I really wish we could get more pathfinder content like this, cause its always a good time and it really helps in getting a better understanding of the system
Agreed, especially since I just got my PF2e Rulebook. Unfortunately his PF2 videos were underperforming so he's had to put more of a focus on his D&D content
That was a very... sensuous sponsored message, yum! As for that Clumsy 1 squishiness, sounds like a perfect time to have a Champion next to the Wrecking Ball. "Wanna hit the fighter? You'll have to deal with ME first!" Loving your (now monthly) guides PF2, just throwing some ideas out there (tho of course do what you're excited about!) -Taking one of your previous builds to Level 20? (High level play WORKS in PF2!) -The support caster who helps the martial's DPR shoot through the roof? -Pairing some of your builds together... what is the collective DPR of the fighter and rogue teaming up together, for example? Or your fighter being protected by a champion? EDIT: As you know, DPR is only measure, but I gotta say that frightening and tripping are great force multipliers for the whole party, making this build even more effective! (Also it's pretty cool that casters don't have a monopoly on debuffing and action denial in this game)
That frustration from action economy is one of my favorite things about Pathfinder2e because while melee martials are better damage wise, getting and keeping the reach is tough. Your fighter can be a beast at damage, but they have to get there first. And so, disrupting actions is powerful. Because action economy is so tough, some archetypes make sense in a way that in 5e they don't. Like one hand duelist, high mobility skirmishers, and why even though spellcasting is not as strong, it's always ready, no need to draw weapons or move.
True! I personally love that (though I know it may not be everyone's cup of tea.) For me, especially me, the forever GM, I don't like having a power gamer at my table who makes everyone else feel bad at my table and impacts their mood and fun because they're so vastly more powerful than everyone or anyone else. I don't like it when my players are bummed out. To my players, and by extension me, a tight, balanced system like PF2e means everybody ends up having more fun, and enjoying game night even more, and IMO PF2e is far better in that regard compared to D&D5e.
Fighters are not OP, unless your entire campaign is combat. They’re boss in combat because they’re specialized in…….wait for it…….fighting. 🙄😳 They’re largely worthless, and often a liability, outside of combat. I’m playing a 7th level fighter, well-spring Gnome, Flickmace, and yeah, he crits often. But he sucks exploring, deceiving, diplomatting, and many other routine aspects of role playing. It’s balanced.
21:05 You actually are allowed to take the Seek action while Raging even though it has the Concentrate trait, because the Rage feature specifically says you can.
This is a pretty cool build, i love thaqt you start as a dwarf with measly 20 movement as a base, then later you become capable of really gapcling in on enemies with satisfying mobility options such as jumping through the air and bouncing off walls even, thats really awesome ^^ Makes me think of how limited some mobility options are in DnD really, cause in dnd jumping rules are clunky at best. Also, felling strike is an amazing feature: melee characters, specially in dnd have incredible disadvantages when dealing with fliers and other creatures who can just hang in the air.
I know that these get fewer views but I love them! I will be re-watching them to make sure I get everything as my grasp of Pathfinder mechanics is not as good. I truly love a dwarven fighter! I think it is right and proper that fighters are just better at using weapons than other classes. That's their thing!
Sounds like you found your footing with Pathfinder. Stacking bonuses, dice, and generating more actions is DnD. Stacking debuffs and status effects is Pathfinder. Awesome character build! Your Pathfinder builds also sound so inspired and full of designer joy. You obviously are enjoying Pathfinder, and it shows. I will be with you on your wonderful Pathfinder travels. Keep up the good work!
I love Fighter being legitimately worth playing without feeling like you're missing out on flavour and abilities compared to other classes, also continuing to love your dip into Pathfinder content Colby, great stuff (and the world isn't ready for you finding the Advanced classes and additional non-core options)
Gunslinger also has fighter proficencies, i know you're sticking to core rulebook stuff for now but i really think you'll love the gunslinger, its all about best using pathfinder's action economy and the sniper subclass makes for an amazing stealth damage dealer that has a good chance to crit high ac BOSSES.
Not to mention it also starts with expert (so an extra +2) on firearms and crossbows! Also the reloading actions are amazing! I love how you can play a support like gunslinger with Raconteur's Reload for example!
Having you crunch the numbers on this was a relief. I was always worried that the fighter was a bit too strong, but now knowing the numbers are more even really helps. And as you said there is more to role-playing then combat, and the other classes can excel in different fun ways there! Always so excited when I see a Pathfinder video from you! :)
Fighter hits often and crits often, but all the other martials get bonus damage somehow. Rage, sneak attack, spellstrike and arcane conflux, personal anathema. Fighters are mostly basic and simple and just hit things a lot. And somehow that +2 attack does about as well as all those bonus damage effects.
I really dig the way 2e does fighters, in 1e pathfinder I was much more into dex or charisma based classes and spellcasters but lately I've been having a lot of fun with martial classes and the fighter does an amazing job at fulfilling that fantasy of absolutely bullying everyone around the battlefield and being a force to be reckoned with. Like dont get me wrong, barbarians are also a lot of fun but a fighter with a polearm tripping and shoving people around, making opportunity attacks left and right, that's the spice.
Giant barb w/ fighter arch for the early attack of opp is also a lot of fun. Basically turn anyone that tries to run past you into a smear on the ground.
Colby, love your PF2E stuff man. Just so you know, my group has migrated to PF2E from 5e, and your builds continue to be my best source for what to even look at. PF2E just has so many options, these builds just create a beachhead for me to theory-craft, and know what my players might be interested in. Thank you so much for all your help!
The picture slowly sliding out of place and then suddenly disappearing was a great little subplot. Glad to see another Pathfinder vid! Although it's much harder to quantify, continually knocking enemies prone will also increase all of your allies' chance to hit/crit (as opposed to flanking which only makes the enemy flat-flooted to the players flanking it)
This is one of the big things that is easy to overlook with character builds. Tripped and frightened and things like aren't direct damage-dealing skills, but they increase the DPR of the three or four other people fighting alongside you.
I love this kind of content! I just found it on youtube while I was looking for pf2e content and I loved how deep you went in the analysis. Thumbs up and looking for more.
I don't have a group that plays pf2e but hopefully one day I will. These videos will be essential. When I first got into DnD 5e I started watching your channel and was very confused, cuz I didn't understand the ins and outs of the game. Now some good time later I enjoy rewatching them and everything clicks in place. I have no doubt that will be the same for when I can play and learn pf2e :)
Man I am falling more and more in love with PF2e. We are prepping our next campaign and I am all in on a Ratfolk fighter ( not optimized I know) that is a dual wielding - intimidating machine!
I always love that while strength is optimal for melee martials in pf2e, dex provides much needed utility in skills and is a reasonable option to build despite the lower amount of damage.
Love your PF2 content. My group switched from 5E to PF2 a few months ago, and we are enjoying it very much. Perhaps a video about the salient points of the various PF2 books once in a while?
Would be very interested in seeing a video for a caster/alchemist of some type where different damage types come into play. One of the things that's a bit misleading in these damage breakdowns is that normal weapon strikes are very 'vanilla' in a way that other damage types aren't, with a larger variety of variance in both damage profiles (persistant damage!) and the need for mixing up which tool you apply. With a fighter, it's fairly trivial to figure out what you'd do on a typical turn, but with an alchemist it's way more complicated. Might make for an interesting video just looking at how different spells/items would do against different types of enemies as an exercise in exploring jack of all trades vs minmax builds.
Every one of those videos of pathfinder is giving me that extra motivation to delve deep into learning the game. Just need to know enough so I can teach my friends and get them to try it out.
Oh yes, i've been hoping for this video. Targeting two different saves = great optimisation imho (trip / intimidating strike). I still think your methodology has over-estimated the Thief dpr.
The benefits of assuming flat-footed are definitely bigger for a rogue than they are for a fighter. For one, the +2 is more impactful for lower to-hit/crit ranges than it is for higher ones, because static increases have a larger relative benefit when applied to lower chances to hit/crit. Sneak attack's obviously a big deal, too, because a rogue that can't sneak attack doesn't hit harder than any other melee character. Perhaps even more importantly, though, is that the thief's ability to make an enemy frightened via demoralize (and so count them as flat footed with Dread Striker) doesn't do any damage, whereas the fighter's Improved Knockdown strike does. For that reason, just assuming constant flanking shortchanges the fighter's ability to trip on hit (at least from higher levels onward), not to mention their increased crit chance translating into even more trips when swinging a hammer or the rogue's having to constantly switch targets to re-demoralize. Maybe the most important issue with always assuming best case scenarios is less specific to any one interaction, though. The issue is that it overvalues inherently swingy damage dealers (like rogues) and undervalues more consistent damage dealers (like fighters). The rogue is a sports car that can go 180mph but can also fly off the road at a moment's notice and requires either great tactics or great luck to handle successfully. The fighter is a reliable, economic, safe family sedan that remains in the right lane & obeys the speed limit at all times. Both will get you where you're going just fine.
You can take the sylph uncommon heritage if you want more speed on your dwarves. Swift + Fleet + Unburdened Iron makes a sylph dwarf the quickest ancestry heritage combination in heavy armor. At level 5 you get cloud gazer and you can see through fog (which is one of the way the gm is gonna want to replace darkness, leaving your GM smoke or greater Darkness which dwarves get ancestry feets to remedy eventually. )
@@blazegraves Elf : 30 base speed + 5 ancestry feat + 5 fleet - 5 heavy armor. Total: 35 Dwarf Sylph: 20 base speed + 5 ancestry feat + 5 swift + unburdened iron (situational +5 ). Total: 30 + (5 situational) Furthermore there are the accessories with armor speed peny drawbacks like a bastion plate(trade one action for + 1 AC in melee) and a reinforced Surcoat (up to 5 resistance to the 3 physical damage type for about 4 gold). They are nice things for dwarves as they don't take the - 10 to speed due to the increased armor speed penalty thanks to the unburdened iron feet.
Keep up the amazing content! I love seeing the Pathfinder 2E content! Your D&D 5E builds are amazing as well, but I’ve just seen so many D&D 5E builds that Pathfinder 2E characters are more new, and interesting feeling to me!
I really like how you're building based on both mechanics and theme. It's really cool to see this work and I feel like it sells the pf2 system more. Also this character reminds me of Azeas from knights of last call. Really freaking cool. I hope we get more PF2 content from you.
Imagine being a goblin, minding your own business, when all of the sudden a massive adventurer kicks in your door and says "I'm here to do one thing: smash." 5:09
As a GM that’s gearing up to make the switch over to PF2e I’m really enjoying these videos they are helping me become more familiar with combat mechanics. Also I was gonna be disappointed if the outtakes didn’t include any dialogue from Fellowship happy to say you delivered😁
Something to keep in mind when thinking about the amount of damage the Thief rogue can put out compared to the others: a good amount of that damage is coming from Sneak Attack in the form of precision damage, and there are enemies that are just flat out immune to precision damage, like most constructs, oozes, and some incorporeal creatures. So in fights like that, this fighter who doesn’t rely on precision damage might end up leaps and bounds ahead of the poor rogue. Just something to consider.
Very nice rebuttals about how the three action economy, while nice, definitely was intentionally designed with some limitations. Though, at least in my experience, it feels like there are skills and abilities across the various classes and feats that are also REALLY good at consolidating and improving your action economy. Sure, you’ve gotta actually Pick those and Build for it, but it gives a nice impression of growth. Either way this video is awesome! Can’t wait for the next Pathfinder Build!
I don't remember where I saw it, but I remember seeing a post that made a lot of sense. Many of the combat focused feats and features in Pf2e tend to fall into one of three categories: 1.) Getting around the MAP. Feats like Double Slice, Spellstrike, Power Attack, and the like all are effectively ways that you can get "more" out of your attacks, either by giving you an extra effect on top of two normal Strikes, or allowing two Strikes at the same MAP, or even (in Power Attack's case) just being more damage than a single Strike for when you can't afford to risk MAP. 2.) Cheating the 3-action economy. When you start out as an adventurer, you're limited to your puny slightly-above-average limitations and what those things can do in only 3 actions, but when you get further down your road, you start to find tricks that can squeeze more than 3 actions' worth of stuff in your turn. Double Slice is notable here, for doing both 1 and 2 when most feats pick one, and it's plenty strong for it. But there's also, say, the Gunslinger's Reload feats/features which allow them to do something *and* Interact to reload, or the Ranger feat that allows you to quickly fire off two shots with a Reload 0 weapon, or Monk's Flurry of Blows. 3.) "Math-fixers" which are typically niche situational buffs that require a specific build or a specific situation to give you a momentary edge. Stuff like Hunt Prey or Investigator's Known Weakness, and arguably many of the buff spells in the game fall into this. The 3-action economy, MAP, and tight math are intended to feel a little restrictive early on, so that when you pick up that cool-looking feat a few levels down the line that bends those, it feels REALLY empowering.
Great video, and well worth the wait! One minor note: The Initiative bonus granted by Battlefied Surveyor and by Incredible Intiative are both circumstance bonuses, so it's good that you didn't take Incredible Intiative- they wouldn't have stacked. On a slightly spicier note, since it's come up a few times- the way PF2 handles actions. I have a preference, but I'm not defending or condemning in this case, just laying out a philosophy for those looking at the system; it's up to everyone whether this is to their taste or not. At low levels in PF2, a character is at their most mundane. Pretty much everything takes one or more actions. As they level, part of their growth is being able to bend the action economy through feats they take (Sudden Charge, Twin Takedown, Quickdraw, and Kip Up are all examples). In D&D 5e, a number of these efficiencies are baked into the base rules and others (Extra Attack and Cunning Action come to mind) are rewards for progress. PF2 reserves those not just for progress but also for specialization: if you want those efficiencies, you spend a feat for them, and the opportunity cost is something else you could have taken. If you prefer not worrying about the nitty-gritty you'll prefer the 5e method, and the granularity is appealing to PF2E fans, but there's no right or wrong in this case. I recently reminded my GM that I hadn't drawn my light hammer before a fight and accepted the consequences, so I'll let that decision speak for me. A great video.once again, and I also find myself really enjoying hearing your thoughts on the nature of online theorycrafting, as well as being grateful that you're keeping the PF2 content up- it's very much appreciated! Take care!
My group is slowly working its way towards a Pathfinder 2e campaign and these kinds of videos are really helping me understand the systems in place as a group that plays a lot of 3.5 and 5e I am mostly afraid of version confusion
I definitely agree that the Thief Rogue makes a far better Rogue than a Rogue Archetype Fighter. In addition to the reasons you listed, it also can provide great flexibility by being very competent at ranged combat when necessary. Also, with regards to the Thief's sensitivity to flat-footed that you mentioned in the video, it's important to note that feats like Gang Up increase the probability that a Thief's foe will be flat-footed. If you really wanted to push the Fighter's DPR to its limit, I would recommend an Alchemist Archetype Fighter who also grabs Monk Dedication through Multitalented and Monk's Flurry at level 10. Combining the Bestial Mutagen with Fighter Accuracy, Flurry of Blows, and the Agile Grace feat from Fighter leads to insane damage.
Best part of knocking enemies prone as a fighter is that they have to Stand to remove the penalty, which lets you attack of opportunity. There's a reason why the Gnome Flickmace was considered the "optimal" weapon for years before they nerfed it. It was a flail reach weapon with the trip trait, so enemies would trigger your attack of opportunity before even getting adjacent to you, and if you crit you'd knock them prone with the flail crit specialization, or you could just trip them normally on your turn. Then if they try and stand you can AoO again and potentially knock them prone again. And the higher fighter class feats can give them extra reactions for attack of opportunity. You can potentially eat an enemy's entire turn.
As much as I like seeing PF2 content, and as much as I like the Dwarf with the weapon and feats you've chosen, I think the Barbarian archetype is a trap. It's not just the really bad effects on your AC - it's also the attack you often lose on the first round activating rage. Taking this into consideration, unless combats are really long, the rage damage boost is really small, and you don't get the other key benefits of rage for the most part, such as a raging resistance. A small damage boost + a big AC nerf doesn't seem good to me, especially when there are so many other useful archetypes.
This is a great contrast to my Hobgoblin Barbarian build who also took Titan Mauler but with Marshal archetype. He also was using intimidation with sweep and swipe from a large 2 handed axe.
So glad to see you making pf2e content! I tried playing the system yesterday and I love how much everything can matter and how imperative teamwork is in the game. Just getting flanking alone can change a fight. But seeing you make optimized builds outside of 5eDnD is sooo refreshing. I worried that you would eventually reach the point of making virtually every "build" possible in the game that could be made viable and optimized. But pf2e is so different and has so many cool classes. I'm excited to see more of your pf2e content!
Something you may have missed with Advantageous Assault (at least, you didn't mention it at level 6) is that if your attack is a failure (but not a critical failure) you inflict the bonus damage (only) to your target. So it's likely to do *something*.
im glad you did build for pf2! couple of things i notice: -disrupted prey is a reaction as opportune attack is ,plz choose one/ -for your ranger: consider having an animal compagnon instead of double slice; they benefit from flurry too, its 2attck for 1 action. (max dmg outpout should be higher) -for the wrecking ball: i prefer barabarian+mauler archetype, size bonus+ earthquake is amazing, and you get higer dmg. (moove+2attck is close to your calc according to pf2 dmg calc) note as well that from my last game, close to the final boss arc; i unleashed few specter on my team : no precision dmg + a nasty mind control. dont be affraid to be "op" your gm got the answer if needed ;)
I hope when you do another Pathfinder 2e build, you do a scythe build called the Grim Reaper. Maybe a cleric. That sounds awesome. I'd recommend one for 5e, but sadly we don't get scythes. I love the blue light behind you this episode. I think that might be my favourite ambience you've used yet. Gives you a holy light look. Funny enough, Mythbusters did an episode where they did bulls in a chinashop, and debunked the myth. Bulls actually do what they can to expertly skirt around china and shelves. Appreciate you taking the time to do a cool build while also potentially debunking the idea that PF2 fighters are somehow OP.
If you pick Assurance Athletics in your first skill feat, you can do a trip action with your third action without the -10, because with Assurance you have a total roll 10+proficiency without any bonuses or (more important ) penalties ( like your multiple atack penalty ).
Really enjoying the P2 content! One thing to be mindful of with barbarians is that Rage precludes actions with the Concentrate trait, and that’s a surprisingly long list that includes some things you might not expect (eg Demoralize.)
Thank you for keeping to create more Pathfinder content. I’ve struggled to find content on 2E and it’s nice that even with WOTC backing off a little there’s still creators who haven’t immediately gone back to 5e exclusive content.
I think there should be 2 categories of numbers for these builds. Namely the best outcome and worst outcome dpr. Shows the highs and lows of the builds. This would please both crowds I think. Maybe throw in a few percentage columns that would allow for your assumptions of when you say "we get this 75% of the time."
A lot of folks have talked about the dual-weapon fighter using a pick and a light pick doing the most DPR overall. However, unlike your build, it's REALLY spiky, as it relies on the insane Fatal dice that picks get on crits. (A pick does 1d6 base, but on a crit, it does 2d10 base. Light picks are 1d4/2d8 Agile weapons. That REALLY adds up.) My current party, on the other hand, has a dwarf fighter using dwarven war axe and shield. I've seen him at level 5 crit two side-by-side mobs using Swipe for over 70 damage each thanks to swipe and the axe critical specialization effect. Mauls do knockdowns, which are amazingly good, but being able to hit an adjacent mob on a crit is also really handy at times. I don't personally like taking Martial Disciple on fighters because that means they end up having to learn both Athletics and Acrobatics, and one of them isn't going to be great. Instead, I like backgrounds that give Assurance in Athletics, or else Field Medic for Medicine and Assurance: Medicine.
heads up Colby, you can actually estimate enemy saves the same way you can estimate their AC! on p. 62 of the Gamemastery Guide, there’s a table that does the same Extreme, High, Moderate, Low, Terrible matrix that can help you for future calculation
Thank you for making this video. Just started Pathfinder a few weeks ago and I was trying to piece this build together last night for Pathfinder Society games.
I usually watch DnD vids, but didn't regret watching this one, even though I haven't played current edition of PF 😅 PF2E really opens up way for STR-based classes
Fighter is incredibly fun in practice. Their +2 is not only to hit, but to crit, and combined with appropriate team synergy (flanking, some status penalty to AC from a caster or charisma character, maybe a Bless or Inspire Courage on your side) you can basically guarantee your hits on even abysmal rolls, and get your crits on constantly. It also allows Fighters to go toe-to-toe with higher level monsters better than any other class. Their feat selection is also amazing. I archetype into Fighter all the time, since it lets you grab Attack of Opportunity at level 4 (most martials get it at level 6, if at all) and access to excellent combat feats for your different weapon fantasies, like Combat Grab, Dueling Parry, or Two-Handed Assault for your "one handed weapon and no shield" builds, or Double Slice for your dual wielding weapon builds, etc etc etc. They are super adaptable to whatever combat fantasy you want to aim for, and their proficiency means they'll always be powerful. They are also the best class for utilizing Advanced weapons. Usually you need to take the appropriate ancestry feat to reduce the category of a weapon from Advanced to Martial. Fighters are trained in Advanced weapons from the get-go, and get a class feat at level 6 to benefit from their full boosted scaling with advanced weapons.
Nice video. Something that I like that is related to the 3 action economy, few enemies have attacks of opportunity which makes you more mobile than 5e since you rarely have to worry about taking damage.
Colby, I know the pf2e videos don’t get as much traction as the DnD ones, but I wanted to say how much I am enjoying your foray into pathfinder!
With how the algorithm loves comments, I suppose you saying so is a good way to incentivize more of these
Agreed. I can't get my group to try PF2e, so this is as close as I can get.
@@MrMokrar I play a bunch of Pathfinder Society games to get my fix.
@@MrMokrar In fact I am playing my great axe swinging Alchemist/Barbarian later.
agreed, these videos really help you understand the differences between the two systems in practice instead of in theory
I really wish we could get more pathfinder content like this, cause its always a good time and it really helps in getting a better understanding of the system
Agreed, especially since I just got my PF2e Rulebook. Unfortunately his PF2 videos were underperforming so he's had to put more of a focus on his D&D content
That was a very... sensuous sponsored message, yum!
As for that Clumsy 1 squishiness, sounds like a perfect time to have a Champion next to the Wrecking Ball. "Wanna hit the fighter? You'll have to deal with ME first!"
Loving your (now monthly) guides PF2, just throwing some ideas out there (tho of course do what you're excited about!)
-Taking one of your previous builds to Level 20? (High level play WORKS in PF2!)
-The support caster who helps the martial's DPR shoot through the roof?
-Pairing some of your builds together... what is the collective DPR of the fighter and rogue teaming up together, for example? Or your fighter being protected by a champion?
EDIT: As you know, DPR is only measure, but I gotta say that frightening and tripping are great force multipliers for the whole party, making this build even more effective! (Also it's pretty cool that casters don't have a monopoly on debuffing and action denial in this game)
That frustration from action economy is one of my favorite things about Pathfinder2e because while melee martials are better damage wise, getting and keeping the reach is tough. Your fighter can be a beast at damage, but they have to get there first. And so, disrupting actions is powerful.
Because action economy is so tough, some archetypes make sense in a way that in 5e they don't. Like one hand duelist, high mobility skirmishers, and why even though spellcasting is not as strong, it's always ready, no need to draw weapons or move.
Totally understand the trepidation behind Power Attack, but when playing critting on a power attack is a hell of a drug.
Especially at higher levels
Imagine a spellstrike!
I have a player, who did not belived in power attack... Until they fought with an animated object with a hardness of 9... XD
Iirc math on power attacks makes it so you dont want to make it your first attack. Instead you wanna make normal attack first and then power attack
I am starting to use power attack on a multiclass to get true strike, to cast before power attack, because that feels very satisfactory
And thus Colby comes around proving that despite the +2 Fighters have over other classes, 2e's math is extremely tight and hard to break.
True! I personally love that (though I know it may not be everyone's cup of tea.)
For me, especially me, the forever GM, I don't like having a power gamer at my table who makes everyone else feel bad at my table and impacts their mood and fun because they're so vastly more powerful than everyone or anyone else. I don't like it when my players are bummed out.
To my players, and by extension me, a tight, balanced system like PF2e means everybody ends up having more fun, and enjoying game night even more, and IMO PF2e is far better in that regard compared to D&D5e.
Fighters are not OP, unless your entire campaign is combat. They’re boss in combat because they’re specialized in…….wait for it…….fighting. 🙄😳
They’re largely worthless, and often a liability, outside of combat. I’m playing a 7th level fighter, well-spring Gnome, Flickmace, and yeah, he crits often. But he sucks exploring, deceiving, diplomatting, and many other routine aspects of role playing.
It’s balanced.
Anyone notice how well the wrecking ball and the thief would work together?
Yeah I want to see an episode where he takes a party of four of his characters through a dungeon!
that's the thing about Pathfinder 2e, it doesn't matter how strong your build is, you're always at your strongest when cooperating with your team
Wrecking ball helps the whole team, especially if they go just after the enemy (delay?)
@@rookie2128 4tii
Almost like party synergy was a design goal
Hellll yeah! More PF2!
21:05 You actually are allowed to take the Seek action while Raging even though it has the Concentrate trait, because the Rage feature specifically says you can.
Always a good time when there's new PF2 videos
This is a pretty cool build, i love thaqt you start as a dwarf with measly 20 movement as a base, then later you become capable of really gapcling in on enemies with satisfying mobility options such as jumping through the air and bouncing off walls even, thats really awesome ^^
Makes me think of how limited some mobility options are in DnD really, cause in dnd jumping rules are clunky at best.
Also, felling strike is an amazing feature: melee characters, specially in dnd have incredible disadvantages when dealing with fliers and other creatures who can just hang in the air.
I know that these get fewer views but I love them! I will be re-watching them to make sure I get everything as my grasp of Pathfinder mechanics is not as good.
I truly love a dwarven fighter! I think it is right and proper that fighters are just better at using weapons than other classes. That's their thing!
Sounds like you found your footing with Pathfinder. Stacking bonuses, dice, and generating more actions is DnD. Stacking debuffs and status effects is Pathfinder. Awesome character build!
Your Pathfinder builds also sound so inspired and full of designer joy. You obviously are enjoying Pathfinder, and it shows. I will be with you on your wonderful Pathfinder travels. Keep up the good work!
I love Fighter being legitimately worth playing without feeling like you're missing out on flavour and abilities compared to other classes, also continuing to love your dip into Pathfinder content Colby, great stuff (and the world isn't ready for you finding the Advanced classes and additional non-core options)
Gunslinger also has fighter proficencies, i know you're sticking to core rulebook stuff for now but i really think you'll love the gunslinger, its all about best using pathfinder's action economy and the sniper subclass makes for an amazing stealth damage dealer that has a good chance to crit high ac BOSSES.
Not to mention it also starts with expert (so an extra +2) on firearms and crossbows! Also the reloading actions are amazing! I love how you can play a support like gunslinger with Raconteur's Reload for example!
I do appreciate how you take the time to explain all the fiddly miscellaneous bonuses and penalties that typify PF2, makes this easy to follow
Having you crunch the numbers on this was a relief. I was always worried that the fighter was a bit too strong, but now knowing the numbers are more even really helps. And as you said there is more to role-playing then combat, and the other classes can excel in different fun ways there!
Always so excited when I see a Pathfinder video from you! :)
Fighter hits often and crits often, but all the other martials get bonus damage somehow. Rage, sneak attack, spellstrike and arcane conflux, personal anathema. Fighters are mostly basic and simple and just hit things a lot. And somehow that +2 attack does about as well as all those bonus damage effects.
I really dig the way 2e does fighters, in 1e pathfinder I was much more into dex or charisma based classes and spellcasters but lately I've been having a lot of fun with martial classes and the fighter does an amazing job at fulfilling that fantasy of absolutely bullying everyone around the battlefield and being a force to be reckoned with. Like dont get me wrong, barbarians are also a lot of fun but a fighter with a polearm tripping and shoving people around, making opportunity attacks left and right, that's the spice.
Giant barb w/ fighter arch for the early attack of opp is also a lot of fun. Basically turn anyone that tries to run past you into a smear on the ground.
Fighters are about battlefield control (with consistently good damage.)
Barbarians are about big damage spikes (at the cost of taking lots of damage)
Colby, love your PF2E stuff man. Just so you know, my group has migrated to PF2E from 5e, and your builds continue to be my best source for what to even look at. PF2E just has so many options, these builds just create a beachhead for me to theory-craft, and know what my players might be interested in. Thank you so much for all your help!
The picture slowly sliding out of place and then suddenly disappearing was a great little subplot. Glad to see another Pathfinder vid!
Although it's much harder to quantify, continually knocking enemies prone will also increase all of your allies' chance to hit/crit (as opposed to flanking which only makes the enemy flat-flooted to the players flanking it)
This is one of the big things that is easy to overlook with character builds. Tripped and frightened and things like aren't direct damage-dealing skills, but they increase the DPR of the three or four other people fighting alongside you.
Love the PF2e content! I gotta say I'm a bit surprised with all the love you've developed for bastard swords that you didn't go that route here.
I love this kind of content! I just found it on youtube while I was looking for pf2e content and I loved how deep you went in the analysis. Thumbs up and looking for more.
Trying to get more into Pathfinder and these builds are helping me learn about lots of the various feats and such. Thanks!
Seems like Pathfinder has so many more options for customizing builds! Loved this character build!
You have no idea. He's only using the Core Rule book. Pathfinder has at least 10 books with player options.
Thank you for continuing with these PF2e builds, despite the lower views. I really love the content!
I don't have a group that plays pf2e but hopefully one day I will. These videos will be essential.
When I first got into DnD 5e I started watching your channel and was very confused, cuz I didn't understand the ins and outs of the game. Now some good time later I enjoy rewatching them and everything clicks in place. I have no doubt that will be the same for when I can play and learn pf2e :)
I would think that the Thief and this guy would make an awesome combo.
Really missing his Pathfinder 2e content. Hopefully Colby will continue making some more.
Man I am falling more and more in love with PF2e. We are prepping our next campaign and I am all in on a Ratfolk fighter ( not optimized I know) that is a dual wielding - intimidating machine!
I always love that while strength is optimal for melee martials in pf2e, dex provides much needed utility in skills and is a reasonable option to build despite the lower amount of damage.
Love your PF2 content. My group switched from 5E to PF2 a few months ago, and we are enjoying it very much. Perhaps a video about the salient points of the various PF2 books once in a while?
Would be very interested in seeing a video for a caster/alchemist of some type where different damage types come into play. One of the things that's a bit misleading in these damage breakdowns is that normal weapon strikes are very 'vanilla' in a way that other damage types aren't, with a larger variety of variance in both damage profiles (persistant damage!) and the need for mixing up which tool you apply. With a fighter, it's fairly trivial to figure out what you'd do on a typical turn, but with an alchemist it's way more complicated. Might make for an interesting video just looking at how different spells/items would do against different types of enemies as an exercise in exploring jack of all trades vs minmax builds.
Every one of those videos of pathfinder is giving me that extra motivation to delve deep into learning the game.
Just need to know enough so I can teach my friends and get them to try it out.
Fantastic concept and build! This comment is here to boost pf2e vids, us pf fans need it.
Oh yes, i've been hoping for this video. Targeting two different saves = great optimisation imho (trip / intimidating strike). I still think your methodology has over-estimated the Thief dpr.
intimidating strike doesnt target a save it targets AC
The benefits of assuming flat-footed are definitely bigger for a rogue than they are for a fighter. For one, the +2 is more impactful for lower to-hit/crit ranges than it is for higher ones, because static increases have a larger relative benefit when applied to lower chances to hit/crit.
Sneak attack's obviously a big deal, too, because a rogue that can't sneak attack doesn't hit harder than any other melee character.
Perhaps even more importantly, though, is that the thief's ability to make an enemy frightened via demoralize (and so count them as flat footed with Dread Striker) doesn't do any damage, whereas the fighter's Improved Knockdown strike does. For that reason, just assuming constant flanking shortchanges the fighter's ability to trip on hit (at least from higher levels onward), not to mention their increased crit chance translating into even more trips when swinging a hammer or the rogue's having to constantly switch targets to re-demoralize.
Maybe the most important issue with always assuming best case scenarios is less specific to any one interaction, though. The issue is that it overvalues inherently swingy damage dealers (like rogues) and undervalues more consistent damage dealers (like fighters).
The rogue is a sports car that can go 180mph but can also fly off the road at a moment's notice and requires either great tactics or great luck to handle successfully.
The fighter is a reliable, economic, safe family sedan that remains in the right lane & obeys the speed limit at all times.
Both will get you where you're going just fine.
Gimli wanting Aragorn to throw him around makes a lot more sense now.
Aragorn throws gimili.
@@spencervance8484 And promised to not tell the elf.
@@spencervance8484 Oops! That's right!
"NOT THE BEARD!"
when he tried to make a jump by himself. Haha
You can take the sylph uncommon heritage if you want more speed on your dwarves. Swift + Fleet + Unburdened Iron makes a sylph dwarf the quickest ancestry heritage combination in heavy armor. At level 5 you get cloud gazer and you can see through fog (which is one of the way the gm is gonna want to replace darkness, leaving your GM smoke or greater Darkness which dwarves get ancestry feets to remedy eventually. )
I think this puts them 5 feet slower than elves.
@@blazegraves
Elf : 30 base speed + 5 ancestry feat + 5 fleet - 5 heavy armor. Total: 35
Dwarf Sylph: 20 base speed + 5 ancestry feat + 5 swift + unburdened iron (situational +5 ). Total: 30 + (5 situational)
Furthermore there are the accessories with armor speed peny drawbacks like a bastion plate(trade one action for + 1 AC in melee) and a reinforced Surcoat (up to 5 resistance to the 3 physical damage type for about 4 gold). They are nice things for dwarves as they don't take the - 10 to speed due to the increased armor speed penalty thanks to the unburdened iron feet.
Keep up the amazing content! I love seeing the Pathfinder 2E content! Your D&D 5E builds are amazing as well, but I’ve just seen so many D&D 5E builds that Pathfinder 2E characters are more new, and interesting feeling to me!
I really like how you're building based on both mechanics and theme. It's really cool to see this work and I feel like it sells the pf2 system more.
Also this character reminds me of Azeas from knights of last call. Really freaking cool. I hope we get more PF2 content from you.
Imagine being a goblin, minding your own business, when all of the sudden a massive adventurer kicks in your door and says "I'm here to do one thing: smash." 5:09
As a GM that’s gearing up to make the switch over to PF2e I’m really enjoying these videos they are helping me become more familiar with combat mechanics. Also I was gonna be disappointed if the outtakes didn’t include any dialogue from Fellowship happy to say you delivered😁
I love these pf2e videos! Please keep making them. These are the only ones I watch at this point! Thanks, Colby!
Something to keep in mind when thinking about the amount of damage the Thief rogue can put out compared to the others: a good amount of that damage is coming from Sneak Attack in the form of precision damage, and there are enemies that are just flat out immune to precision damage, like most constructs, oozes, and some incorporeal creatures. So in fights like that, this fighter who doesn’t rely on precision damage might end up leaps and bounds ahead of the poor rogue. Just something to consider.
Would a magical weapon circumvent that immunity? Or are there feats that help? Genuine question, only newly getting into pf2e.
Very nice rebuttals about how the three action economy, while nice, definitely was intentionally designed with some limitations.
Though, at least in my experience, it feels like there are skills and abilities across the various classes and feats that are also REALLY good at consolidating and improving your action economy.
Sure, you’ve gotta actually Pick those and Build for it, but it gives a nice impression of growth.
Either way this video is awesome! Can’t wait for the next Pathfinder Build!
I don't remember where I saw it, but I remember seeing a post that made a lot of sense. Many of the combat focused feats and features in Pf2e tend to fall into one of three categories:
1.) Getting around the MAP. Feats like Double Slice, Spellstrike, Power Attack, and the like all are effectively ways that you can get "more" out of your attacks, either by giving you an extra effect on top of two normal Strikes, or allowing two Strikes at the same MAP, or even (in Power Attack's case) just being more damage than a single Strike for when you can't afford to risk MAP.
2.) Cheating the 3-action economy. When you start out as an adventurer, you're limited to your puny slightly-above-average limitations and what those things can do in only 3 actions, but when you get further down your road, you start to find tricks that can squeeze more than 3 actions' worth of stuff in your turn. Double Slice is notable here, for doing both 1 and 2 when most feats pick one, and it's plenty strong for it. But there's also, say, the Gunslinger's Reload feats/features which allow them to do something *and* Interact to reload, or the Ranger feat that allows you to quickly fire off two shots with a Reload 0 weapon, or Monk's Flurry of Blows.
3.) "Math-fixers" which are typically niche situational buffs that require a specific build or a specific situation to give you a momentary edge. Stuff like Hunt Prey or Investigator's Known Weakness, and arguably many of the buff spells in the game fall into this.
The 3-action economy, MAP, and tight math are intended to feel a little restrictive early on, so that when you pick up that cool-looking feat a few levels down the line that bends those, it feels REALLY empowering.
The Balrog picture slowly slanting more and more as the video goes on is just... *chef's kiss*
lol!
Great video, and well worth the wait!
One minor note: The Initiative bonus granted by Battlefied Surveyor and by Incredible Intiative are both circumstance bonuses, so it's good that you didn't take Incredible Intiative- they wouldn't have stacked.
On a slightly spicier note, since it's come up a few times- the way PF2 handles actions. I have a preference, but I'm not defending or condemning in this case, just laying out a philosophy for those looking at the system; it's up to everyone whether this is to their taste or not. At low levels in PF2, a character is at their most mundane. Pretty much everything takes one or more actions. As they level, part of their growth is being able to bend the action economy through feats they take (Sudden Charge, Twin Takedown, Quickdraw, and Kip Up are all examples). In D&D 5e, a number of these efficiencies are baked into the base rules and others (Extra Attack and Cunning Action come to mind) are rewards for progress. PF2 reserves those not just for progress but also for specialization: if you want those efficiencies, you spend a feat for them, and the opportunity cost is something else you could have taken. If you prefer not worrying about the nitty-gritty you'll prefer the 5e method, and the granularity is appealing to PF2E fans, but there's no right or wrong in this case. I recently reminded my GM that I hadn't drawn my light hammer before a fight and accepted the consequences, so I'll let that decision speak for me.
A great video.once again, and I also find myself really enjoying hearing your thoughts on the nature of online theorycrafting, as well as being grateful that you're keeping the PF2 content up- it's very much appreciated! Take care!
My group is slowly working its way towards a Pathfinder 2e campaign and these kinds of videos are really helping me understand the systems in place as a group that plays a lot of 3.5 and 5e I am mostly afraid of version confusion
I definitely agree that the Thief Rogue makes a far better Rogue than a Rogue Archetype Fighter. In addition to the reasons you listed, it also can provide great flexibility by being very competent at ranged combat when necessary. Also, with regards to the Thief's sensitivity to flat-footed that you mentioned in the video, it's important to note that feats like Gang Up increase the probability that a Thief's foe will be flat-footed.
If you really wanted to push the Fighter's DPR to its limit, I would recommend an Alchemist Archetype Fighter who also grabs Monk Dedication through Multitalented and Monk's Flurry at level 10. Combining the Bestial Mutagen with Fighter Accuracy, Flurry of Blows, and the Agile Grace feat from Fighter leads to insane damage.
Best part of knocking enemies prone as a fighter is that they have to Stand to remove the penalty, which lets you attack of opportunity. There's a reason why the Gnome Flickmace was considered the "optimal" weapon for years before they nerfed it. It was a flail reach weapon with the trip trait, so enemies would trigger your attack of opportunity before even getting adjacent to you, and if you crit you'd knock them prone with the flail crit specialization, or you could just trip them normally on your turn. Then if they try and stand you can AoO again and potentially knock them prone again. And the higher fighter class feats can give them extra reactions for attack of opportunity. You can potentially eat an enemy's entire turn.
We back to watch pathfinder vids boys!
As much as I like seeing PF2 content, and as much as I like the Dwarf with the weapon and feats you've chosen, I think the Barbarian archetype is a trap. It's not just the really bad effects on your AC - it's also the attack you often lose on the first round activating rage. Taking this into consideration, unless combats are really long, the rage damage boost is really small, and you don't get the other key benefits of rage for the most part, such as a raging resistance. A small damage boost + a big AC nerf doesn't seem good to me, especially when there are so many other useful archetypes.
Can't wait for another pathfinder build
Hell yeah more Pathfinder content!
This is a great contrast to my Hobgoblin Barbarian build who also took Titan Mauler but with Marshal archetype. He also was using intimidation with sweep and swipe from a large 2 handed axe.
So glad to see you making pf2e content! I tried playing the system yesterday and I love how much everything can matter and how imperative teamwork is in the game. Just getting flanking alone can change a fight. But seeing you make optimized builds outside of 5eDnD is sooo refreshing. I worried that you would eventually reach the point of making virtually every "build" possible in the game that could be made viable and optimized. But pf2e is so different and has so many cool classes. I'm excited to see more of your pf2e content!
I'm making sure to like all your Pathfinder videos. You've been helping me really get into Pathfinder, and I want to keep the series alive.
There are a few Agile Two-handed weapons, but the damage is quite low on the surface, but the Swashbuckler/Mauler build is an interesting niche build.
Something you may have missed with Advantageous Assault (at least, you didn't mention it at level 6) is that if your attack is a failure (but not a critical failure) you inflict the bonus damage (only) to your target. So it's likely to do *something*.
Leaving a comment for the algorithm! I am definitely biased towards PF content and always like to tune in to good channels and yours is one of them!
im glad you did build for pf2!
couple of things i notice: -disrupted prey is a reaction as opportune attack is ,plz choose one/
-for your ranger: consider having an animal compagnon instead of double slice; they benefit from flurry too, its 2attck for 1 action. (max dmg outpout should be higher)
-for the wrecking ball: i prefer barabarian+mauler archetype, size bonus+ earthquake is amazing, and you get higer dmg. (moove+2attck is close to your calc according to pf2 dmg calc)
note as well that from my last game, close to the final boss arc; i unleashed few specter on my team : no precision dmg + a nasty mind control.
dont be affraid to be "op" your gm got the answer if needed ;)
"Don't worry... Be happy..."
Makes me happy every time you sing, man. 😁
Really love the Pathfinder videos you are making. Top notch
Great build and overall comentary on the "fighter best" school of thought.
Thank for you continuing to do PF builds. Its been a great learning process to go through alongside you.
Excellent video as always. Thanks for keeping up the PF2e content
I follow mainly for the pathfinder content. I love your takes.
I hope when you do another Pathfinder 2e build, you do a scythe build called the Grim Reaper. Maybe a cleric. That sounds awesome. I'd recommend one for 5e, but sadly we don't get scythes.
I love the blue light behind you this episode. I think that might be my favourite ambience you've used yet. Gives you a holy light look.
Funny enough, Mythbusters did an episode where they did bulls in a chinashop, and debunked the myth. Bulls actually do what they can to expertly skirt around china and shelves.
Appreciate you taking the time to do a cool build while also potentially debunking the idea that PF2 fighters are somehow OP.
For max damage, i'd choose Greatpick with both its crit specialization and crit effect.
Played a great pick giant barbarian for a one shot, dealt something like 45 damage on crits at level one
I was building a fighter just today, that video is a godsent :D
It's so much more interesting watching you break down a more mechanically deep system!
I am absolutely adoring these Pathfinder Builds!!!
Love the bouncy ball of doom build. Also, watching that picture slowly fall off the back wall was a hoot 😅.
If you pick Assurance Athletics in your first skill feat, you can do a trip action with your third action without the -10, because with Assurance you have a total roll 10+proficiency without any bonuses or (more important ) penalties ( like your multiple atack penalty ).
Commenting because i love the 2e videos! I'm glad you're sticking with them.
Anyone else enjoy watching the balrog picture slowly fall off the wall behind Colby? Starts at around 41:30 and then is completely gone by 43:17.
Fun video! I really have to plan some pathfinder one shots for my 5e playgroup...
Really enjoying the P2 content! One thing to be mindful of with barbarians is that Rage precludes actions with the Concentrate trait, and that’s a surprisingly long list that includes some things you might not expect (eg Demoralize.)
Doh, you said that. I just missed it on my first listen. My bad. Keep up the fine work!
This is a great breakdown of the leveling and concept behind a fighter in PF2. I'll take any PF content you put out!
Thank you for keeping to create more Pathfinder content. I’ve struggled to find content on 2E and it’s nice that even with WOTC backing off a little there’s still creators who haven’t immediately gone back to 5e exclusive content.
Good video! Taking giant instinct is just the coolest one, even being clumsy 1 is cool flavor
I think there should be 2 categories of numbers for these builds. Namely the best outcome and worst outcome dpr. Shows the highs and lows of the builds. This would please both crowds I think. Maybe throw in a few percentage columns that would allow for your assumptions of when you say "we get this 75% of the time."
A lot of folks have talked about the dual-weapon fighter using a pick and a light pick doing the most DPR overall. However, unlike your build, it's REALLY spiky, as it relies on the insane Fatal dice that picks get on crits. (A pick does 1d6 base, but on a crit, it does 2d10 base. Light picks are 1d4/2d8 Agile weapons. That REALLY adds up.)
My current party, on the other hand, has a dwarf fighter using dwarven war axe and shield. I've seen him at level 5 crit two side-by-side mobs using Swipe for over 70 damage each thanks to swipe and the axe critical specialization effect. Mauls do knockdowns, which are amazingly good, but being able to hit an adjacent mob on a crit is also really handy at times.
I don't personally like taking Martial Disciple on fighters because that means they end up having to learn both Athletics and Acrobatics, and one of them isn't going to be great. Instead, I like backgrounds that give Assurance in Athletics, or else Field Medic for Medicine and Assurance: Medicine.
heads up Colby, you can actually estimate enemy saves the same way you can estimate their AC! on p. 62 of the Gamemastery Guide, there’s a table that does the same Extreme, High, Moderate, Low, Terrible matrix that can help you for future calculation
Absolutely love the PF2e content more than 5e. 100% two thumbs way up!
I love the pf2e content!
I’m itching for more pathfinder content from you
Took me a bit of time to join the PF2 train, but with One D&D keeping on digging its own grave, i really can see myself playing it soon.
Your mastery is becoming more and more subtle.
Also, power attack is more interesting on your second attack if you have two actions left.
More Pathfinder! More!
I really like this build. It's super fun
Thank you for making this video. Just started Pathfinder a few weeks ago and I was trying to piece this build together last night for Pathfinder Society games.
I usually watch DnD vids, but didn't regret watching this one, even though I haven't played current edition of PF 😅 PF2E really opens up way for STR-based classes
I love your builds, especially the PF2e ones. Thank you.
Sacrilege! Wonderful beautiful heresy :) Lovely to see all the carping about fighters dispelled 😍
Yay, another Pathfinder video! I've missed these.
Fighter is incredibly fun in practice. Their +2 is not only to hit, but to crit, and combined with appropriate team synergy (flanking, some status penalty to AC from a caster or charisma character, maybe a Bless or Inspire Courage on your side) you can basically guarantee your hits on even abysmal rolls, and get your crits on constantly. It also allows Fighters to go toe-to-toe with higher level monsters better than any other class. Their feat selection is also amazing. I archetype into Fighter all the time, since it lets you grab Attack of Opportunity at level 4 (most martials get it at level 6, if at all) and access to excellent combat feats for your different weapon fantasies, like Combat Grab, Dueling Parry, or Two-Handed Assault for your "one handed weapon and no shield" builds, or Double Slice for your dual wielding weapon builds, etc etc etc. They are super adaptable to whatever combat fantasy you want to aim for, and their proficiency means they'll always be powerful.
They are also the best class for utilizing Advanced weapons. Usually you need to take the appropriate ancestry feat to reduce the category of a weapon from Advanced to Martial. Fighters are trained in Advanced weapons from the get-go, and get a class feat at level 6 to benefit from their full boosted scaling with advanced weapons.
I’m getting into pathfinder and your learning pathfinder as a dnd veteran and pathfinder build videos have been great! Please make more if you can 😃
Nice video. Something that I like that is related to the 3 action economy, few enemies have attacks of opportunity which makes you more mobile than 5e since you rarely have to worry about taking damage.
My favorite Fighter build so far is involves Dwarven Adopted Ancestry and using the Dwarven Scattergun as a martial weapon.
Thanks of all the pathfinder videos