complete respec of companions to the point where they're unrecognizable and way too incongruent with the original versions). Most of the ones here are at least somewhat thematically compatible with the original character concepts and/or do not require massive respec'ing.

I also appreciate the fact that there's no silliness like main character/Baron builds that are say, Aasimars with INT7 and WIS 8 (something that if I were a DM in tabletop, as soon as I saw those stats I would consider booting the player from the campaign, or at least telling them 'There's no way this guy can be the Baron'). There's builds, there's min/maxing, and then there's just ... silly (way too much silly out there in 3.x and even PF unfortunately). And you're right, it does take more skill to come up with conceptually viable characters than simply doing math calculations.

I really like the approach taken in this thread; would be fun to see more similar ideas, possibly with even more appropriate thematic/RP sensibilities rather than just cookie cutter number crunched deformities. Now that's a challenge.

Cheers.
Post edited January 08, 2019 by ithildur
low rated
Please, we need more of these builds. They are creative and open the doors to so many gameplaywise alternatives