Greetings, My Min Maxy Friends!
My quest is not simple, nor is it easy, but I must complete it.
I'm looking at putting together an allowed class list for a pathfinder power-level game set in the outer planes. Going through themes and such, i found concepts i'd like to work in, but one of them is the poor malnourished rogue and another is the rather beastly spirit shaman.
First thing's first, according to ImperatorK, the pathfinder tiers for base clases go something like this:
This time Pathfinder only. Last time I was making it 3.P, but not everyone is playing with 3.X materials, so...
Tier 1: Cleric, Druid, Witch, Wizard, Oracle (with Paragon Surge), Sorcerer (with Paragon Surge);
Tier 2: Psion, Oracle, Sorcerer, Summoner, Bard (Magician w/ Paragon Surge);
Tier 3: Alchemist, Bard, Inquisitor, Magus, Psychic Warrior, Wilder;
Tier 4: Barbarian, Fighter, Gunslinger, Ninja, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Soulknife;
Tier 5: Cavalier, Expert, Monk, Samurai;
Tier 6: Aristocrat, Commoner, Warrior;
StreamoftheSky, however chimed in to discuss Rogues and their many woes, and I feel him. I really do.
That backstory out of the way, here's the challenge:
1: i'm using ken hood's grim and gritty hit point system for 3.0. I'm making changes to the relevant skills to fit the PF skill list and CMD/CMB system (
http://riivo.talviste.ee/dnd/grim-n-gritty/GrimNGrittyHitPointRules3.3.pdf) The relevance of this, is that sneak attack becomes less of a damage punch and more of an armor negator and status effect attack (read pounce in the document for more details, but yeah, TL;DR all over the place here, so i wont crucify if you don't read. the short version is: Rogues do less damage, as people have less hit points.) I'm limiting spell damage and maneuver damage to reel it in some, but this doesn't fix the problem with Rogue's already doing crap damage without nurfing their one major power... which is now nurfed.
2: I'm using ken hood's martial arts system, again, with modifications to bring it into the 3.75 era to skills (
http://riivo.talviste.ee/dnd/grim-n-gritty/d20Skills-n-FeatsMartialArtsSystem.pdf)
4: I want to use these classes, for thematic purposes. I want to run a planescape campegn, and make conversions to classic 2e modules (faction war, dead gods, the great modron march) and looking at the themeing around spells they have, I need certain spellcaster troupes. Obvoiusly druid is right out, as is cleric and wizard, as they are god-tier. I'm covereing the "cleric" troupe with Inquisitor, modified healer, and Oracle. I'm covering the Wizard troupe with Beguiler, Summoner, Warmage, and D. Necro. I'm lifting fighter into tier 3 by folding weapon mastery into warblade, and crusader is here to replace paladin.
Le List (names are based off of Sigilian PS "cant" here's a dictionary for the uninitiated:
http://www.mimir.net/cant/cant2.html:
Fighter Types:
Sword-Swinger (Warblade + Fighter's Weapon Mastery)
Tinman (Crusader)
Bloody Basher (Barbarian +....? This is a tier 4-5 class, i need to buff up to tier 3)
Rogue Types:
Knight of the Post (Rogue +....? Rogue needs serious help)
Gearhead (A sort of buffed bodger. Has some non-magical crafting and a few gunslinger grit type powers. )
Backringer (A ranger toupe, but converted from a front line guy to a trapsrpinger)
Mad Cook (Alchemist)
Priest Types:
Addle-Cove (Oracle)
Holy roller (Inquisitor)
Street Doc (Healer + BoED sanctified spells. ONLY this class will be able to use them)
Ghost Lover (Spirit Shaman -... something. Spirit SHaman is coasting between tier 2 and three, and needs to be taken down a notch)
Arcane Casters:
Music Box (bard)
Tickler (Summoner)
Mindbender (Beguiler)
Spellslinger (Warmage)
Dustie (D. Necro)
All classes will get a 2 skills/level boost.
TL; DR: seeking help for these challenges:
Reel in Spirit Shaman to tier 3
Buff Barbarian to Tier 3
Buff Rogue to Tier 3
Find out how to make ranger have no spells, but trap springing abilities... and be in the tier 3-4 range after that
do all of this without making sneak attacks more lethal. Sneak attacks have a heavy nurf from the Gritty HP system.
Any suggestions at all appreciated, I know this is a big big question!