Protagonist and Companion Builds

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).

2. Linzi [LIN]
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).

3. Amiri [AMI]
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.

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.

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)

Octavia - Arcane Trickster
End Game: Rogue 2 / Wizard 8 / Arcane Trickster 10
Ranged Damage Build

Build Notes: Octavia is one of the hardest characters to build for before her default build is as close to perfect as you can really get. The auto-level will give her Accomplished Sneak Attacker and then feed directly into Arcane Trickster until it maxes it out, then return to Wizard levels. Almost every build you'll find anywhere conforms to this standard because there's not really anything better. So differences tend to be superficial in most casts.
The jist of this build is just having Octavia auto-attack with Jolt / Acid Splash and letting her Sneak Attack bump the damage up. Once you get Scorching Ray it can be used for taking down particularly tough targets, especially with Spell Specialization helping to send out multiple rays. Later on, Disintegrate will become a mainstay, especially when Quickening Scorching Ray.

Starting Stats
Rogue-1 / Transmuter-1
10 Strength
17 Dexterity
08 Constitution
19 Intelligence
10 Wisdom
14 Charisma
Skills: Persuasion 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 2, Knowledge (World) 1, Mobility 2, Perception 1, Stealth 2, Trickery 2
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Spell Focus (Transmutation), Weapon Finesse
Spells: Enlarge Person, Expeditious Retreat, Magic Missile, Mage Armor, Snowball, Color Spray, Vanish

Leveling Stats
Level 3 - Rogue 2
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +2
Feats: Evasion, Accomplished Sneak Attacker, Precise Shot(RT)
Notes: The singlemost controversial level. Most guides will tell you to to go straight Wizard and skip Rogue levels entirely. However, I find that this level of Rogue is worth the investment. Evasion will ALWAYS be useful, particularly as a backliner. Further, you get Precise Shot a couple of levels earlier with this build, making Octavia immediately useful.

Level 4 - Transmuter 2
Attribute: Intelligence +1
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Hurricane Bow(1), True Strike(1)

Level 5 - Transmuter 3
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Spell Focus (Evocation)
Spells: Scorching Ray(2), Web(2)
Notes: SF Evocation is for Spell Specialization down the road. It raises your CL by 2 with a spell, and since Ranged Touch Attacks like Scorching Ray are your bread and butter, we're working toward it now.

Level 6 - Arcane Trickster 1
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Acid Arrow(2), Glitterdust(2)

Level 7 - Arcane Trickster 2
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +2, Perception +1
Feats: Spell Specialization (Scorching Ray)
Spells: Haste(3), Heroism(3)

Level 8 - Arcane Trickster 3
Attribute: Intelligence +1
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Slow(3), See Invisibility, Communal(3)

Level 9 - Arcane Trickster 4
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (Ray)
Spells: Ice Storm(4), Volcanic Storm(4)

Level 10 - Arcane Trickster 5
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Dimension Door(4), Greater Invisibility(4)

Level 11 - Arcane Trickster 6
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Spell Penetration
Spells: Animal Growth(5), Baleful Polymorph(5)

Level 12 - Arcane Trickter 7
Attribute: Intelligence +1
Skills: Mobility +6, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Icy Prison(5), Angelic Aspect(5)

Level 13 - Arcane Trickster 8
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Metamagic (Quicken Spell), Spell Specialization (Disintegrate)
Spells: Disintegrate(6), Hellfire Ray(6)
Notes: A strong level for the build. Scorching Ray naturally has its third ray and can be quickened and cast simultaneously with Disintegrate. Spell Specialization should be switched to Disintegrate near-permanently now since it represents an additional 4d6 damage.

Level 14 - Arcane Trickster 9
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Elemental Assessor(6), Transformation(6)

Level 15 - Arcane Trickster 10
Skills: Mobility +1, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Greater Spell Focus (Transmutation)
Spells: Resonating Word(7), Legendary Proportions(7)

Level 16 - Transmuter 4
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Prismatic Spray(7), Summon Greater Elemental(7)

Level 17 - Transmuter 5
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Improved Critical (Ray), Greater Spell Penetration
Spells: Polar Ray(8), Angelic Aspect, Greater(8)
Notes: The Transmuter special gives a +2 to any physical stat at this level. This is a good time to shift it to either Constitution or Strength and use Dexterity-enhancing magic items.

Level 18 - Transmuter 6
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Summon Elder Elemental(8), Summon Monster VIII(8)

Level 19 - Transmuter 7
Skills: Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Toughness
Spells: Fiery Body(9), Icy Prison, Mass(9)

Level 20 - Transmuter 8
Attribute: Intelligence +1
Skills: Mobility +5, Trickery +1, Stealth +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Knowledge (World) +1, Perception +1, Persuasion +5
Spells: Heroic Invocation(9), Summon Monster IX(9)

Regongar - Draconic Guardian
End Game: Eldritch Scion 16 / Blue Dragon Disciple 4
Tank Build

Build Notes: Most Regongar builds are a simple Magus / Dragon Disciple, occasionally with Eldritch Knight peppered in. And why not? Like Octavia, it's about as close to perfect as a build gets. I've experimented around with other builds, my most recent failure was a Magus / Rogue / Arcane Trickster / Dragon Disciple build. The Sneak Attack was great, the theme was spot-on especially with Octavia also being an Arcane Trickster, but whereas she was using touch attack rays, Regongar's Base Attack capped at 11-12 and he just wasn't landing enough hits to make the build viable. Other builds like substituting some Eldritch Knight levels were equal failures. Eldritch Knight unlocks Fighter feats, sure, but Magus already does that itself.
Ultimately, like Octavia, the best build is working within the constructs of the classic builds. Besides, Regongar has a secret. Although he looks like a pure damage character, he ends up with Heavy Armor Proficiency. His Dexterity is just high enough to take Dodge and all derivative feats. He naturally stacks Natural Armor. He also gets access to Wings, one of the best defensive feats that most of the other tanks don't. Finally, his one-handed style of fighting will let him use Crane Wing, another fantastic tanking feat most shield-users will never benefit from. The rub is that until Heavy Armor unlocks, he needs to play as a traditional damage build. Mid through late game though? I've found him to be an excellent tank.

Starting Stats
Eldritch Scion-2
17 Strength
13 Dexterity
12 Constitution
10 Intelligence
08 Wisdom
16 Charisma
Skills: Athletics 2, Persuasion 2, Use Magic Device 2
Feats: Combat Casting
Spells: Shocking Grasp, True Strike, Shield


Leveling Stats
Level 3 - Eldritch Scion 3
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +3
Feats: Dodge, Arcane Accuracy
Spells: Mage Armor(1), Enlarge Person(1)
Notes: You'll eventually want Mobility 3 for Fighting Defensively synergies, but this early it's a bit of a waste. Instead, we're shoring up Arcana ranks to unlock Dragon Disciple levels ASAP.

Level 4 - Eldritch Scion 4
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Mobility +2, Knowledge (Arcana) +1
Spells: Mirror Image(2), Effortless Armor(2)

Level 5 - Eldritch Scion 5
Skills: Mobility +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Crane Style
Spells: Resist Energy(2), Frigid Touch(2)

Level 6 - Blue Dragon Disciple 1
Skills: Persuasion +3

Level 7 - Blue Dragon Disciple 2
Attribute: Strength +2
Skills: Athletics +2, Persuasion +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (Scimitar), Power Attack
Spells: Glitterdust(2), Dispel Magic(3)

Level 8 - Blue Dragon Disciple 3
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +2, Persuasion +1
Spells: Magic Missile(1), Haste(3), Vampiric Touch(3)

Level 9 - Blue Dragon Disciple 4
Attribute: Strength +2
Skills: Athletics +2, Persuasion +1
Feats: Crane Wing
Spells: Lightning Bolt(3), Fear(4)

Level 10 - Eldritch Scion 6
Skills: Athletics +2, Persuasion +1
Feats: Prescient Attack
Spells: Displacement(3)

Level 11 - Eldritch Scion 7
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Improved Critical (Scimitar), Arcane Medium Armor
Spells: Blur(2), Dragon's Breath(4), Greater Invisibility(4), Spell Resistance(5)
Notes: This marks the first real level where Regongar becomes viable for tanking. By now you should have the Mithral Full Plate and some respectable Dexterity-enhancing gear. Now is the time to toggle on Crane Style and leave it on.

Level 12 - Eldritch Scion 8
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Spells: Expeditious Retreat(1), Shield of Dawn(4)

Level 13 - Eldritch Scion 9
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Crane Riposte, Dimension Strike
Spells: Dimension Door(4), Dragonkind I(6)

Level 14 - Eldritch Scion 10
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Fighter Training
Spells: Fireball(3), Vampiric Shadow Shield(5), Cloudkill(5)

Level 15 - Eldritch Scion 11
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Weapon Specialization (Scimitar), Cornugon Smash, Wings
Spells: Web(2), Acid Spray(2), Dragonkind II(7)

Level 16 - Eldritch Scion 12
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Hasted Assault
Spells: Fire Snake(5)

Level 17 - Eldritch Scion 13
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Arcane Heavy Armor, Heavy Armor Focus
Spells: Stoneskin(4), Chain Lightning(6), Dragonkind III(8)

Level 18 - Eldritch Scion 14
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Spells: Stinking Cloud(4), True Seeing(6)

Level 19 - Eldritch Scion 15
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Intimidating Prowess, Ghost Blade
Spells: Dispel Magic, Greater(6), Overwhelming Presence(7)

Level 20 - Eldritch Scion 16
Skills: Athletics +1, Persuasion +1, Use Magic Device +1
Feats: Counterstrike, Power of Wyrms
Spells: Cone of Cold(5), Elemental Assessor(6), Bull's Strength, Mass(6), Bear's Endurance, Mass(6), Cat's Grace, Mass(6), Owl's Wisdom, Mass(6), Fox's Cunning, Mass(6), Eagle's Splendor, Mass(6)

Ekundayo - Sacred Ranger
End Game: Ranger 5 / Kinetic Knight 1 / Sacred Huntsman 14
Melee Trip Build

Build Notes: One of the most useful aspects of Ekundayo is dog's ability to spam trip attacks among the enemies. A lot of close fights end in the party's favor when a well-timed trip on a difficult foe lands. This build focuses heavily on tripping and party-based tactics. Note that a trip-build Jaethal synergizes amazingly with this build. I recently ran a teamwork feat playthrough with the protagonist, Jaethal and this Ekundayo as my principal players and was beyond pleased with the results. Since prone characters are incapable of attacking, multiple enemies are essentially just taken out of the fight from the onset and remain forever locked down.
A note on the flavor of the build. I detest single level dips, I feel like they're the providence of min/maxers. However, in this case, the dip was character appropriate and also the only way to make the build work. The former is a great deal more important to me than the latter.

Starting Stats
Ranger-5
16 Strength
20 Dexterity
14 Constitution
10 Intelligence
13 Wisdom
10 Charisma
Skills: Athletics 5, Mobility 5, Stealth 5, Lore (Nature) 5, Perception 5
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (Longbow), Boon Companion, Endurance, Rapid Shot, Favored Enemy (Giant Humanoids +4, Magical Beasts +2)

Leveling Stats
Level 7 - Kinetic Knight 1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +2, Perception +1
Feats: Kinetic Warrior
Notes: A necessary level for the build. Ekun's Intelligence is too low to qualify for Trip, but a level of Kinetic Knight grants the requirement. Given he's a Ranger that worships the Dwarf God, selecting an Earth Kineticist is not entirely out of character for him.

Level 6 - Sacred Huntsman 1
Skills: Lore (Religion) +5
Feats: Deity (Torag), Domain (Artifice), Animal Companion (Continue), Trip
Spells: Divine Favor(1), True Strike(1)
Notes: There are FAR better deity picks than Torag with better Domains to boot, but canonically he worships Torag and that trumps all other considerations.

Level 8 - Sacred Huntsman 2
Attribute: Wisdom +1
Skills: Stealth +2, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +2
Feats: Cunning Initiative
Spells: Bless(1)

Level 9 - Sacred Huntsman 3
Skills: Stealth +2, Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Fury's Fall, Tandem Trip, Hunter Tactics, Solo Tactics
Spells: Divine Shield(1)
Notes: An important level, the Hunter Tactics grants teamwork feats to Dog, which means it now has Tandem Trip too. Fury's Fall brings his unnaturally high Dexterity to the fore as well.

Level 10 - Sacred Huntsman 4
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Cure Moderate Wounds(2), Lesser Restoration(2)

Level 11 - Sacred Huntsman 5
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Greater Trip, Favored Enemy (Fey +2, Giant Humanoids +4, Magical Beasts +2)
Spells: Aid(2)

Level 12 - Sacred Huntsman 6
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Outflank
Spells: See Invisibility(2)

Level 13 - Sacred Huntsman 7
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Spells: Cure Light Wounds(1), Cure Serious Wounds(3), Heroism(3)
Notes: Up until this point, you were probably using just whatever weapon had the best enchants. Now that we can utilize his Dexterity for melee attacks, its time to switch to finesse weapons. Ultimately his build suggests a Rapier, but if you find a Dagger or the like that works better, by all means, subtitute.

Level 14 - Sacred Huntsman 8
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Prayer(3)

Level 15 - Sacred Huntsman 9
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Weapon Focus (Rapier), Precise Strike
Spells: Dispel Magic(3)

Level 16 - Sacred Huntsman 10
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Favored Enemy (Dragons +4, Fey +2, Giant Humanoids +4, Magical Beasts +2)
Spells: Invisibility(2), Freedom of Movement(4), Greater Invisibility(4)

Level 17 - Sacred Huntsman 11
Attribute: Dexterity +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Fencing Grace, Stalwart
Spells: Protection From Alignment(1), Divine Power(4)

Level 18 - Sacred Huntsman 12
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Greater Bane Weapon, Coordinated Manuevers
Spells: Cure Critical Wounds(4)

Level 19 - Sacred Huntsman 13
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Feats: Improved Critical (Rapier)
Spells: Delay Poison, Communal(3), Cure Light Wounds, Mass(5), Righteous Might(5)

Level 20 - Sacred Huntsman 14
Attribute: Strength +1
Skills: Athletics +1, Mobility +1, Stealth +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Perception +1
Spells: Protection From Alignment, Communal(2), Stoneskin, Communal(5)
Notes: Ekundayo's unbuffed trip modifier is well over +30 by this point.

Tristian - Fire Lord
End Game: Ecclesitheurge 6 / Empyreal Sorcerer 4 / Mystic Theurge 10
Ranged Damage / Healer Build

Build Notes: By the time you get him at Cleric 3, Tristian will already be about as powerful a healer as you're going to need for a long time. He has lots of Channels for great amounts and plenty of spell slots to convert to healing. The idea with this build is that between using those Channels or spontaneously casting some Cure Spells, he's just obliterating the battlefield in fire damage as befits the Cleric of the Goddess of the Sun and Fire. Because of his large Wisdom, the sheer number of spell slots that a Theurge gets (including sharing spell slots between classes) and the Sorcerer's innate high spells per day, Tristian can just be toggled to fire off any number of powerful damaging spells in auto-combat.
Warning: This build gets extremely powerful fairly quickly and tends to trivialize the game somewhat. It's next to impossible to run out of spells, and all he has are extremely powerful heals and extremely powerful damaging spells.

Starting Stats
Ecclesitheurge-3
09 Strength
12 Dexterity
12 Constitution
10 Intelligence
17 Wisdom
16 Charisma
Skills: Persuasion 3, Lore (Nature) 3, Lore (Religion) 3, Perception 3
Feats: Extra Channel, Selective Channel, Extend Spell

Leveling Stats
Level 4 - Empyreal Sorcerer 1
Attributes: Wisdom +1
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +3
Feats: Spell Focus (Evocation)
Spells: Burning Hands(1), Magic Missile(1)

Level 5 - Empyreal Sorcerer 2
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +2, Lore (Religion) +1
Feats: Spell Specialization (Magic Missile)
Notes: Tristian should be auto-casting Magic Missile for the foreseeable future. Spell Specialization gives him an extra missile with every cast.

Level 6 - Empyreal Sorcerer 3
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +2
Spells: Ray of Enfeeblement(1)

Level 7 - Empyreal Sorcerer 4
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Point Blank Shot, *Spell Specialization (Burning Arc)
Spells: Burning Arc(2)
Notes: Burning Arc is a great, underrated low-level spell. It does as much single target damage as a Fireball, doesn't risk hitting allies, and is available early. With Spell Specialization, you're good for 6d6 out the gate. Elemental Focus and Spell Focus stack for raising its DC. Also, there are a number of ray spells that Tristian will have access to. While you shouldn't put off Spell Specialization, Precise Shot is your next highest priority.

Level 8 - Mystic Theurge 1
Attributes: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Combined Spells (1st), *Spell Specialization (Magic Missile)
Spells: Mage Armor(1), Scorching Ray(2)
Notes: Wew! This is the level that Tristian begins to use his 2nd level Cleric spell slots for 1st level Sorcerer spells. Between his Sorcerer and Cleric slots, he can fire off 10 casts of Spell Specialized Magic Missile (although they come in separate stacks).

Level 9 - Mystic Theurge 2
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Precise Shot
Spells: Fireball(3)

Level 10 - Mystic Theurge 3
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Combined Spells (2nd)
Spells: Shield(1), Molten Orb(2), Haste(3)
Notes: Just to give you a sense of his auto-casting firepower, Tristian has eleven 5d4+5 Magic Missiles, ten 7d6 Burning Arcs, and six 7d6 Fireballs, plus a few Domain spells and his channels.

Level 11 - Mystic Theurge 4
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Elemental Focus (Fireball)
Spells: Dragon's Breath(4)
Notes: By this point, Tristian has both Resist Energy, Communal AND Protection from Energy, Communal. This will help him fire off his high DC Fireballs and Dragon's Breath spells with impunity into the party and monsters. It should be noted that Spell Focus and Elemental Focus both stack with one another.

Level 12 - Mystic Theurge 5
Attributes: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Combined Spells (3rd)
Spells: Mirror Image(2), Displacement(3), Obsidian Flow(4)

Level 13 - Mystic Theurge 6
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Greater Elemental Focus (Fire), *Spell Specialization (Flamestrike)
Spells: Fire Snake(5)

Level 14 - Mystic Theurge 7
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Combined Spells (4th)
Spells: False Life(2), Dispel Magic(3), Volcanic Storm(4), Geniekind(5)

Level 15 - Mystic Theurge 8
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), *Spell Specialization (Hellfire Ray)
Spells: Hellfire Ray(6)
Notes: For those keeping score, Tristian is functionally a 23rd level character and has access to 6th level spells from each list. Hellfire Ray has a higher damage cap than most other spells (15d6) and higher levels produce more rays. This'll be your go-to Specialization for the immediate future.

Level 16 - Mystic Theurge 9
Attribute: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Spells: Controlled Fireball(4), Cloudkill(5), Sirocco(6)

Level 17 - Mystic Theurge 10
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +1
Feats: Metamagic (Quicken Spell)
Spells: Firebrand(7)
Notes: It's a worthwhile idea to start using Quicken immediately. For example, while Firesnake is a nice 5th level spell, when forced to choose between that and a simultaneous x2 15d6 Hellfire Ray with a Quickened 5d4+5 Magic Missile, you might be better just using the 5th level spells for Quickened slots.

Level 18 - Ecclesitheurge 4
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +2
Notes: It's a judgement call on whether to continue leveling Cleric or Sorcerer at this point. Sorcerer is probably the better pick, but Cleric is more conceptually appropriate.

Level 19 - Ecclesitheurge 5
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +2
Feats: Improved Critical (Ray), *Spell Specialization (Fire Storm)

Level 20 - Ecclesitheurge 6
Attributes: Wisdom +1
Skills: Lore (Nature) +1, Lore (Religion) +1, Persuasion +2
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:42, Sat 07 Dec 2019.

Jubilost

Rank: S
Role: Nuker/Support

Stats:
Str: 8 > 9 @ lvl 20
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Int: 18 > 22
Wis: 8
Cha: 12

Final Build: Alchemist 20

Main skills: Trickery, Knowledge: Arcane, Knowledge: World
Suggested secondary skills:, Perception, Stealth

Detailed leveling breakdown:
Lvl 6: Alchemist - Infusion
Lvl 7: Alchemist - Extra Bombs
Lvl 8: Alchemist - Choking Bomb
Lvl 9: Alchemist - Extra Bombs
Lvl 10: Alchemist - Fast Bombs
Lvl 11: Alchemist - Improved Critical: Bomb
Lvl 12: Alchemist - Blinding Bombs
Lvl 13: Alchemist - Critical Focus
Lvl 14: Alchemist - Cognatogen
Lvl 15: Alchemist - Weapon Focus: Bomb
Lvl 16: Alchemist - Curse Bomb
Lvl 17: Alchemist - Extra Bombs
Lvl 18: Alchemist - Greater Cognatogen
Lvl 19: Alchemist - Extra Bombs
Lvl 20: Alchemist - Dispelling Bomb, Grand Cognatogen, Awakened Intellect

Spells by level in order of importance*:
All levels: Cure wounds
Lvl 1: Shield, True Strike, Enlarge Person, Reduce Person
Lvl 2: Restoration(Lesser), Barkskin
Lvl 3: Thorn Body, Displacement, Haste, Delay Poison(Communal)
Lvl 4: Death Ward, Restoration, Stoneskin, Greater Invisibility, False Life(Greater)
Lvl 5: Stoneskin(Communal), Spell Resistance
Lvl 6: Transformation, Heal, Legendary Proportions

*most cleric spells can be learned from scrolls. Check priests in town for those.

Important gear: +Int, +Dex. +bomb damage items, Bombardier’s Vest, some crossbow

Not the worst alchemist you can do. Decent enough stats. Only way he could be better is if he was a grenadier. Being clearly the best story companion he deserves his S rank.

Alchemists are OP. Let me tell you why:
-Mutagens stack with items
-Almost all of their spells can be learned from scrolls readily available from priests and mages.
-They can give “personal” buffs to other people through infusion. Thorn Body on a barbarian? Easy. Shield spell for your dual-wielder? Yep. Transformation for your rogue? Got it.
-Speaking of transformation: it does nothing to our bombs. Buff and lob away at full BAB.
-Did I mention bombs? Yeah those are insane.as well. With how much int you can have it will get into DC30+ territory and they are ranged touch attacks, so a lot less AC for enemies too.

General Strategy: Buff with what you need, Including reduce person for better AC/AB. Use disabling bombs as needed. You have a lot of those, Use fast bombs on tough groups when you will likely have to rest after anyways.

Nok-Nok

Rank: S+
Role: Front-line Damage Dealer

Stats:
Str: 8
Dex: 23 > 26
Con: 12
Int: 12
Wis: 9 > 10 @ lvl20
Cha: 8

Final Build: Rogue(Knife Master)12/Barbarian(Invulnerable Rager)8

Main skills: Trickery (max), Mobility*, Stealth*, Perception (max)
Suggested secondary skills: Lore: Nature(max).

*Split evenly between mobility and stealth. You do not need as much of those as you can get.

Detailed leveling breakdown:
Lvl 8: Barbarian
Lvl 9: Barbarian - Improved Two-Weapon Fighting // Animal Fury
Lvl 10: Barbarian
Lvl 11: Barbarian - Outflank // Reckless Stance
Lvl 12: Barbarian
Lvl 13: Barbarian - Greater Two-Weapon Fighting // Swift Foot
Lvl 14: Barbarian
Lvl 15: Barbarian - Extra Rage Power: Damage Reduction // Damage Reduction
Lvl 16: Rogue - Combat Trick > Combat Reflexes
Lvl 17: Rogue - Extra Rage Power: Damage Reduction
Lvl 18: Rogue - Opportunist
Lvl 19: Rogue - Finesse Training: Bite // Seize the Moment*
Lvl 20: Rogue - Combat Trick > Improved Critical: Kukri
*If you stack multiple of those in your front-line. Or swap it for Crit.

Gear: best kukris we can find, Robes and Bracers+5. +Dex Item. Alkali Gloves.

Best Rogue in the game. Better than we could make ourselves even despite a few lost feats. Absurd stats. S+.

Rogues are actually one of the biggest traps in the game. With rather slow BAB progression they do have problems with hitting stuff before too long. Sneak-attacks are all about number of hits you do, so Dual-wield is logical, but it further destroys AB. They are also squishy with no means of ramping up AC. And there is no shortage of enemies that are Immune to crits/sneak attacks. That is why we mix in some Invulnerable Rager levels. It fixes our AB admirably, gives some damage through rage: we get an extra attack from bite plus rage bonuses. And we get some DR on top of that.

Due to Opportunist and Seize the Moment we will dish out even more damage through AoO and help our team to do the same in the process.

Skipped Improved Evasion for more utility from Seize the Moment. His Reflex is insanely high, so it should not be an issue.

General Strategy: Keep him to the edges of the fight. Don’t hesitate and use acrobatics to disengage if you are focused. Between temp. HP and DR we can take a few punches, but he is not a tank by any means.